Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #14824 - Grace Leads to Generosity - Galatians 6:6-10

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#14824 - Grace Leads to Generosity - Galatians 6:6-10 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles to Galatians
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chapter 6. Actually two places, Second
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Corinthians chapter 5 and Galatians chapter 6.
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We're going to pick up where we left off last time I in our
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verse by verse study through Galatians, but we're going to go
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through Second Corinthians chapter 5.
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I've entitled our Bible study Grace leads to generosity.
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Grace leads to generosity. By now you know, by now you know
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that we're here by the grace of God, that we have been saved, by
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the grace of God, that we live by the grace of God that we love
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by the grace of God. The churches in the region of
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Galatia were established as a grace gift from God to them by
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sending Paul the Apostle as a missionary to share the gospel
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with them. It was completely and totally a
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gift of God by His grace. Now we Fast forward to where we
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are today and we think of the grace of God in our own lives,
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and it's a sobering thought, is it not?
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It's a sobering thought to consider and to think of where
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we might be or who we might be if it were not for God's grace
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upon our lives. I mean, I don't want you to
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think too much about it, but I can't help but think if it
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wasn't for the grace of God, my life would not be what it is
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today. I don't even know if I'd be
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alive today. The life that I was living, it
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would not have ended well it it would have crashed and burned
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not only for me, but all those that love me and what's true for
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me is true for you. Had it not been for the grace of
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God and maybe not in your life, it could have been in your
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parents life or your grandparents life.
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Thinking about the stream of generational change that got
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brought into your family if it wasn't for the grace of God.
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It's a sobering thought to think of where we might be today.
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Very dangerous and difficult position and place to be.
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And His grace is extended not through a list of rules and
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regulations and this rigidity of religion and man made religion.
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That's the whole point of Galatians, that this group of
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men and women were saved and born again by the grace of God.
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And then these false teachers come in and go, Oh no, no, no,
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no, it's not that easy, not that easy.
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You just don't believe in the finished work of Jesus on the
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cross and his resurrection. No, no, no, you have to be
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circumcised. Not the best evangelistic
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message for sure. You have to be circumcised and
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that is exactly what you think it is.
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You need to be cut physically in order to show that you are part
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of God's people. And that cut physically for the
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men would then lead the family to live in relationship with God
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by rules and to keep the law, which we have learned in now 23
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previous studies. We have learned that it's
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impossible to keep the law. That is not why God kept the
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law, so that we could keep it perfect with perfection.
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He gave the law to reveal to us that we can't.
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It's a schoolmaster. It's a teacher, and the thing
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that the law teaches us is not only the holiness and
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righteousness of God, of who He is and what He expects of us,
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but it also is a revelation that we could never be perfect and
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that we need a Savior. The law reveals our own
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sinfulness. You see, rules and regulations,
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they certainly are used by others to move and manipulate
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you, but God doesn't use manipulation.
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Did you know God doesn't use manipulation in your life?
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Or guilt? Guilt and manipulation, although
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they're popular tools today within religious circles, those
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aren't God's tools. He doesn't put guilt trips on
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you. Some of you, you know when I say
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the word guilt trip, you know exactly what I'm talking about
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because that's the environment in which you grew up or the
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environment in which you live where you're just.
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So especially if you have more of a sensitive disposition,
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you're very easily moved by guilt and manipulation.
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But that's not God. You know what?
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God moves you with love. Love is the greatest motivator
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in any of our lives. I think of you moms today.
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I think of the great sacrifice, moms and dads, you parents, the
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things you will do for your kids.
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You won't even think twice about it.
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You, you won't even measure. It doesn't matter what it costs.
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It doesn't matter what it takes. It doesn't matter.
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It's my kids now. The things you would do for your
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kids, you probably wouldn't do for someone else's kids.
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Oh, it's not that you don't love them.
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I'm sure you do, but they're not your kids.
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You have a heart, perhaps for the orphan.
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You have a heart for those that need, for sure.
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But for your kids, I mean, you'll move heaven and earth for
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them. Why?
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Well, because you love them. It's not like they can give you
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anything back. So, OK, here you go.
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I'm going to, I'm going to get 10 different jobs so I can put
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you through college. And when you're out of college,
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you're paying me back with interest.
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Now, you may have said that, but they'll never do that.
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They'll never do that. You don't do that.
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You, you don't send your kids to college so they could pay you
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back. You send your kids to college
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because you love them. Or with us, we actually didn't
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send our kids to college. We made them pay their own way.
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Why? Because we love them.
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We want them to learn responsibility.
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Of course, we help them along the way and create the
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environment. But for us, we said, no, we're
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going to teach you what it's like to be in the world and it's
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going to be a very expensive world you're entering into.
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And they part of that discipleship is because we love
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them and we'll move heaven and earth for them.
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Love is the greatest motivator when it comes to the things of
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God. I mean, if it's true parenting,
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then it's true in every area of life.
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Notice with me in Second Corinthians chapter 5, Second
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Corinthians chapter 5 in verse 14, Paul's writing and he's
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Speaking of himself here when he says for the love of Christ
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constrains us. Or you could, some of your
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translations may say compels us. Some of you, some of your
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translations might say moves us. That's the idea there.
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It's the love of Jesus that moves us, compels us because we
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judged us. If one died for all, then all
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died and he died for all. Verse 15, that those who live
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should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died
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for them and rose again. That is the greatest mark of a
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believer is that that man and that woman that is following
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Jesus doesn't live for themselves anymore.
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It's actually the constant battle in our lives to put
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ourselves first, to put others first, to put ourselves first,
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to put others first. Just like in Philippians where
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Paul would write to the church in Philippi and he would say
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think of others more highly than you think of yourself.
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Why would he need to tell us that it's because we think of
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ourselves more highly than others many times, perhaps even
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most of the time. But we see not only in the book
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of Galatians, but Paul sharing with the Corinthians or Jesus
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living out his life, that the pathway of grace will always
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lead to others. Paul was compelled and moved and
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motivated by the love of Jesus, and it broke his heart to see
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people lost and separated from God.
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It moved him. The love of God for the lost
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moved him, which is where we are in Galatians 6.
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Now this practical part of the letter coming to the end of the
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letter, this practical part is what love looks like or what
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grace looks like in action. In verse one, grace will move
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you to help those that have wandered away.
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You'll actually care about them. You'll pray for them, you'll
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look for them. You who are spiritual, you who
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are motivated and captivated and constrained by love, you're
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going to be the spiritual one to help restore such a one.
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You have a heart of restoration, reconciliation.
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You're verse one going to consider yourself knowing that
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you're going to be delving in difficult scenarios.
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You don't want to be tempted yourself.
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Then we learn grace in verse 2 is going to lead you to help
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other people with the heavy burdens in their lives.
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Like you just carry these heavy things and you're not just going
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to overlook them and you're not going to say, well, everybody
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has problems or even worse. Sometimes you're like, well, I
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can't really help. But do people with problems go?
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I got my own problems. Yeah.
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But with the we also learn grace is going to lead you to take
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care of your problems. You're going to get your own
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house in order. You're going to look yourself,
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as we saw in that visual last time.
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You're going to look yourself in the mirror and get your house in
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order. Why?
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So that you can not only can please God, but you can help
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others. If your house is not in order,
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then you're not going to think much about helping other people.
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And grace will always lead you to get your house in order,
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bearing one another's burdens. Then he says in verse 3, we
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studied these in previous studies, but he said in verse
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three, if anyone thinks himself to be something when he's
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nothing, he deceives himself like that.
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That's just having a right estimation of who you are,
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whether you need help and you let somebody help you.
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Oh, I don't need any help. I don't.
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No, actually you do need help. That's why God sent me into your
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life or you're too good to help. Grace is not going to Grace is
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not going to be either side. Well, I don't need any help.
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You know, that's the church's job.
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Well, you are the church. So it is your job.
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You are the church and so you are going to and I am going to
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make sure that I'm not prideful and then taken down by spiritual
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pride. Then in verse 4, let each one
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examine his own work. He can have rejoicing really
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that's and each one shall bear his own load.
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In verse 5 has everything to do with getting our house in order.
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Now come to verse 6. We'll pick up what we left off.
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Let him who has taught the Word share in all good things with
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him who teaches. Another practical outgrowth of
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grace, and it's this. You are a generous person.
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In the broader sense, you are a generous person.
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Grace will make you generous. Generosity flows from the love
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of God, of how much He's done for us.
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And when you see people's needs, it will move you.
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It will move you generosity. But this is a very narrow
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generosity that's important to be reminded of in the church.
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And that is let him who is taught the word.
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So let's just say yes or no. Are you someone that has been
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taught the word? OK, good.
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So this is your responsibility. You are then to share
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financially in the work of the ministry that God has used to
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teach you the word. This is a giving verse.
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This is one of those verses that make people uncomfortable.
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And you're like, your your first time.
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Here I go. Oh, there it is.
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That guy's already talking about money.
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Yeah. I mean, I, I know you're
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skeptical and I'm sorry about that, but you totally don't
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understand the heart of God or the heart of this ministry.
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This is just what the Bible teaches, that God has given us
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so much, and then we're not to keep it for ourselves.
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And if you've been taught in the Word, then you and I, we have a
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responsibility to share with all that we have with those who
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teach us in the Word of God. Now, if you're taking notes in
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your Bible, you can circle the word, share their share.
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It's a very familiar word. It's the word Koinonia in the
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verb form. It means to share in common.
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So part of this verse, the application is that there's been
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so much division, so much difficulty, and then people come
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against Paul. He's like, hold on a minute.
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If you're walking in grace, you're not going to come against
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me. I'm your teacher, I love you, I
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care about you. You're to share life, share life
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with me. It's important that we not be
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divided in the body of Christ. That's certainly an application
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of this verse. However, the specific
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application is related to the giving of your money through the
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ministry that has taught you. Those that give to you and me
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spiritually are to be blessed and given back to materially.
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This is a mark of living in the Spirit, the desire and the
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decision to give financially and support the ministry.
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The theme already has been to think of others more highly than
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yourself and a great measurement.
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If I wonder where I am as a follower of Christ, of how much
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I'm thinking of others more highly than myself, I can just
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look at how I use money. I can look at how I use my
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discretionary money, right? I have to pay the rent.
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I've got to make the car payments or whatever it might
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be. There are necessities.
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But with that discretionary money, what do I do with it?
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But before I ever make a house payment and before I ever pay
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the rent or any of that, what do I do with the first fruits of
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what God has given me? Do I give it unto the Lord like
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He commands? It's interesting as we feel
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questions about this on the radio often.
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The question almost always is formed in a way to get out from
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under the burden or the responsibility of giving.
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You know, somebody might ask, well, you know what, pastor?
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I don't know. I don't want to give.
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I can give wherever I want because, you know, tithing is an
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old covenant responsibility. And so I'm a New covenant
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believer, so I don't need to tithe.
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Oh, OK, you're a Bible scholar now on giving.
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I get that. And now you don't have to give.
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You can do whatever you want because you're not under the old
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covenant and and the new covenant.
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Of course, the new covenant is much less than the old covenant.
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So now you know, now you've made a way to excuse yourself from
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giving. Can I just say today there is no
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excuse for not giving? Let me also say that if you come
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to the conclusion that tithing is an old covenant principle,
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you're actually right. You're actually right.
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It was part of the old covenant. It was a requirement.
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But if you follow the pattern of the Bible, by the time you get
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to the new covenant, did you know that God requires more from
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you as a new covenant believer than you are as an old covenant
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believer? And some of you are like
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covenants. What is all that?
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OK, here, Old Testament, New Testament, Old Testament
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sacrificial system. God said I want you to get 10%
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of your first fruits, you know, of your grain and your barley,
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which also people, I don't have any grain or barley, so I got
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nothing to give but the Prince. That's what they had.
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That's how they did business. That's how they bartered.
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That was the first. That's what God gave them, and
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they were to give 10% back. They were also to take care of
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the priests and the Levites and take care of the temple and the
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Tabernacle. There was a significant need for
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the people of God to collaborate in their giving.
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The new covenant principle of giving is far more.
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The tithe represents 10%, but the new covenant principle of
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giving is far more. You know what it is all of you.
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You're supposed to give all to God.
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They go, What do you mean by that?
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Romans chapter 12 verse one, you and I are to give ourselves to
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God as a living sacrifice that's not consumed, but constantly
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giving. So that when you choose to give
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and obey a verse like this. And by the way, if you want to
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know the heart of our church and giving, I did a verse by verse
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series on giving in Second Corinthians chapter 8 and 9,
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probably four or five weeks explaining exactly what the
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Bible has to say about giving because it's very, very clear
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that we are to give. And Paul says in a divisive
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church, one that's gone off on legalism.
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Hey, you guys need to share. Don't forget that sharing and
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giving is very important. Let let me paint the picture of
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what it looks like in a church, OK?
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The the Lord has called me in the ministry life for my life.
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He has called me to be a pastor. You would call that vocational.
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You might hear that word. My vocation is a pastor.
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I have a responsibility to lead this church.
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You could even use this word. I don't like the phrase, but we
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got to use it because you understand it.
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My job is to be a pastor. That's my full time, 80 hours a
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week or whatever it is. That's my job.
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Seven days a week, I'm a pastor. That is what God has called me
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to do and as a pastor I have a job description.
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Now over the years people have emailed me thinking they know my
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job description, but the Bible gives me the job description.
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It's actually not as complicated as you might think.
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Here's my job description in Acts chapter 6 verse 2, the 12-7
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multitude of the disciples and said it is not desirable that we
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should leave the word of God and serve tables.
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Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you 7 men of good
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reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom whom we may
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appoint over this business, but we will give ourselves
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continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.
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That's my job description. I need to give myself
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continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word of God,
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which includes studying, putting messages together and teaching
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them, and then exercising my gift of leadership over the team
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that He's given to me. Right, Because we have other
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pastors here. The church hasn't always been
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large. We started out very small.
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And when we were small, I had a job, I worked and I enjoyed my
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job. And it was, I was very
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successful when I was doing and I worked.
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And then I also began planting the church because part of my
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calling in life was to be a church planter.
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So I planted the church and I went to work and I worked all
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day to provide for the needs of my family.
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And then God was using us to start the church here as it
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grew. And God has now because the
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church has grown. There's more than just me as a
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pastor. We have many, many pastors and
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many people on our team. We, although we have a very
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light staff, we have a very powerful staff and we have all,
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all of those that are here. And here's the here's the thing
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all tying together. So with all that, because we
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don't talk much about this, but this is the verse we need to
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when it says let him who is taught the word share in all
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good things. This is what's happening when
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you give to the life of your local church.
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You are supporting those who are serving you in ministry.
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So let me give you our perspective.
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It started with me, but then all of us, anyone that receives a
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paycheck from the church here. Here's the thing, we live by
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faith. We live by faith.
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We don't know what a week's going to bring.
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We don't know what the giving's going to bring.
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We we don't know how what the economy does good, the economy
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doesn't do good. We live by faith.
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And that if anything happened in the church, anything happened
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ever, like financially, something happened.
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Although let me just say before I get there, I've been here 26
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years and this church is a faithful, giving church.
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We have never had a need ever go unmet.
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Not only that God has not only met everyone of our needs, but
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He's also given us a few wants along the way.
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Because I remember, I remember when it was just a thought in my
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mind that got impressed that we would have a radio station.
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Now when I started finding out how much they cost, I'm like,
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OK, I don't think we're ever going to do that.
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But guess what? 2 stations later and years
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ministering to this city, what a great gift this church has given
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to the city through Grace FM. It's an amazing gift that that's
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through. That's through the faithful
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giving of all these years, all the believers that have ever
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come through here. My family, this is where we
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tithe. This is where we give this
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church our church. So we collectively get to be a
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part of that. So living by faith, we don't
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know what a week's going to bring.
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And if every one of the guys and gals that have joined our team
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left a job, they were already working and already serving, and
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then they took this job. Most, most of us when we took a
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position here, we took far less than we were making in the world
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because it wasn't about the money, it was about serving the
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Lord. Now your faithfulness provides
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for the needs of families and we live by faith.
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We live by faith, not trusting that you will give, but trusting
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that God will provide so there's no pressure on you.
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That's really the God puts it. He says if you don't want to
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give, don't give. That's God says that in his
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word. You want to give grudgingly,
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don't give. That's not the point.
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The point is not like if if the church tanked somehow or
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something happened, you know what we would do?
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We go get a job because we already know how to work.
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So we'd go get a job. And I'm pretty confident that
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those that are serving here, as we would all go get a job, that
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they would still continue to serve the needs of this church,
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that they're not here for a job. So we'll go get, get a job,
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provide for the needs of my home, and then continue to serve
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the Lord because we've already done that.
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We've already been there. Now, of course, I love it when
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I'm bringing someone on the team and they're in the final
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interview. I look him in the eye.
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I go, you understand, if something happens, you know,
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we're all going to go get a job. Yeah, Yeah, we're all going to
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get yes. It's no problem problem and you
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understand since you're the last person hired, you're the first
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one to go get a job. But you know, also through the
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years that has never happened. That's never happened.
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You see, you're giving. It puts turkeys on people's
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table. You're giving.
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You know, I mean, we don't we don't publicize this kind of
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stuff because God gets the glory.
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I don't want to go through a list of everything you're giving
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does so much for the community that you won't even find out
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until you're in heaven. You go, what?
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Somebody's up there going to thank you.
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And you go, what do you think of me for?
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But you don't understand that sacrificial gift that you prayed
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over with your kids and you offered it got me through the
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week. And I go, man, yeah, that was a
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big deal for us. That was really hard.
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But it really wasn't hard because once I did it, it wasn't
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hard. And so Paul's very clear here.
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You need to share. That's part of it.
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Giving is part of it. And then notice the context in
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verse 7. Don't be deceived.
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God is not mocked. Now the context, of course, for
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this specifically is in your giving and sharing.
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Don't be deceived that if you don't give or share, don't be
22:57
deceived. That's a mockery to God.
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And you say, well, how pastor? Well, God has been so good to
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us, and we choose with what God has done for us to not express
23:14
His love. It's a mockery of Christianity.
23:20
We can understand now sometimes why the world is just so
23:24
skeptical, where the world just doesn't believe us when we say
23:28
something where it takes a long time to build their trust
23:32
because so many have been burned and we've been burned.
23:35
I mean, there's it's not like just them out there.
23:38
We've been burned by believers. We've been burned with hard
23:42
hearts. We've been burned with people
23:43
that said they were a Christian didn't act like we've all been
23:46
burned. But don't be deceived.
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This is a serious issue. Don't don't lie to yourself
23:53
thinking it's not a big deal because here's the principle
23:56
verse 7. Whatever a man sows, that he
23:59
will also reap. I want you to think of that in
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light of giving for a second, not in the idea of I give so I
24:08
can get something from God as it's all been twisted around.
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Don't think that way, but I want you to think this way.
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If you really believe sowing a, you know, a seed of selfishness
24:22
or sowing a seed of greediness or stinginess is going to get
24:29
you anything other than greed, stinginess and selfishness,
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you're deceived. Because if you sow a seed, you
24:38
know, an apple tree, I don't know if they're, you plant apple
24:41
trees with seeds. Let's just say you do so an
24:43
apple seed and you, you know, it's a tree for apple.
24:47
What, what do you expect when that grows up?
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Watermelons. Are you mad?
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I can't believe it. We're taking these seeds back to
24:53
Lowe's because it said apples on there, but I expected
24:56
watermelon. No, they're not.
24:58
They're actually not even going to talk to you.
25:01
Except that doesn't even make sense.
25:03
Like now that I don't know what you're thinking, but bro, it
25:06
says there's a picture right here.
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What? You exact.
25:08
And this is what I got. And I said, yeah, it looks just
25:10
like the picture. Because if you sow that seed,
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nobody in their right manic and mine expect something else.
25:17
Nobody. You got to be not thinking
25:19
clearly that if you're going to plant watermelons, you, you
25:22
don't expect, you know, I don't know, an oak tree out of them.
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You expect watermelons. It's the same in Christianity.
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If you think what you're sowing, you're going to get back
25:33
something else, you're deceived. It's not true.
25:38
And if you have tight fists with what God has entrusted to you,
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don't you think God is going to pour anything else that that
25:45
tight fist financially with your gifts and talents?
25:48
I think of just all this super amazing, talented, gifted, smart
25:53
people in our church. But but you're just going to
25:56
hold all that training and hold all that to yourself.
25:58
You just, you just don't. You just don't.
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You don't. You're not walking in the
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spirit. That's kind of the whole summary
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of chapter 5 and 6, because it gets to that in verse 8.
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He who sews to his flesh when you don't give, you're fleshly
26:16
just as much as when you're angry.
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Outbursts of wrath just as much as when you are in jealousies,
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just as much as when you're in selfish ambitions, drunkenness,
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partying. When you don't give.
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And share especially with those in your own local church, those
26:34
that teach you in the word, those that show up at the
26:36
hospital and minister to you, those that will officiate your
26:39
weddings, those that do your baby dedications, those that are
26:42
serving, serving you spiritually.
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When you don't share your fleshly, and I don't know about
26:50
you, but it's harder to say I'm in the flesh than it is.
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Like, no, I just don't feel like giving, like it's sinful.
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And then the idea that you think that everything's just going to
27:04
be blessed. You know, you're just going to
27:05
have a carefree life when you're in the flesh where he says this.
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Look, if you sow to the flesh, you're going to reap corruption.
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When you sow to the flesh, you're going to reap corruption.
27:19
It's just going to die on the vine.
27:22
Everything's just going to die. Corruption.
27:25
It reminds me of the what Jesus said about the devil when he
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said that the devil doesn't come except to what?
27:31
Kill, steal, destroy. That's what I think of
27:33
corruption, destruction, corruption.
27:38
When you're in the flesh and you're just cooperating with the
27:41
enemy, nothing good's going to come out of it.
27:44
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing's good going to
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come out of me sowing to the flesh.
27:51
However, verse 8, when I sow to the Spirit, I'm going to reap
27:55
everlasting life. I'm actually going to enjoy my
27:59
newfound faith in Christ because I realize God has allowed me to
28:04
live my life my own way all this time and now I can freely live
28:09
my life and enjoy it. I can just trust Him for
28:13
everything. He's worthy of my trust.
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And this sowing and reaping then can also be brought into all
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things. If I sow kindness, I can expect
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kindness. If I sow generosity, I can
28:25
expect like it's. If I whatever seed I desire to
28:28
sow, I can expect it back from the Lord.
28:30
He's going to take care of it. And if I look at this fruit of
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the Spirit, I can see it. Lovejoy this verse 22 of chapter
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5. Peace, long-suffering, kindness,
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goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
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When I'm sowing these in my life, I can expect them to
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surround me. Surround me.
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When you sow generously, you'll reap generously.
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Don't be deceived. Don't be misled, don't mock God.
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I know you may have not have considered that in your life,
29:00
but God wants you to consider it.
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God is not mocked. I'm not trying to mock God.
29:06
I would believe you if you said that I wouldn't try.
29:08
So you're trying to mock. I believe you with your motives.
29:11
But the reality is even with good motives, you can do bad
29:13
things. Did you know that even with the
29:16
best of motives, you can still do bad things.
29:19
I didn't really mean to do that. I know you didn't mean to do
29:22
that, but you did. And God's not going to be mocked
29:26
by our lives. And then he says in verse 9,
29:29
let's not grow weary and well doing.
29:32
Let's not grow weary while doing good.
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Now let's pause there for a second.
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We're going to get into more in this first next time, but let's
29:39
just pause there for a second and consider the context.
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Let's not grow weary in well doing well.
29:44
What's the well doing? Walking in the spirit, fighting
29:47
the flesh well, doing, loving people, helping people, serving
29:52
people, giving of my finances and my time and my energy, he
29:56
says. And all of that.
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Don't grow weary. So here's what that tells me.
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Usually we start out well, but over time we get tired.
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Can I get an Amen for that? We often think about getting
30:09
tired about difficulties and hardships.
30:11
That's true. But you know, you can equally
30:13
get tired doing good. And I'm going to develop that
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this week. Just last night as I was
30:18
teaching as I was like, man, that has to be a Bible study all
30:21
itself. So I'm you can pray for me.
30:22
I'm going to put it together this week on just this verse
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where we just have to pause and consider because we get a lot of
30:29
attention of trials and difficulties making us weary.
30:32
But it's also can be weary doing good.
30:35
And I'll give you some reasons for that this week.
30:37
But the Bible just says, the Bible just says don't, don't
30:41
grow weary because in due season, verse 9, we shall reap
30:47
if we don't, if we don't lose heart.
30:50
And what Paul's really saying is there is a time, an appointed
30:53
perfect time, where you'll enjoy all the good that you've done.
30:57
That's not your motive. Your motives not to do good to
30:59
get good, your motives to do good to honor God, to walk in
31:03
the Spirit, to enjoy life. But God is telling you there is
31:06
a season coming where you're going to reap the benefits of
31:10
all the good that you've done. Just don't lose heart, don't
31:14
give up, don't quit because there is a season.
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Notice verse 10. Therefore, as we have
31:22
opportunity, let us do good to all.
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So it started out with him who teaches you, and now he closes
31:29
with, Oh yeah, do good to all. This is for everyone.
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Do good to all, especially those of the household of faith.
31:39
So do good to all as you live with eternity in mind, as you
31:43
sow to the Spirit, as you live knowing that things will outlast
31:47
you. You're not living for today.
31:50
You're not living for this world, You're not getting caught
31:52
up in the system. You're not laying up for
31:54
yourselves treasures on earth, but in heaven, like Jesus said
31:57
in Matthew 6. And as you're choosing not to
32:00
grow weary, just do. Keep doing good and broaden it.
32:06
Practice especially on those of the household of faith, but
32:10
don't let it stop at the household of faith.
32:13
Do good to all. Here's what I see in this.
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When you are especially doing good to each other, it's like we
32:21
get to practice on each other as Christians, we get to practice
32:24
on each other because we're born again.
32:26
And although we're not perfect and we might have problems and
32:29
difficulties, we get to practice one.
32:30
We get to make mistakes with one another because in the church
32:33
you're going to have more grace, more love, more forgiveness.
32:36
And so we get to practice on doing good to one another
32:38
because when we get into the world and the when, when you
32:41
live most of our lives in the world, we're here 90 minutes,
32:43
We're here a couple of times a week like we live in the world.
32:46
We're in this world. We're not of this world.
32:48
But when you practice on one another, when you're loving one
32:51
another, when you're paying attention to one another, when
32:53
you're praying for one another, when you're talking to a
32:56
relative stranger, although you're not a stranger, you just
32:58
don't know each other yet. And the body of Christ, they're
33:01
not strangers, just this long lost brother or sister you never
33:04
met yet you're going to meet them eventually.
33:06
It's going to make you stronger to do good to all.
33:10
So when he says, especially the household of faith, there's a
33:13
priority there, but there's also a blessing there.
33:16
So again, we've been looking at this.
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If you just come in and out of church all the time, you don't
33:20
meet anyone. You're just here for the Bible.
33:21
I just here to fed, be fed the word.
33:23
Well, if you're barely being fed the word, then you're going to
33:26
do the word. And when you do the word, you
33:28
don't leave so quickly or you come early or you see on
33:33
someone's face that they're obviously going through it or
33:36
and you just stop and you pay attention to them and you greet
33:39
them and you love them. Why?
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Because you're going to meet so many other people, you're going
33:43
to meet so many other people in this world that need the love of
33:46
Jesus, that are hardened, skeptical, angry.
33:50
And you're just going to have to learn how to get around the hurt
33:52
and the pain in their lives so that you can do good to them as
33:56
well. And it's not always anonymously.
33:59
You can start anonymously, you know, you can just start doing
34:01
things and just leave a gift card on your Co workers desk and
34:04
don't say anything. Just say God bless you.
34:07
Now, if you did that, they probably know it's you.
34:08
So do something else. I don't know.
34:12
I don't even know. That just came to my mind.
34:13
So I'm not sure you do it and tell me how it goes.
34:17
But as you're doing good to all, you know, your motive is to
34:20
honor the Lord. Why?
34:23
Because this singular reason, you realize how much God loves
34:29
you and you're blown away by it because I mean, who are you
34:33
actually? Who am I that would deserve the
34:35
love of God? Who am I that He would pause on
34:40
me? I mean, who exactly am I?
34:44
I'm just a Sinner. I'm just someone that was
34:50
ruining and wrecking my life. Who are you exactly?
34:57
It's like someone that God chose and even this special word in
35:02
the Bible elected you to be in a relationship with Him.
35:09
And how can't that? How can that not change you?
35:12
How can not not change your perspective as you meditate on
35:16
the love of God so that when we leave here today, you can say
35:19
with confidence, it's the love of God that compels me and
35:24
constrains me and moves me. Because whenever I let people
35:28
start to get to me and I get frustrated with situations and
35:31
things in my life, I've forgotten about the love of God,
35:36
that He's allowed this, that he's going to use it, that
35:40
nothing's wasted, that I'm his. I belong to him so he can do
35:46
whatever he wants with my life, whatever he wants.
35:49
I don't have to agree with it, although most of the time I, I
35:52
do, I actually do agree with him.
35:54
But there are those things that we don't agree with from time to
35:56
time, those pains, those difficulties, those hardships,
36:00
those long trials. But I don't even have to agree
36:03
with him. I can just obey him and serve
36:08
him so that my little life, moved by his great love, will
36:12
continue to make a difference in the world.
36:15
And that's where Paul's at. Hey, be faithful givers, but
36:19
start, you know, giving to a church.
36:22
Giving to your local church is a what I like to call is a slam
36:26
dunk. It takes very, you know, little
36:30
to no effort to give to your local church.
36:33
You can even now these days, you know, with our online giving so
36:36
many of you, you can set it up to do it automatically.
36:39
I mean, that's what the government does, just takes it
36:41
right out of your check, man. Now we don't do that, but you
36:46
can set that up all right. And you know, perhaps money is
36:51
just one of those things you fear, you know, even today you
36:54
might be struggling and difficulty and this message
36:57
hits. Look, I'm, I'm, I'm not asking
36:59
you to do anything other than obey the Lord.
37:00
Just seek the Lord and obey him. He'll tell you what to do.
37:04
The Bible couldn't be clearer. It couldn't be clearer that if
37:09
we're having a hard time giving to our local church, I promise
37:12
you, you're having a hard time being doing good to others.
37:15
I promise you that you hold back, that you're skeptical
37:19
yourself, and that you're not moved by the Spirit and
37:23
obedience quickly because He gives us these easy things to
37:26
do. So when the hard thing comes,
37:29
it's like, you know, but that it's hard for me to give right
37:31
now. It's not as hard as you think.
37:35
It's actually not as hard as you think because God has been so
37:38
gracious to you, so good, so faithful, and He'll supply all
37:44
of your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus 100%.
37:49
So, Father, thank you for your word today and the work of your
37:52
Spirit among us. And yeah, it's one of those
37:55
uncomfortable passages for sure, Lord, but it's really not.
37:59
It's not at all that our money's your money.
38:03
Our things are your things. Our lives are your life, You.
38:08
You are everything to us. And so we're just reminded of
38:11
your faithfulness and your goodness.
38:13
And I thank you publicly, God, for the faithfulness of every
38:17
generation of this church from the beginning, when we were 20
38:20
or 30 people, to today, 26 years later, we've seen nothing but
38:25
faithfulness, nothing but blessing, nothing but your
38:29
desire to entrust us with your resources.
38:34
And I thank you for the things that we've done that are known.
38:37
I thank you for the things that we've done that are unknown.
38:40
And across the board, God, that you would be glorified in our
38:43
lives and that we would come to you.
38:46
We give so we can come to you with empty hands.
38:48
Then you fill our hands up and then we give, and we come back
38:51
with empty hands and we give and we come back with empty hands.
38:54
It's such a great way to live our lives.
38:56
So bless your church, Stir us up.
38:59
There's a great future for this city.
39:01
We have a heart for this city. We have a heart for this state,
39:04
God, we have a heart for the world.
39:06
So use us God and let us not grow weary in well doing because
39:11
in due season we'll reap if we don't lose heart.
39:15
So guard our hearts, Lord, protect us in Jesus name, Amen,
39:20
We. Pray that you've been encouraged
39:22
by this Bible study delivered live from the sanctuary of
39:25
Calvary Church for prayer. Call us at 87730 Grace that's
39:31
877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
39:37
integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
39:41
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
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Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
39:49
this week.