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The Poor Man · Wetumpka Church of Christ Online

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Boy, it is great to be with you today.
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It's an honor for me to be in Wetumpka.
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I think a lot of this congregation Rob and Eric.
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We were all in school together. Go back a long way.
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And I know that those guys are doing a great work here, but it
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sounds like there is a large contingent of individuals are
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making good things happen. I want you to know that you're
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blessed. I've been in a lot of different
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congregations and you're a blessed congregation to have
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this many folks here to have Many good men and women that are
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striving to do gods, do God's work and I want to encourage
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you, keep going, don't grow weary in well-doing, continue on
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with your work. I was super impressed with the
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young. Folks.
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This morning answering questions up front, that was outstanding
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youth group came up here and these guys are attentive and
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right here in the front. It's a blessing continue to work
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here. I know that there's big plans in
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the future here as well. And I think it's important as we
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think about stewardship, Sunday, about the things that God can
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do, the things that God wants to do with his kingdom, that how
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God wants to use each. One of us as we think about our
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lesson this morning. I hope we're thinking about
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those things as well. Some of you are not unable to be
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in our class this morning. So I want to just give you a few
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quick, things of review of what we saw in scripture.
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We saw some truths when it comes to money and it comes to the
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idea of our handling of it. We have to understand that it
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all belongs to God. We're only stewards.
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This is God's world everything here belongs to him.
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We also mentioned the truth that you're going to reap what you
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sow. So many of us have been blessed
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because God's word has instructed us to so to spiritual
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things to. So two things that are important
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in God has blessed us as well. But we have to understand that
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truth. Third thing that we talked about
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was, if you love money, you're never going to be satisfied as a
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lot of people in this world that are constantly chasing there.
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Always Wanting the next thing, the next position.
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The next raise the next car, the next possession, the next style,
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whatever it is. And scripture tells us that if
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we love money, you're never going to have enough.
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The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and we saw
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those things. So it's an important thing for
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us to focus on this. On this subject.
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I tell you I had a difficult time thinking about what to do
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at Southgate. I do bring you.
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Greetings from South Gate and Columbia last year.
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We studied the month of January and February, we wanted to talk
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about this idea of stewardship when it comes to scripture.
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There is more than we can cover. There's more than we can look
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at. Because God knew that it was
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important, God knew that these decisions the priorities we set.
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When it came to money. We're going to be some big
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decisions. We are going to make and he gave
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us so much instruction on it. And as I looked at all the
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different things, I landed in, Luke chapter 12, I want to, I
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hope you will have your Bibles open there to Luke chapter 12.
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Within this story. Jesus is going to be approached
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and there's going to be a simple request.
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The guy thinks he's thinking on one level when it comes to money
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and he's just making a simple request.
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But Jesus is going to go from the request to a lesson to a
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story then he's going to give a lesson and then he's going to
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close it with the charge. But if you will, let's look at
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Luke chapter 12. Beginning in verse 13, someone
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in the crowd said to him. Teacher tell my brother to
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divide the family inheritance with But he said to them man who
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appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you.
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Then he said to them beware and be on your guard against every
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form of greed for not even when one has an abundance, does his
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life consists of his possessions.
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Jesus was here and he was teaching, and in Jesus came to
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teach about spiritual truths. He came so we could have life
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and have it abundantly. He came to talk about things
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that would last forever, but There's an individual in the
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crowd that sees Jesus has respect for him as a teacher.
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He says, look, and he sees Jesus telling people to do the right
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thing and he thinks he has a reasonable request.
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What does he say? Jesus?
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Tell my brother to split the inheritance with me.
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Well, put yourself in this guy's shape if you were there and you
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had a brother and your parents have passed away in The
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Inheritance and come down. And now it was time to divvy up
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the estate and for you to give your your portion and him to get
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his portion. And he decides, no, I'm not
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doing it. He's sitting on it.
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He's keeping it. Imagine how you would feel and
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what you would think about that. And that's where this guy finds
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himself. Look, my brother has this amount
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of money. He has this amount of the farm
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or the land or whatever, the situation is, he won't give
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anything to me. I'm going to see if Jesus will
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encourage my brother, to do the right thing.
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Reasonable request, right? He's just thinking well, I need
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Jesus help when it comes to that.
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He comes to make what we would consider a reasonable request.
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And did you see what Jesus did with it?
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He totally disregards it. Jesus doesn't answer it.
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Jesus. Basically, it's going to blow
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him off. He says, look who made me a
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judge or arbitrary or between you and your brother.
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Jesus said, look when I came out of a certain amount of time.
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You know, what, I don't have time for is to talk about the
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divvying up of physical things. Well, that would be an important
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thing to us. Any of us would say, look.
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This is a major issue. Jesus says, look, I'm not
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interested at all, instead. What does Jesus say?
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Jesus says, you know what you need to be worried about?
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You need to be more worried about the effects of greed in
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your life. Then you're worried about
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getting your fair share of your inheritance.
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Let that sink in for a minute. If somebody was trying to take
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your inheritance, say there was 50 thousand dollars, that was
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supposed to come your way. And somebody else is trying to
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take that. Somebody else is trying to get
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that from you. And you think about the emotions
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that would be there. If you have that kind of money
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or even more, that was coming your way and say, look, you
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know, it's not even, I'm not even that interesting greet.
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I'm just saying, what's fair, this ought to be divvied up and
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Jesus says, look, Don't worry about that.
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You know what you need to worry about.
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Your heart. When it comes to Greed.
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Jesus comes and he sees this man with a reasonable request but
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what he wants to warn him about and every one of us about is
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this idea of greed. How many times in life?
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Do we see where families are fighting over money?
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How many times when it comes to inheritance, have you seen that?
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Sadly, I've heard of more situations or more situations
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that happen, where families are having disagreements and
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fighting when it comes to inheritance.
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I'm afraid I've heard a lot more than that than what I heard
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right after class about individual said, you know what I
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want to do with my will, I want to bless the Lord and his work
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with my will. You think about the
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opportunities to leave? And as we leave this world?
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We're not taking anything with it.
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But you know what, you could do. A lot of great things could
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happen with money that we have as we leave this world.
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The charge Can Be Blessed Mission, work, can be blessed,
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individuals, can be blessed. But sadly many times I've heard
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way more times where families are fighting over, who gets
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what, then, I'm hearing about a church that says, you know what,
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this Mission work is about to be fully funded.
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This project is about to be done.
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So, as we think about stewardship Sunday, have that
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wasn't really part of my lesson as we're talking about it, but I
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want you to consider that when you're dead and gone and all of
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your resources are going to be left behind, is God going to be
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glorified in that moment as well in your life?
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What Jesus comes? And he wants a divvy up this
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this inheritance back and forth. But Jesus says, I want you to be
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on guard against every form of greed, what is greed greed's, an
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intense and self. Desire for something.
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I like what one preacher said about this greed is based on the
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assumption that it's all about my consumption.
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I could remember that he says greed is based on the assumption
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that it's all for my consumption.
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What happens whenever I'm greedy?
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Well, whenever I'm greedy, when I get my paycheck, it is all for
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me. Whenever I get a certain amount
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of money. It's all going to be mine
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whenever I'm given a gift. It's going to be mine.
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Everything that I have is so that I can so that I can consume
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it. And if we look at this world and
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we say look when it comes to the financial things that I have, it
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is all four. Consumption.
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When I get a paycheck, it's for me.
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When it goes into my retirement plan.
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It's for me when I get an inheritance.
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It is all for me. The things that I acquire in
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Life, or for me. Great can be a very dangerous
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thing. And what does Jesus say, says, I
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want to warn you, he turns to this man with a reasonable
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request and says, I want to warn you beware be on your guard
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against every form of greed. We have to understand that greed
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is an appetite. And whenever you think about an
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appetite, you have to understand that by their nature appetites
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are never fully or finally satisfied, if you realize that,
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if you haven't think about, Wrist and think about lunch
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right now. What happened?
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You had an appetite, you're ready to eat.
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You're ready to get something and hey, we had breakfast life
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is good. But it was it fully satisfied
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for a moment in time. Was it finally satisfied know
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what's going to happen appetites continually come up and that's
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one of the things that we talked about when it comes to money.
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What I have to do is have to constantly look, this appetites
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going to come up to assume that it's all for me to consume.
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The, the appetite is going to come up and we have to as we
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receive physical. Circle things continually
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prioritize. What is going on?
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Because we don't want to be satisfied for just a little bit.
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What happens? He's appetites are always going
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to come back and whenever we look at that in life, what
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happens whenever we given ourselves to Greed.
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Well, I want to give you a couple things that can happen in
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people's lives when that happens.
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That's why many times in our lives.
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Our credit cards get smacked get maxed out.
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That's why we keep having those. Why do out, why did I buy that
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moments? We started looking around and we
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have to ask ourselves. Why is it that my garage keeps
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filling up the outbuilding? I'll put some more junk in it
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when you start looking in my closet and not enough space and
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I'm stepping on toes here, but that's you know, when you start
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thinking about all the things that we have and it just starts
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piling up when we look out and we bought all of these things.
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That then this spring. What are we going to do?
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We're going to drag them out lamb in front of the garage and
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say here they are for Hell and I'm gonna get five dollars for
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that thing that I paid $50 for earlier.
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Why? Because we got to be careful.
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We can constantly just start consuming.
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We start piling all these things up and if we're not careful
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things, end up controlling us. Are we serving the lord?
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Or are we serving things? Because in life they can take
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control of so many different things.
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Eric mentioned Financial Peace. There are counter.
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Remember I gave you that book. It may have been that.
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I was a poor college guy and I was re-gifting.
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I'm not sure but You think about Dave Ramsey was he say he says
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we end up buying things. We don't need with money that we
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don't have to impress people. We don't even know and many
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times greed can lead us to those type steps.
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But what does Jesus say? Life, does not consist of your
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possessions. Life does not consist of your
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possessions. Jesus says watch out for grade.
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Now. Let me illustrate it.
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So then what does Jesus do? He tells a story?
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Then we see a story as we pick up in verse 10.
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He told them a parable saying the land of a rich man was very
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productive and he began reasoning to himself saying what
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shall I do? Since I have no place to store
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my crops. Then he said this is what I'll
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do. I'll tear down my Barns and I'll
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build larger ones and they're all store all of my grain and my
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goods, and I will say to my soul soul.
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You have many Goods laid up for many years to come, take your
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ease, eat drink and be merry. But God said to him, you fool.
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This very night. Your soul is required of you.
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And now, who will own, what you have prepared?
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So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not
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rich toward God. Jesus comes and he hears a
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request. But what he does instead is, he
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says, I just want to tell you a story and it's a story.
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It's a little shocking, isn't it?
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It's a story that gets right to the heart of the matter.
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It's a store. Like, man, wouldn't it be great
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to have that bumper crop year? Wouldn't it be great that you
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were everything went just the way you wanted it to have all
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these different things happening.
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But at the end of the story, Jesus says, look it all comes to
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an end. And God is going to consider
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this man a fool. Why?
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Because he gave in to Greed. Jesus points out in this Parable
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and this Parable, a money problem.
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It's a different money. Probably, we think of a lot of
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times, she made everything about money, problems of why I don't
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have enough money. I might have because I've got
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bills that are coming in and the pressure that comes from those
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bills and different things and different responsibilities that
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are happening in life. Are a lot of things, we may not
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be in control of and we can have a lot of pressure that comes
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because of a lack of money, but, you know, Jesus points out.
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He says, you know what, sometimes you've got money
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problems, because you've got too much of it.
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This man was going to have problems with his money.
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Why? Because he was blessed.
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In that. What we say, if we get a raise,
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and we're blessed, right? We have some more money, or if
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there was a good return this year, the business did really
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well or my investments did real. Well, it's a man.
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I was blessed. Jesus says, when you have
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things, he can be a blessing or it can be a curse.
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For this man, the increase that he had was going to be nothing
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but a curse. Why?
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Because he viewed it through the lens of greed.
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So Jesus is looking at this man, and he has great and greed is
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going to lead to two different things.
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I want to mention two forms of greed this morning as we think
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about it. Number one that you would see
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whenever it comes to Affordable grade is just an endless desire
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for more. We have to have it and that
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great can happen whether I've got the money or not.
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I've got to have an I'ma buy a car that I can't afford.
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I'm going to buy a house that has really too much money.
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It's going to keep me from being able to do the things with my
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family that I want, but I just want and Greek and Desire, I
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want something so much that are go out and get all these things
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that end up causing problems in my life because I want more and
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more and more. And what's happening with that
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idea. You know, I'll figure out how to
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pay for it later, but it's going to be all about me.
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Now. I mentioned that as I was
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looking at that that many people are saying, you're basically our
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economy is based on a consumer economy.
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And some people are saying that we mentioned in class that many
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Americans are living on 101 percent of their income.
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Their Ending every dime they have and another one percent.
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Now, I've got the obvious answer to that problem.
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If you're spending 101 percent of your income, if you're
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spending more money than you make, all you need is a raise
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because that would solve it right.
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You've been there. What if tomorrow you went to
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work in the ball said, look I'm giving you a 20% raise today
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because you're awesome. What would happen to your life?
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Obviously you would come back and be able to give 10% without
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a doubt with you because you got 20% raise, you'd be able to do
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that man. I haven't been saving.
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Haven't put any money back for retirement.
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You save 10% right off the bat wouldn't you?
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It's all covered. Then you're going see many
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times. We don't do that.
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We don't sit there. And look at those things.
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The reason it's important to have a reset button to sit there
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and say, look, let's have a stewardship Sunday, because I
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have to understand that life is going to be about all the small
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this. Nations that are making and
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Jesus is going to warn us. He says, watch out for greed
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because greed is going to make it where what happens?
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Three months later. Yeah.
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I got a 20% raise, but three months later.
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I'm still just spending every dime that I have.
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Instead of seeing opportunity to do good.
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So we have to watch out for greed because it can lead to an
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illness desire for more. But the second thing I want you
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to see about greed is a little different.
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Second thing that you can see about greed as an idea of fear.
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And fear can leading to hoarding because we're simply afraid that
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we aren't going to have enough. In America, this is another
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pretty major problem when it comes to hoarding more and more.
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And more constantly, buying constantly, piling things up and
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you can have enough money to afford all of those things.
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But what are you doing? You're just Gathering and
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Gathering. And with this individual.
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What did he do? Man?
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I've made so much money will let's just gather it all up.
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My buildings won't hold all of this stuff.
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Well, I can solve that. Let's build some bigger
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buildings and let's hold it all in together.
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So you when you spend now, it's like look it's all about me.
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But when you save you're saying look, I'm still going to hoard
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it all up because it's still all about me.
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I'm just going to spend it later.
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It can be about my retirement. You know what?
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I'm saving up because that's responsible.
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I've talked to this person. I'm piling it up and I'm piling
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it up. But again, even though I'm being
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responsible. Even though I'm saving up for
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retirement, I can get to a point where it's still going to be all
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about me. When I see money.
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I'm going to use it, but I'm going to use it later.
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So great can also be an appetite to consume money later by
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hoarding it now. So this story is sort of scary
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for us. And I think it's important
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because Jesus is saying, look, you can have all your financial
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ducks in a row. You can be spending your money,
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right? You can have a great budget
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right now. You can be saving for
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retirement. You can have the kids college
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funds and you can have all this money put up here.
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You can have all this money. Putting all these different
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places. You can be setting up everything
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for your future. But if your possessions, or what
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you think your life is about and you think you are in control of
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the future because of physical things, you have you can still
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miss the boat. You can still have money
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problems when you have plenty of it, when when you allow money to
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come between you and God. That's where this man found
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himself. Most of the time, we refer to
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this man as the rich fool, but I believe a better description for
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the man was that he was a porch fool.
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He was pouring his choices. He was pouring his priorities.
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He was pouring the fact that as you look at this story, he was
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one to be pitied. He was pouring the side of God
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because he was fooled and to take him, the world's view of
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money in the world's view of money, is that it is all about
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your consumption. And if you have great things in
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great amounts of wealth, you simply think about yourself.
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He was poor and how ready he was for judgment.
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What you see with this man was that he was bankrupt.
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And as Jesus hears, his just basic request.
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He says, look I want to tell you a story, but I'm going to tell
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you a story about a bankrupt, man.
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I want to tell you a man that looked thought he had so many
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things from the world standards. Everybody was said, man, that
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guy is doing great. Have you seen his farm?
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Did you see his crops that you see the building that you see
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the addition he had? He is.
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He is nailing it, man. He is so good.
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He is so talented. He is so even blessed.
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But what does God say? God sees a man who's bankrupt
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and he just doesn't know it. What was his problem?
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Well, let's look at him a little bit.
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She looked within the story. You see that his desire was for
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himself. Says he stores up Treasures for
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himself. This man was bankrupt because he
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looked at this world and the things that he hadn't said it is
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about me 10 times within this story within this Parable.
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He's going to say I or me or mine.
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He is constantly, it's my Fields.
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It's my barns. It's mine.
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It's mine. I have done this.
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I'm going to sit back. I'm going to have all these
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things. He is totally consumed with
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himself and whenever we start to look at the things that we have
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and think it's about me. We're To be bankrupt.
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His assumption is that, it's all for his consumption, and because
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of that, he's bankrupt. He's also bankrupt because he's
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not rich toward God. See the problem with in the
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story and this individual is he's living.
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As if God doesn't exist. If you looked at his finances,
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you're going to get no sign that God exists, that others had
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needs, or that he was making any plans for eternity.
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What were you going to see? You're going to see?
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Look, I've had a good year. I can put this back.
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I don't even have to work in the years to come.
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I'm going to have so much that I can pile it up and I'm just
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going to live my life day to day and it's going to be all about
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me. You don't see him mention
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anybody. At all.
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And if we're not careful, we can do the same.
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It's ironic. When you have this idea that he
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is living, as if God doesn't exist, when it comes to his
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finances. Because what do we do whenever
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we get into a financial problem? If you ever been there, you've
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been laid off by laid off lost your job, and you're looking for
22:12
one. You ever had a house that you're
22:16
trying to sell and man we're trying to get into this house
22:18
and I'm trying to got to get this house sold and you have
22:20
this, you know, it's a pretty big Financial transition that's
22:23
happening. And you have all of these
22:24
different things that are going on are all sudden there's
22:26
medical bills or there's other problems and you've got
22:29
financial problems. What do we do?
22:31
Pray for me? Trying to sell my house?
22:34
Will you pray for me? Look, I need a job.
22:37
Hey, we need to pray for brother so-and-so because he's looking
22:40
for a brand new job as soon as we get into a stress, as soon as
22:43
they're Those other some kind of need where maybe like, God I
22:47
want you in my finances. What does God want?
22:55
He wants to be in our finances before we ever have a need, he
22:59
wants to be in our finances. When things are good.
23:01
He wants to be in our finances. When there's a bumper crop.
23:03
He wants to be in our finances, in everything we do from the
23:06
small time, when we're getting an allowance, until the time
23:10
that we sell in our business and everything's good.
23:12
And we're headed towards retirement.
23:14
He wants to be in every part of it, one, because he can bless us
23:17
in so many ways, but too, because we can bring him glory.
23:20
By what we do with the things that he gives us.
23:24
Don't invite God into your finances.
23:27
Only when there's a problem. Listen to, Jesus, teaching about
23:31
finances before there's ever a problem at all.
23:35
And this man was also bankrupt. Why?
23:37
Because his finances didn't take eternity into consideration.
23:42
He thought he had tomorrow. And he didn't.
23:47
He thought he had many years. He had all kinds of big plans
23:52
about all the things that he was going to do.
23:54
And all of those big plans kept him from bringing God into his
23:58
finances and making it a priority for him.
24:02
And it gets that call that every one of us are going to get.
24:08
Today's your day. Tonight's your night.
24:14
Your life is over. The balance.
24:16
Will be zeroed. What have you done with life?
24:21
And for that man. Because he was bankrupt, God,
24:23
simply addresses him, you fool. What Jesus has gotten the
24:28
request and he's told them a story and now he's going to give
24:32
him a lesson. He says, as a guard against
24:34
greed. I want you to think about that.
24:36
Now, that you've seen this man, and we've seen this sad story,
24:38
and we've seen this individual. I want you to go out and be
24:40
different because of it. And here's the lesson, he turns
24:43
to his disciples in verse 22. And he said to them, for this
24:46
reason, I say to you, don't worry about your life as to what
24:50
you will eat, nor for your body, as to what you will put on for
24:53
life, is more than food and the body more than clothing.
24:56
Consider the Ravens, they neither sow nor reap and they
25:00
have no storeroom or barn yet. God feeds them.
25:04
How much more valuable you are than the birds?
25:10
Which of You by worrying can add a single hour to his life span?
25:15
If you can't not do even a very little thing.
25:18
Then why do you worry about other matters?
25:20
Consider the lilies? How they grow, they neither toil
25:25
nor spin, but I tell you not even Solomon in all of his glory
25:29
clothed himself like one of these.
25:32
But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive
25:35
today. And tomorrow is thrown into the
25:38
furnace. How much more will he clothe?
25:40
You you men of little faith do not seek what you will eat and
25:46
what you will drink and don't keep worrying for all these
25:50
things. The nations of the world,
25:51
eagerly seek. But your father knows that you
25:55
need these things seek his kingdom and these things will be
26:00
added to you. Do not be afraid Little Flock
26:05
for your father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
26:11
Jesus tells the story and we get a result of the store.
26:13
And he says, look I want to give you a lesson.
26:15
I want to tell you some things to do and what does Jesus say?
26:18
He says, look if God is your master, trust him.
26:24
If God is your master of Jesus, is your lord, you give him
26:28
glory. You follow his teachings and
26:30
trust him to take care of you because what happens so many
26:35
times when it comes to finances. I'm looking at that and that
26:37
rich man looked at all, his piles of money and thought,
26:39
okay. This is going to give me a good
26:41
life moving forward. We may look at and say, look, I
26:44
don't have a big pile of money. But this money right here is
26:47
where I've got control this money right here is going to
26:49
take care of me. This will pay for my health
26:51
insurance. This will pay for this payment.
26:53
This will Make sure the lights stay on this.
26:55
Will make sure I've got somewhere to live and we're
26:57
looking at all of that money. As if it has control we have
27:01
control of our lives through that and Jesus says no do not
27:04
look at your things as if that's what life's about God is in
27:09
control and there's some things you need to know about him.
27:14
Now, Jesus isn't saying, you can't have a retirement home.
27:16
He's not a retirement. It doesn't say that you
27:19
shouldn't have any savings. These things are not wrong
27:22
unless they become your treasure or you, give them your trust.
27:28
But don't let your management of things be solely about you
27:31
because that's going to lead to Greed, instead.
27:34
Let God handle your need of things.
27:38
Trust God to give you enough. Jesus is there and he's talking
27:42
to him. He says I want you to look
27:43
around. Look at the Ravens.
27:45
Do you see these birds? They're taking care of.
27:49
Do you honestly believe that these birds are more important
27:52
to you, your father than you are?
27:54
Watch him. Look at them.
27:56
God is taking care of them. You may be here this morning.
27:59
You're thinking. I'm not sure how the bills are
28:00
even going to get covered. What's Jesus teaching?
28:03
God's going to take care of you. God's going to bless you, but
28:07
you I have to trust him. He says, look at the flowers
28:11
says look, they're beautiful today man.
28:12
Solomon at all of his glory. Didn't look like these.
28:15
These are beautiful. But you know what happens to
28:17
them. They're going to fade away.
28:18
They're going to die. People are going to cut them up.
28:20
They're going to throw them into the fire.
28:21
They're temporary. And they're going, just like
28:23
that. But God takes care of them.
28:25
The same God, that is taking care of the birds that taking
28:28
care of the flowers of the field.
28:30
He's going to take care of you. Instead of thinking these
28:34
material, things will take care of you simply trust God first.
28:41
He says, don't seek these things.
28:44
Look at their in verse 29 don't seek what you will eat or what
28:47
you will drink, don't keep on worrying.
28:51
And man, what can fix me so much with Jesus.
28:53
Here is what he is talking about.
28:55
There would bring about worry is things that we would We would be
29:00
worried. If you had no idea where lunch
29:03
was coming from today, you'd be concerned with you.
29:08
You had nothing to eat, no food. There's nothing in the pantry.
29:12
There's no money in your pocket. Jesus was talking to people who
29:17
had find themselves in that situation and you know what his
29:19
statement was, you know, what his teaching was?
29:22
Don't worry about it. God's going to take care of it.
29:25
I was in Ensenada Mexico on the Baja Peninsula.
29:27
There we go. To the city of children number
29:29
times, and help the orphans that are there.
29:31
But one of the things we get to do is go out into the community
29:34
and give away food and to different folks, and we'd put
29:36
together food packets. Well, we were going out to the
29:39
community, and we had a box of food, and we went up to this
29:42
family and we came in and literally there were families.
29:45
The tarp was, you know, assign was over the roof and they had
29:48
three sets of tires holding the tarp on and that's what was
29:51
keeping the house together. These individuals were here and
29:53
they were as happy as they could be to see us and everything was
29:56
great. And I'll never forget what they
29:58
told me, we come up and we give them this food and the preachers
30:02
with us and we're going through a translator.
30:04
They said oh that is so awesome. Thank you so much for coming
30:07
today. We prayed this morning that we
30:09
would get lunch. They got up that morning.
30:19
And lunch wasn't on the horizon. But you know what?
30:23
They were, they were happy. They felt blessed.
30:29
They knew they had a church family.
30:31
They knew they had a God who would take care of them and for
30:34
that day. They weren't sure about lunch,
30:37
but they were sure about the one who was going to take care of
30:39
them. They didn't say it.
30:43
Like, it was some huge day. It was their day-to-day life and
30:47
they taught us a lesson. We never forget.
30:48
I remember one of the teenagers walking away from one of those
30:51
deliveries and he was like, I'm complaining about the type
30:55
phone. I have IPhone 6.
31:03
And we're worried about he says I'll never complain again.
31:06
See there's times in life where we need to refocus and realize
31:08
life is not about what we have. It's about the one who has us.
31:12
It's about the one that we trust that will take us through today.
31:14
And for us, many times, we have different difficulties.
31:17
But Jesus says, wherever you are across the spectrum of Life know
31:21
that you have a father who loves you.
31:23
You have a father who's going to take care of you.
31:25
The birds are taking care of the flowers are taken care of.
31:28
And God knows you need these things and I'm glad that he says
31:31
that, but don't Those things instead seek Him First and trust
31:37
him to give you what you want, verse 31 seek first, his
31:41
kingdom, and all these things will be added to him seek Him
31:44
First and Trust the rest of life, which is come to you.
31:47
And what's Jesus saying he's saying, give you a picture here,
31:50
just relax and know, God is going to make it all.
31:53
Okay, it's next picture. Here's a picture of a hundred
31:56
dollar bill. My I had a friend that I met
32:00
last spring. His name is CJ.
32:03
I was in Jamestown, New York Upstate New York.
32:07
He was an older gentleman that had started coming to that
32:10
congregation. And after I went there and we
32:12
preach and talk for a while. We got on an email back and
32:14
forth. He had some things you wanted me
32:16
to pray about and we were talking about back and forth and
32:20
CJ did not have a lot of wealth, you know, he's pretty fixed
32:24
income and they were there at the building and they were
32:26
having their building fund Sunday.
32:28
And he just told me the story in passing.
32:30
He didn't know that anybody ever hear it and I haven't told him
32:32
that I'm telling, so keep that quiet for me.
32:33
CJ. He said you won't believe what
32:36
happened? This Sunday.
32:37
This coming Sunday. Was there building fun Sunday.
32:40
He says I came up to a gas station.
32:42
I got out of my truck and I looked down.
32:46
I saw a hundred dollar bill on the ground.
32:49
Their budgets. Pretty nice, right?
32:51
I saw a hundred dollar bill on the ground and I looked around
32:53
and there's nobody at the gas station at all, and I picked it
32:56
up and he said, I walked into the cashiers.
32:58
Like, hey, I saw this out here. Do you notice anybody looking
33:00
for that know? Nobody was there to claim it.
33:04
Nobody was there to have it. And this is what he said.
33:09
He said I was able to give it all to the building fund Sunday,
33:12
how awesome was that? God brought me a hundred
33:17
dollars. And, you know what I got to do.
33:18
I got to give $100 to God from that.
33:22
I thought, wow. CJ.
33:26
Doesn't matter how much you have, it matters.
33:27
What's in your heart. And what's in your mind, when
33:30
$100 showed up. You know, what, showed up his
33:32
heart where his mind was where his Focus was question for you.
33:36
If a hundred dollars showed up, what would be in your heart?
33:41
What would be in your mind? Is it already spent?
33:47
Is it already gone? Or is it an opportunity?
33:52
Is it a tool? Is it a blessing?
33:56
Is it somebody else that needs this right now?
34:00
Is it the Lord's church? Is it his building fund?
34:03
But CJ taught me a lot about that.
34:07
Same time. I was thinking of one of my
34:08
friends who's on school and school from school and he was
34:12
there on Facebook and his his son under 10 years old.
34:16
We talked about that in Bible classes morning, trying to raise
34:18
him up and he was a, he got some money from his birthday.
34:23
I can put money in the plate now.
34:28
He was receiving his things and thinking what can I do to praise
34:32
God? And they young child can teach
34:34
that when we have income to. We think I can do something for
34:38
God and his kingdom. That's what Jesus tells us to do
34:41
seek his kingdom first. All these things will be added
34:44
to. You don't be afraid.
34:45
Your father has chosen a gladly give you the Kingdom.
34:49
So don't choose to chase the uncertainty of things in this
34:52
world. Relax seek his kingdom.
34:56
Don't worry. I know that he will take care of
34:59
you. Trust God.
35:02
He's giving you the most valuable thing in the world by
35:05
giving you his kingdom. So what can he do?
35:08
He can calm your fears about the future about whether there's
35:12
enough or whether I'm going to be taking care of.
35:14
He can keep you from hoarding too much stuff here on Earth
35:18
because I'm going to trust him to use the things I have for his
35:21
glory. He can allow you to be content
35:23
with what you have. He can satisfy all the desires
35:26
that can get you into all. Kinds of trouble and say Lord,
35:29
just help me to be content with what I have.
35:31
He can bless you and then Jesus gives a charge.
35:36
Look at verse 33. He comes through and he gives
35:39
all this lesson. Think says, look, I want you to
35:41
go do something and for you today, I don't know where you
35:44
are. And I don't know what your
35:45
situation is, and I don't know what you're facing.
35:47
But what I do know is that Jesus has a message for you.
35:51
Jesus word is always going to give you a charge wherever you
35:54
are and so many times a challenges for us to find that.
35:57
But look at what he says. He says, as a guard against
36:00
greed, I want you to act this way.
36:02
Verse 33 sell your possessions give the charity make yourselves
36:07
money belts with Don't wear out and unfailing treasure in
36:11
heaven, where no thief comes in Norma the destroys because where
36:15
your treasure is, there. Will your heart be also, what
36:20
does Jesus give with his charge? He gives us a solution for
36:23
greed. If you heard some of those
36:26
descriptions about greed and say, you know what, that's been
36:28
sneaking into my life or that has total control of my life.
36:32
Here's the solution for greed. Give money away.
36:36
Quit holding on to it. Find something that is
36:40
important. Something that will bring glory
36:41
to your father in Heaven and make it a decision to give.
36:44
If you want to break the hold that possessions have in your
36:47
life. I would challenge you make a
36:50
gift, give money away and a gift.
36:53
That's big to you. I don't know what big to you is.
36:58
But if you want to say, look, I don't want to be held down and I
37:01
don't want to be held by things that I have, then you sit there
37:03
and make a decision that I'm going to make a sacrifice and
37:06
let go of these things. And Jesus says, sell your
37:10
possessions give to charity. Find somebody in need make a
37:14
decision to make their life better, help them out.
37:17
And what's going to happen? You can make for yourselves
37:19
money belts that are never going to wear out an unfailing
37:23
treasure in heaven. The only way to break the chains
37:26
of stuff as Vaughn you and sometimes just to give away your
37:30
stuff. Now, say this God doesn't need
37:33
our money. You know what he needs.
37:36
He needs us to be people who just simply want to give our
37:39
money and use it for him. God wants your heart.
37:45
God wants you to look at the things you have and say man, I
37:47
could do something with this. God wants you to have the heart
37:50
of CJ. He wants a view, the heart of
37:53
these other families. You know, what maybe those
37:54
families in Mexico and do they would get all that food and say,
37:57
oh, wow, we can call our neighbors.
37:59
We didn't have lunch today, but we've got lunch and they don't
38:02
and here we go. And other people would come
38:05
there to share with them. Why?
38:07
Because they wanted to give Glory If you can't let go of it
38:12
for his kingdom. If you can't, let go of it for
38:15
the good of other people. If you can't let go of it, then
38:18
you can't put it into heaven. And that's why I agreed is so
38:20
dangerous. And that's what the story was
38:22
all about. The man, couldn't let it go.
38:27
So don't be like the fool. Break the chains of greed.
38:30
In your life, recognize the giver of everything has blessed
38:34
you with your finances. He's going to take care of you.
38:37
Regardless of, what's Happening seek his kingdom first, and what
38:40
can you have money belts, which do not wear out and an unfailing
38:44
treasure in heaven. So I want you to ask yourself a
38:48
few questions this morning as we close.
38:51
I want you to consider here at the beginning of the year.
38:53
How much is God given me right now.
38:57
And maybe add some go home and talk about it, that maybe
38:59
sometime around the kitchen table.
39:01
What is God doing for us? Then ask yourself the question.
39:05
Do you do? I believe that he is proud of
39:07
the way that I'm using his blessings.
39:10
Have? I given him my heart in such a
39:12
way that God can be proud of what I do.
39:15
And then ask yourself the question how much of what he is
39:18
giving me. Do I want to use for his glory
39:20
this year? You can give to the work here.
39:23
You can give to your neighbor. You can have your eyes open at
39:26
work. You can have your eyes open as
39:27
you're driving up and down the street.
39:29
What God wants is for his people to be givers.
39:31
Why? Because we serve the greatest
39:34
Giver. We serve a father who gave his
39:39
own son and all he wants us to do, is to look around love
39:44
people enough. Like he did to be givers as
39:47
well. I hope God will bless you in
39:48
2020 to that end as you think about his gift.
39:52
She think about what God gave us.
39:54
I want to ask you this morning. Have you accepted that gift?
39:58
You have to understand that God if you'll seek Him First,
40:00
everything else is going to be, okay, he's going to take care of
40:04
you. He's going to help you through
40:05
problems. He's going to help you through
40:06
hardships. Whether its Financial, whether
40:08
it's emotional, whether it's personal, he's going to help you
40:11
through the biggest problem. You have and that sin that
40:13
separates you from him, but come and tell other people that you
40:16
believe in confess him before men, turn away from sin in life,
40:20
make a decision that I'm going to come and be buried with him
40:22
in the waters of baptism. And what's he do?
40:25
He takes away all your sins. And gives you a gift of eternal
40:30
life and a purpose for living every day.
40:32
Maybe today's your day to be a Christian.
40:34
Maybe today's your day to make a change.
40:36
If you need to make it known publicly in any way.
40:38
We invite you to come as we stand as we sing.