Prioritize Me and Multiply, Part 2

Summit life with JD Greer what you spend your first and your best on your mortgage is in your savings. Is that your lifestyle is whatever you give your first in your best to is what you worship.

It shows what is paradise. It shows what is God in your life. I'm only minutes. Okay, time for a check that your writing today.

Pastor JD asked a few important questions to determine their value systems and priorities. So are you like Lot who valued his own self interests or are you more like Abraham, who prioritize generosity, an important distinction to be aware of today and remember if you miss any of the messages in this teaching series.

You can find them all online@jdgreer.com. Let's join Pastor JD in Genesis chapter 13 so Abel makes an offering of his animals to God and came its offering of the harvest to God, and God rejects Cain's offering and accepts Ables is going make things a method kills a question we ought to ask is, what was it about Cain's offering that God rejected.

Go to the chapter Genesis 4 and look very carefully. You're only gonna find one distinction that is given about the two offerings. The distinction is it says this Genesis for a Abel Dave to God, the firstborn of his flock. What that means is that the very first lambs that were born to his flock.able officers of the gods of God. These belong to you. If you did watching him. I said Abel, how do you know they're going to have more energy. You know that that's not the last of them what to think about the God and there's nothing left to take care of you. Abel would've said well I will leave God with that on my trust God. He's going to get the first and the best and I'll trust him to give me what I need after came by contrast, it says in Genesis 4 that he waited until the entire harvest was in the entire harvest was the enemy's all everything that he be given. Then he made his offering to God. It never says that his offering was smaller.

It never said that he just do a little tip to God. All it says is that he gave to God last.

Abel gave to God first came is what we would call around here a December giver.

He waits until the end of the year to see to make sure you got everything that he's going to need MNEs.

I got him to give to you out of the excess of what I can spare God is pleased with Abel's offering rejects Cain's.

Here is my question for you. What is your approach, which represents your approach to giving you see whatever you give your first and best to whatever you give your first investor reveals what is God in your life, whatever you give your first investor reveals what God in your life.

A friend of mine says it this way everybody everybody tithes to something everybody gives their first in the best of something. What you give your first and your best to shows, it reveals what you treasure most in your life if you give the first and the best of your paycheck to improving your lifestyle that shows that what you deem most important in life to be comfort or status.

Did you notice in verse 10 that lot describe the Jordan Valley like the garden of the Lord never pointed that out to you like the garden being 20 so there's a reason that the writer describes it this reason. Lot thinks of it that way. You see what he's salt.

Listen to this petty spiritual dimension to this is paradise, the riches of the Jordan Valley equal paradise. If I have back then.

I'll be in paradise. So naturally it came first in his decisions. Abraham, by contrast, thought of God's presence as paradise. Abraham said God where you are. That's paradise, not rather be in the desert with you because that's paradise because to be in the riches without you would be help someone prioritize you about anything. An ominous say I'll just go where you are because that's paradise to me what you give your first and your best to shows what you think of as paradise. What you treasure most what you give your first and best to shows what you trust most in your life. If the first thing you do with your paycheck is saved from it. If you give your first in your best to savings. That's because money is what you trust. You think that you are responsible to secure your future. Abel could give the first of the flock to God even though he didn't know what was going on afterwards because he trusted God to provide more flock Abraham to be generous with the land because he trusted God was going to provide him with the land God wanted him to have heard about a pastor who knew there was a couple in his church who were having trouble with this concept getting the first and the best of my pastor.

We just don't see how McKenna you I was like our budgets are tight when I can really make ends meet. My pastor said that they want. Once you write a check out for what you think represent your first and your best to God, write that check out give it to me and I want to take it and I will put it in my desk drawer and I'm in a way to the end of the month.

I won't cash it to the very end of the month and at the end of the month you don't have enough money to pay your bills and meet your needs. I will take the check back on I will give it to you. Does that sound reasonable and a couple, look at each other and said yeah that sounds reasonable. We think we can do that and then the pastor said.

Shame on you because you trust me, your pastor, more than you trust God because that's what God said that he would do you give your first best to me and I'll make sure that you are taking care of you see, I know that for many of us.

The reason that you're not generous is not that you not is not that your stingy your fearful that's what keeps you from doing your fearful God is not your trust, whatever you give your first and your best to reveals what is God in your life. Scripture says that money competes with God.

In one of two ways in our lives, depending on our personality person for some of you money is your significance. It's how you enjoy life if you got the right close.

If you live in the right place. You take the right vacations draw the right cars. Money is significance to you. So whenever you get an extra thousand dollars in your paycheck. The first thing you're thinking of what is this going to buy new flatscreen TV is a unit rate for the house. Can I would take a vacation or whatever. That's what you think of money as there's another group of you who are not like that for you. Money is security. So whenever you get an extra thousand dollars you like what I just goes into the rainy day fund so that we can be more secure for the future price of for some of you money is significance for some of you money a security in God sense of humor. I've explain to you there's two kinds of people always get married.

You always marry somebody who's the opposite and both of you think the other person is a problem with money why when you get the extra thousand dollars you like what is wrong with you, you tightwad. We need a TV, why can't we spend it in the other one is thinking what is wrong with you you irresponsible middle school student. We need to say that John right and you both think the other one is a problem with money and the irony is, you've got the same problem with money. This is coming at it from a different direction for both of you.

Money plays the role that God is supposed to play in your life. God is supposed to be your primary source of significant God should be your primary source of trust and when God is your significance. And when God is your security then you can be freed up to be generous so me say it again. Everybody times to something everybody ties to something everybody gives their first and the best of something. What is that for you. By the way, don't get hung up on the 10% that's what type means 10%, but why was it so they got his first and best first investment something this first priority for us. The largest part of our budget. TY make that distinction because for many years typing for me was just a line item that came out of my budget is like the God tax not paid God his tax not paid Uncle Sam his tax and then I have the rest of it was just for me but doing I didn't really affect anything in my life. It was not really my first and my best because it did not affect any of my spending.

After that, I know that God has convicted me he wants me to give in a way that shows that he is my first and my best what you spend your first in your best on is that your mortgage is that your savings is that your lifestyle whatever you give your first in your best to is what you worship. It shows what is paradise. It shows what is God in your life. There's 1/3 question C.

Do you think of yourself as an owner or a steward of your blessings. Do you think of yourself as an owner or just as a steward of your blessings God told Abraham that he was gonna bless him to be a blessing so naturally when Abraham received any blessing. The first question we ask is I was gonna bless somebody else. So even when it came time to choose where to live, what Lena live in.

He's going to give the first of the best choice of the land a lot lot.

Of course, was the opposite lot thought about himself first.

He thought about himself.

Most lot is the first American in the Bible's philosophy of life is get all you can, cannot you get in and sit on your can that's kinda what he's going to go through this again which one better represents you. We described you more as a channel of blessing or a reservoir of blessing is listed according to Scripture, God blessed us, he blessed you bless me, not just so we could enrich our lives. He blessed us so that through us. He could bless others to the verse we going in and out of now for several weeks second grade is 910. The apostle Paul says you will be enriched in every way. That's an exciting promise to be enriched in every way, to be generous in every way. Why does God enrich us not just to increase our standard of living enriches us to increase our standard of giving. What that means is that if you don't give generously. This is comparable statement, but I think it's exactly renewed desire what it means that you don't give generously or actually stealing because you're embezzling God's money, it imagine imagine how angry you would be if you made a large donation.

Several large donations to feed the children.

After making several large donations to be the children you found out that 90% of all the money that was donated to feed the children went to the CEO not to actually feed the children, you would be outraged and you would be right to be outraged because that guy or that woman was stealing what was not intended for them. According to second Corinthians. That's exactly what each of us is to God. Every individual in the church. Everyone who is a Christian is kind of their own nonprofit ministry and according to second Corinthians, God is made donations to you because he wants you to use them for his mission. If we set on them or use them for our own luxuries alone. Then we are embezzling money. God blesses us to increase our capacity for generosity that is entirely second Corinthians is a summit church.

We also have to ask that corporately, as a church body.

Why is God blessed us as a church body.

Why did he do it.

He didn't for one reason, one reason and that is to bless the triangle and the world with the gospel through us. What is lifestyle self-centeredness. Look for us it would be to not posture ourselves to grow it would be to say what kind of a comfortable church and we have for ourselves and let's just figure out how to how to have the thing that we want as opposed to say how can we bless more people in the triangle with the gospel. What we have figured out we figure this out now for a decade. Is that our ability to reach people for the gospel is directly tied to our ability to see people at peak hours when people typically would come visit a church near the gospel peak hours go to your Sunday morning hours and at several more cables. We are past capacity to put any more people to sit in on the lobbies till the end of this whole story is a God multiplies Abraham beyond his wildest dreams and Abraham story is going to illustrate something that we call kingdom economics, something that so few people in the kingdom of God actually understand there is whatever you prioritize before God. You're gonna lose but what you give God the first and the best of he multiplies for eternal significance and break it down for you, whatever you prioritize before God, you lose you CW I don't see prioritize riches.

He lost them all. CS Lewis had a great way of saying that is not CS Lewis so it will hurt your mind a little bit at a time when he is is it is is in life there are first things God, and there are second things.

Everything else. It was when you put first things first. We put God first, he throws in second things abundantly.

But when you put second things first, you lose not only first things relationship with God.

You also lose the second X that make you dizzy. Will someone not there for two things like first things I can think for things God thing then something else. When you put first things first. We put God first occurs in second things every thing else abundantly. We put second things first, you lose not only relationship God. The first thing you also to lose sight of it and if you like us to make my mind hurt. Just think about what you what lot does is he prioritizes the Jordan Valley and so it's there and it's all destroyed.

In front of him, judging of the number one contributor to divorce is not infidelity than a more contributive divorce is money issues and troubles of money issues because they prioritize money above God and about family. Ironically, we put money first. Even lose your capacity to enjoy the blessings of money is made. One of the greatest armies will verse in Ecclesiastes 5 is one of my favorites in the book. Ecclesiastes 510. He who loves money will never be satisfied with money, one who loves money is never to be satisfied with you know that they say some older people have told me that one of the afflictions, they have dealt with the growing older is under some city lost their taste capacity can't taste the distinctions of food you know somebody like this with a vase I could buy the most expensive meal in the most expensive restaurant you might as well be eating a low for spam because they just taste the same to me. What happens when you prioritize money and you treasure money as you lose your capacity to even be able to enjoy it when you put God first, he multiplies you like you did Abraham. God increases what Abraham had any bless the world and the process is the writer of Proverbs will explain appropriately managing honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first see this on the Lord from the first like Abel did all your produce and then name your barn to be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine are great news for you Baptist right. So how do your vats overflow.

Is it because you invest properly, not according to members investing is great Scripture encourage it because you say that's great Dutra for goods that could never assist by giving God the first and the best of whatever he gives to you because whatever you give a God he multiplies we see this all over the Bible little boy the five loaves and two fish gives it to Jesus and Jesus takes any faith needs 5000 hungry men when it the part of the store. We always overlook is that let little boy went home with 12 baskets full right to even imagine a boy walking back into his house. He left that morning with the Jewish version of a lunch of old. He showed back home with the entire Golden corral buffet with his mom. What I God is my five loaves and two fish. There's another story that people don't know nearly as well. Elijah the prophet in the middle of a famine in Israel goes and stays with this widow and her son. Her grown son, and they have such a friend. They have just enough flour in the canister inch system of oil that they can make one take.

And Elijah the prophet of God says to the woman what he can do with that all oil and that flour Jesus urge Edward.

I'm going to make a cake my son and I are going to split and then were going to starve to death and Elijah the man of God that he is says make that take and give it to me in your reading the story your thinking what a jerk. How do you say to a widow give me that Elijah not be a self-centered jerk what Elijah is doing is he's putting her in a place where he says God wants to know if you give him the first. What happened is when she did that God multiplied the flowers so that for all the days of the famine she never went to the canister. When what something in there she'd never one went down and use up all the oil just kept multiplying their what God takes what he puts first and the best he multiplies my primary prayer for you in this part of your discipleship during the season is not well it's not that we get the resources that we need as a church to go forward God trust, that got him take care the church you need. You need me. My primary concern is not that we got financial needs. And that's what were trying to do my primary prayer for you. Some a church in this is that you learn to give God the first and the best of your life that you see yourselves is only stewards of what he is given to you and that you begin to offer a more more of your life to be multiplied. That is my primary concern and I will say this I say just about every time we talk about something like this. And I mean this very fiber of my being is not rhetoric. It's not spam that my primary concern is that you learn to give God the first and the best interview feel for whatever reason you got trust issues about history for like all the suggest manipulations are trying to get money. My request to you. My request is that you give your first in your best what you give it somewhere else.

I do not want to let some past bad experience. Get in the way of you giving your first investor God and for you only think of yourself as a steward so their problems and you fill a man I can really trust you are this place you never like this is all manipulation.

I understand that maybe you got a bad experience and I hope the double heal you of that over time. Melissa say that in this time you give your first in your best you give God the priority and you choose to do it somewhere else, but I want you to move past the question.

This is been my prayer would to move past the question I much do I have to give. Once you moved to the question to what am I not giving a Wyman I given it because for years the primary.

The only question I've asked forgiveness, so I gotta give God how much until you finally leave me alone so I started out with 10%. My go to God.

That's a tied boom at the time and I became pastor of my well I got a human reason and as I doubled it to 20% first years were married get 20% in every town would be like okay now we get the rest it's just for us a kingdom disciple is somebody who sees everything that God is given to him or her as a seed to be used as a multiplication for multiplication.

The kingdom to the better question is what am I not giving Wyman I giving it away there's some perfectly good answers to that. Obviously God gives you some things. He wants you to use to bless your family and take care your family gives us richly all things to enjoy. So there many things you'll say that's why I'm not given that but when you start asking the question, what am I not giving and why you might discover that there are many things you prioritize server God's mission and there are many things that you trust and depend on more than you trust and depend on God to last things and I will end this plane. The opposite of kingdom economics as were many of us are and that is in debt were unable to give right you to move debt being in debt is not a sin but a lot of times the reasons that we got into debt were sent.

We were patient. We were discontent within trust God. It's a word that when I use it. Some of you were to break out in hives, use it anyway budget. I know, but budget is not just for the type. A hyper plan. People, a budget is something that you use to begin to think about what you're doing in life and where you're going to what it looks like to honor God and to be responsible last the last thing I'll say is you cannot you cannot participate in kingdom economics until you know the king. He said it was a reason that Abraham could do all this and it was because he trusted God. He knew the got it made him a promise and the goblet to keep the promise. He knew that because God showed a member last week the guy was really responsible for his side of it in dollars and be responsible for Abraham side of it you when I know that God is made us a promise.

Jesus Christ died to remove all the condemnation of our sin and everything that was separate us from God and Jesus said that I will never leave you or forsake you. In fact, I am so committed to this, that even when you fail, I'll pick up or you fail and I'll finish what I started. We know that he will began a good work in us will completed and we know that God who did not spare his own son for us also freely give us all things and take care of every need. We have because we trust the king we can offer up everything in our lives to him because we trust in Jesus, and he trusted Jesus with your whole life is so are you ready to take the next step in trust him with your finances, you can obey like Abraham when you know your love and help secure like Abraham and Jesus invite you to that kind of relationship if you will receive your goods or heart isn't just going to go on a mission trip for him or give him some money generosity like Abraham is a byproduct of knowing God and believing Jesus is who he says he is your listening to Senate life with JD Greer joining each weekday at this time and if you miss any of pastor JD teaching. You can download the audio files and find transcripts online@jdgreer.com did you think we can all agree that 20/20 has been challenging to say the least.

Got a global pandemic racial strife political divisiveness and just general uncertainty in this things and impacted us all in ways that we can never predict or imagine you say Molly. Our family is not been immune to the effects of these trying times life and I felt like this year is maybe been the most trying your of our lives or ministry. We felt several times were discovered buckle under the pressure of the externally the church at a time and were not meeting as an as normal.

Plus he got homeschooled our kids which is great in theory but you know sometimes you will challenging and and and practice.

There is some tough talks around around what's going on politically and of what's going on racially in the United States. That's been a challenge to any community that's trying to walk together. I know that we could not have made it through this year this far without the support and encouragement of her family in Christ our church in and folks like you your very important part of our lives and ministry were grateful for you. So as we face.

What will likely be more challenging times in the months to come I can tell you that if we submit to God in faith easily use all of it for good to make us more like his glorious son and so as we close out this tempestuous 2021 invite you to prayerfully consider investing in our ministries here as we continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Would love to have you as one of her gospel partners that enables us to be on the air times like this and sharing the gospel people so if you go to JD Greer.com to find out how you can become a part of this ministry, you can partner with sdecember@jdgreer.com today and tomorrow are the last days to get pastor JD's new evangelistic but I don't searching for Christmas and we like to give you not just one copy went to Keith and went to give away during this holiday I need to get his lettering gospel centered teaching to the green healing when you were so grateful for your support, especially at this time ask for your copies of searching for when you get by calling 833 520-865-5224. Get a copy when you donate online.

JD Greer.com Molly Neves inviting you to join us tomorrow if we conclude this theory, Abraham, when God tests him yet again and this time will be his most Senate life by Jamie Greer ministry