“Celebrating our giving – Top Billing”
John 6:9-12
John 6:9 (NET) “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?”
John 6:10 (NET) Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
John 6:11 (NET) Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.
John 6:12 (NET) When they were all satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.”
This morning I would like to speak a message that I believe the Lord has placed upon my heart.
I was torn between a few titles such as:
“Home Makeover”
Lifestyle of the blessed and fruitful
“Pasella”
“Top Billing”
But this morning I will go with the title “Celebrating our giving.”
We just read in the book of John how there was a crowd of hungry people and Jesus used the lunch of a lad to feed them. The lad had only 5 loaves and 2 fish but Jesus used it to feed over 5,000 people that were hungry.
Now as we look at this portion of scripture there are a few things that we can point out such as:
- How God used only a little to bless a lot of people.
- How the disciples didn’t think they had enough, but when they put it in God’s Hands it became more than enough.
- How the lad was willing to be unselfish and use his lunch to feed someone else.
This morning I would like to look at this portion of scripture on how you and I can celebrate our giving.
Let me explain to you what I mean.
Today there are a lot of people celebrating how they spent their money.
The talk about all the things they have purchased with their money.
There are even TV shows where people will take you around their house and show you all things that they spent a lot of money on.
Example:
There are T.V. shows where people will take you around their house and show you all that their money has bought them.
They take you to each room and explain how expensive each item is and how excited they are about spending a ton of money on that item.
In case you haven’t heard of them, we have shows like:
You have shows like:
- Pasella
- shows like Home Makeover.
- shows like Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous.
- shows like “Top Billing”
They say come in and let me show you around my house.
Let’s start off in the living room:
See my coffee table I paid R150,000 for that.
See that rug, I paid about R50,000 for that.
See that couch I paid R200,000 for that and you can’t get that no where else in the world. It is custom made.
Now let’s go to the garage:
See that Rolls Royce I paid R2 Million for that.
See that Sauna I paid R250,000 for that.
See that Jaguar I paid $2.5 Million for that.
They are celebrating all their Treasures and how much money they spent on each one.
One thing that I have noticed is when these people are showing you around their house, they are not bummed out or discouraged saying I didn’t want to buy that, but I guess I had to.
They are not walking around saying I didn’t want to pay that much for all this stuff, but since I had the money, I had to.
Nope…
They are excited and almost bragging about how they spent all their money on very expensive items in their house.
All the “Expensive Treasures and material things in their house.”
Come on now!!!
Can we bring it a little closer home?
Not only that but next weekend is payday weekend. Hello somebody.
There are going to be people who are excited about spending their money on some new things.
They are excited about spending their money on that:
1) New Flat Screen Tv.
2) Those New Takkis.
3) That New iPhone.
4) Maybe even a new Car.
5) or even making a payment on their new house.
I am not mad at them. It is their money, and they can celebrate.
It’s all good.
Get that Tv, get that car, get that watch, get that new phone or even get that house.
You go it’s your pay day. Do what you gotta do.
Rather it is people on tv celebrating about their 2R Million Couch or someone celebrating their new flat screen tv.
They are not bummed out saying I don’t want that new flat screen, but since I had the money I was forced to.
Nope they are Excited!!!
You don’t see too many people standing in line at the car dealer to buy a car bummed out and feeling like they are wasting their money.
You don’t see them saying all this car dealer wants is my money.
Hello.
You don’t see too many people on top billing saying this coffee table cost me 1R Million and it was a waste of money.
Nope they are excited. It seems like the more it cost them the more excited they are.
Just like the people on “Top Billing” are excited about spending their money on all kinds of things in their house.
Just like when it is payday weekend and people are excited about purchasing new things.
In John 6 we see the little lad’s lunch was used to feed over 5,000 people and like I said earlier, there are many things that we can focus on in this passage of scripture, celebrating what the lad gave to make a difference.
The little lad could have called all his friends together and said.
Yoohhh it was my 5 loaves and 2 fish that Jesus used to feed all the people who were hungry.
How many know as a kid you like to show your other friends when you get a new toy, get something new or you meet someone famous.
The lad could have been like wow, Jesus used my lunch to feed hungry people.
He could have taken a selfie with Jesus. Put it on his status and said look who used my lunch.
He could have explained to all his other little friends Let me show you how Jesus used my lunch:
- See that Family right there, Jesus used my lunch to bless them.
- See that person over there, Jesus used my lunch to bless them.
- See that group of people there, Jesus used my lunch to bless them.
Well can I bring it home to the people of God this morning.
You and I can have that same excitement about giving in the House of the Lord.
Let me explain to you what I mean:
Just like people on Top Billing show you how their money has been spent on expensive things in their house.
Just like people who get paid are excited to spend their hard-earned money.
Today I want to let Victory Outreach Church of Cape Town know that you have something to celebrate because of your giving.
Ok
You may not have purchased you a R1 million picture for the wall in your house, but it is more valuable than that.
You may not have purchased you R2 million Rolls Royce or Jaguar that is in your garage, but it is more valuable than that.
Your giving may not have been spent on a R150,000 watch or even a R5 Million house, butttt it is more valuable than that.
How is it more valuable?
Your giving has been spent on putting families back together.
Your giving has been spent of restoring kids to their Mom and Dad.
Your giving has been spent on giving someone back their dignity.
Your giving has been spent on reaching someone who was involved in gangsterism.
Your giving has been spent on someone who felt like they had no hope, but now they have hope.
Your giving has been used to reach treasures. I am not talking about worldly treasures, but I am talking about Godly treasures.
As a matter of fact, I am talking about “Treasures out of darkness.”
Just like people in the world get excited about spending their money and showing off what they bought with it.
You and I should be excited about our giving and how our finances have made a difference in the lives of people.
You may not be able to tell the camera man from “Top Billing” let me show you around my million-rand mansion.
You might not be able to say here is my car that I paid R5 million.
You might not be able to say see those handmade pillars they cost me R2 million each.
You might not be able to say see those cars in my garage they cost me a few million rand, butttt you can say let me show you all the “Treasures” that are in the House of the Lord today because of my giving.
As a matter of fact, let me show you around the House of God so you can see how my giving has made a difference.
Come over here camera man and make sure you get a good shot.
See that Family right there – My giving has been used to put families back together.
See that child right there – My giving has been used to restore kids to their Mom and Dad.
See that university student right there – My giving has been used to reach him when he felt like they he no hope, but now they have purpose.
See that young lady right there – My giving has been used to give her back her dignity.
See that young man right there – My giving has been used to reach him and he was involved in gangsterism, but now he is on fire for God.
( As a matter of fact he is a pastor)
Wait that is just the House in Cape Town.
There is also a house in Joburg, Pretoria, Mitchells Plain, Bloomfontein, East Rand and soon to be Weinberg.
Camera man follow over here and let me show some more treasures that my giving has reached.
• See that person right there in Jo Burg, they used to be lonely and hurting.
• See that family right there Pretoria, they were being torn apart, but now they have been restored and they are on fire for God.
• See that young man right there Mitchells Plain, he was involved in gangsterism, but now he is in the House of the Lord.
• See that young lady right there in East Rand she felt like she had no hope, but now she is a leader in the church.
• See that person right there in Bloemfontien, they were in and out of prison, but now they are a life group leader.
Is there anybody that says I might not be on the tv show Palessa.
I might not be on the tv shoe Home Makeover.
I might not be on the tv show “Top Billing”, but lets take a look around the house of God so I can show you all the treasures that are in the house of God because of my giving.
Is there anybody that is blessed and excited about how your finances is being used to put families back together, restore dignity, reach the hurting, and save the lost.
The world is bragging and showing off their treasures, but we can get excited even more because our finances are reaching treasures out of darkness.
I know we get excited about our finances going towards those new clothes, toward that new car, toward that new phone or toward those new shoes and I do to, but this morning I just wanted to encourage someone to get excited about how your giving has made and is still making in the lives of hurting people.
Your giving has made it possible for us to have our own church building.
Your giving has made it possible for us to send out churches in our region.
Your giving has made it possible to have our own radio show.
Your giving has made it possible to see mommies re united with their kids.
Your giving has made it possible for us to reach hurting people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your giving has made it possible for us to have a FREE recovery home in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
Wait should I say not only have a FREE recovery home but see men and women who were once bound to drugs, gangsterism and prostitution graduate our FREE recovery home.
As a matter of fact, we want you to see with your own eyes on how your giving has made a difference and show you why you have a reason to celebrate.
