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Howdy, Pastor Mark here,
all sweaty

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got done just yelling,

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got to start the 
Ten Commandments series,

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really excited.

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We got, of course,
10 weeks together

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going through the
Ten Commandments

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and I wanted to thank you;
you are part

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of our extended family
of Mars Hill Global.

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Many of you pray for us,
many of you podcast,

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many of you give
generously and faithfully

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thank you, thank you, thank you

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you're helping us
introduce people to Jesus,

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get solid Bible teaching out,
see lives change.

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The band is playing 
behind me right now,

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people are giving 
their lives to Jesus.

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If you hear some cheering

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it's 'cause they're getting
baptized right now.

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And our extended family goes
really all around the world.

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At 4 o' clock today,
at our last service

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at the Bellevue location
where I'm preaching live

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we've got a guy in from China.

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And apparently 
he can't get baptized

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where he's at in China
because the legalities

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and for some reason
he's in the U.S.,

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he's part of our
extended family

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and we're gonna baptize him here
from China at 4 o' clock.

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We love the opportunity
that technology affords us

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to get the Bible teaching about
Jesus out to the world.

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Somebody else 
getting baptized right there;

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I hope 
you can hear the shouts.

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Sincerely thank you,
thank you, thank you.

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If you're not already
part of the extended family

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or if you wanna invite
others to join us

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and know what's going on
and be kept up to speed,

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marshill.com/global

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is the easiest way 
to sign up for an account.

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And for those of you
who want to follow along

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in the Ten Commandments,

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we did put together 
a study guide.

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You could do this individually,

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you could do this
with your family

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you could do this
with a small group.

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All the proceeds 
go back to the church

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I'm not putting 
my hand on the till

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and it was all written 
by people in the church

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who love Jesus; men,
women, single, married,

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serving and using their gifts
to help serve our church

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and I want to thank you

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for being an extended
member of Mars Hill.

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So thanks a bunch 
and be praying.

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I'm pretty fired up
to be in the Ten Commandments.

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The people of God
were stuck.

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For centuries,
they lived as slaves

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to terrifying task masters

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whose cruelty was
only exceeded by their power.

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In these dark days,

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God's people
gave birth to children

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who would inherit
nothing more than misery.

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Their strongest ally
was a God,

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who they had assumed
had forgotten them.

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Far from forgotten,
the people of God

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were rescued by the might
of his hand.

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He put their masters
to open shame

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and led them
into the wilderness.

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Though they were set free,
they weren't yet living free.

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They started to live as slaves
to their own sin.

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What happened next

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reverberates for over
3,000 years of history

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to this current day.

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Like a loving
and patient Father,

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God instructed his children,

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giving them
the Ten Commandments.

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All right, did you
play sports as a kid?

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Did you play sports as a kid?

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I played soccer till I realized
how much running it involved.

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And I tried basketball,
2-inch vertical jump,

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so that didn't last long.

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Not much of a career there,

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though I can set
a pretty good pick.

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I played football.

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I liked that because you
could hit people

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without going to jail.

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But my favorite sport was
baseball.

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I loved playing baseball,

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and my dad coached the teams
I played on.

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And we had a batting cage and
pitching machine in our backyard

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to help keep us
kids out of trouble.

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My brothers played as well.

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And when I was growing up,
my goal in little league--

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tell me guys if you
can relate to this.

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I wanted to make the all-star
team and get one of those cool

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all-star jerseys and go
play in the all-star game.

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So I think I was around
11 years of age and I thought,

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man, I want to try out

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for the 11
and 12-year-old all-stars.

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And I need to get myself
a really good, legitimate,

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serious glove.

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And I came from
a working-class, poor family.

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My dad was
a construction worker,

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trying to put food on
the table for five kids.

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And I realized, I have got
to go find a way to make

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a little bit of money.

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So I came up with this idea
that I'd start cutting grass,

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mowing lawns, trying to get
enough money together

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to go buy a good glove.

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Got my dad's weed whacker
and lawnmower

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and started heading out
to cut yards.

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Come to find I'm very
allergic to pollen and such.

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So my eyes are watery,
my nose is bloody,

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and I sound like an 11-year-old
Darth Vader mowing lawns.

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But I'm determined to cut
the grass and get the money

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to buy the glove.

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And finally I got enough money
saved up that I went and got my

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dream glove, like the glove
I really, really wanted.

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And played
11-year-old all stars,

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played 12-year-old all stars.

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Got done with our
last all-star game,

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and I didn't have a bat bag

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because our team
was kind of poor

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so we didn't get like, you know,
bags and jackets and nannies

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and all this other stuff
that some kids get.

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So my glove and my bat

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were sitting
at the end of a bleacher,

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and I was talking
to couple of the guys

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saying good-bye, season is over.

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I turn around, my glove is gone.

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Somebody stole it.

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My glove is gone.

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I remember
just being devastated.

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It's the first time in my life
I remember something

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I really treasured, cherished,
being taken from me.

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You ever been stolen from?

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It didn't have a lot
of economic value,

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but to me it had a lot
of sentimental value.

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Some years later, I wanted to
try out for the high school

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baseball team, and my goal
was to letter 4 years,

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had to play high school ball.

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So I saved up some more money
and went and got another glove,

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an even bigger, better glove.

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Played 4 years of
high school ball,

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summer ball,
travel ball with it.

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Then when we were
starting Mars Hill Church,

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it was mainly college students
at the beginning,

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and they would have these
pick-up softball games

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and sometimes the guys
would invite me out.

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because at that time, I
actually had the potential

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of contributing something to
the softball game other than,

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you know, funny YouTube clips,
which is about what I

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would contribute today
if I tried to play ball.

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But anyways, I was out playing
with the guys and I took my

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glove, my old high school glove,
and I stuffed it behind the seat

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in my beat-up,
old Toyota pick-up truck.

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Parked it outside of the house,
forgot to take my glove in.

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Came out the next day
early in our church,

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somebody broke into my truck,
stole my glove, my second glove.

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Some dude's been following me
around since I was a child

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just stealing my gloves.

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And I couldn't believe it.

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This was the glove that I had
so many memories with

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and I traveled with.

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And I dreamed of using
this glove to play catch

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with my son someday.

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We didn't have boys
at that time yet,

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but I dreamed of using this
to play catch with my sons

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like my dad used to play catch
with me.

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They probably got 5 bucks
for it at the pawnshop,

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whoever stole it,
but for me it was invaluable.

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It was priceless.

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Have you been stolen from?

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You know what that feels like?

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You go out to your car,
somebody broke into it.

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You come home,
you feel violated.

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You realize somebody
took your identity.

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All of a sudden you're getting
bills for things that you didn't

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buy, and you've got to negotiate
and explain all of that.

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If you start to think about
it, stealing is so prevalent,

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such a big issue in our day,
that much of our life includes

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measures to protect our goods
and they become so common place,

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we don't even realize
how odd it is.

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I'll give you some examples
that hit me this week.

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How about at your house, you
got locks on your door, right?

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Maybe a fence around your yard.

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How about in the fence,
do you have a dog?

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How about in the house,
do you have a gun?

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Do you have a security system?

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All of that is to protect
you from stealing.

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How about your car?

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You got a lock on your car, some
of you got an alarm on your car.

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Some of you've got
a chip in your car

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so if they take your car,
you can find your car.

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How about your technology?

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Any of you have a security
code on your phone?

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You should.

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How about your
laptop, your iPad?

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Do you have
a security code on that?

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How about if you
log on to a website,

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do you have a log-in
user name and a password?

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You know why?

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To keep your data
from being stolen.

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How about you go out
to make a purchase,

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you use your debit card.

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You're going to need to
show photo ID and/or punch

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in your security code.

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How about going to a store?

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You walk in the front door,
what they've got is security

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detectors and they've got tags
on all the objects to make sure

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you don't walk out
without paying.

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You look around, there's
a bunch of security cameras,

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standing there is some
intimidating-looking

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security guard.

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The whole point is
to keep people from stealing.

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Martin Luther said in his day
that if they took all the people

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who were stealing and hung
them, they'd run out of rope

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and they'd need to start
using men's belts,

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to hang the rest of the thieves.

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It was such a prevalent problem.

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And in our day of technology,
it's only multiplied

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the amount of ways that we
can steal from one another.

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This is not the way
the world is supposed to be.

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When God made the world, it
was very good and without sin.

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All of this stealing
and all of the countermeasures

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that we have to protect our
goods is all the result of sin

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and the fall and the curse.

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And it just boggles the mind
that certain people still say,

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"Well, people are basically
good in their heart."

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No, they're not.
No, they're not.

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Leave your door unlocked
and see what happens.

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People are not basically
good in their heart.

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They're sinners with
self-interests in their heart

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that compels them
towards stealing.

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Have you been stolen from?

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What is interesting is
God comes to earth,

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his name is Jesus Christ,
and he was stolen from

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from a friend of his
named Judas.

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Here's my other question,
what have you stolen?

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We tend to have this real sense
of justice

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when we've been stolen from

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and conveniently
overlook or diminish

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when we have stolen from others.

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Who have you stolen from?

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What have you stolen?

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Let me throw up a quick
definition of stealing

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because criminals always like
to argue over semantics.

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"Well, Pastor Mark,
what is stealing?

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00:10:08,233 --> 00:10:10,033
"If they're rich,
does that count?

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What about Robin Hood?"

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Read your Bible,
not "Robin Hood."

248
00:10:13,033 --> 00:10:14,633
Here's stealing, right?
Stealing defined.

249
00:10:14,700 --> 00:10:17,333
"Stealing is taking something
that does not belong to you

250
00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,567
"without permission or right,
especially in secret

251
00:10:19,633 --> 00:10:21,367
or by force."

252
00:10:21,433 --> 00:10:23,133
Here's the big idea.

253
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:29,033
It's not yours and if you
take it, you've stolen.

254
00:10:29,100 --> 00:10:30,933
That's the big idea.

255
00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,000
It's theirs, not yours.

256
00:10:33,067 --> 00:10:35,267
If you take what's
theirs and make it yours,

257
00:10:35,333 --> 00:10:36,933
you're stealing.

258
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,200
So what does God
have to say about stealing?

259
00:10:39,267 --> 00:10:40,867
Well, we're
in the Ten Commandments.

260
00:10:40,933 --> 00:10:42,600
We hit the eighth commandment
this week.

261
00:10:42,667 --> 00:10:45,767
Exodus chapter 20, verse 15.

262
00:10:45,833 --> 00:10:47,867
The eighth commandment is
this, "You shall not"--what?

263
00:10:47,933 --> 00:10:50,300
"Steal."

264
00:10:50,367 --> 00:10:54,433
This is not like a legal
contract where there are lots of

265
00:10:54,500 --> 00:10:58,767
footnotes and details, unless,
of course, they're rich, unless,

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00:10:58,833 --> 00:11:02,533
of course, you know they have
two and they only need one,

267
00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,633
unless, of course,
you have a good reason.

268
00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:06,100
There's no footnotes.

269
00:11:06,167 --> 00:11:07,500
There's no caveats.

270
00:11:07,567 --> 00:11:08,900
There's no exception.

271
00:11:08,967 --> 00:11:11,433
Just don't steal.
Don't steal.

272
00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:13,467
And we do.

273
00:11:13,533 --> 00:11:15,367
We do a lot.

274
00:11:15,433 --> 00:11:17,567
A couple points
I want to make on this,

275
00:11:17,633 --> 00:11:20,867
first is this teaches us
that the Bible believes

276
00:11:20,933 --> 00:11:23,800
in private property rights
and ownership.

277
00:11:23,867 --> 00:11:26,900
Some of you, you read the Bible
almost like with hippie lenses

278
00:11:26,967 --> 00:11:29,333
and socialistic
communistic leanings.

279
00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,000
"Oh, they shared everything.

280
00:11:31,067 --> 00:11:32,400
"We should share everything.

281
00:11:32,467 --> 00:11:34,233
Nobody should have anything."

282
00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:37,133
No, no, the Bible says
it belongs to them,

283
00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,600
not you and if you take
it, you're stealing.

284
00:11:40,667 --> 00:11:42,800
This is private
property ownership.

285
00:11:42,867 --> 00:11:45,367
The Bible teaches private
property ownership,

286
00:11:45,433 --> 00:11:48,400
that everything belongs to
God, that God's the one who

287
00:11:48,467 --> 00:11:51,567
distributes things among people
and whatever he's given you is

288
00:11:51,633 --> 00:11:54,033
yours, and they can't take it.

289
00:11:54,100 --> 00:11:57,800
And whatever he's given them is
theirs, and you can't take it.

290
00:11:57,867 --> 00:12:00,200
You see that?

291
00:12:00,267 --> 00:12:03,467
This assumes private property
ownership and rights to those

292
00:12:03,533 --> 00:12:05,600
who have ownership.

293
00:12:05,667 --> 00:12:08,333
Number two, God
doesn't just love you.

294
00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,000
Does God love you?

295
00:12:10,067 --> 00:12:11,400
Totally he loves you.

296
00:12:11,467 --> 00:12:13,500
He also loves your neighbor.

297
00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:17,533
And what has trended in
Christian Bible teaching is

298
00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,533
an emphasis on you
and not them.

299
00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,533
God loves you.
God wants to bless you.

300
00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:24,933
God wants to help you.

301
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,333
God wants to serve you,

302
00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,833
and there is not as much talk
about your neighbor.

303
00:12:28,900 --> 00:12:31,833
God wants you to love them.
God wants you to serve them.

304
00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:33,333
God wants you to help them.

305
00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,167
God wants to bless
them through you.

306
00:12:35,233 --> 00:12:37,767
And so what happens is our
faith becomes very selfish,

307
00:12:37,833 --> 00:12:40,333
and it's all about me
and it's not about them.

308
00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:45,133
And Jesus comes and says
to love your neighbor.

309
00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:50,100
And commandments five through
ten are, in large part,

310
00:12:50,167 --> 00:12:52,100
about loving your neighbor.

311
00:12:52,167 --> 00:12:55,100
And one of the ways you can be
loving your neighbor is

312
00:12:55,167 --> 00:12:57,833
by not stealing
from your neighbor.

313
00:12:57,900 --> 00:13:01,233
If it belongs to them and you
take it, it may bless you,

314
00:13:01,300 --> 00:13:03,467
it may benefit you,
it may enrich you,

315
00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:06,967
it may be good for you, but
it's not loving your neighbor.

316
00:13:07,033 --> 00:13:09,333
It's hurting them.
It's harming them.

317
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,500
It's taking that
which is theirs.

318
00:13:12,567 --> 00:13:16,633
God believes in private property
ownership and God believes in

319
00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:19,167
not just doing
what's best for you,

320
00:13:19,233 --> 00:13:22,167
but also what is good for your
neighbor and God wants you

321
00:13:22,233 --> 00:13:24,333
to love your neighbor.

322
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,233
And number three then this leads
to not only do we have rights,

323
00:13:28,300 --> 00:13:32,633
one of those rights is
to not be stolen from.

324
00:13:32,700 --> 00:13:36,200
So it's fine to make laws based
upon God's good law that there

325
00:13:36,267 --> 00:13:39,533
shouldn't be stealing and that
stealing should be met with

326
00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,200
consequence and punishment.

327
00:13:41,267 --> 00:13:44,300
But in addition to our rights,
which we tend to be very

328
00:13:44,367 --> 00:13:47,500
familiar with by the way, we
also have responsibilities

329
00:13:47,567 --> 00:13:50,000
which we tend to be less
familiar with.

330
00:13:50,067 --> 00:13:52,500
If you go to
the average person and you say,

331
00:13:52,567 --> 00:13:54,000
"Should anyone
ever steal from you?"

332
00:13:54,067 --> 00:13:56,000
No one should
ever steal from me ever.

333
00:13:56,067 --> 00:13:57,400
That's my right.

334
00:13:57,467 --> 00:13:59,900
Do you know you have
a responsibility not to steal

335
00:13:59,967 --> 00:14:01,533
from anyone?

336
00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,533
"Well, you know, there's
circumstances--my life is hard.

337
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:05,933
You don't understand."

338
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,467
We talk more than we should.

339
00:14:07,533 --> 00:14:10,900
We should say, "Yes, I have
a right not to be stolen from

340
00:14:10,967 --> 00:14:14,767
and a responsibility
not to steal from others."

341
00:14:14,833 --> 00:14:17,833
And what starts to undermine
an entire culture is when

342
00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:21,167
people are far more committed
to their rights then their

343
00:14:21,233 --> 00:14:25,133
responsibilities and getting
what they think they should get,

344
00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,100
rather than giving what
God wants them to give.

345
00:14:28,167 --> 00:14:31,467
That being said, I made
a list of ways that we steal.

346
00:14:31,533 --> 00:14:33,800
I'm sure it's not
an exhaustive list,

347
00:14:33,867 --> 00:14:37,000
but let me just give it to you
so you have some concept

348
00:14:37,067 --> 00:14:40,800
of how deep the problem is,
how broad the problem is

349
00:14:40,867 --> 00:14:44,667
and that we see it
as God sees it.

350
00:14:44,733 --> 00:14:48,800
These would constitute
stealing: embezzling,

351
00:14:48,867 --> 00:14:52,367
unreasonably high interest
rates, unfair payday loans,

352
00:14:52,433 --> 00:14:56,733
rigged gambling, break-ins,
unjust taxation, burglary,

353
00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,233
larceny, high-jacking,
shoplifting, extortion,

354
00:15:00,300 --> 00:15:02,867
racketeering,
underpaying your taxes,

355
00:15:02,933 --> 00:15:06,467
filing false insurance
claims, governmental waste,

356
00:15:06,533 --> 00:15:10,267
excessive national debt, false
billing clients and/or

357
00:15:10,333 --> 00:15:14,267
false billing an employer,
misappropriating company funds,

358
00:15:14,333 --> 00:15:17,367
killing time at work,
not paying your employees,

359
00:15:17,433 --> 00:15:22,600
taking supplies and/or stocks,
stocked goods and items

360
00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:25,433
from your employer, taking
intellectual property,

361
00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:29,833
plagiarism, illegal downloads,
identity theft, et cetera.

362
00:15:29,900 --> 00:15:32,033
It's a lot, right?

363
00:15:32,100 --> 00:15:37,667
Technology has opened new
opportunity for thievery.

364
00:15:37,733 --> 00:15:42,300
God says you should not steal,
and we steal all the time.

365
00:15:42,367 --> 00:15:45,633
It's hard to even envision what
our economy would look like

366
00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:51,967
if the majority simply
obeyed the eighth commandment.

367
00:15:52,033 --> 00:15:54,967
So what I want to do now is
I want to take

368
00:15:55,033 --> 00:15:56,533
the eighth commandment,

369
00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,633
and God sets it off
here in Exodus

370
00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:01,967
and then it echoes throughout
the remainder of Scripture.

371
00:16:02,033 --> 00:16:04,167
And I want to look at
the eighth commandment

372
00:16:04,233 --> 00:16:07,300
in relation to people
in particular statuses

373
00:16:07,367 --> 00:16:09,633
and positions in life.

374
00:16:09,700 --> 00:16:11,333
So we'll start
with the employers.

375
00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,333
How many of you are employers?

376
00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,133
You have people
who work for you.

377
00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,933
Maybe they are part of your
company, maybe they subcontract,

378
00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,133
maybe they're on retainer, but
you have people that you pay

379
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:22,967
to do things for you.

380
00:16:23,033 --> 00:16:24,367
You're an employer to somebody.

381
00:16:24,433 --> 00:16:26,100
Here's what the Bible
says to employers,

382
00:16:26,167 --> 00:16:27,833
James chapter 5,
verses 4 through 5.

383
00:16:27,900 --> 00:16:29,333
Here's Jesus' brother.

384
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:30,833
"Behold, the wages
of the laborers

385
00:16:30,900 --> 00:16:34,367
"who mowed your fields,
which you kept back by fraud"--

386
00:16:34,433 --> 00:16:38,467
That is stealing.

387
00:16:38,533 --> 00:16:41,367
Kept back by fraud is stealing.

388
00:16:41,433 --> 00:16:43,967
Okay, stealing is not just
taking what's not yours,

389
00:16:44,033 --> 00:16:48,133
it's also keeping
what's not yours.

390
00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,867
"Are crying out against you,
and the cries of the harvesters

391
00:16:50,933 --> 00:16:53,067
"have reached the ears of
the Lord of hosts,

392
00:16:53,133 --> 00:16:55,567
"the God who rules over
all the angels and demons.

393
00:16:55,633 --> 00:16:58,300
You have lived on the earth in
luxury and in self-indulgence."

394
00:16:58,367 --> 00:17:00,333
You can pay them,
you just didn't.

395
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,567
"You have fattened your
hearts in a day of slaughter."

396
00:17:03,633 --> 00:17:07,500
Here's what he's saying, if you
are an employer and you have

397
00:17:07,567 --> 00:17:12,900
an employee and you have agreed,
contracted, to pay them,

398
00:17:12,967 --> 00:17:18,133
when they do their job,
your job is to pay them.

399
00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,467
What he's not talking
about here are people

400
00:17:20,533 --> 00:17:21,867
who didn't do their job.

401
00:17:21,933 --> 00:17:24,367
Now some of you are like,
"My boss is terrible.

402
00:17:24,433 --> 00:17:25,767
He didn't pay me."

403
00:17:25,833 --> 00:17:28,267
Because you didn't do it.
You didn't do your job.

404
00:17:28,333 --> 00:17:29,767
If you don't do your job,

405
00:17:29,833 --> 00:17:32,433
you shouldn't expect
to get compensation.

406
00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:35,433
But if you do your job, if
you follow through with your

407
00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:37,633
obligations, if you've signed
a contract and you said,

408
00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:40,133
"I will do this
and you will pay me that,"

409
00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,300
and you do what you promise
to do and they don't pay you,

410
00:17:43,367 --> 00:17:45,467
then they're in sin,
not just against you,

411
00:17:45,533 --> 00:17:47,967
but here they're in sin
against the Lord of hosts.

412
00:17:48,033 --> 00:17:50,700
Your employers need to know
this that those who are poor,

413
00:17:50,767 --> 00:17:53,167
those who are workers,
oftentimes are in a position

414
00:17:53,233 --> 00:17:55,800
of vulnerability, and you
know this as well as I do,

415
00:17:55,867 --> 00:17:58,300
where you could
take advantage of them.

416
00:17:58,367 --> 00:18:00,467
You could take
advantage of them.

417
00:18:00,533 --> 00:18:02,867
And Jesus is particularly
sensitive to this

418
00:18:02,933 --> 00:18:05,200
because he grew up in a poor,
working-class home.

419
00:18:05,267 --> 00:18:07,133
His father Joseph
was a carpenter.

420
00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:08,633
That was not a high position.

421
00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:10,033
That was a low position.

422
00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:12,700
We know that his parents were
poor because when they go

423
00:18:12,767 --> 00:18:14,200
to the temple to offer
sacrifice,

424
00:18:14,267 --> 00:18:15,733
they don't offer
the typical sacrifice.

425
00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,233
There was an exception
in the law for the families

426
00:18:18,300 --> 00:18:20,267
who were poor to offer
a lesser sacrifice

427
00:18:20,333 --> 00:18:21,667
and that's what they offered.

428
00:18:21,733 --> 00:18:23,933
Jesus grew up in a poor,
working-class,

429
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,200
rural home, small town.

430
00:18:26,267 --> 00:18:28,067
Dad was a carpenter.

431
00:18:28,133 --> 00:18:30,267
Dad was a carpenter.

432
00:18:30,333 --> 00:18:34,933
His father was depending upon
others to pay him for his work

433
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,900
so he could keep food on
the table and feed his family.

434
00:18:37,967 --> 00:18:39,400
That's like my family.

435
00:18:39,467 --> 00:18:41,867
My dad's name is Joe as well.

436
00:18:41,933 --> 00:18:43,700
My father's name is Joseph.

437
00:18:43,767 --> 00:18:46,967
He was a union dry waller
hanging sheet rock till he

438
00:18:47,033 --> 00:18:51,967
broke his back putting food on
the table for us five kids.

439
00:18:52,033 --> 00:18:55,167
And there were times that my dad
didn't get paid though he did

440
00:18:55,233 --> 00:18:59,033
the work, but they knew that he
couldn't afford an attorney

441
00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:03,200
to defend himself so he was in
a position of vulnerability.

442
00:19:03,267 --> 00:19:06,867
That's what he's talking
about, that kind of a position.

443
00:19:06,933 --> 00:19:09,900
There was a friend of mine
some years ago he now has

444
00:19:09,967 --> 00:19:12,400
a small landscaping company,
but when he started,

445
00:19:12,467 --> 00:19:14,967
he started literally mowing
lawns and doing all the work

446
00:19:15,033 --> 00:19:16,967
himself before he could
add a few employees.

447
00:19:17,033 --> 00:19:18,367
And he was very excited

448
00:19:18,433 --> 00:19:20,367
because it was one of
the bigger contracts

449
00:19:20,433 --> 00:19:21,767
he'd ever gotten, thought,

450
00:19:21,833 --> 00:19:23,767
"Maybe this will get
my business kick started."

451
00:19:23,833 --> 00:19:26,600
A person who's affluent and also
prominent in our community

452
00:19:26,667 --> 00:19:29,733
hired him to do some work
at their house.

453
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,067
Paid some up front, was to
pay the rest at the end.

454
00:19:33,133 --> 00:19:36,533
This friend of mine went and did
all the work and when it came

455
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,133
time to settle the bill,
the employer said,

456
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,300
"I'm not going to pay you."

457
00:19:42,367 --> 00:19:45,033
My friend asked, "Well,
did I not do a good job?

458
00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:46,433
"Did I not fix everything?

459
00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:48,933
"Did I not do everything
that I agreed to do?

460
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,667
"If there's anything
I need to correct,

461
00:19:50,733 --> 00:19:53,167
let me fix it so
then you can pay me."

462
00:19:53,233 --> 00:19:55,667
He said, "No, I'm just
not going to pay you.

463
00:19:55,733 --> 00:19:57,167
"The work was done, that's fine.

464
00:19:57,233 --> 00:19:58,667
I'm not going to pay you."

465
00:19:58,733 --> 00:20:00,400
"Why aren't you
going to pay me?"

466
00:20:00,467 --> 00:20:03,800
"Because what I owe you is about
what it's going to cost to get

467
00:20:03,867 --> 00:20:09,067
an attorney to sue me, so you
lose and I won't pay you."

468
00:20:09,133 --> 00:20:11,133
That's what he's talking about.

469
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:12,933
It's injustice.

470
00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,500
It's stealing.

471
00:20:15,567 --> 00:20:21,500
That you are not giving
to someone what is theirs.

472
00:20:21,567 --> 00:20:23,167
It's not yours, it's theirs.

473
00:20:23,233 --> 00:20:25,733
It's their money in your pocket.

474
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:27,467
You understand that?

475
00:20:27,533 --> 00:20:29,700
It's their income
in your account.

476
00:20:29,767 --> 00:20:33,400
And here James even says,
you know, in this occasion,

477
00:20:33,467 --> 00:20:35,900
this case study that
Jesus' brother gives us,

478
00:20:35,967 --> 00:20:37,967
"The money's in your account.

479
00:20:38,033 --> 00:20:39,633
"You fattened yourself up.

480
00:20:39,700 --> 00:20:41,067
You're doing well."

481
00:20:41,133 --> 00:20:43,800
In fact, this has become a way
for you to increase

482
00:20:43,867 --> 00:20:45,733
your profit margin,
through ill-gotten gain,

483
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,067
to use the language
of Scripture.

484
00:20:49,133 --> 00:20:53,000
Are you a good employer?

485
00:20:53,067 --> 00:20:55,800
Let me say that it
damages the reputation

486
00:20:55,867 --> 00:20:57,833
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

487
00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:00,967
when those who fly
the Jesus flag

488
00:21:01,033 --> 00:21:04,367
don't follow through
with their commitments

489
00:21:04,433 --> 00:21:06,367
to their employees.

490
00:21:06,433 --> 00:21:08,700
Oh, yeah, that guy
goes to church Sunday.

491
00:21:08,767 --> 00:21:10,267
That gal goes to church
Sunday.

492
00:21:10,333 --> 00:21:13,233
They raise their hands, they
sing their songs but when they

493
00:21:13,300 --> 00:21:18,833
show up on money, they remind
me of Judas, not Jesus.

494
00:21:18,900 --> 00:21:21,500
They remind me of Judas,
not Jesus.

495
00:21:21,567 --> 00:21:23,633
They're takers, not givers.

496
00:21:23,700 --> 00:21:27,100
They're not good for
their obligations.

497
00:21:27,167 --> 00:21:29,900
How many of you, number two,
you're employees?

498
00:21:29,967 --> 00:21:31,400
You work for somebody.

499
00:21:31,467 --> 00:21:33,000
You're not self-employed.

500
00:21:33,067 --> 00:21:34,533
You're not unemployed,
you're employed.

501
00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,733
How many of you work
for somebody else, okay?

502
00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,367
The Bible
also speaks to you.

503
00:21:39,433 --> 00:21:42,633
Employees, Titus chapter 2,
verses 9 through 10,

504
00:21:42,700 --> 00:21:45,400
"Bondservants are to be
submissive to their own masters

505
00:21:45,467 --> 00:21:46,933
in everything."

506
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,367
In our culture,

507
00:21:48,433 --> 00:21:50,200
the equivalent
it's not identical,

508
00:21:50,267 --> 00:21:53,733
but the closest we can get
is employers and employees,

509
00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:58,767
those in authority,
those under authority.

510
00:21:58,833 --> 00:22:01,567
They are to be well-pleasing,
have a good attitude,

511
00:22:01,633 --> 00:22:04,633
do a good job,
non argumentative.

512
00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:07,633
Don't fight all the time
and be the source of trouble

513
00:22:07,700 --> 00:22:10,133
and conflict at your
place of employment.

514
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,533
Not pilfering, there's the
eighth commandment, no stealing.

515
00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,333
"But showing all good faith,
so that in everything

516
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,433
they may adorn the doctrine
of God our Savior."

517
00:22:22,500 --> 00:22:25,033
Here's the big idea,
Paul is saying,

518
00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:28,233
your work is your witness.

519
00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:30,967
Your work is your witness.

520
00:22:31,033 --> 00:22:33,167
Some people say,
"I don't know how to be

521
00:22:33,233 --> 00:22:34,567
a good witness at work."

522
00:22:34,633 --> 00:22:38,433
Start by doing good work,
doing a good job,

523
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:43,000
having a good attitude,
performing well, submitting,

524
00:22:43,067 --> 00:22:45,967
respecting the authority
that is over you,

525
00:22:46,033 --> 00:22:47,600
following through
with the things

526
00:22:47,667 --> 00:22:49,100
that they delegate to you.

527
00:22:49,167 --> 00:22:51,000
That's where it begins.

528
00:22:51,067 --> 00:22:54,167
I learned this early on.

529
00:22:54,233 --> 00:22:56,933
I was a brand-new Christian
and one of my first jobs

530
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,467
was working
for a Marriott Hotel.

531
00:22:59,533 --> 00:23:02,267
I lived near the airport
and so the Marriott Hotel had

532
00:23:02,333 --> 00:23:06,733
a year-round staff, driving
shuttle, doing bellhop work,

533
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,367
back up the concierge folks,
booking tours, getting cars,

534
00:23:10,433 --> 00:23:12,400
all that kind of stuff,
serving the guests.

535
00:23:12,467 --> 00:23:15,100
And then during the travel
season of the summer,

536
00:23:15,167 --> 00:23:17,100
particularly with
the cruise season,

537
00:23:17,167 --> 00:23:18,833
they would bring in
an additional number

538
00:23:18,900 --> 00:23:22,767
of college guys to support
the permanent staff.

539
00:23:22,833 --> 00:23:26,733
Well, two of the guys that got
hired, myself and another guy,

540
00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:28,967
we were new Christians.

541
00:23:29,033 --> 00:23:30,367
We're new Christians.

542
00:23:30,433 --> 00:23:32,567
And lo and behold,
the boss who hired us,

543
00:23:32,633 --> 00:23:35,300
the guy who ran the bell
stand, was an older man.

544
00:23:35,367 --> 00:23:36,700
This was his career.

545
00:23:36,767 --> 00:23:39,400
He was a guy who really
genuinely loved Jesus.

546
00:23:39,467 --> 00:23:41,500
He was actually a godly man.

547
00:23:41,567 --> 00:23:43,400
Everything that I
saw in his integrity

548
00:23:43,467 --> 00:23:44,833
and his theology are godly.

549
00:23:44,900 --> 00:23:47,933
Hard-working family man,
really good guy,

550
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,167
and he had a great reputation
at the hotel

551
00:23:51,233 --> 00:23:53,900
because so much of that is
cash business, right?

552
00:23:53,967 --> 00:23:56,900
You get tips all the time
and you call a town car,

553
00:23:56,967 --> 00:23:59,067
you call a cab
or you book a tour,

554
00:23:59,133 --> 00:24:02,300
and they give you a kickback
and a lot of times it's cash,

555
00:24:02,367 --> 00:24:04,300
or at least it was in that day.

556
00:24:04,367 --> 00:24:07,967
So by the end of the day, you've
got a pocket full of cash and

557
00:24:08,033 --> 00:24:10,700
you're supposed to share it with
some of the other employees.

558
00:24:10,767 --> 00:24:13,200
Sometimes somebody'd book a tour
and then they'd be off

559
00:24:13,267 --> 00:24:15,000
running to the airport,
driving the shuttle,

560
00:24:15,067 --> 00:24:18,000
and then the compensation would
come in and if they weren't

561
00:24:18,067 --> 00:24:21,400
there to get it, you're supposed
to get it and then give to them.

562
00:24:21,467 --> 00:24:23,400
But you can imagine
in a cash business,

563
00:24:23,467 --> 00:24:25,900
lots of guys just kept taking
money that wasn't theirs,

564
00:24:25,967 --> 00:24:28,633
putting it in their pocket or
keeping it in their pocket,

565
00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:30,033
not this man.

566
00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:33,167
I watched him operate
with a very, very, very,

567
00:24:33,233 --> 00:24:35,167
high degree of integrity.

568
00:24:35,233 --> 00:24:38,367
It got to the point where I
didn't even doubt that this guy

569
00:24:38,433 --> 00:24:41,033
was totally honest because of
the way he conducted himself.

570
00:24:41,100 --> 00:24:44,033
And he had a good attitude
and he had a good reputation

571
00:24:44,100 --> 00:24:45,433
with the other employees.

572
00:24:45,500 --> 00:24:47,933
Everybody else who worked there
would have said, "Honest guy,

573
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,333
hard-working guy, great guy.

574
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:50,733
We love working with him."

575
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,367
So when he waved
the Jesus flag, it was good.

576
00:24:53,433 --> 00:24:56,600
There was a young guy that
I worked with, however,

577
00:24:56,667 --> 00:24:58,567
and we both had a lot to learn.

578
00:24:58,633 --> 00:25:01,600
But he liked to read his Bible
while he was standing

579
00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:03,267
at the bell stand.

580
00:25:03,333 --> 00:25:06,200
So the guests are walking by and
needing help with their bags

581
00:25:06,267 --> 00:25:09,600
or trying to get a car or load
stuff in or out of their

582
00:25:09,667 --> 00:25:12,100
vehicle, and he would just
sit there reading his Bible.

583
00:25:12,167 --> 00:25:14,767
And one of the employees came
over and confront him, said,

584
00:25:14,833 --> 00:25:17,267
"Hey, you need to pay more
attention to the guests."

585
00:25:17,333 --> 00:25:19,767
He's like, "Hey, God is my
first priority and nothing

586
00:25:19,833 --> 00:25:21,467
is more important than
studying the Bible."

587
00:25:21,533 --> 00:25:22,867
True or false?

588
00:25:22,933 --> 00:25:25,200
That's true, but not
on company time, amen?

589
00:25:25,267 --> 00:25:27,367
Because at the Marriott,
what it didn't include

590
00:25:27,433 --> 00:25:30,833
in our job description was
Bible reading, right?

591
00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:32,867
It didn't include Bible reading.

592
00:25:32,933 --> 00:25:35,867
So this older man who
ran our bell stand,

593
00:25:35,933 --> 00:25:38,967
he pulled us both aside he
said, "Guys, you're Christians.

594
00:25:39,033 --> 00:25:41,967
"You're newer Christians.
You need to work very hard.

595
00:25:42,033 --> 00:25:43,400
"You need to be honest.

596
00:25:43,467 --> 00:25:45,567
"You need to take
good care of the guests.

597
00:25:45,633 --> 00:25:48,067
"You need to have a good
attitude because everybody knows

598
00:25:48,133 --> 00:25:49,467
"that we're the Christians.

599
00:25:49,533 --> 00:25:51,667
"And the last thing we want
is everybody saying,

600
00:25:51,733 --> 00:25:53,667
"'Boy, it really stinks working
with those Christians.'

601
00:25:53,733 --> 00:25:55,400
"It gives a bad name
to Christianity.

602
00:25:55,467 --> 00:25:57,133
It gives a bad name to Christ."

603
00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:58,867
So he told this other young guy.

604
00:25:58,933 --> 00:26:02,133
He said, "So I want you to read
your Bible during your break,"

605
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:03,867
and that's what
this older man did.

606
00:26:03,933 --> 00:26:05,600
He read his Bible
during his break.

607
00:26:05,667 --> 00:26:08,933
Okay, that's the kind of thing
that he is referring to here.

608
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,000
Well-pleasing, doing
a good job, not argumentative,

609
00:26:13,067 --> 00:26:15,800
not fighting all the time,
submitting to authority,

610
00:26:15,867 --> 00:26:19,300
respecting authority, showing
all good faith, right?

611
00:26:19,367 --> 00:26:21,067
I love the Lord.
I love you.

612
00:26:21,133 --> 00:26:23,867
He sent me here.
My work is my witness.

613
00:26:23,933 --> 00:26:25,900
"So that in everything
they may adorn

614
00:26:25,967 --> 00:26:27,800
the doctrine of God our Savior."

615
00:26:27,867 --> 00:26:29,900
That when they hear
that Jesus is great,

616
00:26:29,967 --> 00:26:33,467
they see that Jesus people
have a good work ethic,

617
00:26:33,533 --> 00:26:37,267
are honest, have integrity,
do their job well,

618
00:26:37,333 --> 00:26:40,833
and that makes Christianity
more attractive.

619
00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:43,300
Sometimes you're not just
getting persecuted at work

620
00:26:43,367 --> 00:26:45,267
because of your faith.

621
00:26:45,333 --> 00:26:48,633
You're getting persecuted at
work because of your work ethic,

622
00:26:48,700 --> 00:26:52,067
and you're using your faith as
an excuse not to do a great job.

623
00:26:52,133 --> 00:26:55,000
True or false, Jesus had a job?

624
00:26:55,067 --> 00:26:57,667
Growing up, true or false,
Jesus had a job?

625
00:26:57,733 --> 00:26:59,067
Good job.

626
00:26:59,133 --> 00:27:01,867
He was a carpenter's son,
he did carpentry with his dad.

627
00:27:01,933 --> 00:27:04,600
True or false, do you think
Jesus was a good employee?

628
00:27:04,667 --> 00:27:07,100
Do you think he just sat there
all day reading

629
00:27:07,167 --> 00:27:09,100
the scroll of Isaiah not
swinging a hammer?

630
00:27:09,167 --> 00:27:12,100
Or do you think he picked up
a hammer and actually built

631
00:27:12,167 --> 00:27:13,833
the stuff he was supposed
to build?

632
00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:16,033
All right, your work is
part of your witness.

633
00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:18,933
Now, that being said,
how big of a problem

634
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,667
do you think employee theft is?

635
00:27:21,733 --> 00:27:24,000
Like I said, you go
through the front door,

636
00:27:24,067 --> 00:27:26,000
security camera, security guard.

637
00:27:26,067 --> 00:27:27,967
How about the back door?

638
00:27:28,033 --> 00:27:30,567
What are the employees
taking out the back door?

639
00:27:30,633 --> 00:27:32,767
According to a report
in "US News,"

640
00:27:32,833 --> 00:27:35,200
that was conducted by
Hayes International Consultants

641
00:27:35,267 --> 00:27:40,000
the average employee
steals 5.5 times more,

642
00:27:40,067 --> 00:27:44,800
5-1/2 times more than
the average shoplifter.

643
00:27:44,867 --> 00:27:48,933
How many of you are employers
and you know this is true?

644
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:54,267
Furniture goes missing, supplies
go missing, stock goes missing.

645
00:27:54,333 --> 00:27:57,567
All of a sudden, you pull it
up on the computer you're like,

646
00:27:57,633 --> 00:28:00,133
"Yeah, that's on the shelf.
It's not on the shelf.

647
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,333
"Where is it?
It was in the back room.

648
00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,967
Oh, somebody took it, somebody
who works for me took it."

649
00:28:06,033 --> 00:28:08,467
It's such a massive problem.

650
00:28:08,533 --> 00:28:10,767
It's almost impossible
to calculate the total loss,

651
00:28:10,833 --> 00:28:15,733
but the estimates are that
companies lose $200 billion

652
00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,400
a year through employee
theft of stock or supplies.

653
00:28:20,467 --> 00:28:23,733
If we went to your house
right now and just so you know,

654
00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,933
Jesus already sees it, but if we
went to your house right know,

655
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,667
what would we find at your house

656
00:28:28,733 --> 00:28:31,967
that actually
should be at your work?

657
00:28:32,033 --> 00:28:36,533
In addition to stealing items,

658
00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,167
employees are guilty
of stealing time.

659
00:28:39,233 --> 00:28:42,200
Any of you ever
wasted time at work?

660
00:28:42,267 --> 00:28:44,333
According to
a report on salary.com,

661
00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:49,567
the average employee wastes
a little over 2 hours a day.

662
00:28:49,633 --> 00:28:56,067
Okay, 8-hour workday,
1-hour lunch, 2 hours wasted,

663
00:28:56,133 --> 00:28:58,567
2.09 hours wasted.

664
00:28:58,633 --> 00:29:00,933
Some people look and say,
"What's the big deal?

665
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:02,333
That doesn't bother me."

666
00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,333
It would if it was your company.

667
00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:07,067
All right, if you went right
now to the bakery like,

668
00:29:07,133 --> 00:29:09,067
"I would like eight doughnuts."

669
00:29:09,133 --> 00:29:11,567
And they charged you for
eight and you got home

670
00:29:11,633 --> 00:29:14,033
and you opened the box like,
"There's only five."

671
00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:16,533
You went back to the bakery,
"Where's my three doughnuts?"

672
00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,200
"Hey, I'm just treating you
like you treat your employer.

673
00:29:19,267 --> 00:29:20,900
You get to pay
for eight doughnuts,

674
00:29:20,967 --> 00:29:22,433
"you only get to eat five."

675
00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:25,100
True or false,
you'd be frustrated?

676
00:29:25,167 --> 00:29:29,567
We don't like to be stolen from,

677
00:29:29,633 --> 00:29:32,633
but we don't mind stealing,

678
00:29:32,700 --> 00:29:34,933
and we don't think
of time as stealing

679
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,067
but if we're getting paid
for our time,

680
00:29:37,133 --> 00:29:42,767
then wasting our time is
stealing from our employer.

681
00:29:42,833 --> 00:29:47,733
What do you think we tend to
do when we're stealing time?

682
00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:52,933
What do you think
the number-one way

683
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,033
we steal time is?

684
00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:57,333
Doing what?

685
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,200
Come on be honest,
we're in church.

686
00:30:00,267 --> 00:30:02,700
The Internet.

687
00:30:02,767 --> 00:30:04,700
Forty-four percent say,
"Yeah, that's how I waste

688
00:30:04,767 --> 00:30:06,867
a lot of my time
on the Internet."

689
00:30:06,933 --> 00:30:08,267
Doing what?

690
00:30:08,333 --> 00:30:14,400
Social media, surfing, reading
the news, watching cat videos,

691
00:30:14,467 --> 00:30:16,400
all right,
finding the funniest cat video,

692
00:30:16,467 --> 00:30:19,067
sending it to the other
employees so that they can waste

693
00:30:19,133 --> 00:30:23,000
2 hours as well.

694
00:30:23,067 --> 00:30:28,000
Number two, 23% of the time
is socializing.

695
00:30:28,067 --> 00:30:30,500
Somebody's trying to work,
you're supposed to be working.

696
00:30:30,567 --> 00:30:33,000
Rather than working, you go in
and talk to them

697
00:30:33,067 --> 00:30:34,500
to waste both of your time.

698
00:30:34,567 --> 00:30:36,167
"What are you doing?"
"Not working."

699
00:30:36,233 --> 00:30:39,000
"Obviously, me neither.
Let's talk."

700
00:30:39,067 --> 00:30:43,767
Six percent of the time we waste
our time on personal business,

701
00:30:43,833 --> 00:30:47,733
paying our bills, fixing our
calendar, returning our emails.

702
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:49,200
And some of you,

703
00:30:49,267 --> 00:30:51,700
you've got a consulting
business on the side,

704
00:30:51,767 --> 00:30:53,900
you've got a contracting
business on the side,

705
00:30:53,967 --> 00:30:57,067
and you're trying to do two jobs
at once so you can double

706
00:30:57,133 --> 00:30:58,733
your income stream.

707
00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,467
You want to keep your job
because you have an office,

708
00:31:01,533 --> 00:31:03,467
you have a laptop,
you have, you know,

709
00:31:03,533 --> 00:31:06,700
expenses that you can
get reimbursed for.

710
00:31:06,767 --> 00:31:08,967
They give you a cell phone.

711
00:31:09,033 --> 00:31:12,000
And so you're trying to do a
contractor business on the side,

712
00:31:12,067 --> 00:31:13,967
or some consulting on the side,

713
00:31:14,033 --> 00:31:16,300
or a pay-by-the-hour job
on the side,

714
00:31:16,367 --> 00:31:18,500
so you're actually taking
some of your company time

715
00:31:18,567 --> 00:31:21,700
and company resources
to double dip from the till.

716
00:31:21,767 --> 00:31:24,833
Some of you are hoping to keep
that job because it has

717
00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:26,833
medical benefits and security.

718
00:31:26,900 --> 00:31:29,900
Others of you are hoping to grow
your side business to become

719
00:31:29,967 --> 00:31:32,233
your business so that you can
leave your employer

720
00:31:32,300 --> 00:31:34,133
and start your own company.

721
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,233
You want to leave your employer.

722
00:31:36,300 --> 00:31:37,900
Your heart is not in it.

723
00:31:37,967 --> 00:31:40,400
There's not integrity around
that and what you're doing is

724
00:31:40,467 --> 00:31:42,067
you're stealing.

725
00:31:42,133 --> 00:31:44,567
You're taking the technology,
the time, the opportunity,

726
00:31:44,633 --> 00:31:47,033
maybe even some of the
clients and the connections,

727
00:31:47,100 --> 00:31:50,267
and you're leveraging it, not to
be a blessing to your employer,

728
00:31:50,333 --> 00:31:54,600
but to solely take for yourself
that which is not yours.

729
00:31:54,667 --> 00:31:57,067
And again some of you say,
"Well, you don't understand.

730
00:31:57,133 --> 00:31:59,067
"It's a big company,
not a big deal.

731
00:31:59,133 --> 00:32:00,867
I still get all my work done."

732
00:32:00,933 --> 00:32:03,367
But here's the deal, if you
succeed in growing your

733
00:32:03,433 --> 00:32:06,867
side company and you get to go
launch it as its own entity,

734
00:32:06,933 --> 00:32:09,467
once you get to the point
where you're hiring employees,

735
00:32:09,533 --> 00:32:12,833
you'll be furious
if they're like you.

736
00:32:12,900 --> 00:32:14,700
You'll be furious.

737
00:32:14,767 --> 00:32:16,267
"What's this
on your cell phone?

738
00:32:16,333 --> 00:32:19,433
"These are all unrelated--what
is this with your--what is this

739
00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:21,433
"with your--what is this
with your expense account?

740
00:32:21,500 --> 00:32:27,367
Why are you using my
money, to steal from me?"

741
00:32:27,433 --> 00:32:29,300
And see what happens
is we think,

742
00:32:29,367 --> 00:32:31,333
"Well, everybody's doing it,
it can't be wrong."

743
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,333
Or, it's an epidemic.

744
00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,633
Total annual cost to companies
is estimated

745
00:32:38,700 --> 00:32:43,733
$759 billion a year.

746
00:32:46,733 --> 00:32:49,567
What are the two most popular
websites that we go to while

747
00:32:49,633 --> 00:32:52,067
we're wasting time at work?

748
00:32:52,133 --> 00:32:55,900
First one is,
take a guess, Facebook.

749
00:32:55,967 --> 00:32:59,133
Some of you are going to post
that right now, all right?

750
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,100
"Facebook is the number-one
website we waste time on."

751
00:33:02,167 --> 00:33:03,767
Okay, welcome back
to the sermon.

752
00:33:03,833 --> 00:33:08,600
Okay, second most common
website we visit to waste time?

753
00:33:08,667 --> 00:33:11,133
LinkedIn.

754
00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:15,600
Everybody's at work trying
to find another job.

755
00:33:15,667 --> 00:33:18,667
Welcome to LinkedIn.

756
00:33:18,733 --> 00:33:22,167
Just so you know, if the person
spending all their time trying

757
00:33:22,233 --> 00:33:25,367
to get the job is doing so while
they're at their other job,

758
00:33:25,433 --> 00:33:28,367
might I submit to you, they may
not be the best candidate

759
00:33:28,433 --> 00:33:29,767
for your job.

760
00:33:29,833 --> 00:33:31,267
Say, "What are you doing today?"

761
00:33:31,333 --> 00:33:36,100
"Stealing from my employer
and looking for work."

762
00:33:36,167 --> 00:33:37,767
Anybody feeling convicted?

763
00:33:37,833 --> 00:33:39,167
Okay.

764
00:33:39,233 --> 00:33:41,167
If not, I have
another one for you.

765
00:33:41,233 --> 00:33:43,000
Christians, all right,
Christians raise your hand,

766
00:33:43,067 --> 00:33:44,767
okay?

767
00:33:44,833 --> 00:33:46,267
Raise your hand.

768
00:33:46,333 --> 00:33:49,000
Malachi 3:8 and 9 says
the same thing in Acts 5

769
00:33:49,067 --> 00:33:50,400
with Ananias and Sapphira.

770
00:33:50,467 --> 00:33:51,933
"Will man rob God?"

771
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,433
Big question, right?

772
00:33:54,500 --> 00:33:57,433
God says,
"I got a question for you,

773
00:33:57,500 --> 00:33:59,533
are you going to steal
from me?"

774
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,000
Eighth commandment.

775
00:34:02,067 --> 00:34:05,100
Okay, immediately
what do we do?

776
00:34:05,167 --> 00:34:07,400
We know we're guilty,
so what do we do?

777
00:34:07,467 --> 00:34:08,800
We do like kids do.

778
00:34:08,867 --> 00:34:10,300
"What do you mean by stealing?

779
00:34:10,367 --> 00:34:11,800
"What's that mean in Hebrew?

780
00:34:11,867 --> 00:34:13,533
I don't know what
you're talking about."

781
00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:15,467
"Yet you are robbing me."

782
00:34:15,533 --> 00:34:19,333
But you say,
"Uh, uh, how'd we rob ya?"

783
00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:25,000
All right, you know.
You know.

784
00:34:25,067 --> 00:34:28,367
See the Holy Spirit already
convicts God's people of sin.

785
00:34:28,433 --> 00:34:30,400
God says, "You know
you've stolen from me."

786
00:34:30,467 --> 00:34:32,300
Like, "Uh, what are
you talking about?

787
00:34:32,367 --> 00:34:33,700
I don't understand."

788
00:34:33,767 --> 00:34:35,867
You know.

789
00:34:35,933 --> 00:34:39,067
You know what you were supposed
to give and you didn't give.

790
00:34:39,133 --> 00:34:42,433
Some of you are like, "Hey,
don't talk about my money."

791
00:34:42,500 --> 00:34:44,833
Oh, so it's your money.

792
00:34:44,900 --> 00:34:47,700
Well, now we've really gotten
to the problem, haven't we?

793
00:34:47,767 --> 00:34:50,733
It's not his money,
it's your money.

794
00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:57,233
See, stealing is what happens
when wealth becomes God.

795
00:34:57,300 --> 00:34:58,767
Do you understand that?

796
00:34:58,833 --> 00:35:00,600
First commandment is
there's only one God.

797
00:35:00,667 --> 00:35:03,667
The second commandment is we
should worship that God alone.

798
00:35:03,733 --> 00:35:06,033
Stealing is what happens when
money becomes God

799
00:35:06,100 --> 00:35:09,567
and the efforts of our life are
to accrue as much as we can.

800
00:35:09,633 --> 00:35:11,633
It's greed.

801
00:35:11,700 --> 00:35:13,133
It's greed.

802
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:14,633
It's not money.

803
00:35:14,700 --> 00:35:18,133
Paul says the love of money is
the root of all kinds of evil.

804
00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,200
The problem is not money,
it's the love of money.

805
00:35:21,267 --> 00:35:24,167
That's why Jesus says where
your treasure is, well,

806
00:35:24,233 --> 00:35:25,900
that reveals ultimately
where your heart is.

807
00:35:25,967 --> 00:35:28,400
And the reason some of you
are really frustrated with

808
00:35:28,467 --> 00:35:29,800
this sermon, you're like,

809
00:35:29,867 --> 00:35:31,300
"Can't believe he's talking
about money."

810
00:35:31,367 --> 00:35:32,700
The reason you're offended

811
00:35:32,767 --> 00:35:35,433
is because I'm talking about
your God.

812
00:35:35,500 --> 00:35:39,800
And Jesus says you can't
worship God and money.

813
00:35:39,867 --> 00:35:42,067
You can worship God
with your money,

814
00:35:42,133 --> 00:35:44,967
but your can't worship
your money and God.

815
00:35:45,033 --> 00:35:47,767
So God shows up
and he has a question.

816
00:35:47,833 --> 00:35:50,100
"Will man rob God?

817
00:35:50,167 --> 00:35:51,567
"Yet you are robbing me.

818
00:35:51,633 --> 00:35:53,567
"But you say,
'How have we robbed you?'

819
00:35:53,633 --> 00:35:54,967
"In your tithes
and contributions.

820
00:35:55,033 --> 00:35:56,700
"You are cursed with
a curse, consequences,

821
00:35:56,767 --> 00:35:59,200
for you are robbing me,
the whole nation of you."

822
00:35:59,267 --> 00:36:01,233
Everybody's doing it.

823
00:36:01,300 --> 00:36:03,800
When it comes to stealing,
just because the majority

824
00:36:03,867 --> 00:36:06,867
are involved doesn't mean
it's holy.

825
00:36:08,333 --> 00:36:11,267
That's a great principle
even in our world.

826
00:36:11,333 --> 00:36:15,467
We want to have laws that
reflect our desires and even if

827
00:36:15,533 --> 00:36:22,100
the majority should assent to
something, God may not agree.

828
00:36:24,067 --> 00:36:29,367
You're supposed to give back to
God, and he uses two words here,

829
00:36:29,433 --> 00:36:31,700
tithes and contributions.

830
00:36:31,767 --> 00:36:33,267
So let me explain
this categorically.

831
00:36:33,333 --> 00:36:35,100
The tithe literally
means a tenth.

832
00:36:35,167 --> 00:36:38,067
It's 10% of your gross,
not your net.

833
00:36:38,133 --> 00:36:40,233
The Bible calls it
firstfruits.

834
00:36:40,300 --> 00:36:42,667
You give first and best to God.

835
00:36:42,733 --> 00:36:45,000
The government has put
themselves in the waterfall

836
00:36:45,067 --> 00:36:47,700
so far upstream that now
they're ahead of God.

837
00:36:47,767 --> 00:36:49,367
Any of you notice that?

838
00:36:49,433 --> 00:36:51,700
How many of you, you
got your first paycheck,

839
00:36:51,767 --> 00:36:54,700
you ran the hours, you ran
the amount you got per hour,

840
00:36:54,767 --> 00:36:56,900
you were expecting an amount,
you got your check

841
00:36:56,967 --> 00:36:58,300
and the amount was less?

842
00:36:58,367 --> 00:36:59,800
Any of you have that experience?

843
00:36:59,867 --> 00:37:01,867
I'll still never
forget my first check.

844
00:37:01,933 --> 00:37:04,000
Who's FICA?
Who's FICA?

845
00:37:04,067 --> 00:37:07,567
I'm gonna go to FICA's house,
and I'm gonna get $27

846
00:37:07,633 --> 00:37:09,900
out of FICA, all right?

847
00:37:09,967 --> 00:37:11,300
Oh, what is that?

848
00:37:11,367 --> 00:37:13,833
They took it.
They didn't ask.

849
00:37:13,900 --> 00:37:15,433
They didn't ask.

850
00:37:15,500 --> 00:37:17,433
They don't have to ask,
they're the government.

851
00:37:17,500 --> 00:37:20,133
See, they don't steal, they tax.

852
00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:21,767
They have a different word.

853
00:37:21,833 --> 00:37:24,767
That's--okay, anyway so.

854
00:37:24,833 --> 00:37:26,567
They didn't ask
and they took something

855
00:37:26,633 --> 00:37:29,267
that I thought was mine.

856
00:37:29,333 --> 00:37:31,800
The government has put
themselves in God's position.

857
00:37:31,867 --> 00:37:33,500
They're upstream
in the waterfall.

858
00:37:33,567 --> 00:37:35,200
They're firstfruits' position.

859
00:37:35,267 --> 00:37:37,533
The first goes to
the government, not to God.

860
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,667
And then after that comes
to you and then you,

861
00:37:40,733 --> 00:37:42,400
"Now I have to give to God."

862
00:37:42,467 --> 00:37:44,700
But the way it worked
in the Old Testament,

863
00:37:44,767 --> 00:37:47,433
you literally give 10% off
the top back to the Lord.

864
00:37:47,500 --> 00:37:50,167
Some of you say, "I can't
believe that God wanted 10%."

865
00:37:50,233 --> 00:37:52,200
The Bible says that
everything is God.

866
00:37:52,267 --> 00:37:55,467
I'm pretty stoked to get 90%.

867
00:37:55,533 --> 00:37:59,133
Very excited to get--because God
could've came and said,

868
00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,400
"Mmm, how about
if I tithe to you.

869
00:38:01,467 --> 00:38:04,000
I keep 90, you get 10."

870
00:38:04,067 --> 00:38:09,067
How about we do this deal
where you get 10 and I get 90?

871
00:38:09,133 --> 00:38:11,333
And that's the deal
that God gave us.

872
00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:13,333
It's actually a gracious gift.

873
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:16,133
God owns 100%,
gives 90% to us.

874
00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,800
Thanks for your
generosity, Lord.

875
00:38:19,867 --> 00:38:22,933
In addition to that
tenth, the tithe,

876
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:24,600
he calls it the contributions.

877
00:38:24,667 --> 00:38:26,800
If you read the rest
of the Old Testament,

878
00:38:26,867 --> 00:38:30,200
this is gleanings for the poor,
feasts, festivals, holidays,

879
00:38:30,267 --> 00:38:34,533
certain obligations that you
would have as one of God's

880
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:37,667
people, and these would ebb
and flow from year to year,

881
00:38:37,733 --> 00:38:40,167
so it wasn't like a flat 10%.

882
00:38:40,233 --> 00:38:43,000
But according to my research,
the stewardship chapter

883
00:38:43,067 --> 00:38:45,000
in doctrine covers all of this.

884
00:38:45,067 --> 00:38:50,133
It was between 25%
and 27%, total.

885
00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:54,400
So 10% for the tithe and 15% to
17% for the other contributions,

886
00:38:54,467 --> 00:38:56,833
25% to 27%.

887
00:38:56,900 --> 00:38:59,767
People always ask,
"Well, do we have to tithe?"

888
00:38:59,833 --> 00:39:02,633
Our giving should be cheerful,
regular, sacrificial,

889
00:39:02,700 --> 00:39:05,267
2 Corinthians 8 and 9.

890
00:39:05,333 --> 00:39:08,267
I always say that I think
10% is a good floor.

891
00:39:08,333 --> 00:39:09,767
It's not the ceiling.

892
00:39:09,833 --> 00:39:11,167
It's the floor.

893
00:39:11,233 --> 00:39:14,167
It's a good place to start but
certainly through the course

894
00:39:14,233 --> 00:39:16,667
of your life, you
want to do better.

895
00:39:16,733 --> 00:39:19,667
Grace and I, when I first
got saved and we got married,

896
00:39:19,733 --> 00:39:23,333
we made a goal to give more
every year than the year before.

897
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,333
That's a prayer goal of ours
and a planning goal of ours

898
00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:27,733
every year.

899
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:29,733
By God's grace, he's always
answered that prayer.

900
00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,400
Every year we've been able
to give more than we did

901
00:39:32,467 --> 00:39:33,800
the year before.

902
00:39:33,867 --> 00:39:37,000
And we do a tithe so we give
a percentage to the church.

903
00:39:37,067 --> 00:39:39,000
We also do contributions,
help missionaries,

904
00:39:39,067 --> 00:39:41,533
give to other people,
help the poor,

905
00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:43,500
whatever the case may be.

906
00:39:43,567 --> 00:39:44,900
My kids know the drill.

907
00:39:44,967 --> 00:39:47,100
If you know someone
who has a real need,

908
00:39:47,167 --> 00:39:49,300
mom and dad are glad
to help do that.

909
00:39:49,367 --> 00:39:51,600
It's tithes and contributions.

910
00:39:51,667 --> 00:39:55,300
Generous to the church
and then by God's grace,

911
00:39:55,367 --> 00:39:56,700
generous beyond the church.

912
00:39:56,767 --> 00:39:58,100
It's a both end.

913
00:39:58,167 --> 00:40:00,667
That's tithes and contributions.

914
00:40:00,733 --> 00:40:02,933
That's tithes and contributions.

915
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,567
And what God is saying
here is, "You robbed me."

916
00:40:05,633 --> 00:40:08,700
And the question is,
"Well, how did we rob you?"

917
00:40:08,767 --> 00:40:14,767
If God puts money in your hands
for you to share and steward

918
00:40:14,833 --> 00:40:20,733
and you keep it,
you're stealing.

919
00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:24,200
Give you an example, I was
recently out with my kids,

920
00:40:24,267 --> 00:40:28,767
had Calvin, he's 11, Alexi
who recently turned 10,

921
00:40:28,833 --> 00:40:30,433
and Gideon who is 7,

922
00:40:30,500 --> 00:40:32,633
and the kids all wanted
something from concession stand,

923
00:40:32,700 --> 00:40:35,133
you know, get a pop or
candy bar or something.

924
00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:36,633
"Dad, can we go get something?"

925
00:40:36,700 --> 00:40:38,033
Yes.

926
00:40:38,100 --> 00:40:39,433
Calvin says, "I'll take them."

927
00:40:39,500 --> 00:40:40,933
Okay, I handed Calvin 20 bucks.

928
00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:44,067
I said, "Calvin, go buy
for yourself, your brother,

929
00:40:44,133 --> 00:40:48,133
your sister, some things."

930
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:51,633
If Calvin would have went
to the concession stand,

931
00:40:51,700 --> 00:40:53,767
let's say bought
himself a candy bar,

932
00:40:53,833 --> 00:40:56,100
didn't buy anything for his
two brothers and sisters

933
00:40:56,167 --> 00:40:59,300
and then put that money that he
was supposed to spend on them

934
00:40:59,367 --> 00:41:02,767
in his pocket, true or false,
he'd be guilty of stealing?

935
00:41:02,833 --> 00:41:04,333
True.

936
00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:08,167
Because I gave it to him
to share it with them

937
00:41:08,233 --> 00:41:12,100
and if he keeps it, that means
he's stealing it.

938
00:41:12,167 --> 00:41:15,400
The good news is Calvin did
exactly what I asked him to do.

939
00:41:15,467 --> 00:41:17,100
He got himself something.

940
00:41:17,167 --> 00:41:18,600
He got something
for his brother.

941
00:41:18,667 --> 00:41:22,067
He got something for his sister.

942
00:41:22,133 --> 00:41:26,500
When God gives to us some of
it, we get to spend some of it.

943
00:41:26,567 --> 00:41:29,567
We need to steward by sharing
and tithing and tithes and

944
00:41:29,633 --> 00:41:33,300
contributions, giving to God's
ministry and giving to those

945
00:41:33,367 --> 00:41:36,200
that God puts in front of us
who have a legitimate need

946
00:41:36,267 --> 00:41:38,433
like single moms and such.

947
00:41:38,500 --> 00:41:40,067
Do you understand that?

948
00:41:40,133 --> 00:41:43,067
And when we keep it you say,
"Well, God, it's my money.

949
00:41:43,133 --> 00:41:44,467
It's in my pocket."

950
00:41:44,533 --> 00:41:47,133
God said, "No, no, no, no,
it wasn't supposed to go

951
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:48,533
"in your pocket.

952
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,233
"That's stealing.
You're robbing me.

953
00:41:50,300 --> 00:41:52,600
"You're not loving
your neighbor.

954
00:41:52,667 --> 00:41:56,467
That was for them, not
for you, not for you."

955
00:41:56,533 --> 00:42:00,233
Now, let me say this
quickly as well.

956
00:42:00,300 --> 00:42:04,133
There's a big difference
between a tax and a tithe.

957
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,767
The big difference is love.

958
00:42:06,833 --> 00:42:09,467
How many of you don't
love paying your taxes?

959
00:42:09,533 --> 00:42:12,233
You don't love it.

960
00:42:12,300 --> 00:42:15,967
It doesn't feel like
you're on your honeymoon

961
00:42:16,033 --> 00:42:17,367
as you're preparing your taxes.

962
00:42:17,433 --> 00:42:18,833
It doesn't feel that way.

963
00:42:18,900 --> 00:42:20,833
"I kind of love this.
This is amazing.

964
00:42:20,900 --> 00:42:22,233
Every year I look forward."

965
00:42:22,300 --> 00:42:23,633
We don't, you know why?

966
00:42:23,700 --> 00:42:29,233
Because taxes are taken from us,
tithes are to be given by us.

967
00:42:29,300 --> 00:42:31,400
The difference is love.

968
00:42:31,467 --> 00:42:35,633
We're to give our tithe because
God loves us and we love God.

969
00:42:35,700 --> 00:42:38,900
Taxes, we don't feel loved by
our government and most of us,

970
00:42:38,967 --> 00:42:40,733
quite frankly let's
just be honest,

971
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:43,333
not a lot of love
for our government.

972
00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,333
That's why the government
has to take our tax

973
00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:48,300
because we wouldn't give it.

974
00:42:48,367 --> 00:42:52,667
God doesn't take our tithe,
he asks us to give it.

975
00:42:52,733 --> 00:42:56,267
Just as God gives to us,
God wants us to reflect him,

976
00:42:56,333 --> 00:42:59,433
to mirror him, to image him,
to worship him by giving.

977
00:42:59,500 --> 00:43:02,267
That's why the Bible says that
God loves a cheerful giver,

978
00:43:02,333 --> 00:43:05,267
that God so loved the world
that he gave his only son,

979
00:43:05,333 --> 00:43:08,267
that as God gives out of love,
he wants us to love

980
00:43:08,333 --> 00:43:10,933
and return by giving.

981
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:12,800
And a lot of
Christians don't give.

982
00:43:12,867 --> 00:43:15,800
Christian Smith did the biggest
study on charitable giving

983
00:43:15,867 --> 00:43:17,300
in the history of the U.S.

984
00:43:17,367 --> 00:43:20,367
He's a very noted,
high-ranking sociologist.

985
00:43:20,433 --> 00:43:23,800
His book "Passing the Plate"
reveals this that of those

986
00:43:23,867 --> 00:43:27,167
who profess to be Christians
in an average year,

987
00:43:27,233 --> 00:43:30,933
one out of five give nothing
to a church ministry,

988
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:32,967
parachurch ministry,
mission organization

989
00:43:33,033 --> 00:43:38,533
or charitable contribution,
nothing, nothing.

990
00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:41,567
"Where your treasure is,
your heart is," Jesus says.

991
00:43:41,633 --> 00:43:43,233
Nothing.

992
00:43:43,300 --> 00:43:45,867
And a large number of Christians
give very, very little.

993
00:43:45,933 --> 00:43:48,367
And let me tell you
what happens in our day.

994
00:43:48,433 --> 00:43:52,067
Social media allows
people to fake generosity.

995
00:43:52,133 --> 00:43:54,400
Because on your
social media site you say,

996
00:43:54,467 --> 00:43:57,700
"I support this cause.
Yay, I'm waving the flag.

997
00:43:57,767 --> 00:44:00,100
Please give to the cause."

998
00:44:00,167 --> 00:44:02,167
Most people don't
give to the cause.

999
00:44:02,233 --> 00:44:05,300
If they do, they give
one minor amount once

1000
00:44:05,367 --> 00:44:07,000
to assuage their guilt.

1001
00:44:07,067 --> 00:44:09,733
They're not generous
and regular in their giving,

1002
00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:13,267
and it allows us to appear as
generous people to the world

1003
00:44:13,333 --> 00:44:16,933
when God knows the truth.

1004
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:19,433
We live in a world
of a lot of fakery,

1005
00:44:19,500 --> 00:44:21,633
a lot of forgery
and a lot of phony.

1006
00:44:21,700 --> 00:44:24,967
We just do, we just do.

1007
00:44:25,033 --> 00:44:27,467
Well, how many of you
in hearing all of this,

1008
00:44:27,533 --> 00:44:30,733
you realize you've stolen
someone from someone,

1009
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:32,567
from the Lord?

1010
00:44:32,633 --> 00:44:35,333
What do you do now?

1011
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:37,733
How about restitution?

1012
00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:41,133
Exodus 21:15,
the eighth commandment,

1013
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:43,867
Exodus 22:1,
just a few verses later,

1014
00:44:43,933 --> 00:44:45,833
what do you do if
you've already broken

1015
00:44:45,900 --> 00:44:47,333
the eighth commandment?

1016
00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,333
Here he says, "If a man
steals an ox or a sheep"--

1017
00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:52,833
or a car or a laptop
or a cell phone

1018
00:44:52,900 --> 00:44:54,567
or a jacket from the store--

1019
00:44:54,633 --> 00:44:57,833
"and kills it or sell it, they
profit from it, they use it,

1020
00:44:57,900 --> 00:45:00,833
"they keep it, they try to make
it their own personal property,

1021
00:45:00,900 --> 00:45:04,533
he shall repay five oxen for an
ox, and four sheep for a sheep."

1022
00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:07,233
Pretty major deterrent, right?

1023
00:45:07,300 --> 00:45:10,300
Imagine if right now, you
stole a dollar, you owe five.

1024
00:45:10,367 --> 00:45:11,833
Really?

1025
00:45:11,900 --> 00:45:13,700
You stole a car, you owe five.

1026
00:45:13,767 --> 00:45:15,200
"I don't have five cars."

1027
00:45:15,267 --> 00:45:16,933
Well, you can't go
steal four more.

1028
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,867
You've got to figure
this out, all right?

1029
00:45:19,933 --> 00:45:24,333
This was a deterrent.

1030
00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:28,000
Some of you say, "Well, you
know, God forgives all my sins."

1031
00:45:28,067 --> 00:45:31,333
True, but your neighbor
still needs their stuff back.

1032
00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:33,133
All right, it's
a pretty terrible witness,

1033
00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:34,633
you steal something
from your neighbor,

1034
00:45:34,700 --> 00:45:36,033
go knock on their door.

1035
00:45:36,100 --> 00:45:38,533
"Yeah, God convicted me of
sin, sorry I stole that.

1036
00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:39,933
Glad that's off my chest."

1037
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,533
The neighbor will be like,
"Hey, where's my stuff?

1038
00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:44,933
Where's my stuff?"

1039
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:46,933
So if you've stolen
from someone,

1040
00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:51,533
you need to make every effort
to repay, to pay restitution.

1041
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:53,867
Now that person could
choose to forgive your debt.

1042
00:45:53,933 --> 00:45:56,100
They may say, "You know what?
I forgive you.

1043
00:45:56,167 --> 00:45:59,100
I absolve you of the debt.
Wouldn't that be great?"

1044
00:45:59,167 --> 00:46:00,667
But they don't have to.

1045
00:46:00,733 --> 00:46:03,667
In fact, they may be in
a position where what you took,

1046
00:46:03,733 --> 00:46:05,800
they really need.

1047
00:46:05,867 --> 00:46:08,033
Restitution.

1048
00:46:08,100 --> 00:46:12,433
Two questions,
who do you need to repay?

1049
00:46:12,500 --> 00:46:15,167
What do you need to repay?

1050
00:46:15,233 --> 00:46:17,233
Who do you need to repay?

1051
00:46:17,300 --> 00:46:20,233
What do you need to repay?

1052
00:46:20,300 --> 00:46:23,467
Some of you are like, "That's
gonna be really expensive."

1053
00:46:23,533 --> 00:46:25,633
Right.

1054
00:46:25,700 --> 00:46:29,000
You may actually have to
downsize your lifestyle

1055
00:46:29,067 --> 00:46:33,700
because it's built on thievery.

1056
00:46:33,767 --> 00:46:37,100
Now imagine if people did this
instead of just getting

1057
00:46:37,167 --> 00:46:39,667
more credit cards.

1058
00:46:39,733 --> 00:46:42,300
The world would be
a different place, amen?

1059
00:46:42,367 --> 00:46:45,500
The problem's not just out
there with those people,

1060
00:46:45,567 --> 00:46:49,900
problem is in here
with us people.

1061
00:46:49,967 --> 00:46:54,333
Let me make it as simple
for you as I possibly can.

1062
00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:58,267
We don't want to worship
our wealth, okay?

1063
00:46:58,333 --> 00:47:01,967
When it comes to finances,
possessions, wealth,

1064
00:47:02,033 --> 00:47:07,467
there really are two extremes
in Christian thinking today.

1065
00:47:07,533 --> 00:47:09,800
One is called
prosperity theology,

1066
00:47:09,867 --> 00:47:12,300
that the more you love
God, the richer you'll get.

1067
00:47:12,367 --> 00:47:14,033
"God will bless you, sow a seed.

1068
00:47:14,100 --> 00:47:16,700
Give ten bucks,
he'll give you a hundred."

1069
00:47:16,767 --> 00:47:18,533
All right, and it's
a Ponzi scheme.

1070
00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:20,200
It's a get-rich-quick scheme.

1071
00:47:20,267 --> 00:47:22,700
The ultimate goal is not God is
my greatest treasure

1072
00:47:22,767 --> 00:47:26,367
but God is my best return on
financial investment.

1073
00:47:26,433 --> 00:47:29,433
And then you're using God to get
wealth because your ultimate God

1074
00:47:29,500 --> 00:47:32,167
is wealth.

1075
00:47:32,233 --> 00:47:34,433
We don't believe in
prosperity theology,

1076
00:47:34,500 --> 00:47:36,567
but then there's this
overreaction called

1077
00:47:36,633 --> 00:47:38,233
poverty theology.

1078
00:47:38,300 --> 00:47:40,667
"The less you have,
the closer to God you are."

1079
00:47:40,733 --> 00:47:43,200
Not necessarily.

1080
00:47:43,267 --> 00:47:46,133
"If you make money, if you
have a successful company,

1081
00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:47,800
"if you're good at business,

1082
00:47:47,867 --> 00:47:49,800
"if you know the difference
between an asset

1083
00:47:49,867 --> 00:47:52,633
"and a liability, if you
have a profit in law statement,

1084
00:47:52,700 --> 00:47:55,200
"if you oversee your investments
and you're looking for

1085
00:47:55,267 --> 00:47:59,000
"good return on investments and
you know debt-to-income ratio

1086
00:47:59,067 --> 00:48:02,933
"and you know what a good equity
line of credit looks like

1087
00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:07,100
"and you know what a good loan
looks like as far as APR goes,

1088
00:48:07,167 --> 00:48:08,500
"well then you know what?

1089
00:48:08,567 --> 00:48:11,067
That's not very godly
because that's all worldly."

1090
00:48:11,133 --> 00:48:12,500
That's not true.

1091
00:48:12,567 --> 00:48:15,167
Jesus spends 25% of his teaching
on finances and wealth

1092
00:48:15,233 --> 00:48:16,600
and possessions.

1093
00:48:16,667 --> 00:48:19,267
Books like Proverbs talk about
it over and over and over.

1094
00:48:19,333 --> 00:48:22,267
There are people in the Bible
who are rich and love God.

1095
00:48:22,333 --> 00:48:25,267
There are people who are rich
in the Bible and hate God.

1096
00:48:25,333 --> 00:48:28,267
There are people in the Bible
who are poor and love God.

1097
00:48:28,333 --> 00:48:31,267
There are people in the Bible
who are poor and hate God.

1098
00:48:31,333 --> 00:48:33,267
God himself, Jesus Christ,
was rich and poor.

1099
00:48:33,333 --> 00:48:35,933
Paul says this, "For our sake,
though rich, he became poor."

1100
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:39,733
Jesus in heaven, nice
neighborhood, really nice.

1101
00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:41,867
Streets paved with gold.

1102
00:48:41,933 --> 00:48:45,300
He came into human history
very, very poor.

1103
00:48:45,367 --> 00:48:47,800
Jesus was rich and poor.

1104
00:48:47,867 --> 00:48:50,300
Paul says, "I know what it's
like to have much

1105
00:48:50,367 --> 00:48:51,733
and have nothing."

1106
00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:56,600
We want to think biblically
about these things.

1107
00:48:56,667 --> 00:48:59,967
We can't think worldly in a way
that is rich versus poor,

1108
00:49:00,100 --> 00:49:03,967
but worshipers of wealth
and worshipers with wealth,

1109
00:49:04,033 --> 00:49:05,633
those are better categories.

1110
00:49:05,700 --> 00:49:08,100
So there are three ways
to look at your wealth.

1111
00:49:08,167 --> 00:49:11,667
Number one,
"What's mine is mine.

1112
00:49:11,733 --> 00:49:15,433
What's mine is mine," clenched
fists, "I'm going to keep it.

1113
00:49:15,500 --> 00:49:17,767
"This is mine.
Don't talk about it.

1114
00:49:17,833 --> 00:49:19,267
"Don't ask for it.

1115
00:49:19,333 --> 00:49:21,500
"Don't expect me
to share it or steward it.

1116
00:49:21,567 --> 00:49:22,900
"This is mine.

1117
00:49:22,967 --> 00:49:25,100
"I worked hard for it
or I inherited it.

1118
00:49:25,167 --> 00:49:27,300
"The private property
thing, I agree with.

1119
00:49:27,367 --> 00:49:29,967
"This is mine.
I'll keep it.

1120
00:49:30,033 --> 00:49:32,767
What's mine is mine."

1121
00:49:32,833 --> 00:49:38,467
The other view is, "What's
yours is mine, I'll steal it.

1122
00:49:38,533 --> 00:49:40,900
"What's yours is mine.

1123
00:49:40,967 --> 00:49:45,667
"I'll steal it illegally or
I'll find a clever way

1124
00:49:45,733 --> 00:49:47,900
"to steal it legally.

1125
00:49:47,967 --> 00:49:53,767
"False lawsuit, false insurance
claim, overstate my billing.

1126
00:49:53,833 --> 00:49:58,233
"Bill two clients for
the same billable hour.

1127
00:49:58,300 --> 00:50:00,100
"You can get really
creative with this.

1128
00:50:00,167 --> 00:50:06,200
"Lie on my taxes, whatever.

1129
00:50:06,267 --> 00:50:07,967
What's yours is mine."

1130
00:50:08,033 --> 00:50:13,367
That's the heart of stealing.

1131
00:50:13,433 --> 00:50:19,633
The third option is, "What's
mine is his and I'll share it.

1132
00:50:19,700 --> 00:50:21,433
I'll steward it."

1133
00:50:21,500 --> 00:50:22,933
Do you get that?

1134
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,033
And this concept of
stewardship, it's important.

1135
00:50:26,100 --> 00:50:29,300
It's a big theme in your Bible.

1136
00:50:29,367 --> 00:50:32,567
In fact, when it comes to
a pastor in 1 Timothy 3

1137
00:50:32,633 --> 00:50:35,133
and Titus 1,
the first thing it says,

1138
00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:37,867
"They must be a good steward."

1139
00:50:37,933 --> 00:50:40,700
Yeah, it talks about their
family and their theology

1140
00:50:40,767 --> 00:50:44,000
and their morality, but it
talks about stewardship.

1141
00:50:44,067 --> 00:50:47,133
They need to be good stewards.

1142
00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:54,000
Stewardship is
a very other worldly

1143
00:50:54,067 --> 00:50:55,667
countercultural way

1144
00:50:55,733 --> 00:50:59,633
of seeing wealth as revealed
by the God of the Bible,

1145
00:50:59,700 --> 00:51:02,800
and that is that everything
belongs to the Lord.

1146
00:51:02,867 --> 00:51:05,167
Everything comes from the Lord,
everything will return to

1147
00:51:05,233 --> 00:51:09,033
the Lord, that everything is
the Lord's and that whatever

1148
00:51:09,100 --> 00:51:13,067
we have, he has entrusted
to us to steward.

1149
00:51:13,133 --> 00:51:17,100
Imagine if someone in your
family died and they left

1150
00:51:17,167 --> 00:51:22,367
a large estate, and they made
you the executor of the will.

1151
00:51:22,433 --> 00:51:27,800
And in that will it said that
you got certain things and that

1152
00:51:27,867 --> 00:51:30,733
other people in the family were
to receive certain portions

1153
00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:33,767
of the inheritance, and as
the executor it was your job

1154
00:51:33,833 --> 00:51:37,033
to follow
the instructions of the owner

1155
00:51:37,100 --> 00:51:39,100
to distribute the estate.

1156
00:51:39,167 --> 00:51:41,267
A steward is like that.

1157
00:51:41,333 --> 00:51:44,333
It all belongs
to the Lord, it comes to me.

1158
00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:45,900
I'm the executor.

1159
00:51:45,967 --> 00:51:48,833
I get to spend some on my
expenses and my family,

1160
00:51:48,900 --> 00:51:51,833
the rest needs to go
back to the Lord's work.

1161
00:51:51,900 --> 00:51:54,067
Some of it needs
to go to the poor.

1162
00:51:54,133 --> 00:51:56,833
It needs to be an investment in
the future because Proverbs

1163
00:51:56,900 --> 00:51:59,300
says that a wise man
leaves an inheritance

1164
00:51:59,367 --> 00:52:01,967
for his children's children.

1165
00:52:02,033 --> 00:52:05,200
What a steward realizes
is, "This is not mine.

1166
00:52:05,267 --> 00:52:08,200
"It's entrusted to my oversight,

1167
00:52:08,267 --> 00:52:10,000
"and I need to follow
the agreement,

1168
00:52:10,067 --> 00:52:12,400
"the terms, that were
laid down for the distribution

1169
00:52:12,467 --> 00:52:13,800
of the assets."

1170
00:52:13,867 --> 00:52:15,433
Friends, that's
biblical thinking.

1171
00:52:15,500 --> 00:52:17,000
It all belongs to the Lord.

1172
00:52:17,067 --> 00:52:20,200
He's entrusted to us,
and we need to steward it

1173
00:52:20,267 --> 00:52:27,133
as he has instructed us
according to his Word.

1174
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:32,667
How many of you realize
that you're a thief,

1175
00:52:32,733 --> 00:52:36,567
that you're in great debt?

1176
00:52:36,633 --> 00:52:40,633
It's worse than you think.

1177
00:52:40,700 --> 00:52:43,767
Not only have we accrued
a financial debt

1178
00:52:43,833 --> 00:52:45,933
to God and others,

1179
00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:48,300
the Bible says there's
an entirely different category

1180
00:52:48,367 --> 00:52:51,133
of debt that we've also
accrued through stealing,

1181
00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:55,833
that sin in the Bible
is stealing.

1182
00:52:55,900 --> 00:52:59,400
It's actually taught that all
sin is a violation

1183
00:52:59,467 --> 00:53:01,400
of the eighth commandment.

1184
00:53:01,467 --> 00:53:03,200
God made us to love.

1185
00:53:03,267 --> 00:53:05,533
When we sin and don't
love, we're stealing.

1186
00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:07,100
God made us to serve.

1187
00:53:07,167 --> 00:53:08,667
When we don't serve,
we're stealing.

1188
00:53:08,733 --> 00:53:12,000
God made us to share and steward
our resources and when we don't,

1189
00:53:12,067 --> 00:53:13,400
we're stealing.

1190
00:53:13,467 --> 00:53:15,400
We're stealing
the time that God gave us.

1191
00:53:15,467 --> 00:53:17,433
We're stealing the breath,
the days, the hours,

1192
00:53:17,500 --> 00:53:19,967
the weeks, the months,
the years, the dollars,

1193
00:53:20,033 --> 00:53:22,433
the relationship, the words,
the opportunities.

1194
00:53:22,500 --> 00:53:27,067
Every single time, every single
time that we fail to invest

1195
00:53:27,133 --> 00:53:30,800
our life as God,
the owner of our life,

1196
00:53:30,867 --> 00:53:34,767
decrees to give him a glorious
return on his investment,

1197
00:53:34,833 --> 00:53:37,200
we are in sin against God.

1198
00:53:37,267 --> 00:53:39,133
We are stealing from God.

1199
00:53:39,200 --> 00:53:43,133
We are accruing
a debt toward God.

1200
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:45,133
See, every month our
financial debt shows up.

1201
00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:47,800
"I owe this on my credit card,
this on my car,

1202
00:53:47,867 --> 00:53:49,800
"this on my house,
this on school loans,

1203
00:53:49,867 --> 00:53:51,200
this on my medical debts."

1204
00:53:51,267 --> 00:53:55,600
There is a greater debt that
is accruing constantly that

1205
00:53:55,667 --> 00:53:58,400
we don't receive until we die,

1206
00:53:58,467 --> 00:54:02,100
and that's our spiritual debt
to God.

1207
00:54:02,167 --> 00:54:05,100
So it says we're appointed once
to die and then for judgment.

1208
00:54:05,167 --> 00:54:08,100
Hebrews 9:27, you'll die, open
your eyes and that's your

1209
00:54:08,167 --> 00:54:12,033
day of reckoning before
the Lord Jesus Christ.

1210
00:54:12,100 --> 00:54:14,467
Here's how Jesus says it,
the most famous prayer

1211
00:54:14,533 --> 00:54:17,600
in the history of the world,
Matthew chapter 6 he says,

1212
00:54:17,667 --> 00:54:20,400
"Our Father"--and then he goes
on--"Forgive us our"--what?

1213
00:54:20,467 --> 00:54:23,467
What's he say?
"Forgive us our--?"

1214
00:54:23,533 --> 00:54:27,533
Debts because all sin is debt.

1215
00:54:27,600 --> 00:54:32,400
It's stealing from God.

1216
00:54:32,467 --> 00:54:37,100
Do you feel that?

1217
00:54:37,167 --> 00:54:39,233
Here's how the Bible
explains it,

1218
00:54:39,300 --> 00:54:41,433
regarding our spiritual debt.

1219
00:54:41,500 --> 00:54:43,333
Colossians 2:13 and 14,
"And you,

1220
00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:45,067
"who were dead in your trespass

1221
00:54:45,133 --> 00:54:46,633
and the uncircumcision
of your flesh."

1222
00:54:46,700 --> 00:54:48,633
It says, "You don't
even care about God.

1223
00:54:48,700 --> 00:54:50,833
"You didn't even care
about any of these things.

1224
00:54:50,900 --> 00:54:53,633
It didn't even cross your mind."

1225
00:54:53,700 --> 00:54:58,433
"God made alive together
with him"--God saves people--

1226
00:54:58,500 --> 00:55:02,667
"having forgiven us
all our trespasses,

1227
00:55:02,733 --> 00:55:06,000
by canceling
the record of"--what?

1228
00:55:06,067 --> 00:55:09,267
"Debt that stood against
us with its legal demands.

1229
00:55:09,333 --> 00:55:11,933
This he set aside,
nailing it to the cross."

1230
00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:13,600
This is the gospel.

1231
00:55:13,667 --> 00:55:16,167
How many of you are
accountants, CEOs, CFOs,

1232
00:55:16,233 --> 00:55:18,467
you're good with your money,
you're good money managers,

1233
00:55:18,533 --> 00:55:20,800
you're coupon clippers
and careful spenders,

1234
00:55:20,867 --> 00:55:22,433
whoever you are?

1235
00:55:22,500 --> 00:55:25,300
This is God trying to
communicate the gospel in a way

1236
00:55:25,367 --> 00:55:27,867
that makes sense for you
in terms of the economics.

1237
00:55:27,933 --> 00:55:30,767
And here's what he says, "God
made you, you belong to him.

1238
00:55:30,833 --> 00:55:32,267
"You're to be a steward.

1239
00:55:32,333 --> 00:55:34,767
"Your life is to be lived
according to his principles.

1240
00:55:34,833 --> 00:55:37,267
"Every sin is a breaking
of the commandments

1241
00:55:37,333 --> 00:55:40,300
"and the covenant that God
made with you.

1242
00:55:40,367 --> 00:55:43,900
"You accrue a debt to God.
You owe God.

1243
00:55:43,967 --> 00:55:45,700
"That's why
you're going to hell.

1244
00:55:45,767 --> 00:55:47,133
"That's where you pay.

1245
00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:48,633
That's the debtor's prison."

1246
00:55:48,700 --> 00:55:51,300
Some of you'd say, "Well,
I want to pay God back."

1247
00:55:51,367 --> 00:55:52,700
Too late.

1248
00:55:52,767 --> 00:55:55,200
If for the rest of your
life you never sin,

1249
00:55:55,267 --> 00:55:57,700
all you do is fail
to add to your debt,

1250
00:55:57,767 --> 00:55:59,900
you do not negate any of
your preexisting debt.

1251
00:55:59,967 --> 00:56:01,367
It's too late.

1252
00:56:01,433 --> 00:56:08,233
The whole world is upside down,
in debt to God, cannot repay,

1253
00:56:08,300 --> 00:56:13,567
destined toward hell because
the wage for sin is death.

1254
00:56:13,633 --> 00:56:15,800
You feel that?

1255
00:56:15,867 --> 00:56:19,000
Then he says, "But I have
good news, God became a man,

1256
00:56:19,067 --> 00:56:21,300
his name is Jesus Christ."

1257
00:56:21,367 --> 00:56:25,467
The God that we owe the debt
to came to pay our debt.

1258
00:56:25,533 --> 00:56:29,567
He lived without sin, no debt,

1259
00:56:29,633 --> 00:56:33,633
no spiritual debt whatsoever.

1260
00:56:33,700 --> 00:56:39,133
He went to the cross and he died
in our place to pay our debt.

1261
00:56:39,200 --> 00:56:42,467
Jesus suffered so that
we don't have to suffer.

1262
00:56:42,533 --> 00:56:45,467
Jesus stood in our place so that
we don't have to spend

1263
00:56:45,533 --> 00:56:47,067
forever in hell.

1264
00:56:47,133 --> 00:56:48,967
That's the good
news of the gospel.

1265
00:56:49,033 --> 00:56:52,433
And he says, "When Jesus
died, our debt was paid."

1266
00:56:52,500 --> 00:56:54,133
So here's the good news.

1267
00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:55,633
You don't pay God back.

1268
00:56:55,700 --> 00:56:57,100
Jesus pays God back.

1269
00:56:57,167 --> 00:57:00,567
How many of you would be super
excited if right now all of your

1270
00:57:00,633 --> 00:57:02,633
debtors, your financial
debtors, called you and said,

1271
00:57:02,700 --> 00:57:06,633
"The car loan, the home
loan, the school loans,

1272
00:57:06,700 --> 00:57:09,300
"the head of the company decided
they would write a check

1273
00:57:09,367 --> 00:57:10,700
and pay off your debt"?

1274
00:57:10,767 --> 00:57:12,433
How many of you
would thank them?

1275
00:57:12,500 --> 00:57:13,833
Amen?

1276
00:57:13,900 --> 00:57:15,833
It's not gonna happen,
just so you know.

1277
00:57:15,900 --> 00:57:18,333
Don't get your hopes up,
but that's what God does.

1278
00:57:18,400 --> 00:57:20,067
God says, "I picked
up your debt.

1279
00:57:20,133 --> 00:57:23,000
I paid your debt
in Jesus Christ."

1280
00:57:23,067 --> 00:57:25,967
And Jesus was crucified
between two what?

1281
00:57:26,033 --> 00:57:32,100
Thieves, two people who
violated the eighth commandment.

1282
00:57:33,733 --> 00:57:37,800
One didn't turn to Jesus, didn't
ask Jesus for forgiveness,

1283
00:57:37,867 --> 00:57:40,967
didn't become a Christian.

1284
00:57:41,033 --> 00:57:44,967
He died, went to hell
to pay his debt forever.

1285
00:57:45,033 --> 00:57:49,167
The other turned to Jesus said,
"You never did anything wrong.

1286
00:57:49,233 --> 00:57:54,967
You're God, I'm a sinner.
Forgive me."

1287
00:57:57,433 --> 00:58:02,467
Jesus said to him, "Today
you'll be with me in paradise."

1288
00:58:02,533 --> 00:58:05,267
Not only does Jesus
pay our debt,

1289
00:58:05,333 --> 00:58:07,933
he gives us our inheritance.

1290
00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:11,333
That man's inheritance began
in paradise in the eternity of

1291
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:12,967
blessing in the presence of God.

1292
00:58:13,033 --> 00:58:15,967
Isn't it amazing that we would
steal from God our whole lives,

1293
00:58:16,033 --> 00:58:19,167
he would pay off our debt, adopt
us as children and write us

1294
00:58:19,233 --> 00:58:20,867
into his will to receive
his inheritance?

1295
00:58:20,933 --> 00:58:22,867
That's a loving, gracious God.

1296
00:58:22,933 --> 00:58:24,500
Amen?

1297
00:58:24,567 --> 00:58:26,733
That's the gospel
of Jesus Christ.

1298
00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:28,567
And then Jesus prays,
"Father, forgive them."

1299
00:58:28,633 --> 00:58:29,967
You know why?

1300
00:58:30,033 --> 00:58:31,967
You know why Jesus could even
forgive those

1301
00:58:32,033 --> 00:58:33,467
who were seeking his murder?

1302
00:58:33,533 --> 00:58:35,133
Because he was
paying their debt.

1303
00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:37,200
And then Jesus died,
and then Jesus rose,

1304
00:58:37,267 --> 00:58:41,933
and Jesus paid our debt, and
Jesus conquered sin and death.

1305
00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:44,267
And the question is
not, are you a thief?

1306
00:58:44,333 --> 00:58:46,700
The question is, are you
the thief who didn't turn

1307
00:58:46,767 --> 00:58:49,967
to Jesus or are you
the thief that turns to Jesus?

1308
00:58:50,033 --> 00:58:53,700
Are you the thief who has to pay
their own debt in hell or are

1309
00:58:53,767 --> 00:58:57,700
you the thief who has Jesus
pay your debt on the cross?

1310
00:58:59,800 --> 00:59:02,800
That being said, we're gonna
collect our tithes and offerings

1311
00:59:02,867 --> 00:59:06,100
and as we do, I want
you to see that this is

1312
00:59:06,167 --> 00:59:08,600
incredibly spiritual.

1313
00:59:08,667 --> 00:59:12,100
And as we do, I want to share
with you kind of how things

1314
00:59:12,167 --> 00:59:13,500
are going at Mars Hill.

1315
00:59:13,567 --> 00:59:15,000
We do a regular family update.

1316
00:59:15,067 --> 00:59:18,833
Here's the latest church family
update for this fall based upon

1317
00:59:18,900 --> 00:59:21,167
the data from September.

1318
00:59:21,233 --> 00:59:23,267
Here's our family, Mars Hill.

1319
00:59:23,333 --> 00:59:26,367
Between adults and kids, we're
knocking on the door last month

1320
00:59:26,433 --> 00:59:29,700
of about 12--just under
12,000 people a week.

1321
00:59:29,767 --> 00:59:33,333
Of all adults who attended,
about one in three gave anything

1322
00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:36,533
last month, that's about 34%.

1323
00:59:36,600 --> 00:59:39,933
For those of you who
are giving, thank you.

1324
00:59:40,000 --> 00:59:43,500
For those of you who are not,
I hope this sermon was helpful.

1325
00:59:43,567 --> 00:59:45,567
As far as stewardship goes,

1326
00:59:45,633 --> 00:59:50,300
we're averaging $37.46 per adult
per week.

1327
00:59:50,367 --> 00:59:53,800
How many of you are
appreciating the data?

1328
00:59:53,867 --> 00:59:56,700
How many of you in your company,
you look at the financials?

1329
00:59:56,767 --> 00:59:58,433
How many of you in your family,

1330
00:59:58,500 --> 01:00:00,267
you look at where
you're at financially?

1331
01:00:00,333 --> 01:00:01,667
That's what we do.

1332
01:00:01,733 --> 01:00:04,033
Our CFO, our CEO,
the external accountants

1333
01:00:04,100 --> 01:00:05,700
trying to get good data

1334
01:00:05,767 --> 01:00:08,900
so guys know where we're at
and we know where we're at too.

1335
01:00:08,967 --> 01:00:10,633
Our costs this month,
last month rather,

1336
01:00:10,700 --> 01:00:14,667
were $48.57 per adult
so that's a net loss

1337
01:00:14,733 --> 01:00:18,367
of $11.11 per adult per week.

1338
01:00:18,433 --> 01:00:20,533
Let me explain this.

1339
01:00:20,600 --> 01:00:23,667
This is actually good news, and
a lot more of this is explained

1340
01:00:23,733 --> 01:00:26,167
in the letter that you
received on the way in.

1341
01:00:26,233 --> 01:00:27,900
Please take that
and read that over,

1342
01:00:27,967 --> 01:00:30,033
and there should be more
helpful content there.

1343
01:00:30,100 --> 01:00:33,600
Here's the good news, up
until September this year,

1344
01:00:33,667 --> 01:00:36,033
we ran a small surplus.

1345
01:00:36,100 --> 01:00:37,733
So we weren't upside down.

1346
01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:39,800
We weren't way over.

1347
01:00:39,867 --> 01:00:42,067
We were a little
bit over insofar

1348
01:00:42,133 --> 01:00:44,400
as income versus expense.

1349
01:00:44,467 --> 01:00:46,233
You get that?

1350
01:00:46,300 --> 01:00:50,333
So what we decided to do in
September was take some of that

1351
01:00:50,400 --> 01:00:55,433
overage and to reinvest it, to
reinvest it so that more people

1352
01:00:55,500 --> 01:00:58,167
would meet Jesus, that more
people would worship Jesus

1353
01:00:58,233 --> 01:01:00,633
because we're looking for
good return on investment.

1354
01:01:00,700 --> 01:01:02,633
That's what stewards do.

1355
01:01:02,700 --> 01:01:05,833
So the reason that we spent more
than we brought in was because

1356
01:01:05,900 --> 01:01:08,667
we had some extra and then
we decided to spend it.

1357
01:01:08,733 --> 01:01:11,500
Do you get that?
You understand that?

1358
01:01:11,567 --> 01:01:13,667
Let me show you what
it was reinvested in.

1359
01:01:13,733 --> 01:01:16,100
I'll tell ya firstly,
internationally it was invested

1360
01:01:16,167 --> 01:01:18,667
in doubling the number of
church planners roughly

1361
01:01:18,733 --> 01:01:21,433
that we're supporting
in India and Ethiopia.

1362
01:01:21,500 --> 01:01:27,100
It also included some fund--some
support for church planting

1363
01:01:27,167 --> 01:01:30,633
in the U.S., so that's how
money was allocated.

1364
01:01:30,700 --> 01:01:34,400
And we reinvested some
back into Mars Hill Church.

1365
01:01:34,467 --> 01:01:36,300
So let me show
you what happened.

1366
01:01:36,367 --> 01:01:39,233
We opened up the core group
meeting for Mars Hill Phoenix.

1367
01:01:39,300 --> 01:01:40,800
This will be our next church.

1368
01:01:40,867 --> 01:01:42,800
And there's about
4 plus million people

1369
01:01:42,867 --> 01:01:46,733
in Phoenix.

1370
01:01:46,800 --> 01:01:49,767
We got this really cool--how
awesome looking is that?

1371
01:01:49,833 --> 01:01:53,833
Art gallery that we get to use
on Sundays for very low expense.

1372
01:01:53,900 --> 01:01:55,800
We sent Pastor Ryan down.

1373
01:01:55,867 --> 01:01:58,400
We started the gathering process
that will officially launch,

1374
01:01:58,467 --> 01:02:01,367
Lord willing,
January 12th, so be in prayer.

1375
01:02:01,433 --> 01:02:03,233
The first core group meeting

1376
01:02:03,300 --> 01:02:06,567
recently had
just under 400 people.

1377
01:02:06,633 --> 01:02:11,067
Okay, now we are
starting a church.

1378
01:02:11,133 --> 01:02:15,167
So think of it this way, okay,
I'll just use my family example.

1379
01:02:15,233 --> 01:02:17,833
My wife gets pregnant,
we got a kid coming.

1380
01:02:17,900 --> 01:02:19,833
We have got to go get ready,
right?

1381
01:02:19,900 --> 01:02:21,533
We have to go get the stuff.

1382
01:02:21,600 --> 01:02:23,267
Church planning is
like having a kid.

1383
01:02:23,333 --> 01:02:25,467
You're pregnant,
you have got to go get stuff.

1384
01:02:25,533 --> 01:02:27,633
You paid for the stuff.

1385
01:02:27,700 --> 01:02:30,333
You paid for the staff,
you paid for the chairs

1386
01:02:30,400 --> 01:02:31,800
and the sound system.

1387
01:02:31,867 --> 01:02:33,800
You paid for the rental
of the building

1388
01:02:33,867 --> 01:02:35,300
because this
wasn't a church yet.

1389
01:02:35,367 --> 01:02:36,700
There's nobody there.

1390
01:02:36,767 --> 01:02:39,200
We had to create something
and invite everyone to it.

1391
01:02:39,267 --> 01:02:41,700
So pray for them, roughly
400 people in the core.

1392
01:02:41,767 --> 01:02:44,500
I'm hoping we launch with
800 to 1,000 in January

1393
01:02:44,567 --> 01:02:47,033
on January 12th when we start
the Book of James.

1394
01:02:47,100 --> 01:02:49,633
In addition, we invested
in Mars Hill Tacoma.

1395
01:02:49,700 --> 01:02:51,367
They raised the remainder of
their money.

1396
01:02:51,433 --> 01:02:53,800
They've been meeting in
a school in Federal Way.

1397
01:02:53,867 --> 01:02:55,700
They are now our
fastest-growing church.

1398
01:02:55,767 --> 01:02:57,667
They're beating all
their attendance records.

1399
01:02:57,733 --> 01:02:59,200
They've completely
outgrown their space,

1400
01:02:59,267 --> 01:03:02,567
and they've got this really cool
old vintage awesome church

1401
01:03:02,633 --> 01:03:05,133
in Tacoma and they are
finishing renovations.

1402
01:03:05,200 --> 01:03:07,467
Our hope is to be
in January 12th,

1403
01:03:07,533 --> 01:03:10,567
and so we're finishing
the build out of that location.

1404
01:03:10,633 --> 01:03:13,700
It's actually less expensive
than the rental at the school.

1405
01:03:13,767 --> 01:03:16,567
And what you'll see is for the
buildings that we're purchasing,

1406
01:03:16,633 --> 01:03:19,467
what we're paying in rent
just to use it on Sunday,

1407
01:03:19,533 --> 01:03:22,867
it's actually cheaper for
us to buy and own property,

1408
01:03:22,933 --> 01:03:25,700
which is also a great investment
because we want to be

1409
01:03:25,767 --> 01:03:27,300
good stewards, right?

1410
01:03:27,367 --> 01:03:28,700
That's what we want.

1411
01:03:28,767 --> 01:03:31,200
We want to use every dollar,
every opportunity we have,

1412
01:03:31,267 --> 01:03:33,833
to get maximum return on
investment which means people

1413
01:03:33,900 --> 01:03:36,000
know, love, serve, meet Jesus.

1414
01:03:36,067 --> 01:03:38,733
So pray for Mars Hill Tacoma,
but we also reinvested

1415
01:03:38,800 --> 01:03:40,900
some of the money
in Mars Hill Everett.

1416
01:03:40,967 --> 01:03:42,633
I took the family
up there recently.

1417
01:03:42,700 --> 01:03:45,367
We got this cool, old armory,
40 plus thousand square feet

1418
01:03:45,433 --> 01:03:47,767
downtown right by
the Comcast Arena

1419
01:03:47,833 --> 01:03:49,333
central to everything.

1420
01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:51,467
We got it for
a really good deal.

1421
01:03:51,533 --> 01:03:53,533
The volunteers are
putting in tons of hours.

1422
01:03:53,600 --> 01:03:55,133
They're more than halfway to

1423
01:03:55,200 --> 01:03:57,467
their three-quarter million
dollar fundraising goal,

1424
01:03:57,533 --> 01:03:59,633
and we helped contribute
to that to get them

1425
01:03:59,700 --> 01:04:02,000
into the building,
Lord willing, for the 12th.

1426
01:04:02,067 --> 01:04:03,533
They have outgrown
their kid space.

1427
01:04:03,600 --> 01:04:04,933
They cannot grow anymore.

1428
01:04:05,000 --> 01:04:07,933
We got to get them into their
new home, and praise God,

1429
01:04:08,000 --> 01:04:09,433
you guys have made that happen.

1430
01:04:09,500 --> 01:04:10,833
I hope that feels good.

1431
01:04:10,900 --> 01:04:12,833
You're helping, helping,
helping, and we appreciate that.

1432
01:04:12,900 --> 01:04:15,567
Last couple, Mars Hill Olympia's
been setting up and tearing down

1433
01:04:15,633 --> 01:04:16,967
in a theater.

1434
01:04:17,033 --> 01:04:19,000
A church has become available
right downtown by

1435
01:04:19,067 --> 01:04:20,800
the Washington State Capitol,

1436
01:04:20,867 --> 01:04:22,833
easy access
from all of the freeways,

1437
01:04:22,900 --> 01:04:26,000
and we get to lease it for
a year and then purchase it.

1438
01:04:26,067 --> 01:04:29,400
That allows us to use the space
as we grow into the space

1439
01:04:29,467 --> 01:04:31,367
and raise the funds
for the space.

1440
01:04:31,433 --> 01:04:33,933
This too we hope to
open January 12th

1441
01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:35,433
with the start of James.

1442
01:04:35,500 --> 01:04:38,433
Gonna be a big week and we
praise God for what's happening

1443
01:04:38,500 --> 01:04:39,833
in Mars Hill Olympia.

1444
01:04:39,900 --> 01:04:42,033
Last couple things, coming up,
National Resurgence Conference

1445
01:04:42,100 --> 01:04:45,433
November 5th and 6th downtown
Seattle, Bellevue, Reno,

1446
01:04:45,500 --> 01:04:47,767
Orlando, Mars Hill Albuquerque.

1447
01:04:47,833 --> 01:04:50,433
We'd love to have you join us
if you're a leader

1448
01:04:50,500 --> 01:04:51,833
or aspire to leadership.

1449
01:04:51,900 --> 01:04:53,833
We've got Rick Warren,
Matt Chandler, Greg Laurie,

1450
01:04:53,900 --> 01:04:56,067
James MacDonald
and Crawford Loritts coming.

1451
01:04:56,133 --> 01:04:58,067
You could pray for that.

1452
01:04:58,133 --> 01:05:01,367
And then lastly, my new book
is out, "A Call To Resurgence,"

1453
01:05:01,433 --> 01:05:04,133
and I would encourage you
if you're at all interested in

1454
01:05:04,200 --> 01:05:07,333
reading it, it's my take on sort
of where culture and the church

1455
01:05:07,400 --> 01:05:08,733
is at and going.

1456
01:05:08,800 --> 01:05:10,467
Please buy it at
Mars Hill Church.

1457
01:05:10,533 --> 01:05:12,333
Anything you buy at
Mars Hill Church,

1458
01:05:12,400 --> 01:05:14,333
and it's been this
way since day one,

1459
01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:16,833
100% of all
the proceeds go to the church.

1460
01:05:16,900 --> 01:05:19,867
When our artists record albums,
if you buy it at Mars Hill,

1461
01:05:19,933 --> 01:05:21,500
it all goes to the church.

1462
01:05:21,567 --> 01:05:24,500
If myself or other leaders write
a book and you buy it

1463
01:05:24,567 --> 01:05:27,233
at Mars Hill Church, all
the proceeds go to the church.

1464
01:05:27,300 --> 01:05:29,967
We read the story where Jesus
put his hands in--or rather

1465
01:05:30,033 --> 01:05:33,233
Judas put his hands in Jesus'
till, don't want to do that.

1466
01:05:33,300 --> 01:05:34,867
Don't want to do that.

1467
01:05:34,933 --> 01:05:36,867
So if you buy something
at the church,

1468
01:05:36,933 --> 01:05:39,533
it all goes to the church
because we love the church.

1469
01:05:39,600 --> 01:05:40,933
Amen?

1470
01:05:41,000 --> 01:05:42,933
We want to be generous
toward the church.

1471
01:05:43,000 --> 01:05:44,667
That being said,
thank you, thank you,

1472
01:05:44,733 --> 01:05:46,667
thank you for investing
in Mars Hill Church.

1473
01:05:46,733 --> 01:05:48,067
God has poised us.

1474
01:05:48,133 --> 01:05:51,767
I believe next year we could
have, should have, Lord willing,

1475
01:05:51,833 --> 01:05:54,300
the biggest year we've ever had
with the most people

1476
01:05:54,367 --> 01:05:56,233
meeting Jesus in the history
of the church.

1477
01:05:56,300 --> 01:05:59,167
And so right now, we're opening
up more opportunities to invite

1478
01:05:59,233 --> 01:06:01,233
in more people, which
is a good thing,

1479
01:06:01,300 --> 01:06:04,233
and I want to thank you
for being a part of that.

1480
01:06:04,300 --> 01:06:06,900
Lord Jesus, thank you for an
opportunity to teach the Bible

1481
01:06:06,967 --> 01:06:08,300
today at Mars Hill Church.

1482
01:06:08,367 --> 01:06:10,400
Lord Jesus, help us
to invest our lives,

1483
01:06:10,467 --> 01:06:14,567
to invest all of our lives for
your glory and others' good.

1484
01:06:14,633 --> 01:06:18,067
Help us not just to love
ourselves but love our neighbor.

1485
01:06:18,133 --> 01:06:20,733
God, for those of us who
have restitution to pay,

1486
01:06:20,800 --> 01:06:23,467
I pray you would help
us to make restitution.

1487
01:06:23,533 --> 01:06:25,967
God, for those of us who
have been good stewards,

1488
01:06:26,033 --> 01:06:28,967
I pray you would help us to
teach others how to be

1489
01:06:29,033 --> 01:06:30,367
good stewards.

1490
01:06:30,433 --> 01:06:33,033
And Lord Jesus, we just are so
grateful that the debt

1491
01:06:33,100 --> 01:06:36,500
we could never pay,
you have paid.

1492
01:06:36,567 --> 01:06:39,000
You've paid our debt.

1493
01:06:39,067 --> 01:06:41,267
And Lord Jesus, when
it comes to our sin,

1494
01:06:41,333 --> 01:06:44,333
when it comes to our soul,
when it comes to our salvation,

1495
01:06:44,400 --> 01:06:46,467
debt paid in full.

1496
01:06:46,533 --> 01:06:48,300
Jesus, that's amazing.

1497
01:06:48,367 --> 01:06:51,267
We would celebrate right now
if someone paid off all of our

1498
01:06:51,333 --> 01:06:54,433
debts, and we're gonna celebrate
right now because you paid off

1499
01:06:54,500 --> 01:06:56,467
all of our spiritual debts.

1500
01:06:56,533 --> 01:06:58,000
Lord Jesus,
as we take Communion,

1501
01:06:58,067 --> 01:07:00,300
we remember your cross,
broken body, shed blood,

1502
01:07:00,367 --> 01:07:05,167
to pay our debt and as we sing,
we sing with gladness because we

1503
01:07:05,233 --> 01:07:08,833
are people who have had a debt
paid that we could never pay

1504
01:07:08,900 --> 01:07:10,533
and we thank you for
that, Lord Jesus.

1505
01:07:10,600 --> 01:07:11,933
Amen.

1506
01:07:13,600 --> 01:07:16,533
Each year, over 10 million
Mars Hill church sermons

1507
01:07:16,600 --> 01:07:19,633
are downloaded
worldwide for free.

1508
01:07:19,700 --> 01:07:22,233
This ministry is generously supported

1509
01:07:22,300 --> 01:07:24,867
by Mars Hill church members
and listeners like you.

1510
01:07:24,933 --> 01:07:28,433
If you'd like to support our efforts
to preach Jesus to the world,

1511
01:07:28,500 --> 01:07:31,433
Please consider making
a tax-deductible donation

1512
01:07:31,500 --> 01:07:34,333
by visiting marshill.com/give.