Please find my teaching notes below.  (c) 2014, Terry Broadwater.

Good time to bridge the gap with a message on a BIBLE PROMISE and it’s “Cause and Effect”– Cause and effect are an action-reaction combination.  The cause is the reason something happens, and the effect is what happens as a result.  Center snaps… Over the head!

Phil. 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 is one of my favorite Bible verse/promises.  It may be one of the greatest and best-known verses in the bible and it’s not hard to see why.  Everyone has needs to be met.  And this verse promises that God will meet every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  BUT IT’S REALLY A “CAUSE AND EFFECT”…

2 Critical Questions: Is this promise for every follower of Jesus or is this promise only for certain Jesus followers?  Is this promise for every church or is this promise only for certain types of churches?

Phil. 4:15 “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only…”

Now according to verse 15 how many churches had every need met by God?  ONE!  If you and I want God to meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus then we might want to pattern our lives after this church in Philippi.

What was it about the Philippians church that God was going to meet all their needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus?  CAUSE AND EFFECT!

THEIR NEEDS WERE MET BECAUSE THEY MET NEEDS! THEY GAVE TO THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH!

SO, the Cause and Effect of this Promise in Phil. 4:19- God will only meet the needs of those Christians who are meeting needs.  God will only meet the needs of those churches that are meeting needs.

KEY: In other words God will only GIVE us what he can FLOW THROUGH us.  So, what’s that look like?  Phil. 4:10-20 reveals…

4 Qualities of the Cause and Effect of Missions-Giving People and Churches:

CONCERN FOR OTHERS

Phil. 4:10  “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.  Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.”

You and I are never going to give to the church, give to missions, give to see needs met,  if we don’t have a concern for others.  We cannot expect God to have a concern for our needs if we do not have a concern for the needs of others.  We will actually overlook the opportunities we have to meet the needs of others if we’re simply not concerned for their condition, etc.

EX.  Have you ever gone into a store and discovered some organization has set up a fund-raising table in the hope of catching people on the way out.  But it’s not n organization you know or care to support.  So what do we do?  On the way out we act like we don’t even see the table.

WE DON’T SEE IT BECAUSE WE’RE NOT CONCERNED!  I’m not suggesting we have to support every organization outside of every store!  I’m simply saying we give to what we’re concerned about.  Sadly, there has always been Christians and churches that have no concern for those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

Phil. 4:15 “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared (were concerned) with me in this matter of giving and receiving, except you only…”

CONSIDER: What was Jesus concerned about most? The lost.  Luke 19:10 “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”

Just like the other churches mentioned in verse 15 we as Christians and we as churches can lose that concern for those who are lost.  From time to time we need to renew our concern for the lost.

The best place to start that renewal is by getting involved in missions.  For when we as Christians or we as churches do not take the opportunity to support missions, which IS THE WORK OF THE CHURCH, what we are saying is we have no concern for those who are lost; and we cannot expect our own needs to be met.

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS NOT TO MEET OUR NEEDS- THAT’S GOD’S WORK.  THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS TO MINISTER TO AND MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS THROUGH GIVING!

CONTENTMENT IN CHRIST

Phil. 4:11-13 “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

We are not going to give to missions, to meet the needs of others less fortunate than we are, unless we have found CONTENTMENT IN CHRIST.  Discontented Christians and churches never become great missions givers– GIVING TO THE WORK OF THE CHURCH THROUGH MINISTRIES AND MISSION’S ENDEAVORS.

You and I will always have needs.  This church will always have needs.  But God does not limit participation in missions to those Christians or those churches who do not have needs.  Those kinds of Christians and those kinds of churches do not exist.

We call people who have no needs “Not Here!”

When it comes to supporting missions and the work of the church it is never an issue of need, but an issue of contentment.  CONTENTMENT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT WE “HAVE” BUT ABOUT WHAT WE “HAVE IN CHRIST!”  Because if you have Jesus Christ in your life you can overcome anything!  Paul says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (v.13)

He also said, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.”  Most of us can relate to the “live on almost nothing”- be in need, but perhaps we can’t relate to “have everything!”  Think of it this way, compared to the rest of the world all of us here today “have everything!”  So, if we’re waiting until we have “more” or “everything” or “plenty” before we give to the work of the church, to missions, then we never will because there will always be NEED.  Guy in Sat service…

But when we give to meet the needs of others through the work of the church, our needs are met! 

COMMITMENT TO THE CAUSE OF CHRIST!

Phil. 4:14-16 “14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.”

When is the best time to start giving to THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH?  When you were FIRST ACQUAINTED WITH THE GOSPEL!  This verse implies that the longer a Christian or church waits the less likely they will ever get involved.  “not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only…”

Which means if every one of us do our part in giving, we can more effectively fulfill the cause of Christ.  START TODAY- T/O AND MISSIONS…  The EFFECT of that CAUSE will be people coming to Christ and our needs being met!

CREDIT WITH GOD!

Phil. 4:17-19 “17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES WHO HAVE CREDIT WITH GOD ARE THOSE WHO GIVE TO THE CAUSE OF CHRIST- MISSION OF THE CHURCH! 

Why do I want you to participate in that mission- reaching the lost?  To give to this church?  To give to missions?  So we can have your gifts?  No.  It’s so you can have credit with God.

Every one of us here has an account with God.  Every church has an account with God.  Our “account” is either being DEBITED or CREDITED based on whether we give or not to the mission of the church!; whether we give or not to minister to and meet the needs of others!

Paul says finally, Phil. 4:20 “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  That means that God is exalted most in our lives and church when we GIVE TO THE WORK OF THE CHURCH- MISSIONS, MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS!  This is clearly attached to the previous 10 verses!

The CAUSE AND EFFECT OF MEETING NEEDS IS MOST SERVED THROUGH SUPPORTING THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH!  That’s why I can honestly tell you that everything we do in and through GCC has a cause attached to it- a ministry we provide, a mission we serve!

SO ASK YOURSELF… Do I have a concern for others?  Do I find my contentment in the Lord?  Do I demonstrate a commitment to missions?  Do I have credit with the Lord?  Is God exalted because I give?

PRACTICAL STEPS:  If you haven’t been giving since you first received the gospel then start now.  If you have been giving, continue to do so- BOXES or ONLINE…  Give in a special mission’s offering in 2 weeks!

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A MISSION’S OFFERING IN 2 WEEKS ON FEB. 22/23!