I Choose Peace - In Financial Uncertainty, Part 2

Few things upset our stomach role wrenches into our relationship, like money issues. Did you know that 40% of all divorces occur around disagreements and pressure the grotto financial problems.

Overspending that misplaced priorities. So how do we choose peace in your experiencing financial turmoil stay with that's today living on the thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with two finger Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring a Bible teacher.

This program chip continues a series I choose peace based in Philippians chapter 4 is focus of this message will be on the obsessive love of money that unhealthy habits can actually rob us of our previous forward again been encouraged or inspired by the series.

You take a moment after this message ensure with a friend can do that to the chipping remapped by sending them the free MP3 that you find Living on the Edge.or Alex Georgia for part two of this message in financial uncertainty. What would it look like for you to develop a heart compassion. Where could you take some of your wants and turn them into genuine needs.

Seeing. Giving is the proof of our love. You can give without loving someone in or you can pretend, but you can never love without giving Kenya, so the first step of breaking greed as you develop personal compassion.

The second step is to develop a generous spirit see what money does it not only hardens my heart but it starts making me protective and so what, as I am massing as I get the only way I can get more as I can protect what I have.

So when people or thoughts, or even sermon start the mess around with my money. Then all the sudden we put the walls up you know will be back next week will not listen to much more. This and so the only way you know it's like a muscle.

What we need to do is we need to get that muscle of our heart not only tender toward God.

But we need to get it flowing. We need to develop a generous spirit in the Philippians will teach us here you develop a generous spirit by releasing the very thing that has power to consume you the very thing that has power to consume or choke out God's life in you. You need to release you need to become generous in your attitude is so notice what he says in verse 16 for even rise in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. There is a systematic time and Paul says you know this.

The Thessalonica church. I mean, that's a pretty ritzy area compared you felt Libyans and he said even though they could've supported me, but they didn't have the spiritual maturity. They just didn't get it you out of your need. You gave in the phrase is again and again. In other words, they systematically regularly gave to help Paul fulfill what God called him to do in his can be interesting, what he tells them happens. Not for him, but in them. Because of that, but you develop a generous spirit by giving or releasing the very thing now turn to first Corinthians 16 wanted to and I could ask everyone. Are you setting aside the first portion to the Lord, because you need to give it to release on like I do that I was thinking how can we get this or that you don't need one more ought one more.

Should one more artificial guilt reflex and by the way, I gotta tell you, if you're waiting for my brother to talk about a building campaign later or the second offering will be coming around right Justin O'Connor last.

You can take your hand off that wallet or purse others. There's no there's nothing common. This is God supplying this is about you and your heart. This is not about any needs we have and so I thought and I said and I got home from a speaking engagement and for me it was a little bit late and so I reviewed on the plane but I got to this part Lord, I need a picture to really help people see the reality but see your heart and your grace in a way that would really connect and I don't have it and so I drove in this morning in the parking lot at about 45 minutes or an hour and you know whatever my notes one more time. I just praying us in God.

But you give me a picture would you show me how can I help people see this because I don't know any's you know sit there quietly and this is how God speaks to me and he brings ideas. Is that asking this question okay Sangha asking this question. And by the way you relax humming some of your thinking is you kinda knew going on the phone to raise my hands.

We don't have to.

But that is just a question, how many people when you go to a restaurant, leave a tip you leave it amused.

Don't say on that we forget now if it was really really bad mean it. If the service was good organ of general relieved at how many people leave 5%. Okay, not too many county people used to be 10% only people leave 10% but to me okay how many people you go to restaurant the services is good. Leave 15%. As a general regular more raise your hands if you do if you don't it's okay. Almost everybody and here's a question God brought to my mind what has occurred in American culture. What what is the deception that is occurred where the peer pressure and the sociological aspects of why you would never think of leaving less than 15% that you don't have to on a table for a waitress or waiter. And yet about 2.7% of American Christians give even 10% of their income to God systematically affect nothing. Think this through. Think of how powerful our foe is I'm not quite sure, but I don't think my life my breath. I wasn't created by the waiter. They didn't create the food they just served and yet over here, the creator of the world, who sent his son, who died for me to raise from the dead, who covered my sin, who implanted his spirit within me who has sealed me forever and ever deposited spiritual gifts and has commanded me to remember it all belongs to him was as a beginning point on it is a net a beginning point would be a tithe and then learn proportionally as he blesses in the average American believer, about 97% of them are disobedient to this and yet obedient to the cultural norm. If in the illustration where I talked about our foe in the scouting report if you had any sense in which this really doesn't apply to you if there was any sense in your heart really said I'm not really greedy but I bet there's some people that really need to hear this in this room, then the only thing I would ask you is today at this moment are you more faithful to give 15% to a waiter or waitress who serves food that they didn't create then you are to give a minimum amount of the first portion of say 10% or more to the God who created the food and you and purchased your salvation and if you look at your own life and say I'm very consistent here and is a real hit and miss here. Can I tell you something that fellow Korea has you by the neck and the problem is not that this church or some church or ministry need your money. The problem is when I turned to the front page it says that it is a lure. It says that it will plunge. It'll say there's destruction it'll say that you are in the process of wandering from the truth because according to Jesus wherever your treasure is, that's where your heart really is. And the only way to address this is first to get your heart soft through becoming compassionate and the second is by coming generous and of course it's generosity in this wave it. I think it's down to little things. I think it's a lifestyle I just I just tend to think about me. Sorry, I just am I'm working through it. I'm growing, but I think about me. I was in the airport you had two hours without will study little bit numb, tireless booklet three or four times and I was at this coffee shop and this guy it can't take this long to make a mocha whoever this lady was in front of you. I mean it's just like on and on all and I just want to regular coffee and I'm to stand there and you know another guy came in. He waited and waited knock you got fed up he just laughed and I'm just thinking you know and I'm tired and so my impatience and my focus on me is rising, my lack of generosity, patience and understanding is diminishing and thickened buddy buddy buddy and I'm thinking it's not like where I normally order coffee, so it's not can be quite as good. So I finally get a cup and I go over and you know sometimes how they have the cream real loose so I just want to put a little integral you know brother now is not very strong. It looks like white male, can I take a sip like that you know something in myself you know I portal allow them think I can pour too much out. He may not fill it back up because I don't know him like I know the guy at the corner so I go over and I say this is a phrase is it you think I can get little grace he said what you mean. I said buddy I put too much cream in it.

If I if I like just dump some out could could you pour some more coffee and some turn the right color exit now do that for you as he goes over he pours it against the right color and Anna's and as I got it. I just thought to myself, you know something attitude change so I reached in my pocket I said hey here's a buck. I just want to tell you it's so great to be people with people that such a good attitude and he went from this stoic pressure everyone doing that and from being to being he grinned because thanks man. I said no thanks I really appreciate two things for a dollars worth of generosity for a dollars worth of generosity. This guy's attitude changed and I got a cup of coffee and instead of my critical spirit. It was transformed to a pretty good about necklace I do understand what was speaking of greed and generosity is not just about money is not this little compartment called the church and what you give for not giving is about a complete mindset about how you live and if you want if you want contentment you have to beat greed and the only beet greens. You gotta develop personal compassion you I care about people and then have to develop a generous spirit, and then third. You've got to develop a eternal perspective you got to begin to live in such a way as though you actually believe there's a heaven and there's a hell in there certain good things that happen in heaven to people who live in a certain way and that it's really wise to live life God's way is exactly what Paul's going to say follow along now and step three. He says develop an eternal perspective, how by understanding the inseparable relationship between our money and authentic worship at this. This is all throughout the Scripture.

And here's what you get your money is here.

Worship is here.

We tend to have money in this category and worship in this category. And God says you can ever separate. Every financial decision you make ends up being a warship decision of some kind and I gotta tell you, as pastors, I need to apologize to you on behalf of all my other pastors. I probably spent the first 10 or 12 years failing churches as well. Pastors don't talk about money.

Jesus talk more about money than heaven and hell combine pastors don't talk about money and so the average believer doesn't know the relationship between money and warship all they've heard is now and then we need some and you know we like to visit your house and find out how much you give us some money has been a bad word in the church money is about warship there's a link between the two. And once you see that Mendoza from the words of Jesus. We've done a terrible terrible job. The only time you hear money churches, but what you ought to give in some big need instead of this is what it means. Here's how to be grateful.

Here's how to use it. Here's how to align your family care to protect your marriage. Here's how to use money as a tool to develop your kids. But how does this happen watching this passage. This is an amazing thing. The apostle Paul is going to talk through and is going to use financial and business terms to describe the gift that he gave them and then watch how he'll put a twist on it that the end and you say, business, business, business, business money money money and then it's like worship God spiritual terms. Notice what he says. He says okay I can do all things through Christ. It was good of you appreciated me even when I was in Thessalonica and that kind of wealthy place you gave systematically but but I want you know my motives. Not that I'm looking for the gift know with this thank you note is not like you know the thing with you tariff on the bottom and so you can give your next gift.

Not but I'm looking for the gift I'm looking for what may be credited to your account. The phrase credited your account is an accounting term of debit and credit he saying I'm looking for what of the spiritual P&L statement in heaven, so that tablets credits. I want you to know that this gift isn't about the gift that I got. I'm happy because in heaven.

It's getting a credit your account knows what he says I have received full payment. The phrase means literally.

It's like I've got the receipt. My hand I received in full payment, and even more. I am a amply supplied number words. You know the Pepperdine is when he gave plenty of money, that's not the issue now that I received from a path for God is the gift you sent me. They are now.

Notice the shift. What happened to the financial gift. How does he describe the financial gift. They are underlined fragrant offering, underlined and acceptable sacrifice underlying pleasing to God. You gave the gift is accredited spiritually to your account and the literal phrase when you did that was like a burnt offering a fragrant sweet smell that went up into the nostrils of God. He looked at it, not as money but as a sacrifice unto him and it brought joy or pleasure to his heart to see the apostle Paul is teaching them and teaching us that an eternal perspective requires that you gotta see this relationship between your finances and your money and that when we give. It's an act of worship and what we do with our money is an act of worship and and God wants you to know that every financial decision you make becomes spiritual decision, but the sacrifices the heart lunch member David in the threshing floor to member that member that time were heated sand and he realized they are really blown it in your he learned this is what I need to do and he was at the place the guys name was Arena and God says you know offer offering and so Arruda goes hey man, you're the king you can take my oxen and I've got some would all pay for the whole deal and did member David said, far be it from me, but I would offer a sacrifice unto the Lord, the cost me nothing. See, the Bible says that when I give my time, my energy like talent that there is a spiritual transaction occurs that accredits to me in heaven and I gotta believe I've gotta come to believe that accumulating and getting and impressing and having now is not the end of the line as long as I believe that lie, I will never ever become a generous person and therefore I will never ever beat greed and, therefore, I'll never be content the horizon will just keep moving while scouting report has two things right scouting report tells you about the other team or the photo strengths, their weaknesses, but what does it it's that's got scouting for new it gives you recommendations take they run this kind of defense you need to run this cut offense or hey hey what that girl she dropped the last seven guys and this is the way did he say I look after out and so Paul is now.

Gotta get some scouting recommendations.

He's going to give for specific commands about how you can allocate you know how formidable a foe is out of the same chapter he's going to give for specific commands to start you on a journey so that you can beat the green monster and I think this can be a lot lifelong process for you and for me, by the way, if you're sitting here thinking if giving is the antidote to greed and if this is going to release my heart I can have eternal perspective. And if your hearts, sink, and your gone and if this guy even had any idea how much debt I've gotten credit cards alone. Plus I got a car on time. You could show pictures of kids with their bellies out the here till Jesus, I can't give my destiny forever, never to be out of God's well I'm coming.

I think the hawk is not in my mouth I think is somewhere down at my internal intestines. You know this got me so hot I get out of this. You get out of it through process begins today and by the way, you know what I did grow up in the church on the skeptic and I ran it all, like what I call religious jerks and you may have had that and you're sitting here thinking yeah right I think this guy's economy. Give it to world vision but start start being generous but if if you think our motives are wrong. It would, okay, just give it somewhere. Here's the four commands are very clean, very clear, very quick command number one commandos are rich in this present world. That's us not to be arrogant to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain seems to protect you but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy yes were to be sacrificial but were to enjoy what he's given us. You can't enjoy it. If you always worried about the payments that are so he says. First of all, it's a focus put your hope on God for contentment and fulfillment, not on stuff second verse 18 command them to do good is a secondhand command to be rich in good deeds third command and to be generous and willing to share. So says look you don't, you need to get your focus on God, then you need to have a lifestyle of doing good.

Instead of getting and then you need good deeds give away your time and they said be willing to share give away your money and your possessions, so it's very general command not hope on stuff hope on God do good be a giver instead of a getter, then begin to share your time. Good deeds and then begin to share your stuff be willing to share in the what I love is that he says if you do this you know when the game you'll beat the competitor look at the very last line in this way they will lay up treasure you circle the phrase for themselves. We get this idea that old you were just doing this for Sunday. Someway somehow God wants us to learn to be generous because an eternity. He says there's a forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and you can increase the quality of that experience he says in this way the lab for themselves. Treasure has a firm foundation for the coming age, so that in this present life.

Here it is. They may take hold of the life that is truly life. What does life is truly life kinda sound like does that sound like a life where relationships work. A life where you have it and God get You on the shoulder and you can give it or keep it you have it and instead of telling everyone how you got it on sale and feeling guilty about it.

You can cite thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you I can't believe I get to live in a house like this. You let me be generous.

I don't have that I've done this, Lord, who might you be so good to me life that is really life a life without creditors calling a life not believing the next thing or the biggest thing or the next will fulfill but a life that knows in plenty or in want, I can do all things through Christ. I like it asked the Lord a question, as we close in the question I want you to ask him is this father will you show me the extent to which greed has infiltrated my heart and my life just sit quietly asking to help you. Be honest. The goal here is to help you and then as you think about that as you listen to his voice and then ask him, Lord, will you show me just the first step. Don't try and solve all your problems and all your dad and I'll just say, Lord, will you show me the first step to move toward developing a heart of compassion, generous people speak, just ask. With this application. This message in financial insert series I choose peace chips, focusing his attention in these programs on the circumstances that rob us of our peace. Whether that's troubled relationships difficult circumstances obits of anxiousness or financial insecurity. This series provides practical biblical answers to these areas where we struggle to maintain peace. The fact is we all wrestle with finding contentment and harmony so let me encourage you to reach out to a few friends and go through the series together and discover God's truly satisfying piece for more information about the series or to order chips brand-new book I choose peace visit LivingontheEdge.org Listeners tap special offers will trip you got an important application to share for this message. But before we get there.

Would you take a minute to explain why we ask listeners to support Living on the Edge financially will first of all, ministry is always issue of the heart. And Jesus says that wherever our treasure is.

That is where Hart will be the Bible also commands us to be generous and open and free and everything that I have everyone listening to my voice right now everything they have, God is entrusted that to them. The second is the Bible's really clear. Not only that we should be generous but aware, we should be generous. I personally believe that your first commitment at your local church, but then there's that opportunity to give over and above that first portion and to express love because God says were ever your spiritually ministered unto, that the apostle Paul would say to group of Christians. I ministered spiritually to you and he actually went so far to say is you have a financial obligation to minister back to me in his situation.

It wasn't like for airtime I guess was maybe a donkey time or or you know I need some new parchment sore. I need your financial resources to get on that ship to go from Corinth to Ephesus, and is just the same. Here you know if you get ministered unto one of the ways that you not only say thank you but then you generously pass it on to others is to support that ministry that's that's ministering to you.

So that's kinda what biblically why we do it and you know there's just the. The reality of need and it's a partnership than a team and so and people generous. I mean, I'm thrilled I'm very excited about how they do give and so I want to say. If you haven't, you can get in on this and if you have thank you very much will if you're benefiting from chips teaching now would be a great time to join the team.

You could minister with us to help others receive the same blessing you're enjoying to send a gift or to become a monthly partner donate online at http://livingontheedge.org tap donate on the app or give us a call a triple late. 333-6003. Your partnership is greatly appreciated as we close today I want to be gentle but here's the deal. We all struggle with greed. Okay, it's the human condition. So resist the temptation that I'm talking someone else all right is just you and me right now and I'm talking to you.

So take a deep breath and say okay God, would you please show me show me personally where greed still has a hold of my life would you show me where my fingers need to let go and my heart needs to get soft God we you show me, would you give me would you grant me the courage to trust you. You know, we learn to specific steps that God has given us in this passage that allow us to say no to greed and and created generous spirit and compassionate heart. Step number one is compassion is cultivated when we put others needs ahead of our wants. What would it look like for you to do that today. And second, we really can't. Today is a generous spirit grows when we give away the very thing that can absolutely strangle our soul. I don't how to say this to you but unless you start giving your money away. Let me encourage you to do something regular and some percentage but give first to your local church.

You need to begin to be that person that releases your money because you recognize it's not yours. It's God's. And as you begin to release your money. I will tell you your heart will get softer and softer.

Your joy will be greater and it will force you. It will literally force you to get priorities in line that will bless you for the rest of your life. Can I encourage you, just from my pastor's heart, there isn't a demand there isn't a get with the program. This is for your good release your finances to the Lord.

Be compassionate and you will find a God who will provide for every need.

Just before we close our mission that Living on the Edge is to help Christians live like Christians in one of the ways we do that is by giving away free resources. So when you hear a message. That's especially helpful. We hope will pass it on to others. They are easily shared from the tripping roadmap or by forwarding the free MP3s from our website. LivingontheEdge.org. Don't forget to include a note about how it made a difference in your life. Well, this should be with us again next time we continue our current series chip and the entire team here.

This is the saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge