Welcome to the Revolution Truth and Practice

I forgot the hospital…

How many things Compete for your attention?

I hear it I may like it or hate it I don't know how to make it stick (Mindset change…)

What: Your greatest needs are never met By seeking to have your needs met But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

The secret to God working in us is God working through us

What: What you give determines What you receive

Why: Ownership is an Illusion that enslaves Representation is a Spiritual Reality That sets us free

What this means for Layman…

Therapeutic/Consumer Church Me-focus - Short commitment - Shopping - Burned out professionals - Lost generation (great commission)

Christ's Mission Church - Christ's' outward focus= our own needs met - Commitment = maturity - Value-seeking is replaced by purpose - All meet each others' needs - People introduced to new life in Christ

How? 1- Understand the Truth: Its His! 2- Trust the Father: Store It Up! 3- Be Ready for the Opportunity: Live It!

You will either serve God With what you have Or you will serve what you have In place of God

He gave his time…

He loaned me a lot of money…

She prayed for me…

He gave his time… He loaned me a lot of money… She prayed for me… They were Jesus to me= An un-shipwrecked faith

You will either serve God With what you have Or you will serve what you have In place of God 1. Understand the Truth: Its His!

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all

There was not a needy person among them (If you can work but won't… you're not needy…)

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet - Acts 4:32-37

…no one claimed that any of the things that belonged to him was his own great grace was upon them all

Upset? Anxious? Fearful? Angry?

My time…I get kinda angry sometimes They want what?!?

Upset? Anxious? Fearful? Angry? What does your response tell you?

What does your response tell you? My Time: I don't believe inside That I'm doing enough Answer- Its His, Trust God, Work and Rest

Upset? Anxious? Fearful? Angry? Outside of Grace, we can't do this…

Car was loaned Housing was given $$ Given Ever charged gas for that free food?

Those are not accomplishments To be applauded But examples To be imitated

You will either serve God With what you have Or you will serve what you have In place of God

Our God is pushy It's not his job or desire To make you comfortable His desire is to make you like Jesus

Understand the Truth: It's His Stewardship…

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them…

To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.

But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you’ I get nothing out of it- why should I care?

Unfaithfulness- based on Distrust and Disrespect of Master

Master's desire: Greed? Something Else?

Master's desire: - Teach faithfulness in little - Bless the Servant

What God wants for … Is greater than what wants for himself/herself

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest Giving back only what was received Is a loss

God doesn't look at what was done But what could have been done

"'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him…'" - Matthew 25:14-29

Only if God owns it and I trust him Can I part with it joyfully - It'll take "great grace" As I grow and follow in faith

1. Understand the Truth: It's His 2. Trust the Father: Store It Up!

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" - Matthew 6:1-4

What is God's desire? - He owns it - We manage it - He blesses (rewards) us for Giving what isn't ours anyway

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life - 1 Timothy 6:18-19

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…" Not wrong to have But it's not your treasure Don't store up…on earth- Jesus

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal…" Store up for yourself!

Place determines Permanence

The only thing you own Is what you give away

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Material Possessions Have Spiritual Significance

You will either serve God With what you have Or you will serve what you have In place of God

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Focus- Material or Spiritual?

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Serve= storing up for yourself on earth vs. serving God with it

You cannot serve both God and Money" - Jesus, Matthew 6:19-24 Again: Material Possessions Have a Spiritual Significance

You will either serve God With what you have Or you will serve what you have In place of God

Very next words… "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…" - Jesus, Matthew 6

Out of love… God did not make us owners But managers with a Mandate And a Responsibility to the Ultimate Owner

Ownership: - Worry and Stress - Disobedience to God - Anger and Fear - Pride and/or Envy - Enslavement to Sin

Management: - Faithfulness to God - Few worries (broke appliances) - God repays- I can forgive - No need for Fear (not mine) - Humility and Freedom

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me'" - Matthew 25:40 Food and Drink, Housing, Clothing Time and Attention, Travel (even to prisoners)

1. Understand the Truth: It's His 2. Trust the Father: Store it Up 3. Be Ready for the Opportunity: Live It!

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone - Colossians 4:5-6

Many of you… You are where you are now Because someone gave Time, Attention, Love Money, Prayer, Witness

Decisions made in the moment Flow from character forged over time

He was very depressed… And his car wasn't going to start…

You signed it over Do you believe He wants more for you? Do you trust he is good? Is he your security?

You will either serve God With what you have Or you will serve what you have In place of God

Layman NOT about the building About Jesus and the people he died for Haggai 1