Prosperity of the Lord # 4
We’re going to continue our teaching on “The Prosperity of the Lord.” Last time we ended in the middle of qualifying you for the Lord’s prosperity. So want to pick up from there.
I) We don’t qualify to prosper just because we’re Christian and we don’t qualify for the Lord’s prosperity just because we’re giver, yet those are important steps in receiving what the Lord has for us.
A) Some of the main verses that I gave to you in the last two or three messages are (Proverbs 13:22) which says, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”
1) This verse shows us where the wealth is located and where it belongs. The ungodly have it but it belongs to the righteous.
2) (Psalms 112:3) says, “Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.”
a) In this verse we again see that prosperity belongs to the church, the people of God.
b) But he doesn’t just say that we are to have a little, he says that wealth and riches shall be in our house. This is what belongs to the children of God.
3) In (Deuteronomy 8:18) it says, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”
a) Again in this verse God refers to us receiving wealth, but he also tells us that HE’S GIVEN US THE POWER to cause that wealth to move from the hands of the sinners to the righteous.
B) But most born-again believers are not walking in this type of prosperity that the Lord intends for us to have. AND THE REASON IS MOST DON’T QUALIFY.
1) The Lord is not going to prosper you unless you’re ready for it, because it can be a very dangerous thing.
a) It can produce pride, arrogance, a lack of submission to authority in the church, church hopping; it can even cause people to fall away from the Lord.
b) Many times when people receive prosperity they stop walking in faith and hoard up riches for themselves.
(i) God wants you to have nice things, but he also wants you to be a channel for him.
(ii) He’s not going to bless you with prosperity until he knows that when he asks you to do something with those finances you’ll be obedient to Him.
(iii) You’ll give WHERE he tells you to give, you’ll give WHAT he tells you to give.
c) Until he sees that you’re obedient to that now he won’t bring the increase.
(i) God has already told us in his word to give our tithes and offerings to Him.
(ii) If you can’t give your tithe to God now, he knows he can’t trust you with the increase.
(iii) If we want the Lord’s prosperity we have to QUALIFY.
II) Our first step to qualify that we gave you last time is ALWAYS KEEP GOD 1ST.
A) (Matthew 6:33) says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
1) If we want the Lord’s prosperity we have to keep God 1st.
a) You have to ask yourself if he’s 1st in your life.
(i) What if God tells you to give right now, would you do it?
(ii) What if he tells you to give it all, would you obey Him?
b) Only you can answer this question, “Is God 1st in the area of your finances?”
B) The 2nd step or principal that you must pass to qualify for the for the Lord’s prosperity is, “GOD OWNS EVERYTHING AND I OWN NOTHING.”
1) The Bible says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
2) It all belongs to God, and you have to realize that you are just a steward of God’s money.
a) You have to have the attitude that when God speaks to you and tells you to give you say, “Okay God, it your money.”
b) When God sees you as being a good steward of his money, giving where he tells you to give, then he can start to pour the blessings on you.
C) The 3rd principle is GOD 1ST, OTHER 2ND, AND I’M LAST.
1) That’s where many miss it. They put self-1st.
2) The rich young ruler found in (Mark 10) had that problem.
a) Jesus told him to give his money to the poor, but because he had great possessions, he turned away from the Lord.
(i) Jesus was trying to get this man to receive God’s best.
(ii) He was trying to get him to put God 1st, others 2nd, and self-last.
(iii) He was trying to get the man to begin to place is trust in God and not in his money.
(iv) And 3rd he was trying to get the man to receive a hundred fold.
b) In the same chapter (Mark 10) Jesus began to explain to the disciples that a rich man, like this rich young ruler, will have a hard time entering into the kingdom of God because they put their trust in their money.
c) Then in (Mark 10:30) Jesus explained to the disciples that if you sow money and things into the kingdom of God you’ll receive a hundred fold.
D) And the 4th principle is so important and you need to continue to remind yourself of it, and to get it so deep down in your spirit that it becomes a reality to you. And that principle is “GOD IS MY SOURCE.”
1) Not my job, not my employer, not my monthly checks but God is my source.
2) Turn to Philippians 4:19.
a) We have to understand why Paul wrote this. He didn’t just put this in there for no reason at all.
b) Let’s go back to Philippians 4:14.
(i) The Word “COMMUNICATE” in that verse means, “TO BE A PARTNER, PARTAKER or as the NIV translation puts it “SHARE.”
c) Let’s go on reading Philippians 4:14-15.
(i) There’s the Word “COMMUNICATED” again and it means, “SHARED or WAS IN PARTNERSHIP.” (With me concerning giving and receiving.)
(ii) Notice giving and receiving goes together.
3) Philippians 4:16-17.
a) The Word “ACCOUNT” is a banking term.
(i) If you don’t have anything in your SPIRITUAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNT you have nothing to draw from.
b) If you’re not a tither and a giver you have nothing in your account.
c) You can confess (Philippians 4:19) until your blue in the face and nothing’s going to happen. WHY?
(i) You have nothing in your account.
(ii) If you’re not a tither and a giver and you wonder why you’re not blessed, it’s because you have a thief in your house and his name is Satan and you’ve given him the right to steal from you.
d) Look at Philippians 4:18.
(i) Look at what he calls money used in the right way, “An odor of sweet smell, the sacrifice acceptable, will-pleasing to God.”
4) But these Philippians had something in their account. They gave and gave and gave. It says THEY GAVE ONCE AND AGAIN, and because of that Paul could say, “My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
a) When your giving to God you’re full tithe and offerings you have money in your account and God will do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask or think.
III) Now I want to go into the PURPOSE. Why does God wants you to prosper, what’s the reason? He wants you to have it so that you can be a banker for him.
A) What is the purpose? No. 1 (Luke 19:10) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
1) One reason that God wants you have money is so that the Gospel can be spread around this world and preached to every creature.
2) God given projects and visions God wants supplied with the proper finances so the vision can be carried out in this earth so that people will come to know Him.
a) That’s why God wants you to have plenty of money, so that you can support those visions that he has birthed in the earth realm.
b) This church is a prime example of that. He birthed this church into the earth realm so that Word of life would be a lighthouse in Burbank, but I’ll tell you what, we can’t fulfill the vision that God has given us without people and money.
(i) There have been many people that have come through these doors that have been led by the spirit of God to be a financial support and help to this ministry, but when they get here they make the statement, “I want a larger church.”
(ii) Wait a minute, what does God want.
(iii) You see where priority comes in. God wants them here but they want a larger church or it’s too far to drive.
(iv) That’s why God can’t bless them. They’re putting the own desires before the kingdom of God.
c) There are many missionaries that God has given them the vision to win that country for Jesus, but it takes money to do that.
(i) If you’re broke, where is the money going to come from?
d) God didn’t set us up to be broke. He wants us to have plenty. But you must qualify.
B) No. 2 God wants you to have plenty of money to destroy the works of the Devil.
1) (1st John 3:8) “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
2) He wants you have plenty of money so that we can destroy the works of the Devil. Destroy diseases with the Word of God, to drive out sickness and disease, to drive out the demon power.
a) These missionaries have to collect 50 offerings to get the job done. And this should not be. The money should be there.
(i) God didn’t call ministers to spend their time being money raisers. He’s called us to spend our time in prayer, fasting, the study of God’s Word, and preaching the Word.
(ii) The money should be there to get the job done.
3) Turn with me to John 10:10.
a) You can have the abundant life without money. Sure there are other things that go with that like fellowship with God and prayer and praise and worship and the anointing of God but you can have the abundant life without money.
(i) So what’s the purpose for the abundant life and money? To get the job done.
IV) Now I want to look at someone who did qualify for the blessings of the Lord.
A) Turn to Genesis 12:1.
1) What is the Lord requiring in this verse? Obedience and that’s a keyword and we’ll get back to it. Genesis 12:2-3.
2) Now notice VERSE 4 very carefully.
a) Verse 4 tells us how Abraham qualified, “So Abraham departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.”
(i) Now there are some things that happened in the next few Vs., but it was a DIVINE TRANSFER OF WEALTH.
(ii) I’m sure you know the story. Abraham was coming into Egypt and because Sarah was so beautiful he said that we’ll tell everyone you’re my sister.
b) Look at Genesis 12:16, 20.
(i) This was a divine transfer of wealth because Abraham qualified.
(ii) He left his father’s house with very little giving up all he had to be obedient to the Lord, but he wasn’t in lack for very long.
(iii) Look at Genesis 13:1-2.
3) Abraham kept on passing the test. 1st he left his house and home to be obedient to the Lord and went into a land where in the natural he shouldn’t have been bless.
a) But because he was obedient God work it out that he would be blessed.
(i) There’s a million ways that God can bless you.
4) Genesis 14:17-20.
a) Abraham kept opening the door for God to bless him. He gave tithe of ALL.
(i) You have to qualify. Are you ready to qualify?
B) Turn to the book of Galatians.
1) Lack is a curse. Poverty is a curse. If you don’t believe me you can read Deuteronomy 28 and find out that God says that poverty is a curse.
2) Galatians 3: 13-14.
3) Now turn to Psalms 115:12-14.
a) Say this; “I will be poor no more. God has blessed me in Jesus name. Poverty go in Jesus’ name. Lack go in Jesus’ name. I break the curse of poverty in my life. I break the curse of debt in my life. I am redeemed from the curse of the law. I am a covenant child. I have a right to be blessed. My God shall supply all my needs. Money cometh to me now.”