"Legacy" Part 2

Hi, this is John Ozanting, lead pastor of Evolve Church, and this is the Evolved Church Podcast.

Thanks so much for tuning in.

We hope that you find today's message encouraging and full of hope for wherever you're at.

We're in a series called Legacy.

I almost just want to preach about heaven, but uh that's just because of what I'm feeling right now.

Is that okay?

Yeah.

But um but I can't talk about Kingdom Legacy, I can't talk about the lives we're invited to steward here and now without referencing what will be one day.

The reason we sacrifice is for the future.

The reason we give is so that the heart of the Father for every daughter and every son to come to repentance, to come to the full saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

That will always be good soil to sow into.

And uh I'm gonna give a quick recap from last week.

If you weren't in the room, that's okay.

Um I want to give a short recap, but um, we've been talking about Jesus' church and what it means for us to do life in community and to leave a together legacy for the future generations.

A together legacy that we we we stop thinking through our lane as just being our lane.

We stop thinking through our world as just being my world, but we begin to invite the Holy Spirit to help us think about what we're doing together, what we're growing in together, what we're leading together, what we're thriving in together, what we're grieving together, what we're um experiencing together, what we're sowing into together for the future.

And you cannot serve Jesus in isolation.

You can't serve him all by yourself.

We're meant to be attached to a body.

We're meant to be a part of a family, the kingdom of heaven, with King Jesus on the throne.

And local churches, as beautiful as they are, we know that they're the hope of the world, but churches are not the kingdom of God.

They are the primary and inevitable expression, outpost, and instrumentality of the presence of the kingdom among us.

You and I, together, this local church, as an outpost, as an expression, as an instrument of the presence of the kingdom of heaven.

We're a society of Jesus.

That's what we're meant to be, that's how we're meant to thrive.

And last week we looked through scripture after scripture after scripture, and if we're completely sincere about obedient financial stewardship as Jesus followers, and learning from the legacy of faith from generations of Jesus' church before us, then we have to land in confidence and clarity that scripture says they all participated.

Everyone did what everyone could beyond their means.

They gave everything they could for the sake of kingdom generosity and legacy.

They trusted the strength of this together legacy that everyone contributing to the whole released Jesus' church to thrive and meet the needs that were presented.

They gave not out of pressure, not out of obligation, but out of a shared purpose and conviction that to follow Jesus means we choose to be a people of generosity.

Regardless of our net worth, regardless of our bank statements, we're all responsible to be good and faithful stewards, right?

This was last week.

We all percentage give of our money every week, every day.

It's a lots of different things.

That's not the issue.

The issue is what do we deem most valuable to give to first?

That's the heart response.

And we shared last week how many of us have no problem putting God first in our day.

We get up early, open our Bible, take some time in prayer.

No-brainer.

We put them first in our day.

Many of us have no problem putting God first when we sit down to share a meal with family or friends.

What do we do first?

We pray.

We acknowledge the presence of God with gratitude.

Many of us have no problem putting God first in our marriage.

It's why we stand up before witnesses and before our Creator and covenant.

And we see marriage at its best as a three-way partnership.

Me, her, and him, right?

We don't have an issue with putting God first in our marriage, in our day, in our in our week, in our week.

We're doing that right now.

We're putting putting God first in our week.

We we got up, we left our home, we drove to this place, or we stayed in our house, but like created some space to tune in online.

Why?

Because we we just think it's important to put God first in our week.

That's why we're here.

God first in our money is a natural consistency for a lifetime of obedience in the same direction.

Are we making room for the Holy Spirit to whisper confident hope that it's okay to trust God first with our finances?

As a society of Jesus, our together legacy at Evolve, as a vehicle of Jesus' hope, invites us to take an honest, heart-level dive into what we believe about our money and his church, our church.

And Jesus always, throughout Scripture, is refocusing the attention.

It's not about the external response, it's not about the act, it's not about the duty, it's not about the obligation, it's about our hearts.

Jesus views our stewardship of finances as an indication of trustworthiness for the greater spiritual things.

If you can steward money, then you can steward my kingdom.

It's always a heart look.

And when it comes to our obedient response with our finances as Jesus followers, it's clear that Jesus is after our throne.

He's after our hearts.

If we take an honest look in Scripture, and that's all we're asking in this series.

For every teenager in the room, for every home, for every family, can you create enough space where you don't just take an honest look at what you've felt or what you've experienced or what you've heard about?

Because we all have horror stories of being taken advantage of, feeling used, seeing mismanagement, poor stewardship of finances in Jesus' church through generations.

I'm not asking you to look at those things today.

We could.

But what's more important is creating space for the Holy Spirit to settle this in our own hearts.

Right?

And so we pray.

If you would just close your eyes.

If you're comfortable, maybe just turn your palms open on your knees or stretch out a hand.

Just take a deep breath.

Thank you, Father.

Father, we pray as we recenter our hearts on you today.

Would you teach us your decrees so that we can keep them?

Would you give us understanding?

We want to obey and put into practice your instructions with our whole heart.

We acknowledge, Jesus, that our true happiness is only found when we walk in your path.

Not the world's not our own.

We don't want to love money.

We want to love your ways and your best practices.

So we surrender our eyes to your leadership today.

Would you turn our eyes away from worthless things and give us real life today through your word?

Because you are first and because we live in reverent awe of you, we trust.

We trust in your promises.

Father, your plans are good.

So we ask you to help us abandon any path of shame, any path of guilt.

We abandon it in your presence today.

Because we long to obey you, to trust you, to obey your commandments.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

If you have a Bible, um, would you turn with me to Psalm 119?

They're gonna put it on the screen.

Psalm 119, verses 33 to 40.

Psalms 119:33–40

As we read from scripture today, it's with hearts surrendered, hearts open, hearts willing to receive.

And here's what it says: it says, Teach me your decrees, O Lord.

I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding, and I will obey your instructions.

I will put them into practice with all my heart.

Make me walk.

Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that's where my happiness is found.

Where are you searching for happiness right now?

Is it along the path that He commands that He's making you to walk?

Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money.

Turn my eyes from worthless things and give me life through your word.

Reassure me of your promise made to those who fear you.

Help me abandon my shameful ways, for your regulations are good.

I long to obey your commandments.

Renew my life with your goodness.

God's word for us today.

Amen.

Is RJ Barros in the room?

Is RJ here?

Okay, all right.

Um I invited RJ, asked for permission to just share a story.

Because RJ and his wife Sam have been a part of Evolve.

Uh they officially went into Planning Center on October 1st, 2018, which is like eight days after we launched.

RJ and Sam and their beautiful children have just been a part of this family from almost from the very beginning.

And um this summer, RJ sent me a text message, and he's given me permission to share it with the room.

On August 28th, a text message that read, we'd like to set up a monthly donation to Evolve.

We're committed to doing a specific amount for the next three months, and then our plan is to start increasing it.

Evolve has done a lot for us over the last few years, and it's been a massive support to our family in some challenging financial times that we've been dealing with privately.

Because of the support and the example of spiritual and meaningful leadership, we have found our way.

And for the first time in a long time, we are breathing with purpose and starting to hit our stride again.

A big part of our future is tied to the peace we've found in community at Evolve.

And this is just a small way we'd like to give back.

Thank you.

And as I was chatting with RJ this week, the big thing was just like being a part of family for four years, that brought them to a place of just like breathing with purpose again.

And the natural response for their family was being a part of this church has changed our lives.

Of course, we want to help give financially so that other people can experience what we've experienced.

No-brainer.

And he shared with me that it was easy for them to begin to pour into this house because they they just trust that we're gonna repurpose it with greater impact.

And attached to that, both he and Sam have started serving on team here.

RJ's serving at youth with Bennett and Becca and our whole team.

His kids aren't even close to youth age yet, but he's turning up early because it's something he's passionate about, the next generation.

Not just giving finances, but giving his time.

And Sam's helping lead with our moms on Wednesday morning.

And love Yeg.

And he said, it's important for us to give back to this family that helped us feel family for the first time.

Sam grew up here, RJ's from the land down under.

He's been in the city for 12 years.

12 years.

And he said it it was finally four years ago, finding home at Evolve, that he experienced the gift of family, real relationships.

That's what I'm talking about.

When it comes to our obedient response with our finances as Jesus followers, it's clear that Jesus is after our focus, our attention, our values.

He's after our heart.

So I have a big question today.

What is the first and best attention, focus, and priority of your money aimed at?

From a place of honest surrender.

What is the first and best attention, focus, and priority of your money aimed at?

Our passage today, Psalm 119 and verse 36, is this prayer from David Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money.

Turn my eyes from worthless things.

Give me life through your word.

I love Eugene's unpacking of this.

He says in the Message translation, give me an appetite for your words of wisdom and not for piling up loot.

Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets.

Invigorate me on the pilgrim way.

Turn our eyes, divert our eyes.

Literally speaking, if you look at the Hebrew unpacking of this turning of our eyes, literally speaking, it says, Would you keep my attention from that which has no lasting impact?

Father, would you keep my attention from that which has no kingdom value?

Management consultant and author Peter Drucker says it this way: Tell me what you value, and I might believe you.

But show me your calendar and your bank statement, and I'll show you what you really value.

That's just straight gold, not even from the Bible.

But that's an honest, like, tell me what you value.

Sure.

You can talk about it all day, and I'll probably believe you.

But if I showed you my calendar and my bank statement, you would see what I really value.

Because regardless of what we say we value, how we consistently allocate our resources is the best indicator of what our eyes are focused on and what's really of value in our hearts.

What are you putting first?

Last week I shared this new Barna study, the state of generosity, and two stats that are dark on the dark end.

One in four U.S.

adults say that generosity is extremely important to them.

And by generosity, it's actually talking about financial generosity.

And only 35% of Christians completely trust Christian churches with their financial support.

And that's why RJ's story wrecked me.

You know, we often we often look at this passage that each one of us, what's the right kingdom response when it comes to stewarding our money?

Pray.

Ask God what you can do.

And as pastors, we actually are really open-handed and patient with that process.

You might be brand new in the room.

Maybe your story is similar to RJ, that you've been here for four years and you haven't felt like you've landed yet when it comes to how you're giving to this house financially.

I just want to tell you that's okay.

Like it's it's not about your relationship with us as your pastors, it's about your stewardship and your obedient response as you pray.

Keep praying.

Keep praying.

And trust that God's going to speak.

And when he does, our response is to just obey.

Because on the plus side, when asked why they choose to give, the option that Christians select the most is I give because of who I am.

Which begs the question for every one of us watching online and every one of us in the room today: who am I?

What do I value?

What are my eyes focused on when it comes to my money?

When it comes to my money, what really has my heart?

Today's big question: what's the first and best attention, focus, and priority of your money aimed at?

Tell me what you value, I might believe you, but show me your calendar and your bank statement, and I'll show you what you really value.

Or better yet, in the words of Jesus.

Let's look at Jesus instead of Peter Drucker.

How about that?

Matthew 6.

Your eye, there it is again, your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body.

When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.

But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness.

And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is.

It's another way of saying you might be deceived.

The message translation: your eyes are windows into your body.

If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light.

If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a musty cellar.

If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have.

Your eye, like a lamp.

What you focus your attention on in value is like a lamp that provides light for your whole body.

What you give your attention to, your best, first, most valuable attention, is like the light that illuminates the steps that you take.

And the probing question attached to this unique passage, this weird passage of Jesus talking about our eyes being like light, the question is: are you stumbling in darkness right now?

Are you confused with the steps that your life is taking?

Are things feeling disordered in your heart right now?

Maybe it's a question of financial surrender.

Because when we focus our attention on things that are of value, that are healthy, the rest of our life is filled with light.

I think the best part about Jesus sharing this strange rant about our eyes, right here, in the middle of a very celebrated sermon called the Sermon on the Mount.

The greatest part about this I rant that Jesus takes is that in context, he's actually teaching about money and our possessions.

Let's read it in context.

Are ready?

Because that's important.

Matthew 6.

Don't store up treasures here on earth where moths eat them and rust destroys, where thieves break in and steal.

Store your treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body.

Here it is.

When your eye is healthy, your whole body's filled with light.

When your eye is unhealthy, your whole body's filled with darkness.

And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, How deep that darkness is, because no one can serve two masters.

For you will hate one and love the other, you'll be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

That is why I tell you, don't worry about a thing.

Whether you have enough food or drink or clothes, isn't life more than food and your body more than clothing?

Look at the birds.

They don't plant their harvest or store.

We love this passage.

Like, okay, Jesus, don't worry.

But the the harsh, again, Jesus diverting our attention is what are your eyes focused on?

What are you looking at?

What are you prioritizing in value?

Where's what has your heart?

Verse 28, why worry about your clothing?

Look at the lilies.

Yet Solomon and all his glory, I love that.

Verse 30.

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.

Why do you have so little faith?

So don't worry about these things, saying, What are we going to eat?

What will we drink?

What will we wear?

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers.

But your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and then he will give you everything you need.

So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it.

So Jesus is teaching us about money and possessions.

Don't take my word for it.

Pull open your Bible, Matthew 6, verse 19 to 34, Sermon on the Mount, subheading for these verses is teaching about money and possessions.

Matthew 6:19–34

This is all-time classic Jesus teaching us about our money.

Right there in the middle, right there in the middle of don't store up treasure on earth.

Where treasure is, hearts, the desires of your heart will be.

You cannot serve God and enslave to money.

Right there in the middle is this text about what are you looking at?

How is your eyes?

Why is it important in verse 24?

SmackDab between 19 and 21 and the rest of this passage.

Why?

Because it's a call for you and I to live undivided in our loyalty to the Father.

It's a call for you and I, as Jesus followers, to live undivided in what has our attention first, what has our gaze first, what has our values first, what has our priorities first, especially regarding our money.

When it comes to our obedient response with our finances as Jesus followers, it's clear that Jesus just wants our focus.

He wants our attention.

Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body.

Where your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.

I wonder if the peace that we're so desperate for, the renewed sense of purpose that we're searching for, a feeling of like resting and abiding in the vine that is Jesus, that we're desperately trying to find, I wonder if it's connected to what we're looking at first with our money.

Is what you're focusing on with your money right now healthy or unhealthy?

Is your focus and your attention and your value for where your money goes healthy or unhealthy?

Is it whole is another word.

Is it sound?

That's actually the word that is used in Greek here, haplos.

It means healthy, whole, sound.

When your eye is whole, sound, healthy, your whole body is filled with light.

This Greek word, haplos.

R.

T.

France writes about this passage and this phrase of what we're looking at.

The eye is the lamp of the body, either in that it is the window through which light enters the body, or more probably, in that it enables the body to find its way.

The eye in what we're focused on enables us to find our way.

The eye in what we're focused on with our resources enables our lives to find their way.

In either case, its effectiveness depends on it being hapless, sound, healthy, whole.

What we focus on in value with our money enables our entire life to find its way clearly.

This is kingdom value.

We could break it down in real simple, practical ways.

You know, maybe you're 14, 15, 16 years old in the room and you've got your beginner's license, you're learning how to drive.

How many of you know when that snowfall first hits the ground in Edmonton and you're out there and you don't have your winter tires on yet?

What you focus on is what you're gonna hit.

What you focus on as you're driving that motor vehicle is where the direction of the car goes.

Where you're looking, yeah, amen.

I know that's a painful amen coming from the front row.

We've had our own what we were looking on.

Well, you know, where we're where we were looking is what we hit this fall.

You know, what we focus on when we're driving a motor vehicle is where we look.

I can't I can't share this without thinking about my dear friend that passed away this weekend.

He used to tell a story about training to become a paramedic and being on the tarmac of an airport driving at top speeds with a blind in front of his eyes.

And then in a split decision, the instructor would pull away the blind and he would have to make a split.

Where his eyes looked was either he looked for the opening or he looked for the dummies and smoked them with the ambulance.

Where we look, the vehicle follows.

Where you look with your finances, your entire life is filled with light and will follow.

Or, if it's unhealthy, you'll be filled with a sense of darkness, struggling.

R.T.

France goes on to say, there seems to be in this passage, Matthew 6, a deliberate double entendre here.

Haplos taking up not only the theme of undivided loyalty, but also that of detachment from material concern.

Haplos, sound, healthy focus, undivided loyalty to the Father, and freedom from material concerns, hence generosity.

Because if we really lived our lives that God was first and we trusted what matters to his heart more than anything else, and that freed us from the fear and the materialism of money, what would we just love to give to first?

Where would we love to sew into first with our finance?

What would we pour into as a quick response?

I love this double entendre, haplos, sound, healthy, whole, taking up not only the theme of undivided loyalty, but also that of detachment from material concern, hence generosity.

The two themes intertwine throughout this whole section that Jesus is teaching on.

Don't worry, trust me.

What are you looking at?

Don't worry, trust me.

What are you looking at?

Regarding our finances, what do we value?

Are we totally devoted to what matters to God's heart first?

Matthew 6, 22, your eye like a lamp that provides light for your body.

When your eye is healthy, your whole body's filled with light.

Stott about this passage puts it this way it's all a question of vision.

If we have physical vision, we can see what we're doing and where we're going.

So too, if we have spiritual vision, if our spiritual perspective is correctly adjusted, then our life is filled with purpose and drive.

But if our vision becomes clouded by the false gods of materialism and we lose our sense of values, then our whole life is in darkness and we cannot see where we're going.

When it comes to the finances that you're stewarding with your life right now, regardless of what's in your bank account, regardless of the season that you're in, regardless of the needs that we all currently have, the Father invites us all to pray and say, Will we be a people of surrender?

Will we be a people of focus?

Or in the words of David, give me an appetite for your words of wisdom, not for piling up loot.

Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets.

Invigorate me on the pilgrim way.

We all store up treasure.

We all do it.

We all have basement crawl spaces and attics or garages or rented storage units, containers, countertops, closets full of worthless treasure.

We turn our eyes to our neighbors or our friends or our siblings to focus on what they've stored up and what treasures and trinkets they have.

And we compare, and it turns out that the light we think we have is actually darkness.

We divert our eyes.

Turn our eyes, Jesus.

That's all we ask.

That's our honest, heartfelt prayer today.

Turn our eyes, Jesus.

Divert our eyes.

And so we pray, Father, would you keep our attention from that which has no real kingdom value?

Would you enlarge our vision as people of faith, as people in process of faith, as people that are just beginning to learn to trust you with every part of our life?

We refuse any aspect of your kingdom without Jesus on the throne of our lives.

Would you enlarge our vision to see what matters to you, God?

To see your heart.

Would you quicken our first and best attention on what matters most to you?

And if we're honest, we see clearly in the life of the early church and in the words of Jesus that you want our focus, you want our attention, you want our values, and you want first.

Not just some but the whole.

And that includes our finances.

You're building your church, ecclesia.

Not buildings, not property, not programs, but people.

Our day, our week, our relationships, the meals that we share, how we spend our time, and how we give away our money.

Jesus, it's clear you're after our focus, our attention, our gaze, our vision, our values, our hearts, and the city.

And over this next week, as we pray in community for all the things we celebrated on November 6th and Vision Sunday, as we look ahead in faith at what you're inviting us into, as we prepare a way, a legacy story together for future generations.

Lives we might meet, lives we may never meet.

But as we carve out paths for the redemptive and renewing hope of Jesus to transform lives in this city and in this province and in this nation of Canada and around the world, it's our together response.

It's our together obedience, it's our together prayer, our together legacy.

As we answer this question, what is the first and best attention, focus, and priority of our money aimed at right now?

Our call to action today, church, is simply this.

Would you pray?

And keep praying?

Would you ask God to give you courage for undivided loyalty?

Because that paves the way for financial generosity.

And Father, would you give us courage and faith to trust you with our money, to not worry as we give in faith together.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much for listening to today's message.

If you're ever in the Edmonton area, pop by for a visit.

And if you need any more information, visit EvolveChurch dot com.

We hope to see you soon.