And Then Some

Matthew chapter 5 verse 20. The truth of this message is exceedingly essential, foundational to you being or any church being a church God really uses for His glory. A church that I might say is biblically and spiritually healthy. Or a church that is a true church. I use all those different phrases for the same type thing. And while on one hand it's a quite simple truth, it's one of those truths that when it's articulated and exhorted, it kind of pierces us with, "Yeah, that's right." And I might point out to you that unless you're born again, you're not going to get this. These things are spiritually discerned.

You can't take your human intellect and grasp these truths as simple as they are. I mean you can't grasp them from your heart and joy in them. He can put on any kind of work that you teach him. But to have it from the heart is the key. Now this is the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5, 6, 7. And there have been a lot of views about just what is the Sermon on the Mount. I know liberal theologians and liberal pastors have basically taken the Sermon on the Mount as the new God for living. And if we'll just live these things and teach these things, then we'll eventually fix the world.

And can I remind you again, I like to say this a lot because people don't get this. We have a lot of evangelicals that don't get this. God is not primarily in the business of fixing the world. When people say Jesus is the answer for the world, I agree with that. I get that, but not really. You say, "Well, wait a minute. When he returns, he's going to fix it all." No, he's not. He's going to get rid of it all. He'll banish the present heavens and earth and cast all those who are not his elect church into hell. And then he'll build a new heavens and a new earth, and his glorified church will inhabit it with him.

So even at the end time, he's not going to fix it. He's going to do away with it. Our job is to build a true church in the world, and that'll be the best thing we can do to affect the world for good. Amen? It's the sloshing over effect. Our primary task is to build his church in the world and be true and let that light be the salt and the light that impacts the world and causes the world to be a better place, but it's always in that flow. So the Sermon on the Mount is not a new set of guidelines we live by so that we make the world better.

The Sermon on the Mount is a treatise of how the heart of the true kingdom citizen thinks and feels, and he or she wants to live in contrast to the false notions of the kingdom of God that are always prevalent in the world. Let's look at it there. At Matthew 5.20, this is a summary statement for the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Now, as a young Christian, even as a young minister, he terrified me. For the Christian, I'd read that verse and think, "Oh my goodness, I know about the scribes and Pharisees.

They were so strict and so diligent to keep the rules and keep the laws and observe the ceremonies and follow the rituals and all the ordinances of Judaism. And I don't know that I could keep up with that, and I'm supposed to surpass that." But that's not what Jesus was talking about at all. He wasn't talking about a righteousness you put on externally and perform. He was talking about a righteousness that's granted to you by grace through faith. That's a free gift. You obtain a righteousness, a right standing before God, by believing on Christ, not by working your way to some standard or some level.

So when you believed on Christ as your Lord and Savior, immediately there was imputed into you the righteousness of God's Son, Jesus Christ. And you're accepted on that basis. That's why true Christianity so humbles us. It's like, "Oh my goodness, God didn't just save us and give us back what Adam and Eve lost in the garden. He did that and a whole lot more. He didn't just give us the righteousness of the original Adam and Eve before they sinned. He gave us the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ." Powerful stuff.

That's why Jesus says, "Unless your righteousness is better than those who try to work for it, as rituals or ordinances of the church to gain it, if that's your view of getting righteousness, you'll never enter the kingdom ahead. There's got to be a better righteousness than that. And that is the righteousness that only can come as a free gift by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That's the basis. So he's outlining here what is the heart and motive and then the corresponding lifestyle like of one whose life's been changed in the new birth. I call this sermon, "And then some." And then some.

The "and then some" principle is foundational to Christianity. And that's my first main point. The "and then some" principle is foundational in those who have received the new birth. In other words, it's odd and strange to the average churchgoer, the average religionist, which would be these religious authorities of the day that Jesus is contrasting his truth with. He's saying, "Here's what they would say, but a true child of God is like this." And they would say this, but a true child of God is like that. So these things are just normal and natural. In other words, listen to me. We are supernaturally natural.

There's been something supernatural, divine, that's happened in us. That's why we have to be careful to counsel, to observe a person before we receive them in baptism because if they're not regenerated, they can't get what we're talking about. And we're actually hurting them and hurting the church. And I know that's your conviction. I praise God for that. We never get perfect at that, Waleed. We just do the best we can. But certainly we need more than they raised their hand and prayed a prayer. We need more than they could just walk to the front like this is the magic spot right here.

If they get down to the magic spot, they all get to go to heaven and get in the church. In our flesh, we wish Christianity were that simple, wouldn't we? That if you could just coerce a person into walking to an aisle or a parroting of prayer or something like that, that's not all wrong. It's just not near enough to know if they've been born again. Amen? Roman I, the "and then some" principle is foundational in the lives of those who have received the new birth. When those Presbyterian brothers and sisters built this building, they need to put a real good light right there and put it right down on this pulpit.

Because when you get 61 and you can't see anymore, you can't see anymore. Anyway, I'll do the best I can with these glasses. How about that? All right. So Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount is contrasting the Pharisees, the Jewish authorities concept of the kingdom with the truth concerning the kingdom. That is His concept of the kingdom. Again, the Jews served God like a fearful slave, laboring in external legalisms, trying to somehow earn His master's approval, i.e. gain acceptance or gain righteousness. That was the basic teaching of Judaism. And by the way, that's the basic concept of almost all false religion.

It is to keep people controlled, come to this church, go through these ordinances, observe these sacraments, be under our priest, our holy man. And if you don't do that, you're going to go to hell one day. And so they control masses, millions of people around the world through the Roman Catholic system and many of the systems are being slavishly controlled because they've been taught you have to externally observe these rights, rituals, lifestyles, etc. or you won't make it into heaven. But that was the Pharisees approach. External works and legalisms and maybe God will help us and I'd rather bless us and receive us into heaven.

Now, true Christian citizens, true kingdom citizens who are Christians, we serve God as trusting children who've been changed in our hearts so that we now love our Father and we love our Father's law. Now, did you get the difference? It comes from a heart of love. For example, the Bible teaches that wives submit to their husbands. Well, lots of religions teach that and by the way nature teaches that. I mean Islam teaches that and so many other religions teach that. But Christianity is different because he says, "Wives, love your husbands." That's different.

So you submit like others but you do it with a brand new motive that only a born-again heart has and that is, "I love this man, he don't deserve it, but I love him." And so I'll submit to him in obedience to God and out of a new love God's put in my heart to do these things. That's the difference. And again, you could just be a Pharisee and discipline yourself. I've known a lot of ladies who are real submissive to their husbands but they're terrible Christians because they were submissive to their husbands out of an external works idolatry of, "Look how submissive I can be.

I'm the holy woman." Instead of just loving God and loving their husbands from the heart. "Are you with me, church?" That's what Jesus is saying. Just cold external keeping the rules doesn't make you a citizen of the kingdom but being a true child whose heart's been changed so that you're learning to love God and love his law. That's what really marks a true kingdom citizen. Now, I'm talking about and then some because it's not original with me but when I heard it I developed this because it really captured me. For example, you can just look along in the text. I'm going to go a little fast just to read it but you'll remember all of these.

In Matthew 5, 21 and 22, Jesus said, "You shall not murder." He said, "That's what you've heard but I say to you, you're not to even hate in your heart." In other words, as a kingdom citizen, as a true Christian, you do what other folks would do. You're not going to murder but you do that and then some. You're not even going to hate from your heart. In other words, when you catch your heart hating, you're going to say, "God, that's sin. I repent of it." You do what other folks would do and then some.

Then he said, "You shall not commit adultery." He said, "That's what you've been taught but I say to you if you've lusted in your heart, you've committed adultery already." A true kingdom system don't commit adultery but he does that and then some. He battles with his own heart and doesn't let his heart reside in lust toward another person. He does what other folks would do and then some. Then he said, "If someone sues you and wants your shirt, give them that and also give them your coat. Do what other folks would do and then some." You see, it's just normal.

He's just saying, "Now, he's not giving you specifics here." He's giving just some illustrations of how the new kingdom heart really is. He says, "Now, if the soldier comes through town and he asks you to carry his pack one mile, go ahead and carry it two miles. You do what the other citizens would do and then some." See, it goes over and over and over and over. He's fasting and praying. He talks about these people, these Pharisees, these hypocrites will pray these flowing, glowing prayers in public to be seen by men. He said, "Well, sometimes you pray in public. That's okay, but why don't you go to your inner closet and really get with God?

That's what really matters. So you might pray like others pray and then some. Also, because you love God, you'll get on your knees and pray to God when nobody sees it and men don't give you credit for it. You do what other folks would do and then some." We could go on and on. The Bible is full of this. If you're an employer, to work for your employer faithfully, yes. But then some, you're to work for your employer like working under the Lord. So you do what other folks would do and then some. We could go on. We are to, like I talked about the wife's submission, husbands are to honor their marriage vows to their wives.

A lot of folks do that, but you're to love your wife like Christ loved the church. So you take care of your wife like others and then some. All through the Bible. You're to bear one another's burdens. You don't just bear your burden, you bear yours and others that you can help bear their burden. When you take care of your pastor, 1 Timothy 5 says you're to honor your pastor, then he says, "Then show them double honor." And by the way, every scholar I've consulted said that includes monetary material support. You're to support in the way other churches would do and then some.

That's what a normal church, you see, that doesn't make, because you live this way, it doesn't make you a committed Christian, it just makes you a Christian. This is normal Christianity. You do what other folks would do and then some. And then in Matthew 6, 2-3-4, 6-19-21, 24-34, he's all talking about money and material things and in the flow of the context that we approach these things the way other folks would approach them. You know, he talks about don't worry about your life in the Sermon on the Mount, don't worry about tomorrow, it's got enough trouble of its own.

Well, we all have some concerns there, but by faith we approach those concerns the way other folks would do, but then with extra faith they don't have because they're not born again. Trusting our God is going to take care of us. Doesn't mean we quit work, but it means as we labor we're trusting the Lord beyond just the employee. We approach our jobs the way others would and then some. This is all through the Word of God. And I think one of the most powerful illustrations of how this is true is this is the heart of our heavenly Father. He's an and then some God. As I told you earlier, is there anything God can't do?

I guess there is just to hypothetically say if God wanted to restore us out of the sin and the loss that humanity is experiencing, He could have just cleaned us up some and give us paradise like Adam and Eve had, like I said earlier. But He did that and then some. He says you're going to have not just the righteousness of the original Adam and Eve, but the righteousness of the second person of the Godhead, my son, Jesus Christ. You get the righteousness Adam and Eve had and then some. And in that case, that's a whole lot more some because there's no righteousness like Jesus' righteousness. That's the way God is.

And God has this concept especially, and I'm going to, this whole thing is coming down to finances. It's coming down to money. You see, doctors will tell you, well I should say there's a doctor that will tell you there's a special nerve that connects to your innermost being, connects to your heart. And that nerve runs through your chest. That nerve runs down your side. It comes down into your hip and it connects to your wallet. That's why Jesus said where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What happens with that billfold or that checkbook or that Venmo or whatever you use, God says there's an inseparable connection to your actual innermost being in your heart. That's why we return tithes and offerings because we need the regular discipline of a heart checkup to make sure God's first, not things. That's why you bring the first of the 10% to remind yourself, I need this reminder, Lord, that I'm trusting you, not my job, not my paycheck. So you work hard to get a paycheck like the other men and then some. You couldn't look to God to trust him ultimately. See, it's just all, it's foundational.

And notice how our Lord is when it comes to us giving to him and him giving back to us. Given it will be given to you, but not just there. Good measure, pressed down, shaking together, running over. They were pouring to your lap. It's almost like the writer can't give enough superlatives to remind you of the abundance God wants to return back to you for by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return.

God says, "I'm the kind of God that I will compensate you back." Now, it's not an absolute, but generally God has the pattern when you honor him with your wealth, he returns it back, good measure, pressed down, shaking together and running over. I've lived that truth for 40 years. I'm telling you, I've lived that truth. Not perfectly. I've had to repent a lot along the way, but I've seen it over and over and over again. This principle, the "and then some" principle is foundational in Christianity. It's the foundation of true kingdom citizens.

Roman II, let's remind ourselves that God has woven the "and then some" principle into the fabric of life. You know, there's a lot of things we live by that all of mankind lives by. If you're a farmer, you need the son. If you're an atheist farmer, you need the son. If you're a Christian farmer, you need the son. If you're an atheist farmer, you need the rain to fall on your crop. If you're a Christian farmer, you need the rain to fall on your crop. I mean, there are a lot of principles that we live by that are commonplace in mankind. And then some principle is woven into us human beings, us who are image bearers of God in the earth.

Somebody wrote one time or said one time, "There are four types of people in the world. There are those people who make things happen. There are those people who watch things happen. There are those people who don't know what's happening. And there are those people who try to stop what's happening." Well, the "and then some" people are the folks who get stuff done. Now, I don't like anything about their philosophy and their beliefs and their approach to life, but like it or not, the Elon Musk of the world and the Steve Jobs of the world, and we could go on down the line of these guys, they are guys who did what other folks did and then some.

And see, God's woven that fabric. He's woven that into the fabric, so that's why they get ahead. Now, they're not ahead. They're actually going behind, but I mean, as far as gaining wealth and building companies, they're ahead of others. These are the folks who did what everyone else did and then some. They were as conscientious as everyone else and then some. They fulfilled their responsibilities and then some. I'm not an Alabama football fan, far from it, but Coach Saban has those boys doing what other teams do and then some. That's why they're winners.

The business world literally spends billions of dollars annually trying to instill the "and then some" principle in their employees. The athletic community spends unimaginable resources and energies trying to get their athletes to do what others are doing and then some. That's why they call it "give 110%." It's just kind of the way God made us, because that's the way He is. I mean, it's just amazing. We just sang a song, and didn't that song say that we're God's delight? Am I close there? What a beautiful thing. Because God didn't just say, "All right, I'm going to forgive you and I'm going to save you.

I've got to hold my nose when you get into heaven." No, no, no, no. He makes you the precious object of His deepest joy. Though in your natural state, you're the most repulsive, offensive thing possible to Him. He said, "That's the kind of God He is. He does what we think we would do and a whole lot more and then some." He's woven that into us human beings made in His image. Now, fleshly people try to run away from this philosophy, but for Christians, this should just be basic in our lives. My daughter, and some of you all may be familiar with this, but she and her husband bought a vacuum cleaner.

And this vacuum cleaner will go to Mars, I guess. It's just the best thing. The world just wouldn't believe it. They've showed it to other people, and they got theirs free. I forgot how it works. It reminded me of this story that a man knocked on the lady's door, and he said, "Lady, I've got a time-saving instrument for homemakers that will cut your homework in half." And she said, "Well, I'll take two of them." Well, that's the way we are in life, aren't we? Is there a shortcut? I want to take it. All shortcuts aren't bad, but some people live by shortcuts.

You and I are in a place right now in our country where our government with vile and evil motives wants to hand out so much free stuff to everybody that nobody has a work ethic anymore. Nobody will have the human dignity and the human self-worth anymore. And if you rob a community of that, you've robbed them completely. The shortcuts, let's get by with less than we need to. Go back to the Sermon on the Mount and where Jesus was talking about the Roman soldier comes through town, and the Roman law requires you to carry his pack one mile. So if he asks you to go one mile, you go two. You see, the first mile was compulsory.

The second mile is voluntary. The first mile you must go. The second mile you choose to go. The first mile is law. The second mile is love. The first mile is obligation. The second mile is opportunity. When that Roman soldier says, "You're miles up. I want to go two." Why? Well, you just don't know what Jesus has done for me. And if Jesus would do so much for me, why can't I do something for you special? I'll carry your pack two miles. See? That's just normal Christianity. We do what other folks would do, and then some. God, listen folks, God has called Grace Life Church of Brookhaven and all of you individual to live beyond the first mile.

To live on the next level. Do what other folks would do, and then some. If you ask me, "Brother Jeff, you're in your 41st year of pastor or minister at Grace Life Church of the Shoals, and we're having our best years. We are having our best years by far about any way you can measure it." And you might ask me, "How does that work?" Well, first of all, we don't chase fads and gimmicks, stuff that goes, and then you've got to do some other entertaining thing to get folks in the door. We just stay with the stuff. But one of the keys is I have a strong large core of, and then some, Christians. That's just the way they think.

And they think that way because I preach that truth to them, and they begin to grasp it, and they walk in it together. Well, Romans 3, "The and then some principle is the source of great blessings." The and then some principle is the source of great blessings. And this is true in our spiritual realm, but it's true because God's woven it into the fabric of human beings' lives, generally speaking, also. Life's great blessings, generally speaking, lie beyond the first mile. A noted psychologist, William James, talked about the first layer of fatigue. And what he said was, "Most people work until they get tired and they quit.

So all they know about life is, is getting tired and quitting. Work to them is monotony. Work to them is drudgery. Work to them is dread. The joy of great achievement and accomplishments is never theirs because they never punch through to the second mile. They never just suck it up and go on and do more. Now, you can't do that all the time. And we talked about your pastor needing to learn to get away and rest, and he does need to learn to do that more. Eleven times in the Gospels, the Bible tells us, Jesus told his disciples to come apart from the people they were ministering to and rest. And that's what he said.

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In the first year, 29 more broke a four-minute mile. And in the second year, 200 people broke the four-minute mile. What was the key? Roger Bancher said, "Doing this can happen." And that's the way it is in Christianity. When some of you begin to, being and then some Christian, others say, "It gives it credibility." Yeah, that's the kind of Christian I want to be. And your church, and I believe it is, but increasingly, so needs to be marked as an "and then some" kind of church. And you got to have leaders out front, like Roger Bancher, to set the path.

You know, when we talk about the financial needs of a church, I've never shied away from that. I probably preach about money and material things more than any pastor you know. And by the way, if you just preach through the Bible, you'll run into all of it. It's there over and over and over again. And what we find out is in our churches, and for the next decade, two decades, however long you are together, you're going to have some real financial challenges, and you're going to have to be "and then some" kind of givers. Do what other folks would do, and then some, to meet those needs. Who knows? I don't know what it would be.

You might need to buy new buildings and buy more property. Who knows what God will do? But there's no such thing as a church that pleases the Lord. There's no such thing as a biblically spiritually healthy church that's also a stingy church. There's just something in the fabric of a church that God's blessing, that the stingy spirit gets broken, and they generally speaking become in their financial support of the church and then some kind of people. I'm not here to toot my horn. That's not my motivation. But when I started at Grace Life Church of the Shoals, my salary was $50 a week. That's where I started.

And I haven't looked up the numbers, but I can say with confidence, there's never been a time when I've given less than 20% of my income back to the Lord's work at the church. That was true when I made $50 a week. It's true now when I make more than $50 a week. I just felt like I wanted to do what other folks do, and then some. One guy who'd been really blessed said, "Pastor, I can live like I live because I give like I give." And God generally speaking is the kind of God that when you give, He gives in return, good measure, pressed down, running over, shaken together, they will pour into your lap.

The church needs a lot of Roger Bannisters that set the standard and break through to the second mile. Now in the minds of the people, there'll be many things that come your way over the years. You can say, "We can't do that. That'll never happen. We can't accomplish that. We can't purchase that." But you'll be surprised what God can do. We got a check in our offering plate the other day that was a $600,000 check. Well, the man that gave that $600,000 check was just as common a guy as you could have ever seen 25 years ago.

Matter of fact, he called me when he was going to start his business and asked me if I could help him borrow the money to start his business. If you come to me to find out how to borrow money to start a business, you're at the bottom of the barrel. I didn't know anything about business. And he just believed, but he was like several men in my church. I've raised up my own millionaires. They were just regular guys. One guy's a developer in my church, and literally when he started, he would build a house and then take mattresses and put it in the new house because he just had the new one framed up.

It wasn't finished, so he could sell that one to get the money to finish the one he's in now sleeping on the floor in mattresses. Today he's probably the biggest developer in northwest Alabama. And these men grew up, but as they began their businesses, they were and then some kind of Christians in businessmen, they gave greatly out of their business wealth, not just their take-home money because they want to do what others do and then some. I didn't see that coming, Brother Chris. I didn't necessarily teach that. God just did it in their hearts. And we're able to have a missions organization today that's having an impact around the world.

The amount of money that comes through our ministry that God is using is not explainable, except God let us see some men and some families become and then some kind of Christians. I've tried to live that example myself. Now we never arrive at it, and I can't judge for you what that means for you, and you can't judge that for me, amen? But I'm asking you from your heart, is that the kind of Christian you want to be? When you're like that though, that's when the greatest blessing comes your way. It's not out of coercion. Matter of fact, I've raised so much money in my church, we just paid off our buildings.

I don't know, 20, 30 million dollars we've paid off since I've been the pastor. I don't know how it happened or what way it happened, but you can look up all the tapes and all the times I've challenged our people. Here's what I say to you, give what you can give with joy and not a penny more. If it's not joyous to you, I'll tell them keep it. Because if God hadn't done this work in your heart that you want to do what others would do, and then some, God don't need your money, He wants your heart. And it's always worked. It's not fair, sayical, false, external religion of pressure and coercion.

It's a heart that loves God and wants to be in on God's work. You do the extra mile because you want to be the kind of church, grace, life, church, Brookhaven, that you're like other churches and then some. You do what other churches would do and then some. I'll be honest, my church takes care of me a lot better than most churches take care of their pastors. But they join, if somebody in town says, "Boy, you're a pastor, he lives good, doesn't he?" They'll smile and say, "Yep, we take good care of him.

We take good care of the man of God." Spurgeon, they said, drove the finest coach in London because he meant that we're taking care of the man that takes care of us spiritually. Now, I was as faithful to God when they paid me $50 a week, which was sin, by the way. I mean, it really was. But we're faithful if the church doesn't take care of us, we're still going to serve the Lord, Brother Chris. But the church should be. We want to do what other folks do and then some. Well, let me move on here. Look at 2 Corinthians, if you will, Chapter 8. Just a couple of verses as cross-reference here to support these truths.

2 Corinthians, Chapter 8, beginning in verse 5. He's talking about the churches of the Macedonia region. He says, "Now, brethren," and he's using them as an example to the Corinthian church. "And by the way, be mindful as you study your Bibles, how often Paul takes one church's example and uses it to help the other churches get in line, and by the Chris, particularly about their giving." That's what he's doing here. He's using the giving of the Macedonians to challenge the more wealthy Corinthians to get with it.

Here's what he says, "Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God, which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in great ordeal of affliction and in their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality." They're really full of poverty. They're really being afflicted, but they got so much joy in Jesus, they gave a huge gift. That don't make sense. It does if you're, and then some kind of people.

Verse 3, "For I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability, they gave what you expected them to give and above their ability and then some, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much in treaty, for the favor of participating in the support, that's financial support, of the saints." That was the struggling saints in Jerusalem. And this not as we had expected, here it is, but they first gave themselves to the Lord. That's the sermon on the Mount. Their hearts were changed. And then to us by the will of God. Then they supported God's work generously.

Brother Chris, our goal is to not sell carnal, worldly men on our ministries. Our goal is to so preach Christ, Christ changes them, then they'll love our ministries. That's what happened here. The Macedonia church was an, and then some kind of church. Now Philippians, if you will, turn over to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4, let's start in verse 10. We're here, Paul's going to commend the Philippians for being, and then some kind of givers to his ministry.

Paul said in Philippians 4.10, "But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me." Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked the opportunity. Not that I speak from what, for I've learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. I know how to get along with humble means. I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I've learned the secret of both of being filled and going hungry, both of having an abundance and suffering need. By the way, Paul stayed at Lydia's house sometimes, a wealthy lady, probably had the finest suite in town.

Paul stayed at Philemon's house, a wealthy man. Matter of fact, he writes to Philemon and says, "Get my room ready." So he stayed in really nice places. But if it was God's will, he stayed in the Roman prison when he came to town. Are you with me, church? We rejoice when he gives us an abundance. We rejoice if his will puts us in need. Neither one is more spirit than the other. Matter of fact, are you listening to me? I found a whole lot more pride and carnality in people who put themselves down in woeful, desperate conditions and call themselves holy than I find wealthy people who are wicked and ungodly.

You know why there are more poor people who have the sin of the love of money than there are wealthy people who have the sin of the love of money? Because there's more poor people than wealthy people. The sin is the love of money from the heart. You can have $5 and eat up with the sin of the love of money. You can have $5 million in the bank and not eat up with the sin of the love of money. Are you with me? Thank God we've had men through the years like J.C. Penney. You know when J.C. Penney died, he'd give almost 100% of his wealth to the Lord's work.

He bought a 68-year track of land and built houses all over it for retired missionaries to live in. His father was a primitive Baptist preacher. And he got a revival in his life kind of halfway through his career and he started just supporting God's work. He said, "That's my joy now." What happened? Did somebody... J.C. Penney was going to go to hell if he don't give them a "no." God changed his heart! And he became an "and then some" kind of Christian. Thank God we've got men like that with great wealth whose hearts are turned toward the things of the Lord. Paul leaned on that.

George Whitfield, one of the greatest revivalists and evangelists that's ever walked the face of the earth. You know who his primary supporter was? Lady Huntington. Lady Huntington was a British aristocracy. She had more money than she could count. And George Whitfield had a suite in her house. She took care of the man of God. But George Whitfield also slept in the slums and slept on the street. Had a musket blow up in his face from people who had... He did whatever was God's will at the time. So get out of your minds. Well, this is spiritual because this guy's so lowly and humble. No, they're not.

Most of them are full of wickedness and are full of loving and are proud of their humility. The best thing is just joy where God puts you in joy in him. Amen? And be ready to be an "and then some" Christian as God leads you and gives you those open opportunities. So here Paul is writing to the Philippians and he says, "Man, I've learned if I'm in a tough circumstances, praise the Lord. If I'm in Lydia's house in her suite, praise the Lord. I'm fine there too." Verse 13, "I can do all things for him who strengthens me.

Nevertheless, you've done well to share with me in my affliction." So he brags on them, "But you've been good to give me this financial support," Paul says. Verse 15, "And you yourselves know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the Gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone." He said, "You're the first church to get that when you receive spiritual things from the man of God, you're to give him material things back." Verse 16, chapter 4, Philippians, "For even in Thessalonica you send a gift more than once for my needs.

Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account." Paul said, "The biggest joy to me is not getting the gift." Now he's already said, "But it's good that you send it. It's good that you send it, but my greatest joy is not the gift, but it shows me you're right with God. That's what makes me excited. It shows me you're an and then some kind of church, that you want to support God's work this way." So he says in verse 18, "But I have received everything in full," oh, not just that. Keep reading. "And have an abundance," not just that.

"I'm amply supplied having received from a Paproditis, he was the courier that brought the gift, the financial gift, what you have sent." So these Philippians gave Paul a really big financial love gift to help his ministry. They did what other folks would do and then some. So Paul, of course, he wrote them back and said, "Look, I'm sending most of this back. This is too much. I'm a man of God. I'm supposed to suffer, you know. I'm not supposed to have good food to eat. I'm just supposed to be lowly." So I'm sending all this back. He doesn't do that. He says, "I'm adequately supplied.

I have an abundance." Matter of fact, if I remember correctly, if you look at the etymology of that word "abundance," it can also be translated "luxury." I can live high on the hog right now the way you folks have taken care of me, Paul says. So what's Paul's response to that church supporting his ministry that way? Look at the rest of the verse here. I mean, verse 18. He said, "What you've done is a fragrant aroma and acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. The fact that you went over and above more than I really could possibly need, God's extremely pleased with you for doing that." You know why?

Not that Paul had to have a Jim Baker-style lifestyle, okay? But that Paul is saying that shows you love God. That shows you're an "and then some" kind of church. You're acting normal as a Christian when you give this way to support God's work. Verse 19, "And my God shall supply all your needs." He said, "When your heart's this way, you can bank on it. God's not going to let you go without your needs being met." My God! In other words, Paul's saying, "The God I know, the God I've learned from, the God I know His ways. He will make sure all your needs are met according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus." Powerful stuff!

The Philippian church was an "and then some" kind of church. We have been in one building program after another, buying land around my church since I've been there practically. And in one of our big building campaigns, we needed several million dollars to do something. I forgot what it was. And God just convicted my heart. He said, "You're going to charge these people and challenge these people to give and even pray about giving sacrificially and stock God's will for you to always give sacrificially." But sometimes it is. I'm not going to judge you. You can't judge me. Amen. We go to the Lord and see what God leads us to do.

But I had a new four-wheel drive Chevrolet truck. Now, I'm an outdoorsman. I loved to bow hunt, loved to fish. That's just been joy in my life forever. I'd always wanted a four-wheel drive. Finally got one. Could never afford one. Finally bought one. Well, me and the bank bought one. And God convicted me. You need to give a... I didn't know the phrase back then and then some kind of offering. Well, I didn't have any money in the bank. I mean, literally. I mean, we live week to week. And hadn't been a seminary that long. Graduate school cost, you know.

So I thought, "Well, I've got a good bit of equity in that truck." So I just put the truck up for sale and thought, "I'll drive. I'll find something real cheap. I might take up payments and I'll do something different." And I gave that and then some kind of offering to that need at the church. I don't know how long it was. It wasn't very long though. I got a call on the phone and the man's name was Jim Bishop. He owns a Chevrolet dealership in town. He said, "Brother Jeff, my wife and I were just talking about you. I want you to come down here. I want to give you a new vehicle to drive. It'd just be yours to drive. There's only one catch.

You got to bring it in every six months and get another new vehicle. So I can sell that one as a demo every time. For years and years and years I drive a brand new vehicle that Jim Bishop gave me. But after I gave what I had. Because God said, "You give and it will be given to you." Good measure. Shaken down, pressed down, running over. Men, they will pour into your lap. Does it happen 100% of the time? No, and I don't think God teaches that. But generally that's what God does. And I think, brothers and sisters, when you become an "and then some kind of church" and I really believe you are now, but we're all still growing, amen?

That God blesses this church in ways. He's got blessings. He just got blessings piled up back there. He's wanting to pour out here. And He's going to. Not preaching this nonsense, prosperity theology you see on TV. But sometimes we get so afraid, Brother Chris, of the prosperity false doctrine, we forget, "A lot of this is clear in the Bible. They're just using their Christianity to gain wealth. We love our God and want to use our wealth to serve our God and then He'll flood it back on you. The black preacher said, "If God can get it through you, He'll give it to you." There's some truth to that.

So my charge to you would be, are you and His Grace Life, Church of Brookhaven and then some kind of church. When you give to your weekly budget needs, do you give what other folks would do? And then some. When you have your missions offerings or missions giving, do you do what other folks would do? And then some. When you think about supporting your pastor and staff, do you figure out what other churches would compensate and pay? And then some. When you have special needs going forward and they're going to happen, because God's going to bless your work.

You need to buy some land, remodel a building, whatever it is, will you do what most other folks would do? And then some. Because when you do that, you're not a great Christian. You're just normal. You're just normal. God's people are the kind of people that do what other folks would do. And then some. One day I was sitting on my house and there was a knock on the door. My three girls were littling that day and the person at the door said, "We're with the Department of Human Services.

I think it's Health and Human Services and we want to come in and talk to you about your girls." And I said, "Come in." They said, "We've got a whole list of things the state of Alabama requires you to do for your children. You've got to provide clothing. You've got to feed them. They need decent housing. They need education." They went through all those things. What are you talking about? You don't have to bring a rule book to me. You don't have to bring the law to me to get me to do it. I'd give my life for these children. I'd do everything you've talked about and a whole lot more, because I love them from my heart.

And by the way, that didn't happen. But it's a good illustration of what we're talking about, amen? When somebody says, "Well, as a Christian, you all do this, this, this." You all say, "What are you talking about? I love Christ in His church. That's what I want to do. I don't need the law." Amen, grace is better than the law. I love Him. So I want to do what other folks would do. And then some. Now, you know, it could very well be for some of us to be no change in your giving right now. You just need to change in your heart attitude about it. Amen. And maybe some of you, God, speak in your heart and say, "You know what?

I've been one of these. Well, what's my tide, dog? Just .29." You need to say, "No. No, He didn't just give me the righteousness of Adam and Eve. He gave me the righteousness of His Son. I want to give back to my Lord's work. I promise you, folks, four decades of doing it, you cannot give the Lord. You cannot give the Lord. Keep on being what you are. Keep on growing from where you are. And let's be those folks that do what other folks would do. And then some. Because we love Him. Not out of a fair, sayable, legalistic motive, but because we love Him. Can we bow in prayer just together for a moment?