Legacy Sunday

You’ve heard some phenomenal speakers already this month, and Pastor David and Cindy and Jordan. And I’m sorry you have to listen to me today, but they saved the worst for last. That’s not usually the way it happens. But I’m gonna take the opportunity nonetheless and just talk to you a little bit about what God put on my heart. A lot to think about that has been brought to our attention this month already. You know, we’ve already discovered, even Cindy mentioned it again today, that it’s the way of God in processing his will in time and on planet earth to do it generation to generation. I don’t know if we have this statement on the screen. It was a last minute change. I hope it’s there for you. If not, just listen up. But let me just make it to you. We’ll build on it.

Divine transitions have a major part in processing the will of God

Divine transitions have a major part in processing the will of God in the theater of time. We are presently processing the church age, which will give way to the rapture of the church and then a time of great tribulation and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Those are events on God’s prophetic and divine calendar for mankind. And you and I again have a part to play, our part to play, our part to play together as the church in this generation in processing the will of God. God made that choice. God is sovereign, he’s greater in power than anyone else. No one can be compared to him. He could have, I suppose, just done this another way. But he chose to do it through relationship, and he chose to do it through faith relationship, and he chose to look across the earth and find men and women just like you in our generation who would cooperate with what he wanted to do in the now and for the future.

Again, that’s the history of our Bibles. From the day that God promised to redeem man, and it was prophesied, Genesis chapter 3 is just the first recording we have of a promise of man’s redemption after Adam and Eve, through the sin of high treason, plunged men into the kingdom of darkness. And Satan became the God of this world. But since then, and since the prophecy to redeem mankind, to even though the heel of the Redeemer would be bruised, the head of the serpent would be crushed. And that was the promise of God. And again, God could have approached that any number of different ways, but he chose to do it generation to generation through men and women of faith, just like you, just like me. Again, divine transitions have a major part in processing the will of God in the theater of time.

Our redemption, the redemption that came by and through Jesus Christ at the cross, was processed by men and women of faith who walked with God, who obeyed God, who did what God demanded that they do, commanded that they do, wanted that they do, desired that they do. They were a covenant people who carried out the will of God, and through that, for thousands of years, redemption again was being processed. Again, I just say it a simpler way. There would be no salvation today without the process that took place through generations of men and women of faith. And what God is planning for our future, the point I’m trying to make in this moment is that what God has planned for Albuquerque, what he has planned for New Mexico, what he has planned in part for the United States of America, which needs to be reclaimed. Our soul is in danger. What he wants to do through the church into the world is right now being processed and by it’s being processed by you and it’s being processed by me. It’s being processed by other men and women of faith in our community and beyond.

It’s important that we’re listening to the Holy Spirit in our day and taking our assignment, whatever that is. In so many ways, it doesn’t differ different. It hasn’t differed for 2,000 years. We are the church, we have one commission. And it’s to go into all the world and take this message of grace, the gospel of grace, preach it, and preach it by the way we live our lives, not just by what we say. Which is most effective. And to baptize those who will believe it, and then to commit ourselves to them and their commitment to be discipled and carry this thing on out and continue to build and continue to process with God, what’s on God’s heart and what’s most important to God. There are parts of God’s dream that have not yet been fulfilled. And he is fulfilling it right now through you and through me. Would you look at your neighbor and say, through you and through me?

Where are the fearless in their generation?

Psalm 145 is one verse, verse 4, that says, Generation after generation will declare more. Would you say that word with me more? There’s more to be done, so more is going to be accomplished.

Generation after generation will declare more of your greatness, God, and declare, here it is again, more.

Say it, more of your glory. And then here’s an obscure verse. I hardly ever hear it quoted when it comes to this subject, but it’s in the book of Nahum, chapter two in verse 11. It has this question:

where is the dwelling of the lions and the feeding place of the young lions? Where the lion, even the old lion walked, and the lion’s wealth, and none made them afraid.

Or where are the fathers and the mothers, their children and their grandchildren? Where are the fearless in their generation? That’s us. I want to be a part of that. I want to be counted. How about you among the fearless in our generation who God can count on to advance his purposes, his pursuits, and his plans. Amen. It’s not all about us. I’m glad God included us, but it’s about those some who haven’t yet been born. And it seems to me in our society today, they need God’s protection, even to do that. To be born. Learning it ourselves. We certainly haven’t perfected the practice. I believe we’ll continue to learn because there are other churches who have plans of succession that I think we’ll be able to help them with in their future.

The transition that we’re currently in again serves as an opportunity. Would you say that word as well? Opportunity. It’s more work, it’s hard work. But it is a great divine opportunity given to us again to build further and to advance. Before the church’s name was Believer Center of Albuquerque, it was we referred to it as church builder ministries. Because God had put on our heart the statement that Jesus made to his own disciples about his church. He said, I will build my church. And it is his church, and we must keep it in his hands. Can I have an amen? He said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So don’t worry, don’t be afraid. Don’t be fretful. Continue to pray again, continue to do your part. Bring the victory of the cross into your reality into the future with you. Amen. Because the church Jesus is building will not, cannot be overcome. Amen.

So I just want to just I want to, I want to just give you a few of my thoughts about some of the key elements of the legacy that we’ve been working to build for 44 years as a church family. Again, this is a very, very short, short list. And I believe pastors David and Jordan will come back at some point and they’ll begin to present to us the things that God has wants to bring forward, the things God wants us to leave behind. They will carry that anointing on them, and we will give them that opportunity as God sets them in this new position to lead us forward into a great future. Can I have an amen? So let me just give these to you quickly with a few comments, and then we will again, as we close out service today, we will bring this special, we’ll bring ourselves, present ourselves to God in this, and then we will bring our special gift to God to honor him with.

We want to leave a legacy of loving and anticipating the sound of God’s voice

Number one, we want to leave a legacy of loving and anticipating the sound of God’s voice. It’s always been important to us to hear God’s voice and what we were thinking and what we were believing and what we were planning to do. It means a few things. It means number one, to be prayerful. Jesus said, among other things, but he said this of great importance. He said, My house will be marked by prayer. He said, My house will actually be called a house of prayer. But it also means making the time to hear. Joshua in the Bible, in the Old Testament, represented a new generation who long to enjoy the presence of God, the way that his mentor Moses had. Enjoying. He was one of the first to see what happened when in Moses’ own the physical appearance when he would come out of that tent and he would see the glory of God on his face and on his body.

It also means insisting on hearing the truth. Loving God’s voice means insisting on hearing the truth. I’m so tired, I know you are, of people looking us in the eye and lying to us, and then applauding others who do. I believe that there is a divine interruption coming. Hello, and we’re gonna see it happen, and we’re gonna be a part of it, where the truth of God, Almighty God, once again is going to be revealed, and it’s going to be proclaimed by more than proclaim it today, and men are going to know the difference between a truth and the deceptive lies of darkness that are being presented to them as the truth. We are Jesus working in us, or the light of the world. And we’re not going to put this light that’s in us, that’s in the church. We’re not going to hide it away. We’re going to be in the marketplace. We’re going to be in the conversation. We’re going to be in the places of business. We’re going to be in the public schools. We are not backing off. We are not putting it in reverse. We are not in retreat. We are in advance. We’re going to see it happen. And you’re going to be a part of it, believer center of Albuquerque. I believe is going to be a may, I don’t know how this shapes out, but I believe we’re going to be a major voice in our state. More than what we are right now, more than what we’ve been reduced to as the Church of Jesus Christ.

And it also means a commitment, finally, of continuing to learn and to grow. That’s what disciples do. It’s actually the meaning of the word to be a learner. And just this word of advice taking your children into those special times with God when they’re young is really essential to passing it on from generation to generation, letting them hear you pray. Pastor David talked a little bit about this in his message earlier in the month. Reading your Bible with them, doing it in front of them, letting them see you stop what you’re doing to read or to pray, letting them know why you do certain things on your faith journey helps them. The Bible teaches us to train, not just to teach, which is a part of training, but to train up our children in the way they should go. So if we’re talking today and we are about building the next generation, those of you with young children in particular, remember it’s not just word, it’s not just again, more information. It’s not just saying to them, do it because I told you to. The Bible has a great promise connected to that. If you’ll train them up in the way they should go, Scripture says they will not depart. Claim that promise. Say, Well, I did that. My children are not serving God today. Don’t stop. Don’t quit believing God. Hold that promise close to your vest and close to your chest, and keep declaring over them that they are disciples of the Lord. They have been well taught, and they are walking with the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Becoming the friend of God

Number two, part of what we’ve worked to establish as part of our legacy. I think it’ll be carried forward. Is we want to include in our legacy becoming the friend of God. Moses enjoyed that level of relationship with God, as did Abraham and Jesus. Of course, Exodus 33, 11, the first part of that verse says,

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend, and he would return to the camp.

James 2 23 says,

and the scripture was fulfilled, which says Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.

I don’t know that there would be a could be a greater compliment than for us to be referred to in our relationship with God as a friend to the Lord Jesus Christ, a friend to God. What does that mean? It means being dependable, it means being trustworthy, someone that he can count on. A friend is someone who remains by your side no matter the circumstances. In other words, a friend of God is not looking for ways to not to leave, to forsake. A friend of God is someone who’s looking for ways to draw nearer, closer, become more dependable to what God is asking of us or what he wants us to be. Proverbs 18 verse 24 says,

A man who has friends must himself be friendly. But there is a friend who sticks, say sticks, sticks closer. Yeah, it’s a Bible word, sticks closer than a brother.

The word actually means in the Hebrew. It refers to someone who clings to or who adheres to one’s ideas, to one’s teachings or to one’s example. Jesus taught the same quality about friendship in John 15, 14. This is what Jesus Himself said. He said to his disciples, he said,

You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.

Remember, he’s talking to a group of imperfect men, just like we’re imperfect. But he saw something in them. He desired something with them, and he recognized that in them there was also this desire for friendship. And again, he said, All right, you’re asking this question on the inside, or you’re asking it aloud. Here’s what part of it is. It’s doing whatever I command you to do.

Being a friend, secondly, means being someone who seeks understanding to deepen intimacy and the friendship. It’s one of the chief reasons we find Paul praying that the church will gain a greater understanding of the knowledge of that God is revealing. He wasn’t praying that we would just gain more information or that we would be able to memorize it, be able to call it to our memory when we needed it. He was praying that our relationship would go to a deeper place by understanding. And that’s what happens. That’s what happens in our relationships with one another. It’s what happens between a husband and a wife. It’s what happens between grandparents and their grandchildren. When we sit down and we have some of those long, deeper talks about what this means or what it doesn’t mean. We work to get a deeper understanding. The Bible is clear in the book of Proverbs, which is the book of wisdom, that with information we need to gain understanding, because understanding in the word establish is used. So when we understand one another, when we understand God more deeply, we actually put down deeper roots. We become more established. Our relationship becomes more durable. It becomes more lasting. Why is that an issue? You’re seeing it. I’ve seen it. We’ve seen it in some of our church family over the last few years in particular. People who profess Jesus as Lord no longer profess Jesus Christ as Lord. And it’s not that they’re just discouraged and they’re no longer wanting to come to church. It’s in fact they have decided that Jesus is no longer master, no longer Savior, no longer Lord. The very same people who raised their hand and prayed a prayer, walked an aisle and prayed a prayer, or just prayed it in the privacy of their bedroom at home and said they gave their life to Jesus, no longer believe that Jesus is who he said he was. It’s happening, people, just as Jesus prophesied it would, just as Paul warned Timothy that it would. He said, in the last of the last days, many would depart the faith. It is alarming when it happens, and especially happens with someone you know and someone you just you used to go to church with. But it’s happening all around us. When we understand God, we become more durable against those kinds of lies and deceptions. Are you still with me?

It also means being a selfless, sacrificing if need be to meet the needs of others. Cindy used the word in that article from the Atlantic magazine, hyper individualism. Again, is something that was prophesied. Paul warned again, his friend and his disciple, his young son in the faith, Timothy, when he said again, in the last days, men are just going to think more and more highly of themselves. And life is going to become more and more just about them. In other words, again, the culture in our world, if you can imagine this, and it’s hard to imagine it, if you’re noticing, if you’re paying attention now, that things are going to get more selfish. People are going to act more selfishly than what perhaps they’re doing right now. And God is sending us to help turn that around. And again, it won’t be just in what we preach our message, but it will be in how they see a wife treat her husband, a husband treat his wife, or how again we treat one another, how we treat them in the workplace. Can I have an amen? A better amen. There is no seek second the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you in our Bible. There’s no such thing as calling someone Lord. And he simply isn’t that. You don’t think about what he thinks about first. He comes somewhere into the conversation later. But for Jesus to be Lord, he’s at the top. That’s what Lordship means.

How to trust God and leave a legacy, a fervent faith for generations

Number three, I’m almost done. We’ve also learned and are still learning how to trust God and leave a legacy, a fervent faith for generations to be impacted by and to follow. There have been a lot of teachings about faith throughout the last several generations. When it first began, really back in the late 70s, early 80s, as a focus, it was welcomed. People learned a lot, they gained a lot, they grew a lot by what they were hearing. And then, as is all always the case, the pendulum swings, seems to swing to an extreme, and we have to deal with the extreme, and we tend to deal with it by taking it the other way to an extreme. My hope has always been that we’ll land right in the center, which is where truth lies. And there have been a lot of sorry things taught about faith, things that were misleading and misguided the church, but still a lot of wonderful things have been taught about faith. Again, I’m not saying that we’ve done it better than everybody else, but I can tell you that we have been sober-minded about it, and we have not gotten caught up over the years in the hoopla of it. When the Bible talks about saving faith, it’s a serious subject. And so we’ve endeavored to teach certain things about saving faith that I pray Jordan and David will take forward, and we will continue to take forward as we continue our walk forward with them and with us.

And the first part of that is there’s a faith that pleases God, a faith that pleases God. Would you say that out loud? A faith that pleases God. This is a faith that gives something to God that’s ultimately more than we could ever receive from him. He loves that we would choose to trust him more than anyone or anything else. And my girls were so blessed with these daughters, but when they were so young and they would come and ask Daddy for something, it really just I mean, it just blew me up on the inside. I was so taken that these little young lives would depend on me to meet a need or to help them. As they got older, it was more a word of advice than blowing up a balloon or running a race with them or teaching them how to ride a bicycle. Nevertheless, they counted on dad and they counted on mom. And it blessed us that they would trust us. The same is true with God today. When you come to God and you lean on him, even when you could handle it on your own, but you’re leaning on him, not leaning to your own understanding, but in everything you’re trusting in him. It brings him great joy. If you ever really want, and you could be assured of this, ever want to put a smile on God’s face, trust him. With whatever it is you’re facing, trust him.

The second quality of faith that we’ve taught is a faith that follows. A faith, would you say that out loud? A faith that follows. Again, one day Jesus asked those who were considering being his disciples and were already calling him Lord a question. And he asked of them, I think he still asks asked it of people today who call him Lord or refer to him as Lord. He said, Why do you call me Lord, but you do not do the things that I say? And Jesus made it clear, it’s not those who call him Lord who enter the kingdom, but those who actually do what he teaches. He will, with great sadness and great grief, turn people away into an eternity separated from him, who actually listened to me, who actually referred to him in life as Lord. How could he do that? Because he was just Lord in name. And it’s an important question for us today, for our generation to ask, and for us to pass on to the next generation to ask. This beautiful but motley crew in the room today. Aren’t you glad for his kindness today? Amen.

We taught a faith that receives from God, what God has provided. We don’t try to make things up. There’s not not if the scripture doesn’t address it, then we work to stay away from it. If there’s not really a promise about it, then we need one. They’re part of the things that Jesus provided are part of the eternal abundant life that Jesus said he came to give. He expects us to possess it and to enjoy it. I think again it brings them great pleasure when we receive what he has provided. Very quick story, and I’ve got to finish up. But when we went one of our trips into Romania, in fact, the last one we made into Romania were sitting in, I had the real privilege of teaching church leaders from around Romania, well over a hundred of them, husbands and wives that were in the ministry and local churches, free churches that had been established since the since communism fell. And we were with them and had time with them. But before we started those meetings, I was in the home of Doina, Daniel Mate’s wife, and she she loves to serve. It’s really her her gift, and it’s her grace. And I was actually I had started eating really differently before I started that trip into Romania, and I’d already lost almost 20 pounds going to Romania. In fact, Daniel told me when he came to pick me up at the airport, he told me later, he said, I was looking all over the airport for you, and I didn’t see you, and then when I saw you, I wasn’t sure it was you. And I said, Well, why? And he said, Because you were so skinny. And he said, I thought by now you’d be really fat. And I said, Well, I I guess I’m glad I surprised you. But we went to the house, and Doina had already prepared prepared, and she never prepared less than a five-course meal. It was her gifting. She loved to do it. And she she really does love to this day, Cindy and I. We have a special place in her heart. Again, we’re blessed by that. But so she started bringing out these items, and I had I stopped her. And I said, Donna, you don’t know this. You had no way of knowing this. I didn’t tell you this before we came, but I’m eating differently. I’m eating a whole lot less. And I’m just going to have to say no. And you could see on her face the sadness and the disappointment. I mean, it was evident on the outside. And I stopped and I said, Doina, I know you love to serve, and I know you love me and you love Cindy. But here’s what’s happening, and I’m doing it to be in better health, so I can keep doing this, sort of thing. And so she says, Oh no, you have to eat. And I said, Ah oh no, I don’t have to eat. So we would go back and forth with each other. Finally, I won. But throughout the stay, she would continue to tempt me with it. But I saw the disappointment on her face. And I still see her face when I talk about it because I was not receiving what she had provided for me. I don’t see the face of God when I don’t receive something in prayer or something that is promised. But I cannot, because if faith pleases him, me not leaning on him must hurt him or grieve him. I’m looking for the right word there. I’m not sure what it is. But he loves to provide for us, and he has made great provision for us through the cross. He wants you asking in faith, and he wants you receiving. Don’t apologize for asking for something that God has already provided, regardless of what the critics may say. Don’t apologize for receiving and living the abundant life.

Another part of faith is that faith takes the stand. We’ve taught that kind of faith. It stands against the unrighteousness, the wickedness that the God of this world brings against us. I can’t decide what others may do, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I can’t. But I can decide for me. And then the last part of faith that we’ve taught is there exists a faith that advances the kingdom of God. There is faith, a quality of faith that moves the mountain. Our prayer as we make this transition is that spiritual enemies will be made to release their hostages, and prisoners will retreat and retreat. We are believing that the church and his kingdom will take more ground, advance the cause of Christ further into all the world. This is faith that empowers us to take the vision and to run with it. We believe those numbers that Cindy talked about, even in our own state, they’re not going to stay true for us. Come on, church. We have faith that advances God’s kingdom into all parts of our community, north, south, east, and west. Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world.

We want to advance gracious generosity

The last point is that we want to advance gracious generosity. We want to live in such a way as to bring attention to the generosity of the cross. No one has had a greater impact than Jesus over 2,000 years after his death. His name is still being spoken daily. His life continues to inspire. His legacy endures for all eternity. We have, as we did again this morning, we’ve just we’ve endeavored to celebrate his grace daily and to be motivated and empowered by it, to keep reaching out and helping others without prejudice, with wisdom, but without prejudice of any kind throughout the years. God has, we’ve said it, it’s a cliche. Let’s say it again. God has blessed me. To be a blessing. Say it again. God has blessed me. To be a blessing. Amen. Acts 20, 35, Jesus said, I have showed you our Paul quoted this. He said, of Jesus. He said,

I’ve showed you all things, how that soul laboring, you ought to support the weak, to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said it is more blessed.

Say more blessed. We know it’s blessed to receive, but he said it’s more. There’s that word again, more blessed to receive, to give than it is to receive. Amen.

What should we expect?

So what should we expect? Let’s all stand to our feet this morning as we prepare our hearts to give into this special offering. Greater is he who is in us, the scripture says, than he who is in the world. Do you believe that today? Let me see your hands if you say, God, that’s true. I believe that. Greater is he who’s in me than he who’s in the world. That means greater knowledge is coming. Greater wisdom is coming. Greater understanding is being poured into our lives. Greater opportunities to win the lost as people become more and more desperate. Greater manifestations of his presence and power, greater faith to see the greater works of God, greater discernment and victories over the demonic influences at work. And greater resources, new streams of income for the work of the ministry. We’ve been praying that over you, not just those of you who own businesses. We’ve been praying it for all of you who work. We’ve been believing God for you, who have income of any kind. We’re asking God to give you new streams of income into your life so that more can be accomplished as we move forth with this vision with what God has given us to do.

You know, last year we were able to buy more chairs for our youth because of your giving, finished portions of the remodel of our offices, which was necessary, much needed. We were also able to help overseas with our missionary friends in Thailand and Romania, as well as help locally. We were a great help in securing property earlier for Charlie and Kathy. They were given some property for a youth camp, and we were able, we stepped up, Believer Center stepped up to be a major part of what God was doing there. In fact, we’ve got some pictures very quickly. Look at these before and after. This is before over here, after, before, after a new soccer field, before, after the new filtration system for the water cottages were painted and upgraded as well. Wow. Church, thank you for being a part of that. And we were able to help help with that. But you know what? We were also able here to help locally. And so for them, and so this is the old of the old roof. Those of you that know Russ can tell the difference in what’s happened here. They didn’t never even ask us for money. They asked us to pray. Dov was the one who brought it to our attention. We tried to keep it a secret and surprise him. He’s still, every time we see him and his wife. And they’re gonna be here next week, by the way, for our installation for new pastors David and Jordan. We’re honored to have them to become great friends. Always it seems attends our National Day of Prayer and leading us in a portion of prayer. We love that they’re here, but again, you did that, and the gifts that you brought last year did that. We replaced some needy equipment for our Romania friends. They had a sudden emergency, and I just came to you on a Sunday and I said, Can you help? Can we help? We did again, not just what they needed, but you and I did more than enough, which is the way God is. He does more than enough. And so we did more than enough in meeting their emergency need. So thank you.

Once again, this year, and again, for those of you specifically new, much of legacy offering, ties and offerings that you give weekly, and I can’t again begin to thank you for doing your regular part. It helps us to budget, it helps us pay salaries, it helps us to just carry on the day-to-day work of ministry reaching our city and also supporting missionaries on the field. But this always helps us to do big things, you know. It helps us to handle big expenses without having to stop in our race or stop in our journey or try to raise money or talk excessively about needing more money. What we do once a year has been carrying us and helping us with a lot of these big projects. Some of them I’ve already mentioned. Well, again, this year is no different, and again, because of your economy, our economy here at church has been affected as well. I believe we’re breaking out, don’t you? I said, I believe that we’re breaking out. The spirit of containment is broken over you, and it’s broken over us. Amen. Steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

Did you know we have like 24 different, I won’t bore you with this, but just to give you some perspective, 24 air conditioning units on top of this facility. To replace each one of those is $50,000. And not all of them are in need of replacing, but we have a couple of them that are coming up, which again you can do the math. That’s like a hundred thousand dollars just to repair some heating and cooling units. We’re in the process of changing our old lighting to LED lighting, which will save us in the long run utility cost. We’re about halfway done. That’s more expensive than I imagine doing that sort of thing. Do we have to? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s not even a matter of having to. We want to be good stewards over what God has given us. And LED lasts longer, lighting lasts longer. It’s cooler to run, less expensive. Our utility bills will go down. We can put that money somewhere else. And if you haven’t noticed, on the north side, especially in the west side, too, the concrete is just falling apart under our feet. So we’re looking at the cost of resurfacing or even replacing some of that. We got to do our parking lot a couple of years ago, but already we have to fill in cracks. We don’t want those ladies who wear high heels, we don’t want you to fall in the in the in through the cracks. What’d you do today at church? I fell in through the cracks. We don’t want that to be your testimony. So we’ve got to follow up with some doing things like that. You say that’s just so boring. Yeah, I know it is. But we’ve also you you got to do certain things, and we just have to pull together to get them done. The last thing I want to do coming out of September as we make this transition is hand over to the church and hand over to David and Jordan and leadership, all these huge expenses, and now we’ve got to figure out how to take care of them. I don’t want us to do that. We’re not in debt today, and I don’t want to see us going dead into the future. I know that’s true for all of you in the room. We just made a solid commitment to that. It’s it’s we want that freedom. Charlie and Kathy have asked for additional help. They’ve got a meeting hall and a dining hall, a commercial kitchen we could help with if we decide to do that. They need to do something with a girl’s dorm and a boys’ dorm. Get this. They can do that over there for $32 a square foot. Are you kidding? They can build an entire church in a village for $5,000. But you know that, and we’ve been helping them do that too. So wow.

So as we prepare to bring our offerings, please remember that again, I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again. I don’t want you to think of this as a fundraiser. It saddens me when I’ve heard that. We never meant to present it that way to you. It is sort of like Moses when the tabernacle in the wilderness didn’t exist. God said, I want this to happen, and I want you to put out the word to my people Israel. And I want you to make it a willing offering. I’m not even commanding it. I’m not requiring it of them. So I just want to make it something if they really want to do. And then the Bible records a miracle. Very few of us in our churches, since the church began 2,000 years ago, after the resurrection of Christ, very few of our churches have experienced what’s recorded in the Old Testament that day when He put out that request. The Bible says they started bringing the things that were needed. Workmen got involved, began to provide their services. It all came together so much that Moses had to go back before the people and tell them to stop. Enough, he said. You brought enough. God is pleased. That’s more the spirit of what we want to see today and have wanted to nurture since we’ve been doing this. We just want you to participate. Sadly, some of our people, and I know this to be true. It happens every year. They just stayed at home today because they didn’t feel like they had enough to give, and so they excused themselves from the service. If you’ve got a penny, we want you to bring it today as a part of what the rest of us are doing. It’s the show of unity. It’s the statement we make that all of us in this house love God. And we love him more than our money. We love who he is and we love what he’s doing. And we want to be a part of it and believe that we have a significant part in what he’s doing through us today. And that’s what we want you to know again today. Those of you who are new today say, I didn’t bring a check or you know, can I give later online or whatever? We just want you to do your part. Do something. I want you to leave property today saying, golly, I was able to do something. I was a I was a part of that. In 2024, I was a part of Legacy Offering. And I took the opportunity to say, God, I love you in another way. I love you in this unique, special way that my church family provides for me every year. And this is what I want to do.

Now here are brief instructions here. Okay. I need to read these for myself. We want all of you who are going to give something, and even if you’ve already given online, we still want you to do this. We want you to take a green envelope. If you don’t have one, lift your hand higher. Ushers will get you a green envelope. Even if you’ve already given an offering online, raise up your hand. We want you to actually walk down in a few minutes with everybody else and put it in these wheelbarrels, which by the way, wheel bear as one of our wheel bearers, just significant of work. We do the work of the ministry. It’s not all about glory, it’s about hard work. So we want you to take a green envelope. You can go ahead and put the amount you’ve already given on the outside of it if you want to and put there. I’ve already done it online. And then when we bring our offering in just a minute, you bring it with you. Again, so everybody give their offering. Even if it’s a penny, please put it in the green offering envelope. Okay. Now, in a moment, we’re going to begin singing. And when the singing begins, our worship begins. We want you to walk down these two center aisles. See the way the host team members are doing. We want you to walk down these aisles. Leave the outside aisles clear for those who come down and release their gift here and return to their seats. All right. After you’ve given your offering, now we’re going to wait for the kids. They’ll come first. After the kids come, we’ll start coming down the aisle together. I’ll let you know. After you give here, we have a gift for you at these tables to my right and to my left. We do this every year. Just a little something to say thank you to commemorate this day. Take that with you. Please hear me. Unless you have to be off to work. Please go back to your seats after you’ve given your gift. Why, Pastor? Because we’re going to conclude this today by praying an important prayer. We’re going to pray the prayer of consecration. Say consecration. We’re going to pray the prayer of consecration over all the giving today. We’re committed to the work of God. We’re going to ask God again for his wisdom and how we need to distribute it. We’ve already given you some idea of what we’re looking at, but we also normally give a percentage off the top into again special outreaches, mission outreaches here and abroad. And we’ll just be praying about that, and then we’ll tell you exactly how that money was spent. All right. Okay, let’s pray.

Father, we thank you again for putting seed into our lives, some to consume and to enjoy, build our lives with. And then you’ve given us seed that you fully intended for us to sow. Thank you, God, today that you’ve empowered everybody within the sound of my voice to give today. And I pray in Jesus’ name that they will do it with us, that this God, this display of unity will bless you and will honor you. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. For there the Lord commanded his blessing, even life forevermore. We believe your blessing is on this. God, we give it to you freely. No one’s making us do this. This is our choice, our decision. It is an act of our worship. Receive now our gifts and receive ourselves as we once again present ourselves to you for your service for the work of the ministry. In Jesus’ name we pray, and everybody said, Amen. And amen.

So our children can come. You’re good and I’ve witnessed it. You’re strong and I’ve witnessed it. You’re constant I’ve witnessed it. And I’ve comfort it. I’ll see it again and again. You love and I’ve witnessed it. You heal and I witnessed it. You say and I’ve witnessed it, and I’m comforted. I’ll see it again and again. You’re good and I’ve witnessed it. You strong and I’ve witnessed it. You’re constant, I’ve witnessed it, and I’m comforted. I’ll see it again and again. You love and I’ve witnessed it. You feel and I’ve witnessed it. You’re strong and I’ve witnessed it, and I’ve comforted it. I’ll see it again again. You’re good and I’ve witnessed it. You’re strong and I’ve witnessed it. You’re constant, I’ve witnessed it, and I’m comforted. I see it again again. You love and I’ve witnessed it. You heal and I’ve witnessed it. You say and I’ve witnessed it, and I’m comforted. I see it again and again, you’re good and I witness death. You’re strong and I witnessed it. You’re constant, I witness it, and I’m comforted. I see it again and again. You love and I’m witness your healing, I witness death. You saved and I witnessed it, and I’m comforted. I’ve seen it again and again. I witnessed your faithfulness. I’ve seen you breathe life with it. So I’m I praise again, you’re worthy, God, you’re worthy of all of it. Your promise is never fail. I got stories I live to kill. So I praise it, win, you’re worthy, God, you’re worthy of all of it. You’re witness, your faithfulness. I’ve seen you breathe life with it, so I’m I praise again, you’re worthy, God, you’re worthy of all of it. Your promise is never failed. I’ve got stories I need to tell. So I for my praise again, you’re worthy, God, you’re worthy of all of it. I’ve witnessed your faithfulness. I’ve seen you read life so well. God, you’re worthy of all of it. Your promise is never fair. I’ve got stories I need to well. God, you’re worthy of all of it. To the proper I witness it. To the wording, I witness it. To the lost, I will witness it, and I’ll tell them this. I’ll tell them what I witness. To my family, I witness it. To the city, I witness this. To the nations, I witness it, and I’ll tell them this. I’ll tell them what I witness. I witness your faithful day. I’ve seen you in my face. God, you’re worthy of all of it. Your promise is never fair. I’ve got stories I need to take. So well, more am I praise again, your worthy, God, your worthy of honor. To the learning I witness it. To the wording, I will witnessed it. To the lost, I’ll tell you this I’ll gather what I witnessed to my family I witnessed it to my city I witnessed it to our nations I witnessed it law all right stretch out your hands toward your giving today they represent people not simply dollars and cents let’s pray this important prayer of consecration over every penny that was brought today I’m so glad our stories are still being written and this helps us to do that as a church family

so Father this is for you at the very heart of what we just did you know that you’ve been watching from heaven you see this and I know you must be pleased and we commit now again first as we’ve given already ourselves to you. We’ve given ourselves to leadership. We’ve given ourselves to the building of the church. Give ourselves to the work of the ministry. We’ve decided because we decided you’d make us do this. We want to for the building of the church in our city. For the carrying of this message to our city and to the world, where you’ve given us assignment. We believe, God, every need is supplied. We believe you have already addressed it. And you’ve done more than enough than what was needed. And you’ve brought us to a good place as we now move and advanced once again this year. Advance forward. From this anniversary month that we celebrate, not quite done, to a new place. Advancing the church, advancing your kingdom. As we’ve just sung, taking this witness, it’s real. We’ve experienced it. It’s our lives that we’re sharing. Your life has given us life. It’s our lives, you at work in them that we’re sharing. We believe, Father, you’re granting us even right now already wisdom as to how you want the monies to be distributed, how they need to be distributed. We’ve shared the needs we have. We believe, God, those are God’s assignments we must pay attention to. But there are other things, God, we don’t know yet about how money’s need to be spent. And we are our our hearts are open to you about that. And we thank you that your word again will become a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. You will direct our path. We thank you for it. Every dime, every dollar, every life committed to you, Jesus is Lord, and to the work of the ministry. And we thank you, God, that you are blessing right now. There is being released right now. To those who sowed their seed today, a great harvest. We thank you, God, that it will come back to them. Though it wasn’t the reason they gave. As they’ve given, it shall be given back to them. Good measure. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give to their bosom. Thank you, God, for new streams of income empowering us to do even more in what remains of 2024 and into 2025 and years to come. Jesus, we love you. We commit all of this to you and to your worship. In Jesus’ name we pray. Again, everybody would say, Amen. Amen. Amen.

I love what the word amen actually means. It just does it. It’s not a um just the way we remark or to maybe a good remark. It actually means so be it, and let it be done. Let it be so. And so say great big amen with me again. Amen. One more time. Amen. Again, next week, a Tuesday, don’t forget prayer at 6.05, and then regular service at seven. And then next week, again, thank you for being here. This was a special Sunday in the month. But what we’re preparing to do in releasing, confirming, affirming the anointing and the gifting, the calling on the lives of these two. And formally, if you will, releasing it and receiving it. Both releasing the giftings. God says he gives gifts to bring the body of Christ to maturity. He these are gifts to us. He brings them, he sets them as it pleases him, just as he set you in the body as it pleases him. And so we’re gonna acknowledge that and we’re gonna thank God for that. Amen. And then we’re gonna make sure as we’ve received it. Okay, we acknowledge it. We’re gonna receive it. Amen.