“Celebrating our giving”
John 6:9-12
John 6:9 (NET) "Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?"
John 6:10 (NET) Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
John 6:11 (NET) Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.
John 6:12 (NET) When they were all satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, "Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted."
This morning I would like to speak a message that I believe the Lord has placed upon my heart.
I was torn between a few titles such as:
“Home Makeover”
“Pasella”
“Top Billing”
But this morning I will go with the title “Celebrate our giving.”
We just read in the book of John how there was a crowd of hungry people and Jesus used the lunch of a lad, who had 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed over 5,000 people.
There are a few things that could be pointed out from this passage of scripture such as:
- How God used only a little to bless a lot of people.
- How the disciples didn’t think they had enough, but when they put it in God’s Hands it became more than enough.
- How the lad was willing to give of his lunch to feed someone else.
So, there are a few things that we can focus on in this passage of scripture, but this morning I would like to focus on “the young lad giving of what he had and him being excited and celebrating on how God used what he had.”
Let me explain to you what I mean.
Today there are a lot of people that are celebrating how they spent their money and how excited they are about spending their money.
I will give you an example:
Example:
There are T.V. shows where people will take you around their house and show you all that their money has bought them and how excited they are about spending tons of money.
You have shows like:
- Pasella
- Life styel of the rich and famous
- shows like Home Makover
- shows like “Top Billing”
Where they will take you around their house and say:
They say come on in -
Here is my Rolls Royce I paid R2 Million for that
Here is the Jaguar that I paid $2.5 Million for that
Here is my Sauna I paid R250,000 for that
Oh, and I am really excited about this one. Let me take you to the living room where I paid a few million rand for my furniture that you can’t get nowhere else in the world.
They are bragging about all their Treasures.
One thing that I have noticed is when these people are showing you around their house, they are not bummed out and discouraged saying I didn’t want to buy that, but I had to.
They are not walking around saying I didn’t want to pay that much for all this stuff, but since I had the money I had to.
Nope…
They are excited and almost bragging about how they spent all this money on things in their house. All the “Treasures and material things in their house.”
Now let’s bring it home a little closer to you and me.
There are people doing the same thing this weekend. They are excited because they are getting paid.
Come on now!!!
We all know it is the weekend of the 25th and a lot of people are getting paid.
Some of them already have plans on what they want to buy with their paycheck.
They are excited about spending their money on that
1) New Tv
2) New Takkis
3) New iPhone
4) Maybe some are even getting a new Car
5) or even making a payment of their new house.
I am not mad at them.
It’s all good.
Get that Tv, get that car, get that watch, get that phone or even get that house.
You go it’s your pay day. Do what you gotta do.
Now just like those that you see on tv that are excited and it almost seems like they are bragging. These people are excited also.
They are not bummed out saying I don’t want that new flat screen, but since I got paid I might as well get it.
Not too many of them are bummed out saying– Well since I got paid I guess I will get this nice house.
Nope they are Excited!!!
Well can I bring it home to the people of God this morning.
Just like the people on “Top Billing” are excited about spending their money on all kinds of things in their house.
You and I can have that same excitement about giving in the House of the Lord.
In John 6 we see the little lad’s lunch was used to feed over 5,000 people and like I said earlier, there are many things that we can focus on in this passage of scripture, but I want to focus on the lad being excited about how his giving made a difference in the lives of people.
I could just imagine the little lad going back to his township or his neighborhood saying.
Yoohhh it was my 5 loaves and 2 fish that Jesus used to feed all them people who were hungry.
He could have acted like he was on “Top Billing.”
He could have gotten excited about how he gave of what he had not for a new car though that’s cool, not for some furniture that cost millions of rands, not for some fixtures in his house that cost millions, but he could have gotten excited and celebrated all the lives that were touched.
Let me show you:
See that one there, they were part of the 5,000.
See that family there, they were a part of the 5,000 that was fed with my lunch.
See that person there he was a part of the 5,000 that was fed.
Today I want to let Victory Outreach Cape Town know that you have something to celebrate and that is your giving.
Ok
Your giving may not have been spent on a million-rand picture for your house.
Your giving may not have been spent on a 2 million-rand Rolls Royce or Jaguar in your garage.
Your giving may not have been spent on a 150,000 rand watch or even a 5-Million-rand house, butttt your giving has been invested into some “Treasures.”
I am talking about some Godly “Treasures.”
As a matter of fact, I am talking about some “Treasures out of Darkness.”
These are all lives that have been changed because of your giving.
Just like people in the world are excited about spending their money and showing off what they bought with it.
You and I should be excited about our giving and how our finances have made a difference in the lives of people.
You might not be able to say let me show you around my million-rand mansion and here is my car that I paid 5 million rand for or see those handmade pillars in my house, that cost me about R2 million each.
You might not be able to say see those cars in my garage they cost me a few million rand, butttt you can say let me show you all the “Treasures” that are in the House of the Lord because of my giving.
• See that person right there, they used to be lonely and hurting.
• See that family right there, they were being torn apart, but now they have been restored and they are on fire for God.
• See that young man right there he was involved in gangsterism, but now he is in the House of the Lord.
• See that young lady right there she felt like she had no hope, but now she is a leader in the church.
• See that person right there, they were in and out of prison, but now they are a life group leader.
Is there anybody that says I might not be on the tv show Palessa, I might not be on Home Makeover or even “Top Billing” but look me show you around the House of the Lord and all these treasures that are in the House of the Lord because of my giving.
It is ok to get excited and celebrate how your giving has made a difference.
Because we like to get excited about our finances going towards those new clothes, toward that new car, toward that new phone or toward those new shoes and it’s all good, but this morning I just wanted to encourage someone to get excited about how your giving has made and is still making in the lives of hurting people.
Your giving has made it possible for our recovery home.
Your giving has made it possible to send out 7 churches in our region.
Your giving has made it possible to have our own radio show.
Your giving has made it possible to see mommies re united with their kids and daddies able to be a dad to his daughter.
I wish someone would get excited on how your giving is making a difference.
Let me put it to you this way.
Your giving has made having our own church building possible.
Imagine Paul had an experience with God on the road to Damascus, but somebody had to build that road in order for Paul to ride on it.
So, all the lives that have been saved and touched at this altar, you have apart in that.
There are many families today that have been impacted because of your giving and on their behalf, I would like to say thank you.
Thank You
Ray Boltz
I dreamed I went to heaven
You were there with me
We walked along the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name
You turned and saw a young man
He was smiling as he came
He said friend, you may not know me now
But then he said but wait
You used to teach my Sunday school
When I was only eight
Every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start
One morning when you said that prayer
I asked Jesus in my heart
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
Then another man stood before you
And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
His pictures made you cry
You didn't have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
One by one they came,
As far as the eye could see
Each one somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done, sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth, heaven now proclaims
And I know up in heaven
That you're not supposed to cry
But I was almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord
And He said my child look around you
For great is your reward
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
I am so glad you gave
I am so glad you gave
Read the testimonies.
Not only can we celebrate because lives are being touched, restored and saved, but we also get blessed when we give.
Testimony #1
I stepped up to do double tithes 20 percent and I used to give only 10%.
During the end of the challenge month, I found out that my money is not enough even to take care of my personal finances to get through the rest of the month. But I made commitment to the Lord and put Him first.
My commitment at that time was 20% double tithes.
I went online, log in into my personal account and sent 20 percent of my tithes. Then I told God, that's it God. This is belongs to you and i know that you will take care of me.
Then about 10 minutes after I sent the eft to the church, suddenly someone sent me email stating that God spoke to her to bless me with her car.
At that time I didn't have car, and I was praying that God will bless me one day.
So this 20% tithes is a step of faith and my love for God and in return God bless me with the desire of my heart : MY OWN CAR!!!!
Testimony #2
A couple in our church attended faithfully the
church.
When Pastors challenged the church to double tithes, they both felt that they wanted to step up.
They did, they paid their tithes 20 percent, and they made adjustment with the rest of their budget. It was little bit hard but due to their commitment to God, they put the Kingdom of God first above their personal/family needs.
At the end of 20% challenges, the husband got a mail from his office and the letter said that the company increase his salary 100 percent.
God is awesome!
