Sermon Central
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Prosper In All Things, It's God's Desire! Series
Contributed by Jose Gomez Sr. on Dec 30, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: What is true Biblical prosperity and what are the important steps to achieving all that God has for His people for the New Year. These are the questions that this series will answer in order to take God?s people to a new level.
15 "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death. 16 I have commanded you today to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, laws, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. 17 But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. 19 "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! 20 Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
What is prosperity?
being successful, a state of good fortune specially financial success, having in abundance.
-For Christians Prosperity is more than good fortune but it?s a choice.
God said to the Isralites as He says to us today; "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death. 16 I have commanded you today to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, laws, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
He wanted to remind them because for forty years they had made wrong choices and it didnt have to be like that!
-You must choose wether you are going to live a prosperous life or a mediocre one, It?s a decision you must make.(NOT THE DEVIL’S decision, NOT YOUR BOSS, NOT YOUR JOB, NOT YOUR PAST CIRCUMSTANCES)
I.IT’S YOUR choice TO prosper!
- There are decisions that you must make now, so that you may finish strong in 2005.
- to pay off your debt or keep on mounting up debt till you cant pay them anymore.
- to eat healthy or keep feeding your body junk food.
-To obey God instead of man.
-to give God time or give all time to yourself.
-To obey God and give God the tithe or spend all the blessings God has bestowed on yourself.
-To put God first or let Him have the leftovers.
-To exercise and make your body healthear or keep on the way you are going. (THESE ARE ALL CHOICES THAT YOU MUST MAKE, THEY DON?T COME AUTOMATIC.)
EVERY CHOICE THAT YOU MAKE TODAY, WILL IMPACT YOUR LIFE TOMORROW.
The choices you made in the past, HAVE MADE YOU THE PERSON THAT YOU ARE TODAY.
IF WE WANT TO TURN OUR LIVES AROUND WE MUST MAKE GOOD CHOICES.
-Godly choices.
-Your choices are going to give you life and prosperity or disaster and death.
II. There are two extremes; Prosperity has almost become a dirty word for the church because of the way it has been abused.
First; The so called Prosperity Gospel that some are preaching..
- says that if you don?t have a million dollars in the bank and drive a new car you must be in sin.
The second extreme is the legalistic way of looking at prosperity;
-If you really to serve god, you must be poor. You can?t have a nice car or a nice house because those are fleshly things that real believers cant have.
God wants you and I to prosper but under His terms not ours
3 John 2 says; "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers"
III. FIVE IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT PROSPERITY)
1)Prosperity does not mean the same thing to everyone. (NOT TRUE PROSPERITY!).
- Prosperity was not the same thing to Jesus as it was to the rich young ruler.
- Prosperity was not the same thing to Lazarus as it was to the rich man.
- Prosperity didn?t mean the same thing to the disciples after they met Jesus. (They left all to follow Him)
2) Prosperity in God’s kingdom has to do with stewardship. (TURN YOUR BIBLES TO MATTHEW 25:14-30)
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of gold?*?to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last?ividing it in proportion to their abilities?nd then left on his trip. 16 The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. 17 The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master? money for safekeeping.
