Prosperity of the Lord # 3
We’re going to continue our teaching on “The Prosperity of the Lord.” Today I want to qualify you for the Lord’s prosperity. You don’t just qualify because you are a tither, but tithing is a very important step. There are some qualifications that you have to go through before you can qualify to be a channel for God.
I) Today we’re going to be looking at some things that have tripped you up from flowing in financial blessings.
A) Even though you’re living right morally, you’re a tither, and you’re in submission to God, it seems that the finances are not coming in the way they should come.
1) Some of you have been a tither for many years but we’re not receiving the harvest that we should be receiving.
a) The Bible says that we can have a hundred fold on our seed at we sow in the kingdom of God, but many of us are sowing and yet only reaping 10 percent, 20 percent, or 30 percent.
b) Well we’re going to be looking at today, “How to increase our harvest.” How to qualify for increased.
B) Last time we pointed out three things about wealth we located the wealth in Proverbs 13:22. (Let’s turn there).
1) In this verse it shows us where the wealth is located. It’s in the hands of the sinner, the ungodly, or the unjust, but for us to locate it is one thing, but for us to get it to move is another thing.
a) There are 4 major principles that I want to share with you today that will begin to cause the wealth of the wicked to move your way.
2) Turn to Psalms 112:3.
a) We located where the wealth is, now we see where the wealth should be.
b) The basic part of the wealth is in the hands of the wicked, but it should be in the house of the righteous.
c) Now we used (Proverbs 13:22) which says, “The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just,” and (Psalms 112:3) which says, “Wealth and riches shall be in his house,” to make this confession of faith.
(i) “Money cometh to me now or money come to me now,” which will begin to cause the money to move. You’re placing a demand on the money.
3) Now turn with me to Deuteronomy 8:18.
a) We looked at these three points last time.
(i) 1st where the money is (it’s in the hands of the wicked), 2nd where the money should be (in the house of the righteous), and 3rd he tells us that he’s given us the power to get it.
4) Every child of God has power to get wealth, but what happened?
a) Most born-again believers are not walking in the prosperity of the Lord. WHY? MOST DON’T QUALIFY.
b) Wealth is very dangerous if your heart is not prepared for it.
(i) It will produce pride, it’ll produce arrogance, it’ll produce a lack of submission to authority in the church, it’ll cause church hopping, and it can even cause some to depart from the Lord, as we saw in the prodigal son.
(ii) It’s very dangerous to give a child something that they’re not ready for.
(iii) We don’t give Danielle a steak knife to cut her meat. Why? She’s not ready for it. (She’s only one year old).
c) It’s the same thing with money, if you’re not ready for it, it can destroy you. There’s something about money that causes many to stop walking in faith.
(i) The Bible says, “The just shall live by faith.” It also says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.”
(ii) God is not going to give you money if it stops you from walking in faith. He has to know your ready and that you qualify for it.
C) Now go back to Deuteronomy 8:18 again.
1) Now notice in the last part of this verse he tells us why He gives you the power to get wealth. “That he may establish His covenant.”
a) This power to get wealth is not just for you. God needs you to get wealth so that he can do some things in this world.
(i) He doesn’t mind you having some nice things; he wants you have the best. But he also wants you to be a channel for him.
b) When you get that wealth God fully expects when he tells you to do something in the area of finances that you give it without question.
2) In the story of the rich young ruler the Bible says that he had great possessions. When Jesus asked him to give it, he could not.
a) The great possessions he had, had him.
b) God wants you have great things, but he doesn’t want the things to have you.
(i) He wants to give you great possessions so that he can tell you what to do with it.
(ii) When he says it’s time to give some here and to give some there he expects you to give it, to be a channel for him.
c) But some you are not ready for it. Some of you are not even tithing.
(i) How can you say, “Money cometh?” How can you say money cometh and expect money to come when you’re not even in the divine program?
(ii) If you’re not a tither you’re in the world’s system and not on the Word’s system.
(iii) When you enter into the Word’s system of finances you must be a tither.
(a) You could be chanting “Money cometh, money cometh, money cometh,” you might as well give it up because money ain’t coming unless you’re a tither.
3) It is God’s will today in this end-time harvest to bless and prosper his people above all people of the earth. God’s Word from cover to cover is filled with his promises concerning his supernatural provision and his abundance he desires to pour out upon his people.
a) God wants to give his supernatural abundance, to those who qualify.
II) The FIRST PRINCIPAL that I want to give you to qualify you it is ALWAYS KEEP GOD 1ST. And he’s not going to move until he knows that.
A) Turn with me to Matthew 6:33.
1) Always keep God 1st.
a) You might have to make an adjustment. Is he 1st?
b) You might be able to locate yourself right now. Can he tell you to do, what he wants you to do, with what you have right now?
(i) If he tells you to do something in the area of finances right now, will you obey Him?
(ii) Is he 1st in your life. As soon as you get a check in your hand you should be thinking about God.
2) Ask yourself this, “Do you have God in 1st place in your finances?”
3) We can sing to God and praise Him, we can clap our hands and dance before Him, we can worship Him, but if God says give it all to Him now will you obey Him?
a) That’s when he’s in 1st place.
b) Ask yourself, “Am I seeking God’s kingdom 1st or my kingdom.”
(i) Seeking God’s kingdom 1st isn’t just praise and worship and reading his Word and living a moral life. It’s a total package deal including your finances.
B) The 2ND PRINCIPLE you must pass to qualify for the Lord’s prosperity is this; “GOD OWNS EVERYTHING AND I OWN NOTHING.”
1) If you have this in your heart you’re not going to attach your self to things. You might have things but things won’t have you.
a) You have to recognize that you are just a steward of God’s money and things.
b) You see how easy it would be to give to God if you have this attitude.
(i) God could speak to you and say give some here, and you would say, “Okay God, it you’re money.”
2) When he knows you’re in a steward situation than God will begin to pile it up on you, the blessing start flowing.
a) It’s not easy to find a good steward, someone that will listen to Him and obey Him.
b) You can’t just come to church and sing and tell God how much you love him. All those things are necessary and important, but God will locate you by your wallet.
(i) It’s easy to come to church and pray in tongues, it doesn’t cost you anything to pray in tongues.
c) God needs to be 1st and you need to realize that you are a steward of God’s money. It all belongs to Him.
3) If you get these principles down you wil l become a money magnet. Money will begin to come to you and overflow in your life.
a) There’s no limit to what God will do for you, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THESE PRINCIPLES IN PLACE 1ST.
C) The 3RD PRINCIPLE IS GOD’S 1ST, OTHERS 2ND, AND I’M LAST.
1) Now most have this thing backwards. “I’ll be 1st, God 2nd, and others last.” But it doesn’t work that way.
a) That’s where the rich young ruler missed it. When Jesus asked him to give his riches to the poor, he couldn’t do it.
b) Jesus wasn’t trying to get the money out of that man’s hands.
(i) He was trying to get the man to several things. No. 1 he wanted the man to put God 1st, others 2nd, and self-last.
(ii) No. 2 he wanted the man to begin to place his trust in God and not in his money.
(iii) And No. 3 he was trying to get the man to receive a hundred-fold.
(iv) Let’s look at it Mark 10:17-30.
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.
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.”
III) 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.
A) That’s look at that verse for a moment Ephesians 3:20.
1) We’ve been on the ASKING TO RECEIVE level for quite a while, but wait until were on the THINKING TO RECEIVE level.
2) I’ve seen God to this. (Our house)
B) He’ll do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask or think.
1) But you have to qualify.
a) God has to be 1st in your finances. You have to be a tither and a giver to qualify.
b) 2nd realize that it’s all God’s money anyway.
c) 3rd, God has to be 1st, others 2nd and you last.
d) And 4th, realize God is your source. Your faith in your trust has to be in God.
(i) When you begin to meet these qualifications our God will to exceeding abundantly above all that you could ask or think.