You are invited to step into your unique role as both a provider and a visionary, knowing that financial stewardship is a holy calling. Stop viewing wealth as separate from your faith and start sowing strategically into the Kingdom's vision. God is releasing you to operate with confidence in your business and ministry alike.
Good morning. Good morning. Praise God. Man, this is a powerful morning. I'm like I'm like, man, I don't wanna do anything.
Ugh. It's just like God's presence was here and I and I want I want that to be the focus, know. I want us to like, see him eyes to eyes. It's powerful. Powerful morning.
God's doing a lot. Let's open up Revelation-1:6. *Revelation-1:6* is what we're gonna be going off of. It says, to him who loved us and and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us **kings and priests** to his God and father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen. Father, we pray this morning that my words would be anointed by you. I pray you'd fill my mouth, give give what words you want to this congregation, to your to your bride, to the people here. God, I pray that our ears would be open to hear the real message that you have for us today, and that we would we would start to see something new take place in this body. In Jesus' name.
Amen. So the other day, I thought of a children's book. I thought of this idea where you got maybe each of the characters as tools. Okay? Like, you got a hammer, you got maybe a tape measure and a speed square, and they're all None of them know what they do.
And so they're all kind of wandering around, and maybe there's a nail and 2 boards, and and a couple couple of them come up and they're like, what do we do? And the tape measure jumps on the nail, and they don't know how to do it. Maybe the speed square is going, this is this is where the nail goes. Right here. Right here.
And and everyone's like, yeah, yeah, we get it. And then the hammer comes along and he kind of falls and boom, hits the nail in. And everybody's going, woah, you're good at that. And he's like, well, I didn't know. You know?
I feel like that's kind of what we are in the church. We're all and really in life, we're all kind of like, God has put specific and unique gifts inside of us. He's made us in a certain way. And we're all just kind of stumbling through life trying to figure out who we are. Trying to figure out what we're good at.
Kind of finding out what we're not good at. Well, about a year and a half ago, I read a book, and it's like this little 20 page book. I read it in about an hour and it's called Kings and Priests. And in 1 sitting, I read a book that like was my "hammer on the nail" moment. It like illuminated to me what God had put in me, you know, what God had been speaking about what was in me and who I was and what I was called to do specifically with my gifts and talents on the earth.
And I I saw it all, you know. He had been speaking that for 5 years and really for my whole life, and I saw it all in about 20 minutes. And it's a It was a powerful powerful revelation for me. And what the book does is it basically elaborates on priests and on kings of the Old Testament. I wanna get into that because I think that there's a lot of people, especially in the church, that have had a similar calling as me on their lives.
Something that has been maybe not even seen as something that belongs in the church. But it's a gift and a calling and actually an anointing that's on their lives to do a certain thing for the Lord. And they didn't know all along that that was actually for him. We're all kings and priests. Okay?
It says, he's made us kings and priests. Okay? So I'm gonna get into an explanation of what priests were and what kings were and how that is an analogy for today. But we have to understand, we're all actually part of both. Okay?
Now, some of you are gonna be really brought alive by this message because you're gonna go, oh my God, you're gonna have the same the same moment that I had. And others of you may not, but there's gonna be really good meat for you in it anyway. Okay? So this is a message for everyone, but it's really a message for the kings in the room. You guys excited?
Yeah. Alright. Good. So priests provided **vision and kings** provided provision. Priests provided the vision and kings provided the provision.
Okay? So look at the old testament. What what what did the priests do? They had the job of hearing from God. They offered *sacrifices* for the people.
They received tithes and offerings. They cared for the house of God, and they spoke encouragement to the people that were going out to the battle. Okay? Kings, on the other hand, destroyed the enemies of God and brought back the spoils of war. They paid tithes and offerings to the priests and then they governed the affairs of the nation.
The analogy is this. Modern day *priests* are those drawn to serve in ministries, to work in ministries. You typically think of people that are like full time, you know, pastors or worship leaders or things like that. Modern day kings are those who are drawn to conquest in the marketplace. They're drawn to start businesses, they're drawn to grow wealth, and they're drawn to provide *resources* for the priests to carry out the vision of God.
So I love when my kids eat. Okay? Like, I look at them I've heard people complain about like kids who "eat up the house". Right? It's like, oh my god.
I got these 2 boys. They're eating up the house. They tear it apart. I love when my kids eat. I see them sit at the table.
They they tear through all this food. I'm going to the cupboards, they're empty, and I just love it. Because there's something about it that in me, it kinda like gives me this excitement to go out and conquest and bring home more food, to bring home more finances, to fill the house. It means that my house is growing and flourishing and it feels good. That's what a king kind of operates at.
You know? It's not It's the opposite of a of a poverty thing. It's more of an abundance thing. King Kings and priests are actually meant to operate together. Okay?
So they're meant to unify in the church and go forward. Okay? Kings tend to think of their role, however, as something separate from the church. This is what's kind of happened notoriously. Okay?
They think of their role as something separate from the church, and they and they go about and they do their jobs at at work, or they go and they're doing business, or they're investing in the stock market and they're paying attention to that stuff, they're working hard, and they just don't see that as a part of the church. And then, when they come into the church, you know, that you know, there's there's there's ministries and there's different things that they could be a part of and then maybe they just don't have time for it. And so, they go back into the workplace and they feel guilty and they feel separated. They almost feel like church, that's like that thing. And, I come into it, of course, they know God, they love God, but they're not seeing that gift as something that's really being accelerated in the church.
*Priests*, however, kind of this is like the notoriously what's happened in the church. Priests have have tended to think that everyone should be priests. We kind of like want to put everyone into this box. Right? So if you notice that someone is exceptionally interested in the Lord and going after the Lord, the priest kinda thinks, they should become a priest.
You should become a worship leader, a children's director, pastor, a missionary. Okay? But you don't really hear much of, you should become an entrepreneur and raise finances for the kingdom. And so, it's funny. It's kinda like anesthesia.
You know, I do anesthesia for a living, or I did. I actually work full time on my business now, but that's only, like, a couple months ago. Before that, I was a nurse anesthetist, took 8 years to become 1, practiced for about 7 or 8 years. I would get to a party or something and have small talk with somebody and they'd say, so what is it that you do during surgery? And I'm like, anesthesia.
Like But they don't know. They just have no clue what that even means. They think I come in and just like flip a switch. Like, tap. I'm like, yeah.
I went to school for 8 years and flip a there's a really big switch. It's like It's like I do anesthesia, man. That's like so then I I have to I have to explain that. And that's like that's how priests kinda see kings. It's like, good.
You're raising money. Good. You're out in the workplace. But sometimes, we don't even really recognize that like, I don't really know what that even means. What does that even look like on a day to day aspect?
And, how does that relate to the church and the calling of God? A lot of times, what will happen is priests who don't understand or don't recognize or don't see the call of a king will will pray for money. Right? Because they see what's gonna happen. They have a vision for what's coming next.
So, have this vision of like, *God* told me we're gonna impact Pinellas County, or God told me we're going to go go out and do all these things. And if and then But then, they see the lack of finances to be able to do those things, and so they pray, God, where's the finances? We need the finances. And God answers their prayer. And do you know how God answers their prayer?
He sends kings. Yes. But kings and priests have not understood each other well. And so, they don't work quite in unity like they should. Not here though.
Amen? Kings are God's chosen money managers and financiers of the kingdom, and God wants the 2 of them to work together. In 2018 I'm gonna tell you a little bit about my journey. In 2018, I went to Africa. I've told I've told you guys this a couple years back, but it's worth telling again.
I went to Africa, and I was All I knew is God told me to go. He told Mariah and myself to go to Africa. And we went to a we went with this organization that was a missions organization. So, they actually had all of their missionaries come back to this spot that we're where we went for a revival week. So, there were missionaries from all around the world.
They were from like the the farthest reaches reaches of the earth, hardest places to get to, roughest places to be a missionary, and they're all coming back for a revival week. And so, I'm kind of like around people that are just like at a whole another level and I'm just like looking at them like that. I'm like, wow, this is incredible. And I knew God called me to come. And everyone's looking at me and Mariah and they're going, yeah, you look familiar, you know, and dah dah dah dah, and maybe you're gonna join and are you gonna become a missionary?
You know? And I'm like, babe, we gotta start praying about this because maybe that's why God has called us here. And as we're praying about it, it's like nothing. Zilch. Okay?
Like, God's not calling us that. And in worship and in times of prayer over the whole course of the week, God keeps speaking to us the same thing. Speaking to Moriah separately and speaking to myself, finances. Finances. I've called you to raise finances for the kingdom.
And I'm going, God, are you are you are you serious? Like, these people have given up everything. They're they're they're in this this the farthest reaches. They've done they've given it all for you. I know the scriptures.
It's like, they're gonna be rewarded. I wanna give all of it for you, God. And I'm like saying this to the Lord. I'm saying, I want it to cost you cost me everything. You know, it it cost them everything out here.
And I heard in my spirit just like that, what makes you think it won't cost you everything? And I'm like, okay. Good. Okay. Alright.
I guess I'll do that, you know. I spoke with the the head of the the missions department while we were there, 1 1 of the overseers. And he says, so, what's what's God been speaking to you? And he kinda knew that we were sort of, you know, didn't really have a reason to be there other than God God told us to go. So he was wondering if we're gonna become a missionary.
I said, you know, I I just I think he's just calling me to go back and raise finances for for missions. And, he immediately told me this story. He said, you know, in the old testament, there was the *Temple* Of Solomon, and there were 2 pillars in front of that temple. They were freestanding pillars, they didn't hold any of the weight, they were decorative, and they were and they were the exact same size, shape, decor, everything. And they had named those pillars after 2 people.
And 1 of the pillars was named, Yaqin, and 1 of the pillars was named, Boaz. Well, if you do the research and you look back, Yaqin was a priest. There's nothing really said about him. There's not really much that we know about why they named that 1 Joaquin. The other 1 was named Boaz.
You guys probably know the stories of Ruth and Boaz. Boaz was an owner of a field, an employer of many people. He's what we would call an entrepreneur in modern day. And what he was saying is that there's 2 top 2 pillars, and in order to come into the the glory of the temple, you had to pass between 2 those 2 pillars, and they were equal in size, equal in weight distribution, equal in every way. He was speaking something into me that I didn't know I needed, and I didn't really even realize fully until like years later that that the calling of a king is on "equal playing field" with the calling of a priest.
I saw these I saw these missionaries as like superstars. And I and I was hearing God and obeying, but I'm like, really? That's what you're calling me to do? Equal in every way. And it was powerful to me.
So then I came back and and I came back into the church. I met pastor David. I was here for about a year and a half, and he started and he noticed the calling of finances on me, and he started saying, Gabe, I want you to become a treasurer. And I was like, that sounds good. When do I get the credit card?
He's like, that's not how it works. I'm like, alright. I guess so. And, I started going to these meetings where I saw the finances of the church, and I saw about how much we were bringing in. I saw where where each little every single dollar was going.
I saw the budget, the flow, and then I also became closer with pastor David. And I started to hear his vision for the church and the vision for where he's going, and not just his vision, but what God has spoken to him. So I started to hear what God plans on doing to the church doing with this church, and I also saw the finances, and I saw the gap therein, and it had the same feeling as I have when my kids eat up all the food. I got excited. I'm like, I can fund this.
This is good. I got excited. It's like it's it's like actually I started to see my place, how God was calling me to partner with the priest in order to bring about the vision of God in a region or in a territory. Right? It's a real it's a real calling.
You know, I play drums at the church. I I I lead I lead I'm leading a prophetic team that we're gonna start up soon. There there's all sorts of things that I've done in priestly type roles, and those are also things that God has called me into. But there's nothing that's made me quite come alive like this "king rule". Right?
And so I I began to see that others in the church were like this. There were others that that had a gift and *anointing* in the call of finances. But, they didn't understand that they needed to partner with a priest in order to bring about the vision of God. They they are disconnected from the church and not understanding how integral that gift and that anointing is on their life. Okay?
So what I wanna see is kings rise up in this church. I don't wanna be the only 1. And I'm not the only 1. So I wanna I wanna start developing and talking about and bringing about the idea that there are kings in this room ready to start moving in a new level of the financial atmosphere, not why for why? Not for themselves.
Not so that they can buy all these these things for themselves and spend it on their lust. Though there's nothing wrong with with certain things and elements of that, but it's so that we can fund the gospel. We can actually see this thing take place. Right? We can actually reach the lost.
And who knew all along that my interest in money and my thing of paying attention to all of that was from God in order to see the "great commission" happen. We talk a lot about the great commission. Go and make disciples. Who knew that that that was an integral part of it? It's exciting.
So I have 8 things, 8 reasons, 8 ways that a king operates. Okay? Every 1 of us should start implementing this into kind of how we operate in money. And let's So let's get after it. Number 1.
Kings **trust God** because they know he is good. *Hebrews-11:6* says this, and without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So understanding that God is good and that he cares for you is actually a prerequisite even to to beginning in faith. Okay? You guys remember when the disciples are in the boat and the winds and waves are coming over and Jesus is sleeping in the boat.
The disciple said this in Mark's version, it says, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? He arose and rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea, peace be still. And and he and he says, why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? You see, they questioned they didn't say, Jesus, help us.
They said, do you even care that we're perishing? There's an element of when you start operating in the level of God that's that Satan wants to bring you back to to say he doesn't even care. There's a lot there, and you you leave faith completely when you have to question his motives. And so, you go back to the roots and say, I must first believe that he is good and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. That's the prerequisite for faith.
Right? *Jeremiah-29:11*, you guys probably know it by heart. He says, for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. **plans to prosper** you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.
He has like real plans. Real plans for you. And they're good. Right? I remember when I was single, I was I was so obsessed with finding finding a wife.
It like, since the time I was probably 5 years old, I wanted a wife. And I I was like, I look back at some of my like, you can find old Facebook posts and things and I just cringe, you know, because I'm just so, like I was like this heartthrob romantic boy, I wanted a wife. Okay? And so I went through these oscillations of times where it's like I start dating somebody. And I'm like, oh, Lord, is this it?
And then I'd be like, no, that's not it. Oh, 0. And I would go into these depressive modes and, oh, why me? And Lord, do you do you even care? Right?
Like, do you even know that I want a wife? You know? You made Adam and Eve. It's been a while though. You know?
It's like And God showed me something recently. He showed me my kids, he's always teaching me through them because, man, it turns out we're a lot like them. And they're 1 and 3. I said said, I'll say, guys, let's go have lunch. And so we run over, and then he said, yeah, lunch.
Food, food, food. And they run to the table, and they sit there. I go to the fridge, I get some get some whatever bread, some meat, and start putting something together. And probably 30 seconds in, what? Food.
Where is it? They're like crying and whining as if I'm not going to bring it. I'm going, guys, I'm making it right here. Like, it was my idea to have lunch, not yours. You're doing.
Like, we're having lunch, you know. And there's something about the mind of my 1 and a half year old, he doesn't know me yet. He like, he doesn't really know that I will feed him, even though I do it every day. But like, he sees he sees food and he smells it. That ought to encourage him, but instead it frustrates him and make because because he doesn't know if I'm actually gonna give it to him.
There's times when it's like you're actually getting closer to the thing that God has put inside of you. You think you had it inside of you. God's saying, I put that inside of you. I put that desire to have a wife inside of me. You know, you mean.
And when I met Moriah, it was about 4 months in that I kind of like I kinda like another had a moment where I was like, well, was kinda freaking out there, wasn't I, for like the last decade? Like, I I was like, you know, ultimately, kinda look back and I'm like, Lord, if there's 1 thing I really would've changed, I wish I would've trusted you. Because I didn't know that you really did have a plan. I thought you I thought you did. I was holding on to it.
I was hoping. But I didn't like know that you were good. You know? So we have to trust *God* because he is good and he loves us. Number 2.
Kings know everything is from God. *1 Chronicles-29:14*. This is King David speaking. Okay? And they had just brought in all these financial resources into the kingdom.
Okay? They or into into to the temple. And they were dedicating it, getting it ready for Solomon to end up building the temple. The same 1 I referenced. And he said this, But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this?
Everything comes from you and we have given you only what comes from your hand. Kings know that everything is God's. Okay? There were there's stewards and then there's owners. Okay?
If you own something and if you steward something, from the outside, it looks identical. Okay? A steward does can like, let's say it's a car. A steward can get in the car and drive the car. He can park it.
He can take it where he wants. He's stewarding the car. The owner can do the same thing. They could both get in a crash or they could both, you know, take care of it, whatever it is. So what's the difference?
What's the difference between an owner and a steward? Well, there's only 1 difference. A steward will give an account 1 day for what he did, he or she did with the things under which he was a steward of. Okay? So we are *stewards* of all of God's resources.
We we have this idea that like things are like mine, you know? It's like Let's go back to the kids. It's like my room. Right? Says who?
My toys? Like, since when? It's all God's. It's all God's. And and we and we get a little too used to this idea that it's mine.
And so even our bills, you know, the bills get paid, and then at the end of the month, there's a certain amount left. And it's like it's like, what do we do with that? Well, it's God's, and so let's ask him. You know? There's Actually, once you come into a mental understanding of this, freedom comes.
Because you find out you you are no longer responsible for forcing things to work. Right? Like, you don't have to put in all the work to make sure it works. But rather, you get to let go and you get to trust, go back to number 1, in your loving father who is taking care of you. So then, you get to walk like really loose, really light because *God* everything is God's anyways.
You know? There My brother had I I called him recently because I I had a really large bill in my business that I wasn't expecting. And I was like frustrated and bummed out about it. And and, he happened to call me on this day, and and he's a business person. He's like a multi millionaire in real estate, and he and and so he's he's gone and he's he's I've watched him ascend from from our youth, you know, and like learn and and grow and fail along the way.
And he was telling me a story about when he was learning and growing and it was like every other day, there was never enough money. And it was like so so his secretary was like, hey, Tim, there's there's another bill. Where do where do you want that money? Like, another 4,000, another 2,000. And he's like, finally, you know, he said for about 2 years, he had to go home and just be like, God, why?
Where? What? Where does this come from? Didn't you call me into this? And and finally, he said 1 time that she said, hey, there's another $4,000 due here in this in this thing.
And he goes she's she's like, where do you want where is it gonna come from? He's like, I don't know. God will have to pay it. And he walks out. And he said it was such a release because he he never had to deal with that anymore.
Like, you know, at that level. You We keep growing into that, but that's a level of faith you start to enter into when you start to realize, everything is God's anyways, and I need to stop trying to make it out to be like I'm the 1 that's making it happen. Which leads me to my next point. Number 3. Kings give according to their faith.
We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Right? So this is like this is where it starts to get really fun. Okay? It starts to get really really exciting.
We aren't called to just give wildly and randomly to 1000000 different things or to hardly anything. We're not called to just We're we're called to be generous on all occasions, but that's always in the spirit. We're called to live and operate in the spirit. We're not called to just float our money to anybody that asks. Okay?
So, the thing about that means that like so we don't give under compulsion and we don't give under like coercion. And so there's again, there's freedom. You can even go to an area where they are trying to manipulate you to give, but you don't you don't worry about it because you're not manipulatable. Right? Because you're because you're not you're not giving randomly, you're giving by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
So what does that mean? God will actually Well, let me do this. Let's go to 2 Corinthians-9:7. This is the proof here. It says, each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give.
Not reluctantly, which is means you holding it back, or under compulsion, meaning somebody forcing it out of you. For God loves a "cheerful giver". So God will never scare you into giving. He's not gonna manipulate you and twist your arm and force you. Okay?
Because because that means you don't understand principle number 1 and 2. That he loves you and that he owns everything. Right? So you've so you gotta go back. If you're starting to feel that scared, manipulative Now, faith is sometimes challenging though.
Okay? But what it's gonna look like is this. *God will share his heart with you. Okay? And this is how you give according to the spirit*.
So what ends up happening is, you see something that God is doing and it moves your heart in the way that it moves his heart. It's a gift from God. He starts to share with you what's on his heart for certain people or certain things or or for the church. And when you feel that, it's not that's not manipulative. That's God sharing a love of his of of of his job, of his plans, of his calling for you.
Okay? And so when you do that, you get to give toward that thing. Okay? It's actually very fun. But let's go to number 4.
Are you guys doing alright? Yes. Alright. I don't know if you're seeing this, but they're growing they're growing on each other. Okay?
So you end up kind of having to go back and make sure you got the the prior 1 if you're having struggles with the next 1. Okay? I mean, I remember before I go on, I just I remember when I learned I have to give in faith. It was like a wild thought to me, But it's so freeing. Okay?
All of these things should be freeing and there should be nothing about it that makes you go, let me grab my wallet. This guy is a this guy's planning an offering call. I could I I see it coming. It's like, okay, you're not you're back to number 1. Number 4 is kings challenge themselves to give offerings.
That's above tithes. Okay? So in January, I met up with a young or not young, with a with a business owners group. Okay? Young and old business owners.
It was about 14, 15 of us. It was put on by Aaron Christopherson. Some of you guys know him. And and he was leading it. And and we're getting together about once a month, but in January, it was the beginning, and he offered a challenge.
He said, okay. I I wanna challenge you guys to go home, pray and hear from God what amount of money are you gonna give away this year above your tithes. Okay? And it should be big enough that it starts to "make you sweat" a little. Like, you shouldn't be able to just do it.
Right? Because if you can accomplish it, it's not faith. Okay? You guys hear that 1? If you can accomplish it, it's not faith.
You have to partner with God. So once again, we're giving in faith, so now we're operating at a whole new level. Right? We're like "lifting off" It's like a plane lifting off. We're like, okay, we're Now we're not on the ground anymore because we have to we have to trust in God now at this point.
Right? So I get a number and it's it's For me, it's big. And I'm like, okay. So I go to my wife. My *prophetic* wife.
Pathetic. Prophet prophetic. What did I say? She prophetic my prophetic wife. And I'm like, alright, babe.
I tell her the challenge and everything, and she goes she goes, okay. Well, let me pray or whatever. But keep in mind, okay, she hates guessing numbers. Like, she absolutely hates it. I love it.
We'll be driving down like some farm road or something and I'll look and I'll see some big farm equipment. I'll be like, babe, how much do think that costs? And she'll be like, stop. And I'm like, babe, just guess. I'm I'm telling you, stop.
And I'm like, jeez. And I'll be like, I bet it's $9,900,000. I'll Google it. I'll be like, oh, it's only $7.50. You know?
I don't know. I just love guess I love guessing numbers. She hates guessing. Okay? But she's prophetic.
Alright? So you probably see where this is going. She comes back to me. She has the exact same number that God gave me in January. And so I'm like, alright.
Here we go. Let me let you guys in on even a little bit more of that. So we're in September and I'm only about a third of the way through that number. So I'm Don't be coming up and asking for any money. But but I but I Yeah.
That's right. But I'm giving in faith and I'm waiting and I'm watching and God's showing me where to give and how and when to stretch it. And it's a challenge. Okay? It's a challenge.
It's like faith grows. Right? So he says it's like a mustard seed, Jesus I'm referring to. And he says it grows to where it's eventually big enough to house many birds. Okay?
So that's the thing about faith is that it grows. It's like a muscle. You challenge it. Okay? And you get back into and you get back into these I had to go back to number 1 there for a bit.
When when I when, you know, when I was challenged for a second, I'm like, God, I know you're good. I know you care for me. I can let go of this. I'm holding on to it a little too tight. The whole thing is like it's it's growing, you know?
You're growing in it. Alright? Look at number 5. Kings tend to go through long seasons of refinement. Joseph would become the person that managed basically all the wealth in the world in in his time.
You know? But you guys know the story of Joseph. He went through a long season of refinement. He went to become a slave, then he went to prison. So he was a slave and a prisoner for like 13 years before he became the manager.
Like, it's like, that's a great resume. But he before he became and that's the resume that God will put you through. Okay? See, you have to go through the wilderness in order to get to the promised land. It's just it's just the way God operates.
A lot of you guys have been in wilderness seasons and still are in wilderness seasons. I had a dream once, and in the dream, I'm at the mall. And in the mall, there's this Audi like a 8. It's like this nice super car. Okay?
Or whatever you call it. Sports car. And and I'm looking at it and I'm going, God In the dream, I go, God, can I just have this? Have you ever seen Fiddler on the Roof? Like, would this ruin some vast eternal plan?
If I if you just gave this to me. Yeah. And I get in the car and I turn on the radio. And on the radio, Jesus is being interviewed. And he says this, you know, I would like to give this car away to more people than I can, but let me show you what happens.
And he pulled me out and I looked from above, and a guy got the car and he got in and he drove off and he said, see, I won't hear from him again. Yeah, man. It's powerful. It's powerful. He puts you through a wilderness season on purpose so that you don't run off in the promised land.
You know? In the wilderness, Moses said finally came to a place where he said, if you're not going to the promised land with us, then I don't wanna go. And that's like, ding, you're ready to go. Like, now you're ready. You know?
Because you have to love God more. By the way, the promised land is way harder to follow God than the wilderness. Okay? Because you don't have anything thrusting you towards God. When you're broke in the wilderness, you don't have food, you don't have water, it's like, well, I guess I'll call on God.
Hello? Like, all of life thrusts you towards God. When you come into the promised land, suddenly there's all these things that don't don't push you towards him anymore. So if you didn't birth inside of you understanding that you need him in every area all the time no matter what, then you're not gonna do well. Yeah.
That's right. Okay? Number 6. You guys doing good? Yeah.
We're almost there. Kings don't waste. Have you ever noticed that God doesn't waste anything? Yeah. I'm like, how does he do that?
It's amazing. You know, you see it even in nature. It's like, flower dies, you think it's wasted, it's not wasted. It goes to the ground, somehow there's bugs, bacteria, everything starts tearing it apart, everything's getting used, fertilizes the soil, seed lives there, comes up again, new flower, God does it. And he does it with everything.
He's not a waster. But you know what? We waste, especially us in the flesh, the world. We waste. That's why the lottery thing is horrific to people, typically.
Right? It's like you get win the lottery and it's just wasted immediately. Okay? So, God is gonna grow you up to learn the value of a dollar. And, that's part of that's part of why he puts you through the wilderness.
Like, you're learning that every little thing I should be thankful for. Thank you, God. Thank you for this manna. Right? Remember, that was Jesus came down.
He's like He was referencing himself. I am the bread of life. And you learn to say, that's all I need. Thank you, Jesus. Everything else above that is is blessing, but all I want is Jesus.
So kings learn to take every dollar very seriously, which leads me to point number 7. And this one's a big 1. Kings expect a **spiritual ROI**. That means return on their investment. You guys remember the parable of talents.
Right? You know, just for a quick review. God gives 1 guy 5 talents, like bags of gold or pieces of gold, whatever it is. Another guy, 2, another guy, 1. Goes away, comes back.
They had invested it, so the guy with 5 made 5 more and he's like, here I got 10. The guy with 2 made 2 more, here I had 4. And the guy with 1 didn't have didn't invest it, he buried it, and he was the loser of the scenario. Okay? So so there there's some there They were charged to make a return on the investment that they were stewarding.
Right? That was the charge on their life. Alright? When we operate with our resources, we should be expecting to bear fruit. Now, why did I say a spiritual ROI?
I'm not talking about I I Yes. Yes. If you're gonna invest money, you should expect money back. Okay? But that's even that's even a That's a prophetic sign of what God is showing you in every area of his life of your life is that he's expecting a return on investment.
Okay? So we, as kings, give expecting spiritual fruit. See, a lot of organizations will will manipulate you into giving. Okay? Because they give you they show you the need, not the fruit.
Think Celine Dion, the "arms of the angels". Right? Like, think of these little puppies. The commercial comes on, in the arms of the angels. Like this little pathetic dog and everybody's like, alright, let me get $5, you know.
And it it that's not how kings give. Kings wanna know what the fruit is. What are you doing with this $5? Okay? Because who is gonna have to answer for that for for managing that money?
Me. Okay? That's why when I go through Taco Bell and they say, do you want a round up for "Children's Cancer Society"? I say, no. Hear me on that.
Okay? Because I think that sounds harsh. Right? But I wanna break something up in you. First of all, how am I gonna delegate what I what I've been called to do to Taco Bell?
What do I know about what you're talking about? I'm here to get tacos. Okay? So, like, I don't have time or energy or capacity to find out who it is you're even talking about that I'm supposedly giving to, and then how much of that money is actually making it to this supposed cause that you're bringing up to me. Right?
And, it's not just that I'm skeptical, it's just that it's not for me. Good luck. I No 1 Nobody wants children to have cancer. Agreed. You're not gonna manipulate my my dollar out of my hand because it's not about the dollar either.
Oh, it's only 29¢. But once again, it's by principle. I'm I'm elaborating a principle. I hope you guys can hear it. The principle is, I'm **responsible for the fruit** of where of of what I managed.
And even if it's 27¢, *God gave it to me to manage it. And if I've gone through the wilderness*, I remember that's pretty valuable. Right? How are you on time? 01:16.
Take the widow's mite, you know. Here Jesus is sitting and watching all these people give. It says, Jesus is watching. Can you imagine that? Just sitting there, Jesus, watching the offering plate.
And some people are coming up and throwing all these big coins in, it's "clang clang clang" clang clang and they're like, hey. And then 1 little widow comes up and gives 2 mites. It's like, we can't even like translate what that is, like less than pennies. And it's like, she gives it, she walks away, no 1 notices but Jesus. Feel the spirit on that, man.
No 1 notices but Jesus. And he says, stop everybody. I want you to look at something. She just gave out of her need, and she gave all that she had to the Lord. It's like little, and it got Jesus' attention.
You see, it's not about like, you know, I I like big numbers. I like talking about big numbers. I get excited about them, but it's not about that. It's like, it's about your heart. It's about it's about "giving it all" to Jesus.
Letting go and letting letting it be for him. Right? And he says, she gave more than everyone else. Let's go. Alright.
Last 1. Number 8. Kings understand why God made them and they connect to a priest's vision. See, if if churches had an army of word trained kings that knew their *calling* and that understood these principles and began began operating in them. First of all, let's go back to the parable of the talents for a second.
To whom has more will be given. Right? That was the lesson in that. That's the opposite of how we would think of things. We would think of things like, oh, they're needy.
Let's give there. God says, to whom doesn't have, even what they have will be taken and to who has, more will be given. So think about it. If you're operating under the principles of God with your money, causing there to be spiritual fruit, you better believe he's gonna give you more. Why wouldn't he?
That's like it's like, I would wanna give money to me if I were God if I'm doing the right things with it. Right? It's like, it's a no brainer. But we don't think that way. Like, we have to like remember like, man, when I'm operating in this, God is going to want to give me more.
It's gonna be challenging. It's gonna it's gonna cause me to like have to trust him more. It's gonna cause me to get out of my box a little bit. But but why wouldn't he want to give me more? It's not about getting more, it's about being 1 with the Lord.
It's about being on mission with him. It's about seeing what what it is that that that he's doing in this world and being a part of it. It's about bearing spiritual fruit so that when we get to the end of our life, we didn't say, I just wasted it all. I buried it. You know?
But instead, we're partnering with him and we get to live the adventure. I gotta tell you guys, it is an adventure to operate in these ways. It's an absolute adventure. There's nothing better than a faith walk. It's so fun.
It's what every movie was created It's it's the story of every movie. Okay? Every single movie, somebody has to do something because they believe in it. Right? And they have to and they have to risk it all.
It's like God has actually written it into the story of humanity. Give it all to the Lord. Put it all on the altar. Watch what he does with it. And then, keep walking.
Learn to manage the things he's given you. Learn to see what it is that he's doing and then and then partner with it. Okay? So imagine if we had churches filled with kings that understood this principle. So then the priest gets up and says, hey guys, *God*'s told me something.
We're gonna do x y and z. It's gonna be incredible. He's shown me a way that we can "win the loss" in this area, and that we can touch, and we can bring the kingdom in this area. It's gonna revolutionize the city, the state, the region, wherever whatever it is. And the kings go, that's it.
Because if God if God told him, then God will tell the king and it bears witness. And so, you join in together by faith, and then the 2 walk as 1, and we actually make an impact on this world. Right? I hope you guys are catching this. Because I because it's like so in me.
I love it. Why don't you come up, pastor David? I'm gonna give pastor David I thought, well, let me bring it back. Okay? Because what I want is for you guys, especially the kings in here, especially the people who are feeling called alive by this message.
I want you guys to hear the vision of real church. Okay? I want you guys to get the the experience that I got. Okay? And what that was is seeing the vision and then preparing myself to fill the gap.
Alright? So why don't you give us some some vision and some rundown?
Do you want me to share about Pakistan?
I think it's that'd be great. I think that's a great story.
Just a good example of the way that what he's talking about works is 7 years ago, before we even moved here, before we even thought about coming to a real church, 7, 8 years ago, I was praying, and God began to give me compassion for the nation of Pakistan. And and, you know, the Bible says if you ask anything according to his will, he hears you. And if you know that that he hears you, you know you have what you've asked. And so when he speaks to you and you know he's speaking, you begin to pray into that, you know it's gonna be answered. It's biblical.
And then a lot of times he uses you as part of the answer. So I just had this compassion for Pakistan, and I knew we'd be doing something there. Fast forward, we planted the church. God wouldn't let us to connect with Pakistan for for, like, 2 years. Behind the scenes, I'm building relationships and stuff.
Then all of a sudden, *God* shows me this 1 man, and we begin to build a relationship. Next thing you know, he's going to a place that there's no believers. And he asked to preach the gospel. We bring it to the leaders. We sow $500, faithful with a little, and people give their life to Jesus.
We begin disciple them. And and just listen to this. Me and his name is Daniel. We became really good friends. We've been to Pakistan twice since then.
But since then, that's over 2 and a half years ago, and we've and we've been a part of pioneering this work there. It's went from 1 man asking us to come there to well over 30,000 believers in over in over 1000 villages with 1,100 leaders that are leading and discipling new believers and going to to other villages that have been untouched by the gospel since. And we have been a part this church has been a part of pioneering it. It outgrew us. And so God brought in 30 30 30 third company, Aaron Christopherson, Chris Donald, some of you know them.
We're very closely partnered since they synergized with us. It expanded because it was way bigger than what we could pioneer and continue to maintain on our own. A lot of times in my life, since I was young, *God* gives me a picture of what's gonna happen and then lets me experience a little bit of it. And then after that, he sends me on a journey of developing the character necessary to carry the call and takes me away from it for a while to develop the character and teach me how to walk in the anointing, the power necessary to walk that out. And then he brings me back to it, and that becomes the normal.
Does that make sense? Pakistan was that. It was a picture of what this church is going to be a part of globally. There was a a prophetic word that was given 5 and a half years ago, almost 6 years ago now by by a guy named Royce. He's really close with with Bart Stamper back in the day.
And him I was I wasn't even we haven't even started the church yet. I hadn't even started building the teams. We had just moved here and been here for a few months. And I was on the phone with Royce and Bart, and Royce said, I got a word for you, brother. I see what you're doing, what God wants to do through you guys as like a hub.
He said, what what airport is your favorite what what airline is your favorite airline? I said, Emirates. Because I've been traveling a lot before I came here. And he said and it's it was just really nice back then. And he said, okay.
So Emirates is headquartered in Dubai. Think about that airport. *God*'s called you and what you guys are doing to be like that Emirates Airport in Dubai. He's gonna send people in in ministries from all over the world to come and get refueled and filled, and then he's gonna send them back out and send others from there all over the world. And that was a word that God gave me 6 years ago.
What he didn't know, I was in the middle of getting my doctorate in global evangelization. That was what it was titled when I signed up for it, that God led me to. He was I was in this process. The the things that we studied were the global mission of the church, global development, how to start, run, and lead nonprofits cross culturally all around the world, and global leadership. What does it look like to lead teams and bring cultures together in unity for the body of Christ?
So then we planted the church, and then God said, no. Do not connect with anybody, any of your contacts from the past, anything for 2 years because he's building a foundation. And then little by little, beginning to disciple the body. We begin to get more and more unified, more and more leaders coming together, things beginning to happen. And this whole first 4 and a half years have been God building a foundation.
Building the airport, if you will. How can you accomplish that crazy big vision of having an impact? My my I prayed the other day, and I was I was writing in my journal. Look at that. I would just love to be some kind of a part of making, like, some kind of a role, Lord God, of of making disciples of every nation.
Like, if our church could be be a part of receiving and building relationships and sending to every nation, how cool would that be? I mean, Rick Warren did it. And and why couldn't we just pray and think that big? I don't care. It's not like we're trying to do that now.
I understand that it's "1 step at a time". I understand that I get excited about all these big things, and that might be too big for you now. It doesn't matter. Let's pray, and and we're just gonna be obedient in the next baby step. He asked us to do that.
And if we're being obedient in the next baby step, well, then we're gonna we're gonna accomplish everything he's called us to do in the future. I'm just gonna be obedient even if it looks like it's going this way. And and there was another prophetic thing that God gave about 3, 4 years ago, and it was this. You you know how bamboo grows? You plant a seed.
And I'm not talking about the little seedlings you like, that that have already started growing. You plant a seed in the ground, and you water it. And after 3 days of making sure you prepare the ground, plant the seed, go back and water it, 3 days later, you know what you see? Nothing. So you do that every single day for 6 months.
And finally, after 6 months, you go back. You know what you see? Nothing. You do it for a year. And finally, after a year, you know what you see?
You do it? Okay. Finally, 3 years. You know what you see? Nothing.
Nothing. No thing. But every day, watering, going back after 5 years, finally, you see the first little sprout. And then within 6 weeks, there's 90 feet of growth because it took 5 years to develop the root system necessary, the structure, the foundation necessary to handle what God wanted to do in the bamboo. I believe that that's what God's been doing in this church for the last 5 years, and the foundation is set.
And I believe it's time for *God* to begin building, that God's gonna start building the airport, if you will, here. Pakistan, I believe, is gonna continue to do what it's doing. Like, there's more opportunity. There's other places that's gonna happen. And praise the Lord, he's given the the finances and continued to get the finances to be able to do that.
But now it's time for him to build the church in Pinellas County. Because how can we have a great impact in the world if we're not effectively discipling Pinellas County? If we're not effectively going in and making an impact in Clearwater and and Pinellas Park and Largo and Saint Pete and and and Palm Harbor and and impacting the different aspects of this city in such a way that that, man, disciples are being made, in a major way. And then as that happens, we become a a *city on a hill* where people say, wow. What is Jesus doing?
That's awesome. You know? 1 step at a time. There's a lot more to it. Okay?
I don't have all that time. As a matter of fact, come to establish. You wanna be a part of what God's doing in real church? This is just the beginning, guys. You have no this is just the beginning.
Go to establish because you'll understand the mission that God has given us and how that's gonna happen 1 "baby step at a time". It's important. I just wanna play the role that God's asked me to play with all my heart. That's it. And if God's called you to be a part of this church, you dedicate your life to playing the role he's called you to play in this body in line with the vision and mission that he's given us.
I don't know how long it's gonna take. I don't care because I just wanna be obedient and worship him, but it's gonna be amazing and a fun ride.
Amen. Thanks, man. Hey, Courtney. Thank you very well. Alright.
So we're wrapping up here. If this message was something that we're like, you kinda feel like, hey, man. I I feel like I'm actually being called to something like that. I felt like that's in me. I wanna begin operating in those principles.
If you really you know, I I think I think there's certain people in here that that's real that that that's really happening for. How about we all stand up? I would like to invite those people who want to be prayed for up to the front. It's just gonna be me praying over you. I'm not We're not gonna do 1 x 1 or anything.
But if you want an impartation of this idea, if this was something that connected with who you are and your vision, go ahead and start coming up. I'm gonna have some music in played and then I've got a couple I've got a couple words a couple words I wanna give to you. I was praying over the church and just like had a couple people and thoughts come to my mind, so I wanted to just give that real quick here. Thank you, Jesus. Is Esther somewhere?
Esther? Daniel, you know where Esther is. She's in the back? Okay. Esther, I think this I felt like God was showing me this was for you.
This message was for you. I think you have this anointing on you. I saw you taking notes and learning from people that are doing business and people that are operating in these principles. I think you're gonna I think God's gonna show you more and more growth than that. Is Deborah Palm here?
Oh, there you are. I know I know I know that you've told me you have this this on you. I think God wants to start activating your faith. Okay? Like get ready to like start hearing where you're gonna sow and what you're gonna be doing because because God has this for you.
He's inviting you to this. Okay? He's gonna begin to speak to you strategically about how to sow and start beginning to operate in faith. Mark Becker? Yeah.
I heard he considers a field and buys it. Okay? That's that's a playoff of she considers a field and buys it in Proverbs-31. I think God is gonna give you some strategic investments, so just be watching for it. That's just what that was the sense that I was getting from the Lord.
I see you kind of like adding the numbers and thinking about the numbers and and saying, this just seems like the right thing to do. This is this am I missing something? And God wants you to know that you're not missing something. He's gonna give you something like that. Is there anybody named Ian in here?
Anyone named Ian, raise your hand if you would. Alright. Well, with Ian, maybe it's somebody that's gonna listen later. Yeah. I just heard go and do likewise.
That's gonna rock Ian's world when he hears it. I'll tell you that. Robert. Did he come back up? Robert, are you there?
I thought you were sitting over there somewhere. Oh, there you are. Yeah. Robert, I just felt like the Lord was also giving you the widow's mite. He was calling you he was calling you to give something potentially that you don't think is worth very much, but but he he's telling you, he's gonna stop everything and say, look at what he gave.
Okay? So that's a good word. And then Bart, I got a word that you're gonna "sway nations". So I feel that you're gonna, have influence, and potentially, wealth and influence to be able to sway a nation in the right direction, and potentially nations. So that's a big word for a big man.
Why don't you guys just posture yourselves before the Lord? Holy Spirit, move on these people. They've come up in obedience to you knowing that this is a *calling* that you've drawn them into, Lord. I rebuke any negative thought about about money, Lord. We know we know that we're not called to "love money".
We know that we're not called to serve money. So I rebuke the thoughts that say this this this thing that you put in people were was bad to begin with. It was never bad. Not when it's connected to you. Not when Jesus, you're the head.
I pray people would start to open up confidence in the areas of finance. I rebuke the old abuses of finance that people have fallen into on accident. Lord, we repent of those, and we we come back to you and say, thank you, God, that this is an anointing that you've given your people for the mission of God to be completed. Worldwide revival will cost money. Discipling nations will take resources.
You have *resources* saved up and planted up for the people here who are ready to operate in this way, God. So I pray for an acceleration over these people, Lord. I pray for a new anointing over these people, Jesus, that they would begin to start operating in these principles, that they would trust that you are good, that they would be challenged in their faith, and start operating in faith. God, I pray for your your your voice to start speaking into their ears. Hey, I want you to do this.
Hey, I want you to sow that. Hey, don't give to that anymore. Pull that money back. Hey, bring your bring it into the to the house of the Lord. Hey, connect with this vision.
Holy Spirit, I pray you'd pour out your spirit on these people, that they would hear this, and start to operate in these things, God. I thank you, Lord, that you trust us. See, you know how weak we are. You know how prone we are to to fall in love with money, and that the and that the love of money, and the deceitfulness of wealth will choke out the fruit, God. I break that in the name of Jesus off of a real church, and I say that we do not actually love money, we love you.
It says, you own the "cattle on 1000 hills". Jesus, we know you own everything. So as sons and daughters, we will begin to operate. Just like you said to the older son, just like you said to the older son, you said, son, don't you know everything I have is yours? And some of and some of us have been waiting for parties to be thrown for us, or for resources to be given to us, and God is saying, don't you know everything I have is already yours?
In in the fullness of Jesus, when you took that communion, everything I have is yours. It's in you. So Jesus, we love you. We thank you, God. I pray that you would pour out *resources* to be able to fulfill your vision, to be able to fulfill the calling.
Just everybody's eyes closed. When we stayed in when we when when pastor David's talking about Pakistan, we did a we did a giving round, and we and we and we all had the opportunity to give at that moment. Okay? That seed that that was raised, we needed to raise $40,000, and I think Real Church gave something like 13, if I remember right. I I I can't remember.
Something like that. We had we had to raise $40,000. Other people ended up giving. Other people ended up partaking. If you ran the math, it worked out that for every $4 that was given, someone came to the Lord.
So you're being commissioned this morning. There's no stigma over raising wealth. You're being commissioned, because there's gonna be a moment, it's gonna come in pass, where God says, look, I'm doing this. Are you gonna give? Are you gonna partner?
He's calling you into this. He's calling you to do this. Let's go on a journey together. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
That's it, guys. You guys are released.