Character & Prosperity
Foundation Statement: The character you walk in
will directly affect your level of prosperity
I.
Character effects your
wealth and prosperity
A. Proverbs 22:4 – The
fear of the Lord leads to riches
B. What is the Fear of the
Lord? Fear – Reverence, honor, respect, and be in awe of
1.
Respect
a.
Esteem somebody or
something – To feel or show admiration and deference toward somebody or something
1)
Admiration-Appreciation of somebody;
regarded w/ appreciation & respect
2)
The state of being
admired deferentially
b.
Be considerate; To show consideration or thoughtfulness
1)
Considerate-Mindful of the needs,
wishes, feelings of others
c.
Not go against or violate
something-To pay due attention to and refrain from violating something (Ex.) Respect
the law or Respect another’s privacy
d.
An act of giving
particular attention; high or
special regard; to consider worthy of high
regard;
to refrain from interfering with
2. Deference
a. Polite respect; putting
another person’s interest first
b. Precious
regard for another's wishes
c. Submission to judgment, opinion, or wishes of another
person
d.
Respect and esteem due a superior
3.
Honor
a.
Esteem somebody or
something – To have or show great respect and admiration for somebody or something
b.
To show merited respect;
gesture of deference;
a keen sense of ethical conduct
4.
Reverence
a.
Feelings of deep respect
and devotion
1)
Devotion-Deep love &
commitment; great dedication & loyalty; strong enthusiasm & admiration
for somebody or something; Fervent religious or spiritual feeling
b.
Respect somebody or
something deeply; To regard somebody with deep respect
c.
Honor
or respect felt or shown; deference;
profound adoring awed respect
5. Awe
a. Feeling of amazement and
respect that is often coupled with feeling of personal insignificance or
powerlessness
6. One form evidence that
you are a humble, reverent person of character is there is riches in your life
a. NIV – Humility and
the Fear of the Lord bring wealth
b. NCV – Respecting the
Lord and not being proud will bring you wealth
c. MOF – The Humble
and reverent are rewarded with wealth
7. Riches (1 Kings 3:11-13
– The same word Solomon got for seeking wisdom)
a. 1 Kings 8-10 –
Solomon was extremely rich
b. 1 Samuel 17:25 –
The same word riches that David got
C. There’s an excessive,
abounding, flow of wealth & prosperity that resides in character
1. Proverbs 19:23-The person
of character will be Satisfied
– Fulfilled, stuffed or bursting, filled, have one’s desire satisfied, to
have in excess, surplus, oversupply, to enrich
a. BAS-The fear of the Lord
gives life: and he who has it will have need of nothing
b. Ps 34:9-People who walk
in character, honoring & respecting God have no lack
2. We cannot continue to
live outside God’s character and then be surprised when we don’t prosper and
aren’t protected
a. People who refuse to grow
in God’s character r vulnerable 2 the enemy & broke
3. We need to understand
that our lack of character in an area that might not have anything to do with
our finances, can and will effect us in the financial realm
a. Connect the dots; you’re
character over here effects your prosperity there
b. There’s more to financial
prosperity than just tithing and giving
D. If you make character
primary, it will lead you into prosperity; too many believers are wanting the
prosperity without the character
1. Proverbs 19:1-If you’re
poor, but you have character you’re character will cause you to prosper; If
you’re rich and you lack character that will lead you into poverty
a. BAS-Better is the poor
man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted
b. This doesn’t say you
should be poor or that it’s good to be poor; it’s revealing to us that
character takes precedence over prosperity
2. Proverbs 15:16-It didn’t
say you should have little; it said it’s better to have little and be fearing
God than having abundance and not fearing God
a. If u fear the Lord it
will lead you to riches and you’re little won’t be little anymore
3. Joseph was better off in
that pit, a slave in Potipher’s house, & a
prisoner in that prison with his character, than his brothers were as free men
with an inheritance in their Father’s house
a. Joseph’s character led
him to prosperity; their lack of character led them to lack
II. Walking in character is directly connected to the power with
which the blessing can work in your life (Psalm 115:13, Proverbs 10:22)
A. The blessing of the Lord
that He blesses people of character with makes rich
1. The blessing is this
empowerment to prosper in spite of and apart from circumstances and situations
that surround you
2. The blessing was on Isaac
when he sowed in famine; The blessing was on Joseph in Potipher’s
house, in prison, and as Prime Minister of Egypt; The blessing was on Jesus
when he multiplied the loaves and fishes
3. Jeremiah 17:7 –
This tree was blessed with the blessing
B. The level of character
that you walk in is going to determine the level of power with which the
blessing operates in life (Psalm 24::4-5)
1. When you’re character
level is high, the power of level of the blessing is high, and in turn your
level of prosperity will be high
a. It’s possible to be born
again and blessed, but if you walk in a low level of character the power level
of that blessing will be low in your life
2. Joseph’s character level
was so high and that caused the power of that blessing to work at such a level
that it caused him to prosper no matter where he was-Gen 39:5
a. His brothers were the
seed of Abraham as much as him & had access to that same blessing that was
on his life, but their character level brought the power of the blessing down
3. Proverbs 11:11-The
upright have the blessing
a. Cities have been
overthrown because the character of the church is love and the of the blessing
has been low (Psalm 133:1-3)
III. Character > Wisdom > Prosperity
A. Psalm 111:10, Proverbs
9:10 – Wisdom begins with your character
B. Wisdom leads to total
life prosperity
1. Proverbs 8:12-14-Wisdom
has strength, power and might; 15-Kings reign by wisdom; 15-Pricnes decree
justice by wisdom; 18-Wisdom has riches and honor; 19-Wisdom has fruit better
than gold and increase better than silver; 21-Wisdom causes you to inherit
substance; 21-Wisdom will fill your treasuries; 34-Wisdom has the blessing;
35-Wisdom has the favor of the Lord
2. Proverbs 3:13-Wisdom has
happiness; 16-Wisdom has length of days; 16-Wisdom has riches and honor; 17-Wisdom
has peace (Shalom) and pleasantness
3. Proverbs 4:5-6-Wisdom has
protection; 8-Wisdom has promotion
4. The beginning of all
these things that wisdom brings is character
C. Proverbs 1:7-People are
cut of from what God want for them because they lack character
1. Hosea 4:6 – People
are cut off from what God wants for them because of what they do not know