WEBVTT 00:00:01.580 --> 00:00:04.419 Few things upset our stomach or throw wrenches 00:00:04.419 --> 00:00:07.639 into our relationship like money issues. Did 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:11.060 you know that 40 % of all divorces occur around 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:13.939 disagreements and pressure that grow out of financial 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.219 problems, overspending, debt, and misplaced priorities? 00:00:17.620 --> 00:00:20.640 So how do we choose peace when you're experiencing 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.640 financial turmoil? Stay with me. That's today. 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:28.699 Thanks for listening to this edition of Living 00:00:28.699 --> 00:00:32.000 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.119 teaching and discipleship ministry that encourages 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:37.560 and equips Christians to live like Christians. 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:39.820 Well, in just a minute, Chip will pick up where 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:42.560 he left off in our series, I Choose Peace, by 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.960 highlighting how an unhealthy obsession with 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.759 money and possessions can actually rob us of 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:50.679 our peace. But before he gets going, let me encourage 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:52.799 you to use his message notes while you listen. 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:55.679 It's a really engaging tool that'll help you 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:57.420 get the most out of what you're about to hear. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.179 Download them under the broadcasts tab at livingontheedge 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:05.819 .org. App listeners tap fill in notes. Well, 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:07.439 if you have a Bible, turn now to Philippians 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:10.620 chapter 4, verse 14, where the second half of 00:01:10.620 --> 00:01:15.000 Chip's message in financial uncertainty. What 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:17.200 would it look like for you to develop a heart 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:21.060 of compassion? Where could you take some of your 00:01:21.060 --> 00:01:26.760 wants and turn them into genuine needs? See, 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:32.079 giving is the proof of our love. You can give 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:34.079 without loving someone. You know, you can pretend. 00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:37.120 But you can never love without giving, can you? 00:01:37.939 --> 00:01:40.540 So the first step of breaking greed is you develop 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:43.560 personal compassion. The second step is to develop 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:46.000 a generous spirit. See, what money does, it not 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.239 only hardens my heart, but it starts making me 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:51.950 protective. And so as I amass and as I get, the 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:53.730 only way I can get more is I get to protect what 00:01:53.730 --> 00:01:56.629 I have. So when people or thoughts or even sermons 00:01:56.629 --> 00:01:58.969 start to mess around with my money, then all 00:01:58.969 --> 00:02:00.689 of a sudden we put the walls up. I'll be back 00:02:00.689 --> 00:02:01.849 next week, but I'm not listening to too much 00:02:01.849 --> 00:02:07.260 more of this. And so the only way, you know, 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:09.379 it's like a muscle. What we need to do is we 00:02:09.379 --> 00:02:11.300 need to get that muscle of our heart not only 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:13.680 tender toward God, but we need to get it flowing. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:15.780 We need to develop a generous spirit. And the 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:17.960 Philippians will teach us here, you develop a 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:20.719 generous spirit by releasing the very thing that 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:24.219 has power to consume you. The very thing that 00:02:24.219 --> 00:02:26.819 has power to consume or choke out God's life 00:02:26.819 --> 00:02:29.319 in you, you need to release. You need to become 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:31.919 generous in your attitude. And so notice what 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:34.900 he says, verse 16. For even when I was in Thessalonica, 00:02:35.060 --> 00:02:38.360 you sent me aid again and again when I was in 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:41.090 need. There was a systematic time. And Paul says, 00:02:41.270 --> 00:02:44.150 you know, the Thessalonican church, I mean, that's 00:02:44.150 --> 00:02:46.590 a pretty ritzy area compared to you Philippians. 00:02:46.729 --> 00:02:49.090 And he said, even though they could have supported 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:50.669 me, but they didn't have the spiritual maturity. 00:02:50.849 --> 00:02:53.969 They just didn't get it. You, out of your need, 00:02:54.189 --> 00:02:57.270 you gave. And the phrase is again and again. 00:02:57.569 --> 00:03:00.669 In other words, they systematically, regularly 00:03:00.669 --> 00:03:07.229 gave to help Paul fulfill what God called him 00:03:07.229 --> 00:03:10.180 to do. And it's going to be interesting what 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:12.719 he tells them happened, not for him, but in them 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.000 because of that. But you develop a generous spirit 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:20.580 by giving or releasing the very thing. Now turn 00:03:20.580 --> 00:03:23.280 to 1 Corinthians 16, 1 and 2, and I could ask 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:25.879 everyone, are you setting aside the first portion 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:27.639 to the Lord because you need to give and to release? 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:31.759 I'm not going to do that. I was thinking, how 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.340 could we get this? I don't know about you. I 00:03:34.340 --> 00:03:36.319 don't need one more ought, one more should, one 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:38.900 more artificial guilt reflex. And by the way, 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:40.979 I've got to tell you, if you're waiting for, 00:03:41.099 --> 00:03:42.919 I bet they're going to talk about a building 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:45.979 campaign later, or the second offering will be 00:03:45.979 --> 00:03:49.099 coming around, right? Just, you know, kind of 00:03:49.099 --> 00:03:51.740 relax. You can take your hand off that wallet 00:03:51.740 --> 00:03:56.259 or purse. There's nothing coming. This is God 00:03:56.259 --> 00:03:58.319 supplying. This is about you and your heart. 00:03:58.340 --> 00:04:01.409 This is not about any needs we have. And so I 00:04:01.409 --> 00:04:02.849 thought and I said, you know, I got home from 00:04:02.849 --> 00:04:05.509 a speaking engagement and for me it was a little 00:04:05.509 --> 00:04:08.569 bit late and so I reviewed on the plane but I 00:04:08.569 --> 00:04:10.889 got to this part and I thought, Lord, I need 00:04:10.889 --> 00:04:13.889 a picture to really help people see the reality 00:04:13.889 --> 00:04:16.389 but see your heart and your grace in a way that 00:04:16.389 --> 00:04:18.769 it would really connect. And I don't have it. 00:04:18.829 --> 00:04:20.550 And so I drove in this morning in the parking 00:04:20.550 --> 00:04:23.189 lot and had about 45 minutes or an hour and, 00:04:23.209 --> 00:04:24.670 you know, I went over my notes one more time 00:04:24.670 --> 00:04:26.009 and I just prayed and I said, God, would you 00:04:26.009 --> 00:04:28.509 give me a picture? Would you show me? how can 00:04:28.509 --> 00:04:30.050 I help people see this? Because I don't know. 00:04:30.670 --> 00:04:32.730 And he's, you know, I sit there quietly and this 00:04:32.730 --> 00:04:34.370 is how God speaks to me and he brings ideas. 00:04:35.129 --> 00:04:37.009 And I said, ask him this question. I said, okay, 00:04:37.110 --> 00:04:38.790 okay. So I'm gonna ask you this question. You 00:04:38.790 --> 00:04:42.649 ready? And by the way, you know, relax. I mean, 00:04:42.670 --> 00:04:44.029 some of you are thinking, you're kind of new 00:04:44.029 --> 00:04:46.009 going, I don't know if I'm gonna raise my hand. 00:04:46.089 --> 00:04:47.889 So you don't have to. But here's just a question. 00:04:48.209 --> 00:04:50.269 How many people, when you go to a restaurant, 00:04:50.490 --> 00:04:54.170 leave a tip? You leave a tip, okay. I mean, you 00:04:54.170 --> 00:04:55.569 just don't say, I'm not leaving, forget it, you 00:04:55.569 --> 00:04:57.250 know. Now, if it was really, really bad, I mean, 00:04:57.830 --> 00:05:00.069 If the service was good or, you know, general, 00:05:00.170 --> 00:05:02.430 you leave a tip. Okay, how many people leave 00:05:02.430 --> 00:05:06.670 5 %? Okay, not too many. How many people used 00:05:06.670 --> 00:05:10.170 to be 10 %? How many people leave 10 %? Not too 00:05:10.170 --> 00:05:12.329 many. Okay, how many people, you go to a restaurant, 00:05:12.410 --> 00:05:15.350 the service is good, leave 15 % as a general 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:17.709 rule or maybe a little more? Go ahead, raise 00:05:17.709 --> 00:05:19.050 your hands if you do. If you don't, it's okay. 00:05:19.470 --> 00:05:21.910 Almost everybody. And here's the question God 00:05:21.910 --> 00:05:27.269 brought to my mind. What has occurred? in American 00:05:27.269 --> 00:05:32.250 culture? What is the deception that has occurred 00:05:32.250 --> 00:05:35.129 where the peer pressure and the sociological 00:05:35.129 --> 00:05:39.769 aspects of why you would never think of leaving 00:05:39.769 --> 00:05:44.769 less than 15 % that you don't have to on a table 00:05:44.769 --> 00:05:52.529 for a waitress or a waiter and yet about 2 .7 00:05:52.529 --> 00:05:59.410 % of American Christians give even 10 % of their 00:05:59.410 --> 00:06:08.110 income to God systematically. Now think this 00:06:08.110 --> 00:06:14.110 through. Think of how powerful our foe is. I'm 00:06:14.110 --> 00:06:16.870 not quite sure, but I don't think my life, my 00:06:16.870 --> 00:06:19.629 breath, I wasn't created by the waiter. They 00:06:19.629 --> 00:06:21.149 didn't create the food, they just served it. 00:06:21.230 --> 00:06:24.769 And yet over here, the creator of the world, 00:06:25.259 --> 00:06:28.500 who sent his son, who died for me, who raised 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:32.079 from the dead, who covered my sin, who implanted 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:35.319 his spirit within me, who has sealed me forever 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:38.819 and ever, deposited spiritual gifts, and has 00:06:38.819 --> 00:06:42.300 commanded me to remember it all belongs to him 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:44.060 who says a beginning point. I mean, this isn't 00:06:44.060 --> 00:06:46.800 it. A beginning point would be a tithe and then 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:50.579 learn proportionally as he blesses. And the average 00:06:50.579 --> 00:06:56.689 American believer about 97 % of them, are disobedient 00:06:56.689 --> 00:06:59.670 to this and yet obedient to that cultural norm. 00:07:00.990 --> 00:07:03.629 If in the illustration where I talked about our 00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:07.750 foe in the scouting report, if you had any sense 00:07:07.750 --> 00:07:11.230 in which this really doesn't apply to you, if 00:07:11.230 --> 00:07:12.990 there was any sense in your heart where you said, 00:07:13.069 --> 00:07:14.829 I'm not really greedy, but I bet there's some 00:07:14.829 --> 00:07:16.370 people that really need to hear this in this 00:07:16.370 --> 00:07:19.430 room, then the only thing I would ask you is, 00:07:19.589 --> 00:07:23.670 today, at this moment, Are you more faithful 00:07:23.670 --> 00:07:27.310 to give 15 % to a waiter or a waitress who serves 00:07:27.310 --> 00:07:30.069 food that they didn't create than you are to 00:07:30.069 --> 00:07:32.290 give a minimum amount of the first portion of, 00:07:32.329 --> 00:07:35.189 say, 10 % or more to the God who created the 00:07:35.189 --> 00:07:38.490 food and you and purchased your salvation? And 00:07:38.490 --> 00:07:40.930 if you look at your own life and say, I'm very 00:07:40.930 --> 00:07:43.569 consistent here, and it's a real hit and miss 00:07:43.569 --> 00:07:47.910 here, can I tell you something? That fellow Goria 00:07:47.910 --> 00:07:54.000 has you by the neck. And the problem is not that 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:56.639 this church or some church or ministry needs 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:59.339 your money. The problem is when I turn to the 00:07:59.339 --> 00:08:03.620 front page, it says that it is a lure. It says 00:08:03.620 --> 00:08:06.959 that it will plunge. It'll say there's destruction. 00:08:07.620 --> 00:08:10.279 It'll say that you're in the process of wandering 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:12.600 from the truth because according to Jesus, wherever 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:17.319 your treasure is, that's where your heart really 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:23.519 is. And the only way to address this is first 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:25.939 to get your heart soft through becoming compassionate, 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:28.939 and the second is by becoming generous. And of 00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:31.500 course it's generosity in this way, but I think 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:33.500 it's down to little things. I think it's a lifestyle. 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:37.899 I just tend to think about me. Sorry, I'm working 00:08:37.899 --> 00:08:39.639 through it, I'm growing, but I think about me. 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:42.750 I was in the airport. You know, I had two hours, 00:08:42.789 --> 00:08:44.029 and I thought, well, I'll study a little bit. 00:08:44.149 --> 00:08:45.409 And I was kind of tired. I spoke about three 00:08:45.409 --> 00:08:47.929 or four times. And I was at this coffee shop, 00:08:48.090 --> 00:08:50.529 and this guy, it can't take this long to make 00:08:50.529 --> 00:08:52.649 a mocha, whoever this lady was in front of me. 00:08:52.710 --> 00:08:55.309 I mean, it's just like on and on. You know, I 00:08:55.309 --> 00:08:56.610 just want a regular coffee. You know, I'm just 00:08:56.610 --> 00:08:58.570 standing there. And, you know, another guy came, 00:08:58.750 --> 00:09:00.450 and he waited and waited, and he got fed up, 00:09:00.470 --> 00:09:02.389 and he just left. And, you know, I'm just thinking. 00:09:02.990 --> 00:09:05.529 You know, and I'm tired, and so my impatience 00:09:05.529 --> 00:09:07.649 and my focus on me is rising, and my lack of 00:09:07.649 --> 00:09:09.769 generosity, patience, and understanding is diminishing. 00:09:09.929 --> 00:09:12.190 And I'm thinking, buddy, buddy, buddy. And, you 00:09:12.190 --> 00:09:13.830 know, I'm thinking it's not like where I'd normally 00:09:13.830 --> 00:09:15.549 order coffee, so it's not going to be quite as 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:18.269 good. So I finally get a cup, and then I go over, 00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:19.669 and you know sometimes how they have the cream 00:09:19.669 --> 00:09:22.029 real loose? So I just want to put a little in. 00:09:22.090 --> 00:09:24.309 It goes, you know, ah, brother. Now it's not 00:09:24.309 --> 00:09:26.470 very strong, and it looks like white milk, and 00:09:26.470 --> 00:09:29.570 I take a sip, and I go, ah. You know, so I'm 00:09:29.570 --> 00:09:31.669 thinking to myself, you know, I pour a little 00:09:31.669 --> 00:09:33.230 out, but I'm thinking I can't pour too much out. 00:09:33.289 --> 00:09:34.809 He may not fill it back up because I don't know 00:09:34.809 --> 00:09:36.950 him like I know the guy at the corner. So I go 00:09:36.950 --> 00:09:39.509 over and I say, hey, this is the phrase. I said, 00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:41.889 you think I could get a little grace? He said, 00:09:41.929 --> 00:09:44.970 what do you mean? I said, buddy, I put too much 00:09:44.970 --> 00:09:49.269 cream in. If I like just dump some out, could 00:09:49.269 --> 00:09:51.049 you pour some more coffee in so it would turn 00:09:51.049 --> 00:09:54.659 the right color? And he said. Yeah, I'll do that 00:09:54.659 --> 00:09:56.879 for you. And so he goes over and he pours in 00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:00.720 and gets the right color. And as I got it, I 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:04.179 just thought to myself, you know something? Attitude 00:10:04.179 --> 00:10:06.220 change. So I reached in my pocket and I said, 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:08.860 hey, here's a buck. I just want to tell you, 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:11.700 it's so great to be people with people that have 00:10:11.700 --> 00:10:15.279 such a good attitude. And he went from this stoic 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.059 pressure, everyone doing that, and from beam 00:10:18.059 --> 00:10:21.600 to beam, he grinned. He goes, thanks, man. I 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.840 said, no, thanks. I really appreciate that. Two 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:29.360 things. For a dollar's worth of generosity, for 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:32.500 a dollar's worth of generosity, this guy's attitude 00:10:32.500 --> 00:10:35.100 changed, and I got a cup of coffee, and instead 00:10:35.100 --> 00:10:37.740 of my critical spirit, it was transformed to, 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:39.700 well, you know, I feel pretty good about getting 00:10:39.700 --> 00:10:42.600 to bless that guy. Do you understand when we're 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.019 speaking of greed and generosity, it's not just 00:10:45.019 --> 00:10:47.179 about money, and it's not this little compartment 00:10:47.179 --> 00:10:49.659 called the church and what you give or not giving. 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:52.360 It is about a complete mindset about how you 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.940 live. And if you want contentment, you're going 00:10:55.940 --> 00:10:57.980 to have to beat greed. And the only way you beat 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:00.139 greed is you've got to develop personal compassion. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:02.559 You've got to care about people. And then you 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:04.600 have to develop a generous spirit. And then third, 00:11:04.779 --> 00:11:07.120 you've got to develop an eternal perspective. 00:11:07.460 --> 00:11:09.620 You've got to begin to live in such a way as 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:11.379 though you actually believe there's a heaven 00:11:11.379 --> 00:11:13.480 and there's a hell and there's certain good things 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:15.440 that happen in heaven to people who live in a 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:17.940 certain way and that it's really wise to live 00:11:17.940 --> 00:11:20.139 life God's way. That's exactly what Paul's going 00:11:20.139 --> 00:11:23.460 to say. Follow along now in step three. He says, 00:11:23.500 --> 00:11:26.299 develop an eternal perspective. How? By understanding 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:30.220 the inseparable relationship between our money 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:33.840 and authentic worship. Now, this is all throughout 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:35.059 the scripture, but here's what you got to get. 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:39.860 Your money is here. Worship is here. We tend 00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:42.740 to have money in this category and worship in 00:11:42.740 --> 00:11:47.919 this category. And God says that you can never 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:51.179 separate them. Every financial decision you make 00:11:51.179 --> 00:11:53.559 ends up being a worship decision of some kind. 00:11:54.139 --> 00:11:57.080 And I've got to tell you, as pastors, I need 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:00.659 to apologize to you on behalf of all my other 00:12:00.659 --> 00:12:02.440 pastors, and I probably spent the first 10 or 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:06.860 12 years failing churches as well. Pastors don't 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:09.399 talk about money. Jesus talked more about money 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:11.730 than heaven and hell combined. Pastors don't 00:12:11.730 --> 00:12:13.690 talk about money, and so the average believer 00:12:13.690 --> 00:12:16.370 doesn't know the relationship between money and 00:12:16.370 --> 00:12:18.590 worship. All they've heard is now and then, we 00:12:18.590 --> 00:12:21.409 need some, and we'd like to visit your house 00:12:21.409 --> 00:12:23.610 and find out how much you can give us. And so 00:12:23.610 --> 00:12:27.830 money has been a bad word in the church. Money 00:12:27.830 --> 00:12:31.149 is about worship. There's a link between the 00:12:31.149 --> 00:12:33.330 two. And once you see that, I mean, those are 00:12:33.330 --> 00:12:36.139 from the words of Jesus. And we've done a terrible, 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:38.919 terrible job. The only time you hear money in 00:12:38.919 --> 00:12:40.440 church is about what you ought to give and some 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:43.480 big need instead of this is what it means. Here's 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:45.879 how to be grateful. Here's how to use it. Here's 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:47.580 how to align your family. Here's how to protect 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:49.580 your marriage. Here's how to use money as a tool 00:12:49.580 --> 00:12:53.240 to develop your kids. But how does this happen? 00:12:53.500 --> 00:12:55.659 Watch in this passage. This is an amazing thing. 00:12:55.860 --> 00:12:59.600 The Apostle Paul is going to talk through and 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:01.779 he's going to use financial and business terms 00:13:01.779 --> 00:13:04.960 to describe the gift that he gave them. And then 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:07.179 watch how he'll put a twist on it at the end. 00:13:07.299 --> 00:13:09.559 And he'll say business, business, business, business, 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:12.679 money, money, money. And then it's like worship, 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:17.919 God, spiritual terms. Notice what he says. He 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:19.659 says, okay, I can do all things through Christ. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:21.980 It was good of you. I appreciate it. I mean, 00:13:21.980 --> 00:13:23.960 even when I was in Thessalonica in that kind 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:26.940 of wealthy place, you gave systematically. But 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:29.379 I want you to know my motives. Not that I'm looking 00:13:29.379 --> 00:13:33.100 for the gift. This thank you note is not like, 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:34.539 you know, the thing that you tear off on the 00:13:34.539 --> 00:13:37.559 bottom and so you can give your next gift. Not 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:39.419 that I'm looking for the gift. I'm looking for 00:13:39.419 --> 00:13:41.700 what may be credited to your account. The phrase 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:44.019 credited to your account is an accounting term 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:46.720 of debit and credits. He's saying I'm looking 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:51.840 for what. of the spiritual P &L statement in 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:55.419 heaven so that debits, credits, I want you to 00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:57.399 know that this gift isn't about the gift that 00:13:57.399 --> 00:14:00.679 I got. I'm happy because in heaven, it's getting 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.440 accredited to your account. Notice what he says. 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:06.000 I have received full payment. The phrase means 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.700 literally, it's like I've got the receipt in 00:14:07.700 --> 00:14:10.320 my hand. I've received in full payment, and even 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.919 more, I'm amply supplied. In other words, you 00:14:12.919 --> 00:14:16.100 know, Epaphroditus, when he gave, I got plenty 00:14:16.100 --> 00:14:18.450 of money. That's not the issue. Now that I received 00:14:18.450 --> 00:14:20.250 it from Epaphroditus, the gifts you send me, 00:14:20.330 --> 00:14:23.450 they are, now notice the shift. What happened 00:14:23.450 --> 00:14:26.090 to the financial gift? How does he describe the 00:14:26.090 --> 00:14:30.230 financial gift? They are, underline, fragrant 00:14:30.230 --> 00:14:34.110 offering. Underline, an acceptable sacrifice. 00:14:35.110 --> 00:14:42.110 Underline, pleasing to God. You gave, the gift 00:14:42.110 --> 00:14:44.870 is accredited spiritually to your account. And 00:14:44.870 --> 00:14:47.450 the literal phrase, when you did that, it was 00:14:47.450 --> 00:14:50.669 like a burnt offering, a fragrant, a sweet smell 00:14:50.669 --> 00:14:53.669 that went up into the nostrils of God. He looked 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:57.970 at it not as money, but as a sacrifice unto him, 00:14:58.090 --> 00:15:00.909 and it brought joy or pleasure to his heart. 00:15:02.379 --> 00:15:05.120 You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:08.000 Ingram. And before we return you to today's message, 00:15:08.179 --> 00:15:10.559 are you tired of feeling anxious about what's 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:12.960 happening in our world or your personal circumstances? 00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:15.940 Stick around after the teaching to learn about 00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:18.440 a powerful resource we have that will encourage 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:21.360 your soul and help you experience real lasting 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:24.440 peace. You won't want to miss it. But for now, 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:28.299 here's Chip to continue his talk. You see, the 00:15:28.299 --> 00:15:31.000 Apostle Paul is teaching them and teaching us. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:34.100 That an eternal perspective requires that you 00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:36.159 got to see this relationship between your finances 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:39.919 and your money. And that when we give, it's an 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:42.480 act of worship. And what we do with our money 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:46.200 is an act of worship. And God wants you to know 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:49.360 that every financial decision you make becomes 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:54.940 a spiritual decision. That sacrifices the heart. 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:56.519 Don't you remember David and the threshing floor? 00:15:56.659 --> 00:15:58.730 Do you remember that? Remember that time where 00:15:58.730 --> 00:16:00.450 he had sinned and he realized, hey, I've really 00:16:00.450 --> 00:16:02.409 blown it. And he learned this is what I need 00:16:02.409 --> 00:16:04.230 to do. And he was at the place, the guy's name 00:16:04.230 --> 00:16:07.090 was Arunah. And God says, offer an offering. 00:16:07.289 --> 00:16:09.269 And so Arunah goes, hey, man, you're the king. 00:16:09.350 --> 00:16:11.230 You can take my oxen and I've got some wood and 00:16:11.230 --> 00:16:12.649 I'll pay for the whole deal. And remember what 00:16:12.649 --> 00:16:16.769 David said? Far be it from me that I would offer 00:16:16.769 --> 00:16:20.529 a sacrifice unto the Lord that cost me nothing. 00:16:22.409 --> 00:16:26.419 See, the Bible says that when I give, my time, 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:29.960 my energy, my talent, that there's a spiritual 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:33.080 transaction occurs that accredits to me in heaven. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.139 And I gotta believe, I've gotta come to believe 00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:39.320 that accumulating and getting and impressing 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.399 and having now is not the end of the line. As 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:46.100 long as I believe that lie, I will never, ever 00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:49.840 become a generous person. And therefore, I will 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:53.110 never, ever beat. and therefore I'll never be 00:16:53.110 --> 00:16:56.529 content. The horizon will just keep moving. Well, 00:16:56.590 --> 00:16:59.169 a scouting report has two things, right? Scouting 00:16:59.169 --> 00:17:01.350 report tells you about the other team or the 00:17:01.350 --> 00:17:03.769 foe, their strengths, their weaknesses, but what 00:17:03.769 --> 00:17:06.789 does a good scouting report do? It gives you 00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:09.029 recommendations. Hey, they run this kind of defense, 00:17:09.150 --> 00:17:10.890 you need to run this kind of offense. Or, hey, 00:17:11.009 --> 00:17:12.890 I tell you what, that girl, she dropped the last 00:17:12.890 --> 00:17:14.490 seven guys and this is the way you did it. You 00:17:14.490 --> 00:17:17.880 say, hey, I'm not gonna ask her out. And so Paul 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:20.059 is now gonna give some scouting recommendations. 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:24.059 He's going to give four specific commands about 00:17:24.059 --> 00:17:26.779 how you can now, okay, you know how formidable 00:17:26.779 --> 00:17:29.940 the foe is. Out of the same chapter, he's gonna 00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:33.119 give four specific commands to start you on a 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.640 journey so that you could beat the greed monster. 00:17:35.859 --> 00:17:37.539 And I think this is gonna be a lifelong process 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:40.740 for you and for me. And by the way, if you're 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:44.940 sitting here thinking, if giving is the antidote 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:49.019 to greed, And if this is gonna release my heart, 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:52.160 I gotta have eternal perspective. And if your 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:55.079 heart's kinda sinking and you're going, man, 00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:57.619 if this guy even had any idea how much debt I've 00:17:57.619 --> 00:18:00.819 got in credit cards alone, plus I got a car on 00:18:00.819 --> 00:18:06.759 time, ah! You could show pictures of kids with 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:08.880 their bellies out to here till Jesus comes. I 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:12.579 can't give. Am I destined forever and ever to 00:18:12.579 --> 00:18:15.380 be out of God's will? I mean, I think the hook 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:17.480 is not in my mouth. I think it's somewhere down 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:19.920 into my internal intestines, you know, and it's 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:23.480 got me. So how do I get out of this? You get 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:25.960 out of it through a process that begins today. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:29.140 And by the way, you know what? I didn't grow 00:18:29.140 --> 00:18:31.660 up in the church. I'm a skeptic, and I ran into 00:18:31.660 --> 00:18:33.759 all kind of like what I call religious jerks, 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:35.519 and you may have had that, and you're sitting 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:37.220 here thinking, yeah, right, I think this guy's 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:41.509 conning me. Give it to World Vision. But, I mean, 00:18:41.529 --> 00:18:43.849 start being generous. But if you think our motives 00:18:43.849 --> 00:18:46.410 are wrong, it's okay. Just give it somewhere. 00:18:49.490 --> 00:18:51.549 Here's the four commands. They're very clean, 00:18:51.710 --> 00:18:55.299 very clear, very quick. Command number one. command 00:18:55.299 --> 00:18:56.960 those who are rich in this present world, that's 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.500 us, not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth, 00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:02.140 which is so in certainty is to protect you, but 00:19:02.140 --> 00:19:05.220 to put their hope in God who richly provides 00:19:05.220 --> 00:19:08.359 us with everything to enjoy. Yes, we're to be 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:10.660 sacrificial, but we're to enjoy what he's given 00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:12.759 us. You can't enjoy it if you're always worried 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:15.700 about the payments and error. So he says, first 00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:19.279 of all, it's a focus. Put your hope on God for 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:22.039 contentment and fulfillment, not on stuff. Second, 00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:26.319 Verse 18, command them to do good is the second 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:29.240 command, to be rich in good deeds, third command, 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:32.440 and to be generous and willing to share. So he 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:35.359 says, look, you need to get your focus on God. 00:19:35.619 --> 00:19:39.279 Then you need to have a lifestyle of doing good 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:42.500 instead of getting. And then you need good deeds, 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:45.160 give away your time. And then he says, be willing 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:47.119 to share, give away your money and your possessions. 00:19:47.859 --> 00:19:51.099 So it's very general command, not hope on stuff. 00:19:51.690 --> 00:19:55.250 Hope on God. Do good. Be a giver instead of a 00:19:55.250 --> 00:19:58.549 getter. Then begin to share your time, good deeds, 00:19:58.750 --> 00:20:01.390 and then begin to share your stuff. Be willing 00:20:01.390 --> 00:20:04.029 to share. And then what I love is that he says, 00:20:04.109 --> 00:20:05.549 if you do this, you're going to win the game. 00:20:05.769 --> 00:20:07.410 You'll beat the competitor. Look at the very 00:20:07.410 --> 00:20:11.029 last line. In this way, they will lay up treasure. 00:20:11.250 --> 00:20:14.410 Will you circle the phrase for themselves? We 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:16.250 get this idea that, oh, you know, we're just 00:20:16.250 --> 00:20:19.259 doing this for some day, some way, somehow. God 00:20:19.259 --> 00:20:22.940 wants us to learn to be generous because in eternity, 00:20:23.099 --> 00:20:25.500 he says, there's a forever and ever and ever 00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:27.640 and ever and ever and you can increase the quality 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:30.480 of that experience. He says, in this way, they'll 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.400 lay up for themselves treasure as a firm foundation 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:36.599 for the coming age so that in this present life, 00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:39.400 here it is, they may take hold of the life that 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:43.910 is truly life. What does life that's truly life 00:20:43.910 --> 00:20:47.170 kind of sound like? Does that sound like a life 00:20:47.170 --> 00:20:50.869 where relationships work? A life where you have 00:20:50.869 --> 00:20:52.990 it and God can tap you on the shoulder and you 00:20:52.990 --> 00:20:55.750 can give it or keep it? You have it and instead 00:20:55.750 --> 00:20:57.730 of telling everyone how you got it on sale and 00:20:57.730 --> 00:20:59.769 feeling guilty about it, you can say, thank you, 00:20:59.809 --> 00:21:01.650 thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I 00:21:01.650 --> 00:21:03.349 can't believe I get to live in a house like this. 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:05.829 You've let me be generous. I don't have debt. 00:21:05.950 --> 00:21:09.329 I've done this. Lord, who am I that you'd be 00:21:09.329 --> 00:21:16.730 so good to me? Life that is really life. A life 00:21:16.730 --> 00:21:19.569 without creditors calling. A life not believing 00:21:19.569 --> 00:21:21.869 the next thing or the biggest thing or the next 00:21:21.869 --> 00:21:26.089 style will fulfill. But a life that knows in 00:21:26.089 --> 00:21:30.029 plenty or in want, I can do all things through 00:21:30.029 --> 00:21:33.190 Christ. I'd like you to ask the Lord a question 00:21:33.190 --> 00:21:35.410 as we close. And the question I want you to ask 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:44.480 him is this. Father, will you show me The extent 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:48.279 to which greed has infiltrated my heart and my 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:54.640 life. And just sit quietly. Ask him to help you 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.400 be honest. The goal here is to help you. And 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:00.319 then as you think about that, as you listen to 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.819 his voice, and then ask him, Lord, will you show 00:22:05.819 --> 00:22:08.930 me just the first step? Don't try and solve all 00:22:08.930 --> 00:22:11.190 your problems and all your debt and all. Just 00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:14.970 say, Lord, will you show me the first step to 00:22:14.970 --> 00:22:17.089 move toward developing a heart of compassion, 00:22:17.390 --> 00:22:22.170 a generous spirit, an eternal perspective? He 00:22:22.170 --> 00:22:28.470 will speak. Just ask him. You're listening to 00:22:28.470 --> 00:22:31.369 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And the 00:22:31.369 --> 00:22:33.990 message you just heard in financial uncertainty 00:22:33.990 --> 00:22:37.789 is from our series, I Choose Peace. Chip will 00:22:37.789 --> 00:22:40.089 join us in studio to share some insights from 00:22:40.089 --> 00:22:42.910 today's talk in just a minute. What's weighing 00:22:42.910 --> 00:22:45.309 on your mind right now? Financial uncertainty? 00:22:45.670 --> 00:22:48.470 A tense relationship? Or is it just the grind 00:22:48.470 --> 00:22:51.359 of everyday life? Whatever it is that's robbing 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:53.799 you of your peace, let me tell you, there's an 00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:56.920 antidote. View this practical study in Philippians 00:22:56.920 --> 00:22:59.819 chapter 4. Chip will teach us how to access the 00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:03.019 peace of God, which can restore, calm, and encourage 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:05.660 your soul, no matter what may be happening around 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:07.799 you. You're not going to want to miss a single 00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:10.640 program of this series. Well, Chip's back in 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:13.240 studio with me now, and Chip, in a world often 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:16.960 defined by turmoil and anxiety, where can we 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:20.539 go for genuine peace? Well, Dave, the world teaches 00:23:20.539 --> 00:23:23.460 that peace is your circumstances working out, 00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:27.140 being financially secure or having conflict -free 00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:29.359 relationships. But the fact of the matter is, 00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:31.960 is there's chaos everywhere. It's in relationships, 00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:35.259 it's in finances, it's in racial issues. Jesus, 00:23:35.339 --> 00:23:38.400 before he left, told his disciples that he was 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:41.599 going to give them a gift. He said, my peace, 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.200 my shalom, I give to you. And this is a peace 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:47.980 that's more than an emotion or a feeling. This 00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:51.779 is a peace for purpose, for wholeness, for calmness. 00:23:51.940 --> 00:23:54.400 It's the peace of God in the midst of everything. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.500 And because this is an important issue, I wrote 00:23:57.500 --> 00:24:00.160 a book where I walk people through the journey 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.119 of when they become a Christian and the Holy 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:06.180 Spirit lives within them, how they can experience 00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:09.309 God's peace. How do you have peace in a financial 00:24:09.309 --> 00:24:12.329 crisis? How do you have peace when there is conflict 00:24:12.329 --> 00:24:14.950 in relationships? How do you have peace when 00:24:14.950 --> 00:24:17.750 crises and wars and economic issues that you 00:24:17.750 --> 00:24:20.910 can't control? It's possible. In fact, Jesus 00:24:20.910 --> 00:24:24.490 promised it. But my experience is a lot of people 00:24:24.490 --> 00:24:29.329 don't know how to access the shalom of God that 00:24:29.329 --> 00:24:33.000 Jesus promised. This book. is my very best effort 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:35.799 to help regular, ordinary people in the midst 00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:38.859 of the chaos and the conflict of life to really 00:24:38.859 --> 00:24:41.720 experience peace. Well, to get your copy of Chip's 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:45.259 book, I Choose Peace, visit livingontheedge .org 00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:50.960 or call us at 888 -333 -6003. Learn how to quiet 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:53.500 the worries of your heart and the anxieties of 00:24:53.500 --> 00:24:56.099 this world and experience genuine peace that 00:24:56.099 --> 00:24:59.859 only Jesus offers. Again, go to livingontheedge 00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:05.960 .org or call 888 -333 -6003 for complete details 00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:09.339 about this book, I Choose Peace. App listeners 00:25:09.339 --> 00:25:12.700 tap special offers. With that, Chip, let's get 00:25:12.700 --> 00:25:15.839 to that application we promised. As we close 00:25:15.839 --> 00:25:19.039 today, I want to be gentle, but here's the deal. 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:23.599 We all struggle with greed, okay? It's the human 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:26.740 condition. So resist the temptation that I'm 00:25:26.740 --> 00:25:28.920 talking to someone else, all right? It's just 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:31.220 you and me right now, and I'm talking to you. 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:34.980 So let's take a deep breath and say, okay, God, 00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:39.339 would you please show me, show me personally 00:25:39.339 --> 00:25:42.839 where greed still has a hold in my life? Would 00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:46.220 you show me where my fingers need to let go and 00:25:46.220 --> 00:25:49.769 my heart needs to get soft? God, will you show 00:25:49.769 --> 00:25:52.309 me, would you give me, would you grant me the 00:25:52.309 --> 00:25:55.650 courage to trust you? You know, we learn two 00:25:55.650 --> 00:25:59.109 specific steps that God has given us in this 00:25:59.109 --> 00:26:02.029 passage that allow us to say no to greed and 00:26:02.029 --> 00:26:04.730 create a generous spirit and a compassionate 00:26:04.730 --> 00:26:09.089 heart. Step number one is compassion is cultivated 00:26:09.089 --> 00:26:12.569 when we put others' needs ahead of our wants. 00:26:12.970 --> 00:26:15.930 What would it look like for you to do that today? 00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:20.119 And second, we really hit today is a generous 00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:24.319 spirit grows when we give away the very thing 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:28.579 that can absolutely strangle our soul. I don't 00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:30.960 know how to say this to you, but unless you start 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:34.099 giving your money away, let me encourage you 00:26:34.099 --> 00:26:36.900 to do something regular and some percentage, 00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:40.789 but give first to your local church. You need 00:26:40.789 --> 00:26:44.170 to begin to be that person that releases your 00:26:44.170 --> 00:26:47.789 money because you recognize it's not yours, it's 00:26:47.789 --> 00:26:50.829 God's. And as you begin to release your money, 00:26:50.890 --> 00:26:54.009 I will tell you, your heart will get softer and 00:26:54.009 --> 00:26:57.410 softer, your joy will be greater, and it will 00:26:57.410 --> 00:27:00.750 force you. It will literally force you to get 00:27:00.750 --> 00:27:03.569 priorities in line that will bless you for the 00:27:03.569 --> 00:27:06.640 rest of your life. Can I encourage you just from 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:09.220 my pastor's heart, there isn't a demand, there 00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:11.839 isn't a get with the program. This is for your 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:16.279 good. Release your finances to the Lord. Be compassionate 00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:19.759 and you will find a God who will provide for 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:22.680 every need. As we wrap up, I want to thank those 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:24.859 of you who make this program possible through 00:27:24.859 --> 00:27:27.700 your generous financial support. Your gifts help 00:27:27.700 --> 00:27:30.619 us create programs, purchase airtime, and develop 00:27:30.619 --> 00:27:33.220 additional resources to help Christians live 00:27:33.220 --> 00:27:35.559 like Christians. Now, if you've been blessed 00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:37.700 by the ministry of Living on the Edge, would 00:27:37.700 --> 00:27:40.200 you consider sending a gift today? You can do 00:27:40.200 --> 00:27:44.259 that by visiting livingontheedge .org or by calling 00:27:44.259 --> 00:27:51.779 888 -333 -6003. Again, that's 888 -333 -6003 00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:56.619 or visit livingontheedge .org. App listeners, 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:58.980 tap Donate. And we want you to know how much 00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:01.769 we appreciate your support. For Chip and the 00:28:01.769 --> 00:28:03.950 entire team here, this is Dave Drewy thanking 00:28:03.950 --> 00:28:06.309 you for listening to this edition of Living on 00:28:06.309 --> 00:28:08.789 the Edge, and I hope you'll join us again next 00:28:08.789 --> 00:28:09.049 time.