Elephants in the Room: where we tackle sensitive subjects and taboo topics that no one likes to talk about.
What is the prosperity gospel?
Official definition: The prosperity gospel is an overemphasis on the material blessings of God, where you acquire His blessings of health and wealth transactionally through your own efforts, not relationally by His grace.
Whats wrong with it?
1. God is not a vending machine where we put in the money, punch in the code, and out comes the blessing. He’s God. We work for God, not the other way around.
2. It creates guilt if you’re not prosperous because you must be doing something wrong. God’s goal for your life is not luxury, but maturity. God is not as interested in what He can do FOR you, as He is in what He can do IN you and THROUGH you.
Spirit-filled, full gospel, Charismatic, and Pentecostal belief is NOT the same as the prosperity gospel.
Three areas where the prosperity gospel goes wrong:
MONEY
What’s the problem?
1. It assumes God’s blessing can be measured by material wealth alone.
2. You give to get.
3. No warnings about the love of money.
What’s the overcorrection?
God wants you poor, money is bad, ignore sowing and reaping.
What’s the truth?
1. Give to get to give.
2 Cor. 9:6-8
2. Be content and don’t love money.
Luke 12:15
Hebrews 13:5 CONFESSION
What’s wrong?
1. Your words alone change your circumstances.
2. Faith denies reality.
What’s the overcorrection?
Your words don’t matter.
What is the truth?
1. Words Matter.
Prov. 18:21
2. Your words reveal your heart.
Luke 6:45 HEALING
What’s wrong?
1. You can’t demand healing from God. Its insulting.
2. You can’t guarantee healing through a specific prayer or confession.
3. You can’t assume someone didn’t get healed because of a lack of faith.
What’s the overcorrection?
God doesn’t heal or its only “if it be thy will.”
What’s right?
1. God’s will is healing.
Acts 10:38
2. We are told to pray for the sick.
James 5:14-15 Will you live in the balance of truth regarding health, wealth, and confession?