Pay Yourself Second: Tithing, Saving and Wisdom for Wealth

Sermon outline

Believers already carry the anointing; what they lack is the wisdom of God, and wealth for the kingdom is built step by step through faithful tithing, paying yourself, consistent saving and wise counsel.

1. The person of Jesus Christ and the principles of God

   The anointing abides in every believer to keep evil spirits at bay and keep us in contact with God, but it will not make anyone rich; the principles and wisdom of God bring success. Jesus called the children of this world wiser than the children of the kingdom, and in the parable of the talents said the money should at least have been put in the bank to earn interest. God is a highly intelligent God of order, and His Word promises plenty, an open heaven over the tither, favour and ideas, while losses come from a fallen world or from unwise decisions, not from God.

   Illustration: Noah was given the dimensions of the ark and Moses the measurements of the tabernacle to the last cubit, even the colours: God is specific and orderly. A believer with an open heaven finds that among a stack of applications, theirs goes to the top.

   “There's a difference between the person of Jesus Christ and the principles of God.”

   • 1 John 2:27
   • Hebrews 6:1
   • 1 Corinthians 6:19
   • Luke 16:8
   • Matthew 25:27
   • Genesis 6:15
   • Isaiah 46:10
   • Deuteronomy 8:18
   • Deuteronomy 28:8
   • Deuteronomy 28:11
   • Psalm 1:3
   • Romans 10:15
   • Proverbs 10:22
   • Psalm 34:10
   • Malachi 3:10
   • Exodus 12:13
   • Revelation 21:4
   • John 10:10

2. By wisdom a house is built

   Your house, your business and your profession are built by wisdom and established by understanding, and God will drop wisdom into your spirit while you drive, shower or eat. The devil wants believers ignorant, because God's people perish for lack of knowledge. Get wisdom though it costs you all you have: no excuse about bus fare, fuel or a difficult journey should keep you from being fed the Word.

   Illustration: The Queen of Sheba, a powerful woman in her own right, travelled all the way to Solomon with a great gift just to sit at his feet and hear his wisdom.

   “By wisdom a house is built. By understanding it is established.”

   • Proverbs 24:3
   • Mark 16:18
   • John 6:63
   • Hosea 4:6
   • 1 Kings 10:1-10
   • Proverbs 4:5-7

3. Wealth to fund the kingdom

   The church has mingled seed, a little religion mixed with the Word, and so pursues what it already has instead of wisdom. He wants believers to become millionaires so they can fund the kingdom, and he calls it a religious demon that says the church must not talk about money. Many families are the first generation making headway after poverty, without inherited 'old money', so God must redeem the time, and those who rise must lift others out of poverty too. He is personally trusting God for 100 millionaires in the church.

   Illustration: He grew up standing without shoes in the queue at a Catholic school for free jam and bread, hunger overriding the embarrassment. He also recalls praying for people who were dramatically healed and then went back to the world, like the one leper in ten who returned to thank Jesus: the deeper blindness is not knowing God wants His people wealthy.

   “It's not more anointing that you need. It's more money that you need.”

   • Galatians 5:9
   • Ecclesiastes 10:19
   • Ephesians 4:11-12
   • Luke 17:15-18

4. 1. Start paying or returning tithes and offerings to the Lord, and make it an automatic practice

   Tithing should not need to be preached at you or forced on you; when money comes in, you tithe, and you teach your children and household to do the same. Without the covering of the tithe and offering the heavens are closed and the devourer comes in.

   “It must just be automatic.”

   • Malachi 3:11

5. 2. Inform your bank to transfer the funds automatically to your church account

   An automatic transfer removes the excuse of forgetting. You would never skip your rent or your electricity, and the tithe deserves the same faithfulness.

   Illustration: At a conference, he thinks in Zambia, a wise older pastor of a large church told him he asked people in the prayer line whether they tithed, because he could not bless what God's Word says is under a curse. The young Pastor Sing at first thought it harsh.

   “If you do that, you won't have an excuse.”

   • Malachi 3:9
   • 1 Timothy 5:22

6. 3. Instruct your bank to transfer a designated amount from your paycheck into a 'pay myself' bank account

   After giving to the Lord, you pay yourself. Open a special account, start at whatever level you can, whether 100, 500 or 1,000 rand a month, and deposit into it every month as an automatic practice. He promises to show next week how small savings can grow to 28 million rand over a lifetime.

   “Start at whatever level you can.”

7. 4. Try paying yourself no less than 10 to 30% of your normal income

   Give 10% plus offerings to the Lord and at least 10% to yourself, then keep increasing it, working towards putting most of your salary into savings. Then, instead of asking the pastor to pray for money, you can ask him what the church needs.

   “Most of your salary is going to your savings account.”

8. 5. Put it aside consistently

   Don't save for two months and then stop for ten. Many were never taught to save and spend their bonuses and salaries before they arrive, so saving must become a habit in all weather.

   “Come rain, hail, or thunderstorm, that money is going to go into the bank, pay myself bank account.”

9. 6. Putting money aside must become so automatic that it functions as an automated system

   Train your mind to save weekly and monthly, and young people should start now instead of chasing brands. The world's system, with more malls than schools, is designed to part you from your money and keep you in debt, so trust God to get out of debt and pay off your house and car before time.

   Illustration: Joseph told Pharaoh to store up in the seven years of plenty so there would be enough in the seven lean years. He also notes that believers get 168 hours of news and negativity a week and only about two hours of the Word on Sunday.

   “The system of the world is designed for you to be in debt.”

   • Genesis 41:34-36

10. 7. Put money saved in a fixed deposit with a guaranteed interest rate, and get professional advice

    As your savings grow, use fixed deposits, bonds, savings accounts or investments, and go to a banker for financial advice. The pastor's job is to pray, intercede and teach the Word, not to know everything: go to doctors, dentists, lawyers, educators, Christian psychologists and counsellors for the help they are trained to give.

    Illustration: When he needs to know about cars he phones Bradley, and for music or food he asks Adrian. He also confesses a love of watches, and how he has to walk past the shop window and tell himself he does not need another one.

    “The pastor doesn't know everything.”

    • James 5:14