The Giver and the Gift | Pastor Sandra Chin

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All right, So the giver and the gift. Amen, And yeah,

I just want to bring this sharing to us. I

have a question for you. Have a question for you

my next slide. On a scale of one to ten,

how would you rate your joy of giving? All right?

On a scale of one to ten? Will the zebra

run over to my left or will the zebra run

over to my right? Okay? You rate yourself on Teleyboddy.

How joyful are you when you give? Do you cry

out of joy.

Or you're like, oh to part me my money?

Or you're like dancing?

Are you away?

You're joyfully giving to the Lord. The joy, joy of

the Lord is my strength? Right, So you you rate

yourself one to ten? What's your rate of the joy

of giving?

You know they say in Nigeria the church people dance

out to give their gifts or they're like and hilariously

all right, what is your joy level of giving when

you think about how you give to the lot? Amen?

So just just a little rage thing because we want

to be able to give joyfully at all times and

we want to love heartily. We want to come joyfully.

We want to give joyfully.

Amen.

So good reflection on how joyful you are in giving

any kind of giving whenever you give, how joyful are

you or how sad are you?

You know?

There was I have a I have a real.

Testimony, well not a testimony, but an account of a

minute here in Malaysia where this pastor wanted to build, yeah,

a ministry house. And so it is a big project

and so she invited people to come and partake of it,

like participate. And so there was this very very rich

millionaire who came and gave the check. You know, she

can't buy the whole property and everything. But you know

what she said to him, Sorry, I can't take it.

What do you mean you can't take it? I'm supporting you.

You need the money. And she said, well, the Lord

told me not to take it. And to that person,

to that brother, it was like God was rejecting him. Ah,

the joy people are very joyful, and you joyful to give.

You wanted to be received right to him, it was

like she was like representing the Lord. And because you

can't give the ministry and she said, I don't know,

but the Lord said not to take it from you. Oh,

so people are joyful to give. But you know, I

don't know what was his hard reason for it. But

it's not every time and you give something to the

man or woman of God is going to be accepted

because you think we want your money, we need your money.

But it's how we give. I don't know what the

story is, but I heard about it and he cried

and he cried and he said no, you must take

the money. And she said, I will ask the Lord again. Yeah,

but you cannot say no to me. No. Wow. And

so how do you and I give? Are we joyful

now giving? Are we expected? It's good to reflect? N't

don't just be because we are not just another person.

We you and I called in the Lord, a royal

priesthuit a holy nation. You are not just abu down

the road. You know Ramasami or I don't. You are

the called out once the royal priesthuit a holy nation,

people belonging to God. And so when you give, you

give with joy, you give with all heart a man.

And if God don't accept your gift, You're gonna cry

ah hah aha aha, Like why God, you don't want

my gift. Yeah. And this person really was so sad,

you know, usk and he aus he called the y

You say that, then I do know the Lord say

no and then just okay, I'll pray God you have

to take it. How can you say no, you need

my money? Ah? We don't need anybody's money. We need

what God provides. Ah. Amen.

So yeah, this is the joy? What is our joy level?

Every every weekend we get to give to the Lord. Amen?

And how do we give? We cry or hilariously laughing

and say, hey, it's good to ask ourselves.

How do we give to the Lord?

Amen?

So the giver is you and I and what is

our gift?

Amen? So I just I just want to start. We

want to just start with the with the with the point,

the first point which passes. Stephen also pointed out number one.

When every time we give, it is an act of faith.

Every time, every time it is an act of faith.

Every week we come, it's an act of faith. And

no homes notes. We need some study and you might

look the same a little bit the points. But I

just wanted this is my message that I'm sharing across

the board. But yeah, it's an act of faith. If

we ever came without faith, then we are in trouble.

Why because all of us want to please the Lord.

So you ask, how can I please the Lord? You

know a lot of young couples when they get together,

they always long time going these days, they don't talk

to Mela because it's scared. But I'm a great supportive

I speak about relationships. I'm a bad relationships with the

right relationships right anyway, So the couples, they think, you

always say, I do think how can I please the Lord?

You want to please the Lord? Please go by faith.

Don't chop the girl or the guy. Just go by faith.

And this person, because you believe God, let you go

by faith.

Right, Because Hebrews chapter eleven, right and verse six says

without faith, it is impossible to please the law God Hiah.

How like that, for he who comes to the Lord

must believe two things. You must believe that God is

not words, that God is that he is, and that

he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Amen,

you just have to believe two things. When you come

to the Lord. You come believing that he is not

a yesterday God, he's a today God. He he is

you won't to be black. You go like he is

what's your name? I is okay? I is right? And

he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Have

you experienced the reward of the Lord when every time

you gave by faith, when you gave your life, your time,

your treasure, your talent, have you experienced his reward? Because

many times we ask ourselves did we do it by faith?

Maybe we didn't know, But today you know. Today you

know how it is to live for the Lord. Live

to please Jesus. I do not live to please can

a chin? He is my husband. Yes, I have to

please my husband. I have to go home after this,

right I finished with you had to go home. Make

sure I'm home when he comes asband.

Yes, but God is first?

Who do I please? First? My Master, Jesus Christ, now

my boyfriend, not even my mom. Also, my mom thinks

I have to please her first and daddy days. Emma,

she used to say, why you're always so busier?

She never free tell all the people in front of you.

Always so bea emma. Remember do you remember you dedicated

my life without my permission. I was already a teenager,

and when the church said no parents you want to

dedicate your children.

Aw hey, but all the parents excited. Yes, we know

my permission. You dedicated my life. You offered my life

without telling me.

So, Ma, the Lord has taken what you have given.

It is a privilege to dedicate your child to the Lord,

not because you are pining and push it.

It is not for paying and pining and push it.

It is for the Lord. We are only stewards as parents.

The Lord will call what will he call your child to?

I don't know. To my mam, I say, MA, you

dedicated me. You cannot take it back.

It's a living sacrifice.

You're like, So, I do not live number one to

please the human the person You and I have been

made to please the Lord. You must remember that. How

do I please the Lord? Everything we do by faith,

That's what I have to remember. Even me me, I

saw sometimes do things I got no faith, like not

the faith step like logic step, But logic won't gain

us heaven. Logic and how will not gain us the

pleasure of God faith faith. So thank God for a

very godly husband. He will correct me. I always see

a logical one.

What works?

You know? Practical? It's good to have practicality, but sometimes

certain things need you to go a bit further. It

needs to be done by faith. Amen, to take that

step of trusting the Lord, believing that he is and

he will reward you who seek him diligently. So are

we diligiently seeking the Lord? Or we are not diligion

We just hi by an ang So the encouragement this morning,

when we talk about the giver, let the giver come

and act by faith.

That's the only way you're gonna please God.

I don't know what to say. I cannot give you

another formula. Don't get agree with me here.

I didn't write this word. Jesus did, and he.

Said, come by faith. Who is the greatest giver, who

has given everything. It is our god right. He has

given us unconditionally. The Son of God came to bridge

the gap between the Lord God and fallen men. God

has given us. It costs not only the life of Jesus,

it cost the life of God's only son. When he said, son,

would you go? And Jesus said, since nothing else works.

I will go.

He was sent. Amen. If you read the Book of

John chapter twenty a day, he says, I was sent

for this purpose, and I now send you. So friends,

if you're in Christ, who sends you? The Lord sends you. Amen.

Every time we plant church, what do we do?

We send them. We didn't say you won't go. Don't

now you an't gonna take want to treat you. No,

we send because it is That's how God works. He

sent his son for purpose a time, and then when

the work he's done, he's done, you come home home.

He went home. No Ah, he miss heaven so much

forty three years, thirty three years, and now Holy Spirit

is sent. Holy Spirit has been on earth since Jesus

went back, very lonely, very lonely. Yeah, you're a tresome

you know, but Holy spirits living here with ursa. But

we forgot to say good morning, Holy Spirit. Very lonely,

very lonely. That's why book our Revelation. He says, the church,

the Church Christ, maranata the Spirit. Also say maranata, Come

Lord Jesus, because they're not talking to me. Ah, did

you say good morning Holy Spirit? Don't forget Okay, he's

living in us. He gets lonely sometimes. Don't let the

Holy spad be Lord, just say good morning, Holy Spirit. Bye.

Wave that he listens to you.

Amen. The Lord has the is the greatest giver. He

has given us his all. He did not keep back

the sun. He said, son, which you go? And Jesus,

the obedient son went. He was tempted at all points,

but he did not sin. He knew he had to

take our sin. He knew he had to do it

all for us. So if the Lord himself would give himself,

we were not asked to go to the cross anymore. None.

It's just knowing that God has given. Then we are

God's children. We have the same dna. It is within

us to want to give. And when we do it

by faith, say Lord, you know like you pass the steven,

say you pray and ask the Lord, now I want

to give a gift. And you think about your gift

and you give it, or you already have a desire

to give. And if you say, Lord, this is my gift,

would you bless it? Amen?

So take every step a step of faith.

Amen. The next point is uh for the giver. What

happens is we would grow in our intimacy with God.

You believe it at all. Every time you do something

for the Lord, you grow a little closer to the Lord. Amen,

and kind of like the main context for today is

taken from Second Corinthians, chapter eight and verse one to seven.

So if you brought your bibles this morning, and you know,

we're still with the byo ber although I'm not talking

about it, we're still byobre, just not talking about the

I am not talking about it, just that we gave

away for other things. First. But bring your own bible,

buy your own bible, read your own bible, share your bible, okay,

all right. If you didn't bring us, your friend can share,

all right. Second Corinthians, chapter eight, verse one to seven.

So I want to give you some contexts with this,

and they're so kind to put it up. But if

you have a Bible, you can read it from your bible.

Otherwise the XDV is so kind, shank you so much.

All right, it's this over, brethren, listen to this. This

is Paul writing to the church in corinth because this

is the church he planted. You read that in Acts

chapter eighteen. He planted this church, and after it was planted,

he heard there was problems. Ah, don't think only two

nature got problem last time. Church also got a problem,

all right, So they had different different problems. But now

he's addressing this. He says, my over brethren, we make

known to you the grace of God bestowed on the

churches of Macedonia, that in great trial of affliction, the

abandance of their joy and their deep poverty were abounded

in the riches of their liberality. Right, the Macedonian churches

greatly afflicted, greatly persecuted, and they were not rich, they

had poverty, But yet it abounded in the riches of

their liberality, their freedom. Why bear witness that according to

according look at the words, according to their ability. They

were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we

would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministring

to the saints, and not only as we had hope.

But what did they do? They first gave themselves to

the Lord and then to us, by the will of God.

So we urged Titus that as he had begun, so

he would also complete this grace in you as well.

They were sending Titus to the church in Corinth. But

as you abound in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge,

in all religions, and in your love for us, see

that you abound in this grace and this grace is

the grace of generosity. You read different versions in men

to the reading of God's word. All right, So the

context of this, Paul was speaking to the church in

Corinth many different matters, and one of it was that

they started very enthusias we want to give to who

as who were they thinking of? They were thinking about

the church that was being persecuted in Jerusalem. Remember, people

in Jerusalem were practicing Judaism right, the Law of Moses.

They've been doing that for years and years, and now

with the introduction of Jesus, people were receiving Christ right,

and so they were like following the way, and so

those who followed the way were persecuted, and so it

was difficult times. So the church in Macedonia, the Church

in Philippi, the Book of Philippines church were collecting this offering,

like how we do it in missions conference, right, we

collect and so that we can give to the needs

of different ones. To Macedonia rose up to the occasion

to collect a gift to give to Jerusalem through the

saints who were going there. The church in Korin also

said yes, but after one year they still didn't don't

know what happened, something got in the way, so they

were they were not able to collect, they were not

able to give because there were many things happening in

the church. So Paul was reminding the church in korin, Hey, guys,

look at them, look at our brothers in Macedonia. They

are begging me to take and I'm like, no, please,

don't you need the funds. But they say no, even

though we are persecutor, we want to contribute. We want

a mark in the place in the lives of Jerusalem,

persecuted church. And so they were taking these funds to

bless the church in Jerusalem, and so Paul was reminding them.

But Paul was not just interested in their gift the

church in Korin. What does he say in verse seven.

I think that's the key verse verse seven, and one

of the worst essays verse five. Okay, and not only

as we had hope, but they first gave themselves to

the Lord and then to us. Can use my next

light verse five. They gave themselves to the Lord and

then to us by the will of God. The intimacy

with the Lord is this, when we draw near to God,

we we actually develop a closeness. The word intimate is

the word almost to know the Lord. To word know

is to have intercourse. And when you have an intercourse,

there is a product. Many of you have babies intimacy.

When you collide with God, there is a produce, There

is faith, There is fruit of your faith. It produces something.

You begin to take that faith. And so they first

gave themselves to the Lord. So why we emplore you,

encourage you and for those of us who are already

you know, doing what we're doing walking with you esus.

Remember when the giver not only comes by faith, the

next thing that you experience is there is an intimacy,

there's a collision, there is a closeness with the Lord.

Before we do anything, how can we do it?

By faith? To please God is because we give ourselves

to the Lord. And when you and I give ourselves

to the Lord, we are his. Then whatever God tells

us we do. But I know it's not always overnight

that we grow, but we grow from faith to faith,

from glory to glory.

Amen.

Okay, even as you sit here, a lot of people

will be listening here in this room, but how many

will take it? How many of you will actually meditate

on this word? And say, yes, Lord, let me give myself. Lord,

I offer my life to you because I am yours.

I said that many years ago, and said it many times.

We dedicate many times, and you know there is this

finality where you find it. Just realize that yes, I

am yours, and then our path takes a turn where

everything begins to flow in the way God wants you.

Even when it's tough, you still flow because you say,

I give myself to you first Lot. So there's no planning,

five year plan. I just live every day by God's grace.

I don't have a ten year plan. Whatever God brings

me to. I've grown in my intimacy with the Lot.

Stuff will stop. Is still growing. I still have a

lot more to grow close to God, still a lot

more to talk to Jesus about. But as we go

in that direction, you begin to live that life that

He meant for you. No struggle. I don't have a struggle.

I don't have a struggle. The closeness with the lot.

This is what we call we growing in our faith.

Were taking steps of faith, and we're growing and we're growing.

We're learning this.

Maybe some other thing not yet learned.

To learn this. So every step is to grow intermate

with the Lord. What does the lot desire? Not our gifts?

He says, I don't even want sacrifices, although you might

sing the song it's no sacrifice. No, it's so sacrifice lot,

because this I don't want sacrifices. What do I want?

Obedience?

Obedience, Obedience to what, Obedience to what He's saying to us.

The Word speaks to us.

Obedience to that.

Amen.

And that's where we collide, and that's where we connect,

and something births in our hearts, a seed of faith

to move as God speaks to us.

Amen.

So the encouraging thing about this is that the believers

in Macedonia were so persistent in saying, take my gift. No,

you don't have money, don't take it, because they first

gave themselves to the law.

And they said, please take it.

And so Paul wants to encourage the brothers and sisters

in the church in Korin to tell them, Hey, we

boasted about how fast and how quick you responded, but

suddenly you stopped. What stopped your giving, what stopped your preparation?

So maybe there were distractions, and so he was encouraging

the Koran church to remember again that we dedicate ourselves

first to the Lord. We give ourselves and then the

Lord leads us, and the Koran Church actually say yes, yes,

we want to.

But might have forgotten. Amen.

So a question for us, two questions for us? What

does it mean to give yourself first to the Lord?

I mean you can answer that.

What does it mean to give yourself first to the Lord?

When is it easier to give yourself to the Lord

during times of plenty or during times of less than plenty?

I don't know what you answer me?

All right? What does he mean to give yourself first

to the Lord? Someone once said, when you say Lord,

take over, you know you're sitting at the driver's seat

of my life. And then you got back seat driver.

You got sight driver.

And the driver Jesus is driving and he turns to

Jala n'mpang and you say, why are you turning to

Jala lampung? Stop it? But I'm the driver.

No, Jesus, why are you going to ja? Why are

you touching my pocket?

You can't. Oh, the driver's driving. The back seat driver.

He goes into the in the road of forgiveness. Why

are you going to do rona forgiveness?

You have to forgive.

No, you know what does he mean when you already

dedicate your life when you say yes, take the wheel,

Jesus take the wheel, and he takes He takes you

down the road of generosity. I don't feel like being

generous today, Jesus.

Don't go there.

Who's leading your life? Now? You?

Oh Jesus, Oh, we forget?

No, I don't want to go there.

Forgiveness. No, I don't want to go there. You know, kindness.

I don't want to be kind to that person. He's

so unkind to me.

Oh, Jesus takes you to the road of patience.

Not that road.

I cannot. I cannot, I cannot be patient. But that's

when Jesus takes a wheel. Right, he leads us he's

driving right. So were the backseat driver giving him direction? No? No, no?

Does that look like us? Does that look like us?

A little bit? So? The intimacy is to continue to

grow in the intimacy and to know the Lord, to

hear his voice. I'll say to all of us, Jesus

says in his word that my sheep here my voice.

If you say you can't hear the Lord, then you

are not the sheep. I'm using God's word. It's not

Sandra says. Not that says Sandra. This is that says

the word. You cannot, you cannot feel like you can't hear.

Don't don't believe the life of the enemy. That says

ay you cannot hear God's voice. But the Bible says,

if you are his sheep, you will hear his voice.

So it's a matter of tuning our ears. Tune, tune,

tune to the voice and how God speaks to you.

How does he call you? Does he call you Joe?

Does he call you daughter? Does he call you a sweetheart?

What does he What does God call you with that name?

But when we don't take time to grow in our

relationship and intimacy with the Lord, then we can't hear.

I won't know can the chin's voice? If I don't

you know that time, they think call him la, Yes,

I was the one calling him.

Until today he doesn't call me emergency. I have to

call elder.

Okay, elder, elder, okay, help please my husband. You don't

even know where's his phone right because his phone is

a camera. Do not be deceived. They say, he pussa

go handphone. He's not a handphone.

It's a camera.

So the whole church complaints about cane chain has not taken.

You don't give his number because he doesn't know. And

the phone was given to him as a gift from

the elders who said, pastor, you need to be contact

about by us. She said, you gave me the phone,

so you contact me. So you're everybody is angry. My persona,

I mus always used the phone. Actually that I hold

is his phone, so so you want you can talk

to my phone. It's not even mine, it's He's right.

I don't know you're saying, what are you super? You know?

He just does not use the phone. It's a camera.

It's a camera.

Yeah, this is not all very good, very good update.

I ga it's like my life can gae, Please don't

put my life on your igs.

You in the hospital now, how you know how you know?

Bass's ig? What's my life? Stop telling people I'm in

the hospital.

So it's just the camera in the intimacy. I got

to hear that voice.

But I want to assure you, if you are God sheep,

believe that you will hear him. God speaks to you.

Why I hear the devil voice? Are you worshiping the devil.

You're not Ma. You worship Jesus. MA. So you you

will hear, you hear promptings in your heart. If the

day he says, hello, grace girl, just give up everything

and just come on board. Right. But the Lord speaks

to our in here, the intimate nurse, the whispers of

God to your heart through his word, through pictures, even

he you're in sheep. But I just want to say

to you, if you're in sheep, hear his voice. There

is no such thing as you can't or somebody else

speak to you. Well, if you're not listening to the

Lord and you're listening to another voice. Therefore, I ask

you whose voice are you listening? To? Tune it to

the Shepherd's voice. Amen, grow in that intimacy. That's why

I ask you, what does it mean to you? What

does it look like when you give yourself to the

Lord first?

Amen?

Because when you give yourself the Lord first, anything for

the Lord, your hands should go up.

Already, anything, anything.

Your hands up. You're yes, Lord, because there's no need

to say why.

It's Jesus.

I'll do it. I'll do it. Whatever you want me

to go there, I'll go there, Lord, But we struggled.

Maybe for a little while, we'll show you. I don't

understand a Lord, why Lina Abraham? No, the son's only son?

You said I would have the sand on the sea

shore children. The one child you gave me, you want

to take it? I don't know. I was to struggle

for Abraham, but he had to take that one child

who wasn't even a baby, who was a thirteen year

old pig enough to slap his father stop it dead.

But the obedience of Isaac.

Wow.

So how intimacy with the Lord? Do we talk to God?

Like how a friend talks to his friend. The Lord

had that relationship with Moses with Abraham. May maybe hear

the voice of the Lord. And when is it easier

to give yourself to the Lord during times of plenty

or doing times of less than plenty.

I so don't know where do you stand.

When I was fifteen, when I was sixteen years old,

I was seventeen, I was in a cell group and

one of the first chudges that I went, you know,

my leader cell group leader said to me ask the group, la,

so what do you think would you rather be rich

or would you rather or not be rich, all right.

So my naive answer at that time I said, I

don't want to be rich. I just know that if

Jesus is my Lord, then anything I need I can

ask him. Then if I need it, He'll give it

to me. What a naive answer at that time. Thinking

it was naive, you'll look at me, right, But now

it's forty over years over, many years later, I still

opt to follow Jesus and ask him if I need it,

if I need ten thousand, if I need to pay bills,

so to bless somebody, right, ask the Lord and say

he will provide. That's where you really push your fivla right. Well, God,

you ask me to give it whatever. But God, God

doesn't ask you to give what you don't have.

He always asks us to give.

What we have. But you say not enough and not enough.

I give you that, I eat what. But He knows

what you need and he will provide a man, hallelujah. Yeah,

if I had sometimes for I had. But you always

want to.

Give your best to the Lord and if you need it,

he will provide for you.

He's done it for us. But we've done the hard

miles Church, listen, listen, We've done the hard miles my

husband and I in the first year of marriage. And

even where as I I say to every church, whether

you heard it before, we took our vows. I was

standing here, he's standing there. Yeah, I can't remember turning

this way, and he said, you know the vows that

says those games for each of opor I actually turned

for a little while and looked looked behind me en.

I don't know, because I knew what he was earning

as a full time worker, only eight hundred ring gate man.

I didn't even dare tell my parents that was the

one salary because I probably earned more than him as

a teacher. Uh and uh whoa. So there were days

and I wanted and I'm from corporate. Before I became teacher,

I was a corporate, corporate, big top companies.

Wow, you know you have whatever you want? Right then

I give it all up.

Say bye bye to all my suits, all my high heels, everything,

bye bye, oh byecause care up for anyone? And they

day the first earl est week. I want to buy shoes,

you cannot buy shoe, you know hausband. Also, if you

said you want to buy me some gift, you can't.

E don't have whatever he God provides, he provides, okay,

but you can ask, right and if it's not you asking,

God provides, right. So I wanted a pair of shoes

I didn't have. Someone came to me and said, I

believe God wants you to have a pair of shoes.

Here's the money, buy the shoe. You want that encounter

to know that God knows your need.

The person won't know the person.

She is from a church near to our youth center,

and they don't know what I need a shoe. My

shoe wasn't looking that bad lover that time? You know, girl,

girl and shoes all the time. Yes, never enough shoes,

all right? And so if I tell you what, when

it comes to gift, the gift, it is always going

to come through a person. It will not drop from

the sky. It will be through a person. So don't

hate anyone because God will use that person to black you.

Allahm Then for law is wallow your humber pie? Right?

Thank you? Don't make any enemies right, oh my goodness.

But God always uses a man.

And a woman to bless the other party.

Don't say, God provide you know? And then when the

progossio you who to ask? Or to you law. You know,

but that's how God works. We do the hert mouse.

But the intimacy with the Lord is knowing that when

you ask, I'm your child, you have to do it

for me.

How intimate do you want.

To get with Jesus? Because because sometimes we get so

intimate with people, other people you even know them from Adam,

you meet them on your your dating apps. You don't

even know them from Adam, but you trust so good

Praise God? It works. How much more God, how much

more God, who will never let us down in any need?

I really I employ. I'm not saying my journey has

been easy. I've had my you are not sure, but

I learned to death. But what you want to grow

is your intimacy with the Lord.

Ask God that the.

Lord says, test me and see like ask him. Believe

that he is and he's a reward of them will

seek you who seeks him, and he will reward you

whatever they need. Whether you're on the crossroad, you know,

what is it that God once know who you are

and where you're at in life? What's your calling? When

I confirm my calling as a single person, I knew

it ain't gonna work out for me with all the others.

Just couldn't, just couldn't, just couldn't.

But I'm also stubborn.

Just keep on. They think, Okay, the Lord twenty five?

Everybody married, or actually everybody was married.

This single Gaga girl, not lady Gaga, but Google, go

go your.

But God knows how intimate do you get with the Lord?

That you grow deeper, you go, make the mistakes, made

all the mistakes and choices. But yet God knows, and

he protects you from that. He keeps you for that.

Give myself to the lot first, then hear the Lord. Amen. Amen.

So you think about it.

What does it mean to give yourself to the Lord?

Not asking how? What does he mean to give? How much?

How does it mean to give yourself to the Lord first?

And which is easier? When do you give yourself to

the when you got plenty, when you got less? I

just know that he never shot changes because He loves

us with all of him.

That's why he gave his life.

Amen. Number three. Quickly growing in the likeness of Christ. Amen. Wow.

Every time you take that act of faith and you give,

you are like your Lord and Master. Amen. Wow, because

we are meeting God's image you have in your heart

to give please people. Elde Bingo is not the only

one with a merciful face and compassionate heart. He's doing

community work. All of us have a bit of the

likeness of God. That's why you have confession. That's why

you feel for things, because God feels also. He says,

you know it's not good for men to be alone,

or oh, you know that person needs help, or don't

you're the widow you're Often God says, don't leave them.

He knows the needs. Amen. We grow in the likeness

of Christ. Every time you take an act of faith,

every time you do what your Master does, you grow

in his likeness.

I'm not you are little Jesus.

Now what right we all little Jesus like christ likeness.

At the end of the day, brother and sisters, can

I assure you and I have to say it because

I go to have an eye. I am accountable for

your lives. God is coming back, not for you, Joel,

Jesus in you. He's not coming back for a stephen face.

I know you got me, he saying, Look, but he

is come. He is coming for the Jesus that he's seeing.

And why you and I can face the Lord because

the blood of the Lamb is on you. You and

I come boldly to the throne room of grace. Don't

think that it's Julian Ung, he's got a powerful name. No,

it's the.

Blood of Jesus.

As he comes, Jesus, God recognizes the sun his blood

on you. You come. We're growing our likeness Christ likeness.

I know we make mistakes. I've made mistakes. You've seen

my mistakes. You think I'm evil, Right, I'm growing, So

are you in the likeness of Christ. Friends. He ain't

coming back for how good looking you are. He ain't

coming because you are so big time. He ain't. He

is coming for the Christ in us, the hope of glory,

not this outside face.

This is what God has given us.

As the shell. But what do we look like?

Do we look like our father? Do he look like Christ?

There's a song, but Dan you might remember maybe y'all

don't born before year two thousand?

Very very also, I'm very scared to sing.

The song to be like Jesus, to not born yet,

right Jesus, All I want is to be like him.

I cannot sing because I'm not like Jesus. I can

I cannot I learned to sing it because I am

to be like Jesus. Amen.

I will need time, all right, I need to.

Read the verses to you. Second Corinthians eight and seven

to nine. And we're still looking at this. What is

Paul saying to the people, the children or the believers

in Korinth In verse seven, he says, but as you

abound in everything, they were doing well. They were abounding

in faith, they were abounding in speech, they were abounding

in knowledge, they were abounding in diligence, they were abounding

in love. But he says to them, one more thing.

Add it to your cup generosity, Amen, oh pauly, say

one more generosity, because the very name of God is generosity.

For God so loved the world.

That he not take gave. And so Paul said, I

want that gift to abound, this grace to abound, New King, James,

you won't get the picture. Read the NLC, read the

CEV version. The grace to abound is actually the grace

of generosity. Come on, caoring Church. You're doing well, you're

doing well, you're doing well.

This is this is one more generosity.

So why because he says in verse nine, for you

know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though

he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,

that you, you, through his poverty, might become rich. Christ

was became poor for us that we might become rich

in all things, spirit, soul, body. So he says, add

one more.

Ingredient, one more virtue, generosity.

How generous are we? Sometimes we say we don't have,

I can't give. The day you say you don't have

and can't give, you are going to lose what you have.

The widow in Luke twenty one, the widow with the

two mites, that's all she had. And I don't believe

in this room you only have two mites, not two mice,

two mites. Throw away your mice, two mites, very little,

two copper coins, that's all. But she knew, she was

taught that I give my offering. I know if someone

I won't mention, I mean it's personal. Person did not

have lost everything, did not have. And I wonder sometimes

why there was no breakthrough in this person's life because

I did not have that would they still give even

when they didn't have with the little that they had,

even if it was a dollar, Because you all know

and you love it. The fact is God doesn't look

at the amount. He looks at your heart, right, But

he looked at the rich that had a lot and

only gave so much. This lady had all, and she

gave all. Do we give out all? When the Lord speaks?

When you were taught to give, read the word don't struggle.

My husband and I have no struggles with finances. We

don't talk. We don't argue about finances. I don't ask

him how much he has. You don't. I don't have

a joint account. Sorry, Oh mine is mine, yours is mine? Okay,

we don't argue. I don't have I come very poor.

Both of us came from poor families. Our families are

not rich. We don't have inheritance and all that nothing

are yours? Pretty well, I don't never have any inheritance.

Houses who don't have cars, who don't have How come

some families got can a compeller.

This is our father?

Give us o Kaila very poor lost everything, Dad lost everything,

lost everything, lost everything. Put myself to school, got provided.

He also nothing nothing. All of us want to go oversease,

good and go oversease. But God still gave us the education. Right, okay,

nothing right, I got take step around and turns it around,

because you know it's it's it's this whole word that

God became poor for us. What we have, give, don't

hold back. Sometimes don't have church building fund. Back in

the day, I was only eighteen years old. I wanted

to give to my church building fund. Eighteen no work

studying from six Uh, but I found work. I can't.

I kind of work in the KFC and order they

don't hire me because last time at McDonald's my timeler.

So I did advertisements, my face, so I took out everything.

I'm the Connecto girl.

Back in the day.

You won't find it because last time don't have multimedia. Okay,

So I did a lot of ads. I earned that money,

and I took it all and gave to my pastor

and said, pastor, are you still taking the building for

I just finally got the money. Tv ads, by the way,

not newspaper, newspaper rhyme, Si lama cannot, I said, I

don't do tv ads.

I turned my agent.

We need tv ads. Oh sorry, secret was so Peter

Cibers and Cannon, Oh sorry beer.

Yeah, So.

And you give it to the lot, because the lot

will open that door for you when you really want

to give. I'm not that church anymore. So there was

my teens time and moved on with my parents. When

he got safe, I had a part to play. God

gave me a chance to learn to give. So I

prayed and that job lended. Every time I landed the job,

the funds came. It went to bless whatever the faith

need was. Fans, we want to grow a man in

the likeness of Christ. It is better to give than

to receive. X twenty thirty five. You can read that.

Paul says it is better to give than to receive.

In X twenty thirty five you can see that, and

he says it was Jesus who say it's better to

give than to receive. Therefore the ideas did Jesus say

those say those words? Well, he didn't say in so

many words exact, but if you read the Four Gospels

you will see how the Lord teaches us. In Luke

chapter six, verse thirty thirty one. That whole chapter about

giving even when it's your enemy, giving if that person

ever returns it to you. Give treat others how you

want people to treat you. Give willingly give to the

poor because you cannot get it back. Better to give

than to receive. Give wisely, of course the different needs

to give. But just saying sometimes people not always nice

to you. But if that's the need, you give it.

Don't expect the return because you're far as you give.

You read that verse in look, let me read it

to you and other times up, sorry, pastor Stephen come

ten years. Oh yeah, but but look chapter six. Look

chapter six for thirty five. But you love your enemies,

do good? Look chapter six thirty five. Lend hoping for

nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and

you will be the sons of the Most High. Well,

He is kind to both to the unkind and the

evil as well. Read scripture. Guys, live your life based

on the scriptures of God.

I have to learn this as well.

Give not because you can't get back when you act

like that. Better to give than receive, because then you

become the sons of the Most High. Amen. So I'm

just saying that sometimes we might calculate to say, when

will we get it back? If you give to the poor,

take it that you lend it to them, and God

will pay you back. Proverbs you give it to the poor,

then you lend it to them. God will pay you back. Amen,

because God looks after the poor as well. And I'll

say to you learn, learn generosity in a way that

as you give. Luke. Chapter six, verse thirty eight says,

give and it shall come back to you, press down,

shaken together, running over. See. If you don't do the

hard miles, you don't take that first step, you won't

experience the overflow. The people of God will not break

for bread, the righteous of the Lord will not break

for bread. But you must learn to give, give, and

it will come back to you. Press down, shaken together,

running over. According to the measure that you give, that

same measure comes back. You give this spoonful, you get

this poon backler, you get a truck full, you get

back a trackler. So how do you want to sew

that you may read The Lord does not. The Lord sees,

he knows. Give. The idea is the whole idea of

teaching that Jesus said, look, give. It could be your time.

It could be your talent aside from your treasure. It

could be what you already have it the old don't

you could be your home?

Open up?

How somebody you know, give whatever it is. But here

he did talk about money a lot, Jesus did. I

don't talk a lot about money here, chrise can't. The

Lord does provide, Give and it will be given to

you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, run in over, give,

give to the Lord. Amen, running over, running over, experience

the God's running over. If you haven't is maybe because

we haven't given by faith. We aren't given, and we

close our eyes to the poor. We haven't given. When

you church us and you close your eyes and your

ears because you are giving it to the man, we

don't give to a man.

You give it to the Lord.

Come on, we teach this so much, the year after

year after year we teaches. But I have to say,

I followed Christ forty over years. Now I'm still here, guys,

I'm still here. I'm still following the faith. I have

no complaints about the Church that I was, or is

or whatever he is. I give because I give it

to the Lord. I don't question where it goes. God

Lord says, give, I give, and it comes back, pressed down,

shaking together, running over. I have to share those testimonies

because if not, you think it's just the words past,

I gave the only car that he had. We had

no money, we had a car. It was given to him.

He never owned any Actually he owns nothing. It's all

my name, yeah King. He did not have a car.

The cars given to him by his mom.

That one car, Toyota Corona holy spirit kind of the

oil that drips everywhere, that car. And then uncle comes

back from Vietnam. And the uncle has a son that

has clubbed feet and has to come back and get

medical attention and don't car passes told me, I'm gonna

give my car, you know, like rolling I like, and

we're gonna drive what it was, I gonna car. You're

gonna give away your car, the only car, only transport,

he said. My uncle needs it more. He has to

take his son to hospital every day.

He came back from Vietnam.

So he gave his car to the uncle. Uncle fifty

a ways give God Uncle no wen't got no car.

I don't know how my husband's faith grows, But this

is fastor who has walked faithfully before the Lord and learned,

gives his car that day.

I get a call in my office. Is years ago.

Corporate company calls and say again and say no, this

is the wife. Always good to have the wife. Hey,

boss wants to give the kalla.

You have a need of a car.

Please whay you cry? Right? You want to give a car?

Why you have a need of a car.

Yes, so you gave her a proton.

It's in the name of our company, our organization. You

give out of obedience. The Lord remembers you past the

testimony saysn't stopped. We do not take the church money

to do anything. Every step has been God's provision because

he has to practice his faith. If you, as a

church give to him, you give faith. Steps are important

that we may encounter God and cry many times. A

wife not very full of faifler. So when suddenly God comes,

they God got car to give.

You a Who give car?

Who this poor husband, poor man has no car, gives

away to it. Uncle so much older than him, says no,

my uncle needs it more for his son. Let's just

give it away he needs it. We don't.

We can find other ways of transport.

Okay, So.

But the call comes.

We don't have a home.

God provides a home.

Don't have the rent to pay for the home. God

provides the rent. Not living a fairy tale. Church build

our house of the Lord on faith, and that same

legacy runs on across to all our church plank coordinators

and every partner in this house. This is your heritage,

ex Church. You can walk that faith walk because it

comes from the top from Father God to his servant

down to all of us. You can experience it.

This is how God, the giver and the gift.

What is your gift?

Amen? I have to run for my last point.

So for eternity people, So for eternity, and abound on

earth you so you know the Bible tells us in

Matthew chapter six, where your treasure is there, your heart

will be. Where's your treasure? Your girlfriend in London? Your

heart will be in London, right, all right. If your

business is in Vietnam, your heart will be in vietnampunk No,

the one this Thailand. Okay. Where your heart is there,

your treasure?

Right where your treasure is there, your heart will be.

So it says, Jesus says, if you give piling up

on earth, the moth will come, the rast will come,

and the thieves will come after you. To me, why

did Jesus say the thief will come? He ain't talking

about Nazi la mala. He's talking about treasure. The mean

thieves are so one. More so how he says, pile

up for yourself treasures in heaven. He's not saying live

a poor life. He's not saying don't have money. He's

not saying that. You just say your priority, where is it?

Because there your heart be. Some people say I know

in justirmissions. But then we challenge and say, okay, why

don't you you sow into you know, a country, Let's

say me, and you pull out your funds, you donate

that you give. Every day you'll be asking how how's

the family doing, how's the church doing there? How's the

work there? Your heart, man, you'll put your treasure. Then

your heart also follow after that right because you want

to know what you invest in, you want to see

it grow.

So how God will I tell you what?

Grand sisters? Bible promise you are. God gives you power

to make money Douteronomy chapter six. God gives you power.

Some of you are amazing business people, entrepreneurs. You are.

You're just so good. What you do you make money

on that is your gift, that is your ministry. You

do that ministry you make money and then you give

it away, otherwise you want to make any money. But

the blessings of the Love will overflow your life. You

tell only twenty eight to two. The blessings shall overtake you.

Obey the voice of the Lord as he speaks. Can

you believe it? The blessings of a God of the

Lord overtake you, or you're running her blessings there will

not follow you, no overtake you. The goodness of the

Love will follow you after all the days of your life.

Then you're running her. The blessing overtake you. You want

your blessings to overtake you. You gotta live by faith.

You gotta be the giver that's ready to just give

the gift that God wants you to give. You see

the blessing overflow. If you haven't experienced it, great time

to slowly take small steps because extras you're in none

data with messages of faith from our foundings in your

pastor who is truly a servant of the Lord, who

has done it, He don't unders tell you. He go

and walk it first and tell you we have inheritance

in this amen, the blessing of the Lord. And you

know when extra started twenty five years ago pastor started

the Churchy two guys, Elder Kenya being one of them.

The other guys puss right.

The Lord said ticket offering ticket, He said, how la,

three of us take offering for one no need la

When the Lord say, not about whether they have or

don't have, or it's on a tree. Don't rob my people,

don't rob my people. Philippins, Chapter four seventeen. Philippins, Chapter

four seventeen. Paul says to them, as they're learning to give,

he says, as you give. He says, it's not that

I seek the gift, the gift as you give the gift,

but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

There's going to be an abounding to your account as

you give your gift. And Paul was saying that to

the Philippian church. Give. I'm seeking not for I want

your money. I want you to be blessed. And so

day one, next change. We've always taken that offering. We

take offerings at homes. People can complain all you want.

You tell God, Then one day you and I going

to stand before Jesus and he's gonna say, what was

your complain about that? Again? Come on, tell me, and

I think to say, well, he's give an account. Friends,

it will not. It's not to rob you. It is

to a bound towards you give, and it will abound

towards you. Our mentality have to change, our priority.

How is Jesus?

How in Christ likeness we give heavenward that we may

abound on earth. Our brain must change a big stop

thinking the way earth things. We must say how Heaven thinks,

how God thinks? He gave without expecting that you and

I will accept Jesus while we were yet seen as

Christ died for us. I rejected Christ at age fourteen,

reject him again at age fifteen, and then receive Christ

at sixteen. Did he know whether I'm going to receive Christ?

He gave his life, you know, without knowing if I

would receive him. That was a step of faith. But

I love them, he said, I will die for them.

So when we change our mentalities to be like the

Lord Christ likeness, so so it will come back to you.

Those who refresh others, will yourself be refreshed Probabs eleven

twenty four to twenty five. Sow your seeds, so not

not any seeds, and hello, and simply go and drop

your seats. Boys. No, so.

Your gift talents.

So and as you refresh other people, you yourself will

be refreshed. You get testimonies, you get people. One day

you will go to heaven. They say, they say, I

don't know, and we're looking forward. They'll come up to

you and say, thank you for giving to the Lord,

and you're like, why, he says, I don't know. You said,

but you gave that day to that gift to me

and Ma, you gave that day to India and Indian

brother come up and you are you. I don't know

you thank you forgiving I didn't give to you. No,

every time you did it to the least of this,

you did it unto me, says the Lord. Every time

you did it to the least, you've done it unto

the Lord, the least. God never forgets who did you

give it the least of this? I didn't. I didn't

visit you in prison or Jesus, I never Matthew twenty five. No,

the Lord said, every time you did it to somebody

the least of the crowd, you did it unto me.

I received it.

When Pastor had to bathe.

He's dead. Our children in the room here. You all

have parents.

One day our parents will be sick.

We have to wash them. The most embarrassing thing for

the parent for the child. When passaid the baby and

wash his hair. As he washed his hair, Jesus spoke

to pass and said, thank you. Why when you wash

that your father's you were washing my hair because dad couldn't.

All of us are getting older, our parents are getting older.

You will have to take care of your parents. When

I tell you it's hard, I had to take care

of my own dad. You will have to be cleaned

by your child. But when you do it, you give

it to the Lord. Don't say the church didn't preach it.

I'm preaching to you. You might be young, handsome and

good looking and full of energy. One day you will

have to take care of your parent or your child.

Take care of you. The humility, the gratefulness friends, to

be like Jesus is what we want to be. So today,

for the things of heaven and abound on earth. I

encourage you and employ you. Be a cheerful, happy giver.

Bring your gift hilariously.

Don't cry.

You are going to lose my ten dollars. I'm going

to lose one hundred dollars. Oh, hilariously, Love, you're giving

it to the heavens. You're giving it to the Lord,

and you are bound somewhere. Amen, as you prepare to give.

Not only because we have aniversity. Every Sunday is an

opportunity to give, Every opportunity for something you pray, ask

a heart, open heart to say, Lord, how can I

be obedient to give to the Lord.

To give to the Lord.

Don't give to a man or a woman, don't give

to a ministry. Only give to the Lord and say, Lord,

take this five hundred and get made go further. Sometimes

we don't have chance to stalk the whole church because

we have separated. That doesn't stop us from sharing. We

still support two evangelists in China. To evangelist Sarahah, they

are doing the work there. It's your money. Someone one

day from Sarah will say thank you for giving to

the Lord, and you're like, where, I don't know you,

but he says, your church and you had a part

to play in that. Don't live in a poverty mentality.

Poverty is not here. Poverty is here to those who

appears to hear what the spirit of God is saying,

you will hear what the Lord wants you to hear.

For us to grow, act by faith every time, grow

in your intimacy in the Lord. It's for you and

me to come close to Jesus. Three. We are to

change and be transform into the likeness of Christ.

Amen.

Add on whatever you're doing, well, continue to do. But

what Paul says, add on that grace of generosity, so.

Into heaven.

Right, So for eternity abound on earth, while on earth

a bound Because as you sow towards eternity, he says,

give and it will come back to you. Press down,

shaken together, running over a man. The Lord is very

generous to us. And I encourage you developed life, not

overnight lifes and not overnight. Develop a spirit of cheer

a man and a joyful heart of giving, whether you're serving, playing,

whether you're giving giving, whether you're helping someone develop a

cheerful heart, a joyful heart, because it's a joy there.

You're just sang the sound a joy of the Lord

a man. And then don't you better believe it? I'm

just sing this song. You better believe it. Oh God,

it's so good to each and everyone in this room.

My encouragement to you is that you are cheap. You

will hear his voice. Amen. Amen. And we're family people here.

How our children know Jesus. By your example, our children

will know Him and will choose to choose, choose to

receive Christ because they see mom and Dad following Christ.

You are like Jesus to our children, to your children, Amen.

And then we are like Jesus to one another. I

learn from you. I learn from your generosity. I learn

from the way you give. I learn from the way

you love. I love for I learn from the way

you smile. I learn too. I learn because there's a

bit of Jesus that's coming forth, and I receive it,

and we keep developing that. Amen.

Oh, God is so good. He is good all the time.

Never day does he not look at you in your

face and think, how can I bless Danny? How can

I bless Joy? How can I bless Karen? How can

I bless Sam? How can I bless you? You? You,

every one of us. That is God's generous heart to

us every day. But we will have the heart miles

to do. We will have those challenges only to draw

us nearer to the Lord, to look like Jesus Amen, hallelujah,

Amen Church. Oh We're gonna grow, and may we grow cheerfully.

A heart of cheer, a heart of joy in the

way we live, in the way we give, in the

way we speak.

Joy that will overflow from a heart.

Stand with me, Church.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as Church RG. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you. God bless