Sermon
Kingdom First Business Alliance - May with Rev. Randy Clay
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast
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from St. Augustine, FL.
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Now enjoy this message. All right, Hallelujah.
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We've got, you know, we're going to have other people, you know,
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coming in and they're going to miss it.
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That's OK. You know, hopefully we can get
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this one online like we did the last one because this is, this
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is pretty important. I, I shared with you guys as far
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as when I did the management, management messed up some folk,
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I guess when we did that in a particular lesson, and
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especially when I took it up to Valdosta, I had had it refined
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by then, OK, 'cause you guys were the first guys to get it.
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Then the second people to get it was Ki and then I took it to
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Valdosta and I knew what I was doing then, right?
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OK, well, you're getting a first, you're getting a second
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tonight because I haven't taken this to Valdosta.
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But I tell you what, we're going to go ahead and pray.
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I want you to listen intently, OK?
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Because the things that I'm going to talk about, I have
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never heard a teaching on, OK. But it is so important for the
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Kingdom for us to understand this, where we're headed in the
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Kingdom and where we're headed as a church and where we're
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headed as, as business people. OK.
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So let's have a word of prayer and then I'm going to get
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started. You all heard the subject
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before, but I don't think we've studied it out together as we're
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going to do tonight. Father, we thank you and we
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praise you for the opportunity to come together again.
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And, and Lord, we never want to take it for granted that you've
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given us a country to live in, that we don't have any fear
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whatsoever about coming and, and sharing the, the good news of
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the Kingdom and the different principles and laws that you
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have in there that govern, govern how the Kingdom operates.
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And sometimes when we don't. See the things that we think
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we're supposed to see according to scripture.
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It just takes the time for us to re evaluate the principles that
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you set in to law basically. For the Kingdom and how we're
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supposed to operate in it. So again, it'll be a night, I
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think, Lord of just self evaluation again and and and
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find out where we are in relationship relationship to
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where we're at. So we give you thanks in advance
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for the outcome tonight and we thank you in Jesus name, Amen.
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When I taught just a couple of months ago and we talked about
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management and you know, there was some things that the Lord
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was giving me. And and if you'll remember some
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of the stories that I gave early on about management that the
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Lord helped me get an understanding of how important
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it is, you know, to manage and what people are looking for in
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the earth is good managers. Well, there's another subject
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that the Lord has just started dealing with me on, and it is a
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subject of covetousness. And so tonight I'm going to
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break this word down and we're going to break down the
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scriptures, not unlike when we talked about management that,
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you know, that one month we talked about management and in
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the management, we talked about all the scriptures and, and,
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and, and I didn't even list them.
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I didn't even go into them and we may do that at another time
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completely, but when we talked about management, if you'll take
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every time Jesus told a parable about finance or about money, it
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was all on how the people were managing.
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OK. And so when we talk about, I
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think it's interesting. Because the first scripture then
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I'm going to just jot down Mark Chapter 7.
Mark 7 chapter mention
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And I'm going to give you a kind of a prelim before I get into
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the the verses that I want to go over.
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But this particular account was the Pharisees came to Jesus and
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they were talking to Jesus and they're always trying to get him
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on something. Have you figured that out that
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every time they open their mouth, it was not going to be
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good and they were always going to try him, trap him in
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something. Well, this particular day, they
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were asking the questions because they said, why do your
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disciples All right, eat food without washing your hands, like
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the traditions and, and, and Jesus, you know, was talking to
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him about that. He said, listen, you know, while
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I'm with them and the different things that, you know, he
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discussed, but it said the disciples came in, they said,
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tell us what you were meaning by that.
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And and when you get to the 21st, 21st verse of Mark Chapter
Mark 7 chapter mention
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7, he's telling them this. He said from for from within,
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out of the heart men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
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fornications, murders. Verse 22, thes the word
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covetousness. And and I'm going into a deep
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description of that wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness and evil
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eye, blasphemy, pride and and foolishness.
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He said all these things come from within and defile a man.
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See, they were thinking, man, these guys aren't washing their
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hands while they're eat, so they're defiled.
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He said no, it's not the stuff that goes in that defiles them,
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It's the stuff that comes out and he tells you where it's
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coming out and what it's about. Well, all the things that I just
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listed that defile a man, OK, are things that people spend a
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lot of time thinking about. You just don't wake up and think
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I'm gonna murder somebody, OK? That's not usually not a
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thought. Even though with the worst
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criminals there's something, some altercation or something
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that basically, you know, precedes that.
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But it, it talked about wickedness and deceit and the
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evil eye and blasphemies and pride.
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He said all these things. Come out of a man.
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Well, one of those things that he mentioned and Jesus has given
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us a pretty complete list of the things that really can mess us
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up. And one of those was the word
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covetousness. Now we think about, you know, we
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think about covetousness, but I want to give you the definitions
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of it, OK, in the Greek language, and you can write this
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down, it is the Greek word. Play on Nexia, PLEOPLEONEXIA,
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all right, now we can change. The word covetous.
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Now to the word greed, because that is the definition.
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And, and from here, we're going to talk about, we're going to
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talk about greed in, in certain fashion.
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But then there's another word. And I didn't know what this word
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meant, so I had to look it up. It is the word avarice.
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OK, Avarice. It's spelled AVARICE.
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Avarice. This is what the word avarice
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means. If you look it up in your
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dictionary it says it's a insatiable desire.
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Insatiable desire for money or riches.
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I put the word unsatisfiable desire for money or riches, so
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Jesus has. Given us a warning here in just
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a minute. I'm going to read it where he
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gave a warning because this is one sentence you need to write
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down. Covetousness or greed?
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Or an unsatisfiable desire for money is forbidden in the
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Kingdom of God. OK, now if you remember you took
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a very, very long definition for management, let me give you the
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the. Size or smaller version.
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Now, all right, when we talk about management, it is the
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expected and correct use of another person's resources or
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property. Good management is only realized
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by producing an added value back to the person who owns it.
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And we established in that lesson who owns it.
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Does he own everything or just the 10% Everything.
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So you, whatever you have, he owns all right by right of
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creation, all right. And he tells us that, yes, he
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wants 10% for us to dedicate to the ministry, but he owns the
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other 90. And that's really where the test
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starts. Are we listening?
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Because he may have given us something even in the form of,
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you know, when people tell me. And then I got a bonus.
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I wonder why you got that bonus. You know, are you listening on
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why you got that bonus? Because there may be something
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God allowed you to have that bonus.
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Remember, we talked about tithing at one time and, and,
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and I, I haven't taught it here. I'll probably teach it in the
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next couple months. But when we talk about the the
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tithe, it says that God will open the winds of heaven pours
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out a blessing that would not have room enough to receive it,
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and he'd rebuke the devourer. In other words, my translation
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of that was when we tithe, God is saying, listen, if you'll
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take care of what you can take care of and that I've given to
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you, all right, I'll take care of the things you can't.
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So when you get that bonus, you may have deserved that bonus,
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but in the end of it, you didn't have the power to write yourself
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that check or EFT, whatever you got, right?
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All right, so when we look at the definition here of greed or
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avarice, here's the definition of greed and listen to how
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interesting it is compared to the definition of management
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greed. Is the mismanagement of
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resources or property for one's personal benefit.
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In other words, whenever greed shows up, there's only one
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person that it's aimed at and it's the person that has it.
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They're thinking about what can I do to get this?
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What can I do to get that? All right.
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Now, if you'll take a look at that, you know, greed being the
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mismanagement of resources, a greedy spirit.
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Here's the deal. A greedy spirit will always
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manipulate so that you can become the person with the
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ultimate benefit. So you know, when you try it
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like I, I, how many people that I've visited with that have
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tried to make certain deals happen or by twisting something
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or getting something that lets me know what spirit they're
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working with because it can benefit them.
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All right. And, and, and, and again, I've
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had, I've had certain companies that I worked with.
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I had one large company years ago, big company and and and and
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probably a half $1,000,000 account a year.
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And, and all of a sudden we lost them.
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So that was who that was a that was a drop.
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OK, Couple years later, get an e-mail and one of the people
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that we did business with in there said, we want you to tell
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us what it's going to take to come back.
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And I said, well, tell me what happened.
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And they said, well, we found out that the buyers, a couple of
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the buyers that were using this new company were taking money
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under the table. As a kickback.
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And when we found out about it, obviously we fired them because
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that's not how we want to do business.
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So let us know and they they came back and they're still with
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us. All right.
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But The thing is that, you know, when you see people that you
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have to do business with that are doing the underhanded
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things, you know, you're dealing with a spirit of greed.
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You know, you're dealing with spirit of covetiousness, all
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right? You want to make sure you don't
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do that, all right? Now, we've gone over this
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scripture before. It's Luke chapter 12.
Luke 12 chapter mention
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I want to go there again and we're going to start in verse
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13, Luke chapter 12, verse 13. And it says one of the companies
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said unto him, Master, speak to my brother that he may divide
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the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man who
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made me a judge or a divider over you?
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And he looked at everybody that was standing around listening to
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this. And he says, take heed.
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Anytime you see the words, take heed.
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You know what you need to do, Take heed, right?
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All right, you need to pay attention because the next
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things that Jesus is going to say or Paul's going to say when
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they say take heed is going to be extremely important.
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Now listen to what he said, take heed and beware of covetousness.
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For a man's life consists not of the abundance of the things
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which he possesses. All right here in is why the
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prosperity message is so skewed because people equate prosperity
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by the things that you possess. Now hopefully in this church we
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have destroyed that, OK, because we define the word prosper.
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It is not what you have. It is not what you can get.
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It's not what you can amount amass to yourself.
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Prosperity in its simplest form means to have help on the road.
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OK, by definition in both Hebrew and Greek.
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So when he tells us in there, Jesus said listen, beware of
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covetousness. The word beware in the original
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language it means to be on. Guard or to keep?
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From being snatched away. So it sounds like to me that
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money and the things and accumulation can be a trap.
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Because he says be on guard, pay attention, all right?
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Pay attention to those things he said and keep from being
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snatched away. He's saying beware of
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covetousness, beware of greed. You know, the whole thing about
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entrapment being trapped. All right?
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Many of you all have heard, you know, my testimony.
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And this absolutely blows my mind on being offended, OK?
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And what it cost me cost me 10 years, all right.
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And when I, you know, when you get offended and you, you're not
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paying attention to the Bible, you're paying attention to your
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emotions, all right, you're upset because somebody did you
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wrong. And, and you know, and, and you
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know, you, you just can't seem to get over it.
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There's a book written called the Bait of Satan.
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All right, We go through it in school, all right, talking about
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the fact that there's going to be opposition, there's going to
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be people that are offended. But what blows my mind is when
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we have people in this church, then all of a sudden they, they,
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they went to Kingdom Institute and graduated.
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I saw them walk the stage, remember one side to the other
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with Pastor Earl and Marcy with their diploma.
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And then I don't see them for a while.
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And I just happened to ask somebody.
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We're so and so and they go, oh, they got offended and left.
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See, that absolutely blows my mind.
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How can that even happen when you've given them the
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illustrations and you've pointed out how in the world could you
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ever think of being offended? Well, that same kind of trap is
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also in the arena of money that sometimes we get involved in
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things and we get involved in in.
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Thinking a little more than we need to be thinking, you know,
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about money and about finances. But Jesus was very clear.
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Now let's go over the parable again that Jesus told on this He
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said, Beware of covetousness for a man's life, beware of greed,
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beware of avarice, OK? For a man's life does not
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consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
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Now go to verse 16. And he spoke a parable unto
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them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth
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plentifully. And he said, And he thought
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within himself, What shall I do? Because I have no room where for
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to to bestow my fruits. And he said, this will I do, I
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will put down, I will pull down my barns and I'll build greater,
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and there I will bestow my fruits and my goods.
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And he will And I said, I will say to my soul, so you have much
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goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink and
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be merry. But God said unto him, You're a.
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Fool. This night your soul will be
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required of you. And he said, then whose things
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shall those be which you have provided?
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And verse 21, we've gone over this so many times.
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He said, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not
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rich toward God. That's a King James, a better
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translation of that last phrase. It says so.
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He is he that lays up treasure for himself, but is not becoming
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rich. For.
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God all right, why would we want to become rich for God?
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Think of a parable, another parable.
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How about the talents? Can you remember that the
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nobleman he gave the the the king, the nobleman, he gave them
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the talents gave 1512 and one one all right.
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And they did what they went and traded with those and they made
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double. That was the the key for them
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double. And when he came and he reckoned
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with him, he said, look master the the five you gave me, we've
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turned into another five. Who's he becoming rich for?
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The king, because why it was the King's king gave it to him, told
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him what to do. 2 of them did it, the other one didn't and got
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the label wicked and slothful or lazy or unrighteous.
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Because he didn't do anything with it.
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All right, So he when he's telling us in here, he said,
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listen, don't be like that guy because you can go through this
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whole passage. I have it in my Bible in there
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because every time you see the word I OK in verse the verse 17
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he said, what shall I do? Because I have no room to bestow
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my fruit. Then he said this will I do I
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will pull down my barns and bill greater.
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Therefore I will bestow all my fruits and goods.
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Then I will say to my soul, soul, you have much goods laid
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up for many years. Take thine easy, eat, drink and
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be merry. So someone that is covetous is
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always thinking about. Who I all right themselves.
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So that's what you have to be careful of.
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When you hear people talking, what are they talking about?
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All right, what are they doing? Let's go over to Matthew 6.
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Let's one. More time Take a look at what
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Jesus said. Because this guy laid up
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treasure for himself. He laid up his goods for
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himself, correct? Jesus told us not.
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To do that. In verse 19.
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Everybody ought to have this highlighted in their Bible, I
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swear. Or put it on their put it on
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their their refrigerator. OK, verse 19 lay not up for
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yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rest does corrupt
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and thieves breakthrough and steal.
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But rather he tells you where. But lay up for yourselves
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treasures in heaven, whether neither moth nor rest does
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corrupt, and where thieves do not breakthrough and steal.
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He said for where your treasure is, there will your heart be
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also. This is a 6th chapter of
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Matthew. That's a verse 21.
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Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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All right then he goes on and he says the light of the body is
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the eye. If therefore thine eye be
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single, your whole body is full of light.
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Verse 23 If your eye be evil, the whole body will be full of
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darkness. If therefore thy light that is
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in thee is darkness, how great is that darkness?
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Verse 24 No man can serve 2 masters, for either hate the one
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and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the
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other. Here's the phrase, You cannot
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serve God and Mammon. Now you know what I think's
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interesting about that? He did not say you cannot serve
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God and the devil. So I think he's telling us
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there's something that's more powerful in the lives of humans
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than the devil. Especially after Jesus totally
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defeated him. Everybody's afraid of the devil,
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but he's defeated. He told us that, but he's
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telling us when it comes to serving.
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There's only two You either serve Him, you serve God, or you
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can serve money. We see it happen all the time.
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I've seen it in this church. I've had conversation.
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Let me know exactly what they're serving.
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All right, I've got a few things.
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Does anybody remember years ago? Pastor, this is probably 2010 if
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I'm not mistaken and he did this series.
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It was called Seeing Green. And he was talking about that
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and he. Did a little spoof.
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Off of everybody know Jeff Foxworthy and you know if you
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want to be a redneck, you ever heard those like you know if
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you're mowing your grass and you find a car, you might be a
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redneck, right? Well, pastor came up with a few
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when and he called it. You might have a problem with
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money. OK, well, I came up with a few
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that might let you know who you are the servant of.
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Are you ready? Let me count them 1234.
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I just got five. Listen to this.
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I want you to tell me. And if you're guilty, just look
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straight ahead. If you know the person behind
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you is guilty, look straight ahead.
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OK, don't turn around, right, But this is going to equip you
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to know those that you interact with with in our body and the
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error that they're getting ready to find themselves in.
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Listen to this if you spend most of your time.
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Coming up or thinking of ways to make more money then you are a
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servant of money Now did you hear me if you spend most of
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your time coming up with or thinking of ways to make.
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More money you are serving of money if most of your
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conversations are focused on your latest deals, contracts,
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profits. If most of your conversations
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are focused on the latest deals, contracts are probably you are a
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servant of money. If I can't get with you and talk
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about the things of the Kingdom and all you want to let me know
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is, hey, we got this deal. We got this deal.
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This is what we're doing it. Yeah.
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I I. I'm going to be interested in
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knowing that, but sooner or later we need to talk about
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something else a little more important.
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Be cautious about getting involved in those type of
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conversations. Here's the next one.
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If you are constantly coming up with and researching ideas that
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could make more money, you might be a servant of money.
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If that's all you spend your time doing.
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You're saying you know, or you hear the latest thing or you're
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you know, you hear it. You hear it all the time.
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If you are on social media, you hear everybody that can make 7-8
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figures. All right, and how to do it and
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how to do it fast and the whole bit.
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If you spend your time looking into those things and spending
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more time studying those things and getting into those things,
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you are a servant of money. OK, If you'd rather be working
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at the job or your business than being in church, you are a
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servant of money. Here's the last one if you don't
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have time to spend. In the word and prayer because
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you need to be at work you or a servant of money if you don't
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have time for the things of God, you've already told us, you
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know, if you're not interested in serving in the local church,
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you've already told us if all you want to talk about is money
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or the next idea or the next thing coming or what's going on,
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you are serving the money all right.
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That's why, you know, years ago we used to have what we called
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home groups and, and the thing was, is that I'd hosted.
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A couple of them. And I tell you what, I got tired
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of them real quick, you know, cuz all we sat around and talked
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about was football. And I like football like the
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next guy. OK, no problem.
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Even my grandchildren are now asking Papa tell us about
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football. OK, watching.
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This OK, but it's not my life you know I I when I get together
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I love sitting down and talking about things of the Spirit.
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Now you know why all of those are important to me because I
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can raise both hand and say I'm guilty.
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Every one of them because I went back in my mind and, and, and
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conversations that I've had and how much emphasis.
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That I put and and I even eluded last month.
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I was talking about it, the message that pastor was
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preaching and and he and, and then he came here and he did
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one, he wanted to kick the year off and, and have, you know,
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opportunity to visit with the business people.
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And, you know, and made the comment, He said, if your goal
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basically is to make money so you can give more to the gospel,
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that's not that. That's a wrong goal.
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And it bothered. Me because that's a man, that's
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what I'm about and I had to re evaluate my about because my
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relationship with God and how I'm pleasing him, all right, and
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seeking him first and his Kingdom and his righteousness.
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All these things will be added so I don't have to worry about,
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OK, what's the next business deal I'm going to get so I get
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some more money put in the account here at the church.
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That's not the motive is what I'm saying.
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It should not be your motivation.
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All right, yes, we, if we're going to be, if we're going to,
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you know, become rich when he tells us how not to do it.
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All right, with that one guy that he was he he became wealthy
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and he started storing stuff up. And she said don't do that.
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Don't be storing stuff up for yourself.
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He said, store up things in heaven.
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Now I've taught this before because how you store things up
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in heaven is found in Mark chapter 10 and and and and a few
Mark 10 chapter mention
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other just a few other places. But it's a story about the rich
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young. Ruler.
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And he came and most people from the stage, we had a guy one time
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that was talking about finance and stuff and he was going to
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that scripture and he was going to quote it.
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And I just, I said to myself, and he's going to leave one
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phrase out. Sure enough he did because
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everybody does. But when he says in there, he
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said, the rich young ruler came to him, you remember, And he
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said, keep the commandments. And he said, I've kept all these
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from my youth. Now I love it In Mark 10 it
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says, and Jesus beholding him, loved him.
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He said, But one thing you lack. Now you've heard me say it.
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I just wish I only had one thing when you feel good.
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If it was only one thing, just tell me the one thing.
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Don't Jesus. He'd get mine and it'd be like a
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scroll. Roll that thing out of all them
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things. He.
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Needs me to fix but he said one thing you lack go and and take
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what you have. Sell it.
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Give to the poor then you will have riches in heaven and come
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take up your cross and follow me.
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Most people leave out there. Then you will have riches in
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heaven. They leave that part out.
-
What do they say? They say, well, go sell what you
-
have. Give to the poor, take up your
-
cross, Come follow me. That's exactly how they quote
-
it. Next time you hear somebody want
-
to quote that, let's see what? And they're quoting it, not
-
reading it. You, you, you tell me if they if
-
they put in there, then you will have riches in heaven.
-
Jesus telling us as we give to the poor, we consider those that
-
are, you know, maybe needing a little finance and maybe needing
-
something. If we consider them, every time
-
we give to them, we are putting money in the bank in heaven.
-
OK, now here's the deal. When we get there, we won't need
-
it. So that means that there's a way
-
that we must be able to, excuse me, withdraw here where we need
-
it. There's no American currency.
-
Everybody know that, right? In heaven.
-
You know that, right? I mean.
-
I, I, we don't know how to get there.
-
If it did, and if he decided he'd start printing his own,
-
it'd be counterfeit. So there ain't none up there,
-
all right. But we need that.
-
We need to take a look at the fact where Jesus said this.
-
Listen. You can't serve the two masters.
-
You can, you can, you can serve me or you can serve money.
-
And there wasn't nothing in between.
-
So when you, you see people talking about all those
-
different things and they're not really talking about the Kingdom
-
of God. They're not really talking about
-
the things that matter and what's going on in people's
-
lives and those that are getting the revelation of who Jesus is
-
in the lordship of Christ and being water baptized and all
-
those different things that the Kingdom is made-up of.
-
If you're not focused on those things, you really got to ask a
-
question, where me where, Where am I standing right now in the
-
Kingdom of God? Where do I stand?
-
What category do I stand in? Am IA servant of God or am IA
-
servant of the finances? Or the job.
-
All right, Hebrews chapter 13. Jot this one down and listen to
Hebrews 13 chapter mention
-
this careful because. The the the.
-
Barriers that Jesus wants us to have toward greed and
-
covetousness but in Hebrews chapter 13 verse five and six.
Hebrews 13 chapter mention
-
Let it let let's look at what he says he said let your
-
conversation be without covetousness and be content with
-
what things that you have for he said I will never leave you or
-
forsake you that we may boldly say that the Lord is my helper
-
helper and I will not fear what man shall do to me.
-
The words without covetousness. He tells us right here, he said.
-
Let your conversation. All right, when we hear the word
-
conversation, we usually think about what we're talking about.
-
The word conversation in the original language is the word
-
manner of lifestyle. It's how are you?
-
Living. What are people seeing when
-
you're living? He said.
-
Let your conversation be without covetousness.
-
All right? That Greek word basically is is
-
the the word a Phil or guras? OK, a Phil or Guras?
-
It's a Phil. And ARGUROS.
-
I'll spell it again. APHILARGUROS.
-
It's a compound Greek word. Phil comes from Philo, meaning
-
love. Or affection.
-
OK, the word arguras is the word in the Greek for silver.
-
All right, so greed or covetousness can be described
-
with people that have a love for money or love at the end.
-
Silver. This particular word has an A in
-
front of it which it. Reverses it.
-
So that's why he said without covetousness.
-
All right, He said. Do not, he said.
-
Do not let your conversation, do not let your manner of life, do
-
not let yourself be pulled into conversations or manner of
-
lifestyle. That all you're looking for?
-
Is money OK? And he said why?
-
He said because he said be content and I like it.
-
Because the word. Content doesn't mean, you know,
-
just put up with it. You know, it's it.
-
You know there's nothing you can do about it.
-
No, basically the word content says I am not moved by my
-
circumstances. That's what the word means.
-
I'm totally separated from my circumstances.
-
They don't affect me. Where I am financially right now
-
does not affect me, He said, and he said be content with such
-
things as you have for the Lord says, notice I will never leave
-
you or forsake you. What does that tell you?
-
If you go with the prosperity word, you're going to have help
-
on the road. It's good to know who's with you
-
to help you. He is everything that you have
-
need of. There's not one thing he said
-
that you'll go without. And if so many people are trying
-
to get their own arms, Jesus, Jesus tells us that all through
-
those parables. All right in that.
-
And the Father even told us in Deuteronomy chapter 8, he said,
Deuteronomy 8 chapter mention
-
listen, don't come to a place when you get blessed, that you
-
say my arm and my power has got me this wealth.
-
For it is he that has given you the power to get wealth all
-
right, that he may establish his covenant, which he swore into
-
your Father's. All right, he tells us that, but
-
in in Hebrews he said that we may he said that I will never
-
leave you or forsake you. It's interesting.
-
Everybody says, well, Jesus said I'll never leave you or forsake
-
you. And we quote that all the time.
-
In fact, you got it on T-shirts. You got it on kind of stuff.
-
But what in context is he talking about?
-
He's talking about you and money.
-
He said, are you greedy? He said you don't need to be
-
greedy, you need to be content. You need to be a stepping aside
-
from your circumstances financially and know he's going
-
to take care of what you need. He promised that anybody
-
remember Matthew 633 seek first the Kingdom of God and his
-
righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
-
So therefore you can go and say the Lord is my helper and I will
-
not fear what man shall do to me.
-
You know, you can replace that what man shall do to me and you
-
can put in there IRSI mean, you know, I I basically, I've I've
-
been everywhere you can be with the IRS.
-
I've been there audits, probably three or four of them over the
-
last 40 years. You know, different situations
-
where I've had to talk to the revenue officer and and that's
-
what I call them. I even got one on speed dial
-
and, and any question that I have or any, she calls me back
-
and I'm thinking she's a good person to have on the team.
-
Oh, there's no doubt because you know, when you running into some
-
things and and going on, I'm telling you what I want to call
-
somebody that you know, can find out real fast and it's good to
-
have one. But he says, Hey, listen, I'll
-
not fear what man shall. Do to me so as we take a look
-
at. The next one in there that this
-
is a requirement if you ever wanted to be in church and you
-
wanna be a leader, and I would pray that everybody would have.
-
Some type of area that they could show leadership over.
-
But did you know that being covetousness, Being a person of
-
covetousness is basically it is it is.
-
It is a taboo. You shouldn't even you shouldn't
-
even be considered in leadership if you haven't got your money
-
thing fixed out figured out because hating.
-
Covetousness was a requirement of being a leader in the church.
-
Let me give you a few scriptures.
-
Exodus chapter 18. This is a story.
Exodus 18 chapter mention
-
When Moses is coming, he's leading the children to Israel.
-
And his father in law's on the way to meet him.
-
He's got his wife and his children with her or with them.
-
And they show up and they have a big party and they're excited to
-
see each other. This is the 18th chapter of
-
Exodus. And the next morning, Moses
-
pulls out his little desk out of his tent, sets it under under
-
his little awning. And he puts his little desk
-
plate on there, says Pastor Moses.
-
And he said. And the people begin to line up
-
by twos. As far.
-
As the eye can see, you know how I know that anytime you get 6
-
million people, 3 million people unborn again in one place,
-
you're going to have some problems.
-
And so he would he would, he'd take them, come on up, what's
-
the deal? They tell him, well, they did
-
this or they did that and he would judge the people and he'd
-
say This is why this is what God said.
-
This is why you're wrong. You're right whole bit.
-
And you know, and then people leave next to come up, right?
-
And you know how things go. I mean, what?
-
What's going to happen? Them two guys that just left are
-
going to go back past that line again and see somebody else they
-
got a problem with. So them two going to go get back
-
in line. And this thing is never ending.
-
Well, Jethro, his father-in-law says, what are you doing?
-
And he goes, well, everybody comes to see me.
-
And he said, you're standing here from evening, from morning
-
to evening, every day judging these people.
-
And he goes, yeah, because I'm the only one we got.
-
And he said, well, the thing you're doing is not good.
-
You're going to wear out and you're going to wear the people
-
out. Now think about it.
-
We get wore out standing in line for 45 minutes and anywhere, I
-
mean, two hour wait, trying to get into a restaurant.
-
I mean, you know, you can imagine these people standing in
-
the heat of the day all day. And he said, listen, I'm going
-
to give you some advice. Right and he goes on, he goes on
-
to give him the advice and that one of the last part of the vice
-
is found in verse 21. He said, moreover, you shall
-
provide out of all the people able men such as fear God, men
-
of truth, haters of covetousness and place them over to be rulers
-
of thousands, hundreds, 50s and 10s.
-
So one of the requirements to become a judge, that's what he
-
was doing, is he's given the under.
-
Courts, he was creating them. All right, Bible tells us
-
another place where, you know, Moses was crying out saying,
-
man, you know, these people have absolutely lost their minds.
-
You know, they, I, I cannot handle them myself alone.
-
He comes with the great revelation and the Lord picks
-
out 70 to help him. Now, to me, 70 out of 3 million
-
ain't that much. Right.
-
But he tells him he anoints them with the same anointing he had.
-
But he said they had to be haters of covetous.
-
Why? Because they couldn't be
-
susceptible to a bribe. That was the main thing.
-
OK, now we get into the New Testament.
-
Paul's writing to. Timothy, he said if you want to
-
have bishops or you want to have deacons come in your church,
-
notice what he said in verse 3. This is first Timothy 33.
-
He said not give into wine. Not a striker, not.
-
Greedy. A filthy lucre.
-
OK, so he tells him, Hey, listen, we're not, we're not
-
going to have, we're not going to have the filthy lucre, you
-
know, part going on in, in our, our churches and filthy lucre,
-
basically. It's a real, real long word in
-
the Greek, but it means eager for base gain or greedy for
-
money, he said. As you're not going to have it,
-
not in leadership, all right. He tells Titus the same thing in
-
Titus's letter he said for a Bishop must be blameless as a
-
steward of God, not self willed, not angry, not given to wine,
-
not a striker, nor given to filthy lucre.
-
He tell him the same thing first Peter.
-
Peter even talks to him. He said listen when you're
-
talking about pastors, he tells pastors in verse two, feed the
-
flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof,
-
not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre,
-
but ever ready mind so. Even in the leadership, he had
-
to be Make them beware, all right, or make them have caution
-
of being against being moved by money, he said.
-
Don't do it. So I'll let you know how
-
powerful money money really is. OK.
-
But as we look at the last part that that I want to see as far
-
as the where your. Your your treasure is.
-
And let me go and down here as far as when we talk about it,
-
leadership can't have it, but one of the things that you'll
-
find out being covetous being. Always thinking about money, it
-
can condemn the soul. Do you remember the parable I
-
just read? He said he, you know, he said
-
your soul is required, right? Pastor is quoted how many times
-
the Scripture, All right, this says what will a man gain?
-
And and you know, what does it matter if he gains the whole
-
world and loses his soul? See, there's something about
-
money that can help. You lose your mind.
-
You can get so possessed in the money, you can find yourself
-
just constantly, constantly trying to figure out how we
-
going to do this, how we going to do that.
-
Do you not think that the Holy Spirit has the ability to tell
-
you what you need to do next? I mean, if anybody ought to know
-
what your next move is going to be, it ought to be the Holy
-
Spirit. Instead of figuring out, OK, I
-
saw this good idea, saw that good idea, stop and sit down
-
with the Lord. And say, what's the next thing
-
that you're going to have me get in?
-
I'm right now seeking him about different things because we got
-
such a shake up in the real estate market.
-
OK, there's some new laws coming out that we're going to have to
-
really, really watch ourselves on because the the realtor, the
-
Association of Realtors, all right, was sued for over $400
-
million because people were freaking out about commissions
-
and that they weren't communicating how they were
-
getting paid. And I'm thinking that is the
-
dumbest thing I've ever heard of because everybody we've ever
-
dealt with, we let them know and we show them this is how we're
-
getting paid and they what they won.
-
Now we're in the appealing and everything of it.
-
But you know, it's going to change a lot.
-
It's going to, it's going to change compensation.
-
And there's going to be some people that will not consider a,
-
a, you know, if you bring a buyer, they, they can tell you
-
no, we don't have to pay you anything.
-
Well then, what's the point? I mean, why would I bring you a
-
buyer? But you got to be careful
-
because you're not being showing any prejudice or you're showing
-
any animosity because you know they're not offering.
-
So you, there's a lot of things in the industry that we're
-
looking at. I'm seeking the Lord about it.
-
I'm not going to I'm not going to take everything every lawyer
-
says. I wonder, Lord, how do you want
-
me to respond in this situation? What do you need me to do?
-
You got something else going You want me to get involved in I
-
I'll listen. You know, that's what we want to
-
do. But when we get to.
-
Philippians chapter I'm sorry, Ephesians chapter 5 all right,
Ephesians 5 chapter mention
-
let's talk about what it it can do to us because in verse one he
-
said, if you there be for followers of God as dear
-
children, be that he said and walk in love as Christ also
-
loved us and has given himself for us an offering and a
-
sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour but fornication
-
all uncleanliness or covetousness.
-
Listen to this next phrase. Let it not once be named among
-
you as becometh Saints all right.
-
You are not supposed to be in a situation where people say man,
-
they're just. Greedy.
-
You know that all they talk about is money.
-
You know how you're going to make the next buck.
-
What do we got to do? Don't be that, it said.
-
Do not let that be named against upon you at once.
-
Don't even let it all right then, he said, Neither
-
filthiness, foolish talking nor jesting, which are not
-
convenient, but rather the giving of thanks.
-
It says. For this we know that no
-
whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an
-
idolater, have any in any inheritance in the Kingdom of
-
God. So people that are spending all
-
their time figuring out how to make the next buck, talking
-
about what we got to do to make the next buck, what can we do to
-
get the next dollar? All right, He says in there, he
-
said that covetous man is an idolater.
-
All right, What's some of the first commandments?
-
Thou shalt not make any graven image.
-
Interesting. You know how they print money on
-
a graven plate? It's etched.
-
Right, that's how they print money.
-
He said don't. He said, don't get into
-
covetousness because it is idolatry.
-
That's why he said, what did he say?
-
You cannot serve God and you cannot serve Mammon.
-
You cannot serve wealth. You cannot serve money.
-
That's what he tells us and in and in First Timothy chapter 6.
1 Timothy 6 chapter mention
-
Listen to what Paul's writing in in First Timothy 6.
-
Two different sections. All right, we're going to wrap
-
it up. What do we got?
-
I don't have my time up there, but what about what, 15 after
-
great first Timothy jot it down six, nine through 10, but.
-
Those that will be. Rich fall into a temptation and
-
a snare, and in in many foolish and hurtful lust which drown men
-
in destruction and tradition. For the love of money is the
-
root of all evil, which some have coveted after they have
-
erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many
-
sorrows. So Paul writing to Timothy tells
-
him, he said those that will be rich, the word will be means to
-
strive to be those that are constantly striving to be rich.
-
He tells the believer, he said you are going to fall into a
-
temptation and a snare. And he goes on, and he said, and
-
many foolish and hurtful lust, which drowned men in destruction
-
and perdition. You know, I mean, I can't tell
-
you how many times pastors even alluded to this, but I had
-
actually in Oklahoma, I had some people come to me.
-
They, you know, they'd come to me and say, hey, I just got this
-
job. I said, wow, that's great
-
because you've been looking for one for a long time.
-
That's awesome. And they said, but I'm not going
-
to be able to go to church on Sundays.
-
OK, well, we can go back to you might be a redneck.
-
OK, I said dude, I said I don't care.
-
What it pays? I don't.
-
I said you will mess up your life based upon this Scripture.
-
It said, yeah, in there they will be.
-
They'll fall into a temptation to snare many foolish and
-
hurtful lust and drown in destruction and perdition.
-
And it wasn't too long after that him and his wife were
-
divorced. Kids are wondering what's going
-
on, you know, and the whole bit, you know, the Bible's true, Yes,
-
the trouble's true. You know, one verse that that I,
-
I, I learned years ago said he that troubles his house will
-
inherit the wind. OK.
-
And right here. When somebody decides to go
-
after money and you know, and and it may be the most innocent
-
God, I just want to be, I just want to do better for my family.
-
I just want to do we all want to do better for our family, OK,
-
But there's a way to do that that won't put you in a jeopardy
-
situation. It is becoming familiar with the
-
voice of God so that he can tell you all right, what it is.
-
And and the main thing is, is that we can go back every time.
-
Everything we teach, We can go back all right, to the the
-
management principle is that how are we managing?
-
How are we? How are we taking care of the
-
things that God gives? US because remember what we said
-
according to you know, Genesis chapter 2, verse five and six,
Genesis 2 chapter mention
-
it goes on there and it goes in there to say that hey, he
-
withholds all right, his resources from bad manager.
-
He will cut off resources if someone starts managing poorly.
-
We have scriptures all through Jesus teaching about that.
-
The unjust steward? He got fired.
-
And he again tried to figure out what he was doing, you know,
-
and, and what he was going to have to do.
-
But Jesus said, don't be like them.
-
All right, now let me give you the last Scripture for tonight,
-
Second Timothy chapter 6. Again, it's just just down a
-
little ways in verse 17, he said.
-
Charge them that are rich in this world that they and and you
-
need to note these number one that they be not high minded.
-
In other words, thinking more of yourself than you need to think.
-
He said no trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God
-
who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
-
So he's telling you, get the the thought of finances out of your
-
way and begin to trust in the living God.
-
Money can leave quickly. I've been there.
-
I've lost all, almost all of it. OK, sad, sad situations.
-
I didn't know if there's anything I could do.
-
You know about it, but the Lord brought me out of all of it.
-
All right, and and and when you take a look in there when he
-
says, you know charged in the rich in this world that they be
-
not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches.
-
If you'll remember the parable of the sower in Mark chapter 4.
Mark 4 chapter mention
-
He said some are sown among thorns, and he said the cares of
-
this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other
-
things reach in and choke the word that was sown in their
-
heart. Now it's interesting to note.
-
OK. And you think about this, Pastor
-
pointed this out to US one time. He said there's four types of
-
soil. You remember the wayside, Stony
-
ground, thorny ground and good ground.
-
The harvest that he said you could expect from the sowing of
-
the word was only 25% OK. So when we talk about we talk
-
about the fact that he said charge them that are rich in
-
this world. They be not high minded nor
-
trust in uncertain riches. Why are they uncertain?
-
Because you don't know what the markets going to do unless God
-
tells you how to keep from something bad happening.
-
And he said, but you trust in the living God who gives us
-
richly everything to enjoy. But look at the next verse, he
-
said, and that they do good and that they be rich in good works,
-
ready to distribute, willing to communicate.
-
He said if there's a reason that God is going to bless you
-
financially, is those things right there that you would be
-
doing good? It is said of Jesus in Acts
-
chapter 10, verse 38, who went about doing good.
-
All right, He said he was anointed of God.
-
He went about doing good and healing all that were possessed.
-
Of devils, the word doing good in there is where we get our
-
English word philanthropist. OK, how do we know Jesus was a
-
philanthropist? Well, every time you turn
-
around, he's given to the poor. How do we know that?
-
Because the night that he was betrayed and Judas left, the
-
other guys assumed that he was either going to go buy some more
-
stuff to eat or go give something to the poor at the at
-
the request of Jesus. So it must have been something
-
that continued on or they didn't ever had that thought that he
-
was he was in it. So he says you need to be one
-
that does good and that you be rich in good works everywhere
-
you're serving in the ministry. Is a good work.
-
Do you think more about that than you do your job?
-
You know what we could do? Pastor said it the other day.
-
I thought it was so funny. He said, you know, because we
-
were talking about the tithe and, and, and I'd made a comment
-
about tithing your time. And I did the calculations on
-
how many minutes there are in a day. 10% of it would be two
-
hours and 24 minutes. OK, could we do that?
-
Well, I spend about half of that in the time of the word and
-
study every day. Never miss a day.
-
Don't miss a day. All right.
-
Then I spend the time I'm either praying or talking to the Lord
-
about the different things that's going on.
-
You know, how do you want me to respond?
-
What do you want me to do next? You know, we got a meeting
-
today, you know, have me give me an opportunity to talk about the
-
Kingdom, you know, those different things.
-
And I'm and I'm always. Looking at that because why I
-
want to be rich. In good works OK, you know,
-
works is the word works OK, Ergon in the Greek it just means
-
work. So while we're working.
-
That's why Pastor said your job is not your source.
-
Your job is not where you work. You don't.
-
And here's the deal. We get so caught up in trading
-
our life for money, it's ridiculous.
-
And we got to go to work. I've said it before, I said, you
-
know God's not going to trust you with your own business.
-
He's going to put you in an employment situation to see how
-
you handle yourself. If you can't be trusted with
-
another man's business, why in the world would he give you one
-
of your own? Did the Bible not say that in,
-
in, in? So in the 12th chapter of Luke,
-
he says that he said, if you've not been faithful on that which
-
is another man, he will not give you that which is your own.
-
And people are all the time, you know, thinking, oh, man, if I
-
could just go into business, you know, I could make, you know, I
-
could make more money and I could get this done and that
-
done. I said wrong motive for getting
-
into business. And, you know, I had one young
-
man tell me. He said, Oh yeah, man, he said.
-
I don't, I don't, I want to, I want my own business.
-
And he said, and I said, well, what, what's the, what's the big
-
deal? I said, I hear you're making,
-
you know, fairly good money as a, a, a, a server and tips are
-
good. You're at a good restaurant
-
because I tell people I said you need to evaluate.
-
Tips. OK, $100 meal has a better tip
-
than a $25.00 meal. Anybody figure that out because
-
I'm not going to go work at the $25 ticket.
-
Place I'm going to go, if I'm going to serve, I'm going to go
-
to that. That would that would be your
-
main thing, right? Your thought.
-
All right. But he you know, he said yeah.
-
He said I'm just I'm just tired of my boss and everything.
-
And I said and you what, you want to go into your own
-
business? How many bosses do you have?
-
You said I got one. I said, well, go ahead and go
-
into business. You'll have about 100.
-
And guess what? They don't care.
-
They don't care if you do good or bad.
-
I mean, if whatever it is you promise you better produce and
-
they don't care if your place burns down, you know, they don't
-
care that you got sick. They don't care.
-
I mean, and so, you know, if you think it's bad working for one
-
guy, OK, get your next hundred. Line them up, you know, and,
-
and, and see how you fare there. All right.
-
But he tells, he said you got to be rich in good works.
-
Notice what he said, ready to distribute.
-
I mean, you know the thing in I'm always ready.
-
I'm listening. I mean, I got ears like an
-
elephant. You can't see them.
-
But you know, when I'm walking around the hallway out here and
-
I mean, is it not getting crowded or crowded or is that a
-
word crowded more crowded. I mean, you people talking about
-
everything and I got my ears open.
-
Who's going through some bad times, who's got a challenge,
-
who can't make this or you can't pay this or, or whatever.
-
I'm listening. I want to know who in the body
-
needs help because I'm ready. I want to be ready.
-
And, and, and you don't have to go very far down the hall, you
-
know, and get and, and, and find you see, read people's faces.
-
You can you, you know, you can listen to the way they're
-
talking, you know, the whole bit.
-
Be ready, be ready to distribute.
-
He said willing to communicate that Neil Diamond, you know Neil
-
Diamond, he's a singer. He had a song and it's called
-
Money Talks. He don't sing or dance, but it
-
talks money still. Talks.
-
You know what it says and that we need to train it to say I
-
love you. You're going through a hard time
-
right now. I've had that happen to me.
-
I mean, and you know, at at one of the worst times in my life,
-
me and Melanie both. I mean, I'm going through the
-
cancer. I'm highly distracted, all
-
right? I mean, money's not coming in
-
the way it should. I had some decisions to make.
-
I was sharing with one brother about it.
-
That brother went to another brother and went to another
-
brother, went to another brother.
-
Next thing, all these brothers show up at the house and they.
-
And they said. We're going to help you.
-
I never forgot it. I'll never forget it.
-
And, and when I was asking them, you know, about, you know, why
-
are you guys doing this? And I'd forgotten.
-
And that's the amazing thing because some people have a
-
Ledger sheet that never forget. But I had one of them say, Hey,
-
you know what, when my little boy was not doing well, you paid
-
for all the doctor bills we did. I forgot all about that.
-
He said, you know, when I had to work and I, I couldn't pay for
-
the daycare. You paid for all the daycare.
-
We. Did.
-
Had another guy tell me, he said you remember when my grandfather
-
died I couldn't go see him. He said cuz I didn't have the
-
money and you right there on your phone bought me a plane
-
ticket so I could be at his funeral.
-
I forgot all about it. You know, The thing is, Are you
-
ready? Are you ready to communicate?
-
All right? Are you ready to let somebody
-
know? Hey, I love you and this is it.
-
Don't worry about that. Don't worry, you know.
-
If you can fix it, fix it. All right, then that last verse
-
that said laying up in store for themselves a good foundation
-
against the time to come that they may lay hold of eternal
-
life. You know, I'm not real sure that
-
it defines out what that time to come is.
-
But I mean, we're facing all kind of crazy stuff in the
-
arena. Finance Banks.
-
Doing weird things, You know, you're hearing rumors all the
-
time that the government through the Fed, the Fed don't want to
-
be left out. So the Fed wants to come up with
-
a digital dollar and they probably will.
-
The International Monetary Fund, all right?
-
And all these different things. You know, he said you, you store
-
up when you give into the Kingdom of God, you're storing
-
up for the time to come. I don't know what that time's
-
going to entail, but I want to make sure I've invested in the
-
right place. And I'm not talking about a
-
world system that can complete and come, come cave in or or
-
come to complete nothing. But I want to make sure that I'm
-
investing in those things that God's saying this is eternal,
-
this is eternal. All right, that's what we want
-
to do. All right, everybody good.
-
All right, let's pray. Father, I thank you and praise
-
you for opportunity to just talk about some of your
-
considerations concerning how we look at money that we'd be
-
people. That want to talk about your
-
Kingdom more than money or we want to think about your Kingdom
-
more than money? We want to invest in Your
-
Kingdom more than any other investment that we could make.
-
Father, we thank you and praise You that You've given us the
-
ability as business people to be sensitive to those around us
-
that may be going through things or maybe needing a little help.
-
Father, I thank you and praise You that the love in our hearts,
-
well, it has to give. It has to give because you said
-
it in John 316 that God so loved the world that He gave.
-
He gave the most important thing that we needed and that was his
-
son. So we're grateful for that.
-
But father, let us take the things that we learned tonight
-
and and meditate on them and find out where do we really
-
stand? Where are we at?
-
What are we focused on? Lord, we want to be focusing on
-
your Kingdom. You said that you'd add
-
everything you said don't be anxious about tomorrow.
-
He said tomorrow has the ability to take care of the things that
-
itself. He said sufficient unto today is
-
a trouble. So Father, help us through that
-
trouble because you said that you were given to us to help us
-
and you gave us the Holy Spirit to do that exact thing.
-
So let us be sensitive and let us listen and let us be able to
-
conduct business in the Kingdom as you want it conducted and we
-
thank you for it in Jesus name, Amen.
-
Amen. Thank you so much for listening
-
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