Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-30
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 Israelite 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 whether 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 healthier 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.
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 dividing it in proportion to their abilities and 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's money for safekeeping.
19 After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount. 21 The master was full of praise. Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!
22 Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount. 23 The master said, Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!?
24 Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.
26 But the master replied, You wicked and lazy servant! You think I, a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn't plant and gathering crops I didn't cultivate.
27 Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. 28 Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful. Even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.?
3) You must make a choice whether you will prosper by serving Mammon or serving God.
Matthew 6:24 says;
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
(TURN YOUR BIBLES TO MATTHEW 19:16-30)
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: ?Teacher,?*?what good things must I do to have eternal life??
17 Why ask me about what is good? Jesus replied. Only God is good. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments.?
18 Which ones? The man asked.
And Jesus replied: ? Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.
20 I obeyed all these commandments, the young man replied. What else must I do?
21 Jesus told him, If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. 22 But when the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions.
4) God shows us in His word that Prosperity is achieved by three essentials;
1.Hard work, determination and commitment to God produces prosperity.
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."
-If God is truly your life, than let your actions prove it!
Proverbs 12:27 says; Lazy people don't even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
Proverbs 15:19 says; A lazy person has trouble all through life; the path of the upright is easy!
Proverbs; 19:15 says;15 A lazy person sleeps soundly and goes hungry.
- You cant seat at home watching television all day and expect to achieve what others have with hard work.
- You can claim all the promises you want, You can listen to all the Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland that you want.
-But if you don't get off your rear and do your part nothing is going to happen.
Prov. 10:4 says; "He who is lazy becomes poor,But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Prov.13:4 says; Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper and be satisfied.
2.Loving the Lord and obeying God's word produces prosperity.
Moses says; 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?.
- walking in His ways and keeping the commandments of God.
- Jesus narrowed it down for us;(TURN TO MARK 12:28-31)
29 Jesus replied, The most important commandment is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. 31 The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.
IF YOU LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART SOUL AND STRENGTH, YOU WONT;
1. worship any other gods besides Him (Money will not be a problem to you)
2.You will not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
3.You will observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.
4.You will Honor your father and mother as the Lord God commanded you.
IF YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF;
5.You will not murder.
6.You will not commit adultery.
7.You will not steal.
8.You will not testify falsely against your neighbor.
9.You will not covet your neighbor?s wife.
10.You will not covet your neighbor?s house or land or anything else your neighbor owns.
3.Fellowship with the Lord produces prosperity. Moses says; Choose to love the LORD your God?
-Moses was speaking about having fellowship with God, not justification.
- (MOSES KNEW ABOUT THIS!)
The Bible says that God spoke to Moses as a man would speak to his friend.
-His point was simply that the full enjoyment of life would depend on their obeying God's Word. If a believing Israelite sincerely wanted to please the Lord and it was normal for such a person to love Him and walk in His ways, then we would live under God?s blessing.
By: Jose Gomez Sr
Restoration Ministries Worship Center
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