"The Principle of Faith"

This is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor that God is given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truth of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God welcome today. It's great to have you here what you think a Bible and we want you to open it together if you brought one to Philippians chapter 4 the letter that Paul wrote the church at Philippi.

Chapter 4 will be coming there just a moment. But remember, today we are finishing up a short series entitled handling money.

God's way. This series grows out of our longer series where we been looking at the life in the ministry of the apostle Paul and if you remember the apostle Paul has been now in Philippi.

Acts 16 for several months and he be gone.

He established they are the first church ever established on the continent of Europe. Well, this church also went on to become the most liberal, the most generous and the most openhearted church when it came to giving to the work of God, of any church in the entire New Testament and we say this might be a good moment for us to stop and for us to just learn the lessons that the Philippian example teaches us about giving to God. Now if you remember, the Bible also said that the Philippians had sent money to the apostle Paul, a number of different times but that most recently they send you money when he was enrolled in jail and as a result of that, he sent them back a thank you note. We call it today. The book of Philippians a letter to the Philippians and in chapter 4 of this letter every principle we need to set up a biblical system of money management appears we been going over these principles principle number one was the principle of contentment. In verses 10 to 13 principle number two was the principle of investment.

Verses 14 to 17. Then last week in verse 18 we went over the third principle, the principle of worship and finally today were going to conclude with the principle of faith that we find in verse 19. Let me just remind you before we did get one more fact and that is that the purpose of this series is not to get you to give more money to McLean Bible church. The purpose of this series is to get every one of us here to learn the principles of a biblical system of money management, so that as we put these principles into life in our lives we can be a blessing to the work of God. We can be a blessing to other people and we can be a blessing to our family because we position ourselves for God to do some rich and exciting things for us so that's what were doing. Let's dig in principle number four the principle of faith. Now verse 19 says and my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Now I miss her as Almighty God makes us a wonderful promise, as followers of Christ.

He tells us he will do something for us not he might do something or he may recorder a shorter he'll think about it or maybe God says I will do something, and one of the great things about God is that when God makes you and me a promise we can hold them to it. We can take it to the bank. The reason for this is found in the nature and the character of who God is. God is a is a it is not capable of lying. The Bible says Titus chapter 1 verse two that God is a God who cannot lie, Hebrews 6 verse 18 for it is impossible for God to lie, number 23 in the Old Testament God is not a human being that he should lie, nor does he change his mind. Does he speak and then not act does he promise and then not fulfill friends.

This is just the way God is. It's not that God is so honest that he won't lie. If that God is so holy that he can lie and so what is the promise then that this God who cannot live makes you and me here in Philippians 4. He says he will meet all of our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. The word translated here meet meet our needs literally means to feel completely filled to overflowing, and so God's promise here is not that he will meet our needs in a miserly way, but rather that he will meet our needs completely overflowing late with the abundant generosity and liberality and this is exactly what David said the 23rd Psalm remember David said you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup what runs over my cup overflows. Every time I read this verse I think of a can of Coke were when you pop in opening your port in the glass to quick it just explodes over the top of the glass and runs all over the countertop and this is exactly how God says that he's going to meet our needs. He's going to do it in a way that explodes right over the top of your cup and runs all over the countertop. Now the rest of this verse confirms that this is indeed what God is promising us look me show you the verse says that God will meet our needs and not out of his glorious riches that it what it says it says God will meet our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus you that was a different sound like same thing to me know not see your millionaire and you drive up to valet parking and you tip the valet parking got five dollars for parking your car. You have tipped him out all of your riches but you drive up to the valet parking guide to paying 500 bucks for parking your car.

Now you have tipped him according to your riches in a way that demonstrates how rich you really are in a way that befits the abundance of wealth that you have and see this is God's promise.

God doesn't promise he will meet our needs out of his riches.

Well, that's not much of a promise, he promises us. He will meet our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ.

In a way that befits an ReFlex to an all looking world how wealthy and how much abundance Almighty God really has. That's how he will meet our needs and so whenever you and I become the beneficiaries of Philippians 419 we always always end up getting more than we need more than we deserve more than we ask for friends more than we ever even dreamed of is that while lot what a great promise from God for us as followers of Christ. But when you will, but soon went well, but I knew there was a but here somewhere, no, no, no, wait a minute. There's nobody here and the body is that this promise is not for everybody.

So will I know that I just said if all of us were followers of Jesus Christ. No, not for every follower of Jesus Christ. Either you say what you talking about corseted. Let me show you. You see when God makes a promise. There one of two kinds of promises that God to make that he makes in the Bible. Some of his promises in the Bible or unconditional promises an unconditional promise from God means that God's promise that he will do something, regardless of any human conditions being met.

You say what's an example about well, how about the promise God made to Abraham that Abraham's descendents would continue forever, and that's why the Jewish people still exist today. Even though, as a nation. They rejected their Messiah, even though for the last 2000 years. They been in national unbelief.

In spite of all the people through the ages who have tried to wipe them out of existence. The reason the Jewish people still exist today is because God made Abraham and unconditional promise and you know every time I go to Jerusalem and I stand at the Wailing Wall or every time I wake up in the morning a look in the mirror my Jewish faith. I remind myself God made Abraham and on conditional promise, and that's what I'm doing here today. That's what Israel is doing here today.

Now there's another, promise to God makes in the Bible and these are conditional promises, meaning that God commits himself to do something once you and I have met the condition that he attaches or that he lays out these are what's an example of conditional promise. What I John 316 for God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in his song. There's your condition. Whoever believes in us on here comes the promise shall not perish but shall have eternal life. God says I've got a promise.

I'm willing to give that I'll give you eternal life and I'll keep my end of the bargain. Once you meet the condition you meet the condition you get the promise now that you're here today and you never trusted Christ to the real and personal way. Let me just point out to you with this is a really important some information for you to have knowing what the condition is you see the condition that God lays out here forgetting eternal life is not good works, church membership, singing in the choir saying the rosary it's not putting money in the offering plate being a good citizen contributing your 401(k) or recycling. None of those of the condition. The condition is trusting Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross of your here today and you'd like to have eternal life and never perish.

Guess what God would love to do that for you. He will but you gotta meet the condition and the condition is that you place your personal faith in what Jesus did for you on the cross. Good to know the condition so you know how to activate the promise. But you see friends.

This is the whole point that the way conditional promises work is that whenever anyone meets the condition God put to it, he activates she activates the promise of God. From that point on the promises good not Philippians 419 is a conditional promise is in a wooden ceiling condition here. All it says is God will meet all my needs know that isn't what it says. Look carefully it says and God show me all of our need to say will will you also want a mean big deal know know it is a big deal. You see the word and is a connective meaning that it connects. Philippians 419 with what went before. Philippians 419 the word and tells us is not a standalone promise from God is not a freestanding promise from God is a promise from good from God that flows out of the verses that went before it. Verses 10 through 18 is a promise that God made to the Philippians in light of their actions.

In verses 10 through 18, and what were their actions.

In verses 10 to 18.

Well, the Bible tells us in those verses that these Philippian Christians gave to God consistently that these Philippian Christians gave to God generously that these Philippian Christians gave to God sacrificially, and verse 19.

In light of that, God says here's the promise that I'm giving you guys in light of the way you backdated. I am going to meet your needs. Bountifully, according to my riches in Christ Jesus. In light of the way you've acted this is a promise with the condition and the condition is that we have to be Philippian Christians in order to activate this promise. We have to be people were giving to the work of God consistently generously and sacrificially like the Philippians were the promise was given to people who were living like that is a long, now you sure you're not pulling too much out of this word and sounds to me like you try to make and walk all four legs, your son will know. I don't think I am, listen, let me go through some other places in the Bible where God promises rich financial provision and see if we don't find the same condition attached all right here we go.

Second Corinthians chapter 9 verse eight Paul talking about giving any says he or she who sows bountifully in giving. There's your condition. Here comes the promise shall reap bountifully about Proverbs 39 honor the Lord with your wealth, there's the condition here comes the promise and then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine about Malachi chapter 3 verse 10 bring the whole offering into the storehouse, there's your condition and there comes a promise I will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing on you.

You won't even have room to store about one more Luke 638 Jesus said give. There's your condition and there comes a promise it will be given back to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running all over both the point is it everywhere we go and find these wonderful promises of God, I'll fill you up so you don't have room to store give to you until it's press down and running over, I will open the floodgates of heaven. Your barns will be filled every time we find one of these, we find the same condition that in order to activate these promises we have to be Philippian Christians first let's summarize what we learned so far we learn. Philippians 419 is a fabulous promise from God. It's a promise where God says he will meet our needs not in a stingy way, not in a parsimonious way, but that he will meet our needs bountifully magnanimously sumptuously philanthropic Lee overflowing Lee. However, in order to qualify for this promise you and I have got to meet the condition that God attaches and that condition is that we be Philippian Christians. People just like the Philippians gave to the work of God consistently generously and sacrificially is okay okay okay that's enough stop stop stop right there enough. What are you really say along are you really saying that unless I give money to God. God talking to me my needs.

Is that what I'm hearing you say here know not saying that all is matter fact I'm saying the opposite.

I'm saying that if your child of God by faith in Christ and and and therefore God is your heavenly father. He has committed himself in the Bible to meeting your every need, whether you ever give up anything God or not disabled, and what are you saying what I'm saying is if all you want is for God to meet your basic needs in a basic way then you don't need to give God anything or do anything with your money, but if you and I want to become the beneficiaries of Philippians 419. If you and I want to activate God's promise here meeting our needs liberally overflowing Lee bountifully then you and I have to be Philippian Christians because that's to whom the promise was made. We have to be giving to God the way they were giving to God consistently sacrificially and generously see I believe there's a lot of Christians around the world claiming this promise, and in them, belong to, because they have met the conditions not there. Promise. God did make it to every follower of Christ. Every American. He made it to Philippian Christians. They say okay I got you made your point. But how do I get to be one of these people have a lot learn how to give like this like they gave how do I make myself in the one of these people well. Great question. Let's answered as we close you know in second Corinthians chapter 8 Paul is talking about a collection that he's taking up among all the New Testament churches to carry to Jerusalem and give to the poor believers.

There and he points to the Philippians in this chapter as the model. The example of giving that every church and follow listen to what he says about the Philippians verse two, he says out of their extreme poverty day. The Philippians rose up with rich generosity, for they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their financial ability on the human level.

That's obvious what Paul says here that the Philippian believers were not a wealthy bunch. In fact, he refers here to their extreme poverty. And yet, in spite of that the Philippians gave so generously that they became the model that the apostle Paul held up her every other church to copy it back verse four of this chapter says that the Philippians begged us for the privilege of sharing in this offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem (how do you explain people who live like this. How do you explain people who paid for the privilege of giving people who give so generously that they become a model for every other New Testament church. And yet, that giving comes out of extreme poverty. How do you explain people who live like that latte the answer. The answer is that when it comes to making our decisions about what were going to give the God there's only two bases on which you can make it.

You will make it on one of the other, either by faith or by sight those of the ways we make our giving decisions. Now the Philippians did not make caregiving decisions by sight.

If they had made their giving decision by sight. They would never have given the way the apostle Paul described here in the Bible.

They were looked around and said well you know where pretty poor Bob Shearin.

Well, you know, we really don't have that much money and well you know it's good to keep a little bit for a rainy day.

Well, when we look hard at our portfolio. This is not a whole lot we can squeeze out of there to give. This is giving by sight giving by sight means were always asking this question. What can I afford to part with.

In light of the resources that I can see right in front of what can I afford to part with friends. The Philippians if they had given if they had asked that question and given by sight.

They would never have been the model that Paul held them up to be money. How much could they afford to part with humanly virtually nothing. They didn't get by sight.

Is that what was that all the way you said to give we get by faith.

What is it mean to get by faith. Let me tell you these Philippian Christians giving by faith. Their focus was not on their limited portfolio. Their focus was on God's endless portfolio. That's where they had their eyes, their focus was on God's promise to get back to them out of his endless portfolio see when you're given by faith. The question you're always asking is not how much do I have that I can give away the question you're always asking is what is God asking me to do that you question. Lord, what are you asking me to do and I'm not afraid of the answer. Lord, could you know what, if you really have the supply you say you have in the Bible. And if I really have the promise of Philippians 419 and you're going to get back to me. What am I afraid of.

That's my question.

Lord, what do you want me to give and print this is exactly what the Bible says faith is faith. Hebrews 11 one is being certain of what we cannot see with our naked eyes. Meaning.

Faith means that were willing to depend on rely on the indivisible resources of God resources, we can't touch or see or dissect under a microscope, or put in a test tube but were totally sure they're there because God tells us were there and listen giving by faith means we make our giving decisions not based on the visible resources we have in front of us giving by faith means we make our giving decisions based on God's invisible resources and his promise to get back to us out of those invisible resources about Amsterdam where we are here yeah good become look like deer in headlights all okay sorry good now were done are series on handling money. God's way. Let's summarize one of the principles for biblical system of managing money.

Principle number one is contentment, remembering that our security comes from Jesus Christ.

It doesn't come from money. That's the foundation to build a single number two. Principle number two. The principle of investment taking advantage of God's offer to pay excessive interest on every dollar we give to him.

Principle number three the principle of worship letting God know that he is number one in our life.

By the way that we give to him and principle number four the principle of faith being a Philippian Christian, a person who makes their giving decisions by faith relying on God's promise here in Philippians 419 to meet our needs back more richly than we ever gave to him out of his unseen resources.

Now I don't know where you are in your giving me that's my business as between you and God. What I can tell you is, these are the principles that will position you to receive back God's incredible blessing that he gives to people who give correctly the principles that will position you to help advance the kingdom of God here on earth and be a blessing to other people.

So my challenge to you is heres not asking for your money. I'm just asking for you to have a biblical worldview and everything you do and especially in your giving and friends. These are the things that turn the promises of God on for your life. So if you not given this way. My challenge to you is get on your knees and say Lord it's hard to change the way I spend my money but you help me I want to bring my spending by giving in line with these principles. May God help us do that spring Lord as we said every single message in this series, you know, talking about money in church is a very well is just a tough thing and I pray you would reconfirm in people's hearts that my motive is genuine. I'm not trying to get them to give more money. I'm trying to help everyone of us here live and act according to a biblical worldview and nowhere is that more needed than when it comes to money, so father take these principles challenge our life with them and grant that we might look back on this series and say that was one of the most significant series I ever heard because it radically transform our giving to God, look at all God is done in response because I was willing to do with the way he told me where we commit ourselves to your give us the courage we need to make changes if that's the case, and help us with that we pray in Jesus name, amen and listening to Dr. Lon Solomon said, when is an outreach of Lon Solomon ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our website. Lon Solomon ministries.org. Thank you for your support. If you would like to contact us, please visit our website or call us at 866788777 we had people join us next time in line to answer one of life question