Prosperity sermons inescapable (2)

If prosperity is part and parcel of God’s will for His children then prosperity sermons must seek to show God’s children what kind of prosperity is meant for them.
Prosperity messages must also inform God’s children how to prosper and why they should prosper. In order to do justice to the subject of prosperity satisfactory explanations on why we have different levels of prosperity must be given.
The kind of prosperity God intended for His children is total prosperity.
 Total prosperity refers to wellness in spirit, soul and body. The God-kind of prosperity is based on a good relationship with God.
The first man and woman lived in total prosperity. Adam had everything he needed in life in the Garden of Eden. Because he was in good fellowship with God, he had everything supplied in abundance. But the day he fell and was booted out of the presence of God, every good thing changed to its negative. Eternal life was replaced with death and decay. Abundant supplies were replaced by lack and poverty.
Friendly animals became wild. Sickness and stress replaced good health. Peace turned into war.
God delights in His children’s prosperity so much that when man fell and became poor, Christ graciously chose to be poor in all things so that He could restore the prosperity of man. Instead of remaining deity He became a man. Instead of owning all the gold and silver, he chose to rely on borrowings, donations and offerings. He borrowed a donkey for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem as a king. He borrowed a well-furnished upper room for His last supper. This proved Christ was poor here on earth. But His poverty was meant to bring us riches in all aspects of life.
God’s kind of prosperity is centred on a close fellowship with God. When man is outside God’s presence poverty is his portion. There are people who have wealth in this world but worldly prosperity is never total. You can have money and goods but your prosperity is limited to material and financial prosperity. Worldly prosperity is separated from spiritual prosperity, emotional health and mental peace.
Worldly prosperity or mammon can stop you from serving God. In fact worldly prosperity can destroy you because it excludes God. Proverbs 1:32 says, “and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” According to the Bible a fool is one who says in his heart that there is no God.
Godly prosperity begins in the spirit, permeates the soul and manifests finally in the material realm. Apostle John describes it wonderfully: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).
According to the beloved disciple of Christ, our material and financial prosperity as God’s children is dependent on our spiritual growth and maturity. Godly prosperity starts with spiritual prosperity, followed by mental prosperity and ends with bodily (material and financial) prosperity). This order insures us against being destroyed by our prosperity.
A spiritually mature person will not forsake God because of money but will use their money to advance the kingdom of God. The income of a righteous person advances the cause of righteousness but the income of the wicked will cause more harm. God prospers us so we can spread the gospel, win souls for His kingdom, give to the poor and needy, and to provide for own families. Winning souls is at the centre of God’s heart. God will provide every resource to use in this redemptive purpose. The Bible says that he who does not provide for his own family is worse than an unbeliever (1Timothy 5:8).
How does God prosper us? He instructs us to receive Christ first and then we get all else in the bargain (Romans 8:32). Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first God’s kingdom and being right and doing right and all other things material and financial will be added. Christ Jesus is the wisdom in the Proverbs and the wisdom that Solomon asked for.
He is the principal thing we must seek to gain and wealth, riches and honour will come along with Him. Anyone who truly follows Christ and seeks to advance God’s kingdom first will see prosperity. The disciples were promised one hundred-fold reward in this world and eternal life in the world to come. We are prospered as we serve God and other people unselfishly. Service and giving are pillars in godly prosperity.
Why will we not prosper to the same level? Ken Chant answers this question fully: “So, while there is no theoretical limit to the gifts of righteousness, health, finance, success and so on, that the Father is able to give me with Christ, there may be practical limits imposed from time to time by His particular purpose for my life or by my spiritual readiness to receive a particular gift.”
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