S1: Here's what he's saying. The reason these Macedonians become your
S1: example because you're thinking about giving is wrong. You don't
S1: have the right motivation for giving. They do. And so
S1: you need to have the Macedonian mindset.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James
S2: Ford Jr, senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us. As we continue
S2: to look at this theme of giving and stewardship. And
S2: today we're going to be in Second Corinthians chapter eight
S2: as we talk about the Macedonian mindset. And I think
S2: we need to begin right there, pastor. What is the
S2: Macedonian mindset?
S3: The bottom line, Steve, is they had a heart for
S3: God and a heart for the people of God. Yeah.
S3: And so they're giving did not come out of their pocket,
S3: their wallet, their checkbook. Their giving came out of their heart.
S3: And so they were people who were compassionate, you know.
S3: You know my definition of compassion, your pain in my heart.
S3: And so these were individuals that had the right mindset.
S3: It wasn't about the money. It was about the master
S3: and about ministry. And they cared. And the old adage
S3: is still true. People don't care how much you know
S3: until they know how much you care. And they cared.
S2: Yeah. Yeah, they they did. In fact, uh, you know,
S2: as you read Second Corinthians eight, we see that they
S2: pleaded with Paul for the opportunity to give and the
S2: Macedonian church, this was like a poor area.
S3: Very.
S2: Poor. These guys were broke, very poor. And they're saying,
S2: we want to give. Where does that.
S3: Mindset got poor? They were po.
S2: Po.
S3: They couldn't afford the oh and the ah.
S2: So Amen. When you can't afford the. Oh and the ah.
S2: And you still have this desire to give. Where does
S2: that come from? Because I think many of us, if
S2: we're poll, we have the tendency to say, I need
S2: not I want to give.
S3: That's right. Well, you know what Paul said that Jesus
S3: said it's not recorded. But Paul said, Jesus said it.
S3: And Paul don't lie. Yeah, it's written down in the
S3: word and it's written in concrete. He says it's more
S3: blessed to give than to receive. And individuals who give.
S3: I heard you don't. You never heard this guy. His
S3: name is Andy Stanley. He said something so very profound.
S3: And I'm on a stewardship right now at Christ Bible Church. Yeah.
S3: And so I wrote it down and I said, I'm
S3: going to give Andy Stanley credit for this. He says
S3: that you give so that you can have joy. I said, wow,
S3: you save so that you could have freedom And then
S3: you live so that you can enjoy. And I thought
S3: that was very powerful. I mean, just the mindset and
S3: the focus was on the giving that giving brings you joy. Yeah.
S3: You know, and that's why I think the Lord said
S3: it's more blessed to give than to receive. You know,
S3: it's like, uh, there's a book called sheep, Goats and Wolves,
S3: and it talks about the three kinds of personalities in
S3: the church. I just preached this Sunday and he said, sheep, uh,
S3: go in very heavy, very slow, because they're loaded with wool.
S3: But then after they're sheared, they come out light and
S3: giddy because they have joy in giving their wool. So
S3: I asked the church to, you know, in the African
S3: American venue, we say, you know, say to your neighbor, neighbor, uh,
S3: are you a sheep that loves to give your wool?
S3: And then tell your neighbor we'll see at offering time.
S2: That's right. Well, right now we're going to open our
S2: Bibles to Second Corinthians chapter eight. Join us there as
S2: we begin a message called The Macedonian Mindset. Here's Pastor Ford.
S3: Three pastors were complaining about the giving of their congregations.
S3: And so the one pastor said to the other pastor, well,
S3: how do you determine what you give to God? He said, well,
S3: what I do is I get my paycheck, I cash it,
S3: I come back to the church, put all the money
S3: in the offering plate. Then I come by where the
S3: steps are, and I throw it up in the air.
S3: And what lands on the even steps I keep it.
S3: What lands on the steps I give to God. Second
S3: pastor said, oh, I do something similar, I do, I
S3: do almost the same thing. He said, I cash my
S3: check and then I bring the money, put it in
S3: the offering plate. I come to the church and I
S3: throw it up in the air and I just do it.
S3: The reverse of what you do, uh, what comes on,
S3: the odd steps I keep, what comes on, the even
S3: steps I give to God. Third pastor said, well, isn't
S3: it amazing that we all do a similar thing? He said,
S3: I do the same thing. I cash my paycheck, I
S3: come back to the church, I put it in the
S3: offering plate. I throw it up in the air and
S3: I say, God, whatever you want. You better keep it
S3: while it's up there. Because whatever hit them steps, that
S3: belongs to me. Uh, now we laugh at that, pastor,
S3: but many of us, we give the same way to
S3: many of us give a widow's mite, but we don't
S3: make a widow's salary. You know, it's like when you
S3: talk about grace giving for grace living. There are too
S3: many of us. Dispensation of grace. People who think that
S3: means we can make God Lord of the leftovers. We
S3: can just give him whatever it is that we want
S3: and everything is hunky dory. People say it all the time.
S3: I can't afford to give to God. Well, my Bible
S3: teaches me that you can't afford not to give to God.
S3: I didn't come to get amens today anyway. And so
S3: Adrian Rogers, that great preacher who's in the presence of
S3: the Lord, said this. A faith that hasn't reached your
S3: wallet probably hasn't reached your heart either. Mm. Yeah. Proverbs
S3: three nine and ten. Remember what it says. Honor the
S3: Lord with the firstfruits of thy substance and thy increase,
S3: and so shall thy barns be running over. One guy
S3: said I had a horrible dream, a horrible dream. Well.
S3: Share it. What what what was so horrible about it? Well,
S3: I dreamed that God took out of the offering plate
S3: what I put in. Multiplied it by ten and said,
S3: now you live off of that for the rest of
S3: the week. Why was it such a horrible dream? Who
S3: can live on $10 a week? Mhm. And so we
S3: need the Macedonian mindset Forgiving because in the text that
S3: we have in front of us today, the Macedonians had
S3: a mindset that was generating a spirit of generosity, that
S3: they were very generous in their giving. Let me give
S3: you the backdrop of what's going on in this background.
S3: What had happened was, uh, the church was born on
S3: the day of Pentecost. You remember that? And so people
S3: had come from all over the world, uh, to the
S3: annual feast of Pentecost. Remember, every Jew had to go
S3: back to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the three annual
S3: feast days. So they're gathered there, they're coming from everywhere.
S3: And they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. So they
S3: started off in acts chapter one with 120 Christians. Uh,
S3: but by the time Peter preached his message and I
S3: timed it, uh, I preached Peter's message, and it only
S3: took eight minutes. Don't get hopeful. That's an exercise in futility.
S3: If you want to know how long you're going to
S3: be here, I multiply that by at least ten. And
S3: so he preached that message. And then how many got saved?
S3: How many thousand? 3000. The opposite of what happened when
S3: the law was given. When the law was given, 3000 died.
S3: But when the Gospel of Jesus Christ was given, 3000 lived.
S3: Because he's the Lord of life. And he came that
S3: we might have life and that more abundantly. And so
S3: when the gospel was preached, it brings life. And many
S3: of us ought to know that it brought us life.
S3: Because if you were like me, pushing drugs, carrying a pistol,
S3: robbing people, all that kind of stuff, sleeping with everybody
S3: was crazy enough to do it. But when I met
S3: Jesus Christ, he gave me real life. I was just existing.
S3: But now I'm really living. I'm experiencing the abundant life
S3: that's in Jesus Christ. You'll never believe what I do.
S3: I get high and don't have any substances. And I
S3: wake up on on a Saturday morning and a Sunday morning,
S3: and I don't have to worry about if somebody's going
S3: to be looking for me with a gun because of
S3: what I did the night before. Amen. Amen. Not unless
S3: it's going to shoot me for praying. Oh, y'all ain't
S3: going to pray with me. Alright, let me go and
S3: preach this message. Get you up out of here. And
S3: so what was going on? They were coming from everywhere.
S3: So when they got the message of the gospel, they
S3: decided not to go back home. They wanted to stay
S3: where the word was. So the disciples were teaching them
S3: because they didn't have a Bible like you and I.
S3: And so they were teaching them. And so what happened?
S3: The church a few days later went from 3120 men,
S3: women and children to 5000 men. So if you add
S3: the women and children, there may have been as many
S3: as 8 or 9000, maybe 10,000 or more. So now
S3: you've got your first mega church. Mhm. And so what
S3: do you do with this mega church. How are you
S3: going to feed all these people? Now you add to
S3: that the fact that Christians were being persecuted now. And
S3: you add the fact that the Romans were overtaxing everyone.
S3: You add the fact that the Jews that had jobs
S3: gave it to the Jewish people, not to the Jewish Christians.
S3: Add to the fact that acts 11 said Agabus, the
S3: prophet said, there's going to be a famine that's going
S3: to hit Jerusalem. So put it all together. There's a
S3: famine in Jerusalem. There are all these believers, and they're
S3: in the cribs or the houses of everybody that's a believer,
S3: and they've eaten them out of house and home. What
S3: are you going to do? Well, Paul said, look, we
S3: gotta help them because they are having a Harvey and
S3: an Irma, and they're our brothers and sisters and we
S3: have to do something. Now, remember, these folk didn't have
S3: any link cards. These folk didn't have the government helping them.
S3: The government was taking. So what the Lord was giving,
S3: the government was taking. They didn't have FEMA. They didn't
S3: have a virus on her team to feed them in
S3: a food pantry. Nor did they have a Katrina Wilson
S3: and her team to give them a hot meal on
S3: a feeding ministry, or they didn't have a Ron Carter
S3: and his team to provide produce, uh, to everybody. Uh,
S3: so Paul says, look, the church ought to help. They
S3: don't need comic relief. They need church relief. Uh, that
S3: the people of the church are to look out for
S3: the people of the church. So he said, I'm going
S3: to have a great day of giving, and I'm going
S3: to ask every believer to give over and above their
S3: regular giving. Mm. So now the Corinthians pledged to give,
S3: but if you read in the chapter, I'm not going
S3: to go through everything for you. Read some for yourself. Amen.
S3: But if you read down to verses nine, ten and 11,
S3: you'll see that Paul, they promised Paul in first Corinthians,
S3: we're going to break you off a piece. But now
S3: Paul didn't get it. And Paul was saying, wait a minute,
S3: you made a pledge, you made a faith promise, but
S3: now you're not living up to it. Mm. Alright. So
S3: he says, here's what I want you to do. I'm
S3: going to give you an example of how you're supposed
S3: to give. I'm going to use the Macedonian Donian mindset
S3: because the Macedonians, poor Christians gave a whole lot to
S3: the work of the Lord. So here he wants to
S3: motivate Christians to give based on a Christian example, the
S3: Macedonian mindset.
S2: Here I think about giving. This is the first passage
S2: of scripture that comes to mind. So helpful as we
S2: think about how we ought to be giving our attitudes,
S2: our hearts. You're going to find this Macedonian mindset in
S2: Second Corinthians chapter eight, and we're going to get back
S2: to this teaching in just one moment. But speaking of giving,
S2: that is how this program actually makes it on the radio,
S2: online and everywhere else it may go. We're able to
S2: produce this program, pay for airtime and all the things
S2: that happen behind the scenes because of your generosity. So
S2: if you've been giving to Treasure Truth and Moody Radio,
S2: I want to say thank you for your financial support.
S2: If you've never given a gift before, you can do
S2: so today by coming to Treasure Truth radio.org and click
S2: on the donate button. Again, that's Treasure Truth radio.org. Back
S2: to the message. Once again, here is Pastor Ford.
S3: I was reading about Warren Buffett and the impact he
S3: had on millionaires and billionaires. Here's what he did. In 2010,
S3: Warren Buffett came out, put in the newspapers. I'm giving 90%
S3: of my wealth away. So he gave away $30 billion
S3: to charity non for profits and all of that. You
S3: know what happened after. Say what happened? Yeah. I gotta
S3: get you to say something. You're looking at me like,
S3: you know. And I know it's not popular because it's a,
S3: you know, it's a given message. So, you know, it's like.
S3: It's like all these preachers want is my money. But
S3: this is only the second message on money in three years,
S3: so it can't be. All I want is your money
S3: if I only talk about it twice in three years.
S3: But I tell you what, you don't say that about
S3: anything else. You don't say all you want is my money.
S3: You don't say all the beauty supply I want is
S3: my money. You don't say. You don't say. All the
S3: beauty shop want is my money. You don't say all
S3: the car dealer want is my money. You want to
S3: know why? Because you value what they give you. And
S3: you say whatever they're asking me for. I believe it
S3: is equitable value. So then when you put a dollar
S3: in church, or you're telling me, hey, I believe then
S3: that God is not even worth a dime out of
S3: a dollar? So, you know, I just thought I'd I
S3: and if you're visiting, what is it for the first time?
S3: Is it providence or accident that you would come on
S3: the on the only time in three years that I'm
S3: preaching about money. I know somebody saying I knew I
S3: should have come next week. And so what happened since then?
S3: Let me tell you what happened. Since 114 billionaires have
S3: made a commitment and signed a giving pledge to give
S3: at least $1 billion a year to charity, to education,
S3: to non-for-profits. Since Warren Buffett became the second richest man
S3: in the world, there are all kinds of institutions that
S3: have come up. Uh, there were over 200 of them.
S3: I just wrote down a few of them. Oceans give
S3: bridge builders collaboration. Ocean legacy, new profit. These are all
S3: organizations who looked and said, wait a minute. He's the
S3: second richest man in the world. But yet he gave
S3: $30 billion away because he said, I'm not going to
S3: be able to take it with me. My children have
S3: lived a luxurious life. I'm going to give them a
S3: little piece, and they don't have to make it on
S3: their own. When I die, I want most of my
S3: money to have gone to help people who can't help themselves.
S3: That's powerful stuff. That's powerful stuff. And so then here's
S3: the thing. Here's the thing. Say, what's the theme? The
S3: theme is this your giving is not based on your money.
S3: Your giving is based on your mindset. That's the theme
S3: of chapter eight verses one through nine. Your giving. Let
S3: me play that back. Your giving is not based on
S3: your money, it's based on your mindset. That is the
S3: amount you give is based on the attitude that you have. Amen.
S3: Thank you for that. Amen. Praise the Lord. I ain't
S3: believing I got one. Amen. And so here it is.
S3: It's all we going to do. I'm going to drop em.
S3: I'm not going to push em. Notice in the text
S3: he says, if you're going to have the Macedonian mindset,
S3: if you're going to generate a spirit of generosity, here's
S3: what you need. Three aspects to it. I'm going to
S3: drop them now. Push them. Number one verse one you
S3: have to have the right motivation. Come on, say it. Yeah, yeah.
S3: Here it is verses two through six. You have to
S3: have the right method. Yeah I want you to say it. Yeah.
S3: And then seven through nine you have to have the
S3: right model. Yeah. Why do you need those. Because the
S3: right motivation that tells you why you give the right method,
S3: that tells you how to give, and the right model
S3: that tells you who you're supposed to emulate. And so
S3: when you look at this text, uh, let me look
S3: at it again. Here's what it says. I want to
S3: read it. Uh, all all of my King James folk.
S3: You were rejoicing last night. You ain't going to like
S3: it this morning. Hey, here's what it says in the
S3: ESV version. We want you to know, brothers, about the
S3: grace of God that has been given among the churches
S3: of Macedonia. And so King James says, moreover, brethren, we
S3: do you to wit, see who knows what that means
S3: of the grace of God bestowed upon the churches of Macedonia.
S3: Here's what he's saying. The reason these Macedonians become your
S3: example because your thinking about giving is wrong. They're thinking
S3: about giving is right. You don't have the right motivation
S3: for giving. They do. And so you need to have
S3: the Macedonian mindset. Now notice the preacher is talking about money.
S3: Now I submit to you I did you an injustice
S3: for the first 15 years that I was pastor here,
S3: because I never preached on money in the first 15
S3: years of my pastoring. Here's the way I felt. You
S3: look at TV and what you have. You have profits
S3: for profit. Every time they open their mouth, they try
S3: to separate you from your money. That's it. And they
S3: say things like, and I said this before, but I'll
S3: say it again. They say things like, you know, God.
S3: There's a tenfold blessing that's coming. So you send me
S3: $100 and God will send you a thousand. Here's the
S3: way I think. I don't need no money. You need
S3: the money. So you send me the 100. Let God
S3: send you the thousand. Does that make sense? I mean,
S3: if you really believe that, then that's what you would do. Here,
S3: I'm giving you $100 because I'm looking for a thousand.
S3: But that's not the right motivation. And I did you
S3: a disservice early, because I would shrink back because I
S3: had the mistaken notion that because some people overdo it,
S3: I shouldn't do it at all. And then I begin
S3: to realize, uh, listen, listen, just because somebody puts too
S3: much salt on their food doesn't mean I can't season mine. Alright?
S3: And so what happens here? It is, it is, it is, uh,
S3: you know, it doesn't stop me from seasoning mine just right.
S3: Here it is. Say, Pastor Ford, cut to the chase, man.
S3: You're making much ado about nothing. No I'm not. Because
S3: he says it's deeper than money. Now walk along with me.
S3: If you have your your smartphone or whatever it is,
S3: I want you to walk through the text. You say,
S3: how is it deeper? Because giving is not just about money.
S3: Verse one giving is about lordship. Verse two before it's
S3: about stewardship. Verse three, it's it's partnership. And then verse four,
S3: it's fellowship. And then verse five, it's worship. Let me
S3: say it again. That he says, you don't understand it.
S3: Let me tell you. Giving is first about lordship. So
S3: he says, the grace of God that's in you, where
S3: you get the grace of God. It's a genitive of possession,
S3: which literally means it's grace that belongs to God. That
S3: means if you got it, you got it from God.
S3: Since God gave it to you. It means then, that
S3: you are responding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, And
S3: that he can tell you what to give. Then stewardship.
S3: Verse two. And then partnership. Verse three. And then fellowship.
S3: Verse four. And then worship. Verse five. That's the mindset
S3: that they have. Let me say it this way. Verse
S3: one teaches us that giving is first and foremost about
S3: your attitude in giving, rather than your amount in giving.
S2: Isn't that so good to know? The fact that God
S2: is not looking at the dollars and cents of our gift.
S2: He's looking at the condition of our hearts as we give.
S2: We're listening to a message called The Macedonian Mindset taken
S2: from Second Corinthians chapter eight. And we'll continue this teaching
S2: next time here on Treasure truth. If you want to
S2: make sure that you don't miss one of the broadcasts
S2: in the series, come to our website. It's treasure truth Radio.com.
S2: There you can sign up to begin podcasting the program,
S2: or you can download the Moody Radio app. Now, the
S2: app is great because it's free and it's available for
S2: Apple and Android products, and it makes it really convenient
S2: for you to listen to Pastor Ford's teaching on the go.
S2: But not only Pastor Ford's teaching, but also other programs
S2: produced by Moody Radio and internet music stations. So if,
S2: like me, you find yourself constantly on the go in
S2: the car, rarely in the same place at the same
S2: time every day, and you don't want to miss out
S2: on a certain program. Go get the Moody Radio app.
S2: You'll find it at your favorite app store, or we'll
S2: link you to it when you come to Treasure Truth radio.org. Well,
S2: I want to thank our producer, Amy Rios, for her
S2: help on these broadcasts for Pastor Ford, I'm Steve Hiller.
S2: Treasure truth is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S2: of Moody Bible Institute.