Kenneth Copeland - Attending To God's WORD Leads to Abundance
This is the account and the 17th verse of Mark ten. "When he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God". Jesus always turn the attention, but towards his God who is so good? How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God who is so good was with him. Amen.
"And Jesus said unto him, Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, Do not kill, don't murder. Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, honour thy father and thy mother". That's interesting. We won't take time to study it here. Why did he just say six out of ten? Well, we won't get into that. That's a good study for another time. "And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these things have I observed from my youth". Now, I didn't mention this last night, but look at this. "This is a key to what this man missed. Then Jesus beholding him loved him". He said this out of the love of God. He looked at him and loved him.
So, you know, he wasn't telling him to get rid of all of his money because he wanted him to be poor and follow him because Jesus wasn't poor. Judas was the treasurer. And a poor man doesn't need a treasure. Amen. "He looked at him and he loved him. One thing you lack," boy, that's pretty good. One thing. He just said, "Kenneth, 321 things you lack. And we'll start with this one". He loved him. "Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me". Now, think about how close this is to what he said to his other apostles. Don't take anything with you. He didn't tell him to be poor. He said, "You're working for me now". He came down to the end of the time. And in the Gospel of Luke, he said, "When I told you not to take any money or take any clothes, did you lack anything"? They said, "We lack nothing, Lord". Amen.
And if Jesus didn't have it, he just believed God. And it just came there and fed thousands when there was no food. What did he say to this man? Come sell what you have. Give it to the poor. We'll start with that investment to the poor. Had he known so much about the Word, he would have known what the Bible said about giving to the poor. He would have known that the Bible already said, "Give to the poor and I will give it to you again," the Lord said, Hallelujah. So he said, "Give it, sow it. Give it to the poor. You will have treasure in Heaven". That doesn't mean you can't call for it just because the treasure is in Heaven Cause read the book of Philippians. You have a heavenly account. This is not the only time he ever said this. You will have treasure. Come take up the cross and follow me.
Now this is Kenneth speaking. "Come, take up the cross and follow me. Because I've got a crook working for me and he's handling the money. And I'm going to turn it over to you when we get done. Because it's obvious you are a first class business man". Amen. So he was sad at that saying and went away, grieved, grieving. He went away depressed. Grieving when he hadn't lost anything for he had great possessions. My goodness. He missed absolutely the chance of a lifetime. Now, it doesn't say that he missed it for good. You know, those words were on his mind. Amen. So and there are some that believe this was Barnabas. I've heard that. And, you know, I mean, he was awfully quick. when they started that in the church in Jerusalem. And for a while, he outranked Paul. For a while it was Barnabas and Saul, and it became Paul and Barnabas. Isn't that interesting?
Now, then he missed an opportunity to give at the direction of God. Now go with me to the Gospel of Luke and look at the fifth chapter. "It came to pass as the people pressed upon him to hear the Word, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets". N-E-T-S. Nets. Amen. All right. "And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets". Go get those nets. Nets. Hmm. "Let down your nets for a draught or for a catch. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy Word".
Now, don't take that like he's acting on his Word. He is not. He's willfully disobedient. You could say it like this. Nevertheless, because you say to, I will let down the net, one net. It happened to be the only net that broke. In the biggest catch in the history of the Galilee, only one net broke. And it was that one. Isn't that interesting? So don't get so excited. It was a huge catch. But don't get so excited over that broken net. Jerry Savelle was preaching in Victoria, Texas, and I went down there with him and the pastor was in this scripture right here talking about that net breaking boat sinking load of fish.
And the Word of the Lord came to me so loud I jumped in the seat. He said, "That was a rotten net" and I can prove it by the Scripture. It was a rotten net. It was some old net. We're not going to catch anything anyway. He's a preacher. He doesn't know anything about fishing. You can't catch anything out here in the daytime. Now, watch this. The net broke, John 21:6. They caught so many fish, they couldn't even pull the net. And it did not break. This is the only one. They called on their partners and fill all the boats, and nobody's net broke. This was a net... He'd already washed all those nets. He doesn't want to have to rewash them because they're not going to catch anything.
And watch what happened. "They had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners..." and none of their nets broke, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. "And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees," he couldn't get them to his feet, he's knee-deep in fish. "And he fell down to Jesus knees saying, get away from me. I am a sinful man". Oh Lord, he knew he willfully disobeyed, he didn't catch a fish because he willfully disobeyed and it was his boat. He, Mr. Zebedee and John and James, the Scripture says, were in partners together.
Peter was the boss. That's the reason every time they'd go somewhere special, Jesus would take Peter, James and John. Not John, James and Peter. Peter, James and John. Peter, before he got his name changed in Covenant. He was the boss. He was the leader, and he willfully disobeyed. But he never did it again, not in the fishing business. The Lord came back and said, "Do we pay taxes"? He said, "Well, yeah". And he said, "Well, where are going to get the money"? He said, "Just go get a line and a hook". Didn't say a thing in the world about bait and go down to the lake and just throw it in there. "And the first fish you catch will have money in his mouth". What Peter say? Okay, that sounds crazy, but I'm going to do it.
Now, he did not say, "Catch a fish". He said the first fish. Now a good fisherman never quit while they're biting. It doesn't say how many fish he caught. It just said the first one had money in his mouth. So what do you do? You keep fishing, you get lunch, you get dinner, you get... You don't need bait. When the Master says because the fish do what he says. What's the lesson here? He knew more about fishing than Peter did, and the advantage he had was the fish knew him. And I daresay that all the fish in the Galilee came up around those boats that they'd say, "Take me, Jesus, take me, Master," I want to go. Let me go, please. Can I go? Can I come with you? Can I get in the boat with you? Take me, sir.
And Jesus said, these are my words. He told people, "You will catch men". Don't you know Jesus? Then they smiled at him, thinking I tried to tell you. I tried to tell you to take all the nets. But that's all right. We got him anyway. He said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me". And that day he drew all fish to that big man and his crew to introduce himself. What they do with all those fish? Do you ever think about that? What a way to financially start your ministry. A boat. I tell you, a record breaking catch on your first day in the ministry. Thank You, Lord.
And so many have said, "I can't do this. I can't do this. Well, I don't have it. I don't have what it takes. I don't know. I just can't. I just can't. I just can't. I just can't". And you said, "I can't and I can't", until doubt rose up like an armed thief and bound you and stole from you. When all the time, have you never read in my Word that you can do all things through me? Because I will strengthen you. I will strengthen you physically. I will strengthen you mentally. I will strengthen you financially. But most of all, I will strengthen you spiritually. And you can stand up against the enemy that told you you couldn't.
So look him in the face and say, "Yes, I can. I will, I will and God will and we together will get this done". For my time has come and the honor of the Lord is upon me and I'll take all the nets, not one net at a time. I'm not only obedient, I am willing and obedient. And the Word of God says in the first chapter of the book of Isaiah, "If you be willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land".
Notice the willingness first. Peter wasn't willing. He wasn't willing to do that. It was not, saith the Lord, that he was not willing to get the nets, he was not willing to work extra hard when he thought he knew, and he should have known. He should have known for only hours before, I supernaturally healed his mother in law, in his house. And many, many, many came at evening tide at around Peter's house. Many came, sayeth the Lord possessed with devils. And I cast out many with my Word and many that needed healing. And I healed all of them around his house that needed it. He knew better than that. He knew he had sinned. He knew he willfully disobeyed me.
And you say, "But, Lord, it was just a small thing. It was just a day on the lake". No, it was not a small thing. And when you begin to confess, I cannot do it. I cannot do it. I cannot do it... One of the first places it will affect you is financially. If you continue to say things long enough for it to get down in your heart, it will control your life. So rise up and say it with a joyful heart and a joyful mind. I can do all things through my great God who is so good and loves me and he strengthens me in Jesus' name. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You, Lord.