Sustained by Faith
Sustained by Faith
How to Survive an Economic Melt Down
Pastor Bruce Fletcher
"Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit." (Jeremiah 17:5-8, NKJV)
I. Don’t store up treasures here on earth.
Matthew 6:19-21
““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21, NKJV)
I. Don’t store treasures on earth (6:19) because there is no security in earthly things.
a. Hoarding: Collecting and storing, often secretly, large amounts of things such as food or money for future use. (the rich man: Luke 12:15-21)
b. Accumulate treasures in Heaven (6:20). They are the only investments not subject to loss.
c. One’s heart will inevitably be devoted to what one treasures (6:21).
d. The heart is inevitably drawn to what one values most. If one’s life is focused on the values of the Kingdom, as expressed succinctly in the beatitudes of 5:3–10, one is indeed laying up treasure in heaven. [1]
II. Know That God is in Control
"In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14, NKJV)
a. God has seen fit to permit times of prosperity and times of adversity.
b. When prosperity comes, we should be glad and enjoy it. In the day of adversity, we should realize that God sends the good and the bad, happiness and trouble, so that man will not know what is going to happen next. This can be both a mercy and a frustration.[2]
c. God is doing all things with the end in view of bringing man to Himself as the ultimate profit in this life.[3]
d. A man or woman of faith trusts God no matter what.
III. Remember that Jesus can make little into Much
(John 6:1-13, NKJV) “After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”
a. When the disciples had confessed their own inadequacy Jesus proceeded to demonstrate His adequacy.[4]
b. This little boy did not have very much, but he was willing to put it at the disposal of the Lord Jesus.[5]
c. The little boy didn’t do very much, but “little is much if God is in it.”
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[1]Philip Wesley Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 11, "With the entire text of the New Living Translation.", 105 (Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005-c2006).
[2]William MacDonald and Arthur Farstad, Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments, Ec 7:14 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995).
[3]KJV Bible Commentary, 1272 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994).
[4]Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible, Jn 6:10 (Galaxie Software, 2003; 2003).
[5]William MacDonald and Arthur Farstad, Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments, Jn 6:8 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995).