You Cannot Possess What You Don't Believe You Deserve
Introduction
Church, today I want to confront a silent thief that has robbed more believers than the devil ever has.
It's not sin! It's not lack of opportunity!
It's a low belief about who we are and what we deserve in God.
Many people are praying big prayers but living with small expectations. We shout about abundance but secretly brace for disappointment. We sing about victory, but plan for survival.
Here's the truth: You cannot possess what you don't believe you deserve.
Not because God won't give it—but because you won't receive it.
"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." (Jeremiah 29:11, MSG)
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he..." (Proverbs 23:7, AMP)
God cannot supersede how you see yourself.
"Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20, AMP)
"So the other disciples kept telling him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.'" (John 20:25, AMP)
The Unopened Gift
If I told you this gift had your name on it, but you believed it was for someone more spiritual, more educated, more disciplined—would you reach for it?
Many believers are leaving God's gifts unopened—not because God didn't provide, but because they don't believe they qualify.
Point 1: God Can Only Give You What You Can Receive
"And He could not do a miracle there at all [because of their unbelief] except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. He wondered at their unbelief." (Mark 6:5-6, AMP)
Jesus didn't lack power. He lacked permission.
Unbelief is not always loud doubt—sometimes it's quiet low expectation.
"For the doubter is like the billowing surge out at sea... For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything from the Lord." (James 1:6-7, AMP)
Double-minded doesn't mean sinful. It means saved—but unsure you deserve more.
God Pours According to Capacity
God pours according to capacity. The issue is not the source—it's the container.
Overflow doesn't mean more water—it means limited belief.
Say this clearly: God does not bless according to need—He blesses according to belief.
Point 2: How God Sees You (Agree with Heaven)
We often see ourselves through:
- Past failures
- Family labels
- Trauma
- Culture
- Our own mistakes
But God sees us through redemption.
Scriptures: How God Sees Us
"So God created man in His own image..." (Genesis 1:27, AMP)
"I said, 'You are gods; Indeed, all of you are sons of the Most High.'" (Psalm 82:6, AMP)
"Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your Law, "I SAID, YOU ARE GODS [human judges representing God, not divine beings]"?'" (John 10:34, AMP)
"For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]." (Ephesians 2:10, AMP)
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood..." (1 Peter 2:9, AMP)
"Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance..." (Colossians 1:12, AMP)
Listen carefully: If God says you're qualified, why are you still disqualifying yourself?
Your Reflection Must Match Your Revelation
Most of us don't struggle with faith in God. We struggle with faith in who God says we are.
Who do you see when you look at yourself?
Your reflection must match your revelation.
Point 3: Self-Image Determines Possession
"We were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." (Numbers 13:33, AMP)
Notice this: They saw themselves as small before anyone else did.
You don't lose battles because of giants—you lose because you see yourself as grasshopper sized.
Gideon: God's View vs. His Own View
"But Gideon said to Him, 'Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father's house.' The Lord answered him, 'I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.'" (Judges 6:15-16, AMP)
"The Lord is with you, O brave man." (Judges 6:12, AMP)
"My clan is the least...and I am the youngest." (Judges 6:15, AMP)
God's view: Mighty warrior
Gideon's view: Insignificant, unqualified
Moses: God's View vs. His Own View
"I will send you to Pharaoh." (Exodus 3:10-12, AMP)
"I am not eloquent...slow of speech." (Exodus 4:10, AMP)
God's view: Deliverer
Moses' view: Disqualified speaker
God Corrects Vision, Not Resume
"Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, AMP)
God never corrects resume—He corrects vision.
Point 4: Belief + Confession = Access
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21, AMP)
"Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, 'I believed, therefore I spoke.' We also believe, therefore we also speak." (2 Corinthians 4:13, AMP)
"For with the heart a person believes... and with the mouth he acknowledges..." (Romans 10:10, AMP)
If your mouth says faith but your heart expects failure—failure wins.
Belief gives you the key. Confidence turns the lock.
Many people have keys they never use because they don't believe the door will open.
Closing Activation
"I am who God says I am."
"I am qualified by grace."
"I receive what Jesus paid for."
"I will no longer reject God's best."
Discussion Questions
- The Unopened Gift: The sermon asks, "If I told you this gift had your name on it, but you believed it was for someone more spiritual, more educated, more disciplined—would you reach for it?" What "gifts" from God (opportunities, relationships, callings, blessings) have you left unopened because you didn't believe you were qualified to receive them? What made you feel unqualified?
- Your Container Size: The message teaches that "God pours according to capacity. The issue is not the source—it's the container." What specific beliefs are limiting the size of your "container"? Are you praying big prayers while secretly expecting small results? In what area of your life do you need to expand your capacity to receive what God wants to give you?
- Reflection vs. Revelation: The sermon declares, "Your reflection must match your revelation." When you look at yourself, do you see what God sees—His masterpiece, a royal priest, someone qualified by grace? Or do you see yourself through past failures, family labels, trauma, or culture? What specific steps can you take this week to align your self-image with God's image of you?
- Grasshopper Mentality: Numbers 13:33 shows the Israelites saying, "We were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." What "giants" in your life seem impossible to defeat? How might your view of yourself as "grasshopper sized" be the real obstacle rather than the size of the challenge? What would change if you agreed with God's assessment of you as more than a conqueror?
- Belief + Confession = Access: The sermon teaches that "belief gives you the key, confidence turns the lock." Many people have keys they never use because they don't believe the door will open. What door has God given you keys to open that you haven't stepped through yet? What declaration from the closing activation ("I am who God says I am," "I am qualified by grace," "I receive what Jesus paid for," "I will no longer reject God's best") do you most need to speak over your life this week?