K E Y S   T O   P R O S P E R I T Y

SERMON STARTER

WHAT IS PROSPERITY?
        The "Prosperity Gospel" of the Charismatic Movement claims that the Key to Prosperity is through our FAITH. They claim prosperity is revealed in "Health and Wealth." These are the doctrines of Ken Hagin of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Ken Copeland of Fort Worth, Texas. Their claim is that your faith is the key to God's prosperity. This is a FALSE doctrine that leads to selfishness and immaturity. It bypasses Jesus' command for those who follow Him to Deny Themselves and to Take up our Crosses.
        How do you, personally, measure prosperity? Is prosperity measured through the world's standards?

Is prosperity found in discovering that the only thing that really matters in this world are significant people that love and care about you? Is prosperity finding out that WHAT you have in life isn't as important as WHO you have in your life?

This sermon explored the Biblical Keys to real, lasting, Kingdom prosperity. . .

 

Pastor Phil   <><<

 

March 10, 2012

Sheepfold Ministries, Pastor Phil Roland

 

K E Y S   T O   P R O S P E R I T Y

Matthew 6:19,20; 24-34 - Psalm 37: 1-9

 

“Our culture is obsessed with pursuing comfort and preserving the status quo. American believers are held captive to the culture of ease and plenty. They have even slanted the Gospel of Jesus to accommodate their notion of prosperity. ”                                                                                            Pastor Phil

"for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (NKJV)

 

I. WHAT PROSPERITY IS NOT

          A. Is Prosperity getting Health and Wealth for yourself?

                        1. The World emphasizes Self-Fulfillment

                        2. Following Jesus involves Self-Denial - Luke 9:23

                       "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let

                          him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

                          24For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses

                          his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he

                          gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

            B. Is Prosperity measured through Worldly Fame?

                        1. Worldly Fame is Temporary - 1 Peter 1:24,25; James 4:14

                         "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the

                          grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word

                          of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the

                          gospel was preached to you."

"whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is

                          your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then

                          vanishes away."

2. Ask Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston. . .

3. The same fickle crowd that cried, "Hosanah" on Holy Week

                        4. They cried "Crucify Him!" a few days later

            C. Is Prosperity measured through any material thing? Matt. 6:19-20

            "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust

             destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves

             treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where

             thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your

             heart will be also."

                        1. Houses, land, being debt-free, new furniture or appliances?                            2. What about the latest electronic gadgets?

            D. Is Prosperity having your favorite political party in office?

                        1. Corruption happens no matter which party rules

                        2. Prosperity will only occur when Jesus rules from Jerusalem

                        3. Prosperity happens when men's hearts are ruled by God

 

The Keys to Prosperity, cont., p.2

II. WHAT IS PROSPERITY?

"for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (NKJV)

            A. Kingdom Prosperity is Life's Stuff enough to meet your own needs

                        1. Prosperity is having enough left over to help others

                         Proverbs 22:9 - "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he                                 shares his food with the poor."

                        2. Prosperity is Observing the Fast of the Lord - Isaiah 58:7

                        "Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor

                         wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and

                         not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

3. Prosperity is seeing the fruit of God's Spirit develop in You

                        "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,                                           kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.                                              Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

            B. Kingdom Prosperity is Righteousness, Peace and Joy

                        1. Embracing these virtues will bring real Prosperity

                        2. Believers intentionally choose what pleases God's Spirit

                                    a. Does a potential choice bring Kingdom virtues?

                                    b. Does it agree with God's Spirit in you?

III. WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO KINGDOM PROSPERITY?

Psalm 37:1-9

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

            A. Trust in the Lord and do good - verse 3

            "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture."

                        1. Bloom where you're planted

                        2. Be content with the pasture God has given you

                        3. Dwell there in peace

            B. Commit your way unto the Lord and trust Him - verse 5a

               "Commit your way to the LORD, and trust Him. . ."

1. Allow God's Commands and teaching to influence you

                        2. Make Life Decisions in the Shadow of God's Hand

            C. Be Still before the Lord and wait for Him - verse 7a

               "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. . ."

D. Avoid Anger over Injustices - verse 8a

               "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. . ."

The Keys to Prosperity, cont., p.3

1. Repeat it over and over, "God's in Control!"

                        2. Angry over local/national politics?  "God's in Control!"

                        3. Furious over Gas Prices?  "God's in Control!"

                        4. Locked into a low income job? "God's in Control!"

E. The Greatest Key to Kingdom Prosperity

                        1. Asking Jesus into your heart

                        2. Allowing Him to Restrain your Anger

                        3. Permitting Him to "Muzzle your Mouth"

                        4. Making daily decisions to allow Him to rule your life

 

 

 

 

K E Y S   T O   P R O S P E R I T Y

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:24-34
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

 

 

 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN LIFE

 

 

I'VE LEARNED that no matter how much I care,

          some people just don't care back.

 

I'VE LEARNED that no matter how good a person is,

          they're going to hurt you every once in a while,

          and you must forgive them for that. 

 

I'VE LEARNED that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

 

I'VE LEARNED that talking can ease emotional pains.

 

I'VE LEARNED that it takes years to build up trust,

          and only seconds to destroy it. 

 

I'VE LEARNED that true friendship continues to grow,

          even over the longest distance. 

 

I'VE LEARNED that you can do something in an instant

          that will give you a heartache for life.

 

I'VE LEARNED that it's not what you have in your life,

          but who you have in your life.

 

I'VE LEARNED that good friends are family members that we

          are allowed to choose.

 

I'VE LEARNED that we don't have to change friends if we

          understand that friends change.

 

I'VE LEARNED that the people you care most about in life

          are taken from you too soon.

 

I'VE LEARNED that you should always leave loved ones with

          loving words.  It may be the last time you see them.

 

I'VE LEARNED that our background and circumstances may

          have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for                 ourselves.

 

I'VE LEARNED that you shouldn't compare yourself to the

          best others can do, but to the best you can do.

 

I'VE LEARNED that it's not where I am that is important.

          It's where I am going.

 

I'VE LEARNED that no matter how thin you slice it,

          there are always two sides.

 

I'VE LEARNED that it takes a long time

          to become the person I want to be.

 

I'VE LEARNED that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.

 

WHAT I’VE LEARNED IN LIFE, cont.

 

I’VE LEARNED that you can keep going long after you think

          you cannot.

 

I’VE LEARNED that either you control your attitude,

          or it controls you.

 

I’VE LEARNED that heroes are the people who do what has to be       done, when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

 

I’VE LEARNED that patience takes a lot of practice.

 

I’VE LEARNED that there are people who love you dearly,

          but just don’t know how to show it.

 

I’VE LEARNED that my best friend and I can do anything

          or nothing and have the best time.

I’VE LEARNED that sometimes the people you expect to kick you

          when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

 

I’VE LEARNED that there is more of my parents in me than I    thought.

 

I’VE LEARNED that sometimes when I’m angry

          I have the right to be angry,

          but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

 

I’VE LEARNED that just because someone doesn’t love you

          the way you want him/her to

          doesn’t mean s/he doesn’t love you with all s/he has.

 

I’VE LEARNED that maturity has more to do with what types

          of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them     and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

 

I’VE LEARNED that you should never tell a child his/her dreams are unlikely or outlandish.  Few things are more humiliating,

          and what a tragedy it would be if s/he believed it.

 

I’VE LEARNED that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by

          someone else.  Sometimes you have to learn to forgive        yourself.

 

I’VE LEARNED that no matter how bad your heart is broken,

          the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

 

 

 

 

Author Unknown