The Dangers Of Increase by Apostle Johnson Suleman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

God Blesses the Work of Your Hands

In 2 Samuel 11:1-5, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab and his servants — but David tarried still at Jerusalem. In the evening time, he arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house. From the roof he saw a woman washing herself, very beautiful. He sent and inquired. One said: is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers and took her — and the woman conceived.

God's plan is to make you increase. One of the contentions the devil had concerning Job in Job 1:10 was that God blessed the work of his hand. The devil said: you blessed the work of his hands — that is why his substance is increased.

The proof that God has blessed the work of a man's hands is that there is an increase in his substance. Deuteronomy 33:11, Deuteronomy 24:19 — God is committed to blessing the work of our hands. When thou cuttest down thine harvest and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it — it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, for the widow — that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works of thy hands.

When God blesses a man, the sign and the evidence is that his substance increases.

David — Blessed But Ended Wrongly

All those things Solomon used — the gold, the materials for the temple — every single one was supplied and prepared by David. He was such a blessed man, such a wealthy man. But inasmuch as you are believing God for prosperity and increase, you must be very careful.

What comes with increase and blessings can be dangerous. If you are not already settled in character, you can become a victim of the very thing God gave you. God gives to you to propagate His work, to love Him more. But some who have been blessed lose Heaven and gain the world.

Danger One — Forgetting Where You Came From

The mistake made when increase comes is that people suddenly forget where they are coming from.

Somebody buys a car, somebody builds a house — and suddenly forgets. This is David. A man of war, a man of battle — so battle-conscious he fought animals. He fought a lion. He fought a bear. He fought for a sheep. All of a sudden, time to war — and he is sending people to fight on his behalf.

From the way people treat others, from their speech, from their language — you can tell when someone has forgotten. There was a time you could not pay for a bike ride. Now you drive past a bike man, wind down the window, insult him, call him names — forgetting where you came from.

In 1 Samuel 15:17, Samuel said to Saul: when thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed thee king. This same Saul that became so arrogant — when he was first announced king, where was he? He hid himself. He was a meek king. But all of a sudden he was using the weapons of his royalty against a young man that God had also picked.

To easily forget where you are coming from is to apply to return back there.

Pride — The Root of Every Sin

The worst act of iniquity is pride. It is not lies, it is not stealing — it is pride. Because pride controls every other sin.

With pride, you will lie. With pride, you will steal. Why would a person lie? He is trying to protect his image. Why would a person commit immorality? He is thinking only of himself. Why would a person steal? He is not thinking of what happens to others.

What brought the devil down? Pride. That is the root of every other sin.

In Luke 18:10-14, two men went up to the temple to pray — one a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee took a conspicuous position and prayed: Oh God, I thank you that I'm not like other people — robbers, crooks, adulterers, or heaven forbid like this taxman. I fast twice a week and tithe all my income.

Meanwhile the taxman slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, and said: God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.

Jesus commented: the taxman, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you are going to end up flat on your face. But if you are content to be simply yourself, you will become more than others.

Danger Two — Over-Reliance on Wealth

Jeremiah 17:11: as the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not, so is he that getteth riches not by right — he shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end he shall be a fool.

Proverbs 20:21: an inheritance gotten hastily at the beginning — the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Proverbs 1:32: the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

Psalm 62:10: trust not in oppression — if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

In Luke 12:16-20, a certain rich man thought within himself: I have no room to bestow my fruits. I will pull down my barns and build greater. And I will say to my soul: thou hast much goods laid up for many years. All he cared about was himself. And God said: thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.

Refuse to allow what is in your hand to get into your head.

Danger Three — Surrounding Yourself with the Wrong People

David sent people to go and get Bathsheba — someone's wife. They knew his intention and went there. When you surround yourself with people who cannot look you in the eye and tell you the truth, you are in danger.

Proverbs 29:12: if a ruler hearkens to lies, his servants are wicked. At any level you get to in life, your ears must be open to hear the truth.

If no one tells you that you are wrong, you are lost. If you have gotten to a point where rebuke is strange to you — when people can still tell you you are wrong, it means they see you as accountable. When no one can correct you, it is not a sign that you are a genius. It means you are beyond repair.

The Prescription

Split your resources into three:

• God — the house of God, His work, His kingdom
• Family
• The poor

If you always take care of the poor, you cannot be poor. God will keep giving you enough to take care of them by elevating you above their midst.

Learn to be grateful. Only great fools are ungrateful. The victories unseen are more than the victories seen. If God opened your eyes to see what happens in the spiritual atmosphere around your home — the spirits trafficking, carrying sickness and pain — and yet you wake up without problem — you would be overwhelmed with gratitude.

I say in the name of Jesus — I will not be a reproach unto my God. May the season of increase not become the season of my departure from God. May what is in my hand never get into my head.