Entering the Land of Abundance
How an Offering Comes to Life
Proverbs 3:9-10: Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
I. Foundations
A. Take time to build
B. Absolutely necessary for the strength of the walls that they be built on the foundation
C. Strength in the life of a Christian comes from the early foundations
1. Newbirth
2. Infilling of the Holy Spirit
D. Prosperity of the soul is a necessary foundation
III John 2: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
1. Prosperity of the soul is a foundation for divine health
2. Prosperity of the soul is a foundation for natural prosperity
II. Jericho
A. Represents breakthrough
B. Represents the gateway out of the wilderness
1. Wilderness: represents the land of just enough
2. There were daily provisions in the wilderness
a. manna
b. quail
Isaiah 1:19: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.
Joshua 6:19: But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.
C. Represents the gateway into the promised land
D. Represents the promised land
E. Represents the tithe/firstfruits
F. The thick walls of Jericho represent all of our fears
G.The army represents our excuses
III. A Time of Preparation
Joshua 5:2: At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise the children of Israel the second time.
A. Men had to be circumcised before conquering Jericho
Circumcision: represents our fleshly attitudes
B. Men had seven days of preparation before they could enter the promised land
1. One time daily for six days
2. Seven times on the seventh day
IV. Tithing
A. Abraham (Genesis 14:17-24)
B. Jacob (Genesis 28-Jacob's dream about angels ascending and descending on the ladder)
V. Altar-building for families
A. Husbands are the gateway for blessings in the family
B. Husbands stand at the bottom of the ladder of great blessing
C. Jesus is at the top of the ladder
D. Angels are traveling up and down the ladder
1. They take our petitions to God the Father
2. The bring blessings back to us
Genesis 1:1-2: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
VI. Bringing life and resurrection power into the earth
A. The earth became without form and void
B. Darkness covered the face of the earth
1. The earth was wrapped in darkness
2. The earth was wrapped in death
C. The Holy Spirit began to move on the face of the waters move: This is the same Hebrew word for brood or incubate as a mother chicken over her eggs
D. The Holy Spirit began to move or brood or incubate over the earth
1. Great warmth came into the earth
2. Life began to come forth over the earth
3. Land began to rise up out of the chaos of water and darkness
4. Creatures were placed in the earth
E. God created man out of the dust of the ground
1. God molded and shaped man
2. Man was lifeless until the Holy Spirit breathed life into his body
3. Man was different than all the other creatures of the field
VII. Supernatural life
A. Man is lost and dead in trespasses and sin until he meets the Lord Jesus Christ
B. Man is void of spiritual life until the Holy Spirit breathes eternal life into man
C. Whatever God breathes into will take on eternal values
VIII. Giving is compared to seed
II Corinthians 9:6: But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
A. Sowing and reaping is a type of offerings
B. Money has the ability to reproduce
1. Naturally
2. Supernaturally
C. Money has seed potential within it, but only has the hundredfold potential when revitalized by the Holy Spirit
D. The kingdom of God promises a hundredfold return in this lifetime
Proverbs 11:24: There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
E. When we are generous in God's kingdom the Holy Spirit energizes our giving and brings it to life
IX. Eternal life in offerings
A. Giving works throughout your lifetime
B. Giving works into future generations
C. Natural sowing and reaping is a type of giving
1. One seed can create a tree
2. One tree creates more fruit
3. Fruit from one tree creates many more trees
4. Many more trees create many more fruit
D. The ability to keep reproducing is something God has sown into offerings
X. Rituals
A. Were never designed to save
B. Should have meaning
C. Many in the church "do" the rituals but do not understand the meaning behind the ritual
XI. Three forms of ritual left to the Church Age
A. Anointing with oil
B. Water Baptism
C. Communion
1. Should think about what you are doing when taking communion
2. Results of not discerning the Lord's body (thinking about the meaning behind the ritual)
a. Can become weak
b. Can become sick
c. Can die prematurely
XII. There is no blessing in ritual, but there is blessing in the meaning of the ritual
A. Although the Bible says "Holy Bible" on the outside cover, it is really the meaning of the Word of God/God's voice that keeps it holy
B. When we anoint with oil, it is not the oil that heals
1. The prayer of faith causes healing
2. If there is not faith, there is not healing
C. Giving can become a meaningless ritual
Deuteronomy 36:1-10: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possesses it, and dwellest therein;
That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord swear unto our fathers for to give us.
And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our afflictions, and our labour, and our oppression.
And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:
And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that flows with milk and honey.
And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God.
XIII. How an offering becomes energized by the power of God
A. It must be realized that you have entered the promised land
1. You are not trying to get to the land
2. The enemy (Jericho) has already been conquered
a. There are still battles in the promised land
b. There are more walls to face
3. You need to quit struggling to get to the promised land because you are already there
4. You do not have to try to be more than a conqueror, you are more than a conqueror
5. It makes a dramatic difference in giving to realize, "I am prosperous--I'm not trying to get prosperous"
6. Offerings are brought to an earthly man who represents Jesus Christ
Deuteronomy 26:3-4: And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord swear unto our fathers for to give us.
And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
a. Abraham presented his offering to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-22)
b. Today we bring our offerings to present to our local pastors who represent Jesus Christ
7. We bring our offerings to the altar of dedication
Deuteronomy 26:4: And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
a. The altar is our dedication the Lord
b. The altar is sometimes referred to as a vow (ie-in Psalms)
c. A vow is a commitment you have made tot he Lord
d. The altar becomes a part of stability in your life
I Corinthians 16:2: Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
8. Times we are receiving from God
a. During the time of praise and worship
b. During the time of teaching of the Word of God
9. The time of giving of ourselves to God is during the offering
B. An offering does not begin on the day it was given
1. What we give to God does not begin with us, it begins with God
a. God is the One Who sought us out
b. God is the One Who redeemed us
c. God is the One Who has brought us through great times of calamity
2. God sees us today walking in the prosperity he planned for us before the foundation of the world
3. An offering is supernatural because it is a result of and response to our salvation
C. God is the One Who brings every blessing we have received
1. Often we focus on our own works
2. The children of Israel could have said "We marched around the walls" forgetting that God caused the walls to fall
3. The children of Israel could have said "We walked through the wilderness to get to the promised land", forgetting that God led them by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day
4. The children of Israel could have said "We gathered food in the wilderness", forgetting that God had provided the quail, manna, and water
5. Often we think "Look at the size of my offering"
a. God is looking at the thanksgiving in our hearts toward Him
b. It is God Who gives us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17)
6. We are to remember what God has done for us in the past
D. We are to worship the Lord with our firstfruits
Deuteronomy 26:10: And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:
1. God is not waiting on us to bless Him
2. God is waiting to bless us
3. Giving is an act of obedience so that God can give back to us
Luke 6:38: Give, and it shall be given unto to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
4. God wants us to remember the worship, praise, adoration, and honor unto the Lord with which we have given our offerings
E. Our attitude of worship and praise gives power to our offerings and resurrects the seed which we have sown
F. We give in response to God's offering of Jesus Christ on the cross
1. We give because of the blood that Jesus Christ poured out for us
2. We give because of the broken body of Jesus Christ which provided divine healing and great prosperity for us
G. We should leave the church service remembering what God has done
1. We should remember and thank God for our salvation
2. We should remember the great offering and sacrifice that God gave to us through His Son Jesus Christ
Psalm 116:12-13 &17: What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?
I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
