• A few months ago, in a message titled “The Danger in the Miracle”, I shared that I would rather live from blessing to blessing, instead of miracle to miracle.
• I explained it like this:
• A blessing is still God’s power, but it flows through natural channels. Blessings are better that miracles. If you live your life from one miracle to the next, you will live from crisis to crisis.
• As an example: It’s better to be blessed with good health than to always need divine healing. God’s will is for us to walk in His blessings.-
• So today’s message is blessings
BODY
• Have you ever bought a car because it was unique? You know, because not everyone had one? And then after you bought it, you realized that every 3rd car you see was exactly like yours?
• Well that is sort of what happened to me over the last couple of weeks.
• It seems everything I’ve read or every sermon I’ve listened to, has included a sermon about blessings!
• God’s word teaches us at least 3 things about blessings:
o We are blessed by God
o We are to be a blessing to others
o We are to bless God
• If you are interested, the Hebrew word for blessing or to bless is Barak and Baruch (baa-ruuk).
• For some reason, I have become fascinated with first mentions in the bible.
• Today, we are going to spend some time in Genesis, and eventually we will get to the main passage in todays message.
• Let’s start in Genesis 1:28:
• This is the first mention of blessed in the bible.
• Genesis 1:28:
God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on earth”.
• Isn’t it amazing that Gods’ first words to mankind were to bless him?
• In the opening story of Gods’ word, we get a glimpse of His heart for us!
• When you look at definitions for blessing, here is one that relates in a biblical text, found in Vine’s Expository Dictionary:
Blessing connotes the state of prosperity or happiness that come when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on one. In most passages, the one bestowing favor is God Himself.
• Stand with me please while we honor God in reading His Word:
• Genesis 12:1-3 (read from my bible)
o I’d like us to consider a few things today about this passage;
o Genesis 1:28 God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on earth”.
o He blessed them, then he instructed them.
o In Genesis 12:1-3, He instructed them, then He promised a blessing.
o Read G 12:1-3 again.
o He blessed Adam and Eve in the 1st chapter and by the 3rd chapter, they had broken His one commandment to them!
• The best I can tell, from Genesis 12 forward, God required obedience or faith or BOTH, before He blessed someone or a
nation.
• Look at v.4 “so Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Lot went with him.
• Abram was obedient, and we see that God kept His promise, as He always does!
• Go to Deuteronomy with me.
o 28:1-2 (read from my bible)
o I get excited about this passage!
o How would you like to be overtaken with blessings? We’ll touch on that later.
• I’d like to go back to Genesis 1:28, for a brief moment.
• God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply”
• I’ve always said that our children are a blessing. This week, I realized two things
o I took fertility for granted.
Genesis 30:2 “Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked? “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”
Children are a blessing from God. Just another one of those blessings that I’ve taken for granted all my life.
o I never really looked at the blessing of our children through a scriptural lens.
I read over several passages that helped me realize how blessed Lisa and I are!
• Talking about our children: I think there is also a blessing of protection from stupidity.
• Oh, I’m not talking about our children’s stupidity, I’m referring to my own!
• I think we take blessings for granted. Oftentimes while in prayer, I thank God for His blessings on me. Those I realize and those I don’t. I think we are all guilty from time to time of overlooking our blessings!
• Think about like this:
If you woke up tomorrow with only what you gave thanks for yesterday, what would you have?
• Now, back to that stupidity story that has you all hanging on your seats!
o Before I begin, let me preface this with “don’t judge”. I’ve kicked myself in the tail for this more times than I could count.
o Years ago, I was out in our pasture on the tractor, and Tristan who was probably nine or 10 at the time, was riding in the bucket, the front end loader. I was literally in “crawling along” speed when I realized, seconds before it was too late, that the bucket had began to tilt forward while Tristan was in it. Yea, stupidity!
o Thank you Father, for the blessing of protection from stupidity!
• We’ve looked at blessings through obedience, let’s look at a couple of passages of blessings through faith.
• If you are taking notes, you can write these passages down:
o Proverbs 28:20 “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
o So many layers here, but God wants to bless us when we are faithful!
o Galatians 3:8 “and the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand saying “in you all the nations shall be blessed”
o Further down in 3:14 “that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”. That’s some really good news for we Gentiles. Is that “we Gentiles” or “us Gentiles”? Anyway!
• How do we live “blessing to blessing”?
Well I’m glad you asked.
Like most things it starts in our minds, then by faith and obedience, it moves to our hearts.
Hopefully, these few scriptures will start you on your journey of living blessing to blessing:
2 Corinthians 10:5
“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”.
We’ve got to get our mind right!
Ephesians 4:1
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”
We have to be intentional in living blessing to blessing.
James 1:22
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”.
We have to be obedient, and be doers of the word, y’all!
Hebrews 11:6
“but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.
We gotta have faith in Him to receive His blessings.
-Ask Ashley to come up-
-Call Jason up-
I’m going to ask everyone to close their eyes and receive this scripture, then keep your eyes closed after I finish reading, and just let it wash over you.
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 blessing.”
Next time we’ll discuss “how to be blessed by being a blessing to others”.
Until then, be a blessing to someone this week.
