Initial Reluctance and Divine Provision

• Initially, there was no desire to go to Italy for missionary work.
  • The trip seemed financially impossible.
  • Victor offered to cover the expenses, which seemed improbable.
• Unexpected financial opportunities arose.
  • Overtime work became available.
  • Colleagues donated $350 towards the trip.
  • Church donated $500 to each of the five persons going.
• Despite the provision, a sense of unease lingered.
  • There was a recognition of a potential heart issue.
  • “There’s something wrong with my heart already.”

Observations and Reflections in Italy

• Victor’s deep investment in the lives of the people he served was striking.
  • He knew more about these “strangers” than the speaker knew about their own family.
  • Many had Bible lessons in their homes because of Victor’s influence.
• Bonding with a Muslim man named Oktar.
  • Oktar had experienced hardships.
  • Victor was actively involved in Oktar’s life.
• Constant questioning of personal purpose during the trip.
  • “What is my purpose here? What am I supposed to be doing?”
  • Belief that the trip was divinely orchestrated for a specific reason.

The Motorcycle Repair and Divine Intervention

• Initial desire to fix a broken motorcycle.
  • The speaker enjoys fixing things and saw it as a potential way to contribute.
  • The motorcycle was already being repaired.
• Oktar needed $350 for the motorcycle repair.
  • Victor initially declined the offer to pay, planning to borrow from a roommate.
  • The speaker insisted on using the donated money.
• The money was given to Oktar.
  • Oktar’s friend was unavailable to lend the money.
  • Oktar was emotional upon receiving the money.
  • The speaker saw this as a clear sign of divine orchestration.
  • “God set this up, the whole thing, me coming here. I have this money, and it was supposed to go to somebody, and it’s supposed to go to you to take care of your need.”

Realizations and Apology

• The experience highlighted the need for greater attentiveness to divine direction.
  • It’s important to “start listening a lot more and also trying to hear what direction he’s wanting me to go.”
  • Faithfulness and presence are more important than special abilities.
• During a final group prayer, there was a moment of profound realization.
  • Regret for past lack of investment in God’s work and in people.
  • Apology to God and to the group for missed opportunities.
  • “I didn’t have a desire to really invest in your work. I didn’t have a desire to invest in the people I was in contact with.”
• Recognition that events in life happen at the right time.
  • The trip and its lessons were timely and necessary.
  • Desire to do better in the future.

Giving Glory to God

• The message focuses on the importance of giving glory to God and the consequences of not taking His warnings seriously.
• The message is based on Malachi 2:1-2, where God warns the priests about the curse that will come if they do not honor Him.
  • “If you will not hear, if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you.”

The Commission to Glorify God

• The commission to take the Word of God to the world is for everyone, not just preachers.
  • “He’s made us all priests and kings.”
• Everyone has the responsibility to live in a way that others see Christ and that Christ is glorified.

Taking God Seriously

• It is a responsibility to believe God and take His warnings seriously.
  • “We have a responsibility to believe God.”
• The Holy Spirit and the Word of God will draw people closer to God, but individuals must respond.
  • “We need to take this seriously. This is not a game that we’re playing.”
• God wants everyone to glorify Him, as it is the preeminent purpose of existence.
  • “He wants you to glorify Him. He has made you and me, every one of us, we’re created to bring glory unto the Father.”

Consequences of Not Obeying God

• Many live with hearts estranged from God because they have stopped taking Him seriously.
  • “Many today live with hearts that are already estranged from God because they have long stopped taking God seriously.”
• The story of Lot’s sons-in-law is used as an example of what happens when people do not heed God’s warnings.
  • They laughed at Lot’s warning because Lot hadn’t taken God seriously, and his life was a mockery.
  • “He seemed as one that had mocked.”

Living a Life That Glorifies God

• Life matters, including how one lives, speaks, dresses, and where one goes.
  • “Let your light so shine, that they may see your good works, and glorify the Father which is in heaven.”
• The house would be full if people took God’s admonitions seriously.
  • “If we took serious the admonition of God in our hearts this house wouldn’t be half full it’d be full.”
• When God is not taken seriously, there is a curse to follow.
  • “Here’s what happens when you don’t take God serious…there’s a curse to follow.”
• Levi honored God and brought glory to Him, receiving the covenant of life and peace.
  • “He said Levi honored me. He said Levi. He brought glory to me. He said I gave to him the covenant of my life and peace.”
• Even in old age or on a deathbed, one can still bring glory to God.
  • “You may be on your deathbed and can’t give up, but brother, keep giving glory to God.”
• What matters in the end is how one conducted themselves and whether they gave glory to God.
  • “It won’t mean anything to God that I was this or that or had a title or didn’t…He wants to know, did I give glory to Him?”
• Paul beseeches believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, which is their reasonable service.
  • “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
• One is not their own, having been bought with a price, and should live to bring glory to God.
  • “I was bought with a price one day. I ain’t my own anymore. It ain’t up to me to do what I want to do. I’ve been purchased and made a child of the king. And I am to bring glory to God.”
• Everything, including eating and drinking, should be done to the glory of God.
  • “Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God.”
• An encounter in Nashville with an old lady who clearly showed the glory of God is shared as an example.
  • “I saw in you something I didn’t see in some of the others. I saw the glory of God in you.”
• Whatever one does, do it heartily, as unto the Lord.
  • “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily.”
• God cares how one lives, works, and behaves, as life is meant to bring glory to Him.
  • “He cares how you be a mama. He cares how you be an employee. He cares how you live. He cares how you walk.”
• If life is a mockery, it is because one has refused to follow God.
  • “If my life is a mockery, friend, it’s because I have refused to follow God.”
• God can curse blessings if He is not given glory.
  • “The very thing that you call blessing in your life, God can curse it.”
• The reason for cursing blessings is the refusal to give God glory and take His words seriously.
  • “The reason why I’m going to curse it is because you won’t give me glory. Because you won’t lay it to heart.”

The Example of Levi

• Levi had a covenant of life and peace because he feared God.
  • “My covenant was with him of life and peace…I gave it to him for the fear wherewith he feared me.”
• Living in a country that no longer fears God.
  • “We’re living in a country that don’t fear God no more.”
• Fearing God means humbling oneself before Him, recognizing His greatness and one’s own nothingness.
  • “When we humble ourselves before an almighty God, that suddenly He gets big and we get small and we see that He is everything and we are nothing.”
• Fearing God leads to obedience.
  • “It causes me to want to obey Him.”
• There is no sweeping things under the rug in the throne room of God.
  • “There ain’t no rugs.”
• There will be regret for not giving one’s all for God.
  • “Day cometh that we’re going to regret having not given our all for God.”
• Levi kept God’s word on his lips, honoring Him every time he shared it.
  • “He kept my word on his lips…that word honored me.”
• Levi turned many away from iniquity, which brought glory to God.
  • “He turned many away from iniquity…God said I’ll tell you why I made a covenant with Levi and kept it. He said because one of the things Levi, he continually warned the wicked.”
• Peter’s death brought glory to God.
  • “This signifying how he would die. To bring glory unto God.”
• Everything one goes through is to the glory of God.
  • “Everything you’re going through, brother, is to the glory of God.”

Conclusion

• The point of the message is to take God seriously and lay His warnings to heart.
  • “The point of the message was that we’ve got to take it serious. At some point, we’ve got to lay this to heart that God’s trying to warn me.”
• There are worse things than being broke, such as being lost.
  • “There’s a whole lot worse things than broke. You could be lost.”
• God glorified Jesus and said, “Hear ye Him.”
  • “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.”
• If one does not hear and lay it to heart, there is a curse on the other side.
  • “If you will not hear, and you will not lay it to heart, I believe there’s a curse on the other side of it.”
• In the New Testament, one reaps what one sows.
  • “Be not deceived. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
• It is crucial to take the Word of God seriously and obey Him now.
  • “You better heed the warning of God and take Him serious. You better lay it to heart this morning and give glory to God.”