VICTORIA OSTEEN SERMON BE AN EXTRAVAGANT GIVER : Victoria Osteen talks to us today about “being an extravagant giver, you know, when you live a life of giving, you live the best possible life there is. Sometimes we think, “well, I can’t give all the time, if I give all the time, I won’t have anything left” or we think, “if someone asks me for something that I don’t have, how do you expect me to give?” but can I tell you this today? That there is never a time that you are empty handed, you always have something to give.
In the book of acts, peter and Paul were walking to the temple to worship God; it was at that time of day, where everyone came to worship at the temple. They came walking into the temple, they were passing the gates of the temple, and they passed a man who was sitting there begging. Now, the bible talks about this man, and this man had been crippled from birth, and the people that took care of him, placed him at the gate every single day.
Obviously, it was a good place to sit for spare change because he was there every day, I’m sure if it wasn’t a good place, they would’ve moved him somewhere else, right? so he was there that day begging, believing that he was going to get what he needed for that day, have enough money to take care of himself and the people who helped him.
well, this particular day, when peter and john were walking past the gate, he hollered out to them and he said, “hey, i need some money.” he was begging from them, they felt their pockets and realized “i don’t have any money,” and it would’ve been easy for them to say, “well, buddy, you know what? i’ll catch you next time, i don’t have any money right now.
that day peter and john, didn’t have money, they didn’t ignore the man. peter realized, “I always have something to give as long as i have the power of most high living in me, he looked straight at that guy and he said, silver and gold I don’t have, but i do have something, and his name is Jesus,” and he reached out his hand and he said, “get on up and walk, you’re healed, in the name of Jesus,” and the bible says that, he jumped up, and there was a miracle that everyone saw that day.”
he began jumping and leaping and praising God, peter realized he was never empty handed. You may not have exactly what someone is asking you for, but do you have a hand to pick up your neighbor? Do you have an encouraging word to put someone on his or her feet? You know what I learned that day that i grabbed my phone, tried to ignore the fact that I didn’t have what that man needed? I realized I do, have something, I have the name of Jesus, and next time I run into that situation, I’m praying, “God, thank you that you’ll give that man supernatural Breakthrough.
Pastor Victoria Osteen wants us to always understand that we have prayer, and that prayer is powerful when you give it in love, when you put in the hands of Jesus, it has a ripple effect, it makes a difference on this earth.