A Privileged Partnership, Part 6

Your Bibles in turn to Philippians
chapter four and verse 10, where we have been. For a long time,
Philippians chapter four, verse 10. And I. We really are. I promise we really
are wrapping up and drawing near to the close of the book of Philippians. And where we go from here is
anybody’s guess. We’re purposing to get back into
the gospel of Luke. And so you could pray for me
in that regard. Philippians chapter four, which
passage has been instructive to us because we have been considering
that this isn’t just parting greetings. These aren’t just
extraneous thoughts. These aren’t just unimportant,
meaningless words just originally meant for the Philippians and
really no one else. These are These are very important
words. These are crucial words. These
are words that impart to the church for all time, some good
principles, some sound principles for developing and maintaining
a good, vibrant, healthy and productive relationship with
the church as missionaries. We have already spent a great
deal of time in the passage and looking at some of these principles. We’ll touch on them just ever
so briefly again this morning. But I want to first just read
through the passage in its entirety. We’ll go back and, as I said,
touch on those principles and introduce the last and final
one this morning. If you would, Philippians chapter
four, look at verse 10. Paul said, 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. Not that I speak from what 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,
both of 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 Epaphroditus 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. As I suggested weeks ago, these
are not just transitional words. As Paul wraps up an epistle,
these are not just the address label, as it were, appended to
the end of an epistle. Otherwise, secondary words. These are crucial words. This
is the very word of God, and these words are living and active
and sharper than any two edged sword, as many of us have even
experienced in the past several weeks as we coursed through these.
That these things do matter and they do make a point,
a point that is sadly overlooked in many churches with regards
to missions and how to treat missionaries. I’ve heard from
many of you stories, horrendous stories of shoes, used shoes
sent overseas to missionaries even without the laces in them.
And that so often that just characterizes the attitude that we have. There are principles here that
we have been dwelling upon that really promote a right relationship
between the church and its missionaries. As I suggested at the outset,
a fruit bearing partnership is, first of all, built upon action,
not intention. We’ll come back to that principle
later today, because Paul is going to address this very issue
with the Corinthian church, as we’ll see in a moment. But Paul
says, look, you know, it’s not enough just to have intentions.
And many of us would find ourselves in that same realm or we desire
to do thus and such, or perhaps we’ve even talked about it or
we sense that God was laying on our heart a deed that he wanted
us to accomplish. And yet, It lies undone for the
Philippians. It wasn’t a simple situation.
They had lost track of Paul, likely traveling about. They
had their heart for Paul, but it needed to be rekindled, having
found him. And upon rekindling their heart’s
affection for Paul, they immediately responded. Secondly, a fruit
bearing partnership is built upon godly contentment, not just
the missionaries, Not just the missionary so that we can send
shoes, used shoes, without laces, but godly contentment is for
all. Godly contentment is as much for the church And the desire
of the need for God, the contentment is as much for the church as
it is for the mission. Paul said, not that I speak from
what I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am,
whatever predicament, whatever place, whatever circumstances
God places me in, I will be content. It is enough. Thirdly, the fruit
bearing partnership is not built not only on action. As over against
intention on godly contentment, but also it is built upon a fellowship
of means that is money. That’s exactly what Paul’s talking
about. In verse 14, where he says, nevertheless, you have
done well to share with me in my affliction. It became a legacy
of the Philippian church, even as will echo again today in our
closing words. For the Philippians, it was a
legacy of generosity, but it is always a fellowship, a partnership
in the use, the right and just use of our God given resources. Fourthly, This fruit bearing
partnership is built upon a perspective of sowing and reaping. There
again, with regards to money, it is built upon a perspective
of sowing and reaping, when Paul says not that I seek the gift
itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
And he isn’t talking about an interest bearing account in the
monetary sense, but he is talking about God’s banking system where
God is going to remunerate the givers, God is going to bear
interest in time, God will repay those that invest in God’s kingdom. Fifthly, and these, as I said,
just by a cursory review. The fifth point there is that
a fruit bearing partnership is built upon the spiritual nature
of our giving. Look at verse 18. It wasn’t just to Paul that the
Philippians gave. Paul said, I’ve received everything
in full, I have an abundance, I’m amply supplied, what you’ve
given me is more than enough, because ultimately it’s God that
takes care of me. Having received from Epaphroditus
what you have sent, it is a fragrant aroma. An acceptable sacrifice. Well, pleasing to God and Paul,
as we saw last week, uses the imagery of the altar and the
offering offered up on the altar. That’s the true nature of our
giving, that’s the true nature of our sacrificial giving, as
Paul points out. And if we are going to have a
fruit bearing relationship with any missionary, this has to be
part of our attitude. That we’re giving ultimately
not to the Donato’s, not to a missionary. Ultimately, we are making a sacrificial
offering before God and it is God that must approve that offering. I purpose to wrap up this morning,
and so with that, let’s go to point six. As we consider this
relationship between the church and the mission, which I think
is absolutely clear here in this passage in giving us principles
for cultivating that fruitful partnership. Sixthly, the fruit
bearing partnership is built upon a confidence in God’s sovereign
provision, a confidence in God’s sovereign provision. Look at
verse six. It is God’s response here to
generosity. Where Paul says, and my God shall
supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ
Jesus. My God. There has to be a contrast, you
pick up a contrast immediately or at least a clarification,
a correction, if you will, As if Paul was saying, you know,
look, if I had the means. If I hit the lottery, if I receive
some great inheritance, I would love to repay you. Not suggesting
for a minute that Paul played the lottery. But Paul says, look,
if I had the means, I’d love to repay you. The truth is, don’t
get your hopes up. But God. But God, on the other
hand, will repay you. God, who I know. It’s as if Paul
is saying God will, on my behalf, take up this cause and respond
to this blessing. I have received your contribution,
I have received this missionary check, this support that you
have offered. But ultimately, it is God that
is going to respond. God is the one that is deemed
this an acceptable sacrifice to him. And whereas the Philippians had
met just one of Paul’s many needs, God, Paul says, is going to respond
and meet every one of the Philippians needs. What an investment. You can’t find an earthly investment
with that kind of return. But there’s also this sense here
in this the beginning of this verse, they continued encouragement
when Paul says, my God, he isn’t speaking of his God in a stingy
manner as if it’s his God and no one else’s. Rather, Paul is
reminding them of the nature of the God that Paul had come
to know so intimately. The God he knows is fully aware
of the Philippians generosity. The God that Paul knows blesses
that kind of self-denial. The God that Paul knows is fully
able to meet any earthly need. The God that Paul knows will
provide. The God that he knows is the
same God that the Philippians know and have come to know. That
God will make provision out of his fatherly care for all the
needs, material and spiritual. Not only in the here and now,
but on into eternity. My God will supply all your need. Look at the next phrase. My God
will supply, shall supply rather, All your needs. Paul here speaks
in, if you can see it plainly, he speaks in the future, but
he speaks of it as a certainty as if he’s speaking on God’s
behalf. It’s kind of an astounding passage
in that respect. Paul writing checks as if they
were already signed by God. As if he’s speaking on God’s
behalf, as if he’s making promises that God will keep. But it was
out of Paul’s knowledge of God, part of Paul’s knowledge of God
and how God operates in this world. Paul, knowing God as he did,
was fully convinced of how he would respond to the Philippians
because Paul had begun to learn how God responds in every setting. It’s word supply. Just as we
begin to unpack this verse, it’s the same word with which we’ve
already met. We met it in verse 18 when Paul
spoke of the gift that they had given had filled him to the full
and God will likewise fill the giver to the full. The Philippians had filled Paul
to the full And God would do likewise for them. And the main
reference here is obviously to temporal need, physical things,
even money. Paul had no doubt. To him, it
was an axiom. If you bless, you will be blessed.
And I don’t mean to come off for a moment like the health
and wealth. Gospel will come back to clarify
exactly how this recompense comes and what it looks like and what
we’re to do with it. It’s essentially seed money.
God looks on us as faithful. He gives us more opportunity
to be even more faithful. This particular statement. Expresses
God’s approval. of the gift that the Philippians
had given. God saw their faithfulness in this gift to Paul, and rather
than, in a sense, paying them back, God would bestow upon them
greater blessings of opportunity so that they could be more faithful
in the future. But it says that God would supply
all of their needs. God had already met their spiritual
needs and would continue by an ongoing supply of his grace,
just as you and I enjoy. We know that God has provided
everything we need for life and godliness. God’s given us his
word. God has given us fellowship. God has implanted in us his spirit. God has given us everything that
we need and anything that is outstanding, he will give us
in time. But we’re not so convinced that
God will do that from a financial realm, from a material realm. We’ve already established that
the Philippian church had needs, haven’t we? They weren’t a wealthy
church. And in order to put this whole
thing in perspective, I want you to have your finger in two
places. Philippians chapter four. But I also want you to turn to
Second Corinthians chapter eight. Today, you will witness a miracle. Because I intend to preach two
entire chapters of Scripture. Second Corinthians eight and
Second Corinthians nine. We’ve already established, as
I said, that the Philippian church had needs. But let me remind
you, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he’s trying to stir up their
heart, remember, we’ve dipped in and out of this passage intermittently
today. I want to immerse us in it. Paul
was writing to the Corinthians and he uses the churches in Macedonia,
and we’ve already determined that it is the Philippian church.
Paul told them they were the only church. not just in Macedonia, but anywhere
that had really come alongside him financially speaking. And
he’s using their example on a lower scale to appeal to the Corinthian
church to make a financial contribution to the to the famine that was
in Jerusalem. Saints in need is really he’s
not appealing to them to support his ministry. He had already
left the Corinthians, as it were, off the hook and say, you know,
look, I’m not going to I’m not going to press you. I’m not going
to come and serve and give out the gospels with the idea that
it’s being done for a fee. I’d rather do without. I’ll make
my own money and I’ll support my own ministry. But he did. Have the fortitude to go to them
and to ask them for financial support for the saints in Jerusalem. Listen to what he says about
the Philippian church, look at verses one and two. Now, brethren,
we wish to make known to you the grace of God, which has been
given in the churches of Macedonia, that in great ordeal of affliction,
their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the
wealth of their liberality. Here they were operating these
pole says these churches in a very impoverished, very oppressed
setting, and it says that their their magnanimity, their generosity
was overwhelming. The Philippian church had needs,
we’ve established that we know that they had needs. They weren’t
a wealthy church, and those needs didn’t stop them from ministering
to Paul in the participation of his ministry. And because
of that, God, Paul says, would participate in their needs. Now, I don’t intend to ask you
for credit that this is the actual continuation of my preaching
of Second Corinthians, I reserve the right to come back through
and preach through these chapters at a later date. But I want to
park here for a minute. I want to go back to Second Corinthians.
And I want you to look at verse three, pick up there where Paul
says, I testify that according to their ability and beyond their
ability, I mean, these people were strapped. They were giving
sacrificially. They were giving up their lattes.
They were giving up their cable. They were giving up things in
order to participate. In the ministry that Paul was
conducting. According to their ability and beyond their ability,
they gave of their own accord. No one had to coerce them. No
one had to pressure them. No one had to get them to make
a faith promise. They gave of their own accord,
begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in
the support of the saints, I told you weeks ago, that’s where I
got the title. It’s a privileged partnership.
Can you imagine the Donatos holding out on us and saying, you know,
we might let you support us? That’s essentially the attitude
that the Philippians entered into this. We we love the gospel
so much. We love your ministry so much.
We can’t wait to participate. Begging us with much entreaty,
the favor of the support of the saints and this not as we expected,
but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the
will of God. Paul will go into some other
matters there in verses six through eight. where he talks about Titus
coming to minister to them. But I want you to skip down to
verse nine. Verse nine, Paul says, for, you
know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sake, he became poor so that through his poverty. That you through his poverty
might become rich, Paul uses this as an argument to say, look,
Let’s set aside this fixation on earthly things for just a
moment and imagine Christ setting aside all of his heavenly wealth
and coming down and taking on our poverty in a spiritual sense. Paul challenges them in verses
10 through 14 to follow through with their intentions. The Macedonians
had made a faith promise. The Macedonians said, pardon
me, the Corinthians had made this faith promise. The Corinthians
had made this grandiose statement that, oh, yes, we want to participate
in what’s going on in Jerusalem. Yeah, we want to contribute.
And nothing ever happened. And Paul, in graciousness and
gentleness, that’s what this section is about. Paul is going
back to them and appealing them to do what’s right. They said
it. They signed up for it. They committed
themselves to it. Paul says, let’s do what’s right,
follow up on your intentions, and then let me tell you where
I think this is an indicator of where Paul’s going. If you
look down at verse 15. He who gathered much did not
have too much and he gathered little had no lack. You know
what’s interesting about that passage? We just went through
this in all of three. The kids will know it. This is
about the manna, right? Those who went out and gathered
armloads of the manna didn’t have too much because by the
morning it was gone. And if they tried to save it,
guess what? It didn’t do so well. You can’t
put it in your pocket like chicken McNuggets, right? You can’t put
it under your pillow and save it as a snack. It rotted. And those who just gathered up
a little handful had enough. It was adequate. What Paul is
pointing to here is it’s the God behind the manna. It’s the
God behind our financial situation that renders it adequate. In
verses 16 through 24, Paul goes into logistics regarding an emissary.
I told you I was going to make it through all two chapters. In chapter 9, verses 1 through
5, his appeal here is that the Corinthians present themselves
as an example to the Macedonians. And pick up, if you would, in
verse six. You didn’t really think I was
going to preach two chapters, did you? Verse six says, Now
this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He
who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Each one must do
justice. He is purposed in his heart.
Not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This is where that well-known
illustration comes from. It literally is hilarious. God
loves those who give with a joyful, hilarious, cheerful heart. Not
grudging, not forced into it. And then I want you to look at
verse eight, this is where we’ll be. Primarily the remainder of
the morning. where Paul says, in an echo of
what he’s already told us, my God shall supply all your needs.
Look at verse 8. And God is able to make all grace
abound to you, so that always, having all sufficiency in everything,
you may have an abundance for every good deed. This is the
blessing of the manna all over again. Whether you have a little
pile or a great big pile, It’s going to be adequate because
it’s God behind it. God is able. My God shall supply
all your need. That’s not how we think about
giving, is it? Typically, when you think of giving, it’s a portion
of what you have. And when you give that portion,
you will have less. That’s how we think about it,
right? We have a pile, and if we take that pile and section
it off and say I can give this much to this ministry for this
purpose, now I have a smaller pile or do you? We need to believe we need to
trust God at his word, and God says that he is able to make
all grace abound to us, that our God shall supply our need. Almighty God is able. Almighty
God is powerful enough. He is fully capable. He is more
than adequate resources at his disposal and the wherewithal
to overwhelm the believer with the expressions of his grace.
God is able. In our human understanding, because
we are so wise, we think that we’ve got to add to our wealth
with more wealth, that interest must accrue. And we must grasp
at wealth and scrimp and save and hide it away. And God says
no. God says no, if you want to be
truly wealthy in the spiritual sense, you need to get rid of
some of that pile. The reference here in this passage
to grace is clearly to earthly goods. My God is able to make
all grace abound to you. You know what? When I go out
and I plant seeds, if I plant corn, I expect corn. If I plant beets, I expect beets. And when you sow monetary things,
what God says here, when he says God is able to make all grace
abound to you, it is monetary blessings that is going to come
back in the direction of the believer. It is clearly a reference
to earthly good here. It is the kind of good, the kind
of favor that enables those to receive, to give back abundantly. But if you look at this passage
again, there is just a remarkable emphasis here. It’s overwhelming
and it’s so encouraging. All grace. Always, all sufficiency. God’s not going to overlook a
single need that you have. You’ve heard it said, we’ve even
echoed it here from time to time, you can’t out give God. This
is it. This is where that truth comes
from. Simplified in that little statement, God is able to make
all grace abound to you so that always having all sufficiency
in everything. God is able. God is able to enrich
you. So that you have everything that
you need. As one said in this context,
he refers to material resources because the harvest must be the
same nature as the seed having sown material wealth by their
giving believers will reap an abundant harvest of material
blessing in return. That’s not charismatic. That’s
Bible. Do you remember And this is something
that we have to acknowledge here for a minute that when Paul first
begins talking to the Corinthians about this incredible generosity
shown him by the Macedonian church. Do you remember what he said
about it? Do you remember where it came from? He said that that
generosity was a work of God’s grace. Look back at verse one
and two. I wish to make known to you about
the grace of God Which has been given in the churches of Macedonia
before the Macedonians ever gave a penny. God gave abundant measures
of grace. God changed their hearts. God
readjusted their priorities. God gave them means to respond. To these needs. As one pastor said, God’s giving
of his grace is the complete opposite of grudging and forced.
In responding to it by generous and cheerful giving, the Christian
finds not only that contrary to human probability, he has
yet sufficiency for his own needs, but far more that he is so enriched
by divine grace as to be able to constantly abound in every
kind of good work. Did you hear what he said? When
you give, when you give generously, when you give with a joyful heart,
when you In faith, step out and worry not about the pile that
you have in front of you. God is going to give and when
he gives, he’s going to give in greater measure so that you
can respond in greater faithfulness to greater needs in the future. He goes on and says, the inexhaustible
resources of the grace of God made available in Christ mean
that this exuberant life of the Christian is a practical and
joyful reality for the man of faith. For the man of faith. Look at verse 10 of chapter 9.
Where Paul says, now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for
food It’s God. It’s the God behind the manna
that makes it enough. He who supplies seed to the sower
and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing. In other words, you cannot out
give God. The more that you give, the more
God is going to bless and the cycle begins. You will be enriched, verse 11,
in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing
thanksgiving to God. You see, the end doesn’t stop
with us. It doesn’t come back to us and
stop there to be utilized for our good, for our enrichment.
We don’t get just give once and then rest there to eternity. Jesus said it this way, give
and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap.
Remember, good measure, press down, shaken together, running
over. As one said, giving to the natural
eye is the way to decrease our store, not to increase it, but
the Bible says it is the way to increase it. To believe this
is only necessary to believe in the power, providence and
promise of God. Do you really realize and remember
that part of the reason for holding a job? and making money is for
the pure and simple privilege of having something to share
with those in need. Isn’t that an interesting? Ephesians
428 says that he who steals steal no longer, but rather he must
labor performing with his own hands what is good. Why? So that he will have something
to share. With the one who is need. The
reason. If one pastor characterized the
reason that God gives back to those. Who give is not as so
many of these, you know, health and wealth preachers talk about. So that they can consume it on
themselves. Their desires for bigger cars and homes and jewels
and whatever else. He says that God supplies them
so that they will have an abundance for every good deed to use it.
For what is good in the work of God in honoring the Lord so
that the cycle of giving and ministering to others can continue
to see what he says is exactly what Paul says. It is seed to
the sower, which means that as that seed comes in, guess what
God expects you to do with it to sow it. My God shall supply all your
needs. It wasn’t rash for a minute.
For Paul to make such a promise, he didn’t go out of his apostolic
calling to speak on God’s behalf. All he did was look at God and
see how God operated and said, you know what? This gift that
you’ve given comes from such a heart of grace. I know my God
and I know my God is going to restore you. What you’ve given,
he is going to replenish your storehouse because you have been
so faithful with what you’ve been given. Paul knew the character
of God, Paul knew the Philippian church, he knew their hearts.
God’s he says that God would do that according to his riches
in glory. It is literally that according
to is on the scale of or according to as rich as God is, that’s
the that’s the measure that God is going to use. Typically, if
you if you know Paul, Paul uses the word riches to talk about
spiritual things, right? Romans, two for the riches of
his kindness. Romans nine, the riches of his
glory, Romans 11, the riches of wisdom and knowledge of God.
But here he’s talking about wealth. He’s talking about money. My
God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory.
You know that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. God has
a bank. God has money, God has means. One Puritan said of Paul in this
context that here is a prisoner in chains, needing financial
aid from his poor friends and calmly looks up beyond the prison,
beyond the sky to the treasure house of the great king, to the
king himself already stretching forth his hand to reward the
helpers of his servant. And this with the fullness of
divine generosity, Paul knew the king. Paul knew the king’s
storehouses. The Philippian church had supplied
Paul even out of their poverty. God wouldn’t have to do likewise. God doesn’t have to respond to
them out of his poverty. He will provide for them, not
out of the meager means of poverty, but out of the infinite storehouses
of his riches, out of the infinite supply at his disposal. As one said, and as we closed
this morning, The loving kindness of God surrounds and blesses
his people. Who are so interested in his
cause, implanting every absent grace, giving health and power
to every grace already implanted. The very appreciation on the
part of the Philippian church of the apostles position, his
labors, his relations implied the existence of a genuine piety
among them. Remember, it was the grace of
God. which God would foster by his spirit while he blessed them
at the same time in their wallet and in their bank. We have a privilege, we have
an amazing privilege in participating, it’s a privileged partnership
that we have with the Donatos. faithful saints that we have
watched, I think, for now some seven years, watch their faithfulness,
watch their family grow, watch their ministry flourish. We know
that right now, Adrian is home. I think I shared with some of
you that because of the circumstances in Honduras, they had to come
off the field. You want to know what their life circumstance
was when they landed here, they had no place to stay. And so
our dear friends, the Sheely’s put them up in their home. 14
people in one three bedroom home. We have a great privilege. In participating in a great work
of proclaiming the gospel and in training pastors there in
Honduras to proclaim and preach the gospel with passion and clarity.
Think of an entire nation. An entire country torn now by
almost civil war. Think of an entire nation and
the souls that are touched because of the ministry of the Donatos
in your account. Let’s pray. Lord God, we have such a privilege
that you would allow us A tiny little church with needs of our
own to be part of such an overwhelming ministry. Lord God, we humble
ourselves before you and thank you for that. We thank you for
the means, however meager. To minister to this very purpose. And we thank you, Father, for
the fruit that you have promised to come out of it. Saved lives,
trained pastors. Those who repent at the hearing
of the gospel. And we thank you, Father, for
the clear promise that is ours, that according to the measure
that we give, you will supply our need, you will give us further
opportunity. Lord God, we thank you and praise
you. We don’t deserve this favor. But we welcome it eagerly and
we thank you for it. It’s in Jesus name that we pray.
Amen.