WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:06.559 Today on Daily Hope with Pastor Rick Warren, we continue 2 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:10.560 in our riveting journey through the series The Invisible War. 3 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:12.800 In it will explore the. 4 00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:15.679 Unseen world of good and evil and see how it 5 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:20.079 impacts our day to day existence. Join us for eye 6 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:25.120 opening biblical insights into the spiritual dimensions that influence our 7 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:30.239 lives in ways we never imagined. Right now, here's Pastor 8 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:33.359 Rick Warren would part one of a message called being 9 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:35.880 Faithful in a Faithless World. 10 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:40.560 Everything in this world focuses against you to keep you 11 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:44.679 from living by faith. That's why this weekend in this series, 12 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:47.679 I want us to look at being faithful in a 13 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:53.600 faithless world. In Luke chapter eighteen, Jesus said this. He said, 14 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:56.479 when I the Son of Man return, and Jesus is 15 00:00:56.520 --> 00:00:58.759 coming back one day, when I have the Son of 16 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:02.159 Man return, how many will I find on earth who 17 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:06.599 have faith? Why is it so important? Well? The Bible 18 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.560 tells us three things about the importance of faith. I 19 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:12.439 want you to write these down. Number one, the Bible 20 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:17.760 tells us that God is looking for faithful people. God 21 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:23.959 is physically, visibly, actively taking the initiative to look for 22 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:27.280 faithful people that he can bless. God is looking for 23 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:29.439 people that he can bless, and what he looks for 24 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:33.799 is people of faith. Second Chronicle sixteen to nine says this, 25 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:37.159 for the eyes of the Lord search back and forth 26 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:41.760 across the whole world, looking for people whose hearts are 27 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.799 perfect toward him, so that he can show his great 28 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.760 power in helping them. This has been one of my 29 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:51.000 life verses, that God is looking for people to use, 30 00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:54.000 and if you get usable, he will wear you out. 31 00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:59.319 If you get blessible, he will bless your socks off. 32 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:03.319 That's why I don't socks, and God says, I will 33 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:06.439 use you if you will be usable. God is looking 34 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:10.240 for people, faithful people that he can use. Number two. 35 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:13.319 The second thing the Bible teaches is that faithful people 36 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:19.039 are hard to find. They're actually quite rare. People who 37 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:21.639 trust God with all their heart and soul and mind 38 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:24.840 the strength. They're actually quite rare. Faithful people are hard 39 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:29.759 to find, the Bible says in Proverbs twenty verse six 40 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:34.520 or verse yes, it says everyone talks about how faithful 41 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:38.599 he is, but it is difficult to find someone who 42 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:41.159 really is, a lot of people talk the talk, but 43 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:44.000 they don't really trust God. They don't really believe God. 44 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:48.159 They're trusting their credit card, they're trusting everything else. They 45 00:02:48.199 --> 00:02:50.319 say they believe in God, but they don't really trust 46 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.280 him when it comes to their finances, their health, their job, 47 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:57.319 and these other things. Psalm fifty three says this God 48 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:02.800 looks down from heaven at the children of men to 49 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:06.280 see if a single one is wise and seeks God. 50 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:10.560 But he says, all of them have proven faithless. Circle 51 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:13.919 that word faithless. They've all proven faithless. They've all been 52 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:18.360 corrupted by the world, and not one of them always 53 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:23.000 does right. Faithful people are hard to find. God's looking 54 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:26.000 for people to bless but he can't find people who 55 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.919 are blessable, who are going to live by faith. Now, 56 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:31.960 the third thing that Bible says is this faithfulness is 57 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:37.080 the key to blessing, to victory. It's the key to 58 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:40.680 victory in your life over all of the problems in 59 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.680 your life. And it's the key to blessing in your 60 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:49.159 life just being a faithful man a faithful woman. The 61 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:52.400 Bible says this in First John chapter five. Every child 62 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:55.919 of God can defeat the world. Remember, we're in this 63 00:03:56.039 --> 00:04:00.319 battle called the invisible war. And it is our faith 64 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.879 circle that our faith that gives us the victory. That's 65 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:06.879 how you're going to overcome your problems. Not by intelligence, 66 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:10.280 not by money, not by creativity, but it is by 67 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:15.319 your faith you're going to be able to overcome difficulties, distress, despair, 68 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:18.600 things like that. Every child of God can defeat the world, 69 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:20.839 and it is our faith that gives us us victory. 70 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:26.319 No one can defeat the world without having faith in 71 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:30.519 Jesus as the son of God. And the Bible says 72 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:34.720 in Proverbs twenty eight to twenty, a faithful man will 73 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:39.759 be richly blessed. As your pastor, I pray that God 74 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.639 will bless your life. I want God's blessing on your life. 75 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:47.199 I want you to have physical blessing, financial blessing, emotional blessing. 76 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:49.759 I want you to have spiritual blessings. I want you 77 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:54.040 to have relational and vocational mental I want every area 78 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.000 of your life social to be blessed, and I want 79 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:58.199 it to be like this, A faithful man will be 80 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:03.439 richly blessed. Your life to be richly blessed. But in 81 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:05.680 order for you to have that blessing, you're going to 82 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:08.879 have to learn faithfulness. You're going to have to learn 83 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.560 how God tests it. And you're going to have to 84 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:15.360 learn how God grows it. So let's look this weekend 85 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:20.480 at the sixth test of faithfulness and how God uses 86 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.680 these things in your life to grow your faith so 87 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:26.160 that then He can bless you. Let's get right into it. 88 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:30.560 Number one. The Bible tells us that God uses little 89 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:37.240 things to test your integrity. God uses little things to 90 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:40.399 intest your integrity. Now, we often think, oh, it's the 91 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:43.920 big things in life that create a leader. No, the 92 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:48.319 big crises in life reveal leadership. But leadership is built 93 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:50.800 not in the big things of life. It's built in 94 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:53.800 the small things of life. That's where integrity shows up 95 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.720 in the stuff nobody sees, in the stuff behind the scenes, 96 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:03.920 in the small, uns seen, unspectacular moral choices of life, 97 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.079 where you do the right thing and nobody's ever going 98 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:11.319 to see it. God tests your integrity in the little things, 99 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:17.920 and faithfulness requires integrity. Faithful people reveal their integrity in 100 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:22.000 the small, the unseen, and the unnoticed acts that nobody 101 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:25.639 ever knows about. Luke sixteen, Verse ten, Jesus says this, 102 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:30.680 whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in 103 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:34.920 large ones. And who is ever dishonest in small matters 104 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:39.399 will be dishonest in large ones. Now, what is he 105 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:43.920 saying here? He's saying, your public blessing is determined by 106 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:50.360 your private integrity. Did you hear that every time a 107 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:53.480 politician has a scandal, you can always count on his 108 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:56.800 defenders to come out and say this. It really shouldn't 109 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:59.319 matter what a guy's private life is like. Have you 110 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:02.600 ever heard that one? It really shouldn't matter what a 111 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.199 guy does in his private life. It hasn't had anything 112 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:08.120 to do with him as a leader. It has everything 113 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:10.720 to do with him as a leader. Because if a 114 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:15.240 man lies to his wife, he'll lie to his constituency. 115 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:18.920 Believe me, if he'll lie to his best friend that 116 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:22.639 he said till death, do us part and be dishonest, 117 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.800 and he'll reject and cheat on her, he will cheat 118 00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:31.480 on you. Voter, count on it. Count on it. My 119 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:36.639 public blessing as a leader comes because of private integrity 120 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:41.839 that nobody ever sees. Your public blessing as a person 121 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:46.600 comes from your private integrity that nobody will ever see. 122 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.639 God uses little things to test my integrity. Not only that, 123 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:54.680 Notice the next verse, Jesus says this, and if you 124 00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:59.639 have not been faithful with that which belongs to somebody else, 125 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:05.000 who will give you what belongs to you. Now. He's 126 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:09.199 talking here about the concept of apprenticeship that before God 127 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:11.839 gives you something, he will often loan it to you. 128 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:18.000 He'll often see how you work in somebody else's For 129 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:21.759 many centuries, the only way you learned a job scale 130 00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:25.000 is you became an apprentice in somebody else's job. If 131 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:27.519 you wanted to learn to be a shoemaker, you apprenticed 132 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:30.560 to a shoemaker who mentored you. If you wanted to 133 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:33.320 be a mechanic, you apprenticed to a mechanic and you 134 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.519 worked in his mechanic shop before you got your own. 135 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.840 The problem today is we have many people going out 136 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.080 and starting things, and they've never apprenticed under anybody else, 137 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:45.399 and they get in all kinds of trouble. He says, 138 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:48.480 before you get your own, you need to serve in 139 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:55.399 somebody else. As a pastor, I apprenticed under many other 140 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:58.759 ministries before I was given my own ministry. I served 141 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:01.879 as a youth pastor under Guy's ministry in Norwalk. I 142 00:09:01.960 --> 00:09:07.120 served as a Christian teacher in a college before under 143 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:10.360 somebody else's ministry, I served as an associate pastor. I 144 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:14.320 served as a writer in a Christian organization long before 145 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:17.519 God gave me my own ministry. He says, if you're 146 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:21.480 not faithful with somebody else's job, who's going to give you? 147 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:27.159 Are you as particular with somebody else loans you something? 148 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:29.039 Somebody loans you a car, do you treat it as 149 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:31.799 nicely as you treat your own car. Somebody loans you 150 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.039 their home to go on vacation, do you treat it 151 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:37.039 as nicely as you would your own home. You see, 152 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.519 I learned a long time ago this principle. I don't 153 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:43.679 have to own it to enjoy it, but I can 154 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:47.240 take care of it even though it's not mine, And 155 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:50.320 so I don't have to own stuff for people to 156 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.759 you know, this week a guy I had to fly 157 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:57.519 over to the Phoenix to speak at a convention, and 158 00:09:57.559 --> 00:09:59.559 the guy said, Rick, why don't you get your own 159 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:04.279 play I said, absolutely not, never. You will never hear 160 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:06.279 me get my own plate. Now, if you want to 161 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:11.360 buy one, I'll use yours. I'll be happy. But I 162 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:13.799 don't have to own it to enjoy it. He said, 163 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:15.720 but you fly all around the world. I said, no, no, 164 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:18.080 I don't. I'm not going to buy a plane. First place, 165 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:19.679 I don't think it's good for pastors to own that 166 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.879 kind of stuff. But I said, I don't have to 167 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:25.720 own it to enjoy it. If somebody else wants to 168 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.320 provide you got a plane, fine, I'll use it, but 169 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.039 don't worry about having to own something in order to 170 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:36.279 enjoy it. God will often try and trust you with 171 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:40.639 something that somebody else's before he gives you your own. 172 00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:46.960 So God number one uses little things to test my integrity. 173 00:10:47.240 --> 00:10:53.480 Number two second, very important. God uses my talents to 174 00:10:53.639 --> 00:11:01.639 test my unselfishness. God uses my talents to test my unselfishness. 175 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:04.840 Now you have to decide in life, who are what 176 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:06.799 you're going to live for? And you've really got two 177 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:10.519 choices in life. You're either gonna a live for yourself, 178 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:15.200 a self centered, miserly life, or b you're going to 179 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:19.679 live for something greater than yourself, which I highly suggest 180 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:24.519 the Kingdom of God live for Jesus Christ. You're going 181 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:26.440 to live for yourself, or you're going to live for 182 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.279 something bigger than yourself. Faithful people don't live for themselves. 183 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:34.600 They realize that the talents God gave them are not 184 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:37.679 for their own benefit, but they're for them to make 185 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.879 the world a better place. Do you realize this that 186 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.919 when God made you, he gave you all kinds of gifts, 187 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:48.519 all kinds of talents, all kinds of abilities. And God 188 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:50.279 made you you and there's nobody like you in the 189 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:52.279 whole world, and He wants you to be you for 190 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:57.519 his glory. Now, God shaped you to serve him. How 191 00:11:57.519 --> 00:11:59.399 do you serve God? There's only one way to serve 192 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:03.440 God by serving other people on this planet. You cannot 193 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:06.639 serve God directly because you can't see him. So the 194 00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:09.799 only way you can serve God is by serving others. 195 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:13.000 And when you serve others, you are serving God. And 196 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:19.000 God shaped you to serve him. Now, faithful people realize 197 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.440 that their talents are not for their benefit. You know, 198 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:24.039 those talents you got, I'm sorry they weren't given for 199 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:28.000 your sake. You were given the abilities you got to 200 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.039 help other people. For instance, one of my gifts, one 201 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:33.879 of my talents is I having a talent at teaching. 202 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:37.840 But God gave me the teaching gift not to benefit me, 203 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:42.679 but to help you. My gift helps you in the 204 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:46.559 same way God has gifted you. And your gift was 205 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.679 meant to help me and to help other people around you. Now, 206 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.720 if I don't use my gifts my talents, you get cheated. 207 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:57.039 If you don't use the gifts and talents that God 208 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:00.240 gave you, I get cheated. Now you may have a 209 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:02.759 talent for art, and you say, well, why do I 210 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:05.039 do art because I just love to do it. Well, 211 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.919 that's nice, but that's not a good enough motive, because 212 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:10.159 God didn't give you artistic ability just so you can 213 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:12.840 love to do it. He gave it to you so 214 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.600 you can use your art in some ways to help 215 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:20.360 other people. Some of you have an ability to fix things. 216 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:22.480 Some of you are good at mechanics. Some of you 217 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:24.440 are good at math. Some of you are good at 218 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:27.679 closing deals. Some of you are good at music. Some 219 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:31.000 of you are good at organizing, and you can organize 220 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.200 something really quick. And some of you are good at 221 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:36.320 trimming and gardening. And you know what, God made us 222 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:40.639 all different, so everything in the world gets done. If 223 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:42.720 we all like to do the same thing, there'd be 224 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:46.159 a lot left undone. So God made us all like 225 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:50.559 to do different things. Now, those things that God gave 226 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.600 you are not for your benefit. They are given as 227 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:57.679 a stewardship. And God is watching you to see if 228 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.279 you use what he gave you a f effectively on earth. 229 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:05.320 And if you use it effectively on earth, listen, he's 230 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:10.000 going to give you more responsibility in heaven. There's a 231 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:13.039 whole lot of teaching on this in scripture. Jesus told 232 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:17.279 many parables about it, that God is studying your faithfulness. 233 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.279 Have you ever thought about why didn't God just create 234 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:21.559 us and take us to heaven? Why does he put 235 00:14:21.639 --> 00:14:23.879 us here on a broken planet for eighty years or 236 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.840 ninety years or whatever. He puts you here because life 237 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:30.000 is a test, and life is a trust, and life 238 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.039 is a temporary assignment. And he's watching to see if 239 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:35.360 you are faithful with what he gave you here on 240 00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:38.000 earth to bless other people. He's going to give you 241 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:42.919 greater rewards, greater responsibility, and greater roles in heaven. This 242 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:47.360 is a test. Now. The Bible says this one Peter 243 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:52.879 chapter four. Each one of you should use whatever gift 244 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:58.799 he has received to make a ton of money, retire 245 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:03.440 and die. No, no, no, he says, to serve others faithfully. 246 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:08.559 Circle that word faithfully, faithfully administering. You're a manager, and 247 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:12.440 you're a manager of the talent you've been given faithfully 248 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:16.519 managing God's grace in its various form. God gave you talents, 249 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:20.320 and he's watching to see if you're faithful with him. Now. 250 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:23.600 One of the principles we know is if you don't 251 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:27.919 use it, you lose it. Talent is like a muscle. 252 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.360 If you use muscle, it gets stronger. If you don't 253 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:35.440 use your muscle, you lose your muscle. If you don't 254 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:39.879 use your talent because of fear or laziness or anything 255 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:42.519 like that, God will take it away and give it 256 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:48.559 to somebody else. Whatever you use wisely, God gives you 257 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:53.080 more of. Would you write that down? Whatever I use wisely, 258 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:57.799 God will give me more of. If you use your 259 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:00.840 time wisely, God will give you more time. If you 260 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:04.080 use your energy wisely, God will give you more energy. 261 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:08.080 If you use your money wisely, God will give you 262 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:11.519 more money. I have found that if you use your 263 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:16.960 influence wisely, God will give you more influence. But if 264 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:21.039 you're faithful and little, then you'll be faithful and much so. 265 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:25.240 If I take my talents, if I use my talents wisely, 266 00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:30.360 God will increase my talent, and I'll get better at it, 267 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.000 and I'll get more better at it and better and 268 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:37.799 better and better, because God gives to people who use 269 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:41.120 what he gives them effectively. Look at the next verse. 270 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:45.039 Now it is required that those who have been given 271 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:50.159 a trust must prove what That's what we're talking about 272 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:53.320 this weekend. God is watching to see do I use 273 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:57.799 my time, my money, my influence. Do I use my intelligence? 274 00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:01.000 Do I use my brain wisely? Then He's going to 275 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:04.559 give you more. Whatever I use wisely, God will give 276 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:06.799 me more of There are two great themes in the Bible. 277 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:11.200 Two great themes. One is salvation and the other is stewardship. 278 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:14.640 They're taught from cover to cover. Salvation is have I 279 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:19.000 trusted Jesus for my forgiveness? Stewardship is what are you 280 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.160 doing with what you've been given? And God is looking 281 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:25.799 at both of these major themes in your life. Number 282 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:29.920 three the third test, and if you pass this test, 283 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.440 then God gives you more blessing. And this test will 284 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.680 be on and on. Number three, God uses tough times 285 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:44.000 to teach me persistence. God uses tough times to teach 286 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:49.359 me persistence. The difference between faithful people and unfaithful people 287 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:53.640 is unfaithful people give up at the first sign of difficulty. 288 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:58.559 Faithful people keep on keeping on. Faithful people are determined. 289 00:17:58.839 --> 00:18:04.000 Faithful people are diligent. Paithful people are persistent. Faithful people 290 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:07.160 don't know how to quit. Do you know how a 291 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.880 little nut an acorn becomes an oak tree? Oak tree 292 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:15.200 is just an acorn that refused to give up, and 293 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:19.319 it just kept on keeping on, and you just never 294 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:21.559 give up. I'm not that smart, but I do not 295 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:23.880 have one thing is I don't know how to quit. 296 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.880 It is always too soon to quit. You are never 297 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:31.599 a failure to you quit, and it's always too soon 298 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:36.240 to quit. God uses tough times to test my persistence. 299 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.319 You know, when we started Saddleback with Just K I 300 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:42.920 preached the first sermon to one person, my wife. She 301 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.279 thought it was too long. It's been downhill ever since. 302 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:49.920 Thirty one years later, she's still saying it's too long. 303 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:54.839 Over the next I thought when we started the church, 304 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:58.240 we'd get a building real quick. We went fifteen years 305 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:03.079 without a building. In the first thirteen years of this church, 306 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:08.400 we used seventy nine different facilities. Do you know how 307 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:11.440 many times I felt like giving up, just every Monday morning? 308 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:15.839 But I don't know how to quit, And we said 309 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:19.200 God said Rick. If I never give you a building, 310 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:23.640 will you still serve me? I said absolutely. Saddleback grew 311 00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:27.640 to over ten thousand people before we built this first building. 312 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:30.000 How would you like to set up and take down 313 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:33.240 a church for ten thousand people every week. There's not 314 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:35.200 a lot of glory to that. It's just hard work. 315 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:40.359 God says, I use tough times to test your persistence. 316 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:43.680 Notice this verse. You're going through tough times right now. 317 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:47.559 This verse is for you, two Corinthians four. This is 318 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:51.279 why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, 319 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.480 our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present 320 00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:59.640 troubles are quite small, and they won't last very long. 321 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:04.640 They will produce for us an immeasurably great glory that 322 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:07.359 will last forever. Because when you're going through tough times, 323 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:11.599 you're growing in character. So he says, we don't look 324 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:15.920 at the troubles we can see right now now, We 325 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:18.400 don't keep our eyes on the problem. Rather, we look 326 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:22.079 forward to what we have not seen. The reward for persevering. 327 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:25.079 For the troubles we've seen will soon be over, but 328 00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:30.000 the joys to come will last forever. You see, there's 329 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:33.000 something God is more interested in than what you do. 330 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:36.640 God is more interested in who you are than what 331 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:40.039 you do. He's more interested in what you're becoming than 332 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:45.319 what's happening to you. And God often allows trials, troubles, tribulations, problems, 333 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:50.759 persistence in your life to teach you the diligence, determination, 334 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:54.720 and character. The problem you're going through right now, this 335 00:20:55.640 --> 00:21:00.240 is a test. It's a test of your faith faith. 336 00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:04.279 It's a test of your faithfulness. Will you continue to 337 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:08.599 serve God even when life sucks. It's easy to serve 338 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:12.079 God when things are going great. Now, if you're going 339 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:14.599 through a tough time right now and almost everybody is. 340 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:17.920 The next verse you need to memorize. So put a 341 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:20.559 star by it, go home and write it down on 342 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:25.599 a card and memorize it this week for encouragement. Galatians six'. 343 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:31.599 Nine don't get tired of doing what is. Right you 344 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:36.079 will circle will not. Might you will be rewarded when 345 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:40.799 the time is. Right if you don't give. UP i 346 00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:43.000 want us to read that verse aloud. Together read it with. 347 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:48.680 Me don't get tired of doing what's. Right you will 348 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:53.400 be rewarded when the time is. Right if you don't give, 349 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:56.200 up you need to memorize that, verse Because god uses 350 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:01.960 tough times to test your persistence of my great spiritual 351 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:08.119 LESSONS i learned from that Theologian Forrest. Gump everybody remember 352 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:12.759 the Story Forrest. Gump. Okay In Forrest, gump there's a 353 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.640 story of a hard time that they go through which 354 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:20.640 a hurricane tsunami comes into The south part Of. America, 355 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:24.519 okay and all of the fishing, Remember Forrest gump has 356 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:28.920 a fishing, Boat Bubba Gump. Shrimp, okay he's got a fishing, 357 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:33.039 boat and all of the other fishing. Boats, say we 358 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:35.559 got a storm coming, in so we're gonna play it. 359 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:38.480 Safe we're not gonna be out fishing during the. Storm 360 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:41.880 we're gonna pull into the. Harbor we're gonna batten down the. 361 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:45.119 Hatches we're gonna tie up next to, shore and we're 362 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:51.839 gonna wade out this, recession this. Storm economic tough times are. 363 00:22:51.880 --> 00:22:54.039 Coming we got a storm coming. In it's a parable 364 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:57.000 and so we're gonna tie up and we're gonna play it. 365 00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:59.920 Safe we're not gonna be out. Fishing we're gonna wait 366 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.440 it out the. Storm we're going to be playing. Conservative nothing, 367 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:07.799 ventured nothing, Gain only one fishing boat is doing what 368 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:12.720 fishing boats are made to. Do, Fish and So Forrest 369 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:15.599 gump is out on the ocean fishing in the middle 370 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:18.960 of the. Storm if you remember this, story at the 371 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:23.039 end of the, storm every boat that had tied down 372 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:27.119 in the harbor was. Destroyed they had all been dashed 373 00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:31.039 against the. Rocks they were completely dominated and broken, up 374 00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:36.319 and they were all. Destroyed and after the, Storm Forrest 375 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:41.440 gump dominated the market because he was the only one 376 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:47.519 who didn't play it. Safe Saddleback church was made to. 377 00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:52.079 Fish jesus, Said i'll make you fishes of men number. 378 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:56.039 Four the fourth thing that you need to understand is 379 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:02.599 That god uses shortages to test my. Generosity god uses 380 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:10.000 shortages to test my. Generosity faithful people are generous when 381 00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:11.640 they don't have it to. 382 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:21.480 Give you're listening To Pastor Rick's Daily. Hope we're so 383 00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:25.160 happy you've chosen to study along with us. Today Here's 384 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:27.480 Pastor rick with a letter from one of our. 385 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:29.960 Listeners. TODAY i want to share with you a NOTE 386 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.200 i got in the mail From. Alyssa she, Wrote, Hi Pastor. 387 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:36.799 Rick i'm a thirty three year old living In, Jamestown North, 388 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:39.880 dakota And i'm married with three. KIDS i just want 389 00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:42.079 to thank you so much for Your Daily hope. BROADCAST 390 00:24:42.359 --> 00:24:46.240 i listen to them, regularly And i've learned so. Much you. 391 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:48.039 KNOW i realized very quickly THAT i needed to have 392 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:50.599 a notebook journal available to write down all the notes 393 00:24:50.599 --> 00:24:53.640 AS i listened to. YOU i love the convenience that 394 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:56.599 the podcast, have AND i turned them on As i'm 395 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:58.680 getting ready in the, morning While i'm, cooking Or i'm 396 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:01.160 in the car, traveling and even when i'm working, out 397 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:04.279 which is. Great i've also been sharing them with several. 398 00:25:04.359 --> 00:25:07.319 PEOPLE i often think of specific people THAT i want 399 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:10.440 to share your podcast with After i've heard your. MESSAGE 400 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:12.440 i don't know if they've listened to them or not 401 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:14.880