Phil Pringle encouraged CHC to “enlarge their tents” as the church prepares for the 2013/2014 season of Arise & Build.
CN PHOTOS: Gary Sim & Michael Chan.
“Nobody follows God and diminishes,” said Phil Pringle as he read from Isaiah 54:2-3. “Every person that follows God becomes bigger.”
Pringle, the founder and president of C3 Global Network of Churches, a movement of more than 200 churches worldwide and the senior pastor of C3 Church in Sydney, Australia, was preaching at City Harvest Church’s services over the weekend of Oct. 18 and 19. Pringle is the advisory pastor over CHC.
“The Bible is written by successful people,” Pringle said. “You and I are called to a life of enlargement; a life of getting bigger, a life of stretching. Enlarge the place of your tents, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. As a church grows bigger, distance and relationship grows longer but loyalty needs to stay strong as well.”
Pringle got the church to recite “The Fellowship Of The Unashamed”, a prayer/manifesto by Christian author Dr. Bob Moorehead, an empowering declaration of no-holds-barred living for Jesus.
With this, Pringle shared eight reasons for Christians to be big people, especially in the areas of giving.
1) Others Have Given And Begged To Be Involved
Reading from 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 8:7-8, Pringle explained that the first reason why Paul gave is because he saw how the Macedonians gave out of their poverty and now that they are given a chance to give, Paul wants to be part of it and challenged the Corinthian churches to give abundantly as well.
2) The Responsibility Of Leadership
Drawing from 2 Corinthians 8: 9, Pringle added that when a church that is in the leadership position does something, they inspire others to do it as well.
3) Example Of Christ
2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” The context of this passage was physically riches rather than what was often being misinterpreted as spiritually riches, said Pringle.
“Our mindsets need serious adjustment. Jesus had no lack when He was on earth and we ought to be like Him–to be a channel of God to be a blessing to wherever you go,” Pringle added.
4) Integrity Of Promise
“When you give, let the eagerness you showed in the beginning matched the giving,” said Pringle, drawing context out of 2 Corinthians 8:10-15. “Anything that is worth pursing for has opposition and every time we stand against the opposition, we build character and strength,” he added.
5) The Power Of Testimony
In 2 Corinthians 9:2-5, Paul told the Macedonians about the enthusiasm of the Corinthians in their giving. The power of that testimony stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to start giving as well.
6) The Laws Of Giving
2 Corinthians 9: 6-8 tells us that as a giver sows bountifully, he will reap bountifully and will always have all sufficiency in all things and abundance for every good work. That law still applies to givers today, said Pringle.
7) God Will Supply Seed To The Sower
Supporting his point in 2 Corinthians 9:10, Pringle shared his own conviction about giving.
“I give things away all the time because I want to become a giver through habitual giving. I do not want to only be a consumer, I want to be a producer.”
Pringle added that God is the one who placed seed in the hands of the righteous that it may glorify the house of the Lord.
8) The Glory Of God
“We magnify God when we are generous in our giving,” Pringle declared.
“When we visit somebody’s house, we don’t go empty handed, we bring a gift. But who brings a half-eaten cake to visit someone?” he asked. “What’s more when we come to the House of God?”
Pringle encouraged the church to enlarge their tents, lengthen their cords, strengthen their stakes and expand to the right and to the left in the upcoming Arise & Build campaign, and the generations to come will be blessed.
The service ended with an altar call with many going forward to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Kenneth Chuan, 18, a student, was greatly blessed by the message. “I now have a greater understanding of the reason why I have to constantly enlarge my capacity. The proclamation of “The Fellowship Of The Unashamed” reminds me of Mark 8, which calls us to put aside all, take up the cross and follow Jesus.”
Santi Tio, 24, a partnership relations executive said “The message reminds us of why we trust in God and as a Christian, we are not just Christians by name but we should live out a lifestyle of giving. Pastor Phil shared about a well transferred to the righteous, and it impacted me that as a follower, we ought to have a giving spirit and a giving attitude that will create legacy.”
