That there's some people, no matter what you do to them, no matter what they go through, they will never deny him. They'll never backslide on him, that they can go without food, without job, without and still have the joy of the Lord. Still tell people that Jesus Christ is the center of their joy.
You're listening to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm Steve Heller. Glad you're with us. And, pastor, I think, uh, probably most of us know someone like this where they just seem to have this joy, and you're like, I don't get where that joy is coming from, right? Because your life seems like it's such a mess, but yet you still have this joy. I want that. How can we learn to cultivate that kind of joy?
Uh, well, you know, the Holy Spirit is resident in every believer, but the Holy Spirit is not president over every believer. So he resides in us, but he does not preside over us. And so what we need to do is Ephesians 518 be not drunk with wine, wherein
is excess, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. When you see a person that exhibits that kind of joy, that's an individual who is filled with the Holy Spirit, because the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, and six other manifestations of the filling of the Holy Spirit, which we call the fruit of the spirit. And so that's a person that understands happiness is based on what happens comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, and it talks about circumstances. So I'm happy because I got a raise. I'm happy
because the loan went through. I'm happy. But joy is independent of your circumstances. Now, if you look at joy. Yeah. You understand? Well, let me, let me just. I hate to get the Bible in this, but now, a word from our sponsor. Here's what James said. James, chapter one two through four. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be complete and entire, lacking nothing. Then it goes on. We often stop there. But here James goes on to say, you know what? I better anticipate somebody saying, well, you know what? How am I going to know that this is going to work out to what God has designed? I mean, it's evil to have lack and and to go through what I'm going through.
And so James continues, he says, uh, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and upbraideth not, but let him ask in faith nothing doubting, for he that doubts is like the wave of the sea tossed and driven. Let not that man think he will receive anything from the Lord, because a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. So what's he saying in five, six and seven? He's saying this. He's saying, let me tell you in verses
three and four, this is what God is doing. Let me tell you in five, six and seven, this is how you can know that God is working with you, and God is developing you in your walk with him, rather than trying to destroy you in your walk with him. And I think it's something that we need to pay strict attention to. We got to be job Christians.
Well, we could spend more time talking about that, but right now we're going to open our Bibles to Second Corinthians chapter eight. So join us there as we continue the Macedonian mindset. Here is Pastor Ford.
Grace govern their attitude, which determine the amount they gave. In other words, the motivation was not philanthropy. That's Warren Buffett. The motivation wasn't guilt because there are people who can guilt you into giving. I'll never forget it. My brother in law had me cracking up. We were new believers and young in the Lord. He went to a church. It was a church where they collect the money. Didn't they tell you how much they have? And they tell
you how much they gotta have? So it was something like, you know, well, we gave $200 and we can't leave here until we get 350. So put the Levites on the door. He said there was a guy who was just seeking. He was a seeker. He wasn't a Christian. And when they said, put the Levites on the door. Ain't nobody leaving till we get this $150. My brother in law said the guy said an expletive deleted. I don't care who on the door they going to get off of the door. I'm getting up out of here
right now. They weren't guilted into it. They weren't coerced into it. Yeah. Even when I preach a Malachi, I don't preach it from the Old Testament standpoint. I tell you the New Testament, whenever I preach it, I say, but, but, but but you're not cursed. You can never be cursed. How can what God has blessed be cursed for not giving? I hold you accountable for it. So it's not coercion. It's not philanthropy. It's not guilt or any of those things.
It's not even tithing folk, not even that generous. Giving comes from grace. Now, what kind of grace is there? I'm glad you asked me. First of all, there's saving grace. Ephesians two eight and nine. For by grace we've been saved through faith. And that is the gift of God, not a result of works, lest any man should boast. So we are saved by grace. We like to have that acronym, God's redemption at Christ's expense, God's riches at Christ's expense. In other words, he saved us not because
of us, but in spite of us. God saved us. But then there's sanctifying grace. So saving grace is when he saves you up, sanctifying grace when he cleans you up, then it's glorifying grace. That's when he keeps you up. And so then you have serving grace. Ephesians 210. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Then you have suffering grace. We don't want. We don't want that kind of grace. Give me all the rest of it. I don't want no suffering kind of grace.
But Paul found out in Second Corinthians 11 when he prayed three times, God removed this thorn in the flesh from me. God said, my grace is sufficient for you. Some of you know that because you've got maladies and you are in fellowship with God, and you're wondering why God or have you not healed me of this? Why
haven't you taken this away? My wife asked it all the time, and she comes up with the same answer that God wants to demonstrate his ability to have someone go through something that he has designed and that he desires, like job, where he can get the glory. So there are people who will know that there are people who serve God not for what God can give them, but God for who he is. That there's some people, no matter what you do to them, no matter what they
go through, they will never deny him. They'll never back up on him. They'll never backslide on him. That they can go without food, without job, without and still have the joy of the Lord. Still tell people that Jesus Christ is Lord, that Jesus Christ is the center of their joy, that there are individuals who know. That. He's all I got, but he's all I need. You're the little boy. Pray the Lord is my shepherd. That's all I want. He messed it up. No he didn't. And
so there's suffering, grace. But then there's sharing grace. That's what's happening right here. That that that this was motivated not by their hand, but by their heart. Wow. You know, you know, I tell this story, and I. And I love it. You know, it's about the Lord's baseball team. See, the Lord's baseball team was playing the Devils baseball team, and it was the bottom of the ninth. It was zero zero. And the devil was excited because he thought if he could get all the God's players out, then
it's zero zero. And he ties God. He knows he can never beat God, but boy would it be nice to tie him. So the Christian says to God, what's going to happen here? You know, and God said, watch this. So he calls love to bat. Love comes up to the bat and the devil throws a screwball. Love swings. Bam hits it on the first pitch, gets on first base. You want to know why? Because love never fails. Then God called him and he said, now watch this Christian.
And he called his second batter. He called him faith. And faith came up to bat and the devil said, oh, I got this one, and he threw a fastball 600mph. POW! Faith hits it on the first pitch. Love moves the second. Faith is on first. Wanna know why? Because faith always works with love. Then God calls godly wisdom. He said, watch this. He calls godly wisdom to the bat. He throws a screwball ball one throws a fastball. Ball two, throws a curve ball. Ball three, throws another fastball. Ball four.
And now the bases are loaded. Godly wisdom gets on base. You want to know why? Because godly wisdom never swings at what Satan throws. So the bases are loaded. And God said to Christian, Christian, watch this. And so he calls his pinch hitter up. He says, grace. Come on up. Grace comes up to bat. But the devil and the demons elder are looking. And. And anybody ever been in grammar school or in high school? And you were last pick? Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's.
And everybody move in whenever you come to bat because because you, you, they don't figure you could hit. Well, that's what they did to Grace. Everybody moved in. And so Satan threw his best pitch. It was 1000mph ball and pow grace hit it. Uh, grand slam. Christian was kind of confused. He said, I don't understand it. Uh, why? What's up? He said, well, listen, you're a love. Faith and godly wisdom can get you on base, but I can't let it win the game. Why, Lord, because of
your love, faith and wisdom won the game. You would have thought you did it yourself. But I had to have grace. Why? Because love, faith and wisdom will get you on base. But only by grace can bring you home. That's it. It's grace. Oh, I hate to get the Bible in this, but now a word from our sponsor. Listen, listen, listen. I walked through and did a study on grace. And here's what I found. It's not exhaustive, but here's what I found. Titus 211 through 13. We are stopped by grace.
Ephesians two eight and nine. We are saved by grace. Ephesians one three. We are sons and daughters by grace. Galatians 115. We're summoned by grace. First Corinthians 15 nine and ten we're shaped by grace. Second Corinthians 12 nine we're sanctified by grace. Colossians 416 we're spiritually gifted by grace. Uh, second Corinthians 12 nine we're supplied by grace. Colossians four six. Our speech is by grace. Hebrews 1319 stimulated growth is
by grace. Second Timothy two one. We're strengthened by grace. Second Peter 318 we serve by grace. Hebrews 13 nine. We're stabilized by grace. Hebrews 416. We're sustained by grace. And in this passage we share by grace. Amen. It's all about grace. See if what you have you didn't get from Grace. Then you didn't get it from God. If what you're doing wasn't done by grace, then what you did did not and was not empowered by God. Listen, if what you are becoming isn't by grace, then what
you are becoming isn't pleasing to God. And isn't it amazing what we are proud of? We're proud of race. We're proud of faith. We're proud of place, and we're proud of grace. And we had nothing to do with any of it. The Macedonian mindset the right motivation for giving.
We'll continue to look at this right motivation from Second Corinthians chapter eight in just one moment. You know, as you listen to Pastor Ford's teaching, you may think, I wonder if he's ever written a book on something. Well, he has, and you can check those out by coming to our website and clicking on the Books by Pastor Ford link. On the left side of the homepage, you'll see the different titles available as a paperback or in an e-book format. Just come to Treasure Truth Radio and
click on Books by Pastor Ford. Let's get back to the message once again. Here is Pastor Ford.
The Macedonian mindset the right motivation for giving. Not giving to get. Amen. I'm so sick of this stuff and I hear it all the time. I just shut my mouth because it's like, man, there's so many people. And I just got tired of arguing with people about it. When the praises go up, the blessings come down. The praises go up. The. So the only time I'm going to praise God is when I'm looking for something. That's why some people come to church. No, not at 11,
but at the eight. There was some folk there. The praises ought to go up. Even if the blessings don't come down, the praises ought to go up. If he heals Big Mama, and the praises ought to go up. If he takes Big Mama home, the praises ought to go up. If I got a good job, the praises ought to go up. If I don't have a job, praises ought to go up. If my kids are in college, and the praise ought to go up. If my kids
are in jail, the praise ought to go up. If my wife submits to me and act like the Bible, tell her to. Preach.
Glory to God.
Or if my wife doesn't act like the Bible tells her to, the praises need to go up. Yeah, yeah. I will bless the Lord at all times. And his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Oh, magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name together. Come into his presence with thanksgiving. And into his courts with praise.
Amen.
The right mindset. Notice secondly with me not just the right mindset, but the right method. Now walk through because I'm not going to take a lot of time on this, even though I have a lot of points. Say it's a miracle. Now walk with me. Walk with me now watch this. The right mindset tells us what. Why we give the right method. Tells us what how to give. Now watch this. Walk with me now. Verse two and three. A sacrificially. Verse two b generously. Verse three B willingly.
Verse four. Enthusiastically. Verse five. Personally, let me say it again sacrificially. Verse two generously to be willingly three Be enthusiastically. Verse four. Personally verse five. So notice now the method that they had based on their mindset. So don't let me wear it out. But I, I have to repeat it that the method was based on the mindset, not vice versa. So let's notice they gave sacrificially. Listen to
what it says. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. And a whole lot of folk don't understand it. Let me read it in the ESV. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. Now get this. Here's what he's saying. Let me let me tell you two words real quick. Uh, the word that he uses
for trial, ESV has it translated more appropriately. Test. Here it is. It's a test. A test of what these Macedonians were poor Christians. The Corinthian believers were not. Yet the poor Christians gave way more than the rich Christians, and the rich Christians held back on part of what they said they was going to give. So it's a test. What kind of test? Who do you trust? Your stuff or your savior? They said, you know what? God gave us the stuff. So if we give it all to him,
he can give us more stuff. That's what they're saying. And then the word poverty, let me tell you, the word literally speaks of a beggar who's totally destitute of everything and lacks the ability to acquire anything. This person is helpless. This person is homeless. This person is hopeless. That's what's in the text. Now you say, wait a minute. How is that possible? Yes, they gave sacrificially, man. Let
me ask you a question. Say, ask the question. Do you give in light of your circumstances or do you give in spite of your circumstances? Mhm. Mark chapter 1441 through 44. It's a very familiar passage of Scripture. It is where the widow gave her two pennies. Now Jesus, it says, went to watch people give. Y'all worried about if the pastor see you put an envelope in. You know, some people when offering plate pass, they don't have nothing in hand. They just act like it. Yeah, there are
people that do that. Why do you do that? You look, look look look look, look. God sees it. You ain't gotta perpetrate for me or anybody else. Just pass it. That's it, you know? And for if you're unsaved here today, let me tell you something. God doesn't want your money. God wants your soul. That's what he wants. I used to do it all the time, and then the elders and deacons came and said, quit doing that. Because I used to say at offering time, I'm how many remember this? Okay.
And we're about to give. If you're unsaved, please do not give anybody remember how long, how many years? I said that about 15 years. And the elders and deacons said, pastor, you you need to just be quiet. And I submitted to their authority because there was more of them than me. And so they might have jumped me or something, you know? Yeah. And and so it's like it's like, where's, where's me when you need him? The widow. This is called the sermon on the Mount. Why? Because she didn't give from
the top of her purse. She gave from the bottom of her heart. Mm. Yeah. Let me ask you a question. Especially those of us who do form 1040 A. If you couldn't write your gift off on schedule. 1040 A would your giving be the same or is your motto what I give to God is deductible from what I owe to Caesar. There are people. Yeah, I want to give so I can get the write off. I can get the write off. I can get the write off. Ah, somebody asked me one time, you know, if you find money,
what should you do? Should you give? What should I do? Because I already tithed on my on my on the money I get back from the IRS. Uh, what should I do? I said read Proverbs three, nine and ten. Honor the Lord with the first fruits of all of thy substance And thy increase and thy increase. You know what that means. And thy increase is money you find, and thy increase is the money you get from back from the IRS. And the increase is like everything I get, I break God off a piece.
Yes. Right.
Everything. Amen. Everything he say. You say. You say. You look at that. It's really. He says honor. It's the word kabod. It's translated worship. So then giving is reverence to God. That's the adoration of giving. Then he tells you the mount first fruits. That means giving is regulated by God. That's the amount you give. And then he says, so shall your barns be running over. I ain't got time to talk about it. So shall. In other words, it's not because you gave. It's because God is more
generous than we are. It's rewarded by God. That's acknowledgment forgiven. Francis Quarles said this nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand and a closed mouth man that goes together like a coconut's mouth. Hallelujah. Amen. Then it says they gave sacrificially. They gave generously liberality. It just means they were generous. Just generous.
Boy, as you listen to Pastor Ford describe this Macedonian mindset, don't you just wish you had that? I know that's certainly true for me. Were you listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford? And you can always listen to this program again when you come to our website. It's Treasure Truth radio.org. You know, pastor is someone tunes in and
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