Part 1: From the Bag to the Barn Deuteronomy 28 various blessings, and the commanded blessing Introduction: A blessed life is far more than just financial The first and greatest sign of a blessed life is God s presence and fellowship The second greatest sign is a close loving family and friends But overall health and prosperity also have to do with a blessed life We need to have a proper attitude toward finances It doesn t offend me to hear preaching on finances I don t care for the preaching that plays on people s greed I don t like some of the manipulation and control I see Life s perspective We are only passing through this life. You are looking at a man that will die one day should the Lord tarry, but you are listening to a man that will never die. Live with eternity in mind. God wants his end time people to see a transference of wealth, but it is for revival and the harvest Israel leaving Egypt James 4:1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you
not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:13 Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that. 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. People get so caught up with financial advisors, portfolios, worry about money, and maybe feel an irritation about preaching about money..the Lord want us to not have any unhealthy views or attachments to money.demon god of mammon The scripture are full of God just wanting us to love him, obey him, and put him first, and HIS blessings will settle upon us Psalms 35:27 Lord delights in the prosperity of his servant, blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow to it Proverbs 10:22 Psalm 112:1 Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. 2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. don t let yourself be soured by hyper-prosperity preaching, or don t let there be a fear to be blessed..wealth and riches in his house Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaving an inheritance to your children s children Bag: The realm of not having enough, barely getting by, living paycheck to paycheck. Haggai 1:6, Luke 12 (a bag that is USED will wear out) This is the realm people are
usually needing to examine their lives for sin, satanic bondage, poverty mentality, or lack of faithful tithing and/or generous giving. This is a begging level. This is also a MY MONEY mentality. Judas had the bag, and ended up betraying Jesus for a bag of money. People upset about the money being spent in the church are usually those with a bag mentality. Haggai 1:6 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, Consider your ways! 6 You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a BAG with holes. Luke 12:11 Someone in the crowd said to Him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. 14 But He said to him, Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you? 15 Then He said to them, Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. 16 And He told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops? 18 Then he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. 20 But God said to him, You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 22 And He said to His disciples, For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life s span? 26 If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money BAGS which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns. Poverty mentality check
o Fear I won t have enough if I give o Barely getting along mentality and that life is expected o Buying junk to save money o Hoarder o Codependent on others to take care of you o Irresponsible mentality o Users o Speak a lot about not having enough o To break out of this level, you will have to become generous givers and have faith and expect God to make good on his word. As you have faith, you will speak faith. Barrel: Just a little left over. God has taken you from a bag level. Now you are starting to learn to be a tither and giver in offerings. Motives like James talked about are now pure about giving, and you are having extra left over for savings. 1 Kings 17: 7-16 Elijah had provision from the ravens (evil people, world) and then the woman at Zarephath that made him from her barrel (God s people). The woman had to give to Elijah first, but her BARREL lasted a year after it was blessed. Jesus said give and it will be given back to you pressed down, shaken together, and running over. This is the realm of ENTERING the reality of the realm of supernatural provision in God. This happens because of giving with faith, and speaking faith. Basket: Now you have enough to really help others. God can trust you to be a flow into the kingdom. Your first thought are now about the Kingdom. Now you mentality is fully this is God s money, and I am only a steward. You mindset is a seek first the kingdom, and all these other things will be added. When money comes in your first thought is now tithing and giving. A bag mentality says this is my money and it is hid in your pocket. A barrel is inside your kitchen, and you see the supernatural provision for you and your family. BUT a basket is out in the open, and now your are a blessing to the kingdom of God. Jesus fed the five thousand from a BASKET of a few loaves and fishes. Then there were 12 baskets full left over. A good man will leave an inheritance unto his grandchildren. Barn: This can be linked to a corporate group. Joseph and widespread wealth.way more than enough. Conduit of a flow of great wealth. The Lord rebuked a man that said my barn is full, but his life was required that night. This is the level where we are willing to be big givers and God knows he can trust us with wealth. We need God s commanded blessing by an overall life that pleases him, a heart about money that pleases him, and being generous givers that put God first. Obedience:
Pure motives and true love for the Lord Faithfulness in tithes and offerings Make sure your life is truly right with God: humble, home in order, repentant of sin, forgiving others Be a generous giver and not a tight wad