Message Title: What Test?
Pastor Robert would say, “what test?” in high school. A lot of Christians don’t know that you take a test every time you get paid.
Robert wants to take a poll with all of us.
- Who gets paid once a month? Who gets paid twice a month? Who gets paid every week? How many never get paid?
The test is, whom are you going to worship. Whom are you going to thank for your resources? The first person you pay is who you worship.
To worship Visa, your mortgage company, bass pro, or nordstroms? Who gets the first portion of your income? That’s who you’re thanking.
Malachi 3:6-12 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
7 Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’
Do Not Rob God
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
He can’t get better because He’s best.
His principles cannot change.
An ordinance is a principle of ordinary behavior.
Your HOA ordinances are things like, it’s a principle to not have a fridge in your front yard.
The word is demonstrating that we have walked away from God and ordinary behavior.
This is God talking, not Malachi.
The church is the storehouse.
You eat great food at Transformation Church. Somebody is paying for it. Somebody contributes to the cameras, the building – and some of you come in, eat a great meal, and skip the check.
There’s great teaching in great churches because God’s people bring the tithe into the storehouse for food to be in the house.
The tithe causes there to be spiritual food. You may have read it a hundred times and have never seen it.
The number one argument against tithing is that it’s not in the new testament. Tithing is in the new testament 42 times.
God wants people with stubborn hearts to argue with God about it. The scripture is right where God wants it. It’s the only place in the Bible where God says, “test me.” Yet, you wont test him, or prove him. You wont prove that God is pure? Tithe and see how pure He is.
1. Tithing is a Test
Tithing literally means 10%.
Robert doesn’t know why God chose 10%, but he thinks he knows why he chose a percentage. The percentage makes it the same for everyone. It’s fair for everyone.
He thinks he knows why God chose 10, because the number 10 represents testing in the bible.
Let’s look at some instances from the bible.
How many plagues were there in Egypt (how many times did God test Pharaoh’s heart)? – 10
How many commandments are there? – 10
How many times did God test Israel in the wilderness? – 10
How many times were Jacob’s wages changed? – 10
How many days was Daniel tested? – 10
How many virgins were tested in Matthew 25? – 10
How many days of testing are mentioned in revelation chapter 2? – 10
How many disciples were there? 12 – LOL – just testing you.
God tests us.
The second argument is that tithing was under the law and we’re not.
We’re under grace.
Adultery and murder were under the law. As a Christian is it okay to commit adultery now?
If it was bad under the law, is it not bad now? If it was good under the law, is it still good?
Tithing was before the law ever showed up.
Since it was under the law, are you saying you shouldn’t do it now as a Christian?
Can we steal as Christians now because “thou shall not steal” is under the law?
2. Tithing is Biblical
Let’s look at some verses about it.
Genesis 14:18-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Abram and Melchizedek
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him [a]a tithe of all.
Footnotes:
Genesis 14:20 one-tenth
This was 500 years before the law. This was also the first mention of communion in the Bible.
Melchizedek represents Jesus.
Genesis 28:22 New King James Version (NKJV)
22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a [a]tenth to You.”
This is way before the law.
Leviticus 27:30 New King James Version (NKJV)
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 26:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)
Offerings of Firstfruits and Tithes
26 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.
Deuteronomy 26:13-15 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the [a]holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of it [b]when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it [c]for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. 15 Look down from Your holy [d]habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’
You can’t ask God to bless you until you remove the holy tithe from your house.
If Jesus himself said you ought to tithe, would you do it?
Let’s look at Matthew, New Testament, in red – i.e. Jesus said it.
Matthew 23:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Jesus said you tithe, but you neglect justice, mercy, and faith. You pay tithes on the little things, but have neglected justice, mercy, and faith.
The rest of the verse says, “without leaving the others undone.”
Hebrews 7:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
Jesus himself receives our tithe.
3. Tithing is a Blessing
2 Chronicles 31:4-10
New King James Version
4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support[a] for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.
5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the Lord their God they laid in heaps.
7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.”
What was there (the heaps) was only 10%. God blessed the people.
They are really blessed, because that’s just the tithe.
Even with problems and difficulties, we’re so blessed.
You’ll never be able to afford to tithe until you tithe.
4. Tithing is Personal
Robert has been in ministry for 40 years. Over and again, he has heard testimonies. People who tithe all have the same testimony, “I am so blessed”, people who don’t all say, “I can’t afford to tithe.”
You won’t be able to afford to tithe until you start tithing.
Tithing breaks the curse. Tithing rebukes the devourer. Every time you start to tithe, something else will break.
Tithing recovers the blessing.
Illustration:
Robert gives Charles, Will, and Don 10,000 a month and they get to keep 9,000 and send Robert’s wife 1,000. Don gives Debbie the 1,000. Will gives 2,000, and Charles gives 700, 300, and then nothing the third month. This is like Jesus, who has gone away for a while and has asked us to take care of his wife, the church. What will happen is that Jesus (the husband) will take it from the one and give it to the good steward. The good stewards get more and the poor stewards get less. The poor steward may get cut off completely due to not actually loving the husband or caring about his wife.
Anecdote: Robert’s daughter, Elaine, walked away from the Lord for about 2 years and Robert and Debbie (Robert’s wife/Elaine’s mom) didn’t know it. She accepted the Lord at 8, but this happened when she was about 19. She radically got saved, and fast forward, is now a part of “Better Together” at 30 years old. After she comes back to the Lord, Robert told the church that there’s a man that gives away $100 bill at church. He would witness to someone and then give them $100. He didn’t want to tell the church it was him. Just that, there’s a guy at the church that gives away $100 bills. There was a lady who wrote in to the church and started to tithe. She made $1,000 that week and so she was going to write a check for $100 and the Lord said, “make it for $120.” She said, “Lord this is a stretch. I’m already giving $100.” He said, “No, you’re returning $100, I’d like to help you give more.” So she would give $20 ad return $100. She put it in the collection boxes and Robert told the church that day about the guy who gives $100 bills away. He saw this lady and the Lord tells him to give her a $100 bill. When he reached in his wallet, beside the hundred was a twenty. Then the Lord said, “give her $120.” The guy said, “I don’t give $120, I give $100.” The Lord said, “No, you obey; that’s what you do. You do what I tell you to.” So, this guy gives her $120. The guy (Robert) gives $100 all the time. He told the church, “you’ll never convince me, that that wasn’t God.” He wanted to show her that He could take care of her. He told the story in church, then they have lunch over to their house, and Elaine is there and she had just come back to the Lord. She asked Robert, “you’re the man aren’t you – the man who gives hundred dollar bills away aren’t you?” She said, “I had flashbacks from childhood come back and you would hand our restaurant something. I thought it was a tip, but the Lord highlighted it today that I could see it was a hundred dollar bill. Also, with a guy on the side of the road with a sign saying, “will work for food” – you would hand him something after talking about Jesus and today, the Lord highlighted it and I could see it was a hundred dollar bill. I have hundred of memories of when I was just a little girl and you gave away hundreds, of hundred-dollar bills. You’re the man who gives them away aren’t you?” Robert said, “yes, I’m the man.” His daughter who was away from God said, “I want to be like you Daddy.” When you tithe, your life becomes blessed – way beyond a raise or a promotion, but a blessed life. It’s not just a blessed checkbook, but a life.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you today?
Many of you who tithe, He is saying, “well done, good and faithful servants” – but for many of you, He needs you to give your heart to Jesus, not just your finances. Give your life to Jesus today.
Altar Call: With your heart open, this is your opportunity to share your life with Jesus. Your life is blessed when you give your life completely to Jesus. You’re being offered salvation. You need Jesus in your life to be a purpose chaser and not a paper chaser. This took Mike from being a manipulator, liar, and addicted to pornography. Today, God wants your heart, and He’ll help you change your habits. You have made a decision that you are bankrupt on the inside. Today is your day of salvation. If that’s you and you want Jesus to be your personal Lord and savior, lift your hands. Today you have that opportunity. 2,000 years ago, He died for you, all you have to do is receive it. Will you receive the free gift of salvation? 1. This is the greatest decision of your life, 2. Mike is proud of you, but more importantly, your name will be written in the lamb’s book of life, 3. Put your hand up in the air.
Let’s Pray Together: God, thank you for sending Jesus, just for me. Today, I need a savior, and I choose you, because you chose me. I believe you lived, you died, and you rose again, just for me, and today, I surrender my life, change me, renew me, transform me, I’m yours, in Jesus name, Amen.
- Text ‘Saved’ to 828282 for us to help you in this journey of faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. TC will walk this with you. We will send literature, a video from Mike and Natalie.
Go back and watch old sermons to get your spirit filled. Watch Marked, watch Forgiveness University, and more.
Also, check out Pastor Robert’s best selling book and study guide, “The Blessed Life“:
You can still get “Relationship Goals” the book and study guide today for additional support:
Click Here to Visit & Order OFFICIAL Transformation Church Merch on the New Represent Store!
Latest Arrivals in BIM Merch
Bold Insider Marketing (BIM) is not authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any other company, agency or government agency. All products and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders.
SUMMARY NOTES
- Tithing is a Test
- Tithing is Biblical
- Tithing is a Blessing
- Tithing is Personal
Link to full Video (share this message💕): https://youtu.be/j1JbMrnhVcI
Join TC for prayer every Monday night at 6PM (CST).
Text SUSTAIN to 828282 to join the sustain challenge to show your creative expression of this powerful song.
Text SHARE to 828282 to share your story via the TC video booth.
Transformation Church would love to hear how God is touching your life through this ministry! Tell us your story by emailing mystory@transformchurch.us!
If you would like to support TC financially you can give through the TC app, or online through the website by clicking here https://transformchurch.us/give/. You can also Text ‘TCGIVE’ to 77977.
If you need prayer, email prayer@transformchurch.us!
For more information about Transformation Church, visit https://transformchurch.us/.
To join a Belong Group, visit https://transformchurch.us/BELONG/ or text BELONG to 828282
The D.I.G. stands for Deeper In God and it is a conversation where we dive deeper in God. Join us this Wednesday at 7pm (CST)! — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYv-siSKd3Gn9IsliO95gIw
Abby Olurin Dames
I love Jesus, my husband, Will, my toddler daughter, Sola, and the beautiful friends and family in our lives. Me and Will are from the Bahamas, but we currently reside in Austin, Texas. We joined TC Nation as online members of Transformation Church in 2017 when we moved to Austin from Miami, Florida. In 2020, we also happily took on a more active role with the E-Fam of Elevation Church by fellowshipping with other married couples and were pleased to have the opportunity to join TC Beta Belong Groups. I believe that representing God doesn’t have to be done in “traditional spaces”. After listening to Pastor Mike's sermon, "Who's the Minister Here?", it became my mission to shed light on Christ in all arenas, including, but not limited to, corporate America, marketing, technology, and finance. I'm not perfect, but I'm progressing. I am a marketer, but first, I am a Christian, and the aim of this blog is to publicly share my sermon notes as a form of stewardship. I hope that these message notes can bring clarity to anything you may be seeking and help you to experience the peace and glory of Jesus Christ. I'm happy to pray for you as well if you ever wanted to shoot me an email. The effectual fervent prayers of many of you have helped countless circumstances in my life and in the lives of those around me. Thank you! Also, for any Amazon specific links that you see, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
