Keeping Sight of the Beginning

Pastor Jeannie Greer talk about the source and generosity. We little Zacchaeus is from the greater treasure the money Lord Jesus Christ and the magnificence of that treasure snapped his dependence of his captivity to money because he saw all in one afternoon that Jesus was a greater God and money could ever after Jeannie. I'm your host Molly minutes for most people, money is one of the biggest stressors in our daily life this year in particular toll on many of us in any way, no matter how much we earn never seems to be in the today pastor JD reminds us that God never intended for us to be slaves to wealth. In fact, he designed us for joyful generosity that are subject. As we continue our series called stating they were learning how to avoid the traps that slow us down in the race that they so that we can persevere to the end. Pastor JD titled today's message keeping site at the beginning of the story as a kid. Whatever stuck with me over the years I came from where exactly are heard at first, but it's a story about grandfather sitting on the front porch with his grandson, and you got 12 or so dogs gives you a list of the country and not all countries will have full dogs but he did and I and so is arson on the porch on afternoon, got a lazy afternoon when a bird flies over top of their roof, and I want dogs, perks up and locks on about bird lets out one quick bark and he takes off after that, the bird what way does that all other the other 10 or 11 dogs began to take you to jump up, got up and start barking and Chad take off after him and the grandfather look to the grandson he said his son is best best best bird dog Asaba Mississippi.

I salute you. What's about to happen. He said in India in about 10 minutes. Said one by one all these other dogs are to come back.

Their goal would be looking pretty tired. I said all be back within 1020 minutes he said about an hour and 1/2 from now. He said that first dog is going to come back and he is going to have the bird in his mouth and he said because he's the only one that actually sold the bird. All the other dogs are just barking and running because he's excited and they're sharing in his excitement, but his excitement sharing in his excitement is not enough to sustain them when they get tired and when things get really difficult. I don't know why that's really stuck with me but it reminds me probably this is why reminds me what happens in church a lot church a lot of people that are excited under barking, metaphorically speaking better on mission. Many of them are sacrificing for the mission and and then you got a lot of people who are looking around, and the like. Well I should start barking so I should be excited, Sue. I should run with these people but they don't have the tenacity of the endurance to maintain that except in intense seasons where I preach about these things because they never actually seen the vision they never actually grasp.

But it's not something internal to them and so you can only do that for so long, an image begins to drop off, one by one change metaphor to another one that I've used him with you over the years and that is told you there's two ways to keep a balloon float. One way is you can get us not to blow it up your breath and they only keep off the ground as you got to keep you keep hitting it. I told you that that is kinda how I feel like many of you your relationship to me is not doing well spiritually you start to sag spiritually so you come in here the weekend and my job what you pay me to do is I just smacked you about whatever subject were talking about, and I'm just like you, I read your Bible, you know you I call you read your Bible document about sharing Christ giving her for and you know honestly listen. The sick thing is that you like it and the harder that I smack you the more you talk about how good it was. I never understand that he totally got my face today. Man will begin on. I might really like nobody likes maybe it's all the.well there's another way is another way that you can keep a balloon floating that is you filled with helium minutes to work on its own right. No external compulsion required. What I explained to you is that the gospel's goal is to so transform you internally that you don't need a sermon series.

You'll need that kind of thing in order to be able to do what God wants you to do. You just become something that you do on your own can't provide too little coaching our help you refocus on the vision but it's something internally that that sustains you. We talk about staying safe over talk about is seeing that vision were talking about you maintaining that in a way that that propels you to be in your life doesn't make you generous or sacrificial for a season makes you generous or sacrificial for a lifetime. Today in the Bible you see a guy grasp the vision. It is an absolutely remarkable story. I would say one of my personal favorites but you know that whatever story yesterday that week has become my favorite.

He was one of the stinginess most fiscally corrupt people in the Bible, and yet he pertained.

I believe the most generous person in the entire New Testament except for Jesus. But besides him.

He's a generous person. The New Testament, I want you to see what he saw and I will try to show you how you can live continually with the vision of what he saw before your eyes, so if you have your Bibles take them out now and open end of the gospel of Luke chapter 19 were to begin in verse 119 verse one Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through and behold, there was a man there named Zakia's.

He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich, chief tax collector tax collector is probably not going to be on anybody's list today of favorite jobs to read an article that said that the term IRS agent had become so unpopular in our culture that they were suggesting a name change is the new name tax policy compliance directors like yeah that's a lot better.

That's a lot better so it's unpopular today, but back then attached collector was more than just an unpopular government official attached collector was considered to be a traitor and a thief. See, whenever the Roman empire took over the city as they had most of Israel wanted to extract large amounts of money for the Emperor from that city, but they knew if they put a Roman official bear to be in charge of taxation, not only would he be resented.

He also would not know where all the money was hidden in the city you don't have the black-market things and he just wouldn't know the city well enough to be able to extract the money to the Romans came up with a pretty ingenious system they appointed a native of that city and they said you're going to collect the tax from Oz. As you know where the money is amazing.

Here's what we expect you to get the eyes here is a squad of soldiers that you can use to extract his back and then anything that you get above that we require you can just keep from yourself. So these guys these tax collectors.

In this case a native Jew would extract huge sums of money from their old people for Rome and in the process that we get filthy rich because they keep a lot of it for themselves and they were doing this for a foreign oppressing Empire against their friends. People they grown up with. Usually their own relatives, not to some of your for a minute. Can you imagine a worse person.

The Jewish Mishnah said that attached collector was so low that some this should not even be considered a human being. It said that you could live to attached collector because lying to an animal was not a sin which honorably sure what what a distinction is helpful like you want your dog but it you but attached collector is not really human. It's a dog you can lie to Jackie us is not just a tax collector .es is the RK to loan us the chief tax collector is a chief tax collector in the most the richest city in all of Israel mashing this. How much did money have to have a hold on Zakia's heart to do this right. Nobody becomes a traitor to their own people know family for nothing nobody does it just naturally what you're seeing is a man listen money has so gripped his heart that he is willing to sell out, even his most intimate relationships in order to possess money because he thinks being rich is worth it watches verse three and he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd. He could not because he was vertically challenged, so he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him because Jesus was about to pass that way that TSU C was a wee little man in a wee little man was see is trying to get a glimpse of Jesus that he can as I mentioned a short night or something guys short and was sustained in front of you. You don't mind right. We need to stand somewhere the fair and kid was it right, you don't care because they're not obstructing your line of sight when I was Zakia assuming Zakia Strachan work his way through and their hip check in and one way to check on the other kids are like you are not get in front of us. You disgusting pig you wee little bad man you are not gonna stand in front of me, so he climbs up in a sycamore tree for the Lord. He wanted to say. By the way, for this lesson listen as you are searching for those you are searching.

Maybe you're here this weekend because you're intrigued by Jesus.

Don't let Jesus is hypocritical self righteous judgment of followers get in the way you been able to get a glimpse of Jesus. Zakia has had to climb a tree to get above Jesus's followers to actually see Jesus and I riser some of you here that you're intrigued by Jesus. But there's others of us and it turned you all for the way that we have been hypocritical and self-righteous to you and you have to climb that tree. Get a good glimpse of him just like they did so don't give up. I depress a man just like Zakia said verse five when Jesus came to the place he looked up and he said to him, Zakia's hurry and come down for I must stay at your house today. I'm not sure if you recognize or her grasp how business are this is Jesus, that by this point, as well as well-known people in Israel.

He's a celebrity is going to Israel's most powerful city Jericho like New York City goes into into the New York City abuser up to give me when anybody wanted to write him he could request a meeting with the mayor, even New York City, but he did meet with the chief priest New York City Tim Keller PIE chooses instead, the most despised unpopular mandible city.

We little wicked man. Zakia's of all the names for Jesus friend of sinners is probably my favorite Jesus. What a friend of sinners.

Jesus lover of my soul were six or Zakia's hurried and came down and received him joyfully when they saw they all grumbled and said he's gone to be the guest of a man who is a center you see there is a scandalous order to the story and that day to eat was someone to actually go into the house and share a meal was assigned a very intimate fellowship you are accepting them that you wore you were committing yourself to a loving relationship with them. Jesus is extending this invitation to Zakia's before he cleans up his life is in the Pharisees in verse seven. Like what the God who is a sinner, not what is a sinner is a sinner, he sees Jackie as a clean up his life and energy is gone and they probably would not have objected. But Jesus goes in to eat with him first. Jesus's teachings .es and us the difference between the gospel and religion we see every other religion in the world says change cleanup and God will accept you but the gospel reverses that the gospel is God has offered acceptance to you in light of that invitation change in the gospel, God's acceptance is not the reward for having cleaned up your life gospel is the power to actually clean it up the way we say around here God's acceptance is the power that liberate you from sin, not the reward for you having liberated yourself. She watches verse eight and Zakia stood and he said the Lord will hold Lord the half of all my goods I give to the poor and if I have defrauded anybody of anything I restore it fourfold.

And Jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house salvation as come to this out religion. You see, point out work. Mrs. IT is out there do that and you will be saved. But Jesus gospel is Zakia's salvation has come to your house that walked in freely as a gift, not because you deserve it. In fact, you did not deserve it came it on its own accord.

It came to you and saved you in response to that during a change in oh what a change in brought anybody he'd stolen from. He restored fourfold Levitical law said that if he stole from somebody and you repented your first to pay them back and add 20%. There was only one case in Levitical law were you had to restore for fourfold and that is if you stole somebody's cow cost order financial destruction. Jackie is is paying this money back now because he has to buy wall but because he wants to about the way there's nothing in the Levitical law by giving away 50%. That's just gravy. Nowhere in the story look at it.

Nowhere in this story. Is there a command that Jesus gives Zakia's about is money. He does it freely see when I read this entire Zakia's almost being that this is the way he can't read it. The guy that was willing to sell out his family to get money is not given away like it's worthless.

I get Halloween candy. What happened to Zakia's what happened money no longer is a hold on him. We little Zakia's has found a greater treasure than money. The Lord Jesus Christ and the magnificence of that treasure snapped and broke his dependence in his captivity to money because he saw all in one afternoon. But Jesus was a greater God than money could ever be Jesus you love Zakia's and he could not love Zakia got his beloved money could love them back. Jesus had pursued Zakia's upper Zakia's had betrayed him money couldn't and wouldn't do that if I money says if you fail me. I'll leave you behind will be miserable forever. If you forsake me you better alienate your family, you better do whatever it takes to get me get me at all cost.

But Jesus after Zakia's had rejected him came back to Zakia's Jesus was establishing a kingdom that would last forever. Jackie is money couldn't do that. He is new, his money would die with him to even out know how to conceptualize aliveness, but he knew that the smallest virus could take away the richest possession of the greatest man is or Zakia's looking Jesus any soul in Jesus, something that money had promised him but was never able to give him. He saw in Jesus car greater treasure than money could offer. Psalm 1610, in your presence is the fullness of joy at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore the fullness of joy means that your joy could not get more full fullness of joy the greatest joint pleasures forevermore means the longest duration means that in the presence of Jesus is the highest joy for the longest duration .es got a taste of that. Just the face and it obliterated his dependence on money is what Puritans called the explosive power of a new affection. See our affections are all of the Lord Jesus Christ become so weighty in our hearts that all the other things that are so captivated us up until now begin to lose their power over us because we have been possessed by a greater affection and a greater treasure if we say turn your eyes upon Jesus following his wonderful face, then the things of earth will grow strangely dim the light of his glory and grace to some of you are trying to be motivated to give him money and to sacrifice into the go in with the mission of God, but you've never seen before. Wonderful face of Jesus.

That's like a smack you every time you get you keep doing it, but if you would ever really turn your eyes upon Jesus. If you would experience was Zakia's experience you would get a taste of it and you would need that you would just become like him would become worthless. The it's not that your reputation and money in those things make no difference at all, make it nearly as much difference because of the beauty and the power Jesus that has possessed your soul.

There are a few lessons for us from Zakia's life number one money problems usually come from money idolatry is the first thing that you can learn from Zakia's is life idolatry is when something has become so important to you that you crave it you depend on it is like you can be happy without it. Zakia's worship money is the greatest thing that life had to offer. So Zakia's was willing to steal the lie, the hurt his own people because you love money more than anything you may or may not do all these things, but Paul in first Timothy six says listen, but it is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil in our lives. Here are some of things that we do for love of money cheating like Zakia's. Maybe she on your taxes. People bit more sheet on your timecard be dishonest in business dealings. I mean, I would imagine that there many of you that's where you can see this manifest in your life overspending. That's a money problem right in Raleigh-Durham has the distinct honor of being listened. Did you not the highest credit card debt per capita of any city in the nation okay to be encouraged. That means that I am speaking probably to a lot of people who are several thousand dollars in credit card debt and the reason many you got to that place is good. You just can't say no to the nice thing I gotta have this in my life.

I gotta be able to drive this aware that her go there and if I got to go into debt to do it than that's what I want to do.

See come from this craving you could be happy without it. So you gotta spend even to go into debt for some people money problems show itself in overworking your destroying your family just to be able to get one wrong higher on that ladder of success you're decimating things because money drives you, and many who makes stupid life decisions in pursuit of money. Husbands and wives who rip their families out of community, the rhythm out of a good church and move them halfway around the country to place when I don't have any of those things just so they can make a little bit more money and get one wrong higher on the ladder.

I'm not saying it's wrong move away from your course. I'm not saying that but I do say that as a pastor I watched for years, people who end up making decisions based solely on the truth in their minds that money is the supreme value and it doesn't really matter. Everything else about you. For God put you here is working your families anointed you with poor blessings and you and you value all of that next to nothing. You really value is given one wrong higher. That's a money problem comes from money idolatry, coveting your eating out with jealousy. You see what other people have.

It just drives you crazy that you don't have that you gotta get that you hate them you want to be that way but you know how to stop me in that way. Just it's just an impulse and you refusing to give God the firstfruits of what is given to you the Bible. Biblical principle is taught from cover to cover in the Bible that is the first fruit will God give you get back to him as an acknowledgment that it came from him in the Old Testament the call that tied it was 10% saves typing applicable New Testament will were not under the law, but you know the first fruit principle still bear 10% a great place to start a lot of people who feel like well I know that's true. I know my money comes from God, but you can't give God back the firstfruits because you worship money so much you could let go of any outing is a money problem that comes from money idolatry not being generous. You want to be generous but you just can't as you worship money until just before their true personality types that struggle with being generous. Unfortunately all of you fit in one of these two personality times right is the story story. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.

Thank goodness we can celebrate this holiday season is a lot more to come in this message. So be sure to join us again tomorrow you're listening to Senate life.

The Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Arthur and theologian JD Greer the middle of a series called sustained faith, talking about how we can persevere today and in the race of faith. So JD back by popular demand time for our annual day planner this month. Staple resort know I was who was that popular. I that's right, make a note of that amount will planner to bring it back up again next year. You know, there's nothing magical about new year, but I think it does present a natural opportunity for us to reflect on what's going right in our lives but we need to do more of what we need to stop doing. We provided a tool that will help you asked some others questions at stake. Take stock of your life.

Set some goals in the ways you want to grow in the coming months and and basically that to get a hold of what's going on in your life roster can include a one year Bible reading plan. I do sometimes when you sit down to spend time with the Lord you like it where I turned and I just need somebody else to show me what to read. I'm hoping this'll will give you that so little different than the one in last year's planner, but it will keep you saturated in the Scripture every day we would love to get your copy today. If you'll just reach out to us JD where.com that's one of the things we would love to be able to connect with you on in a way that we could continue to walk with my free to request our lucid summit like you donate today support this ministry suggested level of $25 or more. And if you're already getting a monthly gift as a gospel partner would you consider adding an extra year-end gift so we can enter the new year with boldness and confidence in reach more people with the gospel.

Your generosity is tenant here is such a blessing and we are so grateful to get today by calling eight 665-2863 552 20 and when you call remember 2021 date to give online JD clear.com and Molly that events inviting you to list borrowing after JD asked the question, do you own your you that's Friday on Senate life with rear 19