SERMON NOTES/BRIEF OVERVIEW
OCTOBER 15, 2017
SERMON TITLE:“YOU ARE BLESSED”
ELDER STANLEY STOCKER – MINISTER, MT AIRY CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST
THEME: “Whom God blesses no man can curse”
TEXT: NUMBERS 22-24 (22:12)
OUTLINE:
*Summary of background story – Balak King of Moab solicits the help of Balam by sending an emissary to him seeking to pronounce a curse on the people of Israel – God’s people – who had besieged his land on their way to the promised land (22:1-8).
God intervenes and warns Balam not to heed to Balak’s entreaties (9-14) King Balak tries a second time to persuade Balam this time to come over to Moab to see for himself the threat posed by the people of God. God intervenes again through a set of intriguing events (22:15 – 23:12)
Balak tries a third time to persuade Balam to curse God’s people. (23:13-17). He emphatically states his inability to go against God’s word( 23:18-24). Balake persists (25-30) and this time Balam doesn’t even bother to answer Balak and confirms the blessing of the people of Israel. (24:1-9)
In frustration Balak orders Balam out of his presence but not until Balam takes a final shotat Balak (24:10-14)
*Sometimes when we look at all that is going on around us, it may not look or feel like we are blessed. It may even feel like we are cursed. As people of color we have been made to believe that we are cursed as descendants of Canaan (Genesis 9) – a wrong interpretation of Scripture.
round it – all the violence, calamities, injustices and natural disasters, it may feel we are not blessed but God says we are blessed just as God told Balam to tell King Balak “they are blessed” (12). Balam thought Balak had the power to bless and curse. God is the one who blesses and “curses” who he chooses to bless and curse.
*We are blessed – Right from creation, God commands His blessing (Genesis 1:27-31) As the seed of Abraham we enjoy the sevenfold blessings pronounced on him by God. (Genesis 12:1-3) In Christ we experience the full blessing of God. (1Peter 2:9-10)
*The devil through his agents wants to mess with our blessings but know from now on:
“NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER.” Isaiah 54:17
“DON’T RUN FROM YOUR BLESSING. YOUR BLESSING IS ABOUT TO OVERTAKE YOU.
“STOP TRYING TO BLESS YOURSELF. YOU CAN’T BLESS YOURSELF ENOUGH. LET GOD
BLESS YOU.