[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word. Take your Bibles and turn to Numbers. I'm not really. Numbers chapter 7. We're in Numbers chapter 7.
[0:13] We're going to read verse 84 to get started. Numbers chapter 7 and verse 84 if you would. And tonight we're going to talk about lessons on giving. Lessons on giving. Numbers chapter 7 and verse 84.
[0:27] This was the dedication of the altar. In the day when it was anointed by the princes of Israel, 12 chargers of silver, 12 silver bowls, 12 spoons of gold.
[0:38] And when Moses was gone to the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony from between the two cherubims.
[0:49] And he spake unto him. Father in heaven, I pray that you would bless. I pray you would work in our lives. I pray, God, that you would show your power. I pray as the word of God is preached, as we look at it and study it tonight, that it would mean something in our lives, that we would not only hear it, but we would do it, and that your name would be honored and glorified through it.
[1:08] In Jesus' name, amen. Well, how many of you enjoyed the time with Jason Kinney? Say amen. I hope you get to shake his hand and welcome him. Make him feel welcome. He's a part of our giving.
[1:18] I don't know how. We've been supporting you a year, two years. Yeah, Brother Jason. Three? So if it's three, we've given him about $4,000.
[1:29] So you've got investment in that guy. So be sure and shake hands with him and talk to him. Find out about his ministry. They're doing a great job. I'm blessed to know them. And also, thank you. Be sure and say hi to Amy.
[1:42] Send a punch back to Mark or pinch. If you know Mark well, you can send that back to him. Now go with me, if you would, to Numbers chapter 7. Numbers chapter 7.
[1:52] This is the second longest chapter in your Bible. Psalms 119 is the longest. It talks about the Word of God. And this is the second one. And guess what it talks about?
[2:03] Giving. It talks about giving. So go with me, if you would. We're going to work our way through all of it and all the whole chapter tonight. Because 12 passages of the Scripture or several verses each time, 48 or so verses of this chapter are all the same thing.
[2:22] Because every tribe is going to do the exact same thing. But there are big lessons we can learn. Chapter 7 and verse 1. The Bible said it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle and had anointed it and sanctified it and all the instruments are of, both the altar and all the vessels are of, and had anointed them and sanctified them, that the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were princes of the tribe, were over them that were numbered, offered.
[2:49] Now, I always do some weird stuff. And so I mark words that really stand out. And the word offering and offered is all through this chapter as you go reading it. But chapter 7 and verse 1, they've got the tabernacle set up.
[3:02] Today's the day they're going to dedicate. They're starting in this chapter. In the next 12 days, they're going to dedicate the tabernacle. And here's what the first thing that happens.
[3:14] The givers keep on giving. If you recall, if you recall, they gave like crazy to get this thing built. In Exodus chapter 35, they gave so much that finally Moses comes out and he says, that's enough.
[3:29] Don't bring any more. We have more than enough to get the job done. And so they get the tabernacle built. They've got it all built, but they're still missing the furnishings.
[3:40] And so this chapter is a story about how they bring the offering to get enough stuff in there to take care of it. So there's big lessons. The givers kept giving. And here's how they gave. In verse 3, they cooperated.
[3:51] You might write that down. They cooperated. The Bible said that they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered wagons. Now, how do you get six covered wagons when you've got 12 tribes? They're working together.
[4:02] And they had 12 oxen, a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox. And they brought them before the Lord. Look at that. Two tribes get together and they get a wagon. They fix this covered wagon.
[4:14] They get it all prepared to carry the stuff. And then they get an ox from each one. Every tribe gave one. So they've already built the tabernacle. And now they've got to get the tabernacle to work. In other words, you don't just get the building.
[4:26] You've got to do something with what you've got. And so they now take up to do the normal work of the ministry. They've got the thing built. Now they've got to do the normal work. Look at verse 5.
[4:36] In verse 5, it says, Take it of them that they may be to do the service. Underline that. Do the service. We need them to go to work with the house.
[4:48] God wanted the tabernacle built. We've got the tabernacle built. Now they need to do the service. And you're going to give this stuff to the Levites so they can get the job done. So what happens is, Now God, how many tribes are there?
[4:59] Remember this, there are 13 tribes. There are 12 tribes that are the giving tribes. 12 tribes are the warring tribes. There's really 12 tribes. But there is that extra tribe that kind of got left out. There are the Levites.
[5:10] There are the guys that do the work of the ministry. The other guys support the work of the ministry. Plus the Levites are also going to be givers, by the way. So they're all going to be givers. But the Levites are doing the ministry.
[5:21] So now the 12 tribes come. And they bring six wagons. They bring 12 oxen. And they give them so that they can get the job done. This is what it's going to take to move the tabernacle.
[5:32] And by the way, moving the tabernacle is moving tons of material. All the things that are, all the wood, all the planks, all the things that are covered in gold. Everything else is going to have to move all of that.
[5:44] So in verse 6, they give out the materials. And if you read the verses, we're not going to take time to read them. But old Gershon, he gets four wagons given to him. And then Marriott, M-E-R-I, he only gets two of the wagons.
[6:01] And then old Kohath, he doesn't get any given to him. So when you first read that, you're like, what's going on here? How come one of them gets more than the other, twice as much as the other, and one gets none?
[6:12] But there's a good reason for that. It appears that some are given more than others. They were. They were given based on what their job was. Everybody had been given a job to do in the ministry, the Levites.
[6:23] So the 12 tribes come bring in the offering. They divide up the offering. And they give this one group four wagons and their oxen. And they give this other group two. And they give this other group none because each of them had been given a job to do.
[6:36] They were given according to what their responsibility was. What they received was based on their job. The more you get, the more responsibility you have. You understand there's a Bible principle being taught right there?
[6:48] And that Bible principle is, hey, the one, I mean, honestly, you'd have gone home that night and thought, man, they got four wagons and they got eight oxen and they got all that fixed up for them. This other group only got two, but I didn't get any.
[7:00] And you might say, what's going on here? But every one of them had a job to do. And so when God gives us stuff and everything we have, God gave us. Can you say amen right there? Everything we have, God gave us.
[7:10] He gave it to us to be used for his honor and his glory. Look at what the Bible says in Luke chapter 12, verse 48. You might write that alongside verses 6, 7, and 8. The Bible says in Luke 12, 48.
[7:21] But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required.
[7:33] And to whom men have committed much, of him will they ask more. Could I just stop at this point by saying this? We've been blessed more than almost anybody in the world.
[7:46] As a church, as a family, as an individual. I am a multimillionaire. By the way, there are websites you could go on on, not in money compared to you.
[7:56] That's not what I'm trying to say. Some of you are thinking, I'm getting a loan right after church. I heard you. But compared to the world, have you ever gone on that website where you could put in what your family makes and see where it slides you on the scale of the world?
[8:09] And most of us are going to fall way over the 90% and beyond that. When they talk about the 1% in America, that 1% really is way over there. And all of us poor people in here, we're still way over in the rich area.
[8:22] We've been given a lot. We've been given the Word of God. We've been given a church. We've been given the Holy Spirit. We've been given all that God's been doing in and through us over all these years. We've been given a whole lot.
[8:33] We are responsible. God gives, but He expects, if I give to you, use it. All right, you get four wagons, but you've got a job to do that needs four wagons. I give you two wagons, but you've got a job that needs two wagons to get done, so get the job done.
[8:46] And by the way, the ones that didn't get any wagons, it was because they were going to carry the ark on their shoulder. They were going to carry other things personally. And so every one of them were given exactly what they needed. Why did God give us so much?
[8:58] Why do you have the money you have? Why do you have the talents you have? Why were you born in a place where you got the gospel given to you? Because God wants you to do your part in getting the gospel around the world.
[9:09] Point number two. Point number two. Exact same offering. They cooperated the first time, and it was a cooperated offering because it was six wagons out of 12 tribes, and each of them got an oxen.
[9:21] So they had to work together to get the wagon put together. But from verse 10 down to verse 83, they're going to all come in and give the exact same offering. So if you read from verse 10 down to 83, all you're going to get is, this guy brought all this stuff from this tribe.
[9:38] After you get through that passage, the next passage. This guy brought all the exact same stuff the other guy did. That guy brought it. The next passage. This guy brought all that same stuff from this guy's tribe 12 times.
[9:51] That's what's going to happen. The exact same offering. God took his time taking the offering. That is the wildest thing to me. They write this on scrolls. They write this on parchment.
[10:03] And God says, we're going to write down the offering. Name and what they gave. And detail it. If I'd have been doing it, we'd have been doing ditto. Ditto, ditto. Y'all remember, did anybody ever do the dittos?
[10:13] You know, she brought a coconut pie. Ditto, ditto, ditto. Whoever brought it. That's all you got to do. Two little lines. Boop, boop. That's not how God did it. God said, it's a big deal.
[10:24] They gave. I'm writing her name down in my book so that you can see it. And I'm going to write down what they brought. And that's what God did. On chapter 7 and verse 10, the Bible says, And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in that day that it was anointed.
[10:41] Even the princes offered their offering before the altar. And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering each prince on his day. God said, here's what we're going to do.
[10:51] I don't want to steal anybody's thunder. Tribe number one gets to give their money. And that's all. They're the only people get to give that day. Tribe number two is going to give their money. They're the only people going to give that day. A whole ceremony laid out. Here they come.
[11:02] By day number 12, it wasn't that back there saying, Here come the spoons. We're used to it, man. Let's try. I can just see the play, play, play guy. Ditto, spoon. Ditto, bowl.
[11:13] Ditto. That's exactly what's going on. But God wanted it put down. God wanted it kept written down every offering in great detail. Everyone.
[11:24] God noticed what everyone did. Could I just stop there now and say, You ever think about your offering? I hear people say stuff like, I don't want my left hand to know what my right hand does because nobody's supposed to know.
[11:37] They didn't know that in this chapter. Second longest chapter in the Bible. They didn't know that in this chapter. In this chapter, they wrote it down. Not only did they write it down, they wrote down who gave it. So we know what's going on. So there was not a, and by the way, that doesn't mean do it like I saw done in Peru.
[11:51] I was in northern Peru in a city. I walked in the church and had this board. And on the board, it had all the church members' names. And what they're giving was supposed to be. And it even had who hadn't given.
[12:02] It said, Default, Default. This guy's not paying his money. So they asked me, Brother Gardner, we're glad you're here. So glad the missionary's with us. Could you tell us what you'd changed?
[12:13] I said, Get rid of that board. I mean, what are you trying to humiliate the fire out of people? This wasn't a matter of humiliation, but it was a matter of saying, I recognize you gave. And they did give.
[12:23] Go with me if you would to the third thing. So they gave. They cooperated. They cooperated. You saw that. And they gave the exact same offering. And starting in verse 12, I want to show you the details teaching us.
[12:37] The details teaching us. I'm not going to read. I have here written in my notes for you. I have from verse 12 down through verse 17, five verses written down to show you.
[12:50] So it was 60 verses. But just let me show you from that, what you can get as you go home and you read through this chapter. God noticed every gift from every tribe. So you gave an offering tonight.
[13:02] And whatever you gave, there's something you can learn God gave. Or God noticed what you gave. Every tribe gave the same thing, but God wanted it written down in his book. Every tribe gives the name of the leader and the tribe.
[13:17] And the name of that leader is mentioned at the beginning of the offering and at the end of the offering. God had every name written down which shows his interest in what they did. Could I stop and remind you God doesn't need our money.
[13:29] He said, If I was hungry, I wouldn't ask of you. I wouldn't ask you to bring me a Burger King sandwich. I don't need your help. I don't need your help. But he lets us get involved in giving and they did.
[13:41] God knows what we're doing and what we're giving. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 10. You can maybe write that down in the margin of your Bible. The Bible says, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.
[13:58] God knows what you're doing and he won't forget and he will reward you and reward you accordingly. God is not unrighteous to forget all the sweet things you're doing.
[14:10] In Mark chapter 9 and verse 41 he says, Down to a cup of cold water. I know what you're doing. I'm paying attention to you. I care. I created the universe. I don't really need you to build me a tabernacle.
[14:22] I don't really need you to bring me a pot and a spoon. I don't really need you for that. But I'm letting you get involved and I'm recognizing that you do it. Nobody is overlooked. Nobody's lost in the crowd.
[14:34] They're all together able to give a great deal. In total there's like 252 animals that are given. It's going to be a wild day. The big offering has been given.
[14:45] They have come with the big offering. I want you to go with me now to this. There's a great deal of blood being shed. You know, there's offerings being given.
[14:56] Burn offerings, sacrifice offerings. These animals are going to die. These animals are going to die. They weren't being brought there like this is going to be a great day.
[15:08] We're going to take our pet to the park and enjoy them. But they were going to die. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 22. In Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 22, the Bible said, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood.
[15:22] And without the shedding of blood is no remission. And so it's blood. They're dedicating the tabernacle. When they dedicate the tabernacle, all these animals that just got brought are going to all die.
[15:35] But who do these animals represent? And what's going on? What's happening is those animals die. Every time when our sins are forgiven, they're forgiven because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
[15:47] He died on a cross in our place. And that mercy seat, He's going to speak from that mercy seat at the end of this chapter. And I've read that to you to start with. By the end of the chapter, God's going to talk to them and He's going to talk to them from the mercy seat.
[15:59] Remember where the mercy seat is, don't you? The mercy seat's on the ark. The ark, inside the ark, are the Ten Commandments. The commandments that kill you are in the ark, but above the ark is a mercy seat where the blood is spread.
[16:11] Where the blood is sprinkled. Isn't that wonderful? And every bit of it. All of the story. You're reading the Old Testament. You don't know this. You don't understand as you read that that every animal that died that day represented Jesus Christ who would die on a cross for us.
[16:26] That's how we got saved. His death. His blood being shed on the cross. The dedication service required bloodshed. The animals were brought for the offerings or sacrifices.
[16:37] There were burnt offerings, sin offerings, peace offerings, and more. Nothing we have has any value to give to God without Him doing something really big first.
[16:51] It's always Him. Can you say amen right there? We are serving Him under His grace and His mercy and Him loving me when I don't deserve to be loved.
[17:03] Chapter 9 and verse 22, without the shedding of blood, there's no remission. Nothing has any value. It's what God is doing in us, for us, and through us that matters.
[17:13] Every tribe. You know what's happening and I won't go through it because we've done it but they're placing their heads on these animals and the leaders over that animal is praying and that animal is going to then be taken in to symbolically take the sins of this tribe and to walk them in and that animal will die and his blood will be shed to say that man didn't deserve to live but the animal will die in his place and you don't deserve to live but Jesus dies in your place and that's how you go to heaven.
[17:42] The blood was taken to the altar to atone for sins. Now let me give you some practical pointers real quickly in the next seven minutes that are left or so. Twelve minutes are left. Number one, He knows our name and He's interested in us.
[17:58] I think if you read this chapter that's got to be one of the wildest things. Why in the world did God say and we believe this is God's book. Amen? And it was written the way God wanted it written and God takes the time what was I think it's 60 verses or so that God says write down their name.
[18:14] Here comes Austin and his family and this is what they're bringing and today is set aside for him to bring his offering. Austin, come on bring your offering buddy. All the Gardner clan bring your offering.
[18:25] And then right after that they said here comes the Canfield family the next day. A whole new day. Everybody gets up everybody goes back down to the tabernacle and everybody's watching here comes another family the great God of heaven said you count to me.
[18:38] You matter to me. And the little bit you can do and the little bit you can give matters. He knows what we're doing and he doesn't forget it. In James 1.22 the Bible says be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving ourselves.
[18:54] This chapter doesn't make good reading. This is not an interesting chapter. I mean you read it and it's like I mean honestly it's just the same thing for 60 verses but it sure is a list of good doing on the part of God's people.
[19:11] It's not for good for hearing maybe but it sure is a list of good doing and what they were doing. Here's a wild one for you. A great indicator of how you are doing is how you handle your money.
[19:21] I just tweeted this out today but Billy Graham said your checkbook is like a theological doctrine showing what's important to you what altar you worship at.
[19:33] Let's check out your checkbook. Listen if you would this verse right here Luke chapter 16 verse 10 He that's unfaithful in that which is least is also excuse me He that is unfaithful in that which is least is faithful also He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much He that's unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
[19:54] If you won't handle a little bit God gives you He's not going to give you more. If you don't do well with that and actually a parallel verse to this here's what it says money is like the least important thing but if you learn how to handle money I'll let you have things that are of real value spiritual influence that you could use in people's lives God's watching it how we handle our money.
[20:18] You say no He's not look at chapter 7 He is looking at it bring me an offering build me a tabernacle now bring me an offering they brought in that chapter they actually bring two offerings first offering they come in bringing are the wagons and the oxen the next offering is when they go day by day giving the offering God's watching how we handle money when you get to the New Testament you might wonder how do we know how we're supposed to support a New Testament church and there are not a lot of verses that really lay out how we do it we kind of got an Old Testament has been giving us a pattern all the way through the Bible we've been reading it we've been watching what's happening we know that the work of God is our responsibility because we read that in the Bible but let me give you a few verses that might help you to do that it says in Galatians chapter 6 let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things alright let's see how many of you are being taught right now hold your hand up and who's doing the teaching me and so here's what he's saying if you're given then you give them they give you spiritual you give them secular or carnal it's a communication
[21:23] I give you give that's what the Bible's teaching that's exactly what's going on in this chapter the Levites are going to do a massive work this is party day for everybody but the Levites 252 animals are going to be sacrificed over 12 days that means they're going to be brought in led in cut their necks throat their throats are going to be cut their skins are going to be taken off of them they're going to be gutted and they're going to be cooked boiled and every other way they burn everything they're going to do I'm telling you the Levites are sweating for 12 days they're sweating getting the job done so as we take we have our church we got mysteries going around we got Jason Kenny here he teaches for us somewhere else let's give him all good things shoes are good pants are good clothes are good food is good let's do that 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 14 if you would 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 14 pastors are to live of the gospel 1 Corinthians chapter 9 starting in verse 1 down to verse 14 verse 14 is like the climax verse of that chapter 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 14 says that they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel even so if God ordained the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel the chapter starts off and says how many farmers don't eat of the produce how many people that have a vineyard don't eat of that how many soldiers go to war at their own expense and so he said I want that taken care of that's the lessons being taught from numbers they're taking care of the ministry of the church they're taking care they're bringing those oxen they're bringing those wagons and they're bringing all the utensils that are going to be used in all those services they're bringing all that to the tabernacle so the work can be done and as you give here that's exactly what you're doing when you give here you see to it that
[23:11] Jason Kenny goes and preaches the gospel because you're bringing what it takes to get Jason down there when you give to our faith promise that's what you're doing that's the ministry of our church to get the gospel to the world when you give here and you take care of it you see that the lights are turned on you get all the utensils the seats you're sitting in you gave that that's exactly what's going on in numbers chapter 7 when you want to bring it down to where you live you are to take care of those that preach the gospel look at 1st timothy chapter 5 and verse 17 you might write that in the margin the bible said let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor especially they who labor in the word and doctrine for the scripture says thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward so if you would if you look here you would find the elders that rule well that's the guys that's leading the ministry in a church as he rules he ought to be getting double honor what's that double honor verse 18 tells me it has to do with don't put a muzzle on the ox you know how when you take that take I guess none of you have ever seen has anybody ever seen molasses made before have anybody ever seen where they stick the soccer men yeah sean baitman you surely have you redneck hick have you seen it anybody but me and sean oh ty you probably went somewhere on vacation and looked didn't you you went and looked at our people to see how it was right
[24:29] I'm here to look at the rednecks miss thomas all right so here's what happens you know when I was a kid it was a mule and that mule go around and he pulled that stick all the way around and that guy would be sticking that soccer men it go out it bleeded out on the other side you have to duck your head down because here he comes and they usually kept something on his mouth but they weren't supposed to and he supposed to be able to go around and say I'm chewing on soccer all day long at the end of the day that guy was like man I am full and that's what he said don't muzzle the ox as he treads out the corn so here's a money this is a money verse a money chapter biggest chapter in the bible psalm 119 is about your bible this one's about your money and about giving and I would just like to take the last couple of minutes and remind you there's a biblical attitude we ought to have about money there's a biblical attitude we ought to have about money in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 19 it says lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be also and Jason stood up tonight you know what he was giving us he was giving us a report on our money he was giving us a report on our investment he was giving us a report on what we've done through him we didn't go but
[25:52] God will let us have a part we tag teamed and Jason goes down there and starts two churches lives get changed and young men step forward and things are happening and tonight we got a little bit of a return on our investment we got to hear how God's doing we got a stock market report tonight but we got to realize hey where's important to have your money some of you had a heart attack yesterday because the market wasn't so good so you had a heart attack yesterday but we had a really good night tonight because we heard about the investments you've been making as you give the faith promise and you put it in a place where it has real value and it's interesting that when you put your treasure your heart follows it is when you put your treasure so our church is a missions church no wonder we gave a million dollars to missions so we're pretty interested we're gonna put that much money in it we'd like to hear what's going on with it let me give you one more passage of scripture my favorite passage that I would definitely spend more time on with the Peruvians as I trained them than anywhere 1st Timothy chapter 6 and verse 6 and I end with this godliness with contentment is great gain if you had your bible open which you probably haven't got over there yet but contentment is mentioned in this passage two times contentment and content that I am happy with what
[27:09] God gives me I am blessed to have what God gives me I'm gonna live right and just enjoy what God gives me could you say amen right there that's what's going on in verse 6 and in verse 7 we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we carry nothing out so you're gonna you came in fact is one of brother Wayne Cofield friend of ours and the parent church to our church one of his friends died and actually had a I understood had a U-Haul trailer go to the funeral with him because he said brother Wayne said that never happens and so he did it just to show brother Wayne that's not true so he was dead I don't think he was enjoying what was in the thing though but anyway it did you're gonna die and you're not taking it with you verse 8 having food and raiment let us be content verse 9 they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare so I want to get a hold of something boy money could mess me up but it won't mess me up if I get a hold of this I'm happy with where I am I'm happy with God
[28:10] I'm happy with the Lord Jesus I'm happy with my stuff don't mean what's important than my car because verse 10 says the love of money is the root of all evil not money money is not the root of all evil the love of money verse 10 is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they wanted money they desired money they ran after money and they erred from the faith they got off the path of faith and they pierced themselves through with many sorrows but not you O man of God you flower Flee these things.
[28:50] In verse 11, you flee these things. So here's a great chapter. Numbers chapter 7 is all about giving. It starts off with the givers giving more. And it's got a whole list of everything they've given.
[29:01] They gave an offering at the beginning. They've already built the tabernacle. Now they've brought the six wagons and the twelve oxen. And then they give every one of them, give all this stuff. And the very last verse that I started out reading with you tonight, from the off of the mercy seat, Jesus, God, speaks.
[29:16] Read with me one more time, if you would. Numbers chapter 7 and verse 89. And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat.
[29:33] Seems like God was happy. Y'all love me enough to give what was precious to you. I'm sure that by now they're probably thinking, good night. We gave for the tabernacle. Now we gave the wagons.
[29:44] And now we gave all this other stuff. But God was happy. And sometimes you could even think that. You could say, man, we give to take care of vision church. We give to take care of missionaries. We give to build a building.
[29:55] And, man, we give and we give and we give and we give. But this is what happens in the chapter. At the end of the chapter, from off the mercy seat, the voice came. And he speaks to them. We'll get that in chapter 8 on next Thursday night.
[30:08] But you can know this. He knows what you give. He watches you. He's proud of what you're doing. Not a verse of blaming you or condemning you or manipulating you. It's totally the opposite. It's God saying, I notice you.
[30:20] I notice you. I notice you and you're important to me. And your love for me and the way you give is important. God bless you. Father in heaven, I pray you'd help us as a church to give like we ought to give.
[30:33] I pray you'd help us to seed our missionaries with the right heart and the right mind. And I pray, dear God, that you'd help us as a church to carry your word around the world. God, I'll give you praise and honor for all you do. Thank you for making vision a giving church.
[30:46] Thank you for the way they give to missions. Thank you for the way they give to give the gospel around the world. And I pray, dear God, that you'd help us to become bigger and greater givers so that your name will be even more honored and glorified all around the world.
[30:59] And I will give you praise. This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. For more information, log on to www.visionbaptist.com where you can find our service times, location, contact information, and more audio and video recordings.