MISPLACED FAITH by BILL BURNS:
The purpose of this message is to encourage God’s people to remove any hindrance that would cause them to miss the blessings of God.
Satan’s work against us as:
Division, the root of bitterness that comes from offenses, strife and contention, unforgiveness, judgments, and the blame game.
The root of bitterness establishes disappointment that kills faith and hope.
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
Deferred – to delay or postpone.
Reasons for disappointment – prayers not answered, adverse circumstances, healing not received and financial trouble, which we focus on more fully in today’s message. Today we will talk about:
Psalm 19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from
secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Presumption – wrong assumptions that misplaces focus and faith.
There are two deadly deceptions that are established through wrong assumptions regarding God’s plan of financial prosperity. These deceptions serve to bring disappointment to those who believe in them.
God’s will is established in:
3 John 2 & 3 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
Our focus is not on money, but on: Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
If we focus on money, then we are in presumptuous sin.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
What is required to prosper? Jesus on prosperity:
Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Luke 11:42 But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Tithing (the Father’s Instruction)
Malachi 3:10-12 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts; And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.
Abraham tithed to Melchizedek and prospered, whose covenant blessing we are still under.
Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
God’s plan for prosperity is giving – not to get, but from a point of obedience to God’s word and with thanksgiving for God’s goodness and provision.
2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
The teachings by some faith teachers have resulted in a love for money – a focus of giving to get, rather than seeking first the kingdom.
The result is that it brings money into their ministry, which is promoted because they have faith for your increase. Many have used credit cards so they could give large amounts in order to get even larger amounts. Disappointment and debt are the result.
A doctrine currently being taught in the Body of Christ is the end-time wealth transference. Those who teach this draw support from those who want to be in on it.
Presumption and sin come because there is not one verse in scripture that talks about an end-time wealth transfer.
But what about?
Isaiah 60:5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
This was God’s word to Israel regarding Gentile (non-Jewish) wealth that would come into the kingdom.
Isaiah 60:9-11 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the LORD your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you. The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession.
The wealth comes with those who come into the Kingdom of God and then tithe and give as led by God. This has been going on for two thousand years and will continue to the end of the age, but it is not an end-time wealth transference.
Let’s see how this worked in the first-century church – Paul to the Gentile church in Corinth about their giving to the church in Jerusalem (Jews):
2 Corinthians 9:
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,
13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men.
So, how did this false concept get started? First, it is attractive to all who want to be on the getting end of wealth. As near as I can tell it was born out of a prophecy in 1992 that wealth would be given to the Bride. Then someone came up with the phrase “wealth transference” and used Isaiah 60 to add end-time to it.
But, the false concept really took off in 1996 with a book entitled “Gather My Apostles.” So a bunch of apostles (in name only) gathered and decided that one of their jobs was to collect and distribute the end-time wealth to churches but, of course, after they took their share.
But, no wealth has come, and this group hasn’t been heard from since 2002. Many have become disappointed because they believed this and have been waiting for the money to come. This concept has opened Christians up to various scams because they believe in the wealth transference.
We have personally had people offer us a portion of wealth if we would pray for them in their ventures to acquire wealth: gold mines, money in Germany, real estate deals, etc. None of these ever produced anything but disappointment for those wanting to be rich.
Some people have used credit cards to support the ones that will supposedly “get the money” so that they could also get some money.
Some have given money to scam artists who take advantage of this concept.
Let me be clear – God has a plan of prosperity (which we covered), but there is no end-time wealth transference. The Gentile church has already been blessed with the wealth of the Gentiles that meet the needs of ministries.
Those who have believed these doctrines need to repent for presumptuous sin and misguided faith and get back into a place of truth in God so you CAN prosper!