God is such a good God. There is nothing like living for Him. He has given us life and life with abundance (John 10:10). What more can you ask for!? Many Christians like to talk about how this Christian life is free…that it doesn’t cost you anything. That tapping into the fullness of God is free. However, that is not what the Word of God tells us. Sure, you don’t have to pay anything or do anything to have Jesus come into your heart, however, to tap into the fullness of what God has for you, there is something required.

1 Corinthians 4: 1 says that we are “stewards of the mysteries of God.”

What is a steward? A steward is someone who has been put in responsibility of what is someone else’s. What has God made us stewards over? The mysteries of God! Well, what are the mysteries of God? The mysteries of God are the revelations that He gives to us, in order for us to take new steps into His glory. An illustration of being a steward over a mystery would be in the area of tithing. When we were first saved, tithing was a mystery to us. We didn’t understand it and it sounded quite strange to give 10% of our money away. However, when we heard it preached and found out why we do it and what is hooked up to tithing, now we are stewards over the tithe. When we are faithful stewards, then we can be catapulted into new levels of the blessings of God. If we are unfaithful stewards, then we will stay where we have been, and actually lose what we already have (see Matthew 26:24-29).

1 Corinthians 4:2 goes on to prove what I have just declared, it says, “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”. Notice, it doesn’t say that it is an option. It is required in a steward, someone who has a revelation from God, that they are faithful to that revelation that has been given. You may say, “Whoa, Pastor Legalism, don’t throw that trip on me! I believe that I am free from all that bondage.” First of all, you’ve got to understand that bondage is something that keeps you in your place. That will never take you to new heights. As a matter of fact, legalism brings hopelessness. Proverbs 28:20 declares, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings”. That doesn’t sound like bondage. If you are faithful, you won’t just have blessings, you will abound (abundant in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality–exceedingly, full, increase, plenteous in blessings (prosperity). That sounds like just the opposite of bondage, that sounds like freedom.

Luke 16:10 tells us where we start, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” You’ve got to learn to be faithful in the little things. If you are not faithful in the little things, you will never be faithful in the large things. You may say, “Well, I have so many bills. When I get a couple of those bill paid, it will free me up to be faithful in the tithe.” Or you may say, “I don’t make enough money to tithe, but when I start making more money I will be faithful to the tithe.” Bologna! If you are not faithful it the tithe when you are making just a little money, you will never be faithful when you are making more. You will just have more things to spend your money on. If you want to get the point that you have your bills paid…if you want to get to the point that you have more money, you’ve got to be faithful in the small things that God had told you to do.

Faithful in the Small Things

What are some of these things that you need to be faithful in?

1.) Be faithful in your tithe.

God declares in Malachi 3:10 that we are to bring ALL of our tithe into the storehouse. If you are making $100 a week, you are still responsible for bringing all of your tithe ($10) into your local church. If you are making $1,000 a week, you are still responsible for bringing all your tithe into the storehouse ($100). God says that if you don’t bring it all into the church, then you are stealing from Him (Malachi 3:8).

How in the world would you ever abound in God’s blessings if you are stealing from Him.

Malachi 3:10-12 goes on to tell

Four things that will happen if you are faithful in your tithe.

• Windows of heaven will be opened for you. vs. 10
• The devourer (enemy) will be rebuked (held captive). vs. 11
• Your harvest (what you have sowed for) will be released.
  vs. 11
• Everyone will notice that you are a delightsome (a valuable thing)land. vs. 12That sounds like something I want in my life.

2.) Be faithful in your church attendance.

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” It says that we are not to forsake gatheringv together with one another. You may say, “Yes, Pastor Thad, preach it. I go to church one time every week. I am faithful to that one service.” Beloved, you are not faithful to that one service, you are unfaithful to two or

Three other services.

This scripture doesn’t give us a number of services in which we are to be faithful, it simply implies that whenever your local church (the one that God has you a part of) meets, don’t forsake it. It goes on to say, “and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” What day is it talking about? The day of Christ’s return! We are closer than ever, the signs of the times are everywhere.

Twenty-five years ago you could have gotten by with attending one service a week, but God tells us that as we get closer to the return of Christ we need to do it more than ever. Beloved, whenever your church meets you need to be faithful.

In Paul’s account of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 he tells us that there are many people who are sick and who are dying because they are not discerning (separating, or withdrawing from) the Lord’s body. Who is the Lord’s body? The church! If you want the blessing of God in your life, don’t separate yourself from church. Be faithful!

3.) Be faithful in your time with God.

A lot of Christians are very proud of themselves that they go to church 3 times every week. Praise God. They are holy and powerful and have everything going for them in their lives. Don’t they? No! Why? Because they have never developed a time where they get to know God on their own. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You don’t grow in faith by having heard a good sermon or having heard something that you pastor said once. Faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing the Word of God. If you are waiting from Sunday to Sunday to hear and be fed the Word of God, your faith is still in its infant stage and you are not growing to new levels of faith. Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” In the wilderness days, who was the one who was effective in seeing God do things? It was Moses! Why was he effective and the other two to three million Israelites were not? Exodus 33:11 gives us the key, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” Moses had learned to talk to God…on His own! Beloved, if you are going to see the blessings of God abound in your life, you will have to become faithful to His Word and to His presence.

God isn’t trying to get anything from you. He is trying to get more things to you. However, for you to step into this new area of life it is required that you be faithful. Start in these three areas (beginning areas and allow God to take you to new levels of His power, blessings and abundance.