WEBVTT - Treasured Truth Weekend—The Macedonian Mindset, Part 2 0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:03.520 That there's some people, no matter what you do to them, 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.600 no matter what they go through, they will never deny him. 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:09.760 They'll never backslide on him, that they can go without food, 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:13.920 without job, without and still have the joy of the Lord. 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:17.800 Still tell people that Jesus Christ is the center of 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:18.520 their joy. 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:27.840 You're listening to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:30.520 junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:34.000 I'm Steve Heller. Glad you're with us. And, pastor, I think, uh, 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:37.839 probably most of us know someone like this where they 0:00:37.840 --> 0:00:40.240 just seem to have this joy, and you're like, I 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:43.400 don't get where that joy is coming from, right? Because 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:45.520 your life seems like it's such a mess, but yet 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:48.760 you still have this joy. I want that. How can 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:51.279 we learn to cultivate that kind of joy? 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:55.400 Uh, well, you know, the Holy Spirit is resident in 0:00:55.400 --> 0:01:00.240 every believer, but the Holy Spirit is not president over 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:04.120 every believer. So he resides in us, but he does 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:08.080 not preside over us. And so what we need to 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:12.280 do is Ephesians 518 be not drunk with wine, wherein 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:17.440 is excess, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. When 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:20.959 you see a person that exhibits that kind of joy, 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:25.040 that's an individual who is filled with the Holy Spirit, 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:30.600 because the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:36.000 and six other manifestations of the filling of the Holy Spirit, 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:38.640 which we call the fruit of the spirit. And so 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:43.080 that's a person that understands happiness is based on what 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:48.400 happens comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, and it talks about circumstances. 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:51.680 So I'm happy because I got a raise. I'm happy 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:56.200 because the loan went through. I'm happy. But joy is 0:01:56.200 --> 0:02:01.640 independent of your circumstances. Now, if you look at joy. Yeah. 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:04.720 You understand? Well, let me, let me just. I hate 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:07.400 to get the Bible in this, but now, a word 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:10.800 from our sponsor. Here's what James said. James, chapter one 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:15.440 two through four. My brethren, count it all joy when 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:19.079 you fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:22.760 of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:27.720 perfect work, that you may be complete and entire, lacking nothing. 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.200 Then it goes on. We often stop there. But here 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:32.560 James goes on to say, you know what? I better 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:36.800 anticipate somebody saying, well, you know what? How am I 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:41.400 going to know that this is going to work out 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:44.920 to what God has designed? I mean, it's evil to 0:02:44.960 --> 0:02:48.280 have lack and and to go through what I'm going through. 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:51.480 And so James continues, he says, uh, if any man 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:55.040 lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:58.560 all liberally and upbraideth not, but let him ask in 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:01.190 faith nothing doubting, for he that doubts is like the 0:03:01.190 --> 0:03:03.830 wave of the sea tossed and driven. Let not that 0:03:03.830 --> 0:03:06.950 man think he will receive anything from the Lord, because 0:03:06.990 --> 0:03:10.230 a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. 0:03:10.270 --> 0:03:12.549 So what's he saying in five, six and seven? He's 0:03:12.550 --> 0:03:15.230 saying this. He's saying, let me tell you in verses 0:03:15.230 --> 0:03:18.549 three and four, this is what God is doing. Let 0:03:18.550 --> 0:03:21.190 me tell you in five, six and seven, this is 0:03:21.190 --> 0:03:24.950 how you can know that God is working with you, 0:03:24.950 --> 0:03:29.950 and God is developing you in your walk with him, 0:03:30.150 --> 0:03:34.550 rather than trying to destroy you in your walk with him. 0:03:34.669 --> 0:03:37.590 And I think it's something that we need to pay 0:03:37.790 --> 0:03:40.630 strict attention to. We got to be job Christians. 0:03:41.110 --> 0:03:43.750 Well, we could spend more time talking about that, but 0:03:43.750 --> 0:03:46.150 right now we're going to open our Bibles to Second 0:03:46.150 --> 0:03:48.950 Corinthians chapter eight. So join us there as we continue 0:03:48.950 --> 0:03:51.990 the Macedonian mindset. Here is Pastor Ford. 0:03:52.550 --> 0:03:57.230 Grace govern their attitude, which determine the amount they gave. 0:03:57.230 --> 0:04:01.030 In other words, the motivation was not philanthropy. That's Warren Buffett. 0:04:02.150 --> 0:04:06.470 The motivation wasn't guilt because there are people who can 0:04:06.470 --> 0:04:09.310 guilt you into giving. I'll never forget it. My brother 0:04:09.310 --> 0:04:12.430 in law had me cracking up. We were new believers 0:04:12.430 --> 0:04:15.110 and young in the Lord. He went to a church. 0:04:15.150 --> 0:04:17.270 It was a church where they collect the money. Didn't 0:04:17.270 --> 0:04:18.630 they tell you how much they have? And they tell 0:04:18.630 --> 0:04:21.190 you how much they gotta have? So it was something like, 0:04:21.230 --> 0:04:24.030 you know, well, we gave $200 and we can't leave 0:04:24.029 --> 0:04:27.190 here until we get 350. So put the Levites on 0:04:27.190 --> 0:04:30.229 the door. He said there was a guy who was 0:04:30.230 --> 0:04:33.030 just seeking. He was a seeker. He wasn't a Christian. 0:04:33.470 --> 0:04:35.510 And when they said, put the Levites on the door. 0:04:35.550 --> 0:04:38.909 Ain't nobody leaving till we get this $150. My brother 0:04:38.910 --> 0:04:42.790 in law said the guy said an expletive deleted. I 0:04:42.790 --> 0:04:44.510 don't care who on the door they going to get 0:04:44.510 --> 0:04:46.310 off of the door. I'm getting up out of here 0:04:46.310 --> 0:04:52.430 right now. They weren't guilted into it. They weren't coerced 0:04:52.430 --> 0:04:56.190 into it. Yeah. Even when I preach a Malachi, I 0:04:56.190 --> 0:04:58.790 don't preach it from the Old Testament standpoint. I tell 0:04:58.790 --> 0:05:00.950 you the New Testament, whenever I preach it, I say, but, but, 0:05:00.950 --> 0:05:04.350 but but you're not cursed. You can never be cursed. 0:05:04.670 --> 0:05:07.950 How can what God has blessed be cursed for not giving? 0:05:09.029 --> 0:05:13.469 I hold you accountable for it. So it's not coercion. 0:05:13.830 --> 0:05:17.310 It's not philanthropy. It's not guilt or any of those things. 0:05:17.550 --> 0:05:24.909 It's not even tithing folk, not even that generous. Giving 0:05:24.910 --> 0:05:27.350 comes from grace. Now, what kind of grace is there? 0:05:27.350 --> 0:05:30.070 I'm glad you asked me. First of all, there's saving grace. 0:05:30.070 --> 0:05:33.230 Ephesians two eight and nine. For by grace we've been 0:05:33.230 --> 0:05:35.029 saved through faith. And that is the gift of God, 0:05:35.029 --> 0:05:37.150 not a result of works, lest any man should boast. 0:05:37.150 --> 0:05:40.029 So we are saved by grace. We like to have 0:05:40.029 --> 0:05:44.510 that acronym, God's redemption at Christ's expense, God's riches at 0:05:44.510 --> 0:05:48.150 Christ's expense. In other words, he saved us not because 0:05:48.150 --> 0:05:52.910 of us, but in spite of us. God saved us. 0:05:52.910 --> 0:05:56.070 But then there's sanctifying grace. So saving grace is when 0:05:56.070 --> 0:05:58.870 he saves you up, sanctifying grace when he cleans you up, 0:05:59.350 --> 0:06:02.029 then it's glorifying grace. That's when he keeps you up. 0:06:03.430 --> 0:06:06.670 And so then you have serving grace. Ephesians 210. We 0:06:06.670 --> 0:06:09.630 are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. 0:06:09.630 --> 0:06:12.510 Then you have suffering grace. We don't want. We don't 0:06:12.510 --> 0:06:14.270 want that kind of grace. Give me all the rest 0:06:14.270 --> 0:06:16.030 of it. I don't want no suffering kind of grace. 0:06:16.029 --> 0:06:19.990 But Paul found out in Second Corinthians 11 when he 0:06:19.990 --> 0:06:23.710 prayed three times, God removed this thorn in the flesh 0:06:23.710 --> 0:06:27.670 from me. God said, my grace is sufficient for you. 0:06:27.670 --> 0:06:30.670 Some of you know that because you've got maladies and 0:06:30.670 --> 0:06:33.710 you are in fellowship with God, and you're wondering why 0:06:33.750 --> 0:06:36.150 God or have you not healed me of this? Why 0:06:36.150 --> 0:06:39.030 haven't you taken this away? My wife asked it all 0:06:39.029 --> 0:06:42.670 the time, and she comes up with the same answer 0:06:42.710 --> 0:06:48.150 that God wants to demonstrate his ability to have someone 0:06:48.150 --> 0:06:54.030 go through something that he has designed and that he desires, 0:06:54.029 --> 0:06:57.310 like job, where he can get the glory. So there 0:06:57.310 --> 0:07:00.429 are people who will know that there are people who 0:07:00.510 --> 0:07:04.110 serve God not for what God can give them, but 0:07:04.150 --> 0:07:07.310 God for who he is. That there's some people, no 0:07:07.310 --> 0:07:09.670 matter what you do to them, no matter what they 0:07:09.670 --> 0:07:12.630 go through, they will never deny him. They'll never back 0:07:12.630 --> 0:07:15.430 up on him. They'll never backslide on him. That they 0:07:15.430 --> 0:07:19.390 can go without food, without job, without and still have 0:07:19.390 --> 0:07:22.910 the joy of the Lord. Still tell people that Jesus 0:07:22.910 --> 0:07:26.750 Christ is Lord, that Jesus Christ is the center of 0:07:26.750 --> 0:07:35.750 their joy, that there are individuals who know. That. He's 0:07:35.750 --> 0:07:41.230 all I got, but he's all I need. You're the 0:07:41.230 --> 0:07:43.910 little boy. Pray the Lord is my shepherd. That's all 0:07:43.910 --> 0:07:51.550 I want. He messed it up. No he didn't. And 0:07:51.550 --> 0:07:55.150 so there's suffering, grace. But then there's sharing grace. That's 0:07:55.150 --> 0:07:59.190 what's happening right here. That that that this was motivated 0:07:59.470 --> 0:08:05.510 not by their hand, but by their heart. Wow. You know, 0:08:05.550 --> 0:08:08.070 you know, I tell this story, and I. And I 0:08:08.110 --> 0:08:11.910 love it. You know, it's about the Lord's baseball team. See, 0:08:11.910 --> 0:08:14.630 the Lord's baseball team was playing the Devils baseball team, 0:08:15.110 --> 0:08:16.470 and it was the bottom of the ninth. It was 0:08:16.470 --> 0:08:19.350 zero zero. And the devil was excited because he thought 0:08:19.350 --> 0:08:22.670 if he could get all the God's players out, then 0:08:22.670 --> 0:08:25.350 it's zero zero. And he ties God. He knows he 0:08:25.350 --> 0:08:27.390 can never beat God, but boy would it be nice 0:08:27.390 --> 0:08:30.150 to tie him. So the Christian says to God, what's 0:08:30.150 --> 0:08:32.710 going to happen here? You know, and God said, watch this. 0:08:32.710 --> 0:08:36.310 So he calls love to bat. Love comes up to 0:08:36.309 --> 0:08:41.350 the bat and the devil throws a screwball. Love swings. 0:08:41.350 --> 0:08:44.790 Bam hits it on the first pitch, gets on first base. 0:08:44.790 --> 0:08:51.190 You want to know why? Because love never fails. Then 0:08:51.190 --> 0:08:53.510 God called him and he said, now watch this Christian. 0:08:53.510 --> 0:08:56.990 And he called his second batter. He called him faith. 0:08:57.390 --> 0:08:59.429 And faith came up to bat and the devil said, oh, 0:08:59.470 --> 0:09:06.099 I got this one, and he threw a fastball 600mph. POW! 0:09:06.860 --> 0:09:12.179 Faith hits it on the first pitch. Love moves the second. 0:09:13.140 --> 0:09:17.260 Faith is on first. Wanna know why? Because faith always 0:09:17.260 --> 0:09:21.179 works with love. Then God calls godly wisdom. He said, 0:09:21.179 --> 0:09:24.699 watch this. He calls godly wisdom to the bat. He 0:09:24.700 --> 0:09:29.540 throws a screwball ball one throws a fastball. Ball two, 0:09:29.580 --> 0:09:34.420 throws a curve ball. Ball three, throws another fastball. Ball four. 0:09:35.059 --> 0:09:40.340 And now the bases are loaded. Godly wisdom gets on base. 0:09:40.340 --> 0:09:44.699 You want to know why? Because godly wisdom never swings 0:09:44.700 --> 0:09:51.219 at what Satan throws. So the bases are loaded. And 0:09:51.220 --> 0:09:54.500 God said to Christian, Christian, watch this. And so he 0:09:54.500 --> 0:10:01.460 calls his pinch hitter up. He says, grace. Come on up. 0:10:02.460 --> 0:10:04.460 Grace comes up to bat. But the devil and the 0:10:04.460 --> 0:10:07.860 demons elder are looking. And. And anybody ever been in 0:10:07.860 --> 0:10:13.860 grammar school or in high school? And you were last pick? Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's. 0:10:13.900 --> 0:10:16.900 And everybody move in whenever you come to bat because 0:10:16.900 --> 0:10:19.540 because you, you, they don't figure you could hit. Well, 0:10:19.540 --> 0:10:22.579 that's what they did to Grace. Everybody moved in. And 0:10:22.580 --> 0:10:27.900 so Satan threw his best pitch. It was 1000mph ball 0:10:28.100 --> 0:10:35.780 and pow grace hit it. Uh, grand slam. Christian was 0:10:35.780 --> 0:10:39.980 kind of confused. He said, I don't understand it. Uh, why? 0:10:40.580 --> 0:10:44.700 What's up? He said, well, listen, you're a love. Faith 0:10:44.700 --> 0:10:47.660 and godly wisdom can get you on base, but I 0:10:47.660 --> 0:10:52.380 can't let it win the game. Why, Lord, because of 0:10:52.380 --> 0:10:55.460 your love, faith and wisdom won the game. You would 0:10:55.500 --> 0:10:59.540 have thought you did it yourself. But I had to 0:10:59.540 --> 0:11:04.500 have grace. Why? Because love, faith and wisdom will get 0:11:04.500 --> 0:11:07.420 you on base. But only by grace can bring you home. 0:11:10.340 --> 0:11:13.260 That's it. It's grace. Oh, I hate to get the 0:11:13.260 --> 0:11:17.020 Bible in this, but now a word from our sponsor. Listen, listen, listen. 0:11:17.020 --> 0:11:19.179 I walked through and did a study on grace. And 0:11:19.179 --> 0:11:21.420 here's what I found. It's not exhaustive, but here's what 0:11:21.420 --> 0:11:25.260 I found. Titus 211 through 13. We are stopped by grace. 0:11:25.500 --> 0:11:28.620 Ephesians two eight and nine. We are saved by grace. 0:11:28.620 --> 0:11:32.060 Ephesians one three. We are sons and daughters by grace. 0:11:32.059 --> 0:11:36.300 Galatians 115. We're summoned by grace. First Corinthians 15 nine 0:11:36.300 --> 0:11:39.380 and ten we're shaped by grace. Second Corinthians 12 nine 0:11:39.380 --> 0:11:45.020 we're sanctified by grace. Colossians 416 we're spiritually gifted by grace. Uh, 0:11:45.020 --> 0:11:49.620 second Corinthians 12 nine we're supplied by grace. Colossians four six. 0:11:49.660 --> 0:11:54.740 Our speech is by grace. Hebrews 1319 stimulated growth is 0:11:54.740 --> 0:11:58.100 by grace. Second Timothy two one. We're strengthened by grace. 0:11:58.100 --> 0:12:02.380 Second Peter 318 we serve by grace. Hebrews 13 nine. 0:12:02.420 --> 0:12:06.900 We're stabilized by grace. Hebrews 416. We're sustained by grace. 0:12:06.900 --> 0:12:11.820 And in this passage we share by grace. Amen. It's 0:12:11.820 --> 0:12:14.939 all about grace. See if what you have you didn't 0:12:14.940 --> 0:12:17.780 get from Grace. Then you didn't get it from God. 0:12:17.820 --> 0:12:21.020 If what you're doing wasn't done by grace, then what 0:12:21.020 --> 0:12:26.020 you did did not and was not empowered by God. Listen, 0:12:26.020 --> 0:12:29.180 if what you are becoming isn't by grace, then what 0:12:29.179 --> 0:12:33.620 you are becoming isn't pleasing to God. And isn't it 0:12:33.620 --> 0:12:37.220 amazing what we are proud of? We're proud of race. 0:12:37.220 --> 0:12:40.300 We're proud of faith. We're proud of place, and we're 0:12:40.300 --> 0:12:44.059 proud of grace. And we had nothing to do with 0:12:44.340 --> 0:12:51.420 any of it. The Macedonian mindset the right motivation for giving. 0:12:52.980 --> 0:12:56.420 We'll continue to look at this right motivation from Second 0:12:56.420 --> 0:12:59.660 Corinthians chapter eight in just one moment. You know, as 0:12:59.660 --> 0:13:01.900 you listen to Pastor Ford's teaching, you may think, I 0:13:01.900 --> 0:13:03.740 wonder if he's ever written a book on something. Well, 0:13:03.740 --> 0:13:05.939 he has, and you can check those out by coming 0:13:05.980 --> 0:13:08.460 to our website and clicking on the Books by Pastor 0:13:08.460 --> 0:13:11.219 Ford link. On the left side of the homepage, you'll 0:13:11.220 --> 0:13:14.339 see the different titles available as a paperback or in 0:13:14.340 --> 0:13:17.980 an e-book format. Just come to Treasure Truth Radio and 0:13:17.980 --> 0:13:21.420 click on Books by Pastor Ford. Let's get back to 0:13:21.420 --> 0:13:23.939 the message once again. Here is Pastor Ford. 0:13:24.860 --> 0:13:29.900 The Macedonian mindset the right motivation for giving. Not giving 0:13:29.940 --> 0:13:34.340 to get. Amen. I'm so sick of this stuff and 0:13:34.340 --> 0:13:36.140 I hear it all the time. I just shut my 0:13:36.140 --> 0:13:38.939 mouth because it's like, man, there's so many people. And 0:13:38.940 --> 0:13:41.460 I just got tired of arguing with people about it. 0:13:41.500 --> 0:13:44.819 When the praises go up, the blessings come down. The 0:13:44.820 --> 0:13:47.459 praises go up. The. So the only time I'm going 0:13:47.460 --> 0:13:51.140 to praise God is when I'm looking for something. That's 0:13:51.140 --> 0:13:53.220 why some people come to church. No, not at 11, 0:13:53.220 --> 0:13:59.140 but at the eight. There was some folk there. The 0:13:59.140 --> 0:14:01.420 praises ought to go up. Even if the blessings don't 0:14:01.420 --> 0:14:04.500 come down, the praises ought to go up. If he 0:14:04.540 --> 0:14:07.060 heals Big Mama, and the praises ought to go up. 0:14:07.059 --> 0:14:09.580 If he takes Big Mama home, the praises ought to 0:14:09.580 --> 0:14:11.620 go up. If I got a good job, the praises 0:14:11.620 --> 0:14:13.620 ought to go up. If I don't have a job, 0:14:13.660 --> 0:14:16.300 praises ought to go up. If my kids are in college, 0:14:16.300 --> 0:14:18.179 and the praise ought to go up. If my kids 0:14:18.179 --> 0:14:20.620 are in jail, the praise ought to go up. If 0:14:20.620 --> 0:14:23.460 my wife submits to me and act like the Bible, 0:14:23.460 --> 0:14:27.020 tell her to. Preach. 0:14:27.900 --> 0:14:28.980 Glory to God. 0:14:30.300 --> 0:14:33.580 Or if my wife doesn't act like the Bible tells 0:14:33.580 --> 0:14:36.620 her to, the praises need to go up. Yeah, yeah. 0:14:36.660 --> 0:14:39.540 I will bless the Lord at all times. And his 0:14:39.540 --> 0:14:44.140 praise shall continually be in my mouth. Oh, magnify the 0:14:44.140 --> 0:14:48.420 Lord with me. Let us exalt his name together. Come 0:14:48.420 --> 0:14:53.140 into his presence with thanksgiving. And into his courts with praise. 0:14:57.740 --> 0:14:58.300 Amen. 0:14:59.730 --> 0:15:03.810 The right mindset. Notice secondly with me not just the 0:15:03.810 --> 0:15:08.690 right mindset, but the right method. Now walk through because 0:15:08.690 --> 0:15:10.570 I'm not going to take a lot of time on this, 0:15:10.570 --> 0:15:13.290 even though I have a lot of points. Say it's 0:15:13.290 --> 0:15:17.050 a miracle. Now walk with me. Walk with me now 0:15:17.050 --> 0:15:22.130 watch this. The right mindset tells us what. Why we 0:15:22.170 --> 0:15:26.490 give the right method. Tells us what how to give. 0:15:26.530 --> 0:15:31.650 Now watch this. Walk with me now. Verse two and three. 0:15:31.690 --> 0:15:43.170 A sacrificially. Verse two b generously. Verse three B willingly. 0:15:43.770 --> 0:15:49.570 Verse four. Enthusiastically. Verse five. Personally, let me say it 0:15:49.570 --> 0:16:01.850 again sacrificially. Verse two generously to be willingly three Be enthusiastically. 0:16:01.850 --> 0:16:08.410 Verse four. Personally verse five. So notice now the method 0:16:08.410 --> 0:16:11.050 that they had based on their mindset. So don't let 0:16:11.050 --> 0:16:13.410 me wear it out. But I, I have to repeat 0:16:13.410 --> 0:16:19.050 it that the method was based on the mindset, not 0:16:19.050 --> 0:16:23.130 vice versa. So let's notice they gave sacrificially. Listen to 0:16:23.170 --> 0:16:26.210 what it says. How that in a great trial of affliction, 0:16:26.210 --> 0:16:29.570 the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded 0:16:29.570 --> 0:16:32.010 unto the riches of their liberality. And a whole lot 0:16:32.010 --> 0:16:34.410 of folk don't understand it. Let me read it in 0:16:34.450 --> 0:16:37.810 the ESV. For in a severe test of affliction, their 0:16:37.810 --> 0:16:41.850 abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in 0:16:41.850 --> 0:16:44.370 a wealth of generosity on their part. Now get this. 0:16:44.370 --> 0:16:45.930 Here's what he's saying. Let me let me tell you 0:16:45.930 --> 0:16:49.850 two words real quick. Uh, the word that he uses 0:16:49.850 --> 0:16:56.290 for trial, ESV has it translated more appropriately. Test. Here 0:16:56.290 --> 0:17:02.850 it is. It's a test. A test of what these 0:17:03.130 --> 0:17:12.330 Macedonians were poor Christians. The Corinthian believers were not. Yet 0:17:12.369 --> 0:17:18.890 the poor Christians gave way more than the rich Christians, 0:17:19.170 --> 0:17:21.930 and the rich Christians held back on part of what 0:17:21.930 --> 0:17:26.770 they said they was going to give. So it's a test. 0:17:27.330 --> 0:17:31.729 What kind of test? Who do you trust? Your stuff 0:17:31.730 --> 0:17:35.690 or your savior? They said, you know what? God gave 0:17:35.690 --> 0:17:38.649 us the stuff. So if we give it all to him, 0:17:38.650 --> 0:17:41.930 he can give us more stuff. That's what they're saying. 0:17:41.970 --> 0:17:43.810 And then the word poverty, let me tell you, the 0:17:43.810 --> 0:17:49.570 word literally speaks of a beggar who's totally destitute of 0:17:49.570 --> 0:17:54.330 everything and lacks the ability to acquire anything. This person 0:17:54.330 --> 0:18:00.650 is helpless. This person is homeless. This person is hopeless. 0:18:02.010 --> 0:18:04.290 That's what's in the text. Now you say, wait a minute. 0:18:04.290 --> 0:18:10.729 How is that possible? Yes, they gave sacrificially, man. Let 0:18:10.730 --> 0:18:14.090 me ask you a question. Say, ask the question. Do 0:18:14.090 --> 0:18:17.970 you give in light of your circumstances or do you 0:18:17.970 --> 0:18:24.770 give in spite of your circumstances? Mhm. Mark chapter 1441 0:18:24.810 --> 0:18:27.730 through 44. It's a very familiar passage of Scripture. It 0:18:27.730 --> 0:18:33.050 is where the widow gave her two pennies. Now Jesus, 0:18:33.090 --> 0:18:37.850 it says, went to watch people give. Y'all worried about 0:18:37.850 --> 0:18:40.449 if the pastor see you put an envelope in. You know, 0:18:40.450 --> 0:18:42.370 some people when offering plate pass, they don't have nothing 0:18:42.369 --> 0:18:45.649 in hand. They just act like it. Yeah, there are 0:18:45.650 --> 0:18:48.930 people that do that. Why do you do that? You look, 0:18:48.970 --> 0:18:53.210 look look look look, look. God sees it. You ain't 0:18:53.210 --> 0:18:57.530 gotta perpetrate for me or anybody else. Just pass it. 0:18:57.770 --> 0:19:00.890 That's it, you know? And for if you're unsaved here today, 0:19:00.890 --> 0:19:03.369 let me tell you something. God doesn't want your money. 0:19:03.970 --> 0:19:08.930 God wants your soul. That's what he wants. I used 0:19:08.930 --> 0:19:10.490 to do it all the time, and then the elders 0:19:10.490 --> 0:19:13.490 and deacons came and said, quit doing that. Because I 0:19:13.490 --> 0:19:17.129 used to say at offering time, I'm how many remember this? Okay. 0:19:17.170 --> 0:19:20.410 And we're about to give. If you're unsaved, please do 0:19:20.410 --> 0:19:23.570 not give anybody remember how long, how many years? I 0:19:23.609 --> 0:19:27.810 said that about 15 years. And the elders and deacons said, pastor, 0:19:28.090 --> 0:19:33.890 you you need to just be quiet. And I submitted 0:19:33.890 --> 0:19:36.609 to their authority because there was more of them than me. 0:19:36.650 --> 0:19:41.010 And so they might have jumped me or something, you know? Yeah. 0:19:41.050 --> 0:19:44.729 And and so it's like it's like, where's, where's me 0:19:44.730 --> 0:19:48.090 when you need him? The widow. This is called the 0:19:48.130 --> 0:19:56.810 sermon on the Mount. Why? Because she didn't give from 0:19:56.810 --> 0:19:59.609 the top of her purse. She gave from the bottom 0:19:59.609 --> 0:20:05.090 of her heart. Mm. Yeah. Let me ask you a question. 0:20:05.090 --> 0:20:10.490 Especially those of us who do form 1040 A. If 0:20:10.530 --> 0:20:17.530 you couldn't write your gift off on schedule. 1040 A 0:20:17.930 --> 0:20:23.130 would your giving be the same or is your motto 0:20:24.890 --> 0:20:29.890 what I give to God is deductible from what I 0:20:29.890 --> 0:20:34.129 owe to Caesar. There are people. Yeah, I want to 0:20:34.130 --> 0:20:36.449 give so I can get the write off. I can 0:20:36.450 --> 0:20:41.090 get the write off. I can get the write off. Ah, 0:20:42.050 --> 0:20:44.730 somebody asked me one time, you know, if you find money, 0:20:44.730 --> 0:20:46.969 what should you do? Should you give? What should I do? 0:20:46.970 --> 0:20:50.129 Because I already tithed on my on my on the 0:20:50.130 --> 0:20:52.930 money I get back from the IRS. Uh, what should 0:20:52.930 --> 0:20:55.810 I do? I said read Proverbs three, nine and ten. 0:20:55.850 --> 0:20:57.850 Honor the Lord with the first fruits of all of 0:20:57.850 --> 0:21:01.320 thy substance And thy increase and thy increase. You know 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:03.639 what that means. And thy increase is money you find, 0:21:03.680 --> 0:21:05.399 and thy increase is the money you get from back 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:08.800 from the IRS. And the increase is like everything I get, 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:11.000 I break God off a piece. 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:12.919 Yes. Right. 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:18.560 Everything. Amen. Everything he say. You say. You say. You 0:21:18.560 --> 0:21:21.080 look at that. It's really. He says honor. It's the 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:24.600 word kabod. It's translated worship. So then giving is reverence 0:21:24.600 --> 0:21:27.800 to God. That's the adoration of giving. Then he tells 0:21:27.800 --> 0:21:30.560 you the mount first fruits. That means giving is regulated 0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:33.480 by God. That's the amount you give. And then he says, 0:21:33.480 --> 0:21:35.840 so shall your barns be running over. I ain't got 0:21:35.840 --> 0:21:38.000 time to talk about it. So shall. In other words, 0:21:38.000 --> 0:21:41.200 it's not because you gave. It's because God is more 0:21:41.200 --> 0:21:45.760 generous than we are. It's rewarded by God. That's acknowledgment forgiven. 0:21:46.000 --> 0:21:49.560 Francis Quarles said this nothing is more pleasing to God 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:54.200 than an open hand and a closed mouth man that 0:21:54.200 --> 0:21:58.920 goes together like a coconut's mouth. Hallelujah. Amen. Then it 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:03.440 says they gave sacrificially. They gave generously liberality. It just 0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:05.520 means they were generous. Just generous. 0:22:07.080 --> 0:22:11.040 Boy, as you listen to Pastor Ford describe this Macedonian mindset, 0:22:11.040 --> 0:22:13.280 don't you just wish you had that? I know that's 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:16.119 certainly true for me. Were you listening to Treasure Truth 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:18.159 with Pastor Ford? And you can always listen to this 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:21.000 program again when you come to our website. It's Treasure 0:22:21.000 --> 0:22:25.240 Truth radio.org. You know, pastor is someone tunes in and 0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:27.600 listens to Moody Radio. Not only are they going to 0:22:27.600 --> 0:22:31.000 hear this Bible teaching program, but just a wide array 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:34.360 or variety of programming that can really be used to 0:22:34.400 --> 0:22:36.840 encourage and help them grow in their walk with Christ? 0:22:36.840 --> 0:22:40.160 Oh, yes. And you're going to hear things that are 0:22:40.160 --> 0:22:43.240 going to build you up in your most precious faith 0:22:43.240 --> 0:22:46.920 in Jesus Christ. Uh, you know, it's amazing to me. Uh, 0:22:46.920 --> 0:22:49.320 I say it all the time, but, you know, sometimes 0:22:49.320 --> 0:22:52.080 what we do is we buy things we don't need 0:22:52.080 --> 0:22:55.359 with money. We don't have to amass bills we can't 0:22:55.359 --> 0:22:58.399 pay to police people we don't like and don't care 0:22:58.400 --> 0:23:02.040 Here anyway, we are going to be held accountable for 0:23:02.040 --> 0:23:05.920 our stewardship. Isn't it amazing that we can send it 0:23:05.920 --> 0:23:08.719 ahead by giving to Moody Radio? 0:23:08.760 --> 0:23:09.760 Yeah, absolutely. 0:23:09.800 --> 0:23:14.119 Because that's an investment that draws a dividend that has 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:18.840 eternal consequences. And I mean, when you invest in Moody Radio, 0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:22.120 you are actually investing in the only two things that 0:23:22.119 --> 0:23:26.200 last forever the word of God and the souls of 0:23:26.200 --> 0:23:27.080 men and women. 0:23:27.320 --> 0:23:29.440 Well, you can make an investment right now by coming 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:33.080 to our website. It is Treasure Truth radio.org. Click on 0:23:33.080 --> 0:23:36.600 the donate button. We need both the ongoing monthly gifts 0:23:36.600 --> 0:23:40.560 and the one time gifts. Again, that's at Treasure Truth radio.org. 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:43.880 Thanks for giving and for listening. Thanks also to our producer, 0:23:43.880 --> 0:23:47.080 Amy Rios for Pastor Ford, I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth 0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:50.000 is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody 0:23:50.000 --> 0:23:51.040 Bible Institute.