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Note: Transcripts are unedited. Please forgive any errors.
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THE ACTIVE WORD
TITLE OF
Message: " Steward Or Owner"
MESSAGE DATE: 03/26/06 TAPE NUMBER: T1346
Danielle Tedder Page 1 of 45
Scripture Reference for Message: 1 Ch.
Opening prayer:
Father this day we give you thanks,
For gifting to us spiritual settlement, that soon and very soon we will actually see your face. That's amazing grace. And because you're in the business of saving wretches just like me, like we. We are here to celebrate the salvation so great , honor you with our life. Lord from our heart to yours, thank you, in Jesus' name and all of God's people shouted, Amen.
Message:
Exodus 35 drawing your attention to verse 20,
and all the congregation from the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses that everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing then they brought the Lord's offering from the work of the tabernacle of needing for all it's service and for the holy "?" . And now verse 29 same chapter, the children of Israel brought a free-willed offering unto the Lord, all the men and women
Whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord by the hand of Moses had commanded to be done. And now chapter 36 and now in verse 4 and all the craftsman that were doing all the work came each from the work he was doing and they spoke to Moses saying, the people bring much more than enough for the service the work which the Lord commanded us to do. So Moses gave a commandment and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp saying, let neither man nor woman do anymore work for the offering of the sanctuary and the people were restrained from greed.
From the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done indeed too much.
I want to be Moses.
How's that? I would love to a few weeks from today stand and say enough's enough we need no more . How's that? It comes from having a willing heart from recognizing that what Moses is purposing to do is out of the ordinary.
Please I hope you hear your pastor's heart. Why is that? Well here's why, over the last couple of weeks the email, the letters much more positive than negative much more good than bad but the concerns of some we need to address. Some people say, week after week after how many weeks of Til the whole world hears? Oh do you know why? Let me illustrate I need your honesty and when I ask you honestly to respond please honestly. I'm not gonna put a sticker on, draw a light to your face but how many of you for one reason or another and it's an excused absence weren't here last week? Oh look look how many people weren't here last week. Now let me ask you this, how many of you missed two weeks ago? Just that one week, let me see your hands. Oh look. How many of you missed the very first part in this four part series let me see your hands oh look check that out, do you see what we're seeing? You as a people are consistently inconsistent. Now what does that mean? Well here's what it means if I'm gonna get my message across I might have to repeat myself. What else does it mean? It means if I want everyone involved you might actually get the same piece of literature two weeks in a row.
That's where some of you of course voiced your concern, Pastor Bob how many times do we need to hear about how much this is costing us? Well please, well, well again don't you know your pastors heart? We own a print shop if you will, there's one in the building. These pieces of literature don't cost us what they would usually cost typically. Why? We do so much literature, in fact we do more than a million pieces a month we decided a long time ago to do this in house rather than outsource it. In the same way the video presentations you see week after week. Can I remind you , we're in a broadcast ministry I have guys sitting behind computers editing stuff all day long. If I give em' side work to do but it's really a part of their job description, It doesn't cost us that much. So I wanna calm your concern and here's why some of what we have done, well, we actually have done less than so many other churches will do at a time of building and expansion.
For instance, what you don't see is in the hallway under plexi-glass a cardboard architectural rendering of the building we probably saved ourselves they say, 50-75,000 dollars not doing that. In the same way you haven't seen a 3-d graphic presentation where we can tour the building on the inside and I can take it to you from a computer, no we saved ourselves probably another hundred thousand dollars doing that.
So if in fact what I do is put a few extra materials in your hand that cost us less than half of the price they would normally cost to reproduce it's just because of your inconsistency that I have to do that. Now a couple of things that I did put in your hands that I want to draw your attention to and please understand, this is what might be out of the ordinary. Can I draw your attention to this gift chart and can I draw your attention to this commitment card? For some of you I saw walking in you said, now that is very uncalvaryistic isn't it Pastor Bob? Well what we wanna do is be transparent and share with you what our goal is. Here's our goal, our goal is $80,000,000. You go woah. It's relative cost to size. Let me explain.
A church this week that I know of, is raising a million dollars it's a church of 500 people. Now when a church of 500 people raise a million dollars it's a greater stretch than 18,000 people raising $80,000,000. How is that? Well it's just the cost of us doing business. You just need to know these things for instance, when we were behind Albertsons supermarket. And I got our first power bill I thought (sound effects) behind Gateway drive. When I got the first deposit on our power bill , why? It just seems like so much money.
What do you think we pay for power right now? $75,000/month.
That's what it costs. That's the same thing it costs probably the two story Target. Probably the same amount of money it costs Lowes or Home Depot.
Why? Well when your gonna air condition 300,000 square feet of building space that's what it costs but again relative cost to size. It's as much for a small church to air condition their building as it is for a big church to air condition their building. So when you see a number like this don't be so (sound effect) there's another reason.
It was 1999 and Sylvester Stallone bought a house in Miami, he paid 27,000,000 dollars for his home. Do you understand that the luxury home market right now in calendar year 2005 they sold 60 plus homes in the Miami area for over 5,000,000 dollars. Now check this out, this in my hand is a picture of what will hopefully soon be , NASCAR'S Hall of fame. It's gonna end up in Charlotte, NC now the NASCAR hall of fame is 100,000 square feet. And the price tag, 154,000,000 dollars. Now again 100,000 square feet is the price tag 154,000,000 dollars.
Now our 80,000,000 dollar price tag happens to be a provision for 480,000 square feet of property. In other words it really is not all that much. So before you go home and say, I can't believe my church is...no, no, no.
I can't believe we can do it for this price quite honestly. I think it's fairly reasonable, now in addition to that, the next thing you see is a I don't wait, Pastor get back to the gift card. Isn't that a little personal? I mean yeah actually asking me how much I'm supposed to give actually asking me to look at a chart? Hey, hey, hey easy. If you think this is personal can I remind you, this is the church. Personal? You know I know some of you have come to me over the last how many years and shared with me your secret sexual struggles as men? You know what kind of stuff I've had to hear? Now here's the strange thing about it, you'll come to me and go, Pastor here's what I did and I'll be cringing and turning colors well brother while praise, well forgive the Lord and that's what you'll say. Then I give you a gift chart and you'll go I can't believe how personal you're getting.
In comparison to what you told me last week this is housekeeping pal this isn't a big deal, are you serious? Personal? My goodness. That's amazing.
Now the commitment card. What does the word commitment mean? Can I remind you Psalm 37:5 says commit your way to the Lord. Psalm 16:13 say commit your work to the Lord. What does the word commitment mean? It comes to us from two words It means, listen to this trust and root the whole idea is that this for you is not a preference this is a conviction,
I'll give you a for instance.
If your kids go to Christian school I'll ask you, is that a preference or is that a conviction? I'll know whether it's a preference or a conviction based upon the cost you are willing to pay. If it's a conviction no matter what, you spend that money. If it's a preference , if the cost is too great you pull em' outta school, why? It's a preference it's not a conviction. So conviction comes with a goal where you say, Hey you know what for the next three years above my regular giving I will promise this to the Lord. Now, above my regular giving. Yeah, this is out of the ordinary for our church in two more weeks you're not gonna hear about these cards for quite some time. We'll be back on to Bible studies. This is an out of the ordinary opportunity for church , it's an out of the ordinary event in our ministry. That's why I started telling you about this in October. I told you, in the month of march I'll be and then I told you in February in the month of March I'll be... I tried to prepare you for this so if in fact you send to me emails something of the effect, how long is until the whole world hears?
Next week you'll turn these in and please note, underneath where it says signature this is a commitment between you and the Lord and may be changed as circumstances warrant. We won't be using these to police you or penalize you. Now we will be using these to thank you and to verify that.
How's that? Well what if somebody writes on here ten million bux? You know I gotta find out if they mean it I mean so uh, I'm gonna give uh, with my faith. No it's gotta be reality to some degree.
You say well wait a second if that's my goal why do you need to see it if in fact it's between me and God. Good question. It's your goal but it's my gage. What do you mean? I had a person email me and they said uh, if this is really something the Lord is calling us to do just tell the people we don't need no commitment card. Oh really? Do you know the story about Moses wanting to take the people to the promise land? And because they were so unwilling they died in the desert? Let me tell you something, I have faith but I'm not stupid. And let me tell you how much faith I have. I have enough faith to get started with the Christian education building with a price tag the same amount as Sylvester Stallone's house.
I have that much faith, but I don't have THAT much faith to say well we're gonna build a 50 million dollar sanctuary without the church being involved. If you're not interested in this, honestly I'll retire a little sooner than I thought. But if in fact your into, and it's not one of those I can't believe unless I do this, he's gonna retire. No, no no. That wasn't manipulative or dramatic. What I'm saying of course is, I wanna make sure that we're all on board. I wouldn't' want to move forward and start trusting in bank of America when in fact I could trust in the people of God who pray.
Ask God what they're supposed to do and they're just obedient. So yes it's a goal but it's also a gage.
Now it says if your circumstance changed , this can change.
Listen, I hope it does. What do you mean? Well I think some of you have been very ,very stingy and very, very greedy and once you begin to give you're gonna find God's a man of his word he's gonna keep his promise. And you're gonna find after a year started giving to that building thing and next thing I know I've got more money than I thought. How did that happen? Well then it's time for you to turn in a new card. How's that, up your ante baby. If God blesses you then don't think you can continue to treat him the way you have been treating him and that's why we're doing until the whole world hears. Why? So many people are very, very stingy when it comes to the good grace of God. So this a chance for you to say hey ya know, quite honestly I've give it some thought and all right. I've given it some prayer. And that's why I'm not even asking for this back from you today.
Now we gave it to you last week for the people who have missed this week and we've given it to you this week for the people that have missed last week. But what happens when everyone shows up? Well understand that's why we do ministry that for the most part costs nothing. Think it through, how much of what you experience here is free of charge? Do you know that this weekend over ten thousand people will log on and watch me on the internet right now and we haven't asked you for a dime so now it's time for you especially to cough it up.
No no no no no,
Listen I got an email last night from a woman and she says you know I would love to commute and hand you my gift but I live in California, and you're my pastor. And so I'm sending this and I just thought, what a blessing why? She tunes in every week on the internet, this is her church, why? She used to come here then she moved , she still hasn't gotten this ministry out of her heart. And I thought that's a very cool thing, again there's no cost in the same way...we got a warehouse building you see it to the west of us? That's where we're gonna turn that piece of property into a senior high youth ministry. WE bought it three years ago for three million dollars. They say right now it's worth about 6 million dollars we bought it on the auction block. We're progressively paying off that debt we're spending a 150,000/month just on that one building alone where there's a skate park.
But when you come in and give us 5 dollars for your kid to skate for a month you're not really covering the cost of the building. So so much of what you do costs nothing but everything we do costs somebody something.
At some point in time if you've been enjoying this at no charge God should if you would let him speak to your heart and say I probably ought to do something. But to give you enough time to pray and seek and really consider over the next three years what would you do? WE place these cards into your trust and here's what I believe, I believe if it really is between you and the Lord the Lord will show you exactly what to do and when it shows up on these cards we will move forward with it.
Now I have taken that step of faith once again with the christian education building. I'm assuming that at least 30 million dollars will come in and we'll do that. And if that's all we do fine, if we don't' end up doin' the sanctuary you know what, if you're not into it sincerely and I'm not saying it in a sarcastic way or a manipulative way, it doesn't have to happen, we don't have to do that then we could just continue to close the doors on every
Person that wants to know Jesus for the next twenty years that's what we would do but that's fine if that's what you determine to do so just, now sincerely If you need a little more counsel on this subject of course we want to provide that counsel to you please just find yourself in an attitude of prayer and just consider with me the value of a single soul for as Christ Jesus that taught us wisely and well does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul and in other words God's putting the entire value of planet Earth on a scale and on the other side he's placing a single soul and he's going ya know what let me be honest with you more valuable is that life then every earthly possession if in fact we believe that we don't mind investing in the kingdom. Amen? Amen.
Hey I've asked you to turn your bibles to 1 Chronicles 28:20
Revelation 4,11 and Psalm 50. Let's together go to the Lord in prayer and ask him to bless our Bible study ...
Prayer: Father this day we give you thanks. We're part of a church, your church that of course is growing for healthy sheep beget healthy sheep. And we would ask God that for this reason we would continue to grow, not just the walls, the foundation, the building, but our heart , our mind, Lord help our hands to grow as we purpose to serve this world that you loved so much you gave your only begotten son until the whole world hears, in Jesus' name amen.
Ownership, stewardship, stewardship, ownership you know the difference don't you? Oh you need to know. What's that? If you're taking note, an owner. And owner, well that's somebody who has complete control. Somebody who has absolute authority, it is a promise exercising power over the possession. A steward? Well that's different. That's somebody whose been given total trust that's somebody who well has the right four of responsibility. And that person, well it's the ministry of management. But it's the ministry of management, it's not their own again it's total trust. That fact is something we see again and again in God's word. What's that? He owns it all. I really own nothing, as a christian I'm a simple steward and it's my ministry unto him, this stewardship that someday I will be rewarded for. Now that fact should be both free and liberating.
Why? Well once you come to the point where fact fact, if you're somebody who likes to take note please jot it down. in Acts chapter 17 verse 34 that's where we discover he God made it all. And because he's creator of it all he deserves right to do as he pleases. And then again in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 12 the bible teaches us there is one God the father who is above all things. God owns it all, that's a fact, yet that fact for me very, very frank, let me explain.
Last month I rented a car in Atlanta. And because it was a rental, last night I didn't think about it, at all. Same thing happens in your life oh you rent something, you just use it. But you have no responsibility being an owner. Why? It's not yours. So that car when I stopped at a drug store I came back, only 20 miles on that vehicle I noticed someone dinged the door. And you know what I thought? I don't care. It's not my car. No, no, no it was small enough it's not gonna be an issue with the car company and because it's not my car, I don't care. You see right now I'm not thinking about where that car's parked or whose driving it why? It's not mine. In the same way my house is not my house. Bank of America owns my house, no im kidding.
God owns my house and I remind him of that fact every year around hurricane season. Hey God it's your house you know I just want you to know. Do you want me to put up your storm shudders?
Uh , cos if you're going to blow a wind this way and it's going to effect your investment, just let me know yeah, yeah it's a very liberating freeing thing when God owns your car , when God owns your house. And that's what we do when dedicate our children. People stand here every single month with their little infant child then they lift it up to the Lord, God I give you what you have given me may your hand be upon my child, no Lord may your hand be upon your child all the days of his or her life. That you might be glorified with this life that you've simply given to me this child as a trust. It's a crazy thing, we want him in charge of our kids in fact some of us really want him in charge of our kids. Please take that's your kid God. We want him in charge of our marriage. Please Lord make us live in Harmony we want him in charge of our business life, help it to succeed but do we want him in charge of our income?
Well sometimes that's difficult, why? Well because sometimes we like the right of ownership. I like to believe that everything I have is mine, I'm the captain of my destiny. I'm the leader of my life, stop it , stop it, stop it. I've said it before and I'll say it again. There are no self-made men. How's that?
What part did you make? Kidneys in the kitchen? Brains in the basement?
You make men? No God's the one who makes men. And yet when we hang on so tight to the life he's given us the Bible teaches, well honestly, that's when you lose it. But if you're willing to lose it for his sake, the Bible says that's when you find it. Now Job of course had to learn the hard way.
He has all this stuff and in the short span of a couple of days It's all gone and what's his declaration in the book that bares his name?
Job declares, listen, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord. How's that? Its' not really mine. And because it's not really mine and it belongs to him if he decides to give it to me that's fine if he decides to take it away that's fine. It all belongs to him.
Now that is a difficult issue. Many of us wrestle with that all the time and in picture form I know it well. How's that? Draw your attention to the big screen, note with me. Bob Coy in 1957. Yeah that's me. And that's my new fire chief car. Oh boy, you can see with my face I'm a very, very happy boy. And that happy face that's the face of ownership. It's mine. But look what happens in the next picture. Bobby's being asked if his little brother Jimmy can have a ride. That's the very uncertain face of surrender. Mommy wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Jimmy gets a ride? It's my car, it's my car. What happens next, oh, now you see the face of disappointment.
Oh yeah, Bobby's not a happy camper if Jimmy's inside his fire car, no no no this is sad. But it gets worse than that. Jimmy loks like he's gonna camp in my car. Noooo. OH please a more careful look do you see that face.
Look at the difference...It's mine no it's not. It's mine no it's not.
Now please notice my older brother Chuck's face. I see him as the proverbial angel in Heaven. While we're seeing things leave our ownership, they laugh. You thought it was yours in the first place, you must be kidding me I thought it was I mean I thought it was. I thought it was, I guess it's not. Now listen...little did grandpa know in 1957 that those pictures would make it to Calvary Chapel's pulpit. Thank you Grandpa.
Listen you ever have a face an attitude like that? Whatever it is that you were do...it's mine. And you got a big smile on your face. God said can I borrow that, can I use that? Would you be willing to share that? And suddenly. What was the lesson little Bobby had to learn? Grow up Bob, they're gifts from God. They're not your own, he owns it all.
Is that the lesson David declares? I think so. It's 1 Chronicles chapter 8, drawing your attention please. To verse twenty we read. And David said to his son Solomon be strong of good courage and do it, don't fear and be dismayed for the Lord God, my God will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, watch this, until you've finished all of the work for the service and the house of the Lord.
Do you understand that God is not done with me yet? And he's not done with you yet? Not til' all the work is done. When God decrees that it's my day of death, it's my day of death until that time, I am indestructible. Wow that's a pretty powerful thing to consider. No, no, no it's just the truth we see right here in the word. God has a purpose for my life, he has a purpose for your life. And I'm completely convinced that I've got twenty years to preach the word. Now If in fact I've got twenty years if in fact the works not done, if in fact we're doing the same thing in the next 20 years as we've done in the last 20 years. Our growth will continue and our purpose to continue to grow will not be affected if in fact God 's called us to do the work. Move a little further chapter 29 and verse one. Further more King David said to all the assembly my son Solomon whom alone God has chosen is young and inexperienced and the work is great because the temple is not for man but for the Lord God. I would hope that you'd believe that this is not Bob's work but God's work. How's that? That's the work of the church. I don't provide forgiveness I'm not the one who moves to the point of repentance the heart of man. I certainly can't answer prayer. But that's what happens in the house of God. To provide an opportunity for the people of God to stake a claim on the character of God is the opportunity of course that the church provides.
And then for the reason we read verse 2: Now for the house of my God
I have prepared with all of my might gold things to be made of gold. Silver things of silver , bronze things of bronze iron for things of iron wood of things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be said, glistening stones of various colors , all kinds of precious stones marble slabs in abundance. What does David do? Listen, he gives to God what belongs to God. I've got four very simple sentences I think they're truths that we need to have hidden in our heart. The first sentence if you're a note taker reads this way, listen.
God shouldn't have to beg or ask for his stuff to do his thing because it's his. Think about it, you see every once in awhile I'll hear somebody say, oh I went to church and heard this pastor begging. What was he begging for?
Well he was begging for money. What was he gonna do with the money? Well he was gonna do some things for God.
Why does God have to beg? IF at any point you feel that I have had a tone of begging why would I as a pastor feel the need to say, come on? Only one reason. Oh we saw the contrast, you know the difference if in fact people are giving willfully with a whole heart because their spirit's been stirred, what does the pastor have to say? Hey that's enough. But if the pastor has to beg is it possible it's not the Pastor's fault? But it's the congregation's fault because they're hanging on to something that' belongs to God? And they won't let go of it? Oh our little puppy spot when you she was just a few months old she would do this dastardly thing that would take me right to my edge. She'd take something from the kid's bed, a little stuffed animal and she'd run away with it. And as I chased after her she would run further away from me.
And every once in awhile she'd turn and she'd wait for me to get close and just about the time that I got close enough to get it she'd take off again. Is that what you do with God's stuff? Hey God I got your money, thank you very much. Come on do you want it? I was thinking about giving some to you no I'm not, no and you take off? Be careful. How's that? God could prove to you it's his. Flick of a fire, twist of a tornado, hurl of a hurricane. Burglar, bankruptcy, Oh bob. I'm not gonna accept that negative confession.
Oh your in a covenant relationship with God but you're keeping his stuff? What part of the covenant is that I don't know if I understand. Well now you're getting sarcastic. No. I'm just simply saying if you could recognize and realize that it really does belong to him, well lets let scripture do that. It's Revelation 4 keep your place in 1 Chronicles 29 Please draw your attention, it's Revelation 4 and 11. Here's what the new king james Bible declares. You are worthy oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and are created. That's the new king james. The old King James reads this way, you are worthy oh lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things for your pleasure they are and were created.
Now this is profound for those of you who will grab the truth and run with it, you were made for his pleasure. And all the things you have are for his purpose. Now here's what I've discovered in life, If I'm living for my pleasure I can never find it, it alludes me. I feel like I'm chasing after the proverbial parrot and it's always just a few feet from me. But the day that I purposed to give God pleasure. Listen, that's the day that I found personal satisfaction because I was doing the thing that God created me to do. I was not created to sin, I as created to worship God. So while I'm sinning I'm not satisfied when I'm worshipping I am. Now this to me, in your mind a little light ought to go off, here's why. Again God's house God's purpose. God's resource, God's request. And now it's up to you. For your percentage is a picture of your partnership with God. Your percentage, whatever it is a picture of your partnership with God.
Let's see that in David's life back to 1 Chronicles 29 verse 3 we read...
Moreover because I've set my affection on the house of God and have given to the house of my God over and above all that I've prepared for the holy house my own special treasure of gold and silver. We read that amount, 3,000 talents of gold , 7000 talents refined silver. Gold for gold things, silver for silver things and then in verse 5 last half who then is willing to consecrate himself to the Lord? Your attention please.
David says you know my affection is for the things of God and I'll prove it to you. Theologians submit that the value of David's treasures, he's giving somewhere between 13 million on the low side and 35 million dollars on the high side. To the house of the Lord. He says you know I have such an affection for the things of God this is what I'm willing to do. Now this is what you have to note. It's not a ten percent bargaining chip. What it is for David is a 100% I belong to you and that's why he employs the term consecration. Consecration. You see the word consecration the last half of verse five circle the word for consecrate. It comes to us from two words one holy h o l y but 2 wholly w h o l l y. and that's what consecration is. On the one hand you say I want to be holy set apart for your purpose but on the other hand I want all of me to be set apart unto this divine purpose. I'm not trying to withold anything for myself. Why in the world would we do that?
Psalm 50 keeping your place in 1 Chronicles 29 you'll see why. Psalm 50 verse 5 there is an issue at heart. The people of God are giving to God but now their attitude really stinks, now he's gonna reprove them and rebuke them in Psalm 50 in verse 7 we read, hear oh my people when I speak, oh Israel I'll testify against you I'm God, your God. And I won't rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings which are continually before me. What's God saying?
I see that you're giving me stuff, I'm not going to rebuke you for the gift, but what I will rebuke you for is for the attitude. verse 9: I don't take a bowl from your house or goats from your foals.
Why God says it has to be offered not taken and again I would hope through this journey that you have heard me not trying to manipulate
Or coarse you but instead it's been an opportunity to teach and train you and remind you. It's all about relationship. It's all about reward. It's not a rule and a regulation when I say hey do you wanna give to the expansion of the church it's not something you have to do. God says I'm no going to take it from you. And here's why, look at verse 10: For every beast in the forest there's "?" in the cattle a thousand years. I know the birds of the mountain, I know the wild beasts of the hills are mine if I were hungry I wouldn't tell you. The world is mine in all it's fullness will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? What's that before we read verse 14? God's saying (sorry, dvd skipping)you think I chow down on the meal that's being offered as it fires up? He says no. In the same way when you give money to the purpose of God, God's not using the money himself personally what's happening is that you are using that money to glorify God and listen to this last study we learned, you get it all back.
If you get all back what is yours you get it back in the kingdom where it lasts forever rather than the planet Earth where it lasts for a very short time.
It would seem like a wise thing to do. therefore verse 14 God says:
Offer to God thanksgiving , pay your vows to the most high, and now here's the answer why, call upon me in the day of trouble I'll deliver you and you shall glorify me. What's he saying? He's saying someday your gonna run into a problem someday you're gonna find yourself in a fix on that day your either gonna feel very hypocritical coming to me. God I haven't talked to you in a few years, now I need you, I feel really dumb cuz I only come to you when I'm in need. Or we always have this relationship.
I give to you , you give to me he says if we have that kind of a relationship
The day your in trouble you'll call on me and I'll say I'm here. Why? Cos we have a relationship. What percentage does he have charge of your life ?
I remember for a long time as a new Christian, I wanted to be in charge of everything in my life except the girls I dated. I just thought that that was an area I knew more about than he did. You know what I mean? Hey God, I'll take care of the relationship area I want you in charge of my fi, Early on I wanted him in charge of my finances. Early on I wanted him in charge of my health I mean so much of my life, God have my kids Lord please have my marriage but don't touch my money. Some of us are like that , I wasn't like that but when it came to relationships.
There is something right now that you're keeping away from him.
And your thing may not be money your thing could be something else.
The percentage you surrender is a picture of your partnership with God.
Number 3 write it down this way, your generosity or the lack of it is somebody elses example. Back to 1 Chronicles chapter 29, look what happens, his example of being willing to give, it says in verse 6 then the leaders , the father's house, leaders of the tribe's of Israel the captain of thousands and hundreds but the officers over the kings work they offered willingly they gave for the work of the house of God five talents and it lists the money, then in verse 9 the people rejoice for they had offered willingly to the lord and king David also rejoiced greatly.
Your attention please,
Does your kid have a problem with stuff?
Is everything his and you can't pry it out of his greedy little hands?
Someone told me that in between services two little kids, and 8 year old and a 6 year old showed up at the reception area with their piggy banks and a commitment card . And wanted to give it to the whole world hears. And the reason for that they told about their Sunday School experience, how much they loved their Sunday school teachers how much they love their Sunday school stories and how much they loved this church. Let me tell you whats going to happen in our lives. That's gonna change the way they think about stuff for a very long time. It's true. Do you understand If you get the financial area of your life in order it affects everything? It affects whether or not you can feel a sense of accomplishment when you give to somebody that's in need. It affects whether or not you can buy your wife a gift when it's her birthday it effects how you spend your holiday vacation I mean it affects so much.
If you continually hang on to everything that's his your gonna have a hard time spending what is yours. Why? We learned two studies ago there's a curse on it, oh man reverse the curse find yourself thinking about these things and say, ya know what, if I am that greedy I'm sending a message to my friends to my family, somethings gotta change in my life. For some of you the real problem has been this decision for us to build the building because you've determined that wouldn't it be wiser to spend that money on poor people? I've gotten two emails that have said so. I can't believe you'd spend 80 million dollars what about feeding poor people? I'm glad you asked that question. Here's why, Jesus was asked the same in matthews gospel the 26th chapter. Oh quickly if you can turn there, drawing your attention to the chapter itself you'll have to read it through for homework but it's the same section of scripture if you read it through in Matthew we looked at last week in the gospel of Luke. We've got a woman that is so in love with Jesus she's got so forgiven of her sins that she finds an alabaster flask and pours the expensive perfume upon the feet of Jesus. And I draw your attention to his disciple's response in verse 8, but when his disciples saw it they were indignant saying why this waste? Why for this fragrant oil could have been sold for much and then given to the poor. Your attention please.
You have friends that have probably said oh our church is goin' through this building thing and they're raising money. They say I don't believe that a church like that needs to grow they should give the money to the poor, here's what you say to your friend. Say to your friend, How much money do you give to the poor? Are poor people a burden to you? What is the mission organization giving to it how much do you give to poor people because it looks like it's really a burden on your heart. Your going to find out that's the same kind of knee jerk response we get from and unbelieving world that just has problems with the church anyway. I mean how many times have you had to answer the question where'd Cain get his wife? Ya know? Can God make a rock so big he can't pick it up? All the real deep and intellectual considerations of those who don't believe. So when somebody says your church is raising money for poor or for a building why not poor people ? Lets think it through, stay with me large church, large opportunity does that same large church give to anything else? When it was compassion international Sunday last year from what I understand but I might be off by one our church adopted more kids that weekend than any other church in the United States of America. Now here's my point, now wait, wait A large church if it's a giving church it's a very good thing because then the more people that are part of a large church are then not just doing compassion international kids but they are also the same people that are helping with project angel tree.
Helping with Samaritans purse get their shoeboxes out I mean if we were a greedy self-centered church I w ouldn't want to see us grow by another greedy self-centered person. But if it's a very generous peole then what ends up happening the church is larger it actually gets to do more things.
We will have compassion international Sunday this year and in a few weeks I'm gonna have you consider the poor people but the other point that jesus makes is one we can't get away from it's in the next verse he says,
In verse ten, Jesus aware of what they had said as in why did you trouble this woman for she's done a good work for me, you will have the poor with you always but me you do not always have.
Lets say I decided to take I've really been burdened by those 2 emails so I've decided to raise 80 million dollars and give to the poor. You know that's what Bill Gates is doing and he's not gonna solve the hunger problem in this world. Why because after you spend 80 million dollars on poor people guess what in 8 years time they're gonna be poor and hungry again unless you really change their life. The church is in the business of changing lives not just feeding the poor and that's not to minimize feeding the poor you ought to be doing both, do both. Change their life and the people whose life get changed then go and feed the poor but you don't neglect one to feed the other. So here's what's happened, some people have said, well what about the single mom who finds it very difficult to sacrifice?
How can you demean the single mom by suggesting just for a moment that she doesn't want to sacrifice for the things of God. If she sets aside 2 dollars a week for the next three years she will sense the same spirit of accomplishment I'll sense when I walk into those buildings for the very first time. It's not about the building, it's about the opportunity for everyone to be involved that's why we've done all this. I realize I could have had a few million meetings at calvary chapel that you could all whisper about bob got together with the rich people and they got to gether and built the church and now no one has to be involved because the rich people paid for it.
How embarrassing would that be? I wanna stand on record and say hey lets make it easy for your church I'm gonna write a check for 50 million dollars. I wanna go on record saying I would not accept that check. Now pastor mark davis would he's our executive pastor. But here's my point I wouldn't want to have to rip the body of christ off from the opportunity for all of us to really be involved I want everyone to feel the sense of accomplishment sincerely I do. Final thought, take this one home, his gifts given are his gifts gained. Let me explain back to 1 chronicles 29 look at verse 10:
Therefore David blessed the Lord before the assembly and David said blessed are you Lord God of Israel our father forever and ever yours the power and the glory the victory and the majesty forever and ever all this in heaven and in Earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom oh lord and you are exalted as head over all riches and honor come from you and you reign overall and your hand is power and might and your hand it's the one that gives great and gives strength to all. What's that watch verse 12 again? Both riches and honor come from you. Where did we get in the first place? Well we got it from God.
You think if you give to God what's rightly his he's not gonna give it back to you? The very reason you have it is because of him. Now move a little further he says this. Verse 13, now therefore our God we thank you and praise your glorious name but who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer so willingly as this all things come from you and your own we have given to you and of your own we have given to you.
In other words given back to you what you've already given to us, we're aliens and pilgrims before you as were all our fathers, are days on earth are aas a shadow and without hope oh lord our God. All this abundance that we had prepared to build you a house for your holy name is from your hand and is all your own.
Your attention please
His gifts given are his gifts gained I want you to for homework look at numbers chapter 7. And here's what your gonna find it's 89 verses long.
It's starting in verse 10 it's a giving record of the leaders of Israel.
We try to follow a pattern by me saying hey your right not knowing what your left hand is doing that's for giving to poor people. When you give to God it's not unbiblical it's not unscriptural actually to say so. Now we have spared you the aggravation of doing anything really strange I think some of you when we started this journey were worried and though I'd have this big red thermometer and we'd all march around it. And today I'd have you stand up and shout out your amount give it to me shout it out I've got ten thousand dollars I'm not gonna do any of that kind of stuff.
I'm the proverbial guinea pig, so where did it start? It actually started a few years ago in my own heart, adjusting my personal income I went to one of these generous giving conferences I really had me think through whether I need more and better or whether or not I can be satisfied with what I have. And I am blessed to say that this year my tithe is well beyond ten percent.
I will give away more money before the whole world hears then I've ever given away before because my wife and I have determined to live life a little differently. We make those decisions in the care that we drive and the possessions that we have. So what would I do for until the whole world hears? Well the lord started knocking on my heart and asked me that. Why?
We're the only nation in this world that has this thing called storage units. When we have stuff in a box somewhere because we don't have a garage big enough. And then we pay monthly rental fee but most of us really don't know whats in the box because we put it in there two years ago. And we just sign the check like it s something we have to do like pay our power bill.
My father in law was about that stage in life that most men are when they start saying goodbye to stuff ya know and he I noted had given away a motorcycle that was in the garage. It was a 1973 Honda 350 classic one day I'm out in California dad the bikes gone, ya I gave it to the gardener he did some extra trimming before you give the thunderbird to the pool guy can we talk? Oh you like that car? Ya I'd like to restore it. I'm the son in law, I know you got sons but if your interested I would love to see christian use it for going to college like diane did. It ends up out here on a truck, look at it, it looks like a heap now and of course in two years it becomes a beautiful classic car. It's worth about $6000. And God knocks on my heart and says hey you ready to give up the thunderbird? I don't know. Then he knocks on my heart a little bit more, hey how bout the boat. I don't know what you see when you see me on a boat on the weekends I know here's what your imagination says 55 foot cigarette, ya know formula big engine.
Im the guy with the helmit on slappin' those waves no not at all.
I bought a 19 foot fishing slash skiing boat and it's a great boat but we make payments on it we don't have a car payment neither one of us now both the cars are payed off, so we thought ya we can do that so, so God says what about the boat, and that'd be great cuz then my kids don't get to go on the water anymore. And I don't get to drive the car that's been in the family for forty years. That's fine god I'll be an example and give away the things that are very important to me and that's that little face remember? So God knocked on my heart and said what about the condo? Condo?
Home value in broward county has done something strange It's skyrocketed. I bought my home in coral springs in the year 2000 in the month of april for 242,000. Last week my next door neighbor who has the exact same house as mine sold his for $700,000. Listen that means that I cannot afford to live in my neighborhood if I had to buy it today.
Someone on our elder board says hey pull some of your equity out and invest in south florida real estate were enjoying a ride, so I make that decision I talk to my father in law and give away motorcycles and thunderbirds and said hey dad if we go in together we can probably do something together. So we do something together I get a rental property over on the beach., We use it sometimes, right now it's being rented , right now as I speak there's still a renter in it, they'll be there til april the tenth, so God knocks and says Why don't you say goodbye to the condo? Sell it and use the profit, until the whole world hears.
Do I get to keep the boat and the car? Yeah, alright maybe I'll do this, why we've done some other fun things with investing, you know what right now I can say by the grace of God and because of south Florida's amazing appreciation I've been blessed. So my wife and I now that we're praying this whole journey through and she said, did you think about saying goodbye to the condo? And I said yeah, I did. She goes, oh let's do it. Really I didn't think you'd be into it, oh man oh absolutely , for the Lord? She goes Bob think about what we had when we came here twenty years ago. And I thought oh Lord you've been so good to us. When we came here twenty years ago we had a uhaul truck with ya know, a handful of boxes my car and one Mexican family. That's what we came here with
And Diane said, what if we gave it all way? And I said I don't think we can give away the Mexican family. She said sincerely Bob, don't you think that if we gave it all away in twenty years time God could not repay us completely? I mean isn't he in the business of multiplying anytime we subtract for his glory? I said you know your right but I don't know if your dad will go for it so I call diane's dad , Hey dad you wanna let go of the condo you know it's a half y half y thing? He says you know what, betty and I have a chance to pray about giving ours until the whole world hears, because he likes the ministry here. He likes to see his daughter provided for.
So I mention this a few weeks ago to real estate agent and she goes hey I work for Caldwell Banker here's what I'll do. I'll list it and I'll give the commission to until the Whole world hears. I said was that ever cool? So I got a condo for sale and listen to this, I will end up on this chart along with 15 other people Lord willing and my gift will be somewhere around $150,000 , Now here's the deal , wait wait wait, some of you are going I can't believe you just said that publicly. And here's what you're thinking you're either here or you're here with what my statement was, you're either down here going, I can't believe you're going to give that much money. To that until the whole world hears project. Man how much money do you make that's what you're thinking if you're right here. Dude, based upon the money you made off your personal home you're a cheapskate. Why aren't you giving up more? And here's my answer to either one of these positions.
I don't care what you think. Now if I was Dr. Laura I would just say that and move on, I'm not I'm pastor Bob, I have to recant and say No I do care about what you think , please forgive me if anyone was offended by me saying I don't care, I care but I care more about what God thinks than you think but the point that I'm making is that's my spiritual journey.
I had to get alone with God we had to look at our resources I had to get alone with my wife and go look at how much we have, look what we have that's extra, look how much at we're giving. So in addition to my regular tithe I'm coming in at that level, and I'm hopefully behaving just like David today with you, saying hey here's what I'm doing if you've got a willing heart and you've got to consecrate yourself to the Lord well then what God's showing you to do and guess what's gonna happen, it's gonna be just right it's gonna be just perfect. Because God's perfect, and if you can spend time with him he'll show you the perfect thing to do. And then next week you come with your commitment card, you'll put it in a basket you lay it down on the alter and go you know what my wife and I prayed and here's what we're willing to do and we just trust the Lord he continues to do this thing that I am so humbled to be a part of and lets preach the gospel weekend and week out and lets see him change lives. One heart at a time. I want to do that, if you're into it we do it together, if your not man please feel no obligation whatsoever just find a different church, no I'm just kidding no that was a joke you know my personality Ha ha ha ha ha, Let's pray, let's pray
Closing Praye
Let's pray, father we thank you for this fellowship , and we thank you so much Lord for a ministry that we can we believe trust in with the hope of seeing the leadership continuing to behave like leaders our pastor to continue to try and be as pure as he can be honoring you with his mouth, with his life with his family. Lord certainly in the last few weeks as we've spent this time together you probably adjusted all of us we pray God for our critics we ask God that you would make their heart soft. Help them to see my motivation, help them to see my transparency and my honesty, and the mission at hand. Lord don't let me get in the way of this mission of this project. Please Lord, and as we individually have a chance to get alone with you and we pray for the people whose names are on cards that we stuck on the wall God we want to see those people saved. We pray for the commitment cards they get turned on and turned in next week Lord we just pray that you would be the one whose voice that we hear not Pastor Bob's, not any of our friends Lord that it would be you that would speak to us and that we would have just a great time for celebration a few weeks to come, with Easter will truly be a time of resurrection and hope for so many more as you continue to use this ministry Lord thank you, I feel so much like David, who am I and who are we that we can even think about seeing a ministry grow God. It's your hand it's your grace we give you thanks for this day, in Jesus' name we pray Amen.
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