Yahweh. The God Who Provides. | Week 2 | Pastor Kevin Kringel
YAHWEH
Week 2
The God Who Provides
John 20:30–31 (NIV) “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John doesn’t call them miracles here but signs; signs point to something beyond themselves.
Today we will see miracles that are meant to point to something beyond themselves.
When I cannot see a way, Jesus is still the Way.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHEN THERE ISN’T ENOUGH
There are moments when the problem isn’t poor planning; there simply isn’t enough.
Not enough money.
Not enough income.
Not enough opportunity.
Not enough resources.
You’ve done the math and reached the conclusion: “I don’t see a way.”
Throughout Scripture, God meets people in impossible situations and reveals himself as Yahweh, the God who makes a way.
Sometimes the miracle begins where our resources end.
Yahweh Yireh: The Lord will Provide – Genesis 22:14 (Abraham and the mountain with Isaac)
Yireh carries the thought of “seeing”; basically, we can say that Yahweh sees the need and will provide.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE CRISIS: 2 KINGS 4:1-7
“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha…”
This widow is facing multiple losses:
Yet her husband “revered the LORD”; Yahweh.
Faithfulness had not insulated this family from financial difficulty.
Faithful people can experience hard seasons.
People who pray can lose jobs.
People who tithe can struggle.
Businesses can go through difficult seasons.
Faith does not mean we never experience scarcity. It means scarcity does not get the final word.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. YAHWEH SEES THE NEED
There are people in church who look completely fine while privately wondering:
“How am I going to make this work?”
Jesus said:
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Matthew 6:8
CALL TO ACTION
Stop carrying privately what God has invited you to bring to Him personally.
Take the bill to God. (Like Hezekiah lay it out before the Lord)
Take the business to God.
Take the job situation to God.
Take the uncertainty to God.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. YAHWEH STARTS WITH WHAT YOU DO HAVE
Elisha asks:
“What do you have in your house?”
She answers:
“Your servant has nothing there at all… except a small jar of olive oil.”
“I have nothing…except.”
That “except” is where the miracle begins.
She sees something insignificant. God sees something He can use.
WHAT IS IN YOUR HOUSE?
Maybe you don’t have everything you need, but what do you have?
A skill?
An idea?
A relationship?
An opportunity?
A gift?
A little money?
Sometimes we become so focused on what we don't have that we fail to surrender what we do have.
All she had was a little oil. “Oil” was used in the Old Testament as symbolic of the anointing and Holy Spirit. All you may have is God. Yahweh. As the Spirit increases in your life the problems seem to become smaller.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As God begins to bless make sure you are doing the practical things connected to it: “sell the oil and pay off the debt.”
Save.
Budget.
Ask.
Prepare.
Don't ask God for supernatural provision while ignoring the practical obedience He has put in front of you.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOW WATCH YAHWEH YIREH STEP INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT
John 6:1–14
Centuries later, another impossible situation emerges.
This time, thousands of people need food.
Jesus asks Philip: “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Philip does the math.
His conclusion: “We don't have enough.”
Then Andrew finds a boy with five barley loaves and two fish.
Barley was the cheapest bread, the bread of the poor… (available to all)
Do you hear 2 Kings 4?
The Widow:
“I have nothing…except a little oil.”
The Disciples:
“We have almost nothing…except five loaves and two fish.”
Different century.
Different need.
Different people.
Same problem: There isn't enough.
Jesus does what Yahweh does. Provides!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
JESUS MAKES “NOT ENOUGH” MORE THAN ENOUGH
John 6:11
“Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed…”
Everyone receives: “As much as they wanted.” (more than enough to fill them)
Then they gather twelve baskets of leftovers.
In 2 Kings:
The oil multiplies until the vessels are full.
In John:
The bread multiplies until the people are full.
Yahweh provides in 2 Kings.
Jesus provides in John.
Jesus isn't merely saying:
“I know the God who provides.”
John is showing us:
The God who provided then has come near in Jesus Christ.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
JESUS DOESN'T JUST GIVE BREAD, JESUS IS THE BREAD
The crowd becomes fascinated by the miracle.
They want more bread.
But Jesus wants them to see beyond the provision to the Provider.
John 6:35
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry…”
Don't fall in love with the bread and miss the One who multiplied it.
Don't become so obsessed with God's blessing that you miss God.
Jesus isn't merely the One who gives us what we need. Jesus is our greatest need.
The greatest miracle isn't: “Jesus gave me what I needed.”
The greatest miracle is: “Jesus gave me himself.”
Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Phil. 4:19 “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
There is a difference between a need and a want. We can be sure whatever we need for true life and godliness Yahweh has supplied. 2 Peter 1:3
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In Closing:
There will be moments when you cannot see a way.
You cannot see how the numbers work.
You cannot see where the opportunity comes from.
You cannot see how the family gets through it.
You cannot see where the provision will come from.
But Jesus didn't merely say:
“I will show you a way.”
John 14:6: “I am the way…”
When you don't know the way, you know the One who is the Way.
Our peace doesn't come from knowing exactly how everything will work out.
Our peace comes from knowing who is with us when we don't know how.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THREE RESPONSES FOR THE CHURCH
1. BRING GOD WHAT YOU HAVE
The widow brought her oil.
The boy brought his lunch.
What is in your hand?
Your resources.
Your ability.
Your career.
Your finances.
Your future.
Your “not enough.” (lay it out before Him)
Put it in His hands.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. DO THE NEXT THING GOD TELLS YOU TO DO
The widow gathered jars.
The disciples seated the people.
Neither action created the miracle.
But obedience positioned them to participate in what God was doing.
You cannot manufacture God's provision.
But you can walk in obedience.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. TRUST THE PROVIDER MORE THAN THE PROVISION
Some of us would have peace if we knew where the money was coming from.
Jesus offers something deeper: Peace because we know where our help comes from.
Our confidence isn't ultimately in:
The economy.
Our employer.
The market.
Our bank account.
Those may be channels.
But they are not our Source.
Our Source is Yahweh. And Jesus is Yahweh come near. God with us!
Week 2
The God Who Provides
John 20:30–31 (NIV) “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John doesn’t call them miracles here but signs; signs point to something beyond themselves.
Today we will see miracles that are meant to point to something beyond themselves.
When I cannot see a way, Jesus is still the Way.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHEN THERE ISN’T ENOUGH
There are moments when the problem isn’t poor planning; there simply isn’t enough.
Not enough money.
Not enough income.
Not enough opportunity.
Not enough resources.
You’ve done the math and reached the conclusion: “I don’t see a way.”
Throughout Scripture, God meets people in impossible situations and reveals himself as Yahweh, the God who makes a way.
Sometimes the miracle begins where our resources end.
Yahweh Yireh: The Lord will Provide – Genesis 22:14 (Abraham and the mountain with Isaac)
Yireh carries the thought of “seeing”; basically, we can say that Yahweh sees the need and will provide.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE CRISIS: 2 KINGS 4:1-7
“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha…”
This widow is facing multiple losses:
- Her husband is dead.
- Her income is gone.
- She is in debt.
- Her sons may be taken by the creditor.
Yet her husband “revered the LORD”; Yahweh.
Faithfulness had not insulated this family from financial difficulty.
Faithful people can experience hard seasons.
People who pray can lose jobs.
People who tithe can struggle.
Businesses can go through difficult seasons.
Faith does not mean we never experience scarcity. It means scarcity does not get the final word.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. YAHWEH SEES THE NEED
There are people in church who look completely fine while privately wondering:
“How am I going to make this work?”
Jesus said:
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Matthew 6:8
CALL TO ACTION
Stop carrying privately what God has invited you to bring to Him personally.
Take the bill to God. (Like Hezekiah lay it out before the Lord)
Take the business to God.
Take the job situation to God.
Take the uncertainty to God.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. YAHWEH STARTS WITH WHAT YOU DO HAVE
Elisha asks:
“What do you have in your house?”
She answers:
“Your servant has nothing there at all… except a small jar of olive oil.”
“I have nothing…except.”
That “except” is where the miracle begins.
She sees something insignificant. God sees something He can use.
WHAT IS IN YOUR HOUSE?
Maybe you don’t have everything you need, but what do you have?
A skill?
An idea?
A relationship?
An opportunity?
A gift?
A little money?
Sometimes we become so focused on what we don't have that we fail to surrender what we do have.
All she had was a little oil. “Oil” was used in the Old Testament as symbolic of the anointing and Holy Spirit. All you may have is God. Yahweh. As the Spirit increases in your life the problems seem to become smaller.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As God begins to bless make sure you are doing the practical things connected to it: “sell the oil and pay off the debt.”
Save.
Budget.
Ask.
Prepare.
Don't ask God for supernatural provision while ignoring the practical obedience He has put in front of you.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOW WATCH YAHWEH YIREH STEP INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT
John 6:1–14
Centuries later, another impossible situation emerges.
This time, thousands of people need food.
Jesus asks Philip: “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Philip does the math.
His conclusion: “We don't have enough.”
Then Andrew finds a boy with five barley loaves and two fish.
Barley was the cheapest bread, the bread of the poor… (available to all)
Do you hear 2 Kings 4?
The Widow:
“I have nothing…except a little oil.”
The Disciples:
“We have almost nothing…except five loaves and two fish.”
Different century.
Different need.
Different people.
Same problem: There isn't enough.
Jesus does what Yahweh does. Provides!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
JESUS MAKES “NOT ENOUGH” MORE THAN ENOUGH
John 6:11
“Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed…”
Everyone receives: “As much as they wanted.” (more than enough to fill them)
Then they gather twelve baskets of leftovers.
In 2 Kings:
The oil multiplies until the vessels are full.
In John:
The bread multiplies until the people are full.
Yahweh provides in 2 Kings.
Jesus provides in John.
Jesus isn't merely saying:
“I know the God who provides.”
John is showing us:
The God who provided then has come near in Jesus Christ.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
JESUS DOESN'T JUST GIVE BREAD, JESUS IS THE BREAD
The crowd becomes fascinated by the miracle.
They want more bread.
But Jesus wants them to see beyond the provision to the Provider.
John 6:35
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry…”
Don't fall in love with the bread and miss the One who multiplied it.
Don't become so obsessed with God's blessing that you miss God.
Jesus isn't merely the One who gives us what we need. Jesus is our greatest need.
The greatest miracle isn't: “Jesus gave me what I needed.”
The greatest miracle is: “Jesus gave me himself.”
Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Phil. 4:19 “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
There is a difference between a need and a want. We can be sure whatever we need for true life and godliness Yahweh has supplied. 2 Peter 1:3
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In Closing:
There will be moments when you cannot see a way.
You cannot see how the numbers work.
You cannot see where the opportunity comes from.
You cannot see how the family gets through it.
You cannot see where the provision will come from.
But Jesus didn't merely say:
“I will show you a way.”
John 14:6: “I am the way…”
When you don't know the way, you know the One who is the Way.
Our peace doesn't come from knowing exactly how everything will work out.
Our peace comes from knowing who is with us when we don't know how.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THREE RESPONSES FOR THE CHURCH
1. BRING GOD WHAT YOU HAVE
The widow brought her oil.
The boy brought his lunch.
What is in your hand?
Your resources.
Your ability.
Your career.
Your finances.
Your future.
Your “not enough.” (lay it out before Him)
Put it in His hands.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. DO THE NEXT THING GOD TELLS YOU TO DO
The widow gathered jars.
The disciples seated the people.
Neither action created the miracle.
But obedience positioned them to participate in what God was doing.
You cannot manufacture God's provision.
But you can walk in obedience.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. TRUST THE PROVIDER MORE THAN THE PROVISION
Some of us would have peace if we knew where the money was coming from.
Jesus offers something deeper: Peace because we know where our help comes from.
Our confidence isn't ultimately in:
The economy.
Our employer.
The market.
Our bank account.
Those may be channels.
But they are not our Source.
Our Source is Yahweh. And Jesus is Yahweh come near. God with us!