BROADCASTS.com

Published: March 22, 2015, 5:13 p.m.

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Intro: Welcome to Freedom Church\\u2026 We\\u2019re so glad you\\u2019re here with us!\\xa0

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Today we are kicking off a brand new 3-week series, called \\u201cBE RICH\\u201d.\\xa0

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This series isn\\u2019t necessarily about money\\u2026 but about a mindset. \\xa0A mindset that reveals how \\u201cRICH\\u201d we really are. \\xa0 It\\u2019s about how we handle the resources God has entrusted to us. \\xa0It\\u2019s about having a spirit of radical generosity.

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Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.\\xa0

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18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)

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Rich = More than you need

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Willing = \\u201cDon\\u2019t have to, I get to.\\u201d

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If we have an abundance of any kind, we are RICH\\u2026 and we are RICH so that we can meet needs around us.

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When we are WILLING, we move beyond the \\u201cNeed\\u201d for it, and understand the \\u201cDesire\\u201d behind it!

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For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

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God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. Philippians 2:13 (CEV)

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Title: \\xa0Willing and Able

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Transition: \\xa0Today we are going at what it means to have both the DESIRE and ABILITY to be generous. \\xa0

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We are not trying to guilt you into giving, but to simply stir the \\u201cWHY.\\u201d \\xa0In fact, if the \\u201cWHY\\u201d isn\\u2019t there\\u2026 don\\u2019t do it.\\xa0

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Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents of gold \\u2026and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen.

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(375 Tons of gold and silver = $21 Billion)

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\\xa0Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today?\\u201d

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Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king\\u2019s work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD... 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 1 Chronicles 29:3-9 (NIV)

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I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 1 Chronicles 29:17 (NIV)

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\\u201cWho is willing?\\u201d

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Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:11-12 (NIV)

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Transition: \\xa0Here\\u2019s the point, God is not looking at the WHAT, but the HEART behind it. \\xa0

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The goal of today = Not WHAT\\u2026 but to remember WHY.

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The WHY is the motivation behind what we do\\u2026

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When you lose your WHY, you lose your WAY.

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(Marriage analogy)

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Transition: \\xa0So I want to do today, is not to show you YOUR why\\u2026 you have to discover your own WHY, but I want to show you MY WHY.

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1.Obedience\\xa0

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My wife and I give\\u2026 simply because God asks us to. \\xa0

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Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,\\u201d says the LORD Almighty, \\u201cand see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

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A command\\u2026 not a suggestion \\xa0(my dad)

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Tithe = FIRST %10

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Again it\\u2019s not a money thing\\u2026 it\\u2019s a faith thing. \\xa0

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God understands that our hope will naturally migrate toward OUR ability to provide\\u2026 so he set up a way to keep that in check. \\xa0

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(Adeline and offering)

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I give\\u2026 because the one I\\u2019ve surrendered my life to, instructs me to give!

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2.Joy

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I give because it\\u2019s fun! \\xa0(Girl Scout cookies)\\xa0

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You\\u2019ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, \\u2018You\\u2019re far happier giving than getting.\\u2019\\u201d Acts 20:35 (MSG)

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When you are able to be generous AND willing\\u2026 you will find yourself saying \\u201cCan you believe we get to do this?!\\u201d

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3.Relationship

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Because I am in a relationship with God and His people\\u2026

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So I give up personal privileges\\u2026 and I take up personal responsibilities.

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(Marriage \\u2013 Living for the other person\\u2019s good.)

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4.Vision

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Because I believe in the vision of this church\\u2026\\xa0

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-Kid\\u2019s learning about Jesus

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-MOTION Night

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-Small Groups

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-Planting churches (500)

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-One Hope

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-Reaching those who are far from God

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5.Blessing

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This one is a little selfish\\u2026 but that\\u2019s ok. \\xa0

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Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,\\u201d says the LORD Almighty, \\u201cand see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

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\\u201cAnd I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field\\u2026\\u201d Malachi 3:11

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We give to position ourselves for God\\u2019s blessing and protection!

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This can get skewed\\u2026 (TV preachers / \\u201cGive and God will\\u2026\\u201d)

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No, give generously to needy persons. Don\\u2019t resent giving to them because it is this very thing that will lead to the LORD your God\\u2019s blessing you in all you do and work at. Deuteronomy 15:10 (CEB)

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6.Legacy

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I want to be characterized as a man that was faithful with what he had\\u2026 and that modeled RADICAL GENEROSITY!\\xa0

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When you identify a characteristic you want your life to have\\u2026 work backward!\\xa0

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My wife and I\\u2026 Generosity is a core value of our family.\\xa0

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(We have stuff \\u2013 If we want something usually we\\u2019ll buy it \\u2013 but we LOVE giving.)

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Freedom Church \\u2013 The most generous church in the world!? \\xa0(OPRAH)

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(Starbucks last year \\u2013 bibles \\u2013 Missions)

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7.Devotion

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One day\\u2026 I\\u2019m going to be walking in heaven and see Jesus for the first time. \\xa0

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\\u201cWell done\\u2026 well done.\\u201d

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\\u201cThank you Jesus\\u2026\\u201d\\xa0

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\\u201cNo\\u2026 Thank you.\\u201d

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Transition: \\xa0As we discover our WHY\\u2026 here are 3 ways to take our giving to another level:

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1.Intentional Giving

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What I mean is this: the one who sows a small number of seeds will also reap a small crop, and the one who sows a generous amount of seeds will also reap a generous crop.

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7 Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn\\u2019t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.

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11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way. Such generosity produces thanksgiving to God through us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 11 (CEB)

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The truth is\\u2026 I think a lot of people can be manipulated into giving\\u2026 guilted\\u2026 play on their emotions.

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God doesn\\u2019t want us to be emotional givers, but PRE-DECIDED givers.\\xa0

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\\u201cYOU\\u201d in this verse = Pre-deciders\\xa0

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Intentional giving is what unlocks blessing.

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(Will we tithe? \\xa0When will we give? \\xa0How much?) \\xa0

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2.Percentage Giving

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41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

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43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, \\u201cTruly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything\\u2014all she had to live on.\\u201d Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)

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God is not looking at the amount, but the amount in relation to what you have. \\xa0

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Percentage matters. \\xa0(If our giving is safe, is there really any faith involved?)

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3.Eternal Giving\\xa0

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Paul describes our work on this earth (including our giving) as building something\\u2026

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Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you\\u2019ll be found out.\\xa0

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The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won\\u2019t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn\\u2019t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won\\u2019t be torn out; you\\u2019ll survive\\u2014but just barely. 2 Corinthians 3:12-15 (MSG)

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All \\u201cbuilding\\u201d is not the same\\u2026what may look like building in this life, is really in vain.\\xa0

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(Social Justice without Jesus\\u2026 is building in vain.)

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What YOU build\\u2026 wont last. \\xa0What HE builds\\u2026 will survive.\\xa0

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When we look at our resources as a tool to make an eternal impact\\u2026 we will.

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Big Idea:\\xa0

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Challenge: \\xa0

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Salvation: \\xa0God take control of my life\\u2026 It\\u2019s the easiest thing you will ever do, but I will cost you everything.\\xa0

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