God's Way Of Meeting My Needs Series

GOD’S WAY OF MEETING MY NEEDS

50 Days of Faith Part 5 – 2nd Cor. 9:6-15

Acknowledgement - Rick Warren

For the past four weeks we’ve been in our series “50 Days of Faith.” I’m real excited about what God is doing here at Calvary (ie series, youth, studies). Throughout this series we’ve been talking about the importance of the promises of God. That if were going to be a man/woman of faith, a church of faith, we have to learn and claim the promises of God.

Our theme verse is Hebrews 11:6. We need to remember that without faith it is _______________ to please God.

Sharing time.

Amedeo Obici was born in 1876 near Venice, Italy. His widowed mother read him letters from his uncle in America. Amedeo told everyone he was going to America. He was an exceptionally bright child. By age 11, his family helped him save enough money for an immigrant’s ticket to America. He set sail by himself.

Amedeo had no money for food, so his mother gave him a bag of peanuts. That is all he had to eat for the 10 day ocean trip. In America, Amedeo at 11 years old, worked as a bellhop and a helper at a fruit stand. He worked hard and saved his money.

Amedeo learned that Americans liked the peanuts he shared with them; but few, if any, were growing them. So, he found a place to plant the handful of peanuts he had left. While his peanuts were growing, he saved enough money to buy a horse and wagon. When his peanut crop came in, he drove around calling himself "The Peanut Specialist" selling roasted peanuts. By 1906 he developed his method of blanching and roasting peanuts and founded Planters Peanuts. He became wealthy enough to send money to his family in Italy; and, years later, he gave to the city of Suffolk the Louise Obici Hospital named after his wife.

Now, Amedeo had only a handful of peanuts; but he had the choice of what he could do with them. He could have eaten them or sold them, but he wisely chose to plant what he had so that, in time, he would have enough to eat, give away, and sell to send money to his family. I don’t know if Amedeo knew about the Law of the Harvest in the Bible, but he certainly practiced it!

Today’s promise on your outline is Philippians 4:19 “My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” That’s a pretty broad statement. God says, I will meet all your needs according to my riches in Christ Jesus. There was a time in my life where I never really believed that verse. Some of you don’t understand that verse. You say, “I have needs in my life that are not being met. I have physical needs, spiritual needs, social needs, and financial needs. I have marital and family needs; I have a lot of needs in my life that are not being met. So why doesn’t this verse work for me? Why isn’t this promise working in my life?”

It’s not God’s fault. We need to understand that behind every promise is a premise or a condition. God says, “If you will do ‘this’ then I will do ‘this.’” And today we’re going to look at those conditions. And if you follow those conditions – the premises behind the promise – you can count on the fact that God says I will meet all your needs.” He doesn’t say, I’ll meet all your greeds. He does not say to me ‘Randy I will meet all of your wishes.’ He says I’ll meet all your needs in your life.

In 2 Corinthians 9, God spells out first the principle – what God wants us to do – then He spells out the procedure – how to do it. Then finally He gives us the promise – the guarantee. This can save you money, increase your joy, and increase your faith. It changed my life when I understood how God will meet my deepest needs.

Here’s the principle.

I. WHEN YOU HAVE A NEED PLANT A SEED.

2 Corinthians 9:6 “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

Let me tell you about some godly people I met, Frank and Tilly in Southern Manitoba. One day while I was working at Southland Community Church in southern Manitoba I ended up with a two hour time slot because two people phoned and cancelled their appointments.

I thought great I can get caught up on some paper work. But everyday I ask the Holy Spirit to direct my time and life – because my life and time are not my own. This day was no different. While leaving the hospital I noticed a woman who was sitting in a wheelchair. A friend of ours named Cindy; a Christian lady was sitting next to her. Now the lady in the wheelchair was obviously very ill. She looked at me and said come back tomorrow. To make a long story short Evelyn Tooth’s body was riddled with cancer. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to visit Evelyn every day. I did my best. Evelyn soon gave her heart to Jesus. One day I went to the hospital and her husband Dave was there. Dave said to me ‘Evelyn passed away an hour ago. Her dying words were ‘I want Randy to give a message at my funeral.’ There were over 300 people at the church; they were sitting in the aisles. A gospel salvation message was given at the request of Evelyn.