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2 Corinthians 8:1,5 -Attitude Is Everything- Pastor Rick Beaudry 2025-04-06
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Second Corinthians eight one through five. Second Corinthians eight one through five. Would you please stand with me as we read God's holy word, together? Second Corinthians chapter eight beginning with verse one. Moreover, brethren, we do to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yay, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. Praying as with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministry and to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. Father, thank you for your holy word. Thank you for your provision in our life. Thank you for, people that love, who are generous, who are kind, who in an act of worship, Lord, they give unto you. And Lord, we pray as we as we try to learn concerning this topic of giving. Lord, we pray that you'd be our teacher, that we'd hold these things in a proper view. And Lord, we know that you love a cheerful giver. And Lord, we don't wanna ever do it by constraint or guilt or be manipulated or be those kind of people, Lord, that make merchandise of people. But Lord, the privilege of giving, the privilege of alleviating suffering, the privilege of of getting the gospel out. Lord, we thank you for the example of the churches of Macedonia, the apostle Paul's example, and Titus and all, and we just pray that you would be our teacher this morning. So bless, we pray in Jesus name, amen. Alright. If this is too heavy a topic for some of you, you could leave now. No. I'll I'll I'll I'll make it easy on you. So in chapter eight and nine, the church in Jerusalem, the mother church, came under hard times. Persecution, began to happen against that church. And that was where, you know, the disciples are and all. And because of the persecution, many began to lose their jobs, the Christians and all. And stock market crashed, and people were just panicking and all. And and so the outlying churches where Paul is ministering, so the Gentile churches, they're receiving an offering. And they wanna receive this offering to alleviate some of the suffering, there in the Jerusalem church. You remember the Jerusalem church that, you know, they're selling lands. Barnabas sold some land and brought it laid at disciples' feet, and then the deacons are gonna distribute these foods and clothing and things to those, you know, suffering in that way. And, and then around that time, you know, Stephen, one of the deacons gets stoned to death, so greater and greater persecution. Now Philip and some of the guys start to spread out to Samaria, Paul, Saul of Tarsus is all the way to Damascus to get the gospel out. When it's a Christian party, when it's a Christian Disneyland and the Bless Me Club, everybody just stays there to enjoy the Agape feast and stay there. You don't wanna go away from there to Samaria or Damascus or anywhere to share the gospel. Why would you? Why would you if you're Philip go down to Gaza, which is desert, unless God told you to. Right? So this persecution stimulates the people to start spreading the gospel out. And so part of the poverty, part of the lack of sustenance and and the attack from the enemy against them, actually worked for the planting of the church, spreading of the church. They weren't able to just be in sipid and lukewarm and just stay in one little spot, you know. They began to look beyond their own their own and and spread it out. Now, as those churches began to grow out there in Philippi, the area of Macedonia, now it's their turn or their chance to show their love and appreciation for these Jews, the church predominantly Jewish at first, and then Gentile, the riches that they're able to receive and that they're able to come to know Jesus Christ. So now, they wanna alleviate suffering by sending putting together an offering and allowing that offering to be taken back to, Jerusalem to help them there. And so, this can be a blessing if your giving is with the proper attitude. You don't wanna, give to get or you don't wanna give to, you know, out of constraint, as we'll see in chapter nine. God loves a cheerful giver, and that word cheerful means hilarious. And so Calvary Bremerton's a good church to attend if you don't wanna give, because we don't we don't knock on your door, we don't take a record, we're not the Mormons, the Catholics. We don't ask what your bank account is or your what you make or anything. I mean, you're free. You're free to give or not give. It's called free will. And we don't treat anybody different than anybody else, but it's really a matter of the heart. And that's what Paul is trying to get through here. Now turn to chapter nine to the last verse so that we can take this topic and and see where we're where we're headed. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. So giving is an act of worship for God giving us his unspeakable gift. When we recognize the cross and what God gave, you know, to us, for God so loved you that he gave his only begotten son, then when we receive an offering in Calvary Bremerton, I've instructed the worship leaders to never use the word take. We're not robbing anybody, we're not taking anything. We're receiving. And the way that I ask him to say it is now we're gonna worship the Lord in giving, because giving is an act of worship. You're ascribing worth unto God for what he's already given you, what he's already done. And so that has to be the proper attitude, it's an act of love. If you are filled with constraint or guilt or you don't wanna give, you got other things you wanna do with your money, you're free to do as Ananias and Sapphira, Peter said to him when it was in your power. Isn't it don't you get to determine what you wanna do with it, you know? The mark against them is they lied to the Holy Spirit. They lied to God in in, acting like they were like Barnabas. They took the whole proceeds there. It wasn't a matter of the amount, it was the lying that they did. And so, it's in your power. The Lord gives, and then he waits for you to respond. He initiates, and then we respond. And so I never want to be in a situation where we're, portraying God as broke and incapable of paying his bills, and he's got his hands together, and I remember one of those evangelists on television years ago. I forget which one it was. You guys will remember. But anyway, he said God's gonna send a hit man and kill him if you guys don't give. You know, he's gotta be able to pay for this building and pay for all this stuff, and billions and billions of dollars these guys are worth these years later. So I've been a Christian thirty years, and a lot of these faith preachers that are on Christian television, they've amassed enormous fortune by making merchandise of people on television and giving those, you know, stories and all. One of the guys got caught where they would take and pinch the little kids, the little African kids, pinch them to get the tears flowing. Then the camera runs, and and they'll show you these children that you can alleviate suffering and and and you know, Tipton, I think his name was, and they got caught. They got caught doing these kind of things. And so, it never ends. It just never ends, the abuses. And then you and I gotta try and explain to our coworkers and family and friends that God doesn't need your money. That God wants you. That's what he want. He wants you. And he's he's rich. He's a rich God. So don't let the church ever make you think it's going out of business and put this pressure on you that you've you've got to fulfill that pastor's vision or whatever. I mean, everybody's supposed to pray and, you know, do it according to what the Lord puts in their heart. So part of the glory and the the blessing that comes under the Lord is the people that receive these gifts in Macedonia, or excuse me, in Jerusalem. Now they're worshiping God and thanking God for people that reached out, you know, unto them. So maybe you want to provide some monies for those who are suffering in Iran. You're taught to hate Iran, right? But the fastest growing church in the world is in Iran, and they're suffering. And how about those who are suffering in Syria? You're watching these families be torn apart and people in a bold way. These are these guys are wimps, know. They're they're they're such wimps. I mean, to to kill people, unarmed people like that, it's just it's mind boggling to me. And they're so filled with pride as they do it, you know. And and we have opportunities that arise where we can alleviate some of that suffering by giving and helping to rescue some of these folks all over the world of Africa and all over. And Christians in America, throughout America's history have been very very generous all over the world, relieving suffering, getting the gospel out, and sharing with others. And so, we've received and we know what it is to give. And so the proper attitude for giving comes from God. You gotta have the right attitude. If you don't have the right attitude, then don't give. It's in your power. You're to respond and you can kinda gauge where your attitude is and where your heart is, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So you can kinda gauge where you're at by your desires. But number one, giving to God is a passion. It's gotta because of love. It's gotta because you love the Lord, what he's done for you. I was once blind and now I see, you know. It's gotta be that sort of man. I was I was I was lost. And God cleaned me up and gave me a job and gave me the ability to work hard and to you know, provide for my family and such and and and you know, I I I want to respond. I want to respond to others, you know, to get the gospel out. So he says, moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. So Paul uses the giving practices of the churches of Macedonia, which are Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Those of the Northern Grecian province to illustrate the proper attitude of giving to God. So the churches of Macedonia weren't doing it under constraint. Paul didn't afflict them with a with a guilt a guilt thing, you know. He didn't guilt them into giving. It wasn't making them sweat. He wasn't telling them to take food out of their children's mouths and all that sort of thing. In second Corinthians nine seven, it says, the proper attitude is expressed as God loving a cheerful giver. So a cheerful, as I said earlier, is a hilarious giver. It should be a joy and a blessing in your heart that through the week, you're thinking, hey, I'm going to church on Sunday and I wanna get my, you know, my Saturday night bath in because I don't wanna smell when I go to church. I wanna get my clothes washed and I wanna get them set out, know, my best clothes for church on Sunday. And I also wanna get my checkbook out and I wanna look at the budget, and I wanna see, you know, what I can give this week. Not what I have to, but I want to. And you feel naked if you don't give. That's what it means to give with passion. You feel naked. It's like it's like it's a part of who you are, and you just gotta give. It's nobody needs to motivate you or coerce you or follow you around. My grandma and grandpa, when they didn't go to the Catholic church for a few weeks, my grandma got cancer, and and there was a knock at the door. And the knock at the door was a priest there wanting their tithe. My grandma and grandpa are like, my wife's sick with cancer. We've got three kids here. And nobody from the church ever called or reached out to see if we needed any help. They never went back. You know, they never went back. And so churches can really stumble people, you know, with the aggressive tactics and all, and so just horrible horrible experiences. Many of you have had horrible experiences with churches about giving, and many of your friends and family have horrible experiences, and it kept them away from church. So we don't want anyone to feel like, it's church incorporated, that it's a business, and you can't attend if you're poor, you don't have ability to give or whatever. No. A a cheerful giver. God loves a cheerful giver. The attitude is everything. And so God will never force you to give, he won't force you to love him. It's a free will. So when we instruct the worship leaders, we instruct them to to when I pray over it, you know, to receive this morning's tithe and offering as an act of worship. And when I pray over the offering, I say, Lord, we we pray over we give unto we worship you in giving back cause we first receive. Right? We can't give anything to God if we don't first receive. And he's blessed us. Lord, give back unto you your tithe, the tithe that's his, and our offerings. The offerings are above and beyond the tithe. And that's the way we teach you. We're teaching you about giving. Giving is an act of worship. So every week, I'm trying to teach you the proper attitude toward giving. It's not by constraint. It's not the guilt trip. It's it's an act of worship God initiates. And so in second Corinthians eight verse nine, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty that we might be rich. And so what have you received? What have you received from the father? How will you respond to his grace? Grace is unmerited favor. You didn't earn it. God blessed you and he continues to bless you and I. I'm finding at 65 years old that the greatest wealth is our health. You hear that all the time. People who have money and all stored up, they start to lose their health. Now it's panic fill, you know. I I see this thing where the guy say, yeah, you you retire at 67 or whatever and you live to, 79. So eleven years you get to spend your retirement. You know? Bummer. All those years of grinding it out, know? And, man, if you could just keep your health, know, what happened to your health? And so some of us, we just thank the Lord day by day that we're healthy, you know, when you lose the health. I saw a thing where they were depicting people jumping out of buildings because of the stock market. And and I wrote there, you know, those that are poor are rich in faith, that you never see a poor man jumping out of a building. Right? It's only the rich that jump out of buildings because everything they are, everything they have is in the stock market. They're not rich in things that are eternal. Right? So Jesus says, store not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust can corrupt and thieves can break through and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, you know, send it ahead. And so a healthy portfolio with your financial advisor, make sure you send some of it, you know, ahead. And you can't out give God. You know, the beam of seat judgment, he's gonna reward us for how we were faithful with the talent. Talent is a measure of investment. And some go and bury it, some reinvest it in the lives of others, with the spreading of the gospel. So does God need our money? No. God does not need our money. He's the creator of the universe. In the beginning, God created. That word created in the Hebrew was bara. God created out of nothing. God can grow this church anytime he wants. Upon this rock, I build my church and the gates of hell have not prevailed against it. Peter and John are walking along and there's a guy at the Pool Of Siloam that can't walk and and he's begging. Right? He's begging for for alms. He's begging for sustenance because he can't work. He's he's crippled. And they say, silver and gold, have we none? But in the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk. Right? And one of the Catholic priests years later, when they had enormous amounts of money in the in the church treasury of the Vatican, I guess. One of them says to the other one, he says, you know, isn't it great that we don't have to say anymore, silver and gold have we none? And the other priest chimed in, nor can we say in the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk. A w Tozer said that in the book of Acts, you saw in the book of Acts, only 10% of what was happening in the book of Acts was the result of the ingenuity of men, of money. Everything's driven by money now. 90% of what you saw was a work of the holy spirit. The flip is the flip side, remember he's writing this, a w Tozer's writing this in the sixties and seventies. He says the flip side today, 90% of what you see in the church is as a business generated by money. Only 10% you see a move and working of the Holy Spirit. So if we're afraid of getting poor, poorer and the middle class being wiped out, we in the church, we might actually be in a position where we might have to trust Jesus. Wouldn't that be something? For God to move and work by his spirit. Wouldn't it be an amazing thing to learn to live day by day? Give us this day our daily bread. That's a fascinating concept. In Matthew six, I call it Matthew sixen because it's something I really gotta get through to us. I've been trying for a long time. The heathen, the unbelievers consume with, what am I gonna eat? What am I gonna drink? What am I gonna wear? And then Jesus goes on to describe how he feeds the birds. How he clothes the field and Solomon in all of his glory wasn't aerated or dressed like those fields, you know. And then he then he talks about you and I and he says, you're far more value. There isn't one sparrow that falls to the ground that the Lord doesn't see. And you know, are not, you know, two sparrows, you know, sold for a farthing, and for two farthings you can get five of them, you know. That means one's for free. That means the seller throws one in for free. You're far more valuable than that, Jesus said. Not one hair of your head or any is touched. And then he comes to the point of seek first, vertical. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things be added unto you. But you gotta do it day by day. Day by day. You try to think about tomorrow. Now you wanna try and maybe store, you wanna plan, you want a retirement, great. But if the Lord rustles that comfort zone, the majority of people are not the one percenters who are gonna rape and pillage and take the rest of the wealth. And all the rest of us, you know, prior to the rapture coming, we're gonna be, I don't know, dependent upon the government? I don't know. But we're gonna have to learn to walk by faith. We're gonna have to trust the Lord to plant a garden and grow some food and do some things that that maybe we're not used to, you know. And but it's all about faith. It's all about being as a child before the Lord, knowing that he'll provide. So he created out of bara, out of nothing. And so if giving makes you sweat, if it's a guilt trip, a bummer for you, then don't give. Attitude's everything. God doesn't want your money. God doesn't want grumpy givers. I years ago, I I saw that at church, I think it might have been pastor Dave Rosales, but one of them actually made the tithe envelope that you see, and it said on there, no grumpy givers. And it had a big circle around a grumpy face, you know. They wanted to teach people that be a hilarious giver, a cheerful giver, you know. If my children or somebody wants to give Kathy and I something, you know, you don't want them like strings attached and crying because they had to buy you a birthday present, you know. Here, take it back. Take it back. By all means, it back. No. So go buy another car. $8,090,000 dollar truck, $8,000 or $800 a month car payment nowadays. It's going up. The tariffs are gonna cause it to go up. Better get one quick. Go to the mall. Does anybody go to the mall anymore? Have multiple Amazon trucks come to your house all day long, all week long. Go to the casino and gamble. Spend your money there. This is one that I see very prevalent. Remodel your home. Pour all your money into your home. Remodel your home. You don't need to give to God. Prepare your home for the Chinese to colonize it. For BlackRock to take it. You'll own nothing. Enjoy yourself. Live your best life now. Giving to God is all about attitude, isn't it? It's gotta be a passion that wells up in your heart in response to God's loving grace in your life. Givers give. They have a gift of giving. They just love to give. Again, they feel naked if they don't give. They just they just they're incomplete. How can you out give God? The more we give, the more he gives back to us. It may not always come monetarily, comes in other ways. In the book of Haggai, when the people left Babylon and went back to Israel, one of the first things they did was build their houses. Nice cedar. Nice cedar paneling. Oh, granite countertops. My kitchen's a little outdated. I I think I want a $70,000 into my kitchen right now. And God says, hey, you guys haven't built my house. Now this is a guilt trip. Okay? I'm gonna guilt you. Haven't built my house. You guys have built in your houses. How come you have such holes in your pockets? You got money flowing, but you can't seem to get over the hump. You think that you gotta have that car, but the tranny goes out. You gotta have that house and the roof leaks. You got holes in your pockets. Everything you're doing, it's for nothing. You're just spinning your wheels like a hamster cage, you know. How about how about you prioritize and get with the priest, with Joshua the priest, and Zerubbabel the governor, and and Nehemiah and Ezra, the people that are wanting to address the spiritual needs of the nation. They wept when Ezra the priest opened up the scriptures and read the scriptures to them. They wept. They hadn't heard the word of God in so many years. The people wept line upon line, precept upon precept. And Nehemiah, as he's encouraging the people to rebuild the walls earlier with a with a sword in one hand because they had opposition, right? And a trowel in the other, they built it in fifty and two days. And their enemies, Tobiah and Sambala, they said they knew that this work was wrought of God because nobody could do that in fifty and two days. Prioritize. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you. Or just do it your way, and you're gonna have a stunted growth. You're not gonna grow spiritually. You're gonna spin your wheels. God doesn't need your money, but we need to give. We need to express our adoration, our worship unto him. So notice Paul speaks of Macedonia having this grace bestowed upon them by God. God pours this grace upon them and the measure of faith to trust him. Trust me. The generosity of the Macedonians was due to the operation of God's grace in their lives. Nothing worse than being stingy. But when God's grace is poured out upon your life, there's great joy. The the book to the church of Philippi, the joy of the Lord is our strength. What's the acronym of joy? J o y. Jesus first, others second, yourself last. So many of us are consumed with ourselves and we wrestle with depression and discouragement. And I heard one pastor say, why don't you bake a some chocolate chip cookies and take them to pastor Rick? That'll cheer him up. No. He didn't say that. Why don't you bake some chocolate chip cookies and go to one of the nursing homes and go through there and make sure you get permission about their diet and all. But get your eyes off yourself. Take your guitar and go sing some praise and worship music to the people that are incarcerated that can't get out of there, you know. Bring some cookies to them. Sing some Christmas songs. Get your eye go give a little bit. Give a little bit of your time and your talent and your treasure. And watch how you go away humming the song, singing the song, overflowing with joy as you minister to others and you you you deliver them from their stupor, their their sadness, if you will. Best way to get out of yours is to help somebody else. Right? The Lord allows you to go through these things so that you will. That conf consolation that you've received, that comfort that you received in your trial, now you're able to go and console another person. You recognize where they're at. And a lot of times, you don't need to say anything. Just showing up is an encouragement. Make the phone call, write the letter, go, whatever it is. But it's the grace of God, the operation of God's grace in your life. So God was at work in their lives. He was flooding their hearts with with passion. They could not refrain. They were stirred inside. If they didn't give, something would be lost in their relationship with God. They'd have a stunted growth. I I've heard all the excuses of why you can't give. I've done this thirty years. And when you're feeling guilty and you come up to me and give me your excuse, why don't you just give that excuse to God? There's no pressure here. Give if you want, don't don't. There's no pressure. But your lame excuses, give those to God. Let him know. And what I've discovered when people try to tell me, we're not under the law. We don't have to tithe. We don't have to do this. Well, Jesus brought attention to the religious leaders that were tithing from their spices. And he said, they were missing out on the weightier things of justice and, you know, love and such. And they shouldn't they they shouldn't leave out the tithing. They were doing right in the tithing. So from Malachi to the New Testament, nothing changed. It's just now you grace means you have a greater responsibility, a greater expression of gratitude, not less. Because you because he spared not his own son. So don't give me your excuses. And what I've discovered is, you're not gonna grow spiritually. You're gonna become more and more stingy and jealous when you see somebody else with a new car or a new house. You just get so freaking out because you're so covetous. So let your life be without covetousness. Right? Godliness with contentment is great gain. You brought nothing into the world that's certain you can carry nothing out. And Jesus promised he'll never leave in or forsake you. Yeah. Get it right. Maybe you're thinking, oh, but they're wealthy, they're prosperous, that's how they could give. False assumption. You know that word assume? Notice verse two. Don't you love that? Such a smart aleck, aren't I? Verse two. How then in a great trial of affliction, this is where they're at. They're in a great trial of affliction. The abundance of their joy. Joy, abundant joy, church of Philippi. The joy of the Lord is our strength. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Be anxious for nothing, in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Thank the Lord as you're in that trial. Right? Let your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Now, if you're filled with anxiety and depression, ready to end it, how much is that psychiatrist gonna charge you to listen to you? How much money do you spend? How much money does your insurance company spend to try and get you to be right in your own mind? Oh, I go to church. Well, you're lacking the peace. You're lacking joy. You're lacking the fruit of the spirit. What's wrong? Let's let's analyze this. Let's look at this. What's the problem? Don't listen to those psychiatrists. They're they're gonna tell you that you're well once your insurance runs out. You're healed. Give your heart to Jesus. Get your focus back upon him. Don't be anxious for anything. Give it all to him. Cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you. Your circumstances may not change immediately, maybe never, but you will. He's gonna change you. He's gonna transform you from within. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Do you think Mick Jagger ever found any satisfaction? Do you think Bill Gates has any satisfaction or Elon Musk or any of them? They can't fill the void and the emptiness in their life even though they're trillionaires. Because God's made you with a God shaped hole in your heart that only he can fill. And as you get to know him, there's an expression that comes forth from your life, begins to well up a passion to thank him. And that's called giving. That's called giving back. It's called worshiping. It's called being thankful like Job was. Naked came I into the world, naked I'm gonna go, the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of Lord. He worshiped. After everything was taken from him, what did he have to give to God? Worship. He lifted his heart in song. He lifted his heart in worship. Lord, make me a worshiper. Make me one that'll worship you when things are going bad. Make me like this church of Philippi, Lord. They were in deep poverty, abounded under riches of their liberality. So in affliction and deep poverty, somehow they scraped together an offering and they didn't wanna be left out. They wanted to express a blessing to the mother church in Jerusalem. We don't wanna go too far with that mother church idea. Back to the Vatican or something. But in the beginning, there there was a church that on Pentecost that was originated there from the 120 of the thousands and began to burst forth. 5,000, 3,000 spreading out and all. And so they're appreciative and they And so yes, they're wealthy, but not monetarily. Are you wealthy? Do you consider yourself wealthy? Maybe not monetarily, but spiritually. Are you a plutocrat in the book of Ephesians? Plutos, the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus? You ever studied that word? You ever studied through even Ephesians chapter one, the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus? Do you understand that you were predestined by the father? That's one of your riches. You've been predestined by the father. He knew you before the foundation of the earth. And he may not have liked you, but he predestined you to be safe. Because that's why he chose you then because if he'd have chose you now, he doesn't really like you now. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. He knew all of our warfare, all of our fighting, all of our whining, all of our everything, and he pre you've been predestined by the father. Do you know also that in the trinity, the father, the son, the holy spirit in Ephesians one, that you've been purchased by the son. Jesus purchased you with his blood. That's the price he paid to purchase you. And you know that the third person of the trinity, the holy spirit, is preserving you? That you've been marked, that you have the engagement ring of ownership, you belong to him, And the groom is coming for his bride, and he's gonna celebrate. He's gonna celebrate with you. These are your riches. You're not a pauper. You're not poor. You have a wealth, the unsearchable riches of Christ that nobody in the world can purchase. Nobody can redeem his brother with dollars or whatever. You're blood bought. And the trinity, the Godhead, has wrapped his ever loving arms around you. And in chapter two verse seven, he's gonna show you the kindness, his kindness in the ages to come. Yeah. It may be tough now in the church age for you, but man, you have the best of the best. You've got the holy spirit living, dwelling within you. How could anybody outdo God? And you're the object of his love. He's lavishing you with his love. The joy, the blessing. They gave no excuses. No excuses. Attitude is everything. Notice verse three, for to their power I bear record, yay. And beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. Beyond their ability, gave. They gave unto God. God empowered. They did it willingly. No constraint, no guilt, no duty, all of grace in response to God's love. Jesus wants your heart. He's given you free will. He's not gonna force you to love him, but he wants your heart. The proper attitude for giving. Giving comes from number one, giving to God is a passion. Giving to God, secondly, is a privilege. It's a privilege to attend this church. And many of you, not you, but others, don't consider it a privilege. It's a privilege to be a Christian. It's a privilege to attend a church that teaches the bible. Hard to find a church that teaches the bible. Some of the things I've taught you this morning, you've never heard them before because they don't teach the bible. But it has the power to transform and change your life, to change your heart. Because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. God's after your heart. And he reaches your heart through his word by his spirit. Giving to God's a privilege. He says, praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. So giving the gods a privilege, the Macedonians begged Paul to allow them the blessing, the privilege of giving to god's work. As soon as they heard about it, they said, sign me up. I wanna be a part of it. Let me let me in there. We'll put together a gift. We'll take an offering. We wanna alleviate the suffering. We wanna show our gratitude to the church there. In acts twenty thirty five, Jesus says it's more blessed to give than to receive. God doesn't need me, nor does he need my money, but I need to worship. My walk with the Lord is stunted if I'm an ungrateful, unthankful, stingy, professing Christian. It just doesn't flow. It doesn't flow from a stingy heart. There's gotta be the thankfulness, the gratitude, the desire to worship God in that way. Why would God allow me to participate in his work, contributing on our time, our talent, our treasure in these last days? Do people need to hear the gospel? Do people need to be saved? How many of your kids are going to school to become missionaries? Why not? Because you don't make any money at it. You wanna be able to tell everybody how much money your kids make, how good their career is. Who would choose to be poor? What value do you place upon the spiritual aspect of the community you live in, in your home? Kids know your value system. They know what you esteem high. You can teach them about giving. You can teach them about the priority of spiritual things. Let's start here. Just read your bible with them. Start there. Little Keith this morning, he quoted John three sixteen. His mommy and daddy taught him John three sixteen. And he's so excited to have hidden God's word within his heart that he might not sin against God. Right? Train your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And then we recorded them and put it on Facebook, and people get to see a young kid, a young boy with some of the first scriptures put, you know, brought to memory, invested, brought into his life, and those scriptures are gonna stay with him all his life long. The decisions that your children make as life goes on are gonna be based upon as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Do they have a biblical worldview or a secular worldly worldview? If they have a secular worldly worldview, then they're going to make decisions based upon convenience and all that the world has to offer. Well, what happened to Moses? Moses had a really good position there as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. First forty years of Moses' life, he's a student in the colleges of Egypt. Stephen said that he was an eloquent man, a very gifted, powerful man. What about Saul of Tarsus? Same thing. Raised to the defeat of Gamaliel, a student of the colleges of Tarsus. Concerning his contemporaries, said he exceeded them all. Brilliant man. We read in Hebrews 11 that Moses, that he left Egypt. He left all that the world had to offer. The same way Abraham and Sarah left the world, looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Somebody's got to. And what was Moses evaluation? What was his value system? He esteemed the reproach of Christ as greater riches than all the splendor of Egypt. All that Egypt had to offer, a type of the world. Why? Because he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. He was willing to defer the reward till he gets to heaven. What a privilege to serve the Lord, to be used of the Lord. The Macedonians wanted to be a part of it. They wanted fellowship. They're wanting to share with those in need. That that word koinonia, we we think in terms of koinonia being we have communion, the same word. We have fellowship, it's also contribution. You're becoming one with others in need as you're helping them, there's a unity, a oneness that develops. A sweetness in the body of Christ alleviating suffering. They wanted to contribute. In Matthew 25 verse 40, Jesus, in as much as you have done it under the one of the least of these my brethren, you've done it under me. Contributing's a privilege. America Americans American Christians have been contributing to Israel since 1948, maybe even before. Obviously before. But we give to Israel. We recognize that God's gonna bless those that bless Israel and curse those that curse Israel. During the tribulation period, the Gentiles that enter into the millennium, part of the judgment that the Lord puts them, the sheep and goat judgment where he verifies those who believe and those who don't, the sheep, the believers are those who gave to Jews as they were under persecution from the antichrist, and they enter in. The proper attitude for giving comes from God. Giving to God is a passion, giving to God is a privilege. Thirdly, giving to God is a priority. Not an afterthought. Why do you wanna go to Costco and buy yourself a a really nice new bed or a sofa, and then give your old one to the church? The one the kids peed in, the dog peed, all that kind of stuff. Who are you giving that to? You giving that to God? You want God to sit in that sofa? That that's what the prophet said to the people, why are you bringing to the offering? Why are you bringing the lame and the maimed and the blind sheep to offer? Keeping the best for yourself. God not only wants to be first in your life, he wants your best. Not your afterthought, not what's left over. You know, that which is putrefying corrupting, you know. Farmers raising two pigs and the one dies, and he's praying with his family. Well, Lord, your your pig died. God always God always, you know, it's bizarre, isn't it? The way that we think. Giving to gods a priority. And this they did not as we'd hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. And so although they're impoverished, they exceeded all expectations. How? How could they be so generous by putting God first? It's the vertical or the horizontal in your marriage. Vertical or horizontal, you decide. The horizontal, the problems in your marriage, they're really rooted in the vertical. You're not seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Once the husband, the wife puts the Lord first and focuses on doing what God's called them to do, then the horizontal works itself out, doesn't it? But if you fixate on the horizontal and try to force the other person to change without the help of the holy spirit, you're destined to failure. It's gotta be work of God's spirit in the hearts of the husband, the wife in order for it to work. Jesus needs to be the head of that home. He needs to be the priority. And a wife that sees a husband prioritizing and putting Jesus first is a wife that is able to live a life of submission, of respecting the spiritual leadership of her husband. But a husband that's into porn and gambling and womanizing and flirting and and unstable, unreliable, There ain't no way she's gonna be able to fulfill God's command. Wives, be in submission under your husbands. Why? Because before that, it speaks of a mutual submission. It's the mutual submission, the husband and wife being in submission to Jesus that allows a man to lay down his life and love his wife like Christ loved the church. That's vertical. And the wife, when she sees this, a husband willing to give of himself, sacrifice himself, that sacrificial love, then she's able to respect and follow that leadership. Because she knows that ultimately, she's following Jesus by putting God first. God was their priority, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, it says. First, they gave themselves to the Lord, then they gave, they had to give by God's grace to the church in Jerusalem. Everything is yours, Lord. We worship you by offering ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto you, is our reasonable service. Romans 12 verse two. That word service is worship. I beseech you therefore, brethren. I beseech you therefore, grammatically pointing back. Pointing back to Romans one verse sixteen and seventeen. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. The priority to the Jew first and also unto the Gentile. For therein, where? Within the gospel. Therein, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, Martin Luther. The just shall live by faith. And then he goes on to describe the decadency of those in Romans one, suppressing the truth, rejecting the truth, giving over to idolatry. Then he deals with the moralizers in chapter two, those that think they're better. Then he comes to chapter three verse 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The principle of faith in chapter four of justification in chapter five of chapter six, sin shall not have dominion over you. You can't blame the devil. Chapter seven, the warfare between the flesh and the spirit. Things I do wanna do, I don't do. Things I don't wanna do, I do. Oh wretched man that I am. Who? Not a 12 step. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? There's now therefore no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus. Chapter eight, underline circle the word spirit. It's a work of the spirit in chapter eight. Well, what about replacement theology? What about the nation of Israel? Chapter nine, Israel's past election. Chapter 10, Israel's present rejection. Chapter 11, Israel's future restoration. Blindness apart has happened unto Israel. Romans eleven twenty five, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Ah, chapter 12. Oh, now the application. You got the doctrinal. You got the doctrinal. Now the application. I beseech you therefore, since you know all this, since you're a recipient of this grace, since God saved you, I beseech you therefore that your response be, that you present. That word present is once and for all. Once and for all. Don't as J. Vernon McGuiss says, don't get up on that that that altar with the fire underneath and it gets too hot for you and get back down. Go back in the world. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, lies out of his mercies, him not giving you what you deserve. By the mercies of God that your response be that you present yourself as a living sacrifice. What kind of sacrifice? Holy and acceptable unto him which is your it's reasonable. It's reasonable. Your reasonable service that you would first and foremost give yourself to God. It's reasonable service. And then he says, and be not conformed. That word conform means allow the world to put you in its pattern. Your value system, a worldly value system. The church not teaching the bible, the pivot people biblically illiterate. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. You have the philosophies of the world tainting your heart and mind. You're you're thinking like a worldly person. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed. That's the real transformation. Transhumanism. From body and soul to body, soul, and spirit. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That's the Christian life. That's our response. An act of worship and offering ourselves, but first gave they their own selves to the Lord is the problem. The reason we don't give is because we haven't given ourselves to the Lord. Doesn't it all belong to him? What have we received that we haven't first received from him? What do you have but that which has already been given to you of God? You know? It's mind boggling. It's so simple. God granted them grace, the privilege to give because they put him first. He takes the loaves and the fishes of a of a boy. His mom sending him out to go see Jesus, and Jesus is able to take that meager few loaves and fishes, a little boy sack lunch. Boy, I love when my mom make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I love when Kathy made me a tuna sandwich last night. And then in bed, said, do you want a you want a sandwich? I got a sandwich, babe. I got some egg salad. Boy, I've been bloated, wouldn't I? Couldn't eat that in bed, all that egg salad. But I love it. And God's able to take a little boy's sack lunch and feed thousands. You may think, oh, my gift, my ability to give it, it's just so small. No. You just bring it to Lord will multiply it. He takes a little boy's sack lunch and he feeds thousand. He takes a sewing needle from Dorcas and he clothes the poor so they're not trying to sleep, you know, being cold and all. The poor widows have their jackets and have their blankets made there. Like Judy does and her friends, they make these quilts for the service men and women. He uses mud and spittle. Mud and spittle. Lord, I don't have anything. What do I have to work with? He created out of bar, out of nothing, and Jesus takes mud and spittle. You got cataracts? Let me try that. I'd like to try mud and spittle. Let's see if we can get you to see better. Who spit? Who's mud? He uses mud and spittle to make the blind see. Harlots, tax collectors, fishermen, religious rejects are used to turn the world upside down. That's me and you. The off scouring, the bathtub ring, the spectacle of the weak. Silver and gold have we none by the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk. As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. Second Corinthians six verse 10. God asked Abraham, is anything too hard for God? How big is your God? Can God make a barren woman receive child? I don't know. Ask Sarah. Ask Rachel. Ask Hannah. Ask Elizabeth. Does God care for the widow? Ask Ruth. Ask Naomi. Ask Hannah. Ask the widow of Nain who whom Jesus raised her son from the dead. Ask the woman in Mark twelve forty one through 44 where Jesus purposely sat at the treasury near the temple, and all the wealthy are coming in and they're they're not bringing in digital money where nobody knows where it's coming from, it just shows up on the screen. They're not bringing in even paper money, they're bringing in coinage. If you've got any of those pennies, don't get rid of them. They could be valuable. Right? Coins, pennies. She brings in two mites, this widow. The other guys are bringing in so much that the richer It's like I always say, it's like so It's like at the casino when you used to be able to hear the the machine go off. Now I guess it's bells and whistles and all that. But I used to be able to hear the money coming out and get your come on. Woah, man. Look at that, you know. Well, that's how it sounded going in, these big vases. And she and nobody's noticing this poor widow. She only has two mites. It's it's a day's wages. And rather than eating that day, she's gonna take that, what she has, and put it into the treasury, and then Jesus uses it as a teaching moment for the disciples. Because we're so enamored with the big givers, the big, you know, big show and everything. And Jesus said that this woman gave more than all them because she gave out of her living rather than her abundance. And boy, what God can do, what he can do with the little that we have, how he can multiply and cause people's lives to be transformed and changed. What a blessing this woman had in being able to give. The joy and the blessing of going away from that encounter and and she didn't even know Jesus brought attention to it, but the joy and the blessing within her heart that she gave till it hurts. How much should I give? Well, give till it hurts. God cares for the poor and the needy. He delighting and doing the impossible, doing that which exceeds all expectations. Can God open the windows of heaven to supply your needs, to supply our needs? We're about to find out, aren't we? In Malachi three ten, you guys all know this these verses. He says, bring all the tithes, tithe means tenth, into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me. God says, prove me. Take a step of faith and prove me. Young couples getting married, none of us could afford to get married. None of us. We just jumped in and swam out. You you you're gonna wait till you can afford it, you're gonna be 45. And you still can't afford it, you know? So you jump in and those are some of the best years of your life watching God do miracles, you know, watching God do great things. Right? And it's so fascinating to want this job and to get that job or this client or whatever, and fascinating to think back just that walk of faith with Kathy and I got married when we're 21, like many of you. We didn't know nothing. And nobody gave me a financial class, you know, to teach me about money. I wish they would have. That's an important topic to be wise stewards with what God's given us. We just jump in. We swim out. We do without. We did without so much for so long, but people are so impatient nowadays. Gotta have it all now. I didn't have a credit card house in my forties. If we didn't have the money, we didn't we didn't buy it. We waited till God provided, you know. And so we had to determine, alright, we got rent to pay, we got she got pregnant the second month we're married. And I didn't have any medical insurance. So I had to quit working for a guy, start my own business, and in those days, the hospitals were willing to make a payment arrangement. So I I made arrangement to make payments for Jessica. And then Britney came along, same thing. So we're still not even 25 and you got these two kids and you got to get clothes on them and feed them and renting a house. We couldn't afford to buy a house and but it's wonderful the way God provided. So many miracles, so much intensity in prayer, asking God to help. And he did, and he does, and he continues. And we prioritize by giving the Lord the first, the tenth, the tithe. Prove me now, here with saith the Lord of hosts. If I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there should not be room enough to receive it. It's all about walking by faith. It's all about walking by faith. Every moment, when you're young, when you're old, you start in diapers, you end in diapers. It's all about walking by faith. Put God first. Don't rob him. How do you rob me in Malachi? By not putting him first. It's all about attitude. It's about faith. Paul says in Philippians four nineteen, but my God shall supply all of your need, maybe not your wants. I wanted a house for a lot of years and the Lord kinda just keep it out of my reach. I kept renting, kept building our little business, and I believe that was because the Lord wanted me to be up here. Had he given me that condo that we had in escrow, all I had to do to get that condo, 120,000, they told me, I had the down payment, was I had to have my bookkeeper alter my books being self employed, show more income, or have Kathy get any kind of a job, anything. And like an idiot, like a young, self righteous, pious Christian, I knew I couldn't lie, I couldn't do the books, but I also knew that Kathy was called to be a mother and to be home with those kids. You may not have been, but I knew she was. And I need to honor that. And so I said, no. Can't do that. And the lady, the realtor says, well, you may not like the rules, but these are the rules if you wanna play the game, you know. And I was like, oh, man. And then here's what happens. You're paying the same amount in rent as a house payment and you don't get to write it off, the interest. You're go you're not going anywhere, but you're walking by faith. And you're the renter in the community with all the other people owning their homes, and you're the rental house, you know? The rental house for your wife, there's no decorating. It's just white walls and basic basic basic. And if you're lucky, they'll let you have a dog, you know? That's renting. You do that for a while, pay your dues, and someday maybe you might be able to buy a house, you know? And the part that just really freaked me out is that condo went up to be worth $200,000 within the next year. Because there's a cycle that hits every seven years. And that cycle hit and those houses went back up, and now I'm priced out of the market, aren't I? Now I gotta make more money. Self employed, it's harder to get qualified. And I'm like, God, what are you doing? You know? But ultimately, look back on it. We wound up buying a house later, but he wanted me here. And I'm gonna say something else that's gonna sound very strange to you. God wants me poor. I said that to a rich friend of mine and he winced. God doesn't want anybody poor. Yes, he does. Some of us, he wants us poor. And he'll stop you every every which way. You can buy real estate at real low prices, pour your life into it, fixing them up, and you'll still lose them before you can sell them and get over the hump, they call it. What's over the hump mean? Out of debt. That's over the hump. But God wants me poor. Why? Dependency. He teaches me to depend upon him, rely upon him. Some of you, maybe you're entrusted with riches, and God knows you're a good steward, and you can handle it. I would like that test. I would like that. But don't worry about it. Godliness with contentment is great gain. My god shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by by Christ Jesus. He's not poor. He's not wringing his hands. Giving to God is a priority. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these other things be added unto you. Is Jesus first priority in your life? That's the most important question. Now, does your checkbook prove it? Oh, pastor, that's a little personal. Well, let's open the checkbook. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Oh, that's look at your faces. Oh, thought of that. I'd be found out. I'd be found out that what I really treasure is $5 drinks at Starbucks every day. $10 every day. Times 30 is a $150. Oh. But I can't give to God because, oh, oh, then there's the Amazon stuff, the trinket. Oh. Oh. It's there. The Lord sees it. But he loves a cheerful giver. If you can't do it cheerfully, then don't. Don't. But don't tell me your lame excuse. I've heard it all. You're gonna do what you wanna do, and that's the way it should be. Is Jesus your first love? Where is he on your list of priorities? Is his church a priority? Are his people a priority? Are his missionaries, his pastors and pastors' wives a priority? Or just an afterthought? Jesus is not broke. He doesn't need our money, but we need to give him everything to make him our priority. Jesus wants our heart. Where your treasure is, and that's what open up the checkbook. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Giving simply reveals our heart. Attitude is everything. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your provision in our life. Thank you that we can be honest and truthful, not make lame excuses. That Lord, it's such a privilege and a blessing to know you. Thank you for providing for us, for taking care of our babies, Lord, and keeping them healthy, our grandkids. That's most important. Keeping your hedge of protection about them. And Lord, when that hedge of protection comes down and we hear of this young gal 13 being brought to a place of committing suicide, Lord, that just so breaks our heart. Our heart just breaks, Lord. So much in front of her, so many good days in front of her, Lord, but the devil, his lies, his scheming, his his destroying her heart and mind, Lord, and others contemplating the same sort of thing. And Lord, in the Pacific Northwest here, the huge percentage of people that commit suicide, who throw away their lives, who give up, their innocence being stolen, the devil seeking to steal, kill, to destroy. Lord, we thank you for your word that doesn't come back void. We thank you for our little ones that have hid you away in their heart. We thank you that we're comforted knowing this little girl's in heaven, no longer suffering. We pray that you comfort her mommy and daddy and her grandma. We pray, Lord, you comfort Rob and Vicky as they intercede on behalf of Vince, that Vince not hurt himself. Lord, those are real trials. Those are real problems. So Lord, we just lift it all up to you. Heavenly Father, we know you're gonna give us this day our daily bread. You provided for us so well, always. We've never seen the righteous forsaken nor a seed begging bread, Lord. Thank you for the generosity of this flock, of the people here, heavenly father. Thank you for their love, their grace, their compassion, their love for you. Thank you, Lord, that we have the privilege and the blessing of serving you. And Lord, we pray that you'd anoint, that you'd empower us by the power of your Holy Spirit, that'd be a work of your spirit, not a work of marketing, but a work of your spirit, Lord, to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think according to your power that works in us, Lord. Anoint and use each person here, Lord. Use those prophecy handouts. Use the gospel. Use the good news of your coming kingdom. Help us study these prophecies and and be ready to give an answer to ever ask of the hope that's within us, Lord. Save now, Lord. Save people. That's the greatest blessing, Lord, is when we see you saving people, that our life is a part of that, a part of you saving souls. One man sows another waters and you bring the increase. Thank you that we can be a part of this mission in the last days. While your heads are bowed and your eyes are closed, as you continue to pray, if there's anybody here this morning and you don't know Jesus, you're missing out on the greatest riches of all. The unsearchable riches of Christ. Don't leave here a pauper, leave here a plutocrat. Leave here with the riches of God's spirit. Your name written in the lamb's book of life. All of your sins paid for. You can't do it with money. It's only with his blood. The precious blood of Jesus washing away, paying for your sins. Jesus said on the cross, it is finished. What's finished? The payment of your sins. He died for the sins of the whole world, but especially for those who believe. Do you believe? As many as believed on him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God. As you receive him into your life. Anyone here this morning, just lift your hand up. As you're receiving Christ, you're repenting, you're turning from your sins, you're crying out to God, God be merciful to me a sinner. Thank you for sending your son to the cross to die for me. I don't deserve this. Thank you for your mercies that are new every morning. Thank you for your great grace upon my life. Lord, use my life for your kingdom and glory. Lord, I surrender it all to you here and now. Anyone here this morning? You're praying that prayer, you're crying out to God. God wants to use your life. He wants to fill your heart and use your life. Anyone here this morning? Thank you, father. Thank you for the privilege we have in these last days to represent you. Let us be on our game, Lord. Let us be on. Let us be focused. Let us be moving forward. That our eyes are fixed, not distracted, but fixed upon you, the author and the finisher of our faith. Equip us, use us, give us discernment. Help us to spot the wolves among the sheep. Help us to discern and be not deceived, but know the truth. Be able to share the truth and not be distracted. Pour out your holy spirit, Lord. Bless, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.
About This Podcast
Calvary Chapel Bremerton - Sunday Service
Listen to Rick Beaudry, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Bremerton, teach the Word of God cover to cover, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. Be edified and built up in your faith with solid Bible teaching. New episodes on Mondays in the Pacific Standard Timezone.
