How many believe that today? How many believe that God kept you? I know you're a bad somebody, but you can keep yourself. Who got you up this morning? Who started you on your way? Who put food on your table? Who put running in your feet? God. Father, we come today to stand to declare your truth today. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer, in Jesus' name, amen. There's a word from the Lord today that comes from 2 Corinthians 9, Verses 6 and 7. 2 Corinthians 9, 6, and 7. I've spoiled you with the screen, but don't depend on the screen. Pastor might do it wrong or something. And you've got your Bible or your app available. Amen? Amen. There in 2 Corinthians 9, 6, and 7, it reads, remember this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. I want to talk this morning from the sermonic title, God and Money, Part One. God and Money, Part One. Some time ago, I came across my father's discharge records from the US Army. He served in World War II, and as I looked on his records, he had great anticipation about becoming a farmer. And so that's what he put on his papers, that even though he served in North Africa and Italy, back home in Live Oak, Florida, James Jim Tootin wanted to be a farmer. Certainly, he held down jobs that would bring in wages, but farming was his passion. And my siblings can attest to this, as I'm the youngest, that I would watch dad head to the fields on either side of our home, there was land, elbow room, and in the back. He would get that push plow. squeaking with the wheel and you would hear it had the blade at the bottom and he would go down each row turning over the soil. Hot and yet I could see him each step of the way so much so that he'd pull out a handkerchief and just wipe his brow. The sweat stained his cap he was wearing, but he was passionate about farming. And not long after, I would see dad go back down those same roads planting peas, corn, planting squash, okra, planting. And then he would go back and cover over what he had planted. There again, I'm just checking it out from kind of the side of the house, and if he needed me, I was available and I just watched. And because the Florida sun was so intense, there would be times when he would have to go and do what Mother Nature could not do, he would get a bucket. And see, walking in soil was, tedious. Here's a man who had been through a number of strokes in his life, one who had made the best he could, and he was just covering it up. And then there came a season, because he had sowed into the earth, that something would come up bit by bit. Some of y'all are green thumb in here, and you might have a backyard garden now. But I would watch as it would come up. And based on how much he had put in the ground was how much we had by way of greens. Some of y'all don't know about a mess of greens. And peas. And corn. And from farm to table, there was an abundance. Amen? Amen. And I remember some years later, because I so enjoyed sitting at the table, because dad could cook as well. But me and mom were riding through the neighborhood many years ago, and she said, I keep seeing these signs for organic food. What is that? I say it's what daddy grew. I've said all of that to say this, that in our life of faith, there is the importance of sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting. In our text today, Paul uses a farming illustration to make this point. And know that we're talking about money because there's no way you put that what do you mean money? Money takes up most of the about 2 000 times god talks about money and possessions And here's why psalm 24 and 1 says the earth is the lord and the fullness thereof And the world and those who live therein That I want to talk today about giving as an investment as a commitment and as enjoyment. Are you with me this morning? Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. Whoever sows generously will also reap generously. You invest because you want a return. You're not gonna put money in your 401 whatever and say well if anything happened it just happened you're looking for an increase Amen when you invest in the kingdom of God expect a spiritual harvest based on what you are sowing and Paul writes to the church at Corinth and says, now if you sow sparingly, that means you're sowing in small quantities. I just had to go to the dictionary. Generously means that you're ready to give more, but you reap, as Galatians 6 says, what you sow. Does this farming story make any sense? I'm not talking about corn. I'm not talking about beans. I'm talking about our sowing into the kingdom. See, God is a giver. John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have life everlasting. Amen? I used to give sparingly. Whatever was in my pocket for that day, in the side plate. Amen? I'm just giving a testimony. If I had a 20, it was a 20. If it was a 10, it was a 10. I grew up not learning how to tithe. That's next week's sermon. I just paid dues. But I learned over time that God was taking care of me irregardless of what I threw him on the side plate. I was just tipping him, really. Philippians 4 19 says but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus I'm talking about God and money Giving ought to be an investment, but also a commitment Verse seven, each of you shall give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. Paul say, no pressure. Paul said, I don't need your bank statement. Paul said, I'm not gonna twist your arm about what you ought to give. You decide in your heart what you want to give. Watch that heart thing. Proverbs 3 5 and 6 says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding and all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. It's a heart thing. Amen. And it says, not reluctantly, not unwillingly, not being hesitant, not under compulsion, not forced to give. Can I just put in my two cents? I've never forced anyone to give. I can count on one hand how many times I've preached about money. Add one more finger to it. My heart had to be examined. It just didn't make a lot of, not a sense. Couldn't really get it. But as I grew in my faith, I got it out of my head, in the words of the late Deacon Percy Porter, and it came to my heart. That if it's my decision to give, that what I decide in my heart, Not that thing that goes like this, but the emotional you, the you deep down inside, the you, the Savior, the sanctified Holy Ghost you, amen, is that you have this thing in your mind and it's not adding up, but when you trust God in your giving, will he not take care of you? Amen? Luke 6 38 says give and you will receive your gift will return to you in full press down shaken together to make room for more we'd like more running over and poured into your lap the amount you give will determine the amount you get back the text speaks for itself that you're giving ought to be a commitment Between me and God, absolutely right. So what is God telling you to do in your heart? Amen? An investment, a commitment, and then there's got to be some enjoyment. Each of you shall give what you've decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver. God loves a hilarious ha-ha-ha giver, that when you give, you're not to be, mm, but you ought to be saying, ha-ha, I'm giving in the name of Jesus, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, amen? The text says that God loves a cheerful giver. Oh come on y'all, not with me today. Any cheerful folk in the house today? Ha ha ha ha ha! I just gave! Ha ha ha! I'm hilarious because the tick says that! Oh hallelujah! Psalm 34, 37 where the four and five says, delight yourself also in the Lord. and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. Theologian philosopher St. Augustine said, where your pleasure is, there is your treasure. Where your treasure is, there is your heart. It is again. Where your heart is, there is your happiness. Tony Evans said, giving should be a joy. and not a job. God and money. Stories told of a young girl whose mother gave her a quarter and a dollar. I'm teaching you how to have this responsibility of giving. Girl says, got it, Mom. She went to church with a dollar and a quarter. And when they left church, Mom said, well, how did it go? What did you give? She said, I gave a quarter. See that? Say the preacher said, God loves a cheerful giver. And she found her cheer in the quarter. Did y'all miss that? That you have a choice today in this sense of giving. But can I tell you, you can't beat God giving No matter how hard you try, the more you give, the more he'll give to you. Keep on giving. Won't he do it today? Man, I didn't realize that thing. I had some kids in college. I was like, God, I ain't give. Now, you know what? Give. I don't give. But I had to look at my heart. And when I did that, don't you know he'll make a way out of no way? My God, you still got a piece of bread on the table. My God, your car's still running. God will do things as you invest and commitment and do it with a joy for heart. Deuteronomy 8.18 says, God gives power for you to get wealth. Psalms 50 and 10, every animal is mine, even the cattle on 10,000 hills. John 10 and 10, the thief will come to kill and steal and destroy, but I've come that you might have life and might have it more abundant. I know it's tight. But it's right. I know it's rough and tough, but you have to trust God the same way you trust Him to heal you. The same way you trust Him to provide for you. He can provide for you. Thank you, Daddy! Wow! Anybody ever had a wow moment with God? Where God just supplied all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. But I don't want you to get hung up on money. See, he talked about money. Preachers talking about, no I want, it says God and money. And the God I serve will take care of me. The God I serve gives me life and life more abundantly. The God I serve gives me peace. And the God I serve gives me joy. And the God I serve gives me understanding. And the God I serve gives me patience. What about your God today? Not your money, but your God. Not your dollar, but your God. What does your God do? Hallelujah. Amen? God and Y'all look at what? No funny games here. He will take care of you. Next week, the tithe and the offering. Will a man rob God? It's a stick up. Till God be the rule. Come on, stand today. Give God the praise. and over again. It didn't make a lot of sense to me at the beginning. A friend of mine told me recently, I just got this story. I don't want to put it on nobody. Somebody said, you know what? I ain't giving to that church. Then he went gambling. I ain't giving no church, what was the number tonight? I ain't giving to the church, it's your money. But everything we have, God has given to us. And there's the law of harvesting. Father, we come in the name of Jesus and we thank you. that we have decided to follow you. On those moments when the check was tight, bills overdue, enemy told me, oh, see, did you not come through for me? Not with more money, but with more joy and peace, we thank you today, God, for the example Paul uses. Paul, a tent maker slash preacher man, had observed enough in the community in first century Israel to know that God would provide. Father, I thank you now for your word today and you provided a path for salvation. Somebody may have come today and they've never opened their heart to you. You're giving them an opportunity to open their hearts to you. The Bible says, thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead. The Bible says, thou shalt be saved. Save someone today. You are a giver. You gave all for us. If you're here today, make that confession of faith. We thank you. We bless you in Jesus' name. Amen. Come on, let's give God a praise today. Amen. You may take your seats for a brief moment.