Amen. Church, you can go ahead and have a seat.
As you're doing so, how are we? I mean, come
on. How are we not good with that much cuteness
on stage? You know what I'm saying? And then
to get to worship, I mean, it's just pretty special.
Welcome to those of you in Paulding today who
got breakfast. I saw the breakfast spread. Well
done. Well played. It's always fun to see and
know how you are gathering as community and how
you are slowing down to see each other and break
bread together. It's beautiful. We have something
special happening. So my life group today is
actually in Baghdad. So welcome, Baghdad. You've
been here the whole time, but welcome. We're
glad you're there. And I hope you enjoy the life
group fam there and some others from staff that
made it out. We're excited to continue to build
relationship, build community, to continue to
build as a family and see God move there in Baghdad.
We're excited for what the future is with Baghdad
and what that looks like. Can you do me a favor?
Because my wife is out there today. Can you just
say hi to Baghdad this morning? And then to our
online fam, welcome. We're glad you're with us.
Glad we get to do this together. I love that
we get to honor people. I love that part of our
family values is just that we genuinely honor
one another. We put one another first. And I
love that this weekend is kind of set aside to
specifically celebrate those that with their
lives have chosen to sacrifice on behalf of other
people. I have some people near and dear to me
that have served within the military and some
that are still serving within the military. And
I love the gift that it is to everyone else.
It's one of those, it's a really clear connection
for me of you're willing to and you are laying
down your life that we can sit here and do this.
It's a moment where we just get to honor and
just say thank you. And so I would love to do
that if you'll allow me. I know you'll hate it,
but if you are an active military, you're in
active military service or you're someone who
has been in military service, if you're a veteran,
would you just stand so that we could honor you,
please? Now, before you sit down, hang on, hang
on. We know you got family that also sacrificed.
If you are family of them, would you stand? And
we just want to say thanks. We are very, very
grateful for your sacrifice and the way that
you have served. So thank you. You can go ahead
and have a seat. Baghdad, I hope that you get
to honor those that are there with you. Also,
those of you online get to honor one another.
So I want to take a moment just to celebrate
with you, right? There's a certain person in
my life who's pretty important to me, and that
certain person happened to turn one yesterday.
So here he is, just because you need to see him.
Let's go. And not only did he turn one, but he
got dedicated at Park Collective last night in
Prescott Valley. Now, what's fun with this is
people ask, you know, so his first Halloween,
like, what happened? What did he trunk or treat?
Did you go trick or treating? Like, what did
he dress up as? Well, I mean, you can see what
he dressed up as. Clearly, he's just a model,
right? Like, that's just what he is. Here's what's
interesting though, right? Like my role in his
life is to let him know how valuable he is, how
loved he is, how special he is, right? Like my
job is to brag about him. This is what God created
me to do is to brag about him, right? And here's
what's interesting. Now, if I was to go to him
as he grows up and I'm like, hey, Bex, okay,
here we go. I'm gonna give you the way to live
life. Be as stingy as you possibly can. Don't
give anybody anything, ever. You'd be like, you're
the worst grandparent ever. What if I double
down and I go, actually, Bex, you know what?
Just make life all about you. Okay, don't think
about anybody else. Don't think about your parents.
Don't think about me. Don't think about anybody.
Just think about you and make your whole life
about you. Everybody in the room goes, that's
a terrible idea. you'll end up what? Bitter,
alone, hating life, trying to figure out what
it's all about, probably have some kind of addictions
because you can't keep up with trying to feed
the monster that is you. Like we all know intuitively,
right? Like this is not the best way. Don't tell
Bex that. Why? Because it's going to ruin him.
Isn't it interesting that we know it intuitively?
Right? Like something inside us goes, that's
not the best way to live. Don't tell your grandson
that. That's not the best. And yet, how many
of us are living for me? How many of us are living
in a way that it's about what I amass and how
I do it? How many of us are living, because if
I tell him that, he's going to live a life much
smaller than what he was created for. Like we
just intuitively know that this life was meant
to be larger than us. And the way it is larger
than us is we actually give it away to other
people. How many people that end up in addiction
and there's just a train of people behind them
that all suffered because of what? Their addiction.
Because it was never meant to be about me and
experiences and what I can get. It was about
this idea that life is so much more. It's the
abundant life that Jesus talked about. You know,
it's interesting culturally what's around us.
In 1860, Milton Bradley created a board game.
So those of you that are board game enthusiasts,
here you go. They created a board game and it
was called the checkered game of life. And within
that game, if you were to look at it, the original
rules, the way that you win this game of life
is you live to an old age, right? You get to
a good old age and that's a full life. You lived
a full life. And so what the game would do, excuse
me, what the game would do is it would put you
in situations where you had to make a choice,
a moral choice of right and wrong, which way
to go. And so it was built around virtue. It
was built around this idea of you navigating
through these tough moments so that you got to
a point where you built this good old life. The
way you would lose the game is you would end
up in ruin or you would end up disgraced. It's
interesting that in 1960, they revamped that
game. And if you've played the game of life,
If you've ever played the board game, the game
of life, anybody? Okay, all right, just make
sure I'm not alone here. If you played that game,
how do you win? Thank you. Wasn't that hard for
this many people that have played that game.
Maybe you know why you lost now, just saying.
Yeah, it's the one that ends up with the most
money. The one with the most money wins the game
of life. Isn't that fascinating that culturally,
1860, which by the way, you know why you have
a spinner in that game? If you've ever played
that game, you got that little spinner thing.
You know why they did a spinner and not dice?
Because dice were considered gambling in 1860.
So you have a spinner. Information that doesn't
matter. You didn't need it. But here's what's
fascinating. Culturally, there was a shift, and
the shift was the way you win at the game of
life is you amass the most money. You retire
at the millionaire, right? You don't go to Shady
Acres. As for losers, right? Isn't it interesting
that culturally, if you took a shot of that,
the culture you are born into, the culture you
exist inside of, is how do you win at life? You
are the one with the most at the end of this
life that you've amassed for yourself. You know
what's amazing? With Bex, there's a pressure
on me to what? Provide for his future. Isn't
that interesting that I can spend my whole life
trying to amass stuff that at the end of my life,
I'll leave behind? Like that's just such a weird.
Prospect. I don't think God intended for you
to live your life going, I'm going to do everything
in this life to provide that so it's easier for
them. Because here's the thing, you don't know
what they're going to do with it. But there is
an idea that Jesus plants within the scriptures
that this life is a generous life. And what I
mean by that, one that's supposed to be bigger
than you, one that's supposed to be given away,
one that's not supposed to be about how much
you can amass and what you do. In Luke chapter...
11, Luke chapter 11. We started last week walking
through Luke chapter 10, 11, and 12. We'll kind
of anchor in there for the next few weeks. And
the whole idea was Jesus has this thread of a
theme that he puts all the way through this idea
of the generous life. If you were here last week,
we talked about this idea of trusting God is
the base of that, right? Like you have to trust
God. You will never live a generous life if your
trust is not solely in God. So if your trust
is in God, then the words of Jesus and what he
says, then that becomes our base of how we're
going to live. It becomes how we navigate. Because
if I trust God, then Jesus being God, what he
says, then I live out. And so there's this conversation
that's happening. In verse 33, we're going to
jump in the middle of some teachings by Jesus.
It says this. No one lights a lamp and puts it
in a place where it will be hidden or under a
bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand so that
those who come in may see the light. Your eye
is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are
healthy, your whole body also is full of light.
But when they are unhealthy, your body is also
full of darkness. See to it then, be proactive
then, that the light within you is not darkness.
So there's something you can do about it, right?
Therefore, if your whole body is full of light
and no part of it dark, it will be just as full
of light as when the lamp shines its light. No
one, no one lights a lamp and puts it in a place
that's hidden. Think about the concept of lighting
a lamp. If you light a lamp, you're lighting
it with intentionality. Your plan is that you
need a source of light for something, therefore
you light a lamp. Why? So that it provides what
it's supposed to as a source. And so in this
context, it specifically says no one does that.
No one intentionally goes and lights a lamp and
then takes it to a place that is hidden. Now
that word hidden in the original has to do with
like a cellar. That you don't light a lamp and
then take it down into the cellar. The purpose
in lighting the lamp is to put it on a stand.
So there's intentionality. I light the lamp and
I intentionally place the lamp. And when I place
it on a stand, it says that what happens is that
the house receives the light. Now, in that context,
house, the term that's used there is actually
household, the people. It's not the structure
as we think of. It's the people of the house
all receive a benefit from what? From the actions
I have intentionally taken to put this light
on a stand. It actually blesses everybody else.
Everybody benefits from the light that was put
on a stand. He then switches. Jesus then switches
and he says in verse 34, your eye is the lamp
of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your
whole body is also full of light. So now he takes
the comparison of a house and he goes, hey, your
eye, your eye is essentially the lamp, the lamp
providing light to your entire body. If your
eye is healthy, then your whole body is going
to have light. Now that word healthy in the original
is really hard to translate and kind of for us
to grasp. What's connected to it is this, that
the idea of healthy is singular in focus. Okay,
so if your eye is singular in focus, it's directed,
then what's going to happen is your entire body
is going to be healthy. So you can think of it
this way. Double vision, that I see multiple
things, is a divided perspective of what I'm
seeing. And so what he's saying is instead of
having double vision, have singular vision. Another
layer to this word healthy is in Matthew chapter
26. Matthew's capturing the words of Jesus, and
he connects with the same words that are here,
that the idea of generosity, the idea of being
generous to healthy, that the word healthy is
translated generous. You could put it this way,
that when I am singularly focused on this generous
life that I was created for, my entire body will
be healthy. Now, the picture he gives is what?
That when I'm singularly focused and I'm on this
generous life, it's like putting a lamp on a
stand and the whole household benefits. When
my life is singularly focused. on the generous
life that God intended for me when I am living
larger than myself. I'm living for what God calls
me to. I'm building his kingdom, not mine. I'm
focused on Jesus and his mission. I'm focused
on Jesus who lived the most generous life. When
I'm singularly focused on him, what happens is
it's like putting my life on a stand and everyone
else around me benefits because of the generosity
and because of this generous life. But he says,
when you have double vision, When you have divided
attention, you become unhealthy. I don't know
how you are, but true story from last week. I'm
downtown Prescott, and I'm walking with a friend
of mine, and we're walking along, and parked
is this SUV Rolls Royce. And as we're going along,
my friend goes, that's probably the most expensive
car I've ever seen in Prescott. And for me, I
did one of these. I'm going along, right? I'm
focused. We've got a destination. And I start
drooling all over the front of the car. So if
it's your car, sorry for the drool stains. It's
beautiful. You ever feel that way? Like, man,
me and Jesus are good. I'm following Jesus. We're
tight. And then all of a sudden, you're like,
squirrel. Right? That's what he's talking about,
this idea that we set out and we've got the generous
life in front of us and we've got Jesus and he's
our focus. And it's so easy to what? Become divided.
So where now it's like, man, Jesus, I really,
really love you, but it's a Rolls Royce. Jesus,
I really, really love you, but man, this new
job, I know it's not going to allow me to go
to church anymore. I know it's not going to allow
me to build community anymore. I know it's going
to make me really distant from people. I know
it's going to probably hurt my family. But man,
did you see what they're offering? And all of
a sudden, all of a sudden, this life that Jesus
is building, all of a sudden I'm divided and
I end up over here. And so Jesus, as this passage
unpacks, Verse 37, he gets done with the part
we just read. And it says, when Jesus had finished
speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with
him. So he went in and reclined at the table.
If you were here last week, you know that when
you recline at the table with somebody, you're
building relationship, you're building community,
you're building friendship, right? So Jesus is
with this religious person, this Pharisee who
was known for how religious he was. Jesus goes
to have a meal with him. And it says, but the
Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus
did not first wash before the meal. Okay, so
culturally, what would happen within the meal
is you would ritually wash yourself so that you
were clean before eating. So it wasn't about
hygiene. It was about doing the right thing from
a religious perspective, that you had to cleanse
yourself before stepping into that moment and
eating. So Jesus comes along, who is a rabbi,
who is a teacher, who should know the right thing.
And what does Jesus do? He bypasses the washing
station to which the Pharisee who is driven by
doing the right thing, is now upset with Jesus,
is now angry with Jesus, is now frustrated with
Jesus because Jesus isn't doing what he wanted
to do. Maybe, maybe, just maybe, what Jesus is
getting at here is that when you are trying to
live the generous life, be careful that you are
not using religion and calling yourself generous.
Make sure that when you're following Jesus, that
what you are doing in the name of religion isn't
substituting for your generosity that you should
have within your soul. And so he's using religion
so much so that Jesus says this then. Then the
Lord said to him, now then you Pharisees, you
religious people, clean the outside of the cup
and dish, but inside you are full of greed and
wickedness. You foolish people did not the one
who made the outside make the inside also. But
now as for what is inside you, be generous to
the poor and everything will be clean for you.
So here's the Pharisee. And the Pharisee is,
I wash my hands because this is the right thing.
Right. Like I do this next because it is the
right thing. I do this and this and this and
this. And what the Pharisee is doing is amassing
all of his right is amassing for him this power
and this prestige. Right. He's becoming more
and more like built up within the religious system,
so to speak. And Jesus goes, hey, it's not about
what you do on the outside. that I'm interested
in. I'm actually interested on what's on the
inside. Why? Because he's using religion to attempt
to get a life, right? Isn't it interesting that
we can come to church and we feel like we're
doing God a favor? Isn't it interesting that
you can come to church and you feel like, oh,
I did the right thing. And you gain a little
higher status because you meet somebody in your
week and they didn't go to church and you're
like, sinner, I went to church. Oh, you may not
say that. Oh, you went to life group, but that
person hasn't been there for like three weeks.
Oh, you don't know what giving is? Oh, I've been
giving since 1960. Isn't it interesting that
if we're not careful, what we do is the religious
things, the things we do in God's name, can all
of a sudden become a substitute for what's actually
happening on the inside. You know you can give
every single week and not be generous, right?
Your generosity isn't geared by what you do from
a religious standpoint. Your generosity is you
can be here, you can give faithfully every single
week, and you should. As your pastor, you should.
Okay? But you can do that and still miss the
person in need that you pass every single day.
This is where we substitute religion, right?
We put religion in the place, and instead of
it changing the inside, why? Because God is interested
on the inside of you. And what we do when we
get divided with religion, we put all these things
that we should do that a good Christian would
do, which by the way, good Christian doesn't
exist in the Bible. There are only Christians
and there are not Christians, right? Like this
elder is. And you can substitute all these things
that are good and miss that what leads you to
a generous life is I'm actually singularly focused
on the person of Jesus Christ. You can come in
here and you can worship. You can come in here
and you can sing the songs. You can even raise
your hands. It does not mean that your heart
is in love with Jesus. And notice what's happening
here. The context is not financial. The context
here is not financial, even though it uses the
word greed. Guess what the word greed here in
the original English is? It's to take aggressively
by force. So what were the Pharisees taking aggressively
by force? Prestige, status, position. The more
religious they were, the more people looked up
to them, the better they felt. They were essentially
creating a platform for themselves to stand on
so that they were higher than other people. And
in the midst of that, Jesus goes, be careful,
you're full of greed. Oh, you got all these actions
on the outside, but inside? You're aggressively
taking power. You're aggressively taking position,
status for your own gain. That's what greed is,
right? When I take it for my own gain. Notice
what he says the solution is. Verse 41. But now,
as for what is inside you, be generous to the
poor. And we're like, oh, there it is. Give your
money away. Money is not in this passage. He's
talking about a greed that has to do with what?
Position and status and posturing and prestige.
And he says, give it to the poor. Who are poor?
Those that don't have what? Position and status.
What is he saying? Give away what I've given
you. If you have any status in the kingdom of
God, it is because Jesus has given it to you.
So give it away to somebody else. What you've
been given in the person of Jesus, your job is
to create a platform for them. Your job is to
become less, not more. How do you become less?
Because you're giving it all away. You're not
trying to amass. You're not trying to gain. Instead,
what you're doing is you're going, the generous
life is about what I take that I've been given
by God in this context for the Pharisees. It's
whatever power, whatever position, whatever prestige,
whatever posture, whatever you have been given,
give it away. Give it away. Give it away. Give
it away now. Okay. Chapter 12, verse 13. Jesus
gives another example of this divided perspective.
Someone in the crowd said to him, teacher, tell
my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
Jesus replied, man, who appointed me a judge
or an arbiter between you? Then he said to them,
watch out, watch out. Be on your guard against
all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in
an abundance of possessions. Guy comes to Jesus,
and he's like, hey, Jesus, you're a rabbi. That
means you have some power, you have some prestige,
you have some authority. I heard you're kind
of like the Yoda of rabbis, too, like you're
not just a normal rabbi. So, Jesus, here's what
I want you to do. Jesus, I want you to tell my
brother to give me my inheritance. Give me what's
mine. Isn't it fascinating the first people using
religion? This person's using Jesus to get what
he wants. He's coming and going, Jesus, Jesus,
you gotta give me. You gotta do this for me.
Jesus, I'm here asking, I understand. I'm giving
you the honor of being rabbi because I called
you teacher, but what I really want you to do
is I want you to do this over here for me. I'm
not actually interested in you, Jesus. I'm just
interested in the stuff. I don't know how you
feel. I feel like it's pretty easy. It's pretty
easy to miss Jesus for the stuff. You know what
I mean? Oh, Jesus, I just really want this person
to be healed. So Jesus, I came to church. Jesus,
I just really, really, really, really need this
job. And so Jesus, I'm here and I'm worshiping
you. No, you're not. You're worshiping the job.
You're just using him as a means to get what
you want. That's what this guy is doing. Like
using Jesus to get his inheritance. And notice
what Jesus says. Watch out. Watch out. It's proactive,
church. What do I know about your life? That
if you do not stand guard, this idea is the next
word he says is be on your guard, right? Like
if you don't watch out, if you are not proactive,
if you are not in the fight, so to speak, and
you are not on guard like a soldier who stands
at watch waiting for the enemy to show up, that's
the language that Jesus gives here. What are
you supposed to be on guard for? Because it's
coming, right? Like the enemy is coming and you
might as well like prepare for it is what he's
saying. He goes, be on guard. Your guard against
all kinds of greed. I read that and I went, wait
a minute. All kinds of greed? What does that
mean? I thought there was just one kind of greed.
I thought it was just about possessions and wealth,
right? Like I just thought it was about what
I amassed in this life. He says, be on your guard.
Be like a soldier standing watch. What are you
protecting from? All kinds of greed. Let me give
you a couple of quick examples. You got somebody
in your life that when it comes to the dishwasher,
they know how to do the dishwasher? Somebody
got it. By the elbows going, some other people
got it. That's one of those moments like, she's
talking about you. You know what I mean, right?
Like your dish only makes it as far as the kitchen
sink because if you were to load that dishwasher,
you're clearly going to do it wrong. There is
a right way to load the dishwasher and you don't
know it. So what you are allowed to do is get
it as far as the sink and then it'll make it
into the rest. I am happy to tell you. that after
many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many,
many years of marriage, I have been trained apparently
to load the dishwasher. So things are looking
up in my world. Yeah. Small victories, people.
Small marital victories. No, but isn't it interesting
that that's a microcosm of the idea of we love
control. You ever notice that? And when he says
all kinds of greed, guess what a form of greed
is? That you are amassing control. That you continue
to try and gain and gain and gain more control.
I got news for you. You're not in control. He's
in control. Right? So then what happens is some
of you. You are spending your entire life to
try and continue to work to make it to a platform
because when you get to that platform, nobody
can tell you what to do. When you get to that
point, you're your own boss. When you get to
that point, you have power. And we continue to
amass power. The only problem is, guess what?
When you make it to the boss, you're not satisfied.
Why? Because what's happened is you haven't stayed
watch and now you are amassing more and more
and more power. Over people. It's amazing, right?
Think about it with relationships. You ever watch
somebody who is greedy with relationships? And
they just, like, don't talk to them. They're
mine. Really? And then they keep getting another
one. And they're in their little circle, right?
Like, they're just amassing relationships in
their little circle. Where they're kind of the
leader of their little clan. You ever notice
that when you buy something, it's never enough?
You ever notice that? Oh, if I just had, just
had those shoes, I'd never need another pair
of shoes in my life. Until the new ones drop
tomorrow. He says, be on your guard. Why? Against
all kinds of greed. Be on your guard against
all kinds of greed. Why? Life, life, and that
word life is zoe in the original. And zoe has
to do with the quality of life that you were
created for and I was created for. It's the quality
of life that inside of it, you have everything
you will ever need. That you're completely at
peace. and at rest. He says, wait a minute, that
kind of life does not consist. Tell him I said
hi, whoever it is. Does not as consist in an
abundance. Okay, I'm awake because, and I don't
mean to be mean, whoever's phone it was. This
is this important, you guys. This is the whole
point of the whole message. Ready? Life, the
abundant life that Jesus promised, does not consist,
meaning it cannot be found. It can't be found
in an abundance of possessions. We know possessions
is not just the things that are physical. It's
all kinds of greed. And he goes, life, life cannot
be found. So what I wanted to do this weekend
is have a tombstone up here, a gravestone. And
what I wanted to write on it was your name. And
it's harder to do than you would think. That
your life is dead. When? When I am consumed with
amassing more. That word abundance is to have
an excessive. To have more than I need. So anything
in your life that you are trying to amass, that
you're trying to get, when you try to get more,
When you become closed hand with it, it says
that life can't be found there. You'll never
find peace and joy. You'll never find hope. You'll
never find love. Oh, I know you think he or she
is really cute. You will not find. You will not
find by claiming and taking a relationship. You're
not going to find life. It's not there. I know
that vacation you think is going to set everything
right and put you back and you're going to come
back all zen. It's not going to do what you think
it's going to do because it can't be found in
those things. It can only be found in the singular
focus in the person of Jesus who lived the most
generous life that anybody has ever lived. It
can only be found in Jesus, right? And so the
idea is that I have to be on guard. Why? Because
all the culture around me is what? Trying to
pull me to a mass. And I have to go, no, I am
going to be singularly focused on the person
of Jesus. And when I do that, when I do that,
this is the promise. When you do that, you will
find life. There's a whole thing on generations
right now. on how this generation's doing this
and this generation's doing that. Can I just,
I'll just speak for my own. My generation completely
missed it because my generation was all about
experiences. My generation was all about stability.
My generation was all about pushing forward.
And here's the thing, it is empty. And there
are families that are proof that it was empty.
Don't. miss, don't miss the opportunity to have
the abundant life that Jesus promised by just
simply fixing your eyes on him. Because where
he'll lead you, he'll lead you to see others.
He'll lead you to be generous towards others.
He'll, he'll will point you outward away from
yourself. Remember the I, and I'm done with this.
Your life is supposed to be like a lamp. And
what do you do with the lamp? You put it on a
stand. And when it's healthy, when it's singularly
focused, when your life is focused on Jesus,
what happens? It blesses everyone where? Everyone
in the room. Your life is designed to be a blessing.
Do you see Jesus today? I don't know about you.
I've done this three times now this weekend.
And I just feel a strong sense of like, we just
need to confess, you guys. Like, we just need
to. I got it wrong. It was a Rolls Royce or whatever
you fill in the blank with. I got it wrong. It's.
I was possessive of my time. I got it wrong.
I was possessive of relationship. I got whatever
it happens to be, whatever has distracted you.
Today's the day to go. No, no, no. I choose today
to fix my eyes on Jesus. Because I don't know
about you, like my grandson. I don't want him
to live for something less than God intended.
And the generous life is what you were created
for in the person of Jesus. Would you pray with
me? God, we just thank you today. Thank you for
being our superhero today. God, thank you for
being the hero that went to a cross and that
sacrificed your life that we may find life. God,
would you help us to not be... distracted, to
not be divided in our perception. God, would
you show us areas where the life you intended
for us, we're not living it because we are lost
by all the things around us that we're trying
to amass to find life in. And so God, we just...
Take a moment to confess. God, we're sorry for
the times when wealth has a bigger grip on our
heart than it should. We're sorry for the times
where just amassing and collecting in excess
of things. God, we're sorry for the times when
we take power and use it in a way that is more
about us than serving. God, we confess the relationships
that we use for our gain. God, we confess when
we become selfish with our time. We confess the
people that we pass by that are in need that
we don't see. God, we confess when we don't have
our eyes fixed on you. And so God, in these next
moments, would there be a turning as we worship?
Would you turn us? Would you remind us that the
goal of this life is that Christ would be magnified
in us? That our lives can shine light to everyone
around us. Would you set and fix our eyes on
you? The God who has saved us, who has rescued
us, who has died in our place. We just say thank
you. And it's in your name we pray.