Life.Church with Craig Groeschel - Exponential, Part 3: Exponential Reward

Episode Date: March 25, 2018

When you make a choice, its effects ripple further than you can see. When you plant a seed and nourish it, it can grow beyond your wildest expectations. And when you add to the work God is doing, He can multiply it into something Exponential. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, Life Church, before we dive into this week's message, I'm wondering if anybody is ready for some really good news. Let me ask that. Anybody ready for some good news? Anybody ready for some good news? I have really good news for you today in the Tulsa Metro area. We're actually launching the 7th Life Church location in the Tulsa area. It is the 28th for all of our churches launching today. Welcome in Catusa, Oklahoma.

We're thrilled. to have you guys and pray that every one of you feel absolutely at home. Next weekend is Easter weekend, and guess what? On that weekend, there's another live church being born. This one will be in Omaha, Nebraska launching next weekend. If you know somebody in Omaha, please tell them, invite them to come, and I can't wait to share a message with you next week. We're starting a message series called How Sweet the Sound.

Today for Part 3 of Exponential, I want to introduce to you the guy who's actually my pastor. Technically, I'm his boss, but I'm at his campus, and I honor him as my pastor. A fantastic husband to his wife, an amazing dad, to his boys. He is a great man of God, a fantastic communicator. I'm honored to be under his leadership at my campus. Could you please help me welcome today? Pastor Chris, Beall. What's up, Life Church?

It is so good to be with you today. As Craig said, I'm Chris Beal. I'm the pastor here at Life Church, Oklahoma City. And just to be honest, Craig Groshell calling you his pastor makes me want to vomit. He's Craig Groschell. It's kind of like Nelson Mandela saying, hey, Chris, good job on your humanitarian efforts. It feels like a little humbling. I got to tell you, the opening question of today's message.

came to me two weeks ago in a dream. I literally dreamt about how to start this message. So I'm just going to pay attention and say that's from God. So the question that I dreamt asking you was this, what if you knew then what you know now? Think about that for a minute. What if you knew then what you know now? When is then? Whenever now's wisdom would have really come in handy back then. You know what we all have those moments. Like, think about 1980. Wouldn't it be helpful? Knowing what we know now that this little upstart tech company in Silicon Valley, Apple computers, I believe it's called, wouldn't it be nice to have known what we know now then? $5,000 investment is $2 million today. Oh, if we only knew then what we know now. How about this? Would you eat differently if you knew then what

like what your cardiologist is telling you today, maybe chicken fried steak and Mountain Dew wouldn't not have been part of the fight food groups for you, right? If we had today's wisdom, then we would have chosen differently. Would anybody go back, like when you look at like pictures today knowing what you know now, would anyone go back and change a hairstyle at any part of your past? My sophomore year of high school, this was the look for Chris Beale. Flat top, like military flat top on top, mullet in the back, it gets better,

that my mother permed once a month. It was a South Texas thing. So mullet, permed mullet, pink t-shirt, white blazer going into high school with the sleeves rolled up. What am I watching? Miami Vice. Oh, if we only knew then what we know now.

You know, what did they say? hindsight is 20-20, don't they? But you're going to see a story that Jesus tells today in Scripture. You and I have the miracle of God's Word. And what you're going to see is that with God's Word, the future is just as clear as the past. In week one of this series, Craig made a comment. As we wrap up exponential, he started with this thought. Most of the reason why so many of us missed this exceedingly abundantly more, this exponential

life is because we just think too small. We think addition, God thinks, multiplication. I want you to write down an additional thought to why so many of us miss the exponential life God has for us. It's this. Write this down. It's because we are consumed by the temporary, rather than focused on the eternal. That's why. We are so caught up with the things of this world that we are missing the stuff that matters in heaven. And so Paul spoke to this to the church in Colossi in Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 and 2. Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts where? On things above. Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. And so there's a story, we call it a parable, that Jesus told

that illustrates why an eternal focus is absolutely critical for you experiencing the life that God created you to live. It's found in Matthew 25. It's not in your notes because it's one of the longest stories in the New Testament. And so for your sake, I'm going to paraphrase, and then we're going to look at a few key thoughts in the parable of the talents. The story goes, the master is about to leave on a journey. He calls three of his servants together, and he gives them his,

property. To one, he entrust five talents, to one he entrust two, to another he entrust one. And you might ask, what's a talent? Well, the Greek word for talent is the same word that we derive our English word talent, gifts, skills, abilities, right? It's also, though, the Egyptian form of currency at this time. So is it gifts, talents, abilities, time, resources, money? The answer is yes, it's everything the master entrusted us. And so he gave to each according to their ability, then he left. After a while, he comes back to settle accounts with him. And the one who got five, the one he got the most talents, said, Master, I doubled it. You gave me five, I got five more. And the master's overjoyed. Well done. So proud of you. High five, chest bump. You did great.

He said, you were faithful with a little. Now I'm going to give you more. enter into the joy of your master. The one who had two exact same conversation. I'm so proud of you. Enter into the joy of your master. But the one who only got one, this is where the story changes. The Bible says,

and the story Jesus was telling, that it was out of fear that he did nothing with it. He didn't invest it. He didn't try to increase it. He just hit it. And when the master came, he gave back what belonged to the master.

And listen to the past. powerful language that the master responds to the one who got one. You wicked and lazy servant. Now, just feel that for a moment, because that's weighty. This is how much stewardship matters to God. And he took the one talent and he gave it to the one who had ten. Now, the biggest aha for me in this parable doesn't actually happen in the parable. The biggest aha for me is the reason for which Jesus said he was telling the story to begin with. So many of you have heard this story at some part of your life, but you might not be really aware of why Jesus told it. And it happens in verse one of Matthew 25. Jesus says this, and the kingdom of heaven will be like dot, dot, dot, dot, and then tells the parable of the talents.

Remember the question we started out with, what if we only knew then what we know now? What is Jesus doing? He is giving. He is giving. giving you insider information about how your life on earth exponentially impacts eternity. He's giving you the blueprint to how the economy of heaven works. So we have to pay attention to a couple of key ideas in the story that Jesus is telling. I want you to take a couple of notes down on a few of these thoughts. how do we live with an eternal focus based on this story that Jesus told. First thing, we have to understand and accept this. Write this down. God owns everything. Write that down. God

owns everything. I've worked so hard for this. I've earned this. I've saved for this. I deserve this. And yet, in verse 14, the Bible says, for it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them whose property? His. It was always the property of the master, even when it was in the servant's hands. God owns everything. And this mindset is more important to your life than most of you realize. because God created you to be like him.

He created you to be open-handed, to be givers, to be generous with everything that he has entrusted to you. Here's the problem. If you actually buy the lie that what you have is yours to own, it is nearly impossible to let it go because you've worked so hard for it. And you're the only one that made it happen because that's what you think. But the moment you say, wait a second, everything belongs to God and I'm a steward, not an owner, then living a life of openheadedness is crazy easy because none of it's mine. And I believe this is the reason, not a reason. I think this is the reason that God calls us to honor him with the tithe, the first 10% of our income. Why? Because it forces you to change the way you think. I want you to write one thought down about the tithe.

This is really, really, for some of you, this will be your aha takeaway today. The tithe is a declaration of God's ownership. The tithe, every time you honor God with the first, you are declaring his ownership. Leviticus 2730, one-tenth, the tithe, the maasur in Hebrew, of the produce of the land where the grain from the field or fruit from the tree, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart as holy to him. Every time we get paid, we have the opportunity to remind ourselves, God, everything that I have is yours, and I honor you with it. I have struggled with this the better part of my life. I've struggled with possessiveness of my time. I've struggled with materialistic, just

you know, just that stuff of loving stuff and finding joy in things. And years ago, Cindy and I prayed for God to give us a vision, a family mission statement for our family. What does it mean to be a Beal? And God gave us a verse in scripture that is in a painting over our fireplace that defines for however long we're going to be here, five, six, seven generations, this is what it means to be Abil. Romans 1136, for from him, to him, and for him, are all things. And those first few words have changed us. For from him comes everything. And that, it's changed our family. Like I look at my wife, who's one of the most generous people I know with her time. Why? Because she doesn't believe she owns her time. She believes that time is a gift

from God for her to steward. And so she pours into women and hurting people. Our story, what God has done in our marriage. That story is not ours to keep. It is God's story of redemption for ours to steward. Everything is God's for us to steward. And this idea was put to the test a little over four years ago. we were in our home in the middle of the night sleeping and a fire starts burning in our attic and the smoke detectors don't go off because it's above the ceiling line and i'm i can't get in all the details but basically god woke my wife up thank you jesus she woke me up and then said you better get up our house is on fire you're on your own i'm going to go get my son's So that's what she did. Fortunately, I heeded her advice.

We got out of the house. In fact, there's a picture of my youngest son watching everything turn to ash. I sat there in this cul-de-sac at two in the morning, and I had shorts, I had a t-shirt, I had a pair of flip-flops, I had my wallet, I had my phone, and every other thing we have ever had or accumulated burned ash. Jay is on the second row. He's my optometrist. And this is probably one of the emotional moments for me. It's so simple. But the very next morning, Jay heard about it, or he heard about it that night. And he brought my prescription

of contacts to me with a toothbrush and toothpaste because I didn't have any of those things. and I kept waiting for this moment of devastation to hit me that I don't own anything anymore. And that moment never came. Still hasn't come. You know why? None of it was ours. We owned nothing. And all the stuff that has now replaced that stuff, that's not ours either.

It's all gods for us to steward. And so one of the questions. that we're going to talk about in our life groups this week is this. What's different about your life if you actually believe God owns everything? How do you live differently, knowing that truth? God owns everything. It's all his. Jesus, remember, he's helping give us, he's giving us insight about how our life on earth

exponentially impacts heaven. It starts with just accepting God owns everything. Secondly, I want you write this next thought down, and this is going to sting a little bit. You will give an account. Write that down. You will give to God an account. An account for what? For everything that you did with what he entrusted to you.

Verse 19. The story goes, the master, after a while, came back to those servants, and what did he do? He settled accounts with them. And this is what I gave you. What have you done with it? It kind of reminds me of a conversation I had with my dad when I was in high school. I was out really late one night. And he kind of yelled at me at 8 in the morning to get me out of bed, which I knew this was going to be a start to a great day.

And I go in the living room and he said, son, I've got something I need to talk to you about. But before I tell you what we're here to talk about, I have a question. is there anything you need to tell me first? Anybody ever been in this situation before? You can't win. You cannot win this situation. It's unwinnable. So trying to figure out,

if I take the path of honesty in this moment of giving an account to my father, what I will most likely do is incriminate myself to something that I know I've done. He doesn't yet know that I've done it. So if he knows that I spray paint at the neighbor's cat, fine. But if I tell him that I'd be,

I beat the mailboxes in the back of my buddy's truck as you were driving down the road, which is a federal crime. Well, now I've incriminated myself with two things that he doesn't yet. No, I'm sitting here giving an account and I'm sweating my tail off. This is not the account that Jesus is talking about. This is not it. And this is really, really important. For some of you, the theological alarm bells are going off in your head.

I can see it in your eyes. this doesn't jive with this idea of grace. I mean, doesn't the Bible say that Jesus endured the judgment on my behalf? 100% it absolutely does. Doesn't the Bible say that I am saved by grace through faith and it's not a result of my works or my stewardship? 100% yes. It absolutely does.

Doesn't the Bible say there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ? You are absolutely right. it does yet, you will still stand before God and give an account for how you stewarded what he gave you. Look at what Paul writes. Romans chapter 14 verse 10. Remember we will all. Everyone say all? Remember we will all stand before the judgment seat of God for the scripture say, as surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bend to me. every tongue will declare allegiance to God. Yes, each of us will give a personal account. This is heavy.

Who is Paul writing to in Romans? Not unbelievers. He is writing to the Christians who happen to live in Rome. This is not the judgment where God separates those who believed and followed Jesus and those who rejected him. That's one judgment. This is not that one. The word, the judgment seat of God comes from the Greek word, Bama. Could you say Bama with me for a second? Bama, the Bama seat of Christ. And this word has its origin in like the beginning of the Athenian games, which is where we get our modern day Olympics from.

And in that day, athletes would run their race. They would compete in various events. And at the end of their race, they would stand up. on a podium at the Bama seat where reeds were placed on their heads for running their race well and winning. Here's the problem. The reason we struggle with this idea that I'm going to stand before the judgment seat of God is because that thought brings this image to mind. An angry God that I'm standing before throwing the gavel, declaring that I am guilty, that I've messed up my life. That is not the Bama seat of Christ. A better picture of what that moment looks like is this. Feel this. God is cheering you on. Come on. You've got this. I've given you so much. Run with your whole heart. Don't give up. Don't take a break. Keep stewarding everything that

given you, he is sitting at the edge of his throne, scheming, dreaming, and planning for how he will reward you with something that will never fade. That is the Bama seat of Christ. It is not something to be feared. It's going to be the greatest party in the cosmos. Well done. Honestly, how would you live differently if you believe that to be true? If you knew you would stand before God and give an account for what you did with what he gave you, how would you live differently? When we wrestle with this idea that God owns everything, that we will give an account, that God is longing to eternally reward us for how he stewarded what he gave us, it becomes extremely obvious that God cares that we are faithful stewards, that we live our lives as faithful stewards. That's what this parable

is all about. And some of you are like, you're saying yes to the what. I want that. I want to do that. I want to be rewarded. I want to live a life that matters in eternity and that impacts someone else's eternity. Your question is, how? What do we? actually and practically do differently to make that happen. I want you to write one simple thought down. To become faithful stewards, you have to see yourself. We're going to see ourselves as kingdom investors rather than earthly spenders. Write that down. It's just you're going to change the lens through what you look at life. We are kingdom investors, not earthly spinners. Now, for full disclosure, this part of my message I have completely ripped off from Pastor Craig.

Like totally 100% stolen. So he just released his latest leadership podcast where he taught on the parable of the talents. It's brilliant. It's better than I'm preaching it. I'm begging you. Download it. It's incredible. All right. Let's talk about spending. What is spending? Spending is nothing more than trading. I'm going to give this in exchange for this, but there's no net ad. I'm just giving you. I'm just giving you. one thing in exchange for the other. Investing is different. To invest is to devote something with the expectation of an exponential return, right? It's just a different mindset. And we're going to see ourselves, not as earthly spenders, but as kingdom investors. In every second of every single day,

you have a choice to spend your life or to invest it. I could spend a little time watching Netflix, I get out of that? I get to veg out. There's nothing wrong with that. But what if I took that same amount of time and I mentored someone else who's going through something I've been through? Now, that's an investment. That matters in heaven, and that's actually going to be multiplied back to you. Parents, how many of us spend energy trying to control our kids' behaviors? Any parents of teenagers in the room right now that can empathize with me? Okay, that's not a bad use of time, but what if we then took that energy and invested it on our knees, praying heaven down for our kids and their relationship with Jesus?

That is an investment that will change their eternity and ours. It's just, it's the same energy, different mindset. For some, I believe God has called me to own an 80-inch 4K, HDR. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. television, nothing wrong with that. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. You know what we hear all the time people telling us? I've canceled my cable or I sold my season tickets. Why'd you do that? Because I'm devoting that line item of my budget to invest in new life church campuses. So that on a

weekend, oh, let's say like this weekend, where there are lives being changed in Katusa, Oklahoma with people that are in a building that has zero debt. Why? Because a whole bunch of people prior to this weekend stopped spending and started investing. Church, that's coming back to you. When you see yourself, listen to me, when you see yourself as a spiritual investor, it changes you and exponentially grows heaven. It will change you and exponentially grow heaven.

We last year, I took my boys the very first time we went to another country. We went to Mexico, beach. It was great. We get off the plane. They're in the airport. And they immediately see the currency exchange booth. And they were enamored with the idea of owning foreign currency. I begged them.

Don't do it. Everyone takes dollars. You don't need to change it into pesos. Did they listen? No. Every dollar they had, they turned into pesos. It was just awesome to have 8,500 pesos in my pocket. It's awesome. They didn't use any of it. We're flying back home after a great week. I'm like, did you change that money back? No, dad, we didn't. And as I'm preaching this message, all three of my boys in their nightstands is a stack of pesos that are worth nothing and the country of their origin.

Nothing. They were worth something at this place they visited for a brief time. But now where they live, where their home is, it's worthless. How many of us one day in heaven will discover that what we spent a lifetime obsessing about, accumulating, buying, it's worthless here. It has no value. That 4K TV, it's awesome. I have one. But in heaven, the Bible says that you will see colors that the human eye can't see. And that TV will be laughable. The prod of shoes, the coach purse, that makes you kind of feel like you're something here? Well, there, what's going to matter is that your identity is not going to be found in

what you carried or what was on your feet, but the fact you are a daughter of the king. That's where your identity flows out of that stuff. Doesn't matter. It has no value. The 401k that you've worked so hard and not saying there's wisdom in it, there is, but the 401K doesn't roll over there. As much as you try, it doesn't roll over. It's worth nothing. That's. There. So what do we do? Guys, ladies, the only reasonable response is to live a life holding nothing back. Because we know now how it will affect then. Jesus has told us how a life of faithful stewardship impacts your forever. how could there be any other reasonable response than living a life of open-handedness? God, everything that I have belongs to you.

And let me just encourage you, you are a 10 talent person. You are not the one. You are the 10. You are put in time where there is more opportunity to reach people for Jesus than any other generation that's come before us. Think about what Bobby talked about last weekend. The green wristband is on your wrist. We're not going to the car. We're going to the clubhouse.

We're friends and family. We're a part of a move of God that is utterly exponential. You are planted in a 10 talent, community of faith. But the sobering reality is to whom much is given. Much will be expected. You are not saved by your works. Please hear me. You are saved by the cross of Jesus and the power of an empty tomb, period.

but your life and your stewardship will impact eternity. Not even just for you, but for people who will be there because of your investment. For a moment, if you will, just close your eyes at all of our campuses. Just for a moment, try to imagine what will it be like then in the presence of God? and glory. We fully know as we are fully known. There's no more sin, there's no more brokenness, there's no more cancer, there's no more pain,

no more tears, there's just perfect love, perfection in the presence of God. And knowing what we will experience then, that this is your life forever, What are we going to do? We're going to apply that reality to how we live today and how we live tomorrow and how we live next week and how we live next month. Because God is sitting at the edge of, look at me for a minute. God is sitting at the edge of his throne cheering you on. You've got this. I have given you gifts and talents and skill and resources.

and it matters to me how you steward it. So don't quit running. Keep going. You've got this. And then one day we will hear the words that the master in Jesus' story told to the servants. God will look you in the eye. Well done.

My good and faithful child, you did such a good job. with what I gave you and where in time I planted you and the church that I plugged you into and the family that you were born into and the neighborhood that you stewarded in the workplace that you didn't waste a moment to leverage your relationship with Jesus. You did so good.

I'm so proud of you. You were faithful with a little. Oh, but now I place you over much. Come. enter into the joy of your God. And so, Father, we thank you for giving us, entrusting us more than we deserve. Help us to steward it carefully, faithfully. And in this moment, God, help us to be honest with ourselves and with you about where we are in this.

At all of our campuses, in an attitude of prayer, there are some of you that may feel like me, that there's parts of your life that you aren't investing, you're spending. It's all about you. It's all about things that matter here, but will not matter there. And maybe there's one of those things that you're saying, today is a day that by God's spirit and what he's speaking to me, I am not going to spend anymore. I am investing my life into something that's going to matter in heaven and in someone else's life. If that's your prayer, would you just raise your hand right now? God, I hear you speaking to me. God, a room full of hands. Father, thank you for a church that wants desperately for their lives to have meaning in eternity in the lives of others. God help give us eyes to see the world, people,

opportunities, money, resource as tools to use to grow heaven. As we continue to pray today, we've talked a lot about value, things that don't matter, and things that really matter. And in the context of talking about value, I want to talk about you for just a moment. Because there are some of you listening to this message that are in a place of your life right now that feel like you aren't worth much. You don't maybe like yourself a whole lot or the things that you've been doing. and the greatest investment ever given was the investment of the life of God. And what was that for? The scripture says, for the joy set before Jesus, he endured Calvary's cross.

What was the joy? You were the joy. The hope that in a place like this at a moment like now, you would once and for all surrender your life and receive what he gave his life to give you, which is freedom and identity. I am no longer a failure. I am a child of the most high God. I am not a screw up. I am forgiven of every sin I have ever committed, not because I earn it, but because he gave it. And for some of you, this is why you are here right now. What do you do? You confess you're a sinner. You admit that you've blown it. You ask for God to forgive you, and then you repent and give him your entire life. We're turning from a self-directed life. to a God-submitted life. And in that moment of faith, your sin is forgiven,

and you become a child of God. At all over campuses, those of you saying, yes, that is why I'm here. I'm surrendering today to Jesus. God, take my life and make me new. If that's your prayer, raise your hand right now and meet me eye to eye in the middle section. Praise God for you.

Others of you, Jesus, lift it up for just a minute. Over to my left, here in the back. Praise God for you. Others of you. Jesus, I'm saying yes. Right over here to my right. God loves you, bro. He loves you. Others of you. God, take everything, use me, forgive me. Others before we pray. Church online, you click right below me. We're going to pray as many say yes to the

grace of a good God. Pray this with me. Father, I need you. I have sinned. I'm asking you to save me. Jesus, I believe you died to pay for my sin. And you rose from the grave to bring me life. fill me now with your Holy Spirit that I could serve you always. In Jesus' name I pray. All God's people said, come on church, celebrate with those say yes to Jesus.