Sunday Message Summary, 15 January 2023
True riches come from the blessing of the LORD (Proverbs 10:22), not from our intellect or knowledge. Through Christ, this blessing has come to the Church, to every believer (Galatians 3:14). Therefore, in spiritual reality, we, the Church, are blessed and we are rich. The will of GOD is for the Church to be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9), and these riches are not just spiritual, but in all aspects. We are blessed physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, materially, and financially. The blessing makes us rich, and this blessing is for the Church, which means that we, the Church, must take full advantage of it. We must therefore know how to activate the blessing of the LORD.
It is giving that activates the blessing of the LORD, so there is a reward to our giving. Apostle Paul understood this, and he did not want to have the churches that he established to be full of poor believers, so he told them how to come out of lack and poverty by giving (Philippians 4:15-19). GOD responds to giving with His blessing that makes us rich (2 Corinthians 9:10-11). Giving therefore activates God’s supply. Giving is a spiritual transaction, which is the reason why the devil attacks believers so much in this area. To always have all things we need in abundance (2 Corinthians 9:8), we are to maintain the cycle of giving and receiving. This means that our giving must be consistent and not be a knee-jerk reaction.
Giving pleases GOD because He wants to give as much to us as possible. However, it is not every giving that activates the blessing. The giving that GOD wants is where everybody does their part in giving. GOD does nothing except through the Church, so for us to be blessed is through the Church (2 Corinthians 8:1-2), through the corporate anointing. GOD blesses the Body when the Body gives collectively. Furthermore, everyone has something to give, so we give out of what we have, and not what we don’t have (2 Corinthians 8:12). However, the giving that activates the blessing is giving out of our free will, not giving out of command or compulsion (2 Corinthians 8:3), because GOD looks at the heart. Not every giving receives blessing because it is a heart condition. Right giving springs out of the heart’s eagerness to give, out of zeal and enthusiasm (2 Corinthians 8:4-5).
Giving is a devotion. It is obedience, submission, and servanthood, first to GOD and then to the Church, and though we give through the Church, it honors the LORD (Proverbs 3:9-10). Giving is the key that operates the blessing that makes us rich, prospers and causes us to succeed, so we are to excel in giving (2 Corinthians 8:7). Giving glorifies GOD (2 Corinthians 8:19), so we worship GOD through giving. It does not glorify the giver, but it is to glorify the unseen, invisible GOD. For this reason, it is giving in secret that glorifies GOD.
Giving is the key that operates the blessing that makes us rich, prospers and causes us to succeed.
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