P.S. I've Learned The Secret

It’s officially shopping season. We are right in middle of a series traditionally designated spending days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday. Then (if you have anything left), Giving Tuesday—a day for giving to a good cause.

Black Friday, in particular, has brought out some of our ugliest tendencies. One headline from this past week read Black Friday Mayhem: Brawls, Shots Fired, Guards Beating Back Angry Hordes. Merry Christmas! What a way to begin the giving season.

Human beings struggle in our relationship with stuff: needing/ wanting; having/not having / just got to have it! Many of us are familiar with the inward roller coaster: high when we’ve got it, low when when we don’t.

We are finishing a series today on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We’ve already considered the body of the letter and Paul’s main emphasis, and now we come to something like a letter’s postscript that speaks to our relationship with stuff and that inward roller coaster that goes with having, not having.

P.S. I’ve learned the secret...

Paul’s Postscript

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.

This letter is a response to the most recent gift sent from a church that had supported Paul’s mission work on numerous occasions, even when other churches were not. However, there had apparently been, for some reason, a “winter season” in which Paul had not heard from them.

He rejoices in this letter about this revived support. But he is careful in the way that he does it.

He commends them for their generosity

He makes clear that his work is neither dependent upon or motivated by their giving

Giving is God-Pleasing

While he is taking great care not to give them the wrong idea (associated with greedy itinerant philosophers of the day), Paul wants them to know that their gift mattered.

Begins: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly” (vs. 10)

Clarifies: “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.” (vs. 14)

Notes their exceptional giving: when Paul left their region, they continued to support him when others did not (vss. 15, 16)

Philippians 4:18 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.

He uses the words of Old Testament sacrifices to describe their gift. In other words, he says: “What you did for me, you did for God.”

Matthew 25:37–40 ESV

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Generosity like this is worship. God regards it as offered to him—and it pleases him.

Picture of Macey Brown, Lubbock 2nd Grader, with my friend Chad Wheeler, minister to a church for folks who live on the streets. “Macey made these blessing bags for our community all by herself. We hope she know what a blessing she is to us and our friends! ‘Your greatness is not what you have, it’s what you give.’”

Christ is Enough

Paul seems to be saying something similar in regard to the Philippian church, as my my friend Chad said of Macey. Their gift was blessing to Paul and a pleasing offering to God, but that was not the only cause for rejoicing. He rejoiced because of what great spiritual advantage this meant for the Philippian Christians.

Philippians 4:17 ESV

17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

Remember, Paul desired to see spiritual maturity, spiritual progress in the faith for the Philippian church. Their sacrificial generosity is a sign of maturity and, further, an opportunity for them to learn what Paul has learned: the secret.

In verse 11 and 12, Paul had explained that he was familiar with the low and the high of the roller coaster. And through it, he had learned secret for facing both. In a word, contentment. But it needed an explanation:

Philippians 4:13 ESV

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

“Contentment” was a virtue applauded by the Stoic philosophers, but by it they meant something like self-sufficiency—a need of no one and reliance on their own inner resources. Paul talks of being “content” but not self-sufficient. Only with the strength the Lord supplies can Paul be content through the highs and lows.

Verse 13 is a “famous” verse, but greatly misunderstood. I was visiting with a high school quarterback once who said: “That’s my verse!” This was his pre-game mantra that psyched him up to make the big plays. This verse is not about the Lord strengthening us to win ball games and live our dreams. This is a verse that says: In Jesus, I have enough. With him, I have enough when I win and when I fail. When I have, when I don’t have. When I’m praised and when I’m rejected… even when I’m imprisoned.

I probably thought for a moment about pointing out this young man’s shallow application of the verse, but I’m so glad I didn’t. God’s Word has a way of doing what God wants it to do even when we don’t fully grasp it. A couple of years later, I got a late-night call from him—his dad was dying. And through all the uncertainties and hurt, he was still clinging, rightly, to his verse: I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul brings the thought to a conclusion with this confidence: the Philippians Christians could count on this reality—this secret.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

This is what he wanted them to learn. It was not to say that they would never go through the ups and downs of plenty and hunger, abundance and need; it was to say that Christ would sustain and strengthen them for whatever they face. Christ is enough.

Conclusion

This is the secret to Joy No Matter What: Christ. No more, no less. There is no thing or relationship or experience or achievement that can fulfill you more. There is no hunger or hardship or loss or grief that he will not see you through.

The task, then, before us is to cultivate our relationship with the Lord in whatever situation we are in. To seek him. In hard times we may be tempted to think he’s abandoned us. In rich times we may be tempted to think we don’t don’t need him. Paul would say, in either spot, you’re missing what makes for joy: Christ.