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.

the following program is sponsored by

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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this program has been sponsored by

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Connection we hope you’ve enjoyed this

teaching by Jensen Franklin and thank

him for your continued support of this

ministry

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