Add Text Here...
Happy birthday to. W. SUN
Thu, Jun 1 at 9:52 AM
The Little Book
The Christmas Story
Introduction: One the big things associated with Christmas is the CARD. We all give Christmas cards and give presents for it is the most wonderful time of the year! We give a CARD to let people know how we feel. We give a CARD to share our joy. The concept of a CARD has long been associated with Christmas for Christmas is more than a holiday but the Celebration that is felt world -wide. It is one of the few days that is celebrated around the world! So, help us learn about this special day and how we can enjoy this special day!
Focus Scripture: Isa 9:6-7 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
This verse is a verse that is so talked about with Christmas. It has to do with the naming of Jesus. We know that the name Jesus means that God saves. Yet Jesus has many titles and many names! Jesus said that he would send another counselor (holy Spirit) and that means that he is the Counselor. The angel said that Jesus would sit on the throne of his father David. The child here is of course Jesus. The son is given to bring peace on the Earth!
LK 2:1-4 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
This verse could mean that the tax was first made before Cyrenius was governor of Syria. For the word fist there means proto which can mean first or before! So this fits in the time frame of a 6 BC date and the time frame of the Bethlehem star and Herod killing all the boys 2 years and under before he died in 4 BC
Christmas prophecies – Jesus fulfilled many prophecies about this birth and no one else had as many prophecies about to who, when and where he would be born as Jesus did! That happened so that we would know it was His Son. The prophecies were given to the Jewish prophets and the Gospels confirmed that they were fulfilled. We must realize that Jesus did not have a normal birth for Jesus is the 2nd Adam and that meant he had to be born without sin, so he had to be born different from the rest of us! IT took a BIG God to fulfill so many prophecies that he gave in the OT about His Son. God is so BIG he wants to fill us with His Son and live within us!
Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
The prophecy said that it had to be in Bethlehem because Jesus was of the seed of David so God wanted him born in Bethlehem. Yet the people that God chose was from Nazareth and they did not live in Bethlehem so they had to go there for a special reason for the birth. Yet they had to raise him somewhere else. There was more then one Bethlehem then and this was the one in Judea. Jesus would be eternal
Immanuel is His Name Isa 7:14 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The name Immanuel meant God with us. Jesus means God saves. This meant that God will live with us forever. The birth would be dramatic for a woman would have a birth that would not be a normal birth! This was a Divine birth for this birth would be God impregnating a woman for this special birth! God would name this child and this child would be God among us!
Go with the Young Child Mt 2:13-15 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
The prophecy was that out of Egypt he would call his son (Hosea 11:1. In Jer 3:15 it was prophesied what happened in MT 2:18 which is called Rama or the slaughter of the innocents. He will be called a Nazarene Mt 2:23. This was connected with Isa 11:1 which was connected to the Branch. He was not a baby but a young child here so the wise men met him when he was a little older! Here the angel came to tell Joseph to take the child to Egypt. We do not know where Jesus was when the angel came to Joseph to tell him to take the child to Egypt!
Angels – were a big part of the Christmas story. They visited Mary and Joseph and told the shepherds where to find Baby Jesus. They wanted us to know what to name Him and also what his mission was on earth. Telling us Jesus was of Divine origin and wanted us all know that God sent him. Angels protected him while he was a baby and told us to share the good news.
God’s Son Conceived in Mary Lk 1:30-35 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be c
called the Son of God.
We do know these things. 1) God caused Mary to conceive and that means that Mary did not have a normal conception. Jesus had an unique conception for Jesus was conceived with God as his Father and not a natural birth. Jesus was called the 2nd Adam and that meant he did not have a sin nature! We have a sin nature. Jesus is the Son of the living God!
Out in the Open to the Shepherds Lk 2:8-14 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The shepherds were out at night and watching their sheep. They saw the angels. They saw and heard the angels and their message. They went and saw the baby Jesus. God sent the message to the shepherds for David was a shepherd and Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. Abraham and many others were shepherds in the OT so perhaps that is why the message came to the shepherds and they went to the shepherds to announce the birth!
Dream of an Angel To Joseph Mt 1:20-23 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The announcement had to be made to the parents to let them know what was going on with Jesus. Joseph had to know so he would take Mary as his wife. He had to know that the name of the child had to be Jesus. Joseph got this message while he was in a dream. He did not see the angel face to face but in a dream. Yet, Joseph knew that it was an angel and a message of God. So, Joseph obeyed the message of the angel!
Report of the Wise men – Jesus came as a Jew but and the wise men called him the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The wise men were gentiles who came to worship the Lord and bring him gifts! They read the signs in the skies and knew He was coming and yet today we cannot even read the signs of the times! So the wise men coming was an important part of the story!
Star followed by the Wise men Mt 2:1-6 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
(Num 24:17) The OT prophesied that there would be a star out of Jacob. We know that this star was Jupiter and Saturn and the constellation meant something to the astronomers of that day. They did follow the star and that star. We will discuss later about the dating based on the star. Remember that Jesus was a child when the wise men followed Jesus so they might have followed that star for many years!
Our Report to Herod - Mt 2:1-7 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
We need to realize that God sent the wise men to bring the gifts for Mary and Joseph to provide not only for the trip to Egypt but also for the cross. The frankincense and myrrh were for the burial. So, we can connect the cross and birth together. We need to know that God wanted us to know why he came even from the gifts that were offered. The wise men came to offer worship and gifts for they knew he was a king! Jesus was a king from birth and not just after the cross. He was born a King!
Need to bring Gifts Mt 2:8-11: 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
Ps 72:10-11- this Scripture could refer to the wise men as some theologians think. But others do not. They brought gifts of Gold (used for the travel to Egypt frankincense and myrrh were obviously used for the burial of Christ) So this connects Easter and Christmas together into one life story. You see that the purpose of Christ was to die for sin and that means that He was born to die for man!
Dating of his Birth- many people are people are curious about the exact date of the birth of Jesus. We only have hints in the Scripture and clues. Below I have mentioned some of the discussion about the dating of the birth of Christ. Below is listed the reasoning for the dating of the birth of Christ. Some say he was conceived 25 Kislev 7 BC and born the 15th of Tishri in 6 BC ( Thursday Sept 15 6 BC) and the 25 kislev was a Thursday. We must understand that Jesus came to do battle with Satan and end the WAR on Sin for he defeated sin on the cross.
Most think that Jesus was born anywhere from 6 BC to 1 BC and was probably born in late September to early October to coincide with the fall feasts and the fact that the sheep were not in the fields as Luke indicates. that means that Gabriel appeared to Mary perhaps late December and John the Baptist may have been born in March making him born 6 mos. before Jesus. The course of Abijah was the 10th week and that was mid may - mid June meaning Elizabeth conceived in June and delivered in March. Therefore, that means that Mary conceived in December and delivered in September since there was 6 months difference between when Elizabeth conceived and when Mary conceived.
The Jewish scholars believe it was in connection with Rosh Hashanah and that it was either September 11 3 BC or September 15 6 BC because of the Christian star (Bethlehem star). Rev 12 the Star of the wise man and the scepter of Jacob (prophecy in Genesis 50 provide the clue. They say he was born in the evening. The date of December 25(tradition) John the Baptist was supposedly born in March and Jesus in September and the angel may have come to see Mary in December before Jesus was born. The date of Christmas is in connection with Saturnalia - A Roman feast honoring Saturn connected with the winter solstice. Because of the sheep out in the field it could not have been in the field because it would have been too cold for the sheep. He must have been born in September or October at the latest. Yet some debate that because it does not get as cold in the winter months in Israel and sheep can endure it. Even Today snow is a rare occurrence. The sheep also give birth in December so there are arguments on both sides of when Jesus was born. No one knows for sure!
Wise Men Arrive Mt 2:9-11 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
The wise men and the star- the triple conjunction of Jupiter Saturn in 7 BC and Mars Jupiter and Saturn in 6 BC and in 5 BC a comet in Capricornus. (astronomy evidence) That would concur with either a birthdate of March 9- May 4 - 5 BC or April 13-27 5 BC which would coincide with Passover. (Remember that according to the Scripture said he was a young child when Jesus was seen by the wise men).
All the World Must be Taxed Lk 2:1-6 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Ceasar Augustus- we know he taxed the Jewish people but the problem is with Cyrenius for some think that he did not govern Syria until after Herod died. There is some evidence that Cyrenius governed Syria around 6 BC which coincides with the time frame of Christ and Herod and the time of 6 AD after Herod died. The first time frame shows again the Bible is right and the critics are wrong.
Rotation of the Priests Lk 1:5-7,26 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Time of when Mary would have conceived would have been 6 months after the birth of John the Baptist. When the angel came in the 6 month that meant it was the 6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and not the 6th month on the calendar. So that changes the time of the appearance of Gabriel appearing to Mary. We know when Gabriel appeared to Zacharias appeared because of the course of Abia for it was the same every year. The course of Abijah is in 2 Chr 24:10 which means about mid- June he would have returned to Elizabeth after his service.
Conclusion- The Christmas story is not just about the birth of Jesus but about the plan of salvation. The plan of salvation started in the Garden and the birth of Jesus was essential to the plan. Once Jesus came to the Earth, we had a Savior who was able to pay for the sin of man. We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the work of Christ. So let us focus on what Christ did for us and how God presented the world with a Savior to all men!
Application – We must apply the miracle of the birth of Christ to our life. Angels were the messengers from Heaven. We need to realize that we have the message of Heaven in the Bible and we have the Holy Spirit to live in us to make sure that we have the truth inside of us! So listen to the messages and apply it to your life just as the early church did!
Prayer for healing- (pray in faith believing) Expect a miracle and see yourself as being healed. Find a Scripture for your healing and speak that forth. Heavenly Father I pray for healing. I thank you for manifesting healing in my body today! You took all my sickness, disease, pain, sorrow for you paid for it on the cross of Calvary. I speak healing into my body and command ______________ to leave my body! No weapon can defeat me! I call myself healed because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Devil take your hands off of me for I am the child of the living God! Now thank the Lord for healing you!
Prayer for Salvation- I pray that all of you will come to know Jesus. Pray with me: Heavenly Father I recognize my need for you for without Jesus, I cannot make it in this life. I need you! I know I am a sinner and I need your SON. I recognize that Jesus died for my sin when Jesus died for me on Calvary. I believe that he rose again so that I can go to heaven and live with you there. Thank you for paying for my sin and bringing me into your forever family. So, Jesus come into my heart and live in me today! I am now a Christian!
Website: www.wordofgracefellowship.com
Come join us Wednesday night for our Bible Study at 8 pm (zoom) FB 8:20 pm
Come join us for our Philippine service Sat 8 pm zoom and FB 8:45
Come join us for our US service Sun 11 am service (zoom) 12 noon FB
All services are EST and FB services are all on Pastor Don Carson
Next week: End of the Year
This sermon is copyrighted @2024 and is the property of our Pastor and Apostle- Rev. Dr. Don Carson. Used by permission and for more information or questions contact Apostle Don through his messenger site on FB at Pastor Don Carson!
Prosperity in OT History 2
Introduction: Prosperity and all the benefits of God are throughout the Bible. The benefits of God and our relationship with Him did not just start with Jesus for they are part of the covenant of Abraham. The blessing is what we have because God wanted a family and wants to bless us. He wants to have us in his life. He prospers us because he loves us.
Focus Scripture 2 Sam 22:28-34 28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.32 For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.34 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
Part of this is quoted in Psalm 18. God wants us to know that God will brighten any dark area, SO when things are bad and we are in a bad situation God will be our light and be our source. HE will give us enough energy so we can leap over a wall. God wants to be our power and strength. God wants to be all we need. God wants to be our everything! HE is perfect and wants to perfect us in all our ways even our finances. HE wants us to win!
1st Samuel talks about the reigns of King Saul the first King of Israel and the reign of David and the defeat of the Giant Goliath. So it helps us to understand the beginning of the line of the Kings in Israel’s history. Samuel was one of the greatest prophets and was also considered a judge from the period of the judges so it is the transition from the book of Judges to the Kings. The book is named after the principal prophet! So learn about the joy that we have because of listening to the Lords prophets! The acronym for this Book is PEW for we need to sit in the church PEW to learn of God and establish our victory in our life!
25:5-8 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
Praise- The first step is to learn how to praise HIM in all situations. When our finances are going sour then Praise Him! When things are wrong in our life then Praise Him! If you need peace then praise. Peace will help to give a reason to praise! I have found out that when you praise God it produces peace in our life. When we have peace then it usually means we are doing well in our life, but when we are not doing well then we have financial issues.
2:7 7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
Exalt the Lord and praise Him. When we exalt Him he exalts us. He will exalt us in every area of our life. God is the one who truly prospers people. God wants us to prosper and make us rich but he wants us to lift him up and not lift up ourselves. The issue is a heart issue. When our heart is right then we will God can trust us with prosperity. God wants to be able to trust us and one of the most important areas is our finances. How we bless others is crucial to whether we will prosper or not!
17:45-47 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.
Win-David killed the giant Goliath and went to him. David was not afraid of Goliath even though the rest of Israel was. David went forward with joy and expected to win. David went forth in a spirit of power and demonstrated his ability. He was able to use the God given ability and his relationship with the Lord and put it in one package. The fear Satan gives us cannot defeat someone who is led by the Spirit of God!
2nd Samuel- this is part 2 and begins with the death of Saul and the end of the reign of David. So David is the main character in this book. Samuel is also the principal prophet but Nathan was also a prophet mentioned in this book. Originally 1 and Samuel were considered to be one book. Later it was divided into 2 books. The Word for this section is BIG for God wants to give BIG blessings to you and not small so believe for all you can!
9:3-11 3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
Blessed- Mephibosheth was blessed because of the kindness and mercy of King David. King David had a heart of mercy and wanted to show mercy to David. Mephibosheth (Mep) was blessed because of the covenant that his father had with the King. The other sons of Saul were not blessed but he was because of a covenant that he did not even know existed. HE was blessed because of who he belonged to. HE was special. The answer was in the covenant. Our answer is in our covenant! Our answer is in our King who brings us to the table even though it is obvious we do not belong. Mep was lame in his feet and was unable to do anything for himself but he was provided for the same as if he could! God blessed him! God blesses you just like he blessed Mep!
16:1-4 And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
Increase- when we think of prosperity we think of increase. We looked at Mep for he was told someone else would take care of his land. Here is a result of the produce that he had. He went from a state of poverty to a state of blessing. He had more prosperity then he knew what to do with an he did not have to work for it. God blessed him just as if he were on disability. God blesses us despite us sometimes!
22:20-26 20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.25 Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
Grace- to receive prosperity we need grace in life. We need to receive grace from God. Grace allows us to let go of our failures and allows us to grow from mistakes. Notice here that he delights in me. He gives us favor. He makes me clean in his sight. He calls me righteous. God relates to us based on how we relate to others. HE will be merciful and extend righteousness to the merciful and righteous, for all of that comes from the grace God gives to us in Christ. When we receive grace from God it makes us righteous and gives us mercy to share with all men. GO to the throne of grace to obtain mercy. God does not see my sin instead he sees my substitute. God sees me according to the cross!
1st Kings begins with Solomon and takes us to the reign of Ahaziah who was the son of Ahab. The kings were considered good or bad based on whether they served the Lord or foreign deities. The morality was not what made them right in the sight of God for many of them were immoral but what mattered is their relationship with GOD. Our relationship with GOD is the most important part in our life! To be blessed we need to have a PURE heart and a PURE mind for we must think like God thinks!
2:1-4 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:4 That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Prophecy- King David gave King Solomon a prophecy and told him what to do. We need to have prophecies to help us hear the Lord! Sometimes they give instruction. When we obey the Word it helps us to prosper. And when we prosper it causes us to prosper in all we do and what we desire to do. God wants to prosper you in everything you do. It does not matter what walk of life we are in God wants to bless us!
3:11-14 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
Understanding- I found that I need understanding in many areas of my life. God wants us to have understanding in every area of my life. King Solomon asked for understanding and not to take care of his enemies or for riches. God gave his young man riches and many women, just what a young man would want. The Bible does not tell us how many kids but he must have had a lot! He had 1,000 women in his life that he had a sexual relationship with! HE needed a staff to take care of his women! 1,000 birthdays and 700 anniversaries and 1000 names to remember and 1000 rooms to remember and who knows how many rooms to recall! So search wisdom and get understanding for in your prosperity you need to also understand 1) praise God first 2) understand to remember the people in your life 3) understand to love one another 4) understand what to do to stay blessed!
10:14-23 14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.21 And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
Riches for us the riches are the focus of our benefit but for King Solomon it was a side benefit of the request he made. Here we have a list of the things that he had to demonstrate his riches. Silver was useless in his day! He had so many sending him these riches. God blessed him from every nation. He had so many riches that he was the richest man who ever lived. He was the wisest and richest man who ever lived! Riches can be a burden but this passage describes some of the blessings King Solomon had. He did not use silver for even his drinking vessels were made of gold! King Solomon was lavish in his prosperity so there is nothing wrong with us being lavish as well!
11:36-39 36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
Eternal- God will one day give us eternal blessings. We have blessings in the here and now but also in the eternal reign of the Lord Jesus who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are the Kings and Lords for He is our King and Lord! Listen to the Word! Listen to the Spirit! God blessed others because of David long after David died because of how much he loved David! God blesses you because of Jesus and his work. You have forever rights with God because of Jesus Christ. So rejoice in what you have because of Jesus Christ!
2nd Kings this book takes us from Ahaziah to the captivity of Nebuchadnezzar. So once we get to the captivity we find out that there was much change in the lives of Israel. Things were not the same once they returned. We need to learn to ASK of God and when we do then we will receive for Jesus told us to ASK , seek and , knock. ASKing is important for we must learn that God wants us to come to Him in faith!
4:1-7 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Ask- I want you to go and ask your friends for things. She had nothing with which she could repay. She did ask anyway. She obeyed the prophet! She may have sold these pots of oil to the same neighbors she borrowed those pots from! She was in great debt and she kept pouring until she had no more vessels. She had just a little oil and it kept pouring! 1) Answers do not come from your wisdom for the answer comes from the one that God put in your life! The minister of God is given to you for the time when you need an answer so seek him out! 2) Seek out your minister and ask him what to do- too often we think I can pray or I can do this but the answer is in the one whom God put you under! Obey the servant of God that God put in your life! For when we obey there is a blessing in that! 3) Knock on doors to find the ones God sent you to! Kneel in prayer and do what God said for you to do. When we listen to the Lord and do what he said then prosperity shows up! Blessings come when we obey the ministers of God!
6:14-17 14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
See in the Spirit!- THE most important thing I have said is that we need to see in the Spirit realm! When we see in the Spirit we can see what God is doing! Do you see what God is doing for you in this situation? Do you see what God wants to do for you in this situation and how to bless others? Or, do you see how upset things are making you! Too often we respond to things with fleshly answers and allow the flesh to dictate our response! The answer has to come from the Spirit of God! God opened the curtain and allowed him to see the angels there with him! Angels are around us all the time yet we never see them!
18:3-7 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did.4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.6 For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.7 And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
Keep the Commands- Now the Apostle John tells us that we need to believe in Him and love one another in 1 John 3 and 5. Jesus is the commandment keeper according to the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 5 Galatians and Colossians. We are expected to keep the commands by what Jesus did. Here it says we need to keep the commands by getting rid of the high places. We need to not follow other gods. When we followed other gods we committed murder or committed adultery. When we break Commandment #1 we would break the other 9. Gal 3 and James say that if you break 1 command then you are guilty of breaking all of them! So the kings were looked at as keeping the commands when they followed Command 1!
Conclusion: When I sit in the PEW weekly then I will learn how to dream BIG and how to have BIG blessings in my life. I will learn how to walk in what is PURE for I will have PURE thinking so I will learn how to ASK correctly and then I can receive the prosperity I am seeking. I must find the provider and the provider is not my friends or my family or my job. The provider is my LORD and GOD. God is the one I need to focus on when I sit in the PEW and I need to take my dreams so he will enlarge me for God wants to be a BIG GOD in my life and wants me to come with a PURE heart so we can ASK Him based on his WORD.
Prayer: I want to pray for you based on the prosperity that was provided at Calvary! Pray this with me for your prosperity: Heavenly Father your Word says that you want to prosper me big in my life. You want me to ask big and have a pure heart. Today I speak that your Word desires my prosperity. I need to prosper because of ______________ ( tell God what area you need prosperity in – what is your specific need- job, debt, problem at work or an idea for prosperity) Help me to want to listen to the man of God so I can receive what your Spirit has for me. Give me a pure heart so I can ask according to your Word and receive because of that which you instilled within me! Thank you Lord for providing my need in Jesus name amen!
Next week: Prosperity in OT History 3
This sermon is copyrighted @2020 and is the property of our Pastor- Rev. Dr. Don Carson. Used by permission and for more information or questions call Pastor Don during the day at 732-668-1583
JESUS
Holiness
My son Holiness is about living as I lived in the earth. Holiness
Healing in the NT
