Bible Text: Malachi 3:6-10 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Stewardship
Change is everywhere
BUT there is One whom change cannot affect; One whose heart, thoughts, purpose can never change — I am the Lord, I change not
Malachi 3:6-10 For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed…
This message is all about TRUST!
God LOVES His people
Malachi 1:2 I have loved you, says the Lord…
Israel stopped TRUSTING in the Lord.
The fact is that partial disobedience is total disobedience and a lack of trust in the Lord
1 Corinthians 10:6-8 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did…
Malachi 3:7-11 I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
These verses are a the contrast of obedience to disobedience and the consequences that result from our neglect of God’s life principles and a lack of trust in the Lord
So God spoke to the people in Malachi 1:6-2:9 dealing with their attitude of disrespect and distrust (1:6) that led to a profaning of the offerings (1:7-14)
Malachi 1:6-8
If we say to the Lord I love you but then we do not TRUST HIM, RESPECT HIM AND HIS WORD we are living a contradiction
James 2:15 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Israel was accused of being a thief, stealing from the Lord
Failure to support the temple’s ministry was considered equal to robbing God Himself
Malachi 3:8-12 Will a person rob God? Yes, you’re robbing him. You ask, How do we rob God? In tithes and offerings you are robbing God…Bring the whole tithe into my  storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD.
God establish several excellent money management practices:
Tithing a tenth (10%) of our income
Supporting the ministry of your worship center
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple
The key principle is TRUST!
Learning to simply TRUST IN GOD!
Either we trust God and follow His guidelines for handling money or not.
Our entering into a trust relationship with God means we willingly acknowledge by our tithe that everything we have is God’s.
The Lord is very specific in the way we are to give:
We are to bring all our tithes and offerings into His storehouse Malachi 3:8-12
We are to bring our gifts on a regular basis – 1 Corinthians 16:2
We are to bring our gifts joyfully – 2 Corinthians 9:7; 8:2
Integrity with our money
Malachi 3:10-12 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the LORD of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
God invites people to try Him (Try me now, examine, prove, scrutinize, test, try the heart of God.)—to verify His commitment with your giving.
He says that by withholding our giving we rob Him of the privilege of pouring out great and overflowing blessings.
GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU! Blessing: Berakah; praise of God, a gift, a present, a treaty of peace.
Malachi’s question to us: Who is the winner in the God-versus-money battle that rages in our heart?
God says to us, Come and follow ME, I am here to catch you and you will not drown, I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!
Check your:
Heart
Gut
Faith
Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with the first fruits of your harvest.