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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - Money Matters (Part 1)

August 12, 2025 | S25 E227 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - Money Matters (Part 1)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#inActive #Money #Finances #GlorifyGod #Honor #Serving #ServantofGod #LightoftheWorld

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Money Matters (Part 1) | August 12, 2025
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen jackson: i sat down recently with my father to do
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  • A podcast for my "culture and christianity" podcast, and it
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  • Was so valuable to me.
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  • I mean, we--it was stories that, obviously, i'm familiar
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  • With, but as i heard him recount his faith, it ignited something
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  • In me about the faithfulness of god across generations.
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  • Well, i encouraged my dad to put together a book about his
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  • Experiences with the holy spirit.
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  • It changed his life, my parents' life, ultimately my
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  • Family's life.
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  • I believe the book will be a real encouragement to you.
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  • I wanna make it available to you right along with "unleashing the
  • 00:00:37.429 --> 00:00:40.099
  • Power of the holy spirit," it's something i put together a while
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  • Back that's been one of the most effective tools we've ever had
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  • In the ministry.
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  • Together, they'll open the doorway for you to not just have
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  • Language around the holy spirit, but to have something to
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  • Actually do to invite him into your life on a regular basis to
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  • Give you the wisdom you need to help you unlock the problems
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  • That we face, the spirit of god within us, to help us, guide us,
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  • And direct us, that's invaluable, and these books will
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  • Help you understand.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen: we've been working through a little study with the
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  • General theme of god's plan, god's promises, and
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  • God's people.
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  • And the thesis is very simple, really, that god has a plan for
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  • Every life, and that plan for our lives is expressed in his
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  • Promises to the jewish people.
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  • He promised them a little strip of land to you and i, it's
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  • Access to his kingdom expressed through his promises, and that's
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  • How we know that we're god's people because there's evidence
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  • In our lives.
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  • It's not a theory, there's tangible evidence of god's
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  • Abiding presence within us.
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  • I wanna be included in god's people.
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  • It it's the intent of my life and i want my life to reflect
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  • The goodness of god and so we've been trying to understand that.
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  • We've been using a passage from peter.
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  • I didn't put it back in your outlines, we've looked at it
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  • Every service, but the summary of that is that god's provision
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  • For you and me is in his promises.
  • 00:02:13.058 --> 00:02:14.526
  • He didn't promise us a piece of land, as the church, but he has
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  • Given us as an inheritance, his promises.
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  • And his provision for your life and my life is in those
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  • Promises, just as certainly his provision--as his provision for
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  • The descendants of abraham, isaac and jacob is linked to
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  • A piece of land, god's purposes for your life is linked--are
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  • Linked to his promises.
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  • And it requires us to believe that most of those promises are
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  • Conditional, even our entrance into the kingdom of god.
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  • Romans 10:9-10 said, "if you will believe in your heart and
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  • Confess with your mouth, you can be saved."
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  • That little preposition, two letters, "if,"
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  • Changes everything.
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  • You can believe jesus of nazareth was
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  • A historical figure.
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  • You can believe he was a healer.
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  • You can believe he was the founder of a religion.
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  • You can believe he was a good man, a miracle worker, you can
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  • Believe he walked on water, you can believe he was raised from
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  • The dead, but if you don't confess him as lord of your
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  • Life, all of those things will not change your destiny.
  • 00:03:06.311 --> 00:03:09.948
  • We have to meet the conditions, and many of the promises of god
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  • Require us to respond.
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  • One of the amazing parts of creation is that god has given
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  • To you and me a free will, we can choose.
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  • We're not driven by instinct.
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  • We're not like insects, where every generation is just "rinse
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  • And repeat."
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  • We get to choose, and the invitation of this book, from
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  • The opening chapter until the end of it, is "choose god."
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  • Choose god, in fact, if you don't hear anything else i have
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  • To say today, "choose god!"
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  • Not my opinion, not my perspective, not my version.
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  • Choose god with your whole heart, mind, soul, and body.
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  • Now, that'll be evidenced in how you spend your time, and your
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  • Talent, and your stuff, but choose god.
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  • So we've been walking through some of these promises, and i
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  • Want to continue that in this session.
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  • For this session, the title of this particular one is
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  • "money matters."
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  • Thank you for that enthusiastic response, i knew you would
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  • Be enthralled.
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  • I'm not gonna ask for anything today.
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  • You're safe, you can take a breath.
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  • If you think all the church wants is your money,
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  • That's not true.
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  • We regularly do blood drives, as well.
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  • This is a full-service congregation right here, folks.
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  • I'll give you the shorthand on this before we get into the
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  • Scripture, and the promise is god's the owner of all things
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  • And we're just temporarily handling his resources.
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  • Any other perspective than that, you'll get in the weeds.
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  • You know, i know it's mine.
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  • We label it ours, we protect it, we hire security guards, and
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  • Have security systems, and armed stuff and--i got it, i'm not
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  • Saying that's wrong.
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  • I locked my car this morning.
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  • You know, does that ever bother you that we lock our cars
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  • At church?
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  • Yeah, well, i'm just saying, it's okay.
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  • I'm not telling you to stop.
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  • It's probably a good idea.
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  • I know who you go to church with, so it's okay.
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  • But the reality is god's the owner of everything, and you and
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  • I get a little temporary assignment to it, but we're not
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  • Gonna hold it for long.
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  • It's gonna get passed along.
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  • There's some things we should know.
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  • I just started with some scriptures, 1 corinthians 4,
  • 00:05:18.744 --> 00:05:21.380
  • "...it's required that those who have been given a trust must
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  • Prove faithful."
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  • So the--whatever god has given you, little lot in between,
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  • Days, whatever!
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  • Understand it is a trust, that will change your imagination
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  • Of things.
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  • It's not really about public opinion, what other people
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  • Think, what the government says, what the irs rules are, it's
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  • A trust between you and almighty god.
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  • You know, i'm conscious that the lord has given some gifts to me.
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  • It'd be foolish for me to imagine that i have made
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  • Everything in my life happen or--good and bad.
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  • The lord has given me some gifts, and i'm very conscious
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  • That i'll be asked to give an account for those.
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  • What have i used them for?
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  • Did i use them for the benefit of the one who gave them to me?
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  • Do i live with that consciousness and awareness?
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  • He's given you gifts, as well.
  • 00:06:07.526 --> 00:06:09.027
  • Luke 12:48, "...everyone who's been given much, much will
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  • Be demanded."
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  • Not requested, demanded, harsh word.
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  • "...and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much
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  • More will be asked."
  • 00:06:18.503 --> 00:06:20.338
  • Isaiah 2, i like this one, "stop trusting a man, who is but
  • 00:06:20.338 --> 00:06:24.075
  • A breath in his nostrils.
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  • Of what account is he?"
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  • Well, you don't have no trust in man, you don't be afraid of
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  • Them either.
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  • Jesus said, "don't be afraid if somebody can just kill
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  • Your body!"
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  • Well, i'm pretty sure a good bit about the fear we have is about
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  • People that might do us physical harm.
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  • And jesus said, "don't bother."
  • 00:06:40.392 --> 00:06:43.328
  • He said, "you should really be afraid of somebody who, after
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  • They've hurt your body, could throw your soul into hell."
  • 00:06:45.330 --> 00:06:48.834
  • So a part of this money discussion, in this context,
  • 00:06:48.834 --> 00:06:52.704
  • Is really trying to get a biblical perspective.
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  • It's important to us, we're living in a very, very, very
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  • Uncertain economic time.
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  • The world is upside down.
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  • You know, we like to say that, as a nation, we're $37 trillion
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  • In debt.
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  • Oh, no, we're not.
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  • We're in debt multiple times that.
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  • We have all sorts of liabilities that they're not telling
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  • Us about.
  • 00:07:13.792 --> 00:07:15.126
  • I mean, they're there, and you can kinda excavate them, but
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  • They're not included in that tally.
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  • If you go online and go, "what's the national debt?"
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  • You can see the ticker whirling around and just staggering
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  • Numbers, really beyond our imaginations, but it's the tip
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  • Of the iceberg.
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  • We've been bankrupt for a long time.
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  • Government didn't have any money.
  • 00:07:30.876 --> 00:07:33.178
  • The only thing they have is the goods and services that we can
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  • Produce, that's it!
  • 00:07:35.714 --> 00:07:39.384
  • And so instead of dealing with the debt, they start pushing
  • 00:07:39.384 --> 00:07:42.487
  • Different perspectives on how to deal with money, different
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  • Economic ideas.
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  • And many of them have nothing to do with scripture, they don't
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  • Have any biblical grounding.
  • 00:07:50.862 --> 00:07:52.264
  • Well, you can't--money, by itself, is amoral.
  • 00:07:52.264 --> 00:07:55.133
  • It doesn't have a moral value, it's what you do with
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  • Your stuff.
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  • And to understand that, we have to go to scripture.
  • 00:07:59.771 --> 00:08:02.908
  • It's like knowing what sexual morality and sexual
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  • Immorality is.
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  • Apart from scripture, you're just lost to your feelings,
  • 00:08:06.611 --> 00:08:09.614
  • Bad guide.
  • 00:08:09.614 --> 00:08:12.083
  • God's not a prude, he created sex.
  • 00:08:12.083 --> 00:08:15.287
  • And he told us the place in which it is beneficial to the
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  • Human being and the places where it's inordinately destructive,
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  • And he warns us against it.
  • 00:08:20.659 --> 00:08:23.261
  • Well, in the same way, he created the earth and everything
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  • That's in it for our pleasure.
  • 00:08:25.297 --> 00:08:26.665
  • He's not opposed to us and stuff!
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  • But he's given us some guidelines on how to think about
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  • It and what he said he will do, how he will engage with us, the
  • 00:08:31.870 --> 00:08:35.941
  • Impact of our relationship with him, and the things in our
  • 00:08:35.941 --> 00:08:38.777
  • Lives, it's worth understanding.
  • 00:08:38.777 --> 00:08:41.546
  • So i'll start with some money promises.
  • 00:08:41.546 --> 00:08:43.148
  • Proverbs 10:22, "the blessing of the lord brings wealth, and he
  • 00:08:43.148 --> 00:08:46.851
  • Had no trouble to it."
  • 00:08:46.851 --> 00:08:49.020
  • So if you're gonna make some life goals, it would be more
  • 00:08:49.020 --> 00:08:51.356
  • Prudent--it'd be wiser to seek the blessing of the lord.
  • 00:08:51.356 --> 00:08:55.860
  • Because he said, "if you have the blessing of the lord, he
  • 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:57.829
  • Will bring abundance to your life."
  • 00:08:57.829 --> 00:09:01.566
  • If you flipped that, you think, "well, i'm gonna go get
  • 00:09:01.566 --> 00:09:03.134
  • Abundance, and then i'll try to figure out how to get the
  • 00:09:03.134 --> 00:09:04.803
  • Blessing of god."
  • 00:09:04.803 --> 00:09:06.171
  • It's most probable you'll never have either.
  • 00:09:06.171 --> 00:09:08.640
  • There are some exceptions to that, there's always a unicorn,
  • 00:09:08.640 --> 00:09:11.343
  • But if you want the guaranteed path, if you want to take the
  • 00:09:11.343 --> 00:09:13.778
  • Promise, organize your life, orchestrate your calendar, your
  • 00:09:13.778 --> 00:09:17.415
  • Expression of time, effort, in the--in receiving the blessings
  • 00:09:17.415 --> 00:09:21.286
  • Of god.
  • 00:09:21.286 --> 00:09:22.754
  • He'll bring the rest to you, it will come to you.
  • 00:09:22.754 --> 00:09:26.958
  • "i don't believe that."
  • 00:09:26.958 --> 00:09:28.293
  • I know, that's why i read it to you, it's right there
  • 00:09:28.293 --> 00:09:29.894
  • In the book!
  • 00:09:29.894 --> 00:09:31.596
  • Proverbs 28:20, "a faithful man will be richly blessed, but one
  • 00:09:31.596 --> 00:09:35.834
  • Eager to get rich will not go unpunished," whoa!
  • 00:09:35.834 --> 00:09:40.705
  • The message isn't difficult, it's better to be faithful to
  • 00:09:40.705 --> 00:09:43.642
  • God than to have a powerful desire to get rich.
  • 00:09:43.642 --> 00:09:48.847
  • Well, that'll set you apart.
  • 00:09:48.847 --> 00:09:50.215
  • That'll put you in the short line, and that's not
  • 00:09:50.215 --> 00:09:53.718
  • An easy decision.
  • 00:09:53.718 --> 00:09:55.053
  • You'll have to monitor that every day because the messaging
  • 00:09:55.053 --> 00:09:56.855
  • Is much, much heavier on the other side of that.
  • 00:09:56.855 --> 00:10:00.258
  • And the sobering piece is, if you're eager to get rich, it
  • 00:10:00.258 --> 00:10:02.527
  • Said there's a punishment for it.
  • 00:10:02.527 --> 00:10:05.096
  • Now, i believe god.
  • 00:10:05.096 --> 00:10:07.499
  • I believe god is more trustworthy than gravity.
  • 00:10:07.499 --> 00:10:11.536
  • You can exert some other forces and you can defy gravity.
  • 00:10:11.536 --> 00:10:14.606
  • You cannot defy god over time.
  • 00:10:14.606 --> 00:10:18.943
  • So when god gives you his perspective and his truth,
  • 00:10:18.943 --> 00:10:21.246
  • Organize your life around it.
  • 00:10:21.246 --> 00:10:24.182
  • I'll give you one more, 2 corinthians 9.
  • 00:10:24.182 --> 00:10:26.384
  • This is the promise, as i understand it, from scripture
  • 00:10:26.384 --> 00:10:28.486
  • For the--god's blessings.
  • 00:10:28.486 --> 00:10:29.821
  • It's the definition of blessings in our lives.
  • 00:10:29.821 --> 00:10:31.723
  • "remember this: whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly.
  • 00:10:31.723 --> 00:10:34.359
  • Whoever sows generously will reap generously.
  • 00:10:34.359 --> 00:10:36.795
  • Each man should give what he's decided in his heart to give,
  • 00:10:36.795 --> 00:10:39.130
  • Not reluctantly or under compulsion, god loves the
  • 00:10:39.130 --> 00:10:41.933
  • Cheerful giver.
  • 00:10:41.933 --> 00:10:43.835
  • And god is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in
  • 00:10:43.835 --> 00:10:47.038
  • All things at all times, having all that you need, you will
  • 00:10:47.038 --> 00:10:50.475
  • Abound in every good work."
  • 00:10:50.475 --> 00:10:52.677
  • That last verse is, as i understand it, the best
  • 00:10:52.677 --> 00:10:54.946
  • Single-verse definition of god's abundance in our lives.
  • 00:10:54.946 --> 00:10:59.451
  • So god is able to make all grace abound to you.
  • 00:10:59.451 --> 00:11:02.120
  • Grace has--is completely unhooked from merit.
  • 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:05.924
  • So everything that's coming after this is not about merit,
  • 00:11:05.924 --> 00:11:08.493
  • It's about deserving it or earning it, it's about god's
  • 00:11:08.493 --> 00:11:10.428
  • Character, not ours.
  • 00:11:10.428 --> 00:11:12.564
  • It's worth noting how often the word "all" is used in this
  • 00:11:12.564 --> 00:11:15.200
  • Single verse.
  • 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:16.568
  • "he's able to make all grace abound to you so that in all
  • 00:11:16.568 --> 00:11:19.370
  • Things, at all times, you'll have all that you need, and you
  • 00:11:19.370 --> 00:11:25.076
  • Can abound into every good work."
  • 00:11:25.076 --> 00:11:28.546
  • "at all times, in all things, all that you need," that's
  • 00:11:28.546 --> 00:11:34.786
  • God's promise.
  • 00:11:34.786 --> 00:11:36.855
  • Now, to be completely--to-- that's not what i want.
  • 00:11:36.855 --> 00:11:40.458
  • I know that's amazing and that's really good, what i want is
  • 00:11:40.458 --> 00:11:43.962
  • Everything i'm ever going to need in my hands now, locked
  • 00:11:43.962 --> 00:11:48.433
  • Safely in a secure place so at night, when i'm done with my day
  • 00:11:48.433 --> 00:11:51.336
  • Job, i can go over and walk barefoot through it.
  • 00:11:51.336 --> 00:11:55.473
  • And i can say, "i'd be in control.
  • 00:11:55.473 --> 00:11:58.743
  • I got this.
  • 00:11:58.743 --> 00:12:00.078
  • I am the self-insured person."
  • 00:12:00.078 --> 00:12:03.414
  • But that's not the promise.
  • 00:12:03.414 --> 00:12:05.750
  • You see, that's the great battle within us.
  • 00:12:05.750 --> 00:12:07.452
  • We wanna unhook ourselves from god.
  • 00:12:07.452 --> 00:12:10.188
  • We'll acknowledge god, we might even be willing to lift our
  • 00:12:10.188 --> 00:12:13.825
  • Voices in praise and sing a chorus.
  • 00:12:13.825 --> 00:12:15.593
  • We might even like church music, we might even read our bibles
  • 00:12:15.593 --> 00:12:17.962
  • A little bit.
  • 00:12:17.962 --> 00:12:19.330
  • We might even attend a church service and keep some of god's
  • 00:12:19.330 --> 00:12:21.266
  • Moral boundaries, but there's a great battle in every one of us.
  • 00:12:21.266 --> 00:12:24.302
  • We wanna be independent of god, truthfully.
  • 00:12:24.302 --> 00:12:28.773
  • We want to be our own, and what god has said is, "if you will
  • 00:12:28.773 --> 00:12:34.445
  • Make the pursuit of your life being faithful to me, i will see
  • 00:12:34.445 --> 00:12:38.883
  • To it that in all times, in all things, you'll have everything
  • 00:12:38.883 --> 00:12:42.654
  • You need."
  • 00:12:42.654 --> 00:12:44.689
  • Now, that's amazing.
  • 00:12:44.689 --> 00:12:49.127
  • Doesn't mean that there won't be somebody with more than you,
  • 00:12:49.127 --> 00:12:52.397
  • Because the bible tells us we shouldn't envy.
  • 00:12:52.397 --> 00:12:54.699
  • If we were all gonna have the same thing all the time, if that
  • 00:12:54.699 --> 00:12:56.935
  • Was god's best, envy would not be a discussion we'd all have
  • 00:12:56.935 --> 00:12:59.804
  • The same thing.
  • 00:12:59.804 --> 00:13:04.242
  • It doesn't mean that there'll be complete equality amongst us
  • 00:13:04.242 --> 00:13:08.279
  • With things, and stuff, and talent, and gifts, or we
  • 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:12.016
  • Wouldn't be told not to covet.
  • 00:13:12.016 --> 00:13:15.954
  • But it says that all things at all times, we'll have everything
  • 00:13:15.954 --> 00:13:19.257
  • We need that's an amazing promise.
  • 00:13:19.257 --> 00:13:22.694
  • Now, it's not important to you if you think wall street is
  • 00:13:22.694 --> 00:13:25.430
  • Secure enough to protect your future.
  • 00:13:25.430 --> 00:13:28.499
  • If you think that the federal reserve board is a secure enough
  • 00:13:28.499 --> 00:13:33.104
  • Place to protect your economic well-being, then you don't need
  • 00:13:33.104 --> 00:13:35.406
  • That promise.
  • 00:13:35.406 --> 00:13:37.108
  • You think the strength of the dollar will carry your grandkids
  • 00:13:37.108 --> 00:13:39.844
  • Through whatever the world may bring to them?
  • 00:13:39.844 --> 00:13:42.547
  • Then you wouldn't have to teach them that promise.
  • 00:13:42.547 --> 00:13:45.917
  • But if you imagine you live in an unstable world, i would
  • 00:13:45.917 --> 00:13:49.888
  • Strongly encourage you to become familiar with that promise.
  • 00:13:49.888 --> 00:13:54.359
  • Because that way you don't live in fear no matter what happens
  • 00:13:54.359 --> 00:13:56.995
  • In the world.
  • 00:13:56.995 --> 00:13:59.297
  • There's some really bad thinking going around regarding our
  • 00:13:59.297 --> 00:14:02.767
  • Money, and much of it, i'm sad to say, is fostered by churches
  • 00:14:02.767 --> 00:14:07.138
  • And christian universities.
  • 00:14:07.138 --> 00:14:09.340
  • It's completely unhooked from scripture.
  • 00:14:09.340 --> 00:14:10.808
  • You know there are many churches these days that have
  • 00:14:10.808 --> 00:14:12.677
  • Disconnected from scripture, right?
  • 00:14:12.677 --> 00:14:17.448
  • Allen: i sat down when my father recently, did a podcast, he told
  • 00:14:21.686 --> 00:14:24.923
  • The story how he came to faith, how god transformed our family.
  • 00:14:24.923 --> 00:14:28.259
  • They started a home bible study, all the way up to the beginning
  • 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:30.361
  • Of this church that i've served, now, for decades.
  • 00:14:30.361 --> 00:14:33.264
  • As i listened, the heart of it was the work of the holy spirit
  • 00:14:33.264 --> 00:14:35.934
  • In his life and through his life.
  • 00:14:35.934 --> 00:14:38.069
  • I asked him to do a book around the topic, and we have it so
  • 00:14:38.069 --> 00:14:41.506
  • That you can invite the spirit of god to be the dynamic
  • 00:14:41.506 --> 00:14:44.409
  • Presence of the power of god to bring change in life and hope,
  • 00:14:44.409 --> 00:14:48.579
  • No matter what the circumstances.
  • 00:14:48.579 --> 00:14:50.381
  • You'll enjoy the book.
  • 00:14:50.381 --> 00:14:51.749
  • Female announcer: experience the holy spirit in a deeper way with
  • 00:14:51.749 --> 00:14:54.218
  • This new book by pastor allen's dad, "the eternal breath
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  • Of life."
  • 00:14:57.422 --> 00:14:58.790
  • Request your copy when you donate any amount today, and
  • 00:14:58.790 --> 00:15:01.793
  • When you get $50 or more, you can also request "unleashing the
  • 00:15:01.793 --> 00:15:05.863
  • Power of the holy spirit."
  • 00:15:05.863 --> 00:15:07.532
  • It's a collection of pastor allen's sermons that will help
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  • You understand the holy spirit in new ways.
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  • Request yours today at allenjackson.com or by
  • 00:15:13.137 --> 00:15:16.374
  • Calling...
  • 00:15:16.374 --> 00:15:18.776
  • Allen: so i just brought you some fundamental principles.
  • 00:15:22.113 --> 00:15:24.082
  • I thought i'd start with some misconceptions, things that are
  • 00:15:24.082 --> 00:15:27.652
  • Not true but are widely believed to be true.
  • 00:15:27.652 --> 00:15:31.589
  • In fact, you'll hear them echoed from secular voices.
  • 00:15:31.589 --> 00:15:34.826
  • I'm always amazed that people who don't follow god have very
  • 00:15:34.826 --> 00:15:37.462
  • Great clarity on how people who follow god should behave.
  • 00:15:37.462 --> 00:15:41.599
  • Have you noticed that?
  • 00:15:41.599 --> 00:15:42.934
  • They have no intention of being obedient, but they will tell you
  • 00:15:42.934 --> 00:15:44.569
  • You're not being.
  • 00:15:44.569 --> 00:15:46.671
  • But one of the misconceptions is that it's very unspiritual to
  • 00:15:46.671 --> 00:15:49.874
  • Be rich.
  • 00:15:49.874 --> 00:15:51.342
  • That if you're rich, you must be doing something wrong.
  • 00:15:51.342 --> 00:15:54.579
  • There's some sneaky little ungodly something you have done.
  • 00:15:54.579 --> 00:16:00.018
  • And if it's not expressed overtly, and it's often
  • 00:16:00.018 --> 00:16:02.353
  • Expressed pretty overtly, and it just doesn't matter really where
  • 00:16:02.353 --> 00:16:06.324
  • You look.
  • 00:16:06.324 --> 00:16:07.759
  • In fact, we're pretty much comfortable with wicked ungodly
  • 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:10.061
  • People stacking cash.
  • 00:16:10.061 --> 00:16:12.196
  • When we get really tense is if somebody says they're
  • 00:16:12.196 --> 00:16:14.032
  • A christian, they're stacking it.
  • 00:16:14.032 --> 00:16:16.567
  • "they must not be a good one."
  • 00:16:16.567 --> 00:16:21.105
  • I know, it's kind of nervous.
  • 00:16:21.105 --> 00:16:22.540
  • We laugh and we giggle a little bit.
  • 00:16:22.540 --> 00:16:24.042
  • "well, can he say that at church?
  • 00:16:24.042 --> 00:16:25.510
  • I don't know."
  • 00:16:25.510 --> 00:16:27.879
  • I did three minutes on the internet and you get some
  • 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:30.415
  • Fun numbers.
  • 00:16:30.415 --> 00:16:31.983
  • Highest paid athlete, you know who it is?
  • 00:16:31.983 --> 00:16:33.618
  • Cristiano ronaldo, 275 million per, salary and endorsements.
  • 00:16:33.618 --> 00:16:41.225
  • I should have learned to play that game where you don't pick
  • 00:16:41.225 --> 00:16:43.694
  • Up the ball.
  • 00:16:43.694 --> 00:16:46.564
  • Jon rohm, golfer, 218 million for hitting a ball in a hole
  • 00:16:46.564 --> 00:16:53.704
  • With a stick!
  • 00:16:53.704 --> 00:16:57.341
  • Life is good!
  • 00:16:57.341 --> 00:16:59.710
  • "well, i've worked hard all my life."
  • 00:16:59.710 --> 00:17:01.079
  • A lot of people worked hard all their lives.
  • 00:17:01.079 --> 00:17:04.115
  • Juan soto, baseball, this was good.
  • 00:17:04.115 --> 00:17:06.651
  • He signed a $765 million contract with the mets.
  • 00:17:06.651 --> 00:17:12.023
  • But in all fairness, it's over 15 years.
  • 00:17:12.023 --> 00:17:17.962
  • That's better than bobby bonilla money.
  • 00:17:17.962 --> 00:17:19.564
  • I mean, that's some serious...
  • 00:17:19.564 --> 00:17:21.966
  • Elon musk, he didn't do it playing sports.
  • 00:17:21.966 --> 00:17:25.303
  • Net worth in excess of $400 billion!
  • 00:17:25.303 --> 00:17:30.775
  • There's some folks that have done well, really!
  • 00:17:30.775 --> 00:17:36.481
  • I'm not gonna take a poll on your reaction.
  • 00:17:36.481 --> 00:17:38.182
  • Somebody will say, "well, nobody should make that much money,
  • 00:17:38.182 --> 00:17:40.518
  • Just nobody, nobody.
  • 00:17:40.518 --> 00:17:43.454
  • No, nobody!"
  • 00:17:43.454 --> 00:17:46.224
  • Let me give you a little biblical perspective, there's no
  • 00:17:46.224 --> 00:17:48.292
  • Passage in the bible that says, "thou shalt not make $200
  • 00:17:48.292 --> 00:17:51.362
  • Million a year."
  • 00:17:51.362 --> 00:17:54.632
  • It's not in there!
  • 00:17:54.632 --> 00:17:57.635
  • So before you start rattling off what they should or shouldn't
  • 00:17:57.635 --> 00:18:00.171
  • Do, you wanna go back to our guidebook.
  • 00:18:00.171 --> 00:18:03.508
  • Well, somebody said, "well, doesn't the bible say that money
  • 00:18:03.508 --> 00:18:05.376
  • Is the root of all evil?"
  • 00:18:05.376 --> 00:18:08.112
  • No, actually, it doesn't.
  • 00:18:08.112 --> 00:18:10.581
  • What it says is, "the love of money."
  • 00:18:10.581 --> 00:18:13.618
  • Now here's what i've discovered, you don't have to have any to
  • 00:18:13.618 --> 00:18:15.887
  • Love it.
  • 00:18:15.887 --> 00:18:20.625
  • Come on, you can love money with your whole heart and you can't
  • 00:18:20.625 --> 00:18:26.998
  • Afford to pay attention. [congregation applauding]
  • 00:18:26.998 --> 00:18:32.203
  • So don't conflate the two, we can have some bad attitudes
  • 00:18:32.203 --> 00:18:36.807
  • Without having any.
  • 00:18:36.807 --> 00:18:38.176
  • We can be filled with things that would cause us to forfeit
  • 00:18:38.176 --> 00:18:40.144
  • The kingdom of god, greed, and envy, and covetousness, and not
  • 00:18:40.144 --> 00:18:44.549
  • Have any.
  • 00:18:44.549 --> 00:18:46.317
  • Or you have a lot and be filled with stuff.
  • 00:18:46.317 --> 00:18:48.386
  • We'll look at some of the rest of this.
  • 00:18:48.386 --> 00:18:50.655
  • You know, those who say money is basically evil are
  • 00:18:50.655 --> 00:18:52.957
  • Misinterpreting the bible.
  • 00:18:52.957 --> 00:18:55.660
  • And the awkward reality of this is there are a lot of christians
  • 00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:58.196
  • Who feel guilty for making money.
  • 00:18:58.196 --> 00:19:01.799
  • Because the message that they bump into is if they were really
  • 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:04.235
  • Spiritual, they'd quit their jobs, give all their money to
  • 00:19:04.235 --> 00:19:06.304
  • The poor, and live a very meager lifestyle.
  • 00:19:06.304 --> 00:19:08.739
  • I know that's true because we hide our money when we come
  • 00:19:08.739 --> 00:19:10.775
  • To places like this.
  • 00:19:10.775 --> 00:19:15.112
  • Come on, we don't boast about our toys here!
  • 00:19:15.112 --> 00:19:20.151
  • We boast about them in other settings.
  • 00:19:20.151 --> 00:19:25.556
  • "now he's getting personal.
  • 00:19:25.556 --> 00:19:26.924
  • Don't look, just don't look at him."
  • 00:19:26.924 --> 00:19:30.127
  • You know, and often those who are not wealthy feel
  • 00:19:30.127 --> 00:19:32.663
  • Contemptuous towards those who are, thinking if someone is
  • 00:19:32.663 --> 00:19:36.434
  • Really rich, they must be materialistic and not
  • 00:19:36.434 --> 00:19:38.703
  • Very spiritual.
  • 00:19:38.703 --> 00:19:40.671
  • The bible doesn't say that.
  • 00:19:40.671 --> 00:19:42.506
  • In reality, the bible says that everything we have, including
  • 00:19:42.506 --> 00:19:45.376
  • Our money, is a blessing from god.
  • 00:19:45.376 --> 00:19:48.646
  • That's the truth, your breath is a gift from god and it's more
  • 00:19:48.646 --> 00:19:51.315
  • Valuable than anything you've cashed.
  • 00:19:51.315 --> 00:19:54.986
  • This is what god said to the apostle paul, to timothy,
  • 00:19:54.986 --> 00:19:59.090
  • A young man that he's mentoring.
  • 00:19:59.090 --> 00:20:01.659
  • 1 timothy 6, "command those who are rich in this present world
  • 00:20:01.659 --> 00:20:04.862
  • Not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth, which is
  • 00:20:04.862 --> 00:20:09.100
  • So uncertain, but to put their hope in god, who richly provides
  • 00:20:09.100 --> 00:20:12.470
  • Us with everything for our enjoyment."
  • 00:20:12.470 --> 00:20:15.439
  • That god is ultimately our provider, not our
  • 00:20:15.439 --> 00:20:18.643
  • Accumulated assets.
  • 00:20:18.643 --> 00:20:20.011
  • Again, it's not a condemnation of those assets, but
  • 00:20:20.011 --> 00:20:23.114
  • Circumstances could conspire to make those assets not beneficial
  • 00:20:23.114 --> 00:20:26.517
  • To you and god will always be beneficial to you.
  • 00:20:26.517 --> 00:20:31.122
  • "command them--" those with stuff.
  • 00:20:31.122 --> 00:20:33.157
  • "command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be
  • 00:20:33.157 --> 00:20:37.194
  • Generous and willing to share.
  • 00:20:37.194 --> 00:20:39.697
  • In this way--" in what way?
  • 00:20:39.697 --> 00:20:42.767
  • Well, by being--doing good, by being rich in good deeds, and
  • 00:20:42.767 --> 00:20:46.604
  • Generous, and willing to share.
  • 00:20:46.604 --> 00:20:48.072
  • "in this way they can lay up treasure for themselves as
  • 00:20:48.072 --> 00:20:51.175
  • A firm foundation for the coming age."
  • 00:20:51.175 --> 00:20:54.912
  • You know you can use your stuff now to be rich towards god?
  • 00:20:54.912 --> 00:20:59.784
  • And that doesn't have to do with the amount, it has to do with
  • 00:20:59.784 --> 00:21:01.852
  • Your attitude towards the stuff.
  • 00:21:01.852 --> 00:21:05.022
  • "...so that they can take hold of the life that is truly life."
  • 00:21:05.022 --> 00:21:08.292
  • Paul did not say to timothy, "tell all those rich people to
  • 00:21:08.292 --> 00:21:10.795
  • Quit accumulating so much money!"
  • 00:21:10.795 --> 00:21:14.065
  • He didn't, so don't you!
  • 00:21:14.065 --> 00:21:17.868
  • And neither did he say, "tell them to give all their money to
  • 00:21:17.868 --> 00:21:19.904
  • The church and then redistribute it to everyone equally."
  • 00:21:19.904 --> 00:21:25.242
  • He wasn't really so concerned where their money was as to
  • 00:21:25.242 --> 00:21:27.645
  • Where their hearts were.
  • 00:21:27.645 --> 00:21:29.947
  • He wanted the wealthy people to put their hope in god rather
  • 00:21:29.947 --> 00:21:32.717
  • Than in riches.
  • 00:21:32.717 --> 00:21:34.352
  • To do good deeds and to be generous towards him.
  • 00:21:34.352 --> 00:21:38.055
  • God is so good to us.
  • 00:21:38.055 --> 00:21:39.423
  • If you look at the promises in that passage in verse 19, he
  • 00:21:39.423 --> 00:21:43.260
  • Gives us a motivation for handling our money according to
  • 00:21:43.260 --> 00:21:45.796
  • His direction.
  • 00:21:45.796 --> 00:21:47.631
  • He said, "if you'll follow my instructions, you can lay up
  • 00:21:47.631 --> 00:21:50.534
  • Treasure in heaven."
  • 00:21:50.534 --> 00:21:51.902
  • Now, typically, people who have accumulated resources understand
  • 00:21:51.902 --> 00:21:55.005
  • What's necessary to accumulate resources.
  • 00:21:55.005 --> 00:21:57.942
  • So that message is presented to people who are good at something
  • 00:21:57.942 --> 00:22:00.711
  • So they can be rich towards god.
  • 00:22:00.711 --> 00:22:02.313
  • That's a bargain that's hard to watch past if you--walk past if
  • 00:22:02.313 --> 00:22:05.182
  • You love god at all.
  • 00:22:05.182 --> 00:22:07.284
  • You can lay up treasure in heaven as a foundation for
  • 00:22:07.284 --> 00:22:10.154
  • What's next!
  • 00:22:10.154 --> 00:22:13.023
  • But there's a way to leverage your current resources to make
  • 00:22:13.023 --> 00:22:17.328
  • A difference in the kingdom of god.
  • 00:22:17.328 --> 00:22:19.330
  • That's amazing to me, the goodness of god, a promise!
  • 00:22:19.330 --> 00:22:21.899
  • "be generous and willing to share and you can lay up
  • 00:22:21.899 --> 00:22:23.734
  • Treasure for the coming age."
  • 00:22:23.734 --> 00:22:25.202
  • It's not just a promise for the wealthy folks, you don't have to
  • 00:22:25.202 --> 00:22:27.371
  • Have a lot to do that, you can have a little.
  • 00:22:27.371 --> 00:22:29.540
  • Jesus pointed out to his disciples one day, a poor widow,
  • 00:22:29.540 --> 00:22:33.511
  • Which is at the lowest rung, just about, on the possible
  • 00:22:33.511 --> 00:22:36.046
  • Economic ladder of the day, and she put in a couple of small,
  • 00:22:36.046 --> 00:22:40.484
  • Negligent amounts, a couple of copper coins, and jesus said,
  • 00:22:40.484 --> 00:22:43.454
  • "she's given more than all these other people."
  • 00:22:43.454 --> 00:22:46.357
  • And the disciples said, "oh, no, no, no, that's--you--it must
  • 00:22:46.357 --> 00:22:49.059
  • Be the heat, lord.
  • 00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:50.461
  • There have been some big gifts today.
  • 00:22:50.461 --> 00:22:51.796
  • We've been watching the toll board."
  • 00:22:51.796 --> 00:22:54.532
  • Can you imagine take up an offering where your offering got
  • 00:22:54.532 --> 00:22:56.634
  • Posted on the screens?
  • 00:22:56.634 --> 00:23:02.973
  • "believe i'll give online."
  • 00:23:02.973 --> 00:23:07.278
  • Well, that's what was happening in the temple.
  • 00:23:07.278 --> 00:23:08.646
  • It wasn't a private giving event.
  • 00:23:08.646 --> 00:23:11.782
  • The time we're told to be private with our giving is when
  • 00:23:11.782 --> 00:23:14.251
  • We're helping people that are less fortunate than ourselves so
  • 00:23:14.251 --> 00:23:17.054
  • We don't snatch their dignity with our arrogant expressions
  • 00:23:17.054 --> 00:23:22.793
  • Of generosity.
  • 00:23:22.793 --> 00:23:24.829
  • But there are many times in scripture we're asked to give in
  • 00:23:24.829 --> 00:23:27.164
  • Public to inspire generosity in other people, that's a sideline.
  • 00:23:27.164 --> 00:23:32.703
  • I apologize just a bit for that, but you don't have to have a lot
  • 00:23:32.703 --> 00:23:36.073
  • To give.
  • 00:23:36.073 --> 00:23:37.408
  • Jesus said that widow that put in those two small coins had
  • 00:23:37.408 --> 00:23:39.310
  • Given a greater value than the people who had given things that
  • 00:23:39.310 --> 00:23:42.213
  • Had a great--far greater financial worth.
  • 00:23:42.213 --> 00:23:45.549
  • He said, "she gave out of the little she had, and they gave
  • 00:23:45.549 --> 00:23:49.753
  • Out of their abundance."
  • 00:23:49.753 --> 00:23:51.088
  • So you can lay out--you don't have to have $40 billion in
  • 00:23:51.088 --> 00:23:54.058
  • Order to lay up treasure in the age to come, you can do that if
  • 00:23:54.058 --> 00:23:58.162
  • All you have is $4.
  • 00:23:58.162 --> 00:24:01.699
  • But the command is to those with more because we tend to think we
  • 00:24:01.699 --> 00:24:06.203
  • Need to broker it better, that god would be overwhelmed with
  • 00:24:06.203 --> 00:24:08.706
  • Our affluence.
  • 00:24:08.706 --> 00:24:11.909
  • "well, we do, that's too much to give to the lord.
  • 00:24:11.909 --> 00:24:14.645
  • He needs me to watch over it."
  • 00:24:14.645 --> 00:24:16.514
  • Hmm, there's a second misconception, and this one
  • 00:24:16.514 --> 00:24:21.852
  • Lives large amongst us, "everyone should share equally."
  • 00:24:21.852 --> 00:24:30.494
  • Apparently that's on the backside of your outline.
  • 00:24:30.494 --> 00:24:35.966
  • Karl marx forwarded the per perspective of socialism,
  • 00:24:35.966 --> 00:24:39.503
  • Suggesting that everything should be owned in common.
  • 00:24:39.503 --> 00:24:43.274
  • All property should be owned, not by the individual, but by
  • 00:24:43.274 --> 00:24:46.010
  • The people as a whole, and then distributed equally by the
  • 00:24:46.010 --> 00:24:49.146
  • Government, hm.
  • 00:24:49.146 --> 00:24:52.116
  • The thought process has become so prevalent it's invaded
  • 00:24:52.116 --> 00:24:56.086
  • Academia, it's invaded our school systems, it lives large
  • 00:24:56.086 --> 00:24:59.957
  • In our universities, even our christian ones.
  • 00:24:59.957 --> 00:25:03.027
  • It flourishes in the pulpits of the churches that it has greatly
  • 00:25:03.027 --> 00:25:06.063
  • Influenced many churches and theologians.
  • 00:25:06.063 --> 00:25:08.699
  • Some people believe that the bible advocates socialism
  • 00:25:08.699 --> 00:25:11.302
  • Or equity.
  • 00:25:11.302 --> 00:25:13.003
  • Equity means--it's a fancy word, it's not equality, equity
  • 00:25:13.003 --> 00:25:15.739
  • And equality are very different.
  • 00:25:15.739 --> 00:25:18.242
  • Equality is about equal opportunities, the bible does
  • 00:25:18.242 --> 00:25:21.979
  • Talk about that.
  • 00:25:21.979 --> 00:25:23.514
  • Equity is the equality of outcomes, the bible does not
  • 00:25:23.514 --> 00:25:28.118
  • Talk about that.
  • 00:25:28.118 --> 00:25:29.486
  • In fact, the bible tells us that's not our reality.
  • 00:25:29.486 --> 00:25:32.523
  • It's widely taught as theology.
  • 00:25:32.523 --> 00:25:36.594
  • It has been formal government policy until just recently.
  • 00:25:36.594 --> 00:25:40.364
  • You probably heard the initials "dei," "diversity, equity,
  • 00:25:40.364 --> 00:25:43.667
  • And inclusion?"
  • 00:25:43.667 --> 00:25:45.636
  • Formal government policy dictating not equal opportunity,
  • 00:25:45.636 --> 00:25:49.673
  • But a thumb on the scale to determine that you get
  • 00:25:49.673 --> 00:25:52.476
  • Equal outcomes.
  • 00:25:52.476 --> 00:25:54.645
  • So effort doesn't matter, preparation doesn't matter,
  • 00:25:54.645 --> 00:25:57.414
  • Sacrifice doesn't matter, there's a thumb on the scale.
  • 00:25:57.414 --> 00:26:01.185
  • It's not biblical, it's not godly.
  • 00:26:01.185 --> 00:26:06.190
  • There's only two options, it's either godly or ungodly.
  • 00:26:06.190 --> 00:26:10.294
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:26:10.294 --> 00:26:16.500
  • Allen: being a christ follower is not as much about an
  • 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:18.969
  • Experience and a completed activity, a prayer, a visit to
  • 00:26:18.969 --> 00:26:22.473
  • An altar, a response to an evangelist.
  • 00:26:22.473 --> 00:26:25.643
  • It's certainly a beginning point of welcoming jesus into your
  • 00:26:25.643 --> 00:26:28.278
  • Heart, but it's a life that we lead, so we continue to grow,
  • 00:26:28.278 --> 00:26:31.682
  • And learn, and gain strength.
  • 00:26:31.682 --> 00:26:33.784
  • As life presents challenges, we get to know god in a new way.
  • 00:26:33.784 --> 00:26:37.187
  • Well, i believe this book about the holy spirit is a tool to
  • 00:26:37.187 --> 00:26:40.524
  • Help you gain a new momentum to grow through the things in your
  • 00:26:40.524 --> 00:26:44.428
  • Life under the direction of the power of the spirit of god.
  • 00:26:44.428 --> 00:26:47.731
  • Folks, we're not gonna outwork evil or outthink evil, we're not
  • 00:26:47.731 --> 00:26:50.734
  • Gonna out organize evil.
  • 00:26:50.734 --> 00:26:52.269
  • The only thing evil will yield to is a power greater than
  • 00:26:52.269 --> 00:26:55.005
  • Itself, and that power is the spirit of god, and you and me,
  • 00:26:55.005 --> 00:26:59.309
  • Manifest in the earth, through people of faith.
  • 00:26:59.309 --> 00:27:02.279
  • We're salt and light, we're change agents.
  • 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:04.748
  • I wanna pray.
  • 00:27:04.748 --> 00:27:06.116
  • Heavenly father, give us a discernment to recognize your
  • 00:27:06.116 --> 00:27:09.153
  • Spirit, how we can welcome him into our lives and cooperate
  • 00:27:09.153 --> 00:27:12.456
  • With him to bring your breakthroughs into our lives,
  • 00:27:12.456 --> 00:27:15.192
  • Our homes, and our churches.
  • 00:27:15.192 --> 00:27:17.327
  • Jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:17.327 --> 00:27:18.996
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:18.996 --> 00:27:28.706