THE COMFORTER  (Part 7)                 

 

Bible Passage:  Matthew 6: 25-34

Memory Verse:  “But remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” (Deut. 8:18. NIV.)

 

LESSON FOCUS

We shall focus on the linkage between the anointing of the Holy Spirit and wealth.

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

What do men accept as a necessary ingredient on the way to our “making it” in life?  See Matt. 6:25-27.

What’s the Lord’s opinion on such an attitude? Matt. 6: 31.

Why doesn’t He support such an approach to life, and what does He offer us in its place? Matt. 6: 33.

But is there really any difference between “worrying about” and “planning for” tomorrow?

Matt. 6: 34; James 4:13-16.

 

LESSON OUTLINE 1: WEALTH, A TRUE SIGN OF SONSHIP

• How do we know that God is rich? Ps. 24:1-2; 50:10; Hag. 2:8; Rev. 21: 18, 21.
• How do we know He wants to bless us with wealth? Deut. 8:10-18; 2 Cor. 8:9;

      I Tim. 6:17; 3 John 2.

• But sometimes we seem to be hemmed and pressed in on all sides, and nothing just seems to work. Can we find some encouragement from Gal. 3:13-14; Isa. 10:27?

 

LESSON OUTLINE 2:  THE RELEASE OF ANOINTING FOR WEALTH

The Scriptures lay down conditions for the release of the anointing of the Holy Spirit for wealth. What are these conditions?

• We need to break the yoke of selfishness - through giving. Prov. 11:24.

The rich fool was selfish, and his riches couldn’t be of any help to him on the day of reckoning. Luke 12:12-21. Contrast that with the result from God-given wealth, Prov.10:22.

• We need to thirst for the grace of giving.

Giving opens the windows of heaven for God to send us rain. But remember that if we sow sparingly, we shall also reap sparingly. 2 Cor. 9: 6-8; Joel 2: 23-27.

• The Christian must have the faith that wealth is part of his heritage.

Let’s take note of how Abraham showed his faith by sowing the seed of the willingness & readiness to obey God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Gen. 22:9-22. Look especially at what God said in v.16 concerning Abraham’s action (i.e. the seed he sowed in obedience to God’s command), and compare that to what he reaped as described in vs 17-18.

This is a good illustration of the principle that if we sow bountifully, if we sow that which costs us dearly, then we can expect to reap bountifully. That’s the way God works.

• Diligence also releases the anointing of the Holy Spirit for wealth because it brings about multiplication and increase. I Thess. 4: 11-12; Prov. 12:24; Jn. 9:4.

 

SUMMARY

It is God’s desire to bless us with wealth. Let us follow the conditions He has laid down for the release of His anointing for wealth if we desire His blessing in this area of life.