WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.199 Hey, let's do this. 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:02.479 We're gonna jump right in. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.639 So let's uh welcome the other campuses into this moment with us. 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:10.080 Uh Missouri City, Pastor Chad, and all you guys over there. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:12.960 I hope you're having an incredible time of worship. 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:18.480 Uh downtown campus, uh, West End, Pastor Abe, hope you're having an incredible morning. 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:26.160 And I just want to say, Pastor Abe, if you're watching this right now, I just love you, bro, and you know what that's uh all about. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:32.479 And then, of course, everyone that's watching with us online, we are super grateful for technology and glad that you get to be with us as well. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:35.759 And then at every campus, let's let these men hear us. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:41.280 All of the men at our God Behind Bars campus, the Rams Unit, we love you, gentlemen. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:43.920 So grateful. 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:48.640 Such a privilege that we get to worship with you gentlemen every uh weekend. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:54.560 Uh, before we get started into uh the message today, I just have one announcement for all of our campuses, and it's this. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:00.079 You've maybe already heard from emails and stuff, but next weekend, everybody say next weekend. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.560 Next weekend, we will not be here for service. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:09.120 If you show up, you're gonna see a sign on the door that said, sorry, sucker. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:10.719 No, it won't say that. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.120 That's why they don't let me write the song uh uh signs. 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.439 It'll be very cordial and very nice. 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:17.599 Um, we do this twice a year. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:26.319 Uh we take two weekends off, and it's a bit of a step of faith, but it's one that I am deeply convicted as a leader that we are supposed to do, and it's for this reason. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:31.439 We have an amazing group at every campus of uh staff members and volunteers. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:41.439 And by the time you all get here every Sunday, they make this thing run and look so easy, but I promise you it is not without a lot of blood, sweat, and tears and passion. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:48.719 And so, what we try to do is a couple seasons throughout the year, we just give uh the land some rest, the soil some rest. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:50.319 We let um them do their thing. 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:51.680 And so here's the good news. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:54.079 Uh, some of you already know this, some of you don't. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:57.840 This right here is not the church. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:00.799 The people sitting in here are the church. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:02.319 This is just brick and mortar. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:07.920 This is a beautiful blessing at every campus, so we can gather and encourage each other in Christ Jesus. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:13.120 However, the church is you, and so you can have church anytime, anywhere that you are. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:16.319 And so, what we challenge you to do on these weekends is a couple things. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:20.400 Number one, uh be with the people you love most, man, unapologetically. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:27.520 Uh find a way, whether it's 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour, two hours, whatever you guys want to do to worship God together. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:31.280 You don't have to be a theologian to talk about God, to open up the Bible. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:32.560 You don't have to have a great voice. 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:35.840 If you're the one at home leading the worship, uh do what you gotta do. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:38.240 Uh another thing you can do is this, and I love this. 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:41.759 There are so many incredible churches around the Houston metro area. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:46.479 And I love our bubble here at River Point West End, but it is a bubble, make no mistake about it. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.719 And there are some amazing forms and expressions of worship all over. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:03:05.599 It's a great time sometime to just get out of the bubble for a minute and go see how other churches are um worshiping Jesus and be a part of their church for a weekend uh if that's something that interests you, or just go play golf, go to the lake, go shop, do whatever you want to do. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:07.280 God loves you, He's on the throne. 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.039 We won't be here next week. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:15.520 Um and so, yeah, that said, I'm gonna jump uh right in today because I want to cover as much as we can. 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:18.719 Uh, we're starting a two-week little miniseries. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:28.400 It'll be over three weeks again because of the uh not being here next week part, but just a two-week mini-series, but it is so important to us as disciples of Jesus, what we're gonna talk about. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:35.919 It is so important not just to that, but to the lifeblood of this church now and this church uh moving forward. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:38.400 And I'll start this off by asking you this. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:50.159 Uh this was particularly big in the 90s, but if any of you, whether it was at work or in your organization, or maybe it was at church or at a youth group or maybe even at a school, did any of you ever participate in a trust fall? 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.639 You remember those good exercises, good old trust fall? 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:54.000 Yeah, I did as well. 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:56.560 Uh didn't go well, but we won't go there. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:58.319 Uh I want to do this. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:03.919 I happen to see an incredible video of a trust fall exercise that's gonna teach us, I think, a whole lot. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.479 And so I decided to start this message off. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:07.919 We're gonna watch that. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.919 So step up here on this chair, close your eyes. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.439 Alright, and then everybody fill in. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:20.720 And we're gonna ask you to fall, and then they will catch you. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:22.079 So you have to trust us. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.759 I'm gonna count to three, just relax and fall. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:26.240 Okay. 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:29.920 One, two, three. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:34.319 I love it. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:36.160 It doesn't get old to me. 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:41.279 I watched it probably 20 times this week, just for myself, and then I said, you know what? 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:43.199 Let's play that this weekend. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:52.000 Okay, so at every campus, if uh you're the note-taking type, uh, you can go ahead and title this week's message uh a trustfall. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:56.959 Because we're about to go on one for the next two weeks, and it's a it's a big trustfall. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:02.720 All issues of trust uh demand all kinds of faith, but I think this one might be at the top of the list. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:15.360 I'm calling it a trustfall because we're gonna talk about what I believe to be one of the hardest, if not possibly the hardest part of our life that we have been asked to trust God with. 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:18.720 It is a beautiful one, but it is a hard one. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:22.639 And you know what it is for the next two weeks that we're gonna take a trust fall on? 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:24.480 It's this thing right here. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:31.680 Now, most city in West End, I don't know what's going on over there, but I just heard a bunch of low-key groans over here. 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:33.199 The minute I pull this out, I heard this. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:34.480 Okay. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:40.319 Now, if you want to get up and leave, I know Texas mega church pastor pulls out the dollar bill. 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:41.680 Here we go again. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.240 I'm just asking you guys to stick with me. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:51.120 I'm asking you guys to trust my heart as I do my best to talk to you about the heart of God. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:52.560 I won't get it all perfect. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:57.439 I won't say nearly as much as what needs to be said in two weeks, but I promise you two things. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:10.319 I am going to boldly and unapologetically, as disciples of Jesus, talk to us and remind us about the principles the kingdom of God have given us when it comes to this issue of financial stewardship. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:14.160 You've often heard it said this uh money makes the world what? 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:15.839 Money makes the world go round. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:17.519 And it's really true, right? 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:36.000 And the reason I think this might just be the hardest issue, the biggest trust fall you will ever take in terms of you being a disciple of Jesus is simply this money uh spills over into every other arena of life, which means every other issue of life that comes with trust, man, it's money. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:37.279 Let me give you an example. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:43.199 Have you ever been in really precarious, difficult financial seasons as a husband and wife with kids? 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.040 Like you don't know how you're gonna pay the bills? 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:49.600 Have you ever noticed how quickly you can get into a fight about anything? 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:56.399 And the tension in the house just seems to be greater, the triggers seem to get quicker and stronger. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:04.560 Do you know what's happening underneath is that you are having to bear the weight of the subconscious pressure of the bills of life. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:07.040 How are we gonna pay for this stuff? 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:09.439 You're not getting in all those fights because your marriage just got worse. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:11.439 You're getting all those fights because you're carrying all this pressure. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:11.759 Why? 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:17.680 Because money makes the world go round, it spills over into every arena of life, man. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:23.199 This is why Jesus talks about money more than almost any other subject in the gospels. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:28.160 And let me remind you, he doesn't talk to us in terms of how to get rich quick. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:32.079 He doesn't talk to us about money very much in terms of what's in it for you. 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:35.120 Do you know what he spends most of the time talking about money about? 00:07:35.519 --> 00:08:00.560 Warning us about the dangers of getting it wrong, about the dangers of mismanagement, of poor stewardship, and what we get called back to all throughout the Word of God, not just even from Jesus, is that man, when it comes to this thing right here, you're going to be asked over and over in different seasons of life to take a trust fall. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:15.920 Because I promise you this: the more you study the kingdom principles about how God originally designed us from the beginning of time to leverage currency for his glory and for your good, you will see that those kingdom principles are not practical. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:24.480 They spit in the face of what culture has taught us in terms of what you should do with this green piece of paper right here. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:31.519 I find it interesting that the one phrase famous on the dollar bill here in America is what? 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:33.120 In God we what? 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:34.559 Trust trust. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.399 So let's take a trust fall for the next um few minutes. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:40.559 I'm gonna go first to the book of Proverbs. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:44.799 If you're new to the scriptures, the book of Proverbs is famously known as the book of wisdom. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:51.039 And I've spent so much time in the book of Proverbs over my life because Lord knows I need so much. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:55.120 I am a knucklehead by default, and it's practical wisdom. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:09:05.279 And there is so much that's said about the issue of money in the book of Proverbs, but this one won't say a word about money, but it says everything about the stewardship of money. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:06.159 It says this. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.879 This is a well-known verse if you've been in church very long. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:12.799 It says, Trust in the Lord, trust fall coming. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:13.759 With what? 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:15.200 All of your heart. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.960 And remember, nothing spills over into every arena of your heart more than this. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.120 Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:24.559 And then here's the hardest part of this principle right here. 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:29.679 If you're gonna do that, you cannot lean on your own understanding. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:39.679 Because since birth, culture has given you a system of understanding that oftentimes spits in the face of the kingdom and what it was originally created to do. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:55.440 This is part of being a disciple of Jesus, a practitioner, is looking at culture, looking at nations, looking at the systems that we were born into, and then going, God, where is that misaligned with how you originally designed us to live as human beings? 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:58.480 We can't trust with our heart, with our mind. 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:05.440 We trust not in our own understanding, and then here's what he says for us to do: in all your ways, simply submit to them. 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.080 Submission is an act of trust. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:14.480 And the degree with which we trust the person that we're submitting to is the degree with which we will obey. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:15.840 There's got to be trust there. 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:24.799 In other words, when it comes to obeying God, you have to, at some point in your discipleship journey with him, come to realize that he truly is good. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:28.480 That he is for you, not against you. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:35.679 That nobody on planet earth, even your best friend or spouse, has your best interest in mind more than God. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:38.480 It's to God's glory that you thrive. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:39.919 You realize that, right? 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:56.399 That's why when we sinned in the garden and thriving all of a sudden became very problematic, we see God in the person of Jesus Christ going to the utmost extent to bring back an ability, an opportunity to live life to its fullest. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:02.000 In all your ways, submit to him, and then here is where he puts the burden on himself. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:03.840 This should give you freedom. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:07.759 This should help build trust because we get to uh take him at his word. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:12.960 We get to lean into this promise, and then he says, He promises he'll make your path straight. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:17.919 Jesus said the exact same thing as King Solomon in the Gospels. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:23.600 In fact, April uh read it last week in that amazing sermon she gave to us about worry. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:28.960 In Matthew 6, 33, Jesus says it this way: He says, Trust in God with all your heart. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:30.559 Nope, that's what Solomon just said. 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:31.919 Come on, brain, let's go. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:34.000 He says, Seek me when? 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:35.600 First. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:38.720 And seek my kingdom first. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:40.240 And what's he promised? 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.320 Everything else will be added unto you. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:44.879 You want to talk about a trustfall verse, right? 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:49.919 Seek me first, and my kingdom, and everything else will be added unto you. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:53.360 King Solomon doubles down in the next chapter in one verse, and he says this. 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:56.080 He says, above all else, isn't that a big statement? 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:59.519 He's saying this is this is the issue of most importance. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:02.720 What I was gonna say next, above all else, guard what? 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:04.159 Guard your heart. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.919 He says, for out of it every issue of life flows. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:12.480 I always tell you guys this: the kingdom of God is an inside out proposition. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:22.320 The kingdom of God is always about the guarding and tending of your heart first, and from the health of your heart will flow the issues of life. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:39.440 And I will say this boldly in my 20-some years of pastoral ministry, no issue of the heart needs more tending to or guarding than the issue of how we view and therefore how we steward our money. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:41.200 So I want to do this really fast. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:44.240 I want to do what we've been doing all year, and we're not gonna quit doing it. 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:48.240 I want to do what we call around here, if you're visiting with us, we call it etnology. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:56.639 This is where we go back to the first three chapters of Genesis because my um belief is this all of life's wisdom can be found in the garden. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:00.480 It is not complicated the system God created. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.799 We get the whole system in its perfect form in the first three chapters of the Bible. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.519 The only thing that's complicated about it is obeying. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:09.519 Trusting, right? 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:14.159 So we're gonna do some etinology, and we're gonna start in Genesis 2 real quick. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:19.440 And I I did this, um, I wrote a parable this week, and I wasn't planning on doing that. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:25.039 I was planning on preaching from the exact scriptures April preached from last week, and the woman just messed me up. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:35.279 And so I came this direction, and I just sat down, and in a moment of what hopefully might be some inspiration, we'll see in the next few minutes, I wrote a parable based on Genesis 2 and 3. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.559 And I title it this The Parable of the Ten Trees. 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:49.600 Now I'm gonna do this for the sake of our talk today, and you could really apply this to any issue, but we're talking about uh stewardship for the glory of God and for your good financially. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:14:01.759 And so I've got ten one-dollar bills here, and we're gonna call this the parable of the ten trees, and what I'm gonna ask you for a minute to do is to just picture with me, and the Bible doesn't say how many trees were there, so stick with me. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:08.399 I'm gonna say when Adam and Eve were created and there were no other humans yet, God gave them in the Garden of Eden ten trees. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:12.480 Could have been a thousand, could have been a million, could have been a trillion. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:13.440 Doesn't matter. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:15.519 He gave them, let's say, ten trees. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:19.600 That would be more than enough sustenance and enjoyment for just two people. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.759 Then he'd say, Be fruitful, multiply. 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.600 And then I imagine millions and millions of trees as millions and millions of people were born. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:25.840 Why? 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.200 Because trees give us what? 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:27.919 Sustenance. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:28.960 Trees give us what? 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:30.480 They give us oxygen. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:40.960 So he starts with ten trees and and he uh looks at Adam and he tells Adam in Genesis 2 before Eve's invented, he says, Adam, I need you to know something about these ten trees. 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:41.919 Here it is. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.279 All of them, Adam, are mine, not yours. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:48.879 Which sounds kind of like a buzzkill in the moment. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:50.000 Okay, God, chill out. 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:51.840 All right, I'm just happy to be here. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:54.639 All of them are mine, not yours. 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:57.919 But then I picture God, this is how my parable storytelling works. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:03.120 I picture God going, but I, not Michael Scott, Adam, am the world's best boss. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.279 And here's what I mean by that. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:10.399 Although they're all mine, I created them for you. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:18.000 And how you derive joy and life from them brings glory to me. 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:25.360 So, Adam, yes, these trees are all mine, these ten trees, but here is the mandate that I am giving you. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:29.679 You and Eve and all of the creation that will come from you. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:31.519 I want you to manage it. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:33.679 I want you to operate it. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:35.679 I want you to steward it. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:37.759 I want you to cultivate those trees. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:42.480 I want you to take the seed from the fruit in those trees and in the vegetation, and I want you to harvest. 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:48.960 I want you to sow seed into the soil that I gave you, and I want you to plant more, and as more people fill the earth, I want more and more and more. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:55.840 And trust me, Adam, there is going to be more than enough for everyone if you simply do it my way. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:57.919 But Adam, one thing. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:15:59.360 One thing. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:05.600 There's one of the ten trees, the tenth tree, that I want you to not even get near. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.240 I don't even want you to look at it. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.200 I'm giving you no stewardship over it. 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:14.000 You are to treat it as if it does not exist. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:18.960 You are to live off the the bounty of those nine trees, you and Eve. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:23.279 And again, I'm telling you, the nine trees will be more than sufficient. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:29.360 He says, when you start to mess with this tenth tree, it's going to have adverse effects. 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:31.919 So, Adam, please stay away from it. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.639 And then we know what happens in Genesis 3. 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:36.879 A serpent comes onto the scene. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.120 The devil is who it represents. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:42.080 He's more crafty than any of the other wild animals. 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:47.360 We know Jesus said the devil is a liar that uh when he speaks, he speaks lies. 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:48.639 It's his native language. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:55.440 We start to see him subtly and craftily start to speak subtle lies and get Eve to buy into lies. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:57.279 So he creeps up on the tree. 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:02.639 For whatever reason, Eve got too close to the tree, and he's kind of like, What's up, Eve? 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:05.599 She's like, Is that a snake talking to me? 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:06.880 Okay, whatever. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:08.640 He's like, What do you think of this fruit? 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:10.000 Look how beautiful. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:12.960 It's almost like he's tapping into that feminine beauty and spirit. 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:16.400 Uh, you women, how much you just appreciate aesthetic beauty, right? 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:17.839 God gave you that. 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.880 And the devil knows it because he knows God, good. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:28.720 So he starts getting her to look at the thing she was never supposed to get near, and she starts to look at it, and he says, Why don't you have a bite? 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:30.880 And then she answers rightly. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.480 She says, Oh, we can't eat of that talking snake. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:39.119 Because God said, Do not eat from this tree, for surely when you eat of it, you will what? 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.720 You will die. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:48.160 The last and the worst curse that we have to walk through as humans is death that came because of sin, right? 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:49.119 You will die. 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.880 And then the devil, what he loves to do, this is his first shot every time. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.759 He makes melodrama out of God's holy commands. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:58.079 He goes, Surely you won't die. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:59.680 That's crazy talk, Eve. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:05.119 You think you is this good God of yours that you love hanging out with in the garden, he's really like that? 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:06.799 He goes, Surely you won't die. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:12.640 He goes, in fact, you are going to actually, when you eat of this fruit, you know what you're gonna get? 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.079 More of God. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:16.160 Which he knows isn't true. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:18.000 But you know what he knows about Eve? 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.440 She loves God. 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:22.319 And he who wouldn't want more of God? 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:28.400 See, he's preying on something that's been an issue with humans since the beginning of time. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:31.279 There's something in us that screams for more. 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:32.480 I gotta have more. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.799 Life won't be complete until I have more. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:41.039 If I don't get this next thing which represents more, then until then I'm gonna be discontent. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.880 I'm gonna be ungrateful. 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.759 I'm gonna be in a constant state of worry and fear. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:58.799 And if I can't get that thing in my own ingenuity, I might have to start throwing some people off the ladder to get there faster, or I might have to start breaking some rules of common morality and sense to get there a little faster. 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:00.640 He says, Surely you won't die. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:02.559 And then Eve goes, Yeah, you know what? 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:03.519 He's probably right. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:04.960 And then here's what happens. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:12.799 It says, when she saw that that tenth tree was good for food, let's stop there. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.799 When she saw, because we're gonna see a theme here, that it was good for food. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:19.279 Eve is just being practical right here. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:26.400 Hey, we these nine trees have been amazing, and this tenth tree is as beautiful, if not more, than those. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:31.119 You mean we can have more of this amazing stuff, and we could be more like God? 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:32.640 Who wouldn't want to be more like God? 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:50.400 She saw, and and I say she looks at the practical first because the biggest mistakes I've made when it comes to financial stewardship is moving God's way out of my life because it didn't practically make sense on paper in that season. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:53.680 I started looking at everything needed. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:59.119 I started getting really practical about it, and I said, surely God doesn't want me to continue to do it this way. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:00.720 Surely not. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:02.640 But then you know what it says next? 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:07.119 Then it says the fruit was pleasing to the eye. 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:11.039 So she saw that it was good for fruit, and then it was pleasing to what? 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:11.599 The eye. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:15.200 Do you remember what the New Testament tells us about this whole Christianity thing? 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:16.720 We live by what? 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:19.279 Faith, not by sight. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:19.920 Why? 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.039 Eve shows us exactly why in the Garden of Eden. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:27.119 Faith is when you trust God. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:32.960 For Eve, it would have been, I'm not going anywhere near that tenth tree. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:37.839 Because nine is more than enough, and we are more than content, and we are more than grateful. 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:39.119 And guess what, devil? 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:42.400 That tree isn't mine to make that kind of decision about. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.039 That's God's. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:52.960 He didn't give it to us to manage, he didn't give it to us to use, he didn't give it to us to leverage, he didn't give us that one of the nine trees, so I'm gonna stay away from it. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:54.880 But she saw, she's starting to live. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.000 See, here's what happens: the minute Adam and Eve partake from that tree, here's what ended up happening. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:05.279 The ch they started serving the trees instead of the trees serving them. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:12.559 And the same thing is true with us in every arena of life. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:18.640 All of a sudden, the trees became the master, and Adam and Eve became the slave. 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:21.920 And it was never supposed to be like that. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:31.279 They were always supposed to be overall of the creation, and then at last she sees that it's desirable for gaining. 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.240 Again, more, more, more. 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:40.559 And then all of a sudden, after they eat, God comes in the garden, has a conversation with them, and what do they lose? 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:44.079 Tree number 10. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:45.519 But that's not how it ends. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.440 You know what else they lose by default of sin entering the world? 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:51.279 They lose tree number nine. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:53.680 That's called the tree of life. 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:58.160 And now these eternal beings know that their days are numbered. 00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.680 You want to know my theory about one? 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:07.119 Of the craziest reasons we get so sideways with the Almighty Dollar is because we have this constant reminder that death is inevitable. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.200 You know what we've been told from birth? 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:22.319 Life's short, live hard, have a blast, fulfill every last dream, sponge every last drop out of every day of life because you're going to die. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:24.960 Eat, drink, and be merry was the Greek philosophy. 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:26.640 For tomorrow we die. 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.839 Can I just correct that statement, that well-meaning statement? 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:31.599 Life is not short. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.240 Life is eternal for everyone. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:41.119 Life on this side of the grave, thank God, because we have something better awaiting us, is short, yes. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:44.000 But we get to live for an eternity. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:52.880 We don't have to live in the mindset of I've got to do all these things culture has taught me I have to do in order to have a funeral where everyone goes, What an amazing human being. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.680 No, you have to live faithful to God. 00:22:56.720 --> 00:23:01.119 The only accolade we're going to receive when we get to heaven is simply this. 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:06.480 Well done, good, and faithful servant. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:08.559 That's it. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:15.200 So God asks us in every compartment of life, including this, to take a trustfall over and over and over. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:21.359 And what gets heaven enamored that the world doesn't give much credit to is simple faithfulness. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:25.200 Heaven is enamored by faithfulness. 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:31.680 So not only do they lose tree ten and nine, and I'll wrap this parable up, but I'm into it right now, okay? 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:33.359 The Bible says this. 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:40.000 Now trees eight through one that you still have left, Adam and Eve, now they're problematic. 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:45.119 Now they're tainted by losing those two really important trees. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:49.359 The Bible uses a word that I don't like to use, but I'm gonna say it what it says. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:53.039 Now there's a curse over those trees. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.200 The rest of the eight. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:59.680 Remember God said Adam because of eating from that tree? 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:08.400 Now when you go to cultivate and steward and reproduce and enjoy, it's gonna be through thorns and thistles and through the sweat of your brow. 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:28.160 So not only do we now have death making us look at the trees differently, because now we gotta get everything we can from every tree, even if it's the expense of other people eating from the trees because life is short, but not only do you have that, but now you also have a scarcity mindset. 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:32.240 Now there's trees reproduction, now your work's gonna be harder. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:48.240 So when you combine the fact that uh life is short, and you combine that with the fact that it's gonna be harder to get from the trees what you were originally supposed to get to the trees with easy, now all kinds of crazy comes in with humans. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:50.799 We're fighting over trees, we're going to war over trees. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:52.720 He who has the most trees wins. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:25:01.279 The country or the government that hoards the most trees will forever stay on top, even at the expense of countries or nations without less trees. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:04.960 The person with the most trees wins in the end. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:06.160 That's what we've been taught. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:12.160 So you find a way, I don't care how you get there, to get the most trees on planet Earth. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.759 And next thing you know, we've completely lost the point. 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:21.759 And all of a sudden, we've lost the blessing on these eight trees that we have left. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:32.160 But the good news is, is we have every minute of every day to jump right back into God's way of doing it and getting back into the rhythm with Him. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:37.599 So I'm only doing this in week one, and I'm begging you to please, in two weeks from now, come back. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:41.359 Because we're gonna title the message a trust fund. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:48.240 Not a trust fall, a trust fund, and we're gonna talk about vision for River Point and West End Church moving forward. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:26:01.680 I've got a message on my heart about that that I'm super excited for because I think uh it's gonna galvanize us together in terms of everything we do, including our giving, including our sacrificial worship-centered giving. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:03.519 So please don't miss that. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:09.519 But we can't give that message before we do what I'm about to do for the last few minutes we have together. 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:19.359 Because you will never take the trust fall with your finances that God asks you to take over and over and over again. 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:33.119 You will never be able to do it if you do not at some point come to a deep-seated conviction that what I'm about to tell you it is the bedrock principle about financial stewardship according to God, and it is this. 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:35.839 It's all his. 00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:43.920 I wrote in my notes, it's easy to amen that in church, but it's hard to practice. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:47.680 But West End Mo City, none of them said amen in here. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:49.680 So it's it's just hard, period. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:57.519 I thought in church everyone would be like, amen, it's all his, but then on Monday you look at things and go, nah, I better take this into my own hands. 00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:59.200 I I'm not kidding, though. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:11.759 That may sound too simple or too small of an idea, until you believe, I'm not talking about intellectually, until it goes from here to here that everything in life is his. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:18.880 I am at best a steward, but God gets glory when we are okay being stewards and not owners. 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:22.319 And when God gets glory, you get help. 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:26.240 When God gets glory, he funds what you need. 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:33.759 I'm telling you, a revelation of that is a game changer in terms of financial and kingdom-minded stewardship. 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:39.680 It's all his, and secondly, by default, how we steward it is nothing uh smaller. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:42.000 It's an issue of worship. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:51.279 Money is such a practical talk on most levels, but not in this room, not in the arena of the Church of Jesus Christ. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:28:02.240 I can't think of many more beautiful forms of worship than when we take this thing right here, the Almighty Goller, and we really do live by in God we trust. 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:29.200 Can you think of many more sweeter forms of worship than the thing that makes every other arena of life go round is something that you submit tree number 10 to him and say, God, I'm gonna believe that the nine trees of the ten you've given us to manage are more than sufficient than if I get scared and dabble in tree number ten. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.839 I'm gonna trust the story. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:36.960 I'm gonna trust what we've seen from history after that story happened in Genesis 3. 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:41.039 And it's not gonna be easy, but uh this is my worship to you, God. 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.599 This is my offering to you, God, because this is how we pay bills. 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:50.559 I said this uh a couple months ago talking about baseball. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:59.039 Remember, I told you I went to Dix to buy my son his first bat, and I hadn't bought a bat in 10 years, and I saw how much it cost, and we walked right out of the store, and my son didn't have a bat. 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:06.480 Heard a guy the other day online going, I used to get so mad at those parents at our baseball games when they were yelling at their kids and yelling at the team. 00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:08.559 I'm like, they're 10 years old, back off. 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:12.079 He goes, and then I found out how much it cost to play baseball. 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:15.279 He goes, now I think they don't yell at them enough. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:19.519 $350 bat, and you strike out twice looking. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:21.440 You're grounded. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.519 Right? 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.480 Like, life, man. 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:47.680 Like, you you can't minimize when you walk in generosity, when you fund things that are bigger than you and yours, and you genuinely in your heart do it for the glory of God, trusting that his system always works in the end because his promises are true every single time. 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:52.880 When you can have that kind of trust, you want to talk about sweet, sweet worship to God. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:30:01.680 This isn't some transactional practical thing so we can keep the church doors open and so the kingdom of God can advance with all of the resources we need. 00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:04.720 Of course, that stuff should and could all happen. 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:07.200 But do you know what the biggest issue is about this? 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:09.200 God wants your heart. 00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:14.480 So he says, give me the first of your portion. 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:16.720 That's a big statement. 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:19.200 God, I'm a single mom. 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:21.200 Easy for you to say. 00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:24.559 He says, No, no, no, trust me. 00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:28.960