The sermon title- Merchandise Standard- Offering message: Prov. 3:9, 10. You are to honor God with your first-fruits. You determine the first-fruits by faith. You don’t have to wait until you know what is your increase, but you can tithe on what you need. God wants us out of debt so God can use us more and more; debt is a trap. God wants to bless you. Prov. 3:13, 14 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom…” It’s not a sin to be happy. God wants us happy; happiness comes with wisdom. You can merchandize wisdom. God wants you rich. Rich means having more than enough. What is money? #1 Money is a form of exchange. It’s an exchange of time, talent, effort. wisdom. The first step is to exchange it. What do you have? What knowledge do you have? Wisdom is better than the exchange of gold or silver. You can make money from your wisdom if you exchange it. #2 Money must move. It blesses every time it moves from one person, business, or place to another. Accumulation stops economies and money. God’s kingdom’s basic principal is for us to give. Giving is part of the godly movement of money. Matt. 25:14-21 is the parable of the talents. Focus on your gifts and what God has given you. Exchange what you have and can do with wisdom. The fear of loss keeps you from moving money. Stewardship is taking what you have and multiplying it. Being faithful with what God has given you allows us to enter into the joy of the Lord. III John 2. [Eph. 5:28, 29].
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 12
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 11
Offering message: Gen. 26:6 and 12 tell us that Isaac sowed in a time of famine and God blessed him so that he became very prosperous. Even in poor economic times, we can prosper. Sermon message: Prov. 4:5 Get wisdom and get understanding! It’s like your mother calling you to the dinner table, “Come and get it!” You have to put effort into it. #1 You must have desire and an appetite for wisdom. #2 You must ask for wisdom (James 1:5, 6). #3 You must receive, or take, wisdom by faith (Mark 11:22-24). There is earthly, sensual, and demonic wisdom, and then there is wisdom from above (James 3:13-17). Wisdom brings wealth. Nothing compares with wisdom (Prov. 8:10, 11; 16:16). II Chron. 1:6-12 is about Solomon, who after offering 1000 burnt offerings, which pleased God, He asked Solomon to ask Him for whatever he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. He spared no expense for the temple he built for God. His wisdom brought huge wealth, so that queens, such as the Queen of Sheba, and kings came to learn from him, bringing large amounts of their wealth (II Chron. 9:1-28). Wisdom thinks abundance. Change your mindset, and don’t sit in judgment of what people spend.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 10
Offering message: III John 2. Your soul can prosper if you are in a prosperous place. God’s will is good and is for your body and soul to prosper. Aaron Ray Zimmerman reported on the purchase of properties in Ukraine for ministry use. A word was given about God’s joy in giving, our surrendering our giftings, obedience, standing, believing, being touched, released, and sent; understand who God is and who you are in Christ. Sermon message: The Israelites left Egypt, a place of bondage, and went into abundance. Getting out of debt is freedom. James 3:13-17 tells us that wisdom can be earthly, sensual, and devilish. If you have envy and strife in your heart, you don’t know who you are. If your faith isn’t working, check out your love walk. James 1:16 warns us to not be deceived. Everything that comes from God is good. Phil. 2:2-4 exhorts us to be like-minded, and the only way we can do that is by agreeing on the Word of God. James 1:2-6 Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. “Count” there means like balancing your books, and you do that by joy and praise. Set your thermostat in prosperity and health, and balance your account with praise. I Sam. 30:1-8 is the account of the captivity of David’s and his men’s wives and families. He wept until he couldn’t weep anymore, but he had the power to praise God. There comes a place where you have to balance your own accounts and encourage yourself.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 9
Get Wisdom and Get Understanding. John 8:31, 32 If we continue in God’s Word, we will intimately know the truth, which sets us and other people free. You need to be in the place of authority, or Satan will steal from you. Ps. 119:45 How badly do you want to walk in liberty? To keep from being bound up, receive the Word. The responsibility for seeking for the truth and promises is ours, not God’s. The Word tells us repeatedly to not be deceived (I Cor. 6:9, I Cor. 15:33, Gal. 6:7). I Tim. 3:10-13 If you’re not free in an area, search to know the truth for that. Prov. 4:1-7 Get wisdom and get understanding. Give me understanding (Ps. 119:34, 73, 125, 144, 169). Prov. 28:5; Ps. 111:10. To get God’s results, do it God’s way. In Matt. 13:18-23 (Parable of the Sower) they all heard the Word, but the results came as they responded to it. Seek for understanding. I John 5:18-20 Knowing God is understanding.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 8
Eph. 5:13-19 says that all things that are discovered are made manifested by the light of God’s Word. You can take this to be a negative or positive thing. A moment of discovery can precipitate repentance, like a person finding out that he is going the wrong way. Repentance is a good thing and is turning you in the right direction. A walk of wisdom takes your out of darkness into a realm of light. Eph. 5:16 God redeems the time; for example, Jesus did His whole ministry in three years, and what took the Israelites forty years in the wilderness took Jesus forty days in the wilderness. Eph. 5:17 is a contrast to Eph. 5:15 and tells us that walking outside of God’s will is unwise. Wisdom is the power to do things, but it must be in the confines of the will of God. When people don’t know the will of God and their destiny, they turn to drinking. Instead of getting drunk, run to the Spirit of God to understand His will for you. Be filled with the Holy Spirit, speak in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs and praise God. Being filled with the Spirit changes your countenance. Col. 3:16 Letting the Word of Christ dwell in you in all wisdom brings teaching and praise. What is your problem? Let it develop you, and don’t be afraid of challenges. Who would David have been without Goliath?
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 7
Eph. 1:17 Wisdom reveals what’s really important. It comes from God. Wisdom is a spirit. A spirit has an entity, an identify, and personality, and is a person. A spirit of wisdom is partnering with the Godhead. Wisdom doesn’t depend on you, because wisdom is having God in you. Are you listening to God? Get closer to Him so you can hear Him. Prov. 9:8-10 tells us not to correct a fool. You won’t win anyone by an argument. You must be willing to ask for and listen to instruction. Do we love change? If God isn’t talking to you, maybe you are not receiving wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God rebukes and corrects us for us to come up to a higher standard. Cooperate with Him. Luke 2:40-52 Jesus grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him. Pastor Dale explains about Jesus as a boy at the age of manhood and His relationship with His parents and God as His Father. Jesus increased in wisdom by habitually submitting to His parents. Increase (to cut one’s way forward) is hard work and is not growth (which is a natural process). Wisdom needs habitual submission to bring increase. Jesus’ preparation: the age of manhood- time when He thought He was ready; He had abilities; He knew He was called, but He wasn’t really ready for increase in wisdom, stature, and favor until He habitually submitted to His parents. Submission is a transfer of desire, when you make someone else’s will your own. Learn to receive a rebuke.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 6
Don’t Lean On Your Own Understanding. Prob. 8:1-5; Prov. 3:5-6; Is. 11:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:19-31; James 4:7-8. You cannot trust your mind, and if your heart is wrong, everything is wrong. Your heart should echo the Word. Talking yourself out of doing what God told you to do is leaning on your own understanding. Suicide is a spirit caused by opening a door to a spirit. You can trust the Word. When you don’t know what to do, praise, pray, give, love, stand, and do what you know to do. Jesus is the source of our wisdom. God made foolish the wisdom of this world. Christ is the power and the wisdom on God. When you cry out for wisdom, you are crying out for Jesus. God uses the foolish things of the world. Reputation is pride in disguise. Jesus is your wisdom. Obey Him. Purify your heart and get rid of the double-mindedness. If you’re facing something, put your heart into going through it, and learn from it. Wisdom is for you. Don’t lean on your own understanding.
Thanksgiving, Abundance, and Worship
II. Cor. 9:9-12. Because of your thanksgiving, your abundance comes. Learn to be thankful. A want is a deficit, poverty, what is lacking. The key to your success is your thankfulness. God supplies the wants (the deficits), but the abundance comes through thanksgiving. Giving does provide a harvest, but seek God’s face, not His hand. Thanksgiving is an action. I Chron. 16:8-12 tells us how to give thanks to God: making known His deeds, singing to Him, worshiping Him, bringing an offering, seeking the Lord. In the Old Testament it means an extension of the hand, confession, giving an offering, worship, telling God of His goodness, affirmation of Him, confirming that He is in your heart, a declaration (the enemy is under my feet), an admission (I’m lost without You). Worship Him our of your heart in your own personal time and go deeper. Thanksgiving magnifies God (Ps. 69:30) and get us into the gates (Ps. 100:3, 4). Other Scriptures on thanksgiving: Ps. 95:1-3; II Sam. 22:50; Phil. 4:5-7; Ps. 103. We have so much to be thankful for. Be thankful.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 5
Offering: Mark 6:30-44 Jesus gave of what He had, blessed it, and fed the multitude, even so that there were 12 baskets left over. Sermon message: I Cor. 1:30 Jesus became the wisdom of God for us. He will give us His wisdom, if we ask and seek and cry out for it. Wisdom is not knowledge, but helps you to know how to put knowledge to work. Wisdom is skillful. In Ex. 35:30-36:2 we learn that God gave artisans the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge and all manner of workmanship. He gives skill for you to do your job. Prov. 4:1-7 Listen and pay attention to wisdom. It’s not just a confession, but you must apply yourself to go after wisdom. The 3 keys to wisdom are instruction, correction, and rebuke. Prov. 1:1-7 Teaching gets wisdom to you. When there was unbelief, Jesus taught. Prov. 1:20-30 tells us to repent and turn at wisdom’s reproof. Prov. 12:1, 15 The one who hates correction is stupid. Prov. 13:18; Prov. 15:5, 31-32; Prov. 9:8; Prov. 29:15. There are touchy areas where wisdom may be needed but not easily received, such as weight, marriage, children, business. Show where a person is wrong in the Scriptures. Heb. 12:5-9 God chastens by discipline. II Tim. 3:14-4:5 says to preach the Word, rebuke, correct. Heb. 13:17 Receive correction from your pastor, and let others speak into your heart.
Haiti and Healing
Chester shared videos and testimonies from his recent trip to Haiti, where medical teams and a ministry under his direction were serving. (Sam Zook also shared testimonies.) He also preached on God’s divine healing through Jesus Christ. It is God’s will to heal everyone. Using Scriptures, he affirms that God has provided for our healing, and it’s up to us to access it. Why don’t people receive healing? Lack of knowledge of God’s promises; failing to ask God; questioning God’s will; sin, which separates us from God; failure to act on God’s Word; thinking it’s not God’s time to heal; misunderstanding Paul’s thorn in the flesh; misunderstanding Job. How can a person overcome? Stand on the Scriptures; know you have authority over the devil and sickness; focus and saturate yourself on Scriptures; examine your heart; know you’re delivered from curses, such as sickness; establish a point of contact for your healing; confess the Word; hold fast to the promises and do not waver. We pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and in heaven there is no sickness or disease. We are healed, and we are to lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
The Spirit of Truth
John 16:13 The Spirit of Truth guides you into all truth. He tells us what He hears the Father say, and He will tell you things to come. Pray in the Spirit to know what the Father’s plan is for you everyday and then do it. De-clutter your heart of cares and deceitfulness and lusts, because they destroy the ability to hear. I John 4:1-6 There are many false prophets. We must be sensitive to what the Greater One inside of us is saying so we can overcome. The Holy Spirit and God’s peace guide us. Wherever you go, the anointing manifests. John 15:26 The Comforter has come, and He brings you freedom. Are you on the wrong road, a road of the flesh, the world, worry, jealousy…? Get on the highway of the Holy Spirit so you can get to your proper destination and complete your assignment. II Cor. 4:4 The god of this world blinds those who don’t believe, so they won’t receive the Holy Spirit. We can know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.
Whole-Hearted Faith
This is a time when we need to be powerful. Luke 18:1-8 exhorts (commands) us to pray and not get weary. Do the Gospel; share it; lay hands on the sick; pray for people. The heart-confession connection causes change in your life. We must be full of faith in order to fight. What is God doing in you? God will speedily avenge His own who cry out day and night. Heb. 11:1 Faith is a now, quick-work. Situations are subject to change in Jesus’ name. What controls you: what you hear, see, and feel or what the Word of God says? Ps. 103 tells us to bless the Lord with all that is within us and to bless His holy name and to not forget His benefits. Don’t tolerate what you shouldn’t. Don’t let your faith fade and faint. Sharon Hawk shares how she prayed about seed and received a harvest to plant the seed, when Bob’s faith was faint, and he didn’t even think to pray about it. Luke 18:1 There should be constant prayer in the CWI body. We’re connected like a husband and wife. Do we let things slip? Don’t faint. If your faith slips, recognize it, and repent (turn around). There are many demonic forces blocking people, and then people make decisions out of the will of God. Stay in the Word and the Holy Spirit. When we get blessed, God’s kingdom is increase. Awake! Stir yourself up! Repent! Change!
Stay Sharp With the Word
Using the analogy of a butcher sharpening his much-used knife, we need to sharpen ourselves with the “knife” of the Word. We can become “dull” in discernment, but we need greater sensitivity and discernment so we can minister to others to set them free. I Tim. 4:1, 2. If we adapt to what we hear in the world and become apathetic or like the world, we allow compromise and a watering-down of the Gospel to come in. II Tim. 3:10-17 tells us that if we live godly in Jesus Christ, we will suffer persecution. The holy Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation (sozo) through faith in Jesus Christ. We must be able to discern, because there is deception. We can live godly because of His grace. Who are you seeking? Where is your faith? Always discern what you’re hearing. Listen to God, not man, so that you may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Using the analogy of a butcher sharpening his much-used knife, we need to sharpen ourselves with the “knife” of the Word. We can become “dull” in discernment, but we need greater sensitivity and discernment so we can minister to others to set them free. I Tim. 4:1, 2. If we adapt to what we hear in the world and become apathetic or like the world, we allow compromise and a watering-down of the Gospel to come in. II Tim. 3:10-17 tells us that if we live godly in Jesus Christ, we will suffer persecution. The holy Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation (sozo) through faith in Jesus Christ. We must be able to discern, because there is deception. We can live godly because of His grace. Who are you seeking? Where is your faith? Always discern what you’re hearing. Listen to God, not man, so that you may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Sudden Impacts Are You Prepared
The Lord told Bob prophetically that 2011 was going to be a year of sudden impacts, which all of us have seen to be the case. There have been positive suddenlies and negative ones. How we respond to these happenings depends on the place of the Word in our lives. Are you moved by circumstances or by the Word? When these situations hit you, you will find out if you have faith in the Word and the Lord, and there will be a defining line between those who are committed to the Lord and those who aren’t. We are to be world-changers. There is an explosive force in us. If we are operating in the truth and true faith, we will rise to a higher level of discernment, so we can bring a word into people’s lives. How we react to these happenings will also equip us for a stronger anointing. What’s the right response/reaction? LOVE. We must be motivated by love and be agents of love, because love never fails. Satan will try to bring confusion to God’s order, but we must stay in and be controlled by peace and the Holy Spirit. Eph. 4:1 Don’t let Satan take God’s Word from you or the measure of God’s gift that is in you. The five-fold ministry gifts are to equip us so we can get the work done. Pray that we can discern the motives of people and be keen to the activity in the spiritual realm and step into the authority with the Word.
Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by Your Testimony
Bob Hawk gives two words to the congregation. Sermon message: Rev. 12:11 We should be overcoming the enemy, and if we aren’t, it’s our fault. We need to get our fight back and invade the kingdom of darkness. Rom. 8:31-39 tells us that God is for us and that He loves us. Love never fails; God is love; His love has been put in our hearts; we are more than conquerors! Say “NO!!!!” to the enemy and don’t lose your faith. First John 4:4 says that we are of God and have overcome, because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, and that’s our testimony! In 1 John 5:1-5 we learn that as believers we are born of God, and we overcome the world. Jon Fike shared his testimony of saying “NO!” to what Satan tried to do to him on his family’s vacation and the overcoming power of his testimony and Jesus’ blood. In 1 Tim. 1:18-19 Paul tells Timothy that according to testimonies he could wage good warfare but to make sure his conscience was good. Hold your faith and keep your conscience clear.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 4
Don’t Lean On Your Own Understanding. Prob. 8:1-5; Prov. 3:5-6; Is. 11:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:19-31; James 4:7-8. You cannot trust your mind, and if your heart is wrong, everything is wrong. Your heart should echo the Word. Talking yourself out of doing what God told you to do is leaning on your own understanding. Suicide is a spirit caused by opening a door to a spirit. You can trust the Word. When you don’t know what to do, praise, pray, give, love, stand, and do what you know to do. Jesus is the source of our wisdom. God made foolish the wisdom of this world. Christ is the power and the wisdom on God. When you cry out for wisdom, you are crying out for Jesus. God uses the foolish things of the world. Reputation is pride in disguise. Jesus is your wisdom. Obey Him. Purify your heart and get rid of the double-mindedness. If you’re facing something, put your heart into going through it, and learn from it. Wisdom is for you.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 3
Texts: Prov. 8:1-5; Ps. 90:12; Ps. 39:4; Deut. 32:29;Prov. 6:6. Wisdom has more to do with the heart than it does to the intellect. Wisdom is a spiritual product. What is life? It is time, environment, and decisions that a person makes. We are to measure our days and to consider our lives (time). Value time and value wisdom. How do we value our time? 1) Time is a resource, which can be managed and recorded. 2) Time can be measured, so use a calendar to measure the use of your time. 3) Time is limited, so don’t get lazy and waste it. 4) Time is money and money is time. 5) Time can be stolen, so don’t let people steal your time. Most of our time is stolen by relationships and distractions. Want to have a 13th month? Get up an hour earlier every day or stay up an hour later every day. 6) Time can be determined. Write down birthdays, anniversaries, and habits (like reading through the Bible) on your calendar. 7) Time has natural groupings. Group phone calls, check e-mails infrequently in a day. Grouping work and having a routine reduce stress and promote dependability and comfort. There are three types of time from a Bible perspective: 1) rest, 2) work (productivity, preparation, and maintenance), and 3) joy.
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 2
Prov. 8:14-21. Hate the lack of wisdom and seek wisdom as a priority. Riches and honor are with wisdom, and God leads a righteous man to inherit wealth. Inheritance is a legacy of increase. Prov. 2:1-6 You have to apply yourself to the wisdom of God. You have to work on it, just as you work for increase through a job. Wisdom makes you not care what others think of you. It is a treasure. Do you cry out and seek for wisdom? You must be strong in desire and hunger for it. Prov. 1:20-23 A scorner says, “I don’t need wisdom. I know better than that.” The Spirit leads you into all truth. Let the Holy Spirit tell it to you straight. Prov. 9:8-12 Some people you can’t help. A scoffer will hate you when you speak the truth to him. Speak strongly and rebuke a wise man, and he will be wiser. Wisdom gives you riches and honor, and it also gives you the promise of long life. Job 28:12-13. You can’t buy wisdom. Wisdom is the fear of the Lord. If you don’t the price of wisdom, you won’t value it. Cry out to God for wisdom. Wisdom comes from an answer to prayer. James 1:5 Ask God for wisdom. You need it!
The Wealth of Wisdom Part 1
Texts: Prob. 8:11-36 (Wisdom, the fear of the Lord); Matt. 25:14-29 (The Parable of the Talents); John 6:5-13 (The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes); Mark 4:13-20 (The Parable of the Sower and the Seed). Wisdom comes from God and is personified in His Son, Jesus. Wisdom is a spirit. Wisdom is infinite and unlimited and existed before creation. The word “parable “ means to lay side by side and is a comparison. A talent is a measurement of gold. In the Parable of the Talents, the faithful ones doubled what they were given. Jesus said that to whom has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. God wants us to have abundance and unlimited thinking in our lives. The fear of loss is a crippling thing. Good stewardship is how you double and increase what you have by opening yourself to abundance thinking. God’s resources are unlimited. Don’t have limited thinking and don’t fear loss. Money is an exchange of time and effort. We are commanded to multiply our money. The Word that is sown in our heart is the source of all multiplication. Jesus measures by our faith when we release our money. Get the Word in your heart, and you’ll prosper. Release more faith and give in obedience. Plant the word of prosperity in your heart, and then wisdom will lead and guide you. Don’t allow time to be a limitation, either. Time makes you think you failed. Get the limits off your thinking.
Grace Not in Vain
Offering message: Debt is like bondage and slavery. This is a a debt-free zone. John 6:5. God’s blessings are tied to God’s purposes. If God can get it through you, He will get it to you. Sermon message: Texts: James 1:16-19; 2:14-18; I Cor. 15:9, 10; Eph. 2:8, 9; Rom. 2:1-7; Titus 3:5-8; Col. 1:12. Hear and act. Anything that will lead you away from acting on the Word will lead you to deception, because your being a hearer of the Word only and not acting means you are being deceived. Faith impels you to act. Act on grace and live free from sin. The works come after grace. God is good to all. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. We are saved by grace, and it is His grace that empowers us to live a higher life. Act on the Word. Faith’s highest level is praise. Don’t know what to do? You can always praise God and pray.