Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Worship in Giving Pt.1

Hallelujah! Amen. Let's turn to Proverbs 3. Looking into this time that's before us here. People talk a lot about the New Year, but the calendar doesn't really move us that much. We're moved by one thing and one thing alone: that's really just the necessities that are upon us from being about Father's business, working in the kingdom. Whatever the current need is at hand, that's what the vision is and that's what God's calling us to do. We're excited about that! Tony and Karen are settling in, back in Nairobi and looking forward to the good work that's going to be going on there. They'll be heading out to Kakamega here this weekend. Be in prayer. We're excited about seeing the vision go forth. As that need is before us, there are a number of things that we shared that are looking at us here in the next number of months. Hopefully, we're going to see some increase from the Word of God being preached and need to expand facilities there. Should the Lord give us favor, of course, we're looking forward to the possibility of buying some land there that might be available and putting up some facilities. A tent or whatever. But that's down the road. It'll all be necessitated by need.

One of the things I was sharing with the guys in ministry: vision and what God's leading us to do. Much of what we're "led to do" is to react to necessity. What do we need to do? What is it that's at hand? That's how we understand the hour that we're involved in. So right now we've got a building rented there. That's exciting! We're able to, I think, put probably about a hundred people in that. They're looking and wanting to know what else is there. When you fill that up, then you have to decide what to do. So let's believe God for at least a hundred! Amen. Fill that up and then we'll know what to do from there. God will meet all of our needs. So we're thankful for all your prayers and for your giving. Of the ten thousand we needed in our first offering, we received about half of that. So we're still about five thousand dollars that we need immediately to take care of the immediate needs there in Africa. So be prayerful and respond accordingly. All of the needs will be met by the Lord's riches and glory. So we're excited with what's ahead!

The plans that we're looking at here, as we said, necessities looking to demand of us to make our facilities here a little larger. So we're going to be doing that. We won't need to be doing that if we have this many more vacations or the sickness. But we'll see how that goes. So as the need arises, we'll respond to it accordingly. It's going to be quite a process. Like I said, in the interim we're going to have to meet in the gymnasium for a while. Not looking forward to that, I'm sure, as your not. Having to take down chairs after every service and move things around. But that will just be part of what we'll deal with at that particular time. So be prayerful and believe that God will give us wisdom in how to attack this. There's a number of different ways. There have been suggestions of building the new auditorium on it's own, to stand alone. The only problem with that is, you have so much other space to replace. You have foyers you have to build. You have bathrooms you have to build. The price, the cost then goes up considerably in those particular ventures of things we already have in place here. A lot of times, it is cheaper to build from scratch than it is to remodel. So we've got to weigh all of those. The fact that we're going to go up with the ceiling in the new addition--that we're looking at now another ten feet in there--the ceiling will be higher. Some have already suggested, "Well why don't we raise this ceiling?" Well, then, that begins to get into another decision that has to be made. Is it going to be just as cheap to raise the ceiling and make a one complete ceiling, or to build a facade around it? Because from the outside it'll look like the ceilings have all been raised. So a lot of things we have to decide. It's going to depend on the wisdom of God. There are things you can pray about. We believe that God will order our steps accordingly.

Proverbs chapter 3, let's go ahead and take a look at this. It's been a long time since we've dealt with this subject. In light of what's ahead in the Joash chest and Africa and things, we're going to just stir our hearts up a little bit in the area of honor to whom honor is due and the aspect of honoring the Lord with our increase. So we're going to take a number of sessions and deal with worship in our giving. We're not going to be asking for a whole bunch more in giving. We're just going to stir our hearts in seeing God honored in our giving and worshiped. We have so much to be thankful for! To make sure that we don't just fall into the routine of writing out a check for the same amount every month, as liberal as it is, or may be. Many of you have given so sacrificially and so faithfully over the years. But let's not lose sight of the fact that that is worship. If you're not able to give another dime, don't worry about that. The question at hand is; are you worshiping God in your giving? That's what we really want to talk about over these next couple of sessions. Then we'll look at our hearts and find out what worship entails and the fruit of it. So it's very important for us to understand that aspect of it.

Proverbs, chapter 3--a great passage--verse 5 tells us that we are to, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It [God's law, verse 1 is what we're talking about here] It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to your bones." In the Word of God, the wisdom of God tells us to, "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." Now, I think this is interesting. We're going to talk about increase here in just a moment. The first fruits of course, of our increase. We're going to be talking later on about the tithe and how it's holy to the Lord. The commandments God has given concerning the tithe. But, before we talk about that, the first phrase here I think is very interesting and it's not always something that's spoken toward. I want to talk about just honoring God a moment with our substance and the first fruits of all of our increase. The substance. Those things that have been put into our midst that are the gifts of God and the blessing of God. It's not always a giving of these things that the Lord is looking to, but an honoring of the Lord with these. Are we honoring Him in just having thankful hearts for what we already have? Are we honoring God in worship and thanksgiving for what we have or is there a covetous spirit? Is there one that's just not satisfied and we've always got to have a little more, we've always got to have a little better? I think it's pretty obvious that there's really no place to stop, is there?

I haven't had the privilege yet, some of you may have. Have any of you ever had the privilege of being down there in Carolina and seeing the--was it the Vanderbilt house that's down there? Is that the one that's in Carolina? I think that may have been the one they built. At one time it sat on a hundred thousand acres. It's the largest home ever built in America, I think. I know it was over a hundred rooms. Can you imagine vacuuming that thing? I don't think that Mrs. Vanderbilt probably did the vacuuming. But can you imagine? You can only want a house that big if you're not doing the vacuuming. So here's this house, how big is big enough? How many rooms do you need? You could start sleeping and never hit the same bed for months. You wouldn't be able to find anybody. I'm looking forward to seeing that some time. I like to see some of the beautiful homes. It's the biggest home in America. The most expensive home ever built in America was the one that William Randolph Hurst built. If you haven't ever had a chance to see that, it's interesting. It's called Hurst Castle. It started out as a little thing he was going to build outside the city. In fact there's a little note, when we were visiting there, you get to read some of the things. He talked about the little cabin at the ranch. Like some of us, I think he got carried away. As he went off to build this little retreat, it ended up being the most expensive home in America. I think, at one time, he had close to a quarter of a million acres there. The house proper, the house itself, I believe, was somewhere between twenty and thirty million dollars of 1900, turn of the century money. So what would that be today? The house would probably be a half a billion or more. Just for the house. That didn't include the furnishings. He had the largest private collection of art at that time in the world.

You remember us telling the story about the guy that had to have this particular artifact? He hired people full time to hunt it down. As they went searching this item out, it took years and years of research. He said, "I don't care who has it. You find it. I'm going to buy it whatever it costs. I've got to have that!" They searched and they searched. It was years of searching and the man finally came back with the report. He said, "I have all of the information." He said, "Good! I have to have that thing!" He said, "Who is it that owns it?" He says, "You do! It's in a warehouse." True story! How much is enough? This, to me, shows that spirit of covetousness that we have to war against in this day that we're living in. Are we honoring God with the substance, what we already have? Are you thankful for how God's blessed you? You see, this thanksgiving in this spirit of worship and honoring God with the increase that He gives us is an attitude. It's not an amount. It's an attitude of thanksgiving. The honoring of God with our substance. We'll see what substance or increase he's talking about here. But the substance is that thanksgiving. I think it's so important for us to make that a part of our worship. As he talks about honoring God with the substance, with the first fruits of our increase, then he makes another interesting statement. He says, then, when you can move into this kind of attitude, "So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." He talks about the fact that when we're content, then God can give us abundance. But God can't get involved in our abundance until our hearts are thankful for what we have, and that we can honor God with our substance and with the first fruits of all of our increase. When God is honored, then you're a candidate for increase.

Now this isn't the get rich schemes that so many of the guys are talking about. The hundredfold return aspect, you give a dollar to the Lord and He guarantees you a hundred back. That's not a biblical principle. We've shared that for years, and to whom it is who are candidates for the hundredfold. That's another teaching; we're not really going to get into that. For those who haven't understood that clearly, of course, the hundredfold return belongs back, contextually, to those who are involved in full-time service to God and have left everything. You've got to leave it all to be eligible to fall into this increase of hundredfold of mothers and fathers, houses and lands. Once we've divested ourselves of everything to fulfill the call of God in our lives, it makes us candidates. Nobody else is a candidate. So the manipulation of people during offerings and different things, "If you'll put a hundred dollars in, God will give you back ten thousand dollars." It doesn't work that way. None of the offering principles work until this first one is adhered to; and that's honoring God.

Now remember what did we say the word "honor" meant? Do you remember in the study we just did? What does the word "honor" mean? It means, "to put proper value on." What we're going to study here in just a moment is what happens to the heart of an individual when we're able to put the proper value on God? What happens to our hearts in offering ourselves up to God? We're going to see that God is looking for more than the material things. More than just the first fruits that He is honored through the offering up to the priesthood. But hearts that have been set aside and sanctified themselves in pursuit of God. Hearts full of worship for our deliverance from the power of sin. Let me ask you something; and we know it's not for sale. How much would you pay for your salvation? How much would you pay--what kind of a ransom would you pay--to get out from under the dominion of Satan and the consequence of that, which is Hell? If you could buy your way out. What if morality had nothing to do with it? What if obedience and submission and moral pursuit had nothing to do about it? What if you could write a check for you salvation? What would it be worth to you not to go to Hell? Hmm? All? How many of you'd give everything you had not to go to Hell? How many? Any of you? I would. I'd give it all every day to just miss two minutes of Hell. Do we lose sight in our worship and our thanksgiving and our appreciation for the free gift of God, Who in the material realm wants to bless us, not take from us, and give us a free salvation? How much are we worshipping Him and thankful for with our increase? So as we go over these areas many times, it's really a sobering process. We talk about the privilege of giving, and sometimes that's just lip service. Dear Lord, we have so much to be thankful for! The token giving and appreciation that's seen by the world, that's seen as we honor our God. As He is able to receive that worship and recognition through the priesthood, is just a small, small part of this subject of worship with our substance. The perfect offering of ourselves to God. So let's look at the subject as we go on.

Turn to the book of Exodus. Let's go back to where God first allows people to begin to move in to this privilege of honoring Him with substance and worshipping Him. Now think for just a second. Go back in your minds, begin to prepare yourselves as we look at this study and realize that God is totally--as we've talked about--holy, unique, He is self-sufficient, self-contained in every area; He didn't need anything. The misnomer that God created man because He was lonely and wanted someone to worship Him and to fellowship with. Not so! God was not lonely. God has no needs, spiritual, psychological, emotional, or physiological. He is absolutely self-contained, perfect in every way. So don't think for a moment that God needed anything from man in the area of recognition, worship, or anything else. God was not lonely. God was not needy. Everything that you and I have--from our very existence, to our sustenance--is a hundred percent gift of God. He's the giver; we're the recipients. Just blessed in every way! So He made man and began to commune and allow this communion to take place with Himself, and then, of course, the fall that manifested and the consequence of separation and now there needs to be a drawing back of man into reconciliation with Himself. Part of this process was in allowing man to be reestablished. Listen! In what Adam rejected, man now has to come back to a renewing of the worth, or the worth-ship, or the worship of God. One of the ways that happened is, because of the curse, that man would now be sustained by the sweat of his brow. This is how man began to establish worth. This is how all of the system that we're involved in today, of commerce, came about. Money and all of these things. It's representative of the work and the sweat of the brow and what man's worth now is, is seen in this area. God then says, because of your rejection of Me, because you did not put the right worth on Me, I'm going to allow this to be one of the ways in which you express back again, the redirecting of the proper worth and Who it is that's worthy. It's not you, it's Me, God's saying.

With that in mind, let's go to Exodus. We begin to look at a couple of things here that I think are going to help us as we lay some of the foundational truths. Exodus, chapter 25. This is the children of Israel now coming out of bondage. We realize that the tabernacle is going to be established and God's going to come and visit His people and reside in the midst of His people. So in the process, as the revelation is received here, the Scripture tells us in verse 1, chapter 25, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take [Look!] my offering." Not his offering. We come and we say, "Here's my offering." God says, "No, that's not your offering, that's My offering." I think what's interesting here is this. God says, if it's not from a willing heart, then I don't want it. Every man that comes with a willing heart, then you'll receive the offering based upon the worship, the attitude of the heart. As Paul goes on in the new covenant, of course, we talk about a cheerful giver and many of these different things. But here we're beginning to see that God puts some confines on giving. This is why so often, over the years, many times we've turned down a lot of people's offerings. People have come and they've wanted to give offerings. Many times their offering was based upon guilt. Many times it was based upon pride. Over the years, numerous times, we've told people, "God won't accept that, we're not interested. You're going to have to go find somewhere else to give that money, because we're not going to take it." Some pretty sizeable amounts. Moses was not able to just take whatever people brought. Not only, as we get into the study later on and we begin to see the Levitical ordinances, and we see the abuses in Malachi of people wanting to bring their crumbs to God and bring the halt and the maim, the blind, and all these things, and make them offerings. Of course, God refused those things. It's more than that. It can be a nice offering with a wicked heart and God says, "I'm not interested in it." It can meet all of the criteria of being holy and clean, but if the heart is not right, "I'm not interested in it."

So as we prepare ourselves to give, let me share some things with you. If you're grudgingly going to put that in, keep it. God's not interested in it. All you're doing is bringing--you'll see in just a moment--all you're doing is bringing judgment upon yourself. If you read that third chapter of Proverbs, he goes back and right after the honoring of the Lord, the next phrase that he talks about is chastening. He begins to talk about the fact that there's going to be a chastening of those and if there's not an attitude, if there's not an honoring, God's going to deal with your heart in the offering and operation of substance. Well, here he talks about the fact that there needs to be then, a willingness, and there needs to be a pure heart. "And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittem wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" (verses 3-8). The whole purpose then of the offerings was what? To make a place for God to dwell in our midst. The Bible says that the Lord inhabits the praises, the worship, of His people. So as we come together, one of the things in our worship, one of the things we're doing is honoring God in our giving. That's all part of the worship service. We don't just use it as, whoever it is that's standing up here. Years ago we took this format upon ourselves and so many times it can become rote, it can become tradition. We don't do a lot of manipulating during our offerings and trying to cry and sing sad songs and hold up pictures of kids with big bellies and all that stuff. Basically what we do--I've had people comment who have been visitors, "Man, I've never seen a church that takes an offering like this. This is amazing." What do we do? We just stand up and say, "Let's worship the Lord with our giving." It doesn't get any purer than that. That's what this is all about. We can't lose sight of it. We have to understand that this is the sanctuary of God's visitation. This is where He comes to visit us. So it's very important that the attitude that's in our giving is a great part.

Look over at chapter 35, for just a second, of Exodus, verse 5. He speaks along these same lines. Beginning at verse 4. "And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver...." He goes back and reiterates this same commandment that was given in the verse we were reading. Then he makes this comment that I want us to see that's an addition to that other rendering of this. Verse 10. "And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord has commanded." So now what he's looking at here, is he's making reference to the fact that we give of our substance, and then the wise hearted are those who are willingly giving. They're giving out of a heart of willingness, but they're also going to give beyond that substance and they're going to give of themselves, their talent. So over the years this attitude is what we've tried to build. We not only give, but now we give of ourselves. Many churches, many of the different fellowships around, people are willing to drop in a few dollars, but they're not willing to give of their time. They're not willing to give of their energy and their talent and all of these things.

Thank God, that as a fellowship, that's why we've been able to do so much beyond our numbers. Beyond the amounts that are given. I believe for two reasons. Number one is a people that have a heart and a mind to work; a people that are wise hearted in wanting to worship God and to lend themselves wholly to the service of God. Then what we can't lose sight of is this. There can't be any pride or boasting or trust in the arm of the flesh. We have given ourselves wholly as a community. But because of the attitude and the willingness of hearts to give, God comes into our midst. I believe what we've seen over these last years, these last ten years, has been the supernatural presence of God. Because I'm confident of one thing, the Lord has been worshipped in this place. Can you say praise God for that! Because of your faithfulness, because of your understanding of these things.

The one thing as we're teaching on this that I want to make real here in our first session, is that we can't lose sight of that. It can't become just rote. It can't be something that we know intellectually and we've learned in some of our studies. We've lost the excitement of our first love. We've lost the excitement of the worship. We go through the method, but where's the excitement? The cheerfulness that the apostle spoke of in the offering up of ourselves. Are you able to still come--this is the substance part--honoring God with our substance and not just the amount of the check? When it's your home fellowship group's time to come and clean the facilities, are you still excited about that? Being a part of it? Is there still that awareness that this is the sanctuary of God and that I'm giving of my ability, the wise among us, those that are able? Some of us can run over cords better than others as we're vacuuming and our talents are displayed. But we're here to honor God and worship Him. You see, this is what it's all about. Is there still that excitement? Is there still that excitement on the workdays that are taking place? Is there still the excitement when you're able to put that envelope in the offering? This is what we're talking about, when we're talking about honoring the Lord with our substance. Or has the worth changed; to where now it's obligation, it's a mature responsibility? But it's more obligatory than it is worship. We need to hear what the Spirit is going to say to us in these areas and allow our hearts to be stirred and to return then to our first love. It's so important for us to understand that.

Chronicles speaks toward this as clearly as any of the passages. In 1 Chronicles, chapter 29, in this celebration, the people are honoring the Lord. David, being the man after God's own heart, at numerous times was able to set the pattern for the people of God and we'll look at a couple of those passages in just a moment. In chapter 29, David says in verse 3, "Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house." He had set course and there was that that was set aside that people had given and wanting to honor God with their increase. He said, that he was just so taken, that he was compelled, out of all of the substance that had been given into his hands, to give of his own. His "own proper good," he says. That's an interesting comment. As you look back at chapter 22. Look back there for just a second, verse 13. The wisdom of the Lord says, "Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with... Now, behold, [verse 14] in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord, an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron with out weight.... [Verse 16] Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee." So as they're honoring God and setting about to build the house of God, the place of worship, he says in verse 19, "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God...." Interesting. What is it that's taking place here? Now remember something's happening in David's heart. This abundant giving--David was a giver--he was a man that loved God. He was a man that knew how to worship. But there's more to this story than I think a lot of people catch when they're reading through it casually. What's one of the factors here about this temple here that's being built? David having such a zeal for God, wanting to build the house, then was he able to participate? What was it that kept him from being able to oversee and engineer the house of God? This thing burned in His heart, his love for God, his worship. But there was one problem. What was it? He was a bloody man, wasn't he? Look! Something's motivating him. He saw that the greater privilege of participating, hands on, was going to be taken from him. When he realized what he was not able to give, he gave of everything else he had. What is the value that David's putting on being involved, hands-on in the house of God, the honoring with the substance? To David that meant a lot more than all this residual gold that he had in his hands.

This amount that's referred to in chapter 29, verse 3, when it talks about the offerings that are given and the amount that we just saw over in chapter 22. That was about--by today's money--it was probably about four billion dollars, somewhere in that area. I think it came out to about seventy-eight million in gold for that day and about twelve or something in silver and whatever. As you break it all down into current money, it's close to about four billion dollars that he was able to give. But it wasn't what he really wanted to do. It's what he was limited to. The best part of the offering, he wasn't able to participate in. Why am I saying all that? How thankful are we for what we can put our hands to? Do we see it as worship and a privilege of God to participate in the work that's at hand? Or does it somehow become drudgery, rote, a necessity. "It's expected of me, I'm part of the community, I've got to do my part, and after all I'm a man that pulls his weight, something that I can be boasting in and be proud of." Or is it worship? So it's very important for us to understand the privilege of not just giving the money. David gave the money, he gave the four billion dollars, but the greater offering was taken from him. It broke his heart. Does it break your heart if you don't get to come and vacuum or clean the toilets? As some of you labored so diligently here, swallowing all the dust off the ceiling. Those are the days that you'll remember. You don't remember the checks that we put in, but we remember the days that we've put our hand to the work. We've been able to be in the actual front lines of worshiping God and building the sanctuary and honoring His name and the giving of our lives. It's an exciting thing! It's something that we need to constantly be aware of and not lose sight of the privilege.

You see, it's like salvation; you can't just come because you want. God doesn't just take whatever offerings you throw at Him. Not everybody has the right to even put their hand to it. We've had people volunteer again in the past. People that had skills and different things and they wanted to come and do some work for the church and we said, "No, thank you." We shared it with them in a way that was a little more tactful than this, but sometimes, not a whole lot more tactful. Usually we try to be as tactful as we can, based upon the hardness of the people's heads and hearts. At that particular time, you just basically tell them, "Look you're not worthy to come up here and scrub these toilets." Pardon the pun, these toilets are holy. As we look and understand that and it becomes a reality. It's a privilege to put our hand to the bowl! The Lord's speaking to us and look what He says in verse 12 here, He says, "Both riches and honor...." This is what we really need to grab a hold of, this spirit here. As David is sharing his heart and his thanksgiving for the abundance of God, as he blesses the Lord, verse 10, "before all the congregation." He says in verse 11, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: [Man, he's on a roll there, isn't he?] for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee...." Here's the bottom line, beloved. Get it down in your hearts; get it underlined in your Bible, in your notes. "For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (1 Chronicles 29:10-14). "Of thine own have we given thee." Nothing we give doesn't originate with God. It's not ours, it's His.

We do not give God ten percent. He lets us keep ninety. It's all His. When you understand that, the thanksgiving of writing out a tithe check is the thanksgiving of keeping the ninety. A heart that says, "You're worthy of all." A heart that basically would say, "Lord, I'm so thankful, I'd like to give You a hundred percent and if You could supernaturally sustain me to where I didn't have to eat, if You could supernaturally sustain me to where this one pair of clothes would last for forty years and these shoes wouldn't wear out. I don't need anything else but Your presence. Your grace, Your mercy, Your presence is sufficient." All of these other things, as God gives us the increase of Proverbs 3. As our barns begin to be filled with plenty, with abundance. As our presses begin to burst forth with new and fresh wine, for our celebration of communion and thanksgiving to God. We see it as abundant supply and not our worth and not our accomplishments and not our rights, but God's free gift. David says it all here. What a privilege! Who are we? You know what? The guy down the street from you that's driving that new BMW, he doesn't have this privilege. The guy that's worshipping the Bavarian Motor Works. He doesn't have this privilege. He can't say, "Who am I?" You see, he hasn't been chosen out of the nations to become a child of God. He doesn't have that worth placed upon himself, the seal of the Holy Spirit, that makes him the inheritance of God. He doesn't have this privilege to give. Oh, he may write a check and drop it in some offering on an Easter or Christmas or whatever else. But it's not accepted of God. That particular organization may receive it, but God hasn't taken it. David saw the privilege. Who are we that we could be blessed and offer so willingly?

You see, David knew what was in the heart of man; he knew the selfishness that was in man. He knew the murdering spirit of Cain; he knew the pride of Lucifer and all of the tendencies of man. He says, "What You've done in our hearts, You've made us willing. There's not an obligation; this is a willingness. I'm a new creature; I'm not under the bondage that I used to be under. What a privilege to be free to honor You and worship of my substance." Those are the things that we should be so thankful for. A lot of it depends, like I said, on how you're trained and whatever, and what Jesus has done in your life. I've heard of people over the years, a lot of people, who have had trouble. Over the years you can't even number the times you've heard people, either had to sit down in counseling or whatever, "You know, I'm just struggling. I just have so much trouble with this tithe. My pen or my wrist, something just doesn't seem to work." I try to think back when I got saved. Fortunately, I got to hear about tithing the same week I got saved. It was very interesting. I was in a church that taught this. When I got saved somebody said, "Here's what God says, the first tenth, the first fruits are the Lord's." I said, "Really? Praise God." That settled that, never another question. "Is that what it said?" "Yea, that's what it said." "Praise God! Glory to God! You mean I get to do that to?" Those that are forgiven much, what? Love much. The only question I can ask, then, is that it seems to me that those people that are struggling writing those checks out, maybe haven't been forgiven much. Maybe they haven't realized experientially the forgiveness of their sins. Because you cannot have experienced that and not be willing to offer all. Period. So it's so important for us to understand the worth of God and the worth of the blood of Jesus in what was accomplished in that offering for us that makes a people privileged. Who are we that we could give so willingly? Then, of course, everything that we've given originates in You. It's all Yours. We're just giving back what You gave us. Do you really believe that? Do you live your life like that? Or is there some personal ownership? Do you really think that some of this is yours? Do you really think that you earned that? Do you really think that this is--of course none of us are properly remunerated for our great gifts and talents. We're not fully appreciated. We never get what we're really worth. I'm so thankful the blood of Jesus is going to keep me from getting what I'm really worth. Aren't you? We say, "Oh, everything I have is the Lord's." Some of you'd break out in such a sweat the rest of us would need umbrellas if God said, "I have need of that." Is it the Lord's, really? Is the heart free to worship?

The spirit that we're living in, we're talking about the last days. I don't want to get off course here in this thing; but you remember we've been talking about the secret power of lawlessness. We've been talking about the hour that we're coming in. The rise of the Man of Sin. Beloved, the key to the supernatural power of the Antichrist is going be the prosperity and the bondage of it that he puts on people in the last days. You want to hear a very interesting statistic? Have you noticed--any of you that get to listen to Christian radio--have you notice a pattern say in the last, maybe five years? We'll go back as far as five years. Have you notice a pattern in the last five years, of even the most established, the most well-known, the most listened-to ministries that you hear on the radio. Have you noticed a pattern? What's been the pattern? If any of you have had a chance to listen? Some of you may not get to listen consistently. As never before, these ministries are saying, "We're in need. We have a financial need." Now it's one of two different things. I think that many of them have expanded beyond their faith and the vision, because of just natural machinery that's grinding out. That's part of it. The other part of it's another fact; this one can't be done away with. These guys and all of their record keeping, have noticed one thing in common. All of the giving to these ministries, many of them have fallen off as much has thirty to forty percent. Do you want to know when all of this was happening? Stop and think back. What was happening five years ago, the personal wealth in this nation? The people--do you remember in just the last three to five years? People were just throwing money around. You were having instant millionaires. As the personal prosperity went up, the giving went down. Now what is that? Let me tell you what it is; it's the secret power of lawlessness. It's supernatural. We're not talking about just the secular, because there are no records. We're talking about fundamentalists. We're talking about Bible-believing Christians.

Now the average giver in your Bible-believing church-it's probably, I don't know where it is today. I can only give a statistic that's as old as probably, goodness, as old as eight years or more. But at that time your average fundamentalists, Presbyterian, Baptists, Assemblies of God, these folks, were giving about six hundred dollars annually. Six hundred dollars annually. That's why these churches that have two or three thousand people are out trying to have bake sales and all this stuff for all the little special projects. They got lots of people and no power, no fuel. Because there's no heart, there's no worship, there's no sacrifice, there's no giving. As personal prosperity begins to, continues to increase, and the fear of it going away causes people to become in bondage to either, in many ways, either just lavishing it upon themselves and saying, "I'm going to enjoy while I got it, it's all going to go." Or the fear that tries to cause people to hoard. Whatever direction it goes the one thing that we do know, is that it's not going to God. So we as a people are unique. The majority of you here are tithers and people that give offerings to God. It's not that way in most ministries. We're a strange folk. The thing that I want to point out here is that we're not immune to this spirit. The vexation of Lot was nothing compared to the vexation that's going to come in this day that you and I are going in to. So let me ask you a question right now. This has nothing to do with the fact that our income is suffering or gone down. It's not. We're not talking about any visible notice--that I'm aware of anyway--in a decline in giving or anything else. So don't even think for a moment from that natural perspective. What I'm asking you right now is this. You may still be giving; where's you heart? You ask yourself the question, because I don't know. Is there worship? Is there this willingness? Is there this thanksgiving? Is there this spirit of, "Who am I that I could walk into the presence of a holy, living God and offer Him a portion of what He has so graciously blessed me with?" Is that your heart? If not, then the vexation of Antichrist is already taking place in your life. He destroyed them, the Scripture says, by their prosperity. Not the fact that they had a few more bucks than they had last year, but they loved it. It began to be the object of their trust. They're trusting in these uncertain riches, the trusting in the arm of the flesh.

We look today at all of the things that are taking place. It's really almost humorous. The cataclysmic effects are going to be beyond our belief. As we see, we look at the stock market and all of the methods that are trying to keep this thing propped up. Interest is dropping to where pretty soon if you have any money in savings they will not be paying you interest, they'll be charging you for holding it. "Oh, you got five thousand dollars in our bank. That'll cost you fifty bucks." "What do you mean?" "You should be spending it. That should be on your credit card. Somebody should be making money off of that. Not you. How dare you save anything!" Personal indebtedness--have any of you looked at the statistics lately--of how in debt every American is? It is scary and getting worse! Credit card debt, personal bankruptcies, epidemic proportions! I went down, as I was telling you, and spent my day shopping. I knew where I was going, what I was doing. I was going down there and I had like real money. I was going down there to buy this thing and I couldn't even get through the parking lot, because all of those people in debt to their credit cards were in my way! I'm just talking statistically. Pull up the stats on that. They were doing it the other day; I can't even remember where I saw these things. I was shocked! When I saw the condition of the average family in this country, I just thought, phew, you talk about built on a deck of cards! I know it's all faith, I understand that, but it's going down. What are you trusting in today? That's all I'm asking. Where's our heart in thanksgiving? Where's our heart in worship? Where's our heart in trust? We started off in Proverbs, "Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge [God]." So all of these things come hand in hand to the last days, this spirit that we're looking at. So let's just finish--as we're going to finish up a little bit this evening. Understand the worship. (Oh, goodness it's already past time.) We'll go ahead and pick it up on Sunday.

Father, we do thank You for the Word of God and the privilege of worshipping You. Father, we come out of this holiday season grieved as we look around. Not the condition of the world--we know their hearts--but so many professed believers under the vexation and the bondage of the world's system. They'd really like to do something for the Lord, but they can't, for it's in VISA they trust. It's all leveraged. It's all spoken for, for the next thirty-six months. Then lo and behold, you go through all of the surplus in the basement and the attic, the storage bin, and that thing that you just bought, you already had. So many things we can't even keep track. But no time and no substance to offer You. As we examine our hearts, many of us through disciplines have set a portion aside, and You get Your ten percent and whatever it is I feel emotionally inclined to give as an offering. But is the honor there? Is the humility of David, "Who am I?" This isn't mine anyway, it's Yours." Thank You for the privilege of allowing me to worship." Let that be our hearts, Father. For in that spirit there is no boasting and in that spirit there is no weariness. In that spirit there is worth-ship. For You are all in all. Make that real, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen!

Let's stand before the Lord. As Gary plays for us, we again recognize the need to guard our hearts in these last days. Oh, how David would have loved to have been involved in that building of the house of God. Sunday, we'll look at the people, as the tabernacle was being built and Moses having to tell them to stop bringing because they were bringing too much. It's not something you hear of all the time. I thank God that we've been able to hear that here, as we've taken offerings. For instance, we've told you, "That's enough for right now. We'll tell you when we need some more." As you pray and you set aside, so often we've talked about those that disciple themselves to the second tithe and to use that for worship and refreshing of yourself. Those of you who followed that admonition and you've been doing that; there should be sufficient there for some of the things that are ahead, as some of our graduates get to experience some great opportunities. We believe that there could be opportunity. We've had graduates go to Mexico on their mission trips. Some have gone to areas as close as New York, different things. We're believing that maybe one of these classes, this next one, or the following, have opportunity to go minister in Africa. As you, as wise parents, set aside this tithe, it's there, the ability to send them in missions and in ministry, is there, because you've worshipped God. Or maybe you've decided to eat that seed. I know of some that have been faithful clear to this time, to keep putting that aside. They've even said, "I have a pretty good amount set aside. Is there anything it can be used for in ministry?" In the spirit of this day, the age that we're in, with the Man of Sin on the rise and the destruction of the nations through the desire of prosperity, the covetous spirit. Let's not allow ourselves to be vexed. Let's not claim any ownership. It's all of You, Lord. Thank You! Thank You for how You've blessed me! Thank You for the privilege of honoring You with the first fruits of this increase and the wisdom to enter in and to put my hand through the talents that You've given me. That is the offering of myself and my substance. For the privilege, I say, "Thank You," in Jesus' name! Let's sing it together and worship Him. Singing, "Lord, You are so precious to me. Lord, You are so precious me, and I love You. Yes, I love You, because You first loved me." Lord, we do thank You for Your love for us, and the pursuit that while we were yet sinners, You died for us. You sought us Lord. We didn't seek You, and so we just ask that You'd continue to draw us to Yourself. Strengthen us by Your grace that we might faithfully run this course and hear the words, well-done, good and faithful servant. For that we'll give You the praise, in Jesus' name. Amen! Amen! Before you go turn to somebody next to you and say, "Honor the Lord with your substance!" Amen! Go in peace, God's love go with you!

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