We Minister with the Provisions of Christ

As you make your way there, let me just say that we are glad that you are here. If you are visiting or are new to the church, we encourage you to observe, watch, and listen. If you have any questions about the church, about the Bible, about the gospel—feel free to pull me or one of the elders aside after church to talk about any of those things.

We’re in Philippians 4:10-23.

Philippians 4:10–23 ESV

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.

PRAY

Introduction

Have you ever been following your GPS and it feels like it's taking you on the longest, most frustrating journey of your life? I had that experience once. It was taking me down these strange, winding roads, through sketchy neighborhoods, and even to a dead end. I was so frustrated. Finally, I looked at the settings and realized I had accidentally turned on 'avoid highways.' I was trying to get to my destination, but I had intentionally set a preference to avoid the most direct route.

That GPS setting is a perfect picture of how so many of us navigate life. We're on a journey, seeking joy and purpose, but we've got a setting turned on that says 'avoid Jesus.' Maybe we didn't do it on purpose, but the result is the same. We take detours to find joy in our possessions, strength in our status, and peace in our comfort. The world promises that these things will get us to our destination, but they only lead to dead ends, frustration, and disappointment. We get tired, we get lost, and we get worn out because we are trying to find contentment on a road that has intentionally avoided Christ.

But the Christian life doesn't have to be a frustrating search for contentment in a world that can't provide it. In Christ, we have everything we need. Paul, in this final chapter of his letter, is writing from a Roman prison, yet he is overflowing with joy, contentment, and a sense of purpose. He has learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need, because his fulfillment isn’t tied to what he has or doesn't have. It's tied to his relationship with Christ. He knows that true joy, true strength, and true fellowship are all provisions given by Christ. And it’s out of this relationship with Christ and His provisions that we are able to do gospel ministry together.

The title of our sermon today is “We Minister with the Provisions of Christ.” The first provision we see is Christ, the Source of Joy...

Christ, The Source of Joy

Philippians 4:10 ESV

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.

We don’t know what prevented the church from giving Paul the support that he needed. We’re told in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 that the Macedonians, of which the Philippians were a part of, gave out of their extreme poverty. It could have been that the severity of their poverty made it challenging to be consistent … perhaps! Or Paul’s being in prison made it hard to reach him. Or it could have been a combination of both, that their poverty may have hampered the ability of connecting with him. They didn’t have the International Missions Board or the North American Missions Board like we do to not only gather the funds from many sources, but to also facilitate the transfer of funds and support.

Paul doesn’t get on them for the lack of support that then got revived. He doesn’t turn them away. No! He’s joyful. His joy isn’t rooted in their performance, their faithfulness, or how great they are. In fact, their concern was 'dying,' and it had to be revived. His joy is rooted in something better, something greater than what they could ever be or do. The source of his joy is Christ Himself..

The question is how can joy in Christ withstand the ups and downs that we experience with each other that Paul clearly experienced with these people. If you could understand that, then maybe we can be better gospel partners for each other at Trinity … reaching this community … making Christ known.

It’s very possible in this church plant that we may have failed each other to the point that we had to revive our concern for each other. I was not here the entire three years of the church’s existence, so there’s stuff I don’t even know. I don’t necessarily need to know the details. I just need to know one thing: that Christ is the head of this church. As the head of the church He is your Lord and He is my Lord through whom we have joy.

In John 15 Jesus taught a lesson on the vine and the branches. He states that He’s the vine and we are the branch.

John 15:5 ESV

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

We need to know that we are in absolute need of Jesus to be fruitful. It’s just the reality of being a Christian. But he didn’t teach that to us for the sake of being fruitful. He says in John 15:11

John 15:11 ESV

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Paul says, I rejoice in the Lord greatly. His joy is not testimony of how awesome the Philippians are, but of how awesome and amazing Jesus is. I have relationship with Him. Through faith I am connected to Him. And even though it’s like this (up and down) between you and me I can have genuine joy even with a salvaged, renewed or revived concern on your part. It’s all good in Christ! Because on His part—Jesus—He never leaves me nor forsakes me. On His part, no one can snatch me out of His hands. On His part, He will be with me until the end of the age.

In Christ, not only do I not have to let my own shortcomings weigh me down (see 3:13, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead”), I don’t need to let your lack of concern weigh me down either. Christ gives me so much joy that I can punch through my shortcomings and your shortcomings, and press on and have real joy. After the Philippians revived their concern for him, Paul has genuine joy in the Lord that is thankful for them. It’s not fake! He’s really thankful because he’s really joyful.

Jesus is the source of Paul's joy, a joy that is unshaken by circumstances. This unshakable joy is rooted in the next provision Paul reveals: Christ, the Source of Strength.

Christ, The Source of Strength

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.

Here, Paul talks about being content through Christ’s strength, which puts our circumstances in the proper light. Your well being is not based on what the world has to offer, but on what Christ has to give you. True satisfaction is in Him, not in anything else.

I believe that Paul talks about contentment with his gospel ministry partners because none of us are immune to this thing. We are all going to struggle with treasuring other things more than Christ.

There are those who say that prosperity is THE blessing. If you have much material wealth, then you are blessed. If not, then this person will think that something is wrong with you. The only thing is, you can be discontent even when you have a lot of things because you want more. Even with much, it’s still not enough.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature that creates happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants.”

John D Rockefeller said, “The poorest man I know is a man who has nothing but money.”

Material things don’t satisfy. If that is the source of your happiness, it will fail you.

Others will say that poverty is THE blessing. “Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God” they would say, when actually that’s more about your character, who you are on the inside versus what’s going on on the outside. There are those who think that if you have less wealth, then you are blessed. That having much in this world would be some kind of curse or something … worldly and most likely sinful.

The problem with both of those ways of thinking … a prosperity gospel versus a poverty gospel … is it has nothing to do with Christ. The emphasis is in what you have or don’t have in this world. The emphasis is not Christ.

There’s a poem that posted on a popular newspaper column called “Dear Abbey” back in 2/14/1989, entitled “Present Tense”. Perhaps you can relate:

It was Spring,

But it was Summer I wanted,

The warm days,

And the great outdoors.

It was Summer,

But it was Fall I wanted,

The colorful leaves,

And the cool, dry air.

It was Fall,

But it was Winter I wanted,

The beautiful snow,

And the joy of the holiday season.

It was Winter,

But it was Spring I wanted,

The warmth,

And the blossoming of nature.

I was a child,

But it was adulthood I wanted,

The freedom,

And respect.

I was twenty,

But it was thirty I wanted,

To be mature,

And sophisticated.

I was middle-aged,

But it was twenty I wanted,

The youth,

And the free spirit.

I was retired,

But it was middle-age I wanted,

The presence of mind,

Without limitations.

My life was over.

But I never got what I wanted.

That was written by Jason Lehman at the age of 14. What a profound picture of human discontentment. We're always looking for the next thing. We're never satisfied. But Paul has learned the secret of enjoying any circumstance, and still being content. He does not base his life on what he has or does not have in this world. Instead, he says in verse 13, 'I can do all things through him who strengthens me.' That's where his satisfaction lies—it's in Christ.

The struggle with contentment is that we feel deprived somehow. We either want more or we don’t have enough.

What Paul is communicating here is that in Christ, you are not deprived. In Christ, you have everything you truly need. The strength that he supplies is in the present tense. It is ongoing in the believers life. If he has much, he’s content. He doesn’t need more. He has Christ; he has enough. If he is poor, he’s content. He has Christ; he has enough. He gives, He gives, He gives.

I know a brother who had to file for bankruptcy AS his two homes were being foreclosed. With a credit score that was going to be reduced to 0 and a credit report that was going to show this information for the next 7 years, what do you think a verse like this meant for a guy like him? On paper he can’t rent, let alone buy a house … so where was he going to live? Either Christ is sufficient or He’s not. In this situation, either He’s enough or He’s not. Long story short, for the next seven years this guy would go on one day at a time trusting His Savior to provide for His needs. Not only for his needs, but his family’s needs as well. On paper, he was not supposed to be able to, but in Christ he did.

Christ sufficiently gives you what you need each and every day to face all that life has to throw at you.

He’s the source of our joy, He’s the source of our strength and lastly here…

Christ, The Source of Fellowship

You are not alone! Do you believe that? You have relationship with God’s people and God Himself. First let’s talk about your relationship with God’s people. In our text they’re called “Partners.” Verse 14…

Partnership (Horizontal Fellowship)

Philippians 4:14–17 ESV

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.

On the surface, this partnership makes no sense. You have Paul, a missionary apostle, but he's stuck in prison. And you have the Philippians, a church in Macedonia, but they're a poor community. One is a missionary who can’t go, and the others are people who can’t afford to give. Yet, despite these obstacles, they came together through God’s grace to do something significant for the Lord. This is where the 'going' and the 'giving' came together.

Paul was the one going. He was sent by God to a new place—Thessalonica, about 40 miles away. As you know, that kind of ministry requires resources. The Philippians were the ones giving. They looked at Paul's mission and said, 'Paul, we can’t go with you, but we can send a part of ourselves with you through our resources. The gospel can’t be just for us; it must be for them too.'

Gospel partnership allows us to have each other to do great things in this world for the cause of Christ. Their giving in verse 15 gave Paul more than enough to do the work in verse 18. And as much as the church were eager to bless Paul, in this partnership Paul was eager to bless them in verse 17, “I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.”

Paul didn't receive their gifts out of greed; he received them out of ministry. He knew their giving would advance the gospel, but he also knew it would bring a spiritual blessing to them. Paul understood the spiritual reality that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

That spiritual reality became very clear to me the first time I received an honorarium after preaching. I didn't want to take it. 'Oh no,' I said, 'I'd do this for free.' The brother who gave it to me pulled me close and whispered, 'It is the church's blessing to give to you. Don't deprive them of this.' In that moment, I understood what Paul meant. I took great delight in receiving that check, not because of what it meant for me, but because I didn’t want to get in the way of the worship they were offering up to God.

This is the heart of gospel partnership. It’s when a group of people, with their own strengths and weaknesses, their own resources and needs, come together to achieve something greater than they could alone. This is what Christian horizontal fellowship looks like—a partnership with one another. But that is only one part of the story. The other part is our vertical fellowship with God, because as we'll see in verse 18, Christ is the source of our fellowship when it comes to our worship."

Worship (Vertical Fellowship)

Philippians 4:18–20 ESV

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.

In the eyes of God, the Philippians’ giving is received as true worship. Paul calls it a “fragrant offering” and an “acceptable and pleasing” sacrifice to God which is attached to a promise that God will take care of you according to the riches of the glory of His own Son. He will withhold no good thing from you. Your worship through giving and your active involvement in gospel partnership does not go unnoticed. God will meet your need and spare no expense.

And then when He actually meets your needs, who gets the glory when our needs are met? God does. What we get through faith in Jesus Christ is a relationship with God. The extent of our relationship is forever and ever because the glory we give to God, the worship that we bring Him, is forever and ever. The reason why Paul can use such language is because the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord and we have it. Because of Jesus you have a forever relationship, that offers forever worship, that is the forever and ever reality of every believer.

In Christ, you have a real relationship with God. He receives your worship and you will be with Him forever.

Final Greetings in Christ

As he concludes this letter in verses 21 - 23, let us not forget that Christ who is enough is the common bond we have as believers. We address, greet, and part ways with each other knowing that whatever is going on in our lives, it’s all good because Christ is in our lives. Christ gives us joy, Christ gives us strength and Christ gives us fellowship.

Philippians 4:21–23 ESV

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.

What’s striking about this is that there are Christian’s in Caesar’s household. This tells me that the mighty power of Rome cannot stop the mightier power of the gospel. Romans 1:16 says that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. And so what a fitting way to close. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” We are who are as believers by the grace found in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

The life I’ve been describing in this sermon—a life of joy, contentment, partnership, and worship—is only possible in Jesus Christ. Our sin robs us of these things. It separates us from God and leads to eternal ruin. But the Father sent His Son to die for our sins, to rescue us from that ruin and destruction, and to reconcile us to Himself. It's only through faith in Jesus Christ that we receive forgiveness and new life in Him. It’s only then that verse 13 becomes true: 'I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.'

Outside of Christ, our giving is empty. Our attempts at worship are in vain. Because apart from Him, we can do nothing. It's only by grace that we can have joy, contentment, partnership, and worship. Church, you’ve trusted Christ with your eternity. Now, follow that up by trusting Him with your today. Trust Him for joy today, for strength today, and for the fellowship you have today. And if you don’t know Him today, the offer of salvation is available to you right now.

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