Kingdom Manifesto - A Generous Plan

New Song Church OKC

Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The Gospel of Materialism - “The more you have, the happier you will be”

“In the Western world, materialism has become the new, dominant system of meaning. Atheism hasn’t replaced cultural Christianity; shopping has. - Jean Baudrillard

"We must shift America from a needs based culture, to a desires based culture, People must be trained to desire, to want new things even before the old thing has been entirely consumed. We must shape a new mentality in America. Man's desires must overshadow his needs." - Paul Mazur

The amount Americans spend in a single weekend of shopping is more than half of the total they give to churches in an entire year.

Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities. - Mark Twain

1. Heart Is Where Your Treasure Is
Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

You can’t take it with you but you can send it on ahead!

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Heart - the fountain and seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors, the fountain and seat of understanding and intelligence

When we build our life around stockpiling treasure in earthly possessions, our heart will be anchored to this present world.

2. What You See Is What You Get

Matthew 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Earthly treasures can darken your eyes

3. Choose Your Master
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Mammon - money, wealth, or possessions, "that in which one trusts"

Mammon promises us identity

More money is not the answer in your life

A generous man has a generous plan

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Tithe = 10%

Malachi 3:8-9 "Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. "You ask, "How have we robbed you?' "The tithe and the offering–that's how! And now you're under a curse–the whole lot of you–because you're robbing me.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (MSG) 6-7 Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.