First: Two Treasures | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you had your Bibles and would stand with me tonight I invite your attention to the Book of Matthew chapter number six verse number 19. Matthew chapter 6 and verse number 19. if I could preface before I read the verses of scripture God wants to bless you and if you are blessed God wants to continue to bless you God wants to bless you God wants to bless you more than you want to be blessed and he's in a broken you're pushing no I'm not fishing you can't fathom how much God wants to bless you God wants to bless you God Is A Healer not a harmer God is one that gives blessings and tonight in all the classrooms your children your grandchildren are taught or being taught a lesson Pastor Hammond has written a lesson that follows along with the lesson that I have tonight because if there's one area that we must that we must master that is the area of treasures Treasures where they're Eric's and Pastor Erickson taught us wasn't that a wonderful message last week on talents our talents and then the guy before him that Carpenter guy didn't do a half bad job on time and so I hope that I can do Justice on Treasures Jesus said lay not up for yourselves Treasures upon Earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust of corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal my title for tonight it's time talents and treasures but I want to use this title Pastor Erickson two Treasures two Treasures father you desire to bless us God I ask you tonight that you would come and walk the aisles of this church and God you would not just touch the hearts of your people tonight but touch their minds Lord help us Lord to receive what you're saying through the word about Treasures God if you'll help me tonight I will be mindful to give you all the glory and all the honor no flesh shall ever glory in your presence what will be done tonight God will be because you have done it in Jesus name we pray amen and amen give him a hand to praise before you seated two Treasures where do you get the term two Treasures if you look closely again at verse number 19 of chapter 6 Jesus said lay not up for yourselves Treasures upon Earth now this word treasure here is a chest it is what we would call A A vault years ago they would call it a treasure chest he said when it comes to your treasure chest lay not up for yourselves Treasures upon the Earth and other words he said don't be putting things in a treasure chest upon this Earth and he explains where moth and rust doth corrupt and we're thieves breakthrough and steal but look at verse 20. it's where I come up with two Treasures but lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven you see tonight Jesus ministered a great deal using contrast he talked about the narrow way of Salvation by talking about a Broad Street going to destruction he talked about two types of trees he talked about two ways he talked about death and life he he talked he taught in a contrast and he's doing the same here he says is your treasure chest on this Earth are you putting things in your treasure chest on this Earth or do you have a treasure chest in heaven are you laying up things in a treasure chest in heaven then verse number 21 explains why your treasure chest should be in heaven why were your treasures at Should Be Heaven verse 21 says for where your treasure is there is your heart there will your heart be also you see wherever or whoever you value or treasure your heart will follow that wherever your treasure is if your treasure is upon this Earth the things of this Earth The Riches of this Earth then that's where your heart is at but if your treasure is in heaven if your mind is set on a Heavenly go and you treasure the things of God then that's where your heart's at please remember that statement again whatever or whoever you value or treasure there is where your heart's at that's why the whoever in our life is Jesus the whoever in our life is God isn't he a wonderful treasure tonight isn't Jesus a wonderful treasure tonight he's never done us nothing but good there's been times we may not have understood him but we still trusted him and if you serve God for any length of time you know what he's always right in the End Amen whoever and whatever you treasure I'm glad tonight that we not only treasure god but we treasure the things of God we not only treasure god but we've we treasure the things that be of God such as the house of God I treasure the house of God I can't relate and I know that you feel the same way you just don't have a microphone but I I can't relate to people that are seeing if they can find reasons not to go to church I love the house of God I love what this means to me I love what this house of God has done for me I I found salvation in the house of God I found my wife in the house of God we've raised our children we're raising our grandchildren we have our fellowship Oh what a beautiful place the house of God well we're not the first ones we're not the first ones to love God's house in first Chronicles chapter 29 verse number 2 Listen to King David Listen to King David talk about his love for the house of God First Chronicles 29 verse number 2. he says now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things that be made of gold and the silver for the things of silver and Brass for the things of brass and iron for the things of iron and wood for the things of wood on its Stones stones to be set glistering stones and of diverse colors and and all manner of precious stones marble stones in abundance why would you do this David why would you stockpile because after all remember David wanted to build God a house but God denied him that David said out to Bill got a house and God said no you're a man of war and uh you're not going to build me a house but that did not stop David that didn't stop David from stockpiling gold silver brass wood marble all kinds of things that were needed to build the house of God David why would you do that verse 3 the next verse tells us why moreover because I have set my affection to the house of my God can I ask you tonight where have you set your affection because wherever your affection is is wherever you said it at you see we all get to choose whether we have a treasure chest on Earth or we have a treasure chest in heaven it's not it's not something that was dealt to you oh too bad your treasure chest is on the earth too bad no no no we get to set our affections David David set his affections upon the house of my God now listen to him also he said I have of my own proper good of gold and silver which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that that I have prepared for the Holy House listen what he says he said as a king he said as a king I had the authority where finances went as a king as king of Israel I had the authority where where gold and silver and marble and all of that went and as a king I personally directed those riches to go back to the house of God but then he said I personally bought into it he said I have of my own good bought into the house of God isn't it wonderful when you buy in to the house of God can I tell you if you'll buy into the house of God when hell starts shaking you it's not that easy to walk away from when hell turns your life upside down and that old voice begins to speak in your ear to leave the house of God you're not going to leave the house of God you know why you've got something in this place you've got some time invested in the house of God this is where I have set this is where I have set my affection well that's an Old Testament setting of affection let's read the New Testament Church in the book of Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3 and verse number one listen to Paul speaking to the church if you then be risen with Christ if you have been risen if you have been born again if you have been raised with him to a newness of life seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set look at verse number two set your affection on things above and not on this Earth I'm going to ask you to repeatedly tonight where is your treasure is it in Earth or is your treasure is your treasure in heaven well let me show you how you can find this out real quick go back to my opening text of Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6 and verse number 22. go back to that opening go back to that opening verse Matthew chapter 6 verse number 22. the light of the body is the I if therefore thine I be single thy whole body shall be full of light can I tell you something whether or not your Treasures on the earth or in heaven is how you perceive it how you see riches if riches and wealth is nothing more than objects to try to attempt to make you more happy and more satisfied then I can tell you where your treasure chest is at it's in the Earth but if you view money and understand money can never make you happy money can never give you the contentment that God can but if you view money as something to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ I can tell you where your treasure chest is at your treasure chest is in heaven because your eye your eye sees money the right way oh I hope this evening that all of our children that are receiving this same message are understanding that money won't make you happy money will not make money will not make you happy money will not make you happy can I say that again money will not make you happy well if I had more money I'd be more happy no no you wouldn't it's not the secret to happiness isn't more money the secret to happiness is be content you want to be happy be content with what God has given you you want to find happiness be thankful instead of looking across the fence at what somebody else has look at what God has given you and thank God for what he has given you because happiness isn't having more happiness is being content he said if you're if your body is single in other words if you see money the right way then your whole body will be full of light the right light but look at verse 23. but if I'd I be evil if thine I be evil thy whole body shall be full of Darkness if therefore the light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness if you see money the wrong way it's like putting a filter up over your heart you can never truly receive the full knowledge of God if you don't have the right perception of money money is the K-5 class of discipleship money is the kindergarten class Jesus is teaching if you don't get the proper perspective of money no other Revelation can come to your life because you put a filter you put a filter over your life and then he plainly speaks it in verse number 24. he plainly speaks this in verse 24. no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon or money now let me go ahead and tell you you and I we either have a treasure chest in heaven or we have a treasure chest on Earth but we don't have them at both places you don't have one in heaven and one on earth you've either treasure the things that are of God or you treasure the things that are of this world I want to say it again I want to say it again money is the K-5 class of living for God if you don't Master the subject of money if you don't let God give you the proper perspective of money the discipleship goes no further he will stumble and stumble and struggle and stumble because you simply don't understand money money as a matter of fact as a matter of fact sometimes you know you serve the money God I'm not reading Minds tonight I'm just going to give you I'm going to help somebody up here sometimes you know you serve the money God if the pastor starts preaching on biblical money and you're upset you know why it is I'm touching your God tonight I I'm rattling a year ago well I just don't believe I just don't believe that we all talk about money I want to talk about money at church no the Bible you wouldn't have wanted to listen to Jesus Christ most of his messages had to do with money that's right most of his messages had to do with money because he understood how close money is connected to humanity and so therefore he starts out by saying if you don't have the right perspective of money no more light gospel Revelation discipleship can come into your life because you've spread this filter over him well let me go on tonight let me go on tonight because money the subject of money is the K-5 class of living for God you got to master this in order to go to the first grade you got to master this let's go to the Old Testament for a story Exodus chapter 16 and verse number 4 Exodus chapter 16. somebody say Amen tonight well I don't feel so bad Malachi I talked about money and it got quiet for 400 years I've I've talked about money it's been quiet for about 15 minutes now Exodus chapter 16 and verse number four children of Israel been brought out of Egypt they begin to murmur and complain that they don't have anything to eat Exodus 16 and 4 then said the Lord unto Moses behold I will reign bread from heaven for you and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or not or no now pay close attention to this they need they want bread they're murmuring that they don't have bread and God said all right Moses tell them I'm gonna rain bread down from heaven every day and they're together a certain rate they're together a certain rate and then he adds this that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no in other words God says the way they treat some my new thing of gathering bread because that bread has to do with them how they treat that Gathering of bread will determine whether they will walk in my law or not well let's continue verse 5. God said and it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in and it shall be twice as much as the daily bread now let me show you how this goes let me show you this goes we're going to read verse 16. give me Exodus 16 and 16. let me show you how it goes they wanted bread God's going to rain bread Manna down from heaven he's going to rain it down every day he gives them a measuring device or he he tells them a measurement an Omer that's a measurement he said he got four people in your house gather four omers full all right do that once a day do that do that do that once a day for six days every day go out and uh if you've got five people in your home you gather five owners full and uh then he said don't don't for five days don't keep don't don't don't don't don't get out there and get greedy and get more than an Omer said because if you try to keep it through the night if you start now watch this now if you start doubting whether I'll provide for you tomorrow if you start doubting whether I'll provide for you tomorrow and you get out there in the midst of that man and you start saying well I don't know if you'll do this tomorrow I know he said just gather an Omer for each person but let me take a little bit more and they tried to keep it through the night guess what happened it bread worms it became a breeding ground for worms and in the morning instead of fresh baked bread it stank and do you know just like God said that got out there in that field they stirred they started saving it up and when they got out there in that field they started saving it up I said well I just don't know if God's going to keep his word tomorrow can I tell you something people trust God's word God has never failed his word God can be trusted you can build your life on God's word they got out there they did just like God said God said they would do let me read verse 16. Exodus 16 16. this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded gather of it every man according to his eating and Omer for every man according to the number of your persons take you every man for them which are in his tents and the children of Israel did so and gathered some more and some less and when they did meet it with an Omer he that gathered he that gathered much had nothing over and he that gathered little lack none in other words God provided they gathered every man according to his eating and Moses said let no man leave of it until the morning notwithstanding they hearken not unto Moses but some of them left of it until the morning and it bred worms and stank and Moses was rolled with them and they gathered it every morning every man according to his eating when the sun waxed hot it melted why was Moses mad at him it wasn't his tent that the the worms were in it wasn't his tent that it stank it was an indicator if they will not trust God in this minute area they will not trust God with other areas of their life go down to verse number 22 because something happens different on the sixth day verse 22. and it came to pass on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread two owners for one man and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses now let me tell you what's different about the sixth day five days brother Arthur five days you only gathered one Omer per person in the household one Omer one person you had any more left over you tried to go through the night eat bread worms and steak but on the sixth day God said now gather twice as much because the seventh day there's not going to be any Manna falling but I am going to do a work on the sixth day that you won't need the bread you'll have the double portion of the sixth day will be that that portion that will take you over on the seventh day so now once you get in your mind now five days they could only do one owner per person per household on the sixth day God says double it it won't read worms and it won't stink verse 24. it says and they laid it up till the morning as Moses made and it did not stink neither was there any worm therein and Moses said eat that today for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord today you shall not find it in the field you will not find it in the field six days He Shall Gather it but on the seventh day which is the Sabbath in it there shall be none verse 27. and it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for together and they found none you see what God is saying he said I'm going to prove them whether they're going to walk in my law or not how they handle the small my new things of the day he said you're not going to find any on the seventh day but guess what they don't trust do they so what were they doing on the seventh day they were out there in the field trying to find well how did God look at that look at the next verse look at the very next verse and the Lord said unto Moses how long refuse ye to keep my Commandments and my law in other words God just kind of said didn't I tell you didn't I tell you I'd prove them by how they handle the Manna I prove it to you well how they handle the Manna they're not going to walk in my ways based on how they handled that small mind you thing and I'm going to tell you something God is doing the same to us today no not with bread falls from heaven but God is doing the same with us in the subject of money if we can't trust God with money if we can't trust God in the subject of finances then my friend we're not going to believe him for anything else we'll be gathering when we should be giving back we'll be looking for what when it's not there God said I'm going to prove them I'm going to prove them this is an interesting passage of scripture God said let's go back I want you I want you to see this again Exodus um Exodus chapter 16 verse number 4. I want you to see this one more time on the screen or in your Bible then said the Lord unto Moses behold I Reign bread from heaven for you and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them you see that that I may prove them they failed the test didn't they they failed the test God in the Book of Malachi chapter 3 and begin reading in verse number six in Exodus God said I want to prove them but in Malachi God said I want you to prove me I want you to prove me I hope I I've written down something that I felt came to me today in a time of study in prayer the word of God is powerful unlike any other document in the world that is written or ever will be written can you say Amen the word of God is powerful unlike any other document in the world that is written or ever will be written the reason is the word of God the author is God but to understand the Bible you must have a revelation and the only way one can get a revelation or a revealing of the scripture is through a hunger for the author you'll never understand the Bible if you don't hunger to know the author the Bible is not a book to give you knowledge of the book it's a book to give you knowledge of the author if you have a hunger for the author the author will give you a revelation of this word it'll be a light in a dark room that'll come on let me continue something came to me and I typed it out today it's I said you must have a revelation and the only way you can get a revelation or revealing of the scripture is through a hunger for its author then the light comes on in your life but lose the hunger for the author and you will lose the revelation you see it is vitally important that we only we serve a god of knowledge but we serve a God out of hunger because there's a lot of people that can see tithing when they had a hunger for God but let them fall out of love and out of hunger for that God and all of a sudden they don't have that Revelation anymore they can't see it anymore I hope this is making sense to you tonight we must maintain a healthy hunger for God whether we're going through a trial or not it matters not we must maintain a hunger for God we don't just come to the altar when life falls apart we come to the altar so life won't fall apart and when it does fall apart there's a God there that puts us all back together again oh I want to keep a hunger for God do you know that I believe that this is the this is the this is the reason people can see holiness one year and not see it the next man they ain't get hungry for God hungry for God to see Holiness and come in in their life their a lot their lifestyle has changed what they look like is changed how they're acting has changed and they're just a different person but let them fall out of hunger for that God and the next thing you know they're going back out and buying what they tore up and putting back on what they took off and they're you know what it is it's all just it's a walking billboard I'm not hungry for God anymore I don't have that hunger for God anymore Malachi 3 and 6. I want you to listen to this Malachi 3 and 6. for I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed even from the days of your fathers you have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts but ye said we're in shall we return I want you to follow this now just follow this there was a time in the history of Israel they saw tithing and offerings they had tithing and offerings down pat they had a temple they supported they had all these sacrifices they brought they saw it but slowly but surely Israel lost its hunger for God and when it lost its hunger for God it began to view Money tithe and offerings differently until there was a generation that had left God and let me tell you what's sad about this it's one thing to leave God but it's another thing to leave God and not even know you've left him some folks have left God and they're so deceived they don't even know they've left him God said here in this verse he said return unto me and I'll return unto you look at the end of verse 7. he said return unto me and I will return unto you but they said wherein shall we return we've not went anywhere God asked a simple question will a man rob God yet you have robbed me but you say wherein have we robbed thee robbed you how have we robbed you in ties and offerings in ties and let me say this to you we really Rob ourselves is what this verse is saying God God doesn't need what's his in fact tithing is his but he don't he don't need his own tithes to be God he simply gives you a K5 class and he says I want I want to have a relationship with you I want to reveal to you I want to reveal to you my Commandments I want to I want my Commandments to change your life change your marriage change your family but if you can't understand this K-5 class of money then no more knowledge comes we don't Rob God you know who we rob ourselves when we refuse to see money the way that God sees it and Obey it the way that God says it we only Rob God God wants to pour us out a blessing he's a blessing God he wants to bless us in this area but if we don't have this disciplined in our life instead of giving us a blessing he says in verse 9 ye are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house and prove me now here we'll saith the Lord of hosts prove me I've already proved you I've already proved that you you wouldn't live for me in the small minute areas but God now says would you prove me as a matter of fact to my searching of the scriptures church this is the only place in the Bible that God says put me to the test put me to the test couldn't prove me I believe with all my heart that tithing and offerings is one of the quickest ways to see a change in our lives than any other thing that God has we will see we will see an apparent change in our lives when we begin to honor God when we begin to honor God in tithe and offerings we will see we will see a quick change he said just put me to the test I want to say make this statement before I go further tithing isn't a get rich quick scheme childing is not a get rich quick scheme tithing is a get blessed quick obedient lifestyle if you want to get blessed quickly time if you want the blessings of God quickly upon your life then then time bring you all the tithe into the storehouse verse 10 that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it and I will rebuke I will rebuke the devour I will rebuke the Devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground neither shall your Vine cast forth her fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord of hosts and All Nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delightsome land saith the Lord of hosts please notice one thing he said when you bring the tithe into the storehouse he said I'm going to open you the windows of Heaven that meant rain upon their crops that meant that God was going to Reign on their fields and that God was going to give them fruitful Vineyards and fruitful crops God was going to bless them now today the majority of us maybe none of us here are farmers today but God is still able to open up the windows of Heaven over your occupation God is able to open the windows of Heaven over over your job over your company if we will honor God in tithe and offerings if we will get the proper perspective of money if we will get this proper perspective of money and we'll begin to honor God God said I'm going to start raining on your business I'm going to start raining upon the job that you have they're going to be tapping you on the shoulder for over time when everybody else is getting laid off they're going to say we're going to keep you here when everybody else is on a downhill swing foreign something's going to happen in your life something is going to happen in your life and notice this would you notice something in verse 11 he said and I will rebuke the Devourer for your sakes and he who's the Devourer Satan and Satan cannot live where we obey Satan cannot live where we obey if we're obeying God Satan cannot put his hand unless God allows you to be tested Satan cannot put his hand in your finances and isn't it a Blessed assurance tithing doesn't automatically say you're not going to go through some Financial ups and downs but in the midst of financial ups and downs you can stand back and say God you must be allowing the enemy to put his hand through the Hedge and if God has allowed the enemy to put his hand through the Hedge then you know what I'm looking for I'm looking for God to bless me like job because he's no respecter of persons and job got twice as much given back to him if I'm a tither and an offering giver when the enemy comes in and takes things because God allows him I'm not going to suck my thumb I'm going to be looking down the road because there's a double blessing coming down the road because God has put his hand but if Trouble Comes and I'm not in Covenant relationship with God it's because the enemy cannot come around obedience but he can dwell in disobedience he said he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground neither shall your Vine cast your time but cast your fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord and All Nations All Nations shall call you blessed ye shall be a delightsome land saith the Lord of hosts brother Hammond I'm calling you I I I know if you knew I was serious today but you've got some stats on the percentage that quote American Christians give all right you got some can you get that I think there's a microphone maybe at the end of my pew now now listen to this this is some stats on the so-called quote American Christian professing Church all right tell us what now everybody knows this right tithing is 10 percent all right tithing is 10 percent read brother Hammond Christians in the United States offer an average Church giving of 2.5 percent of their net income according to Christianity Today in comparison during the Great Depression in the United States Christian gave 3.3 percent only about a quarter of members in a normal church congregation tithe in the United States only about what a quarter quarter let me tell you something about the reason people look at this building hey a bunch of money people go ain't a bunch of money people go here there's a bunch of tigers go here we're here right now we have this Maryville Miracle because people believe in tithing and people believe in giving offerings and God God only knows it let me tell you this really the blessings of God accelerated on this church when we did one thing given to missions yes it really it really accelerated but it really accelerated when we begin to make sure now we exceed this but whatever the tithe comes in you see the Dead Sea is a dead sea because it has an inlet and no Outlet that's why it's a dead sea the Sea of Galilee is a sea that Jesus used multiple times He Walked on it he created miracles of fish he talked by it he did all these things you know why the Sea of Galilee has an inlet and the Sea of Galilee has an outlet if we only can receive and not give we're a Dead Sea but if we can receive and tithe and give we're a Sea of Galilee God can walk on it God can bless it God can God can God can use it and the blessings of God came mildly upon this church when we said when the tithe comes in when the tithes come to you now somebody might say well you know what then I don't need to give to missions anymore don't don't say that don't say that because when we tithe on the tithe that's what we do here we tithe at least on the tide we tithe on the tithe to get out of this church and go into worldwide missions we tithe on the tithe but don't you stop giving your missions offering because your tithe is really correct me I'm going to correct myself it's not our tide my tithe it's God's tide it never was mine somebody said well I'll pay my tie there you're biblically mistaken you need to work on your Tech your your terminology nobody has ties the tithe Belongs to the Lord It's All Through The Book of Leviticus it's all through the Bible the tie their mind God just entrusts you at that time he just entrust you with that and says I want to see if I can get them out of the K-5 class because I have a lot more things that I want to give them and I want to bless them but I got to see if I can trust them with this a church read those stats again I read those stats again brother Hammond one more time Christians in the United States offer an average Church giving of 2.5 percent of their net income according to Christianity Today in comparison to the Great Depression Christians in the United States gave 3.3 percent only 25 percent of attending church members in a normal Church in the United States tithe let's look at this last verse 12 for a moment let's look at this last verse number 12. see if we don't fit in here and All Nations shall call you blessed for you shall be a delightsome land in other words the land of Israel will be sought after they would look at it and say wow what a land look how it's rained there look look how the fields look at look at all you shall be a delightsome land when folks drive by when folks drive by and I'm bragging on Jesus tonight if it hurts your feelings that's because your treasure chest is down here I'm bragging on Jesus tonight I'm bragging when when people drive by and they look at this multi-million dollar campus we got how beautiful how beautiful it is you know what we can say no we didn't have somebody win the lotto and give it to us we didn't have somebody out of Texas write us a check and pay for it a bunch of people that believe in tithing and a bunch of people that believe in sacrificial offerings gave and gave and gave and God began to say let me Reign on you there let me Reign let let me Reign let this shall call you a delightsome lots of land our precious neighbors the mises they're not of this faith but they complement this church they live in the neighborhood here and they said oh how beautiful it is to see those kids going to school and those kids walking up and down the street Oh what a beautiful sight we just love to watch your family we we just love and then they told them they told them actually how they moved over here that they were in a neighborhood and they were quite happy in the neighborhood until the neighborhood teenagers become such a nuisance and so disrespectful when they would try to tell them to turn their music down in the wee hours of the morning get out of the streets stop playing your music so loud and these young people that they were so disrespectful to them that they they moved away and they found themselves here but then they begin to see a different group of young people they begin to see a different group they begin to see young children going to school they begin to see bright-eyed boys and girls happy skipping away you know what that is God's blessings is upon us Church pat yourself on this on the back that you're a good parent but if I've got good kids tonight it's only because I serve a good God if I've got anything good in my life tonight it's only because we serve a good God if there's something the community wants to brag on us about it's only because we serve can I tell you if your Treasures on the Earth you probably have the symptoms of being a hoarder the symptoms of being a hoarder is the inability to get rid of possessions experience an extreme stress when attempting to throw out items you have eye anxiety about needing items in the future and this is another you have a tremendous distrust of any people touching your possessions well I think I got more written down than the seek can endure tonight say well my seats you know God ever chastises us he just does it because he loves us if you feel like tonight your toes have been stepped on and and you've squirmed a little bit and been uncomfortable it's only because there's a God that's saying would you trust me would you just trust me in this area would you would you just trust me yeah would you would you prove me would you would you just would you just prove me I I was talking about our children here let me spend the let me spend the remainder of this in God's in God's in God's order in God's order of the husband being the head of the wife and um being the head of the home there's a lot of responsibility falls upon us we are the spiritual Gatekeepers of the family my my children can either rejoice in my obedience or my children my children sad to say can have to pay the price for my disobedience I think I know what every father would want here tonight I think every father in this place wants some children to receive good things what if you do and fall under that that Obedience of God because those blessings not only come upon you and your wife that they come upon your children it was a man in the the Bible by the name of Aiken and Aiken was a extremely fortunate man he was an Israelite Aiken was an extremely fortunate man he was one of the ones that marched around the walls of Jericho Aiken was one of the ones that marched around the walls in Jericho what it must have been like to to witness the walls of that City fall what it must have been like to have witnessed a shout to Jehovah it was so loud the walls begin to shake the walls fell down flat and they ran in conquered the city of Jericho but before July before Joshua sent him out he said to all the people beware do not pick up any of the things in Jericho gold silver brass don't pitch up any of these things in Jericho Jericho is the first city that we have conquered since coming into Canaan and Jericho will become a type of tithing and so this first city all of the gold and the silver of this first city all the gold and the silver of this first city goes to God as a type of tithe and offerings don't touch anything of that City sure enough the walls fell flat and sure enough they conquered Jericho but Aiken God in the midst he got in the midst of walls falling down and he began to see pieces of gold laying upon the ground and garments and silver and brass now watch this now if you take your eyes off your victory you're going to put it on the forbidden you cannot be a worshiper and a praiser and a prayer Warrior and be lusting after the things of this world at the same time somewhere Aiken took his mind memo he took his mind off of walls falling flat and victory and shouting and he began to look at gold and silver and then it entered his heart he reached down and picked some up put it in his pocket he saw a Babylonian robe he rolled it up and put it in his pocket he got home to his tent he dug him a hole and he put the gold and the silver and the Garment in the pit covered it back up nobody will know that it's here nobody will know you see that that's the thing about about finances because truly finances is truly between you and God it's truly between you and God and if you're only living of the surface only doing what others can see and perceive you to be a Christian then you're living outside of the blessing well the next time they needed to go to war Jericho had been conquered they needed to go to a city named A.I and fight they came to the city of AI and the men said don't send all the Army there they're just a little small group of people there's just a few thousand that live in AI just a few thousand people that live in AI don't send that whole Army up there and just send a few overconfident they sent just a handful and the men of AI came out and the men of AI defeated the army of Israel the men of AI defeated the army of Israel and 36 men lost their lives that day they came running back to the camp we've been defeated we've been defeated Joshua stretches out before the Ark of the Covenant god what have you done God you've brought us out here and it's the only time in the Bible that God ever told a man to quit praying he said Joshua get up Israel has sinned get up can I tell you something sin will cause us to be defeated by life's Little Things it'll be the little things in life that will defeat us finally God told Joshua how to find out the sin he said Joshua call each family before you each tribe each family and tell them to give glory to God that meant to worship God and if you can't worship God then there is an issue there there is an issue and sure enough he called Aiken's family up and he said Aiken give glory to God and Aiken could not give glory to God Aiken could not worship God he could not worship God let me stop there for a moment this is not Pentecostalism this is worship to God well I I just don't do I just don't do all that hand waving hand clap and I I just don't do all that emotion I know you say that for the football game I'm very well versed with that but there's an issue in your life when you can't worship when you can't worship God there's something buried in your tent that is not right with the Lord he said Aiken give give God glory they can give God glory now I know this is heavy tonight I I know this is heavy give God glory agon and Aiken couldn't what's the problem making Aiken said I have sinned have you sinned Aiken when we went into Jericho I coveted after the Gold and the silver and the babylonious Garment I took them and their head in my tent Joshua ordered the men to go down to his tent sure enough they dug it up and they brought the gold and the silver back but watch this not only did Aiken lose his life but Joshua said bring his wife out here bring his children out here bring his sons and his daughters out here now I know this seems far-fetched from our minds and maybe even cruel but spiritually speaking we do the same thing heads of houses when we're not walking in full obedience to God we're allowing the enemy to bring utter destruction upon our marriages upon our children and all of this and they were all Stone all because Daddy Daddy I want God's blessings on my marriage I want God's blessings on our children now I'm not going to leave you on a negative thought tonight I'm going to turn it and tell you a positive story there was a woman named Lydia a seller of purple you do Bible research on women that could die garments of purple and you'll find a woman that was a tailor for kings and queens because only the upper Rich were the color of purple she's a woman of wealth she's a woman of money but she has a hunger for God she finds herself in a little Jewish community and the women in that little Community said there's not enough men here for them to build us a synagogue we normally go down to the river and we normally have prayer on the Sabbath day and Lydia although she was wealthy she was hungry for God although she was wealthy she knew that money cannot answer and money cannot give you if money could make you happy then Hollywood ought to be the happiest people in all the world but they're not the suicide rate and on and on it goes but Lydia was wealthy and she found herself Down by the Riverside with some more Jewish women and they were praying and up come a man walking and he introduced himself as the Apostle Paul and he said ladies out women I've got something I want to preach to you today I want to preach to you Jesus Christ Israel's Messiah I want to preach to you we're all Sinners and we needed a savior and he died on a cross and he rose on the third day and you need to give your lives to God women by repenting believing and repenting and being baptized and received the Holy Ghost and the Bible says in Acts 10 acts 16 13-15 and the Lord opened the heart of Lydia and she was attentive unto the things which Paul spoke she was rich but she was obedient she attended to the things of Paul and she was baptized and her household Lydia Not only was Lydia have money in the right perspective but when she opened up her life and got baptized her son got baptized her daughter got baptized and you know what dads and moms if we can get money in this proper place our children are going to buy into this and they're going to have the blessings of God only is tell you one more positive one how about a man named Cornelius whom the Bible said in Acts 10 1 who wasn't even a Christian he wasn't even a Jew he just believed in the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Bible says he was a devout man which gave not only alms he gave much arms to the people so Cornelius is a wealthy man that's given much arms to poor people helping people out no wonder no wonder when they came down in Acts 10 44 not only did Cornelius get get the Holy Ghost Not only was Cornelius baptized in Jesus name but cornelius's household got the Holy Ghost and they got baptized folks do you see the blessings of God tonight where's your treasure at is your treasure down here oh he's on money tonight you know it was quite I must not be the only one that disagrees with him I must not be the only one I must not be the and some times I think when it comes to that people may not be saying amen tonight because they don't want to sound like they're being uh uh holier than thou or whatever but can I tell you whether you say Amen or not it's still the law of God it's still the way of God it's still the right it's still the right way to go and I promise you I close with this I'll close with this this coming weekend I'm going to preach on a Sunday night at a church in West Monroe Louisiana and I'd say there's one thing about that church that I covet and I can covet it's a good thing I covet is that one hour before service they don't run I don't I don't believe they have as many people attend their church as we do but an hour before service they have a prayer room that'll probably house about 300 people and I've been there on many occasions and when you open that door to get in that prayer room it'll it'll it listen you you won't think there's anybody coming to church you're you're somebody you go out and sit on a few you won't think anybody's coming to church but they'll be 200 to 300 people inside of that prayer Chapel inside of that place and they're wailing they're talking to God and when I bragged on brother Thornton I said brother Thornton this is so wonderful he's very quick to tell me brother Carpenter I didn't do this I inherited this I inherited this Bishop Carl Surety for years Bishop Carl Surety for years said this is his doing said he just about demanded if you had the Holy Ghost you're going to be in a prayer room matter of fact matter of fact we were somewhere a week or so ago when brother Dane's worth brought the group the group of ministers here for us to teach one of the girls was raised up in brother Charity's church and I got talking about she said oh yeah I sit in the prayer room said you knew better than talking about I said mother Shirley come by I said quit that talk unless you're talking to God just please talk to God and said he just and said he knew a lot of pastoring in the prayer room he'd get people praying then do marriage counseling right there all right you two folks need to get along he's ready and brother brothers Thornton is very quick to tell you I didn't do this this is the I inherited this this is the product of a man that taught this for years if time when time when time takes me from the scene of this church I'm brother Erickson to be able to get up here and teach on tithing and offerings without one little inkling of trying to stuff it out we don't we're not going to have that here we're we're going to allow our spirit to come and overtake this and you know I wanted to be able to say my father-in-law taught this and my father-in-law taught this and my father-in-law taught us this and yes sometimes you fight the hounds of hell that try to say Well they're just say it they they believe you're teaching time so you get more money that's a that's the finest thing for my mind is more money I just simply want you to be blessed of God and your families to be blessed come on worship with me right now worship with me right now come on worship with me right now worship with me right now worship with me right now Hallelujah God I thank you for tithing God I thank you for tithing Lord I Thank you for the great doctrine of tithing Lord I thank you God that you've got this wonderful plan this wonderful plan of a finances God come on praise him right now come on praise him right now you got coverage from God praise him right now you've got coverage from God and if you're not a child or determined right now tonight from this night forward I'm gonna be a tither from this night forward I'm going to begin to honor God oh my goodness oh my goodness Brooke Harper what in the world are we going to do gasoline is going to get five dollars a gallon and eggs are going to get 12 for a dozen oh my God I tell you what we're gonna do we're gonna keep on tithing because I've never seen the righteous forsaken or as seen dagging the bread that's what we're gonna do let gas go to ten dollars a gallon come on folks do you believe it tonight or don't you believe it foreign is that right he said I'll open you up the windows of Heaven he didn't shut I'd open you up Amazon he said I'll open you up the windows of Heaven he said I didn't say I'll open up the economy I don't need the economy to bless you I don't need factories coming to this town to bless you I don't need all these things I don't need anybody to die in your family to leave you something for you to be blessed I'm able to open you the windows of heaven and I'm able to pour you out a blessing that there shall folks don't live in fear well what oh well and I struggled I can speak from this I can speak from this I was not raised to tithe I was 16 17 years old before I got in church and I'm going to be transparent with you brother Tharp I struggled with it I struggled to tie I went through the I went through all the the the the Neil of of uh standing there with with tide in my hand and as a young person I had tied in my hand or going out to Shoney's after church and I tell you Carl I fell God so many times I got into well I'll double up next week well I'll double up a week after that I never doubled up but then I began to notice something when I retired it seems I had this Envision invisible discipline about me I was able to get up and go to work when I did tithe it seems like I had this unction in me this this thing to go and when I wouldn't seems like I'd taken some pills and I was drowsy with no motivation at all don't go to work today you worked two days already that's enough to get you by e oh I hear the laughter I must not be alone is this all right tonight but but I just got tired of eating Rock on the bottom and I just started trusting God and God started opening up the windows of Heaven and God started pouring out the blessings upon me and and I started being blessed in a lot of areas of my life and I make no bones about it tonight I'm blessed I'm blessed I'm blessed I'm blessed and it's all can be tethered right now my treasure is in heaven my treasure is in heaven lift your hands tonight God I love you tonight Lord I Thank you tonight Lord I praise you tonight God I magnify your name tonight Lord God I want my treasure chest to be in heaven God I want my treasure chest to be in heaven Lord Lord I Want My Treasure Chest God to be in that Heavenly Jerusalem Lord to be able Lord to see your work Prosper on this Earth Lord I ask you tonight God not God I ask you to speak to the hearts of those that struggle with this subject God speak to their hearts tonight Lord God speak to them Lord some of them are are in condemnation right now some of some of them Lord that they've tried and tried and tried and tried God help them one more time God lord if they'll put forth an effort God just one more time Lord let it fall upon them in Jesus mighty name we pray amen amen