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NOTE
Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver
Episode: Stewardship
Publishing Date: 2025-10-19T03:04:44-07:00
Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca
Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/stewardship/

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To care of the earth, to keep the earth, to guard it, to protect it, to nurture it, to

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cultivate it. Many of those words tie in with the idea of stewardship, and that was His original

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intent. And with Christ coming and redeeming us, God has restored us. God has restored

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us for stewardship. This topic is more important than we think. We think stewardship has to

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do with money, it's true, but it's so much more than that, and it's far more important

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than we think. Far more important. It's sometimes what scales a person up or pulls them down,

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and God thinks it's super important. So many parables in the Bible are about stewards,

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so it's not just about money. So the whole idea of even be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue,

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it's from the point of view of can I put you in charge of creation? And one of the strange things

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about God is He has no plan B, so it's still active. Can I put you, the church, in charge

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of taking care of, being accountable for, restoring, guarding, keeping, increasing.

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That which I put in your care. Just have a look at that. So God is still asking the question,

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can I ask you the church, now that I've redeemed you, can I ask you the church as in a people,

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or can I ask Betty, or can I ask John, since they've grown older, can I ask you to take care of?

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And here are the other words. Here are the other words. Should I go back?

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Should I just stay on the stage? So the idea of taking care, being accountable, restoring,

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guarding, keeping, increasing, that which I put in your care. And so it could be something as simple

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as my favorite cat Jojo, or it could be something like an amazing garden, or it could be,

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Chomi has always waited for this day when I would call her cat my favorite cat. Mission accomplished,

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day. Or it could be taking care of a church, it could be taking care of kids, but this idea

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is in God's mind and it's super important to him as we go talking about this, you'll realize.

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So in granting, even when he's granting Adam and Eve dominion over the earth, in granting dominion

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over the earth, what's he saying? He's saying, here's what he's really saying guys, can you

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rule on my behalf? Can you rule on my behalf? But if you rule on my behalf, your rule should be

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like I would want it.

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Can you rule on my behalf? Over what? Over the visible? Over the invisible?

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Over the stuff that is material? Over stuff that's temporal? Over stuff that's eternal?

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Over stuff that's alive? Over stuff that's not alive, as in trees, creation?

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Can you rule on my behalf? That's what he's asking when he talks about stewardship.

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That's how important it is to him, because rule is super important to God. That's one of the reasons

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he sent Adam on the earth. So try to understand why and how important this is to God, because

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we usually don't give it much value. We like using the word steward and stewardship. It sounds really

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heavy and it's one of those catch words, but understand why it's important to him. If the

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intent of God was to have Adam and Eve have dominion over the earth, it was so that they can rule on

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his behalf. And because his plan hasn't changed, it still is the same. Can you rule on my behalf?

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Over what? Over the visible? Over the invisible? Over that which is material?

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That which is temporal? That which is eternal? That which is alive? That which is not alive?

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How do we know that? Because in Colossians 2, 15 to 17, it says that he is Lord over all those things,

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over the visible, over the invisible, over the material, the immaterial,

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over all creation, that which lives and that which is not. He rules over all of them. And he's saying,

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can you, Jacob, rule over it on my behalf? And then he allots different areas for us to pay

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particular attention to. Any questions before we go on? I'm hoping that I can grasp and you

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can grasp why it's important to God and how it really promotes you or judges you.

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Okay.

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Like, I'm not a guy who believes that these flowers are living. They are living, but it's not like

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they're talking to me or anything. Yeah. So when I say that which is alive, I mean you. And that

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which is not alive, I mean these beautiful flowers. That's how I differentiate it. There

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must be another word for it. Animate and inanimate. But suddenly if they start moving,

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the point is that they are not alive. They're not as alive as you. Yeah.

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Any other questions? Okay. And so demonstrating, this is such a

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cool line. Demonstrating stewardship. That's a big word, no? Demonstrating stewardship

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reveals the nature and intent of the owner.

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So, how you steward something reveals the intent of the owner and the nature of the owner.

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So you'll find some chauffeurs taking really good care of the owner's car.

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And then you've got other chauffeurs who look for every pothole to drive over.

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So, when Kamal owned cabs, there was a time when Kamal owned the cabs. When Kamal would

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drive cabs, I'm sure because he owned the cab. Now he wasn't a hired hand just driving it rough

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shot over things. He would drive it carefully. Why? Because it was something that he stewards.

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But if he gave it to me, it would be different.

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So, demonstrating stewardship reveals the nature and intent of the owner. And the owner rewards you

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accordingly. Because he's the one, and there's not a person in this room who he will not try out.

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One of his habits is to try you out with stewarding things that belong to him.

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That's crazy, eh? There's nobody here in this room that he doesn't try out. In your different

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vocations, in your different callings, in your different giftings, in your different graces,

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in your different skills, in your different abilities, in your different capacity supervising

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things. He tries you out to see how you'll do with what's placed in your care. And based on that,

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there's an increase or there's stalemate or sometimes there's judgment and decrease.

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Everybody gets a shot at this.

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So, how I steward things reveals the nature and intent of the owner. The nature of the owner,

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how? For instance, let's assume I'm supposed to steward this church.

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If I start treating you cruelly, if I have no mercy, if my ways with you are ways that shame you,

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tear you down, make you feel smaller, make you feel less valued, then I'm reflecting the owner.

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Some of us will go away thinking that's what the owner is like. And I can use the word to justify it.

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I can use the word to justify it.

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People get the impression of the owner from the one who stewards.

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So be it parenting, be it pastoring, be it gardening, be it... There's nothing out of

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this purview because you're talking about the visible, the invisible, the material,

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the temporal, the eternal, the alive, the not alive. And all of us get a shot at this.

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So, it is possible to be self-centered in stewarding. It's possible to be self-centered

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in stewarding. And I'll explain that. What I mean is you can do something just so people can say

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you're a good steward and forget that the owner has a purpose. And the owner has an interest.

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Sometimes what happens is people can steward things almost like a job or a duty. And when

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they steward things like a duty, they're not interested in the owner's intent. They're not

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interested in the owner's purpose. They just want to do what they've been given well. That's a hired

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hand. A hired hand will always take on a thing and do it really well, but there's no heart in it.

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When it comes to God, ownership and stewardship is so heart related. If you don't put your heart in it,

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you can't do it. Let's assume you hired me as your pastor. And what? 100 people, small church,

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been preaching for 32 years, time to move on to bigger things, greener pastures. And so I

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started looking at 300, 400 people churches, thousand people churches, because I can preach,

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can't I? Okay, not a word here. Okay. And so when this becomes a job, then you can still do it well.

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You can get crackerjack sermons. You can have people taken care of, but you stop reflecting

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the owner's interest and the owner's purpose.

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There was a time when I came to Canada where I'd meet men and women who had worked for Sears for

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35 years. You asked them why they didn't leave. They'd say, no, this is where I started. This is

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where I'll die. There was a loyalty to Sears, which even customer service, I mean, Sears didn't have.

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But there's something that comes from the heart when it comes to stewardship.

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And there's not a single person here. What's his name? Is a supervisor at work. You think God is

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in watching how he stewards things. And he's not looking to see whether he can fix a light bulb.

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That's just a skill. How does he deal with a guy who can't fix a light bulb and falls off the ladder?

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Any questions?

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Okay. So how do we define stewards? Stewards are servants. Stewards are servants with responsibility.

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Why? Stewards are servants with responsibility. Why? So there are servants that, we are all

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servants, and then there'll be stewards with, there'll be servants with responsibilities.

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Stewards are servants with responsibility. Why? Because they've been faithful. With what?

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With what? With their time, talent, treasure, strength.

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For whom? For the master

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and his family

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and guests.

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What else? They are accountable.

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Stewardship always comes with accountability. They are accountable to him

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for what has been placed under their care.

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Beautiful, eh?

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Are we all servants? Yes, we are sons and servants. All of us. If you're born again,

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you become a son and a servant. So how are stewards different? Stewards are servants with

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responsibility. Not, like if you go to a home where there are many servants, you'll have some that

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are given jobs on the spur, like okay, could you do this? Could you do that? And then there are

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stewards. Stewards are servants with responsibility. Why have they been given responsibility? Why did

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they get selected? And why were they given responsibility? Because they were faithful.

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Faithful with what? Faithful with their time, their talent, their treasure, and their strength.

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Faithful to whom? Faithful to the master, to his family, and his guests.

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So that's one side of it. The second side of it is stewards are accountable.

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People love being stewards, but people want to be stewards without accountability.

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Give me a responsibility, I'll do it well, but do not ask me to be accountable.

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Stewards are accountable. To whom? They are accountable to the master. For what?

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For anything he has placed under their care. They do what he asks them and then goes and shows them

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what they've done. This is part of it. Any questions on this?

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Sorry? Yeah, so let's assume you're the master of the house and Emmanuel's a steward. He's

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responsible for all of us that you've invited to your house. Some of us are your family,

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the rest of us are guests. His thing is, I've got to make sure that all of Master James's guests

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and family are served and taken care of, and that the way he does it will reflect your heart.

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And you might say, Don's shoes need polishing, and so he goes, polishes Don's shoes, and then

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he brings it and shows to you saying, is this how you wanted it? There's an accountability.

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Any questions?

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Each one of us must rise to steward things because it's God's desire that the sons of Adam

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steward things. Any questions?

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I'll keep repeating this one thing. It is important to God. He tries every one of us out.

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That's why there's no area that is exempt from it. You steward your children, you steward your

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spouse, you steward your marriage, you steward your house, you steward pets, you steward your

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garden, you steward the way you appear or present yourself, you steward whatever is put in your care,

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taking care of and nurturing. And one of the critical things that we need to do is to be

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steward. Whatever is put in your care, taking care of and nurturing, and one of the critical

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things about stewardship is can you bring increase. Multiply replenish immediately means increase.

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And that's what institutional responsibility is.

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Owners have rights.

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have responsibilities.

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Owners of rights, stewards have responsibilities.

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So why am I making that statement? Because at no point should one who is

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stewarding think

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that because I've done a good job with what I've stewarded, it belongs to me.

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It never belongs to you. So when pastors think that the church belongs to them,

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they become the bridegroom and the church becomes their bride, not his bride.

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Or when parents begin to think

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these kids are ours, we have to make them this, that and the other,

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that's not stewardship, that's ownership. When you begin to develop your business

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and suddenly as it begins to grow and increase and the money begins to flow,

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you suddenly move from stewardship to ownership. When you develop a militia

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and suddenly people are getting healed and suddenly it becomes

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day-day ministries.

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Day-day ministries

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is the ministry that John will start.

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So, yeah.

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Yeah. So owners have rights, stewards have responsibilities.

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You cannot own that which you're taking care of.

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And that begins with your spouse, your children.

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You cannot own. Ownership is when one exerts a right

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where now there is no other option for anyone to

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or God to direct how things will be done because you decide.

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Ownership decides. Stewardship works with what the

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owner says. Here's the other thing guys. Stewardship is judged by God.

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Stewardship is always judged by God.

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Stewardship is always judged by God.

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1 Corinthians 4 verse 3 says

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God judges it. So there are a couple of good things to it. One,

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he judges it. Two,

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no one else's

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judgment really matters

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because he knows how to judge correctly. He knows your heart.

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1 Corinthians 4, 3.

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Paul actually says it doesn't matter. Don't be too hasty in judging me. It doesn't matter what you think of me.

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I am responsible as a steward to

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my master and he's the one that will judge me. So on one hand

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it means that popular opinion is not how stewards are judged.

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And when popular opinion begins to come against what you

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know you're doing is right because you've received your directions from

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God, then don't care much about it. On the other hand,

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know that God judges how you steward.

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And either that judgment results in rewards

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or it results in the fury of God,

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the disenfranchisement of the steward as in taking away what he had,

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and the casting away of the steward

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into places that are not wholesome.

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This is not Old Testament. This is New Testament.

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Where in Matthew 25, around verse 28-29 it says,

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when the master saw that the man went and

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hid the talent, one of the things about hiding the talent was

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not wanting to increase it. When he went and hid the talent,

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some of the words that come out there was that

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the master was furious, almost

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had disgusted the way the guy operated,

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and then decided that what he had would be taken away from him,

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and then decided that it would be given to someone else,

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and then decided that the guy should be dismissed.

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That's pretty harsh, eh?

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But at the same time the rewards of stewardship of a job well done

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was, hey, you did really well with five, let me give you ten.

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And this will continue here and will continue in the life after too.

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This is the truth, guys.

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Too many scriptures to prove this.

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With regard to your money, with regard to your car,

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with regard to your home, with regard to your clothes or laundry,

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with regard to your spouse, with regard to your children,

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with regard to how you do your education, with regard to your vocation,

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with regard, there's no area that he has given to you

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that he does not look at, and every time I do well,

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he causes an increase, and that's his desire.

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The father's desire is, can I cause an increase?

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We dads and mums do it with our children.

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If you do this well, there'll be increase.

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You should watch mums baking with their daughters or sons.

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The first time, it's like there's flour all over the floor.

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Like you don't know whether to say F-L-O-O-R or F-L-O-U-R,

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because it's completely all over the place.

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And then at some point you realize the child's learning how to do it.

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And as the child learns their rewards...

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God rewards crazily when stewardship is done well.

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Even the way our homes look, he watches.

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I'm not talking about clutter.

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If you've got two kids, two kids are already clutter.

00:25:55.120 --> 00:25:56.920
Forget the stuff that comes with them.

00:25:56.920 --> 00:25:58.720
I'm not talking about that.

00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:03.720
I'm talking about, is there a way that you take care of the home?

00:26:04.520 --> 00:26:05.720
It's a nurture of the home.

00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:08.520
Please don't think of, oh, I've got to put things everywhere

00:26:08.520 --> 00:26:10.320
and there should not be a speck of dust.

00:26:10.320 --> 00:26:12.320
That's the opposite of stewardship.

00:26:12.320 --> 00:26:15.720
It's called perfectionism, and it's legalistic, and it's sucky,

00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:16.920
and it stinks.

00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:19.320
And if you are caught up in that, I'll come to your house

00:26:19.320 --> 00:26:21.920
and I'll deliberately move your pictures so they look crooked.

00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:32.920
But that aside, we're talking about being able to take care of whatever is in your child

00:26:32.920 --> 00:26:34.920
and doing it the best you can.

00:26:36.320 --> 00:26:42.320
And sometimes your best is pretty bad, but it's still your best, man.

00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:51.720
You should do craft and then go sit with me, and your craft will look terrible.

00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:54.920
But you still did your best.

00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:59.920
Hey, Jonathan, it's not Jeremy.

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:01.520
It's never Jeremy's fault.

00:27:01.520 --> 00:27:02.920
It's you, Jonathan.

00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:06.920
Till your brother comes, you're the culprit.

00:27:08.920 --> 00:27:12.920
Jacob, Dillner's calling it.

00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:25.720
Yeah, be perfect as your father is perfect,

00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:28.920
and then he solves the problem by putting the perfect one in you.

00:27:31.520 --> 00:27:35.520
And before that, he would not say, be perfect as I'm perfect,

00:27:35.520 --> 00:27:40.920
because the only way to perfect yourself was to keep offering sin offerings for your imperfection.

00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:44.720
But the moment he says, be perfect because your father in heaven is perfect,

00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:49.920
he puts the perfect one in you so that any imperfection is compensated by the perfect one.

00:27:50.920 --> 00:27:52.920
Amazing, eh?

00:27:54.920 --> 00:27:57.920
Otherwise, perfection was through the offering of...

00:27:58.920 --> 00:28:04.920
Perfection was through the sacrifice of animals for the imperfections of life.

00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:11.920
So...

00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:13.920
So...

00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:22.920
What sometimes happens is, guys, because stewardship is not important to us...

00:28:23.920 --> 00:28:31.920
You know guys like Dillner, this man here in his green-yellow jacket, Joachim,

00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:35.920
these accountants are painful stewards.

00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:38.920
He used to be like that when I was at Emmanuel Baptist.

00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:41.920
Dillner was probably the same way when he was in the other Baptist church.

00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:44.920
And if you're a Baptist accountant, you're done.

00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:51.920
But there's this thing where accountants have to steward money, they've got to measure everything.

00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:54.920
And it can be annoying for the rest of us.

00:28:55.920 --> 00:29:02.920
But stewardship is annoying because we do not necessarily think much of stewardship.

00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:12.920
So we find it very annoying when people get very picky about stuff.

00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:16.920
But we won't do that at work, eh?

00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:18.920
At work, you're picky.

00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:23.920
Yep.

00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:34.920
This room is so echoey that...

00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:37.920
You'll have to speak louder and I'll have to come closer. Go ahead.

00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:42.920
What do you think about could result in the period God disenfranchised the stewards,

00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:45.920
captains, and stewards, just like the setter and gnomes, and the wholesome?

00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:52.920
And that doesn't seem like a judge variable with God as a father, and I'm wondering how those two things fit together.

00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:55.920
Yeah. So her question is, how can you disenfranchise?

00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:59.920
How can you cast into places that are unwholesome?

00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:03.920
How can you do that? It doesn't fit with the nature of God.

00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:07.920
One of the things we must understand about the nature of God is he is a father,

00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:10.920
and he'll always be a father, and you never lose your sonship.

00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:16.920
But he's also a master, and when he's a master, servants will be judged on how they perform.

00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:20.920
You still remain a son. You do not lose salvation.

00:30:20.920 --> 00:30:24.920
1 Corinthians 3 has a beautiful explanation of this.

00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:31.920
It says that when you build, build with gold and diamonds and silver and precious stones.

00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:36.920
But if you build with stubble and hay and stuff that is a cheap substance,

00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:39.920
I will burn it to see whether it burns.

00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:46.920
And if it burns, you will escape by the seed of your pants, as in salvation is still fine,

00:30:46.920 --> 00:30:51.920
sonship is still fine, but know this, that rewards will be affected.

00:30:54.920 --> 00:30:57.920
One of the things that we think is all of us are going to get rewards,

00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:00.920
and we're all going to lay before the Lord.

00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:05.920
Yes, rewards will be given, but this is not the kind of rewards where,

00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:08.920
ah, you came last in the race, but you ran, let me give you a reward.

00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:11.920
No, that's not how this will work.

00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:14.920
Sonship, you'll never lose, I'll never lose,

00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:21.920
but I am judged on how I do things in terms of master and steward,

00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:23.920
master and servant.

00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:26.920
Our Godfather runs a profitable business.

00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:29.920
It's almost like a Christian mafia.

00:31:32.920 --> 00:31:34.920
It's a for-profit business, yeah.

00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:45.920
So this fury and the disenfranchisement and the putting in an unwholesome place is,

00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:48.920
hey, you weren't faithful with what I asked you to do.

00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:50.920
And here's the crazy thing, guys,

00:31:50.920 --> 00:31:56.920
when he puts you to steward, it doesn't matter whether he's putting you over things that are large or small,

00:31:56.920 --> 00:31:59.920
they always involve people.

00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:04.920
And if you don't steward people well, it bothers him because he made them.

00:32:20.920 --> 00:32:25.920
Judgment and rewards are a measure of stewardship.

00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:30.920
So a pattern God has is he gives us, he'll give us responsibilities.

00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:32.920
He'll give us responsibilities.

00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:36.920
So this is a pattern that you'll see with God, and you'll see it in scriptures too.

00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:37.920
I'll give you some examples.

00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:39.920
He'll give us responsibilities.

00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:41.920
Then he'll hold us accountable.

00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:48.920
Then he'll hold us accountable for how we manage it.

00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:58.920
And so some examples.

00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:05.920
He tells Saul, Saul, I made you king, but this is what I want you to do.

00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:10.920
I'm giving you a responsibility to wait till Samuel comes.

00:33:10.920 --> 00:33:12.920
You are king. You're the first king that's been chosen.

00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:16.920
I'm with you, but I don't want you to offer the sacrifice.

00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:21.920
And then he says Samuel will come in seven days, and the seven days becomes seven and a half days.

00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:27.920
And suddenly this king decides to become a priest, and he offers a sacrifice.

00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:32.920
Very clearly God told him, you are not to do it.

00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:40.920
There are other examples in the Bible where God tells, I had a few more.

00:33:40.920 --> 00:33:49.920
God tells, with Abraham you find something completely different.

00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:54.920
Abraham, when he would be given a responsibility, would make sure that he fulfilled it.

00:33:54.920 --> 00:34:08.920
He would take 318 people from his household to go liberate one man called Lot, where he was responsible for his brother or whatever.

00:34:08.920 --> 00:34:15.920
He would make sure that he would be accountable to God in terms of what God had told him and responsible too.

00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:20.920
I have at least three examples. I can't recall them right now.

00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:26.920
But there are scriptural examples of people who were given responsibilities and God watched to see.

00:34:26.920 --> 00:34:29.920
Ah, Hezekiah.

00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:34.920
God sends, this was a test man.

00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:43.920
He sends envoys from a king whose name, don't name your children this, whose name was Evil Merodach.

00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:47.920
Like there was no question as to what his background was.

00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:52.920
His name was Evil Merodach, and Evil Merodach sends envoys to Hezekiah.

00:34:52.920 --> 00:34:57.920
And God is testing him. He leaves Hezekiah alone, and he wants to know what Hezekiah will do.

00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:01.920
And Hezekiah takes him and shows him all his treasuries.

00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:05.920
And God says to him, why did you do that?

00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:11.920
I had given you those things to look after. I asked you to look after them. Why did you show it to them?

00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:16.920
And then there's a judgment for that.

00:35:16.920 --> 00:35:21.920
Not that Hezekiah loses his life. In fact, he gets 15 years just shortly before that happened.

00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:26.920
But the point is, God tests us every time like this.

00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:30.920
And why is He testing us? To bring increase.

00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:34.920
Please understand, this is where the steadfastness of the heart matters.

00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:36.920
Remember I talked about the steadfastness of heart?

00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:46.920
As I said this, many of us in this room thought, hmm, so He tests us and then we fail, and then He just casts us away.

00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:48.920
That is not a steadfast heart.

00:35:48.920 --> 00:35:50.920
Because the steadfastness of heart thinks three things.

00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:55.920
Fatherhood, goodness, faithfulness.

00:35:55.920 --> 00:36:01.920
So many in this room immediately went the other way.

00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:07.920
While the steadfast heart will say, hmm, He tests me so that He can bring increase.

00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:17.920
So all I have to do is cause increase so that His fatherhood, His goodness, and His faithfulness can affect many others through me.

00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:20.920
That's a steadfast heart.

00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:33.920
Just be aware that resentment affects a steadfast heart.

00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:41.920
And resentment against God is worse because we don't have the ability to express it.

00:36:41.920 --> 00:36:44.920
So it festers silently.

00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:49.920
Whenever you feel really resentful with God, write a psalm.

00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:52.920
Psalm 151.

00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:55.920
Write it. Write a psalm.

00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:58.920
Oh God, I'm really feeling like you've let me down.

00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:06.920
Look at HIP, he seems to be doing well, but I'm better looking than him and look at my condition.

00:37:06.920 --> 00:37:10.920
And so start writing a psalm.

00:37:10.920 --> 00:37:14.920
And at some point, you'll feel that the psalm now needs to turn.

00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:17.920
You've just lamented, now it begins to turn.

00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:21.920
Even though HIP looks better, I, oh God, have a good looking mustache.

00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:24.920
And then you start here, the rest of it, and you begin to write well.

00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:27.920
And then it begins to praise the Lord for my mustache.

00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:34.920
So it ends well, but begin to write your laments when it gets really bitter and resentful.

00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:36.920
It's important.

00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:40.920
Because resentment in the heart that is not spoken will fester.

00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:47.920
And you won't even know that every time a comment is made, you go to a negative picture of who God is.

00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:51.920
Like happened just now.

00:37:52.920 --> 00:37:56.920
Every test of stewardship is to increase me.

00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:09.920
Yes, it does.

00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:10.920
Yeah.

00:38:10.920 --> 00:38:13.920
Thankfulness, gratefulness does.

00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:17.920
Does gratefulness help a steadfast heart?

00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:24.920
I think thankfulness and gratefulness opens up the heart to recognize his goodness, his fatherhood, and his faithfulness.

00:38:24.920 --> 00:38:28.920
Gratitude is a door opener.

00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:33.920
Every time I'm grateful, it doesn't matter how pathetic my situation is,

00:38:33.920 --> 00:38:42.920
every time I'm grateful, it opens my eyes and opens my mind and opens my heart to the faithfulness, the goodness, and the fatherhood of God.

00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:49.920
Always.

00:38:50.920 --> 00:38:51.920
I mean, it would be so easy.

00:38:51.920 --> 00:38:58.920
I can pick anyone here, and they'd be able to rattle off at least five things they are thankful for right now.

00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:00.920
Anybody.

00:39:00.920 --> 00:39:03.920
You won't even have to think.

00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:09.920
I'm so grateful that I'm in a church like this.

00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:14.920
I'm so grateful for the fact that I get to travel.

00:39:14.920 --> 00:39:16.920
I'm so grateful for the singing that happened today.

00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:19.920
I'm so grateful for Tuni and the way he leads worship.

00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:22.920
I'm so grateful for good coffee.

00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:26.920
That's just five, man.

00:39:30.920 --> 00:39:34.920
Especially if you go to New York, the coffee is so sucky, man.

00:39:34.920 --> 00:39:37.920
Okay.

00:39:38.920 --> 00:39:40.920
Stewards in the kingdom

00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:46.920
think,

00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:50.920
behave,

00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:52.920
think, behave,

00:39:52.920 --> 00:39:54.920
respond.

00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:58.920
Like the Father,

00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:00.920
Son,

00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:02.920
and Holy Spirit,

00:40:02.920 --> 00:40:09.960
Because they want to show the people that this is this is who we belong to our response

00:40:10.680 --> 00:40:17.880
Guys, sometimes when you're very irritated and annoyed with the things that you're stewarding go speak to your spouse your cat a

00:40:18.840 --> 00:40:24.080
Tree, but after you get it out of your system come back and behave like the Father Son and Holy Spirit

00:40:24.080 --> 00:40:27.920
Jesus used to feel frustrated. They please don't think Jesus walked around

00:40:28.400 --> 00:40:35.040
Looking at the disciples and how they were absolutely dull and irresponsible and clapped his hand. No there were moments

00:40:35.040 --> 00:40:41.440
He was super frustrated. He'd actually express it. He'd say to them. What's wrong with you guys? How long have I had to be with you?

00:40:42.160 --> 00:40:46.480
What's why are you so dull? I wasn't talking about bread

00:40:47.200 --> 00:40:51.520
I was talking about the leaven of the Pharisees and you guys are saying that I'm not talking about bread

00:40:51.520 --> 00:40:55.040
I was talking about the leaven of the Pharisees and you guys are still talking about bread

00:40:55.040 --> 00:40:58.880
I just multiplied two loaves and five fish that wasn't coming from a

00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:02.880
Unfrustrated place

00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:08.880
But at the end of the day he would still end up treating people like the father

00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:16.320
So if someone asks you what's the culture of the kingdom? The culture of the kingdom is the culture of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

00:41:16.480 --> 00:41:23.680
That's the culture of the kingdom, how do they behave? How do they think? How do they respond? Do they have emotions? Absolutely

00:41:24.880 --> 00:41:27.680
Jesus loved Jesus Christ the father loved the father

00:41:29.040 --> 00:41:31.040
enjoyed creation

00:41:31.680 --> 00:41:35.600
They have emotions that you draw from your emotions are not some

00:41:35.680 --> 00:41:43.040
Thing your parents created or that exists in you out of a vacuum your emotions exist because God is emotional

00:41:43.040 --> 00:41:45.040
God is an emotional being

00:41:45.040 --> 00:41:47.040
God is an emotional being

00:41:47.040 --> 00:41:49.040
God is an emotional being

00:41:51.520 --> 00:41:57.120
All of us are more emotional beings it's just a question of how we express it

00:42:01.440 --> 00:42:07.120
But how does he think respond and behave and sometimes my emotions get in the way and that's when I have to change

00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:12.080
Because when my emotions get in the way then people don't get the best of God

00:42:12.800 --> 00:42:14.800
The father the son and the Holy Spirit

00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:17.440
And so what's a critical part of stewardship?

00:42:18.160 --> 00:42:19.280
stewardship

00:42:19.280 --> 00:42:20.480
always

00:42:20.480 --> 00:42:22.480
fathers

00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:26.960
Stewardship always fathers

00:42:28.160 --> 00:42:30.160
Fathers F-A-T-A-T-R-S

00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:32.480
F-A-T-A-T-R-S

00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:38.960
Stewardship always fathers

00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:53.860
Poor poor stewardship won't affect salvation, but there will still be loss first corinthians 3 14 and 15

00:43:00.160 --> 00:43:03.280
You cannot steward this is a critical

00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:07.920
We're not talking about people now. We're talking about anything you cannot steward

00:43:09.520 --> 00:43:12.800
The word is cannot you cannot steward successfully

00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:21.440
If you are afraid of failure

00:43:23.840 --> 00:43:25.840
If you are afraid of failure

00:43:26.080 --> 00:43:28.640
You are afraid of failure

00:43:32.560 --> 00:43:34.560
You cannot steward

00:43:35.580 --> 00:43:37.580
Successfully if you're afraid of failure

00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:43.840
If you're always afraid and that's exactly what happened to the third servant he got one

00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:50.720
Talent and he said I was afraid that you being a hard master will ask what to me

00:43:50.720 --> 00:43:52.720
so I dug a hole and I put the

00:43:53.680 --> 00:43:59.440
Talent in the ground and buried it. I've heard it said that in some

00:44:00.160 --> 00:44:02.160
Jewish law

00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:04.400
not from the

00:44:04.400 --> 00:44:06.000
Torah but just

00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:08.000
cultural laws if you

00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:11.280
Took money and kept it in your house and someone stole it

00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:12.320
You'd have to return it

00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:16.640
But if you dug a hole and buried it and someone stole it you wouldn't have to return it

00:44:16.880 --> 00:44:20.960
This guy was so smart that he actually digs a hole and buries it so that nobody will

00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:24.080
Hold him responsible. He was afraid

00:44:25.260 --> 00:44:26.800
stewardship

00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:29.220
Does not succeed if you're afraid of failure

00:44:33.680 --> 00:44:35.920
Stewardship always demands increase

00:44:36.640 --> 00:44:38.640
Anything you steward must increase

00:44:39.200 --> 00:44:41.200
And so there's no question of increasing stuff

00:44:41.280 --> 00:44:47.760
If i'm afraid if i'm afraid of always stay in a safe place safe places never produce increase

00:44:47.760 --> 00:44:49.760
Increase

00:44:50.560 --> 00:44:56.260
Safe places only produce predictable outcomes they never produce increase

00:45:12.160 --> 00:45:16.560
Joshua 1 8 what does god say to joshua listen, I want you to meditate on the word

00:45:16.560 --> 00:45:21.920
I want you to be bold. I want you to be courageous because i'm putting you as the leader of a whole bunch of guys

00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:24.320
Moses is gone. You've got to take them through

00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:32.720
It's impossible without if you're afraid of failing you cannot do it

00:45:34.880 --> 00:45:39.540
That's why we make safe choices even with our children we find them the most lucrative

00:45:41.600 --> 00:45:45.120
Career or course option that will produce for them

00:45:45.680 --> 00:45:47.780
A safe secure stable life

00:45:57.520 --> 00:45:59.520
Silla

00:46:07.840 --> 00:46:10.900
Stewardship is hollowed stewardship

00:46:11.540 --> 00:46:15.380
Is hollowed as in undermined

00:46:19.060 --> 00:46:22.020
By my inability

00:46:26.020 --> 00:46:32.820
To trust god with my land

00:46:34.820 --> 00:46:36.820
Children

00:46:37.620 --> 00:46:39.620
Job

00:46:39.700 --> 00:46:41.700
Position

00:46:42.340 --> 00:46:44.340
Money

00:46:44.740 --> 00:46:46.740
Future

00:46:47.460 --> 00:46:49.700
And if that happens it leads to

00:46:52.320 --> 00:46:54.320
Ownership

00:46:55.780 --> 00:47:01.000
Pride control fear

00:47:09.780 --> 00:47:15.220
So you've got to be in this constant place of as your business grows as the church grows as the

00:47:16.100 --> 00:47:23.060
As your family grows as the land you acquire grows as the houses you acquire grows as your bank account grows

00:47:23.540 --> 00:47:28.980
As things begin to grow you have to be in this constant state of I am not an owner. I'm a steward

00:47:30.340 --> 00:47:33.700
And so god once again this month I come to you and I say

00:47:34.180 --> 00:47:39.780
I now have the ability to trust you with my land my children my job my position my money my future

00:47:40.580 --> 00:47:46.900
Again and again and again and then when we do that often enough at some point god says hey, okay, so could you

00:47:48.020 --> 00:47:51.060
Take isaac up up the mountain and offer him

00:47:52.340 --> 00:47:56.740
As a sacrifice to me and strangely you immediately prepare

00:47:58.400 --> 00:48:00.400
Preparation is the greatest

00:48:00.560 --> 00:48:02.560
Uh

00:48:02.960 --> 00:48:08.640
We don't realize that when it comes to faith preparation is a it's one of the greatest components of faith

00:48:10.400 --> 00:48:13.440
Nothing in this church actually happens spontaneously guys

00:48:15.280 --> 00:48:20.480
Last week I preached a message last moment. I pulled out i started preaching on juda

00:48:21.200 --> 00:48:26.080
This was what I was supposed to preach, but I pre-juda now you might think ah spontaneous. Oh wonderful

00:48:26.160 --> 00:48:28.640
He could just off the cuff he could no

00:48:29.120 --> 00:48:33.600
I i i i i've read that i have spoken that i have prepared that

00:48:34.080 --> 00:48:37.360
So many times that it can flow because of preparation

00:48:39.680 --> 00:48:44.980
Any act of faith has this really important component of preparation

00:48:48.800 --> 00:48:54.160
Jesus prepared before having the last supper. He said go here do this and you'll find the

00:48:54.720 --> 00:48:59.460
Table set jesus prepared before he went down into jerusalem

00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:03.920
Go here. You'll find the donkey there when you find the donkey there do this this and this

00:49:04.400 --> 00:49:07.520
Jesus prepared before he revealed his ministry

00:49:07.760 --> 00:49:13.440
He knew somehow that if he goes into the synagogue that day the reading will be from isaiah 61

00:49:14.080 --> 00:49:19.600
Preparation is sometimes either hearing or actually putting in work faith does not work without preparation

00:49:20.480 --> 00:49:24.080
Abraham prepared he got two servants. He got donkey. He got wood

00:49:24.240 --> 00:49:29.920
He went up the mountain told the servants to remain set up the wood has the dagger has lifted it up

00:49:30.080 --> 00:49:36.740
Is going to kill his son and then things change no are prepared. You can't build an ark with faith. You need wood

00:49:37.220 --> 00:49:39.220
So

00:49:47.700 --> 00:49:50.100
Yeah, absolutely i've heard that quote

00:49:51.700 --> 00:49:55.220
And we don't realize how much a part of faith preparation is

00:49:56.020 --> 00:50:00.100
Faith that does not prepare is faith that is blind and faith is never blind

00:50:00.100 --> 00:50:02.100
Blind

00:50:02.660 --> 00:50:08.840
Faith always sees or always hears faith is never blind and if it's not blind it prepares

00:50:19.780 --> 00:50:24.260
Here's another one for parents for teachers for pastors

00:50:25.540 --> 00:50:27.460
This one's important

00:50:27.460 --> 00:50:29.460
when you don't

00:50:30.100 --> 00:50:34.260
And I made this mistake man and regretted it when you don't steward

00:50:35.860 --> 00:50:37.860
What is placed

00:50:40.500 --> 00:50:47.060
In your care when you don't steward what is placed in your care at some point

00:50:50.260 --> 00:50:52.260
It will

00:50:53.060 --> 00:50:55.060
Exert

00:50:56.420 --> 00:50:58.420
Ownership over you

00:51:01.060 --> 00:51:04.660
Or rebel against you

00:51:13.460 --> 00:51:20.340
When you don't steward what is placed in your care at some point it will exert ownership over you or it'll rebel against you

00:51:22.180 --> 00:51:27.780
You're supposed to take care you're supposed to increase you're supposed to grow you're supposed to cultivate you're supposed to keep you're supposed to guard it

00:51:28.100 --> 00:51:29.940
So let's assume

00:51:29.940 --> 00:51:31.700
um

00:51:31.700 --> 00:51:33.700
Let's assume nick is my son

00:51:36.260 --> 00:51:38.820
And I do not steward him I let him run

00:51:39.700 --> 00:51:47.460
Life however, he wants at some point my lack of stewardship will result either in his rebellion or his exerting

00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:49.620
ownership over me

00:51:49.620 --> 00:51:54.100
You see this with eli's sons at one point in first samuel 2

00:51:54.980 --> 00:51:58.580
God turns up and says to eli why didn't you?

00:52:00.820 --> 00:52:06.340
Caution or discipline hoffney and finneas why didn't you?

00:52:08.260 --> 00:52:10.260
Look at what they're doing

00:52:11.780 --> 00:52:18.020
Jesus says the same in revelations 2 20 to the church. He says why do you tolerate that woman jezebel?

00:52:19.220 --> 00:52:21.380
Why do you let her and come and run whatever?

00:52:22.420 --> 00:52:25.220
She wants to do in the church. How come how come you're tolerating her?

00:52:25.220 --> 00:52:31.460
How come you don't have any filters to keep her from bringing my servants into a place of sexual immorality and idolatry?

00:52:31.620 --> 00:52:33.620
Why are you tolerating her?

00:52:44.100 --> 00:52:46.100
When things are placed under your care

00:52:46.580 --> 00:52:52.420
At some point if you don't take care of it, it'll exert ownership over you rebel against you. It doesn't matter whether it's

00:52:52.740 --> 00:53:00.020
An army whether it's a home whether it's a church whether it's a school whether it's a business be aware of this

00:53:00.260 --> 00:53:02.900
These are principles of christ teaches us

00:53:05.540 --> 00:53:07.540
Any questions

00:53:12.420 --> 00:53:19.880
Stewardship must provide consequences and expectations stewardship cannot be done without the context of expectations and consequences

00:53:22.580 --> 00:53:25.960
At work it's very natural

00:53:27.860 --> 00:53:30.740
You know that these are the things you have to do if you do not do them

00:53:30.980 --> 00:53:36.840
Then these are the consequences there are expectations and consequences all stewardship should have expectations and consequences

00:53:37.300 --> 00:53:40.420
But in a world which is loosey goosey, we don't

00:53:41.140 --> 00:53:43.940
And it ends up in so much unnecessary trouble

00:53:46.820 --> 00:53:49.460
A part of the reason we don't is because we don't like

00:53:49.460 --> 00:53:53.540
Offending people hurting people feeling like we're exerting

00:53:54.260 --> 00:53:58.840
Control the word control is so frightening now that nobody wants to control nothing

00:54:08.420 --> 00:54:12.180
It's impossible can you imagine hamari and

00:54:14.260 --> 00:54:15.380
Remy

00:54:15.380 --> 00:54:17.380
Not exerting any control over her

00:54:17.780 --> 00:54:20.660
Not exerting any control upon yaya and juda

00:54:22.420 --> 00:54:24.420
What that'll look like

00:54:26.260 --> 00:54:28.260
Or arren and renny upon joey

00:54:36.580 --> 00:54:40.500
The words that are abused are always words that are true

00:54:43.060 --> 00:54:47.220
The words that will be abused will never be words that are untrue

00:54:47.540 --> 00:54:50.180
The words that are abused will always be words that are true

00:54:53.700 --> 00:55:00.340
And therefore the intent is can a word become so abused that you become scared to use it or practice it

00:55:01.540 --> 00:55:07.720
That's even more insidious because in the process an entire principle is lost

00:55:17.620 --> 00:55:27.620
Where is the line between control and guidance between what is referred to control against like guidance?

00:55:28.820 --> 00:55:34.820
Yeah, where's the line between control and guidance? It's based entirely on relationship

00:55:36.500 --> 00:55:39.140
It's based entirely on relationship I can

00:55:41.060 --> 00:55:43.060
I can say things to don

00:55:43.620 --> 00:55:46.820
That if you hear it might sound like boy

00:55:47.380 --> 00:55:49.380
Jacob is controlling him

00:55:51.300 --> 00:55:53.700
But it's based on relationship

00:55:56.260 --> 00:55:57.140
So

00:55:57.140 --> 00:56:01.460
Guidance and control are sometimes just a question of where the person's relationship is

00:56:01.940 --> 00:56:07.620
If you know the heart of the person that is talking to you and guiding you you can find that guidance can go

00:56:08.500 --> 00:56:10.500
much further

00:56:11.620 --> 00:56:15.320
So it depends on relationship there are things that I may not be able to say to dilna

00:56:17.780 --> 00:56:19.780
Because he and I

00:56:19.940 --> 00:56:24.980
Know each other, but it's not at a place where I can say dilna just shave your hair off man

00:56:26.020 --> 00:56:28.020
Like can't do stuff like that

00:56:33.060 --> 00:56:35.940
If you speak any lower i'll have to come and sit right next to

00:56:47.460 --> 00:56:53.140
Eventually crossing into a more sense of what we call not what people call control

00:56:53.780 --> 00:56:59.620
But he doesn't realize this. Okay, so his quest the answer to his question is this

00:57:02.260 --> 00:57:05.060
Control is when you take away somebody's free will

00:57:07.620 --> 00:57:14.500
Control is when you usurp someone's free will you're not even giving them the choice of choosing you're taking it away

00:57:15.460 --> 00:57:17.060
Control

00:57:17.060 --> 00:57:23.540
That's when that's when it becomes control when you take away even their rights to exert their free will

00:57:24.580 --> 00:57:28.020
When you take it away now you enter into the place of control

00:57:28.980 --> 00:57:31.780
And that depends on relationship. I may allow tunie

00:57:32.980 --> 00:57:35.780
Into my life to an extent where he can say stuff

00:57:36.660 --> 00:57:38.660
That I would not allow

00:57:39.540 --> 00:57:41.540
Zia to do

00:57:41.940 --> 00:57:43.940
But that's because of relationship

00:57:43.940 --> 00:57:45.620
but the moment

00:57:45.620 --> 00:57:51.060
Tunie usurps my free will and there are many ways you can do it. You can manipulate you can use emotions

00:57:51.380 --> 00:57:55.300
You can use coercion. You can use rewards. You can use threats

00:57:55.940 --> 00:58:02.340
You can use different ways of taking away someone's free will you can use emotions. My god. Don't parents do that

00:58:04.100 --> 00:58:07.380
In india parents get children to marry people they shouldn't be married

00:58:11.540 --> 00:58:13.540
So

00:58:23.940 --> 00:58:25.940
Here's something I want to say

00:58:26.180 --> 00:58:27.540
You can

00:58:27.540 --> 00:58:31.380
Check me on this privately if you think i'm saying something that's wrong

00:58:32.340 --> 00:58:36.580
There hasn't been a day in the last 20 years that i've ever used up anyone's free will at x 29

00:58:38.020 --> 00:58:40.020
Not once

00:58:40.020 --> 00:58:42.020
Not once

00:58:43.220 --> 00:58:47.060
You know why i'm passionate about it because it's important that people have their free will

00:58:48.820 --> 00:58:52.420
When people chaff with regard to stewardship you only have two choices guys

00:58:52.900 --> 00:58:56.580
You only have two choices when people chaff against stewardship one

00:58:57.520 --> 00:59:03.780
Discipline and you can't impose discipline if you're not in relationship two problems 130 to 32

00:59:04.340 --> 00:59:08.100
Let them eat the fruit of their own counsel

00:59:08.900 --> 00:59:10.900
That's it

00:59:13.700 --> 00:59:15.700
It's one of the saddest things to see

00:59:17.460 --> 00:59:24.420
Where a rich man walks away after asking the most important question in life, what should I do to gain eternal life?

00:59:27.060 --> 00:59:31.800
I often think if bill gates came and asked me that would I let him walk away?

00:59:38.900 --> 00:59:40.900
You

00:59:45.540 --> 00:59:47.540
The crazy thing is guys

00:59:47.540 --> 00:59:52.340
All of us are expected to rise to this place of stewardship. Emmanuel's supposed to rise to a place of stewardship

00:59:52.660 --> 00:59:58.420
Vibi is supposed to rise to a place of stewardship because every servant is supposed to be responsible faithful accountable

00:59:58.580 --> 01:00:01.700
It is it is it is across this room

01:00:02.340 --> 01:00:08.020
He wants it. He wants increase all increase comes through only two things guys stewardship and faith

01:00:08.100 --> 01:00:10.100
faithfulness

01:00:10.740 --> 01:00:13.540
All increase increase doesn't come through prayer

01:00:14.980 --> 01:00:20.840
Any blessing given to you increases not because of prayer it increases because of faithfulness

01:00:22.100 --> 01:00:25.460
And it increases because of humility the two things the bible says

01:00:26.020 --> 01:00:31.300
When you are faithful, I will increase your domain if you lower yourself. I will raise you up

01:00:32.180 --> 01:00:36.420
It's the only two things if you think you are getting a promotion at work

01:00:36.900 --> 01:00:38.900
Because you sucked up to the boss

01:00:39.060 --> 01:00:45.140
You'll only go that far but you'll be faithful and you'll be humble and you will see how god will remove a boss if necessary

01:00:45.300 --> 01:00:47.300
So that you go higher

01:00:47.700 --> 01:00:52.420
These are kingdom principles that are inviolable. They are as strong as gravity itself

01:00:54.900 --> 01:00:56.900
No way around it

01:00:58.020 --> 01:01:00.340
And when you steward well, oh my god

01:01:01.140 --> 01:01:06.600
He brings an increase not in increments but in five take ten two take four

01:01:22.980 --> 01:01:26.420
You can pray for faithfulness and you can pray to walk humble so that god raises you up

01:01:26.820 --> 01:01:32.260
But if i'm not faithful and I ask for increase what happens is the squandering of the resources i'm given

01:01:35.780 --> 01:01:37.780
You know there's a friend I had

01:01:38.900 --> 01:01:45.080
Who supplies chicken to all the restaurants in downtown vancouver?

01:01:46.660 --> 01:01:48.660
He's very wealthy

01:01:50.660 --> 01:01:52.660
His son used to be in my sunday school

01:01:52.740 --> 01:01:58.260
He would make sure that his son would work in the factory plucking feathers

01:01:58.980 --> 01:02:00.980
off the chicken

01:02:00.980 --> 01:02:06.180
Had him work plucking feathers of a chicken for three years before he gave him a slightly better job

01:02:06.180 --> 01:02:08.180
But he would not let his son

01:02:08.580 --> 01:02:12.820
Into the office saying you have to learn how to be

01:02:13.460 --> 01:02:15.460
faithful

01:02:16.820 --> 01:02:18.820
Other than us

01:02:18.820 --> 01:02:21.800
Fascinating that this guy's it's his old friend

01:02:22.040 --> 01:02:25.800
It's his oldest son. Come on. Give the guy a break. Give him a nice chair to sit in

01:02:27.400 --> 01:02:29.400
But no

01:02:34.920 --> 01:02:36.920
Yeah

01:02:44.040 --> 01:02:49.160
How is how is discipline reward different from threats and rewards and stuff like that

01:02:49.560 --> 01:02:50.840
Um

01:02:50.840 --> 01:02:56.200
if I asked you to do something and in the church and

01:02:56.840 --> 01:03:01.880
Gave you specific instructions and you chose not to do it that way and chose to do it some other way

01:03:02.280 --> 01:03:07.640
Part of the discipline would be taking you through a process where you will not be allowed to do it again till you learn

01:03:07.640 --> 01:03:11.240
Right. That's what we do with our kids. That's exactly how the church should do

01:03:13.400 --> 01:03:16.040
Or let's say I am supposed to be

01:03:17.000 --> 01:03:23.560
Be behaving with a certain degree of morality if my morality does not match up to the standards that god expects

01:03:23.960 --> 01:03:27.080
Then there is a process of discipline and the bible talks about it

01:03:27.480 --> 01:03:29.560
Let the elders come and say jacob

01:03:29.960 --> 01:03:33.640
You are really messing up in this and since you're messing up in this

01:03:34.040 --> 01:03:37.800
This is what we want to do discipline is not beating or anything

01:03:38.840 --> 01:03:44.460
Disciplin is this is the process we need you to go through so that we can restore you back to full functioning

01:03:46.440 --> 01:03:48.440
And

01:03:54.040 --> 01:03:56.040
That's what these guys sign

01:03:57.000 --> 01:04:02.440
In the charter it clearly says if we err in our ways the church has the right to discipline us

01:04:03.240 --> 01:04:05.960
We put that very small so that they sign it without knowing

01:04:08.040 --> 01:04:10.040
No, i'm kidding

01:04:16.520 --> 01:04:21.800
Okay, oh shoot why does time always fly

01:04:24.760 --> 01:04:26.840
Okay, let's talk about money and then

01:04:28.280 --> 01:04:29.880
We close

01:04:29.880 --> 01:04:31.800
When it comes to money

01:04:31.800 --> 01:04:35.640
Ah leaders have to be good stewards, but we'll talk about that another time

01:04:37.560 --> 01:04:39.560
But I want to ask the leaders here

01:04:40.040 --> 01:04:44.920
Are you stewards or are you owners and i'm asking myself that too. How do you deal with rejection?

01:04:46.520 --> 01:04:48.520
Rejection

01:04:49.560 --> 01:04:51.960
Rejection yeah, how do you deal with rejection?

01:04:52.760 --> 01:04:55.720
Samuel had to deal with it. How do you deal with desertion?

01:04:56.520 --> 01:04:59.800
Paul had to deal with it. How do you deal with allegiance shifts?

01:05:01.960 --> 01:05:06.120
Paul had to deal with that when people started saying I belong to apollos. I belong to safest

01:05:07.160 --> 01:05:10.680
How do you deal with it when john starts baptizing some of your disciples?

01:05:11.320 --> 01:05:14.200
How do you deal with it when barnabas heads off with john mark?

01:05:15.080 --> 01:05:17.480
How do you handle correction in your life?

01:05:18.820 --> 01:05:20.820
Joyfully or chaffing

01:05:28.280 --> 01:05:30.600
Okay, let's talk about money then we'll end with that

01:05:33.400 --> 01:05:35.400
Good stewards

01:05:36.280 --> 01:05:38.280
Are kind

01:05:38.920 --> 01:05:41.580
And generous when it comes to money stewarding money

01:05:44.920 --> 01:05:50.680
Good stewards are kind and generous. That's like 101 if you don't have that

01:05:52.120 --> 01:05:57.400
Then you can't even go there good stewards and generous and kind

01:05:58.280 --> 01:06:02.840
And here's the other one and this is not easy. Hey guys life is not

01:06:03.560 --> 01:06:05.560
measured in possessions

01:06:08.520 --> 01:06:11.340
Life is not measured in possessions

01:06:14.360 --> 01:06:18.760
So what do you mean life how you might think life is not measured in possession

01:06:18.840 --> 01:06:23.960
So here's what I would say god and I was telling myself this many times this week

01:06:24.760 --> 01:06:27.000
God against the desire for more

01:06:27.880 --> 01:06:29.880
God against the desire

01:06:32.040 --> 01:06:34.040
For more

01:06:37.640 --> 01:06:42.120
Because it's a slow burn it slowly takes over you won't even notice it

01:06:42.280 --> 01:06:48.040
Increases and as your desire for more increases your desire for

01:06:49.640 --> 01:06:52.760
Kingdom has to decrease they don't go hand in hand

01:06:57.720 --> 01:07:04.440
Just be aware of that, eh, that's what I need to ask myself how am I desire do I have a desire for more?

01:07:04.600 --> 01:07:06.600
And

01:07:08.840 --> 01:07:13.240
The more can be different for different people it could be clothes it could be flights it could be cars it could be

01:07:13.800 --> 01:07:15.080
um

01:07:15.080 --> 01:07:17.080
the desire for more

01:07:17.080 --> 01:07:21.720
And it's it's a very slow burn. It happens so subtly so subtly

01:07:25.800 --> 01:07:28.220
I just want you to know something on the side sometimes

01:07:28.220 --> 01:07:31.600
Sometimes your leaders test you out with stewardship

01:07:34.620 --> 01:07:40.700
Sometimes leaders in this church test you out with stewardship as in here

01:07:41.980 --> 01:07:43.980
Tuni do this

01:07:44.700 --> 01:07:47.580
A part of the thing is how is tuning going to do it?

01:07:51.180 --> 01:07:54.940
And based on that the increase won't come from the leader increases

01:07:54.940 --> 01:07:59.820
And based on that the increase won't come from the leader increase will come from god

01:08:05.420 --> 01:08:07.420
Just be aware of it

01:08:18.780 --> 01:08:21.180
I once remember going to a lady's

01:08:22.300 --> 01:08:24.140
meeting and

01:08:24.140 --> 01:08:27.260
I was told to speak and i'm sitting there and the

01:08:28.140 --> 01:08:33.900
Group had given me the topic to speak on i'm about to speak and I feel the holy spirit saying speak about this

01:08:34.300 --> 01:08:39.500
So I spoke about it's completely different topic when I was done the lady who led the group came and said to me

01:08:40.060 --> 01:08:42.060
Why did you change the topic?

01:08:42.540 --> 01:08:44.300
so I

01:08:44.300 --> 01:08:49.660
Like every good christian said but I just felt the holy spirit telling me to change it and the next question was

01:08:49.820 --> 01:08:51.820
Why didn't you tell me?

01:08:54.300 --> 01:08:55.420
I

01:08:55.420 --> 01:08:57.420
It was a lesson I learned quickly man

01:08:58.140 --> 01:09:03.020
And even if the spirit of god asked me to change it I was in someone else's church

01:09:03.660 --> 01:09:06.380
Doing someone else's meeting all I had to do

01:09:06.940 --> 01:09:11.340
Because these people were good godly people all I had to do was go and tell them listen

01:09:11.420 --> 01:09:14.060
This is what I said the spirit of god saying what do you think?

01:09:15.420 --> 01:09:17.420
But no you take over

01:09:24.540 --> 01:09:28.300
If you think what I'm saying is constraining or restraining

01:09:29.420 --> 01:09:31.420
It is good

01:09:31.900 --> 01:09:34.460
Because it will allow you to pull the king's chariot

01:09:37.420 --> 01:09:42.300
I said this ages ago when they want to get horses to pull

01:09:42.780 --> 01:09:47.580
King charles chariot through the streets of london they go get some of the best thoroughbreds

01:09:47.580 --> 01:09:51.740
They can all across the uk and then they bring them put them in large rooms

01:09:52.140 --> 01:09:54.300
And then they bring them put them in large rooms with

01:09:55.820 --> 01:10:01.660
Cannon shots with car exhausts back firing with crowd noises with sudden noises

01:10:01.900 --> 01:10:06.300
And they put these horses through fire through water to see the ones

01:10:07.020 --> 01:10:08.140
that'll

01:10:08.140 --> 01:10:12.700
stay and will not move till they hear the whisper of the

01:10:13.580 --> 01:10:15.100
Guy in charge

01:10:15.100 --> 01:10:21.500
And then they pick them out and those are the ones that pull the king's chariot queen elizabeth was on a horse

01:10:21.740 --> 01:10:27.260
When there was a gunshot nearby and the horse went up on its two feet and came down immediately because it knew better

01:10:27.660 --> 01:10:31.740
Because it carries royalty. It was trained that way you can go google it

01:10:34.380 --> 01:10:38.380
That's what we are talking about constrained is good you do it with your children

01:10:38.460 --> 01:10:41.820
Why won't you do it with what is in your care? And if they're chaff?

01:10:42.540 --> 01:10:45.580
again, it goes back to two things either you have the

01:10:46.360 --> 01:10:47.660
relationship to

01:10:47.660 --> 01:10:54.620
Bring in discipline or you go proverbs 1 30 to 32 and you come back later and say do you want to try again?

01:11:02.220 --> 01:11:04.220
It's not a hobby it's a responsibility

01:11:09.580 --> 01:11:11.580
So

01:11:12.300 --> 01:11:16.640
God against the desire for more and then in proverbs 23

01:11:17.260 --> 01:11:19.260
Verse 2 it says hey jacob

01:11:19.500 --> 01:11:25.180
If you are someone who really likes food and gets invited to nick's house take a knife with you

01:11:25.420 --> 01:11:28.300
And put it to your throat if you start eating too much bok choy

01:11:31.180 --> 01:11:36.140
That's what it says meaning use some form of restraining your appetite

01:11:36.940 --> 01:11:42.540
If you are given to more in any areas on all of us know the areas of more

01:11:44.140 --> 01:11:46.140
Each of us has different areas of more

01:11:47.260 --> 01:11:50.860
Where it's a slow burn you you have a desire for more in that area

01:11:51.900 --> 01:11:54.140
Tell somebody about it and then put a restraint

01:11:55.260 --> 01:12:00.140
So that every time you begin to get to that place you put a knife to your throat so that your gluttony ends

01:12:01.420 --> 01:12:03.420
That's what the bible recommends

01:12:03.820 --> 01:12:05.820
And all of us have it

01:12:08.380 --> 01:12:15.260
And just while we're on the topic what you spend your time on

01:12:16.860 --> 01:12:20.160
Is what you become

01:12:23.740 --> 01:12:31.260
Take this to heart in a world where social media just just devours us what you spend your time on is what you become

01:12:34.380 --> 01:12:36.800
What you spend your time on is what you become

01:12:40.540 --> 01:12:43.660
And so you have to

01:12:46.040 --> 01:12:54.960
Determine present priorities and that is part of stewardship

01:12:56.780 --> 01:12:58.780
You know one of the passages that really

01:12:58.940 --> 01:13:04.380
Sits wrong with me is when and yet it sits right with me is when philip comes and says hey jesus jesus

01:13:04.540 --> 01:13:08.220
There are some greeks that have traveled a long way and they want to meet you and jesus says no

01:13:09.340 --> 01:13:13.340
Why because he had a new priority. What is the priority? I've got to head to the cross

01:13:14.220 --> 01:13:16.220
I can't wait now to talk to the greeks

01:13:16.380 --> 01:13:20.460
And then he says unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it won't produce more

01:13:20.780 --> 01:13:25.420
And in that he's also saying what's going to happen the greeks will get to see who I am

01:13:25.580 --> 01:13:31.260
But I do not have the time to speak with them right now and he leaves them and he goes to the cross

01:13:34.700 --> 01:13:37.980
I've said this before but all time is created by priority

01:13:38.700 --> 01:13:40.700
Whatever you prioritize you have time for

01:13:41.180 --> 01:13:47.120
Whatever you prioritize you have time for now imagine how much time is spent on social media

01:13:52.220 --> 01:13:54.540
We become what we spend time on

01:13:55.420 --> 01:13:57.420
So

01:14:03.180 --> 01:14:05.180
Any questions

01:14:06.060 --> 01:14:08.060
Hey guys, these are our common problems, eh

01:14:09.260 --> 01:14:15.100
These are our common problems. We're just dealing with real life problems that we in this room have

01:14:19.580 --> 01:14:25.260
And a guy sitting next to me on the flight today he was just endlessly for five hours he watched

01:14:26.380 --> 01:14:28.380
those short reels from

01:14:29.340 --> 01:14:31.340
Facebook tiktok and something else

01:14:33.260 --> 01:14:36.320
I use he looked older than me

01:14:48.700 --> 01:14:51.580
Blessed are you if you know how to invest money

01:14:51.580 --> 01:14:53.580
Because you don't have the money

01:14:55.100 --> 01:15:00.060
Why is investing money important because it increases

01:15:01.660 --> 01:15:05.820
Well, Jacob, I don't know how to and I don't have money right now, but have the desire

01:15:06.460 --> 01:15:10.780
aren't there times when you see a single mom that needs help or a man that needs a

01:15:11.420 --> 01:15:14.540
shower or a room for a night or a person who needs

01:15:15.260 --> 01:15:21.500
A shelter for three nights and you so badly want to help but there's nothing you can do because you do not have the money

01:15:21.740 --> 01:15:23.740
you

01:15:24.620 --> 01:15:30.220
May everybody in this church starting with me desire to increase through investment

01:15:32.220 --> 01:15:34.220
Proverbs 4 verse 7

01:15:35.820 --> 01:15:41.040
Proverbs 4 verse 7 it says do anything pay any cost but get understanding

01:15:43.740 --> 01:15:45.740
Whatever it takes

01:15:45.820 --> 01:15:47.820
Pays but get understanding

01:15:47.980 --> 01:15:49.580
Not understanding you know

01:15:49.580 --> 01:15:53.260
Whether silver is going to go up or gold is going to go up or crypto is going to go up and then you invest

01:15:53.340 --> 01:15:56.940
At the wrong time and then it falls and then you think to yourself. Oh my god. Did I hear god, right?

01:15:57.580 --> 01:15:59.580
That's not the way to go about it. It is

01:16:00.380 --> 01:16:02.380
Investment is always long term

01:16:04.540 --> 01:16:08.960
And there's no brilliant genius when it comes to that it is just painstakingly

01:16:09.720 --> 01:16:11.020
patient

01:16:11.020 --> 01:16:12.300
I'm waiting

01:16:12.300 --> 01:16:18.220
But may you all may I start may you start some of you may have a head start on all of us great

01:16:19.900 --> 01:16:25.740
Go to people that are doing it and ask them. Hey, what do I do? How do I do this? Maybe it's land

01:16:27.500 --> 01:16:31.100
Maybe it's some precious metal. You're not playing you're letting it lie

01:16:31.500 --> 01:16:38.480
But what then happens is that you now have the ability to help that single mom you have the ability to help someone who's in need

01:16:42.780 --> 01:16:47.340
I want this for our church, but I want some of you guys to be able to do it

01:16:49.420 --> 01:16:53.580
And then the other thing is guys try doing it corporately whenever people

01:16:54.620 --> 01:17:00.300
Pull their resources together. The effect is much greater when individuals begin to help individuals

01:17:01.180 --> 01:17:03.180
It's this small

01:17:07.500 --> 01:17:09.580
That's why even guys like

01:17:09.580 --> 01:17:16.540
Buffett and gates create organizations where people pool in millions and millions of dollars and then spread it out

01:17:28.220 --> 01:17:35.360
Okay, next one luke 1612 how you going to deal with this jacob how you going to deal with this church luke 1612

01:17:36.160 --> 01:17:38.160
How you going to deal with this church luke 1612

01:17:41.200 --> 01:17:49.200
These words are very difficult man if I am not trustworthy I touched on this briefly last time if I am not trustworthy

01:17:52.400 --> 01:17:54.400
With someone else's property

01:18:00.480 --> 01:18:02.480
Who will give me

01:18:03.280 --> 01:18:05.280
Crazy

01:18:05.280 --> 01:18:07.280
It's a principle in the bible

01:18:08.960 --> 01:18:12.420
Now it is required of us to take good care of peace maronite

01:18:18.160 --> 01:18:23.380
We cannot treat it like our own because we pay rent

01:18:32.640 --> 01:18:34.640
Jesus said this hey

01:18:35.520 --> 01:18:36.880
Jacob

01:18:36.880 --> 01:18:42.640
If you are not trustworthy with someone else's property who will give you your own hasn't I can't give you your own

01:18:44.560 --> 01:18:51.040
So it's my willingness to manage in a responsible way something that belongs to you actually increases me

01:18:57.760 --> 01:18:59.760
So it could be a rented car it could be

01:19:00.480 --> 01:19:04.000
Someone else getting a promotion it could be tools that your neighbor loaned you

01:19:05.120 --> 01:19:11.840
These are all things that belong to somebody else. What if you return the borrowed tools cleaner and better than when they were borrowed

01:19:12.560 --> 01:19:14.400
That becomes a measure

01:19:14.400 --> 01:19:20.800
For god giving you your tools. I know it's a terribly simple example, but god is terribly simple when it comes to little knickknacks

01:19:21.200 --> 01:19:26.740
That's how increase comes increase rarely comes in you finding that there's oil in your backyard

01:19:29.760 --> 01:19:33.600
It comes through incremental increases

01:19:34.720 --> 01:19:41.120
It's the same thing to do with ministry church everything guys you must understand that there was a

01:19:42.000 --> 01:19:44.960
Is the faithfulness of jacob this guy?

01:19:45.680 --> 01:19:47.680
for one and a half years

01:19:49.600 --> 01:19:54.240
When there were only two people coming to this church that you are now reaping now

01:19:55.040 --> 01:19:57.280
And i'm saying it with absolute modesty

01:19:57.280 --> 01:20:04.640
And years from now others will benefit because of your simplicity your trust your faithfulness

01:20:07.600 --> 01:20:12.240
Because as the church changes and things happen instead of shunning it you take part of it

01:20:12.240 --> 01:20:16.800
I have no I I don't know any other church that moves from place to place so easily

01:20:18.880 --> 01:20:20.880
These kind of moves destroy the church

01:20:21.040 --> 01:20:23.040
That moves from place to place so easily

01:20:25.120 --> 01:20:27.120
These kind of moves destroy the church

01:20:28.800 --> 01:20:30.800
You'll end up still having only heidi and chris

01:20:32.480 --> 01:20:35.540
But you guys move like you're in the wilderness or something

01:20:41.520 --> 01:20:43.520
Your faithfulness will matter

01:20:44.960 --> 01:20:50.000
When I was in new york yesterday and watching three groups and the church are growing i'm looking at ed stacy and

01:20:50.640 --> 01:20:54.720
Larissa and i'm thinking myself man these guys have been faithful and now they're saying it

01:20:56.400 --> 01:20:58.400
It always pays off guys

01:21:00.560 --> 01:21:01.920
So

01:21:01.920 --> 01:21:07.920
If i'm not trustworthy with someone else's thing, how can god trust me? He wants he's watching he's watching

01:21:08.000 --> 01:21:10.720
He's watching don he's watching me. He's watching fuyo

01:21:10.960 --> 01:21:16.320
How do these three guys handle stuff when they are given stuff that belongs to somebody else?

01:21:17.440 --> 01:21:19.600
and don and jacob seemed to

01:21:20.560 --> 01:21:26.560
Know how to preach fuyo may not know how to preach that well, but fuyo seems to know how to handle people's stuff

01:21:27.360 --> 01:21:30.080
And suddenly don and jacob are still driving

01:21:30.720 --> 01:21:31.920
um

01:21:31.920 --> 01:21:33.920
What's your car?

01:21:36.640 --> 01:21:38.640
Id4 well fuyo is now

01:21:40.560 --> 01:21:42.560
Ferrari

01:21:43.200 --> 01:21:45.200
I

01:21:46.160 --> 01:21:52.080
Bad example, but the point is that increase comes god is watching god is watching god is watching god is watching

01:21:53.680 --> 01:21:58.400
And so next time things are lying around and mark butler comes and says hey guys

01:21:58.400 --> 01:22:01.760
We need to pick this stuff up and put it back. Don't get annoyed with mark butler

01:22:02.880 --> 01:22:05.600
He's not being a pain. He's just being

01:22:06.240 --> 01:22:08.240
faithful

01:22:12.560 --> 01:22:14.560
I

01:22:20.720 --> 01:22:22.640
Yeah, it grates you

01:22:22.640 --> 01:22:25.440
And then just try and walk away. Don't create a scene

01:22:26.160 --> 01:22:29.040
And then later on deal with it first in your mind

01:22:29.680 --> 01:22:32.880
Then with a third party and then with the party involved

01:22:33.600 --> 01:22:35.600
three steps to dealing with things

01:22:35.680 --> 01:22:39.600
First walk away and try to deal with your own mind because you really want to throttle mark

01:22:40.080 --> 01:22:42.160
then you come and talk to somebody else like

01:22:43.280 --> 01:22:47.040
That you're friendly with and that will give you good advice instead of saying throttle mark

01:22:47.520 --> 01:22:51.920
And then finally go to mark and say mark. I really wanted to throttle you because of that tone

01:22:52.240 --> 01:22:55.300
But i'm over it right now, but can we just talk about it?

01:22:55.300 --> 01:22:57.300
Okay

01:23:10.900 --> 01:23:12.900
Luke 16 verse 11 and 12

01:23:13.940 --> 01:23:16.500
True riches guys. This is really

01:23:17.700 --> 01:23:19.780
Difficult to stomach true riches

01:23:20.740 --> 01:23:22.740
or wealth

01:23:23.140 --> 01:23:25.540
Is connected this really bothered me

01:23:29.060 --> 01:23:32.440
Is connected to our faithful stewardship

01:23:39.220 --> 01:23:41.220
Of money

01:23:42.420 --> 01:23:48.180
I'll stop in four minutes. This is the last point I want to make true riches

01:23:48.420 --> 01:23:50.420
Is

01:23:51.300 --> 01:23:55.160
Luke Luke 16 11 and 12

01:23:59.940 --> 01:24:03.060
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much

01:24:03.300 --> 01:24:06.100
Whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much

01:24:06.420 --> 01:24:10.580
If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth who will trust you with true riches

01:24:10.820 --> 01:24:14.980
And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property who will give you property of your own?

01:24:18.420 --> 01:24:20.420
So

01:24:24.820 --> 01:24:26.900
Tough one, what are true riches?

01:24:29.140 --> 01:24:31.140
Spiritual gifts

01:24:33.200 --> 01:24:35.200
Promises

01:24:36.180 --> 01:24:38.180
Favor

01:24:38.820 --> 01:24:40.820
Insights

01:24:41.700 --> 01:24:43.700
Maturity

01:24:44.720 --> 01:24:46.720
Anointing

01:24:48.260 --> 01:24:50.260
Partnering the impossible

01:24:51.780 --> 01:24:54.920
Partnering with god in the impossible

01:24:58.900 --> 01:25:00.900
Heaven's purpose

01:25:05.220 --> 01:25:07.220
New identities

01:25:10.640 --> 01:25:12.640
Participating in glory

01:25:12.800 --> 01:25:14.800
New

01:25:17.040 --> 01:25:19.040
Making things new

01:25:24.800 --> 01:25:26.800
True riches

01:25:31.600 --> 01:25:33.600
Toughie

01:25:42.880 --> 01:25:44.880
I

01:25:45.680 --> 01:25:52.800
I'll read it out spiritual gifts promises favor insights or revelation maturity anointing

01:25:53.360 --> 01:25:57.600
Partnering with god in the impossible heaven's purpose new identities

01:25:58.380 --> 01:26:02.480
Participating in glory making things new these are true riches

01:26:03.280 --> 01:26:04.880
What's jesus saying?

01:26:04.880 --> 01:26:06.880
you cannot

01:26:06.880 --> 01:26:11.280
Be trusted with these two riches if you do not know how to handle

01:26:11.920 --> 01:26:13.920
Money

01:26:14.320 --> 01:26:16.640
Really bothered me I thought to myself my god

01:26:22.160 --> 01:26:25.620
Maybe there's a disconnect in my life. Maybe there's a disconnect in your life

01:26:25.620 --> 01:26:27.620
So

01:26:35.860 --> 01:26:37.860
This is what you see in genesis 14

01:26:38.660 --> 01:26:42.420
It's it's so well portrayed in genesis 14 and genesis 15

01:26:43.060 --> 01:26:45.860
Along comes the king of salem and the king of

01:26:46.740 --> 01:26:48.180
Sodom

01:26:48.180 --> 01:26:50.180
Standing in the middle is a guy called abraham

01:26:50.900 --> 01:26:52.900
The king of sodom offers him

01:26:53.220 --> 01:26:55.220
all the wealth

01:26:56.420 --> 01:27:02.340
So he could have so much money all the king of sodom wanted was give me the people that you captured

01:27:02.500 --> 01:27:04.020
I'll give you all the wealth

01:27:04.020 --> 01:27:10.340
And the king of salem is standing there and he's got true riches. He's got bread and wine. He's melchizedek a type of christ

01:27:11.460 --> 01:27:17.380
And here's abraham and he knows how to handle the wealth and he says I won't take a strap that comes from you

01:27:18.180 --> 01:27:21.300
And he goes and he gives the tenth of all the spoils of war too

01:27:21.300 --> 01:27:29.220
Who melchizedek and melchizedek blesses him genesis 14 ends that way genesis 15 opens with true riches

01:27:29.620 --> 01:27:31.620
And it opens with the statement from god saying

01:27:32.660 --> 01:27:34.180
Abraham

01:27:34.180 --> 01:27:36.260
I will be your exceeding great reward

01:27:37.060 --> 01:27:38.660
and she

01:27:38.660 --> 01:27:41.220
And that begins the rest of abraham's journey

01:27:43.380 --> 01:27:49.300
Just keep this in mind guys i'll leave you with this but ponder on it go read 16 verse 11 and 12

01:27:49.540 --> 01:27:51.540
Can someone read it loudly one more time

01:27:54.340 --> 01:27:56.340
Why make you do it when I can do it

01:28:00.900 --> 01:28:05.620
Luke 16 verse 11 and 12 i'll read it from the niv and then the message

01:28:07.140 --> 01:28:09.140
Luke 16

01:28:10.020 --> 01:28:12.020
Verse 11 and 12

01:28:14.980 --> 01:28:16.980
Here goes

01:28:17.540 --> 01:28:19.540
Luke 13 and 14

01:28:20.820 --> 01:28:28.180
Whoever starting at verse 10 whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much

01:28:29.940 --> 01:28:32.820
And whoever is dishonest with very little

01:28:33.940 --> 01:28:35.940
Will also be dishonest with much

01:28:37.300 --> 01:28:43.220
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth who will trust you with true riches

01:28:43.220 --> 01:28:45.700
If you're not being trustworthy with someone else's property

01:28:46.820 --> 01:28:48.820
Who will give you property of your own?

01:28:49.220 --> 01:28:54.260
And it's in that context that jesus says no one can serve two masters

01:28:57.860 --> 01:28:59.860
Reading from the message

01:29:01.060 --> 01:29:05.140
Jesus went on to make these comments if you're honest in small things

01:29:06.020 --> 01:29:08.020
You'll be honest in big things

01:29:08.420 --> 01:29:10.420
If you're a crook in small things

01:29:10.660 --> 01:29:12.660
You'll be a crook in big things

01:29:13.220 --> 01:29:18.020
If you're not in small if you're not honest in small jobs who will put you in charge of the store?

01:29:18.900 --> 01:29:20.900
No worker can serve two bosses

01:29:21.300 --> 01:29:27.780
He'll hate the first and love the second or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both god and the bank

01:29:29.300 --> 01:29:31.300
Just ponder on that eh and

01:29:31.940 --> 01:29:39.300
I'll just pray that god will bring us not just conviction but give us a way out to now begin to change

01:29:39.700 --> 01:29:44.020
Because I know that it's a problem in our midst and

01:29:45.620 --> 01:29:47.620
I'm guilty too

01:29:48.100 --> 01:29:50.500
So i'm not praying for you. I'm praying for us

01:29:51.220 --> 01:29:53.220
Yeah

01:29:53.540 --> 01:29:55.940
Jesus I wish you wouldn't say such things

01:29:59.780 --> 01:30:03.780
But then you already said it so you there's nothing we can do about it

01:30:03.780 --> 01:30:05.780
There's nothing we can do about it

01:30:07.220 --> 01:30:09.380
Jesus in this room starting with me

01:30:10.420 --> 01:30:12.420
I don't know if I can say that

01:30:13.220 --> 01:30:15.220
I qualify based on those

01:30:15.940 --> 01:30:17.780
comments those verses

01:30:17.780 --> 01:30:20.100
Across this room. There are people that are thinking the same

01:30:21.780 --> 01:30:23.780
I can bring in just

01:30:24.640 --> 01:30:28.420
Discouragement and the sense of oh well, that's the end of that

01:30:29.220 --> 01:30:35.220
That's not how you operate you're showing of these scriptures and saying hey, can you use this as a plumb line and i'll help you

01:30:36.580 --> 01:30:40.980
Jesus we need help. We are talking about revival. We are talking about science miracles wonders

01:30:40.980 --> 01:30:44.260
We are talking about glory, but we need this to be fixed too

01:30:45.220 --> 01:30:47.220
Are we okay with you fixing it?

01:30:48.980 --> 01:30:51.620
This plumbing in this house has to be fixed

01:30:52.100 --> 01:30:57.380
Please jesus help me help each person here that's struggling with it in any which way

01:30:57.940 --> 01:30:59.940
Help us. Oh god

01:31:00.020 --> 01:31:02.180
We want to handle true riches

01:31:03.300 --> 01:31:05.540
but it begins with handling these

01:31:06.500 --> 01:31:07.380
these

01:31:07.380 --> 01:31:08.900
lesser things

01:31:08.900 --> 01:31:14.500
Spirit of god, I please ask for your own sake and because you love increasing us

01:31:14.980 --> 01:31:18.980
Please help me and please help this church. I ask in jesus name

01:31:21.700 --> 01:31:23.700
If you need prayer we'll be

01:31:27.380 --> 01:31:29.460
You
