Prosperity in Everything You Do

Have you ever wondered why God made Heaven’s streets out of gold or built the foundations of the heavenly city out of diamonds, rubies and other precious gems?  The answer is so obvious that it is easily missed – in Heaven there is no place to cash in the gold or gems or to spend money, so why not use them for building materials!

However, on earth we can spend gold. It is God’s will that we have it to spend.  He wants us to be financially prosperous so that we can use our wealth to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ!

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 2)

God’s ultimate will is that our soul prospers and then, as God can trust us with His riches, our outward man will also prosper and walk in divine health.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

God’s plan is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but that it is a growing process.  In this process we move from the good to the acceptable, and finally, to the perfect will of God by the renewing of our minds.  This growth is similar to the seeds which are sown into the ground and produce some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred-fold return. “…blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.” (Psalms 112:1)

The Blessings

Psalms 112 is a commentary on the blessings that will come to the one who renews their mind with the Word.

The first blessing is found in verse 2: “His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” The point of this blessing is that financial prosperity is meaningless if your children are ungodly and will squander your wealth. Satan preys upon young people so that godly parents will have no one godly to inherit their wealth and blessings. By patiently waiting to destroy the next generation, Satan can steal all that God has given us. This is why it is imperative that we instruct our children in the Word of God.

The second blessing is found in verse 3. “Wealth and riches will be in his house and his righteousness endures forever.” Notice that righteousness endures forever. It is passed from generation to generation so that those who have the riches will also have the strength and abilities necessary to handle and keep them.

Prosperity Involves Giving

Verse four tells us of another part of prosperity. “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” This “light in the darkness” is the guidance God gives us in Satan’s dark world. This includes what to do with our families. What to do in the affairs of life, as well as what to do with our finances. The reason this man is prosperous in verse four is because he is a giver at heart. The ultimate goal of prosperity is not self-gain, but to be able to be a giver to those in need.

This idea is carried into verse five. “A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion.” “A good man deals graciously…” As God has graced you, you are able to grace others. As God’s nature of love and mercy comes inside you, it should become your nature to reach out as He does and bless others no matter what they look like, live like, or act like. You love them simply because it your nature to love.

Discretion means “judgment.” Good judgment is another facet of prosperity. This enables you to assess, evaluate, and judge the affairs of life so that you can maintain all the blessings God has give you.

Stability

Verse six says, “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.” In the times of testing, we will not be shaken or moved away from God’s Word. This makes us victorious every time.

“…the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.” Prosperity encompasses the righteous man’s being remembered after he dies. Because of his righteousness, people will desire to understand what he had in life. Because of this, he will leave an everlasting remembrance on this earth.

Wisdom and Patience

Whereas verse six is speaking of standing fast in times of testing, verse seven is telling of how to deal with evil tidings. “He will not be afraid of evil tidings'; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” When calamity strikes, outward prosperity is of little consequence and often is impotent. However, the key to overcoming calamity is to keep your heart fixed and steady on the Word of God.

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Sins of Immaturity

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.  Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.” (2 Timothy 2:20-23)

Every Book of the Bible is for Every Believer

Although we identify certain books of the New Testament as pastoral epistles, every book of the New Testament, and Old Testament for that matter, are for all believers. Paul told Timothy, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…that the man of God may be mature (2 Timothy 3:16,17). If you try to make certain books only for certain individuals, pastors, teachers, etc. you would have to go further and say that one book is only for Christians living in Rome, or Galatia, or Ephesus. All scripture means all scripture.

It can be taken also, that all scripture is meant for pulpit ministers too. You can’t declare yourself above living righteously because you are divinely set in a ministry position over the congregation. Godliness is profitable for all believers, including those called into full-time ministry, those deriving their total income from preaching and teaching the Word of God to others. So I say it again, all scripture is meant for all believers.

Also

The keyword found in our passage we will be studying from 2 Timothy is the word also found in verse 22, “flee also youthful lusts…” Not only is the congregation to flee youthful lusts, so is the pastor also. The Greek definition of youthful lusts is “sins of immaturity.”  Sins of thoughts and actions are warned of in the Old and New Testament. Unlike David who fell into adultery, Joseph ran from the sin. We also, like Joseph, are told to flee fornication, run from it (1 Corinthians 6:18). Now we are warned in the same manner, along with Timothy, to flee or run from, youthful lusts, sins of immaturity.

Paul is telling Timothy that running from sinful lusts is not just for the congregation, but for the minister as well. There are no separate rules toward sin for the clergy than the congregation. God will not judge a minister by a different standard than He does every other believer when we all stand before the Judgment Seat Of Christ. Iniquity is iniquity and righteousness is righteousness. Even Jesus was judged in His earthly life by this standard. When He sat down at the right hand of God, after completing His earthly ministry, the Father said to Him, you have loved righteousness and hated iniquity… (Hebrews 1:9). That is a great rule to govern our own lives by.

The Minister and Sins of Immaturity

Yet, according to the instructions given to Timothy by Paul, there are certain sins that are associated with youth, or immaturity. All sins of immaturity are associated with arrogance. Sadly, it is true, that many young ministers think they have found answers no one else has found or even thought of. They can’t wait to enter the pulpit to prove to their local church, and also the vast number of other ministers, that their ideas are what everyone has been waiting for. But when the same problems occur with their ministry, that occurs within other ministries, they become confused. Instead of opening up to the possibility they may have been wrong, they dig in their heels and become obstinate, fighting for a lost cause. Sadly, not only do seasoned ministers recognize their wrong attitude, so do the members of the congregation. People leave and the minister ends up blaming the people, not his own blindness. It has been said, “arrogance is the only disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it”.

I want to address certain sins of immaturity found in the pulpit today. This is certainly not an exhaustive list but should cover enough to help ministers recognize they are not alone in their wrong attitudes and also in the answers to them.

Sins of immaturity include:

1. You are driven by numbers attending.

   Not everyone is called to pastor a large church. Even the churches of the book of Acts were different sizes. And not all large churches preach and teach the Word of God. Many churches are large because of their youth, children, or music programs. I would rather see a city with many smaller churches that preach the word of God than one or two large churches built on programs. The number of people attending does not indicate success. Jesus purposely tested the crowds with difficult statements to weed out those who did not want to truly follow Him and grow in the Christian life. On one occasion, when Jesus challenged the multitudes with a difficult spiritual choice, they all left. Jesus did not get upset or look for a “group hug” from His disciples. He asked them if they too wanted to leave (John 6:53-68).

2. You must have the largest church in the city.

   Not everyone is called to pastor a large church. Even the churches of the book of Acts were different sizes. And not all large churches preach and teach the Word of God. Many churches are large because of their youth, children, or music programs. I would rather see a city with many smaller churches that preach the word of God than one or two large churches built on programs. Numbers of people attending do not indicate success. Jesus purposely tested the crowds with difficult statements to weed out those who did not want to truly follow Him and grow in the Christian life. On one occasion, when Jesus challenged the multitudes with a difficult spiritual choice, they all left. Jesus did not get upset or look for a “group hug” from His disciples. He asked them if they too wanted to leave (John 6:53-68).

3. Each Sermon must outdo the last.

   You are not called to compete with the church down the street. But you are also not called to compete with yourself. When we preach a sermon which has everyone saying “amen” and shouting for joy, we often feel compelled to make the next sermon even better. Your standard for the next sermon should not be the quality of the one you just preached. You obeyed God’s voice and preached the sermon God led you to preach. Jesus told the crowds He did the works and spoke the words of His Father (John 8:28,38,10:37).

4. You look for compliments to judge the quality of your sermon

   This is close to the previous point in it’s application. Your stamp of approval is not the compliments, or lack of, from your congregation. Most who tell you the sermon was good are lying. They did not like the message, but would never tell you so. They see you coming down the aisle and say, “good sermon, pastor.” You would say the same thing to another minister. The only compliment you need is the peace in your heart you preached the sermon God told you to preach. He will never lie to you. So quit being too moved by compliments and criticism. You are never going to be loved by everyone. But you are always loved by God.

5. You preach to impress other ministers.

   When you really preach a sermon that you know came from God, even receiving revelation while you preached you not only want all the congregation to take a copy of the message home, but wish they would share it with a notable minister in town. Not only that, they may share it with a notable national minister. You feel somehow, your sermons must be heard by those you consider leaders in your area or even the nation. It is true that most ministers who are invited to speak at a minister’s conference do not speak to the needs of the ministers present, but to impress the other speaker sitting on the front row. They hope to be invited to their church someday. It is not up to you to spread your fame, it is up to God. Jesus did not try to make His fame increase, but preached and healed by obedience to His Father. Then,“his fame was spread” (Matthew 4:23,24).

6. You preach your own view on subjects to distance yourself doctrinally from the group your church came from.

   Your church might have come out of a denomination, spiritual movement or a specific doctrinal background. You might have come from the Assemblies of God, the Word of Faith or the teaching of Grace. You have a disagreement with certain parts of these beliefs, so you distance yourself completely from it. You end up splintering and fracturing the congregation. When those issues come up in a sermon, tread lightly and walk in love. You may think some people treat grace as a license to sin. You may think some ministers use the message of prosperity to just get money from others. When you come to a passage, preach on it in love and in balance. Teach the truth on the subject and approach the excesses with an abundance of scriptures. Most of your congregation will thank you.

7. You preach to reach an age group or demographic.

   There are many things you can do to draw in the youth but not by what you preach. Fill the positions of greeters, ushers, and praise and worship leaders with a variety of qualified, faithful and spiritual young, middle aged and old. Include all colors and nationalities. What people see when entering makes an impression, that in this church, anyone can be used by God. But, the Word of God is without age, color or nationality. The Word and it’s preaching is for everyone. So, be yourself when you preach. You have a style that is unique. Use it. Don't try to draw a particular group of people in with someone else’s style. Just be you and preach to whoever walks in.

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Do Not Become Your Own Enemy

“The greatest way to defeat your enemy is to not become your enemy.” Marcus Aurelius

I am not so much for quoting philosophers, but when they line up with the Word of God, I’ll accept it. What is being said is, you will see the defeat of your enemy if you will not sacrifice your principles. An angry, vengeful and bitter enemy will self-destruct when left alone.

David was consumed by his enemies and early in his life let them get the better of him. He did this by trying to figure them out according to his own standards. He did not understand why Saul, who quoted God’s word to the people and prophesied, did not live by the word. David’s high standards left him naive. “Why is the king trying to kill me? I am a good soldier and I am loyal to Saul.” He finally let Saul get the better of him and ran. He did not come to himself until he ended up in the cave of Adullum and put his safety and reputation back into the hands of God.

In the Psalms, David wrote about the prosperity God gives his people who trust Him, but he was still angry and confused over, “why do the wicked prosper?” At another time a close friend turned against David and left him wondering “why did my best friend raise his heel against me?”

We have all been there and could spend time discussing friends who turned on us, Christian business leaders who took advantage of us or friends at church who years ago became angry, left church and no longer even attend. We all get caught up in the trap of wondering why people are not as sold out to the Lord and to righteous living as we are. This is not conceit or arrogance on our part, it is simply immaturity to measure others by our own lives. It is before the Lord we all stand or fall.

Revenge is Useless

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Revenge will eat you up and leave you bitter. This is because you were not designed to handle revenge. It belongs to the Lord. By personally taking revenge, you take the issue out of God’s hands and put it into your own. God’s arms are folded over an issue He can handle much better than you.

When you give your problems to the Lord, you turn loose of them. You can live your life and know God will take care of your situation.

One of the greatest ways to place anger on your enemy is to treat your problems with apathy. “I don’t care. I’ll let God settle the care.” If the problem is in God’s hands, your enemies cannot provoke you. When God is in control, you are at peace. To not think of your enemy is a great weapon. To ponder the problem over and over again means your offender is controlling you.

There is a famous story of the healing evangelist, Smith Wigglesworth. While at home in bed one night, he heard a creaking noise from his first floor and went down to see what the problem was. When he was halfway down the stairs, he saw Satan in his own rocking chair, staring at Smith. Smith simply said, “Oh, it’s just you” and walked back up the stairs and went to bed. Satan is your greatest enemy and the sworn enemy of God. Can you turn Satan over to God? Can you realize you don’t have to be consumed with him? God will take care of Satan. Even God must look at Satan and say, “oh, it’s just you.” The devil is on a path of self-destruction and needs no one’s help

Bring Me God’s Word

“Bring the cloak I left with Carpus at Troas when you come and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.” (2 Timothy 4:13-16)

Paul ran into great problems with Alexander the coppersmith and many of his personal friends deserted him. Some were even members of his ministry team. But in each case, he turned them over to the Lord so he could continue with the issues at hand, going to jail, his coat to stay warm, his need of the books already written and parchments of unfinished letters to the churches. In other words, Paul could have sat in prison consumed with and bewildered over personal friends who had deserted him, enemies who tried to destroy him and ministers who even left serving the Lord. He mentioned them but reminded Timothy of the most important issues, the word of God and the few remaining days of ministry he still had. “Let God handle those who hurt me, and may it not be charged against them.” In other words, “I pray they will repent.”

Jesus’ Answer Toward Our Enemies

If you think you have problems, Jesus had more. The same is true with David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New. Have friends forsaken you? All of Jesus’ friends and disciples forsook Him when He went to the cross. Only John came back. At first, great multitudes followed Jesus to hear His sermons. Then they deserted Him by the multitudes when His teachings became more difficult and demanding. Instead of looking for a group hug from His disciples, he asked them, “will you forsake me too?” They did not forsake Him then, but they did at His arrest.

What was Jesus’ answer for us toward our enemies and those who betray us? He told us to pray for them.

“I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for them who despitefully use and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Jesus prayed from the cross for the soldiers who nailed Him there. “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Even in death, Jesus knew the power of prayer. The hands that could not be laid on the sick were nailed to the cross. The feet that used to walk down the roads were also nailed. Jesus could do no good works, but He could pray. And His prayer was for those who were killing the Son of God.

It is recorded in ancient history that those who were nailed to crosses, screamed out and cursed those who crucified them and then cursed God. But Jesus was silent toward those who beat and crucified Him. What a great example Jesus left us in turning the problem over to His Father, “into your hands I commit my spirit,” and even prayed for those who were killing Him. 

Was Jesus’ prayer for the soldiers answered? Yes. One of the guards who crucified Jesus, said of Him after Jesus died, “truly this was the Son of God.” He became a believer and we will meet him one day in heaven. Pray for your enemies and trust God for them to repent. It could even happen after you are gone.

Prayer is your means of turning loose of the anger and bitterness that can so easily creep in when someone turns on you and betrays you. If God took care of Jesus and raised Him from the dead and seated Him in heaven with Him, God can turn your situation around and avenge you of your enemies.

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