This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
(Matthew 25:14-30 TPT)
14 “Again, heaven’s kingdom is like a wealthy man who went on a long journey and summoned all his trusted servants and assigned his financial management over to them. 15 Before he left on his journey, he entrusted a bag of five thousand gold coins to one of his servants, to another a bag of two thousand gold coins, and to the third a bag of one thousand gold coins, each according to his ability to manage.
16 “The one entrusted with five thousand gold coins immediately went out and traded with the money, and he doubled his investment. 17 In the same way, the one who was entrusted with two thousand gold coins traded with the sum and likewise doubled his investment. 18 But the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 “After much time had passed, the master returned to settle accounts with his servants. 20 The one who was entrusted with five thousand gold coins came and brought ten thousand, saying, ‘See, I have doubled your money.’
21 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
22 “Then the one who had been entrusted with two thousand gold coins came in and said, ‘See, my master, I have doubled what you have entrusted to me.’
23 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
24 “Then the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins came to his master and said, ‘Look, sir. I know that you are a hard man to please and you’re a shrewd and ruthless businessman who grows rich on the backs of others. 25 I was afraid of you, so I went and hid your money and buried it in the ground. But here it is–take it, it’s yours.’
26 “But his master said to him, ‘You’re an untrustworthy and lazy servant! If you knew I was a shrewd and ruthless business man who always makes a profit, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? 27 Then I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. 28 But because you were unfaithful, I will take the one thousand gold coins and give them to the one who has ten thousand. 29 For the one who has will be given more, until he overflows with abundance. And the one with hardly anything, even what little he has will be taken from him.’
30 “Then the master said to his other servants, ‘Now, throw that good-for-nothing servant far away from me into the outer darkness, where there will be great misery and anguish!’ “
So, what does this mean for you today? Yesterday, I introduced you to the importance of being delivered from limited beliefs. I will flow in that same vein today.
1. Your belief system is either opening your heart to God’s best or it keeps you from it.
— Beliefs can create, and they can destroy.
— It’s important to be conscious of your beliefs.
— Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Another translation reads, “Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.”
What is a belief?
— A belief is a feeling of absolute certainty about something or someone (including yourself).
— When you have a belief about something, you are convinced of it. It is not a question in your mind.
— It’s not just a thought or an idea; it’s a conviction that settles in your heart and mind.
— It’s the framework through which you interpret the world around you.
— Belief precedes faith. In other words, when God is trying to bless you or use you if you cannot believe it, you will never receive it.
— If you cannot get past the belief stage, you will never get to the faith stage.
There is a spiritual and emotional component to your beliefs.
— Beliefs are not just intellectual agreements or mental ascent. Beliefs carry spiritual and emotional weight.
— Beliefs often come with a sense of peace, fear, or other strong emotions that reinforce their certainty.
— The manifestation of the emotion emanates from what you believe in your heart (your spirit and soul).
There is a mental or cognative component to your beliefs.
— This is the mental aspect where you rationalize and justify your belief.
— It’s the story or narrative you tell yourself to support what you feel certain about.
— Whatever you believe has to make sense to you for you to believe it, so you come up with that narrative is required for you to be certain about it.
There is a behavioral component to your beliefs.
— Beliefs drive actions. What you believe will dictate how you behave, whether consciously or unconsciously.
— Mark 9:23 teaches us that “ALL” things are possible for him who believes. But the truth is, most people don’t see (or believe) ALL THINGS are possible for them. Therefore, whatever they don’t believe it NOT possible for them. It’s not that the thing is not possible. It’s just not possible for them because they don’t believe it.
— If you can’t SEE IT, you can’t HAVE IT!
— In the Kingdom of God, you must SEE IT to BE IT!
— Your legs will never take you where your soul has never been!
2. How you shape your belief system.
(a) Social Environment.
— Peer pressure is a powerful force, especially in our formative years. When we are searching for our own identity, we oftentimes mimic those around us.
— If we are around the wrong people, we will eventually become the wrong person.
— My mother oftentimes told me, “Show me who you hang with, and I will tell you who you are.”
— Good or bad, your life will be impacted by your associations (Prov 13:20).
(b) Credible Authority Figures.
— Family, friends, and society at large play a significant role in shaping our beliefs.
— Your mind normally filters what you hear based on the relevance of the person who stated it.
— If a person you do not consider credible makes a statement that you disagree with, you simply “blow it off.” The statement will not mean much to you because the person did not mean much to you.
— However, if a person you consider credible says something you disagree with, then you will seriously consider the source. It may be that you are wrong in that area and that you need to research it for a possible change.
— The credible authority figures in your life are the ones you have given the “RIGHT” to speak into your heart! Their words matter to you and their words, thoughts, and beliefs will help you shape your belief system.
— (Heb 13:7 CEV) Don’t forget about your leaders who taught you God’s message. Remember what kind of lives they lived and try to have faith like theirs.
(c) Repetitious Information.
— You eventually believe what you consistently receive. This is why it is very important to protect your “ear gate.”
— What’s in you abundantly will come out of you eventually.
— (Luke 6:45 CEV) Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.
— Think about what you listen to and watch consistently. Whatever is going through your eye and ear gates is getting down in your heart.
(d) Personal experiences.
— Many beliefs are formed through personal experiences, both positive and negative.
— I can tell a toddler that fire is OK to touch. His father can tell him, his mother, cousins, etc. We can all say, “Touch it, baby, the fire is good.” But as soon as that toddler touches that fire and gets burned, his experience will override everything everyone said.
— Your experiences, prior to coming to God have formed you into who you are. If you want to change, you will need new experiences.
(e) Spiritual (and possibly Religious) Teachings.
— It does matter where you go to church.
— It does matter whom you have allowed to SPEAK into your life.
— It does matter what you hear from the pulpit.
— If you were taught that having money is bad, and you learned this in church from people you honor, admire, and respect, then you will not open your heart to God where money is concerned.
— It will be hard for you to be a good steward because you have developed limiting beliefs concerning it.
Understanding how you got to where you are today and why you believe what you believe it critical in positioning yourself to move forward.
3. Limiting beliefs hold us back!
— A limiting belief is a self-imposed, usually unconscious belief that restricts you.
— Most limiting beliefs were formed in childhood by parents, teachers, and society.
— Your beliefs are the lens through which we see life. So if your lens is tainted, what you see will be tainted.
— In this series, I have been teaching you about your responsibility to be a good steward. I have also been teaching you about how God thinks, how He operates, and how He is not limited in any way where money is concerned.
— For many, what you are learning in this series is PUSHING UP AGAINST limiting beliefs you have in your heart.
— To be clear, limiting beliefs can keep God’s people (good people who love God), trapped in poverty.
— You will never maximize your purpose or potential until you rid yourself of limiting beliefs.
— Limiting beliefs open the door to fear. Satan’s kingdom operates on fear. God’s Kingdom operates on faith, which is powered by love.
— When you are convinced God loves you, you can live by faith and overcome the fear of failure.
— When you are convinced God loves you, you can release every artificial limit you have ever placed on our limitless God.
— The unfaithful steward did NOT produce anything for the master because of what he BELIEVED about the master.
— His thoughts ruined his life! Don’t let this be you!
— I pray you are getting to the point where you believe God God wants you to prosper and be in good health.
— What you believe is either OPENING your heart to God and His grace or it is KEEPING YOU from it!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I declare that my belief system is aligned with Your Word and Your will for my life.
I recognize that beliefs can create and they can destroy. I choose to cultivate beliefs that create a life of abundance and purpose.
Your Word in Proverbs 4:23 reminds me to guard my heart, for it determines the course of my life. I commit to guarding my heart from limiting beliefs.
I am convinced in my heart and mind about Your promises and Your plans for me.
I understand that belief precedes faith. I am open to Your teachings, ready to move from belief to unwavering faith.
Father, I embrace the emotional and spiritual weight of my beliefs, allowing them to guide me closer to You.
My beliefs are not based on mere thoughts but are deeply rooted in the convictions You’ve placed in my heart.
I am aware of the influences around me, and I choose to surround myself with positive, faith-filled associations.
Father, I honor and respect the credible authority figures You’ve placed in my life, drawing wisdom and guidance from them.
I am convinced of Your love for me, and this love empowers me to live by faith, overcoming every fear and limiting belief.
I release every artificial limit I’ve placed on You, my limitless God.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
