Your Money Or Your Life

Jesus says in Matthew 12:30 “whoever is not with me is against me.”

That means if we want to be a disciple of Jesus we have to make a choice. No more middle of the road faith.

We have to decide we want to be on Jesus’ team and choose up sides or we may as well join the enemy. Because a half hearted effort to please God avails us nothing.

Revelation 3;16 says: “because you are “lukewarm” neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

In today’s text Jesus tells us some very important things about making choices.. If we want to see the kingdom and be a part of the kingdom we need to start thinking about getting our lives in line with what the scriptures tell us and forget about what the world has taught us.

The world has taught us that money is power.

That it will solve all f our problems if we can only accumulate enough.

That Money is to made and stored in a bank account so we will have enough to live on in our old age.

The world has taught us that it is more beneficial to seek after money and that it is more important than God—and that is evidenced by the way we use the money that God has allowed us to make.

For example: We will spend any amount of money to get what we want to satisfy our human fleshly desires.

We will go into years of debt to fulfill some lifelong dream of owning a second or third home, or a twin engine boat that we simply can’t live without.

we will gladly shell out hundreds of dollars to purchase season tickets to our favorite sports team and then feel proud that we were able to do so.

On the other hand, if we are asked to give just 10% of all we make back to the one who enabled us to make the other 90% in the first place- we turn our backs and say, “That’s too much.”

I’ve heard many stories about people who begin tithing when the chips are down. They begin giving to the work of the Lord out of desperation. But soon afterwards things begin to turn around for them.

Their income increases,

Blessing start flowing in and they start to praise God for his blessings.

But then after a while, after they have been on their feet for a while, they decide that 10% is a little too much and they start to cut back. Some stop giving all together. One reason is because the more they make the more they spend and after we satisfy our flesh there is very little left for the things of the spirit.

Pretty soon things begin to change for the worse and they wonder why.

A gentleman came to see me one day after I preached a sermon on tithing and he said if you can show me where tithing is in the New Testament I will begin tithing. Obviously he knew the scriptures because tithing is not in the New Testament.

As a matter of fact we are no longer under any of the laws of the Old Testament because that is why Jesus died.

We have new covenant and that is in the blood of Jesus.

Tithing is something we do because we love the Lord and want to see his word spread throughout the world.

I tithe well over the 10% level mentioned in the Old Testament. That’s not to brag, but I feel a leader should ask no more of his or her people than he or she is willing to do.

It is my job to set the example, whether or not you follow that example is between you and God.

I tithe simple because I love Jesus and I want everyone to get to know him as I do.

I tithe because I know it take money to do ministry.

I tithe because I know that whatever I give to the Lord I will never miss or regret.

When Gloria became the receiver of my paycheck a little over 10 years ago, and she started taking care of our finances- there was only one stipulation.

Pay the tithes first. If you want my check to come to you- you have to promise me that before you pay anyone or anything you will PAY our TITHES FIRST!

I don’t care how short we are..

I don’t care if we can’t pay the mortgage., or car note.

I don’t care how important something else may seem..

Even if we are threatened with the shut off of utilities..

Even if there is no food in the house.

Regardless of the situation—Pay the tithes first!