The 90% Trust: Moving From Curse to Blessing

Executive Summary

The following briefing document synthesizes the core themes of the “Kingdom Multiplies” series, specifically focusing on the theology of tithing as presented in the discourse “The 90% Trust.” The central thesis is that tithing is not a mechanism for manipulating divine favor but a metric of a trusting relationship with God. The text argues that individuals are “better off with 90% [of their income] in God than 100% on [their] own.”

Key takeaways include:

• The Problem of Misplaced Expectations: Many individuals fail to find God because they look for Him in places He does not operate, often due to “bad theology” or a “wrong worldview.”
• Malachi 3 Analysis: The biblical command to tithe is framed as a call to “return” to God. Failure to tithe is categorized as “robbing” God, leading to a “curse,” which is defined as a state of being rather than a capricious punishment.
• Trust vs. Manipulation: Tithing should be viewed as an act of trust within a relationship rather than a “prosperity gospel” tool to force a blessing.
• The 90-Day Challenge: A practical application wherein the church offers a “money-back guarantee” on tithes to demonstrate divine faithfulness.

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1. The Foundational Framework: “People Are Never Where They Aren’t”

A central metaphor in the analysis is drawn from a visit to a Toyota manufacturing plant. The speaker sought a specific individual on the factory floor but failed to find him because the individual worked in an office. This leads to the fundamental axiom: “People are never where they aren’t.”

Theological Application

• Misdirected Searching: Most people who have “a problem with God” are looking for Him in environments where He typically does not work.
• The Impact of Bad Theology: Belief systems that suggest Christians will never face hardship (e.g., “God will never give you more than you can handle”) create a false worldview. When reality contradicts this theology, individuals assume God is absent, whereas He is simply “in another part of the plant.”
• Deconstruction vs. Reconstruction: The document advocates for “reconstructing” faith based on biblical concepts rather than “deconstructing” it into nothingness based on personal experience or bad theology.

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2. Biblical Analysis: Malachi 3 and the Call to Return

The discourse utilizes Malachi 3:6-12 as the primary scriptural evidence. The text portrays God as a prosecutor in a “courtroom drama,” laying out a case against His people.

The Nature of God

• Immutability: God states, “I, the Lord, do not change.” This unchanging nature is the basis for His faithfulness; He remains constant regardless of human performance.
• Relational Heart: Despite human failure, the divine call is: “Return to me, and I will return to you.”

The Concept of “Robbing God”

The text presents a seeming incongruity: God calls for a return to relationship, then immediately accuses the people of “robbing” Him through the withholding of tithes and offerings.

• The Storehouse: In the historical context, tithes were brought to the temple storehouse to support the Levites and priests. To withhold the tithe was to effectively “starve” those dedicated to ministry.
• The Definition of Tithe: A tithe is strictly defined as 10% of one’s income.

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3. Redefining “Curse” and “Blessing”

A critical distinction is made regarding the consequences of withholding the tithe, specifically addressing the “Prosperity Gospel” narrative.

Concept	Traditional Misinterpretation	Biblical Synthesis (per Source)
The Curse	A vindictive punishment God “does” to people.	A “state of being” or “position” chosen by the individual.
The Blessing	A way to “trick” or “manipulate” God into giving material wealth.	The natural result of residing in a “trusting relationship” with God.
Manipulation	Using money to get what you want from God.	Following rules to “turn on the faucet” of blessing.

Key Insight on the Curse

The text emphasizes that God does not say “I will curse you,” but rather “You are under a curse.” This implies that by withholding what belongs to God (the tithe), individuals actively remove themselves from God’s blessing and choose to live in a state of “curse” and worry.

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4. Practical Implementation and Organizational Integrity

The speaker establishes several “ground rules” to ensure the message on money is focused on spiritual growth rather than institutional pressure.

• Growth over Pressure: The objective is to encourage “adult thinking” and honest engagement with faith, not to coerce giving.
• Anonymity and Boundaries: To avoid conflicts of interest, the lead pastor does not know individual giving amounts, does not touch the money, and does not set his own salary.
• Removing Excuses: If an individual’s skepticism toward the specific church or pastor prevents them from tithing, the speaker gives “permission” to tithe to other reputable ministries (e.g., Grace Christian, Regeneration Church, or the Methodist church). The goal is faithfulness to God, not the specific institution.

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5. The 90-Day Challenge

As a radical application of Malachi 3:10 (“Test me in this”), the church proposes a “90-Day Challenge.”

• The Proposition: Individuals are encouraged to tithe for 90 days as an act of trust.
• The Guarantee: If the individual does not see “God’s blessing” or faithfulness during that period, the church offers a full refund of the money given.
• Purpose: To prove that a life lived on 90% with God’s blessing is superior to a life lived on 100% without it.

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6. Conclusion: The Priority of Trust

The document concludes that the ultimate goal of tithing is the cultivation of a “real relationship” with the “God of the universe.”

• Honesty over Pretense: Individuals are encouraged to be honest if they do not trust God. “Christians are the worst about lying about where we’re at with our faith.”
• Dependency: Humans are described as “jars of clay”—nothing special on their own, but significant because of what God puts inside them.
• Final Call: The response to these themes is strictly between the individual and God, focusing on “seeking first the kingdom” to alleviate the “worry” associated with self-reliance.