Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME240302S
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00:14 [ Band playing ] 00:17 ♪ 00:27 ♪ 00:37 ♪ 00:47 ♪ 00:57 ♪ 01:07 ♪ 01:17 ♪ 01:27 ♪ 01:37 ♪ 01:47 ♪ 01:57 ♪ 02:07 ♪ 02:17 ♪ 02:27 ♪ 02:37 ♪ 02:47 ♪ 02:57 ♪ 03:07 ♪ 03:17 ♪ 03:27 ♪ 03:37 ♪ 03:47 ♪ 03:57 ♪ 04:07 ♪ 04:17 ♪ 04:27 ♪ 04:37 ♪ 04:47 ♪ 04:57 ♪ 05:07 ♪ 05:17 ♪ 05:27 ♪ 05:37 ♪ 05:47 ♪ 05:57 ♪ 06:07 ♪ 06:17 [ Applause ] 06:26 >>Good morning, everyone. 06:28 Isn't this a wonderful group 06:30 that we have here this morning 06:32 along with Dr. Denise Santos? 06:34 It's been my privilege this week 06:35 since Wednesday, to be working 06:36 with 120 band students, 06:38 and Dr. has been working with 06:40 keyboard students, as well. 06:42 We'd love to invite you back 06:44 this afternoon, 4:00, at the 06:46 Howard Performing Arts Center 06:47 for our final festival 06:49 finale concert, 06:50 where you'll hear -- 06:51 This has just been a taste of 06:53 what you'll hear this afternoon. 06:54 Our scripture reading today, 06:56 it's found in 06:58 2 Corinthians 9:6-9. 07:01 "But this I say -- 07:03 'He who sows sparingly 07:04 will also reap sparingly. 07:06 And he who sows bountifully 07:07 will also reap bountifully. 07:10 So let us each one give 07:11 as He purposes in His heart, 07:13 not grudgingly or of necessity, 07:15 for God loves a cheerful giver, 07:17 and God is able to make 07:19 all grace abound toward you 07:20 that you, always having 07:22 all sufficiency in all things, 07:24 may have an abundance 07:25 for every good work.' 07:27 As it is written, 07:28 He has dispersed abroad, 07:29 He has given to the poor, His 07:31 righteousness endures forever." 07:47 [ Band playing ] 07:50 ♪ 08:00 ♪ 08:10 ♪ 08:20 ♪ 08:30 ♪ 08:40 ♪ 08:50 ♪ 09:00 ♪ 09:10 ♪ 09:20 ♪ 09:30 ♪ 09:40 ♪ 09:50 ♪ 10:00 ♪ 10:10 ♪ 10:20 ♪ 10:30 ♪ 10:40 ♪ 10:50 ♪ 11:00 ♪ 11:13 [ Applause ] 11:22 [ Organ playing ] 11:25 ♪ 11:32 ♪ 11:38 ♪ 11:48 ♪ 11:58 ♪ 12:08 ♪ 12:16 >> I thought we would begin 12:17 this morning with a test of your 12:20 denominational knowledge. 12:23 I don't mean religious 12:24 denominations. 12:27 I mean this. 12:30 Denominations as in different 12:32 types of bills. 12:33 That's what they refer to it. 12:34 And there's currency. 12:35 You have different types 12:36 of denominations, $1s, $5s, 12:37 et cetera, so I'm going to test 12:38 your knowledge. 12:39 Now, if you were in first 12:41 service, you need to take a vow 12:44 of silence for the next 12:45 few minutes, okay? 12:47 And if you are tempted to pull 12:48 out your phone and ask Google 12:50 for help, no, no, no, no, no. 12:51 This is church. Be honest. Okay? 12:52 We're testing your knowledge, 12:53 right? 12:54 So whose picture appears 12:56 on the $1 bill? 12:58 All right, that's pretty easy. 12:59 Isn't it? George Washington. 13:00 A whole bunch of these things 13:01 in circulation and whatnot. 13:03 How about this? $5 bill? 13:06 Abraham Lincoln. That's right. 13:07 Lincoln, 16th president 13:09 of the United States. 13:10 Moving on up here, 13:12 we have here the $10 bill. 13:13 Who's that? 13:15 [ Indistinct talking ] 13:17 Okay, a little bit of confusion 13:19 in the house about that. 13:20 This is Alexander Hamilton. 13:23 Haven't seen a $10 bill 13:25 for a while, huh? 13:27 Things are tight. Yes, right? 13:29 Alexander Hamilton, first 13:31 U.S. Secretary of Treasury, 13:32 founding father, cowriter of the 13:33 Federalist Papers, 13:34 et cetera, et cetera. 13:35 $20 bill? 13:37 Ah, yes. Okay. 13:39 Some unanimity on that one. 13:40 It's not that you're hard up. 13:42 You've got $20s in your wallet, 13:43 not $10s, right. 13:45 That's right -- Andrew Jackson. 13:46 Andrew Jackson was our seventh 13:47 president of the United States. 13:49 How about this one? 13:51 $100 bill. That's right. 13:54 This is -- Oh, we have some 13:55 well-heeled people in the 13:56 congregation this morning, yeah. 13:58 This is Benjamin Franklin, 14:00 listed among our founding 14:01 fathers, royal character 14:03 and innovator, 14:05 inventor, et cetera, et cetera. 14:06 Now, how about this one? 14:10 $1,000 bill. 14:13 Now, just so you know, this bill 14:15 was discontinued in 1969. 14:17 So they are still technically 14:19 in circulation, but they're 14:20 not being printed any longer. 14:21 Any idea who's on here? 14:23 Well, I actually heard it. 14:26 I actually heard it. 14:27 Grover Cleveland. Okay? 14:28 Grover Cleveland, 14:29 24th president. 14:31 You knew that one. 14:33 Did somebody know that one over 14:33 here? 14:34 No. All right. 14:35 Keep it on going here. 14:37 How about this one? 14:38 A $5,000 bill? 14:41 Who's on this one? 14:44 If you want to check your wallet 14:46 to see, you can -- 14:48 you can do that now, okay? 14:49 Let's see who's on here. 14:51 James Madison, fourth president 14:53 of the United States, 14:54 father of the Constitution, 14:55 cowrote the Federalist Papers, 14:57 et cetera, et cetera. 14:58 Now, how about this one? 14:59 $10,000 bill? 15:02 This is a real thing. 15:02 $10,000 bill -- 15:04 whose picture is on it? 15:05 >> Donald Trump! 15:06 [ Laughter ] 15:14 >> Way better than that. 15:16 [ Laughter, applause ] 15:26 I don't know who that guy is, 15:27 but anyway, I mean, it's -- 15:29 It's actually Salmon P. Chase. 15:31 And some of you are wondering, 15:32 "Isn't that a fish?" 15:34 No, no. Salmon P. Chase 15:35 was actually 15:36 a fairly influential guy. 15:37 He was an Ohio 15:38 senator and governor, 15:40 U.S. Treasury secretary 15:41 under Abraham Lincoln. 15:43 You may remember Lincoln's 15:44 team of rivals. 15:45 And certainly, Salmon P. Chase 15:47 was on the rival side 15:49 of that team of rivals. 15:50 The last one here, 15:52 at least as far as 15:53 U.S. circulation is concerned, 15:55 the domination of $100,000. 15:59 You'll never guess it. 16:02 I didn't know it, either. 16:03 It's Woodrow Wilson. 16:04 Woodrow Wilson 16:06 was our 28th president. 16:07 This bill, you can see it there 16:09 if you can read it in the fine 16:10 print, it was known as a gold 16:11 certificate. 16:12 And it was actually -- It 16:13 wasn't considered 16:14 to be actually legal tender, 16:16 except when used 16:18 by the Federal Reserve Banks. 16:20 So if you have one of these 16:22 in your possession, there's 16:23 two things that you should know. 16:24 Number one, it's extremely 16:25 valuable to collectors. 16:26 They will give you a lot 16:27 of money for it, more than 16:28 the face value on the bill. 16:30 And the FBI is waiting to see 16:32 you after the church service is 16:33 done, okay? 16:35 Because you shouldn't have that 16:37 bill in your possession, right? 16:38 Okay. It's remarkable, isn't it? 16:40 I mean, you know, this parade of 16:42 personages that we put on our 16:44 bills, and the U.S. is not 16:46 the only country to do this. 16:48 For instance, Dame Mary Gilmore 16:50 began to appear in 2017 16:52 on the Australian $10 bill. 16:55 She's a widely-noted, 16:57 nationally-recognized 16:58 poet and writer, 17:00 and they placed her on this bill 17:01 beginning in 2017. 17:02 And, of course, this may be more 17:03 familiar to you -- 17:04 Queen Elizabeth II. 17:06 She's been on a variety 17:07 of bills in the U.K. 17:08 and also in Canada. 17:09 This happens to be a $20 17:11 Canada note 17:12 that began circulation in 2004. 17:15 And on and on and on 17:17 the list could go. 17:18 Now, question -- 17:20 Why do governments do this? 17:24 Why do they place the pictures 17:26 of these famous men and women 17:28 on these bills? 17:30 What's the message that's trying 17:31 to be conveyed there? 17:35 Is it safe to say that 17:37 if you use this piece 17:39 of paper correctly, 17:40 they're trying to -- you 17:42 might become like one of them? 17:43 Maybe someday 17:45 you'll sit in the white House. 17:46 Of course, in the United States, 17:47 you have to be dead 17:48 in order to get on the bill. 17:49 So don't aspire to that. 17:50 But -- But could it be 17:52 they're trying to send a message 17:54 of power and potential, maybe, 17:56 for what's on these bills? 17:59 And if that's the case, 18:01 I wonder just how much 18:04 is this paper money worth? 18:09 Now, some of you are thinking, 18:10 "Increasingly little 18:12 Pastor Shane, increasingly 18:12 little." 18:14 As insurance -- excuse me -- 18:15 inflation continues to go up 18:16 and we have difficulty around 18:18 the globe with economic issues, 18:20 et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, 18:21 but the question is one 18:23 that needs to be answered 18:25 by every person that is 18:26 breathing, from the youngest 18:27 to the oldest, 18:29 because this is an issue 18:30 that will touch sooner or later 18:31 everyone. 18:33 What is the worth of this money 18:38 when it comes to the life 18:42 we are called to live? 18:47 If you have a Bible or a device, 18:48 whatever you have, turn please 18:49 to Matthew 25:14. 18:52 Matthew the 25th chapter, 18:54 beginning with verse 14. 18:55 It's on page 668 18:57 in the red pew Bible. 18:58 That's probably somewhere around 18:59 you there, at least most of 19:00 those Bibles. 19:01 Page 668, Matthew 25, 19:02 beginning with verse 14. 19:03 Let me give you a little 19:04 background here. 19:06 In Matthew 24 and 25, 19:07 we have Jesus' longest 19:10 discourse on the end of time. 19:13 Essentially, at the beginning 19:14 of chapter 24, his disciples 19:16 come to Him and say, "Lord, 19:17 tell us, what will be the signs 19:18 of the destruction of Jerusalem, 19:20 and what will be the signs 19:21 of Your coming, establishing 19:22 Your kingdom?" 19:23 Jesus weaves those two things 19:24 together in chapter 24. 19:26 He begins to tell some parables, 19:27 also. 19:29 And by the time we get to 19:30 chapter 25, we have this parable 19:33 often referred to as 19:34 the Parable of the Talents. 19:36 Now, if you're new to the Bible 19:37 and you're not sure 19:38 what a parable is, a parable 19:40 is an object-lesson story. 19:42 There are details in it 19:43 that are certainly rooted 19:44 in actual events, but it is 19:46 an object-lesson story. 19:47 And the point is real. 19:49 The point that Jesus is making 19:51 with this parable is intended 19:53 to be very, very real, 19:55 even if facets of the story 19:57 did not necessarily reflect 19:58 actual events. 19:59 Let's check this story out. 20:00 Matthew 25, 20:01 beginning with verse 14. 20:03 Jesus is speaking. 20:04 He says, "Again, 20:05 it will be like"... 20:06 In other words, the end of time, 20:07 those days. 20:08 And then Jesus returned, 20:10 establishing His kingdom. 20:11 "Again, it will be like a man 20:13 going on a journey 20:15 who called his servants and 20:16 entrusted his property to them. 20:18 To one, he gave 20:20 five talents of money, 20:22 to another, two talents, 20:23 and to another, one talent, 20:25 each according to his ability. 20:27 Then he went on his journey." 20:30 Now, pause for just a moment, 20:31 please. 20:33 These talents that are given 20:35 here, these talents are not like 20:36 the ability to play the guitar 20:37 or saxophone 20:38 or something like that. 20:39 This is actual money 20:40 in the parable that is given 20:42 to these servants. 20:43 And this was certainly 20:44 a factual thing. 20:45 It was not 20:47 an unusual occurrence. 20:48 If there was a wealthy 20:49 landowner, had a large estate or 20:50 whatnot, he would call his most 20:52 trusted servants 20:54 to take care of business 20:56 while he was away on a journey. 20:58 Servants then did not only 20:59 do menial tasks, some of them 21:00 were highly trained and highly 21:01 educated to take care of 21:03 precisely this type of thing. 21:04 So not an unusual thing. 21:06 He then gives 21:07 these quote talents. 21:10 Now, what's a talent? 21:12 Well, a talent in those days was 21:14 actually a measure of weight. 21:16 It was a measure of weight. 21:18 And scholars have debated 21:19 exactly what -- how much weight 21:20 that was, but we have at least 21:22 a reasonable understanding 21:23 that it was £75. 21:25 And we're going to guess 21:27 that this £75, one talent, 21:29 was not given in gold, 21:31 because, you know, 21:33 then, as now, most people 21:34 didn't just have gold -- 21:35 it was too precious -- lying 21:36 around the house, et cetera, 21:37 but they did use silver 21:39 as currency. 21:40 So if this is £75 of silver, 21:42 let's try to get a picture 21:43 for how much money is being 21:44 given to these servants. 21:45 One talent, about $30,000. 21:48 I think the price of silver 21:49 this week was like $23 21:51 an ounce, $26 an ounce, 21:52 something like that. 21:53 Two talents, $60,000. 21:55 Five talents, $150,000. 21:58 Now, that's not a small amount 22:00 of money. 22:02 But scholars have also 22:04 pointed out that a talent 22:07 doesn't go as far as it used to. 22:09 And given inflation -- 22:11 Actually, in those days, 22:12 the buying power for a talent 22:14 was way more than it would be 22:16 even using United States 22:17 silver prices, et cetera. 22:18 So, actually, if we take the 22:21 Bible's reckoning, one talent 22:23 was equal to 20 years' pay 22:28 for an unskilled laborer. 22:30 Twenty years' pay. 22:33 So if we bring that into 22:34 modern terms, one talent, 22:37 20 years' pay at minimum wage -- 22:38 you know, the federal minimum 22:39 wage now is $7.25 -- 22:41 if we just take that 22:42 minimum reckoning there, 22:43 one talent would equal $300,000, 22:46 two talents, $600,000, 22:48 five talents, $1.5 million. 22:53 Translation -- This is a h-- 22:55 this is a truckload of cash 22:57 that the master is giving 22:58 to his servants. 22:59 This is not pennies. 23:00 He is entrusting 23:02 a sizable part of his fortune 23:04 to these servants. 23:07 And then He goes away 23:10 on his trip. 23:12 Let's see what happens next. 23:14 Verse 16. 23:16 "The man who had received 23:17 the five talents went at once 23:19 and put his money to work 23:20 and gained five more. 23:21 So also the one with the two 23:23 talents gained two more. 23:24 But the man who had received 23:26 the one talent went off, 23:28 dug a hole in the ground, 23:29 and hid his master's money. 23:32 After a long time, the master 23:35 of those servants returned 23:36 and settled accounts with them. 23:37 The man who had received 23:38 the five talents 23:40 brought the other five. 23:41 'Master,' he said, 'you 23:42 entrusted me with five talents. 23:43 See, I have gained five more.' 23:46 His master replied, 'Well done, 23:48 good and faithful servant. 23:49 You have been faithful 23:50 with a few things, I will put 23:51 you in charge of many things. 23:52 Come and share 23:53 your master's happiness.' 23:55 The man who had the two talents 23:57 also came. 23:58 'Master,' he said, 'you 23:59 entrusted me with two talents. 24:01 See, I have gained two more.' 24:03 His master replied, 'Well done, 24:05 good and faithful servant. 24:07 You have been faithful with 24:08 a few things, I will put you in 24:09 charge of many things. 24:10 Come and share 24:11 your master's happiness.' 24:14 Then the man who had received 24:16 the one talent came. 24:19 'Master,' he said, 24:21 'I knew that you are a hard man, 24:23 harvesting where you have not 24:24 sown and gathering where you 24:26 have not scattered seed. 24:28 So I was afraid and went out and 24:31 hid your talent in the ground. 24:33 See, here is what belongs 24:35 to you.' 24:38 His master replied, 'You wicked, 24:42 lazy servant. 24:44 So you knew that I harvest 24:46 where I have not sown and gather 24:49 where I have not scattered seed. 24:51 Well, then you should have 24:53 put my money on deposit 24:54 with the bankers 24:55 so that when I returned, 24:57 I would have received it back 24:58 with interest. 25:00 Take the talent from him 25:02 and give it to the one 25:03 who has the 10 talents, 25:05 for everyone who has will be 25:07 given more, 25:08 and he will have an abundance. 25:11 Whoever does not have 25:13 even what he has will be taken 25:15 from him. 25:16 And throw that worthless servant 25:19 outside into the darkness, 25:22 where there will be weeping 25:24 and gnashing of teeth.'" 25:32 It's quite a story, isn't it? 25:34 And for those of you 25:36 that have spent time studying 25:38 the meaning of the story, you 25:39 know that there are many lessons 25:41 that we can pull from this. 25:43 But I think it might be helpful 25:44 for us to focus specifically 25:46 on verse 27. 25:49 And this may seem a little bit 25:50 odd when you read it there, 25:51 but I think that verse 27 25:53 is the key to unlocking the core 25:56 meaning of this parable. 25:57 Let's read verse 26 to get 25:59 some context and then verse 27. 26:02 "His master replied, 26:03 'You wicked, lazy servant. 26:05 So you knew that I harvest 26:06 where I have not sown 26:07 and gather where I have not 26:08 scattered seed.'" 26:10 Verse 27, "'Well, then, 26:12 you should have put my money 26:14 on deposit with the bankers 26:16 so that when I returned, 26:18 I would have received it back 26:20 with,'" what? What's that word? 26:22 With interest. Huh. 26:25 Now, this is a fascinating 26:27 point here, and often, 26:29 we kind of gloss right over it. 26:30 We want to rush to the end here. 26:32 At today's average 26:33 interest rates 26:35 on a consumer saving account, 26:37 okay, average rate across the 26:38 United States... 26:40 I checked on this at the FDIC 26:40 website yesterday. 26:42 Over a period of, say, a year, 26:45 the average that you'll get 26:47 today is 0.46%. 26:51 That just gets your blood 26:53 running, doesn't it? 26:54 "Ooh, .46% interest." 26:57 Pretty weak, huh? Okay? 26:58 But let's see if we can bring 26:59 this into modern terms here. 27:01 If the first servant, with his 27:03 $300,000 in talent here, 27:06 given by the master to him, 27:07 if he had placed it for one year 27:10 with the bankers at .46%, 27:12 he would have earned about 27:13 $1,380 in interest. 27:16 That's it. 27:18 And furthermore, 27:20 let's imagine that the master 27:22 was gone for 10 years. 27:23 Now, just the master was gone 27:24 for a long time. 27:25 We don't know how long 27:26 he was gone, okay? 27:27 But 10 years, that's a good, 27:28 long time, so it's a round 27:29 number, let's use it. 27:30 This means that in 10 years' 27:31 time, the interest 27:34 that would have been earned by 27:36 that $300,000, that one talent 27:39 given to the unfaithful servant, 27:40 well, let's put it in the 27:41 context of the others, right? 27:42 The invested talents 27:44 during this time, 27:45 this imaginary 10-year time, 27:46 the first servant, 27:47 we know that he doubled. 27:48 He went from $1.5 million 27:49 to $3 million. 27:51 Wow! Doubled his investment. 27:52 The second service -- servant -- 27:54 $600,000 to $1.2 million. 27:57 He doubles it, too. 27:58 The third servant with his one 28:00 talent, he goes from $300,000 28:02 to $314,089. 28:07 $314,089. 28:10 Now, I'll tell you what. 28:11 I wouldn't mind having $14,089 28:14 lying around free in my house. 28:15 That wouldn't be so bad. 28:16 I'm sure I could find a use 28:17 for that, right? 28:18 But when compared 28:19 to the first two servants, 28:21 I mean, that's peanuts. 28:22 It's nothing. 28:26 Now, I fully understand 28:28 that this parable of Christ 28:30 is not solely about money. 28:31 The talents are representative 28:32 of skills, abilities, resources, 28:33 et cetera that God has 28:35 put under our stewardship. 28:36 Fully accept and support that. 28:37 And this fact certainly does not 28:39 exclude money from the equation. 28:42 In fact, money is obviously 28:43 the primary vehicle 28:45 by which the points 28:46 of the parable are made, 28:47 which leads us to a potentially 28:49 eye-popping proposition. 28:51 Could it be -- Could it be that 28:54 the reason the master said, 28:55 "Why didn't you put money 28:56 on deposit," was not 28:58 because of the master's desire 29:00 to squeeze every last penny 29:02 out of his estate 29:03 but because of this fact -- 29:05 money is one of God's tools 29:06 to prepare us for heaven? 29:09 Money is one of God's tools 29:11 to prepare us for heaven. 29:13 In other words -- follow me 29:15 carefully here -- the interest 29:17 that would have been earned 29:19 for the third servant 29:20 on the master's cash 29:21 was so comparatively puny 29:24 that we can immediately see 29:26 that the raw gaining of wealth 29:28 is clearly not 29:29 the point of the parable. 29:30 No, for the parable 29:33 was not about how much money 29:35 was earned for the master 29:38 but rather what that money 29:39 ultimately did for 29:41 and in the servant. 29:46 Let's unpack this 29:48 a little further. 29:51 In the parable of the talents, 29:53 the wicked servant is not thrown 29:54 out into darkness primarily 29:56 because of how he spent 29:57 his master's money 29:58 but of why he spent his money. 30:00 For, you see, 30:01 at the fundamental level, 30:03 the servant hid 30:04 the money in the ground, 30:06 because -- listen carefully -- 30:07 he didn't share 30:09 his master's values. 30:12 That's why the servant did it. 30:14 You say, "How do you know?" 30:15 Because that's 30:16 what the text says. 30:17 It says there very clearly, 30:19 "I knew that you are a hard man, 30:21 harvesting where you have not 30:23 sown and gathering where 30:24 you have not scattered seed." 30:26 In other words, he's calling 30:28 his servant a thief. 30:29 I mean, this is a bold 30:32 accusation right in your face. 30:34 And the servant therefore had 30:35 completely misjudged his master, 30:37 because in the parable, 30:39 who is the master representing? 30:41 Jesus. Yeah, this is Jesus. 30:44 And Jesus is our Savior. 30:46 He's our Lord, our Savior, 30:47 our friend, the one who died 30:48 for our sins, 30:49 who loves us so much 30:51 that He gave His life for us. 30:52 And the wicked servant 30:54 does not share that love 30:56 and sacrificial spirit, 30:57 apparently, at all. 31:00 And in the eyes of the master, 31:02 concerning that servant, 31:03 this was the overarching point. 31:06 And he even addresses it 31:07 specifically. 31:09 "So you knew," the master says, 31:11 "that I was a hard man." 31:13 And thus the master addresses 31:15 this directly in his sentencing 31:16 of the wicked servant. 31:17 In other words, the master 31:19 had been looking for something. 31:21 While he was away, he had been 31:23 looking for the servant to adopt 31:25 his values, his mission, 31:27 his priorities as his own. 31:30 And the money was simply 31:31 the tool the master used 31:33 to attempt to do this. 31:35 You see, as it turns out, 31:37 God is ultimately not looking 31:39 for cash but for character. 31:43 God is not ultimately looking 31:45 for money but for a mind that 31:47 is motivated by His mission. 31:50 God is not ultimately 31:51 looking for interest 31:52 earned on His economic assets 31:54 but rather for the development 31:55 of devotion in the daily lives 31:57 of His disciples. 31:59 And, yes, 32:00 for all of these things, 32:01 God very often uses 32:03 the tool of money to bring 32:05 these results about in us. 32:08 Now, based on this understanding 32:09 of this parable, 32:11 we can now identify at least 32:12 two key truths about money. 32:14 And the first one, I don't think 32:15 you'll argue with. 32:16 First truth -- How we spend 32:18 money expresses our values. 32:20 That's pretty basic, right? 32:21 I mean, if you want to know 32:22 what somebody believes, 32:23 take a look at how they spent 32:24 their money for the month. 32:25 We spend money to buy things 32:26 that we approve of. 32:28 We spend money to stop things 32:29 that we don't approve of. 32:31 How we spend our money 32:32 expresses our values. 32:33 But there is a second truth, 32:35 and it is not often recognized. 32:37 And it's this -- How we spend 32:38 money shapes our values. 32:43 It doesn't just express them, 32:45 but it also shapes them. 32:48 When we participate 32:50 financially in something, 32:51 something comes back to us. 32:53 We experience something 32:55 as a result of that investment, 32:56 either for good or for bad. 32:58 Now again, 32:59 we see this in the parable 33:00 with the unfaithful servant. 33:03 This servant starts out 33:05 sharing at least some 33:07 of his master's values. 33:08 Did you see that in the story? 33:10 Remember what the master does. 33:12 He calls his servants in, 33:14 and he gives them these talents 33:15 according to their -- 33:17 what was the word -- ability. 33:19 According to their ability. 33:20 Now some people say, "Well, 33:21 that just means 33:22 they were good with money." 33:23 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 33:24 The devil is good with money, 33:26 but don't give him your wallet. 33:29 Because he doesn't share 33:30 your values, right? 33:32 So when he says 33:34 according to their ability, 33:36 he's not just talking about, 33:37 you know, calculating savvy. 33:39 He's talking about, "Do they 33:39 share my values? 33:40 Can I trust them?" 33:43 The first servant comes in, and 33:44 apparently this servant has had, 33:46 you know, maturity in his 33:48 relationship with the master. 33:50 He shares the master's value, 33:52 and the master recognizes that 33:53 by giving him five talents, 33:54 1.5 million bucks. 33:57 Second servant comes in. 33:59 Not as much experience 34:00 as the first servant, shares 34:02 much of his master's values 34:03 but not all of them, 34:04 and he says, "You know what? 34:05 You're not quite ready for five, 34:07 but I'm going to give you two." 34:08 And then the third servant 34:10 comes in, and the seeds 34:11 of the master's values 34:13 undoubtedly have sprung up 34:14 in this servant's heart. 34:16 The servant has somehow made 34:18 at least a portion 34:19 of the master's values his own. 34:21 But the master looks and sees 34:22 and says, "You know, 34:23 the measure of maturity, 34:24 you're not ready 34:25 for five talents. 34:26 You're not ready for two. 34:27 But I'm going to give you one. 34:29 Now, go to it. Go to it." 34:32 So the servant starts out 34:34 with at least a measure 34:35 of sharing his master's values. 34:36 But something happens 34:38 over the time of the journey. 34:41 Obviously, we don't know from 34:42 the parable when exactly 34:43 this happened. 34:44 Maybe the servant, 34:45 you know, buried it right away. 34:47 Maybe he waited a little while. 34:48 You know, what must have gone 34:50 through that servant's mind when 34:51 he saw the other two servants 34:53 multiplying the master's money? 34:55 "Oh, maybe I should go dig it 34:57 up, maybe I should bring it out 34:58 to put it -- Maybe -- 35:00 Maybe I should even take it 35:00 to the bankers. 35:02 Maybe interest would be 35:03 fitting." 35:05 But for whatever reason, 35:06 he doesn't do it. 35:08 He continues to quote, 35:09 "Spend the master's money," 35:12 by burying it in the ground. 35:14 And it affects him. 35:17 It shapes him. 35:19 You see, the longer you say 35:20 no to Jesus, the colder 35:22 your heart can become. 35:25 And somewhere along the line, 35:27 this servant went from being 35:28 a candidate to receive part 35:29 of the master's estate 35:31 to someone who is cold 35:33 and hard and cynical, 35:35 to the place where he even 35:37 mistakes the Savior for a thief. 35:42 How we spend money 35:45 both expresses our values 35:47 and shapes them, as well, 35:52 all of which leads to 35:53 what I think 35:56 is a fascinating conclusion. 36:00 If these two things are true, 36:03 then how we spend our money 36:06 reveals not only who we are 36:08 but also who we will become. 36:12 Wow. 36:14 How we spend our money 36:16 reveals not only who we are 36:17 but also who we will become. 36:20 So I want to encourage you to do 36:21 a little thought experiment 36:22 just between you and Jesus, 36:23 right in the quietness 36:24 of your own cranium. 36:25 I want you to imagine that 36:27 Jesus, not me or a church leader 36:29 or anybody else, 36:31 no financial planners, 36:32 just you and Jesus met tomorrow 36:35 and you sat down at the table 36:37 and all of your receipts, 36:39 your credit card bills, your 36:42 online receipts for everything 36:44 that you purchased for the month 36:45 or for the year and Jesus sees 36:46 all of these things. 36:48 What kind of person would Jesus 36:50 say you currently are? 36:53 And what kind of person would 36:55 Jesus say you are becoming? 37:01 For some of you, that may be 37:03 a joyful thought experiment. 37:07 Perhaps for others, it might be 37:09 a little more sobering. 37:12 And does Jesus have 37:14 an idea of the person 37:16 He'd like us to become? 37:18 Yes. 37:20 That's an easy question, right? 37:21 Yes, He does. Yes, He does. 37:23 You know, when I read in my 37:24 Bible, Fruits of the Spirit 37:26 found in Galatians 5:22-23, 37:28 I think it is safe to say 37:29 that Jesus wants each of us 37:31 to become people who are loving 37:33 and joyful and peaceful 37:34 and patient and kind and good 37:36 and faithful and gentle 37:38 and self-controlled. 37:39 Amen? Amen. 37:41 So let's spend money 37:43 so that we and others 37:45 can become those kind of people. 37:47 I think Jesus also wants 37:49 each of us to become like what's 37:51 described in Philippians 4:8. 37:54 People that are true and noble 37:55 and right and pure and lovely 37:57 and admirable and excellent 37:58 and praiseworthy. 37:59 Amen? Amen, yes. 38:01 So let's spend money 38:03 so that we and others 38:05 can become those kind of people. 38:07 And there's a little book called 38:09 education on page 57. 38:11 And it makes me think that 38:12 Jesus also wants us to satisfy 38:15 the greatest want of the world 38:17 by becoming people who cannot be 38:19 bought or sold, people who, 38:21 in their inmost souls, 38:22 are true and honest, 38:23 people who do not fear 38:25 to call sin by its right name, 38:26 people whose conscience is 38:27 as true to duty as the compass 38:29 needle is to the North Pole, 38:31 people who will stand for the 38:32 right though the heavens fall. 38:33 Amen? 38:34 >> Amen. 38:37 >> Let's spend money, therefore, 38:39 so that we and others 38:40 can become those kind of people. 38:46 Now, there's probably a thousand 38:48 ways that the Lord could guide 38:50 each of us individually to spend 38:51 money towards those goals, 38:53 to help us become 38:54 the kind of people 38:55 that God dreams we can be. 38:57 I just want to share with you 38:59 two of them, two ways 39:01 that this process can happen. 39:03 And I can sum it up in a single 39:04 sentence. 39:05 When it comes to money, 39:07 if you want to become 39:08 the kind of person 39:09 Jesus wants you to become, 39:11 regularly return tithe 39:12 and offerings. 39:15 If you want to become -- 39:16 When it comes to money, if you 39:17 want to become the kind of 39:18 person Jesus wants you to 39:20 become, regularly return 39:21 tithe and offerings. 39:24 Now, what I'm going to say next, 39:25 I need to have a little caveat 39:27 before I say it. 39:28 I do not earn a penny more 39:31 if you do or don't pay tithe 39:32 or offerings. 39:34 This is part of the genius 39:35 of the Adventist system, okay? 39:36 In the Adventist system, 39:38 generally speaking, every pastor 39:39 makes essentially the same 39:40 thing. 39:41 There's some adjustments for 39:41 cost of living, but that's 39:42 about it. 39:44 And so, a pastor gets paid 39:45 the same whether he has 39:46 3 members or 3,000. 39:49 And that is part of the genius 39:51 of this whole thing, 39:52 because we can send a pastor 39:53 to an unentered area 39:55 where there is no church. 39:56 He can have zero members 39:58 and still have money to put food 40:00 on the table and clothes 40:01 on his back and gas in the tank. 40:02 I think that's a great thing, 40:03 right? 40:04 Translation -- 40:06 If you give more money, 40:08 I don't see any of it. 40:09 I will still receive 40:10 the same meager paycheck 40:12 that I got before, okay? 40:15 That in mind, 40:17 you tell me, how much is tithe? 40:19 Simple question. 10%, right? 40:20 The Bible is real clear 40:21 about that -- 10%, 40:22 this is tithe. 40:24 God asks us to return that. 40:25 So if I make $100 40:27 in some sort of work that I do, 40:28 then $10 of that 40:29 God asked me to return to Him. 40:31 Now, in the Seventh-day 40:32 Adventist Church, where does 40:33 this tithe go for? 40:35 What does it go for? 40:36 Well, it goes for the sharing 40:37 of the gospel of Jesus Christ 40:39 all over the world. 40:40 And again, to me, this is part 40:41 of the genius of the 40:42 Adventist system. 40:43 I love this. 40:44 When I write out 40:45 a check or pay online, 40:46 Advent is giving 40:48 for tithe, for our family. 40:49 When that comes in, 40:51 let's say the plate comes by 40:52 and I drop my envelope 40:53 in the plate with my tithe check 40:54 and all the tithe that's here, 40:56 not a dime of that stays here. 40:58 Every Adventist church in the 40:59 world, this is how it works. 41:01 None of that tithe stays here 41:02 because we are a global 41:03 worldwide movement, 41:04 not just here locally. 41:05 And so, we send that 41:06 up the chain. 41:07 We send it to our conference 41:08 office in Lansing. 41:09 It then goes to the union office 41:10 just down the street. 41:11 It goes to the division office. 41:12 It goes to the general 41:13 conference eventually. 41:14 Each one of those places will 41:15 take a little bit to sustain 41:16 their operations, 41:18 but the bulk of it then goes out 41:19 to the worldwide field, 41:21 which means, quite literally, 41:23 there are pastors 41:25 in parts of the world right now 41:27 that have a bicycle to ride 41:28 or a car to drive 41:31 and a roof over their head 41:32 so they can preach the Gospel 41:33 in an area that is poor 41:34 and not lavishly endowed 41:36 like America is. 41:37 And it happened because people 41:39 like me put their tithe envelope 41:40 in the plate right here. 41:42 That's awesome. 41:43 Someone say amen. 41:45 That's a great, great thing. 41:47 And I'll tell you what. 41:49 Adventist are traditionally 41:50 very faithful tithe returners. 41:52 This is one of the reasons why, 41:53 while the rest of Christianity 41:55 is tending to have very negative 41:57 downward trending membership, 41:58 Adventism continues to move 42:00 upward because we believe 42:02 that Jesus has called us 42:03 for such a time as this, 42:04 and we're willing to put 42:06 our money where our mouth is. 42:07 It's a tremendous thing. 42:11 When my daughter was about 42:12 6 years old, maybe 5, 42:14 6 years old, she had been -- 42:17 We set up a little tithe system 42:18 for our girls. 42:19 It was just a little 42:20 plastic jar there on the side in 42:22 their room. 42:23 And when we would give 42:24 them money, which of course, 42:25 to them was a fortune -- 42:26 you know, give them a quarter, 42:27 "Oh!" you know, this kind of -- 42:28 we would say, 42:30 "Well, you know, we need to pay 42:30 tithe on that." 42:31 So we put some pennies in, okay? 42:33 And they'd be watching this, 42:34 right? 42:35 And the first Sabbath, 42:36 when my youngest, 42:38 Ellie, was going to pay 42:38 tithe, came up. 42:40 And we had an envelope there, 42:41 and we sat down 42:43 and we were making out -- 42:44 I made out a tithe check, 42:45 and she's getting together 42:46 her pennies, put them in there. 42:48 She put 10 pennies in that 42:49 tithe. 42:50 She made a dollar, okay? 42:52 And she was excited. 42:53 And she looked 42:54 at all these coins in there. 42:55 And she looked at me, 42:56 and I was just putting 42:58 a piece of paper in my envelope. 43:00 Doesn't look very valuable. 43:02 "I mean, look, I've got all 43:02 these coins over here. 43:04 They clank and they make sound, 43:05 and these are" -- You know. 43:06 Anyway, she seals it up 43:07 and she's very proud. 43:08 And later on, she goes to my 43:09 wife, and they're snuggling up 43:11 there and talking about this. 43:12 And Ellie is all chatter, 43:13 "Oh, I'm going to pay tithe, I'm 43:14 going to pay tithe tomorrow." 43:15 And she smiles 43:16 and she leans in and she says, 43:19 "I think I paid more 43:20 than daddy did." 43:22 [ Laughter ] 43:24 She was so excited to be able 43:27 to participate in the worldwide 43:29 work of Jesus Christ. 43:31 And I'll tell you what, 43:32 when we return our tithe 43:34 and our offering 43:35 with that type of attitude, 43:36 great things can happen. 43:38 Not just somewhere out there, 43:40 but in here. 43:42 Because when we are 43:43 paying attention, 43:44 when we do this in a thoughtful 43:46 way, when we return our tithe, 43:48 we become more and more 43:49 the person 43:50 that Jesus wants us to be 43:51 as we help others 43:53 become more and more the people 43:55 that Jesus wants them to be. 43:59 And one last thing with tithe. 44:02 Don't just return tithe 44:03 when you're flush. 44:06 Return it when money is tight. 44:08 And some are saying, 44:09 "Pastor Shane, you don't 44:10 understand. 44:11 I got way more month than money. 44:12 I can't afford to pay tithe." 44:13 All things being equal, 44:15 maybe the reason why you don't 44:16 have enough money is 44:17 because you're not paying tithe. 44:19 You say, 44:20 how could that possibly be? 44:21 Because according 44:22 to Heaven's math, 90% 44:23 goes just as far or further 44:24 than 100%. 44:26 You cannot out-give God. 44:28 In fact, if you begin to pay 44:30 tithe, God has a promise for 44:31 you. 44:32 Let me just put it up here 44:33 on the screen. 44:33 This is from Malachi chapter 3. 44:35 God is speaking here 44:36 to his people. 44:37 He says, "Will a man rob God?" 44:39 And he said, "Yet you rob me. 44:41 But you ask, 44:42 'How do we rob rob you?'" 44:44 And God responds, "In tithes 44:45 and offerings. 44:46 You are under a curse, 44:47 the whole nation of you, 44:48 because you are robbing me. 44:50 Bring the whole tithe 44:52 into the storehouse." 44:53 And then he says this. 44:54 "Test me in this." 44:56 This is rare. This doesn't 44:57 happen very often in the Bible, 44:58 but here God says it. 45:00 "Test me in this, 45:01 says the Lord Almighty, 45:02 and see if I will not throw open 45:04 the floodgates of Heaven 45:05 and pour out so much blessing 45:06 that you will not have room 45:08 enough for it." 45:09 >> Amen. 45:11 >> All right. That was pretty 45:12 slow on the amen, 45:13 ladies and gentlemen. 45:14 Do I need to read that all over 45:15 again? 45:15 Someone say amen. 45:16 >> Amen. 45:16 >> God promises 45:18 you cannot out-give Him. 45:20 And if you return a faithful 45:21 tithe to Him, He says, 45:22 "I'm going to take care of you. 45:24 I'm going to take care of you." 45:25 90% will go just as far 45:27 or further than 100%. 45:28 Test Him, test Him and see. 45:32 And what about offering? 45:33 You know, the Bible doesn't 45:34 tell us explicitly how 45:35 much offering we are to return. 45:36 That we give an offering 45:38 regularly to the Lord, 45:39 that is commanded in Scripture. 45:40 But how much? 45:41 That's between you and the Lord. 45:43 You know, I am so grateful 45:45 for those of you 45:46 that have been faithfully giving 45:48 to Renovate 2.0. 45:50 Those of you who don't know what 45:51 that is, Renovate is a series of 45:52 initiatives that have been 45:53 done here at Pioneer. 45:54 This beautiful sanctuary 45:55 is the result of earlier phases 45:56 of that. 45:57 Other additions 45:58 and upgrades have been going on. 45:59 Thank you for your 46:00 faithfulness to that. 46:02 Let's knock it out in the next 46:03 few months. 46:04 Let's get this thing done. 46:05 This is a good thing. 46:06 And -- And... 46:09 I would strongly encourage 46:11 each of us each month 46:14 to give to local church budget. 46:20 Doesn't that just sound 46:21 so romantic? 46:23 I mean, you just -- 46:24 Your blood pressure 46:25 takes a little skip and your 46:26 heart flutters when you hear 46:27 the words church budget, right? 46:28 You know, just, it's exciting. 46:29 All right. Maybe not. 46:31 But let me see if I can sweeten 46:33 the deal here a little bit. 46:34 If you're watching at home 46:35 right now and you're a part 46:36 of a local church, 46:36 wherever it is, 46:37 whatever flavor it is, 46:38 I want to encourage you 46:39 to regularly give 46:40 to your local church budget, 46:42 because local church budget 46:43 is the financial engine 46:45 for ministry 46:46 in your local congregation. 46:48 And if you're here, if you're 46:48 part of our Pioneer family, 46:50 I want to encourage you, too. 46:51 Regularly give to our church 46:53 operating -- to local church 46:55 budget. 46:56 Let me tell you why. 46:57 Every year, Pioneer, 46:59 our church family, churns out 47:01 hundreds of thousands of dollars 47:02 to support students 47:04 who need a quality education. 47:07 We provide food for the hungry, 47:08 clothing for those who need it. 47:10 Hundreds of people who 47:11 experience emergencies, both 47:13 inside our church membership 47:14 and outside of it, are assisted 47:15 by our congregation every year. 47:18 Furthermore, every Sabbath, 47:19 our children are educated in our 47:21 Sabbath schools downstairs. 47:22 There are hundreds 47:23 of our kids that are down there, 47:24 taught with 47:25 these wonderful resources 47:26 and teachers and materials 47:27 that we have available. 47:29 Every Sabbath morning, 47:30 our students are fed breakfast 47:32 down in the commons 47:32 by the hundreds, 47:34 and a fair slice of the world 47:35 worships with us 47:36 during our worship services 47:38 on Sabbath morning. 47:39 And all of this -- all of 47:41 this -- is funded in full or in 47:43 part from what? 47:45 Church budget, exactly. 47:48 And we praise the Lord 47:49 for your faithfulness in making 47:50 all of these things happen. 47:51 Thank you, thank you. 47:58 And yet, there is much more 48:01 that we could be doing. 48:04 The opportunities are out there. 48:08 There are still hundreds more of 48:09 our students that cannot afford 48:11 to attend our schools. 48:13 This weighs on me daily. 48:15 I am troubled by this fact. 48:16 I think we can do more. 48:18 There are untold numbers 48:19 of people 48:19 in the surrounding area 48:21 that need assistance still with 48:22 food and clothing and shelter, 48:23 including through our various 48:24 ministries to Benton Harbor. 48:26 There are mechanical needs 48:27 in this hallowed 48:28 but increasingly experienced 48:30 building that need attention. 48:31 There are media opportunities 48:32 to share the gospel that are 48:33 just waiting to be utilized. 48:35 There are untold opportunities 48:37 right here on our campus 48:39 for sharing Jesus. 48:41 Yet we cannot fully address 48:43 these things because we do 48:44 not have sufficient funds yet 48:48 to do so. 48:51 So I just want to invite you 48:55 to make maximum use of what God 48:57 has entrusted to you. 49:00 You know, whether we are older 49:02 or younger or in between, 49:03 let us put the money 49:04 that God has entrusted us 49:05 to very good use. 49:08 You know, there are some 49:09 churches that I know of -- not 49:11 very many, but there are some -- 49:12 that have such robust 49:13 giving to church budget 49:15 that they never make special 49:16 appeals for anything else. 49:18 It's astonishing. One church 49:20 I'm thinking of in particular, 49:21 when there was a major 49:22 HVAC failure in the church, 49:24 they paid cash for it. 49:26 There was a major ministry 49:27 opportunity that was in the tens 49:28 of thousands of dollars that 49:30 would cost them. No problem. 49:31 The money was saved up. 49:32 Off they went. 49:33 Now, we're not there yet at 49:35 Pioneer, but we could be. 49:36 We could be. 49:37 And I want to invite you to join 49:39 Darlene and me in every month 49:42 making just a regular 49:43 contribution, 49:43 whatever it might be. 49:44 Between you and the Lord, 49:45 that's up to you. 49:46 A regular contribution 49:48 to the work here 49:49 in the local church budget 49:50 of Pioneer Memorial Church. 49:51 There are great things 49:53 that can happen. 49:54 More people's lives will be 49:56 changed in Jesus Christ 49:57 when we do this. 49:59 And, yes, if we do it 50:01 thoughtfully and intentionally, 50:02 we will be changed, as well, 50:06 more and more as 50:07 we partner with Jesus 50:09 in how we spend our money. 50:11 [ Chuckles ] 50:13 Because the funny thing, 50:15 as it turns out, the net worth 50:18 of a Washington, a $1 bill, 50:20 or a Wilson, a $100,000 bill, 50:22 is not measured in cars 50:25 or houses or land or prestige 50:26 or status or what have you. 50:28 But the real net worth 50:29 of a Washington or a Wilson 50:31 is measured in the glory 50:32 given to God 50:33 by life transformation 50:35 by and for Jesus Christ 50:37 in others' hearts and in ours. 50:41 And by that measurement, 50:44 may Jesus return soon 50:46 and find us very rich indeed. 50:49 >> Amen. Amen. 50:51 Amen. 50:57 [ Band plays ] 50:59 ♪ 51:01 ♪ 51:10 ♪ 51:20 ♪ 51:29 ♪ 51:39 ♪ 51:49 ♪ 51:58 ♪ 52:08 ♪ 52:17 ♪ 52:27 ♪ 52:36 ♪ 52:46 ♪ 52:56 ♪ 53:05 ♪ 53:15 ♪ 53:24 ♪ 53:34 ♪ 53:43 ♪ 53:53 ♪ 54:03 ♪ 54:12 ♪ 54:22 ♪ 54:31 ♪ 54:41 ♪ 54:50 ♪ 55:00 ♪ 55:09 ♪ 55:19 ♪ 55:29 ♪ 55:38 ♪ 55:48 ♪ 55:57 ♪ 56:07 ♪ 56:16 ♪ 56:26 ♪ 56:36 ♪ 56:45 [ Cheers and applause ] 56:52 >> I'm Shane Anderson, 56:53 the lead pastor here at 56:55 Pioneer Memorial Church. 56:57 At Pioneer Media, we have been 56:59 blessed by the financial support 57:00 that comes from our viewers 57:02 like you that enable us 57:03 to continue this ministry. 57:06 We've made a conscious decision 57:07 not to continually appeal to you 57:09 for that support. 57:10 However, keeping this ministry 57:12 going takes money to support 57:13 our staff and technology needs. 57:16 If God has blessed you 57:18 and you would like to further 57:19 the work of this ministry, we 57:20 invite you to partner with us. 57:23 You can donate on our web site, 57:24 pmchurch.org, 57:27 then click "giving" at the top, 57:29 then select "media ministry," 57:32 or call the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:36 Again, that number is 57:37 877-the two words HIS-WILL. 57:41 My prayer is that the God 57:43 who has blessed you will 57:44 continue to pour into your life 57:46 the gifts of His joy 57:47 and His hope. 57:48 Thank you. 57:50 And I'm looking forward to 57:51 seeing you right here again next 57:52 time. 58:00 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:18 ♪ |
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