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Introduction – A Test
I want to begin this morning by giving you a simple test.
True or False: the Bible says “there is no God.”
True or False: the Bible says “make for yourself an idol.”
True or False: the Bible says “take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”
Are these phrases found in the Bible?
Yes, absolutely, without question.
Is that what the Bible means when it says those things?
No, absolutely not.
Why not?
Because those words have been taken out of context, haven’t they?
They have literally been separated from the words that surround them.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is, in part, a letter of gratitude for the financial gift they sent him through Epaphroditus.
He expresses his gratitude in Philippians 4:10-19.
In this passage he makes two statements that are very profound, and also very often misquoted and misused.
We need to remember that the meaning of the Scripture IS the Scripture.
We can only understand the meaning of the Scripture when we let the Bible speak for itself, reading it in it’s own context.
These two statements by Paul are really wonderful, and feed our souls, when we understand what they actually mean.
Today and next week we will examine them in more detail.
Three minutes on Biblical Giving
Here’s what the Bible says about giving.
First, God expects His people to give.
Second, God expects His people to give voluntarily.
No one is sent a bill.
No one comes to collect.
It’s really a matter between each person and the Lord.
Third, giving means sharing the load of ministry.
Their gift to Paul is described as
When we give to the work of the Gospel and the church, we become partners in that work.
The Misused Verse
It is hugely merchandised:
It’s put on t-shirts, posters, wall art, coffee mugs, sports uniforms, exercise mats, purses, bracelets, water bottles, acrylic blocks, jewelry, socks, phone cases, pendants, keychains, sweatshirts, travel mugs, hats.
One plaque adds the words “You’ve Got This” to the verse.
One t-shirt eliminates the unnecessary, and simply reads, “I can do all things.”
You can put your baby in this onesie, but “all things” doesn’t apply to sleeping through the night.
It’s in King James English, which is right, because without teeth all babies lisp.
The gist misuse of Philippians 4:13 is the assumption that it means that you can win in every circumstance.
So athletes quote it as a good-luck charm.
Dieters quote it to help them lose weight.
You might hear it from employees who want a promotion, or voters who want a certain bill to pass.
Sadly, we often hear it from those who are suffering from cancer and other terrible diseases, as a claim that they are going to beat the disease.
And what happens when the team loses, or the weight stays on, or the promotion goes to another person, or the cancer takes someone’s life?
At the very least, people lose their confidence in the Word of God, and the authority of Scripture is diminished.
The Word becomes a source of inspirational quotes that make people feel better for a moment, but don’t actually mean anything.
And at the worst, people lose their confidence in the God of the Word, and God Himself is seen to be distant or even untrustworthy.
Understanding it Rightly
My test phrases were all false, because I took them out of context, and changed their meaning.
We can only understand the Word of God in its own context.
So, what’s the context of Philippians 4:13?
Learning …
Paul learned to be content.
Paul knew (because he learned) how to get along with little, any how to live with prosperity.
Paul learned the secret of being filled and going hungry.
Paul learned the secret of having abundance and suffering need.
Learning under Extreme Circumstances
In verse 11 he speaks of “whatever circumstances” he is in.
That means both “humble means” and “prosperity.”
That means both “being filled” and “going hungry.”
That means both “having abundance” and “suffering need.”
Learning under Extreme Circumstances By God’s Design
He couldn’t “do all things” on his own strength or wisdom or faith.
He couldn’t even “do all things through Christ,” setting his eyes on the Lord, focusing his attention on the Lord, taking Jesus as an example, and then making it work.
Paul was able to “do all things” through Christ who strengthened him to do all things.
How did he learn to be content?
Obviously, God reduced Paul to humble means, and going hungry, and suffering need.
And, God richly provided for Paul’s prosperity, so that he was filled, and had abundance.
Paul learned because the Lord sovereignly and providentially managed every single circumstance, so that he learned the lesson.
What was the lesson?
Was it the coffee cup – wall hanging – infant onesie version, that YOU can do ANYTHING and WIN it ALL because you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and darn it, God likes you!
Nope; that’s not it.
It was the lesson that God is sovereign over every single circumstance of life, and providentially cares for and provides for His children according to His will and His glory.
Everything that happened to Christ’s people has passed through God’s hands.
There is nothing accidental.
There is nothing random.
There is no opposition or harm from others that sneaks past the eyes of the Great Shepherd of our souls.
Satan himself is limited by God’s permission and design.
Paul had a secret, but wasn’t a very well-kept secret.
He relied daily on the sovereignty and providence of God, and was content to do so.
You can rest yourself entirely upon these two truths.
First, God’s Glory Is Supreme
God’s glory is first and foremost, always.
Now, we can look at individual events and not see how God could possibly be glorified.
That’s partly true because we are so limited, not only by our own humanity, but by our fallen nature.
But it’s also true because God’s glory is building toward a point of full revelation, when everyone will see the glory of God.
The masterful nature of God’s work will not be seen until He has brought the end of all things to pass, and we are in the eternal state.
Then, and only then, will we be able to look at the individual components and events of our lives and see His very fingerprints on every single aspect.
Second, Our Good Is God’s Purpose
The Bible doesn’t say that every specific circumstance or event is good.
It says that God causes all things to work together for our good.
In 1991 I suffered a terrible knife wound that took dozens of staples to close up.
That sounds awful, but it was part of a surgery that saved my life.
Many of the elements of the surgery were terrible, but the surgeon put them together to do a good thing.
Paul knew, and we know by faith in the Word of God, that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose.
This means that Paul did not try to evaluate every single event to see if that circumstance, all by itself, was as good as good can be.
Instead, He chose to trust in the sovereign God who has promised.
And that’s the secret.
It isn’t hard to grasp, but it is hard to accept.
But if you can accept it:
if you can really throw yourself into the arms of the living God,
and trust that His Word is true,
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