Focus:
Giving
Function:
To help people be cheerful about giving.
Form:
Bible Study.
Intro:
Two
of
the
best,
or
most
quoted,
promises
in
the
New
Testament
are in
this
passage.
So
today
should
be
fun!
I
love
it,
when
I
hear
the
claim
that
brother
Paul
states
when
he
says:
“I
can
do
all
things
through
Christ
Jesus
who
strengthens
me!”
And,
I
love
to
hear
the
quote,
“My
God
shall
supply
all
your
needs
according
to
His
riches
in
glory
in
Christ
Jesus.”
Let
us
start
with
that
second
quote.
Christians do not need to fear about provision!
We
know
that
Paul,
as
an
apostle,
was
a
latecomer.
He begins his story in the NT presiding over the murder of Stephen,
the
second
Martyr.
With
hatred,
he
left
Jerusalem,
headed
for
Damascus
in
order
to
arrest
us
Christians,
to have
us
brought
back
to
Jerusalem
and
to
have
us
jailed,
or
even
killed
for
our
faith.
On
the
way,
he
met
Jesus who
literally
appeared
to
him
from
heaven
with
a
brilliant
bright
light,
temporarily blinds
him
and
sets
him
on
the
path
to
be
this
great
apostle.
But
Paul
wasn't
there
for
the
Sermon
on
the
Mount
in
the
book
of
Matthew
and
Luke.
He
didn't
hear
Jesus
say
these
words I
am about to read,
but
he
picks
up
the
same
theme.
Listen
to
these
words
from
Matthew
6:25-33
Matthew 6:25-33
Good
News
Translation
(GNT)
25This
is
why
I
tell
you:
do
not
be
worried
about
the
food
and
drink
you
need
in
order
to
stay
alive,
or
about
clothes
for
your
body.
After
all,
isn't
life
worth
more
than
food?
And
isn't
the
body
worth
more
than
clothes?
26Look
at
the
birds:
they
do
not
plant
seeds,
gather
a
harvest
and
put
it
in
barns;
yet
your
Father
in
heaven
takes
care
of
them!
Aren't
you
worth
much
more
than
birds?
27Can
any
of
you
live
a
bit
longer
by
worrying
about
it?
28And
why
worry
about
clothes?
Look
how
the
wild
flowers
grow:
they
do
not
work
or
make
clothes
for
themselves.
29But
I
tell
you
that
not
even
King
Solomon
with
all
his
wealth
had
clothes
as
beautiful
as
one
of
these
flowers.
30It
is
God
who
clothes
the
wild
grass—grass
that
is
here
today
and
gone
tomorrow,
burned
up
in
the
oven.
Won't
he
be
all
the
more
sure
to
clothe
you?
What
little
faith
you
have!
So
do
not
start
worrying:
Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? 32(These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.
Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? 32(These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.
Jesus
speaks
to
the
fear
that
we
have
that
somehow
at
the
end,
we
will
not
have
enough.
Listen,
Jesus
Himself
tells
us
that
the
fear
of
not
having
enough
is
for unbelievers,
not us.
And
He
is
right.
Turn
on
the
TV,
watch
the
advertising.
We
are
constantly
bombarded
with
an
unchristian
message
that
in
order
to
be
happy,
fulfilled
we
need
more.
This
is
not
from
God!
Paganism
is
idolatry.
And
in
our
day
and
age,
the
biggest
idol
the
world
chases
after
is
Money.
1
Timothy
6:6-7
6But
godliness
actually
is
a
means
of
great
gain
when
accompanied
by
contentment.
7For
we
have
brought
nothing
into
the
world,
so
we
cannot
take
anything
out
of
it
either.
People
become
miserable
when wealth
is
more
important
to
them
than
Jesus
Christ
Himself.
Jesus
warned
us
that
chasing
after
money
is
idolatry.
Money
is
a
false
God
that
gets
in
the
way
of
loving
and
enjoying
Him.
Now,
we
need
money,
it
regulates
the
means
by
which
we
purchase
the
things
necessary
for
our
lives.
But
it
can
never
become
our
God,
our
goal.
So,
here
we
are
with
this
great
promise
from
God.
“My
God
will
supply
all
your
needs
according
to
His
riches
in
glory
in
Christ
Jesus.”
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