Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
GOD’S WELFARE PLAN
Psalms 68:19
"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!THIS PAST SUNDAY I MADE A STATEMENT O MY PEOPLE THAT I WANT TO SHARE AGAIN HERE TONIGHT-
"We are quick to forget our many blessings, and slow to forget our misfortunes!"
IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD FORGET OUR TROUBLES THE WAY WE FORGET OUR BLESSINGS!
NOW I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET THIS EVENING, THAT IF I WERE TO POLL EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY CONCERNING THE THING (OR THINGS) THAT YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT 1997...
THE MAJORITY OF THE RESPONSES WOULD DEAL WITH SOME MISFORTUNE, OR SOMETHING TRAGIC OR HURTFUL!
Many of us have a tendency to focus on what's wrong, which gives us a distorted picture of life --
Consider what some scientists predict.
If everyone keeps stacking National Geographics in garages and attics instead of throwing them away, the magazines' weight will sink the continent 100 feet sometime soon and we will all be inundated by the oceans.
If the number of microscope specimen slides submitted to one St. Louis hospital lab continues to increase at its current rate, that metropolis will be buried under three feet of glass by the year 2224.
If beach goers keep returning home with as much sand clinging to them as they do now, 80% of the country's coastline will disappear in 10 years....
They have also reported the striking discovery that pickles cause cancer, communism, airline tragedies, auto accidents and crime waves. About 99.9% of cancer victims had eaten pickles sometime in their lives.... So have 100% of all soldiers, 96.8% of communist sympathizers and 99.7% of those involved in car and air accidents. Moreover, those born in 1839 who ate pickles have suffered a 100% mortality rate. And rats force-fed 20 pounds of pickles a day for a month ended up with bulging abdomens and loss of appetite.
WHILE I DON’T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I ATE PICKLES... I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAVE A NATURAL TENDENCY TO REMEMBER AND DWELL ON THOSE THINGS THAT IMPACT US THE MOST.
THAT IS WHY VERY FEW CAN HONESTLY RECALL THE MANIFOLD BLESSINGS OF GOD’S GRACE THAT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO US.
THE SONG WRITER SAID, "count your many blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God hath done..."
Today many Christians spend a great deal of time and effort vainly looking for blessings already available to them.
They pray for God's light, although He has already supplied light in abundance through His Word. Their need is to follow the light they already have.
They pray for strength, although His Word tells them they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them (Phil. 4:13).
They pray for more love, although Paul says that God's own love is already poured out within their hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
They pray for more grace, although the Lord says the grace He has already given is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9).
They pray for peace, although the Lord has given them His own peace, "which surpasses all understanding" (Phil. 4:7).
Somehow the devil has caused us to think that these blessings are scarcely available, or that they are reluctantly shared by God.
BUT SCRIPTURE TELLS US IN 2 CHRONICLES 16:9; "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
THE VERY THRUST OF THAT PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE IS THAT GOD IS BUSY LOOKING TO AND FRO UPON THE FACE OF THE EARTH FOR SOMEONE WHO IS PREPARED TO BE BLESSED!
I SUBMIT TO YOU TONIGHT, THAT ONE REASON WE DON’T ENJOY MORE OF THE BLESSING OF GOD, IS BECAUSE WE AREN’T PREPARED TO RECEIVE THOSE BLESSINGS!
GOD IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO GRANT US MORE BLESSINGS, WHEN WE DON’T EVEN RECOGNIZE THE BLESSINGS THAT HE HAS ALREADY GIVEN US!
THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD GIVES US, ARE REALLY GIFTS THAT HE EXTENDS TO NEEDY PEOPLE. AND I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU- BUT I AM NEEDY!
I WAS NEEDY WHEN I GOT HERE, AND I’LL BE NEEDY WHEN I LEAVE HERE- AND IN THE MEAN TIME; MY GOD HAS PROMISED TO TAKE CARE OF ME.
IN THIS ONE VERSE, GOD REVEALS FOR US HIS PLAN TO MEET WHATEVER NEED WE HAVE (that we recognize and don’t recognize) AS WELL AS HIS PLAN FOR DEALING WITH US AS WHOLE.
AND MAY I REMIND YOU, THAT GOD IS DEALING WITH US, OUT OF HIS LOVE, FOR US!AND I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THIS EVENING THAT I AM ON GOD’S WELFARE PLAN!
YOU CAN CLAIM SELF SUFFICIENCY IF WISH, BUT I LIKE WHAT MY LORD HAS PROMISED, PLANNED, AND PROVIDED FOR ME!!!
OUR SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT "he daily loadeth us with benefits..."
NOW I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT, AND CONSIDER WITH ME FOR A MOMENT THE WORD "BENEFITS"!FOR BENEFITS IS THE VERY THING WE LOOK FOR AND ASK FOR FROM OUR EMPLOYERS, AND OUR GOVERNMENT.
SO WHY NOT SEEK OUT, AND ASK FOR "BENEFITS" FROM OUR GOD?WELL THE BIGGEST REASON THAT I CAN THINK OF, IS BECAUSE...
HE HAS ALREADY GIVEN US MORE THAN WE CAN COMPREHEND!
PAUL SAYS IN EPHESIANS 3:20; "...Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
NOW GET A LOAD OF WHAT I’M SAYING- WE ASK FOR SMALL, INSIGNIFICANT THINGS- WHEN HAS HE ALREADY GIVEN US THE BEST OF EVERYTHING!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HEBREW WORD FOR "BENEFITS" MEANS?
It in the original language, the word- yeshuw'ah, (yesh-oo'-aw); means something saved, it speaks of deliverance; aid, victory, prosperity:--health, help (-ing), welfare.
AS I SAT PONDERING THIS THOUGHT- IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD THAT I NEED... THAT GOD HASN’T ALREADY PROVIDED ME THROUGH HIS WELFARE PLAN! But now listen, let’s don’t stop there, lets consider what else the Psalmist had to say about this;
I. THE RECIPIENT OF THE GIFTS (us)
Just in case you are one of those cynic’s who think God is against you, and never does anything to help you- this one word tosses your entire theory out the window. If you are a child of God, then you are on God’s Welfare Roll!
And because you are there, He makes sure you get everything you need!
"My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in heaven by Christ Jesus."
II. THE GIVER OF THE GIFTS (the Lord)
Not to sound redundant, but I want to bring out something here. The Hebrew word for "Lord" is "Adonai’ and means- master, Lord, or owner!
The word is actually plural- and hence the original and true meaning is that God is "Lords of Lords and Masters of Masters." Which denotes ownership or mastership.
And this speaks not just of creation, but of everything created! He is the owner and master of every member of the human family! And it is His right to give His creation- anything that He chooses.
And a "good master" will stand by his servants, through thick or thin, hail or high water!
III. THE FREQUENCY OF THE GIFTS (Daily)
Now here is something of interest. Notice that the "benefits" our Master gives are dispersed not just on our birthdays, anniversaries, when we feel bad, or when we accomplish something major in our lives, but are dispersed DAILY!
That means that you don’t go not one single day without receiving something from the Master!
It also means that He provides salvation, help, prosperity, aid, welfare, and victory for each day of your life.
You just think things are bad! Your just think you have lost! You just think you are without!
Its like the Christian man who lost his home and mill when a flood washed them away. He was broken-hearted and discouraged as he stood surveying his loss.
It was then that he saw a glittering object that had been uncovered by the waters. It was gold! The disaster he thought had made him a beggar, was actually a blessing that made him wealthy.
IV. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE GIFTS (loadeth)
Here is another one of those words that we need to look at a little closer. For it provides an awesome example of the generosity of our Lord and Master.
It is the Hebrew word 'amac, (aw-mas'); and means to load, or to impose a burden (literally it means to inflict).
NOW LETS PUT THE PICTURE TOGETHER:
Our Lord and Master, is daily inflicting us, burdening us, loading us down with salvation, with prosperity, with health, deliverance, and victory!
Why if I was a lost man, and knew God wanted to burden me down with benefits- why I wouldn’t serve Him either, would you?
A MAN WOULD BE A FOOL TO PROCLAIM HIS INDEPENDENCE, AND DENY THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD!TRAGICALLY, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DO, WE INSIST ON HAVING THINGS OUR WAY, IN OUR TIME!
OUR GOD HAS ALREADY PROVIDED. YOUR NAME IS ON HIS WELFARE ROLL- SO WHY NOT ENJOY IT!
LET ME CLOSE WITH THESE FEW THOUGHTS TO TAKE WITH YOU INTO 1998-
If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want.
Never look at what you have lost; look at what you have left.
And during the new year may you have....
Enough happiness to keep you sweet.
Enough trials to keep you strong.
Enough sorrow to keep you human.
Enough hope to keep you happy.
Enough failure to keep you humble.
Enough success to keep you eager.
Enough friends to give you comfort.
Enough wealth to meet your needs.
Enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow.
Enough determination to make each day better than the day before.
DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH GOD HAS GIVEN YOU IN 1997? CAN YOU STAND TONIGHT, AND AGREE WITH THE PSALMIST- "BLESSED BE THE LORD, WHO DAILY LOADETH US WITH BENEFITS..."
SERMON FROM PASTOR MATT MILLS
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