Just to give us a background of what's been happening, we started this series
perhaps a month and a half ago and we started off with Exodus 33, 14 to 17 and
to paraphrase all three verses here's what Moses basically said to God. He said
what else oh God but your presence will distinguish me and your people from all
other people on the face of the earth. And we say that again, what else oh God but
your presence will distinguish me and these people from all the other people
on the face of the earth. And so we've been talking about the presence of what
that does to a people. Last week we started on what are the characteristics,
what are the characteristics or what is the outworking of the presence of God in
a people. What is the characteristic or what is the outworking of the presence
of God in a people. And we are talking about the manifest presence. We are not
talking about the presence of Christ in us because you cannot be a Christian
unless Christ lives in you. But there is a difference between Christ residing in
me and then it being manifested, it being made obvious. That's one of the things
God specializes in throughout the Bible. Making his presence in a people and in
an individual so obvious that there is no question as to oh shucks these guys
are different. These are people of God. And so we said that there are certain
characteristics that you will find in a people in whom the manifest presence of
God is visible. And those were one, reconciliation and pick up that CD if
you were not here and listen to it. It's really good. Reconciliation, that's
from last week. Prosperity and you know I'm not a prosperity preacher but
prosperity, fear of God, fearlessness, signs and wonders, zeal, zeal, Z-E-A-L.
Reproduction both in terms of reproducing his image and reproduction as
in go forth and multiply as a numerical increase. Liberty and dominion. These are
some of the most prevalent characteristics of his manifest
presence in a people. And when these are shrouded or veiled then the presence of
God is not visible because we've become like every other people. A people who do
not have the ethos of reconciliation or the principle of reconciliation in them,
who are unforgiving, who are bitter, who do not know how to love beyond are just
like any other people in the world. The Lions Club and Rotary Club have more
loving members sometimes. A people who are not prospering and today we'll be
talking about that. A people who have no fear of God or reverence of God. A people
who are not bold. A people who do not believe in or do not expect signs and
wonders. A people who have no zeal or passion like Finnehan has had. A people
who are not increasing numerically nor reproducing the image of God. A people
who do not live in liberty. A people who do not know how to exert dominion are a
people like any other people. So what distinguishes us then? The presence of
God must distinguish us as a people. And so we look at that today. The absence of
these characteristics will shroud the presence of God in the body or shroud
the presence of God in me as an individual when these characteristics
are missing. So let's talk about prosperity. Guys, prosperity in terms of a
characteristic of the presence of God. Prosperity is the physical manifestation.
Prosperity is the physical manifestation of the blessing of God and it carries in
it peace and wholeness. So it's the physical manifestation of the blessing
of God. What is, how can we define prosperity today? It's the, before I write
on this. Ouch. It's the physical manifestation as in something that is
visible of the blessing of God and it carries in it peace and wholeness. That's
a very summarized way of defining it. There's so much more to it but if you
want a definition of it, prosperity is a physical manifestation of the blessing
of God on a person or on a people and it carries in it peace and wholeness. By the
way, mammon, how do you describe mammon? Mammon is this mix of security and money
put together that carries in it greed and striving. Yeah, that's one of the ways to
explain mammon. Mammon is this, is again a powerful, sometimes sentiment, sometimes
commodity, sometimes even a spirit. Mammon is this mix of security and money that
carries in it greed and striving and know this that mammon can prosper you too.
But mammon will prosper you at the peril of your soul because Jesus said what
good is it if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? When Abraham was
walking after the battle with the five kings of, he's met by the king of Sodom
and Melchizedek. And Melchizedek blesses him while what did the king of Sodom
offer him? He said you can have all the money but give me the souls of the men
you have. So mammon can prosper you too and so mammon is this mix of security
and money that carries in it greed and striving. A consequence of the presence
of God in my life or in this or in my house or in this church should be the
evidence of me progressing towards prosperity. Ah Jacob that sounds so much
like prosperity preachers. Wait till we get to the end then you'll find how
different it is. So let me say that again. A consequence of the presence of
God, the manifest presence of God in my life or in my house or in the church
will be that you will see evidence of progress towards prosperity. I mean when
you look at Joseph, when you look at Hezekiah, when you look at David, when you
look at Obed, Edom, when you look at Israel, when you look at Abraham, let's
just look at them. Genesis 39 verses 2 & 3. Genesis 39 verses 2 & 3. Genesis 39
so it's actually 11. Genesis 39 verses 2 & 3.
The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man and he was in the house
of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord
caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. Second Kings 18 7. Second Kings
18 7. Second Kings 18 7.
And the Lord was with Hezekiah wherever he went and he prospered. And the Lord
was with Hezekiah wherever he went, whenever he went out and he prospered.
Second Samuel 5 10. Second Samuel 5 10.
And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David and David
built the city all round from millow inwards and David became greater and
greater for the Lord the God of hosts was with him. Second Samuel 6 2 to 12.
Let's start from verse 5. And David and all the house of Israel were making
merry before the Lord with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and
castanets and cymbals and when they came to the threshing floor of Nakon Uzzah,
you know that story where Uzzah was struck dead and then go on to and it
verse 12. And it was told King David the Lord has blessed the household of
Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God. Joel 2 24 to
27. Joel 2 24 to 27. Joel 2 24 to 27.
A Gittite.
Two schools on that and I've read both and I perhaps our Greek scholar may have
a better view on it even though he doesn't know Hebrew but Obed-Edom the
Gittite is sometimes called a non-israelite and other times he's
called an Israelite so let us know. Yeah Uzzah and Heorah. Joel 2 24 to 27.
The threshing floors shall be full of grain the vats shall overflow with wine
and oil I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten the
hopper the destroyer and the cutter my great army which I sent among you you
shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who
has dealt wondrously with you and my people shall never again be put to shame
you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the Lord your God
and there is no one else and my people shall never again be put to shame there
is a sense in these scriptures and many more that I can pull out where when God
is amongst the people a people seem to continuously progress towards being
successful towards being excellent or towards prospering and what they are
being sent out for we're not going to be able to cover the entirety of what I
want to say today might take three weeks or perhaps this is all we need to say
and move on but here's the thing guys the God who owns everything and wants
to bless his children is a father and for a father like that it is natural to
manifest his presence and when he sees your lack it is natural for him to
provide for your lack let me say that again God who owns everything is a father
who wants to bless his children guys right now only focus on the nature of
God and not even as I'm saying it there are questions popping in your mind about
20 scenarios that would seem to argue against the statement I'm making and as
much as the 20 scenarios may be real let me tell you what is realer the nature of
God God is a owner of everything in the world he's the owner of everything in
the world he is father and he wants to bless his children and in the process it
is very natural for him when he sees lack to manifest his presence and
provide for that lack because Jason does that and he is evil biblical if Jason
being as evil as he is has the ability to do this for his four children then I
would suggest to you that God the father has amazing ability to do this for his
six billion this is the nature of God and even though I can think of scenarios
in India Africa Canada in this church outside this church in my life outside
my life that would come against such a statement I still can't argue with the
nature of God because that stands solid so where do we start I mean and here's
what God does say when he sees my lack and this these words are important I
didn't just put them on a piece of paper just for the heck of it when God sees
lack he begins to discipline you into prosperity write down those words when
God sees lack he disciplines you into prosperity very important line when God
sees the lack in your life as a father he wants to manifest his presence and
provide for the lack and how does he do that he does that by disciplining you
into prosperity hey man so good to see you after all these days yeah because I
haven't seen you for a while I don't know you always used to walk past when
I'm teaching and you're doing that again it's good to see you so disciplining you
into prosperity and what is the word discipline involved training instruction
correction
do you understand why sometimes we we have lack but when it comes to
disciplining me into prosperity I I don't like it I don't like it because
there's instruction involved there's a correction of my mindset and my ways and
there is training this is the part we don't like we want to be thrown into
prosperity without being disciplined hey our earthly dads discipline us into
knowing how to handle money some dads did that well some dads didn't and we
are the byproducts of it I know very very very very very very very tell me
when to stop very very very rich man in Vancouver and his son was in my Sunday
and even though he was really really rich when his son came to work for him
he started him at the lowest place in the factory and he started him by having
him pluck chickens and he got paid according to the same wages as those
others in this other chicken pluckers and has he become the manager of the
company yet no he's still only working his way up and it has given this boy
such normalcy and such a such a such a solid base to stand down without pride
without flaunting his riches though his father has his father yeah that's not
the point is that father training well and then there are other fathers who do
not discipline their sons with regard to money and they can't understand why the
son squanders everything that they built for the son in a matter of years so if
our dads do it being as evil as they are there how much more God he
disciplines us into prosperity so where do we start guys the the natural
tendency in this church would be to say oh it's sowing and reaping not really
because if you read Matthew 6 26 Jesus says look at the birds of the air they
don't report so and yet I provide for them so sowing and reaping is an
important principle that we have taught that Joan has taken what how many weeks
seven weeks to teach sowing and reaping is vitally important and that's part of
this equation but don't think that the answer is sowing and reaping because the
birds don't do that and they still do well so where do we start what do I have
to do to progress guys I have to cultivate a mentality about God wealth
myself and others so here's what I need to do I need to cultivate a mentality
about God wealth myself others and how they all relate and how they all relate
the nature of each and how they all relate I have to I have to cultivate a
mentality about God and how he relates to wealth how wealth relates to me how
wealth relates to others the nature of God the nature of wealth my own nature
with regard to money and my nature towards others it is such it's not
complex but it is so important to understand the nature and the
relationship between God wealth me others God wealth me others God others
me wealth others me it can get quite busy so we'll just look at four things
today and then if God wills then we'll continue this next week or we'll go on
to the next topic I'm not sure yet so let's look at Matthew 6 19 to 25 and
that's where we'll derive these four principles from Matthew 6 19 to 25
Matthew 6 19 to 25
Matthew 6 19 to 25 no little more than the last time though do not lay up for
yourself treasures on earth where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break
in and steal but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven when either moths nor
rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your
treasure is there your heart will be also the eye is the lamp of the body so
if your eye is healthy your whole body will be full of light but if your eye is
bad your whole body will be full of darkness if then the light in you is
darkness how great is that darkness thanks no one can serve two masters for
either he will hate the one and will love the other or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon therefore I tell
you do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink
nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing so this is where we this is what we look at today and stay
within these scriptures guys Matthew let's take the first one no one can
serve two masters no one can serve two masters it's in Matthew 6 24 even though
Jesus says no one can serve two masters isn't it true that it doesn't apply
today because aren't some of us holding two jobs we have two bosses some of us
have dual citizenship we've got two two nations that we are mastered by moon
lighting is common we can have multiple masters so how are we supposed to
understand you cannot have two masters guys the context is slaves the context
is slaves it's important to understand that what Matthew is saying here when
Jesus is saying no one can serve two masters what he needs to what he wants
to understand is that listen you can only be a slave to one or the other we
don't understand slavery because it's not something that we are accustomed to
I'm not promoting it either the point is that Jesus is talking in terms of
slavery and here's what a slave was in those days wholly owned by the master
wholly owned by the master permanently subjected to the master permanently
subjected to the master
permanently subjected to the master worked without expectation of pay
occasionally they would get paid but worked without expectation of pay and
yet was completely dependent on the master for provision
completely dependent on master for provision and was completely dependent
on the master for provision and stewarded everything stewarded everything
on behalf of the master stewarded everything on behalf of the master
stewarded everything on behalf of the master and Jesus is saying listen this
is your choice Jacob either you have to decide that you are wholly owned by me
your master and that you're permanently subjecting your life to me as master
that you have no expectation of reward or pay as your master that yet you will
be completely dependent on me as your master for provision and that everything
you have you really don't earn you are stewarding it on my behalf now do you
see why I can't serve two masters this is the first thing I need to establish
in my heart when it comes to money and God that I can only be a slave to one
you cannot be a slave to God like this and a slave of money and security dipped
in greed and striving but our immediate reaction is but I'm not a slave of
mammon I'm not a slave of money guys if you say that you and I are not slaves
of mammon then here's a question you need to ask why are my decisions
determined by money which tells me what I can do and where I can go why are my
decisions determined by money which tells me what I can do and where I can
go if my master wholly owns me how come mammon can tell me what I can attempt to
do where I can go where I should apply for a job what I cannot do how come
how come
this is why I need to understand my slavery for the lack of a better word to
Jesus Christ this is the adjustment that needs to be made in the mind first
why is it that my life is consumed full of careful worry about food clothes and
rent that's what my mind is consumed with where will the food come from where
will my clothes come from where will I pay the mortgage from where will the
rent come from these are the things that consume me and mammon or money
determines what I can do where I can go it doesn't matter what God says my
wallet determines what I do and where I can go even the jobs I choose are not
dependent upon God's choices but where can I make the maximum buck for minimum
work
and yet we have the audacity to say that I'm not a slave of mammon there is a
problem here everything good stay with me you can pick up the CD later
any questions on that before we move on guys this is the first thing I like to
destroy that I have to become the slave of one where he wholly owns me he I am
permanently subjected to him I work without the expectation of pay what I'm
completely dependent on him for provision and everything I have I only
steward on his behalf this is the hardest thing that's why I put it up
first
any questions before we go on
Matt if you need to go to the doctor or have any medical help let us know and
we'll drive you there okay
okay no questions there do you see there is an issue though and may I suggest you
that all of us have this issue that none of us have come to a point where you
be where we are free of this completely some of us more some of us less the
second then the second thing we want to look at is the verse in verse 20 21 and
25 lay up for yourself treasures in heaven when neither moth nor rust
destroys and where thieves do not break in for where your treasure is that's the
one I want to concentrate on for where your treasure is there your heart will
be also and then go to verse 25 therefore I tell you do not be anxious
about your life what you will eat or drink nor about your body what you will
put on it because life is more than food and body more than clothing and then
verse 33 for the Gentiles seek after all these things was 32 and your heavenly
father knows that you need them all but seek first the kingdom and his
righteousness and all these things will be added to you guys the front line of
attack in our lives is usually food clothes money food clothes shelter money
the lack of it or the need for more this is the front line of the attack on our
lives and yet the most responsible man who walked the earth makes a highly
irresponsible statement Jesus says do not be anxious or worried about the very
things that are absolutely practical consideration that any normal human
being should pay attention to you should read commentaries on this none of the
commentators will dare say that we should go with Jesus they'll come up
with all kinds of like explanations so that you can find some kind of a middle
road but what an irresponsible comment do not worry about the practical details
of life and yet it's being made by Jesus do not worry about the practical details
of life why because long ago in the parable of the sewer he had made a
statement what is it that chokes out the word the practical cares of life
talk about being instructed trained and corrected or disciplined into prosperity
you see why it's hard it's easier to side with mammon and prosper
Jesus is saying you cannot Jacob make the practical details of life your
primary concern Jesus is saying Jacob you cannot make the practical details
of life your primary concern you cannot do that my common sense shouts loudly
and says but Jesus this is absurd I must consider how I'm going to live I must
consider what I'm going to eat and drink I must consider how these practical
details are taken care of I scream we even come up with statements like but
this is only common sense Jesus calls this common sense carefulness in the
life of a disciple careful unbelief that's the way also chambers puts it the
the the the common sense carefulness of our life which we display almost on a
daily basis Jesus in also chambers words which is an odd way to put it he calls
it careful unbelief careful unbelief and boy do we indulge in careful unbelief
don't worry Matt and James and Derek are getting good Sunday school education in
there careful unbelief guys when I take the pressure of provision upon myself I
place mammon at the center and my life is ordered by it when I take upon
myself the pressure the pressure of my own provision I place mammon at the
center and my life is then ordered around it these are extreme statements
these are extreme statements but these are true statements if you want to have
God manifest himself by physically blessing you into prosperity then I so
encourage others the people to begin to make this these colossal mind shifts
colossal mind shifts
if not for your sake at least for the sake of your children so that another
generation doesn't go this route
Jesus said amass treasures for yourself in God seek first the kingdom of God
seek seek as in pursue seek as in run after seek as in deliverance seek as in
run after seek as in desire first first as in time first as in importance first
as in place first as in order seek first what the rule and the reign of Christ
where in my life in my home in my work and as I do what will you do a God all
other things all other things all other things will be added added as in a next
and joined to added as in proceed further into added as in taken and put
into
that's what he's saying man
and so what does seek first for you look like discover it discover it what does
seek first look like for you which is the area that he wants to start it in is
it your marriage then work on it you'll be surprised as to how you when you seek
first the kingdom in your marriage you will find that you will become
successful and begin to prosper at certain things without having done
anything in that area seek first in terms of the calling upon your life seek
first at your work seek first the rule and the reign of Christ in terms of
your family wherever God says seek first go and do it because I guarantee you
this this principle is from the heaven is from heaven and it works and if you
don't follow it you will have to become a slave of Mammon to prosper those are
your only choices or she doesn't like me clapping things I have to deal with
in this church
guys talk back to me about this tell me do you understand why why no other
thing will work guys for you you know unfortunately you become a Christian
yeah in a way of speaking because now if you were a citizen of Babylon you could
prosper with Mammon but when it comes to being a Christian when you part of the
kingdom know your righteousness and you're seeking it and seeking the
kingdom is vital to your prosperity
when was the last time you saw prosperous Christians man
when was the last time we saw prosperous Christians how long has it
been it's been a while
and my prosperous I don't mean cars houses and stuff like that prosperous as
in once through whom money comes and goes and who had no problem with it how
long has it been it's been a while
I'd so encourage us to get these two things leave alone the next two things
right these two things right questions comments I mean this is not impossible
I'll show you here in this world before I die how this will work I'm already
showing you but I'll show it to you better I'll show it to you better as
some of you will show me too this works guys has got nothing to do with cars
and houses it's got to do with money flowing in and out of your life because
it's a relationship between God and wealth myself and others
mm-hmm yep questions comments disagreements challenges
you still have to hear and know what to do yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah I'm talking about prosperity only in terms of resources in terms of the
word wealth which involves property resources money
yeah and surprisingly yeah surprisingly when I see God in different areas of my
life prosperity is a natural byproduct because all other things are added unto
me
I'm talking only about wealth right now nothing else I'm talking about wealth
and wealth includes property money resources I'm only talking about that
right now I know prosperity involves a lot more but we are only focusing on
money right now and I'm saying to you as you begin to seek pursue desire after
first in place importance order and time the rule and the reign of Christ in your
marriage in your calling in what you were meant to do abandoning the the
trap and the lure of how the world thinks you should operate abandoning
everything else because you're owned by one master and doing it that way you
will find that even though you're focusing on your marriage you're
prospering in other areas all other things shall be added unto you
go ahead
what do you focus on first one of the things I do is I'll ask God okay father
which area do you want to work on because there are multiple areas in my
life where his rule and reign are not active or are very poor and so my first
thing we go to ask him father what do you want me to work on so he has to ask
what is what do you want me to work on which area of my life do you want rule
and reign she has to ask that for herself come out for himself and God
will begin to hone in on a certain place how do you know that he'll keep sending
people to speak about it when you read you will read about it your thoughts
are consumed with it God God things that your mind is consumed with and you
realize that this is the area that I now need to pull myself up in for some of us
you just need to come and ask me what area should I focus on I'll tell you and
it'll be a God telling and you won't like it perhaps some of you will some of
you won't so pardon yeah
but come and at the end of the day why are we why are we prospering not at all
for any other reason but we'll come to that in about 20 minutes any other
questions guys ah okay moving on the next thing is more thrusts and thieves
it's from Matthew 6 19 that listen do not lay up for yourself treasures on
earth where more than rust and thieves destroy and my thieves break in and
steal lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven guys we grow up learning that our
money and our job is our life source and our security we grow up learning
from our parents learning from the world around us that the one thing or the two
things that you have to be careful you always have and you never lose is money
and a job you lose a money or a job and you're done money and job never lose
this and so what happens we grow up knowing this we've seen our parents go
through it we see other pastors go through it it's the scariest thing a
pastor losing his job is one of the scariest thing that can happen to a
pastor's family this is what we grew up with and you know what happens then I
now make money and my job my security or my life source and the moment my job
and the money I have becomes my security or my life source now begins the process
of Satan always touching it to bring fear into my life for the rest of my
life I will always be crippled because there will always be an external attack
on two things in my life my job and the money I have and time and again it'll
cripple me it'll leave me lying down on a bed unable to get up because again the
two things that I put my security in my job and my money my profession and my
money my career and my money are being touched again and again and my life is a
series of ups and downs because it's being touched
the fear of losing money or losing a job drives our livelihood drives our
lifestyle and drives our life choices it drives our livelihood it drives our
lifestyle and it drives our life choices and so one of the ways we adjust or cope
is because we are so scared of losing money money we plunge into stockpiling it
another dirty word for it is holding we plunge into stockpiling it or we plunge
into protecting it or we plunge into prolonging it into the future because
surely God will abandon me at 65
our lives are consumed with it I want to make a statement here that you need to
just take deep into your heart deep into your heart and this is not the statement
I'll see as long as your security is tied to money or your job Satan will
disrupt your life by touching it again and again again but here's the statement
I want to make guys money has the power money has the power to turn you into an
orphan money has the power to turn you into an orphan because it cultivates in
you a fear of abandonment money has the power to turn you into an orphan because
it cultivates in you the fear of abandonment what is the first reaction
when people lose things lose money lose their job or God how could you do this
to me how could you abandon me what happens when your relatives don't give
you the money or your parents cut you off or your husband takes away money
that is owed you or the wife keeps a separate bank account the first thing
that happens is a fear of abandonment money has the power to turn you into an
orphan
it cultivates in you and I a sense of abandonment an abandonment that we either
blame God for or blame someone else for or blame a boss for that is the power
this thing has it is wicked it is wicked not money
mammon is wicked money is a moral mammon is wicked in the ability to render you an
orphan
powerful thing it is man everything an orphan does is motivated by two things
and both are because of this unrelenting demand of the soul everything an orphan
does revolves around two things provision protection provision protection
why do pastors have a contract in a church aren't they supposed to be the
set men of their congregations why do they have contracts I'm just speaking on
why because it is important for me to protect to protect my interests because
I'm scared of how you will betray me and I cannot afford to be abandoned again by
another church
an orphan has a mentality of protection and provision and money has the power to
render you and I an orphan do you realize why we cry out now so often when
we don't have money what do we say oh god how could you do this to me oh god
you have abandoned me oh god I have prayed no no no god is saying come be
disciplined into prosperity come be disciplined into prosperity and that's
the one thing we don't want
started with Adam guys started with Adam when he abandoned God as his ultimate
supplier what happened he was discharged to work the land in sweat started then
how do I break this the only way to break this is to come back to God as
father as father we talked about master and slave now we are talking about God
as father where because mammon has had the power to render me an orphan and to
created me the sense of abandonment which has forced me to seek out my own
protection and provision at the expense of keeping God on the outside the only
way to break this orphanhood that I thrive in that I got from my dad and mom
and many others is to come back to God as father and recognize that my
inheritance is in my father and that I am his inheritance these statements are
so full with meaning that we cannot unfold it right now it's impossible but
go think on just this one line that I have to come back to God as father in
whom I have an inheritance and whose inheritance I am in whom I have an
inheritance and whose inheritance I am think of that connection alone and it'll
bring you to a place where you perhaps can break off the orphanhood upon you
and go back to the father and say but my inheritance is in you what does the son
have to do for an inheritance nothing he gets it by virtue of his position not
through striving and that I am God's inheritance he says that plenty of
places but Jacob you're my inheritance this is a relationship that can bring me
back out of orphanhood
for which one I'll find it for you yeah but quite a few
I am God's inheritance he used to call Israel his inheritance quite often
Israel my son Israel my portion Israel my inheritance these are massive I'm not
stressing I'm not dramatizing this these are colossal shifts in my thinking
guys colossal shifts I've been struggling with this because I thought
I had come a certain distance and I'm realizing my God how I am NOT where I
thought I was because I don't think like this
last one if your eye is healthy that's what Jesus says in verse 23 that's all
day in 22 he's talking about Moths and rusts in 24 he's talking about you can't
serve two masters and then in the middle he talks about if your eyes healthy and
I mean why did that words plonk itself there what is a healthy and I had a bad
I got anything to do with provision and stuff like that what's his words doing
that look at Matthew 2015 Matthew 2015
Matthew 2015 most versions if you have an NIV or ESV or stuff like that
Matthew 2015 is that story about how different laborers came at different
points during the day and the landlord employed them and he paid them all the
same wage a denarius and so some of them start complaining and in Matthew 2015
Jesus is saying to them why do you begrudge me my generosity why do you
begrudge my generosity and yet if it were actually translated as it should be
which you will find in some versions the word user is ophthalmos which is
where the whole eye thing comes from what Jesus actually says there is is
your eye evil because I am good is your eye evil because I am good to rephrase
it what is being said there is a bad eye refers to an eye that is stingy and
cannot see the brightness of generosity a bad eye is an eye that is stingy and
cannot see the brightness of generosity here is Jesus giving things freely to
the ones who have come to work for him and some come to him with an evil eye
that looks at him and says you cannot do this begrudging his generosity the whole
idea of if your eye is healthy your body is full of light and if your eye is dark
or great is the darkness within you is basically if I were to rephrase it it
would sound like this Jesus would be saying hey if you have a bad eye it
means you have a problem in terms of being stingy self-consumed and reluctant
and giving and if you have a healthy eye it's an eye that enjoys God-like
brilliant generosity that's what he's saying there and then he's even making
the statement that if you're stingy self-centered and reluctant and giving
then great is the darkness within you ouch I prefer the other version if
you're stingy if you're selfish and if you're reluctant in generosity then
great is the darkness within you because you have a bad eye your life is filled
with darkness but if you are generous and you participate in God-like generosity
then your life is full of light
this is what happened in Genesis chapter 13 and you will see God used these lines
I mean the Bible use these lines at one point Abraham standing with Lot and
he says to Lot look cast your eye as far as you can and choose what you want and
what does Lot do he's a junior guy here but he looks and he sees Sodom and he
sees fertile land what does he do immediately takes it to himself and
Abraham's words to Lot are cast your eye upon the land and choose what you will
so that we don't have strife anymore and immediately after Lot chooses Sodom
which is to his peril a few chapters later God turns up and God says to Abraham
now lift up your eyes and look and wherever you set your feet I shall give
it to you Abraham was being generous with Lot Lot was being completely
self-consumed at the end of the day the reason this verse exists in the middle
of this passage and which seems to have nothing to do with the passage is
actually not true this is exactly what Jesus meant to say is your evil is your
eye evil because I'm good a bad eye refers to an eye that is stingy and
cannot see the brightness of generosity rephrase correctly God-like generosity
will fill your life with light stinginess selfishness and reluctance
will cloud your life with darkness and great is your darkness a whole new way
of sorry greed yeah you see it gives you a brand new way of seeing who you want
to be friends with suddenly
God is the seed giver guys second Corinthians verse 9 chapter 9 verse 10
God is a seed giver and when he gives me seed he expects me to sow it as
surprisingly he's also the bread supplier we won't go into sowing and
reaping today because we've done that before and we may go there next week but
not this week God is a seed giver when I sow he is also the bread supplier and
the strange thing is every time I sow seed it's impregnated with this command
from heaven what is that command multiply multiply every time I sow seed
there is a command from heaven that impregnates the seed I'm sowing and that
command is just one word that was spoken of in Genesis 1 multiply and suddenly
the seed that I'm sowing multiplies for the eater for the sower for both and
we're not going to talk about that today what I'm trying to say is guys the at
the end of the day the whole idea of prosperity centers around just one thing
God wants me to be a partaker and distributor of his brilliant
single-minded liberality God wants me to a partaker and a distributor of his
brilliant single-minded liberality I know I've said this before but the only
intent that God has from my out of my prosperity is this Jacob I want you to
be the largest conduit or pipe through which money can flow here on earth and I
want you to both partake in and distribute with great God-like
generosity and liberality wealth resources and money wherever I tell it
to go become the largest conduit you can be but to become that I have to be
disciplined into prosperity disciplined into prosperity and therein lies our
problem instruction correction training of the way we are so at the end of the
be a slave to one master will I choose God will I seize from my care-filled
unbelief and instead seek and amass for myself the treasures of God the rule of
the reign of Christ will I destroy my security in money and in my job will I
pull myself back from the orphan that money has made me will I find my life
will I fill my life with God-like generosity and nothing less are you
generous wonderful I've benefited from it but do you have the same generosity as
and if you don't there's still room to improve these are the I keep using the
word colossal because that is how huge this is these are the colossal mind
shifts that need to happen in your life in my life if we are to be disciplined
into prosperity
questions comments disagreements challenges
additions
reluctance can apply to $2 $20 $2,000 $20,000 generosity can apply to $2 $20
$2,000 $20,000 it's not the amount really
questions comments I mean are you agreeing with all that I said yeah now
go home and listen and listen again and listen again because some of these
statements I haven't understood yet that my inheritance is my father and I am my
father's inheritance if I could grasp that truth I would be able to become a
better slave
cool
you