Multiplying in Every Way, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer.

God is supposed to be your significance is supposed to be your beauty, not money God is supposed to be your partner security for the future. Not money to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things Biaggi were always all these things are all the elements of money does security, saving, beauty, significance, contentment, all that he had when you give God the force of the best ways in which you, the Bible teaching ministry of after Arthur and theologian Judy Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly benefits where the tail end of a teaching series that will be wrapping up next week called the whole story. And if you've missed any of the previous messages you can find them@judygreer.com right now. Keep listening, protecting the subject that can be a bit sensitive for some but it's vital to advancing the gospel generosity. Yesterday we began the message and today Pastor JD continues to challenge us to surrender everything to God.

Grab your Bible and turn to second Corinthians 97 and let's rejoin Pastor JD right now. Got a given disease decided it was hard not reluctantly, not that spirit will do that work under compulsion met that no God loves a cheerful day love cheerful giver for God is able just to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things all times you may abound in every good work not notice all that when Paul starts his discussion on generosity part within me that God has the start for the grace that God wants to give the giving of God's people is the means. Listen to this is the means by which he multiplies his mission on earth. And it's also the means by which he releases his abundance in your life. This is how you can about Ms. Reser. You see that most of us think that generosity is something that God wants from us.

Will Paul says no generosity, something God wants for you. We are worried about what we're going to have to give up and generosity, but Paul talked in terms of what God wants us to gain. Here's how it works first empty who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. Verse 11 you will be enriched in every way, to be generous in every way. Now, couple questions on asking to verse 11.

Here's the first question we want to have.

What does enriched in every way make does that mean financially.

You'll be enriched as and when you give to God, he will multiply you financially so immense. Well, that certainly can be included in the Lord every every every way would mean every way. Write me mess up so that the waiver is a big word that's a promise repeated throughout Scripture that when you give the God you can't out give him. He multiplies it gives it back to you. For example regulars. Numerous verses later covers three nonexempt honor the Lord with all your wealth in the firstfruits of all your produce. And if you do what you happen your bonds be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with new wine or grape juice for you badness. This is the means by which God multiplies it in your life that is got me financial yes he does, but does. Here's the other question Jesse only mean financial know this is in every way.

The image here of sowing is a really illuminating one when you when you what you harvest after you planted a seed also looks quite different than the CD put in the ground pulses money is like a seed plant that the harvest you get from what you plan to suck you much better than what you planted with what you're getting is something much more much better. He says that's the way that God uses what you offered to him in faith.

What are some of those other ways that God enriches you when you begin to live this way will. Sometimes I give you ample examples sometimes is greater contentment. Here's another example increase love for the kingdom of God giving produces in you a more loving heart. Stinginess shrinks your heart. It breeds isolation, a major heart close in on itself giving opens you up and open heart is a much happier art that's just a handful of examples of ways that God enriches you in every way beyond financial second observation of verse 11. What is got increase you financially. That's one of the ways increases you enriched and that way you want to do it. You will be enriched in every way, to be generous in every way. Separate verse 12 Paul says it's acceptable, will we give to one person has not according to what he done that you give what you don't have number 13 for I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened but that is a matter of fairness.

Your abundance of the present time should supply their need, so that there abundance may supply your need, so that there may be fairness member. 15. Watch this as it is written, whoever gathered much had nothing left over.

Whoever gathered little had no like that is a quote from Exodus 16 in a story about the children of bitter Israel experiencing the provision of manna there out one in the wilderness.

There was no food in support themselves is of God is a miracle. Every night he raised on the stuff and haven't called manna and got to go get as much as you want to eat as much as you want calorie free. I guess and but here's the deal. If you try to take more and you try to stop pilots and you try to hoard it. It's gonna rot on you at night and it's going to spoil your stomach so spoil your whole tenets is gonna ruin everything.

It's given to us as a symbol and the symbol is when we hoard the excess of what God gives to us. It actually rots us spiritually.

There is nothing wrong there is nothing wrong with saving for the future.

But there comes a point at which you begin to trust in your savings for the future. And when that happens, it rots your soul. How do you know you've gotten to that point where you trust in your savings easy to raise a question is when you save extravagantly but you don't have extravagantly when you say more extravagantly than you give what you're showing is that your trust in him… In the same light as other followed by my stop is nothing wrong with enjoying some of the blessings that come with money, but there comes a point at which those nice things are what you most delight in those nice things. What you find your identity and your thrilled most about the new toy that you have the new car you're driving is what establishes your significance of the closure where and when that happens, it begins to rot your soul. How do you know that you got to that point.

It's when you spend extravagantly been known to have extravagantly Jesus in Matthew six starts the conversation by saying this you cannot love God and money.

That's that's the only thing ever said that about. By the way, you cannot love them if you love the one you're by definition a date yet.

So if you love money and the ideas get more money cannot excite you little bit and chances are you on the corresponding affection forgot if you love one you like the other and then he goes on to describe what that looks like a people's life. He does in a fascinating way he chooses to got a random examples. It seems random but actually corresponding to different personality types when it comes to money. The first thing he says is consider the ravens, the rate of the ravens.

Don't ever save but God takes care of the ravens deterrent see the soul inhibits that he says consider the lilies, the lilies of the field. They don't spend any money on clothes about my stop. Yet God has made them more beautiful than any other flour in the field. What Jesus just did as he identified the two different ways that people tend to trust money more than God. Some people are like the ravens there. Like the birds and for them, money is security. So there are always wanting to save for the future because if I got a healthy healthy outlook for the future. Have a 401(k) than they feel secure for other people money is not security is beauty its significance since the lilies of it. They they want to be beautiful and what they wear nice things they have and so when they get money. What they want to spend it in God's unbelievable sense of humor. I've noticed as a pastor. He always arranges for these two different people to get married to each other so that when they get an extra thousand dollars in her paycheck. That's when the fight comes as one as I would have on your TV. That's the lowest I know it was like we had to put in the bank. That's the Raven and here's the irony. Both of them think the other one has a problem money there but you have a problem. I know you have a problem money and she's like a boat are problematic brother you are looking for money to do something that God is supposed to do. God is supposed to be your significance is supposed to be your beauty, not money, and God is supposed to be your primary security for the future. Not money to what Jesus says in Matthew 633 seek first the kingdom of God. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things be added to you.

What are all these things all these things are all the elements of money does security saving, beauty, significance, contentment, all that to be added to you. When you give God the first and the best place and what you give them a sense he's not saved on the safe because they don't ever buy nice things using give God the first and the best place because when God has the first and best place in your life, you'll find that your entry much more secure about the future and have much more beauty going into the future, which is God's beauty and God is your security. Jesus says I should be your first in your best and then I'll be the one who takes over your security and I'll be the one who takes over your beauty and that's a much better way to live.

Everybody gives her first in their best to something I told you last year about on the first offering in the Bible the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel May, two different offerings. Cain is a farmer and so he offers the produce of the grounds of God, but that was a little catch the way that he offered is after the full harvest came in.

That was when Cain gave these will do all that he had to know what you give this to God.

Then I was able. Abel was a Shepherd and Abel.

By contrast, took the first of his flock. So when his sheep had babies took the very first ones, which means you one sure how many more babies were going to come after the age of the very first ones in the event the God God rejected Cain's offering and accepted Ables, and the only perceptible difference in the two of them is the point at which they gave Cain Dave after it was all in. After he saw that he was secure after he had gotten the things he wanted with his money, and then he gave got out of the excess of God rejected if Cain was the December giver.

He waited to the enemy sure that there's anything here of any quick kingdom of God.

Last, Abel was the guy who said my first my best go to God first and best, and then I'll trust that God will provide enough for me to be secure on God provide enough for me to have significance on who gets your first and your best in life because that understanding is how you begin to soar spiritually. I love how Jesus concludes that little thing or his mother report. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. In other words, Jesus says don't worry about tomorrow. Why Jesus is tomorrow and have a lot of problems. That's exactly what I was worried about with tomorrow. Jesus was ready to have problems just like that's right door of the market have a lot of problems because what also is present tomorrow on present tomorrow and the same man I give you today is the same settlement give it tomorrow she only be worried about the future because Tamara has problems of its own. Tomorrow also has a savior of its own. That is the spirit that begins to make you soar spiritually. This understanding is how we become joyfully giving Paul continues look Mets versus engravings nine your giving through ISA begins to produce thanksgiving to God begins to produce thanks you be to God, we begin to see that the harvest of what you and I are giving is something that we see other people begin to worship God because of it when that happens also know heart gets filled with the joy that goes so far beyond what the other things we experience on earth for me just give you a couple examples. Also they cannot explain this. The first example is I got up a letter and I was from a guy out in California who had gotten introduced to our church is indeed never been here, but on one of our members are going to live out there introducing our church and if you listen to your podcast and get all of our resources, and he wrote me a letter he said hence want you to know. He says do not struggle with same-sex attraction for many years and I was at a point rounds at the end of my rope when I did nowhere to turn. Because I felt condemned by the church. I thought God would never accept me. Some were telling me. On the other side of the site Jesus and pursue my lifestyle is admin I came across what you want. Each of the summer church and it was like water in the desert to my soul. He sitting the ministry there. The summer church. I found grace and truth.

Truth about what God's word said, and that I needed to his attitude I should have for my sin and grace that he never stopped loving me even as I struggled. I never would the road and I called the seven churches ministries change my life.

That is no understatement. Either the mercy of Christ in the ministry of some a jerk I heard for the first time that I was loved and accepted by God.

Up until then had been attempting to go and sin no more, so that I might be loved and accepted by God instead of hearing God's tender voice speaking his great love over me when he said to me through Jesus to the woman and adultery. Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more. Thank you, summer church. Thank you thank you you help me, a man who is been hiding underneath years of great shame and feelings of disqualification by the church. I'm not sure how to go on living because of my temptation.

I have found new life and hope in the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ. Because of you know if that's awesome.

Here's the best part is about what he shows up here about three weeks ago I on a Saturday night out on the services and said I flew all the way across the country just like to say thank you to somebody who should that be is a reason email thing them. So here's a guy who is giving thanks to God because of the generosity that you live with and there's a part of you. If you're a believer that says that is what I want my life to be about right there why I give you one more. The more I got, and that this might be the greatest letter I've ever received in my life. It was from a guy in one of our prisons, who unfortunately is not able to be with us on the weekend but he because he is serving an 80 year sentence for murder any set of multiple counts of robbery and murder when MI was ATM on your 14 of an 80 year sentence. He said, but listening to the ministry here and how it impacted me said is absolutely change my life and I write this letter to tell me about that and he says in it. I am including a five dollar money order to donate to the ministries of the summer church.

I know it's not much but it's 10% of everything that I have is all that I have and I feel like a member of your church.

Even though I'm technically not as not allowed in your sermon. He says your sermons your messages in your ministries. Here, the summer church and transform my life and I want to be a part of what's going on. Theirs is a source of the I'm always blessed I'm always blessed with more enlightenment and a better outlook on life after I experienced the ministries of the summer church.

I just wish your sermons were a little longer. I've never heard that not one, like that's a very first on May says this greatest compliment I've ever received your preaching is like Tupac's wrapping raw uncut truth only with the Bible open in front of you that is thanksgiving to God. Hi that we rejoice in it fills our hearts would listen so matures. Since we relaunched as the summer church 15 years ago by God's grace we baptized over 5400 people and a lot of those were first-time professions of faith like the ones I just gave you like those last year. Last year alone to members of the summer church living overseas because of your generosity. Last year we know of 3964 people who heard a one-on-one presentation of the gospel 562 of them became believers and 386 of them got baptized. That's the joy that we gifted sacrifice sacrifice really say is given of something you love something you love even more.

I used to teach the boys say you if you want to know how much you should give give until it hurts.

Recordings will most famous pastors in America told me recently said it's a stupid thing to say, don't give, don't tell me what to give until it hurts, tell me, give until it feels good but it is not until it feels good that they really understood the gospel transformation and giving because all the sudden the pain of what you're given up is replaced with the joy of what you're given to and it just feels good and you become the kind a cheerful giver. The Paul is talking about at some point prior summer church. I pray that you realize the futility of all the other things you spend money on, and I hope that you will understand the grave and wonderful importance of what it is that we give to not long ago I was at a retreat where I was asked to consider who had the biggest impact on me. In terms generosity without hesitation is that wasn't definitely my mom and my dad my mom and dad were new Christians when I was born and so I grew up in a home where I watch them just say how can we give. How we love to see people coming to faith in Christ my dad as he progressed in his career. He was a manager of a textile factory any, get bonuses, sometimes at the end of the year.

I can remember as a teenager. As a young teenager I'm talking through like what we're going to do with that bonus you where they really given to the kingdom of God or exactly what age was I think it was around 15 that I realize that all the bonuses we were given away were supposed to be a part of my inheritance was that we were given away to bonuses you, that means I'm not gonna get a new car right now as it was back in a little bit on the generosity with all these things and let's not but I'm telling my parents gave me something that is so much greater than any kind of new car that I would've just called me and I probably correct.

Anyway, what they gave me was a loss for the kingdom of God and they taught me that this is not what life is about.

And so now I get to teach it to my kids up hungry public with my kid. I do think it's very seriously.

We talk about the things were giving to we talk about where were trying to be just that, we reserve a little small sliver or generosity every month we take it and we on that the first Tuesday of every month. We in our family unit, devotion time. We say who is it a God put in our lives that we could blessed with this little bit of money right here just as all my kids as a part of this conversation.

I want them to grow up learning to love the kingdom of God more than they love money is.the greatest possession I could ever gifted them as appearance. That's what Paul was praying that you would understand that you would see the thanksgiving to God. Outweighs all this other stuff so he family try to bring about social closure for the ministry. He says the ministry of the services not only supplying the needs of the saints.

It is also overflowing many Thanksgiving got some of so many people learn to praise God because your generosity and are so many more that will praise God get so many more stories over the years, experienced by their approval of the service they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ. You responded to the gospel.

You know what Jesus had given to you and you said God as Jesus was. To me that's all I want to be to others, and then he says now thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.

Paul ends this by just walking a can help you look upward and he says the one who has received, not the one who's given where would I be without Jesus. He's given me an inexpressible gift. It just makes sense that if I received that inexpressible gift of my life will be characterized by doing for others what Jesus has done for me. Where would you be without Jesus on the church. I read a lot of leadership books are one of the questions that nuggets talk about on leadership books is what's more motivating for people is the characteristic you the difference.

Like the stickers the threats the punishments that carried his value to financial motivation and the praise which was more motivating to you personally.

Last summer in a red dad before he was water something actually more motivating than both of them is the gospel because the gospel is that God took the stack and he beat Jesus what it many handed you to care for free and what that does is it produces a kind of spirit that begins the story generosity not for your generous in response to a sermon for a season but we become generous for eternity. In response to the gospel as ways to motivate generosity.

If you were about us like I did your favorite weapon is guilt right now, you're bad person if you don't get to feel bad about yourself right now.

Give less guilt. That's the stack. If you grew up in more of this is called and this is a big generalization, but in more charismatic tradition. A lot of their churches use greed as their primary motivation in lieu of the rich. God wants all God will pour blessing back in your life agree when Paul wants his ace card when he wants his ace card is not guilt or greed is grace is is you want to come down the ultimate motivation are not given because of a guilty on my given the receipt I'm given because I've been overwhelmed by grace. So what he says I can greetings 89. Remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, remember, is think about it talk about it, memorize and ponder it, that though he was rich he had all you for your sake he became poor.

Why so that you through his poverty might escape death forever and become rich and then I just want you to respond to Jesus the same way that he is responded to call from Pastor Jim is for us to respond to Jesus with joyful generosity will let me be clear here at Summit life. We believe God's primary way of working in the world is through his church. So your first and best gift should always belong to the congregation that you call that above and beyond that, we welcome your generous support of this ministry so we can reach more people with gospel centered Bible teaching when you donate to Senate life you help keep these daily programs on your station and online plus you make it possible for us to produce new resources like a brand-new custom Senate life Bible, we've partnered with the publisher Crossway unaccustomed Bible now in changing the words of the Bible, of course, but we were able to add some pages to the front of the Bible to give you one of our custom Senate life reading plans with little checkboxes for 52 weeks of Bible reading.

Take a look at what you'd be receiving when you visit JD Greer.com. You can pick up where we are in the series, or it started the beginning or given away to someone who you think might need some encouragement in reading their Bible reading plan is focused on one book of the Bible at a time.

This plan will set you up well to read devotional. He when you move on to other reading plans because you will know the context of what you're reading on a deeper level and main goal is to simply provide you with a plan to grow your daily interaction with God and his word is a convenient portable size and blue letter ideal for taking with you everywhere and to use every day. The translation is the English standard version, or ESP, which is a great choice for personal study we'd like to send you this new Bible today as per the custom Senate life Bible when you get by calling 866-335-5220 866-335-5220 or get online. JD Greer.com JD G. R. R.com if you'd rather mail your donation. Our address is JD Greer ministry, PO Box 12293, Durham, NC 27709 don't want to forget to follow Pastor Ginny on Facebook and Instagram for more updates and encouraging content only if you checked out Pastor didn't podcast anything you want to do that today. Pastor Ginny gives quick answers to tricky question.

You can find online.com favorite Molly benefits inviting you to join us again Monday we were talking about finding characteristics of a successful life. Our world often .15 well here's entered my believers different to have a great weekend of rest and worship and join us next Senate life JD clear