The Giver || The Family Business Pt. 4 || Pastor Diego Mesa

Welcome to the ALSS Podcast. Here at ALC, we seek the loss,

teach the found, and send the disciples. We truly hope you're encouraged by

this week's message. Father, thank you for the next few moments we could

salve into your word. God, May people be encouraged. Father. I

don't know what they're going through, but you know what they're going through.

People are weary, they're tired, they're hurt. God. But I thank

you that you are a faithful God, and we're gonna be preaching about that

this Wednesday. God, about no matter what they're going through, God,

how you are with them. God. And as long as you're with them,

then we know we're gonna make it God through any valley that we would

ever go through. Lord, So bless them today in a way that no

one else can bless them. Maybe have an ear to hear what the Spirit

of God is gonna say. Some challenging things are gonna be said today God,

but maybe not turn off the spirit of God. Maybe we challenge our

heart and our mind to hear the word of God and to be fed today

by the Holy Scriptures in Jesus' name. A men, Well, just stand

on your feet for the reading of God's word. And I want to challenge

you today that we are in a series and concluding the series on family business

last week, Pastor Adam getting a marvelous message as he talked about the difference

between a beggar and a bower and a lender. And we don't want to

be individuals that are beggars. We don't want to be individuals that are borrowers.

We want to move to the state. It may take some time that

we could be more of a lender, which is a blesser than just somebody

who receives. And so here's the opening scripture that I like to read and

Luke eight and verse number three. Soon after Jesus began a listen to the

wording here today, guys. Soon after Jesus began a ministry tour throughout the

country, visiting the cities and villages to announce the wonderful news of God's kingdom.

His twelve disciples, his twelve staff members, his twelve employees traveled with

him, as did a number of women who had been healed of many illnesses

set free of demonic power. One of the women was Mary, who was

from the village of Magdala, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons.

Among the women were Susannah and Joanna, the wife of Choosa, who manage

Herod's household. Many other women watch this guy's Many other women supported Jesus's ministry

from their own personal finances. NCV version says money also traveled with him.

You may be seated. You know, over the years of these thirty years

of pastoring and Abundant Living, we've had many hundreds of employees that have been

here and so on and so forth. But the reality is is that we

have a policy. Pastor Kennyan, Pastor Garfield can verify this. If you're

employed by Abundant Living Family Church, then our policy is is that you will

tithe. We ask you to tithe the same way that members are challenged to

tithe. This is their job to work for the church, and we want

them to be an example of not just of the duty of it, but

the reward and the blessing of it. That it is a policy for them

to tithe. You'd be surprised how many of our we don't have to say

who they are, staff members who have struggled, who didn't tithe and I've

always when we've interviewed them or talked to them, because we do it in

a compassionate way, in an understanding way. Can you please tell us why

you don't tithe? So I thought i'd share with you some of the reasons

why they don't tithe. Maybe there's some of the reasons why you don't tie.

One of the reasons why they said they don't tithe is they said,

we thought you were a nonprofit organization, and you weren't into profit, so

we just thought you didn't need money. Another person said, I thought the

government pays that gives you money, and that's why I'd never tithe. Another

person, I thought, you get a grant. You know how you ride

into the state for a grant. I thought you just has abundant Let me

ride in for grants and they grant you millions of dollars. No, those

aren't flying too well, I guess you know. There have been many,

many excuses, for many reasons why people have not given throughout the years.

One of them said, I thought a philanthropist paid for everything, so we

didn't have to. I thought, angels just make deposits on Monday morning into

your heavenly account. And last of all, I just thought, lenders just

lend you utilities and mortgage payments for free. It's amazing. We all laugh

at those, But somewhere along the line, I think people come up with

their own interpretation why they don't give it's amazing. As we venture into this

text that we just read today, I find it fascinating to think about Jesus'

ministry. He said that he traveled through countries. He traveled, which is

counties basically cities and villages. How did Jesus sustain Let's ask the question you

need to think today. There's going to be a real thinking message today.

How did Jesus sustain his ministry for three and a half years with twelve staff

members and all the other women that he said followed him. How did he

feed them? How did he clothe them? How did he pay the bills?

How did he do that? Did he how did he do that?

Well? This text is beginning to answer that question for us. Along that

line, these women I think are amazing because it says they supported financially with

money and income. Wats this not just supported Jesus with worship and prayers and

volunteer ship and cooking and sewing and encouraging. Many of us would say I

support the Kingdom of God because I'm a worshiper, attend church, I volunteer,

I pray, I cook, I can encourage people. But it says

clearly they supported Jesus with their money. Questioned, ask thinking point, why

did why did they give into Jesus ministry their hard earn money like you why?

My first thought is this because they were women. Statistically, women out

give men in any age group. I've been doing this a long time.

I've heard many women tell me I would love to tie, but my husband

won't allow me to tithe. I'm not making this up, guys. This

is the Kingdom of God, this is our family, this is our church

business we are talking about right now. Why would women? The statistics are

there, google them. Why would women tend to be more generous in their

giving than men? Because women are more caring than men. Women are more

generous than women. Women are more humble than men. Women are taught how

to trust and to depend. Men are more prideful, and they can allow

that fleshly nature to come in and be influenced when it comes to money.

Where women have this innate ability within them to be able to trust God at

levels where maybe men can't. The next reason I asked, why did these

women give so generously? And again, I'm amazed that Jesus says their names

in the scriptures because he remembers those that give, He records those that give,

He rewards those that give, and he put that in the Bible.

Say that you and I would remember Mary and Susannah and Joanna that gave money

to me ministry when I needed it. Why because the Bible tells you they

were full of the devil and they were sick. I know you're perfect.

That's why you don't give to Jesus. Seeing they never forgot what Jesus was

to them. They never forgot what he meant to them. They never forgot

what He did for me. And the least I could do is support him

in any form, in any fashion, so that people can be saved,

more people can be healed, so that more people can be delivered of demons,

and so yes, if Jesus needs that, I'll never forget what I

once was before Christ came into my life. Very simple that why these women

gave the way they gave. There are more than three hundred and sixty one

verses in the Bible on love. There are more than five hundred verses in

the Bible on prayer. There's more than five hundred verses on fame. There's

more than sixty verses on forgiveness. But there's over two thousand verses in the

Bible on money. Why why I told you it's a thinking message. Do

you do all of us believe in prayer? Yes? Would we love to

hear a message on prayer? Yes, allelujah? Would do we believe in

faith? Yes? Would we love to hear a message on faith? Yes?

Would you do you believe in money? No? Would you love to

hear a message on it? No? How many times have I heard this?

That's all the church talks about is money? Well, according to our

service today will be approximately an hour and twenty five minutes, So you know,

on an average, do you think that the church talks always about money?

That's all they want is your money? Let me tell you when someone

says that, that's outsider talk, not insider talk. That's somebody in the

family, but they're not part of the family business. Because the Bible says

your money will give you away where your heart is there, where your treasure

is so how you feel toward the money, and specifically as it relates to

the church, will reveal if you're an outsider or an insider, whether you're

just an a tender and a member or really a participator in the family business.

It's a story of the prodigal. He's in the family, but he's

not part of the family business. He takes the father's business or well and

goes and he uses his on his own, where the younger boy says,

all that I have is yours. He's in the family business. I could

be in the family, doesn't mean I'm part of the family or participating in

the family business. Let me just share a quick testimony and then we'll launch

into this message today. I got saved in nineteen seventy eight, and I

was a Roman Catholic at that time. In a very beautiful experience for me,

how I got saved. I'd never been a Protestant church, never heard

a tele of evangelist, never been a church like this in my life.

I only went to a Catholic church. But I radically got saved just watching

television and then went on a retreat with a father priest and I got spirit

filled and then I took off. I couldn't come back to the Catholic Church

anymore because I couldn't relate to it. I wasn't being fed anymore. My

eyes were open, blah blah blah. I've talked about that. But so

there was about a year and a half where I didn't tithe. I didn't

understand what tithe in or giving money was. It was not taught to me

in the Catholic Church, and I wasn't going to a church. But somewhere

around late nineteen seventy nine in early eighty. Now I'm a kid, I'm

eighteen to nineteen years old. That's how I am. I'm making minimum wage

at a mechanic shop at Pioneer Chicken. But I'm learning as I'm hearing the

Word of God talk about this. It's blowing my mind. I didn't know

that. But if it's in the Bible, then that's all I need to

know. That's where my mind was. That's where my mind was. And

so from nineteen eighty to nineteen eighty three, as a single man, as

a young man, I probably tithed, give or take about fifty percent of

the time. Whatever I made during that tier period, of time when I

did tithe, I probably only tied fifty percent of my paychecks during that time.

During that three years. In nineteen eighty three, I got married,

and again I'm still working as shoe shops Tom McCann's shoes, things of that

nature, putting myself through Bible school, things of that nature. But I

now knew the word. The word was in me. I knew what the

scripture said. And now, from nineteen eighty three to twenty twenty three,

do the math. It's forty years. I have tied one hundred percent of

the time, my ten percent in the last forty years. As far as

I know, I've not missed a tithe. I've not missed a tide.

Well here's the reality. You say, dieg are you stupid? Are you

ignorant? Why did you do something like that? Well, the same way

these women did what they did. Number one reason why I did is because

I'm a I'm a Bible believing Christian. I believe the Bible from Genesis to

Revelations. I don't pick and choose scriptures or else. How do I even

know? I'm a say there's a God, there's forgiveness. How do I

do that? How do I choose, in my limited intellect what scriptures are

for today? And what scriptures are for today? You might be smarter than

me with your theological Hebrew Greek doctrine. I don't know, but that's the

way young believers said. If it's in the Bible, I'm gonna do it,

plain and simple, Plain and simple, I'm gonna do it. The

next reason why I've been able to tithe one hundred percent of the time,

ten percent of my income and way more than that, is because I dated

and I married a woman that was an agreement with tithing. Why would anybody

marry somebody that does not believe in tithing. I have never argued one time

with my wife over forty years about tithing. I have taught my wife and

led my wife in faith and stewardship and discipline on how to give. I

have led my family into financial giving. In Malachi, it's the only place

in the Bible where God says, test me and prove me. I like

that. As a man, God's got a little bit of a righteous ego.

He says, booll ye, prove it to me, Test me and

see if I will not open to you the windows of heaven and pour you

out of blessing that you don't have room enough to receive. I've double dog

dare you to tithe. See, you can't talk like that to me and

me not respond to you. It. So I've tested God over the years,

and I'm just plain and simple. I didn't go become a preacher because

I needed a job or needed a paycheck. I could have been very successful

outside of the pulpit doing with God. Now, whether I lived or whether

I died, I couldn't tell you whether I would have got drunk, arrested

or murdered or killed, I can't tell you or whatever would have happened to

me. But the reality was over this period of time. And I want

to really emphasize that if you're gonna if you're gonna start dating somebody and you're

moving toward a serious relationship, that's one of the questions I wouldn't be having

the about babies and where you want to live, what sex position you know

I've been saying, do you believe in tithing? Let me see how much

you've given, because we're talking about the protection of my life. We're talking

about the devil being rebuked for our sake. We are talking about God's and

heaven being open, and I can't mess with anybody that does. And I'll

tell you what the Bible says in a few moments, a strong wording.

But I don't want to give it away. So I began to test God.

I would make twelve hundred dollars a month, and my rent was six

hundred dollars. My rent was six I made twelve hundred dollars a month,

my rent was six hundred dollars. But God somehow provided. When I needed

a raise. God gave me a raise. When I needed money. God

gave me money. When I needed a job. God gave me a job.

When I couldn't afford a vacation, God paid me a vacation, and

I could go into details. When I couldn't afford to go to Disneyland,

God provided for me to go to Disneyland. When I couldn't afford a down

payment on a house in South Ridge, Fontana. God blessed me with the

down payment of the home when I didn't. When I needed overtime, God

would give me overtime. When I needed a second job. God would give

me a second job. When unexpected emergencies happened. They seemed to be met.

When I needed a refund on something, God bless me. I've tested

God and I've proven God over the last forty years that it works the same

way forgiveness works, salvation works, healing works, deliverance works, love works,

is the same way that giving works. During this period of time before

the church started, I was working a third job. Excuse me. I

was working a third shift at a parcel service job and I was just an

employee whatever. I didn't have no benefits. So let me just say that

I didn't have no benefits, and I'd have no insurance for about three years

of my life. Me, my wife, and my three children had no

insurance at all. One day, the boy's cousin, Anthony, which is

about Adam's age, spent the night my brother picked him up. Back then,

if you remember how you do it, they get in the car the

truck, and there's always one little kid that wants to race the car with

the cousin in it, and you rev the engine and then you take off

and you run. That was little Adam. Adam was a runner, was

a road runner back then. He ran everywhere like Forrest Gump. He just

Rany, Ranny, Ranny, Ranny, Ranny ran. And so Anthony's in

the car. My brother's driving, reving the car, and they're going to

take off, and Adam's looking at them on the sidewalk like this, Me,

Cindy, Nathan, Caleb real small. Adam's probably around six or seven

years old at that time. He's on the sidewalk. Boom, they take

off and Adam's running and he's looking and everybody's laughing at it. They're having

a good time. When we didn't realize is my next door neighbor had parked

his truck where the bumper was into the sidewalk, and it was an old

sixty five Dodge all steel bumper. It was about the height of Adam's head.

Adam was going like this, and he went like this and boomy hit

it on his head. He went slap bagging into the cement and slid under

the truck. Everybody's heart went Bryan stopped his car. Cindy went into hysteria.

I'm not kidding you. The woman screamed and she took off running down

the street. And we've always asked her, where were you running to?

But she was just overwhelmed by it. So what I did is I went

over to the truck and I grabbed him. He was under the truck.

I grabbed him by the collar and I pulled him out. His body was

limp. His body was limp. And so I said, in the name

of Jesus, I command life to come back into you. Boy father.

I thank you God that you said you rebuke the devour God. I thank

you for your blessings on this boy. And I command him to live and

not die. Come to life in Jesus' name. He rolled back his eyes.

The next day, we were going to Knoxbury Farm. The first thing

out of his mouth his dad, are we still going to Knoxbury Farm?

He has and if you look really hard, he has still a little bump

on the top of his forehead as the evidence. But his head did not

crack and he did not suffer any seizures or any damage. You could say

all you want, I know that I know that I know what I saw,

what we all heard, and what God did in that moment. And

I attributed to this covenant and this promise that I have because I want you

to recognize what I quoted to you in Malachi when God says I will open

to you the windows of heaven and I will pour you out of blessing.

That is a guaranteed law. It's a covenant promise. It's a binding word

that God gives, and it's a warranty, and it is a contract.

And God came through massively during that period of time. I find it amazing

that you and I can figure out what a ten percent raise would be on

our income, but you can't figure out what ten percent is on how much

you make. Kind of a stupid, dumb spirit comes over us. I

find it amazing that without hesitation and without reservation, I will spend, give,

pay, and buy for pleasure. You're in leisure like a vacation,

concert tickets, sporting event, coffee, alcoholic drinks, and souvenir T shirts.

Without hesitation, I'll do it. I'll get the phone. You know,

you get the phone. Your tap. Okay, that's thirty nine to

nine, that's one hundred and forty there. I want you to start tapping

in the church now without hesitation. You don't hesitate over there. Oh man,

drinks for everybody. Oh we're at the concert here with Beyonce. All

souvenir T shirts. Oh, I'm going to the rams game church. Where's

my change? Where's that change I had in here? Let me go on,

let me show you a scripture here. Now, I'm gonna land this

plane with something very strong that's found in the Bible. And Joshua, in

the Book of Joshua. I'm gonna read your scripture any minute. Now.

Here we go, and the Lord said to Joshua, see, I have

given Jericho into your hand. It's King and the mighty man of Alor.

And you, by all means from the excuse me, and you, by

all means, abstain from notice this word. I'm highlighting accurse things, lest

you become a curse when you take up their cursed things and make the camp

of Israel a curse and trouble it. But all the silver, all the

gold, all the vessels of bronze, and all the iron are consecrated to

the Lord. They shall come into the treasury of the Lord next please.

But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things. For aching

the son of Karmi, the son of Zadi, the son of Zarah,

of the tribe of Judah, took the accursed things. So the anger of

the Lord burned against the children of Israel. Please go on. Israel sinned,

and they have also transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them for.

They have even taken some of the curse. Repeat it. Why does God

repeat it? Because God, whenever God repeats something, he wants you to

pay attention. It's emphasized. And it has stolen and deceived. And they

have also put it among their own stuff. And Acon answered Joshua and said,

indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel. And this

is what I have done. When I saw this is this is why he

took it, this guy named Acon. This is why we fell guilty.

When I saw the spoils of the beautiful babylon garment, when I saw my

paycheck with all those zeros, and and the two inner shekels of silver,

please go on, and a wedge of going way fifty s. I coveted

it. I first saw it, then I coveted it, then I took

it. And there they are hidden in the earth, in the midst of

my tent, with the silver under it. We'll stop there. You think

he really hid it from God. You think God didn't see it. You

didn't think God didn't see what Achen was doing. Here's the truth. I

need to break it down very quickly. Here's what you need to understand.

God bade a promise to Abraham back in the day, you and your offspring,

Shaw and herrit the kingdom, the land of Canaan. Moses was on

his way. He couldn't do it, but Joshua, the successful one.

Now move in the land of Canaan's where all the eights are, the hit

Tites, Thebusides, the Gurgolites, all the eights are back there, okay,

and in God saying you're gonna conquer them. I'm gonna be with you.

But as you enter into the land of Canaan, as you cross the

Jordan, the first city is the gatekeeper, he's the big boy. He's

there to intimidate all the enemies that would come. It's Jericho. You could

do chariot races on the top of the wall of Jericho. It is so

powerful. God says, all that's in Jericho is mine. All that wealth

you to get it, and you're to bring it into my treasury. Don't

touch it because if you touch it, something bad's gonna happen. It's a

cursed. See, most of us know what the word curse means. We

don't know what the word a curse means. Curse is witchcraft, doomed and

damned. A curse means this something that is sanctified, set apart and designated

for a predetermined purpose, dedicated and directed, and designed for the lord's treasury.

What does that sound like? That sounds like the tide. That's why

God said all the trees in the garden, Adam and Eve, you could

freely eat them. But there's one tree. It's my tide. Don't you

touch it, because the day that you touch it is the day that you

die. We always want to take that which is not ours. And that's

what Aiken did. Now here's the reality. The walls of Jericho come down.

They don't know what this guy named Aiken did. And so now they

go to the next city. It's a city of ai Man. It isn't

even comparison to Jericho. It's not even comparison to Jericho. They want to

spied it out like they did Jericho. And it's a little old city.

You know, if you want to send about two thousand and three thousand people

there will wipe them out, that's all we need to do. Thirty six

men died that day. Thirty six men died. Joshua is so angry.

So's upset, saying, you said you promise us the land, and now

we went and conquered a big, mighty city. We can't even conquer this

little city. What happened, they said, because they're sinning the camp because

someone took the accursed thing and they and there is affecting everybody. Go discover

and find out who this person is. The reality if you look at and

if you study the history of Joshua's conquests, here's their record. They went

thirty one and one. Now, how many of you know as a sporting

or athletic person, thirty one and one is a pretty good record. A

boxing record, thirty one and one is a very very good boxing record.

Their one loss was Ai, but thank god they went and they conquered it

again because they did what was right. So what am I trying to tell

you? What am I trying to tell you? We as we move through

this, Jericho was God's first. God always wants to be first, He

doesn't want to be second. That's why Proverbs three nine says this that you

and I are to honor the Lord with our possessions, and the first fruit

of our increase. The first fruit is just simply our tithe How many of

you know that our spouse don't want to be second, They want to be

first, and God wants to be first. Jericho's wealth, money, and

spoils were accursed. They were already separated and designated for the purpose that God

had already commanded. What does that mean to us? Break it down?

What does that mean to it? It means that Jesus has expenses, and

Jesus must have a budget, and Jesus must expectations, obligation, needs and

wants and a vision, and he needs that money to come into his kingdom

and his treasury so that that can be met. That's what it is,

plain and simple. Just like Jesus's ministry and Luke, and just like the

Old Testament ministry. Here there are obligations that Jesus has that he wants to

make sure that they are met. Passekenny, would you come on up here

real quick. I'm gonna use you as an illustration. Those are some nice

boots he's got over there, Passekenny. This represents let's just say this represents

your paycheck. Okay, so you could it's a one dollar bill, but

it could be whatever you want it to be. It could be a thousand,

it could be ten thousand. I don't care one hundred thousand dollars.

Millionaire. You're a millionaire, okay, Okay. So from the thousand or

the ten thousand or whatever you make, Pasecinni makes, it comes down to

the simplest form. It comes down to a dollar, right, be ten

thousand dollars, one million dollar, but it's a single dollar, right and

from those dollars, from a dollar comes ten dimes. Is that correct,

am I? This is not a magic show. This is that correct?

Okay? These are ten dimes. Okay. So God says, God says

this pass kinney. I'm gonna give you intellect. I'm gonna give you a

degree. I'm going to give you skills. I'm gonna give you looks.

I'm gonna give you favor I'm going to give you all that so that you

could go and make this. Okay, all right, Now, here's what

I'm asking you to do. I want you to keep nine of those to

do whatever you choose to want to do. You want to buy a boat,

you want to go on a vacation, you want to live in a

house, you want to eat lobster every day, you want your kids to

go to private school. Do whatever you want with those. All I ask

is for one dime. Would you just get would you you know? I

gave you intellect, I gave you smarts, I gave you a billity,

I kept you from a child disease, you walked away from a dug addiction.

Would you just be kind? Because I have one of not nine of

them. One of those is already dedicated. It is already designed for my

kingdom work. I've got to feed people. I've got to clothe people.

I've got to preach to people. I gotta build orphanages. Would you just

give me one of those dimes? Thank you, passe kind. It's I

can't be more simpler than that. That's all it is. That's all it

is that God asked us to do. So. As I conclude this message,

here's what you need to realize. Aiken was robbing God, or he

was thieving God, or strong words he was stealing from God. Melachi three

and verse number eight, which I referred to as strong wordy now listen,

guys, before you came to church that I did not put this in the

Bible. I didn't write this, but I told you this would be a

thinking message. Okay, this is strong words out of the mouth of God.

Wat says, will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me?

Dude? But you say, in what way have we robbed the God?

In not giving me your ties and your offerings. So that's what happened

with Aikin. That's what was doing with Achin. He was robbing God and

he was stealing from God. Here's another quick example. I'm winding this down.

In John the twelfth chapter. In verse number four, one of the

disciples, Judas is Scariot, Simon's son who would betray him, said,

why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarian given to the four

This he said, not because he cared for the four way says, but

because he was a thief and he had the money box and he used to

take what was put in it. Can you imagine Judas hugging Jesus and with

his other hand getting in his wallet and taking it. He was in charge

of jesus treasury and he was taking money for his own personal interest. Are

you with me today? There have been three individuals in history recently. The

first one is Alan Stamford, he embezzled and frauded eight million dollars. Then

there was Sam Bachman he just in recent news twenty six point five billion dollars,

and Bertie Madoff embezzled and with frauded fifty billion dollars fifty billion dollars.

Robbing, thieving, and stealing is taking something that is not your own and

spending it and using it for personal gain, either to drive in it,

wearing it, or living it. The mic I know it's hard. Matthew

six and verse number twenty four says this. No one can serve two masters.

Either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be

loyal to one and despise the other. This is a command to diego and

to everyone else you diego. Cannot serve God and Mammon. Mammon is the

Aramaic Philistine god of money. Here is what he's saying. Mammon is a

spirit. HiT's a spirit of greed, coveteousness, indulgence, fear stinginess,

and selfishness that gives tries to give you security, significance, and identity,

and wants you to be independent of God. Wants you to be completely independent

of God. That is the spirit of Mammon. And until you tithe,

the spirit of Mammon can rule over you. But when you tithe, you

break the power of the spirit of Maman to rule over you. Why don't

I get me because I'm fearful that I'm not gonna have enough. I'm fearful

that I'm not gonna get back. That's a man in's spirit hoarding more,

more, more, more more and more. Rainy day, rainy day,

rainy. What is that? That's a spirit. It's a consteousness. And

when you break that spirit, not only do you break the power of it,

but you put into operation a blessing that now God has to become your

source. He's testing, he has to be proven now that he has to

make up the difference of the ten percent or whatever percent that you gave away.

God's gotta make that percentage job because He cares for you, He loves

you. He wants you to provide for your family. He wants you to

be a great witness. So you're putting God in a place for him to

be God in your life. I want you to ask yourself if I took

if I took, excuse me, if God took your weekly giving amount and

times it by ten, could you live off of it? I told you

it's a thinking message, and already you're already turning me off. I can

tell by your faces. Whatever you give weekly every other week, I want

you know what that. If you don't know what is and you're in bad

trouble, then okay, whatever you give, I want you to timesap by

ten, times it by ten. Can you live off of that? If

you're tithing, you're already doing it. If you're tithing, you, of

course I can't. Whoever, it's Oh, shoot, I give three dollars

and fifty cents every time I come. Times that by ten thirty bucks.

No, here's as I close two thoughts. Here's here's Mammon's lives. Here's

Mammon's life. Here's how Mammon lies to the church. I don't have nothing

to give. I don't need you to raise your hand. How many times

have I heard people say I don't have nothing to give? Well, then

you make God a liar, because God says I provide seed for the sower.

I always make sure someone has to I'll make sure that your trip over

lost money. But will you give me a dime of that dollar that you

found? I have nothing to give. I can't afford to give. What

do you mean the widow. The widow couldn't afford to give, and she

gave. I shouldn't have to give. What do you mean you shouldn't have

to give? The church at PHILIPPI was in hardship, but they gave out

of their distress. I always give, so it's time for someone else to

give. Well, the Bible says you reap what you sew, and so

if you're done, If you're done reaping, then I guess you won't give.

But if you want to continue to reap, you continue to sew.

Malik, I used to give, but I don't give anymore. The Bible

says Malachi three six. I am the Lord, and I change not so

his word is going to continue, always be in existence. And last one,

I love this. This is the one that takes the notches. I've

interviewed Christians over the forty something years that I've been a Christian involved in the

church and pastoring mam in lives. When I get a job, I get

out of debt, I get inheritance, I get a raised when I win

the lottery, I'm going to start telling you, liar, you are a

dog. One liar, you know that ain't gonna happen. You're not.

And so I want to conclude with this thought. Now, what did Jesus

feel or what does Jesus feel or does he feel anything? When I give

money? What does he feel? Is he just in an emotionless God that

cares so not at all about materialistic thing called money, cares more about your

prayers and your faith. He feels something than when you give money. Here's

my last little portion. He feels honored when you give money, because Malachi

says, honor me, honor the Lord with that stuff. He feels honored

when you give number two. He feels love by you. You love God

when you obey his word. So he feels that He is the source and

not the resource in your life when you give. All of these are scriptures,

so I'm not making these up in the Bible. This is a very

unique verse. He feels a sweet smelling aroma. He smells something when I

get to heaven. I'm going to figure that one out to experience it.

It's an acceptable offering and it's well pleasing to him. And last of all,

you put yourself in a position for God to meet your needs. That's

how God absolutely feels about our giving. How many of you like upgrades?

How many of you do upgrades in your life? Only three of you do?

The rest of you, I don't know about you. I told you

how many of you have never upgraded your phone? You still have your Apple

one or whatever Motorola one phone? You like upgrades? How many of you

have your original Apple computer that weighed forty pounds. How many of you've ever

upgraded your Apple computer? Yeah? You have? And I could go on.

How many of you have ever turned in the lease of your car and

upgraded it? How many of you have upgraded a vacation in your life?

I could go on and on and on. We always think about upgrading.

When was the last time you thought about upgrading my giving? This year,

I'm mix some goals. I'm gonna invest more and I'm going to save more,

and you know I'm gonna buy more. Where's God said? Where's the

goal of for me? Can you see how we could sometimes do this?

So I want to end with a great testimony. In our first week of

preaching. Of our first week of preaching, we were up twelve point twenty

six in giving in our first week of preaching. In the second week we

were up to eight point ninety nine in giving. Last week we were up

twenty five point seven to one in giving. We heard Pastor Adam share about

about what the Smiths did. Last week we received a check from one donor

of fifty thousand dollars. What that donor didn't know is at a previous a

few weeks ago, somebody broke the media screens in our youth room. And

now we don't have to go into a savings account. We don't have to

ask you. We can now do the extra. You know what extras mean.

I've shared with you again as I'm about ready to turn the weight of

this ministry over that Pastor Adam. But I've carried the weight of this ministry

for the last whatever. But over the last two years, we've never been

in a financial low as we have been in the last two years. I've

always had the privilege of and I've looked at the finances, pay all the

bills, pay this, give it money here, do this do this.

How much money's left, They'll tell me twenty five thousand pastes this week,

forty thousand this week, ten thousand. Here's my favorite term that they're familiar

with. Sweep it, sweep it, sweep it. They know what sweep

means, sweet means, put it in the savings, Put it in the

savings, Put in the savings. I haven't said the word sweep in two

years, but I'm saying the word sweep now. And then last week I

received the largest one time gift of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A

man put it in my hand a check. I think God's doing something,

and I think God's saying something, and I just know that this is not

and I don't want you to misinterpret this is not. Please don't hear it

like an outsider here from an inside. This is not a materialistic I need

your money. I'm going to get all you can. Listen, My salvation

is too important to me to lower myself to doing that. Oh, it

ain't about that. It is not about that. It's about I want to

be in a position to pay off all our debt. I want to be

a position to help more churches that are struggling and keeping their doors open.

We want to build more orphanages around the world. I would love the opportunity

just to do things radical for the glory of God and all that happens right

now at Pastor Adams says is about eighty five percent of the church doesn't give

anything, only about fifteen percent. The reality is is that we have about

ten percent tithers in the church. So a row right now has about ten

people in it. So nine people in that row do not tie. The

only one person in that row ties. So the question is not out of

guild condemnation. Come on, this is family business. It's just what if

what if there was another one and another one, and another one and another

one that took place, We'd be a great witness for the Kingdom of God,

and we'd be able to continue to do all these giveaways that we do

to bless community. Father, I thank you Lord today for the privilege of

preaching the Word today. I pray that people did have an ear to hear

what the Spirit of God would say. Help people today, God, because

we're all on a different journey, in a different path of faith, come

alongside of them. Minister encouragement to them God, But just like a financial

planner, would you sit down with them God and show them how they can

move toward being financially free, not in debt, and to be in a

position to give. God. I ask you that you would bless the people

hearing this message today. I pray for a special anointing of increase to come

and visit you. I pray for a special anointing of wisdom and discipline to

come to you. And I pray that in the name Jesus, the favor

of God would prove himself in the realm of giving. In Jesus' name,

Amen, we're getting ready to leave this church. Thank you so much for

coming to church. You know, Friday is what's called Black Friday, all

the sales. To take advantage of all that I did, I went to

the bike shop and I got a light I needed for my bike. I

got some gloves and I love saving that twenty to five to thirty percent for

that. It's Black Friday sale going on. You know, Jesus died on

a Friday. It was a very dark Friday, but you know what,

he died to save mankind. And so today I just want you to recognize

you have sin in your life. I don't care how moral you think you

are, how good you think you are, how generous you think you are,

how kind that you think you are. I don't care about who your

mommy or daddy was as an elder or a bishop. Don't even care that

you carry a Christian name but don't live up to that. The reality is

is that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Nobody is perfect, not even the Pope by far, He's not perfect.

Nobody is sinless. The only sinless person was Jesus Christ. That's why he

was the sacrificial lamb that could die for mankind. Jesus could not die for

mankind sin if he was a sinner, if he had cussed one time,

if he had fornicated one time, if he had lied and stolen one time,

we'd still be looking for a savior to save us from hell and to

get us into Heaven and the bridge a mediator between God and us. But

Jesus was sinless so that you don't have to be sinless. He was sinless

because he knew you couldn't be sinless. I watched those little grandchildren of mine,

seven of them, and they're so you hold them when they're just babies.

Oh, they're so pure, they're so innocent, they're so righteous.

But you know what, when they get to about two years old, that

sinner comes out in them, you know what I'm talking about, And you

think, how can this a demon live in this little two year old?

What is that? That's the sin nature coming into them that now is independent,

selfish, stubborn. And until you and I eradicate that nature of sin

through the blood of Jesus Christ, you and I are doomed to pay for

it. I'm so grateful today that I don't have to pay for my sins.

And Lord knows I've had a lot of them, and they weren't always

cute sins, but Jesus will never remember them, and he'll never bring them

to my remembrance again. Though I can still fill them today after forty four

years, I could still feel them if my mind goes there. I'm grateful

that I'm not righteous, but He's made me righteous. I'm not holy,

but He's made me holy. I could never free myself, but he freed

myself. I can never get into heaven, but he gave me heaven today.

Today, maybe that's what you need today, or maybe you need to

rededicate your life to the Lord. But I count to three. You raise

your hand, and you come to Jesus boldly and unashamingly, the same way

he died for you, and a cross, unashamingly and boldly. One two,

one, two three, Raise your hand all across this auditorium wherever you

might be for Jesus today. If you raise your hand, would you do

one more thing? Just stand on your feet to the glory of God.

Stand up as a sign. I want change, I want Jesus. I

want to be made new. Say this prayer with me, Dear Lord Jesus.

I come to you as I am a sinner, and in Jesus name,

I accept you as my savior today, the one that makes me righteous,

the one that makes me holy, and the one that forgives me.

I don't deserve it, but the way I can is to give you my

life. Jesus be my Lord. Amen. We really hope you enjoyed the

message, and if you said yes to Jesus, we just want to say

congratulations and give you a free devotional to help you walk out your faith.

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