If you received a letter from a man in prison that you had never met, and he wants to tell you how to run your life, would you believe him? Well, that's what we have here in Colossians. You may not have realized this, but Colossians is the one book written to people that Paul has never met. We, he knew the people of Corinth.
He knew that people Galician. He wrote Galatians. He knew the people in Ephesus. He wrote a vision. He wrote fess alone eons. But Colossians was founded by somebody else. Amanda, the name of Epaphras, who founded the church. Now Paul is in prison. And he feels led to use his Epistolic authority with the collages because they didn't have an apostle.
And so he wrote Colossians and Ephesians at about the same time, and there's some overlap between Colombians and Ephesians, but in this, there is no overlap. For some reason, he says something not said anywhere else. It's a most unusual verse. He said, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh, I am filling up what is lacking.
In Christ's afflictions for the sake of the church. Well, now when Paul says, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, uh, it was a challenge that he himself had taken on board. Uh, he was given a word on the day of his conversion that he would suffer. How do you think you'd like it if the day you're saved, you're told, Oh, by the way, you're going to suffer.
Uh, but that's what Paul was told about analyze chapter nine, verse 16. And now he says, I rejoice in my sufferings. It was a challenge that he himself had taken on board for him and for them and gave them an opportunity to embrace a further stigma that they would welcome him, uh, somebody that they'd never met.
And then makes a strange comment. And, uh, I wondered as I've prepared this morning, cause I looked over my notes, is it possible that there's someone here you are right now in the middle of the greatest trial of your whole life? Somebody here, I think you're in it now. This is it. You've never had anything like it.
If so, this is for you, and if you're not in the greatest trial, you can eavesdrop because you may need it down the road. I want us to see several things. The first you might find strange, but it's this predestination and suffering. Would you believe that your suffering is predestined there? Don't be afraid of the word predestination.
Uh, you wouldn't be here if it weren't for that by the mercy of God. As a matter of fact, in Acts 13:48, Luke who wrote acts makes a theological comment about the Gentiles who were saved. And he says, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. That's what he said. Now, he might have said as many as believed were ordained to eternal life.
Hetty said that that would have been true. That's not what he says. He's wanting to make a theological comment. I remember when I was at seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, a number of years ago, and I said to the Greek professor, I said, do you realize that Luke said as many as were ordained, that means predestined to eternal life believed.
He replied, well, I believe that as many as are that believe are predestined. I said, but that's not what he said. He said, I know that, but I disagree with Luke. Well, how are you like a professor like that? But you see, it's a reminder that you are indebted to God knowing you from the foundation of the world.
Don't try to figure it out, but then he says something else. He says, we are predestined to suffering. Read it. One testimonials, chapter three verse three he says, don't be shaken by these trials because you know you weren't destined for them. And then he says in Philippians chapter one verse 29 he said, it is given to us not only to believe on him, but to suffer for him.
Well, they might say, well, he didn't tell us that when we got saved or when he presented the gospel. He didn't say anything about separating. The reply could be, well, we can't think of everything. And then after you're a Christian, you find that you are in the middle of suffering. And you might think, why didn't they tell me?
But you're in it. And actually, do you realize the first one. Verse in the new Testament has to do with this. You may not realize it, but the first book written is James. Now, it's not first in the Canon. It starts out Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. But the first book written was in 48 a D. it was the first and the opening statement of James is counted all joy.
When you fall into divers trials, if you're in a trial right now, okay, James hasn't worked for you counted, and he uses the same Greek word that Paul uses enrollments four and three about justification that when we believe the moment we transfer, the trust that we had in our good works to what Jesus did for us on the cross in that moment.
Your faith counts, but righteousness. In other words, the righteousness of Jesus is put to your credit, right then as though you performed it. God counts you. He imputes to you. Righteousness. Well, James is using that word and it wants you to know and is, this is the opening comment in his epistle counted all joy.
The NIV says, counted. Pure joy counted. In other words, if you're in a trial right now, the last thing you feel like doing is imputing joy to it. The last thing on your mind, but James says, do it. You see what? I don't feel like it. Well, I believe you, but the reason you should do it. Is that it would be a matter of time, but you will see that trial you are in is God's way of tried to get your attention.
That will make you closer to him than you've ever been in your whole life. And so this is the thing you need to know. Now. You know the story of job. And God one day said to Satan, have you considered my servant job? I'm going to say something to you that may surprise you, but if there's anybody here in a trial right now, you need to know God started it.
A lot of people said, no, the devil started it. No, you see, the first thing God did was to say to Satan. Have you considered my servant job? Joe was perfect in every way. And uh, so it was God who actually said to Satan, have you considered job? And Satan said, well, look, the reason job serves you and is such a good man is he's got it all.
He's got everything. But if he lost it, he would curse you. That's the question. If you're in a trial right now, tried to consider that God started it. You see, well, that doesn't make me feel better. Only it should because God's at the bottom of it all and he's got a purpose in it, and the purpose in it is so great.
That's why James could say kind of pure joy. You are special. The reason he allowed the trial in your case is because you're up to it. You say, Oh, not me, Archie high can't take this anymore, but God says you are. God says you are, or he would not let it happen and God knows how much you can bear. Now I want to.
Talk to you for a moment about the purpose of suffering. And this is one of the strangest comments of it Paul ever made. And, uh, what he's doing is showing these Colombians, they are called to an inheritance. Now a subject that I don't think that I've preached much on over the times I've been here is because I need more time and I don't want to open up a subject that I can't deal with.
But let me say it this way. Every Christian is called to come into his or her inheritance. Some do, some don't. Those that don't, don't lose their salvation. As a matter of fact, there's not one verse in the new Testament that says you can lose your salvation. Not one, but there are several that says you can be disinherited.
For example, I will always be my grandmother's grandson. Uh, she bought a new car for me when I first became a pastor, a church, and then I came into a different theology and she took the car away. And then when she died, she changed her will. A person who told me personally that he witnessed her will. And he said, Archie, you are gonna receive everything from your grandmother.
It was, she was going to leave it all to you. I witnessed her will, but she changed it and I didn't get anything when she died. As a matter of fact, my own father, Oh, when he died, I got zero, but I was still his son. And you see, the thing is, inheritance is something that can be determined. By the person, whether they believe you're worthy of it.
And so Paul said, we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of the things done in the body, whether they be good or bad. Uh, do you realize that America's second great awakening. Which took place at 1801 in cane Ridge, Kentucky. Uh, a Methodist preacher stood on the fall on a fallen tree and one July morning.
15,000. Some say 30,000 but conservative with 15,000 people that come in. They're covered wagons from five States, uh, from Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee. Uh, and it was the beginning of the cap meeting phenomenon. You've heard of cap meetings. This was the first and a Methodist preacher took his text.
We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of the things done in the body. The fear of God came on the people so powerfully that they began to fall and nobody prayed for them. Nobody pushed them. They just fell. And um, for four days before days, there were never fewer than 500 on the ground flat out under the power of the Holy spirit.
And the fear of God was on the people. The thought that we're going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. You know, I've had people say to me, you know, RT, I don't care whether I get a reward at the judgment seat of Christ. I just want to make it to heaven. I said, you won't feel that way. Then you're going to stand before him, and those that come into their inheritance will receive a reward.
Those that don't will be . Save by fire, but they will lose their reward. And the purpose of suffering is that God wants you to have the reward at the judgment seat of Christ. And so we're all in this together, and Paul makes one of the strangest comments ever made. And he says, we are suffering. For the body of Christ.
We're all in this together. We're doing this for each other. We're not alone. Paul said in a rather, John said, book of revelation chapter one verse nine I am your brother in tribulation, and then Paul says, we are filling up what is lacking. Now, the only person I've ever known to preach on this verse. Is a man by the name of Joseph sewn, spelled T, O.
N, but in Romanian it's song. You might like to know. When I came here 15 years ago and I preached on total forgiveness, I would have told you that Joseph zone is the one who said, Archie, you must totally forgive them for until you totally forgive them, you will be in changed st Joseph's zone. I hadn't preached for me at Westminster chapel.
These are the days when he still lived in Romania, but he came to London and I had asked you to preach for me, uh, while I was on vacation and everybody was talking about that sermon. And so I listened to it myself. I would say the greatest sermon I've ever heard in my life. Was on this burse and he told how the night before he got a phone call from errata in Romania.
Those are the days when it was behind the iron curtain and the communist authorities have come in and, and, and interrupted the church and the people of Romania were suffering his, his own people and move the people no end. And he preached that morning. On mysterious reasons for suffering. And it gave two reasons.
The first is that God wanted to show the devil what would happen to a man if he lost everything and then suffered. And Satan said, the reason job is serving you. He's got it all. Why wouldn't they love you? Take what he's got and he will curse you. And God says, okay, we'll find out. And the reason Joe went through the suffering is that the angels wanted to see, and the devil is there such a thing as a person who had everything and lost it.
Would still praise God. And Jobe came through and we're told that he sinned, not nor charged God foolishly, his wife, his wife, said, curse God and die because the suffering that job goes through is horrible. But he says, you talk like a foolish woman, and the reason somebody here is going through suffering.
You are on display. The angels want to see what you will be like. If God takes something from you that's been precious or causes you to suffer in some way, and this is one of the reasons you suffer. I don't think many people even thought of that. But that was why job suffered. It was on display before the angels.
But then there's a second reason, and this is what is in this particular verse, nowhere else in the new Testament, he says, filling up what is lacking now, not only the angels watching to see whether we cave in or dignify hard trials, but Paul makes an astonishing point. Get this. So much suffering has been allocated to the body of Christ.
That's what Paul says, and God is looking for people who will suffer and not complain. I can announce there is space available because most people complain. The Paul is not complaining, and he actually can say, I rejoice. Not many can say that, and I don't mean to be unfair, but if you are in a trial, can you count it?
Pure joy. And can you say, I rejoice, I rejoice. Why it's only a matter of time. You will thank God for that trial. Listen, the greatest trial I've ever had in my life, I could tell you, you can put me under a lie detector. Best thing that ever happened to me at the time, it was horrible. But now I look back and I was like, I'm so glad for it.
And the encouragement is. Believe trace the rainbow through the rain, that there is a reason for, it's not for nothing. It's not an accident. Well, Paul could claim this is precisely the explanation for his suffering, but now I want to ask a question. Why be a Christian
supposedly passed out sheets of paper. Everybody got a sheet of paper once you to write down in your mind why everybody should be a Christian if you think they should. Do you believe that? Do you blame your neighbor? Should be Christian? Do you believe your loved ones? Why do you believe of the people you work with it?
Whoever you're your boss, people with you, should they be saved. Yeah. Well, why? What is your reason? What would you write down? Uh, would you say? Well, it will solve their marriage. Really? Statistics show, whether in Britain or America, 50% of people married in a church, 50% married in a justice of the peace ended up in divorce.
So you can't say Christianity is going to solve it. Or you say, well, it will make them happy. Really, the first person that was converted under my ministry at Westminster chapel that I know about, uh, was a man by the name of Jay Michaels. Jay Michaels was the Los Angeles businessman. He was a Jew, and he was on his way from Los Angeles to Moscow.
He had an office in London and his secretary went to Westminster chapel and she invited Jay Michaels to come and hear me. I didn't know about it for months, but Jay Michaels heard me preach and was converted that night. Well found out about much later, and Jay Michaels and I became friends, uh, took him bone fishing in the Florida keys.
I took me out fishing, we had holidays together, and one day sitting in a key Largo restaurant, Jay Michaels looked at me and said, quote, before I became a Christian, I was a happy man. Hmm. How about that Jay Michael's given his testimony just before the preacher stands up to preach the gospel. Uh, before, I appreciate Marco's comment, give your testimony just before I pray.
Shitty. He said, well, I just want everybody to know before I became a Christian, I was a happy man. Well, they'll all say, Oh, good. I want to be a Christian now this really excites me. Now, Jay Michaels was not complaining. He was stating a fact his wife wouldn't convert his son. You might like to know. His son is Al Michaels, the sportscaster.
You hear him on TV all the time as Al Michael. That's Jason. He wouldn't convert. And so Jai Michael said before I became a Christian, I was a happy man. He's not complaining. But he found out that not all will be saved just because he was, uh, how would you like to hear the, the testimony of the apostle Paul?
The subject is what Christianity has done for me. You want to hear it? Here's the deal. Here's Paul's testimony. You ready? It's his, his, his own words. Um. Two Corinthians 11. He says, countless beatings. Oh, really? Paul? Well, I want to be a Christian now. This sounds wonderful. Uh, he says often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews, the 40 lashes less one.
Oh. Oh, really? Paul? Where do I sign up? I can't wait three times. I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned three times, I was shipwrecked a night and a day I was a drifted. See, frequent journeys in danger from rivers and dangers from robbers. Danger from my own people. Danger from Gentiles, danger from the city.
Danger from false brothers. He said, hungry and thirsty. Many a sleepless night. You have trouble sleeping. Pollster that that's me. He says, without food, hungry and thirsty.
this is Paul. You said, well, they didn't tell me this when I became a Christian, but Paul has taken this suffering with both hands, and so he wants to talk about the privilege of suffering. Why is it a privilege? Well, as we saw so much suffering has been allocated to the body of Christ, uh, suppose you were told by your bank that if you will go to the bank Monday morning, a certain amount of money has been allocated to you.
You think you'd go claim it. Okay. I think you would. Now we're told so much suffering has been allocated to the body of Christ and some people will claim it. Would you? What if so much suffering has been allocated to you? Would you welcome it? Well, all should it be given to someone else? If you don't complain it well.
Paul has determined, or God has, that so much suffering is allocated to the body of Christ and those who reject it lose an opportunity. You see, some people get more suffering than others. Uh. And if you get more according to Paul, you should rejoice because to whom much is given shall much be required.
The greater the suffering, the greater the annointing, the greater the anointing, the greater the suffering. And this is what Paul is saying. Well, there's a verse that whenever I read it, I could hardly keep from coming to tears. It's acts chapter five verse 41 it refers to Peter and John. They were brought before the Sanhedrin.
The satin Haven is made up of Sadducees and the theorists seas, and they told Peter and John, stop teaching in the name of Jesus, and they were beaten. They were flogged and then they departed from the council. I can imagine that inside the Sadducees and the Pharisees were saying, well, we won't have to worry about them anymore.
We taught them Alyson, what they couldn't have known. It says acts five 41 that as they departed from the council, Peter and John rejoiced. That they were counted worthy to suffer the shame of his name. Now most people are know that's the last thing they want is to lose their reputation or to suffer the shame of Jesus' name.
And, but Peter and John, they couldn't believe their luck. They had to pitch themselves that they were chosen to suffer the shame of his name. You see, what happened was that a few weeks before Peter denied even knowing Jesus and all the disciples for Suki men fled Matthew 26 and 56 they all forsook him and they felt so ashamed and Peter felt horrible.
And he said to himself, if God will give me one more chance, I want to show that I won't be ashamed. And I'm asking a question, is there somebody here? Is there you don't need to volunteer or raise your hand. I'm not doing that, but is there someone here you let God down at some point. You let him down and then you come to yourself and you wake up and you're think, I can't believe I let the Lord down like that.
And you begin to say, Lord, give me another chance. Let me show you that I won't let you down this time. I have no doubt. That's what Peter went through after denying Jesus, he felt horrible. He got a second chance. He's before the Sanhedrin. They tell him no more preaching this name, and when they departed from the council, you can read it.
41 they couldn't believe their luck that they're actually getting to suffer again. This time they're not going to let the Lord down this time. They were rejoicing that they were counted worthy. To suffer the shame of his name. And if there's someone here today, you're going through a trial. Now God's given you another chance to show this time.
You won't complain, murmur, but instead you will count it joy and say, Lord, this time I'm not going to let you down. I have a theory. It goes something like this. The higher the profile here below the less in heaven, or to put it another way, the lower the profile here below, the greater in heaven. Let's picture this.
We're standing now countless millions. Is it the judgment seat of Christ? And we're told that you're going to wait until your name is called and we think who's going to be named first? Will it be Moses? Will it be Abraham a little bit? Paul, will it be Billy Graham?
The name goes out, Yvette cutter, that cutter. Anybody know by that? That covered, but here, but the name, well, this, the lady says, that's my name. They said, well, he's calling you, go, go. And so she goes, he stands before Jesus and he looks at her and said, Yvette. We saw you in Gordon hospital in London. We know about the way your husband treated you.
We know about your poverty. We know about your bipolar disease. We saw you suffering, but we saw that you praise the Lord it at all. You see, I tell this because our Virginia Westminster chapel, I read into one afternoon, he said, I just came back from Gordon hospital to see Yvette and I went in. I said, how are you doing, Yvette?
And she was crying, but she said, I've been just sitting here praising the Lord. Because dr Kendall said that when we suffer, we should just praise the Lord, and I've just been sitting here praising the Lord and so she would live known that once you stand before Jesus, he says, you didn't realize we were all watching you.
Ribet you dignify the trial well done. Well done. And the day will come. You will be so thankful because the trial is passing. It may seem like it's lasting forever, but we're going to stand before him. At that moment. It will mean everything. My own mother, when she was a teenager. Sat at the feet of a 90 year old lady who would gather the teenagers around her, and they remember the stories that the 90 year old would tell.
And one day this 90 year old lady said to the teenagers, said, boys and girls, I've been a Christian so long now that I can hardly tell the difference between a blessing. At a trial
one day. You will say there's purpose in it. All the angels are watching to see whether you'll complain or you count it. Joy. I know it's not easy, but honor him. If you are one of those, you let God down. You say no more this time. I want to dignify this trial, and yet you see, we don't always get recognition.
I don't suppose anybody here will have heard of Henry Morrison. Henry Morrison, he was a missionary to Africa a hundred years ago. At the time, Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt was president. Henry Morrison was a missionary in Africa and he served the Lord. He's a Baptist missionary, serve the Lord for 40 years.
One day he wrote a couple of his friends and said, we're coming home and we're going to be sailing into in New York Harbor on a certain date. Well. The time came as the ship is coming into the Harbor, lo and behold, a band is playing and he said to his wife, they shouldn't have done this. Oh, they've gone out there making a fuss over us.
They shouldn't have done this, and they got their bags ready. They were going to be first in the queue, and when the ship stopped. As he started to go down the gangplank, a policeman said, stop here, sir. Oh, he put his bags down. It turns out that president theater Roosevelt was on the same ship. He had been game hunting in Africa for three weeks.
The bad was for him and Morrison. His wife, as it turned out, were left off the ship. And as he got down and the gang pike, and they put their bags down, they looked
nobody to mate. They make their way to a hotel three blocks away. Third rate hotel. Henry Morrison falls across the bed and says, God. I serve you for 40 years in Africa and I come home and there's nobody here. President Roosevelt game hunts for three weeks. He comes home and a band plays for him. Then he heard the Holy spirit say, but you're not home yet.
Paul said, I reckon that the sufferings of this present world do not compare with the joy that will follow. And so the most natural thing in the world is to complain when the going is rough. You think how long, how long, how long, but the voice comes back not long. God is never too late. He's never too early.
He was always just on time. And so Joe passed, okay. And God was pleased. And so if you're in a trial today, the angels are watching, God is watching. It's given to us not just to believe on it, but to suffer for his sake. Though he slay me, yet will I trust him? So are you suffering today? Take it with both hands.
It won't be long. Shall we pray? Thank you, heavenly father, that you're not finished with us yet.
we accept the greater the suffering, the greater the responsibility to whom much is given Shawmut's be required. Grant us in this moment to accept that you know what you're up to on the day will come. We will thank you. Apply this word by your Holy spirit. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Embracing Trials
The Book of Colossians
November 3, 2019 • RT Kendall
Tithing
November 4, 2018 • RT Kendall
Now I want to speak to you as if you knew nothing. Maybe you know everything about it, but I'm going to say to myself, there's somebody out there that's never heard this ever, and so that's going to be so simple that you might feel insulted. But that way every person will get it. You know, the French atheist Voltaire said, when it comes to money, everybody's of the same religion. Really. John Wesley said the last part of a person to be converted is his pocketbook or wallet. Well, here's what I'm preaching on today. If you earn a dollar, a dime is the Lords, because the Bible says the time is the Lords. That's the principle. It's his already. He puts you on your honor to give him 10 cents and you live on the rest. If you make $100,000 a year, 10,000. Is the Lord's, and God's is live on 90,000 if you make a million, then 100,000 is the Lords and you live on the 900,000 that's the principle he puts you on, your honor to give to you or to him what he gave to you. And my father who taught me to tide, used to say, son, if you live on the 90% you'll find it goes as far as the a hundred percent you started with. He says, I think it even goes further. This is my dad, a layman now. My first job was when I was 10 years old. I sold grit. Magazine. Anybody here old enough to know grit comes out of Williamsport, Pennsylvania? Well, my father said it was his first job and what was good enough for him was good enough for me. And he said, but he wrote to grit and says, you've got to be 10 years old. Before you can sell grit on my 10th birthday, I want you to know we got a letter from them and they agreed. So I don't know how many little papers we ordered, but I went all over the neighborhood my first week and sold all my copies, came back and sat at the dining room table. I remember it as though it was yesterday. We put all the money down, how much money we had to send to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and I had earned a dollar and there were all the dimes and nickels on the table, and my father put his finger on a dime and said, this, my son is the Lords. I said, this is mine. No. Archie, this is the Lords. I said, no, this is mine. I earned it. I want it. I'm sorry son. This is the Lords. That was my introduction to this subject. My dad won. God won. I won. And that was the way I was introduced. I had a headstart. I had a head start, so when I came to Westminster chapel, I found out that British Christians don't ties. They don't, Nope. Not bother with it. I think a few exceptions, some in the salvation army did, some Pentecostals did, but by and large, church of England was unthinkable. After my book came out, there was a very prominent Anglican layman who wrote an article against my book in a major magazine. And here was his argument. He said, all of my money is gods, all his gods. And he says, but tie this just the beginning. You don't need a tie. The J that's just the beginning about, you know, if I ever met that man, I'd love to find out if he actually, if God gets that ties. Cause he says, that's the beginning. It turns out a few months later I met him and he actually later became a good friend. And this is the funny thing, when I got to know him very well, I said, by the way that article you wrote. Well, you said that the title is just the beginning. I said, can I ask you a question? Can you show that you've got receipts that at least you do give a tithe to the Lord? He looked at her straight and it looked at the sky and he looked at me. He says, no, I don't give that much. And yet his article influenced many cause that's what they want to hear. That's what people love that, Oh, it's all of my money's gods. And they don't realize there's a divine plan. And, uh, but fortunately, uh, we overruled and, uh, people began to buy my book. One Anglican layman bought copies of tithing for all of his parish. And the income of that church doubled in two months, and it's just as simple as that, that people need to be taught. Well, here I am coming here 13 years later. I feels stupid, but this is what I'm supposed to do now. Confession. Shortly after Louisa and I got married. Yeah. We were in debt. It's not her fault. I had bought a bunch of stuff in those days. I didn't know how to handle money. I bought a new Edsel, I bought an airplane, I bought stereo stuff, and I was in debt. And then, you know, we got married and people said, well, can't you wait. All right? You're, you're like, you're rushing things. Well, in those days, you know, we thought Jesus was coming soon and I'd waited a long time. And, uh, it's what you're thinking. So we got married, and because I was so deep in debt, I said, the most spiritual thing I can do is to pay my debts. And so God will understand so I didn't ties. And when I get the debt, all our debts paid, then I'll start tiving. A year later we were in deeper debt. Two years later, deeper debt. One day I, I was so discouraged that I came into the house where we were living and. A Bible that my grandma had bought us for wedding present was on the table and the it was open and I thought, I am going to walk over to that Bible. And believe that God was going to give me a word. I was so discouraged. I was so discouraged because I was working at a salesman and didn't make a sale that day or the day before, and I promise you, I walked over to the table and my eyes fell on these very words. Will a man Rob God, verse eight, yet you are robbing me. But how have we robbed you? Answer in your ties and contributions. You're under a curse. I close that Bible and let 'em turn on the TV that we owed for as the Lord. I wanted some encouragement, robbing God. What that means is if I make $10,000 a year. And I give God 500 I've, I've robbed him of 500 because he should get a thousand if you make a million and you give him 50,000 U S you've robbed him of 50,000 and here's the problem with many of us, when we have major incomes, we always think, you know, ah, I'm given more than anybody else. If everybody gave as much as I did, the church would have a lot of money. I have found out something in my ministry. I wish this weren't true. When I was pastor of Lauderdale manners Baptist church in Fort Lauderdale years ago, on a particular Monday, the church treasurer said, RT, would you watch the money? I've got to make an Aaron and uh, I'll come back. And so there was on the table, the money and all the checks. I did something I shouldn't have done. Sometimes I wish I hadn't, but I did it. I went and looked at every check and I found out that those that had the biggest incomes in the church were not tithing at all, but the divorces, the widows. The single parents, they were all tithing. This is amazing. The people that really could use the money, they're tithing. Those who had it will say, well, if everybody gives as much as I do, they'll, the church would be better off. They miss it. They miss it. They forget about when the widow with her little Mike, you know, she didn't know Jesus was watching and Jesus was watching what she gave and it hurt her and she gave it because she gave everything she had. Well question, why don't Christians tied some of them? Why don't they number one reason they haven't been taught, this is what I learned. They haven't been taught. It's not that they're rebellious, they just have, they don't see it. They don't get it. And so I decided at Westminster chapel, it was funny, I was preaching through the book of Jonah, uh, and I hadn't decided whether to stay and, uh, we were kind of on a six month time because I didn't want to go back to America. Then the Westminster chapel said, preach here for six months. And, and I thought, well. Okay. But I could tell after a few weeks people were coming, please, you will stay. Don't, don't leave us. And I thought, I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to preach on everything I can think of if they don't like. And then if they talk to them out of calling me, fine, I don't want to come anyway. And I appreciate, I'm tiding right in the middle of the book of Jonah. Yeah. If you want to find something in the Bible, you can find it. If you look hard enough, by the way, that was my first book, Jonah and a book reviewer. You might've know, you know, what is it? What do you suppose dr Kendall found tithing in the book of Jonah and I left it in by my book, Joanie. You'll see it in there. I found a little loophole where I could bring it in because what I was doing, I was wanting to say everything. Yet. I'm not call me, and they still called me and I, I preached on it regularly, 25 years later when they all came to say goodbye at a final meeting, farewell meeting, 2000 people showed up and the gallery is full. Westminster chapel. They filed by to say goodbye. I was amazed. People who said, and by the way, thank you for teaching us to ties. That's all. It just hadn't been taught. Well, now why is it people don't have time? Here's another reason, because of a misunderstanding of the law, the mosaic law. Now I bet somebody already said, Oh, he's really famila Chi. That's under the law. And I quoted the tie. There's the Lords that's under the law, and because we're not under the law, and by the way, we are not under the law. It's true. You're not under the law. And because we're not under the law, people say, see there, you don't have to tie it. And they're right. Totally right. You don't have to. It doesn't help you get to heaven. It might even hurt your chances of getting to heaven if you ties. How could that be? Because if you think it helps. If you think it helps, it hurts because you're trusting in your works. So tithing doesn't get you to heaven and tithings under the law. So he said there though, you don't have to do it and you're right. You don't have to. Let's make that very clear. You don't have to do this. Well then why do it? I can tell you the first tither was Abraham. You read it in Genesis chapter 14. His nephew. Lucked, did a stupid thing. He pitched his tent towards Sodom as another story. I won't go into that, but he was now in all kinds of trouble and a lot God in a crossfire between five Kings and he was about to lose it all. They, they kidnapped him and his family and Abraham, uncle Abraham heard about it, and Abraham was a wealthy man. And had 318 strong men and they defeated all five Kings and then a mysterious figure called metal kiss. Huddick King of Salem shows up, and Abraham gave one 10th of the spoil to milk is a deck that was the origin of tithing. Abraham was the first titer. How did Abraham know to give one 10th. That's the question. He was led by the Holy spirit. That's the pattern. That's the pattern that he wouldn't have known to give him a 10th that was the pattern will now the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they were tithers. 400 years later, the law comes in. Now you need to understand if I had. A screen and I could, uh, uh, draw a parenthesis for you. You need to know that the law was a parenthesis. It came in, in 1300 BC. Abraham lived in 1700 BC, 1300 BC. The law came in and for the next 1300 years, that's how long the law was enforced. A parenthesis. And then when Jesus died on the cross, it eclipses that parenthesis and we're back to Abraham. And so when you read Romans Abraham justified by faith, Abraham was given the gospel. Galatians three eight Abraham is our model. He did what he did voluntarily, and he became wealthier than ever. Now, my dad always said, son, you cannot outgive the Lord. And if you live on the 90% you'll see it'll go as far as the a hundred percent and he says, I think it goes further. Well, we didn't tie us when we first got married, and then the day came, I said to my wife, Louis. We're going to start tithing still in debt, deep in debt. We started tithing. After a few weeks, we started double tithing. We didn't get out of debt two days. It took about two years if you want to know, but I've been a tither now for 56 years. For 60 years. Uh, we've been married for 56. We've been a tither. I am financially strong. We don't owe anything on our home. Pay cash for a car. I bought a home for our son. I'm not a multimillionaire, but I've got all I need. My dad was never rich, but he had enough. Now, there are those who will preach this. You know, the God wants you rich. That's not true. He does want some rich. There are those that can handle money, and if I figure I could handle it, he'd make me rich, but I'm okay. I'm happy, but this is what I have to tell you. The reason people don't, tat first, they haven't been taught. Secondly, they don't understand the price of the law because we're back to Abraham and you do what you do out of gratitude. It's a way of saying thank you. Thank you, and. Ever since we retired, I've gone back to double tithing. I actually double tile now I live on 80% it's okay. You don't have to do that, but I'm telling you, it's true. You cannot out give the Lord, but by the way, there is one other reason that people don't die. You know what it is because they're stubborn. They're stingy, and you actually have those who say, you know, it's not the money. It's the principle. Uh, we say back in the Hills of Kentucky, whenever anybody ever says, that ain't the money. It's the principle. It's the money. O S Hawkins, who became WEA Criswell successor, first Baptist church. Dallas put it like this. The principal hindrance to the advancement of the kingdom of God is greed. It is the chief obstacle to heaven sent revival. It seems that when the back of greed is broken, the human spirit soars into regions of unselfishness. I believe it is safe to say that there can be no continuous revival without hilarious giving. It's really the Greek meaning of the word means hilarious and I fear no contradiction. Wherever there is, hi, Larry's giving. There will soon be revival says O S Hawkins. Now, why tithes three reasons. One, what it will do for the kingdom of God. I said to the church of England, by the way, the Archbishop of Canterbury finally endorsed my book Archbishop of Canterbury as like the Pope. He adores my book. And I, I used to say to them, if everybody would ties, you're going to have more money than you've ever had in your life. There are those who give directly to the missionaries. No. Give it to the church. Let the church give them, give it to them. There'll be more missionaries to give it to. A church becomes wealthy if everybody will, will ties. Well. People will then say, well, what does it mean? Uh, give it, uh, bring all the tithe into the storehouse. What's the storehouse? Ask any rabbi. It's the local synagogue is the local church. And so I'm a member of first Baptist church, uh, hitters, Seville, Tennessee. I pay my tithes to my church. I'm almost never there. I mailed it in. It's a local church above the ties I give to the Gideons Billy Graham Jews for Jesus above the tithe. That's what I do. Put my ties I give to the local church and it's just something I want you to pray about what it will do for the work of God. If every Christian on the planet would tie them, that would be money, money, money to give to the poor, to India, to Pakistan. Well, another reason to tie what it does for God. What did he do? What does he do for God? Oh, makes him happy. Honors him. Glorifies him. You wanted to glorify God in your worship today. By the way, the change I've seen over the years, coming back once a year, it was beautiful this morning. It's good. You see? Well, that's enough. Well, you can praise him also by your giving. It honors him. I want to do what honors him and that's why you do it. And I'll tell you another thing. When I tied to my local church in Hendersonville, I don't see it as giving to the church. It's giving to God. It's giving to God. If I thought I was giving to the church, I wouldn't do it. But it's giving to him and I want to give where I think the people honor God. And uh, I give to James Dobson. I give to bill Wilson and Brooklyn, his church largest son is going to the world. He re he reaches poor kids above the, I do that. But by tie this to the local church and it brings honor to God. And then there's one other reason, and I put this third, but some people would put it first. You know what? That is what it will do for you. What do you mean? Well, two things. First of all, what it will do for you spiritually. Now I know what I'm talking about. You wanting to grow spiritually, you have no idea the connection between tithing and your spirituality. When I was at Lauderdale manners, I've referred to a while ago what a member there, his name was Bob Walker, and he knew I preached on tie. They said to a pastor, I give $5 a week and that's enough, and if everybody gave five, we don't have enough money. I said, okay. I didn't argue. Several months later. He's the guest. What Connie and I started tithing. Well, good. Glad to hear that. He said, guess what? You tell me we haven't missed it. That was his testimony. It didn't say we bought a Mercedes last week. He just said, we haven't missed it. He said, I was so sure that we taught it was going to hurt us. They have it listed. That was his testimony. But then the next thing you know, Paul Walker started coming to church on Sunday nights. We had certain denied services. And what'd you believe? He started coming on Wednesday night. Eventually he became a deacon. The way he grew spiritually, it was amazing, but there's a another reason. And I could have put this first. The health and wealth preachers on TV would have put this first. I'll put it last, but it is there. Since Paul, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Each one must give, and not of our being reluctant or under compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver. It comes from a Greek word means hilarious, hilarious. Giving. That's what what it means, and it goes on to say, God is able to make all grace abound to you so that you have everything for everything you need. This is what God does for just honoring this principle and you cannot out give the Lord a guarantee. It I can. I would go to the stake for what I'm preaching today. The reason I use that phrase, I had this friend in South Africa who he had a an interest in ecclesiology. Uh, I mean, dr another church whose other, our puzzles are profits and he's in ecclesiology and every time we'd have lunch, do you want to talk about his ecclesiological views? And I said, let me ask you a question. Would you go to the stake for your ecclesiology? He said, no, I don't think I would. I said, well, then start preaching what you'd go to the steak for. The time is short. We don't have time. You talk about everything else. And uh, he said, thank you. I don't know if it changed him or not, but I don't have time to go into things that people are going to debate about. Nightclub. You probably will debate about this, but I know what I say is true. God puts you on your honor, and it's your way of saying thank you. I was named after our T Williams, general superintendent church of the Nazarene. Uh, by the way, Brenton Ruth and I, we kinda bonded, you know, two or three years ago, because they used to be Nazarenes don't, did you know that. You did. Excuse me. I'm sorry. I asked you. I knew what would happen. Oh dear. There goes the address to the time I was named after our T Williams, my father's favorite preacher. He told this story. He told this story. A man in the church of the Nazarene made $1 million and gave 100,000. To the church and had receipts to show it went bankrupt later and his relatives and all these cynical friends. Well, bet you wish you hadn't given that $100,000 to the church. Oh, he said that's the only amount I kept. You get it. In heaven. I had, I spent that hundred thousand they would've gone without with a million, but by giving a ties to the church, at least I kept that. You see, that's the point. You're not giving it to a church. You're giving it to God. And I referred to WEA Criswell hall ago. He tells this story. Someone asked his pastor, how many members in your church? He said, a 300 300 members. How many of your members ties? He said, a 300 what do you mean 300 members in 300 tide? He said, yep. He said, about a hundred of them give it voluntarily and God takes it from the rest. Your car breaks down, you go on a debt, you know God doesn't get it. Give me what is his, I'm about finished. You'll be pleased to know you've heard of John Bunyan? He wrote Pilgrim's progress. Progress. Thank you. He wrote a poem that you never heard it. There was a man. Some called him mad. The more he gave, the more he had sermons finished. But wait, don't clap. No version. I was pretty sure he was in Durham, South Africa. The pastor asked me to, so I did. And. I thought, how am I going to end this sermon? No, it wouldn't be right to say how many times or how many we'll start after this. That would show they weren't doing it. Well. You could have all those that will tie the stand. You can't do that because those who don't stand a feel embarrassed. I thought it's one way to end this sermon, and I did. It's where I'm going to end this one question. Do you know for sure. That if you were to die today, would you go to heaven? That's the question. Some of you remember I met Yasser Arafat. We became friends and I didn't know what ever see him a second time, so I thought, I'll never get back, so I'm going to get it over right now. I said, well, EES, where will you be 100 years from now? So, you know, 100 years from now, it won't make any difference whether you get Jerusalem or the Israelis get Jerusalem, where will you be? I thought he would throw me out. I visited him five times. In my book. It ain't over till it's over, which I dedicated to bill and Vivian. I tell why y'all say Arafat. I expect to see him in heaven. Don't want to go into that now. But I asked you this question, what will you be a hundred years from now? And if you were to stand before God, you will. And he were to ask you. He might, why should I let you into my heaven? Whatever would you say, suppose we passed out sheets of paper when you came in and, and I'm asking you now, get out that sheet of paper. Get out your pen. I want you to go along with me in your mind, in your mind. Imagine you've got a sheet of paper there. Write down in your mind on that sheet of paper your answer to the question. What would you say to God. If he said to you, why should I let you in? Suppose it with a real thing. You're standing there, and by the way, when you do, you'll be alone. You'll be all by yourself. People say, if I go to hell, I'll have a lot of company. You won't be aware of anybody else. It'd be as though you're the only one who would be a lonely eternity. Now you're standing before God and and you, you don't have anybody to whisper the answer to you, coach you. Here's what you're supposed to say. This. No musky you, what would you say? God says, why should I let you in? There's only one answer and you give the wrong answer. You have to go someplace else. Don't go there. So what would you say everybody had time now, uh, pass your sheets to the end of the row and bring them forward and half got here. A lot of sheets of paper. Uh, I don't know that this would represent Island church, but if it were typical church, here's an answer. Um, I've tried to live a good life. I would say to you, good for you, but you're lost. Here's another, uh, I was brought up in a Christian home. Well done. That means you've got a headstart that won't save you. Oh, here's another, I was baptized. Sorry, but you're lost. Where's another, I was baptized by a Baptist preacher. You'll lost as a goose. Here's another, I keep the 10 commandments. Well, you are a liar for one thing. Here's another, I've kept the sermon on the Mount. You're a bigger liar. Well, here's another who says, I've done my very, very best and I would have to say to you, sir, ma'am, I'm so sorry, but you're lost, but our team, what more can you do, but you do your best? I said, you don't seem to understand. Your best will never be good enough because you don't understand the perfection of all mighty God. The whole is nothing unclean shall enter there and you don't have to Rob a bank to be a sinner. You don't have to be a an evil man to be a sinner. Jealousy is sin. Pride is sin. Gossip is sin. Do you only sit in three times a day? You'd be a walking angel. That's a thousand sins a year. 70,000 in a lifetime. Fiona, in one time you're out one sin. You don't have a chance. Well, Archie, how does anybody get in flood? You asked, this is why God sent his son into the world. Made under the law. To redeem those that were under the law. He kept the law for you. His parents kept the law for him. He was circumcised the eighth day. Then when he's of age, he was even bad ties for you. Did you ever realize that this is why you don't have to be a baptize to get to heaven? He was baptized for you. That's why Jesus said to John the Baptist, you baptize me. Just fulfill righteousness. He was baptized for you. He kept the law for you. And when he died on the cross it seconds before he died, he says, it's finished. It means I've finished the work God gave me to do. But tetelestai a Greek word translates, it has finished, happens to be a colloquial expression in the ancient marketplace and said, paid in full. So Jesus paid your debt. He kept the law for you. Did you live the Holy life for you? Baptized for. That's how you get to heaven when you give up any hope in your personal righteousness. Put all of your eggs in the basket in one basket. Jesus died question three minutes ago. Want to ask you to fill out what you would say to God on that sheet of paper if you did not write in that sheet of paper. Because Jesus died for me or the equivalent because of the blood of Jesus. If you didn't write that, we'd want to be in your shoes for anything in the world, but that can all change. Now, the reason I'm talking to you like this, tithing, what will get you to heaven? I'm telling you now before I close, what will. That's when you give up any hope in your baptism. Good works, righteous life. Put all of your eggs, you transfer the trust you had in good works to what Jesus did for you on the cross. And if you, if you gave the wrong answer while ago, we can sort that out right now. I'm going to give you a prayer to pray. Say it. If you mean it, don't say it out loud. Don't even need to close your eyes. God will see your heart in your heart. If you need to pray this. Say this, Lord Jesus, I need you. I want you. I'm sorry for my sins. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Wash my sins away by your blood. I welcome your Holy spirit into my heart as best as I know how I give you my life. That's it. Did you pray that prayer. I have no idea. I just, I'd be willing to forgive this expression. I'd be willing to bet if somebody did. The question is, are you ashamed that you prayed it? What do you ask their Archie? Well, because Jesus said, if you're ashamed of me, I'll be ashamed of you. Jesus said, if you confess me before men, I'll confess you before my father. If you prayed that prayer, I'm going to ask you to do something. You may have said, I would never thought in a thousand years I will do it, but in 30 seconds from now, not yet. Not yet, but in 30 seconds from now, if you prayed that prayer, I'm going to ask you to stand up right where you are. That's all. Just stand up in 25 seconds, you say in front of all these people. Yep. Jesus said, if you confess me before men. I'll confess you before my fault. I'm not going to ask you to make his speech just standing. That's good enough. Five, four, three, two, one. If you pray that prayer, stand up right now. Does it go all over the place? Stay standing now. Here's I want to say, just stay standing them. I'm going to have you standing for a minute or more, but not much. This to me is a seal on my sermon. You see, I didn't ask you to stand. If you want to ties, I'd rather have this than you've promised. The ties cause tie. They won't save you, but this will now two kinds of people that are standing right now. One, you are saved before today. But when I gave the gospel as I did, you just took it with both hands and you did the right by stand right thing by standing. But I wouldn't be surprised if there's somebody here. You never actually prayed a prayer like that or stood and confessed Christ openly. If that's you, the Bible says you've just been born again, so to you, I say, happy birthday.
