Shalom brethren, we welcome you today again to our sermon review. We believe our previous reviews have blessed you tremendously. Today we expounded on a principle that will save us from both spiritual and physical stagnation concerning what God has promised us.
Texts: Jeremiah 33: 20, James 1:5, Hebrews 11:6, Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 15:1, Genesis 16:2, Malachi 1:2.
First, it’s important we know this “Revelation/Understanding is needed when walking with God, to have all the blessedness enshrined within.” You need to have the understanding of what you believe, and more so, of the ministry that God has called you into. That God has called you into the ministry of blessing is one, having that understanding is another. The reason why we don’t go all out and give all of ourselves to God and his work is because we lack proper understanding of where we are. If you are not carelessly generous to God in a ministry that God is in, it is because the devil has carefully blinded you to the ministry. Don’t waste your seed, sow in a land where you can reap bountifully, and I must tell you if you want to be blessed, sow carelessly into the ministry of God. Taste and see that God is good, he can never fail.
‘Tis so sweet to trust in God, because he can never break his covenant with us; there’s an assurance of that if we can consider the wonderful works he has done ever before our forefathers came to the earth; the day and night that he set in place and they ever remained till now. God boasted of his might and his ability not to fail in Jeremiah 33:20-22, and that should assure us that everything that he promised us will come to pass, for there is no shadow of turning with him. Amen.
All you need is to have faith in his abilities, our faith is a criterion for receiving from God.
However, not so many exercise it, we are always a victim of taking shortcuts, trying to help God fulfil whatever promise he has for our lives, and at the end of the day, we end up wasting our resources, time and effort. We fail to understand that God who promised is faithful, and in his own way, at his own time will bring everything to pass, more so because he promised it; you weren’t the one that put words in his mouth, therefore, he is able to bless. And when we are talking of blessing: the blessing of God surpasses money, though money is part of it.
Many of us as Christian have received direct messages of blessing from God in prophecies and other mediums (RHEMA) and it’s up to us as believers to believe those messages we have received. We can see examples (Abraham, Noah, e.t.c.) in the scriptures of how they received direct messages from God and they had to take personal decisions to believe God. For every direct message we receive from God, we have the obligation of believing and avoiding shortcuts to bring God promises to fulfilment. God will never work through your shortcuts, it will bring blasphemy and shame to his standards.
EXAMPLES BY THE BIBLE
It’s not every example you see in the bible you should follow, no matter who did it; it is the one that justified God you should settle for. The reason why people take shortcuts is because their promises look delayed (proverbs 13:12), and that is because we lack patience which is one ingredient of our faith to bring God’s blessing to pass. God wants us to exhibit longsuffering but we always fail because of impatience and doubt; immediately you doubt God, you are finished (you automatically give the devil the authority over your life). Wait on God and trust his promises, no shortcut has ever blessed anybody. Below are examples we have to learn from:
GENESIS 3:6
ADAM AND EVE’S SHORTCUT
Picking our first example by the bible, Adam and Eve were the first set of people to take a shortcut; they went outside God’s direct message to them and embraced what the devil gave them. God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Yes, it was the plan of God), but Eve was not patient enough to wait upon God’s instruction, she allowed herself to be swayed by the devil and she doubted God. Eve’s shortcut produced Cain and because of Cain, God created hell (death).
GENESIS 16: 2
ABRAHAM AND SARAH’S SHORTCUT
Our second example is Abraham and Sarah’s shortcut; they had a promise of God but due to impatience, they decided to help God fulfil his promise. Sarah was persistent on her decision for Abraham to sleep with her maid, Hagar until Abraham hearkened (after much pressure). The outcome of their shortcut produced regret (to Sarah because it brought her disrespect) and Ishmael, a fugitive and a vagabond who is set against the whole world.
MALACHI 2:1
JACOB’S SHORTCUT
Though right from time, in the mind of God, Jacob was the heir of the promise and that was the reason why God predestined him even before he was born, however, God was not happy with the way Jacob went about to deceive his father. God does not work through dubiousness, his way is plain. Though Jacob inherited the promise, he paid the price for his impatience (Hosea 12:2-4)
If these men had simply waited on the promise of God without trying to go ahead of him and help him bring his promises to pass, they wouldn’t have had such regretful outcomes. Don’t try to teach God what to do, or help him fulfil his promises. If God says he will heal, continue using your drugs, he will fulfil his promise; if he says he will bless your business, don’t because of that be dubious; if he says he will bless you with a partner/spouse, don’t because of impatience, settle for any person. Some mistakes are irreversible and the price is dear and though you are a child of God, if you make such mistakes, you will still have to pay the price. Don’t try to help God, neither sell your birthright.
Finally brethren, be steadfast without wavering (for he that doubt is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed); whosoever is wavering should not expect anything from God. Wait on the Lord! When you doubt God, you’re postponing your blessing. For we have need of patience, after we have done the will of God. Shortcut is a cut short!!
May God help us to wait on Him.
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