Sermon Tone Analysis

Philippians 4:10-19

Seeking Fruit for Your Credit

 

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.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

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.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Yet, it was kind of you to share my trouble.

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.

Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

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

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.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.[1]

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magine that our congregation had managed to scrape together a considerable amount of cash in order to help one of our former members do humanitarian missionary work in Africa.

After some time, we received word back—a long letter, in fact—which goes on and on about how we as a church might better serve the Lord here in Dawson Creek.

However, there is nary a word concerning the gift.

Surprisingly, at the end of the letter, with a kind of “by the way,” the gift is mentioned.

Even so, more time is spent on how little the gift was really needed than on expressing gratitude itself.

I suppose that we would be a bit miffed.

Both our secular and spiritual cultures expect something better of friends, and no one likes an ingrate.

Some people, reading the Book of Philippians feel this way about Paul.

Carrying our own feelings about our pretend “missionary friend” back into Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a form of cultural gaffe.

It is a clear reflection that we cannot really imagine a culture in which such things might be done differently.

It is true, however, that this particular letter which Paul wrote to the First Baptist Church in Philippi is written according to the expected custom of Greco-Roman friendship.[2]

First, the writer addresses his major concerns about the people to whom gratitude is owed, though throughout the letter friendship is presupposed.

At last, the point of the letter, thanks for the generous gift, is offered.

What is especially important to notice is that the Apostle sees this gift as evidence of friendship renewed and seeks reciprocity for those who reveal themselves to be his friends.

In fact, it is his statement in the *seventeenth verse* which is of particular interest for this study.

The Apostle avers to the Philippians that he seeks fruit that increases to the credit of this generous church.

He says that he sees their gift as an investment which will result in a return.

This is a truth which we must explore, for as a people, we are encouraged to participate in the advance of the Faith through our giving.

Is there a profit?

Philippi was the entry point for the message of Christ to enter Europe.

Here, in Philippi of Macedonia, there were no Christians when Paul came as the first missionary.

He had persevered, in spite of severe persecution, and in a very short ministry, the missionary band had established a small congregation.

Though small in numbers, the First Baptist Church of Philippi was great in the sight of God.

As Paul continued his expansion ministry, the Philippian congregation had sent him support repeatedly.

From the tone of his letter, it would appear that the Apostle had the joyful experience of receiving “just in time” the gifts which the Philippians sent.

As an aside of no small consequence, God does not often provide us a surplus in anticipation of crises.

Instead, it would appear that the more common situation is that God supplies what is required to further His work, as it is needed.

Because the Philippians had proved generous toward the ministry in which Paul was engaged, he responded with this letter of gratitude.

As already mentioned, the issue I ask us to focus on is not the gift, but the response of the Apostle to the gift.

In particular, I want us to take careful note of the concept of blessing in return for the gift.

It is a concept which is distorted among many evangelicals.

That does not change the basic truth, however, that God does bless those who are generous toward His Kingdom work.

The Investment God Seeks — 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.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

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.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

With these words, the Apostle makes it clear that the investment God seeks is the person, and not the person’s money.

In a passage which instructs us in similar truth, Paul writes of the churches of Macedonia.

Listen to the commendation of the churches of Macedonia which he wrote to the Achian church in Corinth.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us [*2 Corinthians 8:1-5*].

What a commendation!

The churches of Macedonia first gave themselves.

Who were these Macedonian Christians?

They were the saints comprising the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea.

However, it is this Philippian church which is foremost in the Apostle’s mind as he writes these words to the Corinthians.

Consequently, the receptions which the missionaries received in Thessalonica and Berea were not so very different from that which they received in Philippi.

They were beaten and jailed in Philippi.

In Thessalonica, they were run out of town and placed under a peace bond.

Likewise, agitators stirred up a mob in Berea to run the missionaries out of town.

The Macedonian churches were born in an atmosphere of hatred and bitter persecution.

Thus, when the Apostle thought of the Philippian Christians, he did not think of wealthy people, but rather of saints compelled to exhibit courage and grace in the midst of hostility and vituperation.

These Philippians revealed the grace of God in the most unlikely and most unimaginable of all situations.

We are careful as a congregation not to stress the need for moneys during our services of worship.

I take great pains to ensure that those sharing our service realise that giving is an act of worship.

We do not say to those visiting our service, “Welcome, give us your money.”

Neither do we compel those who are members to contribute a set amount.

This is not to say that it requires no moneys to operate the church.

We choose not to make a great deal of the need, but the need is present.

I should point out that the mark of a mature Christian is generosity, and we respect those who choose to live sacrificially, but such sacrifice must always be voluntary.

It is my responsibility to teach the great truths of the Word of God, including that which calls each Christian to be a servant, but we are also convinced that ever and always God will provide through the prompting of His Holy Spirit at work in His people.

Of course, it cost money to maintain the facilities, to provide for light and heat, to care for the costs of daily ministries.

We provide benevolence as required to our own members and to the community in which we live.

In order to set the pastor free to focus on the ministry of the Word, we provide an adequate stipend so that he will not be distracted from that work to which God has appointed him.

We share in the world-wide outreach of our Canadian Baptist Ministries and the work of the Baptist Union of Western Canada through forwarding a portion of our funds to those entities.

It does cost money to run a church, and as we continue to grow, we may anticipate that the costs of operating the church will increase as well.

As Baptists, we are convinced that the greatest need is for each Christian to be committed to Christ Jesus the Lord.

Those who are committed to Jesus our Master are also called to be committed to one another and to be committed to the vision of the church.

If our people have a commitment to Christ as Lord of life, He will direct them in the act of worship through giving.

It is the work of the ministry to provide a vision for the people and to articulate that vision so that all can be united and so that all can clearly recognise where God is leading the congregation.

Moreover, if we understand that Jesus is Master of life and if we are committed to one another and committed to the vision of the church, we will invest our lives in one another.

We will be convinced that we are administrators of the grace of God, responsible not only to contribute of our finances for the work of the ministry, but we will be convinced that we have a responsibility to invest our very lives in one another.

The summation of all that I have said to this point is that those who are committed to Christ the Lord and committed to the congregation which He is building will find ways in which to invest themselves in one another.

You will recall that the purpose you received God’s Spirit and the gift(s) with which He endowed you at salvation was precisely so that you could participate in the great work of the Body of Christ.

That great work is to build one another up the Faith, to encourage one another, and to console each other.

This is the Apostle’s emphasis in *1 Corinthians 14:3*.

As Christians, each of us should ask how our participation in the worship of the church builds up our fellow worshippers.

Each of us should ask how our participation encourages another.

Each of us should be concerned to know how our participation in the life of the Body consoles those who share the service with us.

Certainly, this will involve giving from our finances as we determine under God’s leadership, but even more vital is the investment of our particular gifts as we serve one another in love and as we constantly find how to build up, to encourage and to console.

I know that some among us are on fixed income and they wonder what they can give.

I have throughout the years had individuals come to me, concerned that they had little to share.