Wow...I want to pass on to you the encouragement I received this week. Pick up the Bible and read this with joy. I listened to a sermon from a pastor, David Jeremiah, who was teaching on the cycle of God's sufficiency. It's called the Sermon on the Amount.
Question: If I commit my money to God, can He take care of me? (This question has hit me hard lately). This becomes an issue of obedience, especially when I do not "feel like" giving money to others because I know how I can use the money for myself.
Sermon basis: 2 Corinthians 9:8. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good work." The context of the verse is related to the issue of financially giving to "the saints," or better, giving money to those within the local group of fellow believers who need it (Bret Mixon version).
Cycle of God's Sufficiency (All 5 elements are in the verse, broken apart for examination)
1. "He is able to make...." {The power of His sufficiency}
*2 Timothy 1:12--For this reason I suffer all these things, but I AM NOT ASHAMED; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
*Matthew 19:26--And looking at them, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
*Hebrews 2:18--For since He was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
*Hebrews 7:25--He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus), since He always lives to make intercession for them.
*Jude 24-25--Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
*Matthew 7:11--If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in Heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?
*Job 42:2--I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
2. "...all grace..." {The potential of His sufficiency}
*James 1:17--Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
*1 Chronicles 29:14--But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given back to You.
*Romans 8:32--He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? NOTE: not every greed-initiated desire but our needs, giving us sufficiency.....
*Psalm 145:16--You do open Your hand, and do satisfy the desire of every living thing.
*2 Corinthians 9:15--Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (Jesus)
*Philippians 4:19--And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
3. "...abound..." {The proportion of His sufficiency} Definitions: increase, excel, exceed, overflow. THE EMPHASIS is on the abundance of these:
*All comfort abound
*All joy abound
*All faith abound
*All thanksgiving abound
*All knowledge abound
*All diligence abound
*All generosity abound
*All grace abound
*All ministry abound
*All riches abound
*All good works abound
4. "...to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything,..." {The provision of His sufficiency}
*Philippians 4:19--And my God shall supply ALL YOUR NEEDS according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
*David Jeremiah re-emphasized the above list in #3, putting stress on the word ALL. The point is this: All my/your needs will be provided for, in abundance. The word NEEDS is not only related to the financial aspect of this life, but the internal, the spiritual, the psychological, the mental, the emotional, the occupational, the motivational needs we have to do for others.
5. "..you may have an abundance for every good work." {The purpose of His sufficiency}
*David Jeremiah reminds us that the end result, the purpose, of God's promises to provide what we need is so we will use all of ourselves and what we have to minister to others.
THE TAKEAWAY?
*I say I believe the Bible is the Word of God. I say I believe that Jesus (historically proven person) is God and did, in fact, rise from the dead.
*When I actually DO what I say I believe, I must DO what is in 2 Corinthians 9:8.
*My trust, my passion, my behavior must align with this promise, that God will provide for me SO THAT I can show my trust in Him by ministering to others.
*Ministering means to care for, do for, aid, etc. and doing so in Jesus' name. So, when people ask, "Why are you doing this?", I/you must respond in a way that gives the accolade right back to Jesus:
+"I'm simply doing what Jesus did."
+"You matter to God because you are still living, and you matter to me."
David Jeremiah's explanation of the cycle of sufficiency? As we live out this verse, picture a wheel and the elements of the cycle move as a wheel.
When we understand the MIGHT of His provision (Able), He increases the MEASURE of His provision (All grace) and the MANNER of His provision (Abound), which puts into MOTION His sufficiency through His MEANS (the list in #3), having the end result of MINISTRY to others.
Good, Good morning, my Lord!
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