WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:03.919 What does it really mean when the Bible says, 00:00:04.120 --> 00:00:07.980 my God will supply all your needs according to 00:00:07.980 --> 00:00:11.000 his riches and glory in Christ Jesus? Who is 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:13.859 that promise for? And how can you know whether 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:17.019 he'll really do that for you? That's today. Stay 00:00:17.019 --> 00:00:23.600 with me. Thanks for listening to this edition 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:26.899 of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are 00:00:26.899 --> 00:00:29.420 an international teaching and discipleship ministry 00:00:29.420 --> 00:00:32.299 that motivates Christians to live like Christians. 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:34.920 In this program, Chip will finish up our study 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:36.880 through the book of Philippians as he wraps up 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:40.399 our series, I Choose Peace. Today, he's highlighting 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:43.280 a unique promise God has made to you and me that 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.560 can forever change our spiritual walks. So if 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.600 you're ready to learn more about that, grab your 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.060 Bible and go again to Philippians chapter four 00:00:51.060 --> 00:00:53.740 for the insightful conclusion to Chip's message 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:57.850 in Tests of Faith. Let's look at the process. 00:00:58.210 --> 00:01:01.149 The principle restated, when you have a need, 00:01:01.369 --> 00:01:06.150 plant a seed. When you have a need, plant a seed. 00:01:07.650 --> 00:01:10.109 That's this picture. Notice what he says in verse 00:01:10.109 --> 00:01:12.709 seven of 2 Corinthians chapter nine. Remember 00:01:12.709 --> 00:01:17.450 this, whoever sows sparingly. will also reap 00:01:17.450 --> 00:01:20.489 sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also 00:01:20.489 --> 00:01:22.750 reap generously. In other words, to a farmer, 00:01:22.810 --> 00:01:25.209 if you plant like 15 seeds of wheat, you're gonna 00:01:25.209 --> 00:01:28.310 get a little bit of wheat. If you plant 15 ,000 00:01:28.310 --> 00:01:30.310 seeds of wheat, you're gonna get what? A lot 00:01:30.310 --> 00:01:33.090 of wheat. If you want a lot, plant a lot. It's 00:01:33.090 --> 00:01:35.790 not rocket science. But he's gonna make this 00:01:35.790 --> 00:01:39.769 a spiritual principle. If you have a need, plant 00:01:39.769 --> 00:01:42.109 a seed. And by the way, could I encourage you 00:01:42.109 --> 00:01:45.269 that please move this beyond financial implications. 00:01:46.479 --> 00:01:50.680 Anybody ever have a need for a friend? You know 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:53.700 what we normally do? Whine, grumble, complain, 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:57.920 have a little pity party. Tell the one person 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.519 3 ,000 miles away, I don't have any friends. 00:02:01.340 --> 00:02:04.000 I go to church and they seem so friendly. They 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.959 have these little name tags. No one said hi in 00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:12.099 my name yet. What would happen if instead of... 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:14.939 The law of the world, get a friend, get a friend, 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:17.500 get a friend. You walked in here for five weeks 00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:19.080 in a row and said, who could I be a friend to? 00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:21.759 What's your name? How are you doing? Are you 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:25.379 new? What would happen if I need more time, if 00:02:25.379 --> 00:02:28.300 I gave time? You know, this sounds crazy, but 00:02:28.300 --> 00:02:31.020 when I get totally, totally overwhelmed, I've 00:02:31.020 --> 00:02:33.560 decided this is true, I'm going to live this 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:35.860 way. Often when I have a to -do list this long, 00:02:36.590 --> 00:02:39.490 I just set my alarm or I ask the Lord in my case 00:02:39.490 --> 00:02:41.770 to wake me up an extra half hour, hour early, 00:02:41.909 --> 00:02:44.889 and I give God an extra half hour or an hour. 00:02:45.370 --> 00:02:48.629 And you know what he does? He multiplies the 00:02:48.629 --> 00:02:51.590 fruit of the other 23. I cannot tell you how 00:02:51.590 --> 00:02:54.189 many times. You need time? Give some time away. 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:56.689 You need a friend? Give some friendship away. 00:02:57.270 --> 00:03:01.789 Whatever you need, plant a seed. You need love? 00:03:02.460 --> 00:03:04.659 Give some love away. You need more affection? 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:07.000 Be more affectionate with those in your family 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:08.539 and more affectionate with those you care about. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:15.780 I came across a little parable that sort of points 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:18.060 this out. Let me read it to you. It says, once 00:03:18.060 --> 00:03:19.979 there was a man lost in the desert near death 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:22.939 from thirst. He wandered almost aimlessly through 00:03:22.939 --> 00:03:24.759 the burning sand for many days, growing weaker 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:27.580 by the moment. At long last, he saw an oasis 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:29.780 in the distance, palm trees indicating that there 00:03:29.780 --> 00:03:32.659 was water. He stumbled forward feverishly, fell 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:34.979 beneath the shade of the trees that he finally 00:03:34.979 --> 00:03:38.020 might quench his tortured thirst. But then he 00:03:38.020 --> 00:03:40.659 noticed something strange about this oasis. Instead 00:03:40.659 --> 00:03:43.199 of a pool of water or a spring bubbling up from 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:45.639 the ground, he found a pump. And besides the 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:50.330 pump was two objects, a small jar of water. and 00:03:50.330 --> 00:03:52.990 a parchment note. The note explained that the 00:03:52.990 --> 00:03:55.169 leather gasket within the pump must be saturated 00:03:55.169 --> 00:03:58.030 with water for the pump to work. Within the jar 00:03:58.030 --> 00:04:01.210 was just enough water for this purpose. The note 00:04:01.210 --> 00:04:03.849 also warned that the reader should not drink 00:04:03.849 --> 00:04:06.490 from the jar. Every single drop must be poured 00:04:06.490 --> 00:04:09.310 into the opening at the base of the pump to soak 00:04:09.310 --> 00:04:12.110 the heat -dried gasket. Then, as the leather 00:04:12.110 --> 00:04:15.270 softens and expands, an unlimited supply of sweet 00:04:15.270 --> 00:04:17.759 water would be available. The parchment's final 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:21.420 instructions were to refill the jar and the container 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:24.579 for the next traveler. The man faced a dilemma. 00:04:24.980 --> 00:04:27.560 He was dying of thirst and he'd found water. 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:30.980 Not much, of course, and likely not enough even 00:04:30.980 --> 00:04:33.899 to save his life. But it seemed the height of 00:04:33.899 --> 00:04:36.800 folly to pour it away down the base of the pump. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:40.519 On the other hand, if the note was accurate by 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:43.660 pouring out the small quantity of water, he would 00:04:43.660 --> 00:04:55.009 then have all the water. What should he do? Let's 00:04:55.009 --> 00:04:59.529 personalize it. Put your mind's eye, you there. 00:04:59.750 --> 00:05:06.149 What would you do? It all boils down to one simple 00:05:06.149 --> 00:05:11.350 thing, doesn't it? If the note is true, you're 00:05:11.350 --> 00:05:14.870 an idiot not to do it. If the note is false, 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:19.339 Probably gonna die anyway. If the note is true, 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:23.259 the smartest, wisest, shrewdest thing you could 00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:26.060 ever do is take that which you could consume 00:05:26.060 --> 00:05:29.860 immediately and pour it down in order that by 00:05:29.860 --> 00:05:32.879 giving, you would receive good measure, pressed 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.500 down, shaken together, running over unlimited 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:38.199 supply. That's really what Philippians 4 .19 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:41.680 is teaching. And by the time we get to the end 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:43.779 of this message, you are gonna find yourself 00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:47.500 in a dilemma. I always like to warn people. And 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:49.139 when you bring people to a crossroads and say 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:50.399 you're gonna go right, you're gonna go left, 00:05:50.459 --> 00:05:51.939 you're gonna come to a point where you're gonna 00:05:51.939 --> 00:05:56.699 have to decide, is this true or not? Do I believe 00:05:56.699 --> 00:06:02.259 it or not? What I can tell you is, many, many, 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:04.439 many of you will make a decision to go down a 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:07.079 path you've never gone. Many of you will take 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:09.699 a step that you've never taken before. And when 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:11.800 you take that step, you will start experiencing 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:14.389 the kind of stories that I talked about. And 00:06:14.389 --> 00:06:16.529 you will have your own quarterback of $1 ,000 00:06:16.529 --> 00:06:20.230 or an unexpected tax return or God opening a 00:06:20.230 --> 00:06:23.269 door or a promotion or he will do things that 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:25.209 you thought only happened to other people because 00:06:25.209 --> 00:06:29.910 guess what? You will set yourself up so that 00:06:29.910 --> 00:06:32.269 Philippians 4 .19 is a promise that applies to 00:06:32.269 --> 00:06:35.310 you. It does not apply to the average Christian 00:06:35.310 --> 00:06:38.589 in America. The average Christian in America, 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:40.589 their priorities are completely out of whack. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:47.279 5 % of them are not sacrificially at all giving 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:48.779 or giving the first portion of their income. 00:06:50.740 --> 00:06:54.759 Now, as you think about that, notice that the 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:57.860 procedure is outlined, and I want you to hear 00:06:57.860 --> 00:07:01.019 very carefully, this is not a health and wealth 00:07:01.019 --> 00:07:06.160 gospel. There's not a millimeter of room for 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:09.420 trying to cut a deal with God. The giving to 00:07:09.420 --> 00:07:11.360 get that you kind of hear sometimes on the radio 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.939 or TV in a book, You know, I'll give God 100, 00:07:14.019 --> 00:07:15.639 so he'll give me 1 ,000. I'll give him 10 ,000, 00:07:15.660 --> 00:07:17.579 he'll give me 100 ,000. I know what I'll do. 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:19.660 I'm gonna play a game. What I really want is 00:07:19.660 --> 00:07:21.139 this, so I'm just gonna, I'll tell you what, 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:23.180 the moment you do that, you're disqualified. 00:07:24.139 --> 00:07:29.040 In fact, the Apostle Paul goes on to say, give 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:32.620 with the right motive. It's not giving if you're 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:35.600 giving to get. The fact of the matter is that 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:38.660 this is such a principle in the law of harvest. 00:07:39.370 --> 00:07:41.810 But a lot of great things happen even as people 00:07:41.810 --> 00:07:44.629 pervert this. But notice what he says in verse 00:07:44.629 --> 00:07:47.589 7. Each man should give what he has decided in 00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:50.670 his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, 00:07:50.750 --> 00:07:53.250 for God loves a cheerful giver. If you have your 00:07:53.250 --> 00:07:55.569 pen, I want you to underline four phrases. Phrase 00:07:55.569 --> 00:07:58.850 number one, what he has decided. Phrase number 00:07:58.850 --> 00:08:02.370 two, not reluctantly. Phrase number three, under 00:08:02.370 --> 00:08:05.750 compulsion. And phrase number four, loves a cheerful 00:08:05.750 --> 00:08:09.660 giver. And what you see there is that motive 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:12.560 is outlined. He says first it needs to be what 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.579 he has decided. In other words, you might write 00:08:15.579 --> 00:08:18.699 the word thoughtful. Pure motives have to do 00:08:18.699 --> 00:08:20.899 with thoughtful giving. I remember when I was 00:08:20.899 --> 00:08:22.639 coming up and I didn't grow up in a Christian 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:24.939 home or anything and I would go to church and 00:08:24.939 --> 00:08:27.040 I would have my wallet or something. And so if 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.180 I was in like a pretty good mood, I gave five 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:31.889 bucks. If I was in like a not very good mood, 00:08:31.949 --> 00:08:34.190 I gave a dollar. And if I felt like, you know, 00:08:34.210 --> 00:08:36.590 God type happy, I gave 20 and thought I was the 00:08:36.590 --> 00:08:38.789 most generous guy in the whole world. I didn't 00:08:38.789 --> 00:08:41.450 know anything about the Bible. But it was like, 00:08:41.529 --> 00:08:42.909 it was kind of like going to a movie. It was 00:08:42.909 --> 00:08:45.350 a good movie, you know, five. Great movie, I 00:08:45.350 --> 00:08:47.490 gave you 20. You know, felt really good about 00:08:47.490 --> 00:08:51.149 myself. I had no concept of percentages or off 00:08:51.149 --> 00:08:53.289 the top or how God has blessed me. And it was 00:08:53.289 --> 00:08:56.210 usually emotionally rooted in the moment. God 00:08:56.210 --> 00:08:59.039 says, don't give that way. Did you notice that 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:03.960 we already took the offering by design? I don't 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.940 want anyone to hear this and say, oh, oh, okay, 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:09.019 I hear you, God, and write some big check. You 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:12.139 can't write a big check. It needs to be thoughtful. 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:14.639 This isn't about our church is doing well financially. 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:17.179 This isn't about any need that we have. This 00:09:17.179 --> 00:09:21.480 is all about peace or not. And so your motives, 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:23.639 it needs to be thoughtful. Paul says on the first 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:25.500 day of the week, 1 Corinthians 16, one and two, 00:09:25.580 --> 00:09:27.399 on the first day of the week, evaluate how has 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:29.320 God blessed me? What do I have? And set aside 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:31.820 a portion in keeping with his blessing. Second 00:09:31.820 --> 00:09:34.200 thing you'll notice that it says that it needs 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:36.240 to be not reluctantly. So it should be, the opposite 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:39.419 is enthusiastically. You want to give enthusiastically. 00:09:39.419 --> 00:09:42.259 This isn't like gotta, oughta, shoulda, duty. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:45.379 You know, I don't want to give because I feel 00:09:45.379 --> 00:09:46.980 like there's peer pressure and I'm trying to 00:09:46.980 --> 00:09:49.629 please people. I want to give enthusiastically. 00:09:49.629 --> 00:09:52.370 Third, it's voluntarily. It's not under compulsion. 00:09:53.110 --> 00:09:55.049 You know, this isn't that some guy got up and 00:09:55.049 --> 00:09:56.950 rant and raved and showed you pictures of hurting 00:09:56.950 --> 00:09:58.590 people all around the world and said, you know, 00:09:58.610 --> 00:10:00.529 this will never get done unless you do it. You 00:10:00.529 --> 00:10:02.350 know, anytime I feel manipulation when people 00:10:02.350 --> 00:10:04.730 talk about money, I just, I get that as a sign 00:10:04.730 --> 00:10:08.029 from God. Don't give here. It says right here. 00:10:08.330 --> 00:10:11.529 I don't want to give under compulsion. And the 00:10:11.529 --> 00:10:14.169 final one is a cheerful giver. Literally, from 00:10:14.169 --> 00:10:18.500 the Greek word, we get our word hilarious. The 00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:24.360 word miser is the root word for miserable. Miserly, 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:27.039 non -generous people are miserable. They're the 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:29.120 Scrooges of our world. And we all have a little 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:31.720 Scrooge inside of our heart. And God says, I 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:33.799 want you to experience contentment. So what you 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:36.120 have to do is you've lived in a world that says, 00:10:36.139 --> 00:10:38.779 get, get, get, get, get, get, get, get, get, 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:41.019 get, get, more, more, more, more, more, bigger, 00:10:41.220 --> 00:10:42.360 bigger, bigger, better, better, better, now, 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:46.019 now, now. And so we got our charge cards masked 00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:48.580 up and we got stuff we can't afford and our garages 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:50.500 are filled with stuff that, you know, we don't 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:52.299 use anymore and our closets are filled with more 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:54.379 stuff that we don't use anymore and we become 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:57.399 this consumer and we, and then, and guess what? 00:10:57.539 --> 00:11:00.580 And we're still not satisfied. And God says the 00:11:00.580 --> 00:11:04.720 law of the harvest is give, give, give. Give 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:09.659 your heart first. Direct your heart through your 00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:14.820 finances. Give your talent. Give your time. Give, 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:18.820 care, love. Be generous. Be tender toward God, 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.519 tender toward people. And as you give for the 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.720 right reason, with the right motive, loving God 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:29.360 and loving others, it will be what? Good measure. 00:11:29.580 --> 00:11:33.059 Press down. Shaken together. Running over back 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:36.370 into your lap. In fact, he expands the promise 00:11:36.370 --> 00:11:39.309 well beyond any financial consideration. He says, 00:11:39.350 --> 00:11:42.169 God will give you everything you need in every 00:11:42.169 --> 00:11:46.210 area of your life. Is that wild? 2 Corinthians 00:11:46.210 --> 00:11:49.370 9 verses 8 through 11, literally. You wanted 00:11:49.370 --> 00:11:51.909 to summarize what he says? God will give you, 00:11:51.909 --> 00:11:55.789 key word, everything you need in every area of 00:11:55.789 --> 00:11:57.509 your life. Are you ready for a fun exercise? 00:11:58.049 --> 00:12:01.090 If you have a pen, I have one in here, you should 00:12:01.090 --> 00:12:04.419 bring a pen to church. No, I'm serious. Because 00:12:04.419 --> 00:12:06.360 I'm going to do something right now, and if you 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:08.379 don't have a pen, you're going to miss all the 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:14.279 fun. This is going to be fun. Really fun. I'm 00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:17.820 going to read the next three verses. And as I 00:12:17.820 --> 00:12:20.080 read the next three verses, if you have a pen, 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.779 then every time I say the word all, you can circle 00:12:23.779 --> 00:12:26.759 it. And every time I say the word every, you 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:29.539 can circle it. And when you get done on your 00:12:29.539 --> 00:12:31.080 notes, not the people that don't have a pen, 00:12:31.540 --> 00:12:34.059 But on your notes, you're going to see all, all, 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:35.899 all, every, every, every, every. And you're going 00:12:35.899 --> 00:12:37.480 to have a little spiritual experience where you're 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:40.360 going to go, whoa, could God really mean this? 00:12:40.460 --> 00:12:43.539 You bet he does. Pens up and running. Are we 00:12:43.539 --> 00:12:47.820 ready? And God is able to make all grace abound 00:12:47.820 --> 00:12:51.519 to you so that in all things, at all times, having 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:54.500 all you need, you will abound in every good work. 00:12:56.379 --> 00:12:58.080 He's just told him, I want you to give, give, 00:12:58.179 --> 00:12:59.840 give, give, and we're all scared. No, no, no, 00:12:59.899 --> 00:13:02.899 no, no. He says, wait a second. God is able to 00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:05.399 do what? Give you all grace so that you get all 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:08.179 things at all times for all you need. Does this 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:11.200 sound like finances? What's all things? You got 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.519 a need in school? You got a need on the team? 00:13:13.779 --> 00:13:15.519 You got a need with the boyfriend? You got a 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:17.679 need relationally, spiritually, emotionally? 00:13:18.259 --> 00:13:21.480 He will give you what? All things at all times, 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:24.580 all that you want, does it say? Better underline 00:13:24.580 --> 00:13:27.620 need so we remember. As it is written, he scattered 00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:29.919 abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:33.159 endures forever. Now he who supplies seed to 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:37.419 the sower and bread for food will supply and 00:13:37.419 --> 00:13:40.100 increase the store of your seed and will enlarge 00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:43.220 the harvest of your righteousness. This next 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:46.100 line is critical and I'm gonna ask you to underline 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:48.039 about three or four phrases, but here's what 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:50.620 I want you to listen for as I do. He's really 00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:53.580 giving a agricultural metaphor. I mean, a farmer 00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:56.639 would hear this and go, duh. But he's gonna go 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:01.379 point one, point two, point three, agriculture, 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.019 agriculture, agriculture. Then point four, he's 00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:08.100 going to twist it and say, what I was really 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:11.659 talking about was spiritual issues, righteousness. 00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:15.539 Follow along, underline the phrase. Now he who 00:14:15.539 --> 00:14:18.720 supplies the phrase seed to the sower, that's 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.220 the original provision to invest. God gives all 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:26.340 of us seed, okay? Think of it as 100, 1 ,000, 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:28.720 10 ,000, for different people, but he gives you 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:32.419 seed. And bread for food. That's today's provision. 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:36.039 So you may get a big bushel of seed. You take 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:38.460 a portion of that seed. You grind it up. You 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:42.700 make bread. That's for today. Third, we'll also 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:46.840 supply and increase your store of seed. What's 00:14:46.840 --> 00:14:49.519 the store of seed? A farmer plants the seed. 00:14:49.659 --> 00:14:52.200 He harvests all the seed. Part of the seed he 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:55.080 takes over here and he uses for daily food. The 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:58.679 other he stores to do what? Next year he's going 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:00.980 to put it back in the ground. He's going to invest 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:05.620 it, correct? Now notice what he goes. And we'll 00:15:05.620 --> 00:15:09.220 enlarge, underline the phrase, the harvest of 00:15:09.220 --> 00:15:12.059 your righteousness. The original provision by 00:15:12.059 --> 00:15:16.049 God. Some is for today's needs. Some is so that 00:15:16.049 --> 00:15:19.629 you can reinvest or give, let it die, so that 00:15:19.629 --> 00:15:22.230 it can be multiplied. And when it's multiplied, 00:15:22.429 --> 00:15:25.269 when you live with the law of the harvest as 00:15:25.269 --> 00:15:27.730 a giver with your time and your talent and your 00:15:27.730 --> 00:15:33.090 treasure, what comes back? He enlarges the harvest 00:15:33.090 --> 00:15:38.590 of your righteousness. You're listening to Living 00:15:38.590 --> 00:15:41.110 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll get back 00:15:41.110 --> 00:15:43.549 to today's message in just a minute. But first, 00:15:43.649 --> 00:15:46.070 if you're wanting to do a deeper study of Philippians 00:15:46.070 --> 00:15:48.929 chapter 4 with Chip, check out his popular book, 00:15:49.110 --> 00:15:51.970 I Choose Peace. You'll discover how to willfully 00:15:51.970 --> 00:15:54.769 and purposely choose the peace that only God 00:15:54.769 --> 00:15:57.529 can offer. Stick around after the broadcast to 00:15:57.529 --> 00:16:00.250 learn more. Well, with that, here again is Chip. 00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:05.009 And then notice verse 11. You will be made rich 00:16:05.009 --> 00:16:08.460 in... Every, that's a word you get to circle. 00:16:09.860 --> 00:16:13.240 You will be made rich in every way. So why does 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.740 God make people rich emotionally? Why does God 00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:18.399 make people rich relationally? Why does God make 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:21.059 people rich financially? So they can get bigger, 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:22.820 bigger, bigger, more, more, more, have, have, 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:24.480 have, acquire, acquire, acquire, impress, impress, 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:27.840 impress. Is that what it says? He will make you 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:31.840 rich in every way so that you will be generous 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:37.029 on. Every occasion and through us, your generosity 00:16:37.029 --> 00:16:39.490 will result in thanksgiving to God. Do you see 00:16:39.490 --> 00:16:42.370 what he's saying? He doesn't, I like, Randy Alcorn 00:16:42.370 --> 00:16:44.690 has a great phrase. He says, God doesn't increase 00:16:44.690 --> 00:16:47.250 your income to raise your standard of living. 00:16:47.850 --> 00:16:50.970 It's to raise your standard of giving. See, one 00:16:50.970 --> 00:16:52.649 of the things I've done is I've just sat down 00:16:52.649 --> 00:16:56.149 and at some point you say, here's the line. As 00:16:56.149 --> 00:16:57.850 long as I live, however much money God ever, 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:00.850 here's where I live, here's how much money, everything 00:17:00.850 --> 00:17:03.840 over that, I'm gonna give away. And I think every 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:05.559 single person needs to draw a line. Otherwise, 00:17:05.779 --> 00:17:09.359 the creep will come. And you just start getting 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:12.920 more and more and more and more stuff. But did 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:17.099 you notice? He says, God makes us rich so we 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:19.880 can be generous on every occasion. And then Paul 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:22.680 is writing to a church that he's encouraging 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.099 to give, to plant seeds to give. And it was tough 00:17:25.099 --> 00:17:27.160 for them like it's tough for us. And then he 00:17:27.160 --> 00:17:28.579 says, through us, you're gonna give it to us 00:17:28.579 --> 00:17:31.079 and then we're gonna go back to Jerusalem. And 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:32.519 we're going to feed these people that don't have 00:17:32.519 --> 00:17:34.759 any food, your Jewish brethren. And they're going 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:36.960 to eat that food. And they're going to say, God, 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:39.339 thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You're 00:17:39.339 --> 00:17:42.180 an awesome God. Because God does provide, but 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:45.539 he often provides what? Through his people. I 00:17:45.539 --> 00:17:47.680 love the song by, I think it's a Casting Crown 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:50.559 group that we heard earlier. And it talks about, 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:53.460 you know, if we are his body, why aren't his 00:17:53.460 --> 00:17:57.480 hands reaching? Why aren't his arms loving? Why 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:00.990 aren't our mouth teaching? See, you know, the 00:18:00.990 --> 00:18:03.109 way God loves us, Jesus, when he did it, walked 00:18:03.109 --> 00:18:05.410 in the earth, he had a body. Guess what you are? 00:18:05.609 --> 00:18:08.369 Guess what? We're his body. And when there's 00:18:08.369 --> 00:18:10.390 a need over there, he puts it on my heart and 00:18:10.390 --> 00:18:13.349 my attitude and it always the best. But if that 00:18:13.349 --> 00:18:17.029 lady needs money for her rent, I was his hands. 00:18:17.769 --> 00:18:22.029 And then God provided for me. And as we give, 00:18:22.250 --> 00:18:25.210 see, we have a limited pie mentality. Down deep 00:18:25.210 --> 00:18:27.109 in our hearts, we think there's just one pie. 00:18:28.149 --> 00:18:30.869 And if I gotta get my sliver, and if I give my 00:18:30.869 --> 00:18:32.930 sliver away, or if someone messes with my sliver, 00:18:32.990 --> 00:18:35.730 there won't be enough for me. And God says, you 00:18:35.730 --> 00:18:38.549 don't understand. I'm a God of abundance. I'm 00:18:38.549 --> 00:18:41.069 the pie maker. When you give away your slice, 00:18:41.289 --> 00:18:43.549 I might give you a whole pie. And if I can find 00:18:43.549 --> 00:18:45.410 a handful of people that'll give away pies, man, 00:18:45.470 --> 00:18:49.089 I'll give you a truckload of pies. Because God 00:18:49.089 --> 00:18:51.390 longs. He's a rewarder of those who diligently 00:18:51.390 --> 00:18:55.029 seek him. But he makes us rich in every way so 00:18:55.029 --> 00:18:59.940 we can be generous. And so as you turn the page, 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:02.160 I said you will have a decision to make. This 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:04.619 is the only time in all of scripture I can find 00:19:04.619 --> 00:19:09.460 where God so wants you to experience his power, 00:19:09.619 --> 00:19:13.720 so wants you to experience the reality of supernatural 00:19:13.720 --> 00:19:17.440 grace. He's gonna say, here's a tangible, specific 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:21.480 way where you can make a decision and you can 00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:24.220 be a giver that will, because the issue is not 00:19:24.220 --> 00:19:28.440 money. The issue is, do you believe me? Do you 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:30.819 have faith? Are you willing to believe? Are you 00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:32.960 willing to take the water and pour it down the 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:38.940 pump or not? And so he says, I dare you. Literally. 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:41.319 Remember when you were kids? At least we did 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:43.160 it when I was a kid. You know, and you were on 00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:44.619 this roof and you weren't supposed to be on the 00:19:44.619 --> 00:19:47.640 roof and there was a house pretty close and you 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:49.220 wanted to run real fast on the roof and try and 00:19:49.220 --> 00:19:51.079 jump. Our houses were real close from that roof 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:53.279 to that roof. And you know, you're thinking if 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:55.660 you don't make it, you're gonna die. And of course, 00:19:55.660 --> 00:19:59.039 some kid turns, he goes. I dare you. You know, 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:01.920 your whole manhood's on the line. Okay. You know, 00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:04.799 I'm going to die, Mom. You know, like this. And, 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:05.940 you know, you're thinking, no, this is nuts. 00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:08.500 And then he goes, I double dare you. And then 00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:12.160 you had to tighten your tennies. Actually, I 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:14.180 kind of hit on my stomach right on the edge, 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:16.119 and I slid down the roof. Didn't get hurt too 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:18.839 badly, but it wasn't very smart. But you know 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:22.079 what God says to you this morning? I dare you. 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.559 Test me. Malachi 3, look in the box. God says, 00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:28.279 this isn't out there, this is to you. Bring the 00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:30.799 whole tithe. Circle the word whole tithe. The 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:34.279 word tithe just means 10%. Bring the whole tithe 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:37.680 into the storehouse. Test me in this, says the 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:40.759 Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:43.539 the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much 00:20:43.539 --> 00:20:46.559 blessing that you will not have room enough for 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:52.380 it. Test me. Bring in the first portion. Be a 00:20:52.380 --> 00:20:57.400 giver. Find out, is the parchment true or not? 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:01.759 And underneath that, I have a challenge. It says, 00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:04.700 I, your name, on my notes it says Chip Ingram. 00:21:04.740 --> 00:21:08.960 Do not write Chip Ingram on your notes. Choose 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:12.339 to take God up on his challenge, his promise, 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:15.279 to trust him to meet all my needs. I take this 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:17.779 step by committing the first 10 % of my income 00:21:17.779 --> 00:21:20.920 to the Lord for the next 90 days. And you know 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:22.660 what? There's no magical thing here, and this 00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:25.220 is not the time to talk about, yes, you know, 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:28.140 Abraham before the law gave 10%. If you study 00:21:28.140 --> 00:21:30.220 the Old Testament, you realize that it was a 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.640 theocracy, and it was a different time. They 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:35.279 actually gave up 23%. And, you know, Jesus and 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:37.640 Matthew said to the people, you know, hey, you 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:39.980 should keep tithing your herbs and spices, but 00:21:39.980 --> 00:21:41.940 don't miss the point of the law and justice and 00:21:41.940 --> 00:21:46.220 compassion. You know what? The point is not 10%. 00:21:46.220 --> 00:21:49.359 I mean, it's pretty clear here. But what I would 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:54.359 say is I'd pray real hard about signing my name 00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:57.819 and take God up on his challenge for 90 days. 00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:01.720 Like I said, I've got a file folder about this 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:04.000 thick. I've done this for a number of years. 00:22:04.700 --> 00:22:07.160 And I just got stories of a little Chinese girl 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:08.960 came, and it was her second time in church. She 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:11.579 became a Christian. I felt kind of bad. She became 00:22:11.579 --> 00:22:13.640 a Christian the week before, and it was her second 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:16.079 time. But she didn't have any baggage, so she 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:19.140 didn't know anything. She gave her first portion. 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:21.720 She came back the next week and said, I had twice 00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:23.539 as many customers. Is this how it works? And 00:22:23.539 --> 00:22:27.119 I said, well, sometimes, you know, God's really 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:29.619 gracious, especially to new Christians. And I 00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:31.819 remember a guy who, you know, was pretty well 00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:34.059 off and realized he'd been at 10%, but his income 00:22:34.059 --> 00:22:35.960 kept growing and decided, I'm going to give 20 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:38.380 next year. And he became the number one salesman 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:40.460 in a major company. Am I saying all that's going 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:44.640 to happen to you? No. I'm saying if you give. 00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:48.299 God will give back in the area and the way that 00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:51.160 your heart needs the most. I remember one family 00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:53.200 in all those emails wrote and said, Dear Chip, 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:56.700 I want you to know that nothing good at all happened 00:22:56.700 --> 00:22:58.880 in our finances as we took the 90 -day challenge. 00:23:00.420 --> 00:23:03.779 Our money's just about the same. But because 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:05.940 we took it, we sat down as a couple for the first 00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:07.720 time in five years and looked at where our money 00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:10.859 was going. We actually sat down and had a budget 00:23:10.859 --> 00:23:13.480 and resolved some issues. And I want to tell 00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:16.339 you now that What happened was so amazing is 00:23:16.339 --> 00:23:18.960 our marriage and our family, we've never had 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:21.980 such peace in our home in all the years that 00:23:21.980 --> 00:23:26.819 we've been married. See, treasure, chain, hook 00:23:26.819 --> 00:23:30.980 to heart. By the way, for those that are new 00:23:30.980 --> 00:23:33.339 and maybe visiting or you've not been here that 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:36.559 long, if for any reason there's any sense that 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:38.960 you sense in your spirit that maybe this is some 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:42.640 sneaky ploy for this church to get money, give 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.720 it somewhere else, okay? This is not about our 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:50.039 needs. This is about you. And then there's a 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:53.819 three -by -five card that we put in your notes. 00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:57.480 I would encourage you to decide whether you're 00:23:57.480 --> 00:24:00.180 gonna do this or not before God. Write your name 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:03.579 on that card and say, Dear God, I'm taking the 00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:06.519 Malachi 3 Challenge for 90 days. And stick it 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:08.880 somewhere where you can read it over and pray 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:14.400 and see what He does. As you've listened and 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:16.539 said in your heart of hearts, I want to take 00:24:16.539 --> 00:24:20.359 the Malachi 3 Challenge, go to our website. We've 00:24:20.359 --> 00:24:23.900 provided a free download that says, I will commit 00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:27.079 to the Malachi 3 Challenge. Now, what I want 00:24:27.079 --> 00:24:29.299 you to know is that you'll be saying to God, 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:33.460 okay, you dared me. You dared me to trust you 00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:36.480 for 90 days with my finances. And Lord, here 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:40.339 I am. I'm going to trust you. And then write 00:24:40.339 --> 00:24:43.980 the date down. Make sure you talk with your mate 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:46.799 if you're married. Don't do this off on your 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:49.660 own and not be on the same page. But then I would 00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:52.680 encourage you. Okay, Lord, I'm going to do this. 00:24:53.130 --> 00:24:55.109 You said you would meet all my needs according 00:24:55.109 --> 00:24:58.369 to your riches and glory. For many of you, this 00:24:58.369 --> 00:25:01.230 is tithing. You know, you kind of give sporadically, 00:25:01.309 --> 00:25:05.009 and for some of you, you don't give at all. This 00:25:05.009 --> 00:25:08.170 is a moment of truth, and you realize, if I give 00:25:08.170 --> 00:25:11.250 the first 10 % of my income, I'm going to have 00:25:11.250 --> 00:25:14.650 to radically prioritize my finances. I'm going 00:25:14.650 --> 00:25:17.460 to probably have to make a little budget. But 00:25:17.460 --> 00:25:20.099 here's what I want you to know. If you will take 00:25:20.099 --> 00:25:23.160 this step, you're going to see God work. I have 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:26.519 a stack of letters and emails over the years 00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:29.519 of people that have done this, and God has shown 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:32.160 up in radical ways. And by the way, He doesn't 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:34.779 always show up financially. He often shows up 00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:37.240 in ways that are more important to your heart, 00:25:37.259 --> 00:25:40.200 your life, and your relationships. But here's 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:43.440 what I want you to do. Don't think, oh, that's 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:46.720 nice. Someday, someway, I ought to do that. This 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:50.500 is the living God calling you to give your heart 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:54.339 to Him, evidenced by your money. God bless you. 00:25:54.440 --> 00:25:58.220 Now go for it. Inspiring words, Chip. So if you're 00:25:58.220 --> 00:26:00.779 ready to step up and take the Malachi 3 challenge, 00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:04.980 go to special offers at livingontheedge.org or 00:26:04.980 --> 00:26:07.519 the Chip Ingram app to download this free resource. 00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:10.579 Make today the day you commit to trusting God 00:26:10.579 --> 00:26:13.819 with your finances for the next 90 days. Again, 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:16.559 to get this free resource, go to specialoffers 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:19.660 on the Chip Ingram app or at livingontheedge 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:23.970 .org. Well, Chip's still with me in studio. And 00:26:23.970 --> 00:26:25.970 Chip, you know, we've all experienced seasons 00:26:25.970 --> 00:26:29.690 of turmoil and discouragement. So take a quick 00:26:29.690 --> 00:26:31.809 minute and talk about a time you struggled to 00:26:31.809 --> 00:26:34.789 hold on to peace and maybe give a few final words 00:26:34.789 --> 00:26:37.730 of encouragement to those who may really be struggling 00:26:37.730 --> 00:26:41.470 right now. Be glad today. For me, and I'm sure 00:26:41.470 --> 00:26:44.230 for many of our listeners, when I really think 00:26:44.230 --> 00:26:47.009 of a super challenging time that I lost my peace, 00:26:47.130 --> 00:26:50.460 it was during the pandemic. The isolation. And 00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:53.200 being distanced from family was difficult. But 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:55.619 the bigger problem was I was filling my mind 00:26:55.619 --> 00:26:58.599 with how broad is this pandemic and what do we 00:26:58.599 --> 00:27:00.720 do and what are the scientists saying? And I 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:04.180 was glued to the television. And I usually am 00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:07.059 very, very careful about what I put in my mind. 00:27:07.180 --> 00:27:11.000 But during that season, I watched more news and 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:14.359 I took in more negative information. And all 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:16.680 of a sudden, I found myself getting discouraged. 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:20.119 And then I got downright depressed. And as I 00:27:20.119 --> 00:27:22.140 got depressed, I realized, wait a minute, Chip, 00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:24.779 you wrote a book about peace and you don't have 00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:27.119 any right now. Even though I was reading the 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:30.619 Bible in the morning, my diet was like so overwhelmingly 00:27:30.619 --> 00:27:33.619 negative. And it's not that we need to shut our 00:27:33.619 --> 00:27:37.099 minds off, Dave, but I needed to detox. And so 00:27:37.099 --> 00:27:39.859 I went on a media fast. I took a couple passages 00:27:39.859 --> 00:27:42.480 that were near and dear to me and I reviewed 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:46.630 them and memorized them. And as I did. I really 00:27:46.630 --> 00:27:49.589 begin to experience that peace that dwells within 00:27:49.589 --> 00:27:52.609 me by the Holy Spirit. And what I tell people 00:27:52.609 --> 00:27:54.849 is that just because you write a book or just 00:27:54.849 --> 00:27:57.049 because you know something, that doesn't mean 00:27:57.049 --> 00:27:59.329 you're always practicing it. And so what I would 00:27:59.329 --> 00:28:01.309 say for those that are struggling with peace, 00:28:01.529 --> 00:28:04.289 this book, I Choose Peace, has really helped 00:28:04.289 --> 00:28:06.450 me personally, and I think it'll be a great value 00:28:06.450 --> 00:28:09.230 to you. Good word, Chip. Well, to learn more 00:28:09.230 --> 00:28:11.450 about this practical and insightful resource, 00:28:11.750 --> 00:28:17.609 visit livingontheedge .org or call 888 -333 -6003. 00:28:17.869 --> 00:28:20.549 If you're desperate to quiet the worries of your 00:28:20.549 --> 00:28:23.470 heart and the anxieties of this world and experience 00:28:23.470 --> 00:28:26.150 genuine peace, you got to check out this book. 00:28:26.329 --> 00:28:31.309 So go to livingontheedge .org or call 888 -333 00:28:31.309 --> 00:28:37.000 -6003 to get your copy of I Choose Peace. special 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:40.599 offers. As we close, our mission at Living on 00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:42.900 the Edge is to help Christians live like Christians. 00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:45.700 And one of the best ways we can continue to do 00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:48.180 that is through programs like this. So when you 00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:50.579 hear a message that helps you, pass it on to 00:28:50.579 --> 00:28:52.880 someone in your life. Now, you can easily do 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:55.799 that through the Chip Ingram app or by forwarding 00:28:55.799 --> 00:28:59.140 them the free MP3s that you'll find at livingontheedge 00:28:59.140 --> 00:29:02.319 .org. And don't forget to tell them how it made 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:04.869 a difference in your life. Well, thanks for listening 00:29:04.869 --> 00:29:07.410 to this edition of Living on the Edge with Chip 00:29:07.410 --> 00:29:09.809 Ingram. I'm Dave Drewy, and I hope you'll join 00:29:09.809 --> 00:29:10.789 us again next time.