1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,125 2 00:00:05,167 --> 00:00:15,167 [music] 3 00:00:31,667 --> 00:00:35,917 Alrighty, we're in Luke part 79, "Investing for Jesus." 4 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,500 We're in Luke 19:11-27. 5 00:00:40,542 --> 00:00:44,375 And as you're finding your spot, one of the things we like to do 6 00:00:44,458 --> 00:00:49,000 at Mars Hill is see Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King. 7 00:00:49,083 --> 00:00:52,500 These are big titles that we find commonly 8 00:00:52,583 --> 00:00:54,083 in the Old Testament. 9 00:00:54,167 --> 00:00:56,917 They're offices of leaders that God raised up. 10 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,833 And Jesus comes as the ultimate fulfillment of all three. 11 00:01:00,875 --> 00:01:03,833 And I tell this to you because we've been in Luke now 12 00:01:03,875 --> 00:01:06,333 for almost two years, and as we're going through Luke, 13 00:01:06,375 --> 00:01:08,625 some of you are gonna have your favorite stories, 14 00:01:08,667 --> 00:01:11,583 your favorite sayings, your favorite events from the life 15 00:01:11,667 --> 00:01:14,375 and ministry of Jesus as recorded in Luke. 16 00:01:14,458 --> 00:01:18,417 And which ones are your favorite are likely indicative of maybe 17 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:21,792 what kind of person you tend to be, a little more priestly, 18 00:01:21,833 --> 00:01:23,500 prophetic, or kingly. 19 00:01:23,542 --> 00:01:27,208 Those of you who really love Jesus as prophet, 20 00:01:27,292 --> 00:01:29,833 as we've gone through Luke, you're gonna gravitate toward 21 00:01:29,875 --> 00:01:32,292 those occasions where Jesus is preaching and teaching 22 00:01:32,333 --> 00:01:35,333 and proclaiming the truth, where he's rebuking error 23 00:01:35,375 --> 00:01:39,500 and correcting false teaching and quoting the Old Testament 24 00:01:39,583 --> 00:01:43,792 and arguing passionately and boldly and compellingly 25 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:45,708 for the truth of the Bible. 26 00:01:45,792 --> 00:01:47,583 Those of you who are more prophets, 27 00:01:47,667 --> 00:01:50,375 you're gonna really gravitate towards those scenes. 28 00:01:50,458 --> 00:01:53,333 Those of you who are priests, you're gonna love those 29 00:01:53,375 --> 00:01:56,917 occasions where Jesus feeds those who are hungry, 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,417 heals those who are sick, includes those who are 31 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:02,833 outsiders and marginalized, 32 00:02:02,875 --> 00:02:05,708 loves those who are suffering and hurting. 33 00:02:05,792 --> 00:02:07,500 You're gonna have a real affection 34 00:02:07,542 --> 00:02:10,167 for Jesus' acts of compassion. 35 00:02:10,250 --> 00:02:12,792 This is how Jesus is our priest. 36 00:02:12,833 --> 00:02:15,500 He mediates between us and the Father. 37 00:02:15,583 --> 00:02:19,083 He brings love and grace and truth and mercy to us, 38 00:02:19,167 --> 00:02:22,375 and he brings us into the healing hands of God. 39 00:02:22,458 --> 00:02:25,000 For those of you who are more kingly in nature, 40 00:02:25,083 --> 00:02:28,417 you're gonna really appreciate the stories where Jesus is 41 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:32,000 organizing his ministry, where he is showing fruitfulness, 42 00:02:32,042 --> 00:02:34,208 where he is commending faithfulness, 43 00:02:34,292 --> 00:02:38,000 where he is talking in so far as practical matters go about 44 00:02:38,042 --> 00:02:41,167 issues of stewardship and money and talent and treasures 45 00:02:41,250 --> 00:02:45,125 and possessions and investments and return on investments 46 00:02:45,167 --> 00:02:48,917 because that portrays Jesus as King. 47 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:50,792 So, again, which are you? 48 00:02:50,833 --> 00:02:52,292 Are you more prophetic? 49 00:02:52,333 --> 00:02:54,125 You love it when Jesus is preaching 50 00:02:54,167 --> 00:02:55,500 and teaching the truth. 51 00:02:55,583 --> 00:02:56,917 Are you more priestly? 52 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,417 You love it when he's helping the hurting, the suffering, 53 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:00,875 and the poor. 54 00:03:00,958 --> 00:03:02,292 Are you more kingly? 55 00:03:02,333 --> 00:03:04,292 Do you really love those occasions where Jesus 56 00:03:04,333 --> 00:03:05,792 is organizing and leading and fund-raising 57 00:03:05,833 --> 00:03:07,792 and talking about efficiency? 58 00:03:07,833 --> 00:03:10,792 And what we need to do is understand the fullness of Jesus 59 00:03:10,833 --> 00:03:13,708 and appreciate the totality of his ministry. 60 00:03:13,792 --> 00:03:16,500 And so today we come to a section of Luke's Gospel 61 00:03:16,583 --> 00:03:19,792 that is exceedingly kingly. 62 00:03:19,833 --> 00:03:21,625 Some of you who are more prophetic, 63 00:03:21,667 --> 00:03:24,292 you won't find the kind of huge theological controversy 64 00:03:24,333 --> 00:03:26,167 that maybe you sometimes like. 65 00:03:26,250 --> 00:03:28,208 For those of you who are more priestly, 66 00:03:28,292 --> 00:03:30,375 it's not a story about a suffering person, 67 00:03:30,458 --> 00:03:32,667 it's a story about some stewards. 68 00:03:32,750 --> 00:03:36,333 So today we're gonna learn a lot about Jesus as King. 69 00:03:36,375 --> 00:03:38,333 And as we learn about Jesus as King, 70 00:03:38,375 --> 00:03:41,833 I need you to think in your own life about your own investments 71 00:03:41,875 --> 00:03:44,500 because the big idea here is about investing. 72 00:03:44,583 --> 00:03:47,917 Do you have a college fund for yourself or your children? 73 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Do you have a retirement account? 74 00:03:50,083 --> 00:03:52,708 Do you have any equity in your home? 75 00:03:52,792 --> 00:03:55,167 Do you have a life insurance policy? 76 00:03:55,250 --> 00:03:58,167 Do you have a disability insurance policy? 77 00:03:58,250 --> 00:04:01,208 Do you even just have credit cards that you're wanting to get 78 00:04:01,292 --> 00:04:04,500 a good interest rate on so that you might be a good steward 79 00:04:04,583 --> 00:04:05,917 of your wealth? 80 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,000 If so, that's the kind of mindset we need to have 81 00:04:09,083 --> 00:04:11,625 going into Luke 19, thinking like kings, 82 00:04:11,667 --> 00:04:14,125 thinking about efficiency and effectiveness 83 00:04:14,167 --> 00:04:17,125 and investing and stewarding. 84 00:04:17,167 --> 00:04:21,208 And so Jesus starts by revealing himself as a King, 85 00:04:21,292 --> 00:04:24,417 and he wants us to begin by understanding 86 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:26,833 the kingdom of God. 87 00:04:26,875 --> 00:04:29,500 So we read this in Luke 19:11-14, 88 00:04:29,583 --> 00:04:32,083 "As they heard these things," and in context it's about 89 00:04:32,167 --> 00:04:36,333 Zacchaeus, a very rich man whom Jesus saved and he became 90 00:04:36,375 --> 00:04:40,000 a repentant man who then became very generous toward the poor 91 00:04:40,083 --> 00:04:42,208 and repaying those he had ripped off. 92 00:04:42,292 --> 00:04:45,167 That happened in just the prior section of Luke. 93 00:04:45,250 --> 00:04:47,792 So, "As they heard these things [about Zacchaeus], 94 00:04:47,833 --> 00:04:51,333 "he proceeded to tell them a parable, because he was near 95 00:04:51,375 --> 00:04:54,167 "Jerusalem, and because they supposed that 96 00:04:54,250 --> 00:04:58,167 "the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 97 00:04:58,250 --> 00:05:01,125 "He said therefore, 'A nobleman went into a far country 98 00:05:01,167 --> 00:05:04,417 "'to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 99 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:07,500 "'Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, 100 00:05:07,583 --> 00:05:10,417 and said to them, "Engage in business,"'" 101 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:13,208 very kingly language, "'"until I come." 102 00:05:13,292 --> 00:05:16,917 "'But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, 103 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,917 saying, "We do not want this man to reign over us."'" 104 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,708 So Jesus here is saying he is a King. 105 00:05:25,792 --> 00:05:28,417 And he is a King with a kingdom. 106 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:31,333 And as Jesus reveals himself as a King, 107 00:05:31,375 --> 00:05:34,417 he wants to understand the nature of his kingdom. 108 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:37,833 And so he teaches us about himself as King and his 109 00:05:37,875 --> 00:05:41,000 coming kingdom in a form of what is called a parable. 110 00:05:41,042 --> 00:05:43,500 And we've looked at many of these in Luke's Gospel, 111 00:05:43,542 --> 00:05:47,625 but a parable is a little story that teaches a big idea. 112 00:05:47,667 --> 00:05:50,500 And here Jesus gives us a parable where 113 00:05:50,583 --> 00:05:52,208 there's a nobleman. 114 00:05:52,292 --> 00:05:55,875 Get the impression, perhaps, a young man who is loved 115 00:05:55,958 --> 00:05:58,875 and respected by some, but hated and opposed by others, 116 00:05:58,958 --> 00:06:02,083 because he's growing in power and influence. 117 00:06:02,167 --> 00:06:06,208 And he is the rightful heir to the throne of a kingdom. 118 00:06:06,292 --> 00:06:10,667 He is to be coronated as king. 119 00:06:10,750 --> 00:06:15,000 And so before his inauguration, he has to go away from his 120 00:06:15,042 --> 00:06:20,500 people to then be received and appointed as a king so that then 121 00:06:20,583 --> 00:06:24,625 he can return and assume the throne and rule and reign. 122 00:06:24,667 --> 00:06:28,333 And that's the big idea of the little story that Jesus teaches. 123 00:06:28,375 --> 00:06:30,375 And it said that he teaches this 124 00:06:30,458 --> 00:06:32,125 while he's on his way to Jerusalem. 125 00:06:32,167 --> 00:06:35,708 So in context, Jesus is saying that he's like that. 126 00:06:35,792 --> 00:06:39,083 He's about a week away from his crucifixion in Jerusalem where 127 00:06:39,167 --> 00:06:42,083 he's gonna die on the cross in our place for our sins. 128 00:06:42,167 --> 00:06:44,583 He then, a few days later, would rise from death, 129 00:06:44,667 --> 00:06:46,792 conquering Satan, sin, death, hell, 130 00:06:46,833 --> 00:06:49,583 and the wrath of God for those who turn from sin 131 00:06:49,667 --> 00:06:51,125 and trust in him. 132 00:06:51,167 --> 00:06:54,292 He then would appear over the course of some 40 days, 133 00:06:54,333 --> 00:06:56,875 evidencing his resurrection from death. 134 00:06:56,958 --> 00:07:01,708 And then ultimately he was going to ascend back into heaven. 135 00:07:01,792 --> 00:07:05,167 So he's about seven weeks away, roughly speaking, 136 00:07:05,250 --> 00:07:09,083 at this point in his life, from his return to the kingdom 137 00:07:09,167 --> 00:07:12,625 of heaven where he had come from as eternal God, 138 00:07:12,667 --> 00:07:15,417 entering into human history as a man. 139 00:07:15,500 --> 00:07:18,917 And what he's saying is, "I am a king and I have come to 140 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,125 "establish a kingdom, but before I occupy the throne and I rule 141 00:07:22,167 --> 00:07:24,708 "and reign, I need to go away. 142 00:07:24,792 --> 00:07:27,708 "And I'm going to go away for a while. 143 00:07:27,792 --> 00:07:30,417 "And while I'm gone, there will be some who love me. 144 00:07:30,500 --> 00:07:32,583 "There will be some who hate me. 145 00:07:32,667 --> 00:07:35,333 "But I will return and I will assume the throne 146 00:07:35,375 --> 00:07:38,500 "and I will rule and reign as the King of kings 147 00:07:38,542 --> 00:07:40,375 with a kingdom that never ends." 148 00:07:40,458 --> 00:07:43,000 That's the big idea of the parable. 149 00:07:43,042 --> 00:07:46,333 And so in this Jesus is a king. 150 00:07:46,375 --> 00:07:49,167 And his rule is a kingdom. 151 00:07:49,250 --> 00:07:54,000 And his going-away is an opportunity for us to be those 152 00:07:54,083 --> 00:07:57,792 faithful citizens and servants that are spoken of 153 00:07:57,833 --> 00:07:59,625 in the parable. 154 00:07:59,667 --> 00:08:04,417 It is told that as the king-to-be-appointed is away, 155 00:08:04,500 --> 00:08:08,208 his faithful servants and citizens are serving the cause 156 00:08:08,292 --> 00:08:10,833 of the king and serving the cause of the kingdom. 157 00:08:10,875 --> 00:08:13,292 That's exactly where we find ourself 158 00:08:13,333 --> 00:08:15,792 in the history of the world. 159 00:08:15,833 --> 00:08:19,625 Jesus has come, he has atoned for sin, 160 00:08:19,667 --> 00:08:23,292 he has risen from death, he is King of kings, Lord of lords, 161 00:08:23,333 --> 00:08:27,000 he is away for a season, returned into the kingdom of 162 00:08:27,042 --> 00:08:30,292 heaven, and he will bring with him the kingdom of heaven 163 00:08:30,333 --> 00:08:33,500 to bear on earth, and he will rule and reign, 164 00:08:33,583 --> 00:08:35,708 assume the throne as King over all. 165 00:08:35,792 --> 00:08:39,500 In the meantime, the church is to be serving him. 166 00:08:39,583 --> 00:08:43,708 The church is to be citizens of his kingdom and witnesses 167 00:08:43,792 --> 00:08:45,417 among the kingdoms of the earth. 168 00:08:45,500 --> 00:08:49,375 That's why Mars Hill Church Exists: to plant churches, 169 00:08:49,458 --> 00:08:53,000 more places where people meet Jesus, and make disciples, 170 00:08:53,083 --> 00:08:57,208 help people grow to be better followers of, 171 00:08:57,292 --> 00:09:03,500 servants to Jesus Christ as our King, as our point of ultimate, 172 00:09:03,583 --> 00:09:07,792 our person of ultimate allegiance and alliance. 173 00:09:07,833 --> 00:09:09,708 And what he says then, in the meantime, 174 00:09:09,792 --> 00:09:13,000 is that the opportunity we've been given is 175 00:09:13,083 --> 00:09:15,417 kind of like a servant. 176 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:18,667 And he tells the story that before the nobleman went away, 177 00:09:18,750 --> 00:09:22,792 and prior to his return to rule and reign as king, 178 00:09:22,833 --> 00:09:27,292 he gave gifts, investments, opportunities to each of his 179 00:09:27,333 --> 00:09:30,583 servants, just as God has done to every Christian 180 00:09:30,667 --> 00:09:32,792 and to every Christian church. 181 00:09:32,833 --> 00:09:36,292 And while he is away he wants us to be investing those 182 00:09:36,333 --> 00:09:39,625 opportunities well so that when he returns he gets 183 00:09:39,667 --> 00:09:42,375 a good return on investment. 184 00:09:42,458 --> 00:09:44,875 The same kind of thing that you and I want. 185 00:09:44,958 --> 00:09:48,125 We give our money to a college fund, again, 186 00:09:48,167 --> 00:09:51,000 to a mortgage company, to a retirement account, 187 00:09:51,042 --> 00:09:55,625 to a disability account, and we would all be very disappointed 188 00:09:55,667 --> 00:09:59,208 if we found that that money was mismanaged, 189 00:09:59,292 --> 00:10:02,667 that our wealth and our investment was squandered 190 00:10:02,750 --> 00:10:05,125 and misappropriated. 191 00:10:05,167 --> 00:10:10,333 We'd be very unhappy to discover when all of a sudden we did 192 00:10:10,375 --> 00:10:14,292 our investigation that, in fact, an opportunity had been missed, 193 00:10:14,333 --> 00:10:17,208 or perhaps many opportunities had been missed. 194 00:10:17,292 --> 00:10:22,000 And so Jesus tells us to view our lives as investors; 195 00:10:22,083 --> 00:10:25,000 that we only have so many hours and so many dollars 196 00:10:25,083 --> 00:10:28,625 and we need to invest them in such a way that when our King, 197 00:10:28,667 --> 00:10:32,917 the Lord Jesus returns, and he calls our whole life into 198 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,917 account and examination, that he would be pleased with the way 199 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,917 in which we have stewarded all of the time, talent, 200 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,333 and treasure that he's entrusted to us. 201 00:10:42,375 --> 00:10:45,708 And so the big idea is investing for Jesus. 202 00:10:45,792 --> 00:10:48,917 And we just read previously that he, in the parable, 203 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,708 tells the story where the nobleman gives to each 204 00:10:51,792 --> 00:10:54,000 of his ten servants one mina. 205 00:10:54,042 --> 00:10:56,292 Now, one mina, we don't know what that means, 206 00:10:56,333 --> 00:10:59,917 but it is the equivalent of about three-months' salary 207 00:11:00,042 --> 00:11:01,625 in our day. 208 00:11:01,667 --> 00:11:03,500 So think of it this way. 209 00:11:03,583 --> 00:11:07,792 Think of someone receiving, let's say, $15,000. 210 00:11:07,833 --> 00:11:10,583 If you take the average household income from all the 211 00:11:10,667 --> 00:11:16,583 locations of our campuses, it averages out to about $15,000. 212 00:11:16,667 --> 00:11:20,500 So you get the picture in your mind that $15,000 is handed out, 213 00:11:20,583 --> 00:11:23,583 and there is a season in which investments can be made, 214 00:11:23,667 --> 00:11:26,792 and then all of a sudden the nobleman returns, 215 00:11:26,833 --> 00:11:29,208 it's ultimately the Lord Jesus, and here's what he 216 00:11:29,292 --> 00:11:31,417 uncovers and discovers. 217 00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:36,583 We read this about investing for Jesus in Luke 19:15-17, 218 00:11:36,667 --> 00:11:38,792 continuing with the parable, "When he returned, having 219 00:11:38,833 --> 00:11:41,417 "received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom 220 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:43,917 "he had given the money to be called to him, 221 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,708 "that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 222 00:11:46,792 --> 00:11:48,417 "The first came before him, saying, 223 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:51,500 "'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' 224 00:11:51,583 --> 00:11:54,708 "And he said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! 225 00:11:54,792 --> 00:11:57,000 "'Because you have been faithful in a very little, 226 00:11:57,042 --> 00:12:00,083 you shall have authority over ten cities.'" 227 00:12:00,167 --> 00:12:04,708 So the first steward whom is spoken of in the story 228 00:12:04,792 --> 00:12:08,625 as a person who was given roughly $15,000. 229 00:12:08,667 --> 00:12:10,917 The nobleman goes away, returns home, 230 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,583 meets with this investor that he had entrusted his resources to, 231 00:12:14,667 --> 00:12:16,833 and asks, "How did it go? 232 00:12:16,875 --> 00:12:19,125 Tell me about my return on investment." 233 00:12:19,167 --> 00:12:21,833 And he says, "I took your $15,000 234 00:12:21,875 --> 00:12:25,000 and I turned it into $150,000." 235 00:12:25,083 --> 00:12:27,167 Unbelievable investment. 236 00:12:27,750 --> 00:12:29,792 Unbelievable investment. 237 00:12:29,833 --> 00:12:33,833 And so the response is, "Well done, good servant." 238 00:12:33,875 --> 00:12:36,708 The same thing we all want to hear from the Lord Jesus 239 00:12:36,792 --> 00:12:40,208 on the last day, "Well done, good servant. 240 00:12:40,292 --> 00:12:42,417 "You took the money that I gave you, 241 00:12:42,500 --> 00:12:45,708 "the days that I entrusted to you, the spiritual gifts that I, 242 00:12:45,792 --> 00:12:49,708 "in fact, put in you, and you invested them well, 243 00:12:49,792 --> 00:12:52,292 and there's a good return on investment." 244 00:12:52,333 --> 00:12:54,625 You need to know that Jesus is returning, 245 00:12:54,667 --> 00:12:57,708 and that we will have to give an account for our lives, 246 00:12:57,792 --> 00:13:01,208 either when we die or when he returns, either one, 247 00:13:01,292 --> 00:13:03,500 whichever comes first. 248 00:13:03,542 --> 00:13:06,333 And we all want to hear, "Well done, good servant." 249 00:13:06,375 --> 00:13:09,333 And then he goes on to say, "Because you've been faithful 250 00:13:09,375 --> 00:13:12,292 in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities." 251 00:13:12,333 --> 00:13:14,583 Jesus here is teaching a principle. 252 00:13:14,667 --> 00:13:17,208 For those of you who aspire to leadership and to influence 253 00:13:17,292 --> 00:13:20,833 and to impact, you need to start small. 254 00:13:20,875 --> 00:13:24,333 No one gets to start off as the CEO of a company. 255 00:13:24,375 --> 00:13:27,333 Nobody gets to start off first day playing football 256 00:13:27,375 --> 00:13:29,625 as the quarterback on the team. 257 00:13:29,667 --> 00:13:33,500 Nobody gets to be the general manager of the franchise. 258 00:13:33,583 --> 00:13:36,208 You don't start there. 259 00:13:36,292 --> 00:13:40,417 You start in a simple place, a humble place, a lowly place, 260 00:13:40,500 --> 00:13:43,833 and you take the small opportunities that are given to 261 00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:48,500 you and you become, by the grace of God, a good steward of them, 262 00:13:48,583 --> 00:13:50,500 making a good return on investment, 263 00:13:50,583 --> 00:13:52,583 doing the things you're supposed to do, 264 00:13:52,667 --> 00:13:56,417 and over time your influence grows. 265 00:13:56,500 --> 00:13:59,500 Pride is when we want to be in a position of leadership, 266 00:13:59,583 --> 00:14:02,417 but quite frankly we just have not proven ourselves 267 00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:04,708 to be competent and qualified for. 268 00:14:04,792 --> 00:14:07,583 The result is that some of us will get into positions 269 00:14:07,667 --> 00:14:10,500 of leadership and then fail miserably because we don't have 270 00:14:10,583 --> 00:14:13,125 the experience, we don't have the humility, 271 00:14:13,167 --> 00:14:16,333 we don't have the wisdom to sustain the office 272 00:14:16,375 --> 00:14:19,125 or the opportunity that we've assumed. 273 00:14:19,167 --> 00:14:21,167 The key is to start small. 274 00:14:21,250 --> 00:14:23,000 And this is true with everything. 275 00:14:23,083 --> 00:14:24,833 This is a true principle in business. 276 00:14:24,875 --> 00:14:26,792 This is a true principle in ministry. 277 00:14:26,833 --> 00:14:30,500 This is a true principle in every single aspect of life. 278 00:14:30,542 --> 00:14:32,917 God gives you a little opportunity, 279 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,708 you make the most of it. 280 00:14:34,792 --> 00:14:36,625 As you make the most of it, 281 00:14:36,667 --> 00:14:38,375 God gives you a little bigger opportunity. 282 00:14:38,458 --> 00:14:40,875 As you make the most of that, he'll give you 283 00:14:40,958 --> 00:14:42,292 another opportunity. 284 00:14:42,333 --> 00:14:44,625 And life is to be a series of humble, 285 00:14:44,667 --> 00:14:49,417 ongoing opportunities and lessons, successes and failures, 286 00:14:49,500 --> 00:14:52,500 but as we prove ourselves to be faithful in little things, 287 00:14:52,583 --> 00:14:55,375 we can be entrusted with even more things. 288 00:14:55,458 --> 00:14:58,708 And this is absolutely true. 289 00:14:58,792 --> 00:15:03,208 And he says that ultimately here this servant, this steward, 290 00:15:03,292 --> 00:15:07,708 would be given opportunity to rule over ten cities. 291 00:15:07,792 --> 00:15:10,708 Now, this is speaking ultimately about the kingdom of God. 292 00:15:10,792 --> 00:15:12,917 And some of you have a very erroneous, 293 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,292 inaccurate view of the kingdom of God. 294 00:15:15,333 --> 00:15:17,292 And we've debunked it earlier in Luke, 295 00:15:17,333 --> 00:15:20,417 so I won't belabor the point, but some of us have a picture 296 00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:23,000 that we'll just be, you know, real chubby babies wearing 297 00:15:23,083 --> 00:15:25,917 diapers with small wings that can't really transport us, 298 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,000 sitting on clouds, plucking harps, and that's heaven. 299 00:15:29,083 --> 00:15:32,333 That's not heaven; to me, that would, in fact, be hell. 300 00:15:32,375 --> 00:15:36,500 The kingdom here is one where it really is the world 301 00:15:36,542 --> 00:15:38,417 as God intended it. 302 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:41,333 See, when God made the earth and everything on the earth, 303 00:15:41,375 --> 00:15:44,500 he said that it was all very good in Genesis 1:31. 304 00:15:44,542 --> 00:15:47,667 And then we see in Genesis 3, early on in the Bible, 305 00:15:47,750 --> 00:15:50,500 in human history, where sin comes in, and it infects, 306 00:15:50,542 --> 00:15:53,500 corrupts everyone and every thing. 307 00:15:53,583 --> 00:15:56,667 And the kingdom of God is where the Lord Jesus Christ rules and 308 00:15:56,750 --> 00:16:01,833 reigns as King. And there is no power that is contrary to him 309 00:16:01,875 --> 00:16:04,792 and there is no one who sits alongside of him 310 00:16:04,833 --> 00:16:06,583 in equal authority. 311 00:16:06,667 --> 00:16:09,833 He rules and reigns over all peoples, times, places, 312 00:16:09,875 --> 00:16:11,917 cultures, and circumstances. 313 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,500 The curse is lifted, death is no more, suffering, injustice, 314 00:16:16,542 --> 00:16:19,833 evil, oppression are forever banished, 315 00:16:19,875 --> 00:16:23,833 and the world is as you and I truly would want it to be-- 316 00:16:23,875 --> 00:16:29,833 one where people are loved, God is honored, and life is valued. 317 00:16:29,875 --> 00:16:32,000 That is the kingdom of God. 318 00:16:32,042 --> 00:16:34,417 And that the picture of the earth is that it 319 00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:37,500 would be renewed, that it would be made new, 320 00:16:37,583 --> 00:16:40,417 kind of like our resurrection bodies. 321 00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:44,333 There will be a similarity, but also a dissimilarity. 322 00:16:44,375 --> 00:16:47,000 We'll look the same when we rise from death, 323 00:16:47,083 --> 00:16:50,333 but at the same time our bodies will be made, the Bible says, 324 00:16:50,375 --> 00:16:53,708 incorruptible, completely transformed. 325 00:16:53,792 --> 00:16:56,500 So it will be with the earth. 326 00:16:56,583 --> 00:16:59,417 But the earth will be perfect as God intended, 327 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:02,500 perhaps even superseding the first creation 328 00:17:02,583 --> 00:17:06,625 in its magnificence and glory and beauty. 329 00:17:06,667 --> 00:17:10,000 And that on the earth there will be cities. 330 00:17:10,083 --> 00:17:13,708 There will be glorious, fantastic, beautiful cities, 331 00:17:13,792 --> 00:17:16,708 where the people of God dwell together in harmony. 332 00:17:16,792 --> 00:17:18,833 There will be culture, there will be art, 333 00:17:18,875 --> 00:17:21,417 there will be eating and drinking and feasting 334 00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:24,375 and laughing and singing and joy. 335 00:17:24,458 --> 00:17:28,917 Think of this world without sin, Satan, death, the curse, 336 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,500 all of its effects, and with the presence of Jesus over all, 337 00:17:33,583 --> 00:17:36,792 filled with nothing but believers who love him 338 00:17:36,833 --> 00:17:38,375 and serve one another. 339 00:17:38,458 --> 00:17:41,583 That's a good picture of the kingdom of God. 340 00:17:41,667 --> 00:17:44,417 And so in the kingdom of God there will be cities, 341 00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:46,833 and Jesus will appoint certain people 342 00:17:46,875 --> 00:17:49,000 to rule over certain cities. 343 00:17:49,042 --> 00:17:51,500 And it won't be ruling as an overlord, 344 00:17:51,583 --> 00:17:54,125 it'll be ruling under the risen Lord. 345 00:17:54,167 --> 00:17:57,000 It'll be with humility and love and affection. 346 00:17:57,083 --> 00:17:59,333 But friends, it's not a bad thing to say, 347 00:17:59,375 --> 00:18:01,000 "I aspire to leadership. 348 00:18:01,083 --> 00:18:02,417 "I wanna make a difference. 349 00:18:02,500 --> 00:18:03,833 "I wanna help people. 350 00:18:03,875 --> 00:18:05,833 I wanna make this a better world." 351 00:18:05,875 --> 00:18:09,208 Those longings in our heart are ultimately only fulfilled, 352 00:18:09,292 --> 00:18:13,000 completely fulfilled, in the kingdom of God. 353 00:18:13,083 --> 00:18:16,583 And so here's what we want some of you to aspire to. 354 00:18:16,667 --> 00:18:20,792 By humility and the grace of God, a life of greatness. 355 00:18:20,833 --> 00:18:23,000 We want you with your family, with your business, 356 00:18:23,083 --> 00:18:25,792 with your ministry, with a life that God has given you, 357 00:18:25,833 --> 00:18:30,667 to use those opportunities to make a good return on investment 358 00:18:30,750 --> 00:18:34,333 so that you could hear, "Well done, good servant." 359 00:18:34,375 --> 00:18:37,333 And then, perhaps, even when you enter into the kingdom of God, 360 00:18:37,375 --> 00:18:40,333 that Jesus would say, "I want you to rule over this city, 361 00:18:40,375 --> 00:18:41,708 "over these ten cities. 362 00:18:41,792 --> 00:18:45,208 I want you to love and serve and help these people." 363 00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:49,000 And this is what Jesus is wanting us to aspire to. 364 00:18:49,083 --> 00:18:54,417 Not arrogance, but humble leadership, humble service, 365 00:18:54,500 --> 00:18:57,792 kingdom compassion. 366 00:18:57,833 --> 00:19:01,125 That's the first person and their return on investment, 367 00:19:01,167 --> 00:19:03,208 ten-fold. 368 00:19:03,292 --> 00:19:06,667 There is also a second, in Luke 19:18-19, 369 00:19:06,750 --> 00:19:08,167 "And the second came, saying, 370 00:19:08,250 --> 00:19:10,208 "'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' 371 00:19:10,292 --> 00:19:13,417 And he said to him, 'You are to be over five cities.'" 372 00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:16,792 So he says, "Lord, I took your $15,000 373 00:19:16,833 --> 00:19:20,000 and I turned it into $75,000." 374 00:19:20,083 --> 00:19:23,125 Again, what a great job, what a great steward, 375 00:19:23,167 --> 00:19:25,667 what a good investment. 376 00:19:25,750 --> 00:19:31,208 Jesus says, "You will now rule over five cities." 377 00:19:31,292 --> 00:19:33,500 And I want you to see here, friends, 378 00:19:33,542 --> 00:19:35,708 that everyone who is a Christian does enter into 379 00:19:35,792 --> 00:19:38,833 the kingdom of God, but there will be differing, 380 00:19:38,875 --> 00:19:42,708 varying rewards for degrees of faithfulness. 381 00:19:42,792 --> 00:19:45,792 For the person who lovingly, faithfully, humbly, 382 00:19:45,833 --> 00:19:51,500 fruitfully invests their life for Jesus from a young age until 383 00:19:51,583 --> 00:19:56,167 they die, as an elderly person, there will be greater rewards 384 00:19:56,250 --> 00:19:59,625 for them then the person who was a Christian but was lazy, 385 00:19:59,667 --> 00:20:03,833 inconsistent, irresponsible, proud, selfish, 386 00:20:03,875 --> 00:20:08,625 wrongly investing their life and wasting their days. 387 00:20:08,667 --> 00:20:12,625 See, Jesus here is talking about investing your life and getting 388 00:20:12,667 --> 00:20:15,833 a good return on investment, a good eternal reward 389 00:20:15,875 --> 00:20:18,292 on your earthly life's investment. 390 00:20:18,333 --> 00:20:21,708 And he's doing so again on his way, literally, 391 00:20:21,792 --> 00:20:25,125 to Jerusalem where within the week, roughly, 392 00:20:25,167 --> 00:20:29,708 he's going to die on the cross in our place for our sins. 393 00:20:29,792 --> 00:20:32,500 Jesus is not wasting his life. 394 00:20:32,542 --> 00:20:35,833 He's investing his life for the glory of God 395 00:20:35,875 --> 00:20:38,208 and the good of his people. 396 00:20:38,292 --> 00:20:42,708 And Jesus here is teaching us not to waste our life. 397 00:20:42,792 --> 00:20:47,125 Yes, some of you, at this point, would still go to heaven, 398 00:20:47,167 --> 00:20:52,708 but your rewards would be minimal or negligible. 399 00:20:52,792 --> 00:20:55,583 You've really not done a great job with your life. 400 00:20:55,667 --> 00:20:58,083 And some of you would say, "No, it doesn't matter. 401 00:20:58,167 --> 00:20:59,500 I have sound doctrine." 402 00:20:59,542 --> 00:21:01,000 Well, that's what the prophets say. 403 00:21:01,083 --> 00:21:04,417 Or, you know, "I love God in my heart and I'm a nice person." 404 00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:05,917 Well, that's what the priests say. 405 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,167 But this is what the King is telling us. 406 00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:11,333 And some of you don't like to think in terms of dollars and 407 00:21:11,375 --> 00:21:13,500 days and hours and investments and return on investments. 408 00:21:13,583 --> 00:21:16,500 Some of you would even, in a way that sounds pious, 409 00:21:16,542 --> 00:21:18,917 but is really now, we find unbiblical, say, 410 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,417 "Well, you know, Christianity's not a business and church 411 00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:23,833 "is not a business and ministry's not a business. 412 00:21:23,875 --> 00:21:25,417 "It's not all about the money 413 00:21:25,500 --> 00:21:27,292 "and it's not all about the results. 414 00:21:27,333 --> 00:21:28,667 It's only about the heart." 415 00:21:28,750 --> 00:21:31,500 And Jesus would say, "It's really about both." 416 00:21:31,583 --> 00:21:33,708 It's really about both. 417 00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:36,625 As prophet, Jesus wants us to believe the Bible 418 00:21:36,667 --> 00:21:38,417 and defend the truth. 419 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:43,375 As priest, Jesus wants us to love and serve people. 420 00:21:43,458 --> 00:21:46,625 But as a king, he wants our lives to count. 421 00:21:46,667 --> 00:21:48,875 He wants our lives to make a difference. 422 00:21:48,958 --> 00:21:51,500 He wants our life to be a good investment. 423 00:21:51,583 --> 00:21:55,792 He wants us to be good stewards of the opportunities 424 00:21:55,833 --> 00:21:58,833 individually, with our family, and collectively, 425 00:21:58,875 --> 00:22:01,708 as the church that he's given to us. 426 00:22:01,792 --> 00:22:03,708 This sort of rung true in my ears. 427 00:22:03,792 --> 00:22:06,000 I was on a preaching tour in South Africa 428 00:22:06,083 --> 00:22:07,875 and I met some men in Durban, 429 00:22:07,958 --> 00:22:09,792 a wonderful church, great pastor, 430 00:22:09,833 --> 00:22:12,375 I really loved it there, was very encouraged. 431 00:22:12,458 --> 00:22:16,333 And the men that I met there, very strong, aggressive, 432 00:22:16,375 --> 00:22:18,833 South African men, 433 00:22:18,875 --> 00:22:22,417 they kept saying to me, "We want our lives to count for God." 434 00:22:22,500 --> 00:22:25,625 That was kind of this statement that I kept hearing from many of 435 00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:29,000 the men in the church, "We want our lives to count for God." 436 00:22:29,083 --> 00:22:31,708 That's exactly what Jesus is talking about. 437 00:22:31,792 --> 00:22:34,500 Make your life count for God. 438 00:22:34,542 --> 00:22:37,083 Like my friend John Piper says, conversely, 439 00:22:37,167 --> 00:22:39,583 "Don't waste your life." 440 00:22:39,667 --> 00:22:42,917 Don't waste your life; invest your life. 441 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,333 Yes, first with your family. 442 00:22:45,375 --> 00:22:47,000 Don't neglect them. 443 00:22:47,083 --> 00:22:48,625 Yes, in your business. 444 00:22:48,667 --> 00:22:50,208 Yes, in your church. 445 00:22:50,292 --> 00:22:51,625 Yes, in your community. 446 00:22:51,667 --> 00:22:53,000 Yes, in your neighborhood. 447 00:22:53,083 --> 00:22:54,500 Yes, in your city. 448 00:22:54,583 --> 00:22:58,292 Yes, on our world, in our world. 449 00:22:58,333 --> 00:22:59,667 Yes. 450 00:22:59,750 --> 00:23:01,708 Invest, invest, invest. 451 00:23:01,792 --> 00:23:04,917 Some of you are returning ten-fold investments. 452 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,875 Some of you are returning five-fold investments. 453 00:23:07,958 --> 00:23:10,833 And perhaps, I hate to say it, some of you are like 454 00:23:10,875 --> 00:23:13,500 the third man in the parable. 455 00:23:13,583 --> 00:23:17,000 Luke 19:20-23, "Then another came, saying 456 00:23:17,083 --> 00:23:18,625 "'Lord, here is your mina, 457 00:23:18,667 --> 00:23:21,208 "'which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 458 00:23:21,292 --> 00:23:25,292 "'for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. 459 00:23:25,333 --> 00:23:27,125 "'You take what you did not deposit, 460 00:23:27,167 --> 00:23:28,833 "'and reap what you did not sow.' 461 00:23:28,875 --> 00:23:32,167 "He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, 462 00:23:32,250 --> 00:23:33,708 "'you wicked servant! 463 00:23:33,792 --> 00:23:35,708 "'You knew that I was a severe man, 464 00:23:35,792 --> 00:23:39,000 "'taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 465 00:23:39,042 --> 00:23:41,792 "'Why then did you not put my money in the bank, 466 00:23:41,833 --> 00:23:45,292 and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'" 467 00:23:45,333 --> 00:23:50,792 The third man hands him back the original investment. 468 00:23:52,375 --> 00:23:56,708 Says, "You gave me $15,000, I know you've been gone, 469 00:23:56,792 --> 00:23:59,625 here's your $15,000 back." 470 00:23:59,667 --> 00:24:02,500 And when asked, "Why didn't you do anything with it?" 471 00:24:02,583 --> 00:24:06,125 The man blames the investor. 472 00:24:06,167 --> 00:24:08,500 He says, "Well, I was scared of you. 473 00:24:08,542 --> 00:24:10,000 "You're a severe man. 474 00:24:10,042 --> 00:24:12,417 "I was intimidated and I didn't wanna do anything wrong, 475 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:14,417 so I didn't do anything at all." 476 00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:17,208 Let me say this, friends, sometimes sin 477 00:24:17,292 --> 00:24:19,500 is not doing anything at all. 478 00:24:19,583 --> 00:24:22,833 Sometimes sin is not doing anything at all. 479 00:24:22,875 --> 00:24:27,000 You can be so paralyzed by fear of failure that you do nothing, 480 00:24:27,042 --> 00:24:31,292 and that, in and of itself, is your failure. 481 00:24:34,042 --> 00:24:37,667 This man took the money, wrapped it up in a handkerchief, 482 00:24:37,750 --> 00:24:40,125 maybe put it in a drawer or under his bed, 483 00:24:40,167 --> 00:24:42,125 and then handed it back. 484 00:24:42,167 --> 00:24:45,500 My question to you would be this: Is that essentially 485 00:24:45,583 --> 00:24:49,500 what you've done with your Christian life and faith? 486 00:24:49,583 --> 00:24:51,917 Say, "Well, I go to church sometimes." 487 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,000 Wrapped in a handkerchief. 488 00:24:54,083 --> 00:24:55,708 "I don't really go to Community Group, 489 00:24:55,792 --> 00:24:57,333 I'm not involved with other believers." 490 00:24:57,375 --> 00:24:58,917 Wrapped in a handkerchief. 491 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,625 "I got baptized, but I really haven't become a member, 492 00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:04,125 "I'm not learning and growing, I'm not regularly reading my 493 00:25:04,167 --> 00:25:07,708 Bible, I'm not giving generously to the cause of the gospel." 494 00:25:07,792 --> 00:25:09,708 Wrapped in a handkerchief. 495 00:25:09,792 --> 00:25:12,917 "Well, when I get married I want it to be in a church, 496 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,125 "and when I die I wanna be buried in a church. 497 00:25:16,167 --> 00:25:19,625 "And if I have a family, maybe I'd like my children to grow up 498 00:25:19,667 --> 00:25:22,500 "in the community of a church so they can get values 499 00:25:22,542 --> 00:25:24,792 "and friendships, my spouse as well. 500 00:25:24,833 --> 00:25:27,583 "But I really don't give, I really don't serve, 501 00:25:27,667 --> 00:25:29,708 "I really don't invest. 502 00:25:29,792 --> 00:25:31,500 "I'm not really pursuing anything. 503 00:25:31,583 --> 00:25:34,208 "I'm not trying to figure out my place in the body. 504 00:25:34,292 --> 00:25:37,208 "I'm not trying to discern an ascertain my spiritual gift 505 00:25:37,292 --> 00:25:40,625 "and who I am and what I have to contribute and how I might 506 00:25:40,667 --> 00:25:44,625 "invest myself in the church and the ministry of the gospel. 507 00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:47,417 I'm more of a taker than a giver." 508 00:25:47,500 --> 00:25:49,333 Maybe it even sounds spiritual. 509 00:25:49,375 --> 00:25:51,333 "Well, I don't believe in organized religion." 510 00:25:51,375 --> 00:25:53,208 Or, you know, "It's a personal relationship 511 00:25:53,292 --> 00:25:54,625 "between me and Jesus. 512 00:25:54,667 --> 00:25:56,375 It doesn't need to involve other people." 513 00:25:56,458 --> 00:25:58,375 Or, you know, "Big churches are always greedy. 514 00:25:58,458 --> 00:25:59,875 "They're in it for the money. 515 00:25:59,958 --> 00:26:03,125 "Or they just are always trying to take from you and I'm not 516 00:26:03,167 --> 00:26:06,125 "gonna let them do that to me 'cause I'm really a holy, 517 00:26:06,167 --> 00:26:08,000 "smart person so I just say no 518 00:26:08,042 --> 00:26:09,708 so that I can maintain my integrity." 519 00:26:09,792 --> 00:26:12,500 All of which is your life in a handkerchief doing nothing. 520 00:26:12,542 --> 00:26:15,083 It's not holy, it's unholy. 521 00:26:15,167 --> 00:26:17,000 It's not humble, it's proud. 522 00:26:17,083 --> 00:26:20,583 It's not giving, it's taking. 523 00:26:20,667 --> 00:26:23,500 It's not faithful, it's unfaithful. 524 00:26:23,542 --> 00:26:25,167 Is that you? 525 00:26:25,875 --> 00:26:28,000 Is that you? 526 00:26:28,083 --> 00:26:31,625 So you'd say, "Yeah, but I'm busy or I'm afraid to fail or 527 00:26:31,667 --> 00:26:36,000 I'm afraid that it won't go well or I've been hurt in the past." 528 00:26:36,083 --> 00:26:39,167 Your life in a handkerchief. 529 00:26:39,250 --> 00:26:41,125 Think of this. 530 00:26:41,167 --> 00:26:42,833 Think of taking money. 531 00:26:42,875 --> 00:26:46,125 Let's say, for example, you received an inheritance. 532 00:26:46,167 --> 00:26:49,708 Someone in your family gave you a large inheritance. 533 00:26:49,792 --> 00:26:52,375 You took that money, you wrapped it in a handkerchief, 534 00:26:52,458 --> 00:26:56,208 you stuck it in a sock drawer, you put it under your mattress. 535 00:26:56,292 --> 00:27:00,375 And years went by and you didn't do anything with it. 536 00:27:00,458 --> 00:27:03,000 You would be a fool. 537 00:27:03,083 --> 00:27:06,333 Now, through the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ, 538 00:27:06,375 --> 00:27:09,917 the Bible actually says we've received a great inheritance. 539 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,083 The Holy Spirit lives in the people of God. 540 00:27:13,167 --> 00:27:16,083 We have the good news of the truth of the gospel of 541 00:27:16,167 --> 00:27:18,833 the death, burial, resurrection, the salvation, love, 542 00:27:18,875 --> 00:27:22,917 and affection of Jesus Christ as our God. 543 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,875 We have knowledge of the coming of the kingdom of God. 544 00:27:25,958 --> 00:27:30,000 We have knowledge of eternal rewards that this life matters, 545 00:27:30,083 --> 00:27:32,875 that there will be rewards for those who are faithful. 546 00:27:32,958 --> 00:27:35,292 And those rewards last forever. 547 00:27:35,333 --> 00:27:38,792 And they glorify God who loves us well. 548 00:27:38,833 --> 00:27:42,208 We know that there are people who have needs--needs for love, 549 00:27:42,292 --> 00:27:45,833 encouragement, service, and most of all a need for a relationship 550 00:27:45,875 --> 00:27:49,125 with Jesus and his people. 551 00:27:49,167 --> 00:27:51,375 And so we have all of these opportunities 552 00:27:51,458 --> 00:27:53,333 to invest our life. 553 00:27:53,375 --> 00:27:56,083 And imagine if we just take our life and stuck it 554 00:27:56,167 --> 00:27:58,708 in a sock drawer or put it under a mattress 555 00:27:58,792 --> 00:28:00,708 and did nothing with it. 556 00:28:00,792 --> 00:28:02,792 And that's what some people are doing. 557 00:28:02,833 --> 00:28:05,917 That's what some of you are doing. 558 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,417 Some of you'd say, "I'm not doing a bad thing." 559 00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:10,000 No, you're doing nothing. 560 00:28:10,042 --> 00:28:11,917 That's a bad thing. 561 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:17,375 You're doing so little that this opportunity of a life 562 00:28:17,458 --> 00:28:20,125 has been entrusted to you. 563 00:28:20,167 --> 00:28:23,667 Just wrap it in a handkerchief, stick it in a sock drawer, 564 00:28:23,750 --> 00:28:26,833 wait for Jesus to return, resurrect from death, 565 00:28:26,875 --> 00:28:30,083 stand before him and say, "I didn't do much. 566 00:28:30,167 --> 00:28:34,583 In fact, I didn't do anything." 567 00:28:34,667 --> 00:28:37,333 Do you feel that? 568 00:28:37,375 --> 00:28:40,125 Jesus says the least this investor could have done, 569 00:28:40,167 --> 00:28:42,333 financially speaking, is put the money in the bank, 570 00:28:42,375 --> 00:28:44,333 get a little return on the investment. 571 00:28:44,375 --> 00:28:47,292 I mean, the least you can do is give a little bit. 572 00:28:47,333 --> 00:28:49,833 The least you can do is serve a little bit. 573 00:28:49,875 --> 00:28:52,833 The least you could do is read your Bible a little bit. 574 00:28:52,875 --> 00:28:55,833 I mean, if you're not gonna make your life count for God, 575 00:28:55,875 --> 00:28:57,792 anything is better than nothing. 576 00:28:57,833 --> 00:29:02,417 Even though minimal effort, minimal return investment, 577 00:29:02,500 --> 00:29:06,708 is unimpressive, at least it's something. 578 00:29:06,792 --> 00:29:10,083 I would encourage some of you, start with something. 579 00:29:10,167 --> 00:29:11,917 Start with anything. 580 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,917 If you've never served, serve somewhere. 581 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,708 If you've never been to a Community Group, go once. 582 00:29:16,792 --> 00:29:19,333 If you've never been to church twice in a row, 583 00:29:19,375 --> 00:29:20,708 we'll see you next week. 584 00:29:20,792 --> 00:29:23,833 If you never read your Bible, read it this week. 585 00:29:23,875 --> 00:29:25,292 Because what? 586 00:29:25,333 --> 00:29:26,833 If you're faithful with a little, 587 00:29:26,875 --> 00:29:28,333 God can entrust you with much. 588 00:29:28,375 --> 00:29:30,000 That's what Jesus has already said. 589 00:29:30,083 --> 00:29:32,667 Some of you say, "Well, I'm never gonna be, you know, 590 00:29:32,750 --> 00:29:34,083 this grand and glorious." 591 00:29:34,167 --> 00:29:35,500 Perhaps not. 592 00:29:35,542 --> 00:29:38,333 But the goal is to be faithful and to get started. 593 00:29:38,375 --> 00:29:41,583 The longer you wait, the worse it is. 594 00:29:41,667 --> 00:29:47,375 Now, Jesus is going to summarize all of this in Luke 19:24-27, 595 00:29:47,458 --> 00:29:50,417 "He said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, 596 00:29:50,500 --> 00:29:53,125 "'and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 597 00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:56,000 And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas.'" 598 00:29:56,042 --> 00:29:57,708 State the obvious. 599 00:29:57,792 --> 00:30:00,708 "I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, 600 00:30:00,792 --> 00:30:02,500 "but from the one who has not, 601 00:30:02,542 --> 00:30:04,917 "even what he has will be taken away. 602 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,417 But as for these enemies of mine," Jesus does have enemies, 603 00:30:08,500 --> 00:30:10,708 "who did not want me to reign over them, 604 00:30:10,792 --> 00:30:14,083 bring them here and slaughter them before me." 605 00:30:14,167 --> 00:30:16,917 Notice in this sermon you're not getting a lot of jokes 606 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:18,667 and it's not a real ha-ha-ha funny. 607 00:30:18,750 --> 00:30:20,125 This is really serious. 608 00:30:20,167 --> 00:30:23,625 This is Jesus being very sober. 609 00:30:23,667 --> 00:30:28,583 So he's using these three people, stewards, 610 00:30:28,667 --> 00:30:31,667 investors in the story as examples. 611 00:30:31,750 --> 00:30:35,292 The first one gets a ten-fold return on investment. 612 00:30:35,333 --> 00:30:38,833 Turns $15,000 into $150,000. 613 00:30:38,875 --> 00:30:42,208 He says, "Well done, good steward--good servant. 614 00:30:42,292 --> 00:30:44,333 You're gonna rule over ten cities." 615 00:30:44,375 --> 00:30:48,125 The second one, he says, "Well, I gave you $15,000 616 00:30:48,167 --> 00:30:50,833 "and you gave me $75,000. 617 00:30:50,875 --> 00:30:53,292 "You get to rule over five cities. 618 00:30:53,333 --> 00:30:54,917 You did a good job." 619 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,125 The third, he says, "I gave you $15,000, 620 00:30:58,167 --> 00:31:01,000 "you didn't even put it in the bank to get negligible, 621 00:31:01,042 --> 00:31:02,375 "minimal interest. 622 00:31:02,458 --> 00:31:05,000 "You didn't do anything and you're gonna blame it on me. 623 00:31:05,083 --> 00:31:06,833 "You don't even take responsibility 624 00:31:06,875 --> 00:31:09,000 "for your own failure and oversight. 625 00:31:09,083 --> 00:31:12,417 "You gave me $15,000 back. 626 00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:17,958 I'm gonna take that from you and I'm gonna give that to him." 627 00:31:19,250 --> 00:31:21,333 All the people are watching saying, 628 00:31:21,375 --> 00:31:24,667 "Well, he's already got ten times what he's got. 629 00:31:24,750 --> 00:31:28,167 That's not fair!" 630 00:31:28,250 --> 00:31:32,833 It's not fair; it's wise. 631 00:31:32,875 --> 00:31:38,333 See, Jesus is not a complete socialist who says everybody 632 00:31:38,375 --> 00:31:41,375 should make the exact same amount and we all should have 633 00:31:41,458 --> 00:31:44,125 the same standard of living. 634 00:31:44,167 --> 00:31:45,875 If this person is good steward 635 00:31:45,958 --> 00:31:47,917 and this person is a bad steward, 636 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,208 then more resources are gonna go to the good steward. 637 00:31:51,292 --> 00:31:54,708 Now, to be sure, there are people who are crooked 638 00:31:54,792 --> 00:31:58,333 and greedy and, like Zacchaeus, they're unrighteous rich 639 00:31:58,375 --> 00:32:00,125 and they rip people off. 640 00:32:00,167 --> 00:32:03,167 But there are also some people who are righteous rich. 641 00:32:03,250 --> 00:32:06,125 The reason that they have is because little by little, 642 00:32:06,167 --> 00:32:09,833 just like Proverbs says, they made it grow. 643 00:32:09,875 --> 00:32:11,625 They weren't wasting their money; 644 00:32:11,667 --> 00:32:13,333 they were investing their money. 645 00:32:13,375 --> 00:32:18,000 They weren't wasting their life; they were investing their life. 646 00:32:18,083 --> 00:32:22,000 And what Jesus is saying here, as we apply this to our lives 647 00:32:22,042 --> 00:32:27,500 and our church, there are certain churches that do a lot. 648 00:32:27,542 --> 00:32:30,333 And there's certain churches that don't do much at all. 649 00:32:30,375 --> 00:32:32,667 There are certain ministries that do a lot. 650 00:32:32,750 --> 00:32:35,292 There are other ministries that don't do much at all. 651 00:32:35,333 --> 00:32:37,708 There are certain Christian families who do a lot. 652 00:32:37,792 --> 00:32:39,917 There are others who don't do much at all. 653 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,125 There are certain Christian individuals who do a lot. 654 00:32:42,167 --> 00:32:45,125 There are others who don't do much at all. 655 00:32:45,167 --> 00:32:48,208 And Jesus looks at it like you would look at someone 656 00:32:48,292 --> 00:32:50,833 running your retirement account. 657 00:32:50,875 --> 00:32:55,375 And you say, "Well, if I took my retirement account and I put it 658 00:32:55,458 --> 00:32:59,625 "between multiple portfolios, and one was making massive money 659 00:32:59,667 --> 00:33:01,583 "and the other wasn't doing anything, 660 00:33:01,667 --> 00:33:03,333 "I would shift all my resources 661 00:33:03,375 --> 00:33:07,917 into the profitable portfolio because I'd be a fool not to." 662 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:10,167 Jesus is like that. 663 00:33:10,833 --> 00:33:12,500 Jesus is like that. 664 00:33:12,583 --> 00:33:14,375 If you're not faithful with a little, 665 00:33:14,458 --> 00:33:16,625 he's not gonna give you more. 666 00:33:16,667 --> 00:33:19,417 If you can't do the simple, humble things that he's asked 667 00:33:19,500 --> 00:33:22,375 you to do, you're never going to graduate 668 00:33:22,458 --> 00:33:24,708 into greater responsibility. 669 00:33:24,792 --> 00:33:27,375 If you're wasting your life--let me say it another way--if you're 670 00:33:27,458 --> 00:33:30,583 essentially wasting your life, why in the world would Jesus 671 00:33:30,667 --> 00:33:33,333 give you more opportunity and more responsibility 672 00:33:33,375 --> 00:33:38,417 if all you're going to do is waste that, too? 673 00:33:38,500 --> 00:33:41,000 It's a stern word, isn't it? 674 00:33:41,083 --> 00:33:42,500 It's a hard word. 675 00:33:42,542 --> 00:33:44,625 It's a convicting word. 676 00:33:44,667 --> 00:33:47,125 It's like Jesus opens our life and says, 677 00:33:47,167 --> 00:33:50,000 "Let's just examine how it's going. 678 00:33:50,083 --> 00:33:52,708 "Let's examine what you're doing. 679 00:33:52,792 --> 00:33:55,167 "Let's see what the return on investment is. 680 00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:58,708 "I made you, created the earth, I'm here as God, 681 00:33:58,792 --> 00:34:01,417 "I'm going to the cross to die for your sins. 682 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:03,000 "I'm going to rise. 683 00:34:03,083 --> 00:34:04,833 "I'm going to go away. 684 00:34:04,875 --> 00:34:07,375 "One day I will return to establish my kingdom. 685 00:34:07,458 --> 00:34:09,875 "In the meantime I fill you with my Holy Spirit, 686 00:34:09,958 --> 00:34:13,000 "I give you the word of God, I gift you for ministry, 687 00:34:13,083 --> 00:34:16,000 "I put you together as the church, 688 00:34:16,042 --> 00:34:20,667 "I give you the good news of my love and power and grace. 689 00:34:20,750 --> 00:34:25,708 And I'm coming back and I want to know what you're doing." 690 00:34:25,792 --> 00:34:31,333 You can't say, "Very little" or "Nothing" and expect to hear, 691 00:34:31,375 --> 00:34:35,917 "Well done, faithful servant." 692 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,500 Your life counts. 693 00:34:38,583 --> 00:34:42,667 It's not just the doctrines you believe and the people you help. 694 00:34:42,750 --> 00:34:44,500 It's the fruit that you bear. 695 00:34:44,583 --> 00:34:46,375 It all counts. 696 00:34:46,458 --> 00:34:48,792 It all matters. 697 00:34:48,833 --> 00:34:51,625 It's not just how many hours you put in. 698 00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:54,708 It's whether or not those were strategically invested to help 699 00:34:54,792 --> 00:34:58,000 the right people to do the right things. 700 00:34:58,083 --> 00:35:00,083 It's not just how many checks you write; 701 00:35:00,167 --> 00:35:02,917 it's did you actually write them to organizations, to ministries, 702 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,917 to people in need, where there would be 703 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,500 a good return on investment? 704 00:35:07,583 --> 00:35:10,875 And Jesus here is saying that for those who are faithful, 705 00:35:10,958 --> 00:35:13,167 they get bigger opportunities. 706 00:35:13,250 --> 00:35:18,000 For those who are unfaithful, their opportunities get taken. 707 00:35:18,083 --> 00:35:22,500 And for those who are enemies, they get slaughtered. 708 00:35:22,583 --> 00:35:25,667 Jesus is really strong here. 709 00:35:25,750 --> 00:35:29,917 He uses these words: "enemies slaughtered." 710 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:32,333 Friends, not everybody's going to heaven. 711 00:35:32,375 --> 00:35:34,833 Not everybody's sins are forgiven. 712 00:35:34,875 --> 00:35:38,500 Not everybody will be really excited when Jesus returns. 713 00:35:38,583 --> 00:35:41,125 In the parable, both at the beginning and the end, 714 00:35:41,167 --> 00:35:45,083 Jesus says that as the king is away and returning to establish 715 00:35:45,167 --> 00:35:49,417 his kingdom, he has enemies who are resistant to his reign. 716 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,208 They don't want him to be king. 717 00:35:51,292 --> 00:35:53,208 They don't want to do what he says. 718 00:35:53,292 --> 00:35:55,208 They don't want to listen to his commands. 719 00:35:55,292 --> 00:35:57,125 They don't want to obey his decrees. 720 00:35:57,167 --> 00:35:59,625 Those are non-Christians. 721 00:35:59,667 --> 00:36:03,500 Those are people who, they don't even wanna go to heaven. 722 00:36:03,583 --> 00:36:05,917 See, some Christians say that everybody's going to heaven. 723 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:07,833 That's not true. Jesus never said that. 724 00:36:07,875 --> 00:36:11,000 Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone in the whole Bible. 725 00:36:11,083 --> 00:36:15,208 Here he uses the language of "my enemies will be slaughtered." 726 00:36:15,292 --> 00:36:17,875 Not everybody's gonna make it into the kingdom of God. 727 00:36:17,958 --> 00:36:20,167 Not everybody's gonna be friends with God forever. 728 00:36:20,250 --> 00:36:23,167 Not everybody's gonna have all their sins forgiven and enjoy 729 00:36:23,250 --> 00:36:26,500 eternal life with the people of God in the kingdom of God. 730 00:36:26,542 --> 00:36:29,500 That is not happening for everyone. 731 00:36:29,583 --> 00:36:32,167 And you and I need to be loving and brokenhearted, 732 00:36:32,250 --> 00:36:34,500 but honest and clear. 733 00:36:34,542 --> 00:36:36,000 Just because someone dies, 734 00:36:36,083 --> 00:36:38,833 we can't say they're in a better place. 735 00:36:38,875 --> 00:36:42,167 We don't decide who goes to heaven and hell, Jesus does. 736 00:36:42,250 --> 00:36:46,125 But Jesus is the one who tells us that simply by dying you do not 737 00:36:46,167 --> 00:36:49,625 get to be in the presence of God in a loving way, 738 00:36:49,667 --> 00:36:52,167 enjoying an eternal kingdom. 739 00:36:52,250 --> 00:36:54,208 That he has citizens and enemies, 740 00:36:54,292 --> 00:36:56,500 that's exactly what the parable says. 741 00:36:56,583 --> 00:36:59,083 The citizens are servants of Jesus; 742 00:36:59,167 --> 00:37:03,708 those enemies are opposed to Jesus. 743 00:37:03,792 --> 00:37:05,792 Which are you? 744 00:37:06,583 --> 00:37:09,875 Which are you? 745 00:37:09,958 --> 00:37:12,792 See, I even get frustrated with Christians who would say, 746 00:37:12,833 --> 00:37:15,000 "Well, I think God should take everybody to heaven." 747 00:37:15,042 --> 00:37:17,792 That's not what enemies want. 748 00:37:17,833 --> 00:37:21,125 People who are enemies of Jesus and don't love his rule and 749 00:37:21,167 --> 00:37:26,333 reign, they will not be happy in his eternal kingdom anyways. 750 00:37:29,375 --> 00:37:32,333 In the same way, I don't wanna be ruled over by someone 751 00:37:32,375 --> 00:37:35,667 who I hate. 752 00:37:35,750 --> 00:37:40,125 Now, I love Jesus, and so the thought of being under his rule 753 00:37:40,167 --> 00:37:42,625 sounds like the best, most glorious, 754 00:37:42,667 --> 00:37:46,583 safest place I could possibly be. 755 00:37:48,375 --> 00:37:52,667 But if I hated Jesus, if I despised him, 756 00:37:52,750 --> 00:37:57,500 if I disagreed with him, if I disregarded him, 757 00:37:57,583 --> 00:37:59,958 I would not find myself rejoicing forever 758 00:38:00,083 --> 00:38:04,125 because he was my Sovereign King. 759 00:38:04,167 --> 00:38:06,917 Jesus has enemies. 760 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000 Some of you are his enemies. 761 00:38:09,792 --> 00:38:12,417 Some of you are his enemies. 762 00:38:12,500 --> 00:38:14,792 You don't love Jesus, you don't know Jesus, 763 00:38:14,833 --> 00:38:20,083 you don't trust Jesus, you don't belong to Jesus. 764 00:38:20,167 --> 00:38:24,417 You're going to be slaughtered. 765 00:38:24,500 --> 00:38:28,083 You're gonna stand before the Creator God and give an account 766 00:38:28,167 --> 00:38:30,833 for your whole life. 767 00:38:30,875 --> 00:38:33,625 And just like there are varying degrees of rewards for 768 00:38:33,667 --> 00:38:37,417 Christians in heaven, there are varying degrees of punishment 769 00:38:37,500 --> 00:38:40,500 for non-Christians in hell. 770 00:38:40,583 --> 00:38:44,875 The punishment always fits the crime. 771 00:38:44,958 --> 00:38:47,083 But, here's the good news. 772 00:38:47,167 --> 00:38:49,208 It's not too late. 773 00:38:49,292 --> 00:38:53,333 And I don't say this to scare you, but I say this to warn you. 774 00:38:53,375 --> 00:38:55,833 It's not too late. 775 00:38:55,875 --> 00:39:00,417 See, according to the story, while the king was away 776 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:06,125 being crowned before his return to assume the throne, 777 00:39:06,167 --> 00:39:11,167 there was a season of opportunity where citizens 778 00:39:11,250 --> 00:39:15,000 and servants of the king and the kingdom would be giving 779 00:39:15,083 --> 00:39:18,500 and loving and serving and investing their life, 780 00:39:18,542 --> 00:39:22,708 anticipating and awaiting the coming of their king, 781 00:39:22,792 --> 00:39:27,417 and inviting the enemies to become citizens. 782 00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:30,833 To invite those who were opposed to the king 783 00:39:30,875 --> 00:39:34,417 to receive his love and to live under his care. 784 00:39:34,500 --> 00:39:38,000 They were inviting people to have a change of heart and life. 785 00:39:38,042 --> 00:39:41,625 And friends, that's exactly why Mars Hill Church is here. 786 00:39:41,667 --> 00:39:47,208 Until Jesus returns, we wanna invite people to not be enemies 787 00:39:47,292 --> 00:39:51,083 of God, to be friends with God through Jesus Christ. 788 00:39:51,167 --> 00:39:57,417 To not disagree with God, but to trust God in Jesus Christ so 789 00:39:57,500 --> 00:40:01,708 that when Jesus does return or we do die and stand before him, 790 00:40:01,792 --> 00:40:05,208 whichever might come first, we would hear, 791 00:40:05,292 --> 00:40:07,500 "Well done, good servant. 792 00:40:07,583 --> 00:40:10,625 You get to rule over cities forever." 793 00:40:10,667 --> 00:40:13,833 Rather than, "Slaughter them." 794 00:40:13,875 --> 00:40:16,000 But those are the options. 795 00:40:16,083 --> 00:40:19,625 And so you, friend, have a choice to make. 796 00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:23,375 Are you gonna belong to Jesus or not? 797 00:40:23,458 --> 00:40:26,500 And some of you would say, "I don't really believe this." 798 00:40:26,583 --> 00:40:29,333 That's because the King has not yet returned, 799 00:40:29,375 --> 00:40:32,125 and this is a season of patience and love and kindness 800 00:40:32,167 --> 00:40:34,125 and invitation and grace. 801 00:40:34,167 --> 00:40:36,125 If you have questions, we wanna answer them. 802 00:40:36,167 --> 00:40:39,333 If you have problems, we wanna serve you. 803 00:40:39,375 --> 00:40:42,833 We're here to help you meet Jesus. 804 00:40:42,875 --> 00:40:48,125 We're here to invite you to be citizens of the kingdom of God. 805 00:40:48,167 --> 00:40:50,583 And again, Jesus at this point in the story, 806 00:40:50,667 --> 00:40:52,583 he's on his way to the cross. 807 00:40:52,667 --> 00:40:54,667 He's going to make his life count. 808 00:40:54,750 --> 00:40:57,125 He's going to die in our place for our sins. 809 00:40:57,167 --> 00:41:00,917 He is going to actually endure the wrath of God and the death, 810 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,292 which is payment for sin, though he is without any sin. 811 00:41:04,333 --> 00:41:07,333 He's going to do that for us because he loves us. 812 00:41:07,375 --> 00:41:10,500 You need to know that's what our King's like. 813 00:41:10,542 --> 00:41:11,875 Our King is loving. 814 00:41:11,958 --> 00:41:13,500 Our King is gracious. 815 00:41:13,542 --> 00:41:15,625 Our King sacrificed himself. 816 00:41:15,667 --> 00:41:21,208 Our King shed his own blood so that we might be loved 817 00:41:21,292 --> 00:41:24,208 and blessed in his presence forever. 818 00:41:24,292 --> 00:41:26,000 Our King is not a cruel king. 819 00:41:26,083 --> 00:41:27,708 He's not a malicious king. 820 00:41:27,792 --> 00:41:30,417 But he's also not an unjust king. 821 00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:34,917 And he invites you to relationship with him 822 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:38,917 and to invest your life, making it count for God, 823 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,417 so that you could reap an eternal reward. 824 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:45,125 And so, in the providence of God, Mars Hill, 825 00:41:45,167 --> 00:41:48,417 all of this section of Luke, which has a lot of kingly 826 00:41:48,500 --> 00:41:51,792 discussion about finances and investing and generosity 827 00:41:51,833 --> 00:41:54,500 and stewardship and making your life count for God, 828 00:41:54,583 --> 00:41:56,708 it all comes in the providence of God 829 00:41:56,792 --> 00:41:58,917 at the end of our budget year. 830 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:00,833 You probably didn't even know this, 831 00:42:00,875 --> 00:42:03,417 but our budget here goes from July through to June. 832 00:42:03,500 --> 00:42:05,125 I didn't plan any of this. 833 00:42:05,167 --> 00:42:08,708 We've been in Luke for almost 2 years and in the providence 834 00:42:08,792 --> 00:42:12,125 of God we find ourself in this section. 835 00:42:12,167 --> 00:42:17,208 So I wanted to give you a report because I want you to rejoice 836 00:42:17,292 --> 00:42:23,792 with me regarding what God has done through the gospel 837 00:42:23,833 --> 00:42:26,917 and through the people of God here at Mars Hill Church. 838 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:28,500 And it's remarkable. 839 00:42:28,542 --> 00:42:30,708 I mean, here Jesus says, "I gave you this, 840 00:42:30,792 --> 00:42:32,583 and here's what you've done with it." 841 00:42:32,667 --> 00:42:34,917 Let me tell you what has happened with what 842 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:36,500 God has given us. 843 00:42:36,542 --> 00:42:40,417 And we don't take any credit for it, but we wanna rejoice in it. 844 00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:44,000 So here's the question I wanna answer about investing for Jesus 845 00:42:44,083 --> 00:42:45,583 in Mars Hill Church. 846 00:42:45,667 --> 00:42:50,000 So we're 15 years old, coming up this October. 847 00:42:50,042 --> 00:42:52,792 We've gone from roughly 10 people a week to roughly 848 00:42:52,833 --> 00:42:55,208 10,000 people a week lately, 849 00:42:55,292 --> 00:42:58,708 and as many as 19,000 people a week. 850 00:42:58,792 --> 00:43:02,625 And in this, you're welcome to clap wherever you feel happy. 851 00:43:02,667 --> 00:43:06,208 That was our huge Easter Celebration. 852 00:43:06,292 --> 00:43:08,625 To go from 10 to 10,000, 853 00:43:08,667 --> 00:43:12,000 that's a great return on investment, right? 854 00:43:12,042 --> 00:43:16,167 From a few baptisms, to 1,246 baptisms 855 00:43:16,250 --> 00:43:19,208 in the previous 12 months. 856 00:43:19,292 --> 00:43:23,833 That's an unbelievable return on investment. 857 00:43:23,875 --> 00:43:26,208 From one location to ten locations. 858 00:43:26,292 --> 00:43:30,583 And in the past year, every single Mars Hill location grew. 859 00:43:30,667 --> 00:43:32,792 Some grew a little, some grew a lot. 860 00:43:32,833 --> 00:43:34,708 All grew. 861 00:43:34,792 --> 00:43:37,833 From one to ten locations. 862 00:43:37,875 --> 00:43:40,208 From 52 services the first year-- 863 00:43:40,292 --> 00:43:42,500 we just had one service a week-- 864 00:43:42,583 --> 00:43:48,083 to over 1,500 services in the past 12 months. 865 00:43:48,167 --> 00:43:52,000 That's an unbelievable return on investment. 866 00:43:52,083 --> 00:43:56,375 From roughly $90,000 given our first year 867 00:43:56,458 --> 00:44:01,000 to a projected targeted annual budget this year of about 868 00:44:01,083 --> 00:44:05,000 $15 million; we've still got a few weeks to clean up all 869 00:44:05,083 --> 00:44:07,708 the numbers and get you all the reports and get all 870 00:44:07,792 --> 00:44:10,292 the receipting together, but everything that comes in 871 00:44:10,333 --> 00:44:14,208 through the end of June then counts for our fiscal year. 872 00:44:14,292 --> 00:44:18,208 To go from $90,000 the first year, to $15 million, 873 00:44:18,292 --> 00:44:20,792 is an unbelievable return on investment. 874 00:44:20,833 --> 00:44:22,500 And it didn't happen all at once. 875 00:44:22,583 --> 00:44:25,333 I mean, all of these you can look at the charts 876 00:44:25,375 --> 00:44:28,500 and it was a little bit, try to do your best with it, 877 00:44:28,583 --> 00:44:31,000 try to do the best with what you've got then. 878 00:44:31,042 --> 00:44:33,625 And just little by little, step by step, like climbing stairs, 879 00:44:33,667 --> 00:44:36,000 15 years, one foot in front of the other, 880 00:44:36,042 --> 00:44:38,167 by the grace of God progress is made. 881 00:44:38,250 --> 00:44:44,000 From no Acts 29 churches, to nearly 400 U.S. churches 882 00:44:44,042 --> 00:44:46,625 and 175,000 people a week. 883 00:44:46,667 --> 00:44:48,000 Let me explain this. 884 00:44:48,083 --> 00:44:51,125 Acts 29 is a network that I had the privilege of co-founding. 885 00:44:51,167 --> 00:44:53,917 We use it as our missions department where we help plant 886 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,917 churches, start new churches. 887 00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:01,000 Right now Acts 29 has almost 400 churches in the U.S., 888 00:45:01,083 --> 00:45:05,375 has church-planting going on in 13 other nations. 889 00:45:05,458 --> 00:45:08,625 We give 10% of our dollars to help church planting, 890 00:45:08,667 --> 00:45:11,333 this includes the Mars Hill campuses. 891 00:45:11,375 --> 00:45:18,083 And furthermore, we now have upwards of 500 potential pastors 892 00:45:18,167 --> 00:45:20,125 that are in the queue being assessed 893 00:45:20,167 --> 00:45:23,125 as possible church planters just for the U.S. 894 00:45:23,167 --> 00:45:25,167 And just in the U.S. alone, 895 00:45:25,250 --> 00:45:27,125 the combined Easter attendance for 896 00:45:27,167 --> 00:45:33,458 the Acts 29 churches this year was 175,000 people. 897 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:36,875 And you can clap if you like. 898 00:45:36,958 --> 00:45:39,417 We've gone from a few sermon downloads 899 00:45:39,500 --> 00:45:41,833 to over seven million a year. 900 00:45:41,875 --> 00:45:45,792 Early on we had a website at Mars Hill in the mid-'90s. 901 00:45:45,833 --> 00:45:49,375 It was way back in the dial-up days. 902 00:45:49,458 --> 00:45:52,000 And we started putting sermons out for free. 903 00:45:52,083 --> 00:45:55,000 We were, I think, one of the first churches to do so. 904 00:45:55,083 --> 00:45:56,500 And there were a few downloads. 905 00:45:56,583 --> 00:46:00,583 Well, this last year, over seven million downloads as people 906 00:46:00,667 --> 00:46:03,667 are getting access to Bible teaching for free about Jesus. 907 00:46:03,750 --> 00:46:06,833 And let me tell you this, nothing is free. 908 00:46:06,875 --> 00:46:08,417 Somebody else paid for it. 909 00:46:08,500 --> 00:46:11,000 So thank you for paying for it. 910 00:46:11,042 --> 00:46:13,625 We also rejoice that we have plans to open, 911 00:46:13,667 --> 00:46:16,083 in the grace of God, Mars Hill Portland, 912 00:46:16,167 --> 00:46:19,208 Orange County, Everett, and Rainier Valley. 913 00:46:19,292 --> 00:46:22,833 Those are the next Mars Hill church plants that we anticipate 914 00:46:22,875 --> 00:46:25,333 to be coming up, with Portland, Orange County, 915 00:46:25,375 --> 00:46:27,500 and Everett projected for January, 916 00:46:27,583 --> 00:46:30,125 Rainier Valley later next year. 917 00:46:30,167 --> 00:46:33,625 We've also had to open up more seats for Mars Hill Shoreline as 918 00:46:33,667 --> 00:46:36,375 they've outgrown their building and entered a new space. 919 00:46:36,458 --> 00:46:38,417 Mars Hill Bellevue, in the grace of God, 920 00:46:38,500 --> 00:46:40,833 will have a new location open up this fall, 921 00:46:40,875 --> 00:46:43,625 doubling their seating, downtown Bellevue right next to 922 00:46:43,667 --> 00:46:46,833 the Rock Bottom and the Starbucks and right by the mall 923 00:46:46,875 --> 00:46:50,500 and right by Barnes & Noble, amazing location. 924 00:46:50,542 --> 00:46:52,833 The Albuquerque campus has outgrown their building 925 00:46:52,875 --> 00:46:56,000 so we're looking at relocating them, as well. 926 00:46:56,042 --> 00:46:59,000 The Downtown campus has gone to fully five services, 927 00:46:59,083 --> 00:47:01,792 they're out of seats, we've gotta figure out what to do 928 00:47:01,833 --> 00:47:03,167 for them next. 929 00:47:03,250 --> 00:47:05,500 And the Federal Way campus has two morning services 930 00:47:05,583 --> 00:47:07,708 that are absolutely at and over capacity. 931 00:47:07,792 --> 00:47:09,917 We've gotta find more seats for them. 932 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:12,958 Isn't that great news? 933 00:47:14,458 --> 00:47:17,417 I don't know what Jesus is gonna say to us, Mars Hill, 934 00:47:17,500 --> 00:47:19,417 when we stand together. 935 00:47:19,500 --> 00:47:23,083 We've still got a lot of years left and a lot of things to do 936 00:47:23,167 --> 00:47:26,083 and we want to be humble, we want to be good stewards, 937 00:47:26,167 --> 00:47:27,583 we want to be faithful. 938 00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:30,583 But man, we really want, in the grace of God, 939 00:47:30,667 --> 00:47:34,625 to hear "Well done, good servant." 940 00:47:34,667 --> 00:47:37,000 We wanna hear that. 941 00:47:37,083 --> 00:47:40,708 We wanna hear, "I gave you an opportunity and individually 942 00:47:40,792 --> 00:47:45,125 and collectively you were a good return on investment." 943 00:47:45,167 --> 00:47:47,500 And it's not so that we would get glory, 944 00:47:47,542 --> 00:47:49,375 but it's because we love Jesus. 945 00:47:49,458 --> 00:47:52,000 And it's not so that we could boast in what we've 946 00:47:52,083 --> 00:47:54,500 accomplished, but we could rejoice in the number of people 947 00:47:54,583 --> 00:47:58,125 that Jesus has changed the life of. 948 00:47:58,167 --> 00:48:00,833 So let me close with a few questions about 949 00:48:00,875 --> 00:48:04,333 investing for Jesus in your life. 950 00:48:04,375 --> 00:48:06,208 These are things to think about personally, 951 00:48:06,292 --> 00:48:07,917 to talk about with your family, 952 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:09,667 to discuss with your Community Group. 953 00:48:09,750 --> 00:48:11,875 And if you're not in one, get in one. 954 00:48:11,958 --> 00:48:13,292 We'd love to have you. 955 00:48:13,333 --> 00:48:16,625 They meet all over, many different times and locations 956 00:48:16,667 --> 00:48:19,000 and groupings of people. 957 00:48:19,083 --> 00:48:20,833 Number one, which faithful servants 958 00:48:20,875 --> 00:48:23,167 have you benefited from? 959 00:48:23,250 --> 00:48:25,875 Which people really have paved the way that you might meet 960 00:48:25,958 --> 00:48:27,708 Jesus and grow? 961 00:48:27,792 --> 00:48:31,125 I know for me I'll always be so grateful 962 00:48:31,167 --> 00:48:33,500 for my first church in college. 963 00:48:33,542 --> 00:48:35,625 I showed up there as a brand-new Christian 964 00:48:35,667 --> 00:48:37,500 with a ton of questions. 965 00:48:37,583 --> 00:48:40,167 They had a building; I hadn't paid for the building. 966 00:48:40,250 --> 00:48:42,208 They had chairs; I sat in one. 967 00:48:42,292 --> 00:48:44,208 I hadn't bought any of those chairs. 968 00:48:44,292 --> 00:48:45,625 They had a pastor. 969 00:48:45,667 --> 00:48:48,167 I'd never given any money to pay his salary. 970 00:48:48,250 --> 00:48:49,625 I hadn't picked him either. 971 00:48:49,667 --> 00:48:51,083 They did. 972 00:48:51,167 --> 00:48:52,833 He was a wonderful man of God. 973 00:48:52,875 --> 00:48:54,833 Taught the Bible and I learned about Jesus. 974 00:48:54,875 --> 00:48:56,500 They had classes; I didn't organize them, 975 00:48:56,583 --> 00:48:58,625 but I went to them. 976 00:48:58,667 --> 00:49:01,292 They had groups, and I got involved in them 977 00:49:01,333 --> 00:49:03,000 and I met people who became friends 978 00:49:03,083 --> 00:49:07,000 and some are still friends to this day. 979 00:49:07,083 --> 00:49:09,083 Wonderful things were happening. 980 00:49:09,167 --> 00:49:10,625 I didn't build any of it. 981 00:49:10,667 --> 00:49:12,125 I didn't create any of it. 982 00:49:12,167 --> 00:49:13,625 I didn't fund any of it. 983 00:49:13,667 --> 00:49:17,375 I just showed up and benefited from it 'cause other people 984 00:49:17,458 --> 00:49:22,333 were so generous with the investment of their life. 985 00:49:22,375 --> 00:49:25,625 Who has done that for you? 986 00:49:25,667 --> 00:49:28,417 Just think about all you've received. 987 00:49:28,500 --> 00:49:31,708 Do you download free sermons from our ministry, others, 988 00:49:31,792 --> 00:49:36,375 classes, books, attending church, musicians serving, 989 00:49:36,458 --> 00:49:39,917 preachers preaching, people helping, 990 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,125 Community Group leaders investing, 991 00:49:42,167 --> 00:49:46,000 Redemption Group leaders caring? 992 00:49:46,042 --> 00:49:48,583 Think of all the things that have been given 993 00:49:48,667 --> 00:49:51,125 that you have benefited from. 994 00:49:51,167 --> 00:49:53,833 Number two, do you understand the judgment of believers versus 995 00:49:53,875 --> 00:49:55,875 the judgment of unbelievers? 996 00:49:55,958 --> 00:49:59,083 Unbelievers, non-Christians, will stand before Jesus to give 997 00:49:59,167 --> 00:50:02,500 an account and have varying degrees of punishment in hell. 998 00:50:02,542 --> 00:50:05,292 Christians will stand before Jesus to give an account, 999 00:50:05,333 --> 00:50:08,208 have our life judged for varying degrees of reward in heaven. 1000 00:50:08,292 --> 00:50:11,167 Friends, Christians are judged. 1001 00:50:11,250 --> 00:50:15,208 Now, our salvation was judged at the cross of Jesus, 1002 00:50:15,292 --> 00:50:20,333 but our life will be judged at the end. 1003 00:50:20,375 --> 00:50:23,125 We'll stand before Jesus and the judgment won't be heaven 1004 00:50:23,167 --> 00:50:27,333 or hell--that was decided at the cross for the believer who 1005 00:50:27,375 --> 00:50:31,125 trusts in Jesus--but rather, what will be judged is whether 1006 00:50:31,167 --> 00:50:35,833 or not we have stewarded, invested our life well. 1007 00:50:35,875 --> 00:50:37,833 Some people think, "Well, God doesn't judge me. 1008 00:50:37,875 --> 00:50:39,333 I'm a Christian." 1009 00:50:39,375 --> 00:50:41,667 He will judge your life. It does count. 1010 00:50:41,750 --> 00:50:43,500 Don't waste your life. 1011 00:50:43,583 --> 00:50:45,917 Make your life count for God. 1012 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:47,833 Number three, if Jesus returned today, 1013 00:50:47,875 --> 00:50:50,667 would he be pleased with your investment of your time, 1014 00:50:50,750 --> 00:50:53,083 your talent, and treasure that he has entrusted 1015 00:50:53,167 --> 00:50:54,500 to your stewardship? 1016 00:50:54,542 --> 00:50:58,417 If Jesus showed up right now, you were standing before him, 1017 00:50:58,500 --> 00:51:02,083 would he say, "Well done, good steward, good servant"? 1018 00:51:02,167 --> 00:51:06,125 Would he say, "Well, that's a five-fold return on investment"? 1019 00:51:06,167 --> 00:51:10,167 Or would he say, "You've sinned. 1020 00:51:12,042 --> 00:51:15,583 "I gave you time, but you pilfered away your days. 1021 00:51:15,667 --> 00:51:17,500 "I've given you talent, skills, abilities. 1022 00:51:17,583 --> 00:51:18,917 "You can do things. 1023 00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:20,500 "You're not doing much. 1024 00:51:20,542 --> 00:51:22,667 "Your treasure--the way you spend your money, 1025 00:51:22,750 --> 00:51:25,208 "the way you give it, what you do with it, 1026 00:51:25,292 --> 00:51:26,792 "that's really not right. 1027 00:51:26,833 --> 00:51:28,208 "You wasted it. 1028 00:51:28,292 --> 00:51:31,583 You were an unfaithful servant"? 1029 00:51:31,667 --> 00:51:33,083 I don't know. 1030 00:51:33,167 --> 00:51:35,333 Some of you, Jesus is gonna say to you, 1031 00:51:35,375 --> 00:51:37,708 "Well done, good servant." 1032 00:51:37,792 --> 00:51:42,333 Some of you are fruitful, generous, faithful, amazing, 1033 00:51:42,375 --> 00:51:45,583 as leaders we're blown away. 1034 00:51:45,667 --> 00:51:48,583 We have some of the most amazing people who do the most 1035 00:51:48,667 --> 00:51:52,333 extraordinary things and are generous in every way, 1036 00:51:52,375 --> 00:51:56,500 and part of that is why Mars Hill is experiencing 1037 00:51:56,542 --> 00:51:59,125 such joyous fruitfulness. 1038 00:51:59,167 --> 00:52:01,500 Some of you are like the person who got 1039 00:52:01,583 --> 00:52:03,208 a five-fold return on investment. 1040 00:52:03,292 --> 00:52:06,708 You are a solid, steady, faithful, helpful, generous, 1041 00:52:06,792 --> 00:52:09,667 gracious, we love you, God bless you, 1042 00:52:09,750 --> 00:52:12,000 you are a positive contributor. 1043 00:52:12,083 --> 00:52:16,875 Some of you, man, give nothing, 1044 00:52:16,958 --> 00:52:21,375 do nothing, contribute nothing. 1045 00:52:23,542 --> 00:52:25,500 Some of you say, "Are you judging me?" 1046 00:52:25,583 --> 00:52:27,417 I'm not, but the Holy Spirit is. 1047 00:52:27,500 --> 00:52:31,500 That's why you now feel awkward. 1048 00:52:31,583 --> 00:52:35,500 Number four, do you want to hear, "Well done, good servant"? 1049 00:52:35,542 --> 00:52:37,083 Do you want to hear that? 1050 00:52:37,167 --> 00:52:39,500 Is that what you want to hear? 1051 00:52:39,583 --> 00:52:44,625 If so, you've got to position your whole life to on one day 1052 00:52:44,667 --> 00:52:50,500 hear that refrain, hear Jesus say, "Well done, good servant." 1053 00:52:50,583 --> 00:52:51,917 That's it. 1054 00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:54,417 See, friends, for the Christian, that should be everything. 1055 00:52:54,500 --> 00:52:56,083 Everybody's gonna have their opinion, 1056 00:52:56,167 --> 00:52:57,583 everybody's gonna give their input, 1057 00:52:57,667 --> 00:53:00,417 everybody's gonna try to judge us along the way. 1058 00:53:00,500 --> 00:53:03,667 Ultimately we labor for the approval of Jesus. 1059 00:53:03,750 --> 00:53:05,417 We want to stand before him. 1060 00:53:05,500 --> 00:53:08,708 And it'll all make sense, it'll all be worthwhile if we hear, 1061 00:53:08,792 --> 00:53:11,208 "Well done, good servant." 1062 00:53:11,292 --> 00:53:13,333 And then number five, friends, 1063 00:53:13,375 --> 00:53:16,083 what changes do you need to make 1064 00:53:16,167 --> 00:53:18,417 with your time, 1065 00:53:18,500 --> 00:53:20,125 with your talent, 1066 00:53:20,167 --> 00:53:21,792 with your treasure? 1067 00:53:21,833 --> 00:53:26,792 See, again, the nobleman has not yet come back 1068 00:53:26,833 --> 00:53:29,208 to sit upon the throne and to rule as king. 1069 00:53:29,292 --> 00:53:30,833 Jesus isn't here yet. 1070 00:53:30,875 --> 00:53:33,000 Now, we don't know when he's coming, 1071 00:53:33,042 --> 00:53:35,625 but Jesus isn't here yet. 1072 00:53:35,667 --> 00:53:37,625 So until he comes, I have good news, 1073 00:53:37,667 --> 00:53:39,500 non-Christian: it's not too late, 1074 00:53:39,542 --> 00:53:40,917 you can become a Christian! 1075 00:53:41,000 --> 00:53:44,917 I have good news, bad steward, bad servant, 1076 00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:47,333 you can become fruitful. 1077 00:53:47,375 --> 00:53:49,625 You can become faithful. 1078 00:53:49,667 --> 00:53:52,000 You can have your life count for God. 1079 00:53:52,083 --> 00:53:55,333 You can make a good return on investment. 1080 00:53:55,375 --> 00:53:58,667 The whole point of the story is nothing gets sorted out 1081 00:53:58,750 --> 00:54:02,917 and no judgment is made until the king returns. 1082 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:04,375 So here's the good news. 1083 00:54:04,458 --> 00:54:06,333 It's not too late. 1084 00:54:06,375 --> 00:54:08,875 Don't let the shame, don't let the condemnation, 1085 00:54:08,958 --> 00:54:13,833 don't let the humiliation cause you to be stuck. 1086 00:54:13,875 --> 00:54:16,625 In the grace of God, if you're faithful with a little, 1087 00:54:16,667 --> 00:54:18,000 he'll give you more. 1088 00:54:18,083 --> 00:54:20,000 That's exactly what Jesus says. 1089 00:54:20,083 --> 00:54:21,708 For those of you who are non-Christians, 1090 00:54:21,792 --> 00:54:23,125 it's not too late. 1091 00:54:23,167 --> 00:54:25,000 You give your life to Jesus today 1092 00:54:25,042 --> 00:54:26,625 and get started as a Christian. 1093 00:54:26,667 --> 00:54:29,125 For those of you who are Christians, find a simple, 1094 00:54:29,167 --> 00:54:31,000 humble way to get started. 1095 00:54:31,083 --> 00:54:33,500 Be faithful with that and see what momentum builds, 1096 00:54:33,542 --> 00:54:35,667 see what God does. 1097 00:54:35,750 --> 00:54:38,167 Father, thanks for an opportunity that I have 1098 00:54:38,250 --> 00:54:40,167 to teach the Bible. 1099 00:54:40,250 --> 00:54:45,083 And God, I thank you so much for this word of investment. 1100 00:54:45,167 --> 00:54:48,417 God, just as we want a good return on investment, 1101 00:54:48,500 --> 00:54:52,000 you want us to be a good return on investment. 1102 00:54:52,042 --> 00:54:54,708 And God, it's not something that you just make us do. 1103 00:54:54,792 --> 00:54:58,417 You give us the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel 1104 00:54:58,500 --> 00:55:02,583 and the community of believers to compel us forward 1105 00:55:02,667 --> 00:55:06,375 by the power and the truth of the Word of God. 1106 00:55:06,458 --> 00:55:08,500 God, I thank you that Mars Hill Church, 1107 00:55:08,583 --> 00:55:09,917 by your grace, 1108 00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,792 we wanna say this humbly but gladly, 1109 00:55:12,833 --> 00:55:16,125 it seems to be a real good return on investment. 1110 00:55:16,167 --> 00:55:19,417 The time, talent, and treasure that's been poured in here 1111 00:55:19,500 --> 00:55:22,500 has really turned a remarkable return. 1112 00:55:22,583 --> 00:55:24,333 We rejoice in that. 1113 00:55:24,375 --> 00:55:27,333 And we pray that Lord God we'd now take the opportunities that 1114 00:55:27,375 --> 00:55:30,708 we'd have, and that we wouldn't be scared and cowardly. 1115 00:55:30,792 --> 00:55:33,833 Just because the economy's down or things get complicated, 1116 00:55:33,875 --> 00:55:36,833 that we wouldn't take Mars Hill, wrap it up in a handkerchief 1117 00:55:36,875 --> 00:55:39,333 and stuck it in a sock drawer and just anticipate 1118 00:55:39,375 --> 00:55:41,125 that this is enough. 1119 00:55:41,167 --> 00:55:46,917 May we continue to wisely take risks and press forward, 1120 00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:49,708 to have a sense of great contentment, 1121 00:55:49,792 --> 00:55:52,625 but not a sense of entitlement. 1122 00:55:52,667 --> 00:55:54,667 May we rejoice in what you've done, 1123 00:55:54,750 --> 00:55:57,417 and may we press forward for much, much more. 1124 00:55:57,500 --> 00:56:01,083 In Jesus' good name, amen.