Is Money Holding You Back? The Spiritual Test of Tithing | Jonathan Evans

God moved forward without Moses Joshua David Solomon he don't need you he does not need you he does not need your money he's trying to position you to see if you fear Him and set you up for the Overflow he has you think High you think too highly of yourself and your money to prop yourself up to the degree where you feel like God's trying to get over on you he God right he doesn't need you at all one of the great truths that will humble you in a minute is that when you're finished he will move on from you and keep going and doing what he's called to do you're either going to be a part of his plan or not a part of his plan but he going to do his plan you're either going to be found faithful or not faithful but he's going to continue to be faithful Mal chter 3 and we're going to be reading from verse 8 9 and 10 Malachi 3 8 9 and 10 is anybody wanting an 
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 overflow all right now let's read this then Malachi 3:8 says will a man rob God yet you are robbing me but you say how have we robbed you in tithes and offerings you are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me the whole nation of you bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house test 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 a blessing until it overflows today I want to talk to you from the title robbers in the church oh that's funny you may be seated this in your cars well before I start you know how y'all watch those TV shows and before it starts it has a warning the content of this show may be so and so so let me give you one 
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 warning the content of this message may come across extremely direct for mature audiences only in your car you have indicator lights those indicator lights are there not just to light up they're there to let you know there's something deeper under the hood when it comes to money God don't need your money he made trees he's totally sufficient without any of us but that is an indicator of what's going on under the hood of the person you see because most people's affections are really tied to their money to the degree where it is the last thing they are willing to give up it shows where our commitment really lies do we really trust God do we sing about him praise to him listen about him say Amen him and ha and do all of the things jump over pews whatever it is but we're really not willing to show him we trust him because he's not master money is and so it's really an indication of where the believer is at you can have a business if you've been in business for any length of time you know that someone can love your business they can praise your business they can refer other people to your business they can listen about your business they can H and ha about how great it is all of those different things but until they put down a deposit you know all of that don't mean at all because the question is not are you in the church the question is not are you praising God the question is not are you listening to the message the question is are you robbing him while you're doing it where is your true commitment do you really believe and so he presses the button on where most people's affections are by requiring a tithe to see if they really are committed or if they're just talking and referring people to a show in verse seven I want you to look at verse seven in Malachi 3 I'm looking out here and the crowd looks indignant in verse 7 in Malachi 3 it says from the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them return to me and I will return to you says the Lord Lord of hosts but you say how shall we return oh you want to know how to return he's about to answer their question with a question how shall we return Lord let me tell you with a question will you rob me okay y okay how shall we return well I got a question first maybe you should ask it to yourself you want to return but will you rob me let's just ask this question to ourselves rhetorically just for a second will I Rob God do I expect him to give to me while I steal from him am I stealing from my savior am I of the faith but really I'm proving to be a Perpetual felon of the faith because he says if you want to return to me you can't return to me and still have my stuff you ever had somebody apologize to you for what they took but they still got it how you going to return but you're still going to keep what's mine now he says will a man rob God he did not say will a man be a thief of God there is a difference between a thief and a robber a thief is someone who will steal from you but they do it behind your back a thief don't want you to be home a thief has a pseudo conscience they look for the cameras to try not to get caught when they about to do what they about to do being a thief typically is a m misdemeanor now don't get no ideas like oh it's only a misdemeanor but a robber is different a robber is somebody who steals from you in your face a robber is somebody who's not waiting for you not to be home they coming in while you in there a robber is somebody who will bring a weapon to protect themselves while they steal your stuff a robber is somebody that will hold you hostage while they steal this is not a misdemeanor a robber is always a felon he's not saying will a man be a thief of God he's saying will you rob me you mean to tell me you going to steal right in my face you mean to tell me you're going to try to hold me hostage to my word to accomplish my word on your behalf while you steal from me you're going to to come into the church and praise and listen to the message and keep what's mine and then the criminal mindset of the Saints on because when a robber is interrogated they have reason for why they did it well you know I just fell on hard times I'm in debt I can't make all the ends meet I had to figure out a way to feed my family wait a minute that's criminal how you going to steal from me and justify it with your excuses but Christians do it all the time they run game with the same criminal mindset it's God I'm sure he understands he knows my situation matter of fact he's God he'll recover from it how are we going to steal from God and then speak in such a way for him to be okay with it now there are many types of robberies in the world there's bank robberies there is retail robberies there's Street robberies per snatching carjackings home invasions armed Rob there's all of these robberies in the world but out of all of the robberies in the world by perpetrators there is not one robbery that is more ludicrous than an attempted robbery on God that's like you telling your friend hey let's go rob a police station you do realize with God you're under 24hour surveillance he knows who you 
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 are how shall we return well will you rob me the next statement will a man rob God in verse 8 it says yet you are robbing me okay you won't see it because it's not in there but there is an invisible thing that happens between will a man rob God and yet you are robbing me okay this is what happened how shall we return um will a man rob God uh-uh uhuh sure won't yet you are this is an opportunity with a rhetorical question for you to take responsib ility not to deflect like a criminal would do how shall we return will a man rob God no of course not yes you will you're doing itow okay maybe you'll understand that do you understand when you ask your kids a question that's very poignant so that they should know you know already you understand it this way hey Johnny who took the candy on the right side of my sink and left the wrapper you know the orange candy that will stain your tongue orange I don't know I don't know who took it you took it why are you not able to take responsibility I'm asking you the question to give you an opportunity to fess up and you're still going to say uh-uh it's not me your tongue is orange in other words I know who you are already I'm not asking the question cuz I don't know I'm asking the question to let you know I'm already enlightened to who you are will a man rob God no of course not yet you are robbing me next statement how have we robbed you you didn't get it that way let me go back to Johnny hey Johnny who took the candy on the right side of the sink and left the r ER there you know the orange candy that will stain your tongue orange uh-uh not me I didn't do it yes you did how so the Christians still not taking responsibility for what they know they they're doing the criminal mindset will deflect to the degree that it puts the victim on trial well how are we robbing you it is highly unlikely that the people of Israel didn't know the laws yet they're asking questions that that they didn't many commentators say that God was explaining it to them like they didn't know I disagreed with those commentators I said oh they know in ancient Israel they were aware of the laws they got read them all the time and I'm going to prove to you later that they knew just like you do yeah on oh we're aware but we're we're going to ask questions as if we're unaware that's criminal uh have you ever had somebody ask you questions but they did you wrong they do you wrong and then say something like this um well did I what did I do to make you feel that way um are you sure you're not overreaching I'm about to reach over this table don't you think you remember it differently okay y'all this ain't happened to y'all what about the time I was there for you I'm not talking about that time I'm talking about is it possible that you're being sensitive how would you feel if I were in your position boo about that did it really hurt you that much let me say that again did it really hurt you that much God he'll be okay will a man rob me no of course not yes you will how so oh so we going to act dumb huh well since you asked let me go ahead and explain to you how I've been robbed in tithes and offerings the tithe in Leviticus 27:30 is required he says give me 10% of all the yield of the land both seed and fruit is Holy to the Lord in Deuteronomy 12:6 it says I want the offering the sacrifice and the tithe is Holy to the lord it's not just Old Testament in Hebrews 7 verse 2 it says that Abraham paid a tithe to MDC in Genesis 14 then in Hebrews 7:1 17 it says that Jesus is of the line of MDC he is of the mdan priesthood which means we ought to treat him the same way Abraham treated MDC himself therefore it belongs to God you cannot be a robber of something that was yours to begin with you can only be a robber of something that is not yours to begin with so the Christian misconception is because it hits my hands first it's all mine and I can decide whether or not I'm going to give it to God and you can decide but you cannot decide the consequences because God knows he's being robbed okay you can't enjoy your house and just not pay rent you can't go to the gym and decide you don't want to pay the gym membership you can't eat at the restaurant and decide you don't want to pay the tab you can't make those decisions because there is a requirement why is it that Christians want to keep the faith on a free trial you know how y'all do you get that 7day free trial and you like I I'm going get on that but on day six 
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 and then what y'all do and you online is you change your email address so you can get back in on the same service to take advantage of another 6 and 1 half days then you cut that thing off again and go get another email address so you can keep playing the same game game because you want the service but you don't want to pay you do know that's stealing but we'll be okay doing that we do it to God why is it that we're always trying to rig the faith you can change your identity on a free trial you can't change your identity on God he knows who you are is he not the one who owns it all is he not the one who has given us our ears our eyes our brain our heart our lungs our knees our feet our abilities our passions our experiences he's given It All To Us you would have no earning ability without God who owns it all but Jonathan it's a scam you know those preachers who buy Jets on our dime oh I know churches be scamming people well we probably shouldn't have the logic that because there's bad people I'm going to continue to be a bad person if you ain't confident about that church go find another one you let God judge them you don't want God judging you um do you think going to the mall um and when you get your product and you go pay for it you're being scammed you think going to the grocery store well you may be feeling scammed at the grocery store let me come up with a different view you go to the restaurant you eat your meal and when they bring that check you don't say because there is a value there that makes you think it's worth it so when we're robbing God what we're telling him to his face is there is not a value for what you do for me that makes it worth it so in the world it's not a scam but for God it is a scam um do you know what God is asking you to give you do know you tip waiters more than God requires he says as the owner 10% is mine meaning it's not even yours you're robbing me which means it belongs to me just because the farmer yields the land doesn't mean they own it they still are giving 10% to the owner it belongs to them God is asking for 10% now y'all been wondering what all this stuff is for 10 chips 10 whatever this is Pringles 10 this you know you see it 10 * 10 this is your table this is what God requires 
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 you you mean to tell me we're ripping God off for this we ought to be so grateful that we like we throw in an offering which is over and above because he's leaving you with most of the yield and he's 
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 God but what we do is coming to the church in his face and when they pass the perable plate we want to skimp and make him feel like it's okay well at least I put in $3 he ought to be okay with that okay y'all don't get it let's worship together shall 
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 we we bless you come go we cast 
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 down are bless we are blessed in the city we're blessed in 
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 down for the we are 
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 blessed you feel bad so you just get in his face robbers in the church I'm tired Tak some energy to steal from God that's all he requires and we're ripping him off do you know why he asked for the tithe in Deuteronomy 142 2 through 23 it says number one so that you will learn to fear God that you will come to find out that I am Sovereign trust me not your money me first he says in the same chapter in verse Deuteronomy 1428 through 29 he lets you know it's not only for you to fear God he said but my Kingdom Agenda has an orphan and a widow they need to eat in my house he says there are strangers and Aliens who are not saved they need to come to my house and eat of the table so that they can experience salvation he says and even the Levites the levitical priesthood those are the ones who work in the tent they have no other inherit inheritance like the rest of the people that 10% goes to them because they bear the sins of the people they go into the Tabernacle and Slaughter the animals he said fear God the orphan the Widow the stranger the alien the those who work in the tent that is for my kingdom advancement and you want me to Advance your kingdom while you rip mine off warning this message may come across a little bit direct so this is God speaking not me so so you are cursed with a curse um ocbf just wanted to let you know and those of you who are online God is like a real thing we treat it like it's fake he's real he expects to be respected especially by his own people you got the the kids that I saved have you ever had a kid steal from you in your house I'm taking care of you I'm paying all the bills and and you going in my closet stealing from me and you don't think the father is hot and bothered that his kids would perpetually steal from him and then have a criminal mindset to make him okay with it and call him a scam and he's only asking you for 10% and allows you to keep the rest of the table for what you need to do oh no you're cursed with a curse he says in verse 9 UM Deuteronomy 28: 38-40 talks about this curse it says you will yield in your land but there's going to be Locust in it and by the time you yield nothing will be there there's going to be worms eating up the grapes so you'll be yielding and working for nothing has there anybody who's ever felt like they couldn't get ahead soon as you get the check your car break down on the way home you like I cannot get this to work out and not even just money but I can't get ahead on Joy like I can't get ahead on family problems like I can't get I just can't get ahead like I keep getting I'm trying to I'm trying to work Lord I'm in the field I'm trying to work I'm in the field but there's worms and Locust everywhere you got your paycheck and you go home you're feeling good about yourself you sit on the couch it's raining outside you're watching your show and you feel a drop of water hit your forehead only to look up to see your roof is leaking oh lord I can't get ahead I went to school at a Dell Turner right around the corner yep I don't remember what our mascot was but go Adele Turner um and I have a vivid memory of a mom walking up heated to the school she was hot so I said I better get out of the way and she went to her son and she said Son you up here acting a fool and I had to clock out now you remember clocking in and clocking out you don't want your parents to have to clock out cuz you ain't acting right back in the day teachers used to have yard sticks in the classroom we got spanked in class there were no problems with no spankings the 80s and '90s we was getting spanked so this lady was hot and she said you made me clock out of work I'm trying to provide I'm trying to do I got too much going on and now I got to clock out cuz you acting a fool so she started to whoop him on a Cadence I told you don't you ever I was over there 
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 like I thought to myself I better Act Right wouldn't want Lois to have to clock out she was frustrated cuz she couldn't get ahead many of you feel like you can't get ahead could it be you're living under a curse and God has Locust in your field and he has worms eating the grapes off the vine and you think money's hard or family's hard and this is hard while you're robbing him and he puts all of the insects into the field and so you feel like you're working and nothing is happening he said you're cursed with a curse the whole nation of you my goodness my goodness do you know that only 20% of the American Church pays 10% Studies have shown that only 20% of the American church and as the church always talks about the culture oh this and that and all doing all this complaining and God is saying I got Locust in the field you're robbing me shaking your head at them and the rest of the 80% pays 3% or less because that's what they think about God it's not real it's just religious activity certainly don't want to be scammed he says in verse 10 no no no no bring the whole tithes into the storehouse this is how I knew that they knew the rule because it's not that they weren't paying they weren't paying at all they were running an ananas and saf Fire game and you know what happened to them if you don't go read Acts chapter 5 they died acting like they were giving something they weren't giving because God don't God is not no fool he does not play games he knows who it is will a man rob God of course not you are robbing me how so you're cursed with a curse you keep giving me partials I want the whole thing all it is is 10% % what God is telling us to give in this church you say well this is one of those sermons where you're just trying to get money from folk God moved forward without Moses Joshua David Solomon he don't need you he does not need you he does not need your money he's trying to position you to see if you fear Him and set you up for the Overflow he has you think High you think too highly of yourself and your money to prop yourself up to the degree where you feel like God's trying to get over on you he God he doesn't need you at all one of the great truths that will humble you in a minute is that when you're finished he will move on from you and keep going and doing what he's called to do you're either going to be a part of his plan or not a part of his plan but he gonna do his plan you're either going to be found faithful or not faithful but he's going to continue to be faithful he says bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and test me now in this God tells you test me and see if I don't pour out a blessing for you until it overflows put me to the test and see if I don't pour out a blessing for you until it overflows you do realize that's kind of crazy would you pour out a blessing for someone until it overflows for them giving you your stuff that we serve such a gracious God he going to bless you for giving him his stuff that he's trying to teach you the dependency on him is he is the master money ain't Master but it is an indicator of if if if if the believer is actually committed um they was a time in my life where I was ripping God off and I was justifying it me and kennea sold a house okay so we sold a house and what I said in my head is I went I was trying not to pay so bad I went over all my payments and the interest and I said based on all the payments and the interest the money that I've received from the equity really adds up to zero like there's really no profit there so I went back and added it up and I was like plus I need the money for the next down payment so I'm going to go ahead and hold on to this the Lord knows it's Net Zero I ain't make no money so God's got so I'm justifying it I went to stay at Crystal's house me and my wife and the kids went to stay at Crystal's house and crystal said you do know I have a tenant coming um to the house in a month and a half so you got a month and a half to figure it out I said no problem I got my down payment we already know where we want to go I'm just going to you know go through the process no problem at all so I'm justifying God's money I go to the first lender get denied after two weeks I said I know I got wait I'm adding stuff up what happened I said well you just don't you don't know how to do business go to the next one I went to the next lender to get the mortgage got denied a second time then a third time then a fourth time I said uhoh better not tell Kena so now I have two weeks left before a tenant moves in and I got to go so I held it as long as I could but then I had to go in and tell Kena hey we about to be homeless uh we ain't I know we going to be in hotels for a while till we figured this out she was like what and then I went and read Kingdom man cuz I had to get spiritual again to try to figure out what was going on and uh there was a story in there I don't remember the exact story but it was had to do with Tony Evans and him pan tides and I always reminded oh yeah but God knows you know I got a you know God knows I started feeling convicted though then I called one of my homeboys I said hey man so I I explained them I got you know I paid this much you know and this much so it really equals out the net zero so I don't really need to be paying tides on that do I he said bro I don't justify no money to come in my house if it come in my house 10% go out of my house I said man I'm the preacher 
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 bro right after that call I got on Bank of America bill pay and I took it and I sent it in I said ah it's a week and a half till closing date I'm like Lord you just an hour later after I call him and send in the 10% I get a call normally don't pick it up cuz I didn't know the number I picked it up I said hello he said hello is this Jonathan I said yes he said this is Eric Deion from Supreme Lending I said okay how can I help you he said well one of your previous lenders couldn't get the job done and they gave me your file I said okay but you know we only got a week and a half he said well I've already put it in underwriting and I think I can get it done in 6 days now if you've ever bought a house ain't no lender closing no Loan in nothing less than 30 to 45 days and he talking about he can get it done in six so I tried not to get too excited I said how is that possible he said well I've already got in underwriting everything's already there from the previous people and our underwriting is in-house we don't Farm it out so we can go in there and just talk and just get things approved and 6 days they had that money at the title company okay me and Kena move out sign the paperwork the other tenants move in so we out of there and I go in the house and kena's coming down the stairs smiling I'm like what you smiling about she said come on upstairs and see I get upstairs and I see a pool table a card table and Billiard chairs that match the pool table and the card table I said said Who stuff is this she said well the previous owner wasn't going to use it so they just left it for us I said Thank You Lord sorry for sealing he says um test me and see if I don't verse 11 take the devourers out of the field see if I don't open the windows of Heaven the word Windows means unleash the floodgates and bless you until it overflows don't you know Robin God is robbing you he takes himself seriously it'd be nice if his kids took him seriously also we're called to be righteous we're not called to be robbers Heavenly Father we love you and we honor you we give you the praise and glory for who you are help us to view this message right because you say test me and you're going to give us an overflow we love you Lord help us to be faithful many of us don't even know why things are the way they are but God you are God you're watching and you're wanting us to be faithful to who you've called us to be we give you the glory and praise for who you are and help us not to just be talkers and praisers and listeners who rob you at the same time you're not a scam you're our savior thank you for only requiring 10% and help us to show that we're committed not just with our mouths but with our with another area of our affections our monies we give you the glory in Jesus name all God's people said am amen