Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
All right is very good to be back with you some of you didn't know I was going
on that uh...
we were in Congo for a couple of weeks and
as I mentioned during a prayer time the church there does sincerely warmly
uh... send you their love and their greetings
uh... it's always a very hard place
and a very good place to go
and I kind of taken
the liberty the last couple of trips Iíve gone on to come back instead of
just jumping into
it preaching routine
that we normally do kind of book by book
Iíve kind of taken some reflections from the trip
and Iíll look at it through the great of the scriptures in a way to encourage all
of us
and kind of talked a bit about these trips
and in some of you this morning
we'll look inside with the instructor eighty and chapter nine
and I want to talk to you this morning a little bit about the grace of giving
and so this is a giving service
but it's not about
tightening particularly
it's not about uh...
getting commissions although we want you to do both of those things and be
generous and so many ways
but Israel about
what Paul refers to
you what is exemplified
uh... in the church he mentions the massive belly up
and is exemplified in Congo as well
which is the grace of giving
and how God wants to lead us into that
more deeply
and I believe in some ways more deeply with Congo
and uh... you may well be a part of that
you may have never thought of yourself is going
uh... overseas
particular reason for any length of time
that I would like to suggest to you that
there is a tremendous need and a tremendous opportunity
for many many many of you
uh... over the next
several years to prayerfully consider
making a trip to Congo
and uh... investing their uh... in went out to be that community so I share that
with you
art in this context of second 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 start
by reading this
portion of suddenly things chapter a coming to pick it up at Iím sorry
chapter nine
and what if you got to burst eight retrievers eleven
there's a poll sense
dot is able to make a bold grace abound to you
so that'd all things at all
all times
having all that you need
you will abound in every day of work
as it is written he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor
his righteousness into hers
now he will supply seemed to this solar
and bread for food will also supply increase your storage seed
and will enlarge the harvest alone right to stats
you will be made which in every way so that you can be generous
on every occasion
and throw us
your generosity will result
in thanksgiving to God
alright let's pray together
with ankle today for your
your zeal your passion your love your commitment of God that absolutely never
falters
we thank you that you see the peoples of the world you love them deeply Lord God
if you've called us to be vessels of that loan father
teach us to wright-patterson curry castle Gods
in our lives and hearts with the glory be to point out a partisan Christ Jesus
and help us to be your faithful disciples in your name
a damn
as you talking about this a little bit this morning I want to curry do that I
do have one fundamental truth that I know absolutely for certain and that is
that nobody sitting in this room this morning as the messiah
holiday
there's only one messiah
his the Lord Jesus Christ
is seated on his throne
he loves this world he's working among the nations to make a slowdown
you and I
part bob and members of
his kingdom
his salvation were even called buying him through the holy spirit
his body his hands and feet in this world
but they were going to talk about here this morning and sudden printing and
supplies into Congo talk about it for us
before we even get into it I want to tell you this is not meant to put some
kind of uh... hyper
sense of guilt responsibility on you that you must solve the problems in the
world
you can't
you don't have to such a job in such a calling
what is your job in your calling though is to give the everything God
did you
your job to give everything he gives you into his hands for his purposes
and they really is I think in general for most of them
people of God
there is far more that we can actually participate in India who
then we often think possible
because sometimes we think just to narrowly
about ourselves and what God's doing in this world and how we may participate in
that so
Iím hoping this will be expanded encourage
the other thing is just to say is we get into this of this is kind of the result
of going on these trips
if we're just going places across the world dissent
and Iím not necessarily have been there done that kinda mentality
before he is going to help that we would call a one time talked about while
hard and you know lots of things happening and well wishing that I will
try to Congo
we're not going
there's no there's no windows no long-term benefit in that
if Iím gathered and gotta say I want to draw you in
with the global community the global church the people of got across the
world and I want you to participate in some y
then to have our hearts open
and say okay Lord
our lives really do belong to you
weekend we don't necessarily
we don't have the media wisdom sometimes of how it all works together but really
lead us in these things
then I think weíre in for up
incredible display
of the glory of God even a find yourself doing things that you never even
thought possible
because the love of God is going to be poured out through you in u_s_
history pple now
in order to get
the Corinthians on board with this Paul lays out several things inside readings
eight nine and I just want to review forests but a lot of time into Congo
and offs uh... relationship with them so here's the first thing Paul says
he's right into the printing church
there is famine in Jerusalem
okay so this is Corinth Greece
this is Jerusalem Palestine Israel
no easier access
to get from Corinth
Jerusalem that it is to get from here to Kinshasa today
no easier access
just as much a reason
for people just saying well our lives are busy
either full you know were slaves were
and working for these masters and we go okay responsibilities and
we've got family values all that
period right into the church in court and saying to them
I want you to participate in making this love of God down to the saints back in
Jerusalem so here's what he says to them
uses now brothers
this is jackie rate verse one
now brothers we want to know about the grace God has given the message oni
churches
out of the most severe trial
their overflowing joy
and their extreme poverty well dot the rich generosity
bright testified that they give as much as they were able and even beyond their
ability
entirely on the hill on their own
the urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in the service to
the saints
and they did not do as we expected but they give themselves first of the Lord
and then to us in keeping
with God's will
first thing you need to know
to be encouraged yourself to the grace of getting
is that there are believers out there and Christians out there who are in part
barb were circumstances than you
and they're being faithful
and they're giving
and a sacrificial e
surfing
and they could get as wrapped up in their own
sort of self center
self person lives and any of us can
and their circumstances are really described well here
the church in Congo as Paul mentions about nasa dadi up same kind of thing
out of their severe trial
and extreme poverty
this rich generosity
well op
that's a pretty remarkable fame for Paul to be seen to the crimp in
church
that's what I think that's what's that's what
happening with
some of these churches in Congo
severe trial
rich generosity
and that you do the fact that
things are so broken down in the country did sixty five percent of the children
don't go to school the government just stopped paying
teachers they stop paying administrators they cannot stop pain
electric bills and went to stop providing schoolbooks they just simply
coughed
all money
and the only way you could afford to send some of the school is the paris
themselves have to take the burden
of pain everything for the local school
in Congo
in their economy that translates over into about twenty five dollars a month
to saint jude play five u_s_ dollars a month to send your child to school
now of course in your mind in my mind in this economy was twenty five bucks a
month
you for doing that shirt
or it over there
the teachers who teach in some of the school they tell you about
their pays eighty dollars a month
that's what they have to that's what's going on
so if you are teacher you're being paid eighty dollars a month or by the way it
happened a police officer get paid fifty dollars a month
and you've got children and it's twenty five dollars a month to send your kids
to school
I mean I think it would be sending
any of your children to school
that's the reality
there is still about ninety percent unemployment
doesn't mean people are working they go to work every day
but what they do is they don't work for corporation therein and what work much
four small businesses everybody just goes in and they're all alone
entrepreneurial way tries to find something to bar sell trade in order to
get enough
who had enough money to live on a day-to-day basis
back to the extreme poverty
out of which
they're working
some of the personal circumstances
for some of the people of the work with the minister with
themselves severe trials
and overwhelming
the number of orphans better in the streets of Kinshasa
www nobody's really been able to
tag that number nobody's been able to even estimate of that number two just
all still too much of a mess and still to fluid
there are a whole group of orphans who came along as a result of the war is
that took place in the nineties
many people were killed children were simply left without a mother or father
aids disease
all
connected to related to our missions of war as well it all getting her to lie
and what you end up with as the population of young
children that are decimated
and this is great need of the churches wake up to
and face every single
day it's fair
and had a choice about it
close their doors pickup move to the suburbs
moved to another part of the country get away from a it's just there
every single day
women means that's going on right now the newest wave of orphans
this is we learned this from the pastors we were there this time the new swathe
of orphans are from abandoned babies
from young women
young women who are
selling their bodies on the street
for food
and basically they get pregnant
than they have babies
they can take care of the baby's sitting there and then the babies
and the pastors went just saying to us
is gonna take care
of these
kids
now that's their most
that's one
snapshot picture of the most severe trial
that these folks in the standard over exaggeration to use that terminology
and their extreme poverty
and yet in the midst of actors this amazing movement of generous giving
that's taking place among the churches
so one of the patches there that we work with me pastor David we're going to try
to bring him here Lord willing in September
we want to meet you want to introduce into pastors and several churches in our
Missouri region and also really across the united states because we want to
work together with them
decided to start
some schools just a help meet the needs of some of these kids
and I mentioned it to you for prayer
so they start of these three schools some five hundred and sixty kids now the
school room just a picture for you
is just a few where do your backyard into four pieces of two-by-four
stuck him in the ground in the square rackham with corrugated tin and per
piece of ten across the roof
that's the school
then put into blackboard
some wooden benches
and wallach
we have yourself a class of twenty five thirty kids
that's what they have that's their school now what's amazing about all of
that
uh... in some of this comes from the French influence
uh... in Belgium their influence on the country in terms of education
they actually have a pretty high standard for education
and they're serious about dealing with these kids are not just basic reading
and writing bad
all of the sciences
every sociology everything can't think of they want to teach
and they've got people who can
teach
it's just that the culture everything is so broken down in the apt
how of their most severe poverty
their most severe trial they are dealing
and the challenge I want to put out to you
is to say
that moving them from my heart right was the result in ward
this is a Jerusalem for us
this is a community in deep
need
how do we investing even more in making your love note in your kingdom known
and I just got to tell yet
Congo is why open right now
wide open in the sense that
anybody who's willing to come in there and invest in any way shape or form
as an absolutely complete
open arm reception
and there's so much opportunity and it costs so
little
to invest in the country
the schools that pastor David and other churches are running
they pay their rent their rent
for their land
for their buildings
hundred fifty dollars a month
teachers for each classroom eighty dollars a month
administrators
they have administrative the administrators in their schools
get paid less than the teachers and I think its seventy dollars
all right
no
uh...
okay so what do you think
how many schools do you think we could open
how many schools in Congo do you think we could all pen
if we just
band together
date the resources God has given us
and said for basically what
files in dollars a month
we have a school of seven hundred several hundred children
reptiles in dollars a month how many schools you think
Christians in the united states could band together
and help start
in Congo
weighty waiting waiting
right now trying to send Congo
tide's everywhere we gotta in Africa you don't know this on
tree or read about it if you look in the papers are not the child is investing
like crazy in Africa
and what they're doing is they're taking it sets a new form of colonialism
they're taking their resources out of these African countries
for a small bit of investment kinda sounds like the west
it's what we did
in our colonial experience in the passes with the Chinese are doing today
on our plane ride down there we're on this plane who stopped in Angola and
uh... the back half of the plane where we sat almost all the time
about third in the back of the plane was just
field he's trying he's mad
they were all on their way to end all
and when we got the Congo
they were in Congo
and their working in their making some little bit of investment and taking a
whole lot out of the country
and the thing of it is the even though the people are aware
as you talk to people in the streets they are very skeptical wary with the
Chinese are doing
but it's just like at least someone is here doing something
in these to your passions these your brothers and sisters just saying to us
please help us
with the needs here in Congo of k
they themselves
given they give
generously
here's our poll says
to us that
and this is
and after he describes what
the church there in
nasa dhoni was doing
he says to the church in Corinth begin the inverse x he says so we are urged
Titus since he made it bob
earlier maybe beginning to bring to completion this active grace disgrace
and getting on your part
jess's you excel in everything in faith in speech in knowledge complete
earnestness in your love for us seemed to also excelled in disgrace of giving
itzel remarkable because this is kind of you
you excel
excel in all kinds of things
the jokes ella knowledge
you do excel in earnest
metro patronize you excel
you give yourselves to education and study you work hard
you earn resources you give yourself a loving your family you care about people
in the community
you do already did
and Paul was saying to the church Corinth
I want you to exile in disgrace
of giving
that's my clear view this morning to you it's really a plea not for just today
Iím really making a plea for the next ten fifteen twenty years
to ask you to excel in the grace of giving
as we interact with these brothers and sisters
in Congo tell Paul says the mercedes is Iím not commend you
all it s a sincere your love I compare it with the earnestness of others
for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
that though he was rich yet for your sakes
he became poor
so you through his poverty might become rich
now he's starting to get into this
pattern of how the kingdom actually is meant to work is going on pulling
together
in the next few verses and this is the part that is so crazy this is the probe
old prosperity of the gospel
not the cheap version of prosperity this is the profile version of the prosperity
gospel here's what God says Christ's rich
he emptied himself in order that you might become rich and of course what
happened to Christ
he was raised again from this bed seated at the right hand of the father
he humbled himself
and he was exalted and God is saying that's what I want you to get into as my
people
Iím going to give you things
ability and talent and skill inability to clinton reason in use you get to
nobody give u money let me give you financial resource that will give you
physical resources
and what I want you to do with those things that I want you to excel emigres
of d_n_a_ unit and pouring yourself out
for the sake of others and then what i'm going to do is Iím going to fill you
back up
and Iím going to give you even more than you had before
but I don't think that more than you had me for in order that you might turn
around and get as well in sacrificial service in love to others
and there's this pattern that's going to go on in your life because you follow
God's faithful as we follow him as a church
where you live out here on a week to week month to month basis and ministry
within the community
Iím just saying let's get drawn into even more so globally
that God is saying here's how it works
half the time your hand is over filled in the other half the time it's
completely empty
and it's overkill because Iím blessing you and giving you too
infinity empty because your turn in a route and giving it away to others
and here is the promise of God
is that blessing that harvest that's it
that right just missed that resource
is going to keep coming
and it's got to keep going n you don't have to stop the process and stlouis and
hold up heads of those things and keep them for yourself
because every time you give away
of history or
that's what he says here
to the cree indians now in these next several
persistent eighty-nine listen to what he says
about how we do this
giving
versed any says here's my advice about what is best for you
in this matter last year you were the first not only to give but also ahead
the desire to do so this is the repeated getting ok your last year doing
it again
finish the work so you're here has to do it leading national your completion of
the according to your means
first the willingness is there the gift is acceptable according to what one has
not according to what he does not have
and so on and start to subleasing enough to the site
rakha defeated every single hungry child
in Congo
but what if we all are faithful
to feed
whoever we can
and what it every Christian
and every church
in every community around the world who has more olympic more even then what
they need
make sure
that they share with those
who don't have
what's going to happen
I believe thoroughly from them
bottom of my hardest absolutely
no reason in this world for really any person
ever to go hungry
it is all basically in issue
of the distribution
of the wealth and resources that God has put
in this world and make sure ***
that short
is the place
where God wants the manifest of the world what this love and compassion and
justice in redistribution
of resources to help me to each others needs really looks like it's through you
I was very challenged
always him
but very challenged by the faithfulness of these
men and women of God
one of the things that challenges me is the lack of bitterness
that they have
you know we're kind of uh...
it's not everybody praise God Iím growing learning not to be this way
baghdad fine with our kind ok merit western Christians
sometimes were very very
sacrificial e getting but then when something really hard happens
that's when we pull up short
completely questioning dot
and anger towards faithful to us and he he commits us but what I want to get a
handle on his
we can give and give sacrificial in the Lord will provide indian our need as
well and that includes e
even when things go way lead from our point of view bad
doesn't seem to work out the way we're thinking
so pastor David
his wife he has uh...
three daughters there in Congo had a son
two years ago we were in Congo within seventeen year old son
suffering from sickle cell
one night he was with us for dinner
kind of sluggish slumped over asked me
came to me sat down next to me said please pray for me on a lot of pain
they just need God to touch me so I can get through this
and as I was praying for him in talking with them
very bright young man just said you know
I would love to come united states the study
is our anyway you guys can get you there
and Iíd do I get these kinda request fairly often and I was just like over
you know I have brother I will pray I will ask
more title you know
Jesus
you see this young man's longing
well we went back
two weeks ago
and the young man died
the sad thing is they didn't die from sickle cell
he died from a gall bladder infection
in our culture
you don't know this
you have a global air problem
actually pretty simple one day in out surgery
and just
there's no reason
from involve all bladder infection
I thought about pastor David and his wife and I just thought that if I was in
his position in
theory as out of their extreme poverty
well enough to reach generosity of getting in starting the schools and
caring so much for orphaned children on the street
and hear his son dies from such a needless thing and even started
in one of our meetings
he just blurted out and said people die in Congo from the stupidest things
they knew the pain was there
but I thought I was in his shoes that will happen
what did something happen to my child is something having to my grandchild wag
God when I do not just be lost in a morass of just lhasa with you all got
and yet here this man is and his wife
humble
faithful
joyous
servants of God that they didn't feel the pain not too big and wrestle
but able to serve God match
them
there's something in that that you and I need to learn
when that people around here we can learn from
and over there we've got masses of people we can learn from
this joy and give him
and this promise of God that he just give what you have
and may not look like a lot to you but given the faithful and then here's what
God says
pieces are desires not that others might be relievers thirteen
while you are hard-pressed but that there might be equality
at the present time your plenty will supply would they need to that in turn
their plenty will supply which you need
then there would be equality as it is written he'll gathered much did not have
too much and you've gathered little did not have to little
dot does having forget the politics and capitalism in American culture and
business Iím not talking about any of that
and talked about in the king of God in the church
dot has a plan of redistribution in equality among his people and its
equality fought for the most basic
needs of life to be met
the analogy Paul uses the promise he uses the
the pattern uses
is on the gathering of food in the book of axis was not gay manna from heaven
and there were some big strapping you know
Jewish man who went out with big long arms and grabbed up a bunch of manna
brought it back to the dance
and there were these little Jewish ladies who went out and had small arms
and their respective gathered on you know what they couldn't gather enough
for their family in the guy with a big arms gathered too much and God to bring
it back to the camp
we're going to redistributed organization everybody has their basic needs that
the understanding
that I had again that tried to kidnap a guilt trip an invitation to you
if you have surplus
right now a part of that surplus
is for you to meet the needs of brothers and sisters who don't have enough to eat
that's what's therefore
it's not there just isn't option for you to sit and say how many think of all the
things I could do with my surplus
anaheim for enjoying life I into your way light
amen
by like tonight
in about two hours from now
organic given our car we're going to take a one week vacation after me being gone
we're going to drive to the south Carolina
I have my stage like to take some your grandkids with you
as part of the enjoyment of that they weíre going to be on the beach you know
on the Atlantic ocean nice ways beautiful
and then can enjoy it completely
but I will not enjoy it
in a way right to exclude from mine mine those children
that I saw
in contrast
there has to be a wrestling
there has to be a wrestling that's is ok got
what a wonderful gift for me for my wife and my family and at the same time what
I did get to do that kind of thing
how is it that there are children who've been no who work part of these churches
being part of your people let alone the people who are great you love as well
but here they are every morning
they're going to school their malnourished they have one meal
they don't have to be God
what is it that bike and do you
and what you asked the same question
let this rich generosity well collect dot provide let give what you have in
your head and let there be
for this Iím not giving you some kind of formula but I know the answer to that
Iím just telling of the scriptures say got one city quality a basic needs among
his people let's wrestle together pray together but let's not do it abstractly
setting in the room somewhere let's do it again relationship with people around
the world
who are in need
amen
and then Paul says here's what's going to happen
he says uh...
your play will supply would be need so that in turn their plenty will supply
would you need
and her course that addresses the most basic fear doesn't it
most basic theory is
ocap dot what I need for today but you know what
it's tomorrow I dot org about today
I mean you're worried about you today
how many of you worry about the close
you want on your back for today
you've got worried about it
where the worry comes and it is academy try keep enough resources for tomorrow
so much so that we have these elaborate schemes
of saving money
anger salons of money
which by the way as we all learned a couple years ago
to be gone with the most notice
but is where we think we're good are so we're going to get our security for no
one got I say it is here is the crazy wonderful
if you will dare to believe me on this kind of security I wanna promise u right
now your excess hopes to meet their basic needs so that he asked you'll day
find yourself in need as well but that they're access will take care of you
wait a minute use
this is not be individualistic American sort of dream Christianity
but I thought it was supposed to be here tell me with that intertwined
interconnected with God's people
and I would you say this to you
that is a challenge to believe this passage
but it's an even greater challenge if you're not participating in helping
others
because you would look at yourself when you say
I don't help anybody why did they help me
that is you do
of I want a promise you've got to do with the confidence and he fulfills that
aren't will to see you
I will meet your needs out
Paul rap sysop in chapter nine
says a few things and eight supportive particularly buttoned chapter nine
here's what he says to us and I read it and he's opening verses at the beginning
each man should give us a sight in his heart this is for six nine six in
following
not heard compulsion but wasn't sure forgive her
and gobs
dot is able to make all grace are bound to use of that in all things at all
times having all you need
you will about it every
every
I would like to suggest to you that God's intention is just to keep drawing
this more deeply
into one another's lives into the needs into manifesting islam has been this and
he is the leaking filling us he is going to give me will listen
he's going to fill us
with the joy the sense of fulfillment this is where personal fulfillment
actually comes from he's going to give us that
as we enter into this joy of serving lobbying and every good work
so what is to take place in Congo what can take place what can play take place
over the next ten fifteen years there ilac
I can't see most of the reason for most everybody here at some point to go over
there
and participating sharing with them
they need teacher training
they need medical training they need theological training they need
technical training and carpentry electricity and plumbing
they need investment in
counseling and trauma counseling
all of these babies all these abandoned when all these
children all of all of this all the broken misfits air they need a huge
investment from the church and the people of God
and we've got a beans we've got a door we've got a venue
I would suggest to you that in the future and some of the bringing this to
go over the next
weeks and months but over the next several years
we're actually looking to say got how might we make a very significant
investment in
but that investment as they say those words
to we
unleash use the people of God
into
the needs over thereÖ
we almost need a starting many very small ìUî university
university
we do everything from
helping to assist in whatever way we can
and training teachers and
business skills and theological education and medical care all of those
things and
you know the amazing do you know how much talent is in this room
you know how much talent is in this room you know how much skill was here do you
know how much ability is here
what God is did you with the mines he's giving you the resources he's giving you
all Lord God what's on the leisure no
here's the question you may want to ask
willfully added to our commitments
Congo
what's going to happen to me
and us and our kids and our community and are needed
and this is the amazing thing
this is what Paul says isn't it
that as you give
as you spread your gets around to the poor
here's what he says indian burst hand
you supply seeded the sword bread for food will supply
a large the harvest of your righteousness will be made richmond
everyway seemed to be generous and every occasion intuition generosity resolved
thanksgiving
he will meet me
even as we need to their brothers and sisters
actual pot
okay warn
this is really what you want to do
the holy spirit spoke gain vision game understanding
gave unity in mind and heart among the pastors as we were talking through all
of these things get clarity of perspective on some of the things we
need to do
and as I kinda thought about it and prayed about it several nights another
trip coming back over the last several nights I just thought God
command this is new city people they give already they given all kinds of
ways everybody so generous and what they do
you're such a repeat for God
is this what you
really do you really are you opening this store is there something more you
want to do r_u_ act are you calling us into this
and gotten just spoke the word in just said
I am
the harvest
of your righteousness
and you are part
of what God wants to do
alright people faithful people going to have to decide whether I try to keep
saying the other strips
well many keep inviting you in and pray for God to filled with the spirit now
how do we do all this
class that we take the Lord's supper
this let me just it's one of the growth times one of those sort of
highway
when Jesus says if you don't abide in me
you can't do anything now what does he mean by that
was not just
it's not just that I need to feel being in the presence of God
I love the field beat you loved it feel being in the presence of God I knew anna
is that what it means when he says
without me you can do nothing abide in the remain in my life I think in
addition what he's saying is
you need to keep you're focusing your faith on the fact that Iíd m the
faithful
I emphasize
I m the lover of this world
on we'll make my world no we'll people to looking moving and you know
without needing are impossible to you
but with me
with me
Iíve called you to produce a harvest of righteousness
leader said that Lord Jesus