1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,240 Mentioned just a few moments ago, we will be preaching a 8 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,119 message this morning that will resume and finish this evening. 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,440 And the title of both messages are this How much land does a 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,160 man need? How much land does a man need? 11 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:42,560 Now this title is not unique to myself. 12 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,520 It actually comes from a short story by the writer Leo Tolstoy 13 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,640 and the story called How much land does a man need? 14 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:54,400 And it attempts to settle the question, how much is enough? 15 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,680 And certainly that's been a question that has been pondered 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,240 throughout time through humanity, how much is actually 17 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,160 enough? This story is about a man named 18 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,920 Payhum and he was a Russian peasant who heard a debate about 19 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:13,640 town life versus farm life and thinks if I had plenty of land I 20 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,800 wouldn't fear the devil, which Satan overhears. 21 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,960 As Payham eventually gains land, he becomes more greedy and 22 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:24,800 quarrels with his neighbors but eventually moves to larger plots 23 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:29,520 but grows frustrated. He hears of a land rich of the 24 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:35,680 land rich baskers who seek a cheap deal for 1000 rubles. 25 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:41,120 They offer him as much land as he can circle in a day, marking 26 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,640 the perimeter of that land with his spade. 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:49,040 If he can return by sunset and pick up his cap, it's all his. 28 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:54,240 If not, he gets nothing. And the 1000 rubles belong to 29 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,280 the baskers. Payham sees it as a deal of a 30 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,800 lifetime. Walk as far as he can as quick 31 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:03,880 as he can. As long as he gets back to the 32 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:08,120 starting point by sundown, it all belongs to him. 33 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:13,080 So the question is, how much land would be enough to make pay 34 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,160 him satisfied? But you know, this message isn't 35 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,400 necessarily about, you know, Russian literature or anything 36 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,720 like that this morning because I think I just gave you all the 37 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,520 information I know about Russian literature just in the last 30 38 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,600 seconds. Really the issue's about you and 39 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:27,960 it's about me this morning, isn't it? 40 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,200 Because that age-old question is how much is enough, including 41 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,920 for the child of God. How much is the question isn't 42 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:40,400 much different for us today. And as we consider Stewardship 43 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,800 Sunday, which it is today, and the commitments that we made 44 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,720 last year for this church to be self supporting as well as just 45 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,240 the fact that our church wants and desires to move ahead in the 46 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,120 issue of stewardship anyway. How much is enough? 47 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:00,440 How much does a man really need? And we'll try to, by God's 48 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,080 grace. Look at that from Proverbs 49 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,160 Chapter 11 today. With that being said, would you 50 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,360 stand please, for the reading of God's word, Proverbs Chapter 11 51 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:14,800 and we'll begin reading in verse #24 And the word of God says 52 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,560 there is that scattereth and yet increase it. 53 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,880 And there is that withholdeth more than his meat, but it 54 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,600 tended to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made 55 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,000 fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 56 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,760 He either withhold corn, the people shall curse him. 57 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,800 A blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. 58 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,680 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor. 59 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,120 But he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 60 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,640 He that trusts his riches shall fall, but the right to shall 61 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,000 flourish as a branch. He that troubles his own house 62 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,760 shall inherit the wind, but the fool and the fool shall be 63 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,640 servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a 64 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,120 tree of life, and he that with souls is wise, behold, the 65 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,520 righteous shall be recompensed in the earth. 66 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,560 Much more, the wicked and the Sinner. 67 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,480 There's a pretty big Bible words in there for us to be able to 68 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,800 look at this morning, but I believe by diving into the Word 69 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,360 of God this morning and this evening, we can answer the 70 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,160 question that Payham was vexed with. 71 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,480 How much does a man really need? Would you be seated and let's 72 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:24,440 pray together this morning? Heavenly Father, I do pray that 73 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,400 you would just be with me as I present the Word. 74 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,600 And Lord, certainly when the Word stewardship is uttered from 75 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,240 a pulpit, there are some that just immediately are set against 76 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,840 it or become nervous. And Lord, but my prayer is not 77 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,240 to do anything but just to present what Your Word says 78 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,520 completely and clearly. Today by Your grace, I pray to 79 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,120 Your Holy Spirit would work in the way that only He can work. 80 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,160 And Lord, help us all to examine ourselves to make sure that we 81 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,880 are the stewards that You have called us to be. 82 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,640 For You have given much and may we be right with what you have 83 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,200 given us. And we ask this all humbly in 84 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:03,880 Jesus name, Amen. Each of the 8 verses we just 85 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,840 read helps us understand the issue of how much is enough? 86 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,120 How much land does a person really need? 87 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,560 And so starting in verse #24 first of all, we see the paradox 88 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,280 of stewardship. The paradox of stewardship. 89 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:20,320 Look at it again. It says there is that scattereth 90 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,840 and yet increase it. There is that withholdeth more 91 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:26,120 than his meat, but it tendeth to poverty that that's a paradox. 92 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,800 The idea of that there's someone who holds on but then lose, and 93 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,440 there's someone that scatters and yet gains. 94 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,320 It's two phrases that don't seem like they ought to go together, 95 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,480 but yet we find it here in God's Word. 96 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,560 But really, if we're honest, the Bible is replete with paradoxes 97 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,120 just like this. God uses the weak things to 98 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,280 confound the wise. The first shall be last. 99 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,080 Those that humble themselves shall be exalted. 100 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,640 Christ must die so we might live. 101 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,720 The Bible is full of these paradoxes that don't really 102 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,880 sound like they ought to make a lot of sense, but they really do 103 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,680 in God's economy. And so we see that there's some 104 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,800 who hold on to more and they're lose, and there's some that 105 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,400 scatter and that they end up gaining. 106 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,320 But really, if we're honest with ourselves here this morning, 107 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,320 this verse makes a lot of sense upon inspection. 108 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,640 Because this isn't just something that's true in God's 109 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,960 economy. Really, this is just a basic 110 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:26,200 principle of life, isn't it? In many ways, if you scatter 111 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,360 seed into the ground, you end up getting more seed, don't you? 112 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,640 If you want to get more seed, you got to scatter it so that 113 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,840 there can be growth, and from that growth more seeds can be 114 00:06:36,840 --> 00:06:39,040 gained. Unless you're me, who can't grow 115 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,440 anything, and so it doesn't matter how many seeds you have, 116 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:42,640 you're not getting anything back. 117 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,280 But generally, that's the way it works, isn't it? 118 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,440 Cutting back branches on a tree might seem like a loss, but that 119 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,520 pruning actually helps the tree to grow back more healthy than 120 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,480 ever was before. The tree that's just on the left 121 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:59,000 as you leave here today, that's in wonderful shape and flower 122 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,160 just a few weeks ago, about four or five years ago, was on the 123 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,280 verge of death. And I went through and I took 124 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:07,480 all the dead branches, which was many of them, and I removed 125 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,120 them. And now we have a tree that's 126 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,880 fairly vibrant today because it lost some branches, but in the 127 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,400 end, it ended up gaining you part with cash. 128 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,800 Now you put it in savings, you put it in investments. 129 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,480 What'll happen over time, it'll grow far beyond what you ended 130 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,320 up putting in the 1st place because you might have saved a 131 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,160 little, you might have put a little away, but it'll grow. 132 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,040 Listen, even free samples, apples are an example. 133 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,840 I'll tell you what, I sure did miss free samples with COVID. 134 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:35,120 I'm so glad they're coming back now. 135 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,640 I mean, that's the only reason to go to Costco anyway, as you 136 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,240 walk around and get the free samples. 137 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:40,640 Yeah, that got you all excited, didn't it? 138 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,720 All right, you give away a little product, but you get 139 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,720 something in return, don't you? In fact, that's one of the 140 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,000 principles of business. You have to spend money too, 141 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,720 make money. Isn't that we just understand 142 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,480 this is part of life, isn't it? That sometimes you've got to 143 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,360 give up a little bit to be able to get something that's greater 144 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,520 in return? So when it comes to our material 145 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,800 things, when it comes to things that we have, remember 146 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,240 stewardship means this, that we have been entrusted with things 147 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:10,200 that are not ours, that God has given you things that don't 148 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,040 really belong to you and don't really belong to me, but they 149 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,480 belong to him. Like what you would say, pastor? 150 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,800 Like your treasure, Sure, the things that we carry in our 151 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,640 pockets or in your purses, ladies, sure we understand the 152 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,120 treasure, but also our time, also our talents. 153 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,840 Listen, your whole life was given to you by God. 154 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,680 It all belongs to him. And we're to be the right types 155 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,440 of stewards in return. And so when we this is true 156 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,240 material things, how much more is it true in the spiritual? 157 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,440 You know, one of the reasons important for us to have a 158 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,159 missions program here at Liberty Baptist Church, people say, 159 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,320 well, your church isn't even fully established. 160 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:47,400 You still have money that's coming in to help sustain you. 161 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,760 You shouldn't be sending money out to other churches. 162 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,520 And I would argue that the path to a self-sustaining ministry is 163 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,440 to make sure that we are giving to other ministries as well. 164 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:58,600 You say that doesn't make any sense. 165 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,920 Well, it makes as much sense as verse #24 does the paradox of 166 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,800 stewardship. The idea is that yet we want to 167 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,080 invest in other ministries because many other ministries 168 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,880 have invested in this ministry. That there's a church in 169 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,960 Scotland today, that there is a church in Georgia, there's a 170 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,680 church in California, That there's a church in Texas. 171 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:19,240 There's a few churches in Oklahoma. 172 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,720 There's a church in Missouri. That there are churches all 173 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:23,960 around this country. And yes, even in a foreign 174 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,160 country that are investing in Liberty Baptist Church today. 175 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,000 The least we can do is invest in some other ministries as well. 176 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,080 And as we do so, guess what? God blesses this ministry here. 177 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,800 You say, well that doesn't make a whole lot of sense on a 178 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,160 spreadsheet. Well, does your tithing make 179 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:42,080 sense on a spreadsheet? This is the money that you give 180 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,040 to offerings and missions and ties. 181 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,840 Does any of that make sense? You look at and you say, I can 182 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,680 do so much with that money and God says, but I can do so much 183 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:55,960 more with you if you're willing to acknowledge what the I have 184 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,920 put as a principle in God's Word. 185 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:04,080 We give to someone in need, whether it's money, a meal, help 186 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,400 with a repair, or some other issue. 187 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,160 We find that many times we're the one who gains from that. 188 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,400 Or you might lose a little bit by making someone a meal. 189 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,120 Little bit of money, little bit of your time. 190 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,120 What a blessing to be able to be a help to someone else. 191 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:24,240 You gain or you won't remember how much money was out of your 192 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,640 bank account a month from now, but you'll remember their smile 193 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,920 on their face when you brought them that gift or you help them. 194 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,560 That's a game. But you don't get that if you 195 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:37,160 hold on so tight that you miss what God's trying to do. 196 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,840 This is true about money. Certainly we can talk about this 197 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,000 with money, but it's also true in other areas as well, even 198 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,840 outside of what we would maybe think of it, this idea of giving 199 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,400 to be able to get. It's true in our marriages, you 200 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,880 know, we think, well, I I wish I was more respected. 201 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,680 Maybe if you want to be more respected, you need to show more 202 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:00,600 respect. I wish I was more love. 203 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,840 Well, maybe you need to show some love. 204 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,560 This boy is going as popular as I thought it would this morning. 205 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:07,680 All right. No, no, this. 206 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:10,560 But this is how it works. We always want to get, but we're 207 00:11:10,560 --> 00:11:12,760 not as willing to get. Well, I'll give once I get. 208 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,800 Well, maybe if you want to get, you got to give. 209 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,440 Well, I wish I had more friends. We'll be a friend. 210 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,640 No, I'm not trying to be glib in how I say it today, but the 211 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:27,200 Bible says he that has friends must show himself friendly, that 212 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,120 the onus is on us to be able to show ourselves somewhat. 213 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,120 Well, I'll tell you, I just don't think people very 214 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:33,320 friendly. Well, maybe they've been looking 215 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,240 at you. I'm not looking nobody in the 216 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,200 eye right now. I'm looking about 6 inches above 217 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,280 every single one of your heads and nobody thinks I'm pointing 218 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:42,640 you out. But I'm just saying this is the 219 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:43,800 way we are sometimes. Is it? 220 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:45,840 Well, I don't think it's only people very friendly around 221 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:47,520 there. And maybe there are people that 222 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,160 aren't friendly out there. They're out there, but you need 223 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,360 to know that you've done all that you can to be able to help 224 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,160 that first before we look at people the other way. 225 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,800 Well, church I, I just don't feel very connected to church. 226 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:00,400 We'll make connections in church. 227 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:02,720 It's important. Before church, get out and talk 228 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,240 to people. Talk to someone you don't know. 229 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:06,520 What will I talk about? The weather. 230 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:09,640 What do you talk about with somebody when you don't know 231 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:10,920 what? Boy, look at that weather 232 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:11,600 outside. Yep. 233 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:13,840 There's been weather every day since creation, sure enough. 234 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,480 But it's a great conversation to start from something and talk 235 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,200 and get around and talk to somebody else. 236 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:21,840 Don't just sit down, get up and talk. 237 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:23,560 And you find that more connections you make. 238 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:26,160 By the way, you can't make connections if you come in at 239 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,040 11:00 and leave at 12 O2. Well, if you leave at 12 O2, I 240 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,520 might not be done preaching. That might be awkward. 241 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,200 But I found the people that are most connected to the people who 242 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,080 will stay a little bit. And I know you can't stay all 243 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:38,720 the time. Sometimes you got something to 244 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:40,160 do. The pot, the pot roast is about 245 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:41,560 to burn. You got to go. 246 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:42,960 You got an appointment. I know what it is. 247 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:44,640 But the people feel most connected. 248 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,200 Listen to this. They're here Sunday morning, 249 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,640 Sunday night, Wednesday night. Why? 250 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,560 Because we're around each other. We get to see each other, we 251 00:12:53,560 --> 00:12:55,040 talk to each other, we fellowship with each other. 252 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,800 We're family. I'm so glad I'm a part of the 253 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,040 family of God. Listen, you don't have to enjoy 254 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,040 the fruit of the family of God when you get in heaven. 255 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,440 I mean, you will, but you don't have to wait until then. 256 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,520 We get the fruit of enjoying that right here and right now 257 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,040 where we are. What a blessing. 258 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:11,440 That's the paradox of stewardship. 259 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,040 You're going to have to give to be able to receive. 260 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,600 Haggai, 16, says you've sewn much and bring in little. 261 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,400 You eat, but you have not enough. 262 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,400 You drink, but you are not filled with drink. 263 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:23,600 You clothe you, but there is none warm. 264 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,600 You earn wages, and the wage is put in the bag with holes. 265 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,120 The idea is, the tighter that we hold on to what we have, the 266 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,560 more chance it has of slipping right through our fingers. 267 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:35,480 That's the paradox of stewardship. 268 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,360 But #2 I also see in verse #12 the principle of giving. 269 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,360 Look again at verse 25. The liberals all shall be made 270 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,160 fat, and he that waters shall be watered also himself. 271 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,680 Now there's 2 words right there that kind of catch on our 272 00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:50,000 throats a little bit right there. 273 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,400 Liberal and fat. They Pastor, where are you going 274 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:55,840 with this? I'm only going where the Bible's 275 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,520 going with this, I promise. OK, Liberal. 276 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,400 The word liberal as it's being met here, is of a free heart. 277 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,680 Free to give or to bestow, not close or contracted. 278 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,960 Bountiful, generous giving. Largely a liberal. 279 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,960 You want to be a liberal? Here's how you do it. 280 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:16,000 That didn't go over well either. All right? 281 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:18,480 It says liberal. What? 282 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,640 What the The giver, The one who is bountiful with that which 283 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:34,930 they have shall be made fat, rich, wealthy, affluent. 284 00:14:36,490 --> 00:14:38,610 How would you like someone to say you have a fat soul? 285 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,000 I'd probably punch you out, honestly, if, if someone said 286 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,480 something that for the glory of God, of course, but I, I, I 287 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:47,760 can't imagine somebody saying that. 288 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:49,800 But you understand what the thought here is. 289 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,440 This is that it continues the idea of the paradox of 290 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,520 leadership, but it builds it into a principle. 291 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,240 It says this, if you are bountiful, you will be made 292 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,840 bountiful. If you are bountiful, you will 293 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:06,880 be made bountiful. The liberal soul shall be made 294 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:08,520 fat. And by the way, that soul means 295 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,120 this. It's something deeper than a 296 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,680 wallet. It's something that goes right 297 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,360 down to the core of the heart. That it is your time and your 298 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,360 talents and your treasure and yeah, your whole life. 299 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,120 That all of it together is going to be given to God. 300 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,080 Lord, whatever you want, I'll do it. 301 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:24,840 Wherever you want me to go, I'll go. 302 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:26,560 Whatever you want me to say, I'll say. 303 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,560 Whatever you want me to give, I'll give. 304 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,760 Because it all belongs to you in the 1st place. 305 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,320 And I'm going to be more liberal in my soul. 306 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,880 And as I am, I'm getting fat. I don't know if I've ever 307 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,080 constructed that sentence like that in a pulpit ever before and 308 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,240 been proud of it, but I am this morning because it's in the Word 309 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,320 of God. The paradox from the previous 310 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,760 verse is turning to a principle that believers will live by. 311 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:50,840 As you give, you will be given to. 312 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:55,040 As you water the seed sown, you will be watered yourself. 313 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,600 Luke 638 says this. Give and it shall be given unto 314 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,920 you. Good measure, pressed down, 315 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,400 shaken together, running over, shall men give into your bosom. 316 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,240 For with the same measure that you meet with all, it shall be 317 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:09,720 measured to you. Again. 318 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,120 The idea is this. As you give, you will not just 319 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,480 receive, but you will receive in such a way it's like a bucket 320 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,440 that's being filled. Imagine a bucket being filled 321 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,440 with sand, and as it fills up, you kind of press it down so you 322 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,800 can put more sand in you. And there's more coming. 323 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:25,840 So you keep pressing it down more and more and you get to the 324 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:27,920 place where you can't press it down anymore because it's so 325 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:29,800 come back. But it keeps coming and it's 326 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:31,600 running over the side. There's just so much. 327 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,280 It's pressed down, shaken, it's running over. 328 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,560 Shall men give unto your bosom, meaning this, that God will 329 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,760 provide your needs, often times through other people. 330 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,240 I remember this vividly in my mind when we were first married. 331 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:47,360 And Diane and I, we didn't have a lot when we were first 332 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,720 married. We lived on love and of ramen. 333 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:55,360 I pretty much this about what we what we lived on quite a bit and 334 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,120 I remember that we were in a place where we needed some some 335 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,120 money and I don't remember exactly what the need was, but 336 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,800 as it was the Lord provided and the Lord provided through 337 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:05,720 another believer. I don't remember if it was that 338 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,319 they gave us some cash, a gift certificate there, no gift cards 339 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:11,119 back in those days they had gift certificates. 340 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,079 And so I don't remember if it was something like that. 341 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:16,599 And and they gave it to us. And I remember talking with our 342 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:19,119 Sunday school teacher, a man named Russ Bishop, who preached 343 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,800 here before several years ago. And I remember talking to him 344 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,200 and I, I told him about this and I said it's a blessing. 345 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,280 And he said it's a blessing. But he said, he says it's not 346 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:28,640 like there's something more you want to say. 347 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,560 I said, well, it's kind of embarrassing. 348 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:33,640 So what's embarrassing? I said, embarrassing. 349 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,480 Somebody had to give to me to give to us. 350 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,120 And he looked at me, and he says, you better get over that 351 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:41,760 real quick. And I said, Well, what do you 352 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,360 mean? And he took me to this verse. 353 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,160 And he said this. It says, give, and it shall be 354 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,000 given unto you. And then the end of the verse 355 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,640 says, it says, well, it should continue given. 356 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,560 It should be given unto you. Good measure pressed down, 357 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:54,840 shaken together, and running over. 358 00:17:55,000 --> 00:18:01,560 Shall men give unto your bosom? Yes, he says, God will use other 359 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:06,720 people in your life to fulfill this as long as you are a giver 360 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,360 that other people will give, he says. 361 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:11,040 But here's the part, don't just always be the receiver. 362 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:13,400 Look for chances to be the giver. 363 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,920 And it wasn't that long later that we had a friend who was in 364 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,520 a bad financial bind and they need a new battery for their 365 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:21,160 car. And I remember driving them to a 366 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,440 Walmart and we got there and then we got the battery, which 367 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,520 is about $35. This ought to tell you it was a 368 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,320 while ago, so I don't think you can buy D batteries for $35 369 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,160 anymore. And so we got the battery. 370 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,360 And before he get his wallet out, I remember swiping the 371 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,720 card. And I say this not to boast of 372 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,280 myself, but I just say, boy, we've received a lot. 373 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:47,720 So I felt like I needed to give. Oh, if you don't understand that 374 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,720 joy, I feel sorry for you that it's a principle to Christian 375 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:53,400 life. I was made a little fatter that 376 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,200 day. I gained some spiritual weight, 377 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:58,960 if you will. Why? 378 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,920 Because the Lord had taught me a principle and we had learned the 379 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:06,280 liberal soul shall be made fat. If you feel like your situation, 380 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:07,560 though, is an exception to the rule. 381 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:09,200 Some people say, well, I think that's good. 382 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,040 I think that's I think it's good to try to attain to that and 383 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,720 maybe someday I'll get there. No, no, this is not something 384 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:16,840 you get to someday. This is something God calls us 385 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:20,800 to do now. And I would say this, perhaps if 386 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,840 you are avoiding this because you, you will attain to it 387 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,640 someday, you may never get to it because you're actually 388 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,800 bypassing the principle that God has in your place to be able to 389 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:31,240 help you to gain in the first place. 390 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:37,240 What did you just say? No, no, you may be bypassing the 391 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:42,400 principle that God is trying to get you to Platt so that you can 392 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,720 gain in the 1st place while get there. 393 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:46,840 Eventually you won't unless you follow this principle. 394 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,520 Maybe you won't get more hours at work unless you follow this 395 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:53,680 principle. Well, once I get more hours, 396 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,480 then I'll follow the principle. You got it backwards. 397 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,200 Well, once the business gets better, then I'll tie. 398 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,800 No, no, maybe you need to tie so the business will get better. 399 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,320 You say you're talking tough. No, I'm just talking Bible. 400 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,200 And we're not challenged often in these ways. 401 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,600 And I'm thankful for what God has done in my life and whatever 402 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,880 God has done in my life, it's all to his glory. 403 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,520 And listen, I'm not talking about the, the, the type of, of, 404 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,440 of theology that talks about sowing a seed. 405 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,320 You give 100, you'll get 1000, you know, you give a hundred, 406 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,040 you know, you have 1000, you'll get a new car. 407 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:28,640 You know, I'm not talking about that kind of stuff. 408 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,440 I'm talking about Bible stuff. But with the Bible says that he 409 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,360 blesses us in ways immeasurable when you just trust him. 410 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,120 And often times that's more than money, just as stewardship is 411 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:41,440 more than money. I've been blessed with an 412 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,560 amazing amount of friends. I'm thankful for the friends 413 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:45,800 that I have all over the country. 414 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:48,720 I'm thankful for the friends that I have right here at 415 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,480 Liberty Baptist Church that are more like family sometimes 416 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,280 because I don't have a lot of family. 417 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,280 You're telling me that's not a blessing of the Lord? 418 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:00,560 In fact, I would take that more than some extra money in my 419 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,800 pocket. It's the principle of giving. 420 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,280 See the paradox of stewardship, principle of giving. 421 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,480 Verse #26 though teaches us the public reaction to givers. 422 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,480 Look at verse #26 He that withholdeth corn, the people 423 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,680 shall curse him, but blessing shall be upon the head of him 424 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:17,960 that selleth it. Now listen, we understand that 425 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,960 popularity is a very fickle thing, and certainly popularity 426 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,160 is not always in line with righteousness. 427 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,760 In fact, often times it's the opposite, is that the people who 428 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:28,960 are the most popular are the ones who are the most 429 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:30,760 unrighteous. If you're not sure about that, 430 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,800 just see, well, Hollywood as an example of that. 431 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,400 However, we see that the public reaction to the giver and the 432 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,640 public reaction to the withholder are much different. 433 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,840 They curse the one who withholds what is needed, but they bless 434 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,760 those who share what they have that the public reaction to 435 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,280 givers are. We all love givers, don't we? 436 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:54,240 Especially when we're the receivers. 437 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,920 We all love givers and we all have very little good to say 438 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:03,200 about people who hold and people who withhold things that are 439 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,000 necessary from people that need them. 440 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,200 I think back to the early part of the pandemic. 441 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,280 In March 2020, two brothers, Matt and Noah Colvin from 442 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:17,480 Tennessee bought 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and wipes and 443 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:21,440 started selling them on Amazon for over $70 a piece. 444 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,840 Remember the beginning of the pandemic when we when toilet 445 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,440 paper was a luxury and nobody could find hand sanitizer? 446 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,080 They all found 17,000 bottles of her selling it out of their 447 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,240 garage at $70 a piece. Well, the authorities got 448 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,160 involved and they ended up having to donate it all to avoid 449 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,640 charges. Well, nobody has much good to 450 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,000 say about something like that, do they? 451 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,640 I mean, I can't imagine somebody saying that's pretty savvy. 452 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,760 Well, it may have been savvy, but it was also unrighteous. 453 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:53,480 Why? Because there were things that 454 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,600 people needed. That was the withholding. 455 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,040 Nobody had anything good to say but the good things that are 456 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,720 said about those who give. Now, listen, if we like to see 457 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,560 giving in others, shouldn't it be fair to say that we should 458 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,520 see that same giving within our own life? 459 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,240 Also? No. 460 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,400 We love the givers. We're thankful for the givers. 461 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:19,280 We're thankful for the grants, we're thankful for the 462 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,160 scholarships, we're thankful for the nations, we're thankful for 463 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,080 the gifts. We're thankful for all of these 464 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,600 things. And, and we ought to be. 465 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:27,960 But if we're thankful and grateful for all these things, 466 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:31,920 shouldn't we, in the same vein, be the same type of people that 467 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,560 are paying into the system of which we receive from the 468 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,720 system? No words to be givers. 469 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:43,080 This is what God calls us to do. The joy of seeing others receive 470 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,400 should outpace your own desire to receive. 471 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,000 You know the joy of seeing others receive should outpace 472 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,960 your own desire to receive. Jesus said this in the Sermon on 473 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,760 the Mount. He says if ye being evil enjoy 474 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,320 giving good gifts to your children, so how much more so 475 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,600 does your heavenly Father enjoy giving good gifts to them that 476 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,160 love Him? Aren't you glad our Father is a 477 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,840 giver, that He gave His best for us? 478 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,440 He didn't withhold His only Son from saving us. 479 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:22,440 Oh, I'm glad our God is a giver. The public reaction to givers is 480 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,000 rejoicing. The paradox of stewardship, the 481 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,960 principle of giving, the public reaction to givers, and #4 and 482 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,480 finally, this morning we see the procuring of favor. 483 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:37,680 Look at verse #27 He that diligently seeketh good 484 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,120 procureth favor, but he is seeketh mischief. 485 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:46,000 It shall come unto him. Now that word procure there 486 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,280 means this, to get to gain, to obtain, as by request to loan, 487 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:55,400 effort, labor, or purchase. So it says to them that 488 00:24:55,400 --> 00:25:01,520 diligently seek good, they will obtain, they get, they gain 489 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,640 favor. It says you seek to do good, 490 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,000 you'll get favored. Now, what is this favor? 491 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:11,560 The Hebrew word means pleasure, desight, delight, goodwill, and 492 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,320 acceptance. Now, it may not seem like this 493 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,200 has a lot to do with the rest of the text. 494 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,520 It sounds to seem like it has anything to do with stewardship, 495 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,200 but I would submit to you very much that it does. 496 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,360 So. You see, this verse tells us 497 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:28,000 that we must estimate the value of the things that are in our 498 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,600 life properly, that there are some that are good and they're 499 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,680 right, and there are some that are unnecessary and there are 500 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,280 some that are evil. And then it's our job to be able 501 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,600 to discern all of these different things so that we can 502 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,000 be a wise steward. Because if you don't know the 503 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,120 value of these things, you can't be a good investor. 504 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,880 As an example, I actually had to go back into some of my records 505 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:53,560 to make sure that I was telling the truth about the dates and 506 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,760 the numbers with this. But I remember back in 2015, I 507 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,760 heard of this Bitcoin thing. Anybody ever heard that? 508 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:00,600 And I thought I'm going to get in on that. 509 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,680 I want to find out a little bit. I invested a very small money 510 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,600 amount of money in Bitcoin in 2015 and I checked this to 511 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:11,680 verify this at $5000 a coin. And I remember it went up, up, 512 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,440 up, up, up, up. And it didn't have a large 513 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,760 amount in it. In fact, it was enough by the 514 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,320 time we got out to help finish paying off a vehicle to the to a 515 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,360 very small figure. But I remember when it got to 516 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,480 around $48,000. This is in 2021. 517 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:32,320 I said I'm out, this thing's imploding, it's no good anymore. 518 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,560 I saw it go up and then go back down. 519 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:39,480 Well, I got out and as of a couple days ago was at $120,000. 520 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:49,080 I got in at 5000. I did not rate the investment 521 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,680 well. And sure, we were able to get a 522 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:54,040 small amount. I think it was a little over 523 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:58,720 $1000, but it would have been twice that now, and who knows 524 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:03,200 what it would be in the future. I made a bad judgement call, but 525 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:04,760 this has been true throughout history. 526 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,680 The people trying to assess the value of things that are hard to 527 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,200 assess. You can go back to the 1630s and 528 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,960 the Tulip bulb craze where people bought tulips because 529 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,880 they thought that was going to be the thing that everybody was 530 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:18,120 investing. Could you imagine, like 531 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:21,280 investing heavily in tulips? Your portfolio, you know, your 532 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:23,320 Fidelity portfolio, Dave, is full of tulips. 533 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,320 All right, that's what it is. And guess what? 534 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:28,560 No, the market went bust. You know why? 535 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,280 Because I guess they figured out once they plant them, they can 536 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,560 probably, you know, plant more. And it just didn't work. 537 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,640 So, yeah, the Tulip bulb craze of the 1630s. 538 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,520 What about something a little bit more recent? 539 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:39,920 Hey, this is going to be worth a lot. 540 00:27:40,360 --> 00:27:42,680 This Cabbage Patch Kids going to be worth a lot. 541 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,560 This Tickle Me Elmo will be worth a lot. 542 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:52,520 This Furby, this Pet Rock, this Disney VHS cassette will be 543 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,160 worth a lot. This thing from the Franklin 544 00:27:55,160 --> 00:28:01,200 Mint, the the the Trumpy Bear. Let me know what that is. 545 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,320 Anyway, I just want to work that into a sermon somewhere. 546 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,400 But yeah, they're selling these bears that look like Donald 547 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:06,440 Trump. They're collectible item. 548 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,560 Well, maybe not, but what do we find that? 549 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,600 No, no, it's this idea of it's hard to assess the value of 550 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,840 something sometimes, isn't it? It can be really difficult. 551 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,400 But what we see here is this. The Bible says that when you 552 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,720 assess the things that are right and invest in those, what 553 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:27,240 happens? That God will bless, that God 554 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,600 will bring favor. But when you invest in things 555 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,000 that do not help, that have no worth, it's only going to be a 556 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,680 detriment to your life. An investment in church isn't a 557 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,680 waste of a day, it's a net gain. An investment in Bible reading 558 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,960 and prayer isn't a waste of your morning, it's a net gain. 559 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,720 Abstaining from world entertainment doesn't make you a 560 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,920 loser, it makes you gain. An investment in souls isn't a 561 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,280 drain on your schedule when you come to soul winning, it's a net 562 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,240 gain. An investment in others isn't 563 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,240 losing your personal time, it's actually gaining. 564 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,280 Giving to tithes and offerings isn't throwing money away, it's 565 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,040 a net gain. You know, when we see the 566 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,760 economy as God sees it, No, no, not the economy of the United 567 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,440 States and not the global economy. 568 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,880 No, no, God's economy. What God says in the Word of God 569 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,560 is good and right and righteous. And we invest in those things. 570 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:23,480 We will procure, we will obtain favor from God. 571 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,120 The blessings of God will be upon us, but we invest in the 572 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,480 things we ought not to. It's a loss. 573 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,000 You'll go bust. We got to invest in the things 574 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,240 that are right. Would you turn to Romans chapter 575 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:39,160 6? Romans chapter 6? 576 00:29:48,380 --> 00:29:49,940 Look at verse #11 when you get there, 577 00:30:03,170 --> 00:30:07,490 verse #11 Romans 6. Likewise. 578 00:30:07,570 --> 00:30:09,090 Reckon. Now let's stop there for a 579 00:30:09,090 --> 00:30:10,050 second. That word, reckon. 580 00:30:10,050 --> 00:30:13,330 You know, we were in Missouri last week, you know, I reckon. 581 00:30:14,170 --> 00:30:16,050 You know that's not what it's talking about here. 582 00:30:16,330 --> 00:30:22,040 Reckon is to count to account for so likewise reckon account. 583 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,920 Count ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive 584 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,920 unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 585 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,880 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you 586 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:33,640 should obey it in the lust thereof. 587 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:37,160 Neither ye yield to your members as instrument of unrighteousness 588 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,880 unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive 589 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,800 from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness 590 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,600 unto God. For sin shall not have dominion 591 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:51,360 over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 592 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:55,400 So what does it say here that we are to account our lives 593 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,960 properly? We're to give a proper account 594 00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:59,760 of our life. Like an accountant would go 595 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,200 through files, an account would go through receipts, an 596 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,640 accountant would go through all of the different pertinent 597 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,640 materials to be able to make sure that all of the books were 598 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,240 exactly what they need to be. That you and I need to reckon 599 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,760 our life safe properly in that way as well. 600 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:16,800 That we have to go through the receipts of our life that we 601 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,680 need to go through to make sure that we are what we ought to be 602 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:21,960 according to the book. But I will tell you this this 603 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,000 morning that you cannot reckon your life properly when you are 604 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,800 stewarding the wrong way. You can't have a proper 605 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,360 reckoning of your life when you're stewarding the wrong way. 606 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,480 Why? Because you can't see your life 607 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:40,440 properly when you don't see your possessions and yourself in the 608 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:45,400 light of which God sees them. You can't look at these things 609 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:49,440 properly. I was amazed by an article. 610 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,960 I actually shared this on a online video, The 55 a few days 611 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,280 ago, but I want to read some of this for you again. 612 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,640 This was found on ESPN.com earlier in the week about a 613 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,760 golfer named Scotty Scheffler. Now, interestingly enough, this 614 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,160 is even more relevant than when I read it on Wednesday because 615 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,720 Scotty Scheffler just finished the third round of the British 616 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:13,720 Open ahead in first place. And very likely, if he doesn't 617 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,600 do anything foolish today, we'll have won another major. 618 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,560 Now think about this. He's going to win another major 619 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,480 tournament today if nothing else happens. 620 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:26,640 And he said this a few days ago. Scotty Scheffler said that 621 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,360 sometime this is on Tuesday, that sometimes he doesn't 622 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,600 understand the point of winning even a major championship 623 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,200 because golf moves quickly on. And the same questions follow. 624 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:40,520 This is a man that in four years has won over $150 million, has 625 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,560 won 15 tournaments. He's on the cusp to win his 626 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,720 fourth major, is on track to be probably one of the greatest 627 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,440 golfers of all time. We're talking Tiger Woods, Jack 628 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,520 Nicholas, Arnold Palmer, that level. 629 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,320 And he says I don't know that I understand the point of winning. 630 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:00,320 Now follow on, is it great to be able to win tournaments to 631 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:02,120 accomplish the things that I have in golf? 632 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:04,040 Yes. It brings tears to my eyes just 633 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:07,040 to think about it because I have literally worked my entire life 634 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:08,480 to be good at the sport, he said. 635 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,720 To have that sense of accomplishment, I think it's a 636 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,160 pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams 637 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,160 is very special. But at the end of the day, I'm 638 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,320 not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers or to 639 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:23,200 inspire someone to be the best player in the world, he says. 640 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:27,440 Because what's the point? He sided winning the Byron 641 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,120 Nelson event, his hometown tournament, earlier in the year 642 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:33,840 at 31 under par. That's an insane score. 643 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:38,520 But he said this, you win it, you celebrate, I get to hug my 644 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,280 family, my sister is there. It's such an amazing moment. 645 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,800 Then it's like, OK, what are we going to eat for dinner? 646 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,400 Life goes on. Scheffler said. 647 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:53,920 It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning 648 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,640 a tournament for a few minutes and it only lasts for a few 649 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,120 minutes. Still, he admitted he keeps 650 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,920 chasing that fleeting feeling despite knowing he's more likely 651 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,960 to lose than win each time. I hate it, I really do. 652 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:10,360 Instead of losing, we work so hard for such little moments. 653 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:12,800 I'm kind of a sicko. I love putting in the work. 654 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,320 I love getting to practice, I love getting to live out my 655 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,199 dreams. But the end of the day, 656 00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:24,880 sometimes I just do not understand the point, $150 657 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:31,760 million, the number one player in the world, likely one of the 658 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:33,920 greatest players of all time. And it's hard to discern because 659 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:38,840 he's only 29 years old. And he says, I don't understand 660 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:40,239 the point. I win. 661 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:43,280 I hug my family. And I asked myself, what's for 662 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:46,520 dinner? It would be comical if it wasn't 663 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:51,719 so incredibly sad. You know, when you don't have a 664 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,679 proper reckoning or you don't have a proper stewardship in 665 00:34:54,679 --> 00:34:56,320 your life, you can't reckon your life right? 666 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:01,400 When things are out of focus, do you kind of feel like this man 667 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:03,440 does? You keep chasing for something 668 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,600 you know you don't, that doesn't satisfy you, but you keep 669 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:10,000 chasing it anyway. He says, I, I know I keep 670 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,480 chasing. I know I'm probably going to 671 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:12,560 lose. And when I do win, I know it 672 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,120 doesn't satisfy, but I got to keep doing it. 673 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:16,720 I got to keep doing it over and over and over again. 674 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,000 And maybe this morning you know that only Christ satisfies your 675 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,480 life because you're saved. You know Jesus Christ as your 676 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,560 Savior, but yet you haven't stewarded your life the way that 677 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:27,920 you know God wants you to, to steward your life. 678 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,640 That you don't give him of your time, your talents, of your 679 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,960 treasure, that you don't offer your whole life at his altar to 680 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:37,480 be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is 681 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,000 your reasonable service. And you don't do that. 682 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,560 And you wonder why? Why don't I not feel fulfilled? 683 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:44,680 Why aren't things going the way I want them to go? 684 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:47,840 And even when they, when they do go the way I want them to go, I 685 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:51,040 still don't get that, the joy that I want out of them. 686 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:52,640 Why don't? Because you can't reckon your 687 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:54,800 life right until you're steward right. 688 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:02,040 And I will say this that I don't know Scotty Scheffler's eternity 689 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:06,280 and his eternal destination, but I do know this. 690 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,040 There's a thought process of this, that no one is truly 691 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,760 satisfied or has the opportunity to be satisfied until they know 692 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,800 Jesus Christ their Savior. There's a hole within your heart 693 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:19,880 that can only be filled by Jesus. 694 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,520 God has created us to be Worshipful creatures, and either 695 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:28,360 we worship the Creator or we try to worship any of the other 696 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:30,280 millions of entities that are out there. 697 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:33,760 And I'm not just talking about false gods, I'm talking about 698 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,520 worshiping yourself. I'll talk about worshipping 699 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:43,560 money, power, prestige, experiences that none of those 700 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:48,160 things can satisfy. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy. 701 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,600 What do you reckon to be important in your life today? 702 00:36:54,240 --> 00:36:58,560 If I was to look through your calendar, If I was to look 703 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,000 through your bank accounts, by the way, I'm not as long as you 704 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:03,240 don't look through my bank accounts either. 705 00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:08,200 All right, but the idea is this, what we spend our time on, what 706 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:11,400 we spend our treasure on, is pretty revealing about what we 707 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:16,440 find to be most important. How do you reckon your life 708 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:21,680 within all of that? Philippians 38 Read from this 709 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:22,880 this morning in our men's prayer. 710 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:25,240 Paul said this. Yay, doubtless I count all 711 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:28,000 things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of 712 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:32,000 Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things. 713 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:36,440 I do count them, but dung that I may win Christ. 714 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,280 He said in the light of eternity, the other things of 715 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:45,240 this life are like refuse. They are like the things that 716 00:37:45,240 --> 00:37:48,760 are to be thrown away. He says I want to move forward 717 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:50,960 for Christ. And when you do that, it puts 718 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,120 everything else into perspective. 719 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,040 So how much land did pay him need? 720 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,520 How much land does a man need? We'll get the rest of the story 721 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,440 tonight. Thank you for listening to the 722 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:07,040 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 723 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,680 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 724 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,800 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 725 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:18,680 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 726 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:22,600 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 727 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,640 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.