Introduction

Luke 22:7-13 ESV  Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.  (8)  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”  (9)  They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?”  (10)  He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters  (11)  and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  (12)  And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”  (13)  And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

• I am not going to waffle this morning, instead I am going to get right into it.
  • GOD IS A GOD WHO GIVES PROVISION IN ABUNDENCE
    • Let me say it again, because it’s what I want you to start 2021 knowing.
  • God is a God who gives provision in abundance!

• As we move into the passion story here in Luke, the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ… we are greeted with this story of miraculous, abundant, faithful provision. So that’s what I want to talk about this morning. Let’s pray.

Point One – Faith Precedes Provision

Luke 22:10-11 ESV  He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters  (11)  and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

• What a strange way for Jesus to instruct His disciples…
  • Find a man carrying a jar of water and follow him to his house…
    • That’s kinda sketchy Jesus… dude gets shot for doing that where I grew up!
  • None the less, Jesus says follow this man to his home, then, don’t ask “Can we use the guest room”. Instead ask “Show me the guest room because Jesus is going to use it to eat the Passover.”
    • That’s kind of… audacious isn’t it?
• I mean, Jesus know exactly what is going to happen. Jesus knows exactly who this man is, He knows how the man will respond… He knows the man has a large furnished upper room.
  • Jesus even knows that the man will respond favorably…
• So why would Jesus say “Follow the man carrying the water”?
  • Why not “Go and find Johnathan of Aramathia, He lives in the green house down the block on the right with the pink flowers in pots outside. Joseph has a large upper room that is fully furnished, just ask him and He will let you use it.”
    • I mean, that would make much more sense wouldn’t it?
• But I think God wanted to use this opportunity to teach us to depend on Him and His providence.
  • I like using a GPS as an example of how God gives us instructions.
    • You see some people want God to just tell them their objective, their final destination… JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE FOR ME GOD!
  • But that’s like asking your GPS to take you to North Liberty and it says “Proceed to North Liberty, then you will arrive at your destination”.
  • Others want General directions, because they think they know how to get places better than the GPS, they just need some basic guidance…
    • That’s like the GPS saying “Go 20 miles south and you will arrive at your destination”.
  • But that’s not how a GPS works…
  • You tell the GPS you want to go to North Liberty and it says “Take a left out of your driveway… take your next right on Sue Ln, in 500 feet turn right on Edgewood Rd.. Continue on Edgewood Rd for one and a half miles…”
    • It gives you every single little tiny step…
    • And your job is to follow those steps…
      • And what happens when you miss a step… “In 500 feet, make a U-Turn” you know what the biblical word for U-Turn is? “Repent!” You done messed up, turn around and get back on track.
• Why does a GPS work this way? Because the GPS knows better, and it doesn’t trust you to do it right, so it holds your hand the whole way… and I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT!
• It knows the traffic, it knows the road closures, it knows the stop light times… it knows all that, it’s not perfect, but it’s better than me!
  • But God is perfect!

Isaiah 55:9 ESV  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

• Look, sometimes I have no idea why the GPS is taking me a certain way… sometimes I feel like its taking me the wrong way… but I always end up getting there!
  • So it is with God, except of course God is perfect.
    • Sometimes I don’t get why He tells me to do certain things… follow the guy carrying water? I mean… ok, whatever you say Lord.
      • I don’t get it, but I do it!
      • And that’s the KEY to this point. You don’t have to understand God’s directions… you just have to do it.
• You see, though I don’t believe in the prosperity Gospel… I don’t think God shows His love for you by giving you money and things… but I ABSOLUTLY believe God wants to give you provision, and an abundance there of… But it requires obedience…

James 2:17 ESV  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

• You can have all the faith in the world in your GPS, but unless you get in your car and follow it’s directions, it won’t help you any!
• The disciples could have had all the faith in the world in Christ’s command to follow the man carrying water, but it wouldn’t matter unless they went out and DID what Jesus told them to do!
• But of course they did go out and do what Jesus told them to do, and God provided for them in ABUNDANCE!

Point Two – God’s Provision in Abundant

Luke 22:10-13 ESV  He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters  (11)  and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  (12)  And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”  (13)  And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

• I want to show you something here: The disciples were to ask for a guest room.
  • Now in those days (and even mostly in our day) a guest room was small, and really only meant for sleeping. It would have a matt for sleeping and not much more.
  • But Jesus said “Ask for the guest room” and in such a room they could very well have eaten the Passover super… it would have been cramped, but beggars can’t be chooser right?
    • Well, church, when God provides, he provides in abundance!
    • They asked for a guest room, but what did they get?
      • A large, fully furnished upper room.
      • That’s the whole second floor of the house! They were provided for in abundance…
• Let me show you some scripture about provision:

Psalms 37:4 ESV  Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Malachi 3:10 ESV  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Luke 6:38 ESV  give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Matthew 6:33 ESV  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

John 10:9-10 ESV  I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.  (10)  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

• Look at these words of provision, they are all not just provision, but ABUNDANCE of provision:
  • God will give you the Desires of your heart.
  • He will POUR down blessings on you.
  • It will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over!
  • ALL these things will be added to you!
  • Life and life more abundantly!
• But notice they all come with actions required… If you want the desires of your heart you must Delight yourself in the Lord!
• You want blessings poured out on you, then bring your full tithe into the storehouse.
• You want all things provided for you? Then seek first the kingdom of God.
• You want that ABUNDANT LIFE?! Good! Then enter into life through the door that is Christ. Make Him Lord, obey and honor Him, and He will give you life more abundantly.
  • It may not look like the world thinks of abundance… Paul gave his life to Christ and lost almost everything, ended up in chains… but while in chains Paul says this:

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  (12)  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  (13)  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

• Paul says “Even though I am in chains… I am good, I have what I need, I am provided for… I may not have an abundance of riches, but I have an Abundance of Christ… and an abundance of Joy… and an abundance of peace!… and an abundance of life!
  • WHAT?! How can you say this Paul? You are in prison?
  • Paul responds “Because I know the secret! I know the secret to all contentment! I CAN BE CONTENT IN ALL WAYS AND IN ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH!”

Conclusion

Today I want you to leave with this simple instruction: Trust the Lord, Obey the Lord, and watch the abundance of provision poor in.

• Follow the man with the jar of water… it’s odd but just do it… ask for the guest room! Then be blessed in abundance with the fully furnished upper room!
• Gospel Call

Altar call if there is time for provision.