Your Prosperity Is Up to You: God Has Already Said Yes

Sermon outline

God has already said yes to your prosperity in Christ, so whether you walk in it depends on your side: overcoming, renewing your mind, sowing and tithing in faith, and deciding that poverty is not your portion.

1. All God's promises are yes and amen

   For years he put the onus on God, until he learned that his prosperity was up to him. No matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ, and our amen, meaning 'so be it', agrees with His yes and brings Him glory. God is the God of too much, but He is not the one who controls how blessed you are: He has already given His Word, His promises and His yes.

   Illustration: He has the congregation stand and loosen up, saying he does not want to preach to a corpse but to people who are alive and respond.

   “It's never been a yes and a no. God doesn't change His mind.”

   • 2 Corinthians 1:20
   • Matthew 18:19

2. Key one: every promise has a Godward side and a manward side

   If the manward side isn't done, the promise will not come to pass. Jesus paid for the salvation of all mankind, yet not everyone is saved, because they have not received Him. In the same way, Jesus redeemed you from the curse of poverty; poverty is a curse and prosperity is the blessing, so if you are not experiencing it, ask God what you are not doing.

   Illustration: If someone cries 'God, save me', God looks at Jesus and asks what he is talking about, because the price was paid 2,000 years ago; he just needs to receive.

   “You are redeemed from the curse of poverty.”

   • Galatians 3:13

3. Key two: you are an overcomer

   Jesus said it is the one who overcomes who will sit with Him on His throne, so you must do the overcoming and the rebuking, with the blood, the name of Jesus and the Word. Don't focus on your problems; focus on the promises, and speak them over your bills, your work and your challenges. The preaching of the Word is the anti-venom to the world's voice of negativity.

   Illustration: People of the world now attend laughing classes because laughter releases good hormones; how much more do believers have the joy of the Lord. And just as a snake-bite victim needs anti-venom within minutes, church gives you the antidote to the world's talk of recession and failure.

   “Don't focus on your problems. Focus on the promises of God.”

   • Revelation 3:21
   • Philippians 2:5
   • 2 Corinthians 4:7
   • John 17:16
   • Psalm 34:7

4. Key three: a prosperous soul

   God wishes that you prosper even as your soul prospers, so prosperity starts in the mind. Know who you are in Christ and you need not be intimidated by anyone's race, qualifications or wealth, because in Christ we are a new creation and a holy nation. Jesus had the seventy, the twelve, the three and the one, and you choose your position; prosperity is a progression, so decide to step up a level.

   Illustration: Living pay cheque to pay cheque as a young Christian, he slammed his desk and declared that from that day he would prosper. Still employed, not a businessman, he stood with the businessmen and pledged towards tarring his former church's car park, not knowing where the money would come from, and months later received far more than he had sown. That is when he learned you don't pray about money; you sow it.

   “Some of you are not tired enough. Some of you are not angry enough.”

   • 3 John 2
   • 2 Corinthians 5:17
   • Galatians 3:28
   • 1 Peter 2:9
   • Genesis 8:22
   • Galatians 6:7
   • Mark 4:20
   • 2 Corinthians 10:5
   • 2 Timothy 1:7

5. Key four: man has three parts, spirit, soul and body

   God wants you to prosper in spirit, soul and body. Made in the image and likeness of a faith God, you are to live, give, receive, pray and work by faith, and when fear visits you, stop and refuse to function in it. Your spirit, the real you, must present your body to God as a living sacrifice.

   “God is a faith God and you must function by faith.”

   • 1 Thessalonians 5:23
   • Genesis 1:26
   • Romans 12:1

6. Key five: renew your mind by the Word

   The world's philosophy is 'get all you can and can all you get', but believers have a Word philosophy. Every building the church bought was bought by faith before the money came. As the foundation of prosperity, tithe a tenth of all your increase and press through the first month's challenge, because tithing puts you in covenant with God and opens the windows of heaven. Teach your children and grandchildren to tithe their pocket money, because a child who has a covenant with God will be cared for wherever they go.

   Illustration: When his sons were small, one would climb onto the stage and fall asleep holding the preacher's trouser leg, and the other answered every altar call; he was embarrassed, but the pastor told him to leave them, and today they and their children serve the Lord.

   “We don't have a world philosophy, we have a Word philosophy.”

   • Romans 12:2
   • Psalm 119:105
   • Luke 18:27
   • Malachi 3:10
   • Acts 17:30
   • Proverbs 22:6
   • Matthew 22:21

7. The deciding vote: make up your mind to prosper

   Of spirit, soul and body, whichever two agree cast the deciding vote, so when God quickens your spirit and your mind says yes, you override the flesh. Respond by the flesh and circumstances will defeat you; renew your mind and you will triumph. Poverty is a mentality, akin to stinginess, not a matter of rands and cents, and any hardship is a temporary station, not a permanent assignment.

   Illustration: Winter must pass, and summer is coming.

   “Poverty is a mentality. It's not rands and cents.”

8. Make right decisions with your finances

   His last point is brief: ask for the wisdom of God and let it help you make wise financial decisions.

   “Let the wisdom of God help you make wise decisions.”