Sermon # 4 - Called To Do Good For Evil Series

We read in Numbers 22:12, And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. (KJV)

God told Balaam that he was not to accompany the men of Moab who had approached him, and he was not to curse the people of Israel because they were a people blessed by God. As we compared this incident to the church today we understood that firstly, the church is a people called out, and separated for the Lord. Secondly, the church is not built up by the strength or wisdom of any man, but is built on the foundation of God’s word. Since God is the builder, no powers of darkness that rise up against the church can prevail against it. Thirdly, the church is blessed by God.

Balaam’s life was destroyed, simply because he entertained those whom God did not approve of and associated himself with them. So also, if we are not cautious about whom we are associated with our spiritual life and growth will also get hampered.

Blessings by many in this world are defined as having a good family, a great job, lots of money and all other worldly possessions. True blessings are words that are being spoken on us and so are curses. The first thing that God did when He created Adam and Eve was that He blessed them. However, when Adam and Eve sinned and rebelled against God, they became recipients of God’s curse on them. Blessings are the words spoken by God or by those who have been endowed with the authority from God.

Obedience brings blessings

As we study further about the blessings of God, we read in Deuteronomy 28:2, “Obey the Lord your God and all these blessings will be yours.” (GNB)

We also read in Deuteronomy 28:3-5, “The LORD will bless your towns and your fields. “The LORD will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep. “The LORD will bless your grain crops and the food you prepare from them. (GNB)

When God blesses all that we have will be blessed, and all of this will happen when we walk in obedience to God. Only when we walk in obedience to the Lord are we assured of His blessings on our lives. Disobedience to God, and His word will only make us forfeit His blessings.

In Deuteronomy 28:15, we read, "But if you disobey the LORD your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you”(GNB)

It is made clear that if we want the blessings of God to be bestowed on us we have to walk in obedience to the Lord, and when we choose to disobey God, then we become subjects of His curses. There are many people who will listen to good counsel, but will go away and do exactly as they want to. Such an attitude will not bring the blessings of God into our lives.

Some may think that such blessing and curses are only mentioned in the Old Testament, and not applicable to the believers of the new covenant.

Let us look at an incident from the New Testament.

We read in Acts 5:1-3, But there was a man named Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira sold some property that belonged to them. But with his wife's agreement he kept part of the money for himself and turned the rest over to the apostles. Peter said to him, "Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property? (GNB)

There is a record about a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who were members of the early church. If we read the last part of Acts Chapter 4 it is recorded that the believers sold all their property and lands and placed them at the feet of the Apostles. When Ananias and Sapphira watched this they too had a desire to do the same. We must note that there was no instruction or compulsion for the early church believers to do what they did. Each one decided to do it of their own accord.

Now notice that the believers who joined the early church had to leave the traditional Jewish worship at the Jerusalem temple, and became members of the early church who believed in Jesus. Jesus had told them that He would build the church, and that the gates of hell could never prevail against it. This meant that the members of the early church were a blessed people, built by the Lord Jesus with no room for Satan to overcome them.