Download Lesson 11 Power of The Blood ABUNDANCE IN PLACE OF

Lesson 11 Power of The Blood
ABUNDANCE IN PLACE OF POVERTY
1. A) Comment on 2 Corinthians 8:9. _______________________________________________
2 Cor. 8:9 you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your
sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich
B) Why did Jesus become poor? _________________________________________________
C) What does this mean? (KJV) 9 for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,
though he was rich [plousios/wealthy], yet for your sakes he became poor [ptocheuo/a beggar,
to become indigent –lacking food, clothing and other necessities of life because of poverty],
that ye through his poverty might be rich [plouteo/become wealthy, increased with goods, rich].
______________________________________________________________________________
D) How does this address the “Prosperity Gospel”? _________________________________
E) Is poverty a blessing or a curse? ______________________________________________
F) Is wealth a blessing or a curse? _______________________________________________
G) What is the alternative to poverty? ____________________________________________
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H) To be rich must one drive a Cadillac or Mercedes, own a large house, etc.
Y ___ N ___
I) According to 2 Corinthians 9:8, what is God’s idea of provision? _____________________
J) What do we find in abundance? ______________________________________________
K) How may this include a corporate jet? ________________________________________
L) In 2 Corinthians 9:8, how many times is the word all mentioned? ____
2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMP) 8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing)
come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever
the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in
abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
How many times the word abound/abundance?
___
M) How is this abundance received? (2 Cor. 9:8a) _________________________________
N) If the definition of grace is “God’s divine working within the heart”, how is this
abundance received? ____________________________________________________________
O) How do believe this grace for all sufficiency in all things is received? ________________
P) In light of this study, comment of Deuteronomy 28:45, 47-48. _____________________
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Deut. 28:45-48. “All these curses shall come upon you...because you did not obey the voice of
the Lord your God...Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of
heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord
will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything.”
Q) When we fail through unbelief or disobedience to serve God joyfully in our abundance
what will we experience? ________________________________________________________
R) Would grumbling about our circumstances promote God’s abundant provision? Y _ N _
2. A) On the cross, Jesus hadn’t eaten in 24 hrs. He was thirsty; he was naked; in need of all
things; he owned nothing—not even the tomb they laid Him or the wrapping they placed
over him. Was Jesus poor?
Y ___ N ___ Explain. ___________________________________
B) Could anyone be more poor than Jesus on the cross?
Y ___ N ___
C) Before Jesus went to the cross, he may not have carried a lot of cash, but was He
indigent?
Y ___ N ___
D) Could a person who could feed 5,000 and 4,000 people and command a coin from the
mouth of a fish be considered poor? Y ___ N ___
Did Jesus ever lack? Y ___ N ___
E) Comment on the statement: “On the cross, Jesus not only endured, but He exhausted
the poverty curse”. ____________________________________________________________
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F) What is the difference between being in poverty and being under the poverty curse? __
G) When you are in poverty what can you do about it? ______________________________
H) If you are under a poverty curse, what can you do about that? _____________________
3. A) What is insufficiency? ______________________________________________________
B) What is sufficiency? ________________________________________________________
C) What is abundance? _______________________________________________________
D) Abundance (from Latin) means “a wave that flows over”.
Personal
Are you a person God’s wave flows over?
If you are in Christ you should be!
4. A) Why would God want us to have abundance? See Acts 20:35. ______________________
Acts 20:35 I have shown you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak,
and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to
receive.
B) Why would giving be a large part of the Christian Life? (Who is our Example?) _________
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C) According to Exodus 34:20 and Psalm 96:8, is anyone to come to God empty handed?
Y ___ N ___
Exodus 34:20 the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou redeem him not,
then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall
appear before me empty.
Psalm: 96:8 Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His
courts.
D) Why should we give in a way that honors God? __________________________________
E) What type of giver does God especially enjoy? (See 2 Cor. 9:7) ______________________
2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of
necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
5. A) How much of worldly riches will go with us to heaven? ___________________________
B) According to Proverbs 8:7-18, what is a higher order of riches? _____________________
Proverbs 8:7-18 for my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing forward or perverse in them.
They are all plain to him that understands, and right to them that find knowledge. Receive my
instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than
rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with
prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward [obstinate, contrary] mouth, do I hate.
Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign,
and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I
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love them that love me’ and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honor are with
me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
C) What are enduring riches? __________________________________________________
1. See Matthew 19:29 _____________________________________________________
Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall
inherit everlasting life.”
2. See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 ________________________________________________
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work
abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.”
6. Comment on Proverbs 13:7. ____________________________________________________
Prob. 13:7 There is that makes himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that makes himself poor,
yet hath great riches.
Poverty is a curse. God’s provision is abundance. To those whose priorities are right, God offers
greater and more enduring riches.
SYLLABUS 11
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P.O.B.
Poverty is a curse. This is clearly spelled out for us in Deuteronomy 28. It would be well for
all of us to make a careful study of this chapter in the Bible. No one can look upon the pictures
of the children from the third world countries and not say poverty is a curse. Only the hardest
hearted can remain unmoved at the sight of poverty, disease, and starvation. We are told in
the Bible that the curse causeless does not come (Proverbs 26:2). So where does this curse of
poverty come from? It becomes imperative to understand the nature of a curse. A curse may
not originate with an individual but may be passed along from generation to generation. The
Bible speaks of the “sins of the fathers”. Well, what can we do about them? Nehemiah 9:1-2
(KJV) says: 1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were
assembled with fasting, and with sack clothes, and earth upon them. 2 And the seed of Israel
separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities
of their fathers. God through Jesus Christ has made provision! Confession works!!! On the
cross Jesus became a curse and broke the power of the curse forever. This provision from the
cross is appropriated like all the other provisions—by faith.
We can bring on our own poverty also. Proverbs talks of the sluggard: Proverbs 13:4 (KJV) 4
The soul of the sluggard desires, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Now a sluggard is a person who is habitually inactive or lazy. The Bible has some serious warnings
about laziness. If God is to prosper the works of your hand, you must first work! Other ways we
can bring about our own poverty is gambling, wasting, and poor stewardship. The requisite for
prosperity as we saw in our lesson is so we may abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). We are
told in Acts 20:34-35 (KJV) 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my
necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 I have shown you all things, how that so laboring
ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is
more blessed to give than to receive. The Word of God sets up principles, that if we follow, the
blessings will come. If we choose not to live by God’s principles, we will reap the consequences
and these consequences often exposes us to a curse.
We are taught in the Bible that Jesus though He was rich became poor, so by His poverty we
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may become rich. We took an extended look at this verse in our lesson. We do find, however
much we may wish to discredit the prosperity gospel that the Bible does indeed teach that Jesus
became indigent so that we may become rich. Rich [plouteo/become wealthy, increased with
goods, rich]. Why? So that we may bless others!
I truly believe that if Christians worldwide would be obedient to God’s law regarding
prosperity, we would wipe out poverty worldwide. I also believe it would be necessary to teach
God’s principles of blessing, stewardship, prosperity, etc. so that these people would not once
again enslave themselves to the curse of poverty. I think for Americans and other wealthy nations
that we must not reckon “prosperity” by our measure. Even in America someone with low
income can be prosperous. Prosperity as well as poverty are relative terms. One can live in a hut
and have surplus to give away. One can live in a mansion and have billions to give away—
provided it IS given away! Paul said he learned to be content in all things, can we? Philippians
4:11 (KJV)
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Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content.
God has no favorites. He provides abundance that we may not only receive, but give, thus
receiving the greater blessing. God wants all of His children to receive the greater blessing by
giving. This does not mean that we all have to give great amounts. But God commanded His
people, Israel, in the Old Testament that none were to appear before Him empty handed (Exodus
34:20), so that means if someone at your side has nothing to give, and you have an extra coin in
your pocket, give your coin so that the other may have something to give. (It is God’s economy).
As you give, He will give back to you. Luke 6:38 (KJV) 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. It is God’s
principle. What we give in the name of Jesus is enduring and will not burn away.
1 Corinthians 3:11-13 (KJV) 11 for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.
12 Now
if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall
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be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Another enduring work which will proceed us to heaven are the lives we bless with the truth
of God’s Word and the Power of the Holy Spirit, which produces Christian character. In this way
we build men and women of God.
Some people willingly and deliberately turn away from the
material wealth of this world, making themselves poor, while in the spiritual realm they have
great riches. 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 (KJV) But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of
God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in
tumults, in labors, in watching, in fasting.
8-10 (KJV) 8 By honor and dishonor, by evil report
and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and,
behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet
making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
God offers more enduring riches!
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