Jesus Is All The World To Me

Jesus Is All The World To Me

2 Cor. 3:5

Our Sufficiency is from God

STRENGTH

Strength is reckoned in many ways today…

to a C.E.O. it is stock market results

to a wife it is the strength of the marriage

to a preacher it is the attendance of the church

to one person it is the size of the savings account to your bank it is your net worth

to a teenage boy it is the number of cubic centimeters under the hood

to a golfer it is distance

To a gun lover it is fire power

to a seven year old boy it is being able to do one more push-up than others can to a mother it is the ability of the furniture to weather hurricane Johnny

True strength is the ability to stand… against the pressures, despite the circumstances, the ability to overcome the adversaries.

Savings accounts may do that… good health... horse power... fire power

They may.... to some degree... but they all have limits, they all fail beyond a certain point. But I know a strength that never fails, has no limits... HIS POWER

Ex. 15:2, G.I.M.S.A.M.S.

Many don't trust it.... (((like the truss-joists)))

They won't use it

But those who have tested it know that it is superior.

It won't run out, it won't atrophy, it won't jam, it won't pass its stress point, it won't suffer a depression or inflation.

46:1-3 The Lord is our refuge and strength, a ve1y present help in trouble. Therefore we shall not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam..."

We need strength like that, because what we are trusting will one day fail us.

And we need strength for the Christian life, to be what he expects, to do what He asks, to avoid compromise, to stand strong for him.

And we can have it… we can be strong.

Phil 4:13 "For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

PROVISION

The Providence of God is the Provide-ance of God... God is our provider, it is He that has made it all and whatever we have, we have because of him.

To forget that is to be like the flea riding on elephants ear. Elephant crosses wooden bridge and it shakes badly. Once on the other side the flea says, "Boy, didn't we shake that bridge?"

Even if it is sinful.. we have it only because of him... You couldn't have it without him.. he gave you the strength... the mind... the money... the opportunity

You may choose to misuse them and God is not responsible for that.. but he gave you the things you misuse.

The scripture teaches the providence of God from verse one.. In the beginning...before we were there... HE CREATED THE HEAVENS AND EARTH =EVERYTHING

He made it all, so he owns it all.. if you have it..he gave it.

If we forget that we are like Saul.. who began to think that he had made his own way to greatness... God reminded him who did it...

2 Sam 7:8-9 I took you from the sheepcote, from following sheep, to be a ruler over MY people, over Israel. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and I have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and I have made thee a great name..."

What we need to realize is ..

THAT WE BELONG TO GOD, WE ARE HIS CREATION AND HIS OBJECT OF LOVE AND SPECIAL CARE.

The Psalmist said it well.. ''Know ye not that the lord, HE is God: It is HE that hath made us, and not we ourselves; WE ARE HIS people, the sheep of His pasture."

THAT IT IS NOT AN ODIOUS THING TO BE GOD'S SHEEP.

In fact it is a good thing to belong to him.

Ps 33 says.. "Blessed is the man whose God is the Lord."

Ps 34 says, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear the Lord, and delivereth them."

And the 23rd Psalm is some of the most beautiful words ever written to tell of the Lord's provision in all situations. The scriptures is are full of examples of God providing for his people.... Adam and Eve in the garden

manna in the desert water from a rock Noah and the flood Ravens feeding Elijah

The widows oil and flour

Joseph's dream to flee

CALVARY (providing salvation)

And lest you think that these are all ancient history.. God's word says God is still doing it today and still has millions of provisions with our names on them... 1 Cor. 2:9 "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."