Philippians 4.10-21 – Press On

I'll just pray for us before you read our reading tonight's Philippians chapter 4 starting at verse 10 Heavenly Father, I just thank you for your word. I thank you that it never stops speaking to us Challenging us shaping us and changing us Help us to have ears that are open and hearts ready to be changed and Lord please speak to us from your word tonight. Amen I rejoiced 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 circumstances I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 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 Not that I desire your gifts what I desire is that more be credited to your account I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied Now that I have received from a pathoditis the gifts you sent They are a fragrant offering an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus To our God and Father be glory forever and ever Amen Greet all God's people in Christ Jesus the brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings All God's people here send you greetings especially those belonging to Caesar's household The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you with and with your spirit. Amen I love the rack of faith so sparkly I could save it for Racking up next year's presence so nice. He's got a lot of noise mate. I think I love books Microwave recipes for one It's just very pragmatic. I need this because I keep on accidentally making microwave recipes for two This is the perfect gift. Thank you so much. I don't like wasting food because we're running low on resources as a planet So this is incredibly incredibly useful and I don't have much time In my life for cooking. I love cooking, but I wish I had more time Some of these will teach me how to enjoy that by using a microwave and if the food looks half as good as it does in this cover It's great. Now what I did there was took the typo and attacked it with positives microwave 8 microwave food just disgusting takes all the taste out often the goodness that recipes nothing more with recipes for one I mean come on what you say that I'm one I'll get the on my own on my knife So I'm going to have to use a recipe for one person, you know, so just turn that into another for use for cleaning You saw what I do. I should have looked at the price for nicely. That's so generous. So that's what we should have Well, what's that got to do with Philippians? I'll pray and then we'll find out Father, thank you for your word That is so good and helps us to know you better and live for you all the more And so we pray tonight as we reflect upon it that you would teach us To press on and trust in you for our strength Amen Well a bit of fun to start our last sermon in the series But the reason we watch that video is because In today's passage Paul writes a note of thanks to the Philippians for the gift that they sent him But unlike Benedict Cumberbatch who was faking it Paul is genuinely joyful But not for the reasons you might expect After having given them those final instructions for standing firm last week Paul now finishes his letter with a message of thanks and some farewell greeting But as he has all along Paul is still giving us Jesus-centered perspective on things and so this time he's going to reflect on how we use our money As he thinks about this aid that the Philippians had sent to him And as he does that will learn that it was a gift that Paul didn't need A gift that is good for the Philippians and a gift that pleases God So let's have a look starting with a gift that Paul didn't need have a look with me at verse 10 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'm not saying this because I'm in need for I've learned to be content whatever the circumstances Now remember that for this whole letter Paul has been in jail in prison for sharing the gospel Yet still he's rejoicing we've seen it all the way through and here it is again He wants to tell the Philippians how grateful he is for the concern that they showed to him By sending a paparditis with aid And yet even without their help Paul had learned to be content It's noticeable in this section that he's trying to sort of balance between being thankful And yet wanting to teach the Philippians how he actually didn't need their aid Because he'd found all that he needed in Jesus he had learned to be content Now in Paul's day the idea of contentment Was used by many religious people to mean that you had detached yourself from circumstances and learned to be self-sufficient And Paul he's tapping into that idea here Except he's not ignoring his circumstances or finding sufficiency in himself But instead he's accepting the reality that he's in And turning to God And so we could say that Paul's definition of contentment is Having our needs met in God no matter what our circumstances are Which is actually what he says next verse 12 He says I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty I've learned the secret of being content in every situation Whether well fed or hungry whether living in plenty or in want I can do all this through him who gives me strength Paul's contentment had been learned through life experience Here he gives us the extremes of the spectrum doesn't he you know being in need or having plenty being well fed or hungry Won't you Paul wasn't always content He says he had to learn it He didn't always have this perspective Rather he had to live through these different scenarios and work out what it looked like to follow God through it all We see Paul applying his Jesus filter here don't we remember that to live his Christ and to die his game And so he actually didn't need this gift from the Philippians Because he doesn't live for earthly things anymore No matter what his situation is In fact, he tells them that he's found the secret of being content in all circumstances and really it's an open secret What he's saying is just that he's learned the key the key to unlocking an attitude of contentment And so what is it it's not some magic spell or type of new age meditation The key the secret to contentment comes from verse 13 where he says I can do all this through him who gives me strength Now if you search for Philippians chapter 4 verse 13 on instagram You mostly find it being used for inspirational quotes or people trying to achieve their personal goals or Jim routines As if this verse somehow promises to help you run further or lift more That's not what it's saying at all This verse is about achieving the goal of being more like Jesus Not our fitness goals Paul is saying here that God's strength is what enables him to press on in living all for Jesus And you know all through this letter Paul has challenged us to do many seemingly impossible things. I mean even last week he said rejoice always Do not be anxious about anything And he's another one to be content when we're hungry Really? I mean I get discontent when I have to wait in line for lunch or you know Dinner doesn't quite turn out to be what I wanted it Let alone actually being hungry These things they feel impossible and they are if we're on our own And so, what's the secret to actually achieving them? Well, we can do the impossible. We can press on in our faith. We can live as citizens of heaven through Him who gives us strength. Being self-sufficient, that will not work. It won't be enough to help us press on. We have to learn to find our strength in God, like Paul had. And so, how are you going at that? How are you going at learning to be content? Paul's modeling for us here, how our reliance on God, it supersedes any circumstances we're in. He's been showing us right through the letter. And so, when we have little, when life gets tough, when we're in need, do we turn to God, or do we turn to something or someone else? How about when we have lots? When things are going well? Do we still find our strength in God, or do we get comfortable in all our material wealth and our cushy lives? We may not have experienced all that Paul has. And we may not have learned how to be content in all circumstances. But are we learning to be content in the circumstance that we're in now? Contentment is having our needs met in God no matter what our situation is. And so, whether we have lots or little, let's learn to be content. But in saying all this, Paul doesn't want to come across as ungrateful, like fake, like Benedict Cumberbatt. If the passage just stop here, it'd be kind of like if they'd sent a to him. And he, Paul sent it back saying, "Oh, thanks but no thanks, I've learned to be content." Even if he has learned that they're still value in the gift that they sent to him, not just for Paul, but for the Philippians. Which is what he speaks about next. It's a gift that's good for the Philippians. Have a look at verse 14. "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 in receiving, except you only." Sending help to Paul, well that was something the Philippians had done ever since they started as a church. They had been, they had realized the importance of what Paul was doing in spreading the message of Jesus. And so they got behind him anyway they could. And in fact, they did it more than any other church. And so there were many times when Paul was in need and the Philippians answered the call. Which really just shows us how the Philippians are already doing so many of the things that Paul's been speaking about in this letter. They are mature in their faith. They are pressing on in living for Jesus because they have found the currency that really matters. You know, back in the day when you could travel overseas, often you'd have to exchange your Aussie dollars for a new currency. And so when I went to Vanuatu, I had exchange to get a bunch of their currency, which is called Vatu. And that enabled me to, you know, get around on public transport, go shopping at the markets, buy food, et cetera. Because you can't just give them an Aussie dollar, but that's no use to them. It's the wrong currency. And just like if when I came back, I went over to Restredo to buy a coffee and tried to pay with Vatu, that wouldn't work. It's a different language of money. Will Paul and the Philippians had changed their currency? When they became who they are now, citizens of heaven, they started trading in a new currency, one that lasts that has eternal value. And you see that in how Paul speaks about these latest gifts from the Philippians, verse 17. He says, "Not that I desire your gifts. What I desire is that more be credited to your account. I've received full payment. I have more than enough. I'm amply supplied." Now that I've received from a Pafford artist, the gifts you sent. You see, Paul, he's rejoicing about their gift, not because of how great it was for him, even though it clearly was. He rejoices because of how much it showed that they were pressing on in their faith. And so the Philippians being generous, well that was to their credit. I don't know about you, but I tend to prefer it when my bank balance goes up rather than down. You know, on payday when money comes into your account or when your friends pay you back for money, you've lent them or when you get money for your birthday, these are all much nicer moments than when the electricity bill arrives or car insurance is due. We tend to think that it's better when our bank balance goes up. But Paul, he would actually prefer that our bank balance went down so that our account with God goes up. That is, by giving to the work of the gospel, even though the Philippians were spending their money, credit was going into their account. They are storing up for themselves treasures in heaven. They're using their temporary goods and resources that won't last to grow something that will last. And just to be clear, they're not buying their way to heaven. Their generosity doesn't come as an attempt to somehow earn a relationship with Jesus. But as a result of who they are in Christ, because they are already citizens of heaven, they live like it now. They have a new currency. And by doing so, they enjoy the blessing that comes with giving. Jesus himself said, "It's better to give than to receive." And he was right. Because supporting God's work around the world is a privilege to be included in on. And it's good for us. It helps us to put our faith into practice. And it allows us to be active partners in the gospel. And we've got lots of opportunities to give in this way as well, don't we? I mean, Paul here is showing us how contributing financially to God's work is part of being a mature follower of Jesus. It's good when we give. Just like all those other ways of pressing on how we use our money is part of that. We press on in being generous because we are content in Christ. But of course, the sky is the limit in how you choose to do that. It's heaps away as we can give to the work of the gospel. We can support local ministry, the work that's going on here at church, scripture in schools, the AFES ministry, at the uni. Even if you're not the one standing in front of a room full of people, using your money to support gospel work is a genuine way of contributing to that growth. There's ways we can support gospel work overseas, perhaps giving to one of our missionaries because you may never get to go to Kenya or France. But by giving to the goris and the puppets, you are a genuine partner in that kingdom, work in that country. Or perhaps you'll use your money in other ways, maybe a gift of making a meal for someone or a care package for someone going through a tough time. You might open up your house and show hospitality. God wants us to be generous. Whether we have lots or little, it's how we can contribute to gospel work. And when we do, our bank balance may be going down, but it's actually to our credit. For the Philippians, giving this gift to Paul was a good thing because it showed how they were pressing on in the gospel. And living this way, well, it was pleasing to God, which is 0.3, a gift that pleases God. Have a look at the end of verse 18, where he speaks of those gifts to Philippians. He says, they are a fragrant offering and acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God. You see, God is certainly pleased with the Philippians giving generously and repeatedly. God loves it when people put their faith into practice and have their minds set on heavenly things, not earthly things, God. God loves that when Jesus is at the center of all that we do, even how we spend our money. And as they give sacrificially, Paul promises that God will supply their needs to help them do it all the more. Verse 19. He says, "My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." Now, what's Paul saying here? Well, it's that this verse, it doesn't mean that by giving money, you're now guaranteed an easy life. It doesn't mean that you'll win the lottery or you'll have enough cash to buy everything on your wishlist. That's not what it's saying. God certainly does promise to meet their needs, but notice it says that God will meet their needs according to the riches of His glory, which is like saying that what He gives the Philippians will match the riches that He has. Imagine if I said to you, "Your Christmas present this year will come according to the money that I have." It's probably going to come when it came out. But if I said to you, "Your present this year will come according to the riches of Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world," well then you're probably going to get some ridiculously fancy new car. Well, get excited, because God, the creator and sustainer of the whole universe who has infinitely more than Jeff Bezos, is going to meet all your needs according to His riches that are in Christ. And this promise, well, it's both for now and the future to the Philippians and to us. Paul has already shown us that it's possible to learn contentment, no matter our circumstances. And so in the journey of pressing on, God will meet our needs by supplying strength in Christ, that when we depend on Him in prayer, when we put our faith into practice, well then the God of peace will be with us in the good times, in the hard times, and everything in between. Jesus will not abandon us, and so we press on in Him. But it's also a promise for the future that on the day Jesus returns, we will fully and completely experience the riches of God's glory, as our bodies are transformed to be like Jesus' body, as we enter into the new creation, as we enjoy eternity with God. When all our sin and sadness is God, and we experience God's blessing poured out upon us as His people. So we press on for that day. And if this is what God does, and we'll do, well, it's no surprise that Paul writes in 1st 20 to our God and Father, be glory forever and ever, Amen. Today and for all eternity, God is the one who gets all the glory, and all our pressing on, well, it is all for Him. And with that said, Paul gives his farewell greetings, showing us the wonderful partnership that he and many others enjoyed with the Philippians, and bringing this joyful letter to a close. I wonder if you remember when we started the series back in February, we had this image of the staircase at the lost city of Petra. Does anyone remember how many steps there were? 850. A grueling climb that was only made easier by the support of my friends going up with me, a friendly donkey that I got to ride. And at the top was the glorious monastery that was so majestic that being up there made the climb all worth it. The pain in my legs faded away into the distance as I marveled at this magnificent sight, climbing all those steps was totally worth it. And I hope you've been able to see that as we've read through Philippians, that pressing on in following Jesus, it's totally worth it. Each of us is making our way up one step at a time, maturing in our faith. And at times, it can feel like a grueling climb with all kinds of things that can threaten our faith as Paul has showed us. But it's made easier by the help of our partners, our support team, our brothers and sisters in Christ. And what awaits us at the end of the climb is the glorious prize of being made perfect like Jesus. And entering into that new creation, having all our needs finally and fully met in God's incredible riches in Christ. And so we continue putting our faith into practice through Him who gives us strength. Through grace, driven effort, all for God's glory, we press on. I pray, Heavenly Father, we do want you to have all the glory. And so Lord, please teach us to be content in all circumstances. May we come to you in all our needs and find strength in Christ. Help us, Lord, by your power to press on to the end. We pray that in Jesus' name, Amen.