Life Lifters | Lakeshore Community Church

Sep 27 8:20 AM

Joy in God's Ability to Meet My Needs

Sep 27 8:20 AM

Monday, September 27, 2021

Today, I want to talk to you about perhaps the second most famous verse in Philippians, that is Philippians 4:19.

Monday, September 27, 2021

Philippians 4:19

In one of our previous life lifters, I wrote about the most famous verse in the book of Philippians. Today, I want to talk to you about perhaps the second most famous verse in Philippians, that is Philippians 4:19. And I want to talk to you about joy in God's ability to meet your needs. Philippians 4:19 says this, "And my god will meet all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." This verse has been used by a lot of people in a lot of ways that don't really match with Scripture. First of all, who was the Apostle Paul talking to in this verse? He was talking to people who gave to his ministry, people who are trying to live for God, trying to live for Jesus. He said, God will meet all of the needs of those kinds of people. So, sometimes people say, "I don't know why Jesus doesn't meet all of my needs." The question I have to ask back is, "Are you living for Jesus? Is he really the center of your life?" Now, he's gracious, and he does a lot more than we deserve, that's for sure. But I know this, the context of that verse that says God will meet all of my needs comes in response to people who are faithfully doing God's will, giving generously to Paul, and living the Christian life.

The second misinterpretation is that God will meet all of my needs, and then we turn needs into greeds. "God, I need a new car like that one. God, I need that house. God, I need that pool. God, I need that man or woman. God I need..." And here's the thing, some of the stuff you think you need, it's not a need. It's a greed. The Bible does not say in this verse, and does not teach elsewhere that God will meet all of your needs, as we determine what our real needs are. Sometimes what we think are needs are greeds. Paul says, "My God well meet all of your needs." What do you really need? God will meet it. Now, here's what I do know about God: God meets way more than my needs. I'm sure he meets way more than your needs, but that's not what this verse says. So that's the second thing. First, again, is that it's written to Christians who are already giving generously, already living the Christian life. Second, it's written to meet our needs, not meet our greeds.

The third thing is this. The verse says, "My God will meet all your needs, according to his glorious riches in Christ." Now, how glorious and rich is Jesus Christ? Well, he's God. He has been resurrected from the dead. He has a glorified body.He has returned back to the Trinity in heaven, back to his original glorious abode. And he will come back one day. How glorious and rich is Jesus Christ? If you have a number in mind, it's more. If you have another number, it's more than that. Here's the number: it's infinite. There is no number. It's infinite. That's how rich Jesus Christ is. So, here's what I want to say - let's start with the first two points. Paul said this verse to people who are living for Christ. So, if you have sin in your life, things going on in your life, there's a possibility, you can squelch that. Second, some of the things we think are needs are not really needs, they're greeds. If it really is a need, when it matches those two things, guess what God does? He's rich, so that's when he gives us way more than we need or deserve. He's glorious in his riches in Christ Jesus. That's why we live in America. We are blessed beyond belief. God has blessed us beyond belief. You know, in America, we're the richest nation in the world. We're blessed beyond belief. No other nation has the prosperity we have. And God blesses us to be a blessing, but that's for another message. Here's all I want to say - isn't it an amazing promise that God will meet all of our needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus?

Do you have your needs met? Thank God every day, count your blessings, nam them one by one, as the old hymn goes. Every day, you ought to get up and at least spend 10, 15, 20 moments and just say, "Thank you for this house. Thank you for this bed. Thank you for this food. Thank you for my kitchen. Thank you for my office. Thank you for my car. Thank you for my workplace. Thank you for my paycheck. Thank you for my children. Thank you for my spouse. Thank you for my boyfriend or girlfriend. Thank you for my college degree. Thanks for the teachers I had at my college. Thank you for my neighbors. Thanks that I live in a clean neighborhood. Thanks that I live next to people who are kind. Thanks that I work with good people. Thanks that I'm outside in September." There are a lot of things you can thank God for. God wants us to spend our time thanking him because he's meets all of our needs. I hope that helps you have a heart of appreciation because he meets all of our needs. Father, thank you so much that you meet all of our needs, not our greeds, according to your riches and glory, and according to, in some degree, how we're living for you and how faithful we are to you. Thank you for doing this in Jesus' name. Amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

back

Connect with us!

Joy in God's Ability to Meet My Needs

Topics