Giving isn’t just to bless people in need. Giving actually blesses the person who gives. When we give generously, it reminds us of how much we have to be thankful for. It also reminds us that God is our source. Giving takes our focus off of our possessions and moves our eyes toward the eternal.
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friends and partners of Kingdom
connection you are being tested every
day with what you do with your resources
and how can you be trusted with true
riches the Bible said if you can’t be
trusted with unrighteous mammon I want
to show you one of the most beautiful
stories in the New Testament in my
opinion in John chapter 12 it says then
six days before the Passover Jesus came
to Bethany where Lazarus was who had
been dead whom he had raised from the
dead there they made a supper they made
him a supper and Martha served but
Lazarus was one of those who said at the
table with him then Mary took a pound of
very costly all of nard anointed
his the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet
with her hair and the house was filled
with the fragrance of the old but one of
the disciples Judas Iscariot Simon’s son
who would betray him said why has the
fragrant all not been sold for three
hundred aneri and given to the poor now
listen to verse 6 is so important this
he said not that he cared for the poor
but because he was a thief and had the
money box and he used to take what was
put in but jesus said let her alone she
has kept this for the day of my burial
for the poor you have with you always
but me you do not have always this story
is a beautiful story and lesson on the
two kinds of natures that that can
possess us but more importantly the two
natures of God and Satan God has a
nature
of generosity God is a generous God
Satan has a nature of selfishness it’s
all about me it’s all about I it’s all
about what you won’t and there are two
two natures that people get they either
have a generous nature or they become
selfish in every aspect of their life
there’s always this battle that’s taking
place and what I love about this story
as this woman was so moved that she did
something beyond normal and average she
brought an extravagant gift and broke it
open and poured it out on Jesus it says
in mark 14 that it was worth one year’s
wages that that imagine going to Neiman
Marcus or wherever you go buy your
perfume ladies and you didn’t just buy
an expensive bottle of perfume but can
you imagine a bottle of perfume that
cost one year’s wages if you make a
hundred thousand dollars that’s what it
would have cost you or fifty thousand or
ten thousand she would have made three
of the common amount of money for a
household then was three hundred denarii
and this woman takes and buys perfume
with one year’s wages breaks it open and
pours it on the feet of Jesus in a
tremendous act of gratitude I’m going to
tell you why in just a few moments
generosity was flowing from a grateful
heart in John chapter 12 and verse six
Judas said why didn’t you give this to
the poor now this is so important and
the Bible said he said that not because
he cared about the poor he was robbing
he was stealing from the Treasury and he
was upset that that was being wasted on
Jesus I love the fact that this exposes
the aid the age-old
selfish cover that anybody who’s doing
anything for the Lord building anything
for the Lord doing anything for the body
of Christ the selfish spirit criticizes
that they not gonna do anything for the
Lord but they criticize people who want
to do something for the Lord I found out
that people who give and tithe and give
to the church they are never offended if
I talk about money it’s kind of like
going to the doctor for your annual
physical and he’ll probe and he’ll prod
and he’ll fill around and you’ll say
does it hurt there does it hurt there
they’ll push sometimes and every once
while when they push you’ll feel
something and they’ll see the reaction
and they’ll say oh oh did you did that
hurt yes it off L to something there and
and they’ll say something like this well
it’s not we need to check that father
it’s not supposed to hurt there when i
probe so when i get up and i preach on
giving and i probe and it–i’ve a little
bit and talk about tithing if it hurts
it’s not the dr. franklyn’s problem it’s
not supposed to hurt there it’s not the
it’s not supposed to feel uncomfortable
there it’s not supposed to get you kind
of edgy about things because that’s your
issue not mine I’m just the doctor I’m
just pointing out the medicine oh it’s
gonna get fun I can tell you that
what’s interesting to me about this
story is Jesus knew he had that spirit
and knew he was a thief and still wanted
him to keep the money box because he was
testing him in the area of his weakness
you are being tested every day with what
you do with your resources and how can
you be trusted with true riches the
Bible said in in the Book of Luke 16 if
you can’t be trusted with unrighteous
mammon God will never give you spiritual
authority listen to this if if if you’re
not faithful with money true riches
Jesus said we’ll never be trusted to you
and what a true riches influenced with
people and power with people God did not
give God will not give spiritual
authority to anyone who cannot handle
money if you can’t handle unrighteous
money how will you commit
how will he commit to you true riches
this ministry you know we made decisions
a long time ago that we would be audited
every year and then on top of that we
have another audit called the
evangelical counsel financial
accountability that comes in and they
look at everything and make sure
everybody’s salary is within what it
ought to be for an organization of the
size that we are and then we post it on
the internet all the money that comes in
and what and where it’s going and so on
and so my point is this there are two
reasons why we want to do the money
right here we have a real Board of
Directors not just my mama and me and my
wife on the board we have a real Board
of Directors and there’s two reasons why
I won’t that is because number one I
don’t want to go to jail and number two
I don’t want to go to hell therefore you
will never have to worry about me
stealing honey
what touched me about this story is
generosity in this woman’s heart was so
extravagant it challenged me personally
judas called it a waste but Jesus called
it worship it was so extravagant that it
stunned
Jesus there are three levels of giving
taught in the Bible the first level is
the tithe the first level is the tithe
the second level is the offering the
third level is the extravagant offerings
these are the three levels of giving
that are biblical you cannot give the
second and third level the offering and
the extravagant offering unless you
first measure up to the lowest level of
giving in the kingdom of God which is
the tithe if you make a hundred thousand
god says honor me with the firstfruits
of ten percent so your tithes would be
ten thousand dollars if you make if you
make a thousand dollars a week your
tithes would be a hundred dollars if you
make five hundred your tithes would be
fifty if you make a hundred your tithes
would be ten if you made one dollar your
tithes would be $0.10
and God says I’ll bless you open the
windows of heaven on $0.10 as much as I
would on if you made a million dollars
and your tide was a hundred thousand if
you ever want to get to the second level
you do the first level and God opens the
window of heaven pours you out so much
that suddenly you move beyond tithing to
your local church and that’s biblical he
said get bring it into the storehouse
it’s not plural it’s not three percent
to your aunt and two percent to this
person and somewhere over there in this
ministry no you find a church you get
planted in that church and your tithe
belongs there and then there’s offerings
well what do you do with that the Bible
called them freewill offerings how much
free will whatever you want to give
sometimes you give to the church
sometimes
says give that waitress put $100 bill on
under track and hand it to her and say
god loves you and I do too
and walk out of there sometimes it’s
holy handshakes you just walk up in the
Lord lay somebody on you you pick you
get a $50 bill and shake their hand and
say hey be blessed this week and and
what is that that’s a free will offering
it’s a free will offering but then
there’s the third and highest level that
God will move you into if you’ll be
faithful with the tithes which is the
lowest level and you you just begin to
give offerings and that’s when it’s a
joy that’s when it’s not like it’s it’s
it’s it’s you enjoy giving it’s just
common it’s just what you do you you
just don’t even think about it you you
love to be a blessing then you can move
into the third level which is
extravagant giving all along God will
come along and say I want you to be an
extravagant giver in this situation and
that’s the truth only a few reach that
outrageous extravagant offering level
but that’s where the greatest joy is do
you remember the story the widow who had
two mites which would be the equivalent
of two pennies and the Bible said Jesus
stood watching them bring the offering
and he watched now I thought well I need
to move my chair up on the platform and
watch when they’re off cause Jesus
watched just relax you know some of you
always get upset stomachs right at
offering time every Sunday it’s amazing
but but but but watch this Jesus is
watching and the Bible said the rich
people are bringing gifts and he’s
watching and he’s nodding and he’s
watching and here comes this Widow woman
with two mites or two pennies and she
drops it in and Jesus is so moved that
he stops the whole offering and he says
she has done more than all of you put
together with her two sins because it
was extravagant to her it’s all that she
had it’s not the amount it’s your heart
it’s your heart are you willing she
could have said what so many when I have
a lot I’ll give a lot when I had more I
would do more but if you want if you
won’t do anything with what you have now
you what got you or passed you were
either passing that test are failing
that test with what you have right now
and if God can’t trust you the tithe on
$30,000 a year
how can he trust you the tithe on
$300,000 a year if you’re a thief at 30
you’ll be a thief a bigger thief at
300,000 I didn’t say it God did I did
you feel that oxygen just go out of the
room am i preaching the word you know I
read that the other day Malachi 3 since
you’re looking at me partly cloudy I’m
gonna I’m gonna teach the Word of God a
minute Malachi 3:8 he said you’ve robbed
me and they said how have we robbed you
and he said you’ve robbed me and ties
and notice it’s different I told you
it’s different
we ties in offerings I just throw it all
together and God knows no tithe the
lowest level 10% and above that anything
you want to give offerings but here’s
what got me I thought he meant you’ve
robbed you’ve robbed me you’re ripping
me off but he doesn’t just mean it that
way
he means you’re robbing me God of the
opportunity to open my window and pour
you out I’m your father I love to see
you do well I want to give you so much
I want to put so much favor I want to
open doors I want to take you to places
I want to use you for my glory I want to
bless your children and your children’s
children I’m thinking generations down
the road and you’re robbing me of that
with your selfishness your lack of trust
in me you’re robbing me what did he say
you robbing him of me opening the window
of heaven pouring you out of blessing
you won’t have room enough to receive he
said I’ll rebuke your room your your
you you’re robbing me of the ability I
want to rebuke the Devourer for your
sake it’s pretty amazing we get it all
mixed up we get the Judas spirit that
just says all they’re after is the money
but you don’t give any anyhow so don’t
worry about it
we’re doing what we want to do we love
this this is what we do this is why
we’re here this is what our life is
about it’s about the church in Christ in
the kingdom this is who we live for he
is our Savior
this is what matters to us so don’t
criticize us we don’t do it cuz we have
to and we don’t do it around here we
don’t come big and we don’t we don’t win
don’t do that we don’t need it that bad
we do it because we love him God can ask
us for the extravagant because he’s
given the extravagant through His Son
Jesus Christ but I want you to see
something and this is a big point if
you’re taking notes write it down a
generous heart comes from a grateful
heart all right now watch come in here
with me and I’m almost done but I want
you to lean in real strong a generous
heart always comes from a grateful heart
don’t ever expect people to be generous
who are not grateful now why in John
chapter 12 would a woman take one year’s
wages a bottle of perfume that cost one
year’s income and break it open and
begin to pour it now
John said John 11 says on his feet but
if you read mark 14 it said that she
poured it on his head and his feet and
his body
why would she do that one year’s wages
come on this is a real story why would
she do that a generous heart always
comes from a grateful heart in order to
understand the act of extravagant
worship in John 11 or John 12 you have
to back up to John chapter 11 what
happened in John chapter 11 she had a
brother by the name of Lazarus and he
was dead and he had been dead for three
days and Jesus came to the grave and he
stood and he said roll away the stone
and they rolled away the stone and jesus
said Jesus said Lazarus come forth my
love the next verse and the Bible said
he said that he that was bound hand and
foot in grave clothes his face was
wrapped in a Coffey’s acid’ loose him
and let him go
that was her brother that was her
brother listen that was raised from the
dead
you hadn’t got it yet so now in John
chapter 11 she has seen her dead brother
raised from the dead and you say well I
guess I would be extravagant if God did
a miracle for me and my family you were
dead in trespasses and sins your
children were dead in trespasses and
sins they were on their way to hell but
grace and blood and mercy and the cross
in the name of Jesus has raised them
loose film rolled the stone away and so
she’s so moved now I want you to get
what I want you to get what was taking
place because she’s so moved that
approximately a month later because she
I don’t know if you read it but read
John 12 where it talks about that
Lazarus is at the table with Jesus the
dead man that was raised are eating a
meal and she’s so moved at the picture
of Jesus sitting at the table with her
dead brother that has been raised and
given his life back that she can’t stand
it and a generous heart always comes
from a grateful heart and she’s so moved
with gratitude that she throws the apron
off and says Martha I’m sorry you keep
cooking I gotta go get my my one-year
wages of ointment I got to do something
extravagant because I’m so grateful
listen to them laughing listen the
Lazarus and Jesus telling stories and
kicking back and eating and enjoying the
meal and all the sudden in the middle of
that she breaks it open and she’s
weeping and she’s worshiping and Judas
is criticizing sitting over there with
an attitude and then Jesus says
something profound
he says you leave her alone for she is
anointing me for my burial now here’s
what’s interesting Jesus was six days
from being crucified when this story
happens and when she started anointed
hit according to mark 14 his head and
his feet she was doing she didn’t even
reckless and carefully she had no idea
what her extravagant offering was going
to do for the body of Christ but she
poured it on him six days later he would
die on Calvary and they would take that
body down quick because the Passover was
coming in and they had to be done there
could the Sabbath was coming and they
to be done and they didn’t normally when
someone was crucified if it was a Jew
they would they would then anoint them
for burial on the spot but they didn’t
have time they didn’t have time so they
had to rush and put him in there
unprepared how do you know they didn’t
anoint him because the Bible said early
that Sunday morning three days later
that the whim or the next day actual
after he was crucified the women came
with spices to anoint his body but on
the third day he had already risen when
they were bringing the spices what I’m
saying to you is this she had no idea
that she put the anointing on Jesus body
that he was anointed to raise from the
dead she had put it on his body she had
buried him
she had anointed him for his burial and
so when he stepped out of that tomb the
anointing that he was under was a part
of the extravagant gift that that woman
had given him and we have no idea when
we give to the kingdom of God how that
gift of extravagant offerings and gifts
that we give and sacrifice we have no
idea how God will ultimately cause souls
to be impacted every time we tell that
story we have to tell the story of that
woman because it was her anointing gift
of extravagance that was on Jesus body
she’s forever associated with the gospel
and I closed with this point I want you
to get it
generosity is always rewarded by God
Hebrews 11 said he’s a rewarder of them
that diligently seek Him did he reward
that woman the Bible said jesus said
wherever the gospel is preached I want
him to talk about this woman and her
extravagant
offering
as a memorial to her give me an
extravagant offering can I pray for you
this morning
you all receive this today do you see we
receive it in the right spirit do you
believe that God could challenge you
today to step up to one of these levels
if you hear his voice I promise you
you’ll never out give God never and all
we’re gonna do is take it and populate
heaven and plunder hell and reach more
Souls than we’ve ever reached for the
glory of Jesus Christ on every person in
this room to raise your hands straight
up toward heaven and say god I am so
grateful I am so grateful my heart is so
grateful that I want it to be generous
so teach me how to be generous I don’t
want the nature of Satan which is
selfishness I want the nature of God
which is generosity so give it to me
today now everybody pray this out loud
Lord Jesus today I give you what you
really want I surrender my life
completely to you you don’t want my
stuff you want me you want my heart and
I give you my life completely for your
wheel and my life is gonna bring glory
to your name from this day forward
they’ll raise those hands toward heaven
and say god I thank you that today
you’re doing a work in my life in my
family
and I receive I received in our closing
moments today I am so excited to share
with you about a brand-new project we
have just begun we’re partnering with
youth for tomorrow an incredible Christ
centered ministry that is feeding and
sheltering unaccompanied minors you’re
seeing in the news the big debate about
our border situation but the bottom line
is we need to be the body of Christ as I
heard the stories firsthand of these
children it broke my heart and I knew
that we had to do something I spoke with
one young girl who arrived in the United
States pregnant she had been raped there
are thousands of stories of girls
thousands of stories of children that
whose lives have been changed for the
glory of God as they came to this campus
and we’re building a new home there we
need your help we need your support I
want you to pray about sewing a special
seed and is that this the very heartbeat
of God James put it like this the book
of James he said an undefiled pure
religion is to look after the widows and
the orphans Wow
and that is exactly what we are doing
will you join me I’m asking for 2,000
people today to sow a seed maybe you
can’t so a thousand could you sow a gift
of 300 to preach the gospel and provide
the critical care to children in
desperate need here’s my announcer to
tell you how you can be a part of this
miracle house this year over 700,000
children and young people entered the
United States with no parents sent to be
trafficked or worse pushed across the
borders with nowhere to turn and nobody
to turn to but we know that our God is a
father to the fatherless and we believe
as the church we have been called to the
front line to help these children in the
most desperate need that’s why we’re
partnering with youth for tomorrow to
provide residential educational and
outpatient services to these fatherless
children at Kingdom Connection we
believe that we are commanded to care
for those in desperate need
and when we do God promises to bless the
work of our hands
you can join Jensen Franklin in building
this brand-new dorm by sowing your best
gift of $30.00 or more when you do
you’ll receive the newly released
restart your heart 21 day devotional for
those who sew a special $1,000 seed to
complete this project and leave a
lasting legacy you’ll receive Jenson
Franklin’s best-selling book love like
you’ve never been hurt
with the restart your heart companion
devotional or name will also appear on
the legacy wall of faith and you’ll
receive a legacy certificate
commemorating your generosity this month
as an exclusive bonus you’ll receive the
Jenson Franklin Legacy Bible with over
300 thousand words of commentary and
over 150 articles from decades of
messages the legacy Bible will remind
you and your family of God’s
faithfulness for generations to come
visit us online to extend a hand of
grace to these fatherless children in
desperate need
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