Why Won’t God Bless the Mess in Your Finances?

Not a big space guy, I don't know a lot about astrology, astronomy, space shuttles, not really my emphasis. I actually think my adoration and affection for space peaked at space jam. Shout out MJ. But in preparing for this message, I got curious because I could recall one of my history teachers talking something about some theory that dominated the understanding of most people for centuries. This idea that the earth was the center of the universe, that the sun and the moon and the stars all revolve around it. They actually called this, I looked it up, the geocentric model. It was the result of the only reality that those people could observe, their limited ability to see a reality beyond themselves resonated with a deeper notion that if all they were experiencing were themselves, that must be all that there is to experience, and if they are the center of their personal world, then the logic would follow that they are the center of the universe. That was the prevailing belief for 1500 years. These Greeks had what I call a Toby Keith anointing. It's all about me. It's all about I. It's all about number one me. You don't know about Toby Keith. Let me get back on track. It's all about me. This idea was the prevailing belief for 1500 years. It wasn't until the 16th century that history introduces us to a man named Nicholas Copernicus, one of the most fantastic names in human history. I'm convinced. He challenged this geocentric model and he proposed that the earth and the other planets actually revolved around the sun. What's interesting about Copernicus's story is that he intentionally delayed the publication of his findings in 1530 until 13 years later, the year of his death, because he knew that people would not be able to tolerate the possibility that the world did not revolve around them. In fact, Martin Luther scoffed at him. This is recorded the Vatican banned his findings because even the religious couldn't comprehend an existence in which they were not the center. It wasn't until the 17th century that the Copernican theory began to solidify and get this. It wasn't until 2010 that Nicholas Copernicus remains and an unmarked grave were celebrated with a hero's burial. Don't miss it, y'all. In an unmarked grave, they buried the man that told them the world did not revolve around them. The geocentric model is as dead as its creators, but the meocentric model is alive and well. We're going to discuss some things today. We're going to discuss a principle and a pattern that God has put into place to remind us that the world of the Christian does not revolve around the Christian.

That God is at the center. If God is at the center, we should be interested in who he is and how he works. The house that I grew up in had rules. When I started driving, I had to be home by 10 p.m. When I started talking on the phone, the phone had to be back on the charger at 9 p.m. It was a cordless phone, by the way, not a cell phone. Y'all don't know about that. On Saturdays, I was not allowed to leave my house until my sister and I had cleaned it thoroughly. We had rules in the house we grew up in. There's nothing wrong with rules, rules are not bad. he's 13 years old and things are starting to shift with him. It's starting to become less about the rules and more about the principles beneath them that the rule was created to enforce because really we don't just need rules to tell them to live by. They need principles that they can stand on. This is actually how God works. God works through principles. He works through patterns and he works through promises. He works through principles. He works through patterns and he works through promises. God's principles reveal his nature. God's patterns reveal his ways. God's promises reveal his faithfulness and his desire for everyone under the sound of my voice today is for his people to stand on his principles, practice his patterns so that we are prepared to receive his promises into our lives. Here's what you have to understand. A principle is a guiding value. A pattern is a regular practice that protects the principle and prepares us to receive God's promises. God has principles. There are actually too many to list but let's consider one. Let's consider one principle. The principle is this. God prepares and orders what he plans to fill. God prepares and orders what he plans to fill. You see this principle and pattern all over Scripture starting in Genesis. God creates the heavens, the earth, the sky, the sea, the land. He separates dark and light evening and morning. So you see God creating space, creating categories, naming things and then he organizes it all to fill it. He fills the heavens with stars. He fills the sky with birds. He fills the sea with Nemo and Shamu and all of their friends. He fills the earth with vegetation and livestock. He prepares. He orders. He fills. He prepares. He orders. He fills. It's a pattern and we see the principle displayed in the building of the art. Noah prepares the art. God fills it with animals.

Moses prepares a tabernacle in the wilderness. God's spirit fills it. Solomon prepares a temple. God's presence fills it. I know that's all Old Testament. You're so in the Old Testament. Let's go to the New Testament. Remember the New Testament when the girl had died and Jesus walks into the room? What does he do? He clears the room and then he breathes life into her again. What is he doing? He's creating space and he's filling it. I love this. This is actually fun. Let's do one more. Remember when all the people were listening to Jesus and they got hungry? There was no DoorDash where they could get Chick-fil-A delivered so they jumped a little boy and stole his sack lunch and brought it before they handed it out to everybody what they do. They put them in groups and then the miracle and multiplication happened. Why? Because organization precedes multiplication. You might be asking, we understand, but why are you drilling down on this point? Because there are resources and opportunities that God has assigned to your life but he won't bless a space that has not been prepared and put in order. See, we get it flipped. We get it flipped. We often want to put an order in with God like he's Amazon Prime. I'm just going to pour an order in with God. God do this. God do that. God move here. God move there. When actually God is asking us not to put in an order. He's asking us to put it in order. You want order in your relationships and you want to be blessed by God? You've got to put it in order. You've got to put God first and allow the love that you receive from God to be poured out over your significant other. You want to grow your business. You don't grow your business by focusing more on your business and making it first. No, the scripture says, seek ye first, the kingdom of God and all his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. You want your finances to flourish? You have to put them in order. You've got to learn how to ball on a budget. The scripture says, "Bring the tithe into the storehouse. Test me in this. See if I won't open up the heavens and pour out more blessings than you can contain." Listen, if you prepare your finances and put them in order, God can fill that area of your life. See, God uses financial principles and patterns to prepare us for His promises. And here's what you have to note today. If you ignore the principle and you disregard the pattern, you risk discarding the promise. As I was preparing to plant our church in Austin, Texas, I honestly struggle with the idea of

talking about money and finances and resources, it was terrifying, honestly, to talk to people taller than you about how they spend their money. And I was ready to preach on everything else. I was ready to preach about vision. I was ready to preach about values, ready to preach the Word of God. But I did not want to talk about finances until God challenged me with this idea. He said, "If you're unwilling to preach the authority of Scripture in this area of money, you will not have authority to preach in any area." A wise old pastor once told me, "Speak loudly where the Bible speaks loudly. Speak softly where the Bible speaks softly. Be silent where the Bible is silent." I don't know if you realize this, but the Bible speaks loudly about money. You've got 500 verses that pertain to faith and prayer. You've got 2,350-ish verses that pertain to wealth, money, and possessions. Jesus spoke about money, wealth, and possessions because He knew our hearts would be connected to them. Jesus gives us these words, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." See, money turns your heart inside out, and it reveals what you value most. There are principles all throughout Scripture about money, and the foundational principle in pattern is the tithe. Life means tenth. I was introduced to this idea as a kid. My dad would lay out his tithe check on Fridays after work every week, and I didn't really understand the magnitude of what he was doing. I knew that we were supposed to bring 10% of our paychecks of my birthday money back to God and give it through the church. But honestly, I struggled in this area like didn't do it until I was like 23 years old. I'd always take the money I had and fold it up, put it in my wallet in a different location because I was going to give it later. It seemed like a pointless rule to me, but in retrospect, I can tell you I struggled financially

greatly in the early years of adulthood, and so I want you to understand today what I didn't then. First of all, tithing prioritizes God. See, Jesus is in first place. The Bible language for this is pre-eminent. That means he is surpassing all others. Like he's not just high, he's the highest. He's not just great, he's the greatest. He's not even just like first. He's like first, first. He's so first, you can't even measure the distance between him and second. He is pre-eminent, so he doesn't just want to be high on our priority list. He wants to be highest. He doesn't just want to be a good part of our good life. No, he wants to be the greatest part of the greatest life possible. This is why you have Jesus saying wild things like love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your strength, all, all, all wild things like Matthew 6, 24. No one can serve two masters for he will either hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. See, he says, "You cannot serve God and mammon. So, tithing isn't just about stewardship. It's actually more about lordship. Your budget is about stewardship. Your tithe is about lordship. And Jesus gets first, he gets first, he gets the first, he can't be second, he won't take second. And I'm gonna show you a couple areas in the Bible where God reveals this idea, this principle of the first, starting with the first born. The first born, Exodus 13 verse one and two,

this is a paraphrase, dedicate to me every first born. The first offspring, both human and animal, belongs to God, belongs to God. Exodus 13, 13. A first born donkey may be redeemed with a lamb. Why? Because the donkey was an unclean animal and the lamb was a clean animal. So you could sacrifice the clean sacrifice to redeem that which was unclean. The first redeemed the whole. The first redeemed the whole. This was a principle and a pattern that set our eyes toward the promise of Jesus. Jesus was the spotless lamb. The lamb slain from the foundations of the earth so that we who were unclean could be redeemed. The clean was sacrificed for the unclean, the first redeemed the whole principle pattern. This isn't just held in the work of salvation on the cross of Jesus Christ in his resurrection. No, it's to be expressed throughout every area of our life. Even in our finances. When we surrender the first of our income to God, we acknowledge that everything belongs to him and he blesses the rest. Here's the second principle, the principle of the first fruits. You find this in Genesis four. We see the first tithe and offering ever offered in scripture.

The scripture says able brings the first and the best of his flock. Cain brings some of his crops. The scripture says that God accepts Abel's tithe but he rejects Cain's offering. Why? Because Abel brought the first and the best. Cain brought some. And here's the third principle of the first, the principle of the first 10th or the tithe. This principle pattern and promise of bringing God the first 10% actually predates the law. It's included in the law and it exists after the law. We see the first tithe 500 years before the law of Moses was given. Abram tithe. The scripture says that he actually tithe because he was blessed by a priest of God. And because he was blessed, he brought a tithe. This is an important distinction for us to understand. Abram didn't tithe to be blessed. He tithe because he recognized the blessing of God that already existed in his life. It was a response to work that had already been done for him. And then when you look at Proverbs 3, 9, Proverbs is post-law, honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops. Then of course, the clearest and most famous verse on tithe, Malachi 3, 10, maybe you scribbled this out of your Bible,

but it's still there. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me, ever I say test me. And this says the Lord Almighty and see if I will not throw up in the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Look it, you can see principle, pattern and promise in this scripture, bring the whole tithe. That's the pattern, that there may be food in my house. That's the principle, the principle of provision for God's people. And then what happens? An open heaven, the promise. See, tithing is a test, but here's where many of us get it flipped. It's not a test God has given you. It's a test that you give to God. Tithing is not a test God has given you. It's a test you're giving. And I say the title of my message for this moment right here, because somebody needs to hear this today. Don't take God's test. Don't take God's test. The tithe isn't a test you take, it's a test you bring. This is why this verse transcends the category of the law, because He's inviting you to bring the tithe back from a blessing He's already provided

to allow Him to do the work of blessing you more. See, the problem with most teaching on tithing is that it's presented as a transaction with God, but tithing isn't about transaction, tithing is about transformation. When you give God the first and the best, your heart is formed and shaped around God's heart and God's priorities. Now, I invited a few of my friends here today to help me with this illustration. I remember where I was sitting when I heard this illustration for the first time as a 23-year-old. Who had a, I would like to think, generous heart, but had a gap in understanding and revelation around this subject. And it wasn't until I experienced the generosity of God and labeled it as that, not as the work of my own hands, own strength or some random coincidence. But when I experienced generosity and realized that was actually from the Lord and I learned more about it, something unlocked in my heart. It goes like this. I'm going on a trip, Phyllis. I might go to like Barbados or something, you know what I'm saying? It's gonna be an extended trip, but my wife is gonna have FOMO

'cause I'm not taking her on this one, but I want to make sure that she is taking care of while I'm gone. And so I'm gonna commit to you, I'm gonna send each of you $10,000 every month. I check with Pastor Craig, he's gonna sign the checks. So we should be good. And so I'm gonna get you that $10,000 a month and all I'm asking is that you give $1,000 to my wife, each of you, $1,000 to my wife 'cause I want to make sure she's cared for in my absence. So I go on my trip and I start sending them checks. And a few months go by and I call Lorna and it's been a few months, you know what I'm saying? Hey, girl. (laughing) Hey, hey, girl, what's up? And then we get down to the business. Say, are you being taken care of financially? Yeah, I am actually. The first guy that you entrusted with the $10,000, he sends that $1,000 that you told him to send every month. I mean, it's clockwork, it is there, it is on time. The second guy, I don't know what it is, I don't know if you've known him longer, he sends $2,000 every month. He goes above and beyond, it's actually kind of crazy. The third guy we're gonna have to talk about because the first month he sent $800, then the next month he sent $300.

And then last month, I didn't get anything. As a husband who wants to care for and provide for my bride, do you think that I am going to be pleased with the execution of what I have asked him to do? In fact, what I have provided for him to do? I gave them all the $10,000, it was not theirs to begin with, and that's all they had to do. And so I would start looking at some things and adjusting some things. I said, you know what? You've been faithful with the 1,000, I'm gonna keep the 1,000 coming. I'm gonna go to the third guy and say, my boy. I thought I could trust you with managing and stewarding not the resources, but the well-being of what I care about. And since you were unable to do that, I'm actually going to take from you the $10,000 I've been sending you. heart. See Jesus is preparing a place for the people who are following him and yet he has created a relationship with a called-out group of people here called the church and the church is the bride of Christ and he has entrusted each of us different quantities but an equal opportunity to bless his bride and some of you may be upset with me right now you may be upset with God thinking you know what I don't think God would take it away from one person and give it to another should we go to the authority of our lives? Matthew 25 29 to those who use well what they are given even more will be given they will have an abundance but from those who do nothing even the little they have will be taken away. And this is what unlocked for me at 23 years old the posture of my heart became not God can I trust you? He had already proven that the posture of my heart became God

can you trust me? And it was a realization that if God was going to send it to someone he had to first send it through someone and if he was looking for someone with open hands and a tender heart I signed up that day to be that type of person and I can tell you not only has the condition of my life changed that is a surface level byproduct the deeper work of the Holy Spirit through the act of generosity and tithing is my heart changed. Can you give these gentlemen a round of applause? Thank you. The reality is when you bring your tithe to the church you're not just giving to the church you're giving through the church. Hebrew seven eight says in one case the 10th is collected by people who die talking about those who manage the resources of the church but in the other case by him who is declared to be living that scripture is telling us you don't just bring your resources to people. When you tithe you bring it to God and a transformation begins to take place. More than God receiving your money he actually you actually receive his heart. So what if the question today and I know that this plays out all over social media in different spaces what if the question really isn't about is tithing a command or a law? Is tithing a command or a law that we have to follow? What if the question is could tithing possibly be a promise that he invites us to stand on? What if it's a promise he's been inviting you to stand on and because you can't get there intellectually logically you're missing out on what God wants to bring into your life an act of worship a purification of motives a reorienting of our will to put Jesus back at the center. Here's the reality y'all we can't just be a comfortable worshiping God with lifted hands. We have to grow in our faith to the point that we're willing to worship God with open hands and the tithes the foundational plays you begin this journey. Now I want to pray for you but I want to pray that God gives you an impartation in this moment a revelation of what he wants to do in and through your life through your open heart and your open hands. Would you pray with me? Lord we just bring our hearts and our minds our wills before you. We open up every and and we recommit them again to you.

Would you take it and do so much more with it than we ever could? We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you. (audience applauding) - Well, that's a emotional message to me. Remember the very first time that I've trusted God in that way, and I want to talk to those of you that you know, you are followers of Jesus. You're committed to him, and you genuinely want to put him first. I'm gonna pray God in this holy moment in every area of our lives. Help us to prioritize the preeminence of your son, our king. Not in a financial transaction, God, but in a heart transformation in every single area of our lives. Help us to put you first. Praying today without looking around all of our churches, those of you that you are a committed follower of Jesus, and you want to put him first in every area of your life, lift your hands right now, just lift him up, lift him up, lift him up, lift him up, put him down. This may be in your mouth, in the words you speak. This may be in your time. You seek him first in the day. This may be in your year. You seek him first at the beginning of the year

when a fast, this may be in your finances. And some of you, this is an area that you've pushed off. You've explained a way, you've rationalized, and maybe today you heard it in a different way, and your faith will meet the power and the promise of God. We'll step into the principle, and the promise will become real, his provision, his goodness. Jesus, we want to put you first. We want to honor you today. And God, for those who might give their very first tithe ever, God, meet them in their moment of faith, and we thank you to God that once again, you'll prove yourself faithful. Holy Spirit, have your way. Teach us to put you first. As you keep praying today, there are those of you here that he is not first in your life, and you know it. For some of you, like the beginning of the message, you're first, what you want is first. Your desires are first. And there's something drawing to him today. You're feeling drawn to the things of God. What is that? That is the Holy Spirit of God who loves you, and sent his son to reveal his goodness to you. If you recognize in your life that you're not putting him first, there's a separation.

The thing that separates us from God is what the Bible calls sin. And the reality is, all of us have sinned, you have I have, and sin separates us from the Holy God. But God in his grace, he sent his first born son, Jesus, the sinless son of God, the first, the clean one was sinned, so the rest could be redeemed, that's us. Jesus, the son of God died on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins, God raised him from the dead, so that anyone in this includes you, no matter what you've done, no matter how dark your life is, who calls on the name of the Lord, you would be saved, you would be forgiven, and you would be made new. And the great news is, there are those of you that God brought here for this very moment. You can sense it, you want his grace, you want his forgiveness, you want his life. Today, just step away from your sin, call out on his name. And when you do, he'll hear your prayer, forgive your sins, and make you brand new. You're not just a better version, you're new, the old is gone, and the new comes, what are we doing? We're confessing our sin, and we're putting him first, above our desires,

above our will, above our wants, we're putting him first, all of our churches, you recognize, he's not there today, you're being drawn to God. We're stepping away from our sin, we're calling on him, Jesus, be first, forgive me, be the Lord of my life, that's your prayer today. Would you lift your hands high right now, all over the place, lift them up and say yes, that's my prayer, praise God for you, others of you. I'm back over there, oh my goodness, all of you there. Others today saying yes, Jesus, be the Lord of my life, praise God for you, come on, come on, online, you can just type in the comment section, I'm surrendering my life to Christ, just type that in the comment section, would you pray with those around you, pray heavenly Father, I surrender my whole life, and confess my sins. Jesus saved me, forgive me, fill me with your spirit, so I could know you and put you first. celebrate right now. Welcome to God's family. Hey, it's Pastor Craig and Amy Groeschel with Life Church. And if you just made the decision to give your life to Christ, this is the most important and life-changing decision that you'll ever make. And all of heaven is celebrating right now because of your decision. And we're celebrating with you too. That's right. And we want you to know that God sees you. He's with you and he loves you. He has a purpose for your life. And incarceration, it doesn't define you. It doesn't confine you because you are free in Christ. You are new in him.

Chains have been broken today. And so as a follower of Jesus, God wants us to be on this journey together. And I want you to know you don't have to do this alone. And that's why we as your church family, we're here for you and we want to help you grow in your faith and find your next steps. So first of all, just keep joining us for church every single week and worshiping through the Pando app. We're so thankful that you're here. When we draw close to God, He draws near to us. And so I would also encourage you, read God's word if it's available to you. And as you do, just start to pray and invite God into every single aspect of your life. And then if you feel led, you might even share your decision with somebody else. There might be a family member or a friend. And they're going to want to hear your story and your spiritual journey. We'd love to hear it as well. And you can send us a letter if you'd like to. The address is on your screen. And our team will write back to you and help you grow in your faith with Jesus. And so we'd love to mail you some content about who Jesus is and help you grow in your relationship with Him now that you've chosen to follow Jesus. That's right. And God's plan for your life, it's greater than anything that you could ever imagine. In fact, Ephesians 3.20 says, God is able to do abundantly more than we could ask or imagine. Trust Him with your whole life. You will see Him work in ways you have never thought possible. Congratulations on this decision. We are your family and you're part of the family of God. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO]