Sunday, August 24, 2008
“Needing God every Moment”
Text: Philippians 4:19
Our summer therapeutic session continues with the expressed intent to breaks one’s addiction to sin in the nine weeks of summer.
You remember the steps: admit you are a sinner, know that God is greater than sin, give yourself to God, become addicted the Jesus, count the costs, create yourself anew, understand that a lion is on the loose, then realize that you need God every moment.
If I may borrow from the work of Abraham Maslow, who developed the model for a hierarchy of needs by grouping needs into.
Five basis categories:
Physiological needs,
Safety needs,
Belonging to needs,
Esteem needs,
and self-actualization needs.
The issue with addiction to sin is that one places the need for the addictive substance, subject, or subterfuge ahead of all the five categories Maslow identified.
The need for sin at that moment trumps any other need one may have. Take a look at Jonah. Jonah was given a command by God to go to Ninevah and preach. Jonah’s sin was that he disobeyed God’s command and went to Tarhish. Jonah finds himself in the belly of a great fish.
What Jonah did was place his particular sin addiction – disobedience of God – in front of all the five categories of needs identified by Maslow.
If you examine addiction to sin closely – you pick the particular sin – you will find that this is true it becomes the essential and core drive for your being.
That’s why one must break their addiction to sin – it distorts the spiritual order of one’s life.
The beauty of the Philippians’ text is that it helps us to understand that we truly need God every moment, and if one understands that their deepest need is God – nothing will substitute.
Paul understood this reality. The church at Phillipi provided support to Paul in this ministry. While he appreciated the support Paul knew that his ministry was not dependent upon the support.
In other words, he understood that there was a need greater than the needs addressed by the support from the church.
What Paul learned was that his circumstances did not control his inner life.
Paul understood that to be content was more than learning how to endure circumstances; but that God empowered one to live creatively within those circumstances.
That why Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthen me.”
Jesus also placed the need for God in its proper context. He painted a picture of lilies in the field, and birds in the air. He asked the question, who cares for them. The obvious answer is God. Then he states if God takes care of them, don’t you know that the Heavenly Father will take care of his children. Why do you worry about your hierarchy of needs? God will supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory.
What does it mean to need God every moment?
Phillipians 4:19 provides three clues to the answer:
1. Source of the supply – My God
2. Surety of the supply – Shall
Job knew it – and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh, I shall see God.
David knew it – The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. Thy goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Solomon knew it – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct, thy paths.
Isaiah knew it – But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
The apostle John knew it – If ye abide in me, and my word abides in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
John the Revelator knew it – And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Jesus knew it – Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
3. Scope of the supply – all of your needs
When you need God every Moment, you know the source of your supply, you know the surety of your supply, and you know the scope of your supply.
