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VIRTUAL SERMON:

SERMON NOTES

Faith Must Cooperate with The Blessing

Genesis 1:26-28 - The Message

26-28 God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them
    reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
    the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”  God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature.  He created them male and female.  God blessed them:
    “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”

• God commanded the blessing on them

  • Be fruitful, multiply, replenish, and subdue (commands not suggestions)

Deuteronomy 28:7-14 - The Message

7 God will defeat your enemies who attack you. They’ll come at you on one road and run away on seven roads.  8 God will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; he’ll bless you in the land that God, your God, is giving you.  9 God will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of God, your God, and live the way he has shown you.  10 All the peoples on Earth will see you living under the Name of God and hold you in respectful awe.

11-14 God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself won’t have to take out a loan. God will make you the head, not the tail; you’ll always be the top dog, never the underdog, as you obediently listen to and diligently keep the commands of God, your God, that I am commanding you today. Don’t swerve an inch to the right or left from the words that I command you today by going off following and worshiping other gods.

• God ordered the blessing on them

Proverbs 10:22 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

22 The blessing of the Lord—it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].

How do I cooperate/ flow with the Blessing God has commanded and ordered upon me?

2 Corinthians 9:7  - Amplified Bible

7 Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

I give: different types of giving with different promises attached (purposeful giving)

• Tithe- obedience to God/ promise

• First fruits- generosity to God

• Alms- compassion & love for my fellow mankind

• Seed- faith reward (30,60,100-fold return and 1000 times blessed)

  • Debt cancelation/ correlation (seed produces after its same kind)

  • Bless Israel

  • Savings to buy something cash / kids’ education/ car/appliances/house

Genesis 1:11-12 - Amplified Bible

11 So God said, “Let the earth sprout [tender] [a]vegetation, [b]plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind, whose seed is in them upon the earth”; and it was so. 12 The earth sprouted and abundantly produced vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, according to their kind; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

• Power is in the seed itself

• Harvest/ fruit will produce after its own kind

James 2:17-22 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). 18 But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.  19 You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [a]make a man’s hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!  20 Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?  21 Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?  22 You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.

• The subject of these verses is Faith

• Good Works of obedience is an expression of your faith

• Faith without actions of obedience (cooperation with God’s Word) is inactive & ineffective

• Abraham’s offering was an expression of his faith in God’s word & promises

• Abraham the Father of Faith was called righteous because his faith cooperated with his actions

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