WEBVTT 00:00:03.819 --> 00:00:04.879 Hey, it's great to see you. 00:00:04.881 --> 00:00:07.400 It's great to be at Trinity it's, uh, June already. 00:00:07.740 --> 00:00:07.959 Wow. 00:00:08.380 --> 00:00:12.439 And, uh, we're flying through, it was here a year ago and, uh, we had a great time with the youth. 00:00:12.441 --> 00:00:13.199 How many youth are here? 00:00:13.570 --> 00:00:14.199 Let's hear it. 00:00:14.580 --> 00:00:16.800 You're gonna have to do better than that by the time next week comes. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:17.120 All right. 00:00:17.780 --> 00:00:23.510 So they in an unprecedented move, they invited me back for this year. 00:00:23.609 --> 00:00:26.149 So you asked for it, buckle up. 00:00:26.150 --> 00:00:27.070 It's gonna be a great week. 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:28.350 It's good to be with you. 00:00:29.109 --> 00:00:36.990 Um, you know, I just got back from a month in the UK and it's exciting to get back out and see God doing things, uh, in nation of Wales and in England and Scotland. 00:00:37.270 --> 00:00:38.978 And so things are, things are ramping up. 00:00:39.060 --> 00:00:51.299 I feel like we're in a post COVID vacuum where my thoughts and prayer and meeting with guys is that, you know, we had no idea what God was up to when we thought we were being locked down and shut down. 00:00:52.380 --> 00:00:53.859 I think God was ripening the harvest. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:56.689 That's the phrase that kept coming to me. 00:00:56.770 --> 00:00:59.490 I, I get that outta revelation where it talks about the harvest of the earth. 00:00:59.810 --> 00:01:00.090 It's ripe. 00:01:00.659 --> 00:01:01.770 God's been ripening the harvest. 00:01:01.990 --> 00:01:05.290 We gotta get our Sickles out and get ready and thrust in the Sickles. 00:01:05.329 --> 00:01:08.890 I think it's the best time I'm excited for your summer connect with people. 00:01:08.891 --> 00:01:09.769 That's part of the harvest. 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:11.930 Getting people to connect is so important. 00:01:11.989 --> 00:01:13.049 So I'm excited for we. 00:01:13.051 --> 00:01:15.239 A lot of churches kind of shut down their small groups for the summer. 00:01:15.340 --> 00:01:19.439 You're like, no way we're gonna ramp'em up so way to go, Trinity, you're gonna have a great summer. 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:26.760 Uh, this is, I mean, we're here like six months ago, seven months ago, you just finished your renovations and now it's like, ramp it up, baby. 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:28.599 You can't wait to get in the forest tonight. 00:01:28.609 --> 00:01:29.319 We're gonna have fun. 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:30.159 You need to come tonight. 00:01:30.349 --> 00:01:30.920 This is great. 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:36.189 Um, in a month from now, maybe five weeks from now, we'll be back here doing a prophetic conference. 00:01:36.500 --> 00:01:37.549 Some of you went last year. 00:01:37.551 --> 00:01:38.030 We had one. 00:01:38.709 --> 00:01:40.150 Um, and so there's four. 00:01:40.150 --> 00:01:42.430 There's five of us to meet every Thursday on zoom. 00:01:43.170 --> 00:01:47.269 One of'em, Steve fatto who, you know, uh, Michael Cotton, uh, Chuck Porter, rich go. 00:01:47.469 --> 00:01:47.790 And myself. 00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:52.379 We've been meeting on zoom ever since the pandemic hit every Thursday and we just can't stop. 00:01:52.381 --> 00:01:53.459 We're addicted to each other. 00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:53.859 we? 00:01:54.019 --> 00:01:56.019 Because, and God has just given us insights and wisdom. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:57.859 So we're gonna have another conference. 00:01:57.980 --> 00:02:01.420 I think the title is an extraordinary God for extraordinary times. 00:02:01.829 --> 00:02:02.540 How's that sound? 00:02:03.079 --> 00:02:03.579 How many ready? 00:02:03.581 --> 00:02:06.260 For some extraordinary insight to what God is up to. 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:06.859 We are too. 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:08.620 We don't know, but we're gonna be seeking God. 00:02:08.969 --> 00:02:10.300 It's gonna be a really important time. 00:02:10.539 --> 00:02:11.090 It's gonna be right here. 00:02:11.091 --> 00:02:15.729 Thank you for hosting at Trinity and, uh, July 8th and ninth, it's gonna be Friday and Saturday. 00:02:15.830 --> 00:02:16.770 So it's gonna be a good time. 00:02:16.990 --> 00:02:20.370 So my announcements are now over here, we go buckle up. 00:02:20.909 --> 00:02:26.409 And so I was given an assignment, you know, I'm on the oversight team, but I get, I get told what to do sometimes. 00:02:26.509 --> 00:02:33.680 So the pastor calls and said, I need you to do this, but I really feel this is a, a, a timely message for all of us. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.240 Uh, we're in, we are in extraordinary times. 00:02:36.580 --> 00:02:41.039 The Bible actually calls'em perilous times and there's challenges like we've never had before. 00:02:41.040 --> 00:02:42.120 And who knows what's next? 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:42.719 I don't know. 00:02:42.721 --> 00:02:43.280 You don't know. 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:50.310 And God in his grace doesn't give us a glimpse of everything, but he gives us insight and wisdom on how to navigate the days ahead. 00:02:50.650 --> 00:02:54.750 And I think in this time of recession and there's, there's all kinds of pressure on us. 00:02:54.870 --> 00:03:00.599 I think we need to go back to the God that we just sang about all morning, the God of all grace. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:01.360 Amen. 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:04.639 And I really believe we need the grace to trust him more. 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:08.560 I love that old song, but man, that last phrase rang in my spirit. 00:03:08.900 --> 00:03:12.319 Oh, for the grace to trust you more. 00:03:12.539 --> 00:03:15.120 You want that grace, we're gonna get it from the word you ready? 00:03:15.810 --> 00:03:18.590 We're gonna go to John chapter 12, verse one through eight. 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:20.830 Excuse me. 00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:31.810 Title is, uh, am I generous now we're gonna talk about generosity, but the question is, am I generous? 00:03:31.830 --> 00:03:33.009 And I didn't say, are you generous? 00:03:33.010 --> 00:03:33.330 Notice? 00:03:33.729 --> 00:03:34.650 It's like, am I generous? 00:03:34.930 --> 00:03:35.770 I mean, I need this. 00:03:35.770 --> 00:03:39.479 We all have to make this personal this morning and think about it. 00:03:39.480 --> 00:03:42.520 Today's the day of Pentecost we celebrate Pentecost. 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:42.719 Right? 00:03:42.930 --> 00:03:46.800 Think about first of all, the, the grand scheme of God's generous heart. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.629 God's so love the world that he gave his only begotten son. 00:03:52.631 --> 00:03:53.389 That's generous. 00:03:53.729 --> 00:04:04.819 If you only had one son and we're willing to give him up and sacrifice him for the sins of the world, that's generosity, there's no greater generous act, right? 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:07.900 So God is a giver and God always gives his best. 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:10.259 But then see, Jesus, he's also a giver. 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:17.209 So when Jesus ascended, he said, don't worry, I'm sending the holy spirit. 00:04:17.269 --> 00:04:18.050 I'm gonna send another. 00:04:18.069 --> 00:04:19.129 I'm gonna send the comforter. 00:04:19.670 --> 00:04:21.329 So Jesus ascended into heaven. 00:04:21.790 --> 00:04:24.209 And on the day of Pentecost, he gave his best. 00:04:25.389 --> 00:04:27.050 His best was the holy spirit. 00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:28.250 I know that's. 00:04:28.250 --> 00:04:29.088 That was a pretty good gift. 00:04:29.389 --> 00:04:31.889 He said, wait for the promise of the father, the gift of the father. 00:04:32.389 --> 00:04:33.720 So Jesus gave his best. 00:04:33.721 --> 00:04:36.838 So the holy spirit comes on the day of Pentecost, which we're celebrating today. 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:38.240 Woohoo, holy spirit. 00:04:39.338 --> 00:04:40.639 And he gave his best. 00:04:40.990 --> 00:04:41.439 Come on. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:41.838 Somebody. 00:04:42.139 --> 00:04:43.000 He gave his best. 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:44.240 He gave gifts on men. 00:04:44.379 --> 00:04:45.160 He gave gifts. 00:04:45.670 --> 00:04:46.600 He's full of gifts. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:48.759 See you can't outgive the Godhead. 00:04:48.761 --> 00:04:53.670 They're just givers, givers, givers, givers, that what's, they mean they are generous to you and me. 00:04:53.930 --> 00:05:00.470 The holy spirit called by Jesus, the comforter or the helper helper in the Greek is the Perclose. 00:05:00.889 --> 00:05:02.430 The Perclose made up of two words. 00:05:03.189 --> 00:05:08.389 Perclose or Paracas means to call alongside the holy spirit is the one that we call alongside. 00:05:08.391 --> 00:05:11.300 When we have a need, we call him alongside of us. 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:17.500 So every time you wanna move in generosity, the holy Spirit's there. 00:05:18.649 --> 00:05:19.470 He can't help it. 00:05:19.930 --> 00:05:24.550 See if you move in generosity, the holy Spirit's there he comes alongside you. 00:05:25.060 --> 00:05:27.949 He's the one that gives you the grace to trust in God. 00:05:28.088 --> 00:05:34.579 So we're gonna look at this amazing story of, um, this idea to question our own hearts this morning. 00:05:34.579 --> 00:05:35.620 This is a matter of the heart. 00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:36.579 It's not a matter of money. 00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:39.500 We're it's not a matter of, uh, dollars and cents or anything. 00:05:39.778 --> 00:05:40.540 It's a matter of the heart. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:42.379 And something comes out in this story. 00:05:42.380 --> 00:05:53.528 That's I think very revealing John chapter 12 versus one through eight, six days before Passover Jesus therefore came to Bethany where Lazarus was whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 00:05:53.629 --> 00:05:55.329 So they gave a dinner for him there. 00:05:56.259 --> 00:06:00.990 Martha served Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 00:06:00.990 --> 00:06:01.430 Don't forget. 00:06:01.430 --> 00:06:02.870 This is John 12 and John 11. 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:06.430 This is when Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. 00:06:06.939 --> 00:06:10.110 He's got a back from life guy sitting at the table. 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:12.430 I'm sure there was a little conversation going on at that table. 00:06:12.850 --> 00:06:20.060 Anyway, verse three, Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure NA and anointed. 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:23.778 The feet of Jesus wiped his feet with her hair. 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:29.180 The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume, but Judas is scar it. 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:39.490 One of his disciples who was about to betray him said, why was this ointment not sold for 300 Dary? 00:06:39.670 --> 00:06:40.610 And given to the poor? 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:55.990 He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because watch he was a thief and having charge of the money bag he used to help himself to whatever was put in it. 00:06:57.399 --> 00:07:03.790 Jesus said, leave her alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 00:07:05.069 --> 00:07:09.610 The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me. 00:07:10.910 --> 00:07:12.050 That's an amazing story. 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:17.000 Because in this story, it's the revealing of hearts. 00:07:18.769 --> 00:07:22.060 This story reveals the hearts of two different types of people. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:29.420 You have a heart of generosity in this story and you have a heart of selfishness. 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:35.170 Why do you think Mary gave such an extravagant gift? 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:38.410 I'll explain why it was so extravagant in a minute. 00:07:38.411 --> 00:07:41.050 It was an extravagant gift that she gave to Jesus. 00:07:42.230 --> 00:07:45.050 And on the other side, why was Judah so bothered by that? 00:07:45.939 --> 00:07:49.800 Why was he like, how dare you should have sold that and given it to the poor. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:54.670 Now that sounded like a nice religious thing to say and believe me, it was totally religious. 00:07:56.670 --> 00:08:05.660 Well, we look at these two hearts, a heart of generosity in Mary, actually a heart of selfishness in Judas. 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:09.819 So let's look first at this idea of generosity. 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:10.649 Am I generous? 00:08:10.850 --> 00:08:11.209 I don't know. 00:08:11.211 --> 00:08:13.970 Am I, well, first of all, let's talk about the enemy of generosity. 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:17.459 What's the enemy of generosity. 00:08:18.610 --> 00:08:20.300 It's selfishness let's get right to the room. 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:22.980 Selfishness is the enemy of generosity. 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:24.819 You can't be generous and selfish at the same time. 00:08:24.821 --> 00:08:25.339 They're Oxy. 00:08:25.699 --> 00:08:29.250 Moron just had these beautiful family up here. 00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:30.009 That was beautiful. 00:08:30.769 --> 00:08:32.049 And those three precious little kids. 00:08:32.230 --> 00:08:39.049 And I'll just bet you dad and mom, you've never sat down and taught them this important phrase as a child must learn. 00:08:39.110 --> 00:08:45.970 All children must learn this phrase, but it's amazing how nobody teaches it to'em and it's the simple word mine. 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:47.240 Yeah. 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:50.000 Is that yours? 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:50.360 Mine. 00:08:50.509 --> 00:08:52.558 It's mine now. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:53.639 That's that's your brothers. 00:08:53.640 --> 00:08:54.039 Give it back. 00:08:54.058 --> 00:08:54.720 No, it's mine. 00:08:56.269 --> 00:08:58.360 Mine work on that word. 00:08:58.360 --> 00:08:58.639 Okay. 00:08:58.640 --> 00:08:59.200 Work on that. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:01.440 uh, so that they get that. 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:04.080 Any parents say, you know, I had a trouble teaching my kids, mine. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:07.519 I just, I, they still to this day, they just wanna give and give and give. 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:09.879 I just can't get that possessiveness. 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:10.678 No, it's in us. 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:11.960 It's we're born mine. 00:09:12.090 --> 00:09:12.879 We're born selfish. 00:09:13.110 --> 00:09:14.269 It's it's who we are. 00:09:14.270 --> 00:09:14.509 Right? 00:09:14.769 --> 00:09:22.590 You don't have to teach them now eventually through parenting, good admonition pastor through parenting and, and take the class. 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:25.909 Cuz obviously Tyler and Amy have got that all down. 00:09:25.910 --> 00:09:27.549 There's no, you've got that down. 00:09:28.070 --> 00:09:28.750 Um, no it's yours. 00:09:28.750 --> 00:09:28.870 Dear. 00:09:28.889 --> 00:09:29.470 No eye yield. 00:09:29.830 --> 00:09:30.029 No, you can. 00:09:30.190 --> 00:09:31.269 You can have someone by French fries. 00:09:32.220 --> 00:09:38.419 Um, anyway, we're born selfish, but we learn. 00:09:39.889 --> 00:09:41.909 We learn how to become less selfish. 00:09:42.470 --> 00:09:43.149 You outgrow it. 00:09:44.129 --> 00:09:52.820 And so when we come to giving, we have this funny feeling that, you know, when we start earning money, we start getting things. 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:54.659 We think it's mine. 00:09:56.350 --> 00:09:57.779 Don't we it's mine. 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:03.480 You know, God only uses that word prolifically one time. 00:10:04.308 --> 00:10:07.120 Well, pretty much, you know, everything is mine says, God. 00:10:07.580 --> 00:10:13.629 But he says specifically about the tithe, which is the 10th of everything he gives you. 00:10:15.049 --> 00:10:16.149 He says, that's mine. 00:10:16.850 --> 00:10:18.190 Now that is mine. 00:10:19.409 --> 00:10:21.149 God doesn't do it for selfish purposes. 00:10:21.730 --> 00:10:26.149 He does it to help break selfishness in us so that we become generous. 00:10:27.769 --> 00:10:30.460 You have to outgrow that idea that it's all mine. 00:10:32.019 --> 00:10:36.980 Um, we have two choices when it comes to what God gives us. 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:41.259 You can either bring it to God. 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:42.539 You can bring a tithes to God. 00:10:42.659 --> 00:10:44.340 And the tithe is just 10% the 10th. 00:10:44.558 --> 00:10:45.100 That's all. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:56.610 You can bring a tithe to God as Malachi instructs, Malachi three eight, bring your ties and offerings into the storehouse that there be food in my house. 00:10:57.058 --> 00:10:57.610 Bring it. 00:10:58.549 --> 00:11:00.970 Or you can keep it. 00:11:02.850 --> 00:11:04.190 That's the nice way of saying it. 00:11:04.928 --> 00:11:08.419 But keeping the tithe is not just keeping it mine. 00:11:10.700 --> 00:11:11.740 Malachi says you're stealing it. 00:11:12.299 --> 00:11:15.629 Uhoh he says would a man Rob God. 00:11:16.350 --> 00:11:18.230 Nah, I never robed God do you tithe? 00:11:18.370 --> 00:11:19.470 No, just not there yet. 00:11:19.820 --> 00:11:22.870 Well then if you're not tithing, you're stealing. 00:11:23.490 --> 00:11:23.710 Why? 00:11:23.950 --> 00:11:25.178 Because that belongs to God. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:26.539 The tide belongs to God. 00:11:26.700 --> 00:11:31.580 You go, uh, oh, uh, oh, is that really what the, the word, the word of God says? 00:11:31.581 --> 00:11:32.259 Yeah, it really does. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:33.299 See there's an enemy. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:34.100 Now think about this. 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:39.250 There's an enemy to the plan of God and the purposes of God. 00:11:39.990 --> 00:11:44.120 And if, think about warfare and today's Pentecost Sunday. 00:11:44.178 --> 00:11:45.399 So I always look at it this way. 00:11:45.400 --> 00:11:52.919 There are two, the two most explosive doctrines in the church is T and T they're explosive. 00:11:53.350 --> 00:11:54.279 It's like dynamite. 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:58.320 You wanna blow something up, preach on these two topics and today's Pentecost Sunday. 00:11:58.460 --> 00:12:00.039 So one of them is tongues. 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:04.320 You wanna just cause a little kerfuffle in the church, teach on tongues. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:06.159 It'll the he of enemy. 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:06.919 He hates it. 00:12:06.980 --> 00:12:10.960 And the other is tithing tongues and tithing T and T guaranteed. 00:12:11.370 --> 00:12:12.509 You'll have an explosion. 00:12:13.149 --> 00:12:16.470 because the enemy hates those two, like nothing else. 00:12:16.471 --> 00:12:17.269 And I'll tell you why. 00:12:17.928 --> 00:12:26.549 If you think of in a military mindset, if you're in a war and you're trying to stop your enemy from advancing on his campaign, there's two things you wanna do. 00:12:26.549 --> 00:12:28.990 Number one, you jam the communication. 00:12:30.808 --> 00:12:38.129 That's tongues is the perfect communication between God and man it's it's heaven and earth communicating with no frequency interference. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:41.330 It's it's it's our spirit communicating with God's spirit. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:44.279 It's just like powerful day of Pentecost. 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:45.440 See, that was the greatest. 00:12:45.789 --> 00:12:48.320 When the holy spirit came, he came loaded with gifts. 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:50.070 And the first gift he gave was what? 00:12:50.071 --> 00:12:52.269 Communication come on. 00:12:52.470 --> 00:12:53.549 Somebody spiritual language. 00:12:53.820 --> 00:12:59.230 What a gift that is in our broken world, where language is, every language is being challenged. 00:12:59.230 --> 00:13:00.669 Every definition is being challenged. 00:13:01.299 --> 00:13:08.580 That doesn't really mean that like a friend in Greensboro who just renamed his church definition, church, think about that's weird. 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:11.460 No, it's not actually because you know what everything's trying to be redefined. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:14.220 So communication is very important. 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:20.659 And the holy spirit came on the day of Pentecost and said, the first thing we're gonna do is give you communication spirit language. 00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:28.610 So you can talk to God and reverse the curse of Babylon where God confused it, confounded the languages then brought'em all back together. 00:13:28.610 --> 00:13:28.850 Okay. 00:13:28.850 --> 00:13:29.850 That's a mini teaching right there. 00:13:30.428 --> 00:13:38.649 But the other thing is, if you're in a war, you've gotta jam the communication devices and what cut off the supply, cut off the supplies. 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:40.970 You'll handicap the army. 00:13:41.539 --> 00:13:43.570 We're living in a world where what's being challenged right now. 00:13:43.750 --> 00:13:44.450 Supply chain. 00:13:45.330 --> 00:13:55.399 You see how the enemy is even at work in the natural, but in the spiritual, the enemy's been at work always to try to cut off the supplies for the army of God, Jerry Daley, who was a spiritual father to me. 00:13:55.400 --> 00:13:56.720 And he founded our network of churches. 00:13:56.750 --> 00:14:00.120 Some of you know him, Jerry said this a long time ago and I never forgot it. 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:05.029 He said, God gives a vision to a church based on everybody tithing. 00:14:08.570 --> 00:14:09.470 Now here's the problem. 00:14:09.889 --> 00:14:13.269 And you can ask any pastor, do you have enough money for your vision? 00:14:13.370 --> 00:14:14.389 No, but we're believe in God. 00:14:14.629 --> 00:14:15.830 Our, our vision's bigger than our budget. 00:14:15.850 --> 00:14:17.830 You know, that's the mantra, but you know why? 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:20.789 Cause only five to 8% of believers tithe. 00:14:21.690 --> 00:14:23.179 That's staggering folks. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:24.139 Not here. 00:14:24.140 --> 00:14:26.580 Of course I checked your records before I came. 00:14:27.220 --> 00:14:31.100 just kidding. 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:39.299 But that's a small percentage, small per and you know what, that's why churches are they can't, they're always pushing. 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:41.570 And you almost feel like all they talk about is money. 00:14:41.571 --> 00:14:42.570 Nobody don't only talk about money. 00:14:42.571 --> 00:14:44.889 They talk about vision because you know what? 00:14:44.950 --> 00:14:47.409 God gives a vision to a church based on everybody tithing. 00:14:47.410 --> 00:14:53.159 And then there's, once you go beyond tithing, there's this overflow of offerings and giving to reach your community. 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:55.440 So I think you're ahead of the curve church. 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:56.159 I think you are. 00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:59.600 I, I know, I know for a fact you are, but here's the thing. 00:15:00.350 --> 00:15:02.399 There's different levels of giving. 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:08.320 So we have this whole idea of tithing 10%, which is the first it's all just the first 10th. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.590 I used to be, by the way, a reverse tither don't look at me like that. 00:15:12.591 --> 00:15:13.230 I'm gonna explain it. 00:15:13.350 --> 00:15:15.110 And some of you're going, oh boy, that was me too. 00:15:15.710 --> 00:15:16.629 Well, I started out tithing. 00:15:16.630 --> 00:15:19.230 Thank God, 40 years ago, God's been faithful. 00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:25.909 But there, I got to a point where, um, and especially was happening when we were planting our church and things were so tight all the time. 00:15:26.190 --> 00:15:26.830 We were just believing. 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:29.220 And um, what I used to do is weekly. 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:30.379 Do your bills and everything. 00:15:30.460 --> 00:15:33.500 I would, I would pay my bills and then it's kinda like this. 00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:36.820 I had a little contest going with God said, okay, God, I'm gonna be a good steward. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:37.899 I'm gonna pay my bills. 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:40.580 I'm gonna take care of my family, pay my bills. 00:15:41.259 --> 00:15:49.049 And when I get done, if there's enough left, I'll tithe like a good tither, but God, you know, understand. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:52.330 I've gotta give all these other bills first place. 00:15:52.769 --> 00:15:54.289 And then if there's anything left, it's kind of a contest. 00:15:54.419 --> 00:15:58.250 Let's see if you can leave me something, you'll get your 10%. 00:15:59.129 --> 00:15:59.850 I did that for a while. 00:15:59.850 --> 00:16:02.970 And then one night it's just like the holy spirit arrested me. 00:16:03.549 --> 00:16:04.610 And I got the revelation. 00:16:04.610 --> 00:16:06.200 Like it's not just 10%. 00:16:06.590 --> 00:16:07.919 It's the first 10%. 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:10.240 The tide is the first 10th. 00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:11.720 Not any 10th. 00:16:11.940 --> 00:16:13.840 See, I can, I kind of made it the last 10th. 00:16:14.340 --> 00:16:15.279 It was like a little contest. 00:16:15.309 --> 00:16:17.360 Like, well it says, prove me. 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:19.120 Well, I was proven the wrong way. 00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:20.840 And I changed. 00:16:20.940 --> 00:16:23.990 And I began to realize, I have to give God the first 10th. 00:16:24.809 --> 00:16:31.470 It says, give him the first fruits of your increase, whatever your increase is, give him the first fruits that changed everything for us. 00:16:32.090 --> 00:16:33.149 It changed my perspective. 00:16:33.250 --> 00:16:34.269 It changed my heart. 00:16:34.649 --> 00:16:43.299 And see, when you realize that once you get into the and break that enemy off of your own, I call it the like a spirit of poverty that comes upon you. 00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:44.620 You break that with tithing. 00:16:44.809 --> 00:16:50.220 Then you get to enter a new level of giving, which is the second, second thing about understanding generosity. 00:16:50.221 --> 00:16:54.539 There's the enemy of generosity, but there is now the extravagance of generosity. 00:16:54.541 --> 00:16:56.940 There is an extravagance that God wants to move us into. 00:16:57.460 --> 00:17:02.409 And let's explain extravagance in just a minute in the idea of extravagance. 00:17:02.410 --> 00:17:03.169 There's this idea. 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:04.529 There's different levels of giving. 00:17:04.530 --> 00:17:06.089 First of all, there's tithing 10%. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:11.089 Once you do that, according to Malachi, once you give the tithes to God, it says it opens the windows of heaven. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.289 Then you can give beyond the tithe. 00:17:13.549 --> 00:17:26.920 And that was a big, that was a big journey for my wife and I, even when we were church planting, it was like, we were just like going from offering to offering, but begin to move back into a new level of giving that goes beyond just getting by. 00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:35.079 And so you have tithing, you have offerings and then you have extravagant offerings. 00:17:35.170 --> 00:17:35.960 Those are rare. 00:17:36.430 --> 00:17:37.589 They're not all the time. 00:17:37.590 --> 00:17:38.789 They're special occasions. 00:17:39.430 --> 00:17:41.789 I have a friend that calls,'em not just extravagant offerings. 00:17:41.790 --> 00:17:43.269 He calls'em painful offerings. 00:17:43.829 --> 00:17:43.829 Yeah. 00:17:44.230 --> 00:17:53.920 Where you give painfully to the Lord, but see God rewards that God watches over that God opens the windows of heaven. 00:17:54.059 --> 00:17:54.799 God does things. 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:56.559 And so I'm gonna go back to the story for a minute. 00:17:56.560 --> 00:18:00.480 And I wanna talk about this extravagant gift that Mary gave. 00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:01.519 It was extravagant. 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:06.440 Now, by the way, an extravagant gift is a gift that is more than what you would give. 00:18:07.849 --> 00:18:10.309 That's all I know that's painful. 00:18:12.190 --> 00:18:17.309 Extravagance in your definition of extravagance is anything that's more than I have look at his car. 00:18:17.809 --> 00:18:20.269 So extravagant, you should sell that car and give it to the poor. 00:18:21.230 --> 00:18:23.470 why don't you sell your car? 00:18:24.789 --> 00:18:26.700 I won't sell my car, but he should sell his car. 00:18:26.701 --> 00:18:27.019 Right? 00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:29.299 just, what does that reveal? 00:18:30.358 --> 00:18:31.579 It reveals the Judas heart. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.059 You should sell that. 00:18:33.358 --> 00:18:35.380 Why did they sell that perfume and give it to the poor? 00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:37.380 Well, geez, you're selfish. 00:18:37.381 --> 00:18:38.220 You're a thief. 00:18:38.950 --> 00:18:40.930 You're revealing your heart of selfishness. 00:18:40.990 --> 00:18:45.170 You didn't that wasn't a heart of generosity cuz Jesus revealed his heart. 00:18:45.368 --> 00:18:45.368 What? 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.480 He didn't care about the poor. 00:18:46.740 --> 00:18:47.920 He was actually a thief. 00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:50.160 Here's this lady that gives us extravagant offer. 00:18:50.161 --> 00:18:51.079 Why was it extravagant? 00:18:51.099 --> 00:18:51.599 It was sold. 00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:54.440 He said it could have been sold for 300 Dera. 00:18:54.539 --> 00:18:56.000 That's 300 days. 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:56.519 Wages. 00:18:57.329 --> 00:18:58.720 Think about what you earn in a year. 00:18:59.380 --> 00:19:02.839 You roughly work about 300 outta 365 days in a year. 00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:04.990 So one day's wage in today's economy. 00:19:05.108 --> 00:19:06.789 I don't know what it is, but multiply one. 00:19:07.069 --> 00:19:07.950 Day's wage times 300. 00:19:07.951 --> 00:19:08.789 That's a lot of money. 00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:11.029 That's your one year of earning. 00:19:11.650 --> 00:19:12.910 How many could afford to do that? 00:19:13.940 --> 00:19:14.868 This is what she did. 00:19:15.368 --> 00:19:19.190 And that's why Judas flipped a, he flipped a switch going ha I can't believe she spent that much money. 00:19:19.191 --> 00:19:20.069 That's extravagant. 00:19:20.410 --> 00:19:22.019 She shut a sold and giving it to the poor. 00:19:22.500 --> 00:19:22.500 Really? 00:19:24.059 --> 00:19:24.819 Let me ask you a question. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.539 How much money do you think would impress God? 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:30.740 How much could you give? 00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:38.420 When finally go angels, you would not believe the one offering we got at Trinity this week is unbelievable. 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:39.858 I am so impressed. 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:47.049 You know, God paves his streets with gold. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:49.569 It's no big deal for him. 00:19:50.289 --> 00:19:52.970 You can go on and on about the extravagance of God and how he looks at values. 00:19:52.971 --> 00:19:57.170 Like we, you know, what's impressive given you God, do you wanna impress God, let me give you a scripture. 00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:58.049