Jesus Is The Lord Our Provider Series

VISITATION #10: JESUS IS THE LORD OUR PROVIDER

INTRO TO TOPIC:

For the past three months we have gone through the Gospel of Luke studying the life of Jesus.

• We have learned that Jesus is the Saviour, Healer, Deliverer, Prince of Peace, etc.

• Today we are going to look at how Jesus is Jehovah-Jireh: the Lord our Provider.

• “And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14).

• “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:1-2).

• If that’s true, that He is the Lord our Provider, then why do so many Christians lack?

OPENING TEXT:

“10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." 13 But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." 14 For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty." 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:10-17).

• In this story, Jesus was teaching people about the Kingdom of God and healing the sick.

• This is one of many examples of how Jesus cares for our physical needs too.

THE BIG IDEA: Jesus is the Lord our Provider. He wants to meet all of our needs, but there are certain principles we must live by if we want to experience those blessings.

LET’S TALK ABOUT MONEY:

• STATS: 16 of the 38 parables Jesus taught are about money.

• There are over 2,000 verses on money in the Bible & only 500 on prayer

• Why did Jesus teach so much on money? It’s his biggest competition.

• In the four years I’ve been at BCC, this is only my third message on money & giving.

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF SEEKING FIRST HIS KINGDOM:

“2 Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ’This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built." ’ " 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes." 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the Lord. 9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the Lord of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.” (Haggai 1:2-10).

• Here God describes how His people worked hard but didn’t have anything to show for it.

• God told them they were lacking because they were neglecting His kingdom.

• Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).

2. THE PRINCIPLE OF TITHING:

“6 For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. 7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the Lord of hosts. "But you said, ’In what way shall we return?’ 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ’In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:6-11).