1165-God Wants You to Prosper in All Things 3#
1165-God Wants You to Prosper in All Things 3
(JP Text Group - Grace Grass)
2 Corinthians 8:9:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. Amen!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you! We are in your holy temple, receiving the strength that comes from above. The Holy Spirit pours out power upon us, renewing our thoughts and minds with your words. We live a victorious life through you. We know you are the answer to all our problems. Today we receive provision from your word. We believe you will provide for us according to our needs. Everyone who seeks you will find you. We commit the following time completely into your gracious hands. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The topic we are sharing is: Jesus is Not a Poor King
Some say Jesus is a poor king, and there are some Christians who oppose material wealth. They believe that as Christians, we should not be wealthy, because if we are wealthy, we become worldly. For three weeks, we have been discussing a series of sermons called "God Wants You to Prosper in All Things." We have been talking about how this world was created by God for His children. What fills this world is what God has given to His children.
Some oppose wealth, believing Christians should live in poverty; in fact, they do not understand what poverty truly means. Is being without money the only definition of poverty? Do we all agree on this viewpoint?
Alright! Let me give you an example. There is a person who is very wealthy, enough money to last several lifetimes, but his health is terrible, suffering from various cancers. His money keeps flowing in, and every day doctors are inserting various tubes into him. I ask you, is he rich or poor? If God gave you such a life, would you want it? No. So is he poor or rich? Poor. Many times, when we talk about wealth, we immediately think of money. We emphasize again that the wealth God speaks of is not just about finances, Amen!
One of the arguments against Christians being wealthy is that they believe Jesus was very poor during his time on earth. Jesus was born in a manger because there was no money to stay at an inn. His work was looked down upon as a carpenter, and he had no house of his own. Even when he was crucified and died, he was buried in someone else's tomb. He lived a life of poverty. Therefore, many people think Jesus was poor, and that his disciples should also live in poverty.
But what does poverty really mean? Poverty means being destitute, weak, pitiful, lacking, and insufficient. Did Jesus meet these conditions? Although Jesus did not have his own house, he had a place to stay. Though he was born in a manger, his identity was still noble. Jesus is not pitiful, lacking, or weak.
Many people measure wealth by how much money one has. But in reality, wealth includes both physical and spiritual aspects. For example, a person may be very wealthy, but if he has a dark mind and everyone points fingers at him and avoids him, that person is poor. Another type of person is filled with fear every day, lacking a sense of security, even though he has plenty of material provisions, he still feels uneasy; such a person is also poor!
From what we have discussed, Jesus does not meet any of those conditions. On the night Jesus was born, during those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that all should be registered. Joseph took his wife Mary with him. At that time, Mary was very pregnant, and when they arrived in Bethlehem, they found that all the inns were full. They then went to a shepherd's shelter and gave birth to the child in a manger.
Many people always misinterpret the Bible, saying that they were too poor to stay at an inn, so they had to stay in the stable of an inn. The Bible never says that.
The Bible clearly tells us that it was because a large number of people were registering, returning to their own cities, and the roads were crowded with people, similar to how we rush home during the Spring Festival; you can't buy a ticket, but is it because you have no money? These are two completely different situations.
In Luke 9:58, Jesus said, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
People say, look how poor Jesus is, that he has no place to live. From the time he began his ministry, he wandered everywhere. Therefore, many people think that those who believe in Jesus also wander around like this, and they think that the life of a preacher should be one of wandering and having no fixed abode. What does this passage mean?
Let’s share the first point, Jesus is not poor; the Father has abundant provision.
When Jesus was born, several wise men came from the East, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which were extremely valuable at that time, gifts fit for a king, enough to provide for Jesus' family.
Jesus said: "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." When he began his ministry, he chose twelve disciples. Where did these twelve disciples eat? Did Jesus say after each sermon, "Go home and eat"? From the time these twelve disciples followed Jesus, he provided them with everything they needed to eat, wear, and a place to stay. Is this true? Thank God! For more than three years, they traveled throughout all of Judea and Galilee; the expenses for thirteen men over three years are enormous!
And all of this was provided by Jesus! Jesus needed sufficient funds to cover their missionary expenses; where did this money come from? It wasn't conjured by Jesus, was it, brothers and sisters? Last time we specifically mentioned that Jesus never turned nothing into money or food; he always multiplied what was already present in this world as seeds.
Luke 8:1-3
Soon afterward, Jesus went about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their means.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought that these women providing for Jesus was just enough for them to eat? Of course not. These people willingly contributed to support the development of the gospel ministry. Although they lived under the Old Testament at that time, they were willing to give, and God added rich seeds to these givers, enabling them to continue giving. So these people experienced God's miraculous grace in their homes for more than three years, and thus they were even more willing to give. God supplied Jesus and his disciples in this way.
If you say this example is not clear enough, let’s talk about a real-life example. Do you know about the Israelites today? Their country is very, very small, with two-thirds being desert, not much to boast about. But are their lives poor? Are they lacking in every aspect? Let me give you an example, and you will understand. Currently, among the top 400 wealthy families in America, Jews account for 23%; among Nobel Prize-winning scientists, 17% are Jews; among the elite on Wall Street, half are Jews.
Brothers and sisters, we have mentioned wealth, right? Earlier, we talked about wealthy families, where Jews account for 23%, which is financial wealth. Among Nobel scientists, they are advanced in cultural aspects as well. The wealth God gives them is not just financial; it also includes relationships and wisdom. Half of the elite on Wall Street are Jews.
We always hope to stand out in this world and showcase our value. You can pray to God to grant you wealth. Do not think of wealth only in terms of money; God will give you wisdom to acquire wealth through wisdom. God will help you improve in your relationships, allowing you to enjoy such wealth. Thank God! Wealth includes finances, wisdom, health, prosperity, and peace; this is God's abundant provision for His children.
Some say Jesus had no place to live. In Matthew 4:12-13, it mentions that
Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus had a place to live. In Matthew 9:1, it says, "Jesus got into a boat, crossed over and came to his own city." When the Bible specifically uses the term "his own city," it represents that there is a house of his own, my home is there. Jesus left Capernaum, went to Nazareth, and came to his own city. Many times we think Jesus was poor and had nothing, but in reality, he lacked nothing.
Another thing is helping the poor. In John 13:27-29
After Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, "What you are about to do, do quickly." But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.
When Judas left, the disciples did not think he was going to betray Jesus; they thought of two things: the first was that they needed to buy things for the festival; if they were poor and had nothing, would they need to buy things for the festival? They could just make do with something to eat; the other thing was to give to the poor. This proves that they regularly did these two things.
Buying things for the festival is not a big deal, but to give to the poor, you must first have something to give; this tells us that they often or regularly did such things, and the disciples had become accustomed to it.
A very poor person cannot do these two things. Judas Iscariot was in charge of the money, and the Bible says he often took from the contributions. Imagine this: if they were worried about their daily living, and if they only had ten dollars, Judas would have no opportunity to take money from it because everyone was counting on the next meal, who would dare take money from it?
But no one noticed what Judas Iscariot did, which only shows that there were often people willing to give, and they continually used that money to help those in need. So let’s think about this: did Judas believe in Jesus? Judas did not believe in Jesus.
In John 6:64, it says, "But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
"Did I not choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" Judas did not believe in Jesus from the beginning and remained unbelieving until the end.
Why did he follow Jesus if he did not believe in him? Some say it was for money. But if Jesus was very poor, doesn’t that contradict? What benefit was there in following Jesus? Judas was very fond of money, particularly greedy. When he followed Jesus, he was put in charge of the finances. Although we do not know what Judas did before, he might have been an accountant. His initial purpose in following Jesus was not pure; we should also be wary of those whose motives for serving are not pure. If it is for money, then they will often mention offerings; for such people, everyone should stay away, lest they be betrayed by such individuals later.
Judas gained earthly blessings by following Jesus; he had a name and money to earn, but he did not see that there were greater blessings in the afterlife. We need to adjust our perspective; believing in Jesus does not mean being poor in this life and wealthy in the next; this is a wrong perspective. God wants you to prosper in this life, and in the afterlife, God will also grant you an eternal inheritance.
However, some people say you are wrong to say this; God wants us to be poor. To such people, my answer is: live according to what you believe. Do not argue with such people; it is each person's choice. God has also given us the right to choose freely!
In John 12:1:
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected. He said, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages."
Verse 6 says he did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Mary took a pint of very expensive pure nard. Do you know how much that perfume was worth? It was equivalent to a year's wages for a working man. Pure nard is something a woman saves from her teenage years to prepare her dowry; it takes many years to save up for a bottle, making it extremely precious.
But Mary poured the perfume on Jesus' feet. Judas Iscariot thought it was a waste; if it were sold, it could be worth thirty pieces of silver, which could help the poor! Based on our current salary level, if one earns three thousand a month, that would be thirty-six thousand a year. "Wow, this could sell for thirty-six thousand. It would be better to help the poor!" Judas Iscariot thought this was too wasteful, believing that if he helped the poor, he could take some for himself. He did not care about the poor; he felt that the woman was wasting it by directly giving it to Jesus.
Some believers directly give to full-time ministers, and some say this is not acceptable; it must go through the church to count as a contribution. Those who say this may have some ulterior motives! This point, everyone can understand for themselves.
John 12:7-8
Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
What does this mean? Jesus is not separating himself from the poor when he says, "You will always have the poor among you." At that time, "thirty pieces" was a year's wages for a working man. Today, especially for our sisters, if you used thirty-six thousand for a bottle of cosmetics to put on your face, would you be willing to put it on your feet? Wouldn't that feel very uncomfortable?
When Mary poured the pure nard on Jesus' feet, did Jesus feel uncomfortable? Did he say, "No, no, no, that's too expensive; don't put it on my feet, just put it on my head"? Why could he accept all of this so calmly? Because this act might not be considered extravagant to him.
Let’s continue sharing, and perhaps you will understand. In the eighth verse we just read, the original meaning is that you will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.
In that society, the gap between the rich and the poor was significant; the rich looked down on the poor and were unwilling to associate with them. Jesus' arrival often found him with the poor, proving once again that he himself was not poor.
There are many admirable qualities in Jesus; he is a king, yet he is willing to be with a group of uneducated common people. He is very wealthy, but he is willing to be with the poor, willing to provide for them, willing to help them.
So do not think that you are worthless now, and that Jesus will abandon you; rather, it is because you are in great need that God wants to provide for you. Do not say, "Look at my life; I am living like this, I am truly bringing shame to the Lord's name!" It is precisely because you are living like this that you need Jesus' love and comfort even more.
Do not say, "My family relationships are a mess, my children are disobedient, and my relationship with my parents is poor." It is precisely because of this that you need to come before Jesus, because he will solve your problems. Jesus is the answer to all our problems, Hallelujah!
Jesus not only associated with the poor, but he also dined with Pharisees and tax collectors. Wealthy people invited Jesus to their homes. If Jesus were poor and had nothing, they would not even look at him. This again proves that Jesus is not a poor king.
In John 14:1, it mentions:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Brothers and sisters, where is Jesus? Where does Jesus want to take us? Do you know what kind of place Jesus has prepared for you? Is it a place of utter poverty, with nothing? Is that the kind of place?
Let’s look at a passage from Revelation 21:
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth four-square, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
If Jesus were poor, he could not prepare such a good place for you. In this world, even Solomon never lived in such a house. Jesus is so powerful in heaven, so wealthy. Does he lack everything on earth?
Jesus is not a poor king. He is a wealthy king; he is rich in finances, rich in relationships, and his life is abundant. Jesus' body has never been sick, so in every aspect, Jesus is wealthy, Amen! Thank God! So this is our Lord!
This world was created by Jesus, and he provides us with everything we need. This is his love for humanity. When you understand that Jesus is not poor, you will no longer worry or fear in your life on this earth. No matter what happens, you can come before God's throne of grace, and he will surely answer our prayers, guide and help us. As he is, so are we in this world.
If in your mind you always think Jesus is poor, then you will see lack everywhere in your life. What you believe is what you will experience in your life. Such a wonderful place, such a beautiful place, such a magnificent place, is what our Lord has prepared for us. So, thank God! Do you know? The most precious thing is not these things; it is you. What does Jesus need these things for? For whom are they prepared?
Brothers and sisters, you must understand how beautiful this world is; it was not created for Jesus but for you. Why did God create Adam? Not to torment him, to let him fall, to let him sin, to watch him suffer, and then laugh beside him; this is not God's intention, Amen!
When you see that your family relationships are terrible and your children are disobedient, you must know that there is some lack among you, and you need to come before Jesus. Receive what you lack from his abundant supply! If you have lack in your relationships, he can restore your relationships with others. If you have lack in your finances, you should pray to God; he will grant you wisdom to acquire wealth. The Jews never look to heaven and say, "Lord, drop a diamond down from heaven for me."
They ask God to grant them wisdom to utilize the wealth of this world. So you should also seek in this way. I suggest brothers and sisters read a chapter of Proverbs every day; it is filled with rich wisdom. Solomon was so wealthy and wise because God gave him wisdom, and he wrote the words in Proverbs, thank the Lord!
Let’s continue sharing. We just mentioned that Jesus is not a poor king, so do not believe wrongly. Do not be swayed by some preachers who say, "We must be spiritual. If you pursue wealth, health, and prosperity, you are not spiritual." Do not listen to them. They can say whatever they want. You say, "All these things the Father wants to give me." You do not want it; I want it. Thank the Lord!
Let’s share the second point: He became poor for us.
In the scripture we just read, it mentions that you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; he was rich, and for our sakes, he became poor. We have spent forty minutes discussing that Jesus Christ is wealthy, Amen! He has abundant grace; he is rich. But there was a moment when he became poor; when he was on the cross, he became poor. The latter part says he was rich but became poor for you, so that you through his poverty might be rich. Amen!
2 Corinthians 8:9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.
What does this mean? On the cross, he took our place; he bore the cost of our sins, and he became poor. When he was on the cross, bearing all the sins of the world, the Father turned away from him. The Father did not look at his son; at that moment, he became poor. It was so that we could become rich! He gave us his righteousness, peace, joy, prosperity, eternal life, and more.
Isaiah 53:4-6
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering; (the original meaning of this suffering is disease; he bore your diseases, so today you will be healed by his stripes.)
The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.
This "peace" in the original language is called Shalom. Shalom means that when the people of Israel meet, they do not ask, "Have you eaten?" Instead, they ask, "Shalom." The first word they say when they meet is Shalom. Shalom means not only peace but also includes safety, goodness, joy, blessings, health, prosperity, and rest. They all understand that when they say Shalom, it includes all the blessings from God that come from heaven. When we meet, we say peace in the Lord! You should know that when peace goes out, it is all of God's blessings that will come upon him. Hallelujah!
Because of the punishment he received on the cross, you received this peace; our sins were all laid upon him, and he gave us his peace. This is such a holy exchange; therefore, the Lord made him a sin offering. By his stripes, we are healed. He bore our diseases so that we could receive his health; he bore our sins so that we could become the righteousness of God. He became our curse so that we could receive blessings through him.
What did our main text say? He was rich but became poor for us. The only reason he became poor was to make you rich. He accomplished peace on the cross because the people of this world lack peace. There is no peace in families, no peace between people, and no peace between nations. But when Jesus was on the cross, when he offered himself for you, you could receive his peace.
He offered his body on the cross, took our poverty, and supplied us with abundant blessings. At that moment on the cross, he became poor, having nothing. Amen! His complete body was completely torn apart; his precious blood was completely shed, not a drop left behind, all given for us. He was beaten to give you his health, so when he died on the cross for us, we received his righteousness, blessings, and prosperity. Amen!
Let’s clarify what we read in our main text: you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; he was rich. This "rich" means some say it refers to spiritual wealth. For this verse, I specifically studied the Greek Bible, and the "rich" here in Greek means material abundance, sufficient supply. It cannot be explained as spiritual. It refers to the tangible blessings we can receive.
So that you through his poverty might be rich. In Chinese, it seems there is no distinction, but in the original text, there is a difference; two words are used. The first "rich" refers to material wealth, abundant supply, all pointing to what God supplies.
The second "rich" uses another word, which means having money. If this were translated, others would say, "Look how you wrote this! It says Christ became poor so that we might be rich; how vulgar!" But the original text refers to this; I even checked several versions and found this is the meaning.
Chinese may be more implicit, so it is written as "rich," but the original refers to Jesus Christ becoming poor for us so that we might have money. Isn’t that a very earthy statement? You should think about this statement repeatedly! This is a direct expression of the original text. It cannot be applied to the spiritual realm. Some always say this verse refers to how we will be wealthy in the kingdom of heaven.
This refers to material wealth on earth, thank God!
Jesus Christ provides us with two aspects: the first is everything we need on earth; Jesus Christ does not want God's children to be poor; he wants God's children to be wealthy. The second is the blessings in the kingdom of heaven; God has left us with eternal rewards.
Today, you can boldly say, I am a child of God; I am the one who will inherit the inheritance in the future; no one can change my identity. While I am on this earth, whatever I do will surely be blessed by God because I am loved by God, Hallelujah!
In the future, each of you will have an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. If you do not know what you have, meditate more on the verses we just read and see for whom they are prepared. You must determine one thing: this world is absolutely not prepared for the devil and his children; the kingdom of heaven was not created for Jesus to live in; it was created for us. So do not lose hope; God wants to bless you on this earth! In the future, in the kingdom of heaven, God will give you double blessings, both earthly and heavenly blessings. Hallelujah!
When Jesus died for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later, we were justified. He bore the punishment that was originally upon us, the curse that was upon us, so that we would no longer bear such a curse and could receive his abundant blessings, and all of this is his free grace. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise your grace! Lord, we thank you today for this word, allowing us to once again recognize Jesus Christ; you are not a poor king; you desire for us to be healthy and prosper in all things! Just as our souls prosper! If we do not know how prosperous our souls are, we cannot receive more of your grace. But through today's words, we truly know that you are rich in all things. When we become children of God, we are all descendants of Abraham. We can inherit the same blessings as Abraham.
You do not want us to live in poverty like Lazarus; you desire for us to be wealthy like Jesus. Because you tell us, as he is, so are we in this world; Jesus Christ is not poor; he is not poor in body; he is healthy, so we are healthy! He has good relationships with people, so through Jesus Christ, we can restore our relationships; all of this must be filled with the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I also pray for each person's heart; many times, because the pressures of this world are too great, we bear considerable pressure. But we must enjoy rest in Jesus Christ; because of the stripes you bore, we are healed; because of the punishment you received, we have peace.
We enjoy this peace because we are in your rest; because your blessings are in it, we have Jesus Christ, so there is nothing to fear. Because God, you have prepared everything for us; we live in your love and in your provision.
This week will be extraordinary; you have prepared abundant blessings for me; thank you and praise the Lord! Hallelujah! All glory be to you, comforting every brother and sister who seeks you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!