MUB
7-18-04
MATT 6;19-21
WHAT’S IN YOUR WALLET?
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
WOW, WHAT A TREMENDOUS DAY TUESDAY WAS. ELEVEN MADE THE JOURNEY TO LANSING FOR THE 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE WORKSHOP. WE ALL CAME HOME, PUMPED UP AND READY TO GO. I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANY OF YOU WHO WANT TO GET INVOLVED, TO MAKE THE TRIP TO COLDWATER, ON JULY 29. SOME OF YOU WHO WENT TO LANSING, MAY WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO GO TO COLDWATER AS WELL, THEY HAVE A COUPLE EXTRA THINGS AVAILABLE. SEE MARTHA TO GET REGISTERED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THE 40 DAYS REALLY GO IS A CONCEPT CALLED EXPONENTIAL THINKING. THE IDEA BEHIND EXPONENTIAL THINKING IS SIMPLY THIS; CONSIDER THE RESULTS THAT WE THINK ARE HUMANLY POSSIBLE. FOR INSTANCE, 8 SMALL GROUPS MEETING. ADD TO THIS A ZERO. THEN YOU HAVE A GOAL THAT ONLY GOD CAN ACHIEVE. IF WE REACH THAT GOAL, WHO GETS THE GLORY? GOD DOES, B/C IT WAS NOT HUMANLY POSSIBLE FOR US TO REACH IT.
RICK WARREN SPELLS OUT 10 BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF EXPONENTIAL THINKING , LET ME GIVE YOU 5 TODAY.
1. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IS POSSIBLE. EXODUS 1;7
2. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IS THE NT MODEL ACTS 6;7
3. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH BRINGS HONOR TO GOD- B/C HE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HAVE DONE IT. IS 26;15
4. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH CAPTURES THE ATTENTION OF THE UNBELIEVING WORLD. EX 1;12
5. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IS CAUSED BY GOD- AND CANT BE PROGRAMMED OR PREDICTED. DEUT 1;10
WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN MEETING THIS WEEK, TO PREPARE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. AS WE MEET, WE WILL BE SEEKING GOD IN PRAYER, TO SET OUR GOALS. PRAY FOR THE LEADERS.
THIS MORNING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MOST SENSITIVE SUBJECT KNOWN TO MAN. HIS WALLET.
THIS YOUNG MAN IS STANDING NEXT TO A MIDDLE AGED MAN ON A CROWDED BUS. EXCUSE ME, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT TIME IT IS? THE OLDER MAN DOESN’T BUDGE, DOESN’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE YOUNG MANS QUESTION.
THE BUS STOPS AND THE OLDER GUY GETS OFF W/ A FRIEND. THE FRIEND SAYS, YOU WERE PRETTY RUDE TO THAT YOUNG MAN. LET ME EXPLAIN. IF I TELL HIM WHAT TIME IT IS, HE WILL NEXT ASK, WHERE I AM GOING, THEN I WILL HAVE TO INVITE HIM TO DINNER AT MY HOME, AND THEN HE WILL MEET MY SINGLE DAUGHTER, AND THEN THEY WILL FALL IN LOVE. AND FRANKLY, I DON’T WANT MY DAUGHTER MARRYING SOME GUY WHO CANT AFFORD A WATCH.
THERE IS ONE SUBJECT THAT I DON’T LIKE TO PREACH ABOUT, THAT IS MONEY.
HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES UP IN THE TEXT, AS IT DOES TODAY, WE WILL SPEND
SOME TIME CONSIDERING IT. JESUS SPENT MORE TIME TALKING ABOUT MONEY AND MATERIAL POSSESSIONS THAN HE DID ALMOST ANY OTHER SUBJECT.
ONCE AGAIN, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, JESUS SPEAKS TO OUR ATTITUDE ABOUT THIS MOST SENSITIVE SUBJECT.
MONEY IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE IN OUR LIVES. ITS ONE OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS THINGS WE DEAL WITH. WE TALK ABOUT IT. WE THINK ABOUT IT. OFTEN WE LOSE SLEEP OVER IT. WE ARE CONCERNED W/ IT.
EVEN OUR KIDS THINK ABOUT MONEY. LET ME SHARE SOMETHING THAT JOHN MAXWELL ONCE SAID, THAT I HAVE TRIED TO PRACTICE IN THE LIVES OF MY CHILDREN. MAXWELL SAID, MY DAD DIDN’T PAY US TO TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE OR DO CHORES. HE SAID THAT WAS PART OF GROWING UP, AND LEARNING RESPONSIBILITY. WHAT HE DID PAY US FOR, THO, WAS FOR READING.
A PENNY A PAGE FOR EACH PAGE READ.
3 BOYS ARE SETTING TALKING ABOUT WHO HAS THE BEST DAD. BOY ONE SAYS;
MY DAD WRITES A FEW WORDS, GETS A $100. FOR A POEM. BOY TWO SAYS, MY DAD WRITES A FEW WORDS, GETS PAID A $1,000. SONG. THIRD BOY, MY DAD IS BEST, HE WRITES A FEW WORDS, AND IT TAKES 3 MEN TO CARRY ALL THE MONEY- SERMON.
IT EVEN CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MARRIAGE. RICH OLD MAN MARRIES YOUNG WOMAN. HE GETS THINKING SHE IS ONLY INTERESTED IN HIS MONEY.
"HONEY IF I LOST ALL MY MONEY, WOULD YOU LOVE ME?’ "OF COURSE I WOULD, & I WOULD MISS YOU TERRIBLY."
A SURVEY WAS TAKEN OF WHAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO FOR MONEY, HERE WERE THE RESULTS
25% ABANDON FAMILY
23% PROSTITUTE FOR A WEEK OR MORE
16% GIVE UP THEIR CITIZENSHIP
16% LEAVE THEIR SPOUSE
7% WOULD KILL A STRANGER
3% WOULD GIVE UP THEIR CHILDREN FOR ADOPTION
JESUS ONCE AGAIN CALLS US TO A HIGHER STANDARD. DON’T DO THIS- STORE UP FOR YOURSELF TREASURE ON EARTH- RATHER, DO THIS- STORE UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN.
JESUS IS NOT SAYING, DON’T SAVE MONEY. HE IS NOT SAYING DON’T INVEST WISELY. HE IS NOT SAYING DON’T PLAN FOR YOUR RETIREMENT. WHAT HE IS SAYING, IS; THINK ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE CONCERNING THINGS.
WE NEED TO HAVE A PROPER ATTITUDE AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT TREASURE. YEARS AGO BILLY SUNDAY- DRESSED FLASHY, BIG GOLD RINGS, HE SAID, "WHY SHOULDN’T I WEAR THEM TO GIVE GOD THE GLORY".
WE HAVE SEEN THE ABUSES AS WELL, JIM BAKER QUICKLY COMES TO MIND.
ONE OF THE REASONS MOST PREACHERS DON’T LIKE THIS SUBJECT IS B/C OF THE ABUSES. PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN SAID, ALL THE CHURCH CARES ABOUT IS MONEY. WE KNOW THAT’S NOT TRUE, BUT WE MUST FIGHT THE PERCEPTION.
JESUS SAYS, TREASURE ON EARTH WONT LAST. YOU CAN LOSE IT ALL IN A BLINK. SINCE EARTHLY TREASURE CAN BE SO FLEETING, SAVE YOUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN. THERE IS A RAY BOLTZ SONG, I DREAMED I WENT TO HEAVEN, THIS SONG REALLY SPEAKS TO THIS IDEA.
WE NEED TO INVEST IN THE KGD TO STORE UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN. WE NEED TO SET A HIGHER STANDARD, OF WHAT’S IMPORTANT THAN WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.
JESUS SAYS, WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS; THAT’S WHERE YOUR HEART WILL BE AS WELL. LET ME ASK YOU A HIGHLY PERSONAL QUESTION; ARE YOU MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT’S IN YOUR WALLET, OR WHAT’S IN THE BANK OF HEAVEN?
JESUS ILLUSTRATES THIS WITH THE EYE. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? YOU CANNOT LOOK IN TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME. FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS. YOU CANT SERVE TWO MASTERS.
