Welcome to the Revolution

The Giving and Getting Paradox

What has God been doing…?

We wanted to bless him…

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

Spiritual Law: What you give

Determines what you receive

Put Another Way: Holding tightly

Always robs myself

Of the very thingGod wants to give me

We know this

"You'll only get out of itWhat you put into it"

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give,

and only suffers want- Proverbs 11:24

Today...the "What"Next week...the "Why"

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

The Giving and Getting Paradox

(We don't give to get…But because Jesus is worth it)

Abraham has a promise"Father of a nation"

Abraham has a promise"Father of a nation"

Why not rest?

Abraham has a promise"Father of a nation"

Why not rest?Abraham has to give

His Culture, Time, Energy, Trust

His son(Because Isaac isn't his…)

Greatest needInvolves investing himself first

Abraham has to giveTo receive

Israelites had to give up a lambTo gain Freedom

What you giveDetermines what you receive

(And you don't receiveUntil you're willing to give)

God gave his Son to Win us back to himself

Our Faith is a Paradox

What I giveDetermines what I get?

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross

and follow me"

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake

will find it"- Jesus, Matt. 16:24-25

Jesus is saying…"I have come that you might have

life…to the full!"

Great- how do I get it?

"Give up your life and die"

Spiritual Law: What you give

Determines what you receive

…forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you

- Luke 6:37-38

How do I walk in daily forgiveness?Forgive

How do I receive grace? Give grace

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever

would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not

to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many

- Matthew 20:27-28

Give up being served to be the greatest

The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be

humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

- Matthew 23:11-12

Give up pride to be great

Spiritual Law: What you give

Determines what you receive

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good

- 1 Cor. 12:4-7

Spiritual Gifts don't get activatedUntil they are used for

God's People

…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your mind and with all your strength….You shall love your

neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment

greater than these”- Jesus, Luke 12:30-31

What's Missing…?

Why?

You don't need to learnto love you…

You need to learnto love others

like you already love yourself

Do you know people

Who focus on themselves all the time?

Do you know people

Who focus on themselves all the time?

Have they gotten better?Why not?

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

Spiritual Law: What you give

Determines what you receive

Abandoned- mother didn't want her

Abandoned- mother didn't want her

Birth certificate said UNNAMEDBirth number was 2508 of 1966

Social work report said UNWANTED

Sexually abused for 12 years Multiple times per week by 4 men

If anyone needs to focus on herselfChristine Caine does

Today- Rescuing thousands of sex slaves

Most impactful speaker I saw

Had she focused inwardly…

- Self-destructive- Bitter

- Unable to heal

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

Her Greatest need: Healing

Give up: Right to bitternessRight to unforgiveness

Right to victimhood

When we connect our area of pain to a need

Jesus wants to meet in othersWe find healing for ourselves

Spiritual Law: What you give

Determines what you receive

She gave herself to JesusAnd she's given herself to the work

He has for her

Raped…

"My baby was what healed me…As I tended to him, forgiveness replaced

bitterness. Prayer replaced cursing"

…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it

dies, it bears much fruit- Jesus, John 12:24

Self, past, present, futureDreams, desires, plans

Your greatest needs are never met by seeking to have your needs met

But by investing yourself in God-given opportunities as God leads

My son weighed the decision…

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they

for so many?”- John 6:9

5+2=?

5+2=?

Unless…it is given away

5+2= 5000 r12

What does this mean for you?

- Time- Attention

- Money- Mission

We do it because he is worth itWhat we get back is so much more

What you giveDetermines what you receive

The greatest hindrance to receiving God's blessings…

is me

Where is God

Pressing on you, right now?

What does this mean for us?

Mission vs. Therapeutic/Consumer Church

What does this mean for us?

Mission vs. Therapeutic/Consumer Church

We are known as a healing church

Therapeutic/Consumer Church

Me-focus - Short commitment

- Shopping - Burned out professionals

- Lost generation (great commission)

Christ's Mission Church

- Christ's' outward focus= our own needs met

- Commitment = maturity- Seeking value replaced by joy, purpose

- All meet each others' needs - People introduced to new life in Christ

What has God done In your life already?

What more could he do through you?

Craig Groeschel…

Craig Groeschel…

Even greater when theyAre able to minister to others one day

In Christ, your deepest woundsBecome your greatest ministry

Am I involved in servingInstead of looking to be served?

Where does God want to use me?

Layman:

Mission outside these wallsMission of these walls