This Doesn't Make Sense — Until It Does — Legacy Work — Rich Wilkerson Jr.

This year, we're celebrating 10 years of VOOC Church. And from our earliest days at Jose de Diego to now four locations across Miami, we've seen God's faithfulness every single step of the way. We stand amazed at what God has done. And as we close this year, I wanna personally invite you to be a part of our Bricklayers offering. This is an opportunity to accelerate the vision, to be a part of this miracle in motion, to extend the story of your life past the four walls of your home and your individual journey and be a part of something so much larger. It's the story that God is telling through our unity and our surrender. Now, your investment goes directly towards our core initiatives for 2026. There is a beautiful vision for this house. Our VUSOMI location building project, it's already in motion. Our fifth location here in Miami, we're headed to South Beach. Also the facilities and our kids' expansion at our VU Miami Gardens location and the auditorium mezzanine addition at our very special Design District location. God is moving at every single location in Miami. And when you give, you're a part of all of it. You can give now through the end of the year

at vuchurch.com forward slash give. Thank you. Thank you for being a part of all that God is doing in Miami and now around the world. Okay, it's time. Together, let's lean into the message. I'm so happy that you're here today. Today is Bricklayers Sunday. This happens one time a year that we as a church, we come and we bring a lavish above and beyond offering to the Lord to help accelerate the vision that is at hand. If you're a guest today, you're under no obligation whatsoever. But if you call VU Church home, this is something we look forward to. Since we started this church 10 years ago, we've always said that it's a privilege to be generous. You know, the most famous sermon in all of the New Testament is the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gives the beatitudes, where he says, blessed is this and blessed is that. It's interesting. There is a secret beatitude. Jesus adds to the sermon when you read the book of Acts for the last beatitude, the secret beatitude, he says, blessed. It's more blessed to give than it is to receive. So we make no apologies about being generous for the entire gospel is a story of generosity.

And today, I don't know about you, but I'm excited. I'm expected that as we give, God is gonna meet every one of our needs. Come on, every location, clap your hands, build some faith today. God is gonna move. Well, we're gonna receive the offering at the end of the service. So I would just ask that you wouldn't leave until we make a corporate dismissal today, because we see it as a holy act of worship. But if you have your Bible, I want you to reach for it. Exodus chapter 36 is where I want you to turn. If you've got a Bible, turn to Exodus chapter 36. We're gonna be in verse two today. And I am excited to preach. Did you hear that Miami, we are champions. No soccer fans in our church. We, this is what we do, this is what we do. I don't, I've never been to a soccer game in my entire life. But as soon as somebody starts winning, I joined the bandwagon. So, messi! All I do is win. I don't know, I just keep going, you know. But shout out to all the football soccer fans. I'm still an American. All right, Exodus chapter 36 is gonna come up on the screen today. This is what God's word says.

It says, then Moses summoned Bazaal and Oliab and every skilled person whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring free will offerings morning after morning. Someone say morning after morning. So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, the people are bringing more than enough. Someone say more than enough. The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done. Then Moses, this is powerful, gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp. No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary. And so the people were restrained from bringing more. Can you imagine? Because what they already had was more than enough. Someone say, more than enough. It was more than enough to do all the work. We are in our year-end collection. And if you're new to our church, we're so glad that you're here. But those of us that call this place home, you would know it's the custom, it's the tradition of our house that we end every year in anticipation, in expectation, in vision. Because we don't want to start the following year in a form of an accident or in a drift. No, we want to be intentional as we move into a year of execution. So we always end the year with vision.

And this year, our vision statement for 2026, it comes from what the psalmist, when he writes, is let this be written for a people not yet created that they may praise the Lord. The phrase God gave me was legacy work. VU Church is now 10 years old this past September. But I believe that the next 10 years, it's not about us, it's not about me, it's not about those that are living right now, but rather the next 10 years, the next decade, we are building a church in the heart of Miami, Florida for a people not yet created. Can anybody believe that we're doing legacy work? And so today, we're going to bring an offering. It's a faith exercise, and it's an act of worship. And what is the offering for? It's to accelerate this vision. If you haven't heard, we are building an incredible facility in South Miami. In fact, this past week, they laid the concrete slab, ladies and gentlemen. It's taken a while to get to the foundation, but come on, it's happening little by little. It's going to be completed in 2027. It's a $35 million project. Our church has given close to $10 million already. If that's shocking to you, stick around because there's more work to be done in the future. But if you haven't heard, we're also launching in 2026 our fifth location. We're going to South Beach, everybody. We're bringing our talents to South Beach. And we believe that we're going to see a life-giving church formed in the heart of South Beach. And it's not for us. It's for a people not yet created that they may praise the Lord. How many believe in faith today that God's going to do it? Now, when I read this passage and when I share all of that vision, I kind of get my message title today. This doesn't make sense until it does. Someone say, until it does. Someone at South Miami in that gym say, until it does. You too as well, Miami Gardens. We'll let them do all the work. This doesn't make sense until it does.

This resonates with me, and sometimes a sermon title in and of itself can preach the whole message. Because this is how life works. It can only be understood looking backwards, but you've got to live it forwards. Many of us, we've been there before, that when God calls us to something, when God moves in our life, oftentimes it doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make sense until you're in it. Most of the time, it doesn't make any sense until you're through it. Somebody said amen. So much of life, in fact, the good parts of life, it doesn't really make sense until it does. Like for instance, falling in love. I don't know how to explain falling in love to you. Falling in love doesn't make any sense. Falling in love is illogical. Falling in love is crazy. You just have to do it. Because I can explain it to you. I could get a textbook out. I could do a PowerPoint slideshow. But there's nothing like falling in love. When you fall in love, you throw all rationale out the window. When I fell in love with Don Sheree, yo, it got weird. I drove across states all night long. One time I drove all the way to Washington, D.C. just to spend a few hours with Don Sheree because I was in love. We'd fall asleep, Christian kids on the phone. We can't be together, but we can stay on the phone. I want to hear you breathe while you sleep. People are like, bro, you're crazy. I'm like, you're right. I'm crazy in love. Be honest.

I have never, ever met somebody who's deeply in love and simultaneously deeply logical. Hello? You introduce or meet someone who's deeply in love, they are not deeply logical, rational people. Because falling in love doesn't make sense until it does. Love doesn't make sense until it does. I mean, this is how the best things in life work. I mean, think about parenting. If you really care about your calendar, don't become a parent. because children will make you sacrifice. Any parents, somebody say amen out there. Oh my goodness gracious, if you love all of your perfect schedule, I would recommend not having kids now. Because kids don't care about your sleep. Kids don't care about your schedule. Kids are gonna make you sacrifice, but it doesn't really make sense until it does. This week was special because this week our fourth child, Wolfgang Wesley Wilkerson, he turned one years of age, everybody. Come on, glory to God. Every location, give God some praise. For Don and I, we went through eight years of infertility and so much of that journey didn't make any sense until it does. Then we had one child, but God is faithful. Then we had a second child. God is even more faithful. He gave me my favorite child, my daughter, my third child.

Then one year ago, he gave us the greatest surprise of our life at the age of 40. He gave us a surprise baby in this little boy, Wolfgang. And it's only now looking back that I go, wow, God, you were faithful. God, you never left me. God, you were in all of it. The plan is messy until it becomes meaningful. And I can't explain to you parenting. I could try, but every parent in this room knows it really doesn't make sense until it does, until it's yours, until they're your kids. My two oldest, Wyatt and Wild, Wyatt is seven, Wild is six. And they're athletes, if I haven't told you about this. They do jujitsu. I want them to be in soccer because we are international. And they play baseball in the summers. But the sport that they're really in love with right now is football. I mean, these are real gridiron American boys. And they're in a league that they practice on Saturday and they play on Saturday. And I travel a lot. I tend to preach a lot of Friday nights and Saturdays. And so whenever I'm home, it's always family weekend. And so whenever I'm home on a Saturday, of course I'm going to their games and I'm out there supporting. And I was probably two games, three games in it when I'm sitting there on the sidelines

just pacing back and forth, just watching, what's going on out here? Okay, okay, I'm screaming stuff. Come on, spread the offense, run the blitz. Like I think I am Bill Belichick, but I'm holding a cold brew. And come on, I'm a Christian man, but I was not out loud, but on the inside going, this coach doesn't know nothing. None of you dads have ever done this before. And I'm sitting there like doing commentary like it's an ESPN show when finally the Holy Spirit nudged on me. You can complain or you can contribute. You can keep critiquing the coach and the team or you can help create something new. And with the help of the Holy Spirit and my wife, Dawn Cherie I walked over and said, put me in coach. I started coaching my boy's team. Wow. I am a fantastic father. Yo, you have never lived until you've tried to coach six and seven year olds playing football. It's a lot harder than it looks. I'm out there screaming at people and what I quickly realized is, oh my goodness, I don't know much about football. I don't know the X's and O's, I don't know strategy. What I do know is motivation. I'm giving epic speeches every time out.

I've quoted, remember the Titans. I'm quoting Gladiator. Are you not entertained? I'm quoting Troy. Men, we are lions. I looked at a six year old boy one day and say, you got a dog in you. Let me hear you bark. He's like. Parents are like, they're only six. I'm like, shut up, they need this. Friends, we didn't win a single game. But on our last game, my son, Wyatt Wesley Wilkerson, seven years of age, he threw for two touchdowns. Somebody give glory to God. Now what would have me out there every Saturday for three hours taking strangers and their fathers to Flanagan's, making new friends, sweating. Ain't nobody paying me. Ain't nobody celebrating me. The sacrifice doesn't make sense. Until it does. Until it's your child. Until it's your kid. Until it's your. to step up in responsibility. I can't explain it to you with a PowerPoint. It's only until you step in. Love doesn't make sense.

Sacrifice doesn't make sense. If you think falling in love is strange, if you think being a parent is crazy, well then I would recommend not following Jesus. Because following Jesus, whoo, it's gonna get uncomfortable. It doesn't always make sense what Jesus calls you to do. You follow Jesus the right way, he's gonna tell you time and time again to do things that you don't wanna do. He's gonna call you out of a boat in the middle of a storm. He's gonna call you to forgive people that you know don't deserve forgiveness. He's gonna have you giving things that cost you everything. He's gonna lead you to places that are uncomfortable. But how many of y'all know it's only until you get uncomfortable that the transformation actually occurs? You can't see purpose when you're in the middle of it. You can't connect the dots from this angle. It's only in looking backwards. Breakthrough feels really slow until all of a sudden it happens. It's how God works. It doesn't always make sense, but I'm telling you, it makes sense. And when it finally makes sense after some time, you look back and say, now I get it.

Now I see it. Now I've discovered it. This is our story. This is my story. How many of us sit in this room? Now, we all have prayers that we're asking God to do, but I think a mature believer doesn't just thank God for the things that he's done. A mature believer has to thank God for all the things he did not do. I did not wanna lose that job until I now see that it opened up a new door for a better job. I did not wanna lose that relationship. Oh, but now I see God was protecting me from crazy. I didn't wanna move to that city until now I found all my people. What up, Miami? I love you. I wanted to get in that school until it led me right into my purpose. Over and over and over again, when it comes to God, this doesn't make sense until it does. Here's what I want you to see about love. Love will make you do things common sense would never approve. Today is Bricklayer's offering. When we first started this church, I used to be a little bit squeamish about this Sunday,

a little timid. It's taken me a decade of leading this community that now I'm quite bold because there's people today that are guests that are onlookers, and we're so grateful that you're here. I used to kinda say, oh, man, let the guests stay home. This is not really a day for the guests because if you're a guest today and you're watching and people are gonna bring above and beyond their regular giving, wait a minute, what are you paying for? Wait, are you getting stock? Are you getting equity? What's the payoff? Are you getting cable with this? What are you getting? Are you getting one-on-one FaceTime with the pastor? What's happening? Are you paying for prayer? Are you paying for blessing? No, no, no, no, no. We're giving because we want to give. It doesn't make sense to all of the onlookers, but how we all know, generosity never makes sense on the outside. It's only on the inside. Grace doesn't make sense. Mercy doesn't make sense. His freedom doesn't make sense.

His salvation doesn't make sense until it does. This doesn't make sense. Until it does. This doesn't make sense. Until it does. Until it does. Exodus 36 is a beautiful picture of the principle I'm giving you today because Exodus 36 is a strange story, a supernatural story to say the least, but it's tucked away there in the book of Exodus that many people have never seen it before. Many people miss it. Let me give you some context to Exodus 36. Exodus 36 is when God has given Moses the instructions. Now these are very detailed instructions around building the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a mobile church in the wilderness that wherever the Israelites went, they had to set up this tent called the tabernacle, and it's the very place that God's presence dwelt. And when you read through it, what you discover is that God is precise. He has certain ways that he wants the curtains made. He has engravings that he wants on certain poles. He wants the ropes to be tied a certain way. Some of y'all come to VU Church and you go to the growth track, and you're like, yo, these people are really serious about call times,

and we gotta do CCB, and we gotta check in with team leaders, and all this language. Yeah, yeah, we serve a God who's into details. God has always been very serious about his house, and if God's serious about his house, we right here at VU Church, come on, we wanna be serious. about his house. And so the Bible says that God gives Moses instruction. And so this is what Moses does, much like what we're doing today. God's given us a vision to build a church here in Miami. And I think we're just following the pattern of the people of faith, the tradition of the people of faith, that we're just repeating that which they've done in the past. And the scripture says in Exodus 35, verse five, let me read it out of the NIV version. This is the chapter before. Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Everyone who is willing, everyone say willing. Everyone who is willing to bring the Lord an offering of gold, silver, and bronze. Now I wanna read it to you out of the ESV because I like how it says willing in the NIV, but look at the ESV. Take from among you a contribution, Lord, whoever is of generous heart.

Someone say generous heart. Let him bring the Lord's contribution, gold, silver, and bronze. Here at Vood Church, we have seven different values. We've had these since the very first day we opened our doors a decade ago. One of those values is generosity is our privilege, that we don't have to give, we get to give. We actually believe in that hidden B attitude that it's more blessed to give. It's a privilege to give. The definition of generosity is to give more than what is required. Now here's what happens as these people are willing, they're willing, they're generous of heart. The scripture says they're not manipulated, they're not forced, they don't have to do it, they want to do it, and as they start giving, a miracle takes place, they don't stop giving. Morning after morning, offering after offering, it just keeps coming in and coming in and coming in. I mean, they just keep giving so much so that they come to Moses like, yo, Mo, these people won't stop giving. And Moses is like, oh my goodness, we have a problem. The scripture says he has to restrain them. Can you imagine? We're gonna arrest you if you give one more offering. It is illegal for the rest of the day for anyone else to give.

Can you imagine? Moses says, whoa, stop giving, you have given more than enough. More than enough. How many all believe that we serve the God of more than enough? Come on, somebody, clap your hands. They have a willing heart. They have to be restrained from giving. Friends, this doesn't make sense. Until it does. What led to this generous heart? What led to this willing spirit? What led to this radical act of generosity? Not forced, not manipulated, not promised. If you give $120, we're gonna get 120 blessings. That's not what's going on here, but rather it's a willing heart. I want this same spirit in our church. A spirit and a culture that you would say it doesn't make sense until it does. I believe there might be some answers and some reasoning towards this absurd generosity. I wanna make some observations there. So if you're taking notes, I want you to write this down. What leads to this willing spirit that we can learn in Exodus 36? If you're taking notes, write this first one down. Number one, I have been included by mercy. I have been included by mercy.

Whenever you read the Bible, it's so important that you get context. Exodus 36 doesn't make sense if you don't know what took place in Exodus 32, 33, 34, and 35. Because if you back up the story before this radical moment of generosity, what you will discover is that this is on the backside of Israel committing one of their greatest sins. Remember, Moses went up Mount Sinai to get the law from God. And he's only been gone for 40 days. And when he comes back after 40 days, the people have turned on God and they're now worshiping a golden calf. Just think about the ramifications of this. These people were saved from slavery. They were brought up out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea. God fed them with manna from heaven. God led them with a cloud by day and a fire by night. And then God gave them a relationship known as a covenant. But it only took 40 days for them to get impatient, for them to go completely immoral, for them to completely forsake the only thing that had ever been constant in their life. I always make the joke, this is why pastors have a hard time taking a break. I always take about four Sundays off in July and I'm always afraid, what am I coming back to?

He comes down from the mountain only to see these people dancing around a golden calf. in calf. Let me just tell you, they deserved judgment. There was no doubt consequences as you read Exodus 33 and 34, but the entire people were not judged, but rather they were given mercy. They weren't all killed. They weren't all persecuted. Moses, he interceded between them and God, and rather than give them judgment, God gave them mercy. Anybody thankful that there is a true and better Moses? His name is Jesus Christ, and he too is the man in the middle who stands in the gap between us and God, and rather than get God's judgment, we get God's mercy. What's amazing is that when you read Exodus 36, what you see is these people, as they're generous, they're not being generous out of wealth. They're being generous out of mercy. That's where their generosity is coming from when they're going, wow, God spared us. God saved us. God healed us. God should have judged us, but instead he forgave us, and friends, isn't this true for all of us? I think that we forget sometimes gratitude never begins with what you receive. Gratitude begins with what you recognize. Today, we are not giving merely to accelerate vision, and we're not merely giving because we're hoping God will do something new. I believe God will do something new. His mercies are new every morning, but real gratitude is not waiting for God to do the new thing. Oh, man, I'll be thankful when? I'll really praise you when? I'll really worship you if you give me the job. I promise you I will be in church if you finally bring a man into my life. You never prayed that prayer. I know, I know, I know. It's I'll do this if when you do that, but that is not real gratitude. Real gratitude is not receiving. Real gratitude is when you have the power to recognize. Do you recognize, VU Church, what he's already done in your life? Do you recognize that he saved you? Do you recognize he made a way when there was no way? Do you recognize he put purpose in your heart? He gave you a calling. He redeemed you. He saved you. You want to take five seconds at every location today and just thank God for his mercy. Thank God for his grace. Come on, church. Let's go ahead and praise him in this house. I don't need to receive one more thing for me to recognize what he's already done, and I'm excited about South Beach, and I'm excited for the building to be built in South Miami, and I'm excited for construction to take place at Miami Gardens. I'm excited about all the new things, but all I got to do is look back

over the last 12 months, and I can already discover God has been merciful to me. Some of y'all, you wouldn't know Jesus if you hadn't walked into this church. Some of y'all found your best friends right here at VU Church. You met your wife. You met your husband. You had kids in this church. Come on, somebody. Give God praise. Has he been merciful to you? I think this absurd generosity in Exodus 36 is because the people go, whoa, I've been included by mercy. I don't have to give. I get to give. I'm not giving for. I'm giving in response. May we never graduate from our own salvation story. May we never, ever graduate from all that God has done. Oh, I'm excited about what he'll do, but can we reminisce and can we reflect on all that he's done? Ten years here at this church, over 30,000 people giving their life to Jesus. Millions of dollars given away locally and globally. Families formed. Marriages restored. The stories go on and on and on. You don't have to manipulate me. You don't have to coerce me. I can recognize that it's by God's mercy and by God's grace we are standing here today. It doesn't make sense until it does. I've been included by mercy, but it's not just that. It's that once you discover mercy, it reframes your entire perspective. And I think the people of Israel, their perspective changed. Nothing I have is mine. I mean, nothing I have is mine. He saved me. He spared me. And now I can see everything that I have. It was given to me by God. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. When you start living your life, recognizing that you're here by mercy and by God's grace, it turns you from being an owner into a God. was steward. I don't own nothing. Everything I have, God gave me. I'm managing it. I'm stewarding it. Think about the Israelites for a moment. Where do you think they got that gold to make that golden calf? Well, I'll tell you. Exodus chapter 12. As the Israelites are leaving Egypt, look what the Bible says. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for, so they plundered the Egyptians. Historians talk about this being one of the greatest transfers of wealth in the history of humanity, that as the Israelite slaves left Egypt, they didn't leave Egypt broke. I'm so grateful for a God that when you leave one season, you can enter into a new season stronger, better than what you ever walked out of. Anybody believe in a God who's good and faithful? They left out with all of the gold from the Egyptians. So watch this. This is God's gold, and they melted God's gold into an idol, and they traded God's

presence for a created golden calf. Oh, but we've never done that before. No, no, no. I've never taken something God gave me, a talent, a skill, a resource, and somehow used it for a lesser good, and traded God's will, God's presence, and God's purpose for my own. Oh, friends, we've all done it before. It's not just the gold. Where do you think they got their skills from? This is where you get really, really interesting with people, because I meet a lot of people that's like, yeah, yeah, all my money, that came from God, but my personality, my work ethic. This is why the Bible says it's harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle. They go, well, that's impossible. I love Jesus' response. Well, you know, with man, it's impossible. With God, all things are possible. He's trying to show us that we can't receive grace the more successful in this life at times we become. We start giving ourselves credit for our own ambition, for our own effort, for our own work ethic, but this is fascinating, because if you go back to Exodus 35, I'm paraphrasing here, but go back and read it. This is a wild adventure, because it wasn't just the gold that came from God. The Bible says the Lord has filled Bazaal with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts, meaning it wasn't just the resource that God had given them. All of their intuition, all of their intelligence, their IQ, all of their skills and their abilities, their work ethic, their drive, that all came from God, too. The Spirit empowered that. Friend, I want to remind you today that everything you have was given to you by God, and the more you recognize His grace and His mercy, you start saying, nothing I have is mine. Not just that. How about the very land and future? That was promised by God. The promised land, this thing that God had carved out for them, this hopeful future, that was given to them by God. It's not even theirs to obtain. God is graciously and generously giving it to them. Friend, we have to understand that when all of a sudden you start seeing things as God's and not yours, what it does is it transforms things. You stop being greedy, and you start being generous. You stop saying it's mine. You start saying it's ours. God gave me this thing. I'm going to use it for His glory. I want to build His kingdom. Why did God give them the gold? Why did God give them the skills? Why did God give them a promised land? He gave them all of this stuff that they might actually walk with Him and build His kingdom. Listen to me. The reason why God has given you resources is to build His kingdom. The reason why God has given you

that personality and that drive is to build His kingdom. The reason why God is promising you a future and a hope, it's to build His kingdom. It's not for your glory. It's for His glory. But we lie to ourselves, don't we? We say, well, you know, one day I'm going to do that. Listen to me. If you won't give more later, if you won't give more later, if you won't give a little now. Let me say it again. You won't give more later if you won't give a little now. Meaning people, they lie to themselves and they say, one day when I get more, then I'm going to give it. No, you won't. If you won't trust God with $100, He's not going to give you $1,000. If you won't trust God with $1,000, why would He give you $100,000? If you won't trust God with $100,000, why would He trust us with a million dollars? So many of us, we keep lying to ourselves and say, one day I'm going to give it. It's not actually how it works. It reminds me of my own children. I took my kids to the movies the other day to see Zootopia 2. Do you know what it costs to go to the movie theaters in 2025? I thought it was a mortgage payment. I was like, did we go to Disney? No, welcome to the theater. My God in heaven. Daughter has popcorn, she's four. Yo, wait, let me get some popcorn. No, daddy, it's mine. The devil is a liar, girl, what? I drove you here. I paid for your ticket. I put that dress on your body. I brushed your hair, even though I don't know how to do it. That popcorn is mine, I'm just letting you borrow it. How many of us, we go through life holding back from God. This is a day on Bricklayer's Sunday that we break the back of greed and we actually activate generosity, but we're activating generosity because we realize nothing I have is mine, meaning I'm not giving to you, God,

I'm returning what's rightfully yours. I don't want us to be a church that tips God at the end of the year. I want us to be a church that we would say, God, we wanna come together and we wanna play our part, advancing and building your kingdom. Come on, church, if you believe it, somebody give God a shout of praise. And I love what the Bible says. It says that everybody, go through it in Exodus 35. It's craftsmen and woodsmen and weavers and tent makers and designers and engravers, they all come together because generosity and this Sunday is not about the rich people doing a part at VU Church. It's about everyone playing a part. Generosity at VU Church is not about an amount. It's about an equal sacrifice that we would all get aligned and we would all participate. I always think every year as we come to the year end, it's like last year, close to 1,800 people gave in this offering. That's pretty cool, except for the fact that close to 9,000 people show up every Sunday. What would happen if we just all played our part, if we just all participated a little bit and said we're gonna bring our gifts? That's what happened in Exodus 35 and Exodus 36. That's what happens at VU Church. Doctors and lawyers and teachers and students

and parents, moms and dads, all of us come together and we bring an offering unto the Lord that we might establish his kingdom right here, right now in the city of Miami, Florida. Come on, somebody. Give God some praise in this place. This doesn't make sense. Until it does. Until it does, until it does. Doesn't make sense until you go, I've been included by mercy. This doesn't make sense until I go, man, nothing I have is actually mine. The gold, the gift, my time, it's but a vapor. My life is brief, but it can be brilliant. Lastly, if you're writing this last one down, this is from Exodus 36. This willing spirit, this generous heart, I think it's birth when you recognize that God's presence is priceless. God's presence is priceless. As you read Exodus 35 and 36, you will discover that there was consequences for worshiping that golden calf, but the overall arching theme is a God who is merciful, who's rich in mercy. But as you read it, something takes place because God says to the people, he says, I'm gonna give you the land and I'm gonna give you the promise,

but you're not gonna get my presence. I'm gonna give you that land, but I'm not going with you. You don't get me. And this is where Moses, I think, becomes Moses. Because Moses hears this saying, whoa, whoa, whoa. Yeah, God's like, yeah, I'm gonna send an angel. I'm not going with you. It's cool, you can still get the land, you can still get the stuff, but you're not getting me. And this is Moses, Exodus 33, verse 15, this is what Moses says. If your presence does not go with us, do not send us from here. Moses recognizes, no, God, what's a promise without the promise giver? What's a promise without your presence? What's a place without you? I don't want the blessing without the blesser. I don't want the gift without the giver. I don't wanna move forward if you're not going with us. God, none of this matters without your presence. Your presence is everything. So Lord, I don't wanna go if you're not going with us. I don't care about the promise then. I don't care about the vision. I don't care about what's next. If you're not with us, we don't want any of it. And here's what God says, Exodus 33, verse 14. He says it this way. My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.

Do you see what's happening here? In Exodus 36, something is taking place because there is a moment. That the Israelite people They weren't sure if God was going to stay with them They weren't sure if God would be near or close But as Moses intercedes and as Moses says no, we don't want the gold And we don't want the land and we don't want the promises. We want you It's in that moment that generosity Begins to rise up inside of the people They begin to give because God stayed They gave because God never left They gave because God's presence is priceless You can't pay for his presence. You can't earn his presence You can't do something to get God's attention make you like you more make you love you more No, his presence is a byproduct of his grace And So when they gave they weren't giving for a building They gave because they were building a dwelling where God's presence would be They were saying thank you God for never leaving Thank you God for never going Thank you God that you could have ran out, but rather you stayed Who am I that you're mindful of me? Who am I that you didn't walk out on me God your presence his price is let me just tell you out there You can have all the money in the world. It pales in comparison the presence of God You can have all the status in the world. It pales to the presence of God In fact, Jesus says what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but he forfeits his soul I don't know about you But I'm reminded of those words that Peter looks down at that man who is lame he says silver and gold I do not have but one thing I do his name is Jesus Christ get up and walk

Let me tell you what the name of Jesus. It's more costly and precious than silver could ever imagine And you can't pay for it. You can't earn it It's God's free gift So they're not guilt giving to a building project they're not giving to a man they're not giving to a need they're giving out of Gratitude that you never left. I Want to be so clear with our church, and I want to make sure I do this every year Because I'm not into manipulation I'm not into you giving under compulsion. I'm into you being instructed I'm into you being instructed talking to God and then making a clear decision We're not giving in this offering because God's presence needs a building The presence of God doesn't need drywall and air conditioning We like that he's fine though The word of God is so clear that we are the temple of the holy spirit That he lives with you He walks with you When you leave this place today, you don't have to give in the offering. God will still go with you You can find yourself into some trouble this week making mistakes just like the israelites and God He's going to return. He's he's merciful. His mercy is new every morning. You can't pay for that and you can't earn that Why are we giving then rich we are giving as a physical representation to say thank you God Amen God we want to say thank you. Let the building that's being built in south. Miami Be a physical representation of our gratitude May the building be a representation for generations to come That people who are not yet even created that they can always know there's a place they can drive up And when they drive up they can meet a God who loves them and who is for them We're saying thank you for bringing prodigals home. We're saying thank you for restoring marriages We're saying thank you for delivering people from drugs and alcohol. Thank you. God for setting us free God your presence is priceless It's priceless God This doesn't make sense

Until it does Until his presence becomes priceless this this doesn't make sense I'm not interested in building a crowd If we have a crowd of people without God's presence it it's it's empty to me I don't want buildings without God's presence. I don't want to launch on South Beach in our own effort. We will get eaten alive But i'm grateful I'm so thankful I'm so thankful I'm deeply in love And i'm deeply in love with God so it doesn't always look deeply logical to those who are not And the word of God says That the people on the heels of this, they start giving and giving and they have a willing heart and they brought their skills and their talents because it's not just about an offering. It's why we serve in the house. It's why we park the cars. It's why we put the kids in the kids ministry. It's why we go to the care classes. It's why we're in VU Cruz. It's because we have skills and talents and we want to use those things, not for our glory. We want to use them to build his house and to build his kingdom. And so the people were just willing and willing. No one told them, no one forced them, no one manipulated them. They were willing. They had a willing heart. We all have a will. I have a will. You have a will. The problem with my will is that oftentimes my will does not line up with God's will. That's just the truth. God's will is patience.

My will is Amazon prime. God's will is forgiveness. My will is a little subtweet here and there, but all the gospel is about God transforming your will. It's changing this heart. In fact, God's will for your life is that you would become willing, willing. God doesn't, God doesn't just merely want your will. He wants you to submit your will and a submitted will is one that's willing. Well, your will, it only becomes willing when you add those three other letters. I N G. In fact, it's where your will ends that a willing spirit, who there it is, begins. Willing. Everyone say willing, a willing spirit. How do I get a willing spirit rich? How do I transform my will into a willing spirit? You have to add the I N G and it doesn't make sense until it does, because I just showed you how you add the I N G. You add the I by remembering I'm included by mercy. You add the N by remembering nothing I have is mine and you get the G by going God's presence is priceless. It's not about my will. It's about a willing spirit. I'm believing today that across all of our locations, that a willing spirit is going to erupt. It's a supernatural thing and it doesn't make sense until it does. When you look around VU Church and you see what God's done in 10 years, it's only by the grace of God. People often ask me, how did you build all these things? How do you guys own properties in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world?

By the way, the next time you complain that it's so expensive to live here, just remember you live here. It's just a sign that you live in the place that everybody apparently wants to live. How do we own these buildings? What's the grace of God? But let me tell you, it's love that built this place. It's not manipulation. It's not force. It's a willing spirit. Life built this place, sacrifice built this place, and it doesn't make sense until it does. And I'm calling on our church on this Sunday. God's doing something here in Miami. Why don't we accelerate the next 10 years? Why don't we give today in faith, believing that, man, I've already been included because of his mercy. Praise God for that. Nothing I have is mine. I can't out give God. I'm not going to tip the creator of the universe. He's not a server at Chili's. He is God all by himself. I'm going to bring my best because to be honest with you, I could never pay for his presence. I could never pay for his presence. It's priceless. It's invaluable. I could never describe it to you. To have a friend that's closer than a brother, to know that even when I'm in the valley of the shadow of death, I am not alone, to know on my worst day, he's still proud of me and loves me.

Oh, I don't know how to describe it to you and I can't pay for it, but I certainly want to say thank you, God. Thank you for loving me and thank you for saving me. I know it might not make sense to you, but man, when I look back on his goodness and his grace, whoo, I see it, I see it. It's a willing heart. It's a willing spirit. We're not giving today for our glory. We're giving for His. And friend, today you can give without loving, but you really can't love without giving. Every head is bowed and every eye is clothed at all of our locations today. I just want to encourage some people. I'm gonna ask that no one's walking around. If you're online right now, I'm speaking and preaching to you as well. God loves you. God is for you. Jesus Christ came and laid down His life on a cruel cross 2,000 years ago. The sacrifice is scandalous. The sacrifice doesn't make sense. God Himself would come to this earth. He would die for sinners. He would lay His life down and forgive people that are cursing His name. What is this? This is love, friends. It's an unconditional love. It's a radical love and you can't earn it. Can't go to church enough. Can't be good enough. You can only receive it by grace through faith. And I want to give you an opportunity today with your head bowed and your eyes closed to put your trust, to put your faith in Jesus. That wherever you go today, if you're in Christ Jesus, He goes with you. As you get back into your car, He's with you. As you log off from YouTube, He's still with you. As you turn this podcast off a year later, two years later, three years later, ten years later from hearing this recording, He still goes with you. He is God and He's good. Where could I go from your presence? If I make my bed in the heavens, you're there. If I make my bed in the depths of the earth, you're still there, God. His presence, it's everything. It's everything. Today, I want to give you an opportunity to invite Him into your life with your head bowed and your eyes closed. Do you know Jesus? Have you surrendered your will over to His? A willing spirit begins where your will ends. Today, as you surrender your heart, He wants to wash you clean. He wants to forgive you and He wants to put you on a new path. You can't change yourself by yourself. You need

something outside of you. You need God. Today, God loves you and He has a beautiful plan for your life. On the count of three, would you be bold if that's you saying, Rich, that's me. I want to surrender my life. I want to be forgiven. I want salvation to come to my home. On the count of three, be bold. Lift your hand up high enough and long enough so I can pray for you. Ready? One, the Bible says today's the day of salvation. Two, don't look at your neighbor. It's not about your neighbor. It's between you and God. Ready? One, two, three, if that's you. All locations, lift your hand. Thank you, Jesus. You can put your hands down for a moment. Would you pray this prayer out loud with me? Say, Dear Jesus, today I believe you are who you said that you are. You are the Son of God and I'm putting my faith in you. Forgive me. I repent of all of my sin. Give me the grace to follow you. I reach to heaven. I receive your forgiveness and I receive your righteousness. I'm yours, Jesus. Totally surrendered to you. In Jesus' name, everybody said. Come on, VU Church. Can we celebrate everybody who just prayed that prayer at all locations right now? I'm just going to ask that you stay seated at our locations. We're getting ready to do something. If you prayed that prayer today, there's a connect card at your seat. You can check off. I decided to follow Jesus. And when we dismiss in about five to ten minutes, there's white tents at all of our locations. We want to put a Bible in your hand. It's the story of Jesus is what we preach out of every week. But I'm going to ask my wife, Dawn True, to join me on the stage. And I want us to get ready to give today. Generosity is a value not just of our house, but of our Christian faith for God so loved the world that he gave. And I firmly believe that as we give, we are giving with the same spirit and the same heart as God himself. And today there's lots of ways that you can give. Those ways are up on the screen right now at all of our locations. You've had that bricklayers offering. I know for Dawn Tree and I, we have been praying about this and thinking about this. And every year as we get up to give, we're participators in this. We want to participate in the vision and the mission. We're not just giving our lives. We're also giving our finances and our resources because we want to see this thing move forward. We're so grateful that God's included us in his mercy. Nothing we have is ours and his presence is priceless. And so today, as we get ready to give, I'm just going to ask that you'd ask God, what is it that you should do? Maybe you're prepared to give. Maybe you're not prepared to give.

But today, may the Holy Spirit speak to you. More than anything, I look forward to this next week that we would see more people than Never before participating in this offering that we would move the vision forward. And I love how that scripture says that there was more than enough given. Someone say more than enough. This is the heart of God. I actually believe, I want to say it out loud, that we're going to build this building in South Miami debt-free. Because I don't serve the God of enough. I serve the God of more than enough. We're not going to live for 30 years trying to pay a mortgage off. No, we're going to do that and move on to the next thing. He's the God of more than enough. When I gave, Moses was like, yo, stop giving. Maybe next week I'll say, stop giving. Y'all don't got faith for that? Come on now. Stop giving. You got to be restrained. There's more than enough given. Today, may there be more than enough given because we serve the God of more than enough. Don't you? Would you pray today over this offering? Would you pray over every person who's getting ready to give? Those online, those at South Miami, they're at the City Design District, right here at Miami Gardens. We're going to give, and as we finish praying, the offering container is going to be passed. We only do this once a year, pass the containers. I'm just going to ask that you stay in a seated posture. We'll sing towards the end, and then we'll come up and dismiss corporately.

But don't you? Let's pray over this giving. Let's pray for those that are giving, that God would bless them, that would come back to them, pressed down, shaken together. God, today we just thank you that you've brought us to this moment. We've been looking forward to it. God, our hearts delight in the opportunity and the invitation to be a part of something that is going to last long after our life ends. And Lord, we thank you for the cross. We thank you for the empty tomb. We thank you for your life that lives within us. God, thank you for choosing us. And Lord, we don't want to miss the opportunity or the moment to be a part of what you created us to be a part of. And so, Lord, we pray for every seed sown, Lord, that you would bless it, that you would multiply it, and that you would use it to bring people that are far from you close. Lord, for generations to come, generations after us, Lord, that people would still be meeting Jesus because of our trust in you in this moment. We love you, Lord. We praise you. We thank you for every location. We thank you, Lord, for what you're doing through our united hearts in surrender. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. God bless you as you give.