FYI: I had to write these notes from my phone as I was visiting Tulsa! Please forgive me for any errors that may be present. Please feel free to leave a comment and I will correct anything you may find. Thanks!
Intro
We don’t want our church to be built around giving for things. We give so that our heart puts proper priority on why we’re blessed.
Giving and generosity are a fruit that shows your heart.
There are tons of things we need to do, but especially in this season where it’s all about getting, as a church, we live and walk in crazy faith and made it about what we can give.
God is telling us that it’s time for us to mature.
Hebrews 11:6
New International Version
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
It could have said anything. Worship music, small groups, but it said without FAITH, it’s impossible to please God.
People have used this scripture to beat people over the head. Nevertheless, faith is the bear minimum. Faith is the standard to actually be able to do what God intended.
The standard for going through a door is to walk up and open it. The standard for being clean is to take a shower.
Faith is not rocket science. Faith is the standard for pleasing Him.
Where are we in faith? It has to be identified. Then you need to move to the next lane of faith.
1. Some People Believe Crazy Faith is Lucky
We can act like God is a slot machine picking who He’s going to bless.
If you believe crazy faith is about luck, then you use God and faith as an option of many.
We give Him a little time and work, but still check the horoscope, light incense, give good vibes, manifest, and dabble in chakras, putting pieces of our life everywhere hoping we’ll get lucky.
Crazy faith is not luck, but life.
John 10:10
New International Version
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
We serve Jehovah Jireh.
2. Believing in Luck Will Not Produce a Faith Full Life
You can’t be motivated into God giving you something. Some people call psychic hotlines hoping they can provide the key that can be obtained in the presence of God.
Living a lucky life is not the way to have a faith full life.
God is consistent.
When Steph Curry does a 3 point shot, it happens so often, that if you think it’s luck, you’re not paying attention.
What God does for us is not abnormal.
There’s another level to crazy faith.
When we give, we know that the God we serve is consistent. You don’t have to hang your crazy faith on lucky.
3. Some People Believe Crazy Faith is Just Language
These people just want to say the right things. “I’m blessed. I’ve been in the Lord for 62 years, blessed going in and going out.” You’ve been on welfare for 5 decades. Somewhere along the way it just became language.
We can camp our whole life behind the language of the Lord. There’s no evidence that the language and your life match up.
Your crazy faith card is beautiful. Your actions don’t reflect it though.
This is not the lane that crazy faith flourishes in.
Live out the language you talk about.
Matthew 12:35-36
New International Version
35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
Be transparent about where you are. If you never identify the problem, it’ll never get healed. You can’t just say blessed and highly favored when you’re in the worst place of your life.
God does not bless who you pretend to be, but who you really are.
Don’t base your crazy faith on empty language. He’ll ask us what we meant by that.
We have to give an account for idle words, including what we said as we walked away. That person might be the favor on your life.
Ephesians 4:29
King James Version
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Your words are ministers. You can talk to somebody and they’ll get healed.
Your words are the ministers of grace unto the hearers.
As an old crusty Christian, don’t be mean.
4. Leverage Your Language to Express Love
Faith worketh by love.
Faith without the corresponding actions, obedience and love, are dead.
5. Some People Think Crazy Faith has to be Led
Most people get comfortable here. They feel like someone has to lead you to this place.
When you’re led, it becomes event driven, e.g. crazy faith season. The church has become so compartmentalized to doing things when the group does.
You may have to fast when nobody else is on one. You may need to be giving when there’s no offering time.
You’ll miss too many opportunities to obey God if you’re always waiting on a committee for permission to do what God told you to do in private.
It’s okay to be led, but not only be led by man. Instead, be led by God. Obedience brings a fruit filled life.
Who is the minister? You are.
Ephesians 4:11-12
New King James Version
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ
God gave you authority. He hears you. You have the authority to declare a season over your life.
You’re not waiting on God, He’s waiting on you. If He told you to do something, do it. God gives provision where there is vision.
How long do you have to be led into what He’s leading you to?
What happens if your church leader falls off or is called to something else? God speaks to you every month. Obedience is better than any sacrifice.
God is waiting for you to hear Him and obey.
6. Lifestyle of Crazy Faith
Live a lifestyle of crazy faith to take everything from every other lane, all the time, energy, work, talent, treasure, and gifting.
When you show up, walk in crazy faith — at work, in an argument, etc. Crazy faith may just be walking away because you have hands that still work.
When you live a lifestyle of crazy faith, it’s not compartmentalized to a moment or a feeling.
Crazy faith shouldn’t be momentary, but a lifestyle. You can’t just drive to Tulsa to give an offering, when you’re driving pass the person you need to forgive.
Matthew 6:33
New King James Version
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Seek first the kingdom of God — his response, righteousness and regulations.
The majority of our church is probably between led and lifestyle.
Hopefully your lifestyle will help those that are in lane 1.
God wants you to live a lifestyle of crazy faith.
Would you like to get in the level/lane God has called you to?
7. Legacy of Crazy Faith
This is the greatest level you can achieve. It’s not about you anymore.
Most people only achieve lifestyle and it dies with you. God set it up for us to have a legacy of faith.
Dump every bit of your time, treasure, free time, leisure, travel around the world, into legacy.
It can’t be about just gathering for yourself. You have to be able to give up to go serve.
Don’t confuse purpose with success. Success doesn’t equate purpose. Your purpose may not be getting paid.
Mike was content at pastoring TC with 350 people. He would build sets, play the drums, do everything for 300 people. There was no social media, but he was in his purpose.
If you’re going to live a lifestyle that honors God when you’re gone, we must aim for a legacy of crazy faith. To do this, think about the eternal. It’s more real than your reality.
Eternity is forever. That’s what we should be living our entire life for. The investments we make need to go on forever and ever.
The highest level of faith you can have is future faith. Believe in crazy faith for what will happen beyond your lifetime.
Don’t set the standard too low by only living a lifestyle of faith. What will be your legacy if you die tomorrow?
Many of your worries don’t matter on the backdrop of eternity. Can your money save your life or give you another breath?
There are some rewards that are eternal. You can have a legacy of faith.
Let there be overflow because of the seeds you’ve sown.
Who cares what we accumulate if it doesn’t produce for somebody else?
The enemy will make you think you’re just “giving away” you’re offering. Your name is added to the Hall of Faith when you obey God by faith.
The world will try to tell you that building a legacy of faith is trash. If God tells you to sell the rental property to help the nonprofit, obey Him.
Don’t hide your purpose. You shouldn’t live a whole life without people even seeing a glimpse of your God given genius.
Do you know the story of Notre Dames? It began to burn a few years ago. People were devastated and crying. Others didn’t understand how long it took to build the cathedral. It took 182 to build it. 11 kings sat on the throne while it was being constructed. Someone’s legacy was being destroyed. They started a project knowing they wouldn’t see the finish in their lifetime. They were building hope and faith that one day, their great great great great grandchildren would be able to admire the legacy that they put their entire life into.
Nothing that’s worth having comes quickly. What if this church decided we’re going to live in crazy faith, not for us? He blesses us by the way.
Today, when Mike sows, it’s for MJs kids, his wife’s healing, his daughter’s marriages. Nothing is promised to us. What will you have left if you die tomorrow? Mike wants his great great great grandkids to stand in buildings that he sowed into before they were even a thought. He wants God to use his time, talent, and treasure to bring people to a loving understanding of who Jesus is.
Eternity goes on and on. Your life is such a tiny fraction of eternity. How you spend this fraction determines how you will spend eternity. In heaven there’s levels and responsibilities.
The Bible says there’ll be a new heaven and a new Earth. It’s a lot like this, with no sickness, pain, or division, and we all have mansions, streets with gold. Your eternity is based on what you do in this small fraction of your life.
Today when we give, it’s not about worry or compulsion, it’s as worship. It’s expressing our love and life to God as an expression of love.
44,000 people were saved this year. The blood of Jesus was poured out and their eternity was changed. That’s our legacy. 44,000 people will be at the gates of heaven because of your serving, your giving, and your ministry.
Your life will be defined, not by what you gain, but what you give away.
You will be defined by what you give aaway. E.g. joy, words of encouragement, and hope when you helped.
Today as we give, let your heart say, “here’s my worship”.
Live a lifestyle that turns into a legacy of faith.
Abby Olurin Dames
I love Jesus, my husband, Will, my toddler daughter, Sola, and the beautiful friends and family in our lives. Me and Will are from the Bahamas, but we currently reside in Austin, Texas. We joined TC Nation as online members of Transformation Church in 2017 when we moved to Austin from Miami, Florida. In 2020, we also happily took on a more active role with the E-Fam of Elevation Church by fellowshipping with other married couples and were pleased to have the opportunity to join TC Beta Belong Groups. I believe that representing God doesn’t have to be done in “traditional spaces”. After listening to Pastor Mike's sermon, "Who's the Minister Here?", it became my mission to shed light on Christ in all arenas, including, but not limited to, corporate America, marketing, technology, and finance. I'm not perfect, but I'm progressing. I am a marketer, but first, I am a Christian, and the aim of this blog is to publicly share my sermon notes as a form of stewardship. I hope that these message notes can bring clarity to anything you may be seeking and help you to experience the peace and glory of Jesus Christ. I'm happy to pray for you as well if you ever wanted to shoot me an email. The effectual fervent prayers of many of you have helped countless circumstances in my life and in the lives of those around me. Thank you! Also, for any Amazon specific links that you see, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
