God Provides

Inspirational Message Sermon preached at House of Praise Home Church

Kuils River

Title: God provides - Because He is the God of all riches -

Who is God?

God's riches are infinite. His riches are inexhaustible. He is gloriously rich. God is loaded!!!

We cannot imagine how rich he is.

Sermon God provides

Does money make you happy?

Sermon God provides

What Is It That We Want?

• be happy
• be financially sorted
• enjoy health
• live comfortable lives

But if happiness depends on our circumstances, what happens when loved ones die? When our health deteriorates? Our money is stolen?

Often happiness flees and despair sets in.

Today we'll do 3 study cases from the Bible to see How God Provides.

Study case one: Apostle Paul

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First Scripture reading: Philippians 4:16-20 (New International Version)

16 ...for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.
17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.
18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

WAS PAUL IN NEED/WANT?

We are familiar with Paul's life history. Paul, when he was stil called Saul, persecuted the church as we read in Acts.

Paul was bad until he had an encounter with God whilst on the road to Damascus.

In Philippians chapter 4 we read that Paul was confined in a dark, damp dungeon in prison in Rome. He was separated from friends who knew him intimately and loved him dearly. He was deprived of the opportunity of earning an income with which to obtain the necessities of life. He was awaiting an impending death. Paul was in real need.

PHILIPPIAN CHURCH DEED!

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During this time of his great poverty and need, Paul was remembered kindly and generously by his devoted Christian friends in the little church at Philippi - a church that Paul and his companions founded on his second missionary journey. Out of their poverty, they gave cheerfully and generously to send a love gift to Paul, just as they had done previously.
According to Philippians 4, Paul states that they had been the only church who had provided in his needs again and again. - The Bible speaks of monetary blessing -

WHAT WAS PAUL'S RESPONSE?

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Because of the Philippian church showing so much love and kindness toward him in his time of desperate need, this awakened within Paul a joyous gratitude. The letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians is referred to as Paul's joy letter. The believers had been a huge encouragement to him, so he wrote them a personal expression of his love, gratitude and affection. He encourages them and blesses them richly through this letter to continue in their faith.

Let us refresh ourselves with the scripture - Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches, in Christ Jesus."

What are God's riches?

• Kindness
• Patience
• Grace
• Mercy
• Tolerance, etc.

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What was the purpose for Paul writing this letter to the Philippians?

1) To thank them for the gift they had sent him and to
2) Strengthen them that true joy comes from Jesus Christ alone.

This letter was written many years ago, but it still applies to us as a church today. The Philippian church obviously had a pretty good idea of Paul's past - how he persecuted God's followers. They easily could have turned a deaf ear of have blinded their eyes towards Paul's needs. Yet they did not. They only did the opposite. They provided in every need or as they were able to.

The Philippian church was not wealthy. The Bible states that out of their poverty they came to his aid again and again. They might not have been wealthy in monetary form, but when it came to spiritual riches, they were wealthy.

The church of Philippi expressed their kindness, generosity, faithfulness, love, encouragement and prayers towards Paul. The Philippian church truly excelled in these areas. They were truly walking in the riches of God.

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Today, sad to say, it seems as if the church then and the church now, has complete different routes/values. Today churches seem to no longer have that caring for one another. They no longer show kindness towards each other. Everyone is for themselves. Everyone is more concerned about their own well-being.

As a church - what are we doing to be a tremendous blessing to those out there?

We need to

1) get back to the basics
2) take the example from the Philippian church and be a blessing
3) grow and develop in grace, in kindness, in patience, in giving
4) excel in these areas just as the Philippian church did.

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God's glorious riches in Christ Jesus to us is His kindness, His grace, His mercy, His love and His joy. What we have received from Him, we can in turn give away to all who needs it. That is REAL RICHES

If we as a church want to please God, the spiritual riches He has blessed us with, will flow into the lives of others, and it will be as Paul said: a sweet smelling fragrance, an acceptable sacrifice... Pleasing to God!

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Study case two: King Solomon

Second Scripture reading: 1 Kings 3:9-13 (New International Version)

9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,
12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be
13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for — both riches and honor — so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

Solomon's request that he made to God blew me away. His request to God was not to advance himself, but to advance or to be a blessing in the Kingdom. The following questions arose within me:

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• What are our requests that we make to God?
• Where does it stem from?
• What are our motives?

I looked into my own life and sad to say, most of my requests are to benefit myself. Kind of selfish, not pleasing to God...

If we think of ourselves and what we need at all times, then I ask - Is it possible to be blessing in the Kingdom?

I believe with all my heart, that if we make selfish requests, God is displeased with us and He does not grant us what we think we need. Thinking about oneself is not Kingdom minded. It is never minded!

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BECAUSE Solomon asked God to bless him in making wise decisions (while dealing with God's people), God granted him the blessings he did not request, as well. When we request God to use us in His Kingdom, it pleases Him. Solomon asked God for spiritual blessings and received earthly blessings as well.

Study case three: The Widow At Zarephath

1 Kings 17:7-24 (New International Version)

The Widow at Zarephath

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"7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him:
9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."
10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?"
11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."
12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."
13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.
18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.
20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"
21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.
23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

In this passage we have Elijah (the prophet) during the time of famine in the land. Here God instructs him to go to Zarephath where a widow will supply him with something to eat. On arrival, Elijah sees the widow who is busy gathering sticks to prepare a meal for herself and her son. This is in fact their last meal she said she was preparing. So - as we can see - this widow has a great need. Today we would call it a dilemma. She only has a handful of flour and a bit of oil left in the jar. Now Elijah still has the nerve to tell her how to use her last ingredients: she must first supply him with food and after that she must see to her son and herself.

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At the same time he gives her the promise of God: Her jar of oil and flour will not run out until God ends the famine. The widow had a need. I would say a desperate need! God sends Elijah her way who has a need as well.

Have you ever been at a place like that in your life?
Have you ever been on your last few slices of bread and God instructs you to give it to someone else?
Have you ever been instructed by God to bless someone financially and it was your last $100 or $10?
Have you ever had to pray for someone for provision for a job and yet you lack in that same area?

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If you have - the question is: What did you do?

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT US TO DO?

• He expects us to be a blessing
• He expects of us to look past our own needs and bless someone else whose need might even be greater than yours
• He expects of us to be faithful to his instructions. God tests us, just as the widow was tested. Are we willing to please Him instead of pleasing ourselves?
• He expects us to take a step in faith even when things don't seem to make sense.

I believe just as God supplied her needs, He will supply your needs, according to His will and plan.

If we want our needs met, we need to avail ourselves as channels God can use to be a blessing.

Where and when God instructs you to sow, take the step in faith and be obedient and you too will be able to say: "My God shall supply your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

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