Faith For Finances
8-25-96 am
Faith for Finances
Was Jesus Poor?
Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.
It's best to start the discipline of generosity when the amounts are small. It's easy to give ten cents out of a dollar; it's a little harder to give a hundred thousand out of a million.
Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.
Nothing teaches character better than generosity.
Here's what is exciting about sharing ideas with others: If you share a new idea with ten people, they get to hear it once and you get to hear it ten times.
Sharing makes you bigger than you are. The more you pour out, the more life will be able to pour in.
Somebody says, "Well, I can't be concerned about other people. About the best I can do is to take care of myself." Well, then you will always be poor.
What you give becomes an investment that will return to you multiplied at some point in the future.
When somebody shares, everybody wins.
The amount you give isn't important. What matters is what that amount represents in terms of your life.
Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.
Many times we are religiously brainwashed rather than Bible taught.
2 Cor 8:9
9 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. (NKJ)
Matt 8:20
20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
John 1:35-39
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
Mark 6:33-39
33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
36 "Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."
37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"
38 But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.
John 12:1-8
Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 5"Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 6This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."
You will always have the poor with you but you won’t always have me – I’m not poor!
God has ways of meeting your need you don’t even know about.
You think about money the most when you don’t have enough. The more you hear the Word concerning finances the stronger your faith will be.
Many folks think they are working for a living
Eph 4:
Ephes. 4:27-28 (NLT)
for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
28If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.
We should be working for a giving not for a living.
John 14:
8-18-96 am
8.11.02
Faith for Finances
Phil 4:10
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. (NKJ)
The greatest expression of love is giving unconditionally.
What did God say in John? For God so loved the world that He yelled from heaven “I love you.” NO! You can say I love you all day and it may mean very little. If you love then you give. Don’t even expect a thank you. You want something.
What some folks mean when they say “I love you” is “you make me feel good.” Watch out when you don’t make them feel good anymore.
God didn’t say I love you so much I have a special feeling for you.
What is the chief expression of love? GIVING.
Know who your source is.
Your care of me has flourished again. Many people give wanting something. If you are really giving you don’t expect anything in return, not even a thank you.
Their support slid for a while. We do that at times and we need to get back to giving. God hasn’t changed His mind.
Philip. 4:10-13
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I can love God and stick with Him even when things don’t seem to be working out & when they are going great I don’t forget Him who made it all possible.
A poverty test & prosperity test. A poverty test is if you keep your faith during a period of lack.
The prosperity test is if you keep your faith in plenty. Which is harder?
Many people get put out with God if things don’t seem to be going like they think they should.
Sovereignty doctrine is based in pride. Maybe everything they are doing is not right. To say that everything that has happened in your life is the perfect will of God is to say that you have always done the perfect will of God.
When you are in the will of God you will experience the best God has in health, prosperity and all blessings.
A good marriage is a witness, prosperity.
If we want God’s best we have to do the will of God. Do what you know to do.
Paul’s peace did not rest on his financial condition. You can’t even enjoy nice things if you are not right with God. The price for gaining worldly goods is high, no peace and no lasting joy,
Phil 4:14-17
14 Notwithstanding you have well done, that you did communicate with my affliction. Poverty is affliction, not a blessing Ps 34:19.
15 Now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving,(sowing & reaping, Seedtime & harvest) but you only.
16 For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto my necessity.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, (sweet smelling Money not filthy lucre) an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
In Genesis God told Adam about the gold and He said it was good. What’s money based on? Gold.
God is the one who told us gold was good. Money is not filthy lucre.
1 Tim 3:3
3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
I want money so I can give to missions and ministers like Bro Hagin $1,000,000. I want to do a lot for the kingdom and bless my brothers and sisters.
And so I can have some things too.
Let God expand your vision, lift up your eyes and begin to see what God can do for you.
God Is Your Source -
Philip. 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
What you look to in hard times is your source. It should be God but most times it a job. This congregation is not my source.
Don’t allow fear to get your eyes off the harvest –
Like bike riding – don’t get your attention fixed on the obstacle you don’t want to hit but rather make yourself focus on where you want to go to avoid the obstacle.
You don’t put pressure on people if you are in sales or any other thing you be a good Christian and let God bring the sales and the right people don’t finagle people. Treat them like they know you are a Christian. Claim a big harvest and don’t put pressure on people.
Learn to believe God. You don’t have to pressure them.
You can talk people into some things because they are weak but you compromised you Christian character.
It’s not in your efforts it’s in the Blessing of the Lord. He is the source. He’s my source.
The Lord provides from unexpected sources.
When you trust God you won’t know how it is coming. You will be surprised because He will get the glory. You can’t say I knew that was how it was coming.
Back with Elijah, God sends him to a brook to be fed by birds. That wasn’t my first guess.
Then to a widow woman – why not a rich person?
Is 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
Ps 50:10-12
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
Smith Wigglesworth in a time of great financial need ministered to a man who had the money to help. All he had to do was ask. But he had already talked to his Father and didn’t nee to talk to this man.
Gen 1:1,26-30
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
30 "Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.
Haggai 2:8
8 `The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.
God didn’t make it for the sinners. But God’s people have wrong thinking about finances. The world doesn’t care if “Kiss” or somebody comes out of the coliseum with $700,000. But let a minister come in a bless people and need $350,000 and they get all bent out of shape. 2 young men walked by saying give your money to the homeless the man inside doesn’t need it.
In 2 Kings 4, Elisha & the woman whose son was being taken to pay a debt. Told to get empty pots from neighbors.
Our inheritance was given over to the devil by Adams sin.
Luke 4:5-8
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority [authority] I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7 "Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"
John 15:19
19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Col 1:12
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Col 1:13
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Col 2:13-15
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
1 John 4:4
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
We are new creatures in Christ that is who we are and what we are. And you have overcome them. Well if I have, how come I have so many problems? You don’t know you have. And you don’t act on it.
You think like someone still under the curse of poverty. That you will not have enough.
Phil 4:14-17
14 Notwithstanding you have well done, that you did communicate with my affliction. Poverty is affliction, not a blessing Ps 34:19.
15 Now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving,(sowing & reaping, Seedtime & harvest) but you only.
16 For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto my necessity.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma,(sweet smelling Money) an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Who is the one who supplies your need?
My God shall supply according to His riches, not according to your job, government, family, parents, inheritance, economy. NO
Many people say no to the questions but in reality they are looking to these things.
God is not content with our progress. He wants us to believe Him for more and to step up to His level of thinking in finances.
You must get your eyes off your job and on to giving.
Don’t tell your kids you can’t afford things. It’s poverty thinking. You must get it out of you or you will pass it on to your kids. Teach your kids the principals of sowing & reaping.
Tithing isn’t sowing it’s returning the first fruits to God.
Teach them to sow if they want something and believe God with them.
Teach kids that mommy & daddy are not their source.
Where do you look first when you need money? Well maybe I can do some overtime or find work. The job is not your source.
I don’t look to the church. When you are putting pressure on people then you are looking to them as your source. But when you look to God there is no pressure on people to meet your need.
Illustration – Pastor Vias in Iquitos. God put it on my heart to take an offering for him to get him a motorcycle. We left and during the year I wondered where the money would come from to get the motorcycle. It was not coming in. I thought about and tried to forget about it. At the same time Pastor Vias had his faith in me that I would get him the bike. He would go to his city pastor meetings and they would laugh at him and ask where his “faith” motorcycle was. He would say it is coming. Then God began to deal with him about having his faith in God and not in Rod. He began to believe God and at the same time God put it back into my heart to get the money together. And it began to come in without any effort. It was amazing that at the same time he got his faith in God and off me that the money began to come to me to get him the bike.
When you put pressure on your employer you are looking to the wrong one. If you are in sales you don’t put pressure on people. You present the product knowledgeable but let God bring the results He can move on someone’s heart and buy all you have if your heart is right. You can believe God for sales.
The job is one way God is taking care of you. Not the only way. If you confident you don’t have to pressure people. Believe God to deal with people.
You are not walking in love looking out for others when you pressure them. It may look like you lost a sale and God will put it on someone’s heart to buy ten of them.
It’s not by your efforts that you succeed but by God’s grace.
The Lord is the master of providing from unexpected sources. If you live by faith you are not going to know how God is meeting a need. Most of the time you will be surprised how He does it. How did they know I needed it.
I Kings 17
Elijah - sent to a brook to be fed by birds. Would that have been your first guess?
Maybe He would send you to the house of a wealthy person but no He sends him to a widow woman fixing her last meal. But God gets the glory.
The craziest thing to your flesh that you can do is give when it doesn’t look like you have any money. God will always ask you to give at an inopportune time. When He asks you to give it will probably not be convenient for you.
God I need this money. You will think of things, bills you have coming up. Many folks want to give they just don’t want to do it now. But God wants it when he wants it not when it is convenient for you. People need you when they need you. They are broke down and it’s 2am. He wants to meet someone else’s need now. When you need money you need it now not next year. On the other side of your obedience is a need being met.
God will prompt you and it won’t be a good time for you.
But if you are going to break the back of poverty from off you, you must obey God when he says give or make a decision to break that spirit yourself. Many of us grew up with a poverty mentality that keeps us from growing and going with God.
1. A poverty mentality will always see lack and no matter how much you have it will never be enough and there will always be the fear that if it’s gone, you’re gone.
The poverty mind is afraid to give because it never knows if it will need what is to be given. Many folks who have storage rooms full of junk they haven’t used for years have a poverty mentality. Some day they may need that junk.
They save things in case some day they might need them. And they are just bound to the junk. Where your treasure is your heart is.
Why not get a renewed mind and believe God for new stuff when you need it?
There is a thin line between being careful and being poverty minded.
2. Lives in fear what they have will run out.
3. You can’t just sing or pray your way out of debt you have to give your way out.
The Israelites - you don’t expect your food to fall out of the sky. Where is the water? Look to a rock.
Lord we sure would like to have some fresh quail. He flies them in fresh.
People look at their jobs and limit God through unbelief. And deny what He can do for the faithful. Who is the source? God is.
When Peter needed tax money Jesus said go fishing. It’s easier to work in the flesh than to trust God.
Matt 17:27
27 "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you." (NKJ)
What can I do to get some extra hours. Don’t look at your job.
Your job is what you do, it’s not your source.
Instead of working for a living you should be working for a giving.
Eph 4:22-32
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor (get a job, work, they need a broom ministry, a mop ministry. If they quit working to live by faith and what they are doing is not supporting them - get a job), working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Eph. 4:28
Did you at one time make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work. (Message)
Be working for a giving not for a living. Bumper sticker “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”
Your job will take on a greater kingdom mentality when you are making money to give to ministries and people.
You can’t outgive God.
LaTournou gave 90%
9-14-96 AM I AM Has sent you here for a time such as this. You are in the right place at the right time. He is not holding anything against you but wants you to get on with the life He has for you.
John 3:27
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (KJV)
Mantels - You can’t get anything unless it’s yours from the Lord. If it’s been given to you, you can take it.
Mark 11:24
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. (KJV)
2983 lambano-
1) to take
a) to take with the hand, to lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it
d) to take
Believe that you take it and you will have it.
You can have faith stickers all over your house and car but that doesn’t mean you know anything about faith because faith takes.
I believe God wants me healed. Great but that is not doing this. Not just believe that it’s yours but believe that you take it, it’s yours.
Believing is not taking.
You are not going to enjoy it unless you take by faith, appropriate it.
This kind of faith will not make you timid, you will not sit in the corner singing kum ba ah. It will cause you to rise up and lay hold of and appropriate.
What some people call humility is just passivity, spiritual laziness. And it doesn’t please the Lord. Folks want to sit on the side and hope the Lord will notice me and maybe feel sorry for me and do something for me.
That is not the way God operates.
Bible tells us that
Deut 1:8
8 `See, I have set (given) the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers-- to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-- to give to them and their descendants after them.'
Deut 1:21
21 `Look, the LORD your God has set (given) the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.'
Josh 1:3
3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
You have to put your foot on it, you have to take it. Just because it has been given to you does not mean you will ever enjoy it unless you take it.
1 Cor 10:1-11
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.
You have to set your foot and take what has been given to you.
They did not enjoy the promised land because God didn’t give it to them but because they didn’t take it.
Just because something has been given to you does not mean you will ever enjoy it unless you take it. It’s yours. It’s been bought and paid for but it takes faith, perseverance, determination and strength of spirit. You take it. You can’t just hope it will happen to you.
God told them it was theirs. He picked it out for them. When they got there there were giants there who didn’t want to move. But God gave it to us. Over our dead bodies. The 1st generation went back home and cried in their tents, and did without. But the 2nd time around when they said over our dead bodies they said that can be arranged, and they took it. Have you ever taken a healing before. You have to take over opposition from the devil. He will fight you every inch of the way. You better be determined to get it or plan to do without it.
The people who got healed in the Bible were not the ones who sat by and waited to be noticed, but took the initiative.
Mark 10:46-52
46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you."
50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."
52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
Blind Bart didn’t sit and sing Kum ba ya. He couldn’t see but he could yell and he did. Hey son of David, over here
Mark 2:1-12
1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.
2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9 "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?
10 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-- He said to the paralytic,
11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house."
12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
They didn’t complain about not finding a parking place. They made a way for what they wanted that God was offering.
They didn’t ask His permission to come and break the roof apart. They didn’t wait for Him to notice them. They didn’t wait for Him to ask if He could heal their friend, they just came and took what was being offered.
Woman with issue of blood. Pressed and pushed her way to Him and just snatched a healing. She is standing there healed and Jesus turned and asked who “touched me” finally she came forward fearing and trembling. Why fearing & trembling? She didn’t even ask if it was His will, she just took it!
It didn’t even cross her mind if it was His will. He didn’t get angry with her for it. He didn’t say “how rude of you, You’re pushy.
Some folks think if they just sit in the corner saying “well the Lord knows what I need.” He does but that doesn’t mean you are going to get it.
When hearing a message; Ask yourself “Why is God saying this to me now?” Don’t look around to see if so & so is here because they really need it.
Luke 11:5-9
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Do something! Act!
Can you get me some food. - You say “I wouldn’t do that. I know, you are the one God is talking too.
Importunity
impudence: shamelessness,
Luke 11:8
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. (NIV)
Message Bible Luke 11:8-13
"But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
[9] "Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
[10] "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.
Well I don’t want to bother the Lord, he knows what I want. You will do without.
Friendship is not the issue here, it’s just because He wants us to rise up and lay hold of some things.
Luke 15:11-13
11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.
12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
(NIV)
Luke 15:17
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (NIV)
Luke 15:20-32
20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
You notice the father didn’t say “ son you are right, I’ve not treated you right. I’m sorry. How can I make it up to you. Let me take care of you.”
No he said;
31 "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
Luke 15:11-32 - Message
Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. [12] The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.'
"So the father divided the property between them. [13] It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. [14] After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. [15] He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. [16] He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
[17] "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. [18] I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, "Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; [19] I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand." ' [20] He got right up and went home to his father.
"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. [21] The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
[22] "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! [24] My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.
[25] "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. [26] Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. [27] He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.'
[28] "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. [29] The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? [30] Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'
[31] "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours— [32] but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!' "
Notice the father didn’t say you are right I never treated you right.
Oldest son didn’t take any of it, didn’t appropriate what was his.
When younger son came he was brash. Do I have to wait until you die to get my share? Couldn’t the father have said, “how dare you?” But he said sure, I’ll transfer your share to your account tomorrow. Father cold have reproved him but didn’t. The kid misused what was given.
The older son was not in sin but never did enter into what he had. Some folks find out what is available and they go out and abuse it. Some who have been in the way for a long time just sit around doing nothing with what has been made available to them.
Don’t wait for me to stick it into your mouth.
Josh 17:14-18
14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?"
15 So Joshua answered them, "If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you."
16 But the children of Joseph said, "The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel."
17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph-- to Ephraim and Manasseh-- saying, "You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot,
18 "but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong."
Why don’t you take what you need? Quit crying and do something
Josh 18:1-3
1 Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them.
2 But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.
3 Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
Josh 19:9
9 The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people. (NKJ)
The catch of fish that was too much, loaves and fishes was too much.
Some of us will have to take too much so we can give to those who won’t take enough.
Moses had to tell the people to stop bringing because they had too much.