WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:11.599 Well, we started this series with a question last week about what it would look like if you could intentionally convert your temporary resources into eternal investments. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:12.720 And I think you can. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:29.839 That's the idea of an eternity portfolio, that we, as followers of Jesus, are called to steward to invest the temporary resources that God has given us in the here and now and invest them in areas that bring eternal gain. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:37.840 And I think when we understand that, that that's what we are called to do with our life, it changes our view of generosity. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:40.799 It changes our view of giving as a whole. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.799 And if you missed last week's message, I would encourage you to go back and watch it. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:51.439 But just really quickly, what we talked about last week was this question: how much is enough? 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:52.560 How much is enough? 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:59.280 Not how much is it uh is enough for me to give, like what's the bare minimum I can give and not have God be mad at me? 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:05.519 But how much is enough for me, for my family to live on, to be satisfied, to be comfortable? 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:11.200 And I think whether you've ever thought about that question or not, most Americans have the same answer. 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:13.200 And that is how much is enough? 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:14.400 A little bit more. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:15.680 That's our answer, right? 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:16.560 A little bit more. 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:28.159 But the truth is, if we want to be generous people that Jesus has called us to be, the answer to how much is enough can't always be more. 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:30.480 That can't be the answer. 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:43.439 See, I think a lot of people in their minds want to be generous, they desire to be a generous person, but they think that they have to become rich or wealthy before they can be generous. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:44.959 That's just not true. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:48.719 Being generous has nothing to do with you being wealthy. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:52.319 Being generous is all about you being content. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:02:02.480 Before you can be generous and invest in eternity, you have to find contentment where you are now with what you have now. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.239 So, how much is enough? 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:06.480 That's a great question for us to think about. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:14.319 Today, we're gonna go on to another question, really a follow-up question to that idea of how much is enough. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:18.479 And this question is well, what do I do with the rest? 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:25.599 Once we are content, once we have figured out this is enough, I don't need to keep growing my lifestyle. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.199 This is enough. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:30.639 Then we can ask, okay, well, what do I do with the rest of this? 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:32.639 What do I do with what's left over? 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.120 What do I do with the margin? 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:39.439 And in case you haven't picked up on the answer yet, it's pretty simple. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:44.159 The idea we want to push you towards is you need to invest it. 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:52.319 God has not called you to be a container that just keeps and keeps and keeps and hoards and hoards and hoards. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:03:00.080 You are not called to be a container, you're called to be a conduit to let the blessings he gives you flow through you. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:06.400 Think of it like this: you're not called to be a pond where everything you have grows stale and stagnant. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:11.280 You're called to be a river that is always flowing, never ending. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:22.159 So when we learn to be content and when we create margin in our life and in our finances, we then can invest that margin for an eternal reward. 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:30.240 And so where we're gonna go in the scriptures is back to a passage we started looking at last week, and that is in 1 Timothy chapter 6. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:37.840 So if you got your Bibles, go with me back to 1 Timothy chapter 6, and we're gonna start back reading in verse 17. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:43.599 1 Timothy 6, verse 17 to 19, or Paul's instruction to his protege in the faith, Timothy. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:48.000 And in this instruction, he teaches us a lot about wealth and generosity. 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:50.319 This is what he says starting in verse 17. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:57.120 Paul rights, instruct those who are rich, and in case you missed it last week, we are rich. 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:09.120 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:24.079 Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, storing up for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:32.720 Now, last week, again, what we touched on that idea of we are rich, but we are not to set our hope on riches. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:44.639 If we have a house uh that we live in, two cars in the driveway, a pantry and refrigerator full, we are rich, and yet those riches can create an illusion of comfort and security that don't exist. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:54.079 We have to learn to put our trust in Jesus and receive from him those things that those things that we often use wealth to get. 00:04:54.399 --> 00:05:12.560 But then he goes on and says, okay, yes, you're not to be arrogant, not to trust wealth, but he goes on and says, but you're to instruct those who are rich to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous or willing to share, storing up for themselves treasures as a good foundation for the coming age. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:22.079 So when we look at this text, there's a couple more things I want us to see that I think are pretty plain and really speak to that question of what do we do with the rest? 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:23.439 What do we do with the margin? 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:34.240 The first thing I think that I want you to see here is that Paul is clear to Timothy that we can invest our temporary resources into eternal investments. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:36.319 That's exactly what he says, right? 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:41.360 Storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:51.120 Now, that idea, storing up treasure for themselves for the coming age, to be clear, Paul is not saying that we can buy our salvation. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:57.439 He's not saying that we can store up these good works and it's going to earn us a right standing before God. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:58.720 That's not the case. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:09.680 A right standing before God only comes through grace, through faith, by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf. 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:30.399 What he is saying is not that we can earn this standing before God, but what he is saying is that by living generously in this age, by living generously in this present moment, we can create a store of future eternal treasure for ourselves in the age to come. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:43.120 We can use the temporary resources we have in this life in such a way that it stores up treasure for us in the life that is to come. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.439 That is very clear to me. 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:48.480 But I want to make sure we understand this properly. 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:50.079 Don't miss this. 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:58.879 Paul is not saying that we should store up for ourselves treasure in eternity out of a sense of selfishness or greed. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:05.759 It's not that we want to live cheaply now so that we can have a bigger mansion in heaven. 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:07.680 That's not the idea here. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:26.480 The idea is that when we step into eternity, if we use what we have wisely now, then we will be able to have treasure, not to waste on ourselves, but to lay at the feet of Jesus as an offering. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:33.519 The Bible clearly teaches that we will have treasures and crowns that we can lay down at the feet of Jesus. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:40.800 And we can store that treasure up for ourselves now so that when we see him, we won't be empty-handed. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:45.199 We can give to him the treasure that he is due. 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:54.079 So Paul says that we can store up treasure for ourselves now, by the way we live, by the investments we make. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:01.920 And then secondly, Paul doesn't just tell us that these investments are possible, he tells us how we invest in eternity. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:03.199 Look at what he says. 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:10.000 He says, to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share. 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:17.920 So in my mind, Paul is telling us here that there are three currencies we can use to invest in eternity. 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:23.759 And these three currencies, uh, I've heard time and time again, it's almost cliche, but it fits so well. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:27.680 The three currencies are time, talents, and treasure. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.920 And I think we see that here in the text. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:30.800 We see time. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:33.039 Paul says, do what is good. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.919 To me, that is making the most of our time. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:38.159 That is using our time well. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.919 That is spending our time on what matters. 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:43.840 Let's not do what is unimportant. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:46.639 Let's not do what is simply pleasurable. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:48.159 Let's do good. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:50.399 Spend our time on what matters. 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:56.639 Jesus says that we must work while it is still day, for night is coming when no man can work. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:58.000 Do good. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.840 Spend your time, invest your time wisely. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:03.840 Secondly, talents. 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:08.960 He says, do what is good and be rich in good works. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:15.039 I think the idea here is that you and I have been given talents and we've been given giftings. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:20.240 We are to use those talents and those gifts for the good of our neighbor. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:30.639 God doesn't just call us and bless us with gifts or talents to use them for ourselves, but to use them for the good of our neighbor and the glory of the name of Jesus. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:36.639 So we invest our time, we invest our talents, and then he says we invest our treasure. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:42.000 And he says it very simply: be generous and willing to share. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:43.440 So look at me. 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:48.080 Your generosity has to touch your wallets, right? 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:51.200 It's being generous with our time, yes. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:57.840 Being generous with our talents, yes, but also being generous with our treasure. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:04.240 We have to be generous and willing to share the material blessings that God has sent our way. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:15.120 And what I've noticed in life is that many who find it easy to be generous with their time and talents may have a hard time being generous with their treasure. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:22.080 Or those who are very generous with their treasure may have a hard time being generous with their time. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:32.559 And so what I want us to understand is this a life of generosity is not about picking where we want to be generous, but about being generous in all of life. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:37.360 We are called to be generous with our time, with our talents, with our treasure. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:49.039 Those are the three currencies, temporary resources that we have now that we can invest now in order to store up an eternal reward. 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:51.919 Our time, our talents, our treasure. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:57.440 And now I think that there's a third implied lesson here. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:08.159 Not just that we store up for ourselves treasure, not just how we store up ourselves, store up treasure for ourselves, but who we invest in. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:12.799 Where do we invest that time, that talent, that treasure? 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:20.080 So when we talk about where do we invest, we're not talking about 401ks, stocks, bonds, that sort of thing. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:23.360 Like that, those are all good, but that's not the point, obviously. 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:30.639 If we are going to invest in eternity, we have to ask ourselves well, what is eternal? 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:35.440 If I want to invest in eternity, then what is eternal? 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:38.240 Obviously, God is eternal. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:39.600 Jesus is eternal. 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:43.120 What we do for him will not fade. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.559 But beyond that, here's what I want you to think about. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:49.519 People are eternal. 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:51.360 Now that seems weird, right? 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:56.000 Because the Bible clearly says it is appointed to man once to die. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:59.120 But then comes the judgment. 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:01.759 That means there is more after death. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:08.480 Think about it like this everybody lives forever somewhere. 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:16.080 Some live with God forever in heaven, some live separated from God in a place called hell. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.879 Everybody lives forever somewhere. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:29.039 So when we want to invest in eternity, we invest in service to King Jesus and in the lives of people who will live forever somewhere. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:31.440 So, how do we invest in people? 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:32.799 How do we invest in people? 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:35.679 I think there's three areas that we can invest in people. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:39.200 Number one, we can invest in helping meet their physical needs. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:43.120 You look throughout scripture, I think we see that commanded over and over. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:51.440 We care for the poor, we care for the needy, we care for those who are hurting, those who need us, we can meet their physical needs. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:58.639 But we also want to invest in their spiritual formation as they grow closer to Jesus and look more like Jesus. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:05.200 And we want to invest in mission so that those who don't know Jesus might come to know Jesus. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:22.639 So I think those are the three areas that if we're going to invest in eternity and invest in people, let's invest our time, talents, and treasures in people through their physical needs, their spiritual formation, and the mission of helping those who don't know Jesus come to know him as Savior. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:29.440 Maybe to put it simply in the language of the orchard, we love God by the way that we love people. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:29.919 Right? 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:35.679 We're investing in eternity by loving God through loving people. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:39.840 Now, here's the elephant in the room. 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:49.039 If this is true that we are to invest in people, then why in the world would I ask you to give to the local church? 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:50.000 Right? 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:52.879 We've all heard that, we've all thought that. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:56.559 Like if I'm giving my money to God, why does that have to go through the church? 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:00.559 If I'm investing in people, why should I give to the church? 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.399 And here's the answer, as best as I can explain it to you. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:15.919 I want to ask you to give to the local church because I believe giving to the local church is a good investment in eternity, and it's a good investment in people. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:29.600 In the local church, those three areas of investing in people, in their physical needs, their spiritual formation, and the mission, the local church is where those three areas meet. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.559 Those three areas combine. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:36.080 The local church meets physical needs of people in the community. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:45.200 We meet the needs of spiritual formation through the people that walk through our doors, and we go on mission and support missions so that more people may come to know him. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:49.039 So I think the local church is a good investment for eternity. 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:55.200 It's a good investment for today, it's a good investment for tomorrow, and it's a good investment for eternity. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:03.759 So let me maybe just give you a good example, a specific example that will put this in context. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:10.879 So the orchard today is just around 19, almost 20 years old. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:22.000 And to date, we have given$1.8 million to physical needs, spiritual formation, and mission. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:27.279 That is the money that has come into the church that has flowed out of the church. 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:39.360 Not money that has been spent on personnel or on facilities or on administration, but money that has gone to physical needs, spiritual formation, and mission. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:46.720 This money has flowed through the church to be invested in people inside and outside of our walls. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:48.320 $7.8 million. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:50.559 Where did that start? 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:52.240 You know where that started? 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:56.399 With a jar of coins. 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:04.320 It started with a single jar of coins from a kids' Sunday school class in Perry, Florida. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:24.159 As Pastor Eddie had resigned from the pastor to First Baptist Perry to come and start the orchard, the first offering that he ever received was from a kids' Sunday school class that had filled up a jar of coins, brought it to him, and said, We want to be the first to give to your church. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:32.559 Now, in the grand scheme of things, did that jar of coins go a long way into meeting the financial needs of the church? 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:33.679 Not really. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:37.679 But it was an investment that was given in faith. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.720 It was an investment that was given out of love. 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:43.679 It was an investment into eternity. 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:48.240 The orchard started with a glass jar full of coins. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:17:08.880 And today, if we look at that impact that the orchard has had financially through$7.8 million into physical needs, spiritual formation, and miss and missions, that one glass jar has turned into about 176,000 jars. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:11.759 That's multiplication. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:14.880 That is return on investment. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:32.400 As a matter of fact, if you were to look at the rate of return, assuming let's say there were$50 of pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters in that glass jar, the rate of return over that initial investment is 15 million percent. 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:35.920 The local church is a good investment. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.640 You may think that what you have isn't enough. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:44.880 You may think that what you have is too small to matter. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.640 It's just not true. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:56.720 What is given in faith and is invested in eternity always matters, always brings a reward. 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:02.480 So to recap, we need to figure out how much is enough and become content. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.359 Once we become content, we can invest the rest. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:20.000 We invest our time, our talents, and our treasure into people, meeting their physical needs, investing in their spiritual formation and mission so that more may know him. 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:27.599 And I believe that our local church, but beyond that, the local church is where those three areas meet. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:30.160 And it's a great investment into eternity. 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.039 Does that mean that you don't need to invest other places? 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:35.599 No, brother, sister, diversify. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:37.839 Invest where God leads. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:48.960 But I want to encourage you to start today building your eternity portfolio so that when you see Jesus, you'll have a treasure waiting to lay at his feet. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.400 Let me pray for you. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:19:03.200 God, thank you for the time that you've given us today to look to your word and to talk more about generosity and building up an eternal reward through the way we invest and live today. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:18.640 And so, God, I pray that you would help each of us to think about this with a pure heart and with clear minds so that we can live lives now that would be pleasing to you and store up for ourselves treasure in heaven so that one day we can lay it all at your feet. 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:20.559 In the name of Jesus we pray. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:21.279 Amen.