Bill Johnson - Christmas Eve Service
We’re going to read a prayer and it’s a verse that goodness, I don’t know. I bring it up often. I think a lot of our team brings this particular passage up often. It’s about prosperity of soul. It’s a fairly common passage. And rightfully so. It’s a prayer. He says, «Beloved, I pray that you would prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers». We’ll read it in a moment, but, he prays this prayer.
The first thing I want you to take note of is pay attention to anointed prayers. Because they carry the same weight as prophecy. A God-inspired prayer is a prophetic decree saying: this is my intention. One of the things that happens often in prayer meetings is people come together with their own agendas, which isn’t a bad thing, 'cause we all have burdens, but when an anointed prayer comes, you don’t wanna leave that quickly to pray for something else. You wanna stay on that until the weightiness of the and in this particular passage is another one of the ways, the concept of Matthew 6:33, is, once again, printed out in scripture. Matthew 6:33, of course: «Seek first the Kingdom of God». Why don’t you say it with me, if you know it. «Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you».
That particular passage is one of what I would call a pillar passage is something that is so strong it holds up multiple level of Revelation of principle, of concept, in scripture. And that one thought, there are certain things. If you’ll give yourself, give attention to these primary themes that are noted in scripture, many other things begin to fall in place. In fact, it’s my personal conviction that when we have the foundations of the kingdom in place, deeply embedded in our heart, it actually attracts Revelation. I wish I was a cartoonist: I could draw this out and show it to you. It would be like having a foundation in place that is magnetic in nature and it actually attracts the two-by-fours, and the windows, and the Sheetrock. And, it’s almost like it draws the rest of the building materials into place.
And when there are certain things established, in the heart, not just as a concept. Because we, most of us, in fact, probably all of us know a whole bunch more than what we’re walking out. If we can get it deeply planted in the heart, these concepts, then what happens is understanding becomes easy. Scripture says knowledge is easy to the one who has understanding. There’s this perception that comes to a person that sees what’s important to God. And that perception attracts Revelation and brings clarity of heart and mind. So, here’s this thought that is, one of these days, I’m just gonna make a list. I keep thinking I need to do this, 'cause it jumps out in the scriptures to me all the time. And that’s the concept: seek first the Kingdom of God: all these things will be added.
That concept is all the way through old and New Testament. All the way through. It’s a principle that’s mentioned so many different ways. And the passage, in fact, let’s just read it, now, 3 John, just look down at verse 2, «Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers». Okay, look at it, again. «Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers». Interestingly, when we talk about seeking first the kingdom and all these things are added, we’re talking about cause and effect, that when we put the important thing first, he takes care of the other things, on our behalf. In this passage, he says: «I pray that your soul would prosper, you’d be in good health», or excuse me, «You’d prosper in all things, be in good health, even as your soul prospers».
Even as your inner world mirrors the reality of the Kingdom of God, in that measure, I want you to experience health and everything you touch turn to gold. And I’m not talking just money, here. I’m talkin' about just that, that touch of God’s blessing on what we do. Maybe you’re writing a song: the lyrics just come easier. Maybe you’re writing a very difficult letter and you just, you have a way of writing it that so wins the heart of the person that you have to write to. Maybe it’s a difficult situation at work. It could be any number of things. But the Lord causes us to prosper in those things. Why? Because the most important things to him are the most important things to us. What does it look like to have a prosperous soul?
Look at the verse, again. «Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers». What does it look like to have a prosperous soul? The emotional life of this person is healthy. They don’t walk into a room and drain it. It doesn’t mean we don’t own up to the fact that we have needs. In fact, I don’t think this person that, we could use a model person to illustrate this passage. I don’t think we’re saying this person is without problems or without need. It’s just that their inner world is so abundant and so rich that the overflow of what’s healthy here actually has influence on everything outside of that person’s life. Intellect, will, emotions generally are the terms used to describe or define soul, the inner world. Intellect, what is like to be prosperous intellectually?
It’s not just being an Einstein or something. I don’t believe that’s what he’s referring to. I mean, that’s wonderful, but that’s not the point. The point is is that the mind is free from restriction, constraints, regret, fear, trauma, all the things that seem to influence and steer a person’s creative capacity into survival mode. Every person in this room was designed to be a creative influence in the earth. It’s one of the strange things that we see in the book of Zechariah, where these four beasts were released into the earth to destroy or to depress God’s people. And God’s answer was to raise up four artisans. It’s a prophetic picture of the people of God stepping into their creative role.
The Father is a Creator. His children carry on his likeness. And the one thing the enemy fears the most, in many ways, is the people of God reflecting his nature by being unencumbered from the past and being free to think creatively for today. It’s prosperous soul. It’s a mind that is not anchored to yesterday. Interestingly, regret is very similar in nature to bitterness. They’re similar in the effect on the human psyche, on our emotional, our health, our physical condition. They’re very similar in their effect. We know that a person who’s bitter and is filled with hatred. All kinds of physical issues. Things begin to break down in the body. We know. Science has proven that for years. That’s a fact. But regret has a similar effect. Why? Because both bitterness and regret are attached to yesterday.
They both have this degenerate condition. It causes there to be an erosion of the healthy parts of the soul. You were designed to think outside the box. Not one of you is put in a box. None of us were made to be just a carbon copy of someone else. Every one of us is a beautiful original that is not at its best independent from everyone else, but at its best joined with everyone else, because we are complementary. Unity is not best seen in uniformity. Unity is best seen in diversity. And so, we get that, when we get that God has designed us uniquely, and he’s given us a perspective on things that is not self-serving, it is not to disrupt in a sense of offensive, but it’s to bring a complementary piece to the entire puzzle.
God made you to be a contributor to a mosaic that’s way bigger than any of us. And it’s to be intellectually. It’s to be emotionally. What about the will? The will is also part of this prosperous soul. Perhaps you’ve made a decision before. It’s new year. So many people choose to do diets at the new year. So, here’s a great one to pick on. I don’t: I’m allergic to diets. I have made it so far in my life without doing one. My goal is to never do one. You have to have goals. And that’s just one of mine. That’s just one of mine. It’s just I’ll never do one. But how many times have we made commitments and we’ve chosen to do something that lasted for a week, or two weeks, or a day? It’s like the guy who said, he says: «I’m so proud of myself». He says: «I’ve finished my 40-day fast in 3 hours and 45 minutes. I just got it over with».
And I’ve had a lot of those kinds of fasts. But, what does it mean to have a prosperous soul when it comes to the will? It means that hard decisions become easy. Because there’s a value system that drives it. It’s not based on panic: it’s not based on fear: it’s not based on the need to it’s based on: I recognize what is right and I am healthy enough in my internal world that I can make difficult decisions and stick to them. It’s not just that I have this great, you know, self-will. That’s all a huge part of it. I like Danny silk’s description best of self-control. Sorry. I was searching my library for the word. It’s a small library, so I got it pretty quickly. Danny silk’s description of self-control: it’s not the ability to say no to a thousand voices. It’s the ability to say yes to one thing where nothing else has appeal, nothing else has value. And that really is this lesson of the prosperous soul: a prosperous intellect, a prosperous emotional life.
But here’s what I wanted to look at tonight. Just real quick and then we’re gonna pray. Look at verse 2, again. It says: «Beloved, I pray that you would prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers». Now, look at verse 4. This is in the same theme, now. «I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth». All right, let’s read 2 and then let’s read verse 4. «Beloved, I pray that you would prosper in all things and be in health». How many of you would say that joy is one of the expressions of a healthy, prosperous soul? It just is, all through the scripture. It’s throughout the word. So: «I pray that you may prosper in all things, be in good health, even as your soul prospers».
And then, he gives his own personal testimony. «I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth». Joy comes a lot easier to the believer when we value what he for so many of us, so often in our lives, our joy is based on getting that one specific breakthrough that we’re contending for. Very legitimate, very legal. But the Bible says: seek first the kingdom and these things will be added. Oftentimes, we look for the fulfillment of joy through the «These things shall be added», instead of adjusting the value system of our heart to his value system. What did this verse say? He says, «I have no greater joy», that’s a pretty strong statement. «I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth».
Now, just think with me for a minute. I have no greater joy. I’ve just prayed for your prosperity of soul. I wanna give you a little insight. There is nothing that causes me to abound in my heart than when I see people serve what does that mean? Suddenly, now, the focus has turned from what I’m accumulating, the breakthroughs that I’m drawing to myself, the things, all according to God’s promises, in my life, and the focus has turned to: when I see someone else delight themselves in God, it brings me such a rich, full experience in God’s joy that nothing I’ve experienced surpasses it. It’s easier to recognize answers when you recognize a good question. If you don’t have the question, you won’t recognize the answer. If there’s not intentional pursuit of what is valuable to God, I will not recognize the unusual source of joy that he’s put in my life.
Let’s just make this real practical. Let’s say that you have some, you have some, everyone in this room. You have some friends that, just are stepping into their place in God, and they’re just here every time the doors are open. They worship so wholeheartedly. You’ve seen such a brilliant transformation in their life. But let’s say at the same time as that happening, we’ve got over here just some personal things that you’ve got going on at work, where it just doesn’t look like things are gonna work out at your place of employment, we’re coming into the Christmas season, and there’s all kinds of stress that’s involved here. Those kinds of things are supposed to be things that we legally have an invitation by God to pray for.
But, here’s the unique context. In the context of biblical days, when things like this were written, they were often written in the middle of persecution, intense opposition. The whole book of Philippians is the book on joy. And it was written from a prison cell. It was written from a hole in the ground that I’ve actually seen. I’ve been to this particular hole in the ground where Paul was imprisoned, where he was put. And he writes this book on incredible joy. And, the point being is that what God wants us to live in thrives in spite of exterior circumstances. I would like to suggest to you that it is a part of the equation «Seek first the kingdom». It’s that: God, I want to seek what you value. In this particular case, I see that guy who didn’t walk with the Lord.
Two months ago, he said yes. He’s been here every week. He worships wholeheartedly. He’s made things right with his wife. He’s in the word every day. He’s just this bubbling, bubbling spring of joy, of life. And, for us to take that as the sign or the Mark that God has invaded our presence instead of just my personal breakthrough at work, or the provision of the car that I’m needing, do you understand what I’m trying to say here? I think all these other things that we pray for, they’re absolutely right. But they’re supposed to be all these things that become added. It’s not complicated. It may be challenging, it may be difficult, but it’s not complicated. «To seek first the kingdom» means: when I look at this problem, I am required by God to seek, as top priority, the effect of God’s dominion on this problem that has fallen under a measure of influence of darkness.
That’s what affliction is. Seek first the kingdom. Has to be practical. A neighbor who is struggling with keeping their business going, what does it mean to seek first the kingdom? It means that we pray and look for ways for them to succeed in their business, because, there is no failure in heaven: the dominion of God, that he would give them creative ideas and open opportunities and favor and all these kinds of things so that they would prosper. Maybe it’s the person you’re sitting next to, but the point is: seeking first the kingdom is extremely practical. It means that we’re looking for the dominion of God, the purpose and plan of God in any, in every situation that we have influence in. And when we seek first for the dominion of God to be demonstrated and realized, God says: I’ll take care of these things for you.
We could talk about this, I don’t know if it’s a subject that excites you, but it does excite me because it’s just my life. I’m just trying to learn how to do this. But I had this experience with the Lord, and I’m gonna end with this and then we’re gonna pray. And, I was awakened in the night with the voice of the Lord. I don’t wanna make it overly dramatic, but neither do I wanna take away from the significance of the moment. And so, the Lord speaks to me, one who, I pretty intensely focus, throughout my life, on my responsibilities. I’m just good at just plodding along, making sure that I do what I’m supposed to do. I’m very, very responsible. Responsibilities. So, then, the Lord interrupts that part of my strength and he says he watches over the watch of those who watch the Lord. Are you getting the picture yet? He says he watches over the watch of those who watch the Lord. Which is a really good deal, 'cause he can see better. He sees a lot better, a lot clearer, much more discerning.
And it started a shift in my heart regarding, I don’t know if this makes sense to you, but this is actually all connected to: seek first the kingdom. It’s connected to: prosperous soul affecting every part of life. Here, he is saying: all right, son. I’m gonna put it in my words, and, whether he implied this or not is, you know, is up to him. But it felt to me as like: son, you know, now, I want to show you a higher responsibility. Just watch my face. Watch the direction of my eyes. You watch the Lord and I’ll watch your responsibilities. That’s not an invitation for irresponsibility. It’s not an invitation for people to go do whatever they want and neglect, you know, being a good husband, dad, and all this stuff. Don’t misunderstand me here. But there is something in the Lord about watching what you’re responsible for through his eyes. The Lord gives direction with his eyes. And so, this is what we’re gonna do: we’re gonna pray for the bounty of soul, but I wanna pray, as well, for a clarity of heart to see the countenance. I know that may be a bit abstract, but it is practical so, why don’t you stand?