The Secret Scoreboard

0:00:00.600 --> 0:00:02.440 Hey, don't start clicking off. I promise we're going to 0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:04.480 get to the preaching in just a moment. But I'm 0:00:04.519 --> 0:00:08.879 excited about this. This is a very special tradition at Elevation, 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:10.600 and we want to speak to all of you who 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:14.040 call our church home, especially our extended family, our EPAM 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:17.840 around the world, because once a year we have a 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:21.120 special series. It's really more than a collection of teachings. 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:24.079 It's a faith experience for all of the people who 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:26.720 are part of our ministry at Elevation, and this year 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:29.920 our theme is game Changer. I think one of the 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:33.440 most exciting things that God is doing in our ministry 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:36.880 is to open the doors of our ministry beyond our walls. 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:39.279 What I mean by that is we are amazed at 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.519 the thousands and thousands and thousands of you who are 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:46.280 letting us know that you're impacted by this ministry in 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:50.920 another zip code, in another state, in another country, maybe 0:00:50.920 --> 0:00:53.640 eventually on another planet. But what I wanted to mention 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:55.920 to you is that you can be a part of 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:59.840 this beyond just consuming. Many of you have been blessed 0:00:59.840 --> 0:01:02.400 by God to be a blessing. Now I wanted to 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:05.480 ask today, would you be willing during this special time 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:08.600 of year to make a one time donation to the 0:01:08.600 --> 0:01:12.000 ministry or maybe partner with us on a monthly basis 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:15.479 through recurring giving. I believe God could use your gift 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.720 to enable this ministry to continue to reach, to continue 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:22.080 to break paradigms, to continue to lift up Jesus. And 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:24.640 I wanted to ask you personally to go to Elevationchurch 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:26.959 dot org and you can see the ways to give there. 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:30.679 But most importantly, know that we feel a tremendousness of 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.040 responsibility to minister the word of God not only to you, 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:36.959 but to challenge you to partner with us in reaching 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.520 people for the Gospel. I believe your gift today could 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:42.440 be a game changer, so don't put it off right now. 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:45.720 Elevation Church dot org you can find all of the details. 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:48.080 I hope you enjoy this message and thank you for 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:51.320 being a part of the family. Excited to start a 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:54.240 new series with you. The series is called Game Changer. 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:00.360 The goal of this series is to increase your faith, 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:03.600 and the way you increase your faith is to stretch 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:06.840 and to obey God in practical ways. And so we're 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:08.679 going to do that over the next few weeks. It's 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:10.760 one of my favorite series. I can't ever figure out 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:14.639 why this is my favorite series because it's a challenging series. 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:17.840 At the end of the series, on December eighth and ninth, 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:21.560 our church together and our em online around the world, 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:23.840 let's thank God for our extended family around the world 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:30.799 joined with us. We bring an offering and we take 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:33.960 these weeks to pray and consider and ask God what 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:35.519 he would have each of us to do on the 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:38.920 level that he's blessed us. Of course, the church is 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:41.840 able to do ministry on an ongoing basis because of 0:02:42.200 --> 0:02:46.079 thousands of people and families who faithfully tithe and give 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:49.040 that first ten percent to God, which sounds like a 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:52.120 lot when you first hear it. It's like ten percent, Bro, 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:55.560 my gym membership is like forty a month, and you know, 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:59.440 like that's a whole lot, ten percent of all of it. 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.920 But when you realize that all of it came from God, 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:05.320 it kind of makes you think about the ninety more 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:08.520 than the ten, and then it really doesn't seem that 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:12.240 crazy anymore. That's the game changer. The series is called 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:15.480 game Changer, and the game changer is when you realize 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:18.040 that it's all Gods and it all belongs to him, 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:21.800 makes you grateful and hopefully encourages you to be faithful. 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:24.240 So we're going to be doing that on December eighth 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:29.960 and nine of this year and will end the year 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:34.760 on a note of sacrificial generosity. Each of us and 0:03:34.840 --> 0:03:37.120 thousands of people do it. Last year, the church gave 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:41.520 over ten million dollars in that offering, which is phenomenal, 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:46.720 which is what enables us to expand and reach. Ask 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.080 the person next to you, are you a game changer 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:53.800 or a benchwarmer, because that's what I'm trying to find out, amen, 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:57.480 And so it's going to be so good and I'm 0:03:57.480 --> 0:03:59.960 going to see God do amazing things. Well, sit down 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:02.040 for now, drap somebody up on the way to your seat, 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:08.600 and tell him I'm a game changer. When we say 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.200 game changer, you know, every year I pick a word 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:16.719 several months in advance and try to really build my teachings. Really, 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:18.880 rather than pick the word, I try to see what 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:21.240 God is speaking and then find a word that describes that. 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:23.560 It works better that way. And I thought it was 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:26.080 a little corny game changer. You know. You hear that 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:30.080 like three times a day. ESPN but it sounded like 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:32.760 a gatorade commercial to me more than a sermon series. 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:36.479 But it really it'll mean something different when we're done 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:38.640 with the series than it does going into it, and 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:40.960 you'll see that. And today I just want to lay 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:46.279 a foundation from the pulpit from Matthew chapter six. And 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:50.240 last year's series was called Waymaker, and so apparently I'm 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:52.880 on this like a Waymaker game Chang. I'm gonna do 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.560 Cake Baker in twenty nineteen, see how if I could 0:04:56.560 --> 0:04:59.159 make a trilogy out of it. But Matthew chapter six 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:02.720 will be a good place for us to start from 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:06.039 the Sermon on the Mount. This was my dad's favorite scripture. 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.360 He used to read it every day, and then I 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:11.039 would use it against him when he went acting right, 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:13.240 I'd be like, you read it, but are you living it? 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.240 So I've used the Bible against him as a as 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:20.880 a weapon, all right, Matthew Chapter six, verses one through four, 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:23.880 And I can't wait to share this with you. Very 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:29.200 powerful principle. It's practical, but it's also on another level, 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:34.200 very profound, and I think the best lessons are that way. 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:37.040 And so here's what Jesus said, be careful not to 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:40.520 practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:48.279 by them. So this might mean you have to delete 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:53.400 some apps on your phone. Do you know what I mean? Well, 0:05:54.320 --> 0:05:59.680 if you do practice your acts of righteousness in front 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:02.720 of others to be seen by them, you will have 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:10.160 no reward from your father in heaven. That's scary. So 0:06:10.240 --> 0:06:12.920 when you give to the needy, for instance, do not 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:16.120 announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:20.560 synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly, 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.600 I tell you they have received the reward in full. 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.480 But when you give to the needy, do not let 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:33.000 your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:38.520 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your father, 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:44.200 who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:47.760 And the title of this message is the Secret Scoreboard. 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:55.280 When my kids first started playing recreational sports, I went 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:57.520 out and I turned to the person next to me 0:06:57.560 --> 0:07:02.680 and said, they need to turn on the scoreboard. And 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:06.360 Elijah was playing t ball at the time for the 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:11.680 mud Caps of Mint Hill. I said, they need to 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:15.040 turn on the scoreboard. It was his first game. Brother 0:07:15.080 --> 0:07:17.280 looked back at me. He had several kids that already 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:19.200 played t boy, he said, they don't keep score at 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:23.680 this level. And when Elijah got in the car after 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:30.800 the game, I said, congratulations on your first win. He said, win. 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:37.800 They didn't keep score. I said, I did the first 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:42.320 thing I did when that man said they don't keep 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:46.320 score at this level. I found an app on my 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:52.360 phone and I decided every game that he played, I 0:07:52.520 --> 0:07:56.000 was going to score it myself. And I told that 0:07:56.120 --> 0:08:00.280 boy this the following I said, when you get in 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:04.440 this car after the game, you ask me if you won, 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:07.800 and I will tell you whether or not you won. 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:13.080 I am your official scorekeeper. I believe God wants to 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:16.600 look at somebody today, y'all A uncle help me preach 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:22.880 after three weeks off. And one of the first things 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:28.320 that God does when he assumes control of your life 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:33.760 is he becomes your scorekeeper, because by default, we tend 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:38.120 to let everybody else keep score. And it's hard to know. 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:43.679 Am I winning? In real life, especially in adulthood, Am 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:48.160 I winning? I wonder that all the time. I feel 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:51.199 like in some areas it's the weirdest thing I will 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:54.400 win for a season. And while I'm winning in those 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:57.000 areas for that season, the other areas that are also 0:08:57.080 --> 0:09:00.320 important to me suffer and I can't keep up because 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:03.400 it's like I'm playing five sports at once, do you 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:05.880 know what I mean? It's like the family thing and 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:10.040 the financial thing. Those don't always work together. Sometimes those 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.439 seem to compete against each other, and it's hard to 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:17.640 keep score, especially because now we live in a world 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:22.120 where there are permanent reminders of everybody else's score. And 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:24.480 even though they're not playing the same sport, they don't 0:09:24.480 --> 0:09:27.479 have the same calling, the same circumstances, the same situation. 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:30.560 We're all living on the same platforms, being fed the 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.840 same false images and wondering is their life really that 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:36.960 much better than mine? Or are they just a better photographer. 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.280 The game has changed because back in the day, you 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:44.280 used to compare yourself to a really small circle of people, 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:46.680 whoever was around you. And that's why I grew up 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:49.680 thinking I was a good guitarist, because I didn't have 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:53.200 any really good guitarists to see on YouTube, and so 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:56.400 you know, whoever else played guitar, all three of us. 0:09:56.480 --> 0:10:00.640 That was my standard of comparison. But the game has changed. 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:06.920 Now it's no longer possible to feel really good about 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:10.880 yourself for any length of time because the standards have 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:16.000 shifted and the game has changed. Touch somebody say the 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:22.480 game has changed when Jesus preached this sermon, the Bible 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:24.640 says at the beginning that he went up on a 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:28.480 mountain side and sat down, and his disciples came to him, 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:32.160 and he began to teach them, and began to teach them. 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:38.640 So like the text speaking physically has Jesus in a 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:42.000 All right, let's say physically, the text is describing elevation. 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.160 He went up on a mountain side, sat down, and 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:47.559 began to teach them. That is the physical motif of 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:50.640 the text. This is the beginning of it. But really 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:53.480 what he was about to do was more like excavation, 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:57.679 which is that he was going to dig out beneath 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:00.559 the surface. And I'm not sure change in the name 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:02.720 of the church, but excavation would be a good church 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:06.040 name too, because when you have a really good encounter 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:10.040 with God, when you really really meet Jesus, the first 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:13.559 thing that he begins to do is challenge your values. 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:16.880 And we want him to build our life up and 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:21.120 build us and raise us, and all of these wonderful 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:23.120 promises that are indeed in his word but if he 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:26.120 does not first dig out a deep enough place in 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:30.280 our hearts and a foundation that is steady and stable enough, 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:32.959 then even what he builds in our life will be 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:36.920 subject to situations and circumstances. And so the first thing 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:41.600 that proves the presence of God in your life is 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:46.040 that he will begin to challenge your values. You know how, 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:49.040 you can know if you if you met with God, 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:52.720 were your values challenged? And I'll prove it to you 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.680 when he started preaching, because you look highly skeptical right now, 0:11:57.960 --> 0:11:59.280 I won't lie. I thought you're going to be more 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:02.439 energetic with it, an extra hour of sleep, but apparently not. 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:06.880 It's all right, It's all right. I'll hustle down a 0:12:06.880 --> 0:12:10.320 little bit when you start teaching. He said. Blessed are 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:12.600 the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:18.280 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Well, 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:21.680 right right off the bat, I'm kind of confused because 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:26.880 Jesus is telling me that it's not those who look 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:30.400 like they're winning a lot of times who are really 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:34.000 the most blessed, blessed or the meek, for they will 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:37.000 inherit the earth blessed to those who hunger and thirst 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.880 what's a blessing about being hungry and thirsty for righteousness? 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:43.679 For they'll be filled. And with each of these statements 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:47.040 is commonly called the beatitudes. Jesus is giving a new 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.640 definition of blessing. And one thing that you'll notice about 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.560 it when he defines it, it's very contrary to the 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:58.080 cultural values, which are very external. You know, everything is 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:01.120 about how you look. If God blessed, it is going 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:03.840 to show up as a physical manifestation in your life. 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:08.320 But when Jesus showed up, it changed the game because 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:13.319 in a religious system that was corrupted by the elevation 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:19.439 of appearances over the real condition of the heart, Jesus 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:22.520 begins to challenge the values not only of the world, 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:27.120 but of the religious not only in the streets but 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:29.360 in the synagogues. I've noticed the Church is really good 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:32.400 at challenging the values of the world when it comes 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:38.000 to sexuality and entertainment and Disney. That's twenty years old, 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:39.840 but some of y'all will remember when the Church was 0:13:39.880 --> 0:13:42.880 really good at challenging the value system of the world. 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.280 But the first thing that Jesus did, it seems to me, 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:50.320 is to challenge the value of the church, and so 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:54.480 in order to do that, he begins to dig. And 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:58.040 it really changes the game because it seems almost like 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.959 an inversion, seems like something is being flipped upside down. 0:14:02.600 --> 0:14:05.360 It's almost as if when Jesus comes on the scene, 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:10.160 he's less concerned with playing the game right and more 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:16.080 concerned with playing the right game. And some of us 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:20.440 are playing the wrong game. And we spend a lot 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:22.760 of our lives trying to figure out how to play 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:26.560 the game right. But the question becomes, this is the 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:30.440 game changer, not are you playing the game right, but 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:34.440 are you playing the right game? And sometimes it takes 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:38.040 us half our lives to realize I've learned to play 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:41.400 the game right, but I wasn't playing the right game. 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:46.400 Wouldn't it be tragic to spend your whole life to 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:49.720 get good at a game that you weren't even supposed 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:54.960 to play, to win the approval of people who don't 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:59.040 sit on the throne anyway, to get really good at 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:03.400 something that is isn't good for you. And I see 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:06.120 this more and more, more more and more as it 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:09.440 becomes easier for us to get sucked into systems of 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:13.880 comparison and analysis that have nothing to do with real value. 0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:18.200 We start, we start getting good at winning, but winning 0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:23.360 at what? Winning at what? And the game has changed. 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:26.720 It's changed so much for young people, you know, Like 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.600 when I was growing up, it was different in terms 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:34.560 of social media. Even the games that I played as 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:36.960 a kid, the video games I played as a kid, 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.520 were much different than the games I see my kids 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:44.600 playing today. It was an entirely different level of nobility 0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:48.560 involved in When the games I used to play, we 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:55.040 were doing real things, important things like when I was 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.320 when I grew up playing games, we were we were 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:07.960 saving princesses. We were training to win heavyweight titles or 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:11.160 to do that, we had to we had to face 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:17.280 opponents like Soda Popinski and King Hippo and Don Flamenco 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:22.080 and the second Don Flamenco and Piston Honda and the 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:26.520 second Bald Bull. Real stuff, you know, things that that 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:32.160 transposed into actual life skill. But the other day, I 0:16:32.240 --> 0:16:35.200 was watching my kids play game on their phone and 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:37.920 all they were doing and it was very it was 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:39.720 very fascinating to me. I just watched them for like 0:16:39.800 --> 0:16:43.160 five minutes. All they were doing was tapping the screen, 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:48.720 and I watched for a little while before I realized 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:52.800 there's absolutely no strategy to what they're doing right now. 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.320 I didn't know the game that they're playing because I 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:56.840 don't play games on my phone. I read my Bible 0:16:56.920 --> 0:17:01.440 because I'm a pastor. But I walked over said and 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:04.080 I said, what is that game? What are you doing? 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:08.200 And they said it was called Cookie Clicker. They said 0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:12.040 it's old, Dad, it's an old game, not as old 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:14.280 as your games, but it's an old game for us. 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:18.280 I said, Cookie Clicker, Let me see it. How do 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:26.160 you play? They said, you click the cookie. I said, 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:30.400 all right, and then what like up up, downtown, left, right, left, right, 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:34.720 ba start? Is that the They said, no, you just click. 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:39.320 You just click a cookie. See, these kids don't have 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:44.440 to think like we had defended. They said, you clicked 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.280 the cookie. I said, all right. And then what they said, 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:51.000 then you get more cookies. When you click the cookie, 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:53.879 you get more cookies. I said, and then after you 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:56.120 get more cookies, what do you do after you get 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:58.480 more cookies? They said, well, the more cookies you get, 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:01.400 the more the more cookies you can get each time 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:08.679 you click. That's what y'all been doing over here for 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:14.360 the last thirty minutes. No Princess Zelda, no Princess Toadstool, 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:23.359 just clicking cookies to get more cookies, to get more cookies, 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:28.200 to get more cookies, to give more cookies. I said, 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:31.480 let me try that. It was addictive. I loved it. 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:40.360 Five millions of cookies and I couldn't need any of them, 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:44.080 but I had fun clicking. Let me ask you a question. 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:51.199 Have you been clicking on stuff playing a game without 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:55.040 asking the question what is the goal of this game? 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:59.919 Have you ever argued with somebody? And then you realize 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:04.000 that even if I win the argument, even if I 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:08.280 win your approval, even if I win your friendship, it's 0:19:08.359 --> 0:19:12.920 not worth winning if I have to win it, even 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:23.520 if I make you like me. And that's what he 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:25.760 was doing. He was telling him quick clicking. Jesus was 0:19:25.800 --> 0:19:29.679 saying this. He was saying, quick clicking. Tell somebody quick clicking, 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:36.880 quick clicking, and ask a different question. It's not am 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:40.480 I playing the game right? You know? Because you can 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:47.199 get that right and succeed materially relationally. You could get status, 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:52.760 you could get power, you can get position, you can 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:56.280 even be a really good preacher. But if you don't 0:19:56.280 --> 0:20:04.640 do it for the right reason, you can get all 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:08.760 the cookies that you want, but you can't dunk any 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:15.639 of them in milk if it's not real. Am I preaching? Okay? 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:20.199 Everybody over fifty that ever clicked on worthless stuff and 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:25.760 found out it wasn't worth clicking on makes some noise. God, 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:28.600 the church is old. Did you hear that? That was 0:20:28.640 --> 0:20:32.360 a roar? Twelve and a half years ago? If I'd 0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:34.280 asked that, it wouldn't have been. Oh, that made me 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:40.480 feel weird. But it's good. It's it's multigenerational. Amen, there's 0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:45.040 some wisdom that you get. Jesus gives it on multiple levels. 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:47.040 And six times he does this thing in the Sermon 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:48.280 on the Mount. I wish I had time to show 0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:51.639 you all of it. He sets up a construct like this. 0:20:51.800 --> 0:20:56.199 You have heard it said, But I say to you, 0:20:56.200 --> 0:20:59.800 you've heard it said. And then he would quote from 0:21:00.000 --> 0:21:02.159 the Rabbinic tradition that they had been handed through the 0:21:02.200 --> 0:21:05.639 Law of Moses. But I say to you, then he 0:21:05.680 --> 0:21:10.000 would correct the values because he was speaking to people 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:15.960 who had perfected the appearance of religion. But he understood 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:18.320 that if the behavior is right, but the belief that 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:23.560 is beneath the behavior is not right. If your values 0:21:23.640 --> 0:21:31.600 are shallow, your victories will be empty. And why didn't 0:21:31.600 --> 0:21:35.200 you write that down? I worked all week on that, Gaston. 0:21:35.280 --> 0:21:36.880 I know you've got your pins out. I have faith 0:21:36.880 --> 0:21:42.080 in you. If your values are shallow, your victories will 0:21:42.080 --> 0:21:47.199 be empty. So I'm winning at what. I'm winning at what. 0:21:48.920 --> 0:21:50.600 And Jesus went up on a mountain side and he 0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:54.960 sat down. But then he began to teach them. He's 0:21:55.040 --> 0:22:00.800 digging beneath the behaviors to identify the beliefs, like one 0:22:00.840 --> 0:22:03.160 of them that he said, he said, you've heard it said, 0:22:03.200 --> 0:22:07.400 don't murder. But I'm telling you, if you're angry, even 0:22:07.440 --> 0:22:11.280 if you don't murder, you will suffer the consequences of 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:14.800 that anger and eventually will either lead you toward taking 0:22:14.840 --> 0:22:18.040 action on it, or it will deteriorate your spiritual condition 0:22:18.359 --> 0:22:19.800 to the point that you might as well have gone 0:22:19.800 --> 0:22:21.879 ahead and done it because you're living in a prison 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:24.600 of hatred. And whether or not you acted out doesn't matter, 0:22:24.640 --> 0:22:27.919 because beneath the behavior is a belief that led to 0:22:27.960 --> 0:22:31.640 the behavior. This is what we mean when we say 0:22:32.000 --> 0:22:36.399 Jesus was the game changer, because he didn't just play 0:22:36.440 --> 0:22:41.040 the game. That's why they killed him. He touched lepers 0:22:41.240 --> 0:22:46.080 that they wouldn't touch. He spoke with women who they devalued. 0:22:48.000 --> 0:22:53.480 He challenged their social values by associating with people who 0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:57.439 ethnically and religiously had nothing in common with the Jewish people. 0:22:57.960 --> 0:23:01.440 And that's what they hated about him. He didn't endorse 0:23:01.560 --> 0:23:06.520 their values to run his campaign. He challenged their values. 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:11.359 He got beneath their actions and challenged their values. As 0:23:11.400 --> 0:23:14.040 a matter of fact, he did it not only in 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:17.280 terms of hatred and murder and adultery, but he did 0:23:17.359 --> 0:23:19.760 it in terms of other areas. Like one thing he 0:23:19.800 --> 0:23:24.800 said was you've heard it said love your neighbor. But 0:23:24.840 --> 0:23:30.840 that's easy. I say love your enemy. See that changes 0:23:30.880 --> 0:23:36.440 the game. Grace changes the game. I said. The grace 0:23:36.520 --> 0:23:41.800 of God is a game changer when the grace of 0:23:41.840 --> 0:23:45.720 God really becomes operative in your life. What Jesus is 0:23:45.760 --> 0:23:49.320 saying when he says love your enemy is you can't 0:23:49.680 --> 0:23:54.000 insist on God relating to you one way and then 0:23:54.040 --> 0:23:58.960 you turn around and relate to people another way. So 0:23:59.119 --> 0:24:02.960 if you want God to be gracious to you, that 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:07.320 grace has to flow not only to you but through you. 0:24:08.200 --> 0:24:11.359 And if it's not flowing through you, it didn't really 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:15.480 flow to you. If you don't give it, you don't 0:24:15.480 --> 0:24:18.520 got it. And I'm sorry for my grammar, but my 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:24.520 theology is spot on. It's a game changer. And we 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:27.560 beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Father, 0:24:27.800 --> 0:24:31.480 of the Father full of grace and truth. So when 0:24:31.520 --> 0:24:35.000 grace shows up, it changes the game. And the Bible 0:24:35.119 --> 0:24:38.800 actually says that when Jesus finished teaching all these things, 0:24:39.119 --> 0:24:42.560 the people were amazed at his teaching, not because he 0:24:42.680 --> 0:24:46.840 was so funny, not because he was so succinct, not 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:49.640 because of the human wisdom, but he taught as one 0:24:49.640 --> 0:24:53.080 who had authority, and not as one of their teachers 0:24:53.080 --> 0:24:55.639 of the law. Well, what was it that his teacher, 0:24:55.760 --> 0:24:58.680 the teachers of the law were teaching that had no authority. 0:24:58.960 --> 0:25:04.120 They were teaching on the basis of appearance. And that's 0:25:04.160 --> 0:25:08.159 what he's correcting in Matthew chapter six. It's not a 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:16.160 giving scripture. It's a scripture about intention. So when you give, 0:25:16.240 --> 0:25:20.160 he assumes that you're going to give, not if when 0:25:21.800 --> 0:25:26.239 he's making the assumption that your actions will align with 0:25:26.320 --> 0:25:32.679 your values. And I've learned that the greatest way for 0:25:32.720 --> 0:25:35.439 me to know whether I'm winning in my life is 0:25:35.480 --> 0:25:40.040 not to ask people you know, or not to consult 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:43.960 certain external scoreboards that can tell me how I'm doing, 0:25:45.119 --> 0:25:48.480 because my bank account is a bad indication of whether 0:25:48.480 --> 0:25:53.800 I'm winning or the car I drive or any of that. 0:25:55.240 --> 0:26:09.040 But when my actions match my values, I'm winning. And 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:12.240 it's cool when you can get to that place. Not 0:26:12.320 --> 0:26:14.160 that I live there all the time, but when I'm there, 0:26:14.200 --> 0:26:17.920 I know it and I can feel it. And when 0:26:17.920 --> 0:26:22.600 I'm living from that place, I don't need others to notice. 0:26:23.400 --> 0:26:32.200 Because my father is keeping score right, we need to 0:26:32.200 --> 0:26:36.160 shut down some scoreboards that are visible in our life 0:26:36.200 --> 0:26:39.479 for a little while and get in the car. Like 0:26:39.480 --> 0:26:42.120 Elijah got in the car for me, and he would 0:26:42.160 --> 0:26:45.480 ask me every game did we win? And I never 0:26:45.560 --> 0:26:49.800 lied to him about it. I always told him sometimes 0:26:49.800 --> 0:26:52.879 I said, no, y'all, y'all played terrible today. Honestly it was. 0:26:52.920 --> 0:26:57.560 It was painful to experience. I love you anyway, but 0:26:57.600 --> 0:27:06.679 that was awful. Am I am? I winning? And the 0:27:06.760 --> 0:27:12.520 game has changed now. I mean, it's it's crazy. It's crazy. 0:27:14.520 --> 0:27:17.439 It's crazy because now can somebody please explain to me 0:27:17.480 --> 0:27:22.920 what are v bucks and what do they do? Right? Well, 0:27:22.920 --> 0:27:25.560 that's what I thought, at first, like they buy stuff like, Okay, 0:27:25.680 --> 0:27:29.000 So my kids are playing Fortnite and they asked me 0:27:29.400 --> 0:27:32.919 will I will I give them V Bucks? Graham asked me, 0:27:33.880 --> 0:27:37.080 will you buy us some V Bucks? Now, my first 0:27:37.160 --> 0:27:42.040 hurdle was that real world money is now being exchanged 0:27:42.600 --> 0:27:45.480 for I'm telling you, man, these these games have changed 0:27:46.119 --> 0:27:51.040 for money on a game. And so I told Graham 0:27:51.480 --> 0:27:53.840 that I would buy him some V Bucks. And I 0:27:53.840 --> 0:27:57.240 think I bought him like, you know, five billion V 0:27:57.320 --> 0:27:59.320 bucks for ten dollars or something like that. I don't 0:27:59.320 --> 0:28:00.960 know the system, but I bought him some V Bucks. 0:28:00.960 --> 0:28:03.359 And then I went in and I said, let me 0:28:03.359 --> 0:28:05.520 see what those V Bucks do that I just bought you. 0:28:07.040 --> 0:28:08.159 I said, what are you going to do with the 0:28:08.200 --> 0:28:14.639 V Bucks? He said, I'm gonna buy skins because on 0:28:14.760 --> 0:28:16.639 the game I was watching him go around with a 0:28:16.840 --> 0:28:19.479 pick axe killing people with a pick axe and stuff, 0:28:19.680 --> 0:28:23.679 you know, great family values. And I said, do you 0:28:23.680 --> 0:28:26.080 get a sharper axe or something with the V bucks? 0:28:26.119 --> 0:28:29.040 He said, no, I'm buying skins. I said, well, what 0:28:29.040 --> 0:28:33.639 do the skins do? Do they protect you from other people? 0:28:34.440 --> 0:28:38.160 He said no, the skins don't give you any in 0:28:38.320 --> 0:28:45.000 game advantage. It's just for people to see. So now 0:28:45.000 --> 0:28:51.760 I'm angry because I just spent my real money for 0:28:51.880 --> 0:28:55.760 you to wear something that doesn't help you at all 0:28:56.360 --> 0:28:59.480 in the reality of a game that is already virtual. 0:29:00.440 --> 0:29:05.600 Now I'm mad because I'm spending real money. God, have 0:29:05.600 --> 0:29:09.080 a counseling session for a moment. I'm sick of spending 0:29:09.160 --> 0:29:12.520 my money on stuff to make me look good that 0:29:12.680 --> 0:29:23.320 doesn't really make a real difference in my soul. V Boss. 0:29:25.040 --> 0:29:28.320 I'm a grown man, and I gotta get to the 0:29:28.360 --> 0:29:32.520 point where I don't need validation from people to do 0:29:32.640 --> 0:29:38.200 what's right because it's according to my values. You don't 0:29:38.240 --> 0:29:41.480 give so people will see you. Jesus isn't saying that 0:29:41.520 --> 0:29:44.000 you have to write your checks in a closet and 0:29:44.040 --> 0:29:46.280 put it in the mail and no one can ever know, 0:29:46.360 --> 0:29:48.880 and don't get your tax exempt status when you give. 0:29:49.200 --> 0:29:53.239 Jesus is saying, if that is your reason, then that 0:29:53.280 --> 0:30:02.160 will be your reward. Your reason determines your reward. Well, 0:30:02.200 --> 0:30:08.640 I feel like preaching that, and if the reason I'm 0:30:08.680 --> 0:30:12.920 doing it is to be seen, then that's my reward. 0:30:14.160 --> 0:30:17.320 So if they see me and if they say that 0:30:17.360 --> 0:30:21.760 I did it good, then that's my reward. But if 0:30:21.760 --> 0:30:25.240 I have a deeper reason, then I have a greater reward. 0:30:26.320 --> 0:30:29.240 And here's a game changer for me. I have this 0:30:29.360 --> 0:30:32.360 like Sunday School way that I see the Bible. Sometimes 0:30:32.360 --> 0:30:35.160 that messes me up because like I imagine stuff like 0:30:35.320 --> 0:30:38.400 when it says your reward in heaven or your reward 0:30:38.440 --> 0:30:41.320 from your father. I always used to picture like a 0:30:42.240 --> 0:30:44.520 corner of heaven where there was like pots of gold. 0:30:44.840 --> 0:30:47.800 It was like more like lucky charms and leprechauns than 0:30:47.840 --> 0:30:51.360 the Bible, but it was like it was like these 0:30:51.400 --> 0:30:54.760 big rewards in heaven, treasures in heaven. But you know, 0:30:54.840 --> 0:30:58.600 I'm probably not gonna need gold in heaven because up 0:30:58.600 --> 0:31:01.760 there it's called gravel. You see, I'm saying, like there's 0:31:01.800 --> 0:31:04.280 not a value of monetary. It's like v bucks in heaven. 0:31:04.480 --> 0:31:08.880 So it's not going to really buy anything. But now 0:31:08.920 --> 0:31:13.200 I'm realizing that this is not a passage about hey man, 0:31:13.400 --> 0:31:16.160 give and then when you get to heaven, it's going 0:31:16.240 --> 0:31:19.280 to be like, you know, your uber is going to 0:31:19.320 --> 0:31:23.360 be a mayboch, Like it's not about getting this reward 0:31:23.800 --> 0:31:27.160 in another place, it's about getting it from another place. 0:31:30.560 --> 0:31:33.920 Then your father. This was the key to unlocking the 0:31:33.920 --> 0:31:36.480 scripture for me, it said he sees what is done 0:31:36.480 --> 0:31:38.840 in secret. That used to scare me. Oh God is 0:31:38.840 --> 0:31:41.000 watching me all the time. Ah ah, But now I 0:31:41.040 --> 0:31:44.880 see that it means he's keeping score, and that means 0:31:44.920 --> 0:31:48.440 nobody else gets to And when I live that way, 0:31:48.480 --> 0:31:51.640 there is a certain validation that only comes from Him 0:31:51.880 --> 0:31:54.600 and living according to the values that He's given to me, 0:31:54.760 --> 0:32:00.360 and the world can't give that. And when I'm not 0:32:00.440 --> 0:32:04.120 living in alignment with that, then I get the car, 0:32:04.200 --> 0:32:08.400 and the car is my reward. And when the smell 0:32:08.440 --> 0:32:10.920 of the car is gone, then so is the thrill 0:32:10.920 --> 0:32:17.000 of owning it. If I do it for people, then 0:32:17.000 --> 0:32:22.960 I have to get it from people. One scripture I 0:32:23.000 --> 0:32:24.960 like to think about when I'm having a pity party 0:32:25.720 --> 0:32:28.880 is one time when Paul was talking about preaching the gospel, 0:32:29.800 --> 0:32:32.920 and in certain situations Paul would say, don't pay me. 0:32:32.960 --> 0:32:34.600 I don't want any money from you. I want something 0:32:35.520 --> 0:32:39.480 from God. And he wasn't always doing that, but when 0:32:39.520 --> 0:32:41.680 he explained it to the church at Court and first 0:32:41.720 --> 0:32:46.120 Corinthians nine, he goes, hey, I got nothing to brag about. 0:32:47.080 --> 0:32:50.200 I preach because I'm compelled. In other words, God called 0:32:50.200 --> 0:32:52.479 me to do this, so I almost have to do it, 0:32:53.560 --> 0:32:56.960 But if I do it out of obligation, then it's 0:32:57.040 --> 0:33:02.480 just a discharge. I do it like it's a privilege, 0:33:03.440 --> 0:33:08.480 then it's a reward. So the revelation for me was 0:33:08.560 --> 0:33:14.480 that my reason determines my reward. So if I'm doing 0:33:14.520 --> 0:33:20.160 this for you, then you hold my reward. But if 0:33:20.200 --> 0:33:30.800 I'm doing this for him. It applies in every area 0:33:30.800 --> 0:33:34.200 of life. It applies to giving. Okay, Jesus said this. 0:33:34.280 --> 0:33:37.840 He said, I didn't come to abolish the law. I 0:33:37.880 --> 0:33:41.960 came to fulfill it. That's what he means by the 0:33:42.040 --> 0:33:44.320 game changer. I didn't come to play the game a 0:33:44.320 --> 0:33:46.720 little better, keep the law a little better, like put 0:33:46.760 --> 0:33:49.120 more on top of it. I came to change the 0:33:49.320 --> 0:33:53.680 reason that you do it. So one of those things 0:33:53.720 --> 0:33:58.080 is giving. In the Old Testament, you would see an 0:33:58.120 --> 0:34:02.840 obligatory system of giving, where I bring the tithe because 0:34:03.080 --> 0:34:06.479 I have to, or else I'm under a curse, and 0:34:06.520 --> 0:34:09.080 so I bring God the first fruits of my produce, 0:34:09.960 --> 0:34:13.600 in the first fruits of all of my increase because 0:34:13.680 --> 0:34:16.799 I have to. It is obligation oriented. That's how most 0:34:16.840 --> 0:34:21.680 of us live. But grace changes the game. Jesus said, 0:34:21.719 --> 0:34:24.440 I didn't come to abolish it, but to fulfill it. 0:34:25.440 --> 0:34:29.359 In other words, I came to give you a different reason. Now, 0:34:29.400 --> 0:34:32.360 it's not that I'm doing it because I've got to. 0:34:33.920 --> 0:34:36.839 I'm doing it because of the grace of God. Am 0:34:36.880 --> 0:34:40.920 I saying this right? Lord? It is a shift in perspective. 0:34:41.360 --> 0:34:44.840 And sometimes you keep doing the same things, but you 0:34:44.880 --> 0:34:47.960 find a deeper reason to do it, and then you 0:34:48.040 --> 0:34:50.600 find meaning in your life. But if you're not careful, 0:34:50.640 --> 0:34:52.880 you run around all your life changing the things that 0:34:52.920 --> 0:34:54.880 you do, but you find no meaning in the things 0:34:55.600 --> 0:34:58.919 because as long as you have shallow reasons, you get 0:34:58.920 --> 0:35:03.799 empty victories. But when your reason gets deeper, when you 0:35:03.880 --> 0:35:06.919 start saying, you know what I'm giving to God. I'm 0:35:07.000 --> 0:35:11.240 serving God, not because I have to, or not because 0:35:11.360 --> 0:35:14.160 people might notice, or not because I'm going to go 0:35:14.160 --> 0:35:16.919 to hell if I don't, but just He's been good 0:35:17.000 --> 0:35:21.800 to me, just because I know that my Redeemer lives. 0:35:22.360 --> 0:35:32.919 That's why. Then your Father, who sees what is done 0:35:32.920 --> 0:35:39.480 in secret, will reward you. Whatever is your reason controls 0:35:39.520 --> 0:35:46.520 your reward. You believe that. You believe that if you 0:35:46.560 --> 0:35:48.920 have a devotion just so you can post on Instagram 0:35:48.920 --> 0:35:50.640 that you had it with a picture of your coffee 0:35:50.680 --> 0:35:53.799 mug sitting next to Colossians Chapter three, verse seven. Do 0:35:53.840 --> 0:35:56.080 you believe me that if that's why you did it, 0:35:57.480 --> 0:36:01.160 that's what you get out of it? And when it 0:36:01.200 --> 0:36:03.800 only gets twelve likes, don't cry Because I preached Matthew 0:36:03.840 --> 0:36:06.839 sixty one through four, and I told you that if 0:36:06.840 --> 0:36:14.200 that is your reason, then that is your reward. I 0:36:14.239 --> 0:36:16.040 see it like a game show in my mind. Tell 0:36:16.080 --> 0:36:20.799 them what they've won. You know, it's like you know 0:36:21.440 --> 0:36:29.440 absolutely nothing because you did it for the reason, and 0:36:29.440 --> 0:36:31.920 people will go, I left that church. Why'd you leave 0:36:31.920 --> 0:36:35.960 that church? Because I got burned? Were you in the 0:36:36.000 --> 0:36:42.600 cooking ministry? You see the scar? Is it nasty? I 0:36:42.680 --> 0:36:46.799 get it. We get hurt. But sometimes the reason that 0:36:46.840 --> 0:36:50.719 we got hurt is because in our heart, what we 0:36:50.800 --> 0:36:53.400 needed from people was too much, and we shouldn't have 0:36:53.440 --> 0:36:57.960 been doing it for people to begin with it. All 0:36:58.239 --> 0:37:05.840 the applause died down by seventy three percent. It always 0:37:05.880 --> 0:37:09.719 happens when you challenge the values. And I noticed a 0:37:09.760 --> 0:37:12.239 trend in my preaching a couple of years ago that 0:37:12.280 --> 0:37:14.640 bothered me. So I've been I've been working on it. 0:37:15.239 --> 0:37:18.560 Where I was I was preaching a sort of theology. 0:37:19.520 --> 0:37:21.720 It was a little perverted in this way, not on purpose, 0:37:21.760 --> 0:37:26.640 but you just shift toward it. You say, if you will, 0:37:26.680 --> 0:37:31.280 God will, and God's gonna, and you fill in the blanks, 0:37:31.280 --> 0:37:34.160 you know, like, if you obey God in this area 0:37:34.160 --> 0:37:36.200 of your life, it will produce a blessing. So it 0:37:36.239 --> 0:37:40.120 was a cause and effect. What I'm coming to understand is, 0:37:41.120 --> 0:37:45.520 while that's true on the surface, the real blessing is 0:37:45.560 --> 0:37:50.400 built into the process. The real blessing is built in 0:37:52.080 --> 0:37:54.440 when he says, don't let your left hand know what 0:37:54.480 --> 0:37:57.759 your right hand is doing when you give. That means 0:37:57.800 --> 0:38:02.319 that it ought to be so automatic because you've operated 0:38:02.440 --> 0:38:07.240 out of your values to the point like these guitar players, 0:38:08.160 --> 0:38:10.480 is there a guitar anywhere around here? When they play, 0:38:11.719 --> 0:38:20.720 there's got to be one, right LJ. When they play, 0:38:20.800 --> 0:38:26.239 they don't have to think about I would play y'all 0:38:26.280 --> 0:38:28.440 talk dirty to me by poison, but that's not appropriate 0:38:28.480 --> 0:38:31.480 for church. That's the first song I learned, though. That's 0:38:31.480 --> 0:38:35.120 what I think about when I see electric guitar. They 0:38:35.160 --> 0:38:39.200 do this with the right hand and this with the 0:38:39.280 --> 0:38:49.400 left hand, but they don't see these hands, these hands. 0:38:52.480 --> 0:38:59.040 If I've done that enough, this hand is going, and 0:38:59.120 --> 0:39:08.279 this hand is going, and the left hand. What is 0:39:08.320 --> 0:39:11.480 this glycerine? By Bush? I think I'm playing of all 0:39:11.480 --> 0:39:18.440 those songs shout of the nineties, and if you've done 0:39:18.480 --> 0:39:26.440 it enough, it's not even a thing. And Jesus, I 0:39:26.480 --> 0:39:29.839 would like for you to get to the point where 0:39:29.880 --> 0:39:38.160 My grace has changed you enough that you don't have 0:39:38.239 --> 0:39:44.919 to you don't have to think about it or pray 0:39:44.960 --> 0:39:48.760 about it. God, should I give to further your gospel 0:39:48.760 --> 0:39:51.319 in the earth. I just need a sign. How about 0:39:51.360 --> 0:40:01.960 your common sense? And so he challenges values. And that's 0:40:02.000 --> 0:40:05.800 what I've always loved about this moment in our church, 0:40:05.880 --> 0:40:08.879 when we are getting ready to give, or when we're 0:40:08.880 --> 0:40:12.520 calling people to serve. You know, it changes the game 0:40:13.719 --> 0:40:17.759 because when your intention in coming here is in what 0:40:17.840 --> 0:40:23.960 you get, then that's your reward. When your intention in 0:40:24.000 --> 0:40:27.880 coming is to give something that God put inside of you, 0:40:27.880 --> 0:40:32.000 you are no longer dependent on people. And that's the blessing. 0:40:33.480 --> 0:40:39.600 The blessing is built in to the process. And I 0:40:39.600 --> 0:40:43.719 think we need to take our scoreboard back. I think 0:40:43.760 --> 0:40:48.040 we've adopted the world's values in some ways that have 0:40:48.160 --> 0:40:54.040 caused us to win some victories that are empty. Then 0:40:54.080 --> 0:40:58.839 your father who sees what has done in secret, he 0:40:58.920 --> 0:41:02.280 will reward you, not with pots of gold in heaven, 0:41:04.000 --> 0:41:11.040 not with v bucks and cookies, digital cookies, cookies made 0:41:11.080 --> 0:41:17.279 of pixels, complements from people, and empty status that can 0:41:17.280 --> 0:41:22.400 be here one day and gone the next. When you 0:41:22.440 --> 0:41:29.680 have crappy values, you will never have lasting joy. And 0:41:29.800 --> 0:41:35.320 popularity is a crappy value. That's in the Greek crappy values. 0:41:35.440 --> 0:41:42.440 Socility and position is a crappy value. I'm gonna work 0:41:42.520 --> 0:41:51.400 my way up excavation before elevation. Pleasure is a crappy value. 0:41:51.600 --> 0:41:55.440 It's a great byproduct. It's not bad to feel good 0:41:55.480 --> 0:41:58.400 and enjoy stuff, but when that's the goal of the game, 0:42:01.239 --> 0:42:05.920 it's a terrible value. And when my values are shallow, 0:42:05.960 --> 0:42:10.359 my victories are empty. So I want God to run 0:42:10.400 --> 0:42:14.600 my scoreboard. How about you. I need that, Come on, 0:42:14.680 --> 0:42:20.880 I need that. It's too stressful. It's too stressful. Life 0:42:20.920 --> 0:42:23.200 is too stressful, and too many people have too many 0:42:23.239 --> 0:42:25.640 different opinions, and there's too much to keep up with, 0:42:25.840 --> 0:42:29.280 and I can't do it anymore. So I want my father, 0:42:29.320 --> 0:42:32.680 who sees what has done in secret, to keep score 0:42:32.760 --> 0:42:36.400 for me, and I want him to make the decision 0:42:37.880 --> 0:42:42.920 was that good? Am I a good dad today? Because 0:42:42.960 --> 0:42:45.080 I certainly can't ask my kids what they think about that. 0:42:48.719 --> 0:42:50.719 I can't because what I will need to do to 0:42:50.760 --> 0:42:53.760 be a good parent in some seasons will mean sometimes 0:42:53.760 --> 0:42:58.760 that I am not popular. But if I'm parenting according 0:42:58.800 --> 0:43:02.479 to purpose, if I'm living according to purpose, I don't 0:43:02.520 --> 0:43:06.120 have to consult all these other sources. Say this out loud. 0:43:06.160 --> 0:43:11.279 God is my source and he is my reward. God 0:43:11.360 --> 0:43:16.239 is my source and he is my reward. God is 0:43:16.320 --> 0:43:20.799 my source and he is my reward. Now clap your 0:43:20.800 --> 0:43:29.640 hands if you want to live that way. We're going 0:43:29.719 --> 0:43:32.279 to get around these values over the next few weeks. 0:43:32.320 --> 0:43:36.560 I'm not teaching only on giving or tithing or any 0:43:36.600 --> 0:43:38.840 of that. I'm going to be teaching on principles of 0:43:38.840 --> 0:43:42.960 faith and principles of vision and principles of value. That's 0:43:42.960 --> 0:43:45.840 what we've always done at this church. I never stood 0:43:45.920 --> 0:43:51.000 up on this stage and preached from an emergency that 0:43:51.040 --> 0:43:53.600 we needed people to give, and I won't start now 0:43:53.640 --> 0:43:56.960 because there is none. But now there's an opportunity coming 0:43:57.040 --> 0:43:59.200 up as this year in is for thousands of you 0:44:00.040 --> 0:44:04.320 to begin to operate according to Kingdom values, putting God First, 0:44:05.440 --> 0:44:07.520 what a lot of people begin to do during this 0:44:07.600 --> 0:44:10.399 season that I think is so appropriate is they begin 0:44:10.480 --> 0:44:14.960 that practice of tithing, that's the first ten percent, and 0:44:15.239 --> 0:44:19.319 rather than just giving some one time gift, some spontaneous gift, 0:44:19.400 --> 0:44:22.799 they get systematic and strategic to begin to align your 0:44:22.840 --> 0:44:26.439 actions with your values, because otherwise, what is it, it's 0:44:26.520 --> 0:44:33.160 just rhetoric. Your actions reflect your values. So thousands of 0:44:33.160 --> 0:44:36.560 people during this season will begin to tie the first 0:44:36.600 --> 0:44:39.640 ten percent to God and go online and set that 0:44:39.719 --> 0:44:42.680 up in a recurring way. And then thousands will bring 0:44:42.760 --> 0:44:45.319 an above and beyond gift, and we'll use that to 0:44:45.440 --> 0:44:48.600 build the church and build the kingdom and preach the gospel, 0:44:48.600 --> 0:44:50.040 and will show you in the weeks to come some 0:44:50.640 --> 0:44:53.560 videos and testimonies of what God is already doing around 0:44:53.560 --> 0:44:56.480 the world. Thousands of you online that just click on 0:44:56.640 --> 0:44:58.959 and click off. Now, God's going to call you off 0:44:58.960 --> 0:45:03.320 the bench to the game. Off the bench in the game, 0:45:03.680 --> 0:45:05.799 because when you get in the game, that's when you 0:45:05.840 --> 0:45:08.480 start to discover who God really is, not when you 0:45:08.520 --> 0:45:12.480 sit and spectat, but when you participate and sacrifice. And 0:45:12.520 --> 0:45:14.960 God is calling on us in this season to get 0:45:14.960 --> 0:45:17.080 in the game and make a difference in the world 0:45:17.280 --> 0:45:19.680 for the glory of His name, and I feel like 0:45:19.760 --> 0:45:24.319 making a difference. I want my life to count for 0:45:24.400 --> 0:45:29.520 something beyond what I can see. So the worship team 0:45:29.600 --> 0:45:32.120 is gonna come now and we're gonna sing again. Would 0:45:32.160 --> 0:45:34.120 you stand to your feet. I'm gonna worship God. Please 0:45:34.160 --> 0:45:37.959 don't leave. It's so stressful. When I say standing, five 0:45:38.040 --> 0:45:40.040 hundred people start heading for the car. And we don't 0:45:40.040 --> 0:45:42.480 need any of that. But I want us to take 0:45:42.480 --> 0:45:44.520 a moment and seal the word that God spoke today. 0:45:44.560 --> 0:45:48.840 Are you excited about this season of faith? Come on, 0:45:48.920 --> 0:45:59.640 clap your hands if you're excited. Father, we ask you 0:45:59.680 --> 0:46:01.840 now that that you would align our values with yours. 0:46:03.040 --> 0:46:06.280 Sometimes what you value and what we value are so different, 0:46:06.960 --> 0:46:09.799 and we need your help in those areas. Sometimes we're 0:46:09.840 --> 0:46:12.759 looking at the wrong scoreboard and we feel like we're 0:46:12.760 --> 0:46:17.480 failing because we're allowing the wrong people to run our scoreboard. 0:46:18.719 --> 0:46:21.600 Sometimes we feel like we're failing because we're considering all 0:46:21.600 --> 0:46:24.360 the wrong columns and not the ones that are inside, 0:46:24.400 --> 0:46:27.240 the ones that matter. So I speak over your people 0:46:27.280 --> 0:46:30.799 today a blessing of affirmation and validation that can only 0:46:30.880 --> 0:46:34.319 come from you. I pray that you would speak even 0:46:34.360 --> 0:46:36.719 in these moments, the words that we need to hear, 0:46:37.680 --> 0:46:39.960 that we would align our values with your voice, and 0:46:40.000 --> 0:46:45.120 your voice alone that rises above every storm, transcends every season. 0:46:45.960 --> 0:46:49.799 To believe and know that your grace is enough for us. 0:46:50.600 --> 0:46:53.960 In Jesus' name, I pray and the whole church say amen. 0:46:54.960 --> 0:46:59.520 It is so well. I hope you enjoyed the podcast today. 0:47:00.320 --> 0:47:02.400 There are just a couple things I'd love for you 0:47:02.480 --> 0:47:05.680 to do. Number One, subscribe to our show. That way, 0:47:06.120 --> 0:47:08.920 the most recent episode will always be in your feed, 0:47:09.160 --> 0:47:12.719 waiting for you, ready when you are. And Secondly, if 0:47:12.719 --> 0:47:15.200 this ministry has impacted you and you'd like to help 0:47:15.280 --> 0:47:17.680 us continue to reach others, you can click the link 0:47:17.680 --> 0:47:20.320 in the description and you can give now and I'll 0:47:20.320 --> 0:47:23.400 see you next time on the Elevation Podcast