📢 "TITHING IS A SIN" | Billy Graham Stanley Best Powerful Speech

Summary

Highlights

• The idea that tithing is a necessary part of Christian faith is challenged. ✨
• Christ has abolished the old laws, including tithing, by fulfilling them. 🌿
• Believers are encouraged to give freely without fear of curse or obligation. 🌈
• Malachi's tithing mandate was specific to old covenant Israel, not for today's church. 📜
• Spirit-led giving should be cheerful and voluntary, resonating with New Testament teachings. 💫

Key Takeaways

• Tithing in modern churches is presented as a necessity but is argued here as a sin against grace. 🤔
• The speaker emphasizes that Christ has already fulfilled the old tithing law. ✝️
• True giving should be out of love and faith, not fear or obligation. 💖
• Tithing was a support system under the old covenant, now replaced by spirit-led giving. 🌟
• New Testament teachings focus on generosity and cheerfulness in giving. 🎁

Overview

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:30: Introduction and the Foundation of the Message The chapter "Introduction and the Foundation of the Message" begins with a powerful call to the audience, emphasizing a message that challenges traditional teachings. The speaker stands firm, not to cater to comfort or convention, but to proclaim what they perceive as the unaltered truth of God's word. They stress the importance of open-mindedness and spiritual receptiveness, urging listeners to engage with an open heart and Bible. A historical critique is subtly woven into the narrative, highlighting how the church has been weighed down by established norms and practices that may have strayed from the original teachings. The chapter sets the stage for a deeper exploration of these themes.
• 01:30 - 03:30: Questioning Traditional Views on Tithing The chapter challenges the traditional views on tithing imposed by many churches, arguing that such teachings are not only unnecessary but also sinful against the gospel of grace. It highlights how these teachings have been used to manipulate and guilt-trip believers into following a system that Christ never intended for his followers. The speaker aims to liberate believers from these imposed systems without fear or compromise.
• 03:30 - 06:00: Biblical Context of Tithing - Old Covenant The chapter titled 'Biblical Context of Tithing - Old Covenant' challenges listeners to prioritize truth over tradition and follow Christ freely rather than adhering to a burdensome law. The speaker invites the audience to open themselves and their Bibles to explore and expose deceptions, indicating a shift towards freedom from misconceptions associated with old covenant tithing.
• 06:00 - 11:00: New Covenant Teachings and Giving from the Heart This chapter explores the concept of giving as intended in the New Covenant, emphasizing freedom over traditional practices. The chapter encourages believers to seek truth in scripture rather than adhering to old traditions, particularly focusing on the topic of tithing. It poses a reflective question regarding whether one is following the old covenant or truly embracing the freedom found in Christ.
• 11:00 - 15:00: Common Misinterpretations and New Testament Perspective This chapter discusses the common misinterpretations of tithing within the Christian faith, particularly the misconception that it is a duty for the church. It posits that tithing was originally intended for Israel under the old covenant, highlighting that it was a law designed for a particular group of people at a particular time and for a particular purpose. The chapter encourages readers to consider the New Testament perspective and to understand tithing within its historical context rather than as a universal Christian requirement.
• 15:00 - 20:00: Faith-Based Giving vs. Traditional Tithing The chapter explores the concept of traditional tithing as outlined in the Old Testament, specifically its role in supporting the Levitical priesthood and maintaining the temple system. It highlights how tithing was originally meant as a provision system for the Levites, who had no land or inheritance, rather than a universal mandate for all.
• 20:00 - 25:00: Concluding Thoughts: Encouragement for Faith and Generosity This chapter challenges the reader by pointing out the absence of the Levitical priesthood, the temple in Jerusalem, and the daily sacrifices, emphasizing that Christ has fulfilled the law. It addresses the argument that tithing predates the law, using Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek as an example, noting that it was a one-time offering of spoils of war, not a regular contribution from his income.

📢 "TITHING IS A SIN" | Billy Graham Stanley Best Powerful Speech Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] My friends, I come before you today with a word that may shake the very foundation of what you've been taught. But I do not stand here to tickle ears or to comfort traditions. I stand to proclaim the truth of God's word. And I urge you with an open heart and an open Bible to hear what the spirit is saying to the church today. For too long, the church has been burdened with a yoke
• 00:30 - 01:00 that Christ himself never placed upon his people. For too long, good-hearted believers have been manipulated, guilt-tripped, and bound to a system that God never intended for his redeemed children. I am here to tell you today without hesitation, without fear and without compromise, tithing as it is taught in many churches today is not just unnecessary. It is a sin against the very gospel of grace. Now before you turn away or shut
• 01:00 - 01:30 your ears, let me ask you, do you love truth more than tradition? Do you desire to follow Christ in freedom rather than live under the weight of a law that was never meant for you? If so, then I challenge you. Stay with me. Open your heart. Open your mind. And most of all, open your Bible because today we will break the chains of deception, expose the lies that have held many captive, and step into the glorious
• 01:30 - 02:00 freedom of giving as God truly intended. Stay with me and let us walk this journey together. My friends, let us turn our eyes to the word of God and seek truth, not tradition. Let us examine what the Bible truly says about tithing. Because if we are to follow Christ, we must be willing to lay aside everything that is not of him. And so I ask you today, are you bound to the old covenant or have you stepped into the glorious freedom of the
• 02:00 - 02:30 new? Have you been told that tithing is a requirement, a command, a duty that must be fulfilled, lest you rob God himself? If so, I urge you, do not harden your heart to this message, but let the word of God speak for itself. Tithing was never given to the church. It was given to Israel. It was part of the old covenant, a law established for a specific people in a specific time, for a specific purpose. When God commanded the tithe, it was not
• 02:30 - 03:00 money that was given, but crops, livestock, and the produce of the land. In the book of Leviticus, in numbers, in Deuteronomy, again and again, we see that the tithe was designed to support the Levitical priesthood and maintain the temple system. It was a system of provision, not a universal law for all people. The Levites had no land to cultivate, no inheritance among the tribes of Israel. And so God established the tithe to sustain them. But I ask
• 03:00 - 03:30 you, my friends, where is the Levitical priesthood today? Where is the temple that stood in Jerusalem? Where are the sacrifices offered daily for the sins of the people? They are gone. Christ himself has fulfilled the law. Some will say, "But tithing was before the law, wasn't it? Didn't Abraham tithe to Melzdc?" Yes, my friends, Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils of war. Not his income, not his livelihood, but the spoils of battle to Melzdc in a single
• 03:30 - 04:00 one-time event. He was not commanded to do it. He did not set up a law to continue it. And Jacob, who made a vow to give God a tenth, did so conditionally, saying, "If you bless me, then I will give you a tenth." These are not examples of a divine mandate for the church. These are not binding laws upon the people of God today. Nowhere, listen to me, nowhere in the New Testament is the church commanded to tithe. Not once
• 04:00 - 04:30 did Jesus tell his disciples to give 10% of their wages. Not once did Paul in all his letters to the churches instruct them to take up a tithe. If tithing were required under the gospel of grace, don't you think the apostles would have made it abundantly clear? But instead, what do we find? We find a call to give, not by compulsion, not by obligation, but freely, joyfully, as the
• 04:30 - 05:00 spirit leads. The early church gave because love compelled them, not because law demanded it. Yet some preachers today stand in their pulpits and declare that if you do not tithe, you are robbing God. They point to Malachi 3 and thunder, "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me in tithes and offerings?" But I say to you, read the whole passage. Read who God was speaking to. He was rebuking the priests of Israel. Those who had corrupted the temple, those who had failed in their duties.
• 05:00 - 05:30 This was not a command to the church. This was not a declaration over the body of Christ. And yet, how many believers today sit under the weight of fear, under the burden of condemnation because they have been told that God will curse them if they do not give 10%. My friends, Christ took the curse upon himself. He bore it all on the cross. We are no longer under the law, but under grace. Hear me today. If
• 05:30 - 06:00 you are giving out of fear, out of duty, out of some misguided belief that God will withhold his blessings unless you pay him off like some tax collector from heaven, then you are not giving in faith. You are living under a law that Christ has abolished. And that, my friends, is sin. Because anything that is not of faith is sin. God is not looking for your 10%. He is looking for
• 06:00 - 06:30 your heart. He is looking for a cheerful giver. One who gives out of love, out of gratitude, out of a deep and abiding trust in him. And when you give that way, whether it be 10%, 20% or 2%. It is holy unto the Lord because it is done in faith and freedom, not bondage and law. So I ask you again, are you living under the old covenant or have you stepped into the freedom of Christ? Will you cling to a law that has passed away or
• 06:30 - 07:00 will you embrace the truth that sets you free? The choice is yours. But I say to you today, whom the son sets free is free indeed. My friends, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us set aside every weight, every burden, every law that Christ himself has fulfilled. For I tell you today, if you are still clinging to the tithe as a requirement for righteousness, then you are clinging to something that Jesus took to the cross
• 07:00 - 07:30 and put to death. The law was a shadow, but Christ is the reality. The law was temporary, but Christ is eternal. The law was a tutor, but now we have the spirit of the living God dwelling within us. Why then do so many continue to teach what has already been fulfilled? Why do so many churches bind believers under a yoke that Christ himself removed? We must understand what Jesus came to do. He did not come to patch up the old system. He did not come to
• 07:30 - 08:00 reinforce the law of Moses. He came to fulfill it. He said in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill and fulfill it he did. Every law, every ordinance, every requirement of the old covenant found its completion in him. The temple sacrifices fulfilled. The priesthood fulfilled the dietary laws
• 08:00 - 08:30 fulfilled. The tithing system fulfilled. If Christ has fulfilled the law, then why do we hold on to something that no longer applies? Some will say, "But Jesus mentioned tithing in Matthew 23:23 when he rebuked the Pharisees." Yes, he did. He told them, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith."
• 08:30 - 09:00 But hear me my friends, Jesus was speaking to those still under the old covenant. The temple still stood, the sacrifices were still being offered. the Levitical priesthood was still in place. He was not telling the church to tithe. He was rebuking the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. And just a short time later, that entire system came crashing down, never to be restored. The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, declaring that the old way was
• 09:00 - 09:30 finished. The moment Jesus cried, "It is finished." The tithe along with the entire Mosaic system was fulfilled once and for all. Yet there are those who say, "But tithing was God's principle before the law, and principles do not change." I ask you then, where do you see any command for Adam to tithe? Where do you see Noah giving a tenth of his goods? Where do you see the early church practicing a mandatory tithe? If this was an eternal principle, why do the apostles and all their writings never
• 09:30 - 10:00 once command tithing for believers? My friends, it is because Jesus did not come to establish a new law of percentages. He came to set us free from the law entirely. Under the new covenant, we are not called to give 10%. We are called to surrender our whole lives to him. We are not under obligation. We are under grace. Think about it. If tithing were still required after the cross, wouldn't Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, the one who
• 10:00 - 10:30 wrote letter after letter to instruct the church, have mentioned it clearly? Yet, what do we find? We find Paul teaching generosity, not tithing. We find him saying in Corinthians 9:7, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. No compulsion, no requirement, only giving that flows from a willing heart. That is the gospel way. That is
• 10:30 - 11:00 the way of Christ. That is the way of grace. Some preachers stand behind their pulpits today and declare, "If you do not tithe, you are cursed." They reach back into Malachi and place fear upon the people of God. But let me tell you something. If you are in Christ, you are not under a curse. Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." If Christ has redeemed us, then how can we be cursed? If he has fulfilled the law,
• 11:00 - 11:30 then how can we be required to keep what he has already completed? My friends, to insist on tithing as a requirement is to deny the power of the cross. It is to say that what Jesus did was not enough. It is to put back up the very veil that he tore down. So I ask you today, are you trusting in Christ alone or are you holding on to a law that has passed away? Are you giving in faith or are you giving out of fear? Are you free or are you still bound? My friends, do not let anyone place a
• 11:30 - 12:00 burden on you that Christ has removed. Do not let anyone take you back to what Jesus has finished. You are not under the law. You are not under the tithe. You are under grace. Walk in that freedom. Live in that freedom. And when you give, give not as one under obligation, but as one who has been set free by the Son of the living God. My friends, let us open our hearts to the truth of God's word. For where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. We have spoken about how tithing was part of the old covenant, how it was fulfilled in Christ, and how we are no
• 12:00 - 12:30 longer bound to the law. But now we must ask, if we are no longer required to tithe, then how should we give? What does God expect of us? Does he demand a percentage or does he desire something far greater? My friends, I tell you today, New Testament giving is not about obligation, not about legalism, not about fear, but about the freedom of the heart. The Bible does not command us to give 10%. It commands us to give as we
• 12:30 - 13:00 are led by the Holy Spirit cheerfully, generously, and willingly. Look at the example of the early church in Acts 2. When the spirit of God fell upon the believers, what did they do? Did they run to the temple to pay their tithes? No. It says they shared everything they had. It says they sold their possessions and gave to those in need. It says they lived in fellowship, breaking bread with glad and sincere hearts. My friends, that is spiritled giving. That is the
• 13:00 - 13:30 giving of a heart transformed by Christ. It was not about percentages. It was about love. It was about the leading of the spirit. It was about giving freely because they had freely received. Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, did not command the churches to tithe. He did not say, "Set aside 10% of your wages each week and bring it to the leaders." No. What did he say in 2 Corinthians 9:7? He writes, "Each one
• 13:30 - 14:00 must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Hear that again. Not reluctantly, not under compulsion. My friends, any giving that is done out of fear, any giving that is done because someone says you must is not New Testament giving. It is legalism. It is bondage. It is not the way of grace. Some preachers today will stand before their congregations and say, "If you do not tithe, you are
• 14:00 - 14:30 robbing God." They use Malachi 3:8 as a weapon, as a whip to drive people into submission. But let me tell you something. If you are in Christ, you are not a thief. You are a child of God. You are not under a curse. You have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Malachi was speaking to Israel, to a people under the old covenant, to a people who had turned from God's ways. But we, my friends, are under a better covenant, a covenant of grace, a covenant of
• 14:30 - 15:00 freedom. The only thing we rob God of is our trust. When we believe that we must earn his blessing by following a law that has already been fulfilled. The truth is when giving is done freely, it is an act of worship. It is an act of love. It is an act of faith. God does not need your money. He wants your heart. And when your heart is surrendered to him, you will give not out of fear, not out of duty, not because someone told you that you have
• 15:00 - 15:30 to, but because you desire to bless others, because you desire to further the gospel, because you desire to be a vessel of God's provision. That is the kind of giving that God honor. That is the kind of giving that pleases him. That is the kind of giving that brings joy. Some of you may ask, "But if we do not tithe, how will the church survive? How will ministries be funded? How will the work of God continue?" My friends, do you not believe that God is able? Do you not
• 15:30 - 16:00 believe that he moves upon the hearts of his people? The church is not sustained by law. It is sustained by faith. The work of God is not funded by fear. It is funded by love. When God's people give freely, there is no lack. When God's people give as the spirit leads, there is always enough. The churches of the New Testament were not sustained by tithes. They were sustained by the generosity of believers who gave from the heart willingly, joyfully, trusting that God would provide. And let me tell you today, if God could supply the needs
• 16:00 - 16:30 of the church, then he can supply them now. If he could stir hearts to give, then he can stir hearts to give now. We do not need legalism to keep the church alive. We need faith. So I say to you today, do not give out of fear. Do not give because you feel pressure. Do not give because someone told you that you must. Give because you love. Give because you trust. Give because the spirit leads you. Give because you are free. And when
• 16:30 - 17:00 you give in this way with a cheerful heart, you will find that God's blessings will overflow in your life. Not because you followed a rule, but because you walked in faith. And faith, my friends, is what pleases God. My friends, let us open our eyes to the truth and break free from the chains that religion has placed upon us. For too long, the church has been told that blessings come at a price. That if we do not give a certain percentage, God will hold back his favor. But I tell you
• 17:00 - 17:30 today, that is a lie. That is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. God's blessings are not for sale. His grace is not earned. And his love is not bought with money. And yet, how many sit in pews every Sunday believing that unless they give their 10%, God will withhold his goodness from them. How many have been made to feel that unless they pay their tithe, they are shutting the windows of heaven. My friends, that is not the God we serve. God is not a merchant selling blessings
• 17:30 - 18:00 to the highest bidder. He is not a tax collector demanding his portion before he moves in your life. He is a loving father who gives freely to his children. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:45 that God makes his son rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. If God pours out his goodness on all, then why do so many believe that he holds back his
• 18:00 - 18:30 blessings based on a number, based on a p? My friends, that is not the heart of our father. That is not the message of grace. Many preachers will stand in their pulpits and tell you that if you do not tithe, you are blocking God's blessings. They will use Malachi 3:10 to say that if you bring your tithe into the storehouse, then the windows of heaven will open. But let me ask you, who was Malachi speaking to? Was he speaking to the church? Was he speaking to those
• 18:30 - 19:00 under the new covenant? No, he was speaking to Israel, to a people under the law, to a people who were commanded to bring their tithes for the support of the Levitical priesthood. That system is gone. That temple is no more. And yet some still use this verse to manipulate and control, to make people believe that unless they tithe, God's hands are tied. My friends, the hands of God are not bound by money. His blessings are not released by percentages. The sacrifice
• 19:00 - 19:30 that opened the windows of heaven was not 10% of your income. It was the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. If blessings came through tithing, then tell me, why are there people who tithe faithfully yet still struggle? Why do some give their last dollar expecting an outpouring only to find themselves in the same situation? My friends, God's blessings are not a transaction. They are not a deal to be made. They are not a business contract where you pay 10%
• 19:30 - 20:00 and receive divine favor in return. That is not faith. That is not grace. That is not the gospel. Look at the apostles. Look at Paul, Peter, John. These men walked in the fullness of God's blessings. Yet never once did they preach tithing. Never once did they say, "Give 10% and God will prosper you." No. What did they say? They said to live by faith. They said to trust in God. They said that we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 10:3
• 20:00 - 20:30 declares it, "Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." My friends, if you are in Christ, then you are already blessed. You do not have to buy his favor. You do not have to purchase his provision. You do not have to tithe to be in his good graces. The moment you believed in Jesus, you stepped into the fullness of his blessings. But some will say, "If we
• 20:30 - 21:00 do not tithe, how will God provide for us?" My friends, do you think God's provision depends on a formula? Do you think he needs 10% of your income in order to meet your needs? No. The Bible says in Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus." Not according to your tithing record, not according to your giving percentage, but according to his riches. And let me tell you something, his riches never run out. His storehouse is
• 21:00 - 21:30 never empty. His provision is limitless. God calls us to give, but he calls us to give from a place of love, not legalism. He calls us to give from a place of faith, not fear. He calls us to give cheerfully, not because we are afraid that if we don't, he will withhold his blessings. The moment we believe that our giving controls God's favor, we have turned faith into a transaction. We have reduced our relationship with God to a business
• 21:30 - 22:00 deal. But God does not work that way. He is a father, not a banker. He is a giver. He does not bless you because you followed a rule. He blesses you because he loves you. So I say to you today, do not let anyone tell you that God's blessings are for sale. Do not let anyone place fear upon you, telling you that unless you give a certain amount, heaven's windows will remain closed. My friends, the windows of heaven have already been opened through Jesus
• 22:00 - 22:30 Christ. The blessings of God are already yours in him. Do not live in fear. Do not give in bondage. Walk in the freedom of grace, knowing that your father in heaven is a good God, a faithful God, a loving God who blesses not because of what you give, but because of who he is. My friends, let us not be deceived. The enemy has always tried to take what is pure and twist it into something burdensome. He takes what God has given
• 22:30 - 23:00 freely and makes man believe he must earn it. He takes grace and turns it into law. He takes generosity and turns it into obligation. And today, one of the greatest deceptions that has crept into the church is the idea that tithing is a divine command for believers. That it is a holy requirement. That failing to give 10% is disobedience to God. But I tell you today, that is a lie. That is not what Jesus taught. That is not what
• 23:00 - 23:30 the apostles taught. That is not what the apostles taught. That is not the way of grace. When Jesus walked this earth, he confronted the religious leaders because they placed heavy burdens on the people. Burdens that they themselves would not carry. They made the law about rules, about measurements, about requirements. But they missed the heart of God. And I tell you the same thing is happening today. Some pastors, some churches, some leaders are using tithing not as a way
• 23:30 - 24:00 to encourage generosity, but as a tool to control, to manipulate, to place fear into the hearts of God's people. They teach that if you do not tithe, you are disobedient. They teach that if you do not tithe, you are under a curse. They teach that if you do not tithe, God will not bless you. But I tell you, that is not the gospel. That is not the message of Jesus Christ. Let me ask you, if tithing is a command for the church, then why is it never commanded in the New Testament? If tithing is required
• 24:00 - 24:30 for righteousness, then why did Jesus never command his followers to tithe? If tithing is the key to financial blessing, then why do we see no mention of it in the teachings of Paul, Peter or John? My friends, it is because tithing was part of the old covenant and we are under a new covenant. And under this new covenant, we are not commanded to give out of obligation but out of love. We are not bound by a percentage but led by the spirit of God. Some will argue but Abraham tithed before the law so tithing must be an eternal principle. But let us
• 24:30 - 25:00 look at what really happened in Genesis 14. Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Mechqueisedc. But nowhere do we see God commanding him to do so. Nowhere do we see Abraham making it a practice. Nowhere do we see him telling his children, "You must tithe to be blessed." This was a one-time event, a free will offering, not a law, not a commandment. And yet, some have taken this single event and used it to create
• 25:00 - 25:30 an entire doctrine, a system that pressures people into giving, not by faith, but by fear. God does not want forced giving. He wants willing hearts. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:7, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." My friends, if you are being told that you must tithe, then you are being placed under compulsion. If you are giving because you are afraid that God will not bless
• 25:30 - 26:00 you otherwise, then you are giving under fear. But God does not bless fear, he blesses faith. He does not want you to give because you feel pressured. He wants you to give because you love him, because you trust him, because you desire to be part of what he is doing. Some churches have turned tithing into a membership fee. A system where your giving determines your standing. But let me tell you, God does not measure your faithfulness by a percentage. He does
• 26:00 - 26:30 not determine your righteousness by what you put in the offering plate. Your righteousness is found in Christ alone. Your favor comes through Jesus, not through tithing. Your blessings come through faith, not through fulfilling a law that has been fulfilled in him. The danger of this false teaching is that it keeps people in bondage. It makes them believe that their financial well-being depends on their giving instead of depending on God. It makes them believe that they are under a curse if they do not give 10% instead of believing that
• 26:30 - 27:00 Jesus became a curse for them on the cross. It turns the gospel of grace into a gospel of works. But my friends, the truth is this. Jesus paid it all. He completed the work. There is nothing left to earn, nothing left to purchase, nothing left to fulfill. We do not give to receive blessings. We give because we are. We do not give to remove a curse. We give because Christ has already redeemed us from the curse. We do not give to earn
• 27:00 - 27:30 God's favor. We give because we already have it through Jesus Christ. So I say to you today, open your eyes. Do not be deceived. Do not let anyone place a yoke upon you that Christ has removed. Do not let anyone tell you that your standing before God is determined by what you give. Give freely. Give in faith. Give because you love, not because you are afraid. Give because the spirit leads you, not because man pressures you. And
• 27:30 - 28:00 above all, walk in the freedom of Christ, knowing that you are already blessed, already favored, already loved, not because of what you do, but because of who he is. My friends, when we look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we see a savior who came to set the captives free. We see a redeemer who broke the chains of legalism and brought us into the glorious liberty of grace. He did not come to place heavy burdens upon us. He came to remove them. He did not come to add more laws. He came to fulfill the
• 28:00 - 28:30 law so that we could live in the freedom of his love. And yet there are many today who are still living under the weight of man-made rules, believing that their relationship with God is tied to their ability to give a set amount of money. But my friends, that is not the gospel. Jesus never once commanded his followers to tithe. He never said, "Give 10% and you will be blessed." No. What did he say? He said, "Freely you
• 28:30 - 29:00 have received, freely give." He said, "Give and it shall be given unto you." He spoke of generosity, of compassion, of faith, but never of obligation. Because giving in the kingdom of God is not about percentages. It is about the heart. It is not about following a rule. It is about being led by the spirit. It is not about fulfilling a requirement. It is about living in the overflow of God's grace. But the tragedy today is that
• 29:00 - 29:30 many churches have taken what should be a joyful act of love and turned it into a legalistic duty. They have taken what should be a spirit-led response and turned it into a law that must be obeyed. And what happens? People give not because they want to, but because they feel they have to. They give not out of joy, but out of fear. And my friends, that is not the will of God. The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver. Not a pressured giver, not a fearful giver, not a reluctant giver,
• 29:30 - 30:00 but a cheerful giver. And how can someone be cheerful when they are being forced? How can someone give with joy when they are being told that if they do not, they are robbing God? Some will say, "But if we do not tithe, how will the church survive? How will the pastors be supported? How will the ministry continue?" My friends, do you think God's work is dependent on a legalistic system? Do you think he needs to force people to give in order to sustain his kingdom? No. The church is not built on tithing. It is built on faith. The
• 30:00 - 30:30 ministry does not thrive because of percentages. It thrives because of the generosity of spiritfilled believers who give as the Lord leads them. When people are free to give from the heart, they give abundantly. When people are led by the spirit, there is no lack. The early church did not operate under the law of tithing. Yet they had all things in common and no one was in need. Why? Because they gave not out of obligation but out of love. They gave because their hearts were transformed by the power of
• 30:30 - 31:00 the gospel. And this is the truth that so many have missed. Giving is not about numbers. It is not about 10%, 20% or any set amount. It is about being a vessel of God's love. It is about recognizing that all we have belongs to him and using it for his glory. It is about trusting him not because we are afraid of a curse but because we know he is a good father who provides for his children. When we give
• 31:00 - 31:30 freely without compulsion, without fear, without legalism. That is when we truly reflect the heart of God. So I ask you today, are you giving out of love or out of fear? Are you giving because the spirit has led you or because man has pressured you? Are you giving in the freedom of grace or are you still living under the bondage of the law? My friends, Jesus came to set you free. He came to remove every burden, to break
• 31:30 - 32:00 every chain, to destroy every yoke that keeps his people in captivity. Do not let anyone tell you that you must pay for God's blessings. Do not let anyone convince you that your standing before God is based on what you give. You are his child, redeemed by his blood, favored by his grace, blessed beyond measure, not because of what you do, but because of what he has done. So walk in that freedom. Give as the Lord leads you. Give because you love, because you
• 32:00 - 32:30 desire to be a blessing, because you trust in the one who supplies all your needs. And know this, when you give from a heart of faith, from a place of joy, from the abundance of grace, you will experience the true blessings of God, not because you followed a law, but because you walked in the fullness of his Five.