WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.000 Well, again, let me say good morning to all of you. 00:00:04.259 --> 00:00:09.720 I'm delighted that we can be here together, delighted that we can gather and worship, 00:00:10.179 --> 00:00:14.140 and in particular today, kind of remember why we're here. 00:00:14.700 --> 00:00:20.660 You know, 14 years ago, we started this church, and when we started the church, we made a 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:27.339 commitment, and that commitment was to love the people in the city of Washington, D.C. 00:00:27.339 --> 00:00:35.780 long-term, which by long-term, we mean long-term, multi-generational, right, until Jesus comes 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:38.679 again, as long as the Lord would have us here. 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:44.500 And so today, one of the things that's happening is we are relaunching the home campaign. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:51.019 We feel that this is the time in the life of our church where we need to find a permanent 00:00:51.019 --> 00:00:54.859 home so that we can make good on that long-term commitment. 00:00:54.859 --> 00:00:59.659 And we're going to be hearing a little bit more about that later in the service, but 00:00:59.659 --> 00:01:02.420 I just want to say this is a huge opportunity for us. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:05.299 It's a huge opportunity for us. 00:01:06.180 --> 00:01:09.959 This is the first time that our church has been through anything like this. 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:13.159 We've really never done anything like this before. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:18.579 And as I thought about and prayed about this time in the life of our church, which I have 00:01:18.579 --> 00:01:25.060 for many, many, many hours of time in prayer, thinking and pondering what this might be in 00:01:25.060 --> 00:01:27.239 the life of our church, I would say this. 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:32.819 My greatest hope is not necessarily that we would get a building, although that's certainly 00:01:32.819 --> 00:01:33.439 a hope of mine. 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:37.879 But my greatest hope is that this would be a time of tremendous spiritual growth for us, 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:42.840 that this would be a time where we come together as a community and we grow, and in particular, 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:48.980 we learn more about what it means to trust God, because it's the kind of thing that's 00:01:48.980 --> 00:01:51.600 going to require an enormous amount of trust. 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:56.380 And so that's what I've really been praying, and in particular, that we would trust God when 00:01:56.380 --> 00:02:00.140 it comes to our finances, because this is going to be the single biggest financial decision 00:02:00.140 --> 00:02:02.700 we've ever made as a community. 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:06.780 So what we're going to be doing for the next few weeks in light of that and our desire to 00:02:06.780 --> 00:02:12.740 grow through this process is to be talking a little bit about stewardship and about how 00:02:12.740 --> 00:02:17.099 we think about our finances individually and as a community. 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:20.580 And it's important that we do this because, honestly, in the history of our church, we haven't 00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:22.099 really done it all that much. 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:26.120 I mean, I could probably count on one hand the number of times that we have specifically 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:28.699 preached on this topic. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.319 And so we're going to be focusing on that for the next few weeks. 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:39.099 Jesus actually talks more about wealth than almost any other topic. 00:02:40.099 --> 00:02:44.659 Just take all the topics that, you know, the kind of more hot-button topics like sex or 00:02:44.659 --> 00:02:45.659 heaven or hell. 00:02:46.219 --> 00:02:50.400 Jesus talks way more about wealth than any of those other topics. 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:56.259 And one of the reasons, I think, is because the relationship that we have with our stuff is 00:02:56.259 --> 00:02:57.979 kind of a spiritual barometer. 00:02:59.900 --> 00:03:02.280 It reflects the state of our hearts. 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:07.359 And actually, this week in Luke chapter 2, we're going to see this encounter between 00:03:07.359 --> 00:03:15.780 Jesus and a man who, we might say, has a dysfunctional relationship with his stuff, with his wealth. 00:03:16.299 --> 00:03:22.340 And so we're going to see how Jesus responds to this man and what it looks like to have a 00:03:22.340 --> 00:03:25.259 healthy, godly relationship with our wealth. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:29.139 Now, you may hear this and think, well, you know, this doesn't really apply to me because 00:03:29.139 --> 00:03:33.439 I'm not really actually that wealthy, you know, so I'm going to kind of tune out. 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:39.599 But what we have to understand is Jesus is teaching a group of people who, by almost every standard, 00:03:39.899 --> 00:03:40.779 are dirt poor. 00:03:41.559 --> 00:03:47.039 Jesus' original audience in this text is made up mostly of people who are living hands-to-mouth, 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:53.279 right, who may own one additional set of clothing other than what they're wearing. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:04:00.659 So, if this would apply to them, certainly I think it would apply to us, at least to me. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:04.139 So, what we're going to see as we look at Luke chapter 2 is three things. 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:08.539 We're going to see the symptoms of a dysfunctional relationship with our stuff. 00:04:08.599 --> 00:04:09.180 How do we know? 00:04:09.180 --> 00:04:15.680 Then we're going to see the underlying source or cause of the dysfunction. 00:04:16.180 --> 00:04:20.920 And then finally, we're going to look at the cure, the way out, the way into a healthier 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:23.400 relationship with our stuff. 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:25.600 So, symptoms cause cure. 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:26.540 Let's pray. 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:33.560 Lord, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You that You're a God who is here, who is living 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:35.100 inactive, who speaks to us. 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:41.000 And Lord, I know that when I hear a topic like this, there's a part of me that recoils. 00:04:41.500 --> 00:04:42.459 I don't want to know. 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:44.339 I don't want to hear what You have to say. 00:04:44.660 --> 00:04:46.040 And I confess that to You. 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:52.860 And I pray that despite that, Lord, that You would speak words of healing, words of truth, 00:04:53.920 --> 00:05:00.240 words of goodness, words of grace, that You would invite us to open our hearts and minds 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:01.639 to what You have to say to us this morning. 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:03.939 I pray this for all of us, Lord. 00:05:04.139 --> 00:05:06.180 We all need You this morning in one way or another. 00:05:06.300 --> 00:05:07.439 We pray this in Your Son's name. 00:05:07.639 --> 00:05:07.879 Amen. 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:16.079 So, first of all, the symptoms of a dysfunctional relationship with our stuff. 00:05:16.459 --> 00:05:21.620 The first thing that we see as we begin to dig into this passage, beginning in verse 13, 00:05:22.219 --> 00:05:28.300 is that a dysfunctional relationship with money often results in strained relationships. 00:05:28.300 --> 00:05:31.879 It stresses our relationships. 00:05:32.400 --> 00:05:35.379 It causes tension in our relationships. 00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:41.740 This whole scene is set off when a man comes up to Jesus while he's in the middle of teaching 00:05:41.740 --> 00:05:43.259 and he interrupts him. 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:44.960 And he says in verse 13, 00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:48.759 Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:54.060 Now, you can understand, you know, Jesus is teaching and this man is like, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, 00:05:54.139 --> 00:05:55.079 you can do that later. 00:05:55.420 --> 00:05:56.519 This is more important. 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.819 I want you to tell my brother to give me what he owes me. 00:06:02.060 --> 00:06:06.560 So, this guy's father has probably recently died and instead of grieving, 00:06:06.980 --> 00:06:10.759 he's fighting with his siblings over the inheritance. 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:14.740 And, you know, I've known a number of families who have gone through this very thing. 00:06:15.139 --> 00:06:19.959 Some sort of wealthy, older, previous generation person passes away 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:25.639 and the entire focus isn't on grieving the death and the loss and coming together in that. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:29.480 The entire focus is who's going to get what, you know? 00:06:29.539 --> 00:06:31.300 And sometimes it's not just a big inheritance. 00:06:31.459 --> 00:06:34.219 Sometimes it's like who's going to get that antique armoire? 00:06:34.220 --> 00:06:40.800 You know, grandma always said that I was her favorite and I was going to get the antique dining room set 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:42.660 and now you get it, right? 00:06:43.340 --> 00:06:45.240 This happens all the time. 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:49.140 And so, it strains our relationships. 00:06:49.500 --> 00:06:53.800 You know, money is the number one issue that married couples fight about. 00:06:53.880 --> 00:06:55.400 It's probably not a surprise to most of you. 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:58.540 It's definitely been an issue in our marriage 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:02.460 as two people come together and try to figure out how to share expenses 00:07:02.459 --> 00:07:05.739 and how to combine accounts and how to prioritize spending 00:07:05.739 --> 00:07:07.979 and how to save and where to invest. 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:09.739 And it causes lots of tension. 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:12.859 I've also seen money come between roommates. 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:18.099 When, you know, there's bills aren't getting paid 00:07:18.099 --> 00:07:20.819 and you got one person who's super responsible 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:22.959 and they're always on top of paying the bills 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:26.740 and the other person's, you know, always supposed to Venmo their share 00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:27.779 but they never do it. 00:07:28.539 --> 00:07:30.740 You know, and you have to remind them like 15 times. 00:07:30.740 --> 00:07:33.900 It comes between friendships, right? 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:37.780 I see it dividing friends when some start to make more than others. 00:07:37.900 --> 00:07:41.160 You know, you graduate from college and you're all kind of at the same level 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:45.939 and then after graduation over the next like 10, 15, 20 years 00:07:45.939 --> 00:07:48.759 like some people go into investment banking 00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:52.180 and other people go into like non-profit work, you know? 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:54.000 And there starts to be this divide 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.699 and then you've got some friends who were like 00:07:55.699 --> 00:07:58.060 they go out to eat like six nights a week 00:07:58.060 --> 00:08:00.319 and they're always going to like the new place in town. 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:04.339 And you got the other person who's like barely able to pay their bills, you know? 00:08:04.500 --> 00:08:06.399 And they want to hang out but they just can't 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.579 because they start moving in different circles, right? 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:11.280 Because of that income split, right? 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.160 So it causes tension in friendships. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:16.720 And, you know, dysfunctional relationships with wealth 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.879 lead to all kinds of injustice 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:21.699 and much of that we see right here in our city. 00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:25.659 You know, a lot of the wealth disparity is very clearly, 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:29.039 you can draw lines on the DC map, right? 00:08:29.099 --> 00:08:32.179 Between wealthy and poor depending on where people live 00:08:32.179 --> 00:08:34.139 and those lines are there for a reason, right? 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:36.919 There are systemic causes for that disparity. 00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:40.879 It also leads to overconsumption and waste 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:43.740 so it hurts our relationship with the world itself. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:47.019 Our dysfunctional relationship with wealth 00:08:47.019 --> 00:08:49.220 causes all kinds of relational tension. 00:08:49.220 --> 00:08:51.560 So if that's true for you, if you're like, 00:08:51.620 --> 00:08:53.759 man, this has caused stress in some of my relationships, 00:08:54.180 --> 00:08:57.019 maybe you have a dysfunctional relationship with your wealth. 00:08:57.639 --> 00:08:59.160 So that's the first thing, strained relationships. 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:02.160 The second thing we see is down in verse 22. 00:09:02.740 --> 00:09:05.080 Another symptom, excessive anxiety. 00:09:06.300 --> 00:09:07.320 Excessive anxiety. 00:09:08.620 --> 00:09:09.779 Verse 22, Jesus says, 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:13.320 therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. 00:09:13.379 --> 00:09:14.100 Why does he say that? 00:09:14.139 --> 00:09:16.920 Because most of us are anxious about our lives. 00:09:16.920 --> 00:09:19.040 He says, don't be anxious about what you're going to eat. 00:09:19.220 --> 00:09:20.139 About your body. 00:09:20.560 --> 00:09:21.360 What you'll put on. 00:09:23.180 --> 00:09:26.060 How much time do you spend worrying about your finances? 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:28.300 It's a good question to reflect on. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:33.420 How much time do you spend worrying about financial security? 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:35.560 Let me put it another way. 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:38.920 How much does the desire for financial security and stability 00:09:38.920 --> 00:09:40.200 drive your decision making? 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:43.700 You know, and if you're hearing this and you're like, 00:09:43.780 --> 00:09:47.640 I don't really spend all that much time worrying about my money. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:49.840 Let me put it yet another way. 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:55.759 Do your financial priorities reflect God's heart 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:00.040 or do they reflect a desire for financial security? 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:01.039 Right? 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:02.740 At the end of the day, 00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:08.139 if a friend that you knew and you were close to 00:10:08.139 --> 00:10:10.980 was in dire financial need, 00:10:11.579 --> 00:10:13.740 would you dip into your retirement account 00:10:13.740 --> 00:10:15.339 to help them out? 00:10:16.959 --> 00:10:17.339 Right? 00:10:17.559 --> 00:10:18.659 Where are your priorities? 00:10:19.959 --> 00:10:20.199 Right? 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:20.980 It's something we're thinking. 00:10:21.079 --> 00:10:22.480 I don't think I worry about that that much. 00:10:22.579 --> 00:10:25.399 Maybe not, but maybe, yeah, maybe you do. 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:28.360 So, excessive anxiety. 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:31.480 Number three, another symptom is what we might think of 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:33.319 as a scarcity mentality. 00:10:34.199 --> 00:10:35.039 Scarcity mentality. 00:10:35.179 --> 00:10:36.759 We live with a scarcity mentality. 00:10:36.899 --> 00:10:37.419 Verse 29, 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:39.539 And do not seek what you are to eat 00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:41.159 and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 00:10:41.340 --> 00:10:44.199 For all the nations of the world seek after these things. 00:10:44.340 --> 00:10:46.419 And we need to understand the phrase seek after 00:10:46.419 --> 00:10:48.480 means a kind of single-minded pursuit. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:50.059 What Jesus is saying is, 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:53.779 don't focus exclusively on worrying 00:10:53.779 --> 00:10:55.539 whether or not you're going to have enough. 00:10:56.819 --> 00:10:58.419 And that's a scarcity mentality. 00:10:59.699 --> 00:11:02.579 A scarcity mentality means we get so focused 00:11:02.579 --> 00:11:04.299 on what we don't have 00:11:04.299 --> 00:11:07.459 that we begin to lose sight of what we do have. 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:11.899 And we become so focused on what we're afraid 00:11:11.899 --> 00:11:13.379 of lacking in the future 00:11:13.379 --> 00:11:20.120 that we're oblivious to all of the abundance around us. 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.740 And one of the key ways that you know 00:11:22.740 --> 00:11:24.139 that you have a scarcity mentality 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:27.519 is that all of your life is lived on zero-sum terms. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:31.179 You know, your loss is my gain. 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:32.940 My loss is your gain. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.139 That's a scarcity mentality. 00:11:35.700 --> 00:11:37.399 So, people with a scarcity mentality 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:40.940 tend to compare themselves to other people constantly. 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:44.480 You know, your friend gets promoted. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.960 And you feel threatened by that. 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:51.200 And so, you have to mentally tear them down 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:55.360 or undercut them in order to feel less threatened by that. 00:11:55.860 --> 00:11:58.440 Well, they only got that because they're the favorite. 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:00.840 They only got that because they're constantly kissing up. 00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:02.820 Or, you know, they didn't earn it. 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:05.200 You know, if it had been me, I would have deserved it. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:06.220 That's scarcity mentality. 00:12:07.060 --> 00:12:08.420 People with a scarcity mentality 00:12:08.420 --> 00:12:09.960 tend to hoard their possessions. 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:13.139 They tend to, not like the show hoarders, 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:15.740 but just kind of, you know, but maybe. 00:12:16.680 --> 00:12:19.060 But they tend to kind of hold on to their stuff. 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:20.259 They tend to be stingy. 00:12:21.180 --> 00:12:22.879 You know, people with a scarcity mentality 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.680 tend to be stingy with their money, 00:12:24.780 --> 00:12:26.200 with their stuff, with their time. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:29.620 People with a scarcity mentality 00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:32.400 tend to struggle with perpetual discontentment 00:12:32.400 --> 00:12:34.540 because you're always focusing on what you lack 00:12:34.540 --> 00:12:35.960 and what other people have. 00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:38.519 And if it just had this or that or this or that, 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:41.460 then, right, that's a scarcity mentality. 00:12:42.419 --> 00:12:43.779 And Jesus says, you know, 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:45.419 this is the way of the nations. 00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:47.740 And what he's saying is, you know, 00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:49.559 this is how most people live. 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:50.179 And guess what? 00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:51.279 When he says the nations, 00:12:51.779 --> 00:12:53.799 he's talking about people who don't believe in God. 00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:55.519 So another way of saying it is, 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:57.399 he says, this is how atheists live. 00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:59.259 This is how agnostics live. 00:12:59.559 --> 00:13:00.679 You know, this is how people 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:02.340 who completely reject the idea of God, 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:03.759 this is how they live. 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.679 And his point is, and you believe in God, 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:10.039 you have a special relationship with God, 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:11.459 and yet you're living the same way. 00:13:12.539 --> 00:13:12.979 Right? 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:14.879 That's an interesting point Jesus is making. 00:13:15.079 --> 00:13:17.739 It probably stung for them to hear that. 00:13:18.699 --> 00:13:18.819 Right? 00:13:18.899 --> 00:13:20.839 So just to kind of pull this together, 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:23.899 if money has ever put strain or stress 00:13:23.899 --> 00:13:25.459 on any of your relationships, 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:27.379 friends, family, roommates, spouse, 00:13:27.379 --> 00:13:32.039 if money leads to excessive anxiety 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:33.039 and you begin to realize, 00:13:33.220 --> 00:13:35.620 I actually prioritize my financial decisions 00:13:35.620 --> 00:13:38.919 to gain stability rather than to reflect 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:41.200 what God might be calling me to do, 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:44.600 if money tends to drive you to live 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:45.879 with a scarcity mentality, 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:47.100 perpetual discontentment, 00:13:47.220 --> 00:13:49.259 constant comparison, zero-sum mentality, 00:13:50.220 --> 00:13:52.759 chances are you have a dysfunctional relationship 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:53.480 with your stuff. 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:56.419 Now, what's the cause of this dysfunction? 00:13:56.419 --> 00:13:57.500 Where is it rooted? 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:02.139 Jesus responds to the man in the crowd 00:14:02.139 --> 00:14:03.199 by saying this, 00:14:03.979 --> 00:14:06.399 man, who made me a judge over you? 00:14:06.839 --> 00:14:08.679 And I love that because it's kind of ironic. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:11.019 In one sense, Jesus is the judge over him. 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:13.000 He's the judge over all creation. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:15.819 But what he's saying is, 00:14:16.719 --> 00:14:21.219 you want me to adjudicate, right, 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:23.199 this conflict in your life, 00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:24.899 but that's not what you really need. 00:14:24.899 --> 00:14:27.620 And Jesus, as always, 00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:29.259 is after this man's heart. 00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:30.899 He's like, what you think you need 00:14:30.899 --> 00:14:32.220 is your share of the inheritance. 00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:34.559 But then he goes for the heart. 00:14:34.939 --> 00:14:35.779 Says in verse 15, 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.199 take care and be on your guard 00:14:38.199 --> 00:14:39.360 against all, 00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:41.199 which means every form of, 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:43.019 all covetousness. 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:45.779 For one's life does not consist 00:14:45.779 --> 00:14:48.480 in the abundance of his possessions. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.860 And here's where we see the root of this, right? 00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:53.840 What's the root cause of dysfunction 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:55.180 when it comes to the relationship 00:14:55.180 --> 00:14:56.259 we have with our stuff? 00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:57.980 Jesus names it. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:00.800 It's what the Bible calls covetousness. 00:15:01.620 --> 00:15:01.960 And he says, 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:05.800 be on guard against every form of covetousness. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.560 So what this man really needs 00:15:08.560 --> 00:15:09.960 is not more money, 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:13.259 it's a different relationship with money. 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:17.300 He needs the entire dynamic changed. 00:15:17.299 --> 00:15:19.199 The cause of his dysfunction 00:15:19.199 --> 00:15:20.699 is covetousness, as we said, 00:15:20.979 --> 00:15:21.779 which is essentially 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:23.740 an inordinate desire 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:25.479 for material things. 00:15:25.620 --> 00:15:26.699 Or, put it another way, 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:30.019 an inordinate focus on material things. 00:15:31.059 --> 00:15:33.219 Now, sometimes that takes the form of greed. 00:15:33.339 --> 00:15:34.779 You know, often you hear the word covetous 00:15:34.779 --> 00:15:36.299 and you think of a greedy person. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:37.399 Now, sometimes that's true. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:39.319 Sometimes it's, you know, 00:15:39.359 --> 00:15:42.000 wanting more money or nicer things. 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:44.019 Sometimes, though, 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:45.979 covetousness takes the form of envy. 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:48.800 It's not so much that I want, like, 00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:51.779 you know, this much more money in my account. 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:53.680 I just want more money than him. 00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:54.960 You know? 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:57.279 I want a better job than her. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.100 You know, I want a nicer car than those people. 00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:03.139 You know, I want a nicer house. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:05.480 You know, you get your house 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:06.840 and you love your house 00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:07.940 and then you go have dinner 00:16:07.940 --> 00:16:08.899 at your friend's house. 00:16:09.340 --> 00:16:10.019 And then you're like, 00:16:10.220 --> 00:16:11.379 I don't like my house anymore. 00:16:11.820 --> 00:16:13.100 I need a better house. 00:16:13.800 --> 00:16:14.100 Right? 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:15.840 And this is how it works. 00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:19.580 Sometimes covetousness takes the form of fear. 00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:21.379 Right? 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:23.800 Covetousness can manifest as a constant fear 00:16:23.800 --> 00:16:24.720 of not having enough, 00:16:25.060 --> 00:16:26.000 a fear of running out. 00:16:27.340 --> 00:16:29.399 But however it manifests itself, 00:16:29.500 --> 00:16:32.759 the lie under all forms of covetousness is this. 00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:33.980 Here's the lie of covetousness. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.000 If I just had more, 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:37.600 then I would arrive. 00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:42.240 It's like just over the horizon is satisfaction. 00:16:43.100 --> 00:16:44.180 And I'm almost there. 00:16:44.580 --> 00:16:45.379 It's like a carrot. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.340 And if I could just get a little more, 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:48.820 if I could just have a little more, 00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:49.919 then I will arrive. 00:16:50.060 --> 00:16:50.779 Then I'll be okay. 00:16:50.899 --> 00:16:51.620 Then I'll be content. 00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:52.840 Then I won't want anymore. 00:16:53.060 --> 00:16:54.139 If I could just get to here, 00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:55.060 then I'll be okay. 00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:56.240 That's kind of the lie. 00:16:56.460 --> 00:16:57.460 And it just, like a carrot, 00:16:57.680 --> 00:16:59.720 it just keeps us going and going and going and going. 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:00.019 You know? 00:17:00.139 --> 00:17:00.980 It's like when you're hiking 00:17:00.980 --> 00:17:02.379 and you think you get to the top of the mountain 00:17:02.379 --> 00:17:03.360 and you come over that hill 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.339 and then there's just more trail and more hill. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:06.740 And you're like, oh. 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:08.200 And then you just keep going, right? 00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:10.460 And every time you think you're at the top, 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:12.660 it's like, nah, man, you're just getting started. 00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:13.279 Keep climbing. 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:15.640 And that's what covetousness says. 00:17:15.779 --> 00:17:16.420 Keep climbing. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:17.799 You're almost there. 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:18.819 Keep climbing, baby. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:19.880 You're almost there. 00:17:22.099 --> 00:17:22.420 Right? 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:23.460 So this is the source. 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:24.620 So then the question becomes, 00:17:24.740 --> 00:17:25.579 what do we do about it? 00:17:26.620 --> 00:17:28.039 You know, because we could be idealistic 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:29.019 and say get rid of everything, 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:30.460 but the truth is we need some stuff. 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:32.319 We need some stuff. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:34.200 We value hospitality. 00:17:36.360 --> 00:17:38.380 It's nice to have a home to invite people into 00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:39.279 if you value hospitality. 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:40.460 We need a place to live. 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:41.220 We need food. 00:17:41.299 --> 00:17:41.880 We need clothing. 00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:44.279 Most of you couldn't do your jobs. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:45.559 I probably couldn't do my job 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:48.019 without a computer and a phone of some kind. 00:17:49.100 --> 00:17:50.299 So we need some stuff. 00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:52.559 So how do we deal with this? 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.160 You can't live in the world without any possessions. 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:56.559 And I would argue that I don't think 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:57.319 there's anywhere in Scripture 00:17:57.319 --> 00:17:58.579 that tells us to live in the world 00:17:58.579 --> 00:17:59.819 without any possessions. 00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:02.620 So what we need is what this man needs. 00:18:04.180 --> 00:18:06.140 We need a different relationship with our stuff. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:09.340 So the cure for our dysfunction 00:18:09.340 --> 00:18:12.259 is as we look at this text, 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:15.440 we begin to see where Jesus is pointing our hearts. 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:17.500 And it's essentially this, 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:18.799 that we have to find a way 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:21.960 to change the relationship that we have with our stuff. 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:23.259 And in this passage, 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:25.200 that means at least three things. 00:18:26.299 --> 00:18:26.819 Number one, 00:18:26.819 --> 00:18:31.099 we have to begin to recognize the truth about our wealth, 00:18:31.399 --> 00:18:33.819 recognize the truth about our stuff. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:37.200 This man who has interrupted Jesus, 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:38.139 who wants his inheritance, 00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:41.439 he believes that if he gets more of that inheritance, 00:18:41.679 --> 00:18:44.019 then he's going to arrive and be satisfied. 00:18:44.179 --> 00:18:47.159 He'll be at the top of the wealth mountain, 00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:48.700 and he won't need any more. 00:18:48.700 --> 00:18:52.559 And so Jesus responds to this man 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:55.120 by telling a parable about another man 00:18:55.120 --> 00:18:56.720 who finally does arrive. 00:18:57.539 --> 00:18:57.880 He's like, 00:18:57.880 --> 00:18:58.799 let me tell you about a guy 00:18:58.799 --> 00:18:59.980 who got where you want to get. 00:19:01.420 --> 00:19:02.840 He finally arrived. 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:05.180 Rich man had a great year. 00:19:05.360 --> 00:19:05.940 This is the parable. 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:08.519 He ends up with more than he ever knew what to do with. 00:19:08.580 --> 00:19:09.900 You can imagine the guy with the inheritance 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:10.299 being like, 00:19:10.340 --> 00:19:11.380 that would be so amazing. 00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:14.800 I want to be that guy, right? 00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:18.200 And so what does this man in the parable decide to do? 00:19:18.260 --> 00:19:20.240 Well, he decides to build bigger barns. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:24.580 He essentially adds to his already bulging retirement account. 00:19:25.100 --> 00:19:26.660 He just adds to it. 00:19:27.840 --> 00:19:30.340 And he decides that when he looks at his retirement account, 00:19:30.780 --> 00:19:32.040 when he looks at the stock market 00:19:32.040 --> 00:19:33.540 and everything's trending in the right direction, 00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:33.800 he's like, 00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:34.720 I can retire early. 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:36.760 And so that's what he does. 00:19:37.820 --> 00:19:40.520 And listen to how this man perceives all of his stuff. 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:41.359 In verse 17, 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:43.259 and he thought to himself, 00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:44.519 what shall I do? 00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:46.960 For I have nowhere to store my crops. 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:47.960 And he said, 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:48.779 I will do this. 00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:51.480 I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:54.440 And there I will store all my grain and my goods. 00:19:54.639 --> 00:19:56.059 And I will say to my soul, 00:19:56.339 --> 00:19:56.740 soul, 00:19:56.940 --> 00:19:59.400 you have ample goods laid up for many years. 00:19:59.539 --> 00:19:59.960 Relax, 00:20:00.299 --> 00:20:00.599 eat, 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:01.180 drink, 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:01.779 be merry. 00:20:02.879 --> 00:20:06.680 And you can see the emphasis that Luke is putting in that passage. 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:08.039 Me, 00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:08.519 me, 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:09.000 me, 00:20:09.139 --> 00:20:09.460 my, 00:20:09.579 --> 00:20:09.859 my, 00:20:09.859 --> 00:20:10.000 my, 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:10.279 my. 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:11.440 Have you ever seen Brian Regan, 00:20:11.500 --> 00:20:12.200 the me monster? 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:13.740 Just Google it. 00:20:14.099 --> 00:20:14.799 He's a comedian. 00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:15.639 It's hysterical. 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:15.940 Me, 00:20:16.059 --> 00:20:16.220 me, 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:16.500 me, 00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:16.859 me. 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:17.279 This, 00:20:17.379 --> 00:20:18.220 this is that guy. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:19.700 It's me. 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:20.440 It's mine. 00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:21.139 My barns, 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:21.779 my stuff. 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:24.839 And, 00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:25.079 you know, 00:20:25.180 --> 00:20:26.240 we laugh. 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:27.160 And I love that, 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:29.839 that bit from Brian Regan. 00:20:29.879 --> 00:20:30.559 I think it's funny. 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:30.960 And, 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.839 and you kind of can sneer at this guy a bit. 00:20:33.899 --> 00:20:35.440 But how many of us see our stuff that way? 00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:36.819 I mean, 00:20:37.019 --> 00:20:37.420 you know, 00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:38.460 if I'm totally honest, 00:20:38.460 --> 00:20:39.940 I know I do. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:43.160 And this is really a seed of covetousness, 00:20:43.360 --> 00:20:44.940 and this is what Jesus is getting at. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:47.120 The seed of covetousness is, 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:47.620 this is, 00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:50.920 you're living under the illusion that all this stuff belongs to you. 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:58.140 And this parable shatters that illusion like a hammer striking a glass table. 00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:00.500 Just bam. 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:03.279 Because God says, 00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:04.080 fool. 00:21:05.560 --> 00:21:06.700 God says that to you. 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:06.880 It's, 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:07.860 it's not good news. 00:21:08.180 --> 00:21:08.500 Fool. 00:21:10.660 --> 00:21:11.500 This night, 00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:13.920 your soul will be required of you. 00:21:14.560 --> 00:21:16.100 And all this stuff, 00:21:16.420 --> 00:21:17.539 whose will it be then? 00:21:17.539 --> 00:21:18.139 Right? 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:21.420 The truth is, 00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:23.079 we're never going to arrive 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:27.220 because none of this stuff belongs to us. 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:32.659 We don't even own our own soul. 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:35.559 Everything, 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:37.659 even your body, 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:39.559 your soul, 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:41.720 belongs to God. 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.900 And ultimately, 00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:45.559 He has the final word 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:47.680 in what we have 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:48.720 and receive 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:51.220 and what is ultimately taken away from us. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:54.360 We don't have that kind of say. 00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:57.279 And that's a hard truth to swallow, 00:21:57.420 --> 00:21:58.200 but it can set us free. 00:22:00.259 --> 00:22:00.660 Right? 00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:03.120 So this is the first way to begin to gain, 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:04.900 come out of the dysfunction. 00:22:05.259 --> 00:22:07.140 We begin to recognize the truth about our stuff. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:08.019 It doesn't belong to us. 00:22:08.259 --> 00:22:09.180 We're never going to arrive. 00:22:09.180 --> 00:22:11.420 The second thing 00:22:11.420 --> 00:22:13.940 is we begin to learn 00:22:13.940 --> 00:22:14.840 how to rest 00:22:14.840 --> 00:22:17.900 in God's abundant generosity. 00:22:18.560 --> 00:22:19.600 We begin to rest 00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:21.180 in God's abundant generosity. 00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:24.039 This is where Jesus begins to say, 00:22:24.299 --> 00:22:25.600 consider the ravens. 00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:25.900 You know, 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:26.980 they're sitting there 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:28.039 and there are ravens, 00:22:28.180 --> 00:22:28.480 probably, 00:22:28.680 --> 00:22:29.860 and Jesus is pointing to them. 00:22:30.060 --> 00:22:31.380 Consider the ravens over there. 00:22:31.560 --> 00:22:32.640 They don't plant at all, 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:34.360 and yet God provides for them. 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:35.500 And then He says, 00:22:35.580 --> 00:22:36.519 consider the lilies. 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:38.200 They neither toil nor spin, 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:39.140 and yet I tell you, 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:42.220 even Solomon in all His glory 00:22:42.220 --> 00:22:44.980 was not arrayed like one of these. 00:22:45.080 --> 00:22:46.059 They're more beautiful, 00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:47.240 these lilies, 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:48.799 than Solomon ever was. 00:22:48.860 --> 00:22:50.779 Now, why the reference to Solomon? 00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:52.960 You know, that's interesting. 00:22:53.120 --> 00:22:54.019 For a long time, 00:22:54.080 --> 00:22:54.940 I didn't pick up 00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:56.740 on the significance of that. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.460 But it's actually not by accident. 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:01.980 Solomon spent, 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:02.660 anybody remember, 00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:04.539 how many years did Solomon spend 00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:06.920 building the temple for God, 00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:08.559 the dwelling place 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:10.119 for the Lord to honor God? 00:23:10.259 --> 00:23:11.180 How long did he spend 00:23:11.180 --> 00:23:12.259 building the temple? 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:14.039 It was seven years. 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:18.220 How long did Solomon spend 00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:19.319 building his own house? 00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:22.639 Thirteen years. 00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:25.500 So how much more time 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:27.059 and energy and sweat 00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:28.539 and money 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:29.680 do we pour into 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:30.879 our own security? 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:32.420 Do we pour into 00:23:32.420 --> 00:23:33.620 our own lifestyle? 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:36.160 Over and above 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:38.080 the things that we pour 00:23:38.080 --> 00:23:39.259 into what God is calling us 00:23:39.259 --> 00:23:41.259 to be a part of. 00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:43.560 Right? 00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:44.300 So this reference 00:23:44.300 --> 00:23:45.420 is very deliberate. 00:23:47.019 --> 00:23:47.840 And Jesus is saying, 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:49.720 Solomon spent 13 years 00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:50.580 building his house. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:51.539 He only spent seven 00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:53.680 building the Lord's house, 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:54.080 and yet, 00:23:54.800 --> 00:23:55.480 this lily 00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:56.820 growing here in the ground 00:23:56.820 --> 00:23:57.900 on the side of the road 00:23:57.900 --> 00:23:59.259 is more beautiful 00:23:59.259 --> 00:24:00.860 than anything Solomon 00:24:00.860 --> 00:24:01.620 ever did. 00:24:02.420 --> 00:24:06.519 A scarcity mentality 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:08.440 focuses on what we don't have. 00:24:08.800 --> 00:24:09.920 Jesus invites us 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.000 into an abundance mindset 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:14.180 where instead of focusing 00:24:14.180 --> 00:24:15.279 on what we lack 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:16.180 or think we lack, 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:17.720 we focus on God's 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:18.880 abundant generosity 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:20.160 all around us. 00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:21.539 Right? 00:24:21.580 --> 00:24:22.560 We begin to notice 00:24:22.560 --> 00:24:23.700 and to see the things 00:24:23.700 --> 00:24:24.460 that God is doing 00:24:24.460 --> 00:24:25.060 in our lives 00:24:25.060 --> 00:24:26.400 and the ways He's blessing us 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:27.500 rather than the things 00:24:27.500 --> 00:24:29.140 that we think we lack. 00:24:29.140 --> 00:24:31.400 And when we begin 00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:31.900 to do that, 00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:33.240 we begin to understand 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:34.140 how worthy 00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:35.040 and valuable 00:24:35.040 --> 00:24:35.840 we are to Him. 00:24:36.520 --> 00:24:36.820 Right? 00:24:36.860 --> 00:24:37.820 So we begin to rest 00:24:37.820 --> 00:24:39.240 in God's abundant generosity. 00:24:39.620 --> 00:24:40.300 Number three, 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:41.440 way to kind of begin 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.700 to right this 00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:44.020 dysfunctional relationship 00:24:44.020 --> 00:24:44.500 with wealth 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:45.280 is that we begin 00:24:45.280 --> 00:24:46.640 to actively cultivate 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:47.720 a lifestyle 00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:49.160 of generosity. 00:24:49.160 --> 00:24:51.279 Jesus says in verse 33, 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:52.580 sell your possessions, 00:24:53.040 --> 00:24:53.980 give to the needy, 00:24:54.200 --> 00:24:55.060 provide yourselves 00:24:55.060 --> 00:24:56.040 with money bags 00:24:56.040 --> 00:24:57.240 that do not grow old 00:24:57.240 --> 00:24:57.920 with a treasure 00:24:57.920 --> 00:24:58.600 in the heavens 00:24:58.600 --> 00:24:59.820 that does not fail. 00:25:00.140 --> 00:25:00.660 So He's saying 00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:01.640 invest in things 00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:02.800 that will last for eternity 00:25:02.800 --> 00:25:03.960 rather than ending up 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:04.640 in a trash dump. 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:06.580 Right? 00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:07.540 Invest in things 00:25:07.540 --> 00:25:08.580 that are meant to last. 00:25:09.480 --> 00:25:09.800 You know, 00:25:09.840 --> 00:25:10.580 we live in a world 00:25:10.580 --> 00:25:11.500 full of things 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:12.740 that have a kind of 00:25:12.740 --> 00:25:14.300 engineered obsolescence. 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:14.540 You know, 00:25:14.580 --> 00:25:15.300 they're made to break, 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:16.259 they're made to wear out. 00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:16.740 Now, 00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:18.400 Jesus says a lot of things 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:19.299 in the world are like this, 00:25:19.339 --> 00:25:19.879 but not everything. 00:25:20.940 --> 00:25:21.599 And in fact, 00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:22.500 a lot of this world 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:23.660 is going to be remade. 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:24.839 It's going to be recreated. 00:25:25.019 --> 00:25:26.240 And there are many things 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:26.759 in this world 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:27.740 that are meant 00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:28.720 to last for eternity. 00:25:28.879 --> 00:25:29.619 First and foremost, 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:30.700 human beings. 00:25:32.099 --> 00:25:33.119 You're going to last forever. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:33.879 The people around you 00:25:33.879 --> 00:25:34.680 are going to last forever. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.299 These bodies 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:36.259 were made for eternity. 00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:39.119 Invest in things 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:39.779 that last. 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:41.240 Invest in things 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:42.819 that will extend 00:25:42.819 --> 00:25:45.259 beyond a couple of years 00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:45.960 before they become 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:46.380 obsolete. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:49.420 What we begin to see 00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:50.420 is that generosity, 00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:52.860 the active aspect 00:25:52.860 --> 00:25:53.600 of generosity, 00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:54.620 not just thinking 00:25:54.620 --> 00:25:55.579 I want to be generous, 00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:56.380 but the act 00:25:56.380 --> 00:25:57.460 of being generous, 00:25:58.120 --> 00:26:00.160 begins to cure 00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:00.960 covetousness 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:01.620 in our hearts 00:26:01.620 --> 00:26:02.579 because generosity 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:03.360 and covetousness 00:26:03.360 --> 00:26:04.100 can't coexist 00:26:04.100 --> 00:26:05.539 in the heart. 00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:06.880 Every time 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:08.759 you give something away, 00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:10.819 it reminds you 00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:11.660 that it was never yours 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:12.340 to begin with. 00:26:12.860 --> 00:26:13.620 And over time, 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:15.160 those acts of giving 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:16.180 chip away. 00:26:16.580 --> 00:26:17.779 They chip away 00:26:17.779 --> 00:26:18.920 at that illusion 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:19.640 and that lie. 00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:21.040 Right? 00:26:21.080 --> 00:26:21.540 So it takes 00:26:21.540 --> 00:26:22.680 this kind of active, 00:26:23.080 --> 00:26:23.580 repetitive, 00:26:24.120 --> 00:26:25.620 habitual generosity. 00:26:25.820 --> 00:26:26.400 I know I've told 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:27.060 this story before, 00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:27.720 but I've got to tell you 00:26:27.720 --> 00:26:27.980 again, 00:26:28.120 --> 00:26:28.820 this, you know, 00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:30.500 Bill and Aida Spencer, 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:32.560 two of my professors 00:26:32.560 --> 00:26:33.440 in seminary 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:34.360 and kind of, 00:26:34.580 --> 00:26:35.000 you know, 00:26:35.060 --> 00:26:36.120 they were sort of, 00:26:36.360 --> 00:26:37.440 I really looked up 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:37.759 to them 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:38.620 as a young Christian 00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:41.099 and I remember 00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:42.379 this was in Massachusetts 00:26:42.379 --> 00:26:43.019 and, you know, 00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:44.479 we think it's cold here. 00:26:44.659 --> 00:26:45.699 It gets pretty cold 00:26:45.699 --> 00:26:46.779 in Massachusetts as well, 00:26:46.859 --> 00:26:48.079 sometimes a little colder 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:49.639 than it was this morning. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.179 And imagine living 00:26:51.179 --> 00:26:52.039 in weather like this 00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:53.179 and the long winters 00:26:53.179 --> 00:26:53.679 up there, 00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:55.179 living in a house 00:26:55.179 --> 00:26:55.879 that's only heated 00:26:55.879 --> 00:26:57.359 by a wood stove. 00:26:58.259 --> 00:26:59.079 They lived in a house 00:26:59.079 --> 00:26:59.419 together, 00:26:59.539 --> 00:27:00.219 a tiny little house 00:27:00.219 --> 00:27:00.839 that was only heated 00:27:00.839 --> 00:27:01.579 by a wood stove. 00:27:01.699 --> 00:27:02.839 They've both written books 00:27:02.839 --> 00:27:03.599 and all this stuff, 00:27:03.699 --> 00:27:04.199 conferences, 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:05.899 that's where they live. 00:27:06.700 --> 00:27:07.560 And part of the reason 00:27:07.560 --> 00:27:08.280 they lived that way 00:27:08.280 --> 00:27:09.420 is because they had committed 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:10.440 when they first got married 00:27:10.440 --> 00:27:12.160 to giving as sacrificially 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:12.660 as they could. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:13.540 And when they started out, 00:27:13.620 --> 00:27:14.200 they were students 00:27:14.200 --> 00:27:15.240 and they couldn't do much 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:16.460 and so they'd try to give, 00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:16.680 you know, 00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:17.160 I don't know, 00:27:18.100 --> 00:27:18.340 you know, 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:19.019 maybe six, 00:27:19.100 --> 00:27:19.880 seven percent of, 00:27:20.100 --> 00:27:20.640 because most of what 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:21.180 they were spending 00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:22.060 was kind of borrowed 00:27:22.060 --> 00:27:22.500 or whatever. 00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:24.380 But slowly over time, 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:25.580 they began to increase it. 00:27:26.360 --> 00:27:28.340 And when I met them 00:27:28.340 --> 00:27:29.220 and was known to them, 00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:30.660 they were at a point 00:27:30.660 --> 00:27:31.440 where they were giving away 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:32.340 50 percent of everything 00:27:32.340 --> 00:27:32.900 they brought in. 00:27:34.140 --> 00:27:34.340 You know, 00:27:34.420 --> 00:27:35.220 so their whole way 00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:36.339 of thinking about tithing, 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:37.420 right, 00:27:37.500 --> 00:27:38.799 was how can we increase? 00:27:39.140 --> 00:27:40.200 How can we increase? 00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:41.500 How can we increase? 00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:42.640 And so they're living 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:43.600 in a house 00:27:43.600 --> 00:27:44.839 as heated by a wood stove 00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:45.559 in Massachusetts 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:47.440 because their goal, 00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:48.180 their main priority 00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:48.740 is to give away 00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:50.240 50 percent of everything. 00:27:50.420 --> 00:27:51.019 And they were saying, 00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:52.420 hopefully in the next few years 00:27:52.420 --> 00:27:53.759 we can get that up to 55 percent. 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:56.160 And I just remember thinking 00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:57.259 as kind of a young student 00:27:57.259 --> 00:27:58.279 living off loans 00:27:58.279 --> 00:27:59.240 and couldn't even imagine 00:27:59.240 --> 00:27:59.779 that kind of thing, 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:01.240 just being floored by that. 00:28:03.980 --> 00:28:05.200 Generosity cures covetousness. 00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:05.539 So, 00:28:06.339 --> 00:28:07.420 for all of us 00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:08.559 who have a dysfunctional 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:09.019 relationship 00:28:09.019 --> 00:28:10.200 with our stuff, 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:11.319 and I would definitely 00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:12.539 put myself in that camp, 00:28:12.779 --> 00:28:14.880 we have to do 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:16.779 something 00:28:16.779 --> 00:28:19.920 to right that dysfunction. 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:21.539 And Jesus says, 00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:22.900 recognize that nothing 00:28:22.900 --> 00:28:23.600 that you have 00:28:23.600 --> 00:28:24.440 belongs to you. 00:28:24.579 --> 00:28:25.759 It's all God's. 00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:27.440 Rest in God's 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:28.360 abundant generosity, 00:28:28.620 --> 00:28:30.160 which we see 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:31.100 all around us, 00:28:31.559 --> 00:28:33.299 and cultivate a lifestyle 00:28:33.299 --> 00:28:34.019 of generosity. 00:28:35.139 --> 00:28:35.919 Convert that 00:28:35.919 --> 00:28:37.119 into action, 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:37.839 right? 00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:38.680 But there's still 00:28:38.680 --> 00:28:39.240 something missing. 00:28:41.220 --> 00:28:42.799 All of this requires 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:45.000 trust. 00:28:46.139 --> 00:28:47.399 At the end of the day, 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:49.319 the real 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:51.059 $64,000 question, 00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:53.359 do you trust God enough 00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:54.079 to live this way? 00:28:55.079 --> 00:28:56.619 Do you trust God enough 00:28:56.619 --> 00:28:58.200 to be the owner 00:28:58.200 --> 00:28:58.879 of your stuff? 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.440 Do you trust God enough 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:03.260 to begin to cultivate 00:29:03.260 --> 00:29:05.140 a lifestyle of generosity, 00:29:05.320 --> 00:29:05.920 giving things away 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:06.980 that you may never get back? 00:29:08.340 --> 00:29:09.680 All of this boils down 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.500 to this question, 00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:11.620 do I trust God? 00:29:14.080 --> 00:29:15.100 Verse 32, 00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:16.900 we begin to see 00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:17.560 this answer 00:29:17.560 --> 00:29:19.480 to this fundamental question 00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.020 of how do I know 00:29:20.020 --> 00:29:20.720 I can trust God? 00:29:21.180 --> 00:29:21.760 How do I know? 00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.980 He says, 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:24.500 fear not, 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:25.059 little flock, 00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:27.200 for it is your Father's 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:28.539 good pleasure 00:29:28.539 --> 00:29:30.039 to give you 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:30.559 the kingdom. 00:29:31.619 --> 00:29:32.019 Now, 00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:32.660 earlier he said, 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:34.759 seek the kingdom. 00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:36.019 Now he's saying, 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:36.539 but don't worry, 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:36.960 God, 00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:38.000 God, 00:29:38.299 --> 00:29:39.160 it's his great delight 00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:40.059 to give you the kingdom. 00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:41.500 Now, 00:29:41.539 --> 00:29:42.519 what's that pointing us to? 00:29:43.460 --> 00:29:44.700 How could God 00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:46.279 take people like us 00:29:46.279 --> 00:29:47.480 who have a dysfunctional 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:48.240 relationship with wealth, 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:49.220 who don't trust him, 00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:50.119 who live with a scarcity 00:29:50.119 --> 00:29:50.640 mentality, 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:51.740 who constantly envy 00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:52.840 one another 00:29:52.840 --> 00:29:54.040 and compare ourselves 00:29:54.040 --> 00:29:55.540 and live this kind of 00:29:55.540 --> 00:29:56.100 discontented, 00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:56.580 anxious, 00:29:56.780 --> 00:29:57.680 fearful lifestyle? 00:29:58.040 --> 00:29:58.780 How could God 00:29:58.780 --> 00:29:59.520 take people like that 00:29:59.520 --> 00:29:59.840 and say, 00:30:00.180 --> 00:30:00.900 here's the kingdom, 00:30:01.280 --> 00:30:02.440 it's all yours? 00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:06.780 Jesus Christ, 00:30:07.380 --> 00:30:08.720 to whom 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:10.680 all things belong, 00:30:12.040 --> 00:30:12.720 Jesus Christ, 00:30:12.800 --> 00:30:13.700 who is the owner 00:30:13.700 --> 00:30:14.640 of all things, 00:30:15.620 --> 00:30:17.020 willingly gave it all up 00:30:17.020 --> 00:30:18.100 and died on the cross 00:30:18.100 --> 00:30:19.040 so that God 00:30:19.040 --> 00:30:20.480 could give us a place 00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:22.220 in his kingdom. 00:30:22.839 --> 00:30:24.079 And this right here 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:25.500 is the greatest act 00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:26.200 of generosity 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:27.380 in history. 00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:28.599 It's not something 00:30:28.599 --> 00:30:29.839 that we do for God. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:30.700 The ultimate act 00:30:30.700 --> 00:30:31.259 of generosity 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:32.420 is something that God 00:30:32.420 --> 00:30:33.400 has already done 00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:34.339 for us 00:30:34.339 --> 00:30:35.559 on the cross. 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:36.640 And what this does 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:37.160 in your heart 00:30:37.160 --> 00:30:37.559 is this, 00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:39.279 if God has freely 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:40.319 and joyfully 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:42.779 given his son, 00:30:43.579 --> 00:30:44.779 and if he has freely 00:30:44.779 --> 00:30:45.740 and joyfully given 00:30:45.740 --> 00:30:47.180 everything necessary 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:50.340 to invite us in 00:30:50.340 --> 00:30:51.940 so that we can live 00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:52.320 with him 00:30:52.320 --> 00:30:53.500 for all of eternity, 00:30:53.700 --> 00:30:54.519 how can we not 00:30:54.519 --> 00:30:55.200 trust him 00:30:55.200 --> 00:30:56.440 to give us 00:30:56.440 --> 00:30:56.860 what we need 00:30:56.860 --> 00:30:57.440 in this life? 00:30:58.440 --> 00:30:58.600 Right? 00:30:58.660 --> 00:30:59.460 If he's given us 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:00.380 everything for eternity, 00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:01.340 how can I not trust 00:31:01.340 --> 00:31:01.740 that he's going to 00:31:01.740 --> 00:31:02.400 take care of me 00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:03.480 over the next few weeks? 00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:07.860 It's all about trust. 00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:09.539 You know, 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:10.539 my oldest son 00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:11.900 is a great swimmer now, 00:31:12.120 --> 00:31:13.000 but I remember 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:14.019 teaching him how to swim. 00:31:14.420 --> 00:31:15.700 And we did it in a lake. 00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:16.799 And I remember 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:17.799 I was in the water 00:31:17.799 --> 00:31:19.660 and there was this dock 00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:21.200 and I remember him 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:22.620 coming out on the dock 00:31:22.620 --> 00:31:24.480 in his little bathing suit 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:25.039 and he's there, 00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:25.440 you know, 00:31:25.620 --> 00:31:26.339 kind of shivering 00:31:26.339 --> 00:31:27.380 on the dock. 00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:28.920 And I held out my arms 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:29.200 and I said, 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:30.120 okay, now I'm going 00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:30.599 to count to three 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:31.940 and I want you to jump 00:31:31.940 --> 00:31:33.120 and I'm going to catch you. 00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:33.759 And he's like, 00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:34.079 okay. 00:31:34.179 --> 00:31:34.479 And I go, 00:31:34.579 --> 00:31:36.599 okay, one, two, three. 00:31:38.659 --> 00:31:39.899 And he just stands there 00:31:39.899 --> 00:31:40.759 and I say, 00:31:41.139 --> 00:31:41.479 I say, 00:31:41.699 --> 00:31:42.059 okay, 00:31:42.359 --> 00:31:43.279 let's try that again. 00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:44.599 One, two, three. 00:31:44.879 --> 00:31:45.239 And he's just, 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:46.059 and I said, 00:31:46.459 --> 00:31:47.019 hey man, 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:47.439 you know, 00:31:48.259 --> 00:31:49.039 you want to jump in? 00:31:49.159 --> 00:31:49.959 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:31:50.619 --> 00:31:51.819 Do you trust me? 00:31:51.899 --> 00:31:52.399 Oh yeah, yeah. 00:31:52.459 --> 00:31:53.279 You trust that I'm going 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:53.699 to catch you? 00:31:53.779 --> 00:31:54.099 Yeah, dad, 00:31:54.179 --> 00:31:55.199 I trust you, dad. 00:31:55.659 --> 00:31:56.039 You sure? 00:31:56.119 --> 00:31:56.679 So when you jump, 00:31:56.739 --> 00:31:57.219 you know that I'm going 00:31:57.219 --> 00:31:58.039 to, as soon as you hit 00:31:58.039 --> 00:31:58.379 the water, 00:31:58.519 --> 00:31:59.359 your head's not even 00:31:59.359 --> 00:31:59.659 going to go 00:31:59.659 --> 00:32:00.539 and I'm going to grab you. 00:32:00.859 --> 00:32:01.359 Yeah, dad, 00:32:01.379 --> 00:32:01.819 I trust you, 00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:02.239 I trust you. 00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:03.859 Are you ready to jump? 00:32:04.059 --> 00:32:04.439 And he's like, 00:32:04.659 --> 00:32:05.059 nah, 00:32:05.659 --> 00:32:07.839 I don't think so. 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:08.979 Right? 00:32:09.099 --> 00:32:10.719 And there's that gap 00:32:10.719 --> 00:32:11.559 between saying 00:32:11.559 --> 00:32:12.479 you trust somebody 00:32:12.479 --> 00:32:14.539 and actually coming 00:32:14.539 --> 00:32:15.039 off the dot. 00:32:16.679 --> 00:32:17.819 And I would say, 00:32:17.919 --> 00:32:18.619 I think trust 00:32:18.619 --> 00:32:19.659 doesn't really become 00:32:19.659 --> 00:32:20.719 trust until you let 00:32:20.719 --> 00:32:21.199 go of the dot. 00:32:22.639 --> 00:32:23.539 At some point, 00:32:24.199 --> 00:32:25.159 you can say it 00:32:25.159 --> 00:32:25.639 all you want, 00:32:26.259 --> 00:32:27.199 but at some point 00:32:27.199 --> 00:32:28.000 you've got to let go. 00:32:28.479 --> 00:32:28.919 And then you're 00:32:28.919 --> 00:32:29.639 going to find out. 00:32:29.819 --> 00:32:30.279 Then you're going 00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:30.879 to find out, 00:32:31.239 --> 00:32:31.919 is he going to catch 00:32:31.919 --> 00:32:32.939 me or not? 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:34.799 That's when 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:35.639 it becomes trust. 00:32:36.619 --> 00:32:37.419 And I think a lot 00:32:37.419 --> 00:32:38.079 of us are like that 00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:38.479 in our lives. 00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:39.059 I've been reflecting 00:32:39.059 --> 00:32:39.639 on this. 00:32:41.779 --> 00:32:42.139 And, 00:32:42.219 --> 00:32:43.819 you know, 00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:44.579 I wonder how much 00:32:44.579 --> 00:32:45.099 of my life 00:32:45.099 --> 00:32:46.259 I am clinging 00:32:46.259 --> 00:32:46.879 to the dot. 00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:48.539 You know, 00:32:48.579 --> 00:32:49.439 and God is sort 00:32:49.439 --> 00:32:50.219 of sitting there 00:32:50.219 --> 00:32:51.059 in this ocean 00:32:51.059 --> 00:32:51.639 of blessing 00:32:51.639 --> 00:32:53.439 saying, 00:32:53.539 --> 00:32:53.959 come on, 00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:55.359 I got you. 00:32:56.759 --> 00:32:57.519 And I'm clinging 00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:57.979 to the dot. 00:32:59.179 --> 00:32:59.879 And I'm praying, 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:00.419 I trust you, 00:33:00.459 --> 00:33:00.839 I trust you, 00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:01.299 I trust you, 00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:01.680 but I'm not 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:02.079 really letting 00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:02.339 go. 00:33:04.460 --> 00:33:04.839 You know, 00:33:04.859 --> 00:33:06.099 I think we want 00:33:06.099 --> 00:33:07.379 to trust God, 00:33:07.460 --> 00:33:08.419 we love the idea 00:33:08.419 --> 00:33:09.480 of trusting God, 00:33:09.599 --> 00:33:10.220 but at some point 00:33:10.220 --> 00:33:10.960 we've got to let go. 00:33:12.599 --> 00:33:12.940 And, 00:33:12.980 --> 00:33:13.139 you know, 00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:13.799 as we, 00:33:13.879 --> 00:33:14.180 I think, 00:33:14.259 --> 00:33:14.859 think about this 00:33:14.859 --> 00:33:15.519 home campaign, 00:33:15.659 --> 00:33:16.639 this image has been 00:33:16.639 --> 00:33:17.700 coming into my mind 00:33:17.700 --> 00:33:18.440 because I think 00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:18.899 in many ways 00:33:18.899 --> 00:33:19.700 our church is sort 00:33:19.700 --> 00:33:20.139 of standing 00:33:20.139 --> 00:33:20.599 on the dock 00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:21.019 right now. 00:33:22.019 --> 00:33:22.259 You know, 00:33:22.299 --> 00:33:22.680 we're like, 00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:22.899 man, 00:33:22.940 --> 00:33:23.379 we have never 00:33:23.379 --> 00:33:23.720 done anything 00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:24.299 like this, 00:33:24.359 --> 00:33:24.819 we've never 00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:25.500 taken a risk 00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:26.039 like this, 00:33:26.039 --> 00:33:26.740 we've never 00:33:26.740 --> 00:33:27.779 made a financial 00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:28.339 decision even 00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:29.259 close to this. 00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:30.519 We've got to 00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:31.299 figure out 00:33:31.299 --> 00:33:32.879 how long 00:33:32.879 --> 00:33:33.220 we're going to 00:33:33.220 --> 00:33:33.900 stand on the dock 00:33:33.900 --> 00:33:34.680 and at one point 00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:35.500 are we going to 00:33:35.500 --> 00:33:36.559 let go as a community 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:37.599 and trust that God's 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:38.240 got us, 00:33:38.599 --> 00:33:39.160 that He's going to 00:33:39.160 --> 00:33:39.799 continue to provide 00:33:39.799 --> 00:33:40.420 for us the way He 00:33:40.420 --> 00:33:41.519 has for 14 years 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.079 since we started 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:42.740 in a living room. 00:33:44.299 --> 00:33:44.599 And you know, 00:33:44.660 --> 00:33:45.480 14 years ago, 00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:46.420 as I said at the 00:33:46.420 --> 00:33:46.599 beginning, 00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:47.180 we made this 00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:47.920 commitment to love 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:48.920 the people of D.C. 00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:50.160 long term 00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:52.700 for multiple 00:33:52.700 --> 00:33:53.279 generations. 00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:55.339 and what I've 00:33:55.339 --> 00:33:56.139 been amazed at 00:33:56.139 --> 00:33:56.700 is to see how 00:33:56.700 --> 00:33:57.119 many people 00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:57.839 over those 14 00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:59.099 years came to 00:33:59.099 --> 00:33:59.500 D.C., 00:33:59.500 --> 00:33:59.920 started coming 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:00.299 to Advent 00:34:00.299 --> 00:34:00.819 and they thought, 00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:01.119 you know, 00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:01.740 maybe I'll be 00:34:01.740 --> 00:34:02.460 in D.C. 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:02.819 for two, 00:34:02.920 --> 00:34:03.059 three, 00:34:03.180 --> 00:34:03.759 four years 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:04.440 until the end 00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:05.019 of my internship 00:34:05.019 --> 00:34:05.660 or the end of, 00:34:05.740 --> 00:34:05.960 you know, 00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:07.940 the next administration 00:34:07.940 --> 00:34:08.739 or something like 00:34:08.739 --> 00:34:09.820 that and then 00:34:09.820 --> 00:34:10.360 they end up 00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:11.199 changing their 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:11.800 plans, 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:12.360 they end up 00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:13.039 passing up 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:14.139 job opportunities 00:34:14.139 --> 00:34:15.079 to stay 00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:16.059 because they feel 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:17.079 God calling them 00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:17.779 to make that 00:34:17.779 --> 00:34:18.099 commitment. 00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:19.599 And I've been 00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:20.699 amazed and humbled 00:34:20.699 --> 00:34:21.259 by that. 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:23.700 And so, 00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:24.320 those people 00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:25.020 have decided, 00:34:25.140 --> 00:34:25.760 many people 00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:26.280 over the years 00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:26.800 have decided 00:34:26.800 --> 00:34:27.380 to put down 00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:27.680 roots. 00:34:28.240 --> 00:34:28.800 Now it's time 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:29.260 for our church 00:34:29.260 --> 00:34:29.740 to put down 00:34:29.740 --> 00:34:30.040 roots. 00:34:31.020 --> 00:34:31.840 Now it's time 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:32.520 for us to find 00:34:32.520 --> 00:34:32.880 a permanent 00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:33.260 home, 00:34:33.780 --> 00:34:34.740 which means a 00:34:34.740 --> 00:34:35.380 space that we 00:34:35.380 --> 00:34:36.020 don't only use 00:34:36.020 --> 00:34:36.540 on Sundays 00:34:36.540 --> 00:34:37.140 for worship, 00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:37.740 but a space 00:34:37.740 --> 00:34:38.240 that we use 00:34:38.240 --> 00:34:38.840 seven days a 00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:39.080 week, 00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:40.460 right, 00:34:40.520 --> 00:34:41.080 for ministry 00:34:41.080 --> 00:34:41.780 to serve 00:34:41.780 --> 00:34:42.300 the community 00:34:42.300 --> 00:34:43.080 around us, 00:34:43.560 --> 00:34:44.880 for discipleship 00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:45.720 and formation, 00:34:46.500 --> 00:34:47.200 a space that 00:34:47.200 --> 00:34:47.720 not only meets 00:34:47.720 --> 00:34:48.240 our needs, 00:34:48.380 --> 00:34:49.540 but a space 00:34:49.540 --> 00:34:50.180 that can be used 00:34:50.180 --> 00:34:50.720 to serve 00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:51.239 the surrounding 00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:52.319 community in 00:34:52.319 --> 00:34:52.879 all kinds of 00:34:52.879 --> 00:34:53.219 ways. 00:34:53.579 --> 00:34:53.859 You know, 00:34:53.939 --> 00:34:54.459 as I said, 00:34:54.500 --> 00:34:54.859 it's going to be 00:34:54.859 --> 00:34:55.199 the biggest 00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:55.919 financial decision 00:34:55.919 --> 00:34:56.639 we've ever made, 00:34:56.799 --> 00:34:57.559 and now we're 00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.219 sort of standing 00:34:58.219 --> 00:34:58.819 on the dock, 00:34:58.939 --> 00:34:59.919 and we're looking 00:34:59.919 --> 00:35:00.619 at this God 00:35:00.619 --> 00:35:01.279 who has provided 00:35:01.279 --> 00:35:02.059 for us faithfully 00:35:02.059 --> 00:35:02.899 for 14 years, 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:03.699 and we have to 00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:04.000 decide, 00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:04.379 are we going to 00:35:04.379 --> 00:35:04.939 keep clinging 00:35:04.939 --> 00:35:05.559 to the dock, 00:35:05.759 --> 00:35:06.239 or are we going 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:06.980 to trust God, 00:35:07.279 --> 00:35:07.799 let go, 00:35:08.359 --> 00:35:09.239 and dive in? 00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:10.319 Let's pray. 00:35:12.159 --> 00:35:12.959 Lord, we thank 00:35:12.959 --> 00:35:13.699 you for your word, 00:35:13.779 --> 00:35:14.379 and we thank you 00:35:14.379 --> 00:35:15.199 for your provision, 00:35:16.339 --> 00:35:17.019 and we thank you 00:35:17.019 --> 00:35:17.639 ultimately for the 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:18.019 cross. 00:35:18.019 --> 00:35:19.780 And Lord, 00:35:19.860 --> 00:35:20.780 as we look to 00:35:20.780 --> 00:35:21.219 the cross, 00:35:21.320 --> 00:35:23.539 we see not some 00:35:23.539 --> 00:35:24.599 requirement that we 00:35:24.599 --> 00:35:25.199 have to meet, 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:26.360 not some standard 00:35:26.360 --> 00:35:27.139 that we have to 00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:27.960 live up to, 00:35:28.759 --> 00:35:28.980 Lord, 00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:29.920 not some amount 00:35:29.920 --> 00:35:30.699 that we have to be 00:35:30.699 --> 00:35:32.019 willing to sacrifice 00:35:32.019 --> 00:35:32.619 for you. 00:35:33.500 --> 00:35:34.539 We see an 00:35:34.539 --> 00:35:35.679 unfathomable, 00:35:36.860 --> 00:35:38.219 incalculable sacrifice 00:35:38.219 --> 00:35:39.900 that you made for us. 00:35:40.739 --> 00:35:41.179 Lord, 00:35:41.219 --> 00:35:41.920 and I pray that 00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:42.980 whatever we do, 00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:44.639 and however we move 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:45.440 forward from this day, 00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:46.239 I pray that the 00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:47.119 wellspring of our 00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:48.000 generosity would be 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:48.460 the cross. 00:35:49.699 --> 00:35:50.639 I pray that would 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:52.519 be the place where 00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:53.839 that living water 00:35:53.839 --> 00:35:54.920 pours into us, 00:35:55.819 --> 00:35:57.239 and soothes our 00:35:57.239 --> 00:35:58.339 fear and anxiety, 00:35:59.019 --> 00:36:00.559 and fills us with 00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:00.960 trust. 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:01.859 And I pray that 00:36:01.859 --> 00:36:02.380 every time we're 00:36:02.380 --> 00:36:03.000 tempted to doubt 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:03.980 you, you would 00:36:03.980 --> 00:36:04.579 turn our eyes to 00:36:04.579 --> 00:36:05.159 the cross and 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:06.000 remind us again 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:07.119 what kind of God 00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:07.679 you really are. 00:36:07.839 --> 00:36:08.299 We pray this in 00:36:08.299 --> 00:36:09.099 your Son's holy name. 00:36:09.319 --> 00:36:09.539 Amen. 00:36:09.539 --> 00:36:09.639 Amen.