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March 12, 2024
Unlocking Divine Blessings with Each Act of Giving
Uncover the spiritual heartbeat of your finances as we discuss the principles of tithing, and how it's not just about money, but a reflection of our faith.
Grapple with hard-hitting questions about wealth, Christian values, and the messages of Jesus regarding prosperity.
Jesus' miracles themselves were not just demonstrations of power but of divine provision. These lessons frame tithing as an act of trust, a declaration that God's provision transcends economic highs and lows.
This episode isn't just about why we tithe, but about the blessings and inner transformation that come with this act of faith.
Whether you're deciding where to bring your tithes or if you're starting with what little you can, this conversation is about finding your stride in financial faithfulness, and how each act of giving draws us closer to God's unchanging love.
Chapters
00:00 - God's Word on Tithing and Finances
05:05:00 - The Importance of Tithing
19:05:00 - Understanding Tithing and Giving to God
24:51:00 - Tithing Under the New Covenant
38:37:00 - Tithing and Financial Blessings
Transcript
00:00 - Speaker 1
For where your treasure is, there your heart is also. He's saying where your treasure, where your finances are, is a revelation of in which direction your heart is aligned. If all of your treasure goes to you and yourself, now you've identified yourself as somebody who is selfish and you are your own. God and Jesus put this money anointing connection. Man didn't.
00:26 - Speaker 2
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom. That's CityLightNYCcom. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.
01:05 - Speaker 1
Last week I ministered on the Lordship of Christ. Welcome everybody, by the way, and those of you joining us online, welcome to you. As I was ministering, as I was ministering on the Lordship of Christ, I got this week's message. I knew that I would have to preach on this topic, and I'm gonna preach on the topic of the tithe. Look at that overwhelming, resounding. When have you ever heard me take an entire Sunday on just the tithe? Good Lord, did you record the first service? Can you just play that? I'm gonna go catch brunch with my wife and the tithe is something.
01:51
Yes, that's misunderstood and maybe you have this experience. Either typically in church, it's all the pastor ever preaches about and somehow finds its way in every single sermon, or the pastor is afraid and it's never, ever touched on, and so people are consequently robbed. They're robbed because they don't have a revelation on biblical tithing and we have a reputation. This is gonna be our 22nd year here in March that we don't when it comes to finances. We've had 22 years of integrity. We have 22 years of unquestioning integrity and we don't hype the people up, guilt the people, manipulate the people. God has always provided for us. God has been very, very good to us, provided for us so much that we can adopt other missions programs around the world and help other people have outreaches, have in reaches, have people on staff and minister to the people that call city life their home. But I want to get these truths out because if I don't, if I was just to keep silent on this issue, god would hold me accountable amen, for robbing his people. And I don't wanna stand before God and hear him say why did you touch on so many subjects? But you never touched on this subject. Amen, hallelujah. So this sermon is more in a Q and A question and answer format, but the questions have already been asked for you. They're questions that I have compiled over the last couple of decades, of questions that I've often been asked. So are you ready? Amen, god's gonna get you something. I understand I'm the pastor here and a message like this can seem self-serving, but God is gonna minister to you. Amen, amen.
03:44
Number one what is a tithe? That's a fair question. A lot of people don't know. A lot of times people use the term tithe interchangeably with just give. They can rub two nickels, put it in the offering and say I tithe this week. What they really mean is, I gave this week, but a tithe is specific. What is a tithe? One-tenth of your income, that is to be set aside as holy unto him. And let me just say this because we laughed in the first service. It was a different flow.
04:20
Something that I'm dealing with here is we have a lot of spillover too. Double dippers, double dippers I want you to engage. See what's happening here. A lot of double dippers are also double dippers, are close to me, and so you've heard this once before and you want more. So you hear again, but maybe you're not as hungry as you are first service. So I feel like I got to preach over you, but I don't want to skip you guys. What I'm saying is pull on the anointing amen. Yeah, yeah, if you're gonna double dip, be alive and double dip, amen. Where was I even going with that? I had a point before that. Can you help me pass them out? Oh, I was saying there was a different. No, no, I was saying there was a different flow and we were joking in the first service, because I don't mean to make a thing.
05:05
There's lots of guests all over, but you brought a guest and I'm sure there's a lot of other people. This is your first time and maybe you here. You brought a guest. You've been praying all year for your guests to come. They're like man and I laugh because we chuckled. You brought a guest and that always used to happen to me and my dad. I was 16 years old when I became a Christian. My mom came quickly, but my dad? He loved the message of the gospel but he hated anything having to do with it costing him anything. All of a sudden. All of a sudden, his favorite pastor. We would love when he would come to. He would love. But the moment money was brought up, what a crook, what an awful crook. Let me see what kind of car he drives. What a crook, all that's. So I feel for you. If you're a guest, I encourage you to check out our podcasts and our YouTubes and see that we have a very biblically balanced buffet here.
05:58
Amen, of all sorts of topics, but God in his infinite wisdom sought it right and proper to have you here today. Imagine that. So this isn't what we're always talking about, but it is important and we are gonna talk about it because, guess what? Jesus did not shy away from the subject of money. In fact, he talked about it a lot. I have the stats on how much he talked about money.
06:26
He talked about hell, actually twice as much as he did about heaven, but he talked about money, offerings, talents, lands, more than heaven and hell combined. Why? Because money is what you have to deal with while you're on this side of heaven. So why does he have to talk about money? Because you're not in heaven yet. I mean, when you have to pay your mortgage or pay your rent, why don't you write him a letter and say why do you always gotta talk about money? Why does it always be a go to Whole Foods, fill up your whole cart and just walk right out and say why is it always about the money? You guys, you're always talking about money. You can't do that, and Jesus knew that, and so he gave you, in his word, wisdom on how to live a life of abundance, not on barely get along street, because that's not God's will. Somehow, over the centuries, religion got in there and religion did what religion does best, which is bring death and cobwebs. And there's this thought that prosperity and abundance is not of God. Yet you look throughout the scriptures and what you always see is that wherever Jesus goes. What does he bring? Poverty, death, no prosperity and abundance and life. Hallelujah, we talked about was it last week or a couple of weeks ago?
07:51
The wedding in Cana of Galilee and Jesus turned the water into wine. And then it actually tells you how much water he turned into wine. It says six water jugs each containing 20 to 30 gallons of peace. That's anywhere from 120 to 150 gallons of water that was made wine. How big of a wedding was that? I've been to some weddings. I've been to some weddings where wine was served 150 gallons. I don't care if the whole village came out to that wedding, if all of Cana. That was too much wine. What is Jesus saying? This is my style, this is who I am, this is how I do things. I always forgive you.
08:44
Look at any of the providential miracles of Jesus, any single one of them, and you'll find one thing in common it's always more than what was necessary. He always gives too much. When the 5,000 were fed, it says they were fed and I love this part in the Bible and they were full. So you know, you guys know, we're Americans. Some know better than others what it is to walk away from the table full. Those of you who went to Guatemala right. Many times we walked away and, in the most biblical sense, we were full as we waddled back. It says they were all fed and they were full and on top of that, 12 baskets of leftovers were taken up. That's his way, peter. With the miracle catch of fish, the net began to break and the boat began to sink. Peter had a high class problem he got too much fish supernaturally.
09:42
What is Jesus demonstrating here over and over again? That that's what he wants to do in your life. If you will dare to believe God, if you will believe him, quit listening to the voice in your head. Quit doomsday scrolling and hearing about how awful it is out there. I don't care where you are in the world, what country you live in. God showed himself when he caused water to come out of a rock, a flinty, dry rock. It's what he specializes in, amen. And so people around you may not believe it, but you be the wild one who says I'm gonna see it in my life. In fact, I'm seeing it in my life and I'm gonna see more of it in my life, amen. Whew, glad I got that out of my system.
10:23
What is a tithe? The tithe is one tenth of your income that is to be set aside as holy unto him. Thank you, number two here's a good question why 10% A tithe is a tenth? Why 10%? A tenth is indicative of the whole. Look at our numeric system. If you can count to 10, you can count to 100, you can count to 1,000, you can count to a million. If you can count to 10, you can count to any number. So the tenth is indicative of the whole. When you give the tenth, you're saying Lord, you have all of my finances, lord, you have my whole life, hallelujah.
11:05
Number three and aren't you glad that God gave a percentage and not an actual amount? An actual amount wouldn't be fair, but a percentage is fair and when you really think about it, a tenth, it's really not a big ask. We tip our waiters and waitresses 20% without thinking about it. 10% for God should not be. Oh, oh, it's costing me. God's not looking to take anything from you, he's looking to get something to you, amen. Question number three and this is a good one why is tithing important to God? Because the reality is is he doesn't need the money, he's fine all by himself. Why is tithing important to God? Let's look at Matthew 621. I accidentally skipped an important one in the first service that you double dippers and you in the second service will be able to get I don't know how too many jokes, I think and I skipped an important, one important question.
12:21
Here's Jesus, for where your treasure is there, your heart is also. He's saying where your treasure, where your finances are, is a revelation of in which direction your heart is aligned. If all of your treasure goes to you and yourself, now you've identified yourself as somebody who is selfish and you are your own God. And Jesus put this money anointing connection. Man didn't. He said where your treasure is there, your heart will be also. Luke 1611. Therefore, if you have not been faithful again the words of Jesus, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, mammon is money. It's actually been identified in the scriptures. Mammon was the name of a God lower case G of a demon spirit. The money God. It's still the God many people they don't admit it, but they worship today. It's what they think about, it's what they obsess about and it's why it can get very, very uncomfortable in a service like this, because you're messing with people's God.
13:32
I'm having the time of my life preaching this message because I have the word and I'm a tither. But somebody right now is feeling like the ushers came by and snuck coals of fire underneath their chair and they're getting real hot. And also, by the way, I have this habit if you're a guest, I try to look at everyone when I'm preaching at them and a message like this the office gets emails. He was looking right at me. I know he was just looking right, pastor Mowgli. Oh, the stuff that I get accused of. That wasn't even in my head. Like I'm thinking of Jesus right now, his word and I'm having fun, and someone's like he was going through the finances and he was looking right at me. I just know it. I don't know who tithes and who doesn't, unless you tell me there are some big gifts that I'm made aware of, but other than that, I treat everybody as though they were the biggest giver in the church. So if you see me locking eyes at you, it's just because you're so handsome or so beautiful. I'm just drawn to talk to you, but it has nothing other than that. Amen.
14:31
So again back to the scripture. Can you see that there is a connection between finances and the anointing? Because Jesus said if you don't treat money well, who's gonna entrust you the true riches? What are the true riches? The power of God, the anointing, the kingdom of heaven those are the true riches. But he's saying the way you handle money. It's actually indicative of your trustworthiness and your character.
15:00
So when you tithe, you're showing your faith. Listen. When you tithe, you're showing your integrity. When you tithe, you're showing whether he can trust you for more. Imagine asking God for more but you're mishandling what he's already given you. Newsflash more isn't coming. It's not. I know you wanna think you got a powerball mentality and you're thinking your day's just a coming, my ship is coming in. You've never sent the ship out. But oh, lucky number seven, your ship's gonna come in. And you've been found unfaithful with the little. Why would he make you ruler over much? I'm sorry you had to hear it this way. I got nothing but love in my heart, but it would be wrong for me to tell you otherwise. When you tithe, what you're actually doing is you're bending the knee and you're demonstrating headship. You're saying there is a God above and he gets the 10th. You're demonstrating that you have a Lord over your life, that it doesn't all end with you, hallelujah. Every time I tithe I'm demonstrating Lord, you come first and thank God, you didn't ask for the whole thing, you asked for the 10th, which is indicative of the whole, and so he's gonna keep increasing me and keep increasing me, hallelujah.
16:20
I made a decision when I was 16 years old, about two weeks after I got saved, because that's when I learned about tithing. I was working at the Gap. Why are you laughing so hard at that? Because you could see it, because it just sounds like something I would have done right. 1992, gap on Austin Street in Forest Hills, queens, and I got excited because I was gonna be able to tithe. By the way we were joking about this A minimum wage back then was $3.25 an hour and I was making $5.50 a month and I was making $5.50 at the Gap. It was like big time Junior year in high school, big time. But I made a commitment. It's funny now.
17:17
I made a commitment to tithe and I haven't stopped. I haven't I don't say this for a religious pat, but I haven't stopped. And God has opened different doors of revenue for us. He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations, hallelujah. Let me ask you something. Would you trust me if I didn't tithe Even without this message, if I just casually.
17:41
We were out together, a bunch of us, and I just said you know, tithing I just sometimes I do, but other times, you know, times are tough. Whatever I come first, I would completely be discredited. What if Pastor Moe? He said, don't tell Pastor Boyle because he doesn't check the records, but I don't tithe. Would you ever? Would you love him as much as you do? Because it's a revelation of your faith, it's a revelation of oh boy. This is not to put condemnation on anyone. Some of you are in the process and maturing and growing. But this is why, actually, in order to be on staff, you have to be a tithe. And that's when we do check the records, because if you wanna come on staff, we have to know that Jesus comes first in every area of your life.
18:26
When I was dating Emily, I asked her the question. It's one of the first things I wanted to know no, not. Will you marry me way before that. Are you a tithe there? Because that was gonna save me a whole lot of time in trying to figure out where she is with the Lord. She said, yes, I knew exactly. Then. She has a God above that she's bending the knee to and she's constantly saying with every tithe you come first and you have the whole of my heart. Talk is cheap, but it's demonstrated with that Amen. Why? It's a test of credibility and accountability with finances.
19:05
Number four why is tithing called holy in the Bible? What does the word holy mean? We think holy means clean or holy means pure, and it can mean that that's often a secondary or tertiary meaning. The real meaning of holy is set apart, sanctified. It's different. It's set apart and over and over again the Bible calls the tithe holy.
19:30
Look at Leviticus 2730. And all of the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord. Why is it called holy? Because it belongs to God. So I'm actually not giving something to the Lord, I'm paying him back. It already belongs to him. He wants to see me give that portion back. Can he be trusted to give it back? And when I do, then I qualify to be trusted with more and I firmly believe that should be long term, not overnight. You don't just start tithing and you're taking selfies with a Bentley. Some people presented that way. But long term your life should be on the increase and you can release your faith that Lord you're favoring me. Lord, I've met the right place at the right time.
20:32
In the book of Haggai talks about people who don't prioritize God. Everything they take to save, they put it in a bag with holes in it. That describes a lot of Americans today. It's the same thing at the end of every month. They all say the same mantra when did it all go? Where did it all go? And in Haggai he says you put it in a bag. I have a message called Papa got a brand new bag. He put it. They put it in a bag with holes in it. And it says whatever they had left, I blew it away Cause they didn't prioritize me in their giving. Thank you, lord.
21:15
I skipped number five, which actually my son asked me several times. I shared once when he asked me and he did this thing. One was that like a month and a half ago, he did it once and I was like Emily, no more. He did this thing and he was on the equalizer, the show, and it happened so by accident. Like how did it start? He just wanted he got an interest in. I think he liked you know the kids. So he watches Ace Ventura, pet Detective and then the mask and he got all into Jim Carrey. So 1990s makes my heart sing and Emily thought it would be a good experience. So with it she just where did you go? Some website next thing. You know he's in Brooklyn at 4 am recording on the equalizer.
22:03
And I only said last time because that whole industry is just like no, thank you, may the Lord send his fire and purge and cleanse it and then he can dabble a little later Like to have a night-year-old flirting in that industry. He's not. I have a lot on my mind already. It's not another thing. But here's the thing. He was on the equalizer, little bit, part right, but they paid him $150.
22:31
And I asked I explained the tithe he already knows and I said but we also give offerings. How much do you want to give? He said 30. I said that's a double tithe, you sure. He said yes and he said but dad, how are we giving it to God? How does it get to God? And I'm like you're asking really what a lot of adults are secretly asking. Like because everybody says let's give unto God now. It's like no, I'm in a material place making a material check or holding a material smartphone and I'm actually giving to an earthly organization. Why are we told that we are giving to God when the money is going to the church, an earthly organization? Very fair question, a question that everybody, nine and above, should ask.
23:16
Let's look at Proverbs, chapter three, verses nine through 10. Here's what it says Honor the Lord with your possessions, not honor a man, not honor a church, not honor an organization. The scripture, it's saying, is when you give in the name of Jesus to an organization that's using it to expand the gospel for the right reasons, you're giving it to God. You cannot make a check out to Jesus Christ, but you can give to the cause of Jesus and in that way you're giving to the Lord. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase. And then the promise. Whenever the Bible asks you to give something, it comes with a promise. So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. Check out Hebrews seven, eight.
24:15
It just finishes telling the story of how Abraham, the original patriarch, he, came across a mysterious figure called Melchizedek. The Bible says he had neither beginning of days nor end of days. King of Salem, which means king of peace, like unto the Son of man. This was a personage of Jesus Christ, and the first thing he did after his victory, great Abraham knelt down and gave Melchizedek a tithe. And here's what the Bible says here, mortal men ushers go up and down the aisles.
24:51
Mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them. I have never, ever given my tithe. I've tied to a lot of different churches before planting city light 22 years ago. I've never, ever given to a man, to an organization. Always it has been with love. This is the only way to get a harvest from the Lord. Get it out of your head that you're giving to man yeah, make sure man is doing right with it and man is in spending it on frivolous things and ulterior stuff, but ultimately, no, you're giving to the Lord. Here, mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Amen, hallelujah, let me just do a temperature check right now.
25:55
All right, number six when it comes to tithing. All of a sudden everyone becomes a theologian and the difference in the covenants really really matter. Hallelujah, my wife and I, we have a personal goal this year, in one shot, we want to tithe $500,000. I'm telling you right now, we're going to see it happen. We're going to do it. It'll be the biggest tithe that we've ever given. I'm just, I'm going to celebrate that Hallelujah, hallelujah. We're living in wild times, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.
26:53
If tithing is an old covenant commandment and we are no longer under the law right, because this is a grace church, a church that lives under the new covenant why are we still tithing? If we're no longer under the law, why should I tithe under the new covenant? I'm so glad you asked. Let's go to Genesis 2820, because here's the truth. The tithe isn't an old covenant principle. It predates the old covenant by hundreds and hundreds of years. It is way before the law of Moses. The tithe was from the very beginning. Abraham. He tithed Isaac tithe, the patriarchs tithe, all before it was in the law to tithe and we should not tithe as though we're under the law. The law is you have to under the threat of a punishment. Under the new covenant, is you get to and I had one.
27:59
I was arguing with one pastor who really he's like no, you can't say that Either to do I have to or don't I have to? About the tithe he believes you have to and you go to. You have to. No, you, you get to. Well, what if they don't? Well, if they don't, they're frustrating themselves and the grace of God in their own life.
28:25
But are you going to be cursed with a curse? Well, how can you be blessed, bought by the blood of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and still cursed? You can't be. Your pocketbook could be, but you yourself can't be. There is a difference. It's all a nuance. No, there is a difference. You yourself, if you're cursed, you're not going to heaven. You're not cursed, you're blessed, you're a saint, but you'll be struggling all your life, or or you actually have, but it'll never satisfy. See, the Bible says the blessing of the Lord makes one rich and he adds no sorrow to it. All throughout New York City, a lot of people who are quote-unquote rich, but it's like sand in their mouth. Still, they're not satisfied.
29:15
Then, jacob this is in the old covenant Then Jacob made a vow saying If God will be with me and keep me in this way, that I am going and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come back to my Father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God and this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that you give me, I will surely give a tenth to you. This is pre-the-law, this is pre-old covenant. Yes, I know it's in the old covenant, but pre the establishment of what we today call the old covenant, amen, hebrews 8-6.
30:01
Let me ask you something. You're under the new covenant, right. Is it a better covenant? Why is it better? Because under the old covenant, all the pressure was on you. You had to try to keep God's law. Cross every T, right, dot, every I. You would mess up, the hammer would come down.
30:21
Under the new covenant, it's not about what you do, it's about what Jesus has already done, hallelujah. Under the old covenant you couldn't be filled with the Holy Spirit. Under the new, he comes and lives inside of you. Under the old covenant, one mess up, the covenant is disturbed and broken. Under the new, even if you mess up, jesus is holding it together forever in your place. If that's not better, I don't know what is. Under the old, they just had an atonement the covering of sin. Under the new, you have total remission of sins. Under the new, you have imputation of righteousness. He puts His righteousness inside of you. The new is better in every way.
30:59
When the Bible calls it the old covenant, it's not calling it the old covenant because of its age. When I first got saved, I thought that old, okay, the new because it's newer, right, old means old. You know your old phone. You don't use it, it's old, it's still in your kitchen cupboard somewhere in the drawer in the corner, there, the old covenant. That system is done.
31:25
But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, and as much as he is also immediate, of a better covenant. So under an inferior covenant they had to give 10%. So what should we give under a better covenant, a better offering or a lesser offering? See, some people view the tie, this punishment. They'll go oh, thank God, I'm set free from the law and now I'll just give 2%. You're missing it. This isn't for God, it's for you. So I have made a decision. And, by the way, some people this is true some people, their hearts. They really need to experience the love of God because their hearts are just so cold and icy and locked up and so anything that doesn't end in them immediately being better like actually helping people giving out. They just lock up and they don't. It's like error code 404, it just doesn't compute. And also people judge you through their own wickedness and their own offenses. Hallelujah In as much as he's also immediate, of a better covenant which was established on better promises. So the decision that I've made is that if this is a better covenant 10% it's not my end point, it's my starting point.
32:57
Under an inferior covenant where they were told they were rebuked. Well, a man robbed God, yet you have robbed him. How have we robbed him? In tithes and in offerings? You have robbed him. That's not something I ever want to read to City Light.
33:08
That was a passage of sharp rebuke. That's not how we should receive our tithes. The tithes should be received with joy, with delight. If that's not, you please keep your money. Don't put George Washington with tears running down his eyes and boogers coming out his nose because you've been squeezing that dollar bill so hard. Don't put that in the have mercy on our offering counters. They don't want to touch that. Come, let the Lord work on your heart when you can really give it with gladness and in faith and knowing that you make a living by your giving and that you're worshiping him and declaring headship and lordship. Amen, hallelujah, all right. To you theologians who really love the people with the old, you know the response the freedom is greater under the new, but the responsibility is actually more.
34:04
Luke 1142, here's Jesus speaking about the tithe. But woe to you, pharisees, for you tithe, mint and ruin all manner of verbs and pass by justice and the love of God. So someone will stop right there and say, see, god just wants us to be nice. Justice and the love of, can we all just get along, just be nice. That's not what Jesus is saying. Only he's saying yes, justice, the love of God, these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. So he's telling the Pharisees you're missing it because you're nasty tithers, you're just tithing, but you have no mercy and justice in your heart. You should have mercy and justice in your heart without stopping to tithe. Do you see that? Praise God, amen, hallelujah Number seven where should I give my tithe Hallelujah?
35:17
It's amazing how much joy I have right now. It's no, it's the Lord. He's messing with me, cause it has nothing to do with how I feel. The message is going. It's the Lord is so kind. No, really, I feel like the Lord is so kind that when he asks me to do something like this, he's like blows on me so that I wouldn't say no next time. I think, when he asked me to go out on a list, so he's just like filling me with joy and also, and also, whether you know it or not, it's for your benefit.
35:52
Listen, the first when city light first started, there was this couple. The first, we had no money and there was this couple. Church was like 40 people. There was this couple. They asked me out to dinner. I said yes, and during dinner, city light was two weeks old and during dinner we're just talking and he goes, my wife and I, we like to tithe, so here's our tithe. I mean, when he said we like to tithe, I mean my only thought was well, I'd like to receive your tithe. That seems great.
36:24
I'm a young church planter, totally broke, living back with my parents, starting in midtown Manhattan, a hotel ballroom, and it was for $10,000. Listen, at 26, as a broke church planter, that could have been a million. I'm there, I'm getting dizzy looking at $10,000. Right and that, that, that, that that bought so much for us in those first few months and guess what? They left like a month, less than a month after that they got offended and left and my first thought as a young church planter was how are we gonna make it? Now? I'm going somewhere with this and immediately the Lord made up for it and brought him more, and that's how it's always been that way. That's why my do you notice we don't have like the money people section.
37:15
In some churches there's the big giver section. The month there is. That's like they never read James. You know we don't. I'm getting equally close. I just assume everybody's the biggest giver. But he taught me early on. But sometimes I do know if somebody's always throwing down, it's gonna. I can't not know. The team tells me we'll write a thank you note, whatever we know, but then they'll always leave eventually. It's weird, it's some weird for now, but what I'm saying is the Lord has always taught me not to look at man and he always, he always makes up for basically what I'm saying in a very clumsy and prolonged way is the Lord has taught me and trained me now that, though he uses people, I don't have to worry about people, and so when I preach a message like this.
38:04
It's not because our giving's down, it's not because they just raised the lease on this place Before the Lord. I can honestly tell you it's for your benefit. It really is for your benefit, amen. If you decide I'm not tithing, we'll be here. We'll be celebrating our 30th anniversary, 40th anniversary. I'll need just a little bit more, just for men around, and we'll just. I'll just stay here, amen, and keep waving and keep naming the name of Jesus. He'll always cause us to survive, and not just survive but thrive, amen.
38:37
Oh, where should I give my tithe? That's a good question, because some people are like, well, I don't wanna give to just one place. You know how about some online ministries? My aunt Agnes is having a really rough year. I'm gonna give a portion of my tithe to her, which really isn't a tithe. That's an om.
38:54
When you're helping people, where do you give your tithe? The answer is in Malachi 3, what is largely agreed upon, 310,. If you can go right there, thank you, bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. So it is largely agreed upon that the temple was foreshadowing not just the body of Christ but the local church, because the church capital C is the body of Christ church. Lowercase C are all the little lowercase churches. The tithe belongs to the local church, so you really can't give it to a bunch of other places. That's an offering. But, to put it in somewhat of a crass way, you pay where you eat. Like, imagine going to a Thai restaurant, ordering everything on the menu, eating and then walking across the street and then paying the Italian restaurant.
39:48
Amen, the tithe belongs to the local church, to the storehouse, and, by the way, it also says why there that they may be meat in my house and thankfully, and, by the way, this is just a teaching message, this isn't a rebuke message. There's meat in this house because of the tithers. What is meat? There is sustenance and substance, and so we have staff that's never missed a paycheck, we're debt free, we have outreaches, we have in reaches, we have the missions. We keep going, we're growing. Every year we baptize over 100 people. That's because of the meat that's in this house. Amen, hallelujah, number eight.
40:32
I'll quickly go through this one. Where should I tie them? The gross or the net? I, I joke, I say it's kind of a gross question, dude. What's so funny that I missed something? Oh, just, everybody has that question. I was about to skip it, but everybody Listen, you do business with God, all right, but I just I approach everything that I wanna challenge myself. I wanna see God's word come true in my life. So we made a decision I want a gross blessing, not a net blessing. I want people to see my life as it goes. That's gross, the way you live, the way you're provided for. Gross man, you call yourself a preacher. Yeah, amen. Listen.
41:26
The Bible says the first. It also uses the term the whole tithe. If I tithe and I don't like to get legalistic you get with the Lord, all right. But this is just how I see it. If I tithe after I have honored other investment vehicles, the New York MTA, because my Metro card comes out of my pre-tax dollars and you know whenever, when the bank asks you how much do you make, you don't give them the net amount, you give them the gross amount. When you wanna brag to your family members, your cousin, how much you make, you don't give the net amount, you give the gross amount. That's the actual dollar amount you make. So that's what I wanna tithe on. I don't wanna tithe on leftovers, thereby giving God the leftovers. Amen, hallelujah Nine.
42:22
Why does God place an emphasis on the tithe being given first? Why this whole talk of the first? The answer is found in Romans 11, 16. We already read how Jesus. He called money unrighteous mammon. Do you know that's the default state of money Is that it's unrighteous. I used to not know that, I used to not believe that. I was taught. Money is neutral. So if a bad person has money, that's bad, and if a good person has money, it's good. But Jesus called it unrighteous money, unrighteous mammon.
42:59
But the scripture says this is the principle, for if the first fruit, the first fruit, is holy, the lump is then made holy, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. So when you give the first, the remainder is sanctified and made holy. So when you tithe, you now have a blessed and holy 90%. What is holy the devil cannot touch, what is holy the wind cannot blow away. I would rather have a blessed and holy 90% than a cursed 100% and unrighteous 100%. That's why there is such a strong emphasis on the first, so much so that they must have been in some way communicated to Cain and Abel, because Cain killed Abel. Can you believe the first murder in the Bible was over money and an offering. Cain killed Abel because God didn't respect Cain's offering. Why didn't God respect Cain's offering? Because, he said, in the course of time he gave haphazardly, later, when he felt like it, whereas Abel he ran. He said he gave the first fruits of the ground. There's something about honoring him with the first Hallelujah, number 10,.
44:22
What should I do if I can't afford to tithe? What should I do if I can't afford to tithe? There's been times, like the early church planting times, where I felt I couldn't afford to tithe. Now, personally, I made the decision that I couldn't afford not to tithe. If you give yourself an out, you can never afford to tithe, but you can try, by faith, to start with a smaller percentage, with the goal of seeing the Lord increase you to where you started. Five, then go to seven, go to eight, go to nine, go to 10.
45:05
If that's, talk to the Lord about it. I hope you're blessed. I hope you know, no matter where you are financially, what decision you've made, he loves you and when it I have to say these things when it comes to salvation, he loves you. He's already purchased your salvation with his own blood. Nobody here should walk away condemned, but perhaps a chunk of you should walk away convicted. They're not condemned. I know that you can always come to him, you can always talk to him, you can always pray and receive answers to prayer.
45:42
But I don't want you. I don't want you. I just don't want people living a low life. I want you to live the high life. People who are fearful and stingy, or just don't, they live low lives. They have little. Everything is itty bitty. Itty bitty hearts, itty bitty vision, itty bitty faith, itty bitty. Everything is scrawny. I don't want scrawny. The Bible says the liberal soul shall be made fat. Hallelujah, that's scrawny, fat. Amen, amen. The liberal, the liberal soul, to be very clear, liberal meaning generous, amen. The conservative liberal soul shall be made fat. The liberal, the generous, the giving soul shall be made fat and he that waters shall also be watered himself. God will still love you, but make a decision. I want to live big, I want to give big, I want to achieve goals big. I want to just relieve suffering everywhere I go. I don't want to be a little liver. Amen, hallelujah, here's a good one.
47:09
Why do some tithers? I hate to see this when somebody's tithing but there is no movement. And sometimes, by the way, there is movement but they just come to you in a time of frustration and they feel there is no movement. But God is always moving. Why do some tithers not seem to be experiencing the blessings of tithing? Because here are the blessings of tithing.
47:34
There should be, over time, an increase in every area of your life, in your finances, in your own Christian development. There should be forward momentum. Of course, there are seasons where that can get interrupted, where you will get tested, where sometimes it's two steps forward, three steps back. There are seasons, but I'm talking about overall. Life isn't a Polaroid picture, it's a video. Overall.
47:58
There should be increase and talking through people throughout the years when somebody has like really and this is rare, very rare but no change in their life and they're still tithing over and over again. It's the same thing. They're not doing it with joy, they actually don't like to tithe, but feel like they got to and there's no love and joy there and in that case tithing should be like one of the funnest times of your week. It should be where you go. This is not mine, this is the Lord's, and I have faith that God receives it as such and I have faith that when I tithe, things are changing around in my life.
48:41
Woo, I can't wait to give, and nobody knows who I give. All you're gonna get I write one letter I mean it from my heart a thank you letter to our finance officer that sends it directly to you. I'm never gonna go, hey, man, thank you. Without you we couldn't have done it. Who cares? Who cares what I know? Who cares what I think? None of that. What only matters is God and what he sees, everything. He's got every penny, nickel and dime. He's got great accountants, heavenly accountants. They got little green caps on backwards. All that you gotta give with joy, or else what's the point?
49:22
You should feel like your tithe is burning a hole in your bank account or your pocket and you can't wait to do it, and when you do it with the right heart attitude. After all, god is not after the money, he's after your heart. He doesn't need the money. You know what the Bible says about money on earth. It says money answers everything. It sounds like something like a line in a rap song, doesn't it? Money answers everything, uh, uh, uh. But that's actually in proverbs, people that sound so unholy. No, it's pretty holy. It's in the holy Bible. You got a problem, got a question. Money's got an answer. Money answers everything, but in heaven we don't need it and he doesn't need it.
50:04
So what about the tithe? Blesses him the money or the obedience. The obedience, so if and you know what else it says? It says if you're willing and obedient, you will eat the fat. There it is fat again. You will eat the fat of the land. So some people are obedient but they're not willing. You have to be willing and obedient. Get happy about it, get in the word About giving and get excited. Let it thrill you what God is capable of doing, what he wants to do in your life and in your finances.
50:42
Number 12, we'll close with this hey, ushers, can you get the communion elements out? You know what? All right, get the communion elements out. What should I expect when I tithe? I feel like I've answered this already. Worship team, come on up Whenever you tithe. Have an expectation of increase. One of the biggest enemies to supernatural increase is people looking at their paycheck. Please do not look to your paycheck. God is above that. There are so many surprises, so many what we call different avenues of revenue. I never dreamed we gave. We were giving 20% At one point. My wife, who does all of our finances, she's very generous, but she said 20 is kind of like feeling like a lot. Now I said I just said in my spirit, I feel like we need to.
51:55
I never dreamed that in May of 2019, I would be laying in my bed in the morning buying one whole Bitcoin. That's when it all started. I never dreamed how that even came to me. It's such a weird just where it just spurred that I just I'll get a whole one. Didn't even know, didn't even know what it did. Then I began studying it. Then I realized this is, this is, I think, the greatest discovery since electricity.
52:27
Then I started buying. This is still a while back when people my family joked my father, who's in the market? He's worked for a hedge fund for four decades now. My father yelled at me and said this is tulip mania. I said, dad, tulip mania was only a year and a half. Bitcoin's now 10 years old. Now it's 15, by the way. That's not a mania. I started buying with both arms and feet and teeth. I didn't dream that. I couldn't have predicted that, that it would transform our lives. That's just one of the point of the story Is that if you limit God to your paycheck, then you're limiting God in how he's gonna bring you the breakthrough. What should I expect when I tide? Expect witty ideas, expect doors of opportunity open to you. Expect uncommon favor, uncommon increase. Expect different things.
53:30 - Speaker 2
Amen. This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
For where your treasure is, there your heart is also. He's saying where your treasure, where your finances are, is a revelation of in which direction your heart is aligned. If all of your treasure goes to you and yourself, now you've identified yourself as somebody who is selfish and you are your own. God and Jesus put this money anointing connection. Man didn't.
00:26 - Speaker 2
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom. That's CityLightNYCcom. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.
01:05 - Speaker 1
Last week I ministered on the Lordship of Christ. Welcome everybody, by the way, and those of you joining us online, welcome to you. As I was ministering, as I was ministering on the Lordship of Christ, I got this week's message. I knew that I would have to preach on this topic, and I'm gonna preach on the topic of the tithe. Look at that overwhelming, resounding. When have you ever heard me take an entire Sunday on just the tithe? Good Lord, did you record the first service? Can you just play that? I'm gonna go catch brunch with my wife and the tithe is something.
01:51
Yes, that's misunderstood and maybe you have this experience. Either typically in church, it's all the pastor ever preaches about and somehow finds its way in every single sermon, or the pastor is afraid and it's never, ever touched on, and so people are consequently robbed. They're robbed because they don't have a revelation on biblical tithing and we have a reputation. This is gonna be our 22nd year here in March that we don't when it comes to finances. We've had 22 years of integrity. We have 22 years of unquestioning integrity and we don't hype the people up, guilt the people, manipulate the people. God has always provided for us. God has been very, very good to us, provided for us so much that we can adopt other missions programs around the world and help other people have outreaches, have in reaches, have people on staff and minister to the people that call city life their home. But I want to get these truths out because if I don't, if I was just to keep silent on this issue, god would hold me accountable amen, for robbing his people. And I don't wanna stand before God and hear him say why did you touch on so many subjects? But you never touched on this subject. Amen, hallelujah. So this sermon is more in a Q and A question and answer format, but the questions have already been asked for you. They're questions that I have compiled over the last couple of decades, of questions that I've often been asked. So are you ready? Amen, god's gonna get you something. I understand I'm the pastor here and a message like this can seem self-serving, but God is gonna minister to you. Amen, amen.
03:44
Number one what is a tithe? That's a fair question. A lot of people don't know. A lot of times people use the term tithe interchangeably with just give. They can rub two nickels, put it in the offering and say I tithe this week. What they really mean is, I gave this week, but a tithe is specific. What is a tithe? One-tenth of your income, that is to be set aside as holy unto him. And let me just say this because we laughed in the first service. It was a different flow.
04:20
Something that I'm dealing with here is we have a lot of spillover too. Double dippers, double dippers I want you to engage. See what's happening here. A lot of double dippers are also double dippers, are close to me, and so you've heard this once before and you want more. So you hear again, but maybe you're not as hungry as you are first service. So I feel like I got to preach over you, but I don't want to skip you guys. What I'm saying is pull on the anointing amen. Yeah, yeah, if you're gonna double dip, be alive and double dip, amen. Where was I even going with that? I had a point before that. Can you help me pass them out? Oh, I was saying there was a different. No, no, I was saying there was a different flow and we were joking in the first service, because I don't mean to make a thing.
05:05
There's lots of guests all over, but you brought a guest and I'm sure there's a lot of other people. This is your first time and maybe you here. You brought a guest. You've been praying all year for your guests to come. They're like man and I laugh because we chuckled. You brought a guest and that always used to happen to me and my dad. I was 16 years old when I became a Christian. My mom came quickly, but my dad? He loved the message of the gospel but he hated anything having to do with it costing him anything. All of a sudden. All of a sudden, his favorite pastor. We would love when he would come to. He would love. But the moment money was brought up, what a crook, what an awful crook. Let me see what kind of car he drives. What a crook, all that's. So I feel for you. If you're a guest, I encourage you to check out our podcasts and our YouTubes and see that we have a very biblically balanced buffet here.
05:58
Amen, of all sorts of topics, but God in his infinite wisdom sought it right and proper to have you here today. Imagine that. So this isn't what we're always talking about, but it is important and we are gonna talk about it because, guess what? Jesus did not shy away from the subject of money. In fact, he talked about it a lot. I have the stats on how much he talked about money.
06:26
He talked about hell, actually twice as much as he did about heaven, but he talked about money, offerings, talents, lands, more than heaven and hell combined. Why? Because money is what you have to deal with while you're on this side of heaven. So why does he have to talk about money? Because you're not in heaven yet. I mean, when you have to pay your mortgage or pay your rent, why don't you write him a letter and say why do you always gotta talk about money? Why does it always be a go to Whole Foods, fill up your whole cart and just walk right out and say why is it always about the money? You guys, you're always talking about money. You can't do that, and Jesus knew that, and so he gave you, in his word, wisdom on how to live a life of abundance, not on barely get along street, because that's not God's will. Somehow, over the centuries, religion got in there and religion did what religion does best, which is bring death and cobwebs. And there's this thought that prosperity and abundance is not of God. Yet you look throughout the scriptures and what you always see is that wherever Jesus goes. What does he bring? Poverty, death, no prosperity and abundance and life. Hallelujah, we talked about was it last week or a couple of weeks ago?
07:51
The wedding in Cana of Galilee and Jesus turned the water into wine. And then it actually tells you how much water he turned into wine. It says six water jugs each containing 20 to 30 gallons of peace. That's anywhere from 120 to 150 gallons of water that was made wine. How big of a wedding was that? I've been to some weddings. I've been to some weddings where wine was served 150 gallons. I don't care if the whole village came out to that wedding, if all of Cana. That was too much wine. What is Jesus saying? This is my style, this is who I am, this is how I do things. I always forgive you.
08:44
Look at any of the providential miracles of Jesus, any single one of them, and you'll find one thing in common it's always more than what was necessary. He always gives too much. When the 5,000 were fed, it says they were fed and I love this part in the Bible and they were full. So you know, you guys know, we're Americans. Some know better than others what it is to walk away from the table full. Those of you who went to Guatemala right. Many times we walked away and, in the most biblical sense, we were full as we waddled back. It says they were all fed and they were full and on top of that, 12 baskets of leftovers were taken up. That's his way, peter. With the miracle catch of fish, the net began to break and the boat began to sink. Peter had a high class problem he got too much fish supernaturally.
09:42
What is Jesus demonstrating here over and over again? That that's what he wants to do in your life. If you will dare to believe God, if you will believe him, quit listening to the voice in your head. Quit doomsday scrolling and hearing about how awful it is out there. I don't care where you are in the world, what country you live in. God showed himself when he caused water to come out of a rock, a flinty, dry rock. It's what he specializes in, amen. And so people around you may not believe it, but you be the wild one who says I'm gonna see it in my life. In fact, I'm seeing it in my life and I'm gonna see more of it in my life, amen. Whew, glad I got that out of my system.
10:23
What is a tithe? The tithe is one tenth of your income that is to be set aside as holy unto him. Thank you, number two here's a good question why 10% A tithe is a tenth? Why 10%? A tenth is indicative of the whole. Look at our numeric system. If you can count to 10, you can count to 100, you can count to 1,000, you can count to a million. If you can count to 10, you can count to any number. So the tenth is indicative of the whole. When you give the tenth, you're saying Lord, you have all of my finances, lord, you have my whole life, hallelujah.
11:05
Number three and aren't you glad that God gave a percentage and not an actual amount? An actual amount wouldn't be fair, but a percentage is fair and when you really think about it, a tenth, it's really not a big ask. We tip our waiters and waitresses 20% without thinking about it. 10% for God should not be. Oh, oh, it's costing me. God's not looking to take anything from you, he's looking to get something to you, amen. Question number three and this is a good one why is tithing important to God? Because the reality is is he doesn't need the money, he's fine all by himself. Why is tithing important to God? Let's look at Matthew 621. I accidentally skipped an important one in the first service that you double dippers and you in the second service will be able to get I don't know how too many jokes, I think and I skipped an important, one important question.
12:21
Here's Jesus, for where your treasure is there, your heart is also. He's saying where your treasure, where your finances are, is a revelation of in which direction your heart is aligned. If all of your treasure goes to you and yourself, now you've identified yourself as somebody who is selfish and you are your own God. And Jesus put this money anointing connection. Man didn't. He said where your treasure is there, your heart will be also. Luke 1611. Therefore, if you have not been faithful again the words of Jesus, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, mammon is money. It's actually been identified in the scriptures. Mammon was the name of a God lower case G of a demon spirit. The money God. It's still the God many people they don't admit it, but they worship today. It's what they think about, it's what they obsess about and it's why it can get very, very uncomfortable in a service like this, because you're messing with people's God.
13:32
I'm having the time of my life preaching this message because I have the word and I'm a tither. But somebody right now is feeling like the ushers came by and snuck coals of fire underneath their chair and they're getting real hot. And also, by the way, I have this habit if you're a guest, I try to look at everyone when I'm preaching at them and a message like this the office gets emails. He was looking right at me. I know he was just looking right, pastor Mowgli. Oh, the stuff that I get accused of. That wasn't even in my head. Like I'm thinking of Jesus right now, his word and I'm having fun, and someone's like he was going through the finances and he was looking right at me. I just know it. I don't know who tithes and who doesn't, unless you tell me there are some big gifts that I'm made aware of, but other than that, I treat everybody as though they were the biggest giver in the church. So if you see me locking eyes at you, it's just because you're so handsome or so beautiful. I'm just drawn to talk to you, but it has nothing other than that. Amen.
14:31
So again back to the scripture. Can you see that there is a connection between finances and the anointing? Because Jesus said if you don't treat money well, who's gonna entrust you the true riches? What are the true riches? The power of God, the anointing, the kingdom of heaven those are the true riches. But he's saying the way you handle money. It's actually indicative of your trustworthiness and your character.
15:00
So when you tithe, you're showing your faith. Listen. When you tithe, you're showing your integrity. When you tithe, you're showing whether he can trust you for more. Imagine asking God for more but you're mishandling what he's already given you. Newsflash more isn't coming. It's not. I know you wanna think you got a powerball mentality and you're thinking your day's just a coming, my ship is coming in. You've never sent the ship out. But oh, lucky number seven, your ship's gonna come in. And you've been found unfaithful with the little. Why would he make you ruler over much? I'm sorry you had to hear it this way. I got nothing but love in my heart, but it would be wrong for me to tell you otherwise. When you tithe, what you're actually doing is you're bending the knee and you're demonstrating headship. You're saying there is a God above and he gets the 10th. You're demonstrating that you have a Lord over your life, that it doesn't all end with you, hallelujah. Every time I tithe I'm demonstrating Lord, you come first and thank God, you didn't ask for the whole thing, you asked for the 10th, which is indicative of the whole, and so he's gonna keep increasing me and keep increasing me, hallelujah.
16:20
I made a decision when I was 16 years old, about two weeks after I got saved, because that's when I learned about tithing. I was working at the Gap. Why are you laughing so hard at that? Because you could see it, because it just sounds like something I would have done right. 1992, gap on Austin Street in Forest Hills, queens, and I got excited because I was gonna be able to tithe. By the way we were joking about this A minimum wage back then was $3.25 an hour and I was making $5.50 a month and I was making $5.50 at the Gap. It was like big time Junior year in high school, big time. But I made a commitment. It's funny now.
17:17
I made a commitment to tithe and I haven't stopped. I haven't I don't say this for a religious pat, but I haven't stopped. And God has opened different doors of revenue for us. He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations, hallelujah. Let me ask you something. Would you trust me if I didn't tithe Even without this message, if I just casually.
17:41
We were out together, a bunch of us, and I just said you know, tithing I just sometimes I do, but other times, you know, times are tough. Whatever I come first, I would completely be discredited. What if Pastor Moe? He said, don't tell Pastor Boyle because he doesn't check the records, but I don't tithe. Would you ever? Would you love him as much as you do? Because it's a revelation of your faith, it's a revelation of oh boy. This is not to put condemnation on anyone. Some of you are in the process and maturing and growing. But this is why, actually, in order to be on staff, you have to be a tithe. And that's when we do check the records, because if you wanna come on staff, we have to know that Jesus comes first in every area of your life.
18:26
When I was dating Emily, I asked her the question. It's one of the first things I wanted to know no, not. Will you marry me way before that. Are you a tithe there? Because that was gonna save me a whole lot of time in trying to figure out where she is with the Lord. She said, yes, I knew exactly. Then. She has a God above that she's bending the knee to and she's constantly saying with every tithe you come first and you have the whole of my heart. Talk is cheap, but it's demonstrated with that Amen. Why? It's a test of credibility and accountability with finances.
19:05
Number four why is tithing called holy in the Bible? What does the word holy mean? We think holy means clean or holy means pure, and it can mean that that's often a secondary or tertiary meaning. The real meaning of holy is set apart, sanctified. It's different. It's set apart and over and over again the Bible calls the tithe holy.
19:30
Look at Leviticus 2730. And all of the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord. Why is it called holy? Because it belongs to God. So I'm actually not giving something to the Lord, I'm paying him back. It already belongs to him. He wants to see me give that portion back. Can he be trusted to give it back? And when I do, then I qualify to be trusted with more and I firmly believe that should be long term, not overnight. You don't just start tithing and you're taking selfies with a Bentley. Some people presented that way. But long term your life should be on the increase and you can release your faith that Lord you're favoring me. Lord, I've met the right place at the right time.
20:32
In the book of Haggai talks about people who don't prioritize God. Everything they take to save, they put it in a bag with holes in it. That describes a lot of Americans today. It's the same thing at the end of every month. They all say the same mantra when did it all go? Where did it all go? And in Haggai he says you put it in a bag. I have a message called Papa got a brand new bag. He put it. They put it in a bag with holes in it. And it says whatever they had left, I blew it away Cause they didn't prioritize me in their giving. Thank you, lord.
21:15
I skipped number five, which actually my son asked me several times. I shared once when he asked me and he did this thing. One was that like a month and a half ago, he did it once and I was like Emily, no more. He did this thing and he was on the equalizer, the show, and it happened so by accident. Like how did it start? He just wanted he got an interest in. I think he liked you know the kids. So he watches Ace Ventura, pet Detective and then the mask and he got all into Jim Carrey. So 1990s makes my heart sing and Emily thought it would be a good experience. So with it she just where did you go? Some website next thing. You know he's in Brooklyn at 4 am recording on the equalizer.
22:03
And I only said last time because that whole industry is just like no, thank you, may the Lord send his fire and purge and cleanse it and then he can dabble a little later Like to have a night-year-old flirting in that industry. He's not. I have a lot on my mind already. It's not another thing. But here's the thing. He was on the equalizer, little bit, part right, but they paid him $150.
22:31
And I asked I explained the tithe he already knows and I said but we also give offerings. How much do you want to give? He said 30. I said that's a double tithe, you sure. He said yes and he said but dad, how are we giving it to God? How does it get to God? And I'm like you're asking really what a lot of adults are secretly asking. Like because everybody says let's give unto God now. It's like no, I'm in a material place making a material check or holding a material smartphone and I'm actually giving to an earthly organization. Why are we told that we are giving to God when the money is going to the church, an earthly organization? Very fair question, a question that everybody, nine and above, should ask.
23:16
Let's look at Proverbs, chapter three, verses nine through 10. Here's what it says Honor the Lord with your possessions, not honor a man, not honor a church, not honor an organization. The scripture, it's saying, is when you give in the name of Jesus to an organization that's using it to expand the gospel for the right reasons, you're giving it to God. You cannot make a check out to Jesus Christ, but you can give to the cause of Jesus and in that way you're giving to the Lord. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase. And then the promise. Whenever the Bible asks you to give something, it comes with a promise. So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. Check out Hebrews seven, eight.
24:15
It just finishes telling the story of how Abraham, the original patriarch, he, came across a mysterious figure called Melchizedek. The Bible says he had neither beginning of days nor end of days. King of Salem, which means king of peace, like unto the Son of man. This was a personage of Jesus Christ, and the first thing he did after his victory, great Abraham knelt down and gave Melchizedek a tithe. And here's what the Bible says here, mortal men ushers go up and down the aisles.
24:51
Mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them. I have never, ever given my tithe. I've tied to a lot of different churches before planting city light 22 years ago. I've never, ever given to a man, to an organization. Always it has been with love. This is the only way to get a harvest from the Lord. Get it out of your head that you're giving to man yeah, make sure man is doing right with it and man is in spending it on frivolous things and ulterior stuff, but ultimately, no, you're giving to the Lord. Here, mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Amen, hallelujah, let me just do a temperature check right now.
25:55
All right, number six when it comes to tithing. All of a sudden everyone becomes a theologian and the difference in the covenants really really matter. Hallelujah, my wife and I, we have a personal goal this year, in one shot, we want to tithe $500,000. I'm telling you right now, we're going to see it happen. We're going to do it. It'll be the biggest tithe that we've ever given. I'm just, I'm going to celebrate that Hallelujah, hallelujah. We're living in wild times, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.
26:53
If tithing is an old covenant commandment and we are no longer under the law right, because this is a grace church, a church that lives under the new covenant why are we still tithing? If we're no longer under the law, why should I tithe under the new covenant? I'm so glad you asked. Let's go to Genesis 2820, because here's the truth. The tithe isn't an old covenant principle. It predates the old covenant by hundreds and hundreds of years. It is way before the law of Moses. The tithe was from the very beginning. Abraham. He tithed Isaac tithe, the patriarchs tithe, all before it was in the law to tithe and we should not tithe as though we're under the law. The law is you have to under the threat of a punishment. Under the new covenant, is you get to and I had one.
27:59
I was arguing with one pastor who really he's like no, you can't say that Either to do I have to or don't I have to? About the tithe he believes you have to and you go to. You have to. No, you, you get to. Well, what if they don't? Well, if they don't, they're frustrating themselves and the grace of God in their own life.
28:25
But are you going to be cursed with a curse? Well, how can you be blessed, bought by the blood of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and still cursed? You can't be. Your pocketbook could be, but you yourself can't be. There is a difference. It's all a nuance. No, there is a difference. You yourself, if you're cursed, you're not going to heaven. You're not cursed, you're blessed, you're a saint, but you'll be struggling all your life, or or you actually have, but it'll never satisfy. See, the Bible says the blessing of the Lord makes one rich and he adds no sorrow to it. All throughout New York City, a lot of people who are quote-unquote rich, but it's like sand in their mouth. Still, they're not satisfied.
29:15
Then, jacob this is in the old covenant Then Jacob made a vow saying If God will be with me and keep me in this way, that I am going and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come back to my Father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God and this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house. And of all that you give me, I will surely give a tenth to you. This is pre-the-law, this is pre-old covenant. Yes, I know it's in the old covenant, but pre the establishment of what we today call the old covenant, amen, hebrews 8-6.
30:01
Let me ask you something. You're under the new covenant, right. Is it a better covenant? Why is it better? Because under the old covenant, all the pressure was on you. You had to try to keep God's law. Cross every T, right, dot, every I. You would mess up, the hammer would come down.
30:21
Under the new covenant, it's not about what you do, it's about what Jesus has already done, hallelujah. Under the old covenant you couldn't be filled with the Holy Spirit. Under the new, he comes and lives inside of you. Under the old covenant, one mess up, the covenant is disturbed and broken. Under the new, even if you mess up, jesus is holding it together forever in your place. If that's not better, I don't know what is. Under the old, they just had an atonement the covering of sin. Under the new, you have total remission of sins. Under the new, you have imputation of righteousness. He puts His righteousness inside of you. The new is better in every way.
30:59
When the Bible calls it the old covenant, it's not calling it the old covenant because of its age. When I first got saved, I thought that old, okay, the new because it's newer, right, old means old. You know your old phone. You don't use it, it's old, it's still in your kitchen cupboard somewhere in the drawer in the corner, there, the old covenant. That system is done.
31:25
But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, and as much as he is also immediate, of a better covenant. So under an inferior covenant they had to give 10%. So what should we give under a better covenant, a better offering or a lesser offering? See, some people view the tie, this punishment. They'll go oh, thank God, I'm set free from the law and now I'll just give 2%. You're missing it. This isn't for God, it's for you. So I have made a decision. And, by the way, some people this is true some people, their hearts. They really need to experience the love of God because their hearts are just so cold and icy and locked up and so anything that doesn't end in them immediately being better like actually helping people giving out. They just lock up and they don't. It's like error code 404, it just doesn't compute. And also people judge you through their own wickedness and their own offenses. Hallelujah In as much as he's also immediate, of a better covenant which was established on better promises. So the decision that I've made is that if this is a better covenant 10% it's not my end point, it's my starting point.
32:57
Under an inferior covenant where they were told they were rebuked. Well, a man robbed God, yet you have robbed him. How have we robbed him? In tithes and in offerings? You have robbed him. That's not something I ever want to read to City Light.
33:08
That was a passage of sharp rebuke. That's not how we should receive our tithes. The tithes should be received with joy, with delight. If that's not, you please keep your money. Don't put George Washington with tears running down his eyes and boogers coming out his nose because you've been squeezing that dollar bill so hard. Don't put that in the have mercy on our offering counters. They don't want to touch that. Come, let the Lord work on your heart when you can really give it with gladness and in faith and knowing that you make a living by your giving and that you're worshiping him and declaring headship and lordship. Amen, hallelujah, all right. To you theologians who really love the people with the old, you know the response the freedom is greater under the new, but the responsibility is actually more.
34:04
Luke 1142, here's Jesus speaking about the tithe. But woe to you, pharisees, for you tithe, mint and ruin all manner of verbs and pass by justice and the love of God. So someone will stop right there and say, see, god just wants us to be nice. Justice and the love of, can we all just get along, just be nice. That's not what Jesus is saying. Only he's saying yes, justice, the love of God, these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. So he's telling the Pharisees you're missing it because you're nasty tithers, you're just tithing, but you have no mercy and justice in your heart. You should have mercy and justice in your heart without stopping to tithe. Do you see that? Praise God, amen, hallelujah Number seven where should I give my tithe Hallelujah?
35:17
It's amazing how much joy I have right now. It's no, it's the Lord. He's messing with me, cause it has nothing to do with how I feel. The message is going. It's the Lord is so kind. No, really, I feel like the Lord is so kind that when he asks me to do something like this, he's like blows on me so that I wouldn't say no next time. I think, when he asked me to go out on a list, so he's just like filling me with joy and also, and also, whether you know it or not, it's for your benefit.
35:52
Listen, the first when city light first started, there was this couple. The first, we had no money and there was this couple. Church was like 40 people. There was this couple. They asked me out to dinner. I said yes, and during dinner, city light was two weeks old and during dinner we're just talking and he goes, my wife and I, we like to tithe, so here's our tithe. I mean, when he said we like to tithe, I mean my only thought was well, I'd like to receive your tithe. That seems great.
36:24
I'm a young church planter, totally broke, living back with my parents, starting in midtown Manhattan, a hotel ballroom, and it was for $10,000. Listen, at 26, as a broke church planter, that could have been a million. I'm there, I'm getting dizzy looking at $10,000. Right and that, that, that, that that bought so much for us in those first few months and guess what? They left like a month, less than a month after that they got offended and left and my first thought as a young church planter was how are we gonna make it? Now? I'm going somewhere with this and immediately the Lord made up for it and brought him more, and that's how it's always been that way. That's why my do you notice we don't have like the money people section.
37:15
In some churches there's the big giver section. The month there is. That's like they never read James. You know we don't. I'm getting equally close. I just assume everybody's the biggest giver. But he taught me early on. But sometimes I do know if somebody's always throwing down, it's gonna. I can't not know. The team tells me we'll write a thank you note, whatever we know, but then they'll always leave eventually. It's weird, it's some weird for now, but what I'm saying is the Lord has always taught me not to look at man and he always, he always makes up for basically what I'm saying in a very clumsy and prolonged way is the Lord has taught me and trained me now that, though he uses people, I don't have to worry about people, and so when I preach a message like this.
38:04
It's not because our giving's down, it's not because they just raised the lease on this place Before the Lord. I can honestly tell you it's for your benefit. It really is for your benefit, amen. If you decide I'm not tithing, we'll be here. We'll be celebrating our 30th anniversary, 40th anniversary. I'll need just a little bit more, just for men around, and we'll just. I'll just stay here, amen, and keep waving and keep naming the name of Jesus. He'll always cause us to survive, and not just survive but thrive, amen.
38:37
Oh, where should I give my tithe? That's a good question, because some people are like, well, I don't wanna give to just one place. You know how about some online ministries? My aunt Agnes is having a really rough year. I'm gonna give a portion of my tithe to her, which really isn't a tithe. That's an om.
38:54
When you're helping people, where do you give your tithe? The answer is in Malachi 3, what is largely agreed upon, 310,. If you can go right there, thank you, bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. So it is largely agreed upon that the temple was foreshadowing not just the body of Christ but the local church, because the church capital C is the body of Christ church. Lowercase C are all the little lowercase churches. The tithe belongs to the local church, so you really can't give it to a bunch of other places. That's an offering. But, to put it in somewhat of a crass way, you pay where you eat. Like, imagine going to a Thai restaurant, ordering everything on the menu, eating and then walking across the street and then paying the Italian restaurant.
39:48
Amen, the tithe belongs to the local church, to the storehouse, and, by the way, it also says why there that they may be meat in my house and thankfully, and, by the way, this is just a teaching message, this isn't a rebuke message. There's meat in this house because of the tithers. What is meat? There is sustenance and substance, and so we have staff that's never missed a paycheck, we're debt free, we have outreaches, we have in reaches, we have the missions. We keep going, we're growing. Every year we baptize over 100 people. That's because of the meat that's in this house. Amen, hallelujah, number eight.
40:32
I'll quickly go through this one. Where should I tie them? The gross or the net? I, I joke, I say it's kind of a gross question, dude. What's so funny that I missed something? Oh, just, everybody has that question. I was about to skip it, but everybody Listen, you do business with God, all right, but I just I approach everything that I wanna challenge myself. I wanna see God's word come true in my life. So we made a decision I want a gross blessing, not a net blessing. I want people to see my life as it goes. That's gross, the way you live, the way you're provided for. Gross man, you call yourself a preacher. Yeah, amen. Listen.
41:26
The Bible says the first. It also uses the term the whole tithe. If I tithe and I don't like to get legalistic you get with the Lord, all right. But this is just how I see it. If I tithe after I have honored other investment vehicles, the New York MTA, because my Metro card comes out of my pre-tax dollars and you know whenever, when the bank asks you how much do you make, you don't give them the net amount, you give them the gross amount. When you wanna brag to your family members, your cousin, how much you make, you don't give the net amount, you give the gross amount. That's the actual dollar amount you make. So that's what I wanna tithe on. I don't wanna tithe on leftovers, thereby giving God the leftovers. Amen, hallelujah Nine.
42:22
Why does God place an emphasis on the tithe being given first? Why this whole talk of the first? The answer is found in Romans 11, 16. We already read how Jesus. He called money unrighteous mammon. Do you know that's the default state of money Is that it's unrighteous. I used to not know that, I used to not believe that. I was taught. Money is neutral. So if a bad person has money, that's bad, and if a good person has money, it's good. But Jesus called it unrighteous money, unrighteous mammon.
42:59
But the scripture says this is the principle, for if the first fruit, the first fruit, is holy, the lump is then made holy, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. So when you give the first, the remainder is sanctified and made holy. So when you tithe, you now have a blessed and holy 90%. What is holy the devil cannot touch, what is holy the wind cannot blow away. I would rather have a blessed and holy 90% than a cursed 100% and unrighteous 100%. That's why there is such a strong emphasis on the first, so much so that they must have been in some way communicated to Cain and Abel, because Cain killed Abel. Can you believe the first murder in the Bible was over money and an offering. Cain killed Abel because God didn't respect Cain's offering. Why didn't God respect Cain's offering? Because, he said, in the course of time he gave haphazardly, later, when he felt like it, whereas Abel he ran. He said he gave the first fruits of the ground. There's something about honoring him with the first Hallelujah, number 10,.
44:22
What should I do if I can't afford to tithe? What should I do if I can't afford to tithe? There's been times, like the early church planting times, where I felt I couldn't afford to tithe. Now, personally, I made the decision that I couldn't afford not to tithe. If you give yourself an out, you can never afford to tithe, but you can try, by faith, to start with a smaller percentage, with the goal of seeing the Lord increase you to where you started. Five, then go to seven, go to eight, go to nine, go to 10.
45:05
If that's, talk to the Lord about it. I hope you're blessed. I hope you know, no matter where you are financially, what decision you've made, he loves you and when it I have to say these things when it comes to salvation, he loves you. He's already purchased your salvation with his own blood. Nobody here should walk away condemned, but perhaps a chunk of you should walk away convicted. They're not condemned. I know that you can always come to him, you can always talk to him, you can always pray and receive answers to prayer.
45:42
But I don't want you. I don't want you. I just don't want people living a low life. I want you to live the high life. People who are fearful and stingy, or just don't, they live low lives. They have little. Everything is itty bitty. Itty bitty hearts, itty bitty vision, itty bitty faith, itty bitty. Everything is scrawny. I don't want scrawny. The Bible says the liberal soul shall be made fat. Hallelujah, that's scrawny, fat. Amen, amen. The liberal, the liberal soul, to be very clear, liberal meaning generous, amen. The conservative liberal soul shall be made fat. The liberal, the generous, the giving soul shall be made fat and he that waters shall also be watered himself. God will still love you, but make a decision. I want to live big, I want to give big, I want to achieve goals big. I want to just relieve suffering everywhere I go. I don't want to be a little liver. Amen, hallelujah, here's a good one.
47:09
Why do some tithers? I hate to see this when somebody's tithing but there is no movement. And sometimes, by the way, there is movement but they just come to you in a time of frustration and they feel there is no movement. But God is always moving. Why do some tithers not seem to be experiencing the blessings of tithing? Because here are the blessings of tithing.
47:34
There should be, over time, an increase in every area of your life, in your finances, in your own Christian development. There should be forward momentum. Of course, there are seasons where that can get interrupted, where you will get tested, where sometimes it's two steps forward, three steps back. There are seasons, but I'm talking about overall. Life isn't a Polaroid picture, it's a video. Overall.
47:58
There should be increase and talking through people throughout the years when somebody has like really and this is rare, very rare but no change in their life and they're still tithing over and over again. It's the same thing. They're not doing it with joy, they actually don't like to tithe, but feel like they got to and there's no love and joy there and in that case tithing should be like one of the funnest times of your week. It should be where you go. This is not mine, this is the Lord's, and I have faith that God receives it as such and I have faith that when I tithe, things are changing around in my life.
48:41
Woo, I can't wait to give, and nobody knows who I give. All you're gonna get I write one letter I mean it from my heart a thank you letter to our finance officer that sends it directly to you. I'm never gonna go, hey, man, thank you. Without you we couldn't have done it. Who cares? Who cares what I know? Who cares what I think? None of that. What only matters is God and what he sees, everything. He's got every penny, nickel and dime. He's got great accountants, heavenly accountants. They got little green caps on backwards. All that you gotta give with joy, or else what's the point?
49:22
You should feel like your tithe is burning a hole in your bank account or your pocket and you can't wait to do it, and when you do it with the right heart attitude. After all, god is not after the money, he's after your heart. He doesn't need the money. You know what the Bible says about money on earth. It says money answers everything. It sounds like something like a line in a rap song, doesn't it? Money answers everything, uh, uh, uh. But that's actually in proverbs, people that sound so unholy. No, it's pretty holy. It's in the holy Bible. You got a problem, got a question. Money's got an answer. Money answers everything, but in heaven we don't need it and he doesn't need it.
50:04
So what about the tithe? Blesses him the money or the obedience. The obedience, so if and you know what else it says? It says if you're willing and obedient, you will eat the fat. There it is fat again. You will eat the fat of the land. So some people are obedient but they're not willing. You have to be willing and obedient. Get happy about it, get in the word About giving and get excited. Let it thrill you what God is capable of doing, what he wants to do in your life and in your finances.
50:42
Number 12, we'll close with this hey, ushers, can you get the communion elements out? You know what? All right, get the communion elements out. What should I expect when I tithe? I feel like I've answered this already. Worship team, come on up Whenever you tithe. Have an expectation of increase. One of the biggest enemies to supernatural increase is people looking at their paycheck. Please do not look to your paycheck. God is above that. There are so many surprises, so many what we call different avenues of revenue. I never dreamed we gave. We were giving 20% At one point. My wife, who does all of our finances, she's very generous, but she said 20 is kind of like feeling like a lot. Now I said I just said in my spirit, I feel like we need to.
51:55
I never dreamed that in May of 2019, I would be laying in my bed in the morning buying one whole Bitcoin. That's when it all started. I never dreamed how that even came to me. It's such a weird just where it just spurred that I just I'll get a whole one. Didn't even know, didn't even know what it did. Then I began studying it. Then I realized this is, this is, I think, the greatest discovery since electricity.
52:27
Then I started buying. This is still a while back when people my family joked my father, who's in the market? He's worked for a hedge fund for four decades now. My father yelled at me and said this is tulip mania. I said, dad, tulip mania was only a year and a half. Bitcoin's now 10 years old. Now it's 15, by the way. That's not a mania. I started buying with both arms and feet and teeth. I didn't dream that. I couldn't have predicted that, that it would transform our lives. That's just one of the point of the story Is that if you limit God to your paycheck, then you're limiting God in how he's gonna bring you the breakthrough. What should I expect when I tide? Expect witty ideas, expect doors of opportunity open to you. Expect uncommon favor, uncommon increase. Expect different things.
53:30 - Speaker 2
Amen. This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
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