Introduction:

A man was walking home from work one day. He was weary from a long day, and so he decided

to take a shortcut through a neighbor’s field, and that was a normal thing to do in those days,

people wouldn’t have been offended by that. As he was taking the shortcut through the field, all

of a sudden he got to a certain place and, when his walking stick hit the ground in that certain

place, there was kind of a hollow thud that happened underneath it. It was an unusual thing to

happen for this man, and so he thought, “I’m going to check and see what’s underneath it”. So

he went into the ground and he began to wipe away the dust, to clear away the dirt that was there,

to find what was underneath. He found first a wood plank and then, as he dug deeper, he found

what looked like a treasure chest. He pulled out the treasure chest and opened it up and inside he

had never seen anything like it before. It was full of gold and silver and jewels of every color.

He had never seen anything like that, unimaginable wealth! He thought quickly and he thought,

“If I take this right now that would be stealing.” So he put it back into the ground and he

covered it up again. Then an idea hit him. He got up from that place and instead of being

exhausted from a long days’ work, a skip started to enter into his stride. He began to think of

ways that he could possibly get that treasure legitimately. He thought, “If I buy the field then the

treasure would be mine.” The treasure wasn’t close to where anybody lived that he knew of, so

he figured the owner probably didn’t even know that it was there. He thought, “If I sell

everything maybe I can get it. Ok, if I do this . . . .if I sell my house . . .I’ll have to sell that for

sure. I’ll probably have to give up my prize pair of oxen. The iPod definitely has to go. The

children . . . .no, we’re going to keep the children.” He figured, “If I sell out on all of my

material goods then maybe, just maybe, I can have enough money to buy that field, and if I

bought the field then I would be able to have the treasure.”

A. This story about the treasure is actually a story that comes from the book of Matt 13:44

            1. So, if you’ve got your Bibles, go ahead and turn in there

2. And we are going to be looking at principles related to treasure

3. That God has for us, or that we can store up for ourselves in eternity

B. This morning. Matt 13:44 is a single verse parable which says this:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

E. He sold it “in his joy” because he realized, even if he sold everything that he had,

1. It would cost him everything,

2. But what it would gain him is so much more!

F. This is an unbelievable find, a find that would change his whole life

1. This is not a man in the parable that we’re thought of to pity,

2. Instead, this is a man who is to be envied

3. Because he scored the biggest score of his life

G. Was he smart to cash it all in for the treasure?

1. You bet he was, because with that treasure –

2. It would be so much better than life as it was normally

H. Today I’m going to be teaching on the subject of STEWARDSHIP

            1. Stewardship includes EVERY AREA of our lives

                        a. FINANCES

                        b. TIME

                        c. GIFTS & TALENTS and so on -

            2. And we are going to be looking at many different passages of Scripture

A. Jesus said,

“the kingdom of heaven is like this kind of treasure that’s hidden in a field. It’s worth selling out everything for.”

B. God owns everything and I am and everything that I have;

            1. I am merely His investor, or a manager, of HIS resources

C. Now, in church, often times, people are afraid to talk about money

1. Or they are uncomfortable with it for a variety of different reasons,

2. And understandably so

3. There have been many scandals around financial items

D. There has been discomfort among people talking about giving away their resources

1. Towards other causes

E. Money is one of those things that is measurable as well,

1. So you can go back and actually look at how well you’re doing in the giving category

2. For all these reasons it sometimes makes people feel uncomfortable

F. Who remembers that last time I preached a sermon on giving?

            1. I sure don’t

            2. In fact, I don’t know that I ever have, other than when it’s come up in our text

G. But this morning we’re going to talk about money, tithing & Stewardship for several reasons

#1. Christ taught on MONEY more than even HEAVEN or HELL

A. In the bible there are over 450 verses on FAITH

            1. Over 500 verses on PRAYER

            2. But over 2100 verses on GIVING

B. 1 in every 10 verses in the N.T. deals with:

            1. GIVING, MONEY, or POSSESSIONS

C. Of the 38 Parables Jesus taught:

            1. 16 deal directly with GIVING/MONEY/POSSESSIONS

D. Why was JESUS so emphatic about this?

            1. Because Jesus said –

Luke 12:34       For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I. He wants us to GIVE to HIM;

            1. Not because He NEEDS our money;

            2. But because He wants our HEARTS

#2. I need to let you know how we are doing as a church financially

A. At CC we don’t normally talk about money;

            1. And if you are a visitor today, the regulars can avow to that

B. Generally, the only time I’m going to teach on money is when we come across the text;

            1. Yet, the Lord has put it upon my heart today to TEACH on GIVING

            2. We all need to be faithful & I need to bring you all up to date w/ where we’re at

C. Because of our FORM of CHURCH government;

            1. We don’t really have ‘BUSINESS MEETINGS’

            2. Rather we have a board of directors who meets QUARTERLY

                        a. And all 5 of us PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER how to budget God’s money

D. Now I have no idea who gives what, or if you give at all

            1. It’s NOT that our BOARD wont allow me to KNOW

            2. It’s that I CHOOSE NOT TO KNOW;

                        a. Because I don’t want to DEVELOP a CHIP on my shoulder towards those who

                           do NOT GIVE; nor do I want to develop FAVORITISM towards the GIVERS

            3. It’s all GOD’S DEAL

                        a. Either you FAITHFULLY TITHE unto the LORD

                        b. Or you are STEALING FROM HIM

E. Now you might say to me “Where does it say that in the bible?”

            1. GLAD YOU ASKED!

            2. The LORD Himself said in -

Malachi 3:8-10
“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. ⁹ You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. ¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

*The nation of Israel had been w/holding their tithes and the result was:

            1. GOD’S HOUSE was in DISREPAIR while they homes TENDED to

            2. And the Priests could no longer afford to serve at the TEMPLE

            3. So they WENT BACK TO WORK – farming; agricultural industry

            4. And the WORK of God was NEGLECTED as the people fell away from the Lord

A. The Prophet Malachi had carried a rather severe message as he told the people of God that-

            1. They had GROWN LUKEWARM in their LOVE towards God

B. And here in 3:8, the Lord says “How shall you return to Me?”

            1. “Consider this: You’ve been robbing Me”

C. You see, the HEARTS of the people were HELD BACK to the SAME DEGREE

            1. Their TITHES and OFFERINGS were

D. The word TITHE simply means “TENTH”

            1. The 1^st 10% of EVERY DOLLAR I receive is the Lord’s

E. Therefore if I DON’T TITHE;

            1. I’m actually ROBBING GOD

F. In giving my TITHE, on the other hand

            1. I’m sanctifying the REMAINING 90%

                        a. (Which still belongs to God, I’m just His STEWART over the 90%)

G. Tithing acknowledges in a very real way, what James said:

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

“It’s amazing how SMALL a dollar LOOKS at the GROCERY STORE; but how BIG it looks when I’m about to put it in the OFFERING PLATE!”         – James McDonald

H. The bible tells us in Leviticus 27:30 that the TITHE is the LORD’S

            1. To which some people OBJECT ——–‘LEGALISM’!

            2. ‘As N.T. believers, we are FREE from the LAW’

                        a. And YES we are

                        b. But TITHING began well before the LAW was ever given

I. In Genesis 14;

            1. Abraham gave a TITHE to MELCHIZEDEK;

            2. A picture or TYPE of the LORD JESUS CHRIST

J. In O.T. times, TITHING was actually about 23%

            1. 10% tithe to the Levites

            2. 10% tithe to the LORD directly

            3. 10% tithe every 3 years to the POOL

            4. In addition, 1/6^th of ALL crops were to be given to the LORD

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

K. The Scribes and Pharisees were METICULOUS about TITHING

            1. And Jesus CONFIRMED that they SHOULD TITHE (1/10)

            2. Not only did it PRECEDE the LAW, but it was CONFIRMED by Christ

‘BRING ALL THE TITHES into the STOREHOUSE’ Mal. 3:10

A. Notice that ALL the TITHES were to be bought

            1. Someone once said, “well it really doesn’t matter HOW MUCH you give”

            2. “You know, all God is really looking at is your HEART”

            3. “It doesn’t matter if you give 3% or 20%, it’s your heart”

B. But that’ NOT what God said is it?

            1. God said BRING ALL THE TITHES in – ALL 10%

C. Someone one said, well is that 10% off the GROSS or NET of my pay check?

            1. For most people because they don’t tithe at all;

            2. If they’d tithe 10% off the NET that be 100% more than they were giving

D. Notice also God DIRECTS that the WHOLE TITHE should be brought –

            1. Into the STOREHOUSE

E. That is, we are to TITHE to the LOCAL CHURCH where we are being shepherded & FED

            1. If CCB is your CHURCH—- Then your STOREHOUSE is to be CCB

            2. If you attend somewhere else, then YOUR TITHE BELONGS to that ministry

F. It’d be like going down to PIZZA HUT for LUNCH;

            1. And when you’re done, getting up and walking over to SUBWAY to pay

            2. Your TITHE belongs in your LOCAL CHURCH where you are being FED

F. You may give an OFFERING ELSEWHERE (anything above your 10% tithe = offerings)

            1. But your FULL 10% TITHE belongs @ your LOCAL STOREHOUSE           

            2. Isn’t that what Malachi 3:10 says?

                        a. God says is you want to be BLESSED, here’s how you do it

G. The TITHE is NOT to be GIVEN RANDOMLY

            1. For example if you have a HURTING NEIGHBOR;

            2. You can’t take your TITHE & give it to them to help them out – belongs in storehouse

H. You CAN’T take your tithe and GIVE it to KSLW or one of the TEACHERS on RADIO;

            1. You CAN give an OFFERING to OUTSIDE MINISTRIES

            2. Or to HELP YOUR NEIGHBOR

            3. But the 1^st FULL 10% BELONGS to God & is to be given to your LOCAL CHURCH

I. Another area I’ve seen people MISAPPROPRIATE their TITHE is by;

            1. PURCHASING various items for the CHURCH

            2. God does not give you the AUTHORITY to do that

J. At other times, I’ve seen people give away their GARBAGE to the local CHURCH

            1. For say a GARAGE SALE, and call that their TITHE

            2. Again, God doesn’t want our GARBAGE anymore than we want it;

                        a. And we can’t justify our SPRING CLEANING as our TITHE

K. I truly believe that the LOCAL CHURCH has been greatly restricted because –

            1. So many people today have been given to ALL SORTS of CAUSES…

                        a. RATHER than to their LOCAL CHURCH

L. In the book of ACTS, we see the local church HELPING the POOR;

            1. Sending out missionaries, and PLANTING new churches

            2. Those who were sent out were SUBMITTED & ACCOUNTABLE to the church

M. Another aspect of OUR STEWARDSHIP that God requires of us is that it’s our 1^st FRUITS

            1. God REQUIRES us to WRITE out our 10% TITHE CHECK right off the TOP

N. Now the temptation is to PAY ALL OF OUR BILLS 1^st;

            1. THEN IF anything is LEFT OVER, decide HOW MUCH / if anything to TITHE

            2. BUT….NOTICE what God says in –

Malachi 3:10   Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

A. THROUGHOUT the Word, GOD SAYS:

            1. “TRUST ME!”

B. BUT…in the area of GIVING, He says:

            1. “PROVE ME!!!!”

“Bring Me your tithes and offerings and see if I won’t bless you in such a way that you can’t even contain it! – Prove me in this!”

C. One of the GREATEST PROBLEMS in the lives of so many believers today is;

            1. Their LACK of FAITH that GOD WILL PROVIDE

D. And the RESULT is PEOPLE get nervous and STOP TITHING

            1. In fact for some people their ECONOMIC status doesn’t even change;

            2. But just in the PROSPECT that they may not have ENOUGH if they tithe;

                        a. They STOP GIVING

E. But again, remember if we STOP TITHING we are ROBBING from God

            1. Just so you know WE TITHE TOO!!!

            2. This is just as much my RESPONSIBILITY as YOURS

F. DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS when you STOP TITHING?

            1. Your money doesn’t GO AS FAR as it used to

            2. YOU NEVER HAVE ENOUGH

HAGGAI 1

A. In the book Haggai, the people of Israel had been freed from Babylon approximately -

1. 16 years earlier by their political leader, Zerubbabel & Joshua  the high priest

B. These people has traveled several hundred miles back to Jerusalem

1. And immediately set about doing what the Lord had commissioned them to do:

a. They began to build the TEMPLE

b. The place where God’s name could be PRAISED

c. The place they could assemble to HONOR HIS NAME

C. They began to LAY the FOUNDATION;

            1. But became intimidated by their enemies and divided by internal contention

D. So for 16 years, the WORK SAT IDLE

            1. Weeds began to grow on the FOUNDATION as the people gave up on the project,

            2. And INSTEAD TURNED to the construction of THEIR OWN HOMES

E. Haggai’s basic message is:

“Maybe you were once excited about the things of God, excited about serving the Lord but have since grown weary by the squabbling of God’s people or the attacks of the enemy. So you have decided to concentrate on your own life instead, tending to your own little world. This message is for you! For no matter how long it’s been, Haggai states that it’s never too late to get going again!”

Haggai 1:2-6
² “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ‘ ”

A. Notice that the people WEREN’T SAYING: that the Lord’s temple shouldn’t be built

            1. They were simply saying that, due to the ENEMIES & CONTENTION –

                        a. “We’ll get to it LATER”

                        b. “We’ll do it sometime, maybe even soon, but not RIGHT NOW”

B. That’s one of the ENEMY’S favorite tactics –

            1. “I’m NOT saying NO, I’m just saying ‘LATER’

            2. Next MONTH, next YEAR,

C. AFTER you buy YOUR NEW HOME

            1. Develop your CAREER

            2. Have your FAMILY

            3. PAY OFF all your DEBTS….

“THEN YOU CAN REALLY ENGAGE YOURSELF IN DOING AND GIVING WHAT THE LORD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.”

D. It’s never the WRONG TIME to do the WRITE THING

            1. What has God called YOU TO DO?

            2. Where has GOD called YOU to SERVE and GIVE of YOURSELF?

E. Procrastination is what the ENEMY will use to hinder you from doing it

            1. He WONT SAY: “IT’S NOT WORTH IT”

            2. He’ll just say: “DO IT LATER”

³ Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ⁴ “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”

A. How is it that you have time to PANEL your own houses;

            1. But NOT to DO what I have CALLED YOU TO DO?

B. Some of your homes are in PERFECT ORDER

            1. All the walls are painted the right colors, closets in perfect order

            2 . And YET you are NOT DOING what God has CALLED you to do

C. We’ll LORD, it’s not that I’m saying “NO”, I’m just saying “LATER”

            1. “As soon as I get my FENCE PAINTED”

            2. “As soon as I FINISH MY BASEMENT”

            3. “As soon as I get the KITCHEN REMODELED, then I’ll be right there to SERVE”

D. PROCRASTINATION is the PRIMARY tool that the ENEMY will use

            1. To KEEP YOU from DOING what God has CALLED you to do

 
⁵ Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!

A. “Consider” is a COMMAND the LORD – stated 5 times throughout Haggai

            1. Consider your ways- what you SPEND your MONEY on and TIME doing

            2. SEARCH YOUR HEART

B. Now here’s the RESULT of a SELF-CENTERED, DISOBEDIENT LIFE:

            1. GOD says:
⁶ “You have sown much (you’re always working- not enough hours in a week), and bring in little (your paycheck is never enough to cover your bills); You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink (you’re never satisfied); You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

A. When you DON’T TITHE,

            1. You CAN’T WORK enough hours to stay ahead of your CREDITORS

B. When you DON’T SERVE the LORD;

            1. There is NEVER enough TIME in the WEEK to get all YOUR projects done

C. It’s like after all that HARD WORK, you’ve just put your money in pockets full of HOLES

            1. IT’S NOT THE MORE YOU KEEP THE MORE YOU SAVE

            2. It’s not: the MORE STINGY you can be the MORE that YOU WILL HAVE

D. God has NEVER PROMISED TO BLESS the GREEDY MAN

            1. God has ALWAYS PROMISED TO BLESS the GENEROUS MAN!

ILLUSTRATION:

 One of the most amazing ‘rags to riches’ stories is the life of RG LeTourneau, as told in his biography “Mover of Mountains and Men”.  LeTourneau began his career in obscurity in Stockton, California, where his first job was transporting earth to level out farmland.  His frustrations with moving dirt drove him to find a better, more efficient way.  In 1922 he constructed the first all-welded scraper that was lighter, stronger and less expensive than any other machines.

As a multi-millionaire, LeTourneau gave 90% of his profit to God’s work and kept only 10% for himself. A special friend of Billy Graham, in his early days, LeTourneau designed a portable dome building intended for Graham crusades. He also founded a university that is thriving to this day.

LeTourneau said that the money came in faster than he could give it away.  LeTourneau was convinced that he could not out-give God.  ”I shovel it out,” he would say, “and God shovels it back, but God has a bigger shovel.”

Many people see Letourneau as one of the most influential people of the past hundred years. As the father of the modern earthmoving industry, he was responsible for 299 inventions.  These inventions included the bulldozer, scrapers of all sorts, dredgers, portable cranes, rollers, dump wagons, bridge spans, logging equipment, mobile sea platforms for oil exploration, the electric wheel and many others.  He introduced into the earthmoving and material handling industry the rubber tire, which today is almost universally accepted. He invented and developed the Electric Wheel. His life’s verse was –

Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

CONCLUSION:

A. Let me ask you this morning –

            1. What are you SEEKING FIRST?

B. Are you seeking the KINGDOM of God

            1. Are you HONORING the LORD with the 1^st FRUITS of your POSSESSIONS?

C. Are you BRING IN ALL THE TITHE to the STOREHOUSE?

            1. Or are you ROBBING GOD?

D. What about in your SERVICE?

            1. Are you serving the LORD?

            2. Or are you CONSUMED with FIXING up your OWN HOUSE?

Only one life to live; twill soon shall past; only what’s done for Christ will last.

E. Well, I’ve done my part;

            1. I’ve delivered to you the message God has put on my heart

F. Now it’s YOUR TURN

            1. Will you RESPOND in OBEDIENCE to the LORD who SAVED YOU?

            2. I pray that WE will