Bilities to get out of it, he wants you to prosper.
He wants you to grow financially.
And you might say well that's strange.
Well it's not strange. When you look at that verse now
he says I want you to prosper even as thy soul prospereth.
Now, a lot of people, they Prosper, but their soul don't
Prosper see there, so just stay shrunk.
Actually, they're so doesn't grow their the same last year as
the world last year and the year before that their soul just
doesn't grow. But brother their bank account
has grown Their material possessions have grown and
developed, but their soul hasn't see that's God's measurement
right there. Ever how your soul prospereth?
How it grows, then you can prosper.
But if you start prospering and your soul doesn't Prosper, the
soul. Doesn't grow.
The soul. Doesn't become more useful to
the Lord. Jesus Christ.
Then you have a problem. There's a great problem there,
so we want to discuss all of these things here.
As we go along in this lesson this morning.
I'll tell you, I am really thankful for our Brethren who
have prospered. And their soul has prospered
along with it. We got many of them in the
church that has done that and they are.
So is so wonderful for us to behold and the kingdom of God
has been strengthened because of them.
Now, How do you determine somebody's will?
I don't know anything about your bank accounts here.
I don't know how much money you make.
I really don't care if your soul has prospered.
So, how do you determine a man's wealth?
Well, it was a dumb man. One time when asked directions
to a certain place answered in hand size?
And they finally figured out that he would only give them
directions to the place where they were going from money.
So they gave him some money and then he immediately began
speaking to them and giving them directions to the place where
they wanted to go. And they said, why didn't you
speak before? Why he said it's only money that
talks. See, that's the way some people
are today to they think the only thing that talks today This
money. See, God doesn't want you to
have that kind of attitude. He wants your soul to grow.
And prosper. And he wants you to prosper to
as long as your soul grows beyond that.
Now in marked the 10th chapter verse 22, you remember this Rich
Young Ruler. He was came to Jesus and ask
him. Good Master.
What must I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said, you know, the Commandments.
And he quoted a few of those Commandments and and he said,
oh, these how have I observed from my youth?
But then Jesus gave him a startling blow.
He said, one thing, thou likest, Go thy way and sell whatsoever
thou Hast and give to the poor and that's how Treasures in
Heaven. See.
Now, you know why? Jesus told him that?
Because his soul hadn't prospered like he had prospered.
See he let his money, his riches, his gold, and his
silver, and all of that grow. But his so we'll still little
bitty, see was very small. And Jesus saw the problem right
off. You got to get rid of that, it's
in your way of going to heaven. It's in your way of letting
those things of doing those things that will bring you
Treasures in Heaven. And so he didn't like that.
You know what it is. Well, his wealth was more
important to him than eternal life.
So he turned his back on Jesus and walked away.
I heard about a man and one of the Southern States, he had some
property and they were drilling for an oil.
Well on it. And they found oil, they hit
oil. And it was Sunday morning when
they did it. And somebody came into the
assembly. And told them they've struck oil
on your place, the man got up and walked out and didn't come
back to church until that all well went dry.
What do you think about somebody that has that kind of attitude?
Well, this is something we might need to consider, but wealth was
more important to this man than eternal life.
You know in 1957, one year before One year before Joanne,
and I moved to California. The.
State was. Was voting.
For what would be California's motto?
See. What's it going to be?
Well, it boil down to two things.
In God, we trust Are Eureka. You know which one won by vote
of 6:40. Eureka.
I have found it. Talking about the Gold Rush
days. And the riches that California
had Eureka, I have found it. Well now, I don't know whether
California's been blessed or not.
It's still a very wealthy State and all of that.
But brother wickedness has grown with it.
Hasn't it? People.
They have not prospered. So far as their soul is
concerned, but we got that motto.
Just blot it out. And In God, We Trust And I'll
tell you right now, Terry, I've got to figure out which side
this this operates on here, I don't know what I've done.
So at any rate, your Rica is now on the state seal.
Instead of in God we trust and you know they're trying to get
rid of that statement on our coins on her money and never
play since they can all across this great and wonderful land
that we have. They don't want to trust in God.
The nation's Soul has not prospered his it.
We have got to trust in God and we want to have that as our
motto for our life, whether the state of California or the
United States or anybody else does or not.
We want to have it as the motto for our life.
In God, We Trust now. so, how does God determine wealth?
The prosperity of one soul is our father standard.
And let's read that verse again. Beloved, I wish above all things
that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy Soul has
prospered. Now.
In Matthew 10 verse 28. Jesus was talking to some people
that were very interested in material things.
Wealth among them, but he told them, he said in fear, not them
which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather
fear him which is able to destroy both soul and Body in
hell. Brother, that is who we had
better fear. That is the one that America
needs to fear today more than any other thing in this life.
See we need to fear him which is able to destroy both soul and
Body in hell, that's real So let's be careful about that in
Matthew 16 and 26. He kind of brings it all down.
To the truth that we need for. What is a man profited?
If he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or
what? Shall a man give in exchange for
his soul? What about that brother?
That got up and walked out of the assembly when he heard he
had? Vast riches coming in.
What about someone that will forsake God in order to work at
a job? Where they really have a good
income. They're not fearing.
God are they? Listen, he says you fear the one
that is able to destroy both soul and Body in hell.
And remember this, your soul is worth more than all of the
riches of the world. That precious soul that you have
what a valuable thing. It is.
What a great thing it is. So This teaches us.
The value of the soul and that's reason, God chose it as the
Stander of prosperity measurement.
Think about it. What people will sacrifice so
far as spiritual, spiritual things are concerned in order to
get a higher-paying job. Or in order to accumulate some
wealth here. Think about it.
Listen. Your precious soul is worth more
than all of the material things here in this life.
And when you, if you lose it, you have lost it all now.
Everyone likes the first two parts of this prayer verse that
John was writing to this brother in Christ.
They they really like to pray for Prosperity.
That really like to pray for good health.
But they don't like God's measurement when he said even as
thy Soul has prospered because their soul is not prospering.
It's not growing, I hope every one of us gets stronger and
stronger every year. That we develop.
You've got good leaders here. You got people who strive to
teach the congregation in all that is supposed to do.
And you as an individual and you know what, if you're not
growing, they'll help you, they'll study with you, they'll
work with you see what a wonderful thing that is.
But make sure your soul is growing that it's developing and
all of those things that go along with it because it is the
standard For measuring Health as well.
We know what sickness will do, don't we?
How it has invaded. So many congregations including
this one in recent days. now, he wants our health to prosper to
sometimes people say, well, God brought all of these things on I
know he can, but I don't think he has I think the devil still
in business just like it was in the days of job when the devil
caused all of the financial losses that job experience.
And then took his health away where he had boils from the top
of his head to the bottom of his feet.
And his children were all killed in a storm, not that God
brought, but what the devil brought.
And I want to tell you the devil is still in business today and
you better watch out for him. and so, when something happens,
We don't blame God. Let's blame the devil.
Let's learn for our, let's teach our children to hate the devil.
And will be blessed. Because the devil is still
sponsoring a lot of meanness, lot of heartache and
disappointments. You know, if we pray for our
health Then we generally do exercises and things like that.
But when people are doing that, do they really believe?
This is God's standard for our wealth and for our health.
Let me ask you a question. I want you to look at this right
here. Suppose, this prayer was
answered for you. Let's say we want to pray for
prosperity. We want to pray for hell.
And those we were we prayed to receive blessings as our soul is
prospered. So suppose this prayer was
answered for you. Would you be on welfare
immediately because your soul hasn't grown.
You know people today, oh God doesn't make any difference.
One man, told me one time that that religion was for women and
children. See.
But he didn't do well. In this life.
I want to tell you religion was given to us by God, to bring us
back to him. So what it means really, again,
Leo, which means to tie, to tie this back together with God.
That's what religion is far to. Bring us back to God and ties
together with him in a fellowship that blesses, our
prosperity and our health and And our.
So let's talk about, let's talk about these things.
You know, financial trouble is inconvenient.
And it's embarrassing to. Do you consider Soul trouble?
Like this. Like financial trouble is
inconvenient and embarrassing. Oh, I got soul trouble.
Do we say this? It's so embarrassing.
I've got to do something about it.
Well, some people don't. now, I don't care whether you have a
huge bank account and put material possessions or whether
you are in poverty. I know what that is and I can
remember what I went to school. I didn't ask my dad for twenty
dollar bill. I didn't ask him for a ten
dollar bill. I asked him for a pin and
sometimes he didn't even have that.
Daddy would you give me a penny? Son, I don't have it.
I know what poverty is. I was raised in it. and, and so,
I think if people would consider so trouble.
Like to do Health trouble and financial trouble.
They pay more attention to their soul.
So Prosperity is the name of the game.
So, can you think of anything worse than bad health?
It's a terrible thing. These Last two or three years of
my life. I've had that health problem
pretty bad. But so trouble.
So Tara, you know, when I was going through all of that
sickness, I tried. To study the word of God.
Ice tried. I tried to grow I tried to
develop some more lessons and things like that.
I tried to pray more and I tried to read the Bible more.
That's what we got to do, when we have trouble.
But we have difficulties in life.
Let's get closer to God, sometimes even in death.
People, they don't try to get closer to God, listen, he's the
one who can help us. He's I remember.
When our parents died, my parents died, that it was on
Wednesday night. And we went to church.
And people would ask us. What are you doing at church?
Your father died. How come you're at church
brother? That's when you need to be close
to God. See, that's when you need to get
closer to him and grow in all of this because he's got strength,
he's got power. And helps us in time of need.
So, so trouble. I think it's worse to my mind,
and I think the Gods But is it to your mind?
So sickness is it worse in your mind?
That's a bad, he'll our financial difficulties things
like that. So, Spiritual sickness and
infirmities. It's a terrible thing.
See. Don't talks about some things.
Now, some people might think of meddling What'd you see?
Some people have religious hydrophobic fear of water.
I can stand up here and teach these Brethren can stand up here
and teach the Plan of Salvation is.
You've got to believe, you got to repent and you've got to
confess Jesus to be the Son of God.
And then be baptized. Oh, Some people say, there you
go about baptism again. Like a rabid skunk.
They've got. Religious Hydrophobia fear of
water. I don't know why else they're
doing that because Jesus is plainly given us some
instructions along this of on this line.
But I consider this the number one spiritual disease today.
You know what Mark 16 and 60 he said he that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be
damned. Well.
Now, Jesus was very interested in water.
They're interested in it. And so he wanted people to be
baptized immersed in water. It acts 8:21, you remember that?
We have Simon simulant Simon there that had been converted in
Samaria. And He was a powerful man, among
those people back there, he was a sorcerer.
But boy, when he saw what Philip the Evangelist could do.
And heard that preaching, he was baptized, then he saw the
apostles who came down from Jerusalem, lay hands on these
people and give them the Holy Spirit.
And so he asked for that. He wanted to buy.
And Peter told him, thou Hast, neither part nor lot in this
matter for thy heart. Is not right in the sight of
God. See he had heart trouble, didn't
you? He had to straighten that out,
heart trouble difficulties things like that.
Oh, you Corinthians. Paul said our mouth is open unto
you, our heart is enlarged. In other words, the apostles was
just had a big heart and he loved all of these Brothers and
Sisters in Christ was a Love him.
He said, ye are straitened in your own balance.
Now, for a recompense in the same, I speak as unto my
children be, ye also enlarged. Now, you see, he wanted them to
grow. He wanted their emotions to be
powerful in the service of the Kingdom.
He wanted them to receive him and the other apostles.
But the heart, that's where our emotions are and job.
First John, three verse 17, he says, but whoso hath this
world's good and seeth. His brother have need and
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how
dwelleth the love of God in him. See so let's be enlarged.
Let's grow and let's develop and make sure our soul is really
Prospered. Now, some people have spiritual
fever, like in First Corinthians 10 and six where he said about
those Israelites were that whole generation died out there on the
Wilderness gin Journey. He said, now these things were
our examples to the intent. We should not lust after evil
things, as they also lusted. Also many people, they got, they
got that kind of fever right there that Lust For Fever, they
want to do things to satisfy the flesh.
Like the Israelites did He wanted that to really not be the
characteristics of Christians in first, Timothy 69, he says, but
they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and Perdition in Titus 2 verses 11 and 12 for the grace of God.
God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men.
Listen teaching us what's teaching us the grace of God
teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.
We should live soberly and righteously and godly in this
present world. Let's help our soul to grow with
the great things that God has given to us.
And then this last rottenness of the bone.
You know, we had a neighbor one time.
That had diabeetus. And his bones in his feet, begin
to rot. See that we get the right
sometimes we'd look out there and he would have fallen in his
front yard because of Rome bone just broken his foot while he
was walking toward the house. well, you know Solomon said, in
Proverbs 14 and 30, a sound heart is the life of the flesh,
but Envy the rottenness of the bone injury.
You got that disease, have you got that spiritual sickness,
it's a terrible one to have. When you find yourself envying,
the lifestyle of the world, watch out.
People sometimes they want to follow the world in dress.
They want to follow the world in places where they go and
develop. Now, It's some people, they are
bloated or puffed up as a scripture calls that charity is
not puffed up. Let me give you this example
here, you probably heard it before, I've given it before he
did illustration, but a frog into Ducks lived in a pond that
dried up. They were pretty fond of each
other. So the three of them were
talking about it and decided that the two bucks would hold a
stick in their mouth between them and the Frog would clasp
his mouth around that stick and they would fly.
Him to the next Pond where there was some water there.
Well. Those that saw them do this,
thought it pretty clever and not flying through the air, kind of
passed them by said, that is really clever who thought of it
and from up in the air. The frog said I did.
You see the connection? He was so puffed up, but what
happened to him? When he opened his mouth and
said I see your mouth flies opened again. and then,
Kersplat, that's what happened to him.
Let's not be puffed up. Let's not think of ourselves
above that, which we ought to, or of others above that, which
we we ought to. Let's not have this spiritual
disease and tell you one more thing.
I don't have any you sisters in mind here because I don't know
what your habits are, but this woman sat in front of a mirror
for an hour. Looking at her beautiful face.
well she thought you know, I think this wrong I'll probably
doing this so you so she can confess to the preacher, the sin
of Pride for sitting in front of a mirror and looking at her
beautiful face And the preacher says that is not the sin of
Pride that you have, that's the sin of imagination now.
We have to watch out. That's not be puffed up.
Bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable all
things, so make sure your soul profits, more than your health
and your wealth. Let's make sure of that.
Here's a artist conception of Jesus coming forth out of the
Tomb. You see how he has his hands.
Can't you just hear him say come unto me.
All ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
That's his message to you this morning.
If you're not in the right relationship with God, he still
saying coming to me, don't wait any longer.
Don't let your life linger. Away from God like that obey the
gospel. Believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God and be baptized into his body after repenting and
confessing him to be the son of God.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information, or you would like
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Bakersfield.com. Our service times are Sundays at
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