STRI

VINGFORTHEFAI
THOFTHEGOSPEL

God’swordbui
ldourli
ves,
wear ebui
l
tthroughtheword,ourl
i
vesare
moldedbyGodt hr
oughHisword,soi
fy oudonotgetHiswordyou’l
lbe
di
sadvant
agedinli
febecauseHeusesHi swordtobui
ldyourSpi
ri
ts,God
hasnootherwaytodoit,t
hat’
sHisonlyway.

Phi
l
ippi
ans1:
27-
30;
Phi
l
ippi
ans4:
3

Iwantt oexpl aintoy oui nt hismessagewhaty ourr ol eisasachi l

dofGod
i
nt hisgospel .Godhasapr ogr am fort hischur chandeachoneofushasa
roletopl ay.I nphil
.4:3- 5, He'snotj ustlet ti
ngusknowaboutacer tain
groupofpeopl ewhoar esupposedt ol aborbutt hatt heseonesdi di t
, but
theywer en’ttheonl yoneswhohav et her esponsi bili
tyofl abor i
ngi nt he
gospel .NowHedi dn’tsaypar ti
cipatei nt hefaithoft hegospel ,He’st alking
aboutl abor inginthef ait hoft heGospel ,striv
ingf ort hef ai thoft hegospel ,
i
not herwor dsforthepr ogr essoft hegospel ofJesusChr ist.Strivi
ng
toget her ,notst r
ivi
ngagai nsteachot her ,workingt oget her .Wheni tt alks
aboutl abor ing,i
t’
st alkingaboutt hingst hatyougot hrough, t
hingst haty ou
hav et odobecauseoft hegospel .Wear enotonl ycal l
edt obel ievei nJesus
Chr i
st ,butal sot osuf ferf orHi ssake.Nobodysuf fersf orHi sfaithin
sickness; Goddoesn’ tcal lyout ogetsi cksuf fering, buty oucoul dov er
wor ky our sel ff
orthesakeoft hegospel andgetsi ck.Ther e'samani nt he
biblet hatgotsi ckthatway ,oneofPaul ’
scompani on, soweoughtt obe
careful howwewor kwhatwewor ksot hatwedon’ tgetsi ck, becauseGod
doesn’ twanty ousick, He’ snotev ent alkingaboutbei ngpoor .Therear e
nott oomanypeopl eagai nstchur chesi nmessagesofpr osper ity,
what
mostpeopl eareagai nsti smat eriali
sm, whenGod’ schi l
dr enbecome
mat er i
al i
stic.Therei sagr eatdi f
ferencebet weenmat erialism and
prosper it
y ,
becauseal l theguy swhocondemnpr osper it
ypeopl egot owor k,
theyal sowantt omakemoneyandt henoutofsev enday saweekt heygo
t
h
towor katl east5or6day ssomeev engot owor kt he7 dayandt heyar e
madagai nstpeoplewhopr eacht hatGodwant st ogi vet oy ouwhatt hey
arest rivingf oralltheirlives.Wet hinkt hatt hekindoft hingsy ouhav e
def i
nesy ourpr osper i
ty,buthav inghouses, cars, compani eset c.i snota
signofpr osper i
ty,butGodwanty out ohav eal loft hat.Goddoesn’ twantt o
giveust hebestbecauseHeal readydi d, Hewant sust olear nt ogi veit
away ,butwehav en’ tgot tent histhingy etandal otofpeopl ewhot alk
prosper ityhar dlyev erpar twi thany thingandt hat ’stheirt r
oubl e.The
differencebet weenDav i
dandSol omoni sthatDav idl
ov et ogot othe
houseofGod, Dav i
dwasal way sst ayingar oundpr i
estsandpr ophet sallthe
ti
mehe’ stalkingaboutt het hingsofGod, sohi sf olkswer eknownasGods
mi ght ymen, whenSol omoncamet othet hroneHedi dnotl ookoutf or
Dav id’smi ghtymen( menwhosl ewgi ant s, whodi dgr eatt hi
ngsandal so
prosper ed) ,Hewentoutt olookf orkingHer om whowasoneofHi s
father ’
sf ri
endout sideI srael ,Hewasout war dlooki ng, Hewasl ooki ngfor
thewr ongf olks.NowwhenHewant edt obui ldt het empl eHecal lson
her om andhesenthi m al otofgoodt hingsf ort hebui ldingoft het emple.
Nextt hi
ngweknow, Solomonmakesf riendsf r
om out sideal way sinone
par tyort heot herwenev erf oundHi mi nt het empl eafterGodt alkedt ohim
andt henhewentt odedi catet het empl e,wenev erhear dofhi mi nt he
templ eagain.Whent heywant edt oknowt hegodofSol omon, theycame
andt heysawt hebeaut y, thegl ory,oft het hingst hatwer einhi spal ace,
theysawt hewayt heser vant swer edr essed, andt hent heysai doh!The
GodofSol omoni sagr eatGod.Theysawout war dt hi
ngst ot alkaboutt he
GodofSol omon.AndmanyofusChr ist i
ansar et hatway ,wet hinki fweget
theat t
ent i
onoft hewor ldbyal l t
heout war dthingsofl ife.Thewor dofGod
i
saper son, notar eligi
ousbook, alotofGodschi ldrenhav emi stook
mat eri
ali
sm f orpr osper i
tyandsot heygowr ong, theydonotknowwhatt o
dowi ththeirliv esandsot heyar eal way sinpur suitoft hewr ongt hings,
tryi
ngt oest ablisht hatGodi swi tht hem.

I
sai
ah39:
1-9

Hezeki
ahwasagr eatki
ng,andgodblessedhim sowell,Godhel
pedhi
m
fi
ghthi
sbat t
les,t
henaf t
erallt
hosebattl
esandhi senemieshadbecome
afr
aidofhim, hebegantodov eryver
ywel l
.Hezekiahshoweduswhat
materi
ali
sm isallabout,somepeopledon’tl
ikei
ftheyputanythi
ngonand
receivesnocompl ementabouti t
.Goddoesn’ tpr
osperyousoy oucant al
k
aboutt hethings,Hepr ospersyousot hatyoucanreachoutwi t
ht hem,and
moneyal wayschangeshands, i
tmov esfrom onehandt otheother,so
what everhav ecomet oy ounow, watchoutit
’sgottoleaveyouoneday ,i
f
i
tdoesn’ tleaveitsgotnopower ,itonlyworkswhenit’
sleav i
ngyou.The
troubleis,whatdoesi tbringtoyou?Hezekiahwasamanoft odayonly.

Phi
l
ippi
ans1:
27- 2ndCor
30; int
hians8:
1- 2ndCor
12; int
hians11:
21-
30

Paul i
slet
ti
ngt hem knowt hekindoft hingstheyshouldgloryin,hetalks
abouthowhedi dsuffer
edi nnecessit
iest hatHedidn’thave,buthehad
caughttherevelati
onoftrueandaccur ateprosperi
ty,
Heknewt hatthe
reasonforall
thesuf f
eri
ngswast ostriveforthefait
hoft hegospel ofour
LordJesusChr ist
.Whaty ouhav eisfort heservi
ceoft helor
d,at r
ue
Christ
ianserv
esGod.Don’ tgettheideat hatwheny ougof orservi
ce,y ou
havegonet oser v
eGod, youhav enotser vedatall
.Ser vi
ceisdif
ferent.

Exodus23:
25-
26

Ser vi
cet hist i
mei smor et hanaser vi
cewi t
ht hanksbuti tbeginsf rom the
i
nsideandsoPaul sai dIser veGodwi thmyspi ri
taccor di
ngtot hegospel
ofJesusChr i
st.Wedor enderser v i
ceandr eal serviceisrunningawayf rom
thechur cht oof ast
,becauseoft heci r
cularnat ureoft het hi
ngst hatwear e
soinv olv edwi thallourl ives, whichi ssteali
ngawayf r
om ust her eal
i
ngr edient soft rueser vice.Peopl edon’tunder standser vi
ceany mor e,you
evenhav etor edefi
nei tf ort hem becauset heydon’ tknowt hemeani ng
anymor e.ButGodsst andar ddon’ tchange, itremai nst hesame, servi
cei n
thehouseofGodi snotapuni shment .We'v ecomet oapl aceinourl iv
es
thatwecannotsepar atewor ldli
nessany mor efrom howwear elivi
ng;for
themostpar talotofGodspeopl ehav elostit.Andt hepreachingofgi ve
andy oushal lr
eceivef ory ourpr osperit
yhasal sodomi natedthet ruegiving
ofChr istians, t
ot hepoi ntt hatexceptt hatwear ereachi ngoutt oget
somet hi ngint ermsoft radi ngwi t
hGod, wedon’ tgiv e,we'vegott obe
proppedup, themi nisterhast opr eachthepr osper i
t ythatcomesasa
resultofgi vingot herwi sewear enotgoi ngt ogi ve.We' vetoheart hati
t
mot i
vatesus; He'sgott ot el
lmewhat ’
sini tformebef orewegi ve.Thet r
ue
givi
ngoft heirall
becauseweser veHi m, becauseweknowHi m, because
webel ongt oHimi sallgone, wegivenowandt henst artwat chingoutf or
thereceivi
ngandwhenwedon’ treceivewesaywhathappened, somet hing
mustbegoi ngwr ong, you’vefall
enfrom gr ace.Givi
ngi sagr ace, Godi snot
charm, andifyouwantt oserveHi my ou’
v etounder st andt hatHei sboss.
JesusChr istdoesn’ tcomej usttobeasav iorfrom tr ouble, HeisLor d,and
you’vegott orecogni zeHi m asLord.He’llrunev ery
t hingabouty ou, i
fyou
don’twantt hat,t
henf or
geti t
.Wheny oucal l
edHi m Lor d, everythingy ou
hadisHi s,youbr oughtev er
ythi
ngtoHi m.Hav eat rueChr i
sti
anl ife,ali
fe
thatyouknowy ouar ewal ki
nginHi sli
ght,striv
ef ort hef aithoft hegospel ,
youcansuf f
erforhi ssake.Wheny our eceivemoneyl ett hekingdom of
Godbey ourfir
stt hought .LearntoserveGodwi t
hy ourl ife.