Victory Christian Center of Maysville, Kentucky
Walking in the Blessing #1 The Blessing of Abraham on Abraham Byron Mills
2016
719 US 62, Maysville, KY 41056
The Blessing- Introduction and Its Effect on Abraham The Blessing
Text: o
Ephesians 1:3 NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
o
Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"*), (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.
We are going to study the Blessing of the Lord, and learn how to walk in the Blessing
The Tree vs the Apples
Many say we blessed ONLY with Spiritual blessings. The spiritual blessing is the tree, the apples are the fruit of the tree. You may take away my apples, but the tree will produce more apples.
Why Is It Important To Study the Blessing of the Lord? o
To Be Blessed is to be "LIKE" God.
o
Gen 1:26-28 & Eph 1:3
You Can't Preach the Gospel without preaching the Blessing of Abraham.
Galatians 3:8 NKJV 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." [6]
Romans 15:29 NKJV But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel [84] of Christ.
o
So You Can Choose the Blessing and Reject the Curse
Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Some say that disease is a blessing, others say that poverty or a car wreck, or a tragedy was a blessing in disguise. But the Bible is the only real source of truth that reveals what the blessing of the Lord is. 1
if you don't know the difference between what the Bible calls a blessing and the Bible calls a curse, you will put up with the curse and reject the blessing of the Lord and fail to walk in the blessing thinking that you are obeying God.
If you don't know what the Blessing of the Lord is, you won't know how to choose it. You may choose the curse thinking it's a blessing.
Obviously God wants us to know the difference between a blessing and a curse. Otherwise, He couldn't expect us to choose between the two.
Knowing what the blessing of the Lord is will make you bold and confident to expect it to show up in your life. It will give you the confidence to resist the curse and pursue the blessing.
What is the Blessing of the Lord?
It is an unseen ability producing visible, tangible results.
It is God's supernatural ability working in your life accomplishing what you can't accomplish on your own. It is the unseen presence and power of God affecting every seen thing in my life. The supernatural empowerment to succeed, increase, and prosper. Proverbs 10:22 o NKJV The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
o
Proverbs 10:22 Brenton The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous; it enriches him, and grief of heart shall not be added to it.
o
Proverbs 10:22 AMP The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].
o
Proverbs 10:22 GW It is the LORD'S blessing that makes a person rich, and hard work adds nothing to it.
With What Are We Blessed?
The Blessing of Abraham--Gal 3:8-14 o
Galatians 3:8-14 NKJV 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." [6] (9) So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. (10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." [7] (11) But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." [8] (12) Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." [9] (13) Christ 2
has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"*), (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. What Does the Blessing on Abraham Reveal to Us?
Remember, whatever the blessing of Abraham did for Abraham it does for you who are in Christ. o
Galatians 3:7 NKJV Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Genesis 12:1-3 AMP NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you. [Heb. 11:8-10.] (2) And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. (3) And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. [Gal. 3:8.] o
#1. Go for yourself [for you own advantage] away from your country.
A. Go for Yourself.
B. Leave Familiar Places.
o
Let God lead and influence you more than the beliefs of your country or culture.
#2. Leave Your relatives.
Leave Familiar Faces.
o
God isn't trying to ruin your fun or your life. He wants you to this FOR YOURSELF. FOR YOUR GOOD AND BLESSING.
Don't let the thinking of your relatives and friends influence you more than the Word of God.
# 3. And your father's house.
3
Leave Familiar Traditions
“Familiar =” From late 14c. as "of or pertaining to one's family." (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=familiar)
Don't let the traditions and beliefs of your parents, friends, church, community, and country be more important than what God is saying.
Mark 7:5-9 NKJV Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" (6) He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. (7) And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' [28] (8) "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men*--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." (9) He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
Colossians 2:20-23 AMP If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?--such as] (21) Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them], (22) Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines. [Isa. 29:13.] (23) Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting selfimposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh.]
o
#4. To the land that I will show you.
Let God lead you to the places, faces, and the beliefs He wants you to have.
It's not just about quitting or leaving the old. It's about going into the new.
Deuteronomy 6:10-11 NKJV (10) "So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, (11) houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells 4
which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant--when you have eaten and are full-
#1 God wants to bring you a large and beautiful places which you did not build.
#2. God wants to bring you into houses full of all good things which you did not build.
#3. God wants to bring you into wells you did not dig.
#4. God wants you to enjoy vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant.
#5. God wants you to eat and be full.
John 6:11 NKJV And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples [20] to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
o
#5. I will make you a great nation.
As a Christian you are part of the greatest nation on earth.
1 Peter 2:9 AMP But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [Exod. 19:5, 6.]
We are a chosen race.
We are the GRACE RACE.
Your Genetics Changed When you accepted Jesus as Your Lord.
1 John 3:1-3.
John 3:6 Born from Above.
He Chose Us
5
LIke during recess, when the captain chose you, you simply walked over and joined the team. He did the hard part, we get the easy part.
John 15:16 NKJV You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Ephesians 1:3-4 AMP May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! (4) Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.
We are a royal priesthood.
Revelation 1:5-6 NKJV and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed [1] us from our sins in His own blood, (6) and has made us kings [2] and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:10 NKJV And have made us [39] kings [40] and priests to our God; And we [41] shall reign on the earth."
Romans 5:17 NKJV For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
"The regal and sacerdotal dignities are the two highest that can possibly exist among men; and these two are here mentioned to show the glorious prerogatives and state of the children of God." Clarke.
There is no higher calling than to be a king or a priest. We are both.
A dedicated nation. 6
Phil 3:20 Citizenship in heaven.
God's own purchased people.
We are God's Purchased Field!
Matthew 13:44 AMP The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field.
We Are God’s Garden of Eden
That we may set forth (exangello--celebrate, sing, declare) wonderful deeds of Him.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NKJV (6) I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. (8) Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. (9) For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
We are called to celebrate, sing, and declare, not His anger and wrath, but His wonderfull deeds.
That we may display the virtues and perfections of Him.
"Virtues" - We are called to Demonstrate, not His wrath and anger, but his virtues. What does “virtues” mean?
VGNT-Moulton & Milligan= "goodness".
VGNT- "miraculous powers."
VGNT-Moulton & Milligan= “manifestations of power”
Strongs- "manliness related to lifting."
Word Study-Superiority, supernatural powers"
"Display"
"Demonstrate, Manifest" -- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NKJV (1) And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony* of God. (2) For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and 7
Him crucified. (3) I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. (4) And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human [4] wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
God has called us out of darkness.
o
#6. I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors].
o
o
Colossians 1:13 NKJV He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Jubilee
Luke 4:19 Dektos = Jubliee
Lev 25
1 Cor 6:1-2 Dektos year= jubilee.
#7 I will make your name famous and distinguished.
We are in Christ and have authority to the Name of Jesus, the name above all names.
He is making your name reputable and distinguished.
#8. You will be blessing [dispensing good to others]
We are dispensers of the Gospel of good things.
We are dispensers of the anointing and power of God.
Romans 10:14-15
John 7:37-39
We are dispensers of good deeds and good works.
1 Cor 15:9-10 Labored more abundantly
Eph 2:10 Works flows from grace.
??? more ???
We are dispensers of wealth.
To ministries
Phil 4:10-18
Phil 1 8
To the poor.
o
#9. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you
Those who mock our faith put themselves under a curse
Gal 1:5-8
When they hire you they hired the blessing of God into their business.
o
#10 By Him you will bless yourselves
The blessing is available. It's up to your to tap into it and bless yourself by receiving it and activating it.
God's waiting on you to access the blessing. You aren't waiting on Him to bless you.
What Effect Did the Blessing of Abraham have on Abraham? o
Gen 13:2
Genesis 13:2 NKJV Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
o
Gen 24:1, 34-35
Genesis 24:1 NKJV Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
o
Genesis 24:34-35 NKJV So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. (35) The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
o
Gal 3:13-14-Would the Blessing of Abraham be less powerful on those in Christ than on Abraham under a lesser covenant?
9