When God has your heart, does He have your finances?

Brother Jim: Up on the board.

Brother Jim: They're.

Brother Jim: Pretty much very simple.

Brother Jim: You know, my friends, uh, I've

Brother Jim: been blessed a little over four

Brother Jim: years.

Brother Jim: I've been here and never really had to to talk about giving.

Brother Jim: Last week was kind of a soft opening to today.

Brother Jim: But if you think about it.

Brother Jim: If you proclaim to have God

Brother Jim: running your life, you belong to

Brother Jim: him.

Brother Jim: Does he not own everything?

Brother Jim: Everything that is ours,

Brother Jim: everything that we work for,

Brother Jim: it's his.

Brother Jim: Because again, one day our life comes to an end, does it not?

Brother Jim: The old saying, you can't take it with you.

Brother Jim: But what do we do between the

Brother Jim: time of birth to the time of

Brother Jim: death, when we take our last

Brother Jim: breath?

Brother Jim: That dash.

Brother Jim: What will that say about you and your relationship with Christ

Brother Jim: and what you gave in so many ways to Him and His kingdom?

Brother Jim: Today's title.

Brother Jim: When God has your heart, does he have your finances?

Brother Jim: Let us open up with Matthew six nineteen to twenty one.

Brother Jim: Matthew six nineteen to twenty one.

Brother Jim: Do not store up for yourselves

Brother Jim: treasures on earth, where moth

Brother Jim: and vernham destroy, and where

Brother Jim: thieves break in and steal, but

Brother Jim: store up for yourselves

Brother Jim: treasures in heaven, where moths

Brother Jim: and vermin do not destroy, and

Brother Jim: where thieves do not break in

Brother Jim: and steal.

Brother Jim: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Brother Jim: You know you think about some people.

Brother Jim: They don't mind talking about politics.

Brother Jim: Some people don't mind talking about their family problems.

Brother Jim: Some people don't mind talking about their health.

Brother Jim: But when the preacher starts talking about money, most of the

Brother Jim: time everybody gets quiet.

Brother Jim: Some of you may avoid eye contact with me.

Brother Jim: Some of you might start

Brother Jim: squirming in your pews a little

Brother Jim: bit.

Brother Jim: And as Jim Downing just brought

Brother Jim: up the church, the church up to

Brother Jim: date on finances, we have to

Brother Jim: admit there is a concern for our

Brother Jim: church on the direction we're

Brother Jim: going.

Brother Jim: Yes, we were blessed.

Brother Jim: Blessed to do many things.

Brother Jim: And really, if you think about it, to set up the future for our

Brother Jim: children, they don't have to worry about shingles.

Brother Jim: They don't have to worry about this, about that.

Brother Jim: But yet we have a responsibility.

Brother Jim: We are called to build his kingdom, are we not?

Brother Jim: We are called to build.

Brother Jim: And as I said before, there is that part of the business

Brother Jim: finances in a church.

Brother Jim: Money giving is a truth of the church.

Brother Jim: Again, the business side.

Brother Jim: Now, if we think about it, though, Jesus.

Brother Jim: He did talk about money.

Brother Jim: Jesus talked about possessions.

Brother Jim: Jesus talked about generosity.

Brother Jim: Jesus talked about greed, Jesus talked about treasure.

Brother Jim: And Jesus talked about what we

Brother Jim: do with what God has placed into

Brother Jim: your hands.

Brother Jim: My hands, our hands, individually and as a church

Brother Jim: here at Rockford.

Brother Jim: This church has been around a very long time, has it not?

Brother Jim: Think of the history of this church and what it has been able

Brother Jim: to do to proclaim the gospel to the support, to go out into the

Brother Jim: world, to go out in our area.

Brother Jim: And I can't help but look at Marty, the prayers that have

Brother Jim: been lifted up from this church.

Brother Jim: We've made an impact.

Brother Jim: God has used us.

Brother Jim: And I want to make something very clear right from the

Brother Jim: beginning this morning.

Brother Jim: I'm not preaching this message to make you feel guilty.

Brother Jim: No, no, no, I'm not asking you to give more money because

Brother Jim: Brother Jim needs more money.

Brother Jim: No, I'm not asking you to give because somebody is watching.

Brother Jim: No, I'm asking you to allow God's Word and the Holy Spirit

Brother Jim: to examine your heart and my heart today, because giving is

Brother Jim: not always a money issue.

Brother Jim: As mentioned last week, giving

Brother Jim: is a heart issue and that is why

Brother Jim: the question this morning is not

Brother Jim: simply how much money do I give

Brother Jim: to God?

Brother Jim: The deeper question is who has my heart?

Brother Jim: Because whatever has your heart

Brother Jim: will eventually have your

Brother Jim: attention.

Brother Jim: Whatever has our attention will

Brother Jim: influence our decisions, and

Brother Jim: what influences our decisions

Brother Jim: will eventually affect our

Brother Jim: finances.

Brother Jim: As said earlier from Matthew six twenty one, for where your

Brother Jim: treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Brother Jim: Notice what Jesus did not say.

Brother Jim: Jesus did not say where your

Brother Jim: heart is, your treasure might

Brother Jim: follow.

Brother Jim: Jesus said, where your treasure

Brother Jim: is, there your heart will be

Brother Jim: also.

Brother Jim: Your money can reveal what you value.

Brother Jim: It can reveal what you trust, and many times it can reveal

Brother Jim: what has captured your heart.

Brother Jim: Especially in the day we live in today, the world we live in.

Brother Jim: So here is a question for Rockford Church this morning.

Brother Jim: When God has your heart, does he have your finances?

Brother Jim: How many of you sitting here this morning have the

Brother Jim: understanding that everything we have belongs to God?

Brother Jim: If we truly believe everything we have comes from God, then

Brother Jim: giving is not about losing anything, is it?

Brother Jim: If he already owns it, you got nothing to lose.

Brother Jim: It's about recognizing who owns it.

Brother Jim: In Psalms twenty four one, we are reminded the earth is the

Brother Jim: Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.

Brother Jim: Everything.

Brother Jim: My friends, not just what you put in an offering plate.

Brother Jim: Our homes, our vehicles.

Brother Jim: Our paychecks.

Brother Jim: Our talents, our education, our abilities, our time, our

Brother Jim: opportunities, our possessions, and yes, even our future.

Brother Jim: Everything ultimately belongs to God.

Brother Jim: Now, I know some of you might be thinking, but Brother Jim, I

Brother Jim: worked for this.

Brother Jim: I worked hard for this.

Brother Jim: I worked long hours, I

Brother Jim: sacrificed, I gave up things, I

Brother Jim: missed out on important family

Brother Jim: events.

Brother Jim: I worked hard to provide for my family, to give them the things

Brother Jim: that I never had growing up.

Brother Jim: And yes, church, you did work

Brother Jim: for it, and I'm not denying

Brother Jim: that.

Brother Jim: But let me ask you something.

Brother Jim: Who gave you the strength to work?

Brother Jim: Who gave you the ability to get out of bed?

Brother Jim: Who gave you the mind to think?

Brother Jim: Who gave you the hands to work?

Brother Jim: Who gave you your abilities?

Brother Jim: Who gave you another day of life?

Brother Jim: Who gave you the opportunity?

Brother Jim: You may have earned the paycheck, but who gave you the

Brother Jim: ability to earn it?

Brother Jim: And that is the difference

Brother Jim: between ownership and

Brother Jim: stewardship.

Brother Jim: We say it's mine.

Brother Jim: God says I entrusted it to you.

Brother Jim: We are not the owners.

Brother Jim: We are the stewards.

Brother Jim: God has placed things into our hands and asks, what will you do

Brother Jim: with what I've given you?

Brother Jim: That is stewardship, which leads you and me to think to tithing.

Brother Jim: What is tithing?

Brother Jim: It's about trusting God with everything.

Brother Jim: Tithing is not about buying God's favor.

Brother Jim: Let me say that again.

Brother Jim: You cannot buy God's favor.

Brother Jim: You cannot give him enough money to make God love you more.

Brother Jim: You cannot write a big enough check to put in the offering

Brother Jim: plate to purchase salvation.

Brother Jim: You cannot buy God's grace.

Brother Jim: You know what?

Brother Jim: Grace is a gift you do not give, so God will love you more.

Brother Jim: We give because God already loves us.

Brother Jim: But do we really understand that, my friends?

Brother Jim: Or are we just too stinkin busy to realize that?

Brother Jim: Look at our calendars.

Brother Jim: Look at our time.

Brother Jim: Busy, busy, busy.

Brother Jim: Again, going back to Malachi

Brother Jim: speaks directly about God's

Brother Jim: people returning to him and

Brother Jim: being faithful in their tithing

Brother Jim: and offerings.

Brother Jim: God says, return to me and I will return to you.

Brother Jim: Notice where God begins.

Brother Jim: God begins with the wallet.

Brother Jim: Excuse me with the heart.

Brother Jim: He doesn't begin with the wallet.

Brother Jim: No, he begins with the heart.

Brother Jim: Return to me.

Brother Jim: Because when our hearts return

Brother Jim: to God, our priorities begin to

Brother Jim: change.

Brother Jim: Can anybody validate that one?

Brother Jim: When God comes here, takes this up.

Brother Jim: Does our priorities change in life?

Brother Jim: Because if your true

Brother Jim: transformation starts to happen,

Brother Jim: the Holy Spirit sets foot in

Brother Jim: here.

Brother Jim: Our attitude towards possessions

Brother Jim: changes our attitude toward

Brother Jim: money changes.

Brother Jim: And eventually, guess what?

Brother Jim: Our giving will start to change.

Brother Jim: God instructs his people to

Brother Jim: bring the whole tithe into the

Brother Jim: storehouse and he challenges

Brother Jim: them.

Brother Jim: He challenges them to trust him.

Brother Jim: But let us be very careful here.

Brother Jim: That does not mean I'm going to

Brother Jim: give God one hundred bucks and

Brother Jim: watch me get a thousand back on

Brother Jim: my return.

Brother Jim: No, that is not biblical stewardship.

Brother Jim: God is not a slot machine, my friends.

Brother Jim: We do not put money into God's hand and demand a return.

Brother Jim: We give because we trust him.

Brother Jim: We give because he, God is our provider.

Brother Jim: We give because God is worthy of our worship.

Brother Jim: We give because we do not want

Brother Jim: the love of money to become our

Brother Jim: master.

Brother Jim: And let's be honest, today you

Brother Jim: look around who is the master of

Brother Jim: this world?

Brother Jim: Think of the umbrella policy where Satan.

Brother Jim: World.

Brother Jim: But boy, money sure does top the list of that little umbrella,

Brother Jim: doesn't it, master?

Brother Jim: So maybe the question is not simply am I tithing church?

Brother Jim: Maybe the deeper question is am I trusting God?

Brother Jim: Because sometimes the greatest

Brother Jim: obstacle to generosity is not

Brother Jim: the amount of money in our bank

Brother Jim: account.

Brother Jim: It is the amount of trust in our heart.

Brother Jim: And when God truly has our trust, our hands will follow.

Brother Jim: Rockford Church.

Brother Jim: Jesus looks at the heart.

Brother Jim: Behind the gift.

Brother Jim: Behind the gift.

Brother Jim: Think about the widow Jesus washed in the temple.

Brother Jim: We discussed that last week.

Brother Jim: Others were putting in large

Brother Jim: amounts of money into the

Brother Jim: treasury.

Brother Jim: Then a widow came along and she gave two small coins.

Brother Jim: Clickity clank!

Brother Jim: Human beings might have looked at that offering and said,

Brother Jim: that's not very much.

Brother Jim: But Jesus saw something they could not see.

Brother Jim: And if you were listening, you

Brother Jim: know what Jesus saw in where in

Brother Jim: her heart.

Brother Jim: We tend to ask, how much did so and so give today?

Brother Jim: Huh?

Brother Jim: God asked, what was the

Brother Jim: condition of the heart behind

Brother Jim: the giving?

Brother Jim: We see the amount.

Brother Jim: God sees the sacrifice, we see what leaves the hand.

Brother Jim: God sees what is happening in the heart.

Brother Jim: That is why your giving is between you and God.

Brother Jim: You can put a large check into the offering plate every Sunday

Brother Jim: morning and never truly surrender your heart to God.

Brother Jim: True.

Brother Jim: Someone else may give a much

Brother Jim: smaller amount with tremendous

Brother Jim: faith, with gratitude, and

Brother Jim: sprinkled in with a whole lot of

Brother Jim: love.

Brother Jim: And guess what?

Brother Jim: Church.

Brother Jim: God sees the difference.

Brother Jim: The widow reminds us that God is not impressed with appearances.

Brother Jim: Again, allow me to pound this home this morning.

Brother Jim: God looks at the heart.

Brother Jim: And that brings us back to Jesus's word.

Brother Jim: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Brother Jim: So here is another question.

Brother Jim: What does my giving say about my very own heart this morning?

Brother Jim: Your giving has a tremendous

Brother Jim: impact on the mission of this

Brother Jim: church.

Brother Jim: Yes, the mission of this church mission being what we are called

Brother Jim: to do to serve his kingdom.

Brother Jim: And let us make something very clear this morning.

Brother Jim: God does not need our money.

Brother Jim: Now, that might sound like

Brother Jim: you're contradicting yourself,

Brother Jim: Jim, but no, God does not need

Brother Jim: our money.

Brother Jim: It's not like God is up in heaven worrying about if he's

Brother Jim: going to have enough money to pay for the electric bill today.

Brother Jim: No, God owns everything but God has chosen.

Brother Jim: And here we go.

Brother Jim: God has chosen to accomplish

Brother Jim: much of his work through his

Brother Jim: people.

Brother Jim: So let me ask you right now are you one of his people or are you

Brother Jim: just someone there sitting up or taking up a section in the

Brother Jim: Sunday morning pew?

Brother Jim: Are you one of his people?

Brother Jim: So if you are, you better be listening here, Because that is

Brother Jim: why giving matters.

Brother Jim: The church proclaims the gospel.

Brother Jim: The church disciples children.

Brother Jim: The church cares for people who are hurting.

Brother Jim: The church feeds people, the church visits people.

Brother Jim: The church.

Brother Jim: Oh, the church prays for people.

Brother Jim: The church supports missions, outreaches the church reaches

Brother Jim: the community, and all that requires people who are willing

Brother Jim: to say, God, use me.

Brother Jim: God use me.

Brother Jim: God uses our time, our talents, our prayers.

Brother Jim: And again, just a little review from last Sunday.

Brother Jim: And yes, God uses our finances.

Brother Jim: Rockford Church, do you know what we are?

Brother Jim: Something.

Brother Jim: We are something we're part of?

Brother Jim: Something so big.

Brother Jim: Do you actually understand that?

Brother Jim: Do you look in the mirror every

Brother Jim: morning and see and proclaim, I

Brother Jim: am.

Brother Jim: I am part of something so much bigger than myself.

Brother Jim: I am part of the kingdom of God.

Brother Jim: Remember back in the day, high

Brother Jim: school, you had your letterman's

Brother Jim: jacket.

Brother Jim: Got it your sophomore year strutting around.

Brother Jim: Woo!

Brother Jim: Look at me.

Brother Jim: I got a letterman's jacket.

Brother Jim: Well, you know what?

Brother Jim: I'll trade my letterman's jacket in.

Brother Jim: And yes, I still got it.

Brother Jim: And no, it don't fit, but I

Brother Jim: would trade it in any day

Brother Jim: because the letter I'm wearing

Brother Jim: now.

Brother Jim: Whew.

Brother Jim: That is a lot better.

Brother Jim: We are something way bigger a part of than you and me.

Brother Jim: We are not simply maintaining a building.

Brother Jim: We are participating in a mission from God.

Brother Jim: We want our church to grow.

Brother Jim: Praise God.

Brother Jim: We want children to know Jesus.

Brother Jim: Amen.

Brother Jim: We want people in our community to hear the gospel.

Brother Jim: Absolutely.

Brother Jim: We want to support missions around the world.

Brother Jim: Make it happen, captain.

Brother Jim: But here is the uncomfortable truth.

Brother Jim: a church is calling.

Brother Jim: Sometimes, most of the time costs something.

Brother Jim: We cannot continually say somebody ought to do something.

Brother Jim: Now that just don't work.

Brother Jim: Newsflash Rockford Church.

Brother Jim: Sometimes we are the somebody.

Brother Jim: Sometimes the person God wants to use is you.

Brother Jim: Sometimes the hands God wants to use.

Brother Jim: Guess what?

Brother Jim: They're your hands.

Brother Jim: Sometimes the feet.

Brother Jim: God wants to use are your feet.

Brother Jim: And sometimes the prayers God wants to hear are your prayers.

Brother Jim: And sometimes the resources God wants to use are the resources

Brother Jim: he has already placed in your hands, in your hands, in your

Brother Jim: hands and my hands.

Brother Jim: Do not give God the leftovers.

Brother Jim: We should not give God the leftovers.

Brother Jim: Think about it as I closed up last week.

Brother Jim: Who wants a two week old steak?

Brother Jim: Who wants a two week old piece of pie?

Brother Jim: No. You want it fresh?

Brother Jim: You either want it off the grill

Brother Jim: or you want it right out of the

Brother Jim: oven.

Brother Jim: True.

Brother Jim: We pay the bills.

Brother Jim: We buy what we want.

Brother Jim: We entertain ourselves.

Brother Jim: We save what we can.

Brother Jim: And then we look at what is left

Brother Jim: and say, well, God, here's your

Brother Jim: cut for the week after the pay

Brother Jim: period.

Brother Jim: How many can say, yeah, that's us, that's me.

Brother Jim: But Scripture teaches us about giving God the first fruits.

Brother Jim: In other words, God deserves first place, not what is left

Brother Jim: over, Not what is convenient, not what happens to be sitting

Brother Jim: in the cup holder of the car.

Brother Jim: God deserves our first and our best.

Brother Jim: And sometimes the problem is not

Brother Jim: that we do not have anything to

Brother Jim: give.

Brother Jim: Could this be the problem?

Brother Jim: God is not first in our priorities.

Brother Jim: Tithing teaches you and I to trust God.

Brother Jim: When we give God the first portion, we're saying, God, I

Brother Jim: trust you, God.

Brother Jim: I believe you can take care of me.

Brother Jim: That is faith.

Brother Jim: Rockford Church.

Brother Jim: A clenched fist says my mind and

Brother Jim: opened hands says, God,

Brother Jim: everything I have belongs to

Brother Jim: you.

Brother Jim: Giving is worship, not manipulation.

Brother Jim: Church, I want to make this very clear.

Brother Jim: Giving should never be a guilt trip.

Brother Jim: It is not.

Brother Jim: If you really love Jesus, you would give more.

Brother Jim: That is manipulation and it is not give to God and God will

Brother Jim: make you rich.

Brother Jim: Oh no. That is prosperity preaching.

Brother Jim: The biblical answer is much deeper.

Brother Jim: We give because Jesus Christ has

Brother Jim: given himself for you and for

Brother Jim: me.

Brother Jim: We do not give to earn salvation.

Brother Jim: We give because we have received salvation.

Brother Jim: We do not give to make God love us.

Brother Jim: We give because God already loves us.

Brother Jim: We do not give to purchase blessings because oh my.

Brother Jim: We give because we've already

Brother Jim: been blessed in Christ and in so

Brother Jim: many ways.

Brother Jim: Look around friends, at what this church has been blessed

Brother Jim: with throughout the years.

Brother Jim: Way before me, and I pray long after I'm gone, it will continue

Brother Jim: to be blessed.

Brother Jim: Think about what Jesus has already given you and I. Grace

Brother Jim: came first, mercy came first, salvation came first.

Brother Jim: And most importantly, Jesus gave

Brother Jim: himself for us before we ever,

Brother Jim: ever, ever gave anything back to

Brother Jim: him.

Brother Jim: True.

Brother Jim: Before you ever put a dollar in the offering plate, he gave his

Brother Jim: life for you.

Brother Jim: Before you ever gave him your time.

Brother Jim: He gave you your time before you ever served him.

Brother Jim: He served you before you ever loved him.

Brother Jim: Oh baby, he loved you first.

Brother Jim: So we are not giving to git.

Brother Jim: We are giving because we've already received.

Brother Jim: So the question is, who owns your heart this Sunday morning?

Brother Jim: Jesus does not want ten percent of you.

Brother Jim: Jesus wants all of you.

Brother Jim: He wants your home, your work,

Brother Jim: your relationships, your

Brother Jim: decisions, your time, your

Brother Jim: talents, your resources, your

Brother Jim: future.

Brother Jim: And most of all, he wants your heart.

Brother Jim: When Jesus has our heart, our

Brother Jim: possessions stop being our

Brother Jim: master.

Brother Jim: And here's the beautiful thing, my friends.

Brother Jim: Instead, they become tools and the master's hands.

Brother Jim: So I want to challenge every person here.

Brother Jim: Please go home and pray.

Brother Jim: Lord, show me what you want me to give.

Brother Jim: If you're not tithing, just pray about it.

Brother Jim: If you're tithing, pray about whether God is calling you

Brother Jim: toward greater generosity.

Brother Jim: And if you're already giving generously, do not become proud.

Brother Jim: No no no. Keep giving with humility.

Brother Jim: And if you're in a season where, oh, I get it.

Brother Jim: Money is genuinely tight.

Brother Jim: Do not be ashamed.

Brother Jim: Bring your heart to God.

Brother Jim: Bring your faith to God.

Brother Jim: Bring your prayers to God.

Brother Jim: Bring your service to God.

Brother Jim: Because stewardship is about.

Brother Jim: It's so much more than just money.

Brother Jim: Imagine something with me this morning.

Brother Jim: Imagine standing before Jesus.

Brother Jim: You're not standing before the Finance committee.

Brother Jim: You're not standing before Brother Jim.

Brother Jim: You're not standing before the congregation.

Brother Jim: You're standing before Jesus.

Brother Jim: And Jesus asks you, what did you do with what I gave you?

Brother Jim: What will you say, Lord?

Brother Jim: I spent it all on myself.

Brother Jim: Lord, I was afraid to let go.

Brother Jim: Lord, I kept waiting until I had more.

Brother Jim: Or will it or will you be able to say, Lord, everything I had

Brother Jim: came from you.

Brother Jim: I tried to honor you with what you had entrusted to me.

Brother Jim: Rockford church.

Brother Jim: That is a goal, not simply a balanced budget.

Brother Jim: A church filled with faithful

Brother Jim: disciples, not simply people who

Brother Jim: attend.

Brother Jim: People who surrender.

Brother Jim: Not simply people who receive.

Brother Jim: People who give, not simply

Brother Jim: people who say, oh, they love

Brother Jim: Jesus.

Brother Jim: Peoples whose lives demonstrate

Brother Jim: demonstrate that they do love

Brother Jim: him.

Brother Jim: Now let's be honest, you can truly give without loving God.

Brother Jim: But if you truly love God, our

Brother Jim: hearts should not remain

Brother Jim: indifferent to his generosity,

Brother Jim: stewardship, the needs of

Brother Jim: others, and the mission of his

Brother Jim: kingdom.

Brother Jim: So Rockford Church, let me leave you with this.

Brother Jim: We've established God does not need your money.

Brother Jim: God wants your heart.

Brother Jim: And when God has your heart, your hands will open.

Brother Jim: Your priorities will change.

Brother Jim: Your generosity will grow.

Brother Jim: Your faith will deepen and his kingdom will be advanced.

Brother Jim: So do not ask how little can I give and still be faithful.

Brother Jim: Ask how much of what God has given me am I willing to place

Brother Jim: back into his hands?

Brother Jim: It's that simple.

Brother Jim: May we become a church that does not merely talk about faith.

Brother Jim: May we live the faith.

Brother Jim: May we support the mission.

Brother Jim: May we serve the ministry.

Brother Jim: May we care for the hurting.

Brother Jim: May we reach our community.

Brother Jim: May we send the gospel around the world.

Brother Jim: And may we give generously across the board.

Brother Jim: Your time.

Brother Jim: Your talents.

Brother Jim: Your finances.

Brother Jim: I look at each one of you And I know darn well God has given

Brother Jim: you, blessed you with a gift.

Brother Jim: What is it?

Brother Jim: It's kind of like a coach just waiting for that kid to finally

Brother Jim: realize he's got it.

Brother Jim: The coach sees it, but the kid doesn't see it yet.

Brother Jim: Just think, if we were all on

Brother Jim: the same page and we were

Brother Jim: kicking it together, finding our

Brother Jim: stride and rolling what we could

Brother Jim: do here.

Brother Jim: And here's my prayer.

Brother Jim: And when everything is said and done.

Brother Jim: The dust has settled.

Brother Jim: May Jesus look at you and me and say.

Brother Jim: Well done, good and faithful servant.