Phil 4:13 | It is well with my soul

Intro

Hey y’all, how is it going?

We do have some guests with us tonight, we have the 5th graders here tonight. This is a sneak preview of what next year looks like for them.

We do things a little different up here. We want them to get a glimpse of what we are about, to prepare them for next year.

So if you get a chance, welcome them. Make them feel welcome.

So with that, let’s get in to it.

Who knows who Horatio Spafford is?

Hortatio is best known for writing the words to the hymn, “It is well with my soul.”

The story behind the song is this.

Horatio was a business man in Chicago, he, his wife, and four daughters had planned a long vacation through Europe, for work reasons, he sent his wife and family ahead on to Europe.

On the journey over there, the ship they were on crashed into another ship, killing 226 people, including all 4 of Horatio’s daughters.

When his wife reached England, she sent a telegram with two words.

Saved Alone.

That was it. So, Horatio got the next boat to England. and on the journey, they cross the section of the sea where the crash happened, and the captain let him know, this is where we are.

So Horatio, grabbed some paper and a pen and wrote down the words

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

These words have become immortal in Christendom. It’s one of the best hymns ever written.

It is some of the easiest words to sing, but hardest words to live out.

and so this is where I want to live tonight.

How do we live out some of the easiest words to say in scripture.

Context

So if you have a bible open up to Philippians 4.

IF you don’t have a bible throw a hand up and we will get one to you. If you have a bible at home, but it’s not here, bring it. If you don’t have a bible at home and would like one, take this one. We want you to have a bible and to have the word in front of you.

So Philippians 4, we are going to finish up the book. 8-23

let me set the stage.

Paul is closing down the letter.

And remember Paul is in prison. Paul is chained to a roman guard at almost all times. He is able to send letters, but thats about it.

Paul is hungry, getting beaten, and he is awaiting a trial that will hold his life in the balance.

And yet, Paul has Joy.

And so this is the question that I want us to try and answer and think through.

Is how to be content in the chaos of life.

What do we do when this verse doesn’t feel true.

What do we do when it feels like God isn’t there?

That is the question that all of us are wondering or will wonder. When the troubles of the broken world come and kick us in the teeth, what do we do? It’s easy to say these verses and remember the songs, but it is a whole different level of hard to live it out.

SO Phil. 4:8-23 let’s read this whole big chunk.

But before we do that.

Let’s pray for our time in the word.

Pray

Okay cool, let’s read this together.

Philippians 4:8–23 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 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. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Okay, so there is a lot going on in this passage.

But this is what Paul is saying, be content in all things. The Lord is with you. The Lord is at Hand.

So let’s unpack this, let’s see how this works.

So What is the first thing you notice?

We see some practices, we see the peace of God.

Then Paul gives us the ultimate tshirt verse.

Philippians 4:13 ESV

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

So this is where we are going to spend a good bit of our time tonight.

But Paul, in the closing bit of the letter, is thanking them for supporting him in prison.

One of the ways a Roman prison worked was you had to pay for your room and board and your meals.

The Romans held you, they didn’t care if you ate.

It’s not like today, 3 hot meals and bed,

no it was more like the floor, and a fist.

So what would happen, is they would charge you for your stay and you would incru debt, so even if you got out of prison, you would owe Rome some money, and they always got paid somehow.

Imagine you get out and just a dude with a ipad, please insert cash or credit, then they ask you tip.

So Paul is thanking them, this church, has sent him food and money for food, and paid his prison debts off.

Lots of churches were doing this for Paul, but this was who just did it. So he is thanking them.

and in the middle of his thank you, Paul gives us the ultimate tshirt verse.

And we love this verse, it’s a good but this verse has been misused and abused forever.

Most of the time I see it used, it is used to mean like, Jesus gave me the strength to throw this football a 1/4 mile, or God gave me the strength to hit the game winning 3.

In the 80s-90s there was a group who went around, they came to my school once, called the power team.

They took this verse super literally. They were body builders who would show, up basically say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and then rip a phone book in half, or like roll up a frying pan. Big weird.

It’s always some sort of sports persons than just butchers scripture.

But in our culture we have taken this verse to just mean that, and thats a shallow rendering of scripture.

Paul didn’t know about basketball nor was he a body builder.

So what is he getting at?

This verse has brothers. So let’s read it as a family.

Philippians 4:11–13 ESV

11 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, i’m not in need. And he meant that, but in a real sense he was in need or he was going to owe Rome.

So what is he saying?

Look at verse 11. I have learned in whatever situation, i am to be content.

This word content, is a greek compound word, so two words in one, meaning self rule.

a Rule of Self.

So let’s look at this for a second.

what does it mean to have self rule? to rule yourself?

When we hear this, we as Americans can hear this and think, self determination. Master of the self. In charge of yourself. That’s the western influence on us.

But this is not what Paul is getting at.

It’s deeper than just being in control of yourself. It’s deeper than just I’m in charge.

This word rule goes back to the garden. When God says, you have rule over all the creatures, you have dominion.

God tells them to rule. He tells them to grow the garden. To cultivate. You have the authority to grow and cultivate the garden.

So this word rule, it doesn’t mean set up a list of rules, but to have a rule.

When the language of Latin becomes the dominate language, rule was the same word for a trellis.

So who like’s tomatoes? Who is team tomatoes?

aight, have you ever seen a tomato plant at Ace? it has like a weird thing with poles or like a stick that let’s it grow tall.

This is a trellis.

A trellis helps cultivate something, it helps grow something. It does to the growing, but it makes the plant stable and primed for growth.

so this is more along what Paul is saying.

So when Paul says, in what ever situation I am content, he is saying, in what ever situation, the situation does not rule over me. The situation does not have dominion over me.

So let’s read this like it is, Philippians 4:11 “11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be self-ruled”

Because he has a rule set up that is there that keeps him form falling over.

The old monks call it a rule of Life. A life that has been cultivated and grown in the practices of Jesus. A life that is cultivating christ likeness.

Cause look at what Paul says in 12 Phil 4:12

Philippians 4:12 ESV

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.

Paul says, I know the secret.

And it’s not a secret at all, he tells us just a few verse before what to do.

Look at verse 8, Phil 4:8

Philippians 4:8 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Who embodies all of these things?

Christ? Christ is true, Christ is honorable, Christ is just, Christ is pure, Christ is lovely, Christ is commendable, Christ is excellent, Christ is worthy of praise.

Think about Him.

But also, see the slivers of joy in this world. The bits of Joy we experience in this world is the next world breaking through.

The Christian Author, Dostoyeky said, “Beauty will save the world.”

When we see things that are beautiful, focus on them. Take time to see them. Enjoy a sunset, experience the ocean breeze, see this big world for what it is, the Lord’s handy work.

When we live a life focused on Christ, the things we see and experience a seen through His greatness, giving us a glimpse in to what we will one day experience fully.

Paul has cultivated his life as one that is built on Christ and focused on Christ. So in all things, he can endure.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Because we have built our lives on the rock. Christ is growing us to be like him. And in all things we can endure.

And all of this sounds great. But when we walk out there, after the grace and peace. How do we do this?

Cause what happens when we get outside the walls of this chapel, get in to the real world, something awful will happen in our lives, or our friends lives, and we will sit there and not be content.

When my mom was like 12 she was out shooting gun with my uncle and someone, handed my mom a 12 gauge that she had not shot before, and said okay here is all you need to do, how to hold it, all good things.

My mom being like 70 pounds, just held and pulled the trigger. Hunters, what happened? She got her shoulder about kicked off. That thing kicked like a mule, she told me thins story a ling time ago, but if i remember, her shoulder was bruised for week after that. Why did that happen? She was set up to absorb the blow, just knew in her head what she was supposed to do. But when it came time to do it, it knocked her on her butt.

Same thing, it will take more than intellectual assent to make it in this world.

Suffering and Pain are things that make us question God more than anything.

Evil and brokenness are things that make us ask, “God where are you.”

What happened on Monday is one of those things. We will never know what this was a part of the plan. If you ask me why, I’ll tell you that I don’t have an answer. because I don’t. There are no good answers. and it makes us angry and we can tell God that. He’s a big God he can handle our raw emotions.

We don’t have good answers for why this sort of suffering.

All that we have is trust and a life cultivated on the truth of who God is, and trust in the God who is good.

Let’s go back to the garden. When we want to ask where is God, look at Adam and Eve.

After sin and brokenness come into the garden, come in to the world.

Adam and Eve have ruined their life, and they know it. They felt shame for the first time, they felt guilt. They became broken, it was their fault.

But where is God?

Walking through the broken garden looking for them. Calling them. Then we see God cover them, not with leaves like they had done, — but with animal skins, God had to shed blood to cover the shame. To cover the guilt.

So, when we want to focus on the beauty of this world but all we see if brokenness, remember that Christ is risen and is making all things new.

When we see brokenness in this world remember God is walking with us through it. When we see brokenness, we have the hope that redemption is around the corner. We have the hope that eternity is not hopeless. That all things will be made new.

SO here in my invitation to you, see beauty in this world, let it remind you of the one who created beauty, let it remind you that brokenness was not the default and that there is coming a day when all things will be made new. That death is not final, and that we do not grieve without hope. That we have hope and trust in the one who is redeeming the brokenness.

The only way you can do this, is by setting your life to follow Christ. The only way to truly see beauty is through christ and a life following him.

Christ is in the middle of your brokenness calling you, calling you to follow him, answer him.

The gospel is this we are broken and Christ died in your place and made a way for you to be in relationship with Him. Follow Him.

Come see christ as lord, come see christ as king.