“THE BLESSING OF THE BLESSING”
INTRODUCTION:
A mother invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn’t know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the mother answered. The little girl bowed her head and with sincerity in her voice said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"
Some Blessing, huh?
Already today, we have witnessed and been reminded of the wonderful and miraculous blessing of a child given by God (pic). We have joined together to pray that the LORD would continue to bless this wonderful family. And, we should all be reminded at these times that the most blessed gift of all - Jesus - began His earthly ministry through the incarnation, in the womb and emerging as a newborn babe. The abundance of blessings that have flowed forth as a result can never be over-stated! Again and again, we have soaked in these blessings and praised God. So I ask: Now what? Now that He has blessed us, how are we to respond? (insert Val Shower pic) Not like this, but sometimes we do.
We’ve all heard much about the power of “self-fulfilling prophecies”: One child grows up constantly being told he/she is dumb or will never amount to anything. Lo and behold, that’s just what happens. Not because it’s truth or because it must be, but because the child and, later adult, believes it. They accept it as inevitable. But when a child is told throughout his or her life that they can overcome any obstacle, they do just that - because where others give up this person has the confidence to adapt, adjust and keep pushing.
This is a powerful truth of human nature. Yet, imagine how much more powerful this would be if, when applied, it were done so within the plan and hand of the LORD God Almighty? Guided and empowered by His Holy Spirit? This, in a rough sense, is what it is to bestow a spiritual blessing upon another.
This brings us back to the question posed just a moment ago. Now that He has blessed us, how are we to respond?
PROPOSITION: God wants to bless people, and He wants to do it through YOU! We respond to God’s blessings through blessing and being a blessing unto others.
Through our obedience and His power, God’s Light and Kingdom will expand.
THE PROBLEM: We have, in this day, greatly neglected this incredible provision and privilege from God. Our problem is NOT that God no longer desires to bless. Our problem IS that WE have stopped seeking His blessing for ourselves and others! And we are paying the price, aren’t we? Why? (1.) Pride (2.) Little Faith (3.) The Lies We Believe
FIVE LIES WE HAVE TOO OFTEN ACCEPTED
1.Blessing is dead. It is just “OT”, old-fashioned and/or myth.
2.Blessings are only for priests/clergy to give.
3.Blessings are only for God to give directly (from His Hand to theirs).
4.Blessings are purely symbolic and contrived.
5.To bless is just to provide material and temporal things for others.
It is time dear people that we see these lies for what they are – LIES. It is time that we reclaim a Biblical understanding of The Blessing. And it is time that we not just “file away” this understanding, but regularly apply it. It is time that, in Jesus’ name and according to His will, we bless one another!
I.)UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL BLESSING
WHAT is a blessing?
Barak in the Hebrew (Old Testament) and eulogeo in the Greek (NT)
Barak literally means “to kneel” and both words carry the same general meaning:
“to enrich – to convey a gift by a potent utterance.”
* It is to add to that which is already good – to now make it even better! Gen. 1:1-2:3
The expected granting of extra-ordinary provision from God – spiritual or material.
WHY? What is the purpose & promise of the blessing?
1. “Be fruitful and multiply” Gen. 1:28; 48:3-4 (Jacob to Joseph)
2. To extend God’s blessing Gen. 12:1-3
3.A beginning and anointing of a life purpose and ministry for the Lord.
Adam – Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Joseph . . . – Jesus
Luke 2:25-35; Matthew 3:13-17
Imagine the strength this must have given Jesus throughout all the trials, sufferings, ups
and downs, betrayal and ultimately crucifixion that would follow.
WHERE from? The Source of the Blessing
GOD!!! And God alone, in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Gen. 1:28
Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and have our being . . .” everything depending upon Him
& His blessing
Gen. 12:1-3 “I will make . . . I will bless . . . I will bless . . .” says the Lord
A young boy was out in the back yard trying to move a large rock so he could make more room to ride his bike. Sort of like Janine Brown wanting to carry Pastor Martin’s 300 lb garden boulder yesterday (insert pic)! His father watched as the boy pushed and pulled at the stone. “Are you sure you’re using all your might?” the father asked. “Sure I’m using all my might!” the son replied. The struggle continued and still the boy couldn’t budge the boulder. Once again the father inquired, “Are you sure you’re using all your strength?” By now the boy was tired and quite a bit frustrated so he said, “Why don’t you come over here and help me move the rock?” So the father stepped in and right away the obstacle was removed. “Son,” said the dad, “When you asked me to help you, you were then using all your strength, because any time you have a problem, I have a problem. I am part of your strength. Don’t ever hesitate to ask me for help.”
All creation is dependent upon God for blessing and even existence. Are YOU using all your might? With your Heavenly Father?
WHO is the blessing for?
Father to Son Gen. 49:28
These are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.
Brother to Brother Deut. 23:20
You may charge a foreigner interest, but you must not charge your interest, so that the LORD your God may you in everything you do in the land you are entering to possess
Sister to Sister Gen. 24:60
They blessed Rebekah, saying to her: Our sister, may you become thousands upon ten thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies. Then Rebekah and her young women got up, mounted the camels, and followed the man.
Grandparents to Grandchildren Gen. 48:8-9
When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, "Who are these?" And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons God has given me here." So Jacob said, "Bring them to me and I will bless them."
“Shepherd” to “Sheep” Deuteronomy 33:1
This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave the Israelites before his death.
Everyone – individuals and groups Gen. 12:1-3; 1:22,28; 5:2; 9:1
We all crave the blessing. Like Esau our hearts and spirits cry out: BLESS ME, EVEN ME ALSO?!”
Are blessings for today?
YES! The practice is emphasized specifically in the OT as an expected rite and custom. This is never replaced, superseded or in any way repudiated in NT. Though the language may not be as explicit and the form less liturgical, blessings are applied throughout the NT.
James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.”
Acts 20:35 “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Are there conditions of blessing?
YES!!! Faith and Obedience.
Dt. 11:26-28; 30:1-3, 8-10; Acts 5:29-32; Heb. 11:20-21
II.)UNLEASHING THE BLESSING
Folks, this idea of blessing CHANGES LIVES! I can personally testify as one who has both received and given blessings, as to their everlasting empowerment. I can remember my first blessing. I was first blessed as a young child by my paternal grandmother. I really don’t believe she had much, if any, real theology or understanding of blessing. She was not a spiritual giant or a retainer of Biblical knowledge. But she knew that Jesus was Lord and that He cares about His creation. And she loved me. And with all my heart, I believe that simple, brief, informal blessing she “innocently” prayed upon me is what always kept a part of me yearning for the Lord and His service – even in a family where He was almost never mentioned and church was just a nice option; even in my days of wandering, rebellion and “finding myself” her blessing stayed with me. And I can see the same power at work, making a difference in my family’s lives as I pray blessings upon my children and wife. YOU TOO CAN UNLEASH THE BLESSING. How?
A.)Grounded in Christ
B.)The Elements of a Blessing
1.A Meaningful Touch
Even science affirms this. In his famous experiment Dr. Harry Harlow observed young rhesus monkeys who lived alone in a cage which contained two stationary figures. (slide) One was a cylindrical wire mesh figure approximately the size and shape of an adult rhesus monkey and equipped with a milk-yielding nipple and bottle. The other figure was identical, except that instead of wire it was made of soft terry cloth, had no bottle or nipple, and was given a fake head with eyes, nose and mouth. Harlow found that whenever the monkeys were left alone or somehow frightened, they always ran and clung to the terry cloth figure. Never to the wire figure that was a source of food. The conclusion was that the rhesus monkeys’ intimate attachment was based not on physical need, but on comfort. That is, on physical touch.
The same is true of us humans! We are ALL created with an absolute need for meaningful and comforting touch. We should not be surprised, then, to find that almost every time a blessing is clearly given in the Scriptures it is accompanied by a meaningful touch!
a.) Kiss Gen. 27:26
b.) Embrace Gen. 27:26; Mk. 10:16
c.) Hand on Head Gen. 48:14
2.A Spoken Message
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Words of love and acceptance
Dr. John Trent:
“A tragic misconception parents . . . share is that simply being present communicates the blessing. Nothing could be further from the truth. A blessing becomes so only when it is spoken. For a child in search of the blessing, the major thing silence communicates is confusion. Children who are left to fill in the blanks when it comes to what their parents think about them will often fail the test when it comes to feeling valuable and secure. Spoken words of praise and appreciation give the child and the adult an indication that he or she is worthwhile and valuable. It is not enough to provide a roof over our children’s heads or to provide them with food and the material necessities of life. Without spoken words of blessing they are left unsure of their personal worth and acceptance.”
Rach & I have a rule we live by in our home. Every day our children hear from each of us the words “I love you” at least 3xs, “you are special” at least once, “I’m proud of you” at least once, and “The LORD bless you” at least once.
Spoken in FAITH.
3.Enrich View of Self
Remember, this is the meaning of the word “blessing” – to add value to, enrich.
Be positive and optimistic!
4.Focus on Potential
Not what is, but WHAT COULD/SHOULD BE
Ex.) Gen. 1:28; 12:1-3; 24:60
Gen. 49:1-9 Judah – a young lion, strong, aggressive, a winner
Joseph – fruitful vine, producer, bless others
Deuteronomy 33
Matthew 16:18 “you are Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of
Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
5.Active Commitment to See the Blessing Fulfilled
Our expectations should reflect our present and future commitment to them.
a.) You (the blessor) Must DO Something! James 2:15-17
b.)Share What God Gives You Gen. 33:1; 27:28; 48:15
c.)What is in Their Best Interest? Gen. 49:28
d.)Become a Student
* It helps to know their nature, dreams, potential and spiritual gifts
e.)Become a Teacher Prov. 22:6
f.)Give a Charge Gen. 49:29a
6.Use Scripture Some easily applicable and powerful passages include:
Numbers 6:22-27
Eph. 3:20-21; 6
Philippians 2:5; 4:4-9
Col 3:15-17
CONCLUSION:
Think about the opportunity for blessing this way: Have you ever had an airline lose your luggage? I remember a time we lost a piece of luggage – an umbrella stroller some years ago when Isaiah was a baby. When we inquired about it, we were sent to check among the “unclaimed luggage” area. It was amazing to see how much was there. And I don’t mean junk, I mean some very nice stuff – some left unclaimed for days or weeks or months. Expensive watches, cameras, sports equipment. It’s amazing that people would be so nonchalant, lazy and/or careless to leave such valuables unclaimed. And yet, that is exactly what we do when we leave unclaimed blessings with God. Let us not do that anymore! Rather . . .
Ezekiel 34:26 “I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessings.”
May we be continually transformed and empowered through an unending shower of blessings – one unto another!
Numbers 6:23-27
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
