2819 Church - Fruit That Remains | Postured Hearts | Exodus 35:4 | Milton James

Episode Date: June 22, 2026

In week 3 of our powerful series, FRUIT THAT REMAINS, Elder Milton James challenged us with a sobering truth about generosity.Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as our sustainer, provider, and source. Yet we are often tempted to trust in possessions, cling to comfort, and hold tightly to what God has entrusted to us.We are confronted with a question every disciple must answer: does God have our heart, or does something else?Generosity is the fruit of a heart fully surrendered to the Lord. Will our hearts remain postured toward Him?

Welcome. Welcome, family to 2819 Church. We thank y'all for coming. God bless y'all. We want to thank and welcome the digital disciples for tuning in today. Thank you all. Thank you all so much. Thank you to the unbeliever in the crowd and over the airways. We want to acknowledge you. We know still figuring out the claims of Christ, still vacillating. Is this true? Is this not true? Is Christ who he really say he is? How is all these people believing and jumping around and sweating and hollering out the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is this real? We welcome you in this place. My name is Milton James. I am one of the elders here.

I have the wonderful privilege and opportunity to stand before you today in our series, the fruit that remains. I told the last gathering, we're not up here just filling space for Pastor Philip to come back. We want y'all to have fruit that remains, that you will endure to the end. Thy kingdom comes, thy will be done here on. We want that in you. We will be poor leaders if we continue to preach to you something that will comfort your soul and you never grow. in discipleship. Grow in discipleship. Like, please, please,

don't look at this as a filler for Pastor Philip to come back. I'm just coming till Pastor Philip get back. Don't, please, don't do this. This is, because this is bigger than us. This is bigger than Pastor Philip. This is bigger than anybody who grace this stage. This is bigger than, this is about the father of fathers.

And if we don't approach it like that, we will have all of this go over our heads. We are a house of prayer, presence and proclamation. Brandon was just reminding me in the back. Like, that's not just a saying. That's what we live. They pray over every seat in this house before y'all come in here. We prays like that to get his presence to stir in your heart. so that we can come behind and proclimate the gospel, the Word of God unto you.

It's not just the same. Y'all may be seated. All my fathers, y'all stay standing. All my fathers. Yeah, give it up for them. Fathers, don't clap, fathers. Don't clap, don't clap, fathers. This is your day.

Y'all don't clap. Y'all take all of that. Y'all take all of that. Don't clap. Y'all take all of that. Y'all take all of that. I just want to say thank y'all, men of God, for standing strong. May honor and glory be your portion today.

May y'all be at peace today. And even if no one honors you today, you know your heavenly father honors you and he sees you. And let me tell y'all this. Y'all listening for all this, you're doing a good job. Y'all doing an amazing job. Keep going. Keep your hand on the plow. Even I know there's some fathers out here having discord with their children.

It's okay. Keep your heart open. Keep praying for them. Keep asking the Lord to woo them back to you. So that one day you can be in covenant with them for real. Don't give up on them ever. Y'all stand strong. Act like men.

Keep moving forward. Because y'all will endure. And this is your portion. Like we stand in the realm of our heavenly father. And I know from being a father that y'all have grown in ways you would never thought you would grow until you had these children. So keep, keep growing. Keep growing, my brothers. Keep striving, my brother.

And keep loving the Lord Jesus Christ until he comes home. Father, I pray over my fathers right now. Lord, I pray for an anointing over them of strength and fortitude that you will keep them strong and you will continue to honor them in every area. Not just today, God. Let them feel important. Let them feel worthy. Let them feel honor.

I pray that you will just touch them in such a way. You know their shortcomings and you know the whole that may be in any of their hearts. ask that you will feel that whole God. You know the father's in this room and across this screen that is looking for a mentor or a father figure. Holy Father, fill that space for them or send a mighty man into their lives, oh God, that will help them journey and make it to the end. Fortify them right now, God. Fortify them right now, Lord.

Yeah, fortify them. Fortify them. them not be weary and well-doing. Let them love unconditionally. God. I pray this over my brothers. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Y'all may be seated. We like to give honor to the shepherd of this house, Philip Anthony Mitchell. We'd like to give him a shout out and a special Father's Day shout out to the man of this house. Yeah. We can do a little better than that.

bless you, sir, for your sacrifice, for taking care of your family and showing us putting back into the gospel, back into our society, back into our culture. We thank you, sir. God bless you, sir. Write all this message today is postured hearts. Postured hearts. Let's pray. Father of fathers, as we magnify and glorify your name today, have your way in.

Me, may I decrease as you increase in all things. Cultivate the ground of your sons and daughters and the unbeliever. Plant seeds of generosity into them, God. Open their hearts and their minds. Even right now, God, for the proclamation of your word, let us not be distracted or feeling some kind of way about generosity. Let us open our hearts and our minds to accept. This is who you are.

And this is what you want your people. Father, I pray this over your sons and daughters. I thank you so much for this opportunity to stand before your people. We adore. We are not even worthy. Is anyone worthy? It's anyone whole lot. But you are so good to us.

Darkness and to you. We thank you. Amen. Start this message off with an article I had. ran across. I'm not going to read the whole article, but it stirred in me what this message entails. It's called myth of generosity. I am not wealthy enough to give. If you can't be generous when you have nothing, you'll not be generous when you have everything. This is a hard truth to embrace, especially in a culture that tells us constantly that we must prioritize getting ahead of everyone else.

However, those who do get ahead often feel unsatisfied with what they have attained. And high net worth individuals say they need even more wealth to be perfectly happy. Adam Grant, a business professor at Wharton and New York Times bestselling author writes in giving and take that the missing. peace to true success is generosity. As he defines it, helping others. Those who elbow their way to the top often fall flat. Instead, Grant argues the people who offer a helping hand to their peers without expecting anything in return becomes successful. Measuring success by financial wealth is as useless as building a one-legged chair. Measuring generosity by monetary giving is the

same fallacy. With God as our sustainer, every aspect of our lives, not just money, can be used to serve others. And even the least of us are qualified to practice generosity. Giving is not monetary. Contemplating whether you have enough to help others misses a beautiful opportunity to love as God demonstrated. Perhaps one of Jesus's most famous statements is that God gave his one and only son for us, John 316. God blesses us so that we will be able to bless others, Genesis 12, 2.

And there are countless ways to bless others as Jesus describes. for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew chapter 25 verse 35 to 36.

Notice Jesus makes no mention of wealth in the verse above. God desires us to bless others out of what we can give. Sometimes that includes possessions others could use, but it also includes gifts of time, attention, and care. There is no threshold or line of satisfaction that we must first meet before generosity can be activated. The only thing the Bible requires is that we give cheerfully and intention. intentionally. Amen? You have the definition of generosity, please.

It's the definition of generosity. The joyful, let's stop there, in our hearts towards generosity. Sacrificial and unconditional sharing of one's time, talent, and material wealth with others. Also rooted in the belief that everything ultimately belongs to. God. God's love and generosity goes hand in hand. Out of God's love flows his generosity. In the abundance of things that we collect and get, we can give out of that abundance. Let's go to Mark 12, verse 41 to 44. Mark 12, verse 41 to 44. You can give without loving. and to the outside world it looks like sacrifice.

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. He does the same today. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which makes a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, truly I say to you, this poor woman has put in more than all those who had contributed to the offering box. For they all contribute out of their abundance. But she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.

The last guy, I was talking to them about the like corporations, you know, they look holy on the outside. they give they give they give they give they give they give money to uh large sums of money to the to the poor they give large sum of money to to all these organizations but they they they they they motivation is to get a tax break their motivation is to is to gain more money it's it's it's not telling that's what that's what he's talking about the abundant out of their abundance and this this this This woman, Christ seen a woman with the same heart he has. He said, y'all come look. This woman has a sacrificial heart.

She has given out of something that she does not have. She did not ask the church for anything. She came, she gave, and she went on her way. Because her heart posture was tethered to who God was. He is my sustainer. God has shown his generosity of love by giving us all things. Say all things. He's given us the Lord Jesus Christ.

Like this is why we linger in worship. Heaven bank dropped. I heard a minister talk about, he said, a bank owner owned the bank. and if somebody walked in and they had a loan for a billion dollars and they could not pay. And the bank loan, I mean the bank owner would, he forgave the debt and sent them on his way. But what our good father does as the bank owner, he forgives the debt. But then he calls you in to walk alongside of him. He doesn't send you on your way.

Everything the bank owner has now you have. The first bank owner, that's religion. Because they send you on your way to perform, to maintain, to keep that up. But dealing with the father of fathers, he draws you in and you walk alongside with him. Everything that is his is yours. So we just walk that out. So if everything that's his is yours, just like him being generous, we ought to be generous. He gave us the Holy Spirit, the one that come from heaven that is in us now that leads and guide us through this life.

Like, he reveals all truth to us. He is the mind of Christ. Like whenever you get, you can't figure things out, we have the Holy Spirit that will lead and guide us into all truth. He touches stuff in us, he reveals stuff in us, that we have no idea of how, how is this going to even work? But we have an advocate that can see down the road, as elder said, he sees past corners.

You and I freely, he's giving us Jesus. bankrupt heaven gave his most prized possession the Lord Jesus Christ then he gave us his spirit then he gave us his word the mind of Christ written down who he is what he is how he is like we have his word close to us. We have a spirit in us. We had a sacrifice for us. This is the only physical representation that we have of Christ. And sometimes I just sit there.

I just hold this Bible close to my heart. And I say, thank God for your Holy Spirit. Reveal this to me. Get this to me. But this was no sacrifice. for us. This was free gift to us. Free. There was nothing that I did to earn this. Can we sit right there for a moment? Nothing. Like even when you went, like it was an altar call and everything was stirring and you went to the altar and you gave your life to Christ. I don't even know what happened. It's a great

mystery. I said the prayer. I didn't realize something happening until the next day. When I got up and tried to do something and, hey, what? Why does this feel bad? Why? Because the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Holy Spirit did something in my heart that I can't explain. And he continues to do that. He has given you and I grace and mercy. In our darkest times, grace and mercy follows you. In our greatest times, grace and mercy follows you. I was reading one theologian said that mercy is like God sitting on the edge of his throne, like ready, ready to do something for you. He's just waiting.

My sister. I mean, my son, my daughter, I'm ready to jump in and do something for you. His heart is tethered to us. Like, I can't even articulate, like, the overarching theme of his love and his generosity towards us. He's constantly waiting. Becany, how are you so mindful of them? like baffling these angels as they try to contemplate and understand in their minds like these disobedient creatures. You are constantly aware of them.

You are constantly running after them. You are constantly trying to embrace them and love them and give them all things. You are constantly. He gave us the earth. He made this earth in such a way that you and I, would flourish in it, thrive in it, the air, the oxidant, H2O, all to thrive in it. Freely gave us our bodies the ability to breathe, see and hear and think. Like we all sitting in here, we don't know how the blood is moving around inside there.

We can't even. This is like driving a car, like all that, all that, that interworking's going on in there, we just know to step, step on the gas and he go, he's a gift. Like we have no, we have no framework of all that he has sustained us. The air, the wind, it's good for food. Then he goes a step further. Like, it's like common grace.

Like the person out there that hate Jesus, false doctrines, false religion, common grace. You have access to all of that. We, the sons and daughters, of all of this, our heart should have what, towards him? Say that louder. Our heart should have unto him.

Actually, it should have a radical gratitude. Let me have that definition of radical gratitude to practice of finding thankfulness, not just for positive blessings, but for all of life's experience, including, now I'm not saying we revel in things that are painful. And I'm not saying, thank God for my pain. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that he walks with us through the pain, through the adversity and the mundane moments, even when we complain. Like he's walking with us.

I see people, they got a house, they got a car, they got a job, they healthy, and they still will find a reason. mundane moment will find a reason to complain and not have gratitude stored up in their heart for what they do have. This has to shift our focus from being entitled. We can't be entitled when everything was given to us. How in heaven's name, how can we be entitled if God given us all. Go with me to Exodus 35. I'll feel you, baby. Exodus 35, verse 4 through 5. This is God shaping his people's heart. They are one year removed from Egypt. They are in the wilderness. And I'm just thinking that the Lord probably had watched them for that year. Because when you're in, when you're in, when you're in slavery, they were in 400 years of slavery. So they had to, he had to reintroduce himself.

So one year out, the Lord brings them to this. Verse 4 through 5. Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, this is the thing that the Lord has command. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a, say it up loud. Generous heart. let him bring the Lord's contribution, gold, silver, and bronze. Let's jump down to verse 10. Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all the Lord has commanded. So he's asking for what? Generous hearts.

And he's asking for your talent. Generous hearts. This is the Lord decree. I'm searching. generous hearts. People with talents stepped up. Let's go to verse, drop down to verse 20. Then all the congregation of people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses and they came. Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him. So we had hearts that were stirred.

They heard the Lord wanted a contribution. and emotionally they felt wow this is wonderful let i want to be a part of this heart was stirred others the spirit moved them oh let me do this unction a quickening in them let me go do this i want to be a part of this and bought the lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meetings and for all its services and for the holy garments. So they came both men and women, all who were of a, watch the progression. The Lord is seeking generous hearts.

Skillful men came with their talents. Men and women who were stirred, emotionally attached to the mission, men and women who was inspired by the spirit for the mission. It created in them willing hearts. This is what he's trying to do with us. It's going to be so difficult to be in the kingdom, operating in the kingdom,

and your heart is not generous. You're going to run into some major problems in the kingdom if your heart is not generous. He is leading his people to be a generous heart so that they can reach having willing hearts. Willing hearts brought broaches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects. Every man dedicated an offering of gold to the Lord.

And everyone who possessed blue or purple, or scarlet yarn or fine linen or goat's hair or tan ramskins or goat skins brought them. Where'd they get this from? They just left Egypt. God made the Egyptians give them their gold, their silver, their yarn. So now the Lord is testing their hearts. I gave you this. Can you give this back?

He does that with you and I every day. We pray for a job. Pray, pray, pray. He gives you the job. Open the door. We know we was not supposed to get this job. We know it was by divine intervention. Like, I'm not qualified.

I just put in there, I just filled out the application just to be filling it out. And you get the call and they say they want to interview you and you like, you got the phone teaching. Like, now you start thinking, how am I going to do this? But he gives us the job is to stir in us to be generous. First, grateful. And out of being grateful to the father of fathers,

it has to cultivate in us that we don't hoard the job. We don't hoard the talent that the Holy Spirit gave you. He said, gifting and talents comes from the Holy Spirit. He is giving you, we don't hoard those things. We use those things and pour those things. He's trying to cultivate that in our hearts. Leviticus 19, 9 and 10. No, no, no. Exodus 36, I'm sorry.

Exodus 36, verse 2, no, verse 3 to 7. And they received from Moses all the contributions that the people of Israel had bought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him free will offerings every morning. Now, the sons and daughters of God, they're. heart is so free, they just keep bringing. They just keep bringing. Hey, what I got around here? Let me take this to the Lord. Let me take this to the Lord. They can't stop giving. Their hearts are so open with generosity for what the Lord has done for them. They can't stop giving. So that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing,

and said to Moses, the people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do. So Moses gave command and word was proclaimed throughout the camp. Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary. So the people were restrained. Stop giving. Stop. Don't bring nothing else. For the material they have was sufficient to do all the work and more.

This is how true generosity works. This is the heart of God. He's trying to put on his people for the kingdom, for kingdom work so that thy kingdom come, it is in heaven as it is on the now we can go to libidicus 19 verse 9 through 10 remember uh in your bible it's a footnote above it says what love your neighbor as yourself just remember that when you reap the harvest of your land this is after the Israelites heart is in the posture of generosity.

He already took them through the process of generosity. And this is a process. You're not just going to be generous off the rip. Some people, God has given them the ability. He has downloaded in you to be generous out of his spirit, a gift. Everybody's not like that. You have to learn, like he took his people through a process to be. to become generous like him.

When you reach the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your fields right up to its edge. Neither shall you gather the gleaning after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyards bare. Neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the Lord your God. They had fields.

He's saying, Don't hoard all that I gave you. Leave some for other people. Poor people. Same with our income. Same with our talents. Help other people. Give to spread the gospel. For what? Other people. The unbeliever. The people that do not hear the gospel. That we can pump it out as far as possible. It is by your generosity. My generosity. Like right now, what am I doing is an act of generosity. Every servant leader, a act of generosity. Every time you pick up somebody to come to church, that's an act of generosity. But we have to cultivate that so that it would become a free-willing act in our souls that we will not be begrudging. Oh, man, they're asking for money again, but you got it.

But you got it. Like studying for this, like, this week I had the most people ask for stuff for me this week. Like, every time I turned around, I was like, okay, okay. Lord, you're stretching me a little bit. But he just wants to continue to cultivate in me that my hand will not be like this. My heart will not be like this. It will, it will just. just because it should be a continuous flow.

It comes in and it goes out. It comes in and it goes out. It comes in and it goes out. Listen, he cannot take you from glory to glory if your hand is like this. Because what you're saying is, I don't trust you enough, Lord. I'm going to hold on to what I have. And then every time he tries to put something in your hand, Like, they be trying to get me to charge stuff to the church.

I don't. I use my own money. Because I've seen how God, in this 13 years I've been in this ministry, I've seen how God moved on my behalf when I gave openly. And he's always, I'm saying, I'm talking about always, came back around and put something. I remember one time I was, I mean, I was like really, I was like really, really in some financial trouble.

And I was just praying. I was sitting in my room. I was just praying. I was like, Lord, I'm already working two jobs. I'm already out here. I'm like, I don't feel like I'm gaining any traction. I'm like, I don't know what to do. And got a phone call.

Good sister called me. Now I had sold into her life and not even thinking about. it. I had sold into her life some years, like years ago. She called me. She said, man of God, the Lord put on my heart to send you something. How about, how about she sent me the exact amount of money I needed? That's God confirming to me. Hey, son, you're doing the right thing. You're on the right path. Your heart is open. Even when we are bad stewards, he still continue to meet us and draw us back to the path of righteousness. He's always continued to cultivate in our hearts to do that.

I'm not saying stay a bad steward. Don't stay a bad steward. Don't keep running against the wall and thinking you always need a miracle. Don't live like that because he can shut that miracle off whenever he get ready. You don't want to live like that. You want to be a good steward and be generous so that he can flow in your hand. And just imagine if my hand was always shut, he would have never moved on anybody heart to come help me. Deuteronomy 15, 7 through 11.

If among you, I'm sorry, Deuteronomy 15, 7 through 11. If among you, one of your brothers should become poor in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hands. hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his needs, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart, and you say the seventh year, the year of release is near, and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cries to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely and your heart shall not grudgling when you give to him.

Because for this, the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you. You shall open wide your hand to your brothers, to the needy, and to the poor in your land. Let's go to Genesis 14. Take y'all all the way back. after y'all didn't heard all of that Genesis 14 this is when Abram

he saved his nephew lot Sodom had been Saddam had been taken over by four kings and he was captured him his possessions all that he had and Abram went to go save him and successfully rescued him and the first thing Abram did was

go to Melchazidate. This is Genesis 14, verse 18 through 20. And Melchazet, king of Salem, bought our bread and wine. He was the priest of God's Most High,

and he blessed him and said, Bless be Abraham, my bad, by God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be God most high who has delivered your enemies into your hand.

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. I know we fight about this tithe. This was 430 years before the law. Abram was tithing to Melchese. 430 years before the law was established, what he's doing is conditioning the hearts of his people. He is more concerned about us being generous,

giving back to God for the victim. That's what Abram was doing. He was celebrating a victory. God has delivered him from from saving his nephew. It was still generosity. Let me get the purpose of the tithe. The purpose of tithing, giving 10% of one's income as a spiritual discipline, is to kind of motivate us to get us to the place of a free will giving.

Like, I don't know where to start. To put God first. So God gives me a check. I'm thinking to put God first. I'm going to start here. And if you don't have it, it's okay. Because he's trying to cultivate generosity. Not a law.

God, as a practical way to support ministry and the needy. That's how I learned how to be generous. Didn't know nothing about no time. You know, back in the day they had the big old gold plate. You pass it down, you put a dollar in, and they keep moving. Never explained to you. But even at that time, I didn't know it was cultivating generosity in me.

It was cultivated. So when I go into church, I automatically know, I have to give something. So it was cultivating in me. Don't hold on to everything. everything that I have. That's the whole purpose of the tide, the whole purpose of what I just walked y'all through in the Old Testament. God wants us to get us to a point of generosity like him, not rules. Jesus and Matthew 6, Matthew 6 verse 24, popular verse, we heard it before. No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and money. All you think about is your job. All you think about is getting overtime. All you think about is getting this big paycheck. All you think about is the promotion. All you think. So then when you come to church and we talk about giving, you automatically feel begrudging in your soul. You're like, I work for that.

I sacrifice for that. That's why it's such a competition between money and God. He's saying, you're going to love one or the other. And that's why he's trying to break the grip off of us on this money that we will be generous because when we open our hands, he can do exceedingly, abundantly, all that we can ever ask or think. through this hand that's open. And if we keep staying like that, ultimately we'll start totally despising, given in any form, any shape, any manner.

Let's go to Matthew 19. This is the result of holding on so tightly to what's in your hand. Matthew 19, verse 16 to 22. We've heard this before. And behold, a man came up to him saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? And he said to him, why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.

If you would enter life, keep the commandments. He said to him, which ones? And Jesus said, you shall not murder. You should not commit adultery. You should not steal. You should not bear false witness. honor your father and mother. Remember that tagline I told you all to remember.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I've read this 50 million times. Never seen the connection with Leviticus to that. You shall love your. And he says this to the rich young ruler. Because he answered, the young man said to him, all these I have kept. What do I still like?

And Jesus and his love expounds on you shall love your neighbor at yourself. That means he was holding on so tightly. His possessions was his God now. Just like America. Like money is our God in this country. We will do anything to get it.

We will undercut, lie, steal, manipulate, even murder in this country for some money. We will do everything. This country, the spirit of money has got talents in the heart of this country. We will sacrifice anything. We will do anything. And we don't care. One of the richest countries on the planet, $39 trillion in debt. We are poor stewards. And we try to steal everything. We rape the land, we rape the people, we rape, this country destroys everything. And then we wonder why we won't flourish, why we can't make it, because we're not generous. If it does not benefit this country, we're not going to give it.

If we don't see some kind of way that we can make a dollar off of this, we're not going to do it. And it's in you and I. We hold on to our own possessions. I tell my daughter all the time, we are overly blessed in this. country. We got 10,000 pair of shoes and 10,000 pairs of jeans and 10,000 pairs of shirts. And we can go. Like, I guarantee 90% of y'all going to go out somewhere and eat and you got AC at the crib and you got all kinds of subscriptions. You can watch 50 million TV shows. Overly blessed. But our hearts are getting hard because the overindulult.

and the overabundance of things that we collect in this country. The young man said to him, all these I have kept, what do I still lack? Jesus said to him, if you would be perfect, go sell what you possess. Jesus and his love, he says it to him in another way. If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess because your money has your heart. He's trying to break the grip off of his heart. Sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure. in heaven. Come and follow me. When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had

great possessions. Great possessions had him. Great possessions. And it has a lot of us in this country. And we, listen, we all grew up in it. So I'm not excluded myself. We all grew up in this country. We are a materialistic country. We run after money and we don't see God, our father. as the great sustainer. We hoard money, we hoard resources, we hoard our gifts and talents. I, I, I, I, I, I, we hoard all of that stuff. I don't have time to serve.

Why? Because Mammon, somewhere, just, just, I'm just asking you, just evaluate your heart. Somewhere is my money more important than the third. things of God. Because listen, you're not serving Pastor Philip. You're not serving

2819. This is an avenue to serve the Father of Fathers. This is a avenue. Y'all not serving me. You're not serving Pastor Philip. You're not serving 2819. You're serving

the one you call Lord and Savior. That's, and your gratitude toward what's him should flow generosity. Man, I get to serve the living God through 2819. Man, I get to give for my gratitude of God through 2819. 2. Corinthians 9 verse 6 through 15.

Sorry, 6 through 15. The point is this. This is the point of all that I just went through with y'all. This is the point. whoever souls sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever souls bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart. Not reluctant or compulsion.

Not reluctantly or compulsion. You better give or you going to hell. You robbing God. That's compulsion. Malacos said you robbing. That's compulsion. No, what I just walk you all through, God is trying to create in us generosity.

I will prefer, if you are grudgingly in your heart, don't give at all. If you don't believe in what we're doing, don't give. It's okay. As the Lord, your God walks you through generosity as he breaks the hardness of your heart and turn it into flesh, one day, you'll be stirred in your emotion.

or you'll be unctioned by the spirit and you'll start giving to the spread of the gospel. Each one must give as he decided in his heart not reluctant or ordinary compulsion. But God loves a cheerful giver and God is able to make all grace abound to you. So that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, like he's going to cover you in everything if your heart becomes generous, you may abound in every good work as it is written. He has distributed freely. He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever.

He, the Father, all the things we just talked about, he has given you. Jesus, His Word, the Spirit, grace and mercy, the earth, your body, strength, vitality. You can see, you can hear. He who supplies seed to the soa. And bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sewing and increase the harvest of your business. Increase the harvest of your finances. Increase the harvest of your relationships. Increase the harvest of your skills.

No. Increase the harvest of your righteousness. You in good standing with me. The one who has all things can give you your. in good standing with me. He's trying to cultivate that generosity in you so that you and I will be in good standing with him. He can trust you. Trust me. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but it also overflowing in many

thanksgiving to God. So when you operate like that, you're showing God, I am thankful. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contributions for them and for all others. While they long for you and pray for you because the surpassing grace of God upon you, thanks be the God for his inexpressible gift. Thanks be the God. And that's what he's trying to get out of us. He's trying to soften our hearts into his heart to be generous in all things. I'm going to read one more scripture to you.

It's not going to come up on the screen. It's 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 7. Elder Eric Gaiters to me in the back. I'm going to give him his props. As we was talking about the Word of God, and we was talking about this message. But as you excel in everything, listen. In faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Generosity. Generosity. That's the act of grace he's talking about. Generosity. Be generous. Be generous like your loving father. Be generous. strive forward.

And listen, if you're not there yet, it's okay. I didn't start being generous. I've been in the faith over 30 years now. I'm not, and please don't feel like, oh, I got to give, I got to serve. No, I want you to go home and meditate and evaluate. And is my heart like Jesus's heart? Because ultimately, that's what he's shaping and conforming us into his image. Amen, family?

Bow your heads. Let me pray this over you. I'll pray this, pray the scriptures over you. First Chronicles, chapter 29, verse 10 through 12, 11 through 12. This is David praying over the congregation. Yours, O God, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. For all that he is in the heavens and in the earth,

is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord. And you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand, our power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Give us strength, oh God, to be generous like you.

Father, I pray this over your sons and daughters. Bless them and encourage them. It's in Jesus' name. Amen.