God's Heart in Missions

Introduction

Thank you so much Grace Baptist Church for giving us the opportunity to present our ministry this evening. Before we go to the text this evening let me tell you something that had happened the past year to me and my family. When we moved to USA we went to live to Texas and we stayed there for 4 years. We had a wonderful life there with family, friends and church. When we started raising support we began in Texas and then we moved to New Jersey where our sending church is located. I would like to be honest with you. Moving from TX to NJ was really hard for us and we struggled with contentment.

First, raising support is a really hard job. You spent a lot of time calling pastor, sending email, recording voice message and many times you don’t see the fruit of your Job. One of the reasons why many missionaries give up becoming a missionary is for raising support. The average for a missionary to be fully funded is 4 years and more and many missionaries even can not get their support to go to the field so they finally give up and they try to find another job here in USA. For me was really hard for the fact that I am raising support in my second language

Second, loneliness. When we move from TX to NJ we left our family, our life group and church and we felt that we lost our community of people. We couldn’t built a community of people in NJ because we travel every Sunday to a different church to present our ministry so we felt really alone and the frustration grows and we start struggling with contentment.

Finally, when we move to NJ our sending church opened a missionary house for us to live and we are so grateful for that, but the house is located in the second most dangerous city in NJ. So we had to see how people sell drugs in front of our house, there is a lot of prostitution on the streets even you see who the ladies follow you when you are driving by yourself. So the discontentment grew and grew until the point I want to question God but in those moment the Lord gave me passage like the one we are going to study this evening.

Pray

Pray

Dear God, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to open my eyes this morning and see the wonderful creation that you may. Lord I pray this evening you help me as we go in our study. God use your servant tonight therefore your people can grown in their spiritual lives and can get closer to you. To the Lord be the glory, honor and power, Amen.

Context

Vamos a ir al libro de Filipenses en capitulo 4 pero antes de estudiar el texto quiero contarte algo de este libro. Pablo escribe este libro desde la cárcel. Este libro fue escrito en compañía de Efesios, Colosenses y Filemon. Pero este libro es especial porque Pablo escribe para agradecerle a la Iglesia por todo el amor que han tenido por el apóstol. Muchos han llamado a esta carta la carta del gozo porque Pablo siempre esta animando a las personas. Cuando uno lee esta carta puede ver como esta la situación del apóstol y con tanto cariño con que escribe esta carta.

We are going to open our bibles in the book of Philippians and we will be located in chapter 4, but before we read our text let me tell you something about this book. Paul wrote this letter from prison along with Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon. This letter is special because Paul wrote this letter in gratitude to the church, this letter wasn’t written to solve theology problems like Romans or sinful issues like Corinthians, it was written to give thanks for the love and offering that the apostle received. When we read this letter we can feel and realize Paul’s situation, he wrote this letter in the 62 and he is going to be murder 2 years later. This letter is so emotional for that reason many people call this book his letter of joy.

We are going to open our bibles in the book of Philippians and we will be located in chapter 4, but before we read our text let me tell you something about this book. Paul wrote this letter from prison along with Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon. This letter is special because Paul wrote this letter in gratitude to the church, this letter wasn’t written to solve theology problems like Romans or sinful issues like Corinthians, it was written to give thanks for the love and offering that the apostle receive. When we read this letter we can feel the situation of Paul, he wrote this letter in the 62 and he is going to be murder 2 years later. This letter is so emotional for that reason many people call the letter the letter of joy.

Read with me

Filipenses 4.10–13 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.

Philippians 4

The heart of the servant of the Lord

The Servant’s Heart of God

Since we started our journey as missionaries many people came to me and ask me how can you leave your family and friends to go to live in another country? People also told me “I want serve the Lord but I can’t leave my family and life.”So I found these verses the answer for those who ask me that and also how a missionary life looks like.

I founded the answer to that questions in this verses and if I can summarize this four verse in one sentence I will say this

These verses define how the heart of a servant is like, if I can summarize these verses in a sentence it would be the The servant’s heart of God is like someone that HAS LEARNED TO LIVE IN EACH SITUATION and finds STRENGTH IN CHRIST.

These verses are to define what the heart of a servant of God is like and if we can summarize these 5 verses in a prayer it would be the heart of a servant of God who is LEARNING TO LIVE IN EACH SITUATION STRENGTHENING IN CHRIST.

Paul clarifies although he is in jail and his situation is difficult, he has found the secret of being content regardless the situation in which he finds himself.

Let’s go to see what is the situation of the apostle and review a little of bit of his life. He is in prison, He knows how to be brought low vs 12, he knows what it is to be well fed or hungry, abundance and need, but he is a prisoner of the Roman empire. We know the Roman empire was cruel and harsh with christians. The tie the feet of the Christians to a horse carriage and went to the coliseum to show their power and how they will treat those who change their faith to christianity, but and even in that situation He said “I am not saying this because I am in need” How can Paul say he is not in need?

He said “I am not saying this because I am in need” because Paul is not trying to receive or get something from the church.

Verses 11 and 12 gave us an idea. He said I have learned in whatever situation to be content and I have learned the secret . he knows to be in poverty, hungry, in need and even in those situation being content. How he can do that ? because vs 13 He learned the secret of do all thing through Christ who strengthens him

The apostle's experiences throughout his life have led him to poverty and humiliation as well as having more during his pilgrimage. It is evident that an evaluation of the life of the apostle gives us the assurance that Paul is not lying in his words, he literally knows what it is to live in poverty, in hunger and in scarcity, he was stoned, he was castaway and the list can go on and on.

Paul says that he knows what it is to live in each one of the circumstances, to be in poverty or in abundance, to be satiated as if to be hungry, to be left over as to suffer shortages. The apostle's experiences throughout his life have led him to poverty and humiliation as well as having more during his pilgrimage. It is evident that an evaluation of the life of the apostle gives us the assurance that Paul is not lying in his words, he literally knows what it is to live in poverty, in hunger and in scarcity.

In the same way since he has experienced all those things, he can also say that he knows what it is to live in abundance, to have plenty, to be satiated, but the question is: How can he be satisfied in any situation? The key to these verses is found in the Greek word μεμύημαι which means knowing a secret or in a more specific way, being initiated, discovering special information. Paul has gone through so many events throughout his ministry that he can say that he has learned or knows the secret of being satisfied in any situation.

What is the apostle's special secret in difficult situations. In poverty, in hunger or in shortage is to be strengthen in Christ. Literally Paul says that he can face any situation in life because his strength comes from Christ. The implications of this text lead us to say that in situations of high despair the only rest we will find is when we run to Christ because only Christ can give us the peace that the world does not give. Only in Christ do we have rest for our souls. Only in Christ do we have an inheritance in heaven and only Christ can strengthen us in great anguish.

Again, The servant’s heart of God is like someone that HAS LEARNED TO LIVE IN EACH SITUATION and finds STRENGTH IN CHRIST.

Let's read the second part of the text

Filipenses 4.14–18 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. 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.

filipenses 4:

The Church’s Heart of God

The second group of verses Paul writes to thank God for all the help he has received from the Church. If we could summarize all these verses in a setence it would be THE church’s heart of God is seen by participating and helping in the needs of God's servants.

Look how verse 10 says they have revived your concern for me, 14 It was kind of you to share my troubles, verse 15 says you only partnership with me in giving and receiving,, verse 16 says you sent me help for my needs once and again. This reveals how the church was worried about Paul’s condition.

One of the things that is very frequent among churches and missionaries is that after a while when the missionaries go to the field. A disconnection is created between churches and missionaries, Missionaries and churches lose contact. In Paul's time the only way to maintain relationships was a visit to the Church or through letters. With this Church it was not so, but they showed interest in the life of the apostle. Several times they sent offerings to Paul to meet all the needs he had and even sent over. Look at verse 18 says

Filipenses 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.

I want you to be very careful with the last words of the Apostle. When he says a fragrant offerings, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God . I want you to understand that Paul does not say this just because for the offering. The reality is that the churches in the area were poor. Paul says in that they had extreme poverty and despite of that they abounded in generosity

A perfect illustration for this comes from a pastor here in the United Statesm about a offering he receive for someone in his church. This is how he tells the story. His hands trembled as he put the crumpled bill into my pocket. "It's for missions," he said almost to my ear. I remembered that the old man only received $ 18.00 monthly as a pension, and from that he had already tithe. "I'm sorry, but I can't take this money," I said, "I know you have too little for your own expenses." His eyes looked at me steadily and severely when he said: "Pastor, just because I'm poor, are you going to deny me the privilege of giving for a cause I love so much?" E. Grindstaff.

That is why Paul wrote a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Finally we can go to the conclusion of this sermon.

Dependence on God's Provision

Filipenses 4.19–20 ESV

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 this world of missions where servants of God and Churches live, I want to tell you something important. Missionaries live for offerings and churches are maintained by offerings. The beauty of these last two verses is that Paul makes it clear to us that God will provide us but as a clarification. Paul does not say that we will receive everything we want and God will give us everything we ask. What he does say is that He is going to provide everything we need. We may need money for food and gas for the car and I deeply believe that God is going to take care of us and will provide somehow. The beauty of this text, brothers and sisters, is that it is a work together to give and receive offerings, helping people in need is a work of all that teaches us to depend on God and not on ourselves.

APLICATIONS

If you are a person who wants to serve the Lord or who feels that God has called you to the ministry. The first thing to do is evaluate yourself and know if you have the ability to adapt to any situation. Leaving family, friends, home in some cases and finally that halfway you quit and say this is not for me.

I believe that the best way you can support missionaries or people in need within the Church is when you make a budget. Where you can know how much money you are spending on coffee or food outside and evaluate and say this week I will drink less coffee and I will help someone in need by giving this special offering.

Finally these are my words as a missionary and I am going to speak from my heart. One of the things we feel and pray is that you maintain a deep connection with your missionaries. Read their newsletters, try to call them to see what is going on in their lives. Can you imagine that Paul wrote all these letters to the churches and the people but instead to read them they ignored them and said we don't need to read his letters, we already sent an offering and he is probably fine. Please when you receive a newsletter from your missionaries try to read it.