God is the Source of Our Supply

The Rev. Herbert G. Hand

Faith Anglican Church

Cordova, Tennessee

November 4, 2007

Series: God Will Make it Grow

Title: God is the Source of Our Supply

Text: 1 Chronicles 29:8-14

I. Send the Bill to by Brother in Law

A man had suffered a serious heart attack, rendering him unconscious. He was taken to a hospital and had emergency open heart surgery.

He woke from his surgery to find himself in the care of nuns at a Catholic hospital.

As he was recovering, a nun started asking him questions on how he was going to pay for his surgery.

She asked him if he had health insurance. He replied in a raspy voice,

"No health insurance."

She asked if he had money in the bank. He replied,

"No money in the bank."

She asked,

"Do you have a relative who could help you?"

He said,

"I only have a spinster sister who’s a nun."

As you can imagine, the nun became noticeably agitated. She declared,

"Nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are married to God."

The patient replied,

"Send the bill to my brother-in-law."

The truth is:

All Christians are married to God.

According to John chapter three and Ephesians chapter five, Jesus is the bridegroom and we are his bride.

Not only does Jesus love us like a husband loves his wife, but he also promises to provide for us as well.

Jesus is the source of our supply.

II. King David Knew God was the Source of His Supply

According to our reading from 1 Chronicles chapter 29, King David clearly knew that God was the source of his supply.

David wanted to build the temple for the Lord God in Jerusalem. According to 1 Chronicles chapter 28, God said to David,

^{3...‘You are not to build a house for my
Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’}

^{4"Yet the LORD, the God of Israel,
chose...[David]... to be king over Israel...
^{5Of all ...[David’s sons]...[God chose]
Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
^{6[God] said to [David]:

‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house
and my courts...

1 Chronicles 28:3-6 (NIV)

Most men would have kicked back and relaxed, saying,

"It’s not my responsibility. The next
generation will take care of it."

Not David. Even though David would never enjoy the
temple, he started raising funds so the next generation would enjoy a magnificent place to
worship the Lord God.

He gave generously from his own wealth. He encouraged the
other leaders to give generously.

But when he gave vast sums from his retirement account,
he never sought the praise of men.

In fact, he never saw his wealth as his own. He saw his
wealth as a gift from God, a gift to be used for the Kingdom of God.

Look at our reading from 1 Chronicles 29:10-14.

^{10David praised the LORD in the presence of
the whole assembly, saying,

"Praise be to you, O LORD,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
^{11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the
power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
^{12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
^{13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.}}}

^{14"But who am I, and who are my people,
that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we
have given you only what comes from your hand.

1 Chronicles 29:10-14 (NIV)}}

King David knew that God was the source of his supply:

Therefore, he had no problem giving vast sums for kingdom
work.
In fact he was humbled that God had given him the
privilege "to give generously," to participate in God’s work here on earth.

The same is true today. God is the source of your supply.

"Everything comes from [God], and we have given
[God] only what comes from [His] hand."

III. Manna – Daily Bread

In Luke chapter 11 one of Jesus’ disciples said to
Him,

"Lord, teach us to pray;..."

Luke 11:1 (NIV)

Immediately, Jesus gave his disciples what has become
known as the Lord’s Prayer.

One phrase of the Lord’s Prayer, reminds us that God
is the source of our supply. We pray,

"Give us this day our daily bread."

Those first century Jews would have immediately
remembered the daily bread God provided in the Sinai Wilderness (Exodus 16).

For forty years, God miraculously rained down daily
bread, daily manna in the wilderness.

For forty years, God showed them that He and He alone was
the source of their supply.

But, when they entered the Promised Land, God would no
longer send them daily bread from heaven. Instead, God would provide for them by giving
them land to work and skills to work the land.

As they were about the enter the Promised Land, God new
they would be tempted to forget that He was the source of their supply. So in Deuteronomy
chapter eight, God said,

^{17You may say to yourself, "My power and
the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." ¹⁸But remember
the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth...
Deuteronomy 8:17-18a (NIV)}

Today, we are constantly tempted to forget that God is
the source of our supply. Advertisers bombard us with:

You’ve worked hard for your money.
Get what you deserve.
You deserve more.

We forget that our ability to work hard, our intellectual
abilities, our ability to invest wisely – are all a gift from God. "...For it is
he would gives you the ability to produce wealth."

We must remember that God and God alone is the source of
our supply.

IV. Using God’s Supply

So, why does God supply us so generously?

Americans receive six times more income than the average
person in Mexico.
Twenty-eight times more than the average person in China.
One-hundred-ninety-seven (197) times more than the
average Rwandan.
Four-hundred-sixty (460) times more than the average
person in Burundi.

http://www.finfacts.ie/biz10/globalworldincomepercapita.htm

Why has God, the source of your supply, entrusted you
with such great riches?

For your provision.
For the needs of other.
For the expansion of God’s Kingdom.

King David knew it. He said,

"Wealth and honor come from you!"
"Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be
able to give as generously as this?"

V. The Story of Two Lottery Winners

I’d like to tell you two stories
about lottery winners.

But first, I want you to know that I am
not advocating and I am not in favor of gambling.

$315M Powerball Only Brought Pain

In the September 14^th
Commercial Appeal, there was an article about Jack Whittaker, a man in West Virginia, who
won the $315 million Powerball jackpot.

You’d think $315 million dollars
would be a blessing – not for Jack Whittaker.

Even though he bought all the things he wanted, and even
though he gave away lots of money to family and friends, his new wealth brought mostly
pain and corruption:

Addictions to alcohol and gambling.
Affairs, adultery, and perversion...
"His wife left him..."
"...His drug-addicted
granddaughter...died."
He’s been sued 460 times since he
won the Powerball.

By Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, Associated Press

Commercial Appeal, Friday, September 14,
2007

Unlike King David, Whittaker tried to buy
happiness.

Unlike King David, Whittaker:

Did not see God as the source of his
supply.
He did not see God’s supply as a
responsibility to bless others and expand God’s Kingdom.

Winning the Lottery

Back in November of 1995, Wallace Quammen
bought a $1 lottery ticket out in Washington state.

Wallace was stunned when he became the
sole winner of a $6 million jackpot.

He didn't need the money. He was a
retired engineer from Boeing and he had invested his money wisely.

In the following months, he and his wife
seriously considered not claiming the prize. But then on April 29, 1996, Wallace decided
to claim his winnings, so he could give most of it away, to his church, charities and the
needy.

Just 90 minutes before the deadline to
claim the prize, he arrived at the State Lottery offices to pick up the first of 20 annual
checks amounting to $216,000 a year.

When Wallace went to the State Lottery
offices, he said,

"We fund the chaplains that go to
rest homes. The chaplain is the only contact they have for spiritual needs. That is what
triggered my coming down here. I am not much on gambling, and I don't like all this
publicity."

Wallace knew the love of riches could
harm people, so he wisely limited his spending to replacing an old family sedan and then
he gave the rest of the winnings to charity.

Like King David, Wallace saw God has the
source of his supply.

Like King David, Wallace saw God’s
supply as a responsibility to bless others and build God’s Kingdom.

VI. Application

How can you remember that God is the
source of your supply?

At your meal times, give thanks to God
for your daily bread and His abundant provision.
Post Bible passages in your home:

"Everything in heaven and earth is yours."
"Wealth and honor come from you..."

"But remember the LORD your God, for
it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth..."

As you write your tithe, pray,

"All things come of Thee O Lord, and
of Thine own have we given Thee."

Finally, how can you use God’s supply to bless
others and expand His Kingdom?

Pray and obey.
Pray for God’s guidance in your giving.
Pray for the Lord to give you opportunities to be
generous.
Obey God’s command in Deuteronomy 15:

^{11There will always be poor people in the
land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor
and needy in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:11 (NIV)}

Obey God’s command in 1 Timothy chapter six:

^{18...do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to
be generous and willing to share.

1 Timothy 6:18 (NIV)}}}}