Humility & Poverty
Foundation Statement: People
have been deceived into thinking that poverty or even modest living is pure and
holy while abundance and excess is unholy and ungodly
I.
Romans 10:12,15-The Gospel is a prosperity gospel
A. Prosperity is fivefold-Spirit, Soul, Body, Relationships,
Finances
II.
Deut15:4-5-Poverty is not some
badge of holiness but rather it’s the result of disobedience
A. Translations-Deuteronomy 15:4-5
1.
ERV-There should not be any poor
people in your country because the Lord your God is giving you this land. And the Lord will greatly bless
you. But this will happen only if
you obey the Lord your God.
2.
MSG-There must be no poor people
among you because God is going to bless you lavishly in this land that God,
your God, is giving you as an inheritance, your very own land. But only if you listen obediently to the
voice of God, your God, diligently observing every commandment that I command
you today.
B. Obedience to the Word of God is the answer to poverty of
every kind and it’s foolish to try to answer it with other things
1.
Materialism is trying to meet
spiritual needs with natural things
2.
John 12-Ignorant people think
money is the answer for poverty, but the only thing that will end poverty is
obeying God
3.
People devote their lives to
ending poverty and God already said it’s not going to happen; Both poverty and
prosperity are obedience issues not money issues
C. In any area of your life, if you humble yourself and do
what God says in his word you’re going to see His prosperity poured out upon
you in a very excessive way
1.
You can trace lack of any kind in
any area of your life back to disobedience to the Word of God
III.
***Job 36:11-The level your of prosperity reveals the
depth of your obedience
A. Your prosperity is in your own hands and hinges upon
whether or not you will obey God
B. In any area of your life no matter how great the obstacle
may seem, if you will obey God you will prosper in that area and nobody can
stop it
IV.
***Proverbs 22:4-Poverty is not some badge of humility,
but rather it’s the mark of the proud-
A. I’ll submit to you that poverty is a result of pride and
disobedience and therefore poverty is unholy, unclean and it’s the result of an
ungodly life
1.
It’s unscriptural to attach lack
of material wealth to humility
2.
Jesus was not humble because he
rode a donkey and not a stallion; he was humble because he obeyed God
B. 2 Chronicles 32:26-30-Humility
brings prosperity; Pride brings poverty
1.
Is this abundant excess
holy? Is it clean? Is it pure? Is
it godly?