¤¤
00:00:00.43\00:00:02.30
>> All: Amen.
00:07:26.68\00:07:30.38
>> At this time, PMC, let's come
together and pray at the foot of
00:12:15.20\00:12:21.34
the steps. Let's
come together and enter
00:12:21.34\00:12:27.31
into God's courts
together through prayer.
00:12:27.31\00:12:31.58
>> So, how close are we
to an economic collapse?
00:13:51.39\00:13:55.26
I hold in my hands a paper
from thebalance.com website.
00:13:55.26\00:14:02.67
Opens up, "If an economic
collapse occurs, it would happen
00:14:02.67\00:14:06.51
quickly. No one
would predict it.
00:14:06.51\00:14:08.88
The surprise factor is, itself,
one of the causes of a collapse.
00:14:08.88\00:14:12.65
The signs of imminent failure
are difficult for most people to
00:14:12.65\00:14:15.95
see."
00:14:15.95\00:14:17.55
Here are seven potential
scenarios for the United States.
So, let me read them to you.
00:14:17.59\00:14:23.99
Number one...number one... is
here, on the back. Number one --
00:14:23.99\00:14:33.13
"If the U.S. dollar rapidly
loses value, it would create
hyperinflation." Now, our
00:14:33.13\00:14:38.31
inflation rate, right now, is
between 2% and 3%, okay?
Hyperinflation -- Our friends in
00:14:38.31\00:14:43.21
Venezuela, right now, are
experiencing that. 121%
inflation, possibly going up in
00:14:43.21\00:14:50.65
2019 to 10 million percent.
Yeah, that's trouble. Okay, so,
00:14:50.65\00:14:53.89
that's number one. Number two --
"A bank run could force banks to
close or even go out of
00:14:53.89\00:14:58.09
business." Everybody going into
the bank at the same time. "I
00:14:58.09\00:15:01.73
want my money now. I'm just not
sure." It could go out of
business, cutting off lending
00:15:01.73\00:15:06.37
and even cash withdrawals.
Number three -- "The Internet
could become paralyzed with a
00:15:06.37\00:15:10.24
super-virus, preventing e-mails
and online transactions." And we
could not live without
00:15:10.24\00:15:14.28
the Internet. Come on. Be
honest. Right? Number four --
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.65
"Terrorist attacks or a massive
oil embargo could halt
interstate trucking, and grocery
00:15:17.65\00:15:22.28
stores would soon run out of
food." Trucks are what take our
groceries across America.
00:15:22.28\00:15:26.09
Number five -- "Widespread
violence erupts across the
00:15:26.09\00:15:29.99
nation. That could range from
inner-city riots to civil war or
a foreign military attack.
00:15:29.99\00:15:33.73
It's possible that a combination
of these events could overwhelm
the government's ability to
00:15:33.73\00:15:37.87
prevent or respond to a
collapse." Number six -- some
00:15:37.87\00:15:41.00
sort of conspiracy. It could be
the Federal Reserve. It could be
00:15:41.00\00:15:44.81
something in the executive
branch, perhaps even a foreign
conspiracy brings the country
00:15:44.81\00:15:49.48
down, because if the government
-- As it reads here, "The
economy is run on confidence
00:15:49.48\00:15:53.82
that debts will be repaid, food
and gas will be available when
you need it, and that you'll get
00:15:53.82\00:15:58.35
paid for this week's work. But
if a large-enough piece of that
stops for even several
00:15:58.35\00:16:01.96
days, it creates a chain
reaction that leads to a rapid
00:16:01.96\00:16:05.33
collapse." All right, number
seven -- This could cause an
economic collapse in the U.S.
00:16:05.33\00:16:10.23
"Natural disasters could cause
localized collapse. If Hurricane
00:16:10.23\00:16:16.17
Irma hit Miami not on the East
Coast, but hit Florida on the
West Coast --" It's actually the
00:16:16.17\00:16:23.14
other way around. If it had gone
up the east and not, instead,
00:16:23.14\00:16:28.05
gone up the west, Miami would
have -- It would have been worse
than Katrina. That would be New
00:16:28.05\00:16:32.35
Orleans. Now, listen to this. If
the 2019 polar vortex -- Which
we all survived, right?
00:16:32.35\00:16:36.96
If the vortex had lasted weeks,
instead of days, cities would
00:16:36.96\00:16:41.66
have shut down. Many of these
extreme-weather events are
getting worse. So, truth is --
00:16:41.66\00:16:46.90
whether it's an economic
collapse or an economic crisis
or no crisis at all, it really
00:16:46.90\00:16:52.44
doesn't matter, because if
you're going through,
personally, a financial crisis
00:16:52.44\00:16:57.95
right now -- and you know if you
are -- that's all that counts.
If I'm going through a meltdown,
00:16:57.95\00:17:05.39
financially, right now, who
cares what's happening to the
nation? I had a college student
00:17:05.39\00:17:08.99
in my office here, bawling
his eyes out. You know why?
00:17:08.99\00:17:14.56
Because his parents had loaned
them their credit card, and he
had driven the balance up
00:17:14.56\00:17:20.50
$10,000-plus and had no way to
repay it. That's enough to make
00:17:20.50\00:17:26.01
any grown man cry. So, you may
be the one today. I may be the
00:17:26.01\00:17:34.58
one tomorrow. Given that we're
living on this razor-thin edge
of potential economic crisis or
00:17:34.58\00:17:41.29
collapse, this seems to be the
right time to say, "Are there
any proven principles to
00:17:41.29\00:17:48.26
survive, financially?" Listen,
we did a survey here on the
campus about four weeks ago,
00:17:48.26\00:17:53.80
thanks to the university's
permission. 318 students
00:17:53.80\00:17:57.24
responded. We have a little
group called the Collegiate
Council. Where's William sit?
00:17:57.24\00:18:01.94
Collegiate Council. And I've
been meeting with them Tuesdays
00:18:01.94\00:18:06.11
at 5:00. So, we put this little
survey together. It went to
00:18:06.11\00:18:09.65
every student. 318 sent it back.
The number-two-felt need of
00:18:09.65\00:18:13.56
students at Andrews University
-- guess what -- financial.
00:18:13.56\00:18:17.63
Financial. This little series is
coming out of that. Number one?
00:18:17.63\00:18:21.06
We're gonna get to that the
first opening Sabbath of the new
00:18:21.06\00:18:25.97
school year. Collegiate Council
putting the entire series
together. I want to go to a
00:18:25.97\00:18:31.81
powerful principle embedded in a
story that begins like this.
Once upon a time, there were two
00:18:31.81\00:18:38.68
brothers. One was named Harley,
and the other was named Harry.
00:18:38.68\00:18:42.55
And, by the way, that's not
Harley-Davidson, and that's not
00:18:42.55\00:18:46.99
Prince Harry. But they were
brothers nonetheless. One day, a
man very much admired
00:18:46.99\00:18:50.96
by the brothers was their
houseguest. So, Harley, being
00:18:50.96\00:18:54.63
the more culinarily skilled of
the two, is whipping up a
cyclone of delectable food in
00:18:54.63\00:19:01.10
the kitchen, and Harry, never
drawn to kitchens at all, is in
the sun-room of their apartment,
00:19:01.10\00:19:05.71
sitting down with the man. And
the man has obviously captured
00:19:05.71\00:19:12.45
the attention and enamoring
Harry, because Harry's doing
less talking, and the man more,
00:19:12.45\00:19:17.79
until, finally, Harley comes
exploding out of that kitchen,
and he interrupts the
00:19:17.79\00:19:21.89
conversation. And he talks to
the guest. "I don't suppose
you've noticed that my brother's
00:19:21.89\00:19:26.86
sitting there with you while I'm
slaving away in the kitchen.
Would it be all right if you put
00:19:26.86\00:19:31.33
a pause on this little chitchat
and sent him into the kitchen
00:19:31.33\00:19:37.24
with me?" Now, look, I suppose
this story of two brothers,
Harley and Harry, could be a
00:19:37.24\00:19:43.55
story of two sisters, Martha and
Mary. But I switched it around
for a reason, because every time
00:19:43.55\00:19:49.95
we come -- we guys come to the
story of Martha and Mary, we
say, "Oh, that's a girl's story.
00:19:49.95\00:19:54.36
I'm not even into that."
The story has nothing to do with
00:19:54.36\00:19:57.69
gender. It could be boys. It
could be brothers. It could be
00:19:57.69\00:20:01.00
sisters. The story has
everything to do with
generation, and in fact, it has
00:20:01.00\00:20:05.90
our generation written all over
it. Now I want to go to that --
I want to go to that story with
00:20:05.90\00:20:08.67
you, so open your Bible up,
please, to the Gospel of Luke
00:20:08.67\00:20:11.21
10. Luke 10. I'm in the NIV
today. Whatever translation you
have is fine with me.
00:20:11.21\00:20:16.61
Didn't bring a Bible, you got it
on the phone, don't have it,
then grab the pew Bible in front
00:20:16.61\00:20:20.88
of you. What's the page number
there? The page number would be
00:20:20.88\00:20:25.52
699. Let's go. Luke 10:38.
00:20:25.52\00:20:28.16
Oh, boy. Put that up.
Isolate that one, please, on the
00:20:45.54\00:20:48.54
screen.
00:20:48.54\00:20:50.98
She must have been a Third
Millennial. I'll tell you what
00:20:51.01\00:20:54.12
-- you go to Google and you type
in the word "distractions," man,
there are thousands of sites
00:20:54.12\00:20:58.19
dealing with what plagues us
today. In fact, I went through
blog after blog, and it seems
00:20:58.19\00:21:02.52
pretty clear to me that there
are three top distractions. And
I want to share those with
00:21:02.52\00:21:06.76
you right now, so grab
your study guide. It's in your
00:21:06.76\00:21:10.13
worship bulletin. Pull it out.
And those who are watching right
now, let me put a website on the
00:21:10.13\00:21:13.27
screen for you. Those of
you that are live-streaming are
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.90
already there, of course, but if
you're watching on television --
There, you see it, right there.
00:21:15.90\00:21:19.64
Www.newperceptions.tv. So, this
is a brand-new series, beginning
00:21:19.64\00:21:26.01
right now. "How to Survive the
Coming Economic Crisis." Part 1
is entitled "How to
00:21:26.01\00:21:29.48
Survive Your Own Financial
Crisis." You go there, it says
00:21:29.48\00:21:32.59
"study guide." You'll
have the identical study guide.
00:21:32.59\00:21:34.96
But let's go. Come on. What's
everybody calling distraction
00:21:34.96\00:21:38.63
out there? Jot it down, please.
Distraction number one -- And,
by the way, these all start with
00:21:38.63\00:21:42.46
"S." Distraction number one
would be what I have in my hip
00:21:42.46\00:21:45.60
pocket. What's that? That's
my smartphone. Of course, it's a
00:21:45.60\00:21:48.84
smartphone. Yep, that is a
source of distraction for the
entire human race, and
00:21:48.84\00:21:53.31
everybody's agreed. Distraction
number two -- it starts with an
"S" -- social media.
00:21:53.31\00:21:56.88
Social media. Hey, jot
this number down, will you?
00:21:56.88\00:22:00.55
Amazing. The average adult
in this country spends 5.9 hours
00:22:00.55\00:22:05.22
online per day. We're
talking about adults. 5.9.
00:22:05.22\00:22:08.66
Whoa-ho! How about the
average teen? Jot it down.
00:22:08.66\00:22:12.63
9 hours online every day. Oh-ho!
9 hours. Where do you get 9
00:22:12.63\00:22:18.83
hours? I don't know. You just
get them. All right, talking
00:22:18.83\00:22:22.87
about distractions, both adults
and teens, a UC Irvine study
found out -- jot this down, will
00:22:22.87\00:22:28.91
you? -- discovered that it takes
us 23 minutes and 15 seconds --
jot that down -- 23 minutes,
00:22:28.91\00:22:35.25
15 seconds to get back on track
after we've been distracted.
Whether we're in a class or
00:22:35.25\00:22:41.22
whether we're at work or whether
we're in our dorm room, it
00:22:41.22\00:22:44.73
doesn't matter. When that
"ding!" goes, our mind goes
immediately to that
00:22:44.73\00:22:49.63
notification, right? Of course.
23 minutes to get back into
00:22:49.63\00:22:52.73
gear. How great. So,
there they are. "But Martha was
00:22:52.73\00:22:57.57
distracted." We just read that.
No wonder. But there's a huge
distraction that has almost
00:22:57.57\00:23:02.84
become a ball and chain for you
and me, and this is distraction
number -- Distraction number one
00:23:02.84\00:23:07.12
is smartphone. Number two is
social media. This one starts
00:23:07.12\00:23:10.65
with an "S." What is it? Put it
on the screen, please.
Distraction number three --
00:23:10.65\00:23:14.26
stuff. Stuff. Come on.
Isn't that the truth? Stuff.
00:23:14.26\00:23:18.83
We're distracted by stuff. Jot
down these wow numbers. USA
Today, this month -- wow
00:23:18.83\00:23:23.80
numbers. You're gonna have
to keep your hand moving here.
00:23:23.80\00:23:26.74
Here comes stat number one. 430
million credit cards are now in
00:23:26.74\00:23:33.44
circulation in the U.S. of "A."
430 million. Do you understand
00:23:33.44\00:23:37.38
that there are under 330 million
of us, from babies to the aged.
That means every human being in
00:23:37.38\00:23:42.05
the United States could have
a credit card. We'd have 100
00:23:42.05\00:23:46.09
million more left over in case
we wanted to do more shopping.
You can't believe it.
00:23:46.09\00:23:49.52
430 million. Keep going. Number
two -- consumer debt, last year
00:23:49.52\00:23:54.00
-- What are you talking about,
Dwight? Well, this would be out
of loans, student loans.
00:23:54.00\00:23:57.10
Oh, we got one coming up on
student loans, 'cause that's
00:23:57.10\00:24:00.07
huge. Auto debt, student loans,
personal loans, and credit cards
-- no mortgages, no house
00:24:00.07\00:24:05.04
mortgages, none of that kind
of stuff, okay? What's the -- We
00:24:05.04\00:24:09.28
hit a new high this last
year. Jot it down. Just over $4
00:24:09.28\00:24:14.52
trillion. That's a 4 with 12
zeroes. You get a little
writer's cramp driving those
00:24:14.52\00:24:19.42
zeroes onto that line, but go
ahead and jot them down. $4
trillion. Not billion.
00:24:19.42\00:24:24.39
$4 trillion in consumer debt.
Anybody here -- Oh, come on.
Time-out. Time-out.
00:24:24.39\00:24:30.10
Lookit -- we're so used to
hearing "trilling," we don't
even know what to do with it.
00:24:30.10\00:24:33.97
Anybody here know how much a
trillion dollars is? Here it is.
00:24:33.97\00:24:39.87
A trillion dollars would be if
you spent $1 a second -- I just
00:24:39.91\00:24:43.14
wish you'd try me --
do an experiment with me.
00:24:43.14\00:24:45.68
Just let me do that.
Give me the dollars, please.
00:24:45.68\00:24:48.35
If you spent $1 a second,
you would have, in a day,
00:24:48.35\00:24:52.15
86,400 bucks, all right? If
you did that for a year, you
00:24:52.15\00:24:57.43
would have $31.5 million.
At the rate of spending, that
00:24:57.43\00:25:01.10
rate, it would take you for --
$1 trillion -- write it down --
00:25:01.10\00:25:05.00
32,000 years to pay it off.
00:25:05.00\00:25:09.30
32,000 doing this -- a dollar
a second. You can't believe it.
00:25:09.34\00:25:14.38
To spend -- And, now, this is
not -- This is $4 trillion, so
four times that would take you
00:25:14.38\00:25:20.05
128,000 years. That's longer
than most of us here are gonna
00:25:20.05\00:25:25.42
live. [ Laughter ] No, I'm
serious. Can you believe that?
00:25:25.42\00:25:31.99
$4 trillion, consumer debt. But
now here's another one. Thank
00:25:31.99\00:25:36.67
you, USA Today. Here's another
one. Let's ask, "What is
consumer spending like?"
00:25:36.67\00:25:40.00
So we're talking about food.
We're talking about gas. We're
00:25:40.00\00:25:43.61
talking clothing. We're talking
about going to Colorado to go
snow-skiing. We're talking about
00:25:43.61\00:25:47.71
technology, electronics. And
we're talking about gadgets,
gadgets, gadgets, gadgets,
00:25:47.71\00:25:51.25
because that's where we spend
most of our money, right?
All-time high last year.
00:25:51.25\00:25:56.38
Jot it down. $13,032,300,000,000
spent by Americans last year.
00:25:56.38\00:26:06.16
That's just consumer
spending in America. [ Laughs ]
00:26:06.16\00:26:10.03
At $1 per second, that would
take you 416,000 years to spend.
00:26:10.03\00:26:17.04
Go figure. Turns out that we
have a lot of wants, we have a
lot of needs, and we've got a
00:26:17.04\00:26:23.98
lot of stuff. Joshua Becker, who
considers himself a minimalist
-- he has a blog called
00:26:23.98\00:26:27.75
"Becoming Minimalist." And he's
run by a whole set of stats, and
00:26:27.75\00:26:31.89
I'm gonna run by you -- There's
a website in the study guide.
You can go, 'cause there are 21
00:26:31.89\00:26:35.79
of these. I've just
cherry-picked a bunch of them.
00:26:35.79\00:26:38.56
Let me run them by you real
quick here. According to the
00:26:38.56\00:26:42.30
L.A. Times, there are 300,000
items in the average American
home. That's a spoon, a fork.
00:26:42.30\00:26:46.60
You know, 300,000, okay? British
research, according to The
Telegraph, found that the
00:26:46.60\00:26:52.31
average 10-year-old owns
238 toys but plays with just 12
00:26:52.31\00:26:56.34
daily. Those would be my two
granddaughters. So, I'm telling
00:26:56.34\00:27:00.62
you what -- they got hundreds of
toys but play with 12 a day.
Moreover -- this is UCLA -- 3.1%
00:27:00.62\00:27:08.96
of the world's children live in
America, but they own 40% of the
00:27:08.96\00:27:15.06
world's toys. Go figure. Here's
a fourth one. Oh, Psychology
00:27:15.06\00:27:20.17
Today. Americans spend more on
shoes, jewelry, and watches --
$100 billion -- than on higher
00:27:20.17\00:27:25.14
education. Here's another one.
Number five -- shopping malls
00:27:25.14\00:27:30.35
outnumber high schools in
America. Yeah, you already knew
00:27:30.35\00:27:35.72
that one. 93% of teenage girls
rank shopping as their favorite
pastime, according to
00:27:35.72\00:27:39.75
"Affluenza." My. What's this
one? Number six -- Americans
00:27:39.75\00:27:44.66
spend $1.2 trillion -- remember
how much a trillion is --
annually, according to
00:27:44.66\00:27:48.80
The Wall Street Journal, on
non-essential goods, in other
words, items they do not need.
00:27:48.80\00:27:53.74
$1.2 trillion. You didn't
need that. You didn't need that.
00:27:53.74\00:27:56.54
That's why you got a two-car
garage, 'cause you don't need
00:27:56.54\00:27:59.17
it. The cars are outside,
by the way. That's America.
00:27:59.17\00:28:06.45
My. One more.
00:28:06.45\00:28:08.05
The $800 billion
home-organization industry has
00:28:08.08\00:28:10.89
more than doubled in size since
the early 2000s, growing at a
00:28:10.89\00:28:14.42
staggering rate of 10% every
year, leading Joshua Becker to
00:28:14.42\00:28:19.16
conclude -- His
words on the screen.
00:28:19.16\00:28:21.60
Oh, I love this.
00:28:33.21\00:28:34.61
[ Laughter ]
00:28:39.75\00:28:41.52
We got Neighbor to Neighbor here
in town. You got Goodwill all
00:28:41.55\00:28:44.65
over this county. Just get rid
of it. You don't have to have
00:28:44.65\00:28:48.52
all of that. Not in
Lodi or in Berrien Springs.
00:28:48.52\00:28:55.23
Give it away. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, in his classic
00:28:55.23\00:28:58.77
commentary on the Sermon on the
Mount -- Boy, did he nail --
This is back in the 1930s when
00:28:58.77\00:29:03.47
he wrote that book. Did he nail
it on the head or what? Dietrich
00:29:03.47\00:29:06.54
Bonhoeffer. Take a look at this.
Jot it down. "Earthly gifts," he
00:29:06.54\00:29:10.78
writes, "are given to be used,
not to be collected." You use
00:29:10.78\00:29:14.58
them. You don't collect them.
Keep reading. "The disciple --"
00:29:14.58\00:29:17.75
that would be you and me --
"must receive his, her portion
from God every day."
00:29:17.75\00:29:21.26
If she stores it up as a
permanent possession, she
00:29:21.29\00:29:23.36
spoils not only the
gift, but --" write it down --
00:29:23.36\00:29:25.49
"herself, himself, as well,
for we set our hearts on our
00:29:25.49\00:29:29.63
accumulated wealth, and that
makes it a barrier between us
00:29:29.63\00:29:34.00
and God." Last
line. Oh, this is good.
00:29:34.00\00:29:36.54
"Where our treasure is
--" Whatever your treasure is.
00:29:36.54\00:29:40.11
"Where our treasure is,
there is our trust, there is our
00:29:40.11\00:29:43.85
security, there is our
consolation, and our God."
00:29:43.85\00:29:47.45
Final line.
"Hoarding is idolatry."
00:29:47.45\00:29:52.12
And that was before we
hoarded. Can you believe it?
00:29:52.12\00:29:57.83
300,000 items. But
Martha was distracted.
00:29:57.83\00:30:02.06
Martha, Martha,
you are distracted.
00:30:02.06\00:30:05.63
Yep. She must be just like
us or we must be just like her.
00:30:05.63\00:30:10.74
Let's read it again. We
stopped it in Verse 40, so
00:30:10.74\00:30:13.54
let's pick it up at Verse 40.
00:30:13.54\00:30:15.61
"Please." And Jesus replies...
He only says -- He only doubles
00:30:26.12\00:30:33.60
the name when he loves you.
Simon Peter -- "Simon, Simon."
00:30:33.60\00:30:38.60
Saul, the persecutor -- "Saul,
Saul. Little boy Samuel --
00:30:38.63\00:30:46.47
"Samuel, Samuel." He doubles
your name when he loves you.
00:30:46.47\00:30:49.31
Apparently, you can be a hoarder
and be distracted by the Lord
knows what, but he still loves
00:30:49.31\00:30:54.98
us.
00:30:54.98\00:30:56.52
Wow. There it is. Ladies
and gentlemen, jot it down.
00:31:11.77\00:31:15.40
The number-one life principle.
No, don't jot it down yet. The
number-one life principle,
00:31:15.40\00:31:23.48
embedded in Jesus' words
to Martha, embedded in Mary's
00:31:23.48\00:31:27.85
response to Jesus. And you know
what? Jesus takes that principle
that he just had spoken to us
00:31:27.85\00:31:32.69
and he makes it the peak,
the summit of the Sermon on the
00:31:32.69\00:31:36.39
Mount. Incredible. Look at this.
You've learned this since you
00:31:36.39\00:31:39.09
were a kid. Let's read it out
loud together. Can you see it on
the screen up here, band?
00:31:39.09\00:31:42.63
Let's read Matthew 6:33, right
in the heart of the Sermon on
00:31:42.63\00:31:46.00
the Mount. Let's read it out
loud together. "But seek first
his..." >> All: ...kingdom...
00:31:46.00\00:31:49.97
>> ...and his... >> All:
...righteousness... >> ...and
all these things will
00:31:49.97\00:31:55.11
be given to you, as well." Now
you jot it down. The number-one
00:31:55.11\00:32:01.38
life principle that Jesus taught
is "make God first." That's why
00:32:01.38\00:32:08.32
Jesus pointed to
Mary, by the way.
00:32:08.32\00:32:10.06
He's not scolding Martha.
But God is a loving provider of
00:32:10.09\00:32:16.03
everything that we need,
even of everything that we want.
00:32:16.03\00:32:20.24
It's all from Him. So seek Him.
00:32:20.24\00:32:22.94
Make God numero uno in your life
is what Jesus is trying to say
00:32:22.94\00:32:27.21
to Martha. And
everything else -- Lookit,
00:32:27.21\00:32:29.81
the distractions --
God will take care of it.
00:32:29.81\00:32:33.08
Oh, come on. Let's
do that one more time.
00:32:33.08\00:32:35.78
Matthew 6:33. The
number-one life principle,
00:32:35.78\00:32:38.62
on the screen.
Out loud together.
00:32:38.62\00:32:41.66
All what things? Jesus has just
outlined the basic human needs
00:32:52.40\00:32:56.91
of shelter, clothing, and food.
He says, "You'll have it." He
doesn't say, "All you want.
00:32:56.91\00:33:00.81
Hey, yo, Dwight, everything you
want I'll give you." No, He
says, "I'll give you all
00:33:00.81\00:33:04.58
that you need. I'll take
care of you." That's what it is.
00:33:04.58\00:33:09.08
"I promise. I put my kingdom on
the line. I will never leave you
00:33:09.08\00:33:13.92
or forsake you. I will provide
-- My God will provide all your
00:33:13.92\00:33:18.56
needs, according to his riches
and glory --" Philippians 4:19.
So, what -- "Yo, yo, yo, Dwight,
00:33:18.56\00:33:23.63
please, I mean, what does this
have to do with how to survive
your own financial crisis?"
00:33:23.63\00:33:29.64
Good question. Everything
in the world to do with it.
00:33:29.64\00:33:33.68
You know why? Because if we
could cast this story into a
financial strategy,
00:33:33.68\00:33:38.98
what Mary is doing here, out of
great love and devotion for
Jesus, is putting all her money
00:33:38.98\00:33:44.59
at the feet of Jesus. It would
be just like Mary took all her
possessions, she took
00:33:44.59\00:33:49.06
all of herself, and she took all
of her little monies and she put
them in a little bag, tied a
00:33:49.06\00:33:53.93
ribbon around the neck and she
puts it down and she sits down
at the feet of Jesus.
00:33:53.93\00:33:58.50
That's what's happening here.
Make God first. And Jesus looks
00:33:58.50\00:34:05.74
at Martha. He says, "Yo, girl,
you are distracted by a lot.
Mary has chosen what will never
00:34:05.74\00:34:13.48
be taken away from her." Make
God -- Nobody can take God away
00:34:13.48\00:34:20.06
from you ever. What did
Bonhoeffer say just a moment
ago? On the screen one more
00:34:20.06\00:34:25.19
time. Whatever you treasure
is your God. No, I'm serious.
00:34:29.46\00:34:32.93
Whatever you treasure is your
God. Mary made Him first, and
00:34:32.93\00:34:38.31
then she put it all at Jesus'
feet. In fact, do you know what?
In order to operationalize this
00:34:38.31\00:34:43.95
great life principle, "make God
first," God actually invented
00:34:43.95\00:34:48.25
something. This is really cool.
It's as old as the hills. I
don't know if you've heard
00:34:48.25\00:34:52.02
this word before. And,
sometimes, it's better to spell
it just so that you can
00:34:52.02\00:34:55.66
get it, because you're not quite
sure how to pronounce it. So let
me just spell the word
00:34:55.66\00:34:59.83
out for you. The first
letter of the word is "T."
00:34:59.83\00:35:02.53
The second letter of the word
is "I." The third letter of the
00:35:02.53\00:35:06.67
word is "T." The fourth letter
is "H." And the fifth letter is
00:35:06.67\00:35:11.97
"E." Now, some are saying, "How
do you pronounce that? "Tith-ay?
00:35:11.97\00:35:15.31
Tith-ay?" No, that's not
pronounced tith-ay. That's
00:35:15.31\00:35:18.65
tithe. [ Laughs ] That's
tithe. We don't like that word.
00:35:18.65\00:35:23.62
Come on. Level with me. We don't
like that word. It feels like,
00:35:23.62\00:35:29.16
"Eh, somebody's trying to
control me." We don't like
tith-ay. Someone just ought to
00:35:29.16\00:35:33.06
call it tith-ay, and it wouldn't
bother us. Tithe. It's as old as
00:35:33.06\00:35:36.93
the hills. "Father Abraham" --
You remember that song? ¤ Father
Abraham had many sons
00:35:36.93\00:35:42.20
¤ Many sons had Father Abraham
Do they sing that down at
00:35:42.20\00:35:46.94
Southern, too? Probably not.
We're still singing it up here.
00:35:46.94\00:35:50.75
[ Laughs ] Not. Not. Okay.
"Father Abraham" on the screen.
Genesis -- What is this?
00:35:50.75\00:35:55.45
Genesis 14. What does it
say about Father Abraham.
00:35:55.45\00:36:01.62
And it's called a tithe. Okay,
along comes his grandson, who
00:36:01.62\00:36:06.23
was great, Jacob. And Jacob's
talking to God right here. "All
of that You give me, I
00:36:06.23\00:36:10.07
will -- Of all of it, I will
give You," what? What does it
00:36:10.07\00:36:13.60
say? I will give You what? A
tenth. Jesus calls it the tithe.
00:36:13.60\00:36:16.64
In fact, the Lord Jesus even
spoke about it. Put the Lord
Jesus on the screen
00:36:16.64\00:36:20.11
for us, please. "This ought you
to have done" -- he's talking
00:36:20.11\00:36:23.38
about tithing -- "without
leaving the other undone." He's
talking about loving.
00:36:23.38\00:36:26.08
Matthew 23:23. Trust me, folks
-- it is a very big deal with
00:36:26.08\00:36:32.15
God. I mean, Jesus ought to have
known. He's God in the flesh.
00:36:32.15\00:36:36.66
He got it right. Of
course, 'cause he invented it.
00:36:36.66\00:36:41.66
Take a look at this spectacular
promise. I'm telling you.
00:36:41.66\00:36:45.53
It's on the last page of the Old
Testament, but you got to see
00:36:45.53\00:36:49.74
this. If you've never seen
it, you're seeing it today with
00:36:49.74\00:36:53.94
wide-open eyes. Go to the last
page of the Old Testament. So
that would be the last page
00:36:53.94\00:36:57.41
of Malachi. Yeah, go to Malachi
3. Take a look at this, will
00:36:57.41\00:37:01.35
you? Amazing. Unbelievable
promise. Malachi 3:10. God
00:37:01.35\00:37:09.09
speaking. Okay, check it out.
Prove me -- You make me prove it
00:37:15.60\00:37:19.93
to You.
00:37:19.93\00:37:21.87
You can't believe it. Who would
not want to be standing right
00:37:30.15\00:37:34.28
here, wherever you are, and the
floodgates of heaven suddenly
open over your meager little
00:37:34.28\00:37:43.76
cash collection -- They open
over your, tiny little dorm room
or house. They open over your
00:37:43.76\00:37:48.00
little-old-you life. Who
wouldn't want the floodgates of
heaven to open straight on
00:37:48.00\00:37:56.17
top of you? Wouldn't you
want that? But of course.
00:37:56.17\00:37:59.51
That's what he's saying. "I will
take care of you. I am going to
00:37:59.51\00:38:04.05
deliver you from financial
crisis." You're saying to me,
"Dwight, it doesn't say a word
00:38:04.05\00:38:07.75
about being delivered from
financial crisis." That's
because we always have
00:38:07.75\00:38:10.72
stopped reading -- And I'm
guilty of this. We've always
00:38:10.72\00:38:14.12
stopped with Verse 10. We
say, "No, don't go to Verse 11."
00:38:14.12\00:38:16.62
No, we're going to Verse 11.
Look at Verse 11. God's still
00:38:16.62\00:38:19.89
speaking. He said, "I'm gonna
open the windows of heaven for
you, the floodgates."
00:38:19.89\00:38:23.67
And, by the way, in Verse 11, He
says, "I will prevent pests from
00:38:23.70\00:38:26.57
devouring your crops."
Do you know what those crops
00:38:26.57\00:38:28.94
were? This was
written to an agrarian
00:38:28.94\00:38:30.74
society. Those crops were cash.
00:38:30.74\00:38:32.41
Got a farmer right
here. Those crops were cash.
00:38:32.41\00:38:34.81
Called a cash crop.
They live off of that.
00:38:34.81\00:38:37.95
If the crop goes
away, I'm dead meat.
00:38:37.95\00:38:40.78
So, God says, "Listen, don't you
worry about a financial crisis."
00:38:40.78\00:38:44.72
"'I will prevent pests from
devouring your cash crops, and
00:38:44.72\00:38:47.92
the vines in your fields will
not drop their fruit before it
00:38:47.92\00:38:51.33
is ripe,' says
the Lord Almighty."
00:38:51.33\00:38:53.46
Keep Reading. Then he says...
00:38:53.46\00:38:56.23
"I'm gonna take care of you.
You're not in a crisis now, but
I see a crisis coming your way,
00:39:01.84\00:39:06.84
financial, and I'm gonna get you
ready. I will prevent a crisis.
00:39:06.84\00:39:10.58
I will deliver you in the midst
of a crisis. I'm putting myself
00:39:10.58\00:39:14.85
on the line. You test me." See,
we always stop at Verse 10. Why
don't we read about the cash
00:39:14.85\00:39:19.32
crops? "I'll take
care of your finances."
00:39:19.32\00:39:23.73
My. You serious? Yeah.
When we tithe, it's our way of
00:39:23.73\00:39:32.33
saying to God -- Here, here,
here. It's our way of saying to
00:39:32.33\00:39:36.00
God, "Okay, God, I make You
my C-suite." You ever heard of a
00:39:36.00\00:39:41.14
C-suite? Some of you are shaking
your heads, 'cause you say,
"Well, what is this?
00:39:41.14\00:39:44.65
Some kind of sweet candy or
something?" No. Put it on the
00:39:44.65\00:39:48.12
screen here. Here's the word
C-suite right there. C-suite.
00:39:48.12\00:39:50.79
Our son, Kirk, just moved about
four weeks ago, along with his
lovely wife, Chelsea, and our
00:39:50.79\00:39:57.33
two precious granddaughters,
Ella and Isabelle. They just
00:39:57.33\00:40:02.96
moved from Salem, Oregon, to
Kettering, Ohio. Kirk just got
hired by the Kettering Health
00:40:02.96\00:40:09.04
system. He's gonna be the
director of physician recruiting
for nine hospitals and 140
00:40:09.04\00:40:14.74
clinics. And he has a team that
he's now leading. Oh, I'm gonna
00:40:14.74\00:40:18.28
tell you something -- the big
deal for us, of course, is that
now -- We were just there
00:40:18.28\00:40:23.28
helping him move last Sunday.
Now he's only 4 hours and 15
minutes away, instead of
00:40:23.28\00:40:30.09
2,100 miles away. And that's a
huge difference. So, Kirk works
00:40:30.09\00:40:35.10
for this health system. This
is the way health systems work.
00:40:35.10\00:40:37.67
They have C-suites. Universities
-- some of them -- have
00:40:37.67\00:40:41.17
C-suites. Mm-hmm. Fortune 500
companies -- they have C-suites.
00:40:41.17\00:40:44.04
What's that? Let's run them by.
Let's just see if you know what
the C-suite is composed of.
00:40:44.04\00:40:49.54
What is a C.O.O.? By the way,
every office in a C-suite begins
00:40:49.54\00:40:55.65
with the word "chief." You can
only sit in that suite if you're
00:40:55.65\00:40:59.85
chief something. Okay, so,
what's a C.O.O.? Come on. What's
00:40:59.85\00:41:03.66
a C.O.O.? Huh? Yeah, chief
operating officer. Good. What's
a C.I.O.? Chief information
00:41:03.66\00:41:09.26
officer. What's a C.F.O. Chief
financial -- Yeah, we got that
00:41:09.26\00:41:13.70
one. What's a C.E.O.? Chief
executive. All right? The
C-suite gives us an
00:41:13.70\00:41:23.78
opportunity. When we return
our little 1/10 of our income to
00:41:23.78\00:41:27.92
God, it gives us the opportunity
to invite God to become our
C-suite God. "God, I want you to
00:41:27.92\00:41:32.85
be my chief operating officer. I
want you to be the chief
information officer.
00:41:32.85\00:41:36.59
I want you to be the chief
financial officer. I need you to
00:41:36.59\00:41:40.50
be my chief executive officer.
God, I'm making you the entire
00:41:40.50\00:41:44.00
C-suite. Everything I have is
yours now." Isn't that
something? He's our C-suite God,
00:41:44.00\00:41:50.24
and that's pretty sweet, isn't
it? Yeah. When we tithe, we
00:41:50.24\00:41:55.51
place all our meager resources
into His nail-scarred hands and
we declare to the one who died
00:41:55.51\00:42:00.42
for us, "I entrust all that I
am. I entrust to you all that I
have into Your keeping."
00:42:00.42\00:42:09.06
Yeah. But truth in advertising.
I have to do this. It would not
00:42:09.06\00:42:17.20
be right for me to skip two more
verses. I owe it to you. They're
the two verses that
00:42:17.20\00:42:23.07
precede this beautiful Verse 10
promise. Verse 8. Look at Verse
00:42:23.07\00:42:28.31
8. God is speaking. "'Will a
mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob
00:42:28.31\00:42:32.61
me.'" But you ask, "Come on,
God. How are we robbing you?"
God replies, "In tithes and
00:42:32.61\00:42:37.82
offerings."
00:42:37.82\00:42:39.75
Hey, listen, ladies and
gentlemen, God is not a genie in
00:42:46.90\00:42:49.03
a bottle. He's not a Santa Claus
with a sleigh. He's the almighty
00:42:49.03\00:42:52.43
king, the Lord of angel armies.
That's what Lord of hosts means.
He's the Lord of angel armies.
00:42:52.43\00:42:57.07
And guess what. He loves
you. He's crazy about you.
00:42:57.07\00:43:00.38
That's why he calls you by your
name twice. "Martha, Martha."
00:43:00.38\00:43:05.21
What's your name? He calls you
by that name twice. He's crazy
00:43:05.21\00:43:14.89
about you. He emptied his
kingdom to win your heart one
day. He's just praying, "I hope
00:43:14.89\00:43:20.70
it's soon. I hope it's
soon." But you know what?
00:43:20.70\00:43:28.00
We have to love Him back. "Oh, I
don't like that. I don't like to
00:43:28.00\00:43:32.47
have to love Him back." Well,
don't ever get married then,
00:43:32.47\00:43:34.94
please. Don't ever get married,
'cause you have to love Him
back. It's just the way love
00:43:34.94\00:43:40.78
works. It's two-way. So, He
invented this little
operationalized "make God first"
00:43:40.78\00:43:45.79
strategy so that he could say,
"Hey, show me. I hear your lips.
00:43:45.79\00:43:49.66
You sing these wonderful praise
songs on the screens and you got
the symphony playing with you."
00:43:49.66\00:43:55.16
And "oh, how I love God." He
said, "I've heard you sing these
00:43:55.16\00:44:02.87
words a long time. Show me. Show
me. This is the most concrete
and simple way he has.
00:44:02.87\00:44:09.41
Just show me." Does he need your
quarters and nickels and dimes?
00:44:09.41\00:44:13.98
Are you crazy? He owns the whole
universe. This has nothing to do
00:44:13.98\00:44:18.69
with him and everything to do
with you. And if you say "no" to
him -- I don't need C-suite.
00:44:18.69\00:44:23.59
Thank you. No C.F.O., no
C.E.O.. You just go ahead.
00:44:23.59\00:44:26.83
I'll call you when I need you."
And that's usually when we call.
He's saying, "I want you to love
00:44:26.83\00:44:34.17
me. Come on. Love
on me. I love you."
00:44:34.17\00:44:37.04
That's what it is, folks. Of
course he used a strong word --
00:44:37.04\00:44:40.74
"curse." He got our attention
immediately, didn't he? "I'll
00:44:40.74\00:44:44.78
curse you." You know what it
means to curse? It's nothing
like we're thinking.
00:44:44.78\00:44:49.15
He says, "Okay, you don't want
me, huh? You're waving me off,
00:44:49.15\00:44:52.85
girl? You're waving me off?
Okay. I'm gonna take about 10
00:44:52.85\00:44:56.46
steps back. You won't even see
me. You won't even know I'm
here. I'm gonna get right back
00:44:56.46\00:45:00.86
here so that I'm not in your
way." And guess what. The moment
there is a vacuum and
00:45:00.86\00:45:08.67
the C-suite leaves, trust me --
slithering in comes the enemy of
us all, who says, "Okay,
00:45:08.67\00:45:16.18
financial bondage, here we
go. Ball and chain. Got ya."
00:45:16.18\00:45:23.82
And He's 10 paces
back. "You told me.
00:45:23.85\00:45:26.35
You waved me off. You
told me you didn't want me."
00:45:26.35\00:45:30.69
I honor you. I
honor you." What a God.
00:45:30.69\00:45:35.53
This is nothing about cursing.
This is about you getting the
00:45:35.53\00:45:39.20
curse of having the other guy
your C-suite, because you can
00:45:39.20\00:45:44.74
only have one C-suite.
You can't have two C-suites.
00:45:44.74\00:45:48.98
The other guy has a whole horde
of demons that he uses with him.
00:45:48.98\00:45:53.85
You get one or the
other, so make up your mind.
00:45:53.85\00:45:57.42
Quit playing this dillydally,
back-and-forth stuff.
00:45:57.42\00:46:01.02
You're killing yourself and
you're breaking God's heart.
00:46:01.02\00:46:05.73
My. That's all it is. So,
friend, I know who you are.
00:46:05.73\00:46:12.10
I love your face. But
I'm telling you -- don't
00:46:12.10\00:46:16.50
wave Him off. Do not,
for the sake of you and
00:46:16.50\00:46:19.77
the sake of God,
don't wave Him off.
00:46:19.77\00:46:23.18
We're talking about a meager
1/10. Do you know how much that
00:46:23.21\00:46:27.22
is in your income? It's nothing.
But that's okay. I'm saying,
"C-suite, all I have
00:46:27.22\00:46:36.59
and all I am is yours." Make
God first. That's what Mary did.
00:46:36.59\00:46:40.66
Martha was distracted. She
finally learned. She got it. Oh,
why wouldn't I, in humble
00:46:40.66\00:46:46.87
gratitude, return to God what is
already His? I'd be a fool not
00:46:46.87\00:46:53.51
to have Him my C-suite God,
wouldn't I? Yeah. I want to end
with this. It's my favorite
00:46:53.51\00:46:58.25
quotation. "The Desire of Ages"
is my favorite book in the world
on the life of Jesus.
00:46:58.25\00:47:01.02
I end with this.
00:47:01.02\00:47:02.58
Put it on the screen.
00:47:02.62\00:47:04.75
"He will spare --" How
much? Nothing, nada, zero.
00:47:20.84\00:47:26.17
And now write it
down. "The --" The what?
00:47:33.08\00:47:35.68
>> Whole. >> Say
it again. Come on.
00:47:35.68\00:47:37.69
The what? "The whole
treasury of heaven is
00:47:37.69\00:47:43.16
open to those He seeks
to save." Yeah, wow. Wow.
00:47:43.16\00:47:49.10
Is there a
financial crisis coming?
00:48:06.41\00:48:08.48
[ Chuckles ] It's not
for me to say, because
00:48:08.48\00:48:10.95
you may be in it right now.
And I may be in it tomorrow.
00:48:10.95\00:48:15.96
But this much I know. When
you return God's tithe, you
00:48:15.96\00:48:21.46
make him first. And
when you make him first, you
00:48:21.46\00:48:26.07
have made the wisest financial
decision you will ever make in
00:48:26.07\00:48:30.81
your life, forever. Amen.
00:48:30.81\00:48:33.34
>> All: Amen.
00:48:33.34\00:48:34.41
¤¤
00:48:37.01\00:48:38.95
[ Applause ]
00:56:40.40\00:56:57.35
>> Before you go, let me take an
extra moment to share with you
00:56:59.45\00:57:01.88
an opportunity to get into
the Bible in a fresh, new way.
00:57:01.88\00:57:04.75
All across the world, more and
more people are hearing the call
00:57:04.75\00:57:07.82
to examine
Scriptures for themselves.
00:57:07.82\00:57:09.76
If you felt drawn to learn more
about God's Word, but you don't
00:57:09.76\00:57:12.66
know where to start or you're
just looking for a more in-depth
00:57:12.66\00:57:15.46
examination of Bible truths,
then I have something right here
00:57:15.46\00:57:18.60
that I believe
you're going to enjoy.
00:57:18.60\00:57:20.54
I want to send a series
of guides to get you started.
00:57:20.54\00:57:23.14
This one's entitled "Why
Does God Allow Suffering?"
00:57:23.14\00:57:25.87
Each guide begins with a story,
an introduction of the subject.
00:57:25.87\00:57:28.98
Then, through a
series of focus questions,
00:57:28.98\00:57:30.88
you'll be learning portions
of the Bible you may never
00:57:30.88\00:57:33.01
have known before, and when
you're through, you'll be able
00:57:33.01\00:57:35.25
to share with others some of
these inspiring Bible truths.
00:57:35.25\00:57:38.02
So just call our
toll-free number.
00:57:38.02\00:57:39.69
It's on the screen --
877 -- the two words --
00:57:39.69\00:57:42.49
HIS-WILL. Our friendly operators
00:57:42.49\00:57:44.73
are standing by to send
these study guides to you.
00:57:44.73\00:57:46.70
Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:46.70\00:57:50.03
Call that number, and
then, again, join me next week
00:57:50.03\00:57:54.47
right here at this same
time. "New Perceptions."
00:57:54.47\00:57:57.54
¤¤
00:57:59.94\00:58:01.94