You Can't Buy The Things Of God | Creative Church

really the tithe of the year. It's about 52 Sundays. I take about five of them. You know, every time I talk about generosity, there's three people in the room. There's those who give to the Lord, and they tithe. They love that you talk about it because they're like, "Praise God, I'm doing that. I love that." Amen. Anybody trust God with their finances? They love when you talk about it. Then there's those who, I think God's doing a work in their heart. There's sometimes not the right spirit about it. They kind of get angry and frustrated when you talk about it, and then there's those that don't know. They're like, "I don't know anything about that." I want to minister to all three of you today, mainly to those that are new to their walk with God and don't know. As a pastor, I have a spiritual accountability from the Lord to teach you the whole council of God's work, and to get any men about that. I want to just take a few minutes and talk to you from the scriptures. How many of you believe the scriptures are true, right? And talk to you about trusting the Lord. On average, people who attend church regularly, this is according to Barna, but only about 21% of faithful church-attenders tithe. People who call themselves Christians is about 4%. Give to the Lord. I want us to be a church that trusts God with everything. I don't know if you want to be a part of a church that trusts Jesus. Let's say, "Lord, we trust you." And I'm going to give you some scripture today. I'm actually going to give you a lot of scripture here for about 15 minutes. And so I want you to write them down because I want you to go back and read them and pray over them. Amen? Come on, 9/30. Genesis 14, 18-20 says, "And Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the Most High God, and he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven earth, and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered mine enemies into my hands, and he gave him ties of all." I know many of you maybe have heard, you know, tithing was in the law and Jesus died to set us free from the law. And this that I just read to you is 400 years before the law existed. Tithing existed before the law. People giving to the Lord out of love. There's no law here to do this. There's no command to do it. There's no obligation to do it. This is 400 years before the law was written. You see a man who is thankful to God, for God delivered his enemies into his hands. And he says, "I'm going to give a tithe to God out of love," everybody say out of love,

out of a heart of thankfulness. Everybody say out of thankfulness. I want to give you another one. Genesis 28, 20-22, and Jacob vowed a vow saying, "If God will be with me and keep me in his ways, when I go, I will give me bread to eat and ram it to put on, so that when I come to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God in this stone, which I've set as a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that he shall give me, I will surely give a tenth unto thee." This is the second example, 400 years before the law of another man giving to God out of his heart of thankfulness, out of his heart of love. How many of you believe in giving out of love and giving out of thankfulness? Amen. And I want you to know these things because I don't want to pastor an ignorant church. I want you, when you give, I want you to know why you give. When you serve, I want you to know why you serve. We don't serve out of obligation. Come on, can I get any amen about that? We don't give out of necessity or out of begrudgingly or out of obligation. We give to the Lord out of love. Exodus 25 and 2, it says, "Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring me an offering every man, they shall take up this offering. That when we give to God, we give willingly. Out of our heart, what's the scripture say? When man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Exodus 35 and five and take ye from among you, and offering unto the Lord. Whoever is willing in heart, whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it. That's why we still have the containers on this stage, if people wanna bring their offering to the Lord, whoever has a willing heart, let him bring that offering to the Lord, and offering to the Lord, gold, silver, and brass, Leviticus 27 and 30, and all the tithe of the land, whether it be the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the,

who does it belong to? The Lord, it is holy unto the Lord. That when you give it, the scripture say, mortal men receive it, but when you give to the Lord, do you know that God receives it in heaven, the scripture say? And you give it, every time you give it an offering, you do it as a testimony that you believe God lives. No one is giving a dollar to a dead God. Come on, can I get any men about it? Every time your children see you, write a check, give on the app, or whatever, however you give, put it in the offering, they go, my parents believe God lives. It is a testimony that you believe the Lord is alive, because the scripture say, on earth, mortal men receive them, but in heaven, our eternal father receives them as a testimony that you believe God ever live in, and ever reigneth, isn't that beautiful? So when we give to the Lord, we give out of love. All the tithe belongs to the Lord. Deuteronomy 8, 18, but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth you the power to what? Gain wealth. I'm of you know, it's God that gave you that idea. It's God that gave you that strength. It's God that gave you that opportunity. I know other people want to take credit for it, but how many of you know it was the Lord that did that in your life?

It's God that gives you the power. It's God that gives you the strength. It's God that gives you the wisdom. It's God that makes people like you. It's called favor. How many of you got a position that someone else was more qualified for, but God gave it to you? People don't buy things from people they don't like. It's God that makes people like you. That's the only way I got Pastor Joanne. It was just the favor of God on my life. No reason I should get somebody like that. Amen. I'm telling you, some of you ugly guys like me, you better pray. It's the favor of God. You need the favor of God on your life. It's the favor of God that giveth you the power to gain wealth. Listen to me 'cause the world's gonna tell you, have more fear in running out than faith and running over. I know many of you in this room, if not all of you, love the Lord, but all of us don't trust the Lord. I want to encourage you to start trusting God this year. You know, when the children of Israel were delivered, the first thing they had to do was trust God for their provision. It's the first test that you have to overcome saying, God, I trust you.

They'd to trust God for water and for bread and meat. They'd to trust God to be a cloud by day, a pillar fired by mine. I'm gonna know that God knows you have needs. And the scriptures say that God will meet all of your needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus. Deuteronomy 16 and 17, "Every man shall give as he is able," according to the blessing of the Lord that God has given unto him. This is the blessing of the Lord. Psalms 96 and eight, "Give unto the Lord," the glory unto his name, "bring an offering "and come into his courts with thanksgiving." Proverbs three, nine and 10, "Honor the Lord with the substance of the first fruits "of all your increase, then your barn shall be filled "with plenty and your precious shall burst forth "with a new one." How many of you want your businesses to be blessed? Come on, two of you. How many of you want your businesses to be blessed? Pastor Joanna and I have businesses and we made God a partner in our business. I just felt if I've partnered with people and it failed, I feel like everything I've done with God has never failed. I'd rather have a business partner that can't fail, that can't lose, that don't quit on me, that don't give up on me, that don't forsake me. Come on, am I right about it? you need to trust God financially with your business.

Trust the Lord with it. Proverbs 10, 22, "The blessing of the Lord, "makeeth rich and addeth no sorrow." That when God blesses you with the money, you still have your marriage. You still have your children, you still have your health. There's what good is money and you're sick, what good is money and your children hate you. The last few days, my kids, they sent me pictures of my kids just weeping in the presence of the Lord. I wanna tell you, that's treasure. What good is it to have a lot of money and your kids hate you? They hate each other, they don't love the Lord. Real treasure, I tell you every week is your children love you. They love each other and they love Jesus. How many of you want that treasure for your life? That's the treasure of life. The real wealth of this world can not be paid for with money. Proverbs 19, 17, and he that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and he that giveeth, God says, "I'll repay you." When we provide groceries, when we do the ultrasound bias, when we do prison ministry, all of that, you lend to the Lord. And God says, "I will make sure that I reward you." You know, when people bless you, you owe them the rest of your life, but for God blesses you, you have nobody to think but the Lord. I don't know whether it's being 47 or what, but I've just come to the place where when people

wanna bless me, I'm like, "Well, I don't know, I'm good." I've just lived long enough already to realize that many people bless you with strings attached. They want something in return, but when God blesses you, you have nobody to think but Jesus. I mean, if you wanna have nobody to think but the Lord, if it had not been for the Lord. And even when people in church, I've had people wanna come and they wanna give a certain amount of money to control things and I say, "We don't need it. We don't want it. You keep it." Well, I can't believe they didn't do this for me and that for me and I gave this. It's almost like Simon who came in and he wanted to buy the things of God with money. And Paul looked at him and said, "Who are you to think that you could buy the things of God with money?" With money? He said, "Your money perish with you. Keep your money to think that you could buy the Holy Spirit with money." Come on, church, can I get in? How many of you know the Holy Spirit can't be paid for with money that his church is not for sale? Come on, can I get any amen about that, that you can buy? See, you can buy doctors, you can't buy healing. You can buy the most expensive house in the state, doesn't make it a home. You can buy a ring, doesn't mean you'll have a wife

that loves you. I'm telling you, the treasure of the treasures come from the Lord. They come from the Lord. What good is it to have a big old house and your family hates one another? I'd rather have a small house and have peace. Come on, can I get an amen about it? If that was the price. Malachi 3, I'm almost done. Malachi 3, 10, bring you all the tithe into the storehouse that there might be meeting my house. Improve me now with, say it, the Lord of hosts, if I will not open unto you, the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing. Listen to me, God can give you one blessing that changes your life. One idea, one that could completely change your life, one connection, one being in the right place at the right time and God can open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing you would not have room enough to receive. Blessings are not just money, blessings are joy. I don't want to just be rich in money. I want to be rich in peace. I want to sleep at night. Anybody else want to sleep at night? You don't have to be rich to sleep. I know homeless people that can sleep.

I want to be rich in joy. I want my home rich in laughter. I want to be rich in health. Thank you, Lord. Matthew 6, one and four, it says, take heed that when you give things, you don't boast about it. That when you give to the Lord, you don't say, oh, look what I did, look what I did. He says, do it in secret and your father, who's in secret will reward you openly. We live in a world that does the opposite. Jesus raised the dead. I don't know, church in America that we have somebody raised from the dead and then not say something about it. God, you serve a God that rewards a secret. Your secret time with him, giving in secrets, sewing in secrets. And listen to me, your tithe belongs in God's house. And yes, we do offerings periodically, but you can give offerings anywhere. You can give an offering to your neighbor. You can give an offering to another cause. You can give an offering to a different ministry. Come on, anybody believe that? Come on, give-- let's be a generous church. Come on, can I get an amen? Like, don't just give an offering on Sunday. Give offerings throughout the week. God lays on your heart. You're in the grocery store.

But I'm just going to buy your groceries behind me. I'm going to pay for the car behind me, or I'm going to bless this person over here. Don't feel like I can only give an offering to a church. You can give an offering anywhere. Come on, church, can I get an amen? Like, let's live generous and practice it to your children before we pray. I want to remind you, how many of you grew up your parents gave you a dollar, a quarter, to bring to church to give in the offering? Raise your hand if that. Pass that to your children. Don't let that end with you. Teach them to be generous towards the things of God. Talk to them when you tithe, when you give. Tell them, look, mom and dad weren't always saved, but Jesus saved your mom. He saved your dad. He delivered us. He put a new song in our heart. He changed us. And I want to encourage you to begin to trust the Lord. If you've never trusted in Matthew 6, 33, last thing I'll say, seek ye first the kingdom of God and righteousness and all these things. Shall be added unto you. Our church, we started-- I remember I was engaged to Joanne. I was in my early 20s.

Kind of like John Maxwell says, I started out with nothing and I still have most of it. And the Lord called me to Minnesota. No family. Knew like two people in Minnesota. Came out in my two door Toyota. At a two door Toyota, a little white car. And I bought-- I remember it because I'd never been on a long road trip in my life. There's no smartphones, no iPhones, no social media. And I went to Circuit City. Anybody remember Circuit City? I went to Circuit City and I bought a $1,200 GPS Tom Tom. Anybody remember those? Because there's no smartphones. I drove all the way to Minnesota and when I got here, I returned it because I'm a church planer. I can't afford a $1,200 GPS system. So judge me if you want. I'm honest. I told you, I confessed it. And I was living in a basement of a passenger friend of mine in Bloomington off of 106 in Humboldt. I had four people in my church, Andrew, Ryan. There were two teenagers. And I had Mamma Gewa and Mamma Gray and Nigerian woman African-American woman. That was our church plan team. And we started at the Northland Inn on 694 and Boone.

It's now the Marriott. And we were in a little room there. And my kids' ministry was a 13-inch VCR, Emerson VCR, with veggie tails. That was our kids' ministry. Despies not the day of small beginnings. And even when we had just that, we still tithed. We gave 23 years later, God has been faithful. Listen, I'm not up your talking because your church is in need. Your church is in the best financial position we've ever had. We have given more money away in the last three years than we have ever given. Come on, can I get any men about it? I'm not up your every bill in this church is paid. And if we were in need, we wouldn't be given away $50,000. Come on, can I get any men about that? Like, I'm not up here talking about it out of need. I'm up here talking to you about it out of love. I'm encouraging you to begin to trust the Lord. Trust Him. I'm not saying you don't love Him, but many of you don't trust Him. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not to your own understanding. But in all that ways, acknowledge Him. And He shall direct. You remember that old song, "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus." # Just to know upon his promise # # Just to say the says the Lord # # Jesus, Jesus, how I trust you # # I trust you, how I prove #

# You more and more # # Jesus, Jesus # # Precious Jesus # # Oh, for grace # # To trust you # # You more, trust him # # Listen to me, trust him, trust him # # You're never gonna go for Jesus and lose # # You're never gonna trust the Lord and fail # # I've trusted people and failed # # I've trusted in myself and failed # # Anybody trusted in yourself and failed # # I'm telling you, I love # # If you're 18 or you're 80 # # Trust Jesus # # Don't let the enemy give you anything # # That you can't release to God # # Only what you hold on to can the enemy use to hurt you # # We came with nothing # # We own nothing # # We leave with nothing # # I've never seen a U-Haul follow a hearse # # Listen to me # # You came with nothing, I promise you # # Cassidy and Andrew, they're having their baby # # He will real soon # # That baby's gonna come with nothing # # It's gonna live this whole beautiful life # # And one day go home to be with the Lord with nothing # # Everything we have is borrowed #

# Even the homes we live in, most of us, you didn't build it, most of us, and someone else is gonna live there when you're gone # # Come on, am I right about it? # # It's just borrowed # # The time we have, it's like a vapor, it's like here and gone # # To live a life and not trust God # # What kind of life is that? # # Trust Jesus # # Trust Him with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength # # Praise the Lord # # Come on, give Jesus a praise, stand with me #