Surrender To Me and Multiply

Morning Summit search sidewalk with all of our campuses. If you have your Bible invite you to take that out now and I hope that you have your Bible open the Genesis chapter 22 you have your multiply book you brought that with you and there is a great place to take notes on page 47 just for this week. You want to turn there is you're doing that. I think I've told you before about one sophomore and one of our local universities run here who was stressed out all Mr. in anticipation of the notoriously difficult final exam in his ornithology class. You know, ornithology. The study of birds is exactly right at your smart, having made what he regarded to be the ultimate effort in preparation for this final exam. He was dismayed when you walk into the classroom to take the test because instead of the usual multiple-choice essay based questions on birds and their habitats that he had been expecting. There were no test materials at all, simply 25 pictures on the screen and not pictures of different birds in all their resplendent color not pictures of their habitats simply pictures of birds feet and the task was to identify all 25 species of birds by their feet alone. This is insane. The student protested. It must be done by the professor. This is your final exam. I won't do it in a frustrated student said, I am not going to take this exam.

I'm walking out. If you walk outside the professor, you will fail. Fine. Go ahead and fill me said the student said finding use of the professor you are fail, tell me your name as a boy walked out. Mr. resets and you tell me professor you tell me what my name is only true but anyway it sets us up that all of us.

I think probably have the experience of going to attest if you were back in college that begin with the light reflected accurately. Your knowledge of subject at hand eye test is supposed to reveal accurately what you know what's inside you well. Throughout Abraham's life we see God testing him again and again but the whole purpose is to prove what is actually inside of him, Abraham, do you really trust me, you say that you trust me, but you really trust me or you are you really ready to follow me anywhere me think about it. I've asked you why did God immediately give to Abraham. This promise on the moment that Abraham started to follow God.

Why didn't God whisk him away immediately to the promise land. When Abraham said yes. Instead, Abraham has to wait 30 or 40 years to receive the sign in instead of going right to the promised land. God leads him on this circuitous journey that is fraught with all kinds of dangers of heartbreaks and setbacks.

Why this is so important.

I've explained it is because God was not just trying to take Abraham somewhere. It is not just trying to give Abraham some theme he was trying to make Abraham into someone you see what God is doing in you is just as important as what he is doing through you. God desires not just to take you to heaven we say. He also wants to put heaven inside of you.

So that's what this multiply season is really all about God is not only wanting to multiply eyes wide as a church.

As important as that is. He also wants to multiply faith and surrender and love and commitment deep into us. So, in Genesis €22 to see a story of Abraham going to another test. It's attest that you're going to have to go through as well. This one is by far for Abraham. The most difficult. He is ever faced. The contacts really quickly by Genesis 22. Abraham is finally had his miracle baby.

They named this baby Isaac, which means literally in Hebrew, son of laughter because this whole thing is just funny. Well seem to understand that anything about it. Abraham and I Abraham and Sarah were both about 100 when they had this miracle baby. Which means that for their birthdays. That year, Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac all got diaper right and they just think that that's funny as a minimum, son of laughter. Genesis 22 verse one after these things have rubber things. Isaac is now south at about 15 years old.

After these things God tested Abraham keywords one online stuff in the Bible and said to him, Abraham and Abraham responds with here and I now tyrannize not just Hebrew for hello it is a way of saying I stand ready now for your command. It is a statement that indicates surrender here mine ready for whatever you're going to say to be frank with you, I find that reaction that response pretty remarkable considering that every time God has called Abraham. Up to this point he seems to ask him to leave something good to give up something cherished or to attempt something impossible.

I'll be honest, I think by this point in Abraham's life. I become to be like no what is it that you were going asked me this time. I remember a college there was a mission speaker who was pretty frequent at the church that I attended that he was so persuasive and so challenging about the mission field. I just read and when he would speak because I just knew that this was the week that I would always call me to go to the mission field, one of my roommates as I can speak at church this week and I told him and he was like they're ready for convection.

Abraham doesn't respond this way and it's pretty remarkable and there's one reason that he redone respond that way because Abraham is learned to trust God. Abraham says here mine because he trust God to the difference in the life of drudgery and a life of joy is based on one factor and that is whether you actually trust God. I love how that the writer of the hymn sensitives so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word just to rest upon his promises to know thus says the Lord. If you have a life of faith. Enjoy it is because you have learned to trust God, you show me a happy Christian you show me a consistent Christian and also you somebody who's learned to trust you show me a faltering Christian you show me a Christian to go through a lot of ups and downs and not golden, and am wondering if all else are you somebody who is yet to learn how good God is and how committed he is to it is no client does not mean to do with how strong the character you have and everything to do with your confidence in the goodness of God. Verse two. So God says God says take your son by the way Hebrew scholars tell us that at this point, the language here in Hebrew. Suddenly slows down dramatically open this point. Stories move that a pretty fast clip. Abraham did this in a God that is. And then this happened every and all the sudden the language in Hebrew the slams to all scholars that you should always read it like you would put a period after every couple of words after every word for emphasis, he would read like this take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell you the word for son in Hebrew the word van is used 10 times over and over and over again, your son, your only son, the son, whom you love. It reverberates through Abraham's soul because what God is asking here seems unbelievable. You see this child represented everything that Abraham this was the child of promise. This was what they had left everything for all their hopes and all their dreams and all their affection centered upon this child now was an old man. This is all Abraham really loves and lives for the world anymore me think about Abraham as Richie was an old man, which means that which means that all he basically did every day was with play with Isaac and now God is saying to him about that thing that he loves to be lives for any trust himself with all offered that to me now as a burnt offering and I know you might ask the question here will. How could God ever asked something like that and I will deal with that in just a moment before now.

Right now, just know that you could let this represent for you that one thing in your life that you treasure and trust the most.

That one thing that makes life worth living for. You as the tax procedure, but I noticed that nobody's talking nobody's talking is only silence. What is that one thing for you that if you lost that you would be speechless. You would just be in stunned silence. Verse three.

So Abraham arose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac, and he cut the wood for the burnt offering in the arose and went to the place which God had told him verse four on the third day the third day. Honestly, I think in three days I will talk myself out of this.

See Abraham's faith is not just an initial response is not something emotional in the service.

Abraham's faith is going to come from somewhere different, so you that five minute Abraham said to his young men stay here with the donkey. I am the boy will go over there and worship. That's an interesting word that he chose to describe what it was in a new worship and what's this we will come again to you in Hebrew the word for come again, is this plural which Abraham is one all by himself and he same were going to come back not just me. This could be two of us to come back. He knew somehow he was convinced that they were both coming back because he knew God had a promise to fulfill. And he did know how it was going to work out, but he knew that it was going to work out as God promised in verse six and Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and related on Isaac his son and he took her hand in his hand firing the knife and they both went on together just the two of them in Isaac at some point said to his daddy Abraham daddy and his daddy said here my my son and he said, behold dad I see the fire to see the wood but where's the lamp of the burnt offering another most important part of the offering. Abraham said God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son now. By the way you see what Abraham is been doing for three days and that dark silence is been rehearsing to himself the promises of God. He was probably recounting the encounter in Genesis 15, where God if you recall, made himself responsible for both sides of the covenant, not just his party made himself responsible for Abraham's promise broker part of it and you can see Abraham walking up that mountain in silence. Just saying to himself and God. God, you said this. This is what you promised. I don't see how it could happen, but God you've gotta provide. I don't know what your to do this is so important. Listen, what drove Abraham up the mountain was not the strength of his character he was. Not Abraham say you can do it you can do it your brave man what he was saying in his heart is God is faithful, the only thing that will drive you onward as a husband as a father in ministry through difficult times. The financial hardship in a season where you feel like you don't know what's going on. The only thing that drives you onward is your confidence in the goodness and the character and the promises of God, even the youths shall falter. Even the strongest men shall utterly fall, says Isaiah, but it's those who wait upon the Lord.

They are the ones who will renew their strength. They are the ones who will mount up with wings as eagles. They're the ones who will walk and not be weary of the ones will run and never grow faint. You want to fly like an eagle. It has nothing to do with you being a Superman or superwoman. It has to do with you. Understanding and believing the promises of God. That's what turns people into heroes of faith verse nine when they came to the place of which God told him Abraham bill that altar they are delay the wood in order amount Isaac his son and laid them up on the altar on top wood. By the way.

Kudos to Isaac here right if Isaac were strong enough to carry the wood. He definitely would've been strong enough to evade or overcome a frail old man river scholar saves a least 15 sums that he may been 20 years old by this point. He is calling up on the altar trusting God and his dad which your teenager do that dear teenager, would you have for your parents know over there is owner. The only way the only way Isaac could do this is if he had inherited his daddy's trust in God and the way that he did. That is by hearing his daddy talk about the promises of God all the time and then he saw his daddy live out his faith in the promises of God is not bringing her to the church is not: the Christian is not seven prisons goal is going to do that is when they hear you in difficult times rehearsed the promises of God and you live it out so consistently and so faithfully that there trust. Your trust becomes their trust and when it comes time for them to get on the altar, they do so without question.

First, in then Abraham reached out his hand and took the night to slaughter his son now me take a moment to address the question many of you asked a moment ago how could God ever command something like this will see, this is not just a command to murder Isaac. If so, Abraham could have just stabbed him in the 10 been done with it something much deeper is going on. You see, the offering of the firstborn in the Old Testament was supposed to symbolize the debt that every man and every woman owed to God throughout the Old Testament God lays claim to her firstborn, because her firstborn represents our very lives. So in the Hebrew sacrificial system. God requires the firstborn of the cattle were the sheep to be sacrificed to him as well as the firstfruits of the great. The only way you could spare the life of the firstborn was to make a substitute sacrifice to give something to release the firstborn from its obligation. So, for example, at the Passover, when God delivers the children of Israel, he kills the firstborn of every household in Egypt except the ones that have taken a firstborn lamb taken the blood and put it on the doorpost.

In other words, the life of the firstborn was forfeited unless some sort of redeeming sacrifice was made, God was showing through this that there is a debt that every family owes to him and it goes to the core of our very lives.

It is a debt we owe, because of our sin. We all of us are underneath the condemnation of debt of death, and so this firstborn represents a debt we owe to God. That's why Abraham understood what I was asking of him one Old Testament teacher says it this way of Abraham and thought God told until Sarah and then I'll know that you love me he would never have done that, he would've concluded that he had been hallucinating because God would not of commanded senseless murder like that. And God would not set it because it would have been senseless murder, but when God said to Abraham, offer Isaac. Abraham knew exactly what that meant. It meant the firstborn it represented his very life and his hope in the debt that every man and every woman in every family owes to God back to verse 11 with the knife now suspended in the air. The angel of the Lord suddenly appears from heaven, and says Abraham, Abraham, and he said here.

My verse 12 do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now, I know now I know says God, that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, you have not withheld your only son, from me and I see now the love that you have for me. I see the commitment to me because you wouldn't even withhold Isaac. Abraham proved himself.

Abraham pass the test. Abraham showed that there was nothing he would not trust the God there was nowhere he would not go with God. Verse 13 and Abraham, lifted up his eyes and look what's this, behold, behind him was a ram he had noticed that before caught in the thicket by its horns. A thorn bush by its warmth and Abraham went took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son.

So Abraham called what's this, the name of that place. The Lord will provide as it is said to this day on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. He called it Jehovah Gyro which means God is my provider missing when you give a name to something in Hebrew. It's very significant because it is supposed to encapsulate or summarize the significance of what happened there do not find it interesting that the name of the place is the Lord will provide. Not how Abraham obeyed in the whole story about how Abraham obeys why would he call the place. The Lord provides it's because you see something more important than Abraham's impressive obedience that is being demonstrated to us here is God's commitment to us that is being demonstrated. You see, centuries later, another son, another one and only son and the father loves walk up a mountain and again that son would willingly crawl up on the wood but this time the knife would not be stopped in midair. This time the knife would slash straight into the heart of the beloved son, Jesus, God, son. By the way these mountains of Mariah we notice you ever wonder why did he make you want three days to the mountains of Mariah and recloser Mounds where he was the mountains of Mariah scholars tell us right outside of what later became Jerusalem. Scholars say that is precisely the place were Mount Calvary would've been were Jesus was crucified on the cross. In other words, on the very mountain were Jesus would one day die, a drama was enacted hundreds of years before Jesus came. It is as if Abraham plays the part of God the father and Isaac plays the part of Jesus the son, but only up until the moment that God stop the sacrifice and pointed to the land: the thornbushes by the way, the fact it was caught by the horns and the thornbushes means that his body was still unblemished. More than a thousand years later when Jesus walked up the same mountain.

No substitute lamb would be provided because he was himself the unblemished lamb. No angel would stay the hand of God, as he took the knife of justice and plunged it into the son's chest.

The son's chest, God would willingly Jesus would willingly stay on the altar and because of that we could know that the father loves us since he has withheld not withheld his son is only son, from eyes you see this story is not first and foremost about Abraham's commitment to God is about God's commitment Abraham, which is why they named the place, God will provide. Not Abraham will obey, but there's a profound connection you see between the two. There is a connection between your understanding of God's commitment to you and your and your willingness to give everything to him. It is only when you see that God has not withheld his son, his only son to somebody lots for you.

It is only then that you will release everything that you have to him. For those of you who will not give God everything for those of you for whom the Christian life is drudgery. It is precisely because you do not understand the commitment of the Lord Jesus Christ to you that though you are rich for your sake, though he was ready for your sake he became poor, so that he you through his poverty might become rich. Watch what happens as a result of all this for 15 the needs of the Lord called Abraham a second time from heaven and he said by myself I have sworn, declares the Lord. They call eyes going to live stuff in your Bible. That's what you want a lie because you've done this you have not withheld your son, your only son. I surely will bless you and I will surely multiply your off ring as the stars of heaven as the sand that is on the seashore and also brings all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. It is because of obedience that the blessing will extend to the earth. It was because of Jesus's obedience to willingly crawl up on the altar that you and I got to be saved by extension, listen to this is also by Abraham's obedience and our obedience that the blessing extends to the rest of the world, if not the God needs our Isaac. He does not need our eyes that God could make as many sons as he needed to from Abraham, it's that when we take our first in our best when we take what is most precious to us and we offer it in surrender to God. That is the means by which God multiplies the kingdom in the earth is the means by which other people come to faith in Christ. It ought to make you it out to inspire you and scare you but what you do literally changes the eternities of people around the world.

You and I are sitting here because Abraham, by the grace of God, obey their other people who will one day sit in the kingdom as sons and daughters of the King because you when I do the same thing that Abraham did in this chapter.

Here, which leads me to to I would say profound questions I need to ask you about your life. The first one is very important. Do you actually understand the gospel to see a lot of people read stories like this one thing is all about how well they can obey, but they all might be like Abraham on nothing this minute is Abraham I hope that maybe minigolf gullet Abraham Namibia let me in, but I'm not as good as a story is not about how Abraham obeyed, compared to how will you obey this story is ultimately about the fact that Jesus would obey in your place. He is the son who did it all so that you could go free, your Isaac in this story, you get to go free while the land dies in your place.

All you do is believe and receive it.

I compared coming to Christ for like waking up in an ambulance, you wake up in an ambulance and and and the doctor and EMT that are there doing this emergency treatment of you, tell you you been a terrible rack and you are about to die, but it's okay we we we got you just in time we saved you do not ask me to jump up and save yourself like I would probably hurt the process they're asking you just to lay there in consent because there doing the saving to come to Christ means that you wake up and you realize that Jesus Christ has obeyed perfectly in your place, and he just says let me know it and you consent to let your self be saying that's what it means that on the Christ see what happens then is in response to that in response to that you realize that a God who saved you when you're hopeless and gave everything for you in your place is a God who deserves a full and total and unrestricted offering of your life back to him. I let out a hymn writer session.

When I survey when I survey the wondrous Cross on with the Prince of glory died. Then my richest gain I count the laws and a pour contempt on all my pride see from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down did air such love and sorrow meet joy over saving me compose a richer crown and then the writer writes almost like an involuntary reaction were the whole realm of nature mine, that would be a present far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all that were demands their retirement demands. You gotta give me this room, and upon as you that were demands being deserves. In light of how hopeless I was. In light of the nothingness that I had a God who rescued me.

This way there is nothing I can withhold from him. Everything has to be a blank check that I lay down at his feet, because that is what is worthy of, and that's what he deserves full and total sacrifice comes from understanding the sacrifice of Jesus made for you. Which leads me to the second question in response. Are you fully surrendered in all things to him in response. Are you fully surrendered in all things to him in response to what God's done for you if you offer yourself as a living sacrifice back to him had given him that blank check that we often talk about a blank check that says anywhere, anytime, anyplace, you catch it whenever you want, for whatever amount my name assigned to it because all that I am all that I have all that I ever hope to be now and forever is your possession. I owe my life to you see the point I got I want you to understand this is very important. The point is not that you identify your Isaac and give it to God is about what's that's what God needs from you. The point is that you give God all things, which includes your Isaac, your Isaac just represents that one thing that makes full surrender difficult for you.

What is that for you. What is that thing that would make full and total surrender difficult for you that cannot last holdout. This is God you have anything to notice this.

The point is not the God need your Isaac. The point is that in every single part of your life in response to God's extravagant give you an offer yourself back without restriction to him. You see Abraham's offering on this mountain encapsulates the things that we have said should should should should characterize how we offer ourselves back to God during the season.

I told you multiplies, not about us applying some need for God and doing something on the world that he needs done multiplies primarily about us saying back to God. God you will you everything and got you a promise to bless.

So as you've given yourself. The eyes were going offer ourselves back to you, and we given you a tool for those you that are part of our church, not your guest here. This is your first week of mental but we give mutual this car in this court is supposed to represent one part of your life in which you were going to respond to God like Abraham responded to God, and there are several things and what Abraham did hear that Anna characterize what you end up as a part of the summa church in the putting down on this in the week to come to be three words that should be reflected on their that you see in the story of Abraham, first for his faith. First, what is faith Abraham trusted God with his future. He didn't know how to work out but he said God this is my future. What your future plan. A rep is Isaac which a retirement plan is Isaac which open the world is Isaac what I want from you, Abraham is Isaac reported any Truscott I told you that apart from faith.

There is no work that God does in and through us is always supposed to fill at a risk because that's what it means to live by faith member that me analogy the seed use of the first week when a farmer takes even planted a seed as a risk because you can take most seeds and grind them up for food and consume them, but it takes even put in the ground you're taking a risk because your say the sun doesn't shine the rain didn't come the messiness is going to go to waste. There's a risk that is involved if I told you CS Lewis is what in the mere Christianity is the only safe guideline.

The only safe guideline that I can give you forgiving says CS Lewis.

I think in your rule has no rules in the New Testament about this. He said the only safe got back in bed that I can give you is to give in a way that scares because only when it scares you the know that you're taking a risk in the you know that your trust in God's got the multiply both for your provision for the blessing of the world.

When we look at Cain and Abel. Last week we saw 22 young men who made an offering to God. Both of them were generous offerings. The only distinguishable difference between Cain and Abel's offering I showed you was that Abel gave of his first he gave before the rest of it came in, which meant the first of the best one for God. He trusted God with what God would provide.

After Keynes, by contrast, was very generous. The king waited until it was all in so we could see what he had and then he gave out of the excess came as I told you what we call a December giver somebody waits to the end.

Make sure there things taken care of and then I'll be excess they give the God they were both generous offerings, but God was pleased with Ables and he disliked case and the reason is not because of the amount. The reason is because of the faith that he the one declared Cain had no faith and Abel did and without faith it is impossible to please God says the writer of Hebrews, so faith ought to be reflected in in in what you go through number two sacrifice sacrifice is about Abraham, love and cherish most in the world, we often find sacrifice here is giving up something you love or something you love even more, God says Abraham the way that I know that you love me the way that I know that you want to me is because even that thing that is most precious to you. You laid on the altar and said God even that is something that you are in control of you see what we do, ought to record ought to reflect the fact that our hearts is declaring to God. This is what I love you. It cost me.

It cost me but this is my declaration of your value to me is a story I haven't told you this time around it's one most profound stories in the Old Testament about about giving to God about responding to God. It is a story that king David Wright for the end of his life. King David is going to make an offering to God and he's going to give the piece of property that will one day become the property to build the temple on and so I God comes to David and says David, I own this piece of property that would be great for the temple. Why don't I just give it to you and then use given to God and David respond second Samuel 2424 by saying no, I must pay you full price because I cannot give to the Lord that which cost me nothing.

Now if this is been about supplying the needs of God, then David would not said that because he will develop years of property. Hey, if anything adjusters really got David knew that his response was not about meeting the needs of God. His response was about making a declaration to God about the amount that he loved it and so he said I can't given to the Lord that would cost me nothing. I got to given the Lord that which cost me dearly because only then will I be able to make a statement that shows that I love him. You see, you measure generosity in the Bible, not by the size of the gift you measure generosity in the Bible by the size of the sacrifice you measure by the size of the sacrifice and the depth of the obedience. You see, there are some of you there are some of you who could write a check that would avoid what would what you would like to blow everybody away, just the amount of, and in the size of it but $100,000 check doesn't mean anything of the God who has $10 million at his disposal is something that's almost 2nd thought to him. God says what I want from you is I want you to respond to me in a way that declares to me, does your how you respond to God, declare where your value is in and in the love that you have for you know this week from Jamie Warner. Sit right on her front of me helps direct some of our prison ministry initiative here is been instrumental in helping us get this campus gone there in the way correctional facility. She said that she's one of the guys from wake County minister this week wanted to be able to give an offering, but doesn't have access to money because you know been present but had postage stamps three brothers in the offering last week. He mentioned to me that I might should mention it to you because he sure whoever took the offering was pretty confused and may have thought that someone was crazy but he assumed that the church mail stuff out and we do a lot and could probably use their stamps and it's all that he had so I was putting this I think okay so this is probably the clearest and best illustration of a story like with the to Mike to the woman to give than to have pennies and Jesus says they give more than all the rich people combine because they get what they had clear stores of ever seen demonstrations in our church. God measures the generosity and not by the size of the gift by the side of the sacrifice question is this what you how you respond to God.

What does what you do during the season doesn't show God that you love them, and there's a bless his heart. The way that Abraham's offering. Did peers C.

Rendering this might be the most important of all of them listen very closely.

This surrender.

Surrender is different than sacrifice. You can make a lot of sacrifices and still be in charge use you to choose which one you can sacrifice you. You can you can surrender is different than obedience because humans obey like 99.9% of the laws of God and you can still be fully in charge of your life would not have given over the thing that is your Isaac back. I was having a lot of people in the church there probably are in that category.

Surrender is a blank check surrender is no restrictions, no limitations. All that I have. There is nothing off-limits. It all belongs to you. Surrender is like a dye that bleeds through everything else in your life. It certainly affects what you sacrifice. It certainly will control your obedience, but it is more than sacrifice, and it is more than obedience goes down to the very root of who you are. Surrender is the response of a grateful heart that says God you gave everything for me without you have nothing.

So in response. Here is all that I have is that make sense. It's different. Some of your measuring the wrong thing in measuring sacrifice and obedience to what God says is in response to the gospel.

You're supposed to say the whole realm of nature mine, that would be a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life I'll have often thought of it like this, and when you see before you beat eggs and bacon for breakfast. Both the chicken and the pig contributed apart your breakfast and are grateful for both of them. But in profoundly different ways but chicken made a generous contribution, but the pig he was surrendered he was surrendered right you went all in. When Jesus calls us to follow you and because the chickens he calls a suspect meant probably not in the Bible written anywhere just like that that's straight out of the GDP.

Okay so you like I went down Jesus uncle chickens Jesus called things what God calls us to in this season and every season is simply offer without restriction. Everything we have to him what he calls you to in this season will be different than what he asked me or anybody else to do to your question is not in any way. What is somebody else doing your question is what is God want for me. What is he asking for me and my family is really important in this season you not listen to me you know some anybody else is essentially important that you get alone with the Holy Spirit of God and you say you want me to follow you. What is it that you want for me. One of our campus pastors Lance Pastor Lance over the Chapel Hill campus points out, he said you know if I'd been Abraham I would thought like this we citizens like us totally me is that I would've said you know God. Technically, I have another son is on the head outside of marriage to Ishmael use it all you said was signed, so I'm gonna step over here do that because that's a lot less costly I think about how many times my life God's call for obedience and I've given them compromise. I said I'll go most of the way that I marketed all the way and God says half obedience is full disobedience easy to store would've turned out a lot different if that's what Abraham would've done what Abraham gave us exactly what God asked, nothing less, nothing more to see what we are asking you to do. If you are a part of the summa church and again until you listen to your guest Mr. first week wanted.

I was walking to.

I'm not talking but if you are part of this church with your technically remember now, we are asking you to take this car that we've given you, and wrestle with it. If you haven't already. Over the next week were saying we want you to fill this out to give you a couple of things that affect the putting in the screens you probably see a better blanks for you to fill out on what you get hung up and try to fill in every blank that is supposed to represent the total that you plan to give the summa church the next couple of years, not just like like above and beyond give adjust the total you see on their says is what you normally do and this is what God in a batch, the Holy Spirit and what is leading you do that work involves faith in an sacrifice and in your love and and and just what you obedience to the Holy Spirit in interest to fill that out then you multiply comes a couple years because that's what were looking at bingo Caesar's gift from store resources only talk about that for a minute there is an exercise we do periodically. The church premises about our hearts. This is about this and when I say I think this is exactly what I mean. Exercise goes like this. I do it recommended to you.

You write down a piece of paper, consult your spouse. If you have one, or the five most expensive things that we have one of the five most expensive things that we have and was just just ask Holy Spirit. This probably represents in some ways my Isaac's of God. Are there any of these that you want to transfer release from a earthly investment to a heavenly one. He might not put his finger on any of and that's fine because you asked the question but the point is God.

I want to make sure that everything in my life, you're in control of and I'm not really withholding the user. Here they are in a layout before you would say God is or any of these five, but you want to ask for to release from an earthly to a heavenly investment we had were the leaders get together here on Friday night and the room was filled and we just do a lot of our leaders are the church went ahead and did this in advance so that the amazing stories you hear that was a family instead of hearing in this our family of six feels like God has told us we live and have a dream house we've always want to live them. But were downsizing because we want to be able to take that access and transfer that to the heavenly kingdom and mess with a did I know of other people do that with a car you into the car and said this is not dominant.

I want I want that to be a heavenly investment, not an earthly one.

I know somebody believes one person who said we are with my life and always safe so we got a retirement we could live like kings and queens.

As I was for the last 1520 years my life for me.

King Jesus lived in luxury. That's what happens about someone to transfer this to a heavenly investment how young professional say well I'm nowhere near any of that. You just said but I have a mountain bike and I felt like God is the Holy Spirit is said this is what I want you to put down in front of me and we have group kids right here a matter all of our campuses of the summa church.

Many of the thin this week and are bringing their favorite toy. Their favorite toy because there say my first my best belong to God.

What God does with that is not between you and me is not for you to compare anybody else simply a question that you're supposed to ask God, does God have your first in your past. Are you fully surrendered in all things to him see my wife and I we been wrestling with this now for a while and we've gone through this process me in all of our staff.

I asked our staff to let you not want us to get into this is a church, 100% of them have a warty walk through this process more than I've been here for about 15 years. So remember this church pretty much every step of the way and so every season. Would you like I want to lead the way to this year. Again, we just said okay God when a new chapter of our lives.

What represents full surrender.

What represents our first in our best what represents our statement of love about your value what represents the fact that we live for your kingdom and not our own. Because we want this to be a season of worship. Worship. Worship is declaring what you trust is declaring what you treasure the clearing your file, you where you place what I want you to do this week like never before. Is warship. I want you wrestle with this is not about you and somebody else is about you and in God. Now I will say I said this last week and I say again, I know there are some of you that is right 90 thing where one will got here because I talk like this and you understand and what I told you and I'll say it again I give you full permission. If you just feel like you know I just can't stand this.

I want you to become a radically generous follower of Jesus. I really do. And if me talking about this gets in your way that I want you to become a radically generous disciple, but I give you permission to give it somewhere else and I can sum with a request that the reason I say that is to reason about put all my cards with a reasonable one is for much you out as one call your bluff and I got nothing to do with trust. It's got to do with the fact that you don't trust God and you not to let him touch a party line to quit telling you and thereby you're stuck with tons of otherwise you're doing another do with me. Just got to do the back you want… About your life and you will be healed.

90 you're honest about terms like you might be radically generous. Given somewhere else.

If that's your hangout in front called about number two for they that have had a legitimately bad experience and I sympathize with you because I know that there's a lot of others out there news like that again. I can't trust you.

What I don't want dad to get in the way it's more important to me that you become a radically generous disciple of Christ that you get hung up about what's going on here. Not having said that, I'll tell you that is not a healthy place for you to be long-term see God's plan a for reaching the world is the local church. You don't have a better plan, so you should be a part of a local church. We are very transparent and open here about where every dime of what we receive goes, we are under the direction of a group of locally-based call lay elders, which means people it'll work for me that I can control who oversee every single dime that the summa church spends part of learning to trust God is in learning to extend that trust to the group of his people that he is led you to join yourselves with. So if you really are cynical.

I hope you will ask whatever questions you need to ask and I will hope that you get the healing you need to get to that you can join up with God's per God's people with full and open abandoned summa church. What God is doing here is amazing. We should never take it for granted.

He's multiplying his ministry wide through us.

What could happen in this season is going to change not only us to change our city. This could change the eternity of thousands of people and families that so many leaders that Oregon before this all of our staff like unmentionable to committed very generously with one member of our church had been here that long, but it got his wife to set up a wire on Fridays and I'm so committed and so full of faith about what God is doing here that I'm wiring you $1 million to be able to go forward in the season that you have now. That group is asking you to take this card to take that card and listen to God knows anybody else but listen to God. That's what I invite you to do to take a week in Washington one survivor heads with me if you would bow your heads just a motor campus pastor to come there to lead us in the time for us to reflect on the goodness of God's expressed in the Lord's table, the body and blood of Jesus. Father I pray that you would open our eyes to the extravagance of your gift something you would move this congregation. It MOVE to say a full and unqualified. Yes, that we would respond with grateful hearts because gift that you give it us.

We pray in Jesus name. You keep your head spell that IS a worship in our campus things are, the lead us to take the Lord