Title: “Can I Trust God to Meet My Needs?” Script: Phil. 2:4; 4:6,19.
Type: Topical message Where: GNBC 11-5-17
Title: “Can I Trust God to Meet My Needs?” Script: Phil. 2:4; 4:6,19.
Type: Topical message (Need Slide) Where: GNBC 11-5-17/RW 5-10-21
Intro: Often today I hear Christian people say: “I need to have my needs met.” This is often an excuse to abandon marriages or other significant relationships, leave churches, deal less than honorably with employers or employees, break contracts. (Chapter and verse please!) I would like to challenge you to show me all of the passages in the Bible that speak about our responsibility to meet our own needs as opposed to our duty to be used to meet the needs of others. (Show slide.) This issue of thinking we need to have our needs met is secular, not sacred, in its orientation. However, the mindset has completely infected the Church corporately as individual Christians have bought into this lie. Ultimately, this is a selfish mindset that seeks to self fulfillment instead of trusting in God. The psalmist wrote, "The words of the Lord are flawless, life silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times." You can count on God to do as He says because the One who created the heavens and earth and who established the laws that govern the universe actually owns everything and is far more capable of providing for your needs than you could ever imagine. The writer of Proverbs says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart...In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." I encourage you to make our Lord and His promises the foundation of your financial security.
Prop: Exam.3 verses in Phil. we’ll better understand how to Trust God to meet our Needs.
BG: 1. Spend much of our lives on our needs. Pursuing, attempting, etc.
2. All three passages come from Philippians. During 2nd Miss Journey Paul goes to Macedonia and plants first church on European soil at Phillipi.
3. This has been a very hard week for several in our church. Need to consider how reach out.
Prop: Exam.3 versed in Phil. we’ll better understand how to Trust God to meet our Needs.
I. 1st: We Need a Biblically Balanced View When Life Tells You to Meet Your Own Needs. (Phil 2:4)
“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
A. There is a place for the Christian to attempt to meet his or her needs.
1. Christians, like all individuals have needs in life.
a. Illust: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 1943 paper – Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, esteem, Self Actualization. It is a normal human response to want to have food and shelter. To live in a safe environment, to love and be loved, to have a sense of belonging in life, to feel respected, to realize his or her potential. Christians are not immune from having these needs that their secular counterparts also have. However, the way we are to go about realizing those needs should be radically different in some ways from our non-Christian counterparts.
b. James 4:1 tells us: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members” Every Christian faces a daily struggle. There are two forces operating within us seeking to control our lives. Our old nature says: “Please yourself!” Whereas our new nature says:”Please me!” How we go about the process of pleasing those natures can either be a sin or the process of sanctification in the life of the believer.
2. Purposely combat the natural desire to be selfish.
a. Please focus on one key word in this passage. Now, actually, in the original language, the word does not appear. However, this word is definitely implied in the passage. What is the word? “Merely”. “Do not merely look out for your own interests…” As Christians, we all need to consider how my actions will affect others. ILlust: I heard Chuck Swindoll say that he carries a list in his wallet of everyone who would be affected if he acted immorally and was defrocked.. Now in his 80’s and still a successful pastor, author, educator, in part, because he has always made sure to consider how his attempts to meet his own needs could negatively affect others. Mt. 23:11 ““The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled and all who humble themselves, will be exalted.” Christianity is not about exalting self and own needs over the needs of others.
b. Selfishness is a word that we are all too familiar with but I wonder how often we stop to think about what it actually means! ( “I need to have MY needs met.) Self–ish-ness … it’s about our tendency to put ourselves, our needs, our plans, our reputations before other people. Problem is, we notice when other people are being selfish to us, we notice when they put themselves and their own interests before ours but we rarely notice when the shoe is on the other foot. We rarely notice when it’s us who are being selfish. In fact, for most of my life, I never once thought of myself as being selfish when the reality was that ‘self’ was all I was interested in. How about you? How often do you think of yourself being selfish as opposed to other people being selfish towards you? That’s why selfishness is such an insidious sin. It rears its ugly head all too often without us ever really noticing that we are the ones being selfish. And this putting of self above and before other people, it takes so many different forms. Whenever my interests are more important to me than your interests, the easiest thing in the world is to put mine before yours and that … that’s what we call selfishness!
B. Christians Must Balance our Needs with the Need to Look out for the Interest of Others.
1. Foundational to this Principle is the Need to Realize that the Church of Jesus Christ exists to be used by God.
a. Christians need to realize: “The Church does not exist to meet my needs. The Church exists so you and I can be used by God within the Body of Christ to help meet the needs of others.” Illust: We have several great examples of individuals like this in our congregation. Couple of weeks ago two ladies knew what our family was going through with Carol’s father: “We are bringing you…” Saw a need in the body and wanted to help meet it. Yesterday a man did some yard work for me I had needed to do.
b. A healthy church meets the needs of its members and reaches out to the community it serves. A healthy church is balanced as Paul spells out in Ephesians 4:16, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” A healthy church grows (increases in numbers by reaching people for Christ) and edifies or builds itself up (ministers to the needs within its own body). A healthy church ministers outside the body and to the body from within the body. A healthy church balances its ministry with the gifts God has given it.
2. Foundational to this principle is another point all too few understand today: “The more I more my life into others the more I will be fulfilled.” -Illust: There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” The most unhappy individuals I know are those who are most self absorbed and self focused. My opinion on why so many suicides and ODs this year. The most happy and content individuals I know are so not because of personal wealth, education, robust health, trophy husband or wife, or toys or hobbies. No, the most happy, content, and joy filled Christians I know are those who are actively involved in meeting the needs of others.
C. Applic: Balance preoccupation with your own needs with serving to meet the needs of others.
II. Reject the Anxiety of Thinking Your Needs Must be Met By Your Own Effort. (Phil. 4:6)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
A. Anxiety sets in when we think our needs are not being met and we must meet them ourselves.
1. Most Christians struggle with anxiety. Yet, God’s Word tells us not to.
a. “anxious” – merimna – to be drawn in different directions. That’s what anxiety does to us, doesn’t it? It causes us to lose focus, direction, purpose, confidence. Can be translated: “Take no thought…” Don’t take any time to think about it. Don’t let it concern you. Don’t waste your time and energy…Don’t be anxious! Don’t let it cause anxiety in your life!
b. Look at the passage closely. What specific areas are you and I allowed to be anxious in? Financial? Relational? Health? Future? Finances? College get into? Career?
2. God Doesn’t Need Our Help in Meeting our Needs.
a. Illust: When Carol was pregnant with Mary we knew we had a little logistical problem. We needed a bigger vehicle (I say “needed” – Western problem). Praying for God’s will for a vehicle. About 3-4 mo. Before due a man came up to us, out of the blue, and said: “The Lord has laid on my heart to buy a van for you. Go look for one and when ready call me.” Next couple of weeks trundled to car lots. Finally found a mini van. Called the man. “I am sorry, my investments took a real hit recently. I am not able to right now.” Thanked him. Reminded God that Carol was getting bigger. Started thinking about all sorts of plans and ways. Two weeks before due, man called up again. “Things have improved dramatically. I want to make you that offer again! Got off the phone: “Come on baby, we a going car shopping tonight!” God met our need. His way. His time.
b. It is always a bad idea to try to accomplish God’s plan in your own way and your own timing. God’s plans come complete with His methods and His timing, and when we try to tinker with that, it messes everything up. Classic example in the Bible of someone who thought needs needed to be met and would help God to do it. Who am I thinking of? Sara & Hagar in Gen. 16. Hagar was the Egyptian handmaiden of Sara. Although God had promised 10 yrs before to give Sara and Abram children, had not yet happened. Both getting older (85/75yrs.) Sara decided to take matters in own hand and “help God” by using a culturally accepted practice. What was result? Birth of Ishmael, father of the Arab peoples. That has really worked out well for the Jews over time now hasn’t it?!
B. Choose God’s Prescription to Overcome Anxiety in attempting to meet our own needs.
1. Choose not to be anxious. - “Be anxious for nothing” – understood “you”. Anxiety is the feeling, fear, or apprehension of something that is to come. Being anxious is a choice of the will.
2. Choose to pray more. – “but in everything by prayer and supplication” Self included, we could all pray more. This verse gives Christians a powerful and direct command to cast our worries on God, though for someone with clinical anxiety, it's not always that easy. Exasperated by directives to "just pray," we can barely stop our own thoughts to pray in the first place. Thankfully, vv.7-9 give us even more hope.(Read!) This passage points out advice that anxiety strugglers often miss: Paul urges us to think on things that are true (as well as a handful of other characteristics). Almost every anxious thought we have gets fortified with falsehood and irrationality. Anxiety feeds off fear and misunderstanding. Yet God’s Word and God’s people are to speak truth to those fears.
3. Choose to be grateful. – “with thanksgiving” People who are consumed with having their own needs met are not usually grateful individuals. When is last time you thanked someone? God? Gratefulness is a choice. Happy people practice gratefulness. ( Illust: Christ healed 10 Lepers - Lk. 17. Only one came back to thank Jesus. A Gentile.)
4. Choose to trust in God. – “Trust and Obey”, not “Worry and Fret” should be the hymn on lips of the Christian. We have a great God Who keeps His promises. (Illust: If God was able to provide daily for 2-5 million Jews for 40 years: food and water, quail and manna. Shoe and clothes didn’t wear out…Can He not take care of us? Jesus told us that God cares for the lilies and the birds and He knows the needs we have. Don’t be concerned with food, drink, or clothing. He knows our needs. We are His children. (Mt. 6:25-34)
C. Applic: Reject anxiety and trust God to meet your needs.
III. Realize the Theological Implication of Saying Your Needs are Not Being Met. Phil.4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
A. Sometimes as Christians we need to Carefully Consider the Statements we make.
1. We need to remember that there is great power in the spoken word.
a. We can speak truth or we can speak lies. We can speak words that embolden and give confidence or we can speak words that weaken and discourage. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” We use our God-given authority to its fullest potential when we speak the words of God. When we speak His Word over our lives and our circumstances things change and become aligned with His Word. When we speak God's Word and conform our minds and wills to what it says, our circumstances will change. For every problem we will face in this life the answer is in God's Word.
b. When you or I verbalize such a statement as: “My needs are not being met…” We are not, ultimately, rejecting our spouse, our girl/boyfriend, our church, our group, job, etc. If you are a Christian, you are rejecting God! “Whoa, wait a minute Chris, that’s a little strong!” Look at the text my friend: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” He will supply your needs according to His divine, sovereign plan. So, when we say our needs are not being met, we are essentially saying “God is a liar!” I don’t want to say that!
2. Illust: Reminds me of a story Franklin Graham wrote about in his autobiography, Rebel with a Cause. Graham was in early-mid 20’s and had come back to the Lord. However, still had a major struggle with cigarettes and felt very convicted that smoking was wrong for him. Talking to his friend, singer Dennis Agajanian. Bemoaning his plight. Told how hard had tried to quit and how badly he wanted to quit. Agajanian told him, “Then Franklin, if that is true, get down on your knees right now and tell God that He is a liar!” “What? I can’t do that!” “Then trust His Word and choose to live according to it.”
2. Paul knew what it meant to be grateful for the Lord’s provision.
a. The word "riches" here means, His abundant fullness; His possessing all things; His inexhaustible ability to supply their needs. The phrase "in glory," is probably to he connected with the following phrase, "in Christ Jesus;" and means that the method of imparting supplies to people was through Jesus Christ
b. Verse 18 shares with us that in the midst of this answered prayer that he is rejoicing in God. He is thankful to the Philippians for sending Epaphroditus with gifts. He is thankful to God for the sacrifices they made for him. He rejoices that these gifts are a fragrant offering to God and that God would return the blessings the Philippians sent back to them. Paul gives credit to God for the generosity of God’s people in Philippi and praises God for his provision. Rejoicing!
B. Remember that We Can Trust God to Meet our Needs even in Difficult Circumstances.
1. Let’s look at an example from the life of the Prophet Elijah. – I Ki. 17:1-7
a. We need to realize that needs will arise in our lives. In I Ki 17 Elijah was being obedient to God when in fact, sent to the wilderness during a period of famine in the land. No rain and crops would not grow. Hiding out in a cave because Ahab wanted him dead. First, I think it is important to realize that needs will often arise when you are being obedient to God. Many Christians freak out at this point and think God is closing a door or punishing. No! God is taking an opportunity to prove just how powerful He is! I KI.17:6 says that God sent Ravens 2x a day to provide bread and meat for His prophet. There are times when doing everything right, living right, tithing, going to church, loving family and neighbors and whammy! Big need. Don’t freak out! Don’t let is take you by surprise. In Jn. 16:33 Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” But you know what, years before, God knew His servant would have need of water and prepared a the Cherith Brook for cool, clean water, long before Elijah ever got thirsty. God created the ravens and the meat and bread, a long time before Elijah ever got hungry.
b. Now, let’s bring it up to our own day. Rom.8:28: “And we know that all things work together for the good of them that love God, to them who are called according to His purposes.” “If God knows all about my troubles before they come, and if all things work together for my good…then I can trust that God has already taken all the steps necessary to meet my need before I ever realized I had a need!
2. Illust: THE HOT WATER BOTTLE – Helen Roseveare, Missionary to Africa
One night, in Congo I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter.
We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with drafts. A student-midwife went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. It was the last hot water bottle we had. In 1950s Central Africa were no drugstores! I said, “Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.” The next day at noon I prayed with the orphanage children as was my habit. I told the children about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle and the 2 year old sister crying cause mother had died. During the prayer, Ruth a 10 yr. old orphan, prayed with the usual blunt manner of children. “Please, God send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby’ll be dead; so, please send it today” Helen gasped at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, ” …And while You are at it, God, please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?” Felt put on the spot. Could I honestly say, “Amen?” I didn’t believe God could do this. The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from England. She had been in Africa 4yrs, and had never a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! That afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I called for the children. Together we pulled off the string. Excitement was mounting. Forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. First I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients. Next,a tin of dried fruit. As I put my hand in again, I felt the…could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, “A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!” I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!” Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. She had never doubted! “Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?” That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child — five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it “That afternoon!” “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24
C. Applic: Don’t ever believe that God cannot meet our needs.
