The Love of Christ Controls Us

Landlords say Summit church at all of our campuses.

If you have a Bible with you looking to take it out now and open it to the book of second Corinthians in the New Testament. I believe it is the seventh book in the New Testament to find your way. Their second grade. In chapter 5 we are going to do something today that I really enjoy doing and that is walking through a text of Scripture that captures the center of the heart of who we are and what we do and why we do what we do as a church as a part of this message today I want to spend some time celebrating with you where the Spirit of God has brought our church over the last couple of years.

If your new I hope this serves as an introduction to who we are and where we believe God is taking us. If you are not a Christian.

I hope this explains a little to you of the method behind the madness if you will, what were about. If you have been here for a while.

I hope this serves as a reminder of where God has brought us in where he is taking us, God frequently would have the children of Israel erect a monument on that would signify some great work that he had done in their past. These monuments serve not only to remind them of what God done in the past, but also to inch brought them for what he wanted to do in the future. And so that's kind of what we want to do today is is sort of verbally here erect a monument that will both remind us of what God has done and inspire us about what is that what is ahead. Two years ago the Summit church entered in the something that we call all in.

We believe that God was calling us as a church to take several bold steps forward in reaching Raleigh-Durham. We set the ambitious goal is a church of having nearly 100% involvement of people that are part of this church to be involved in this and I'm $26 million over two years that we believe would allow us to take these bold steps, that included renovating and expanding our campuses to create more seating capacity and I'm starting some new campuses. We wanted to start some new ministries we wanted to raise up and send out lots of more people on church planting and community blessing teams $26 million was a huge audacious goal for us, but we learned that apparently the Holy Spirit had more for us than we even realize 5400 families joined him of the effort, which is hundred percent participation antedate to date on your yard couple months from the end we have already received 28 1/2 million dollars and I believe that with your generosity. We can be a $33 million by the end of the year. So yes, you should apply for that fantastic. We never for us on been about the money because as I told you God doesn't have needs. We serve a God who has never had a need and so are giving to him is not as if we are media me that he hasn't spent about us as his people going all in with our whole lives for the mission example God calls us the sacrifice that he gave us calls for response, and so we didn't want to just be people who make casual contributions, if Jesus died for us that we want to go all in with his mission.

I use the illustration of how if you if you eat bacon and eggs for breakfast. Both the chicken and the pig had a part in producing your breakfast but whereas the chicken only made a contribution. The pig went all in right and so we want to be paid for Jesus passport sanctified cells what everyone said, I will talk about where were going to go from here with this so second grade. In chapter 5 were to begin in verse 13 verse 13.

If we are beside ourselves. The apostle Paul said beside ourselves out of our minds is for God to see you're not a Christian you like a fortress is a crazy right there in the Bible for out of her mind is for God. Verse 14 for the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all of died and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. So from now on. Therefore were not in regard anyone according to the flash.

I'll explain what that means you're a minute. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself by not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us now.

Those who have been reconciled this ministry, this message of reconciliation.

Therefore, Paul says we are M fasteners for Christ and ambassador is putting represents another government, another king so God our team is now making his appeal to others through us so we implore you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God.

You see, for our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God in Paul's majestic passage here, I see three things for us want to see a motivation number two I see a measure in the number three I see a mission for how we are to live. All of these things, the motivation, the measure in the mission of how we are supposed to live center around a message that we have for anyone that is outside of Christ. The message to you who are outside of Christ is be reconciled to God.

God made Jesus to be the penalty for your sin. He's taken out your sin, penalty, and now all that remains is for you to receive and come into both of the father is a gift that is already been given to you, but for us who are believers who have received that gift. It means three things for us.

Number one. It is a motivation for us to live sacrificially and I motivation is the love of Christ.

Paul says in verse 14, the love of Christ controls us the love of Christ had become Paul's guiding motivating principle. Paul had begun to see everything in his life through the lens of the love of Christ. What does it mean to be controlled by the love of Christ will only give you a couple practical things you write these and a is a or B. If you're taking notes to be control the love of Christ means you are captivated by his love for you.

Your captivated by love for you, Paul never seem to get over his salvation experience.

He said I'm convinced that Jesus died for me minute I got life because of his death, then I should no longer live for myself I deliver the one who gave his life to rescue me from death.

You know in there's people who understand the gospel never look at their lives. The same fabrics when is he like this before him. If you got home one afternoon and there's a guy sit on your porch.

A friend of yours who says to you, hey while you're out somebody came by, but you had money to a pager that for you might not. My question to you is what is your response to that person in your answer should be, it depends on how much they pay so that if the postman showed up and said hey didn't put in enough stamps on this envelope and you owe an extra you know $0.49 or whatever men I put the $0.49 on therefore you and you and your bottom and back to say thanks for doing that your great friend if they say however it of the Mafia showed up while you were gone.

Turns out your gambling passes caught up with you and go to million and 1/2 dollars and they were here to kill you, but only about I just I think every million half-dollar dead. At that point is not appropriate for you to slap them on the bag say thank you friend you follow their feet and say command me right is everything in your life as you look different from that point, Paul said my understanding of what Christ save me from and what he gave us save me from it is something that demands not just a casual response.

I am convinced that no longer because I'm alive to is that the longer I live for myself. I live entirely for him.

I sometimes think about what is going to be like to stand for Jesus. When I finally get my mind around what is it he gave up to save me and what he save me from understand and now I can explain it to you now, but there's something I think about seeing him in that moment seeing the males. Now the nail piercings in his hands and his feet into to get a glimpse of what he is given to me and what he save me from.

I know that in that moment there is nothing that I gave up her sacrifice for him on earth that will not seem like it was a thousand times a million times worth it and I understand that now with my mind, but there's something about seated man and now I'm trying to to do what Paul says here to speak, captivated by the love of Christ involved his feet and say everything is different now. Some a church that is our motivation for giving. Let me be very clear again. We do not give because God has needs, we do not serve a God would needs. I'm God is never had a need and if God did have an easy serve it would come to you and me when it our God multiplies loaves and fishes. He speaks universes into existence the words when he wants is apostle to pay a tax bill he sends about fishing and put $100,000 in the mouth of the fish God is, and have need two dozen approaches from a place of need. A God who has needs is not worthy of worship.

We don't give because God has needs, we give because in giving.

We declare his value to us in our love for him. God never stands before his people with his hat in hand saying please sir, can you spare some cash.

Please. I got so much I want to do on earth, but I just can't afford it. Give me some of your cash and to get so much that that is not a God that is worthy of worship. We do not give because God has needs, we give because in giving. We are declaring to him.

Something about his value to us in our love for him to think about that. There think about what does your generosity say about the value of Jesus to you because Jesus said if you want to know what you really love to just follow the trail of your money for the matzoh based on that. That means all of the federal government day I get that but I need your discretionary income.

What does what you give your money to say about his value to you, because where you place your treasure is the place that you have put your hearts to be control the love of Christ means you have been captivated by his love for you. Here's the second thing it means.

It means that his love pours out of view toward others is love pours out mutual you are committed to letting his love flow through you is how I would say that when you sleep. Also people in only two categories he saw them in the categories of saved and lost people that had been rescued by Christ and people that Christ had died for that have yet to be rescued.

She always says in verse 16 we regard no one according to the flesh any longer. In other words, will see people according to the normal categorizations, rich or poor, young or old powerful. We Republican or Democrat, white or black fans, UNC fans, educated or blue-collar, we only see people in the categories of those who know Christ and those who don't we regard no one any longer. According to flash their only two categories of people you might've heard on 1912 when the Titanic sunk when word got back to England where the ship originally hailed from that on there's been this tragedy. In 1500 people were dead people as you would imagine begin to panic if they knew someone that was on the ship and so they put this gigantic chalkboard in downtown London that had two columns on it. One columns that saved the other column said lost and as I got words the names they just put them in these various categories. If you seen the movie you know that going onto that ship before all different kind of strata that you had your Kate Winslet before she got creepy kind of people who were upper-class and you had your Leonardo DiCaprio who is always been creepy, not people that were in the lower class. But in that moment, there no longer in any kind of class there simply saved or lost. That's how Paul had learned to see his world as he saw his worldview back to Linz and he says I was one whom the love of Christ, plucked up out of the waters of judgment. So now his love for other perishing people who are in the same condition that I was in now controls the agenda of my life.

If you really believe the gospel.

It completely wreck your life and you can never see your life. You can never see other people to the same lands again. Their sins by faith I sold that stream by flowing wound supply redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die. Does the love of Christ control you. Are you captivated by his love for you submitted is the number one place in your heart and does his love through you control the agenda of your life. Here's number two I see a measure for our sacrifice and that measures Christ sacrifice for us to words characterized Paul's description of Christ sacrifice. Total verse 15 substitutionary verse 21 total. He died for us. Paul says if Jesus died for us in our response to him ought to be in some measure the same Jesus did not hide his blood for you.

Jesus poured out all of it pulses. Therefore, our response ought to be in proportion to the sacrifice that he poured out it all for us. Were not a given 10% of our lives in a go on with our lives were to give them everything we should offer Paul would say God a blank check with our lives.

Blank checks are scary given a friend given your friend sometimes owed him money didn't object how much I decide to check and you him that blank check to the friend in the knowledge that you have this crisis of runners persons what I think another person is this moment that they reveal themselves to be not who I thought they were amicably about my bank account with my signature on a blank check. I much prefer to give my friends gift cards you know to you after this $25. That's it. You can spend all you want but the $25 limits at you, given God listen to give a got a blank check with your life. Ready given a gift card is love you give them a gift card.

If it is an expensive gift card now got here is because I never once asked for a gift card because I do give you a gift card. I poured out my life. Therefore, those of us who live are no longer giving God. Gift cards were given got blank checks and you say anyplace anytime you fill in the amount you fill in the location. It all belongs to you. Here's a psych ward substitutionary ball right on the great verses in all the Bible verse 21. For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God, Jesus sacrifice was an exchange for us on the cross. He took our place of condemnation is what it means he became our sin and he gave us his position of privilege. We became his righteousness. We traded places that which belong to us became his possession that which belong to him came our possession. There's a story in the Old Testament where were Jacob is going to bestow the blessing of the firstborn on Joseph's oldest son Joseph's older son and younger son are staying in front of him. When he reaches out his hands to bless them the right hand is the hand of a blessing. He switches his hands and lays the hand of blessing on the hand of the younger son, and lays the lesser hand on the hand of the holders on the head of the older son, so that what belong to the older son the inheritance. The position of privilege was now going to be younger son, and what belong to be younger.

Some about going to the older Joseph protested but Jacob said no. This is how God wants it because he explained he was giving a picture of the Messiah at the cross, God crossed his hands and what belong to Jesus.

The older brother the position of privilege and blessing and intimacy with God was bestowed upon us is what belong to Shane condemnation, penalty of sin was placed upon the head of Jesus is what Martin Luther called the great exchange.

But don't miss what Paul is doing here with that truth. In this context he's using it listen is an example of how we live. A believer he says takes what they have earned they take what they deserve and they bestow it on someone else.

You get that they take the hand of blessing where their talents and their resources have on things and instead of laying it on their own head to bless themselves they lay it on the head of somebody else.

They cross their hands. The benefit of my success in my town trying to be for me to be for a lost world. Remember, Paul would say into three chapters. Remember the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich.

We had that position for for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty would become rich.

You got the riches he got the poverty and impulses than you do that you switch hands you take your hand a blessing and you laying on somebody else's. My question is that how you see your life and resources. Is that how you see your life and resources that you leverage what you have, the position you have the power of the money you leverage it for somebody else in the world. Of course, is a kind of mentality is crazy and in fact the context of this passage is called defending himself against the charge that is crazy. Did you notice that she the first verse. For if we are beside ourselves. We lost our minds is for God when is the last time your generosity made somebody question your sanity CS Lewis said you want to know how to know if you're living like a disciple of Jesus in terms of generosity is at least two things to be true. Number one, what you give away will scare you and number two people will question your sanity. If those two things are not happening. If your generosity is not scaring you and is not making the will question your sanity is is in you, not really begun to live as a disciple of Jesus as a motivation is a measure number three there's a mission in our sacrifice. That mission is the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 18 Paul says to the church God gave the ministry of reconciliation. The church has a unique very important mission. And that is reconciling people God.

The gospel declares a Christ is born our sin in our place. The sin of every human being in the world, but it does not do them any good if they never heard about it and so Paul says it is the preaching of this message of reconciliation with God's place in the church and listen to me.

It is the most important mission in the world. All other ministries. All other missions. Apart from this one fail helping people out of poverty, helping them to get ahead, helping them to get along, hoping them progress in business helping them get educated. These things are wonderful and necessary, but apart from reconciliation to God. Their benefits are short-lived to take care of the needs of someone's body to take care of their social needs and not address their primary need which is to be reconciled to God is to do them a great disservice. This is the ministry God gave to the church. The church is God's primary instrument for reconciliation. Churches make disciples of Jesus better than any organization on the planet is where God is place the locus of the spirit is the community in which disciples are formed, which means two things for us. For me, number one. Our focus in ministry. This church will always be the message of reconciliation that that's not to say we also meet physical needs because Paul says were Christ ambassadors for me to represent Christ, and he met physical needs, so we meet physical needs, just like he did not probably have ministries to the homeless orphan prisoner on my mother high school dropout. If we have a counseling center at this church, but the primary focus of every ministry we have, like his is reconciling people to God. It means that in everything we do, we focus on developing churches and planting churches you want to summarize the apostle Paul's entire ministry here it is. Go to places where there are no churches in Blenheim go to places where there are churches, and help develop them. Which means that in everything we do as we try to bless communities around the world were always doing either in partnership with a local church overdoing it to try to help get the church planted there. There's a second application for me and nothing for you because the ministry of reconciliation's most important ministry and because it is the ministry given specifically to the church. The primary place of my investment in every disciple of Jesus will always be the local church. There are a lot of organizations that do good in the world and hear me.

I support many of them out of my personal resources. There are several things every month that Veronica and I give to, but my primary calling is to invest in the organization. God has bestowed the ministry of reconciliation.

Upon the church we say around here is God's plan a because it is God's plan a for reconciled the world. It will be my primary focus for the investment of my life and my resources so much church do you realize how important our role is and is not because we are talented people because we are not in fact we're kind of a dysfunctional community and if you're new here, you figure that out yet enjoy.

It is because God has said that his churches can be as ministry reconciliation and there is nothing that can distract us from that. This is what God how he plans to reconcile his world as we are God's plan. A and that should humble you and scare you and inspire you all the same time we got a motivation we got a measure we got a mission.

That's why two years ago we did this all in. So let me share with you now little bit of what we by God's grace what the Holy Spirit is allowed us to accomplish these past two years. Did you disserve a rundown of things we we purchased and we launch the Blue Ridge campus. We started the Chapel Hill campus because Tar Heels need Jesus to file for Jesus, especially we launch the downtown Durham campus which is already by the way run over 650 people a week at the Chapel Hill campus has over a thousand people a week. We've renovated and expanded our North Raleigh campus in a briar Creek campus creating more capacity there, doing all of this has enlarged our capacities to reach people. We've added a total of 2500 seats per service at Ed from all of our campuses combine business because of these changes in the last two years with some of this 11,000 first-time guests have walk through our doors and that's the one that told us about himself.

Yes, you should be thankful for that startup set up. I am not let you clap like you clap like real people do not clap at all okay you wish you held your applause as it is nothing we baptize nearly 1400 people in the last two years and almost 2000 new members have joined our church in these last two years and know when I say I don't want you to hear numbers on the viewer like number people but don't hear numbers hear numbers of people individual people that God has used you in this ministry of reconciliation and I just got a dozen stores I could tell you only tell you one I like you told you part a of the story before but I've never told you Barbie by submitting part a and B together here on one of these people. The tenant numbers are growing and ginger.

Ginger is a girl that I met at a cell phone store couple years ago when I was giving yourself a home and I went in there to get my cell phone and was a girl who already want or church in their you know it, to give yourself a 6 1/2 hours, so me her tagteam of this, this, this other girl who invited her church he came she was in her early 30s, and she been a practicing lesbian for over a decade. She came to visit our church a few times really struggle with depression and so on.

One Saturday morning.

This is amazing. One Saturday morning she had gotten to a real low and she was driving out to the Blue Ridge mountains in western North Carolina, where she planned to take her life.

On the way out there. She said about 20 minutes from the place where I was going to kill myself disable my cell phone rang and it was this girl from our church with himself as to whether this girl said you know she's I don't know why but I got this morning I was just thinking about you and I just felt like the Holy Spirit put you on my heart and sons would call and say that I love you. And then I'm praying for you and just wanted ask what's going on in this girl thing began to Ginger begin to tell her exactly what where she was on the scroll that went to our church, convinced her not to do it come back.

She checked herself in the hospital.

She checked herself into the hospital girl from our church gave her a copy of the book. I will call gospel Ginger was trying to decide if she even wanted to read it. So she just had it sitting on her nightstand. The doctor comes into the room and begins to talk to her, notices the book and says I've got the same book and he said I do what your your logic of this book and she said while visit the discharge couple times and entrance to Marita. He says I don't go to the summer church. I've never been to the summit church. He said, but somebody pointed me to the summit church is podcast. He says unscrew tell you readers of never set foot inside the church with the message of the gospel. He says this is just direct me and my family is that we just had this total transformation he goes.

I just see it in its first it basically leads her to Christ basically leads her to Christ new in the hospital room. She then turns and invites this guy to start coming to our church to the select the most accurate story of ever hurt a guy who does a good or church wage growth does good archers to Christ return by Tim to our church rocket so this weekend. No, I take the other book of the North Raleigh campus. Now, we put put their pictures out there for you the window after you get your left is Ginger Ginger is this morning in India leading one of our mission things and I wasn't in the doctor and his thinking we could let her up North Raleigh campus that is what we talk about when we are talking about the numbers that I give you like the ones that I gave you because ginger is one of those baptisms in the doctor's family. Some of those new guests.

That's what were talking about.

That's what we don't gotten able to do here. Here's what we been able to do by God's grace for world since December 1, 2012. We have planted 11 domestic church plants we sent out 297 people to be part of those plants which by the way numbers are 300 people that were leaders in our church and only leaders I gave a lot of money because people are going church planter usually not like wallflowers or people who are really involved.

So when only we give way people we gave way. People who give, but we would not change it for the world why because one of those church plants Mercy Hill in Greensboro is averaging over 1100 people. Now every weekend this weekend while we are 8300 or so of us are here at the summit church there. 6500 people worshiping in churches that we have planted in the last three or four years, 6500 soon and that number is going to exceed the amount of people that we have here. Worshiping of the summit church and I don't think about this what you like in 40 years. When I get that number I will myself out here. I hear my walker point you people to be in the hundreds of thousands of people that are going to be worshiping these churches. We plan around the world this week we had a meeting for the next three churches will be planting and 150 of you showed up.

Why do you want to leave our church so badly last two years we have sent out 555 people on the five short-term mission trips and 72 people in the last two years have left our church permanently to go live overseas. One of her church planting teams 72 in the last two years, we have dedicated $6.1 million to missions and $2.1 million of that we have just given away given to a new church given to a new ministry because of your generosity. We were able to make two huge gifts that we believe and have a long-term impact of, like a suggest we've established 1/2 million dollar endowment at Southeastern seminary, which I think is going to call the Sam James chair for church planting and James Gunn planted our church. If you recall, this could be used to train church planters and pastors are committed worldwide church planting locally. Listen this. We given half $1 million to the launch of the leased city, which is a nonprofit that is grown up right here out of our church that is establishing a facility in downtown Durham to meet the very real needs of disconnected youth in our community so that the half-million dollars.

We given to them goes to the purchase of that facility for the establish of this ministry that is going to impact teenagers living in difficult situations at a time that is one of the strategic times of their lives.

That's what God has enabled this church there is faith and generosity to do so, what's next what's neck with his number things. Do when renovator Blue Ridge campus and get ready for what we need to be there, where we are looking for space and a plan for our local or mobile campuses, and we have five free campuses that set up and tear down every single week and I mean that's for sure. It's annoying to get in a manner North term that is annoying.

Plus it does it allows us not to have a permanent, presence, ministry presence in that city stage in the growth of our church where I up until now, fellow like us like really have for per sixth-grader for the six minute grow and generally keep them enclosed is monitored by some their outward. She did take hand-me-downs and this is what we do well well that's good. How are churches man but our growth is stabilizing a little bit and outnumber children like 10% a year, so it's not like it's it's slow that dramatically where to place what we need to get some of these mobile campuses into a more permanent space you will bark rigorous American look anything that sounds nice. They are rolling in the floors of the North term campus right now and at the Kerry campus in Chapel Hill, say, praise Jesus. They are speaking in tongues right now and they want to know their military going win as I can happen and I want to tell you of you and there's free campuses. It is just days away days away now one day with the Lord is as a thousand years. It's coming it's coming. By the way our philosophy of buildings here at the summit church is buildings. We are not out to build big beautiful monuments for Jesus to be lost. People in the world to than our money on to bricks and mortar on building trust or facilities they facilitate ministry wording very minimalist, you can pretty much see that because we want to facilitate the ministry, the guys doing you doing through us.

We can start some new campuses on in the triangle right now try to figure out where the best places others are, but but that is all coming right ahead of us using a what is a thing for for you and for me, I know you're wondering like we about to pass out.

Another is still in card for you know when I do that at this point, but we do think generosity and faith ought to be a permanent part of our lifestyles in response to the generosity and promises of Christ. God never called us to a season will relive for Jesus. He called us to the light for relay for Jesus because if one died for all, and he saved us for eternity than those who live should be so captivated by that the rest of their lives is spent with his kingdom and not for their own.

So to that end, I want to introduce to you a tool that I want you to use to help evaluate this part of your life. It is called we call the generosity ladder generosity ironic. Another look at this for a while and it is been really really helpful for us each round. This latter represents a lifestyle growth in the lives of generosity and sacrifice.

By the way, these are not wrongs that you climb to get closer to God is not you you're the last to go to heaven or anything like that.

The gospel is that Jesus is done everything necessary to save you. You could not add to that. It's not about you giving something God gospel but God gives up and you occasionally use this as some kind of weird works righteousness think that this is simply this is simply a represents growth and how God is maturing you in this particular area and listen before I give you this Knesset would always do. First of all, if you are not Christian I'm not talking to you right now. Second of all, if you're new here, I'm not talking to you right now third of all if you're committed here and when I start talking about this a concrete you out to manipulate you to get money out of your pocket in the mind.

Listen with every fiber of my being. I knew about the site.

I want you to apply this, but I want you to flyby. Given somewhere else because I know that to be a disciple of Jesus. We become means you become an extravagantly generous person and if you cannot get over the hurdle that somehow like me you were doing this to manipulate you and this is about filling our coffers not going to solve.

Then I would prefer for you to become a generous person remove that obstacle become Jennifer to give somewhere else than I would for you to to let that be an obstacle. Maybe one day you want to trust us and if so, you can give but do not give your if that's a problem for you. I sincerely mean that you become generous and give away your money somewhere else more important for me that you become generous in response to the gospel that it is okay.

I mean that with every fiber lobby when you walk into this real quick and show you what what it looks like to mature. This latter the first rung is initially ever that refers to a first time giver during all in. Many of you for the very first time made a significant investment in the kingdom of God 3064 families became first time givers at the summit church. Now a lot of you have joined us. Since those two years and maybe that's the first step that you need to make is to make your first significant gift to the kingdom of God. The next run up and there is will recall, consisting ever that somebody was gone from an initial gift to a consistent recurring gift. The key thing here is that it's become a part of your budget.

It's a recurring payment like other monthly payments like your cell phone your mortgage or taxes utilities is, things that you pay whether you are in feast or famine. Some of you that have become first time givers need to grow to that level. It's got a become a part of your budget.

So it's less about me and operates a great sermon that made you cry, you got goosebumps and $20 and offered different beams that to be. It's a permanent part of my life. Generosity is a permanent part of my budget. So some of you to grow to this. You put in your budget, you should set up a recurring payment online, which leads me number three to recall the intentional giver that is someone who is intentionally or consciously trying to grow in their generosity. They are asking the question of how they are recurring giving matches up with other priorities in the lives there saying things like, how does my getting compared to what I spend on vacations when I spend on eating out less on cars are closed, they want their spending to match the priorities so they set a goal I heard about a guy in our congregation who said I want my gift to the kingdom of God to be the largest payment I make every month.

He said right now my biggest payment is my mortgage. He said so that's my goal is to incrementally increase until I get the amount that I give to the kingdom of God to be the largest think Jesus is. That's what I want the statement of my life to be is that I was primarily invested in God's kingdom. People in this category, an intentional giving lesson are not satisfied with meeting some basic requirement like a tide like a tax they pay to God tithing is never told you this is never really commanded in the New Testament that the principal firstfruits is biblical at first first thing on a farmer. If God gives you much fruit you get the first back to him will firstfruits is taught throughout the Bible reason we say tide is because in the Old Testament.

That's what people gave as we say that's a great place to start with your first forgiving but were people who have experienced the generosity of Christ. And so we should not be going backwards in our generosity we should be going forwards tithing.

This should never be the ceiling of generosity. It should just be the floor for us so intentional, giver set goals to grow to because they realize that it's not about pay and got a 10% tax. It's about we live no longer living for ourselves but for him who died for us so for you to grow to that level you set a goal you say I want to get my investment in God's kingdom at least equal to this other payment or maybe you should choose a percentage in it and go for that. Maybe you should start with the time off or if you're not there is a great place to begin, but intentional major consciously trying to grow. After that we have the sacrificial sacrificial giver somebody in this category is no longer thinking what am I supposed to give their thinking what I'm not giving and why am I not giving it the sacrificial giver is less concerned about the 10% and more concerned about the 90% I get example era Rick Warner is a pastor out in California.

I wrote a little book called purpose driven life that did okay on record and said his words. I made enough money off a purpose driven life by not one but a chain of Caribbean islands. He said however he said my wife and I decided we would not increase our lifestyle one. He said we did not move. He said I still wear a $14 watch, and I got a 15-year-old pickup truck. He said we instituted something we been pursuing since then call reverse tithing where we give away 90% and we try to live on 10%. That's how sacrificial giver thinks is not we who have not got a tax and can take 90% of they got it all belongs to you. What am I not given why can some morning working in the mine, let me tell you something, where Veronica are on this on. We this is a little about my personality and my past here this semester that I sent there has never been a penny of income that I've ever received the did not. At times because my parents at three years old would give me my my allowance in dimes so that we could separate them know none, one for Jesus. Okay so there's never been income, but did not get time is always felt like paying God's tax and not with a 90% will be realized right and I realize is that that is not the gospel. Sacrificial generosity that we need to look at the 90% said God will not given why we love you want to be involved in your kingdom. So we know you recently were looking for one of our savings accounts.

We have somewhat minimum goals we needed it just to be responsible for the future. We had some money that was just in on Atlas.

I have 150 things felt what I was just about to do with that money. They were good. They were compelling and we just felt like the Holy Spirit saying you know what is not about your kingdom is about my you got your minimum requirements. You should just put that in the marketing so we do that gladly. Why because we want God to grow us so that our legacy art is not secure.

Want to suck so many who give sacrificially listen is making changes to their lifestyle to direct more toward God's kingdom, not because they have to but because they get sick. Maybe there's some resource I got is bless you with like savings or stock or retirement is going to put on his alter. By the way, maybe it's for you is not about money at all. I know a girl who in all and took a hit in her income to go work in a career field. She felt called by God to reach she got less capacity now for financial generosity, so giving is less, but she's pursuing the sacrificial life. Lastly, we got what we call the legacy giver legacy giver. Somebody was thinking about the contribution their entire life is making they move beyond the how much of my giving this year to the question, how much of my giving over a lifetime there thinking about what what I call the internal investment portfolio.

You got a retirement portfolio you go on, you look like and what is now owner of the stock without looking up yet one of those believe we can think of it like eternity, like that and they begin to think how much do I want to give over a lifetime. I know a young guy who's 20 years old at our North Raleigh campus who two years ago to 26, said my goal is to give way million dollars by the time I'm 60. He said so what that means for now is that I got a plan. I got a plan based on the projected income of how much I need to give incrementally every year means putting a cap on spending on my site and spending and saving so I can connect and yield more giving.

If you're older, it means things like estate planning so that what you leave behind lines up your kingdom priorities.

I know a man who said the largest gift that I'm never going to give it to be on the day that I die is a will is executed. He said I want my life the legacy to be the kingdom of God is there for me that means cutting back and giving some of my retirement away now I'm a little off lesson retirement and was in this point some of my retirement bliss to enjoy having is like heaven is going to be an awesome retirement. Can you imagine what a golf score him to get in heaven. He said so I'm willing to sacrifice now and enjoy more than it also means beginning to share with others. Your journey generosity so that you can inspired in the next generation goal. What greater legacy to leave the next generation and extravagant generosity. It is the greatest gift that my parents gave to me by my parents were still alive and I will be alive for many more years. The greatest thing that they will give to me is a legacy of sacrificial giving. Where are you this, the question on that ladder. Naturally, you can alike identify right so what I want you to do is I want you to pray for God. This is where we are going want to grow more Christlike now so what level are you going us to go toward given got a blank check with your life. People are noticing because that's what this is all about not raising money for stuff we need to do.

It's about us. If we go in for God's kingdom their lives got into cattle and thousand Hill and who gives everything we need to do what he wants us to do the desires of your money is interested in your art much about heads. If you would be a three-part prayer here. Okay number one where you and your family on that ladder you ask God to help you grow in your conformity to the sacrifice of Christ.

Number two.

Can you surrender everything to Jesus right now or not. It belongs to me as a blank check is my signature. It all belongs to you.

Number three if you made a faith commitment two years ago when she asked God for the ability to finish strong. The same faith the same generosity.

The legitimate the commitment asked God for that faith is an father we want to be a people respond with full reckless hearts of the generosity of Christ. We pray in Jesus name. You saved your head about worshiping the comeliness worship God for his inexpressible