Is It God’s Will for Us to Always Be Wealthy, Healthy and Happy?

Tough Questions. Real Answers.
Is It God’s Will for Us to Always Be
Wealthy, Healthy and Happy?

I. Introduction

A. The Prosperity Gospel is the idea that followers of Jesus have a to the blessings of wealth, health, and happiness in this life.

B. Lots of Christians believe this statement: “God will grant to all believers who have enough faith.”

II. What Is Right with the Prosperity Gospel?

A. God is good, and He wishes to be good to His .

1. Psalm 145:8-9 (NLT) ⁸The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. ⁹The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

III. What Is Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?

A. There’s a of Scripture.

1. The proper way to read the Bible is to try to figure out what the author’s was!

2. III John 2 (NAS) Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

a. “Prosper” – – “to with someone”

3. “The Apostle John neither intended that, nor could his recipient, Gaius, understand the text that way. We could learn from this text to pray for people that everything would go well for them. But, what we could not get from this text is that God wills our financial prosperity. That is abusing the text, and taking a particular warm greeting of the letter’s author, and making it the eternal will of God.” (Gordon Fee)

B. A “” view of God.

1. Job 11:13-17 (NLT)

2. The blessings and problems in life are not neatly distributed according to a person’s !

C. The in the Bible do not line up with the Prosperity Gospel.

1. Luke 9:58 (NAS) “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

D. The caused to millions of people.

IV. What Does the Bible Really Teach About Prosperity?

A. II Corinthians 2:17 (NIV) “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”

B. I Timothy 6:5 (NLT) These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

C. I Timothy 6:6-8 (NAS) ⁶But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. ⁷For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

D. Ephesians 3:8 (NAS) To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.

E. I Timothy 6:9-10 (NAS)

F. I Timothy 6:17-19 (NAS)

G. I Timothy 6:18 (NAS) Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.

1. “God, make me more than the prosperity I might receive.”

V. Conclusion