I Have The Keys
Introduction
Anyone ever lose your keys…recently I misplaced my keys. Had to go next door…borrow a ladder…climb the fence…go through the dog door…get mauled by two German Shepherds…then licked half to death.
It was during this episode of “How Stupid Can James Be”….. that I began to think about the words of Jesus to His disciples.
Matt. 16:19 (Message): “You have complete and free access to God’s Kingdom, keys to open any and every door….No more barriers between heaven and earth….A yes on earth is a yes in heaven. A no on earth is a no in heaven.”
The New Living Bible says: “Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
Jesus introduces the disciples to Kingdom authority and power by using a very familiar object in everyday life. Keys.
They understood this because in their culture kings lived in castles and ruled kingdoms. All the food and valuables such as gold, silver, etc. was kept in a large room in the castle and the key was given to a trusted servant who wore that key around his neck at night and on the shoulder of his uniform during the day.
The keys were kept with him at all times. To lose that key meant his life.
We also live in a culture where keys are a very important part of our daily life!
Definition of the word “key”…..a device used to lock or unlock access.
Keys keep our valuables safe…..but they also prevent access to valuables.
Jesus shows the disciples the importance of recognizing the keys to the Kingdom and using them to connect heaven to earth.
Not enough to have keys — you must know what the keys are for and what they can open.
Keys don’t care if you are white, Asian, black, educated, uneducated, Baptist or Pentecostal, Methodist or Catholic. Preacher or pauper.
1. You Must Not Only Know the Son of God...You Must Understand the System of God
The answers to financial problems is found in the laws of the Kingdom.
Salvation introduces you to the Son of God — but it takes transformation.
Matt. 6:25-33 — Seek first the Kingdom…then all these things will be added unto you.
Debt, recession, inflation, economic downturn, don’t mean anything in God’s Kingdom because He made everything, owns everything, and controls everything.
Dt. 11:10-15
10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: 11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: 12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. 13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. 16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.
God brought His people out of slavery and establishes an economic system for them by agreeing to be a partner with them. God’s engagement in their economy shaped their success.
He told them: you plant the seed, I will give the rain, sunshine, etc. and produce the harvest.
God is bringing a revival of His economy today because He has a desire to transfer the wealth of the world into the hands of the believer for the last day move of God on this planet.
Satan recognizes this so he tries to discredit the character, motives, and intentions of the ones God has assigned to teach and preach on the laws of the Kingdom.
Sometimes you need a locksmith to help you unlock doors. This is someone who has knowledge of keys and how to use them.
2. Nothing Happens in Heaven Till Something Happens on Earth
- Earth’s actions determine heaven’s response.
- What we lock on earth is locked in heaven.
- What we unlock on earth is unlocked in heaven.
- Nothing leaves heaven till something leaves earth.
- This is where the key of faith and obedience comes in.
Illus. Mal. 3:10 — When we bring our offerings and prove God….He opens the windows of heaven and begins to pour out a blessing.
- Nothing leaves heaven till something leaves earth.
- Nothing leaves God’s hands till something leaves our hands.
- Nothing is unlocked in heaven until something is unlocked on earth.
- What we cannot release to God becomes our god.
Prov. 11:24 — The world of the generous gets larger and larger….the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
II Timothy 1:7 (NLT) — For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
- The key of fear and disobedience also lock and unlock doors.
- The fortune of the fearful is poverty.
- The fortune of the faithful is abundance.
- Fear paralyzes our potential.
- Short circuits God’s power.
- Prevents God’s promises from being recognized.
3. You Have to Use the Keys You Have Been Given
Faith unlocks the door of prosperity and locks the door of poverty.
You can be the greatest Christian in the world and not be able to pay your bills. Lose everything you ever worked for…the door has to be locked to keep the thief from stealing what you have.
Jn 10:10 (NLT)
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
There is absolute abundance available in the Kingdom of God. It is possible to use the keys God has given to us to open the doors to that abundance.
4. Giving Is the Key to Everything
Illustration — Pastor in
Texas: Needed 3 million dollars to build a new facility….already having 4 services and still couldn’t get people in….God told him to give his car away. “How will I know….” It will be the one that walks upon stage and gives you an offering. “I’ll show you….” A new convert walks upon stage and says, “My wife and I have been arguing about whether or not God still speaks to people. She says He does, I said He don’t. She said, ‘Will you at least do what He says when He speaks?’ God told me to bring this to you — a hundred dollar offering.” The pastor gave his car to the obedient man! There was a visitor sitting in the congregation that gave the pastor the 3 million dollars he needed to build the church!
Illus. — George Washington Carver: A giver…with a heart to bless humanity. He asked God to help him understand how the universe worked….God told him He would start with the peanut. He told him to take it apart….then put it back together. As he put it back together he discovered plastic, paint, oil, and a myriad of other things. He was blessed because God unlocked his ability when He unlocked his mind.
5. King Will Not Allow His Reputation to Be Discredited
He will answer….He will come through….He will make a way….He will multiply the seed sown…He will open the windows of heaven.
Illus. of Apple Computer…. Packaged with a book on top….manual….read this before operating….promises…laws of how it operates….if you follow instructions and keep the laws and it don’t work, send it back — we will pay shipping…repair or replace…send it back at our expense.
Reputation…..namesake…it’s their name they want to protect.
God will watch over His word to perform it.
Matt. 8 — The Centurion knew how the Kingdom worked. His servant was sick, he said to Jesus, “I am a man under authority, as you are — just speak the word and my servant will live!” Jesus spoke and the servant was healed!
Personal Testimony — The 1000-Dollar Seed
When I was 1.2 million dollars in debt, God spoke to me about sowing a 1000 seed! I didn’t have it but told I would sow it as soon as I had it!
He spoke to a lady in Arkansas to give me the 1000 dollars and I sowed it! The next 12 months I paid off my debts and for the last 39 years been debt free!
Why a 1000-dollar seed?
- God counts by thousands!
- 1000 is found 521 times in scripture.
Psa. 50:10 — God owns the cattle upon a thousand hills.
- 1000 — the binary number for 1000 is 8. 8! That is the number of new beginnings.
- 1000 is the base system of measurement in the Kingdom of God.
- When God counts, He counts by 1000’s.
II Pet 3:8 — One day with the Lord is as a 1000 years.
Gen 20:14-15 — Abimelech gave Abraham 1000 pieces of silver.
Gen 20:17 — God healed Abimelech and his wife. For the wombs of the house of Abimelech was closed up.
Testimonies I Have Received
Bro. Payne — I went from a $150,000 a year job…to working in a landscape business making just a little more than minimum wage. When I saw you on television and you were challenging people to make a 1000-dollar pledge for Christian television…I turned the channel. Then I turned back…and you said the same thing again. I knew I was supposed to do it, but my needs were speaking so loud it was hard for me to hear God’s voice. Finally I surrendered. I began to send 84 dollars a month. When I sent my third offering…I was called back to my job….I just closed a sale that resulted in $57,000 commission.
Bro. Payne — We had our house for sale for three years without one offer. You challenged us to plant a 1000 seed. We gave a one-time gift on our credit card. Within thirty days we had an offer for the full amount we were asking. The house has closed and we are moving closer to our grandkids.
Bro. Payne — My wife was diagnosed with cancer one week before we saw you on television. You were asking for 120 people to sow 1000 dollars. The doctors had not given my wife any hope. They said at most she had a year….that was 6 years ago and she is still alive and totally cancer free.
Testimony — Last Sunday I felt led to plant a 1000 seed in the life of a youth pastor that I think is doing a superb job molding young lives for God’s Kingdom…I directed that seed….I named that seed….to open doors of ministry that I might continue to preach Jesus. My phone started ringing Wednesday. My calendar is filling up for the entire year.
Pastor in Indiana — When you were at our church, my board and I felt led to plant a memorial seed in your ministry for the breaking of the spirit of debt over our church….we owed just a little over 300,000 dollars. In the next four months we reduced the debt to 250,000 dollars. Just before Christmas, one of my elders who is a securities broker made one million dollars in one month. He brought me a check for $250,000 and we entered the new year debt free.
Worship Leader in Louisiana — When you were at our church for campmeeting, my husband and I planted a memorial seed of 1000 dollars. We wanted to build a new home debt free, which was beyond our imagination. A few months after we planted the seed, an oil company wanted to drill for oil on our property. We agreed, and after they drilled they gave us enough money for our property to build our dream home debt free, and we continue to receive a check each month that allows us to work for God full time.