Spiritual needs supplied (Quality: Good)

[0:00] as the lord may help me i will speak from the epistle of paul to the philippians the fourth chapter the 19th verse the fourth chapter the epistle of paul to the philippians the 19th verse but my god shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by christ jesus the fourth chapter of the epistle to the philippians the 19th verse but my god shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by christ jesus the occasion of the apostle writing this word and this epistle is interesting and instructive and as it forms a kind of background to the truth of the text i've read this morning i'll just spend a few moments on it this epistle was written to the people of god at philippi when the apostle was a prisoner in rome it doesn't appear that at that time he was under very close imprisonment in rome it would appear that the epistles from rome were written during that period it is referred to at the close of the apostle when the writer having faced the apostle's journey to rome and his reception there said that he dwelt for two whole years in his own hired house teaching all that came unto him the kingdom of god and no man forbidding him so that it would appear the apostle was not in rigorous imprisonment but still confined to that house and thereby having liberty providentially to write the instructive the grounds of epistles that form such a blessed part of the new testament well while the apostle was there the saints of philippi sent a contribution to him with regards to his necessity we don't know how much it may not have been very much but it meant a very great deal to the apostle Paul a very great deal more than the actual worth of the gift itself the Philippians distinguished themselves in this particular they without intending it or ever once thinking about it they brought enduring honour upon their name and their character and their profession by this act of their love and it would appear that that was the only church that thought to do that no church the apostle said communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only and it wasn't the first time

[4:03] that they had done it for he said ye sent unto me once and again ministering to my necessities well the Philippians did well to do that they did better than they realised oh how much a spiritual and gracious act may do what consequences it may have so far beyond what is once thought of by those who do it and this gift of the Philippians had these effects the one thing it ministered to the apostle to the apostle's necessity for although he is careful to say that he doesn't speak with regard to want that is he didn't wish to so act upon their feelings as to cause them to feel that it was in such necessity that they must impoverish themselves for his sake he said no I don't speak to respect of want but still it ministered to my necessities to minister to the necessities the wonderful opportunity and secondly it greatly warmed his heart

[5:29] I rejoiced in the Lord greatly he said that now at the last your care of me flourished again for the apostle felt that there was such a spirit of love behind it which made the gift to be worth so much more to his spirit than the amount was for his necessity and we may learn from that how very much the spirit in which a thing is done acts upon those who receive the benefit of it for love is a wonderful principle it diffuses itself and it acts upon those who receive these things to cause them to feel as the apostle did that it was a great comfort to him and the apostle felt also that it didn't end with the assistance and the comfort that it gave him he said this is an odor of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing unto God he lifted it entirely to a higher and a holier level he said this pleases

[6:58] God this has a sweet favor to him it is a sacrifice on your part but it's a sacrifice acceptable in the sight of God and lastly he calls the apostle to write this epistle in response to that kind act of love which no doubt was a great blessing to the Philippians but it's been a blessing to countless of the people of God in every age since then well now how little did the Philippians realize what the effect of that kind action on their part would have that it would gladden Paul's heart that it would relieve his necessity that it was a sacrifice having a sweet smell of love and accept the good of God and that it would prompt him to write an epistle so rich in truth as this epistle is and such a means of blessing well now that's the background to my text the apostle especially bears a part in that in my text for it is as though he would say you you good people at

[8:30] Philippi in your love for me in your compassion for me in my necessity you have sent this kind gift it cost you something but you won't lose by it I cannot reward you he might say I cannot return to you what you have sent to me but my God will and he will supply all your needs he won't let you suffer for what you have done in love to me he will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus and we may see from this that the apostle had not only regard to whatever need they might have with regard to providential matters that they wouldn't suffer any loss by what they had parted with in that particular but he had an eye to their deeper needs for he adds this according to his riches in glory by

[9:45] Christ Jesus now God supplies the needs of his creatures not to riches in glory but from this forth that the gold and silver are his and the cattle are than a thousand hills as that God who has all control over all things in a providential and circumstantial way can supply the needs of all his people providentially but that supply doesn't come from the riches of his glory in Jesus Christ blessings that come from that source are of a spiritual and holy and heavenly nature for he supply it then not from the riches of the gold and silver of this world that he can command but from the infinite riches of his grace his love his mercy his goodness and his blessedness and these enriching supplies come not from his providential hands so much as by his dear son spiritual riches come to us by

[11:13] Jesus Christ now having set the matter in that way for the Lord may help me I will attempt to develop the theme and we may take it in these very plain and simple points of truth in it there is first your need and take it brethren in that way if I'm helped to speak this morning I want to speak of your needs yours and mine my God shall supply all your needs it isn't a general remark that God will supply the needs of his people but he will supply yours and then secondly there is the supply for your need need is good in this sense that it's something that gives occasion for God to supply something to us this word actually supply might be rendered and I understand it might be a somewhat better rendering of the original fill up my God shall fill up all your needs it represents need as a kind of emptiness in us a capacity that can be filled up well now my God shall supply he shall fill up your needs he has such an abundance himself his riches in glory are so great that whatever your need he can fill it up and then thirdly there is the way and manner whereby

[13:09] God shall supply your needs it is according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ there you have the infinite fountain and the blessed channel the fountain is the riches of his glory the channel is Jesus Christ and as him writers put it suitably to ask Jesus my friend when he hung on the tree to open the channel of mercy for me now here are simple points there is your need there is God supplied second and there is a way and means whereby he will supply your needs but my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by

[14:13] Christ Jesus I'm thinking this morning that if there's one point of truth one subject on which I can preach it is this subject of me and in what I may be able to step before you concerning it I may honestly say I shall draw from two sources the first is my pet and the other is my own needy heart and anyone who knows their need has got something to express we are needy creatures we are needy creatures as creatures and my text would apply to that of course but I'm forgetting to the deeper needs of our soul who has needs here this morning

[15:16] I should be very shut up and very much in bondage if I felt I was endeavouring to preach to people who had no need I should feel well my text is good enough but it's no word for them if I have needy souls before me this morning I have a word for you my text my God shall supply all your needs ask yourself a question what do I need now our needs spiritually are very varied and if I just run over some particulars here perhaps you may feel I've got into your own personal case and state what do we need it is very certain if we are spiritual if we are being quickened by the power of the Holy

[16:25] Ghost into a spiritual life we shall be needy the one thing do you feel this morning to need spiritual life would that word of the psalmist in the 119th psalm at the end of it you feel be suitable to you let my soul live and it shall praise thee as though you would say Lord oh if only I could feel my soul to be lively if only I could feel to be invigorated with divine life and grace and love in my soul oh if only I could feel my faith to be enlightened and my spirit to be uplifted and my affection to be invigorated oh how I would praise thee how I would praise thee with every feeling that

[17:33] I've had that you may say it just isn't quite like that with me at least not that I would have it I feel oh I feel to need spiritual life in my soul and I may say this it will be encouraging to you at all that's one of the best needs you can have especially in religion to feel that you need spiritual life in your religion and in your soul that you are just not satisfied with a formal realm in worship or anything else if the cry of your heart is oh that my soul could love and praise him more when I say you need spiritual life really if you have that feeling of need it would be better and more correct for me to say that what you need is spiritual liveliness for spiritual life once imparted to our souls by the holy ghost in regeneration is something we can never lose whatever darkness of mind or conflict or fear we may come into and we come into these things sometimes

[19:09] I'm sure that doesn't take away our spiritual life but there's so much that takes away our spiritual liveliness let my soul live and how much this matters to us in so many ways how in spiritual things we feel a dragging in our hearts if we are not liable our spirits do not run in the ways of God with freedom we feel as the soul miss head I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart but if the Lord enlivens us then we can run then duty becomes a privilege then worship becomes a door to heaven in our soul well now

[20:16] God will supply this need you know if he's given you spiritual life he will supply your need of renewing in that life he will invigorate you that the favorite verse of mine he to the needy and the pain his mighty aid makes known and when their language strength is spent renews it with his own now look my brethren God has infinite riches of life he is the ever living God with him with him is the fountain of life a fountain from which dreams never cease to flow and never cease to flow to fill up the need of spiritual liveliness in the heart of his dear people he will not suffer the soul of the righteous to vanish the worst that can ever come to a child of

[21:31] God is that he feels so lifeless in his spirit nothing worse will come he will never die he will never perish the worst he can feel is to be so lifeless and as he feels that it will constitute a need in him for the Lord to supply fresh life to his soul and Jesus said you know because I live ye shall live mark ye shall live it means more than ye shall have life ye shall live my God will supply your need of liveliness in your soul and it may come sometimes in ways you don't expect it may come quickly it's surprising how the

[22:35] Lord can revive our souls spiritually renew our strength refresh our heart and cause us as you read in the last part of the 40th chapter of Isaiah to mount up with wings of eagles to run and not be weary and to walk and not pain now my God shall supply your need of spiritual life and as long as there is spiritual life there will be a spiritual need for life and don't think for a moment that if you had a reviving and a refreshing in your spirit that you wouldn't have any further need in this particular for those who have most life in it feel to need it most of all in in Jesus Christ there's a fullness of life it is all a part of the riches of God in glory by Jesus

[23:42] Christ the riches of his eternal life but there are other things I want to touch upon hoping I may drop a word that will be seasonable to you do you feel how much you need grace grace makes us feel how much we need grace and that we need grace so often and sometimes the consciousness of the need comes upon us more particularly at certain times for instance suppose you have some trial to bear or some affliction to go through or some cross to carry and a cross is never a light thing to carry there's no such thing as a light cross and there's no such thing as an easy trial and you may say oh

[24:51] I don't feel I've got grace enough to carry this cross or bear this trial if I had more grace I could bear but I feel that I lack that grace of submission quietness confidence in God I feel to lack grace enough to help me to say concerning this Lord not my will but thine be done you will say I need grace to say that well God is the God of all grace isn't he the God of all grace after you've suffered a while make you perfect establish strengthen better you my brethren the Lord may permit a trial of some kind to come on us to teach us how much we need grace and to teach us how he can supply that need why if you could take every trial and every difficulty and every cross out of your life where would you need grace but then if you didn't need grace how would he supply it if he didn't supply it you would be the loser my friends we gain by everything in which the Lord gives us more grace and

[26:31] I feel often and this has been my experience that we are brought into such cases as that we feel unless the Lord does give us more grace we just cannot carry through things well now my God shall supply your need of grace don't make the things by your consciousness of ability to bear this or do that or endure something else god need is to Спah have grace that we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

[27:37] For to serve God is to honour and glorify his name in those ways and means that are according to his word and his will.

[27:48] For what is according to his word is according to his will. And what is according to his will glorifies his name, but we need grace to serve God acceptably. It would be a great mistake for anyone to set themselves out to serve God, however well-meaning they were in it, and however much they might even desire to serve God according to his word, they would make a great mistake to set out to serve God without seeking his grace.

[28:31] For it's an empty service that isn't filled up with grace. God must fill up our need, he must fill up our need of grace before we can serve him alive.

[28:46] I know that serving God does stand in doing things. For we may do those very things and not serve God in doing them, but whether we do them graciously.

[29:00] And oh, how we do need grace to sanctify our hearts and to make us more gracious ourselves.

[29:16] Would you be more gracious in your spirit? More humble? More tender? More forgiving? More Christ-like?

[29:28] Then you need more grace. I should be more gracious if I had more grace. Well, my God shall supply all your needs with regard to grace.

[29:43] There are infinite riches of grace with God, and that it comes to us by Jesus Christ.

[29:53] Don't then be despondent with regard to your sense of lacking grace so much. There's a pound into supply.

[30:06] There's an infinite fullness with God. He giveth grace without measure. If our need of grace was far greater than it is, till my God would be time.

[30:24] Let me mention a few more things this morning. And I must keep me not so well for much on each point. Because I want, if I can, to touch your need this morning.

[30:37] Well, do you feel that you need holiness? That you need holiness?

[30:51] You do, you know. And so do I. And perhaps that word may try your mind about yourself, as it so often has mine.

[31:04] Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. But how can it be made?

[31:19] Shall I, as shall you set about, making ourselves holy? All that were labour in the fire. The fire that would burn up every attempt to do it, like a fire would burn up straws.

[31:33] The fire of sin and temptation would burn up all our attempts to make ourselves holy. And we must not confuse these things.

[31:48] As opposed, that obedience to God's precepts and God's word is a way to make ourselves holy. My God must supply our holiness.

[32:02] And all holiness comes from his holy name and nature. He is glorious in holiness. His holiness is a great part of the riches that he has in glory.

[32:18] He is rich in holiness. And he supplies our need of holiness by Jesus. Now, if I know anything for myself, really know it, it's this, that there's not the least best of holiness in me that hasn't come to me by Jesus Christ.

[32:40] But if any holiness in me at all or in you, it's come from a holy God. And it's come by a holy Christ.

[32:51] And it's come by his person. It's come by his precious blood. Now, my God shall supply your need of holiness to this rascal speaker's eye to do his will and to pray that it's with God to supply holiness to us.

[33:17] And don't mix up holiness with righteousness. Righteousness respects our standing in the sight of God according to his just law.

[33:34] Holiness concerns the state and condition of our souls in ourselves. And never forget it, true holiness is likeness to Jesus Christ.

[33:53] Oh, I have thought sometimes I really have that I should never be holy. I really have. And when sin was risen up in my heart and in my mind, I thought I should never be holy.

[34:08] And I've certainly learned this, I shall never be holy in and of myself. But if my God supplies my need of holiness, I shall be holy surely.

[34:25] You see, impart that grace to me, that Christ-like spirit, I shall be holy. But it will be his holiness, not mine.

[34:36] His holiness in me. Something he supplied to me. Imparted to me. Filled up. My emptiness. My want.

[34:47] My utterness. Emptiness is holiness. It's something that he's filled up from himself. My God will supply your needs so that however much you feel the sinfulness of your nature, don't look upon it as a hopeless matter.

[35:11] It's what God will supply, not what you can to do. It's what God will make you to be, not what you can make yourself to be.

[35:22] If he supplies our need of holiness, well, then we should stand before him at last without blame and love.

[35:37] Do you feel very deeply sometimes your need of cleansing? You say, Oh, I do. I do feel.

[35:49] I feel that sin stains my soul. Oh, I wish I was clean. I wish I was purged from every guilty stain in my soul.

[36:05] Well, my God should supply your need of cleansing. How well he can supply that need by Jesus Christ.

[36:16] Seeing that all cleansing, all comes to us through his precious blood. Do you feel your need of spiritual food?

[36:33] Do you say, I feel in my I want something to nourish me, to strengthen me? I feel I need food for my soul as much as I need food for my body.

[36:47] I faint unless I feed on thee, and drink thy blood as shed for me. Well, now, my God shall feed you.

[37:01] He shall feed you. There is his word and truth. There is the person and work of Jesus Christ. There is his great love, his rich mercy, his sovereign grace.

[37:17] All this feeds and nourishes us. I believe some of our friends felt the word on Thursday night to feed their souls.

[37:29] but God to his rich mercy, with his great love, wherewith he loved us, even while we were dead in sin.

[37:43] Well, now, that's rich food, his great love, his rich mercy. If you need food, my God will supply you.

[37:54] perhaps you may say, what I feel to need so much is comfort. My spirit is sorrowful.

[38:06] Well, the Lord knows your need of comfort. How much the disciples needed comfort when the Lord said to them, now therefore he has sorrow.

[38:19] Sorrow belongs to this life present. It belongs to this life. And the people of God are not exempt from it, but on the other hand, they have sorrow in ways others don't have.

[38:36] We are troubled, Paul says, on every side. If you feel sorrowful this morning, you need comfort. The people of God don't always need comfort, but they do sometimes.

[38:50] That the gospel word, though it's in the prophecy of Isaiah, comfort thee, comfort thee my people, said your God, feed ye comfortably to Jerusalem.

[39:07] And so that will God supply the need of comfort to his sorrowful people, that he's expressly given the Holy Ghost to be accompanied to.

[39:20] the Holy Spirit is the comforter, and the comforter comes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[39:31] God supplies your need of comfort, Jesus Christ. There's no sorrow under which the Holy Spirit cannot supply our comfort.

[39:43] comfort. Perhaps you feel that you need instruction in the things of God. You're taught enough to feel you need to be taught.

[39:57] You feel ignorant. All you can say is, gracious God, what I see not, teach thou me. you might say of Jesus Christ, I wish I knew him.

[40:11] I wish I knew him. You might say of God, I wish I knew that God. Well, he will supply your needs of teaching.

[40:26] Oh, that my soul could love and praise him more, his beauty's place, his majesty's door, live near his heart, upon his bosom lead, obey his voice and all his will is.

[40:53] If you need life, he is the ever living God. If you need grace, he is the God of all things.

[41:05] If you need comfort, he is the God of all comfort. If you need cleansing, he cleanses by the precious blood of his dear son.

[41:21] Whatever you need, Jesus Christ is the means and bodies the jitter, my every need he richly will supply, nor will his mercy ever let me die.

[41:39] In him there dwells a treasure, all divine and matchless grace has made that treasure mine.

[41:50] my brethren, I couldn't just mourn as I stand before you in the Lord's name which wish you or pray that you might have a sweeter, deeper, richer blessing that will have that grace fulfilled in your soul.

[42:11] even what you you you Thank you.

[43:11] Thank you.