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\\xa0Dream Word \\u2013 COST

2 Samuel 24:24,25 Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. NKJV

Now, an examination of the Old Testament use of the received tithe, that fictitious ten percent the church is always so focused upon (it was, in fact, so much more than ten percent,) reveals that it was used essentially in three major areas, that is, for the support of personnel, for the purchase and upkeep of premises and eventually for the financing of various people-keeping, and money-spinning programs. Local churches of today and I suppose every Christian para-church organization uses the larger percentage of its collected finances for exactly the same 'three P\\u2019s' in the same old pod. Personel, Premies, and Programs.

Now do not get wrong here, I like premises and I like some programs, and I do believe that the workman is worthy of his hire, though very often, many Pastors are just not as worthy as much as we pay them, and more often than not, a few Pastors are worthy of so much more. Yes, the workman is worthy of his hire, and premises should be warm inviting, safe and attractive, though not necessarily plushy, lushy and cushy, and correctly funded programs are not only justifiers of our existence, but they sometimes, I say sometimes, they might actually do some good.\\xa0

O.K. so now we are clear on that, let me say six things tonight in closing:

First, in this age of the local church, ten percent of giving is far too much for some people, it really is! Giving ten percent of nothing, when you have less than nothing coming in and more than nothing going out is just stupidity. Either that or faith. I hope it\\u2019s faith, because that alone will please God, and that alone will unite your family in the cost of such sacrificial giving.

Second, that ten percent is just not enough for some people. Ten percent of \\u2018loadsamoney\\u2019 is an accounting line item that your accountant uses to ensure tax relief at the end of the fiscal year. There is no sacrifice here. No really, there is no sacrifice here. Ten percent is just not enough for some people, you need to be giving more.

Third, note that tithing, though a Biblical principle is not a New Testament practice. The practice of the New Testament is the hilariously happy, and regular giving of that which we have decided upon in our hearts before God. It might be a whole lot less than ten percent, and then again, it might be a whole lot more. It may vary from gift to gift and even giver to giver, and that\\u2019s O.K.

Fourth, that if you have committed to regular giving to the 'three P\\u2019s'\\xa0 of a local church, that is, if you have committed to regular giving to premises, personnel, and programs, that is, to those three P's in that oh so pesky pod, then GIVE, and GIVE and GIVE regularly! Other people are relying on your regular committed giving.

Fifth, please note that there is another principle to be applied to giving that precedes the hilarity of the task. Giving that honors God, giving that incites belief, giving that is astonishing, and giving that will be utilized by the receiver in the most holiest and astute of ways, really must be giving that is sacrificial. Giving that can most easily have the largess of hilarity affixed to it, is giving that has cost you something, and is used for righteous and holy people or causes. There is a triple prefix here, that this (1) giving must cost you something, (2) it must be giving joyfully, and (3) it must be giving to righteous hoy people and causes. \\xa0

Lastly, a confession. It\\u2019s a double-edged confession really, in that on the cutti