Christ’s Strength In All Things | Philippians 4:10-13

Opening Remarks

Last week we looked at verses 10-11 and saw how Paul had learned to be content no matter his circumstances.

He was grateful for the generosity of the Philippians, but he wanted it to be clear to them that their gifts to him weren’t necessary for his contentment.

He had all he needed in Christ to be content.

In fact, the difficulties gave him the opportunity to lean contentment. If things were always easy, we’d never have to learn to be content in Christ alone.

If you never go through tough circumstances, you’ll never learn true contentment.

I’d like to build again on that thought today, but focusing on another element of it.

READ Philippians 4:10-13

Sometimes we make blank checks out of Bible verses.

“We know that all things work together for good.”

“Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”

There are plenty of others, but few are used more out of context than Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

It sounds great, until you realize that Paul is referring to the strength we find when things are really hard. Which makes it sound much less exciting.

But there’s a truth that I think can help us if we’ll hear it tonight.

We can have Christ’s Strength In All Things, no matter how extreme.

I’d like to consider that tonight.

PRAY

INTRODUCTION

One topic of conversation I heard multiple times the last couple of days was about this week’s weather.

This past week we had multiple days of 70 or higher, which many of you loved, I’m sure.

Then we all woke up yesterday and it wasn’t 70. It was in the teens and blowing snow.

I love South Dakota, but it’s okay to admit that we have unpredictable weather.

More accurately, we have unpredictably extreme weather.

We go from one extreme to the other.

In the summer it’s not uncommon to to reach 100.

In the winter it’s not uncommon to spend days at a time below zero.

In fact, as I was considering this, I found a map that shows the most extreme temperature swings from summer to winter:

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fmk64jtdex5bb1.jpg

The darker red color indicates the more extreme swings between summer and winter.

I look at a map like that and think one of two things:

First - The people in green must live such boring lives.

Second - I want to live a boring life.

But the point is, South Dakota deals with extreme temperature swings.

A microcosm of this took place in Spearfish in January of 1943. At 7:30am the temp was -4, and two minutes later at 7:32am, the temp rose to 45 above. That’s a 49 degree rise in two minutes. By 9am, the temp had risen another 9 degrees to 54, but then it suddenly dropped back to -4 again just 27 minutes later.

The Black Hills and surrounding areas are famous for those kinds of fluctuations.

When you live in this part of the world, you deal with extremes. It’s part of life.

Unfortunately, life itself can also be extreme.

You can be feeling good, living life, things are going well, and circumstance changes everything.

Or you can be struggling, nothing going your way, and one variable turns everything around.

If anyone dealt with extremes, Paul did.

In MPM this morning, Bro. Mark went through the list of awful things he faced serving Christ in 2 Cor. 11.

Being whipped, being stoned, imprisonments, shipwrecks, perils, weariness, pain, hunger and thirst. You name it, Paul dealt with it. Those were extremes.

But not everything he faced was bad. He saw thousands of souls saved. God did miracles for him and through him. Unexplainable things happened to Paul.

But when you read about his life, it seems like it was a roller coaster. Like the weather. Extreme highs and lows.

And he talks about the extreme swings of his ministry here in Philippians 4.

Vs. 12 - Paul says his life was full of extremes. You might say he had a South Dakota weather kind of ministry.

Hot one day, cold the next.

“Abased” means to be humbled or brought low.

“Abound” means overflowing.

Being humiliated is about as bad as things can get. But overflowing with blessings is about as good as things get.

From “Abased” to “abound” means “from one extreme to the other.”

“Everywhere” means from one end to the other, and everything in between.

“In all things” covers every situation from one extreme to the other.

So that’s the language: Abased, abound, everywhere, in all things, hungry, full, overflowing, suffering.

Paul’s life was summed up by extremes.

But the unique thing is Paul seemed to take the extremes in stride.

They didn’t destroy him. When things were bad, something allowed him to keep his head up.

When things were good, something allowed him to remain humble.

So what was it? What gave Paul the balance he needed to handle the extremes?

Well, look at Vs. 13.

I. Paul’s secret to the extremes was the strength of Christ.

Remember the context of this verse, which we’ve just talked about.

Paul is referring to the many extremes of life. Good and bad.

What this verse is not:

“If I feel I can do something, God will give me the power to do it.”

“Whatever dream I desire, Christ will help me accomplish it.”

“If I will it Jesus will instill it.”

Some people used the verse that way. But that’s not what it means.

Corn hole tournament yesterday. Lots of fun. And there were some corn hole masters at Eastside. Some took it very seriously. I liked Bro. Ken’s shirt - “Hitting holes and crushing souls.”

Plenty of souls crushed yesterday. We’ve got some good corn hole players around here.

But let’s say the winners of the corn hole tournament, Bro. Dana and Joseph, get it in their head that because they won at corn hole, that means any athletic feat they desire is now within their grasp. So they set their sights on LA 2028 and start training for the 100 meter sprint.

We try to talk some sense into them, but they say, “But I can do all things through Christ!”

But that’s not what it means!

What it means is:

“There’s no extreme circumstance that God allows into our lives that Christ’s strength isn’t enough to help us with.”

It’s not a blank check. It’s a promise that there’s no circumstance we’ll face that Christ isn’t strong enough for.

When we experience extreme circumstances, Jesus has the strength to help us through it.

The word “Strengtheneth” means that we are continually infused with Christ’s strength.

It has nothing to do with our strength. It has everything to do with the strength Jesus injects into us. And it’s always enough for whatever extreme we face.

Paul is saying, “I can do anything that life throws at me, good or bad, because I have Christ’s strength.”

If you’re in a job that makes it tough to be a witness, Christ’s strength is enough.

On the flip side, if you’re blessed with an amazing opportunity to serve or a great talent, His strength is enough for you to be effective with it.

On the other hand, if you’re facing a health crisis, Christ’s strength is enough to help you.

No matter the extreme, Christ’s strength is enough.

II. What confidence can we have that Christ’s strength will be enough?

Well, think about it. Paul wasn’t the first person to face extreme circumstances. In fact, He was following someone else, who faced His own set of extremes. Jesus Christ.

A. Jesus enjoyed times of abounding:

Healed people

Saw people get saved

Lives turned around

Mount of Transfiguration

The Resurrection was clearly a big moment

Ascension to Heaven

There were plenty of high points

B. But Jesus also was abased:

Rejected by almost everyone

People dismissed His teachings

The religious leaders called Him a Devil and cast doubt on His testimony

One of His disciples betrayed Him

The rest of the disciples ran when He was arrested

He was beaten, spat upon, tortured, and crucified naked and ashamed in front of everyone, including His friends and family. His own mom.

He was killed and buried

Talk about going from one extreme to the other:

When He came to earth, He went from Heaven to a manger. There’s nothing more extreme than that.

One day He rode into Jerusalem to the people crying, “Hosanna, He’s the King!”

Less than a week later, those same people cried, “Crucify Him!” One extreme to the other.

He went from pleasing His Father (My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased) to having His Father turn His back on Him at Calvary.

You talk about extremes.

But here’s where we have hope: If our example, Jesus, had the strength to handle the extremes of His life, then He certainly has enough strength to help us handle ours.

Illustration: Boy carrying something heavy.

Feels too heavy. Can hardly manage it.

Falls under it’s weight over and over again.

Almost quits. Wants to give up.

All because he assumes he’s meant to carry it himself.

But when he recognizes the truth of the text it changes things.

What’s the truth?

No matter how extreme the situation, Christ promises all the strength we need to face it.

So even though it feels heavy, when we learn to practice this truth, here’s what happens. (Adult man picks up child AND his burden, meaning He’s strong enough to help us in any extreme).

Great! That’s settled, then. His strength is enough for the extremes.

Well, be careful. Because there’s one more step in the process.

Vs. 11 - I HAVE LEARNED

Vs. 12 - I AM INSTRUCTED

As clear as the promise of Christ’s strength is, we have to learn to let Christ infuse us with that strength.

He doesn’t force His help on anybody. That’s not the way He works.

He wants us to come to it ourselves. Okay, so how do we do that?

III. How To Handle Life’s Extremes

#1 - Know that Jesus’ strength is enough

#2 - When Things Are Extremely Good, Learn To Thank God

Vs. 10 - “I rejoiced greatly”

Paul was a thankful person. This whole account is sprinkled with the grateful heart of a man who never forgot what God had done for him.

But Paul was just taking his cues from Jesus, who was also grateful over and over toward His Father. He was a grateful Son.

Our problem is not that we don’t have blessings. Our problem is we fail to be thankful when things are good.

1. Acknowledge the fact that, without God, we’d have nothing.

Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Make it a habit to tell Him you acknowledge that.

2. Practice gratitude every day.

Make it a part of your routine.

Not just with God, but with others. It’s amazing what a thank you can do.

I believe it impacts God too. But it’s easy to go days on end and never thank God.

3. Tell others how good God is.

The more people you tell, the less likely you’ll be to forget.

I remember asking Craig Chambers toward the end how he was and he’d say, “Better than I deserve.” He never lost sight of how God was to him. And he made it a happen to tell others.

So here’s how we infuse Christ’s strength into the extremely good times - learn to thank God.

But things won’t always be good, will they?

#3 - When Things Are Extremely Hard, Learn To Trust God

Paul was a man who entrusted his life into God’s hands.

Vs. 10 - His focus was on the Lord, even sitting in prison.

Vs. 19-20 - He trusted God to supply His needs, even though things were difficult.

Jesus did the same thing. He dealt with abasement. Being humbled. Humiliated even.

What was His habit? He trusted His Father in His lowest time.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not my will, but thine.” Trust.

Even on the cross, His focus was on His Father. (Father forgive…Into thy hands I commend my Spirit). He trusted His Father’s plan, to the very end.

In the most extreme situations, Paul and Jesus trusted. And they both clearly had divine strength infused into their lives.

If we want Christ’s strength in the extremes, we must learn to Thank God when it’s good and Trust God when it’s hard.

“When it’s extremely good, I choose to be thankful.”

“But when it’s extremely hard, I choose to trust.”

Are you dealing with one extreme or the other?

IV. Applications

#1 - Maybe life is Abounding:

Job going well

Finances are in good shape

You feel good

You’re in good physical condition

You’re optimistic about this phase of life

You just received a gift or a blessing that you weren’t expecting

You’re abounding. You’re full.

Don’t forget, even in a positive extreme that you need an infusion of Christ’s strength in your life to handle the abundance properly. To not take it for granted. Not to become entitled. Or have unrealistic expectations.

Not to lose sight of the blessings of God and His hand on your life.

Choose to be a person known for gratitude.

Express it every chance you get.

Point people to God’s goodness any time you can.

Recognize that anything good came from God and you don’t deserve it.

We need Christ’s strength when things are good just as much as we do when things are hard, because we’re more prone to forget God when we’re blessed than we are in the times we have nothing.

#2 - But His strength and example is also essential in the hard times.

Maybe life is difficult

You’ve had a setback at work

You and your spouse just seem like you’re on different pages

The kids don’t have great spirits. It seems like you work and train, and they go right back to the old way.

Or maybe you have bills piling up and you don’t know how it works out.

Or you’re discouraged because you haven’t grown spiritually. In fact, you feel distant from the Lord.

Maybe there’s a sin that’s kicking you around and you can’t seem to gain victory.

Someone has disappointed you.

It could be that you’re dealing with a loss of some kind.

And maybe you went from one extreme of “Life is good” to the other of “Life is hard” just like that.

Things were going fine and then the bottom dropped out.

What do you do?

You trust Christ for the strength that He promises. Take Him at His word.

There’s no extreme, no matter how extreme, that He can’t help you with.

How do we know?

Because He’s already been through it.

As bad as our suffering is, He’s dealt with worse.

Which means there’s nothing His strength can’t help us with.

He has been through it, so He can help us through it.

CIT: Our enjoyment of Christ’s strength in the extremes is dependent on our choice to thank and trust God in every situation.

And here’s the cherry on top: Not every situation is an extreme. Which means, if Christ’s strength strength is enough for the extremes, then it’s enough for everything in between.

If His strength is enough for the extremes, it’s enough for today.

If His strength is enough to save me, it’s enough to give me joy.

It’s enough for all things.

Kind of reminds me of the Good Shepherd.

If He was willing to lay down His life for me, then He cares about everything in between.

CONCLUSION:

Phrase “Under the Circumstances”

Sometimes we feel the weight of the extremes. We find ourselves “Under the Circumstances”

I just want to encourage you tonight that it is possible to be “Above The Circumstances.”

How?

Well, when things are extremely good, choose thankfulness.

And when things are extremely hard, choose to trust.

When we do, we have the strength of Christ to face whatever comes our way.

Extremely good or extremely bad, Christ’s strength is always enough.