Hallelujah! It reaches to the highest mountains, and it flows to the lowest valley. It's the blood that has power. Come on, sing it like you really know the power in the blood. It reaches to the highest. And no matter where you're at, it flows. Come on, one more time. Come on, it reaches. I can't hear you, Centennial!
Come day from day to day, whether I'm up or rather I'm down, it will never lose its power.
2nd Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verses 6-11. In the English Standard Version of God's Word, it reads something like this: Paul says, "For the point is this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
As it is written, "He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Father, thank you for this opportunity to stand behind this, your sacred and holy desk, to do your work and your will. Not my will, Lord, but your will be done. Let every word be thine and not mine. God, I pray that you would consecrate me now into thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine. Let my soul now look up with steadfastness, and in this preaching moment, Lord, let my will be lost in thine. God, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, my God, my strength, my rock, and my redeemer.
For the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord shall stand forever. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen and amen.
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. I want to use for a subject this morning: God will provide. God will provide no matter what you're going through or have been through. God will provide.
If you came to shout this morning, I pray you already did it. You may not shout at this, but God will provide. One of the most recognizable and remembered scriptures in all of the Bible is John 3:16. You could be watching a football game, and inevitably somebody will be standing in the stands with a sign reading John 3:16.
John 3:16 reminds us that God will provide. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God's ultimate show of love for us was done by his giving. God saw that human flesh needed to be redeemed, and he loved us so much that he didn't want us to perish, so he gave to us the very best he had in sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to walk among us in earthly flesh but also to die for us that we might have a right to the tree of life and a way to get back to him.
In other words, our sin separated us from God, but Jesus dying on the cross was the bridge for us to get back to God. God has shown us that there are blessings in giving. I would imagine that all of us know someone who is, how can I put this nicely, not the most liberal person you know when it comes to giving. They are stingy. They don't like to share. They don't like to help anyone, and if they have it and you don't have it, that's your problem, not theirs.
They do all they can do to hoard whatever it is they have, and in case of a rainy day, they won't throw anything away. They won't give anything away. They don't want anybody to ask them for anything, and if you do have to ask them, it is the most painful conversation you are ever going to have in your life because although they have it to help you, they don't want to help you because they're, somebody said cheap. I said stingy.
They want to hoard everything to themselves, and they don't really care about anybody else. God doesn't want us to be stingy. He doesn't want us to be cheap. God wants us to be liberal in how we give, and I believe that all of us are givers in one way or another, but I want you to know that giving is a matter of the heart.
Giving is a heart thing. It's not a hard thing. It's a heart thing. It's not the size of what you give that makes a difference, but it's the heart in which you give it that makes all the difference in the world. When Jesus was in the temple one day, he was watching all the rich people come and drop all the money in the plate, and he was watching them, and this one widow comes with two little pennies, and she drops those two little pennies in the plate, and Jesus says, "Wow! She's giving more than all the rest of them."
The disciples said, "What you talking about? That man put five thousand dollars in the plate. What are you talking about?" Jesus said, "She gave all she had, and she gave it with a good heart."
See, we got to get to the place where we understand that giving is a heart thing. When we give with a good heart, then the gift is always going to be what God wants it to be. See, the issue with Cain and Abel was not the size of the gift; it was the heart in which the gift was brought to God. Abel gave a sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock. He gave the first fruit of everything that he had. He brought the very best offering that he could bring to God, but Cain just got something together, slopped it together, and said, "Here, God."
He didn't give God his best. He didn't give God the offering from his heart, and God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's offering. Cain became so jealous that he killed his brother because of his offering.
I want you to know that when you give from a good heart and you give the very best you can, there are going to be some people who try to stop and block you from being a blessing, and you cannot allow yourself to listen to the naysayers. You have to continue to do what God has called you to do. There's always going to be somebody that's jealous of what you've done for God.
If I were you, I wouldn't put anything in it. I wouldn't put anything in it. I wouldn't put anything in that church. If I was you, I would hold everything because you never know what tomorrow holds. Well, the reason I give is because I know who holds tomorrow, and the reason I give is because I know who woke me up this morning, and the reason I give is because I know who takes care of me.
You can't listen to people that say, "You barely making it. How you gonna give to the church?" Well, the reason I'm barely making it is because God woke me up this morning. Even if I'm barely making it, I'm barely making it because of God, and I wouldn't be making it at all if God's hand wasn't on my life.
So I give with a good heart because I know God is blessing me. I didn't tell seven o'clock this; I'll tell you this. I don't know how you come in here and get all this week after week and don't have a heart to give. You're stealing now. You're getting all the good stuff and walk out the door and don't give anything.
Yeah. Preach, Pastor Polk. I'm doing the very best I can. Move on, Pastor. You're meddling now. Somebody say, "Yeah, move on."
It is here in our text today that we find that Paul is writing to this church at Corinth in this particular chapter, and he's writing them to remind them of the offering that they're going to give to help other churches. Paul said to the Corinthian church, "I know you want to be a blessing, and so I'm writing you to remind you that it is important to be a blessing."
Paul reminds them in this text about the blessing of giving and the blessing that God has prepared for the givers. Okay. All right. Slow down, Pastor. You're talking too fast. This text reminds us about the blessing of giving and the blessing that God has prepared for givers.
If you're not a giver, the rest of this sermon may not be for you. If you don't give from a good place and a good heart, the rest of this sermon will not pertain to you. You might start scrolling Facebook right about now and Instagram or seeing what somebody's doing for brunch. Because the rest of this may not pertain to you because the God being a provider, according to this text, is for those who give and for those who give with a good heart.
Here it is. Paul says, "The point is this: that those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly." The Greek word for sparingly simply means in a scanty or meager manner. That if you are cheap, I mean meager in the manner in which you sow, your blessing or the harvest in which you try to reap is going to be scant and meager.
That you can't say, "Let me give God a little bit when I need a lot in return." Oh, and let me stop right here. Before I get any further in this little lesson of mine, this ain't just about money. I want somebody to understand that when you sow meagerly, you got to understand it's not just about, "Oh, I'm going to get these couple of dollars back." No. Do you know that when you sow, it is worth so much more?
That God does so much more for you. The reason that you have breath in your body is because God has been a blessing to you. The reason why doors open to you is because God has been a blessing to you. There are some things that happen in life that money cannot buy.
And so, God, the return that I need or what I need, I need to reap from what I sow. It's not always about money. I need a good doctor's report. So, when you sow in a meager manner, you'll also reap in a meager manner. In other words, you can't be blessed in the way God wants you to be blessed if you're scanty and meager and cheap and frugal, if that's a better word for you, in your giving.
If you sow or give meagerly, you're going to have a meager return. Your crop is not going to be all that. You won't need a bunch of baskets; you probably can get it in your hand. I was going to say, "God don't bless." He doesn't bless cheap folk. But then that's not true; he blesses all of us. But you ain't blessed like... Never mind.
Paul keeps writing that those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. Let me give you another Greek word. The Greek word for bountifully, bless my soul, is the act and or the benefit of being blessed. He says that when I sow bountifully, when I sow to be a blessing, then I'm going to reap blessings upon my life.
That when I sow strictly to be a blessing, and when you sow to be a blessing, it's never about the amount or what you give. It's about, "I need to be a blessing." So if I got to sow all the seeds, I just sow all the seeds because I understand that the blessing that God has for my life cannot be measured by what's in my hand.
In other words, what's in my hand, God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what's in my hand. That God can do more for me if I sow it than if I keep it. That's why you have to understand that David wrote that he anoints my head with oil, and what happens? My cup overflows.
And if I'm willing to sow bountifully, then there's an overflowing blessing coming in my life. And people say, "Well, Pastor, where you see this thing about this good heart and giving?" I'm so glad you asked. It's right there. It's right there in verse number seven. Each one must give according to how you've made up your mind.
What's in your heart? Some of y'all wrote your check before you left home. "I ain't giving a dime more than this." Each one must give as they made up their mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion. I came to tell somebody this morning that I'm not trying to guilt you into giving because God don't want it if he has to take it from you.
I really just came to remind us that God wants us to be givers who give with a good heart and that what God does for us in return for giving cannot be measured by what's in our bank account. Because then he goes on to say that God loves, oh, y'all read the Bible, a cheerful giver.
Can I give you one more Greek word, and I'm finished? The Greek word for cheerful is hilarion. Hilarion is where we get our English word hilarious. So God says when you give, I need you to be hilarious in your giving. In other words, I want you so happy when you give that everybody around you is trying to figure out why you're so happy.
They're trying to figure out why you have that big old smile on your face, that big old Kool-Aid smile on your face. Why are you dancing bringing your gift unto the Lord? Why are you telling God thank you while you drop your gift in the basket? He says, "I want you to be so hilarious that people are watching you give your gifts unto the Lord and knowing that I may not have everything I need, but I just got an opportunity to give unto God, and God said he'll take care of everything I need if I just do what he called me to do."
And I need to do... I'm just wondering this morning, is there anybody in Greater Centennial that is a cheerful giver? Is anybody in here today that can say, "I'm a hilarious giver"? I give, and I'm happy.
Don't miss that part: that God loves a cheerful giver. And if God loves cheerful givers, then what I'm worried about? Because if God sets his list for me to give love on me because I'm hilarious in my giving, then that means that he loves me enough to heal me. He loves me enough to deliver me. He loves me enough to protect me. He loves me enough to cover me. He loves me enough to walk with me. He loves me enough to make sure there's a roof over my head and there's clothes on my back.
He loves... I gotta leave you now. These three points, remember, are for givers with good hearts. Here's the first one: God will provide you with grace. I'm still in the text, and the Bible says in verse number eight, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you."
That when you are a giver, God will provide you with grace. And I understand why y'all are looking at me like that because we really don't understand the power of grace. Grace is that unmerited favor of God. Grace is that thing we didn't earn, but more importantly, we don't deserve, but God gives it to us anyway.
I know you're extensive and you're... Let me just tell you about a story he was doing in New York. Because I'm a giver, God said, "I'll provide you with my grace." That even though you may not have money in your pocket, I'll still open doors for you that no man will be able to close. That I will make sure that people will open ways.
Yeah, I thank God I couldn't be here today without God's grace. I know y'all could, but I couldn't be here today without the grace of God. As a matter of fact, I couldn't have made it yesterday without God's grace. I couldn't have made it the day before that without God's grace. And if he happens to wake me up tomorrow morning, you are here today because of the grace of God.
He will provide you grace, but God will also provide you with everything you need. I'm still in verse number eight. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
In other words, what that says is that God says, "I'm gonna give you everything you need, and it's gonna be enough." So having all sufficiency, having enough in all things, and here it is, and he said at all times. Y'all missed a good place to shout!
So no matter what you need or no matter when you need it, God said, "I'll step in, and I can provide it because I will give you everything you need." Let me ask a question: Is there anybody in here today that can testify that everything I needed, God provided for my life? There wasn't one thing I needed that God didn't provide for.
Is there anybody here that needed something early in the morning? Is there anybody in here that had to call him after the midnight hour? Is there anybody in here that had to call him?
When Paul writes that he'll give you sufficiency in all things at all times, Paul knows what he's talking about because Paul had a thorn in his flesh. The text says a messenger of Satan sent to harass him, and he said, "I prayed three times to God, and I said, 'God, I need you to take this thorn out of my flesh.'"
And you know what God had the nerve enough to tell the Apostle Paul? He said, "No, Paul, I won't take the thorn out of your flesh, but let me tell you, Paul, my grace is sufficient for you."
He says, "He who supplies seed for the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase your harvest for righteousness."
I don't blame you because I told you I'm not shouting this sermon, so I'll blame you for shouting. But there's some things that should make you go, "Ooh." He said, "He that supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply."
I really could stop right there, shouting, going home. He said, "He that gives seed not to everybody but seed to those who sow." He says, "He will give bread for food that he will supply and multiply."
In other words, the more you sow, the more he'll give. We got to stop thinking that our increase is only financial. I need increased wisdom and increased vision, increased understanding, increased anointing.
I wasn't going to read this part. I really was getting ready to go. Do communion. Here it is. He says, Paul said, "You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity."
Okay, slow down, Pastor. You're reading too fast. Let me put my glasses on. Make sure I'm reading this right. Yeah, verse number 11. "You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God."
When you are generous, God says, "Watch how I enrich you." I'm going to tell on us here at Greater Centennial. Confession is good for the soul. Here it is. A few years ago, the Lord put it on my heart to have this generosity campaign. We were going to be generous givers.
We were going to be generous givers. And honestly, there were some folk who didn't like being generous givers. We had new envelopes produced, and you saw that thing that said generosity, and they would scratch out generosity and in big letters put tithe.
And I couldn't understand that. I said, "God, you told us to be generous. I'm giving my tithe. I'm not giving to this campaign." It wasn't a campaign; it was a lifestyle change. And because we're used to one thing, we miss some blessings that come in our lives.
Here it is. Tithing is what God requires us to do. Generosity is above our tithe, and it comes from the heart. So included in my generosity is my tithe. And so how can I tithe and not be generous?
So in all of that is my tithe and my generosity unto God. Because the Bible says, "Bring your tithe into the storehouse." Why? So there may be meat in my house. But he says when you're generous, you'll be enriched in every way.
So I want to make sure there's meat in God's house, but I also want to be enriched. Enriched in every way possible. This is not prosperity preaching. Get your mind off of money. I need God to enrich everything about my life.
I need every step that I take to be enriched by God. Yes, I want my finances enriched, but that's not the only thing. Because I can be rich in money and dead in spirit. I can be rich on my way to hell. But I want God to enrich my spirit. Enrich my spiritual life. Enrich my heart. Enrich my life. That in every way I will be enriched by God because I decided that I'm going to be generous with what God has given me.
And my generosity is... So in everything I do, I try to be generous. And the generosity, sometimes we be generous. That's bad. Sometimes we're generous, but our heart ain't right.
We give it to people, but we grumble. We're not grumbling and complaining. We're not grumbling and complaining. "Take it." And then we have to be careful because some of us need to be... No, don't say that. Some of us need to check our giving meter.
You got stuff. You got that dress in your closet. Still got that tag on it. You can't wear it. You won't wear it. But because it costs some money, you won't give it away to somebody who needs it.
And then you want to give it only to a particular person. Because even though you know somebody needs something, but because your dress cost you $500, you don't think that person is worthy of a $500 dress.
So you keep it in your closet with the tag on it thinking one day you're going to wear it, and you know you can't wear it, and you won't wear it. You got more clothes in your closet with tags on it than people got in their whole bag at home.
And we sometimes get so hoard, we hoard so many things that we miss our blessing because we're trying to hold on to things because it's important to us, but it'll bless somebody else. Everything that is important to us may not be what God wants us to hold on to.
So we got to make up in our minds that there's some things I'm just getting rid of. All right, I done went from preaching to meddling. I'm going to stop now. Think about it.
Now I'm being facetious about the dress, but what you holding on to that you can't use, won't use, but refuse to give? You know how much this cost me? But how much is it costing you holding it?
What blessings are you blocking? Because your hand is closed holding on to that. So you can't open it so God can give you more. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the blessed Holy Spirit. Amen. Standing all across the sanctuary. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
With your head bowed, every eye closed. With your head bowed and your eyes closed. Just ask yourself, not your neighbor, ask yourself. God, am I a cheerful giver?
God, is my giving done with a good heart? Am I more worried about my lifestyle than I am hearing your voice tell me to give? Lord, I want a heart of a giver. Because you said that you love a cheerful giver.
You said you give me seed and bread and multiply my seed so I can sow more for you. You said, God, that when I give with a good heart, you will enrich me in every way for my generosity.
And my generosity doesn't just produce something for me, but it produces thanksgiving to you. That when I bless others, God, they are thanking you. God, examine our hearts today.
We want to be givers that you can be pleased with. We want you to be pleased with our worship. We want you to be pleased with our praise. We want you to be pleased with our prayer life. We want you to be pleased when we fast.
But God, we also want you to be pleased when we give. So, God, search our hearts and bless us that we might be better givers unto you.
God, while every head is bowed, every eye is closed, maybe there's someone this morning who has never given their life to Christ, never said, "Lord, I'm yours and you're mine."
And maybe today you want to give your life to Christ for the first time. If that's you, right where you are, would you just raise your hand? If that's you, I just want to pray.
Then maybe this morning there's someone who says, "Pastor, I've given my life, but I know I need to rededicate, recommit my life to Christ." If that's you, right where you are, just raise your hand. I just want to know how to pray. Thank you so much. I see your hand. Thank you.
Then maybe there's one looking for a church home. You don't have a church to call your own. The pastor praying with you or for you. And you need a church home. If that's you, just right where you are, just raise your hand. I just need to know how to pray. Thank you so much.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for every hand that was raised and every hand that should have been raised. And God, I ask you now to touch their hands, but more importantly, their heart that has opened the doors of the church that they today might come and give their life to you.
God, I pray now that you restart the revival in their heart, that they might get their life together. I pray now that you restart the revival in their heart, that they might get their life together with you. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen and amen.
My father's children, the doors of God's church are now open. There may be one who wants to come and give their life, one who wants to come rededicate their life, one who wants to come and join the church.
We love to have you come this morning and be with us here at Greater Centennial. Those of you who are worshiping with us online, there's a minister online, and they'll minister to you right online. Thank you, those of you who are virtual. Thank you for joining us each and every week. Thank you so very much that you've made us your virtual church of choice. Thank God for you.
If they want, you can come. Then this morning, I want to pray for those who may need a touch of God's hand. And I'm going to ask you just to stay right where you are this morning.
And if that's you that needs prayer this morning, you can kind of just lift your hand. Not just a sign to me, but more importantly, a sign to God.
Father, you see every hand that's raised in here right now. Now, God, you know every circumstance, you know every situation. God, you know the ups, the downs, the ins, the outs. God, you know what this hand is being raised for.
Some are raising their hands for themselves. Some are raising their hands for their loved ones. Some are raising their hands for a co-worker. Some are raising their hand because they need you to be a healer.
Somebody is raising their hand because they need you to be a way maker. Somebody is raising their hand because, God, they're sitting at a place of despair and they don't know how to make it. Father, somebody's raising their hand because they need forgiveness.
Somebody is raising their hand because they need to be reconnected to you. God, whatever this hand is raised for, God, I pray right now in the name of Jesus you meet the need of the hand that is raised.
Father, we raise this hand in faith knowing that, God, if I raise my hand, you can handle my situation. Since I've raised my hand, it's a hand raised in faith believing, God, that you can turn it all around and work it in my favor.
So God, I thank you, I praise you, and I magnify you. Hear our prayer, oh Lord, in Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated.
Hallelujah! Let the church say amen. God will provide. Good morning again, Greater Centennial. I do solicit your prayers for those whose hearts are heavy because of a loss of a loved one.
We're praying for Sister Pamela Bowles, who's here this morning at the passing of her daughter, Natasha. Truly, our hearts go out to you and your family in this most difficult season as you prepare to say farewell. We are praying with you and praying for you. Amen.
Also, we're praying for Sister Clarissa Wade at the passing of her sister, Joan Hamilton, who went on to be with the Lord. Viewing is on November the 7th at Camelot from 4 to 8. The homegoing service is on Friday at 9 a.m. at Golden Sword International Church in Bronxville, New York.
We also ask your prayers for Reverend Wilma Singleton, who was a longtime minister here at Greater Centennial before she moved away. Her brother passed away, and those services are going to be held here on Friday, November the 8th, at E.C.E. at 11 a.m.
Then we ask that you would pray for Sister Veronica Bennett. Her mother passed away. Her mother was a member of Institutional A.M.E. Zion Church, and Sister Bennett was the grandmother to Monica Williams, Marcus Sweat, and aunt to Jean Pena and Tina Johnson, all members here at Greater Centennial, and aunt to the Reverend Inez Thomas, who's the pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church in Mount Kisco.
Viewing will be from 10 to 11 at Institutional. The services will be at 11. I don't know where the services will be, but we will be praying for that family. Amen.
Please don't forget to pray for the sick, the shut-in, and those on our prayer list, sick lists, because we do know prayer changes. Amen.
Very, very few announcements for me this morning. Don't forget today is the last day of early voting. You need to get out and vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. Yes, there's been lines, but you want to make sure you stand in that line and cast your vote.
I'm so proud of America. Over 70 million people in America have already early voted. We are taking nothing for granted. Amen. Because we know the election day hijinks of the Republican Party can be very dangerous.
And so we need you to get out and vote. If you can't get there today, get there Tuesday. Amen. And make sure your vote counts. Those of you who are watching and worshiping with us from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, I need y'all to get out and vote.
I need you to take somebody with you. Make sure you vote, vote, vote. Amen, amen, amen, and amen.
We are preparing for next week. We go out to preach at the Calvary Baptist Church in White Plains, New York, and then I'm really, really excited about revival. We haven't had revival for a while here at Greater Centennial, so I'm excited.
November 13th through the 15th, I cannot wait. You don't want to miss that Wednesday night with the Reverend Dr. Danielle Brown. She is somebody's preacher. She can sure enough say it. You don't want to miss that.
And then coming back to Greater Centennial, the Reverend Dr. Lance Watson. We're excited that he's coming back, and then Reverend Dr. Brandon McLaughlin. He's going to close out the revival, and so we're excited about that. Amen, amen.
Let me do a couple of octogenarian shout-outs for their birthdays. Amen. I want to shout out Sister Celeste Dumas, who turned 84 yesterday. She is the mother of Lady Pogue. Amen, and so we wish her a happy birthday.
And then on the 8th of November, Sister Leslie B. Johnson turns 80 years. Oh, she makes it into the octogenarian club, and we are grateful and thankful to all of those. Amen.
Don't worry. We got some more November birthdays coming. Amen. We'll make sure we get all of the November birthdays, especially our octogenarians. Amen? Amen.
Come on. Let's get ready to give. All right. I could tell I didn't preach a good sermon. I said, "God loves hilarious givers." I said, "Let's give," and we almost... Man, whatever.
I'll try it again because y'all wasn't ready. Come on. Let's get ready to give. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Next time, I want you to scare your neighbor as loud as you're going to shout. There may be a few of us that remember coming to church and literally having nothing to put in the plate.
You would do one of them holy touches on the plate, not because you didn't want to give, but because you couldn't give, and now here, God has blessed you.
Listen, it's time to give. Come on. Whatever you have, it's in your right hand. It's the hand of covenant, the hand of commitment.
Father, we thank, praise, magnify, glorify you. We thank you for this opportunity to give unto you, God. We pray that, God, you would accept these seeds for sowing and that you would give us more seeds to sow in your kingdom.
God, I pray now in the name of Jesus that no household go lacking because of the gift we give today. Matter of fact, that every need be met because we give today in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen and amen.
Greater Centennial, I need your help. I need your help. Every year at the end of the year, you'll hear from many charitable organizations saying, "You know, you can give to us, give to us."
First of all, Greater Centennial is a not-for-profit organization, meaning whatever you give to the church, you can claim on your taxes. We'll give you a statement and all that. But we have an end-of-the-year project that we need your help with, Greater Centennial.
So I need you to be generous. We need to refresh our sanctuary. Our sanctuary has been like this for a lot of years, and it's time for a refresh. We need to repaint, recarpet, restain.
We got to do something with this paneling around it. We need to refresh our sanctuary. Refresh is going to cost us about $50,000. And I believe with you and the help of God, by the end of December, we would have raised $50,000 to refresh our sanctuary. Amen.
And so that means we're going to restain the pulpit. I'm not getting rid of this pulpit. Somebody said, "Just get a new pulpit." I said, "Do you know how many powerful sermons were preached behind this pulpit? I am not getting rid of this for now. I'm not getting rid of this for now. Nothing in the world." Amen.
But yeah, we need to do that. So would you do that on your offering envelope in that other space? You can just put "sanctuary refresh." If you can't do it today, do it next week or do it every week, however you want to do it.
We want you to be a blessing here at Greater Centennial. We're going to refresh our sanctuary. We finally finished the towers to the glory of God to stop the water from coming in.
Greater Centennial, I know you're generous, and I know we're going to get it done. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
God has allowed us by his grace and mercy to get to the first Sunday in November. And so we are grateful and thankful for that. And so we come and share in holy communion this morning.
And we remember the sacrifice that Christ has made for us on the cross called Calvary. This is my father's house, and all are welcome at my father's table.
We're going to do communion just a little bit different today. As you come, you'll see how we direct you this morning to come this morning, but we'll be still walking through, but you'll see how we'll do it in a moment.
All right. Now may the Lord bless you. May the Lord keep you. May the Lord cause his face to shine and to smile on each and every one of you.
May the Lord, my God, lift up his countenance upon you, and may he be gracious unto you and may he give you his peace, his power, his prosperity, and his protection both now and forevermore.
Thank you. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world.
We are for you that truly repent of your sins in your love and charity with your neighbor, and you intend to lead a new life walking henceforth in his holy way. Draw near with faith. Take this holy sacrament to your comfort.
And devoutly kneeling, make your humble confession to Almighty God. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy did give thine only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption, who made thereby his oblation of himself, once offered a full and perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, and did institute in his holy gospel command us to continue a perpetual memory of his precious death until his coming again.
Hear us, O merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee and grant that we, receiving these creatures of bread and wine according to thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood, who in the same night when he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you."
Likewise, after supper, he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink all of this; this is my blood of the New Testament, shed for the remission of sin. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
The broken body of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, broken for me on Calvary's cross. I take, I eat, and I'm grateful. Amen.
The broken body of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, broken for you. Take and eat. Be thankful.
The blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, shed for you and for many for the remission of sin. Take this, drink it, drink all of it, be thankful in your heart.
You preachers of the gospel, the broken body of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, broken for you. Take this and eat it, feast upon it in your heart, your soul, and your mind. Amen. And be thankful.
The blood still works, still saves, cleanses, and washes. Take this now and drink it. Drink it all and be thankful in your heart, your soul, and your mind.
Now rise, my father's children. Go in peace. Go in peace. Let the peace of God be with you, keep you, and bless you.
Please go let others come. Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart, your soul, and your mind.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Eat all of this and be thankful.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart, your soul, and your mind.
Take and eat. Be thankful. Thank you.
Stand up. Alright. Come here. Yeah. Come here.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
Broken body for you, take and eat. Be thankful in your heart.
on Nov 03, 2024
