WEBVTT 00:00:01.179 --> 00:00:03.040 We're going to start a four -week series, just 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:07.559 a short little series called Control -Alt -Delete. 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.779 The Control -Alt -Delete command was created 00:00:11.779 --> 00:00:17.800 in 1981, and apparently the coding team that 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:21.039 was in charge for creating it later said that 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:22.940 it only took them five or ten minutes to create 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:27.760 it, which just seems like, I don't know, salt 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:29.940 in the wound, because most of us... have been 00:00:29.940 --> 00:00:31.500 struggling with something on a computer more 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:33.179 than five or 10 minutes before we have to use 00:00:33.179 --> 00:00:36.079 Control -Alt -Delete. And so it's pretty amazing 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:38.759 that they were able to create that so quickly. 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:40.979 Of course, the reason that it was created was 00:00:40.979 --> 00:00:43.060 because they were designing an IBM computer, 00:00:43.299 --> 00:00:45.820 and they kept crashing, and they needed a faster 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:48.859 way to restart things or to reboot things without 00:00:48.859 --> 00:00:54.439 having to start all over. For those of you that 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:56.159 have no idea what we're talking about with Control 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:59.359 -Alt -Delete, you're probably under 30. Is that 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:05.120 true? Because if you've never used Control -Alt 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:06.640 -Delete, you're probably on the younger side. 00:01:06.739 --> 00:01:10.219 Or maybe you've just always been a Mac person 00:01:10.219 --> 00:01:12.659 and the name for Control -Alt -Delete is different 00:01:12.659 --> 00:01:17.120 on a Mac. I use Macs exclusively and I honest 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:20.060 to God do not know the name. I don't know the 00:01:20.060 --> 00:01:22.659 combination. Every single time I have to look 00:01:22.659 --> 00:01:24.620 it up on the internet to see what I'm supposed 00:01:24.620 --> 00:01:29.560 to be doing. Show of hands, let's be honest, 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:32.480 show of hands who has used Control -Alt -Delete 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:37.079 on a computer. Okay, now, put your hand up if 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:40.819 you had to use Control -Alt -Delete and you'd 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:43.040 been doing something for more than an hour that 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:46.939 wasn't saved yet. Okay, keep your hand up if 00:01:46.939 --> 00:01:50.700 it's more than two hours, more than three hours, 00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:55.260 more than four hours of unsaved work. We had 00:01:55.260 --> 00:01:57.760 three hours, we had a couple three hours. Okay, 00:01:57.799 --> 00:01:59.560 you guys, we're going to start a support group 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:04.739 immediately after church. Sadly, sometimes the 00:02:04.739 --> 00:02:08.520 only option that exists when you are in the middle 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:12.120 of work and everything freezes is to do what 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.400 the secretary at the church that I grew up used 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.680 to call the three -finger salute, the control 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:22.419 -alt -delete to get everything to start over. 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.319 I think a lot of Christians have been hitting 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:28.379 control -alt -delete. And they're quitting Christianity 00:02:28.379 --> 00:02:34.020 altogether. Because the screen is frozen. And 00:02:34.020 --> 00:02:38.219 it feels like all the good work that they've 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:43.340 done wasn't saved. Like it's all been lost. Like 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:47.599 it's all been wasted. They have seen what is 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:51.479 also called the spinning icon of death. The little 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:55.759 rainbow that never ever stops. The code isn't 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:57.819 adding up, and it feels like it's time to just 00:02:57.819 --> 00:03:00.800 start over. And here's the truth. I don't really 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:05.159 blame them for doing that. Because here's the 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:09.460 truth. There's plenty, plenty of things that 00:03:09.460 --> 00:03:13.000 religion gets wrong. And I think that every now 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:16.240 and again, it's healthy for churches and people 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:20.259 inside of those systems to admit that we don't 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:23.370 get everything right. And sometimes the things 00:03:23.370 --> 00:03:24.889 that we're getting wrong are actually hurting 00:03:24.889 --> 00:03:29.530 people. But I wonder if maybe the answer isn't 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:32.330 to delete religion or Christianity altogether. 00:03:33.610 --> 00:03:37.969 Maybe we can find a way to let go of the control. 00:03:39.469 --> 00:03:44.530 We can seek out an alternative. And we can find 00:03:44.530 --> 00:03:49.370 a way to delight in the Lord. So let's open up 00:03:49.370 --> 00:03:52.039 our Bibles. I'm going to mention a bunch of verses 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:54.900 today, but we're going to read for the context 00:03:54.900 --> 00:03:56.599 of that phrase, delight in the Lord. We're going 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:59.599 to read Psalm 37. The Psalms are in the middle 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.659 of the Bible. Psalm 37. If you don't have a Bible, 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:04.800 there are blue ones on the table. There's also 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.699 Bibles out in the lobby. You can grab one of 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:10.000 those or download one from any of the digital. 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:13.219 app stores. We have a tradition around here that 00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:15.780 when we read a passage or the main passage in 00:04:15.780 --> 00:04:18.079 the context of sermon, that we just give it our 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.600 full attention. You can do that in whatever way 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:22.240 makes the most sense for you. But if you'd like 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.839 to join me in standing for the word, you can 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:29.759 also do that. This is Psalm 37, starting in verse 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:39.759 one. Verse one, do not fret because of the wicked. 00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:43.120 Do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.720 soon fade like grass and wither like the green 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.779 herb. Trust in the Lord and do good. Live in 00:04:48.779 --> 00:04:52.100 the land and enjoy security. Take delight in 00:04:52.100 --> 00:04:54.519 the Lord, and he will give you the desires of 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:57.420 your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust 00:04:57.420 --> 00:05:00.839 in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:03.240 shine like the light and the justice of your 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:07.459 cause like the noonday. Be still before the Lord 00:05:07.459 --> 00:05:10.819 and wait patiently for him. Do not fret over 00:05:10.819 --> 00:05:13.259 those who prosper in their way, over those who 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:18.199 carry out evil devices. Refrain from anger and 00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:22.300 forsake wrath. Do not fret. It leads only to 00:05:22.300 --> 00:05:25.720 evil. For the wicked shall be cut off, but those 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:29.259 who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:34.420 Let us pray. God of every tribe, of every tongue, 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:37.879 every color, every nation, we thank you for the 00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:41.639 scriptures persisted throughout the millennia 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.339 that we still have them to consider, to learn 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:46.339 from. And I pray that whatever you have to teach 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:49.439 us today, whatever is most important, that it 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:52.379 sticks, that it would become a part of the framework 00:05:52.379 --> 00:05:54.740 of our faith as we become more like your son, 00:05:54.860 --> 00:06:00.860 Jesus. Amen. Amen. You can all have a seat. Right. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:04.259 So in Psalm 37, David's answer when everything 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:07.839 is falling apart, when enemies seem to win. When 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:10.279 he could see the manipulation in front of his 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:13.500 eyes was not to lift the sword. He surely had 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:16.040 lifted the sword plenty of other times in his 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:18.860 life. But at this point, he had come to a different 00:06:18.860 --> 00:06:23.819 conclusion. And it wasn't to delete the problem. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:28.660 His answer was to trust in the Lord, to delight 00:06:28.660 --> 00:06:31.819 in the Lord. And over the next four weeks, I 00:06:31.819 --> 00:06:35.259 want to apply that. concept, how we might feel 00:06:35.259 --> 00:06:38.420 controlled by money, relationship, the afterlife, 00:06:38.699 --> 00:06:41.319 shame, how we can look at the alternative. We 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:44.800 can let go of the control. We can look at alternatives, 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:47.860 and maybe we can find a way to delight in the 00:06:47.860 --> 00:06:51.139 Lord, even amongst all of those subjects. And 00:06:51.139 --> 00:06:53.240 today, I want to start with everybody's favorite 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:58.879 topic, money. One of the biggest ongoing and 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:01.360 common complaints about church and religion is 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:05.519 that they just want my Money. Many of us have 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.639 felt like churches have tried to manipulate us 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:11.779 into giving. We have struggled with how churches 00:07:11.779 --> 00:07:15.120 talk about money, and we're not alone. Statistically, 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:19.379 in the early 1980s, half of all charitable giving 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:21.500 in the United States of America went to churches. 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:27.360 In the early 1980s, 50 % of all charitable giving 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:32.279 went to churches. Now... That number is only 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:37.660 a third. Now, it's probably no coincidence that 00:07:37.660 --> 00:07:40.560 only one -third of people say that they have 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:42.519 a high level of trust for how churches manage 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:49.779 money. So maybe we can't blame them for going, 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:51.579 well, maybe I should donate to this other thing 00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:55.980 instead. But here's the first point. The church 00:07:55.980 --> 00:08:01.000 is not meant to control your money. The church 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:04.879 is not meant to control your money. Of course, 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:08.639 very few churches will say that they are trying 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:13.279 to control your money. Maybe they'll say, God 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:17.959 wants to control your money. But then they'll 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:20.199 tell you exactly what God is telling you to give. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.459 Think about it like this. Let's say I own a restaurant 00:08:24.459 --> 00:08:27.699 and you come to the restaurant and I say that 00:08:27.699 --> 00:08:30.310 I don't want to tell you what to eat. But then 00:08:30.310 --> 00:08:33.289 I hand you a menu that has 10 things on it, and 00:08:33.289 --> 00:08:35.950 they're essentially all the same thing. And then 00:08:35.950 --> 00:08:41.009 I go, you can have anything on this menu. You 00:08:41.009 --> 00:08:44.909 can have the fish or the fish. It's essentially 00:08:44.909 --> 00:08:49.129 a distinction without a difference. I don't think 00:08:49.129 --> 00:08:52.870 that the church should control the money of the 00:08:52.870 --> 00:08:55.830 people that attend that church or call that church 00:08:55.830 --> 00:09:00.279 home. That includes telling you... I've heard 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:02.620 this before, includes that we should not say 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:04.740 you're stealing from God if you don't give him 00:09:04.740 --> 00:09:11.840 10%. Yeah. I think I'm going to take it a step 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:16.559 further. I don't think that God is trying to 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:20.940 control your money either. Not only do I not 00:09:20.940 --> 00:09:22.820 think that the church should control your money, 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:25.179 I don't think it's the right way to think of 00:09:25.179 --> 00:09:28.769 it that God is trying to control your... money, 00:09:28.850 --> 00:09:32.230 because I think that God is asking us to control 00:09:32.230 --> 00:09:38.049 our own money, for us to make our own decisions, 00:09:38.269 --> 00:09:42.669 for us to make up our own minds. Paul, when he's 00:09:42.669 --> 00:09:45.070 writing in 2 Corinthians 9, he says, each of 00:09:45.070 --> 00:09:49.330 you must give as you have made up in your mind, 00:09:49.429 --> 00:09:53.629 not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God 00:09:53.629 --> 00:09:57.009 loves a cheerful giver. I told someone I thought 00:09:57.009 --> 00:09:58.870 about adding this and then I will, well, I don't 00:09:58.870 --> 00:10:00.169 know if I have time. I'm going to do it anyway. 00:10:00.330 --> 00:10:02.769 Last night I was at an event and there was an 00:10:02.769 --> 00:10:06.210 auctioneer. It was a live auction and he knew 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:08.789 he was trying to raise money for a good cause. 00:10:08.970 --> 00:10:10.370 And there were some things that were up. There 00:10:10.370 --> 00:10:12.250 were seven different things that were up for 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:15.110 live auction. It took, I swear, 40 minutes to 00:10:15.110 --> 00:10:18.929 get through seven items because these are some 00:10:18.929 --> 00:10:22.149 pretty valuable things and they just were not, 00:10:22.190 --> 00:10:24.210 no one was bidding on them. And so he was pulling 00:10:24.210 --> 00:10:27.440 out All the stops. And I leaned over and I was 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.240 like, you know, some people think that's what 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:33.799 church is like. An auctioneer in the front, you 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:36.980 know, calling people out. Well, you should give. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:39.340 And this, he literally was like calling out tables. 00:10:39.419 --> 00:10:41.360 I know you work at such and such a firm. You've 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:50.840 got deep pockets. Paul tells the Corinthian church. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:53.919 To give what you've made up in your mind. And 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:58.000 yes, some people that believe that a tithe of 00:10:58.000 --> 00:10:59.620 10 % is the requirement would say, well, he was 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:01.080 talking about a gift that was being given to 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:03.460 another church. Again, I'm not sure that there 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:06.679 is an actual distinction there. So hear me. The 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:09.019 only thing that you should give is what you have 00:11:09.019 --> 00:11:13.539 decided in your mind. Pray, think, decide. Pray, 00:11:13.700 --> 00:11:17.440 think, decide. And that's why I've just started 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:20.460 saying. That we don't all give the same amount, 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:22.340 but we give the same percentage, which is just 00:11:22.340 --> 00:11:27.080 100 % of whatever you decide between you and 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:31.559 God. And I don't think that God is twisting your 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:35.220 arm or any of our arms because of what Paul said 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:39.460 in Corinthians. He's looking for hearts that 00:11:39.460 --> 00:11:42.779 are delighted. He's looking for hearts that have 00:11:42.779 --> 00:11:44.799 a sense of joy that they get to do something. 00:11:45.769 --> 00:11:48.090 There is no joy on the other side of a twisted 00:11:48.090 --> 00:11:54.590 arm. So let's let go of control. Let's see the 00:11:54.590 --> 00:11:59.850 alternative and let's delight in the Lord. Of 00:11:59.850 --> 00:12:01.830 course, it's not just the church or religion 00:12:01.830 --> 00:12:04.750 that tries to control our finances. Sometimes 00:12:04.750 --> 00:12:10.549 we forget that we are not what we own. Say it 00:12:10.549 --> 00:12:13.980 again. We are not. What we own, our possessions 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:19.120 are not our person. When he died in 1990, Malcolm 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:23.980 Forbes was worth an estimated $400 million. Malcolm 00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:27.340 Forbes is the one that was known. Well, it's 00:12:27.340 --> 00:12:30.000 attributed to him that he coined the phrase that 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:35.539 he who dies with the most toys wins. Wins what? 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:41.350 Wins what? You're dead. You don't know people 00:12:41.350 --> 00:12:45.149 admire how much money you had. Luke 12, Jesus 00:12:45.149 --> 00:12:47.409 says, watch out, be on your guard against all 00:12:47.409 --> 00:12:51.029 kinds of greed. Life does not consist in an abundance 00:12:51.029 --> 00:12:54.750 of possessions. It wasn't long after Forbes' 00:12:54.870 --> 00:12:56.909 death, it might have even been happening during 00:12:56.909 --> 00:13:00.370 his life, that people started changing how that 00:13:00.370 --> 00:13:03.330 phrase ends. You can say it with me, he who dies 00:13:03.330 --> 00:13:12.330 with most toys still dies. We cannot let things 00:13:12.330 --> 00:13:16.509 control us either. We have to look for the alternatives 00:13:16.509 --> 00:13:20.490 so that we can delight in the Lord. We cannot 00:13:20.490 --> 00:13:23.649 let things convince us that they are what we 00:13:23.649 --> 00:13:27.029 are and distract us from God. I also think that 00:13:27.029 --> 00:13:29.730 we have to, in order to delight in the Lord, 00:13:29.750 --> 00:13:32.350 that we have to learn, especially in relationship 00:13:32.350 --> 00:13:35.049 to money, we have to learn that wisdom is worth 00:13:35.049 --> 00:13:38.970 more than wealth. Wisdom is worth more than wealth. 00:13:39.090 --> 00:13:43.029 Proverbs 3 .13. Blessed are those who find wisdom, 00:13:43.250 --> 00:13:47.429 for she is more profitable than silver. Proverbs 00:13:47.429 --> 00:13:50.370 16. How much better to get wisdom than gold? 00:13:52.289 --> 00:13:56.370 Last year, every day when I would drive my son 00:13:56.370 --> 00:14:00.110 Wallace to seventh grade, we had this little 00:14:00.110 --> 00:14:03.070 Psalms and Proverbs book. That's all it was was 00:14:03.070 --> 00:14:05.250 Psalms and Proverbs, and it was like stashed 00:14:05.250 --> 00:14:08.899 in the passenger side door. And on the way, almost 00:14:08.899 --> 00:14:12.279 every day, he'd pick it up, we'd open it, and 00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:13.960 he would read it, I would drive, he would read 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:16.779 it. And he would read something out loud from 00:14:16.779 --> 00:14:19.980 the Proverbs. And just for a couple minutes on 00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:22.080 the way to school, we would talk about what that 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:27.200 meant for him as a seventh grader. Developmentally 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:29.240 speaking, middle schoolers are at a place where 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.179 the chemicals in their brains and the hormones 00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:33.500 going through their bodies are trying to convince 00:14:33.500 --> 00:14:39.000 them that everybody is looking at them. And what 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:42.600 happens is what's on the outside, their possessions, 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:46.120 not just whether they're handsome or not, but 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:50.940 their possessions can become their person. And 00:14:50.940 --> 00:14:53.559 what they have gets elevated above who they are. 00:14:54.700 --> 00:14:59.960 I remember being in middle school, and there 00:14:59.960 --> 00:15:02.120 was a kid. I won't say his name because it's 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:04.059 such a unique name. Some of you surely have heard 00:15:04.059 --> 00:15:06.000 his name before. We were in middle school together, 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:09.320 and he was picking on this kid. And it was just 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.700 me and the two of them because we were coming 00:15:12.700 --> 00:15:15.700 up from tennis for gym or something. And I kind 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:17.879 of was like, hey, man, leave him alone. And he 00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:20.360 says to me, man, I was going to say your shoes 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:26.820 look nice. Because developmentally, he's going, 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:32.919 oh, what's on the outside is what matters. I 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:34.559 didn't really care what my shoes looked like 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:38.289 that much, I guess. But shoes and brands and 00:15:38.289 --> 00:15:40.690 outfits and looks get elevated above goodness 00:15:40.690 --> 00:15:44.850 and kindness and wisdom. But wisdom is worth 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.309 more than wealth. And we need character to shine 00:15:48.309 --> 00:15:51.509 through so that we know how to make up our minds 00:15:51.509 --> 00:15:54.769 about what we do with money. I think sometimes 00:15:54.769 --> 00:15:59.129 us as adults, we have yet to learn the lesson 00:15:59.129 --> 00:16:00.549 that we should have learned in middle school, 00:16:00.649 --> 00:16:07.129 that we are not the things that we have. One 00:16:07.129 --> 00:16:09.990 thing that we should definitely have learned 00:16:09.990 --> 00:16:12.549 and should definitely become more apparent as 00:16:12.549 --> 00:16:18.350 we age is that peace cannot be purchased. You 00:16:18.350 --> 00:16:20.669 cannot buy it no matter how much money you have. 00:16:20.710 --> 00:16:26.009 You cannot buy peace. It is not going to happen. 00:16:26.070 --> 00:16:29.190 Philippians 4, Paul says, I have learned to be 00:16:29.190 --> 00:16:33.950 content whatever the circumstances. The worries 00:16:33.950 --> 00:16:36.710 that we have about things like... the size of 00:16:36.710 --> 00:16:38.490 our house, our bank accounts, what kind of car 00:16:38.490 --> 00:16:41.590 we drive. Generally speaking, these things would 00:16:41.590 --> 00:16:45.389 not have made sense to someone like Paul. And 00:16:45.389 --> 00:16:47.029 the reason they would not have made sense to 00:16:47.029 --> 00:16:49.470 someone like Paul isn't just because cars didn't 00:16:49.470 --> 00:16:51.909 exist back then, but it's because by the time 00:16:51.909 --> 00:16:54.909 that Paul wrote Philippians, he'd been beaten 00:16:54.909 --> 00:16:57.330 multiple times because of his faith and imprisoned 00:16:57.330 --> 00:17:00.110 multiple times because of his faith. He's actually 00:17:00.110 --> 00:17:03.289 writing the book of Philippians from house arrest 00:17:03.289 --> 00:17:10.829 because of his faith. And yet, he was at peace. 00:17:13.410 --> 00:17:15.710 For Paul, there was one thing that offered peace. 00:17:17.289 --> 00:17:20.910 And he could look at the empire. He could look 00:17:20.910 --> 00:17:23.430 at Herod Antipas. He could look at the Herods 00:17:23.430 --> 00:17:25.710 that he had to come in contact with, or the Roman 00:17:25.710 --> 00:17:28.849 rulers that he had to come in. And they had wealth 00:17:28.849 --> 00:17:32.549 beyond your imagination. If you ever get the 00:17:32.549 --> 00:17:35.410 opportunity to go to Caesarea Philippi, or Caesarea 00:17:35.410 --> 00:17:39.410 Maritima in Israel, And look at the foundations 00:17:39.410 --> 00:17:42.369 of the place that he had been on house arrest. 00:17:42.650 --> 00:17:45.089 It is one of the most beautiful places you have 00:17:45.089 --> 00:17:49.109 ever seen. And they built these things. Just 00:17:49.109 --> 00:17:53.589 unimaginable wealth. And yet he had more peace 00:17:53.589 --> 00:17:58.970 than they. I've heard people say, well, billionaires 00:17:58.970 --> 00:18:04.970 don't seem to have many worries. People say, 00:18:05.069 --> 00:18:06.789 well, it sure looks like money buys peace for 00:18:06.789 --> 00:18:08.980 them. And to that I would say, then why do they 00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:14.759 always want more? And why do they never stop 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:17.640 trying to get it? In the last 10 years, just 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:21.299 in the last decade, the wealthiest 1 % of the 00:18:21.299 --> 00:18:26.539 world, 1 % of the world, 80 million people in 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:30.619 the last 10 years have added $33 .9 trillion 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:37.380 to their wealth. Now, of course... That money 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:40.759 isn't spread out evenly, right? Just the wealthiest 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.480 3 ,000 billionaires. There's more than 3 ,000 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:48.059 billionaires. Did you know that? Just the wealthiest 00:18:48.059 --> 00:18:53.240 3 ,000 billionaires added in 10 years $6 .5 trillion 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:59.539 to just their wealth. And it gets worse. In that 00:18:59.539 --> 00:19:02.220 same 10 years, just the 10 wealthiest people 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:04.859 in the world. Well, 10 years ago, all of them 00:19:04.859 --> 00:19:11.000 together had $559 billion. Okay? That's $55 .9 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:14.700 billion each if it was spread out evenly for 00:19:14.700 --> 00:19:19.859 10 people. Now, those 10 people have $2 .6 trillion. 00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:29.940 One person has nearly three -quarters of a trillion 00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:35.690 dollars by themselves. So how much is enough? 00:19:36.910 --> 00:19:40.910 How much money brings contentment? Some of us 00:19:40.910 --> 00:19:43.470 in here are thinking about, I think about it. 00:19:43.470 --> 00:19:46.289 I'm not going to lie. I think about it. I think, 00:19:46.309 --> 00:19:48.529 man, if I just made a little bit more. Oh, if 00:19:48.529 --> 00:19:51.410 I do this side thing with pastors. Oh, if that 00:19:51.410 --> 00:19:53.410 paid just a little bit more. Oh, if that, like, 00:19:53.490 --> 00:19:56.089 oh. But you know what? It will not bring peace. 00:19:57.250 --> 00:20:01.450 It will not bring contentment. There is no amount 00:20:01.450 --> 00:20:07.119 of money. That will do that. And this is the 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:12.599 truth. Because those 10 people that have a value 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:16.779 of $2 .6 trillion could end world hunger by themselves. 00:20:18.740 --> 00:20:27.680 And yet they are still starving for more. I started 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:31.559 this saying that it's fair that churches should 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:36.730 acknowledge. The faults that religion makes, 00:20:36.789 --> 00:20:38.630 that churches make. I also think it's a fair 00:20:38.630 --> 00:20:41.390 thing to say that churches need to ask themselves 00:20:41.390 --> 00:20:45.849 how much is enough. Churches don't always know 00:20:45.849 --> 00:20:50.730 how to stop pushing for more giving. Churches, 00:20:50.730 --> 00:20:56.569 pastors. It's also important for us as a community 00:20:56.569 --> 00:20:59.190 to know when to be content and how to be content. 00:21:00.930 --> 00:21:06.880 How to live modestly. Here's the truth. Our annual 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:10.799 budget as a church, the giving that our congregation 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:15.039 provides is in the arena of 50 to 70 % of some 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:17.240 other churches that are the same size as us. 00:21:18.339 --> 00:21:23.299 But we will not get up and twist arms. Even me 00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:25.319 telling you that, someone could go, oh, he's 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:31.599 pulling one on us. He's trying to trick us. There 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:33.500 are things that we can do. There are things that 00:21:33.500 --> 00:21:37.539 churches do all the time. But I just don't think 00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:39.380 that we're willing to do some of those things 00:21:39.380 --> 00:21:42.619 that have to be done in order to double the budget. 00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:49.740 And a $10 ,150 monthly budget is modest and a 00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:52.700 place to be content for now. And if the Lord 00:21:52.700 --> 00:21:57.279 provides more, we'll do our best to be wise with 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:03.119 that. Because we do not want to be stressed or 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:08.259 angry or frustrated or hurting each other. We 00:22:08.259 --> 00:22:12.940 want to let go of control. We want to look at 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:16.880 the alternatives and we want to delight in the 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.180 Lord. And we want people that call this their 00:22:19.180 --> 00:22:22.380 church home to feel delighted that they're a 00:22:22.380 --> 00:22:30.200 part of it. And to not have a poison pill. of 00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:34.819 how the church treats them about giving. At the 00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:37.740 end of the day, God is asking us to be trustworthy 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:41.460 with what we have as individuals and as a church. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.240 That's also part of the reason that we've continued 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:50.259 our conversation with the third place about whether 00:22:50.259 --> 00:22:52.319 the lobby would be a good temporary spot for 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.660 them. Because God has given us this building 00:22:55.660 --> 00:22:58.619 to steward. We don't own it, but we lease it. 00:22:59.369 --> 00:23:01.809 And it's important that we ask, what has God 00:23:01.809 --> 00:23:05.170 given us that we can use for good? This last 00:23:05.170 --> 00:23:07.349 week, I met with one of the board members of 00:23:07.349 --> 00:23:10.869 Third Place to officially have them walk through 00:23:10.869 --> 00:23:12.509 the building. Jeff, the building owner, obviously 00:23:12.509 --> 00:23:14.589 knows this. The trustees, we've talked about 00:23:14.589 --> 00:23:17.269 this. They're on what's called a one -month fact 00:23:17.269 --> 00:23:19.849 -finding opportunity. They're just looking at 00:23:19.849 --> 00:23:22.130 the different options that they have. But they 00:23:22.130 --> 00:23:24.390 would not intend on moving until this summer. 00:23:25.849 --> 00:23:27.750 They would not want to move here or share our 00:23:27.750 --> 00:23:30.549 lobby unless the intention was that they would, 00:23:30.730 --> 00:23:33.670 as soon as possible, be able to build out and 00:23:33.670 --> 00:23:37.190 be in the other end of the building. But it's 00:23:37.190 --> 00:23:39.049 our responsibility to think what has God given 00:23:39.049 --> 00:23:43.170 us and how can we be a good steward of it? How 00:23:43.170 --> 00:23:47.390 can we be faithful? Because what this church 00:23:47.390 --> 00:23:49.970 can do is not just about the dollars that are 00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:54.759 given. What this church can do is not just about 00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:58.420 the dollars that can be given. It's about the 00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:01.160 people that are here. It's about the tables you're 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:03.940 sitting at. It's about the doors that you walk 00:24:03.940 --> 00:24:09.500 through. So for all of us, God's asking us to 00:24:09.500 --> 00:24:13.119 be trustworthy, to listen to our hearts, to make 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:17.059 up our own minds as individuals and as a church, 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:21.180 to let go of control, to find the alternative. 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:26.059 And delight in the Lord with all of our hearts. 00:24:27.380 --> 00:24:33.140 Amen? Yeah, let's pray. Father God, we thank 00:24:33.140 --> 00:24:40.819 you for peace and wisdom and having an identity 00:24:40.819 --> 00:24:44.099 that is found in you, not by the brands or clothes 00:24:44.099 --> 00:24:48.319 that we put on our back. We pray that you just 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:53.480 fill us with delight today. We just have a sense 00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:55.319 of delight at getting to be with you and getting 00:24:55.319 --> 00:25:00.339 to be with each other as we move towards the 00:25:00.339 --> 00:25:01.920 table. Amen.