Prove Me: The Two Words From Malachi That Can Change Your Life
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 21 min
Originally preached as “Two Words That Can Change Your Life”
Sermon outline
God gives the power to get wealth to people who put His kingdom first, and when you trust Him with what is valuable to you, He says two words: prove Me.
Main text
- Matthew 6:33
- Malachi 3:10-12
Opening
He shares two things God told him: that God may pass by people who miss the moment He comes to deposit destiny, and that when He moves on you and you fail to move, He will move on someone else. He prophesies breakthrough, favour that sticks like glue and a lifting up over the church after the special meetings, then explains that instead of teaching on confession he will carry on from where Pastor Justice left off, on your relationship with money.
Seek first the kingdom of God
Most Christians fix their attention on things, but God says to look to Him, His Word and His way of doing things, and the things will follow you. One version renders the kingdom as the expansion of God's kingdom worldwide. It is God, not the world's system, who gives you power to get wealth so He can establish His covenant.
Illustration: He points to seeds on the platform as a picture of 'things' that come after you once you seek the kingdom first.
“If you put God's priority first, God puts you first.”
- Matthew 6:33
- Deuteronomy 8:18
God gives riches and wealth, but beware the evil disease
Ecclesiastes says riches, wealth and the power to enjoy them are the gift of God. The next chapter describes an evil, common among men, where God gives a person wealth but a stranger eats it. The Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant, so camp in the blessing and refuse the disease.
Illustration: As a young Christian he thought anything to do with money was carnal, and once bought a pair of suede Grasshopper shoes just to look humble. God told him humility is not how you look but comes from the heart.
“Humility is not how you look. Humility comes from the heart.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
- Ecclesiastes 6:1-2
- 1 Samuel 16:7
- Psalm 35:27
Your prosperity depends on your soul prospering
Man is spirit, soul and body, and the soul is your mind, thoughts and feelings. Outward prosperity rises only as far as your soul prospers. The mind is hostile to God because of wrong information from education and upbringing, so cast down every argument, renew your mind with the Word, and do not take offence when the Word challenges you.
Illustration: When the Word challenges a fortified place in your mind, he says, just relax, have a sip of water and keep smiling.
“The manifestation of prosperity on the outside is dependent on one fact and one fact only, that is your soul prosperity.”
- 3 John 2
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
- Romans 12:2
Statements 1 to 3: God made you for the good life
God created men and women to experience a good life, and it is not His will for you to live in failure, poverty and suffering. The whole Bible is His plan of full salvation, which means deliverance, preservation, soundness, health and prosperity. That is why He plants you in a church, a family where the damaged are repaired and rich and poor are one.
Illustration: A daily miracle looks different for each person: a loaf of bread for the hungry, a car for the one who takes a taxi, a child who suddenly scores 80 percent. He then prophesies that the church's jubilee has begun.
“It is God's will for you to live life to the full until it overflows.”
- Hebrews 10:25
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Galatians 3:28
- Psalm 68:19
Statement 4: Money and God go together
Money represents your time and energy, a month of your life you will never get back, so your life is the most valuable thing you have and your money the second. When you release that money into the kingdom you are telling God you trust Him. We are temporary stewards and God is the permanent owner, and He can only fund His work through His people, so He tests whether you are obedient with money before He trusts you with more.
Illustration: He asks, 'Money or your life?' as if someone held a gun to your head, to show which comes first.
“Your money is a representation of your time and energy.”
- Matthew 6:21
Don't hold a limited concept of God: have a burning desire
The average Christian has never fully tapped God's resources. God counts the hairs on your head, notices every sparrow, feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, so He cares about your daily needs. Things begin not with money but with a vision and a burning desire, as long as you are a faithful steward.
Illustration: Driving to church he asked God for a mansion. He once drove a VW Beetle with a rusted floor where he could see the white lines on the road, and he tore a BMW picture out of a Reader's Digest, stuck it on his wall and kept saying 'one day' until he had his first one.
“Whatever you have a burning desire for shall be yours.”
- Hebrews 11:6
- Luke 12:25
- Matthew 10:30
- Luke 12:6
- Psalm 31:19
- Isaiah 64:4
- Philippians 4:19
- Luke 12:27-28
- John 10:10
- Deuteronomy 28:11
The two words: prove Me
After the comma in Malachi 3:10, God says 'prove Me', or 'put Me to the test'. When you bring your tithes, offerings and pledges, He opens the windows of heaven, rebukes the devourer and makes you blessed, which means empowered to prosper. From the Living Bible he shows that God keeps a book of remembrance of those who honour Him, and says that if you want to change your level, change your obedience.
Illustration: He explains what the church's tithes pay for: the building, staff, radio programmes and television production that touch lives worldwide.
“If you want to change your level, what do you do? Change your obedience.”
- Malachi 3:10-12
- Malachi 3:13-16
- Luke 6:38
Putting it into practice
- Put God's priorities and the expansion of His kingdom first, and let the things follow.
- Renew your mind with the Word instead of taking offence when it challenges you.
- See your money as your time and life, and release it to God as an act of trust.
- Tithe and give, and put God to the test with your obedience.
- Over the next few days, ask God boldly for whatever is burning in your heart.
Closing
He prophesies that God has recorded their giving in a book of remembrance and sent angels to bless them, with testimonies coming within seven, 14, 21 and 28 days. He urges them to meditate until they have a burning desire and then ask God for it, and the recording ends as he declares that it is coming.
Declarations he led
- My suffering is over.
- Understanding cometh to me. It comes to me right now, in Jesus' name.
- Devil, you will not rob me.
- Lord Jesus, open up my mind, my spirit, and my heart.
- God gives riches and wealth.
- The good life is for me.
- Your jubilee has begun.
- God's getting me my money. I put Him to the test.
- The blessing of the Lord is mine.
In his words
- “God is not an opinionated God. God deals with the facts.”
- “You can dress up sharp and be humble. And you can dress up in jeans and still be arrogant.”
- “We are temporary stewards of the earth's wealth. God the Father is the permanent owner.”
- “I'm not trying to take money out of you. I'm trying to get money to you.”
- “When you fail to move, I'll visit somebody else and I'll use them.”
Every scripture in this message
- Luke 6:38
- Psalm 42:7
- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
- Romans 12:2
- Psalm 138:2
- Matthew 6:33
- Deuteronomy 8:18
- Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
- 1 Samuel 16:7
- Ecclesiastes 6:1-2
- Psalm 35:27
- 3 John 2
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- Hebrews 10:25
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Galatians 3:28
- Psalm 68:19
- Matthew 6:21
- Hebrews 11:6
- Luke 12:25
- Matthew 10:30
- Luke 12:6
- Psalm 31:19
- Isaiah 64:4
- Philippians 4:19
- Luke 12:27-28
- John 10:10
- Deuteronomy 28:11
- James 5:17
- Malachi 3:10-12
- Malachi 3:13-16