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Christ and Money · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Take out the copy of God's Word I hope you brought with you today.
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Go ahead and turn to 1 Timothy chapter 6.
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!
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And we started out this series in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, kind of set as our theme for it, verses 22 and 23, which read,
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I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
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I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessing.
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And so we see that Paul was in this process as he lived in this world of self-denial and self-control,
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of denying himself some of the privileges bought for him in the gospel, but for a greater joy.
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He was willing to trade some of his liberty to do certain things, act certain ways,
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in order that he might see some come to know Christ and share with them in its blessing.
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And so we have picked up a number of topics and addressed it from this perspective.
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And this morning's topic is Christ and money.
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And we certainly live, as Americans, in a culture that is incredibly consumeristic.
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I would say if there's a defining characteristic of American culture, it is consumerism.
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It controls how we think.
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It controls our desires.
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We live in a place that is about consumption.
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So how should we as Christians think about this part of our culture?
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How should we act in regards to it?
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And how should we interact with it for the sake of the gospel, to advance God's kingdom in this world?
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The scriptures certainly are not silent on this topic.
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It doesn't take me long to find a main text or proof text.
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The hard thing about preparing a sermon of this nature is to decide what to disclude.
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What do we not talk about?
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What proof verses do I not use?
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Because the Bible is full of conversation about money.
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Christ talks about it.
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Paul talks about it.
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John talks about it.
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James talks about it.
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It is everywhere about the scriptures.
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So before we begin plowing through much of that, let's pray together.
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And I'll get cranky.
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Father, we love you and I thank you for these people.
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I thank you that you have drawn us together this morning and that you care about all of our eternal souls.
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I thank you that we hold in our hands the written word of God that certainly was written by men and addressed to men, but was inspired by your Holy Spirit.
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And it means something for our lives today.
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So I pray, God, by your spirit that you will apply the truths we discussed today to our individual lives.
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We might understand what it looks like to worship you with all that we have.
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And I pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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So let me start not with the main text that I had to turn to.
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Although I promised to get there very briefly.
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But let me start in Mark chapter 4, verse 18 and 19, which is the parable of the sower.
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You're welcome to try to keep up with me, but I'm going to cruise and not wait for the flipping pages to stop.
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Okay.
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The way I want to start this is with a stern warning.
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Wealth, money has been given to us for our benefit, but it has many, many dangers.
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And so I want to start this morning by setting the stage of the danger of possession.
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So Mark chapter 4, verses 18 and 19, towards the end of the parable of the sower.
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Jesus says,
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And others are the ones sown among thorns.
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They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches
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and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
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These are those who the truth of Christ has been sown into their lives,
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but because of the deceitfulness of treasure, the deceitfulness of consumerism,
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that truth is choked out.
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1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 10,
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For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
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It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith
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and pierced themselves with many pains.
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Luke chapter 18, verses 24 and 25,
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Jesus says,
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How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God,
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for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
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than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
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Because why?
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Because they love their money.
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And I'll remind you that right after that, his disciples said,
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Then how can anybody get in?
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He said, With God, all things are possible.
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But that's an aside.
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Luke chapter 12, verse 33 and 34,
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Jesus instructs,
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Sell your possessions and give to the needy.
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Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old,
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with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail,
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where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
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For where your treasure is,
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there your heart will be awesome.
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Where your value, where you place value is what you desire.
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It's reflective of what you most desire.
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Money has value, right?
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In America, the value of our money is declining rather rapidly.
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But the bills that we pull out of our wallets,
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the coins that we carry,
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the zeros and ones that are represented by our bank accounts and on our cards,
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have value.
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We've all decided together that we will use this currency to buy and sell goods.
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But beyond that, it has value to show what we value.
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College students, you value education.
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So you spend money on education.
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Lots of money on education.
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We all value entertainment.
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I'm sure way too much.
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So we spend money on Netflix and baseball games.
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Things of that nature.
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I'm not saying these things are bad.
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But what I'm saying is that the way we spend our money shows what we most care about.
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And nothing, nothing in this world is free.
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Save the free gift of the gospel.
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But nothing else is free.
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A group of us yesterday from Christ's family went with Set Free Ministries out of Gainesville
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to Atlanta to minister to homeless people living under bridges.
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Doesn't sound like an expensive thing to do,
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but we rode together in a 12-passenger van that consumes fuel.
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And we had to fuel it up to get down there.
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And gas costs money.
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Everything that we do as a church and as Christians is going to cost us something to accomplish it.
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So how we're spending our money is going to show what we most value.
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Luke chapter 16, verse 13.
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Jesus says,
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No servant can serve two masters.
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For either he will hate the one and love the other,
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or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
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You cannot serve God and money.
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And here's the shocking truth about American Christianity.
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The church is failing, failing to serve God with its money.
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I'll say I believe that this church does a much better job of this than most.
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So I'm not mostly getting on to you at this point.
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But the American church is failing.
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I read a, I was going to say a great article,
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it was actually kind of a repressing article in Christianity Today
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that was written out of a study called Passing the Plate.
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And in this article I discovered that Christian evangelicals,
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so not all Christians in America,
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but just those who claim to be evangelicals,
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those who believe that the church's modus operandi
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is to share the gospel and to carry the gospel to the world.
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The average evangelical Christian gives 2.3% of their income.
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2.3%.
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Now, get this.
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If they gave 10%,
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which I believe is the easy minimum,
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if they gave 10%,
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Christian evangelicals would be giving
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$85.5 billion more per year.
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What a staggering figure.
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I can't even begin to tell you what that would accomplish.
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I can't even wrap my mind around $85.5 billion more.
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That's a figure, I abbreviated it.
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We don't even write that out.
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That's a crazy large number.
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$85.5 billion per year.
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Now, of those Christians who say they're committed Christians,
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I would argue the definition here,
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but committed Christians who say they attend church
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at least twice a month.
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But we're narrowing the field a little bit more.
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Those who attend at least twice a month,
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catch this.
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Those who make less than $12,500 a year
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give 7% of their income,
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which is a figure that's not even touched
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until a household makes more than $90,000 a year,
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and they give 8.8%.
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So if you have any idea that someday
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when you make more money,
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you'll begin to give.
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You don't really give now
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because things are real tight now.
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But, you know, someday you're going to get freed up
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to give more,
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and you're planning on doing that.
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The statistics say you're not going to
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until you hit six figures.
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And even those still aren't reaching 10%,
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8.8%.
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These are these six-figure salaries.
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It's shocking.
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The American church is failing
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to serve God with its money.
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And the world looks on.
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We are totally disillusioned
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if we don't think that unbelievers
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are watching what we're doing.
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They pay attention to the buildings that we build.
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And I'm not against large buildings.
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Large buildings house lots of people.
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I think that's great.
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But I am dead set against decadent buildings.
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People drive by and see what we care about
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when they look at our buildings.
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I went through the drive-thru at McDonald's this morning.
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You know who else is going through the drive-thru
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at McDonald's this morning?
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People going to church.
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Everyone, I would guess, going to church.
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The people working minimum wage at McDonald's
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pay attention to the kind of cars we're driving.
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They pay attention to what we're ordering.
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They notice what we care about.
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And if we're going to live in a consumeristic culture,
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I think this is one way,
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not the only way,
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but this is one way
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that we can so easily,
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as believers,
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set ourselves apart
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from the rest of the world.
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Not without personal sacrifice.
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I'm not saying it'll be easy personally.
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But a simple thing
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that can change about the way we live
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and show people
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that we care about something different
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than what they care about.
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So this morning,
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I want you to hear me
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so carefully
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that my heart is the heart of Paul
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in 2 Corinthians 12, 14,
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when he said,
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I seek not what is yours,
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but you.
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This is not a guilt you into giving
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sermon
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for our sake.
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This is a guilt you into giving sermon
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for your sake.
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We have denied you discipleship.
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We don't teach you
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that you ought to give
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all that you have
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for the cause of Christ.
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We are denying you
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immense joy.
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We don't do that.
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So let's look.
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1 Timothy,
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chapter 6,
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verse 17
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through 19.
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All right.
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As for the rich
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in this present age,
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charge them not to be haughty,
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nor to set their hopes
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on the uncertainty of riches,
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but on God,
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who richly provides us
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with everything to enjoy.
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They are to do good,
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to be rich in good works,
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to be generous
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and ready to share,
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thus storing up treasure
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for themselves
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as a good foundation
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for the future,
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so that they may take hold
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of that
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which is truly
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life.
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Well,
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this morning,
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I just have
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two points
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from our exegesis
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of this text,
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and then
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four practical steps
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that we can take.
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Let me begin by saying
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many of you already
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may have
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dismissed this text
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previously
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or maybe even
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this morning
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as I read
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as for the rich
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in this present age
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in your mind
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immediately said,
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great,
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I'm off the hook.
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Fantastic.
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You're not rich
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from your perspective,
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but you are rich
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from the perspective
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of the rest
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of the world.
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College students,
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you are in
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the 90th percentile
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of income earners
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in the world.
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90th percentile.
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90% of the world
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makes less money
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than you do.
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As strapped as you are,
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you are wealthy
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in comparison.
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Now,
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I understand the cost
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of living in America
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is higher.
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I'm not saying
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that you should live
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on a dollar a day
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like some people
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in the world
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are able to do.
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I get that.
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But I believe
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that Paul's writing
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as he's carried along
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by the Spirit of God
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is for us
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as for the rich.
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none of us.
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Probably shouldn't
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just say that,
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but I don't think
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any of us
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have ever really
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been hungry.
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I'll be hungry
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later.
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I mean,
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probably that's how
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I'll know
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I should be wrapping
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things up.
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My stomach will begin
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telling me I'm hungry,
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but I've never
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really been
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truly hungry.
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I've never really
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lacked.
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I might think
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I've lacked.
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I might think
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I haven't had
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something that
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I really needed.
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I've always had
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everything I needed.
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I never worried
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about where
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my next meal
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would come from.
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There's always
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been food in my
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cabinet and in my
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fridge.
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I have never
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walked it
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for anything.
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We are rich.
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If we have
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any lack,
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it's so easy
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to go get
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what we need.
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There's so much
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wealth in this
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country.
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We are the
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rich.
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So point
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number one,
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hope in money
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is no hope
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at all.
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Hope in money
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is no hope
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at all.
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Verse 17,
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Paul instructs
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Timothy to
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instruct us
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that we ought
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not to be
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haughty.
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Why?
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Because riches
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are uncertain.
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The NASB
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renders the
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word haughty
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as conceited.
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The Greek
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word means
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high-minded
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or proud.
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We ought
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not think
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we are
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something
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because we
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have things.
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We ought
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not think
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we have
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figured it
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out,
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that we
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have earned
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it,
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that we
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are something
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to be
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bragged
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about.
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Why?
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Because God
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gave it to you.
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You may
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have a high-paying
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job, but you
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have worked
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very hard
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to get.
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But you
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have worked
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very hard
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by what
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power?
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God's.
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The talents
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that you
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employ to
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earn income
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given to you
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by God.
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You have
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nothing apart
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from him.
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Previously,
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in this chapter,
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chapter 6,
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verse 7,
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Paul writes,
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we brought
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nothing into
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the world,
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and we
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cannot take
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anything out
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of it.
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I'm sure
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you've heard
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this before,
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you never
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see the
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U-Haul
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behind the
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hearse.
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It can't
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go with
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you.
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All
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throughout
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history,
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wealthy
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men have
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been trying
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to take
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possessions
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with them.
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That's
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what the
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pyramids
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are about,
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massing
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up their
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wealth so
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that they
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could have
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it in
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the
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afterlife.
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Guess
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what?
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It was
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dug up,
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and people
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took it
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and put
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it in
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the
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museum.
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It
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didn't
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go with
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them.
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You
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cannot
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take it
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with you.
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It was
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given to
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you as a
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gift,
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and it
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came from
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my
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mother's
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womb,
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and naked
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shall I
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return.
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The Lord
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gave,
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and the
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Lord is
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taken away.
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Now remember,
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he says this
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right after his
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whole family
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is taken from
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him,
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and all of
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his possessions.
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His health
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hasn't been
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attacked yet,
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but everything
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he owned,
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gone.
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And then he
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says,
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blessed be
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the name
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of the
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Lord.
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Did Job
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hope in
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what he
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had,
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or in
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the God
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who had
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given it
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to him?
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Most
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certainly,
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the God
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who gave
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it to him.
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God richly
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provides for
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us everything
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to enjoy.
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Have you
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ever heard
18:40
this pulled
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right out
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of its
18:42
context?
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I have,
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about every
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time I've
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ever talked
18:45
about money,
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any group
18:47
of Christians.
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Yeah,
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but Nathan,
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God gives
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us everything
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to enjoy.
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Yeah,
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you should
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read the
18:52
rest of
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that chapter.
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It concludes
18:54
in a much
18:55
different way
18:55
than you
18:56
think.
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Let's
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look quickly
18:59
at 1
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John
18:59
chapter 2,
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15 through
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17.
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The little
19:02
context,
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even if
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we don't
19:04
read the
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rest of
19:04
the text.
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In 1
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Timothy,
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John writes,
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Do not
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love the
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world or
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the things
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in the
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world.
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If anyone
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loves the
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world,
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the love
19:11
of the
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Father
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is not
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in him.
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For all
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that is
19:13
in the
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world,
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the desires
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of the
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flesh,
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and the
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desires
19:15
of the
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eyes,
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and pride
19:16
of life,
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is not
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from the
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Father,
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but is
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from the
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world.
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And the
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world is
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passing
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away,
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along
19:21
with its
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desires,
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but whoever
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does the
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will of
19:24
God
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abides
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forever.
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This word
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abides is
19:29
the Greek
19:29
word
19:29
meno,
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and it
19:30
means to
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live,
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but it
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means it
19:33
in a much
19:33
different way
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than we
19:35
would use
19:35
the word
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live.
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Some of
19:37
your translation
19:37
may say
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does the
19:39
will of
19:39
God
19:39
lives
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forever,
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but the
19:41
idea behind
19:41
it is
19:42
a tarrying
19:43
in Christ.
19:45
It's life
19:46
in Christ.
19:47
It's true
19:47
life.
19:49
It's not
19:49
just being
19:50
cognizant
19:51
and aware,
19:52
it's being
19:53
with the
19:54
one we were
19:55
meant to be
19:56
with.
19:56
It's about
19:57
being found
19:57
in Christ
19:58
that our
19:59
redemption
20:00
is complete,
20:01
that our
20:02
relationship
20:02
with God
20:03
is restored.
20:05
True
20:05
life.
20:08
Which
20:08
brings us
20:09
to my
20:10
second point.
20:12
Firstly,
20:13
hope in
20:13
money is
20:14
no hope
20:14
at all.
20:16
Secondly,
20:16
we are
20:17
given money
20:17
for our
20:19
eternal
20:20
joy.
20:21
And that's
20:21
what people
20:22
miss when
20:22
they read
20:23
this and
20:24
think that
20:25
it's a
20:25
justification
20:25
to just
20:26
amass for
20:27
themselves
20:27
stuff and
20:29
things to
20:29
enjoy here
20:30
and now.
20:31
They miss
20:32
that there's
20:33
an eternal
20:34
purpose for
20:35
the things
20:35
that they've
20:36
been given.
20:37
Verse 18
20:38
and 19,
20:39
they are to
20:39
do good,
20:40
to be rich
20:40
in good works,
20:41
to be generous
20:42
and ready to
20:43
share.
20:44
Thus storing up
20:45
treasure for
20:45
themselves is a
20:46
good foundation
20:47
for the future
20:47
so they may
20:48
take hold of
20:49
that which is
20:50
truly life.
20:51
life.
20:52
The things
20:53
given to you
20:54
are not given
20:54
to you to
20:56
enjoy the
20:56
things.
20:58
They're given
20:58
to you as a
20:59
resource for
21:01
what?
21:02
Verse 18,
21:03
to do good,
21:04
to be rich in
21:04
good works,
21:05
to be generous,
21:06
ready to share.
21:06
That's why they
21:07
were given to
21:07
you.
21:08
Why?
21:09
For your
21:10
eternal joy,
21:11
that you might
21:12
store up
21:13
treasure and
21:14
take hold of
21:15
that which is
21:16
truly life.
21:17
life in Christ.
21:20
That you might
21:21
have more of
21:22
Him,
21:23
not more
21:23
stuff.
21:26
And you see
21:26
the deceitfulness
21:27
of the stuff.
21:30
You see that we
21:31
have it and we
21:31
want it and
21:32
Satan tells us
21:33
it's okay to
21:34
have it.
21:35
And constantly
21:36
throughout the
21:37
scriptures we're
21:38
taught it's for
21:39
you but for a
21:41
greater thing.
21:42
You trade it
21:43
for greater joy.
21:46
That's the way
21:47
we're called
21:47
to live.
21:49
Good works.
21:50
Ephesians 2,
21:51
verse 10,
21:52
for we are His
21:52
workmanship,
21:53
created in Christ
21:54
Jesus for good
21:56
works,
21:57
which God
21:57
prepared beforehand
21:59
that we should
21:59
walk in them.
22:01
I can't tell you
22:02
exactly what you
22:04
should do with
22:04
all of your
22:04
resources and
22:05
where you should
22:06
serve and how
22:06
you should spend
22:07
that money,
22:08
but certainly
22:10
God can.
22:13
Because you're
22:13
His workmanship,
22:14
created in Christ.
22:15
You have the
22:16
Spirit of God
22:16
within you.
22:17
For good works,
22:19
prepared beforehand
22:21
that you should
22:21
walk in them.
22:23
God's got
22:24
marching orders
22:24
for you,
22:25
so don't ask
22:26
me what you
22:26
should do with
22:26
your money.
22:27
Ask Him.
22:28
I promise
22:29
He'll tell you.
22:31
And we're to be
22:32
generous and
22:33
ready to share.
22:35
I don't know
22:36
how often you
22:36
read your
22:37
English translations
22:38
and wonder why
22:40
things seem
22:41
redundant.
22:42
that felt redundant
22:45
to me when I
22:45
read it.
22:46
Paul, why
22:46
did you say
22:46
generous and
22:47
ready to share?
22:48
Those are two
22:49
things kind of
22:49
synonymous,
22:51
and that always
22:51
causes me to
22:52
learn Greek a
22:54
couple of days
22:55
ahead of you
22:55
so that I can
22:56
help you
22:56
understand it.
22:59
Fascinating here.
23:00
Both of these
23:00
words in Greek
23:01
are adjectives.
23:02
They are
23:02
speaking of,
23:03
they're modifying
23:04
the subject,
23:06
which is
23:06
the rich,
23:07
us,
23:09
we are to be
23:10
generous and
23:12
ready to share.
23:13
And they
23:14
mean simply
23:16
we're to be
23:16
generous actively.
23:19
So the word
23:20
translated generous
23:21
is a pretty good
23:21
translation.
23:22
We're to be
23:23
philanthropic,
23:24
giving.
23:25
We're to hold
23:26
loosely to money
23:27
and be willing
23:27
to share it
23:28
with others.
23:30
The Greek
23:31
term translated
23:32
ready to share
23:33
carries with it
23:34
the idea of
23:36
maintaining social
23:37
activity in
23:39
such a way
23:39
that you are
23:40
forcing others
23:42
to take
23:43
what is yours.
23:45
So it's a
23:45
constant
23:46
pouring out
23:48
of the things
23:48
that have been
23:49
given to you
23:49
into the hands
23:51
of others.
23:52
Generous
23:52
actively.
23:54
I think that's
23:55
cool.
23:57
And we are
23:58
to live in
24:00
this way
24:01
with the things
24:01
that we have
24:02
not to be
24:04
depressed,
24:06
not to
24:07
God's
24:08
called me
24:08
to give
24:08
away the
24:08
things I
24:09
have.
24:09
I'll do
24:10
that because
24:11
I'm going
24:11
to be
24:11
obedient.
24:12
We're not
24:12
stoics.
24:14
Stoicism was
24:15
a horrible
24:16
movement in
24:17
Christian religion
24:18
and it still
24:19
kind of infects
24:20
us.
24:20
All of this
24:21
is for our
24:22
greater good.
24:23
And it's so
24:23
cool how every
24:24
time we're
24:25
bringing more
24:25
honor and glory
24:26
to God,
24:27
we benefit.
24:28
It's so
24:29
rad that as
24:30
we exalt
24:31
him, we get
24:32
more of him,
24:33
we are involved
24:34
in his process,
24:35
we get to
24:35
see him,
24:36
and it's
24:37
good for us.
24:39
You just
24:40
think certain
24:41
things are
24:42
better for you
24:43
than Christ.
24:43
That's never
24:44
true.
24:47
Never.
24:49
It's idolatry
24:50
to think that.
24:53
In your life,
24:56
ask the question,
24:57
would I be
25:00
happier if I
25:02
had, fill in
25:03
the blank to
25:04
that, I would
25:05
be so much
25:06
happier if I
25:07
had, whatever
25:10
drops into that
25:10
spot in your
25:11
mind is an
25:12
idol.
25:13
What you should
25:13
put in that
25:14
spot, Christ.
25:16
I would be
25:17
happier if I
25:17
had more
25:17
Christ.
25:19
Awesome, because
25:19
that's a free
25:20
offer.
25:20
And he's
25:21
going to keep
25:21
on giving
25:21
himself to me.
25:23
Never going
25:24
to run out of
25:24
more Christ.
25:27
I am not a
25:28
decadent person.
25:29
I am actually
25:30
not very tempted
25:31
to live lavishly.
25:33
But there's an
25:34
area of my life
25:35
that I do this
25:36
in because I
25:37
hate car trouble.
25:38
I just despise
25:40
it.
25:40
It's such an
25:40
inconvenience.
25:41
I'm kind of
25:43
mechanically minded,
25:43
but I never
25:44
really learned
25:45
how to work on
25:45
cars.
25:46
Some guys are
25:46
like, cool,
25:47
the car's
25:47
broken.
25:48
I get to
25:48
spend some
25:48
time fixing
25:49
it.
25:50
No thank
25:50
you.
25:52
And I don't
25:53
want new
25:54
vehicles for
25:55
the cool
25:56
factor of a
25:57
new vehicle.
25:57
I don't
25:57
care about
25:58
that at
25:58
all.
25:59
I just
26:00
want reliable
26:00
cars.
26:01
And Sam
26:02
and I have
26:02
cars that
26:03
are paid
26:03
for.
26:04
We believe
26:04
that we've
26:05
been led
26:05
to do
26:05
that.
26:06
They're not
26:06
incredibly
26:07
reliable.
26:09
And I'm
26:10
just nervous
26:11
driving everywhere
26:11
I go.
26:12
And I'm
26:12
going to get
26:13
to the place
26:13
that I'm
26:14
hoping to
26:14
get to.
26:15
My truck
26:15
has over
26:16
200,000
26:16
miles on it.
26:17
I don't
26:17
know what's
26:17
going to
26:17
happen.
26:19
And often
26:19
in my mind
26:20
I think I
26:21
would just
26:21
be more
26:23
comfortable if
26:25
I had a
26:25
newer car.
26:25
I would
26:27
just feel a
26:28
little bit
26:29
better about
26:30
my life if
26:31
I had a
26:33
car.
26:34
No car
26:35
reliable.
26:36
It's all
26:37
turning to
26:38
dust.
26:38
It's all
26:39
fading away.
26:40
It's not
26:41
eternal.
26:41
And I
26:41
should say
26:42
praise God
26:43
that I can
26:44
hope in
26:44
him.
26:44
He gave me
26:45
this truck.
26:45
If he wants
26:46
it to run
26:46
it'll run.
26:47
If he wants
26:47
it to die
26:48
it'll die.
26:49
And I'll
26:49
have the
26:49
time to
26:50
fix it and
26:50
the money.
26:51
because he
26:52
cares about
26:52
it.
26:54
That should
26:54
be our
26:55
attitude.
26:57
1 Corinthians
26:58
15.32
26:59
Paul talks
27:01
about the
27:01
resurrection.
27:03
And he's
27:04
talking about
27:04
the trouble
27:06
of Christian
27:07
living.
27:08
And he
27:09
says if
27:09
there is
27:09
no God
27:10
if the
27:10
dead aren't
27:11
raised
27:11
what should
27:12
we do?
27:13
We should
27:13
eat and
27:14
drink and
27:15
be merry
27:15
for tomorrow
27:16
we die.
27:17
We should
27:18
spend everything
27:18
we have on
27:19
us if there
27:20
is no God.
27:22
But there
27:23
is.
27:24
1 Timothy
27:25
chapter 5
27:25
verse 6
27:26
Paul's
27:27
talking about
27:28
widows who
27:29
are self
27:29
indulgent and
27:30
he says but
27:31
she who is
27:32
self indulgent
27:32
is dead even
27:34
while she
27:35
lives.
27:37
If you live
27:38
to serve you
27:39
with your
27:40
resources
27:40
you're dead.
27:43
And the two
27:43
options are that
27:44
you're not
27:44
found in
27:45
Christ.
27:46
You don't
27:46
know him.
27:47
You've never
27:47
placed your
27:47
faith in him.
27:48
He hasn't
27:48
changed your
27:49
heart at all.
27:50
You don't
27:50
desire him.
27:51
If you
27:53
spend all of
27:54
your money
27:54
on you
27:54
because you're
27:55
not a
27:56
Christian that
27:56
makes a
27:56
lot of
27:57
sense.
27:59
You have
27:59
it acknowledged
28:00
with your
28:00
heart or
28:00
with your
28:01
mind that
28:01
there even
28:01
is a
28:02
God.
28:03
That the
28:03
eternal state
28:04
even matters.
28:05
So you better
28:05
eat, drink,
28:05
and be
28:06
merry because
28:06
this is all
28:06
you've got.
28:08
The rest of
28:09
your existence
28:09
is going to
28:10
be hell.
28:13
But if there
28:13
is a God
28:14
and there
28:14
is and you
28:16
are known
28:16
by him,
28:18
you're
28:18
found in
28:18
Christ,
28:19
and you
28:20
don't live
28:22
for him,
28:24
you just
28:24
need to
28:25
wake up.
28:26
You've
28:26
been lulled
28:27
to sleep
28:28
by our
28:29
culture.
28:30
You have
28:30
been told
28:31
that you
28:32
need certain
28:33
things to
28:34
be happy.
28:35
Begin really
28:37
paying attention
28:37
to commercials.
28:39
You know
28:40
what marketing
28:40
people do?
28:42
Their job
28:42
is to convince
28:43
you that
28:44
you're not
28:45
happy,
28:45
that you're
28:46
less of a
28:46
person,
28:47
that you
28:48
can't possibly
28:48
be content
28:49
if you don't
28:50
have the
28:50
thing they're
28:51
trying to
28:51
sell.
28:52
It's with
28:53
everything.
28:54
Ladies,
28:55
makeup,
28:56
all of that
28:57
is about
28:57
making you
28:58
feel ugly
28:59
so you'll
28:59
buy the
29:00
products so
29:00
you can be
29:01
pretty like
29:02
the girl
29:02
commercial.
29:04
Guys,
29:05
have you
29:05
noticed how
29:06
many guy
29:07
products are
29:07
sold to us
29:08
with women?
29:09
If you use
29:10
this deodorant,
29:12
you'll have
29:12
these women.
29:14
It makes no
29:14
sense whatsoever.
29:16
We are so
29:17
stupid.
29:18
We buy it.
29:20
We buy it.
29:20
We swallow
29:21
it right up.
29:23
For a while,
29:24
I lived with
29:24
Jamie and
29:25
Chris.
29:25
They were
29:25
gracious enough
29:26
to me when
29:26
they were
29:26
living in
29:27
Swanee,
29:27
and I
29:28
worked for
29:28
Chris.
29:29
Every day,
29:30
I had to
29:30
drive through
29:30
the Mall of
29:31
Georgia,
29:32
make that
29:33
little trek
29:33
through there.
29:35
Even just
29:36
going through
29:37
an area like
29:38
that where
29:38
everything is
29:39
shiny and
29:39
new,
29:40
and there's
29:40
all those
29:40
new cars,
29:41
and everybody's
29:41
driving new
29:42
cars,
29:43
and I
29:43
think at
29:43
the time
29:44
I was
29:44
driving an
29:44
old Jeep,
29:45
and it
29:45
just suddenly
29:47
starts to
29:48
work into
29:48
you.
29:48
I'm not
29:48
happy.
29:49
I don't
29:49
have
29:50
everything
29:50
else that
29:50
everybody
29:51
else has.
29:55
Dead.
29:55
How
29:55
miserable.
29:57
You've
29:58
been granted
29:58
true life
29:59
now to
30:01
experience
30:01
Christ by
30:02
moment of
30:03
each day,
30:04
and to
30:05
have him
30:05
forever.
30:06
Why do we
30:06
spend money
30:07
on the
30:08
things we
30:09
spend money
30:09
on?
30:09
Turn with
30:12
me to
30:12
Luke chapter
30:12
12.
30:17
Derive this
30:18
point with
30:19
a parable
30:19
that Jesus
30:20
told.
30:27
Luke chapter
30:27
12, and I'm
30:28
going to start
30:28
reading in
30:29
verse 13.
30:34
Luke records,
30:35
someone in
30:35
the crowd
30:36
said to
30:36
him,
30:36
Teacher,
30:37
tell my
30:38
brother to
30:38
divide the
30:39
inheritance
30:39
with me.
30:41
But he
30:41
said to
30:42
him,
30:42
Jesus said
30:42
to him,
30:43
Man, who
30:44
made me a
30:44
judge or
30:45
arbitrator over
30:46
you?
30:46
So he
30:46
basically said,
30:47
you're asking
30:48
me a question
30:48
that's not
30:49
my job.
30:50
My job is
30:50
not to tell
30:51
you how the
30:52
inheritance
30:52
should get
30:52
worked out.
30:53
That's not
30:54
why I came.
30:56
So then he
30:56
turns to the
30:57
crowd.
30:57
Notice the
30:57
pronoun change.
30:58
Verse 15,
30:59
and then he
30:59
said to them,
31:00
so all those
31:01
who were
31:01
gathered to
31:01
hear him,
31:02
he says,
31:03
take care and
31:05
be on your
31:05
guard against
31:06
all covetousness.
31:08
My assumption
31:09
is he knew
31:10
this man was
31:11
coveting the
31:11
inheritance.
31:12
Against all
31:12
covetousness.
31:13
For one's
31:14
life does not
31:14
consist in the
31:16
abundance of
31:17
his possessions.
31:19
Now, note
31:20
here, he says
31:22
all covetousness.
31:24
You don't have
31:25
to have things
31:26
to worship
31:26
things.
31:26
You can
31:27
certainly
31:27
worship things
31:28
and have
31:28
nothing.
31:29
And he
31:33
told them a
31:33
parable saying,
31:34
verse 16,
31:34
he told them
31:35
a parable saying
31:35
to the whole
31:37
crowd,
31:37
the land of a
31:38
rich man
31:38
produced
31:39
plentifully.
31:40
And he
31:41
thought to
31:41
himself,
31:41
what shall I
31:42
do?
31:42
For I have
31:43
nowhere to
31:43
store my
31:44
crops.
31:44
And he
31:45
said,
31:45
I will do
31:45
this.
31:46
I will tear
31:46
down my
31:46
barns and
31:47
build larger
31:47
ones.
31:48
And there I
31:48
will store
31:49
all my
31:49
grain and
31:50
my goods.
31:50
And I
31:51
will say
31:51
to my
31:51
soul,
31:51
soul,
31:52
you have
31:52
ample goods
31:53
laid up for
31:53
many years.
31:54
Relax,
31:55
eat,
31:55
drink,
31:56
be merry.
31:57
That's not
31:57
familiar?
31:59
God said to
31:59
him,
32:00
fool,
32:01
this night
32:02
your soul
32:03
is required
32:03
of you.
32:04
And the
32:04
things you
32:05
have prepared,
32:06
whose will
32:06
they be?
32:07
So is the
32:08
one who lays
32:08
up treasure
32:09
for himself
32:09
and is not
32:10
rich toward
32:12
God.
32:14
That's an
32:15
interesting
32:15
phrase.
32:15
It's the only
32:16
place it's
32:16
found in the
32:17
New Testament
32:17
is not rich
32:19
toward God.
32:20
And I
32:20
think it
32:21
means simply
32:21
this,
32:23
that we
32:23
are to take
32:24
the possessions
32:24
we have and
32:25
in being rich
32:26
toward God,
32:27
we're meant
32:27
to tell the
32:29
world what
32:30
we value.
32:33
Certainly
32:33
not what
32:35
this rich
32:35
man was
32:36
doing.
32:37
His sin
32:38
was not
32:38
that his
32:39
fields produced
32:39
plentifully.
32:42
It's okay
32:43
to have a
32:43
job that
32:44
pays you
32:44
well.
32:45
We'll get
32:46
to that.
32:46
I hope
32:46
you do.
32:48
That was
32:48
not his
32:49
sin.
32:49
His sin
32:49
was that
32:50
he took
32:50
it and
32:51
he used
32:52
it for
32:53
him.
32:54
He said
32:55
to the
32:55
world,
32:56
what I care
32:56
about is
32:57
comfort.
32:59
I care
32:59
about
33:00
parties.
33:02
I want
33:02
to just
33:02
hang out,
33:04
eat,
33:05
drink,
33:06
be merry.
33:07
It's a
33:08
common
33:08
Greek phrase.
33:11
It was
33:11
a
33:11
c'est la vie,
33:12
enjoy life,
33:13
hedonism.
33:14
That's what
33:15
that phrasing
33:16
meant.
33:17
He used
33:18
that and
33:19
said to
33:20
the world,
33:21
I don't
33:22
care about
33:22
God.
33:23
I'm not
33:23
going to be
33:24
rich toward
33:24
him,
33:24
I'm going
33:24
to be
33:24
rich toward
33:25
me.
33:26
And so
33:26
why
33:27
ultimately
33:27
was his
33:29
soul
33:30
required
33:30
of him?
33:30
Why
33:31
was he
33:31
damned?
33:33
It's
33:33
because he
33:34
didn't
33:34
treasure
33:35
God.
33:37
He
33:37
treasured
33:38
himself.
33:40
Now note
33:40
he turns,
33:42
again we
33:42
have a
33:43
turning of
33:44
attention
33:44
in verse
33:44
22.
33:46
He says
33:46
to his
33:47
disciples,
33:49
so he's
33:49
making a
33:50
general call
33:50
to the
33:50
crowd to
33:51
say,
33:52
if you
33:53
are part
33:53
of my
33:54
kingdom,
33:54
you're
33:55
not going
33:56
to be
33:56
this
33:56
fool.
33:58
Then he
33:58
turns to
33:58
his
33:58
disciples,
33:59
those who
33:59
were part
33:59
of the
34:00
kingdom,
34:01
and he
34:01
raises the
34:03
bar a little
34:03
bit,
34:03
explains it
34:04
a little
34:04
bit more,
34:05
and says,
34:06
therefore I
34:06
tell you,
34:06
do not be
34:07
anxious about
34:08
your life,
34:09
what you
34:09
will eat,
34:09
nor about
34:10
your body,
34:11
what you
34:11
will put
34:11
on.
34:13
For life
34:13
is more
34:14
than food,
34:15
and the
34:15
body more
34:16
than clothing.
34:17
I believe
34:18
he's talking
34:18
about that
34:18
true life
34:19
in him.
34:20
Consider
34:21
the ravens
34:21
that have
34:21
sowed or
34:22
reap,
34:22
they have
34:22
neither
34:23
storehouse nor
34:23
barn,
34:24
and yet God
34:24
feeds them.
34:25
Of how much
34:26
more value
34:26
are you
34:27
than birds?
34:28
I hope you
34:29
know this
34:30
morning you're
34:30
way more
34:31
valuable than
34:31
birds.
34:32
Created in the
34:33
image of God,
34:34
you're of
34:35
infinite more
34:36
value than
34:36
birds.
34:38
And which of
34:39
you by being
34:39
anxious can
34:40
add a single
34:41
hour to a
34:41
span of life?
34:42
If then you
34:43
are not able
34:44
to do a
34:45
small thing
34:45
as that,
34:46
why are you
34:47
anxious about
34:48
the rest?
34:49
Which time
34:50
do we
34:50
spend doing
34:51
things,
34:52
orienting our
34:52
lives in
34:53
such a way,
34:54
even financially,
34:55
thinking that
34:55
we're extending
34:56
our life?
34:57
Jesus says
34:58
that's a
34:58
really small
34:59
thing,
35:00
and you
35:00
can't
35:00
accomplish
35:01
it.
35:02
Consider
35:02
the lilies
35:02
how they
35:03
grow,
35:03
that neither
35:03
toil nor
35:04
spin,
35:04
yet I
35:05
tell you,
35:05
even Solomon
35:06
in all his
35:06
glory was
35:07
not arrayed
35:07
like one
35:07
of these.
35:08
But if
35:08
God so
35:09
clothes the
35:09
grass which
35:10
is alive
35:10
in the
35:10
field today
35:11
and tomorrow
35:12
is thrown
35:12
into the
35:12
oven,
35:13
how much
35:13
more will
35:14
he clothe
35:14
you,
35:15
or you
35:15
of little
35:16
faith?
35:16
Do not
35:18
seek what
35:18
you are
35:18
to eat
35:19
or what
35:19
you are
35:19
to drink,
35:20
nor be
35:20
worried.
35:21
For all
35:21
the nations
35:22
of the world
35:22
seek after
35:23
these things,
35:24
and your
35:24
Father knows
35:25
that you
35:25
need them.
35:26
Instead,
35:27
seek his
35:27
kingdom,
35:28
and these
35:29
things will
35:30
be added
35:30
to you.
35:32
Seek
35:32
Christ.
35:34
Take hold
35:34
of that which
35:34
is truly
35:35
life.
35:35
Store up
35:36
for yourself
35:36
treasure in
35:37
heaven,
35:38
for moth
35:38
and rust
35:38
does not
35:39
destroy.
35:41
Find your
35:41
pleasure in
35:42
God,
35:44
and the
35:45
necessities
35:45
of life
35:46
they'll
35:47
be there.
35:51
Fear not,
35:52
little
35:52
flock,
35:53
for it
35:53
is your
35:53
father's
35:54
good pleasure
35:54
to give
35:55
you the
35:55
kingdom.
35:56
Sell your
35:57
possessions
35:57
and give
35:58
to the
35:58
needy.
35:59
Provide
35:59
yourselves
36:00
with money
36:00
bags that
36:01
do not
36:01
grow old,
36:02
with a
36:02
treasure in
36:03
the heavens
36:03
that does
36:04
not fail,
36:05
where no
36:05
thief approaches
36:06
and no
36:07
moth
36:08
destroys.
36:08
The writer of
36:09
Hebrews talks
36:10
about a
36:10
kingdom that
36:10
cannot be
36:11
shaken.
36:13
For where
36:13
your treasure
36:14
is,
36:15
there your
36:15
heart,
36:16
will be
36:17
also.
36:20
I fear
36:21
that none
36:21
of us
36:21
really
36:22
use our
36:25
riches
36:25
as a
36:27
proper
36:28
reflection
36:28
of what
36:29
we say
36:30
we believe.
36:32
Wes picked
36:32
out two
36:33
phenomenal
36:33
songs
36:34
before I
36:35
got up
36:35
here and
36:35
preached.
36:36
If we
36:36
all really
36:37
believed
36:38
the verses
36:38
of those
36:39
songs,
36:40
if we
36:41
could sing
36:41
them with
36:42
such gusto
36:42
and actually
36:43
believe them
36:44
and our
36:44
lives
36:45
reflected
36:45
that,
36:45
I have
36:46
no need
36:46
to preach
36:46
this morning.
36:47
I could
36:48
have gone
36:48
up and
36:48
said,
36:49
amen,
36:50
and sat
36:50
down.
36:51
But we
36:52
don't really,
36:52
I don't,
36:54
I say I
36:55
treasure Christ
36:55
above all
36:56
else,
36:56
but I
36:56
don't always
36:57
show that
36:58
the way
36:59
I use
37:00
my resources.
37:01
resources.
37:03
So four
37:04
practical
37:06
application
37:07
points from
37:08
this text.
37:09
Now I
37:10
will tell
37:10
you that I
37:11
am really
37:11
probably not
37:12
the source
37:13
of information
37:14
on how
37:14
you should
37:15
manage your
37:16
money.
37:17
I probably
37:17
could write a
37:18
book about
37:18
what not to
37:19
do with
37:20
your money
37:20
and maybe
37:21
a short
37:22
essay on
37:23
what you
37:23
should do
37:23
with your
37:24
money.
37:25
I praise
37:25
God that I
37:26
married a
37:27
woman who
37:28
is very
37:29
careful with
37:30
money.
37:30
certainly a
37:32
way that I
37:33
am being
37:33
sanctified and
37:34
that we are
37:35
better together
37:36
than I was
37:37
apart from
37:37
her.
37:39
Sam and I
37:39
have rules in
37:40
our house.
37:41
We don't spend
37:41
more than
37:42
$20 without
37:42
talking to
37:43
each other.
37:44
And that's
37:44
really good for
37:45
me because I
37:45
tend to be a
37:46
little bit
37:46
impulsive.
37:47
And it's
37:48
good when I
37:48
have to go,
37:49
ooh, I'm
37:49
going to have
37:49
to talk to
37:50
Sam about
37:50
that and
37:51
give it five
37:52
minutes and I
37:52
go, I don't
37:53
need that.
37:54
That is not
37:54
something necessary
37:55
in my life.
37:58
Sam has
37:58
actually no
37:58
idea how many
37:59
things I
37:59
don't buy.
38:00
because I
38:01
know I
38:01
have to
38:01
talk to
38:01
her about
38:01
it.
38:03
So there's
38:04
a chance you
38:04
might be in a
38:05
relationship or
38:06
some day will
38:06
be where you're
38:08
both really,
38:08
really weak in
38:09
this area.
38:09
And I'd
38:10
suggest that you
38:10
have somebody
38:11
who's not be
38:12
that accountability
38:13
for you as a
38:14
couple.
38:16
But I don't
38:17
intend to be
38:17
quite that
38:18
practical with
38:18
you because I'm
38:19
really not
38:19
qualified for it.
38:21
But here's the
38:22
four things.
38:22
Number one,
38:24
treasure Christ
38:25
more each day.
38:27
The way you
38:28
fend off the
38:30
lies of this
38:30
world, of this
38:32
consumeristic culture,
38:34
I mean, we're in a
38:34
tough place to
38:35
stand against this
38:37
lie.
38:38
It is all around
38:40
us.
38:41
You treasure
38:42
Christ more each
38:43
day.
38:44
How do you do
38:44
that?
38:46
Take a look at
38:47
him.
38:48
Spend some time
38:49
with him in his
38:50
word.
38:51
Get into the
38:52
word of God
38:52
every single
38:54
day.
38:55
That when you
38:55
walk out the
38:56
door in the
38:56
morning, you're
38:57
armed against
38:58
that kind of
38:58
stuff.
38:58
Guys, I know
38:59
a lot of us
39:00
don't function
39:01
well in the
39:01
morning.
39:02
Our brains
39:02
don't really
39:02
click along
39:03
well.
39:04
And you
39:04
might say,
39:04
I do better
39:05
in the evening.
39:07
My quiet
39:07
time is best
39:08
spent in the
39:09
evening.
39:10
What are you
39:10
doing all day
39:11
then?
39:11
Where's the
39:12
armament?
39:13
All day.
39:14
If you're
39:14
going to study
39:15
in the evening,
39:15
fine, that's
39:16
good.
39:16
Spend some time
39:17
in the word of
39:17
God before you
39:17
head out the
39:18
door in the
39:19
morning.
39:20
Number two,
39:21
pray that God
39:23
would kill the
39:24
idolatry of
39:25
your heart.
39:27
All those
39:27
things that you
39:28
do worship,
39:29
those things
39:29
that you do
39:30
need, you
39:31
think you
39:31
need, pray
39:33
daily that God
39:35
would kill that
39:36
in you, that
39:36
you might desire
39:37
only him.
39:41
Thirdly, earn
39:44
so that you
39:45
can give.
39:47
again, I
39:50
am really
39:51
glad that the
39:52
rich farmer's
39:53
produce yielded
39:54
well for him.
39:56
He had a
39:57
great opportunity
39:58
to use his
39:59
riches for his
40:00
eternal joy.
40:02
You should do
40:03
the same.
40:04
Young people,
40:05
I don't know
40:06
what you're
40:06
supposed to
40:06
major in.
40:07
There are
40:08
some better
40:08
majors out
40:09
there than
40:09
others.
40:10
I was a
40:11
sociology major.
40:12
I believed
40:13
I was supposed
40:13
to be.
40:13
You can't
40:14
make money
40:14
as a sociology
40:15
major.
40:15
I hope
40:17
that some
40:17
of you are
40:18
being called
40:19
to and
40:19
obedient to
40:20
becoming
40:20
businessmen,
40:22
studying
40:22
international
40:22
business.
40:23
I hope
40:23
you go
40:24
and make
40:24
millions of
40:25
dollars and
40:27
then you
40:27
spend it all
40:28
generously on
40:29
the kingdom
40:29
of God.
40:30
We need
40:31
that.
40:31
The kingdom
40:32
of God,
40:32
that 85.5
40:33
billion needs
40:35
to be 300
40:35
billion.
40:36
We need
40:36
people who
40:37
are willing
40:37
to go out
40:38
and spend
40:39
their lives
40:39
spending for
40:41
the kingdom.
40:42
So earn
40:43
so that you
40:44
can give.
40:46
John
40:46
Piper is
40:47
famous for
40:47
saying it's
40:48
okay to
40:48
have a six
40:49
figure salary
40:49
but not a
40:50
six figure
40:50
lifestyle.
40:51
I agree.
40:54
You didn't
40:54
earn it.
40:55
It's not
40:55
yours.
40:56
It's given
40:57
to you as
40:58
a gift.
40:59
We have
40:59
to really
41:00
begin to
41:01
talk about
41:01
what we
41:03
want and
41:04
what we
41:04
need and
41:05
how that
41:06
plays into
41:07
our Christian
41:07
living.
41:08
I could
41:09
ramble for
41:10
hours about
41:10
that and not
41:11
really arrive
41:12
at anything
41:13
tangible for
41:14
your life
41:15
but I
41:15
constantly
41:16
ask myself
41:16
that question.
41:18
I don't
41:18
think it's
41:18
wrong for
41:19
me to
41:19
have some
41:20
things I
41:20
want.
41:22
Okay?
41:23
But mostly
41:24
my life is
41:24
about me.
41:27
What's the
41:27
trajectory of
41:28
my life?
41:28
Where is
41:29
God taking
41:30
me and how
41:31
does he
41:31
intend me to
41:31
go along
41:33
that way?
41:34
And I
41:34
mostly find
41:35
that he
41:35
directs me to
41:36
spend my
41:36
money only on
41:37
things that
41:38
I need and
41:39
not really
41:40
much that I
41:41
want.
41:42
I really
41:45
used to have
41:45
a dream of
41:46
owning a
41:47
Porsche
41:48
Speedster,
41:49
1952
41:50
Porsche
41:50
Speedster.
41:51
It's the
41:51
model of
41:52
car that
41:52
James Dean
41:53
died in.
41:54
If you've
41:54
ever seen
41:54
him, that's
41:55
a cool
41:55
car,
41:56
Porsche
41:56
Speedster.
41:58
And as
41:59
God began
41:59
to get a
42:00
hold of
42:00
this area
42:01
of my
42:01
life, I
42:02
had to
42:03
realize I'm
42:04
not going
42:04
to ever
42:04
own a
42:05
Porsche
42:05
Speedster.
42:07
I had to
42:07
die to
42:08
that dream
42:08
of having
42:09
a Porsche
42:09
Speedster.
42:10
And some
42:10
of you might
42:10
be thinking,
42:11
maybe someday,
42:12
God gives
42:13
good things
42:13
to enjoy.
42:14
If somebody
42:14
gave me a
42:15
Porsche Speedster,
42:16
if one of
42:16
you has a
42:16
Porsche Speedster
42:17
in your
42:17
garage right
42:18
now and
42:19
you gave it
42:19
to me, I
42:21
would sell
42:21
it.
42:23
I'm not
42:23
driving through
42:24
McDonald's
42:24
drive-thru in
42:25
a Porsche
42:25
Speedster.
42:26
I'm not
42:26
going to do
42:26
it.
42:27
I'm not
42:28
going to do
42:28
it.
42:28
I want to
42:29
say to this
42:29
world, with
42:29
everything that
42:30
I have,
42:31
price is more
42:31
precious to
42:32
me than, I
42:33
don't even
42:33
know what that
42:34
costs.
42:34
I don't
42:34
want to
42:34
know.
42:34
Probably an
42:35
$80,000
42:35
vehicle.
42:37
Right?
42:38
So if you
42:39
care about
42:39
it, don't
42:39
give it to
42:40
me because
42:40
I'm going
42:40
to sell
42:40
it.
42:42
It would
42:43
be painful.
42:44
But you're
42:45
going to
42:45
recognize that
42:46
some dreams
42:46
of your life
42:47
are going to
42:47
have to die.
42:48
And as you
42:49
work hard and
42:49
do things and
42:50
you attain and
42:52
you rise up in
42:53
your company and
42:54
you do all that
42:55
which you should
42:55
do, you're
42:56
going to feel
42:56
like in those
42:57
moments that
42:58
you've earned
42:58
a little larger
43:01
flat screen TV.
43:02
Got the money
43:03
now.
43:03
We should do
43:04
it.
43:05
Please trade
43:06
those things for
43:07
greater joy.
43:09
The value of
43:11
those things is
43:12
so fleeting and
43:13
passing.
43:14
With a greater
43:14
joy in Christ,
43:16
you will
43:16
appreciate
43:17
forever.
43:20
Have a
43:21
kingdom,
43:21
eternal mindset
43:22
and earn so
43:24
that you can
43:25
give.
43:27
And then
43:27
number four,
43:29
be a
43:29
disciplined,
43:31
cheerful
43:32
giver.
43:33
I don't
43:33
think that
43:34
we here
43:35
have actually
43:36
put enough
43:38
emphasis
43:39
on giving.
43:41
I know that
43:41
personally,
43:42
I've kind of
43:43
treated money as
43:44
the necessary
43:45
evil to do
43:46
things.
43:47
We kind of
43:47
go,
43:47
we want to
43:48
give.
43:50
I'm sure
43:50
Chris will
43:51
mention it.
43:51
There's a
43:51
can on a
43:52
table as
43:53
you go out
43:53
the door and
43:54
that's where you
43:55
put your
43:55
offering.
43:56
It's kind of
43:57
like we want
43:57
to not make a
43:58
big deal out of
43:59
it.
43:59
We don't want to
44:00
guilt people by
44:00
passing a plate.
44:01
Things like that.
44:01
I don't know if
44:02
we're going to
44:02
change it.
44:03
I don't know.
44:04
But I don't
44:04
think we really
44:04
emphasize it enough.
44:06
It's been a
44:06
disservice to
44:07
you.
44:07
It's an act of
44:08
worship to come
44:08
together and
44:09
give money to
44:10
the work of the
44:11
church.
44:11
That's the
44:12
primary place you
44:13
should give your
44:14
money.
44:15
I'd say first and
44:16
foremost you should
44:16
give your money to
44:17
the church.
44:18
Sam and I have
44:19
this little bookmark,
44:21
so I bookmarked the
44:22
text for today.
44:23
We give to
44:24
Compassion
44:24
International.
44:25
We have a little
44:25
guy that we
44:25
sponsor named
44:27
Shevchenko.
44:29
I call him
44:30
Shev.
44:30
$35 a month and
44:32
we do that, but I
44:34
wouldn't do this in
44:35
the neglect of
44:36
giving to the
44:38
church.
44:39
You ought to do
44:40
that first and
44:41
foremost.
44:42
My generation, I'm
44:43
now 32, I went to
44:46
a very large church
44:47
coming up through
44:48
middle school and
44:49
high school, and I
44:50
saw no value in
44:51
giving to that
44:51
church.
44:52
They were
44:52
building massive
44:53
buildings debt-free.
44:55
I didn't see the
44:56
point.
44:56
And I wanted to
44:57
see directly, I
44:58
wanted to see my
44:59
check go to
45:01
something really
45:02
good.
45:02
I actually started
45:03
sponsoring a child
45:04
in those days, and
45:05
I didn't give to
45:06
the church, to my
45:08
regret.
45:08
I didn't give to
45:10
what was going on
45:10
there.
45:12
No one who
45:13
comes here wants
45:14
the money that they
45:15
give here to go to
45:16
electricity.
45:16
Am I right?
45:17
In fact, if I
45:17
said, hey, why don't
45:18
you give to the
45:19
kingdom by turning
45:19
the lights on?
45:21
People go, no,
45:22
no, no, I want
45:22
to see it go
45:22
directly to ministry,
45:23
but you know that
45:24
lights are valuable.
45:26
You can see what
45:27
we're doing this
45:27
morning as a result
45:28
of them.
45:28
You can hear me
45:29
talk because we're
45:30
running AC.
45:31
If it were, I'm
45:32
guessing, 105 degrees
45:33
in here, if we
45:34
weren't running the
45:35
AC, you would be
45:36
totally checked out.
45:37
There's value in
45:39
those types of
45:39
things.
45:40
And for us to be
45:40
able to as a
45:41
church to go beyond
45:42
that and begin to
45:43
reach this community,
45:44
it's going to take
45:45
money.
45:46
We have kind of a
45:48
directive that we've
45:50
prayed about together
45:51
as a church and
45:52
decided that we're
45:54
working toward what
45:55
we call the 90-10
45:56
endeavor.
45:58
I don't know that
45:59
we'll ever get
45:59
there.
46:00
I hope that we
46:01
will, but what
46:01
that means, it is
46:03
our hope one day
46:03
that 10% of the
46:04
money that comes
46:05
into our church
46:05
will go to the
46:06
administrative types
46:07
of things, paying
46:09
utility, things of
46:10
that nature, replacing
46:11
light bulbs.
46:12
But the rest of it
46:13
will go to directly
46:15
affect people's lives.
46:18
Set that out ahead
46:19
of us.
46:20
We get a little
46:20
closer to it every
46:21
budget year.
46:21
I hope one day
46:23
that we'll achieve
46:24
that.
46:24
I'm not even sure
46:25
if it's mathematically
46:25
possible, but we
46:27
put that before us
46:28
because we want to
46:30
see money go and
46:31
change people's
46:32
lives.
46:33
Help us go.
46:34
Take us to Atlanta
46:34
to share our day
46:36
with people on the
46:37
bridges.
46:38
But we have to have
46:39
it to be able to do
46:40
those things.
46:41
So it's important
46:42
that we be disciplined
46:44
and cheerful givers.
46:47
So just as an
46:48
example, and I
46:49
don't do this to
46:50
praise me because
46:53
I'm more of a
46:54
failure with money
46:55
than I am a
46:56
success with it.
46:57
Sam and I give
46:58
more than 10% to
47:00
the church.
47:01
We do it every
47:01
month, first of the
47:03
month.
47:03
I write a check,
47:05
and I won't get
47:06
into the details,
47:06
but we do do more
47:07
than 10%.
47:08
Guys, 10% is
47:11
biblical tithing.
47:14
In the Old
47:14
Testament, God gave
47:15
that to the people
47:16
of Israel to provide
47:17
for the Levites.
47:18
That's how they made
47:19
their living because
47:20
they spent all
47:20
of their time serving
47:22
the people in the
47:23
temple.
47:23
That's how they
47:25
lived.
47:26
We're beyond that
47:28
now.
47:29
So it's not a,
47:30
oh, freedom in
47:31
Christ, let me just
47:32
figure out, let me
47:32
pray about what I
47:33
should do.
47:34
2.3%.
47:35
Those things should
47:37
still be happening.
47:39
Jesus chastises the
47:41
Pharisees because they
47:42
were so legalistic
47:44
about the tithe.
47:44
They tithed even
47:46
their herbs, their
47:47
herbs, their dill,
47:49
their mint.
47:49
They even tied that.
47:52
And Jesus said,
47:52
this you should be
47:53
doing.
47:55
You should be giving
47:55
10%, but you should
47:57
also be seeking
47:58
justice.
47:59
And he took them
48:00
even beyond that.
48:01
And so I have no
48:03
hesitation to say to
48:04
you, start at 10%.
48:06
If you're not doing
48:07
that already, start
48:08
doing it, and then
48:10
pray about going up
48:10
from there.
48:11
I don't think you
48:12
even need to pray
48:12
about 10%.
48:13
Just do it.
48:14
And then go up
48:16
from there.
48:17
And I know because
48:18
I've been there in
48:19
my life, I'm there
48:20
right now.
48:20
Honestly, I would
48:21
say to you, I can't
48:22
afford to give 10%
48:23
of our income.
48:25
You can't do that.
48:26
You can.
48:27
You can.
48:28
God has given you
48:29
everything that you
48:30
have.
48:31
He's commanded you
48:32
to give to the work
48:33
of the church.
48:35
He's going to reward
48:36
that.
48:37
He's going to keep
48:38
it coming.
48:40
I promise.
48:41
He'll do that.
48:41
There is a generation
48:43
of givers, sadly,
48:46
that's passing away.
48:49
Sid and Ruth are
48:50
hanging on.
48:51
I'm so glad that
48:51
they're here.
48:52
These are people
48:53
that understand that.
48:54
They've given
48:55
faithfully year after
48:57
year after year
48:58
after year.
48:58
And Sid, in our
48:59
times together, has
49:01
said, God has never
49:02
failed.
49:04
Sid, 83 years?
49:07
83 years.
49:09
I've got 32.
49:10
He's never failed me.
49:11
Let my life and Sid's
49:13
life be a testimony
49:14
of you that he will
49:14
never fail you.
49:16
So give.
49:17
Be disciplined.
49:19
Be cheerful.
49:20
Start at 10 and go up.
49:22
You know, a lot of
49:23
churches now do
49:23
online giving.
49:24
You can automatically
49:25
have it deducted out
49:26
of your account.
49:30
I don't want to say
49:31
we'll never do
49:32
something like that,
49:33
but I find that so
49:34
easy.
49:35
I want you to have to
49:37
think about what
49:38
you're doing.
49:39
Not be forgetful.
49:41
Don't forget that
49:42
part of what we do
49:43
together is give for
49:44
the kingdom.
49:46
Consider it an act of
49:47
worship.
49:47
Be disciplined in it.
49:49
And be a cheerful
49:50
giver.
49:51
So I hope that this
49:53
morning, as we talk
49:54
about Christ and
49:56
culture, that you're
49:58
allowing this truth to
49:59
run into you.
50:00
I can't see how it's
50:01
possible that any of
50:03
us is just okay with
50:05
this.
50:06
That we've all, that
50:07
we've just got it
50:08
figured out.
50:09
And so I believe as a
50:10
result that some
50:11
response is necessary.
50:14
I think after any
50:16
sermon, we ought to be
50:17
responding to God.
50:19
As he's spoken to us,
50:20
we ought to speak back
50:20
to him.
50:21
So we have a time that
50:23
we do every Sunday
50:24
together, taking the
50:26
Lord's Supper together.
50:27
It's one of my
50:28
favorite times.
50:29
I hope that it
50:30
hasn't become dogmatic
50:32
for you.
50:33
Another motion to go
50:34
through.
50:35
But we believe that
50:36
together, if we haven't
50:37
already, we ought to
50:39
really point to the
50:41
cross of Christ.
50:42
Where his body was
50:43
broken, his blood was
50:44
spilled on our behalf.
50:46
That if we're going to
50:48
treasure him more and
50:49
more each day, we
50:50
certainly should do
50:50
that on Sunday as we
50:51
gather together as his
50:52
redeemed people.
50:53
We ought to celebrate
50:54
the work that he did
50:56
for us.
50:56
And it's not just that.
50:57
We're looking back to
50:59
the sacrifice of
51:00
Christ for the
51:01
redemption, but we're
51:02
also looking forward to
51:03
his return.
51:05
That's a guaranteed
51:06
thing, that our
51:07
redemption is going to
51:09
be completed, that he
51:10
started it and he's
51:11
promised to finish it.
51:12
He's coming back for
51:13
us.
51:15
Eternal promises.
51:16
We should live for
51:17
that.
51:18
Take hold of that
51:19
which is truly life
51:20
now, and that which
51:22
will be forever and
51:24
ever.
51:25
Praise God.
51:26
And the guys are
51:28
going to come play
51:29
right after I get
51:30
done praying.
51:31
We'll have some
51:32
stations set up.
51:33
I just ask that you
51:33
take some time to ask
51:35
God to examine your
51:36
heart and reveal to
51:37
you any hidden sin.
51:38
I don't expect that
51:40
you'll get this all
51:40
figured out in the
51:41
next five minutes, but
51:42
that you'll take some
51:43
time, that you might
51:44
take the Lord's
51:45
Supper with a clean
51:46
conscience.
51:47
Let's pray together.
51:48
Let's pray together.
51:48
that.