MY GOD SHALL
Phip. 4:19.
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: A HAIR CUT LESSON
1. A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. The man & the barber talked about various subjects.
2. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
3. "If God exists, why are there so many sick people? Why are there abandoned children? If God exists, there should be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
4. The customer disagreed, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. After he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He had his answer.
5. He returned to the barbershop and said, "You know what? I don’t believe barbers exist." "How can you say that? I am a barber; and I just worked on you!"
6. "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there’d be no people with long hair or untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
7. "Ah, but barbers DO exist!" answered the barber. "What happens is, people don’t come to me!"
8. "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "God also exists! What happens is, people don't go to Him and let Him help them!"
B. TEXT
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Phip. 4:19.
C. CONTEXT
1. Paul was in prison. Prisons then weren’t like prisons today; the prisoner’s friends and family had to provide their food, clothing, & necessities, or they’d starve.
2. The Philippians again and again sent Paul contributions to take care of his needs. Paul got a word from God for them;
3. PROMISE & PARALLEL
a. You helped ME, But MY GOD shall supply for you.
b. “ “ “ in ONE need, “ “ “ supply ALL your needs.
c. “ “ “ out of your POVERTY, “ “ “ “ out of HIS RICHES!
d. You sent it by Epaphroditus, but God will send it by Christ Jesus!
4. This promise was made to givers, to people who were generous and gave sacrificially.
5. This indicates the importance of tithing and giving offerings. If we’ll be faithful, God will be faithful to us!
D. THESIS
1. This morning we’re looking at Paul’s all-encompassing thought, “MY GOD SHALL!”
2. We’re looking at the 1. The Lofty Idea of Who God Is; 2. The Contrast with Little Faith; and 3. The Vast Resources and Will of God to meet your needs.
I. LOFTY IDEA OF WHO GOD IS
A. CONNECTION BTW VISION & FAITH
1. It's been said that, "No man/woman lives beyond their vision." The bigger your vision, the greater your potential!
2. Helen Keller, who was completely blind, was once asked, "What would be worse than being born blind?" She responded, "To have sight, without vision!"
3. Do you have a vision of what God wants to do with your life? Proverbs 29:18 says, "Without a vision, the people perish." The NIV adds, “the people cast off restraint."
4. The problem of Samson wasn't that he didn't have anointing, but that he didn't have vision. As a result, he fell into the pattern of the world!
5. God wants to raise our expectation level about what He will do, but that requires you get a bigger vision of God Himself.
6. If you can believe, you will receive; if you doubt, you’ll miss out! We’re satisfied with too little; we’ve settled for minimum Christianity! God is challenging that.
7. Jesus said to a man who had staggering faith, “All things are possible to him [her] who believes” Mk. 9:22-23.
8. The power of an Unlimited God is available in UNLIMITED QUANTITY if we believe God is who He says He is, and will do what He says He will do!
B. **VIDEO “CONTACT 1997” turn off at 2:45****
1. Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, said; "On the trip [back to earth] it suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.”
2. Isa. 40:12 (BBE), “In the hollow of whose hand have the waters been measured? and who is able to take the heavens in his stretched-out fingers? who has gathered together the dust of the earth in a measure? who has taken the weight of the mountains, or put the hills into the scales?”
3. Ps. 8:3-4 (NASB), “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?”
4. Ps. 19:1-4 (AMP), “THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.”
5. Genesis 1:1-3, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
6. The Milky Way galaxy is vast. Even at the speed of light, which can travel 5 trillion, 874 billion, 904 million, 512 thousand miles in one year – it still takes 100,000 light years to cross the Milky Way galaxy!
7. Isaiah 40:25-26, (HCSB) “Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry host by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.”
II. CONTRAST: “MY” GOD SHALL
A. PAUL’S GOD VS. FALSE DEITIES
1. PAUL CONTRASTED HIS GOD WITH OTHERS’. OTHER’S GOD MAY NOT, BUT HIS WOULD!
2. Over 1900 years ago, the apostle Paul stood in Athens, Greece on Mars Hill, near the Acropolis, and confronted the Athenians’ about their concept of God/ idolatry.
3. Not much has changed. Today, throughout the world, people still worship idols, statues, inanimate objects and animals. Hindus are said to have 330 million gods and goddesses! In some parts of Asia, they even have "paper gods."
4. We mock the ignorance of such backward cultures who bow before an image of metal or stone -- a Buddha or Krishna – but don’t we "dumb God down" by disbelieving in His power to save, heal, or deliver?
5. Some shrink God to their level by making Him a convenient Deity who allows them to do whatever they like.
6. Folks, there’s only one true God! He’s the holy God who created all things and possesses all power and knowledge. He fills the universe and knows every detail of our lives.
7. He hears us when we pray, and He answers our prayers, if they conform to His will. He says, “Call to Me, and I will ANSWER you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” Jer. 33:3.
B. HE’S THE GOD WHO ANSWERS!
1. Elijah was on Mt. Carmel with the whole nation of Israel gathered to watch. 450 false prophets of Baal were there. Elijah proposed test to see who’s really God? “The god who ANSWERS by fire—He is God” 1 Kgs. 18:24. The true God answered!
2. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had 3 Hebrews who wouldn’t bow to his idol. He said, “Who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hand?”(3:15). They answered, “Our God…is able to deliver us…and HE WILL DELIVER us…”(3:17). He did!
3. In 2 Kgs, Assyrian King Sennacherib had surrounded Jerusalem with a massive army. He told Hezekiah, “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath…Arpad….Sepharvaim, Hena…Ivvah….Samaria…? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” 2 Kgs. 18:33-35. Hezekiah spread his letter before God; God spoke thru Isaiah that He’d heard the insults of Sennacherib & would judge him and deliver Jerusalem. 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died that night & he withdrew & was assassinated!
4. WE SERVE A GOD WHO SAVES AND DELIVERS! Paul said, “MY GOD SHALL…”
5. You may have been disappointed before in not receiving what you sought. Maybe your God’s a little too small. Why don’t you go to Paul’s God today – the God mighty to save! He never fails. When faith contacts the True God, power will flow!
III. “MY GOD SHALL PROVIDE”
David said, "Never have I seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread" Psalm 37:25
A. DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY GENERATIONS
1. Abraham was promised, "I'll be with you and your seed after you." For 4,000 years, God’s been keeping His promise!
2. If God makes you a promise that your kids will be saved; even if you die and aren’t around to see it – have faith -- God will still keep His promise!
B. DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
1. There’s a lot of people afraid of the possible collapse of the world’s economy. “How will we eat? How will we make it?”
2. Remember, there was a Famine over all the world in the time of Joseph, and God provided!
3. There was a famine during the time of Elijah and he
was fed by ravens. If God took care of him, He’ll take care of you!
C. DOESN'T MATTER THE SIZE OF THE NEED
1. God fed 3.5 million Jews three meals a day for 40 years. It took the equivalent of 100 train cars of 66 tons each, of manna, to feed them for one day.
2. The Lord Jesus fed 5000 men and their families from a few fishes and loaves (Mt. 14:20).
3. ILLUSTRATION
a. A millionaire agreed to go into a business partnership with a young mechanic whom he believed would be successful.
b. The young man was elated because he thought the rich man's millions would be at his disposal. However, when the legal papers were drawn up, the millionaire's attorney brought to his attention the word “Limited.”
c. This made it clear that the millionaire was responsible only to the extent of $5,000.
d. Your Senior Partner, Jesus, owns all the silver and gold and the cattle on 1,000 hills. He owns the Sun and moon and stars. He has all that you need!
e. He hasn’t limited what you can access. The only limits there are the ones you put there yourself! Hallelujah!
D. DOESN'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF NEED
1. Deliverance? -- Peter from jail.
2. Safety? -- Daniel in the lion's den;
-- Disciples in the storm.
3. Healing? -- Hezekiah.
4. Encouragement? -- Elijah under the Juniper tree.
5. Help on the road? -- Nehemiah.
6. ILLUSTRATION
a. Dan Crawford, a Canadian, tells of an experience he and his party had while returning to his African mission field after a furlough. A stream to be crossed was in flood-stage and there were no boats.
b. Haste in getting back was important. The missionaries camped and prayed. After a time, a tall tree which had battled with the river for a century, perhaps,
began to totter and then fell -- clear across the stream.
c. As Dan put it, "The Royal Engineers of Heaven had laid a pontoon bridge for God's servants!"
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. During the frontier days, in a northern state, there was a man whose wife became very ill. If she didn't get a certain medicine, she would die.
2. The problem was, the man had to get across a large lake in the dead of winter to get the medicine. He was terrified to walk out on the ice, fearing it would break, so he began to crawl on his hands and knees.
3. He got 2 miles out on the lake, and all of a sudden, he felt a rumbling on the ice. He thought, "Surely the ice is cracking."
4. The sound got louder and then became a thunderous roar. The man was filled with terror. He looked behind him and saw a man driving a large team of horses across the ice.
5. The horses pulled a heavy wagon loaded with pig iron. They came shooting past him and kept going, throwing up a shower of ice particles.
6. Suddenly the man stood up, started walking, and then running. This man -- who had been so full of fear -- was now full of confidence.
7. He’d learned something; if that ice could hold a team of horses pulling a load of pig iron, it would certainly hold him!
8. If you want to have more faith in God, then hang around people who’re riding with God with a team of horses; then you'll know He can carry you too! Their faith will bolster yours! (Tony Evans Bk of
Illus, p. 99-100).
B. THE CALL
1. Charles Steinmetz, the great scientist, never received a fixed salary from his sponsors. At intervals, his
backers would give him a book of blank checks.
2. Whatever his needs might be, whether great or small, he needed only to fill in the amount on the check,
sign his name, and present it to the bank.
3. The resources of heaven are at the disposal of God's dedicated children. God's promises are sure: "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" Psalm 84:11.
4. WHAT DO YOU NEED GOD TO DO FOR YOU?
5. The apostle Paul said, "Let your requests be made known unto God... my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:6, 19.
6. Salvation call; prayer for needs to be met.
