Sunday Service

I would like you to open your Bibles, please to the Book of Matthew the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6. We're making our way through the sun on the map and we through chapter 5, that's right, isn't it? So now we coming out the check to see us as we proceed and this morning the title of the message is when you give so we're moving into a section. He would Jesus has been speaking in tongues of a relationships with people or with each other and people outside the community of God's family now more specifically if we give me the chapter 6 when a stop to look at a relationship with God and you will remember that the overarching same as we work at Weis through the gospel of Matthew specifically the sun on that chapters 5 through 7 watching same as one of the song push it and so they're going to be a number of areas that we focus on in this journey of the soft worship that directly impact ice and challenges. As Disciples of Jesus and we got to come to a challenging one to die because it has to do with the Y in which we deal with a positions the y or the approach that we type in terms of giving hints the title of a message when you give a John did such a great job talking to your dad about your story. I just want you to take an addict. I'm pleased because one of the few minutes and the reason we doing this to the eyes because it ties in with a message and so it gives us an opportunity as a church to talk about this area of possessions and giving and money and all those topics and the immediate thought that comes to mind in the front on the Thomas to win the past. Still good at getting what he talks about possessions. That means the church is financially in trouble. That is not the case. I've had it said to me before mini use a guy that will the past that comes and gives us a big red off of that money in a day at getting because we need to get the offerings in that type of thing that that's going to just a cuz he quite naturally in this section of scripture the been looking at this year, but I want you to have a look at the budget story. What we've attended to do is to give you something of a pictorial form to understand where the gifts that are brought into this church-going have I use but I want you to say that we've done a very deliberately so that you see that it's built around a values is a church. So if you have a look at the middle section, I wanted for your attention to that you might remember a couple of weeks ago. When I spoke to you on the topic of baptism and membership and commitment to the church that type of thing we talked about five areas will five purposes if you like as to why the church exists and weaving David to build a budget story around that so we talked a few weeks back up at the church exists to celebrate the presence of God the church exists to grow disciples in the two of them in Jesus the church exists in order to connect people in to help them feel a sense of belonging in God's family the church exists to serve one another and to serve a local community. And of course the Church of Jesus Christ. Play as John, because you will see fit to do is to show you the way in which the money that is brought into. This church is used and how it connects to those four purposes. But also have clinics in a way to express our values as a church. The things that we have accepted an adopted as a church and that we value. So with that in mind we got to talk about money this morning and we are not to be afraid to do that. We get Connor a little bit antsy, we get a little bit singing about this topic of money because we think that the block out the front once my money. But you see if we going to be mature at the softest of Jesus we ought to not have any problem told me that money in positions because Jesus talked about it a lot affect the apostles talked about it a lot and it goes right to the hot in summer sitting in one respect the wine which we do have positions goes right to the heart of us as Disciples of Jesus. So, let's take it out baby. Matthew chapter 5 verse 4. Yeah, you'll remember the past are going to pass through this passage last Sunday choking into him specifically about love for enemies and we were reminded that in this call to discipleship. Jesus has given us the will call to I haul a lot with cold to reflect the love of Jesus. At the love of the heavenly father and that is a love that is for all people regardless of whether they accept us or not with my like a so not with a dike Sheriff iPhone. We're cold is a heavenly father loves to love old people. So jaysus is talking about mature discipleship and you will remember that that passage finishes with his extremely challenging statement by Jay-Z verse 48 of chapter 5 be perfect day for as your heavenly father is perfect. Jesus has told me that maturity that would perfect means simply to be mature or to be complete. And yes the way it's written in your baubles is written in the form of a commanded us a positive on a challenging. Come on be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. You might remember that we looked at the definition last week of perfection are all your Perfection is that you get everything right? Let us know what Jesus is saying, he's not saying he be perfect day for as your heavenly father is pretty approaches seamless Perfection. You'll never seen again. That's what Jesus is talking about. Hit a charity. You see the language. This is phrases that is prized in the future tense. So Jesus has told me better go around. I'm yes, it's a command but it's something that I'm full time for that signs for the Perfection that sign sort of completeness that we seen God when I got to be completely with that seen this side of heaven, but with a time for it with a straw to be more why can't you at least five or to reflect? He's like this more and more The perfect day for as your heavenly father is perfect. Then that Perfection is best expressed here in the passage as we were reminded last week of that loving old people the way in which a heavenly father loves old people. That provides a link into this next chapter if you just remember for one moment, what is going to be for Jesus's talked about six different ways of approaching the law. He talked in terms of that. We have to be righteous if we truly are to serve God and to love going to do to see that he's righteousness righteousness has to get Beyond legalism. It has to be better than the Pharisees Jesus and then he begins to talk in chat the farthest we've been looking at the last several weeks about what this righteousness looks like and so he talked about murder and anger. He talked about adultery and lust he talked about divorce and remarriage. He told me that truth-telling. It's okay that revenge and last week. We remodeled he told me that love for enemies love old people. So Jesus Takes those six examples and he helps us to understand that the Lord is pushing it something deeper getting Beyond me legalism getting Beyond merely just sign. I've kept the law and begins to expose a hoss. Is there any anger in your heart? Is there a desire for revenge or lack of love to somebody was done you wrong Jesus pushes deeply into that and he reminds us at the end of the chapter be perfect straw to be complete to be mature as your heavenly father is And I think it looks nicely into chapter 6 verse 1 because now we begin to look at our relationship with God would be looking at our relationship with each other. But now we begin to look at a relationship with God. And so we pick it up in chapter 6 verse 1 be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do you will have no reward from your father in Heaven. So when you give to the needy Do not announce it with trumpets as the Hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be on a bye man. I tell you the truth. They have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you'll be giving my being secret then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Jesus is calling you back. But your discipleship and in the first statement.

You should have some of them and he's dealing with the topic of righteousness. What is righteousness. It was a big Topic in the dice of Jesus. What does that look like and said Jesus wants us to understand in his first instance with his you section that he deals with in the seven that righteousness is not a performance. It's not something that you do. It's not something for Atwood show and he uses interesting fries hearing this when he talks to that acts of righteousness. Some of you might have it in your bottles in inverted commas. You see this term effects of righteousness with something to the Jews were very committed with because the Jews specified what was considered to be righteous Deeds bearing in mind that you're doing dealing with a couch at it said the Rochesters made that you conform to the will of God a righteous person. Did God's Will and God's will was expressed through he's hollylaurel they for if you kept the Hallelujah you were righteous person. That was the mathematics of it. And I had a list I had this list called acts of righteousness and they were all sorts of things that went into it. But at the top of that list of Acts of righteousness, there was a big straight and the big three of those acts of righteousness. Would you bring to the pool? Praying and fasting if you look closely at 6, you will see that Jesus goes on there to deal with those exit righteousness. So this morning he talks we talkin about getting specifically here in the context is talking that giving to the pool that we going to be told me about giving They need to look at chapter 5 the end of this 15 we going to push into that out of the next few weeks. He told you that pray that was a second act of righteousness. Then if you get down to the 16 through the site and he talks so the big three acts of Rochester's the really top 3 ones that really prove you a righteous person in that Community was that you dive to the pool you pride and you fasted and what I want you to notice he is the Jesus does not say stop doing ice thinks that is how he introduces chapter 6 verse 2, so when you get you see what he says if you give but when you give Which is a little bit further on in the prayer. He says what when you try to pry but when you pry this next one's an interesting one. not if you fast but when you fast I will soon forget about that one that way and that's why I speak it right now. I'm thinking to myself. This is something I'm going to have to look at in my own why when you fast so Jesus doesn't say stop doing these three acts of righteousness. What he does do is he challenges who you doing it. How you doing it for the price of your heavenly father who sees in secret or are you doing this? You know what it's a guy in the price of people. Let's have a look at Haley on packs that look at what it says in this one. Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by then. If you do you will have no reward from your father in Heaven. The concept of reward was deeply embedded into the Jewish mind the Jews believe strongly and passionately that God would reward them on the day of judgement. I had lived and the standard of that judgment was God's law. So the Jewish belief was as is as we believe that God when he sounds all things up in himself will reward the latest that he will issue at rewards that's part and parcel of what we believe about the future state in the Jewish concept was this idea of reward rewards were based on carrying out God's law. You kept goats, Lou God will reward you on the day of judgement. The second thing I believe that reward was that God handed out those rewards and the final thing. I believe that the rewards was that they was I stand it and that stand it was God's Little instead of staying on the day of judgment was he slow he would take you the person you would take he's loyal and he would see if you'll live conformed. He's lure knot and then hand at rewards based on that. Faithfull the way that you interpreted that was also if that is the standard we know what the stand it is. Now we have to go up slow with us. It's he it's tangible. We said we know we have to do in order to be righteous. Therefore if it's possible for us to know that as well. You can see what's going on now in this lot if you were a righteous person in the Jewish mine said if the stand it is below we all have the little we know the law before we are by the little we can phone to it. We are rachis people. Can you see how that played into the hands of the Hypocrites and the religious play Polly wanted to show off it Clyde right into their hands. Because they might show that everybody knew that they were watches that I might show that everybody would see how righteous they were and I would make sure they took pains to make sure that people understood that I will perform their acts of righteousness. Particularly The Big Three giving to the pool praying and fasting so they went to bed an interesting why so get this to notice the warning that Jesus Sands he says so when you give to the needy do not announce it with trumpets as the Hypocrites do in the synagogues in the Strand on the streets and can you imagine the scenario in church this morning Prada Alfred? If some of these two. Just as the offering boxes with Dinah cowboy. Who had a compliment?

I'm about to give my offering to go to work this morning. Can you imagine that?

Maybe you can. I don't know I can imagine I have a sick sense of humor, but the point Bean.

Jesus has told me about showing us or making a public display of giving there's been a lot of divide a bath the trumpets in where this literally happened on all the historical evidence would suggest that the Pharisees did not wear the religious people did not actually stand up and blow a trumpet in the synagogue on the straight and an answer back to give the rest of the text is that what was going on? He was the right shows the most public places to announce the fact will to show the people that they would get him. So the synagogue was a very public place and you can fit a lot of the religious person who was getting to the pool would make sure the people around them you that they would giving Well, they might do it in a public place like the straight. Now the interesting thing is this that every Sabbath in the synagogue a collection was taken out for the pool as was food taking up for the pool and it was distributed to the Navy so you can bet your life that this was an opportunity for the religious hypocrite that to any of those used he for the person to smack sure that everybody knew that they will perform their active righteousness and everybody would say what I watch this person and I just pretend that Jesus uses. He he uses the word hypocrite. He says when you give to the needy don't be like the Hypocrites now we interpret the word hypocrite as somebody who does one thing will says one thing and does another and that is kind of building of this world, but it's really referring to an act you say the word hypocrite. It's a Greek word for criticize. Allihoopa criticize in the culture of the dye was an actor. So an active would stand on a plot performing a Greco-Roman play. He was pulled a hypocrite ice. He was the actor and he would wear and you would amplify his voice in the goal of the actors, you know was to be someone that he was not He wanted you the audience to believe that he or she was being somebody else and they change their voice and they wanted you to notice them. That's the implication here the whole packet ice. And so when Jesus uses these would Hypocrites of The Giver who draws attention to him or herself what he's driving?

They want you to see that I want you to make sure that you know that they have a righteous person that do you notice what Jesus says? I tell you the truth. They have received their reward in full. It's really powerful. You see what Jesus is saying is if that's the reward you're seeking the price of people if you want people to praise you because you are a righteous person that you've received your reward, but that's as far as it goes is Jesus you will receive no other reward. Righteousness is not a performance. Jesus goes on the side that righteousness Springs from the hot look at what he says into this is 3 and 40 story again to his followers to those who will give to those at 8 to contact them and keeps giving to the needy but he says when you give to the needy don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing is such a simple illustration what he's saying is donkey so that you draw the attention of other people. In fact that you're getting be so secret that you don't even draw attention to yourself. So it's getting at the hot Matt. So you might say I try I'm not going to stand up in church and I'm not going to make it public display my giving but inwardly as I put that money into the offering Falls it goes by I'm thinking it was a good person. I am so sacrificial forgot that I put this money in every week. Jesus is. Even draw attention to yourself. It's as if your left hand is turning a blind on your right hand is putting the money in the end of sofa light and is turning a blind eye dinosaur attention to yourself. Weatherby from people oil with your own attitude or motivations of the high. Give with the right hand says Jesus as if the left hand was looking in the opposite direction and that is what he says. So that you will giving my being secret then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. That's the purpose is Jesus. That's the ultimate reward. This says Jesus is mature this option not showing attention to yourself, but getting out of a heart that is motivated out of love for God. So that allows this morning to look at the store, but we talked about mature discipleship. This is where Jesus is pushing into in the next section that we doing with a 7 on the man and we've been told me bad getting so it'll stay to talk for a few moments of a mature giving some principles of scripture out of that and chapter 9. So what you turn in your Bibles were reading devices to those two chapters, please 2 Corinthians chapter. I and II Corinthians not it was a sit at the start of the message this morning. We have discarded by Dire at times that when the pasta starts at over that money. We're in trouble. Will we going to get some guilt card of motivated message on giving that will not be the Tyson that is not the case this morning, but we are going to talk about this because we're going to talk about it as part of mature discipleship. and Jesus wants to press into these here is he now Hots and for some of you this is going to be a challenge this morning because this is an area that Jesus is really wanting to deal with you about this area of mature giving And we will not be embarrassed about talk about it since it is part of a Christian discipleship Jesus and the apostles speak about it openly and frankly, but we not going to talk about getting from the perspective of guilt. I'm going to put you on a guilt trip this morning far from it. I'm not going to talk you this morning because I'm after your money. Store that comes into a moment comes on the time when the subject of getting comes up in relation to the church and to the Christian fight is that people think that church on a wants your money?

You know what the truth is?

I'll bet that shocked some of you.

Why are we so afraid? What was it when people say the church wants only wants your money.

Because giving to God's work is part and parcel of what it means to be a mature Christian disciple. Do you think just to borrow a euphemism the thing thrown around me this morning? You think KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken once your money

McDonald's wants your money. Get into like to know what shops they don't want your money. You can't walk into like you like shops and say I'd like a new pair of bed sheets, please for my bed, and I'm can you please give them to me? Think I'm sexy use me, but I want your money first week. I will get to McDonald's in side like that hamburger today and then walk out with that Pine. I don't want your money. The issue is not who wants your money. The issue is where are you going to put your money? I think about that. It's very important. So I hope you understand where I'm coming from when I say actually probably it's more truthful besides. God wants your money. It doesn't need your money. The Reason God wants your money is because it's dealing with a heart issue. Are you going to hang on just two positions or you got to trust him? You see this an issue of trust your initial commitment to look at what mature getting looks like because you see the fact of the matter is that the reason why we ask people to give to goats Wick he's in order to extend his kingdom. It's not because the we've got to mind trying this and we got to maintain that we give in order to extend the kingdom the race. We have a facility like this is what we want to see people tell me the knife crossed as it's a simple as that and you can't do that f**** with that money. So let's have a look at some of the principles of getting 2 Corinthians chapter, right? He's the first principle that I discovered this passage one. That's what I'm supposed to just pick that area. So I think irrelevant to this topic this morning.

That's where it flies from. Let's read chapter 8 verses 1 to 5 and a brother says pool right after the Corinthian Church. She says we want you to know that the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches much does the trolley route of the following joy and their extreme poverty weld up in Rich generosity for I testify that I gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability entirely on their own. They originally played it with us for the privilege of sharing in his service to the science note the next verse. And I did not do as we expected but they gave themselves first to the Lord and the angel asking taping with God's will this particular section? I use first for the key. This is verse 5 because that tells the motivation to they giving it wasn't guilt. It wasn't just simply to have compassion on Fable all the compassion already comes in the empathy of getting to the pool. That's what is built into it. But the key issue is that guy because they gave themselves to God. They committed themselves to God and then I made a commitment to pull into his colleagues and what am I saying? He you say they'd Macedonian Christian company structure church yet die with generous is what Paul wants us to say, why would I Jenner's what an eyeball out of there on poverty to be able to give generously to help go to people it was a commitment to God. I told the people from time to time the beginning and this question comes up. How could this church do this? How could I give out of their poverty? Why did I get welts because they gave themselves to the Lord flight out of a commitment to God and old sci-fi data trust in him Christian side of me from time to time. I cannot afford to give to God's work.

Well, maybe you need to have a look at your commitment to God. That's not a guilt trip. That simply is a fact of life. It comes straight out of scripture. Some people say I've got to get home to go to work the issue here is this folks one of trust. Do you trust God or not to supply your needs? That is the core of the issue will God can stomach when people give me those excuses. I kind of food to give a goat a white to my dick so sore that all that kind of stuff please advise might be to use to get yourself some Financial counseling because you can tell where your commitments lie just by going through your budget each month and we've spent your money. Tells you a lot reveals a lot about where you spending where your priorities are. You might need to get some Financial counseling we can put you in touch with that. No, because we want to get your money back because we actually want to help you Financial balancing the checkbook. So that kind of stuff is a big deal with stifle people. But what I say to people who say some people think will I'm so far behind in my getting that I'll never catch up and I'm just trying to forget about that. And make a commitment to God to trust him like a it's a simple as that. The issue is one of trust. Can you trust God will you trust him to me? You need to let me share the story for Karen and myself with we have practice getting oil through at Christian Life. Ultra a marriage as well We went to college and I can tell you know, when we took up the cause we didn't have we had basically nothing. It's an issue. We have clothes and stuff like that, but we did not have a huge amount of money in the bank contact. We took off to college not knowing how we going to pay for the first year the face or I thought I said we practiced the grace of giving all three a Christian Life into a married marriage together in that first years. We headed off to college. We were provided with a new car before we hit it off the Queen's Lane. We're all set provided with enough money to pay for all the rain that we needed the pie for the place that was dying in on-campus Placido. So I paid for after these. I think it was for the use of the oil. We had to look at 4 then was ever going to put food on the table. But what I'm saying to you if ice is it is an issue of trust and that trust is continued for us all the way through the second year. We had provided in an otherwise posted when I was to middle that bills to this that I'm not a financial genius like I am not a financial genius, but God has blessed by Karen life over and beyond anything that we could imagine. And it's not because of my good financial management because I'm smart with the stock exchange cuz I show you I'm not that is not a gift that God gave me. The fights the issue comes down to trust will God on a his promises are not getting I want you to say is a Grice. He's the second principal. Look at this. This is one that we have to think about but giving is a Grace and it flows out of rice vs. In and just as you excel in everything in Fife you speech acknowledging completely honest and your love for us see that you also excel in this grace of giving I'm not commanding you but I want to test the sincerity of Your Love by comparing it with the earnestness of others for you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became pool so that you through his poverty might become rich to see how pull connects giving to the grace of Christ fights. There is nobody who gave up more than Jesus. It was no one reaches in Jesus who gave it a lot and be kind pool. That we might inherit all the riches that we have in Christ because of his death in his resurrection and what he's done for us. So what pool is sign used to giving us a Grice we have received Christ and that creates a Grace in our hearts and part of that Grice issues itself in giving Enchanted ross-ade I love this statement that I read this week. As this connection between the grace of Christ in the movie guy is connected with giving into God's work. One of us should this this great truth is too obvious for anyone to miss. It told me that will pull the sign if Christ the oldest familiar than nothing I give will do for him can be too much such love constrains me redeemed at incalculable Cost. I no longer my iron all that was mine is now he's for him to my use of in accordance with these holy purposes if they for hey, who is the creator in Louisville submitted to Poverty for you. Why do you not for love of him contribute part of your riches for he's needing members? the grace of giving

K'Nex Grace with the underserved spontaneous love and Grace of Jesus. DCF food principle of Guinea a giving is to be down for flea and prayerfully look at 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7 1 in stasis to be done forthwith and pray for you. It's not to be motivated by guilt. It is not be motivated by I give a man to go out and he will give me 10 times as much that is a heresy. Okay, anybody stand up and tells you that if you selling the God's kingdom a hundred dollars, he'll give you 10 times as much that's heresy. You don't find that in scripture. You can twist scripture this I things all that but that's not what the text says. You don't give in order to get back from God like I you get out of trust and commitment to God. But I getting used to be done for fully and frankly. I think this is where we missed the bottle at as Christians. We done think about it. We don't cry about it. Look at 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7 H man should give that what he has decided in his heart to give not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful Giver that always comes up in a message on giving

We expect the price of the side at some point, you know, what pill has told me that he was told that the freedom that comes with giving and the wood tri-fold means our Readiness of mind. It is a joy that is ready to do anything. You know, what the wood is the great wood is hilari on that uses the app English would hilarious so you can actually legitimately challenge translate. This is God loves us hilarious Cuba. Bet you never thought of getting in that way before that Readiness of Mind a Readiness to give a freedom of spontaneity to give but it comes from the heart to the store for him pray for repurposed beets before God as a result of the guilt trip is on as a result of I've been told to give exam at will I have two or three manipulated blood purposely my heart before God how much I'm going to give to his wife. So you see that's between you and God that wigs between you and the Lord. So the question comes up inevitably he to tie the knot to tie that question comes up some of you sign. What is a tithe what time is simply the practice of giving 10% of your income to go to what? Answer the question comes up. He should I type we should not type. What do I tithe our tithe Mi Grosso do I tithe on my neck and all these arguments count backwards and forwards is an Old Testament principal case when I'm going to buy you this morning, you got a garden so that app if you want to give it to either or 10%

Karen and I are going to tell you this so I can leave this is not an answering it with a trumpet we Todd. That's been a practice. That's what we purposely know how people got you my cycling all your blow your own trumpet. I'm just being honest with you that they go out the front who's asking you to give to goes with practices that we talked to this local church. Okay, you might say I should be telling us that well. How do you think that we knew the bond of a sold a piece of land and gave it to the apostles for the church say I kind of food to try the water? That's okay. Whatever you go to God with purpose in your hobby for him and given hilariously.

With Readiness of mind with a Guinness if you're getting 10% of your income and you are doing it grudgingly then stop doing it. Like I Have you ever heard that in church before?

Some of the leadership decided to get filled right now. I'm just being honest with you. God wants you to give that a heart that is purpose before him. And he's doing it from a perspective of Readiness of Mind Billy. This is story. Tell the Billy Graham wonderful story. I think Ruth Graham was such a wonderful I watch for him. He was in church. When that if you've ever seen American Knox, you have the rules. I'm saucin, Anyway, you can tell him if you go to read the notes K Flay and he put into the offering plate as it went by one morning what he thought was a Kindle the night if it was $100 a night and that's when Pisces suddenly realized she was $100 and he went to grab it and pull it back.

drop the hundred-dollar bill and went by he's is back in the days when a hundred dollars was a lot of money and she turned them as you shouldn't. Expect God to bless you because you didn't intend to get that much in the first place. So I say to you this morning give from a cheerful heart not from a grudging heart. All right.

Perhaps this will help you eat purpose in your heart. I think the pool talks about the principle of equal sacrifice when it comes to giving have a look at 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 2. He's told me that the Macedonian churches who were impoverished out of the most savitri all the other phone enjoying their extreme poverty. Will. Being rich generosity, please please churches with poor and even though that was generous to a whole heap of money.

And is this ID says I'm not commanding you but I want to test the sincerity of Your Love by comparing it with the earnest earnest about this is what he signed you look it's not the amount that I'm interested in his pool. Can you capture the same sense of Grace that the Macedonian churches have caption can you be generous like name? Can you get at a hostel overflowing and Rich generosity and not so much the amounts is pole because I'm sure that whatever offering was taken out for the Corinthian Church would probably total a lot more than what the Macedonian Church guy but that wasn't the issue was did you do it from generous Hearts easy generosity of the find your other phone every other give love the gifts or what about this area of generosity. So this is what I side you this morning. You might be saying, you know, I'm a patient right on had to be quiet so I can do this 10% and you know what? That's like I because they're those who came to that and poops in the house to do that an issue is not so much the amount 5. So the percentage the issue is they equal sacrifice. And the pensioner will the person alive why she might put there matinees in each week and I do from a Hot Springs from love for God and commitment to him and trust in him that's blessed. Did you see the principle the principle of equal sacrifice? I think that's the area that we need to land on on this area of giving one final comment of mature giving at giving used to be generous. So I have to say that this is the 7 times in 2 Corinthians iten on the wood generosity or generous is mentioned two different woods, they used and simply means Simplicity or liberality. Blessing a benefit giving given when you give generously you blessed your blessed God's work. How am I going to close this message this morning? I'm going to close on what you might think is a naughty nurse, but I was reminded of this morning. I didn't have a conclusion something that was going to try the point time and I had in front of me a book that I had read some years ago on this whole area of giving and I kind of cross this evening traduction. I think this is a good point to close on this morning. It's acquired by John Eldredge and also by CS Lewis John Eldredge reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle sign as God's people. Johnny O versus the world in which we live is a combat zone a violent Clash of Kingdoms a bitter struggle on to the day you were born into a world war and you will leave all your dies in the midst of a right battle involving all the forces of Heaven and Hell and play that here on Earth until we come to terms with War as the context of their dies. We will not understand life CS Lewis said this he said one of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it took so much of a dock pallet in the universe. I'm already a evil spirit who was held to be the power behind death and disease and scene. Fikes this universe sissy is Louis is a wool. We are involved in a spiritual battle. It is for the hearts and souls and minds of men and women. and one of the great spiritual battles you will face is this area of giving it's a bad mature to soften ships. I put it into the context of this is a spiritual battle. This is a bad spiritual growth. You have to wrestle with god with this. We'll get out of here this morning feeling guilt driven. What kind of tea this morning? So I want to engage in this battle of go to school me to maybe more than anything else beyond anything. I've seen giving or the maturity that is required. They might be the miss. You should go want you to hear this morning's the we re night battle. the hearts and souls and minds of people and it's going to require that we grow is mature disciples. Can we Prime and then we got to close a service? Let's try

Heavenly Father we are involved in a spiritual battle.

We know well.

I tried that you cool us through your son through these woods and through his lot to mature to soften. Should you call us to grow and to be stretched in so many areas of our laws? You have not called us to make a show of their righteousness. You called us to reality you've called us to a righteousness that Springs from the heart. Out of love and commitment to you. I have to trust in you. loredana Marshall Cummings

and I pray that you help me to cry. dollar price for us as individuals this morning that would ever have point of growth is that we will know that clearly today. And that you will help everyone of us to grow. and Lord, I pray that you will help us to grow as a church not just in the grace of giving but immature to solve she people who are truly committed and trusting in you In Jesus name amen.