English Service by Rev, DR. Willy Mutiso

GOD’S VIEW OF PROSPERITY AND MONEY

SERIES: PROSPERITY

TEXT: 3 JOHN 1:2; EPHESIANS 4:23

 

3rd John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers.” God wants His children to prosper and is looking for those that He can trust with kingdom prosperity. The world’s view of prosperity is not God’s view of prosperity and sadly what we see in the church today is a worldly view of prosperity.

God has given us promises but with His promises we also have responsibilities.

We cannot expect God to prosper us simply by applying the principles of giving and receiving. God’s view of prosperity goes beyond that because He wants us to grow spiritually and to worship Him in all sincerity.

The world’s definition of prosperity does not fit in the church, it does not fit in heaven and it does not fit in God’s plan.

The world’s view of prosperity has its not in greed, gain, quick rick schemes, and the love of money with regard to God and others.

The worldly view of prosperity is all about money, power and sadly, we have taken that attitude and spirit and we have placed it in the church.

In the book of Revelations 3:17-18, John the apostle says that the church became rich but at the same time naked, blind and poor. The church of the Laodiceans was worldly rich. The spirit of the world had entered the church.

We should never compare Godly prosperity with worldly prosperity because God’s ways are not man’s ways. The church becomes worldly when it tries so hard to gain the world’s approval. Instead of the church impacting the world, the world was impacting the church. The church today is in bad shape and state because we have mixed the holy things of God with the things of Satan, corrupting the church.

The third letter of John (3rd John 1:2) defines God’s view of prosperity. To prosper in all things means things like safety, protection, health, healing, happy relationships etc. The world with its prosperity cannot give anyone happiness, it cannot give you a good marriage, it cannot give you hope or a healthy body. God’s prosperity goes far beyond money and includes things that money can never buy. God’s prosperity does not only speak about money, it speaks about all things. The world can only speak about money but God speaks about all things that appertain to our lives.

Money was designed to be our servant, never our master. It is your mindset that determines whether you will be rich or poor.

Money has a purpose. Money is not happy in the hands of sinners. Money is crying out to be in the hands of the righteous.

Many Christians struggle with a belief that it is not possible to be both rich and spiritual.

We try to create a separation between financial abundance and spiritual growth. Let us learn:-

MONEY HAS PURPOSE

  • Nobody is created poor, God is not glorified by our poverty.
  • How can the kingdom of God advance if all Christians are poor?
  • To change our mindset, we must first recognize that money is neither moral nor immoral but amoral.
  • Money is a tool. Money is more often used for good than for bad.
  • Think about our starving people. It is the generosity of giving people, nations and charities that are showing just how good money can be.
  • We should all appreciate all the good things that money does.
  • Money can be used to make positive changes in the world and should be sought after not avoided.
  • If you believe that money is scarce, your believe will ensure that no money comes into your pocket.
  • We should have a positive attitude towards money and money would come to us.
  • Money is a vehicle for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
  • It is God’s desire that we have money.
  • Money is an important vehicle that helps you make your life’s purpose a reality rather than an impossible dream.
  • Most of our financial conflicts have nothing to do with how much money we have, rather our attitudes towards money.
  • However, no amount of money will make life meaningful. Life’s meaning is found in our relationship with God and discovering our divine purpose.
  • Having a proper perspective on money is the first step to solving financial conflicts.
  • Today ask God to make you a wealth generator.

REPROGRAM YOUR MIND CONCERNING MONEY-Eph. 4:23.

  • Money is a big issue that affects everyone, so Jesus talked more about money than about heaven!!
  • Everyone wants to prosper and to have plenty of money. God has given us the power to obtain wealth.
  • Until we change our mind-set and back it with action, we will continue to struggle financially.
  • The poor firmly believe that God created them that way. They have been taught terms like “filthy rich” or “stinking rich” when referring to those with lots of money.
  • Our mind-set limits us and that is why so many Christians fail to create their financial destiny.
  • We need to create a mind-set of abundance. It is the mind-set of an individual that determines whether that person will be rich or poor.
  • You are the only person who can prevent yourself from achieving financial freedom.
  • God’s desire for you and me is to live a prosperous life, which includes success in every area of your life-mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially.
  • Discover and see how wrong thinking in the past has kept you stuck in a poverty mind-set.
  • Money is nothing more than a medium that people use in exchange for goods or services and was never meant to become a security.
  • Satan has transformed what was good into bondage for mankind. We are to live for God not for money-Deuteronomy 8:18.
  • The power to obtain wealth comes from God and not from our own ability.
  • The biggest obstacle to living this kingdom life is a mind that has not been transformed by the word of God-3rd John 1:2.
  • True prosperity is obtaining wealth God’s way and not world’s way.
  • Wealth is a physical manifestation of the state or your soul or mind.
  • The more you renew your mind in accordance with God’s patterns, the more you will set yourself up for a transfer of wealth.
  • It is not God’s will for us to be in financial stress-it is a horrible thing to live an uncertain life because of instability and lack.
  • No one can ascend higher than his/her thoughts.

THOUGHTS HAVE POWER-Proverbs 23:7.

  • You can never ascend higher than your thoughts.
  • What you think and say to yourself daily about your finances is critically important.
  • Your words either bring life or death to your financial situation.
  • Your own mouth can speak yourself out of your blessings.
  • If we change the way we think, we will change the way we speak.
  • Kingdom thinking is not of lack. But you will never allow yourself to possess more money than you think you deserve.
  • Today, start accepting the fact you deserve wealth.
  • How you think about money is the single most important factor that determines whether you are wealthy or poor.
  • So, if you want more money in your life, it is essential that you develop a positive money mind-set.
  • Confess your negative thoughts and beliefs about money. Negative thoughts like
  • Money is the root of all evil.
  • Money does not grow on trees.
  • Rich people are greedy.
  • Rich people are devil worshippers.
  • As a result of we avoid wealth and miss great opportunities for making money are creating wealth.
  • How you think about your finances will determine your level of prosperity or failure in that area of your life.
  • Change your mind-set from poverty to prosperity.
  • A paradigm shift is needed from scarcity and lack to abundance and overflow.

THE MONEY LEGACY.

  • We are all products of our environments, our beliefs, attitudes and values are formed by backgrounds, socialization and up-bringing.
  • A child will adopt a certain mind-set about poverty and wealth depending on their home environment.
  • Some of us grew up learning:-
  • I cannot buy that for you now.
  • I cannot afford that.
  • I am not a king to buy you shoes.
  • You cannot have a second helping.
  • Go next door and borrow a cup of sugar.
  • Your brother needs it more than you.
  • The money legacy we inherited can limit us and keep us in poverty.
  • We need to change our traditions concerning money and wealth according to the word of God.

CONCLUSION

  • Money has always been important to God’s plan for each generation and this is especially true in the last days.
  • Money hates to be in the hands of sinners, it cries to be in the hands of the righteous. Lack of money is not a blessing.
  • Prayer for prosperity and wealth.
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Rev, DR. Willy Mutiso

Rev, Dr. Willy Mutiso is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Athiriver. He is widely known for his practical and dynamic teaching style which helps people apply the timeless truths of Scripture to their everyday lives.

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