Out of this World Giving

Jamie Greer see what you do with your money infallibly reveals three things about you reveals what you most love. It reveals what you trust in, and reveals what kingdom that you are living for easy easy easy even delude yourself that you are a committed follower of Jesus, but until it affects this area. It's not really true. Jesus expected his followers to be.

I lovingly generous. I'm your host Molly's hard question is we get started, you were really living for Jesus kingdom. How would you change your bank balance.

What would your getting like today. Pastor JD explained how our decisions about money reveal we truly love and treasure in this world after all.

Putting God first in our lives should make us joyful givers view giving as an investment in eternal purpose is true for you. If you missed the first part of the study member, you can always catch up online@jamiegreer.com right now let's dive on in years. Pastor Janie Bible this morning. Matthew chapter 6 Matthew six there is a radical thought to start today with never thought this report very unusual, ready generosity is not something God wants from you I thought you thought about all your life you've always thought generosity was something that God wants from you to give to him. What if instead you saw it as generosity being something he wants for you.

Generosity is not something God wants from you because of told you, and you know this God has no needs. God is not sitting in heaven this morning or any morning ringing his hand saying oh my goodness there is so many things I want to do, but I just can't afford it. If only those people some church with all the money they would loan me some I could get so much good done in the trial court is not saying that God has no needs. Generosity is something he wants for us because he knows that money has a way of subjugating us captivated our hearts. Us away from him and subjecting us all kinds of of heartache Jesus as I showed you last weekend.

He talked about money all the time that you want to tell about one out of every three messages. One out of every three teaching that he gave was about money. All he talked about money more than he did more than he did. Faith and prayer combined.

And that's not because Jesus needed money. Of course, let me know where in the Gospels that we see a single place where Jesus takes up an offering. I am not quite the opposite, i.e. could take five loaves and two fish. The Hebrew happy male and he could multiply it so that he turns into a all you can be Golden corral buffet right in the middle of the desert when Jesus got a tax bill in the Gospels. He sent Peter out of a fish and fish in his mouth is all the money for the tax bill.

By the way, I got my car tax bill this week and is an ad now. My son go catch a fish. And evidently it's a one time deal that you don't need keep doing that.

But Jesus never knew the money right money because he needed money. Talk about money because he knew that what we do with our money and how we relate to our money is the best indicator or heart actually belongs to friend you talk a big game with faith you really North versus but hands of the right time you make a grunting spiritual sounds and conversations that make people think that you really love to know God. But I'm telling you, Jesus knew there were one or two rocksolid indicators of where your heart actually wife's and the best indicator of where your heart was.

He knew was what you were doing with your resources. That's why we say it's not something he wants from you if somebody wants for you. He teaches on generosity not to get money out of your pockets, but to get idols out of your hearts he does it because he cares about you, so here's a thought friend thought what if instead of dreading or resenting his teachings on this one instead of sneering at them the way we saw last weekend. What if instead you welcomed them because you knew that Jesus in kindness was trying to free you from one of the worst tyrants on earth. Think about how much stress how much heartache how much anxiety.

In fact, how much relational discord money has brought into your life. If you're married if you're married, chances are if I'd asked you to name the last four fights you and you spell that chances are that half of them are probably somehow money related. You know you want to buy a new TV and she wants to write you to redo the bathroom and you I got about 15 TVs for the price, because that bathroom and why we need a nice matter doesn't make any sense if you're dictating for this is become a issue now you might my generation a lot of things wrong or that was visually candidate. One of things we got right off the likewise you just expected. If God were one out of the guy had to pick up a check for this is not the deal anymore.

I a girl at our church was telling us about God and asked her out. I think he also might be the church and so that you I really apologize but I got asked her out and she said she's we got to the unit which is really nice restaurant. She said that the bill came to 40, you're pretty and she goes, I was blown away because he's asked is, I'll pay that. He said he took it. I was pleasantly surprised.

I thought this might be the one. She said to later that night I got a memo request for half of the amount of that of that of the dinner so you know it's like it's like how much anxiety it causes you. God wants you to be free of the tyranny of money and so today I'm always going to teach you a few things I'm going to give you an opportunity to act to take in at tangible step in freeing yourself from that terrible master in this message today with atomic commitment in which we renew ourselves to Jesus to be first in our lives in the area of finances. For some of you this is going to be a renewal of a commitment you made last year. Brothers W this is the first time that you've ever done something like this.

And for those you in that category.

It's going to be a scary moment. I will go in the knowledge that steps of faith, dramatic steps of obedience and faith always are scary moment. They always are your get to be like a pink boy have described it before, is that you can be like my me when I went rappelling years ago when I was 16 years old out with some friends repelling and none of us have ever been before and you're done repelling it's unlike any other, rockclimbing, because when you rockclimbing you're using your arms and legs to keep your self on the rock of the rope is there safety net would repelling you, you're not really leaning on anything except for the rope itself, and in so I was first in my group for friends and and I'm standing up there and I'm like a man terrified him to give it 75 foot droplets on hanging rock State Park in the 75 foot drop in their tell me to lean back and my friends are you looking at me and they are making fun of me in there sneering at me and my manhood had not been on the line. There is no evident on my manhood was on the line because when you're 16 years old.

It's always online. And so I am. I pray that she's the coming of Mark one more time just to make sure that had taken and clean back in my short story long story short, it was like, well, my best friend was going right after me. He was even more terrified of heights and I was. He was my best friend. He was good-looking. I was more athletic girls like him better.

I hated this kid, but he was not best friend and he believes that then I could see him from death row was say when the men I could see him shaking and you and I knew he was. They were totally back. He would do it. So eventually, after about five minutes it takes is his leg and he reached down, he finds a foothold of the font. Another way because he can't work his way down the rock.

He's not repelling you just climbing using the rope well. He gets tell you. The rock is one of the rock face where the angle goes from Vista. This you know as well as I do that you can't climb onto inverted rockface and so I seem to down there that, boy messy is his leg on the fund foothold.

We can't find one he stays there for three or four minutes and eventually he just turned Ronnie climbs back and I told you that that's a picture of a lot of people's spiritual life is that they really never learn to trust Jesus and that shown because it never really had to obey him a difficult area and then you come to a point where what brought you Bayer can't take you any farther. And for many of you that is going to be today because there's an area of obedience is not only money but for some of you. It's this is the main one where what got you here that that the competence you had in Jesus, which has been a much is not good for you any farther.

He just been there's a safety net, but in order for you to put him first in the area of finances. You gotta actually trust give Brothers W to be in the area of relationships it's going to be out of whatever but but but I know for most of us. This is the area where the rubber really hits the road to be scary because you cannot dictate your confidence off yourself and you can say Jesus, I trust you enough to obey you and put you first and that is going to be a terrifying moment, but it is going to be awesome is going to be amazing for many of you it will be a conversion of types. Girl wrote me a couple years ago I did this and she said you probably never heard this before but I came to actual faith in Christ when you were talking about putting God first in the area finances because this is been talk and talk and I realize I didn't really love and trust him until you push me to this that's what's going to happen today. That's what's going to happen. I pray that today's will be a mile marker for many of you in your walk with Christ. So, all right, Matthew chapter 6.

If you have not found it there by now you should give up okay look on the person next to you.

We are looking at a core teaching of Jesus on money.

It says this no man can serve two masters service. By the way, a religious term, it would have meant something like worship. No man can give himself fully to two masters.

Since either he will hate the one I love the other, or he'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You simply cannot serve both God and money because at some point they're going to take you to different directions. I say it is a core teaching of Jesus because it appears verbatim in two different places. As a part of two different sermons that Jesus taught on money, which means yes by the way that Jesus had certain points and illustrations. He went back to repeatedly so when I do that don't hate on me understand why Jesus or Ahaz. I will be Jesus that he repeated stuff and sermons as Armstrong deleted that's a core part of his teaching. He preaches it in Luke as a bar one sermon in Matthew he makes a part of a different sermon. So what I want to do is I want to show you what he does in Matthew now, after looking at Luke last week and show you how he builds this and flashes it out. Let's go back to the beginning of the sermon on money in Matthew six starter numbers 19. So take a look here. Here's what Jesus says do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy were thieves break in and steal. Instead, use a straw for yourselves treasures in heaven. There moth nor rust can destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal what you stash. There, this is the same point that he made in his sermon in Luke. If you know friend that eternity is coming and you know that, compared to eternity your life on earth is like the blink of an eye if you know that it's like that the vapor that your breath makes in the morning that appears literally on a cold morning, literally, for only 1/2 a second and then it is gone.

If you know that's what life is like compared to eternity and why would you invest all your resources on that on that little vapor. Why would you why would you waste all your resources on that mist when you could keep them for eternity. If like they always say you have never seen a hearse pulled a U-Haul and that is because you simply cannot take any of those things with you. You came into this world with nothing and you go out with nothing but here is the huge conjunction but okay the huge conjunction but but you while you cannot take it with you Jesus that you can send it on ahead is what he means is that phrase store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

Store treasures in heaven by investing in the kingdom of God. You actually are hanging on to the resources that God is giving you for eternity. Here's a question.

If you believe that if you believe what Jesus says about eternity when living that way. Just be common sense. Why would you use your resources for something you can hang onto and doesn't really matter anyway when you couldn't. I keep it for eternity.

Here's how I thought about anybody here that is around my age. By that I mean like late 20s.

If your might. You might remember that there was a thinking that Toys "R" Us before what I do business used to do Toys "R" Us. He was the it was a Christmas shopping spree they would give away to. I think it was like one lucky contestant in the United States and you have to admit that what you call in time and if you attempt call her when you get a five minute shopping spree. This will be a five minute shopping spree all the stuff you could get in your car in five minutes and get to the front of the store every year I tried to win this thing and an outing to the bank when you dial all the numbers open to the very last what you read were from this will do it as you have not it would got all the numbers and you wait for the been released alive and you got it last summer it would it would be good out in every night unevenly got close, because all the risk is the touch and motivate risk of getting richer and so I never want but you would always watch it was always amazing because he could run the store.

The grab stuff in there shop, Gardner taken a back up okay will imagine you one that imagine you got your five minutes ago did Toys "R" Us get anything that you want and something catches your eye to fascinate you in the store inside the toy you sit down in the it I'll you start playing with that toy. But what you what will your parents tell you what would an older version. You tell you how to just get up in front of the store because once you get in front of the store, you can enjoy it for the rest of your childhood but if you enjoy it. Now you can enjoy a bit sooner to enjoy it for a long time you got you got to forgo enjoying it now to make sense. That's what Jesus is saying about your resources and eternity. In order for you to really store them up and meet you forgo some your enjoyment of the mall. But you realize it's a much better idea. Here's a different analogy, Randy Alcorn, Randy Alcorn Ruble called the treasure principle. He says he doesn't like this. Imagine your northerner was living in the South doing business for the end of the Civil War and so in the course your business you've accumulated a lot of Confederate money, but now you see that the South is going to lose the war.

And that means that all your Confederate money is about to become worthless. So if you know that is about to happen.

What should you do with all that money that you've accumulated. While you should immediately go cash out your Confederate money for US currency.

You should keep only enough Confederate money for short-term needs because soon everything that you compiled is about to be worthless is a Randy Alcorn says for us then to accumulate vast earthly treasures in the face of the inevitable future is equivalent to stockpiling Confederate money. It's not just wrong, it's stupid right you think about it. Do you believe what Jesus says about eternity, you can't take anything from the resources with you, but you can send them on ahead financial advisors will often tell us don't just think 30 days ahead with your finances. Think 30 years Jesus. What I don't think 30 years.

You should think 30 million years into the future and arrange your life accordingly Jesus continues for 21 you see where your treasure is.

That's also where your hearts going to be. In other words, where you put most of your treasure is inevitably where your heart is going to belong many to the majority of your treasure is here in your heart is going to be here.

I don't care how many verses you know how spiritual you think you are. Jesus said is true. If you got most your treasure here most of your heart is also going to be here. As CS Lewis said wealth has a strange way of nicotine a man's heart to this world you chose to be somebody that is leverage most of their resources on earth and I'll show you somebody whose heart and children's heart is going to be tied to this earth and not that heaven, by contrast, he says you put most your hat your treasure there you find your heart naturally follow. You see what you do with your money infallibly reveals three things about you reveals what you most love. It reveals what you trust in, and it reveals what kingdom that you are living for. Like I said it's easy to talk a big old game of faith out here. It's easy easy easy even delude yourself that you are a committed follower of Jesus, but until it affects this area. It's not really true. Jesus expected his followers to be eye popping we generous how we gave was supposed to amaze the world. It's not just that we Christians refers to be a little bit more generous enough little bit kinder and a little bit nicer if that her giving was supposed to reveal that we have an entirely different kingdom you been around here. You probably heard you tell the story of William Borden who in the 1920s, 19, 20 years old, was the heir to the board. No company one of the five biggest companies in America at the time were talking I a young man, you have literally the whole world of the whole world is as oyster and Indians and just just immediate yet everything in front of, but he felt like God. He got saved in college and Bella gobbles calling to go overseas to share the gospel specifically in the country of Egypt were very few believers of the time.

Live, and so he had to sever all his ties up his name is that you leave and work cut you out and he said I got obey God. So he severed his ties he gave away his inheritance and he boarded a ship to go to Egypt where he was plan to live the rest of his life. On the way they are.

He contracted meningitis and died within three months of arriving Egypt because he only made it three months somebody right before he died just a few hours before he died, asked him. They said you thought this is a mistake you plug the hole coming to Egypt thing was a waste. He was so weak that he couldn't even talk to got a little piece of paper and he wrote two words in a become rather infamous.

You just wrote the words no regret, no regret.

Couple hours later he died is buried in Cairo today, a little nondescript place all the way. I've never been there.

One of our teams there and she sent me a picture of his grave, though little out-of-the-way place little little little to show you never notice you are looking for.

All it has on one of the potentially richest men in the United States. All it has on it is his name. The years of his very short life, and underneath that one little phrase inscribed in the tombstone apart from faith in Christ there is no explanation for such a life. In other words, his life screams. If eternity is not real. This is a waste.

Here is my question for you, and I think it's Jesus question as well.

With that phrase. Describe your life apart from faith in Christ there is no explanation for the way they left. If eternity is not real. What a waste or what they say about you when you die with us and will he or she with their little bit nicer better little more generous and everybody are you living in a way that it just makes sense.

If eternity is not not real. These words we were right on your tombstone. Apart from faith in Christ as inoculation for such a life see where the rubber him. It's right here. Most American Christians and churches like this one give on average about 2 1/2% of their income away to charity or the kingdom of God. The average secular person gives away 1.8% right there. 1.8 were 2.5, but does not really scream.

We live for a different kingdom. I bring it closer to home here, only 19% of the people of this church, only 19% of those here and are that come every weekend in the survey, we did a few weeks ago a 90% say that they tie, what does that say about what kingdom 81% of the people who were in this church a living for Alyssa. I'm not trying to guilt you into giving us your money. Once you understand that I'm trying to let that 81% to let you know that you're missing out on something McConnell I'm trying to plead with you my giving in your giving ought to scream. I believe in eternity. And I'm living for Jesus's kingdom, not mine. After Jesus expected what he says next died a lamp of the body drives healthier whole body will be full of light drives bad whole body before darkness of the light within your darkness will be present darkness now. First it may seem like an odd analogy in your like I don't have any idea about the foggiest idea how that that's a got to do with money. Here's what makes you now. Jesus say good night's dark flow like your highest good, then the benefits of the light benefit, your whole body because now that you can see now your hand knows what it's looking for to get the milk up for Dreher gives him a drink at the light benefits your feet, because your feet didn't run into you notes part of the furniture and make you scream profanities in the middle the night. You know it's nobodies benefiting from the light on the other hand, if your eyes are bad then your whole body doesn't get the benefit of the light in your hands will know where to reach your feet running in the furniture in the same way Jesus is saying right.

If your eye is money the wrong way in your whole life is going to be filled with the kind of darkness the way you see, money is distorted is a mess of every part of your life if you serve money if you depend on money for security and you look at money for happiness and make a lot of bad decisions made truly extreme you're listening to Senate right, title out of this world getting part of our series on generosity called verse if you've missed any of our previous teaching or if you want to study the transcripts.

You can find them free of charge@jdgreer.com okay let's be real for a minute.

You can have both God and money in your life that you can't serve them both. One of them will be at the center. All you do and it will drive your decision stealing one of them will always come first. Which is it for you as a way to help us all ensure that God is first in our lives this year. We'd like to focus this month on the spiritual discipline of memorizing Scripture for most of the problem isn't that we don't know how valuable the Bible and the problem is that we have never brought the practice of reading it, memorizing it in line with this belief. For instance, if I offered you $500,000 to never touch the Bible again never read it.

Talk about it. Think about it except that deal.

Now think about that you've just identified the Bible that were over hundred thousand dollars. Is there any other $500,000 that he would simply ignore. We need a way to keep us from falling prey to the enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for people to destroy and guess what that thing that we can wield the word of God. That's why we have to keep putting into our hearts that when life cuts us believe the word of God.

This month we put together pack 50 memory verse cards for you to use daily when it comes of the magnet can quickly switch them out on your refrigerator or your filing cabinet want to carry God's promises in your heart. Our new Summit life memory verse cards make it easy to memory. Scripture will send you all things new memory verse cards that is expression of thanks when you donate today to support this ministry for it when you get cycling refined 28 335 24 you can give online career.com. If you rather merely a nation and request for the study are addressing Jeannie clear ministry, PO Box 12293, Carolina 277 09 I Molly benefits Joyce again Thursday when Pastor Katie helps us understand how vendor favor or steward like we serve really surrendered to God.

Listen Thursday to Summit life 19