1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,167 2 00:00:01,250 --> 00:00:11,250 [music] 3 00:00:13,042 --> 00:00:16,333 What do you think about the church? 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,333 Do you love the church? 5 00:00:30,042 --> 00:00:33,167 Do you serve the church? 6 00:00:39,333 --> 00:00:44,333 When you see the church, what do you see? 7 00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:57,833 Jesus loves his church. 8 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,875 So, would you classify yourself as rich or poor? 9 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,375 Rich or poor? 10 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:25,333 And if you're rich, would you have certain attitudes 11 00:01:25,333 --> 00:01:28,083 toward the poor, like, "They should work. 12 00:01:28,167 --> 00:01:29,667 "They're killing me. 13 00:01:29,708 --> 00:01:31,583 "They've got me in a horrible tax bracket. 14 00:01:31,667 --> 00:01:35,042 "They're lazy. They shouldn't have gotten pregnant. 15 00:01:35,167 --> 00:01:36,875 "It's their own fault. 16 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,667 You know how they are, those poor people." 17 00:01:39,750 --> 00:01:41,167 How about you poor people? 18 00:01:41,250 --> 00:01:43,667 Especially those at Mars Hill Ballard, 19 00:01:43,708 --> 00:01:45,875 University District, Downtown, 20 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,083 and of course Portlandia. 21 00:01:49,167 --> 00:01:52,375 Those who are poor, do you have any attitude toward those 22 00:01:52,500 --> 00:01:53,833 who are rich? 23 00:01:53,833 --> 00:01:57,333 "Yes, they're thieves and crooks, and they rip us off, 24 00:01:57,333 --> 00:02:01,833 and we need to tax them more, more lashes for the rich." 25 00:02:01,833 --> 00:02:06,167 "Robin Hood" is your favorite book of all time. 26 00:02:06,250 --> 00:02:09,000 And what happens is then, well, you're poor, 27 00:02:09,042 --> 00:02:11,083 what's your political party? 28 00:02:11,167 --> 00:02:12,667 Democrat. 29 00:02:12,750 --> 00:02:15,167 You're rich, you're Republican. 30 00:02:15,250 --> 00:02:18,167 We even have it in the church where we have two theologies. 31 00:02:18,250 --> 00:02:20,375 You're poor, you have a poverty theology. 32 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:23,375 "Jesus was poor, I'm poor. Hey, look, I'm like Jesus." 33 00:02:23,500 --> 00:02:25,042 Maybe not exactly. 34 00:02:25,167 --> 00:02:27,250 Some of you, if you tend to be rich, 35 00:02:27,333 --> 00:02:29,250 you tend to gravitate toward a prosperity theology. 36 00:02:29,333 --> 00:02:31,000 "Oh, I'm rich because God blessed me. 37 00:02:31,042 --> 00:02:34,667 He must love me more than those poor people." 38 00:02:34,750 --> 00:02:37,167 And if you ask the wrong question, 39 00:02:37,250 --> 00:02:39,000 you go the wrong direction. 40 00:02:39,042 --> 00:02:41,500 And this is part of the acrimony and the hostility, 41 00:02:41,542 --> 00:02:44,542 even in an election year cycle like we find ourselves in. 42 00:02:44,667 --> 00:02:47,333 It's the rich and the poor, and it's class war, 43 00:02:47,333 --> 00:02:50,167 and which is going to win, and which is going to lose. 44 00:02:50,250 --> 00:02:52,333 Let me ask an entirely different question, 45 00:02:52,333 --> 00:02:54,875 a question that is much closer to the Scriptures 46 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,750 than political arguments. 47 00:02:57,833 --> 00:03:02,375 Are you a generous person? 48 00:03:02,500 --> 00:03:05,875 Doesn't matter if you're poor, doesn't matter if you're rich. 49 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:11,333 God cares whether or not you're a giver or a taker, 50 00:03:11,333 --> 00:03:15,000 whether you're generous or stingy. 51 00:03:15,042 --> 00:03:17,750 And what can happen is we start thinking in a way 52 00:03:17,833 --> 00:03:21,167 that is worldly and not biblical. 53 00:03:21,250 --> 00:03:23,375 We start thinking it's about rich and poor, 54 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:26,500 it's not about generosity. 55 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:29,667 Are you a generous person or not? 56 00:03:29,708 --> 00:03:32,375 And I'll tell you, for me personally, 57 00:03:32,500 --> 00:03:35,750 this is one thing I'm very, very grateful for. 58 00:03:35,833 --> 00:03:39,667 I grew up in a home that wasn't rich. 59 00:03:39,750 --> 00:03:44,333 My ancestors, historically, came from Ireland because of 60 00:03:44,333 --> 00:03:48,542 a famine, starving to death, settled in the Midwest. 61 00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:51,000 My one grandpa was a diesel mechanic, 62 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:57,333 my other was a red potato farmer; not the richest guys. 63 00:03:57,333 --> 00:04:00,500 And my mom and dad moved out to the Northwest 64 00:04:00,542 --> 00:04:02,500 so my dad could have work. 65 00:04:02,542 --> 00:04:05,000 He was a construction worker. 66 00:04:05,042 --> 00:04:07,250 And we had times where things were good; 67 00:04:07,333 --> 00:04:09,333 we had times where it was really hard, 68 00:04:09,333 --> 00:04:11,167 depending upon what the work was like. 69 00:04:11,208 --> 00:04:12,667 My parents never went into debt. 70 00:04:12,708 --> 00:04:15,667 My dad worked very, very hard, and we had five kids, 71 00:04:15,708 --> 00:04:18,667 and my mom stayed home and learned how to stretch a buck, 72 00:04:18,708 --> 00:04:20,250 and we were not rich. 73 00:04:20,333 --> 00:04:24,000 We were poor, working-class poor, but generous. 74 00:04:24,042 --> 00:04:25,750 In the neighborhood I grew up in, 75 00:04:25,833 --> 00:04:28,250 there were a lot of kids who were first-generation 76 00:04:28,333 --> 00:04:30,750 immigrants, and so, you know, their families are just trying 77 00:04:30,833 --> 00:04:34,167 to get started, and they're at zero or in a hole. 78 00:04:34,208 --> 00:04:36,875 And most of the kids in my neighborhood didn't even have 79 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,083 a dad, so a lot of single moms, and a lot of poverty, 80 00:04:40,167 --> 00:04:42,083 and a lot of kids who were struggling. 81 00:04:42,167 --> 00:04:45,167 Yet, at our home, it was the place the kids would come. 82 00:04:45,208 --> 00:04:48,333 So, it was set up that the kids would come to our house 83 00:04:48,417 --> 00:04:50,000 and my mom would feed them. 84 00:04:50,042 --> 00:04:52,667 I can still remember shopping for a coat with my mom 85 00:04:52,750 --> 00:04:54,500 when I was little at Sears Surplus. 86 00:04:54,500 --> 00:04:56,500 Sears is where you go to buy stuff, 87 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:59,000 and then Sears Surplus is where you buy cheaper stuff. 88 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,500 So we went to Sears Surplus-- 89 00:05:00,542 --> 00:05:02,500 I don't even know if it still exists. 90 00:05:02,542 --> 00:05:04,500 And I remember my mom getting extra coats. 91 00:05:04,542 --> 00:05:07,250 We each were getting a winter coat; she got extra coats. 92 00:05:07,333 --> 00:05:09,833 And I said, "Mom, why are we getting extra coats?" 93 00:05:09,833 --> 00:05:11,833 She said, "Because there's kids in the neighborhood 94 00:05:11,833 --> 00:05:14,333 "who don't have a coat, and when they come over, 95 00:05:14,333 --> 00:05:16,042 we're going to give them a coat." 96 00:05:16,167 --> 00:05:18,583 I could still remember as well, my dad coached baseball, 97 00:05:18,667 --> 00:05:20,583 in part because he was the only dad. 98 00:05:20,667 --> 00:05:23,083 He'd never played baseball, but if you're the only dad, 99 00:05:23,167 --> 00:05:24,500 you're also the baseball coach. 100 00:05:24,542 --> 00:05:26,500 And so my dad was the baseball coach, 101 00:05:26,542 --> 00:05:28,875 and I remember my dad would go to thrift stores 102 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,083 and second-hand stores in the course of the off-season, 103 00:05:31,167 --> 00:05:34,000 and he'd buy used gloves and then we'd keep sort of 104 00:05:34,042 --> 00:05:35,667 a stock pile of baseball gloves. 105 00:05:35,750 --> 00:05:37,375 "Hey Dad, why did we do that?" 106 00:05:37,500 --> 00:05:38,833 "Well, because, you know, Marky." 107 00:05:38,833 --> 00:05:40,333 They both still call me Marky. 108 00:05:40,333 --> 00:05:41,667 "You know, Marky." 109 00:05:41,750 --> 00:05:43,875 You can't, unless it's Pastor Marky, I guess, but-- 110 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,250 "Hey, Marky, you know, 111 00:05:46,333 --> 00:05:48,250 "some of the kids, they don't have gloves, 112 00:05:48,333 --> 00:05:51,250 and when they try out for the team what are they gonna--" 113 00:05:51,333 --> 00:05:52,667 "Oh yeah, that's true." 114 00:05:52,708 --> 00:05:54,833 You're going to be a really bad baseball player, 115 00:05:54,917 --> 00:05:57,500 but a really good gunshot victim without a baseball glove. 116 00:05:57,542 --> 00:06:00,333 You're just going to take one over, and over, and over. 117 00:06:00,333 --> 00:06:02,833 So, kids would actually try out for our baseball team 118 00:06:02,833 --> 00:06:04,833 and didn't own a baseball glove. 119 00:06:04,833 --> 00:06:07,583 So, give them a glove. 120 00:06:07,667 --> 00:06:09,000 Generosity. 121 00:06:09,042 --> 00:06:10,500 It doesn't matter if you're poor; 122 00:06:10,542 --> 00:06:11,875 doesn't matter if you're rich. 123 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,083 It matters if you're generous. 124 00:06:14,167 --> 00:06:16,083 If you're a giver and not a taker. 125 00:06:16,167 --> 00:06:19,333 If you're someone who is generous and not stingy. 126 00:06:19,333 --> 00:06:22,333 And my fear is that even sometimes those of us who are 127 00:06:22,333 --> 00:06:25,500 Christians, we could start thinking in a way that is 128 00:06:25,542 --> 00:06:27,375 worldly and not biblical. 129 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:29,667 So, if you're at a more affluent place like 130 00:06:29,750 --> 00:06:31,083 Mars Hill Orange County, 131 00:06:31,167 --> 00:06:33,167 or Mars Hill Bellevue, or Mars Hill Sammamish, 132 00:06:33,250 --> 00:06:35,042 or maybe up toward Mars Hill Shoreline, 133 00:06:35,167 --> 00:06:39,542 you could start to think that having means is a sign 134 00:06:39,667 --> 00:06:41,000 of God's blessing. 135 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,667 It may or may not be. 136 00:06:42,750 --> 00:06:45,167 Again, if you're in Portland, or Downtown, or U-District, 137 00:06:45,250 --> 00:06:48,042 or Ballard and you're young, and college-aged, and single, 138 00:06:48,167 --> 00:06:50,167 and poor, well of course you'd think poor people 139 00:06:50,250 --> 00:06:51,583 are closer to God. 140 00:06:51,667 --> 00:06:53,000 "I'm poor." 141 00:06:53,042 --> 00:06:54,750 Rich people are thinking the same thing. 142 00:06:54,833 --> 00:06:57,500 The truth is it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, 143 00:06:57,542 --> 00:06:59,333 it matters if you know Jesus Christ. 144 00:06:59,333 --> 00:07:01,083 That's how you get close to God. 145 00:07:01,167 --> 00:07:03,333 And God doesn't care if you're poor or rich. 146 00:07:03,333 --> 00:07:07,833 He cares a lot about whether or not you're a generous giver. 147 00:07:07,833 --> 00:07:09,375 And so as we conclude our 148 00:07:09,500 --> 00:07:12,167 "Jesus Loves His Church" sermon series, 149 00:07:12,208 --> 00:07:14,167 we're going to talk about the fact that 150 00:07:14,250 --> 00:07:17,500 Jesus gives through us, 151 00:07:17,542 --> 00:07:20,083 and we're going to start by talking about Jesus. 152 00:07:20,167 --> 00:07:22,875 We'll be in 2 Corinthians 8-9. 153 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,833 And I can't unpack the whole section because it would 154 00:07:25,833 --> 00:07:29,083 take too long, so I'm going to pull a few big ideas out 155 00:07:29,167 --> 00:07:31,167 of 2 Corinthians 8-9. 156 00:07:31,250 --> 00:07:33,542 You can study it for yourself and discuss it 157 00:07:33,667 --> 00:07:35,000 with your Community Group. 158 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,375 And here's his first big idea, the Apostle Paul. 159 00:07:37,500 --> 00:07:41,833 Jesus is the most generous giver ever. 160 00:07:41,833 --> 00:07:43,542 Okay? We start with Jesus. 161 00:07:43,667 --> 00:07:45,833 Some of you are like, "Here we go, 162 00:07:45,917 --> 00:07:48,583 "megachurch pastor going to take my loot. 163 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:50,083 No." 164 00:07:50,167 --> 00:07:52,333 You've already got both hands, one on your wallet, 165 00:07:52,417 --> 00:07:55,083 the other on your car keys, because you're going to leave. 166 00:07:55,167 --> 00:07:56,542 Right? Just hang in there. 167 00:07:56,667 --> 00:08:00,042 Before we talk about your loot, we're going to talk about Jesus. 168 00:08:00,167 --> 00:08:02,375 Before we talk about you giving anything, 169 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:05,375 I want to talk about you getting something. 170 00:08:05,500 --> 00:08:07,167 Here's how he says it. 171 00:08:07,208 --> 00:08:08,667 2 Corinthians 8:9. 172 00:08:08,750 --> 00:08:10,875 "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 173 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,500 that though he was--" what? 174 00:08:12,542 --> 00:08:14,250 "Rich." 175 00:08:14,333 --> 00:08:16,583 Was Jesus rich before he came to the earth? 176 00:08:16,667 --> 00:08:19,667 When he lived in heaven forever as God, rich? 177 00:08:19,750 --> 00:08:21,375 Yes or no? 178 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:23,250 Oh yes. 179 00:08:23,333 --> 00:08:25,750 Like, really, really rich. 180 00:08:25,833 --> 00:08:29,875 Here's the picture of heaven: "Seated on a throne." 181 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,583 That's usually an indication. 182 00:08:31,667 --> 00:08:33,542 Or how many of you have a chair? 183 00:08:33,667 --> 00:08:35,375 Very few of us have a throne. 184 00:08:35,500 --> 00:08:36,875 A throne, now that says something. 185 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,167 "Where will you be?" "I'll be on my throne." 186 00:08:39,208 --> 00:08:41,875 "Well." 187 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,500 And he's surrounded by angels who minister to him 188 00:08:45,500 --> 00:08:50,000 and worship him, and--wow, that's quite a staff. 189 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,583 Heaven, as well, is described as a place with streets 190 00:08:52,667 --> 00:08:54,500 made of what? 191 00:08:54,542 --> 00:08:56,375 Gold. 192 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:59,042 You have a lot of loot when you're paving with gold. 193 00:08:59,167 --> 00:09:01,000 Amen? 194 00:09:01,042 --> 00:09:03,167 "We have so much gold, what do we do?" 195 00:09:03,208 --> 00:09:05,375 "I don't know, pave. 196 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:07,167 "Pave. 197 00:09:07,250 --> 00:09:10,667 "Just highways of gold. I don't know, there's just so much! 198 00:09:10,708 --> 00:09:13,333 Just pave." 199 00:09:13,333 --> 00:09:17,875 I would submit to you, alright, Jesus, right now, in glory, 200 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,083 death, burial, resurrection, ascended back into heaven, 201 00:09:21,167 --> 00:09:23,500 he's got it pretty good. 202 00:09:23,542 --> 00:09:25,333 He's rich. 203 00:09:25,417 --> 00:09:28,500 And he was rich in eternity past. 204 00:09:28,542 --> 00:09:32,333 He is rich right now, but something happened. 205 00:09:32,333 --> 00:09:35,083 "For your sake, he became," what? 206 00:09:35,167 --> 00:09:36,750 "Poor." 207 00:09:36,833 --> 00:09:38,583 Really poor. 208 00:09:38,667 --> 00:09:41,833 Like, his mom was a junior high kid. 209 00:09:41,833 --> 00:09:45,833 He lived in a small town with a couple dozen people. 210 00:09:45,833 --> 00:09:48,500 His home was probably the size of a parking stall 211 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:51,375 for a vehicle today. 212 00:09:51,500 --> 00:09:53,042 He had no running water. 213 00:09:53,167 --> 00:09:56,250 There was only one well in that town, so he and his momma, 214 00:09:56,333 --> 00:09:58,750 they'd have to carry the bucket over to the well 215 00:09:58,833 --> 00:10:00,500 to bring the water to the house. 216 00:10:00,542 --> 00:10:02,167 If he wanted to use the restroom, 217 00:10:02,250 --> 00:10:05,875 he had to leave his little house and go use the outdoor restroom. 218 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,667 Poor. Really, really poor. 219 00:10:08,708 --> 00:10:11,167 His dad was a what? Carpenter. 220 00:10:11,208 --> 00:10:14,542 This is the kind of guy who's got a lunchbox and a tool belt 221 00:10:14,667 --> 00:10:16,042 and gets paid by the hour. 222 00:10:16,167 --> 00:10:17,500 That's his dad. 223 00:10:17,542 --> 00:10:20,542 So, he went from luxury to poverty. 224 00:10:20,667 --> 00:10:23,000 He went from glory to humility. 225 00:10:23,042 --> 00:10:27,000 He went from being served to serving. 226 00:10:27,042 --> 00:10:31,333 He went from seated on a throne to laid in a manger. 227 00:10:31,333 --> 00:10:35,083 Now, this is not what you'd expect, right? 228 00:10:35,167 --> 00:10:38,875 I mean, right now, the thrust of the earth is 229 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,167 to go from poverty to riches. 230 00:10:42,250 --> 00:10:45,333 There's no large group of people right now trying to figure out 231 00:10:45,333 --> 00:10:47,875 how to have less money, right? 232 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,875 There's no, "We're rich but we'd like to be poor. 233 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,667 "Where can we take the class on how to do that? 234 00:10:53,750 --> 00:10:56,667 "We'd like to be broke. 235 00:10:56,750 --> 00:10:58,167 We'd like to be homeless." 236 00:10:58,250 --> 00:11:00,167 I mean, God was homeless. 237 00:11:00,250 --> 00:11:02,083 You start to think about it. 238 00:11:02,167 --> 00:11:04,667 "Though he was rich, for our sake he became poor." 239 00:11:04,750 --> 00:11:08,167 He humbled himself to come down and to join us. 240 00:11:08,208 --> 00:11:10,667 So, the eternal God, the maker of heaven and earth, 241 00:11:10,708 --> 00:11:16,083 enters into human history as the God-man Jesus Christ. 242 00:11:16,167 --> 00:11:19,667 "So that you by his poverty might become rich." 243 00:11:19,750 --> 00:11:22,583 He talks about Jesus coming to identify with us 244 00:11:22,667 --> 00:11:24,875 and trading places for us. 245 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,875 Let's talk about him financially, 246 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,333 and then let's talk about him spiritually. 247 00:11:29,417 --> 00:11:32,667 Yes or no, did Jesus work a job? 248 00:11:32,708 --> 00:11:34,667 Yes, he did. 249 00:11:34,750 --> 00:11:40,000 And with his money, he tithed and paid taxes. 250 00:11:40,042 --> 00:11:41,375 Okay? 251 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:43,333 They taxed God! 252 00:11:43,417 --> 00:11:44,750 Okay? 253 00:11:44,833 --> 00:11:47,000 Governments are always the same, right? 254 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,667 It doesn't matter what government, 255 00:11:48,750 --> 00:11:50,583 they're always the same, like, "Hey, there's God! 256 00:11:50,667 --> 00:11:53,167 Tax him! Tax him." 257 00:11:53,250 --> 00:11:57,875 So, Jesus paid his taxes to the Roman government. 258 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,167 The Roman government was a horrendous government 259 00:12:01,250 --> 00:12:04,667 because God's people wanted to live freely to worship God, 260 00:12:04,708 --> 00:12:08,167 and yet part of being overtaken by the Roman government was you 261 00:12:08,250 --> 00:12:11,333 had to worship their king, their Caesar, as a god. 262 00:12:11,333 --> 00:12:13,667 You had to give your money to your enemy. 263 00:12:13,750 --> 00:12:17,333 Can you imagine giving your money to your enemy? 264 00:12:17,333 --> 00:12:20,542 Yet Jesus, we read in the Bible, he paid his taxes. 265 00:12:20,667 --> 00:12:22,750 He paid his taxes. 266 00:12:22,833 --> 00:12:25,250 It says on one occasion he didn't have the money 267 00:12:25,333 --> 00:12:26,667 for his taxes. 268 00:12:26,708 --> 00:12:28,042 Do you remember this story? 269 00:12:28,167 --> 00:12:30,250 It's one of the funniest stories in the Bible. 270 00:12:30,333 --> 00:12:32,250 Jesus says, "Oh, well I need you guys--" 271 00:12:32,333 --> 00:12:33,667 Tells his disciples, 272 00:12:33,708 --> 00:12:35,833 "Go fishing, alright, throw the line in the water, 273 00:12:35,917 --> 00:12:37,833 "reel in the fish, open the fish's mouth, 274 00:12:37,917 --> 00:12:40,833 "there'll be a coin in there, in the mouth of the fish. 275 00:12:40,917 --> 00:12:42,750 Take the coin and pay my taxes." 276 00:12:42,833 --> 00:12:45,250 That's broke, right? That's broke. 277 00:12:45,333 --> 00:12:48,000 How many of you, tax time, you're like, "I don't know, 278 00:12:48,042 --> 00:12:49,375 "I'm going fishing. 279 00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:52,083 "Maybe I'll find a fish that swallowed a credit card with 280 00:12:52,167 --> 00:12:54,083 no limit and... I can pay my taxes." 281 00:12:54,167 --> 00:12:55,500 You're broke, right? 282 00:12:55,542 --> 00:12:57,083 That's a broke-guy plan. 283 00:12:57,167 --> 00:13:02,042 Jesus is broke, homeless, construction worker, 284 00:13:02,167 --> 00:13:04,042 getting taxed. 285 00:13:04,167 --> 00:13:06,375 So, some of you who are poor, you're like, 286 00:13:06,500 --> 00:13:07,833 "I like this Jesus." 287 00:13:07,833 --> 00:13:09,833 I know. He comes to identify with us. 288 00:13:09,917 --> 00:13:11,875 In addition, he paid his tithe. 289 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,333 He says in places like Matthew 5:17-18, 290 00:13:14,333 --> 00:13:16,500 "Don't think I've come to abolish the law. 291 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:18,000 "I've come to fulfill it. 292 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,375 I obey all the Scriptures." 293 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:24,833 How much was the tithe in the Old Testament? 294 00:13:24,917 --> 00:13:27,875 How many of you would say 10%? Okay. 295 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:29,833 Some of you raised your hand boldly, 296 00:13:29,833 --> 00:13:32,542 some of you think this is a trick question so you're 297 00:13:32,667 --> 00:13:34,250 at shoulder length. 298 00:13:34,333 --> 00:13:36,833 You're like--in worship, you're like, 299 00:13:36,833 --> 00:13:38,875 "I'm not totally Charismatic, but I'm not against 300 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,333 "the Holy Spirit. 301 00:13:40,333 --> 00:13:42,833 "I'm going to hang out here in the safe zone. 302 00:13:42,833 --> 00:13:44,167 Right here." Okay. 303 00:13:44,250 --> 00:13:46,375 That's where some of you are at right now. 304 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:49,333 "I was going to say ten, but--" 305 00:13:49,333 --> 00:13:51,667 Okay, now, tithe literally means a tenth, 306 00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:53,375 and in the Old Testament, 307 00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:57,333 the beginning of the tithes was 10%. 308 00:13:57,333 --> 00:14:00,042 In addition, there were feasts, festivals, 309 00:14:00,167 --> 00:14:02,542 there was money allocated for the poor, 310 00:14:02,667 --> 00:14:05,000 there were certain things that would happen on, let's say, 311 00:14:05,042 --> 00:14:06,375 7-year cycles. 312 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:10,000 If you total it all up, the required minimum, 313 00:14:10,042 --> 00:14:14,750 mandatory amount was over 25%. 314 00:14:14,833 --> 00:14:16,667 Some of you come here, you're like, 315 00:14:16,750 --> 00:14:18,667 "Pastor Mark, are you saying we should tithe? 316 00:14:18,750 --> 00:14:20,250 It's 25%." 317 00:14:20,333 --> 00:14:23,500 Feel free, and pay your taxes, and then you could be like 318 00:14:23,542 --> 00:14:26,667 Jesus, because that's what they did to him. 319 00:14:26,708 --> 00:14:31,542 Twenty-five percent for ministry and back to the Lord, 320 00:14:31,667 --> 00:14:34,667 plus whatever the government imposed upon him. 321 00:14:34,750 --> 00:14:40,167 So, he went from luxury to poverty. 322 00:14:40,250 --> 00:14:42,167 That's what he did, financially. 323 00:14:42,208 --> 00:14:44,083 What did he do spiritually? 324 00:14:44,167 --> 00:14:46,875 Well, here's what Jesus does for us spiritually. 325 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,000 We're all sinners by nature and choice, and as a result, 326 00:14:50,042 --> 00:14:52,000 we've accrued a debt to God. 327 00:14:52,042 --> 00:14:54,667 God made us to live a certain way and we haven't. 328 00:14:54,750 --> 00:14:57,167 All the things that we've done wrong accrue a debt. 329 00:14:57,250 --> 00:15:00,167 All the things we've failed to do right accrue a debt. 330 00:15:00,208 --> 00:15:02,667 We have a massive debt that we owe to God 331 00:15:02,708 --> 00:15:05,333 and Jesus Christ comes. 332 00:15:05,417 --> 00:15:11,042 God sends his very best, his only begotten Son, 333 00:15:11,167 --> 00:15:16,500 and Jesus comes and he literally pays our debt, 334 00:15:16,500 --> 00:15:20,167 our spiritual debt, to God the Father. 335 00:15:20,250 --> 00:15:22,542 He lives a life without any sin. 336 00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:26,667 The sin that we commit is not experienced by Jesus, 337 00:15:26,708 --> 00:15:30,875 and Jesus goes to the cross and there he substitutes himself. 338 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,000 For our sake 339 00:15:33,042 --> 00:15:36,667 he who was spiritually rich also became spiritually poor and 340 00:15:36,750 --> 00:15:40,375 cursed, and the wrath of God was poured out on the Son of God. 341 00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:43,750 And Jesus suffers and dies on the cross in our place 342 00:15:43,833 --> 00:15:47,375 for our sins, paying our debt to God, declaring it himself, 343 00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:49,000 "It is finished. 344 00:15:49,042 --> 00:15:51,000 The debt is paid in full." 345 00:15:51,042 --> 00:15:53,750 And Jesus traded places with us. 346 00:15:53,833 --> 00:15:58,042 So here's what this means: Jesus is a giver, not a taker. 347 00:15:58,167 --> 00:16:00,667 Jesus is generous, not stingy. 348 00:16:00,708 --> 00:16:05,333 One way of seeing all of salvation is that Jesus gives 349 00:16:05,333 --> 00:16:07,167 and we receive. 350 00:16:07,208 --> 00:16:09,333 Some of you are here and you're not Christians; 351 00:16:09,417 --> 00:16:11,333 you're thinking this is a lecture about money. 352 00:16:11,417 --> 00:16:13,333 First of all, it's a lecture about Jesus. 353 00:16:13,417 --> 00:16:15,083 Some of you would come and ask, 354 00:16:15,167 --> 00:16:16,833 "Well, how does someone become a Christian? 355 00:16:16,833 --> 00:16:18,167 What do they do?" 356 00:16:18,250 --> 00:16:21,375 No, it's not what they do, it's what he's done. 357 00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:23,667 It's not what they give to Jesus, 358 00:16:23,708 --> 00:16:26,167 it's what they receive from Jesus. 359 00:16:26,208 --> 00:16:27,833 Right, Christians? 360 00:16:27,833 --> 00:16:30,000 We come to God not with our hands full, 361 00:16:30,042 --> 00:16:32,500 "God, here's all the good things I've done for you." 362 00:16:32,542 --> 00:16:34,667 We come with our hands empty, 363 00:16:34,750 --> 00:16:37,167 "Jesus, I need you to give to me." 364 00:16:37,250 --> 00:16:42,500 Forgiveness of sin, salvation, reconciled relationship 365 00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:47,583 with God the Father, the Holy Spirit, eternal life. 366 00:16:47,667 --> 00:16:51,875 Jesus is the greatest giver, the most generous giver, 367 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,583 in the history of the world. 368 00:16:53,667 --> 00:16:56,500 Everyone who is a Christian knows, 369 00:16:56,500 --> 00:17:01,000 because they have experienced, that Jesus gives generously. 370 00:17:01,042 --> 00:17:02,500 And just think about it. 371 00:17:02,542 --> 00:17:06,167 I mean, one of the things I like to do with the Driscoll kids is 372 00:17:06,250 --> 00:17:08,583 I want them to have an attitude of gratitude. 373 00:17:08,667 --> 00:17:11,333 And what can happen is even in our prayer life, 374 00:17:11,333 --> 00:17:13,375 your prayer life can become exclusively, 375 00:17:13,500 --> 00:17:14,833 "God, please give me this, 376 00:17:14,833 --> 00:17:16,542 "please give me this, please do this, 377 00:17:16,667 --> 00:17:19,042 please do that, please give me this, please do that." 378 00:17:19,167 --> 00:17:20,667 It's also very important to pray 379 00:17:20,750 --> 00:17:22,750 what I like to call thankful prayers. 380 00:17:22,833 --> 00:17:24,833 So, sometimes--oftentimes at night or around dinner, 381 00:17:24,833 --> 00:17:28,375 I'll ask the kids, "What are you thankful for today? 382 00:17:28,500 --> 00:17:31,042 What are you thankful for?" 383 00:17:31,167 --> 00:17:35,375 to see where Jesus has been giving. 384 00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:36,833 And some parents will say, 385 00:17:36,833 --> 00:17:38,833 "Well, I don't want to spoil my kids." 386 00:17:38,833 --> 00:17:41,667 I do. Okay? 387 00:17:41,750 --> 00:17:43,500 I do. 388 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:46,042 I just don't want them to act spoiled. 389 00:17:46,167 --> 00:17:48,083 There's a difference, right? 390 00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:50,833 You can give generously to your kids, you can love them, 391 00:17:50,917 --> 00:17:53,667 bless them, ice cream, hugs, I'll throw you in the pool, 392 00:17:53,750 --> 00:17:56,000 let's hang out. 393 00:17:56,042 --> 00:18:02,167 You can be generous and raise kids who are thankful because 394 00:18:02,250 --> 00:18:05,000 they've learned, "Oh, that's a gift, that's a gift, 395 00:18:05,042 --> 00:18:07,375 "that was nice, thank you, I don't deserve that, 396 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:09,167 "that was grace. 397 00:18:09,250 --> 00:18:11,833 Oh, and it ultimately all comes from the Lord." 398 00:18:11,833 --> 00:18:15,083 It all comes from the Lord and that cultivates 399 00:18:15,167 --> 00:18:18,083 an attitude of gratitude. 400 00:18:18,167 --> 00:18:20,083 Start to think about it in this way: 401 00:18:20,167 --> 00:18:23,167 what do you have that God has given? 402 00:18:23,250 --> 00:18:26,167 Okay, the earth, nice planet, right? 403 00:18:26,250 --> 00:18:31,042 Custom-built for you and I, much cooler than the sun, thankfully. 404 00:18:31,167 --> 00:18:32,500 It's a great planet. 405 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:35,042 Hey, thanks Lord. Nice Earth. 406 00:18:35,167 --> 00:18:37,167 Do you like water? He made it. 407 00:18:37,208 --> 00:18:39,083 Do you like sun? He made it. 408 00:18:39,167 --> 00:18:40,833 Do you like air? I do. 409 00:18:40,917 --> 00:18:42,542 He made it. 410 00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:44,000 He made it. 411 00:18:44,042 --> 00:18:46,333 Do you like your sins forgiven? That's a gift. 412 00:18:46,417 --> 00:18:48,542 You like God's love? That's a gift. 413 00:18:48,667 --> 00:18:50,333 You like eternal life? That's a gift. 414 00:18:50,417 --> 00:18:52,833 If you're looking forward to the resurrection of the dead, 415 00:18:52,917 --> 00:18:54,250 another gift. 416 00:18:54,333 --> 00:18:57,000 How about living in the Father's house forever in the place 417 00:18:57,042 --> 00:18:58,375 that Jesus built? 418 00:18:58,500 --> 00:18:59,833 Gift. 419 00:18:59,833 --> 00:19:02,333 How about brothers and sisters in Christ, and the church, 420 00:19:02,417 --> 00:19:03,750 or the Scriptures, 421 00:19:03,833 --> 00:19:05,500 or a spiritual gift to do ministry? 422 00:19:05,542 --> 00:19:08,500 You know what it all is? It's all a gift, Mars Hill. 423 00:19:08,542 --> 00:19:11,167 And the more we understand that Jesus is the most generous 424 00:19:11,250 --> 00:19:15,583 giver, we realize we don't give so that he would love us, 425 00:19:15,667 --> 00:19:17,542 we give because he does. 426 00:19:17,667 --> 00:19:21,000 We don't give to get, we give because we've already received. 427 00:19:21,042 --> 00:19:22,583 We have an attitude of gratitude. 428 00:19:22,667 --> 00:19:25,833 We say, "We're the children of God and our Dad's a good dad, 429 00:19:25,833 --> 00:19:27,250 "and Jesus is our big brother, 430 00:19:27,333 --> 00:19:29,583 "and he gives generously and gladly, 431 00:19:29,667 --> 00:19:31,833 "and we receive humbly and thankfully 432 00:19:31,833 --> 00:19:36,000 so we can also share generously." 433 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,167 It's like a dad giving a kid two popsicles and the kid knows, 434 00:19:39,250 --> 00:19:42,000 "I'm supposed to give one to my brother." 435 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,667 And that's the view of stewardship in the Bible. 436 00:19:44,750 --> 00:19:48,167 And so he talks about it in this way: it's a grace, 437 00:19:48,250 --> 00:19:51,500 it's an unmerited gift, it's something we don't deserve, 438 00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:54,000 it comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. 439 00:19:54,042 --> 00:19:57,833 He was rich and became poor, so it's not about rich and poor. 440 00:19:57,917 --> 00:20:01,583 Poor people can be like Jesus, rich people can be like Jesus, 441 00:20:01,667 --> 00:20:05,167 because rich and poor, well, Jesus has experienced both. 442 00:20:05,208 --> 00:20:07,000 Amen? 443 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,167 So we can set aside all this class warfare, socialism, 444 00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:14,375 communism, conflict, set aside a lot of the economic arguments 445 00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:17,000 and get back to Jesus, 446 00:20:17,042 --> 00:20:20,500 and that's exactly where he takes us. 447 00:20:20,542 --> 00:20:24,167 Looking at Jesus giving us his righteousness, 448 00:20:24,250 --> 00:20:27,333 giving us his salvation, giving us his sinless life, 449 00:20:27,333 --> 00:20:29,667 giving us his substitutionary death, 450 00:20:29,750 --> 00:20:33,375 giving us his forgiveness of sin, and what that does, 451 00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:39,875 that causes us to receive--to receive the good things that 452 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,542 Jesus gives, and then have a heart change that compels us 453 00:20:43,667 --> 00:20:47,500 to want to share them because that's all worship is. 454 00:20:47,542 --> 00:20:50,000 It's mirroring, imaging, reflecting 455 00:20:50,042 --> 00:20:52,667 who Jesus is to others. 456 00:20:52,750 --> 00:20:56,000 So, firstly, he talks about Jesus and I would ask you: 457 00:20:56,042 --> 00:20:57,833 Do you know Jesus? 458 00:20:57,833 --> 00:20:59,833 Have you received his gift of salvation? 459 00:20:59,833 --> 00:21:02,542 Have you received his gift of righteousness? 460 00:21:02,667 --> 00:21:06,042 Do you understand that he was rich and he became poor so that, 461 00:21:06,167 --> 00:21:10,000 spiritually speaking, you can have your debt paid to God, 462 00:21:10,042 --> 00:21:13,833 you can be richly blessed by the righteousness of Jesus Christ? 463 00:21:13,833 --> 00:21:16,333 Who's happy to receive this gift? 464 00:21:16,417 --> 00:21:18,000 It's amazing, isn't it? 465 00:21:18,042 --> 00:21:20,042 It's great. 466 00:21:20,167 --> 00:21:22,083 And some of you may not understand, 467 00:21:22,167 --> 00:21:24,500 this distinguishes Jesus from other religions. 468 00:21:24,542 --> 00:21:27,167 Other religions say, "Do this, give this." 469 00:21:27,208 --> 00:21:31,333 Jesus says, "I've done it, I give it to you." 470 00:21:31,333 --> 00:21:35,000 So then he moves on to his second point about generosity, 471 00:21:35,042 --> 00:21:37,833 that God, through Jesus Christ, is generous to us, 472 00:21:37,833 --> 00:21:40,500 and we are to be generous to others. 473 00:21:40,542 --> 00:21:42,333 He says it this way. 474 00:21:42,417 --> 00:21:45,250 He says that generosity is measured by sacrifice. 475 00:21:45,333 --> 00:21:46,833 Here's how he says it. 476 00:21:46,833 --> 00:21:48,667 2 Corinthians 8:12-14. 477 00:21:48,750 --> 00:21:51,375 "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to 478 00:21:51,500 --> 00:21:54,583 what a person has, not according to what he does not have." 479 00:21:54,667 --> 00:21:56,333 If you make $50,000 a year, 480 00:21:56,333 --> 00:21:58,375 you shouldn't tithe $100,000 a year. 481 00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:01,167 That's what he's saying. 482 00:22:01,250 --> 00:22:04,333 "For I do not mean that others should be eased and you 483 00:22:04,417 --> 00:22:08,083 burdened," he goes on, "but that as a matter of fairness your 484 00:22:08,167 --> 00:22:10,667 "abundance at the present time should supply their need, 485 00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:12,833 "so that their abundance may supply your need, 486 00:22:12,833 --> 00:22:14,583 that there may be fairness." 487 00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:16,375 Here's what he's talking about. 488 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:19,083 Some people will always ask, "How much should I give? 489 00:22:19,167 --> 00:22:21,833 "What percentage of my income should I give back to God 490 00:22:21,917 --> 00:22:23,375 through the church?" 491 00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:25,875 And they'll go to the Old Testament and say, "10%? 492 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,500 All the tithes combined, 25%?" 493 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:34,500 New Testament, new covenant, grace-centered giving doesn't 494 00:22:34,542 --> 00:22:38,167 set an amount, so we don't teach tithing at Mars Hill. 495 00:22:38,208 --> 00:22:40,500 We don't. We don't. 496 00:22:40,542 --> 00:22:43,500 What we do teach is sacrifice, and that's what the Bible's 497 00:22:43,542 --> 00:22:46,167 talking about here. 498 00:22:46,250 --> 00:22:48,167 I'll give you an example. 499 00:22:48,250 --> 00:22:51,333 Let's just say we decide everybody gives 25%. 500 00:22:51,333 --> 00:22:54,500 For the single mother with three kids whose husband 501 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:57,667 just left with his secretary and emptied the bank account, 502 00:22:57,708 --> 00:23:01,833 that's going to destroy her whole family. 503 00:23:01,833 --> 00:23:04,875 For the person who is very affluent, wealthy, 504 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,333 inherited money, has a company, owns, you know, 505 00:23:08,333 --> 00:23:12,083 a decent investment portfolio and has margin, 506 00:23:12,167 --> 00:23:16,000 they may not even feel 25%. 507 00:23:16,042 --> 00:23:19,833 So what does sacrifice look like for each person? 508 00:23:19,917 --> 00:23:23,167 Well, for the mom, it may look like 1% and that might be 509 00:23:23,250 --> 00:23:26,375 an enormous generosity. 510 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:29,250 For the person who's very affluent, it may be tithing, 511 00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:32,583 giving 90% and living off of 10%. 512 00:23:32,667 --> 00:23:35,333 I've actually got an acquaintance of mine 513 00:23:35,333 --> 00:23:39,000 who they give 90% and they live off of 10%. 514 00:23:39,042 --> 00:23:42,542 Well, the single mom can't do that. 515 00:23:42,667 --> 00:23:45,583 And what he's talking about is everyone needs to find 516 00:23:45,667 --> 00:23:47,833 themselves somewhere on this continuum. 517 00:23:47,917 --> 00:23:50,750 So I'd ask you what percentage of income, 518 00:23:50,833 --> 00:23:52,583 what percentage of gross-- 519 00:23:52,667 --> 00:23:54,333 that's what it means by firstfruits-- 520 00:23:54,417 --> 00:23:56,583 has God the Holy Spirit compelled you to say, 521 00:23:56,667 --> 00:23:58,833 "That's where I'm at this year and, you know, 522 00:23:58,833 --> 00:24:02,083 "if I lose my job and things get bad, I may roll back, 523 00:24:02,167 --> 00:24:04,083 "if things get good, I may roll forward, 524 00:24:04,167 --> 00:24:06,833 "but this is where I'm at right now with the percentage 525 00:24:06,833 --> 00:24:09,000 of giving that God has appointed to me." 526 00:24:09,042 --> 00:24:10,375 We don't teach a percentage. 527 00:24:10,500 --> 00:24:13,250 Instead, what we teach is receiving from Jesus 528 00:24:13,333 --> 00:24:16,167 and then prayerfully, carefully considering what he's asking of 529 00:24:16,250 --> 00:24:21,333 you, and then we are certainly glad that you would follow 530 00:24:21,333 --> 00:24:24,000 through in those obligations and we rejoice in whatever 531 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,083 that percentage is. 532 00:24:26,167 --> 00:24:27,750 And in context here, 533 00:24:27,833 --> 00:24:30,042 he's talking about different churches. 534 00:24:30,167 --> 00:24:32,333 So in the context of 2 Corinthians 8-9, 535 00:24:32,333 --> 00:24:35,042 there was a church in Jerusalem, and that's kind of where 536 00:24:35,167 --> 00:24:37,375 everything got started and where Christianity exploded 537 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:39,583 in the Day of Pentecost, and then from there, 538 00:24:39,667 --> 00:24:42,250 it kind of became headquarters if we can use that language, 539 00:24:42,333 --> 00:24:46,375 and the churches and church plants went out from Jerusalem. 540 00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:49,500 Jerusalem was kind of like our Mars Hill Ballard. 541 00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:53,167 Mars Hill Ballard was kind of Mars Hill 1.0 and it sent out 542 00:24:53,208 --> 00:24:55,833 all the early church plants and missionaries, 543 00:24:55,917 --> 00:24:59,667 and so much got done out of Mars Hill Ballard. 544 00:24:59,750 --> 00:25:03,375 What happened then, over time, is that an economic 545 00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:07,583 downturn--they call it a famine--hit Jerusalem, 546 00:25:07,667 --> 00:25:10,333 and they were really struggling. 547 00:25:10,417 --> 00:25:13,875 And that church, financially, not because of any sin but 548 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,542 because of circumstance, went into a major decline cycle. 549 00:25:18,667 --> 00:25:21,667 So, some of the churches it had helped start, 550 00:25:21,708 --> 00:25:24,833 like the church in Macedonia that was spiritually connected 551 00:25:24,833 --> 00:25:31,375 like a branch on a trunk, they started giving back to help 552 00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:34,833 the church of Jerusalem, and they were a poor church. 553 00:25:34,917 --> 00:25:37,583 It says out of their exceeding poverty came 554 00:25:37,667 --> 00:25:40,000 exceeding generosity. 555 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,000 This affects--and I need you to understand this--our economic 556 00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:44,875 model at Mars Hill Church. 557 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,667 We are 1 church in 14 locations. 558 00:25:47,750 --> 00:25:50,167 We are planning, by the grace of God, 559 00:25:50,250 --> 00:25:54,833 to open at least 5 more in the next 12 to 18 months. 560 00:25:54,917 --> 00:25:56,750 We're spread across 4 states. 561 00:25:56,833 --> 00:25:59,083 Some of our churches are in very affluent areas; 562 00:25:59,167 --> 00:26:02,000 some of them are very poor areas. 563 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,500 Some of the areas, it's intact families 564 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:06,000 with husbands and wives; 565 00:26:06,042 --> 00:26:09,167 others, it's single moms who are struggling to get by. 566 00:26:09,250 --> 00:26:11,542 Some of our locations, it's all singles; others, 567 00:26:11,667 --> 00:26:13,667 it's a ton of college students. 568 00:26:13,750 --> 00:26:17,750 And their income level and their giving level will vary, 569 00:26:17,833 --> 00:26:22,875 so what we do is we establish our staffing matrix 570 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,083 and our budget, not based upon what each local church gives, 571 00:26:26,167 --> 00:26:28,667 but by how many people they have. 572 00:26:28,708 --> 00:26:31,167 Because what we don't want are churches in affluent areas 573 00:26:31,250 --> 00:26:34,833 to have huge staffs and then churches in impoverished areas 574 00:26:34,833 --> 00:26:40,833 to have no staff, because we're all one family, 575 00:26:40,833 --> 00:26:44,500 which means if one of the kids has a little extra, 576 00:26:44,542 --> 00:26:47,167 they share with the kid who doesn't have much. 577 00:26:47,250 --> 00:26:50,667 And I need you to have not a consumer's heart, 578 00:26:50,750 --> 00:26:53,167 but a parent's heart toward the church. 579 00:26:53,250 --> 00:26:57,875 And I think one of the more grievous conversations I've had 580 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,833 in recent months as we're out visiting the churches 581 00:27:00,833 --> 00:27:03,375 and meeting with leaders and people--I won't name the person 582 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:06,833 or the church, the Mars Hill location, but it was sad. 583 00:27:06,833 --> 00:27:10,083 After we explained this, someone came up who was a leader 584 00:27:10,167 --> 00:27:13,000 in the church, an unpaid leader in the church, and said, 585 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:17,583 "I don't care about the other Mars Hill churches." 586 00:27:17,667 --> 00:27:21,583 That's like a brother saying, "I don't care about my sisters." 587 00:27:21,667 --> 00:27:25,042 Okay, then there's a heart problem. 588 00:27:25,167 --> 00:27:26,875 I said, "You don't care?" 589 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,333 He said, "No." 590 00:27:28,333 --> 00:27:30,333 I said, "Do you care about this church?" 591 00:27:30,333 --> 00:27:32,333 He said, "I don't care about that church." 592 00:27:32,333 --> 00:27:35,042 I said, "That's the church that planted you. 593 00:27:35,167 --> 00:27:37,667 "All the original money that got this thing started, 594 00:27:37,750 --> 00:27:39,833 "the entire core group that started this thing, 595 00:27:39,917 --> 00:27:43,000 "actually pretty much all your elders leading this church, 596 00:27:43,042 --> 00:27:46,750 they all came from there, and you don't care?" 597 00:27:46,833 --> 00:27:50,500 I said, "What about a place like Rainier Valley where we're 598 00:27:50,542 --> 00:27:54,000 "meeting on the grounds of the Union Gospel Mission, 599 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,667 "and next door is the nice transitional housing for women 600 00:27:57,708 --> 00:28:00,667 "who have had some very hard life circumstances, 601 00:28:00,708 --> 00:28:02,750 "and their children are living with them, 602 00:28:02,833 --> 00:28:05,000 "and there's no fathers in sight? 603 00:28:05,042 --> 00:28:07,667 "We start a student ministry there and it becomes our biggest 604 00:28:07,750 --> 00:28:09,833 "student ministry immediately, 605 00:28:09,917 --> 00:28:12,333 "and none of those kids have a dad. 606 00:28:12,333 --> 00:28:16,833 "Do you not care about them? 607 00:28:16,833 --> 00:28:19,500 "You live in a nice suburban home, you got a wife, 608 00:28:19,542 --> 00:28:22,667 "you got kids, you know, you got a couple-car garage. 609 00:28:22,708 --> 00:28:24,375 "Your life is okay. 610 00:28:24,500 --> 00:28:27,083 "What you're saying is, 'I don't care about those single moms 611 00:28:27,167 --> 00:28:29,333 "'and their kids in our church because they live 612 00:28:29,417 --> 00:28:31,875 in a different zip code than me.'" 613 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:33,333 Wow. 614 00:28:33,417 --> 00:28:35,583 Okay, this is a heart problem. 615 00:28:35,667 --> 00:28:37,875 I said, "Well, why do you not love them?" 616 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,875 He said, "Well, I don't even know them." 617 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:41,875 I said, "Do you even love the people 618 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:43,583 in the other services at our church?" 619 00:28:43,667 --> 00:28:45,833 He said, "No, I go to a morning service. 620 00:28:45,833 --> 00:28:48,333 I don't care about the people at the evening service." 621 00:28:48,333 --> 00:28:49,667 Wow. Wow. 622 00:28:49,750 --> 00:28:51,667 I want you to have a paternal heart, 623 00:28:51,750 --> 00:28:55,083 a heart like a mom and a dad looking at all the kids saying, 624 00:28:55,167 --> 00:28:59,167 "I love all the kids and I want to take care of all the kids, 625 00:28:59,250 --> 00:29:02,042 "and those kids who have more and they're like 626 00:29:02,167 --> 00:29:04,833 "the big brothers and sisters, I want them to look after 627 00:29:04,833 --> 00:29:06,333 the little brothers and sisters." 628 00:29:06,333 --> 00:29:07,667 Amen? 629 00:29:07,750 --> 00:29:10,000 Mars Hill, we're a church family, 630 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,833 and so if you're in a more affluent Mars Hill church, 631 00:29:12,833 --> 00:29:16,250 a Bellevue, a Sammamish, a Shoreline, you may wonder, 632 00:29:16,333 --> 00:29:17,667 "We give our money. 633 00:29:17,708 --> 00:29:19,833 How come we don't get to spend it all?" 634 00:29:19,917 --> 00:29:22,583 Well, some of it's going to help new churches just like 635 00:29:22,667 --> 00:29:24,083 somebody spent to get yours started. 636 00:29:24,167 --> 00:29:26,833 Some of the money's going to help other churches as they're 637 00:29:26,833 --> 00:29:29,000 really struggling because it's a lot of college students, 638 00:29:29,042 --> 00:29:31,500 or it's single moms, or it's in an impoverished area. 639 00:29:31,542 --> 00:29:34,000 Otherwise, we'd never go reach poor people because it wouldn't 640 00:29:34,042 --> 00:29:36,083 make any economic sense. 641 00:29:36,167 --> 00:29:40,042 As it is, we believe that rich and poor need Jesus. 642 00:29:40,167 --> 00:29:42,083 We believe Jesus loves rich and poor. 643 00:29:42,167 --> 00:29:43,667 Amen? 644 00:29:43,708 --> 00:29:45,375 And that's what he's talking about here. 645 00:29:45,500 --> 00:29:48,667 He's talking about, "It's a matter of fairness, 646 00:29:48,708 --> 00:29:51,167 "that your abundance at the present time should supply their 647 00:29:51,208 --> 00:29:53,333 "need, so that their abundance may supply your need, 648 00:29:53,333 --> 00:29:55,375 that there may be fairness." 649 00:29:55,500 --> 00:29:58,583 What he's saying is maybe one of these churches in Mars Hill is 650 00:29:58,667 --> 00:30:01,583 struggling right now, so another church that's thriving 651 00:30:01,667 --> 00:30:05,583 can help them and then over time, it's going to reverse. 652 00:30:05,667 --> 00:30:08,083 Then this church becomes strong and they're able to help 653 00:30:08,167 --> 00:30:13,167 this church that is struggling. 654 00:30:13,250 --> 00:30:17,250 What's sacrifice look like for you? 655 00:30:17,333 --> 00:30:20,000 And I've shared this many times 656 00:30:18,333 --> 00:30:22,542 And I'll give you a little indicator here, culturally. 657 00:30:22,625 --> 00:30:26,375 More than one in four American Protestants give $0 a year. 658 00:30:26,417 --> 00:30:28,042 Okay? 659 00:30:28,125 --> 00:30:31,042 Number two, the median annual giving for a Christian is 660 00:30:31,125 --> 00:30:35,542 $200 a year, just over 1/2% of after-tax income. 661 00:30:35,625 --> 00:30:37,375 That's not a lot, right? 662 00:30:37,417 --> 00:30:39,667 Two hundred dollars a year? 663 00:30:39,708 --> 00:30:45,167 Five percent of Christians give about 60% of all contributions. 664 00:30:45,208 --> 00:30:47,542 So, hope those guys don't get sick. 665 00:30:47,583 --> 00:30:50,125 We've got a real problem. 666 00:30:50,208 --> 00:30:55,167 So, if you look at this, what you will see is that many 667 00:30:55,250 --> 00:30:57,583 Christians worship their wealth, 668 00:30:57,667 --> 00:31:00,042 they don't worship with their wealth. 669 00:31:00,125 --> 00:31:02,542 And immediately, you're going to think, "Yeah, that's right, 670 00:31:02,625 --> 00:31:04,125 rich people need to give more." 671 00:31:04,208 --> 00:31:08,375 Maybe, but everybody needs to consider what it is that God 672 00:31:08,417 --> 00:31:11,708 has appointed for them and then be good stewards with that. 673 00:31:11,792 --> 00:31:14,208 And let me say this, you've always got an excuse. 674 00:31:14,292 --> 00:31:16,708 You're a college student, you got a great excuse, right? 675 00:31:16,792 --> 00:31:18,125 "I'm a college student." 676 00:31:18,208 --> 00:31:21,125 Grace and I got married in college and we started giving to 677 00:31:21,208 --> 00:31:22,625 our church at that time. 678 00:31:22,708 --> 00:31:24,625 There's two kinds of broke I always say: 679 00:31:24,708 --> 00:31:26,042 broke and college broke. Right? 680 00:31:26,083 --> 00:31:28,208 If you're in college, you've got a built-in excuse. 681 00:31:28,292 --> 00:31:30,958 But then you graduate and you're single. What's your excuse now? 682 00:31:31,042 --> 00:31:32,375 "Well, I'm selfish. 683 00:31:32,417 --> 00:31:34,125 "Isn't that what singleness is for? 684 00:31:34,208 --> 00:31:37,167 "I've not had nice things, I've been in college. 685 00:31:37,208 --> 00:31:41,333 "I need to go get new clothes, new car, new place to live. 686 00:31:41,375 --> 00:31:44,542 I'm going to spend some money on me, disposable time and income." 687 00:31:44,625 --> 00:31:47,958 Sometimes the most selfish people are single people. 688 00:31:48,042 --> 00:31:49,458 Then you get married. 689 00:31:49,542 --> 00:31:50,917 What's your excuse now? 690 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,667 "Well, now we're married. Now we've got to buy a house. 691 00:31:53,708 --> 00:31:55,875 "Now we've got to try and start a family. 692 00:31:55,917 --> 00:31:58,042 "Now we've got to pay off our college debt. 693 00:31:58,125 --> 00:32:01,125 "Now we've got to pay off her credit card debt, you know? 694 00:32:01,167 --> 00:32:02,625 We have to get caught up." 695 00:32:02,667 --> 00:32:04,167 Well, then you get pregnant. 696 00:32:04,292 --> 00:32:07,167 "Oh, well, now we're going to have to downsize our income. 697 00:32:07,292 --> 00:32:09,167 "Now we've got to get a bigger car. 698 00:32:09,292 --> 00:32:11,500 "We've got to get a bigger place to live. 699 00:32:11,625 --> 00:32:13,000 Kids are expensive." Right? 700 00:32:13,125 --> 00:32:14,833 Have you noticed that? They cost money. 701 00:32:14,875 --> 00:32:16,875 Girls, statistically, cost more than boys. 702 00:32:16,958 --> 00:32:18,708 We all saw that coming. 703 00:32:18,792 --> 00:32:20,958 They cost money. 704 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,125 And then all of a sudden, you know, oh, 705 00:32:23,167 --> 00:32:25,833 now your kids get older, so their stuff gets more expensive 706 00:32:25,875 --> 00:32:27,625 and your house needs to get bigger. 707 00:32:27,667 --> 00:32:29,000 "Oh, now they're driving. 708 00:32:29,125 --> 00:32:30,500 "Oh, now they're going to college. 709 00:32:30,625 --> 00:32:32,708 Oh, now we've got to help them with college." 710 00:32:32,792 --> 00:32:35,708 And you know what, you can have an excuse from the time 711 00:32:35,792 --> 00:32:38,500 you're in college to the time your kids are in college. 712 00:32:38,542 --> 00:32:41,625 You say, "Well, I was going to but I just never got there." 713 00:32:41,667 --> 00:32:43,458 And it's not about the percentage. 714 00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:44,833 It's not about the amount. 715 00:32:44,875 --> 00:32:47,000 It's about whether or not you understand Jesus is 716 00:32:47,125 --> 00:32:50,792 a generous giver, and out of the joy of being a receiver, 717 00:32:50,833 --> 00:32:54,167 you want to be a means by which he gives to others. 718 00:32:54,292 --> 00:32:56,167 That's the issue. 719 00:32:56,208 --> 00:32:59,125 Now, I know exactly what's going to happen at this point. 720 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:02,125 You're going to start thinking, 721 00:33:02,167 --> 00:33:03,833 because there's a little attorney that lives 722 00:33:03,875 --> 00:33:06,625 in each of us trying to defend all of our evil. 723 00:33:06,667 --> 00:33:09,167 Okay? 724 00:33:09,292 --> 00:33:11,708 This little attorney is now whispering in your ear, 725 00:33:11,792 --> 00:33:13,708 "Well, I bet you they're not good stewards. 726 00:33:13,792 --> 00:33:15,292 "You could give--they're a megachurch. 727 00:33:15,333 --> 00:33:18,500 "I bet you he flew here on a jet with his seven wives 728 00:33:18,625 --> 00:33:20,958 and they carried him in on a throne." 729 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,667 Okay? 730 00:33:24,792 --> 00:33:30,625 So, the next question is if Jesus is a generous giver 731 00:33:30,667 --> 00:33:34,625 and good steward, and you are aspiring to be a generous giver 732 00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:37,833 and a good steward, are you giving Jesus' resources 733 00:33:37,875 --> 00:33:43,125 to a church that's a generous giver and a good steward? 734 00:33:43,167 --> 00:33:44,833 It's not just enough to give. 735 00:33:44,875 --> 00:33:47,500 You've got to make sure that what you're giving to is 736 00:33:47,625 --> 00:33:49,000 actually stewarding the resources well. 737 00:33:49,125 --> 00:33:50,458 That's fair, right? 738 00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:52,458 I mean, some of you would have questions. 739 00:33:52,500 --> 00:33:55,167 You're like, "Well, what do you guys do with the money? 740 00:33:55,208 --> 00:33:56,917 "You know, do the kids count it? 741 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:58,375 "Like, where's the accounting department? 742 00:33:58,417 --> 00:34:00,625 What do we-- you know, what do we do?" 743 00:34:00,667 --> 00:34:03,000 That's a fair question, and Paul brings it up, 744 00:34:03,125 --> 00:34:04,833 and here's what he has to say. 745 00:34:04,875 --> 00:34:06,333 He says Jesus cares about stewardship. 746 00:34:06,375 --> 00:34:08,708 He says it this way, in 2 Corinthians 8:20-21. 747 00:34:08,792 --> 00:34:11,833 "We take this course so that no one should blame us about this 748 00:34:11,875 --> 00:34:14,125 generous gift that is being administered by us." 749 00:34:14,167 --> 00:34:15,792 There's the stewardship issue. 750 00:34:15,833 --> 00:34:17,958 Paul's saying, "You've given this generous gift. 751 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,375 "We're the administers, we're the stewards, 752 00:34:20,458 --> 00:34:24,208 "we're the ones who receive the gift and then we want to wisely, 753 00:34:24,292 --> 00:34:28,125 "humbly, in a way that is godly, take care of the resources 754 00:34:28,167 --> 00:34:30,125 "that have been entrusted to our care. 755 00:34:30,167 --> 00:34:33,292 "For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight 756 00:34:33,333 --> 00:34:35,000 but also in the sight of man." 757 00:34:35,125 --> 00:34:38,958 So, when it comes to a church or a ministry, receiving tithes, 758 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,292 offerings, gifts from God's people, 759 00:34:42,333 --> 00:34:44,458 it's really important that, number one, 760 00:34:44,500 --> 00:34:47,333 the way that the resources are stewarded is pleasing 761 00:34:47,375 --> 00:34:50,708 in the Lord Jesus' sight, that Jesus would look and say, 762 00:34:50,792 --> 00:34:53,000 "That's okay. That's pretty good right there. 763 00:34:53,125 --> 00:34:54,875 You know, I'm encouraged by that," 764 00:34:54,917 --> 00:34:59,250 and in the sight of man, meaning you obey the law, right? 765 00:34:59,333 --> 00:35:01,708 There's nothing worse than a pastor doing prison ministry 766 00:35:01,792 --> 00:35:04,708 from the inside because of tax evasion, right? 767 00:35:04,792 --> 00:35:07,458 There's nothing worse than that. 768 00:35:07,500 --> 00:35:11,500 And so it's not just--it has to be that Jesus says that things 769 00:35:11,625 --> 00:35:15,625 are taken care of well and that the government agrees. 770 00:35:15,667 --> 00:35:17,708 That the government agrees. 771 00:35:17,792 --> 00:35:20,208 So, here's what I'm going to do at this point. 772 00:35:20,292 --> 00:35:22,708 I'm going to talk a little bit about how we 773 00:35:22,792 --> 00:35:24,458 steward our resources, and this is important. 774 00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:27,000 On more that 800 occasions, the Bible talks about wealth, 775 00:35:27,042 --> 00:35:30,000 finances, possessions, tithing, and stewardship. 776 00:35:30,042 --> 00:35:33,708 Twenty-five percent of Jesus' parables or more are about 777 00:35:33,792 --> 00:35:36,167 stewardship, what somebody did with something 778 00:35:36,292 --> 00:35:37,958 that they received. 779 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,292 So, it's super, super important. 780 00:35:41,333 --> 00:35:45,208 And I'll answer some of the general questions that come up. 781 00:35:45,292 --> 00:35:48,333 First of all, people ask, "Well, who oversees the finances 782 00:35:48,375 --> 00:35:49,958 at the church?" 783 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,500 Where, there is a finance team of elders and deacons. 784 00:35:52,542 --> 00:35:53,875 It's a team of eight. 785 00:35:53,958 --> 00:35:57,667 Their tasks are broken down into income, expenses, purchasing, 786 00:35:57,708 --> 00:36:00,208 and then financial reporting. 787 00:36:00,292 --> 00:36:03,500 Overseeing that team is Pastor Sutton Turner, 788 00:36:03,542 --> 00:36:05,375 your executive pastor. 789 790 791 792 00:36:18,625 --> 00:36:22,500 He felt called of God to take a significant pay decrease. 793 00:36:22,542 --> 00:36:25,000 He was actually working for a royal family, 794 00:36:25,125 --> 00:36:27,958 now he's just working for the King of kings. 795 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:32,375 He has decided to take a significant discount in his 796 00:36:32,458 --> 00:36:36,000 income to come and serve at Mars Hill Church, 797 00:36:36,125 --> 00:36:38,708 and so he has built the finance team. 798 00:36:38,792 --> 00:36:42,208 Now, working with him, under him is your CFO, Kerry Dodd, 799 00:36:42,292 --> 00:36:45,625 B.A. in business with an emphasis in accounting 800 00:36:45,667 --> 00:36:47,333 from the University of Washington, 801 00:36:47,375 --> 00:36:49,500 10 years working for Deloitte and Touche, 802 00:36:49,625 --> 00:36:51,958 a very well-known national accounting firm, 803 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:56,167 3 years experience as the CFO of another large church. 804 00:36:56,208 --> 00:36:58,458 He and his wife moved back to the area. 805 00:36:58,542 --> 00:37:01,375 She is, in fact, from the Puget Sound area. 806 00:37:01,458 --> 00:37:04,375 The other members on this team, the six of them, 807 00:37:04,458 --> 00:37:06,667 they all have degrees in business, 808 00:37:06,792 --> 00:37:09,000 at least a B.A., and in addition, 809 00:37:09,125 --> 00:37:12,167 they all have experience in human resources, or accounting, 810 00:37:12,292 --> 00:37:15,625 or whatever their specialization might be in the workforce 811 00:37:15,667 --> 00:37:19,667 for large, successful, for-profit companies. 812 00:37:19,792 --> 00:37:23,500 Okay, so that's the essence of the finance team. 813 00:37:23,625 --> 00:37:26,000 You know, none of us pastors can sign a check, 814 00:37:26,125 --> 00:37:28,500 none of us are present when the offering is counted, 815 00:37:28,625 --> 00:37:30,125 none of that. 816 00:37:30,167 --> 00:37:33,500 The way this works, as well, some of you will ask, 817 00:37:33,542 --> 00:37:35,833 "What about the collection of the finances?" 818 00:37:35,875 --> 00:37:39,125 Well, we say the easiest way to give is to go online to 819 00:37:39,167 --> 00:37:42,500 MarsHill.com and click under give and give online. 820 00:37:42,625 --> 00:37:45,792 But for those of you who mail your check in during the week, 821 00:37:45,833 --> 00:37:48,625 or you give cash or a check on Sunday, you ask, 822 00:37:48,667 --> 00:37:50,000 "Well, what happens to that?" 823 00:37:50,125 --> 00:37:52,000 Well, first of all, it's collected, 824 00:37:52,125 --> 00:37:54,667 and it's collected by teams of people that we do 825 00:37:54,708 --> 00:37:57,167 a background check on because we don't want, you know, 826 00:37:57,208 --> 00:37:59,250 criminals collecting our offering. 827 00:37:59,333 --> 00:38:01,833 And they'll take the offering and count it immediately, 828 00:38:01,875 --> 00:38:05,000 and it's always a team, and that team is never a couple, 829 00:38:05,125 --> 00:38:06,875 like Bonnie and Clyde. 830 00:38:06,958 --> 00:38:08,375 Okay? 831 00:38:08,458 --> 00:38:10,958 So, we never let a couple count the offering. 832 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,875 And then we take the offering, and it is, in fact, deposited. 833 00:38:13,958 --> 00:38:15,625 And then some of you will ask, 834 00:38:15,667 --> 00:38:18,333 "Well, how do we know that the money is well spent?" 835 00:38:18,375 --> 00:38:21,500 Well, first of all, we don't hand out a lot of credit cards. 836 00:38:21,542 --> 00:38:24,625 I mean, you can imagine in your family if you gave credit cards 837 00:38:24,667 --> 00:38:26,833 to all the kids and said, "I trust you. 838 00:38:26,875 --> 00:38:29,333 It you feel like you need it, go for it." 839 00:38:29,375 --> 00:38:32,000 You'd be like, "That's a lot of Xbox and they're swimming 840 00:38:32,125 --> 00:38:33,500 in Mountain Dew." You know? 841 00:38:33,625 --> 00:38:36,000 So, we don't hand out a lot of credit cards, 842 00:38:36,125 --> 00:38:40,958 and for any purchase, I think it requires two levels of approval. 843 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,208 So, someone can't just go buy something. 844 00:38:43,292 --> 00:38:45,333 They need oversight and supervision 845 00:38:45,375 --> 00:38:47,625 so that it can be cleared. 846 00:38:47,667 --> 00:38:50,500 And also, the way it works is we have a purchasing department. 847 00:38:50,625 --> 00:38:53,125 So, with 14 churches and growing, 848 00:38:53,167 --> 00:38:56,250 not only do we want to ensure that we're only spending 849 00:38:56,333 --> 00:38:58,875 the money that is necessary, 850 00:38:58,917 --> 00:39:01,000 but that we're getting the best deal. 851 00:39:01,042 --> 00:39:04,708 How many of you are like my wife and if you can get a deal, 852 00:39:04,792 --> 00:39:06,125 that's a happy day? 853 00:39:06,167 --> 00:39:08,333 Full price? You're like, "No." 854 00:39:08,375 --> 00:39:10,125 It becomes a personal mission, like, 855 00:39:10,167 --> 00:39:12,000 "I'm going to find the best price." 856 00:39:12,042 --> 00:39:14,208 I married that girl, okay? 857 00:39:14,292 --> 00:39:16,708 There's a whole bunch of reasons I love her. 858 00:39:16,792 --> 00:39:18,708 That's one. She's always looking for a deal. 859 00:39:18,792 --> 00:39:22,500 The church needs to behave just like your personal budget. 860 00:39:22,542 --> 00:39:25,167 If we need something, then the requisition is made, 861 00:39:25,292 --> 00:39:27,125 and if it's approved by the finance department, 862 00:39:27,167 --> 00:39:30,958 they will go shopping for the best deal, lowest price, 863 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,625 because the church should conduct itself like you do, 864 00:39:33,667 --> 00:39:35,500 get the best deal. 865 00:39:35,542 --> 00:39:38,625 And so you know as well, as soon as our bill comes in, 866 00:39:38,667 --> 00:39:40,833 we have a practice of immediately paying our vendors, 867 00:39:40,875 --> 00:39:42,667 because there's nothing worse than, 868 00:39:42,792 --> 00:39:45,292 "Yeah, I sold something to Mars Hill and they didn't 869 00:39:45,333 --> 00:39:48,333 "pay me, and they quoted a verse about not suing, 870 00:39:48,375 --> 00:39:52,500 "but I think they're very suspicious people, 871 00:39:52,625 --> 00:39:55,042 those Mars Hill people." 872 00:39:55,083 --> 00:39:58,750 So, if we do business with you, our goal is as soon as you send 873 00:39:58,833 --> 00:40:01,750 the invoice, we send the check because we want to have 874 00:40:01,833 --> 00:40:03,458 a good reputation with our vendors 875 00:40:03,542 --> 00:40:05,250 and with those that we purchase from. 876 00:40:05,333 --> 00:40:07,125 Then the question often gets asked, 877 00:40:07,208 --> 00:40:09,042 "Well, what about salaries?" 878 00:40:09,083 --> 00:40:11,125 I'll say a couple of things on this. 879 00:40:11,208 --> 00:40:14,042 Just like your profession if you're in the workforce, 880 00:40:14,125 --> 00:40:18,333 there are national job descriptions and then pay ranges 881 00:40:18,375 --> 00:40:21,542 and scales for certain levels of responsibility. 882 00:40:21,625 --> 00:40:23,542 Everybody gets a job description. 883 00:40:23,583 --> 00:40:27,875 We do twice a year annual 360 performance reviews. 884 00:40:27,917 --> 00:40:31,875 People are weighted according to their responsibility and duties, 885 00:40:31,917 --> 00:40:36,375 and then this national scale is used to set the pay scale. 886 00:40:36,417 --> 00:40:39,042 And we tend not to be anywhere near the top. 887 00:40:39,125 --> 00:40:40,875 We're not at the bottom. 888 00:40:40,917 --> 00:40:42,750 We're somewhere in that reasonable middle 889 00:40:42,833 --> 00:40:44,750 as a general rule, 890 00:40:44,833 --> 00:40:48,167 and the salaries and the salary ranges are not set by 891 00:40:48,208 --> 00:40:50,458 the paid employees. 892 00:40:50,542 --> 00:40:53,250 So, unpaid leaders in the church and unpaid leaders 893 00:40:53,333 --> 00:40:57,167 outside of the church oversee the establishing of the salaries 894 00:40:57,208 --> 00:40:58,875 of the employees. 895 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,417 So, it's not like somebody is a pastor at one of the churches 896 00:41:02,500 --> 00:41:04,042 and sets their own salary. 897 00:41:04,125 --> 00:41:06,542 You could go to jail for that. 898 00:41:06,625 --> 00:41:08,542 It's illegal. 899 00:41:08,583 --> 00:41:11,750 So, part of this is not only acceptable in the eyes of God, 900 00:41:11,833 --> 00:41:14,750 but also acceptable in the eyes of government. 901 00:41:14,833 --> 00:41:17,250 And what this means practically as well, 902 00:41:17,333 --> 00:41:20,208 we tend to have a very small staff. 903 00:41:20,292 --> 00:41:23,542 If you include, I don't know, 30-some services a Sunday, 904 00:41:23,625 --> 00:41:26,958 14 locations, 5 residents getting ready to be sent out to 905 00:41:27,042 --> 00:41:31,542 plant, plus the Resurgence and everything else we're doing, 906 00:41:31,583 --> 00:41:34,042 the fact that we only have 136 employees is 907 00:41:34,125 --> 00:41:36,417 very, very, very small. 908 00:41:36,500 --> 00:41:38,042 I was meeting with pastors 909 00:41:38,083 --> 00:41:40,167 of somewhat larger churches recently. 910 00:41:40,208 --> 00:41:44,250 One had 750 employees, the other had 800, okay? 911 00:41:44,333 --> 00:41:47,542 One of the churches owns 500 acres of real estate. 912 00:41:47,625 --> 00:41:49,833 We call that Seattle. 913 00:41:49,875 --> 00:41:54,333 Like--so, for us, we tend to use very small square footage 914 00:41:54,375 --> 00:41:57,542 for the number of people, and we tend to have a very, very, 915 00:41:57,625 --> 00:42:00,458 very small staff for the size of our church. 916 00:42:00,500 --> 00:42:02,958 So, you need to know, your Community Group leaders, 917 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:05,208 your Redemption Group leaders, your ushers, your greeters, 918 00:42:05,292 --> 00:42:08,125 those helping your kids, those in the band, 919 00:42:08,167 --> 00:42:13,125 whatever you're enjoying, it's probably someone who's giving of 920 00:42:13,167 --> 00:42:14,625 their time generously. 921 00:42:14,667 --> 00:42:16,000 So, could you do this? 922 00:42:16,042 --> 00:42:19,000 When you see them, could you just look them in the eye 923 00:42:19,042 --> 00:42:20,375 and say thank you? 924 00:42:20,458 --> 00:42:22,500 Say thank you and join them by giving generously 925 00:42:22,625 --> 00:42:23,958 of some of your time. 926 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,958 But we tend to have a very, very lean staff. 927 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,458 And then also, some of you will ask about 928 00:42:30,500 --> 00:42:33,000 external accountability, and this is important. 929 00:42:33,125 --> 00:42:36,125 I'll explain the external accountability for you. 930 00:42:36,167 --> 00:42:40,208 We have a nationally reputable, perhaps the most reputable, 931 00:42:40,292 --> 00:42:44,000 not-for-profit CPA firm, and every year we pay them 932 00:42:44,125 --> 00:42:45,875 to do a full audit. 933 00:42:45,958 --> 00:42:49,000 They go through all of our policies, procedures, salaries. 934 00:42:49,125 --> 00:42:51,458 They go through all of our expenses and books. 935 00:42:51,500 --> 00:42:53,708 They do a full audit on Mars Hill Church, 936 00:42:53,792 --> 00:42:56,042 and then they give us a report card, 937 00:42:56,125 --> 00:42:58,250 and every year we've gotten an A+, 938 00:42:58,333 --> 00:43:00,875 and we praise God for that. 939 00:43:00,958 --> 00:43:05,833 And in addition, then, we are finalizing our application to 940 00:43:05,875 --> 00:43:07,500 the Evangelical Christian 941 00:43:07,625 --> 00:43:09,708 Financial Accountability Association. 942 00:43:09,792 --> 00:43:13,208 It's like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval to also provide 943 00:43:13,292 --> 00:43:16,333 all of our finances for outside oversight. 944 00:43:16,375 --> 00:43:23,000 And in addition to that, we have an external board of leaders, 945 00:43:23,125 --> 00:43:25,833 godly people, some of them pastors in other churches, 946 00:43:25,875 --> 00:43:29,333 that also have access to our finances and all of our 947 00:43:29,375 --> 00:43:31,500 reporting, just to make sure that we have internal 948 00:43:31,625 --> 00:43:36,458 and external, we have Christian and non-Christian oversight 949 00:43:36,500 --> 00:43:38,375 and accountability. 950 00:43:38,458 --> 00:43:41,333 And we also have contracts with the banks for certain 951 00:43:41,375 --> 00:43:44,792 real estate that we own, and the banks give us additional 952 00:43:44,833 --> 00:43:48,208 requirements, like you have to keep this much in cash reserve, 953 00:43:48,292 --> 00:43:53,958 you have to keep your finances at this kind of level so that 954 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,375 we don't default on any of our loans. 955 00:43:56,417 --> 00:44:01,000 So, between the banks, the internal and external controls, 956 00:44:01,125 --> 00:44:03,167 the external audit, 957 00:44:03,292 --> 00:44:05,708 and now joining another accountability organization, 958 00:44:05,792 --> 00:44:09,000 it's our way of saying, "By the grace of God, 959 00:44:09,042 --> 00:44:12,375 "we are good stewards, and if you are a good steward who gives 960 00:44:12,458 --> 00:44:15,458 "generously, we want to be, and are, by the grace of God, 961 00:44:15,500 --> 00:44:18,958 good stewards stewarding wisely." 962 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,667 I think it's fair to ask those kind of questions. 963 00:44:21,792 --> 00:44:23,208 I really do. 964 00:44:23,292 --> 00:44:25,708 I really do, and so I'm glad to answer them. 965 00:44:25,792 --> 00:44:27,375 But that's what he says. 966 00:44:27,458 --> 00:44:29,500 It's a generous gift, it's a grace, 967 00:44:29,625 --> 00:44:31,292 and it needs to be stewarded well. 968 00:44:31,333 --> 00:44:32,958 Now, here's the last big idea. 969 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,125 God loves a cheerful giver. 970 00:44:35,167 --> 00:44:38,125 How many of you, when you pay your bills, you're like "Yes! 971 00:44:38,167 --> 00:44:39,833 "Bill day! 972 00:44:39,875 --> 00:44:41,375 "Yes! 973 00:44:41,458 --> 00:44:43,333 "Whoo! 974 00:44:43,375 --> 00:44:44,833 The bills!" 975 00:44:44,875 --> 00:44:48,333 Just smiling, singing, dancing, clicking your heels, 976 00:44:48,375 --> 00:44:50,625 for some of us without getting off the ground, 977 00:44:50,667 --> 00:44:53,000 but you're excited. 978 00:44:53,125 --> 00:44:55,708 How many of you are excited to pay your bills? 979 00:44:55,792 --> 00:44:58,250 One of you. You need to be drug tested. 980 00:44:58,333 --> 00:45:01,958 There's no reason to be excited paying your bills. 981 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:03,708 No reason. 982 00:45:03,792 --> 00:45:05,625 But here's what he says. 983 00:45:05,667 --> 00:45:08,875 When it comes to giving to the church and the cause of Jesus, 984 00:45:08,958 --> 00:45:11,167 he says something that's a little unexpected. 985 00:45:11,292 --> 00:45:13,625 "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap 986 00:45:13,667 --> 00:45:15,625 "sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully 987 00:45:15,667 --> 00:45:17,333 will reap bountifully." 988 00:45:17,375 --> 00:45:19,208 Here's--part of it's financially. 989 00:45:19,292 --> 00:45:21,500 And God's not promising to make you rich, 990 00:45:21,542 --> 00:45:23,458 but God is looking for good stewards. 991 00:45:23,500 --> 00:45:25,625 Jesus says if you are trustworthy with a little, 992 00:45:25,667 --> 00:45:27,000 he can give you more. 993 00:45:27,125 --> 00:45:28,458 The context there is finances. 994 00:45:28,500 --> 00:45:30,708 If God's given to you and you've blown it, 995 00:45:30,792 --> 00:45:33,500 why in the world would he give you more to blow? 996 00:45:33,542 --> 00:45:35,000 He's looking for good stewards. 997 00:45:35,042 --> 00:45:37,333 And it's not just return on financial investment, 998 00:45:37,375 --> 00:45:39,958 it's return spiritually on a financial investment, 999 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:43,333 meaning if God gives to you, he wants you to pay your bills, 1000 00:45:43,375 --> 00:45:46,125 and love your family, and also give generously to help 1001 00:45:46,167 --> 00:45:48,500 the gospel go forward. 1002 00:45:48,542 --> 00:45:51,167 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart." 1003 00:45:51,292 --> 00:45:53,958 So some of you are like, "How much should I give?" 1004 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:55,333 I don't know, ask Jesus. 1005 00:45:55,375 --> 00:45:58,208 I don't know if it's 1% or 99%. 1006 00:45:58,292 --> 00:46:00,125 I don't know. 1007 00:46:00,167 --> 00:46:03,000 Whatever's sacrificial for you and he tells you, 1008 00:46:03,125 --> 00:46:05,958 that's great with us. 1009 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:09,125 "Not reluctantly or under compulsion." 1010 00:46:09,167 --> 00:46:11,625 It's not about guilt, it's about gladness. 1011 00:46:11,667 --> 00:46:14,000 It's not having to give, it's getting to give, 1012 00:46:14,125 --> 00:46:16,500 and it's celebrating, "Everything I have belongs to Jesus. 1013 00:46:16,625 --> 00:46:21,833 He gives so much to me, now I get to share with others." 1014 00:46:21,875 --> 00:46:24,875 "For God," what, "a cheerful giver"? 1015 00:46:24,958 --> 00:46:27,458 "God loves a cheerful giver." 1016 00:46:27,500 --> 00:46:31,000 So, when we take our offering at Mars Hill, I want you to know, 1017 00:46:31,125 --> 00:46:34,167 it shouldn't feel like it's tax day, right? 1018 00:46:34,292 --> 00:46:37,625 It shouldn't feel like we're in the cubicle of some auditor 1019 00:46:37,667 --> 00:46:40,375 at the IRS. 1020 00:46:40,458 --> 00:46:43,208 It's cheerful because, number one, 1021 00:46:43,292 --> 00:46:46,125 it's recognizing Jesus is a giver. 1022 00:46:46,167 --> 00:46:49,208 I get salvation, I get eternal life, I get friendship with God, 1023 00:46:49,292 --> 00:46:51,500 I get the Scriptures, I get the Holy Spirit, 1024 00:46:51,542 --> 00:46:53,333 I get the resurrection of the dead. 1025 00:46:53,375 --> 00:46:54,958 Wow! 1026 00:46:55,042 --> 00:46:57,917 Oh, in addition, all my possessions are from the Lord. 1027 00:46:58,000 --> 00:46:59,625 Jesus' brother James says it this way: 1028 00:46:59,708 --> 00:47:03,333 "Every good and perfect gift comes down from God." 1029 00:47:03,375 --> 00:47:06,000 And then as we give, we're saying, "Thanks, Lord, 1030 00:47:06,125 --> 00:47:07,833 "that I get to keep so much. 1031 00:47:07,875 --> 00:47:10,833 "Thanks Lord that I get to be part of what you're doing. 1032 00:47:10,875 --> 00:47:12,625 "Thanks, Lord, that I get to see. 1033 00:47:12,667 --> 00:47:14,125 I get to see others blessed." 1034 00:47:14,167 --> 00:47:17,625 So, as we give, it should really be a cheerful thing, 1035 00:47:17,667 --> 00:47:19,125 a glad thing. 1036 00:47:19,167 --> 00:47:20,625 It's like on Christmas. 1037 00:47:20,667 --> 00:47:23,625 I've said it before, but do you get happiest when you open 1038 00:47:23,667 --> 00:47:26,125 all your presents or when you watch someone you love 1039 00:47:26,167 --> 00:47:27,625 open the present you gave them. 1040 00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:29,958 It's always better to watch them open their present. 1041 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:31,667 That's why Christmas is always this argument: 1042 00:47:31,792 --> 00:47:33,458 "Open your present!" "No, you open yours." 1043 00:47:33,500 --> 00:47:35,458 "No, you go first." "No, you go first." 1044 00:47:35,500 --> 00:47:36,833 Right? 1045 00:47:36,875 --> 00:47:39,208 Because you're so excited to see them open your gift, 1046 00:47:39,292 --> 00:47:41,667 and they're so excited to see you open their gift, 1047 00:47:41,792 --> 00:47:43,333 and that's a cheerful giver. 1048 00:47:43,375 --> 00:47:46,125 Friends, nobody's happier than Jesus Christ. 1049 00:47:46,167 --> 00:47:49,500 No one's given as much as Jesus, and if giving makes you 1050 00:47:49,542 --> 00:47:53,625 cheerful, Jesus is the happiest person there's ever been. 1051 00:47:53,667 --> 00:47:58,042 He gives cheerfully. 1052 00:47:58,125 --> 00:48:02,625 A couple ways that giving becomes cheerful practically. 1053 00:48:02,667 --> 00:48:06,875 Number one, giving digs up our root idols. 1054 00:48:06,958 --> 00:48:11,458 Now, we tend to have surface idols like comfort, 1055 00:48:11,500 --> 00:48:14,333 or security, 1056 00:48:14,375 --> 00:48:17,500 or status. 1057 00:48:19,667 --> 00:48:21,833 "If I drive that car, wear those clothes, 1058 00:48:21,875 --> 00:48:23,708 "and their name is on my underwear, 1059 00:48:23,792 --> 00:48:26,208 "that says something about me as a person. 1060 00:48:26,292 --> 00:48:28,458 "That's says something. 1061 00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:34,125 I am not Fruit of the Loom. I am not." 1062 00:48:34,167 --> 00:48:36,500 Right? 1063 00:48:36,625 --> 00:48:40,208 And so what happens is we tend to establish our identity 1064 00:48:40,292 --> 00:48:43,167 by our possessions. 1065 00:48:43,292 --> 00:48:45,167 What do you wear? What do you drive? 1066 00:48:45,292 --> 00:48:46,792 Oh, that says something. 1067 00:48:46,833 --> 00:48:50,208 And when we give, it really attacks that root idol. 1068 00:48:50,292 --> 00:48:51,875 "Wow! 1069 00:48:51,958 --> 00:48:55,625 "Do I think that what I drive and what I wear makes me someone 1070 00:48:55,708 --> 00:49:01,667 better than the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ?" 1071 00:49:01,792 --> 00:49:03,125 Comfort. 1072 00:49:03,167 --> 00:49:06,125 "Man, I would give, but then I would not have as much, 1073 00:49:06,167 --> 00:49:08,625 "and I'd have to make some sacrifices, and I--oh wow, 1074 00:49:08,667 --> 00:49:10,833 my idol of comfort's been exposed through my giving." 1075 00:49:10,875 --> 00:49:12,208 Or security. 1076 00:49:12,292 --> 00:49:13,958 "I don't really need all that money, 1077 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:17,667 "but I set it off to the side, because if I ever do need it, 1078 00:49:17,792 --> 00:49:20,875 then I can lean on it instead of Jesus and I'll be fine." 1079 00:49:20,958 --> 00:49:24,500 And so as we see giving dig up our root idols, 1080 00:49:24,625 --> 00:49:26,000 there's cheerfulness in it. 1081 00:49:26,125 --> 00:49:28,292 Like, "I didn't even know that was there." 1082 00:49:28,333 --> 00:49:31,292 How many of you have felt this where, even in lending someone 1083 00:49:31,333 --> 00:49:34,500 something--you give them keys to your car, 1084 00:49:34,542 --> 00:49:36,000 you let them use your house. 1085 00:49:36,125 --> 00:49:38,000 "Go ahead and use this." 1086 00:49:38,125 --> 00:49:40,375 All of a sudden, you get a little anxiety. 1087 00:49:40,458 --> 00:49:43,375 "I hope they don't dent it. I hope they don't scratch it. 1088 00:49:43,458 --> 00:49:46,125 "I hope it comes back. Did I do the right thing? 1089 00:49:46,167 --> 00:49:47,625 "Wait. Hey, hey, hey! 1090 00:49:47,667 --> 00:49:49,000 Come back!" 1091 00:49:49,125 --> 00:49:52,000 Giving, it exposes some of your root idols you didn't even know 1092 00:49:52,125 --> 00:49:53,458 were there 'til you gave. 1093 00:49:53,500 --> 00:49:54,833 And there's cheer in going, 1094 00:49:54,875 --> 00:49:56,542 "Okay. I didn't know that was there. 1095 00:49:56,625 --> 00:49:58,250 "I didn't know that was a problem. 1096 00:49:58,333 --> 00:50:00,042 "Now I see it. Thank you, Jesus. 1097 00:50:00,083 --> 00:50:02,542 I needed to know this. This is a good thing." 1098 00:50:02,583 --> 00:50:04,708 Number two, giving to see lives changed is amazing. 1099 00:50:04,792 --> 00:50:06,708 Mars Hill Church, what we are experiencing is 1100 00:50:06,792 --> 00:50:08,125 the grace of God. 1101 00:50:08,208 --> 00:50:11,750 I'm continually overwhelmed at the generosity of Jesus. 1102 00:50:11,833 --> 00:50:14,958 Like, when we started, we started with a dozen people, 1103 00:50:15,042 --> 00:50:17,375 now we've got over 12,000. 1104 00:50:17,417 --> 00:50:19,542 You know, when we started, the first 3 years, 1105 00:50:19,625 --> 00:50:21,750 I didn't get a salary. I worked for free. 1106 00:50:21,833 --> 00:50:24,458 I always say I was good for nothing, you know? 1107 00:50:24,542 --> 00:50:27,208 And what happened in that time, as well, our first year, 1108 00:50:27,292 --> 00:50:32,542 our total budget was $90,000 American dollars 1109 00:50:32,625 --> 00:50:35,542 for a church. 1110 00:50:35,625 --> 00:50:37,833 And what God has done is amazing. 1111 00:50:37,875 --> 00:50:41,125 And all the people that are meeting Jesus, it's amazing. 1112 00:50:41,208 --> 00:50:43,958 I had a woman recently so excited that her husband got 1113 00:50:44,042 --> 00:50:48,542 saved at Mars Hill and baptized, she almost killed me with joy. 1114 00:50:48,583 --> 00:50:51,542 She ran up, "My husband, Pastor Mark, he got saved! 1115 00:50:51,625 --> 00:50:53,208 He got baptized!" 1116 00:50:53,292 --> 00:50:56,167 She went to give me a hug but she got my neck. 1117 00:50:56,250 --> 00:50:57,583 She kind of--you know? 1118 00:50:57,667 --> 00:51:00,375 And it's thick, but it can only endure so much. 1119 00:51:00,417 --> 00:51:04,208 And she is--I feel like I'm in an MMA fight with a Brazilian 1120 00:51:04,292 --> 00:51:07,208 Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has me in a choke hold. 1121 00:51:07,292 --> 00:51:09,958 Literally, I'm short of breath and she's jumping up and down. 1122 00:51:10,042 --> 00:51:11,375 "It's so wonderful!" 1123 00:51:11,417 --> 00:51:12,875 I was like "Ah!" You know? 1124 00:51:12,917 --> 00:51:16,750 Like, I can't die being choked out by a woman in my own church. 1125 00:51:16,833 --> 00:51:20,750 What would that do for my reputation? 1126 00:51:20,833 --> 00:51:24,458 But she was so excited, because you know what? 1127 00:51:24,542 --> 00:51:28,042 Her husband met Jesus, got baptized, is praying with her, 1128 00:51:28,125 --> 00:51:31,958 reading the Bible with her and the kids. 1129 00:51:32,042 --> 00:51:34,708 You know what it's like for her every night? 1130 00:51:34,792 --> 00:51:38,375 She goes in and there's her husband praying over her kids. 1131 00:51:38,417 --> 00:51:41,375 She's wanted this for years. 1132 00:51:41,417 --> 00:51:45,250 As you give generously and you see Jesus do ministry 1133 00:51:45,333 --> 00:51:48,667 and you get to be a part of it, it's amazing. 1134 00:51:48,708 --> 00:51:50,458 There's money that we all spend, 1135 00:51:50,542 --> 00:51:51,958 you look back, you're like, 1136 00:51:52,042 --> 00:51:54,667 "That was not a good use of money." 1137 00:51:54,708 --> 00:51:58,417 Giving to the cause of Jesus, that's always a good use. 1138 00:51:58,500 --> 00:52:00,500 And thirdly, giving is for God's glory 1139 00:52:00,542 --> 00:52:02,000 and it's also for our good. 1140 00:52:02,042 --> 00:52:04,500 Now, some of you are going to hear this sermon, 1141 00:52:04,542 --> 00:52:05,875 you'll be like, 1142 00:52:05,958 --> 00:52:07,375 "Yep. I know how this works. 1143 00:52:07,458 --> 00:52:10,000 "You want me to give, and now we're in a fight, 1144 00:52:10,125 --> 00:52:12,833 and you're trying to coerce me to be a giver." 1145 00:52:12,875 --> 00:52:16,375 Here's the truth: our God is a good Dad. 1146 00:52:16,458 --> 00:52:20,333 All his commands are for his glory and our good. 1147 00:52:20,375 --> 00:52:22,292 Both. 1148 00:52:22,333 --> 00:52:23,667 Both. 1149 00:52:23,792 --> 00:52:25,458 How many of you are parents, right? 1150 00:52:25,500 --> 00:52:26,958 You make rules for your kids. 1151 00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:28,625 You make rules that, truth be told, 1152 00:52:28,667 --> 00:52:31,625 they make your life better, but they save your children's life. 1153 00:52:31,667 --> 00:52:33,458 "No bottle rockets in the house. 1154 00:52:33,500 --> 00:52:37,833 No, you can't drive, you're 3." 1155 00:52:37,875 --> 00:52:39,625 "Oh, you're restricting my freedom. 1156 00:52:39,667 --> 00:52:41,625 You're robbing me of joy." 1157 00:52:41,667 --> 00:52:44,167 "No, I'm saving your life. 1158 00:52:44,292 --> 00:52:46,292 These rules are for your good." 1159 00:52:46,333 --> 00:52:49,125 When God tells us to do something, 1160 00:52:49,167 --> 00:52:54,958 he is not a mean-spirited Father who is imposing his 1161 00:52:55,042 --> 00:52:58,750 terrible will on reluctant children. 1162 00:52:58,833 --> 00:53:03,000 He's a loving Dad who always knows what's best and invites 1163 00:53:03,042 --> 00:53:07,708 his kids to live in freedom and joy with him. 1164 00:53:07,792 --> 00:53:13,708 When God invites us to give, he is inviting us to learn a lesson 1165 00:53:13,792 --> 00:53:15,833 that changes our whole life. 1166 00:53:15,875 --> 00:53:17,833 Because you know what? 1167 00:53:17,875 --> 00:53:21,708 If you learn to be a glad receiver and a generous giver, 1168 00:53:21,792 --> 00:53:25,000 you'll be a better friend, because you can let your friends 1169 00:53:25,042 --> 00:53:27,375 love you and you can love them. 1170 00:53:27,458 --> 00:53:30,333 You can give financially, emotionally, mentally, verbally. 1171 00:53:30,375 --> 00:53:32,500 You can give. 1172 00:53:32,625 --> 00:53:36,292 If you learn how to receive from God and give, 1173 00:53:36,333 --> 00:53:38,208 you're going to be a better spouse. 1174 00:53:38,292 --> 00:53:40,000 Amen? 1175 00:53:40,042 --> 00:53:42,458 You're going to be a better spouse. 1176 00:53:42,500 --> 00:53:45,000 You're going to give time, energy, money, love, 1177 00:53:45,042 --> 00:53:48,625 encouragement, truth, affection to your spouse. 1178 00:53:48,667 --> 00:53:50,667 You're going to be a better parent. 1179 00:53:50,792 --> 00:53:52,958 Those who learn to give, they're better parents. 1180 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:54,667 They're better grandparents. 1181 00:53:54,708 --> 00:53:58,417 See, giving is not just that God would get the money out of our 1182 00:53:58,500 --> 00:54:01,458 pockets but that he'd get the idols out of our heart, 1183 00:54:01,500 --> 00:54:04,125 and that he would allow us to share in his joy 1184 00:54:04,167 --> 00:54:06,167 as we give to others. 1185 00:54:06,292 --> 00:54:09,708 All of life is about giving, and as we learn the giving lesson, 1186 00:54:09,792 --> 00:54:13,000 it transforms all of our relationships. 1187 00:54:13,042 --> 00:54:14,708 I'll close with a story. 1188 00:54:14,792 --> 00:54:17,125 It happened last night. 1189 00:54:17,167 --> 00:54:22,125 My son, Calvin, is 10, which is an awesome age, 1190 00:54:22,167 --> 00:54:27,292 and he somehow found the perfect coffee mug. 1191 00:54:27,333 --> 00:54:29,625 It's the right size, the right temperature. 1192 00:54:29,667 --> 00:54:33,833 It's big enough that I can get my huge oven mitt of a hand into 1193 00:54:33,875 --> 00:54:39,125 the handle and I like his coffee mug, but there's only one. 1194 00:54:39,167 --> 00:54:41,625 And so it's his coffee mug, not mine. 1195 00:54:41,667 --> 00:54:44,833 Occasionally I would steal it, which is a sin, 1196 00:54:44,875 --> 00:54:47,500 but I really liked his coffee mug. 1197 00:54:47,542 --> 00:54:50,500 So, on our way home last night, Calvin says, "Hey Dad, 1198 00:54:50,542 --> 00:54:54,125 when we get home can we have a cup of decaf together?" 1199 00:54:54,167 --> 00:54:57,250 "Yeah, we can. 1200 00:54:57,333 --> 00:54:59,750 That's a great idea, Calvin." 1201 00:54:59,833 --> 00:55:04,625 So he comes upstairs, I'm watching the Mariners game, 1202 00:55:04,667 --> 00:55:09,667 and he has two cups of coffee, 1203 00:55:09,792 --> 00:55:13,208 and the mugs are identical. 1204 00:55:13,292 --> 00:55:16,458 I said, "Calvin, that's a mug just like yours." 1205 00:55:16,500 --> 00:55:18,792 Calvin says, basically, "I know, I was looking online. 1206 00:55:18,833 --> 00:55:22,000 "It was hard to find, but I found one and I ordered it. 1207 00:55:22,042 --> 00:55:23,375 "I've been waiting for it. 1208 00:55:23,458 --> 00:55:25,375 Now we've got the exact same mug, Dad." 1209 00:55:25,458 --> 00:55:29,500 We clinked glasses and we had a cup of decaf. 1210 00:55:31,542 --> 00:55:34,333 Calvin had been waiting to give me that mug 1211 00:55:34,375 --> 00:55:36,625 so we could have a cup of decaf together, 1212 00:55:36,667 --> 00:55:39,125 and what do you think was on his face? 1213 00:55:39,167 --> 00:55:41,667 He was smiling because God what? 1214 00:55:41,792 --> 00:55:43,833 Loves a what? 1215 00:55:43,875 --> 00:55:46,458 A cheerful giver. 1216 00:55:46,500 --> 00:55:50,167 Jesus says it this way: "It's more blessed to give than" what? 1217 00:55:50,292 --> 00:55:51,833 "Receive." 1218 00:55:51,875 --> 00:55:53,833 Jesus says, "I want you to be blessed. 1219 00:55:53,875 --> 00:55:55,542 "I want you to be cheerful. 1220 00:55:55,583 --> 00:55:57,958 Learn to be a giver." 1221 00:55:58,042 --> 00:56:00,125 And givers make the best worshipers, 1222 00:56:00,167 --> 00:56:02,667 givers make the best parents, givers make the best 1223 00:56:02,792 --> 00:56:05,000 grandparents, givers make the best friends, 1224 00:56:05,125 --> 00:56:08,208 givers make the best spouses. 1225 00:56:08,292 --> 00:56:10,833 I don't care if you're rich or poor, Mars Hill. 1226 00:56:10,875 --> 00:56:12,500 Are you generous? 1227 00:56:12,542 --> 00:56:14,333 That being said, you're welcome! 1228 00:56:14,375 --> 00:56:16,333 We're going to collect our offering now. 1229 00:56:16,375 --> 00:56:17,958 You're welcome! Okay? 1230 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:19,625 Because God loves a what? 1231 00:56:19,667 --> 00:56:23,292 Yeah, you can cheer for the offering. 1232 00:56:23,333 --> 00:56:25,167 Okay, we're going to collect our offering. 1233 00:56:25,292 --> 00:56:26,875 I'll have the financial stewards come forward, 1234 00:56:26,958 --> 00:56:28,708 we're going to collect our offering. 1235 00:56:28,792 --> 00:56:30,667 If you're not a Christian, don't give. 1236 00:56:30,792 --> 00:56:32,875 Receive Jesus Christ, amen? 1237 00:56:32,958 --> 00:56:34,500 It all starts with receiving. 1238 00:56:34,625 --> 00:56:36,958 If you are a Christian, give generously. 1239 00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:38,458 We love you. 1240 00:56:38,500 --> 00:56:40,125 Give cheerfully. 1241 00:56:40,167 --> 00:56:42,000 And as you're giving of your offerings, 1242 00:56:42,125 --> 00:56:44,333 let me share some things with you that should 1243 00:56:44,375 --> 00:56:46,000 make you cheerful. 1244 00:56:46,125 --> 00:56:47,625 Okay? 1245 00:56:47,667 --> 00:56:49,625 So, here we go. Here's a little update. 1246 00:56:49,667 --> 00:56:51,125 Mars Hill summer update. 1247 00:56:51,167 --> 00:56:53,833 We just installed ten new elders, pastors. 1248 00:56:53,875 --> 00:56:57,042 Many of them--all of them, I think, may be unpaid. 1249 00:56:57,125 --> 00:57:00,958 That means we have 61 current pastors and 61 in process, 1250 00:57:01,000 --> 00:57:02,625 most of them volunteers. 1251 00:57:02,667 --> 00:57:04,708 Good news or bad news? Good news! 1252 00:57:04,792 --> 00:57:07,625 We now have as many pastors as most churches have people. 1253 00:57:07,667 --> 00:57:09,167 That's awesome. 1254 00:57:09,292 --> 00:57:11,333 That's a lot of people who love you. 1255 00:57:11,375 --> 00:57:13,000 This summer alone, 425 baptisms. 1256 00:57:13,125 --> 00:57:14,500 Good or bad? 1257 00:57:14,542 --> 00:57:17,792 That's good. That's great. 1258 00:57:17,833 --> 00:57:21,708 So far this year, we've had 980, and in the last 12 months, 1259 00:57:21,792 --> 00:57:26,125 1,400 people have been baptized at our Mars Hill churches. 1260 00:57:26,167 --> 00:57:30,375 That's awesome. 1261 00:57:30,458 --> 00:57:35,208 Ultimately, church is about God and his people, 1262 00:57:35,292 --> 00:57:37,667 but like every family, you need a home. 1263 00:57:37,792 --> 00:57:39,500 Some of our churches are homeless, 1264 00:57:39,625 --> 00:57:41,292 others are outgrowing their space, 1265 00:57:41,333 --> 00:57:43,625 so I'll give you a little real estate update. 1266 00:57:43,667 --> 00:57:47,958 Downtown Seattle is officially entering a new building 1267 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:49,667 downtown. 1268 00:57:49,792 --> 00:57:51,458 I'll show you the inside. 1269 00:57:51,500 --> 00:57:53,125 Look at that. 1270 00:57:53,167 --> 00:57:54,500 Yeah. 1271 00:57:54,583 --> 00:57:56,250 So, we're renting this facility. 1272 00:57:56,333 --> 00:57:59,375 This is the oldest church in Seattle. 1273 00:57:59,417 --> 00:58:03,000 It was founded by the founding mothers and fathers of the city, 1274 00:58:03,042 --> 00:58:07,792 and we are so privileged that we get to have services there. 1275 00:58:07,833 --> 00:58:10,625 Mars Hill Downtown with Pastor Tim has been running 1276 00:58:10,667 --> 00:58:12,625 five services, and this will allow them 1277 00:58:12,667 --> 00:58:14,958 great growth potential right in the heart of downtown. 1278 00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:17,708 And when we started Mars Hill, this was the least churched 1279 00:58:17,792 --> 00:58:20,458 region, least churched city in the United States of America. 1280 00:58:20,500 --> 00:58:22,000 It no longer is. 1281 00:58:22,125 --> 00:58:25,000 Portland is, so pray for Pastor Tim in Portland. 1282 00:58:25,125 --> 00:58:27,500 He's got his work cut out for him as well. 1283 00:58:27,625 --> 00:58:30,292 So, we praise God for that, and they're trying to raise 1284 00:58:30,333 --> 00:58:33,958 $2 million to get it all set up so that we can use that space 1285 00:58:34,000 --> 00:58:35,458 and have it ready to go. 1286 00:58:35,500 --> 00:58:37,458 In addition, this is a facility 1287 00:58:37,500 --> 00:58:40,667 we are trying to get up in Everett. 1288 00:58:40,792 --> 00:58:43,125 It's the Washington National Guard Armory. 1289 00:58:43,167 --> 00:58:45,292 Somebody asked, "Are you taking over the armory?" 1290 00:58:45,333 --> 00:58:48,208 No, but that would be epic. 1291 00:58:48,292 --> 00:58:52,708 This is an old, basic military base complete with gun safes 1292 00:58:52,792 --> 00:58:54,375 in the basement. 1293 00:58:54,458 --> 00:58:58,042 It's totally Mars Hill. 1294 00:58:58,125 --> 00:59:00,667 It has an awesome high ceiling as you can see, 1295 00:59:00,792 --> 00:59:04,708 and pray, as we're trying to raise $2.5 million to outfit 1296 00:59:04,792 --> 00:59:08,458 this wonderful facility in the heart of downtown Everett, 1297 00:59:08,500 --> 00:59:12,375 and from there, push out church plants to the north end. 1298 00:59:12,458 --> 00:59:15,125 In addition, we are, Lord willing, 1299 00:59:15,167 --> 00:59:19,833 planting here in Tacoma, out of Mars Hill Federal Way. 1300 00:59:19,875 --> 00:59:21,958 This building is near the hospital. 1301 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:24,625 It became available very inexpensively. 1302 00:59:24,667 --> 00:59:27,625 These older churches get registered as landmarks so you 1303 00:59:27,667 --> 00:59:30,125 can't change them or tear them down, 1304 00:59:30,167 --> 00:59:32,500 so they're the cheapest real estate we could find. 1305 00:59:32,625 --> 00:59:33,958 There's the inside. 1306 00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:37,833 Cool, old, awesome, epic, downtown Tacoma church. 1307 00:59:37,875 --> 00:59:39,625 Good, right? 1308 00:59:39,667 --> 00:59:42,625 Very good. 1309 00:59:42,667 --> 00:59:45,708 This is Mars Hill Orange County. 1310 00:59:45,792 --> 00:59:48,500 Mars Hill Orange County has been homeless like Jesus. 1311 00:59:48,625 --> 00:59:52,708 We were forced to leave our theatre, 1312 00:59:52,792 --> 00:59:55,958 and God provided this academy. 1313 00:59:56,042 --> 00:59:59,208 It's a Christian school, they'll be moving on September 16th when 1314 00:59:59,292 --> 01:00:01,167 we start the Book of Esther. 1315 01:00:01,208 --> 01:00:02,958 It has 500-600 seats. 1316 01:00:03,042 --> 01:00:04,625 It's great for kids. 1317 01:00:04,708 --> 01:00:06,542 It's an elementary school, playground. 1318 01:00:06,625 --> 01:00:08,750 It's half the rent of what we're currently paying, 1319 01:00:08,833 --> 01:00:10,542 so imagine that. 1320 01:00:10,625 --> 01:00:12,250 God really provided. 1321 01:00:12,333 --> 01:00:16,708 For those--yeah, you can clap for a discount if you want. 1322 01:00:16,792 --> 01:00:19,250 And for those of you that were praying, 1323 01:00:19,333 --> 01:00:21,167 God answered your prayer. 1324 01:00:21,208 --> 01:00:22,667 Praise God. 1325 01:00:22,708 --> 01:00:24,250 Thank you for praying. 1326 01:00:24,333 --> 01:00:25,875 And a couple last things. 1327 01:00:25,917 --> 01:00:27,417 How to pray for your church? 1328 01:00:27,500 --> 01:00:29,417 We just started Re:Train, which is our school, 1329 01:00:29,500 --> 01:00:31,708 and it's accredited by multiple seminaries, 127 students, 1330 01:00:31,792 --> 01:00:33,625 that's the highest attendance ever, 1331 01:00:33,708 --> 01:00:36,375 we've got 5 new lead pastor residents getting ready to start 1332 01:00:36,417 --> 01:00:40,917 Mars Hill Renton, Mars Hill Kirkland, Mars Hill Tacoma, 1333 01:00:41,000 --> 01:00:44,125 we're going to launch, Lord willing, Mars Hill Atlanta, 1334 01:00:44,208 --> 01:00:46,708 and others. 1335 01:00:46,792 --> 01:00:48,917 We've got the National Conference coming up 1336 01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:51,917 October 9-10 in California with Rick Warren, Greg Laurie, 1337 01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:54,375 Craig Groeschel, Lecrae. 1338 01:00:54,417 --> 01:00:56,500 And coming up to--starting in September, 1339 01:00:56,500 --> 01:00:58,875 we're going to go through the Book of Esther. 1340 01:00:59,000 --> 01:01:02,208 Nobody goes through the Book of Esther because it's crazy. 1341 01:01:02,292 --> 01:01:04,750 This gal lives downtown in a condo, 1342 01:01:04,833 --> 01:01:08,333 she only hangs out at the spa and the gym, she's got a dirty, 1343 01:01:08,375 --> 01:01:10,917 rich old boyfriend, she wins "The Bachelor," 1344 01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:13,875 she's always drinking cosmos, laying around in her swimsuit. 1345 01:01:13,917 --> 01:01:16,917 Next thing you know, she gets saved, is a type of Christ, 1346 01:01:17,000 --> 01:01:19,042 and saves a nation. 1347 01:01:19,083 --> 01:01:20,833 It's awesome, okay? 1348 01:01:20,875 --> 01:01:22,750 It's an awesome story. 1349 01:01:22,833 --> 01:01:25,542 For those of you who didn't like Real Marriage because you're 1350 01:01:25,625 --> 01:01:28,667 single, this is a story, not just about a single person, 1351 01:01:28,708 --> 01:01:33,250 but a single woman living in a major, urban, secular center, 1352 01:01:33,333 --> 01:01:35,833 breaking all the commandments until she meets Jesus. 1353 01:01:35,875 --> 01:01:38,167 She's a total Mars Hill gal. 1354 01:01:38,208 --> 01:01:40,167 It's going to be awesome. Okay? 1355 01:01:40,208 --> 01:01:42,667 So, we're going to go through the Book of Esther 1356 01:01:42,708 --> 01:01:44,167 coming up in September. 1357 01:01:44,208 --> 01:01:45,667 What else do we got? 1358 01:01:45,708 --> 01:01:48,042 And here's the financial update for the summer. 1359 01:01:48,125 --> 01:01:50,917 June, 49% of adults gave anything. 1360 01:01:51,000 --> 01:01:57,250 The average was $41.59 per adult, per Sunday or weekend. 1361 01:01:57,333 --> 01:02:00,625 In July, that went from 49% to 43%. 1362 01:02:00,667 --> 01:02:03,708 It went from $41 to $29, so June was a good month, 1363 01:02:03,792 --> 01:02:05,667 July was a hard month. 1364 01:02:05,792 --> 01:02:09,958 We need to bring in $35 per adult per Sunday to make budget, 1365 01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:14,958 and so we're asking you and the Lord to be generous and to allow 1366 01:02:15,000 --> 01:02:19,500 us to continue moving forward as we head toward the fall. 1367 01:02:19,542 --> 01:02:21,958 Are you guys excited with what's going on? 1368 01:02:22,000 --> 01:02:27,333 It's great. 1369 01:02:27,375 --> 01:02:29,792 And if you missed it, you can give online, 1370 01:02:29,833 --> 01:02:33,708 MarsHill.com, you can e-mail if you have questions, giving@MarsHill.com, 1371 01:02:33,792 --> 01:02:37,000 and of course, you can give on Sundays. 1372 01:02:37,042 --> 01:02:40,167 I'm going to go ahead and pray, and we're going to sing. 1373 01:02:40,292 --> 01:02:45,125 Father God, we thank you that you gave your Son, Jesus Christ. 1374 01:02:45,167 --> 01:02:50,000 Jesus, we thank you for giving up luxury to come in poverty, 1375 01:02:50,125 --> 01:02:52,667 giving up glory to come in humility, 1376 01:02:52,792 --> 01:02:56,208 to get off a throne to come in a manger. 1377 01:02:56,292 --> 01:03:01,458 Lord Jesus, we thank you that you've paid our debt of sin 1378 01:03:01,500 --> 01:03:05,708 through your death in our place on the cross. 1379 01:03:05,792 --> 01:03:10,208 We thank you that salvation is a gift that we receive. 1380 01:03:10,292 --> 01:03:13,625 We thank you that in receiving your great gift, 1381 01:03:13,667 --> 01:03:17,958 we're changed to be generous givers who are cheerful and 1382 01:03:18,000 --> 01:03:21,708 joyful, because we've received and now we want to share. 1383 01:03:21,792 --> 01:03:25,125 Help us, Lord God, to learn this lesson of giving, 1384 01:03:25,167 --> 01:03:27,792 not just financially, but also spiritually 1385 01:03:27,833 --> 01:03:29,958 and emotionally and verbally. 1386 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:33,167 That we would give, not so that you would love us, 1387 01:03:33,292 --> 01:03:35,000 but because you do. 1388 01:03:35,042 --> 01:03:36,792 Not so that we would get, 1389 01:03:36,833 --> 01:03:39,125 but because we have already received so much. 1390 01:03:39,167 --> 01:03:40,833 Jesus, you are a great giver. 1391 01:03:40,875 --> 01:03:43,833 I pray that we would be faithful stewards in Jesus' good name. 1392 01:03:43,875 --> 01:03:45,292 Amen.