Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021802A
|
00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING FRIENDS, WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 00:37 HOUR COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:39 ADVENTIST CHURCH NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:42 I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR ONLINE MEMBERS AND ALSO THOSE WHO ARE 00:45 WATCHING AROUND THE WORLD. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART 00:48 OF OUR STUDY TIME TODAY. ALSO TO THE MEMBERS AND THE 00:51 VISITORS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. 00:53 GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN HERE THIS MORNING. 00:55 WE ARE STUDYING THROUGH OUR NEW LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH 00:57 STEWARDSHIP. THAT'S THE THEME FOR THE NEXT 12 01:01 WEEKS WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING THIS IMPORTANT THEME ENTITLED 01:03 MOTIVES OF THE HEART . WE'RE ON LESSON NUMBER TWO TODAY 01:07 ENTITLED I SEE, I WANT, I TAKE. SO AN INTERESTING STUDY TODAY 01:13 TALKING ABOUT STEWARDSHIP. NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE 01:16 JOINING US WHO DON'T HAVE A LESSON QUARTERLY TO STUDY ALONG, 01:19 I ENCOURAGE YOU - GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE JUST 01:22 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON - IT'S 01:25 LESSON NUMBER TWO IN OUR LESSON QUARTERLY ON STEWARDSHIP. 01:29 AND YOU CAN STUDY ALONG WITH US OR YOU CAN VISIT A NEARBY 01:32 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH AND YOU CAN RECEIVE YOUR LESSON 01:35 QUARTERLY THERE AS WELL. ALSO, FOR OUR FRIENDS IN NORTH 01:38 AMERICA, WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT WE'D LIKE TO 01:41 LET YOU KNOW ABOUT. IT'S AN INTRIGUING TITLE CALL 01:44 THIEVES IN THE CHURCH - GOES ALONG WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP THEME 01:48 - THAT'S OUR FREE OFFER TODAY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE IT 01:50 CALL 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #136. 01:58 WELL BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING WE ALWAYS LIKE TO 02:00 BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG. 02:03 I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR CHORUS TO COME AND LEAD US IN OUR MUSIC 02:06 TODAY. (PIANO MUSIC) 02:15 >>GOOD MORNING. AND IT'S SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO SING 02:18 WITH YOU ALL THIS MORNING. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN OUR SINGING 02:21 WITH #608 - FAITH IS THE VICTORY . 02:24 AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CHRISTIAN WARFARE - USUALLY, 02:28 WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WARFARE, WE THINK OF WEAPONS, BUT IN THIS 02:31 WARFARE OUR WEAPONS ARE LOVE AND WE WOULD INVITE YOU ALL TO SING 02:36 WITH US #608 - FAITH IS THE VICTORY. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:19 >>AND OUR NEXT SONG WE'LL TURN OVER TO #422 04:23 MARCHING TO ZION . WE'LL SING, TOGETHER, THE FIRST 04:26 AND LAST VERSES - MARCHING TO ZION . (PIANO MUSIC) 05:46 >>THANK YOU ALL FOR SINGING WITH US. 05:48 AND NOW OUR SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON IS GOING TO BEGIN. 05:57 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR A WORD OF PRAYER. 05:59 DEAR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN 06:02 UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY TOGETHER. 06:04 AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT THEME OF STEWARDSHIP, 06:07 FATHER, WE ASK THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD COME AND GUIDE OUR 06:09 HEARTS AND MINDS TO REVEAL TO US OUR GREAT NEED OF HAVING THAT 06:13 SAME ATTITUDE THAT JESUS DISPLAYED - AN ATTITUDE OF 06:16 GIVING IN ALL ASPECTS OF HIS LIFE. 06:19 BLESS OUR TIME TODAY FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME. 06:21 AMEN. OUR LESSON TODAY IS GOING TO BE 06:24 BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG. AND JUST BEFORE I INVITE PASTOR 06:27 DOUG TO COME UP, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOMETHING JUST A LITTLE 06:30 DIFFERENT THIS MORNING WE ACTUALLY TRIED THIS LAST WEEK. 06:32 AND IN A SPECIAL WAY - THOSE JOINING US ON FACEBOOK - WE'RE 06:35 GOING TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROGRAM, 06:38 NEAR THE END OF THE LESSON, TO ANSWER YOUR BIBLE QUESTIONS. 06:42 SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU'D LIKE TO ASK, YOU CAN ACTUALLY 06:45 TYPE IT IN RIGHT THERE ON FACEBOOK AND, NEAR THE END OF 06:47 THE LESSON TODAY, WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER AS MANY 06:50 OF THOSE QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE. ALRIGHT, PASTOR DOUG, WE'LL 06:54 TURN THE TIME OVER TO YOU. >>THANK YOU PASTOR ROSS 06:58 AND GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. WE'RE GLAD TO SEE EACH OF 07:02 YOU HERE AT SABBATH SCHOOL. GLAD YOU'VE COME TO STUDY. 07:06 WE HAVE AN INTERESTING LESSON TODAY AND AT TIMES IT WILL BE 07:11 MAYBE EVEN SHOCKING AND SOMETIMES CONVICTING, BUT WE'RE 07:15 GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT - AND THIS AS LESSON TWO ON OUR NEW 07:18 QUARTERLY ON STEWARDSHIP: MOTIVES OF THE HEART . 07:20 AND TODAY'S LESSON IS I SEE, I WANT, I TAKE, AND IT'S TALKING 07:25 BASICALLY ABOUT COVETOUSNESS AND WHICH IS, OF COURSE, THE TENTH 07:30 COMMANDMENT. I WANT TO REITERATE THAT RARELY 07:33 DO WE HAVE AN OFFER THAT MATCHES SO PERFECTLY WITH THE STUDY. 07:37 THE OFFER FOR TODAY IS A BOOK BY JOE CREWS CALLED THIEVES IN THE 07:41 CHURCH AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE SIN THAT NOBODY ADMITS TO IS 07:44 COVETOUSNESS. AND SO YOU WANT TO REQUEST THAT. 07:48 WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM 07:50 MATTHEW CHAPTER 13, VERSE 22. AND IF YOU WANT TO FIND THAT IN 07:54 YOUR BIBLES THIS IS FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 07:56 YOU READY? MATTHEW CHAPTER 13:22 HERE WE 08:00 GO, "NOW HE WHO RECEIVED THE SEED AMONG THE THORNS IS HE WHO 08:06 HEARS THE WORD OF GOD AND THE CARES OF THIS WORLD AND THE 08:09 DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES CHOKE THE WORD AND HE 08:13 BECOMES UNFRUITFUL." CAN THAT STILL 08:17 HAPPEN TO US TODAY? THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES. 08:22 NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE SHARING A LITTLE LATER A PRINCIPLE WE ALL 08:26 KNOW. WE'VE HEARD THE QUOTE 'THE LOVE 08:28 OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL' BUT THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY 08:30 'MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL'. IT IS THE LOVE OF MONEY. 08:34 I MEAN IT'D BE, KIND OF, A LITTLE BIT OF A PARADOX IF WE 08:38 SAY 'MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. 08:40 NOW IT'S TIME FOR OUR OFFERING.' (LAUGHTER) I MEAN WE TALK ABOUT 08:44 MONEY IN CHURCH ALL THE TIME AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THINGS 08:47 THAT CAN HAPPEN THROUGH MONEY. IT'S THE LOVE OF MONEY. 08:50 IT CAN BE DISTRACTING AND YOU KNOW THERE'S AN INTERESTING 08:55 QUOTE IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR QUARTERLY RIGHT THERE AT THE 08:58 BEGINNING OF THE QUARTERLY IS A QUOTE FROM THE BOOK COUNCILS ON 09:03 STEWARDSHIP PAGE 154 AND 55 AND HERE ELLEN WHITE DESCRIBES A 09:08 VISION WHERE THE DEVIL IS IN CONSULTATION WITH HIS DEMONS AND 09:12 HE'S TELLING THEM 'HERE'S HOW WE CAN TRAP FOLLOWERS OF GOD.' THE 09:17 DEVIL, SPEAKING TO HIS DEMONS, HE SAYS, "GO MAKE THE POSSESSORS 09:20 OF LANDS AND MONEY DRUNK WITH THE CARES OF THIS LIFE. 09:24 PRESENT THE WORLD BEFORE THEM IN ITS MOST ATTRACTIVE LIGHT. 09:27 THAT THEY MAY LAY UP THEIR TREASURE HERE AND FIX THEIR 09:29 AFFECTIONS UPON THE EARTHLY THINGS. 09:31 WE MUST DO OUR UTMOST TO PREVENT THOSE WHO LABOR IN GOD'S CAUSE 09:35 FROM OBTAINING MEANS TO USE AGAINST US. 09:38 KEEP THE MONEY IN OUR RANKS. THE MORE MEANS THEY OBTAIN THE 09:41 MORE THEY'LL INJURE OUR KINGDOM BY TAKING FROM US OUR SUBJECTS. 09:45 MAKE THEM CARE MORE ABOUT MONEY THAN THE UPBUILDING OF CHRIST'S 09:48 KINGDOM AND THE SPREAD OF THE TRUTHS THAT WE HATE AND WE NEED 09:52 NOT FEAR THEIR INFLUENCE, FOR WE KNOW THAT EVERY SELFISH COVETOUS 09:56 PERSON WILL FALL UNDER OUR POWER AND FINALLY BE SEPARATED FROM 10:00 GOD'S PEOPLE." KIND OF GIVES YOU CHILLS TO 10:02 THINK ABOUT HOW THE DEVIL IS COUNSELING PEOPLE 10:05 IN - IN HIS KINGDOM. UNFORTUNATELY THIS PLOY 10:09 SEEMS TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. NOW, OUR FIRST SECTION UNDER 10:14 SUNDAY IS TALKING ABOUT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL. 10:18 HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL IS? 10:22 IT'S A - A BRANCH OF SUPPOSED CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY THAT, 10:30 BASICALLY, AT ITS CORE, SAYS THAT GOD - IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH 10:34 FAITH - GOD WANTS YOU TO BE WEALTHY. 10:36 IT ALSO USUALLY SAYS THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE HEALTHY AND IF 10:39 YOU'RE NOT WEALTHY AND HEALTHY IT'S BECAUSE, WELL, YOU'VE GOT A 10:42 FAITH PROBLEM. AND OFTEN, IF YOU WANT TO SHOW 10:46 YOU HAVE FAITH IT - THEY'LL SAY YOU NEED TO SEND 10:49 MONEY TO OUR MINISTRY. AND THEY CALL IT 10:51 A SEED OF FAITH. AND THERE ARE ABOUT FIVE TENANTS 10:56 THAT YOU FIND IN THIS PROSPERITY GOSPEL. 10:59 WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THEM IN JUST A MOMENT. 11:00 FIRST I WANT TO READ AN INTERESTING QUOTE TO YOU FROM 11:03 SPURGEON WHICH I AGREE WITH. HE WAS A CONTEMPORARY OF ELLEN 11:07 WHITE AND A GREAT PREACHER. SPURGEON SAID, 'I BELIEVE THAT 11:12 IT IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN AND UNHOLY FOR ANY CHRISTIAN TO LIVE WITH 11:15 THE OBJECT OF ACCUMULATING WEALTH. 11:18 YOU'LL SAY, 'ARE WE NOT TO STRIVE ALL WE CAN TO GET ALL 11:22 THAT WE CAN?'" HE SAID, "WELL, YOU MAY DO SO. 11:25 I CANNOT DOUBT BUT WHAT, IN DOING SO YOU MAY DO SERVICE TO 11:28 THE CAUSE OF GOD BUT I WOULD SAY THAT TO LIVE WITH THE OBJECT OF 11:32 ACCUMULATING WEALTH IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN." 11:36 IF OUR OBJECT IS TO SIMPLY GET WEALTH THE BIBLE SAYS THAT 'HE 11:42 SEEKS - HE THAT SEEKS TO BE RICH WILL NOT BE WITHOUT SIN.' AND 11:46 DOESN'T JESUS SAY THAT IT'S HARDER FOR A RICH MAN - YOU KNOW 11:50 THE STORY OF THE RICH YOUNG RULER - HARDER FOR A RICH MAN TO 11:52 ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD THAN A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A 11:56 NEEDLE. NOW, IN BIBLE TIMES, WHEN A 11:59 SHEPHERD WAS COUNTING HIS SHEEP, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT ONLY 12:03 ONE SHEEP - SHEEP WENT THROUGH THE DOOR AT A TIME THEY HAD A 12:08 NARROW SPOT AND IT WOULD KIND OF FUNNEL THE SHEEP ONE AT A TIME 12:12 INTO THE CORRAL AND THEY CALLED IT THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE. 12:17 SO SOME ARE WONDERING WAS JESUS TALKING ABOUT THIS SHEEP GATE OR 12:22 WAS HE TALKING ABOUT THE LITERAL EYE OF A NEEDLE. 12:24 WELL IF IT'S A LITERAL EYE OF A NEEDLE YOU CAN'T FIT A SHEEP 12:26 THROUGH THAT, LET ALONE A CAMEL. BUT A CAMEL COULD GO THROUGH A 12:31 SHEEP GATE BUT HE HAD TO GET ON HIS KNEES AND YOU 12:34 HAD TO UNLOAD HIM. SO MANY HAVE THOUGHT JESUS WAS 12:38 TALKING ABOUT WHEN SHEPHERDS WOULD COUNT THEIR SHEEP. 12:40 A CAMEL COULD NOT GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE UNLESS IT 12:46 UNLOADED AND IT GOT ON ITS KNEES AND - WILL THERE BE RICH PEOPLE 12:50 IN HEAVEN? WHO ARE THEY? NAME SOME. 12:54 >>ABRAHAM >>ABRAHAM. 12:56 WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIM IN JUST A MINUTE. 12:57 WHO ELSE? KING DAVID? >>NICODEMUS. 13:02 >>NICODEMUS. SOLOMON. JOB. 13:09 WELL, WE'VE GOT TWO JOSEPHS THERE, ONE JOSEPH - JOSEPH THE 13:13 SON OF JACOB ENDED UP VERY WEALTHY IN THE END AND WE EXPECT 13:16 TO SEE HIM IN HEAVEN. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA - BOTH 13:18 JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA AND NICODEMUS ENDED UP BASICALLY 13:21 LIQUIDATING THEIR WEALTH TO SUPPORT THE EARLY CHURCH. 13:24 THEY GAVE HEAVILY BACK THEN. BUT YEAH, THERE ARE EXAMPLES. 13:28 NOW ARE THEY YOUR HEROES OR ARE THE POOR PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE 13:32 YOUR HEROES? TRICK QUESTION. 13:37 THE BIBLE SAYS AS THE HARDER FOR A RICH MAN TO GET INTO THE 13:39 KINGDOM THAN A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE. 13:42 THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS. HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE 13:43 TO BE THE EXCEPTION ALSO? WE ALL KIND OF WANT TO 13:48 BE THE EXCEPTION, RIGHT? BUT IS THAT DANGEROUS? 13:53 IF OUR OBJECT IS TO BE FINANCIALLY WEALTHY - I GOT TO A 13:56 NUMBER OF CHRISTIAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, I DO A WEEK OF 13:59 PRAYER. SOMETIMES I'LL TALK 14:00 TO THE STUDENTS. I'LL SAY, 'WHAT'S YOUR GOAL?' 14:02 AND THEY'LL SAY 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T GOING TO TAKE THIS BUT 14:05 THIS PAYS BETTER AND THIS HAS BETTER BENEFITS.' I SAID, 'SO IS 14:08 YOUR GOAL FOR YOUR CAREER THE BEST PAYING JOB? 14:12 OR IS YOUR GOAL TO SAY 'WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO FOR THE 14:15 SERVICE OF FELLOW MAN AND TO PLEASE GOD?' 14:19 WHAT SHOULD BE OUR SUPREME OBJECTIVE? 14:21 NOW, IF GOD SAYS 'I WANT YOU TO GO INTO MEDICINE BECAUSE THAT'S 14:24 HOW YOUR GIFTS AND HOW I WANT YOU TO SERVE GOD' - 14:27 AND IT MAY PAY WELL, THAT'S FINE. 14:29 IF GOD SAYS I WANT YOU TO GO INTO ENGINEERING BECAUSE THAT'S 14:31 WHERE YOUR GIFTS ARE AND - AND YOU CAN SERVE YOUR FELLOW MAN.' 14:35 THAT'S FINE, BUT IF YOUR FIRST QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING IS 14:38 'WHAT'S THE PAY PACKAGE?' THAT'S THE WRONG 14:42 QUESTION TO ASK. FOR A CHRISTIAN, YOUR FIRST 14:45 QUESTION SHOULD SAY, 'LORD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? 14:48 I'LL TAKE UP MY CROSS AND I'LL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU WANT ME 14:50 TO GO.' HE SAYS YOU'VE GOT TO DENY YOURSELF. 14:54 SO WE'VE GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO THINK THAT THAT STATEMENT 14:57 ABOUT 'HARD FOR A RICH MAN TO GET IN THE KINGDOM' IS NOT STILL 15:02 TRUE. IT IS STILL TRUE. 15:04 IT IS STILL HARD. ARE WE A RICH COUNTRY? 15:08 SHOULD THAT CONCERN US? IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AMAZING 15:13 FACTS IS GOING BACK TO INDIA - I'VE BEEN TO INDIA A FEW TIMES 15:16 BEFORE AND, BOY, IT'S - THERE'S A LOT OF POOR PEOPLE - THINGS 15:21 ARE CHANGING THERE AND THE ECONOMY IS GETTING BETTER BUT 15:23 THERE'S STILL A LOT OF POOR PEOPLE. 15:25 AND YOU GO FROM A PLACE LIKE INDIA AND SOME OF THE PLACES 15:28 I'VE BEEN IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND IN AFRICA AND THEN YOU COME 15:31 BACK TO THE U.S. AND WOW, WE ARE VERY WELL OFF. 15:36 ALRIGHT, BACK TO THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL HERE. 15:38 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ A VERSE FOR ME IN JUST A MINUTE. 15:40 I THINK YOU'LL HAVE 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9. 15:44 ONE OF THEIR BELIEFS - PROSPERITY GOSPEL - IS THAT THE 15:47 ABRAHAMIC COVENANT IS A MEANS TO MATERIAL ENTITLEMENT THAT 15:52 THROUGH ABRAHAM WE WILL ALL BE BLESSED AND GOD BLESSED ABRAHAM 15:58 AND SINCE WE ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM AND GOD BLESSED 16:01 ABRAHAM WITH GREAT ABUNDANCE WE SHOULD EXPECT GREAT ABUNDANCE. 16:06 WHAT WAS THE BLESSING THAT GOD SAID HE WAS GOING TO GIVE THE 16:09 WORLD THROUGH ABRAHAM IT MONEY? OR WAS IT THE SAVIOR? 16:13 >>THE SAVIOR. >>IT WAS THE SAVIOR THAT WOULD 16:16 COME AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT IF WE ARE IN CHRIST THEN WE'RE 16:19 ABRAHAM'S SEED AND PROSPERITY PREACHERS WILL QUOTE THAT AND 16:22 SAY 'SINCE YOU ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM AND ABRAHAM WAS RICH, 16:24 YOU SHOULD BE RICH TOO. WE SHOULD NOT BE THE BORROWERS. 16:29 WE SHOULD BE THE LENDERS. WE SHOULD NOT BE THE LAST, 16:32 WE SHOULD BE THE FIRST. AND YOU'LL HEAR SOME REALLY - 16:34 AND YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL DANGEROUS? 16:38 THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF TRUTH IN IT BUT ISN'T THAT TRUE WITH 16:42 EVERY FALSE TEACHING? THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF TRUTH THAT 16:45 THERE ARE BLESSINGS IN SERVING GOD AND THERE ARE PROMISES. 16:49 BUT IF THE WHOLE PURPOSE IS YOU GO THROUGH THE BIBLE LIKE IT'S A 16:53 FORTUNE COOKIE TO PULL OUT THE VERSES AND ONLY TALK ABOUT 16:55 PROSPERITY, AND YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT THE ONES WHERE THEY SAY 16:58 'WE HAVE FORSAKEN EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW YOU,' - I MEAN THERE'S A 17:03 LOT MORE OF THAT. HOW MANY OF THE APOSTLES WERE RICH? 17:08 SO EVEN PAUL SAID 'NOT MANY WISE, NOT MANY NOBLE' - YOU KNOW 17:13 THEY WERE SORT OF THE - A MOTLEY CREW. 17:17 OKAY LET'S KEEP IT - CONTINUE ON HERE. 17:20 SO KENNETH COPELAND, IN HIS BOOK HE WROTE - KENNETH COPELAND IS A 17:24 GREAT ADVOCATE FOR THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL - IN 1974's 17:28 THE LAWS OF PROSPERITY - HE SAID, "SINCE GOD'S COVENANT HAS 17:32 BEEN ESTABLISHED AND PROSPERITY IS A PROVISION OF THAT COVENANT, 17:35 YOU NEED TO REALIZE THIS PROSPERITY THAT BELONGS TO YOU 17:38 NOW." AND HE HAS, I THINK, A COUPLE 17:40 OF AIRPLANES AND A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ESTATE THERE IN TEXAS 17:45 AND HE'S TRYING TO LIVE OUT HIS THEOLOGY. 17:49 SECOND POINT THAT THEY SAY IN THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL IS THAT 17:52 JESUS' ATONEMENT EXTENDS TO THE SIN OF MATERIAL POVERTY. 17:56 IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS DIED, NOT ONLY TO SAVE YOU FROM THE 18:01 PENALTY OF SIN, BUT ONE OF THOSE PENALTIES IS POVERTY AND HE DIED 18:04 TO SAVE YOU FROM POVERTY. THE OPPOSITE OF 18:06 POVERTY IS PROSPERITY. AND SO HE SAVES YOU FROM 18:09 POVERTY, AND SO YOU CAN BE PROSPEROUS AND PART OF HIS DEATH 18:12 ON THE CROSS WAS TO MAKE YOU RICH. 18:14 AND SO THEY WEAVE THAT RIGHT INTO THE ATONEMENT. 18:17 AND THEY'VE GOT A VERSE FOR THAT. 18:18 GO AHEAD. YOU CAN READ THAT FOR ME. 18:20 >>"FOR YOU KNOW THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 18:23 THAT THOUGH HE WAS RICH, YET FOR YOUR SAKES HE BECAME POOR. 18:27 THAT YOU, THROUGH HIS POVERTY, MIGHT BECOME RICH." 18:31 >>ALL RIGHT. THERE YOU HAVE IT. 18:33 THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE BECAME POOR, THAT YOU MIGHT BE RICH. 18:35 NOW WHAT WAS PAUL TALKING ABOUT THERE? 18:38 JESUS BECAME POOR SO THAT WE ALL MIGHT BE BILL GATES OR 18:43 WARREN BUFFET? WHAT - WHAT WAS 18:45 HE TALKING ABOUT? JESUS BECAME POOR SO THAT WE 18:47 ALL MIGHT BE BILLIONAIRES? RICH, HOW RICH? 18:50 IS RICH A HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR? OR IS RICH - I MEAN, IS IT 18:56 A MONETARY RICHES? THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT PEOPLE 19:00 WHO THINK THEY'RE RICH AND ARE REALLY POOR. 19:03 BECAUSE THEY'RE INCREASED WITH GOODS THEY THINK THEY'RE RICH 19:06 AND THE BIBLE SAYS THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE POOR AND 19:08 WRETCHED MISERABLE BLIND AND NAKED. 19:10 NOW THAT COULD BE A LOT OF THE CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA THAT MAY 19:13 HAVE A LOT OF PHYSICAL PROSPERITY BUT BE SPIRITUALLY 19:17 BANKRUPT. AND DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY 'HAS 19:20 NOT GOD CHOSEN THE POOR OF THIS WORLD'? 19:23 AND HOW DID JESUS BEGIN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT? 19:25 'BLESSED ARE THE' - >>POOR. 19:28 >>NOW IN MATTHEW HE SAYS 'BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN 19:30 SPIRIT.' DO YOU KNOW IN LUKE HE SAYS 19:31 'BLESSED ARE THE POOR' - WHO WANTS TO BE BLESSED LIKE THAT? 19:38 SO YEAH MAYBE WE'VE BOUGHT INTO SOME OF THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL. 19:42 SO THEY - HE - PAUL IS NOT TALKING ABOUT PHYSICAL RICHES 19:44 HERE, HE'S TALKING ABOUT THROUGH THE POVERTY OF CHRIST - THROUGH 19:47 HIS SUFFERINGS WE MIGHT BE SPIRITUALLY RICH. 19:52 POINT NUMBER THREE IN THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL: THAT 19:56 CHRISTIANS GIVE IN ORDER TO GAIN MATERIAL COMPENSATION FROM GOD. 20:01 AND ONE OF THE VERSES THEY'LL USE THERE IS - IT DOES SAY LUKE 20:04 6:38 "GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU GOOD MEASURE PRESSED DOWN 20:08 SHAKEN TOGETHER RUNNING OVER SHALL MEN PUT INTO YOUR BOSOM 20:11 FOR WITH WHAT MEASURE YOU METE, THE SAME WILL BE MEASURED BACK 20:14 TO YOU." NOW THAT'S TRUE. 20:16 MANY YEARS AGO I HAD A FIREWOOD BUSINESS AND FIREWOOD IS A 20:21 COMMODITY THAT, WHEN YOU GIVE IT TO PEOPLE IT'S A QUANTITY - IT'S 20:25 A HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT SQUARE FEET. THREE TIERS IS A 20:28 CORD OF WORD. AND THAT'S THREE TIERS - THREE STACKS OF WOOD 20:32 THAT ARE EIGHT-FEET LONG, FOUR-FEET HIGH, 16 INCHES FOR EACH 20:36 STACK - HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT SQUARE FEET. AND IF IT'S NOT 20:40 QUITE A HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT SQUARE FEET YOU'RE 20:42 CUTTING PEOPLE SHORT. AND SO THERE WAS A BIG COMPLAINT 20:45 IN TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME WOOD DEALERS WERE SELLING THEM 20:49 WOOD AND WHEN THEY MEASURED IT OUT, IT WASN'T A FULL CORD. 20:52 SO, WHEN WE WOULD ADVERTISE FOR OUR FIREWOOD, I WAS IN BUSINESS 20:54 WITH A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BROTHER, AND WE USED THAT VERSE 20:59 'GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU GOOD MEASURE PRESSED DOWN 21:02 SHAKEN TOGETHER RUNNING OVER' - WE WOULD GIVE PEOPLE A FULL 21:04 CORD. IF IT WASN'T STRAIGHT ACROSS AT 21:06 THE TOP WHEN IT WAS FOUR FEET HIGH WE WOULD ROUND IT UP. 21:09 AND THEN WORD GOT OUT - THEY'D SAY 'BUY YOUR WOOD FROM BACHELOR 21:12 AND BOATWRIGHT, THEY GIVE YOU A FULL CORD.' AND THEN WE FOUND 21:16 GOD BLESSED US. I STILL DON'T HAVE LIKE BILL 21:18 GATES BUT, YOU KNOW, GOD'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU. 21:21 SO THERE'S A PRINCIPLE THERE THAT YOU DO UNTO OTHERS AND 21:24 THEY'LL DO UNTO YOU. SO THE WAY GOD BLESSED US WAS WE 21:26 GOT CUSTOMERS BECAUSE WE WERE HONORABLE. 21:28 YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO THERE'S A PRINCIPLE THERE BUT 21:32 GOD IS NOT SAYING 'GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU'. 21:34 THE WAY THE PROSPERITY CHURCHES USED THAT - 'GIVE TO OUR 21:38 MINISTRY AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.' WHAT DOES IT DO FOR 21:44 CHRISTIANITY WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AND THE MINISTERS THAT ARE 21:49 SUPPOSEDLY TALKING ABOUT TAKING UP YOUR CROSS, DENYING YOURSELF, 21:52 AND FOLLOWING JESUS ARE LIVING A GILDED, FESTOONED LIFESTYLE. 21:59 IT DOESN'T REALLY DENOTE WHAT CHRIST IS - CHRIST'S EXAMPLE 22:04 WAS. AND SO, THEY SAY, 'YOU GIVE TO 22:06 US AND GOD IS GOING TO BLESS YOU MATERIALLY.' AND YOU'VE ALL SEEN 22:09 IT, YOU KNOW, THE PASTOR SAID - I REMEMBER THERE WAS A - I AM 22:13 NAMING NAMES BECAUSE I THINK THEY OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED. 22:16 THERE WAS ONE GUY NAMED BISHOP IKE AND HE WAS NOTORIOUS FOR 22:20 HAVING THE MOST INCREDIBLE SCHEMES TO GET YOU TO SEND 22:22 MONEY. AND HE WOULD SEND OUT HIS APPEAL 22:27 LETTER AND IN HIS APPEAL LETTER, THERE'D BE - THERE WAS A LITTLE 22:31 PIECE OF PAPER AND IT HAD THE PRINT OF A RUG ON IT AND IT 22:36 SAID 'SPECIAL PRAYER RUG'. AND THEN HE GAVE YOU 22:40 INSTRUCTIONS IN THE LETTER, HE SAID, 'GOD'S GOING TO ANSWER 22:42 WHATEVER YOU WANT TO PRAY FOR. THE ONLY WAY YOU ARE GOING TO 22:45 GET THAT ANSWER IS YOU'VE GOT TO REACH IN YOUR WALLET RIGHT NOW, 22:47 TAKE THE LARGEST BILL IN YOUR WALLET, PUT IT IN THE PRAYER 22:49 RUG, WRAP IT UP QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, BEFORE IT EXPIRES AND MAIL 22:55 IT BACK TO ME.' PEOPLE WERE DESPERATE. 22:57 THEY FELL FOR IT. THERE'S ALL THESE SCAMS. 22:59 HOW MANY OF YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME PASTOR THAT SAYS, 23:01 'WE'RE GOING TO SEND YOU OIL - WATER THAT I'VE BLESSED - OR OIL 23:05 THAT I'VE BLESSED' - THEY DO BOTH - 'AND THIS IS OIL. 23:08 IT'S OLIVE OIL FROM JERUSALEM WE'VE BLESSED IT AND YOU 23:11 SPRINKLE THIS ON WHEREVER YOU'RE SICK AND YOU'LL BE MADE WELL.' 23:14 AND THIS - HAVE YOU HEARD THESE THINGS? 23:17 ALL THESE SCAMS - AND PEOPLE GET DESPERATE. 23:20 YOU KNOW, THEY THINK, 'WELL WHAT HAVE I GOT TO LOSE? 23:21 I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE. MAYBE THIS WILL WORK.' AND 23:23 THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY. DOES JESUS TALK ABOUT A 23:27 CLASS OF PEOPLE IN HIS DAY? HE SAYS, 'YOU ROB WIDOW'S HOUSES 23:31 AND MAKE LONG PRAYERS' - ANOTHER TELEVANGELIST GOT INTO TROUBLE 23:36 - HE WAS VERY POPULAR AND HAD A BROAD MINISTRY - ROBERT TILTON 23:41 - AND HE WAS ON STAGE AND HE'S BEGGING AND PLEADING TELLING 23:45 PEOPLE 'LAY YOUR HANDS ON YOUR TV' AND GOING THROUGH ALL THESE 23:47 STEPS AND HE'D SHOUT AND HE'S CASTING OUT DEVILS. 23:49 THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING - AND BE MANIPULATING FOLKS TO 23:52 SEND THEIR MONEY AND 'SEND YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS' AND THEN AT ONE 23:57 OF THESE NEWS AGENCIES DID A SPECIAL ON HIM AND THEY HAD THE 24:00 PEOPLE TAKING ALL THE MONEY OUT AND THROWING OUT ALL THE PRAYER 24:04 REQUESTS - THEY HAD THEM ON CAMERA - THEY WEREN'T EVEN 24:06 READING THE PRAYER REQUESTS - AND THROWING THEM IN A DUMPSTER. 24:09 AND ONCE HE WAS EXPOSED HIS MINISTRY JUST FELL INTO 24:12 NOTHING. HE'S STILL OUT THERE 24:15 TRYING TO RESURRECT IT. SO ONE OF THE GREATEST ENEMIES 24:20 OF THE TRUTH OF GOD IS COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANS OUT 24:24 THERE, AND COUNTERFEIT PASTORS THAT EXPLOIT PEOPLE. 24:28 THEY HAD THAT BACK IN JESUS' DAY. 24:30 OH I HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH MY LIST OF WHAT SOME OF THE FIVE 24:33 FALSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE OF THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL. 24:37 ONE IS THAT YOU GIVE SO THAT YOU CAN GET. 24:40 AND I READ YOU LUKE 6 - THERE'S MARK 10: 29 AND 30, JESUS SAID 24:44 'ASSUREDLY I TELL YOU THAT THERE IS NO ONE WHO HAS LEFT HOUSES OR 24:48 BROTHERS OR SISTER OR FATHER OR MOTHER OR WIFE OR CHILDREN OR 24:51 LANDS FOR MY SAKE' - IN THE GOSPELS - 'WHO SHALL NOT RECEIVE 24:54 A HUNDREDFOLD NOW IN THIS TIME. 24:57 HOUSES' - THIS IS A VERSE THEY USE. 24:59 YOU FOLLOW EVERYTHING YOU LEAVE EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW ME AND IN 25:02 THIS LIFE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A HUNDREDFOLD MORE HOUSES AND 25:05 BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND MOTHERS AND CHILDREN AND LANDS - AND 25:09 PERSECUTION - THEY DON'T EMPHASIZE THAT. 25:10 THEY SAY YOU'RE GOING TO GET A HUNDRED TIMES MORE HOUSES. 25:13 WELL, WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THAT? 25:16 HE MEANT 'IF YOU LEAVE EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW ME YOU 25:18 WILL HAVE A HOME WHEREVER YOU GO, IN THE CHURCH, BECAUSE 25:21 PEOPLE WILL TAKE YOU IN.' HE DIDN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 25:24 100 TIMES MORE HOUSE OR A HUNDRED TIMES MORE HOUSES AND 25:29 YET, THAT'S THE WAY SOME PROSPERITY PREACHERS WILL TWIST 25:31 THAT. ANY OF YOU HEARD THESE THINGS? YEAH, THEY CALL IT 'NAME 25:36 IT AND CLAIM IT' THEOLOGY. ANOTHER ONE IS THE PROSPERITY 25:40 GOSPEL IS FAITH IS A SELF-GENERATED SPIRITUAL FORCE THAT 25:44 LEADS TO PROSPERITY. THAT THE PURPOSE OF FAITH IS NOT 25:48 THAT YOU MIGHT BE SAVED FROM SIN AND LIVE A HOLY LIFE, BUT THE 25:50 PURPOSE OF FAITH IS SO THAT YOU CAN, BASICALLY, DECLARE WHAT YOU 25:54 THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AND, BY CONTINUING TO DECLARE 25:57 THAT YOU ARE SPEAKING FAITH INTO YOUR STATEMENT, AND GOD IS 26:01 REQUIRED TO DO IT BECAUSE YOU SAID IT. 26:05 AND YOU JUST ARE SUPPOSED TO PROCLAIM AND DECLARE AND - AND 26:08 REBUKE DISBELIEF AND JUST BE POSITIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING AND - 26:12 AND, YOU KNOW, ONE VERY POPULAR PROSPERITY PREACHER, HE - HIS - 26:17 HIS TACTICS ARE NOT AS MANIPULATING AS SOME THAT ARE 26:21 OUT THERE BUT THE MESSAGES ARE ALL JUST POSITIVE, POSITIVE, 26:25 POSITIVE, IS JOEL OSTEEN, WHO HAS A CHURCH IN HOUSTON WITH, I 26:30 DON'T KNOW, SEATS 20,000 - 30,000 PEOPLE THERE IN AN 26:34 AUDITORIUM, BUT - AND I'VE LISTENED TO SOME OF HIS 26:37 MESSAGES, HE'S ON RADIO AND IT'S JUST 'GOD'S GOT A GOOD PLAN FOR 26:41 YOU AND YOU'VE JUST GOT TO BELIEVE THAT' - AND, AGAIN, 26:43 THERE ARE - THERE IS SOME TRUTH WOVEN INTO IT. 26:48 I MEAN, CHRIST DID SAY SOME THINGS THAT TALKED ABOUT - THERE 26:51 WERE SOME POSITIVE MESSAGES. BUT THE IDEA THAT IF YOU'RE 26:54 SUFFERING IT'S JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD ENOUGH 26:56 ATTITUDE, THAT'S NOT BIBLICAL. JESUS SAID THE RAIN AND THE 27:01 SUNSHINE COMES TO EVERYBODY - ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 27:04 BELIEVER AND UNBELIEVER. NOW THIS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE 27:07 MY MESSAGE IN OUR SERMON THAT FOLLOWS IS ADDRESSING SOME OF 27:10 THESE SAME THINGS QUITE BY COINCIDENCE. ALRIGHT, AND THEN 27:14 THE FIFTH POINT IN THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL IS THAT PRAYER 27:19 IS A TOOL TO FORCE GOD TO GRANT YOU PROSPERITY. 27:22 I WANT TO GIVE YOU A QUOTE - I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER HEARD 27:24 THERE'S ANOTHER PREACHER HIS NAME IS CREFLO DOLLAR - 27:27 INTERESTING NAME FOR A PROSPERITY PREACHER, DOLLAR. 27:29 AND HE SAID, 'WHEN WE PRAY BELIEVING THAT WE HAVE ALREADY 27:34 RECEIVED WHAT WE ARE PRAYING FOR, GOD HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO 27:37 MAKE OUR PRAYERS COME TO PASS. 27:39 IT'S A KEY TO GETTING RESULTS AS A CHRISTIAN.' 27:42 YOU - THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS TO GET WHAT YOU WANT. 27:44 GOD IS A BIG SANTA CLAUS UP IN THE SKY AND YOU'RE JUST SUPPOSED 27:47 TO ASK AND HE'S SUPPOSED TO GIVE AND YOU JUST NEED MORE FAITH. 27:50 AND IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. 27:52 AGAIN I DON'T SAY THIS, I'M SAYING THIS IS WHAT THE 27:54 PROSPERITY GOSPEL TEACHES BUT IT'S REALLY A GOSPEL OF GREED. 28:00 WHENEVER WE PRAY - JAMES SAYS WHEN YOU PRAY YOU SHOULD SAY, 28:02 YOU KNOW, 'IF IT'S GOD'S WILL' - AND DID PAUL GET SICK? 28:09 DID PAUL HAVE A THORN IN HIS SIDE - SOME AFFLICTION SOME 28:12 MALADY? WE BELIEVE IT WAS A PHYSICAL PROBLEM. 28:15 MOST SCHOLARS THINK THAT HE HAD VERY BAD EYESIGHT. 28:20 REMEMBER WHEN HE SAW THE LORD, HE WAS BLINDED FOR A FEW DAYS 28:23 AND LATER THE SCALES FELL FROM HIS EYES. 28:26 BUT AS TIME WENT ON, HE NEVER DID SEE THE SAME. 28:29 HE HAD OTHER PEOPLE WRITE HIS LETTERS HE WOULD SIGN AND THEN 28:31 HE SAID, 'BEHOLD AND WHAT BIG CHARACTERS I WRITE'. 28:34 AND WHEN HE WAS STANDING IN COURT IN FRONT OF THE HIGH 28:37 PRIEST, HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS THE HIGH PRIEST. 28:39 HE COULDN'T SEE. HE ALWAYS TRAVELED WITH SOMEBODY 28:42 BECAUSE HIS VISION WAS SO BAD. AND THAT COULD HAVE 28:44 BEEN THE AFFLICTION. AND HE SAYS 'I PRAYED THREE 28:47 TIMES THAT GOD WOULD HEAL ME.' AND HE SAID, 'MY STRENGTH IS 28:49 MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.' SO WHAT, DID PAUL NOT 28:52 HAVE ENOUGH FAITH? WHO'S GOING TO ARGUE THAT? 28:55 SO THIS IDEA THAT IF YOU'RE SICK OR IF YOU'RE POOR YOU JUST DON'T 28:59 HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. I GUESS THE APOSTLES 29:01 DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL - YOU'VE 29:06 HEARD THE EXPRESSION 'A ROLLING STONE DOESN'T GATHER MUCH MOSS.' 29:09 WELL THEY WERE ITINERANT. THEY WENT FROM PLACE TO PLACE 29:11 AND THEY WERE NOT WEALTHY IN THIS WORLD'S THINGS. 29:16 ALRIGHT, THE NEXT SECTION - OH I READ A SURVEY THAT WAS DONE BY 29:21 AMERICAN MYTHOS AND IT SHOWED THAT 82 PERCENT OF AMERICANS 29:25 THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE MATERIALISTIC AND 77 PERCENT 29:29 SAID THAT THEY ARE SELF-INDULGENT. 29:32 I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT, THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE MATERIALISTIC. 29:38 I'M CONVICTED ALL THE TIME. I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF. 29:42 ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE? YOU CAN BECOME A SLAVE TO YOUR 29:46 STUFF SO YOU CAN'T DO MISSION WORK FOR JESUS BECAUSE YOU'VE 29:49 GOT TO STAY HOME AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR STAFF. 29:51 AND CHRIST SAID, OF COURSE, A MAN'S LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST IN 29:55 THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS THAT HE POSSESSES. 30:00 BLURRED SPIRITUAL EYESIGHT IS THE NEXT SECTION AND WE'RE GOING 30:04 TO BEGIN WITH A QUOTE, HERE, FROM THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY . 30:09 THIS IS FROM THE BOOK SPIRITUAL GIFTS , PAGE 267 - THIS IS IN 30:13 YOUR LESSON - "SOME LOVE THIS WORLD SO MUCH THAT IT SWALLOWS 30:16 UP THEIR LOVE FOR THE TRUTH. AS THEIR TREASURES HERE 30:20 INCREASE, THEIR INTEREST IN THE HEAVENLY TREASURES DECREASES. 30:25 THE MORE THEY POSSESS THIS WORLD THE MORE CLOSELY THEY DO HUG IT 30:29 TO THEM AS THEY FEAR - AS IF FEARFUL THEIR COVETED TREASURE 30:34 WOULD BE TAKEN FROM THEM. THE MORE THEY POSSESS THE LESS 30:37 THEY DO - THEY HAVE TO BESTOW UPON OTHERS. 30:40 THE MORE THEY HAVE THE POORER THEY FEEL. 30:43 OH THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES! THEY WILL NOT SEE AND FEEL 30:47 THE WANT OF THE CAUSE OF GOD." POOR PEOPLE, STATISTICALLY, GIVE 30:53 A BIGGER PERCENTAGE OF WHAT THEY HAVE THAN RICH PEOPLE. 30:56 YOU WOULD THINK RICH PEOPLE WOULD GIVE MORE, BUT IT'S BEEN 30:59 PROVEN TIME AND AGAIN THAT POOR PEOPLE WILL GIVE A BIGGER 31:03 PERCENTAGE THAN RICH. YOU KNOW, I THINK I QUOTED THIS 31:10 TO YOU LAST WEEK, BEN FRANKLIN SAID THAT ABUNDANCE DESTROYS 31:13 MORE PEOPLE THAN POVERTY. AND WE CAN GET COMFORTABLE WITH 31:19 HAVING EVERYTHING - ALL OF OUR EARTHLY NEEDS NET - ALL OF OUR 31:23 EARTHLY NEEDS MET SO WE DON'T REALLY PRAY, 'GIVE ME 31:26 THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD'. MOST OF YOU WHEN YOU PRAY 'GIVE 31:29 ME THIS DAY MY DAILY BREAD' - YOU KNOW IT'S MORE A RITUAL. 31:32 YOU'RE NOT REALLY THINKING, 'WILL I EAT TODAY?' 31:34 WELL, MAYBE SOME OF YOU, BUT MOST OF YOU, YOU'RE PRETTY 31:37 COMFORTABLE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EAT. 31:38 SO THE POOR PEOPLE OFTEN REALLY HAVE TO TURN TO GOD AND THIS WAS 31:42 A WARNING THE LORD GAVE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 31:44 HE SAID 'WHEN YOU COME INTO THE PROMISED LAND DON'T JUST SAY 'OH 31:48 WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT MY HOUSES AND MY LANDS AND MY 31:52 ORCHARDS AND MY WELLS AND EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL'' AND 31:55 YOU FORGET ABOUT THE LORD. AND SO THAT CAN HAPPEN TO US. 32:00 YOU KNOW ONE REASON I THINK THAT GOD ALLOWS TRIALS TO COME ON A 32:03 NATION IS TO HELP THEM RECOGNIZE THEIR NEED OF GOD. 32:07 BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE - WHEN WE ARE SWIMMING IN ABUNDANCE WE TEND TO 32:13 FORGET TO PRAY. KNOWING YOU HAVE A NEED CAN DRIVE YOU TO PRAYER. 32:19 MATTHEW 13 - JESUS TELLS A PARABLE. 32:21 MATTHEW 13, VERSE 3, "HE SPOKE TO THEM IN MANY THINGS IN 32:26 PARABLES SAYING, 'BEHOLD A SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW AND AS HE SOWED, 32:30 SOME OF THE SEED FELL BY THE WAYSIDE AND THE BIRDS CAME AND 32:34 DEVOURED THEM. SOME FELL ON STONY PLACES WHERE 32:37 THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH EARTH AND IMMEDIATELY THEY SPRANG UP BUT 32:40 BECAUSE THEY HAD NO DEPTH OF EARTH, BUT WHEN THE SUN CAME UP 32:43 IT WAS SCORCHED AND BECAUSE THEY HAD NO ROOT THEY WITHERED AWAY." 32:46 NOW HERE'S THE PART I WANT YOU TO NOTICE: "AND SOME OF THE 32:49 SEED" - GOOD SEED - "IT FELL AMONG THE THORNS AND THE THORNS 32:53 SPRANG UP AND CHOKED THEM. BUT THE OTHERS FELL ON GOOD 32:57 GROUND AND IT YIELDED A CROP SOME A HUNDREDFOLD 33:00 SOME 60 SOME 30. HE WHO HAS EARS LET HIM HEAR." 33:04 LATER THEY CAME TO JESUS AND HE EXPLAINS THE PARABLE. 33:07 NOW THAT THIRD BATCH OF SEED THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT, IT SAID 33:11 "HE WHO RECEIVED THE SEED AMONG THE THORNS IS HE WHO HEARS THE 33:16 WORD OF GOD AND THE CARES OF THIS WORLD AND THE DECEITFULNESS 33:21 OF RICHES CHOKE THE WORD AND HE BECOMES UNFRUITFUL." 33:27 MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE FRUIT BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT. 33:29 WHY? THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES. 33:32 WHAT IS THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES? 33:37 TELL ME WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT'S THE DECEITFULNESS OF 33:40 RICHES? THAT SOMEHOW, IF YOU HAVE 33:44 ENOUGH, YOU'LL BE SATISFIED. YOU MAY NOT BE HOLY. 33:49 YOU MAY NOT BE READY FOR HEAVEN BUT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE AND WE 33:55 FIGURE THAT IF WE'RE COMFORTABLE, WELL THAT'S GOOD 33:57 ENOUGH. RICHES CAN BE DECEITFUL THAT WAY 34:00 AND WE BECOME UNFRUITFUL IN THE WORK OF GOD. 34:03 JESUS SAID - DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY THAT - SPEAKING OF THE 34:08 SECOND COMING - 'PRAY ALWAYS THAT WE MIGHT ESCAPE ALL THESE 34:12 THINGS AND GUARD, LEST OUR HEARTS BE OVER CHARGED WITH 34:17 EATING, DRINKING, AND THE CARES OF THIS LIFE.' 34:19 WE CAN GET SO PREOCCUPIED WITH THE CARES OF THIS LIFE 34:21 THAT THAT DAY OVERTAKES US AS A THIEF. 34:24 NOW THERE'S ANOTHER SECTION HERE THAT TALKS ABOUT COVETOUSNESS. 34:29 GENESIS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 1 - HOW DID SIN ENTER OUR WORLD? 34:37 BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH WHAT GOD HAD PROVIDED. 34:43 GENESIS 3:1, "NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE CUNNING THAN ANY BEAST 34:46 OF THE FIELD WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. 34:49 AND HE SAID TO THE WOMAN, 'HAS GOD INDEED SAID, 'YOU SHALL NOT 34:52 EAT OF EVERY TREE IN THE GARDEN'?' 34:55 AND THE WOMAN SAID TO THE SERPENT, 'WE'RE FREE TO EAT FROM 34:57 THE FRUIT OF THE TREES IN THE GARDEN, BUT OF THE FRUIT OF THE 35:00 TREE THAT'S IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN GOD HAD SAID 'YOU SHALL 35:03 NOT EAT IT. NOR SHALL YOU TOUCH IT LEST YOU 35:05 DIE.' THEN THE SERPENT SAID TO THE WOMAN, 'YOU WILL NOT SURELY 35:09 DIE FOR GOD KNOWS THAT IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT OF IT YOUR EYES 35:12 WILL BE OPENED AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND 35:15 EVIL.' SO WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR" - 35:19 WELL, I WANT TO STOP BEFORE I GET TO THAT PART. 35:22 HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT YOU'D BE BROUGHT - IF YOU'RE BROUGHT 35:26 IN TO A STORE AND YOU'RE TOLD YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING IN THE 35:30 STORE, YOU SAY, 'OH, THAT'S WONDERFUL.' BUT THEN THE 35:33 PROPRIETOR SAYS, 'EXCEPT THAT ONE ITEM THERE.' ALL OF A SUDDEN 35:36 YOU BECOME INTRIGUED BY THAT ONE ITEM. 35:40 IF THERE IS ONE THING YOU CAN'T HAVE AND YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING 35:43 ELSE, YOU BECOME INTRIGUED BY - YOU ALMOST START TO DESIRE THAT 35:46 ONE THING. YOU START TO WONDER WHY CAN'T I 35:48 HAVE THAT ONE THING?' AND THAT'S WHERE 35:50 COVETOUSNESS COMES IN. NOW, HOW MANY KNOW 35:52 THE TENTH COMMANDMENT? IF YOU'RE GOING TO QUOTE THE 35:57 TENTH COMMANDMENT, MOST PEOPLE SAY THOU SHALT NOT COVET' - BUT 35:59 IT'S LONGER THAN THAT ISN'T IT. 'THOU SHALT NOT COVET' - WHAT? 36:05 'THY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE, HIS MANSERVANT, 36:10 HIS MAIDSERVANT, HIS CATTLE OR ANYTHING THAT IS YOUR 36:12 NEIGHBORS.' AND SO IT'S NOT JUST 36:17 COVETING YOUR NEIGHBORS THINGS. IT'S COVETING YOUR NEIGHBORS 36:22 PEOPLE - MANSERVANT, MAIDSERVANT - HIS WIFE. 36:26 HOW DID DAVID GET INTO TROUBLE - THE BIG TROUBLE HE GOT INTO? 36:31 HE LOOKED OVER THE FENCE - HE WAS UP ON THE ROOF AND LOOKED 36:35 ACROSS THE FENCE INTO THE COURTYARD OF HIS NEIGHBOR'S 36:37 HOUSE WHERE HIS NEIGHBOR'S WIFE WAS TAKING A BATH AND HE WASN'T 36:40 SATISFIED WITH THE TEN WIVES THAT HE HAD. 36:45 ISN'T THAT AMAZING? HE HAD TEN BUT THERE WAS ONE 36:48 OVER THE FENCE HE DIDN'T HAVE AND HE WAS WILLING TO KILL THAT 36:52 NEIGHBOR WHO WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF HIS MIGHTY MEN TO TAKE THE WIFE. 36:57 HE BECAME DISSATISFIED WITH WHAT HE DID HAVE BECAUSE HE WANTED 37:01 SOMETHING HE DIDN'T HAVE. NOW HOW DOES THE DEVIL 37:07 WORK TO GET US TO BUY? YOU KNOW HOW MARKETING 37:12 WORKS OFTEN IN THE WORLD? THEY MAKE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH 37:18 WHAT YOU DO HAVE AND THEY SAY YOU'LL ONLY BE SATISFIED IF 37:21 YOU TAKE OR BUY OR ACQUIRE. WHAT WE'RE OFFERING IN FOUR EASY 37:26 PAYMENTS - GET YOUR CREDIT CARD OUT NOW - YOU DESERVE THIS. 37:31 YOU EVER HEARD THAT ON THE COMMERCIAL? 37:32 'YOU DESERVE THIS' - AND YOU THINK 'WHY DO I DESERVE THAT 37:36 BETTER PILLOW?' - 'I DESERVE IT. 37:43 YEAH I SHOULD GO INTO DEBT AND GET IT BECAUSE I DESERVE IT. 37:45 I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY UNTIL I FOUND OUT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ONE 37:50 OF THOSE.' AND THEN THEY'LL SAY 'YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE IT AND 37:55 THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL.' AND WHY - 'YOU MEAN MY NEIGHBORS HAVE 37:59 SOMETHING I DON'T HAVE? WOW, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?' 38:02 AND SO THEY CREATE THIS SENSE OF DISSATISFACTION AND THE DEVIL 38:06 SAYS, 'OH, YOU MIGHT BE LIVING IN PARADISE NOW AND YOU MIGHT 38:10 THINK ALL OF THIS FOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE TASTES GREAT, 38:12 BUT THERE'S ONE THING YOU HAVEN'T TASTED YET AND YOU DON'T 38:15 KNOW EVERYTHING YOU CAN KNOW AND THERE IS AN EXPERIENCE OUT THERE 38:17 WAITING FOR YOU. REAL SATISFACTION BUT YOU'RE 38:20 ONLY GOING TO GET IT IF YOU EAT FROM THIS TREE.' AND EVEN THOUGH 38:23 ADAM AND EVE COULD EAT FROM EVERYTHING ELSE AND HOW MANY 38:25 TREES YOU THINK THERE WERE IN THE GARDEN BESIDES THAT 38:27 ONE FORBIDDEN TREE? THOUSANDS - LOOK AT ALL THE 38:30 DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREES IN THE WORLD TODAY. 38:33 AND THIS IS GOD'S GARDEN. CAN YOU IMAGINE WALKING - YOU 38:35 KNOW, GOD'S GARDEN MIGHT HAVE BEEN AS BIG AS MONTANA. 38:39 WE DON'T KNOW HOW BIG THE GARDEN OF EDEN WAS. 38:41 THERE COULD HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREES IN 38:44 THERE INCLUDING THE TREE OF LIFE. 38:45 YOU CAN EAT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE. 38:48 BUT THE DEVIL PLANTED A DISSATISFACTION IN EVE'S HEART 38:52 AND, I GUESS, LATER ADAM'S. THERE IS ONE THING YOU CAN'T 38:55 HAVE AND YOU'RE MISSING OUT - AND SHE BEGAN TO COVET 38:58 THAT WHICH WAS FORBIDDEN. NOW IS IT WRONG TO WANT A HOUSE? 39:06 IS IT WRONG TO WANT YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE? 39:09 (LAUGHTER) I WAS GOING TO SAY, IF THERE'S A FOR SALE SIGN IN 39:13 FRONT OF IT IS NOT WRONG. HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER SEEN YOUR 39:18 NEIGHBOR GOT A NEW CAR AND YOU THOUGHT, 'WOW'? 39:21 AND IN YOUR LITTLE HEART YOU'RE THINKING 'I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT 39:24 CAR.' I MEAN, YOU AREN'T GOING TO STEAL YOUR NEIGHBOR'S CAR, 39:27 BUT IT CREATED A DESIRE WITHIN YOU. 39:31 I'M GOING TO INTERPRET YOUR SMILES THAT THAT'S A YES. 39:35 NOW IT'S NOT WRONG TO DESIRE SOMETHING. 39:38 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PLACE IN THE BIBLE WE'RE COMMANDED - WE ARE 39:40 COMMANDED TO COVET. IT SAYS COVET EARNESTLY THE BEST 39:44 GIFTS BUT IS IT TALKING ABOUT PHYSICAL GIFTS OR IS PAUL 39:48 TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS? SO WHAT SHOULD WE 39:52 COVET THE MOST? THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT - LOVE, 39:55 JOY, PEACE, GOODNESS, FAITH - RIGHT? WE SHOULD 39:58 COVET THOSE GIFTS. WELL WE OFTEN COVET 40:00 MATERIAL THINGS. IT'S NOT WRONG TO 40:02 WANT SOMETHING. IT'S NOT WRONG TO WANT A HOUSE. 40:04 IT'S NOT WRONG TO WANT A CAR IT'S NOT WRONG TO WANT A WIFE OR 40:07 A HUSBAND, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE WANTING WHAT IS NOT YOURS TO 40:12 WANT AND THAT'S SIN - BECOMING DISSATISFIED. 40:15 AND THEN THE DEVIL SAID 'OH, THIS IS GOING TO MAKE YOU 40:19 HAPPY.' "THE WOMAN SAW THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, PLEASANT TO 40:22 THE EYES AND TRUE DESIRABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE." 40:25 YOU NOTICE THERE'S THREE AREAS: LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF 40:28 THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE. THAT'S WHERE EVE FELL. 40:32 THOSE ARE THE THREE AREAS OF - ALL SIN CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN 40:35 THOSE THREE AREAS AND THESE ARE THE THREE AREAS WHERE JESUS 40:39 OVERCAME SO THAT WE CAN OVERCOME ANY SIN. 40:44 SHE TOOK IT AND SHE ATE IT. AND BEFORE THE ILL EFFECTS CAME 40:48 SHE THOUGHT, 'OH, WOW, THIS IS EXHILARATING.' SHE GAVE IT 40:51 TO HER HUSBAND AND HE ATE. AT LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE THEY 40:55 REALLY THOUGHT THERE WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE. 40:57 AND LOOK AT ALL THE MISERY THAT CAME INTO OUR WORLD BECAUSE OF 40:59 COVETING SOMETHING THAT WAS FORBIDDEN EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD 41:03 EVERYTHING ELSE SUPPLIED. COVETOUSNESS IS JUST REALLY IT'S 41:10 THE DEVIL'S MEANS OF MAKING US DISSATISFIED. 41:14 DOESN'T THE BIBLE SAY PAUL SAID 'I HAVE LEARNED IN WHATEVER 41:17 STATE I AM TO BE CONTENT. I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO ABOUND.'? 41:22 THERE WERE TIMES WHEN PAUL STAYED IN A PALACE AND THEN A 41:24 LOT OF TIME PAUL STAYED IN A PRISON. 41:26 HE SAID 'I'VE LEARNED TO BE CONTENT IN THE PRISON AND THE 41:28 PALACE. I HAVE LEARNED WHEREVER GOD HAS 41:30 ME, IF I AM IN THE WILL OF GOD, I AM SATISFIED. 41:33 BUT IF YOU'RE ALWAYS DISSATISFIED - DOES SHOPPING 41:36 MAKE YOU HAPPY? FOR A LITTLE WHILE, HUH? 41:41 UNTIL YOU GET THE BILL? BUT IT DOESN'T LAST. 41:46 ANOTHER STORY IN THE BIBLE ON THIS 1 KINGS 21 - THIS IS IN 41:50 YOUR LESSON. YOU KNOW THE STORY OF A NABOTH'S 41:52 VINEYARD NEXT TO AHAB'S PALACE? HE HAD A CITIZEN NAMED NABOTH, 41:57 WHO HAD A VINEYARD AND HE HAD A THOUGHT, 'BOY, I'D LIKE TO 42:01 EXPAND MY GARDEN BUT I NEED MORE ROOM. 42:02 IF NABOTH WOULD SELL ME HIS VINEYARD I CAN PLOW UP ALL THE 42:07 GRAPES AND PLANT MY HERBS - PUT MY VEGETABLE GARDEN IN.' THERE'S 42:10 SOMETHING WRONG WITH PLOWING UP GRAPES AND PUTTING IN PARSNIPS. 42:16 BUT ANYWAY SO HE GOES TO NABOTH AND HE SAYS 'HEY, SELL ME YOUR 42:19 VINEYARD IF - YOU KNOW, I'LL PAY YOU MONEY - I'M THE KING. 42:21 IF YOU DON'T WANT MONEY' - HE SAYS - 'I'LL GIVE YOU A BETTER 42:23 VINEYARD. WHATEVER YOU WANT. 42:24 YOU TELL ME. AND NABOTH SAID TO 42:26 THE KING, 'SORRY AHAB. YOU KNOW THE LAW SAID THAT THIS 42:29 IS MY FAMILY INHERITANCE AND I CANNOT SELL IT. 42:33 IT'S GOING TO GO ON THROUGH OUR FAMILY IT'LL GO TO MY FIRST BORN 42:35 AND SO ON.' AND AHAB WAS SO UNHAPPY BY THAT - IT SAYS HE 42:41 LAID DOWN ON HIS BED HE TURNED HIS FACE TO THE WALL. 42:44 HE WOULD NOT EAT. JEZEBEL, HIS WIFE CAME TO HIM 42:47 AND SAID 'WHY IS YOUR SPIRITS SO SULLEN? 42:49 - YOU'RE POUTING - A KING POUTING - 'YOU EAT NO FOOD.' - 42:52 HE SAID, 'BECAUSE I SPOKE TO THE NABOTH THE JEZREELITE AND I SAID 42:55 TO HIM, 'GIVE ME YOUR VINEYARD FOR MONEY OR ELSE, IF IT PLEASE 42:57 YOU, I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER VINEYARD.' HE SAID, I'LL NOT 42:59 GIVE YOU MY VINEYARD.' AND YOU KNOW WHAT JEZEBEL DID? 43:03 SHE SAID, 'AREN'T YOU THE KING? LET ME BORROW YOUR SIGNET RING.' 43:06 AND SHE MADE A FEAST AND SHE INVITED PEOPLE AND SHE SET 43:10 NABOTH THERE AT THE FEAST AND SHE HAD HIRED SOME SCOUNDRELS 43:13 WHO SAID 'NABOTH HAS CURSED GOD AND THE KING.' AND THEY DRUG 43:17 NABOTH OUT AND STONED HIM TO DEATH SO THAT AHAB 43:20 COULD TAKE HIS VINEYARD. NOW WAS AHAB HAPPY? 43:25 HE WAS HAPPY FOR A LITTLE WHILE HE WAS WALKING THROUGH THE 43:28 VINEYARD SAYING 'YEAH I'LL PUT MY RADISHES HERE AND I'LL PUT, 43:31 YOU KNOW, MY SQUASH OVER HERE' AND ELIJAH SHOWED UP AND AHAB 43:37 SAID, 'HAVE YOU FOUND ME MY ENEMY?' 43:40 AND HE SAID YOU'RE ONLY GOD'S ENEMY BECAUSE YOU'VE SOLD 43:42 YOURSELF TO DO WICKEDNESS.' HE SAID 'THE PLACE WHERE THE DOGS 43:46 ARE LICKING THE BLOOD OF NABOTH, THEY'RE GOING TO LICK YOUR 43:48 BLOOD.' SO HE GOT NABOTH'S VINEYARD BUT IT SAYS HE WENT OUT 43:53 AFTER THAT AND HE WAS SAD. HE CLOTHED HIMSELF 43:57 WITH SACKCLOTH. HE REALIZED HE'D DONE A TERRIBLE 43:59 THING AND JUDGMENT WAS GOING TO COME TO HIM. 44:01 IT DIDN'T SATISFY. SO WHEN WE GET SOMETHING 44:05 FORBIDDEN THAT WE'RE COVETING, DOES IT REALLY MAKE US HAPPY? 44:09 DID BATHSHEBA - THAT WHOLE AFFAIR - DID IT MAKE DAVID 44:13 REALLY HAPPY OR DID IT BRING ALL KINDS OF HEARTACHE AND DEATH 44:16 INTO HIS FAMILY? >>HEARTACHE. 44:18 >>WHEN YOU'RE TAKING SOMETHING FORBIDDEN THAT YOU'RE COVETING - 44:21 SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULDN'T COVET - SHOULD YOU GET AT IT, IT 44:24 WILL NOT SATISFY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SONG WE USED 44:26 TO SING: ONLY JESUS CAN SATISFY YOUR SOUL . 44:30 THERE'S AN EMPTY SPOT IN OUR HEARTS AND IT IS NOT SATISFIED 44:33 BY THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS. IT'S ONLY SATISFIED BY CHRIST. 44:36 ALRIGHT, GREED - I'M GOING TO TRY AND SAVE A COUPLE MINUTES 44:40 FOR QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING IN - TALKING ABOUT GREED HERE. 44:43 ISAIAH 56 SAYS 'YES THEY ARE GREEDY DOGS THAT NEVER HAVE 44:47 ENOUGH THEY'RE SHEPHERDS WHO CANNOT UNDERSTAND' - THAT'S LIKE 44:51 THE PROSPERITY PREACHERS -'THEY ALL LOOK TO HIS OWN WAY - 44:54 EVERYONE FOR HIS OWN GAIN FROM HIS OWN TERRITORY.' IT'S ALL 44:58 ABOUT 'WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?' ALRIGHT, SOMEONE IS GOING TO 45:02 READ, FOR ME, 1 TIMOTHY'S 6:10 - OKAY, MANJEET, YOU'LL HAVE THAT? 45:05 I'LL - YOU'RE - YOU'RE NEXT, THEN. 45:08 I'M GOING TO READ JAMES 4, VERSES 1 AND 2. 45:11 "WHERE DO WARS AND FIGHTINGS COME FROM YOU? 45:14 DO THEY NOT COME FROM YOUR DESIRE FOR PLEASURE THAT WAR IN 45:17 YOUR MEMBERS IN YOUR SOUL? YOU LUST AND YOU DO NOT HAVE; 45:20 YOU MURDER, YOU COVET. YOU CANNOT OBTAIN. YOU FIGHT AND YOU 45:24 WAR, YET YOU DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK". 45:26 AND THEN HE SAYS 'AND YOU ASK AND YOU DON'T RECEIVE BECAUSE 45:29 YOU ASK FOR THE WRONG REASON THAT YOU MIGHT CONSUME IT UPON 45:31 YOUR LUSTS.' WE QUOTED THAT EARLIER. 45:34 GO AHEAD, READ FOR US, PLEASE, 1 TIMOTHY 6:10. 45:37 >>"FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL, FOR 45:41 WHICH SOME HAVE STRAYED FROM THE FAITH IN THE GREEDINESS AND 45:46 PIERCED THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS." 45:50 >>SO WHEN PEOPLE RECEIVE THINGS THAT THEY COVET AND THEY'RE 45:55 COVETING FORBIDDEN THINGS, THEY PIERCE THEMSELVES THROUGH WITH 45:58 MANY SORROWS. HAVE YOU EVER MET SOMEBODY WHO 46:01 LOST EVERYTHING IN GAMBLING? LOVE OF MONEY. 46:05 GAMBLING IS USUALLY ABOUT GET RICH QUICK. 46:06 WELL, WE GOT SOME QUESTIONS CAME IN AND THEN SOME OF THESE HAVE 46:09 COME IN FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING LIVE; OTHERS MAYBE CAME 46:13 IN FROM FACEBOOK PEOPLE. PASTOR ROSS YOU GOT 46:15 SOME QUESTIONS THERE. >>WE DO. 46:18 WE WANT TO THANK OUR FRIENDS FOR TYPING IN YOUR QUESTION AND 46:22 WE'LL TRY AND ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN TODAY AND, IF NOT, WE'LL 46:24 KEEP GOING MAYBE NEXT TIME TO ANSWER SOME MORE QUESTIONS. 46:27 FIRST QUESTION WE HAVE 'IS STRIVING FOR SUCCESS 46:30 COVETOUSNESS?' >>NO, I THINK WE - WE ALL 46:36 WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHAT'S THE OP - WHAT'S THE 46:38 OPPOSITE OF STRIVING FOR SUCCESS? STRIVING FOR FAILURE. 46:43 I MEAN DOES THE LORD WANT US TO BE SUCCESSFUL? 46:46 ARE THERE PROMISES IN THE BIBLE THAT IF WE FOLLOW CERTAIN 46:49 CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES - THE BIBLE SAYS THAT 'BE DILIGENT IN YOUR 46:54 BUSINESS AND YOU WILL STAND BEFORE KINGS AND NOT BEFORE MEAN 46:58 MEN.' - I THINK THE WORD 'MEAN' MEANS A PEOPLE OF LOW ESTATE IN 47:01 THE KING JAMES VERSION. THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOTTOS OF 47:04 BEN FRANKLIN THAT HE WOULD BE DILIGENT IN HIS BUSINESS - HE 47:07 WAS A VERY INDUSTRIOUS MAN AND HE SAID 'I LIVE BY THIS RULE'. 47:11 HIS PARENTS WERE PURITANS AND THEY WERE VERY BIBLE BASED AND 47:15 HE SAYS 'I'VE BEEN VERY DILIGENT IN MY BUSINESS AND I'VE STOOD 47:18 BEFORE SEVERAL KINGS.' HE SAID, 'GOD'S PROMISES ARE TRUE.' 47:21 FRANKLIN SAID THAT. SO YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. 47:23 YOU WANT TO BE DILIGENT. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. 47:25 BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE DILIGENT FOR YOUR OWN PRAISE. 47:29 YOU WANT TO DO IT FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. 47:31 >>OKAY, THE NEXT QUESTION WE HAVE 'IS IT A SIN TO PURCHASE A 47:34 LUXURY VEHICLE?' >>THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 47:39 NOW, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO 47:43 THINK YOU KNOW THE PERSON WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE HUNDRED 47:48 THOUSAND DOLLAR BMW HE SAYS 'NO, MINE IS NOT A LUXURY VEHICLE, 47:53 BUT MY NEIGHBOR'S GOT A BUGATTI THAT'S WHAT - TWO MILLION 47:55 DOLLARS? >>YES. 47:57 >>AT THE LEAST A MILLION, I THINK. 47:58 THAT'S A LUXURY VEHICLE. AND, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON WHO'S 48:02 DRIVING THE PRIUS, SOMEONE THINKS HE'S GOT 48:06 A LUXURY VEHICLE. IF THE OTHER PERSON DRIVING, YOU 48:08 KNOW, A 50-YEAR-OLD HONDA CIVIC - SO YOU SHOULDN'T BE LIVING 48:14 OUTSIDE OF YOUR MEANS AND YOU DON'T WANT TO BE DOING SOMETHING 48:17 THAT'S GOING TO DISHONOR GOD. IF A PERSON IS A BILLIONAIRE 48:21 BECAUSE OF THEIR HARD WORK - LET'S JUST SUPPOSE YOU'VE GOT A 48:24 CHRISTIAN WHO'S VERY WEALTHY AND THEY DRIVE A NICE CAR. 48:27 SHOULD YOU CONDEMN THEM FOR THAT? 48:30 IF THEY'RE ALSO BEING GENEROUS - I MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW, THEY 48:33 MIGHT - THE GUY WHO THE FAMILY THAT STARTED HOBBY LOBBY ARE 48:39 VERY DEDICATED CHRISTIANS. THEY JUST GAVE MILLIONS TO BUILD 48:42 A BIBLE MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON D.C. THAT'S JUST OPENED UP. 48:46 THEY ARE EXTREMELY GENEROUS. THEY PAY TITHE, THEY GIVE AWAY 48:48 A GREAT DEAL OF THEIR WEALTH, THEY'RE VERY WEALTHY - 48:50 THEY MAY DRIVE A NICE CAR. I WOULD NOT CONDEMN 48:52 THEM FOR THAT. SO WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL NOT 48:55 TO NOT SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE AS GOD DOES. 48:59 RIGHT? DID SOLOMON LIVE IN A PALACE? 49:01 >>YES. >>DID HE HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE IN 49:04 A PALACE? WILL WE SEE SOLOMON IN HEAVEN? SEE WHAT I'M SAYING. 49:10 YOU'VE GOT TO JUST USE GOOD JUDGMENT. 49:12 >>HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION THAT SAYS 'HOW DO YOUNG PEOPLE 49:15 OVERCOME COVETOUSNESS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOLLYWOOD 49:19 SHOWING UNREALISTIC LIFESTYLES THAT SEEM APPEALING? 49:24 >>HOW DO YOU OVERCOME COVETOUS WHEN YOU'RE - COVETOUSNESS - 49:27 WHEN YOU'RE BEING BOMBARDED BY MESSAGES AND IMAGES THAT, YOU 49:31 KNOW, 'I'M NOT GOING TO LOOK GOOD ENOUGH UNLESS I HAVE THESE 49:33 CLOTHES AND I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH FRIENDS UNLESS I'VE 49:36 GOT THIS CAR.' - OR THIS HOUSE - AND JUST ALL THESE MESSAGES. 49:41 YOU KNOW WHAT I'D SAY IS EVERYBODY NEEDS TO GO ON A 49:46 MISSION TRIP TO A POOR COUNTRY TO HAVE A REALITY CHECK. 49:51 AND EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN SOME ASPECT 49:55 OF SERVICE SO THAT YOU KEEP PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE OTHERWISE 49:59 YOU CAN LIVE IN AN ARTIFICIAL WORLD AND LOSE PERSPECTIVE OF 50:02 WHAT REALLY MATTERS. YOU KNOW IT'S - IT'S NOT 50:07 REALISTIC TO SAY YOU SHOULD NEVER LOOK AT AN AD AGAIN 50:10 BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY'RE EVERYWHERE - IT'S ON BILLBOARDS 50:12 - OR THAT YOU SHOULD SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH 50:14 LIFE WITH BLINDERS ON. YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE 50:16 MATERIALISTIC MESSAGES. YOU'RE GONNA BE EXPOSED TO SOME 50:20 OF THESE ADVERTISING SCHEMES. YOU NEED TO BE CENTERED 50:23 SPIRITUALLY IN KNOWING WHAT REALLY MATTERS. 50:27 JESUS HAD IT AROUND HIM IN HIS DAY AND AGE. 50:30 >>OKAY, THE NEXT QUESTIONS IS 'IS JESUS EXPECTING ME TO GIVE 50:34 ALL MY MONEY TO THE POOR?' >>I DON'T KNOW, IF YOU'RE LIKE 50:40 THAT RICH YOUNG RULER, HE MIGHT BE. 50:42 SO I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL TO SAY 'NO, HE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO 50:44 DO THAT' - BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THROUGH HISTORY WHO HAVE 50:47 DONE THAT AND GOD TOLD THEM TO. BUT I DON'T THINK - I THINK YOUR 50:50 QUESTION IS 'IS HE IS HE ASKING EVERYBODY?' NO. 50:53 YOU'VE GOT TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT HE DIDN'T ASK 50:55 THEM TO GIVE EVERYTHING. BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE LIKE - 50:58 SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE WALDENSIANS AND PETER WALDO 51:02 WAS A WEALTHY MAN AND HE GAVE EVERYTHING AND HE REALLY 51:05 LIVED IN POVERTY TO GO AROUND PREACHING THE GOSPEL. 51:08 HE BECAME CONVICTED WHEN HE READ THE STORY OF THE RICH YOUNG 51:11 RULER THAT THAT WAS GOD TELLING HIM TO DO WHAT HE TOLD THAT 51:14 YOUNG MAN TO DO. MANY OF THE APOSTLES, THEY 51:17 FORSOOK EVERYTHING AND FOLLOWED JESUS. 51:20 BUT GOD DIDN'T ASK EVERY BELIEVER TO FORSAKE EVERYTHING. 51:23 THINK ABOUT THIS STAY WITH ME. THIS IS A REALLY 51:25 IMPORTANT POINT. IF EVERY TRUE BELIEVER MUST 51:28 FORSAKE EVERYTHING THEN WHERE ARE WE ALL GOING TO LIVE? 51:33 IF YOU'RE AT MY HOUSE THEN I'M NOT A TRUE BELIEVER BECAUSE I 51:36 HAVEN'T FORSAKEN EVERYTHING. IS THAT RIGHT? 51:39 IF EVERYBODY FORSAKES EVERYTHING THEN WHAT'S IN THE OFFERING 51:42 PLATE WHEN IT GOES BY? NOTHING. THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH. 51:46 AND SO HE OBVIOUSLY ISN'T ASKING EVERYBODY TO FORSAKE EVERYTHING 51:51 OR THE CHURCH WOULD HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING. 51:53 BUT WE MUST ALL PUT EVERYTHING ON THE ALTAR AND GIVE WITH OUR 51:59 TITHES AND OUR OFFERINGS GENEROUSLY AS GOD OUTLINES IN 52:02 HIS WORD, AMEN? BUT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE MAYBE 52:05 HE CALLS TO FORSAKE EVERYTHING. WHO - WHO WAS IT - COUNT 52:09 ZINZENDORF - ANY OF YOU EVER HEARD THAT NAME BEFORE? 52:11 MORAVIAN - VERY WEALTHY MAN GAVE EVERYTHING TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL. 52:16 I THINK HE WAS AN ANABAPTIST. AND SO THERE ARE OTHERS THROUGH 52:18 HISTORY THAT HAVE DONE THAT AND GOD BLESSED THEM. 52:21 >>OKAY, THE NEXT QUESTION WE HAVE KIND OF TIES IN WITH THE 52:23 LESSON. 'WITH OUR CURRENT SOCIETY, IS 52:26 IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME COVETOUSNESS? 52:30 >>WITH GOD, HOW MUCH IS POSSIBLE? 52:32 >>ALL. >>IS IT DIFFICULT? 52:34 YES. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A RICH MAN 52:37 TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN? YES BUT IS IT POSSIBLE? 52:42 IT'S INTERESTING THAT JUST WHEN JESUS SAID IT'S ALMOST 52:45 IMPOSSIBLE FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM, IN LUKE HE 52:48 SAYS THAT JUST BEFORE THE STORY OF ZACCHAEUS. 52:52 HOW DOES IT BEGIN - THE STORY OF ZACCHAEUS - A VERY RICH MAN AND 52:57 GOD - JESUS SAYS TO HIM 'THIS IS A SON OF ABRAHAM.' BUT WHAT DOES 53:01 ZACCHAEUS SAY? 'HALF MY GOODS I GIVE TO THE 53:04 POOR.' HE DIDN'T GIVE 100 PERCENT, HE GAVE 50 PERCENT. 53:08 SO HE PROBABLY STILL HAD SOMETHING LEFT. 53:11 I THINK HE ALSO SAID IF I'VE TAKEN ANYTHING FROM ANYONE BY 53:14 FALSE ACCUSATION I'LL PAY HIM BACK FOUR FOLD, BUT - SO YOU 53:19 KNOW, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE LIKE THAT. 53:22 OKAY, THE NEXT QUESTION THAT WE HAVE, IT SAYS, 'THERE ARE TIMES 53:24 WHEN I CAN BARELY PAY MY BILLS. HOW AM I NOT GOING TO WANT MY 53:28 NEIGHBOR'S LIFE, WHICH IS DOING JUST FINE - VACATIONING 53:31 AND ENJOYING LIFE? >>WELL THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 53:36 YOU SAY 'LOOK I'M STRUGGLING FROM DAY TO DAY AND I SEE MY 53:39 NEIGHBOR IS DOING WELL.' THERE'S - IF YOU READ IN PSALM 37, IT 53:45 TALKS ABOUT NOT FRETTING YOURSELF BECAUSE OF WICKED - THE 53:49 WICKED WHO PROSPER. LET ME READ THIS TO YOU - PSALM 53:51 37, VERSE 1, "DO NOT FRET YOURSELF BECAUSE OF EVIL DOERS 53:54 NOR BE ENVIOUS OF THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY, FOR THEY WILL SOON 53:58 BE CUT DOWN LIKE THE GRASS AND WHITHER AS A GREEN HERB." 54:01 THE BIBLE SAYS 'BLESSED ARE THE MEEK THEY WILL INHERIT THE 54:03 EARTH. BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT. 54:05 THERE'S IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' IF WE REMEMBER THE 54:07 PROMISES AND THE BLESSINGS OF GOD - ON BELIEVERS - AND THE 54:11 CURSES THAT WILL COME ON THE WICKED - THEN WHY WOULD WE COVET 54:14 WHAT THEY HAVE? BE SATISFIED THAT IF YOU HAVE 54:18 ETERNAL LIFE WHO IS REALLY RICH? IF GOD IS YOUR FATHER AND HE 54:23 OWNS EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD THEN WHO IS RICHER? 54:26 >>OKAY, MAYBE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION: 'CAN ASKING MY 54:30 CHILDREN WHAT THEY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS LEAD THEM TO COVET? 54:34 >>WELL, IT CAN. YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THINK IT'S 54:36 IMPORTANT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE GIVING GIFTS DURING THIS TIME 54:39 OF YEAR, DON'T JUST ASK YOUR CHILDREN WHAT THEY WANT. 54:42 ASK THEM WHAT THEY PLAN ON GIVING. 54:45 DON'T JUST MAKE IT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET BUT TO HELP 54:47 THEM TO UNDERSTAND RECIPROCAL GIVING THAT, YOU KNOW, YES SOME 54:52 WILL GIVE TO YOU, BUT WHO ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE TO? 54:55 THERE'S NOTHING WRONG RECEIVING A GIFT. 54:58 JESUS RECEIVES GIFTS FROM US I MEAN - AND FOR US TO RECEIVE 55:02 GIFTS FROM EACH OTHER IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO SHARE 55:05 GIFTS WITH PEOPLE BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO INFLAME THE NATURAL 55:09 TENDENCY IN YOUR CHILDREN TO BE SELFISH BY MAKING IT ALL ABOUT 55:12 WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET AND THEN GIVING YOU THEIR LIST. 55:16 MAKE SURE AND INCULCATE IN OUR KIDS THE IDEA OF GIVING TO 55:19 OTHERS AND GENEROSITY. AMEN? OKAY. 55:23 >>ALL RIGHT I THINK THAT'S IT FOR TODAY. 55:25 >THANK YOU SO MUCH, PASTOR ROSS, AND I'D LIKE TO REMIND OUR 55:28 FRIENDS WE DO HAVE A GREAT OFFER THAT GOES WITH THIS - TALKS 55:30 ABOUT COVETOUSNESS - CALLED THIEVES IN THE CHURCH . 55:32 IT'S REALLY A GOOD BOOK AND I KNOW IT SOUNDS A LITTLE OMINOUS, 55:35 BUT IT IS A GOOD BOOK. AND IF WE DIDN'T GET TO ALL 55:38 THE LESSON, I APOLOGIZE. I'M NOT WORRIED BECAUSE SOME OF 55:41 THE SAME PRINCIPLES THAT WERE IN THE LAST SECTION ARE LATER ON IN 55:45 FUTURE STUDIES SO WE'RE GOING TO COVER THIS - THIS SECTION ON 55:48 STEWARDSHIP. I THINK WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE 55:50 BLESSED IN MANY WAYS AS WE DO SO THANK YOU FRIENDS FOR 55:53 PARTICIPATING. GOD BLESS YOU. WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO STUDYING 55:55 HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 56:07 >>SO WHAT IS THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 56:10 WELL, NATURALLY, YOU'D SAY THE SUN, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 56:12 BRIGHTEST MAN-MADE LIGHT IN THE WORLD. 56:14 IT'S THE LIGHT THAT SHINES OUT OF THE ROOF OF THAT 56:17 PYRAMID-SHAPED HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS CALLED THE LUXOR. 56:21 THERE, IN THE CAP OF THAT HOTEL, THERE'S A ROOM THAT CONTAINS 39 56:25 WASHING-MACHINE SIZED XENON BULBS; AND EACH OF THOSE BULBS 56:29 REQUIRES ABOUT 7,000 WATTS. ALTOGETHER, THEY PRODUCE ABOUT 56:33 40 BILLION CANDLE POWER OF LIGHT. 56:37 CAN YOU IMAGINE GETTING THAT ELECTRIC BILL AT THE LUXOR HOTEL 56:40 EVERY MONTH? THAT LIGHT IS SO BRIGHT THAT 56:42 PLANES CAN SEE IT 250 MILES AWAY. 56:46 THEY'RE SHOOTING LIGHT TEN MILES UP INTO SPACE, MEANING, IF YOU 56:50 HAPPEN TO BE FLOATING BY, YOU COULD READ A NEWSPAPER UP THERE. 56:53 AND, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, THAT BRIGHT LIGHT HAS BECOME THE 56:57 WORLD'S BEST BUG ATTRACTOR, BRINGING IN MOTHS, BATS, AND 57:01 OWLS - CREATING IT'S ON ECOSYSTEM THERE AT NIGHT, ABOVE 57:04 THE HOTEL. BUT THE SAD THING ABOUT THE 57:06 BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD IS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NIGHT AIR IS 57:09 CLEAR - WITHOUT ANY PARTICLES - THE LIGHT DOESN'T HIT 57:12 ANYTHING AND IT'S INVISIBLE. IT SHOOTS UP INTO EMPTY SPACE. 57:17 THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT IN THE WORLD ILLUMINATES NOTHING. 57:21 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THERE'S ANOTHER GREAT 57:23 WASTED LIGHT, AND THAT'S THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD. 57:27 IT SAYS IN PSALM 119, VERSE 105, "THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET 57:32 AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH.' AND YET, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WALKING 57:35 IN DARKNESS. FURTHERMORE, JESUS SAID, IF YOU 57:38 DO HAVE THAT LIGHT, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PUT IT UNDER A BUSHEL, 57:41 BUT YOU LET IT SHINE AND ILLUMINATE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. 57:45 JESUS SAID, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, 'SET YOUR LIGHT UP ON A HILL, 57:48 LIKE A CITY, SO THAT ALL MIGHT SEE IT.' LIGHT ONLY BENEFITS 57:52 OTHERS WHEN IT REFLECTS OFF OF SOMETHING. 57:55 GOD WANTS OUR LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. 57:59 SO, ARE YOU GLOWING FOR GOD? REMEMBER, JESUS SAID, 58:02 'LET THERE BE LIGHT.' 58:04 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2018-01-10