Regaining Lost Ground

Pastor Shane Idleman: Whatever you sow, you're going to reap. So, we see that in this area of giving as well. And then Matthew, so when you give to the needy, Matthew 6:2, so when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have their reward in full.

So now we have a picture of here somebody who's going to give, but they want everyone to know they're going to give. And they post on Facebook, they'll have it come up in the conversation, do you know what I did this week? And they'll announce it, they'll tell people, but God says you've got your reward, there you go.

Announcer: Thank you for joining us here at Westside Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, one hour north of Los Angeles. Today's message on regaining lost ground is titled "Cirrhosis of the Giver" and is part three in the sermon series, "The Bible Doesn't Say That."

In today's message, Pastor Shane cuts through the common misconceptions that many postulate surrounding tithes and giving as a believer, a clarifying encouragement to give as much unto the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads, and a strong reminder that everything not done from faith is sin.

You can hear the whole message at Pastor Shane's YouTube and Rumble channels. Make sure to subscribe today. For more information, visit us online at westsidechristianfellowship.org. We also encourage you to hear more truth from Pastor Shane with the Idleman Unplugged weekly podcast. And now from Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here's Pastor Shane Idleman.

Pastor Shane Idleman: Cirrhosis of the giver. I heard Tony Evans mention that this week on the Westside Christian Radio Network. And I said, I'm taking that title. Cirrhosis of the giver. Many of you know what cirrhosis is, it's cirrhosis of the liver.

And through a disease, through alcoholism, it's really an inflammatory disease, the liver begins to deal with the toxic elements of disease or junk food, alcohol, different things. And it begins to build up calluses, cirrhosis on the liver and it can't function. They don't think there's very many cures for it. However, I read yesterday that Science Daily says they have a whole article on how fasting helps fights fatty liver disease.

There you go. Fasting. And I read in the Bible how giving helps fight stingy giver disease.

And it's an interesting topic because I don't know how many of you are aware, but in the 1950s, 60s, pastors were viewed up there as people have a high view of that role of a pastor. Now it's about 30% where where it's down there with used car salesmen. Not against used car salesmen or or attorneys, I know both of them, that group comes to this church.

But we're down there in that camp because of financial mismanagement, because of the scandals that you read about in the newspaper and and what breaks my heart is you do see scandals in the news, but you don't see the thousands and thousands of other faithful people. And they try to blanket everyone under that umbrella, and money is an interesting topic. You have to handle it like you handle explosives in the church. Very carefully.

It's an area where there has to be accountability and we need to talk about it because it's a wonderful servant, but it's a terrible master. It's a wonderful servant. I would encourage you to utilize it, to earn it, to save it, to use it to your advantage, to God, to further God's kingdom, but it's a terrible master when it begins to master you.

And the reason I'm talking about it is we are in the series, the Bible doesn't say that. There's a big movement out there, you know, name it and claim it, the prosperity gospel. If you just believe it, you'll receive it. God wants you to be wealthy. Wealth is a sign of a mature believer. The hard part is that gospel isn't going to fly in the majority of of the world in third-world countries and where Christians are persecuted.

And what they'll do is they'll take a truth, and I believe without I can show you Deuteronomy, 28 a whole chapter on God will bless, bless people and he often blesses them financially. And poverty can be a curse. It can be, God will begin to take and it can be a curse, but it's not always the case. You can't just take a scripture and say, see here, God always wants to prosper you. You should be that, we should all live on court sale mountain.

And in gated communities, and drive expensive cars and have lots of money. And actually money keeps people from heaven. It's hard for the rich man to enter heaven. It's a very hard balancing act because you can't serve both God and mammon. If you're serving money, you're not serving God. You can't serve both of those masters.

And it's a good reminder too, we sang I heard a song this morning, Jesus, you don't owe me anything. I just want all of you. God doesn't owe us anything. And if we look at this, really everything we have is whose? God. So it's really about stewardship. How we steward the things that are given to us. Now, I'm going to look directly at God's word this morning. Hope that's okay with you.

And because also under this title of the Bible doesn't say that, many people believe, or they say give to get, give to get. And that's a wrong position of our heart. Okay, Lord, I'm giving this and you better give back. And I I've been in events, I don't go to them anymore as much, but people just talk about, come on, I know there's a hundred of you can give a thousand dollars today. I know God sow that thousand dollar seed and you will receive 10,000 back this year. Sow that seed.

Come on, who's going to who's with me? Raise your hand if you can give a thousand today. I know God's going to sow. And you start giving to get. And it really skews your your view of God and of giving. And giving must come from a cheerful heart, not really expecting anything in return. And it's hard because sometimes when we give, when we give, we expect, come on God, you know, it's a struggle of the flesh there. You're expecting something in return.

So, I'm going to use actually this morning the NIV. I'm going to get emails just on that version right there. And if you're interested, I do have an hour-long message, "How We Got Our Bible" on our website if you search for it, "How We Got Our Bible." I spent an hour on the different translations, NIV, ESV, New American Standard, New King James, the King James, dynamic equivalence versus formal equivalence, Texas receptus versus the received text and all the the different things that that people want to debate. But you can watch that, it's an hour long, gives you an idea. You will not be led astray by reading certain Bibles that are that are good Bibles. They're just different from different schools of text. But I prefer the New King James or the New American Standard as being a little bit more literal, but that's a whole different topic.

So anyway, Second Corinthians, let's just put some scriptures on the board. Cirrhosis of the giver, how can we prevent that? And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. So this needs to be something that we remember too, God can bless us. God wants, I believe God wants to bless his children.

But we automatically equate a big bank account to a blessing. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a smooth-running home, healthy children, washers and dryers that work, house that's not falling apart, get a car paid off and enjoy the other one, and just the blessings of God, the fruitfulness, the abundant life. It doesn't have to be a million dollars in the bank account.

This is a topic that's going to hit all areas because we have people here that attend here that are on assisted living, food stamps and different things, and there's other people I know that are millionaires. So where do you find that balance? It's all a condition of the heart. See, we put monetary value. Okay, God's going to bless me, that means by this year, I'm hoping to have 100,000, 500,000, a million in that bank account so I can retire.

Listen, I know people with a lot of money who are miserable. Actor after actor, after actress, actress, political figures, they're empty. They've got what the world would say is incredible and as much as I love people, let's say like Michael Jordan or different things, sports figures. If you look at interviews, later in life, they are not very happy because they've been in that position. It's idolatry in some forms if we're not careful.

And they have this view of life and you have to be careful because it's not about, we put the amount on things, God looks at the heart. God will bless us. Did he bless the children of Israel walking through the wilderness? Their shoes did not wear out, there was food from heaven, there was quail, meat when they desired it, there was water out of he protected them. Were they all millionaires? Or was his blessing enough abundantly? So I believe that God will bless his people.

Don't let the prosperity gospel rob you of that. I believe in the blessings of God and God will bless his people.

But first we have to look at what the Bible says about blessing. A blessing, the fruit of the womb is a blessing. Where we live in a nation where they want 1.7 children. That's not possible. You have, I I think the thing that shocks me the most having another child is so many people go, five. Craig's got 11, and Jennifer, why don't you, look at five. And they look at me like, five? How how do you do it? What are you thinking? You've lost your mind.

If you look at it as a blessing from the Lord and what God wants. We've shifted from 10, 8, 9, 10, 11 children or six or whatever, we've shifted from that 50, 60 years ago to now two because it's comfortable. It's convenient. Selfishness is ruling that decision, not any other motive, I believe. Well, let's have our two so we can get on with our life. I hear that more than anything.

And it does break my heart. I know people are saying, who doesn't enjoy a good good vacation while the kids are the babysitter? I got it. I'm with you. But a blessing from the Lord. And those who aren't able to bear children right yet, it's not a curse. It's not always a curse. People think that. It's not, it can be in the Old Testament, but it's not often, sometimes it's it's for a person might not be able to have a child, it's it's drawing them to the Lord, for somebody else they're struggling with cancer, it's drawing them to the Lord, for someone else they're struggling with mental challenges, they're forcing them to the Lord. We all have struggles in different areas, so do not beat yourself up in that area.

Blessings, we also read from Deuteronomy, God will give you crops and livestock. Well, that doesn't apply to many of us. But what is crops? Bumper harvest. You would plant seeds and God would bring the rain and give you abundance. The things that God would touch what you're doing, he would bless the work of your hands. You'll be blessed coming in and going out. Your barns will be be blessed. Everything you put your hand to will prosper.

See, that's really a blessing. Have you ever went in anything and it just falls apart? You go somewhere and it just falls apart like, is God calling me to do anything? I can't seem to have anything work. Everything's breaking down, everything's falling apart. Nothing is working. God, what's working? Lord, nothing's working. Well, part of God's blessing is everything you put your hand on, what you touch. As you wait on God, he will begin to open those doors because that's a man or woman who's correctly stewarding what he's already gave you.

And I've noticed, if you want more, steward what God has already given you. Faithful in the big things, then he'll give you more. What's the Bible say? Faithful in the little things and God will give you more. And he'll add to those of those who he can trust. And I did say this earlier, and I want to be careful because it's not always true, but in in the course of scripture, I could show you in the Old Testament and the New Testament that poverty can be a result of disobedience.

Poverty can be a cause of disobedience. And I would say a lot of people in our nation who are impoverished, many of them that poverty is self-created, self-inflicted. Not all of it. Got it? Not all of it. He said if I'm poor, I'm cursed. No, I didn't. Not at all. You could be tremendously blessed. But we can't rule out the fact that God will often remove things to get our attention.

And I remember there's been seasons where you say, I I can never get ahead. Everything is breaking. I know people who make at least double of someone else, and but the person who makes a lot less is blessed and and no financial issues and life is. But this other person has so much, everything, because it's not what you make, it's what you spend. It's how we steward the money that God has given us.

And God is able to bless us, but there is a contingency. Okay, realtors in the audience, lenders, you know what this is? Contingent. When you make an offer on a house, it's usually contingent upon your loan, the buyer's loan going through, or it's contingent upon the inspections, make sure a lot of little termites aren't eating the house. So I will offer, but it's contingent upon these things. God says, I will bless you, but there are contingencies.

Seek me with all of your heart. Follow me. Remove the idols. Put me first. Give back to me as I've given to you. There's there's always a season there of testing. And I love Proverbs 11:25, a generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. It's like what Jesus said, it's better to give things than to receive.

As a fellow believer, I know this is a struggle. Because things start going to appear, well, how are we going to make this payment? How's I I don't see how this is going to work. I've got to save, I've got to and we start to, we start to kind of second guess things. I'm going to get to this in a minute hopefully to help you out.

But on your notes, if you received one of these, hopefully you did, there's something there that says God thoughts and a line. Do you see that? God thoughts in a line. And I was going through this message, I thought this week, you know what, God might speak to some of you in these areas on these points. So if there's something there that really stands out, write that down. I believe God is going to steer some of you in the right direction, maybe get you back on track.

So if if if you feel something like, yes, I need to start giving, maybe not financially, but I need to start giving of myself more abundantly. I need to be more available. I need to stop being so stingy. Write that down and note it and pray over it this month. I've never done that in sermons in a long time, but I felt this week that that in this area, it's good to isolate this money issue. And here's why it's so important.

Money is up there in the eyes of most people, even though it's not even close, it's on the same radar, but it's like money becomes their God. It can buy me comfort, convenience, I can get more. So throughout the Bible, money is the big thing that is competing often with God. I could preach a whole sermon on this, I won't. But I've seen so many believers struggling financially, as soon as they make it, that good job in Air Force or wherever it is, six figures, or doing great, guess what, guess where God goes as they're pursuing these things.

And I talk to young men, great jobs, making great money, six figures. And I'm like, Shane, man, I have time let me just I got to do this for 10 years, put some in retirement. Then I'll then I'll get to my kids. And your marriage, you know, by then it'll be too late. You see how it competes? It'll draw us away. That's why Jesus said, you cannot serve both God and the God of this world. You cannot serve both God and mammon, which is sustenance, money, things. One of those things has to go.

And it's a struggling match. You know, there's something inside of I've not mastered this. It's something where you you get back on track and say, God, it's all yours anyway. And maybe this came to my mind now three times, I'm trying to save it, but I guess I'll just let you know now. What we've done in our past, I've shared it before, but some of you haven't heard this. When we first got married, we decided that and I'm going to talk about the tithe in a minute, don't worry, I'm getting there.

We decided to give 10% of the whatever the gross is, not the net after taxes, the gross. So it's the second highest bill we pay after our house payment. We started that before we even had a home. So then we started to build our life around that concept, God, this is this is yours. And when we went to purchase a home, I remember the lender said, oh, you don't have to worry about that. That's not a bill. You can qualify for this home.

Oh no, no, we can't make it. Oh, that's not a bill. The bank doesn't look at that. Tithing, giving, that's not a bill. You guys can, look what you could buy. You know, all these homes on the West side, 4,000 square feet with the pool, back when the market was really good. You know, 2008 or nine or so after the crash. That's when you buy, by the way, in case you're wondering. Watch the market. Anyway, so we but our whole life was built around that.

So it's more than a car payment or two. It's what we give first to God. So it has to hurt a little bit. Now, that's not a rule for everyone. Whatever God has purpose in your heart to give as a cheerful giver. But if it doesn't cost me anything, it doesn't mean much to God. So we said as our first primary bill, it's it's back to God as a family. And so our life has been able to build around that area.

Most people live above their means. Amen. What are we going to do this month? Barely get, we got to scramble, we got to do that, and we live above our means instead of below our means. And I'm going to talk about this in a little bit if you have thoughts on tithing because tithing, as you know, if you if you study the Bible, it's not a New Testament command, but I'm going to get to that in a minute.

Let's read Luke now, give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. So see, it's this image of giving. As we give, it will be given to us. And don't just think, oh here's 100, think of here's my time. Those of you who go, there's many here that go to the hospital homes and you serve there or you serve around the community, or you give to others, it's this whole area of giving, giving resources. People have given cars away, given possessions and it will be given back to you.

Or give of your time, give of your resources. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. In other words, God will bless you abundantly and pour things back into your lap. And the New Testament model, I believe, and of course in the Old Testament, God, it's like, God gives and then what you do with that, if you if you steward it well and you give others, God gives you some more. And then you steward it well and you you give to others, and God gives you some more. And then you steward it well, and God begin see I can trust you. I can trust you with my resources.

Had I just dumped everything on you at once, it might destroy you. But other people, God sees they're going to be stingy. They get it and they hold it and that that's all they're going to get. Because God blesses a giving heart. And we we get thought we get our mind set on dollar signs and how much. God doesn't look at the amount, he can he can create a billion dollars like that. He looks at where our heart's at.

How I would sum up this whole message is, does money have a hold on you? Is it your God? Is it idolatry? Are you working for it and hoarding it and saving it and it's all about holding something that's not really yours? Or is it about stewarding, Lord, what do you want me to do with this money? And people to make excuses, at least I did for many years in my 20s. Well, they just want me to sell my house, give them everything and go live out in the desert.

No, I believe God wants you to take care of your family, to have a home, to provide for them, but within a certain amount of means. To to be able to also in that freedom to be able to give. And we also see here the principle of reaping and sowing, for what measure you use, it will be measured to you. This is the principle of reaping and sowing. You can trust God in this area. Whatever you sow, it's you know how farmers used to sow seeds in the ground, they still do, we just don't see it as much. Whatever you sow, you're going to reap. So, we see that in this area of giving as well.

And then Matthew, so when you give to the needy, Matthew 6:2, so when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have their reward in full. So now we have a picture of here somebody who's going to give, but they want everyone to know they're going to give.

You did? And they'll announce it, they'll tell people, but God says you've got your reward, there you go. Because the flesh loves self-promotion. The praises of other men is your reward. But I want to point out something here because sometimes rewards get a bad name in the Bible. People think, people say, well, you shouldn't do it for reward. But Jesus says, you there's rewards.

I think if your heart's right, there's nothing wrong with saying, I look forward to rewards from Christ, whether you throw that all back down to his feet or whatever it is. There's something that the Bible wants us to know about receiving our reward. I tell you, they have received their reward. So we see indications throughout the New Testament that you will be rewarded. But you don't do it just because of reward. The reward is a byproduct of an obedient heart.

I have something in my home we do sometimes, it's called the vegetable reward. See in the refrigerator, when all these vegetables are gone, kids, in the next four or five days, you'll each get $5 and I'll take you to get a treat. When all these are gone, team effort. That's a reward. See, I think we all realize that no one has pure perfect motives.

If you do things perfectly and purely, your heart is so right, let me know after the service. I would love to interview you. So there's there's a reward that God throws out there and says, listen, you will be rewarded for what you do. And then it keeps going in Matthew, but when you give to the needy, do not know do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you open.

It's this attitude that gives, it's unannounced. They're sensitive to what God is doing and God begins to open doors for them. Many people you don't know that you look at them and go, wow, they're so blessed. You don't realize how much of a giver they are. You don't see the giving. That's why we have to be very careful, very careful and not be too judgmental if we don't know what's going on.

There's a best-selling author, pastor of a large church, I won't say his name. Books sales, different things. He gives back 90% and lives off the 10%. The irony is all these people that like to throw jab shots at him, never mention that. I don't know any false prophets that are going to do that. So we have to be careful in this area when God begins to bless.

So again, remember your God thoughts, is God speaking to you in any area this morning on this topic. I'm not going to keep mentioning that, I just want to give you that last time. And then Matthew 10:8, heal the sick, raise the dead, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons, freely you have received, freely give. See a stingy Christian is an oxymoron. Have you ever heard that? Well, he's a good stingy Christian. So it's this idea, we of all people, we of all people should be the most giving. Look what Christ gave us.

Announcer: You've been listening to Regaining Lost Ground with Pastor Shane Idleman. You can find more information at westsidechristianfellowship.org. That's westsidechristianfellowship.org. And for all the latest on what God is doing with his ministry here, please be sure to follow us on most social media platforms. Westside Christian Fellowship is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. Thank you again for listening to today's message of Regaining Lost Ground, where we are reminded daily. Times change, truth does not.