WEBVTT
00:00:56.930 --> 00:00:57.490
Morning.
00:00:58.450 --> 00:00:59.250
Good to see you here.
00:00:59.650 --> 00:01:02.290
Glad you're watching at home wherever you may happen to be.
00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:07.969
That last song just speaks to me a lot, I'll tell you, because I've just seen the faithfulness of God throughout my life.
00:01:08.290 --> 00:01:17.090
Some of you know my story, and I've come a long way to be standing up here and to be preaching and to be uh uh you know the pastor of this church all my life.
00:01:17.329 --> 00:01:18.770
God has been faithful.
00:01:19.010 --> 00:01:19.409
Amen.
00:01:19.890 --> 00:01:22.530
I bet you a lot of you can say that same thing, right?
00:01:22.770 --> 00:01:24.289
So glad we could sing that.
00:01:24.450 --> 00:01:27.250
Glad, glad uh that you're joining us this morning.
00:01:27.409 --> 00:01:35.010
There's a guy named Chuck Feeney, and he was a businessman who made billions of dollars as the co-founder of Duty Free.
00:01:35.170 --> 00:01:41.810
You may have seen those duty-free uh shoppers, shops in uh airports, they have them all over everywhere.
00:01:41.969 --> 00:01:47.409
But if you had met him walking through an airport, you probably wouldn't have guessed that he was a billionaire.
00:01:47.650 --> 00:01:54.050
He flew economy class wherever he went, he didn't dress the part, he carried his papers in a plastic bag.
00:01:54.289 --> 00:01:59.890
He he get he uh lived modestly, and for years nobody knew what he did with his money.
00:01:59.969 --> 00:02:00.689
It's like, what are you?
00:02:00.770 --> 00:02:03.490
You're a billionaire, what are you doing with all your money?
00:02:03.729 --> 00:02:08.770
And in 1982, he created a foundation called the Atlantic Philanthropies.
00:02:09.250 --> 00:02:13.250
And his philosophy was simple: giving while living.
00:02:13.890 --> 00:02:14.849
I love that.
00:02:15.090 --> 00:02:16.610
Giving while living.
00:02:16.849 --> 00:02:17.810
Most people, right?
00:02:17.969 --> 00:02:27.009
The the wealthy, they use their money while they're alive, and then when they pass away, they give it all they give it away to charities or whatever it is, or pass it on down to their families.
00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:29.729
No, his was giving while living.
00:02:29.810 --> 00:02:38.289
And instead of accumulating his wealth and leaving it behind after he died, he wanted to use it while he was alive to make a difference.
00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:41.729
And he didn't just give away a little bit of money.
00:02:41.969 --> 00:02:51.890
Over the course of his lifetime, Phoenix Philanthropy ultimately distributed more than eight billion dollars to causes around the world.
00:02:52.129 --> 00:02:59.810
He supported education, healthcare, human rights, scientific research, communities in need, and much of it was given anonymously.
00:02:59.889 --> 00:03:03.009
He didn't want his name on buildings, there was no buildings named after him.
00:03:03.169 --> 00:03:08.370
He didn't want a plaque somewhere, he didn't want anybody to know, he didn't seem interested in getting credit.
00:03:08.449 --> 00:03:09.729
He was just that kind of guy.
00:03:09.889 --> 00:03:13.969
His goal was to simply see the money, accomplish something good.
00:03:14.129 --> 00:03:19.810
And eventually he did something almost unheard of for someone who had accumulated that kind of wealth.
00:03:20.049 --> 00:03:22.689
He gave virtually all of it away.
00:03:23.090 --> 00:03:24.049
All of it.
00:03:24.769 --> 00:03:36.049
And when asked about his philosophy, Feeney explained that he saw little reason to wait to give when he had so much good, when he had so much, and so much good could be accomplished by giving now.
00:03:36.930 --> 00:03:42.689
And he even said, it's a lot more fun to give while you live than when you're dead.
00:03:43.329 --> 00:03:44.689
That makes sense, doesn't it?
00:03:44.849 --> 00:03:47.169
A lot more fun to give while you live than when you're dead.
00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:48.530
Think about that.
00:03:48.769 --> 00:03:55.250
Think about Feeney's story, Chuck Feeney's story, as we begin our series today, A Generous Life.
00:03:55.490 --> 00:04:00.530
Take out your Bible if you would and turn with me to Matthew, first book of the New Testament.
00:04:01.329 --> 00:04:05.889
We're gonna be in chapter six today, starting in verse 19.
00:04:06.530 --> 00:04:08.689
A new series called A Generous Life.
00:04:08.849 --> 00:04:11.889
Let me pray for the Word of God because we've got a lot to cover today.
00:04:12.129 --> 00:04:13.169
Lord, this is your word.
00:04:13.409 --> 00:04:16.050
Your word is active and alive, your word is truth.
00:04:16.210 --> 00:04:22.850
I pray that you open our hearts and our minds and our eyes and our ears to receive what you would have us receive from this.
00:04:23.090 --> 00:04:25.170
Thank you for it in Jesus' name.
00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:25.970
Amen.
00:04:26.129 --> 00:04:29.730
Matthew was one of Jesus' uh original disciples.
00:04:29.810 --> 00:04:40.129
He wrote this book to a Jewish audience uh that Jesus of Nazareth was certainly the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.
00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:47.810
It's one of the gospels, like I said, the first four books of the New Testament, dedicated to the life of Jesus, and they are like biographies.
00:04:47.889 --> 00:04:50.530
So when we get to chapter six, right, look at this.
00:04:50.689 --> 00:04:55.170
Jesus is teaching on what's called the Sermon of the Mount, and here's what he's telling his audience.
00:04:55.329 --> 00:04:56.689
Chapter 6, verse 19.
00:04:56.850 --> 00:04:57.329
Get this.
00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:00.850
We're going to read this section, and then we're going to look at parts of it.
00:05:01.009 --> 00:05:03.089
Okay, so look at this story right here.
00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:19.649
Jesus is teaching, he says, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
00:05:19.810 --> 00:05:23.649
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
00:05:24.290 --> 00:05:26.129
The eye is the lamp of the body.
00:05:26.290 --> 00:05:29.730
If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
00:05:29.969 --> 00:05:33.649
But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.
00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:38.850
If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?
00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:41.409
No one can serve two masters.
00:05:41.569 --> 00:05:46.610
Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
00:05:46.769 --> 00:05:51.009
You cannot serve both God and money.
00:05:51.409 --> 00:06:00.529
Therefore I tell you, because of all that, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.
00:06:00.850 --> 00:06:04.449
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?
00:06:04.610 --> 00:06:06.129
Look at the birds of the air.
00:06:06.290 --> 00:06:13.329
They do not sow or reap or store away, store store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.
00:06:13.649 --> 00:06:16.769
Are you not much more valuable than they?
00:06:17.889 --> 00:06:22.610
Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?
00:06:23.009 --> 00:06:24.610
And why do you worry about clothes?
00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:26.610
See how the flowers of the field grow?
00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:33.170
They do not labor or spin, yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of those.
00:06:33.329 --> 00:06:42.930
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?
00:06:43.170 --> 00:06:47.810
So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear?
00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:52.930
For the pagans run after these things, and you and your heavenly father knows that you need them.
00:06:53.170 --> 00:07:01.170
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:07:03.009 --> 00:07:05.409
Some of you are familiar with that passage.
00:07:05.969 --> 00:07:08.449
Talked about it on more than one occasion.
00:07:09.250 --> 00:07:12.129
It's a very important part of the Sermon on the Mount.
00:07:12.370 --> 00:07:15.969
And the bottom line of the passage is this then it says, do not worry.
00:07:16.129 --> 00:07:17.569
Really, it's do not worry.
00:07:17.810 --> 00:07:21.009
God provides, He takes care of everything.
00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:24.290
Don't spend all your time worrying about the material things in life.
00:07:24.370 --> 00:07:26.610
Does that mean you don't need clothes and you don't need food?
00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:27.730
No, it doesn't.
00:07:27.889 --> 00:07:31.969
But do you need a Gucci purse or whatever, right?
00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:33.569
That that's kind of the bottom line here.
00:07:33.649 --> 00:07:40.930
Do you need the this up here, as opposed to just what you what you need to uh to get by, is what he's talking about, really.
00:07:41.329 --> 00:07:42.850
It's also about priorities.
00:07:43.009 --> 00:07:47.889
Don't spend all your time worrying about the material things in your life, and it's also about priorities.
00:07:47.969 --> 00:07:50.209
And Jesus ends this section with a promise.
00:07:50.290 --> 00:07:52.050
Look at Matthew 6, 33.
00:07:52.209 --> 00:07:58.769
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:07:58.930 --> 00:08:00.850
I want you to say that with me, will you?
00:08:01.009 --> 00:08:01.969
Everybody together.
00:08:02.129 --> 00:08:09.009
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:09.969
One more time.
00:08:10.129 --> 00:08:17.569
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:22.050
That's a promise from Jesus Himself.
00:08:22.930 --> 00:08:35.409
Disciples are to seek as their first priority, not the things they would like to have or even the things they're sure they need, but God's kingdom and his righteousness.
00:08:35.889 --> 00:08:42.050
Seek God above all else, his kingdom, which means living under his rule on this earth.
00:08:42.290 --> 00:08:49.730
And live righteousness, his righteousness, that's morally right, living as God has called us to live, with Jesus as our model.
00:08:49.810 --> 00:08:52.690
And he'll give you everything you need, it says here.
00:08:53.170 --> 00:08:58.850
So as we talk the next few weeks about living a generous life, we have to understand that it starts here.
00:08:58.930 --> 00:09:02.930
Let's make that our first point and also keep it as our point of reference.
00:09:03.090 --> 00:09:06.529
The point, make God first in my life, number one.
00:09:07.889 --> 00:09:09.090
Bottom line.
00:09:10.370 --> 00:09:12.450
Everything else hinges on this.
00:09:12.850 --> 00:09:13.730
Everything.
00:09:18.850 --> 00:09:19.809
God first.
00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:21.730
You're thinking, oh, sure.
00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:23.169
That's easy, John.
00:09:23.570 --> 00:09:24.210
God first.
00:09:24.529 --> 00:09:25.970
Easy for you to say.
00:09:27.490 --> 00:09:28.129
I don't know.
00:09:28.210 --> 00:09:31.169
I find it hard to continually put God first in all things, right?
00:09:31.250 --> 00:09:32.370
I mean, what's that even mean?
00:09:32.450 --> 00:09:33.330
That's hard, isn't it?
00:09:33.490 --> 00:09:33.809
It's hard.
00:09:33.889 --> 00:09:36.210
And do you find it a struggle or is it just me?
00:09:36.289 --> 00:09:37.570
I don't know, right?
00:09:37.730 --> 00:09:41.730
It's and it's even hard to define putting God first.
00:09:41.889 --> 00:09:42.529
What's that mean?
00:09:42.610 --> 00:09:43.809
It's hard to even define.
00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:53.570
And I started with that passage from Matthew because that's the thing we need to understand at the very beginning of the series on the generous life.
00:09:54.450 --> 00:09:58.689
Really, in its simplest, like I said, that's our bottom line for today.
00:09:58.850 --> 00:10:03.649
Keeping God first in our life is where a generous life starts.
00:10:04.769 --> 00:10:09.490
Maybe it sounds easy enough for you, and putting God first, you do pretty good at that.
00:10:09.570 --> 00:10:17.330
Maybe you're a pretty solid believer and you're in the Word of God all the time and you pray continuously and you're involved in church and you're in a life group.
00:10:17.409 --> 00:10:19.730
Maybe that's you, maybe you do a pretty good job of that.
00:10:19.889 --> 00:10:28.289
Or maybe it's really hard for you to do any of those things, and you're struggling and you're not even sure, you can't figure out how it's even done.
00:10:28.529 --> 00:10:31.250
Or maybe you're in the middle somewhere.
00:10:32.049 --> 00:10:35.330
Let's see then if we think about that, if we can figure this out.
00:10:35.649 --> 00:10:37.730
Look at verse 19 again.
00:10:39.809 --> 00:10:53.490
Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal.
00:10:53.730 --> 00:10:59.889
Then there's 21, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
00:11:01.570 --> 00:11:04.769
I don't think that takes a lot, a whole lot of theological explanation there.
00:11:04.850 --> 00:11:08.529
That's pretty straightforward what Jesus is talking about here, isn't it?
00:11:08.769 --> 00:11:10.450
It's pretty straightforward.
00:11:11.490 --> 00:11:13.809
But he tells his listeners what the problem is.
00:11:13.970 --> 00:11:16.049
If your treasure, what's he mean by treasure?
00:11:16.210 --> 00:11:27.490
What is important to you is in your garage, let's say, or if your treasure is in the opportunity to share your faith at Kaffino, it's like ouch, right?
00:11:27.649 --> 00:11:30.929
Or just share your faith at Kaffino, that's where your heart is.
00:11:31.409 --> 00:11:34.049
Again, it goes back to priorities, doesn't it?
00:11:34.289 --> 00:11:38.129
He basically says, You get to keep nothing in this world.
00:11:38.769 --> 00:11:42.610
Yet your heart is loyal to all this temporary stuff.
00:11:43.809 --> 00:11:45.409
Look at verse 21 again.
00:11:45.570 --> 00:11:46.129
Look at this.
00:11:46.370 --> 00:11:50.370
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
00:11:50.529 --> 00:11:56.129
Other translations say, where your treasure is, so is the desires of your heart.
00:11:57.730 --> 00:12:07.889
See, Jesus points out that the place we choose for our treasures, he doesn't define that what's important to you says something about us.
00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:23.169
But what he he doesn't say, he doesn't describe treasure, like I said, but he clearly means that which one prizes, that which one values above other things.
00:12:24.370 --> 00:12:32.529
The place where we choose to store up what we value most shows what our values are deep down in here.
00:12:35.809 --> 00:12:40.769
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also.
00:12:41.169 --> 00:12:42.370
That's the problem.
00:12:43.409 --> 00:12:45.970
We put lots of things before God.
00:12:46.450 --> 00:12:47.649
It's human nature.
00:12:47.809 --> 00:12:48.450
It just is.
00:12:48.689 --> 00:12:52.850
It started with Adam and Eve, and God's not against stuff.
00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:54.210
That's not the point at all.
00:12:54.289 --> 00:12:55.809
He's not against stuff.
00:12:56.129 --> 00:12:58.929
You see, the point is to make God first in our life, right?
00:12:59.009 --> 00:13:01.649
But there's a problem, and the problem, we just discussed it.
00:13:01.809 --> 00:13:05.009
The problem is this, number two, God has competition.
00:13:08.850 --> 00:13:11.090
Man, does God have competition?
00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:19.330
Do I do my devotion at night before I go to bed, or do I scroll, doom scroll?
00:13:20.289 --> 00:13:21.970
Do I pick up my phone?
00:13:23.169 --> 00:13:25.649
Exodus 23 says this.
00:13:30.129 --> 00:13:31.330
You heard that before?
00:13:31.730 --> 00:13:33.730
I'm sure you've heard that one before, right?
00:13:34.049 --> 00:13:37.730
Wherever your treasure is, that's the problem with our ability to put God first.
00:13:37.889 --> 00:13:39.250
He has competition.
00:13:39.730 --> 00:13:44.769
There's no room for God to be first when he's vying for first place against the odds.
00:13:45.009 --> 00:13:52.529
And like it or not, we we don't want to say this, but but God's competition is usually idols.
00:13:53.730 --> 00:13:57.250
And I know you're thinking, God doesn't have any competition, John.
00:13:57.490 --> 00:13:58.850
I don't have any idols.
00:13:59.090 --> 00:14:05.889
Now, I I know maybe you don't have a Buddha that sits on a shelf in your living room and you rub its belly every time you walk by for good luck.
00:14:06.049 --> 00:14:06.529
Maybe you don't.
00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:08.850
Does anybody remember the little rabbit's feet?
00:14:09.009 --> 00:14:10.210
The dyed rabbit's feet?
00:14:10.289 --> 00:14:12.929
When we were kids, we used to keep them in our pocket for good luck.
00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:14.210
A dyed rabbit's foot.
00:14:14.289 --> 00:14:15.730
They'd be blue and green and red.
00:14:15.970 --> 00:14:16.929
Anybody remember that?
00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:19.009
Yeah, I see some hands going up.
00:14:19.809 --> 00:14:20.370
You're right.
00:14:20.689 --> 00:14:22.129
How about the magic eight ball?
00:14:22.370 --> 00:14:23.570
Will I win a million dollars?
00:14:23.730 --> 00:14:24.370
I'm not sure.
00:14:24.529 --> 00:14:25.970
You know, there's the magic eight ball.
00:14:26.049 --> 00:14:27.090
They still make those?
00:14:27.490 --> 00:14:28.370
Magic eight ball?
00:14:28.450 --> 00:14:28.689
Do they?
00:14:28.769 --> 00:14:29.250
I guess they do.
00:14:29.330 --> 00:14:30.129
Yeah, I need to get one.
00:14:30.210 --> 00:14:30.929
No, I'm just kidding.
00:14:31.009 --> 00:14:31.889
I need to get one.
00:14:32.049 --> 00:14:33.970
But I do still keep a rabbit foot.
00:14:34.289 --> 00:14:36.210
No, I don't do that either.
00:14:37.330 --> 00:14:38.850
I don't know if they make those anymore.
00:14:38.929 --> 00:14:43.009
I wonder how many rabbits died for uh losing their feet for good luck.
00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:43.889
Right.
00:14:45.809 --> 00:14:47.009
Oh my gosh.
00:14:47.169 --> 00:14:48.610
And maybe you don't do that.
00:14:48.689 --> 00:14:49.169
I don't know.
00:14:49.250 --> 00:14:53.730
But but all of us are confronted with and and have idols in our life.
00:14:53.809 --> 00:14:56.610
I I have uh an obsession with my treadmill.
00:14:56.689 --> 00:15:02.289
All right, I get on my treadmill every morning and and I get on my treadmill every night at 8 o'clock.
00:15:02.370 --> 00:15:07.490
I don't care what's on TV, I don't care what movie we're watching, I don't care if somebody got run over by a car in front of my house.
00:15:07.649 --> 00:15:09.409
I'm getting on my treadmill at 8 o'clock.
00:15:09.490 --> 00:15:12.289
What do you mean somebody just got run over for the car by a car?
00:15:12.610 --> 00:15:14.850
It's eight o'clock, getting on my treadmill, right?
00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:15.649
That's an obsession.
00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:16.769
Is that an idol?
00:15:16.929 --> 00:15:17.490
I don't know.
00:15:17.649 --> 00:15:22.529
Maybe, maybe it's an idol, but it's certainly an obsession.
00:15:22.610 --> 00:15:25.649
It's a good thing, but still, it's an obsession.
00:15:25.730 --> 00:15:27.169
Let's define idol.
00:15:27.730 --> 00:15:30.289
Any object of extreme devotion.
00:15:31.330 --> 00:15:33.809
An object of extreme devotion.
00:15:35.330 --> 00:15:37.009
That's simple enough.
00:15:37.970 --> 00:15:39.169
That's simple enough.
00:15:39.409 --> 00:15:41.169
Here's what's important to know.
00:15:42.689 --> 00:15:43.970
We all have them.
00:15:45.169 --> 00:15:45.809
Check this out.
00:15:45.889 --> 00:15:49.250
Let me name some potential idols and see if any of these resonate with you.
00:15:49.490 --> 00:15:50.450
Your job.
00:15:51.730 --> 00:15:55.169
Yeah, a lot of times, you know, we we're workaholics, or jobs number one.
00:15:55.330 --> 00:15:55.970
I gotta go to work.
00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:57.730
I can't do that, I gotta go to work.
00:15:57.889 --> 00:15:58.210
Right?
00:15:58.370 --> 00:15:59.250
Because we need the money.
00:15:59.490 --> 00:16:00.289
Money's coming up.
00:16:00.450 --> 00:16:01.250
We need the money.
00:16:01.409 --> 00:16:03.169
You value your work hours.
00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:06.769
You think your paycheck can take care of you better than your devotion to God?
00:16:06.929 --> 00:16:07.490
I don't know.
00:16:07.649 --> 00:16:08.929
And we don't want to hear this stuff.
00:16:09.009 --> 00:16:09.970
But how about your children?
00:16:10.129 --> 00:16:12.210
Do you ever think of your children as idols?
00:16:12.529 --> 00:16:13.169
Yes.
00:16:14.049 --> 00:16:15.809
For some people they are.
00:16:17.570 --> 00:16:20.929
I knew somebody that actually did their children's homework.
00:16:21.250 --> 00:16:27.409
Literally did their homework for them so that they wouldn't look like a bad parent if their kid got a bad grade in school.
00:16:27.570 --> 00:16:29.009
That's I'm not making that up.
00:16:29.090 --> 00:16:30.450
You can't make that up.
00:16:31.250 --> 00:16:34.289
You compromise your standards for their comfort.
00:16:34.850 --> 00:16:36.529
You spend excessively on them.
00:16:36.610 --> 00:16:40.289
Some parents spend up to$10,000 a year on sport stuff, right?
00:16:40.450 --> 00:16:46.929
And Time Magazine said says that kids' sports are$15 billion a year industry.
00:16:47.889 --> 00:16:51.490
Now man, there's nothing wrong with wanting the best for our kids, that's for sure.
00:16:51.649 --> 00:16:52.929
Of course we do.
00:16:53.490 --> 00:16:56.850
But sometimes our kids become idols.
00:16:57.090 --> 00:17:00.370
How about number three, your possessions, your hobbies?
00:17:00.689 --> 00:17:01.730
There we go.
00:17:03.330 --> 00:17:04.850
This could be number one, right?
00:17:04.930 --> 00:17:10.049
Our desire for things drives us to believe that we need certain stuff.
00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:11.250
What are your hobbies?
00:17:11.330 --> 00:17:12.210
What do you collect?
00:17:12.370 --> 00:17:13.570
What do you have a lot of?
00:17:13.730 --> 00:17:16.049
What do you have covered up in your garage?
00:17:16.210 --> 00:17:19.250
Your 1968 Cutlass Supreme, right?
00:17:19.650 --> 00:17:22.930
You have covered up in your garage or your uh Corvette.
00:17:23.090 --> 00:17:24.289
I don't know, whatever it is.
00:17:24.450 --> 00:17:30.769
What is what are your possessions or your hobbies that take a lot of your time and a lot of your money?
00:17:31.009 --> 00:17:33.090
Do you ever consider putting that up?
00:17:33.170 --> 00:17:36.049
That some of that stuff is an idol.
00:17:36.769 --> 00:17:38.769
I would never part with that, right?
00:17:39.090 --> 00:17:41.170
Remember when I was a kid, I was trying to think about that.
00:17:41.330 --> 00:17:42.930
I had an obsession with Hot Wheels.
00:17:43.009 --> 00:17:44.450
I've shared that with you before.
00:17:44.610 --> 00:17:45.410
That was my thing.
00:17:45.570 --> 00:17:47.009
I collected Hot Wheels.
00:17:47.490 --> 00:17:50.770
And one time they came out with a Hot Wheel called the Splitting Image.
00:17:50.930 --> 00:17:52.130
I have a picture of it right here.
00:17:52.290 --> 00:17:54.290
The splitting image, that right there.
00:17:54.450 --> 00:17:55.810
I had to have that.
00:17:56.530 --> 00:17:58.450
I was thinking, you know why I like that?
00:17:58.530 --> 00:18:02.130
Because the wife sits by herself on that other side and the husband sits on the.
00:18:02.450 --> 00:18:03.890
I think that's why I like that.
00:18:03.970 --> 00:18:07.330
I don't know, but uh I had to have that and I searched high and low.
00:18:07.410 --> 00:18:09.410
Did they have Kreski's stores around here?
00:18:09.650 --> 00:18:10.770
Anybody remember Kreski's?
00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:15.890
Came, of course, came Martin they had, but I I searched high and low for that, and I saved my money.
00:18:15.970 --> 00:18:20.450
That baby was 69 cents back in 1968, which is$7.
00:18:21.010 --> 00:18:21.730
I looked it up.
00:18:21.890 --> 00:18:23.490
$7 in today's money.
00:18:23.570 --> 00:18:25.890
That's a lot of money for a little kid, right?
00:18:26.210 --> 00:18:28.050
So, man, that was my obsession.
00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:29.010
That was my idol.
00:18:29.170 --> 00:18:30.210
I I love that thing.
00:18:30.290 --> 00:18:31.010
And you guess what?
00:18:31.170 --> 00:18:32.930
I got that picture from eBay.
00:18:33.250 --> 00:18:33.970
$50.
00:18:34.850 --> 00:18:37.010
It's$50, and I gave it away.
00:18:37.170 --> 00:18:38.290
I gave them all away.
00:18:38.370 --> 00:18:39.170
What was I thinking?
00:18:39.250 --> 00:18:42.930
My Hot Wheels collection is worth millions and millions today, right?
00:18:43.090 --> 00:18:44.530
And I gave them all away.
00:18:44.690 --> 00:18:59.250
But your possessions, your collections, your toys, your cars, your guns, your guitars, your four-wheelers, your side-by-sides, your motorcycles, your pets, a bigger house, a bigger camper, a bigger vacation, and on and on and on to feel happy and content.
00:18:59.410 --> 00:19:01.810
But there's always something better.
00:19:02.450 --> 00:19:03.410
Always.
00:19:05.250 --> 00:19:13.410
And with the internet, shopping, there's no end to the things we can buy instantly and have it delivered right to our house.
00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:14.370
Right?
00:19:15.250 --> 00:19:20.210
I told you the story before about a guy over at the church I worked at in Ohio.
00:19:21.090 --> 00:19:22.450
He was an audio engineer.
00:19:22.530 --> 00:19:23.810
He was our sound guy.
00:19:23.970 --> 00:19:25.170
And he was really valuable.
00:19:25.250 --> 00:19:25.970
We needed him there.
00:19:26.050 --> 00:19:29.890
And he would work, you know, a couple of Sundays a month, but he lived far away.
00:19:30.130 --> 00:19:34.850
So he came to me one Sunday and said, Hey, I just can't afford to drive here anymore.
00:19:35.010 --> 00:19:40.370
He said, between Wednesday night rehearsal and Sunday morning, it's cost a lot of money and gas.
00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:43.410
And this was probably 2008 when the economy was terrible.
00:19:43.570 --> 00:19:46.770
He said, I just can't do this anymore, so I have to step down.
00:19:46.850 --> 00:19:49.570
And I'm like, oh man, we're gonna hate to lose you.
00:19:49.730 --> 00:19:51.410
You know, we were really important around here.
00:19:51.490 --> 00:19:55.810
He said, Hey, you know, I just spent$400 to fill up my boat.
00:19:57.650 --> 00:19:58.930
Think about that.
00:19:59.890 --> 00:20:03.410
And so I've I had I was stunned there for a second.
00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:05.010
Fill up your boat.
00:20:05.410 --> 00:20:07.810
$400 to fill up his boat.
00:20:08.690 --> 00:20:09.970
How about number four?
00:20:10.130 --> 00:20:11.010
Our phones.
00:20:13.090 --> 00:20:14.290
Social media.
00:20:15.170 --> 00:20:15.970
Yikes.
00:20:16.770 --> 00:20:21.250
Did you know that studies show we pick up our phones every 30 seconds?
00:20:22.850 --> 00:20:23.330
Mm-hmm.
00:20:24.770 --> 00:20:33.090
Facebook has over 3 billion users, Instagram has over 3 billion users, Snapchat about 950 million active users.
00:20:33.250 --> 00:20:41.410
People average two hours and 22 minutes per day on social media with those under 24 averaging about 4.8 hours per day.
00:20:41.490 --> 00:20:45.810
And there's not one person in this room or watching at home who's surprised by any of that.
00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:47.090
Are you surprised by that?
00:20:47.410 --> 00:20:47.730
No.
00:20:48.930 --> 00:20:57.970
If you have an iPhone and go to your settings, you can scroll down, and there's a thing there that says screen time.
00:20:58.050 --> 00:20:59.890
You could wait, let me take a picture for Instagram.
00:20:59.970 --> 00:21:01.010
No, just kidding.
00:21:01.330 --> 00:21:02.610
Goes down screen time.
00:21:02.770 --> 00:21:04.530
And and and look, how about this one?
00:21:04.690 --> 00:21:06.530
Finally, our money.
00:21:06.770 --> 00:21:09.170
It's really this is the big one, isn't it?
00:21:11.490 --> 00:21:12.690
We're scared of this one.
00:21:12.770 --> 00:21:14.690
This this one is really number one.
00:21:14.850 --> 00:21:19.170
Money has a grip on all of us in some way or another, and we need it for everything.
00:21:19.330 --> 00:21:22.690
We can go back through the other four and see that money drives them all.
00:21:23.330 --> 00:21:27.890
Do you take your quarterback from the uh shopping cart at Aldi's?
00:21:28.050 --> 00:21:30.290
Don't shake your head, don't do you take your quarterback.
00:21:30.370 --> 00:21:31.330
Just just asking.
00:21:31.490 --> 00:21:32.610
Just asking for a friend.
00:21:33.170 --> 00:21:35.090
Or do you leave it there for the next person?
00:21:35.810 --> 00:21:38.930
Remember, some of you are feeling guilty now, right?
00:21:39.010 --> 00:21:41.970
I take my quarterback every time and keep it in my car.
00:21:42.210 --> 00:21:48.770
Now, our passage today said that we can't serve both God and money, yet we cling tighter to our wallets than we do our Bibles.
00:21:49.090 --> 00:21:49.730
I know that.
00:21:49.970 --> 00:21:50.930
We know that.
00:21:52.210 --> 00:21:56.690
Did you know, for instance, only about 5% of Christians tithe.
00:21:56.930 --> 00:21:58.930
Tithing is a command in the Bible.
00:21:59.010 --> 00:22:00.050
I don't know if you knew that or not.
00:22:00.290 --> 00:22:02.290
Tithing, I mean, the math really works out.
00:22:02.450 --> 00:22:06.850
If you have a hundred bucks, you give God$10, you get to keep 90.
00:22:07.010 --> 00:22:09.250
I mean, the math is in your favor, isn't it?
00:22:09.410 --> 00:22:10.370
That's what tithing is.
00:22:10.450 --> 00:22:14.850
If you have$1,000, you give God$100, you get to keep 900.
00:22:15.410 --> 00:22:17.090
The odds are in our favor.
00:22:17.410 --> 00:22:26.690
It's estimated that if all Christians tithed, there would be$165 billion extra dollars to be used for the work of the Lord on this earth.
00:22:26.850 --> 00:22:36.450
And I'll be honest with you, and I'll tell you this, and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but in our congregation, the odds are not, the percentages are not that much different.
00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:38.850
Not that much different.
00:22:39.170 --> 00:22:44.610
Only a small percent of our 500 and some people are actual tithers.
00:22:45.010 --> 00:22:45.890
Many of you give.
00:22:47.410 --> 00:22:52.930
But when it comes to tithing, we're a little low in the percentage, that's for sure.
00:22:53.250 --> 00:22:55.170
We're gonna be talking about that, right?
00:22:56.050 --> 00:22:57.090
It's crazy stuff.
00:22:57.170 --> 00:22:58.050
What's an idol again?
00:22:58.130 --> 00:22:59.010
What's an idol?
00:22:59.170 --> 00:23:01.970
An object of extreme devotion.
00:23:03.650 --> 00:23:11.650
The challenge is that we don't consider the things that I mentioned to you, plus a million other things I didn't mention as idols.
00:23:12.450 --> 00:23:20.290
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans is talking about how far away people have gotten from God, and he says this, look at this Romans 1.25.
00:23:20.450 --> 00:23:29.490
He said, They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who was forever praised.
00:23:29.890 --> 00:23:30.370
Amen.
00:23:30.530 --> 00:23:31.650
And that's the problem.
00:23:32.450 --> 00:23:40.210
We give precedence to all these created, manufactured, time-consuming, expensive things in our life before the Creator.
00:23:40.850 --> 00:23:44.050
It's human nature for us to struggle with this, guys.
00:23:44.930 --> 00:23:48.850
But it's also a sin to put anything before God.
00:23:50.130 --> 00:23:51.490
It's also a sin.
00:23:52.370 --> 00:23:58.850
You see, putting God first, keeping Him as our Lord, as the Lord of our life, has lots of competition.
00:23:58.930 --> 00:23:59.810
But how do we do that?
00:23:59.890 --> 00:24:01.250
How do we put Him first?
00:24:02.050 --> 00:24:04.290
There's different ways, but I just wanted to start with this.
00:24:04.450 --> 00:24:13.170
Number three, the solution is identify first of all, pray about, identify and eliminate what the competitions might be.
00:24:14.850 --> 00:24:17.090
That's keeping you from putting God first.
00:24:17.250 --> 00:24:20.130
And that starts with praying about that, doesn't it?
00:24:21.090 --> 00:24:22.850
This is where we start.
00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:29.170
Doesn't mean we get rid of everything that we own, that's not it, but we put it in our proper its proper place.
00:24:29.650 --> 00:24:35.890
And it takes a lot of personal introspection and self-honesty to identify our idols.
00:24:36.610 --> 00:24:42.930
We not only don't want to admit that we have idols, we don't want to get rid of them because we're addicted to them.
00:24:44.450 --> 00:24:47.410
It's impossible to stop picking up our phone.
00:24:47.810 --> 00:24:49.810
It's impossible not to work overtime.
00:24:49.890 --> 00:24:52.770
It's impossible for me not to get on my treadmill.
00:24:52.850 --> 00:24:53.970
I don't know if it's an idol or not.
00:24:54.050 --> 00:24:56.050
I don't know, but that's an illustration.
00:24:57.410 --> 00:25:00.130
Step one is to identify.
00:25:00.450 --> 00:25:05.650
Identify what's in the way, what could be standing in the way between my full devotion to God?
00:25:06.130 --> 00:25:10.050
We identify that through prayer and through introspection.
00:25:10.290 --> 00:25:12.530
And step two is elimination.
00:25:12.770 --> 00:25:15.490
We take an honest look at our current priorities.
00:25:15.650 --> 00:25:18.530
We ask ourselves, what do I spend too much time?
00:25:18.690 --> 00:25:20.530
On what do I spend too much money?
00:25:20.690 --> 00:25:23.090
What or who gets most of my attention?
00:25:23.330 --> 00:25:26.290
Do I get a certain satisfaction when I buy something?
00:25:26.530 --> 00:25:28.850
Is Amazon Prime my lifeline?
00:25:29.090 --> 00:25:33.090
Do I hoard my money or let it flow through freely?
00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:37.970
Easy for me to say, let it flow freely through my fingers.
00:25:38.930 --> 00:25:42.290
And my tithing, giving, and serving.
00:25:43.650 --> 00:26:01.330
Because when we begin to identify what we put before our relationship with God, our spiritual growth, what we put before our spiritual growth, when we pray for God to reveal it to us, we can begin, listen, the emulation, elimination process and pursue the generous life.
00:26:01.490 --> 00:26:03.010
Who doesn't want that?
00:26:04.050 --> 00:26:07.010
Who doesn't want to pursue the generous life?
00:26:07.330 --> 00:26:09.650
What do you say, Matthew 6, 33?
00:26:09.890 --> 00:26:15.250
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and he'll take care of everything else.
00:26:15.970 --> 00:26:17.250
We can do this.
00:26:17.810 --> 00:26:22.370
We can put God first by identifying our idols, by eliminating the competition.
00:26:22.530 --> 00:26:25.330
What's the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?
00:26:25.970 --> 00:26:27.090
You personally?
00:26:28.370 --> 00:26:39.490
We can start by establishing daily habits of worship and prayer and regular, consistent time spent in His Word, regular church attendance, serving, tithing, giving, all that.
00:26:39.650 --> 00:26:43.570
It doesn't happen on its own, and it doesn't happen overnight.
00:26:44.690 --> 00:26:54.450
Putting God first in all things leads to an abundant, gracious, generous, God-centered, God-blessed life.
00:26:56.690 --> 00:27:01.330
Now, most of us don't have eight billion dollars to give away like Chuck Feeney.
00:27:02.050 --> 00:27:06.370
But a generous life isn't ultimately measured by the size of the check.
00:27:06.450 --> 00:27:08.610
It's measured by the size of the heart.
00:27:09.410 --> 00:27:11.650
The question isn't how much do I have?
00:27:11.890 --> 00:27:18.210
The question is, what has God given me that I can use to bless someone else?
00:27:18.370 --> 00:27:19.730
Is it all about me?
00:27:20.610 --> 00:27:22.850
Or is my life about others?
00:27:23.250 --> 00:27:27.010
And of course, putting God first begins with our relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:27:27.090 --> 00:27:28.210
I say it every week.
00:27:28.370 --> 00:27:31.330
If Jesus is not your savior, it starts there.
00:27:31.650 --> 00:27:32.450
It starts there.
00:27:32.610 --> 00:27:36.130
He came that we may have life and have it abundantly, have it to the full.
00:27:36.370 --> 00:27:38.690
He came for the forgiveness of sins.
00:27:39.890 --> 00:27:44.610
And if he is not yet your savior, I pray that today is the day that you understand your need.
00:27:44.770 --> 00:27:50.130
Maybe you're hearing this message and you're saying, You're right, I can't do all of this stuff, John.
00:27:52.210 --> 00:27:54.210
Because I haven't put God first.
00:27:54.370 --> 00:27:56.450
I don't have Jesus as my savior.
00:27:59.410 --> 00:28:00.850
Let me pray.
00:28:01.490 --> 00:28:04.370
Dear Lord, we come before you and we thank you for your word.
00:28:04.610 --> 00:28:10.210
Thank you, Jesus, for what we're learning today, what we're talking about is amazing.
00:28:11.250 --> 00:28:18.050
Thank you for your words that you shared with your audience all those years ago that we get to look at today and talk about today because they still matter.
00:28:18.210 --> 00:28:20.530
They're still relevant and they're still important.
00:28:20.850 --> 00:28:31.330
Lord, I pray that each one of us, myself included, really take a look at our idols, at anything in our life that's taken too much away from you.
00:28:31.970 --> 00:28:34.610
Lord, help us to identify the competition.
00:28:34.770 --> 00:28:36.770
Help us to eliminate the competition.
00:28:37.010 --> 00:28:44.770
Lord, lead us to an abundant life in serving you and living as fully devoted followers because that's what you want.
00:28:45.010 --> 00:28:47.410
You want us more than anything.
00:28:47.730 --> 00:28:50.930
May we want you more than anything.
00:28:51.330 --> 00:28:54.130
Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours.
00:28:55.090 --> 00:28:56.290
Be first, Lord.
00:28:56.450 --> 00:28:57.010
Be first.
00:28:57.170 --> 00:29:00.450
Help us to seek you above all else.
00:29:01.170 --> 00:29:02.850
In Jesus' name.
00:29:03.330 --> 00:29:03.970
Amen.
00:29:05.090 --> 00:29:07.810
Before we go, I have to share something else with you here.
00:29:08.370 --> 00:29:11.650
Sometimes the most generous thing that we can give isn't money.
00:29:11.730 --> 00:29:17.250
It might be our time, for instance, or maybe it uh is uh time in a life group.
00:00:56.930 --> 00:00:57.490
Morning.
00:00:58.450 --> 00:00:59.250
Good to see you here.
00:00:59.650 --> 00:01:02.290
Glad you're watching at home wherever you may happen to be.
00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:07.969
That last song just speaks to me a lot, I'll tell you, because I've just seen the faithfulness of God throughout my life.
00:01:08.290 --> 00:01:17.090
Some of you know my story, and I've come a long way to be standing up here and to be preaching and to be uh uh you know the pastor of this church all my life.
00:01:17.329 --> 00:01:18.770
God has been faithful.
00:01:19.010 --> 00:01:19.409
Amen.
00:01:19.890 --> 00:01:22.530
I bet you a lot of you can say that same thing, right?
00:01:22.770 --> 00:01:24.289
So glad we could sing that.
00:01:24.450 --> 00:01:27.250
Glad, glad uh that you're joining us this morning.
00:01:27.409 --> 00:01:35.010
There's a guy named Chuck Feeney, and he was a businessman who made billions of dollars as the co-founder of Duty Free.
00:01:35.170 --> 00:01:41.810
You may have seen those duty-free uh shoppers, shops in uh airports, they have them all over everywhere.
00:01:41.969 --> 00:01:47.409
But if you had met him walking through an airport, you probably wouldn't have guessed that he was a billionaire.
00:01:47.650 --> 00:01:54.050
He flew economy class wherever he went, he didn't dress the part, he carried his papers in a plastic bag.
00:01:54.289 --> 00:01:59.890
He he get he uh lived modestly, and for years nobody knew what he did with his money.
00:01:59.969 --> 00:02:00.689
It's like, what are you?
00:02:00.770 --> 00:02:03.490
You're a billionaire, what are you doing with all your money?
00:02:03.729 --> 00:02:08.770
And in 1982, he created a foundation called the Atlantic Philanthropies.
00:02:09.250 --> 00:02:13.250
And his philosophy was simple: giving while living.
00:02:13.890 --> 00:02:14.849
I love that.
00:02:15.090 --> 00:02:16.610
Giving while living.
00:02:16.849 --> 00:02:17.810
Most people, right?
00:02:17.969 --> 00:02:27.009
The the wealthy, they use their money while they're alive, and then when they pass away, they give it all they give it away to charities or whatever it is, or pass it on down to their families.
00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:29.729
No, his was giving while living.
00:02:29.810 --> 00:02:38.289
And instead of accumulating his wealth and leaving it behind after he died, he wanted to use it while he was alive to make a difference.
00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:41.729
And he didn't just give away a little bit of money.
00:02:41.969 --> 00:02:51.890
Over the course of his lifetime, Phoenix Philanthropy ultimately distributed more than eight billion dollars to causes around the world.
00:02:52.129 --> 00:02:59.810
He supported education, healthcare, human rights, scientific research, communities in need, and much of it was given anonymously.
00:02:59.889 --> 00:03:03.009
He didn't want his name on buildings, there was no buildings named after him.
00:03:03.169 --> 00:03:08.370
He didn't want a plaque somewhere, he didn't want anybody to know, he didn't seem interested in getting credit.
00:03:08.449 --> 00:03:09.729
He was just that kind of guy.
00:03:09.889 --> 00:03:13.969
His goal was to simply see the money, accomplish something good.
00:03:14.129 --> 00:03:19.810
And eventually he did something almost unheard of for someone who had accumulated that kind of wealth.
00:03:20.049 --> 00:03:22.689
He gave virtually all of it away.
00:03:23.090 --> 00:03:24.049
All of it.
00:03:24.769 --> 00:03:36.049
And when asked about his philosophy, Feeney explained that he saw little reason to wait to give when he had so much good, when he had so much, and so much good could be accomplished by giving now.
00:03:36.930 --> 00:03:42.689
And he even said, it's a lot more fun to give while you live than when you're dead.
00:03:43.329 --> 00:03:44.689
That makes sense, doesn't it?
00:03:44.849 --> 00:03:47.169
A lot more fun to give while you live than when you're dead.
00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:48.530
Think about that.
00:03:48.769 --> 00:03:55.250
Think about Feeney's story, Chuck Feeney's story, as we begin our series today, A Generous Life.
00:03:55.490 --> 00:04:00.530
Take out your Bible if you would and turn with me to Matthew, first book of the New Testament.
00:04:01.329 --> 00:04:05.889
We're gonna be in chapter six today, starting in verse 19.
00:04:06.530 --> 00:04:08.689
A new series called A Generous Life.
00:04:08.849 --> 00:04:11.889
Let me pray for the Word of God because we've got a lot to cover today.
00:04:12.129 --> 00:04:13.169
Lord, this is your word.
00:04:13.409 --> 00:04:16.050
Your word is active and alive, your word is truth.
00:04:16.210 --> 00:04:22.850
I pray that you open our hearts and our minds and our eyes and our ears to receive what you would have us receive from this.
00:04:23.090 --> 00:04:25.170
Thank you for it in Jesus' name.
00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:25.970
Amen.
00:04:26.129 --> 00:04:29.730
Matthew was one of Jesus' uh original disciples.
00:04:29.810 --> 00:04:40.129
He wrote this book to a Jewish audience uh that Jesus of Nazareth was certainly the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.
00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:47.810
It's one of the gospels, like I said, the first four books of the New Testament, dedicated to the life of Jesus, and they are like biographies.
00:04:47.889 --> 00:04:50.530
So when we get to chapter six, right, look at this.
00:04:50.689 --> 00:04:55.170
Jesus is teaching on what's called the Sermon of the Mount, and here's what he's telling his audience.
00:04:55.329 --> 00:04:56.689
Chapter 6, verse 19.
00:04:56.850 --> 00:04:57.329
Get this.
00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:00.850
We're going to read this section, and then we're going to look at parts of it.
00:05:01.009 --> 00:05:03.089
Okay, so look at this story right here.
00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:19.649
Jesus is teaching, he says, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
00:05:19.810 --> 00:05:23.649
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
00:05:24.290 --> 00:05:26.129
The eye is the lamp of the body.
00:05:26.290 --> 00:05:29.730
If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
00:05:29.969 --> 00:05:33.649
But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.
00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:38.850
If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?
00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:41.409
No one can serve two masters.
00:05:41.569 --> 00:05:46.610
Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
00:05:46.769 --> 00:05:51.009
You cannot serve both God and money.
00:05:51.409 --> 00:06:00.529
Therefore I tell you, because of all that, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.
00:06:00.850 --> 00:06:04.449
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?
00:06:04.610 --> 00:06:06.129
Look at the birds of the air.
00:06:06.290 --> 00:06:13.329
They do not sow or reap or store away, store store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.
00:06:13.649 --> 00:06:16.769
Are you not much more valuable than they?
00:06:17.889 --> 00:06:22.610
Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?
00:06:23.009 --> 00:06:24.610
And why do you worry about clothes?
00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:26.610
See how the flowers of the field grow?
00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:33.170
They do not labor or spin, yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of those.
00:06:33.329 --> 00:06:42.930
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith?
00:06:43.170 --> 00:06:47.810
So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear?
00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:52.930
For the pagans run after these things, and you and your heavenly father knows that you need them.
00:06:53.170 --> 00:07:01.170
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:07:03.009 --> 00:07:05.409
Some of you are familiar with that passage.
00:07:05.969 --> 00:07:08.449
Talked about it on more than one occasion.
00:07:09.250 --> 00:07:12.129
It's a very important part of the Sermon on the Mount.
00:07:12.370 --> 00:07:15.969
And the bottom line of the passage is this then it says, do not worry.
00:07:16.129 --> 00:07:17.569
Really, it's do not worry.
00:07:17.810 --> 00:07:21.009
God provides, He takes care of everything.
00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:24.290
Don't spend all your time worrying about the material things in life.
00:07:24.370 --> 00:07:26.610
Does that mean you don't need clothes and you don't need food?
00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:27.730
No, it doesn't.
00:07:27.889 --> 00:07:31.969
But do you need a Gucci purse or whatever, right?
00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:33.569
That that's kind of the bottom line here.
00:07:33.649 --> 00:07:40.930
Do you need the this up here, as opposed to just what you what you need to uh to get by, is what he's talking about, really.
00:07:41.329 --> 00:07:42.850
It's also about priorities.
00:07:43.009 --> 00:07:47.889
Don't spend all your time worrying about the material things in your life, and it's also about priorities.
00:07:47.969 --> 00:07:50.209
And Jesus ends this section with a promise.
00:07:50.290 --> 00:07:52.050
Look at Matthew 6, 33.
00:07:52.209 --> 00:07:58.769
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:07:58.930 --> 00:08:00.850
I want you to say that with me, will you?
00:08:01.009 --> 00:08:01.969
Everybody together.
00:08:02.129 --> 00:08:09.009
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:09.969
One more time.
00:08:10.129 --> 00:08:17.569
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:22.050
That's a promise from Jesus Himself.
00:08:22.930 --> 00:08:35.409
Disciples are to seek as their first priority, not the things they would like to have or even the things they're sure they need, but God's kingdom and his righteousness.
00:08:35.889 --> 00:08:42.050
Seek God above all else, his kingdom, which means living under his rule on this earth.
00:08:42.290 --> 00:08:49.730
And live righteousness, his righteousness, that's morally right, living as God has called us to live, with Jesus as our model.
00:08:49.810 --> 00:08:52.690
And he'll give you everything you need, it says here.
00:08:53.170 --> 00:08:58.850
So as we talk the next few weeks about living a generous life, we have to understand that it starts here.
00:08:58.930 --> 00:09:02.930
Let's make that our first point and also keep it as our point of reference.
00:09:03.090 --> 00:09:06.529
The point, make God first in my life, number one.
00:09:07.889 --> 00:09:09.090
Bottom line.
00:09:10.370 --> 00:09:12.450
Everything else hinges on this.
00:09:12.850 --> 00:09:13.730
Everything.
00:09:18.850 --> 00:09:19.809
God first.
00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:21.730
You're thinking, oh, sure.
00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:23.169
That's easy, John.
00:09:23.570 --> 00:09:24.210
God first.
00:09:24.529 --> 00:09:25.970
Easy for you to say.
00:09:27.490 --> 00:09:28.129
I don't know.
00:09:28.210 --> 00:09:31.169
I find it hard to continually put God first in all things, right?
00:09:31.250 --> 00:09:32.370
I mean, what's that even mean?
00:09:32.450 --> 00:09:33.330
That's hard, isn't it?
00:09:33.490 --> 00:09:33.809
It's hard.
00:09:33.889 --> 00:09:36.210
And do you find it a struggle or is it just me?
00:09:36.289 --> 00:09:37.570
I don't know, right?
00:09:37.730 --> 00:09:41.730
It's and it's even hard to define putting God first.
00:09:41.889 --> 00:09:42.529
What's that mean?
00:09:42.610 --> 00:09:43.809
It's hard to even define.
00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:53.570
And I started with that passage from Matthew because that's the thing we need to understand at the very beginning of the series on the generous life.
00:09:54.450 --> 00:09:58.689
Really, in its simplest, like I said, that's our bottom line for today.
00:09:58.850 --> 00:10:03.649
Keeping God first in our life is where a generous life starts.
00:10:04.769 --> 00:10:09.490
Maybe it sounds easy enough for you, and putting God first, you do pretty good at that.
00:10:09.570 --> 00:10:17.330
Maybe you're a pretty solid believer and you're in the Word of God all the time and you pray continuously and you're involved in church and you're in a life group.
00:10:17.409 --> 00:10:19.730
Maybe that's you, maybe you do a pretty good job of that.
00:10:19.889 --> 00:10:28.289
Or maybe it's really hard for you to do any of those things, and you're struggling and you're not even sure, you can't figure out how it's even done.
00:10:28.529 --> 00:10:31.250
Or maybe you're in the middle somewhere.
00:10:32.049 --> 00:10:35.330
Let's see then if we think about that, if we can figure this out.
00:10:35.649 --> 00:10:37.730
Look at verse 19 again.
00:10:39.809 --> 00:10:53.490
Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal.
00:10:53.730 --> 00:10:59.889
Then there's 21, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
00:11:01.570 --> 00:11:04.769
I don't think that takes a lot, a whole lot of theological explanation there.
00:11:04.850 --> 00:11:08.529
That's pretty straightforward what Jesus is talking about here, isn't it?
00:11:08.769 --> 00:11:10.450
It's pretty straightforward.
00:11:11.490 --> 00:11:13.809
But he tells his listeners what the problem is.
00:11:13.970 --> 00:11:16.049
If your treasure, what's he mean by treasure?
00:11:16.210 --> 00:11:27.490
What is important to you is in your garage, let's say, or if your treasure is in the opportunity to share your faith at Kaffino, it's like ouch, right?
00:11:27.649 --> 00:11:30.929
Or just share your faith at Kaffino, that's where your heart is.
00:11:31.409 --> 00:11:34.049
Again, it goes back to priorities, doesn't it?
00:11:34.289 --> 00:11:38.129
He basically says, You get to keep nothing in this world.
00:11:38.769 --> 00:11:42.610
Yet your heart is loyal to all this temporary stuff.
00:11:43.809 --> 00:11:45.409
Look at verse 21 again.
00:11:45.570 --> 00:11:46.129
Look at this.
00:11:46.370 --> 00:11:50.370
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
00:11:50.529 --> 00:11:56.129
Other translations say, where your treasure is, so is the desires of your heart.
00:11:57.730 --> 00:12:07.889
See, Jesus points out that the place we choose for our treasures, he doesn't define that what's important to you says something about us.
00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:23.169
But what he he doesn't say, he doesn't describe treasure, like I said, but he clearly means that which one prizes, that which one values above other things.
00:12:24.370 --> 00:12:32.529
The place where we choose to store up what we value most shows what our values are deep down in here.
00:12:35.809 --> 00:12:40.769
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also.
00:12:41.169 --> 00:12:42.370
That's the problem.
00:12:43.409 --> 00:12:45.970
We put lots of things before God.
00:12:46.450 --> 00:12:47.649
It's human nature.
00:12:47.809 --> 00:12:48.450
It just is.
00:12:48.689 --> 00:12:52.850
It started with Adam and Eve, and God's not against stuff.
00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:54.210
That's not the point at all.
00:12:54.289 --> 00:12:55.809
He's not against stuff.
00:12:56.129 --> 00:12:58.929
You see, the point is to make God first in our life, right?
00:12:59.009 --> 00:13:01.649
But there's a problem, and the problem, we just discussed it.
00:13:01.809 --> 00:13:05.009
The problem is this, number two, God has competition.
00:13:08.850 --> 00:13:11.090
Man, does God have competition?
00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:19.330
Do I do my devotion at night before I go to bed, or do I scroll, doom scroll?
00:13:20.289 --> 00:13:21.970
Do I pick up my phone?
00:13:23.169 --> 00:13:25.649
Exodus 23 says this.
00:13:30.129 --> 00:13:31.330
You heard that before?
00:13:31.730 --> 00:13:33.730
I'm sure you've heard that one before, right?
00:13:34.049 --> 00:13:37.730
Wherever your treasure is, that's the problem with our ability to put God first.
00:13:37.889 --> 00:13:39.250
He has competition.
00:13:39.730 --> 00:13:44.769
There's no room for God to be first when he's vying for first place against the odds.
00:13:45.009 --> 00:13:52.529
And like it or not, we we don't want to say this, but but God's competition is usually idols.
00:13:53.730 --> 00:13:57.250
And I know you're thinking, God doesn't have any competition, John.
00:13:57.490 --> 00:13:58.850
I don't have any idols.
00:13:59.090 --> 00:14:05.889
Now, I I know maybe you don't have a Buddha that sits on a shelf in your living room and you rub its belly every time you walk by for good luck.
00:14:06.049 --> 00:14:06.529
Maybe you don't.
00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:08.850
Does anybody remember the little rabbit's feet?
00:14:09.009 --> 00:14:10.210
The dyed rabbit's feet?
00:14:10.289 --> 00:14:12.929
When we were kids, we used to keep them in our pocket for good luck.
00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:14.210
A dyed rabbit's foot.
00:14:14.289 --> 00:14:15.730
They'd be blue and green and red.
00:14:15.970 --> 00:14:16.929
Anybody remember that?
00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:19.009
Yeah, I see some hands going up.
00:14:19.809 --> 00:14:20.370
You're right.
00:14:20.689 --> 00:14:22.129
How about the magic eight ball?
00:14:22.370 --> 00:14:23.570
Will I win a million dollars?
00:14:23.730 --> 00:14:24.370
I'm not sure.
00:14:24.529 --> 00:14:25.970
You know, there's the magic eight ball.
00:14:26.049 --> 00:14:27.090
They still make those?
00:14:27.490 --> 00:14:28.370
Magic eight ball?
00:14:28.450 --> 00:14:28.689
Do they?
00:14:28.769 --> 00:14:29.250
I guess they do.
00:14:29.330 --> 00:14:30.129
Yeah, I need to get one.
00:14:30.210 --> 00:14:30.929
No, I'm just kidding.
00:14:31.009 --> 00:14:31.889
I need to get one.
00:14:32.049 --> 00:14:33.970
But I do still keep a rabbit foot.
00:14:34.289 --> 00:14:36.210
No, I don't do that either.
00:14:37.330 --> 00:14:38.850
I don't know if they make those anymore.
00:14:38.929 --> 00:14:43.009
I wonder how many rabbits died for uh losing their feet for good luck.
00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:43.889
Right.
00:14:45.809 --> 00:14:47.009
Oh my gosh.
00:14:47.169 --> 00:14:48.610
And maybe you don't do that.
00:14:48.689 --> 00:14:49.169
I don't know.
00:14:49.250 --> 00:14:53.730
But but all of us are confronted with and and have idols in our life.
00:14:53.809 --> 00:14:56.610
I I have uh an obsession with my treadmill.
00:14:56.689 --> 00:15:02.289
All right, I get on my treadmill every morning and and I get on my treadmill every night at 8 o'clock.
00:15:02.370 --> 00:15:07.490
I don't care what's on TV, I don't care what movie we're watching, I don't care if somebody got run over by a car in front of my house.
00:15:07.649 --> 00:15:09.409
I'm getting on my treadmill at 8 o'clock.
00:15:09.490 --> 00:15:12.289
What do you mean somebody just got run over for the car by a car?
00:15:12.610 --> 00:15:14.850
It's eight o'clock, getting on my treadmill, right?
00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:15.649
That's an obsession.
00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:16.769
Is that an idol?
00:15:16.929 --> 00:15:17.490
I don't know.
00:15:17.649 --> 00:15:22.529
Maybe, maybe it's an idol, but it's certainly an obsession.
00:15:22.610 --> 00:15:25.649
It's a good thing, but still, it's an obsession.
00:15:25.730 --> 00:15:27.169
Let's define idol.
00:15:27.730 --> 00:15:30.289
Any object of extreme devotion.
00:15:31.330 --> 00:15:33.809
An object of extreme devotion.
00:15:35.330 --> 00:15:37.009
That's simple enough.
00:15:37.970 --> 00:15:39.169
That's simple enough.
00:15:39.409 --> 00:15:41.169
Here's what's important to know.
00:15:42.689 --> 00:15:43.970
We all have them.
00:15:45.169 --> 00:15:45.809
Check this out.
00:15:45.889 --> 00:15:49.250
Let me name some potential idols and see if any of these resonate with you.
00:15:49.490 --> 00:15:50.450
Your job.
00:15:51.730 --> 00:15:55.169
Yeah, a lot of times, you know, we we're workaholics, or jobs number one.
00:15:55.330 --> 00:15:55.970
I gotta go to work.
00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:57.730
I can't do that, I gotta go to work.
00:15:57.889 --> 00:15:58.210
Right?
00:15:58.370 --> 00:15:59.250
Because we need the money.
00:15:59.490 --> 00:16:00.289
Money's coming up.
00:16:00.450 --> 00:16:01.250
We need the money.
00:16:01.409 --> 00:16:03.169
You value your work hours.
00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:06.769
You think your paycheck can take care of you better than your devotion to God?
00:16:06.929 --> 00:16:07.490
I don't know.
00:16:07.649 --> 00:16:08.929
And we don't want to hear this stuff.
00:16:09.009 --> 00:16:09.970
But how about your children?
00:16:10.129 --> 00:16:12.210
Do you ever think of your children as idols?
00:16:12.529 --> 00:16:13.169
Yes.
00:16:14.049 --> 00:16:15.809
For some people they are.
00:16:17.570 --> 00:16:20.929
I knew somebody that actually did their children's homework.
00:16:21.250 --> 00:16:27.409
Literally did their homework for them so that they wouldn't look like a bad parent if their kid got a bad grade in school.
00:16:27.570 --> 00:16:29.009
That's I'm not making that up.
00:16:29.090 --> 00:16:30.450
You can't make that up.
00:16:31.250 --> 00:16:34.289
You compromise your standards for their comfort.
00:16:34.850 --> 00:16:36.529
You spend excessively on them.
00:16:36.610 --> 00:16:40.289
Some parents spend up to$10,000 a year on sport stuff, right?
00:16:40.450 --> 00:16:46.929
And Time Magazine said says that kids' sports are$15 billion a year industry.
00:16:47.889 --> 00:16:51.490
Now man, there's nothing wrong with wanting the best for our kids, that's for sure.
00:16:51.649 --> 00:16:52.929
Of course we do.
00:16:53.490 --> 00:16:56.850
But sometimes our kids become idols.
00:16:57.090 --> 00:17:00.370
How about number three, your possessions, your hobbies?
00:17:00.689 --> 00:17:01.730
There we go.
00:17:03.330 --> 00:17:04.850
This could be number one, right?
00:17:04.930 --> 00:17:10.049
Our desire for things drives us to believe that we need certain stuff.
00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:11.250
What are your hobbies?
00:17:11.330 --> 00:17:12.210
What do you collect?
00:17:12.370 --> 00:17:13.570
What do you have a lot of?
00:17:13.730 --> 00:17:16.049
What do you have covered up in your garage?
00:17:16.210 --> 00:17:19.250
Your 1968 Cutlass Supreme, right?
00:17:19.650 --> 00:17:22.930
You have covered up in your garage or your uh Corvette.
00:17:23.090 --> 00:17:24.289
I don't know, whatever it is.
00:17:24.450 --> 00:17:30.769
What is what are your possessions or your hobbies that take a lot of your time and a lot of your money?
00:17:31.009 --> 00:17:33.090
Do you ever consider putting that up?
00:17:33.170 --> 00:17:36.049
That some of that stuff is an idol.
00:17:36.769 --> 00:17:38.769
I would never part with that, right?
00:17:39.090 --> 00:17:41.170
Remember when I was a kid, I was trying to think about that.
00:17:41.330 --> 00:17:42.930
I had an obsession with Hot Wheels.
00:17:43.009 --> 00:17:44.450
I've shared that with you before.
00:17:44.610 --> 00:17:45.410
That was my thing.
00:17:45.570 --> 00:17:47.009
I collected Hot Wheels.
00:17:47.490 --> 00:17:50.770
And one time they came out with a Hot Wheel called the Splitting Image.
00:17:50.930 --> 00:17:52.130
I have a picture of it right here.
00:17:52.290 --> 00:17:54.290
The splitting image, that right there.
00:17:54.450 --> 00:17:55.810
I had to have that.
00:17:56.530 --> 00:17:58.450
I was thinking, you know why I like that?
00:17:58.530 --> 00:18:02.130
Because the wife sits by herself on that other side and the husband sits on the.
00:18:02.450 --> 00:18:03.890
I think that's why I like that.
00:18:03.970 --> 00:18:07.330
I don't know, but uh I had to have that and I searched high and low.
00:18:07.410 --> 00:18:09.410
Did they have Kreski's stores around here?
00:18:09.650 --> 00:18:10.770
Anybody remember Kreski's?
00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:15.890
Came, of course, came Martin they had, but I I searched high and low for that, and I saved my money.
00:18:15.970 --> 00:18:20.450
That baby was 69 cents back in 1968, which is$7.
00:18:21.010 --> 00:18:21.730
I looked it up.
00:18:21.890 --> 00:18:23.490
$7 in today's money.
00:18:23.570 --> 00:18:25.890
That's a lot of money for a little kid, right?
00:18:26.210 --> 00:18:28.050
So, man, that was my obsession.
00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:29.010
That was my idol.
00:18:29.170 --> 00:18:30.210
I I love that thing.
00:18:30.290 --> 00:18:31.010
And you guess what?
00:18:31.170 --> 00:18:32.930
I got that picture from eBay.
00:18:33.250 --> 00:18:33.970
$50.
00:18:34.850 --> 00:18:37.010
It's$50, and I gave it away.
00:18:37.170 --> 00:18:38.290
I gave them all away.
00:18:38.370 --> 00:18:39.170
What was I thinking?
00:18:39.250 --> 00:18:42.930
My Hot Wheels collection is worth millions and millions today, right?
00:18:43.090 --> 00:18:44.530
And I gave them all away.
00:18:44.690 --> 00:18:59.250
But your possessions, your collections, your toys, your cars, your guns, your guitars, your four-wheelers, your side-by-sides, your motorcycles, your pets, a bigger house, a bigger camper, a bigger vacation, and on and on and on to feel happy and content.
00:18:59.410 --> 00:19:01.810
But there's always something better.
00:19:02.450 --> 00:19:03.410
Always.
00:19:05.250 --> 00:19:13.410
And with the internet, shopping, there's no end to the things we can buy instantly and have it delivered right to our house.
00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:14.370
Right?
00:19:15.250 --> 00:19:20.210
I told you the story before about a guy over at the church I worked at in Ohio.
00:19:21.090 --> 00:19:22.450
He was an audio engineer.
00:19:22.530 --> 00:19:23.810
He was our sound guy.
00:19:23.970 --> 00:19:25.170
And he was really valuable.
00:19:25.250 --> 00:19:25.970
We needed him there.
00:19:26.050 --> 00:19:29.890
And he would work, you know, a couple of Sundays a month, but he lived far away.
00:19:30.130 --> 00:19:34.850
So he came to me one Sunday and said, Hey, I just can't afford to drive here anymore.
00:19:35.010 --> 00:19:40.370
He said, between Wednesday night rehearsal and Sunday morning, it's cost a lot of money and gas.
00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:43.410
And this was probably 2008 when the economy was terrible.
00:19:43.570 --> 00:19:46.770
He said, I just can't do this anymore, so I have to step down.
00:19:46.850 --> 00:19:49.570
And I'm like, oh man, we're gonna hate to lose you.
00:19:49.730 --> 00:19:51.410
You know, we were really important around here.
00:19:51.490 --> 00:19:55.810
He said, Hey, you know, I just spent$400 to fill up my boat.
00:19:57.650 --> 00:19:58.930
Think about that.
00:19:59.890 --> 00:20:03.410
And so I've I had I was stunned there for a second.
00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:05.010
Fill up your boat.
00:20:05.410 --> 00:20:07.810
$400 to fill up his boat.
00:20:08.690 --> 00:20:09.970
How about number four?
00:20:10.130 --> 00:20:11.010
Our phones.
00:20:13.090 --> 00:20:14.290
Social media.
00:20:15.170 --> 00:20:15.970
Yikes.
00:20:16.770 --> 00:20:21.250
Did you know that studies show we pick up our phones every 30 seconds?
00:20:22.850 --> 00:20:23.330
Mm-hmm.
00:20:24.770 --> 00:20:33.090
Facebook has over 3 billion users, Instagram has over 3 billion users, Snapchat about 950 million active users.
00:20:33.250 --> 00:20:41.410
People average two hours and 22 minutes per day on social media with those under 24 averaging about 4.8 hours per day.
00:20:41.490 --> 00:20:45.810
And there's not one person in this room or watching at home who's surprised by any of that.
00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:47.090
Are you surprised by that?
00:20:47.410 --> 00:20:47.730
No.
00:20:48.930 --> 00:20:57.970
If you have an iPhone and go to your settings, you can scroll down, and there's a thing there that says screen time.
00:20:58.050 --> 00:20:59.890
You could wait, let me take a picture for Instagram.
00:20:59.970 --> 00:21:01.010
No, just kidding.
00:21:01.330 --> 00:21:02.610
Goes down screen time.
00:21:02.770 --> 00:21:04.530
And and and look, how about this one?
00:21:04.690 --> 00:21:06.530
Finally, our money.
00:21:06.770 --> 00:21:09.170
It's really this is the big one, isn't it?
00:21:11.490 --> 00:21:12.690
We're scared of this one.
00:21:12.770 --> 00:21:14.690
This this one is really number one.
00:21:14.850 --> 00:21:19.170
Money has a grip on all of us in some way or another, and we need it for everything.
00:21:19.330 --> 00:21:22.690
We can go back through the other four and see that money drives them all.
00:21:23.330 --> 00:21:27.890
Do you take your quarterback from the uh shopping cart at Aldi's?
00:21:28.050 --> 00:21:30.290
Don't shake your head, don't do you take your quarterback.
00:21:30.370 --> 00:21:31.330
Just just asking.
00:21:31.490 --> 00:21:32.610
Just asking for a friend.
00:21:33.170 --> 00:21:35.090
Or do you leave it there for the next person?
00:21:35.810 --> 00:21:38.930
Remember, some of you are feeling guilty now, right?
00:21:39.010 --> 00:21:41.970
I take my quarterback every time and keep it in my car.
00:21:42.210 --> 00:21:48.770
Now, our passage today said that we can't serve both God and money, yet we cling tighter to our wallets than we do our Bibles.
00:21:49.090 --> 00:21:49.730
I know that.
00:21:49.970 --> 00:21:50.930
We know that.
00:21:52.210 --> 00:21:56.690
Did you know, for instance, only about 5% of Christians tithe.
00:21:56.930 --> 00:21:58.930
Tithing is a command in the Bible.
00:21:59.010 --> 00:22:00.050
I don't know if you knew that or not.
00:22:00.290 --> 00:22:02.290
Tithing, I mean, the math really works out.
00:22:02.450 --> 00:22:06.850
If you have a hundred bucks, you give God$10, you get to keep 90.
00:22:07.010 --> 00:22:09.250
I mean, the math is in your favor, isn't it?
00:22:09.410 --> 00:22:10.370
That's what tithing is.
00:22:10.450 --> 00:22:14.850
If you have$1,000, you give God$100, you get to keep 900.
00:22:15.410 --> 00:22:17.090
The odds are in our favor.
00:22:17.410 --> 00:22:26.690
It's estimated that if all Christians tithed, there would be$165 billion extra dollars to be used for the work of the Lord on this earth.
00:22:26.850 --> 00:22:36.450
And I'll be honest with you, and I'll tell you this, and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but in our congregation, the odds are not, the percentages are not that much different.
00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:38.850
Not that much different.
00:22:39.170 --> 00:22:44.610
Only a small percent of our 500 and some people are actual tithers.
00:22:45.010 --> 00:22:45.890
Many of you give.
00:22:47.410 --> 00:22:52.930
But when it comes to tithing, we're a little low in the percentage, that's for sure.
00:22:53.250 --> 00:22:55.170
We're gonna be talking about that, right?
00:22:56.050 --> 00:22:57.090
It's crazy stuff.
00:22:57.170 --> 00:22:58.050
What's an idol again?
00:22:58.130 --> 00:22:59.010
What's an idol?
00:22:59.170 --> 00:23:01.970
An object of extreme devotion.
00:23:03.650 --> 00:23:11.650
The challenge is that we don't consider the things that I mentioned to you, plus a million other things I didn't mention as idols.
00:23:12.450 --> 00:23:20.290
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans is talking about how far away people have gotten from God, and he says this, look at this Romans 1.25.
00:23:20.450 --> 00:23:29.490
He said, They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who was forever praised.
00:23:29.890 --> 00:23:30.370
Amen.
00:23:30.530 --> 00:23:31.650
And that's the problem.
00:23:32.450 --> 00:23:40.210
We give precedence to all these created, manufactured, time-consuming, expensive things in our life before the Creator.
00:23:40.850 --> 00:23:44.050
It's human nature for us to struggle with this, guys.
00:23:44.930 --> 00:23:48.850
But it's also a sin to put anything before God.
00:23:50.130 --> 00:23:51.490
It's also a sin.
00:23:52.370 --> 00:23:58.850
You see, putting God first, keeping Him as our Lord, as the Lord of our life, has lots of competition.
00:23:58.930 --> 00:23:59.810
But how do we do that?
00:23:59.890 --> 00:24:01.250
How do we put Him first?
00:24:02.050 --> 00:24:04.290
There's different ways, but I just wanted to start with this.
00:24:04.450 --> 00:24:13.170
Number three, the solution is identify first of all, pray about, identify and eliminate what the competitions might be.
00:24:14.850 --> 00:24:17.090
That's keeping you from putting God first.
00:24:17.250 --> 00:24:20.130
And that starts with praying about that, doesn't it?
00:24:21.090 --> 00:24:22.850
This is where we start.
00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:29.170
Doesn't mean we get rid of everything that we own, that's not it, but we put it in our proper its proper place.
00:24:29.650 --> 00:24:35.890
And it takes a lot of personal introspection and self-honesty to identify our idols.
00:24:36.610 --> 00:24:42.930
We not only don't want to admit that we have idols, we don't want to get rid of them because we're addicted to them.
00:24:44.450 --> 00:24:47.410
It's impossible to stop picking up our phone.
00:24:47.810 --> 00:24:49.810
It's impossible not to work overtime.
00:24:49.890 --> 00:24:52.770
It's impossible for me not to get on my treadmill.
00:24:52.850 --> 00:24:53.970
I don't know if it's an idol or not.
00:24:54.050 --> 00:24:56.050
I don't know, but that's an illustration.
00:24:57.410 --> 00:25:00.130
Step one is to identify.
00:25:00.450 --> 00:25:05.650
Identify what's in the way, what could be standing in the way between my full devotion to God?
00:25:06.130 --> 00:25:10.050
We identify that through prayer and through introspection.
00:25:10.290 --> 00:25:12.530
And step two is elimination.
00:25:12.770 --> 00:25:15.490
We take an honest look at our current priorities.
00:25:15.650 --> 00:25:18.530
We ask ourselves, what do I spend too much time?
00:25:18.690 --> 00:25:20.530
On what do I spend too much money?
00:25:20.690 --> 00:25:23.090
What or who gets most of my attention?
00:25:23.330 --> 00:25:26.290
Do I get a certain satisfaction when I buy something?
00:25:26.530 --> 00:25:28.850
Is Amazon Prime my lifeline?
00:25:29.090 --> 00:25:33.090
Do I hoard my money or let it flow through freely?
00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:37.970
Easy for me to say, let it flow freely through my fingers.
00:25:38.930 --> 00:25:42.290
And my tithing, giving, and serving.
00:25:43.650 --> 00:26:01.330
Because when we begin to identify what we put before our relationship with God, our spiritual growth, what we put before our spiritual growth, when we pray for God to reveal it to us, we can begin, listen, the emulation, elimination process and pursue the generous life.
00:26:01.490 --> 00:26:03.010
Who doesn't want that?
00:26:04.050 --> 00:26:07.010
Who doesn't want to pursue the generous life?
00:26:07.330 --> 00:26:09.650
What do you say, Matthew 6, 33?
00:26:09.890 --> 00:26:15.250
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and he'll take care of everything else.
00:26:15.970 --> 00:26:17.250
We can do this.
00:26:17.810 --> 00:26:22.370
We can put God first by identifying our idols, by eliminating the competition.
00:26:22.530 --> 00:26:25.330
What's the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?
00:26:25.970 --> 00:26:27.090
You personally?
00:26:28.370 --> 00:26:39.490
We can start by establishing daily habits of worship and prayer and regular, consistent time spent in His Word, regular church attendance, serving, tithing, giving, all that.
00:26:39.650 --> 00:26:43.570
It doesn't happen on its own, and it doesn't happen overnight.
00:26:44.690 --> 00:26:54.450
Putting God first in all things leads to an abundant, gracious, generous, God-centered, God-blessed life.
00:26:56.690 --> 00:27:01.330
Now, most of us don't have eight billion dollars to give away like Chuck Feeney.
00:27:02.050 --> 00:27:06.370
But a generous life isn't ultimately measured by the size of the check.
00:27:06.450 --> 00:27:08.610
It's measured by the size of the heart.
00:27:09.410 --> 00:27:11.650
The question isn't how much do I have?
00:27:11.890 --> 00:27:18.210
The question is, what has God given me that I can use to bless someone else?
00:27:18.370 --> 00:27:19.730
Is it all about me?
00:27:20.610 --> 00:27:22.850
Or is my life about others?
00:27:23.250 --> 00:27:27.010
And of course, putting God first begins with our relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:27:27.090 --> 00:27:28.210
I say it every week.
00:27:28.370 --> 00:27:31.330
If Jesus is not your savior, it starts there.
00:27:31.650 --> 00:27:32.450
It starts there.
00:27:32.610 --> 00:27:36.130
He came that we may have life and have it abundantly, have it to the full.
00:27:36.370 --> 00:27:38.690
He came for the forgiveness of sins.
00:27:39.890 --> 00:27:44.610
And if he is not yet your savior, I pray that today is the day that you understand your need.
00:27:44.770 --> 00:27:50.130
Maybe you're hearing this message and you're saying, You're right, I can't do all of this stuff, John.
00:27:52.210 --> 00:27:54.210
Because I haven't put God first.
00:27:54.370 --> 00:27:56.450
I don't have Jesus as my savior.
00:27:59.410 --> 00:28:00.850
Let me pray.
00:28:01.490 --> 00:28:04.370
Dear Lord, we come before you and we thank you for your word.
00:28:04.610 --> 00:28:10.210
Thank you, Jesus, for what we're learning today, what we're talking about is amazing.
00:28:11.250 --> 00:28:18.050
Thank you for your words that you shared with your audience all those years ago that we get to look at today and talk about today because they still matter.
00:28:18.210 --> 00:28:20.530
They're still relevant and they're still important.
00:28:20.850 --> 00:28:31.330
Lord, I pray that each one of us, myself included, really take a look at our idols, at anything in our life that's taken too much away from you.
00:28:31.970 --> 00:28:34.610
Lord, help us to identify the competition.
00:28:34.770 --> 00:28:36.770
Help us to eliminate the competition.
00:28:37.010 --> 00:28:44.770
Lord, lead us to an abundant life in serving you and living as fully devoted followers because that's what you want.
00:28:45.010 --> 00:28:47.410
You want us more than anything.
00:28:47.730 --> 00:28:50.930
May we want you more than anything.
00:28:51.330 --> 00:28:54.130
Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours.
00:28:55.090 --> 00:28:56.290
Be first, Lord.
00:28:56.450 --> 00:28:57.010
Be first.
00:28:57.170 --> 00:29:00.450
Help us to seek you above all else.
00:29:01.170 --> 00:29:02.850
In Jesus' name.
00:29:03.330 --> 00:29:03.970
Amen.
00:29:05.090 --> 00:29:07.810
Before we go, I have to share something else with you here.
00:29:08.370 --> 00:29:11.650
Sometimes the most generous thing that we can give isn't money.
00:29:11.730 --> 00:29:17.250
It might be our time, for instance, or maybe it uh is uh time in a life group.
