Psalm 35:27 *Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant*
*THE CARDINAL PURSUIT- HIS KINGDOM*
As a style of writing, I want to restate again as I've done in previous teachings that God prospers His own. My opposition to the unbiblical prosperity gospel should not be misconstrued as hatred for prosperity nor a false belief that God doesn't bless people materially. He does. I am a living testimony.
However, all i've attempted to do from the beginning of this series is to let you know that as far as scriptures is concern, there no gospel called prosperity gospel. The bible simply called it the Gospel of Christ. Everywhere that word appears, it is tied to salvation from sin and its consequences because sin is the greatest problem of man not poverty.
*There were wealthy men before Christ came but there were no saved men before he died*.
His death, burial and resurrection gave salvation to mankind. This is the gospel. Read 1 Cor 15:1-4.
It is not stated anywhere in scriptures that we should seek wealth with all our hearts even to the point of finding a "gospel" for it. Our master taught us not to worry about what we'll eat, drink or wear because God is capable of providing all these. What did he say we should seek? The kingdom.
Matthew 6:33 says, *"So above all, CONSTANTLY SEEK GOD'S KINGDOM and his righteousness, then ALL THESE LESS IMPORTANT THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU ABUNDANTLY*"(TPT).
Jesus' instruction is that we seek God's kingdom not prosperity. As good as it is, the man in Christ should not pursue it. To seek his kingdom is to seek his will and his ways so that we can please him. This pursuit is a life time pursuit that accommodates no other thing.
That text makes it clear that any other pursuit aside God's kingdom are less important. There is a promisory note that If we seek his kingdom, those less important things( material things) will be added or given to us abundantly. Meaning that God cares about our needs yet our focus should be on his kingdom.
*Matthew 6:33 makes it clear that prosperity is not a doctrine/ gospel to be preached but it is the consequence of obedience to a pursuit- the kingdom*
Unfortunately, those things that are less important is what the prosperity gospel is making its cardinal pursuit and message. You see, God's calling or mandate given to every preacher is to preach the gospel of his kingdom because that is the most important thing to God.
Unfortunately, some have narrowed their ministry's focus to "less important things". It is dangerous when the emphasis of a minister&ministry is on "less important things". Such a minister/ ministry will raise believers whose pursuit and hopes are earthly. That is the effect of prosperity gospel. It makes you focus on here only and what you can get not yonder where God lives.
*If believers are not fed with kingdom messages that stirs kingdom pursuit, they will pursue after less important things at the detriment of their soul*.
Matthew 4:23 says, *"And JESUS WENT ABOUT all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Christ was first a preacher of the gospel of the kingdom not a prosperity gospel preacher. In fact, he did not heal or perform miracles first before preaching the kingdom. The kingdom preceded every other thing. He exposed the will and ways of God to the people to the point where they said he taught differently from the scribes and teachers of law.
Jesus did not come looking for men to turn into billionaires, he came to seek for men and women who will embrace the kingdom. It is fraudulent to abandon the kingdom message and souls dying in sin to focus on how to raise wealthy people.
If our Lord preached no other gospel aside the gospel of the kingdom, where did prosperity gospel come from?