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December 1, 2021 9:00 am
Today on Summit life Judy Greer talks about stewarding resources to tell you what God wants you to give Virgil's you baby, you obey God be settled in your own heart. I just want you to ask the question you walk with Jesus up for the processes that you ever dissuaded all the Jews are then absorbed. You tell me what you want with everything I have life pastor JD Greer. I'm your host Molly events special thank you to everyone who participated in giving Tuesday yesterday – what a blessing it was to have you join in with us to support the global mission of God among Afghan people. We hope to give you report soon, of all that we were able to give as a summit my family to this project today. Pastor JD dives into a tricky issue describing what the Bible really says about our finances know whenever pastor starts talking about money. People usually start squirming in their seats. It's such a touchy subject and it's also an area where a lot of people have felt manipulated or taken advantage of in the past, but the fact is that Jesus talk more about money than almost any other subject. In the Bible so not a topic that we get to avoid pastor Jenny titled this message. This week I want to consider a question that has plagued me for years. To be honest I have been quite a bit of misery about and judging me whenever I'm in misery about something. I just brought you guys ride along with me so we can that is the question of how much I am personally responsible to give how much I personally responsible to get my problem little confession time from your pastor. On the one hand, I am a legalist, which means that no matter how much I give I always feel guilty, like I should be getting more yeah I'm going to the Goldstar, type a person like a what's the goal state how much I gotta give always like to be given more, but the second thing is I'm also a materialist which means all about money and I like to give away so you got this poisonous cocktail that is in my in my fallen heart, and I find that's if you're honest, I'm not really alone in those things back. I'll tell you that I find Christians usually fall into one of three different errors when it comes to giving the first errors Christians you just don't give they don't believe that their commitment to Christ includes a radical sharing of the resources even though Jesus had more to say about money that he did about heaven and hell combined to opt out of that dog without a lot of verses apply to me about the way a lot of times they're the ones you get all bent out of shape when you talk about this because it reveals their hypocrisy. The second error is what I called up the tide. Christians type disease of the Christians to whom you give 10% to God to fulfill a rule like a God tax you pay God you tax and I got all use to pass it now. That's also a pretty significant error is all exploited here, you hear a few moments. The third error is or what I called always feel guilty. Christians no matter how much you give it's it's never enough rights it shouldn't matter what you you have you always like our promise to give a more every time you start to enjoy something you feel guilty about it is always a sense of what I'm gonna but there's always an orphan in India who who you know what you spent on dinner last night could've fed him three months rights and no matter what you matter what you are are are doing. You always feel like there's something that you really ought about.
You are given more knob in your past long enough to know that many of you are like that last one is you really are generous people, some of you and but you still wonder. You wonder, am I giving enough and how do I know what I'm give enough we got to that's that's enough. I'm pleased with you at different points in my life I have been in all three errors that usually a mixture of all him so I want to share with you some scriptural things. A goddess taught me over the last few years, but it really help me form what I believe to be a more balanced view of money so I hope you found second Samuel by now.
King David is our character. King David shows us what it looks like to go all in with your resources I'm gonna pay attention to this because until you the conclusions of this might surprise you.
This is probably not good.
In reading second Samuel chapter 7 verse one now when the king lived in his house of the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies. The king said to Nathan the prophet see now I dwell in the house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in the tent what what is happened at this point in David's life is that God has established his kingdom and given in peace all around. It's been quite a journey God took him from being a shepherd and a pastor, he anointed him king made him a national hero with the whole Goliath incident EEE exalted him to the kingship of David established a prosperous kingdom. David conquered all of Israel's enemies. So now David is sitting on his balcony sipping a decaf latte looking over the city and you see that God has brought just incredible blessing to his life and he's overwhelmed with a sense of gratefulness and in David's eyes fall on on the tabernacle of the tabernacle just means the tent and it was a tent that God had instructed Israel to construct for him where his presence would well it was done exactly according to the specifications of God.
But it was still just a tent so David says the Nathan is like Israel's pastor. This is a right I live in a nice house that smells like cedar and God lives in a tent. I think I'm to build God something nicer to live in will make a response like any pastor would respond when somebody was really wealthy comes up to him and says only do something for God. David says vertebrae make us over three right my brother go write the check you all that is in your heart. Verse four.
Now comes the plot twist that same night before the Lord came to Nathan go until my servant David thus says the Lord would you build me a house to dwell in. I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the people of Israel up from Egypt to this day I've been moving about in a tent for my dwelling in all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel did not ever speak a word, say, why not build me a house of cedar David you think that you think I need you to build me a house David that I ever say to you, David.
I'm tired of this Rafael to could you spot me some money so I can build a new house and get out of this place that you think that I need you to provide me a house of cedar cedar is for hamsters. David my street severe. They're made of gold certain playfulness in this I think so know what this rose, I told you from the pastor David from following the sheep, and I made you the prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you went and I have caught off all your enemies from before you, and I will make for you a great name and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house you see who was building a house here David is not doing one for God. God is really one for David. God did not choose David because David had some stuff the godly needed… From heaven like oh, that guy a lot of money using BMI things that they got me some of that money go my kingdom God created it all. No point. At no point has God ever been in the I love this verse 18, thinking then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said who my Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far and yet this was a small thing in your eyes. Oh Lord God, and what more can David say to you because of your promise and according to your own heart. You have brought about all this greatness to make your servant notes. If you underline stuff in your Bible. I think you should you should underline the word sat in verse 18 in the verse and the word no. In verse 21. David started this discussion feeling like he needed to do a favor for God.
He ends it by sitting in wonder at the provision of God see the whole salvation experience is not primarily about us doing something for God's salvation is about knowing something about God and sitting in stoned all in the presence of that God amazed and overwhelmed and grateful what he has done for us. Yes, you will end up doing a lot of stuff for God, but it's just a response to the things that he is done for you. The house that God would build for David was so far beyond anything that David could see your dream up the house of God's building for David is not a building made out of bricks and would it's an eternal dwelling that was built by the blood of Jesus Christ right. I share this with you because it debunks one of the greatest misconceptions about money and that is that we need to give because God needs our money. That is the posture of so many pastors preach like that for a while about a motivated people, but you really like, you know.
But I've come to see that it is harmful. Our God is not a week.
Poor God needs stuff God made everything out of the word with the word of his mouth.
God is a limitless supply of resources for his mission to prove this to his disciples or whatever, did he not many money to pay tax bills. What you don't do a lot of the water catch fish. Oh, there's like $10,000 stuff in his mouth. That's because Jesus was the fish whisper right he created that money in the mouth.
He can do that whenever he wants Jesus like five loaves and two fish he multiplies in the 20,000 people Jesus can do more in five minutes with five loaves and two fish. Bill and Melinda Gates could do in 10,000 lifetimes. At no point has God ever been in need never and God never approaches us with needs. If God had a need. You certainly would not come to us what it looks on 50 is great God says if I were hungry I would not tell you because the world and all its fullness are mine.
I would come here via need to speak a word and create a whole new universe full use if I wanted offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving perform your bowels for your obligations. For the most time what God wants from us is an offering of thanksgiving for what he's done for us. He wants us to sit in stoned all at how great his salvation is and then just respond to that with this and call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and deliver me getting out of a financial Gemini man you as you like, hey, that's a group of American people and a lot of money up on will choose them because having the can probably build my kingdom on earth. That's not how you're going to glorify me to deliver you, you're going to glorify me. That's why choose people like David have been a pastor so I could make him king so that then they would realize that I'm the one who built this house, not them. How was it Summit that we glorify God we glorify him all the great things we do for him. No, we glorify him by calling on him in the day of our trouble and allowing him to work through us and acknowledging the great things that he has done for us. God I need your money. God is not even on money that he makes it crystal clear to David and I want you to want to make it crystal clear. You see, you do see with David three exemplary things in David's attitude toward his money and that shopper that are worthy of our emulation they did three things was money that I think are worthy of you and me wore them imitated number one eternal investment. David wanted to leverage his money for God's eternal kingdom. She gave Anita God's house was the only house that would last. David knew that the house of God was building was much more important than the house of David was building. So David wanted to give to God he got to that was a good thing to prove it to your second Chronicles, six, seven Chronicle book chronicles like a parallel second Samuel, like the directors cut Chronicle says this God says to David because it was in your heart David to build a house for my name. You did well, that was in your heart towards David.
It was a good thought David will God tells David is negligible the temple.
What I am to do is let you collect all the materials that your son Solomon will need to build the temple. That's what you can do is her. David's response was that smell of this.
David said, quote Solomon my son is young and inexperienced. In other words, I know he's going to end up being the wisest guy who ever lived in all but right now he's a teenager and he can't remember to feed the dog or he can't balance a checkbook. So for right now I'm to take care of them today because I will therefore make preparation for it, so David provided materials and weight right quantity before his death. David wanted to to invest his money and God's eternal kingdom and God said that was a good thing, Randy Alcorn, one of the road. One was formative books that I've ever read on money for the treasure Prince was is this is a financial planners tell us that when it comes to your money.
You should just think three months or three years ahead.
You should think 30 years ahead. Christ the ultimate investment counselor takes it farther.
He says don't just ask how your investment will be paid off in 30 years. Ask how your investment will be paid off in 30 million years. Jesus told us plainly.
Matthew six do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth because that's where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and still lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. David was an example God commended him because he says am I let you build the temple as I don't need you, David, but the idea that you want to leverage what you have to do to be a part of my eternal kingdom. That's a wise thing. It's very good.
Number two offerings of gratefulness offerings of gratefulness, what you see there is David is so grateful to God for the grace that God is shown to him that he wants to give something to God to show his love for you looks around at all the got it done for any just he wants to say thank you that one of the best illustrations of this in David's life happens at the end of his life. The second signal. Chapter 24 God reveals a plot of land that this was to build the temple on misguided R&R owns it is a David approaches the sconces hey guys told me that I can I can I can buy this field so that I can provided to my son so that he could build a temple on this land in Oregon I guess is a pretty good guys is all David, don't worry about Emmanuel to pay me for that. Let that be my donation and David says one of the most remarkable statements about getting anywhere. The Bible 2424.
The king replied R&R. No, I insist on paying you for because I will not give unto the Lord my God, that which costs the nothing that's amazing.
David insist on paying for it because he knows the issue is not providing something for God that he needs the issue. The main point is the statement that David's gift is making the God about his work.
The David that I sense David says I cannot give this free because I'm not trying to provide God, something that he needs I'm trying to make a statement to God about how valuable and about a worthy estimate. So I got up at you for.
There's a statement I've been meditating on for a while.
It's not a Bible verse, but summarizes this point right here and will give it to you. I'll probably bring a backup for the next couple weeks wasn't there some gifts that are valuable for the good that they can do in the world and there are some gifts that are priceless for the statement they make about the heart of the giver and the value of the God they serve. There some guests that are valuable for the good they can do in the world and there some gifts that are priceless because of the statement they make about the heart of the giver and those of the gifts the police got because this whole thing is not about God needing your money, it's about God. When you captivate your heart you come to a point where you just look up at God and say God I am just so overwhelmed at the grace that you showed me that I have give you something, and I'm I give unto you, that which cost me nothing. You see I very humbly said of many of you, even those you to get faithful to God. Maybe your gifts actually cost you nothing.
It's like a woman in John chapter 12 who you know the story Jesus sitting down to Eden this woman who has been a prostitute or Jesus is saved and forgiven.
She comes in she so overwhelmed with emotion at the grace that God showed her that she begins to weep and she gets washed.
Jesus feet with her tears and clean off his feet with her hair and she takes his alabaster flask which would have been her greatest treasure and she shatters his alabaster flask which would've been worth in our terms is about $20,000 and she breaks this perfume over his feet. There some gifts listen better valuable for the good that they can do in the world and there some gifts are priceless because of the statement they make about the heart of the giver and the value of the God that they serve Jesus look at this woman's gift.
They said as long as the gospel is preached. What that woman did right there.
We talked about is not like God needed her gift but he made a priceless statement about her love for Jesus, the good that the gift did a minute suite near for 20 minutes deal, but it made an invaluable statement about her heart for God, here's my question for you. If David was grateful to God because of what he'd seen God do, how much more grateful.
Should you and I be who have seen the other side of how this temple would be built that it would be a temple that was a massive building project. It will be a temple that would come as a human being who would be crucified for our sins's body will be ripped open so that you and I can live eternally with God there ought to be something inside of you that rises up when you see that this is God. I just have to show you how much I love you and I will not give unto you, that which cost me nothing that will really lose me on this is you know it euros for the prodigal son.
We got father watching son comes home course son represents us coming back to God the father when he sees and runs out, and when he grabs him and he begins to smother them with kisses and for the nicest robot and puts the nicest ring that he owns on his finger to think that God felt about me so strongly God saw me and when I came home. He has had to pour out his greatest blessings on me. That ought to do something in my heart says God I just got a give something to you that shows you the love that I have for you. It's not like you need this, but I need to make a statement about how I feel about you if we were to take your gifts over the last year. What kind of statement do your gifts make about the value of God to you right here so I'm asking if I come yachting until just before us is an illustration of the Gallardo.
It's like I'm the I told you that if you're out and you come home is printed on your porch and your friend tells you that while you're out the mansion of your house. Could you owed money, but your friend, so don't worry about it.
I took care of it. Not a demand for you I asked you what kind of response do you have to that man in your answer should be, it depends on how much you paid because if you paid the post man who came because you forgot to put the correct postage on a letter you mailed. He paid $0.32 for you that you pat him on the back and you say amen appreciate that, but if he says will actually it was the IRS you owed not hundred thousand dollars in back taxes and I do project day for all of it there and haul you off to jail, but a page of text in entirety at that point you don't slap them on the back say thank you.
If all his feet and say command me right because the price you just pay for me demands a different kind of response are you looking for a motivation to go all in for Jesus. He's worthy of it. He's worthy of it because of the grace of the show to you. That's what David Saul with his money. She says it's it's given to me is a tool that I can make a statement about your value to me. Number three obedience to God's spirit. Obedience to God's spirit.
David did with his money. Exactly what God instructed of she David recognize that all that he had belong to God's will course you would do with with his money.
Whatever God said this is an overlooked element in giving a Morgan thought more about it next week but see the spirit of God is deeply involved in the Christians giving process. Whenever you look at biblical stories about people giving it almost always says things like this.
God stirred up so-and-so's heart to give it that when Moses started to collect to build the tabernacle. What he said was let each one.
Give according to what God puts on his heart Paul in second Corinthians. Let each one gives as he purposes in his spirit. In other words, let each one gives has the spirit of God lays on his heart. Giving is supposed to be a spirit thing a spirit driven thing in which the spirit moves in your heart and you listen to him and then you just obey as he directs. Sometimes I think the reason that a lot of us don't know what to give to God is that we never simply asked him what he wants us to give the reason a lot of us don't know what we should get to God is that we just never asked you ever done that you relate to God's feet.
Everything you have everything you are everything you oh God, it's all yours.
You tell me what you want to do with it. Now with something that you should probably not be here. I am not the Holy Spirit, which means I can't tell you what God wants you to give.
I can just encourage you to listen to and when you listen to them and you've obeyed him. You don't have to feel guilty because you're obeying God be settled in your own heart. Right you will answer to me. You asked this question to God. I just want you to ask the question what would Jesus have for the processes that you ever dissuaded all the user they have is yours. You tell me what you want with everything I have.
That's the question Pastor Judy Greer is asking on Senate given the past two years that we've all just lived through. There has never been a better time for the church to determine what defines it as well is what a Christian life on mission looks like. So were offering a study guide. That's all about joining God in what he's doing right now. Now JD one of the things I'm always curious about when I buy a bug or a Bible study online is the format what exactly will I hold in my hand when I receive an email that's a great question, the study call is copy the movement get some. It's essentially a four-part study with an introduction and conclusion. The book ends at each part can have a few pages of teaching for me and our team here at Summit life, written out, followed by a handful of questions every once in a while Molly we get the critique here at Summit life that I talk a little quickly live disorder automatically, 1.5 speed and so that's you and you like out of a slow this down. The great news is that this book is for you and then there's this is a pretty robust prayer section that gives you prompts to help you respond to what you just spent time studying.
By the way, another question we get a life here is like I want to have a prayer time.
This will help actually put some structure to it so that you can move along with the Holy Spirit and Scripture in prayer and I think it will help you have a more happy at this new study today and thinking how many 20 even movement study online.com Molly tomorrow and Thursday. Prayer ministry