WEBVTT 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:36.420 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:41.659 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today, but I'm going to record this. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:47.159 I think it, I think it'll be helpful for everybody to hear and not just, not just us. 00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:50.799 Everybody being, there's a number of people who aren't here right now. 00:00:51.100 --> 00:01:02.119 Basically over the next four weeks, we're going to be doing a, there's going to be a series on money that we're going to, that we're going to look at and money and wealth and our view of money. 00:01:02.579 --> 00:01:06.200 And it's a chance for you to assess like, what is your view of money? 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:12.060 And it's a chance for us to all grow closer to what Jesus is view of money. 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:16.140 You know, Jesus, God, you know, we're talking about the same thing, but his view of money. 00:01:16.299 --> 00:01:22.099 And so today we're going to look at a bunch of Proverbs that we're going to look a little bit more practical, but also in the old Testament. 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:29.819 And then on, on not right, next week, we're going to look at Jesus, his view of money. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:34.579 And then after that, we're going to look in the, in the new Testament, some of the letters. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:40.939 And yeah, yeah, do you have, no, you got to hand them back in. 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:43.540 Yeah, no, they're, they're yours to keep. 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:43.959 Yes. 00:01:44.579 --> 00:01:48.400 You can, you can Venmo me if you really are convicted by this lesson. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:50.680 Yeah. 00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:52.900 You know, it's interesting. 00:01:53.099 --> 00:02:01.680 So the idea of, yeah, so take notes on them if you want, it's, it's interesting because money is brought up 2,300 times in the Bible. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:09.460 There's 2,300 verses related to money, which is almost twice as many verses that talk about faith and prayer. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:24.780 I would say for us, and this is, I hope, I hope that we see this and I see it at more of as an area for us to grow, because I think as a church, we just don't talk about it an awful lot, especially from the pulpit. 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:33.840 And I would say, I don't think in the last four years, I've done a single lesson about that had any significance related to money, really. 00:02:33.979 --> 00:02:38.780 Maybe you could make it generality and you could add that in there, but really there hasn't been much. 00:02:39.539 --> 00:02:51.080 And, you know, so many, as I've been thinking about our church, I think it's uniquely important for our church to, to just understand the biblical, some of the biblical view of money. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:03:00.719 You know, I, some of my friends, they lead churches that are pretty affluent, or there's a lot that lead churches that are pretty affluent. 00:03:00.819 --> 00:03:14.060 And then there's a number who lead churches where there's a pretty big disparity, a disparity even in the church between those who have, have some money and those who are living in poverty or have government assistance even. 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:19.620 And I think for a majority of us, like that's not really the case. 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:29.039 Like a majority of us in the room and in the church aren't in a spot where we can, where we're, we don't have to work again the rest of our lives. 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:31.020 So some of us are, and amen to that. 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:41.500 A majority of us are also not in a spot where we're like, man, we need government support in order to, you know, in order to thrive and to function. 00:03:42.819 --> 00:03:48.659 You know, these, these churches, there's a big gap and we are really kind of right in the middle of it. 00:03:48.939 --> 00:03:56.199 You know, in our church, this is, it's a, there's a greater proportion of this than in other churches that I've, I've looked at and people that I've talked to. 00:03:56.259 --> 00:04:00.139 There's a larger percentage of households that are single income. 00:04:00.699 --> 00:04:07.800 There's a larger percentage, even of blue collar workers in our church, perhaps more than a lot of churches. 00:04:08.259 --> 00:04:22.699 There's a work with me here, like gig workers and that like, maybe you have a full time job, but then there's also like a side hustle that you're involved in, or you're doing something that in order to make money, you have to work for it and achieve something or do something. 00:04:24.540 --> 00:04:28.439 There's a bunch of young families and money is in general tighter. 00:04:29.060 --> 00:04:33.339 You know, I think all of the churches in the Midwest, many of them will feel it on some level. 00:04:33.339 --> 00:04:49.639 I think our church, perhaps, and maybe I'm off, but perhaps as much as any other church is going to feel, um, in the event that they're, that this inflation leads to a recession and there's some tightening of budgets even more so, uh, I think our church is going to feel it. 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:58.819 And I've already had, I've had more than a few conversations with, uh, with different ministers just as, as 2024 for most of the year, I've just been like, man, how can we talk about this more? 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.620 I really, I need to learn about it, but I want to, I want to talk about it. 00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:06.339 Like, I think it's a worthwhile thing to bring up from, um, you know, from, from my position. 00:05:06.920 --> 00:05:10.779 Uh, so I, but I think it's relevant, um, for the future, for sure. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:13.319 Let's assume that some, you know, there's a recession. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:22.699 I think this stuff that is going to be relevant then, um, but I want to be, I want to be really clear also, and I don't want to, uh, mince words. 00:05:22.779 --> 00:05:28.259 I think as a church, we, uh, we have a lot to grow in terms of our financial generosity. 00:05:28.660 --> 00:05:36.100 Um, so I think both of those it's relevant for the future and develop, develop some convictions, but I think it's relevant right now as well. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:40.639 Um, instead of, you know, me just saying, Oh, we got to give more. 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:41.339 We got to give more. 00:05:41.500 --> 00:05:44.240 I think let's, let's look at what the Bible teaches about it. 00:05:44.620 --> 00:05:50.480 Um, so the, the first, I'm going to go through three points this evening and we're all in the old Testament. 00:05:50.540 --> 00:05:58.459 You guys can just, we're going to be in Proverbs for, I think the whole time, um, let's go to Proverbs 10 and most of these scriptures are going to be on here. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:09.480 We're not going to go through all of these Proverbs, but, um, a lot of them are on here and I'm going to read, uh, in verse 16, you know, we're going to look at money and we're going to look at the power that money has. 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:11.699 Perhaps you already know money has a lot of power. 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:15.160 I'm going to show you what the Bible says about it because the Bible agrees. 00:06:15.259 --> 00:06:23.079 Money has a lot of power and money has the power to make or break a community. 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:31.839 It says in Proverbs 10, 16, the wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. 00:06:34.019 --> 00:06:42.439 You know, uh, what is so interesting in this scripture is that it talks about the same thing. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:50.019 It says the wages of the righteous, they produce something and then the earnings of the wicked also produce something. 00:06:50.019 --> 00:06:55.660 So the same thing is received and something different is, is pushed out or is put out. 00:06:55.800 --> 00:07:04.220 I think it's incredible and one thing that we have to understand is that money magnifies what's going on inside of our hearts. 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:08.639 Money magnifies what's going on inside of our hearts. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:11.819 It's kind of like a trailing indicator of what's going on. 00:07:13.579 --> 00:07:16.459 You know, there's, there's a, there's a really interesting commentary. 00:07:16.459 --> 00:07:20.560 I just, I was listening to a lesson, but then I bought the commentary and I'm waiting to receive it. 00:07:20.579 --> 00:07:22.480 I'm really excited about it. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:26.339 This, the guy who gave the lesson said it was the best commentary on Proverbs. 00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:28.560 Um, and he like full stop. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:53.819 And so, but, but what he said was this, uh, this author talked about righteousness and wickedness in Proverbs and he looked at just the word and we hear righteousness and we can think of some things, but righteousness in Proverbs is, uh, anyone who disadvantages themselves to build the community and wickedness in Proverbs is anyone who disadvantages the community to build up themselves. 00:07:58.009 --> 00:08:06.350 You know, we, we have the opportunity with our giving to, uh, to make or break the community that we're in. 00:08:06.410 --> 00:08:17.370 Um, and we've seen this and I think we're disgusted by this on a big level, like you've seen, uh, perhaps in America, but if you travel, uh, if you travel overseas, you see it even more acutely. 00:08:17.370 --> 00:08:24.410 Like it's just kind of known that the government, uh, the government officials make this amount of money and they just keep it from their people. 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:38.950 Or you look at some of the richest countries in the whole world and the top has 80% of the wealth or not the top, you know, 0.00% has so much of the wealth and, uh, and we see that and we're, we're disgusted by that. 00:08:38.970 --> 00:08:40.529 We look at that and like, well, that's very wicked. 00:08:42.110 --> 00:08:45.009 Um, we, we can do the same thing with our money as well. 00:08:45.009 --> 00:08:50.090 Uh, and money, it magnifies what's going on inside of our heart. 00:08:50.169 --> 00:08:53.409 We have the opportunity to build the community with our money. 00:08:53.490 --> 00:08:57.590 We have the opportunity to tear down, uh, the, the community as well. 00:08:57.750 --> 00:09:13.250 Um, you think about this in the context of being a business owner and a righteous business owner, at least according to Proverbs is somebody that's going to say, uh, my intention is not to make the, not to shave off everything to make the most money for myself. 00:09:13.250 --> 00:09:14.269 That's not my intention. 00:09:14.269 --> 00:09:22.970 My intention is to, uh, to charge what I have to charge and make an income, but then to pay my employees, uh, you know, give them raises as time comes. 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:36.990 And also to not charge, uh, the, the highest amount I can for this widget, but instead to pass along these savings to these customers, um, you would understand and you would see that that is totally not what we see in the world. 00:09:36.990 --> 00:09:39.909 Like our, at every point the world is fighting against this. 00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:50.750 Even, even if, uh, even if the world says they do it, they probably say they do it through advertisements, um, that they spend hundreds of millions of dollars on, uh, you know what I'm saying? 00:09:50.990 --> 00:09:58.950 Um, the other thing that, that money can do, uh, the other power that it has, it has the power to make a break your soul. 00:09:59.570 --> 00:10:28.909 Um, it's Proverbs 11 in verse one, it says, the Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights, find favor with him, the money money can make us dishonest in a way that, that so many things just, just cannot, or aren't able to do, um, it says, it says this, uh, the Lord detests dishonest scales. 00:10:29.230 --> 00:10:36.230 Um, you know, this, this word detests, it probably doesn't even convey exactly what the scripture says. 00:10:36.389 --> 00:10:46.389 Like it, it uses, um, it's the same word that means an abomination, um, an abomination of the old Testament is almost always referred to as some type of sexual immorality. 00:10:47.169 --> 00:11:00.629 God is saying, if we're being dishonest in the way that we're, uh, viewing, making, spending money, uh, that he, it's, it is as impactful to our salvation and our souls as committing sexual immorality. 00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:06.519 God views greed as every bit as detestable as immorality. 00:11:09.309 --> 00:11:20.289 And then it also says, uh, in, in verse four of chapter 11, this is wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 00:11:21.450 --> 00:11:25.809 Another thing, you know, I said that it can make or break our soul and it can do that through dishonesty. 00:11:25.830 --> 00:11:29.750 It can also do that through creating the shallowness inside of our hearts. 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:34.149 Um, when, when we think of the day of wrath, this is something I learned. 00:11:34.149 --> 00:11:38.909 So day of wrath, when we read it and we think about it, we're like this, that must be judgment day. 00:11:39.350 --> 00:11:40.929 Um, like that's, that's what it's talking about. 00:11:42.809 --> 00:11:46.870 Um, it's interesting because if it was talking about judgment day, then it would be in capital letters. 00:11:46.909 --> 00:11:50.710 And so the, the, the commentators are like, no, it's not talking about judgment day. 00:11:50.750 --> 00:11:52.250 This day of wrath is not judgment day. 00:11:52.610 --> 00:11:57.090 This day of wrath is when something horrible happens to you. 00:11:57.350 --> 00:11:59.549 You're diagnosed with cancer. 00:11:59.629 --> 00:12:00.870 Your wealth doesn't matter at all. 00:12:00.950 --> 00:12:01.549 You know what I'm saying? 00:12:02.049 --> 00:12:09.470 Uh, if there's a, a close relative of yours that, that gets sick, your wealth doesn't matter at all. 00:12:09.549 --> 00:12:19.090 You would trade all your wealth for them to get better when, uh, perhaps even in the middle of some kind of turmoil, uh, you know, your family turmoil, that's, that's none of your doing. 00:12:19.330 --> 00:12:21.149 You would trade your money for it. 00:12:21.190 --> 00:12:31.769 Your money's worthless when, uh, when, when some day of wrath comes unexpected and crazy situation occurs, your money, your money doesn't, doesn't matter that much. 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:42.659 But if we are striving for and searching for and trying to gain as much money as possible, then our view of everything becomes pretty shallow. 00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:47.940 Like, like it becomes shallow in, in the way of everything is like cost benefit analysis. 00:12:48.059 --> 00:12:50.720 And perhaps you've been in the middle of this. 00:12:50.740 --> 00:12:57.399 Um, I felt super impacted as I was studying and, and, you know, reading this and the idea of making money. 00:12:57.980 --> 00:13:02.620 And if I'm only focused on that, like making a good income, what am I doing with my wealth? 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:04.899 Then everything's cost benefit analysis. 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:05.980 Do I give it to that person? 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:07.259 Like my time? 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:09.379 No, my time is better spent somewhere else. 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:11.159 Uh, is, are they worth it? 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:15.220 Is it worth it if I spend, uh, this on this person, they're not going to receive it well. 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:16.179 No, it's not worth it. 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:22.200 And everything, if I'm thinking about everything through cost benefit analysis, I'm just not, uh, I'm not viewing things. 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:26.120 I'm not preparing myself for the day of judgment, um, rather the day of wrath, excuse me. 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:39.299 You know, another, another thing, this is this shallowness is that, um, maybe we all, we all get it. 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:40.299 Making money takes time. 00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:43.639 Um, spending money also takes time. 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:53.100 Uh, you know, um, well it's, I probably can't even quote the, um, you know, I can't even quote the, uh, the song lyric anymore. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:59.879 I think I'll get canceled, but there, there's a song, um, that says more money, more problems and like, and it makes sense. 00:13:59.879 --> 00:14:10.419 Uh, you know, when, when there's more money, you have more things to spend it on and there's more issues and you think, well, I have to invest it here and I have to do this and making money takes time. 00:14:13.019 --> 00:14:17.500 Uh, but that you remove it, it removes time that we work on our characters though. 00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:24.259 If we're, if we're focused on making money, um, and, and making the absolute most money that we can possibly make, we're not spending time with God. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:27.759 We're taking time from what we could be spending it with God. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:31.120 We're taking time to just sit with ourselves as well. 00:14:31.419 --> 00:14:40.980 We're taking time with our friends or our mentors to, to commune and to talk and the fellowship, we're doing all of that and this is making our kids can make our character pretty shallow. 00:14:43.220 --> 00:14:46.559 And so all of this, uh, money has a lot of power. 00:14:47.019 --> 00:14:54.929 Um, the, the, the other amazing thing that I want to talk about is like why it has such great power. 00:14:55.009 --> 00:15:00.330 Um, it's in Proverbs 18 is a few down here. 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:05.350 It says the name of the Lord is a fortified tower. 00:15:05.850 --> 00:15:10.909 The righteous run to it and Proverbs 18, 10 and 11, the righteous run to it and are safe. 00:15:11.090 --> 00:15:13.990 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city. 00:15:14.309 --> 00:15:28.779 They imagine it a wall too high to scale, you know, in the ancient day, living in, living in cities was like the way it provided you security because that was the only place where you were, you were safe. 00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:36.500 Like there was walls and there was people and there was rules and there was like stuff that you could actually get retribution if somebody harmed you. 00:15:36.899 --> 00:15:39.220 And so people were less likely to harm inside of cities. 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:44.179 Like that was the security and it also was a form of status as well. 00:15:44.259 --> 00:15:54.779 Like I would, I'm in this city and I, I, I'm under this rule that I have these people in my life and I have some kind of, uh, affluence or security and this is what living in a city would do. 00:15:54.779 --> 00:16:00.679 Um, you know, money probably more than any other vice or any other stronghold. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:10.639 Uh, it promises as much as God promises to us and it provides a little bit of, you know, almost everything else. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:12.779 Like you'd have to understand like almost everything else. 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:18.419 It promises what God promises, uh, you know, security, love, all this stuff. 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:20.019 And it doesn't, it just doesn't give you that like that. 00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:21.059 Like it just doesn't give it to you. 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:24.539 Um, money, this is quite difficult. 00:16:24.539 --> 00:16:42.720 Money promises it and then if you are moving things the wrong way, money actually gives you a lot of that security and money does provide you with, uh, uh, a fake, but a maybe a temporary, but a sense of peace or a sense of security or a sense of like, I can do what I want to do and I feel powerful in that. 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:49.120 Um, it provides you with some identity that, that, and it actually does give some of that. 00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:51.759 This is why I think it's so vital to talk about money. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:57.320 This is why we, uh, we, we just need to talk about it as a, as a, as a community. 00:16:59.539 --> 00:17:06.220 You know, I, the, the, the reality, uh, is that of all God's substitutes, money is the most attractive. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:14.759 Um, and when we say money, I understand it like you can read it security or you can read, you know, you can read it like, sorry, like wealth or some kind of like that. 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:21.140 Like it is, it's the most attractive to us, um, says if you have enough of me, you're safe. 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:28.819 Um, if we understood money, how God understands money, I think we'd just be much more generous. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:35.079 Um, and I feel like I just feel, uh, it's not lost on me. 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:38.819 I'm not trying to like speak this, like I just have it all figured out and worked out. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.440 Like I was, I was in the middle of writing this lesson. 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:44.640 I'm like, man, I got to assess, I got to assess what I'm giving. 00:17:44.700 --> 00:17:49.920 Like, I, I promised you I stopped and I'm like, I gotta give, I gotta, I gotta put some more in the plate. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:57.880 Like, I'm not, I can't, I can't, uh, I can't read these scriptures and understand how God wants me and then come and speak before you guys and not be living this hour. 00:17:58.420 --> 00:18:05.039 Uh, money's useless to us on the day of wrath, um, money, it inflates our identity though. 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:17.460 Uh, you know, the, the minute, um, the minute that we broke our relationship with God as a, as humanity, like in the garden, we broke our relationship with God and, uh, and, and what did we do? 00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:22.339 Well, we felt shame and so we hit, um, we decided we didn't want it. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.279 We didn't want God, but we didn't want each other to see all of us. 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:28.220 And so we decided let's hide and let's, let's secure what we can. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:30.180 Like we felt shame. 00:18:30.180 --> 00:18:36.640 And so every one of us in some way, shape or form is insecure and we're unsure of our worth and our value. 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:40.160 Nothing offers us this type of value that money does though. 00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:44.619 Uh, nothing, nothing purports to offer this like money does. 00:18:44.619 --> 00:18:50.859 Um, you know, let's say, uh, you're smart at making money. 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:53.119 Um, well we can think, well, I'm just smarter. 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:55.680 Uh, let's say you've done better financially. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:56.700 You can think, well, I am better. 00:18:57.180 --> 00:19:03.160 Um, maybe you've got people below you on the financial ladder and you can think I'm just above people. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:11.039 Uh, this is, this is what money can teach us and, and now, uh, consider something else though. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:25.960 And I, I, I feel, um, man, I just feel like this is difficult to even share, uh, because even if you say money's not my idol, um, what it's going to do, money tells you what your idol is though. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:35.440 Money communicates where you put your significance or what is battling for. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:37.799 Let's say you're like, money's not my idol. 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:39.220 Nothing is my idol. 00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:46.980 God is way above it and yet money is going to tell you, uh, where you spent your money is going to tell you what's fine for your attention. 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:48.480 Like what is you say? 00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:49.400 Oh God is first. 00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:50.279 Perhaps he is. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:51.839 Money's going to tell you what's second. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:53.680 Money's going to tell you what's third as well. 00:19:56.369 --> 00:19:59.049 It's going to, it's going to communicate where your significance is found. 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:10.829 Perhaps it's in experiences or vacations or going out and eating food or perhaps it's in, uh, some things that we value as a society much more highly. 00:20:10.829 --> 00:20:29.140 We say, well perhaps you, you're like, man, I gotta work and spend money for my children or for my spouse and to give, uh, to get this, this house, I need this house and perhaps it is that perhaps you spend it on yourself or your, your, you know, your clothing, your body, all of that stuff. 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:33.400 Um, the approval is really important, really significant to you. 00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:40.119 Uh, if, if God is our only God, then we're going to be much more generous. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:44.740 If we look at it and man, it's so powerful. 00:20:44.859 --> 00:20:46.559 It tells us what we value. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:56.779 If we say, no, I'm going to decide to live a life that is devoted to God, not just on Sunday, not just with my words, not just in my character, but then also in the way that I'm generous. 00:20:57.619 --> 00:20:59.420 Uh, we're going to live much more generously. 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:05.619 Um, we, we're going to look at it not this week, but next, but we understand the scripture where your treasure is there. 00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:06.799 Your heart will be there. 00:21:06.859 --> 00:21:08.079 Your heart will be also like this. 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:16.880 We have the opportunity for our hearts to be centered on heaven and on salvation and on things that matter and things that are going to be with us. 00:21:17.059 --> 00:21:29.539 Uh, when, when we die, I, um, yeah, we'll, we'll keep going and then we'll, we'll, we'll close up here pretty soon. 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:37.400 Um, so we think, well, then the third point then is how, uh, how can we break this? 00:21:37.400 --> 00:21:51.400 And, um, you know, this is, uh, Proverbs talks about it too is Proverbs 11 and then it's in, it's on the left side of your sheet in verse 24 it says one person gives freely yet gains even more. 00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:54.579 Another withholds unduly but comes to poverty. 00:21:55.140 --> 00:21:57.019 A generous person will prosper. 00:21:57.420 --> 00:22:00.259 Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. 00:22:00.619 --> 00:22:06.059 People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God's blessing on the one who is willing to sell. 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:15.339 You know, uh, we, we think about scriptures and we, we hear, uh, you know, you reap what you sow. 00:22:15.420 --> 00:22:16.819 It's talked about in the new Testament. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:18.019 It's talked about in the old Testament. 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:19.619 You reap what you sow in that light. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:26.880 You sow seeds and you, you, you reap what you sow, like you reap more and the more you sow, the more you reap. 00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:28.900 And that's a truth in life. 00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:30.000 It's a truth in the Bible. 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:36.019 You know, what's interesting though, is when you sow seeds, what do you reap fruit? 00:22:36.019 --> 00:22:36.980 You don't reap seeds. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:45.539 When we're giving our money, we're, we're giving these seeds, you know, we can use, and I think people have probably used these scriptures to some extent. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.140 There's truth to it perhaps, but that's not why we're doing it. 00:22:49.140 --> 00:23:05.200 Uh, that, that we're not sowing seeds to reap seeds and we're not sowing, we're not sowing money and we're not giving them, Oh, I'm going to give to the poor so that I give more and I, or so I receive more and I'm going to create some benevolent fund in my heart and so I'm going to receive more and God's going to bless me. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:06.920 And perhaps there's truth. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:12.460 I think there's perhaps truth if our character grows in the way that we can spend money. 00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:19.079 Um, I think God's going to continue to allow us to give us money in order that we can spend it to build up a community. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.859 I really believe that's true. 00:23:21.579 --> 00:23:23.460 However, that's not the reason why we spend money. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:25.180 Well, we don't spend money well to gain more money. 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:29.019 We spend money well because fruit, something else is born. 00:23:29.019 --> 00:23:37.259 Um, you say, well, what's, what's born if we decide that we are going to sow our money, that what is born fruit, something way better. 00:23:38.380 --> 00:23:49.160 Uh, certainly, uh, the fruits of the spirit, like there's things that we struggle with that I really think if we grow in our generosity, there's things in your character, whatever it is you identify, what am I struggling with my character right now? 00:23:49.319 --> 00:23:54.160 If you grow in your generosity, uh, because you, you're out of like, I really love God. 00:23:54.200 --> 00:24:00.160 I really have faith in God moving and I want to show him my faith and I'm partnering with God inside of this. 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:06.099 I really believe you're going to struggle less with some of these character things that you've been fighting for years and years and years. 00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:45.559 It's amazing that the ultimate example of, uh, of scattering and yet getting even more is, uh, again, we're, we're, maybe this is the preview a little bit, but it's, it's thinking about the cross and Jesus and allowing his, his, his body to be scattered and to be spread and his blood to be shed and it all in an effort so that we could be united and so that we could, uh, be, be built up as, as a body. 00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:58.059 Um, you know, uh, the, uh, the, this quote I found from this person, he says, uh, Jesus is the only treasure that's sacrificed for you. 00:24:58.539 --> 00:25:06.140 Every other treasure, you must be the one to sacrifice, but Jesus is the only treasure in our life that's sacrificed for us. 00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:16.920 He decided it was, it was worth more for him to give up his precious, beautiful body on the cross in order that we would have an opportunity to know God. 00:25:20.190 --> 00:25:46.289 And so, um, as we, uh, you know, as we kind of bring in for a landing, um, I want to, I want to just look at Malachi Malachi three Malachi three and, uh, you know, we'll, we'll read in, um, in verse six, it says, I, the Lord do not change. 00:25:46.450 --> 00:25:55.349 So you, the descendants of Jacob are not destroyed ever since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them returned to me. 00:25:55.410 --> 00:25:57.750 And I will return to you says the Lord almighty. 00:25:58.309 --> 00:26:00.109 But you ask, how are we to return? 00:26:01.130 --> 00:26:03.809 Will a mere mortal rob God yet you rob me. 00:26:04.109 --> 00:26:07.970 But you ask, how are we robbing you in tithes and offerings? 00:26:08.390 --> 00:26:26.049 You are under a curse, your whole nation, because you're robbing me, bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, test me in this as the Lord almighty and see if I will not throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 00:26:26.430 --> 00:26:32.890 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops and the vines and your fields will not drop their fruit before it's ripe says the Lord almighty. 00:26:33.009 --> 00:26:38.470 Then all the nations will call you blessed for yours will be a delightful land says the Lord almighty. 00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:50.900 You know, I, I hope that scriptures like this, uh, I, I believe they're intended to give us great hope, like great, uh, great faith. 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:59.200 Like we're partnering alongside God in everything, but, but right now we're partnering alongside God in the way that we can, uh, we can give to him. 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:00.279 Like there's a way to do it. 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:03.099 You think about how, uh, how difficult it would be. 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:06.740 Let's say God said, I don't want you to give any of your wealth to me. 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:11.599 Like, let's just say somehow in some random world, however that could be said, don't give any of your wealth to me. 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:13.579 How would we show God that we love him? 00:27:13.579 --> 00:27:24.660 We'd sing songs and we pray and we try to help people, I guess, but there'd be a, there, there wouldn't be a chance for us to show it like there is where we can give our money to God. 00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:30.059 Like what an awesome opportunity that we have to, to show God, I've got faith in you, God. 00:27:30.059 --> 00:27:34.920 I've got so much faith that, that my accountant's going to look at me weird because I'm giving so much money to you. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:36.759 I got so much faith in you, God. 00:27:36.779 --> 00:27:40.220 I really believe that good things are going to happen, God. 00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:49.920 And if I never see this money again, I'm still going to give it to you because I know that something is waiting for me that's even better and it's not a physical and it has nothing to do with wealth. 00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:57.220 There's such a great opportunity that we have, um, to partner with God. 00:27:57.299 --> 00:28:07.500 I really, I don't want this, uh, I don't want this lesson or these lessons to be met with, um, discouragement like, Oh, you know, we have no hope. 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:09.940 Like there's no, I hope that we actually can more encouraged. 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:14.420 Like there's an opportunity that we have that maybe you've been utilizing and perhaps you have. 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:16.339 And if you have, amen, keep doing that. 00:28:16.779 --> 00:28:21.119 Maybe you've not been utilizing and if you haven't yet, that's okay. 00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:22.420 Just, just do it then. 00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:22.720 Amen. 00:28:23.539 --> 00:28:31.880 Um, you know, some of the, uh, the things on, on right after the scriptures, it just says, um, how should we give or like, what should we give them? 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:32.839 Like, what do you want me to do? 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:33.559 Be practical. 00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:38.759 And, uh, you know, the old Testament, the standard was 10%. 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:44.420 It was communicated many different places, but, uh, Leviticus 2730 is, is one of them. 00:28:45.299 --> 00:28:52.740 Um, again, what a cool opportunity that we have that, uh, that there's that we're not limited to 10%. 00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:57.339 Uh, I just, I just think what a, what a cool chance that we have to show God our faith. 00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:04.400 Um, you know, the new Testament standard, uh, it takes, um, it goes from don't kill somebody to don't hate somebody. 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:09.900 Um, it goes from don't commit adultery to don't lust at all. 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:20.259 Um, it stands to reason then that this 10% that that's, uh, communicated in the old Testament is only a starting point for our opportunity to show God our faith. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:23.819 How much did I give? 00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:24.779 What's the exact number? 00:29:24.819 --> 00:29:34.319 I can't give you the exact number, but I, I do know there ought to be a measurable difference in the way that you live your life from your giving to God, um, it should hurt and you should feel it. 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:38.720 Or, and perhaps hurts the wrong word, but it should, it should matter. 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:39.940 Like it should, you should feel it. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:57.240 It shouldn't be a, it shouldn't be a bill that you just give regardless, um, to be something you feel, um, you know, in, inside of these, uh, you know, these couple of like marriage D group conversations, um, you know, just, I think this is a great chance inside of your marriage to have these conversations. 00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:02.660 Um, but then even in your discipling groups, like how do I determine what do I get? 00:30:02.660 --> 00:30:03.220 You know what? 00:30:03.579 --> 00:30:27.400 And, and for me, it's tough me and Bianca, like there's times when I tell her and there's times like I, I manage the finances and so we have a communication, but I'll talk to her, but there's times when I, I don't talk to her about, uh, about our giving and she's communicated like that really, uh, it, it impacts our relationship if I'm not communicating to her, this is what I'm giving or this is what I'm giving to, or this is, you know, what we're doing, you know, this is like, it, it, it makes her feel like she's not a part of this. 00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:30.960 And so this is a great chance for you guys to talk inside of your marriages. 00:30:32.940 --> 00:30:35.220 Um, this is also a chance for our children. 00:30:35.339 --> 00:30:39.140 I just put some questions, uh, that I think are probably starting points. 00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:43.380 I don't think these are like the end all be all, there'll be questions next week and the week after that as well. 00:30:43.799 --> 00:30:45.440 Uh, but these are just starting points. 00:30:45.539 --> 00:30:47.380 Maybe you're, maybe your child, maybe they already get it. 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:53.079 Um, but if they don't, then, uh, then perhaps this is a chance for, uh, for you to begin this conversation. 00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:56.920 Um, that, that's, that's all I got guys. 00:30:56.920 --> 00:30:59.680 I, I just, I feel, uh, I just feel super hopeful. 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:02.319 Like I feel super hopeful at what God is going to do. 00:31:02.359 --> 00:31:09.220 I've been working most of 2024 trying to figure out, I was talking to Paul, like how to put my finger on, uh, what's going on. 00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:14.059 And I'm like, man, I wonder if we just grow in our generosity and our gratitude for God. 00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:17.539 I just have to believe God's going to keep doing amazing things. 00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:21.339 Like we're in the next phase of our growth as a church. 00:31:21.339 --> 00:31:24.859 And, uh, I believe it looks like repentance in this area. 00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:28.819 Um, so that's that again, grateful. 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:40.819 Why don't we close with a prayer, dear God, Lord, uh, we are, we're grateful for you, God. 00:31:40.900 --> 00:31:48.400 We don't deserve what you've given us and you give freely and you give joyfully and you set the standard and the example for us. 00:31:48.599 --> 00:32:06.700 Um, Lord, I'm so grateful for the chance that we have to give Lord, I pray that you will, um, you'll look inside of our hearts, God, and that, and that you will show us, uh, where we're not being generous to you, God, you'll show us where the world has taken, um, just taking a stronghold. 00:32:06.839 --> 00:32:10.920 Father, you'll, God, I pray that you will, um, you'll show it to me, Lord. 00:32:11.019 --> 00:32:15.279 I feel, uh, I feel like I don't even want to pray that Lord. 00:32:15.339 --> 00:32:21.460 I don't want to pray that, uh, for, for what I believe it might mean for my character and for, uh, my day-to-day living. 00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:25.960 Lord, I pray that you will, um, work powerfully in all of our lives. 00:32:26.059 --> 00:32:32.099 Lord, I, I, I pray that more than, um, we're not giving to get more money. 00:32:32.180 --> 00:32:36.819 We're not, we're not giving God, we're giving so that we can receive a great inheritance in heaven. 00:32:36.819 --> 00:32:39.319 Lord, we're giving so that we can be more like you. 00:32:39.480 --> 00:32:48.579 We're giving so that, uh, these strongholds in our character can be eradicated father and we can be, uh, like your son, um, Jesus, we're so grateful for your sacrifice. 00:32:48.740 --> 00:32:50.920 Please continue to work inside of us. 00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:56.000 Lord, I pray this is only the start of our, um, our conversations, Lord, we love you. 00:32:56.440 --> 00:32:58.079 Uh, Jesus, this is in your name that we pray. 00:32:58.180 --> 00:32:58.400 Amen. 00:32:58.880 --> 00:32:59.000 Amen. 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:03.700 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:07.359 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:33:07.579 --> 00:33:14.980 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:33:14.980 --> 00:33:17.599 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.