WEBVTT - Needers & Feeders 0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:04.640 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.920 --> 0:00:07.120 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.160 --> 0:00:10.479 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.480 --> 0:00:12.520 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:18.480 see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:22.400 This is the truth now that we are so we 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:25.200 are so glad you're here today. If it is your 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:27.360 first time, come on, let's show all of our first 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:35.440 time visitors how much we appreciate them. God is so good. 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:39.720 I believe He brought you here at a strategic moment. 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:44.199 Our churches, I guess you could say we have a tradition. 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.600 I know they call us the non traditional church. We've 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:51.760 got people with purple hair, pink hair, and that's the 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:55.760 same lady, I'm talking about purple and pink hair on 0:00:55.880 --> 0:00:59.680 the sides and the top. You look amazing. And when 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:01.400 they call us not traditional, what they mean by that 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:04.200 is that you can come in no matter if you 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:07.000 have any religious background or that we're not going to 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:10.959 just like confine God to the way that he moved, 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.640 you know, fifty years ago, and we're always going to 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:15.959 be seeking what God is doing now then, certainly we 0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:20.680 are non traditional, but that being said, there are a 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:25.040 few things that are always appropriate, and so as we 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:27.880 welcome all of our family across all of our locations today, 0:01:28.440 --> 0:01:30.640 I wanted to let you know that just like families 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:36.560 have traditions maybe around holidays and different special occasions, we 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:40.679 have a tradition here at Elevation Church which is to 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:47.280 end each year with appreciation and anticipation at the same time. 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.400 And we've been doing this since twenty fourteen. And the 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:52.760 reason I said, I'm so glad if you're here for 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.520 the first time, because this is the absolute best time 0:01:57.160 --> 0:01:59.560 that you could have picked. I don't know who drug 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.280 you here, or who drugged you and brought you here. 0:02:03.360 --> 0:02:08.120 We've got some aggressive evangelists at Elevation Church, some unusual tactics, 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:11.040 but I was going to say that you are about 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:14.400 to see I believe it, you are about to see 0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:19.120 faith in action over the next five weeks in a 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:23.080 way that is going to inspire you and bless you. 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:27.920 And the way we do it is each year we 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:31.920 select a word. I started this in twenty fourteen. Of 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:34.240 course the church is on our fourteenth year. But in 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:37.520 twenty fourteen, the Lord led me to begin. I remember 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:39.800 sending chunks to text. I want to end the year 0:02:40.160 --> 0:02:43.520 with the season of faith and expansion, and I want 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:46.480 to challenge the people to bring their best offering to 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:49.600 God at the end of the year, to commemorate what 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:52.639 He's done and to prepare for what He's going to do. 0:02:53.840 --> 0:02:56.960 And the thing that's so unusual about it is this 0:02:57.040 --> 0:03:00.520 is not a sad or stingy or weird time for us. 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:06.080 It's really a privilege. It's really a privilege. And through 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:08.919 the years, we've chosen different words. I remember one year 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:11.160 the word was I think the first year the word 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:15.080 was surround, and then we chose the word beyond, and 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.919 then we chose the word fulfilled. I remember one year 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:23.680 we did waymaker. Last year we came around the word 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:27.200 game changer, and we just spent some time teaching around 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.440 this word. This year, the word that God has given 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.400 me is based on a song that we sang a 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:37.960 few minutes ago, and the word is available, available, and 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:42.760 we're going to talk about that word together as a 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:45.720 movement as a global church body that God is. I 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:50.320 never see you as a crowd, I never do. I 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:54.280 see you as a living, breathing Advancing Church of Jesus Christ, 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:58.360 and so to take these moments over the next few 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:01.240 weeks and just ask God to increase how many want 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:07.040 God to increase your faith? Some of y'all raise your 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:09.800 hand a little slower because you know what He does 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:13.200 to increase your faith. He increases your need for faith. 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:17.880 So we're going to talk about that. And on your 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:20.160 way to your seat, before I get into the message today, 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:22.760 just ask the person next to you, not in like 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:25.800 a creepy swiping kind of way, but ask him are 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:32.720 you available? Amen, you may be seated. As I already said, 0:04:32.720 --> 0:04:36.599 welcome to all of our locations, our EPAM around the world. 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:39.599 Come on, Valentine, let's welcome all of our locations and 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:46.520 our extended family joining us. Now. It's a beautiful scripture 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:48.600 I want to show you today as we begin this 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:52.040 journey of faith over the next five weeks. Of course, 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:54.839 our teaching will culminate in an offering on December the 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:59.000 seventh and eighth. That weekend, thousands of people will bring 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:02.239 their best offering. And really, the church is not built 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:06.679 on special offerings, but people who consistently give to God, 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:10.240 just like kids aren't raised by uncles that show up 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:15.280 on Christmas. Right, it's the daily, it's the discipline, and 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:17.960 so I thank God for each and every one of you. 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:19.480 But I want to show you a scripture today as 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:24.120 we begin this journey about being available to God. And 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:26.000 if I could give you a thesis for this series. 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:27.680 It goes back to a cliche I heard as a 0:05:27.680 --> 0:05:32.280 young man. And some cliches are corny, but they're still true. 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:35.880 And one man told me when I started walking with 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:40.440 the Lord, he said, it is not about your ability, 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:44.400 it's about your availability. I didn't know if he was 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:47.000 right when he said it, but I promise you I 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:49.080 am not one of these pastors who had a promising 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.640 career in the NBA but decided to serve God. I 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:54.960 was five foot eight and a half when God called me. 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:58.560 If you hear my early preaching tapes, not only did 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.200 I have the same little that I have right now 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:03.560 that comes through and pops through the microphone, they have 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:05.920 to get me a special thing on my mic because 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:09.719 is so strong, you know, and my Southern accent was 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:13.200 so deep that I think people outside of like four 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:18.119 States had to have a translator. And I was speaking English. 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:19.760 But just what he said to me, I want to 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:22.520 show you today for your own life as well, that 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:26.040 it is never about our ability how much God uses 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:30.360 us to an extent, you know, like you definitely don't 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:32.880 need to move to Nashville and be a country singer 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.200 if your wife doesn't even like the way you sing. 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:39.520 So there is a talent factor that determines what we 0:06:39.600 --> 0:06:41.880 do with our life. But at the same time, I 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:44.560 want to show you in Second Corinthians chapter nine, and 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:50.360 I selected this as the richest New Testament scripture on generosity. 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.479 I think if you want to look ultimately to the 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:55.919 cross where God gave his son, it is the ultimate 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:59.480 demonstration of generosity, certainly, but if you want to find 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:02.799 a teaching on generosity, and not just for our offering 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:04.560 that we're receiving, but just for the way you live 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:08.680 your life, I believe that Second Corinthians nine gives us 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:12.000 a template. So go ahead and turn there, or click there, 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:14.760 or just look at the screen. Who cares you know? 0:07:15.640 --> 0:07:17.120 Either way, I want you to get this word in 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:20.160 you and ask the person next to you one more time, 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:24.840 say are you available? Available? Is that how you ask 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:30.240 people on a date too? Ask them with a clear voice, 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:34.880 say are you available? And so a lot of times 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.200 while we're trying to get more of God in our life, 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:40.280 it's like God is trying to get more of us. 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:46.640 Are you available? Second Corinthians nine, verse six. It's been 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:50.320 an awkward letter that Paul has written to the Corinthian 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:54.520 Church because they are so carnal that when they come 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:58.440 for communion, some of them are getting drunk and turning 0:07:58.520 --> 0:08:02.760 up at the communion table. And that's a really difficult 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:05.400 pastoral situation. That's why we pass out the grape juice 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:10.560 in the little cups, just to make sure. And it's 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:14.640 not only that, but there's a strained relationship as fathers 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:17.320 and children often go through, between Paul and the church 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:21.440 that he started, and he's having to, in the midst 0:08:21.440 --> 0:08:24.480 of all of this tension and conflict, prepare them to 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:28.160 give an offering. And the offering is specifically for the 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:33.800 believers in Jerusalem, the believers in Jerusalem who are spiritually 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:39.240 rich and physically poor. Now, the reason I said it 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:41.000 like that is because you can have it the other 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:47.960 way around. You can be very, very rich financially and 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:51.440 be spiritually poor. Some of you are like, well, I'd 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:53.680 like to try it, you know what I'm saying. That 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:58.800 sounds good, but he has a challenging task in order 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:02.040 to get this church Corinth, these gentile believers to give 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:06.680 to the Jewish Church, the church in Jerusalem. And the 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.080 reason he thinks it's appropriate is because the faith began 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:13.920 within the Jewish tradition, and then the Christian Church that 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:18.359 is in Jerusalem, they're undergoing a severe trial, not only persecution, 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:22.000 but famine. Now, Paul spent about five years of his 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:24.760 life preparing this offering, so it's a big deal to him. 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:26.200 It's a big deal to him. And this is what 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:28.760 you can'tet people to understand. Some things that you just 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:31.600 walk into are a big deal to somebody sitting next 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:34.000 to you. Like, make some noise if this church is 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.760 a big deal to you, Like if this is meaningful 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:40.920 to you, Like if you're not just watching the lights 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:43.560 in the show and hoping they play reckless love. But 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:48.560 this is like really your church where God meets with 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:52.520 you and his presence is important and you love to 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:56.400 gather together and you are excited about the work of God. 0:09:56.720 --> 0:09:59.080 If you can't help us shout, then go ahead and 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:02.400 shout and scare your neighbor. They can get heir plugs 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:04.680 next week If this is a big deal to you, 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:09.360 shout Gaston, shout Lake Norman, shout all the way from Kenya. 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:12.200 If this church is a blessing to you, it's a 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:19.640 big deal. So for Paul, this offering is so important 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:24.640 that he's sending some delegates to make sure that the 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:27.600 Corinthian Church doesn't screw this up like they've been screwing 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:31.839 everything else up. But he's smart, right, he knows that 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:34.040 in order to get people sometimes to live up to 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:38.439 their potential, they need a little competition. And in Second 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:43.679 Corinthians chapter eight, he moves into this comparison about the 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:48.640 Macedonian Church who have already contributed to the offering, even 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:51.400 though they had less money than the Corinthians. And then 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.000 he does this move where he says, and I know 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:58.439 if they did it, you're gonna do it. And as 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:01.760 he gets into this, he gives a practical illustration. And 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:03.200 that's what I want to share with you now. The 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:06.000 title of this message for installment one of available is 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:13.160 called Kneaders and Feeders. Kneaders and feeders, and we're going 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:17.040 to locate ourselves in this text. In Second Corinthians, chapter nine, today, 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:21.839 verse six, we begin, Remember he says, whoever so sparingly 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:26.120 will also reap sparingly. And see, you don't even have 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:30.360 to believe in Moses, Abraham and Jesus to say amen 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:34.400 to that. This is a principle. He says. You know, 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:37.360 like we would say, you get out of it what 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.600 you put into it. And that's why I'm always interested 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:42.560 when someone says, like, well, I went to the church, 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:44.440 but I didn't get anything out of it. I would 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:47.640 always ask the question, what did you put into it? 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:50.120 Because the last time I went to the bank and 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:51.960 ask them for more money than I put in the 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:55.200 bank account, it didn't work. And you know, the last 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:56.640 time I went to church and I went with a 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.040 bad attitude and didn't lift my hands because nobody's going 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:01.439 to manipulate me and worshiping, I just worship. When I 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.120 go in nature with God, I like dear, it didn't work. 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:12.200 So he says, whoever thos generously will reap generously. Each 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:16.040 man should give, each man should give, each man should give, 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:18.880 each man should give. I'm stuck on that part because 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:21.440 I think some people make excuses. But each man should give. 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:25.160 Watch this what he has decided in his heart to give, 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:34.680 not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 0:12:35.120 --> 0:12:39.240 And see, I get that right, right? Because God has 0:12:39.320 --> 0:12:44.840 no needs. The definition of God suggests that he is 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:51.520 self sufficient, and by extension, we are not. And yet, 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.280 have you ever had somebody do something for you that 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:57.760 was nice, but the way that they did it made 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:01.640 you wish that they didn't do it? Holly told me 0:13:01.720 --> 0:13:03.839 that one time, early in our marriage. Two things happened 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:06.640 early in our marriage. I got fat. I gained fifty 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:13.160 pounds without exercise. I did all that by diet alone. 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:19.960 I gained fifty pounds off of fried Rice Fetichini Alfreda. 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:24.600 And I had a realization. You know what I did. 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.760 I was walking by the mirror with my shirt off, 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:34.520 and I had a revelation moment. I jumped up and 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:39.400 everything was still shaking, like thirty seconds later, and I realized, 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:42.600 if I don't get some disciplines, I'm gonna get I 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:46.880 can get fat being married to this woman, You know, 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:50.400 you can get fat. Coming to a church like Elevation, 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:54.840 you can get fat because these singers are so good 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:58.679 and these musicians are so good and the people, Oh 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:00.640 did you see the creators win when you walked in, 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:04.520 How happy they look. And they've been here since six o'clock. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:06.920 Did you see how happy they were to see you? 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:12.680 Were they happy? I'm just checking. I went through a 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:18.679 different door. But see, when I was growing up in church, right, 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:20.920 the church I grew up in was small, and then 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.080 the church that I learned to do ministry and was small. 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.160 It would only have one hundred people in it. And 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:27.840 what that meant was that if you missed church. When 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:30.320 Pastor Mickey used to go up and he'd be turning 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:33.400 to a scripture, he turned to the scripture. While he 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:36.920 was turning, he had this little notepad, little memo book, 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:39.280 and he'd be writing something down in the pad. And 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:42.280 I thought for the longest time that he was writing scriptures, 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:44.680 that God was giving him, that God was speaking to 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:46.920 him when he took the pulpit. Then one day asked him, 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.680 He's like, no, that's my seating chart. Because on the 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:54.240 way home, if you missed church at Santis Circle Baptist Mission, 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:58.080 you would get a call from Pastor Mickey White's bag phone. 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:01.840 Zach Morris would call you on the way home from 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:05.240 church talking about I missed you today, big boy. You 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:07.520 weren't there on the third row, second seat in like 0:15:07.560 --> 0:15:09.640 you always are. Now I'm gonna see you back next 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:11.360 to me. I don't care if you were throwing up, 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:13.960 wear a surgical mask and come to church. He had 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:16.480 no time for it. We need you here. But in 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:18.840 a church like this you can begin to feel like 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:21.920 you are not needed and you are not known. And 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:26.920 in one sense, you were right. God doesn't need you. 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:31.400 God doesn't need me. If I drop this mic, God'll 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:33.560 put a gift to preaching somebody else and they'll pick 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:37.760 it up and preach it better. That sets me free, 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:42.280 by the way, because then I can understand that God 0:15:42.320 --> 0:15:46.800 loves a cheerful giver. And one day Holly cooked for me. 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:49.480 You know, I'm fifty pounds heavier then when she married me, 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.040 and I was over there washing the dishes, and I 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:56.000 was so proud. I was washing the dishes, and I 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:58.640 started whistling, you know, to get her attention so she 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:03.480 could see I was washing the dishes. And after about 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:06.280 a little you know, three little statements that I made 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:10.600 about I don't mind washing the dishes, something I enjoyed 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:14.920 doing to serve my wife as Christ loved the church, 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.640 you know' and a big deal of it. She said, 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:22.320 I would rather you not do it if I have 0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:28.160 to hear this much about it. Yeah, asked somebody. They 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:30.440 did something for you, but they made it look so 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:34.800 hard while they were doing it. You know, God, I 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:39.520 thought about calling this message. God doesn't want it. If 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:42.120 we come to God with an attitude like wow, God 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.000 is so lucky to have us. If we think that 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:47.800 bringing our presence into the presence of God is a 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:51.840 favor to him, we probably read the book backwards. See, 0:16:51.880 --> 0:16:55.840 it is not my presence that is honored. It is 0:16:55.920 --> 0:17:00.280 God's presence that is invaluable. And I know in a 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:04.600 time you know, where we worship celebrities, we don't worship 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:07.399 the Creator. We worship the gifts that he gave people 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:11.040 that he created. And that's messed up because See, God 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:15.359 was God before a celebrity shouted him out. God was God. 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.359 God doesn't need a celebrity to make him cool for 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:22.440 him to be God. God sits on a throne. God 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:25.959 feels heaven and earth. God is the Ancient of days. 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:29.680 God is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:33.159 God is the Great I Am. God is the breath 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.879 of life. God is el Shadai. God is hello. He 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:41.040 doesn't need anything, and if he needs it, he'll speak 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:44.919 it because his word is power. Somebody shout, as you know, 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:50.119 you'll serve a God who is able to supply your neees. 0:17:56.760 --> 0:18:00.800 So Paul says, I want to give you the privilege 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:06.360 to give to something bigger than you. And remember this, 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:12.840 If you so sparingly, you reap sparingly. If you so generously, 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:18.080 you reap generously. And verse eight is something that I 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:21.560 want you to internalize and really let it become a 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:25.760 reflection in your heart. Do you believe what verse eight says? 0:18:25.880 --> 0:18:32.239 And God is able? All right? Take that much? Now 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:40.159 add this to make all grace abound to you. Please 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:45.880 forgive me for truncating this. I could spend all five 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:49.119 weeks on that part of that verse and still not 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:52.600 do it justice, because, like everything about that verse is 0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:54.879 a challenge for me to believe. And God is able 0:18:56.160 --> 0:19:01.000 to make all grace abound to you. A lot of 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:03.520 times I believe that God's grace is available to others, 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:06.280 But do you believe that God is able to make 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:12.080 all grace abound to you? And he goes further. He says, 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:14.480 God is able to make all grace abound to you, 0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:20.600 so that in all things, at all times, having all 0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:26.000 that you need, you will abound in every good work. 0:19:26.080 --> 0:19:27.880 As it is written, he has scattered abroad his gifts 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:31.720 to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. Now he who 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:34.880 supplies seed to the sower and is about to get 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:36.760 good because Paul is about to let us in on 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:40.560 a principle that explains why some of us are struggling 0:19:42.160 --> 0:19:46.199 with discouragement. And even though we pray about it, we 0:19:46.240 --> 0:19:49.879 don't seem to receive what we need from the Lord. Okay, 0:19:50.040 --> 0:19:52.600 so let's slow down and read this. Now, he who 0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:58.439 supplies what talk to me, he who supplies seed to 0:19:58.520 --> 0:20:02.639 the sower and bread for food, will also supply and 0:20:02.880 --> 0:20:06.440 increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest 0:20:06.840 --> 0:20:11.320 of your righteousness. What that verse means is not that 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:14.720 God will just give you a harvest because you asked 0:20:14.720 --> 0:20:18.960 for it. What the verse says is that God supplies 0:20:19.000 --> 0:20:22.480 seed to the sower. And the question is not is 0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:27.119 God able? The question is are you a sower? Or 0:20:27.160 --> 0:20:30.600 have you allowed yourself to be lulled into a complacent, 0:20:30.960 --> 0:20:35.720 consumeristic Christianity that bears more resemblance to a kid making 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:39.639 their Christmas list than a Christian who is serving Jesus Christ. 0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:47.679 You'll like this message. I'm honestly shocked. I'm honestly shocked 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:50.679 because a lot of people do get stuck at the 0:20:50.760 --> 0:20:54.560 level of what I need. You know, we get stuck. 0:20:54.560 --> 0:20:56.720 When lady last night I was preaching, and she said, 0:20:56.720 --> 0:21:00.480 we get stuck in me mode, and it's just you know, God, 0:21:00.560 --> 0:21:03.760 bless me, help me, encourage me. And so while you're 0:21:03.800 --> 0:21:06.520 praying about those needs, they're not selfish. It's fine for 0:21:06.560 --> 0:21:08.320 you to bring those things before God. But the way 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:10.159 He will respond to your need is to give you 0:21:10.200 --> 0:21:14.360 a seed. And that's confusing to us because we want 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:16.960 God to give us a harvest. But God does not 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:19.960 respond to our needs with a harvest. He responds to 0:21:20.040 --> 0:21:23.560 our need with a seed. So I have found it 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:25.720 to be true. I wonder about you that when I 0:21:25.840 --> 0:21:29.320 found myself in need, the best thing for me to 0:21:29.359 --> 0:21:32.639 do is to get out of me mode and to 0:21:32.720 --> 0:21:37.600 get into so mode, sow so mode. I know this 0:21:37.680 --> 0:21:41.240 is not an agricultural society, but if it were, we 0:21:41.280 --> 0:21:45.080 could see that seeding or sowing is a form of 0:21:45.119 --> 0:21:49.000 investment and it is a process. How many times have 0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:52.800 I been discouraged and weary in my own soul, only 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:55.919 to find that when I took five minutes to be 0:21:55.960 --> 0:21:59.640 a blessing to someone else, when I sowed what God 0:21:59.720 --> 0:22:04.240 gave me, it became what I needed. This is difficult 0:22:04.320 --> 0:22:06.879 because when you are in a season of need in 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:09.800 your own life, the last thing you want to do 0:22:09.960 --> 0:22:13.359 is to sew into something else. Am I right about it? 0:22:13.880 --> 0:22:16.199 When you are out of energy, the last thing that 0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:18.640 you want to think about is anything other than you. 0:22:19.480 --> 0:22:21.560 But the only way for you to receive what you 0:22:21.680 --> 0:22:24.439 need is to give what you have. Cannot prove it 0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:27.840 from Jesus. Give and it will be given to you. 0:22:28.160 --> 0:22:31.560 That's not a financial scripture, that's a scripture about anything. 0:22:31.920 --> 0:22:34.720 If you give what you have, God will give to 0:22:34.800 --> 0:22:38.000 you what was already inside of you waiting to be 0:22:38.160 --> 0:22:44.280 sown in something that is bigger than you. And God 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:46.040 helped me for all the times that I got stuck 0:22:46.080 --> 0:22:50.840 in me mode. Bless me, me, me, me, me, me 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:54.520 me me. What about do re fa so latino? No 0:22:54.680 --> 0:22:56.960 just me me me, me, me me me, none of 0:22:56.960 --> 0:23:00.720 the other ones? Do re mi fa so dorat me, 0:23:00.840 --> 0:23:03.760 fa so dorat me? Do play scale? Keep play scale? 0:23:03.760 --> 0:23:08.200 Real quick. Uh do rey me do re me fa 0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:13.560 so okay, do it again, doray me fa so lati 0:23:13.880 --> 0:23:22.040 do agay doory again. Doray me me me me me 0:23:22.040 --> 0:23:25.320 me me me me me me me me me me 0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:35.240 me me me me me fa so me so me 0:23:35.640 --> 0:23:42.240 so me so. God said, I'm switching you from me 0:23:44.040 --> 0:23:54.600 so me so because you have been so so good 0:23:54.760 --> 0:24:04.520 to me so me so. You saved me, so, you 0:24:04.720 --> 0:24:12.000 filled me so, you bless me so, you gave me life. 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:17.600 So come on, I'm coming out of memo you made 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:29.400 away so so, he says. He says, this is good, 0:24:29.440 --> 0:24:33.280 isn't it? This is rich, This is challenging, this is 0:24:33.320 --> 0:24:37.920 difficult because God responds to your need with a bigger need, 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:44.240 all right. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew chapter fourteen. 0:24:44.280 --> 0:24:46.960 He's like, let's go away and get some rest. And 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:51.000 they're like, oh good, I need some me time. Where 0:24:51.119 --> 0:24:52.960 is it again? I messed it up. I need some 0:24:53.080 --> 0:24:56.879 Uh no, that's so me. I need some me time, 0:24:57.080 --> 0:24:59.760 all right. So they're gonna get some me time with Jesus. 0:25:00.119 --> 0:25:02.040 John the Bapp's just been behead. It is a rough time. 0:25:02.119 --> 0:25:04.520 Here is going crazy cutting heads off, and now the 0:25:04.560 --> 0:25:07.359 disciples need some rest. She's like, let's go and rest. 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:10.680 When they get there, how many you'll know this Bible story, 0:25:11.240 --> 0:25:14.520 they're like, oh, good man, we need it, we really 0:25:14.560 --> 0:25:19.000 need it. This is going to be really helpful. Jesus, Wow, 0:25:19.040 --> 0:25:22.200 what wisdom you have because you know you know what 0:25:22.240 --> 0:25:27.320