WEBVTT 00:00:00.059 --> 00:00:02.424 Corinthians, chapter 9, 2 Corinthians 9,. 00:00:02.424 --> 00:00:05.953 How many of you would say I don't have a very good memory? 00:00:05.953 --> 00:00:10.006 I do not have a very good memory, okay. 00:00:10.006 --> 00:00:22.045 How many of you would say I used to have a decent memory, but now it's kind of low, okay, okay, well, so what I'm going to do is I think you guys probably have a better memory than you think you do. 00:00:22.626 --> 00:00:24.109 Last week, we started this new series. 00:00:24.109 --> 00:00:26.062 It's called Resist. 00:00:26.062 --> 00:00:39.590 It's called Resist and this series is all about resisting selfishness and let's see if you can remember and embracing selflessness. 00:00:39.590 --> 00:00:41.933 Let's go Air high five to everybody. 00:00:41.933 --> 00:00:42.502 Let's go. 00:00:42.502 --> 00:00:43.607 You guys got it. 00:00:43.607 --> 00:00:44.191 That's good. 00:00:44.191 --> 00:00:49.014 It's all about resisting selfishness and embracing selflessness, and here's what we're doing. 00:00:49.014 --> 00:00:58.341 We're learning one principle each week of the series that will allow us to resist selfishness, and last week we learned a principle. 00:00:58.341 --> 00:01:05.334 Before we put it up on the screen, does anybody have good memory and remember what last week's principle was? 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.048 Man, some of you are checking your notes. 00:01:09.048 --> 00:01:10.936 You're like what is it? 00:01:10.936 --> 00:01:11.397 Selfishness? 00:01:11.397 --> 00:01:12.281 It was about selfishness. 00:01:12.281 --> 00:01:12.682 That's right. 00:01:12.682 --> 00:01:13.123 That's right. 00:01:13.123 --> 00:01:13.986 It was about that. 00:01:14.266 --> 00:01:17.783 And the principle is that God is the owner and we are his. 00:01:17.783 --> 00:01:22.513 You guys knew that God's the owner, he's that we're his stewards. 00:01:22.513 --> 00:01:31.007 So God owns everything and he has put our time and our talents and our treasure in our hand, but really they're not ours, they're his. 00:01:31.007 --> 00:01:37.293 So, as stewards, we ask ourselves God, what do you want me to do with what you've given me? 00:01:37.293 --> 00:01:42.512 Now, today's principle is a little counterintuitive. 00:01:42.512 --> 00:01:53.569 Something that maybe you haven't thought about but it's a biblical principle and it's this is that giving isn't just for others. 00:01:53.569 --> 00:01:56.987 Giving is for you. 00:01:56.987 --> 00:02:01.206 Hold on hold, on hold, on hold on Nate. 00:02:01.206 --> 00:02:01.563 What do you mean? 00:02:01.563 --> 00:02:04.001 Giving isn't just for others, it's for me. 00:02:04.001 --> 00:02:05.084 When I give, it's for them. 00:02:05.084 --> 00:02:06.569 Let me give you an example. 00:02:06.569 --> 00:02:24.211 At the end of a service, I make my way out to the lobby and I grab a box the treasure chest and the kids love to come up to me after the service and get a piece of candy from the treasure chest. 00:02:24.211 --> 00:02:28.108 The kids enjoy that and the kids at heart enjoy doing that too. 00:02:28.810 --> 00:02:42.447 I see some of you out there, okay, and whenever the kids will go and get a piece of candy from the treasure chest, mom or dad will say something like tell Pastor Nate thank you, or what do you say? 00:02:42.447 --> 00:02:48.920 And the reason why you tell your kids to say thank you is not because you're like. 00:02:48.920 --> 00:02:55.093 And if Pastor Nate doesn't hear thank you, he's going to lose some sleep tonight. 00:02:55.093 --> 00:03:02.931 I mean, for Pastor Nate's emotional well-being and sense of self, he needs my five-year-old to say thank you. 00:03:02.931 --> 00:03:10.731 It's not why you want them to say thank you because you want them to be thankful. 00:03:10.731 --> 00:03:19.052 So them saying thank you isn't about me, but about who you want them to be. 00:03:19.052 --> 00:03:27.413 And you know that God's plan for your life isn't so much something you do, but someone you become. 00:03:27.413 --> 00:03:32.606 Some of us, we think that God wants me to do all these things. 00:03:32.606 --> 00:03:34.451 No, god wants you to become someone. 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:36.122 Check out this verse. 00:03:36.122 --> 00:03:36.884 I don't know if you've seen it. 00:03:36.884 --> 00:03:38.210 It's in Romans 8, verse 29. 00:03:38.210 --> 00:03:42.564 It says for those he, this is God who he foreknew. 00:03:42.564 --> 00:03:50.314 He also predestined this is what he wants you to do to be conformed, to be shaped, to be molded to the image of his. 00:03:50.314 --> 00:03:51.156 What's that last word? 00:03:51.156 --> 00:03:52.193 The image of his son. 00:03:52.193 --> 00:03:54.552 Could somebody tell me who is God's son? 00:03:54.552 --> 00:03:55.460 It is Jesus. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:03:57.287 So he wants your life. 00:03:57.287 --> 00:03:59.868 He wants you to be like Jesus. 00:03:59.868 --> 00:04:02.421 That's the type of person he wants you to become. 00:04:03.223 --> 00:04:06.067 So, friend, hear this, hear this, hear this, hear this. 00:04:06.067 --> 00:04:33.249 When you give up your time to listen to a hurting friend, when you learn to serve and give up your time and your talent and your skills, when you learn to be generous with your resources, your financial resources, and live open-handed, you are becoming more selfless and more like Jesus. 00:04:33.249 --> 00:04:39.456 This is why giving isn't just for others, it's for you. 00:04:39.456 --> 00:04:44.509 Now maybe you're here and you're newer to Christianity. 00:04:44.509 --> 00:04:45.632 You're kind of checking things out. 00:04:45.632 --> 00:05:03.254 I want you to know that, as Jesus followers, when we give of our time, our treasure and our talent, everything we give is in response to what God has already given us, that God has given everything to us in the gospel, in Jesus coming and dying on the cross for us. 00:05:03.254 --> 00:05:06.744 So everything that we give is just in response to what he's given us. 00:05:07.706 --> 00:05:17.889 And while giving is an advanced Christian growth principle, what I want you to know, if you're newer to faith and you're newer to Christianity, is you need to know it's not about what you give. 00:05:17.889 --> 00:05:23.528 I want you to know it's about what God has given you, and that's his son by dying on the cross for you. 00:05:23.528 --> 00:05:29.663 So Jesus came and died for you because of our sin. 00:05:29.663 --> 00:05:36.461 Because of our sin, we are separated from God for all eternity in a place the scripture says is hell. 00:05:36.461 --> 00:05:40.129 But Jesus came and took our place and died in our place. 00:05:40.129 --> 00:05:45.372 And when we put our trust in him, we have salvation, we are saved. 00:05:45.372 --> 00:05:49.531 And if you've never made that decision today, I hope you will make that decision. 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:59.233 And this leads us into 2 Corinthians, chapter number 9, where Paul is writing to some Jesus followers encouraging them to be generous. 00:05:59.233 --> 00:06:02.069 And he's trying to spur them on to be generous. 00:06:02.069 --> 00:06:03.826 And he does it in two ways. 00:06:03.826 --> 00:06:05.281 It's kind of interesting One. 00:06:05.281 --> 00:06:07.425 He uses a farming analogy. 00:06:07.425 --> 00:06:10.791 He's like I'm going to give you this farming analogy. 00:06:10.791 --> 00:06:25.389 And then he gives them a promise from God, because, because, because, because giving isn't just for others, it's for you. 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:30.946 Now we're going to go to a place in scripture called Corinthians, corinthians, 2 Corinthians. 00:06:30.946 --> 00:06:32.326 It's in the city of Corinth. 00:06:32.326 --> 00:06:34.627 Everybody say the word Corinth, ready Corinth. 00:06:34.627 --> 00:06:35.711 Okay, we got a map. 00:06:35.711 --> 00:06:37.125 I want to show you, guys where Corinth is at. 00:06:37.125 --> 00:06:39.247 Corinth is in modern day Greece. 00:06:39.247 --> 00:06:41.086 Okay, this is where Greece would be at. 00:06:41.086 --> 00:06:44.387 So just to the left over there, if the map extended, it would be Italy. 00:06:44.387 --> 00:06:46.372 So down here would be the Mediterranean Sea. 00:06:46.372 --> 00:06:47.795 So this is modern day Greece. 00:06:47.795 --> 00:06:53.290 Now you see Corinth right there in the middle, to the right of it's Athens, down below Corinth. 00:06:53.290 --> 00:06:56.144 It's not on the map there but would be the city of Sparta. 00:06:56.144 --> 00:07:00.100 You guys ever watched a war movie with, like, the Spartans, sparta? 00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:01.242 You guys seen those right? 00:07:01.242 --> 00:07:15.963 Here's what's kind of cool If Athens and Sparta were battling, they would go right through Corinth, like they would have to go through the city of Corinth and you can actually go to the remains of the city of Corinth. 00:07:15.963 --> 00:07:18.793 So there's a couple pictures I want to show you guys of what the remains of ancient city of Corinth looks like. 00:07:20.077 --> 00:07:30.129 So Paul is writing to people at this place and this is what he says to the Jesus followers at Corinth in verse number one of 2 Corinthians 9. 00:07:30.129 --> 00:07:32.869 If you're ready, would you say, amen, let's go. 00:07:32.869 --> 00:07:34.663 Amen, hey, it's a little warm in here. 00:07:34.663 --> 00:07:35.286 We good? 00:07:35.286 --> 00:07:36.509 Hey, I'll say this too. 00:07:36.509 --> 00:07:37.130 Isn't it cool? 00:07:37.130 --> 00:07:43.706 I know it's kind of tight in here, but isn't it so cool to see so many new people God's bringing to our church family and so many new people coming. 00:07:43.706 --> 00:07:44.466 That's good, right. 00:07:44.466 --> 00:07:45.670 Yeah, that's right, right. 00:07:45.670 --> 00:07:46.612 These are good problems to have. 00:07:46.612 --> 00:07:47.494 These are good problems to have. 00:07:47.494 --> 00:07:50.127 Hey, third service coming one day. 00:07:50.127 --> 00:07:50.870 Okay, here we go. 00:07:50.870 --> 00:07:52.485 2 Corinthians 9, verse 1. 00:07:52.485 --> 00:07:54.310 Maybe sooner rather than later. 00:07:54.329 --> 00:07:55.480 2 Corinthians 9, verse 1. 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:57.925 It says now, concerning the ministry to the saints. 00:07:57.925 --> 00:08:00.512 It is unnecessary for me to write to you. 00:08:00.512 --> 00:08:19.045 So, concerning the ministry to the saints, this is this gift, this is this financial gift that they're going to give, because the context of the passage is there were some Jesus followers in Jerusalem that were having some really hard times and the people at Corinth said we're going to give a gift to help out these people. 00:08:19.045 --> 00:08:26.192 So, concerning the financial gift you're going to give to help out these people, it's unnecessary for me to write to you. 00:08:26.819 --> 00:08:30.850 Paul's like I don't need to write to you because you already said you were going to give. 00:08:30.850 --> 00:08:36.291 In fact, verse 2 tells them they had an excitement level about giving. 00:08:36.291 --> 00:08:41.769 He says I know your eagerness, I boast about you to the Macedonians. 00:08:41.769 --> 00:08:53.822 A KI has been ready since last year, ready to do what, ready to give, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 00:08:53.822 --> 00:08:56.291 So if we go back to the map on here, what we can see is we can see Macedonia at the top. 00:08:56.291 --> 00:08:57.033 Macedonia is a region there. 00:08:57.033 --> 00:08:59.981 You see, corinth is in another region of Aki. 00:08:59.981 --> 00:09:09.567 So Paul says I've talked to the Macedonians and I've let them know about your zeal and about what you're doing, and now you've stirred these people up, they want to give. 00:09:10.529 --> 00:09:20.666 But I'm sending verse 3, the brothers, so that our boasting about you in this matter would not prevent thee, so that you would be ready, just as I said. 00:09:20.666 --> 00:09:27.142 Have you ever maybe said that you were going to do something and maybe didn't follow through? 00:09:27.142 --> 00:09:32.221 Or maybe you knew somebody that somebody said they were going to do something and didn't follow through? 00:09:32.221 --> 00:09:42.126 Paul says here, he's like hey, I don't want my words to be proven empty because we said that this was going to be happening, that you're going to give. 00:09:42.126 --> 00:09:53.388 So I want you just to be ready, because in verse 4, otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and they find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be put to shame in that situation. 00:09:53.388 --> 00:09:55.673 Isn't it kind of like shameful? 00:09:55.673 --> 00:10:01.589 Maybe you say you're going to do something and kind of forget to do something or kind of don't do it. 00:10:01.589 --> 00:10:06.525 Paul says hey, we don't want you to be put to shame because you've said you're gonna give. 00:10:06.525 --> 00:10:09.523 I told these people you're gonna give when they come. 00:10:09.523 --> 00:10:12.547 We don't want them to be like you said this what's going on, bro? 00:10:12.547 --> 00:10:14.384 Like, be ready guys. 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:28.025 Therefore, verse five I consider it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion. 00:10:28.025 --> 00:10:37.082 So I want you to be ready so when I come to give, so when you come to give, it's not like you have to be forced to give, you have to be you're like you need to give right now. 00:10:37.082 --> 00:10:38.904 Like no, like that's not the heart in this. 00:10:38.904 --> 00:10:40.287 I don't want you to give grudgingly. 00:10:40.287 --> 00:11:04.466 I want you to give a generous gift and then he's going to communicate with them what God does in and for those that live open-handed, those that are generous, because giving isn't just about others, it's for us. 00:11:04.466 --> 00:11:07.320 He says in verse 5, he says this he says in verse 5, he says this. 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:25.332 He says verse 6, he says the point is this the person who sows sparingly will also reap let's say it together will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generous. 00:11:25.332 --> 00:11:30.046 Interesting analogy Talks about farming. 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:33.730 It's because these people, they understood this. 00:11:33.730 --> 00:11:37.506 He tells them about this principle of sowing and reaping. 00:11:37.506 --> 00:11:40.767 Now I got to say this Sowing and reaping is not karma. 00:11:40.767 --> 00:11:42.504 Who's ever heard karma? 00:11:42.504 --> 00:11:43.567 You guys have heard karma right. 00:11:43.567 --> 00:11:46.464 It's like somebody does something to hurt you. 00:11:46.464 --> 00:11:47.787 You're like karma's going to get them. 00:11:47.787 --> 00:11:55.183 Just wait, karma is, I'm not going to say Karma's going to get them. 00:11:55.183 --> 00:12:08.041 Okay, karma, by its actual definition, is not biblical, because karma says your future is 100% determined by your current actions 100%. 00:12:08.041 --> 00:12:10.566 You think about this Jesus. 00:12:10.566 --> 00:12:13.994 He lived a perfect life but he died a criminal's death. 00:12:13.994 --> 00:12:25.109 And also I'm really thankful that karma is not biblical because I did all the sinning and Jesus gave his life and did all the forgiving, so now I'm forgiven. 00:12:25.109 --> 00:12:42.129 So, while karma is not biblical, paul is teaching that life is connected, that there's this connection in life, and he gives a farming illustration to communicate the connection of life and specifically when it comes to our generosity. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:47.220 So I actually brought something to our church gathering today. 00:12:47.220 --> 00:12:50.490 I brought some watermelon seeds. 00:12:50.490 --> 00:12:53.924 Who likes watermelon in the room? 00:12:53.924 --> 00:12:56.831 Oh yes, oh yes, watermelon. 00:12:56.831 --> 00:13:02.337 Watermelon's amazing. 00:13:02.337 --> 00:13:06.566 Now sometimes you get the watermelon that doesn't have that has the seeds. 00:13:06.566 --> 00:13:11.961 I like getting the watermelon that doesn't have the seeds because I was told as a kid, when it came to watermelons, that had seeds. 00:13:11.961 --> 00:13:23.706 If you she's with me, because Sandra's with me If you eat a watermelon seed and the watermelon seed goes down. 00:13:23.706 --> 00:13:25.331 Some of you know what I'm talking about. 00:13:25.331 --> 00:13:29.519 You know what I'm saying. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.384 You can have a watermelon grow in you. 00:13:32.384 --> 00:13:34.527 As a kid I was traumatized in you as a kid. 00:13:34.527 --> 00:13:35.427 I was traumatized. 00:13:35.427 --> 00:13:38.432 What do you mean? 00:13:38.432 --> 00:13:40.274 And you know I'm eating my watermelon. 00:13:40.274 --> 00:13:50.890 I'm like I think I just ate a watermelon seed. 00:13:50.890 --> 00:13:52.357 Do I need to go to the hospital, mom? 00:13:52.357 --> 00:13:56.162 Thankfully my mom was gracious and kind. 00:13:56.162 --> 00:13:57.504 It's like no, you're just a naive little pump. 00:13:57.504 --> 00:13:57.966 No, she didn't say that. 00:13:57.966 --> 00:13:58.586 God, watermelon seeds. 00:13:58.586 --> 00:14:00.070 Watermelon's great, I know. 00:14:00.311 --> 00:14:07.182 I'm also curious how many of you guys you like to grow things? 00:14:07.182 --> 00:14:07.682 Maybe you're a gardener? 00:14:07.682 --> 00:14:08.043 You got it Okay. 00:14:08.043 --> 00:14:08.927 Gardeners like to grow things like plants. 00:14:08.927 --> 00:14:09.928 Okay, how many of you? 00:14:09.928 --> 00:14:14.783 When a plant comes to your house, it's like a death sentence on that plant's life. 00:14:14.783 --> 00:14:20.243 Right, you have the spiritual gift of killing plants. 00:14:20.243 --> 00:14:21.528 You have that spiritual gift. 00:14:21.528 --> 00:14:22.994 Anybody in the room like that? 00:14:22.994 --> 00:14:24.519 Yes, moment of prayer. 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:25.280 Come forward. 00:14:25.280 --> 00:14:25.601 Here we go. 00:14:25.601 --> 00:14:27.865 All right. 00:14:27.865 --> 00:14:32.335 So planting we know some things about planting. 00:14:32.335 --> 00:14:36.671 We know there's kind of like some laws about planting, like sowing and reaping planting. 00:14:36.671 --> 00:14:46.067 But no, there's kind of like some laws about planting of, like sowing and reaping, Like here's one that I really don't like, but it's just factual is that the harvest of a plant comes later than the planting. 00:14:46.067 --> 00:14:46.750 You know what I'm saying. 00:14:46.750 --> 00:14:54.110 So if you plant a seed, it's going to take some time for that seed to produce some fruit and to grow. 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:59.341 Now, if you're like me, I can be a little bit impatient at times. 00:14:59.341 --> 00:15:00.826 Anybody else like me? 00:15:00.826 --> 00:15:03.291 Yes, okay, all right, thank you. 00:15:03.291 --> 00:15:05.221 It's like I see I plant something. 00:15:05.221 --> 00:15:08.571 I'm like the next day, I'm like coming out there, do I see something? 00:15:08.571 --> 00:15:08.871 Is that? 00:15:08.871 --> 00:15:20.489 No, bro, you're just really impatient, but I don't think it's my fault, because we live in 2024, and we have Uber Eats and we have the microwave and we have Amazon Prime. 00:15:20.489 --> 00:15:23.443 And if my package is not delivered within 24 hours, what is wrong? 00:15:23.443 --> 00:15:37.768 Just kidding, we can be impatient, but the thing about planting and sowing is that the harvest comes later than the planting comes later than the planting. 00:15:37.788 --> 00:15:48.525 Now, some of us I want to talk to some of us for a minute right now Some of you are frustrated in your spiritual life because you have been sowing and you have been trying to be faithful and you're like God, where are you? 00:15:48.525 --> 00:15:54.947 I've been sowing, I've been trying to be faithful to you and it's causing some of us to have doubts, to think man, maybe I'm just going to walk away. 00:15:54.947 --> 00:16:00.888 Can I say you need to endure because the harvest is coming, but it always comes later than the planting. 00:16:00.888 --> 00:16:04.028 It always comes later than the planting. 00:16:04.028 --> 00:16:09.989 It always comes down the road and some of us are in a place right now in our lives where we're like I don't know, god, what's happening. 00:16:09.989 --> 00:16:15.269 The harvest comes later and God has a harvest for some of your lives. 00:16:15.269 --> 00:16:17.453 God has a harvest for some of your families. 00:16:17.453 --> 00:16:23.985 God wants to break some generational dysfunction in your life. 00:16:23.985 --> 00:16:24.547 But you got to be faithful. 00:16:24.547 --> 00:16:25.249 Can I get an amen in the house? 00:16:25.249 --> 00:16:25.769 You know what I'm saying. 00:16:25.789 --> 00:16:30.586 The harvest comes later than the planting and the harvest is greater than the planting. 00:16:30.586 --> 00:16:46.027 So if I plant one of these seeds and a watermelon comes up I don't know how many seeds are in that watermelon, but it's a lot and if that thing has another watermelon, another watermelon for you know it. 00:16:46.027 --> 00:16:49.072 You got I don't know thousands, maybe more than that. 00:16:49.072 --> 00:16:49.732 You know what I'm saying. 00:16:49.732 --> 00:16:59.772 All these and it came from one, and the harvest is always later but the harvest is always greater. 00:16:59.772 --> 00:17:08.522 So I want to encourage some of you guys, especially in this area that I mean Paul's talking about giving right here. 00:17:08.522 --> 00:17:11.490 I want to encourage you with this is that God talks about. 00:17:11.490 --> 00:17:12.332 If you will. 00:17:12.332 --> 00:17:21.250 Paul's saying if you will plant sparingly, you'll reap sparingly, but if you'll plant, if you'll sow generously, you'll reap generously. 00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:27.450 Like there's this text of scripture that, honestly, is hard for me, but it's in Proverbs, chapter three, and this is what it says, talking about this. 00:17:27.450 --> 00:17:33.090 It says honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest. 00:17:33.090 --> 00:17:34.213 What's the next word? 00:17:34.213 --> 00:17:42.882 It says then Okay, start again. 00:17:42.882 --> 00:17:43.303 What's the next word? 00:17:43.303 --> 00:17:44.548 It is then Okay, so if I honor God, then what's going to happen? 00:17:44.548 --> 00:17:46.237 Then my barns will be completely filled and your vats will overflow with new wine. 00:17:46.237 --> 00:17:46.699 Here's what I want. 00:17:46.699 --> 00:17:48.001 I wish the verse was reversed. 00:17:48.001 --> 00:17:59.781 I wish it would be like God will fill my barns completely, my vats will overflow, and then I'll honor the Lord, and then I'll give, and then I'll do what I know I should do. 00:17:59.781 --> 00:18:00.923 But this is what God says. 00:18:00.923 --> 00:18:06.401 God says if you trust me, then watch what I can do. 00:18:07.502 --> 00:18:13.765 Now I want to illustrate this as far as a way that sometimes I see things and maybe you see things, so I got something in my wallet. 00:18:13.765 --> 00:18:16.912 This is two visual illustrations in one Sunday. 00:18:16.912 --> 00:18:18.020 Yeah, two. 00:18:18.020 --> 00:18:20.489 You guys are about to see how rich. 00:18:20.489 --> 00:18:23.178 I am Y'all ready, because you know. 00:18:23.178 --> 00:18:24.622 I mean, if you're a pastor, of course you're rich. 00:18:24.622 --> 00:18:27.106 That was a joke. 00:18:27.106 --> 00:18:31.622 Okay, pastors, don't get into the ministry for money, okay, anyways. 00:18:32.403 --> 00:18:34.727 So I have some $1 bills. 00:18:34.727 --> 00:18:39.173 Everybody say, ooh, I have 10 $1 bills. 00:18:39.173 --> 00:18:46.113 Everybody say, ah, this will buy me a cheeseburger, maybe not not like a double, but like a single. 00:18:46.113 --> 00:18:49.807 You know what I'm saying From in and out not a good cheeseburger. 00:18:49.807 --> 00:18:56.528 So I got, I got all this and I think sometimes what we do is is we look, we have. 00:18:56.528 --> 00:19:07.213 This represents what we have, our resources, that we have, and unfortunately, because we live in California, things ain't cheap up in here y'all. 00:19:07.213 --> 00:19:13.612 So we think, all right, I got to pay for my rent, got to pay for my mortgage. 00:19:13.612 --> 00:19:21.325 You know what I mean If I got 10, like that's two this is California, bro at least like three. 00:19:21.325 --> 00:19:23.009 You know what I'm saying. 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:23.451 I got a. 00:19:23.451 --> 00:19:27.243 I got my electricity bill. 00:19:27.243 --> 00:19:29.811 Were y'all feeling your electricity bill this summer? 00:19:29.811 --> 00:19:32.424 Come on, ouch, that's the word. 00:19:32.424 --> 00:19:34.211 Right, I'm still recovering from that, you know. 00:19:34.211 --> 00:19:38.026 Got your electricity bill, you got your water bill, so that's another one. 00:19:39.188 --> 00:19:43.595 You got your got those crazy insurance insurance rates. 00:19:43.595 --> 00:19:45.202 You know what I mean Like insurance. 00:19:45.202 --> 00:19:46.246 You got health insurance. 00:19:46.246 --> 00:19:47.931 You got like car insurance. 00:19:47.931 --> 00:19:50.226 You got insurance for insurance, for insurance. 00:19:50.226 --> 00:19:51.189 It seems like you know what I mean. 00:19:51.189 --> 00:19:52.300 I also watched a commercial the other day. 00:19:52.300 --> 00:19:55.306 It was like your health insurance isn't enough, get supplement. 00:19:55.306 --> 00:19:57.769 I'm like, give me a break, y'all. 00:19:57.769 --> 00:19:59.311 You know that's more right there. 00:19:59.311 --> 00:20:01.375 You got your car payment right. 00:20:01.375 --> 00:20:10.750 You got to drive. 00:20:10.750 --> 00:20:11.491 You got your car payment. 00:20:11.491 --> 00:20:13.278 This is like the most important one right here. 00:20:13.298 --> 00:20:20.488 Food Got to have Chipotle Got to have an occasional sushi run. 00:20:20.488 --> 00:20:21.309 Any sushi lovers in the house? 00:20:21.309 --> 00:20:23.515 My people, my people, my people gotta do that. 00:20:23.515 --> 00:20:23.875 So I do that. 00:20:23.875 --> 00:20:25.519 And just food in general, super expensive. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:28.548 You know, it's like you spend thirty dollars. 00:20:28.548 --> 00:20:31.501 You have like a half a bag of groceries, right, it's got a bowl of soup or something. 00:20:31.501 --> 00:20:32.064 I got that. 00:20:32.163 --> 00:20:37.374 And oh, oh, my gosh, how could I forget? 00:20:37.374 --> 00:20:40.710 How could I forget about my hobbies and my self-care? 00:20:40.710 --> 00:20:42.314 You know what I'm saying. 00:20:42.314 --> 00:20:46.912 I mean, you got a fishing hobby. 00:20:46.912 --> 00:20:48.825 Let's be honest about this fishing hobby. 00:20:48.825 --> 00:20:55.084 Like you got it yes, yes, I see you Like you got to go get that new fishing rod because it's on sale right now. 00:20:55.084 --> 00:20:56.228 Like you got to do it. 00:20:56.228 --> 00:20:57.845 You know, you got your hobbies. 00:20:57.845 --> 00:20:58.548 You got your self-care. 00:20:58.548 --> 00:21:00.046 You got to get the mani and the pedis. 00:21:00.046 --> 00:21:00.647 You know what I'm saying. 00:21:00.647 --> 00:21:02.326 Can I get an amen to mani pedi people? 00:21:02.326 --> 00:21:06.321 You know, right, some of you guys you're ashamed, but you know that hits you right? 00:21:06.321 --> 00:21:09.144 No judgment, no judgment at all. 00:21:09.144 --> 00:21:17.150 I'm you got, oh, I forgot. 00:21:18.310 --> 00:21:26.217 Sometimes you got to get some things on Amazon and you went to get a couple things and, before you know it, like that's like half your paycheck right there. 00:21:26.217 --> 00:21:31.163 Oh, last thing, last thing, last thing I forgot Coffee. 00:21:31.163 --> 00:21:32.986 Yeah, that's true, we'll throw that in with the food, though. 00:21:32.986 --> 00:21:38.375 Kids, oh my gosh, yeah, kids, they ain't cheap, man, kids expensive. 00:21:38.375 --> 00:21:41.262 Throw some kids there. 00:21:41.282 --> 00:21:43.606 Now we're like I ain't got nothing left. 00:21:43.606 --> 00:21:44.509 Where's my credit card at? 00:21:44.509 --> 00:21:45.991 I got to pay for all those subscriptions. 00:21:45.991 --> 00:21:47.213 I got to pay for Hulu. 00:21:47.213 --> 00:21:50.461 I got to pay for Disney+, I got to pay for Netflix, somebody. 00:21:50.461 --> 00:21:51.063 You know what I mean. 00:21:51.522 --> 00:21:52.644 So then this is what we do. 00:21:52.644 --> 00:22:03.655 We think, man, god, I was going to give to you, but I got all this stuff over here. 00:22:03.655 --> 00:22:08.605 And then we get to the next month and it's like the exact same thing. 00:22:08.605 --> 00:22:11.750 I got to pay for rent, I got to pay for kids, I got to pay for another membership. 00:22:11.750 --> 00:22:12.492 I got to pay for this. 00:22:12.492 --> 00:22:13.560 I got to pay for my direct TV. 00:22:13.560 --> 00:22:13.820 I got to. 00:22:14.522 --> 00:22:16.769 It's like okay God, okay God, okay God. 00:22:16.769 --> 00:22:25.242 Now this is hard because we actually love God. 00:22:25.242 --> 00:22:27.307 Like you love God, but giving is like so hard because of this reality. 00:22:27.307 --> 00:22:28.869 Like because things are so expensive. 00:22:28.869 --> 00:22:30.973 Like, giving is hard for me at times. 00:22:30.973 --> 00:22:32.442 Now, some of you guys think I'm a pastor. 00:22:32.442 --> 00:22:35.426 When I wake up, I arise and the angels are singing over me. 00:22:35.426 --> 00:22:40.941 No, I'm like ugh. 00:22:40.941 --> 00:22:43.527 Like this is hard. 00:22:45.009 --> 00:22:52.744 But here's what I've learned Is that God can do more with 90%. 00:22:52.744 --> 00:22:57.493 Then you can do with 100%. 00:22:57.493 --> 00:23:07.950 God's math is different than our math and when we say, god, this is what I'm going to do, I'm going to put you first in this area. 00:23:07.950 --> 00:23:14.984 God will take this and multiply this in his hands in ways you couldn't do it when it was all in your hands. 00:23:14.984 --> 00:23:18.615 It doesn't make sense. 00:23:18.615 --> 00:23:21.925 Some of y'all right now are like okay, sounds like a preacher talk. 00:23:21.925 --> 00:23:24.192 You have to experience this. 00:23:24.192 --> 00:23:30.080 You have to experience the joy that comes with seeing God provide in ways that only he can provide. 00:23:31.364 --> 00:23:42.809 Now here's the reality of this Like because it's so difficult, like for me, for us, what I've had to do is I've had to say maybe I'm just sharing my own lack of spirituality and lack of godliness with you guys this morning. 00:23:42.809 --> 00:23:59.804 But what I've had to do is I've had to go on SassoonChurchcom and set up recurring giving so it like comes out every month so I could just give to God first, because I can have a tendency of saying I don't know, because I need to do this over here, and I have set this up so I can put God first in my finances. 00:23:59.804 --> 00:24:04.333 And I've learned that when we put God first, he takes care of all the rest. 00:24:04.333 --> 00:24:05.521 Here's the third principle. 00:24:05.521 --> 00:24:08.049 And then I got to finish up with these rest of these verses. 00:24:08.049 --> 00:24:11.746 It's this it's that we only harvest when we persevere. 00:24:11.746 --> 00:24:14.172 So we got to be faithful, we got to persevere. 00:24:14.172 --> 00:24:14.799 We can't give up. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.541 I want to read the rest of the text and we'll be done. 00:24:16.541 --> 00:24:22.647 It says in verse number seven Give me like five minutes, guys, because this is like the best part, I promise All right. 00:24:22.647 --> 00:24:23.288 It says verse seven. 00:24:23.288 --> 00:24:24.650 It says each person. 00:24:24.650 --> 00:24:25.250 I appreciate it. 00:24:25.250 --> 00:24:26.030 Thank you, somebody. 00:24:26.030 --> 00:24:26.251 Right? 00:24:26.251 --> 00:24:36.486 Each person should do as he's decided in his heart, not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a joyful giver. 00:24:36.486 --> 00:24:38.189 God loves, it says, a cheerful giver. 00:24:38.189 --> 00:24:39.833 This word cheerful means joyful. 00:24:39.833 --> 00:24:43.345 There's joy in knowing you're obeying God. 00:24:43.345 --> 00:24:44.931 There's joy in knowing that when you give, the kingdom of God's expanding. 00:24:44.931 --> 00:24:49.586 There's joy in knowing that because of your giving, there's like eight, nine people, whatever it is getting baptized today. 00:24:49.586 --> 00:24:51.270 There's joy in knowing that. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:54.067 And then, in verse eight, he gives us a promise. 00:24:54.067 --> 00:25:01.309 He says God is able to make every grace overflow to you so that in every way, always having what's the next three words? 00:25:01.309 --> 00:25:13.614 Let's say it together Everything I wish, it said, everything you want, because I got some wants Y'all know Everything you need so you may excel in every good work. 00:25:13.614 --> 00:25:17.647 Because, as it is written, he distributed freely, he gave to the poor. 00:25:17.647 --> 00:25:20.782 His righteousness endures forever. 00:25:20.782 --> 00:25:23.272 He's leaning back to a text of what God's already done. 00:25:23.272 --> 00:25:31.823 Now, the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for the food will also multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 00:25:31.823 --> 00:25:34.508 God can multiply things. 00:25:34.508 --> 00:25:38.142 And in verse 11, he says this he gives this promise. 00:25:38.142 --> 00:25:40.926 You will be enriched. 00:25:40.926 --> 00:25:42.548 In what are those two words? 00:25:42.548 --> 00:25:53.266 In every way, for all generosity which produces thanksgiving to God through us, you'll be enriched. 00:25:53.266 --> 00:25:59.531 Number two there's a promise of an enriched life to the generous. 00:25:59.531 --> 00:26:04.951 God says, for those that live open-handed. 00:26:04.951 --> 00:26:07.299 Those that say God, I want to give to your kingdom. 00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:10.970 For those that say, god, I want you to be Lord of my finances. 00:26:10.970 --> 00:26:14.467 There's an enriched life now. 00:26:14.487 --> 00:26:20.926 Because we're Americans, we often equate in a rich life with money and sometimes God does bless us financially. 00:26:20.926 --> 00:26:23.476 But if you look at the New Testament, the word blessed is used over a hundred times in New Testament. 00:26:23.476 --> 00:26:28.570 The word blessed is used over a hundred times in the New Testament and not one time does it equate to material wealth. 00:26:28.570 --> 00:26:32.507 Sometimes God blesses us in other ways. 00:26:32.507 --> 00:26:50.000 Sometimes God blesses us by giving us the internal peace and contentment that comes from truly trusting God, truly trusting God. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:53.428 Sometimes God gives us an enriched life by seeing how God is multiplying our finances and multiplying our giving. 00:26:53.428 --> 00:26:56.233 Our giving often is producing fruit in all kinds of ways. 00:26:56.233 --> 00:27:02.772 Sometimes an enriched life is not allowing our money to have a stronghold on our hearts. 00:27:02.772 --> 00:27:12.599 It's not allowing our money to have a stronghold on our hearts and it's like I'm not in the grip of greed. 00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:17.743 Sometimes an enriched life is allowing other people around you to be impacted by your generosity. 00:27:17.763 --> 00:27:18.144 This is my story. 00:27:18.144 --> 00:27:33.059 When I grew up, my parents modeled generosity, even when they didn't have a lot of resources, like my dad has told me stories when they were first married, like he's eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch because like that's all he could do. 00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:34.786 And my parents were never. 00:27:34.786 --> 00:27:39.805 They were never the kind that were showy about what they gave or showy about their generosity. 00:27:39.805 --> 00:27:41.810 Or like, hey, we're writing this check. 00:27:41.810 --> 00:27:44.165 This is back in the day-day when people wrote checks all the time. 00:27:44.165 --> 00:27:44.989 You know what I mean. 00:27:44.989 --> 00:27:45.691 We're writing this check. 00:27:45.691 --> 00:27:46.884 Hey, nate, come look at it. 00:27:46.884 --> 00:27:54.132 It wasn't like that, but I knew that if there was a need that they would try to meet it, somebody had. 00:27:54.132 --> 00:27:58.971 I knew that they were the first person to write that check. 00:27:58.971 --> 00:28:02.869 I knew they were the first person to look out for somebody and try to help them. 00:28:02.869 --> 00:28:12.886 No-transcript, I knew that was what they did. 00:28:12.886 --> 00:28:32.404 They weren't showy about it and they even were willing to live a lesser lifestyle so they could have a generous life, live a lesser lifestyle so they could have a generous life. 00:28:32.424 --> 00:28:53.021 And at 35 years old, I look back on the way that shaped me growing up, on the way that taught me that God provides, on the way that showed me what it looks like to be generous, in a way that they didn't preach a sermon about generosity to me, but they lived a sermon about generosity, and a sermon lived is always more powerful than a sermon preached. 00:28:53.021 --> 00:29:09.476 And because they did that, god has met their needs and they lived an enriched life and they have joy in their life and I'm sitting here now as somebody that's like seeing their generosity and now it has taught me to live open-handedly. 00:29:09.476 --> 00:29:21.708 And it could be that there are people around you that you can influence in ways you don't even know, but because they see your generosity and it gives you an enriched life to knowing you had an impact on them. 00:29:21.708 --> 00:29:24.432 Rich life to knowing you had an impact on them. 00:29:24.432 --> 00:29:43.599 So I want to end all this on a question, and it's a hard question, it's not an easy question, it's an uncomfortable question and the question is will you trust God's promises when it comes to your finances? 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:50.167 Will you trust him? 00:29:50.167 --> 00:29:51.252 I know Even me as the pastor. 00:29:51.252 --> 00:29:52.218 I sit here and I'm like I don't know. 00:29:52.218 --> 00:29:55.505