WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:07.240 Friends, we live in a world full of competing beliefs, values, 2 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:11.400 and choices. What you believe shapes how you live and 3 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:16.280 ultimately who you become. The good news is God hasn't 4 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:19.559 left us to figure it all out alone. Today, on 5 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:24.120 Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, we bring our series Reframing your 6 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:28.679 worldview to a close. In this series, Rick Warren unpacks 7 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:32.479 powerful truths from God's Word to help you see life 8 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:37.399 clearly and live it with confidence and purpose. So let's 9 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:40.479 get started. Here's Rick with the final part of a 10 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:43.679 message called how should I Live in this world? 11 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:46.880 Now. These first five values that we looked at all 12 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:50.359 had to do with your relationship directly to God. These 13 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:53.719 second five values all have to do with your relationship 14 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:57.920 to other people, so let's look at them. The sixth 15 00:00:58.039 --> 00:01:01.679 key to becoming and living like Jesus, living of jesus 16 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:08.120 lifestyle is hospitality. You must learn to live with hospitality. Now, 17 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:12.239 what's hospitality. It's just love in action. It's practical love. 18 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:17.879 It's love with hands and feet on it. It's love 19 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:24.319 that you can see in action. Jesus showed hospitality to everybody, everybody, 20 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.079 and he expects his followers to do the same. 21 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:31.879 Here's the problem. We don't know how to do it. Today. 22 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:37.959 Hospitality is a lost art. People have very shallow relationships. 23 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:40.319 They don't know how to show hospitality each other. They 24 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:42.640 don't know how to care for each other. It's very 25 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:46.680 possible for you to live a life with just acquaintances, 26 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:51.120 to not really get close to anybody and show hospitality. 27 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:54.760 Yesterday I was reading Time magazine and one of the 28 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:58.840 articles in Time was called teaching doctors how to care. 29 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:00.200 Well. 30 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:04.680 Well, that sounds a little odd, okay, And here is 31 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:09.080 a quote. At Harvard and other medical schools across the country, 32 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:15.680 educators are beginning, I mean beginning to realize that empathy 33 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:22.680 is as valuable to a doctor as any clinical skill. Well, duh, 34 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:25.879 have they never been a patient? I want I have 35 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:26.280 a doctor. 36 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:27.639 I want a doctor who cares. 37 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:32.159 For me, who's kind, who empathizes, who just isn't a 38 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:36.080 cold fish. I want somebody who shows hospitality. Now, I 39 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:38.479 don't know if any of you get this, but anybody 40 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:41.639 see the irony in this article teaching doctors to care? 41 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.639 Wouldn't you figure that it's kind of ironic to train 42 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:49.479 hospitals and how to be hospitable. 43 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:54.159 Wouldn't you think that hospitals. 44 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:56.879 Would be the place you show hospitalality. 45 00:02:58.560 --> 00:02:59.960 I mean it's the same word. 46 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.800 Hospitals are supposed to be a place of hospitality, where 47 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:10.120 they show practical care, practical love, and loving ways. You 48 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:13.599 ever wondered why Saddleback Church is such a friendly church, 49 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:19.080 such a warm church. The secret ingredient is our small groups. 50 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:23.879 Over three thousand small groups. And one of the reasons 51 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:26.479 we teach everybody should be in a small group is 52 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:30.759 that's where you learn hospitality, in getting to know. 53 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:31.800 People up close. 54 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:36.199 And nobody teaches hospitality more so we build small groups 55 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:36.879 that force. 56 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:37.520 Us how to learn it. 57 00:03:37.879 --> 00:03:40.199 Because Jesus said, you're going to be my follower, you 58 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:44.319 got to learn to be hospitable. And so we have 59 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:47.560 over three thousand small group hosts and they open up 60 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:50.439 their homes and show hospitality. 61 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:52.199 Look at the next verse. 62 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:57.240 Jesus said this, whatever you did for any of my people, 63 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:02.680 no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me. 64 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:07.120 And when you failed to help any of my people, 65 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.120 no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do 66 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:16.480 it for me. He says, These are the reasons we 67 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:19.639 do hospitality. Why are we doing the peace plan all 68 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:21.600 around the world. I mean, that's a lot of work. 69 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:25.439 Whyt me just be a happy, little selfish church. Why 70 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.439 are we doing partnering with other churches and equipping servant 71 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:33.879 leaders and teaching management to leaders overseas and assisting the 72 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:37.160 poor and caring for the sick and educating the next 73 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:39.199 generation peacee Why. 74 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:39.600 Are we doing that? 75 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:42.639 Because the Peace plan is simply hospitality. 76 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:45.439 It's just practical love. 77 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:48.000 And Jesus said, if you're going to be like me, 78 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:52.120 you're going to do that. Look at the next one, the. 79 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:55.160 Seventh ingredient for living like Jesus. You want to live 80 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:56.000 like Jesus. 81 00:04:56.040 --> 00:05:06.120 Civility, discernibility and take humility, simplicity, possibility, hospitality, and civility. 82 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:07.639 This is how God wants you. 83 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:11.199 To act for people who disagree with you. Now, sadly, 84 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:16.879 civility has become, unfortunately a counter culture value in our society. 85 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:20.439 I don't know if you've noticed how uncivil our culture 86 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:23.279 has become. People are just flat out rude today. You 87 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:27.199 noticed that they're just rude. They're not polite to each other, 88 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:31.519 they're not civil with each other. During the last election cycle, 89 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:35.680 I decided to subscribe to eight political magazines, and I 90 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.959 got four of them from the left, and I got 91 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.079 four of them from the right. I subscribed to four 92 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:43.920 liberal magazines and I subscribed to four conservative magazines because 93 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:46.879 I just wanted to read their different take on the 94 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:50.800 different issues. At the end of the year, I let 95 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:55.800 all eight subscriptions drop. Why because they were just bickering 96 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:59.319 and bad mouthing each other and not really dealing with 97 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:04.839 the issues. They were just demonizing each other and partisan 98 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:08.279 bickering and yelling and just name calling. 99 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:10.360 And it wasn't really about the issues. It was just 100 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:11.399 about how bad. 101 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:17.120 The other team was with character part, you know, assassinations. 102 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.279 Now, what's happening in America? 103 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:23.759 As our nation becomes more pluralized, That means we have 104 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:28.920 more people coming in from different perspectives, different places, different perspectives. 105 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:33.519 The greater our differences become, and the more differences we have, 106 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:38.879 the more divisive people are becoming. Of course, the media 107 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:41.759 loves this. They like a fight. Have you noticed that, 108 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.160 you know? On talk shows they like the people who 109 00:06:45.240 --> 00:06:46.040 yelled at each other. 110 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:48.360 They like the violence. 111 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:50.920 They don't ever you know, they don't ever have calm 112 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.920 discussions except on public television, you know, But they want 113 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.079 where people yell at each other and call each other 114 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:02.560 names and assassinate each other's and give barbes and one liners, 115 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.959 because that's good good therapy, our good theater. 116 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:09.079 And as a result, the. 117 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:12.199 Media just keeps whipping it up, and books that are 118 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.360 designed to attack actually sell better than those that just 119 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:16.519 present a good argument. 120 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:21.160 I was in the home of a well known leader. 121 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:23.839 I'm not going to mention which side this leader was on, 122 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.680 and that person said to me, he said, the quickest 123 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:31.879 way to raise money is get an enemy. He said, 124 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:35.759 you can raise ten times the money against something as 125 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:36.920 you can for something. 126 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:39.319 I thought, that's pathetic. 127 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:43.560 That is pathetic that we live in that kind of 128 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:47.360 uncivil society. I was interviewed the other day, but somebody 129 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.279 don't remember who it was, and they said, we keep 130 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:53.959 hearing about this Second Reformation. What would you like to 131 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:57.800 see happen in America? And I said, I'd like to 132 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:04.319 see three things. Of credibility in the church, the restoration 133 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.639 of responsibility in individual lives. It's purpose driven life, it's 134 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.199 not about you. And the restoration of civility in our 135 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:16.120 culture so that you can disagree without being disagreeable, that 136 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:18.000 people still respect each other. 137 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:19.360 Even if they don't agree. 138 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.560 Why do I want that, because Jesus said, blessed are 139 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:30.079 the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. 140 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:34.320 Not the people who create conflict and division, but the peacemakers, 141 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.480 the bridged builders. In fact, Jesus said this, they're on 142 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:42.039 your outline. You're blessed well. First look at the first 143 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:46.320 verse Matthew seven twelve. In everything you'd do, or in 144 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:51.159 everything do to others what you'd have them do to you. Now, 145 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:52.919 this is one of the most famous quotes of Jesus. 146 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:54.679 It's called the Golden Rule. 147 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:57.279 You know this, do unto others as you would have 148 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.919 them do unto you. The word for that is civility. 149 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:04.759 Civility is just treating other people the way you'd like 150 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:07.960 to be treated, even if you disagree with them, even 151 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.320 if they're flat out dead wrong, even if they're fighting 152 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:15.320 against you. You treat them the way you would like 153 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:19.519 to be treated. That's civility. And the next verse, Jesus 154 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:23.039 says this, you're blessed when you can show people how 155 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:27.679 to cooperate instead of compete or fight. I want God's 156 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:30.840 blessing on your life, So I want you to learn 157 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:32.720 how to be civil toward people. 158 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:35.279 God wants you to do that. 159 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.639 Now, here's the eighth key, and it goes even a 160 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.840 step beyond hospitality and civility. 161 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:40.879 It's charity. 162 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:45.399 If you want to be a Christian, you want to 163 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:46.759 live like Jesus. 164 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:50.080 You want to live his lifestyle, the. 165 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:52.559 Jesus countercultural, radical lifestyle. 166 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:55.039 You must learn to live with charity. Now. 167 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.279 Charity is a big basket that holds a lot of 168 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:09.559 other concepts like forgiveness and mercy, kindness, grace, graciousness, compassion. 169 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.480 All these things are wrapped into the idea of charity 170 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:17.919 showing love to people, and the Bible says that the 171 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:22.879 greatest of these is love. Now because we have been 172 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:25.559 shown grace by God. God says, I want you to 173 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:26.600 be gracious. 174 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:26.879 To other people. 175 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:30.799 God says, if I have shown you grace, you ought 176 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:33.919 to cut other people a little bit of slack. Okay, 177 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:37.240 just don't make him toe the line so hard. Cut 178 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:40.600 them a little slack. God says, I'm gracious to you. 179 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:44.240 Why don't you be gracious to other people, give them 180 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:48.000 a little grace on some things, and don't just beat 181 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:51.279 him over the head with stuff. You see, God gives 182 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:54.759 me the freedom to choose or reject him to love 183 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:56.879 him or not love him. And if God gives me 184 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.360 free choice, I ought to give it to everybody else, 185 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.440 even if they make the wrong choice. I don't believe 186 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:06.600 in a theocracy where you force everybody to believe one 187 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:09.440 thing that's not real belief. Anyway, God gives me a 188 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:11.360 free choice, and I how to give it to everybody 189 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:17.440 else and show charity and show love. Now this is 190 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:22.200 so counterculture because we live in a culture that says, 191 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.120 you know, fight your enemies and love your love your friends. 192 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:29.080 And yet Jesus says this in Matthew five. I'm telling you, 193 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:33.440 Jesus say, I'm telling you to love your enemies. Now, 194 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:35.279 let me be honest with you. I don't want to 195 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:38.559 do that. I don't know about you, but I don't 196 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:40.840 want to do that. I don't want to love my enemies. 197 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:44.000 I really, I'm just being honest. I don't want to 198 00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:47.039 love my enemies. But Jesus said, if you're going to 199 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:51.159 call yourself a Christian, you gotta you gotta do it. 200 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.519 You gotta love your enemies. 201 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.639 Look at the rest, let them bring out the best 202 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:01.039 in you, not the worst. And somebody gives you a 203 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:04.159 hard time, respond with the energies of prayer. 204 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:05.039 If they put you. 205 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.080 Down, they persecute you for being a Christian, he says, 206 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:08.039 he just pray for them. 207 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:11.559 Now do you do this? Do you do this at work? 208 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:16.000 You show charity when somebody irritates you at work. 209 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:17.679 Or at school, or in your neighborhood. 210 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:20.919 Somebody ticks you off, or you're at shopping and you 211 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.879 get a clerk who's a jerk? Do they bring out 212 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:29.320 the best in you or the worst in you? They 213 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:31.679 make you do the right thing, or do you want 214 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:32.080 to do. 215 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:35.600 The wrong thing? God says, show him charity. 216 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:38.120 Give them a little forgiveness, Give them a little slack, 217 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:39.159 give them a little grace. 218 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:40.799 Maybe they've had a tough day. 219 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:44.399 You don't know what they've been going through, he says, 220 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:48.120 give them a little peace of mind. Look at the 221 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:52.840 next verse. Jesus says this, Do not judge and you'll 222 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:57.000 not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not 223 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:04.919 be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Whoa He said, 224 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.440 this is what I want you to do. I want 225 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:09.120 you to don't. You're not here to judge the world. 226 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.799 It's time for Christians to stop judging the world and 227 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:13.759 start loving it. 228 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:19.000 God so loved the world, and he says, I want 229 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:20.840 you to love it. The people. 230 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:23.799 Yes, we are in a battle of ideas, and there 231 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:29.080 is a cultural battle going on over the values that 232 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:32.480 we believe in. But even the people who disagree with you, 233 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:37.000 they're not the enemy. They're the mission field. They are 234 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.240 people that Jesus died for and he wants them to 235 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:41.960 know his love as much as he wants you to 236 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.960 know it. And all those people that you don't like 237 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:47.879 because of what they believe and the things they're doing 238 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:51.039 in our society, Jesus says, I love them this much too, 239 00:13:52.279 --> 00:13:55.080 and I expect you to love them, and I expect 240 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:59.120 you to show charity to them. Now, then here's the 241 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.840 ninth ingredient. If you're going to live like Jesus, you 242 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:10.480 must live with generosity, hospitality, civility, charity, and now generosity. 243 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.080 Why does God want us to learn generosity so we 244 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:14.639 can be like him? 245 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:17.559 God is generous, Scot so love that he gave. 246 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:21.559 Every time I give, it makes me more like Jesus Christ. 247 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:25.879 Every time I give, my heart grows bigger. Every time 248 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:29.720 I give, I break the grip of materialism in my life. 249 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:35.600 I become less materialistic every time I give, because materialism 250 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:39.039 is all about getting getting getting, So when I give, 251 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:42.200 I win a spiritual victory. Every time I give, whether 252 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.720 I feel anything or not, it's a spiritual victory in 253 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:45.279 my life. 254 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:48.159 Now, this church has learned. 255 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:49.879 Generosity, you know, as I've learned generosity. 256 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:52.039 You know that Kay and I are reversed. Tithers. 257 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.279 We give away ninety percent and we live on ten percent. 258 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.960 And I don't take a salary from Saddleback Church. But God, 259 00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:02.799 God says, you learn to give, and I will bless 260 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:03.159 you back. 261 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.840 Look at this next verse on your outline. I want 262 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:06.679 you to see this verse. 263 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:13.360 It says, use your worldly resources to benefit others and 264 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.279 make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up for 265 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:23.559 you a reward in heaven, a reward for you in heaven. 266 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:24.039 Now. 267 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.840 I used to not understand this verse because it looks 268 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.200 like it says, God says, buy yourself some friends. Use 269 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:32.320 your money to make friends and be like, hey, you 270 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:34.399 be my friend to give you a hundred bucks. It's 271 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:37.840 like make friends with kool aid. You know, Well, what 272 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:40.440 does that mean? Well, when you go and you study 273 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:44.960 the scripture, here's what that verse means. He says, take 274 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.320 some of your money, not all of it. Take some 275 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:51.600 of your money and use it to help people learn 276 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:55.600 about Jesus and hear the good news, so that when 277 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:58.240 they're saved, they're going to get to heaven. And when 278 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:01.000 you get there, they'll welcome you as friends and say, hey, 279 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:04.960 thank you because you spent some money to help build 280 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:08.919 a church. I'm now in heaven because that church reached. 281 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:11.000 Me, and so I want to thank you. 282 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:14.480 I will be forever, eternally grateful for you. I'm your 283 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:17.639 friend forever, not a friend for life. I'm a friend forever. 284 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.720 He's just saying, use some of your money to invest 285 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:22.799 in helping others. And I want you to circle the phrase, 286 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:27.399 use that word use, and then write this on your outline. 287 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:32.240 Money is a tool. Money is a tool. 288 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:36.240 People say, Oh, doesn't the Bible say money is the 289 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.799 root of all evil? 290 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.639 No, it does not. It does not say that. 291 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:46.639 It says the love of money is the root of 292 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:50.440 all evil. The love of money. Why money is to 293 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:53.360 be look up here for this minute. Money is to 294 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:58.480 be used. People are to be loved. That's the right priority. 295 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:02.559 Use money love people. Now, when you get that reversed, 296 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:06.240 you're in trouble because when you start loving money, you're 297 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:10.119 gonna use people. You love money, You're gonna use people. 298 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:12.759 You're gonna step over them, trample them, take advantage of them, 299 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:16.920 to rip them off, to get more money. Money is 300 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.119 to be used. People are to be loved. Don't ever 301 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.920 reverse that. He says, I want you to learn to 302 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:27.680 be generous like me. In fact, there are more promises 303 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:32.519 in the Bible about generosity than anything else in the Bible. 304 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.799 More promises. Look at this next, here's just one of them. 305 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:35.799 Jesus says, this. 306 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:40.759 Give, and it will be given to you. For the 307 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:44.039 measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. 308 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:46.000 God says, you get to choose how much I bless 309 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:49.519 your life. Whatever measure you use, I'll measured back to you. 310 00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:52.799 I've been playing this game with God for thirty years. 311 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.240 God says, let's see who can give the most, You 312 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:58.039 or me? Rick and I have lost every year for 313 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:00.960 thirty years. And I keep up in it, every year, 314 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:03.039 up in it, every year, up and every year. You know, 315 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:06.960 I started at ten percent thirty years ago, and I 316 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.319 cannot outgive God. 317 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:10.720 Now. 318 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:16.759 If you're not given, you need to start giving, not 319 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.599 because the church needs it, but because you need it, 320 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:23.440 you need it in your heart. Now let's get to 321 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:26.440 the last one, number ten. The tenth way that you 322 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:33.519 become like Jesus is to live with priority. Live with priority. 323 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:38.799 That means know what's first. First things first. Jesus was 324 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:42.279 a man who was purpose driven. He knew his purpose 325 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.000 that he lived with priorities. The earliest statement we have 326 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.920 in Jesus is when he's twelve years old and he 327 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.519 says this, I must be about my father's business. At 328 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:53.640 age twelve, he already knew his life plan. 329 00:18:54.680 --> 00:18:56.960 He was focused, he was purposed. 330 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:00.480 At the end of his life, he says, it is finished. 331 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:04.880 That's the bookends of a successful life. I would like, 332 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:08.240 as your pastor to help you live a successful life. 333 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.480 I'd like to help you get to the end of 334 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.079 your life and say I did it. I used my 335 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:16.119 life the way God wanted me. I got up to 336 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.680 a little rocky start, but I used the rest of 337 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:20.920 my life the way God wanted me to use it. 338 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:24.720 And I put him first. And notice what Jesus said 339 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:29.039 in Luke twelve. Only people who don't know God are 340 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:29.839 always worrying. 341 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:30.880 What does that mean? 342 00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:34.200 It means that when I worry, I'm acting like an atheist. 343 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.240 Worry is practical atheism. It's saying, I don't really believe 344 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:39.640 God's going to take care of me. I don't believe 345 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:41.799 I have a heavenly father. I'm acting like an orphan. 346 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:43.599 He says this. 347 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:47.920 Jesus said, your father knows what you need, but put 348 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:49.440 God's work first. 349 00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:50.960 That's priority. 350 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:54.759 Put God's work first, and these other things will be 351 00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:57.759 yours as well. All the other things in your life, 352 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:02.359 your career life, and your education, and your friendships, and 353 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:05.599 your romance and your finances and all they're all good. 354 00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:10.359 They're all from God. But he says, you put me first. 355 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:14.039 If you're a Christian, God's number one. He comes first 356 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:17.720 in your life. Everything else is second place. God's number one. 357 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:19.880 And he says, when you put in number one, everything 358 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:23.359 else will come into focus. God will help you with that. 359 00:20:24.119 --> 00:20:26.079 You ever talk to somebody says, oh, I'm just trying 360 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:29.680 to find myself. Well, I hate to tell them, but 361 00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:32.279 they're not ever going to find it unless they do 362 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:36.079 what the next verse says. Jesus said this if your 363 00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:39.039 first concern, in other words, that's your priority. If your 364 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:44.000 first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. 365 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:49.279 But if you forget about yourself and you look to me, 366 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:57.000 you'll find both yourself and me. The most countercultural statement 367 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:00.480 in today's world is the first sentence of the purpose 368 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:01.119 driven life. 369 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:02.000 It's not about you. 370 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:06.519 Because everything in society says, oh, it's all about you. 371 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:09.759 All of the advertisements say, it's all about you. Have 372 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:13.039 it your way, we do it all for you. You 373 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:16.000 deserve or break the day, obey your thirst. 374 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:18.160 You're good enough. It's all about you. 375 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:21.880 It teaches self centeredness, and yet God says the only 376 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:24.279 way you're ever going to find yourself is by forgetting 377 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:28.160 yourself and start focusing on God. And then you'll not 378 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:33.400 only figure out God, you'll figure out you. That's what 379 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:36.480 it means to live like Jesus. That's about our heads. 380 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:43.119 Would you pray this prayer in your heart, Dear God. 381 00:21:44.279 --> 00:21:45.960 I want to live with discernment. 382 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:49.799 I don't want to be a cynic or skeptic, but 383 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:51.799 I want to use my brain and. 384 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.640 To not just automatically accept what other people say is 385 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:56.079 the truth. 386 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:00.000 I want to live with integrity. 387 00:22:01.400 --> 00:22:07.640 There's no dark parts in my life, no compartmentalization. But 388 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:11.319 I want my whole life to be your life and 389 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:14.599 I want to learn to live with humility depending on you. 390 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:18.200 Forgive me for the times I get stressed out when 391 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:20.559 I try to control things and I don't trust you. 392 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:23.640 Help me to come to you and to give up 393 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:29.680 control and to learn to trust. Help me to live 394 00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:34.200 a life of simplicity, to not worry about all the 395 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:39.759 stuff and piling it up, but to realize life isn't 396 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:46.319 about things, It's about time and relationships. Help me to 397 00:22:46.359 --> 00:22:50.799 see the possibilities. Help me to believe you for great 398 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:55.319 things in my life, that all things are possible. Help 399 00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:58.480 me to see the possibilities in my marriage, or my kids, 400 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:01.640 or my family, or my job, my boyfriend and girlfriend. 401 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:01.559