What It Means To Possess | Francois van Niekerk | 3 August 2014
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Possessing is about taking ownership of God’s will for us by living with an attitude of faith, conviction and wisdom.
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What It Means To Possess | Francois van Niekerk | 3 August 2014
- 4. ““See, I have given you thisSee, I have given you this land.land. GoGo in and take possessionin and take possession of the land …”of the land …” DEUTERONOMY 1:8DEUTERONOMY 1:8 (NIV)(NIV)
- 5. TAKING TERRITORY VSTAKING TERRITORY VS POSSESSINGPOSSESSING
- 7. Taking full ownershipTaking full ownership Settling downSettling down Starting developmentStarting development POSSESSINGPOSSESSING INCLUDESINCLUDES
- 8. THE ISSUE OFTHE ISSUE OF
- 9. 2 Corinthians 4:132 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV)(NIV)
- 10. 2 Corinthians 1:222 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV)(NIV)
- 12. Numbers 33:53Numbers 33:53 (NIV)(NIV)
- 13. DEVELOPDEVELOP
- 17. KNOWWHAT GODHASKNOWWHAT GODHAS GIVEN;GIVEN; LIVE BY FAITH;LIVE BY FAITH; SETTLE WITHCONVICTION;SETTLE WITHCONVICTION; PLAN WITHWISDOM;PLAN WITHWISDOM; BUILDWITHCONFIDENCE.BUILDWITHCONFIDENCE.
Editor's Notes
- Date:3 August 2014 – morning service Preacher:Pastor Francois van Niekerk
- Theme:Possess the land
- Sermon: What it means to possess Introduction Have you ever heard the expression possession is nine-tenths of the law? It emphasises how vital possessing is. It simply means that ownership is easier to maintain if one has possession of something, and difficult to enforce if one does not. In the light of this expression it can be stated that, ‘in a property dispute (whether real or personal), in the absence of clear and compelling testimony or documentation to the contrary, the person in actual, custodial possession of the property is presumed to be the rightful owner.’ Because the concept of possession is so vital, it deserves better understanding from our side. No wonder God instructs us to possess what He has given!
- Text: Deuteronomy 1:8a (NIV) “See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land …” Do you understand why God urges us to possess? That which is not possessed is wasted or lost. This makes taking ownership crucial. God gives us promises and an inheritance to possess – not only to talk about, sing about or think about, but also to own and live in!
- Main points Taking territory versus possessing Territory taking is a militant concept that calls for action. It includes step-by-step forward movement and laying claim to something (planting your flag).
- It requires battle.
- Possessing includes the concepts of: taking full ownership, settling down, and developing and building. As believers we need to go from fighting the battle to building. Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land as documented in the Old Testament depicts such a progression. They moved from promise to warfare and, finally, to possession. Our spiritual journeys should reflect the same progression. We move from God’s promises through warfare into a time of possessing. For many this is a time to move from battling to building. In ministering for God, you should not only pursue a blessing ministry but also a building ministry. In short, possessing is about taking ownership of what is in God’s will for us. To possess what God has given requires living with an attitude of faith, conviction and wisdom. In the Old Testament context possessing referred mostly to land or territory. In our modern context it refers mostly to our spiritual inheritance and the promises of God. It could also refer to physical territory in specific situations.
- 2. The issue of ownership God has written His will (contained in the Bible), Christ died to bring it into effect, and now we should get to know its contents so that we can take ownership of His promises. To take ownership requires that we operate in the spirit of faith. Those who live in doubt don’t take ownership.
- The Apostle Paul refers to the spirit of faith and indicates that it is a two-part action namely believe and speak (action): ‘It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak …’ 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV) To apply this means that when you know what God has given you, you need to believe it and confess it. (For example when in need of provision you will confess Philippians 4:19, ‘And my God will meet all my needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.’) We should not confuse confident owning with a grabbing attitude. Have you laid hold of and fully taken ownership of what God has promised you? I have found that knowing that I am owned by God strengthens me in taking ownership! It’s a matter of knowing that you are owned in order to take ownership.
- God’s Word says He has placed His seal of ownership on our lives and put His Spirit in us to confirm it (2 Corinthians 1:22). I am convinced that believers who understand God’s ownership over their lives and live according to it are more confident to take ownership themselves. Let’s take up ownership of what God has promised us through the spirit of faith. Believe it, confess it and take action! The spirit of faith births and fuels the confidence to live as owners.
- 3. Settle down To live in what we believe God has given us to possess, we must move into what He has promised us. Owners have the confidence to settle down in what God has said.
- ‘Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.’ (Emphasis added) Numbers 33:53 (NIV) Your faith creates the world you live in! In Matthew 9:29 (NIV) Jesus uses the words, “According to your faith let it be done to you …” We should welcome the Holy Spirit’s conviction about what God wants us to possess so that we will live with permanence and not be pushed around by different pressures. To settle down in your inheritance, you need to settle your identity as a possessor not a wanderer. (The people of Israel journeyed as wilderness wanderers who weren’t able to settle down.) God’s promises come into fulfilment when we settle down in what we’ve taken possession of.
- 4. Develop Every development needs a master plan or site plan.
- It is the overall plan that indicates what will happen on a piece of land.
- Once you’ve taken ownership of a piece of land, to be used for either building …
- … or farming, it requires strategic planning. This part of possessing implies acting in God’s wisdom and authority. It requires us to be led and guided by the Spirit. Where courage is a key word in the battle for territory, wisdom is a key word in possessing – specifically the kind of wisdom that enables you to strategise and plan. Possessing in a godly way means acting in the wisdom of God. We need great wisdom to receive God’s plan for what He wants built and developed. It is a vital part of what it means to truly possess.
- Application Know what God has given; live by faith; settle with conviction; plan with wisdom; and build with confidence.
- Prayer Lord, grant me to know what You have given me, to own it by faith, settle to live in it and also to plan and develop with wisdom what you want built through my life. Amen.