Philippians chapter number four. Philippians chapter number four. Where is the young man that writes the poems? Where's the young man that writes the book? This young man back here, he gave me a poem tonight. And I love songwriting. I love poems. I have ever since I was just a little boy. And when I was a little boy, I remember my mama, she had a big thick book and it was entitled America's Best Loved Poems. And when I was a little boy I would read poems and I just really got into poems and I loved the poem this young man wrote and I'm going to take it and we're going to hopefully use it in some way at Macedonia. But it reminded me of a little poem that I share with all of our missionaries as we close out deputation assistance or orientation. We have a big orientation every year. I think this past year we had about 30 families at orientation. It's about five nights. And usually on the last night I really preach and encourage them to keep on going, to not give up. And during the course of that message of encouraging them to keep on going and not giving up, I share a poem with them. And I don't know if I can remember the whole thing. I'm going to give it a shot. But I just wanted to share it with you. It's a very spiritual poem. And you're gonna be amazed at how spiritual it is, but I trust God will use it to encourage Central Baptist Church just to keep going. Preacher, it was in that America's Best Loved Poems book that I read when I was just a little boy, and I've never forgotten it after all these years until probably right now. So we'll see how it goes, all right? I told you it was real spiritual now, you ready? Two frogs fell into it. We are on the air at the radio station, aren't we? You are listening to 107.1, 91.5 WTYG, the very best in Christian radio and programming. Two frogs fell into a can of cream, or so I've heard it told. The sides of the can were shiny and steep. The cream was deep and cold. Oh, what's the use croaked number one? Tis fate, no helps around. Goodbye my friends, goodbye sad world. And weeping, the first frog drowned. But number two of sterner stuff, Dog Paddle, didn't surprise. The while he wiped his creamy face and dried his creamy eyes. I'll swim a while, he croaked, or at least I heard, he said. It really would not help the world if one more frog was dead. So he swam and kicked and swam and kicked. Not once did he ever stop to utter. But he swam and kicked and swam and kicked. and hopped out because the cream had turned to butter. Can I encourage Central Baptist Church, thank God for what you have done for world evangelism. But in the days to come, just keep kicking. We are too near home now to back up to compromise, to fall short or fail. By the good grace of God, let's go on for the cause of Christ. Now, with those truths in mind, I told you that was real spiritual. I mean, you'll probably have folks calling in wanting a copy of that poem on the radio now. Turn in your Bible one last time, if you would please, to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4, and in just a very few moments, I'm going to read just two verses of Scripture tonight, beginning with verse number 18. What is a missions-minded church? Again, some folks prefer the term missions-hearted, alright. Let's use that phrase, shall we? Let's use that term. What is a missions-hearted church? Well, I think you'll discover again just by way of review tonight that the church that Paul is writing to here in the book of Philippians was just such a church. The church of Philippi was one of those Macedonian churches that I preached about this past Friday evening that gave in spite of deep poverty as well as great affliction. Do you remember the profile of such a church? This morning, while zeroing in on verses 10 through 17 of Philippians chapter 4, we took a few moments that we may consider the profile of a missions-minded church. What was it about this local church that set it apart from all others of Paul's day? Well, number one, they cared for others. According to verses 10 through 13 of Philippians chapter 4, they not only cared for the servant of God trying to reach sinners for God, they not only cared for the missionary, but they also cared for sinners that stood in need of a Savior. And so therefore, as we consider the profile of a missions-minded church, we discover by reading Paul's letter to his friends at Philippi, a missions-minded, a missions-hearted church cares for others. Then we moved on to verses 14 and 15 and 16. And in verses 14 through 16 of this, the fourth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Philippian believers, we discovered that a missions-minded church is committed to the work of God. A missions-minded church is not only committed in their communication, according to verses 14 and 15, but a missions-minded church is committed in their consistency, as Paul declared in verse number 16 that the church had sent once and again unto Paul's necessity. And so a missions-minded church is committed to the work of God, to the partnership that they had formed as God led them with the missionaries that they were partnering with. And then if you'll look in verses 16 and 17, a missions-minded church is a church that is credited with fruit that abounds to its account. Paul said in verse number 16, for even in Thessalonica, you'll sin once and again unto my necessity, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. And so every soul Paul won to Christ, the church of Philippi won to Christ. As they gave willfully, faithfully, consistently, systematically to Paul's church planning ministry, God rewarded their giving by crediting them with fruit that abounded to their account. Hear me tonight. Only eternity will reveal the worth of the Church of Philippi's partnership with the Apostle Paul. And only eternity will reveal the true worth of Central Baptist Church's partnership with your now over 140 missionary families literally around the world. Therefore, since the church cared for others because they were committed to the work of God, they were ultimately credited with fruit that abounded to their account. Therefore, the church of Philippi could be considered to be a great missions-minded church. In verses 10 through 17, we took the time to consider the profile. But tonight, we're moving on. We're going to zero in for a very few moments tonight on verses 18 and 19. And by zeroing in on these two short verses of scripture, I'm going to take my Bible tonight on this final night of your missions conference and show you the promise to a missions-minded church. If you're able, would you please stand as we read the Bible together. Philippians chapter four and verse number 18. Paul writes, but I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now, we're going to be using our Bibles tonight. I trust you'll leave them handy throughout the course of the message. Let's bow our heads, shall we, for a moment of prayer. Father, thank You for Your inspired and errant, infallible Word. Father, I pray that we would not only hear what you say tonight, but I pray that we would heed it. I pray that we would apply it to our lives, that we may be more like Thee. My Father, this is the last night, at least of my part, of this Missions Conference. And I want to finish well. And I want to challenge these people, more so tonight, to take you at your word than any other night. So help me. I'm nothing without you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Thank you for standing. You can be seated. This morning I preached out of verses 10 through 17 of this chapter on the thought, the profile of a missions-minded church. Tonight, we've moved on to verses 18 and 19 of Philippians chapter 4, and I'm preaching on the thought, the promise, to a missions-minded church. Our key text, again, is taken from verse number 19 of Philippians chapter 4, where the apostle Paul, as he was led of the Holy Ghost of God to do so, writes, but my God shall Supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now, I'll tell you what I felt impressed of the Lord to do tonight. I want to back up and read that single verse of Scripture again and encourage you, if you would please, to read the verse audibly with me. Can we read the text together? Let's read together. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now as we begin to dig into the wonderful truths of this single verse of Scripture, let me call your attention, if I may, to the fact that the verse actually begins with a conjunction. And therefore, we know that the truths contained in this single verse of Scripture ultimately hinges upon the truths presented in the preceding verses of the chapter. The verses, mind you, that we took the time to study in depth during the morning service. That is to say that God, here in the two verses of Scripture that He's led us to tonight, is saying to the missions-minded church of Philippi, through the pen of the Apostle Paul, since you are a church that cares for others, Since you are a church that is committed to the work of God. Since you are a church that is credited with fruit that abounds to your account. Because of all of those things, I'm getting ready to make you a promise. And brother, what a promise it is. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now let me hasten to remind you to whom and to what kind of church God is making this promise. Can I remind you of the context of the Apostle Paul's writing this letter to begin with? Remember, we studied about it this morning. The book of Philippians is a thank you letter. Paul is writing the local church at Philippi to thank them for ministering unto his needs while he had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel. Let me remind you this evening, ladies and gentlemen, this local church had been faithful to stand by Paul's side when all other churches, according to the text, had failed to do so. They had given, according to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, to their power and beyond their power, so that others could hear the gospel of Christ. This church had been faithful to Paul. They had encouraged Paul. They had enabled Paul to continue to do what God had called Paul to do. And so Paul is writing this letter to say, thank you. Thank you for your gift. Thank you for your giving. And as he begins to thank the church of Philippi for their giving, he begins to reveal some very sobering truths about their giving. For instance, look in verse number 15. Paul said in verse 15, now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only. The church of Philippi had given to Paul's missions ministry so that others could hear the gospel. Notice what he said in verse number 10 about the church of Philippi's giving. In verse number 10 Paul compares their giving to that of a blossoming flower. He said in the first portion of verse 10, but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at the last, watch your Bible now, your care of me hath what? Flourished again. That word flourished is a word that Paul uses to picture a flower coming back to life after a cold hard winter. So Paul compares the church's giving to that of a blossoming flower. Look at verse 17. In verse 17, Paul compares the church's giving to that of making an investment. He says in verse 17, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. And so Paul looked at the church's giving as an investment that would earn them spiritual dividends in the days to come. And therefore Paul compared the church's giving to that of making an investment advantageous to their own accounts. Then, look at verse 18. In verse number 18 of the chapter, Paul compares the church's giving to that of a great sacrifice. Paul wrote in verse 18, but I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. And of course, verse 18 bears the language of the Old Testament temple when sacrifices were offered under the direction of the law. Just as those sacrifices were well-pleasing to God, Paul makes it abundantly clear to his friends at Philippi in verse 18 that their sacrificial giving was well-pleasing unto the Lord as well. Therefore, it is to this missions-giving church, it is to this missions-hearted church, it is to this church that is giving in spite of great affliction, as well as deep poverty, that God makes a solemn promise, and that promise is revealed in verse number 19. Now, this is my last night, so I'm going to preach real, real plain. Are you ready for me to preach real plain tonight? Philippians 4.19 isn't a promise made to the entire world. It isn't. In fact, I'm getting ready to preach even plainer. Are you ready? Philippians 4.19 isn't a promise made to the entire family of God. Philippians 4.19 isn't a promise for the stingy. Philippians 4.19 isn't a promise for the selfish or for the self-centered. Philippians 4.19 is a promise that God made to a church that saw the need to give sacrificially. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a promise made to those who are involved in meeting the needs of others. Those who are involved in a purpose that is far bigger than themselves. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is reaching others with the gospel and being a help to those who are doing the same. I'm going to preach even plainer. If you are not a tither, Philippians 4.19 is off-limits to you. You cannot claim Philippians 4.19 if you are not a tither. In fact, I find no place in my Bible where God has obligated Himself to meet the needs of a God-robber, or a selfish individual, or a stingy individual, or a self-centered individual who has no concern for the work of God, no concern for the local church, much less reaching others with the gospel. Philippians 4.19 is a promise that was made to the church of Philippi, a great missions-minded, missions-hearted church whose membership had a vision of not only supporting their local assembly with their own tithes and offerings, but reaching far beyond it by giving by faith sacrificially through faith-promised missions giving that the world might hear the same gospel that change their lives. Now, there are just a few things about that promise I want to call your attention to before we dismiss tonight. First of all, I want you to notice the source of God's supply. The source of God's supply can be seen in the first three words of this single verse of Scripture. But my God. Can you back up with me and say those three words along with me simultaneously? Let's say them together. But my God. Hear me tonight, Central Baptist Church. God is the source of supply for the church that gives sacrificially. Not the bank, but ultimately God. Not the stock market, not the lender, not the multi-millionaire. And I understand tonight that God can work through and use all of those things, but I want you to know ultimately when the rubber hits the road, the source of God's supply is God Himself. And I'm so thrilled about that tonight because if the source of supply for Central Baptist Church was myself or yourself, then sooner or later, the source of supply would run out. Our funds, sooner or later, I don't care how rich we are, they would run out. But brother, when the Bible says, but my God, you're talking about a fountain that'll never run dry. You're talking about a foundation that'll never run down. You're talking about a friend that'll never run off. But my God, I shall never forget when I pastored my second church, the Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville, North Carolina. When I got there, we had about 30, 35 people. I was the first full-time pastor that the church had ever had. And it was my goal at that church just to introduce them to missionaries. They supported a few missionaries out of the general fund, and so I called my predecessor, Dr. Thurman Wade, and I said, Dr. Wade, would you come to Calvary Baptist Church in Statesville, North Carolina, and would you just preach missions? I want to have a Sunday through Wednesday meeting and preacher, the first year, I don't even want you to say anything about faith promise. I just want you to preach about missions and the need to reach the world with the gospel. Dr. Wade graciously consented to come and he came and he preached all day long on Sunday and boy, the services were great. He preached Monday night and the services were just out the top. Tuesday night, Dr. Wade finished preaching And at the end of the service, there was a young man in the back of the church, one of the single men of the church, and he slipped his hand up. I was getting ready to dismiss in prayer. And I said, yes, Brother Ronnie, that was his name. I said, yes, Brother Ronnie, you have something you need to say tonight. And he began to cry as he began to speak. And this is what he said. He said, Preacher, would you think it would be okay If I gave $25 a month over and above my regular tithes and offerings so we can help support missionaries. And when he sat down, another man stood up. And when that man sat down, another man stood up. And when that man sat down, another man stood up. Do you realize God initiated faith promise at Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville, North Carolina. That year alone, we started supporting 13 more missionaries by faith. Well, the next year, Dr. Bloom, we went full-blown faith promise. I mean, just like you, I was tearing out faith promise cards. Not as eloquent as your pastor, of course, but I was holding the faith promise cards up. I had taught them about faith promise giving. I had preached 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9. I had challenged them to give by faith. That year, we literally took on 20 to 25 more missionaries by faith. The next year we did it again. We did the same thing again. We took on 20 to 25 more missionaries by faith. Dr. Bloom, I remember calling the home office of Macedonia World Baptist Missions, and this is what I told them. I said, Brother Hamby, I want you to send me, I want you to set sit down at your desk and get me 15 missionaries that need support. I'll take your word for it. You send me the names, send me their phone numbers and we'll take them on for support. We were looking for missionaries to support because God was sending in more money than we had missionaries to give it to. I shall never forget. Believe me, I shall never forget. One of them charter members, that been there since Noah, had cut down the first tree to make the ark, come up to me and I will never forget it. And I was just a young whipper snapper preacher just really getting started then. And he said, now preacher, and he did just like that. Now listen, you can talk to me and I'll be civil to you, but don't go like that to me. after the service brother Gilball to be down here going, don't go like that to me, don't go, especially don't don't let your finger rub against the side of my nose. He said, now preacher, he said, you're talking about building another church, aren't you? And I said, yes, sir, Brother William, yeah. I said, man alive, we started out with 30 people. Look around, there's 100 coming now. People come in the parking lot on Sunday, they don't have a place to park and they leave. We need to build another church, Brother William. He said, how much you think that'll cost? I said, well, I don't know. We're gonna put money back, we're gonna save money. I'd say we'd have to borrow a little bit. He said, how much you think you're gonna have to borrow? I said, I don't know, I just threw a number out. Maybe a quarter of a million. Now that may not be a lot to you, but on the back roads of Statesville, North Carolina, at a church, they ain't ever borrowed no money. They paid for everything as they went, and that's fine. But we didn't have a quarter of a million dollars laying around. So you know what we did? We saved as much money as we could and we went and borrowed a quarter of a million dollars. And that old fella came back to me and he said, I'm telling you exactly what he said. He said, you're gonna pay for that building, you better go easy on that missions given. That's what he said. Right there. He said, you better go easy on that missions given. You know what we did? We went right on just like he'd never said it. You know what we did while we built that building? We never took one missionary off the field. We never stopped supporting missionaries. Listen, I'm just going to be as honest with you as I know how to be and the Lord God of heaven knows I'm telling you the truth. I'd rather meet in a cardboard box and send money to missions around the world than to have the Taj Mahal to meet in. So I told him, I said, I'll tell you what we're going to do, brother. We're going to keep on sending the gospel around the world. I don't care. It don't make no difference. If we have to meet out in a cow pasture and step around cow paddies, we're going to keep sending that money to missions around the world, but I'll never forget it. You better go easy on that missions giving. You know what? We didn't go easy on that missions giving. It increased every year. You know what we did? We borrowed a quarter of a million dollars, and in three years time, that little old handful of believers on the back roads of Statesville, North Carolina, burnt a note on that building, and we did it while giving $125,000 or $30,000 a year so that others could hear the gospel. I stayed there seven years. After those seven years, the fellow who followed me, Dr. Chris Hazlip, one of my dearest friends in the world, they're one of our biggest supporters this very day, he called me up one day and he said, Preacher, he said, when God called me to Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville, North Carolina, I wasn't afraid of the preaching. He said, I can handle the preaching. I've been preaching a long, long time. I wasn't afraid of the visiting and the ministries of the church. I've done that a long, long time. I've pastored. I've been in evangelism. There was one thing that scared me to death. He says, that's faith promise business. He said, preacher, I'm just going to be honest with you. I've never done faith promise in my life. I've never heard a message about faith promise. And this is what Brother Hazlip said. He said, Preacher, would you help me with it? I said, I'll tell you what I'll do, Brother Hazlip. You coming through Atlanta anytime soon? He said, yeah, I'll be there next week preaching a meeting. I said, meet me at the Macedonia home office in Brazelton. And he did. He walked through the door, and I took him in a back room, and I opened my Bible to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, and for about a half a day, I showed Brother Chris Hazlip, the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, why the faith promised missions giving plan was a biblically based plan that God has ordained for his local church to reach the world with the gospel. You know what? He got a hold of it. He did more than just get a hold of it. He got excited about it. You know what he did? He went back to Calvary and he got up preaching one day and said, I'd rather meet in a cardboard box. So you know what they started doing? They started giving even more. Now, I've been gone from there. Let's see, y'all help me with the math here. Brother Wes, you're good at that. I pastored Canaan Baptist Church for 12 years in Covington, Georgia. And then I've been with Macedonia now for 5 years. That's 17 years. So I've been gone. I did pretty good myself right there. I'm impressed by that. So for 17 years I've been gone from Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville. Did you know when I left the church, the church didn't back up one penny in their missions giving? In fact, they have exceeded it every single year. They are now giving between $175,000 to $200,000 a year so that others could hear the gospel. Now, I want to encourage you to go back for 17 years and figure the average. Let's just figure $150,000 a year. Brother Wes, you're pretty good at this. $150,000 times 17. I see you're not as good as I thought you were at it. You figure it out. You've got to understand Calvary Baptist Church is a little old church that sits across the railroad tracks in Statesville, North Carolina. If the train is running, nobody goes in and out of the White Smill Road. I mean, it's on the back side. Listen, when I put a church sign in the front yard of the church, I only had to pay for one side of it because nobody went down the other side. It was a dead-end road. So I got a sign, half price. Nobody goes, you have to be wanting to go to Calvary Baptist Church if you're going to go to Calvary Baptist Church or White Smule Road. But yet God took a little old handful of believers and they have given how much, Brother Wes? 2.3 million dollars in 17 years so that others could hear the gospel. Now, that's not the whole story. They did that. They outgrew the auditorium that I built when I was there. They outgrew that. They built a brand new facility. And they paid it off while giving 17 million. How much millions of dollars? 2.3. You have got me so confused, I don't even know what it is. They gave a lot of money, Dr. Bloom, a whole pile of money, and they did it, and they don't owe a dime. In fact, they bought more property because now they've outgrown the building where they are now. What are you saying, preacher? But my God, The source of God's supply, brother Benji. But my God. Would you say it one more time with me? Let's say it together. But my God. Number two. The surety of God's supply. What does your Bible say? But my God. Somebody say that next word for me. Shall. Not might. Not maybe. Not hope so, think so, maybe so, oh no! But my God shall. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 20 says, For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him a man, unto the glory of God by us. The 78th Psalm, verse number 19 says, Yea, they speak against God, and they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? And as my hero of faith one time said, Dr. Harold B. Seitler, we can take those words, can God And we can turn them around because of this precious promise and say, God can. The surety of God's supply. Notice the scope of God's supply. What shall God supply according to this great promise? What is the scope of God's supply? Well, to the church that is involved in reaching others with the gospel. to the church that is involved in making a difference in others' lives, to the church who cares for the missionary trying to reach sinners for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ, God has promised not to supply a portion of all of our need, not a tenth, not a half, not 75% of all of our need. No, God has promised to supply all of our all of our need, the scope of God's supply. And finally, you see the substance of God's supply. Do you see the substance of God's supply in this single verse of Scripture? But my God shall supply all your need. Here's the substance. Watch it. According to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. As we consider the substance of God's supply, we see two things right here in our Bibles tonight. First of all, we see the means that God will use to bring His supply to pass. He supplies our needs, missions-minded church, according to His glory. According to His riches in glory. Not my riches. Not your riches. Our riches are limited. But God's riches are not limited. The means that God will use, the master that God will use to bring His supply to pass, God supplies our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the substance of God's supply. True story. When I first became the pastor of Canaan Baptist Church of Covington, Georgia, I knew when I went there, having left the Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville after seven years, I knew when I went there that I would probably have to get a job and work at least part-time because the church had just gone through a terrible split. In fact, they had more than a split. Three quarters of the congregation went five miles down the road and started another church. So when I went to the church, they had just built a brand new auditorium. I mean, just just a few years previous before I got there, brand new auditorium. It was absolutely beautiful, but they were almost $400,000 in debt. And they had lost so many giving units, as the bankers call them, they had lost so many people that they had got down to $4,000 in the bank. And so the day that I became the pastor, 4,000 in the bank, 400,000 in debt. Someway, somehow, God would meet the need every week just so we could keep the lights on and keep the ministry moving forward. But it was so tight. Listen, we could hardly breathe. The financial pressure was so great. I remember I would go to bed at night and I would think to myself, how in the world, what in the world are we gonna do? God, you're gonna have to help us, please help us, Lord. I'll never forget, not long after that. It was the first year that I was there, the early 2000s, that I met with the men of the church. We only had, I think, three deacons at that time, and I had met with them, and we all agreed just to include all of the men of the church, and I got all the men of the church together, Dr. Bloom, and I said, fellas, we gotta do something about the finances of the church. I said, we just barely have enough money coming in to pay our bills and to pay the mortgage on the building here. And so I told the fellows, I said, if it's okay with you guys and I'd like for you to talk to me, tell me your heart. I just feel impressed with the Lord. Maybe if we could refinance these buildings, maybe we could lower the payments. And after all, the church had about 18 acres of land. I think it was about that 13, between 13 and 18 acres of land. I can't remember right now. And I said, I think we're a good candidate to refinance these buildings and the property. I think we could do that. And it would lower the payment. We all agreed. We was all in one accord about that. And so the next day I called a major bank in Atlanta. And not long after that they sent a representative out and they met me at the church. I had one of my deacons there and I had the treasurer of the church. And his primary purpose was to walk the grounds, see the property, and to look at our financial records. And so he walked the grounds. He said, wow, you got all this land? The church owns all this land? I said, yes, sir. Prime property, beautiful property. I was trying to play it up, you know, real, I mean, it's worth a whole lot of money. Don't you think? And so after he walked the property, he came into my office and he sat down at my desk and he said, he said, while looking through your giving records, the financial records of the church, he said, Pastor Carl, he said, I noticed that the offerings are way down. I said, yeah, yeah. We took a hit about a year ago before I came. They didn't all leave because I was coming, but they left, you know, and took their money with them. after they voted to put the church in all this debt they left. And he turned to me and this is what he said, Brother Gilbald, I shall never forget it. He said, Pastor Carl, what is your plan to turn this church around financially? That's what he said. And I just got a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't going to give us the loan. So I said, Philippians 4.19. says, but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now let's consider to whom God made that promise to. God made that promise to a church that was involved in sending the gospel around the world. Sir, I'll tell you my plan. My plan is to lead this church into giving by faith so that others could hear the gospel. My plan is to take on missionaries, to support them on a monthly basis. My plan is to help missionaries plant churches around the world. My plan is to buy Bibles. My plan is to print gospel tracts. My plan... And he stopped me and he said, now what about Pastor Caudill? He said, now correct me if I'm wrong. If this church follows your plan, they'll be sending money out. And I said, that's it. That's the plan. And I'll never forget what he did. He took his little black folder and he shut it and he laughed at us. And he walked out the door and he never came back. Needless to say, we didn't get that long. The treasurer of the church said, what are we going to do now? I said, I don't know. I said, I'll go to a little bank right there in the square of Covington and I'll ask that fella. Little did I know one of the men of the church knew that man personally. And he called him and he told him that I would be coming. And he didn't tell him to tell me, but he told the president of the bank, give him whatever he wants. He was a builder in our church. And so I went in his office, and I said, sir, you don't know me, but my name is Scott Caudill, and I'm the new pastor of Canaan Baptist Church of Covington, Georgia, and we really need to finance our buildings and our property again. I'm just gonna be honest with you, sir, we don't have enough offerings coming in. I'm losing a lot of sleep at night. Could you please help us? Could you please help us? And he said, absolutely. And I said, oh sir, please don't turn us down. Could you please? He said, absolutely. I said, what? He said, absolutely. He gave us the loan and we refinanced the buildings and the property. And that gave us a great relief of monthly pressure. And I'm so thankful for that. Well, not long after that, Dr. Thurman Wade came by on a Sunday night And he was preaching. And throughout the course of his message, he made this statement. Here at My Son of the World Baptist Missions, we're in the process of raising finances to build a new missionary training center. And when he said that, I thought, well, praise God. Hallelujah. I'm trying to pay for the buildings I got here, Dr. Wade. I'd like to raise enough money to pay for the buildings we got. And Dr. Wade said, if we had 125 churches give $1,000, we could finish paying for it. And I said, ooh, praise God, that's good. And God said, hey, what about you? And I said, you ain't talking to me, Lord. Because you know better than I do, we only got $4,000 period. So what you're asking me to do, Lord, is lead this church who, by the way, have barely got to know my own name. You're asking me to lead this church into giving away a fourth of everything it has. Is that right? And you know what the Lord said? Open your Bible to Philippians 4.19. By the time God got through with me on the front row of the church that night, I was broken. You see, it's one thing to preach it. It's another thing to live it. And so I walked behind the platform. I walked behind the pulpit that night. And when I stood there, I began to shake and I began to cry. And this is what I said. I said, Church, I know that many of you have just got to where you know my name. And I've not been here long enough to earn many of you your respect. And I wouldn't blame you if you voted against what I'm getting ready to propose. But I'm telling you, While I was sitting on the front row of the church tonight, God burdened my heart for Canaan Baptist Church to be one of those 125 churches that gives $1,000. I said, now, before you go bonkers, I know we don't have the $4,000. I know that. But can we just take a step of faith here? And would you vote with me as a church family to give a fourth of everything we have to World Evangelism? One man said, before I'd even finished the sentence, I make a motion! Second! Man, we voted it in. If there's against it, they didn't have time to vote against it. It was a done deal! And that night, our treasurer wrote a check for a fourth of everything we had in the bank and gave it to World Evangelism. Now, I don't have time to take you through the next 12 years, but let me take you now to the last Sunday that Cassie and I was there as pastor. Not only did God pay that $400,000 debt off, Not only did He allow us the privilege of going through every building on that property and refurbishing it and paying cash for it. Not only did we go from two buses to three buses to four buses to five buses every single week. Not only did we do $200,000 worth of renovation on the parking lot. That was a hard bill to pay. Not only did we do all those things, but we did it while supporting a hundred, a hundred and twenty-five, a hundred and thirty, a hundred and fifty, a hundred and seventy, a hundred and eighty-four missionaries on a monthly basis every single month. Our highest year was $199,000 to World Evangelism. I guess on average for those 12 years we gave between $150,000 to $190,000 so that others could hear the gospel. And here's the kicker. When Brother Ingram became the pastor of the church, there was a quarter of a million dollars waiting on him when he got there in a building account. So don't come to me after the service and tell me that what I preach tonight isn't right. I know it is right. But my God shall..." I want to tell you something. You better think twice before you go to Dr. Bloom and say, preacher, you better go easy on that missions given. Ooh, I'd hate to have it on my record that I told my preacher that. In light of what you've heard preached tonight, but my God. That's God's promise. to a church just like Central Baptist Church. You've listened so well. Would you bow your head with me tonight? Father, in Jesus' name, I pray You'd take the Word of God and I do pray You would challenge us. Lord, we need to be challenged tonight so that others could hear the gospel. But Lord, we need more than that. And therefore, I pray, would you change us? Lord, I have no doubt the enemy has tried to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of these precious people. Maybe, Lord, you have burdened the hearts of some of these people to take a greater step of faith this year in missions giving than they have ever taken before. Father, would you bring this verse to their memory? When the enemy tries to say, you can't do that, What? There's no way you can give that to world evangelism. May these words come to their mind. But my God shall. Father, You know my heart. I want to lead my family into giving in such a way that there would never be a time in my life that I could not claim the promise you made to the church at Philippi. Please help us tonight, and may we never forget the promise. In Jesus' name.