Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
Hey. Let's let's transition. We're going into our series that's gonna, next to the last next week, we will finish our series on a faith that works. But this week we're talking about the God who provides. Now, how many of us have heard the old saying that money makes the world go round. Right? You guys have heard that saying, And I don't think it's true. I think God makes the world go round, but, God makes your life go round. But in terms of money in the current economy, it seems like most of us would say, I could use a little bit more to help make things go around.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:32]:
Right? And so, you know, many people are living in fear and maybe uncertainty with some of the economic conditions that are going on. But God wants you and me, he wants his children to live in peace. And this peace that comes from from trusting faith and, and kind of the secret of contentment. And this this evening, what we're gonna take a look at is that when we have these things, God is able to meet your needs regardless what they are. And so this evening, would you be kind enough? Can you stand, just stand in reverence for God and just stand in reverence for His word as He speaks to us from His word that we hear both His heart, but we also hear His mind, in this whole area of finances, this aspect of the God who provides. And we're gonna read from, Philippians chapter 4 verse 19. Shall we read together? Ready? Let's read. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:37]:
And you know, if I were to encourage you at some point tonight, maybe, even as we're as I'm speaking over the message and you would go and you would recite to yourself this verse that you would have an emphasis on, on each word. Maybe not and so much, but but like when you would read it to yourself over that you go and you can say, and my God, right, will meet all your needs in Christ Jesus. And you go reread that and you go, and my God will meet all my needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. And my god will. That make sense? And and some of us and as we do that, to be honest, you know what? God is gonna reveal himself in that. But but would you turn before you're seated, turn and say, hey, God is your provider and then you can have a seat. And God will meet your needs, right? Now when we say these things and we look at this, I did wanna look at that word, to meet your needs, right? And so, in the the Greek word for to meet your needs, to meet is actually the word to be complete or to make full or to fill. And so this speaks about the fact that when you have a need, that God doesn't want to leave you, like your cup half full.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:10]:
He doesn't want to meet your need halfway. He doesn't wanna just kinda give you a dab, but he says that he wants there to be the fullness and that that, you know, that he wants you to understand that he is your provider. Now I understand that there's a tension that when we see how does that work when it seems like the price of everything is going up, right? Next time you fill in gas, the next time you go to, to get some food, the next time you have to, go to the the to go to the doctor maybe even now, you see different things happening. And so things change, but what happens is that God stays the same and he's always a provider. And so whatever your resource level right now, I want you to experience our my prayer tonight is that you would experience that the God that you serve, that your God will meet your needs. Now the devil wants you to think that when we get to a place that you're in need, how many of us know what it's like to be in need, right? Okay. Yeah. I think all of us knows what it's like to be in need.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:14]:
That when you're in need and maybe let's just say the need is almost critical that that God that the devil has a plan for you, and his plan is to get you to go in one of 2 different directions. One is to think, God has abandoned you or God is not enough, and now you have to take control of the the wheel in this whole thing. It's the opposite of Jesus take the wheel. It's now saying, Jesus you had the wheel, now it's my turn. Right? Because that maybe that that you trusted God, you felt but why is it that I still have this challenge? That's one direction. Right? The second direction is this, that yeah, God is a provider and you don't have to do anything, right? That God is a provider and you don't have to do anything. Now in one statement, it is clearly wrong theologically and one has a bit of it that is right theologically. To say that you know what, God, you know, you had your chance, I have this need, I gotta take control.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:19]:
That's just wrong theologically. But the second one that says that God is a provider, therefore, I don't need to do anything, theologically, but it's wrong applicationally, right? And so the implications are that both of these things need adjusting. Well, one is you say, God, it's maybe it's time for you to take control of my life. Right? Because I don't think you've been doing a a good job. Right? That's what one side says. And the other says, no, no, no, God. You're in control and you're my provider, so I don't have to do anything, which is not right either. So how do we handle this that if both of those things are are not the way that God wants us to handle, our financial life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:05]:
Now, how do you do that when inflation is double digit and, like it has been over the last three and a half years. The first thing is this, is just remember that God is your provider. But what does that mean? What does that mean? Because sometimes when you're facing a need, have you ever said to yourself, why me? Right? God, why me? Why does this go wrong? Why is my car making this weird noise right now? Why is it that, you know, that that I've been faithful, I'm looking at these things, and and sometimes when you have the why me attitude, you know, you can take that anywhere. I have a friend that when he used to go surfing, and if it was like the wind was all blown out, he'd be like when he's paddling against the waves, he'd be like, why me, Lord? Why are the where's the ocean against me? Because the ocean is not against you, the ocean's just being the ocean. Right? And and here's the thing is that that sometimes when you ask the why me, you can start feeling sorry for yourself. But the reality is that everybody experiences times and moments that when things are beyond us. Right? It could be your time. It could be your resource, your financial resources.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:13]:
It could be, your energy level. Everybody faces them. But what do you what is God trying to say in the midst of that? That God is holding on to you, that not holding out on you. God wants you to understand God is holding on to you. He's not holding out on you. You know, Isaiah 4110 says this, do not fear, do not anxiously look about you. I will uphold you and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. And he gives this promise that I'm not holding out, I'm holding on.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:50]:
And and now how does the apostle Paul say it? It? The Apostle Paul says it like this, he says, all praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Let's say every. Every. Every. Right? So it's not some of the spiritual blessing. And why do I say that? Because sometimes when you're going to a place of need, this is what we're thinking, God, why do some people why do you bless them? Seems like some people are more favored. Why is it that I have to struggle? And this is what it's saying, no. I'm I'm holding you up.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:24]:
I'm giving you not just some of the blessing, I'm giving you every spiritual blessing in heavenly realms. Why? Because you're united with Christ. If you're a follower of Jesus, God's promise is I don't give you some of the blessings, I give you every spiritual blessing. So does that include financial? Yes, it does. That does include direction. Yes, it does. Does that include community? Yes, it does. Now, you may need to make some adjustments to experience it, but God has already given it to you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:56]:
God's not holding out on you. Sometimes we need to align our lives to be able to do that. Now what do I mean by that? Because to manage this this this because this this service is about this weekend's about financial, kind of a provision. Right? That to to manage your money, you gotta first learn to manage your lifestyle. To to manage your money means that you first have to learn to manage your lifestyle. Why is that? Because if you don't, then money will manage you. The apostle Paul said it like this. He says, I know what it is to be in need.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:32]:
Let's say, in need. Right? How many of us can just raise we can raise our hand and say, yeah, I know what it's like to be in need. Right? And and and I know what it's like to have plenty, and then hopefully you can say that as well. Right? That you're not just saying 1. But there's probably different seasons. There's seasons of fullness, and then there's seasons of leanness. He says this, I have learned a secret. Let's say secret.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:57]:
Secret. Secret. What's a secret? It's a secret is something that's not always readily seen. A secret is something that's not normally Right? I know the secret of what? Of contentment. Of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in one. I can do this is the most famous verse for many of us. I can do what? All this through him who gives me strength. Right? And so God wants you to live with contentment and peace regardless of your economic situation.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:47]:
And to be honest, I I believe all of us that if as a as believers, we're all called to live a life that causes people to go, what? In some ways. That that you're like, wait, that it demands an explanation. Right? How can you live like that and still have peace? I know what's going on with your your family's health kind of a situation. I know what's going on with your your kids. I know what's going on in the job situation. How can you be single and honor God with your body? How can you be a married person and honor your spouse when they don't agree with you? How can you value the life of each person regardless if they agree with your viewpoint or not? Right? Those kinds of how can you raise a family on a single income? Those are things that sometimes people, when you live a life like that in response to God's call, in response to God's commands, in response to to what you sense God's leading for you or your family, that that it should be a place where kinda like people scratch their head. It demands an explanation. It brings honor to God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:01]:
Right? Because you can live with a sense of contentment in this time of abundance, I hope, but also when times are tight. Why? Because you'd have a sense that God is taking care of me if I serve the God who provides versus I serve a lifestyle that I'm accustomed to. Right? You know, one of the things I've noticed is that when I've traveled, I've been able to stay in places that I wouldn't normally wanna stay in, and I'm totally fine. When we went to, Sendai after the earthquake and the tsunami and the devastation. I went like a couple months later and, one night I stepped out on the cement outside of the place and just like literally, like just sleeping on cement, and I was fine and I was fine. Why? Part of it is I saw a lot of devastation and I realized I'm not the only guy not the most comfortable. Right? When we were in Indonesia and in a, like, a village that doesn't have running water, has 1 hour of electricity and that's the upgrade that we helped to bring. And it had, now it had squat toilets like an outhouse, and that's the upgrade.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:35]:
Before they used to just go in the bushes, like, literally. And and we're building water catchment system and a bunch of the guys in here that they know, but Irv and Chad, they were there. You know, living in that kind of a situation, sleeping on a wood thing, I was totally fine. Why is that? Because, you know, the thing is that I I is that but I've stayed in a I've stayed in a 5 star hotel before. I wasn't paying, but somebody said, but but I was content. I I've learned that, to be honest, it's not what happens to me, it's what's happening in me that brings the contentment. Right? And, you know, I have a friend who used to work for the UN Health Organization making $360,000 a year. It is a cush job.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:28]:
If she had stayed in that, she had a PhD. If she had stayed in that, she would have been making probably like in 5 to 10 years, like $5 to $600,000 And on top of that, they're getting a housing allowance, right? The only thing that the problem was, she wasn't fulfilled, right? She had skills. She had knowledge. And, and at the same time, she understood that there was she said, there gotta be more than just making, like, all the money. There's gotta be more. And she was a follower of Jesus. And so, she wanted to use her her skills and talent, not just to enrich herself, but to to make a difference in life. So she started to she was approached by some friends of mine who run the nonprofit, the guys that we went to, to Indonesia with, that's the initial way that we got connected to Myanmar as well.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:27]:
And she went on staff with them. She left her job and now had to raise a budget to live a missionary salary. Now, I'm not sure exactly what her salary was. I just remember that when I entered the ministry and I started as a missionary, I was living as a single person of $12,000 a year in Hawaii. I mean, economy was you know, the dynamics was different, but wasn't so different that 12,000 was a lot. Right? But I was content because God met my need. See, God was meeting her need, and she felt peace. Even though she her financial security may have looked really different, her her income level obviously was different.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:23]:
Where the country that she lived in, the apartment that she lived in was totally different. But she had peace. She had contentment. And you know the thing? It's because that's something that God wants us all to learn. That sometimes in the ups and downs in your life that God wants to meet your need, but He doesn't want you to say, God, you can meet my need as long as I stay in this level hotel. Right? If my requirement I've stayed in a 5 star hotel, but that's not my normal. Right? I don't need that to be content. And so when he says this, he says, what is the context of this being content? Because some people have said, God wants you to be rich because he's gonna meet all your needs.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:17]:
Right? So, therefore, God wants everybody to be rich. I think the message is exactly the opposite of that. It's not saying God is not against money. God is not against money. Do me fair. Turn to your neighbor and says, God, is not against you having money.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:38]:
Sometimes it just feels like it. No. I was kidding. But the thing is that he he does want you to have a richness in your soul. He wants you to be full and complete in your life. He wants you to not feel like I am so I'm always, you know, under the gun, but but how does he do it? He's saying, see, the purpose isn't that how much you make, he's saying that you have a fullness in your soul regardless of your circumstance. Paul is writing this, by the way, from jail. Paul is writing this in a time where he's basically said earlier in the chapter, he says, you know, you guys helped me out when I was a missionary and when I was doing these things and you know, there been times when I've been in severe need and you guys rose to the occasion.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:27]:
Right? You guys you guys met the need for me. And and, you know, I was blessed, but even if you didn't, to be honest, even if you didn't, you know what? God's got me. I know he's taking care of me. I I I'm content in that. I've learned to be content in whatever the circumstances, you know. If I have a lot of stuff or if I don't have a lot of stuff. If I have a if I have a huge cushion or if it seems like that cushion is like a zabutong, I don't know if you guys know what that's, the flat Japanese pillow, and that you sit on. So here's the line here's the bottom line for that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:59]:
Contentment has nothing to do with our circumstances, but it's it's about the way that we sense God's activity in our life, you know, because some of us, if not, we're careful if we're not careful, it's like, okay, once I get that job, then I can be content. Right? Once I get that relationship, then I can be content. Once I get this thing, if I can keep my house, if I can keep my kids in private school, if I if I can get them to to like, you know, the top tier college, we think these ways, then to be honest, you know, you may not be content because it's conditioned on on meeting your lifestyle. But God says this, I meet your needs, not all of your wants. How many of us have found out that your needs are limited, there's a finite number of needs. Right? Some place to eat, something to eat, some place to sleep, you get transportation, you have clothes, right? There's a finite number of needs. How many of you have found that your wants are unlimited? Right? Because whatever you want, like, as soon as you get it, what do you focus on? The next thing than what I want. Right? So wants are unlimited.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:09]:
Needs are limited. Right? God is gonna meet all of your needs. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor. God's gonna meet all of your needs. But it is impossible for anybody to meet all of your wants. Right? And so so what is it about this then? So how do we do this? Right? Because if God's promised to meet my needs, but not my wants, right, and that we're as His children, how do we do this, right, because it's not that you just, you know, just give me a bigger pie, right, it's like that kind of a thing, just give me more and more and more, but we need to learn how to manage our money, right? We need to learn how to manage our money. This is part of it, right? So I'm not going over how to make a budget when I talk about this, but if you want to see the God who provides, you have to know what your needs are.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:59]:
If you don't know what your needs are, how will you know when God meets them? Right? If you don't know what your expenses are, then how will you know when God meets your your financial need? If you don't know how much you have, how will you know where you are? Right? So there's this aspect that God is saying that, you know, to be honest, for some of us, we just gotta learn where to where you are financially. To be honest. If you don't know where you are financially, then it's hard to know if God's meeting your needs. Right? It's hard to figure that out. But but when you understand that, then sometimes managing our money might include, of course, lowering our expenses. How many of you have, like, you have just in some ways, if not systematically, but you have intentionally lowered your expenses over the last 3 years? Raise your hand. I think most of us. Right? Right? Just the the fact that when you used to go to the market and, you know, like if you spent $100 your basket was full.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:04]:
Now you spend $100 and you go like, woah, wait, I only get like 5 things. No, but like, you know, the right. So we what do we do? We we lower our thing. How many of you have looked through your credit card bill to see the recurring charges and then you go like, what is this? You don't even know what this is, right? You know, all these subscriptions, did they did you know that they said the average person has 17 subscriptions and that most of them you don't even know which ones, you know, what you're which you're paying for. Right? So there are some things that we can do. Right? And and it's understanding that you if you're in a financial pinch, there's actually 2 things that need to happen or or one or both. Is one is lower your expenses. The second one is what? Raise your income.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:49]:
Right? And so let's maybe that's working an extra shift. Right? Maybe it's taking a second job or whatever it is. Or if you have adult kids that live in your house and they don't pay anything because you have been so used to taking care of your kids when they were kids, that now when they work, that they spend everything on themselves and you are struggling to make it, that needs that's a management issue. That's not that God hasn't provided for you issue. Because sometimes that kid who has a full time job, who's making full time money and who buys groceries every 6 weeks, maybe that person needs to learn how to be a little bit more responsible and make a contribution in your home. And I've said this before, but if you have adult kids, make them pay something. You know how much it costs for them to get a apartment? If they if they think living in your house is how it is in life, it's not. Right? So we prepare them and it helps to meet your need.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:01]:
And so there are some things along those lines. Now, there's there's one other thing I think I see in this Philippians passage is that he said this in Philippians 416 and 18. He says, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. In other words, you were generous to me. You said, I didn't desire your gifts. What I desire is that that the more be credited to your account. And I've received payment, full payment, and have more than enough. I'm amply supplied now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:41]:
They were fragrant offering, an acceptable gift, pleasing to God. Now, this is the context, right, that that Paul is saying that he's content and and all of these things, but I think here's one thing, if you want God to be a provider, it's also important for us to practice being a giver. Right? Because he says it's more blessed to give than to receive, But if I'm only in one mode, then generally what's happening is is I'm just receiving, receiving, receiving. I cannot receive anymore until I make space to receive. And so it talks about it's important to practice being a giver. In Proverbs 11:25, it says it like this, the generous will prosper, those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. He says that if you bless other people, what's what's the principle? You bless other people, you'll be blessed. And where where is that blessing come from? Is it come because you gave to people they're gonna give to you? Maybe.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:47]:
But even if not, the implication is what? God will refresh you, that God will provide for you. I love what it says. It's I don't have enough space to put it in, but Psalm 3726, 23 says this, the Lord directs the steps of the godly. Let's say godly. Right. Right. What is that? A person is seeking God. Right.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:09]:
You're not perfect. Right. It's not it doesn't say God blesses the steps of the perfect. Right. But it says the god he delights in every detail of their lives, though they stumble, right, because they you're not perfect, so sometimes you mess up, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. God's not holding out on you. He's holding on to you. And then he says this, once I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the godly abandon or their children begging for bread.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:42]:
The godly always give generous loans to others and their children are a blessing. And he's saying, you know, in the in the in the balance of my life, I've never seen people who honor God, who follow Him, who desire that that you're out on the street, that you're that he's abandoned. Why? Because God's holding on. He's not holding out. But here's the second thing. The second major point is but sometimes you need a miracle. Right? I don't know when you get you guys know what I mean? Anybody here? Have you ever needed a miracle? Maybe you needed a financial miracle? I wanted to take a look at this one passage, to say that. But the first part is this, do the first part first.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:28]:
Right? Do the first part first. Figure out where you are. Right? Learn to be content. Just practice being a giver, right? Don't wait to do something like I don't care if it's a dollar. Practice being a giver. Right? Practice being a giver. It opens a spiritual door. But the second thing is this, sometimes you need a miracle and God is still a provider.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:54]:
And the story goes, this is a story from the Old Testament, story goes like this from 2nd Kings. It says, one day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, my husband who served you is dead. And you know how he feared the Lord. Right? He's a godly a godly heritage. But now a creditor has come threatening to take my 2 sons as slaves. So this is a dire situation. Right? Now when you see this, why are they coming as slaves? Because that's how they met financial debt in the Old Testament. That's how they met financial debt in this country until the later 1800s.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:33]:
There was a prison that happened if you couldn't pay your debt. It was called debtors prison. Today, we don't have debtors prison. We have bankruptcy. Right? We we have we have different things today, but like in the old I mean, for the vast majority of the balance of human existence, they had this thing called slavery as a result of an inability to meet your financial debt. And so this wasn't ownership of people, it was to pay back what you owed. So it's not like, people owning people. Right? And so, this is what they're facing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:14]:
And so, what can I do to help you? Elisha asked. And he says, tell me what you have in the house. And what did she say? Nothing at all. Now here's the thing, is that when you're in a place of overwhelming need and you see a flask of oil in the house and you look at that, like, what is that gonna do to solve my financial situation? So what do you say? What do you have? She says nothing except, right, a flask of olive oil, she replied. And Elisha then then says, borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors, and then go into the house with your sons and shut the door behind you, pour olive oil from your flask into the jars setting each one aside when it is filled. And so she did as she was told. Now what is he saying? He's saying, k. You have this one cup of olive oil, and and now I want you to get as many jars as as possible.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:20]:
He says, not a little bit, get a lot. Right? And you're gonna pour from this cup into that container, and logically, what are you thinking? All I'm doing is transferring from this little cup into that thing. Right? Why should I get a lot? So where's the limitation gonna come from in God's ability to provide in this particular situation, if you're kind of familiar with the story? Is it that God is gonna multiply the oil? Is that the limitation how much oil God's gonna multiply? It's how many things that you have a faith to get. Right? The limitation is not on God. Sometimes the limitation's on us. So she did as she was told and her sons kept bringing jars to her and she filled one after another and soon every container was full to the brink. Bring me another jar, she said to one of her sons, and there aren't any more, he told her. And then what? The olive oil stopped flowing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:31]:
And then she said then when she told the man of God what happened, he said to her, now sell the oil, pay off your debts and you and your son can live on what is left over. So there's some principles I think that when your back is against the wall and you need a miracle, first thing is this, what did she do? She went to the man of God. She went to Elisha. She went to the prophet. They didn't have the same connection with God that we have. The Holy Spirit lives in us. You can go directly to God, right? Here's the thing, so what do you do? Bring everything, bring whatever your situation, bring everything to God. Sometimes you guys ever tell any tell somebody kinda like what you want them to know.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:14]:
Right? I have this problem and this problem is huge, but this is how much you tell. I tell this much. Bring the whole deal to God. Oh, I have a I have a cash flow issue right now. I'm kinda running underwater. The reality is you're gonna lose a house. You know what I mean? Like, like, whatever that what's the whole deal? Bring the whole deal to God. You know? We we're beefing because we cannot agree on how we move forward.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:45]:
Just bring the whole deal to God. Right? Whatever it is. Because what you bring to God is what God will respond to. If you want God to to understand your whole deal, bring the whole deal to God. Okay. Here's the second thing though. What was the first thing that Elisha asked? What do you want me to do for you? Right? That's the first thing he asked. Now isn't that crazy when she already told him she already told him what? You're gonna sell my sons into slavery and we because we can't have pitted that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:20]:
I mean, it might feel like, duh, what do you want me to do for you? I want you to do something. But what is then what does he do? He asked her, what do you have? Have you ever noticed this principle played out in the scriptures? When Moses was on Mount Sinai and he saw the burning bush, and he was told to go lead the people out of slavery, And Moses said, I cannot go because I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. I don't I don't know what to do. What was the first thing God says? What's in your hand? He had a staff. And the staff becomes a symbol of authority. What did he do with the staff? He threw it down and it became a snake and the whole thing. Right? But the first thing God asks is what do you have? So you have to know that God will often work through what you already have.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:21]:
Have you heard about the feeding of the 5,000? The 5 loaves and the the the 7 fish. What did God do? God took a boy's lunch or maybe his family's dinner, right, because it probably was the family dinner, and he gave it, his family's dinner to Jesus. And what happens? The multiplication. This is this story is repeated throughout the scriptures. God often works through what you already have. Bread and fish, a stick in your hand. Right? Maybe the first thing God asks you, what do you have? Means I don't have a whole lot. I don't have cash.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:07]:
Do you have stock? Yeah. You have that Bitcoin that you bought when you didn't even really understand but everything was going crazy? Yeah. You have. What do you have? I've talked to people who said, I have absolutely nothing. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I see you rolling in that $30,000 SUV. I see you rolling in that 30,000 SUV. Could a $10,000 car get you to do the same thing that you're rolling around in that $30,000 SUV? And he says, I can't.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:45]:
I love that car. Oh, okay. So you're more wedded to your lifestyle. You want God. You're not asking

Congregation [00:35:53]:
God to meet your need, you're asking

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:53]:
God to fulfill your lifestyle. Is that correct? He sold the car. But anyway, but you know what it did? It met his financial need. He wasn't even aware that there was a possibility, and I'm not talking about like he bought had to buy a junk car that, you know, it's like leaking oil and it's like, he bought a decent car, But he paid his debts, that he his son wasn't taken away from him. And so, what's in your hand? Sometimes, it's items you like but you don't need. It's the fact that you have 5 of something you need one of. Right? What's in your hand? God often works through what you have. Sometimes what you have is a skill.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:50]:
Sometimes what you have is an ability. Right? Sometimes what you have is a connection. But but what's in your hand? But here's the thing, even when she identifies I have just a little bit of oil and it felt insignificant, but when God blesses it can I can we just say this? When God blesses whatever you have, he can make it enough. He can multiply. Right? He can multiply, but it still requires you to do something. It still requires you to do something. What does she need to do? She needed to get jars. The boy needed to bring the fish.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:30]:
Moses needed to take a step even after God showed him what to do with the staff. So, sometimes, what is that thing you have to do is you gotta go ask. Right? You gotta go borrow the vessels. You have to ask God first. Right? You have to go ask your boss, maybe. God, are there extra hours? Can you consider a raise? Right? Do I look for an extra job? Do I borrow this thing? Do I learn a new skill? That it will require you to do something and that something will require faith. That something will require faith. When she had this little cup of oil and she went to her neighbors and she the neighbors said, and she asked the neighbors, can I borrow any big jars or buckets that you have? And then when they what would they say to her probably? Oh, yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:26]:
Sure. What do you need it for? I don't know. The prophet said, just go get them. Like but it takes faith to say that, right? I'm trying to obey God's call. When you're applying for a job and you're moving all around, it requires faith. You have to move forward. You have to do something, right? And so and it's gonna require some faith. Now, let's make no mistake.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:54]:
Obviously, this is a miracle miracle. Right? So it's not saying I'm just not saying that. But some of us, to be honest, maybe you're driving your solution, right? Maybe some of us we're living in our solution. Maybe some of us we're, you know, like sometimes we're wearing our solution because you can sell the clothes that you have or whatever it is because like I'm talking about some of us have things that are of actually a lot of value, but you're just sentimental. Right? Different things. So, but he he extends it. He multiplies it. Now, I just want to share this story and maybe some of you have heard it, but, sometimes when you come up on this thing is you don't see it coming.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:39]:
When I was living in the mainland and I had gone to seminary, Some of you guys know I went and I I love school and I I did well in school and I I I liked living on the mainland. And, I graduated and I I I did well in the, you know, in that whole kind of an area. But then when I graduated, I was thinking, what am I gonna do? And I said, you know, I just I just fell in love with being able to do road trips. And, you know, to be honest, you get paid more a little bit sometimes on the mainland and you get, you you know, like, just that kind of a thing. So I thought, I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna I'm gonna go be a pastor somewhere, gonna get on staff maybe someplace, and gonna do my PhD. Because I think I loved learning, but I also wanted to be seen as learned, and that was kinda like the problem. And and then I came to realize when when I was praying about this situation, God, where should I go apply? Where should I do all this thing? I just felt the Lord asked me, Glenn, why did you come in the first place? And I said, Lord, I, I came because I wanted to get more trained.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:49]:
I wanted to get more equipped so that I could come home and share with local people all the things that I learned. And when I did that, when I went up, to be honest, in the circles that I traveled, there were not very many local pastors, local people. It was a lot of the guys were the guys from the mainland, like Ralph Moore, like Wayne Cordero came back. Right? Like, there there was just people. It's just and and to be honest, it was Bill Stonebraker. It was right? It's like that's in the circle that I trafficked in. Like there's guys from the mainland. So it wasn't I didn't have like a I never know one Japanese pastor.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:36]:
I didn't. I mean, I'm they were there, but I just never knew them. Right? And and so but that's what I was thinking. And then, you know what? It hit me. God said, you know, I want you to go home. Here's the problem. I got a private school education, which is what seminary is, on a missionary budget, so that mean I had debt and I had no money. I didn't even have enough money to go home.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:01]:
So I was thinking at this point, God, I don't even have enough money to go home, and I started praying. I started bringing my need before God. God, I don't know how I'm gonna get home. I have a car, I get all the stuff I accumulated, all the books, and I went up with 10 boxes and I probably would have came home. I ended up coming home with, you know, dirty boxes, close to dirty boxes. And so over 3 years, right, of stuff and stuff that people gave me and all that. Now I started praying, and then the next thing I know, I'm driving my car, and then I get hit from behind trying to get on the freeway. And this is when I said, why me? Right? And when I got hit, I literally was had a cup of coffee in my hand and the car hit and the coffee is all over the place.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:56]:
My friend's in the car. We both have coffee on our faces. And I just was so mad. You know what I mean? I got out, turns out the guy didn't have insurance, didn't have a license. And so it was like trying to get money from a stone. Right? And so he drove off. And then I stopped, like, okay. Not only now do I don't have enough money to go home.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:20]:
I got a big dent in my car and whole thing. So I went home and I did whatever I had to do. And then I called the insurance company, say, I don't know. I think I need to file a claim. And, I got hit on the freeway. The guy didn't have a license. He didn't have a thing and do you have a police report, no police report, this and this and this. And he said, oh, mister Yamaguchi, uninsured motorists.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:48]:
And I was thinking, what is that uninsured motorist? I didn't understand. I probably ticked all those boxes. I didn't know what it meant. That means if that guy doesn't have insurance, they will pay your claim. I said wait, are you telling me that that I don't get any coverage? Now I was mad. Right? It wasn't their fault. I ticked the box. I re declined it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:11]:
Right? I was trying to save money because I was missionary doing private school, this and this and this and this. And then I just pray. A couple days later, I get a phone call from the insurance agent and the insurance agent says, you know, hey, Mr. Moguchi, I know that, you, were really upset and I'm sorry about that. He says, but what if you were to pay the premiums for the time that you had your car insurance? That's 3 years, I was thinking. I gotta pay 3 years? He says, no. No. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:51]:
No. Just if you had ticked the box for uninsured motorist and what if then we will cut you a check for the damage? I had already had an estimate. The estimate that I got for my repair was $1900. So I said, how much do I owe you? She said he said, 200. So you're telling me if I give you $200 you can give me $1900? I'm not a businessman, but that sounds like a good deal to me. And I don't know if that's legal, and I'm sure insurance guys probably not supposed to, but that's what I did. They cut me to check and that was enough to ship my car home, ship my belongings home, had a little bit extra because somebody bought me a first class ticket on the way home. It was only Aloha Airlines, so it wasn't that special.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:45]:
But like, but you know, I I got home. And you know what was the solution? I was driving it the whole time. And the thing that I thought, like, was the worst thing on top of everything, that accident, was the way that God got me to come home. And so sometimes when you're in this thing, he can multiply what's in your hand. You know, that that that insurance guy was actually my uncle's friend. So sometimes relationships matter. Right? Sometimes it's that connection, but this is the thing. God's promise is I'll meet your need.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:35]:
That make sense? Let's bow our heads. We'll close in the order of prayer. Father, I am grateful that wherever we're at today and then some of us, lord, this message isn't because they're facing an overwhelming need, but this is just maybe something they're going to share with somebody. But for some of us, Lord, this is not an academic message. This is not something we put in our back pocket. It's something we need to access now. And if that's you right now, because you're facing a need that you, there's a financial situation that you're facing, it's beyond what you can think of, maybe you feel like the woman who hasn't, doesn't have anything, but can, if that's you though, and you're saying, God, but I wanna give you everything today. God, I wanna invite you to everything today.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:32]:
If that's you, can you just raise your hand to God with our heads bowed, eyes closed today? Thank you, Jesus. Father, I'm thankful that when we're facing overwhelming needs and it seems that we don't have anything. Thank you that we have you. And I thank you that you're not holding out on us right now. You're holding on to us. And you might be asking us to go through this process of kind of assessing where we are and assessing what our needs are, assessing what we have in and maybe just exercising a bit of faith and it doesn't need to be it's not a set amount. It's just to practice, to give, to open that door sometimes to receive. Father, I pray that, Lord, right now for my friends, that, Lord, maybe what you're asking is what is you have in my your hand.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:33]:
It might be might be different than what I had. It might be different than what, you know, other people have had, but I thank you that you're a multiplier of things. Sometimes you're a multiplier of influence. Sometimes you're a multiplier of opportunity. Sometimes you're a multiplier of of, can a car repair money? Lord, we're just today, we don't you might not know what it is, but would you just say, god, thank you. There's something that you wanna multiply in my life that's gonna meet my need. I just received today that you have everything that I need because you're my god, and I'm your child. And as a father, you want to provide.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:34]:
I believe that. I receive that. And, father, would you keep in peace those who are in this process of surrendering this thing? And we're asking right now that you, as a as we go through a process, and some of you might be in a process, and maybe if you wanna talk about it, let's talk about it after service. But we wanna pray for that that multiplication. And maybe you need a little bit of assessment, and you might need to know what some might be available. But, father, we're thankful that for each of us, we wanna experience the God who's a provider. We don't like having to be in need, but we all wanna see the God who provides. And I thank you that wherever we are, we can.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:19]:
In Jesus' name, God's people say, amen. Amen. Hey. We're gonna take communion together this evening. And what does communion celebrate? It celebrates the fact that you and I had a debt we could never pay called our sin. And what did Jesus do? He stepped down from heaven, climbed up on the cross so that you and I could receive a payment that you could never make and fulfill, like, in a way that you didn't understand and I didn't understand. You didn't know how He was gonna do it, but He did it on the cross. And that's what we wanna celebrate.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:10]:
If God can meet that need, the stuff that we go through in life is nothing to him. Right? And we're gonna do that by taking a piece of bread, getting a cup of juice at the back, and, and if there's something that you need to get right with God or something that you need to release, confess, confess it, Invite Him into that. But we're gonna take those things and we'll take the communion elements together. Looks good.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:18]:
Can you just hold these elements before you and pray over these things? Lord, we thank you that this bread and this juice, it's it's not real blood. It's not really your body, but we're thankful that when we take it, your real presence is made manifest. And, Lord, one of the things you said was when you were asked how many times should we forgive people who sin against us? Is it 2 or 3? And and you said, nah, it's not 2 or 3, it's not 7, but 7 times 70. Lord, it's not because you wanted us to count to 490, Is that you said that the people who are forgiven a tremendous and inexhaustible amount should be the most forgiving people on the planet. And if right now there's somebody before we take the elements, if there's somebody that you've been crosswise with and you've been struggling with that person, and there's a bitterness in your heart, Before you take communion, can I just say this, I believe God's calling you to forgive? In fact, I'm gonna encourage you, before you can forgive them tonight, I'd like you to not take communion, to be honest. Because there's something incongruous in the scriptures it says that that we claim forgiveness for ourself for the multitude of sins that we have committed, but we cannot forgive the person, this thing that they've done to us. But if you can, and when I say this, it's just choosing. It's not saying you're all healed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:19]:
It's not saying you're all joyful or happy when you see them. But you're just gonna say, I'm not gonna punish them anymore. I'm not gonna take it out on them. Lord, I just wanna release that to you. If you're there, then would you know that God is saying, hey, you started that process. I can work with that. That you're seeking to obey God's voice rather than your voice. So Lord with that in mind, we we're grateful.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:49]:
We don't deserve it, but thank you for choosing us. Thank you that you saw all of our failures and all of our sin, but you didn't hold it against us because you went to the cross and prayed for that. Thank you, Lord, that this bread that we hold in our hands is a reminder that you are the bread of life who died in my place. Would you take the bread? And thank you, the cup reminds us that You wash us clean by the blood. We are thankful for the blood of Jesus. We couldn't earn it. We don't deserve it. But we're but we can receive it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:45]:
And so we're thankful, Lord, that you said that by your blood, you don't just forgive our sin, but you also add to us the righteousness of Jesus. So when you see us, Lord, you you see Jesus in us, and that's how you value us. So we're thankful for the blood. Would you take the cup? And, father, we're praying that that by your stripes we're healed, and we're praying, God, that if anyone here has a has a ailing ailment in their body, a weakness in their body, a sickness in their body, Father, would the healing grace you said that by your stripes we're healed, would it touch each person? And we're thankful that need that we have, Lord, that you met our greatest need. We just say, if you can meet my greatest need, you can meet my financial need. And we receive that as well. In Jesus name, God's people say, amen? Amen. Amen.