← ArchiveSunday, October 2, 2016DateOctober 2, 2016Speaker—TextLuke 19Passages in this sermonLuke 195:33Luke 1212:22Colossians 313:332 Corinthians 8:1318:51Deuteronomy 2624:502 Corinthians 929:39Malachi 331:55TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Music playing. Music playing.0:30Music playing. Good morning again.1:00I didn't get a chance to say this earlier, so let me say it today. If you are new here and you have never been contacted by us or prayed over by us as a church, help us do that. Grab a green card in front of you and just fill that out and put it in the offering plate at the end of the service. Or you can take it out to our guest services table in the foyer and we have a gift for you.1:26If you like coffee, if you don't, take that gift and give it to your neighbor in our name. So thank you for helping us do that. Also in the back, if you have a prayer request, something that God is burdening your heart with or a celebration, or you need to respond to the gospel today, please fill this out and help us as we grow in our faith together. Well, today is part three of a series of what we call grace-onomics.1:51Grace-onomics. Understanding how God's grace impacts our economy. Not in general, but personally, our kingdoms. So what is the economy? What is grace-onomics? It is God's production of grace, our consumption of grace, and then God using us to administer his grace to the world. And today we're going to look at this, how God, his word, his grace, his mercy impacts our treasure.2:16Our treasure. We've already looked at three weeks ago how spiritually we should be grounded in the grace of Jesus Christ in our life. Last week we looked at how God's grace impacts our time, a valuable resource that everyone has. And today we're going to look at how God's grace and mercy impacts our treasure or our giving. Now I know, let me just talk about the elements in the room this morning, and we'll get rid of the awkwardness first thing.2:44Some of you are thinking already, here we go, church talking about giving. Buckle up, right? Let me just say this. Jesus Christ spoke about giving in our treasure 15% of the time, more than heaven and hell combined. So if we're going to hold true to what Jesus taught proportionally, I should, what church should be discussing giving in our treasure every eight sermons.3:09So if you have a problem with that, let me just tell you this, I'm going to hurt your feelings, and then God hopefully can convict you. You have found your idol. If you say, I can't believe the church is talking about giving, maybe because God's convicting you right now. Right? And so may we open our lives up and say, Lord, make me sacrificial. Make me faithful. Two, some this morning are not being faithful, and you're ashamed of that.3:39You say, I know what God's word teaches, and I want to be faithful, and I'm not. I'm selfish, and I'm selfish, and I am ashamed, and I feel like someone gave the pastor my bank records, and he knows me. Let me assure you, I don't. But I do pray that your shame will push you into God's mercy, and that he will give you the strength to be faithful. Third, some of you have no clue that the Bible ever teaches about finance and giving.4:04And so you've been living however you want to live selfishly, and today is going to be eye-opening, and I pray that it's going to be joyful, that you can say, Lord, you show me how to live financially. And I struggle with that, so now, Lord, let me take the next steps in my faith and in my journey towards spiritual maturity. So those are the elephants in the room, and I pray if those are one of you, that God would give you understanding to be faithful and to honor him.4:32And if you are faithful, I pray today that God would make us generous and that he would make us extravagant givers. Let's pray. Father, you show us in your word that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Lord, you show us in your word that everything that we own is yours, and we are just your money managers.4:57Lord, and you show us in your word that Jesus Christ died and became the first roots, that we may give to you the first of what we have, Lord, not the leftovers. So, Father, we come to you today asking that you open our hearts to your faithfulness, to your grace, and to your mercy, and that you will give us strength to live that out this morning.5:17And I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. If you have your Bibles with you today, open to Luke chapter 19. Luke chapter 19. Now, this is not normal for our church and for my protocol as I preach, but we will look at different scriptures today.5:40Normally, what we do is we open up God's word and we stay in that passage, but we will look at different parts of scripture this morning, beginning with Luke 19, verse 12. Luke 19, verse 12. And we will begin with this question, God, why should we give? Why should we give? So, the first question that we should ask God is what?6:09Why should we give? Because if we don't answer that question, if you're like me in school, if the teacher did not tell me why, then I didn't care. That's just my personality. So, it's one thing to say you should, but I have a four-year-old mentality. So, when you tell me do, my first question is, why? And then my second question is, why? And then every other question is, why?6:36God, why should we give? Verse 12, Luke 19. Therefore, Jesus said in a parable, it's a story that teaches a spiritual truth. A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. If you were here several weeks ago, we said that Jesus is the nobleman. And Jesus did not go and ascend into heaven to receive his kingdom. When he died on the cross, he already has his kingdom.7:06So, Jesus is not waiting to come back to receive his kingdom. He currently sits on the throne right now, this second. Verse 13, so he called ten of his servants and he delivered to them ten minas, Matthew says talents, and said to them, do business until I come. So, here's our first spiritual truth. The question is what? Why should we give?7:33Jesus' answer is this. God owns, and I am his manager. Why should we give? Because God owns everything, and we are only his managers. Verse 13, he called ten of his servants and he delivered to them ten talents, ten minas. So, these servants have nothing that was not given to them by the nobleman, by the king. Jesus has a masterful way of teaching us spiritual lessons through stories.8:02And not just in parable form, not just in God's word. Many of us would raise our hands and say, I remember when God taught me a lesson through this, through a life story. And Jesus is doing the same thing for us. He's giving a parable and saying, here is a spiritual concept. Church, Moody, St. Clair, some of you live in Jefferson.8:26Here's the spiritual concept. God owns everything, including your stuff. Everything. And you say, well, pastor, what do you mean? You know? I have a cowbell that sits on my, in my office, on top of all my books, on the bookshelf. God even owns my cowbell.8:58We say, why don't you tell me that? So, when I, when I want to elevate sports as an idol in my life, in front of my spiritual well-being, God reminds me, Josh, I even own the cowbell. Some of you are saying, I don't have a cowbell. Thank God I'm off the hook. But most of us have things that we hold near and dear. And we live in a world in a time where the most dear thing that we have is our wallets and our checkbooks and our treasure.9:26And we say, God, you can have anything you want but my stuff. God, I'll give you my neighbor's stuff. Right? God, I will go and serve you in foreign countries. I will go to Africa. And I will, I will starve. I'll eat things I never thought I would eat. But if we're honest, the prayer that most of us pray is, God, I will go anywhere you want me to go. But, Lord, don't ask me for my things.9:55And God reminds us, why should we give? Because he owns and I am his manager. A steward manages for the owner's benefits. A steward manages for the owner's benefits. Everything that I have in my life, I should say, God, I am doing this for your benefit. Look what Jesus in verse 13 tells the servants. He says, here are ten menas.10:24Matthew says, here are talents. And what does he say? He doesn't say, go live it up. Go party. Eat, drink, and be merry. What does Jesus say to his servants? What does he say to us that claim to follow the name of Jesus Christ? He says, do business. Do work. What does that mean? You are managing my resources. Do it well. Why should we give, Lord? Because everything that I own is yours.10:53A steward carries no sense of entitlement to the assets that he manages. That's a hard truth, isn't it? A steward claims no sense of entitlement. We struggle with that because when we adjourn here today, we're going to go to where? Some of you are going to go to the restaurants, and then you're going to go where? I would say, well, I'm going to my house. That's not a biblical concept. It's not mine.11:24If what God's word says is true, and I believe it is, what I should say is, I'm going to the house that the Lord lets me live in temporarily. That I may be a good manager of what he has given. John Wesley said it this way. You've heard this story before. He was preaching, and someone came to him and said, John, your house has burned down. And this was his response. He said, no, it hasn't because I don't own a house. The one I have been living in belongs to the Lord, and it has burned down.11:54That is one less responsibility for me to worry about. John Wesley understood what it means to say, all I have is God's, and I just manage it. That is the first spiritual foundation. Why do we give? Why, Lord? Because everything I own is yours, and I am your manager. Second spiritual truth, Luke 12.12:22Luke chapter 12. As I prayed earlier today, this is a verse I prayed over. This is a verse many of you know well. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke chapter 12. Beginning in verse 16, he spoke again in a parable. But Jesus knows that many of us have to hear stories or see stories or live stories to get it in our hearts.12:50And Jesus said in verse 16 of Luke 12, he said, So this rich man has a rich man problem. Now, by the way, I believe in capitalism.13:19I believe, I think it was John Wesley that also said, earn as much as you can earn. That's a great thing. God gives us strength. Whatever you do, we work not, we work heartedly, not unto man, but as unto the Lord. Colossians 3, 23. Earn all you can earn. Save all you can save. And give all you can give away. But Jesus says, this rich man thought to himself, saying, what should I do? I have a rich person problem, first world problem. I have no room to store my crops.13:48And he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build greater barns. And there I will store all my crops and all my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Now, go back today, this afternoon, and read that passage again. And just circle or highlight how many times this rich young man says, my, my, my.14:15But God said to him, verse 20, you fool, this night your soul will be required of you. We say, well, why would the Lord say that to him? Look what the Lord says. Then whose will these things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich. Now, what is the great indictment against this man?14:45What does verse 21 say? What's the indictment? What's the charge against the man? It's not being rich. My prayer is that God will make all of us rich, that we can give it all away and reach the world for the name of Christ. But what is the judgment against the man? Anyone have their Bibles open? What's the? You have laid up treasure, but that's not, that's not the judgment, right?15:15You've laid up treasure for yourself. You have been rich for yourself and not towards God. So if you're rich today, I want you to know that is a great problem to have. Because now you have to ask the question, God, show me how to give it away. I wish we all had that problem. And by the way, the truth is, because we live in America, most of us do have that problem. So the second spiritual truth, God, why should we give is this?15:43The truth is, my heart goes where I put God's money. My heart goes where I put God's money. So do you want to know where your heart is today? Follow the money. Follow the money. Some of you, and this is not a sinful proposition. Some of you go to sports games here in Alabama. Some of you go to Tuscaloosa. Some of you go to Auburn. And I said this Wednesday night.16:13There's a reason I don't have those tickets. You know, just the fleshly truth. This is not a spiritual truth. This is a fleshly, worldly truth. My heart's not at those places. That's why I don't buy tickets there. So where my heart is not, my money will not go. And how much more is it spiritually? Right? So where the things I love to do, there goes my money. So if my money is not serving the Lord, what does that say about my faith?16:41God, why do we give? Because my heart goes where I put my money. Verse 34, same chapter. Jesus says, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. So this is what God's word asks us. What does our life look like? If my heart follows my treasure, then where is my treasure?17:08Do I prioritize my treasure over his tithe? Or my earthly security over heavenly safety? Do I prioritize my riches over my relationship with the Savior? Do I prioritize Disney over discipleship, jewels over Jesus? Or do I prioritize my bills over heavenly benefits? And if I'm giving like I should be giving, there is freedom to say, Lord, I can do these things because I know where my treasure is.17:32But Lord, I can have a nice car because I've already given towards you. And I've been abundant in that. Lord, I can have a yacht because I've abundantly given it. Lord, I can't give it all away. By the way, that's a spiritual principle. The more you give, the more will be given to you. And if you die broke and you die on a cross because of your faith, there will be reserved for you crowns of righteousness that the nicest yacht or skybox would not even compare.17:59Where God's treasure is, where my treasure is, there will be my heart also. So where is your heart today? Why should we give? One, because he owns, I manage. Two, because where my money goes, there will also be my heart.18:29Why also should I give? 2 Corinthians in the New Testament. Verse 13 of chapter 8. Paul reminds us another reason why we should give. As if we needed another reason. 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 13. Paul says this. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but by inequality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack.18:58So what does Paul say? That my abundance should supply their lack. That their abundance may also supply your lack and that there may be equality. As it is written, he who gathered much had nothing left over and he who gathered little had no lack.19:24Why should we give third principle of why? God prospers me, not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving. That's a spiritual biblical concept. God raises my standard, not of living, but of giving. So when God gives us more, our first question is, Lord, not what can I buy? It should be, Lord, what can I give to you?19:52That's why our standard is raised. So God abundantly gives that we may help those who lack. One of the greatest joys that we have, as I have as your pastor. And in staff meeting Tuesday, we just looked at the ministries of our church and I said, what do we do well? And the staff looked at me and they thought it was a trick question. And the number one thing that we agreed on is this.20:22The first Thursday of every month, as a church, we feed over 65 sometimes, 55 on average, often 60 plus families every month that are hungry. Why do we do that? Because the scripture says that God has abundantly blessed me so that they would not have lack. And every weekend we give that there are school children who are in need of food through the weekend.20:47They are food insecure. And we help over 60 kids and their families every weekend. And my heart is this. I would love the day that because of this faith family, there's not a hungry person in St. Clair County. Not because of who we are. But because we say, Lord, if you give to me, there will not be one person who lacks if I know about it.21:17But Lord, so give me abundantly. Lord, keep giving. And I will hand it off. Lord, keep giving because I want to help those that are in need. And Lord, we don't just want to feed stomachs. We want to feed souls. And if we're honest and if our eyes are open, there might be someone in need that you're sitting by right now. Because often those that are in need aren't living under the bridge in Birmingham.21:44They're living right next to you. And they're living next to me. God, why should we give? Because God gives us not to raise my standard of living, but that he may give and raise my standard of giving. I think about it like this. What would you do if you bought an expensive gift and you wrapped it beautifully? So you know I'm not giving it because I don't wrap. Normally, I give a gift and say, here it is.22:14It's in the same Amazon box that they beautifully wrapped. What would you do if you wrapped something beautifully and gave it to one of your best friends? And you called up the delivery service, UPS or FedEx or USPS or whoever. And you said, give me your most trusted delivery person. And you gave them this beautiful gift.22:43And you said, this is a very valuable, expensive gift. And you wrote on it fragile. By the way, if you have something fragile, don't write fragile on it. That's my experience. Just write on it, please destroy. But what would you do if that delivery person took your gift and went home and unwrapped it and use that gift for themself? You'd probably first call the Better Business Bureau and complain.23:11Or you'd track down that, you'd go online and you'd find the tracking number and you would see it's at their house. And you'd probably track them down. But at the very least, you would say, this man doesn't get it. I gave him this precious gift that he may give it to someone else. Oh, that we would not be that man. Because there are moments in our life that God gives us.23:41And he says, Pastor, I'm giving you this, that you may give it to the world. That you may serve them. And you know what we do? We take it and say, you know what? I really like how this looks. And we take it home and we unwrap it and we keep it for ourselves. And I believe sometimes God's heart is heavy because we hoard and we do not give. Lord, why should we give? One, because he owns everything.24:10From your car, to your house, to your cowbell, to everything in between. God, why should we give? God, why should we give? Because I know that my heart is going to follow where my money goes. That's what Jesus Christ says. God, why should I give? Because God increases our standard of not living, but giving. So our prayer should be, God, give to me this morning that I may give more in abundance. Well, pastor, that's great.24:40Well, pastor, that's great. But how then, how do I give? Thank you for asking. How should we give? Deuteronomy 26 says this. If you want to stay in Corinthians, we're coming right back. Deuteronomy 26 says this is how we should give. We should give not from our leftovers, but from our first. We should give not from our leftovers, but from our first. Deuteronomy 26, verse 1.25:09And it shall be when you come into the land which the Lord God has given you as inheritance, and you possess it and you dwell in it, that you should take some of the first of all of the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from the land the Lord your God has given you, and you put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make his name abide. So Deuteronomy reminds us of what we call in the Old Testament the first fruits.25:36Verse 2, that you should take some of the first of all of the produce. So if we know then why we should give, then Lord, how should we give it? The Bible over and over again says that we are to give of our first. Now some of you are biblically astute, and you say, well, the New Testament never says we should give or tithe. Well, the New Testament says you should give. It says you should give sacrificially.26:06In the New Testament, Jesus Christ assumes we tithe and assumes we give of the first. Why do we give of the first? Well, because first shows priority in our life. First shows priority. And I have stories in my life, and Casey will tell you the same, and I have heard stories here that there have been weeks and months in our life where we struggle. God, we don't know if we can give to you this month.26:35And we sat down and we prayed and said, God, we're going to give to you first. And Lord, we're just going to trust for you to work everything else out. And you know what ends up happening? The car doesn't break down that month. Or the groceries aren't that much that month. Or over and over and over again, God provides. We are to be people who give God first. It shows priority.27:04And we understand that concept because when you go to dinner and you have a special guest, who normally goes first? The guest. Why? Because they're important. So how much more so is God of importance in our life? When we give, we are to give of the first and not of the leftovers. How and how can I say that? Why can I say that? Because no one in here would say, I want God's leftovers. We expect God to give us of his first.27:33Now, I would say this. It's better to be a doorman in the courts of the Lord than be in the palace of a thousand elsewhere. So I'm okay with God's leftovers. But I know God's not okay with mine. May we be people who give first. When we give first, it shows that we trust God and we're willing to let him work out the rest. So if you're here today, you say, I want to give, but I don't know how.28:02When I give first, it says, God, I'm trusting you. And I know when I trust God, he has never let me down. And he will never let me down. When we give first, we put our thankfulness on display. Giving of God first lets me say, God, I'm going to thank you first. And God, I'm going to thank me second. Because it's really not about me. It is about you. And I also see this principle working out in my life.28:30If you wait until the end, you will never have enough. You'll never have enough. Well, God, I'm going to wait until the end of the month, and then we'll see. Casey and I do that sometimes with just things we want to do, right? We're going to do this, or we're going to go out to here. We're going to take the kids here if we have enough. I'm going to go wash the car and wash the car. If I have enough time, guess what?28:59Never have enough. Dear, I'll clean the house if I have time today. If I just had 24 hours and 30 minutes. But what does that show us? If I wait until the end, I'll never do it. And how much more so when God says, pastor, where your treasure is, there your heart will be. If I give him my treasure first, guess where my heart goes?29:28It goes to him first. How do we give? We give from our first, not our leftovers. How also do we give? Second Corinthians 9, 7 says, we give as an act of worship. Second Corinthians 9, 7, we give as an act of worship. You've got a verse you know well. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.29:56Look what God's word says, that let each one give as he purposes out of his purpose in his heart. So the Bible says that there's something about giving that touches my heart. Why? Because when you touch my wallet, you touch my heart. And that's a biblical principle because that's our treasure.30:25That's, for most of us, that's our comfort. That's our security. Sometimes that's our idol. And God says, Josh, when you give to me, it is an act of worship. Giving is worship because it is directed unto the Lord and not directed unto me. I love this quote. Henry Ward Beecher said, do not give as many rich men do, like a hen that lays an egg and then cackles. Do not give as a rich man does, like, or like as a hen lays an egg, gives and then cackles, as if it's about me.30:56That we give and say, Lord, look what I've done. Lord, I want my nameplate on that wall because that's my wing. Lord, I want that pew dedicated to me. Lord, you know I gave that. I would rather say, Lord, I'm going to give. And Father, if no one knows it but you, let it be.31:25Let it be. It is an act of worship. How else should we give? How should we give? And this is our last spiritual truth this morning. God, how should we give? Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, shows us how we should give. And it is abundantly and consistently. Abundantly and consistently.31:52Malachi 3, verse 8. Malachi 3, verse 8 says, will a man rob God? And let me just say this, as an Old Testament scholar, there's not, you're not a good enough thief to rob God and get away with it. Right? There's no night that's dark enough. There's no mask that will hide your face.32:22You can't dress up as a scary clown and fool God. So may we not fool ourselves into thinking that we can rob God. Verse 8, but yet you have robbed me, but you say, in what way have we robbed you, God, in tithes and offerings? He says, you are cursed with the curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Wow. This is Judah the Lord is talking to here.32:52Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me now in this, says the Lord of hosts. If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing, that there will be not enough room for you to receive it. God's word says that we are to give consistently and abundantly. And Malachi uses this word, tithe.33:21He said, well, pastor, I don't hear that word much. What is a tithe? Tithe was a word for 10%. 10%. I've had many Christians ask me, what does God want me to give? What does he want me to give 10% on? After taxes and titles and fees and justice security and, or before? And my answer is simply this. Are you asking God, God, how little can I give to you?33:49That's not a question I'm going to answer for you. That's a question that God dealt with me. Because there was a time in my life I said, Lord, let's bargain this thing down, right? But let's start with, God, give me your bottom line and let's kind of move up from there. As if I have a right to say, God, how little can I give? Because I don't pray that way.34:19I don't pray, God, just, just, God, how little can you give to me today? I pray this way, God, pour out the storehouses of heaven on me. And may then our prayer be, and God, let me give it back that the world may see me give consistently and abundantly, that they may see the creator in how I give. God, how can we give? We give consistently and abundantly.34:46If you have your little worship guide that we gave you, and actually, these are your sermon notes. On the back, there's a ladder. And I just wanted to give you just a visual representation of, Lord, how can we take action steps to give? Because I'm a visual person. I'm a guy. I tell my wife all the time, look, if I don't see it, I don't get it. I need to see it. And I struggle with seeing it. I can walk up to the counter and say, you know, I don't see my Bible.35:16And she'll walk up to the same place and she'll say, here it is. It was right in front of you. Because if I don't see it, I don't get it. How can we give and how can we be faithful? I know there are people here that you say, you know, you probably say, I've never, ever given to the kingdom. And my prayer is that the Lord is asking you today, take the next step, give. And you say, well, I haven't prepared. Well, he has.35:46God's prepared. And the greatest thing that he did for us, he sent his son, Jesus Christ, who is the first born of creation, the first fruits that we may have eternal life. And that God says, Josh, when you said that my son was your savior and that you are going to trust me, now I want you to prove it. Are you really going to trust me? So if you have never given, my prayer is that you will take the next step and you say, Lord,36:14I'm going to give and it's going to start today. Maybe you're here and you say, well, I give, but it's not consistent. I know I struggle on that. But will you commit today before the Lord to say, Lord, help me be consistent in giving. God, I know what your word says and I want to be faithful because I find this true in my life. Show me a Christian that is stingy, that's a miser, that's greedy, and I will show you someone who lacks faith. Show me a believer that is poor but generous, and I will show you a mature person in the faith.36:44So giving is not for the rich. Remember, Jesus commended this poor widow because she gave all she had and it wasn't much. But it was all she had and he said, I tell you, church, she sacrificed more than that rich man who gave millions. And so if our prayer today is, Lord, make me rich and then I'll give, God is saying, no,37:11you won't. Because you're not giving now, pastor. May we be consistent. If you're giving occasionally, but you're not being intentional about that, as God's word washes over you today, I pray that you will step up and be intentional. Maybe you're intentional about giving, but you're not giving as much as you should. And the Lord's convicted you today. He said, well, I'm only giving just a very slim sliver of what God has given me.37:39And may you say, Lord, make me faithful. I want to give 10%. Lord, make me faithful. Lord, let me trust in you. Father, I don't know how it's going to work out, but I know if I give it to you, my heart's going to be there. And I know if you have my heart, Lord, you will have my life. Maybe you're here today and you say, well, I've been faithful for many years. Maybe the Lord is working on you this morning.38:07He says, well, now it's time for you to be extravagant. Maybe you're in retirement and you have more than enough. And now God's saying, well, why don't you give like you should? Give it away. Because I have given church you that there would be no one with lack. And we look around in our county, in our world, and there are people around the world that are dying because they don't have clean water today. And there are people in our counties, in our neighborhoods that are hungry tonight because38:36they don't have food. God has given that we may give abundantly. It's time for us to step up and say, Lord, make us people of faith. Lord, you say where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Does God have your heart? Because he has your treasure. Because if he doesn't have your treasure, he doesn't have your heart. Maybe you're here today and you say, well, great, another giving sermon.39:05There goes the church again. And maybe you have never experienced God's grace. That's why you struggle. And maybe you have a wall up right now because you have never, as the Bible says, tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I want you to know that the greatest gift is not something that you can give. The greatest gift that has ever been given is something the Lord gave to you. And he sent his only son.39:36That while you were still a sinner, the Bible says, he proved his love. That while you were in rebellion, Jesus Christ died. And I'm thankful for Chris and for Rose and Sean today who stood up and said, world, I want you to know that Jesus is my death. He is my burial. And by the way, he is my resurrection. And anyone that has given their life to Jesus Christ, we are a new creation. Behold, behold, the old has passed away and the new has come.40:05If you have never given your life to Christ, may today be the day of your salvation. And we're going to have a time of response right now. And I want you to know, we're going to give you a chance to respond to the gospel. Maybe you need to come to the altar and you say, Lord, I struggle with finances. Lord, you know, I struggle with treasure. And Lord, I want it to begin anew today. Maybe you need to come to the altar and celebrate because you have been faithful.40:34And maybe you need to come here and say, Lord, I thank you for giving. I thank you, I give to you. And Lord, I want the world to see that. Because our faithfulness is time to celebrate, to say, Lord, thank you for giving. Lord, give me more that I may save more, that I may give it away. That there will be no unreached people group. That there will be no man that's hungry tonight. That there will be no one that needs water. Because Lord, the generosity of this faith family.41:03Will you step up and will you step out this morning? Let's pray. Father, let's pray. Father, let's pray.More sermons on Luke →
