VISITATION #10: JESUS IS THE LORD OUR PROVIDER
INTRO TO TOPIC:
For the past three months we have gone through the Gospel of Luke studying the life of Jesus.
• We have learned that Jesus is the Saviour, Healer, Deliverer, Prince of Peace, etc.
• Today we are going to look at how Jesus is Jehovah-Jireh: the Lord our Provider.
• “And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14).
• “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” (Psalm 23:1-2).
• If that’s true, that He is the Lord our Provider, then why do so many Christians lack?
OPENING TEXT:
“10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." 13 But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." 14 For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty." 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:10-17).
• In this story, Jesus was teaching people about the Kingdom of God and healing the sick.
• This is one of many examples of how Jesus cares for our physical needs too.
THE BIG IDEA: Jesus is the Lord our Provider. He wants to meet all of our needs, but there are certain principles we must live by if we want to experience those blessings.
LET’S TALK ABOUT MONEY:
• STATS: 16 of the 38 parables Jesus taught are about money.
• There are over 2,000 verses on money in the Bible & only 500 on prayer
• Why did Jesus teach so much on money? It’s his biggest competition.
• In the four years I’ve been at BCC, this is only my third message on money & giving.
1. THE PRINCIPLE OF SEEKING FIRST HIS KINGDOM:
“2 Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ’This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built." ’ " 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes." 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the Lord. 9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the Lord of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.” (Haggai 1:2-10).
• Here God describes how His people worked hard but didn’t have anything to show for it.
• God told them they were lacking because they were neglecting His kingdom.
• Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
2. THE PRINCIPLE OF TITHING:
“6 For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. 7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the Lord of hosts. "But you said, ’In what way shall we return?’ 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ’In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. 11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:6-11).
a. WHAT IS TITHING?
• God is calling His people to return to Him by tithing – giving 10% of their income.
• Tithing was not a part of the OT law – it was a principle from God.
• Abraham and Jacob both tithed before the law was given (Gen. 14:20 & 28:22).
• Jesus endorsed tithing in two places – in Matthew 23:23 and 22:21.
b. WHAT WILL GOD DO WHEN WE TITHE?
• He will open up the windows of Heaven and pour out a big blessing.
• He will rebuke the devourer. ILLUSTRATE.
• God says, “Put me to the test!” In other words – try it and see if it will work!
c. WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO TITHE BUT STILL AREN’T BLESSED?
• We must be good stewards of the remaining 90%: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1).
3. THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST FRUITS:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths… Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:5-6,9-10).
• If we want God to bless our finances, we need to honour Him with the first 10%.
• A little boy gave his lunch (John 6:9) which Jesus multiplied to feed the 5,000.
BIBLE EXAMPLE: In 1 Kings 17:8-15, the Lord sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath
The widow said, "I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." (v.12).
Elijah said, "Make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.” (v.13-14).
• So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. (v.13).
• If the widow hadn’t honoured God and given her ‘first fruits’ to the prophet of God, she would have never experienced God’s provision.
• When we honour God with our first 10%, He stretches the 90% to go further than if we had kept the whole 100%.
4. THE PRINCIPLE OF LAYING UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN:
“But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:31-34).
• When we give to God, or give to the poor, we are laying up treasure in Heaven.
• “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10:21).
• Giving to the poor = not just street people. There might be someone in the church who is out of work and needs help. Discuss: “The Christian handshake” = with money in it…
• “Where your treasure is” = what you spend your money on. Look at your bank account!
WHY PEOPLE DON’T GIVE:(1)
1. Fear - that there will not be enough (poverty spirit)
2. Reaction to legalism - you can’t tell me what to do!
3. Ignorance - not knowing what the Bible says about giving (now you know!)
4. Lack of discipline - giving is a discipline of a disciple (like prayer, Bible reading, etc)
5. Misplaced priorities - the consumer mentality of our generation
6. Poor choices - that’s why we need God’s Word to direct us
7. Crippling debt - inability – literally being crippled or hindered
8. Pride - keep up with the Joneses, live beyond means, pretending
WHY WE SHOULD GIVE:
1. Love for God - this should be our number one reason and motivation
2. Stewardship - the acknowledgement that God owns everything
3. Gratefulness - for what He has done in our lives
4. Trust God - trust in Jesus as the Lord our Provider (Phil. 4:19).
5. Obedience - Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments
6. Faithfulness - God’s (towards us) and ours (towards Him)
7. Worship - Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, your heart will be”
8. NOT just to receive - or just to be seen by others
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13).
• It doesn’t say you shouldn’t – it says you CAN’T! Who will you serve?
GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY:
Lyrics by the singer/songwriter Bob Dylan.
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
You might be a rock ’n’ roll addict prancing on the stage
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
Bibliography:
1. Why People Don’t Give and Why We Should Give: from Tom Gardner, Purses with Holes: Directions in Good Stewardship.
