The Best (Week 5)

I'm gonna start.

I don't know what the most powerful force in the universe.

Of all the things that he can say is about knowledge.

It's compounding interest.

The bankers in the room are like, hey man.

And that force uh can work for you, or can it work it can work against you?

I've been on both sides of those coins and credit cards and investments.

I've recently heard this and it was mind-blowing to me.

The CEO of Coca-Cola Company, we all know a massive company.

The CEO of Coca-Cola Company, his yearly salary is fifty million dollars.

Fifty million dollars.

Now that's earned income.

So that's taxed at a 50% rate, still?

$25 million, ain't bad.

Anybody ever heard of Warren Buffett?

So Warren Buffett is the most famous, if not the most famous, investor, Berkshire Hathaway.

Have you heard?

So Warren Buffett, who owns lots and lots of stock in Coca-Cola, you know how much Warren Buffett made last year from Coca-Cola?

$508 million from Coca-Cola.

The CEO who's working his tail off every single day for Coca-Cola is making a fraction of the amount that Warren Buffett, who drives a very meager car and lives in the same house that he's lived in and reads a newspaper, is making multiple times what the CEO is because he knows about investment.

He knows about investment.

Now I'm thankful that as a believer in Jesus, it's not just economics that we're subject to or that we follow the path of, but we have some grace economics from the Lord and the way that He provides and teaches us of what our lifestyle should look like and an investment in the kingdom of God and the blessing to come.

We've been in this series over the last few weeks called The Best, of what it looks like to bring our best to God and receive God's best in return.

And we've talked all back and forth about multiple different layers, and today I really feel like that today's message is kind of like the advanced class.

You know, in high school and had like the regular class and they had the advanced class and had an AP class.

Today's a little bit of the advanced class.

The advanced class on what it looks like to follow and be blessed by God.

Now, I say that to say this.

If you're at the very beginning of your journey and you're just kind of sticking your toe in and thinking like, what's this Jesus thing all about?

And what's this church thing about?

Maybe it's your first time here and you're you're wondering, I just went ahead and let you know and preference the fact that today you're stepping into the advanced class.

So you're gonna have to catch up a little bit with us, and that's okay.

Because what you're gonna see today is that when you're following Jesus, that you get to live a blessed life.

Because how good Jesus is to us.

You know, that there's all the times talking about uh people believers talk about they want to go deep with God.

Want to go deep.

I'm not really sure anymore what that means.

Let's go deep.

Most of the time it just thinks it's something that people want to say to say, like, I don't like what we're doing right now, we should go deeper.

I don't like what you're doing right now, but we should go deeper.

I've studied the seminary, I've done the religion degree, I've done the Greek systematic theology, all those things.

You know what's deep?

Deep isn't deep knowledge, it's deep obedience.

It's deep obedience to God.

And that's why I say of it being the advanced class today, because we're talking about a deep level of obedience to God, and in doing so, you may not be in that place.

You may be in the place where it's like, I'm just kind of one foot in, one foot out.

I don't know what this is for me.

I'm not really sure about this Jesus thing.

I've known somebody in the past and they said they were a Christian, but you know, they definitely I don't want to be like them.

So what's this thing all about?

Well, today we're gonna look at what Jesus said because Jesus is our standard.

Jesus is the standard.

We don't uh judge Jesus by his worst follower, we judge Jesus by what he said and what he taught and what he teaches us and where he's leading us to.

Today we're talking about giving.

Giving.

It's building throughout this series, leading up to, as you all know, next Sunday, that we're gonna have this giving weekend where we're going to give into, see several things happen.

You all know, have heard of this over the last few weeks, the Christmas gifts that are going to those children, the generosity.

The fact that we're gonna be able to give a lead gift to Young Life, a Christian youth organization, to get started here in Franklin County to reach children for Christ, youth for Christ.

And am I excited about what God's gonna do with that?

I'm so excited to see what he's gonna do.

And I've been challenging you all the last few weeks to be praying about what it is that God is preparing you to give for that.

And on this journey of generosity.

You know, there was somebody else in the scripture who's on a generous journey.

It's somebody that you wouldn't expect.

It's actually a story that you may or may not have ever heard before, but Jesus highlights someone who is extremely generous.

And it's going to teach us all about what it looks like to truly give.

Mark chapter 12, verse 41.

Mark 12:41

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the temple and watched as crowds dropped in their money.

Many rich people put in large amounts.

And then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

Verse 43.

Jesus called his disciples to him, Come over here, guys.

And he said, I tell you the truth.

This poor widow has given what more.

Has given more than all the others who are making contributions.

For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything.

Everybody say everything.

She had to live on.

For one reason or another.

We've been building over time.

Almost a month ago, we kicked this series off with Dustin, who shared with us about gratitude.

That's gratitude that leads to generosity, but before you have gratitude, you have to you have to focus on and remember and think about all that you have been given.

Gifts from God.

And when you begin to think about what you've been given, you take a step up on the ladder because we want the blessings of God in our life to go to new heights.

And when you start thinking about the fact that everything that you have in life, the scripture says every gift, every good and perfect gift comes from heaven above.

So everything that I do, everything I work for, everything that I have right now, that it's been a gift to me.

Even if you think, oh, well, I've worked with my hands, I've bust my tail at work.

Who made your hands?

Well, I use my brain.

I'm smart.

I figured this stuff out.

I got investments on investments on investments.

Who gave you your brain?

The Lord.

So when you start to recognize what it is that you have been given and how much you have, especially us as Americans, and not take things for granted, but start to look and take inventory as you drive in your car or go on the bus or head to where you live, and you think about God, thank you, Lord, for the food that's on my table.

It takes you to a place of gratitude.

And you're genuinely grateful.

Realizing the fact that, man, I have so much to give to God.

Because I'm so grateful for all that he's given me.

But you have to have gratitude before it leads you to generosity.

And you're stepping up to heights.

Now I'm getting pretty hot here.

Where you're truly having a spirit of generosity.

And we talked about two weeks ago.

The fact that the barrier of generosity is fear.

Thinking that I don't know if I if I give to the Lord or if I give to somebody else, or I give them my time, like I may get hurt.

I may get taken advantage of.

May not work out.

It may not be money to make the ends meet.

I can't afford to tithe.

I can't afford to give to anyone.

Even though the the remedy, the antidote is for you to be generous.

And that generosity leads to tithing.

And that's why I'm talking about this is the advanced message today.

Starting to give the tithe.

Let me correct myself, to bring the tithe.

To return the tithe.

Remember the fact that everything that's been given to us is from God above.

And he asked for us to bring to him the first fruits, the beginning portion.

The first part of the income that comes in, that first 10% dedicated to him.

Because we saw it last week that if we're faithful to the tithe, God promises us.

He promises us He'll throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour it down onto you.

We trick ourselves into thinking that we can do better with our hundred percent than God can do with our 90%.

We have God's blessing on our life as we're walking in obedience deeply.

And then the next level.

This is the advanced course to let you know that you're not generous until you're giving over and above the tithe.

That's a challenging word.

But it's from God's word.

So that we can be blessed.

And take us to new heights.

I'll show it to you here.

Second Corinthians chapter nine, starting in verse five.

Paul instructs his church in Corinth and their giving.

He says, So I thought that I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready, but I want you to, I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.

Then verse 6.

Remember this.

A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.

But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

You must each decide in your own heart how much to give, and don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.

And God will generously provide all you need.

Everybody say need.

And that you will always have everything.

Say everything.

You need and plenty left over to share with others.

Jesus says of this widow who put two small coins.

He said, She gave everything.

And he promises us to give us everything that we need.

And even plenty left over if we will plant generously.

If we'll plant generously.

There's this analogy of a farmer and crops, and if you sow sparingly or if you're stingy, then you're going to receive a stingy return.

But if you sow out generously, then there's a generosity that's going to flow back to you.

I remember the first time that I ever heard this passage and really studied and looked at it.

I was sitting in the office of a businessman in Somerset where I pastored first in ministry.

A business that they literally tithe 10% off of the profits of their business.

And I walked into his office one day and we were talking and having conversation, and on his desk was a Bible that was opened.

And this point, he's even close to retirement now.

He's probably in his late 50s.

And he was reading this passage.

He said, Forrest, let me read you this passage.

He began to read me this passage about sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly or planting generously and receiving in return generously.

And he told me about how grateful he was that they had been faithful to give generously and to tithe off of their business for years and years and years and give it to the Lord.

God's continued to bless and prosper them, their family.

And I know that it's in no small part to the fact that they're following God in deep obedience.

Not that nothing bad ever happens, or not that they don't get sick or things happen, and we know tragedy strikes, but in the midst of it, they have everything that they need and plenty left over.

You know, part of the reason why this is a passion point for me.

Our ministry is because this has been something that a journey of generosity that my wife and I have been on for years and years and years.

From the mentorship that we've received from Ket and Michelle, who are here this morning, that we've seen time and time again that when you give to God, you can't outgive him.

Emily and I've seen over and over and over again God providing crazy ways.

And we've done some crazy stuff when it comes to generosity.

It was 2018, the part of the church I was a part of in South Carolina, at the end of the year there was an initiative to grow and expand.

And as we were going through that series, the pastor encouraged us to think about what it would be to give.

And then somewhere along that series, he dropped a challenge of whatever you think you're going to give to double it.

And I was like, what in the world?

No way.

Let me tell you a little bit of the circumstances.

Emily and I had just begun the process of buying our first home.

We were expecting our first child.

We've been saving up diligently for renting.

And Emily and I had come to the conclusion that we were going to give$3,000 to the end of your giving.

But when he said that to double it, boy, it hit like a ton of bricks.

And I'm not saying that for you today, and I'm not speaking that over us right now, but I'm just speaking from our personal experience.

We sat down and prayed, and we said, okay, we're gonna give double.

We're gonna give 6,000.

Now, the 6,000 was the down payment that we had for the house that was due in 60 days.

You know when you're like going through buying a house and they're like, hey, don't buy a car before you close this house.

Don't buy anything, don't do any, don't get a credit card, don't do anything.

Well, you can imagine we didn't tell our real estate agent that we were doing this.

That's 60 days before our house down payment was due, we gave that gift.

Plant generously.

Somehow, and I really still don't really know how.

Somehow, in that time frame from when we gave that money, between that and the next 60 days, somehow we recouped all that money and were able to give the down payment to get into our first house.

Now I'm just I'm telling you that story, not for an attaboy, but I'm telling you that story, I'm speaking from authority.

And that's one story of many stories that Emily and I have.

And so when I talk about and when when I am leading our church into a place of generosity for the purpose of God's glory, for our community, for the state, for people who are in need, it's because we know that God's faithful.

That there will be a generous production from the Lord.

In verse 8.

God will generously provide all you need, and then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Produce generously.

But if you had ten apples right here to eat, what would take more faith to give the first apple or the last apple?

It's the first one.

It takes more faith to give the first one, not after you've eaten it all, but the first fruit.

Do you know you can grow and Apple tree from an apple from the grocery store?

I didn't know this.

I mean, it's a pretty intense process.

You have to go through, you have to like freeze it, you have to do this stuff for germination, you gotta put it in a bag, and then you gotta put water like all this stuff.

I I'm I don't garden or I'm not a farmer, so I don't know these things.

But apparently, you can buy an apple from Kroger, and then you could go and invest it and produce an apple tree that will produce for years and years and years.

Is it a consumption or is it a production from God?

Is it expecting for Him to provide for you even though you're not walking in alignment with Him?

And then being shocked when things are tight and all the accounts aren't working out, but instead, Lord, trusting God that He will provide generously.

Last year we had our year in giving last year, and we've talked about it many times.

God provided so so amazingly last year.

I know this.

Our church is brand new.

We launched in March.

So this time last Christmas, Multiply Church didn't look anything like this.

I looked at a picture from a year ago last week.

There was, I think, 20 of us in the room.

There were 22.

My parents were there.

They are visitors.

They were visitors.

20 of us in the room over the office space.

Thinking about how God was going to use and provide for us that we would be able to give generously.

Last year we got to sponsor kids for Christmas through Wanda Joyce.

And then the Lord helped us to be able to, in this year in giving, to give over the course of 2021$50,000 invested in the community of this small group of believers who were committed to deep obedience.

One of those stories that sticks out to my mind is Jordan and Leslie.

They're here today.

He knows I'm calling them out.

Leslie Dunn.

They gave a certain amount.

It was a step of faith for them to give.

I remember just a couple weeks later, a few weeks later, they came and said, hey, I just want to let you know, after we gave on giving weekend, I had several new clients.

I had a new client.

I had a client who had been coming who has been paying me, but just out of nowhere decided to just pay me more.

And we've recouped all the money that we gave from just a few weeks ago.

That's faith of the Lord.

To plant generously.

And in doing so, know that God is going to provide generously.

We've challenged one another to bring our best gift to sacrifice for the Lord.

And how is it that we're doing that?

Why is it that we're doing that?

It's because we have been given the best gift ever, who is Jesus.

That God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believeth in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

God thank you for sending your son Jesus to us.

That we would be so richly blessed.

Not just financially, but with our marriages and with our kids and with our families and with our futures and with our passions.

Not that everything is sunshine and rainbows all the time.

There's mountains and there's valleys, but in the midst of it, we have God's presence as we walk closely with Him in the advanced faith.

So as we think about what it means for us, for us to bring and give our best, thinking back to the widow and what she gave, I want it to be extremely clear today that it is not about equal giving, but equal sacrifice.

Not asking you to do something that is not in alignment with what God's Spirit is leading you to.

Not to give under pressure or compulsion, but instead cheerfully pray and bring your best.

Can I be candid with you for a second?

I feel like I already have, but Emily and I are still going back and forth.

This week we went on a date Friday and we're like, what do you want to give?

What do you want to give?

I want to give that.

I don't know about that.

How about this?

I mean, we're like one week out and we're still like going back and forth.

This giving card that we gave.

Next week, we're gonna return these on Giving Weekend.

There are gonna be boxes here, so if you don't have one of these, grab one on the way out so that you have it for next Sunday.

Emily and I obviously are still marking out.

We're gonna give.

And then we're gonna give next weekend.

To see God move, to see him work.

We're excited to see what happens.

I know this.

As we invest in God's kingdom, we're gonna have an amazing return.

We're gonna have an amazing return.

Because we serve a faithful God who's been faithful and has been so loving and generous to all of us.

So those of you in the house that are new, come next Sunday and watch the faith.

See the stories, go on the journey with us.

Following God isn't all about your finances.

It's not, but it's a portion of it.

I always say to couples that are doing premarital counseling, I always say, you know, hey, listen, money and everything, but it's something.

In the same way in our journey of faith, that we would be faithful to the Lord to see him work and move powerfully.

And I know that he's going to.

We're gonna go to new heights.

Maybe you're not yet on the journey.

Can I just encourage you for a second?

You come, you've walked into the room, you've got fear, you've got guilt, you've got shame, you've got ways that you've messed up in the past, and you feel like your life is going on a trajectory that is not heading to the right place.

Can I invite you now that Jesus wants to pick you up, turn you around, and head you straight towards a blessing, a blessed life.

And you do that by way of giving your life over to Him.

See, Jesus is a son of God.

And 2,000 years ago, God gave his only son to die on the cross in our place, to do something we couldn't do for ourselves, which is to save ourselves.

You don't have the power.

You don't have the power to save yourself.

You don't have the power to be good enough, to be rich enough, to be strong enough, to build yourself a pathway or a ladder up into heaven.

It doesn't work that way.

It works by the way of Jesus giving you a gift of his glory, of his righteousness, of his love from what he did for you on the cross 2,000 years ago.

You can't die on the cross for yourself.

You can't forgive yourself for eternity.

God can do that, and he'll do that for you today.

Would you stand right now as we pray together?

Head bows, bowed, and eyes closed.

All across this room.

God, we pray, Lord, for anybody in the house today, God, that's not yet on their journey with you, Jesus, that today would be a day of salvation.

God, I pray all across this room that if there's anyone in this place that's not given you their life and their heart, that God, they would not hold back from the blessing that you want to give to them.

God, that they would see the power that you're just waiting to give to them.

And God, I pray, Lord, across this room, anybody who's in this place who's not accepted you as Savior, that they would do that today by way of praying in their heart and mind, something like this.

Pray, Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me.

Forgive me of my sins so that I can be in heaven with you one day.

I give you my life as you gave your life for mine.

Thank you for saving me.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Hey, if you prayed that prayer today for the very first time, we want to encourage you.

We want to celebrate with you.

If you prayed that prayer today for the first time and you'd be so bold just to throw your hand up, would love to see it.

That we can encourage you, that we can come alongside you.

There's a place on the connect card that you can put, I want to follow Jesus.

You can return that out up front.

But let's all worship and give a sacrifice of praise together now.