Trust Test - Part One

Welcome to this week's message from the church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Well, I want you to turn with me this morning.

If you do not have, I think everyone has a worship guide.

If you don't, we want to make sure you do have a worship guide.

Everybody have a worship guide.

All right, good, because the outline's on the back of the worship guide this morning.

And uh we're going to be looking at some tremendous life-changing truths this morning, as we always do.

We've got a little saying around here about this book.

You know what we say about this book?

First of all, we say, here we go.

We what?

Love it?

We learn it, we live it.

Let's say that again.

We love it.

We live it.

Thank you, brother.

Okay, good.

All right.

Dave, uh thank you.

All right.

Um today we're gonna be looking at, today and next week.

This is uh part one, part two service.

I mean, sermon.

Because uh we've looked at as we began the month of January.

I told you, I said, if you'll hang with me and not miss these truths, they can change your life forever.

I believe that.

Thirty plus years ago, I heard these principles as a young man, as I was a student at Liberty University on stewardship, and and really what it what stewardship boils down to.

First time the word stewardship shoots, everybody says, Oh, there he goes again.

Preacher's gonna talk about money.

Can I say something?

Stewardship really has nothing to do about money, it has all to do about you and me.

It's not that we're trying to raise money, it's that we're trying to raise Christians.

Can I get an amen?

That's the truth to stewardship.

And that's what Paul meant when he said in 1 Corinthians 4 2, moreover, it is required in a steward that he be found what?

Faithful.

Faithful.

And in order for us to be faithful, then we gotta have to do one thing.

We have to do one of the most important things in our lives is that if we're gonna be a faithful steward, then we've got to trust him.

And we started out last, the first Sunday in Matthew, I mean in Proverbs chapter 3, verses 1 through 10.

Proverbs 3:1–10

We're going back to Proverbs chapter 3, verses 1 through 10.

Proverbs 3:1–10

And we said the key word for this whole series is can God trust us?

But the key word was trust.

You know the verse, Proverbs 3, 5, which says, What?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all thy ways, acknowledge him, and what?

And he shall direct thy path.

So we said the word trust and how important it was.

And we looked at how in that first message that we could trust God, and we looked at ways that we do that.

And then last week, Satan did his best to keep me from preaching that message.

Uh, but I just made up my mind.

I was coming that morning and I was gonna preach the message and then leave.

That's the first time I think I've ever been to church and didn't hug anybody's neck, and I missed that.

But uh I didn't.

But I wanted that word to go out because it was probably one of the key messages in this whole mini-series on trust, and that was can God trust us?

And what a powerful message that was.

Not because I preached it, but because of the truth in it.

Can I get an amen?

If you've not seen that message, you need to go online and watch it.

It's that powerful.

You really need to see that message.

Now, leading up to that, if we can trust God and then He can trust us, how do we know that God is trusting us?

Or how do we know that we're trusting God?

Well, trust test number one is today.

Part two will be next Sunday, so that when we finish, we will understand in our own hearts and lives whether or not we're totally trusting God and hey, putting us then in that position so that God can trust us.

And if God can trust us, as my granddaddy used to say, Katie, bar the door.

God's gonna open the windows of heaven and he's gonna pour you out a blessing, this church a blessing that we cannot conceive.

I guarantee it.

I guarantee it, because the word of God cannot lie.

Can I get an amen?

So, with that said, let's begin.

But I want to open up, first of all, with a little uh, one of the key, I do so much reading, and boy, this week that's all I did, study.

And I find all kinds of little nuggets, and I got a little nugget I want to open the service with, and here's what it says.

The first time I saw God, as he says, at first when I saw God, as my, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things that I did wrong so as to know whether I merit heaven or hell when I die.

He was out there sort of like the president.

I recognized his picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know him.

But later on, when I met Christ, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride.

But it was a tandem bike ride.

And Christ was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that he suggested that we change places.

But life has never been the same since.

When I had control, watch this, this is good.

I knew the way.

It was rather boring, but it was predictable.

It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when he took the lead and changed places and I took the back seat, he knew delightful long road trips up mountains and through rocky places at breakneck speeds.

It was all that I could do just to hang on.

And even though it looked like madness, he said, pedal.

And I'd say, but he'd say, pedal.

I worried and I was anxious.

And I asked, where are you taking me?

He laughed and didn't answer.

And that's when I learned that I was going to have to learn to trust him.

I forgot my boring life and entered into an everyday adventure.

And when I'd say, I'm scared, he'd lean back and he would just touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed: gifts of healing, gifts of acceptance, gifts of joy.

He gave me gifts to take on my journey.

And as often as we went and where we went, he would say, Now, give those gifts away.

The extra baggage.

Hey, your gifts are just extra baggage.

Too much weight.

So I did.

To people we met, I'd give my gifts.

And I found that in giving I received.

The journey continued and our burden was light.

I did not trust him at first to take control of my life.

I thought he'd wreck it, but he knows bike secrets that I don't know.

He knows how to make those sharp corners and how to jump clear off high rocks and do things I could never have ever done if I were in control.

And I'm learning to be quiet and pedal in the strangest places.

I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm not sure I can do it anymore, he smiles and he says, just pedal.

Boy, is that not good.

Man, that's good.

I thought to myself, is that not the truth?

When we're in dire straits in our life.

And and we got people right now, we got a lot of people sick, we've got people that had tragedies, we got people that have family problems, we got we every kind of problem you can imagine, we have it.

Amen.

You know why?

Because we're people.

And people have problems.

But I got good news.

Most of the time, the problems we have, we create ourselves.

Here's why.

Because we're in the front seat on the bicycle.

And we're trying to do the pedaling on our own, and we're trying to do the direction on our own instead of letting God be in the front seat.

Amen.

Our job is not to guide, our job is to hang on and pedal.

Amen.

That's our job.

And if we ever learn that and feel comfortable and excited about being in the back seat, just hanging on and pedaling and allowing Christ to take us anywhere he wants to take us and do with us anything he wants to do.

You're now ready for the abundant life.

Amen.

And he said, I have come to give you life and give it more abundantly.

But we will not experience that abundant life if we're in the front seat.

Amen.

He has to be in the front seat.

So, with that said, I think every one of us comes to the place that we have to ask ourselves, and I believe this totally, can I really trust God?

Because, see, the reason we stay in the front seat or in the front, that front seat pedaling on the bicycle belt for two, is because we really don't trust God.

Hello, that I know you don't like that.

I don't like that either, but that's the absolute truth.

Because, see, when you trust God, you're in the back, and guess what?

You don't have to worry about where you're going.

You're going wherever he takes you.

Amen.

Our problem is we worry about where we want to go.

Can I get an O me?

In fact, we try to tell God where we need to go.

That won't work.

Oh, He'll let you go.

But yeah, you'll be going, you'll be guiding, but let me tell you this, it's boring.

You said, No, it's not.

Oh, yeah.

You said, wait a minute.

No, I understand what you're saying.

Hey, now, yeah, sin can be fun for a short season, but it's just for a short season and then you pay.

But the abundant life is forever and exciting and joyful and happy.

There's a big difference.

And so we see that.

Can I really trust God with my life?

Can I really trust God with my future?

Can I really trust God?

Hey, with my job, can I really trust God with my possessions, my health, all of it.

Can I really?

So, with that said, I'm trying to give us some test in these next two messages that really open the doors of our hearts, and God looks right in and we see where we really are when we talk about are we really trusting God?

Now, I want to start with I love acrostics.

You'll never forget acrostics.

You'll take this acrostic today and next week, you'll put it in Proverbs chapter 3, that chapter, or write it.

Proverbs 3 · chapter mention

I've written it out in my margin in my Bible.

I want you to use the acrostic, the word trust.

It's in your outline.

And first of all, letter T.

Here's what it says.

Letter T, take an inventory.

We need to be asking ourselves the bottom line question.

Do I really trust God?

In fact, 2 Corinthians 13, 5 says, examine yourself, prove yourself, whether or not you be in the faith.

In other words, the first question you gotta take, hey, here's the bottom line.

Are you really saved?

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

I didn't say you go to church.

That's not what I said.

You don't take your inventory by saying, well, I go to church.

Now guess what?

Saved people like to go to church.

Hello.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, Hebrews 10, 25.

We understand that.

But and by the way, I didn't ask you the question, too.

I've been baptized.

As important as baptism is in the area of obedience, it really has nothing to do with your salvation.

Hello.

But everything to do with your obedience.

Everything.

That's the first thing the Lord asks you to do after you get saved, is to follow Lord and believers baptism.

We got a great baptism.

We'll be baptizing again first of February.

Need to be baptized.

We got a lot of you need to be followed, Lord, and baptism.

Call the church office and set it up.

Say I want to be baptized when Pastor Danny baptizes in February.

But that's important.

That's not what I'm asking you.

Do you really know him?

Do you have a real relationship with him?

What does a relationship mean?

You're going to see as we go through this trust test.

It means that you trust him.

Can I get an amen?

So that's what we're talking about.

You've got to take an inventory.

Galatians 6, 4 says that we are to prove our own work.

We are to examine our own work.

Jesus said, You shall know them by the fruits that they bear.

I have a lot of people tell me they're saved.

Oh, I'm saved.

I'm saved.

In fact, I've canceled with two or three people this week.

They said, Well, if I'm, I know I'm saved.

They said, Preacher, you said if I'm saved, I'm going to heaven.

I said, Yeah.

I said, but there's fruits in a Christian's life.

A Christian will bear fruit.

Some will bear some fruit, some will bear more fruit, some will bear much fruit.

But if you're saved, you're going to bear fruit.

Matthew 7 says, you should know the tree by the fruit.

And he says, hey, an evil tree can't bear good fruit, and a good tree can't bear evil fruit.

Can I get an amen or oh me?

So I'm tired of people telling me they're saved, but they don't, they there's no fruit.

Hello, there's no fruit.

Uh-uh.

Well, I prayed the prayer.

The prayer doesn't do anything, it's the prayer that you're praying to give your heart to Jesus Christ.

Now, in that prayer, if you give your heart to Christ, you change and you become a fruit bearer.

Amen.

Amen.

So you got to take an inventory.

Why?

People ask me all the time, people come and go.

They come and go.

Absolutely, they come and go.

Why?

Because chances are they've not ever taken a personal inventory.

And hey, really realize that they've come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

When you get saved, ladies and gentlemen, you radically change.

There's a different want-to.

Hello.

You want to go to church.

You want to study your Bible.

You want to help people.

You want to, you got a new want-to.

If you wake up on Sunday morning and say, oh, I got to go to church, whoo, you don't have the right want-to.

Hello.

You don't have the right want-to, folks.

Amen.

So, you got to take an inventory.

Letter R.

By the way, this is just an introduction.

Recognize God as your source.

We need to realize as we take inventory of our life that everything that you and I have right now is a gift from God.

Can I get an amen?

Everything we have is a gift from God.

You said, Well, I work for it.

Yeah, but who allowed you to have the health to work for it?

Hello.

Who gave you the job?

Well, I did.

I died.

You got an eye problem.

And if you got an eye problem, you're going to not have the right want-to problem.

That's it.

That's it.

Every good gift, say it with me.

Every good gift, every perfect gift cometh down from above, the Father of light.

James 1.17.

Amen.

So you got to realize that.

John said it this way.

Everything I receive, the beloved John said, everything I receive, or he says, I can receive nothing except it be given to me from heaven.

Boy, isn't that good?

Somebody say that's good.

John 3.27.

So, recognize God as your sword.

Letter U.

Understand God's principles.

Until we understand them, we're always going to hold back on our trust toward God.

See, the more you understand God's principles, the more you walk in the Word and apply the Word to your life, then the more you walk in faith.

And the Bible says we are to walk by faith and not by sight.

And what does that mean?

We walk by sight when we're doing it our way.

We walk by faith when we get in the Word of God and be obedient to the Word of God and do it His way.

Amen.

That's walking by faith.

Oh, next month these four messages on faith are going to be powerful.

But we got to learn, hey, to trust Him.

2 Peter 3.18.

But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Giving, hey, Jesus Christ to him be glory, both now and forever.

So as we grow in his principles, in his promises, then we become what?

A person walking by faith.

And walking by faith means we are trusting God.

And let me put it this way: He's in the front seat.

Amen?

With me?

Then letter S.

You gotta surrender everything to God.

Nothing, you can't hold anything back.

When I first got saved, I gave him everything but one thing.

Well, probably more than one thing, but one thing I know was my athl I would loved athletics.

I was an athlete.

So I just, you know, I was gonna do it my way.

And so I just started putting, you know, I put him first in everything but athletics.

And because that was my area, and I was gonna do my own thing.

Well, when I took my back out, deadlifting over 640 pounds at a meet, I did win the meet.

I won the Southeastern Collegiate Championship at Georgia Tech.

But guess what?

I never lifted another, I never deadlifted after that.

Messed my back up.

The Lord took my sports away from me.

You know why?

I meant my weightlifting away from me.

You know why?

Because I was trying, now, hey, I was using weightlifting as a as a platform to witness.

So that was good.

Oh, that's good, that's good.

But I was really feeling I was fulfilling my own ego, my own pride.

You know.

I meant, uh I was in the front seat.

The Lord was in the back seat.

Oh, I I oh, I knew how to drive my way, but not his way.

You're right.

That's good, Jerry.

But hey, hey, but once he took that away from me, guess what?

Within six months, you know what happened to me?

I surrendered to the call to the ministry.

See, I was not gonna be a pastor.

I was gonna be a coach, I was gonna be a weightlifting coach.

I had it all figured out, and in the summer I was gonna be a youth pastor.

I had it all figured out.

I'm driving my bicycle.

Hey, Lord, when I need you, I'll call you.

Just hang on back there.

I'm driving.

I got it all figured out.

Bam! All of a sudden, the bike's in the ditch.

Yeah, Pastor Danny's got it figured out.

He's in the ditch.

Can't get up.

Hello?

You with me?

So we've got to realize we've got to surrender everything to God.

You know what we do?

We're excellent at this.

We are excellent.

Christians are excellent at this.

Hey, I'm talking about growing Christian.

I'm not talking immature Christian.

We are excellent at figuring out how we know God's wanting to do what we want to do.

It's called trying to con God.

Hello.

Hello.

We're pretty good at trying to con God.

And we justify because we say, now, Lord, you know this is good.

I'm witnessing for you.

I got Jesus' awesome on my shirt, and I'm lifting, and I'm in everything's for you.

He's oh, really?

Really?

You really think that I think that you're weightlifting?

Hey, that I'm before you're weightlifting?

You're God, you're weightlifting.

You're sports.

You've got your life figured out the way you feel like you want to do it, but I've got something great.

And you don't have a clue.

And the reason you don't have a clue is because you won't let me get in the driver's seat.

But when he did, I have, hey, that little thing that I read, the reason I love that so much, that was my life.

I had a very prodigal life, what I did, how I did it.

But when I gave my life to Christ and He took over and He started pedaling in the front seat, my life has never been the same since.

And you asked my wife, one thing I promised her when we got married, I said, I don't have a lot of money, but I can promise you this: your life will never be boring.

Ask her.

Ask her.

And I've lived up to every word of that.

We've had the ride of our life.

And we're still riding.

Amen?

Because he took over.

And then letter T.

You got to test God's promises.

Malachi 3.10.

The only place in the Word of God you can see where God says, test me.

Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith, said the Lord of hosts.

If I will not open the windows of heaven and what?

Pour you out a blessing.

Now that's so important.

And we're going to look at that verse, so I'm not going to dwell there because that's just kind of the overview of what I'm going to be preaching the rest of the day and next week.

We're going to use that acrostic.

So with that said, let's go and let's look at the first one, taking an inventory.

Turn with me.

In your Bibles to Psalms 139, verses 23 and 24.

Psalms 139:23

What does it really mean to take an inventory?

What do we do?

How do we do it?

There's three observations that I saw in these two verses that show us how to take an inventory.

Psalms 139, 23 says, Search me, O God, know my heart, try me, know my thoughts, see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.

Now look at what that just said.

Search me, O God.

Search me.

That's an awesome statement.

In other words, he says to God, the psalmist says, God, look deep into my heart and find out everything that I'm thinking.

I don't know about you, but that's scary.

How would you like right now for God to throw up every thought you've had this week up on that screen?

Somebody say, mercy.

Mercy.

Wow.

Huh?

Well, I know you say you're not going to do that, are you, preacher?

I don't have the ability to do that.

And I don't want you knowing some of the stuff I thought.

Amen.

The only problem with that is he already knows it.

And he knows it before we think it.

Wow.

What about hey, that's what the book says.

Luke 11, 17.

God knows our thoughts, what we are thinking.

Lord, help me.

Help me, Jesus.

John 16.30, he says, Jesus, Jesus says, I know all things.

And then in Acts 1.24, he says, I know what's in your heart.

Woo! Lord, he knows my thoughts.

He knows my heart.

He knows all everything about me.

So how do you think you and I can con God?

No way.

Absolutely no way.

So look at these observations with Psalms 139, 23, and 24.

Number one, observation number one, only God knows everything about us.

Do you realize God knows things about you that you don't know yourself?

Hello.

Why do you think the psalmist is crying out right here?

He says, I really don't know what's all in there.

I know there's some good and there's some bad and there's some ugly.

But Lord, would you help me get to the bottom?

Would you purify my heart?

Would you purify my thoughts?

Would you help me, Lord, to get pure?

Woo! Somebody say that's good.

Lord, would you help me to get pure?

I'm praying that this morning.

Lord, help me get pure.

Help me control my thoughts.

To cast down those evil imaginations and all those evil things that hey, hey, that go against God's way and God's thinking.

Help me get rid of that junk out of my mind.

2 Corinthians 10, 4 and 5.

Amen.

Don't let me watch that garbage that I shouldn't be watching, or listening to that garbage that I shouldn't be listening to.

Oh, you gone to meddling?

No, I'm just preaching the truth.

And I'm as guilty as you are.

Hello.

Don't let me talk about my friend or my enemies and have that kind of thoughts and all that junk.

God, I need help.

That's what he's saying here.

He's asking God to help him.

Take an inventory.

Get it out.

You know what I'm doing right now?

This week?

I've been getting that junk out of my throat onto the grass so I can talk.

I know that.

Yeah.

That's a pretty good illustration.

Well, guess what?

That's what sin is down in here.

And up here, we gotta get that junk out so we can think right.

Amen?

Amen.

Everybody starts coughing at the same time when I brought that up, didn't you?

Truth's the truth.

That was pretty bad, but it was a good illustration.

Number two.

Second observation.

Only God can lead me correctly.

I don't care how strong you think you are, how good a Christian you think you are, you're still in the flesh.

And I'm telling you, you one thought, one action away from, hey, any kind of sin you can think of doing if you're not allowing the Holy Spirit of the awesome God to control your thoughts and your actions.

Amen.

Amen.

David, a man after his own heart.

If it can happen to him, it can happen to any one of us in here.

He that thinketh he's standeth, take it heed lest he falls.

1 Corinthians 10, 12.

Can I get an amen, preacher?

Only God can lead me.

The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.

Psalms 37, 23.

Number three, here's the third observation in that verse.

He says, Know me, get all that junk out, lead me, put me in the right direction.

That's why he's got to be right driving a bicycle.

And then number three, he says, Search me.

Take an inventory and trust in God begins with me.

I gotta do it.

I gotta do it.

Nobody else can do it.

I can't do it for Darren.

Darren can't do it for me.

Look at chapter 3.

Look at verse 5.

Underline the word you or yours.

He said in verse 5, Trust in the Lord with all what?

Or in my Bible says, your heart.

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes.

Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your uh produce.

So your so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Your, you, you, you, you, you, me, me, me.

I can't do it for you, and you can't do it for me.

But boy, there's a great reward if we do.

If he lets us hey, if we allow him to cleanse all that garbage out.

Can I get?

Hey, hey, hey, Papa, you say garbage in, garbage out.

Amen.

Righteousness in, righteousness out.

You with me, church?

You with me?

Man, that's good.

Boy, that's good.

So, trust starts with a personal inventory.

Number two.

Letter R in the word trust.

Recognize God as your source.

Deuteronomy 8.18.

Look at what it says.

You know it, many of you.

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God.

For it is he that what?

Wait, now watch.

What let's stop right there.

Hey, but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is God that gives you power to get wealth.

Now you thought you were doing it.

Uh-uh.

Uh-uh.

God enables you to do it.

Amen.

If you can get that straight this morning, you're ready to let him get in the front seat.

It's not about you, it's all about him.

Not I, but Christ.

Galatians 2.20.

Not I, but Christ.

You with me, church?

Man, isn't this good?

Man, this is so good.

It's convicting, isn't it?

Amen.

My toes are hurting already.

Well, I've, hey, how would you like to be me all week, closed up, couldn't get out, and God whipping me like a whoo!

Yard dog.

Yeah, yard dog.

That's a good word.

Come on, dad.

I tell you, I'd get whipped so bad, Rocky, like I said, wouldn't even sit in the lap.

It's bad.

He said, I don't know what dad's in, but I don't want it.

In fact, in fact, God is the source of our life.

I love the little humorous story that I found about the mother telling her young daughter about the birds and the bees.

She started asking all these questions.

She got through telling her daughter about the birds and the bees and all the stuff, you know, that you should tell your daughters.

And by the way, sex education ought to be taught by the moms and dads, not by the school.

Amen.

It ought to be taught God's way.

But anyway, when she got through telling a little girl that she stopped.

She was a little teenager Paul.

She said, Mom, does God know all that stuff?

Yes, he knows all that stuff.

He created it.

Amen.

He created it.

That is so true.

As I was going through the word this week and realizing that there are so many places in the Bible that tell us without God we can do nothing.

And without God, everything's impossible.

Amen?

But with God, all things are possible.

Mark 10, 27.

With men it is impossible, but not with God.

For with God all things are possible.

And listen to what I found out.

You know what?

I found out in Matthew 5.36, you and I cannot grow our hair or change our hair if it's not through God's source.

He knows every little hair on your head.

Now, for some, this is definitely not the 21st century, because some of you ladies have learned how to change your hair.

And coloring it and all that.

But hey, we don't even have the source to grow our hair if it wasn't for God.

And then Matthew 6.27 tells us that we cannot add one day to our life.

We cannot add one inch to our hive if it's not through God.

Amen.

That's what it says.

And then let me tell you what else I found out.

This is awesome.

Then in uh James 4.14, we found out that we cannot even say with certainty what's going to happen to us tomorrow.

Now we try and we plan and count all that, and that's good.

We need to do all that.

Don't get me wrong.

But he says in James 4.14, whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow.

For what is your life?

Even a vapor that appears for a little time, then it vanishes away.

Amen.

God's our source.

You may not be here tomorrow.

So live today, hey, like as if this could be your last day living for Him.

We did that, man.

He's definitely in the front seat pedaling.

So that's what He's saying.

And then in Acts 27, verse 20, I found out that we cannot even save ourselves from disasters without God being the source.

Acts 27:20

You hear me?

Man, that's good.

That's why, hey, this is if if we allow CCW to be his church, we don't have to worry about anything.

Amen.

Nothing, Granny.

We don't have to worry about anything.

All we have to worry about is trusting him and doing what he tells us to do.

You gotta be obedient.

He says, I'll build my church.

Danny Lovett's not building this church.

That's why, hey, when I'm out there hugging X, I wished everybody that's ever visited here would be here.

But you know what I know?

When I'm pulling in, I'm praying right then, I'm saying, Lord, you know who's gonna be here today, who needs a blessing today, who needs to hear this truth today, and I want you to bless them.

And that's all I can do.

Now we check on you, we're gonna do that.

I'm a shepherd, we're gonna check on you.

You miss three Sundays, we're sending the posse.

But but no, but we love you.

We want you.

But again, I'm gonna get back to if you trust him, if you love him, you want to be here.

Amen.

You want to hear the truth.

So it can change your life and be more like Christ.

So we're not building this church.

Jesus is building this church.

Can I get an amen?

Amen.

Amen.

We're not building this church, he's building it.

We're just happening to be the instruments and the stewards and the trustees that he's using to build this church.

I don't want that responsibility.

Come on.

Amen, brother.

I got enough responsibility just trying to be the under-shepherd.

Amen.

You with me, church?

So we see how important this really, really is.

And then the third thing we want to look at this morning, and be the last thing for this message, and then we'll pick up next week is the letter U, understanding God's principles.

This is where really the rubber meets the road.

There's three reasons.

Understanding God's principles.

Through thy precepts, he says in Psalms 119, 104, through thy precepts I get understanding.

Therefore, I hate every false way.

Wow.

Now watch what the psalmist said.

He said, I get understanding through your word.

And as I get understanding and I apply your word, I begin to trust you.

And as I begin to trust you, I begin to walk by faith.

And as I begin to walk by faith, I begin to hate everything that God hates.

Amen.

Amen.

You can't go.

You can't go to a movie and watch junk.

You can't do that.

You can't do that.

You know, you can't go to a movie today.

I'm gonna just say something here.

I am sick and tired of hearing so much foul language that I it makes me sick.

And people say, well, that's the way real people talk.

I got news for you.

I'm a real person.

I grew up in a real little town, and our people I was around, they didn't talk like that.

It's nothing but a bunch of lying thieves and and thugs and and people that hate God, don't like God, don't want anything to do with God.

It's all about them and the c and I and you say, well, the culture.

Hey, hey, we gotta stand up and take responsibility ourselves.

You get saved, gotta change your vocabulary.

Hello!

Put off all the old.

Yeah, and put on the new.

Man, I I I can't, I don't understand it.

I was never, listen, and I wasn't always saved.

I ran with a pretty tough group.

We whip anything around.

But we didn't talk like that.

We may use a four-letter word every once in a while, but we every other word, elf this and this and this and this.

Good grief.

If I'd have done that, one of my own buddies would have knocked me out.

Can't you talk?

Hey, amen.

Miley, you must be a dummy.

Grandpa way out.

Oh, good.

You say that in front of grandpa, you may not be living.

My papa, it'd been the last time I said that.

I mean, I'm no dummy.

I mean, come on, guys.

Is that where America's gone to?

God help us.

We need revival.

Amen.

Amen.

I know that's not popular preaching.

Well, I didn't be, I'm not called by God to be popular.

I'm called to tell the truth.

Just study the word on cursing through the Bible.

You'll see what it says about it.

In Romans 3.10, he says, the wicked don't talk like that.

The wicked.

A guy the other day let a couple of them out.

I said, Well, I gotta work on that.

I said, Well, if you work on it, you're not gonna do any good.

Because it hadn't helped you yet, has it?

I said, you need to get the Holy Spirit in your life and let him work on it.

He'll change your he'll change your talking.

Saw me, he saw me yesterday.

He said, preacher.

It's working.

See there?

But we'll sit there and let him talk like that.

I ain't gonna do it.

I'm not gonna do it.

Maybe you can handle it.

I had a guy say, well, I had a guy say, Well, I can watch any of those.

That that language doesn't bother me.

I got news for you.

You got a problem.

If that kind of language doesn't bother you, you got a problem.

You got a heart problem.

And God help us when they use GD.

Boom! I don't, but I feel like it.

Boom.

Just you know.

That's my father you're talking about.

Man.

All right.

I got on a rabbit.

I'm sorry.

Three reasons why Christians don't give more to God.

Here we go.

That rabbit needed chasing.

Number one, they don't think they can give and meet their own needs.

Why do we not give more of our time, more of our treasures?

Hey, and more of our talents.

Why do we not, and I'm not just talking about money.

If you get that, you've missed the whole point of this message and the series, really.

It's not about the money, it's about us as stewards in all areas of our life.

We just don't really believe that God can meet and take care of our family, meet our budget, and meet my needs.

Well, I got news for you.

You don't believe what the book says because Philippians 4.19 says.

And by the way, that's the problem.

The problem, let me tell you, that's our problem.

We're trying to meet the needs.

See, it's not our problem if you're living for the Lord.

Now listen, boy, if you get this, boy, that's this is one of those when you're pedaling and he's leading, he just kind of jumps off the cliff, and you're saying, Oh, and you don't know what to do, and he just says, just keep peddling.

Because he's gonna take care of you.

But this is that area when you don't know what to do.

But he says, My God shall supply all.

Say that word for me.

All.

Your needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

See, the problem is we're trying to meet the needs when we ought to be allowing God to meet the needs.

And I got news for you, he's got a lot more blessings for you than you even have for your own self.

Hello! Give him a hand on that one.

Give him a hand.

Guarantee it.

Guarantee it.

He's blessed me in ways that I never thought.

I mean, this.

This week, just this week, the way.

Look at verse 9.

Honor the Lord, hey, from your wealth and from the first, hey, of all your produce and your time, your talents, and your bodies will be filled with what does that say?

Plenty.

Say it with me.

Plenty.

And your vest will overflow with new wine.

In other words, you're gonna have more than you know what to do with.

And the reason you and the more, and let me help you what to do with it.

The more he gives you, the more you give away.

That's it.

That's the way it works.

Teach.

That's the way it works.

Number two, they don't know how to give.

They don't know how to give.

I want you to see Malachi chapter 3, verses 8 through 12.

Malachi 3:8–12

This is powerful.

Will a man rob God?

Now, every one of us sitting here saying, No way I would really rob God if I knew I was robbing God.

Well, let's see what he says.

Not what I say.

Will a man rob God?

Yet ye have robbed me.

But you say, wherein have we robbed thee, Lord?

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh.

In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me.

Even this whole nation.

Look at verse 10.

But here's the answer.

But bring ye all the tithes in storehouse.

That there may be meat in my house and prove me now here with says the Lord of hosts.

If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough.

Did you hear that?

There shall not be room enough?

Jesus.

Room enough.

You won't have room enough.

Ha ha! You won't have room enough for the way I'm gonna bless you.

Now I want you to look.

Verse 11.

Now here's the key when you being a good steward.

You're trusting God, and He's trusting you.

There's not gonna be room enough.

You're gonna have plenty.

Your vats are gonna be running over with new wine.

And then he said, but here's something more powerful than that.

Are you ready?

Verse 11.

Very few people ever see it, very few preachers ever preach on it.

I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vines cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

Woo! In other words, God's gonna protect you and your children and your family.

Because you are trusting him.

He's obligated to take care of you and your family.

Now watch verse 12.

And all nations shall call you blessed.

For ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

Wow, wow, wow, wow.

What unbelievable truth.

There it is, folks.

There it is, right there.

And also in Proverbs 3, 9 and 10.

So they don't know understand the giving.

They don't understand.

And 1 Corinthians tells us 16, chapter 16, verse 1 and 2, when will we give when we take up the offering?

And the offering here is part of worship here in this service.

But hey, we give upon the first day of the week, Sunday.

Let every one of you lay by him, by him, in store as God has pre prospered him, that, watch this, that there be no gathering when I come.

In other words, here it is.

Here it is.

So you learn to give the first fruits.

Somebody asked me the other day in Proverbs chapter 3.

Proverbs 3 · chapter mention

He said, I got a question about tithing.

Okay, God's told me to tithe.

Now what do I do?

He said, I I do I tithe on the net?

You've struggled with this.

We all have.

Do you tithe on the gross?

Net gross.

Jesus.

Gross net.

Here's my answer.

Because I'm not going to try to be a legalistic preacher.

Here's my answer.

You want a net blessing?

You want a gross blessing.

Jesus.

That's my answer.

That's my answer.

And I'll be honest with you, I've done both.

And I'm telling you, hey, I want a what?

Gross blessing.

That's why this church is being blessed.

Because our tithings went beyond 10% back to missions.

Higher is about 28, 29%.

God's blessing.

Amen.

I want him to, hey, I want him to open the windows of heaven and pour to us a blessing that we can't even contain it.

Oh, it's coming.

It's coming.

You wait.

You wait.

The only reason God is not going to build something that you and I, ten years from now, wouldn't sit back and say, if we mess it up.

Hello, if we mess it up.

If we don't trust God.

Amen.

That's the only way we're going to mess this up.

And we try to build it.

Hello?

You okay after that?

Stewardship principles that make a difference.

Here we go.

Number three.

Number one, the who's in charge principle.

That's it.

There it is.

I'm not going to get away from it.

Look at Psalms 24, verse 1.

Psalms 24:1

And he says that, hey, who's going to run my life?

Basically, some that said the earth and everything that is in it belongs to the Lord.

The world and its people belong to him.

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.

Hey, the world and they that dwell therein.

And if I took you over to Colossians chapter 1, verse 15 through 20, uh, you just go over there and you read it on yourself.

Colossians 1:15–20

But he said everything God created was for him and by him and for him everything.

Amen.

You're a creator.

Let me help you.

God allowed you to be created and formed.

He knew you.

He knew you before you were even conceived in your mama's womb.

Amen.

Woo! Man.

And he's got a plan for you.

He's got a purpose for you.

And you know why you say, well, I haven't found it?

Well, it's time to start making some better choices.

Amen.

It's time to start saying, okay, hey, it's time to get off the hey, front seat and get back in the back seat and start pedaling.

Go, God, I'm with you.

I'm peddling.

Where are we going?

I don't care.

I'm with you.

Yeah, but I don't care.

I'm with you.

Amen?

I wish they had me a bicycle bill for two.

I'd be up here right now showing you that.

Amen?

That'd have made a good prop.

Nobody in the public?

Number two.

Number two.

The give and grow principle.

Practicing stewardship produces growth.

I have a quote here by Timothy Johnson that's outstanding.

Listen to what he said.

Some say, dedicate the heart and the money will follow.

Now let me think through this.

Dedicate the heart and the money will follow.

But our Lord put it the other way.

Here's what the Lord said in Luke 16, 34.

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.

Wow.

If your treasure is dedicated, your heart will be dedicated.

If it's not, it's simply won't.

It's as simple as that.

I used to tell the young people, the college students, very I taught all freshmen.

I used to say, how many of you love God?

And I'll do this in our church.

I'm going to do it right here.

How many of us would say we really love God?

Most of us, every one of us.

But are you willing to take the trust test to see if you really love God?

Okay?

You know what I used to say?

All right, here, two things.

I want your checkbook and I want your time, your time management book.

I want to look at those two this last month.

I want to see one, how much time you're spending doing something for the Lord.

Okay?

Not just going to church, but working for the Lord too.

But that's part of it.

A big part of it because you work through the church.

And then let me see your money.

What's the largest check you write every month?

Where does it go?

Yep.

I'm no longer I'm no longer loved by my people.

Think about that now.

Where do you spend most of your time?

And where do you spend most of your giving?

That's where your heart is.

Sorry.

Hey, I'm hurt.

I'm right there with you.

That hurts.

That hurts.

But it's the truth.

It's the truth.

And then we sit back here, and I'm terrible at this.

And I'll think to myself, well, why is not God taking care of me and doing this?

And he said, hey.

And we sit there and we say, oh, I've got to provide.

You know what God taught me this week?

And I had to ask him to forgive me.

He said, quit telling me I'm going to provide.

He said, I already have.

He said, I want to know what you're doing with what I've already provided.

I went to my knees just like that.

Said, God forgive me.

He said, I'm not interested in providing more.

I'm interested in what you're doing with what I've already provided.

Lord.

Talking about bam.

That wasn't just a hit.

That's a body slam, Paul.

Amen.

Let me tell you what I found out personally, and I wrote it in my notes in my Bible.

Practicing good stewardship enables us to grow.

That's what you want to watch.

We find our spiritual gifts.

Now listen, the next series on Wednesday night is going to be spiritual gifts.

Susan's going to do a phenomenal job.

Okay?

It increases our faith.

We walk by faith, not by sight.

Hey, we become spiritually sensitive.

Amen.

Amen.

Wanting to help other people and spiritual needs.

And as you have opportunity, do good to all the brothers, especially those of the household of faith.

Galatians 6.10.

We become fruitful for God's kingdom.

We receive a blessing from God, and we are blessing to others.

When we're growing in our stewardship.

Wow, that's good.

And here's the last thing we make a lasting contribution.

Revelations 14, 13 says that our labor, blessed are they that die in the Lord, because their labors do follow after them.

How does that happen?

Not by hoarding, but by our giving.

Can I get an amen?

And then the third principle, the do-it-now principle.

Stuart ship deals with our present resources.

Listen to this little cute poem.

Procrastination is my greatest sin.

It brings me endless sorrow.

I'm going to stop doing it.

Perhaps I'll start tomorrow.

Sound familiar, folks?

All guilty?

Amen.

What are you doing?

Let me ask this question.

What are you doing right now with what you got?

That's the key.

That's the question.

What are we doing with our resources right now?

I love the little story about the rich guy.

He was going around, he's a preacher, and he was preaching his prosperity gospel.

And his story was, now I'm going to tell you about giving.

Fifteen years ago, I had nothing, and I was in this revival meeting, and the pastor said, take every dime you got.

And he looked in his pocket, he pulled out a$20 bill and he said, Give it all.

He said, I threw it in the offering plate.

And now, 15 years later, I'm a multimillionaire.

And God has blessed me, and He'll do that for you.

Now watch this.

Now wait, wait, wait.

Don't clap yet.

Teach us.

So he's in this meeting and he says the same thing.

And about this time, a little old lady raises her hand.

He said, Yes, ma'am, you have a question?

He said, she said, yes, sir.

He said, now let me get this right.

You had nothing but$20 bill.

You threw it in the offering plate, and now you're rich and famous.

You're a multimillionaire.

And God's blessing you.

Yes, ma'am.

That's exactly correct.

Okay, well, here's my question.

Yes, ma'am, what's your question?

Would you like to do it again?

Think on that.

Would you like to do it again?

In other words, give it all again.

If you really believe that, do it again and see what he does.

Mmm.

Again, that's that con in God.

Well, God, if you'll do this, I'll do that.

No, no.

You do this and watch what God does.

You can't condition God.

Man, we've all been guilty of that.

I have.

You have, we all have.

Amen.

Then the number four, the fourth principle is the I'm in debt principle.

Look at Romans 1, 14 and 15.

Now most of you say, well, I'm in that one.

I do that principle well.

I'm in debt.

You know, there's only three types of people.

The ones that have, the ones that have not, and the ones that haven't paid for what they have.

But notice what he says, I am debtor, both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise.

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are in Rome.

What is Paul saying?

Here's what he's saying.

He's saying, For I owe a great debt to you and everyone else.

Paul understood that he was a debtor.

Our debt, our indebtedness is twofold.

Number one to God.

Can I get an amen?

We are indebted to God for what he's done for us.

Let's just say, Lord, thank you for blessing me.

Lord, thank you for blessing me.

Come on, church.

Let's say it together.

Lord, thank you for blessing me.

Amen.

We're in debt to him.

We are in debt to him.

God is good and all the time.

Jesus is awesome.

And Jesus is awesome.

Yes.

Can't we pay back?

Can't we give back?

Can't we just be real?

And then the second indebtedness is to the previous generation.

We don't do a good job at this.

This week I was in my office, that's where I stayed, satin on the couch studying.

And I got two big pictures in my office.

One, me with a picture of Dr.

Falwell.

And me with a picture of John and Dr.

Rawls.

And I started thinking, crying, really, because of what God was teaching me here.

I said, Lord, thank you for the years that I had to spend with Jerry Falwell.

And how he changed my life through you.

How he taught me to have faith and never give up, never quit.

Even when all hell was coming against him.

I mean, we we would be getting it and not have a dime in the bank.

He'd get up there on Sunday morning and start preaching like it's the best it's ever been.

You know why?

He knew something.

You know what he knew?

He trusted God.

And now you look at Liberty University.

It's the largest evangelical universe, Christian university in the world.

Over 100,000 students.

No more money problems now.

He knew that.

Falwell saw that when Dr.

Falwell saw it when none of us saw it.

And Dr.

Rollins talking about doing the impossible.

At 94, he built 11 camps whirl around the whole world and started reaching like 25,000 teenagers a year or more.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

We owe them.

Listen to me, young people.

You owe your parents.

You owe your grandparents of what they've passed down to you.

I think of the Benji and Brady.

And they've worked hard in this business of David's.

But they owe a lot to Christy and David.

They paid the price.

I remember when he didn't have a dime.

You say, how do you know that?

He asked me for money.

And I didn't, and I didn't have a dime.

And we both started begging and pleading and borrowing and getting every dime we could so he could go into SERPRO.

See, everybody, you don't see, you don't go by, you don't see the grassroots, folks.

Amen.

Some of you right here, you just got here.

Hey, you didn't see us two and a half years ago when it was me, Susan, David, and Christie.

You owe respect and gratitude to those that have gone on before you and have blazed the trail.

Amen.

Don't ever forget that.

Oh, I miss them.

I miss my mentors.

I don't have them to call anymore.

I miss them.

Oh.

Don't take it for granted.

But honor your previous generations.

Thank them.

Love on them.

Because they love you.

I heard David brought a message about the work ethic and character Wednesday night to young people.

I've had several of you already tell me about it.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

And let me finish.

If we grasp the truth in this message, oh folks, your life will never.

Hey guys, the youth home boys, if you grasp this truth, you'll never be the same.

You'll never be the same.

And by the way, God's got something beautiful for everybody in here.

If we let him drive the bicycle.

What's my job?

Come on.

What's my job?

Pedal.

Let him, hey, let him guide the bike.

We just pedal.

And last thing, the fountain of youth principle.

All of us want to live forever.

Well, let me tell you how we do that.

We live forever through our giving.

Can I get an amen?

Douglas McLawson said this: we exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.

Jesus said that what we keep we lose, and what we lose, we keep.

And is that good?

I want to give you one verse.

Do I have Psalms 49, 17 up there?

And I'm through.

For when a man dies, what does it say?

He shall carry nothing, nothing away.

Even his reputation, his glory, shall not descend after him.

I read this little article this week.

You never see a hearse with a luggage rack.

You never see a hearse with a luggage rack.

Amen.

Isn't that good?

And I close with this statement.

Calvin Coolidge, you can tell I'm a history buss.

One of the presidents.

Now listen, don't miss this.

Everybody just stop.

Steve, stop for me.

I'm picking it, Steve.

All right.

Don't you miss this.

This is who this church is.

And I close with it.

That's why I saved it.

No enterprise or church can exist for itself alone.

It ministers to some great need.

It performs some great service.

Not for itself, but for others.

Or failing therein, it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist.

Wow.

Is that not good?

It ceases to exist.

You know what I get so excited about this church?

We got a vision.

And the vision's not about us.

This is not a country club.

Amen.

You know, you walk in here, we love you.

We don't care who you are, what you are, what color you are, what you're so, we don't care.

We just love you because God loves you.

Amen.

And we want to be like Jesus.

Amen.

That's who we are.

And we're going to do it and help people.

That's who we are.

Okay?

We don't have our vision's not for us, it's for Him.

I close with Calvin Cooley's statement.

But I gotta, I wished I could sing.

Benji, I'm so jealous.

Because I'd start singing.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold.

I'd rather be his than have riches untold.

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.

I'd rather be led by his nail-pierced hands.

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause.

I'd rather be faithful to his dear cause.

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.

I'd rather be true to his holy name.

Woo!

Let's pray together.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

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Send us an email at office at the church at CW.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.