Giving All To Receive All

Text: Mark 10: 28- 30 says: “Then Peter began to say unto him, lo, we have left all, and followed thee and Jesus answered and said, verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.”

BELOVED, we all should realise that the foundation of the world is laid on giving. God gave all to make us, and also gave us all. Everyone who is created by God must also realise that the foundation is made by God Himself ( Genesis1: 1- 31). 26: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 27: So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28: Then God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ( NKJV). Haven given all to create the world, and all that dwell therein to man, no one should withhold anything from God, no matter the circumstance. From our introductory texts above, Peter the leader, and the rest of the Apostles apparently, had some doubts about their eventual reward, haven left all, including their various families, and professions to follow our Lord Jesus Christ. It was in the light of these doubts that Apostle Peter, as the leader and spokesperson, decided to speak the minds of the Apostles to the Lord. In response to their inquest, expectedly, the Lord did not disappoint them, as He assured them of the multiple rewards up to a hundred fold of all they may have left in the course of following Him, including making heaven at last. God gave His only begotten Son to save the world. John 3: 16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.” If God can give his only son to save the world, there is nothing He can withhold from us; that is why He says in Rom 8v31- 32: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Many people, including believers are withholding many things including their tithes, pledges, offering, service, among others from God. Some believers when faced with some challenges, will make pledges to God, but will also be quick to renege as soon as their prayers are answered. There are many of them in the church today. Some will go to the extent of trying to rationalise their action by human reasoning, and logic. This is ridiculous and unacceptable in the sight of God.

Are you like that? You must repent and turn a new leaf. You must cultivate the habit of giving all to God. When, or if you receive a gift, you are expected to pay your tithe from that gift. When, or if you receive your wages, or salary, you are expected to pay your tithe therefrom. When you make any pledge, you must endeavour to redeem it, no matter the odds. Many people usually sing this song: “Abraham’s blessings are mine….” May l ask you: Can you do what Abra

ham did to merit those blessings of his, you are claiming? At the age of 75, Abraham had no child, when God met him and promised him a son; it took another 25 years for that promise to come to pass, even when the promised child came, God still told him to sacrifice that only son to Him and he obeyed without minding that it was his only son. How many people will exhibit that kind of obedience? Gen. 21v1- 3 says: “And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.”

There was unspeakable joy and jubilation when Isaac, whose meaning is laughter was born, but in the human eyes, that joy and jubilation was short lived when God told Abraham to sacrifice that only son to Him. Gen, 22v1- 9: “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said: “Here I am.” 2: Then He said: “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3: So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4: Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5: And Abraham said to his young men: “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” 6: So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7: But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said: “My father! And he said, here I am, my son. Then he said, look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8: And Abraham said: “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So, the two of them went together. 9: Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10: And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

This is the height of obedience, which Abraham exhibited. He knew that God gives life and takes life and that He is able to do all things, that even if He takes Isaac, He is able to give him another. Many of us, today, don’t believe in the omnipotency of God. The faith of Abraham is what God requires from us and because we lack that faith, we find it difficult to give to God or our fellow human beings. By today’s message, God is counseling us to give all in order to receive all. The Apostles left all, they gave all for the sake of the kingdom. In return, they were rewarded a hundred fold, with heaven at last. We all, in the same vein, should start giving, knowing fully that we shall be rewarded a multiple times, plus heaven at last.