Getting Blessed In 2018

What Is Blessing? Genesis 1:28

Be Fruitful – productivity, goodness, and joy

Multiply – exponential increase without much effort

Have Dominion – authority over circumstances

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Effort and Results

BLESSING NORMAL CURSE

You Are Already Blessed In Jesus!

We are already blessed, chosen and beloved.(Ephesians 1:3-14)

We have all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1 :3,6)

We have the blessings of Abraham and are sons of God in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:9,29)

Romans 4

1. Blessed apart from our works (Romans 4:3-5)

2. Blessed even if we sin (Romans 4:5-8)

3. Blessed by faith alone, just as Abraham was(Romans 4:13-24)

What Kind Of Blessing?

We have an eternal inheritance. (Matthew 25:34)

The main blessing is the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 3:14)

Who we become is more important than what we own. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Blessings That Pay Off Later On

1. Being Persecuted For Christ’s Sake (Matthew 5:10-12, 1 Peter 3:9-12, Romans 12:14)

2. Being Called Into Ministry (Matthew 19:27-30, John 16:33)

3. Long-Term Faithfulness(Matthew 24:45, 25:21)

Different Pathways

Jabez – the blessing of a comfortable life without pain

Paul – the blessing of an adventurous life filled with glory

Abraham – the blessing of a life of faith and sacrifice

Zacchaeus – the blessing of a man whose sins are forgiven

Activating God’s Blessings

We activate the blessings by faith.(Romans 4:13)

We de-activate them by unbelief (James 1:5-8) and through unloving behavior (2 Peter 3:7)

Persistence In Prayer For Blessings

Jacob wanted blessing desperately and even wrestled with God and prevailed for it!

Jesus sometimes made people persist before He blessed them.

An Attitude of Gratitude!

We need to live life as people who have already been blessed. (Galatians 3:9)

Our covetousness gets in the way of us appreciating these blessings. (Colossians 3:5)

Thankfulness has a huge role as well. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, 1 Timothy 4:3,4; Philippians 4:6,7)

Blessed To Be A Blessing!

Abraham was blessed in order to be a blessing

What sort of a blessing can you be to family, friends, the Church and those in need?