The Offering of Self - 8/31/26 - Meadows Baptist Church Missions Conference - Bro. Gary Crisp

Welcome to [music] the podcast of

Meadows Baptist Church of Walnut Cove,

North Carolina. We're so glad [music]

you joined us today. If you enjoy

today's message, be sure to subscribe,

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friends. Now, let's join Pastor [music]

Charlie Branch with a word from God.

>> Amen. Good to be in the house of the

Lord tonight. Sure am thankful it's well

with my soul. Amen.

>> Well, if it's not with yours, it can be

before the night's over with.

>> Sure am thankful. I can tell people that

God's still in the saving business.

>> And the blood still works.

>> Holy Ghost still draws.

>> Jesus still saving. Amen.

>> Thank the Lord for that. That's why the

Head family wants to get out west so

they can tell him tell them people that

Jesus still saving it. Amen.

>> My brother Brian, his family trying to

get to Scotland. Go tell people Jesus

still saved. Amen.

>> We want to get them there as quickly as

we can. Amen.

>> Uh people are dying every day without

Jesus and they need to hear that. Well,

it's good to be here. Take your Bibles

tonight. Let's go to the book of Second

Corinthians.

2 Corinthians chapter number eight

tonight. Real familiar, especially

around missions meetings. I just give

you a simple little thought tonight. try

to mind the Lord this evening. I've been

working on something to me was newer and

fresh and I thought I had it ready, but

um Lord sees

sees something I don't. Amen. So, we

going to go to something uh something

more familiar probably to many of you. 2

Corinthians chapter number eight.

Of course, this is the second letter

that Paul is writing to the church at

Corenth. He's done written one. And in

that first letter, of course, it wasn't

broken up in chapters when he wrote it,

but in chapter 16, he tells these

Corinthians about an offering.

He'd already given order to the church

of of Galatia, and he's wanting the

church of Corinth to do this as well,

that upon the first day of the week,

everyone's to boast to lay by them in

store if God has prospered them. And

then he said he's going to send somebody

by and pick up that offering and they're

going to be using it for the saints in a

different location.

>> We realize that this offering that he's

dealing with in First Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16 · chapter mention

chapter 16 is not a tithe offering.

>> Nobody comes by our churches and picks

up our tithes and takes them somewhere

else. Amen.

>> So he's not talking about a tithe

offering. He's talking about a different

offering. And so um the churches of

Galatia has been doing this. The church

of Corinth is committed to do this. And

now Paul's going to re be reminding this

church at Corinth about this commitment

to give uh as he had already commanded

them to here in 2 Corinthians chapter

number eight. Look at with me in verse

number one. The Bible said, "Moreover,

brethren, we do you to wit of the grace

of God bestowed on the churches of

Macedonia,

how that in a great trial of affliction,

the abundance of their joy, and their

deep poverty abounded under the riches

of their liberality. For to their power,

I bear record, yay, and beyond their

power. They were willing of themselves,

praying us with much intreaty, that we

would receive the gift, and take upon us

the fellowship of the ministering to the

saints.

This they did, not as we hope, but first

gave their own selves to the Lord, and

unto us by the will of God, in so much

that we desired Titus, that as he had

begun, so he would also finish in you

the same grace also.

Therefore, as ye abound in everything,

in faith and utterance and knowledge,

and in all diligence, and in your love

to us, see that ye abound in this grace

also. I speak not by commandment, but by

occasion of the forwardness of others,

and to prove the sincerity of your love.

You know the grace of the Lord Jesus

Christ, that though he was rich, yet for

your sakes he became poor, that ye

through his poverty might be rich. And

herein I give my advice, for this is

expedient for you, who have begun

before, not only to do, but also to be

forward a year ago. Now therefore

perform the doing of it, that as there

was a readiness to will, so there may be

a performance also out of that which you

have. For if there be first a willing

mind, is accepted according to that a

man hath, and not according to that he

hath not. For I mean not that other men

be eased, and ye be burdened, but by an

equality, that now at this time your

abundance may be a supply for their

want, and that their abundance also may

be a supply for your want, that there

may be equality. Let's pray. Father, we

are truly grateful for this privilege

you've given us to come back together

again this evening. Lord, I thank you

for everything that has already been

said and done. Lord, thank you for the

singing. It stirred our hearts and uh

we're grateful for it. Lord, I thank you

for the presentation, [snorts]

the heart, the the ministry, God, that

you call brother Jonathan, his family

to. Lord, I pray that you'd get them

there quickly that they might be a

witness, Lord, to those that need to

hear about Jesus. Lord, I thank you for

this church. Thank you, Lord, for their

love that they've already shown to us. I

pray rich blessings upon each one that's

here this evening as we look into the

word of God. Would you please Lord

please speak the hearts tonight. Lord,

do what only you can do in this service.

God, if you will touch me fresh, give me

liberty to preach. And God, we'll try

our very best to thank you for whatever

it is that you do, Lord, for it's in

Jesus precious name that we pray. And

amen. As Paul begins to remind these

Corinthians about the commitment that

they have made to give, he is turning

their attention toward an area known as

Macedonia.

Macedonia was located in northern

Greece. And in that Macedonian area, you

had three good churches. You had the

church of Philippi, the church of

Thessalonica, and the church of Berea.

Those churches are in that Macedonian

area. Those churches are the one that

he's wanting the Corinthians to look at.

That word wit means to look at. So he

said, "Moreover, brethren, we knew you

to wit to look at the grace of God

bestowed on the churches of Macedonia."

Then he goes into detail giving us some

information about these churches of

Macedonia. What God is doing in midst

these churches of Macedonia and he wants

them to get in on what's happening in

Macedonia.

A lot of negative things have been said

about the church of Corinth and I

understand that to an extent. They did

deal with a whole lot of carnality and

things of that nature. But in verse

number seven, under the inspiration of

the Holy Ghost, Paul says this about

those church or that church at Corinth,

he said, "Therefore, as ye the

Corinthians, abound in everything."

>> What about that? That church at Corinth

was abounding. Well, Paul said under the

inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in

everything.

>> And he begins to list those things in

faith and utterance and knowledge and in

all diligence and in your love to us.

Then he adds this. See that you abound

in this grace also. What grace is he

referring to? [snorts] He's referring to

the grace that is being bestowed upon

those churches in Macedonia. Again, he's

trying to turn their direction to look

at what was happening in Macedonia. For

the next little bit, if God help us, I

want us as a church. Let's look at

Macedonia together. as Paul charged the

Corinthians to do. And let's see what's

happening in Macedonia. In verse number

two, we start to see a few interesting

things about these churches of

Macedonia. First of all, we read this

how that in a great trial of affliction.

>> We see that these churches, these people

in Macedonia are dealing with a great

trial of affliction.

I love how the Holy Ghost uses

adjectives.

>> They're not just dealing with a trial.

>> It's not just a trial of affliction.

>> The Holy Ghost wanted us to know that

it's a great trial

>> of affliction. That's right.

>> I'm not real sure exactly what it might

have been. I've got some ideas, but

that's neither here or there. It really

don't matter what that trial was. The

bottom line is they are dealing with it.

It's a great trial of affliction. So, we

see immediately that these churches in

Macedonia had some problems that they're

dealing with. Y'all with me? Yes,

>> sir.

>> I don't know of a church anywhere

tonight that don't have some problems

that they have to deal with.

>> There's somebody here probably looking

for that church that don't have none.

>> I want to give you a little information.

You're going to be looking for a long

time. I I don't think we're ever going

to find a church that don't have some

problem to deal with. Boy, ain't heaven

sounding sweeter all the time.

>> I I can't wait to get to a place where

there won't be no more problems to deal

with. Amen. Uh but until then, uh we are

going to continually deal with problems.

They had a great trial of affliction.

And also in verse number two, uh, we'll

find not only are they dealing with a

great trial of affliction, they are

living in what's called deep poverty.

There's another one of them adjectives.

They are not just living in poverty.

They are in deep poverty. I don't know

what your definition would be of poverty

tonight, but I highly believe that

there's none of us living, probably not

even living in poverty,

much less deep poverty.

>> Would you agree with that?

>> You may have a different definition of

poverty than I do. And so maybe we might

might not see eye eye to eye on this.

You may think you're in deep poverty,

but go with me for a little while on one

of my trips that we take. And uh I tell

you what, I mentioned it yesterday. I've

been over to Africa a few times and

especially one country in particular.

Bkina Faso, we mentioned that last

night. Brother Keith Shoemakers over

there, tremendous missionary veteran,

been there for going on about 30 years

now. And I've got to go over several

times and be with brother Keith. And one

in particular in trip that we made, uh,

brother Charlie, brother Keith sent me a

message and he wanted to know if that

might be a possibility of us putting a

team together and come over and help

him. I said, "Sure, we'd love to. What

do you need?" He said, "We have found

some villages that's never heard the

name Jesus, and we want to try to go out

and try to reach some of those villages

and introduce them to Christ." That

became immediately exciting. So, we put

a team together. There's 11 of us went

over. And uh for two and a half weeks,

we did not stay in motel. We didn't even

get to stay at the missionaries house.

We literally stayed out under the stars

covered with a mosquito net. Amen. I

ain't got time giving y'all the details

about that. But we went into these

villages. We found seven villages. Seven

of them in different locations that had

never heard the name Jesus.

>> Hard for us to fathom.

>> There's people out there that still

never heard.

More people in the world's heard of

CocaCola

>> than they have Jesus. What about that?

>> They're still out there. He found seven

villages. Some of these men had went out

and found where they was and located

them. And we were told by a couple of

these men that these villages probably

never even seen a white man. And so what

we would do, we would go into these

villages and we'd find the tribal chief

and we would we would get his

permission. We'd gain his friendship.

Never failed. They always welcomed us in

with open arms. And we would sat down

with the tribal chief and we would ask

him if we could meet with his people.

and we would call them to the center of

the village and we would stand up and

just preach Christ to them and tell them

about a man that loved them enough to

die for their sin. Amen. And so what we

would do, they would allow us the

opportunity. We'd go around from hut to

hut and invite everybody to come to the

center of the village. I'll never forget

this. one of the first huts that we went

to and going around the perimeter of the

village, we walked up to a straw hut put

together with straw and mud. Not

concrete, not quickrete, just mud. Straw

and mud. Standing outside the hut in the

doorway was a young lady probably in her

mid20s, I'm assuming. And she's standing

there with a broom, just a stick with

some straw tied to the end of it. And

she's sweeping the ground in front of

her doorway,

smiling from ear to ear. We walked up to

her and she's amazed that we're there.

And she steps back and she starts

pointing us to go in her hut.

So, we went into her hut. We was

welcomed into her house, if you will.

Brother Michael, we walked in and I soon

as I walked in, I just looked around and

I scanned real quickly. It didn't take

just a moment. And over here to the

right as I went in, it's where her and

her children slept at night. There

there's no bed. There's no cot. There's

not even an egg crate. There's no

sheets. There's no quilts. There's no

blanket. It's just a worn out spot on

the ground. tells where they slept. I

scanned on around and right over here

next to that then was some handmade

shelves. She'd made them out of clay.

Probably did it herself. And everything

she had was on those shelves. All there

was was some handmade pottery that she

had made herself. Some bowls and cups

and scanned on around her kitchen. Had a

little fire pit there. And I guess

somehow another she'd cooked right

there. There's a couple of bowls and had

some kind of grain and some kind of

little beater that you she'd mash that

grain up with. And and that's that's

everything she had. I I didn't see a

recliner. I didn't see a couch. I didn't

see an air conditioning on the wall.

There was no ceiling fan. There wasn't

even a light bulb. Y'all with me? There

wasn't a toilet seat. There was

absolutely nothing. I don't know what

your definition of poverty is, but to me

now that would be deep poverty.

>> And the Holy Ghost said that these

people in Macedonia

were in deep poverty.

>> What about that?

>> Well, let's look what else we can find.

We we see their problem. We see their

poverty. But now, watch this. Right in

the middle of that great trial of

affliction, verse two. Now, right in the

middle of the great trial of affliction

and the deep poverty, I find something

else. Not only did they have a great

trial, not only were they in deep

poverty, watch this. The Holy Ghost said

they had an abundance of joy.

>> That don't make sense to us.

Help me now, church. There's another one

of them adjectives. They didn't just

have joy. Holy Ghost said they had an

abundance of it.

>> Oh my.

>> That tells me two things real quickly.

Joy does not come from having things.

>> No, no, no.

>> If it took things to bring joy, much

less abundant joy, they'd never had it

in Macedonia.

>> That tells me another thing. Joy does

not come from circumstances. That's

right.

>> If it took good circumstances to bring

joy, they wouldn't had none massed on

you.

>> Cuz they got great trials and deep

poverty.

>> That tells me that joy must come from a

relationship.

>> Amen.

>> It don't come from circumstances and

things.

>> They had something that some of us are

looking for.

>> Amen.

>> I'm gonna be honest with you. Help me

right here. I don't know that I'm

willing and asking for some great

trials.

I don't know that I'm going to go ask

for deep poverty just so I can have

abundance of joy.

>> Amen.

>> I may not be may not sound real

spiritual, but I'm just Lord, if it'd be

all right, I'd like to I'd like to find

that abundance of joy without the

problems in the poverty. Wouldn't you?

>> Well, guess what? It can be found

without the problems and poverty. It's

in the Lord Jesus Christ.

>> Amen.

>> So, right in the middle of these two

things, they had an abundance

of joy.

You mix those three things together,

that's what happens here in verse two. A

great trial of affliction, abundance of

joy, deep poverty, and those three

things abounded to resulted in the

product of that was their, notice what

it said, riches of their liberality.

Now, y'all going to have to help me

right here. I think we understand

riches. the depth, the greatness

of their liberality. What's liberality?

Liberality here simply means their

giving. [clears throat]

>> Now wait a minute. How does somebody in

deep poverty able to give anything much

less, here's another adjective, richly.

>> Amen.

>> Said that ain't possible. I believe it

is.

>> We We want to read on. We got to we got

to find out how that's possible. Verse

number three reveals the how that's

possible. For to their power I bear

record yay and beyond

>> their power.

>> H

you see it wasn't it wasn't them that

was able to do that. It was God that was

able to do that through them.

>> Amen.

>> We see their power. I've got to get

somewhere and I've got to kick it in

high gear. Y'all with me? It's about 9

minutes till late, y'all. Okay.

>> If you don't know, I'll throw out the

time every now and then just try to be a

blessing to you. It It's hard. It's hard

to look at the watch or the clock while

the preacher's preaching.

>> Y'all know that, don't you? You don't

want him to catch you.

>> It's embarrassing when the preacher

catches you. So, I'll just try to be a

blessing to you. I'll throw it out every

now and then. Just see if it'll help

you. All right. It it's about 8 minutes

late now. And I'm going to try my best

to hurry. Some of you got to get up

early and go to work. So, we'll remember

that.

>> So, we see their problem. We see their

poverty. We see their product. We see

their power. Notice with me real quickly

their pre pleasure. Verse four, praying

us with much intreaty that we would

receive the gift and take upon us the

fellowship of the ministering to the

saints.

>> That word praying right there simply

means asking.

asking us with much intreaty. That means

to beg,

>> to plead. Here's what's happening. Verse

four says, these Macedonians was asking

Paul, pleading with Paul, would you

please let us be a part of? Would you

please let us fellowship? Would you

please let us help in the ministering to

the saints?

Here, here's what they said. We want to

give to that. Yeah,

>> we want to be involved in that

>> in spite of their deep poverty. I I

believe, brother Charlie, if there's

ever been a people had a good excuse not

to give,

>> it'd been them Macedonians.

>> Yes, sir.

>> Brother Paul, we we we admire what

you're trying to do. I believe it's a

good cause to help the poor saints in

Jerusalem. We we really we're behind you

100%. We we can't we can't help you.

Maybe come back next year. Maybe things

will be a little different.

>> Amen.

>> I mean, they would have they could have

easily done that. It'd been legit.

>> Amen.

>> But they wasn't satisfied, man. Paul,

please, please let us be a part of this.

Let us be involved in this fellowship of

the ministering to the saints. Paul

might have said, he probably didn't, but

he could have thought it. How you going

to do that?

And Paul finds out how he how they done

that. God's doing it through them. For

to their power I bear record. Yay. And

beyond their power.

>> So we see their pleasure. Here's where I

want to get to. Verse number five. We're

going to see their priority. Talking

about the Macedonians. And this they

did. This next statement. Look at it.

Not as we hoped. That sounds like a

negative statement, does it not? Sounds

like a letdown. Not as we hoped. It

almost sounds like they were hoping for

more,

>> but it's really right the opposite.

>> Yeah.

>> It's not a let down. They did the

unexpected.

>> Yes.

>> They did beyond what was hoped.

>> In the fact, here's the first thing that

they did. Hey, would before they ever

wrote a check,

before they ever reached in the wallet,

>> Yeah.

>> before they ever dug out the jar behind

the house,

>> before they ever did anything, the first

thing they gave, look what it said, they

gave their own selves to the Lord

>> and us by the will of God.

The key to all that we're trying to do,

I want you get a hold of this. The key

to missions,

the key to Christianity,

>> the key to church,

the key to ministry. Right? Here it is.

The first thing they did, they gave

their own selves to the Lord.

>> First thing, not the last thing. The

first thing that I got to ask y'all a

question. I'm hurrying. It's about Oh

my. It's about four minutes till

let's see if we can speed it up just a

little bit. The question is, have you

ever given yourself

to the Lord?

>> Fair question, preacher.

>> Fair question. Really is. I I'm not

asking, listen, I'm not asking if you

got saved.

Hang on with me now. I'm not asking you

if you got saved. I'm asking you, have

you ever given yourself to the Lord?

>> There's a difference.

>> There's a big difference.

>> Hopefully, if the Lord help me, I'll

explain that to you in a moment. I'm

asking if you've ever given him

yourself.

Lock, stock, and barrel. No bargaining.

Here it is. Lord, here I am. You can

have it. You ever done that? You'd be

surprised how many good Baptist church

members ain't never done that.

>> Ain't never done that. And then there's

some that has done that, but it's been a

while.

>> It's been a while. I don't know what

God's going to do here tonight, Monday

night, first first week night of the

missions conference. And I'm excited

about it. Been excited about it for a

while. Hoping God's going to do some big

things.

really am.

>> And maybe here in just a few minutes,

Brother Charlie, I guess there'll be an

invitation.

And I don't know what's going to happen.

I really don't. But what if what if one

person,

just just one, what if one

got up out of a pew here in a little

bit, came down to an oldfashioned altar,

fell down before the Lord, and said,

"God,

here I am.

I don't know why you'd want me, God,

but if you'll have me, I'm going give

you me

with no strings attached.

I don't know what you think about that.

Let me help you with that real quickly.

Got to my message now. Introduction was

as long as the message, so stick with

me. That, my friend, would be the

ultimate thing you could do.

>> That would be the ultimate thing that

you could give to the Lord. That would

be the ultimate offering. You couldn't

give God nothing greater than if you

just couldn't give God yourself. Let me

help you right here. A lot of people's

got some confusion about a mission

conference. They think it's all about

money.

>> Let me help you. God ain't interested in

your money.

I

>> ain't after your money.

>> These missionaries sure could use your

money, but it ain't about the money. If

God gets what he wants out of this

meeting, when it's all said and done,

guess what he gets? He gets you with no

strings attached.

>> I mean, if I I if God's will's done this

week, oh, hang on. If God's will is done

this week, he gets us with no strings

attached.

Amen.

>> Have you ever done that?

>> If you do that tonight, that would be

the ultimate offering. There's no

greater thing that you could do.

>> Let me say this real quickly. If you

would do that, number one, that would be

an offering

of life.

>> Paul said Romans 12, y'all can quote it

with me. I beseech you therefore,

brethren, by the mercies of God, that

you present your bodies living

sacrifice,

holy and acceptable unto God. Listen

what he said. Which your reasonable

service

>> ain't asking too much.

>> By the way, if you don't give him

yourself, you cheating him

>> cuz he done paid for it.

>> He bought you with a price. And what a

price he paid. Oh yes.

>> And it's just nothing but reasonable

you'd bring yourself lay up here on the

altar and give it to God.

>> Amen.

>> If you do that, that'd be an offering of

life. God, here's my life.

>> It's yours. Several years ago, I say

several. I don't think it's been that

many years ago now. There was a church

much like this one.

Had an older lady that was one of the

church members. and and and brother

Charlie, everybody called her Granny.

She had a name. I don't even know what

her name was. The pastor, I'm not even

sure he did, but most of the church

members didn't even know what her name

was. Everybody called her Granny.

Granny.

Granny was usually the life of the

church. She was life of the church

services. She'd come into church with a

kick in her step and praise on her lips,

ready to worship God. She loved the

Lord.

>> And it she's one of them church members.

If granny's not going to be there today,

probably ain't going to be much happen.

>> I think I had one or two of them one

time.

>> She's special. Granny was a widow. Her

husband been gone for quite a few years.

And granny only had one boy. and her son

was a missionary serving on a foreign

field.

Grew up in that church and a pastor

pastor loved that boy about like his own

and he'd watched him grow up and helped

ordain him and they laid hands on him

and sent him out of the church to be a

missionary. One Sunday morning before

the service started, they had doors kind

of like y'all and his preacher's office

was back behind the congregation.

He was in his office getting ready for

the church service to start and he

grabbed his Bible and fixing to walk out

of the office headed out to the

sanctuary and just as he did and started

to walk out, the church phone rang.

He started to walk on past. I mean, it's

church time on Sunday morning. Surely

people know we fixing to have church.

But for some reason or another, brother

Charlie, he just reached over and picked

up the phone and he said the church's

name and on the other end was a missions

director.

He said, "Pastor, this is brother so and

so." And he said, "I I'm sure sorry to

bother you right now. I know church

fixing to start." He said, "I really

didn't think I'd get you, but I had to

try."

He said, "I got some bad news for you,

preacher."

He said, "One of your missionaries,

one of your own

was tragically killed this morning on

the mission field."

His granny's boy

and it it broke the preacher. I mean, it

it ripped his heart out.

He got a few details and he hung up

and he don't know what to do. By the

time he hangs up, they done they done

started the service. They've done got up

and sung the opening hymn in in the

sanctuary.

He made his own way on out and came out

on the platform up here and and he's

tore up. He don't know. He don't know,

brother Jonathan whether or not to go

get Miss Granny, pull her out of the

service. He don't know whether to wait

till after church. He he don't have no

idea what to do. His mind and his heart

so broke.

So he just comes and he he took a seat

on the platform like he usually does and

they sung the song and he's got tears

swelling up in his eyes.

People could tell they something wasn't

right. I got through singing and he

slowly made his way up to the pull pit

and he just looked at his church

trying to find some words trying to

figure out what to do.

So he said he just started over here on

this side and he just started looking

into the eyes

of all these people.

He done that until way around over here.

Miss Granny always sat over here on the

left side.

And when his eyes met Granny's preacher

broke. He just broke. He said, "Church,

I got some devastating news."

He said, "One of our missionaries,

one of ours, tragically killed this

morning on mission field." He looked at

Granny and he said, "Granny, your boy

died this morning."

She kindly melted out of her pew into

the floor. Some ladies got up and they

head over there to try to help her and

comfort her a little bit. That only

lasted a moment, though. Granny got up

on her feet. She looked toward the

preacher and she said, "Preacher, can I

say something?"

He said, 'Yes, ma'am, Miss Granny. You

can say whatever you want to.

She said, "Preacher, I don't mean to go

against what you said, but I just wanted

you to know my boy didn't die this

morning.

My boy died up there on the altar before

he ever went to the mission field. My

boy just went home this morning."

>> Can I ask you something? You don't have

to be a missionary to die on an altar to

yourself and get up and live for Jesus.

That's for a child of God. Has there

ever been a time when you died

>> in an altar, but you got up and live for

Jesus?

>> IT'S A GIFT OF LIFE.

>> YOU DIE TO YOURSELF, BUT THANK GOD YOU

GET TO GET UP AND LIVE FOR HIM.

>> AMEN.

>> It's an offering of life. Let me say

this. It's an offering of love.

>> Sure.

>> There's no greater way to say, "Lord, I

love you."

>> Yeah.

than by what you give him.

>> That's right.

>> I want to ask you another question. You

love the Lord.

>> Do you really love the Lord?

It's shown.

Matter of fact, according to the

scripture we read, it's proven

by our giving

whether or not we love him or how

sincere we love him.

[snorts]

Let me clarify. Let me ask you this

question. Does the Lord love you?

Does he really love you?

How you know that?

Well, the Bible tells me so. It does.

>> But he did more than tell us so.

>> That's right.

>> Let me give you a real simple one right

here, y'all. Help me. John 3, I believe

it's 16, ain't it? For God

so loved the world,

>> didn't just love us. There's another

adjective.

So loved us. What did he do? because he

so loved us. He gave

his only begotten son.

>> Amen.

>> Here, here's one. How about Romans 5'8?

But God

commendeth

his love. That's a good word.

>> Commendeth.

I I used to think that it just meant

that he proved. It means more than that.

It literally means to put on display.

>> But God

displayed his love for us.

>> Amen.

>> In that while we were yet sinners,

>> Christ died

>> for us.

>> Amen. Listen to me. You may question one

time whether or not mama loves you.

>> You may even wonder whether or not daddy

loves you. may come to a place where it

feels like your husband don't love you

or your wife don't love you. May even

feel like your kids don't love you. But

there should never be a time where the

thought crosses your mind whether or not

he loves you. HE'S DONE PROVED IT. HE

DISPLAYED IT ON CALVARY. HE'S GIVEN YOU

EVERYTHING TO SHOW YOU THAT HE loves

you.

>> That's right.

>> Yes.

>> So, how do we show that we love him?

by how and what we give.

Let me I don't want to get rough here,

but you tip God a few dollars.

About all you're saying is, "Lord, I

thank kindly of you."

You're not willing to give him your

life.

Listen to me.

You can give without loving.

>> Amen. But you cannot love without

giving.

>> It's impossible.

>> That's right.

>> Give me two things. I'll find out what

you really love.

>> Your calendar and your checkbook.

>> I'll find out.

>> Amen. Can I make a confession? I can't

get bogged down here. It's It's 8 after

8 now. I'm hurrying. Y'all don't believe

me, but I am.

>> I got 10 grandbabies.

10 of them.

You hang around me a moment. I'll pull

out a picture and I'll show them to you.

I might even show you a video or two.

>> Wait a minute. I can't get bogged down

right here. I love them young so much.

Golly bum. We got mas and papas in here.

>> Y'all help me right here. All right. Am

I on to something?

>> I love them. They got me wrapped and

they know it.

>> Amen.

>> All they got to do is come to papa

>> when they want something.

I ain't going to tell you the whole

story. I'm talking about right at

Christmas time. Three weeks before

Christmas, papa, I want this. You know

what papa does? Papa get it. My daughter

saying, "Daddy, don't do that." Right

now, Christmas, I don't care. I said,

"Stay out of it.

I can't help it.

Why would you do something like it? Cuz

I love him.

>> Amen. Don't try to tell us you love the

Lord. You don't want to give him

nothing.

>> Amen.

>> If you really want to show him that you

love him, give him yourself.

>> Give him your life. Lock, stock, and

barrel. The ultimate offering. I'm I'm

I've got three more. I'm hurrying. If

you do that, that'd be an unlimited

offering.

unlimited been a few years back now.

Brother Steve Hensley, I don't know if

any of you fellers knew brother Steve.

Brother Steve Hinsley pastored in East

Tennessee. I know brother Brian did and

some of you. He pastorred in East

Tennessee for several years. And then

later on God called him out west and he

went to Idaho take a work over out there

that another missionary started and

left. And brother Steve wanted me to

come out and preach a mission conference

for him and he got delayed. We end up

out getting out there about the same

time and uh the previous missionary that

started the work had brought had bought

the local Catholic church in town

and uh

he started it. I don't know who it was.

I'm not I'm not saying anything. I don't

know the situation. Ended up leaving and

just a handful of people and a big

mortgage and a Catholic building. Steve

went out there, take it take it over. I

get there and we the day we get there,

he's showing me around. Took me inside

the church building. Old Catholic

church. Had had high ceilings, almost as

high as y'alls, but had huge wood beams

across the top. One of the prettiest

buildings I think I've ever seen. Really

was. I was bragging on how pretty the

building was. He said, "Preacher, it's

real pretty." He said, "You help us

pray. We got a big mortgage."

I said I said, "Brother, I will. I I'll

sure help you." I'd done gotten back

east and and a few days had went by and

I got a message on my phone.

It was a video message. Marco Polo. I

don't know if y'all even know anything

about that stuff. I don't know much, but

it's a it's a video text message, I

guess you'd say. I clicked on it. It's

Brother Hensley, and he got something in

his hand, and he's wiping tears. He sent

the message out to a few of us and he

said, 'Brethren, I just got to tell you

what God did.

He said, "Somebody walked in off the

street." We don't even know who he is.

Walked in off the street and gave us a

check for $92,000.

Enough to pay the mortgage off.

>> He said, "I done been down the bank,

make sure it's good." And it is.

>> Amen.

>> We rejoiced over that. Somebody said,

"Man, I wish somebody gave me a $92,000

check." I said, "Man, I wish I could

write a $92,000 check." Amen. We We

rejoiced and WE SHOUTED OVER WHAT AN

OFFERING.

>> But guess what?

It's gone.

>> It's done. Young man, you come up here

and help me, me

appreciate your help. What's your name?

>> Elijah.

>> Elijah. Elijah. Fine looking young man.

How old are you?

>> Uh 12.

>> 12. Just right.

Elijah, you got any money?

>> A little bit. You

>> got a little bit of money?

>> Should I ask him how much? No, I won't.

I won't do that.

>> Got a job?

>> No job.

Got a vehicle?

>> Got one picked out.

>> No,

>> I don't know. Going to have to hurry up

that

you know what Elijah could do? Elijah

got a little bit of money. He could he

could go and get that and and he could

put it in a mission offering. Wouldn't

that be a blessing?

12 year old young man do something like

that. I I think that'd be honorable.

Don't you?

>> I'd probably make I'd probably make mom

and dad proud or or somebody like that

or I know it'd make his pastor proud.

But I got a better idea. What What if

Elijah just kept his money?

But he walked up to an old altar

somewhere and

crawled down an altar and said, "Lord,

it's Elijah.

You know, I'm just 12,

but God,

if you'd have me,

I'd just like to give you me, my life.

I don't know what you'd do with it. I

don't know why you'd want it, God, but

Lord, it's yours if you want it.

We shout over a $92,000 check.

Let me tell you what's a whole lot

better than a $92,000 check.

>> 12 year 12y old young man giving his

life to God.

>> Amen.

>> $92,000 check gone. Can't do nothing

else for God. What could God do with

this young man if he gave his life to

God?

>> Oh yes.

>> Unlimited.

>> Yes.

>> Amen.

>> No. Tell him what God Hey, don't you

downplay. He's just 12.

>> That's right. That's right.

>> Tell him.

>> One of the greatest evangelists in the

United States today. I won't mention

names, but he started when he's 10 years

old.

>> Mom and daddy would drive him to

meetings. He'd preach revival all over

the South. Mom and daddy drive him. and

he'd go out and play with the other kids

when he got through preaching.

Powerful preacher today. God's using

that man all over the country. No

telling what God would do.

>> But this young man, if he gave him his

life, thank you, Elijah. Some of you

here say, "But preacher, I can

understand how great it would be for a

young man like that to give his life to

God. But most of my life's gone.

Most of my life's behind me. I don't

have a whole lot left. Let me help you

right here. God could do more with

what's left than you could ever dream of

if you'd give it to him. Amen. No

telling what God would do if you'd give

it to him. Won't you Won't you try him

out and see?

Lord,

it's all yours. Do with whatever you

want. Some of you afraid to do that. You

afraid. You afraid God going to send you

to Africa. Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> I don't know why we pick on Africa all

the time.

>> I'm telling you, you'd be better off in

Africa

>> in the will of God.

>> Yes.

>> The ultimate, the unlimited. Two more

real quickly. That'd be an unending

offering.

>> I know what you're thinking. Yeah,

preacher, that means it just keeps on

giving. Well, that's true, but that

ain't what I'm thinking. Here's what I'm

thinking. If Elijah was to come to this

altar tonight, I ain't trying to work

that out. Don't believe that. I'm just

telling you an example. If he came to

this altar tonight and he gave his life

to God tonight,

you know what he's going to have to do

tomorrow?

>> He going to have to do it again.

>> If you come tonight and you lay your

life down and say, "God, it's all yours.

You can have it." You know what you're

going to have to do tomorrow?

>> Going to have to do it again.

>> What do you mean, preacher?

If you offer God a living sacrifice,

that's what it would be.

A living sacrifice don't want to stay on

the altar. It keeps crawling off.

>> How you know, preacher,

I keep crawling off.

So flesh don't want to stay there.

>> Paul said, I die daily.

It's an offering you have to keep on

giving

over

and over. I said some of you done that a

while before, but it's been a long time

since you've done that.

Probably about time you do it again.

Unending. Got one more. It's only I

think we're doing okay. About about 17

after y'all. All right.

One more. You'll like this one. Okay,

most of you going to really like this

one.

It's the ultimate.

It's the unlimited. It's unending,

but it's also an unrequired offering.

You don't have to.

Somebody said,

"What do you mean by unrequired

offering?" Listen to me carefully. I

asked you earlier if you'd ever done

that. And I I said I wasn't asking you

if you'd ever been saved. Listen to me

carefully.

You have to get saved.

>> Y'all with me?

>> You want heaven?

>> You want eternity with Jesus. You want

to miss hell.

>> You have to get saved.

>> When you get saved, that does not mean

you gave God your life. Here's a famous

phrase in the South, Brother Charlie. We

say when we got saved, we gave Jesus our

heart. You ever heard that one?

>> I'm not I'm not complaining about that.

If you want to use that phrase and help

yourself, but I tell you what you really

gave Jesus when you got saved.

>> What What did you have to give him? I

mean, I'll just tell you what I gave

him, brother Michael. I gave him my sin,

>> right?

>> That's really all I had.

>> I had a bunch of it, too. Yeah.

>> And bless the Lord, when I gave it to

him, he took it.

>> Every

>> something ran up my back. He took every

single one of them.

>> Past, present, and future.

>> Amen. Listen to me. If he'd left me with

one, I'd be in trouble tonight.

>> But bless the Lord, NOT IN PART, BUT THE

WHOLE. HE TOOK THEM ALL. THANK GOD.

>> ALL OF THEM.

>> That's all I had to give him. That's

>> all I had to give him.

>> Amen.

>> I'm saved.

[laughter]

>> I'm going to heaven.

>> If you gave me sin,

>> That's right.

>> You get to go to

>> Amen. Just because you gave him sin

don't mean you gave him me life.

>> I was doing a study on all them Old

Testament offerings. There's a bunch of

them. I ain't got time to get into all

that. You got the trespass offerings and

you so many of them. Most of those

offerings I found something in common.

That which was being offered

had to be perfect

without spot

without blemish. That sin offering had

to be without spot without blemish.

That's why it's so important that Jesus

was sinless, [snorts]

>> spotless,

>> he's the only one that qualified

>> to give an offering like that.

>> Amen.

>> If you and I had to give an offering

like that,

I think we'd be in trouble, wouldn't we?

>> But I kept on studying and reading and I

found I found an offering that became

real interesting to me. There was an

offering that would be accepted

even if it wasn't perfect.

It It could have it could have some

issues. Here's one of the Bible words

that it used. Superfluous.

This offering could be superfluous. You

know what that mean? I had to look it

up. Leaking fluid,

scratched or cut.

There was an offering that didn't have

to be perfect that God would accept. You

know what it's called? It's called a

free will offering.

>> You don't have to give it.

And if you do give it, it don't have to

be perfect. Oh my word.

Listen to me. If you bring yourself up

here and put it on the altar and give

your life to God, you know what that'd

be? That'd be a free will offering.

>> Amen.

It's one of them offerings it's just

because you want to.

>> Yeah, that's right.

>> Amen. It's one of them offerings you

just say, "Lord, I love you so much.

>> Lord, you've been so good to me.

>> HOW CAN I NOT GIVE YOU EVERYTHING?"

>> And you just bring yourself up here and

you put it on and say, "God, here it

is."

>> Amen.

>> I don't know what in the world you can

do with it. I've tried for a long time

to do something with it and I ain't done

nothing but make a mess of it.

Lord, if you can take it and you can do

something with it, here it is. It's

yours.

You know what I've seen God do? I've

seen him take a mess like that and make

a miracle out of it.

>> I've seen people bring him a mess and he

turns it into a ministry.

>> What about that?

Hey, I'm telling you, I can't I can't

get over what God and this is just

please, I I don't even want to I can't

get over what God's done with my life

since I gave it to him.

>> I mean, [laughter]

he took me places I never dreamed I'd

get to go. He's let me see things and do

things I only dreamed of getting to do.

Yeah,

>> my little mama before she went to

heaven. It wasn't too many months ago.

She she died in May, but I was talking

to her just a few months before she

died. I was down in Florida doing a

mission conference and I talked to her

and her mind gotten real bad. And she

said, "Where are you at?" I said, "I'm

down here in South Florida, mama." She

said, "What are you doing?" I said, "I'm

preaching a mission conference." She

said, "How in the world somebody like

you get down yonder?"

I've been asking myself the same thing.

How in the world somebody like me, oh,

I I'm amazed.

GOD CAN DO MORE than you ever dreamed of

if you'd let him have a shot at it.

>> The first thing those Macedonians did,

>> they gave gave God their life.

>> They gave themselves.

Go back with me real quickly to Job. Let

me remind you about Job just a moment

and I'm done. Job was what the Holy

Ghost said under the inspiration.

He was a perfect and upright man. One

that feared God to shoot evil. Y'all

remember that?

>> We read about him in chapter one. Man,

he was so blessed. It starts listing all

them things and all the livestock that

he had and God been real good to him.

And Job, we're told in chapter one that

he would rise up early.

Said this did Job continually. So I

guess he'd do that about every day. He'd

get up early every morning and he'd go

out and offer sacrifices

unto the Lord,

a worn out trail to an altar where he'd

offer them sacrifices. Thus did Job

continually. See, he'd offer them

sacrifices even for his children.

And then it came to pass that Satan came

before the Lord. Y'all remember it,

don't you? Hast thou considered my

servant Job. Obviously, Satan had said,

"You got a hedge up about him. I can't

get over it. I can't get under it. I

can't get around it. You lower that

hedge. Let me add him."

Man, it happened, didn't it?

Just a few verses, Job loses everything,

including 10 children. 10 of them.

Everything's gone. Then on top of that,

he smoked from the top of his head to

the bottom of his feet with sore balls.

And we find Job

sitting in the ashes

with a potshur. That's a broken piece of

pottery. He's scraping himself with all.

I asked myself a question. I said,

"What's Job doing in them ashes?

What ash is Job in? Tell

>> some might think, well, it's probably

the ashes from the destruction of him.

No, no, no, no. Here's what I'm

thinking. I think that next morning

after he lost everything.

I think he got up like he did the

morning before when he had everything.

>> Sure.

>> I think he walked the same worn out

trail back to an altar.

>> Yes, sir. Only problem is this time he

don't have a lamb to put on that altar.

>> He don't have a goat. He don't have a

turtle dove to put on that altar. You

know what I think he put on that altar?

I think he put himself on there. Said,

"God, I ain't got nothing left to give

you but me."

>> That's what God wanted all the time.

>> That's all God's really want from you.

>> He's after you. He wants Oh, that's

shout ground right there. What in the

world God want with you?

>> Who are you

>> that he'd be interested in?

>> 8 billion plus people. Why would he be

interested in me?

>> Wow. He knows us.

>> Wow.

>> Heads are bowed, eyes are closed.

The offering of self,

the mission conference. We talk about

giving. We talk about going.

The first thing those Macedonians did,

they gave God themselves.

I wonder tonight, let me ask this

quickly. Maybe there's one here tonight

and you've never been saved. You've

never given God your sin.

You want to go to heaven.

You you you want to miss hell, you

better get saved. Better put your faith

and trust in try Christ and give him

your sin.

You don't want to face God with him

yourself.

I wonder if they'd be one to say,

"Preacher, won't you please pray for me?

I've never been saved. I need your

prayers. Would you let me pray for you?

Just slip the hand up real quickly. Let

me see that. You can put it right back

down. Anybody? I'm looking. I'm looking.

Anybody? Preacher, please pray for me. I

ain't never been saved.

Please pray for me. Anybody right quick

or if they'd be one say, "Preacher,

won't you pray for me? I've been saved.

I give God all my sin,

but preacher, I ain't never give God my

life."

Holy Ghost spoke to my heart tonight.

Preacher, would you please pray for me?

Or if they'd be one, just one somewhere.

Preacher, please pray for me. Never have

given God my life. Never have took my

hands off of it. Never have let it go.

Never have give it to him. Would there

be one?

I'm looking.

Let me ask this. I'm done asking

question. I see that hand. God bless

you. Let me ask this. How many of you

say, "Preacher, I've done that before.

It's been a while.

It's been a while, preacher.

I need to probably do that again.

I stand. Somebody's coming to the piano.

Altar's open. [music]

An altar. What about that? An altar.

What happens on an altar? It's where you

lay down the offering.

[music]

That's where that that's being offered

dies.

It's [music] consumed.

That's what happens on an altar.

[music] How long's it been?

How long's it been? God's interest in

you. [music] God wants you.

Oh, I say, bless the Lord. Isn't it

amazing? [music] God wants us.

God's really interested in us.

Wow.

Next best thing after getting saved I

[music] ever did, I gave my life to the

Lord.

I tell you where I was.

I was in an [music]

army tent

in the middle of Saudi Arabia in the

desert.

I got down beside an old cot

in that sand. [music] I said, "God, I

don't know why you'd be interested me."

God, here I am. Feel [music] happy.

He took it.

My my

best thing I ever [music] did outside of

getting saved.

The offering of self.

Give it to [music] him. Give him all of

it. Take your hands off of it. Let him

have it.

See what he does [music] with it.

See what he does with it.

You're doing it [music] tonight.

Probably going to have to do it again

tomorrow.

I hope that don't discourage [music]

you. I know flesh just don't want to

die.

Got to keep doing it over [music] and

over and over and over and over and

over.

Our [music]

father [music] in Jesus name, we come

before you tonight.

Thank you so much for your servant that

minded you tonight.

Lord, I pray you'd help us to count the

cost.

Sinners are lost and dying.

Lord, we're hanging on to way too much.

God, help us to give it all to you. I

pray for [music] each one that's on this

altar tonight. Pray for the ones didn't

come tonight. I ask [music] you, God,

tonight that all your will's been

accomplished in this service.

Lord, I pray, Father, that you would

help us all to be obedient to the truth

that's been shared tonight. [music]

Lord, it'll change our life if we'll let

it.

God, I ask you, Lord, that you'd help

our church, Lord, to embrace [music]

this,

God, help me to embrace this,

Lord, because it is daily. [music]

And Lord, I sure love you. Thank you

again for the word of God. Thank you for

speaking to our hearts. We give you

praise and honor for all that you've

done, for all you're going to do. We ask

it in Jesus' name. God's children say

it.

>> Amen.

>> Thank you for joining our service today.

We'd love it if [music] you join us in

person. the next time you are able at

Meadows Baptist Church. Our physical

address is 2988 Stewart Road in Walnut

Cove, North Carolina. Our service times

our Sunday school [music] at 10:00 a.m.,

Sunday morning worship at 11:00 a.m.,

Sunday evening worship at 6:00 p.m. and

Wednesday evening [music] Bible study at

7:00 p.m. For more information, visit us

at meadowsbaptisturch.com.

[music] Thanks again for tuning in.