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LIVING in the Light of the Gospel

LIVING in the Light of the Gospel. Big Idea  If we are going to live for Christ, the Gospel must function as the central core that informs and fuels every area of our lives. The Centrality of the Gospel. The Centrality of the Gospel.

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LIVING in the Light of the Gospel

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  1. LIVING in the Light of the Gospel Big Idea If we are going to live for Christ, the Gospel must function as the central core that informs and fuels every area of our lives.

  2. The Centrality of the Gospel

  3. The Centrality of the Gospel How does the Gospel impact how we deal with money & possessions?

  4. The Bible & Possessions • Twice as many verses (around 2,350) about money than there are for faith & prayer combined • Jesus said more about money than about heaven & hell • 15% of Jesus’ recorded words are devoted to this subject Jesus knows that our use of money is symptomatic of the infection that lies within…

  5. The Bible & Possessions Zacchaeus – “I will give half my money to the poor & pay back fourfold those I have cheated.” • Jesus did NOT just say “good idea if you feel like it, but that is a bit extreme Zach” • Jesus DID say – “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9)

  6. The Bible & Possessions Rich Young Ruler – “I am a decent, hard-working, morally upright, young professional. What else do I need to do to get into heaven?” • Jesus did NOTsay “Just believe…you don’t have to do anything else.” • Jesus DIDsay “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22)

  7. The Bible & Possessions “If Christ is not Lord over our money and possessions, then he is not our Lord. Just as Jesus gauged Zacchaeus’s true spiritual condition by his willingness to part with his money, so he gauged the rich young ruler’s true spiritual condition by his unwillingness to part with his money. Jesus sees our hearts and souls and he knows us just as well as he knew those two men. He will call us to take action that breaks our bondage to money and possessions and frees us to live under his exclusive lordship.” -Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions, and Eternity

  8. The Bible & Possessions John the Baptist – “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” • Luke 3:10-1410 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

  9. What would you say? Appointment #1 – Poor 80 year old woman

  10. What would you say? Appointment #2 – Successful middle-aged farmer

  11. What did Jesus say? Mark 12:41-4441 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

  12. What did Jesus say? Luke 12:16-2116 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’  18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

  13. Why is our view of money so important? Luke 12:32-3432 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

  14. Why is our view of money so important? “Much financial counsel, from secular and sometimes Christian sources, serves the same purpose as instruction on how to maneuver a canoe heading toward a waterfall. It’s not only important to know how to get the canoe down the river, it’s also essential to know where the river is taking you. Before we learn the fine art of building a sturdy boat or the skill of staying in the boat as we head down the rapids, we should make certain that our desired destination is really downstream rather than upstream.

  15. Why is our view of money so important? Because if it’s upstream, we would do better to get off the river altogether, forget the boat, and plot our course by land. It may be a harder trip, but isn’t the whole point to arrive at the correct destination? I believe that most of the financial matters we typically discuss are on the fringes of what’s important, light years away from the core of the issue.” -Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions, and Eternity

  16. The real questions that face us… Do we believe Jesus really loves us? • Mark 10:2121Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Do we believe Jesus really knows what He is talking about? • Mark 10:2222 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

  17. Shouldn’t we just let the Gospel change people? 2 Corinthians 8:8-98 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

  18. The Bible Strong & Clear Message • We must live & give more generously because heaven is our true home. • Would you outfit a hotel room in Seattle that you were staying in for 3 months, if your home was actually in Manhattan? • We must live & give more generously because it reveals & transforms our hearts. • Challenges in sacrificially generosity for the Gospel give us greater chance to know God & greater chance to apply the Gospel to our lives.

  19. The Bible Strong & Clear Message • We must live & give more generously because we are God’s conduit for blessing others. • 2 Cor. 9:11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. • We must live & give more generously because of the dire physical & spiritual needs around us. • We must live more simply so that others may simply live!

  20. Won’t we be different…weird? OF COURSE!!!!

  21. For Further Study… • Pick up the chapter on the program table • Buy the book for $10 at the resource table • Sign up for the Kingdom Stewardship class

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