It is important to ensure that we have a progressive relationship with God: the more we walk with Him, the more we learn of Him, the more He reveals Himself to us. God is intentional about the things He allows us experience. We may not understand it, but God reveals Himself to us through our experiences. Every test, trial, lesson and miracle that God takes us through is part of His plan, and without these experiences, we may never know Him. 

When Jesus asked His disciples “who do men say I am?, He further personalized it and asked “who do you say I am? (Mathew 16:13-19). This shows that God’s intention is that we have a personal knowledge of Him. It is safe to say that God reserves the best of His blessings for those who have a revelation of who He is. 

THINGS TO NOTE:

* we must know God for ourselves

* We must know Him better daily

* We must understand the power of revelation and knowledge of who God is.

Revelation is the highest order of knowledge, and knowledge is superior to education. Like Paul, we must desire the burden to want to know God daily. 

Let us retract to Jesus’s question “who do people say I am? Jesus asked this, not as a means to seek validation but as a means to show his disciples that there is a difference in the way the world views Christ and the way those that know Him view Him.

Basing your faith on the world view of Christianity (religion), marriage and finances may make you miserable, and this is why: there were two major responses that the world gave to Jesus’s ministry:

1. REASON AND LOGIC: they were limited because they understood Jesus through logical reasoning. This is a problem because everything Jesus did was beyond logic or reason.

2. MOCKERY: The Sadducees and Pharisees perceived Jesus to be a religious fanatic. (Perception is a function of logic and reason). They laughed at Him and in the same way, most people respond this way to the believer. To them, the believer is out of touch with reality and makes no sense.

Consider God’s promise to give Sarah a son. Because Sarah was 86 years old and thought it illogical and impossible to bear a child at that’s age, she laughed.

It takes revelation to know and believe God.

This also applies in other areas of life, like our finances. If your understanding of God is limited, you may never understand your purpose as a believer.

One of the ways that may reveal the strength or depth of your faith as a believer is the way you handle the resources that God’s gives you.

MISHANDLING SUCCESS

It is impossible to succeed when we miss God’s plan for our lives. Every Sunday, we labor in the place of prayer, studying God’s Word and learning financial and marital principles. However, most people return home to idle, unedifying activities. This is one of the reasons why some people may never succeed.

As believers, our success and prosperity is tied to God (eph 4:28, gen 12:2). To most ‘logical’ people, God’s prescription of prosperity is ironic. This is because to God, prosperity is not in the amassing of wealth but in how it is used to serve God and humanity.

Let us consider this story: General Gordon had just finished the distinguished campaign of Taeping and upon leaving china, the Emperor presented him a gold medal out of gratitude.

On reaching Plymouth, Gordon read the paper and found that the silk weavers at converting were in famine: they were starving to death. So Gordon took his gold medal, which was all he had, he erased the inscription on it and donated it anonymously to the treasurer of the converting relief funds. Gordon said: this is the secret of bliss, to give away your medal”. We learn through Gordon’s story that the purpose of wealth is simple – to be given away. 

There are so many philosophies for coping with life, some more confusing than they are helpful. Most of these philosophies focus on individuality and self:

Greece said: “be wise, know yourself”,

Rome said: “be strong, discipline yourself”,

Pride said: “be superior, promote yourself”,

Humanitarian said: “be capable, believe in yourself”,

Materialism said: “be satisfied, please yourself”,

But Christianity said: “be a steward, give of yourself” (1 cor 9:19).

At the heart of Christianity, there is giving and our biggest example is God who gave His Son (John 3:16). 

We are more like God when we give and God prospers us so that we can give. This is why Jesus said in Mathew 20:25 “I did not come to be served but to serve and give my life”.

We will examine some basic principles of New Testament giving in the next sermon.