Cashing God's Check — Jim Cymbala

Prayer as a Real Transaction with God

I want to talk about something briefly, and then I want to do something with all of you, which is what we're supposed to be doing in any church. Jesus said, and in the Old Testament it's mentioned, that God's house should be called a house of what?

Prayer. Prayer. Now when I grew up and people mentioned prayer, they went, pray, you gotta pray. Rawr, you gotta pray. If you're a Christian, you gotta pray. That, of course, is not the way God wants us to think about prayer.

So I want to talk about something, I want all the choir to listen, must speak about this, because I want something to be transacted between God and us today. I don't want it to be, I went to church today and I heard a sermon, wasn't that interesting what he brought out?

Or we heard the choir. I want it to be more than that. How many want to receive something, actually receive something, before you leave this building? How many want to receive something from the Lord?

All right. So there's an incredible promise that's found in the scripture, which, unfortunately, it can become part of sloganeering. You know, Christianity has fallen in over the last couple decades into sometimes a sloganeering, or just shouting things that aren't realities in our life, but they become part of, like, saying hi, or what's up, or whatever.

So you say to someone, God is good. Yeah, and then some of those same people who are saying God is good all the time are worrying and nervous and they're half-depressed, but God is good all the time.

Well, if he's so good, why are you so depressed? And why are you worried about everything? You get it? The sentences become like mantras. They become removed from reality of our own lives. So I want to get real.

We're gonna do real talk, because I want somebody to be helped today. Otherwise, why am I up here? If I can't help you, I don't deserve the opportunity to speak to you, because this is not entertainment.

This is, we're supposed to be getting edified. So look at this passage in Philippians, and then we're gonna get to the verse that you're all aware of. Paul is writing to the church at Philippi. He's away from them.

Contentment in Every Circumstance

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance.

Ooh, that's a very good thought. Isn't it nice to meet someone who's content whatever the circumstances, instead of going off when things get bad? I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

Notice the seasons in all of our lives. The apostle Paul says sometimes you got mashed potatoes and gravy. Other times it's a tuna fish sandwich, right? But he says you be content in either one, right?

I have learned the secret, that word in the Greek is I've been initiated into a secret. Of course, it's an open secret of being content in any and every situation. How many wanna just be content today with whatever we're facing?

How many say amen to that? In other words, be content, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Here's another famous verse. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 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.

For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. So Paul had gone to Philippi, that's where he started his ministry in Greece, and then he went and he left to preach other places, but who supported him?

How would he have food? How would he be able to pay all his bills? The churches supported him, and at that time, no church supported him except the church at Philippi. There was no FedEx, there were no money grams, so what happened, they sent messengers.

They sent people with the money that Paul and his team would need, and he's thanking them because they were the only ones who did it at that time. Verse 17, not that I desire your gifts, what I desire is that more be credited to your account.

I have received in heaven. In other words, I'm not begging you for the money for myself. I'm just so happy that when you gave it to me, God was watching, and now you are gonna have a greater reward in heaven.

What a gracious servant of God he was. Not money hungry, and it's all about him. Even when they gave him support, he said, I'm so happy. Wait till you see the reward waiting for you. I have received full payment and have more than enough.

I am amply supplied now that I've received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. See, that's the messenger. They are a fragrant offering and acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God. And here's our verse.

God's Promise to Supply Every Need

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory and Christ Jesus. Could you all say it with me? And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory. One more time.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ. Jesus, in the construction of that sentence, the emphatic word in it is your needs. Your, the word your. And emphatic means that when you see something written on a page, you don't know the tone of the voice.

But in the Greek language, you can't do it in English, you can get the tone. For example, it would be like me saying, and my God will meet all your needs, according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

The emphasis is on your. In other words, Paul's saying, you minister to my needs. All right, I was the one who received. Now I want you to know something. My God will meet all of your needs, according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Outside of John 3, 16, where you can get saved, that verse has some tremendous scope. Is it true? What does it mean? Notice the word all. My God will meet all your needs. God loves us so much, he doesn't want one person in the soprano section, tenor and altos, and the congregation, those who belong to him, he doesn't want one need to be unmet.

My God will supply all of your needs. So if we're living with need that is never met, we're violating that passage. I want you to concentrate now and listen, because if this is true, let's act on it. My God will supply all of your need.

Now, the reference there is, the context is financial. You sent money to me through Epaphroditus, and we learn later, from another letter of Paul, that they gave out of their poverty. The people in Philippi didn't have a lot of money, so they went down to the bottom of the barrel and made sacrifices so that they could give money to Paul so that the gospel could be preached.

We learn that elsewhere in the New Testament. So probably put them in need, something that we're not used to. Not too many people give, and their giving causes need in their own life. But these were dedicated, spirit-controlled Christians.

So, Paul says, and now, the context being money, now my God will meet all of your needs. You met mine, my God's gonna meet your needs. What does this verse not mean? Because it looks like a blank check.

We're gonna talk about, I think I'm calling this cashing God's check. This is part of the vital truth series. This is a vital truth, because if this is true, let's be acting on it, let's be experiencing it.

What the Promise Does Not Mean

My God will supply all of your needs, according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. What does it not mean? It doesn't mean, let's just think financially, but then I'm gonna go to another place, because this all your needs means way more than finances.

What it doesn't mean is that you can be lazy, slothful, not wanna work, and not look for a job, and God will supply your needs. That's what it doesn't mean. You can go to God with that problem, and he'll help you, but you can't be a lazy person, sitting on a couch all day, even spiritualizing your lack of energy to work, never look for a job, never get counseled to get a job, and then just say, well, I'm gonna pull out that verse, but my God will supply all of my needs.

He won't, he's not bound to. In other words, we can't live in violation of other verses, the person who doesn't work shouldn't eat. In other words, you can't play the system here, you can play welfare, you can get over on the city and social services, we know millions probably are playing that system, but you can't play God.

Do I get a witness here? You can play people, but you can't play God. So you can't use this verse if you're not acting with integrity about trying to work and support yourself. Now, if you have special situation and disability and all of that, there's a safety net somewhat in our society, then that verse comes into play.

It also doesn't mean that you can make the craziest investments, blow all your money, not even thinking any common sense, just take radically, you know, play all the numbers, go to the racetrack, blow all your money, and then when you're empty, say, but my God will supply all my needs.

My horse didn't come in, but God is gonna come in. It does not mean that. It means you gotta go to God and say, God, help me, I'm out of control, and then God will help you and he'll end up meeting your need, but you gotta meet the conditions of the promise.

How many are with me so far? It doesn't also mean that you can spend your money like a wild man or a wild woman. Have no budget, not add up, use math of any kind, new math, old math, any kind of math.

You can't blow all your money buying things you don't even need and then say, oh yeah, but I'm standing on the promise. Park my Jaguar for me, but I'm standing on that promise. It doesn't work that way.

Notice what it says here, my God will supply all of our needs, not our wants, not our desires, not our selfish dreams of what we want. In other words, my God will supply all of your what? Needs, just think how this verse has been abused with people doing what I just talked about, sitting home, not trying to work, not trying to do anything, and then trying to get God to pay their bills, just think of that.

Is that not happening, has that not happened? Yeah, I once had a lady tell me years ago, I said, why are you always in need? Now I hear you're borrowing money from people in the church. We don't want you to do that.

Never give money to people who walk up to you here, by the way, and ask for money. You bring it to a pastor and we'll help you and you want to help that person, we'll help you to do that, but just, we don't know who walks in this building.

There's all kinds of people who walk in asking for who knows what. Now you're asking people for money in an unauthorized way. When was the last time you worked? Six years ago. Why haven't you worked for six years?

You look healthy. The Lord hasn't led me. Well, it seems like the Lord hasn't led you to eat either then because you're not working. So anybody abusing this can't stand on this verse. And notice also as I move on, it doesn't mean desires.

Why should I drive a Ford when I could have a Mercedes? I would be thankful with a Ford. How many say amen? Come on, remember what Paul said? I've learned to be content with what I have. This is against the prosperity, selfish American materialism teaching of go for your dream.

God is not endorsing anyone's dream here. He said he would supply our needs. What are needs? You need to eat. How many say amen? You need shelter to sleep in at night. How many say amen? You need money to pay your bills.

How many say amen to that? And you need clothes to put on your back. Why not get an amen on that? Y 'all don't wanna wear clothes or what here? We need clothes. Food, clothing, shelter, those are our needs.

And that you have a right to go to God. And if you're without a job and you're looking for a job, you have a right to go to God and say, God, do as you said. You said you would supply all of my needs.

I need a job. It's not an option. I need a job. Everybody able to work should work to pay for their own bills, not live off of someone else. All in favor say aye. Aye. Then there's other things. That God has promised to supply all of our needs that come into play when we are wanting to do his will.

Needs, Work, and Responsible Stewardship

Listen, I have a right to go to God with this verse when he has shown me his will. I have a right to go to God to accomplish that will and bring those needs to him. For example, God calls these people into the choir and it's getting hard to have childcare or their own energy level.

They have a right to say, God, you call me in the choir. Give me the energy to sing in the choir. You called me into the choir. I didn't make this up. I feel a calling. You all feel a calling to do this, right?

I mean, why else would you do it? You tear yourselves up every Sunday. So I need the energy. I have a right to say to God, my God will supply all of my needs. I need energy. You know that God calls you best you can.

You got counsel, Pastor Petri talked to you. You're gonna go on a one-week missionary trip with him to Ethiopia. And now you're able to come to God and say, God, okay, if you want me to go on this trip, you have to supply my need.

God, you're the one who put this in my heart. I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing this to fulfill your will. My God shall supply all my need. I tell pastors around the country, when you go on a building program, you have to be sure, pastors, that God is leading you because if he wants you to build a new building, we pastors back then before we moved here, we prayed, we fasted.

Is this what God wants us to do? And when we all said, yay and amen, this is what God wants, then I could go to God. I told them all. I told all the pastors, I'm not voting about this. I'm not giving you five in favor, three against, and you want me to go out and try to lead this move.

I cannot do that. I cannot stand in front of the people unless I know God has led us because now I can say, now God, as bumps come up along the way, my God will supply all of my need because he led us and he will supply for us.

Whatever God calls you to do, he will supply what you need to do that will. Come on, let's put our hands together. Say amen. As has happened with pastors, and a lot of them have gone under, we need a bigger building.

I know, but you have one service and that one's not full. Yeah, I know, but I want a bigger building. I want a fountain in front, and I want this and I want that. That's what big churches have now. You better be careful now because if it's your whim, if it's an extension of your ego, you cannot bring to God that he'll supply all of your need.

He did not authorize that project. How many get what I'm talking about? So careful. This is versus TNT. It's a powder cake for good, but you have to be careful that you can come and say to God, my father-in-law used to say to me, Jim, always remember, God will answer if you need it.

He said he would supply our needs. What do you need today? Let me go further and close. This goes way beyond money. What parent might be here today, and you have a child that's very challenging, or you adopt it, or you're a foster mother, and you need wisdom to raise that child for God.

Wisdom for Parenting and Personal Restoration

God wants you to raise that child the right way. You have every right, I have every right to go to God and say, God, you have to give me that wisdom because you said you would give me everything I need, and I need wisdom to raise that child.

I don't know what's with that child. If you've fallen and made a mistake, and you sinned against God, you have every right to go to God and say, God, what I need now is mercy and comfort. I violated my conscience.

I said or did something I shouldn't have done, but my God will supply everything I need. I need mercy, and I know it's coming because God knows that I need it. This goes way beyond money. I have every right during the week to say, God, lead me, I need a word from you to give to the people.

You call me to do this. I didn't go to Bible school. I was playing basketball and shaking and baking people, breaking ankles if I could. I did not ask to go in the ministry, but now that I'm here, you have to, no, it's not I'd like a word.

You have to give me a word for the people because you said you would supply all I need, and I need that to be a good minister. I can pray also God anoint me so that I hold the people's attention and that my words can penetrate their hearts.

I need that, not that I'd like it. I need it to do your will effectively. I need that, and you promised you would supply all of my needs. This goes to lots of things maybe you're facing today. You need direction.

There's a fork in the road. It's not a biblical decision of wrong and right. It's this or that. Which do I do? We have every right to fulfill God's will. We can go to God and say, God, I need a word from you.

I need a word of direction, not I'd like it and I hope it'll come. No, you will do this because you promised that you would supply all of my needs, and right now to do your will and live a life to glorify you, I need a word of direction from you.

My batteries are depleted, God. I'm running out of gas. This cannot be your will. This is not what you call me to do, so my God will supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

God, I'm coming to you today. I need this because the Lord laid this, I felt on my heart yesterday, so I don't mean to be contentious or overly intrusive, but maybe some of you are living a lifestyle that's very negative for your health.

Lack of self-control and you're hurting your body, that is not God's will, but the only way you're gonna get out of it is to get self-control, self-control. I have every right to go to God and say, God, this thing is beyond me.

Change my lifestyle. I asked for the self-discipline that I need. You said I need it. You said you would supply my need. Do you see how widespread this promise is? Deal. Moody put it this way. It's a check, and I wanna know who might wanna cash it with me as I close.

Cashing God's Check Through Faith

It's a check from God. What's the name of the company? My God. My God is the name of the company. Will supply, that's the intention of the person who wrote the check, to pay a sum of money. How much money?

Where do we put it in the right-hand box, the amount? My God will supply all your need. That's the amount. That's the amount. You wanna put in $50? That's all you need? That's what you get. But if you need 500, why not put in 500?

Because listen, what's the balance of the account? My God will supply all of your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. You won't break this bank. Anybody ever give you a check and it bounce on you?

No one ever got a check from God that bounced because what does he have as a balance? According to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Just think how big God is and the little things that we need and we don't go to him in faith and we live impoverished and without, lacking wisdom, doing all kinds of crazy things and God is saying, I gave you this check and I got so much to give you.

Would you please, no wonder he says, my house shall be called a house of prayer. Would you please come? I'll give it to you. I will give it to you. I will give it to you. Why do you live without that wisdom?

Why do you live without that self-control? Some of you have lost your first love or your fire. Go to God. The balance is so huge that he has in the account. He'll give us whatever we need. Oh yeah, the signatory, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Jesus signed that check. The bank is God the Father. Jesus signed it and said, fill in what you need, what you need. I've lived months at a time, too long, I don't wanna think about it, without having what I needed.

Just trying harder. God says, don't try harder. You didn't have what you needed to begin with. Why, by trying harder are you gonna get help? No, come to the bank, come to the throne of grace. So now, how do we cash this check?

My God will supply most of your needs. All your needs. So now, choir behind me, people in front of me, what do you need? What do you need today? If you had just one need as the foremost need in your life, self-control, a mind that wanders and you can't control it, like a spiritual ADD, just you can't get focused on God and his word.

I need that, I need a change, I need a change. I need a job. I need a control of my temper. This temper, I've been counseled by 11 pastors in four different churches, and nobody can curb this temper of mine.

Oh, wait a minute, that's a need I have. I can bring that to God. He said he would supply all of my needs. He can curb that temper. How many believe God can curb a temper, right? Bring it down, make us peaceful and sweet.

Listen, do you believe what I just told you from God's word? Do you believe what I just told you? Not as a general principle in the Bible, like, oh, that's a good verse, but do you believe this for yourself?

Sopranos, altos, tenors, musicians, sound people, do you believe this? Do you really believe that God right now wants to start to supply every single need that you bring to him? You need this. You need it.

Then you have to ask for it. This is a common misunderstanding in Christian circles today. Just by reading a verse and believing on it here, it's like, oh, yes, my God will supply it. Well, he got it covered then.

No, that's not what the Bible says. Bible says, ask and you shall receive. Not read it and you'll receive. Ask and you shall receive. Doesn't God know what I need? Yes. Now bring it to him because you believe it and ask him as if he doesn't know anything.

Tell him in a polite way, I need a job. I need wisdom. I need comfort. My heart is broken. I need your healing. I need this. Not I want it. Not I'm being selfish. I need this. To do your will, I need this.

And then to begin to expect. Believe, ask, and then expect. It's coming. It's coming. Why, do you feel different? No, I don't feel a thing, but I know what the Bible says. My God will supply all of my needs.

Can we say amen to that? I believe that. I believe that. I ask that. Look, I ask that. In God's presence, I sincerely ask, God, help me out of this jam. I'm in a jam. Someone here, you might be in a relationship with someone you don't belong in, and that person's gonna drag you down.

Listen to me. They will drag you down, and you don't know how to break it off, and you're afraid you're gonna hurt feelings and all that. Just tell God, I need to get out of this. Break it off. Show me what to do.

Break it off. Not I'd like it. I need it. I need it. And you said you would supply all my needs. No matter what situation you find yourself in, there's always the next step that God has. He will get you out.

He's a chain breaker. Amen. Every eye closed. Oh, there's too many of us, Lord. Holy Spirit, bring the need to us now, what we need. And then take your word and water it so that faith will spring up. We heard the word.

Now, help it to become life to us. Help us right now to have a transaction where we actually receive that which we need. It begins right now, that we can mark down the day. Sunday, May 21st, I brought that need to God like I never did before, and I said, God, I need it now, and now I'm gonna ask for it, and now I'm gonna expect you to supply because you're not a man that you should lie.

Standing on God's Faithful Promise

Ladies and gentlemen, if we do not accept this verse we call God a liar. If we complain and live without what we need, what we're saying is, God, I don't believe that you'll supply what I need. And God is not a man that he should lie.

His word is faithful and true. Everybody in front of me or behind me, there'll be no altar call, but who has a need, a specific need that the Holy Spirit brought to you while I was preaching from God's word.

Just stand. Behind me or in front of me, whatever it might be, job finances, strength, forgiveness of those who have done us harm. Father, in the quiet of this moment, you see the needs that we have that we're bringing to you.

Financial, physical, spiritual, emotional, family, and my God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. We are asking right now, just everybody, just pray right in your heart now.

Ask him specifically for what you need. Thank you, God, for your promise. Thank you for your love. Thank you for the bank that we deal with. It has a balance that we could never deplete according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Pour out now today, Lord, as we now begin to expect. We're gonna live in expectancy. How many say amen? We're gonna live in expectancy that you will keep your word. We did not make up this verse. You gave this verse.

You gave this promise. We stand on it today. We're happy that we belong to you. Bless us and make us a blessing today, but most of all, help us to love each other. We ask your blessing now in Jesus' name and everyone said.

Amen. Turn around, handshake, hug somebody. Okay, God bless you. You're dismissed.