In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of giving and having a heart for the kingdom. He criticizes the church for taking a simplistic approach to giving, where one plus one plus one equals four. Instead, he argues that Jesus wants to teach them to give with a new heart, one that is aligned with the new covenant and the gospel that teaches self-denial. The preacher also highlights the freedom that comes from this kind of giving, contrasting it with the superficial joy and hype seen in worldly concerts. He references 2 Corinthians 8 to illustrate the example of the churches in Macedonia, who despite their deep poverty, demonstrated abundant joy and liberality in their giving.

So we are going to continue on our theme, the church needs to know. There are many things that we have talked about during these past months, but today we are going to continue our series, the church needs to know. In other words, Christians need to know things that are happening among themselves, inside the church, what's going on in the church, what's happening, what's being said, how Christians are living their lives. And the subject this morning is the Christian and his money. That's a very sensitive issue, but it saddens my heart and it grieves my heart to know that Christians are taught many things about what to do with their money. Many of them are being forced to give, many of them are being manipulated so that they may give, many of them are living in fear just in case they don't give, just in case pastors and responsible sub-churches happen to know that they have not given, others are being cursed by preachers if they don't bring such a percentage to the church, others are being visited by their pastors because they have not received their envelope at the end of the month. It's scandalous. It's a shame that Christians are being manipulated to give. It's a shame that Christians are being forced to give. They are being taught from the Bible according to their own interpretation so that people, Christians, fear that somehow they are being judged because they don't give enough, because they should have given more and they don't feel free. They are being bound by laws and regulations and principles and techniques and this is a shame to the church. It's a shame to the kingdom of God because we Christians have difficulty to feel the heart of Christ, the heart of the Lord for them and they are being manipulated in many ways, being robbed to give their money, being forced to give their money. It's amazing how we can use the Bible and use scripture in our interpretation, own interpretation, to make people believe that they have to, that they are forced to. This is manipulation. That's why it grieves my heart to see how many Christians are promised abundance. They are promised prosperity if they give. I'm sad in my heart when I hear these things. I'm sad in my heart and I'm grieved and sometimes I'm angry when I hear about these things, how Christians are manipulated. That's why we need to go to scripture. We need to know and see what Jesus Christ has said. And my question this morning is, what is God's heart for his people in this area of their lives? What is the heart of God? How does God see it? Not men, because men can manipulate. Men can change many things. Men can twist the scripture for their own benefit, for their own desires, for what they desire for themselves. That's why we need to hear the heart of God. We need to know what is the heart of the Lord for us in that area of our lives, an important area of our lives. What were the promises of Jesus to Christians, to those that would follow him in that area of their lives? What are the promises of God? What did Jesus promise when he taught his disciples? What did he promise them? What did he tell them about their lives? Did he tell them that he would care for them? Did he tell them that they would, they didn't need to to fear. Don't fear, he says, I'm going to take care of you. Don't, don't fear about the things that you will wear, about the things that you will eat. He said, don't care about these things. I will take care of these things. Maybe we can open our Bibles in the book of Matthew chapter 6. I believe that the words of Jesus Christ are more important than the way we preachers interpret the epistles that were written. That's why we need to hear what did Jesus say? What did he promise? You know there's one thing that I have done to make sure that what I'm going to say is scriptural. I went in the concordance and wanted to know what Jesus said about prosperity, about abundance, about promising us the world and all the material things. What did Jesus say? How many of you believe with me that he said many things? When you read the gospel of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke and John, we can understand that Jesus had a plan and purpose to teach his disciples what he wanted for them. That's why we're going to go to scripture and we are going to see what did Jesus promise. And I believe that all the apostles that wrote the epistles were not in contradiction with what Jesus spoke about. I don't think that they added anything that would be contrary to what Jesus Christ said himself. The words that he said. If I come to you today and tell you anything that is contradictory to what Jesus Christ said, don't listen to me. Even if I take a scripture from the epistles and interpret it the way I want, if somehow it is contradictory to what Jesus Christ said and promised, don't listen to it. The words of Jesus Christ are binding. He said, I'm the beginning and the end. I'm the alpha and the omega. If Jesus didn't say things, why should we add to it? And look for some scripture in the bible to interpret it the way we want for our own desire and our own benefit. Can you hear me? Because we can find scripture for anything we want in the bible. How many of you know that? We can find scripture. If I want a house, I can find a scripture. If I want an airplane, I can find a scripture. Somehow that will make me understand that an airplane is the will of God for my life. That's why we want to go back to the words of Jesus Christ himself, the son of God, the one who was sent on this earth to take the sins of the world and tell us the will of God and declare the wisdom of God and declare the plan of God for all those that will believe. Matthew chapter 6, we read from verse 25. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on, what you're going to wear, what you're going to drink, what you're going to eat. Do not worry. Why? Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into bounds, yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they are? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like some of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? For after all these things the gentiles seek. For you, for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. Therefore seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That's the word of Jesus Christ. What is he saying here? I am going to care for you. I am going to provide for your needs. I'm going to watch over you. I'm not going to let you down. You are worth more than the lilies of the valley. You are worth more than the birds of the air. I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to feed you. I'm going to provide for you. If only you have faith. If only you believe. I'm going to take care of you from the beginning right up to the end. You see my friends, the Bible is an image of the heart of God. It's not a book of principles. It's not a to be used by preachers for their proper benefit or for their profit. I believe that Christians ought to know the heart of Jesus and not just scripture. There is a heart behind what has been said. There's a heart. There's a plan. There's a vision behind what has been said by the Lord. It's not just words. It's not a technique. It's not a principle. It's not an obligation. It's not a forceful direction. It's a heart. God is not a manipulator. God is a God of love who wants to lead. Jesus is a good shepherd. He leads us into green pastures. That's what the Bible says in the book of Psalm 23. He's our good shepherd. We shall not want. In other words, we shall not lack. He's going to take care of us if by faith we want to serve him. If by faith we want to trust in what he has done. If by faith we are going to go out of our road and serve him, he's going to take care of us from the little things to the big things. The plan of God is for us Christians to carry the heart of God. Or in other words, the kingdom. The heart for the kingdom. The heart for the church. It's in that direction. It's on that basis that Jesus says, Give and it shall be given unto you. It's on the basis of the kingdom. Jesus had a heart. He lived. He spoke. He preached. He taught everything because his heart was consumed by the kingdom of God. His heart was consumed for the church. And whatever he said, we've got to put it in line with the kingdom of God. With the church. Jesus gave examples in the natural, but his heart was the kingdom. He's been set for the kingdom. He's been set for spiritual things. He's been set to put order in the spiritual realm. Yeah. He has not come to change Africa and change Africa and said, okay, we change Africa and put Europe in Africa. He has not come to change things materially. He has come for a spiritual change. A spiritual earthquake. That's what he has came for. Hallelujah. For the kingdom. When Jesus spoke, he spoke so that we Christians may have a heart for the kingdom. A heart for the church. That's why if we have a heart for the church, we not only can expect God, we can have faith for God to bless us and give us not only what we need, but for the kingdom. We need to have a heart for the kingdom and not a heart just to apply Christianity to our heart, our lives. Then we'll go into error. Yeah. We leave for the material things. We leave for material things. We are not called to leave for material things. We are called to leave for spiritual things. That's why it's dangerous to manipulate money of Christians, to manipulate Christians and try to force them to give and explain to them one plus two that they have to. You know when you go to school and your teacher says to you one plus one equals two, you can't argue. That's a fact. Now if you want to believe that one plus one equals three, it's your problem. All right? But one plus one equals two. In Africa, in Europe, in the States, in Australia, in China, in India, one plus one equals two. That's clear. Now people want to use that system, that system one plus one equals two. In other words, they want to use the word of God to try and make us believe that we are forced to, we have to, otherwise we are in problems. Now we've got a problem. We've got a problem. If we start to accept that we are forced to do something, it's a problem because it's not the heart of Jesus. It's not his heart to force us, to manipulate us, to put burdens on our lives. No. Many Christians fear today. They fear what they will do with their money, what the pastor will say. You know, in many countries of the world, if Christians don't bring what apparently they should bring, is visited by the pastor the next week, if he doesn't bring that amount of money. It's a shame. It's a shame. Where is the freedom? Where is our freedom in Christ? Where is our freedom to live according to our hearts? The Lord must help us. I want to tell you, it is not strange if Christians love to give for the kingdom. It's not strange if they love to give. I'm not saying, I'm not, I've not said if they have to give. I said if they love to give. It's not strange because Jesus Christ has captivated their hearts and lives. If Jesus Christ captivates your life and you start loving him and loving him more, you will have a greater love to give for spiritual things, to give for the kingdom. Don't forget that Jesus taught about spiritual things. So it's not strange to have people who gave their money to the Lord, but not by manipulation, not by force, not by fear. Can you see? Not because it is written somewhere that they have to do something. It's because of their love for Christ. It's because Christ has changed their lives. It's because they are grateful to him. It's because they want to serve him. So it is not strange to see that there are men and women today in the kingdom of God that want to invest their finances in the kingdom, but not by force, not by manipulation, not trying to explain like one plus one plus equals two, that you know the Bible says, verse of the verse that you have to know. That's law. That's manipulation. That's bringing Christians into fear. How many of you know that fear is the opposite of faith? How many of you know that? Fear is the opposite of faith. So if you move by fear, you have no faith. So you're giving without faith. Absolutely. Fear is the opposite of faith. So if you move by fear of what people say, what the pastor will say, if he discovers what I have given or not given, you have no faith. You are giving by principle. And God has got no problem to bless the people that invest in the kingdom of God with all their hearts. Yes. That's why Jesus said, give and it shall be given unto you. Press down, shaken together, running over, or we can go on, into your bosom. Why did Jesus say that? Now he's talking about people who love him, who love the kingdom, and the Lord has got no problem whatsoever to give you in abundance as long as you want to serve him and give for the kingdom, because your heart has been captivated by him, and your heart has been transformed, has been still transformed more and more to his image, and the Lord has got no problem. The same way, it is not strange to see people invest in the kingdom of God, and it is not strange to see God blessing them. It's not strange. It's becoming normal. So in other words, in other words, I'm not going to give in order to be blessed without a heart that is being captivated by the Lord, without faith. Can you see? Is that clear or not? I don't want to be manipulated by anybody. I don't want to be forced by anyone. I don't want somebody to tell me mechanically, logically, like one plus one equals two, that scripture after scripture that I need to give. I must give, otherwise I'll be cursed. It's serious. It's serious. You see, Jesus does not only hear words. He looks at the heart. It's the heart that speaks. You can say anything. You can say any good thing. You can tell me all your desires, but it's the heart. The heart. You see, we're talking spiritual things. I have no problem to accept that when you give, God provides. When you give, God gives you back more than what you have given. I've got no problem to accept that. No problem. As long as I know where my heart stands. As long as I know where is my faith. As long as I know why I am living for. As long as I am ready to take that road of the cross, and allow God to change my life, transform my life, and take my heart for him. I have no problem to lead you, encourage you, but I will never just lead you, and encourage you, without telling you that where is the road that you need to walk on. Because then I will deceive you. Then I will manipulate you. Because you will not do things from your heart then, because then you will do things because it is written. That's law. That's dangerous. Dangerous. So when Jesus said give, and it shall be given unto you, he's talking to men and women that would accept to lose their lives for him. And by losing their lives for him, they will have a love to give for the kingdom, for the church, and for those who have a need. Knowing then that God is richly, will richly continue to bless them, because he, God, knows the heart of these people, that they have an intention, and an attitude, and a vision, and a plan for the kingdom of God, and for the church. You can't mix the kingdom of God and the world. That's why if you don't have a heart for the kingdom of God, you are using that scripture by manipulating God. By trying to manipulate God and say, God, this is what I've done. I've given. Then give. I need to know where is my heart, so that I can walk by faith. Then expecting God. Then trusting God. I want you to open your Bibles in John chapter 3. You see, if you give to become rich, you are on a deceptive road. I know, I know many people are going to be angry with me. I have no problem with that as well. I know that. It's like the, it's got, it's like the Lord has molded me to be that way. All right, John chapter 3, I'll show you something, which I have just discovered. Oh, I tell you, and you better listen very carefully, very carefully. Third epistle of John, verse 1 to 8. Okay, are you ready? Are you there? Beloved, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things, and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers. Now you must follow carefully these scriptures. I'm telling you, you're going to be enlightened right now. Who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well. Because they went forth for his name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such that we may become fellow workers for the truth. Amen. All right, have you followed? Have you read? Okay, now we see that apostle John is praising Gaius for his generosity. He's praising him for his hospitality. He's praising him for his support to the church. Now Gaius has opened his home for strangers, Christians that he didn't know, preachers that he didn't know. He opened his home and accommodated them and blessed them. And the apostle John is praising Gaius for having blessed the people of God. For having taken care of the missionaries and the preachers that have come to town and the church. Now what would you wish for someone like that? What would you wish for someone who you know walks in the truth, loves the people of God, opens his house for the people of God, bless them, look after them, preachers that were sent to the church which probably never knew them. Because the apostle John talks about strangers in the sense that he didn't know them, but he had a heart, he had a love, he had a concern for the church and for the kingdom and for those who were visiting the church. And he blessed them. Now what would you do and what would you wish for someone like that? Tell me. Do you wish that he could not continue? Or do you wish that the Lord himself would bless him so that he would continue to open his house and be hospitable to the people of God? Now it is in that only context that the apostle John is praising Gaius and telling him, I wish that you may prosper and be in good health as your soul prospers. And I've got no problem with that. You know, if you are a blessing for the church, if you have a house and if you've got money and if you've got everything that could bless other people that you could accommodate and take care of them. Now the apostle John is saying, my wish, my prayer, my desire for you is that you be in abundance so that you may continue to be a blessing to the church. Now you can't use that scripture and declare that everybody needs to be prosperous and have millions and millions because it is the plan of God for all Christians. This is not scriptural because this is a very favorite scripture that preachers use to make people believe that when they give it's a plan of God for them in return to bless them, bless them so that they may be prosperous and have plenty and have millions and have cars and have airplanes and have helicopters and have five houses. Deception. That's why we need to go back to the words of Jesus. I watch in the concordance and I've never found one place where Jesus spoke about prosperity. Never. You look in the gospels. You will find out that never, not one very place, the word abundance came out of the mouth of Jesus in one occasion when he says that I have come to give you life and life more abundantly. That's the only place you will find in scripture where Jesus Christ mentioned the word abundance. Nowhere else he mentioned it. Nowhere else. We've got to go back to the words of Jesus Christ because the apostle John, the apostle Paul, the apostle James, the apostle Peter were not in another spirit. They were absolutely in the same spirit that Jesus Christ spoke and lived. Now we want to manipulate scripture so that we may have people that would listen to us and give us money and in return promise them prosperity. Promise them everything that they want. Declaring to them that it's the will of God for them to have everything and anything. Can you see what I'm saying? Can you see where I'm coming from? That's why we can't accept anything. We cannot accept anything. Our interpretation of scripture must go back to Jesus' teachings. Correct? That's why when you come and you say Jesus says give and it shall be given unto you. Now open your Bibles. Open your Bibles. We'll look at that carefully. I'll show you in what heart and in what spirit Jesus spoke. Now we're talking about Jesus on the mountain. He's talking about multitudes of people. Teaching them about new covenant lifestyle. He's talking to them about the old covenant lifestyle and the new covenant lifestyle and watch the words that he's saying. Watch where he comes from. Watch where he wants the people to go. Watch what he wants them to understand. Luke chapter 6. Read from verse 27. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bang! First slap in the face. All right? Love your enemies. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Verse 29. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. Now watch out. Watch out. Watch out the spirit in which Jesus is talking here. All right? Do not take one verse out of the whole thing that Jesus wants to expose to them. All right? Verse 30. Give to everyone who asks of you. Verse 37. Judge not and you shall not be judged. Verse 38. Give and it will be given to you. Good measure. Press down. Shaken together. Running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Verse 32. First remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye. Now you can continue. Verse 46. Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not to the things which I say? Now can you see where Jesus is going? Can you see what he's saying to these people? And right in the middle of all that, he says give. Right in the middle of his exposure, he speaks out. Give and it shall be given unto you. Now what does Jesus want to say? He's wanting to teach them to give. To have another heart. The heart of the new covenant. The heart for the kingdom. And he said that with the same attitude, with the same plan and vision that he talks in the gospel of Matthew chapter 5. Where he says, don't worry about everything. I will take care of you. That's why don't worry. And not only don't worry, but don't hesitate to give. Because if you give with the right heart and the right attitude and you give when your heart is being taken by me, don't worry. You can give what you want and give more because you will be given back according to the measure that you have given. So the more you give, the more I'll take care of you. Because your heart is for the kingdom. Now you need to understand that Jesus Christ is not talking about giving and prosperity here. Right in the middle of an exposure where he's asking the people to give their lives. To surrender their lives. And to allow the Lord to change them so that they may live according to the new covenant. So you can't use that scripture to make people believe that no matter how you give, no matter how is your heart, just give. Give and God will bless you. It's going to be shaking, running over. That's why millions of Christians are still waiting for their blessings. Yeah, they're still waiting for their blessings. You see what we have done, what the church has done? 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 equals 4. So then you've got to do it. That's what it's done. You take one scripture, you add it to the second scripture, you add it to the third scripture, you add it to the fourth scripture, and your conclusion, like 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 equals 4, your conclusion is that you've got to give. Because if you give now, no matter how you give, but give and then God is going to bless you and prosper you. That's 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 equals 4. Jesus doesn't have that heart. That's not his heart. I wish you understand. I wish things become clearer and clearer. Because you can talk about 3 John chapter 2 and use that scripture and interpret that scripture the way you want, but you can't make it contradictory to the words of Jesus Christ himself. His heart is, I've won your heart. I love you. Serve me. I'll take care of you. His heart is, I've won your heart. Give to the kingdom. I'm gonna bless you more than what you give. His heart is, if you love the church and you open your house and you bless the people with what you have and you bless the kingdom with what you have and you give to those who are serving the Lord and you take care of them, like Gaius, the Apostle John praised him for that generosity and support and hospitality. That's the heart of Jesus. Then you can be sure that God Almighty will bless you in abundance so that you may continue to serve him and love him and give to the kingdom so that the kingdom of God can move forward. That's the heart of Jesus. That's the heart. That's the kingdom vision. That's the kingdom heart. Yeah? Can you see? You can't take Luke 6 38 out of the kingdom vision. You can't. You can't take the words of Jesus out of the kingdom vision. No. You can't take the words of Jesus out of the kingdom heart. You can't. You can't. I say it loudly and clearly. You can't. You can't take scripture out of the context of the kingdom heart and a kingdom vision. Yeah? That's why the same way it is not strange to see men and women, spiritual men and women who have given their lives for Christ and serve him, give and give abundantly of their finances, the same way it is not strange to these thousands of Christians, men and women who are like babies, live for themselves and hold on to their lives and hold on to their finances. Both are not strange. It's not strange. It's not strange. I trust you see what I'm saying. I trust you understand what I'm saying. We can't twist God's word. We can't manipulate God's word. We can't change the words of Jesus. We can't bring another heart. We can't bring another vision. We can't. We're deceiving God's people. That's why God blesses me. That's why I have no problem. God blesses me and when I see the things that the Lord has given me and is still giving me and will give me, oh I tell you, it's not because I'm special. No, absolutely not. There's one thing that I can proudly say without fear and with a humble heart. My wife and I, we have been faithful in that area of our lives right up to this day and by the grace of God, we shall continue. And I can expect God again to bless me and bless me more. But you said brother you have spoken against prosperity. I have not. I have not. Now don't come out there with words that I've said things that you know, which I've not said. I'm not against prosperity. No, there are people here that are prosperous. There are people they have got lots of money. I've got. So what? But you know what I do with it? You know what I do with it? I tell you when I've got it, the next day it's gone. It's the truth. I'm telling you the pure truth. The pure truth. So don't be amazed if I drive a Mercedes tomorrow. I will because God gave it to me and he will give me more things. I guarantee you I'm not talking against prosperity. I'm not talking against abundance here. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don't change my words. Let me tell you something guys. If you still believe that you are obliged to God, obliged to give to God, you have not understood the new covenant. If you still believe that you are forced and obliged to give whatever percentage or whatever people tell you, you have not understood the new covenant. You have not understood what Jesus Christ did on that cross. You have not understood who Jesus is today as our high priest. You have not understood it. If you still believe that you've got to, you are obliged to give that, that much, that percentage, that, that, you have not understood the new covenant. The power of the cross of Jesus Christ is foreign to you in its depth. It's in all its content. Who Jesus is today at the right end of the father, our high priest. You have not understood that completely and fully. If you still believe that you are forced to do something because Jesus has come to set us free. If the son sets you free, you are free indeed. Hallelujah. What I was forced to do, I am no more forced to do. What I was bound with, I'm no more bound with. I'm free. That's why people don't have to tell me how much I have to give. Because if they tell me how much I have to give, they will tell me to give less than I want to give. Did you get that one? And I don't want to be under that pressure and be satisfied to give what people tell me I need to give according to this book. I'll miss on blessings. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'll miss on the blessings. I'll miss on the abundance of God. And now I'm talking about abundance. I'll miss on the abundance of God. Because if you tell me that the Bible says you need to give that, that, that, that. But that's nothing. Oh Lord, help us. You want me, you want me to fall under your pressure. Never, sir. And no one's pressure. I'm free. And in my freedom, I have discovered that the Holy Spirit leads me. In my freedom, I have discovered that when I walk on that road of the cross, the Holy Spirit leads me to give. He leads me to bless people. Knowing that abundance is coming back. Give and it shall be given unto you. Yeah, am I again in that scripture? That's clear scripture. In the right kingdom vision. In the right kingdom heart. I'm not removing that scripture away from the Bible. On the contrary, I'm pressing it. I'm sticking it to this Bible. Do you understand my explanation? Because I know it's the truth. I've experienced it. But I know where my heart is. I can't use it where I know my heart is far away from God. I can't use it because someone tells me, you know, bless me. Give me an offering. Give me this. Give me that. And the Lord in return will bless you, will give you, will prosper you. It's not that way. It's not that way. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. Oh, I'm blessed. Every day of my life, I'm blessed. When I wake up in the morning, I'm blessed. When I put my head to rest, I'm blessed. Okay, 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7. Now I'll show you what is the new covenant. The new covenant, chapter 9, verse 7. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. That's new covenant heart. That's the kingdom heart. That's the Jesus heart. You know why? Because when he died on that cross, the law was nailed to that cross. He removed the levitical priesthood. Removed it. He didn't want any more priests of the new covenant, of the order of Aaron. He didn't want to follow that order. That's why he removed the levitical priesthood. With all the laws that are attached to it, you'll see that in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 11. He removed it. So if he removed the levitical priesthood, he removed all the laws that was attached to it. All right? Now let me tell you something. I'm wearing clothes here. Do you see? I'm wearing shoes. I'm wearing things that you and I normally wear. Now if I walk out, if I walk out that place, out of that door and go, do I bring my clothes with? My shoes. My belt. My trousers. All right? My hair. I bring it. The little bit that I've got left. I walk with it. I'm going out. Everything comes with me. Nothing is left on that platform there. Correct? Now if the Lord, by his death on that cross, he removed the levitical priesthood, with all the law attached to it, you can't tell me that we still got to be under some law. No. It's impossible. When he removes the law, he removes everything with it. Why? So that we may be free. Free to walk according to the Holy Spirit. Free to be led by the Spirit. Free to hear the voice of the Spirit. And it is in that very context, in that very heart, that the Apostle Paul talks in the book of Corinthians and he says, let each one give as he purposes in his heart. Heart. As you purpose in your heart. How you decide in your heart. What your heart wants. In other words, where each one of us are today. Spiritually. Depends where I am. If my heart is taken by the Lord, if my heart is captivated by the Lord, if God has changed me, transformed me more and more to his image, where would my heart be? For the kingdom. Then I would give according to the purpose of my heart. According to the desires of my heart. Because, don't forget, I am free. All right? That's why you can't manipulate me to do what you believe with my finances. It's the Lord's. Can you see? Willingly. In other words, a willing heart. A willing heart. It must be willing. It must be me. That's why Paul says, God likes a cheerful giver. Cheerful. Joyful giver. He likes a cheerful one. He doesn't like a one who comes and says, hi, it's hard to bring that stuff here. I've got to bring that. You know, it's 10 percent. It's 15 percent. I've got to bring that. But I don't have. And you come out, you put your envelope there and I mean, it's hard in there. You're nearly going to cry because you've got to put that in there. But you've got to. But you've got to. But you've got to. You've got to. Because if your name is on the roll, you're in trouble. Because there are people watching here. Who gives what? In some churches. And in some churches, you've got to put your name on it. And if your name is there, is not in the basket, on that envelope, and your name is on the roll, you're in trouble. And how can you be cheerful? How can you be joyful? How can you bring your finance joyfully? How can you bring freely what you want to give? How can you do that? You can't. You're bound by fear. You have no joy. You've got nothing in you. You come like a, you know, like a Pharisee. You come there, everybody sees you, you know. You just smile there, but inside there, there's no joy. Inside there, you say, man, why? I've got to do that with my money. But you know, Lord, you know what? You're nearly going to cry. Old covenant. Old covenant. Old covenant. We're talking about new covenant. New covenant. So as we purpose in our hearts. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. Quickly, quickly. Quickly, guys. Moreover, brethren. Verse 1. Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. These people were free. Freedom. Free. In a great trial of affliction. They were in the midst of affliction. In the midst of affliction, the abundance of their joy and the deep poverty. All these situations abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing. They were freely willing. They were freely willing. Free will. Free willing. Freely willing. Freely willing. Can you understand that? Freely willing. Freedom willingly. Freedom willingly. Can you understand that? Free. Free. Willing. Can you understand that? Freedom willing. Freedom willing. Can you understand? There's no other way to give. There's no other way to give my finances. No other way. I don't care what you say. I don't care if you want me to do anything. I'm free and I'm willing. In other words, I'm not forced. I'm not in fear. I'm not manipulated. I don't fear what people say. Yeah. I'm not moved. But you know how many thousands and millions of Christians are in fear? Yeah. They fear. They come to church in fear. What? What? They will ask me again. You see, Jesus leads. That's why we talk to you in freedom about giving and about your life. Can you understand? There's no harm. There's no problem to lead you. There's no problem to teach you. But we've got to teach you in the right kingdom, heart, and vision. I tell you there is a better way to give than to have to give. It's the truth. There's a better way to than to have to give. I don't want to fall under the old covenant again. You see, you know why? You know why you are like that? You know why you are free? It's the fruit of a work of God in your life. It's the fruit of a gospel that teaches you to lose your life. It's a fruit of a gospel that teaches you to deny yourself and again willingly. And if you don't do it, you still be accepted the way you are. If it takes time for you to walk on that road, oh the Lord has got some patience with you and I. But that freedom, that willing heart, that joyful heart. We're not talking about an emotional thing here. We're not talking about a hype. In the middle of a hype, you know, you can do anything. When I look at television sometimes and I pass through on a channel, sometimes on the news you see all sorts of things happening in the world. You see people in the middle of a concert, a worldly concert. Sometimes when you look at the news you see that. And you see these guys, you know, they are in a hype, they are excited. You know, when you are in that type of excitement and that hype and that emotional stuff, you can do anything. You can be moved. You can be moved to take your shoes. Can you understand? Out of the will of God. You can be moved to give your watch. Out of the will of God. You can be moved to give your house. Out of the will of God. When you are in that atmosphere, emotional hype and excitement and pumped up, it happens in the spiritual world. It happens in the spiritual world. That's why we need to have our feet firmly grounded on the foundation of the pure doctrine of Christ. We've got to be firmly established in the gospel. And then we are safe. We are safe. We come to church, you are not manipulated. You come to church, you are free to give what you want. Yeah, you listen to God and God speaks to you. You say, but sir, what you do with the Bible? The Bible says that. Oh yeah? I just told you earlier on the Bible says to give and it shall be given unto you. I told you that. But we must remain in the right spirit. We must keep the right heart. We must stay in the kingdom heart. Jesus heart. We need to hear that. We need to captivate that. We need to understand that. Otherwise, we read scripture and we say, yes, the Lord said, the Lord said, but the Lord said, yeah, but the Lord said, but you must feel the heart of God when he says things. We'll come to the time where we will give whatever we desire. Willingly. We will not be influenced by any man. We will not be moved in an emotional way. We will not be moved because we have to, because we feel obliged. But we will give with a joyful heart. We will give willingly. We will give in projects that are spiritual, that are leading people to God. We will invest in the kingdom. We will invest in the kingdom because our heart is taken, seized. The apostle Paul says, my heart has been seized by Christ and I'm willing to give my life and I'm willing. You see, this is not emotional. No, this is not emotional. This is spiritual. Amen? So I trust that somehow you have caught something. You have caught something and I want to say again, you know, I'm not there to try and destroy anything, but all I want to do is to bring back, help, bring Christians back to sound doctrine, to pure doctrine and be moved by the Holy Spirit and to obey God's Word by God's grace and to obey God's Word by the moving of the Holy Spirit. God bless you all and I trust that somehow we've done one step forward. God bless you all.