Summary:
Obedience is the key to living the abundant life Jesus died to give us. When we obey God, we connect to His blessings. However, our disobedience disconnects us from God and His provision. Disobedience produces spiritual and physical poverty.
A.If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).
1.To move from poverty to abundance, we must change our thinking.
a.We must resist lack in our lives by settling in our hearts that it is not God’s will for us to be poor.
b.We must begin to say out loud that God does not want us to lack. He wants us to prosper.
c.As we begin to speak faith-filled words, we are renewing our minds. We are changing ourselves on the inside.
B.Adam and Eve’s disobedience caused them to be poor on the inside first, then on the outside.
1.When we no longer have a relationship with God, we become internally poor.
a.Poverty is a reflection of an internal spiritual condition.
b.It is important that we honestly evaluate ourselves spiritually.
c.Obedience will guarantee a healthy spiritual life.
C.“The thief comes only in order that he may steal, and may kill and may destroy” (John 10:10, AMP).
1.Jesus said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance— to the full, till it overflows.”
a.Our abundant living should overflow into the lives of others.
b.We are blessed so that we can give to those in need (2 Corinthians 9:8-11, AMP).
2.We must refuse to have a wrong attachment to money (Mark 10:17-31).
a.There was a rich, young man who wanted eternal life.
b.However, he didn’t want to sell his possessions and follow Jesus.
c.He loved Jesus but not more than his riches.
d.The young man trusted in his riches more than he trusted in the Lord (Mark 10:23-24).
e.It is okay to have riches, but we should never trust in them (Psalm 52:7).
f.Anything we give up for Jesus will be returned to us a hundredfold in this lifetime (Mark 10:29, 30).
Scripture References:
•Isaiah 1:19
•John 10:10, AMP
•2 Corinthians 9:8-11, AMP
•Mark 10:17-31
•Psalm 52:7
