The Sufficiency of Messiah

Introduction

We are in the final week in our study of Paul's letter to the Philippians. As we’ve mentioned at the beginning of every one of these lessons, the Philippians were pretty much the epitome of a modern mega Church in a big metropolitan area. They had a good reputation among the Christian community and were known as a very loving and caring church. While things were going great in the beginning, that was changing as they were now experiencing the type of persecution that comes from living in a world that hates the truth. They were experiencing it then, just as we as a church experience it today.

Paul was writing to them to encourage them to hold fast to the faith. He had a special relationship with them because of the part he played in the founding of that church. That church was birthed as the direct result of the example Paul set as he face sever persecution for the sake of the Gospel. He demonstrated the miraculous power that is available from harvesting a deep and personal relationship with the God of the universe through his Son, Yeshua.

Paul wrote from a place of shalom. A pure peace of mind that was able to stand in the face of an unjust imprisonment in a drab dungeon facing the very real possibility that he would be martyred. Now he had the opportunity to share his secret to experiencing that same kind of Peace that passes understanding. As we close out our study, we will see once again that Paul lays out three principles for the people of his day. All three principles speak of joy and peace. So let’s go over them one last time.

Paul reveals the nature of true peace and joy. Joy is found only “in Adonai”, and the peace that He gives is one that surpasses understanding,” and once He gives it, He garrisons your heart as if it were a fortress.

He reveals a man who provides an example of what produces joy and peace.

Finally, Paul reveals the Messiah who is the ultimate source of this joy and peace. He lays out the mindset of this Lord who provides peace and joy, as well as the exapltation of Him who gives peace and joy.

Last week we looked at what is perhaps the most famous passage of Philippians one of my personal favorites and the one from which I get the term “Philippify it”.

Simply put, to “Philippify” something means to put it into perspective taking these things into account.

Rejoice in the Lord - That means know what He has given you and what that’s worth.

Relax - Don’t freak out about life! There’s a reason Paul reminded them to be gentle. People tend to get aggressive when things get tough.

Prayer and Petition with Thanksgiving - Since He’s already give us the best gift ther is to give, He’s perfectly trustworthy with the rest.

Receive God’s Shalom

Refuse to let your eyes stray - Don’t look back on your trouble, instead purposefully meditate on the good stuff.

Get with other believers- A companion who is walking in godliness can often be an encouragement simply by walking the walk and living the life they live.

The Shalom of God is with us!

Outward Circumstances Don’t Matter

One of the first things that people will say to me is: “Pastor, I get what you’re trying to say, but you don’t know the whole story. You don’t know my whole circumstance. You don’t know the lack.” My answer is, “You’re right, I don’t know, but God does and His word says He will never give us more than we can handle. So your point is?”

We cannot let our outward circumstance – the very thing we are trying to get peace from, be the thing that robs us of our peace. So here is what Paul says in regards to some financial need that he had.

Philippians 4:10–13 TLV

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me (though you were concerned before but lacked opportunity to show it). I am not saying this because I am in need—for whatever circumstance I am in, I have learned to be content. I know what it is to live with humble means, and I know what it is to live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment—both to be filled and to go hungry, to have abundance and to suffer need. I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me.

It seems that in the midst of their distress the Philippians had missed some aid packages that they had been previously sending to Paul. Suddenly even in the midst of their circumstances Paul sees this as a good sign that they are holding on tightly so he takes the opportunity to once again teach regarding their current and future distress. The final verse, verse 13 is perhaps one of the most quoted and misquoted passages of scripture. Here’s an example of how I’ve seen it used.

“I will certainly be able to pass this test for which I failed to study because I was up late doing Facebook every night this week because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Or how about this one:

“I deserve that raise, never mind that I’m always late and that I am unable to make any of my quotas and I had in all my reports incomplete or not at all. I deserve it! I’m going to go in there and demand I get that raise because, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Well of course I chose some pretty ridiculous examples but in context it is saying, that no matter what the outward circumstances are, you can continue to love and serve God whether everything in life is just right or not.

How does this relate to us? Well I’ve often heard people talking about how they will do this or that for ministry as soon as God “settles their life down a bit” or until “He provides them with the right resources”. See they make their current circumstances their excuse for not doing things for God. It really is all about perspective. Look at what God has given you, not what you’re missing. I’ve got a clip from one of the greatest movies of all time, to help make my point.

The Three Amigos

How does that fit in with our message? I’ll tell you in a minute. Back to our passage from scripture. Paul is saying, “Look, I’m happy that your care package has arrived, but really I’m happy on your account because of what it says about you.”

Well, what did it say about them? It said that they were generous and that they understood the importance of the work that Paul was doing, but it also stopped flowing when the persecution started. The fact that it started flowing again showed that they were no longer so focused on their own pain and suffering they were focused on doing the work God had called them to do.

Now look what Paul does next, he weaves for them the example of his ability to minister regardless of his personal circumstances. (verse 11) But he is re-emphasizing what he did earlier in the chapter regarding taking your mind off your problems and instead looking at what God has given you.

The people of Santo Poco had what they needed to fend off El Guapo and who’d have thought it was their ability to sew. The thing is, they had a skill, a talent, but they could not see how that talent played into the master scheme of things. Many times our distress is not that our situation is so grim, rather that we can’t see our way out of it.

Here Paul says, I don’t care what I see, I can do it because it is Christ who is doing it through me, so give me your best shot. Our problem is that we want to know exactly what God is up to before we partner with Him. We want the whole scheme up front. But God’s ways are not our ways.

Isaiah 55:8–9 TLV

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “For as the heavens are higher than earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

We think as long as we can figure him out for ourselves, then we will trust Him, but we have it backwards. We want to see the provision before we take the step of faith, but then isn’t that a contradiction? Faith is all about trusting even when we can’t see.

Proverbs 3:5–6 TLV

Trust in Adonai with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

See, we can’t get His direction until we trust Him first. We think we’re so sure of ourselves. We think we know best. We are certain that our judgment is sound, but how certain can it actually be?

1 Corinthians 13:9 TLV

For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

Do you still think you know everything?

Paul was basically saying, I don’t need anything but Jesus. Being poor means nothing, being rich means nothing. I keep going. I’m glad you’re sending stuff now, it’s good for you to be generous as God credits that to your account in heaven, but see I’ve figured out that all I need is Christ.

So here we have Paul bringing out the three points quickly.

Paul reveals the nature of true peace and joy. The true nature of peace is contentment no matter what the circumstance.

He reveals a man who provides an example of what produces joy and peace. Paul said that he himself had learned to be “faithful in any circumstance”. And he proved it by starting a worship meeting in that stinky, slimy, dungeon.

Finally, Paul reveals the Messiah who is the ultimate source of this joy and peace. He tops it out by saying that he can do that stuff because it is Messiah who strengthens him, but how? This is the question we want to answer because it can help us in our on circumstances.

Philippians 4:14–20 TLV

Nevertheless, you have done well to share in my trouble. Now you Philippians also know that in the beginning of the Good News, when I left Macedonia, not a single community partnered with me in giving and receiving—except you alone. For even in Thessalonica you sent something for my need more than once. Not that I am looking for a gift, but for fruit that overflows to your credit. But I have received everything and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent—a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. My God will fulfill every need of yours according to the riches of His glory in Messiah Yeshua. To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

See it? There’s the key in verse 19. My God will fulfill every need of yours according to the riches of His glory in Messiah Yeshua. The source of the riches was the riches of God through Jesus!

This just happens to be another one of Paul’s most famous quotes that is taken out of context.

He makes it plain here:

The Philippian church was the only church who shared in Paul’s distress and aided him financially.

The gift is not about the actual ministry that’s happening, it is about the heart of the giver because it is deposited into a heavenly account that bears fruit.

It is an act of worship that pleases God and causes Him to respond with provision back toward the giver.

Remember, the first sign that Paul had something was wrong with the Philippians was that their giving had stopped. He rejoiced because He knew the Philippians were givers, so when they stopped, he knew something was really wrong. That’s why he was so grateful to see them give again. Knowing what a sacrifice it is for them to give in the midst of their distress he sees signs that their faith is lifting them above their circumstances.

As we have seen in our video examples, our life of faith has more to do with perspective than anything else. Paul’s advice to the Philippian church seems to be, “no matter what you go through, remember that you best day as a sinner was still much worse than you very worst day as a Christian, because you were lost without Jesus on your way to hell, without a care in the world.” Now that they had been given the indescribable gift of grace and salvation, they should be overflowing with grace and peace.

Final Greetings

You know, every single word in scripture was put there for a specific purpose. There is nothing there that is put in accidentally. No extraneous information that has no relevancy to us. Many times, when the words don’t really seem to mean anything to us, it’s simply because we haven’t taken the time to really look at them. Case in point: the end of Philippians:

Philippians 4:21–23 TLV

Greet all the kedoshim in Messiah Yeshua. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the kedoshim greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit.

In the midst of his suffering, Paul is giving a little hint in verse 22. See it? All the saints greet you, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE OF CAESAR’S HOUSEHOLD!

Paul just dropped a huge bombshell right there. He says in the midst of my persecution I am so happy to report that I am bearing fruit! There are people in the household of Caesar himself that have given their lives to Jesus as a result!

Conclusion

Oh saints can you see it? In the midst of our persecution, God shows us through the life of Paul that we can not only endure the persecution, we can bear fruit from the very ranks of our persecutors themselves! Why? Because we are accompanied by the God of Shalom who gives us His peace that passes understanding and that enables us to do all things through Christ Jesus. With the full confidence that My God shall supply all my needs according to God’s glorious riches by Christ Jesus!

Let’s pray.

Bracha

Numbers 6:24–26 LHB

יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ יָאֵ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ יִשָּׂ֨א יְהוָ֤ה׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

Numbers 6:24–26 TLV

‘Adonai bless you and keep you! Adonai make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you! Adonai turn His face toward you and grant you shalom!’