Prosperity - Our Covenant #5

We're going to continue our teaching on our covenant of prosperity found from the Word of God. Today I want to start off in the book of Genesis, where God made a covenant with Abram (or Abraham).

I) The literal definition of the word "COVENANT" is "TO CUT OR DIVIDE".

A) Many times shall hear the phrase, "God cut a covenant."

1) What that means is that God entered into a contract and relationship with an individual or a group of people.

2) That covenant always involves an aspect of financial prosperity.

B) Turn to Genesis 12:1-3.

1) Notice that God said in the middle of verse 2, "and I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee."

(a) God is talking about blessing him financially.

C) Go down to Genesis 13:1-2.

1) Every time God cut a covenant with a man, it always included a clause to cover financial prosperity.

2) Why? Because God is a God of prosperity. He wants to prosper those he is in relationship with.

3) Turn to Deuteronomy 8:18.

D) Now turn with me to Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

1) This is part of the covenant. Sometimes called the blessings of the law.

2) In these blessings, you'll find financial prosperity.

E) This is part of the testimony of what Jesus does for his people.

1) He doesn't just redeem us from hell, even though obviously that's the most important.

(a) He has delivered us out of the authority and power of darkness.

2) Satan's three main areas of attack are poverty, sickness, and death (spiritual death).

(a) Where Jesus came to deliver us from poverty, sickness, and death and give us life, health, and prosperity.

II) I suppose one of the best scriptures that reveal to us our covenant of prosperity is found in Mark 10.

A) Mark 10:29-30.

1) Let's break this verse up a little bit and let's look at some other words in verse 30.

(a) Starting with the word "HUNDREDFOLD", literally in the Greek, it means "100 Times."

(b) Then he says, when, "NOW IN THIS TIME."

(i) The Greek even makes it clearer. It says, "AT THIS TIME, THE PRESENT, NOW."

(ii) This hundredfold return won't just come after you get to heaven, but it's for right now in this life.

2) Now in verse 29 where Jesus said, "No man hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or Father or mother and so on.

(a) The phrase, "HATH LEFT," means "LEAVES OR GIVES AWAY."

3) But I thing the most interesting Word in these two vs. is the word "HOUSE."

(a) The first definition it refers to a home or a dwelling Place. The second definition it referred to, "PROPERTY, WEALTH, AND GOODS."

(i) When you give to the Lord and for the gospel's sake then the Lord promises that he would multiply it back to you, one hundredfold.

(b) But there was another definition to this word "HOUSE." It could mean, "TEMPLE, SYNAGOGUE, HOUSE OF GOD, OR CHURCH."

(i) When I read that I got all excited and I had to go find Patti and tell her.

(ii) The reason I got so excited is that when I was pastoring my first church in Michigan the Lord told me to come to California more specifically Burbank and start a church.

¨ But I had to give up my first church for the sake of the gospel. I gave up the first church for the Lord and for the sake of spreading the gospel to start a brand-new church.

¨ Now the Lord said he would multiply it one hundredfold. The church at its low point had 45 adults. I said, "Lord do you know what that means?"

¨ That means 4500 adults and I have your word on it.

B) Well, in 2nd Corinthians, we find God's plan on how to put your covenant to work or you could say how to activate your covenant.

1) 2nd Corinthians 9:6-8.

(a) The Word grace in verse eight doesn't mean some feeling of spiritual goodness or anything.

(i) The Bible's definition of grace is an impartation God's power and ability in your life. It's God's power taking over where your ability ends.

2) (2 Corinthians 9:8) (Amplified New Testament) "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]."

(a) Financial abundance and financial freedom are the Will of God for your life.

(i) God wants you to be a vessel through which he causes financial prosperity to flow. He wants you to be that financial avenue to get his work done.

III) FULFILL YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO GOD.

A) You have a covenant with God, but just as with any promise or provision in the covenant, there are things you must do in order to receive and activate the blessings.

1) You have to fulfill your obligations in the contract in order to experience is prosperity.

(a) There are certain conditions you are required to meet.

2) It's like any other contract between two individuals: each person must do certain things to fulfill the contract.

(a) Your covenant with God is the same way. God tells you in the new covenant, or contract, what you must do.

3) Let me give you a list of them.

(a) First, from (James 4:8) which says, "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you."

(b) 2nd, from (Luke 6: 38) which says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you."

(c) 3rd, from (Mark 9:23) which says, "All things are possible to him that believeth."

B) There's no such thing as a one-sided covenant or contract, with God.

1) It's never one-sided with God doing everything for you and you doing nothing for him. You do your part, and God will do his.

IV) There we have the three main steps to financial prosperity.

A) First, "Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you."

1) That would include following after God and the Lord, seeking Him and his Word, and keeping his commandments.

B) 2nd he says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you."

1) That's talking about giving to the work of God and God will multiply back to you. (Not just giving him a tip).

C) And No. 3, "All things are possible to him that believeth."

1) Faith is essential in believing, faith is essential in receiving.

2) (Hebrews 6:12) says, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

(a) Faith is essential in receiving the promises from the contract or covenant.

(b) God wants you prosper, but it's going to take for you to follow after the Lord and his ways, to give so that it can be given to you, and believe his Word with all your heart. And then God will begin to open the doors of his financial blessings.

W. O. L. C. C. Sunday, November 18, 2001 from Marcus Bishop's book entitled, "Our Covenant of Prosperity," From Pp 51 through 55.