Giant of Wealth

Anyway, I want you to turn back in your word to Matthew 6 again.

I'm burning up.

I'm getting excited.

Woo! I'm ready to.

I'm ready to attack.

I'm telling you, when Satan starts rearing his head, there's only one way to deal with him.

And you don't run.

You stand with the word of the living God, and you put your armor on, and not only do you stand, you start marching toward him.

You say, I don't know about that.

Now wait a minute.

Oh, yes, if you believe the scriptures, you do.

Jesus said, Upon this rock I'll build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

That is an offensive charge for the church to attack hell.

And so don't tell me.

Satan only knows one word, and that is Jesus.

Jesus.

And when he hears that, he flees.

He flees.

Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Last week we looked at the God got on our vacation, just really spoke directly to me what this church and we needed getting ready to go over into the promised land.

Amen.

And we are.

Somebody said, Why do you keep saying that?

Well, because I want to.

Hello?

It's free speech.

Now they may try to government may not believe in free speech, but I still do.

And uh somebody said, Well, you're gonna have to tone your preaching down.

I said, Nope, I'll go to jail.

I'm not toning my preaching down.

Uh I'm just I'm gonna preach the truth.

I'm gonna stand on the truth, not going back down from the truth.

I'm too old to change.

I used to be too young to know better, now I'm too old to change.

Amen.

It's it's worked, Paul, this long.

For almost 40 plus years, so I'm not I'm not gonna give up now.

But we worry, we we looked at worry, the giant of worry last week.

I know many of you told me, said, Pastor, you were preaching directly to me.

I was preaching directly to all of us.

Because one of the greatest, greatest uh tools of Satan is worry.

If he can get us worrying, he can keep us from praising God.

And when you quit praising God, you're in trouble.

You're in trouble.

You're you're on your way down and you don't even know it.

So uh we looked at that giant of worry.

And please, if you had did not, if you did not see that or look watch us online, uh please go back and watch that uh because it's so important.

But today we're gonna look at the other giant in Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

There's another giant here.

In fact, we're gonna look at verses 19 through 24, but I want to pick out to start with just the two verses that is the heart of this message.

And the message is, by the way, does everybody have an outline?

Everybody have an outline?

Okay, good, good.

And we're talking about the giant of wealthiness, the giant of wealth.

And and so here is I think in these verses before us is the emphasis on the Christian's attitude toward material wealth.

What it means to be rich toward God.

In fact, we I really believe this in these verses that we're gonna look at immediately before us is the emphasis on the Christian's attitude toward materialism.

He calls it mamma, but it's money and materialism and worldliness.

That's what that word literally means.

And what the Lord is trying to tell us here on this Mount of Beatitudes sermon is here's the most important thing.

If you really want to be rich, then you need to be rich toward God.

Amen.

And I am convinced the hardest thing for us Christians is to understand this.

And one of the reasons I think it's so hard is in America that now let me say something.

It's not hard to understand this if you go to a third world country on a mission trip.

How many have ever been on a mission trip to a third world country?

Okay.

Some of us.

I'm telling you, those folks get up in the morning praying and asking God to provide for their daily needs.

And most of us have never lived there.

We've been fortunate enough to have been born in America and been born in a family that God has blessed because of their prior commitment to Him.

So we've been blessed.

It's been our inheritance, it's been handed down to us.

And we've been raised in a situation.

Now, it's kind of growing dimmer and dimmer.

It's getting to the point where we may start seeing some tough times.

I mean, it's pretty bad when we can't even get soap.

Seriously.

So our gas jumps from$230 to almost$4 a gallon.

But what I'm saying is, we've been very fortunate.

And our attitude toward materialism and wealth has so encompassed us, engrossed us, that we are blinded to the, are you ready?

Giant of wealthiness and wealth that Satan has so thrown at us and put us in so that we begin to lust after the things of the world and we don't even know it.

Because we've never had to see the other side.

So, with that said, in this passage of scripture, look at verses 19 and 20.

There are three significant statements the master answers in relation to this question.

Do not lay up, verse 19, for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But lay up for yourself treasures, verse 20, in heaven.

So the first thing I want us to look at this morning in your outline is we must have the right, we must have the right passion in life, or we must discover the right passion for us in life.

And let's look at it.

For where your treasure is, look at verse 21.

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

The true passion of life always, now watch, determines the true wealthiness of a life.

Let me repeat that.

You might want to write that down.

The true passion of life always determines the true wealthiness of our life.

In other words, a man's treasure is that which he believes.

Now, watch this.

I want you to write this down.

God gave me this, and as I was thinking about what is a treasure.

What is a true treasure?

A man's treasure or woman's treasure is that which he or she believes, now ready?

Watch this, will bring him final happiness and success.

That which he most eagerly strives for, now listen, that which he most eagerly strives for and hates to lose, that we see is a treasure.

What he believes will bring him final happiness and success, and that which he most eagerly strives for and dreads to lose.

Now the Savior right here is teaching that in attaining a life of wealth, men and women can be motivated either by being earthly minded or heavenly minded.

So the question is as we go through these this passage of scripture and these three significant points is what motivates you for your passion?

Because you ought to have a passion.

You gotta have a passion for something.

Somebody said, I don't have any passion.

Well, bless God, you need a revival.

I mean, you gotta have a passion for something.

Some said, Yes, I have a passion for sleep.

All I want to do is sleep.

That's what I had a teenager tell me recently.

But now listen, this is this really is so good.

So let's look first of all, verse 19, at the earthly minded passion.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.

Paul put it this way in Philippians 3.19.

He said, where he speaks of certain people, he said, Do not, who sit there, he says, do not set your mind on earthly things.

And then, by the way, as Christians, we're not exempt from that.

Can I get another Amen?

In fact, I'm convinced one of the strongest pulls for us as a Christian to try to keep us from being having the right passion is materialism, wealth, power, position, all these things that we think really represents success.

And it does represent success in the world's view.

But ladies and gentlemen, we live in the world, we're not to be a part of the world.

That should not be our view.

In fact, the reason God blesses us with materialism and with things is so that we, because, let me put it this way, because, oh, this is good, we have a passion for God and what he's called us to do, and he knows we need the means to do it.

That's why he has blessed this church.

Because we're fulfilling the vision, all that land, the everything out there.

And it's so important.

Passion.

I look at Daniel back there.

Daniel's got a passion.

I mean, he's been working, going to school for three years, just had the opportunity.

Oh, this is awesome.

To go work on Air Force One.

What I mean by that, detailing it and all.

Because he's worked so hard, his passion.

And by the way, he just resigned his job because he's opening his business on 231 in detailing.

So if you want something, and I'm not just talking about taking a little bucket of soap and water and cleaning a car.

That's what I do.

So Daniel has got that passion.

And so you need a good detailing job.

In fact, he's fixing to get my 66 Cheville.

In fact, Daniel, you we're gonna put it out of here.

They're gonna see what you can do when you get my 396 El Camino detailed.

But but he's got a passion.

I got a passion.

What do you think my passion is?

Preaching! I preach everywhere.

I know some of you started to say pickleball.

I know what you started to say.

By the way, I did win the Tennessee senior division in my class yesterday.

Amen.

So now I'm going to the nationals.

That's what I've been wanting to do.

Why?

Because I love it?

Yes, I love it.

But it's great exercise.

I stay skinny.

But you know why I love it?

I got the chance to share the gospel with everybody I played with yesterday.

Everybody.

Prayed with people.

Pray with one and watch God heal him on the spot.

That's what I do, folks.

See my belt?

Jesus is awesome.

My breeches is held up by Jesus is awesome.

Hello.

He said, the preacher moon me.

Somebody.

But that's my passion.

My passion is I love people.

I want to see people find out what God wants for their lives and fulfill what God wants them to do.

Susan used to tell all the college students that tell them what you used to say.

The four spiritual laws.

Well, they always came to me and asked me what they thought they ought to do.

And you know what I'd tell them?

First of all, it's not what I think, it's what God thinks, but here's what I know.

If you're in God's will, you're in the word, and you're doing what God wants you to do, then God's gonna show you what you want to do, and then they'd start giving me.

I said, give me some ideas.

What do you think?

And I would direct them.

That's what I did.

And uh and I love that.

I love if you want to know, hey, God, God's not gonna leave you in the dark.

Folks, amen.

I'm looking at Paul.

Paul's got a passion, but he's got the brains with the lane.

Paul, Paul's got a passion.

You want something built?

Those two people right there are the best anywhere.

Anywhere.

Harry's back there.

He's one of the best.

But Harry's about to retire.

By the way, well, I'm gonna pray for you, Iva.

You have been married to that guy 53 wonderful years.

Woo! Boy, you got some crowns coming, girl.

But but he they have a passion.

And when they get through it, it's a they just don't build something.

It's a craft, it's an art that they do.

But they have a passion.

So we see that, hey, listen to what Paul said.

You gotta read this.

1 Timothy, I think it's on the screen.

1 Timothy, listen to what Paul told Timothy.

This is important, then we'll go on to the second part.

But you gotta see.

He said, those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men into destruction and perdition.

Did you hear that?

Now, verse 10, for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

Now he didn't say money's evil, he said the lust of it.

Okay?

Now you've got to understand that.

He says, for which some have strayed, here we go, from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Wow.

Wow.

And then verse 11, notice what he says.

Flee! Get out of there, run, flee these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

And then when you drop down to verse 17 in there, and we really do see this, what people fail to see is that the mere acquisition of material things which can be destroyed by moss and eroded by rust that we saw in Matthew and robbed by thieves does not constitute true wealthiness.

Never.

Material wealth amounts to nothing when compared to eternal values.

Can I get an amen?

Nothing.

Therefore, anyone who has happiness depends on these earthly material things, hey, I'm telling you, we're doomed to disappointment.

We're doomed.

Jesus never taught it was wrong to be rich, but he did condemn man's trust in riches and things which makes earthly treasures the dominant passion in life.

Again, 1 Timothy 6, 17.

Now watch.

The Lord richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Hey, God wants you to enjoy what you have.

Can I get an amen?

And hey, hey, God doesn't mind you having possessions as long as those possessions don't possess you.

Hello?

Are you with me?

That's so important.

It's so important that we understand that.

And that's what he's telling.

That's exactly what he's telling Timothy.

So, earthly minded passion or a heavenly minded passion.

Look at verse 20 in Matthew 6.

Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.

Three times in this context, the Lord Jesus, hey, mentions rewards.

He has pointed out that there is three things that he rewards.

Here's your heavenly, hey, here's your heavenly thought.

So now you want to write these three things down.

Okay?

I'm going to show them to you right here in chapter six.

Look at verse three and four.

First of all, there's a reward for giving.

Look at what he says.

When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

And then verse 4, and your father who sees in secret will himself reward you openly.

Wow.

Wow.

Giving.

You hear me every Sunday.

Thank you for your tithing and your giving.

I don't do that because we need your money.

I do this because you need the blessing from God by which you get when you give back to God in his work.

That wasn't loud enough.

I need a louder amen on that.

Amen?

He says, give, and it shall be given unto you.

Good measures, pressed down, shaking together, and running over, shall men give back unto you.

Luke 6.38.

Jesus put it this way: it's more blessed to give than it is to receive.

So you got, if you learn, let me say something.

And I tell all my businesses.

Every businessman, every, and this is just not business.

This is all of us in the workforce.

If you give out of every dollar God allows you to earn, by the way, you're not earning it.

God's allowed you to earn it.

Can I get an amen?

Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that gives thee power to get wealth.

Deuteronomy 8.18.

Okay?

You got that?

All right.

Now, with that, for every dollar you God allows you to earn, you give him a dime out of every dollar.

I don't care how much, how little.

I'm telling you, God would be a liar if he doesn't open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing.

Malachi 3.10.

Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat herewith, God says, and I will open the windows of heaven.

Not windows, windows and pour you out a blessing.

Amen.

South Georgia comes out of me every once in a while.

We're gonna winder it.

But but really, I'm serious, folks.

This is it.

You get blessed.

It's giving.

In fact, it is the discipline.

Now listen to me.

It is the discipline of giving done in the presence of God.

It's a way for me and you.

And that's why on Sunday, I can't wait when it's the offering that then to put our tithe and our offerings into the Lord.

It's my way of saying, Lord, you have blessed me this week.

You've blessed me this month, not just financially, my family, my health, everything else.

And I just want you to know I appreciate you taking care of me.

This is just a little token of really all that.

You've done for me.

Folks, if you're not doing it, trust me.

Do it and see what God does.

Oh, it's unreal.

So it's the reward of giving.

Look what else it is.

Oh, by the way, I found a little illustration.

No pocket in a shroud.

You believe that?

Listen, I found this.

You're going to enjoy this little poem.

No pocket in a shroud.

All right.

Shroud.

Did I say it right?

Close enough?

Thank you.

Use your money while you're living.

You've heard me, hey, you've heard me so many times saying, I'm going to do my giving while I'm living so I know where it's going.

Amen.

Amen.

Use your money while you're living.

Do not hoard it to be proud.

You can never take it with you.

There's no pocket and a shroud.

Goal can help you on no farther than the graveyard where you lie.

And though you are rich while living, you are a pauper when you die.

Is that not right?

Use it, then some lives to brighten, as though life they weary plod.

Place your bank account in heaven and grow richer toward your God.

Use it wisely, use it freely.

Do not hoard it to be proud.

You can never take it with you.

There is no pocket in a shroud.

Wow, is that not good?

Number two, look, verse six.

There's a reward for praying.

When you pray, go into your room and where you have shut the door, pray to your father who is in the secret place, and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Praying, folks, that is what we don't do enough of.

Can I get an amen?

In fact, uh, we've been out and in and vacation, but starting back this Wednesday at noon, we have a prayer room.

We're starting that back.

Everybody's been in and out, but at 12 o'clock, we're gonna just meet here like we've been doing, and we did it the whole spring.

And God answered so many requests.

Our staff will be here praying, and you're welcome to join us uh on Wednesdays at 12 o'clock noon, and uh then we'll go eat afterwards if you want to.

But uh, and Paul will buy my lunch.

But uh anyway, uh but I'll buy yours, Paul.

But but think about it, think about it, folks.

Pray it.

Jesus said men ought to always pray and not to faint.

Luke 18, 1.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.

We need to be praying for our nation.

We need to be praying for our church.

We're going in what God the average person doesn't understand.

When you go into a major building program like we're in right now, Satan brings all the demons out of hell to attack you.

I've done this three times.

And I'll never forget when I David said, David said, please come help me start this church.

I said, Okay, as long as we don't go into a building program.

Should have never said that.

And then my wife looks at me and says, Why in the world do you think you're not going into any kind of building program?

She said, everywhere God sent you, you had to build something.

Well, I guess I'm a wall builder.

But anyway, listen, praying, folks, we gotta start.

Look, praying, and look at the third thing.

He rewards fasting.

17 and 18.

When you fast, do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your father who is in the secret place, and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Verse 18.

See it?

See it.

So we're gonna start taking Wednesday.

Susan, I were asking.

Can't go to lunch if we're gonna fast on Wednesday.

Well, we could lunch and then not eat until the next day at lunch, but but but when Wednesday, Wednesday, I want to ask us as a church body to fast.

And you fast the way you want to fast.

There's several biblical illustrations of fasting.

But let me tell you what I'm gonna do.

God laid this on my heart.

Next week, I'm gonna bring a message on fasting.

Right here.

You don't want to miss it.

We're gonna look at it and show you the importance.

We do very little of that.

And prayer and fasting, hey, do you know when, hey, when the disciples had to deal with the demons themselves, you know what Jesus said?

The only way these are gonna come out is through prayer and fasting.

There's only one way to really, when Satan's attacking you with all hell, okay, coming at you, is through prayer and fasting.

So we'll look at that next week.

So anyway, number two, not only must we have the right passion, but number two, we must have the right directed vision in life.

Look at verses 22 and 23.

The lamp of the body is the eye.

If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?

Whoa! In a very real sense, ready?

Vision controls passion.

Let me repeat that.

Vision controls passion.

That's why Jeremiah said, My eyes bring suffering to my soul.

Oh my goodness.

It is what we see now.

Watch, and how we see it that often determines our evaluation of our treasure and our wealth.

That's good.

It's how we see it.

And boy, sometimes we can sure rationalize what we want, can't we?

Which gives me two things.

First of all, look at it.

Verse 22 the lamp of the body is the eye.

If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

There is the focused vision right there.

When vision is focused, the rays of light converge on the retina of the eye in such a manner as it floods the body, or hey, or personally with glorious radiance.

In other words, that retina, when it opens up, those lens open up, we see the light.

I see you.

It just woof, you see everything.

There's a brightness, there's a beauty.

But when that retina, hey, and when I saw this, I said, man, that's good.

And in terms of spiritual experience, this teaches us that when our inward eyes are focused on the Lord Jesus, the light of the world, he is, we cannot walk in darkness, but only in the light.

Amen.

My eyes are fixed on him.

Psalms 141, verse 8.

Psalms 141:8

My eyes are fixed on him.

Psalms 34, 5.

Those who look at him are radiant, they should never be ashamed.

Amen.

So our eyes have to be focused on him.

That's what he's teaching us.

He said, God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth, he says.

But verse 7, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with him and one another.

Wow.

So there's focused vision.

Number two, there's faulty vision.

Look at verse 23.

If your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?

Now let me tell you what I've learned.

The older I've gotten, the my what is that?

I have to read.

Is that in air vision?

Yeah.

My reading vision.

Like without those glasses, that's all blurry right there.

But I put these glasses on, I can see.

But what causes that?

Well, my doctor, eye doctor, but he speaks though.

There are, what is the word?

Astigmatism.

Did I get that right?

I wrote it down because he he told me that.

He said, these are some conditions.

A condition of the lenses which causes light to be deflected instead of focused, resulting in double vision.

Think a minute.

I said, boy, this is good.

Once again, in terms of spiritual experience, this means that if our vision is not focused on the Lord, we are minding earthly things.

Our lives become full of darkness.

And Jesus said, This is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

It is tragically, and I mean this, possible for a Christian to backslide into such a condition of deflected vision.

And that deflected vision comes because of all the worldliness and material blessings.

Sometimes, you know, I hear that.

And I said, but sometimes could those blessings be a trap?

Hello?

Could it be a trap that Satan's set him?

That's the thought God gave me personally.

Is this a thought?

Is this a trap that could be being set for me?

Only you know that because you know where your heart is.

Demas fell into that.

He left Paul having loved this present world.

2 Timothy 4 10.

Listen to another little illustration here.

Oh, this is so good.

An old man who was cranky and miserable went to the rabbi.

The rabbi was a simple man whose heart was right and who lived a simple life.

Now listen to this.

They were together, they were not together long before the rabbi got a wonderful idea on how to illustrate to the man what was wrong with him.

He took him by the hand, led him over to the window, not window, and said, Now look out the window and tell me what you see.

The man stood there as he gazed, he said, I see men, I see women, I see children.

He said, Okay.

Then he grabbed him by the hand and took him over to the mirror.

And he said, Now what do you see?

The man frowned and said, Well, obviously, I see myself.

Interesting.

The rabbi replied, In the window there is a glass.

In the mirror there is glass, but the glass of the mirror, now watch, is covered with a little bit of silver.

And no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others and only yourself.

Wow.

Maybe our trouble starts when just a little bit of silver is added to keep us from looking out.

Amen.

Amen.

So that brings me to the last point.

Not only do we have to have the right passion, the right vision, but we have to have, number three, the right, determined mission in life.

Look at verse 24.

No man can serve two masters.

Either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammoth or materialism or money.

You can't.

You can't do it.

In fact, there is no equivocation or uncertainty in the tone of Jesus' voice here.

He states plainly that the premise here is that no man can serve two masters.

No man can serve two masters.

There's no way it is impossible for any one man to have two masters in his life.

Have you ever tried that?

I have.

How many years have you lived?

I started out after I got saved.

I was on fire for God for about a year.

Then I started trying to put one foot in the world and one foot in church.

I was miserable.

Why?

There's no way you can live two lives.

No way.

A double-minded person is unstable in all its ways.

Can I get an amen?

Can't do it.

There is no human possible way.

The very moment the world is enthroned, God is dethroned.

The very moment that Christ is enthroned, the world is dethroned.

Amen.

I meant that's it.

If the world has any claim or dominion, then Christ is not the master of our life.

He's not.

Sorry.

It is clear.

Look at verse 24.

It is clear from our Lord's teaching in this verse.

Watch.

That the rightly determined mission in this life is ready, three things.

Look at this.

Loving service to Christ.

Look what he said in verse 24.

He will hate the one and love the other.

You'll love Christ so much that you don't want to be in part of the world.

Can I get an amen?

I didn't say you wouldn't live in the world, but you don't want to be a part of the world.

You don't want the worldliness to engulf you and strangle you.

In fact, Paul tells this remember to Timothy, a good soldier will not entangle himself with the affairs of this life so that he can please what?

The Lord, his master.

Amen.

And then number two, not only do we see loving service to Christ, and by the way, oh yeah, 1 Corinthians 13, what is that called in the Bible?

The love chapter.

But you know it's Paul's poem.

And you know what Paul did?

Paul emphasizes this in that poem.

Indeed, he opens up, listen to what he says.

He affirms that to speak, to serve, or to even sacrifice without love equals nothing.

Equals nothing.

So loving service to Christ, then look at number two.

Loyal service to Christ.

He will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

Can I get an amen?

You're loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You're faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Folks, if you're loyal, listen to me.

If you're loyal, you want to be in church.

You want to be around Christian people.

You want to be in Bible study.

You want to pray.

You want to be.

I love, I love you.

I love being around you.

I love being around Christian folks.

Oh, it's a blessing.

It's such a blessing to hear Christians share their testimony.

It's such a blessing.

I'm loyal to the things of God.

If you're willing and obedient, you should eat the good of the Lamb, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.

Wow.

You adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of this world, now listen, is enmity with God.

James 4, 4.

Hostility with God.

You gotta be loyal.

If you love me, keep my commandments.

John 14, 50.

Are you loyal this morning to the Lord in all areas of your life?

Really?

You'll be loyal to the tithing.

You'll be loyal to the things that God asks you to do.

You have loving service, loyal service, and then verse 24, lasting service.

No one can serve two masters.

Now, real quick, I'm through.

The Greek word for serve is literally to be a slave to.

Now, on the other hand, look at the word master, denotes absolute ownership.

And if we put these two concepts together, the verse might read this way No man can be a slave to two masters.

Wow.

Wow.

No man can be a slave to two masters.

Now to understand this, in the ancient world, even when the Bible was written, a slave in the eyes of the law was not a person but a thing.

He had no absolute rights of his own.

His master could do with him anything he liked.

Furthermore, a slave literally had no time which was his own.

Every moment belonged to his master.

I was reading this from an article.

And he was at his owner's disposal.

Here then in our relationship to Christ.

Now watch this.

Here's what the author said.

In regard to him, we have no rights of our own.

Hmm.

Thought about that.

If you have no rights, how do you get offended?

Pretty good.

I like that.

Because I get offended.

Anyone else get offended sometimes?

And you know why you get offended?

And a few of us raised their hand, the rest of you, you need to work on telling the truth.

But uh hey, you you you know when you get offended, you know why you get offended?

Because your rights have been disturbed.

But if you are of Christ, you have no rights.

So when you offend me, you're not offending me.

You're offending the Lord.

Hello?

I'm a I'm a child of the king.

I'm an ambassador.

Amen?

And by the way, if you own something, somebody steals it, and if it's if it's yours, you get upset.

I get upset.

That's mine.

I'm gonna give you a good example.

Yesterday, I went to Cox Bakery in Chattanooga.

They have the best, it's been in a bakery for a hundred years.

They had the best chocolate.

Rick.

Old-fashioned chocolate through and through.

Old-fashioned donuts.

Now there's none better.

There's none, no but no baker makes them but them.

It's unreal.

I asked Susan.

And the only time I get up say she can have a body of any donut but that one.

But she still takes it.

And she wants, you know what she says?

She said, I'm testing your spirituality.

Well, that's what that means.

You said we're sharing.

I didn't say we were going to share it, so you tested my spirituality.

So we pull up to the garbage, giving our garbage on our way home.

And Tom, a guy that used to cut grass for us, he's there and it was his birthday.

They had a big thing, 79, Tom 79.

And I'm sitting there, and hey Tom, God bless you.

And Susan just talked to him and said, It's your birthday.

Yes, it's my birthday.

And she's just going on and she says, she turned to me and said, Wouldn't it be nice for you to give your donut to him?

I hadn't even taken a bite.

I wouldn't have offered it if you had taken a bite.

I wished I'd licked it.

Next time I get everybody, I'll lick it.

But now think.

Think about that.

So I did.

I did.

I gave it to him.

I gave it to him.

In fact, she did ask, do you like chocolate?

He said, Oh, I love.

I'm sitting there, oh, he doesn't like chocolate.

I love chocolate.

But I got to thinking, I don't, it's not my donut.

I paid for it, but it's not mine.

And I didn't pay for it.

God gave me the money payment.

But what I'm saying, and let me wrap it up.

I don't know why I said that, but that was good.

But But what's this?

You cannot serve God and man.

Material possessions.

Now, here's the thing.

If we have no rights, and and by the way, let me tell you, and I'll close with this.

Man, this is good.

God gave me this.

I was thinking through it.

Back then, when when you had no rights, you had no time of your own, if you were a slave.

You were at your uh master's beckon call, you know.

Really.

Whatever he asked you to do, you did.

It wasn't that you asked him, could you do this?

He told you what to do.

And then you know what they did back then?

They would put an owl in the ear lobe.

That marked them as their slave.

Then I got to thinking about two thousand years ago on a place called Calvary.

God sent his son to die for us.

And the moment we ask him to come into our lives, God marked us through the cross of Jesus Christ.

And now we are at his disposal.

We don't have any rights.

We're a child of the king.

We're his.

And what we're to do is say, Father, what would you have us to do?

If it's your will, then do it.

James 4.

Amen.

We've been marked.

You've got, you don't have an owl in your ear, but you've got a cross in your heart.

You've been marked by the blood.

Can I get an amen?

You've been marked by the blood of the Lamb.

Amen.

So here's my question this morning.

And I wrote it.

Damn.

Remember this.

Here's the conclusion.

That which matters most is not what we possess, but what possesses us.

Let me repeat that.

Remember that which matters most is not what we possess, but what possesses us.

So, do you have the right passion?

Do you have the right vision?

Do you have the right mission?

Because if you can answer yes to that, you're the most wealthiest person you could ever be.

Amen.

Listen to me, young people.

And adults, too.

It's not the world's favor you seek, it's God's favor.

And you gotta have the right, hey, purpose.

And that purpose is to serve Him.

You got to have the right vision.

Your eyes got to be on Him, in the Word, in church, in youth, doing the right things that y'all are doing.

I'm so proud of y'all.

I'm so proud of y'all.

And then you got to have the right mission.

And that's what you're seeking as you're growing older and growing in the Lord.

God's got a mission for you.

God's got a purpose for you.

And you will fulfill it if you stay true to Him.

If you keep your eyes fixed on Him.

You will, I promise.

Susan, I've been talking, we've just been this whole month that we took, we've been rethinking and just thinking about all the wonderful this November, 40 wonderful years we've been together in ministry and how God has so blessed us.

So what I'm preaching is not something that I read.

It's something I've lived and are living right now in the fourth quarter of my life in ministry.

It's awesome.

Jesus is awesome.

And he's getting better and better and tweeter and tweeter every day.

Every day.

Every head bowed, every eye closed.