THERE WAS A PLANK
Title is based on a section from the book “Hinds’ Feet
On High Places” by Hannah Hurnard
SCRIPTURE: Philippians 4:10 - 19
*Phil. 4:19
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory
by Christ Jesus.”
INTRODUCTION:
A promise given to the
Philippian church by Paul under divine inspiration of God.
I. A PROMISE WITH RESTRICTIONS
A. According to
1.
Your Need Define (Webster’s)
Need --> A state that requires
supply or relief; urgent want; necessity; poverty.
The promise is to supply all
your need; but it is all your need - in this, the promise is both broad
and yet restricted (David Guzik).
I Timothy 6:6-11
6:6 But godliness with
contentment is great gain.
6:7 For we brought nothing
into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
6:8 And having food and
raiment let us be therewith content.
6:9 But they that will be
rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
6:10 For the love of money is
the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with
many sorrows.
6:11 But thou, O man of God,
flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.
Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
2.
His Supply
Supply --> To furnish; to
provide; to satisfy
a. (v. 19) “according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus”
b. Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to
do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
B. According to
your surrender
1.
Phil. 4:16 “For even in
Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.”
2. However, notice that this promise is made to
the Philippians - those who had surrendered their finances and material
possessions to God's service, and who knew how to give with the right kind of
heart (David Guzik).
I
feel that this is a conditional promise to those who have fulfilled their
responsibilities to God and are walking in the will of God as best they know
it. This is not to haphazard Christians
living in and out of the will of God.
C. The Reaping
and Sowing Principle
1. This promise simply expresses what Jesus
said in Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the
same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (David Guzik).
2.
Communicating Philippians 4:10
-15
(v.
14) “ye did communicate with my affliction” --that is, ye made
yourselves sharers with me in my present affliction, namely, by sympathy; of
which sympathy your contribution is the proof. (JFB)
Communication 4790 sugkoinoneo {soong-koy-no-neh'-o} from 4862 and 2841; TDNT - 3:797,447; v
AV - have fellowship with 1,
communicate with 1, be partaker of 1; 3
1) to become a partaker together with
others, or to have fellowship with a thing
II. Book “Hinds’ Feet On High Places” by Hannah Hurnard
A. Based on
Habakkuk 3:16-19
3:16 When I heard, my belly
trembled; my lips quivered at the voice:
rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might
rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade
them with his troops.
3:17 Although the fig tree
shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive
shall fail, and the fields shall yield
no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in
the stalls:
3:18 Yet I will rejoice in
the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
3:19 The LORD God is my
strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me
to walk upon mine high places.
B. Illustrates
our dependence on God. “I can do all
things through Christ”
1. In
the midst of barrenness and famine the prophet says, “I will rejoice.”
2.
Hind -->a
doe or female deer -->Leaping and
bounding across almost any obstacle.
3. The prophet
had forseen the prevalence of the church’s enemies and long continuance of the churches troubles. Seeing war and famine, he trusts in
God. M. H.
4.
When all is gone his God is not gone.
M. H.
5. This book
is based on a deep surrender to God and his way of perfecting the Christians and providing
for them as they walk in His will.
C. An Allegory
1. A speech or
discourse which conveys a meaning different from the literal one in order to illustrate and help us better understand
the literal one.
I want to use a segment of the story to
illustrate and help us see that God makes a way.
2.
Characters
a. Much-Afraid --> female Christian on her journey to a deep
surrender which will led
to high places. Much-Afraid symbolizes
our weaknesses as human.
b. Shepherd --> A male, like a knight in shining armor coming to
the rescue. Symbolizes Christ the
Good Shepherd.
c. Craven Fear
--> Much-Afraid’s cousin whom she haas ran away from. They had tried to force her to
marry him. Symbolizing the enemy fear
tormenting Much-Afraid. Craven --> A coward, weak-hearted,
spiritless fellow.
d. Two Companions --> Sorrow and Suffering helping her on her
journey.
3.
Much-Afraid’s Experiences
Much-Afraid has been through a
Flight in the Night, an Encounter with Pride, a Detour Through
the Desert, on the Shores of Loneliness, and on the
Old Sea Wall.
D. We join her at the Great Precipice
Injury.
1.
Precipice --> a steep overhanging cliff
“If you find a path with no
obstacles, it probably does not lead anywhere.”
2.
Read pg 119 to 123, then 124, then 126 -127, 131 (bottom), 132-135 >
E. There Was A
Plank
Give personal testimony: Car parts --> Distributor, Fuel Pump, Transmission -->
Big
Obstacles to me at the time.
Things were getting difficult --> Pat (wife) prayed
and said God revealed to her that things would get better.
JTPA --> $10 a day for each day I
attended college classes.
Food Stamps --> $200
Moved to
a larger apartment at Triplett View Housing Authority
Apartment
--> used carpet given to us
Reduction
of rent to $15 based on income.
Awarded
Teacher Scholarship
Needed
to move furniture to Triplett View --> Clifford helped us move;
Friend
acquired a mattress set for us
III. REMEMBER YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH GOD.
A. How many times has he laid a plank across
the gap to get you to the other side?
Why not trust God for another plank when confronted with another
impassable place? If it takes it, God
will fall every tree in a Giant Redwood forest to get you across. But remember, the faith that moves a
mountain, carries a pick.
B. I’m not
telling you that everything will just be laid at your feet. You may not, as the Saviour, have a place to lay your head, but God will provide what
it takes to get you through.
1. When another’s path seems less difficult, or
their blessings more abundant, remember: “God has an individual path for you.” Your path will have different experiences, opportunities,
sacrifices and rewards.
Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Psalms 34:19 “Many are the
afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.”
“God Will Make This Trial A
Blessing”
Psalms 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are upon the
righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”
2. God is
Faithful ---> I Thes. 5:24 “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will
do it.”
When once the promise
therefore is made, performance is sure and certain. M. H.
God didn’t call you to a rose
garden, but to the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Garden of Gethsemane is where you surrender your will and
accept His plan for your life.
Your can endure mocking, spitting, shame and bear your cross after you
have surrendered you will. You can
trudge up your mountains as your enemies mock you and be crucified with Christ,
if you first surrender your will. If
you will lay aside your desires and accept His and get on God’s path, you can
expect at every impassable place, There Will Be A Plank.
IV. EXAMPLES IN SCRIPTURE
A. Exodus 14:10 - 31 (READ)
Psalms 107:7 “He lead them forth by the right way that
they might go to a city of habitation.”
Exodus 14:10 They were sore afraid.
“And when Pharaoh drew nigh,
the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched
after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out
unto the LORD.”
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of
man bringeth in a snare: but whoso
putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”
3020 (Thompson Chain Bible
Topics) Needless Fear
Matt. 14:29-31 Mark 5:30-34
Cried unto the Lord -->
Ashamed sometimes because of weaknesses and failures.
I Chron 5:20 for they cried in the battle, and he was
intreated of them; because they put their trust in him
v. 11 Cowardice 853 1019 (Thompson Chain Bible Topics) Encouragement
v. 13 1020 Fear Not 3116 Salvation of God
V. 14 The Lord shall fight
for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
In times of great difficulty
and great expectation, it is our wisdom to keep our spirits calm and quiet; for
then we are in the best frame both to do our own work and to consider the work
of God. M. H.
B. Joshua 3:14-17
The God of nature can, when
he pleases, change the course of nature, and alter its properties, can turn
fluids into solids, water into standing rocks, as on the contrary, rocks into
standing waters, to serve His own purposes.
M. H.
V. CONCEPTS TO BE LEARNED
Israelites
were doomed and then delivered --> Shouting and dancing on the other side.
A. Great changes may come suddenly
Examples
Paul and Silas in Jail Acts 16:19-30 *v. 26
Peter in
Prison Acts 12:1-10 --> angel appeared
Paul on
the Road to Damascus Acts 9
Arrival
of the Holy Ghost Acts 2:2
B. Opportunities may quickly vanish --> What
good we have opportunity of doing, we should do quickly.
The reason a lot of people cannot find opportunity is
that opportunity often goes around disguised as hard work.
“Remember that faith that moves mountains always carries
a pick.”
C. Self-confidence leads to ruin
D. The Salvation of the believer is certain
E. Salvation is of the Lord
Exodus
15 --> 3 Thine’s; 10 Thou’s; 11 Thy’s; but no Me’s
F. Many have feared:
Elijah
sat down and wished to die.
Peter
denied Christ.
Thomas
failed to believe that Christ had risen and visited the apostles.
Abraham
lied about Sarah not being his wife.
But
later:
Elijah
went on
Peter
preached and lead thousands to Christ and is responsible for a part of the New
Testament.
Thomas
believed and later gave his life for Christ.
Abraham
was called the Friend of God and the Father of the nation Israel.
CONCLUSION
Much-Afraid goes on to be
transformed to Grace and Glory. Her
companions are changed from Sorrow into Joy, from Suffering into Peace.
YOU CAN GO ON TO AND
EXPERIENCE THE PROVIDENCE AND TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOD. THERE IS A PLANK!!!!!!!