The Bible Truth About Tithes & Offerings | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

So good to be in the house of God tonight. That's more than just a phrase. That's a heartfelt sentiment tonight. I'm glad to be in God's house tonight. >> I'm thankful to be in God's house tonight. Good things happen in God's house. >> Lives are changed >> in God's house. People are healed in prayer meetings >> in God's house. You and I receive the strength that we need in God's house. >> I'm glad for God's house tonight. God's house would not be complete without God's word. If you join me in the book of Genesis, chapter 28, begin reading at verse number 16. Genesis, chapter 28. Verse number 16. But the ham and I plan I plan to be there at prayer Saturday night. See what God will do in our community. Genesis 28 and 16. And Jacob awake out of his sleep and he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not." That's that would be terrible, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it be terrible for the Lord to be in a place and you didn't know it? And he was afraid and said, "How dreadful," that means awesome. How awesome is this place? This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set up for and set it up for a pillar. Poured oil upon the top of it and he called the name of that place Bethl, house of God. But the name of that city was called LZ at the first. Jacob vowed a vow very serious saying if God will be with me will keep me in this way that I go give me bread to eat and rama to put on and so that I come again to my father's house in peace. Then shall the Lord be my God. And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tent unto thee. Precious God, tonight we thank you for your word that is our compass. We thank you, Lord, tonight for the word that will teach us, God, to walk in your path. Your word that is eternal will keep us steady in changing times. Lord, tonight, move upon me as I teach this Bible lesson and move upon the hearts of the people. Lord, open every heart. Let every heart be open to the word tonight. Lord, may we know that we don't know. And may we open our hearts tonight in Jesus' name we all pray. Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Jesus spoke in one of the gospels and he talked about our our parental love. He talked about the love that parents have. He talked about when he compared us to him, he referred to us as being evil. Not necessarily evil like you would think evil, just evil when compared to him. Um he said, "If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, uh good things good things to your children." He spoke about that parental that parental love that we have. Um and to all the parents in here tonight, hopefully I'll get a great crowd of amens. Boy, we want our children to be blessed, don't we? >> We want our children to be blessed. Um, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I I don't have great grandchildren yet, but if great grandchildren are anything like grandchildren, I have not seen or have not heard, neither had entered in the heart of man. We want our children to be blessed, don't we? Well, I want mine to be blessed. Um, I I want my children to be happy. I I want my children to be to be happy. I want them to be blessed. Um, this next, hold on to this next phrase. I don't want my children to struggle any more than they have to. And we all know our children are going to struggle, but I I don't want them to struggle. I I don't want them to struggle any more than they have to struggle. And um we'll help them all we can. and be with them all we can because that that's just that's just the nature of of that's just the nature of being a parent, isn't it? We just want our children to be happy. We want our children to be blessed. How many want the How many desire to see the blessings of God rest upon your children? >> Well, I that's that's a prayer, isn't it? That's just something about a about a parent. We want them to be blessed. We want them to walk with God. But you you know this is just not relegated to the heart of a parent. Do you know there was a old apostle it's believed that he John was the oldest apostle and the apostle John wrote in first or excuse me the apostle John wrote in third John chapter number one verse number two. Listen to listen to this apostle in third John chapter number one verse number two. Beloved, I wish above all things. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health even as thy soul doth prosper. Brother Ben, it sounds like to me that not only is this parental thing in us to want our children to be blessed and to want our children to prosper, but it seems like there is even a spiritual place in the heart of a man of God that he would say, "I wish above all things." Would you say that with me? All things. I wish above all >> all things that you that you would prosper and that you would be in good health or be in health. But he said now you got to balance it out now even as your soul does prosper. You can't get it out of balance. All right? If you're prospering over here materialistic, you got to prosper over here spiritually because you got to be able to balance it. Balance it out. Well, I've laid the foundation tonight. As your God ordained pastor, I want all of God's children in this house to be blessed. I want you I want you to be blessed. I want you to be happy. I want you to be prosperous. Now, the first thing I want you to be happy because you can't get happy if you're not holy. And you can't get holy without having a relationship with God. Now you see I understand and you understand tonight that the only way we can have a relationship with God, we got to put some things in our lives. All right? We just can't talk about a relationship. Matter of fact, that's one of the reasons we're here tonight on Wednesday night. Why? We want to have a good relationship with God. We're coming to worship him. We're coming to fellowship with other believers. We're coming to we're we're we're coming to hear the word of God because you you can't have a relationship you can't have a relationship a good relationship without having the house of God in your life. You can't have a good relationship with God without having the preaching in your life. And can I give you a secret? Can I give you a secret? You know why we're having prayer the way we are doing? Because it will help us have the right relationship. All right. >> So, so you you see we we're putting prayer because we want you to have or I want you to have I want you to have a and you know as a parent, have you ever wanted something for your children more than they wanted it. I feel that way sometimes, too. I want you to have a good relationship with God. Some people just don't realize they need a good relationship with God until the wheels run off of life and then they, you know, some people can't really engage God when they're walking on their feet, but they sure can talk to him when they're laying on their back. Now, he prefers not to have to put you on your back, but he loves you too much to let you walk your way into hell. And so he said, so we put prayer. Prayer is here. We're emphasizing prayer. We're emphasizing prayer because we want you to have a good relationship with God. We want you to pray through. I want you to get in here and lift your voice up and pray through and repent. Get things get your heart clear. The second thing I I would talk about, boy, I want everybody to have a happy marriage. >> I want you to enjoy being married because I do. It's fun. I recommend it to everybody. Amen. We've been married 41 wonderful, glorious years. Now, she'll say it's more like 20, but I I say it's really 41 glorious, happy years. It's a good life. It's a good life being married. It's a your wife becomes your spouse becomes your they become your best friend. All right? You can laugh together, cry together, fight together. You can you can just you know, come on. Y'all going to lose loosen up on me. All right? But it's the truth. If you're here, if you're single in in this place tonight, I'm going to tell you something. Put God first in your life. >> Live for God. Put God first in your life. only accept a spouse that embraces the same truth you do. And when God brings you somebody, you're going to you're going to say, "Man, I'm just glad that I waited for this right here." Or, "Do you know the reasons?" Shh, I got to tell you a secret. Don't tell nobody. Do you know why we have a marriage retreat every year to help you with your marriage? We have all kind who we got coming this year. Who we got coming? Who? Dr. Hughes is coming back. Hey, boy. He's one of our He's one of our He's one of our favorite. Dr. Hughes is coming. That's going to be But we have that because as your pastor, I want you to have a happy marriage. I want you to I want you to want to go home. I want you to you know somebody said one time said uh we can't keep single folks apart and we can't keep married people together. You know you get it. Okay. You you it's coming to a section near you. All right. But but I want you to that's God's will. You hear me? That is God's will. I'm really I'm really I really believe that a lot of people stay so discontented in life because they never connect into God's will >> and because they don't fix their relationship with God. They're always wandering hither and thither and because they don't get it right with their spouse. They're always wandering here when God would just like for you to get it right with him and get it right with your spouse. So, so I want you to be I want you I I'm just telling you tonight, I want you to be I want you to be holy in your walk with God. I want you to be happy in your marriage. And then I want you to be blessed. I want you to be blessed in the area of your finances. All right? Do you know that stats say that money is the number one cause of divorce? that there's more marriages that end because of money than than than any other subject. They don't know how to handle money. They don't they don't know that they don't know about money and and all of that. And um you know it it it is not listen to me now. When I stood on this platform, I didn't say until debt do you. I said until death. >> All right. But the truth of the matter is God has a wonderful plan for our life in the area of our finances. And uh so tonight I want to teach on the Bible truth about tithes and offerings. The Bible truth about tithes and offerings. Now, the first thing that I want you to know about tithes and offerings is that paying tithing and giving offerings is a test from God. Let me say that again. Paying tithing and giving offerings is a test from God. Now, would you please explain to me, pastor, why you use the word paying, tithing, and giving offerings? I I know that's I I just see those little things popping up out of your head. You're Why do you use those two terms? Because tithing is already the Lord's. >> The tithe is already his. He's just allowed you to have it as a test. as a test. You pay tithing, but you but you give offerings. Offerings are the product of the generosity of your heart and the way that you've been prospered. That's how you determine that's how you determine your offering is the the the the generosity of your heart. How thankful you are. How many are glad? I I'm going to tell you something tonight. I am thankful for paying tithing >> and for giving offerings. >> I struggled with it as a young Christian. I struggled with it. I struggled paying tithing. I failed the test. I'm going to tell you, as a young Christian, I failed the test over and over and over again until I begin to put two and two together and come up with four. And I began to notice that the weeks that I would pay tithing that I seemed to have more energy to want to work. I seemed to have more drive to want to get out and do something. Things seemed to fall my way more. But when the weeks went by that I didn't pass the test, I would find myself and God can work with you in different ways, but I found myself sluggish. I found myself you you know maybe at that time uh brother Perry we worked in the construction uh with you and and at that time I may have needed money and it rained the whole week and we wasn't able to work and so I began to put to it wasn't a coincidence it wasn't a coincidence that when I would honor God and pass the test seemed like I had more energy I had more focus I had more I had more I had more going for me up here but when I when I wouldn't obey God I was sluggish and all of that and you know it just takes a few trips to God's woodshed to open your eyes. >> And oh, once you get your eyes opened, you look back and say, "Man, I want you to know I wouldn't go back to that hit and miss. I wouldn't go back to that way because I have seen too much of the blessings of God all my life. I have seen God do." So, paying tithing and giving offerings is a test from God. Now, hear this now. Tests are given in school to see the level of your knowledge on the subject. Does that shock anybody? You you you nobody's going to put that on the internet tonight. You just truth. A test in school is given to you for the teacher to see how much of the knowledge of the subject you have. Now here are the tests. But this test of paying tithing and giving offerings is a test about the level of believing, trusting, and obeying. Believing, trusting, and obeying. Why did I struggle as a young Christian? Why did I struggle? Hit and missing. Why did I struggle? Number one, I may have believed it because they showed it to me in the Bible, but belief needs to mature into trust. Well, let me show you the little difference. Okay, there was a man that that he strung a u a tight wire across um across the Niagara Falls. All right. and he took a wheelbarrow and the guy walked back and forth across Niagara Falls in the wheelbarrow with the wheelbarrow walking on the tightroppe and a man a spectator was standing there watching him. Several of them was and he pulled the wheelbarrow up to him and he said, "Hey, do you believe I can go back across and come back?" He said, "Yeah, I believe you can do it." He said, "Give in." It's a whole different game. You say you can believe something because you see it in the Bible. But when you trust it, that's when you go beyond your own thinking. Because your own thinking will say, "Well, I know what it says, but it don't apply to me." The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." So when we begin to trust, guess what trust leads to? Trust leads to obedience. It's nothing new. It's nothing new. He brings a group of people out of Egyptian bondage of 430 years. He brings them out and in Exodus chapter 16 verse number four, they they need food. They need food. Nothing wrong with that. They need food. And so God worked up a system of raining down mana. It was bread from heaven. He rained down bread from heaven. And he would rain it down six days out of the week. Six days out of the week. Six days they woke up every morning. Every morning, Sister Wells, they woke up and mana was laying on the ground. But there was some stipulations. They were to go out and he gave them a certain container or he told them of a certain measurement. It was a certain measurement for each member of your family. And then on top of giving them a certain measurement for each member of the family, he also told them, he also told them that five of the days that they were to go out, gather the amount, and make sure that you ate it all that day. Don't leave any of it for tomorrow. Okay? Five days you eat it all. Don't leave any for tomorrow because you're going to go out the next day and it'll be there. But the sixth day, you go out and you gather twice as much. you go out and gather twice as much because on the seventh day there's not going to be any mana come down. Now let me read to you a simple verse that may open our eyes. Exodus chapter 16 and verse number four. It speaks about this mana. Exodus 16 and verse number four. Then said the Lord unto Moses, "Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, or I may test them whether they will walk in my law, or no." Wait a minute. What in the world does gathering bread have to do with me walking in the word? Everything >> because well, I believe Jesus is going to tell us, keep your place there. Exodus 16. I mean, I'm just going out and collecting a little bread every day. What would that have to do with my walking in the commandments of God? Well, let's look at Luke 16:10. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in in the least is unjust in also in much." Now look at this. Jesus says, "If you can be faithful with a little, I'll give you a lot. But if you're unfaithful with a little, you would also be unfaithful with a lot. So he he's he he's talking about this here. Verse 11. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, you know what he's talking about there? You know what mammon is? Money. It's money, brother Ericson. He says, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous money, who will commit to your your trust the true riches? And if you have been if you have not been faithful in that which is a another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" I believe the connotation is here paying tithe and giving offerings. That tithe is not mine. That tithe is the Lord's. It's it's emphatic all through the all the scriptures. It is the Lord. Now, let's just say that this week this week you work and and you make you make $500. Can I tell you according to God, a tenth of that belongs to him. And and we have to begin to learn because just like you're never going to be holy without coming to church, hearing the word of God, being in prayer meetings, being around the house of God, being around other believers of like precious faith, you're never going to develop into it into that. And you will never be a h have a happy marriage until you work on that marriage. And let me tell you this, you will never amount. You'll always you'll always have more month than you have money. You you'll almost see the light at the end of the tunnel and just see it's a a train coming your same way. You I almost got Why do you want to go through your life almost getting on top? >> He said this is another man's verse number 13. Look at this closely. No servant can serve two masters. Well, what's the 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. Please look at this very closely if you got your Bibles open. If not, direct your attention to the screen. You cannot serve God and mammon money. You cannot serve God and money. Now, let's go back. Jesus has established if you're faithful in the little, you'll be faithful with much. I'll give you much. If you're faithful with the little that I give you, I'll give you the true riches. If you're unfaithful, if you're unfaithful with the little, you're not going to be faithful with much. I'd be wasting my time to give you to give you more is what God is saying. So now, let's go back to the bread story. Let's go back to Exodus chapter 16. Now, verse number 19. So now, here's what you got to do, people. Every morning, get up. You got a measurement. Go out, measure it. How many people you got in your family? Go out and measure it. Bring it in. Eat it all that day. Don't let doubt get in your mind and keep it through the night because you know what it's going to do? You're going to get up in the in the morning and you're going to smell a horrible odor. And you're not only going to smell a horrible odor, it's you're going to go to the kitchen and there's that little there's that little container that you got and you're going to look at what was bread and it has bread worms. It has worms in it and it has a very offensive odor. And so you're you're you're going to learn not to do that. I'm going to tell you, uh, it's going to fill the house with a terrible odor. When we don't do things God's way, life stinks. >> Life stinks. >> But then God said, he said, on the sixth day, go out and gather twice as much and keep it over through the night. that what you gather twice as much, you'll have it for the seventh day. Look at verse 26 of Exodus 16. Exodus 16 verse 26. Six days you shall gather it. Here's God. But on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. Nothing's going to fall on the Sabbath. I'm telling you, nothing's coming on that day. And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day, for together, and they found none. Man, isn't that He already told him, "Nothing's fallen on the seventh day." But look at the nature of man. I'm going to go looking. Can I tell you, none of us ever break God's commandments. God's commandments break us. >> That's that's the truth. You don't you don't break God's commandments. God's commandments break you. And so they go out looking. But they found none. Well, what did God How did God feel about them out there in the field looking when God told them there was going to be none? There was going to be none to begin with. How did God feel about that? Well, he tells us in verse number 28, he tells us, brother Chester, in verse number 28, "And the Lord said unto Moses, how long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?" He said, "Look, look out there looking the field." Because he knew if they can't handle the little things, if they can't handle the little test, they're not going to handle the major commandments that are going to come down. They're not going to They're not they're they're going to have other gods before and and they're going to have they're going to break because they can't handle this small part here. You see, tonight I'm a blessed man and you're a blessed people because we entered into a covenant relationship with God in the area of our finances. We are blessed spiritually. We are blessed spiritually tonight. Hear me now. We are blessed spiritually because we've entered into a covenant contract with God about how to have church. You see, this how to have church is not our we didn't invent it. We just read the contract. And the contract said, "Come before me with singing. Come before me and praise me with the symbols. Praise me with the stringed instruments. Praise me upon the high sounding symbols. Let everything that have breath praise the Lord." We didn't come up with it. This is not Pentecostalism. It's not something that came about uh it it didn't come about in the 1920s or something. We we we got to be holy rollers and we just keeping the holy rolling holy rolling. It's not that way. We've read the contract and you know what the contract says? The contract says clap your hands all you people. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. You say, "Well, I it don't sound very joyful. It's not to you. I I got to give you a news flash. The praise is not for you." Well, I don't really like it. Well, I got news for you, Jethro. It ain't made for you. Einstein, we we didn't do this for you. And anytime you think the worship is all about you and it's for your little taste and all all that, you're going to be of all men most miserable because it's just not about you. He He what he's hearing right now, that hand clapping, I I don't It doesn't matter that I like it. He likes it. Don't you like Don't you like giving God? Hasn't God been so good to you that you want to give him what he likes? He brought me out of the my pit. He filled me with the Holy Ghost. He said he turned my life around. I want to give him what he he likes that right there. I can run through a troop and I can leap over a wall. I'm telling somebody may say, "Man, that's a crazy church." But there's a God up in heaven saying, "He's running for me. He's dancing for me. He's shouting for me. >> I wear cool water cologne. I don't necessarily like it. I don't necessarily like it. Matter of fact, if it's up to me, I I wouldn't wear anything. Cologne, that is. All right. I I I saw the elbow. I I call you out here in just a minute. You know why I wear that cologne? Spray it on my tie. She likes it. And do you know when I sit down on the plane and some woman says, "Oh, that is wonderful cologne you're wearing." I say, "My wife's favorite." You see, when the devil starts flirting with you, >> you ought to let him know why you do what you do. >> I ain't even interested in you, >> devil. I'm not interested in going back to the beer. I'm not interested in going back when nicotine had a hold on me. I'm not interested in going back to those days I had no energy. I'm not interested in going back to that day. G Oh, Lord have mercy. He He has been more than good to me. Come on, help me praise him right now. I got to do a little teaching tonight, y'all. I got to do a little teaching, y'all. >> Settle down. I got to do a little teaching. Y'all go. He's so good. Entering into a covenant relationship with God is made up of two components. If you want to enter into a relationship with God, here it is. It's only two. It's only two. It's very simple. Response and reward. Yes, sir. >> If you will respond, he will reward. I said if you will respond, >> he will reward. >> He doesn't reward until you respond. >> He doesn't show you what he's going to do until you're willing to do what he's asked you to do. >> Genesis 12 and 1. Genesis 12:1. Let's enter the contract. Where you going, God? I'm going down to of Caldes. I'm gonna talk to a man by the name of Abram about a contract. Here it is. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation. I will bless thee, make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. That is the part you have to respond. The response is you got to leave where you're at. You got to leave who you're running with. >> You got to leave your old life and you got to leave your old land. >> Have I got anybody in the house tonight that could say, "I don't go where I used to go. God came down and God gave me a contract. If you'll come out, I'll make you a great nation. If you'll come out, I'll bless you. If you come out, I'll make you a blessing. If you'll come out, I'll bless them that bless thee. How can the world, how in the world can you lose like this? Look at verse number three. Oh, mighty God of heaven. I will bless them that bless thee. This is the key scripture right here to where we better stay a friend to Israel. >> Yes, sir. >> We better stay a friend to Israel. >> That's right. We think, brother Chester, that we're all that because we're the United States of America. I say to you tonight, there's a lot of prosperity that these 50 states have that have nothing to do with agriculture. It has nothing to do with technology. It all has to do there's a God up in heaven that said, "If you'll bless Israel, I'll bless you. If you'll be a blessing to them, I'll be a blessing. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that cursseeth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be be blessed. But can I tell you tonight, all the word of God is nothing but ink and paper until verse four happens. It's all nothing but ink and per paper until verse four happens because there's got to be a response. So Abraham departed. I wish somebody say response. >> Response. >> Abraham departed. response as the Lord had spoken unto him and Lot went with him and Abram was 70 and five years old when he departed out of Hon. Here's what happened. God gave him the plan. But he had to have the response. Had to have the response to go along with the plan. No response. No plan. God's not going to bless you. Well, if if if and I've heard I've heard everything. I probably even said some of the things I'm saying to you right now. I can't afford to tithe. When I make more money, I'll tithe. I probably said those things. I was probably guilty of saying those things. But the truth of the matter is God's not going to bless you with more when we're not giving him what's already his. >> Abraham, you're not going to be a blessing till you come out. Abraham, I'm not going to bless them that bless you until you come out. You got you got you got to come out. You you got to come out. And you you know uh my my rearview pardon me for the personal reference, but years ago I had a car and my rear view mirror fell off and uh I needed to glue it back on. I needed to glue it back on. And so I went to the auto place and and they gave me they gave me two tubes of substance and and they said once you mix them it it's he said now you can you can put this right here out you you can dab this on the mirror and you can go you can go to lunch you can go to lunch don't worry about it but said the moment you cut this tube open and do this it's an activator said when you mix that up said you You better have you better be ready to put that mirror in place because it's going to sit up and it's going to sit up quick. Do do you know our obedience is an activator? You you know it's it it's it's a it's it's an activator when when when we begin to obey Abraham. As a matter of fact, there's even some scripture that do that that really well go back to verse one chapter 12. There is some scripture here that even kind of lean to this. Says, "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country." God had said it, but there was I I believe in in and I hate when when I didn't study it, I hate there were several years God had gave him the promise, but he didn't activate it. All right? Notice notice the word. Now, the Lord had said unto Abram. So, he had given the promise, but he had activated. you you know it's just time here that I declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we're going to have a revival of a relationship with God. >> God is going to wake up people folks that that we're racing the rapture. >> God I'm I'm praying that God wakes up people. I'm praying oh Jacob to see you to see you Sunday night praying back through. I'm praying that you're one of a hundred that's coming back and God's going to do a great work in your life. Jacob, I I'm I'm praying that. He hear me, folks. I'm just believing that God through prayer is going to wake up everybody in this church. We're going to be woke up. We're going to get in that relationship with God. And you know what? Once we get that, Sister Becky, once we get that on the fix, we're going to go after our marriages. It's God's will that apostolic people have happy marriages. And when we get that, we're going to go after tithe. God wants you blessed. But you got to activate it. >> Got to activate it. >> Abraham, you're not going to be blessed till you activate it. And then the next word is priorities. Priorities. Look with me in Proverbs chapter 3 verse number nine. Proverbs 3 and verse number nine. Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. You know what? I'm going to read those two verses again because I want faith to be activated in our lives. It's one thing for you to hear me read it, but it'd be another thing for your own voice to read this loud enough. Can we go back? Can we go back and start at verse number nine? Proverbs chapter 3 and verse number nine. I want you to read it loud enough, please. I I mean, if you want to break the curse, I I if you want to get out of what your pastor was in years ago of hitting and missing and and and all all of that, not having energy and all of that, if you want to get out of that and you want God's blessings upon your finances, you've got to get in a covenant relationship with him. And the only way you can get in a covenant relationship with him is through the word of God. So, let's read it. It's going to be powerful. It's going to be powerful. Everybody now, honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. That's what I'm looking for. >> That That's what I'm looking for. That this is what we're looking for. But wait a minute now. Why did you use the word first fruits? first fruits. As a matter of fact, let's cross reference that. Let's go back to the book of Matthew. Let's go back to hearing Jesus teach on money and materialism. That's exactly what he's teaching about here in Matthew chapter 6:31. He's teaching on money and materialism. Verse 31, therefore take no thought saying, "What shall we eat?" And he's talking it's his thought is anxiety. Take have no anxiety over what you shall eat or what you shall drink or wherewith all shall ye be we be clothed. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye Seek you what? >> The kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, folks. That's the word of the Lord. >> He says, I want you to give me the first fruits because I want to be first. >> Why is it first fruits? Why is it seek ye first the kingdom of God? Can I seek first materialism? Can I seek first money? And then after that's all done, I can get God. No, you can't. Why not? Because of his nature. >> You cannot embrace God as second, third, or fourth. Why is that? Why did he command first fruits? Why did he say seek the kingdom of God first? Isaiah 44:6 will tell us. Isaiah chapter 44:6, "Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, his redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the first and I am the last, and beside me there's no God." You know why it's first fruits? And you know why it's seeking the kingdom first? The nature of our God is first. He said, "I am first and I am the last." Isaiah 48:12, "Hearken unto me, oh Jacob and Israel, my called. I am he. I am the first and I am also the last." Revelation 11:11 saying, "Ala, I am Alpha Omega, the first and the last." Revelation 11:17, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. He laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not. I am first and I am the last." Revelation 22. Do do you does anybody in this room feel like God's trying to tell us something? >> Just a few verses before the Bible would be completed, he says these words. Revelation 22:16, 22:13, I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Why does he use the word first and last? Because number one, it represents his eternal existence. I want you to hear this now. He says, "I'm the first and the last." Because it represents his eternal existence. God exists outside of time, having no beginning or end. He is eternal. He is unchanging. He is self-existing. And he is unlike any other creature. He's sovereign as first and last. God has authority over all history. I don't know why you wouldn't want to serve this God. I don't know why any of us would not want to serve this God. He is sovereign as first and last. God has authority over all history from its beginning to its end. Nothing precedes him and nothing will outlast him. He is unique. The phrase emphasizes that God alone is divine. There is no other gods before or after him. It represents completeness. God incompasses all things. He is the origin in the combination of all creation, history and purpose. And that matter of fact when God became a man, Jesus used this title to affirm his divine nature linking him directly as God. It signifies that Jesus is not merely a human figure, but he is the eternal God robed in flesh. I'm the first and the last. Why first fruits? Because he's the first and the last. Why seek the kingdom first? Because he's the God of being the first and the last. Um there is no other god besides him. He is not a powerful God. He is the almighty God. Which means there's nothing that our God cannot do. Stand with me tonight. Lord willing. Lord willing. We'll take this back up. You know, there's just some subjects you you just can't exhaust it in one service. Um, somebody so aptly said that the uh mind can only receive what the seat can endure. So, I want to understand that tonight. But, uh, folks, God's doing something here. >> I I said God's doing something here. >> God's doing something. Let me read a few verses of scripture and we'll go home. He's all He's first and the last. He's the first and the last. He's before and he's after. Malachi 6 Malachi 3:6. For I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers, you have gone astray from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, sayeth the Lord of hosts. But you said, Wherein shall we return? They had went somewhere and they didn't even know. Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, "Wherein have we robbed thee?" In tithes and offerings. You're cursed with a curse. For you have robbed me even this whole nation. But here it is. I'm so glad that I serve a God that not only tells me what I do wrong, but he'll tell me how to get it right. >> What a God. What a God. >> What a God. What a God. >> He'll tell me what I'm doing wrong to put me under conviction. And he'll tell me when I'm doing right to make me feel good about what I'm doing. >> What a God. bring you all the tithe into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house. And prove me, put the shoe on the other foot. Prove me, test me. Now herewith, sayeth 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. Follow this closely. and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground. Can I tell you, when I'm not in a covenant relationship with God, I am open game for the devour to come. >> When I'm not in a covenant relationship with God, almighty God, I'm an open target. You nor I all of us put together are no match for him. But let me get in a covenant relationship with God. And God begins to bless my walk with him. And God begins to bless our marriage. And God begins to bless our finances. And the old devil comes around and tries to start messing with my heart about my walk with God. And God steps up and says, "He belongs to me. Uh, no, no, no, no. Kenik belongs to me. know you you get out of his mind. You get out of those thoughts because he you you know uh I've heard this said and I believe it. When the devil rings your doorbell, let Jesus answer the door. When you're in the right relationship, when you're in the right relationship with God, I I'm in the right relationship with God. He steps in and said, "No, no, no, no." When the devil comes in and tries to mess with our marriage, the Lord comes down and says, "Ah, no. You're not going to tear this up. You're not going to devour this." And the devil tries to mess. God is good. >> I'm not done, but you are. >> I love y'all. God bless you. See you Sunday.