Robert Morris – What Test? – The Blessed Life

all right so we are in a series called the blessed life you may have heard this series before but every time I promise you God's gonna speak something new it's been five years since I did it so the the title of this message where I need to tell you where I got this title well I got this title because I used to say this a lot when I was in school the title of this message is what test can anyone relate to the head you walk in the classroom everyone's got their books out there all studying and they say are you ready for the are you ready and you say for what they say for the test and you say what yeah I didn't do well in school I am proud of myself though I graduated in the top 10% of the lower one-third of my graduating class so very pleased about that all right so I want to start at Malachi 3 but before I explain this and we'll go through it and explain it and talk about it I want to let you know when I say what test many believers don't realize that God designed to test and you take it every time you get paid and the test is hmm are you going to thank for your income and whom are you going to worship for your Eddie come so let's take a little a little poll here you can just raise your hands all the campuses how many of you get paid once a month gonna Syrians okay this next one probably the majority how many even get paid twice a month don't see your hands okay how many of you get paid once a week okay how many of you never get paid yeah I'm sorry I'm sorry but if you get paid you take a test the test is what are you going to do with the first 10% and a preacher did not come up with this test you need to know that God who cannot change came up with this test and this test by the way was before the law and after the law and in the New Testament the reason I have to say that is because most people who don't tie they're not bad people they're not bad people they simply believe that it was Old Testament or that was under the law there's a real problem with believing well since it's under the law then there's no reason for us to do it now because there are principles they were under the law that you should be doing right now not committing adultery was under the law but that's still the principle even if you're saved by grace they won't agree with that hello goodness gracious I think you had I didn't think you had to think about it that long okay so I'm gonna read in Malachi 3 but I've got to make comments most time I'll read the passage you might comment but I've got to make some comments in the passage okay so well people will stop quite a few times and talk about it Malachi 3 verse 6 verse verse 6 for I am the Lord I do not change now I just want to clarify does the Lord change no he the reason he can't change is because if he could change he could get better and he can't get better because he's perfect so he can't change his personhood can't change his character cannot change now the next part of this verse is actually funny but most people don't understand it as being funny but it is this is what he says i am the lord i do not change therefore you are not consumed here's what he's saying so I haven't killed you I'm the Lord I don't change and I'm good and I'm merciful that's why you're not dead that's what he's saying therefore you're not consumed those sons of Jacob yet from the days of your father's you have gone away from my ordinances and I'm not kept them now let me let me stop for a moment and explain what an order this is again you can figure out the means are the roots of most words if you think about it ordinance if the root is ordinary and ordinates is a principle of ordinary behavior that's what an ordinance is in other words the city where you live might send you a notice to cut your grass because they've made an ordinance that mowing your yard is a principle of ordinary behavior for people who live in that city as a does everyone follow me so here's what God is saying you keep going away from my principles of ordinary behavior for my children you have to catch this because not stealing was under the law but it's a principle of ordinary behavior for believers not lying was under the law but that's a principle of ordinary behavior for believers tithing was under the law but that is a principle of ordinary behavior for believers are y'all following are you mad because I'm preaching on this because you just look kinda like I just wish I had to come this week okay duck let's just let's we'll just laugh about it all right and then you can get convicted at the end of the message okay all right you have gone away from sin sedation father's from my ordinary principles and have not kept them I know what we stole my tithing cuz that's all context of this passage return to me then I will return to you says the Lord of Hosts I underlined that every time that passage because I want to remind you this is God talking and this is the God talking listen who cannot change so he can't change this part of himself but you said in what way shall we return now watch this this is God speaking will a man Rob God now a preacher did not make this up God said this the God who cannot change oh are you are you mad at me really are you following me okay you ought to be laughing a little bit like I'm in trouble okay the God who cannot change said you have been robbing me this is an ordinary principle for my kids it's ordinary for you to thank me for my income because without me you wouldn't have any income it's an ordinary principle for you to do this will a man Rob God yet you've robbed me but you say in what way have we robbed you in tithes and offerings you are cursed with a curse now let me stop for a minute he didn't say I'm cursing you but we live in a cursed world what he's saying is you're putting yourself back under the curse system because you're not doing what my people should be doing so now you're under a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation by the way it's the fourth time he uses this robbed there is a difference between theft and robbery theft is when you take something from the person the person's not home robbery is when you take something from the person himself god I'd look this word up to make sure it wasn't stealing it was robbery God said you have actually come into my house and take their money out of my pockets you've robbed me because I've set this aside for my house verse 10 bring all the tithes into the storehouse that's pretty clear the storehouse obvious leaves the church that there may be food in my house okay let's stop of it one of the number one blessings that I hear about gateway church is people say we get fed spiritually do you agree we're fed okay now I'm going to tell you something cuz I'm not preached on this because you're doing bad in this area you're doing fantastic but some of you don't know some of you been taught that's Old Testament that's on the law don't mean good and you're actually you're hurting yourself so not only is I'm pretty honest to help you okay yeah but let me tell you how great you're doing you and I'm please please please we're not trying to compare ourselves with other church but we're the highest tithing church in America by twice as much twice as much and there's food in our house and in every type of church there's food because they're a lot of preachers and pastors who are putting out good food well I'm telling you we hear it constantly well I love going to Gateway cuz I get fed you he said bring the tithes in and there'll be plenty of food are y'all following me that's a good stuff there's a really good stuff if you don't know this good stuff and then he says and try me now in this now this work try in some versions is the word test or prove it is the same word used for testing metal or gold to see if it's pure here's what God says test me and see if I'm pure in this area give me 10% Bri 10% to the house of God and see if I'm pure in this area by the way this is the only place in the Bible where God gives you permission to testing where he literally says test go ahead test me and watch what he says will happen if you'll test him and this says the Lord of Hosts we'll just make sure you remember who's talking and see if I want to open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not even be room enough to receive it and and that's kind of like if you call right now and I will rebuke the Devourer for your sakes would it be all right with you if God rebuked the devil for you okay listen to me it costs ten percent and I'll rebuke the Devourer for your sake so that he will not destroy the fruit of the ground nor shall the vine failed to bear fruit for you in the field says the Lord of Hosts he wants to keep reminding you he's one talking deer and all nations will call you blessed are a blessed life God was endorsing my book there for you will be a delightful land says the Lord of hosts who's talking who was talking to Malachi can God change no okay but the biggest thing I hear is well that's in the Old Testament so I was talking Lord one time about that and I said Lord I'm trying I'm trying to help people in this area I'm not trying to raise money for the church I'm trying to help people but they just keep that keep saving me why send an Old Testament that's an Old Testament okay this didn't Malachi 3 the the six through the twelfth verse there are sixteen verses so just four more verses in three and then source six more verses then there are six more verses in four chapter four so I told the Lord and then Matthew once I told the Lord Lord couldn't you have just waited just 12 verses now I realize that's 400 years but just twelve verses why couldn't you put this in the New Testament here's what you've said to me I put it right where I wanted it because this is point number one tithing is a test he's testing you every time you get paid he sets you by the way it is in the New Testament and I'm gonna show it to you okay so it is in the New Testament and I'll show it to you but it's a test so the the word tide means attempt the number 10 represents testing in Scripture so I'm going to ask you some questions and you can answer me out loud okay all the cubes I want you to answer me loud there once you say real nice Llanelli because i want to show you that TN is a test in the bible all right here's the first question how many plagues were there in Egypt TN okay now here's what I could have said how many times did God test Pharaoh's heart that's what the Bible says but you might not have known but we all know tin plates so that's God was testing Pharaoh's heart all right how many Commandments are there to you so that was when God that's how God tests us it's a represents to them okay so I'm gonna ask you another question you might not know the answer but there's a pattern here okay how many times did God test Israel in the wilderness that's a numbers 14 by the way if you know how many times for Jacob's wages changed okay you need say it louder how many days was Daniel tested how many virgins were tested in Matthew 25 how many days of testing were mentioned in Revelation chapter 2 how many disciples were there no there were 12 I just I just I'm just testing you tithing is not only a test for you it's test for God we just read that God said you test me tithing is a two-way test think about this here's what God is saving Malachi test me I dare you I dare you but again people say well that's Old Testament or they say that's under ball I just want to show you how ridiculous that is that because it was bad under the law like stealing or committing adultery it's okay now for believers or because it was good under the law like tithing now it's bad that's ridiculous I'll show you a few scriptures moment where tithing was five hundred years before the law five hundred years before I'll show you next week that it was twenty five hundred years before the law and I can even show you tied to here in the Garden of Eden so it's all through Scripture but I just want to show you how is stupid it's really foolish to say well if it was under the law you know we don't have to worry about anymore because were we're under grace we are under grace but that doesn't mean since you under grace you go around doing stuff that that was bad on me well so let me give you an example so Thomas you're back in here now give me your wallet come on just give me your wallet Thanks okay I'm gonna keep this just feeling see thou shalt not steal was under the law is that right is a was thou shalt not steal under the law and I'm not on the law I'm gonna believe it right so I can keep this that's foolishness right ain't that foolishness all right I saw I'll give you back your wallet here it's not even any money in it no money at all that's crazy I might you know I just I just thought I'd look and see if it was any money in there [Applause] well what'd you think no come on never what you do what did you do you took your money out I tell them before the service I'm gonna do this illustration it takes us I'll get you back all right so ty Lee's a test here's number two tithing is biblical a lot of people don't think it's biblical they don't think it's scriptural they think there's one reference in there Malachi 3 so I'm just gonna show you a few I don't have time to show you all tithing by the way the word tithe is in the Bible 41 times over half of those times it's not refer it's not in the law the laws Leviticus and Deuteronomy but I'm gonna throw numbers in there for you just to help you okay Leviticus means the law Levitical law that's Leviticus Levitical law the law of the Levites okay Deuteronomy means the second law the law second time so in numbers means one two three four Nonya so alright but anyway i'm Ostrow leviticus numbers deuteronomy type the word ties in the Bible 41 times over half of them are not in leviticus numbers of Deuteronomy and 80 of them eight times it's in the Bible or in the New Testament and one of them is in red and I'll show it to you and jesus said it so all right so let me show you a few this is 500 years before the law Genesis 14 verse 18 then Melchizedek king of Salem mo Kazakh obviously represents Jesus Hebrews tells us that brought out bread and wine there's communion right there he was the priest of God Most High and he blessed him that's Abraham or Abram was his name at the time and said blessed be Abram of God Most High possessor of heaven and earth and gods the possessor heaven earth not Abram by the way and blessed be God no sight who has delivered your enemies in your hand and he that's Abraham gave him that's Melchizedek a tithe of all now you explain I'll I would love I'd love it I'll accept the email I'd love you to explain that theological to me 500 years before the law and let me explain it to you theologically it's because murder was wrong before the law was ever written it was wrong for able to kill Cain before the law was written and tithing was right before the law was written here's 420 years before the law Genesis 28 Jacob and this is this stone which I've set up shall be a pillar as a pillar shall be God's house and of all that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you 400 years before the law Leviticus 27 and all the tithe of the Lamb whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the Lord's it is holy or set apart to the Lord Deuteronomy 26 verse 1 and it shall be when you come into the in which the Lord your God is giving you as inheritance that's where we are right now we've come into a de Promised Land the Promised Land by the way it's not Evan it's the overcoming Christian life because there were still enemies in the promised land there are any enemies in heaven when you come into the land which Lord's giving you in other words when you get saved you possess it and dwell in it then you shall take some of the first this is referring to Ty show you that next week first of all the produce of the ground which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you you shall put it in a basket now watch what you're supposed to do with the tide and I'll show you in a minute this actually calls it tides okay and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make his name abide that's church there it is right there go to the place where the God chooses to make his name abide and then let me show you again just a few verses down how we know it's the tide Deuteronomy 26 verse 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God I have removed the holy tide from my house and have given it them to the Levite stranger father's Widow that was the way you were to give it then through the church according to all your commandments which you have commanded me I've not transgressed your Commandments nor have I forgotten them I'm not eating any of it when in mourning any of the tithe nor have I removed any of for any unclean use nor giving any of it for the dead I've obeyed the voice of Lord my god I've done according to all that you've commanded me now this is what you can pray if you tithe look down from your holy habitation from heaven and bless your people so clear that is here here she always said I've removed the holy tithe from my bank account and I've taken it to your bank account I've removed it from my house and I've taken it to the house where you choose to make your name about alright now we're gonna go to New Testament now before I read you a scripture I want to ask you a question I want you to answer me out loud all the campuses if Jesus himself said you ought to tithe would you type okay now did all of you say yes now I would so again we're I'm trying to make light of a very heavy subject to understand that but what is amazing is that some of us have to think about it and we stand in worship and say I'll give you everything but not 10% that's really what we do I'll give you everything God but not 10% and I I just asked your question if Jesus say you knew I was setting you up that's why some of you didn't say yes and you remembered and and I sense a fire you didn't one lie in church but but think about it you don't have to answer out loud think about it in your heart if the one who bled and died for your eternal salvation said to you you ought to tithe would you do it would you like to see it it's in red that means Jesus said it Matthew 23:23 woe to you scribes and Pharisees you're hypocrites for you pay tithe on mint anise and cumin those are spices that you put on your food 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 okay he said you give tithe on everything but you neglect this then he says you ought to do this you ought to tithe on everything but don't leave the others undone I'm sayin jesus said you tithe on all everything but you neglect justice mercy and faith these you ought to do you ought to tithe on everything but don't leave this undone okay now one time I shared that in church a guy very very nice said to me I think these you ought to have done refer to justice mercy and faith I said okay grammatically it doesn't in the Greek it doesn't and I did take read and got a good grade by the way and I don't know how much Greek you've had but ah but I'm gonna go with you I said I'll go with you if these you ought to have done refer to justice mercy and faith what does the rest of the verse say without leaving the other undone I got you either way either way you want to interpret that verse Jesus said you ought to do it and that's either a first referred to tithing or effect refer to justice mercy and faith then he said but don't leave the other undone and tithe on everything come on come on that was good I got you and the only reason the only reason I want to get you is because I want to help you I don't want you to live under a curse I want you to live under open heavens with the Devourer rebuked and blessed that's what the Bible says and I'll show you something else that will totally shock you a New Testament scripture on tithing Hebrews 7 verse 8 says here mortal men receives tithes but there he capitulate Jesus this doll met Jesus whole passage go back you read it so about Melchizedek that Jesus is the milk is that because it doesn't have a note no beginning of days no end of days he's the king of Salem which is peace and the king of righteousness so we know who that is watch but there he receives them watch this of whom it is witnessed that he lives the New Testament tells me that Jesus himself receives my ties you know what else that tells me that tithing is a witness to the resurrection but Jesus is still alive because he's receiving my ties that's New Testament New Testament now I've been in the ministry this will be my 40th year of the ministry I become just beginning my 40th year okay the Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established I've heard two testimonies for 40 years now there but they're the same ones from tithers ones from non-tithers all tithers say to me i am so blessed and we are so blessed when we begin tithing not everything is perfect yes we go through difficulties but we're so blessed they all say all non-tithers say the same thing I can't afford to tithe let listening you're again you're not a bad person you're not a bad person if you struggle this area please here we go you will never be able to afford to tithe until you tithe think about it because tithing removes the curse rebukes the Devourer and restores the blessing let me say it again it removes the curse this is for you young pastors if you'd like a three-point sermon then it all be here they'd all be given ours it's perfect for you you can preach this next week somewhere if you want removes the curse rebuke the Devourer restores the blessing and that's all from Malachi 3 okay alright here's number three and then we're finished tithing is personal now this is gonna shock you tithing is personal to God he takes it more personally than you could ever imagine and I want to give you an example okay to help you Nathan and Thomas and Mike we all stand up and just goo together it's good to where you can be closer Thomas since she did that thing with your money would you stand on the end there on the other end yeah because I want you to play that part okay okay so let's just say that I say guys I'm going away for a while and it'll be several months and I've provided for Debbie but I'd like to provide some extra for her and I'm going to do it through the three of you and I also just want to bless you I bless you three guys so I'm going to give you each $10,000 a month okay Nathan this is just an analogy to who's okay this is this just example okay so but the condition is you have to give my wife 10% thousand dollars but you can do anything you want with the other anything at all I just want to bless you guys but I want to channel some resources through you to hurt now I've already provided for her because even if you don't do it you know manna from heaven if I was God banner from heaven is that right so you got to understand you're not God can take care of the church without you he's just trying to bless you so after you know everyday I talked to Debbie and then I started thinking about it I started one what's going on you know with these three guys so I said well well how's Mike doing she says he sends thousand dollars first of every month January first favor of first March first thousand dollars I said what about Nathan he's sending two thousand way to go I say what I only told him a thousand I don't know why he sends two thousand a month you know some people do that and that's they well what about Thomas she says well I mean we didn't talk about Thomas I told you I'd get you back okay I said what do you mean when he taught Thomas well the first month he sent 700 the second month he sent three hundred and last month he didn't send anything okay Jung be seated okay now let's just think about this if this was for real how do you think I feel about Thomas right now it's personal to me it's my wife I didn't have to give him any money I was trying to bless him are y'all following me I was just asking for 10% and he could keep the nightie I tell you what I'm gonna do though I'm not sending Thomas a dime or nothing because I can't trust him but I'm gonna take what I've given him and give it to Mike and Nathan and if you don't think Jesus would do that read the parable of the talents he will do that and if you don't think that this analogy is truer than you are thinking right now isn't the church the Bride of Christ I'm telling you that tithing is more personal to God than you think it is now one last thing God said you're robbing me but God owns everything is God actually trying to provide for the church with our giving or is he trying to provide for us and teach us to trust him I want to think about that when he said you're robbing me is he having difficulty paying the light bill in heaven is he running out of asphalt which is gold no you know what he's saying please hear this I've thought about this a lot he said you are robbing me of the opportunity to bless you read the context again in Malachi 3 he said you're robbing me from what I want to do for you I want to open the windows of heaven over you I want to rebuke the Devourer for you and I won't for you to be blessed but you're robbing me from that opportunity because you won't do what's ordinary for my people to do I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes and I want you to just take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit what are you saying to me through this message some of you are tithers you've been toddlers for years this should you should just look at this and say thank you lord thank you that you gave me this revelation I look back on how you opened the windows over me and how you've rebuke the Devourer and the Lord's rebuke the Devourer sometimes when you didn't even know it so you just say thank you or some of you struggled in this area I want you to know Satan's been lying to you he doesn't want you out from under a curse he doesn't want you blessed he doesn't want to be repeated away from you he doesn't want windows of heaven open for you so you could be blessed your family could be blessed and you could be a blessing he didn't want that for you so he tells you that's an Old Testament that was under the law he tells you all these things instead of that's an eternal principle from an eternal God who cannot change we want to pray for you no matter what you're going through we want to pray for you today may not even be related to the message today but if you need prayer for any area of your life but it may be especially in this area at every campus we're gonna have leaders at the front we're gonna have one more worship song and you need prayer we don't pray for you you know I just felt prompted by the Holy Spirit though I know your eyes are so closed before you before we go to that though if the Lord spoke to you today about tithing and you struggle in this area would you just make a commitment and here's the commitment I'd like for you to make because we're all humans so we never make a commitment to be perfect but would you just say Lord by your grace I'm gonna do my best in this area going forward would you just tell them that that's that's a promise you can keep by your grace I'll do my best in this area going forward

Channel: gatewaychurchtv

Views: 55,835

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Keywords: Gateway church, robert morris, The Blessed Life, Tithe, First Fruit, Heart, Beyond Blessed, Pastor Robert, Gatewaypeople, generous, give, giving, What Test?, Test

Id: 1G3VsoyK6qg

Length: 36min 25sec (2185 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 09 2020