Genesis 1:27-28a
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it..”

In the very first pages of scripture at the very start of time, God blessed His people.
Along with God’s blessing, there comes a calling.

A lot of us approach our relationship with God in the same way.
We give our lives to Jesus, and all these great things are added to us:
•No more shame, guilt or sin.
•We now have vision and purpose.
•And a great community to call home.

However I will just keep living how I want to.

We just think of God as a nice addition – not a total restructure.
•“He can have my Sunday, but not my whole schedule.”
•“He can bless my finances, but not shape my budget.”
•“He can have my worship, but not touch what I watch and listen to.”

We want God’s presence, but we don’t want His participation.

We attract the blessing of God when we align with Him.

God blesses, but he also asks for us to be productive. To build, to create, to steward, to multiply.

THE PRINCIPLE OF PRODUCTIVITY

1.The Principle

Genesis 1:28
“God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful…’”

What we must understand God’s blessing, comes with a call.

Matthew 25:24–29
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

From the very beginning, God designed us not just to be blessed – but to be builders.

The principle is: If you want to attract the blessing of God, work, create, build, produce.

God worked so we work. We reflect His image by creating, stewarding and producing with the things that he has given us.

Phil Pringle in Keys to Financial Excellence
We are called by Jesus to build His kingdom. To “build” means to work. Lazy people do not build. People who refuse to work will destruct rather than construct. There is no neutral ground in the kingdom of God. If we are not building, we are destroying.

Too many Christians imagine that they will achieve a lot with a minimum of work. What they fail to recognize is that God won’t do for us what we are capable of doing for ourselves. Each one of us is lazy in some area of our lives. In those areas we will be poor, even though we desire to be successful.

God doesn’t just give us wealth, however he does give us the ability to get it.
2.The Pathway
A) Overcome laziness.
Proverbs 13:4
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing.

Overcoming laziness will prosper your life.

God’s Kingdom is not built by wishful thinking—it’s built by willing hands.
God will never do for us what we are capable of doing ourselves.

Steps to overcome laziness:
1.Admit it.
2.Do something about it.

Ecclesiastes 11:4
He who observes the wind will not sow…

B) Work

Work is not evil; in fact, we were created for work. Work gives us purpose.

2 Thessalonians 3v10
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

Proverbs 14v23
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

C) Tithe

Tithing itself is productive because it’s a tangible acknowledgement that God owns it all – He is sovereign and the source of all that we have.

Tithing removes the curse that money can have over our hearts, brings order to our financial world and attracts God’s reward because it requires faith.

D) Save

Proverbs 20v21
Getting rich quick may turn out to be a curse.

Saving means I’m living within my means.

Proverbs 22v7
the borrower is slave to the lender.

If we are going more and more into debt, it means we’re becoming more and more enslaved.

Saving means I’m exercising self-control.

Saving means I have margin.

Margaret Thatcher
No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money, too.

Saving means I need less miracles to get me out of trouble.

Saving means I have something to invest.

3.The Perils

The Bible never condemns wealth, but it does provide specific warnings regarding how we handle it.

Psalm 62v10
… if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Riches repel Gods blessing: When they blind us to our spiritual condition.

To the people of Laodicea:
Revelation 3:17
“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realising that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Riches repel Gods blessing: When they make us short-sighted

Riches repel Gods blessing: When they make us proud

Mark 10:24
And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!”

Riches repel Gods blessing: When they allow us to become careless stewards

4.The Purpose

The purpose of attracting the blessing of God. Is so that we can now bless others with it.

1 Timothy 6v17-19
As for the rich in this present age … they are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Winston Churchill
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Genesis 39:2–6
The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned… With Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Genesis 41:46–49
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt… During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it… Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea.

Genesis 41:56–57
When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians… And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

God wants to bless you, empower you in all that you do so you can be a force for good.

If you want to attract the blessing of God:
•Work hard.
•Trust God as you work that he will give you all that you need.
•And keep your eyes on the goal, the true purpose, to bless others.