Philippians 4:19
The God Who Has More than Enough
There’s a lot of doom and gloom in our world today. If your only hope comes from the evening news, then you are a person most miserable. First of all we need to know who we are. As Christians, if we are not careful, it is easy for us to lose focus and begin to accept what we see or hear. In this day of economic stress and hard times, we, as Christians, need to be reminded about not what but Who our Source is. If we really believe that God is our Source and that He is a God Who Has More than enough, if we really believe this then our worries are over. I don’t understand people who say they believe the promises of God and then worry about what is going to happen especially after they have prayed. If you are going to worry then don’t pray and if you are going to pray then don’t worry.
Today we are looking at a very familiar scripture. It is a scripture that is read or recited in this Ministry every Lord’s Day. It is a part of our Tither’s Confession. Philippians 4: 19 we talk about all our needs being met and all our bills being paid. I can very vividly remember when we instituted the Tither’s Confession; there were those Disciples who had a problem with this part. They said I can’t say that because I still have bills and they are not paid. Well, I just smiled because some had been in church for 30, 40 and 50 years and had not been taught scripture. The Word says that I can call those things that were not as though they were. But the key is that nothing in scripture will work for you without faith. The Holy Bible is not a text book. It is a faith book. How many times have we said Prayer is the key to Heaven but it takes faith to unlock the door? Any Ministry that teaches you to unlock your faith is always subject to criticism and ridicule. When God said to tell people to bring their bills and put them on the altar, there were those who immediately attacked. I heard all kinds of things and you’ll do know that nothing is said that doesn’t get back to me. Just because I don’t address it does not mean that I don’t know it or haven’t heard it. I have to move with God’s timing and some times God says don’t say anything right now. Well one of the things I heard was this is a violation of the privacy act. There may be things that fall under the privacy act but debt is not one of them. Listen to me. Being in debt is not an act of privacy. Everybody knows that all of us are in debt. You are not secretly in debt. You debt is public. If you live, drive, wear or do anything that costs money, you’ve got debt. Let me tell you that if you are not a Tither then you are seriously in debt because you owe God His money. We live in a credit society. The Nation is in debt. But it is interesting that I don’t hear comments anymore about putting bills on the altar because testimonies have come forth from people who can attest that their bills are melting away. My God shall supply all of your needs.
Let’s go to school! As we step in on our text, the Apostle Paul is penning a letter to the Church at Philippi. He begins chapter 4 by stressing the importance of teamwork. He is trying to settle a disagreement between two women. Euodia and Syntyche, members of the Philippian church had by their disharmony created some division. Division and disharmony in the church is nothing new. Paul uses them as examples to launch into an entire chapter on peace. He doesn’t ask these women to act uniformly, but rather to be of the same mind. The word he uses is harmony. Singing in harmony doesn’t mean singing in unison. Players should play different positions on a team. Harmony means their efforts complement the efforts of others, rather than conflict with them. Paul had been in prison and the Philippian Church had sent him funds. The Church had sent clothes and met his need while he was incarcerated. Side Bar. The Philippian Church was guilty of doing the work of the church and not church work. There is a difference. We are so concerned about doing what we need to do around the church that we neglect the fact that we should be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not about building buildings, buildings are nice, but it is about building people. Paul is saying that God used you to supply my needs and because you were obedient and faithful to Him, my God shall supply all of your needs. My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. These words were penned by the Apostle Paul.
First of all I want to make the point that there is a supply. Webster defines supply as to provide for. According to the origin of the word the word supply was only used when what you were providing was complete. In other words to use the word supply you had to have done such an adequate job of providing that nothing else could be done. Paul is saying My God shall supply all (nothing left) of your needs. The reason why God can do that is because God not only has everything but He also owns everything. The 24th Psalm declares that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Let me put something to rest. We don’t own anything. We don’t even own ourselves. The Holy Writ says God owns the World and everything that is in it. My God is able to use all the resources of Heaven and Earth to supply my needs. Paul says that God has a supply that He can pull from His riches in glory.
Second, a supply of what? When it comes to supply and demand, our God works from the angle of supply and not demand. God has promised to supply with or without demand. There are needs that are met regardless of our relationship with Him. The Scripture says “the sun sets on the just as well as the unjust.” But as Believers there are certain benefits that we are entitled to. If membership has its privileges then certainly followship has its privileges. If my mind is troubled then God is able to give me peace of mind. If my heart is broken then God is able to mend my broken heart. If I am lonely then God is able to provide me companionship by being a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Whatever I need God is able to supply. Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Deuteronomy 28:5, 11-12, "Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store... And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow." , we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Psalms 35:27, "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."
Third, the Supply will never run out. There are people who I have run across in my ministry who profess to be believers and yet they doubt God’s supply. They see God blessing other people and then wonder whether God is going to run out of blessings before they can get theirs. I remember as a boy my mother would fix fried chicken. I loved fried chicken. Mother would only have a certain amount of each part of the chicken for dinner. There were certain pieces that I preferred over the other pieces. If you got to the table first your chances of getting the piece you wanted greatly increased. Well praise God I don’t have to worry about that when it comes to blessings. I never have to worry about God running out of blessings. There is always more than enough!
