1. Introduction

The topic of God wanting us to become a great nation carries profound significance, as it aligns with God's will. Last week, we discussed the importance of not settling for a small life, as this mindset is highly undesirable. A nation comprised of individuals focused solely on small lives would be fragmented and disorganised. Some people struggle because they lack vision. There is a Chinese saying, He who does not think far ahead will have worries close at hand. I have observed that individuals suffering from depression often have a narrow perspective, fixated on immediate achievements like receiving an A or B. However, a developmental perspective is fundamental and ensures a future.

It is crucial to understand that blessings and curses are critical to one's life. The brothers and sisters who shared their testimonies today offered spiritual insights into problem-solving. I, too, experience difficulties, but the key to overcoming them lies in cultivating a great nation mindset. Even when we feel distressed, we can recover. Being driven by selfish desires is dangerous. As depicted in Genesis 11, the people were scattered by God because they sought to glorify their own names.

2. Scripture

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.(Genesis 12:1-3)

3. Prayer

May the Lord Jesus come to our aid, filling us with vision and longing, for You desire to accomplish a great vision in us, that all nations and peoples on earth may be blessed through Your name.

4. The Great Nation Mindset

It is essential to understand why God spoke these words to Abraham. God responds to the deepest desires of the human heart. Abraham yearned for the meaning of life. Genesis 11 describes the life course of some people, noting how long they lived before dying. Abraham, a skilled manager with considerable wealth, found it all meaningless. Similar to the challenging conditions in China in earlier years, figures emerged with the vision to overthrow the three great mountains and eliminate the small farmer mentality. We, too, must eliminate a small-life mindset.

If we understand that living inevitably leads to death, we will lack an understanding of the essence of life. During his time on Earth, Abraham sought the kingdom of God. Without understanding that life is filled with toil and sorrow, one will not seek eternal life. Some people dread death but cannot avoid it.

Jacob, from birth, deeply desired the birthright, and God aided him in the unseen realm. Many theologians accuse Jacob of deception. God seeks Jacobs and Tamars in this generation. God continually raises up Abrahams, Jacobs, Josephs, and Tamars in this generation.

If you seek eternal life, God will grant it. Some people become miserable in their pursuit of wealth. Without a great nation mindset, what is the significance of a business turnaround?

5. In God's Kingdom, It Is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive

The kingdom of God is a kingdom of giving; do not live a small life; the enemy of God's kingdom is one's own family. Becoming a blessing to others profoundly impacts you; the Tao is the key to life. The way of life is what Abraham sought; finding the meaning of life is the way to eternal life.

The saying The Tao gains much support, while the lack of it gains little is often heard. Upon examining the current economic climate, many nations prioritise their own interests, which is a path to ruin, treating allies' interests as their own. The 108 heroes of Liangshan followed Song Jiang because he prioritised the interests of all. Those who have great ambitions will undoubtedly have a broad mind.

Today, brothers and sisters, be careful. As we promote the Chinese Mingding Destiny community, we must be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, avoiding pettiness, selfishness, and self-interest. If we convey a selfish concept, no one will be willing to join us. When we have a great nation mindset, God will be with us. We must develop ministries in Korean, Cantonese, English, French, and other languages so that our blessings may fill the Earth, reaching a deep height in the way of God.

We do not poach members from other churches because we have a Great Nation concept. We want to be a blessing to them, and God will make us a great nation. We long to be a blessing to all nations, and God will make us great. Abraham's vision and dream of a great nation were fully realised. When choosing with Lot, Abraham allowed Lot to choose first, and after Lot was trapped, Abraham rescued him, defeating the king of Sodom, and Abraham did not take even a shoelace from the king of Sodom.

By constantly giving, God will make us a great nation. A pastor once asked me to build a website for him because no one in his church was willing to help him, and no one had a heart to pay the price, which would make him very tired, and the same goes for the church. If our mind is on God’s mind, God's kingdom, how can we not live well? Many Christians make excuses for themselves in order to live a small life, saying that they want to balance their family and their church, but the Bible does not say this. Isaac dug a well and it was taken by someone, but he didn’t care, he dug another well, if people's hearts are broad, they will definitely reach a broad place.

It is impossible to live well if you are against God. If you seek God's kingdom and God's righteousness, you cannot live badly. Many Christians want to live a small life and add many excuses, which are not mentioned in the Bible. For example, Isaac dug a well, and when it was taken away, he dug another well, and when it was taken away again, he dug another well until the another well, and finally it was called the place of breadth, and the heart was magnanimous. Small people cannot accomplish big things, so do not be petty.

I happened to encounter the Cultural Revolution at that time, and the Chinese helped the people of Africa, Asia and Latin America. We Chinese were very poor, but we still helped the even poorer, which was really remarkable. People in that era all had the dream of a great power. It is not a selfish and self-serving mentality, let alone in the kingdom of God, one must constantly give in order to be a blessing, then the God must make you a great nation, make your name great, and obtain the Tao of God.

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.(Genesis 12:2)

6. God Will Surely Bless Us.

We live by God's blessings; we watch God work. We do not know how to live without God. God will surely bless us. Why does God bless you? It is because those who serve you are blessed. We share testimonies of giving and serving to become channels of blessing. God blesses you because you possess the vision of a great nation within you. Channels are powerful, like Alipay for transferring money. Alipay does not hold the money but is a crucial channel, providing a platform that is very profitable. If you become a channel of God, transmitting God's blessings through you, you are a channel of blessing. Give generously and establish a concept of offering. The most important thing in our lives is God's blessing. God's blessing has conditions; God's love is unconditional. The meaning of our lives is to live out God's image and return to God.

Do not offer Cain's sacrifice. We ought to offer the best to God. We do not offer to receive blessings but to serve God. In Malachi, God says you can test Him to know that we live by God. Many people enjoy traveling the world, but it is not fulfilling. We live for God because we have God's image. He gave us His Son; will He not also give us all things with Him? If we have God's image,

7. God Will Make Your Name Great

Reputation is a significant matter. If your reputation is poor, you cannot live well. Among us, brothers and sisters can receive many messages, Oh, do not include him. When studying at SMU, many assignments are group projects, and some people do not have teams, so one needs a good reputation in university. The most important thing for a person is reputation. If the reputation is poor, it is critical. As a result, God said He would make Abraham's name great. Abraham was a sojourner in that land but was a respected prince in that land. Why do people like brand names? Because brand names look good, have an image, and are more reliable. If a person's name is great, it is your asset. If your vision is that it is more blessed to give than to receive, your name will surely be great. So embrace the vision, desire what Abraham desired. A person's life is the management of short-term and long-term interests. If a businessman's negotiation skills are applied to building a church, it is impossible to build God's church. No merchant, no cunning, but you cannot use a merchant's perspective to run a country. Many businessmen pursue short-term interests, though what I say may not be entirely correct, as there are also businessmen who pursue long-term interests. If you pursue short-term interests, you will surely lose your reputation, so brothers and sisters must manage your reputation well.

If you do not have the vision of God's kingdom within you, living selfishly for your own small life, you will not obtain the most important asset—your reputation. Today, God wants our name to be spread, not a personal name but God's name. So, brothers and sisters, let us begin to desire what Abraham desired; God will surely make our name great. So wherever we go, people will know that we come to bless others. If you come to us and imitate our ways, we will run the heavenly path together.
No merchant, no cunning, the merchant's perspective cannot run a country. Perhaps what I say is not entirely correct; some merchants have long-term vision. But pursuing immediate interests will surely sacrifice reputation. Make a choice between short-term and long-term interests, and manage your reputation well. If you do not have God's kingdom and dreams within you, living selfishly for your own small life, your name will not be great but small. Today, in building the church, we want to build a church with a great name, the name of God's kingdom. Today, we must desire what Abraham desired, to become a blessing to all nations. Wherever our name goes, we must know that wherever we go, it is not to gain benefits but to be a blessing to others.

God's kingdom is the greatest kingdom; its height is the highest. The kingdoms of the world can never compare to God's kingdom. God's kingdom has no selfishness or self-interest, only giving to become a blessing to others. Even demons like to compete; they look down on each other. What you see in the world is actually the work of demons.

Summary

Wonderful, we are going to become a great nation; God will make our name great and let us become a great nation. We must restore our dreams, restore our passion, and constantly give our lives. Do not worry about your own small lives. Today, let us firmly grasp the Mingding Destiny path that Abraham has opened for us. All nations on earth will be blessed through us. When we come before God to give an account, God will let us share His glory with Him.

May God bless everyone!