Sunday, October 10, 2010
GIVE GENEROUSLY AND RECEIVE ABUNDANTLY
Phil. 4:10-19
Let’s begin by reading Phil. 4:10-20…
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 14. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. 15. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 17. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 18. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In this passage we see two things. When we looked at this passage two weeks ago, we focused on Paul’s contentment in Christ. Because of His relationship with the Lord Jesus, Paul had learned to be content, no matter what his circumstances. This morning we are going to focus on the gracious generosity of the Philippians. If you want a title for this message, it would be “Give Generously and Receive Abundantly.”
Before we dive into this passage, we might acknowledge that economic times in this nation are more difficult than usual, but I would also remind us that there are billions of people in God’s world who are facing economic conditions that are far more difficult than any we have ever faced. At present we are collecting an offering for those who have been devastated by the flooding in Pakistan. Suffice it to say that dealing with material needs in our world is not easy, whether we are facing great need or letting the Lord use us to supply the needs of others.
Let me say one other thing as introduction. While we are emphasizing in this passage the contentment of Paul and the generosity of the Philippians, that does not mean that Paul wasn’t generous. Nor does it mean that the Philippian believers knew nothing about contentment. The generosity of the Philippians is an indication of their contentment. They didn’t demand to hang on to what they had, but they were willing to share liberally. Other passages reveal that Paul was generous in helping others (see II Thes. 3:8-9).
I. Practice Gracious Generosity
Let’s again read verse 10, "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity." Please allow me to give you a very literal reading of this verse: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last your taking thought on my behalf has sprung up anew; you were thinking on me, but you lacked opportunity [to act].”
So Paul begins his discussion with a summary of the historical situation. Then, after a parenthesis concerning his own attitude, he will fill out the details in verses 14-18. Notice the word “again” in the KJV translation of verse 10. The word “again” is not in the text, but the idea is carried in the verb “flourish.” The word can be rendered “shoot up, sprout again, grow green again, flourish again.” So the KJV translation “flourish again” is very accurate. The NASV captures the idea by saying, “…now at last you have revived your concern for me.” The Amplified is very similar: “…now you have revived your interest in my welfare after so long a time.” (NIV uses the term “renew”).
On the surface, especially if you only read the first part of the verse, it might appear that Paul is gently rebuking the Philippians that it has taken them so long to respond to his need. However, the rest of the verse makes it clear that there is no rebuke in Paul’s words. Paul acknowledges that they have always been concerned about him, but they haven’t always had the opportunity to actually help him in a tangible way. Even Paul’s use of this word translated “flourish again” reinforces this idea. In the definitions of this word -- sprout again, grow green again -- we find the picture of the situation. The Philippians were like a plant that flourishes in the spring and summer and then becomes dormant during the winter. When the spring comes, then now at last it grows green again. When I say that, I am not being unkind to the plant at all. No one could expect it to flourish in the winter, because it didn’t have the conditions that make such a thing possible. The plant wasn’t made to flourish in the winter, but in the spring and summer. During the winter, it was doing just what a plant should be doing -- waiting until spring to put forth its shoots again. So it was with the Philippians. They cared deeply about Paul all the time, but there wasn’t always an opportunity to help him. Perhaps it was because they just didn’t have anything to give. More likely it was because there was no way to get anything to him. Remember that it was hundreds of miles from Philippi to Rome, and they didn’t even have the Pony Express in those days. As we will see in the verses that follow, Paul was not being unkind to them in any way. Rather, he was rejoicing in the Lord that now they were able to express their concern for him, because they finally had the opportunity to do so.
Now come to verse 14, "Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction." We find that King James word “communicate” in both verses 14 and 15. It is the translation of the Greek word koinonia (in verse 14 with the prefix sum-). It is the word we know as “fellowship.” It speaks of a sharing together, in this case a sharing of material resources. So Paul is saying, “Even though I am content with whatever I have, nevertheless, you did well by sharing what you had with me in my affliction (qliyiV = squeezing). But if Paul really didn’t need anything, then why does he say they did a good thing? He will explain that as he continues to write.
Now let’s read again verses 15-16, "Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity." In order to really get a grasp on this, it will help us to do a little review. Paul and Barnabas were sent out as missionaries by the church at Antioch (of Syria). That is recorded in the first part of Acts 13. The rest of Acts 13 and chapter 14 tell us of their work during what we call “The First Missionary Journey.” (Show briefly their route on the overhead).
Some time later, after the Jerusalem conference, Paul suggested to Barnabas that they go back to the cities where they had preached the gospel and see how the newly established churches were doing. You will remember that Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, but because John Mark had deserted them on the first journey, he refused to hear of it. So Barnabas took John Mark and they departed in another direction, while Paul chose Silas to go with him back to the churches they had established. This is what we call “The Second Missionary Journey,” and it is recounted in Acts 16:1-18:22. This time Paul and Silas began their journey by going overland back to the cities where they had established churches, beginning with Derbe and Lystra. It was there that young Timothy joined them. Let’s pick up the story in Acts 16:4-10…
And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. 6. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7. After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Paul and Silas weren’t content to encourage the churches and go back home; they longed to make Christ known wherever they could. It was at Troas that they found the open door. They sailed to the island of Samothracia and then passed through Neapolis and continued to Philippi. Philippi was the first European city in which they preached the gospel. The rest of chapter 16 tells us about Lydia, the Philippian jailor, and the establishment of the church at Philippi. From Philippi, they went to Thessalonica and then to Berea. I say “they went.” Actually, they were strongly urged to leave Philippi and they were run out of town in both Thessalonica and Berea. From Berea, the brothers sneaked Paul out of the city and sent him to Athens, where Paul continued to preach the gospel. From Athens he went to Corinth. After preaching in Corinth for over a year and a half, Paul headed for the feast at Jerusalem, making a brief stop at Ephesus, where he reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue. Some of them wanted him to stay longer, but he told them he must be in Jerusalem in time for the feast, assuring them that he would return, if it was God’s will. (By the way, he did return. Ephesus was the headquarters of his third missionary journey).
Now come back to Phil. 4:15, "Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only." “The beginning of the gospel” refers to Paul first preaching the gospel in Europe. Macedonia was the northern Roman province of what we know today as Greece (with Achaia being the southern province). Paul preached in three cities of Macedonia -- Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, in that order. Athens and Corinth were in Achaia. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Cor 11:9, "And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself." Since Paul expressly states that no other church shared with him financially, it seems certain that this gift came from Philippi, as Paul had departed from Macedonia and was now ministering in Corinth of Achaia.
But the Philippians didn’t even wait that long, for we read in Phil. 4:16, "For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity." Thessalonica was only about 85 miles from Philippi. We don’t know exactly how long Paul and his companions stayed there, but we know that after preaching three sabbaths in the synagogue, the Jews stirred up trouble and began the process that would force him to leave. Even if that took a while, he couldn’t have been there over a couple of months. Nevertheless, the Philippians apparently heard of his trouble there and sent him help more than once. Literally, the text says they sent “once and twice” to meet his need.
So was Paul patting them on the back for the way they had helped him? Though Paul was very grateful for what they had done, he wants them to know that their gracious generosity goes much deeper than just helping him. Phil. 4:17, "Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." Again, Paul is not making light of what they had done for him in any way. On the other hand, ultimately Paul is far more concerned about what the gift does for them than what it did for him. Notice how he turns the focus from himself to his precious Philippian brothers and sisters. Now he gives a fuller explanation in verse18, "But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God." While it is true that their gift has blessed Paul with an abundance, the key is that their gift was well pleasing to God.
Notice the terminology that is used here in verse 18. By the way, we don’t know what “the things which were sent from you” were. We only know that they were things that met Paul’s basic needs and they were delivered by Epaphroditus, of whom Paul spoke very highly in chapter 2. What we do know is that Paul regarded this gift as a sacrifice given to God, an odor of a sweet smell that was acceptable and pleasing to God. This imagery is first found in Gen. 8:20-21, "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake…" Then in Leviticus we read over and over about how the worshippers were to present their sacrifices for a sweet savor to the Lord. Paul is deliberately using that imagery to describe the gift they had given to him. In a sense, that wasn’t what they intended at all. They genuinely wanted to be part of spreading the gospel by meeting the needs of their dear apostle Paul. Nevertheless, Paul wants them to know that in reality when they met his needs, they were presenting a precious, sacrificial gift to the Lord Himself. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus says? Matt. 25:40, "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Notice especially those words “as a sacrifice given to God.” Though they sent this gift to Paul, the apostle wants them to know that it was really given to God. Brothers and sisters, ultimately we live our lives before God. Everything we do and say is unto Him. When our giving is true, genuine, and wholehearted (whether money, time, self), it is in reality a gift to God. That’s exactly what Jesus said in the verse we read out of Matthew 25. Paul saw this truth as important and encouraging. It’s one thing to be able to help a man; it’s another to be able to bring worship and glory to the God who created this universe and sent His Son to die in our place.
And what about that term “sacrifice.” Sometimes we say that we really don’t sacrifice anything to serve God. After all, what we receive is a thousand times as much as we give. So how can we call anything sacrifice? While there is much truth in that line of thinking, the Bible does indeed refer to sacrifice. Looking at things from a human viewpoint, there is sacrifice in serving Christ. Even beyond that, we must recognize that the Philippian believers did not have an abundance out of which to give. Though Paul does not say much about that fact here, he does emphasize it on another occasion when they gave sacrificially. Let’s read II Cor. 8:1-5 (ESV)…
1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
Here Paul is referring to an offering that was being collected for the saints at Jerusalem. Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians some six or seven years before the letter to the Philippians. While he doesn’t mention the Philippians by name in this passage, he refers to the churches of Macedonia. That would include the churches at Phillipi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Without doubt, Phillipi is one of the churches Paul has in mind here. Paul specifically tells us that these churches gave what they were able to give. As a matter of fact, they gave more than they were able. How did they do that? It was because they first gave themselves to the Lord and then by His will to His servants. This was not just an offering for saints, but it was an opportunity to serve the living God. The Philippians and other Macedonian churches were so earnest about this that they begged Paul for the privilege of being a part of this offering. Perhaps Paul or one of his associates said, “We know you want to give, but right now you aren’t able. Why don’t you wait until times are better. The Lord will understand.” Regardless of what anyone else said, they had an intense desire to share, regardless of the cost. They couldn’t bear being left out of this ministry. They gave sacrificially in a way that most of us know little about.
II. Then Claim the Promise of God’s Supply
Now we come to verse 19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." What a promise! Have you ever heard that verse before? Yes, most of us have. No doubt, some of you have quoted it yourself. What a comforting thought to consider that God will supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Let’s take a closer look at this promise.
First of all, what is the need of which Paul speaks here in verse 19? Without doubt, Paul is talking about material needs. How do we know? Because of the context. That is what Paul has been talking about since verse 10. That doesn’t mean that God will not supply other needs, but this verse is talking about financial need, and Paul says that God will supply that financial need. We are not told that God will supply part of our need, but all of our need. Whatever material need we have, God will meet the need.
Now comes the question, “How? How will God supply all our need?” According to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. When we have the need, God has the supply! That supply is described by the words “His riches in glory.” Is God rich? Beyond our comprehension. Let’s read from Ps. 50:10-12, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." God owns it all. When Elijah had nothing to eat, God sent ravens, which brought him bread and meat morning and evening, and he drank from a brook. When the brook dried up, God sent him to a widow in a foreign country (see I Kings 17). When God’s people two million strong had no water in the desert, he commanded Moses to strike the rock, and rivers of water gushed out and supplied all their need (see Ex. 17). The Lord God owns it all.
So God will supply all the need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Wait a minute. Surely it is the spiritual need that is supplied by (or “in;” Greek is en) Christ Jesus. No, Paul says clearly that the material need is supplied by or in Christ Jesus. For the believer, every need is met in Christ Jesus, even the financial need. Jesus is our life and everything comes through Him. Understand that Paul is speaking to Christians, to those who have the Spirit of God living within them.
Finally, who can claim this promise? It is obvious that Paul wrote this promise to the Philippian believers. Can we claim it today? Can just anyone claim it? We have already said that the promise is for believers. That is true for two reasons -- because it was first written to believers, and because the need is supplied in or by Christ Jesus. So can any and every believer claim this promise? Yes, but there is a condition. You may say, “No, there is not a condition. Ron, just read the verse. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. There is no condition there.” Brothers and sisters, we must read the context.
So what do we find in the context? Read verse 19 again, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” My God shall supply all your need. Obviously, “your” refers to the Philippian believers who will read this letter. But now we must ask the question: Has Paul told us anything about these Philippian believers in the context? Yes, he has been doing so in verse 10 and in verses 14-18. We have just learned that these generous brothers and sisters had sent Paul a gracious gift in his time of need. But this wasn’t the first time. Paul tells us that they have repeatedly done so, even though other churches did not. We read in II Cor. 8 that the Philippian church was among those who gave beyond their ability to bring relief to the saints in Jerusalem. It was to these gracious and generous Philippian believers that Paul said, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” It was a word of great encouragement. Paul’s thinking goes like this: “Brothers and sisters, you have done it again. You have sent to me a sacrificial gift which is not only helpful to me, but even more than that it is pleasing to God. I want you to know that you can have absolute confidence that God will supply all your financial need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Though you have given sacrificially, you will not lack anything you need. You can trust Him to supply that need through Christ.” This is not a blanket promise for all Christians, but it is indeed a precious promise for those who are giving generously according to the will of God.
If it bothers you that I am restricting this promise and not applying it to all Christians, let me remind you that this is not an isolated incident. This is a biblical principle of interpretation that we must apply. It is simply the principle of reading the scripture in its context. If we can legitimately remove biblical promises from their context and apply them indiscriminately, there is no limit to the damage we will do. Let me give you some examples. Recently we ran across one in Matthew 10, where Jesus spoke these words: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5-6). If we apply that universally without paying attention to the context, we must conclude that it is wrong for us to share the gospel with non-Jewish people. We know that wasn’t Jesus’ intention. The context of this very passage makes it clear that Jesus was speaking only to His twelve apostles at this point. Furthermore, we know from the larger context of Matthew that this was a temporary command, because at the end of Matthew Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:18). The context cannot be discounted without doing violence to the Word of God.
Or consider the great promises of Psalm 91. This Psalm is full of wonderful promises. Listen to Ps. 91:3-7…
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Those are wonderful promises, but who can claim them? Anyone? Anyone who meets the condition, which we find in verse 1, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High…” That is the condition. Then the promises begin with “shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” and run down through what we just read. But don’t stop there. Read the promises of verses 10-13…
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Wow! No evil shall befall me. The angels of god will protect me. But who can claim these promises? The answer is in verse 9, “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation…” The promises are only for those who have made the Lord their habitation. Do you see that this is simply a repetition of the condition in verse 1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High”? Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High is exactly the same as making the Most High your habitation. Apparently, the Spirit of God had the Psalmist repeat this basic concept so that no one could forget the condition necessary to claim the promises.
We have talked about this same idea earlier in Philippians 4. Verse 7, “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” To whom is the promise addressed? To those who rejoice in the Lord, let their moderation be made known to all, and who bring their requests to God with thanksgiving instead of worrying (verses 4-6). Again in verse 9, “…And the God of peace shall be with you.” Who can claim the promise? The answer is in the context of verses 8-9. The promise is intended for those who follow Paul’s example and keep on meditating on whatsoever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, those things which are of moral excellence and are praiseworthy.
Conclusion
When we think of the generosity of the Philippians and the precious promise of Phil. 4:19, we are reminded of another promise from the lips of Jesus. Matt. 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” The promise is essentially the same, as “all these things shall be added unto you” corresponds to “all your need.” “All these things” of Matt. 6:33 and “all your need” of Phil. 4:19 are denoting the basic needs of life, as Jesus outlines in the verses before verse 33. In other words, they are speaking generally of food and clothing. These are the basic necessities of life.
While the need is the same in both passages, the condition is stated differently. As we have seen, in Philippians the condition for claiming the abundance of God’s supply is gracious generosity. Here in Matt. 6:33 the condition is seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. When we do that, we don’t have to worry about food and clothing, as other people often do. Why not? Because they will be added to us. How? God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. But what if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and yet we are not generous to others? Are you beginning to see the point? As we look at these two verses carefully, it will begin to dawn on us that they go together. We can’t seek God’s kingdom and righteousness for long without seeing clearly that He wants us to be graciously generous with what we have. When our eyes are lifted above material things to our wonderful Lord and His kingdom, we find our grip on things loosening more and more. If not, we are deceived about seeking His kingdom and righteousness. When we read the end of Matthew 25, we see how closely Jesus links ministering to the poor and needy with serving Him.
So how do we become graciously generous? It doesn’t come through determination. While guilt may motivate us for a little while, it will not sufficiently change us to make us continually generous. Rather, it must be the diligent seeking first of God’s kingdom and righteousness. As we truly become more like Christ, an increasing generosity is inevitable. Again, if we do not find this happening in us, we must question whether we are becoming more like Christ.
Let’s close by looking at the example of our great example, the Lord Jesus Himself. In his long discussion of the relief offering for the saints of Jerusalem, Paul appeals to Jesus’ example in 2 Cor. 8:9, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." Jesus had it all. The glory of heaven and riches of earth were at His disposal. But for our sakes, He became poor. He gave it all up and came to this earth as a man, where He had no place to lay His head. Why? That we through His poverty might become rich. Again, it is the context of scripture which shows us that Paul is not saying Jesus became poor so that we might be enriched with things. He is talking about the spiritual riches that become ours in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, let’s follow the example of our Lord for the glory of God. He hung on to nothing of material value. May we do the same, in order that others might become spiritually rich through Christ. There is no great value to being generous just for the sake of being generous. No, we have a goal, and that goal is to use what is ours for the glory of God, to turn material things into an avenue for the spiritual riches of others. That is exactly what Jesus talks about in Luke 16, but we don’t have time to go there this morning.
Praise God that the true riches cannot be taken from us. Whether the moment finds us materially rich or poor, Christ is ours. With Him, it is impossible to be anything but rich, for with Him we are joint heirs of all the Lord God possesses. May we more and more find Jesus Christ to be the treasure!
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