Tithe and Enterprise
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 05/17/2020
MAY—MY TREASURETITHE AND ENTERPRISE
Foundation Scriptures:
For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. 7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. 13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Malachi 3:6-18 KJV
1. Tithes and Offerings.
a. The tithe is God’s own property (Malachi 3:8).
b. The tithe is holy unto the Lord—it is to be set aside for Him—because it belongs to Him (Leviticus 27:30-32).
c. Offerings are your property (Acts 5:1-4).
d. Tithing is bringing to God (Malachi 3:10).
e. Offering is giving to God (Mark 10:21).
f. Luke 6:38 KJV—Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
g. Tithing is for past or present harvest.
h. Proverbs 3:9 KJV—Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.
i. Offering is for future harvest (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
j. Tithing is for your protection (Malachi 3:11).
k. Offering is for your production (Luke 6:38)
l. Ecclesiastes 11:1 KJV—Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
m. Galatians 6:7 KJV—Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
n. Tithing is a fruit of what has been reaped (Genesis 14:17-20).
o. Offerings are seeds for what is going to be reaped.
p. Proverbs 11:25 KJV—The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
2. Tithe and Enterprise.
a. God will bless the work of your hands.
b. If you don’t work, you won’t have anything to eat.
c. It’s not difficult to be poor—just sit around making excuses and doing nothing.
d. Start where you are.
e. Matthew 25:14-30
f. Talents—1 or 3 or 5—you are responsible to apply them and multiply them.
g. Talents must be multiplied through enterprise.
h. God can only multiply you according to what you do and what you give Him to work with.
i. You and God—working together.
j. Trust in Him, follow His directions, and apply yourself (work).
k. Involve God in your enterprise by honoring Him in everything you put your hand to.
l. You honor Him by your obedience to His principles, and by putting Him first—not last—in every area.
3. Tithe (Ten Percent).
a. The tithe is the first ten percent of your harvest.
b. Your income is your harvest.
c. Tithe off the increase—your profit.
d. You need to have some form of income.
e. Income from faithful, diligent (hard) work and enterprise.
g. Work hard, tithe, and sow seed.
4. Business.
a. Income streams.
b. Have a goal of being your own boss and owning your business.
c. This requires much effort, diligence, and sacrifice on your part.
d. If you put nothing in, you get nothing out.
e. Choose to do something that takes advantage of your strengths.
f. Be teachable and flexible, and willing to learn and grow as a person.