Follow Me and Multiply

Yeah Bible this morning that invite you to take it out and begin to turn it to Genesis chapter 12, I became the pastor of this church 14 years ago, which seems like a really long time ago. The Bourne identity in the Harry Potter movie franchises had just begun. At that helps you track time a little bit, one of the craziest situations. My wife and I originally were convinced that God had called us to plant a church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her logic was God and lost people are everywhere, so why not live at the beach but God made so remarkably clear that the triangle is where we are supposed to be.

Since that time, we have grown passionately committed to the triangle. We feel like it is the best one of the best, the most strategic cities in the world to live in that that is not just our opinion by the way Raleigh-Durham varsity flex here is the fourth fastest growing city in America and it is projected by a recent United nation since the survey to be the fastest growing large city over the next 15 years in America. Actually, just to be clear, it's tied with one other city for fastest growing city for the next 50 years, not Charlotte but Charlotte, North Carolina, will always be inferior to us because we are the state capital value her that since Shelton mercy church or church wide in Charlotte, you better recognize where the capital is been a crazy journey for us for last 14 years, 14 years ago there were 300 of us who coveted covenanted together to do whatever God called us to do to prioritize the reaching of lost people who go to put comfort to our second place and we're gonna put our preferences second place and just say what we gotta do to reach the people to triangle shortly after that, God brought college students to our church which change the personality of our church forever. Think I'm told you the story before but one week we had five college students show up the next week we had 500 because college students travel in herds. I think they'll set up in three cars during that time, our tenants basically tripled and her weekly giving went up $13.48 today somewhere around 9000 of us gather on the weekends that were the nine different campuses of the summa church here in the triangle's only spent a few weeks talking about where we're going as a church, what God is doing in us as a community.

God has blessed us summa church we're going to ask the question of why it is he is blessed us in what he intends for us to do with that blessing. I'm going to present that same question over the next few weeks to you personally, when I ask you where and how has God bless you and what does he intend for you to do with that blessing you look at the life of Abraham, who was one of the most important figures in human history. It is hard to overestimate Abraham significance to human civilization. I think about this three major world faiths, which together account for more than half of the world population look to Abraham as the father of their faith. So even if you're not a believer. Understanding Abraham and his journey is essential to understanding human civilization today. Personally I love the story of Abraham because Abraham is a lie is a guy that light did not just happen to him. Abraham happen to life. He didn't just go with the flow. He stood against family and society and culture and literally redefined the future for all of us. I like people like that Abraham was a man who multiplied his life and in so doing, he gives us a picture of how God wants to multiply us and use each of us in the world but when Abraham's story begins. He's got nothing but a little tragic irony. In fact, how the writer sets up the life of Abraham. Abram's name literally means father but he 75 years old and he doesn't have any kids later on Lincoln's name to Abraham which means the father of many. In other words, Abram means that he Abraham means big daddy being a no kids is life is like a cruel joke. It's he seems to have this destiny written into him, but is nearing the end of his life and he's got nothing. It's almost like life is mocking him to commit as many of you that you're in the same's spot is Abraham. God is destined your life to have eternal significance.

Maybe it's not written into the name that people call you, but it's in your heart you know that God has created you to have any turtles significantly impact, but many of you look around you. You don't see it happening yet Abraham is going to have to walk a path toward significance of multiplication and it is the same path that you're gonna have to walk also.

Whether your younger middle-aged or old.

I know that many of you yearn for this.

You want your life to make a difference. You don't want to just go through life and feel like I just amounted to nothing over the years.

One of my favorite stories that really kinda captures this is the account be account of the crazy flight of a guy named Larry Walters who lived in California and went out to the Army, Navy surplus store and bought 75 used Army weather balloons so that he could in the way his own words in this article so that he could observe the neighborhood from a slightly different perspective and so on the fateful day he gets in the lawn chair. He would help of a few friends unties the rope so he can no cut out go up to the altitude, we can see the neighborhood. He takes with him a sixpack of beer a BB gun and a peanut butter sandwich 2 1/2 hours later, the Los Angeles international Airport reported an unidentified flying object at 12,547 feet 300 miles from where he began his journey, Larry Walters, the pilot of the 737, who radioed in what you he saw. He says well I'm not quite sure how to report this, but I see what looks like a perfectly still figure lying in his in a lawn chair.

I'm not sure. I think he might be dead.

You probably need to send somebody appeared and take care. This, by the way he has a rifle what his friends tell us he had intended on doing was he thought that when he untied the rope that he would sort of lazily saunter up to a nice altitude at which point he would take the BB gun and he would shoot the balloons to keep them at the proper altitude that he does peanut butter sandwich drink his beer. Have a great afternoon. Then pop the other balloon so that he could slow her back down and went back down the grip look at possibly go wrong with that plan, and his friends say that he didn't lazily saunter up to a nice altitude. It said they said that when he untied the rope it look like you been shot out of a cannon and so he did. Even at that point he was so afraid he didn't want to shoot the balloons of the body, turned himself over so we did the only thing he knew how to do a stressful situation and that is drink beer and so we passed out as a blood alcohol level all that doing so he that's why you got in the situation is well him in the end with a rescue stunt that would've made Chuck North proud of the Los Angeles international Airport police set up a couple helicopters somehow managed to lasso Larry and get them in the one of the helicopters didn't back down on the tarmac revive him. The first people to confront Larry were not the reporters wrote the story about the police who issued Larry a ticket for the obstruction of airport traffic to the tune of $4000 that he would later get a plea bargain reduced to 1500 hrs., but that's still awesome.

The second group of people to get the Larry were the reporters and they asked Larry three questions question one is Larry. Were you scared and Larry said yes. I was very afraid. Question number two.

Larry would you do it again and Larry said no I would not do it again. That's how we know by the way he was in North Carolina@scared. I do that again. That's exactly what when our boys would've said question number three this Larry is Larry why did you do it.

Why did you do it and Larry said I just got tired of always sitting around now. Undoubtedly, there are some of the details of that store that probably grown with Internet legend, but the core of the story is true. I know I read in an article on the Internet but but I've always thought that what Larry said there captures how many people feel in their lives. They just tired of sitting around and I just want to get to the end of the life and feel like your life. This accounted for paying bills and and just kind of recycling everything that's the end of all that they did is the end of all that they did.

You want your life to eternally house.

I know that that's how I feel and so Abraham to give you a path that shows you what that looks like Genesis 12 people is where people start Abram stories Genesis 12. It really begins back in Genesis 11, so scroll back up just a couple verses a look at Genesis 11 is the story of the Tower of Babel, the Tower of Babel was a project that symbolized humanity's rejection of God. The building of the tower was their Declaration of Independence from God and represented humanity's wholesale worship of idols.

In other words, spiritually. This was a very dark age. There is one family line that belongs to God only one.

The descendents of Shem. But by the end of chapter 11. They live in a place of idolatry called and they're just consumed by the compromise to it. The final guy in this line.

Tara has one son Abram and Abram is childless. In other words, this looks like the end Tara's name me in Hebrew means literally moon which was a Hebrew metaphor for the end. It's like saying the caboose. Furthermore, in where they live people worship the moon to the fact that Tara is named moon means that his family had succumb to the idolatrous climate, and they become idolaters themselves so as Genesis 11. In the last candle seems to be flickering out, the only godly family on earth has capitulated to idolatry and they don't have any more kids. The darkness is about to completely swallow up the light and there's no double 12 verse one now the Lord said to Abram go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you and I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and I will make your name great, you will become a blessing and in you Abraham. All the families of the earth shall be blessed in the midst of this great darkness.

God calls a man who barely even knows who God is and one who is childless, the boot and tells him that he's going to make from him a great nation of people who will worship and follow God and bless the whole earth with the knowledge of God that is a promise that you and I inherited because you seem to make a long story, really short one of Abraham's descendents was Jesus Christ, I invite you to make the whole Old Testament really short in one sentence and that is one of Abraham's descendents would be Jesus Christ and in Christ God was going to offer salvation of the world, and we who are in Christ are now commissioned to bless the world by taking the news about Jesus to all the families of the world. This is really interesting in Matthew's Gospel the first gospel in our New Testament is where we get the clearest expression of the great commission, which is the commission of the church to preach the gospel in all nations. Matthew opens up that gospel by tracing the family line from Abraham to Jesus.

In other words, the great commission is an extension of the promise given to Abraham. So Abraham's promise becomes our promise. His command becomes our command and how he responded to that promise and command serves as a model how you and I respond to God's promise in our lives right and so Abraham's experience is going to ask you three questions that you need to ask about your own life here is questionable.

One am I really following God really following God.

This is a question about who is really in charge of your life are you in charge that you and you let God be an influence in your life and the influence you do, do good, not bad or is God the one who owns your life. Last week we talked about it, is offering a blank check to God a blank check which means no restrictions, no limitations. All I am all I have. All I ever hope to be.

I offer without reservation now and forever to you God to do whatever you want with it with one of the ways we say around here is you put your yes on the table and you let God put it on the map you see God's command Abraham listen to this was intentionally open-ended, go to the land that I will show you later in Abraham's is really going to got his own ass that I think I later in God say Rance is a God, we tell Mama have a kid house. I got work as I'm 75 alive 60 because of them I can answer that either.

I love how John Calvin summarized Abraham's interaction with God is is is God suspect Abraham is close your eyes and take my hand. I love that city.

Just close your eyes and take my and God. What about this house go to work in these is just close your eyes and take my hand. I cease so many people who are unwilling to do this because when God starts to work in their lives as he does in many of your lives in God because the called and they got all these questions.

It was all God if I surrender everything to you recommit me go Megan out to become a missionary drive to change careers.

What they might have to break up with my boyfriend. What if you tell me to change some part of my life that I don't know how to change or don't want to change yet God and Megan become one of those annoying people who put bumper stickers on their car and tells everybody to have a blessed day and who self righteously correctly what Chris with Tom and they say happy holidays cannot say no it's Merry Christmas and I can become one of those people got on will be one of his people. I should try to answer this question for people and they would ask me until I realize that it was usually just people wanting to know where God was going to take them before they agreed to follow him. In other words, they wanted to follow God without relinquishing the driver succeed in their life and that's an impossibility. God doesn't come to you to say hey let me be a good influence, and then you can decide in a minute if you want to follow this lease as you, and you agree to follow or you don't come at all, didn't come to you to serve as an onboard navigation system or suggestions you can take or leave as you choose becomes, is the new car owner shortly after we got married, my wife and I had an argument in our car, I was one of the first one of her first marriage fights and after a few moments of awkward silence because she disagreed with something that I thought we should do and come up with your most awkward solids of thought of something about what this will be cuteness to relieve the tension. Did you know I think our marriageable lot better if you become like my other favorite woman in the world.

She said he was out of the little British lady that lives in my dashboard or navigation system because when she makes a suggestion to me and I don't take her suggestion. She doesn't get mad, she just kinda sighs and says recalculating house like if you would do that with me you give me a suggestion about that. You don't get mad just recalculate that was not the greatest thing to say in your marriage.

I would not suggest it on. God does not come to give us suggestions and then recalculate based on your response becomes for total surrender and we always want to know the what to wear in the house of God's will and God's is all you need to know is that who you ask and what, where, and how God's is a mother tell you that I just want you to follow because I'm God is close your eyes and take my now let me point out one of the thing before going to number two never seen it before. In this passage and found it this week and I wanted to really help talk furloughs were talking about. This is a decision you gotta make personally. Here's why I say that I'm eagerly in the Chapter 11. What you find. What this is that Tara Abrams father actually begin the journey. He brought the five the family out for an and brought them toward Canaan were Abraham was going to go but he stopped at Herat. It was like the halfway point. And so, in Genesis 12 opens Abraham and God are in conversation and got a saying I want you to go and Abram says, but you know we were become halfway none of the family wants to go there like a Ron we want to stay here and you literally what God says in Genesis 12. If you transliterate from the Hebrew what it literally says is been go yourself out. In other words, get out yourself is basically what God says that Abraham, the point is, listen to this at some point you to make your own decision to follow God.

It's not enough to be in a Christian family is not enough to be attached to a Christian movement here.

The summit church were trying to do a lot in God's mission.

My question for you is are you personally engaged in it. You see, we did a church survey recently that revealed something really encouraging about our church. The majority of you, the vast majority are really excited about what we're doing as a church and where were going right here was what was less than encouraging not nearly as many of you are personally engaged in what we are doing.

People love to watch our videos or hear me talk about what I love to hear stories about people, the know Jesus yeah orphan care prison ministry mission trips volunteering and I sure hope other people keep doing that suing TB stories, God does not reward you for associating with the right group. You can't piggyback on our engagement in the mission. You have to do it yourself movements by definition move and if you're not moving personally you're not part of the movement even if you sit here every week. Are you engaged in the mission, because the choice to multiply your life is a personal choice that you have to make and act on number two second question presented Abraham as what is your security where's my security she got was not calling Abraham to make God a part of his life or to add a few tweaks to his morality. He was calling him to a whole new basis of security in life you can see that it what he asked Abraham to leave in those days, your family connections in your land that was everything to be the equivalent of God asking us to renounce her education walk away from our career in and and walk away from our extended family. The question that it presents to you is are you willing to put everything on the table. Even those most precious things to you are former missions pastor was a got incurred Allen. He and his wife Hillary drew on the clock about 10 years ago they said here is a: normal triangle family. They had two kids and they work. He had a great job in a large company with a lot of room to continue to grow. It was an executive is make a lot of money when God began to do the unthinkable. With him here at our church in the put on his heart all these unreached people groups around the world and never heard the gospel and he said this sounded crazy, you might as well tell me that I needed to raise you to Billy goats in my backyard are about that stretch for some of you, but how to raise wild elephants in my backyard i.e. cities and just had a crazy to me this is my wife are wrestling with this and Hillary. His wife would later write a book called sent which we sell here. The church is a great book about the story and she says that all can go ahead.

She said in one sermon at the summit church. She is our pastor, me was preaching and he did some of the end of the sermon that I thought was really cheesy, which is infinite. She said that vintage transformed our lives.

She said it she said at the end of the service.

He said he had the whole church. I have the whole church take your hands and extend them like this.

And in their mind put in their hands, that thing which was most precious and most important to him, which they held onto for security to put in their mind into their hands and she said for me. I knew it was my husband and my children.

That was my life for Kurt for her husband. He's putting his career in there.

It's not that he didn't love his wife and kids before him. His ability to take care of his family. That was what was most important.

And he said I asked them to take her hands in the class them around that object symbolic about tightly.

They hold onto it is, how important is she said now didn't ease that I said, imagine Jesus coming to you and asking you to unclasp your hands in your control on that think she said that when I said that. She said I could not class my hands Ida started to squeeze tighter because I couldn't imagine ever letting go and she's about to squeeze her tight bit was no more blood left in my hands. She said, and right then to Marianne.

I just force myself and said okay. Got you can control this and even this is on the table. Everything I am everything I have everything I hope to be, to put under your full complete discretion occur did that with his career and she said that's with God begin to just remove radically change our lives to take us and the people who begin to bless the world through what we were doing and following him.

Have you ever opened your hands on everything in your life. Have you given God's surrender of those things that you hold onto for security years are, you know what you hold onto for security. It's that area that you won't obey God in its that area. Reisinger gotten a lot of talk about that know God will give me suggestions here know God, you can't say anything there because I've got this and I'm not going to let is he the basis of your security and do you show that by your obedience number three. Have I offered my blessing back to God to be multiplied first kingdom you offer your blessings by the GottaBeMobile first kingdom because usually becoming up Christ follower means viewing everything in your life is something given to you by God to be multiplied for his kingdom is a key passage were going to go in and out of for the next several weeks. The second grimace.

Chapter 9 verse 10 where the apostle Paul says one who supplies seed to the sower God will supply and multiply your seed first sewing question. Listen, according to that verse. Why has God multiplied and increased your seat. There's one reason.

What is it is for sewing. That's right.

Why does God increase your capacity is to give you a larger reach to be able to impact and bless the world with the blessing of Abraham.

That's why using is two things you knew this, the most needs most seed, you can grind up the food make grain.

That's how you make bread he didn't see you grind it up and produce red or you take a seat and you can plan around it produces more bread. Why does God increase the seed that he gives you is it so that you can just create more bread know it is so that you can multiply what he's given you so that he can feed the world, with the blessing of salvation. God is a rich giver. God loves for you to benefit from what he gives you listen to this God is not bless you and increased use of that you could increase your standard of living is less increased use of you could increase your standard of giving. That's exactly what Paul says there not know some of the way to meditate on the really blessed financial Emily struggling to my life is built on the difficulty I don't care who you are, God has put things in your life that he intends for you to multiply the woman that Jesus told the story about who was only had two mics to her name to my swing 2/8 of a penny.

She brings that the goddess she says God, here it is you gonna multiplied and Jesus said she gave more than all the rich people combine because she just taken what she hadn't said got it all belongs to you how you want to multiply. If God is put pain in your life God intends for you to multiply the blessing that comes through that pain by turning in the testimony of God's goodness and his faithfulness in the time of trial. You see what it means to be a Christ follower as you say, God, if you give me prosperity all leverage that prosperity for the advance of your kingdom.

And if you give me pain and I'll turn my pain into a testimony of your goodness and faithfulness in the worst situations in life in the Christian life. Nothing is wasted. Everything that God gives to you can be multiplied for his kingdom and pulses of what God is doing in your life and when you do that when you begin to multiply. It will increase the harvest. He says your righteousness, you will be enriched in every way to be saved or together, generous in every way which through us is going to produce thanksgiving to God because you give yourself to be multiplied. Listen to this, other people will start that they can worship God because what you did some church did you know that in the last three weeks, our churches baptized 340 people here in the drive 340 people, probably to celebrate that there are 340 people that are beginning to think God, many of them for the first time because you enlarged your capacity to be able to reach people.

I got the coolest letter from a family week or so ago I'm told me that the whole family got baptized the dad wife with kids. They said God is been working our life in the summa church years transformed our lives. These put our family together. He's healed some old wounds.

He is doing a CD it is he's giving thanks to God because you have enlarged your capacity.

Our missions pastor told me this weekend that listen to this in the last six months church planting teams. We sent overseas have planted 30 no should be 20 churches in the last six months that baptized over 400 people, many of those in people groups were prior to our being there to warn us that there was not a single believer. He told me about one of them in central Asia. Specifically, in the last six months has baptized 38 new believers and prior to the summa church thing going. There was a single believer in the entire people group their people this morning. Listen worshiping with us together. On the other side of the world who are learning to think God for his salvation and for the blessing of Abraham because you took what God gave you and you multiplied its you see, God puts in front of Abraham. God puts in front of a very stark choice. It is a choice that he puts in front of you and that choices this hold on to what you have, you will end up empty offered without restriction. The mean you'll be filled both you and the world around you if you want to live a nice tidy safe life without ever leaving your comfort zone. You not to be of much use to anybody, but if you will open your hands on all of it to God, he will use it beyond your wildest expectations. Now I told you that there were two major points of application for this one.

I miss you personally. The other one is to us in our church as a church, so are our team is put together in an incredible presentation, where God has brought us in the opportunities he's put in front of us to multiply. So to check it out giving the boxer is always, we remember that we do the saturated life remembering everything else. If you serve him in our together we are one member of our bodies and how we only send out relationship seeking opportunities to demonstrate the same place first, because of his great love displayed nice sufficient given the spread using the resources given to others is grateful for all that God is the summa church changed forever the power to overwhelm the Lord long has we relaunched our churches, the summa church in 2002.

We had 300 people committed to putting everything on the table before God just asking what would God do through us here we are almost 14 years later and there's more than a few hundred of us.

In fact, I since that relaunch we've seen over 4000 people baptized just a couple years ago we had more than 11,000 people together durables ballpark whose lives have been changed by the gospel, given up everything to follow Christ we can we see around 10,000 people in one of our different campuses to worship claimed Jesus Christ. Many of these people.

We sent out from her church to plant new churches, some of them here in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and carry on others. We sent throughout our country from Denver to Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, Boston, New York and and and really everywhere in between.

We've also sent out many of our members to reach the nations.

We now have 92 church plants outside of the United States with more than 200 of our current Summit members that are living and serving on one of those overseas teams.

These are, by the way, some of the most remote and most unreached places on the planet. There's a lot to celebrate from our past, but we need to look ahead and what God is going to do in the future and we need to ask God is a God of the present he is a God in the future, and so this fall were coming to God again. You put everything on the table before him again to ask what does he want to do through us see our God multiplies everything that we get back to him. The ears of the apostle Paul said in second brilliance God who supplies seed to the so and bread for food supply. Multiply the scene.

He's given the eyes for sewing and by so doing you will increase the harvest of our right. Paul tells us we will be enriched in every way, to be generous in every way which which our generosity is to produce thanksgiving to God for mother, that's what we call in this new season multiply. This is how God works.

God generously gives to us everything we have in our very lives to give it back to him. He takes that scene seem to be multiplies it not just enrich so that his kingdom can be enriched in every way by his grace, get taken been in prison about six years as many nights that pinnacle of miles and I prayed the prayer is not like to have a value that nobody could ever sit who are words and what I've done the garden a second chance, he did it to the people.

Some church that's when I think my life took a shift and begin to change into for the better. Seen people coming into being just mandate a certain refers my sponsor.

Him his family and his wife embracing honestly can't say where the gifts God when interviewing my sponsor Carrie and his wife Amanda, died in my place will now know what the meaning of that really means I will and I and my science panel, containing five and one of the changes he wrote one time I went to Mount tomorrow and in this instrument and help me see Christ. We were just what more could be my friend and then Frank and I church where we serving the church that we live and see Christ in awesome summa church Saturday for service over 379 Cuba said that I can view them as a cure start crying that woman. I feel like a like a confess my sin and say I decided to start with and there are many factors I think the primary meditation response. You know nothing. There is not easy. Sacrificial we really see things that we are doing everything on God calls us to live initially during this season. We hope to multiply two primary ways multiply deep, multiply wine, multiply individuals and families grow deeper in discipleship during the season for multiply deep we are setting a financial goal $30 million over the next two years. Multiply divas and allow us really be the church primary areas. First, in our adult discipleship, small groups, and other ministries for people at all life stages. Second, to our family ministries. What we disciple and minister to children middle school students, high school, college students, third to the weekend worship experience itself gathered to hear the word of God and to celebrate God's grace together to worship in one body of people to come together to glorify him together and forth through our supported ministries.

By that I mean the finance facilities and human resource teams to do the incredible work behind the scene to mobilize and catalyze ministry discipleship efforts at every single campus and some church the other party multiplies, multiply wine.

We want to multiply wider by reaching people in our community that don't yet know God or his love were sitting multiply wide goal of $20 million 12 million of that will expand our capacity to reach Raleigh-Durham through several new opportunities as we want to make a name for ourselves Empire, but because because most of our neighbors, coworkers, many of our friends still no eternally, transforming and saving gospel of Jesus Christ first replanted to build a new 1800 C campus to serve as a broadcast facility in western wake County, which is the fastest growing area, and the most diverse area of the triangle.

Also we plan to build new 900 C campus in the apex area so that the carry campus can reach Carrie apex, Holly Springs, and in the southern part of wake County also looking at purchasing land so that our North during campus can have a permanent facility home there. We are launching a new campus as well and Alamance County as well as a summary campus and in the way correctional facility. The other $8 million of multiply wide is going to go to to mission efforts outside of the summa church and beyond Raleigh-Durham.

Your church planting efforts throughout North America and really throughout the whole world. We hope in God's grace to sin. 75 more of our members to live overseas and the plan another 90 new churches were also planning to send out at least 250 people to 12 new North American church plants. Additionally, we want to connect the thousand new people to serve on local outreach teams right here trying us altogether.

That means we set a goal to raise $50 million in the next two years.

This is a one fund initiative, meaning all of our giving goes toward everything we do as a church. It's all one mission.

So it's all one budget, but that goal that $50 million goal is only our secondary see our primary goal. My primary goal for is your pastor is for every single one of us of the summa church to go before God and have a life-changing encounter with as it relates to our generosity. God made her money. God is not. After a bank account got all the money the resources he could ever need. What God is after is us putting him first in our hearts and in our priorities, which certainly wouldn't finances summa church. This is never been about us never been about what we want to do all that we can accomplish about what he wants to do what he can do for the past 14 years we have operated according to basic number one do whatever it takes to reach people to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Everything that we have done has been an attempt to pursue those two things summa church. I believe God is calling us forward again in pursuit of these things challenging us to take what is given eyes that see and sent to to allow him to multiply beyond anything we could ever have hoped or imagined, and by God's grace. I know the seal work that produces Thanksgiving and others as Christ power works within us to accomplish amazing things. Mind blowing things eternally significant things by him for him to him and through him for the glory of his name. This church in this communion around the world forever. I think that's exciting chance to celebrate summa church. We believe that the greatest days and some of the side got right in front of us. Let me take my last just for five minutes here to explain you why it is that were doing this, how we do it from very one very simple reason God has blessed us as a church and with that blessing comes the responsibility for us to multiply it and use it so that more people can begin to rejoice in God's grace we can extend the promise and the blessings of salvation we live in a Very Strategic Pl. in God's place is here this time for a purpose and want to be faithful in our response to that to those of you who might say that you know I just don't like it when churches talk about anything that has to do with money. I don't judge you for saying that. Honestly, if I were in your place on my be saying the same thing. What I want to explain to you is that what I'm going to teach over the next few weeks is not primarily about money. It is about us responding with our whole lives or time or treasure in our talents and say God. It all belongs to you and I wanted to be multiplied for you.

I trust you with that. You're the owner of a what you want to do it. I'm that's what the next few weeks are going to be about. It's going to ask three of the most important discipleship questions you are you really surrendered to what following Jesus.

Is he really your trust so that you can do whatever he tells you to do and are you using what he is giving you for the purposes of his kingdom and not your own.

I'm here is why I say it's not primarily about money. I think you guys is all that I listen it's because God doesn't really need our money. God is not in heaven with all these plans that he just wants to get done, but we need to spot them a few dollars so that he can get what he does needs done on earth.

God is never needed money from us. That's not what it's about what God does takes his people. He turns them into disciples who live for his kingdom and trust him and follow him and he uses them to multiply their effect throughout the world. That's what God wants to do with us and that's why in the video I talked about the primary goal. The secondary goal. Secondary goal is that we get the resources we need to go where we feel like God is telling us to go. The primary goal is that every single person that is a part of the summa church would take a gigantic step forward in in in being means surrendering to God and in and trusting him in and multiply what God is given in for the kingdom and how they engage in the mission. That's the primary goal.

But here's what I've said it to certain people. If there is a bazillion error in you know the audience right now who walked up to me as soon as the services over and says to me hey you know what man I really love what you're doing.

I'm in a place and take care all your financial need and over the next 10 years. Here's a check right after $50 million for the next two years if somebody did that we would still do what we are about to do together as a church to go through this because we would've met our secondary goal, but not our primary goal. Our primary goal is not meeting some financial need to.

God has our primary goal is that every single one of us would would learn to respond his disciples by using the sea that is given to us for solely to those of you might say, well, you and I thought we done this before, a few years ago we did the whole all in paying them and I'm engaged now and I'm giving what you don't notice about again the elders again listen last time we did this thing about us the last time we did this 30 403,400 new families begin to give to the ministries of the kingdom of God for the very first time. The last time we did this since that time we've added somewhere around 3000 people in average weekly attendance. Since we began that. So if you are already engaged, won't you be excited to have that new group join us. Should we give them that opportunity. And if you have been here for a while and you're already engaged when you let God do what I'm asking my family to do what I'm leaving my family. Do we let God really challenge you again to reevaluate whether you are following him with your trusting him what you really are liver living for his kingdom me tell you my experience with this and I say this gently but hundred percent accurately.

People who have honestly saw the will of God about this part of their lives honestly saw the will and a really surrendered, they never mind when we talk about this. It's people who are not surrendered to God and don't really trust God there that want to get really uptight about it. I would think about like you get to guys that are supposed to be digging a ditch ones out of the ditch digging the other was set on the side would eliminate the foreman yells at him you got back to work.

The guys in the ditch.

Nevermind you saying that if the guy was of their Greek eliminate people want to get all offended. We got on the ditch is like.

Thank you because uptight me not here by myself.

I realize that it's never comfortable to call you to sacrifice.

It's not comfortable for you.

It's not comfortable for me but listen Jesus said if you want to follow me to pick up your cross daily, if not some you do one time is something you gotta do daily. You Paulson, you can become a living sacrifice. Here's the deal with living sacrifices that the Catch-22 sacrifices are usually dead sacrifices living. It tries to keep getting off the altar and so what we do is which we we we tended to try to angle our lives toward the pursuit of comfort and God says if you follow me, the pursuit is the cross daily want you to pick up your cross with something that we've got to continually call ourselves to to say God what you've given me is not been given to me for me alone is been given to me for the purposes of blessing the world of the extension of your kingdom. If you're somebody says well I dislike churches should never talk about this.

Let me ask you an honest question.

I got a pretty self, how do you think the mission goes forward as you hear the gospel, you probably heard it from somebody like me in a church or you heard it through somebody that was trained by the church. We always say you see, you don't give to the church you give through the church to the mission. Again I say this gently, and humbly, but I would guess that if you think the church should never say anything about this and should never say anything about your role mission. It's probably not a real objection on your part is probably just a smokescreen for you, not wanting anybody including God to challenge you with the point where your lease surrendered to the point your greatest title, will you let God have free reign to speak to you here for the next the next several weeks, or are you gonna walk out of here and close your heart to him Summit.

I believe that what we are about to go through is to change us as a church. Not only is it going to extend our impact in reaching our city. It's been a change us as a people we have a chance to revolutionize the city for the gospel of God already beginning to do it. We have a chance for God to teach us again. What really means for us to follow him what it means to live with reckless abandon and have our lives make an eternal difference. I want to challenge you is just a follower of Jesus begins not about the church as much as it is about you saying God here is who I am. Here's what I have I don't answer the pastoral into the summer church I answer you. So what do you want from me and how do you want to multiply me.

Why did you give me what you've given me and how you bless me what am I supposed to do with that many of you, just real quick.

A couple specific things and when asked for the next several weeks.

I would like to ask that if you're part of our church that you be here every single week for the next month. Here's why say that I miss in your my culture and part you I'm just like you are have it is you come a couple weeks and you take a week off. You need a break become a weekly take a couple weeks off and assist, we do. I am not judging before the next month. I love you to be here every single week.

Not because I think the sermons are to be particularly spectacular.

But because God is doing something he speaking to us as a church and I want you to be here ask to experience that. I want you to miss anything in the progression of how things unfold.

So when I ask you make the exception and I want you just a sample to be here for the next the next month is going to culminate on November 21 and 20 seconds of the we are calling commitment weekend were we as a church are going and I are going to respond together to say yes Lord, we are here. We know that you're doing something in us more ready to respond and say were willing to go where you American elitists were going to follow.

Are you willing to pray this prayer for the next five weeks.

God multiply me got I'm ready to follow wherever you lead. Let me conclude by tell you why it is why we can have the confidence to do this. Here's why listen what Abraham was asked to do in Genesis 12 and did imperfectly he falter easier to see him stumble alive and fall on his face a lot. What he did. Imperfectly, Jesus would come one day and do perfectly see Jesus Christ was asked to go out alone, leaving his father's house a place of real security and go into the unknown and Jesus did so gladly for you.

Jesus became utterly homeless, utterly fatherless so that you can have a permanent home real home in a heavenly father.

When you understand that the one calling you to follow is the one who left everything for you sitting you'll have the motivation and the courage to leave it all for him. You can find that you will. You can let go of your little securities for him because you have ultimate security and him you can say is often tell you to say in Christ. I can give up all that I have because in Christ. I have the promise of all that I will ever need Christ sacrifice for you will become the motivation for you sacrificing for him in your security and him will become your confidence to risk everything that he asked in his name for him. Are you willing to pray that prayer God multiply me.

I'm ready to follow you wherever you lead. Once you bow your heads. If you would. Here's all wants to respond today. A lot of times we respond by singing praise back to gobbet today were going to respond, at least at first I just praying by offering ourselves to God.

Are you going to pray that God multiply me. I'm ready to follow wherever you lead. Multiply me. I'm ready to follow wherever you lead what you just take a moment to process this and pray is a God, give me the courage multiply faith in me so that I can multiply wide in the world just a second. You keep your heads bowed your campus pastors in the colonies gonna lead you as you continue, we can continue to pray about how God is going to multiply our church and its ministries in our community but you take a minute and say this verse God multiply faith in me multiply love of the gospel in me in your campus pastoral,