I’ve shared the story many times about when I first had the opportunity to go out and preach.  I had already reached my life’s goal at twenty years old; isn’t that amazing?  I’d said that, if I could ever make a thousand dollars a month, I’d be set for the rest of my life.  Now, that was not a crazy statement back in the mid‑sixties, and by 1969, I was making that kind of money.  Then I got another opportunity to preach the gospel:  They said, “We are able to give you a total pay package of $300 a month to take care of everything.  Out of that package you must pay for your housing, your car, and everything else.”  That was quite a deal, actually, on my part, because I would’ve paid them to come and preach and be a part of the ministry.

Then, a few years after that, God had blessed us and we were being solicited to a church in Los Angeles:  the most popular, fastest growing, church in LA, and they were on television.  I had told them no twice already, and their last offer to me was this: “We don’t want to influence you, Brother Scott, but you tell us what you want us to pay you.”  I made up my mind right then; I saw my own heart, I saw the circumstances that were before me, and I took the decision as a young man twenty‑one or twenty‑two years old that I’m not for sale.  As it pertains to the kingdom, have you come to that decision: “I’m not for sale; I will not bow my knee to this world’s system or to its idols.  You can’t seduce me with fame, titles, influence, or money.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”; amen?  You had better decide. 

The whole purpose of this is to communicate this truth: “And having food and raiment let us be…content” (verse 8).  Are you content?  Am I?  Are we?  If, as of tonight, you were reduced to nothing but today’s food and one change of clothes, how would that affect your attitude, your outlook on life, your confidence in God, and your belief that God loves you?  You see, many of us have been raised in this doctrine:  we think that God loves us when He is giving us stuff.  Oh, that’s the love of God:  He does want to bless us, as we saw in so many verses (that I won’t go over again).  We saw so many verses on the fact that it’s the Lord, “it’s the Lord, who gives us power to obtain wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), that “riches and honour come from Him” (1 Chronicles 29:12), and that “the blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

The great compliment God gave to Solomon (in 2 Chronicles 1:11) was, “I have offered you anything you wanted, but you asked only for wisdom to oversee and direct those in your life properly.  You didn’t ask for riches, so now I can trust you with them.”  Where are we in this hour?  So, we see that God can and will, in fact, increase our material goods: “Both riches and honor come of Thee” (1 Chronicles 29:12); “God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:19).  Can you say, “Praise God!” for that?  He doesn’t have any problem with our enjoying His blessings.  When they come from God, we saw that there is no sorrow that comes with them; we’re able to take sanctified blessings, then sanctify and bless others with them; amen?  It just flows through.