THE TRUE STORY OF DANNY SIMPSON

· 24 years old; Robbed a bank in Ottawa, Canada at gunpoint

· Robbed the bank for $6,000 (captured)

· REAL TRAGEDY… Used a 1918, 45 caliber, semi-automatic colt worth $100,000; Robbed a bank for $6,000 with a $100,000 weapon

· Danny did not know what he had in his hand

· If he had known what he had in his hand, he would not have had to be a thief because what he had in his hand would have given him so much more

GENEROUSITY IN GIVING IS THE VALUABLE WEAPON IN OUR HAND THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO DEPEND ON ANYTHING ELSE TO MEET OUR NEEDS

Malachi 3:6-10 (NIV)

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Ø CHRISTIANESE: Tithe means 10 – God says the first 10% belongs to HIM, and IT IS HOLY UNTO THE LORD

Ø $1,000 per month - $100 TITHE = OBEDIENCE

Ø Anything above the Tithe is AN OFFERING = GIVING

o FIRST LESSON IN BIBLICAL FINANCIAL PROSPERITY IS ALWAYS OBEDIENCE

Ø You ARE NOT under a curse because God needs your money; God says the people are UNDER A CURSE BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE

The Background Story

· Living in a time of drought, pestilence and a lack of rain

· Living under a closed heaven because of their disobedience and lack of honor

· The world was not their problem… HEAVEN WAS THEIR PROBLEM

IMMEASURABLY MORE PRINCIPLES [Money Principles for the Believer]

· Real FINANCIAL PROSPERITY includes SOUL TRANSFORMATION

· God’s command… RETURN TO ME!

o God is not saying… “Give Me My Money Back”

o God IS saying… “Get back in line with MY COMMANDS FOR YOUR LIFE, MY PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE… START OBEYING AGAIN!

ERRONEOUS THINKING/TEACHING ABOUT TITHING

Tithing is Old Testament Teaching and under the Law

· Melchizedek existed before the Law was given in Genesis 14

· Abraham wanted to show his gratitude to God for the victory God gave so he gave a tithe (10%) to Melchizedek

· Before the law, the tithe was given to show gratitude for the provision of God

· Hebrews 7:11-18 establishes that Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek

o Jesus is the continuation of that priesthood

1. WE GIVE so that we ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HONOR, RESPECT, and REVERENCE God as the Lord of our life

Deuteronomy 14:23 (NLT)

Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.

2. WE GIVE as an EXPRESSION OF OUR GRATITUDE… we celebrate the 90% that He allows us to keep

1 Corinthians 10:26 (NIV)

for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

· 90% Commission Rate on Obedience

3. WE GIVE because it TEACHES US TO TRUST GOD – Faith (Hebrews 11:6)

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

· God is our SOURCE… EVERYTHING ELSE IS A RESOURCE

· Do not treat the RESOURCE as the SOURCE… or it will control you!

· If the resource dries up or changes then our SOURCE will find us another RESOURCE

4. We GIVE because it is THE KEY TO GENERATIONAL BLESSING (aka Legacy)

Ø We know about and believe in [GENERATIONAL CURSES]

o What are we really saying… the bad choices that you make will not only affect you, but your children and your children’s children and generations to come… What about your Godly decisions!

Ø If my bad decisions affect generations… then how much more will my Godly, good decisions affect generations as well [GENERATIONAL BLESSING]

o Godly decisions affect my life, my children, my children’s children and their children for generations to come!

2 Samuel 7:11-13 (NIV) God’s Promise to David

…“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I Kings 11:9-13 (53 years after David has died)

· Solomon is being rebellious, Prophet comes to Solomon… God says I would destroy you if it were not for the promise I made to your father David

1 Kings 15:1-5 (86 years after David has died)

Abijam is disobeying God but God refuses to remove him because of the promise He made to your father David

2 Kings 8:16-19 (156 years after David has died)

Jehoram did evil in the sight of the Lord, But because of the promise I made to your father David, I will keep the light on in this house for generations to come

2 Kings 19:34-37 (313 years after David has died)

Hezekiah, one of David’s relatives is in trouble and the Lord sends an angel and kills 186,000 men in one night and the Lord says it is because of the promise He made to David

[GENERATIONAL BLESSING IN THE HILL HOUSE…]

Ø Our CHILDREN are perfect… (kidding); They have honored us!

Ø Tithing at Crenshaw Christian Center (Allowance $20 - $2 Tithe)

o 2 Amazon Future Engineers Scholarship Winners

o National ROTC Scholarship Winner… GOAL: Out of college Debt Free

o Gabriel – I want to see the White House at Christmas

5. We GIVE because we DEMONSTRATE THE LOVE OF GOD FOR PEOPLE THROUGH OUR GENEROSITY

[END WEEK 2 OF THIS SERIES…]

IMMEASURABLY MORE is an effort to meet two specific goals:

PRIMARY GOAL - 100% Participation

We want every person who calls Agape Church their church home to be a part of IMMEASURABLY MORE. Now is the time that we come together, in even greater unity, around advancing this vision and mission.

IMPACT & OPPORTUNITY GOAL - $75,000 (OBEDIENCE & GENEROSITY)

We are trusting Him to move through His people to invest over their existing, tithe of obedience over the next 51 Days to accomplish the vision He has given us.

IMMEASURABLY MORE three targeted areas of impact:

· $15,000 – Extra Mortgage Payment (Debt Reduction)

· $48,000 – Finish Painting Auditorium & FLC Buildings & PA System Update (Stewardship)

· $12,000 – A Water Well for Bomet, Kenya (Generational Gospel Impact - Legacy)

$75,000 – IMMEASURABLY MORE GOAL BY DECEMBER 31, 2025