A Privileged Partnership

Take your Bibles and turn to
the book of Philippians. We find ourselves in Philippians
4. And I began realizing this past week that the first time
that I ever taught through the book of Philippians was to our
college group more than 18 years ago. I taught it to the first
church in which I pastored. approximately 17 years ago, and
it was at that time that I really seized upon the title of our
message this morning, a privileged partnership. At the time that I went through
the book of Philippians and largely because of the verses that lie
before us, verses 10 through 19, I began rethinking a lot
of my own understanding with regards to missions and the church’s
relationship with missionaries. And as feeble and undeveloped
as it was, it did spark a time of deeper study and consideration
for me regarding the whole subject. And that whole thing led me to
a justly critical eye at much of what takes place in the church
with regards to missions. Incredibly, there are a myriad
of different ministries out there, all in the name of missions, with the so-called purpose of
advancing the gospel, all vying for the same precious missions
dollar. I also discovered during the
course of my study the overwhelming percentage of the missions dollar
that goes to, quote unquote, administrative costs, and that
was grievous. I discovered also some highly
subsidized ministries that were unbelievably ineffective. that
if it were the business world, such approaches would be scrapped
almost instantaneously. There were many so-called ministries
that were, if not in direct competition with the local church, essentially
undermined its authority. I came in time to a conviction
that missionaries are to be elder qualified men And that their
primary purpose is to go out and to preach the word. They
are a believe scripture lays out to us to be sent out by local
churches, ultimately to plant other local churches. Another little tidbit that I
discovered along the way, as I looked at missions and missionaries,
was that there was almost a a crass approach to missionaries
needing to be bivocational. That that was almost expected
that a missionary would do that. That a missionary would spend
a bulk of his time in a bivocational approach. That’s, after all, biblical,
right? In the sense that Paul was a
tent maker. And they take that whole model
and they run with it and they want to just voice that upon
every ministry. But if you look even at Paul’s
ministry, that was never the ideal. I also discovered that
often in churches, there is a real cold indifference as to the real
needs of the missionary in the field. This is what I termed
at the time, the fundum and forgetum approach. The fundum and forgetum
mentality. Give them the check. That’s the
easy part. And then once they’re out of
sight, they’re out of mind. I discovered as well a glaring
lack of the church’s regular, substantial participation in
the work of the mission. And other than funding it, other
than sending the missionary a check, there is almost no involvement
with the actual work in the field. I also discovered, and I by no
means am criticizing large churches, if large churches can support
accurately and effectively a thousand missionaries, that’s great. But
I did notice that there is occasional pride that surrounds the tendency
to spread the missions budget so thin by supporting a great
number and a great diversity of missionaries. This whole subject
ultimately led me. To desire to one day have what
I termed a missions liaison. One that would be in deep and
regular communion and conversation with the missionaries in the
field and one who would act as a planner for events for the
church to go and to minister to the missionaries and with
the missionary. One who would be the point man
for maintaining that vibrant and active relationship with
the church’s respective missionaries. that remains a dream. But the passage before us proved
to be extremely beneficial to me. It did then, and it led me
to an ongoing study that continues even to today. How can we do
missions in a biblical way? I believe that the passage in
front of us is of crucial importance Toward the understanding of missions
and more particularly the relationship of the church and the mission. Let me give you the context. Of Philippians chapter four. Verses 10 through 19, Paul is
wrapping up his letter to the church in Philippi. And he returns
one more time to one of the prominent reasons that he even wrote to
them, that of acknowledging a monetary gift to him, the missionary. Paul here, as one said, reaches
the matter which was one of the main reasons for sending the
letter, the desire to express his gratitude for the gift with
which the Philippian church had sent to him. Paul was thankful. Paul was so thankful for the
work of God that had been done in the Philippian church, even
if they never wrote him a single check. They were saved. They were joyful. They were energetic
and vibrant. They reached out. They grew in
Christ. But they participated in his
ministry. You know, Paul had already acknowledged
this. Look back, flip back, if you
would, to chapter one, verse five. Essentially, Paul says, I thank
my God in view, verse five, of your participation in the gospel
from the first day until now. Now, we looked at it and there’s
no doubt that that means locally that they proclaimed Christ.
We know that. But what this really is pointing
to is that they funded his ministry. They supported Paul as a missionary. They participated in the gospel
ministry by supporting Paul. Paul recognized the participation
of others in the spreading of the good news, that it was not
just God’s initial work in their lives, that salvation that they
enjoyed, but it was their evangelistic enthusiasm that carried forth
in that support. That participation, that fellowship
refers to wholehearted partnership. It was all of them and all of
Paul working together for a common purpose. That little word fellowship
is a recurring theme in Philippians. Philippians 2.1, 3.10, 4.15.
Paul loved fellowship and he loved fellowship for nothing
greater than fellowship for the sake of the gospel. Fellowship goes far beyond ice
cream socials, doesn’t it? Fellowship to Paul ultimately
was fellowship in and for the sake of salvation. The salvation
of the lost. Fellowship for Paul was the fellowship
of the Gospel. The Philippians, in cooperating
with the spread of the Gospel, had in a number of occasions
taken the form of supplying the Apostle’s needs. Supplying him
with funds. And in that sense, every convert
in the Philippian church was a missionary, even if they never
left Philippi. They were participants. They
were in the fellowship of the gospel. They were in a privileged
partnership. As one described it, this fellowship,
this koinonia has for the generic idea that of common participation. Maybe a palpable co-partnery
It may be participation in monetary generosity, but it denotes participation
or a community of interest in whatever had the gospel for its
object. All that belonged to the defense
and propagation of the gospel was a matter of common concern
to them, so that even if a saint merely fell on his knees on a
regular basis for the Apostle Paul, he was considered to be
a partner in full standing, a card carrying member. What was the fellowship? What
was this partnership? One outlined a number of different
aspects. Certainly, it included their
acceptance of the gospel in faith. Certainly, it included their
identification with its aims, that of converting others. Certainly,
it included their cooperation in preaching and spreading it,
that when they went to work, when they went to the marketplace,
when they went back home, they were to take Christ and preach
Christ and proclaim Christ. Certainly, it included their
expression of sympathy with the apostle in all of his afflictions. In other words, certainly as
they bowed their knee for for others, they certainly included
the apostle in those prayers. But ultimately, it included the
sending of monetary contributions. In Philippians, chapter two,
verse twenty five, Paul alluded to it as well. Paul said, I thought it necessary
to send to you Epaphroditus, who you may remember, was the
emissary with the monetary gift that came to Paul. And Paul said,
look, the best thing I can do is send your brother right back
to you. He says, I thought it necessary to send you a papyrus,
my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier who is also
your messenger and minister to my need. He’s acknowledging the
gift that he brought. In Philippians, chapter two,
verse 30, he says this. Speaking of. Epaphroditus, he
says he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his
life to complete what was deficient in your service to me. I don’t
believe that there’s a rebuke there at all. He just says that
you had purposed one thing. It hadn’t yet been completed.
Epaphroditus finished it, almost killing himself in the process.
Whether it was some kind of sickness that he contracted on his journey,
who knows what? But he says, Paproditus knocked
himself silly just to get this gift to my hands. Paul was extremely thankful for
this gift. Paul was extremely thankful for
the fellowship in the gospel, for the partnership, the privileged
partnership in which the Philippians had engaged. And with that, would
you look at Philippians 4, beginning in verse 10. The passage is there
in the bulletin with place for notes if you choose. Philippians
4, verse 10, But I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last
you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned
before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with
humble means and I know how to live in prosperity. In any and
every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and
going hungry, of both having abundance and suffering need.
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless,
you have done well to share with me in my affliction. And you
yourselves know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of
the gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared
with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone. For even in Thessalonica, you
sent a gift more than once for my needs Not that I seek the
gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your
account. But I have received everything
in full. And have an abundance, I am amply supplied. Having received
from a papyrus what you have sent a fragrant aroma, an acceptable
sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your
needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. This is a partnership. That had
been going on for some time. This wasn’t new. This was a vibrant,
long lasting, durable partnership. Let me take you all the way back
to Acts chapter 16, just by way of a flyover to see exactly how
this partnership started. The characteristic magnanimity
of the Philippian church began almost the instant that the church
was founded. This was a joyful and a giving,
a generous church, and you can see it from the earliest moments
of the church. Look at Acts chapter 16. And
the first convert in Lydia. In verse 13, it records on the
Sabbath day, we went outside to the gate to a riverside, we
were supposing that there would be a place of prayer and we sat
down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. And
a certain woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller
of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening. And the
Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household
had been baptized, she urged us, saying, if you if you have
judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and
stay. And she prevailed upon us from
the very first convert. There was this magnanimity, there
was this generosity. There was this look, you have
given me the greater thing in the gospel of salvation. Let
me give you the lesser in a meal, in a place to stay. That’s her
immediate response. She immediately offered what
hospitality she could to Paul and to his friends. One of the
chief characteristics of the Philippian church as it would
grow and advance. And you know the story, how it
goes on. Paul begins preaching there in the city of Philippi.
Ultimately, he is arrested and thrown in jail. And during the
course of that jail sentence, there is another household converted. Look down at verse twenty five
about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying, singing hymns of
praise to God and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly
there came a great earthquake so that the foundation of the
prison house was shaken. And immediately all the doors
were open and everyone’s chain were unfastened. And when the
jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison
doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
supposing that the prisoners had escaped. This would be the
choice of honor for a prison guard. For the sake of losing
prisoners, but note the mercy of the apostle Paul. Paul cried
out, verse 28, with a loud voice saying, do yourself no harm,
for we are all here. We’re not going anywhere. We
don’t need bars to keep us here. God put us here. And he called for lights and rushed
in and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
After he brought them out, he said, sirs, what must I do to
be saved? They said, believe in the Lord
Jesus. You shall be saved, you and your household. And they
spoke the word to him together with all who were in the house.
And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their
wounds. And immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his
house and he set food before them and he rejoiced greatly,
having believed in God with his whole household. two households characterized
the Philippian church. And from that very moment, from
that moment forward, the Philippian church would be characterized
by a magnanimous heart, a giving heart that would give even beyond
their means. We don’t even know what that
looks like, do we, in our day and age? Let me give you the
background and the circumstances. of this gift that Epaphroditus
brought. That’s the purpose of the letter
after all. Paul left Philippi shortly after. He arrived in Thessalonica and
as this epistle already acknowledged, more than once while Paul was
ministering in Thessalonica, the Philippians sent a gift to
minister to his needs. He ministered there Thessalonica
for only three Sabbaths, three Sundays. And in three short Sundays,
the Philippians sent monetary gifts. He enjoyed a large response
from the Gentiles and a strong Jewish opposition. He moves on
to Berea, where he has another fruitful ministry, more fruit
of the gospel that ultimately should be credited to the Philippian
church. Says of the Bereans that many
of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek
men and women. Paul leaves Silas and Timothy
right there in Berea. Don’t forget about them because
we’ll come back to them in a moment, or rather they’ll come back to
us. Paul moves on to Athens and preaches a sermon regarding the
unknown God. Paul moves from there to Corinth
and Paul begins there doing what he always does, preaching. And
again, I believe that Paul is ministered to by the Macedonian
churches, Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Remember, Paul left
Silas and Timothy and Berea. Paul left them there, and I believe
the Macedonian churches contributed a pot of money that ultimately
would supply the apostle Paul. Watch how this plays out. Look
at turn, if you would, to Acts chapter 18. Did I bring you with
me? Did I take you with me to Acts
chapter 16? All right. Flip to Acts 18. In Acts 18, look at verse 1. After these things, he left Athens
and went to Corinth and he found a Jew named Aquila, a native
of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,
because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He
came to them and because he was of the same trade, he stayed
with them and they were working for by trade. They were tent
makers. And here you get this entire
mentality that missionaries are supposed to be tent makers. That
even pastors are supposed to be tent makers. They’re supposed
to have a side job to support themselves so that they’re not
a burden to us, the churches. Oh, really? And it says that
Paul was reasoning in a synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade
Jews and Greeks. But note this is absolutely crucial. But when Silas and Timothy came
down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to
the Word. And isn’t that the ideal? Isn’t
that what men of God are called to do? Isn’t that what a missionary
is sent for? Not to work a bivocational job,
not to make tents, but to preach the Word. When Silas and Timothy
came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely
to the Word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the
Christ. Paul writes the Thessalonian
epistles here. He moves on to Ephesus and he
has a brief synagogue preaching ministry. He moves to Caesarea,
to Antioch. He visits the churches. And then
he begins his third missionary journey. In his third missionary
journey, he goes about encouraging all the churches. He begins with
Ephesus, where he is teaching and baptizing. And there he writes
a little epistle called First Corinthians. Rather fascinating. He apprises the Corinthians that
there’s a situation in Jerusalem. Forgetting his own needs, he
tells them about the famine and the persecution, the great need
that there was in Jerusalem. Paul sees a need as a potential
opportunity. He says that the Gentiles had
already sent a gift to Jerusalem. The Christian church had already
ministered to this need, and he calls upon the Corinthians
to do likewise. Where are you anyway? In the
book of Acts, turn to 1 Corinthians. I’ll try and bring you along.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 16, if you would, 1 Corinthians 16, and as soon as
you get there, I’m going. 1 Corinthians 16, verse 1, now
concerning the collection for the saints. As I directed the
churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every
week, each one of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper
so that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever
you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your
gift to Jerusalem. And if it is fitting for me to
go also, they will go with me. But I will come to you after
I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia. Another
little tip of the hand. The Corinthians response was
praiseworthy. Paul even boasts about them to
the to the Macedonian church, Philippi, Thessalonica, Bereans. But the Macedonians, as if not
to be outdone. Respond incredibly. So much so
that Paul turns around and uses their example to spur on the
Corinthians. As we will see in a moment. Paul
moves on to Macedonia, to Philippi, to Thessalonica, to Berea, including
Philippi, five years since his last visit, he makes a brief
tour and he writes another little epistle. Second Corinthians. And it must be right here. Did Philippi and the Macedonian
churches make good on their commitment? They had made a promise, you
know, this faith gift, whatever faith promise they had made this
magnanimous promise. And now they make good on it.
They said, Paul, we’re going to send this deal. And now they
finally come around to doing it. That’s what Paul is acknowledging
here. That’s what Paul was acknowledging
that finally. They had come through. And I
want to take a quick time out to look at Second Corinthians,
chapter eight. I told you we should have finished Second Corinthians.
Look at Second Corinthians, chapter eight. Paul is there ministering in
Macedonia, he takes out his pen and he writes another epistle
to the second or to the Corinthians titled Second Corinthians. And
I want to look at just verse eight, chapter eight, verse one
through five. Where Paul says now, brethren.
We wish to make known to you the grace of God, which was given
in the churches of Macedonia. He turns around to the Corinthians
and he says, let me give you another example from the Macedonians
of great faithfulness. that in a great ordeal of affliction,
their abundance of joy and their deep proffered poverty overflowed
in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according
to their ability and beyond their ability, they gave of their own
accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation
in the support of the saints. That’s where I got the title
of privileged partnership. It is a privilege. And this not
as we expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and
to us by the will of God. And I pointed out that there
previously there are principles here that you could spend. A
long time here. We have just a few minutes. Look
back again at verse one. That Christian giving was prompted
by God’s grace. It was prompted by God’s grace.
We wish to make known to you, brethren, the grace of God. He’s
not even boasting so much about the Macedonians, he wants to
boast about the grace of God, about God and his work coursing
through the lives of believers. It just happens to have been
given in the churches of Macedonia. Later on in 2 Corinthians, he
will say in chapter 11, verse 8, I robbed other churches by
taking wages from them to serve you. And when I was present with
you, I was in need. I was not a burden to anyone.
For when the brethren came from Macedonia, they fully supplied
my need. This church was amazing. Paul traces the generosity of
the Macedonians all the way back to its true source. The grace
of God. That’s what it enabled them to
do what they did was the grace of God that was actively at work
in them, look later at verse two. That giving was in the midst
of this incredible personal suffering that in a great ordeal of affliction,
and I take this to mean poverty. They gave beyond what they were
even able, they gave sacrificially. We don’t know exactly what it
refers to, but it certainly includes. Poverty. Affliction. As one went on to describe it,
they received the gospel at first in much affliction, as did the
church in Thessalonica, which was one of them, and afterwards
they suffered much from their countrymen from the for the profession
of the gospel by reproaches, persecutions, imprisonments,
confiscation of goods. They were under trying afflictions
which tried their faith and patience, and many of them Now, for persons
in property, when all things go well with them, they try to
be liberal is not so great a matter. But for persons in adversity,
under trying dispensations of providence amidst many afflictive
ones to communicate generosity to the relief of others is something
remarkable. In other words, he says it’s
easy for us to give when we’re rich like we are. It’s when you’re
under the crucible. It’s when you’re being tried
and you’re stretched and you have nothing to give. It’s the
widow’s might. He says they did it in the abundance
of joy, in their deep poverty. They overflowed in the wealth
of their liberality. They were, by all accounts, exceedingly
generous. They were out of control in their
giving. What a great place to be. The very opposite of duplicity,
where their heart was, there was their treasure and they gave
accordingly. Look at verse three. They gave
sacrificially, I testify that according to their ability and
beyond their ability. They gave of their own accord,
no one coerced them into this, no one pressured them, there
weren’t any long protracted meetings, there weren’t any ushers walking
up and down the aisle, tapping their feet. There weren’t any
repeated calls and a passing of the plate. There wasn’t anything
like that at all. They gave of their own accord. There was no need of manipulation. There was no thermometer that
had to be filled up with red ink. Look at verse four. Begging us with much entreaty. For the favor of support of the
saints participation, rather in the support of the saints,
instead of being asked and being begged and being pressed for
assistance, they asked, they pressed, they begged. They said,
please let us participate in Paul’s ministry. We’ll even come
and bring the gift to you. When was the last time churches
did that? When was the last time a church sent an emissary, sent
a group of people to go and work with the saints who are laboring
abroad and came and ministered to them and brought the gift
to them? No, it’s much easier. It’s much
easier just to send the check to the missions agency and let
them take care of it. They were begging us with much
entreaty for the favor of support of participation in the support
of the saints. And this, not as we expected,
but they first gave themselves to the Lord. That’s what’s always
required. I prize the missionaries, the few that I’ve met that will
not press for a dime from someone who does not know the Lord. They
won’t ask for a single cent from someone who does not first know
the Savior. I value that. So did Paul. They gave themselves first to
the Lord and then to us by the will of God, they knew. What
God would have them do and they obeyed, they yielded, they gave
themselves to God wholeheartedly. Paul moves on, where are we?
We’re in Macedonia writing a letter to Second Corinthians. That’s
where we are. Paul moves on from there. He writes Galatians and
Romans. He moves to Greece. He goes to
Macedonia, to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea again. He goes to Troas
and others, Ephesian elders. He goes and meets with them.
The farewell speech. And then he gets himself in trouble. He goes as he had planned to
go to Jerusalem. He knew that there would be trouble
there. He told everybody that there would be trouble there
and there was trouble. The Romans hear of the uproar.
Paul is arrested. He goes through a series of defenses. And ultimately, he is transported
to Rome for imprisonment under house arrest, awaiting a hearing.
And during that Roman imprisonment, Paul writes four letters to churches.
He writes to the Ephesians. He writes to the Colossians.
He writes a very personal letter to Philemon. And lastly, he writes
to the Philippian church and he writes to the Philippian church
because they’re under house arrest with no means to make tents.
No means even really to freely preach the gospel, which must
have been tremendously grievous to Paul. Epaphroditus shows up from the
Philippian church with news of the Philippians and the substantial
financial gift. And Paul writes to his beloved
Philippian church to thank and encourage and exhort them One person said of this message,
Philippians 10 through 19, this message of gratitude. He said
it is a message of thanks. This message, rather, of thanks
is a rare blending of affection, of dignity, of delicacy with
a certain undertone of gentle pleasantry. It is an embodiment
of ideal Christian courtesy. We could learn from that, couldn’t
we? In the weeks to come, I hope
to take us on a little tour, perhaps not as lengthy as the
one we just did through the book of Acts and Corinthians and points
unknown. But I want to take us on a consideration
of the relationship between the church and the mission. I hope to look at principles
for cultivating a fruitful partnership in that regard. We have purposed
as a church to take on the Donados as missionaries. Not just financially. But prayerfully. Relationally. We want to be in their hearts
and we want them in ours. We want to know what’s going
on in Honduras. We want to know that people are
being ministered to. We want to know about the churches
in Siguatepeque. First and foremost, if you look
back at Philippians, chapter four, verse 10. The first principle I want to
consider this morning in closing is that a fruit bearing partnership
is built upon action, not intention. It’s built upon action, not intention. The Philippians intentions and
follow through is what is in view in verse ten. Look at it
this morning. Where Paul says, but I rejoiced
in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your
concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before,
but you lacked opportunity. I rejoiced in the Lord. That
is the very theme of the epistle, isn’t it? It certainly was characteristic
of the Philippians from the very first moment that they were saved.
They were joyful people. It was a joyful church. And Paul,
in interacting with him, he rejoices, they rejoice. He urges them to
do what they’re already doing in rejoicing. A primary theme
in the in the epistle itself, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly. that now at last you’ve revived
your concern for me. There’s only one other occurrence
of the combination of words now at last in all the New Testament,
Romans 110, and it almost it’s you almost want to take it as
that a note of disdain or frustration, irritation, perhaps on Paul’s
part. Finally, Philippians, you know, I’ve been sending out my
missionary newsletter all these years telling you about my needs. You’ve forgotten about me for
almost 10 years. And now at last, finally, I don’t
think there’s that kind of an attitude at all there. The words
seem to ring that way. As one described, technically,
the use of the words, it is a present as related to a past during which
something has been in the process of completion, which is now completed. Of course, that clarifies it. Another was a little more helpful
when he said the language implies that some time had elapsed. Since
the state expressed by the first verb had previously been witnessed.
The interval may be it may have been exceeded by five years or
more. And he suggests a possible rebuke,
but I think there’s another approach. It was possibly as many as 10
years. Since Paul had been ministered
to by the Philippian church. And I don’t think that Paul is
rebuking them at all here. I think Paul knew that he was
on the fast track. How on earth anybody could keep
up with him? How on earth any church could
ever catch up and minister to him with a gift? It would have
been almost miraculous. I think one characterized it
to a T when he said this. The now at last tells us touchingly
of the weary longings Paul had felt for fellowship with his
Philippian friends. Amid the sufferings of his imprisonment
and the troubles caused him in Rome by false brethren, he had
often thought of the sweet simplicity of Christian feeling which had
always prevailed among the members of the Philippian church. That
sounds more true, doesn’t it? That sounds like Paul’s heart.
And he yearned strongly for a renewal of this fellowship. In writing
this now at last, there was no thought further from his mind
than that of reproach. No thought present except the
desire to tell his French friends how much his heart had gone forth
to them during the time when circumstances had prevented fellowship. He longed for fellowship with
the Philippians. He loved them. And at long last,
he had heard from them. He wasn’t rebuking them at all. And yet, he says, you’ve revived
your concern for me. Now, at last, you have revived
your concern for me. I believe that as soon as the
news of Paul’s imprisonment traveled the globe and ultimately hit
Philippi. I think their hearts stirred
and they said, now we know where he is. Let’s take up an offering. Let’s do something. Let’s minister
to this brother in the best way that we can. And yet they lacked
an opportunity, as we’ll see in a moment. The word here revived
You know, you know me as a gardener, as a horticulturist, a lover
of trees. This is a tree where it’s a horticultural
word. It was used of a previously withering
plant, which my house seems to have an abundance of whose roots
and leaves are suddenly reinvigorated, right, by the sudden introduction
of moisture. That’s how we do plants. We wait
until they’re down on their knees, begging us and pleading us for
water and grant the water and they revive. It’s an amazing
process to watch. But it was also used of a plant
reviving in the spring. Following a long winter of death
like dormancy. One characterized it in these
terms when he said the apostle does not does not deny the existence
of the Philippians thoughtfulness. He simply hints that for some
time it had not been fertile or in a productive state. It
was dormant. They didn’t know where he was.
They did not administer to him. They didn’t know his needs. And in their care, the apostle.
They had now put forth new shoots, just as a tree had laid bare
and blossomless all winter, but now had grown green again and
had yielded fruit. That’s the image. Paul says,
but I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that now at last you have
revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before,
but you lacked opportunity. And we have no idea what they
mean, what that means. There have been many that surmised
that they cared They just didn’t have the financial means. That’s
possible. They didn’t have the opportunity
to give as they desired. Certainly possible. Perhaps they
didn’t have a messenger. Remember, Paproditus, that was
a rare find in their determination and to send him and then at risk
to his own health. Maybe they didn’t have a messenger. That’s possible. Perhaps it was
due, as one said, to their preoccupation with their crushing poverty that
Paul had mentioned in Second Corinthians, a variety of possibilities. All of which you and I use all
the time. There’s a variety of possibilities
as to why we’re not practically able to sustain our desire to
care for those that are ministering the word of God abroad. One excuse is a dulling forgetfulness. Out of sight, out of mind. The
newsletter comes, we don’t read it. Perhaps the email’s there
and it’s parked. Out of sight, out of mind. Along
with that is a blissful ignorance. We don’t know their needs. And
because of that, we’re happy because of that, we can carry
on with our daily lives because of that, we’re not burdened for
them like we ought misplaced priorities that captures many
of us that we really don’t put a great deal of stock in that
effort at all, do we? Emergency interruptions, a lack
of funds, and that sometimes is a legitimate excuse, but not
as often as we use it. The failure to calculate circumstantial
misdirections where life just takes us a different direction.
Lacking an emissary, that’s the most feeble of all for us. A
lack of integrity. A flippancy that says much like
we do when we say that we’re going to pray for somebody. And
really, we never even entertain the idea. We say that we’re going
to support somebody, and yet we don’t. We shouldn’t make promises that
we don’t intend to keep. We’re presuming to have the means
to keep. As one said in closing, God’s
providence is not miraculous in the sense that it interrupts
the natural order. Rather, it allows for all the
circumstances, contingencies, events, words, acts, decisions,
and elements of normal life. God supernaturally weaves them
all to fit His purposes exactly. As we’ll see, God weaved the
Philippians in just perfectly. How will God use us? How will
God use us in our purposed commitment to minister to the Donato’s?
Let’s pray. Our gracious God, we humble ourselves
in your midst and we thank you so much. that we don’t need a
course in missions so much as we need Your Word. We need to
know what Your Word says about the relationship between the
church and the mission. Be faithful to teach us, our
gracious God. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray,
Amen. you