I want to speak a message entitled, "Live long and Prosper". Psalm 35:27 says, "Let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant".
Father, we thank you that you do take joy in blessing your people, that you have equipped us to be successful in this life and to walk through this world as victors and overcomers in you. Thank you for the joy that's in this place, Lord. May we decrease and may you increase, in Jesus name. Amen.
Psalm 1:1-3 says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the paths of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper".
God takes great joy in the prosperity of his people. Why wouldn't he, he is a great father. Every mom and dad wants their kids to do better than they ever did. When God created us he desired not only for us to live but to thrive in the life that he has for us; that's a promise that he gave us. Every good father helps their children succeed and gives them the tools needed for this walk. God does that for us in everything from raising a family to being successful in the jobs that we have and to be able to do his will on this earth.
God desires his people to prosper. It is his will that we prosper and it his desire that we do very well in life.
You have three different camps in the church today when it comes to the issue of prosperity. The first camp is those who preach a get rich, me first, money gospel. They talk about money as the only thing when it comes to prosperity and if you're a Christian you should be rich and never have times of struggle in your life. They teach that God walked in prosperity and the God who created us wants prosperity for us but the God they teach is not the God of the Bible. The gospel that many preachers teach today when it comes to prosperity is a self-serving gospel. It's heretical teaching. It talks about how to get rich and their sermons and messages really amount to nothing more than a get rich quick scheme. How many know that we must be careful not to walk in that?
The other camp is that God is hard and life is hard. Therefore, if you're living discouraged and downtrodden and poor then that's a sign of great spirituality. The Biblical view shows that God desires his people to experience what I call total life prosperity. This includes everything from their relationships to their health and finances whether their bank account says they're rich or not. How many know that God is for us?
3rd John 1:2 says, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers". How many here have a soul that's prospering in the Lord Jesus Christ? You have a living, on fire relationship with God and He's alive and well in you.
Total life prosperity covers four areas: prosperity in our health, prosperity in our peace in life, the provision of life's needs, and the prosperity in our relationships. It is important to define what it means to prosper and we must know what that is so that we can know what it looks like when we're living it. In the Hebrew, the word prosperity deals with the idea of fullness and completeness, of being safe and whole. It deals with being happy and healthy and at peace. I like to put it this way; holy, healthy, content and at peace. Those are the four areas.
Too many equate prosperity with just their finances. Philip Bongiorno was the former district superintendent of the Pennsylvania/Delaware district of the Assemblies of God. One of the leaders that was in that position when I first came into ministry said something that I'll never forget, "Never measure wealth in dollars or cents or any other worldly standard. True and lasting wealth is ultimately measured and determined by how much we love God and how much we love our neighbor, how much we love people for whom Christ died and what we do to express our love for God and for humanity".
A key component of true prosperity is the blessing of overflow to touch other people's lives. That's why God prospers his people so that not only will we live in the blessing but so that we could touch others. That's why at Harvest we are making sure that we are constantly not just about ourselves but that we're reaching out to touch others around the world, that we're reaching out to Riviera Beach and to other areas of the city. Pastor Kevin has begun to read the word down in Westgate and to walk around that city claiming that God is going to come in and establish his purposes there. How many believe that this church can make an impact in that portion of the city? That's what we want to see God do, change lives and help people.
The life changing truth of the Word of God not only touches our lives but powerfully and tangibly impacts those around us. Not only will it change them on the inside because of what Christ is doing but it will equip them with the tools to begin to live in the fullness of all that God has for them.
There is today a generation of corrupt prophets that teach a self seeking and self gratifying gospel. They teach a false doctrine of greed and lust. What this is doing is developing people in the church who are economically savvy but compassion poor. They have raised up people who are self serving and complacent and when trials come they're hopeless because they don't know how to flourish when life comes with challenges. Because of this the poor go hungry, the orphans remain fatherless, the widows are not visited and the hurting are abandoned.
I believe when God prospers his people not only will he equip us with all that we need to live a good life but he will equip us with all that we need to help others live a good life as well. When we're prospering in the Lord we want them to prosper in Christ as well. Prosperity is the direct result of wisdom in our life. Wisdom helps to flourish whatever area it is applied to. Whatever area needs the help of God, his word has given it to us so we can prosper in that area. The Lord has made it so that everything is complete; not just our finances but every area of life.
Proverbs 3:13-17 says, "Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding, for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace". How many think that sounds life full life prosperity? Wisdom brings long life, riches and honor and a pleasant, peaceful life. That's where I got the title for this sermon, not really from Star Trek.
Prosperity affects every area of life and so does wisdom. Are you prospering if you have a full bank account and a horrible marriage? Are you prospering if you have a great family but have no peace and you live in fear every moment of your life? Wisdom helps us to apply the word of God to areas of lack in our life. That's where I want you to understand this point: prosperity is a lack of lack. It is the promise of never having to worry about a basic need and never having to worry about another thing because you have the savior of the world who guards your life, protects your life and directs your life and the wisdom to know what to do with your life.
Psalms 34:10 says, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing". Young lions are the bold, the ones who seem like they've got it all together, the top of the pride, the leader of the pack and they can go without but even the weakest in God's kingdom can call on the help of God and the promise of the Lord.
Matthew 6:31-33, hold some of the greatest promises in all the word of God. It says, "Therefore, do not worry saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things". How many think that what you need ever catches God by surprise? "But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you". That's His word and I want you to notice this, that the key to prosperity is seeking God. When you have need or a desire, if you seek Him and a Godly life you will prosper.
We try to make things so complicated even in the church. Jesus just said this, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you". I have found the reason why most people panic is because they're not spending time in prayer. I see Christians getting excited because we're in the end days and think it's going to get so bad and we're going to have to suffer. Listen, seek first the Kingdom of God. You don't know everything that's going to happen and you can't even plan for everything that's going to happen. You can dig a bunker 50 feet deep, pad it with as much concrete as you want and stock it with as much food and toilet paper to see you into the next century but the truth is you have no idea whether you are going to need it or not and God's going to take care of you anyway. He promises that in his word, so seek him. The Bible says you will lack no good thing. It doesn't say you will get everything your heart desires. God isn't raising spoiled children; he is raising children that he will take care of and bless and make sure that they will have more than enough. How many understand that enough is enough? We are blessed and if you have enough then that's enough.
Many Christians confuse prosperity with ostentatious wealth. I heard a preacher once knock shopping at Wal-Mart and it absolutely drove me crazy. He said, "Because God blesses me I'm never going to shop at Wal-Mart, that's where poor people shop". The Word of God has got to apply everywhere in the world. If you take someone from a third world nation and you set them in the middle of Wal-Mart, someone who has never had anything and let them look around for a little while then you tell me that's not prospering. It has more clothes than you can ever wear in a lifetime, more food than you could ever eat, and that preacher told that church of 5000 people and they're all shouting in agreement. God help us. May we never confuse what prosperity really is. I felt bad for the people that were in his congregation, that had driven all that way from the Projects only to be told that they weren't able to prosper in the Lord. How many know enough is enough?
Prosperity is the direct result of our obedience to God's word. Proverbs 3:1-2 says, "My son, do not forget my law but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you". If you want your children to prosper then follow God's word. If you want your business to prosper, follow God's word. If you want to be healthy, follow God's word. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and you can't prosper physically if you're abusing the temple. If you want to prosper financially, obey God with your money. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine".
The principal of the tithe we all know and I hope I don't have to teach that but it's powerful. The issue really is honoring God first. How many know that when God has control of your finances then God has control of your life? It's true. Many of the so called prosperity preachers today teach a goofy theology that enlarges only their own nets and fills their own pockets. They rob God's people. There are men even in our own city that say if you will give a double tithe then God will give you a double blessing. I dare you to find that in the Word of God. When I hear people preach that I want to go slap them and shake them around. What's happening is good people are being fleeced and greedy Christians are doing it not because they love God but because they believe they can manipulate God through their finances. God doesn't care how much you give; he just wants to know if he's first in your life, that's the issue. We need to be careful of this because in this day of economic desperation people will do just about anything because they think what God's word says is too easy and they don't see it work as fast as they'd like so in desperation they'll do anything. How many know that all you have to do is obey the word of God? These charlatans are robbing needy people and selfish believers are buying into this hogwash for personal gain. I want to encourage you, simply obey God and you will prosper. It's that simple, it's that easy and it works.
I want you to follow this: prosperity follows purpose. Prosperity is having enough for yourself and it's also having enough to bless others. 2nd Corinthians 9:8 says, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you that you always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every good work". Many times this could be money and sometimes it's giving food but other times having the abundance for every good work is having wisdom when you need to minister to somebody and you're dealing with a situation and you have no idea what to do with it. It might be kindness when you're dealing with someone whom you really don't want to be kind to. This morning I woke up about 4:30 am and I had been tired all week and couldn't get back to sleep. How many of you are cranky in the morning? At about 6:00 I was cranky and you can't preach the Word of God when you're feeling like that. I prayed, "God, I need an abundance for every good work". At about 7:00 on my way here to the church I decided I'd better get a better attitude and God gave me one. Now not only do I have the energy to minister but also the joy of the Lord and that's the strength that truly is there. Lack of sleep is no reason to be a curmudgeon.
The Bible says he'll give you abundance for every good work. I have found that as long as I am being a blessing the abundance flows; there is a river of whatever I need. If I will obey God and do the work that he's called me to do, if I will do whatever he asks of me and I will step out to do it; but if I don't have what I need to accomplish it God will always make a way and the river will begin to flow. God gives us the grace for every good work. Many times prosperity isn't having what you need in advance but it is simply the sufficiency to do the good work as you do it and the faith will be equipped along the way. There may be something God is calling you to, maybe a ministry he's been asking you to do, someone he's been asking you to bless. Sometimes you just know the Lord is speaking and you've just got to step out and do it. When you begin to do it God begins to bless along the way.
One of the greatest myths of prosperity is that if you just have enough faith you will never struggle and never have trouble. They say if you have faith then you'll never be sick, never be broke and you'll never be discouraged. How many know that's heresy? The word of God gives you great instruction on how to prosper when you go through discouragement, when you are broke and when you're going through sickness. That's why he gives us this word to teach us how to prosper. I can't tell you how many Christians for some reason or another thought that their relationship with God wasn't right because they got the flu or because they got cancer, or because their business went bankrupt and they were in need that somehow they hadn't been obedient to God. This life will hand you things that you never anticipated but God will still help you to thrive and be content in the middle of all that to know that he is faithful through it all. That is true prosperity and God's promise. Prosperity and blessing do not remove problems; it just helps us to get through them successfully and with victory.
True prosperity is the assurance of God's help. It's his provision and his strength when life is hard; that's prosperity and that's his promise. Prosperity is favor with God and favor with man. Favor is walking with blessing and through open doors when everyone else around is having the doors close in their face. It's when everyone else says that something is impossible and that it will never happen for you and God has promised that it would; that's the favor of God. I can't even tell you how many times I just knew God was going to do something; people said "no" but I knew God was going to say "yes". People were saying, "that person you need favor with has always been such a mess and you are in such trouble". I just smiled because God is going to have his way whether they say "no" or not. Some of them have said "no" and I've watched God do the miracle despite their "no".
Other times God gives you favor with people, favor in the midst of friendships, favor in the midst of mistakes. It means to have mercy and favoritism and to receive pleasantness. It is being blessed financially when others are not prospering. It is not working with the world's system yet knowing God will put you where he wants you and will provide along the way while all around are losing their way. That is the favor of God. That is God's will for his people.
Prosperity is the ability to get wealth. There is an issue of finances in the word of God. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to get wealth". Many people read this as it is God who gives you wealth but it is God who gives you the ability to get wealth. He gives us the ability to prosper financially. First of all, God has given you the ability to work and to work hard. There are many people who go to the mailbox and think, "I am going to get rich today. I am going to play the lottery and be the one out of 1 billion people to win the 50 million dollar state jackpot". Take your money and give it to the man on the street corner who is asking for some food because even if he buys himself a beer then at least he got something for it and you threw your money away on a piece of paper that was worthless.
God gives us the ability to work hard and to manage what he has given us. He has given us the ability to take stewardship over everything from our marriage to our money. Although this word is translated, "He gives us the ability to get wealth", it also means the word "substance". Prosperity means having substance in your life whether it is financial, marital or whatever it is, God gives you the ability to have substance. He gives us the power and ability to bring substance to any area that lacks it. If your marriage isn't prospering, His word will give you the substance that is needed to help it prosper. If you need help with kids, he will give you the substance to help them prosper. If you need help in your finances, He gives you the substance to make them prosper. That's what the ability is about. Somehow we just think because we're Christians we don't have to do anything, it will just happen. God gives us the word and we must know the word and that word will help us to apply it to that area of lack so there will be no more lack.
Prosperity is contentment. 1st Timothy 6:6 says, " Now Godliness with contentment is great gain". True prosperity is learning how to flourish no matter what you have or what's going on. I want to tell you that this economic downturn in America has not shaken your pastor one bit. I believe it has not shaken many who are in the body of Christ one bit. I have seen those without work trust God and watch him do miracles in their life and I have watched those who have been unsure of their employment get employment and I have watched those that thought they were going to lose it, not lose it because they walk in the favor of God. God does different things at all times but they can still be content instead of panicking because they've trusted the Lord. To live in peace and satisfaction whether you are rich or poor, married or single, whether you've got it all or nothing but just living to be content. Proverbs 10:22 says, "the blessing of the Lord makes one rich and he adds no sorrow to it". All of us have met those who seem to have nothing but they are absolutely satisfied and we have all met those who seem to have everything in this world and are miserable with it all. This may seem like a basic point in a message like this but the truth is how much of our society and our community struggles with this.
The blessing of the Lord brings peace, it brings joy and it brings no sorrow. It's not something that was more trouble than it was worth. It is knowing that God is good and that he hears your cry when you need his help; It is knowing that you can live satisfied. Paul said, "I've learned to be content in all things". It's a process. That's true prosperity. What a blessing when you can do anything you want and go wherever you want to go or even when you don't have the ability to do anything but sit and enjoy the view from your own back porch. How many know that's peace? To come home and kiss your family and know that they love you; to be able to step out your door and witness to people and know that it changes a life; to live without fear because God hasn't given you a spirit of fear no matter what the situation; that is how you prosper.
Father, we thank you today for your faithfulness. Holy Spirit, we thank you that it is your desire and your will and your purpose for God's people to prosper. I thank you Lord that you desire for us to flourish like a tree planted by the waters that is constantly being nourished by you. I pray right now that you would give that hope into the heart of each one that's struggling with that today. I thank you God that you've given us the help of your word so that we can live our life in fullness, completely surrendered to you and fully functional because of you.
I pray right now for those who are in need, that worry that has come into their life would go in the name of Jesus, that every fear and anxiety and uncertainty would begin to leave. May the guilt they feel because they think they don't have enough faith or enough this or that, I just pray that they would know all you require is a life sold out to you, seeking you first and obedient to you, and out of that come the rewards of your word and they don't have to worry about it. I pray God that you would have first place in each of our lives and that all we would be looking at is you, not at everything around us. I pray for those in financial need today. God, I thank you that you're the provider and I thank you that even in the midst of a financial need we don't lack any good thing. Your word promises it.
Father, I pray that your encouragement would fill each heart and that there would not be one ounce of discouragement in this room or when they leave, that the attack of the enemy wouldn't have its way. I pray God where we lack wisdom in certain areas that as we read your word and apply it you give us the ability to prosper. I pray God that each one would begin to do the work in their family, in their business, that they would begin to see the results of the word and that they would be a testimony to everyone around them.
Thank you Lord that we do walk in your favor and that we do walk in your help and that Lord Jesus that truth would be so rooted in us that we just live it, not try to live it or try to make it happen, to just do it because it's what your word says we will have. I pray your blessing upon each one in this place and that you would lead us to those who need to be touched by you and that souls would be saved. May those who are struggling in the fear of these economic times who don't even have the hope of the word because they don't know it, I pray that you would lead us to them to help lead them to you and that they would begin to prosper in their own life; to fear God, confidence there, provision in hand. We'll give you the praise for these things in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
