Creating a Culture of Blessing

Generosity

Creating a Culture of Blessing

We are beginning a new series “Creating a Culture of Blessing

For the past two hundred years Mokuaikaua has created a culture of blessing here in Kailua Kona, blessing our community and people around the world.

Our people are the best people in Hawaii, Godly men, women and children who desire to see the kingdom of God here on earth, as we faithfully live Godly lives sharing the gospel and making disciples.

A culture

is our way of life, lifestyle our values?

as we live our lives for God, we inspire and move others to do the same.

We had some wonderful people before us who model a culture of blessing,

What does a culture of blessing look like?

Let’s begin talking about Generosity

Let’s pray

Generosity is the virtue of being liberal in giving, often as gifts.

Generosity is a big part of our culture of blessing

How do we became generous?

1 Be Generous

I have seen great generosity among you, right here at Mokuaikaua, how you have been a example to all of us.

God command us to be generous, to watch out for our brother’s and sisters

Leviticus 25:35-37

35 'If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.

36 Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you.

37 You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit.

God commanded the Israelites to be generous and merciful to each other. Your brother’s need was not to be capitalized on for personal gain. If you loaned money to a fellow Israelite, you were not to charge interest.

Because the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, and therefore recipients of God’s generosity, they were to show impartial generosity to each other.

I have seen wonderful generous people right here among us, people who are a great inspiration to all of us.

I want to express my deep appreciation to all of you who are keeping our culture of blessing alive and well, even what you do and nobody notices, God does, your Heavenly Father is watching you and He will reward you.

Ex

I remember just a few years one of our members responding to a hurricane that hit the south of the Island, she went out shopping, filled her car with supplies and drove as close as she could to the area that got hit and begin to give away, water, food, blankets and all the goods she purchased, the only reason I found out, about this is because I was meeting with her husband and I asked about her. No one would ever hear about this.

Our dear friends Jim and Jade are not the only ones who are generous among us, they had to move to the mainland for health reasons, but left a great

Give sufficiently

Deuteronomy 15:7-8

7 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.

8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.

God widens the scope. If you know of a brother in need in any of the towns in your land, you are to lend him whatever he lacks.

2 GOD’S PROMISE TO THE GENEROUS

Psalm 41:1-3

1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak (poor); the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.

2 The LORD protects and preserves them- they are counted among the blessed in the land- he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.

3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.

Psalm 41 by acknowledges the covenant that exists between God and the generous. God responds to the kindness and generosity of his people with protection, health, and abundance. As we’ll see in a bit, this is to enable them to be even more generous.

Ex

Early in 2019 we began with our preservation project here at Mokuaikaua, a project much needed, we were a storm or an earthquake a way from losing our sanctuary. after much prayer and the sacrificial giving of so many of us we had the plans and permits to begin our construction.

The initial amount it was about 3 million dollars, an amount that none of us had to give, even if we all gave it together.

So much had to be done the roof had to be repaired, reenforced and attached to the walls, the walls had to be reenforced and strengthen, the whole mezzanine reenforced, new ohia posts and beams, the concrete foundation blocks enlarge, what had to be dugout, electric system put in, the steeple completely redone,

The Lord heard our cry and He send our dear friend Alan to Hawaii all the way from Canada, back them we didn’t know him, he just walk in a Sunday morning, liked our history the message, couple days later he came to see me, after a short conversation, he told me that he was a philanthropist and that he wanted to give $450 thousand towards our project, a major blessing, I was so excited, with this gift and the matching gifts we were able to begin with phase one.

But God was not done, He told Alan to give another 3 million dollars on top of that and he gave, don’t you love God fearing people.

So far by God’s grace we raised $4.5 million towards the construction, after our last inspection the county requested a new plan to reenforce the steeple even more money so we are about 1.5 million from completing, including our parking lot, front rock walls and gates.

If God speaks to you, please obey, we would love to have this all done ASAP.

God has a covenant with the generous, I believe the many miracles we have seen and continue to experience, is God’s faithfulness, to the wonderful people who have been with our church for the past 200 years, is because of your faithfulness and generosity.

Thank you very much Alan, the Lord has a covenant with you.

3 Cultivate A GENEROUS SPIRIT

Luke 6:37-38

37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

To withhold judgment, condemnation, and unforgiveness is to act generously, and, in God’s economy, it is rewarded with the same kind of benevolence—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

Our Heavenly Father is always looking for ways to bless us and reward us

Generosity begins with our obedience to the Lord, being generous, is a covenant with God, He will reward us, cultivate a generous spirit.

All Begins when we make Jesus the Lord of your life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus, we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, asking Him to be our Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

1 Corinthians 11:23–27 NIV

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

23 For I received from the LORD what I also passed on to you: The LORD Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,

24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LORD's death until he comes.

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the LORD in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the LORD.