No Other Part 5 "The Idol of Money"

Welcome to the River City Church Podcast.

Our prayer is that this message would inspire and encourage you

build your faith and point you to the life changing love of

Jesus. May you enjoy the goodness of

God as you follow him today. Good morning, River City.

We are so glad to see you this morning.

If you are new today, if this is your first week here or maybe.

Your second or third but you are still new.

I just want to welcome you. We are so.

Thrilled that you are here with us and to give us a few hours of

your Sunday. We are honored and you are our

guest and so I hope that you. Felt welcomed this morning.

Well, every. Week we start off every Sunday

we start. Off our time of teaching with a

declaration and we say the same thing every week.

And here's why. We do it because we need this.

Reminder that there is no one in this room that doesn't

desperately need a savior. We are all broken.

But there's also Every single person in this room is deeply

loved by God. Not because of what you and I

have done, but because of who he is.

And so together. We are deeply loved.

Repeat after me or with me. We are badly.

Amen. I need that reminder every week,

don't you? It's a good reminder.

Well, my name is Jennifer Adams. My husband Chris and I have been

here at River City for about 2 1/2 years.

If you haven't met me, you have probably met my husband because

Chris is usually out in the foyer greeting.

We are on the greeting team and just a shout out that probably

is our favorite place to. Serve in the church because we

just get to stand out there and smile and greet everybody.

So if you are looking for a place to serve, we would love

some more people on that. Team, come talk to me or grab my

husband in the foyer and we will plug you in.

But we have three boys. Our oldest is just.

Graduated from high school. Hallelujah.

But that's only one down. Our second one is going into

eighth grade and our youngest is going into third grade, so we've

got lots. Of ages and stages represented

in my house is never quiet and never dull.

But my youngest son, Clint, he is 8.

And Clint has a lot of questions.

All the time, Every day, about everything.

Anybody else have a kid like that or raise a kid like that?

It's exhausting and part of it is this stage, but you know.

That's how they learn. I have to explain to his

brothers, this is how he learns. You got to let him ask

questions, you know, If he doesn't know what he doesn't

know. So I've been noticing lately

more. Questions revolving around

money. So hey, mom, do we have enough

money for? Fill in the blank, whatever it

is he thinks he needs a KA wants that week but a couple weeks

ago. He comes up to me and real

serious and he says mom so. Exactly how much money do you

have? So of course I took that as a

teaching opportunity because I'm always looking for teaching.

Opportunities, much to my children's delight.

And I said, listen, Clint, there's two questions that you

never ask an adult. One is how old they are and the

second one is how much money they have, to which he promptly

responded. But why?

So I attempted to. Explain to him and based on the

look on his face, I don't think he was understanding or

comprehending, but those questions told me that he was.

Wrestling with something that there was a concern for him that

we didn't have enough and we live in a.

World that is obsessed with money, it is presented as the be

all. And end all for happiness,

satisfaction, success, whatever you name it, money.

Is presented as the answer and yet.

The chase never ends because we never can seem to get enough

right. It's always there's this enough

idea is just so elusive. It's.

Just right beyond our grasp and if we aren't careful.

This constant pursuit of just a little bit more, it become.

Gets to the point where it's all we can think about.

Now I know that some of you you've already heard me for the

last couple sentences and you're.

Like, oh, I am tuning this one out because she's talking about

money and there's some of you in the room who you're getting a

little nervous. And anxious because I'm talking

about money in church and I just want to encourage you.

Hang in there with me, because I really feel that what God has

given me to share with you today, that it can really.

Bring you some freedom in this area of money.

And I don't know about you, but I could use freedom in this area

when it comes to the topic of the money.

So money can be an idol or it can be an opportunity.

The choice is ours. It just depends.

On how we view it and we are in the middle of a series on

idolatry. So if you if this is your first

week here you have jumped right into the middle of a series.

Actually, we're. Kind of at the tail end of the

series at this point. Next week you don't want to

miss. Next week Johnny will wrap up

the whole series, so it's going to be good.

But. We've been talking about idols,

the things in our life that we put in the place of God, and

there is a working. Definition of an idol that we've

been using every week. We've repeated this.

It comes from Tim Keller's book Counterfeit Gods.

And so we're going to look get it again today.

And it says this and idol is anything so central and

essential. To your life that should you

lose it, your life would hardly. Feel worth living now?

That's a strong definition. And for some of you you can

hear, read that and hear that and you immediately.

Know what that is for you. But there's some of you in the

room, and I know this because I've.

Heard from some of you. There's some of you that have

been hearing this definition over the last number of weeks

and you thought, wow, yeah, I I don't know that I can put my

finger. On anything in my life that I

really feel. That strongly about like if I

lost it I would want to. Die like I don't.

I'm not sure what that would be, so I want to expand.

On that definition, a little bit in Tim Keller's book, it's

actually in the exact same paragraph that we found this.

Working definition that we've been using.

A couple sentences later he says This and idol is whatever you

look at and you say in your. Heart of Hearts.

If I can just have that, then I'll feel.

My life has a meaning, then I'll know I have.

Value and then I'll feel significant and secure and idol

is anything. In our life that we look at to

fill. A need that only God can fill

Now we've covered several idols in this series.

We've talked about success. We've talked about identity.

Last week, RJ talked about. Busyness and distractions, and I

don't know who that one didn't hit and if you missed it, I

would encourage you to go. Back and listen to them.

And then today we are. Doing money because I guess if

we. Haven't stepped on your toes

yet. They left it up to me with the

money topic, but I am one of the newer members of the teaching

team and so some of you are probably.

Assuming that I had to, I just got the short.

Straw, Jennifer. Got money and I'm going to be

transparent with you. I actually chose this topic

well. Let me rephrase that when the

e-mail came out with the with the choices.

To the teaching team, I saw the list and I immediately knew the

Holy Spirit was saying money that was yours.

And I said, Oh no, no, no, no, no, I'm not.

So this is. What I did, I waited to see how

everybody else responded. Somebody else is going to take

money. And you guessed it, nobody else

volunteered to do money. So I got the e-mail.

Hey, Jennifer, we really. Need to know which one you're

going to do, Holy Spirit. OK.

Yeah, Money Jason was like. Yes, you got it.

And quick response and he But here's why I knew the holy.

Spirit wanted me to do money because money is a topic.

That's been deeply personal to me.

Money has been a struggle for a big.

Part of my Christian walk. And when I say struggle, I don't

mean the struggle for not having enough of it, although there.

Have definitely been seasons of my life.

There's parts of my story where that is the story where there

hasn't been enough. But that's not the kind of

struggle I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is there

has. Been a wrestling between me and

God with keeping. Money in its right place because

for so many years, my sense of security was directly tied to

the. Balance in my bank account in

our bank account once I got married.

And at and being married to somebody.

Who had his own business? Guess what Our bank account

does? Up and down, up and down.

And I would find my sense of security just.

Constantly up and down based on my bank account and this has

been an all out battle for a long time between me and God

trying to get the right perspective.

On money but. Through this.

Through the seasons, through the years of.

Walking with him, he God has taught me some really life

changing principles about money and I'm excited to share a

little bit with you. Today, because listen, I really

believe there can be freedom in this area when it comes to

money. Now I want to back up a little

bit. When we talk about idols, the

ones we've been talking about, they're really easy to see.

They're real visible. Idols Kind of your surface

idols. Money, identity, success.

But if you dig a little deeper, there are deeper.

Longings and struggles that really motivate us to.

Chase after the surface idols. I'm going to call them the deep

idols and we're going to put them up on the screen one by one

and they look like this. The next one is seeking

approval, looking for appreciation.

First one is a desire for power or.

The third one is chasing comfort and the last one is a need for

control. Or security.

Now leave us on the screen for just a.

Minute because I want to talk about him as you look at those,

Tim Keller says this that we can find our.

Idols, when we look at our nightmares, what is it that you?

Fear losing the most and each of these deep idols.

On the screen, they generate a different set of fears for us, a

different set of hopes, and they cause us to approach our surface

idols very differently. Now if you if I just lost you

just there, let me. Give you an example.

So when I look at this. List of Deep Idols.

I immediately know which one is most most often.

Mine is. Control the need for security

and because that is usually my deeper need, my deeper idol

motivating. When it comes to money, guess

what I do. I hold my money really tight.

My kids would tell you I'm stingy with it because my

security is tied to my bank account like we talked about.

And so I'm. Holding my money tight now if my

deeper idol, my deeper motivation was approval, I

would. Approach money very differently.

I wouldn't have a problem necessarily spending money if

that meant that I could earn approval.

From it I can impress people look more.

Get into the right circles. You can see two very different

deep idols, but they cause us to approach those surface.

Idols very differently, and the problem is no matter which deep.

Idol is driving you if you are. Looking to money to fill one of

these things. It will quickly.

Money will quickly. Become your master and money

makes. A poor master.

I'm going to read you a verse out of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes is in the middle of your Bible.

It's right after Psalms and Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

Was written by King Solomon. King Solomon was the son of King

David. The Bible tells us he was the.

Wealthiest man to ever live, in fact, they say.

That in today's economy, King Solomon would be worth 1.

To two trillion dollars trillion with a T that is a lot.

Of money. And I want you to hear what

Solomon says. This is an Ecclesiastes 510.

He says whoever loves money never has enough.

Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.

This, too, is meaningless, even with all of.

His money. King Solomon had learned

something to be true that money never satisfies.

We're going to spend a little bit of time this morning in a

passage. In the New Testament, we're

going to look at a story in Luke.

Luke is at the beginning of the New Testament.

You got Matthew, Mark, Luke. And we're going to look at a

story of Jesus. And a man named Zakias.

So it's in Luke 19 if you've got your Bibles, or it will be on

the screen. Luke 19 versus 1.

To 10 says this he entered Jericho and he is Jesus.

OK, so Jesus enters Jericho. He's passing through.

And there was a man named Zakias who was a chief tax collector.

And he. Was rich.

He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because

of the crowd. Since he was a short man, so

running ahead he. Climbed up a Sycamore tree to

see Jesus since he was. About to pass that way, when

Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zach,

he has hurry and come down because today it is necessary

for me to stay at your house. So he quickly came down.

He welcomed him joyfully and all who saw it began to complain.

He's gone to stay with a sinful man, but Zakia stood there and

he said to the Lord, Look, I'll give half of my possessions to

the. Poor Lord, and if I have

extorted anything from anyone, I'll pay back four times as much

today. Salvation has come to this.

House Jesus told him because he. Too is a son of Abraham, for the

son of man has come. To seek and to save the lost.

Now this passage in Luke is the only passage we have about

Zakia. We'd never hear about him again,

but in these 10 verses we can get some.

We learn a. Little bit about Psychias we

learned that he's a tax collector.

He's a chief. Tax collector, Which means that

he most likely oversaw all of the other tax collectors in that

region. And it also says that he was.

Wealthy, so as a tax collector, he was in Jericho.

Jericho was a key. City on some major trading

routes. OK, so there was a lot of

business, a lot of commerce that happened in this area.

And so he had a lot of opportunity to make money and he

was wealthy. Zakius is a so here you have a

tax collector. He is a Jewish.

Man a tax collector, which means he's collecting taxes from his

own people. For for the Romans, who were the

oppressors of the Jews, and for the Jewish people, they viewed

tax collectors as traitors. And not only were they because

they were. Siding with the enemy and and

that the burden that the Romans put on the Jews was very, very

heavy, this tax burden. And so they view tax cutters as

traders, but tax collectors also.

Not only were they siding with the Romans, but they were also

notorious for collecting more than they needed to.

Rome would tell them how much tax to collect, and they would

go out and they'd approach you and say, you got to give me this

tax plus this amount. They would.

Tack on an extra to put in their pockets.

So they were despised and they were hated.

And it makes me wonder, why would a man likes like he?

Why would he? Choose that for his profession.

Why would he want to be a tax collector when he knew his

people? Were going to hate him and

despise him, I think. It's safe to say that his deeper

idol was not approval because. He was not getting that.

Maybe it was power, maybe it was control.

We don't know. The Bible doesn't tell us.

But whatever was motivating him, he was still.

Searching. And that's what we see in the

story. He's.

Still searching because he had learned some of the most basic

lessons of life that you can be. Rich and not happy.

You can be wealthy. And lonely you can be

successful. And not satisfied, There's some

quotes I ran across from wealthy men early in America's history.

And I want you to listen to some of these.

One was from WH. Vanderbilt and he says this the

care of 200,000,000 is enough to kill.

There is no pleasure in it, John D Rockefeller says.

I have made many millions, but they have.

Brought me no happiness. And then Henry Ford, the man who

founded Ford. Motor Company, Listen to what he

says, he says. I was happiest when doing a

mechanic's job. Money will.

Never fill the void. It can bring temporary

pleasures, but in the end it. Just doesn't satisfy no matter

how much we have. We heard King Solomon, he had a

couple trillion dollars. And yet he recognized money

doesn't satisfy, and so we see this with, Sakia said.

He is still seeking something. He has power, He has position,

he has wealth, but he's still seeking something.

He's heard about this Jesus, right?

This rabbi who's doing miracles. He's gathering crowds.

He's got some really interesting teachings and he is searching

and he's seeking maybe. This is the one to fill that

void, and we know he's desperate.

Because he climbed a tree. A respectable man would not have

climbed a tree. He would not have been seen in a

tree. That was not something a man of

his position would do. And yet he was desperate.

And it was up in that tree that he had an encounter with Jesus

that changed everything for him and listen Jesus interaction

with him. Frankly, it was pretty

scandalous. And here's why I say that.

Because A. Rabbi and a rabbi is simply a

teacher. Jesus was a rabbi.

He was a teacher. Rabbis did not associate with

tax collectors. Tax collectors were the lowest

of the low that rabbis lump them in with the murderers and the

robbers and the prostitutes. They were not going to associate

with the tax collector, In fact the rabbis during this.

Time they would not allow a tax collector to be a witness in

court because their. Testimony was not to be trusted.

They were considered societal outcasts, in fact, a lot of

rabbis. Would not even allow a tax

collector. To come in the synagogue and

here you have Jesus. He's walking along.

Zachias is in the. Tree and he stops, not only

looks at Zachias, but actually. Acknowledges him, calls him by

name and says, hey, I need you to come down because I'm going

to your house. This was.

Scandalous. And you can see the people, they

were trying to grumble and complain.

Wait, this is a Sinner? Why is Jesus going with him?

And it was an extravagant grace that Jesus was.

Pouring out on Zachias that day and I want you to look and see

how Zachias responds. Back in verse eight, it says

Zachias stood. There, And he says to the Lord,

I'll give half my possessions to the poor, and if I've extorted

anything from anyone, I'll pay. Back four times as much he he

was had. Received an extravagant grace,

and the result was extravagant generosity on Zakhias's part.

Zakhias learned that day that he needed to have a shift.

In how he had viewed money and I want to look with you at 3

principles that I really think if you can get a hold of these

it will change the way you. View money and it will help you

to. Experience freedom in this area,

and this is the first one. God owns everything.

I am simply. His money manager?

There's lots of verses in the Bible that talk about how you

know we know God is the Creator. He made it all, and he talks

about how he owns it all. There's Job 4111, it says.

Everything under heaven belongs to me, Hag Guy, 28, says.

The silver and the gold, they belong to me.

In Deuteronomy 818, the Lord says The Lord your God gives you

the power. To gain wealth, he owns it all,

and he has entrusted his money, his possessions to us, and we

are. The money managers or the

stewards? Well, what does that mean?

Well, if you are a steward of something, that means that you

need to find out what the owner wants done with his assets so

that you can then carry out those wishes if you've ever met

with a. Financial planner at any point

One of the first. Questions they're going to ask

you Is this What are your goals? For the next 10 years, 20 years,

30, depending on how young you are, you'll see and I'll go out

right And they want to know what your goals are because it's

your. And they want to know how to

advise you and how to manage your money so that your goals

are realized it. Doesn't matter what they want to

do with your money. It's not their money.

They want to know what. Your goals are when we get this

idea that. Listen, it all belongs to God.

It's all of his, we're simply. Managing it.

Here's the rub that means. We've got to talk to him about

our money decisions. That means when we're making a

big money. Decision, we've got to say.

OK, God. I need some guidance.

What do you want me to do here? How do?

You want me to spend this? Where do you want me to invest?

What does this look like? That means there's got to be

some conversations. Means we've got to do some

listening. We've got to be asking the owner

what he. Wants done with his finances.

And there's another part to this though, too.

But there's also really, honestly, a sense of relief when

we really get this idea that. Not only are we talking to God,

because we recognize he owns it and we need some.

He really owns it all. Anyway, there's a story about

John Wesley. John Wesley was an English.

In the 17 hundreds and there's a story where he was out

preaching. And this man comes riding up on

a horse. In a panic, yelling his name,

and John stops and turns around. He's like, what's going on?

He's like John John, your house is burning.

Down and the story goes that John Wesley just paused and

said, well, it's not my house, it's God's house.

And I guess that's the one less thing I have to be responsible

for and the first time I heard. That story, I thought.

Yeah, if I could get that mindset.

If I could get that mindset that it it all belongs to him.

He's responsible. He's going to take care.

I'm just his money manager. It takes a weight off.

Another principle is that my heart always goes where I put.

God's money, My heart follows the money.

This we see in Matthew 6, Matthew 6 verse 19 to 21.

Matthew 6:19–21

Says this, don't store up for. Yourselves treasures on earth,

We're moth and rust destroy and we're thieves breaking and still

but store up for. Yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves don't

break in and still, and for where your treasure is there

your heart. Will be also.

Listen, we have two options. We can store up our treasures

here, or we can. Store them up in heaven. 2

choices. And whichever one we choose is

going to determine where our heart is, because our heart

follows the money. I'm going to give you an

illustration over here with this rope.

And I think he is all tangled up after first service.

But you know, we. Often live with this illusion

that. The earth is our home.

We act like it is. Like this is it?

And yet, the Bible. Says something very different.

Hebrews 11/13 says this. We are.

Foreigners and temporary residents, Philippians 320 says

our citizenship. Is in heaven, and we eagerly

await the day that we get to see our Savior there.

And so I want you to picture this rope as the timeline of

your. Okay.

And this? Tape that I have on the end

right here. This is your.

Time here on Earth. OK, it's got a beginning.

It's got an end, and it's pretty brief in the grand scheme of

things. Now the rest of this rope.

The rest of this rope represents your eternity.

That will be spent somewhere. Now this particular rope that I

got. Off Amazon.

Thank you, Amazon. Is only 50 feet long, so it ends

right. There in a pile.

But imagine that it goes on forever with no end insight.

The money that God has entrusted us with, we have a choice.

We can either store it up right here with chasing after those.

Deeper idols. Approval.

Comfort. Control.

We can build up things. We can fill up our storage

units, but here's the thing at the end, it's going to end right

here and whatever we store up is not.

Going to go with us into the future because whatever we store

up here on the earth, it will be lost, guaranteed.

You're either going to lose it while you're alive.

Hello, Stock market or you're going to lose?

It when you die, but either way you get past this last piece of

the tape and it's not going anywhere it you've lost it but

whatever we send on ahead, whatever we invest into God's.

It will last forever it. Can't be destroyed, It will

never. End nothing can still it.

And when we really understand this this concept, it helps us

to just live with open hands. Because listen, God has called

us to live for the line and not the dot.

And just imagine that little piece of tape was actually a

dot. I couldn't figure out to way a

way to make it a dot, but God says live for the.

Line and not the dot. Don't be so.

Consumed with what's happening in that short little space, but

live with eternity in mind and when we get that concept.

It results in a life of generosity and we become people

with. Open hands instead of people

with really tight clenched hands.

There's a quote from A W Tozer. He was an American pastor.

In the 1900s. And he says this whatever is

given to Christ. Is immediately touched with

immortality. Whatever we give to God, it

lives. On forever in His eternal

Kingdom, and there are some benefits.

To living like this, there are some benefits to living with.

Open hands to really understanding that it all.

Belongs to God. Anyway, here's the first one

when we. Give this and I and I actually

just said it when we give. It reminds us that it all

belongs to God, that it's not about.

It's about him. In fact, it really is.

Kind of a way of dethroning us. And exalting him when my husband

and I first got married. We've been married for almost 22

years. When we first got married, we

made a commitment early in our marriage that we were going to.

Give regularly. We were going to give

consistently that it was important that we tie the

percentage of our income every. Month and here's what there's

several reasons for but one of. Them is this one because we.

Knew that we needed a regular. Reminder that it was all about

God. That it all belonged to God.

So that every. Time I write that check every

time. I go on to the bank and I make

that transfer. It reminds me that this is not

mine. That it all came from God.

It all it. It's all his because.

Listen, I have a way of just regularly.

Putting myself on the throne over and over and over again and

every time I give it, takes me off and reminds.

Me who sits on the throne that it's all about him, Here's

another benefit of giving is it puts.

Our faith into action, It really puts flesh to it.

Because listen, I can say all day long that I trust.

I trust God. I trust God.

And it's easier to trust. God when things are going well,

right? But do I trust God?

With my finances when it's hard, when I'm not sure how I'm going

to make ends meet. Do I still trust him?

And when he says give and I don't know how I can.

Do that? Do I trust that he's my

provider? Because every time we give, it's

like this tangible thing is saying, you know what?

God, I know. I know that you are my provider.

I know that it might not make sense to me, but I.

Trust you, and I'm putting it into action by giving, giving

into your Kingdom, storing up my treasures.

In heaven, not here on earth. And also giving brings.

Freedom, Listen. Materialism.

Money stuff. I don't know about you, but it.

Can become this vicious of vortex and it just sucks us in.

I'm surely I'm not the only one and I can.

I can just. Feel it.

I can feel it sucking me in, but every time I can.

Step back and give. To God, to his Kingdom, to his

church, to hit what he's. Doing around me every time I do

that it like. Pulls me out of that orbit and

it brings freedom if materialism is a struggle.

For you, I want to encourage you that giving is the.

Antidote to materialism, it pulls you out of that vicious

vortex of stuff. And finally, this might.

Well, I'll say this my favorite, but actually I like all.

Of it, but this one giving is an opportunity to.

Partner with God, I cannot even begin to express to you the.

Joy that comes from giving to God's Kingdom and watching him

do something way above and beyond my wildest dreams,

because I'm obedient to just give until live with open hands.

I want to share a story with you.

There's a couple, a missionary couple.

That my husband and I have known for a long time and they are

missionaries in Australia and we have been.

Supporting them for a number of years now.

We support them monthly. And we don't.

It's not a lot. Listen, it's not most months.

It's not enough. For me to even fill it, but we.

Believe in what they're doing. We believe that God has called

them and we want to be a part of it.

So we give every month to them. Well, a couple.

Months ago I got a their newsletter and they shared a

need. They had.

They've had this car since they first got.

To Australia and it was old. Then and now it's really old,

like they have. Put as many bandaids as they can

possibly put on this car and it they knew it was nearing its end

and so they put a request. Out to their support team, their

family, their friends, those that love them and support them

and said hey, we need you guys to pray with us because we need

God to provide a car and listen when you're a missionary and you

are living off of the support of other people.

It's really hard to save up for stuff like that, and you are

really. Walking out this God, I trust

you to provide for me and provide for my needs.

So we got. That we were praying about it,

and my husband and I felt like we needed to give extra that

month for the car fund. Now listen, I know we're not the

only ones, but this year has been hard.

My husband's business has been slow so that.

Means income has been going down and expenses have only been

going up. Feeding three boys is just

brutal. Groceries are awful.

Right now, everything and my background as an accountant.

I know numbers and so I'm like there's not a like.

We can't give extra like the. It's not even.

Adding up right now as it is, how do we give extra?

But I can tell you I have learned something in my years

of. Walking with God when God asks

me to do something, when he asks me to give whether it be

finances you're giving might be. Giving of your time, giving of

your gifts, your talent, whatever.

When God asks me to give, and it feels uncomfortable when it

feels like it's outside what I can imagine, like I might not

even sure how that I can do that.

I have learned that I better obey because when I obey when

God's asking me to do the hard. Things that's when I have been

able to experience. Him do some amazing things.

And so we gave, we gave extra that month and a few weeks

later. I get an e-mail from her and she

shares how God had provided miraculously for them.

With this car and I can't even. Go into all the details with you

this morning, but it was. A true miracle and I want to

read you just a few phrases that she said.

She said this. She said God provided the and

she had an all. Caps Perfect.

Beyond our wildest dreams, family car to last us for years.

And then she went on to share that her husband had actually

been looking at this exact car, this exact make and model.

Since they had been in Australia because he knew that it would be

the perfect car for their family needs, for their ministry needs.

But she said that she said he had written it off and he it

literally was his dream in. Another life vehicle and God

ended up providing that vehicle for them at way below market

value. They paid.

A fraction of what it was worth. And then she said she said we

felt God's hand completely over this and are really encouraged

and our faith built up through the.

We felt on all sides. I read that e-mail and I got

emotional. Because I was like, wow, look.

At what God did for them not only was their faith.

Built up, but their two young children that are out in the

mission field with them, they're watching their parents walk.

Out in faith and God provide for them.

But then I thought, and it built up my faith.

It reminded me that, yeah, you know what?

That. Is the God I serve.

My God loves to do the impossible.

He loves to go way. Above and beyond my wildest

dreams, and that's the kind of God I serve.

And then there were a lot of emotions happening as I was

reading this. And then it was like the joy

that we, our family, got to be a part of the miracle.

And again. We did not give a lot.

It was a lot. It felt like a lot for us, but

it really wasn't a lot. But we got to be a.

Part of the miracle we got to be partner with God and doing

something miraculous for them because.

We had open hands because we were willing to be generous and

trust that if. We would do what God asked us to

do. God would in turn meet our needs

just as miraculously as He can meet.

Their needs listen when we are obedient and we hold our money

loosely when we recognize that it all belongs to God, and when

we're willing to. Be generous when he asks us to

be generous, it has ripple effects for generations.

And it goes into eternity. Those are the treasures that

gets stored. Up in heaven when we hold it

like this, when we're not holding it tight, when we're

holding it with open hands. And I don't know where you are.

This morning, when it comes to the topic of money, I don't know

what part of this may be resonated with you, but I want

to encourage you that today can be the day where just like the

story of Zachias. That we read about just like

Zachia's. Today can be the day that we

declare. You know what going forward?

I'm going to have a different view of money.

I'm going to be different from today and like that's what

Zachia said. Zachia said.

I'm not doing it the way I used to do it.

I have experienced the extravagant grace of Jesus in my

life and as a result I'm going to live with.

Extravagant generosity, because I understand now where it all

comes from and so I want you to do something very tangible with

me. If you are on the left side of a

row, there is a little. Basket under your far seat and

it has some pieces of paper in it.

I would love for you to take a paper and pass that basket down.

Everybody get a paper if you can, and what I want you to do

is I. Want you to write down today

what is your. Declaration to God today, when

it comes to this topic of money, maybe it was one of those deeper

idols that we talked about that you could relate to power,

approval, comfort, control, and you know you recognize you need

to. Give that up, maybe for you.

You need a. Mindset shift.

Maybe you need a shift from you being the owner to you being the

money. Manager the Stewart.

Maybe you've been challenged this morning that you?

Need to live with your hands more open that you need to be

willing to give? Give more.

Consistently. Give more.

I don't know what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.

You know that. Maybe you feel like you need.

To have a focus shift from the dot to the.

You need to shift your focus on what you're storing here.

To what you're storing in heaven and in eternity, whatever it is.

Write it down and when you leave today, I'm going to close here

in a few minutes. There is a display.

In that back corner it says no other because we've been talking

about how there are no other gods.

There are some baskets back there and as you leave.

Today I want to encourage you to lay it down and declare, make a

declaration that today going forward.

You're going to look at money differently and that you want to

experience the freedom that God has for you.

Because, listen, God wants us to be people.

With open hands open, with our finances open, with our time

open, with our gifts ready and willing to respond.

When he. Puts an opportunity in front of

us I. Don't know about you, but I

don't want to be so distracted and wrapped up with these.

Counterfeit gods that we've been talking about, these idols that

I'm not. Even aware of what God's doing

and available to respond to him and ultimately.

Every time we live like this, When we live like this and we

are givers and we're generous, giving is an act of worship

every time we get. It's a declaration that we

believe that God is who he says he is.

We believe that the money in our wallets, not ours.

It's his. We believe that he's our

provider, that he will guide us. He will lead us.

He will take care of us. It's a declaration that we.

Are going to partner with him to see his Kingdom advanced.

Listen, giving is a declaration. That I have enough because he is

enough so. It can be an idol or it can be

an opportunity. The choice is yours.

Where will you store up your treasure?

Pray with me. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank

you. Lord that you are enough that

you have what we need. Lord, I pray that.

We would learn to walk out our faith and our trust in you.

Lord, I pray that you would show up in lives here today.

I know there's people in this room who it's a struggle right

now it is a struggle to just pay the bills.

But Father, you see them. Or I pray that everybody in this

room would know that you see them, you have not left them,

you are with them. And what I pray that as.

We talk to you and we communicate with you about our

money, or that you would. Give us the vision that you have

or that we would. Shift our perspective to the

eternal and storing up our treasures in heaven.

When I pray that we would experience the freedom, the

freedom that comes from just holding it loosely, knowing that

we can trust you, we can trust you.

And we ask all these things in your name.

In the precious name of Jesus we pray.

Amen. Thank you for joining us today.

River City Church is all about experiencing and expressing

God's love in our lives and community, and we hope that

you've been able to experience that today.

As grateful as I am that you've spent this time listening in

this morning, this podcast is no substitute for full

participation in a local church. I love it when River City people

listen to other pastors. But it is those who show up week

after week, faithfully giving their support and time and

resources that make all of this possible.

If we can help you get connected to a local church, pray for you

or support you in any way, click the link in the description and

let us know if you'd like to financially support the ministry

of River City. Click the give link on our

website in the description. Don't forget to subscribe and

don't forget to share this with your friends.

Thanks so much for listening. May the Lord bless and keep you

in all grace and peace.