A Privileged Partnership, Part 3

Turn back again to Philippians
chapter 4 the passage is in the bulletin Although you’re not
going to put a whole lot of ink there this morning Unless you
are a tiny little note taker we’re basically going to pick
up and take a very brief review and Pick up where we left off
last week, but as I looked at it, we’re not even going to get
to point three this morning even yet, so The Lord knows. When we began this passage several
weeks ago, and I mean just the briefest of reminder of where
we have been, Paul is writing to his beloved Philippian church
that from the very first moment that that church was established,
they showed themselves to be exceedingly generous and faithful
and gracious. giving to Paul on repeating occasions
and this occasion no different. That’s the very purpose. One
of the main purposes, at least, why Paul wrote the Philippian
epistle is that essentially it was a thank you note. I received
a thank you note even in the office of a opportunity that
I had to minister to a young couple here not a while back. And thank you notes are important. And for Paul, they were crucial
because it for Paul maintains that vital relationship that
he had with the Philippian church. And so Paul writes to them essentially
to thank them But by way of examining this passage, we’ve seen that
there are some incredible principles here for the preservation, for
the cultivation really of the church and its missionaries. I don’t know that Paul’s purpose
was necessarily didactic, but all Scripture is inspired by
God and profitable for teaching. And so we can look at this passage
and easily step back from it and mine out from it some truths. That we can take with us that
we can. Learn from. Things that can minister
to us and instruct us and teach us, and it is there that we began
several weeks ago. If you would, I want to go back
to the passage in its entirety. Chapter four, verse 10, where
Paul begins his final thank you to the Philippian church, but
from which we cultivate principles for cultivating a fruitful partnership,
a church mission relationship. If you would, verse 10, where
Paul wrote, 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 want, for
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am,
for 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 and my affliction. And you yourselves also 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 for 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. We began several weeks ago in
considering this passage and looking at this expression of
gratitude by the apostle. And I suggested to you then and
I maintain now even more as we press through this passage that
there is here a consideration of the relationship between the
church and the mission. There should be a consideration.
It is long overdue. In many cases, as I suggested
several weeks ago, the approach to missions is patently unbiblical. And even some of the principles
that are echoed in this passage are violated routinely. There
should be a vibrant and vital and healthy relationship between
the church and its missionaries. As it has turned out, So often
it is a fund that we dedicate. It is a check that we write.
It is a newsletter that we get, even if we never read it. And there is really and truly
no relationship there at all. For the Philippians, who have
been brought to Christ largely by the efforts of Paul himself,
There was a deep relationship. There was a loving relationship.
Paul had ministered to them on more than one occasion, even
since the planting of the church and repeatedly the Philippian
church had responded in the things of earth. To the one who had
brought them the things of heaven repeatedly, they had ministered
to the apostle Paul. And this was just another occasion.
We looked at the first We looked at the first principle that we
glean from this passage principles for what I called cultivating
a fruitful partnership, and it should be fruitful. It is designed
by God to be fruitful. A fruit bearing partnership, first
of all, we saw is built upon action, not intention. I don’t
take this to mean, verse 10, that there was a chiding tone,
as I remind you, Paul wasn’t chiding the Philippians. Paul
was merely rejoicing in a very unique way for the fact that
the relationship with the Philippians had now been rekindled. It had
been anywhere between five and ten years since he had communicated
with them and and communed with them spiritually speaking. But
now they had found Paul and now they had found an emissary to
take their gift and to minister to Paul in a fresh new way. But
Paul says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last
you have revived your concern for me. And I don’t take that
to mean that their concern for him was dead. It was real and
true, but they had no idea where he was. They couldn’t find him. And that after long last, now
Paul hears from the Philippians and his heart exults. But we
took up last week The second principle, the second principle,
that of godly contentment. That fruit bearing a fruit bearing
relationship, a partnership between the church and the mission is
built upon godly contentment. If you would go back to verse
11, that’s where we want to focus for just a few moments. Verse
11. Where Paul says, not that I speak
from one. Paul wanted the Philippian church
to know that he was not in desperate circumstances. He was not unhappy
with his situation, although poverty would well describe the
situation that he was in. The very word that he uses is
used elsewhere to speak of poverty. Paul wasn’t lying. But what he
was saying was that he absolutely trusted God, that he was not
he was not in a desperate situation before God. He acknowledges the
Philippians gift and he’s thankful for it, but he doesn’t want them
to think that he depends upon them. He wants to remind them
that he depends fully and completely upon God. Paul had learned, he
says, in the first of the lessons that he tells us that he has
learned. He has learned contentment. He has learned to trust God,
to walk with God with regards to his material needs. Look again
at verse 11. Not that I speak from want, for
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Wherever I find myself, wherever it is that I realize God has
placed me. I am content. I have learned
that lesson. Strange thing here is that Paul
would use that language as we saw, because it was essentially
the language of the Stoics. Self-sufficiency. But Paul isn’t
saying here at all that he is in and of himself sufficient.
Paul was merely playing, I think, poking at that word, using a
word in a brand new way, because as he wraps this up, there will
be no grander, no clearer statement as to who Paul was ultimately
dependent upon. And it wasn’t self. The sad thing is that in our
society, contentment is rare, isn’t it? To find a brother or
sister in Christ who is truly contented, who truly trusts the
sovereign God, who truly is able to walk day by day, moment by
moment, trusting that Savior in the things that are entrusted
to him, the things that come his way, good or ill. It’s tough. It’s tough to find those that
are sufficient in God alone. And as I doubled back, as I often
do, and If you give me an extra week to study, I’ll take it.
I found just some incredible thoughts from the writings of
the Puritans regarding contentment. What I had forgotten about almost
completely is a little book written by Jeremiah Burroughs. For those
of you that are unfamiliar with the Puritan series done by the
Banner of Truth, some of you have asked, you know, where do
you find the Puritans? Excellent series. You can get
all kinds of books, but that book in particular is an excellent
one to get a hold of for the Christian. The rare jewel of
Christian contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs. He described contentment
in this way. And the reason that I wanted
to take a minute and double back and we’re not reviewing now,
see. I mean, we’re reviewing when
I read the verse, but everything from here forward is going to
be new. Because as I doubled back and looked at that, I looked
at this and I said, you know what? There’s a real possibility
that we could just expect the missionaries to be the ones that
be content. They should just be happy with
what we send them. Because it’s Paul that’s writing
and Paul, the missionary, writes back to the church and says,
not that I speak from one for I’ve learned to be content with
whatever circumstances I am. And so it’s easy for us and it
would be somewhat expected for us to say, well, the missionaries
ought to be content with what we send them. But if we were
content with less. We would be able to send the
missionaries more. And so when I doubled back, I looked at contentment
as a Christian duty, not just a missionary duty. It’s not just
that we can expect them to be the more virtuous, right? And so Jeremiah Burroughs. Jeremiah
Burroughs describes Christian contentment this way, he said,
a Christian finds satisfaction in every circumstance by getting
strength from another, by going out of himself to Jesus Christ,
by his faith, acting upon Christ. And bringing the strength of
Jesus Christ into his own soul. He is thereby enabled to bear
whatever God lays upon him by the strength that he finds from
Jesus Christ. There is strength in Christ,
not only to sanctify and save us, but to strengthen and support
us under all our burdens and afflictions. And Christ expects
that when we are under any burden, we should act our faith upon
him and draw virtue and strength from him. That is just a tiny
little quote from a very lengthy treatment of the whole issue
of contentment. And I couldn’t commend the book
any more highly to you. There was there were others that
weighed in. On the subject of contentment.
And described it, we considered last week that essentially this
word of our Korea is is a profound one because it
denotes independence of or indifference of any need of others. It was self-sufficiency
to the point of being greedy and miserly in the Stoics mind. The Stoics were to be as unconcerned
about others as they were about themselves. As one described
it, it described by one in a positive way as being in the state of
unflappable, unmoved by outside circumstances and who properly
react to their environment to be content means to be satisfied
and sufficient to seek nothing more than one has. Now, there
are some positive elements to that, but largely speaking, Contentment,
when you put it before the eyes of most people, is just this
idea of toughing it out. Even if there isn’t this stoic
philosophy behind it, contentment is really a deep longing for
more and a fully being convinced in your mind that you deserve
more and yet toughing it out with less and quite unhappily. That’s not contentment. That’s
not what Scripture lays out as contentment, as another Puritan
laid out. He said Christian contentment is that feeling of repose of
heart. And that repose speaks of rest
and pleasure. And a complete lack of worry.
A composed repose rather of heart, which results from an intelligent
recognition of divine providence. as the care of an infinitely
kind and wise holy being. But there was a. An argument, a line of reasoning,
I guess I should call it from another writer that really captured
my attention. Because he offered three principles
that really nudge the Christian graciously toward a more contented
spirit. He said the reasonableness and
dutifulness of contentment with any lot in life. Will become
clearer to the Christian if he allows his mind to rest on the
various aspects of the subjects as lighted up by Scripture. First of all, he will feel increasingly
that the least he enjoys is immeasurably more. Injustice, he could expect,
in other words, before you complain, think for a moment, what do I
really deserve? What do I really deserve before
a holy God? If you allow his mind to rest
on the various aspects of the subject, He at the very worst,
he can suffer here is immeasurably less than he deserves. If we he goes on to say, if we
habituate ourselves to look at our circumstances in their relation
to our desserts rather than to our likings, we shall see on
every side abundant grounds for thanksgiving and praise. In other
words, if we have even the most meager portion, it is far more
abundantly than we ever, ever deserved. He goes on and he says
in that light, alleviations will be found in connection with even
the heaviest trouble, brightest, even our brightness, rather,
even where at first all seems dark. Second point that he brings up
is that in all God’s dealings with us in Providence, they are
meant to serve as a discipline for the soul. And he quotes,
interestingly, Deuteronomy eight, two and three. Listen. You shall
remember all the ways which the Lord your God has led you in
the wilderness these 40 years that he might humble you, testing
you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep
his commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be
hungry and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did
your fathers know that he might make you understand that man
does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that
proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. His point being simply
this. It is for a moral end, for training
in spiritual wisdom. We were intended both the adversity
and the prosperity, the suffering and the hunger and defeating
with the manna. Everything, he says, is designed
to serve ultimately as a discipline for the soul. Thirdly, the third
point that he makes is that however dreary to the carnal eye his
lot here may be, the child of God will very soon exchange it
for heaven. How much more content should
we be knowing that regardless of our deal, regardless of our
portion, this is in our home and that soon and very soon,
by God’s grace, we will be in eternity. Paul says, I’ve learned
to be content in whatever circumstances I am. And I don’t believe for
a moment that Paul was saying this is a good role for the missionary
to be. This is a good quality for the
missionary to have and only the missionary and that you people
back there in Philippi live however you want. I’ll be content. Now,
what he’s pointing out, what he was doing is modeling to the
Philippian church. Christian contentment. He was
saying this is good and right. It’s good and right for a Christian
to be content. And more often than not, we have
a surplus, not a need. Paul had learned this contentment,
but he doesn’t for a minute claim that it’s something that he had
created or dredged up from within. We’ll come back to that in a
moment and see where exactly he learned this contentment.
But there was no there was no toughing it out, no stoicism
on Paul’s part. There was a deep and abiding
trust in Almighty God. It wasn’t just the Stoics post
poker face that Paul had adopted. Paul had adopted the very position
that God would have him. Paul says, I have learned to
be content in whatever circumstances I am, whatever you deal out to
me. And he goes on in verse 12 to
point it out. I know how to get along by humble means and I know
how to live in prosperity. Those humble means just speaking
of the needs that he had in so many occasions, and there are
various meanings of this word as we saw, but it literally means
to run low. used of a river that was once
a mighty, roaring river that is now dwindled down and is running
low at a trickle. Paul knew that kind of need.
Paul faced that kind of need all the time, but he also says
that he knew how to live in prosperity, to have plenty, to have an abundance. And he says that through the
churches, even in this very letter, he goes on to say at the end,
I have an abundance. I am amply supplied. I’ve got
a surplus. My cup runneth over. Paul isn’t done expounding on
that very thought, and this is where we pick up from last week.
Paul says, I know how to get along with
humble means. I know how to live in prosperity. And he says this. I have learned the secret. Of being filled and going hungry,
and he he pokes the Philippians again because that whole idea
of secret religion was so prevalent in their society. And they were
so used to having secret religions that would very rarely let people
in on the secret. Paul says, I’m going to tell
you the secret. I’m going to let you in on the secret. And that’s why we said that this
could accurately be translated, I have been initiated. That’s
the language that these secret rights were so prevalent. The Paul in using this was getting
the Philippians attention by saying, I’ve been initiated,
I’ve gone through the training, I’ve been initiated, and now
I know the secrets of this society. But this word indicates. Much
more than Paul had merely experienced these things or learned some
things, but rather than he had experienced them and gained by
them that he had learned deeply from these circumstances. He
goes on to point out in any and every circumstance, this was
an applicable lesson in any and every circumstance. To the extent
of being filled, And going hungry, look at the first of being filled.
The word there, it’s a familiar one in scripture, Cortado, to
be full or fed, fed to the full. I mean, not just a meal, but
just stuffed. To have plenty. And the word
was used of feeding cattle. The word is used also of feeding
human beings without any suggestion, mind you, that they are greedy
or gluttonous in their eating. First Corinthians 411 uses it
to this present hour. We are both hungry and thirsty.
We are poorly clothed, roughly treated. We are homeless. Paul
knew that extent. Used by Jesus, this word was
used to describe Lazarus’s hunger. Longing to be fed with the crumbs. Paul knew the extent of this
hunger in this. This feasting. Paul knew both
ends of the spectrum. That were there longing to be
fed, describing the hunger that Paul alludes to. It is the distinct
language of the gospel episodes of the feeding of the multitudes.
who not merely had a snack, but they ate and were satisfied. They were filled up. It is also used, however, of
the harsh religious person referred to in James 2.16, who in response
to the one who comes to him in need says, be warmed, be filled. Cortado. You could literally say Paul
knew the polar opposites of being in hog heaven and being in the
hog pen, as it were, with the prodigal son who was longing
to eat what the hogs ate. Paul said, I have learned the
secret of being filled and in going hungry. That word such
a graphic one from Scripture Paul had good company here because
this is the same word. This word hungry is the same
word and it speaks of a faminous hunger, a ravenous hunger. Extreme and therefore it is used
of Christ. It is used of Christ after he
fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he then became hungry. Paul knew
that kind of hunger. Maybe not 40 days and 40 nights,
but three days without food. Substantial. Paul knew of the stories of the
disciples who became hungry and began to pick the grains. off of the heads of wheat. Paul
wrote to the Romans regarding this same kind of hunger. If
your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a
drink. For in doing so, you will heat burning coals on his head.
Paul knew this kind of hunger when he wrote to the Corinthians
the first time. He said to them in 1 Corinthians
4 11 to this present hour, we are both hungry and thirsty.
We are poorly clothed and roughly treated and are homeless. This
is what he wrote to the Corinthians. An interesting thought. Most
of us in going through the Lord’s table, I shared with you on many
occasions that when it talks about partaking unworthily, if
you look at that in the context, in the context. The very least
thing that we have to confess is Greed, gluttonous greed, because
in the context it was the love feast. Remember, it was a love
feast and they would come together like some kind of a potluck at
the end of which they would partake of the Lord’s table. And Paul
says that there was greed and gluttony to the point where some
were going home hungry and in need. They hadn’t eaten anything
except what meager portions had been symbolically given to them
for the Lord’s table. And yet others were gluttonous
and greedy, drunken. Paul addresses in 11.21, for
he says, in your eating, each one takes his own supper first
and one is hungry and another is drunk. They had desecrated
the love feast. Paul says to them, if anyone
is hungry, If you have those hunger pangs back, Paul knew
this. Let him eat at home, go home and eat your dinner so that
you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters
I will arrange when I come. Paul knew Paul knew the situation. Paul empathized with those poor
people in the love feast who did not have to eat. And I would even suggest to you
that it’s very possible that he was one of them. I’ll talk to you more about that
in a moment. Paul says in any and every circumstance, I’ve
learned the secret of being filled and going hungry. Both of having
abundance. The word here is parachute, and
there is a kind of an onomatopoeia there of the overflowing parachute. It’s interesting here that in
writing back to the Corinthians, he uses this word on multiple
occasions. Paul knew abundance. That in
a great ordeal of affliction, their abundance of joy and their
deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality, speaking
of the Philippian church. They were overflowing, I know,
abundance, and I’ve received it heartily from the Philippian
church. Second Corinthians 870 repeats
it. But just as you abound, as you overflow parachute in everything
in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in
the love we inspired in you see that you abound in this gracious
work also. And he pleaded. With the Corinthian
church. Once again, not to be greedy
and gluttonous and drunk, but to overflow. To bless someone
else. One pastor wrote, we naturally
think. With regards to abundance, we
think, well, Paul, if you had abundance, we’d like to be tempted
in that just once. He said, we naturally think that
we could bear wealth better than poverty. Haven’t we all wished
to win the lottery? Haven’t we all said, boy, I’d
sure like to be tempted in that just once. Observation in scripture,
however, tell us the contrary. It needs a very steady hand to
satisfactory, satisfactorily carry a full cup among persons
to some extent influenced by religion. We should find a much
greater proportion of the poor uninjured by their poverty than
of the rich, uninjured by their riches.” In other words, he says,
look, you’re going to more often find rich people ruined by their
riches than poor people ruined by their poverty. He goes on
and closes with this. He says, as regards spiritual
life, the tendency of outward prosperity is to weaken, to make
a man weak. to make him easily overcome by
temptations to self-indulgence, to pride and vain glory, discontent
and greed.” Paul had overcome. Paul had learned
how to have an abundance and to not degenerate. Not only of
having abundance, but he goes on. I have learned the secret
of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and
suffering need. And he comes right back to it.
It’s as if he’s going from one extreme to the other, back and
forth, back and forth and all the way through it, and he says,
I know the secret. This phrase, the suffering need,
which could be translated, as I suggested earlier, to fall
behind was often used of someone who is in desperate straits.
Living day to day, deeper and deeper in debt, hand to mouth.
It is used in a number of ways in Scripture, it is used of moral
and spiritual shortcoming. Mark 10, 21 says it this way,
looking at him, Jesus felt the love for him and said, one thing
you lack. To the lawyer, one thing you
lack rather to the rich man, go and sell all you possess and
give to the poor. You’ve got some shortcoming there,
spiritually speaking, you’re clinging to your riches, and
the one way that I can challenge you to. To overcome this lack. Is to go sell everything that
you have. Romans 3 Paul used this word
again. Suffering need. He used it in
Romans 3 23. All have sinned and fall short. Of the glory of God, but Paul
isn’t speaking spiritually here. You’re not talking about spiritual
things here, not talking about moral deficiency. He’s talking
about financial means a lack. And in that sense, it’s used
of the prodigal son, Luke 15, 14. Now, when he had spent everything
and isn’t that always what happens, right? You write the check and
then you find out that you lost the job. You spend the money
and then you go on the trip and then now when he had spent everything,
a severe famine occurred in that country and he began to be impoverished. He had a lack. He had fallen
short, desperately so. John 2, 3 uses the word as well,
when the wine ran out. The mother of Jesus said to him,
they have no wine. Now, for you Greek students,
that little word there is used in the eros active participle,
having been in lack of wine. And get this, I told you I’d
come back to it. When he wrote back to the Corinthian
church, he used this word. And he used it in context of
having been with the Corinthians themselves. In 2nd Corinthians, eleven, nine,
Paul said this. To this. Precious church, the
one that struggled so much with greed and insensitivity He said, when I was present with
you and I was in need. Did you get that? Here he is
in the midst of the Corinthian church. Is it possible that he
was one of those at the love feast that was in need? It’s
certainly possible. But at some juncture, there he
is in the midst of the Corinthian church and he is in need. and find out what happens. I
was not a burden to anyone. For when the brethren came up
from where you might even figure it from Macedonia, from the Philippian
church, they fully supplied my need and in everything I kept
myself from being a burden to you, the Corinthian church, and
will continue to do so. Paul said, I’m not going to let
it ruin my ministry with you. They first needed to have a change
of heart. And we always need that, don’t we? There’s no point
in sending a check to a missionary until God has our whole heart,
right? The bottom line is one summarized
that the apostles experience had led him to touch both extremes. It was not uniform poverty under
which he was content. But rather his scene was checkered,
shadow and sunshine. No unmanly depression in the
one. No undue elation in the other. Unwavering, contented, patient
and hopeful was this apostle in every condition.” How come? What’s the secret? Let us in,
Paul. And he does. If you look back
at verse 11, It’s an interesting phenomenon. He’s baiting the
readers. He’s baiting the Philippian church.
He wants them to want to know. Look at verse 11, I have learned. Verse 12, I know. Verse 12 again,
I also know. And verse 12 again, I have learned
the secret. What is the secret, Paul? Verse
13, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Literally,
all, I am strong in the One who empowers me. In all things, I
am strong by the One who empowers me. Depending on the version
you’re using, there is one stark omission in the NAS. The older version has it, and
many of us memorize that translation. You can’t even get it out of
your mind, can you? I can do all things through Christ,
which strengthens me. Now, the mismatched pronoun notwithstanding,
Christ isn’t mentioned by name in the most reliable Greek text.
There’s no doubt that Jesus Christ is the one to whom the apostles
referring, but the King James supplied the word Christ here,
not Paul. The question is, what does it
matter? Well, maintaining the integrity of the translation
for one, maintaining the integrity of God’s word for another. But
there’s an interesting point here in the admission of the
name of Christ, the admission of the name of Christ almost
makes the Philippians zero in on it. The more. They knew who
the one was that had strengthened him. He had told them on dozens
of occasions they knew who really was the secret behind the Apostle. We’ll come back. Paul says, I
can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Literally
speaking there, he says, I am strong. Iscuo, strength, not merely I
can do, but I am strong to do. I am made strong by another. And he talks about what is called
indwelling power, put forth or embodied. That’s how it’s described. And it is to spiritual strength
that Paul is alluding here. And he says that he is strong.
He is made strong to do all things. Literally, it is all, all things
I am strong. Now when he says that, he’s not
saying all things absolutely. It’s all things rather in the
actual course of his duty and service. Whatever comes his way,
whatever God lays out in the path that he is to cross as a
Christian, he knows that God will give the grace to endure. As one said, the apostle, of
course, does not mean that he could physically survive indefinitely
without food, water, sleep, shelter. What he’s saying is that when
he had reached the limit of his resources and strength, even
to the point of death. That God. God would supply. As one Puritan said it in Christ,
the believer has or may have, if he will rise to the apprehension
and acceptance of it, what may be called a moral omnipotence. There is no duty so arduous that
in him. The Almighty, all-wise, it cannot
be discharged. There is no trial so severe that
in Him it cannot be undergone with fortitude and spiritual
advantage. And Paul says, I can do all things
through Him who strengthens me. Literally, all I am strong. In everything, I am strong in
the One empowering me. And outside of Him, Paul essentially
says, I’m worth nothing. It’s in His strength. It is in
Christ. As the hymn goes, when all around
my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. Paul goes
all the way back to his independence that he alluded to. To independence
of circumstances and troubles and trials. and says that it
is ultimately the grace of Christ that strengthens him and enables
him not only to just put forth this attitude and this face of
contentment, but to do, to actually accomplish, to sail through whatever
challenges are laid before him and not just to survive, but
to thrive. Paul had said it so many times. No wonder here he alludes to
the One who strengthens him, because in so many other places,
he trumpets it in the most definitive sense.
1 Timothy 1.12, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened
me. Because he considered me faithful,
putting me into service. Second Timothy 4.17, But the
Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that through me the proclamation
might be fully accomplished. Ephesians 6.10, Finally, be strong
in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Paul said it over and over again,
that any kind of strengthening we ever enjoy is only because
it is in Christ. Second Timothy 2.1, be strong
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Paul sees the course laid out
for him. Paul has the strength. Paul knows
that he has it to meet whatever circumstances of life that come
because of the gracious help of Almighty God. through His
Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul said it. Paul echoes there
John 15.5, the vine and the branches. But Paul had said it even more
definitively than that, more directly even to the Corinthians
when he said, he has said to me, my grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power
of Christ may dwell in me.” Paul wasn’t shy about where this strength,
where this power came from. And Paul says this is the power,
this is the strength that every Christian, not just the missionaries,
should have and should manifest. I told you I came across in my
second week of privileged study. Some additional Puritan sources. They came across this from Puritan
Jeremy Taylor writing on this verse. I enjoyed Jeremy Taylor
and his in his commentary on the book of Titus when we went
through Titus years ago. And so it was a pleasant discovery
to me to hear his thoughts on this passage. Listen to Jeremy Taylor on contentment. He said, if your estate be lessened. And he’s talking about what you
have. If your estate be lessened, You need the less care to govern. You need the less care who governs
the province, whether he be rude or gentle. In other words, if
you’ve got less to manage, you don’t have to worry about the
manager anymore. And you can immediately get the sense that
what Jeremy Taylor is going to give us is a completely different
perspective than we’re used to. A biblical perspective. He says he goes on and says,
if I am crossed in my journey, he’s traveling. And he comes
across foes, thieves, if I am crossed in my journey and I fall
into the hands of thieves, consider yet they did not steal my land.
Maybe they took everything else from him, including his Rolex
and his BMW and whatever else. Or if I am fallen into the hands
of publicans and lawyers and they have taken all from me,
what now? Let me look about me. They have left me in the sun
and the moon and fire and water, a loving wife, many friends to
pity me and some to relieve me. And I can still discourse. And
unless I succumb, They have not taken away my merry countenance,
my cheerful spirit and a good conscience. Jeremy Taylor immediately
begins to look at the spiritual blessings that he has in life,
why they have left me the providence of God and the promises of the
gospel in my religion and my hopes of heaven and my charity
toward these things, too. And he begins to exalt in all
that he does have. And I can still sleep and digest. And I eat and I drink and I read
and meditate. And I can walk in my neighbor’s
pleasant fields. And I see the varieties of the
natural beauties and delight in all that which God delights. In virtue, in wisdom, in the
whole creation and in God Himself. And he closes with this. He that
has so many causes of joy and so great. He must be very much
in love with sorrow and peevishness. Who loses sight of all these
pleasures. He is one who chooses to sit
down upon his little handful of thorns. You ask a rich man. How he became so wealthy and
ultimately his answer must be self. You ask a powerful man
how it is he achieved such a place of influence and prominence and
ultimately his answer must be ultimately self. Ask a successful
man. Self ask a handsome man. And you would almost think that
he carved out his face from clay himself. But you ask a Christian. Ask a Christian how he gets through
his difficulty and he will tell you it is Christ. When financial
when pardon me, when financial ruin comes, Christ strengthens
you. When you stand on principle and
friends depart, Christ strengthens you. When life’s frustrations
mount, Christ strengthens you. When sickness comes, Christ strengthens
you. Let’s pray. Merciful God, We humble ourselves
before you because we see that we are not. In so many respects,
content as we should be. Lord, we thank you for this passage.
We thank you for its familiar ring, and yet we find in it a
new blessing, a new challenge. Fresh instruction. And more grace. God granted us that grace to
change our hearts to help us to let go and to trust you to
walk with you. And to be content. knowing that
it is Christ and Christ alone who can strengthen us. We pray
this in Jesus’ name, Amen.