26 NOVEMBER 2013

E - Sermon
Three Levels of Prosperity
. Genesis 26:13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; The above verse tells of how Isaac grew in wealth when in the land of Gerar under Abimelech, king of the Philistines. There isnt a person on earth that does not want to prosper financially, intellectually, emotionally etc. Even if you are the wealthiest person alive, it is highly likely that you will be finding ways to make more money. I have yet to meet a person who is satisfied with their poverty. Isaac experiences three levels of prosperity! The significance of 3 comes from the fact that it is the first of four perfect numbers: Three denotes divine perfection; Seven denotes spiritual perfection; Ten denotes ordinal perfection; and Twelve denotes governmental perfection.

The first occurrence of the number is in Genesis 1:13. "The third day" was the day on which the earth was caused to rise up out of the water, symbolical of that resurrection life which we have in Christ." Hence three is a number of RESURRECTION, for it was on the third day that Jesus rose again from the dead. This was Divine in operation, and Divine in its prophetic foreshadowing in the person of Jonah (Matthew 12:39,40; Luke 11:29; Jonah 1:17). It was the third day on which Jesus was "perfected" (Luke 13:32). It was at the third hour He was crucified; and it was for three hours (from the 6th to the 9th) that darkness shrouded our Lord and Redeemer. God desires you to experience perfection in prosperity! Allow me to share what I believe the Lord has put on my heart for you.

1.The man began to prosper Many have settled for just making it through the month. Their money covers their basic needs (sometimes), but with very little to do anything else. Holidays are out of the question. You might be lucky to have the odd McDonalds, KFC, or Nandos. When the 20th of the month comes you are already counting the pennies. Youve run out of butter and jam, and the temptation to ask for help is very real. You might even have to do a second job to top up your finances. You might have even tried the local casino to see if you can strike it big! (of course you will never do that!). Helping others is not an option, as it is you that always needs a hand-out. You are possibly doing well emotionally and fairly happy, but just never getting to the next level. Giving money to the needs of the Church is a definite No No! Its not that you dont want to give, its just that there are others with more money who can support Gods work. Yet, this is your make or break stage of moving to the next level! If you cannot honor the Lord now, who said that you would give later? You pray and ask God to bless you, making many promises or vows that you will tithe or offer as soon as things improve. Many fall down at this stage and never move to the second level of prosperity.

2. And continued prospering When you understand the basics of financial management, and have Gods wisdom for everyday life, not getting stressed out, but you can practically deal with challenges and manage your temper or emotions, then you will start stepping into this next level of prosperity. You dont want to just prosper, but you want to continue to prosper. This requires another level of faith, one of obedience to the Lord, and committed to honouring Him with your finances. But the things that holds back this person from going to the third level is possibly the following; The person who continues to prosper is one who helps in the Church, but not more than they need to. You might serve faithfully in the local Church, but never get too involved. You stay out of leadership positions as they might keep you too busy. You love the Lord and what the Church stands for as long as you are not inconvenienced. Yes, God has blessed you, your income is sufficient, but yet there is still lack. Perhaps you are spiritually dry. Privately you dont even pray or speak about His name. You are happy to bless others, as long as it benefits you somehow. You give of your finances, but never more, and certainly sometimes less. Many stay at this level, not realising that there is more for them. God wants you to be perfected in this area of your life. Three levels of prosperity brings you to perfection. The third being;

3.Very prosperous I believe that you will want to be at this level! I am not only talking about financial prosperity, but about someone who is prospering body, soul, and spirit. The person who walks in this level has an ability to hear His voice, and who recognises the attacks of the enemy and able to withstand him by the power of the Holy Spirit. They are not moved by what the devil is doing, but always seeking an opportunity to be a blessing. The pastor does not have to ask them to do anything, as they serve willingly and without gripe. They are not only Christians on Sunday. Their neighbours know them for their spiritual strength and strong faith. Their work colleagues are drawn to them and have confidence to share their struggles knowing that they will pray for them with earnest. Their financial giving is without compromise and doubt. They understand that giving to the Lord is supporting the pastor who serves the local Church. They will not get involved in debates and do not get offended if others including the pastor prospers, because they know that this is the what the Lord desires for all His people. I challenge you to take your prosperity to another level! There is so much more that God has for you, only dont settle for less! The enemy has crept into your life and your finances. Your faith has been challenged and caused you to step back from certain things that you know God wants you to do. Your value is only seen when the evidence of what God is doing is observed. And we should be a people of value to the world. They should be calling on us because we have the wisdom of God for life, the power to rebuke the devil, and His word to decree life over dead bones. Yours For His Kingdom Pastor Tony Sands