WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.439 Thank you for listening to the Kelowna Christian Center Podcast. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.080 Our desire is that today's message will be fresh and encouraging to you. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:13.599 For more information on KCC and how to connect, visit us at KCC.net. 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.600 Wasn't that wonderful worship this morning, hey? 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:37.520 Man, there's there's a difference between, like, you may have heard those songs on on the uh you know on your playlists or whatever it may be that you you listen to worship on, but I'll tell you the difference when you're in a community of people singing together and worshiping together. 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.320 Isn't it awesome when you're together? 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:44.799 I would before we I start, I just want to uh welcome. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:50.640 We've got Pastor Enoch and his family, the YWAM family is here and his family and them. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:52.880 Would you guys stand up from all over? 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.119 Yeah, let's give them a hand. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:56.320 Welcome. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:59.600 They are just serving. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:12.560 It's just uh awesome to um serving our our Okanagan, the greater Okanagan, and and my dad was out there this week and he spoke on life purpose. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:15.599 We need to get them speaking on that again here. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:29.599 It's uh such a great message that just really launches you off into your life and it allows you to have confidence to be able to say yes to the things you need to say yes to and no to the things you need to say no to. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:32.400 It's uh when you know where you're called. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:34.480 I'd just like to welcome everyone today. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:36.159 I'm I'm Pastor Brody. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:39.680 I oversee the pastoral team here at KCC. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:40.560 Thank you. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:42.159 This is 11 o'clock. 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:44.400 You're so encouraging today. 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:48.319 Um I'm glad that you're here at church. 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:54.319 Um we're in week three of our four-part series on entrusted. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.840 And so I'm just gonna recap a little bit of part one and two. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:06.959 Uh, the first part I spoke on the blessing that God gave to Abraham is ours by faith today. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:16.560 That God would bless us, and that God would give us a blessing, which virtually means that you'll have more than you personally need. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:30.479 That your cup would run over, that God would bless us, and that so that we could be a blessing, and that the whole earth, all people of the earth would be blessed through us. 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:37.280 So, uh, you know, how many people do you have from the school that are representing different nations? 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:38.000 Seven. 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:38.879 Seven. 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:40.479 So you got seven people. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:49.759 The nations of the world would be blessed through KCC this morning, through you and I today, through our Okanagan and the ministry at WyWam. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:54.240 There's gonna be a blessing that goes out to the world. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:58.240 That's our bl that's our that's our promise to us. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:07.199 Now, God loves to bless us when we're entrusted to go and take that blessing to bless others. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:15.840 My dad then spoke then the next week on the fact that we've been called to be stewards, that everything we now own is now on loan. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.599 Everything we own is now on loan. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:29.039 And that it's not my life, it's not my money, it's not my gifts, it's not my resources, my energy. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:34.080 The fact that the breath I breathe is the breath that God gave me. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:37.680 I enjoy my life today because of what he's given to me. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:42.080 All things that are good have been given to me by him. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:46.080 So we give back and he expects a return. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:51.360 He's like, I've given you now, return back to me what I have given you. 00:03:51.520 --> 00:04:02.000 And so we go, we take care of the the world around us, we take care of those in the family of faith, we take care of the um uh our own personal families. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:12.719 We go and we give our time, our talents, our treasures to be able to uh steward and give back so that God Himself will maximize what we have. 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.720 How many of you want to live a life that's fully maximized? 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.560 That's uh that's our goal, that's our our harpy. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:26.319 KCC, if you're new with us today, we uh we follow a next steps program. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:32.480 We believe that um it's we call it a program, we just others call it a journey, a spiritual journey. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:38.800 We believe everyone is on a spiritual journey, and your journey is particular to you. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:46.959 That the first step is that God wants to know you, and God wants and you to know him. 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:56.000 We want to have this connection, and everyone's relationship with God has got to be personal, it's gotta be authentic, it's gotta be your own. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:07.600 You don't live off of the faith of your father, your mother, your grandparents, your your nation, your your experience is gonna be what matters. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:09.600 It's gotta be you and God. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:10.560 Know God. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:23.920 And once you know God and you know the saving power of Jesus Christ and your fact that your sins have been forgiven, now you move to a place where um you get rid of some of those issues that you've been carrying along with you. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:30.879 Your sins may have been forgiven, but you've still got habits, hang-ups, you know, that are still tracking with you. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:32.800 And so you want to find freedom. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:38.560 And we we do our best on just on Sunday, but also through our connection groups. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:42.079 One of them particular is called Find Freedom. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.399 And it's starting new in January. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:06:01.680 If if you're struggling with just like moving forward in life, we want you to engage, register, be a part of that finding freedom uh connection group, and just launch forward into the life that God has planned for you because each person is created with a purpose. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:03.839 And we gotta discover it. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:08.959 Everyone in this room can reach someone better than I can. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:18.480 You're called to a certain with certain gifts and passions and leadership styles, and you're called. 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:23.680 God created you on purpose so that you can go on and make a difference in life. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:31.920 And when you make a difference in life, that's where you begin to find the joy of living, the joy of living our life on purpose. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:37.680 So this series right now, Entrusted, is really a make a difference series. 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:46.879 Every now and then we take a time to break and we say, you know what, 11 months of the year, we'll we'll listen to what God has done for me. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:53.839 And now the challenge is like, what am I, what has God called me to do for others? 00:06:54.639 --> 00:07:03.680 This is where we take stock of our life and say, what has God given us, and what then can we do to move forward to actually make a difference for others? 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:14.480 So in 1 Timothy chapter 6, taking this as our text, verse 18, Timothy is told by Paul, it's this letter to Timothy. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:24.319 He says, Instruct the church, your neighbors, those people who are you're sitting beside right now, you instruct you to do good. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:26.800 Simple. 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:31.600 Two letters, do go do good. 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:34.160 Is what you're doing good? 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:37.040 That's a good litmus test to everything you're doing. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:38.319 I'm gonna do this. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:39.439 Is it good? 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.399 Do good, just do good. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:43.839 That should be like the motto. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:44.879 Do good. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:46.399 Just do it. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:48.000 Do good. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:54.480 In fact, he doubles down, he says this he says, be rich in good works. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:59.199 A lot of our life is spent acquiring riches for other things. 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:09.519 I want riches here, riches there, riches in relationships, social fans, followers, people tracking with me, rich in resource, money. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:10.800 I want all these things. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:12.720 And God's saying, No, no, no. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.240 I want you to be rich in good works. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.480 This week, where are you rich in your good works? 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:25.199 And to be generous and ready to share. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.000 You come ready to share. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:29.360 You come prepared. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:35.440 You're coming to church, you're waking up Sunday morning, you're waking up Monday morning, you're like, I'm rich. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:36.879 I'm ready to share. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:41.440 I'm ready to share an encouragement, ready to share a hug, a handshake. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:54.399 I I'm ready to share like a part of who I am, ready to share my relationships, my my knowledge, ready to share my experiences with other people to actually make a difference. 00:08:54.639 --> 00:09:02.639 Be ready to share because at the end of that scripture it says this, that that is where you find, you truly find life. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:07.600 So Paul's telling Timothy, take inventory. 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:10.960 Am I spending my life blessing? 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:17.120 So am I spending my blessing solely on myself or am I giving it to others? 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:19.840 Do I come ready to share? 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:22.240 Ready to give? 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:24.639 You know, I used to love going to church. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:26.720 I used to. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:34.159 And uh now I wake up in the morning, I'm like, oh, it's Sunday, and it's a big pressure point for me. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.519 But I'm like, Lord, what do you like, what are you gonna do today? 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:38.879 I'm kind of in charge. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:50.159 And uh, but I used to, when I was young, come to church, and I love that one guy in the church who would who would have his pocket full of candies. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:58.960 Now, I don't know if I would eat those candies, but they were like the white mint, like the white, big hard white candies, I forget what they're called. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:10.960 They weren't even very good, but they were just the fact that he had a pocket full of candy, and I as a kid would go up to that guy and he'd be walking by and he just kind of like, as if he was my drug dealer. 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:16.720 He's kind of like, here you go, don't tell your mom, you know, I'm giving you a candy. 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:21.360 But he was he came with a pocket full of candy ready to share. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:24.159 It was simple, but made a difference for me. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.080 You're ready to share. 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:29.600 God notices when you do this, you watch out. 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:31.200 This is where truly life is. 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:34.960 God is looking for people who come prepared. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:37.279 So we all have something to share. 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:39.919 You might say, I don't have much. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:42.399 We all have something to share. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:43.200 We are rich. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.519 Now, if I was to tell you today, are you rich? 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:50.639 You would say, No, no, no one's really like putting up their hand, but are you blessed? 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:53.200 Have you been blessed? 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:57.360 Have you been blessed to be able to give? 00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:59.840 Have you been blessed to be able to share? 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:02.159 Now that blessing makes a big difference. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:07.519 Too often we think just strictly monetary, but God has given us many blessings. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:14.320 So God doesn't want us to feel guilty about what we have, he just wants to say, Hey, I'm gonna richly bless you. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:20.080 Now, are you entrusted to go ahead and be a blessing to others? 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:23.039 So this is where we walk. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:30.000 So today I'd like to share with you uh a concept on the firstborn. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:46.559 And it's an it may be for some and maybe an odd concept, but um the the Jewish culture really held strongly to uh a precept or some kind of a in some cases it was a law of the firstborn. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:51.360 It was more than just tradition, it was biblical practice. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:56.960 And this law of the firstborn comes from Deuteronomy chapter 21, verse 17. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:07.039 And if you read previous verses, it's actually at a time in the culture where they had uh a person who would have multiple wives from and create families. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.000 And he's like, listen, and he there's an instruction here. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:19.919 He says, uh regarding the firstborn, when it comes to the firstborn, if it's with a wife that you don't like anymore, that's it doesn't matter. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:24.799 That firstborn child, I want you to give him a double portion. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:29.360 Allow that double portion to be with the firstborn. 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:43.360 This is the portion from the father that will be given on top of a shared portion of the inheritance to that individual, and now that young person, that firstborn child, will have two portions. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:46.720 Now, how many of you in this room are firstborns? 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:49.679 Yeah, we got a number of firstborns. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:54.080 I always thought this was a great principle because I'm a firstborn. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:06.159 I've got the double portion, I've got that double ability, I've got that double inheritance, but there was a responsibility for the firstborn. 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:15.919 This firstborn, the son, it says it got, he got a double portion of the father's strength. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:21.120 And the son is equipped with the strength of the father and the right of the firstborn. 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:30.720 It means he's responsible, it means he's entrusted, it means he's capable of now taking care of others. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:40.879 The firstborn, the right of the oldest, is given twice as much so that if the father died, the responsibility went to the son to take care of the family. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.240 So you had to take care of the family, he had to take care of everyone else. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:52.080 It wasn't so that he could walk around with his chest out and go, you know, I've got double portion here. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.559 I've got more than everyone else in the family. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:01.200 No, the fact is you were given that double to ensure that everyone else would be taken care of. 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:08.879 It wasn't so that you could build a bigger barn, it wasn't so that you could live large with that resource. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:17.120 The fact was I'm giving you it so that you, so because you are now entrusted to take care of others. 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.159 Now, the fact in the spirit, that's a natural law. 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:25.200 The natural law reflected on a spiritual law. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:36.799 The spiritual law is now in place that we are all recognized now that we have Jesus, the firstborn of all creation, we all are that firstborn. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:46.240 We all carry the spirit of the firstborn to now take care of each other and to take care of others. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:51.679 That means we don't live our lives looking for people to take care of us. 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:58.879 We're saying, hey, what can I do with what God you've given me to be a blessing and a resource to others? 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:03.200 So let me tell you a bit of our story here at Kelowna Christian Center. 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:14.480 Twin years ago, we we were, before we had this property, we were down on Springfield Road near closer to the city center. 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:17.919 And at that city center, there was an opportunity. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:26.480 We had a piece of property, we it was in the ALR, and uh the value of that property had gone up over time. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:44.080 We had helped, we were renting at a location, but we had helped plant a number of other churches, we were we were investing in other places, and uh close to 12, I forget the exact number, it was like 12 other places that we actually helped launch. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:47.519 And and we said, God, you're gonna give us our own property. 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:52.320 Well, some a purchaser came to the table and said, Well, I want that ALR property. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:54.240 It's still in the ALR today. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:16:02.879 And he said, We'll give you, and that money made gave us enough opportunity to purchase this property where we're at currently. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:08.559 Now, this property, everyone said, Why are you going into this location? 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:17.440 The fact that this was an all-big orchard, uh, there was no university, there was heart, there was no Starbucks, can you believe it? 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:23.600 There was no uh, you know, Ben Lee Park, it was just an open orchard. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:35.679 And this orchard was surrounded by housing and developments that were really the most recognized as the most disadvantaged people in our community lived in this area. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:39.600 So what we did is we said, we're the firstborn. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:44.960 So we went and we started to pray on the streets. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:49.840 We started to walk, and we started to pray, and we started to bless our community. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.480 The first Christmas we came here, we decided what can we give to our community? 00:16:54.639 --> 00:17:08.319 And so we we resourced uh thousands of DVDs of the Jesus movie, the life and the story of Jesus, and we went door to door and we uh do maybe some of you will remember this campaign. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:12.400 I got hind road at the middle in Christmas at night. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:18.559 That was like knock, knock, and people are like you're like, okay, I got a movie for you here. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:20.079 It's a free one. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:23.039 They couldn't believe that you were giving away free stuff. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:25.599 Like it was a rough neighborhood back then. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:30.559 And and I'd knock on the door and we'd like, hey, we're from Kelowna Christian Center. 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:31.759 We just want to bless you. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.559 We want to let you know that we're here, we're here to support you, and God bless you. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:38.400 Here you are, have a Merry Christmas. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:41.359 And they just took it like we're giving them free DVDs. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:42.480 Now it's all on YouTube. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.799 Gotta remember, this is like 20 years ago. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:51.279 And uh before the iPhone or the intranet um was available for that. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:18:00.640 But we gave away all of these gifts to our community because we believed we were coming and positioning ourselves as a firstborn. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.960 So we went around the neighborhood again and we said, What are the needs? 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:06.880 What are your needs here? 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:12.000 And we found that a lot of the families in this location weren't bad people. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:32.880 They were just, they were working two jobs, they just didn't have enough to kind of carry them over the hump of the month, and they were always dipping below the line, and in because of that, they were turning to crime and they were trying to sell drugs and they were trying to make that extra bit of money because they were trying to survive. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:39.839 And we said, Well, we don't want debt and we don't want crime, so what we're going to do is we're going to help you. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:42.480 So we launched the Houses of Mercy. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:48.559 And at the Houses of Mercy, every for 20 years, we've been serving our community. 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:57.599 We said, you can come to a place that's no questions asked, no judgment, whatever you need, we're here to top up your pantry. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.880 No child, no family should go without food. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:03.920 We will take care of you as the firstborn. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.160 And that was a huge, you know, food ain't cheap. 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:15.039 And we're giving out boxes and bags of food. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.559 And we said to them, we said, we're gonna do this. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:25.359 And so we launched a little pantry, and with a bunch of crazy volunteers said, We're doing it. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:32.000 And they did it, and they began to feed the the families in our community, and we've got some volunteers. 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:33.680 I know Hugh's been there since the beginning. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.039 Raise your hand, Hugh at the back door there at the beginning. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:50.400 We've been serving, serving the community, and and it's not always easy, but God has always given us enough because we've taken on the role of the firstborn in our community. 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:53.920 We will become a blessing to others. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:20:01.839 We're not gonna look, we're gonna say, Lord, what can you do with the blessings you've given us to make sure that we're blessing others? 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:13.200 So it comes to Christmas, we're giving out over a hundred boxes and bags with like turkeys and hams and stuffing and cereals and like enough food for the whole season. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:19.599 And we're giving them out to the community there to be able to have enough so they can experience and enjoy Christmas. 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:24.799 That, there, everyone, is the heartbeat of the firstborn. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:47.839 The heart of the firstborn is to be a blessing, and it's the joy to the Father when he knows he can give a blessing to a firstborn, and that that firstborn isn't just gonna absorb it and use it and hoard it, but it's gonna give it out to others and make sure that the rest of everyone else, the rest of our family is taken care of. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.880 So God is motivated to bless you. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.359 God is motivated to bless you when you're motivated to be a blessing for others. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:21:06.960 So when you say God bless you to someone and God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, you're saying God's motivation is towards you to bless you. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:13.119 Not so that you can drive a fancier car particularly, even though good things are fine, like nice things are fine. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:19.279 I'm talking about that you can look and go, what God, do you want me to do with the more that I have? 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.279 What is my more for? 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:23.759 Do good. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:27.200 Do good, be rich and good. 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:28.400 Do good church. 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:30.319 That should be the name of the church. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:31.440 Do good church. 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:32.799 That church does good. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.279 That church do good. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:39.440 They don't do good English, but they do good. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:22:06.559 Isaiah 58 shares this, and uh and uh it's a whole chapter that virtually that emphasizes the fact that um we've got a value in practicing generosity, and and it's virtually talking about uh the The fast, but it's really based around any spiritual or practice that we have. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:15.519 And God's response is to talking about fasting and his response to them is this is like, is this the kind of fast I've chosen? 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.519 Is this the kind of church I've chosen? 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:20.000 Is this the kind of service I've chosen? 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:32.160 The kind where you um you know you is a day for people to humble themselves and bowing and one's head like a reed for line and sackcloth and ashes? 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:34.640 Is that what you call a fast? 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:36.240 A day acceptable to the Lord? 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:53.039 And he's challenging the church, he's saying, Listen, is this about is service only about you coming to church and having cookies afterwards and having coffee and hanging out with your friends and and just singing songs and feeling good and emotional and coming out with a high? 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:55.039 And that's like that's my life. 00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:58.559 Is that the spiritual practice? 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:13.519 Or is it the practice to loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free? 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:14.480 Amen. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:20.880 To not share, to share your food with the hungry, provide the poor with shelter. 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:29.440 And when you see someone who's naked to clothe them and to not turn away your own flesh and blood, not another human. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:35.839 We look out and we go, where is the opportunity for us to be a blessing? 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:40.319 It's not about the practice of fasting, you just going without food. 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:51.680 It's about getting your heart right so you can make a difference in the community, make a difference in the world, and make a difference with what how and what you've been blessed with. 00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:55.359 And let me share with you where why God is motivated this way. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:24:10.079 He says, if you do that, if that's your heartbeat, if your heart is to set the oppressed free and feed the hungry, give shelter to those who need shelter and to clothe the naked and to break the yoke. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:12.960 If you do that, listen to what will happen. 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:15.839 There's a reward directly connected. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:20.880 It says, if you do that, then your light will shine like the new day sun. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.359 Your healing will come quickly. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.880 If your motivation is just for yourself, it's not gonna come. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:40.559 But if you're given your life, if you're given your energy, if you're given your soul, your healing will come quickly. 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:43.200 Your righteousness will go before you. 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.960 You'll walk into a room and there'll be favor in front of you. 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:48.480 There'll be favor. 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:51.519 The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:54.799 You won't have to worry about what's coming behind. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:25:02.000 And it's like the glory of the Lord, the Lord will protect your reputation and your family and your others. 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:04.960 The Lord will be your rear guard. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:08.160 You will call and the Lord will answer. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:09.119 Amen. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:14.880 Hey, help! The Lord will say, you will cry help, and the Lord will say, Here I am. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:16.799 You want a quick ear. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.079 This is where you go. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:21.279 It's not about me focus, it's about Him. 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:28.240 Your light will rise in the darkness, your light will become like the noonday, that's the peak of the day. 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:29.599 You'll get bright. 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:32.720 The Lord will guide you always. 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:42.079 The Lord will satisfy your needs, and the Lord will strengthen your body, and you'll become like a well-watered garden. 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:55.920 That's a good that's that picture is the picture of a garden that's as lush with vegetation and fruit and and it's as lush with produce that you can actually go and be a blessing to others. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:58.079 Here, collect, take. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:00.559 My life is like a well-watered garden. 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:03.039 I don't need the Lord will sustain me. 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:06.799 The Lord creates the vegetation, the Lord creates the resource. 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:10.400 Come on, I'm gonna give to others, give to others. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:15.119 These promises, God is motivated to bless you. 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:17.920 Twelve promises. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:29.440 If you do this, if you put others first, if you go and you look at others and you look at the needs and the and you're challenged in that way, God will bless you. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:39.440 He's motivated to bless the firstborn, those who are entrusted to carry responsibility for their community and for others. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:45.759 So in a few weeks on December 1st, we're gonna actually have a really exciting morning. 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:47.279 I'm looking forward to it. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:49.279 We're gonna take up a special offering. 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:51.920 It's above your tithes, your offerings. 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:55.440 We're calling it our entrusted offering. 00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:57.440 An entrusted offering. 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.400 And this offering is not for us. 00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:02.480 Would you say that? 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:04.720 It's not for me, it's not for us. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:11.039 This is a resource you're putting into an offering, and you're saying, I'm going to be a blessing. 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.960 This resource is gonna bless our community. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:20.720 It's gonna bless them with food for Christmas, it's gonna bless our families in our community. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:24.079 It's gonna expand the message of that gospel. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:26.960 It's gonna let people taste and see Jesus. 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:30.480 Not just hear about him, but experience him. 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:36.960 And so I'm excited because we have this offering scheduled in a few weeks. 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:40.000 I just didn't want to, you can give today if you'd like. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:41.359 That's no problem. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:51.039 But I don't, I don't, I want it to be something you're praying about, you're thinking about, you're allowing faith to bubble up in you and think, all right, two weeks is coming. 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:54.000 This offering, this entrusted offering is gonna be there. 00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.279 And I'm wanna be a blessing, and my family's gonna be a blessing. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:28:18.640 We're gonna give, and we're gonna thank the Lord in that giving that God has blessed us with more than we need personally, so that we can be a blessing to others and love our community and bless our community, bless our church, bless our people that need that need that step up and we can be that support. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:24.240 Wouldn't it be awesome to have so much to be able to share that with others? 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:29.039 Be generous in doing good, rich in it. 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:30.000 Amen. 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.039 Would you bow your heads with me this morning? 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:36.400 Perhaps you came here today and you came with a friend. 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:42.720 Perhaps you came just coming in the door and just checking to see what this place is all about. 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:46.640 And you may be feeling that lostness or that alone. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:58.880 You might be feeling that distance between you and your purpose, you and God, and we believe that only Jesus can give you that meaning in your life, only Jesus can bring that purpose. 00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:05.200 And I'm just gonna invite you today to consider allowing Jesus to forgive you. 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:15.039 And consider allowing Jesus to forgive your sins, forgive you of your wrongdoings and set you on a new path. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:17.039 We call it being born again. 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:32.559 It's like a new beginning, and it comes with the fact that there's we had a life of wrongs and it created a penalty against us, but Jesus Himself said, I'm gonna take the penalty for you. 00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:44.000 Requires us to surrender our life, it requires us to surrender it in such a way that we say it's no longer ours, it's yours. 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:46.559 It's no longer my life, it's yours. 00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:57.200 But in doing so, I can say that you'll find joy, you'll find peace, you'll find that acceptance and that belonging as being his child. 00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:04.880 And so if you want to do that today, you don't have to join our church to get into this in quote club. 00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:09.440 It's just the decision to become a part of God's family. 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:14.880 And it comes from a simple prayer, and it's it's really that simple. 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:19.119 It's the easiest thing you can do, but it'll cost you everything. 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:23.519 It costs the full surrender of your life to Jesus. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:32.799 So if you'd like to do that with me today, with every eye closed, every head bowed, you can whisper these words, you can speak them out loud. 00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:38.960 I'm gonna invite the whole congregation of people here to pray the prayer along with you. 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:41.279 Just pray these words. 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:44.160 Jesus, I need you. 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:49.920 Forgive me for living my life without you. 00:30:51.599 --> 00:30:54.160 Today I surrender my life. 00:30:55.920 --> 00:30:57.200 I give you control. 00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:03.440 Be my Lord, be my savior. 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:10.000 And the best way I know how I'm gonna live my life for you. 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:14.720 Thank you for giving me freedom. 00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:21.119 Thank you for giving me a second chance, a second life. 00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:23.440 In the name of Jesus. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:24.640 Amen. 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:25.920 Amen. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:28.559 Let's give the Lord a hand this morning. 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:30.000 Welcome, Malachi. 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:31.839 Thank you for listening. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:37.200 For more information on KCC and how to connect, visit us at KCC.net.