You Are Anointed for Impact - Prosperity With a Purpose Series, Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

0:00 I believe that in these next four weeks there will be a release of an anointing and a grace for breakthrough. I have been awakened in the night by me teaching in my sleep. And it was all on this economic series. It is prosperity, but it's not prosperity in the sense of what we accumulate. It's prosperity in the sense of being positioned fully effective to impact the course of history around us. It's prosperity with a purpose. Thank you. Hey, did you know that heck is where people who don't believe in gosh go? That was bad, huh? that was dumb but just the right kind of dumb I'm starting a new series today and starting a series on the purpose of prosperity and I believe that the Lord is I really believe he has ordained these next several weeks for this purpose. And I'm really anticipating great testimonies and great breakthrough for people. And I'm starting in a very different place than any time previously when I've dealt with the subject, which has been quite a few years. We're going to actually start with the subject of missions. Today is missions week. And you guys have, I was just talking with Steve, our guy who's in charge of the whole economics of the church, the whole department that manages that for us. And you guys, it's in the, you guys have these brochures, correct? These missions brochures? You guys have given, in our missions giving, one million, almost one point, over a million dollars. Over a million dollars this last year towards missions. That's not counting the short-term missions trip that we do with the students. That's probably another three million

2:08 right there, some of which comes from this house, some comes from people around the world, of course. But I was just fondly thinking over you and how many of you have been a part of this church, this family for so many years. You've gone through so many changes, and I just applaud you. I applaud those of you that moved here, just because you wanted to be a part of something, you left somewhere to come here, a place you can hardly get to from there. You know, who would have ever thought that the Lord would, just our school of ministry, there's 900 plus international students that are part of that school. You almost can't get here from South Africa, but they found a way. And it's really a remarkable thing, and we don't take it lightly. But I wanted to thank you, Bethel family, for just upgrading and talking with Steve this morning. He says, oh, it's at least 10 times what it was just a few years ago. And so you've really stepped up to the plate and really helped us. And so anyway, I'm going to be talking about that today. I know we have a lot of guests with us. It'll be applicable to anyone. It's a family message, but the concepts are for every, every believer. God's called us to have impact on nations of the world. How many of you have figured out that when you think one thing and God thinks different, only one of you needs to change? You figured that out already? In fact, only one of you can change, and it's not him. He will not change what he thinks about you. And when he sees me, he sees you as a world changer, as somebody that impacts the destiny of nations, that I have to adjust my thinking until I see it the way he does. And so anyway, we're going to mess with that subject a little bit this morning. We've got a few passages to go over this morning.

4:04 So Matthew 28, Acts chapter 1, Acts chapter 8. So if there's some way you can find all those and put paper in there, do it. Otherwise I will just wait for you. Did you, you stole that of mine. Thank you. I'm just teasing. All right. Matthew 28. You guys good?

4:28 Wow. That was an overwhelming response. I'm about to dance up here. I'm so overwhelmed with joy. Jeez. Are you happy? Yes, yes, good, good. I can't afford to have a thought in my head that he doesn't have in his head about me. We adjust our way of thinking to his. He gave us a commission to actually impact the course of history because he knows the power of what he entrusted to us. He didn't commission us to disciple nations because of our talent, our skill level. He gave us the commission to do it because He gave us His treasured Holy Spirit who would empower and enable us to do the very thing we are assigned to do. It's vital that throughout our life we learn to continually change how we think, whether it's about life itself, our self, our family, our talents, gifts, callings, whatever it might be that we adjust thinking according to his. Because when he gives us an assignment, it's never so that we can, it's never just to make us feel good about ourself. It's never so that we just have something to do. He doesn't give us a command to dig a hole and then fill it back up. He's very efficient in his assignment. He always chooses the best for every assignment. So if he's chosen you, he knows things about you that you may not know yourself.

6:04 He does not, when he sent Israel out to war, in Gideon's story, the army was reduced from 33,000 or whatever, finally down to 300. He didn't choose the 300 most lazy men in the group. He chose the most attentive, the most alert, the most fearless. He can win by many or few. It's never the issue. The issue is, is that he takes absolute raw devotion and he turns it into world-changing gifts and graces. And so he's looking, he's summoning everybody in this room into a world-changing impact. What God's given us to do is we go, we send, we pray. And it's those three realms, go, send, and pray. Not everyone in this room is able to go somewhere. I understand that. But the one thing I'm looking for is I like to adopt things. I like to, when we lived in Weaverville, I know people thought it was funny at first, but I would announce to them that Weaverville was the center of the universe and that we were there to impact the course of world history. And that was the way eventually they started to believe me.

7:15 It took a little while. They thought I was a little funny at first. But eventually, honestly, people start because they realize the power of prayer, the power of sending people, the power of going. And I will leave those stories, all those. There's some extraordinary stories of getting in behind the Iron Curtain into very dangerous places of ministry where we sent teams. It was great, great impact. So I believe that there's something in your future that would excite you if you knew what it was. And the way I look at it is I like to see people adopt stuff. I like to see people adopt a country. So I'm going to ask you, challenge you today, think in terms of what place around the world besides home the Lord would really put on your heart and give you an assignment for. I've done this for years. I try to pay attention to what he's highlighting. It used to be just one location, then it grew to two. And he would add to that to where I'd really have in my heart a vision, a burden for these various locations.

8:15 What I found happening for me is over a period of time, I started to notice that in my travels to a location, when I would go back there, it almost felt like I owned real estate there. And it's a hard thing to describe. I feel like the adoption was so, I mean, I can't take you and address. That's not the point. The point isn't possession. The point is that there was such an identification with that location that I actually felt like I had ownership in that country. And I'm going to ask you to consider the possibility that God would drop a location in your heart. He would drop a missionary in your heart. He would drop, I take it farther than that. I like to adopt international business and a local business. I like to pray that the Lord would use business to impact the world with kingdom thinking, kingdom values. It's very possible and it's very probable because God's been putting his people in key places to shape values from all different angles, political angles, business angle, the church angle. And so I just have good news for you. As Bob Mumford said many years ago, I read the last chapter, we win. So that's what I'm sticking with. All right. So Matthew 28, we're going to read a few verses here. So let's just get going. All right. Matthew 28, verse 18. Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

10:10 I just remember a story of an old-timer that wouldn't fly in airplanes. He just refused to fly. Somebody said, hey, if it's your time to go, it's your time to go. And he says, I don't mind going when it's my time to go. I just don't want to be on the plane when it's the pilot's time to go. That made sense to me. He says, well, you should fly because God's with you. And he says, no. He says, lo, I am with you. I am with you, lo. Matthew 28 says go. Acts chapter 1.

10:52 This is about 10 days before the day of Pentecost, 40 days after the resurrection. Verse 7. He's talking to his disciples. It's not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria to the end of the earth. All right? The baptism in the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Spirit is for the purpose of power. That power is there for miracles and for endurance. It's for miracles and for endurance. It's for miracles and for endurance.

11:55 Yeah. I don't know if you've heard this before. That power is for miracles and for endurance. It actually is to give a grace to bring breakthrough. And when the breakthrough doesn't happen immediately or the breakthrough causes opposition, it gives power, enables you to endure. And that's the purpose. All right. Acts chapter 8. All right. Acts chapter 8. I will try to tie this all together in just a moment. So just kind of endure this rapid skipping through Scripture. Verse 1, Acts 8. Saul was consenting to his death.

12:49 Him is Stephen. Stephen was martyred in the previous verses. At that time, great persecution arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem. and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Verse 4, therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ to them, and the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. Verse 8, and there was great joy in that city. Here's what I want you to see. Matthew 28 announces that there is an assignment, a commission for every person who is a disciple of Jesus. And that assignment is to go into all the worlds, preach the gospel, disciple nations, and teach, Jesus said, teach them what I taught you. Jesus taught his disciples to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out devils. That's part, a large part of what he trained them to do.

14:02 Would you agree with that? Yes. And then he said, as you get disciples, as you bring people to Christ, then train them in the same things I taught you. So there was never to be a separation from the lifestyle that Jesus lived to the next generation of believers, the apostles, as they began in ministry, to this day, there was never to be a change. Things have changed only because the instruction and the model has changed, but we're working to return, all right? So Jesus gave this assignment to go into all the nations. In Acts 1, he says, the Holy Spirit will come upon you to make you witnesses, where? In the nations. We get to Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8 is about five years after the day of Pentecost. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? Take the gospel to the nations. Acts chapter 8, everybody is still in Jerusalem. Five years later.

15:01 Are you picking up my drift here? It's very subtle, I know. Five years later, after he said go, they're still staying. and so then persecution came and the believers had great motivation to go into all the world and preach the gospel I think that's funny how many of you know Israel probably wouldn't have crossed the Red Sea unless they were motivated by Pharaoh's army on their backside motivating them to walk between these two walls of water don't be afraid of the devil the Lord uses him as a chess piece to bring about his purposes until his final day of judgment. The devil is not the opposite of God.

15:59 There's never been a war. There is no enemy to God that can stand against him and his purposes. When God wanted the devil defeated, he put man on the earth, the devil inhabited it. And when man fell, Jesus came, redeemed us to restore us to the assignment. but this time Jesus defeated him on our behalf and then gave us the privilege to live from his victory until the entire earth is covered with his glory it's called missions. It's what we do. It's who we are.

16:43 You've embraced it brilliantly, taking what we do as a church family, multiplying it by, Steve said this, told me this morning, at least 10 times of what it was just a few years ago. I'm so thankful for that, but I feel like the Lord is about to give us an upgrade. Normally, when I start on any kind of economic series, which I haven't done for quite a few years, but I almost always start with the tithe. I'm not this time. I'm starting with missions. And I feel like what the Lord is going to do, I have reason to believe this. I'm not going to explain it to you. I'm just going to declare it. I believe that in these next four weeks, there will be not only a deposit of understanding, but there will be a release of an anointing and a grace for breakthrough. I believe that the Lord has assigned me. I don't say this very often. So I actually, I have been awakened in the night by me teaching in my sleep on this, on this. And what I'll do next week will actually be the very thing. I woke up, I think, three times. I woke myself up teaching. That's never happened in my life. When I sleep, I sleep. I mean, I've woke myself up praying before, but never teaching. And it was all on this economic series. So I believe that the Lord has ordained there to be a release. But here's the deal. It is prosperity, but it's not prosperity in the sense of what we accumulate. It's prosperity in the sense of being taken care of, but being positioned fully effective to impact the course of history around us. It's prosperity with a purpose and with heavy emphasis on the purpose for what God's releasing to us. So are you ready for that? Yes, Bill, we're ready. All right. Acts chapter 8 is the first time we see the disciples doing what Jesus gave them a command to do. By the time you get to Acts chapter 10, that is, it is actually 10 years after the day of Pentecost, and it's the first recorded conversion.

18:38 I believe there were conversions in chapter 8. But the first recorded conversion is the house of Cornelius, when he had this, he had the Lord speak to him. And he was one who gave alms. He took care of people. He gave to the house of the Lord. He was a Gentile. He was outside of the plan of God before Christ, but he was inside the plan of God after the death and resurrection. Maybe going too fast. I'm sorry if I am. But he was in the purposes of God. God showed up, sent Peter to him, and the first recorded conversion. As Peter is sharing the gospel with them, not only are they born again, but they are baptized in the Holy Spirit in that environment of heavenly charged atmosphere where they became impregnated with the same purpose and call that Peter and the other disciples were impregnated with. They were to carry this gospel of salvation, this gospel of the kingdom to the nations of the world. Every person in this room, you have the ability to pray and shape history. Every person in this room, we have the ability.

19:43 I won't personally let a month go by, but I've been giving to missions since I was just a young man. When Benny and I got married, we combined our missions giving. We've never given as low as 20% of our income. We always sow into world missions. And then a few years into pastoring, I realized, oh, the Bible also talks about taking care of the poor. So we just put that into our giving budget every month. And so there's three things I won't neglect to do ever and haven't for decades. And that is a local church missions and taking care of the poor. And we did it when we were poor ourselves. We did it when we had very little to our name, but we just made sure I remember selling a car because the car payment was cutting into what I could give. So we just adjust everything else to make sure that we hold that standard. Now you don't have to copy me, but what I'm saying is I want to see everybody in the Bethel family. You may think you came here for one reason, but I'm telling you why you came here.

20:39 and I'm right. You came here to be a part of a team of people that's to shape the course of world history. We're not the only ones. There's thousands of groups all over the world, but we get to do our part. We get to do our part to shape the course of world history. I'm very intentional about that concept. That's not a flashy, flamboyant statement. It's something that we have lived and believed in for many, many, many years. When I get to heaven, I will be able to see the effect of every dollar I ever gave, the effect it had on eternity. that may not mean much to you now, but it'll mean everything then.

21:23 And the thought of us being able to actually take something that is natural and make it supernaturally effective is extremely inviting to me. It's inviting to me to take something that is normal, that is natural, and release it to impact the course of history. we have world changes planted all over the world and there are other great ministries around the world that we have nothing to do with but they are wonderful and powerful groups of people Benny and I have given to numerous groups through the years and I encourage that the point I'm trying to make is what I want to see from those who belong here in this family every young person I don't care if it's a dollar a month I'm looking for consistency I'm looking for partnership I'm not looking for you know, just write me a big check. That's fine if that's what you want to do. But I'm looking for partnership. I want people to wake up knowing I have a responsibility and it's for the nations.

22:21 What happened here? Five years after the commission, everybody's still in Jerusalem. Why? I don't know. They probably had that idea that once we reach Jerusalem, then we'll go to the other parts of the world. I hear it in the church all the time. Once we do a good job of reaching our city, then we'll consider the nations. Say this with me. That is the spirit of stupid. I'm glad we're in agreement on this. One of the great missionary statesmen from, in fact, died a martyr. One of my heroes of the faith. I made this statement that has impacted my thinking for probably 30 years since I first heard it. And that was this. The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home.

23:13 When you prioritize here, you don't get here or there. you're making me work hard. That's all right. I'm, I'm geared up. When you prioritize home at the expense of going and sending, you don't get what you hope for here or there. There's something about giving yourself for here and there that gives you success in both. I don't understand how it works. I just know it does. it's difficult. I'll bet you can't find a church in the nation that lives with continuous increase of revelation that is not generous. In Malachi 3, he talks about the tithe and the offering, and he links it to two things.

24:12 Open heaven, number two, that there might be food in my house. the spirit of revelation is directly connected to a people who live positioned to impact cities and nations of the world sometimes the need appears before us as so great that we do nothing. Wouldn't it be nice to eradicate poverty off the planet? I don't know how to do that, but I can help somebody. Wouldn't it be nice to fully take care of our missionary friend's entire budget? Yeah, it would be. I don't have enough to do that, but I can do something. Something happened in Jerusalem. Things were successful.

25:05 They were having great impact, but they still hadn't gone. And the danger is, is to interpret what God has said, filter it through human reasoning so that you do something that looks logical to you. and that statement once we reach our city then we'll be positioned to reach the cities of the nations of the earth that is taking a commission and reducing it to what we understand Do you remember when, it's kind of a harsh story, so forgive me, but it's the only one I could find that fit my very happy mood. Do you remember when King Saul was told by the prophet he used to kill King Agag, all the people, and all of his sheep, all of his animals, everything?

26:01 And Samuel came to visit him, and he says, I hear sheep bleeding. What is that? Bleeting, not bleeding, bleating. And he says, oh, we saved some of the best sheep to give as an offering to God. I mean, no, that looks really good on paper.

26:23 We're going to give God this lavish sacrifice. And that's where you have this statement in Scripture, obedience is better than sacrifice. Say it with me. Obedience is better than sacrifice. King Saul took the commission of the Lord and reduced it to what he thought would be appealing and pleasing. and in the process actually disobeyed what God commanded him to do. one of the most sobering stories to me in the Bible that I think about often as it relates to missions and forgive me for the kind of the heavy handed I'm much happier than my illustrations sound I want you to know that I'm very encouraged and positive and so help me out help me out when David really blew it bad and he wanted to destroy the evidence or he wanted to destroy the one person that could accuse him he wanted to kill Uriah he sent him to the front lines of battle he told Joab, his commander in chief so to speak of the army he says put him on the front lines of battle and then have the entire army withdraw from him so he's there by himself that's kind of what I feel like whenever we send missionaries out and forget about them.

27:49 as we put them in the front lines in the middle of this heated conflict and then forget about them when we have this incredible privilege of surrounding them Lynn mentioned in the I don't remember if it was the interviewer I think it was on the video that she could actually feel the prayers of people surrounding her that's a very real thing for those whose lives depend on it sometimes we live in a bubble of protection and forget that others don't. So, you have paid a hefty price to be a part of this family, part of this tribe. Some of you have moved here from, goodness, places. You almost can't get here from there. And you came.

28:42 Others of you have been here for years and you made incredible adjustments to be a part of the family. The stories are very diverse. but I'm so thankful to have a group of people that really care about the cities and nations of the world. And if that hasn't been your experience or it hasn't been your heartbeat, then for you, I just have this very simple appeal. You know, step into another level of the purposes of God for your life because everybody in this room has a chance to change the course of history. Let me make it really simple. I try to not watch the news at all. It's just personal. but should you do it to pray? There you go.

29:32 Ask the Lord for a nation. Let's just say for, just for illustration's sake, he gives you Argentina. Anytime you see Argentina mentioned in the news or in your newspaper or in Time Magazine or wherever, take a moment and pause and pray into that nation. Say, Lord, let a spirit of breakthrough be released over that nation. Take a moment to pray because what happens over time, I'm not looking for a great experience for you. I'm looking over time for you to develop that pathway in your heart from your value system into impacting that nation that God would create the sense of momentum where you live and think and drink and eat and sleep impact on nations. Why? Because you will be surprised as to who God brings across your path. there are I won't have anyone raise hands but I know there are people from the nations listen we're in a moment of favor that I don't explain and I know that none of us earned it but I don't want to blow it and miss my chance to impact nations he brings people here from all over the world all over the world why? to Reading of all places I don't know I think it's divine humor myself he takes the the foolish things to confound the wise, and that would be you and me. And if you don't think it's you, it's at least me. He takes the foolish things to confound the wise. So here's what I don't want to do is stand back and say, well, this doesn't make any sense, and then do nothing. I want to take my moment of favor and make sure that I use it in a way. And here's what happens. The Lord can bring across your path. You start praying for that country. And next Sunday, somebody sitting next to you or in front of you that you meet is from that nation and something triggers and you prayed into this country now for two months and they say, Hey, I want, I want happening in my city, in my church, what's happening with you. And you may be the person that prays for them that brings that anointing for breakthrough that they take back home that causes what's happening there to be greater than anything that's ever happened here. It's very likely. It's very possible.

31:35 that's what God wants he doesn't want it centered on an individual or on a team or on a staff it's this is a tribal anointing that is to become infectious and is to be passed on to city after city and nation after nation and you are a part of the tribe that is to give it away none of us earned it no I mean I don't care how much you've prayed I've prayed too but still none of us earned but this is entirely a grace gift. It is entirely a divine moment to give away favor. Favor upon us is always for the benefit of others. It's never for self-promotion. So I hold this thing called favor real tenderly, knowing that this is something that the Lord's put in my hand for this season. And I want to make sure the thing that terrifies me more than any other thing is that I would misrepresent him. That I would misrepresent him.

32:29 I don't want to misrepresent him in character, and I don't want to misrepresent him with the absence of power, and call that the gospel. Smile. It'll make me feel better. You know what I want to do? A huge part of this is the financial commitment. We love to have pledges, to be honest, and would ask you to really ask the Lord what you can do to help us. And we don't take this money. You understand, whenever we do stuff like this, it goes all over the world. and it wasn't very long ago we were scrambling I remember as a staff we'd be taking out of the local church funds to supplement the missions because it wasn't coming in and you know it would be $40,000 a year that we would send out and now in the last few years you've sent it up over a million dollars not counting what happens bless the Lord for that, it's amazing I you've got little cards. If you know what's in your heart to do, don't ever feel manipulated or compelled in a strong arm way. I've had people stand here and say, God loves cheerful givers, but I'll take grumpy money. That makes sense to me, but I'm not doing that today. If you're part of the Bethel family and you want to help us in this, then fill out card and give us a pledge for this next year, next 12 months. It should be in your bulletin.

34:04 Take that real quick and pray over it together. If you can't make the decision today, I will try to remember to acknowledge it next week so we can do the same then, all right? And then I want to pray. I want to pray for this real mantle of breakthrough to come upon you. If anyone needs a pledge card, put a hand up because we've got ushers that have them if you for some reason didn't get one. And those of you that are from other churches, other cities, you know what? All I would say is just please take this, take this idea of changing the world. Take it home to your church. I don't care how small your church is. I don't care if you meet in a small group with eight people, five people in your home. It doesn't matter. One person in God is a majority. That's not a cute statement. That's reality.

34:57 when God is for you who can be against you we read it a couple weeks ago when God is for you who can be against you that doesn't mean nobody can be against you it just means nobody can be against you that gets to vote we're going to pray each of the next several weeks I'm going to pray for increasing levels of breakthrough I believe, I've got this burning conviction I believe by the end of this thing I think the Lord is going to release creative ideas for business, he's going to create I believe the Lord is releasing ideas for patents, for inventions for songs, for plays, for all of these things because I believe the Lord wants us to use the favor that we've been given to impact how people think, the value system, so that they can draw on the blessing of the Lord instead of living unconscious of God.

35:51 And I believe that's what the Lord is doing. So fill the card out real fast and stand, join us. I want to pray over you. Then we're going to pass the bags and we'll receive. Also, if you want to give into missions right now, that would be wonderful too. Just put it in an envelope or check or whatever you're doing. Do that as well. All right. Will you agree with me for breakthrough? This is for you now. This is your saying amen to what we're doing in missions. I appreciate it again.

36:28 Father I ask that you would once again release mantles of breakthrough into this church family those who are guests with us today give the same gift to them increase the measure of breakthrough Father I ask God that every bit of increase that you give us it would be for your glory and it would be used to testify of your goodness and kindness. We declare it's all from you. It's a gift of grace. None of it's earned. It's all your mercy and grace. And we give you thanks. But I do pray, let mantles of breakthrough fall on households. In Jesus' name. Today. I also ask that you to release a grace, a gift. Why don't you pray this with me?

37:24 Father God. Give me a nation. Show me where you want my heart to be planted. Show me the people you want me to cry out for. Let it be a gift that you give. Yeah, now, Father, I pray for that release of grace, for impacting nations, that you would continue to shift how we think and see for the honor of the name of Jesus. Everybody said amen. Amen.