Tommy Barnett Giving Messages

I want you to turn with me to Luke, chapter 12, I’m not going to preach this morning but I’m going to give a little mini sermon. You knew you couldn’t get by since these are the preachers this morning. I want to give you a little mini sermon, it’s found in Luke chapter 12 and verse 29. This is my life’s scripture.Everybody knows this is my life favorite scripture. This scripture reaffirms thatGod is on our side. He’s on our side in everything that we do – in our work, in our business, in our occupations, when we play sports. He’s with us in our financial affairs. You see God’s not trying to get money, He’s trying to get money through you. He’s trying to bless you so He can bless the entire world.He said, and I read to you now from Luke chapter 12 and verse 29:

‍And seek not what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither shall you be doubtful at heart...” He’s saying, “I don’t want you to worry, I don’t want you to worry about these things – what you’ll be clothed with, what you’ll eat – don’t live your life full of stress and worry.” For all of these things do the nations of the world seek after...” By the way it’s true that’s what the world is doing, they seek after fame, they seek after fortune, they seek after riches. We are told by the world that we need to hoard everything, stored up, hide it, keep it for a rainy day because it’s going to come.

He goes on to say, For all these things do the nations of the world seek after but yourFather knows you have need of these things. Now we introduce the Father’s heart.The Father says, “I know you need these things, I know what you need. I know the burden of your heart.” He said, “Even before you ask I know what you have need of.” And aren’t you glad we’ve got a Father that knows what we have need of, raise your hand real high.

But then He goes on to say, But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God. In other words,He’s saying don’t seek all these things for just personal gain, but He said, “seek the Kingdom of God.” He’s saying put your energy behind the Kingdom of God.Put your talents behind the Kingdom of God.

Think about God’s works. He’s saying think about God’s goals, think aboutGod’s interest, channel everything that you have for the Kingdom of God. He said, “If you’ll do that all of these things shall be subtracted from you.” Did I miss that? [Laughter] Oh, He said, “you will have to do without all of these things.” Oh, let’s read again maybe I messed that up there. And all these things, I need new glasses the lady said back there. All these things shall be what then?

[Congregation] ADDED. I wrote the wrong word down there, let me... He’s saying, “You take care of my work and I’ll take care of your matters. Fear not little children, little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. So when you have God and you give and take care of God’s things, He says, “I’m going to give you the Kingdom.” And when you’ve got the Kingdom, you’ve got everything!

So what’s God saying? He’s saying, as a heavenly Father “I’m going to tell you the secret of happiness, success and blessing in life.

One story and then we’re going to move right on. Some people ask, “How did you get this building?” This is the church that reaches out to the poor. This church ministers through the Church on the Street, our inner-city homeless ministry to about 3,500 people they minister to every week. The Bus Ministry of this church reaches to thousands of little children. Today I want you athletes to know that this is just one of services held all over town, a very small percentage of the multitude that are reached from this church every week. This church reaches to the widows and the orphans and normally we have wheelchairs all across here and down the aisles but we were going to bring them tonight and we weren’t going to bring them at all but this group down here protested. They said, “We want to see those athletes!” So we brought them anyway.

So this church reaches out to the poor and the hurting and the needy. We shouldn’t have this building. We don’t have this kind of money in this church.But do you know what, the day that we took up the original offering for this church – you know what we did? I asked everybody to bring something to buildGod’s house and we put it in a chest that we still have to this day called the Joash Chest. They did it is the Bible to rebuild the temple of the Lord – it was in need of repair and people brought things that they needed but they said we’re going to bring it to build God’s house first. And I watched people bring paintings, I watched them bring second homes, cars, gold, stocks – to build God’s house and that’s the way this building was built.

And this morning I’m going to pray – I’ve given you a little Bible lesson – as we give our tithe and offerings this morning, on the last Sunday of the month, we’ve all been writing a special check out above our tithe to retire the debt of this church so we won’t have to pay out $50,000 a month on interest then al of it can go to reach the world. As I pray now I ask every one of you, not only of course give of your tithe, but on the last Sunday of the month would you write out a special offering and label it “For Debt Retirement” or “Joash Chest” and that will go to retire the debt.

Father, this morning I preached my little message this morning was upon how to get the Kingdom, how to operate in God’s program. This morning I thank you for this great congregation. I thank you for these wonderful athletes that we love so much, God, and I thank you, Lord, how they are using their talents now for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. As we receive this offering this morning, we give unto you gladly, freely we give to You and freely we receive and therefore we love to give to You. Bless these people as they give to God’s work in Jesus’ wonderful name and everybody said “Amen”.

As the offering is received, I’ll be at the Joash Chest to receive your special offerings above your tithe for the work of the Lord. God bless you as you give toHim, thank you.