Welcome to "Faith Chapel." My name is 00:00:31.69\00:00:35.10 Evangelist Roger Duncan from the Island of 00:00:35.11\00:00:39.27 Trinidad and Tobago, South Caribbean 00:00:39.28\00:00:42.32 Conference. My subject today is 00:00:42.33\00:00:45.13 "Lost and Found." Let's pray. 00:00:45.14\00:00:48.71 Father, we thank you for the privilege of being 00:00:50.49\00:00:54.73 able to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:00:54.74\00:00:57.12 Bless your people, be with us, 00:00:58.19\00:01:00.60 may you step out of these pages 00:01:00.61\00:01:04.24 and be a living word for those that hear it, 00:01:04.91\00:01:08.85 Ignite the soul set them on fire, 00:01:08.86\00:01:11.99 save your people in Jesus name, Amen. 00:01:12.00\00:01:16.78 I just want to look at the book of John 00:01:18.08\00:01:24.13 the 12th chapter. I want to read the 24th verse, 00:01:24.14\00:01:30.26 it says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 00:01:31.34\00:01:36.13 Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground 00:01:36.14\00:01:41.46 and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, 00:01:42.44\00:01:47.62 it bringeth forth much fruit. 00:01:47.63\00:01:51.35 It's a profound verse. Now I want to preface 00:01:51.36\00:01:54.91 this sermon by saying that Jesus taught with 00:01:54.92\00:02:00.09 parables and stories. So I am going to use 00:02:00.10\00:02:04.27 stories that you could relate from the 00:02:04.28\00:02:06.78 scripture in order to make my point 00:02:06.79\00:02:09.96 "Lost and Found". When Abraham was told by God 00:02:11.00\00:02:16.64 that he should go on to the Mount Moriah, 00:02:16.65\00:02:19.47 and sacrifice his son. Of course, 00:02:19.48\00:02:23.03 Abraham found that to be very strange 00:02:23.04\00:02:25.20 because in the Bible the text that he read 00:02:25.21\00:02:28.05 based on the law and a testimony 00:02:28.06\00:02:30.27 that was totally contrary, so as it 00:02:30.28\00:02:34.57 what God was telling Abraham to do something 00:02:34.58\00:02:37.98 that seems to contradict his word. 00:02:37.99\00:02:39.98 But you see Abraham had a relationship 00:02:40.97\00:02:44.84 that was so close to God that he 00:02:44.85\00:02:48.32 was not just familiar with the letter 00:02:48.33\00:02:51.37 of the words of the Bible but he was 00:02:51.38\00:02:54.07 familiar with the voice of God. 00:02:54.08\00:02:56.00 Now the voice of God suggest relationship 00:02:56.01\00:02:59.91 and intimacy. So sometimes the voice 00:02:59.92\00:03:02.98 of God will tell you something that seems to 00:03:02.99\00:03:06.19 contradict the letter of the word. 00:03:06.20\00:03:08.25 But because you are familiar in the 00:03:08.26\00:03:11.32 intimate way with the person you know 00:03:11.33\00:03:13.98 their voice that is why Jesus say, 00:03:13.99\00:03:16.28 my sheep know my voice, not so much the word 00:03:16.29\00:03:19.93 because you see the devil could quote 00:03:19.94\00:03:21.88 the word. He quote it for Jesus. 00:03:21.89\00:03:23.77 But voice suggested intimacy. 00:03:23.78\00:03:27.04 So even though Abraham was told to go up on 00:03:27.05\00:03:30.27 Mount Moriah, he still decided to go up 00:03:30.28\00:03:33.55 and sacrifice his son, and he said something 00:03:33.56\00:03:37.09 profound in the Bible to the guys 00:03:37.10\00:03:39.08 that he carried. He said, stay here 00:03:39.09\00:03:42.92 with the donkeys, I and the lad are going to 00:03:42.93\00:03:46.52 under to worship and we will return. 00:03:46.53\00:03:49.16 Now notice something, Abraham was saying 00:03:49.17\00:03:51.93 that he is going to worship, 00:03:51.94\00:03:53.96 there was no guitar, there was no sound, 00:03:53.97\00:03:56.66 there was singing but he was going to worship. 00:03:56.67\00:03:59.23 It suggests to me that worship is more 00:03:59.24\00:04:02.58 profound than just music. But worship 00:04:02.59\00:04:06.76 is a posture of the soul where you have totally 00:04:06.77\00:04:11.08 given up all for Jesus that is real worship 00:04:11.09\00:04:14.47 when you have surrounded your life to Him, 00:04:14.48\00:04:16.43 and in this case, Abraham was 00:04:16.44\00:04:19.03 surrendering. Now while Abraham was walking 00:04:19.04\00:04:22.34 to that spot. He was very silent but also God 00:04:22.35\00:04:27.47 was silent because often times when a teacher 00:04:27.48\00:04:31.12 gives a test, they talked before the test 00:04:31.13\00:04:34.81 and they give you all the advice 00:04:34.82\00:04:36.91 and everything but during the test, 00:04:36.92\00:04:39.67 there is a silence. Now many of the times 00:04:39.68\00:04:41.98 when you are going through a trial 00:04:41.99\00:04:43.65 and a temptation, often times it seems like 00:04:43.66\00:04:46.59 God is silent but God often incubate great 00:04:46.60\00:04:51.20 characters through the wilderness, 00:04:51.21\00:04:53.63 silent experience. So even though it 00:04:53.64\00:04:56.48 seems like God is not talking, 00:04:56.49\00:04:58.21 He is right there with you. Now Isaac 00:04:58.22\00:05:01.71 was carrying the wood and carrying the fire 00:05:01.72\00:05:05.14 and wondering where is the sacrifice, 00:05:05.15\00:05:07.66 where is the sacrifice. Now while they were 00:05:07.67\00:05:11.81 going up the mountain, the lad asked dad 00:05:11.82\00:05:14.69 where is the sacrifice? And he said, 00:05:14.70\00:05:16.91 God Himself, God will provide Himself 00:05:16.92\00:05:21.07 a sacrifice. In other word God Himself 00:05:21.08\00:05:23.98 will be the sacrifice. But Isaac being a 00:05:23.99\00:05:28.25 submissive child continued to walk up 00:05:28.26\00:05:31.15 the mountain. Now while Isaac was walking up 00:05:31.16\00:05:37.22 he is wandering where will the lamb come from, 00:05:37.23\00:05:39.49 where will it come from? At the same time, 00:05:39.50\00:05:42.21 Isaac is walking up, there is a ram 00:05:42.22\00:05:46.77 that is going up to other side of the 00:05:46.78\00:05:48.68 mountain. Now you see when you going 00:05:48.69\00:05:51.37 to a trial or temptation or a testing from God 00:05:51.38\00:05:55.49 you may think you are not being provided for 00:05:55.50\00:05:59.69 because between you and your provision 00:05:59.70\00:06:02.93 is a mountain that obscures your vision, 00:06:02.94\00:06:05.31 but I want to encourage you even though 00:06:05.32\00:06:07.76 your vision is obscured from God's provision, 00:06:07.77\00:06:12.38 you have to understand for every vision 00:06:12.39\00:06:15.63 God gives you. He also gives the provision 00:06:15.64\00:06:18.21 and every test you go through God provides 00:06:18.22\00:06:21.54 the strength. So annoying to them 00:06:21.55\00:06:23.82 while they were walking up the mountain 00:06:23.83\00:06:26.19 God has a ram that simultaneously coming up 00:06:26.20\00:06:30.66 the other side. Until eventually the Bible 00:06:30.67\00:06:33.84 tells us that there was a ram caught 00:06:33.85\00:06:36.77 in the thicket by its horns. Now the reason 00:06:36.78\00:06:40.27 why the Bible mentioned that it was caught 00:06:40.28\00:06:42.34 in the thicket by its horns because if that 00:06:42.35\00:06:45.33 ram was caught by its leg or its chest 00:06:45.34\00:06:48.03 or its body, the thicket would have probably 00:06:48.04\00:06:50.45 pierced it and it would not represent Jesus. 00:06:50.46\00:06:53.33 So the Bible did not give us that detail 00:06:53.34\00:06:56.18 just for so, it was caught by the horns, 00:06:56.19\00:06:58.57 so it will not be bruised because 00:06:58.58\00:07:00.60 it represents Jesus. But this is a point 00:07:00.61\00:07:03.19 I want to make. The point I want to make 00:07:03.20\00:07:05.18 at this stage is that this ram that was caught 00:07:05.19\00:07:09.79 probably and theologians have exposed 00:07:09.80\00:07:13.53 this view. Probably this ram was a ram 00:07:13.54\00:07:17.71 that was lost by some farmer, 00:07:17.72\00:07:20.24 some Bedouin farmer somewhere. 00:07:20.25\00:07:22.30 Now he's lost provided for Abraham. 00:07:22.31\00:07:27.03 He lost something but because of that lost 00:07:27.04\00:07:31.90 we preaches today, preach profound sermons 00:07:31.91\00:07:35.43 about God's provision and we say that 00:07:35.44\00:07:37.94 he is Jehovah Jireh, He is a God that 00:07:37.95\00:07:40.12 provides and so even though when it looks 00:07:40.13\00:07:43.26 like you loose something, believe me 00:07:43.27\00:07:45.67 that God is able to use what you have lost 00:07:45.68\00:07:49.93 for His glory. Sometimes we don't see 00:07:49.94\00:07:53.46 the purpose of our loss but once we exist 00:07:53.47\00:07:57.14 in the providence of God and we have 00:07:57.15\00:07:59.90 sovereignty over us, we could be assure 00:07:59.91\00:08:02.60 whatever we lost, it could be money, 00:08:02.61\00:08:04.40 it could be house, it could be people, 00:08:04.41\00:08:06.30 what I have discovered, even though 00:08:06.31\00:08:08.08 you are a boss and you have a staff 00:08:08.09\00:08:10.28 or what have a stage you are in, 00:08:10.29\00:08:11.95 when people leave, you don't worry. 00:08:11.96\00:08:13.90 God is able to give you double for your trouble 00:08:13.91\00:08:17.21 and He is able to use the lost things 00:08:17.22\00:08:20.55 to bring glory. That is one instant, 00:08:20.56\00:08:23.88 you could remember this story when Peter 00:08:23.89\00:08:27.43 got beside himself and started to boast 00:08:27.44\00:08:31.49 about Jesus, and he said, that is must 00:08:31.50\00:08:33.23 I will pay to drag him out of the temple tax. 00:08:33.24\00:08:35.86 And he came to Jesus and Jesus told Peter, 00:08:37.03\00:08:39.48 He said go into the lake and catch your fish, 00:08:39.49\00:08:42.61 your fish hook out and then you will 00:08:42.62\00:08:45.11 get the first fish you catch, 00:08:45.12\00:08:46.73 open the mouth and there will be the coin, 00:08:46.74\00:08:48.86 pay the tax, for thee and myself. 00:08:48.87\00:08:52.07 Now we see that side of the story 00:08:52.08\00:08:55.12 but let me give another side in order to make 00:08:55.13\00:08:57.29 my point. It is possible that some boy, 00:08:57.30\00:09:01.06 somebody was fishing on that very lake one day, 00:09:01.07\00:09:03.94 and their coin fell out and was lost, 00:09:03.95\00:09:06.76 and you know if you are a boy 00:09:06.77\00:09:08.74 and you are fishing and you lose your money, 00:09:08.75\00:09:10.30 lose your mother's money, you could get a 00:09:10.31\00:09:12.33 whooping for that. But that coin was lost by 00:09:12.34\00:09:16.39 somebody but the thing is God allow a situation 00:09:16.40\00:09:20.93 and a circumstance to come up that, 00:09:20.94\00:09:23.31 that fish took that coin in his mouth 00:09:23.32\00:09:25.52 and then Jesus eventually use 00:09:25.53\00:09:27.94 His relationship with his father 00:09:27.95\00:09:30.16 and told Peter, listen go by the lake showing 00:09:30.17\00:09:32.87 His divine authority and power that 00:09:32.88\00:09:35.67 God is still able to provide under 00:09:35.68\00:09:38.16 any circumstance. I want to suggest to us 00:09:38.17\00:09:40.91 that we must not worry because 00:09:40.92\00:09:42.79 even though we lose things God is still able 00:09:42.80\00:09:45.64 to provide, in fact, let me make this 00:09:45.65\00:09:47.89 announcement that the bank of heaven 00:09:47.90\00:09:51.41 is not bankrupted and God still has the recipe 00:09:51.42\00:09:56.21 for Manna. God still has the recipe for Manna. 00:09:56.22\00:10:01.27 Your God is still Jehovah Jireh. 00:10:03.76\00:10:07.72 He is a provider even though it seems like 00:10:07.73\00:10:11.56 you are loosing or you've lost something, 00:10:11.57\00:10:14.34 and even though you have not benefit 00:10:14.35\00:10:17.19 from the lost directly, you better believe 00:10:17.20\00:10:19.72 that your God is so in-charge, so sovereign, 00:10:19.73\00:10:23.00 showing His auspicious glory in control of 00:10:23.01\00:10:26.20 everything, He will make sure that blessings 00:10:26.21\00:10:28.59 comes out of losses. Hence the reason 00:10:28.60\00:10:31.65 why the Bible says that He will give you 00:10:31.66\00:10:33.48 beautiful ashes. Ashes when things are burnt 00:10:33.49\00:10:37.75 that is a chemical change. It is not 00:10:37.76\00:10:40.05 reverse but in the Bible chemical changes, 00:10:40.06\00:10:43.66 changes that people think never reverse, 00:10:43.67\00:10:45.96 your God says that He is able to give you back, 00:10:45.97\00:10:48.89 beautiful ashes, that is profound. 00:10:48.90\00:10:52.49 In the scriptures in Old Testament, 00:10:52.50\00:10:54.56 there was a story where Kish the father of 00:10:54.57\00:10:57.72 Saul, he lost some donkeys, some property 00:10:57.73\00:11:01.41 and so he asked his son Saul to go 00:11:01.42\00:11:04.21 and look for them. So the donkeys were lost 00:11:04.22\00:11:06.40 and he went to look for them. 00:11:06.41\00:11:08.20 But God in his providence wanted to 00:11:08.21\00:11:11.24 anoint somebody as king. So God spoke to 00:11:11.25\00:11:14.99 Samuel and told Samuel that you will meet a man 00:11:15.00\00:11:17.87 by such and such a place and that is a man 00:11:17.88\00:11:20.78 to anoint. So God is using a situation 00:11:20.79\00:11:23.91 where Kish has lost some stuff in order to 00:11:23.92\00:11:28.33 anoint a man of God. So even though 00:11:28.34\00:11:30.96 you've lost property, you've lost your car, 00:11:30.97\00:11:33.60 you've lost your house, you've lost a spouse, 00:11:33.61\00:11:36.30 you've lost a child, you've lost 00:11:36.31\00:11:38.12 and it seems like it so cruel it is so bad. 00:11:38.13\00:11:41.17 I am telling you I am submitting based on the 00:11:41.18\00:11:43.96 word of God that God is able to use 00:11:43.97\00:11:46.92 this situation to bring power to His name 00:11:46.93\00:11:50.09 and glory to Himself. So don't cry over 00:11:50.10\00:11:54.09 split milk, just keep on walking in God, 00:11:54.10\00:11:57.10 just keep on continual and you will discover 00:11:57.11\00:11:59.94 the reason for your loss. I mean this is not 00:11:59.95\00:12:04.34 really a lost in itself but you'll know 00:12:04.35\00:12:06.34 the boy with the five loaves and two fish. 00:12:06.35\00:12:09.44 You know that boy came at all at lunch one day, 00:12:09.45\00:12:12.60 and as a result of given it away, 00:12:12.61\00:12:15.47 as a result of handing it to somebody else, 00:12:15.48\00:12:18.43 we could say in a sense he lost it 00:12:18.44\00:12:20.25 but once He give it away it returned to him 00:12:20.26\00:12:24.36 many full times. It seems like the farmer 00:12:24.37\00:12:28.14 for example only has what he gives away. 00:12:28.15\00:12:31.42 It is what you move away from yourself 00:12:31.43\00:12:33.93 is the irony and paradox of scripture. 00:12:33.94\00:12:36.38 So I've learnt not to cry, not to faint 00:12:36.39\00:12:39.85 when you lose things and you lose people 00:12:39.86\00:12:42.09 and thing comes out of your life. 00:12:42.10\00:12:43.37 If you are a boss, if you are managing 00:12:43.38\00:12:45.47 a place or whatever, don't worry about 00:12:45.48\00:12:47.59 when people leave you. The Bible says, 00:12:47.60\00:12:49.43 As I was with Joshua, Moses, 00:12:49.44\00:12:51.51 so shall I be with you. God has a way of 00:12:51.52\00:12:55.35 providing for you just providing in time 00:12:55.36\00:12:58.36 of need. So even when you look at other 00:12:58.37\00:13:02.54 situations for example; I am a trained 00:13:02.55\00:13:04.86 radiographer. I use to do x-rays and CT scans 00:13:04.87\00:13:09.00 and know let for my livelihood, 00:13:09.01\00:13:11.20 and do you know that a lot of people 00:13:11.87\00:13:13.74 who are my predecessors even though x-rays 00:13:13.75\00:13:16.51 are a wonderful discovery. It is 00:13:16.52\00:13:19.61 beautiful; it allows us to see inside the body, 00:13:19.62\00:13:22.01 to see inside the head, to see what is wrong 00:13:22.02\00:13:25.01 with people so we could provide diagnosis 00:13:25.02\00:13:27.75 so that they could be healed. 00:13:27.76\00:13:28.89 While we are providing a service that is healing 00:13:28.90\00:13:32.59 people, sometimes the radiation is giving 00:13:32.60\00:13:35.76 leukemia and several diseases and problems 00:13:35.77\00:13:39.16 to the person who is doing it. 00:13:39.17\00:13:40.85 So while I am losing my life, while I am given 00:13:40.86\00:13:44.72 away my life I am blessing a lot of 00:13:44.73\00:13:47.00 people. It seems like, there was a law 00:13:47.01\00:13:49.45 that is taking place that while I am giving, 00:13:49.46\00:13:52.02 while I am spending my life, 00:13:52.03\00:13:54.21 while I am even being hurt, 00:13:54.22\00:13:55.89 blessings are coming out of it. 00:13:56.50\00:13:58.32 It is true and people work in the lab 00:13:58.56\00:14:01.03 to provide medical diagnostic, 00:14:01.95\00:14:04.40 laboratory diagnostics to make sure that 00:14:04.41\00:14:06.97 your blood is alright, your blood cells and to 00:14:06.98\00:14:09.63 measure these things so that 00:14:09.64\00:14:10.74 the doctor could solve your problem. 00:14:10.75\00:14:12.32 Do you know that our studies have shown that 00:14:12.72\00:14:14.51 a lot of them suffer from breathing in some 00:14:14.52\00:14:17.38 chemistry into the lab; they suffer from that 00:14:17.39\00:14:20.69 right, that septum that separates the right 00:14:20.70\00:14:23.09 nostril from the left, sometimes it's away. 00:14:23.10\00:14:25.47 So while they are given away their life 00:14:25.89\00:14:28.33 they have been a blessing to millions 00:14:28.74\00:14:30.97 and thousands of people. 00:14:30.98\00:14:32.25 So that seems to be yes you lose but 00:14:32.67\00:14:35.19 things have been found and its irony of the word, 00:14:35.20\00:14:38.10 but you'll discover that this is a profound law 00:14:38.46\00:14:40.85 that even God uses. People who live in 00:14:40.86\00:14:44.81 cold countries for example; do you know 00:14:44.82\00:14:47.58 that when they provide coals for heating, 00:14:47.59\00:14:50.62 millions and millions of families 00:14:51.53\00:14:53.68 all over the world, houses are warmed up 00:14:53.69\00:14:57.58 because thousands of people are working 00:14:58.40\00:15:01.76 in coal mines in order for them to feel warm 00:15:01.77\00:15:04.66 but do you know people who work in coal mines 00:15:04.67\00:15:07.97 die prematurely from coal miners lungs. 00:15:08.83\00:15:11.68 They are given away their life, they are spending 00:15:12.37\00:15:15.56 their life for us to feel warm in the winter time. 00:15:15.57\00:15:20.35 They are giving, they are losing but we are gaining. 00:15:20.83\00:15:24.30 But more people are gaining from their loss, 00:15:24.72\00:15:27.45 and so their life, their lives are cut short as a 00:15:28.73\00:15:32.40 result of their sacrifice. Even people, who 00:15:32.41\00:15:38.84 blow glass in order for us to get light 00:15:38.85\00:15:42.13 to illuminate our room, illuminate our shops; 00:15:42.14\00:15:45.32 illuminate our place for us to be able to walk, 00:15:45.33\00:15:47.98 for us to be able drive. Those people who blow 00:15:47.99\00:15:50.36 the glass and work with glass and all these 00:15:50.37\00:15:53.52 things they also suffer lives are cut short 00:15:53.53\00:15:56.73 as a result of their profession, 00:15:57.14\00:15:58.90 while they are giving their lives, a lot of 00:15:59.27\00:16:01.98 people are bein blessed, lost and found. 00:16:01.99\00:16:05.44 What about the people that work with gold, 00:16:05.84\00:16:07.73 gold and silver and precious metal? 00:16:07.74\00:16:10.01 They also die prematurely because of breathing 00:16:10.49\00:16:13.84 in some of that thing into their lungs. 00:16:13.85\00:16:16.06 So you see that life hasn't giving 00:16:16.57\00:16:19.30 and receiving, sowing and reaping. 00:16:19.31\00:16:21.97 I am losing something yes, but then it is 00:16:21.98\00:16:25.05 being found somewhere else and where it is 00:16:25.06\00:16:27.01 found it is blessing. So when you search 00:16:27.02\00:16:29.39 you realize that this is a phenomenon. 00:16:29.40\00:16:33.03 In fact, when I go to Africa and these 00:16:33.47\00:16:36.04 countries sometimes I look for cheap materials 00:16:36.05\00:16:40.62 to buy but one day I realized that a lot of 00:16:40.63\00:16:45.23 people that worked with certain leash material 00:16:45.24\00:16:47.77 and certain material, they have to work that 00:16:47.78\00:16:50.72 cloth and work that material in a dark 00:16:50.73\00:16:54.67 place where the lights are dimmed 00:16:54.68\00:16:56.42 for very little money. So they are paid little 00:16:56.87\00:17:00.62 and they have to work in the dark in order 00:17:01.03\00:17:04.15 for me to come now and I ask for the cheapest 00:17:04.16\00:17:06.20 price to get this material but you know 00:17:06.21\00:17:07.52 what they suffer from? 00:17:07.53\00:17:08.50 Often times they go blind prematurely. 00:17:08.84\00:17:12.15 They go blind quickly as a result of us 00:17:12.83\00:17:16.03 wearing all nice clothes and moving around 00:17:16.44\00:17:18.74 and people adoring us and people are dying, 00:17:19.17\00:17:21.84 giving away their lives. So in this particular 00:17:23.17\00:17:26.49 text from which my assignment comes 00:17:26.50\00:17:29.29 the Bible says, in verse 24, chapter 12, 00:17:29.30\00:17:32.55 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of 00:17:32.94\00:17:38.32 wheat falls into the ground and die, 00:17:38.33\00:17:41.60 it abideth alone: but if it die, 00:17:42.14\00:17:45.02 it bringeth forth much fruit. 00:17:45.45\00:17:46.96 Jesus understands the principles, 00:17:47.40\00:17:50.31 the principle of giving, 00:17:50.32\00:17:51.96 the principle of letting it go. 00:17:51.97\00:17:54.03 Jesus says, except a corn of wheat goes into 00:17:54.38\00:17:58.25 the ground and dies, it abideth alone. 00:17:58.26\00:18:01.21 If you like the farmer, have your corn grains 00:18:02.22\00:18:05.47 and you eat all your corn grains, 00:18:06.12\00:18:08.70 you may have a meal for today. 00:18:09.07\00:18:11.07 But the farmer who gives away his grains 00:18:12.04\00:18:15.29 or throws it in the ground or sows it, 00:18:15.61\00:18:19.73 he gets a harvest. He has the principle, 00:18:20.09\00:18:22.53 you really have what you give away, 00:18:22.97\00:18:25.93 you really have what you've seen lost. 00:18:26.78\00:18:29.62 So for Christians and the economy of heaven 00:18:30.19\00:18:32.98 when we pay our tax, when we give our offering, 00:18:33.39\00:18:36.50 when we bless somebody, when we say a kind word 00:18:36.51\00:18:39.41 even though we have given something, 00:18:39.75\00:18:41.45 really we are sowing it 00:18:41.46\00:18:42.86 and it will return in our harvest. 00:18:43.17\00:18:44.89 So that is why it is so important to be like 00:18:45.55\00:18:48.77 Jesus and just be a giver, giver, giver 00:18:48.78\00:18:52.14 that is why you keep given you give your time, 00:18:52.51\00:18:54.68 you give you life and when you sow your time, 00:18:54.69\00:18:57.10 you sow your life, you give your all, your education 00:18:57.48\00:19:00.87 into the kingdom of God, God will bless you. 00:19:00.88\00:19:03.49 I have observed people they grown up, 00:19:03.88\00:19:06.51 was poor, God bless them, give them a good degree, 00:19:07.74\00:19:11.85 then they get a masters degree, you get a PhD 00:19:11.86\00:19:14.89 and suddenly you get to proud for God. 00:19:15.27\00:19:17.70 You can't serve in the kingdom ever more. 00:19:18.08\00:19:20.03 You are too bright to serve, you are too 00:19:20.04\00:19:22.31 brilliant but what they don't realize that is 00:19:22.32\00:19:25.34 when you give of your resources and 00:19:25.35\00:19:28.06 you give of what God has blessed you with. 00:19:28.07\00:19:30.36 He multiplies them except a corn of wheat 00:19:30.37\00:19:33.46 goes into the ground and dies. 00:19:33.86\00:19:35.94 Now when your grain goes into the ground 00:19:36.19\00:19:40.07 it is in darkness, it is obscured, 00:19:40.41\00:19:44.16 it seems like nothing is happening. 00:19:44.63\00:19:46.73 God often incubate greatness in darkness. 00:19:47.86\00:19:51.81 Moses was a palace somebody, God brought 00:19:53.14\00:19:56.97 him to a wilderness nobody in order to make 00:19:56.98\00:20:00.81 him a blessing to millions, here is the point. 00:20:00.82\00:20:03.29 God moving moved him from being a palace 00:20:03.64\00:20:06.86 somebody to a wilderness nobody 00:20:06.87\00:20:09.73 where he could learn to be great. 00:20:10.05\00:20:11.47 God moved David and put him on the back 00:20:11.85\00:20:14.36 side of a desert to train him to be a powerful king. 00:20:14.37\00:20:18.41 So often times God will incubate you in 00:20:19.07\00:20:21.59 the ground, so when you find that you are in 00:20:21.60\00:20:23.92 obscurity, you are serving without notoriety, 00:20:23.93\00:20:27.32 nobody notice you, nobody pays you any mind, 00:20:27.67\00:20:30.71 nobody is complimenting you that is okay 00:20:31.00\00:20:33.68 because God sometimes will cover you in 00:20:34.81\00:20:37.37 darkness in order to incubate you. 00:20:37.38\00:20:39.91 And this is a principle of scripture 00:20:42.49\00:20:44.75 you'll find it all over. You will be just obscure 00:20:44.76\00:20:47.89 and in fact, let me tell you what the Bible says, 00:20:47.90\00:20:49.56 the Bible says, and the evening and the morning 00:20:49.57\00:20:52.27 were the first day, and the evening and the morning 00:20:52.56\00:20:55.69 were the second day, and the evening and the 00:20:56.06\00:20:58.29 morning it seems like God begins in darkness. 00:20:58.30\00:21:01.32 He begins in the evening but the Bible says, 00:21:01.96\00:21:04.85 weeping mean joy through the night but joy 00:21:05.18\00:21:08.39 comes in the morning so even though you 00:21:08.40\00:21:10.65 are maybe in experiencing darkness, 00:21:10.66\00:21:13.44 lost, obscurity, don't worry God is not finished 00:21:13.79\00:21:17.77 with you because God ends an eternal day light. 00:21:17.78\00:21:21.26 So whatever situation you maybe in, 00:21:21.60\00:21:23.80 sacrificial situation, losing things, 00:21:24.16\00:21:27.19 don't worry about it. God is in-charge 00:21:27.20\00:21:30.35 and He is able to brew reward from it. 00:21:30.70\00:21:33.53 And so the text says, Verily, verily, 00:21:34.29\00:21:37.07 certainly, certain, truly, truly, I say unto you, 00:21:37.08\00:21:41.54 except a corn of wheat falls into the ground, 00:21:41.55\00:21:44.69 it abideth alone: but if it goes into the ground 00:21:45.06\00:21:48.22 then it bringeth forth much fruit. 00:21:48.23\00:21:49.99 Now listen to me Jesus wants to bring you 00:21:50.00\00:21:53.18 from no fruit to fruit to more fruit to much 00:21:53.19\00:21:57.72 fruit but during those periods of transition 00:21:57.73\00:22:01.32 you will go through losses. 00:22:01.73\00:22:03.22 Sometimes the prune the one which is Jesus, 00:22:03.23\00:22:07.04 He comes and He cuts things from you, 00:22:07.05\00:22:08.90 He cuts branches, He cuts off a job, 00:22:08.91\00:22:11.62 He cuts off somebody that was working with you 00:22:11.99\00:22:14.90 different things in order to prune you, 00:22:15.36\00:22:17.34 take your cutting, take your pruning because 00:22:18.12\00:22:21.18 you will discover it is your pruning and 00:22:21.19\00:22:23.95 your cutting and your trials. 00:22:23.96\00:22:26.41 It is the say of the shepherd that mix you 00:22:26.42\00:22:29.71 make better wool. It is when God lays 00:22:29.72\00:22:32.20 His hand on you and it look like you are 00:22:32.21\00:22:34.48 losing something you are really gaining. 00:22:34.49\00:22:36.36 In this particular chapter Jesus is about to die, 00:22:36.71\00:22:39.72 Jesus is about to give up His life, and in this 00:22:40.08\00:22:42.95 whole passage Jesus says that this is my best hour. 00:22:42.96\00:22:46.52 Now listen this is my best hour. 00:22:47.43\00:22:49.65 How come this could be Jesus' best hour, 00:22:49.99\00:22:53.04 in fact, Jesus healed the sick, He raised the dead, 00:22:53.41\00:22:57.37 He turned water into wine, 00:22:58.09\00:22:59.79 He unstopped the blinded eyes, 00:23:00.14\00:23:02.33 Jesus did all these things yet 00:23:03.12\00:23:05.54 He didn't say that this was His finest hour. 00:23:05.55\00:23:08.39 When He was about to die however, He says, 00:23:08.91\00:23:12.03 this is my best hour, He has the point. 00:23:12.04\00:23:14.14 Heaven defined success different to earth. 00:23:15.30\00:23:18.34 Earth definition of success is when probably 00:23:19.29\00:23:22.11 He changed the water into wine or you do some 00:23:22.12\00:23:24.56 great work and man will applaud you. 00:23:24.57\00:23:27.05 People will clap at you and show their 00:23:27.06\00:23:29.33 approbation but Jesus is definition of 00:23:29.34\00:23:32.63 success is when He was about to die, 00:23:32.64\00:23:35.97 when He was about to give up his life that is 00:23:36.13\00:23:39.26 the definition and I am saying to us that 00:23:39.27\00:23:42.12 we need to understand that we must take our 00:23:42.13\00:23:44.27 queue from heaven not earth. 00:23:44.28\00:23:46.57 And so when heaven looks down it maybe 00:23:46.97\00:23:49.28 looking at a successful man but when earth looks 00:23:49.29\00:23:52.67 it maybe saying that man is not successful. 00:23:53.46\00:23:55.51 Who do you want to please? If you please 00:23:55.96\00:23:57.99 heaven, be sure that your life will 00:23:58.00\00:24:00.51 multiply several full times. 00:24:00.52\00:24:02.83 And so even John the Baptist, John the Baptist 00:24:03.53\00:24:05.73 was considered that the greatest man that ever 00:24:05.74\00:24:08.09 lived but he ate honey, he dressed, 00:24:08.10\00:24:11.37 he didn't dress like everybody else, 00:24:11.38\00:24:12.95 he didn't matriculate from universities of his day, 00:24:13.30\00:24:15.72 yet he was called great because heaven 00:24:16.05\00:24:18.39 looks a greatness, the great sacrifice. 00:24:18.73\00:24:21.36 When you could give up your all for Jesus 00:24:21.96\00:24:24.05 and give Him all, He is able to multiply your life. 00:24:24.40\00:24:27.32 So in this particular case, the Bible says, 00:24:27.33\00:24:29.45 except a corn of wheat goes into the 00:24:29.46\00:24:32.22 ground and dies, it abideth alone. 00:24:32.23\00:24:35.78 But if it dies it bringeth forth much fruit. 00:24:36.41\00:24:40.69 So you know what, what Jesus did is that 00:24:41.46\00:24:45.15 He sowed his life, He gave his life, He went to 00:24:45.53\00:24:49.05 Calvary and He died, He died so that we can 00:24:49.06\00:24:53.00 have life, and when He went down into earth, 00:24:53.01\00:24:55.43 He was obscured for three days, but do you 00:24:56.42\00:24:58.97 know the story, on the third day an angel 00:24:58.98\00:25:01.38 came and said "Son Thy Father Calleth thee," 00:25:01.39\00:25:04.04 and Jesus raised up but hear this because 00:25:04.62\00:25:07.90 He is the living would and the Bible says 00:25:08.36\00:25:11.18 that the word of God can not return void, 00:25:11.19\00:25:14.09 it could never return void. 00:25:14.10\00:25:16.04 So when Jesus was raised up the Bible let's 00:25:16.38\00:25:20.33 us know when the living word came up, 00:25:20.34\00:25:22.51 a lot of people were resurrected with Him 00:25:22.89\00:25:25.23 because the word of God says that the word 00:25:25.56\00:25:28.31 can not return to heaven void and so when 00:25:28.32\00:25:31.13 Jesus who was sown in obscurity who was 00:25:31.14\00:25:34.34 sown into earth, who was like that corn, 00:25:34.35\00:25:37.05 who went at the bottom of the ground, 00:25:37.38\00:25:39.28 Jesus in other words went to hell in order 00:25:39.64\00:25:42.60 so that we could have life. So except this 00:25:42.61\00:25:45.31 corn of wheat goes into the ground which 00:25:45.32\00:25:48.18 represent Jesus and die it abideth alone. 00:25:48.19\00:25:51.30 But when Jesus die, when He came up from 00:25:51.87\00:25:54.92 the earth, many people came up with Him 00:25:54.93\00:25:57.25 but not only that since the death of Jesus 00:25:57.65\00:26:00.32 people like me and people 00:26:00.33\00:26:01.88 like you have found the hope, 00:26:01.89\00:26:03.65 have found salvation because of His sacrifice. 00:26:03.93\00:26:07.08 Jesus sacrifice all today so that we could 00:26:07.32\00:26:10.64 have life and have it more abundantly that 00:26:10.65\00:26:13.78 is so beautiful and so today millions all 00:26:13.79\00:26:17.18 over the world are enjoying this Gospel 00:26:17.19\00:26:19.83 and this message of the kingdom of God 00:26:19.84\00:26:22.10 because one man sowed a corn, 00:26:22.25\00:26:24.13 a corn which was Jesus. The law of harvest 00:26:24.37\00:26:28.46 states that you reap what you sow, 00:26:28.47\00:26:30.65 so Jesus sowed His life and thus will give 00:26:31.14\00:26:34.01 us His life back, so you will enjoy the life 00:26:34.02\00:26:37.50 of God himself. When we get to heaven the 00:26:37.51\00:26:40.52 life that we will have is the life of God. 00:26:40.53\00:26:43.44 We will be indeed exalted because of 00:26:43.79\00:26:46.67 Jesus sacrifice that is a place to see a man. 00:26:46.68\00:26:50.35 It's a powerful thing to know that He give 00:26:50.61\00:26:53.04 his life so that I could have life. 00:26:53.05\00:26:55.23 I found God that Jesus sowed His life for me 00:26:55.41\00:26:58.99 so that I could today could stand before 00:26:59.74\00:27:02.50 this vast audience and preach His gospel 00:27:02.51\00:27:04.66 because Jesus sowed His life for you, 00:27:05.14\00:27:07.06 He is expecting you to sow your life. 00:27:07.53\00:27:09.80 So even though you give your life into 00:27:10.26\00:27:12.34 ministry, give your life into 00:27:12.35\00:27:14.06 the kingdom, it may seem like you 00:27:14.07\00:27:16.01 are losing something but he say, he that 00:27:16.02\00:27:18.58 save his life, will lose it but he that loses his 00:27:18.59\00:27:21.96 life will save his. If you could give your 00:27:21.97\00:27:24.53 life, give your heart, give your energies, 00:27:24.54\00:27:27.93 give your money, give your means, give your 00:27:28.25\00:27:31.04 time, give, give, give whatever you give 00:27:31.05\00:27:34.85 into the kingdom of God, one day you will 00:27:35.08\00:27:37.61 realize even though you sowed one corn, 00:27:37.62\00:27:40.61 you don't get back one corn, you get 00:27:41.25\00:27:43.48 back millions of corn, you get back a harvest 00:27:43.49\00:27:46.42 because it's a law of harvest. 00:27:46.68\00:27:47.93 God is wonderful; He is in the growing business. 00:27:48.70\00:27:51.48 May God bless you and keep 00:27:51.57\00:27:53.04 you in Jesus name, Amen. 00:27:53.05\00:27:55.22