Skip to content How God Gives When We Give - Generational Influence, Part 7 Dec 21 · 52 min ...more
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
156K followers
Empowering multimedia ministry for bold Christian living: Weekend Messages, Deep End Podcast, Deep Dive Bible Study. Tim Hatch, Lead Pastor, Waters Church, 26 years of pastoral ministry, book author.
156K followers
0:00 You're listening to Waters Church podcast, where faith meets real life. Where 1 church, many locations, and 1 mission, to see lives changed by Jesus. No matter where you're listening from, you0:12 are a part of Waters Church family. Now let's dive into today's message from our pastor.0:20 Praise the Lord. You look good today. A lot of red in the house. You matched our choir. I didn't get the memo. I'm sorry about that. But it is good to be with you, and we're gonna take out our notes.0:32 They look like this or like this. Here we go. I wanna talk to you on how God gives when we give. That's the title of my message, part0:43 7 in this series, generational influence. And I got some things to talk about when it comes to this offering that we're taking in at all locations. We've been doing this today. What are we0:55 doing? We're investing in the next generation. That's why it's called a generational influence, a permanent facility for Woonsocket, our oldest location, but it's still leasing property. We're done giving money to some1:06 other corporation. We wanna invest in our permanent residency in that community. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then we also wanna expand Watershed Chapala Beach. We wanna get parking done up there. By the way, you should see in1:17 the next few months the construction process start for our parking. Though all the money is not yet in, we're not gonna wait. We're gonna just step by faith and start the process of1:29 building it out. Enough is enough waiting. God blesses activity. So we're gonna go for it, and then our facility up here on the second floor on that side of our building for Waters1:41 Academy. And then we have already fully funded Waters Greenville, South Carolina, which opens its doors January eighteenth. Come on.1:53 And Harold is up here, our leader for that location launch. He is up here doing some recognizant work with some team members that he picked up from the city of Greenville. So people are being added2:05 to that church already. He hasn't even opened his doors yet. Isn't that cool? And then 1 day, a couple years, couple years we're saying. Now that we we like long term planning at Waters Church. Okay? A couple years will2:17 be at Waters Church Orlando, by God's grace, will get Mickey saved. Come on, somebody. Alright. Generational influence, how God gives when we give. And I want to talk to you2:28 on the subject of giving because this is a giving day, but this is a giving season. It's Christmas season. It's the season of giving. It's the2:40 season where we exchange and give gifts. And I want you to think about it. You don't get this season if God doesn't give Jesus. The most important scripture probably in all the Bible,2:52 John 3 16. For God so loved the world that he What? Gave. Gave. The most important verse in all the Bible. Subject, God.3:04 Verb, gave. Object, his only son. Direct object is us so that we do not perish but have eternal life. You don't get Christmas without3:16 God giving Jesus. More importantly, not only does God give Jesus, but I want to give somebody some assurance today because you're in this category that I'm gonna3:27 address all message long. You're in this category of believing that today, when you give, you lose. Nothing could be further from the truth.3:39 Nothing could be further from the truth. And the reason why you need to understand this is because scripture continually and regularly teaches us that no matter what, God is a3:50 giver. The Romans chapter 8, probably the most encouraging chapter in all the Bible. If you're ever depressed, you read yourself Romans chapter 8. It is just4:02 promise after promise after promise of God's goodness toward you. And in verse 32 of that chapter, he says, he who did not spare his own son,4:14 but what? There's that verb again, gave him up for us all, how will he not also with Jesus graciously give us4:28 all things. Paul making the point. Jesus, God's son, is the stamp of God's favor over every4:40 area of your life. You you ought to you have to understand God's not just interested in getting you to heaven. God's interested in empowering your life today. Can I get a good amen right there?4:51 So we're gonna go to this passage in the New Testament in second Corinthians chapter 9, and Paul is talking to a church in the ancient city of Corinth. I just took a team of5:03 peep a group of people from my church to the remains of this ancient city, and he's raising money from this church that was in a largely gentile area. And they're gonna5:15 take that money from gentiles. They're gonna bring it to Jerusalem to give it to some Jewish Christians who were struggling because there was a famine and devastation that come upon the church in Jerusalem. So and so5:26 Paul is in the fundraising business, and and he's calling on the church to be the church. Hey, let's support 1 another. Let's invest in 1 another. That's what we're doing today. We're not giving, we're5:37 investing. We're not losing, we're planting seeds for the next generation. And I think about Christmas season as a perfect season to talk about giving because, again, we don't get5:49 Christmas without God giving. And I think about the the the themes of this season. 1 of the big themes is Santa Claus, and our kids will go to sleep on December 20 fourth and hope that6:01 Santa will make an appearance. He's kind of a creeper, this Santa. He watches us and records us and puts us on a list, sees us when we're6:13 sleeping, knows when we're awake. This guy is a massive creeper, comes down the chimney, uninvited, drops off some gifts, steals some cookies and some milk, then takes off. Weird little tradition. But do you know that6:25 the history of Santa, you don't get without Jesus? The word Santa comes from saint because his name was not Santa Claus, his name was Saint Nicholas.6:37 Saint Nicholas was the pastor of a city called Patera in Turkey, what is now modern day Turkey. It was Asia Minor in the bible. And he was a generous and wealthy pastor, and he was wealthy because he inherited6:49 money from parents. His parents died when he was young, and he decided to give all his money away before he died. And he heard about this single dad in his community that had 3 daughters who were about to be sold into6:59 slavery. And this is in the 3 hundreds, 3 hundreds AD. And to save those children from a life of prostitution and slavery, Saint Nicholas snuck up to their house 1 night, took 3 bags of gold, threw it into7:11 their window. Those 3 bags of gold saved those girls' lives. You don't get Santa without Jesus. That man did that because he loved Jesus. It's an incredible story.7:23 And here's what you're gonna do today. You're gonna invest in somebody's life. You're gonna save somebody from slavery. Maybe not sex slavery, but slavery to sin, slavery to shame, slavery to7:34 guilt. How about this for some young children for Waters Academy? Slavery to a life without meaning and purpose. That's what this is about, is giving. Santa Claus7:46 comes from Jesus. And that's a good story to have with your kids when you're when you're all said and done at the end of the season. When it comes to giving, however, I do believe that there's a group of people, you're7:57 still on that you're still in that mindset that this is, oh, alright, fine, here here you go. No. No. No. No. That's not what it's about. That's not what it's about. We're not just asking you to give just for the sake of8:06 giving. I wanna point out a verse of scripture. This is kinda like the main theme of our tech of our talk today. Verse 7 of Corinthians chapter 9, each 1 must give as he has decided in his heart. So we've already asked8:16 you to plan. This was a long time ago, way back months ago. They make this plan to give, save. According to first Corinthians chapter 16, set some money aside every single week, and then and then when we have the8:26 collection, there's no guilt, there's no reluctance, there's no pain because you've already made a plan, you decided in your not reluctantly, not under compulsion. God loves a what? Cheerful Cheerful giver. Now listen.8:38 The word for cheerful in the Greek, because the bible was written in Greek, the New Testament anyway, is hilaros. Does that sound like a word you're familiar with? Yes. Hilarious.8:50 This is how God wants you to give. I'm so excited. I'm so excited to give to God's work. That's the kind of God that's the kind of giver God loves. Why? Because that's the kind of9:02 giver God is. You have to understand something too when it comes to giving. There is nothing that God asks you to do that ultimately isn't for your good. Giving is something God asks you to9:14 do, and hear me, it's actually good for you. Every every parent knows this. It's better for your children to be givers than takers. Every father knows that9:26 natural life turns you from a taker to a giver. Have you heard of the 4 stages of Santa Claus? The 4 stages of Santa Claus for every man. Sorry, ladies. I gotta leave you out. But for every man, there's 4 stages. Number9:38 1, you're scared of Santa Claus. And anybody who's ever taken a screaming, kicking child to meet Santa knows exactly what I'm talking about. Then you like Santa Claus. That's stage 2. You love Santa. Look forward to9:50 Santa Claus coming. Then you are Santa Claus. And the final stage, you look like Santa Claus. Come on. You know what I'm talking about. Fighting with every ounce of ability to10:01 keep that from happening to me. So naturally, life expects us to grow up. Naturally, if we mature, we turn from10:13 takers to givers. That's maturity. Mature people are not takers. Mature people are givers, and we and we become more like God. 3 3 things about God's commands I need you to write down. Letter a, write this at the top10:25 of your notes right here. God God's commands are for my good. God never asks you to do something that's not ultimately for your benefit, and that includes giving. You're not10:37 losing when you when you obey God. You're not losing when you give. Here's what it says in Deuteronomy chapter 10. You keep the law and the commandments10:49 that God is commanding you today, it is for your, last word, good. That's what God commanded Israel. There's nothing in this word that God has given you to obey that isn't11:01 for your benefit. The reason why God says don't get drunk is not so that your parties will be boring. God says don't get drunk because you will make terrible decisions11:13 that will ruin your life. I don't know if anybody remembers the Coldplay concert right up the street up here a couple of months ago. And those 2 that were shamed because they were doing something wrong. Well, she just11:25 came out with her story. She said, I made a terrible mistake. I had a few too many high noons, and I cuddled up next to my boss, and the rest is history, and my marriage is over. And I say, that's reason number11:36 1572 not to drink. Right there. Because it might lead you to make some terrible decision. That's why God says don't do it. It's actually for your good.11:48 How about this 1? The reason why God says forgive. You understand that that that's not God asking you to be a doormat? That's not asking God you know, God's not up there saying, now you just take it from everybody and12:00 don't complain because I want you to be a doormat. By being a doormat, you'll glorify me. That's ridiculous. Amen. Now God knows that bitterness can spoil your soul. Amen. Bitterness can ruin12:12 your heart. You are not made to carry all this emotional baggage through your entire life. It will cause your character to deteriorate. God God12:23 commands everything in his word for our good. That includes giving. Let's take it up a notch. Letter b, God's commands are for my betterment. Not only are12:35 they not only does obeying God bring good into my life, obeying God makes my life better.12:47 Obeying God makes me better. Look at this passage from Psalm 19, 1 of my favorite Psalms, by the way. Talks about the law of God, the word of God. And it says in verse 7, the law of the Lord is perfect. What does it do?12:59 It revives the soul. It causes your soul. You know, the word for soul is it it means your inner person. Causes your inner person to revive. Gives you life.13:11 It says the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. What does God's word do? Gives you wisdom. We got a world full of knowledge, a world full of smarts, and a world full of13:22 lunacy at the same time. Because we don't have wisdom to apply to our knowledge. It says the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Where do you get joy? You get joy in the Lord's13:34 word and doing and following his commandments. And then it says the commandments of the Lord are pure, enlightening the eyes. In other words, you'll see the world clearer when you get into God's13:46 word. It makes you better. Saul Proverbs chapter 3 says, if you do what God says, it will lengthen your days, and it'll add years to your life, and it'll give peace to your heart.13:59 Can't imagine a greater gift than that. Peace on the inside. No matter what's happening on the outside, I got peace inside of me. How do I got that? I got that because I've learned to listen to God14:10 and not to the words of men. Deuteronomy chapter 28 says, if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord, he will cause all the blessings to come upon you and overtake you. I love that phrase, overtake14:22 you. That's conquering language. In other words, you obey God and God's blessings will conquer your life. I don't know about you, but I want God's blessings to conquer me. Come on somebody. This is for your14:34 good and it's for your life to get better. And letter c, God's commands lead me to God's best. There is life, there is a good life, there is a better life, and then there's God's best14:46 life. This is what God wants for you. You're you're his children. He is not out to get you. He wants to support you, to bless you, to to cause you to thrive. Acts chapter 20, Paul's talking about14:58 giving, and he says it's more blessed to give than to receive. In other words, receiving is good, but bless but giving is better. Giving is best. The big idea, let's resolve here. God's commands, God commands15:09 giving for my good. He commands me to love my neighbor because it's good for me. He commands me to be generous because it's good for me. He commands me to abstain15:21 from sexual immorality because it's good for who? For me. He he tells me to stop being jealous, to stop envying other people because it's15:33 good for me. Some of you need to make this leap because you're in this, You treat Christianity like it's a jail cell. And all that God keeps you from doing, oh, God is a big15:45 killjoy. He doesn't want you to have any fun. No. God is a protective, loving, generous parent who wants you to flourish in your life. So15:56 Paul says that to the Corinthians in this fundraising letter. The the second Corinthians chapter 8 and 9 are 2 whole chapters of talking about giving, And he says it. That's why we want you16:08 to be cheerful here. Want you to be hilarious. Hilarious in your giving because you know it's going to be good for you. So what happens?16:21 What does how does God give when we give? That is the title of the message. Let's do point number 1 and write this down. When we give, God gives proportionately. When we give,16:32 Paul makes this argument very clear in second Corinthians 9, we get back proportionate to what and how we give.16:45 Verse 6, backing up. The point is this, whoever sows, what? Sparingly. In other words, well, I can I can give a little here? Here you go. Here's some16:57 fragments. Here's a little couple. Here you go, Lord. Let's see how well, guess what? You're gonna reap how? So God is gonna be like, alright. Well, here you go. Here's a couple of fragments of goodness. Here's a couple17:08 of things I guess I could help you with. Likewise, whoever sows how? Bountifully. Here, Lord. I'm giving you above and beyond. I'm giving you more than I think17:20 I can give you. I've given you a great measure. God in heaven responds and says, well, I'm gonna just do that back to you. Proportionate giving. This is all over17:32 the New Testament, the way. It's all over the Old Testament. When we give, it comes back to us. Proverbs chapter 11 verse 24, 1 gives freely yet grows all the richer. Look at that passage.17:45 1 gives freely and some of you, again, you think that you're losing by giving. You're not. Not if you take God at his word. If you take God at his word, you know that17:56 when you give, you're gonna grow richer. Then it hop it says, the flip side is the 1 who withholds what he should give only suffers want. Now now now go back to this passage. Paul is using this18:08 this phraseology intentionally, sowing and reaping. Another passage of scripture says, whatever a man sows, that he will also what? Here's how you gotta understand this. Whatever you're putting18:20 into your life, you get back. What whatever you whatever you sow, you reap. Now, some of you are gonna miss a blessing today because you're tired of me talking about giving and money.18:32 Well, let's take a time out. Time out, let's take the money topic, and let's just put it on the shelf. Let's put it over here. I'll pick it up in a few moments. It's on the shelf. Sowing and reaping is more than just18:44 about money. You are reaping everything that you have previously sowed into your life up until this moment. This18:55 applies to your relationships, your job, your thoughts, your habits. Whatever you sow, you reap. If a farmer goes to his field and he19:07 plants wheat into his field, he doesn't come back 3 months later and say, where's the corn? I wanna I thought I was gonna get corn. No. You're not gonna eat19:19 corn. You planted wheat. Likewise, if he goes out and he plants corn, he doesn't come back and say, now where's the cucumbers? Whatever you sow You reap.19:30 You reap. Here here here's how it is in your life right now. Are you sowing discord in your life? Some of you are surrounded by conflict. You're surrounded by conflict. And19:42 you're like, why? Why do I got so much conflict? Because you love getting involved. You love getting into every little fight. Oh, you love gossip and slander. You19:54 love you love secrets. Oh, you oh, you what do you wanna tell me? I love to hear that. Oh, what did they do to you? I wanna know. Oh, how awful. Oh, they're just awful people. You should you know what you should do? Blah20:05 blah blah blah. And then before you know it, you've just sown. Don't you realize? You've just sown conflict into your life. And that conflict does not come at right back at you. You gotta wait a couple months, it's gonna20:16 come back at you. Hey, married people. Let me make you uncomfortable for a few moments. Your marriage right now, you're reaping what you have been sowing up until this20:28 moment. So your marriage is the result of your sowing. If your marriage is on the brink, if your marriage is filled with, you know, rivalry and animosity, you know20:40 why? Because that's what you've sown into it. You've sown bad words to each other. You've sown critic if you sow criticism in your marriage, you're gonna get criticism20:51 back. If you sow hateful words in your marriage, you're gonna get hateful words back. Likewise, let's not just get negative here, if you start sowing kindness into your21:03 marriage, you're gonna get kindness back. You start sowing you start sowing compliments into your marriage, you're gonna get compliments back.21:15 You start loving, you'll get love. I'm trying to tell you this. Your entire life right now as it currently stands is the reaping from your21:27 previous sowing. Do you know how life you know how empowering this message is right now for you? You understand this? You could change your life. Hey, married people, you don't need a counselor. I've21:39 just given you all the tools that you need. You start speaking love, you start speaking kindness, you start speaking forgiveness. Even if she's wrong, you say I'm sorry. Come on, somebody.21:52 You know, you start sowing and watch God reap in your life all the things that you've poured out. Jesus said, give, verse 38 of Luke 6, give and it will be given to you.22:04 Good measure, press dash, shake again. You know, he's not just talking about money there. He's talking about everything. Now I I gotta go a little bit deeper here. Can I go a little bit deeper? Yes. Because there are22:12 some there are several things that scripture says are like seed in our life. Seed. Seed. So you put seed in the ground and you get a fruit back. Several things the22:24 bible says are like seed. Let me go through them with you. Number 1, money in this passage. We just talked about it. You give, it gets given back to you. Here's something else that's called22:36 seed in the word of God, your words. Your words are seeds. Now Proverbs 11, I it's Proverbs 11, Proverbs no. Sorry. Proverbs 18 2022:48 says, the power of life and death is in the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Notice the last line. Those those who love it, the power of life and death in23:00 its own. So there's fruit that comes forth from what? From your Words. Words. There you go. My words23:12 that I speak today will produce fruit in my life tomorrow or in months from now. So let me just ask you something. When you show up to work,23:25 do you show up with positive words? Or do you show up complaining? Oh, I hate this job. This is I'm going nowhere in this job. You're just all23:37 you're doing is sowing that into your life. Let and and in your relationships, that's all you're sowing. You know, you you don't wanna be the person that everybody confides in. I'm23:50 stepping on some toes, and I'm probably stepping on a lot of ladies' toes. You don't want to be the person everybody tells you every secret to. If you are that24:02 person, you have opened the door of your life and your heart to all kinds of issues. Because gossip grows, slander grows,24:14 nasty thoughts grow, and somebody has to, at some point, just say, enough. You ever get into that conversation? I've been there. I've been in those conversations where you just24:25 start to ping pong back and forth, and before you know it, you're just you've just taken this person that you just started talking about that they got this this issue there, you know, with some issue in your life, and24:36 you've just turned that person into Hitler's second cousin. And this person is bound for hell, there's no you understand? Words can kill24:48 or they can bring life. Listen. Into your future. Okay. Number 2 or number 3, because money, words, how about this 1? Labor. Ecclesiastes 1124:59 says that you scatter your seed upon the water. It it says give portions to 7 even to 8. That's not talking about your labor. You gotta invest your time and your energy into a multiplicity of efforts because you don't25:10 know what's gonna work out for you. Invest your labor. Now I I think that there is a lot of people here who could benefit from this. You feel like your job is out to get you. Your boss hates you. He has no25:22 respect for you. And this might be hard to hear. And I understand that there are some real deadbeat bosses out there. I understand that. That might be your case, but I think for most people, your25:34 actions could win them over. God gave Daniel favor in the eyes of Asphonaz, the the the secretary of Nebuchadnezzar.25:46 God, God gave Joseph, Pharaoh, in the prison where he was wrongfully jailed. Why? Because these men worked hard wherever they25:58 went. Your workplace some of you gotta get this. Oh, you gotta get this. Your workplace is a field. It's plowed. It's harrowed. God has26:10 given it to you, and you are presently reaping the seeds that you sowed into it this last year. And what you're getting back, you say, I don't like it. I'm not getting the26:21 promotion. I'm not getting the raise. My Christmas bonus was terrible. That's because you put so much little effort. That's because you complain, and word spreads, and people see you, and then they talk about you. Hey.26:33 Listen. I heard this I heard this rule from a pastor that I greatly respect, and it's a great rule for everybody. He was writing a blog post at 40 years old, and he said, I wish I could tell my 20 year old self this.26:45 And 1 of the things on the list was this, always be caught talking well of other people. How many of us have ruined our life26:57 because somebody heard us talking nasty about somebody else? And and we didn't think of anything of it until, oh, word got around. Word got around. So your words, your27:08 labor. I think Christians should be the most hireable people in our community because they love the lord, they stay late, they work extra hard, and they don't complain. That's God's seed. That's27:20 God's field for my life. How about this 1? Number 4, prayer is a seed. What seeds are you planting in your prayer life? What seeds are you planting in your27:32 prayer life? You need to start planting, positive, God honoring values into your house. For those of you27:44 with children hey. For those of you without children, don't wait to have children to start praying for them. You pray for them27:56 before they're born. How about before you're married, you pray for your spouse before you meet them. Your praying is planting. My plant my praying is planting.28:08 Now this is a problem with our culture because we are instant generation people. I'm instant gratification people. We want God to be a microwave. That is we say a prayer and 30 seconds later,28:19 ding, it's hot and warm. The cheese is melted, and I'm happy. It's just not God's way. God's God doesn't do that. When God wants to28:31 make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes 24 hours. What do you are what do you want your life to be? An oak tree or a mushroom? God takes his time. He makes all things28:43 beautiful in his time. So what if you're ugly right now? Give God time. That should be a value for searching for a spouse. Well, they're kinda28:55 ugly. Just give God time. Right? God takes his time. So are you planting seeds? I I mean, really think about this. You gotta learn this29:07 value. Plant the Jesus said, ask and you shall what? Seek. But then he says, you also sometimes have to seek. Seeking takes29:19 longer than asking. Then he says, sometimes you have to what? Now now nobody does this. You go over somebody's house, nobody does this. Nobody goes to the door and goes29:33 Do you do that? You're a lunatic if you do. Just telling you. They'll ignore that. They might think, you know, the cat knocked something over or they might think, you know you know, that was just the wind.29:46 Go to somebody's house, you do this. How many times did I just hit? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Stroke roll, I was a drummer. Right? Sometimes they don't hear29:58 you, they're in the shower. You need to learn that value in your prayer life. You've asked, nothing happened. Well, you sought, nothing happened. Now it's time to knock and bang on30:10 the doors. Some of you, this is where you gotta be with your kids. I am gonna bang on heaven's doors until God saves my son. Some of you in your marriage, I am gonna bang on heaven's30:21 doors until this marriage is blessed in Jesus' name. How what are you doing? What are you you got it doesn't take any energy to pray. By the way, we got 21 days30:33 of prayer and fasting coming up in January. 21 days for us to bang on heaven's doors because we've raised money. Now it's time to seek the kingdom, seek the heaven blessing on all we're endeavoring to do30:45 as a church. 21 days to knock on the doors and get the answers you need in your life because your prayers are seeds that will produce fruit in your30:57 future. Here's a big 1. Last 1. Number 5, thoughts. Thoughts are a seed. Now unfortunately,31:10 when it comes to your thoughts, you can plant them, other people can plant them, and this is big. The devil can plant them.31:21 I'm planting thoughts in your heads right now, but the devil, he is a master farmer. And my old youth pastor used to31:33 say to me, you can't stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can stop him from building a nest. That's a lot of times with thoughts.31:45 Some of you you got a porn addiction. It didn't start with an addiction. It started with a thought. You gotta uproot that seed. Take it captive in31:56 Jesus' name before you take your money and give it to some OnlyFans model who has no clue you exist and drives a Bentley32:08 because you're hooked. And it didn't start with you handing over 10000 dollars. It started with a thought. A thought that took root, germinated, and grew32:20 into a massive, enslaving tree. Some of you, you got this rivalry going with your sister, and there's jealousy and envy and32:31 here's the fact, you you don't even talk to each other. You've let the jealousy, the thought, drive a wedge grow into this thing where you can't even you can't32:43 even communicate anymore. And now there's this huge family divide, and it's holiday season. You're not even gonna see each other, and it didn't start with a big divide. It started with a thought of32:55 jealousy. You see, Satan loves to plant seeds. That's why scripture says, you gotta take every thought captive and make it obedient33:07 to Christ. Oh, don't don't feel bad about the bad thoughts. Don't feel bad. Oh, I got bad thoughts. Pastor, go go go go. That's not I I'm not concerned about the thoughts that were given to you. I'm concerned about the33:17 thoughts that you're holding on to. Amen. Amen. Reject that thought in Jesus name. Cast that thought down in Jesus' We take that thought, and we demolish it in the name of Jesus, and I'm gonna33:29 meditate and put my thoughts on things above and not on things below. So you got that? 5 things, money, words, labor, prayer,33:41 thoughts, all seeds in scripture. Now I'm gonna have to take giving back off the shelf. I'm gonna go back to that topic. Alright? Number 2, write this down. When we give, God gives comprehensively.33:53 So he gives proportionately, but then Paul is gonna make this point in verse 8 of this chapter. In verse 8, he says, and God is able to make all grace abound to you so34:05 that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. Later on, in verse 11, he says,34:17 you will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous in every way. Now look just just check out the comprehensive terms in these 2 passages. Circle34:28 these alls in your notes. All things, all grace, every good work at all I mean, man, that is a comprehensive blessing. Hear me today. Sometimes34:41 when you give money, God doesn't actually give you money back. He gives you something better. Amen. Amen. Now just if34:53 you believe that there are a bunch of things more important than money, give me a good amen. Amen. Now I have tried to tell you as often as I can because I don't tell35:04 you to do these things, I do these things. I tithe as a church as a pastor, I I give beyond. My wife and I, we sponsor children. We give to the needs of others. We try as35:16 much as possible to find ways to fill our hands with opportunities to give. And I've watched God sometimes, he gives me money back. And35:28 usually, it's a multiplicity of what I gave to him. Like, rarely, I don't think it's ever actually happened where I gave, oh, 2500 dollars and 2500 dollars came back.35:41 Usually, it's more than that. But sometimes, I put the money out for the kingdom of God, and no money comes back. Guess what does come back? Contentment.35:53 A spirit inside of me that's at peace. Here here's another thing that I cannot put a price tag. I could take all the money that I have in my life. I could put it on this table, and I could36:05 say, would gladly give this up to have this. You know what it is? It's something that God has given me. Children that love the Lord. Nothing36:18 in your life can substitute for that, and my children love the Lord. 2 of them work for this church,36:31 and I did not tell them that they should nor did I put that on them and expect that of them and kinda coach them into I never did. In fact, 1 of my children, sent36:43 off to go to work for Chick fil A. Serve the Lord's chicken. I told her, you gotta become 1 of those owner operators. They make big money. Go do it. I'll be thrilled. And36:55 she did. She went out there. She did it. And then she called us up 1 day and she said, dad, mom, I wanna come home, and I wanna work in the kingdom with you and mom. And I you can't buy that.37:07 You can't buy that. And that so God, sometimes he gives you money. Sometimes he gives you things that are way more important than money. Just look37:19 at this word, grace. By grace, you are saved. Right? By grace you are but grace is not just for your salvation. Grace is for things other than salvation.37:32 In fact, the scripture says that there are gifts that God gives, miraculous supernatural gifts that God pours into your life. They're called grace gifts. The gift of wisdom, the gift of knowledge,37:44 the gift of prophecy, the gift of leadership, the gift of administration. These are gifts of God. How about the gift of zeal? All kinds of gifts. Talents. You understand that37:56 God can give you talents, abilities that will then make you money? See, sometimes God doesn't just hand you out money. Sometimes he gives you a talent that helps you make money. Now look at my life and I say, this should38:07 not be. I should not be the pastor of this church. You don't understand how many times I say that to myself on a regular basis. I am a walking miracle act of almighty God. I you know where I'm38:19 from? I'm from Western Massachusetts. No. That's that way. You know what's in Western Massachusetts? Me neither. I don't there's nothing. I wasn't38:31 popular. I wasn't most likely to succeed. I was kinda gullible growing up. I was bullied in middle school. I didn't have much talent. I have no idea. You know what it38:43 was? God took gifts from heaven and gave them to me. Because here's what God does. He takes the nobodies in this life and he turns them into somebodies. He uses the things that are not to tear down the things that38:54 are so that no 1 can boast in God's presence. And everybody who's somebody in Jesus knows they're only somebody because of him. That's my story. That's my testimony.39:08 And I think about I'm pastoring not just a church in Massachusetts, but Rhode Island and Florida and South Carolina. How You put GodShow more
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.