Posted on February 9, 2024 by growintheword

Part I: I’ve Got to Deal with This 

Synopsis of Sermon 2/4/24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Joshua 7:1-13 NKJV
But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?” 10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

I.          INTRODUCTION 

  1. There are times we have to confront the elephant in the room. While you are on your journey, there will be obstacles and challenges in your way for no apparent reason.
  2. You might question, why isn’t this happening for me. There are numerous reasons. Everything has an origin. You have to be willing to deal with certain things.
  3. Sometimes God calls you to be a disrupter. You will have to deal with things that cause you limited capacity to deal with the things of God. You will either come up short or do what is necessary to remove all that hinders you from doing God’s promise.
  4. In this season, you’re not tolerating dysfunction in your life. You will have to deal with it now, if you’re going to deal with it.
  5. Recognize that there is a promise out there from God that you must occupy.
  6. Joshua is a powerful book. Joshua succeeds Moses. For 40yrs the children of Israel were on a journey in the wilderness. Moses dies before they get to the Promised Land. Moses gets them out of Egypt, but Joshua must take them into the Promised Land.
    1. One amazing thing they did was conquer Jericho. They didn’t have the weapons that Jericho had, but they had the Favor of God. On one occasion, God told them march around the walls of Jericho, and on the 7th time, they were to shout, and the walls would come falling down.
    2. Joshua and the Children of Israel conquered Jericho.
  7. Now there was a city called Ai. Joshua realized that he needed to send spies over first, before entering it. He sends just 2000 or 3000 men there, because the spies had reported that they were small. They were much smaller than Jericho. These 2000 to 3000 men came back defeated. 36 men were struck down. They were in shock and awe, because they had been defeated by little Ai. How did they defeat a big country like Jericho yet be defeated by a small country like Ai.
  8. Joshua falls on his face and asks God what the problem was. God tells Joshua that he has one person in the camp that has taken something that he wasn’t supposed to. They were told not to take anything when they invaded Jericho. Achan had taken some stuff anyway. Because he did this, he brought a curse into the whole camp. Because of what Achan had done, God had taken his hand (his favor) off of them.
  9. God told Jericho that he would have to deal with Achan and what he had done, before they would be victorious again.
  10. What is your Achan?

II.          CRIPPLED CAPACITY 

  • The Children of Israel defeated Jericho, but failed to conquer Ai. We all have something we need to deal with that keeps us from being victorious.

A.    Don’t Just Assess the Enemy Without Assessing the Enemy Within

  1. Often, it is difficult to deal with the enemies from within. While rebuking devils in the world, realize that the problem could be right under your nose.
  2. It is hard to see the bad in people close to you. Their attachment to you, makes you feel that they are incapable of crossing you.

B.     You Are Taking Losses You Shouldn’t Have to Take 

  1. Joshua is confused. He has taken a loss he shouldn’t have had to take.
    1. Interview: One time, an Interviewer asked Bishop what his biggest fear was. Bishop’s response was, “Being able to navigate big waters, but in the the end, drowning in a small pool”. It is always the little stuff that gets you.
    2. When you don’t deal with dysfunctions among you, you will take loses that you don’t have to take. It is the sin that so easily besets us.
  2. You have to declare this is the last time you will take a loss like this.
  3. Joshua shows us that there can be a curse within your camp.

III.          CURSE IN THE CAMP 

  • When you see ripping of clothes in the Old Testament, it was a sign of being in deep grief. Remember when Job did this and sat in ashes?
  • Joshua and the priest started praying, trying to figure out why they lost.

A.    Prayer Will Always Reveal the Problem 

  1. God will give you a revelation concerning your situation. Faith without works, is dead.
  2. God tells Joshua to get up off his knees. Prayer wasn’t going to fix it this time. There has to be work with your faith. Joshua needed to deal with Achan.

B.     Everybody In Your Crowd Is Not in Your Corner 

  1. Crowd doesn’t mean anything other than we’re all in all in close proximity.
  2. Corners on the other hand, reference a specific location. Everyone in your crowed can’t fit in your corner. Stop trying to make people in your crowd fit in your corner!
  3. Because people pat us on the back or brag on us while we are there, we think they are in our corner.

IV.          COURAGE TO CONFRONT 

  • Joshua has to confront his Achan. If you are going to advance, you have to confront the problem head on. You can’t listen to God tell you what the problem is, and you not address it.
  • There is no Devine intervention without acknowledging the problem and dealing with it. Remember Jonah, he told them the problem was him and that they should throw him overboard. Instead of throwing him overboard, they rowed even harder.

 

A.    What You Tolerate Determines How You Elevate 

  1. If you don’t deal with your Achan, it will determine your ceiling.
  2. If you tolerate disobedience or foolishness, then that’s as far as you will go.

B.     Deal with ALL of It 

  1. You can’t deal with some of it. You got to deal with all it.
  2. Joshua teaches us:
    1. Corporate Personality – This means, whenever a transgression happened in a family, the whole family had to deal with the consequences.
    2. In the Old Testament, they believed curses were contagious.
    3. They moved Achan and his whole family from the camp. Example: When Cancer is removed, they remove the tissue around it too in efforts to try and get it all. They don’t want to just get rid of the cancer. They want to get rid of all that was connected to it.
  • How can you get rid Achan and not get rid of his crew.

V.          CELEBRATE THE CONQUEST 

  • The Bible says when they dealt with Achan and his family, God gave them a redo (or a do-over).
  • This Is what happens when the curse is gone. God will give you a do-over.

A.    Go Forward Without Fear 

  1. Achan was the problem. Now that you’ve gotten rid of your Achan, don’t dwell on it! Now ill be the greatest season of your life!

B.     His Promise Is Greater Than Your Past

  1. Tomorrow is a shifting of a season. You wondered why you couldn’t achieve and now you know. It was about relationship.
  2. Some of you are on the greatest spiritual journey of your life. Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
  3. Joshua and the Children of Israel defeated Jericho, but they got tripped up by Ai. God said they had to deal with Achan. God took his hand off of them, because of what Achan did. Once they dealt with it, they get a do over.
    1. Joshua 8:1-2 NKJV says ”Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”“ – God told them that this time they will defeat Ai, and this time, they will get to take and keep their stuff!
  4. This means:
    1. Right perspective – I see things right.
    2. Right posture – I’m not going to walk around defeated.
    3. Right people – I move forward, because I got the right people around me.
    4. Right promise– As you did to Jericho, you will do to Ai.
    5. Right to possess – Your blessing might not find your in the big place. It might find you in a small place.
  5. After all of this, we have to be willing to Praise! One thing is for sure. You can’t Praise without putting Ai in the middle of it!! (Pr-ai–se). Deal with your Achan.

 

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Part IV: Don’t Get Beside Yourself

Posted on February 2, 2024 by growintheword

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Synopsis of Sermon 01/28/24

Deuteronomy 8:10-18 NKJV
10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 
11 “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 
18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

I.          INTRODUCTION 

  1. Going to the next level affords us another level of living on the earth. Getting to the next level is only possibly when we walk in the righteousness of God.
  2. It is a mindset. Our quality of life has to do with the quality of our decisions.
  3. When you get to the next level, you must remember you can’t get beside yourself. The children of Israel were reminded constantly, not to get beside themselves. You have to remember where you came from.
    1. Remember the Children of Israel left 12 smooth stones in the Jordon for remembrance of where they crossed.
    1. Remember the last supper? Jesus told them that as often as they did it, they should do it in remembrance of Him.
  4. We shouldn’t develop convenient amnesia. We ought to have gratitude wrapped in humility. When you grow in your relationship with God, you can remember all the times where God was at work in your life. You realize that what you are, God made you. You realize where you are, God brought you. You just can’t get beside yourself!
  5. Today this Word will help us to remember to keep God as our main thing.
  6. Today we talk about the Hebrew Bible which is the collection of the first 5 books of the Old Testament. These books make up what is referred to as The Law. Other names for these books were the Torah and the Pentateuch.
    1. These 5 books were Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  
  7. Right before the Children of Israel go into the Land of Promise, God warns them not to get beside themselves. Just like the Children of Israel, God would not be releasing this Word into your situation, if things weren’t about to change for you.

II.          PRAISE HIM FOR WHAT YOU’VE PERSONALLY WITNESSED 

  • In the scripture, He doesn’t say if the blessing happens, but instead when the blessing happens in your life. If you keep doing what God assigns you, you will reap if you faint not.
  • As soon as they get to the Promise, the writer says:

A.    Praise Him for His Goodness 

  1. You cannot be a benefactor of the previsions of God, and not be grateful for the goodness of God.
  2. You can walk into your closet and see options now, when in the past, you didn’t have any options.
  3. You could be in ICU, but instead, you are here.

B.     Praise Him for His Grace 

  1. The Children of Israel were complainers. If we were to be honest, it surprises me how much God does for us daily. We are the benefactors of grace!
  2. When you think about grace, you can’t help but give God glory. We are not consumed because His mercies are new every morning!

III.          PRIDE PREVENTS PROPER WORSHIP

  • When you accomplish certain things, there is a risk that you will contribute to your own fall. Proverbs 16:18 NKJV says Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. 

A.    5 Things Pride Produces 

  1. Moral Self-Righteousness
    This is when you find yourself in a place where everyone is wrong but yourself. We have to remember that all of us have issues in our lives. We are all filthy rags in God’s presence.
    1. Hermeneutics means interpretation. Hubris means pride. Together you have interpretous pride. These are people that think they are always right. You have to realize that you might not always be right.
    1. Remember Self-rightness is a product of pride. Here’s an example of pride. Luke 18:11 NKJV says The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 
  2. Confidence in your own Accomplishments 
    You have to know that God gives you the power to do what you do. You don’t accomplish everything on your own.
    Daniel 4:28-37 NKJV says All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” 31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” 33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. 34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, 
    And His kingdom is from generation to generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” 36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. 
  3. A Desire to be God 
    Pride can cause you to want to be God. Isaiah 14:13-14 NKJV For you have said in your heart:‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
  4. Lack of Teachability 
    Pride an cause you not to be teachable. Hebrews 13:17 NKJV 17 Obey those who [a]rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
  5. Arrogance 
    Pride an cause you to be arrogant. You can’t walk around being prideful! Proverbs 8:13 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

B.     He Gave You All of It, But Can You Give Him All of You? 

  1. When God meets all of your needs, you can begin to neglect God. Remember God gave it all to you, to see if you will give your all to him.
  2. Can God get your talent and your treasure?

C.     You Cannot Worship If You Allow Yourself to Be Worshipped

  1. The truest communion of God is when we get ourselves out the way. God didn’t bless you for you to get the glory.
  2. Let people know that Jesus made what you achieved possible. It is our responsibility to remind people that the Lord can give, but he can also take it away.
  3. Don’t worship people because of the things that they do. The Bible says that God made us a little lower than the angels. Rev 22:9 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. [a]For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God– The angel shows John something that blows hid mind. As a result, John wanted to worship him. The angel told him not to, because he was a servant of God, just like he was. He told John to worship God!

IV.          PROTECTED AND PROVIDED FOR IN THE WILDERNESS 

  • Know that whatever God allowed us to go through was necessary for our development.
  • Know that there is no Promised Land without a wilderness journey. The wilderness is a place where there is more question than answers.
  • 2 things about the wilderness
    • If you’re in wilderness, it means you escaped Egypt.
    • If you are in the wilderness, everyday you are getting closer to your promise.

A.    He Kept You When You Couldn’t Keep Yourself 

  1. God wouldn’t take you through the wilderness if he hadn’t intended on bringing you out! Everything that came after you in the wilderness is beneath you. It could kill you, but it is beneath you.
  2. God led us by:
  3. When we were thirsty, he brought water out of something that was not supposed to produce water. God can provide where something is not supposed to come from.
  4. He provided manna. God let the manna fall in the day, and he had the quail at night. He wanted carbs for the day and protein for at night.

  5. God allowed you to go through what was trying to attack you. It was trying to take authority over you, but he gave you authority over it.

B.     All of It Was for Your Good 

  1. God allowed you to go through it to humble you and test you! God was preparing you for the Promised Land.
  2. We are at a point that we would like to be humble ourselves voluntarily and not involuntarily.

V.          PROPER PERSPECTIVE ON THE POWER TO GET WEALTH 

  • When you have perspective, everything changes. God took you through, so you wouldn’t know it wasn’t about what you did. It was all because of Him.
  • The Lord gave you the power to get wealth. You left Egypt a land of oppression and He’s bringing you to a place with more than enough.

A.    You Didn’t Accomplish This by Yourself 

  1. God gave you the power to get things done. A lot things wouldn’t haven’t happened in your life without God allowing you to do t.
  2. Story: There was a turtle on a telephone post. Finally, someone asked, how in the heck did the turtle get up there? One person replied by saying, “I don’t know how he got up there, but we know he didn’t get there by himself”.
  3. God gave you the power to access power over your life. You might not be able to do it by yourself, but God gave you the power to make it happen!

B.     Never Forget What He Gave You to Get It

  1. There are many arguments concerning which cellphone is best. There is one thing that brings all of our cellphones to common ground. That common ground is, when they get to 3%, they will shut down, if you don’t find a power source!!
  2. No matter how expensive your phone is, it will not function without a power source for it to plug into. You need to get close to a power source!
  3. Why do you get up so early in the morning trying to get a word? It is because you are trying to get where the power source is!  
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Part III: Unapologetically Blessed

Posted on January 31, 2024 by growintheword

Synopsis of Sermon 1.21.24
Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III
Proverbs 3:1-10 NKJV
My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.


I. INTRODUCTION
• Often people ask where’s the best place to start, when reading the bible. I say Proverbs, because it starts with talking about wisdom.
• In the series we’ve been in, we’ve talked about the principles of giving and therefore, we have no excuses. It is not what God does for us, but who God is to us.
• There are things that we are required to do in order to tap into the totality of what God has for our lives.
• Even when you struggle, you wonder if you were being humble when you were walking into God’s blessings.
o God wants us to be blessed. You were born to be blessed.
• Proverbs is a book of wisdom. We believe reading it first, because it leans in on good decision making.
• In Proverbs, Devine revelation is given to us and our thinking then becomes correct. Our lives come into harmony with the divine will of God.
• What does it mean to walk unapologetically is the blessings of the Lord?


II. REMEMBER THE BENEFITS OF OBEDIENCE
• Obedience means making a conscious choice to comply and carry out the will of God. God does not operate outside his will. God must be the most important thing in our lives.
• We must obey God.


A. Obedience Enhances the Quality of Your Life
1. The Bible says, if you obey the will of God, long life and peace will come to you.
2. When you are out of alignment, you are working with Satan to self-destruct. The devil knows God’s plans concerning you. He can’t take it away from you, but he can make your bad behavior mess the plan up for yourself.


3. You have to ask is it really worth it? Do you want peace more than you do pleasure?
B. Obedience Attracts Favor
1. When you do right, good things come to you. Never let someone pull you into something contrary to your character.
2. When you have favor it can change everything. Favor is better than money. Favor is when God leans in your direction. For example, you can’t explain how you got that job, it’s just favor! You can’t explain how you got that house; it’s just favor!


III. RECOGNIZE THAT GOD HAS BIGGER OPPORTUNITIES
• The Bible says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. – Sometimes we get frustrated when doors close. Don’t lose heart, because when things pass you by, it is opening up other doors. You have to trust beyond your own understanding.


A. Trust God Beyond Your Understanding
1. This doesn’t mean that you don’t think or strategize. It means don’t put solely everything on you. We have to trust God. God’s plan is greater for your life. God’s plans will be far beyond anything that you can imagine.


B. If You Keep God in It, He Will Keep You Winning
1. If you take God everywhere you go, you will do extraordinary things. God will keep you wining! Some things were too small to hold the greatness that God has over your life, so God had to let it go for you.
2. This year will be a big year for you and your family.


IV. RIGHTEOUSNESS PRODUCES BETTER OUTCOMES
• There’s power in walking in wisdom. You can be brilliant, but not be wise.
• Wisdom doesn’t always come with age. It can come with prayer and fasting too.
• When you have knowledge, this is great, but all knowledge does not align with the will of God.
• Wisdom makes knowledge obey. When wisdom comes in, it takes charge of your knowledge.
• Wisdom allows you to depart from evil.

A. Better Choices Make Better Character
1. Character is the good part of you. Personality is how you act. Personality is like perfume, but character is how you really smell. Who are you, before you put the perfume on?
2. Departing from evil is a character decision.
3. The Bible says it will be like health to your bones. This suggests that you look like you live.


B. You Will Look Like You Live
1. God wants us to have physical and mental health as well as looking good externally. The enemy wants us to look contrary to what God would have us to be.
2. When you think back to a time where you were convicted, you will remember that it made you change your character. You had a cloud over you that you couldn’t shake. It changed your nature. This is conviction.
3. Sin will age you. Think about your last class reunion. What happened to them? Some say life, but then you are left asking, “What kind of life do you live?”.
4. Sin will rob you of the plans God has for your life. When you walk into righteousness, God will make you look like where you are going, not where you’ve been.
a. Before I got saved, I was a mess. I didn’t look like myself. Then the blood came in and made it look like it never happened. You then have a clean slate.
i. Example — You have a house fire and you had a company come in and clean it up. You have everything that was broken fixed, so basically you rebuilt the house. The very day you brought people over to the new house, you see people sitting around smoking in it, putting the house back at risk.
ii. This is what sin does. God just gave you a clean slate and now you’re putting it back at risk. Your decisions matter! You got to start looking like where God has taken you, not where you’ve been.


V. RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF OVERFLOW

A. You Honor God by Giving Him What’s Right and Not What’s Left
1. When you honor God with your first fruits, it means you respect Him. Honor means respect. It puts you into a position for great things to happen. We take our seed and sow it. We trust God for the increase.
2. Your barns will be filled with plenty. In the bible days, the barn held the harvest. Whatever holds the harvest is a barn. If nothing is in the barn, then there was no harvest.
3. The barn represents what keeps me in between harvest times.
4. When you know what you know and you’ve seen God make a way, God will bring you to a place where you won’t have lack. Your barns are about to be filled with plenty!


B. God Is Going to Keep Full and Fresh
1. Vats were where they kept the stuff to make wine. The Bible says your vats will overflow with newness.
2. You are about to be in a season where you have new stuff.
3. Vats were big containers, built for holding a lot. God is saying new contacts, new money, new doors, and new opportunities are coming your way! When it does, walk in it unapologetically!
4. God is about to do something new and fresh in your life.
5. Pro 3:9-10 – 9 says Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine. – You might say, “God you are making changing to things I’ve been accustomed to”. God had to remind us, that he will do things that are unorthodox. He will shut THIS down, to make room for THAT!

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Part II: You’re One Decision Away 

Posted on January 19, 2024 by growintheword

 

Synopsis of Sermon 1.14.24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Malachi 3:7-18 NKJV
Yet from the days of your fathers 
You have gone away from My ordinances 
And have not kept them. 
Return to Me, and I will return to you,” 
Says the LORD of hosts. 
“But you said, 
‘In what way shall we return?’ 
8 “Will a man rob God? 
Yet you have robbed Me! 
But you say, 
‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts; 12 “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts. 
13 “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the LORD, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ” 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. 17 “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” 
18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

I.          INTRODUCTION

  • Being in relationship with God is not complicated. It comes down to obedience. Do what God says do or don’t do what God says do. When you don’t do what God says to do, you end up wondering why you didn’t end up in God’s potential for your life.
  • Some people seem to get to the next level. God isn’t just wanting us to have a ticket to heaven. God wants us to have all that He intended for our lives.
  • If we got to live in this world, what kind of life should we have?
  • John 10:10 NKJV says The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. – There is a quality kind of life that God wants you to have. God wants you to live a life with fullness like God intended.
  • There are many struggles that we undergo. Often a lack of biblical knowledge and lack of stewardship is the problem. Look at how many people are not able to leave a legacy to their children when they leave here.
  • Everything that God puts in the earth is a system. Kingdom economics for example is a Your body is a system. God said we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The only time we get messed up is when we jack up the system He designed for us.
    • Think about your health for instance. Health is a system. God put in the earth, everything that we need to be healthy. For example, the Daniel fast was based off of them not wanting to eat the king’s food. They decided to eat the diet of the King of kings.
      • We highjacked that diet and added sugar, preservatives, and everything to it. As a result, we have many health issues.
    • Wealth is a system. God’s understanding of wealth is not to struggle and that we have all that we need. We added greed and selfishness to it and messed up this system.
    • You were made to prosper based off God’s systems and not the world. Every generation can’t be in struggle. Somebody has to break the curse! God has some people willing to say the struggle stops with us.
    • If you lock in on this word today, you will change your generation forever.

A.    Nevi’im–Second Main Divisions of the Hebrew Bible 

  1. Malachi means messenger or spokesman. Through the prophet Malachi, the Lord addressed the Jews’ declining commitment to God.
  2. They had been in exile and was in the process of being rebuilt. It was during this time of recovery that Malachi prophesies to the people.

B.    4 Areas of Concern in Malachi 

  1. Neglect of Proper Worship– In this, they were bringing flawed sacrifices. Their sacrifices were supposed to be without spot of blemish.
  2. Failure of the Priest– The Priest were not teaching holiness anymore.
  3. Marriage Issues– The people had a disregard for the sanctity of marriage.
  4. Withholding Tithes– They were not tithing anymore.

 

  1. SEASON TO RETURN TO GOD

  • In Malachi, God says that we have turned away from Him. God is hurt by our departure. We should seek God first and all things will be added to us. What’s holding back our blessing, is our failure to turn back to God. This also is the reason doors are not opening up for us.

A.    God Didn’t Move, You Did 

  1. We left God, he never left us. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever more!
  2. Evidence of leaving God:
    1. Drifting– It’s a slow process. First, we stop praying and then you stop doing Bible study anymore. Eventually you look up and wonder how you got so far away.
    2. Desires– Your interest starts to change. You act on what things you were curious about.
    3. Decisions– Now you start acting on what you are curious about.

B.    Returning Requires Commitment 

  1. Commitment is staying with it. This means this is not a one-time thing. When you return back to God, He returns back to you.
  2. When you return to God, you are receptive about what’s happening.

 

  • STOP ROBBING AND START GIVING

  • Our giving is evidence of our commitment to God.
  • God says “you have robbed me…”. Buglers waits until you leave, then go steal your stuff. A Robber will take from you while you are standing there.

A.    Robbery Doesn’t Mind Causing Bodily Harm 

  1. If the whole nation has robbed God, guess who the nation is? It is us. We are the body of Christ. When we rob Christ, we cause bodily harm to the Body of Christ.
  2. Your robbery impacts generations, not just you.

B.    Giving Starts with The Tithe and Offering 

  1. Once you make a decision to come back to God, then you need to understand how to give to God.
  2. The Tithe is 10% of gross income, not your net.
  3. Some argue that you shouldn’t have to pay off the gross, because that is money that you don’t see. You might not see the gross, but you benefit from it. For example, when you apply for loans, you use your gross as a means for how much you qualify for.
  4. References to Tithing in the Bible
    1. Leviticus 27:30 NKJV says And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord – Grain was their commerce during these times. Today our commerce is money. Don’t take what belongs to God and turn up with it, instead of giving to Him what is due Him.
    2. Genesis 14:20 NLT says And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. – Genesis was before the Law. Melchizedek was someone that represented God. Abraham paid his tithe god.
    3. Genesis 28:22 NLT says And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” – They gave a tenth of everything that God blessed them with.
    4. Matthew 23:23 NLT says “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. – This scripture describes how tithing was important to the pharisees, that they did it even when they didn’t do the other things so well.
  5. The Tithe is a dime out of every dollar you make. Know that the rules of tithe don’t change because your income goes up. It’s still a dime out of every dollar you earn, no matter how much you earn.
  6. The real question is, do you trust God? We don’t give to God, for Him to do something for us. We give to God, because of what he has already done for us and because we love Him.
  7. Tithe is a debt we owe to God. Offering is a seed we sow. Genesis 8:22 NLT says As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” – The law of sowing and reaping always works.

 

  1. SPIRITUAL REVELATION OF GENEROSITY

  • We want to model generosity in the community. We are called to be channels of God’s blessings.
  • Why does God want us to give?

  1. Meat In God’s House Keeps Meat in Yours
  2. The storehouse was a place where they stored the meat. So when the scripture says to bring the tithe to the storehouse, it is the place where you are getting meat or where you are getting fed.

 

  1. God Will Move You from Just Enough to More Than Enough
  2. Culture is about doors. Doors are about who controls them. For example, if you come upon a Security door, you have to have access to get in. Privacy doors are set up in a way where there are certain things that you are not able see. Climate doors are doors designed to control the environment or how you feel.
  3. When you are a Tither, you don’t trip when people close doors on you. You don’t trip, because you know your blessings will come through windows from Heaven. If you think about it, there are more windows in a house than there are doors. More windows equal more opportunities for blessings.
  4. Never put confidence in a job. God never meant a job to take care of you. That’s why his name is Jehovah Jireh instead of Job Jireh. Your job is seed money. When you are a Tither, you will always have more than they pay you. Do you feel a draft? Do you feel a window open in Heaven?
  5. God is trying to move you to a place where you know that you have visions to fund and people to bless.

 

  1. SECURITY KNOWING MY REAPING IS GUARDED

  • God said he will rebuke the devour for our sake. God never blesses us just for us. He blesses us from generation to generation.
  • Some of you are already the first in your generation to make something big for yourself. Ever wonder how people come into a lot of money and in a year they are broke? Without spiritual leadership and good stewardship, this will be you.
    • Haggai 1:6 AMP You have planted much, but you harvest little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have enough to be intoxicated; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns wages earns them just to put them in a bag with holes in it [because God has withheld His blessing].” – This happens when God withholds the blessing. God will sometimes withhold His blessing when you withhold your tithe. When you have the blessing, God will protect the bag.

A.    God Will Keep Boundaries Around Your Blessings 

  1. Malachi says there will be pest that wants to eat what you have worked so hard to harvest.
  2. When you are a Tither, God will block all of the schemes and plots of the enemy.

  3. The Full Scope of Your Blessing Will Be Obvious to Everyone
  4. When God blocks that which comes to harm you, all nations will called you blessed!
  5. Imagine that God will take you to a place that is flowing with stuff we didn’t plant. When you plant in the ground, you know you have water, but the milk and honey is a little something extra.
  6. There are people sitting next to you that will testify, that this principle (tithing) is right. God’s got some stuff that will flow to you. There are things that God is about to do that you will not be able to explain. God will call you blessed, and others will too, because of the way you live.
  7. If you lose it, you know that God gave it, and He can give it to you again. Your name is not the sick one! You will not be the bitter one or the messy one or the pitiful one.
  8. We came today to break the curse off your bloodline! It all will stop with you! You will be the last generation that has to worry about a student loan or a mortgage payment, in Jesus name, Amen!

 

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