Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer

Introduction

Thanksgiving is just about upon us.

I don’t know about your households, but in mine, there has been a flurry of activity.

Washing linens, cleaning under and around things, making shopping lists, etc. etc. etc.

This time of year can be incredibly busy, and we are often quick to forget what Thanksgiving is all about.

So, what I want to do this morning is use the last few verses of Philippians as an opportunity to look back over the letter and see how much reason we have for joy and thankfulness.

Passage

Our passage this morning is .

If you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

We do this to show appreciation to God for His Word and in recognition that these are among the most important words we can hope to hear today.

says,

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

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

The brothers who are with me greet you.

All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Thank you, you may be seated.

Sermon

If we take a moment to think back over the letter to the Philippians, you might remember how often Paul talks about joy.

In fact, joy and rejoicing is one of the key themes throughout the letter.

As soon as Paul finished his opening greeting, the first thing out of his mouth – well, the first thing off of his pen is thanksgiving and joy.

Look with me at

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

From beginning to end, Paul frames his letter in joy.

Paul fully recognizes that all the good things in his life – especially his partnership with the Philippians – comes from God.

So, God receives the thanks and the praise, even though there are numerous people directly and personally involved.

This is always Paul’s model, and I’ve mentioned it before, but I think it is worth mentioning again – When Paul is thankful for a person or group of people for their kindness, he almost always thanks God for them.

At first that might seem odd to us, after all, I want the appreciation for my kindness and good deed, I want to be honored, but it is really the right way to give thanks.

It actually elevates the kindness and the person being kind.

When we thank God for people’s kindness towards us, we rightly recognize that they are instruments of goodness in God’s hands.

It elevates them and their act of kindness.

We should also remember, that for Paul, joy and thanksgiving are not conditional on having good things happen to him.

Even in prison, with some people trying to afflict Paul, his response isn’t anger or malice, but joy to God.

Look at with me.

“The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

What then?

Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice”

Paul rejoices in everything.

“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering, I rejoice.”,

Paul says.

Paul rejoices in good times and terrible times.

How?

How on earth can he tell the Philippians to rejoice with him while he is in prison?

Is there some secret to joy and thanksgiving?

Is Paul simply telling the Philippians to suck it up; put a smile on; cheer up; fake it until they make it?

Is Paul’s joy that shallow?

Only skin deep?

No, definitely not.

Paul repeatedly calls the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord.

The reason there can be joy and thanksgiving is because of who Christ is and what He has done.

Look with me to It says,

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Do you see what was central to Paul’s joy? Knowing Christ.

Here Paul basically lays out the Gospel – Rejecting everything as garbage and turning to Christ.

Realizing that I have no righteousness, no goodness in myself.

If I am going to be acceptable to God, it can never be based on my power, or my merit, or my goodness.

It must be based on Christ’s righteousness.

It is through faith that we can be found in Christ, given Christ’s perfect righteousness from God.

So that when we stand before God in judgment, we will be clean and pure, and we will know the power of Christ’s resurrection.

If you are trusting in Christ, then you have good reason to rejoice and be thankful.

Let me go one step further, you have EVERY reason for joyful thanksgiving.

With that understanding, Paul can assuredly say that his God will supply every need of yours.

Paul has had every one of his needs met, and He knows God will do the same for the Philippians.

But a word of caution here.

What we think our needs are, and what God knows our needs are often very different things.

Sometimes people will take this passage and make it say what it does not say.

God is not going to give you every want.

Nor does it meant that you will not have terrible times.

Paul is writing from prison, after all.

God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory.

Think about that, how rich is God in glory?

Short answer?

Very rich!

But let’s be careful here.

Sometimes when we start thinking about things like riches in glory, we tend to actually get off track a little bit.

We might start imagining pearly gates, and streets of gold, or mansions.

We might even imagine and opulent throne room, but I think that misses the point.

Not that those things aren’t really cool, but even they aren’t the most valuable thing in glory.

Christ is.

Christ is God’s riches in glory.

Christ is God’s beloved Son.

The Father created the entire universe, including you and me – for Christ Jesus.

Christ is the riches in glory.

Hasn’t Paul’s primary point throughout the letter been to look to Christ?

To have joy in Christ?

To live and have the mind of Christ?

Let’s look to really quickly so that we can see that this language of Christ being the riches is not unique or surprising.

says,

“To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Do you see?

The riches of glory is Christ.

Let’s not miss this point.

We have the riches of glory – which is Christ – because we are in Christ.

Paul is so confident that God will supply our every need because if we are trusting in Christ, we already have all of our needs met – because we have Christ who is more valuable than everything else combined.

So, as we live our lives, and good things happen and bad things happen.