We Are Going to Wrap up Looking at Paul S Letter to the Believers in Philippi

What Really Matters

Philippians 4:10-23 (NLT)

Generosity and Contentment

We are going to wrap up looking at Paul’s letter to the believers in Philippi

Throughout this series we’ve been using one verse as our jumping off point

I want you to understand what really matters. Philippians 1:10 NLT

This is Paul’s final communication with the Philippians. There will be no more letters or visits.

He wants them to spend their time and energy only on the most important things in life

There are lots of important things in life but only one/two/three can be called MOST important.

If you keep your eyes open you’ll see/hear that phrase regularly

Transportation issues in our region

Tax issues – Transportation/Education funding

National security

Same sex marriage that is before the Supreme Court

Throughout Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi WHAT REALLY MATTERS has been the theme

For Paul – one of those ‘what really matters’ ideas is -- The perspective from which a person views life

We’re going to look at two of those perspectives today

The concluding passages of Paul’s letter contain a couple of the most quoted verses in the Scriptures.

Often though the verses are taken completely out of context and applied to aspects of life that have nothing to do with what Paul was trying to say.

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.

The believers had heard that Paul was in chains in Rome and their immediate response was – We have to do something.

They didn’t have much/any money and what they had could have been consumed traveling to get a gift to Paul – they wanted to help but they didn’t have the chance

When Epaphroditus arrived with the gift Paul was overwhelmed by their generosity

He knows the condition of life for them – the gift was not out of their savings – but out of their daily living expenses

The poverty of the Philippians was mainly due to the opposition that the believers are experiencing

Economic persecution – loss of property

Remember – the common greeting to that day was – Caesar is Lord

But the believers would not declare allegiance to Caesar

They instead declared – Jesus is Lord

This had made life difficult for believer across the Roman Empire

The result of their allegiance to Jesus – Jesus is Lord

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews describes it this way:

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. Hebrews 10:32-34 NLT

Paul continues dictating

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

We’ll come back to these verses.

As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

Paul reminds them of their generosity – that at one point they were the only church that had given to support to him

His desire isn’t for more financial support but that they would be honored for their giving.

He’s not trying some psychological trick on them – If I puff them up then they’ll give more

Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Philippians 4:10-23 (NLT)

He gushes out thanksgiving and gratitude to them for the gift that they had sent through Epaphroditus

He is overwhelmed by their love for him and that they had remembered him

Especially those in Caesar’s household

Somehow and at some point some of Caesar’s own family/household had come to pledge their allegiance to Jesus ---- They were declaring – Jesus is Lord

Paul sends greetings back to the believers in Philippi from people in Caesar’s own household

Imagine how amazing that is

The same Caesar who is going to sentence Paul to death – has followers of Jesus in his household

In these final verses – Paul– writes about two perspectives of – What really matters

What really matters – is about perspective

The two perspectives have to do with our resources – money and possessions

One of the perspectives that he points out is that of the Philippian believers - GENEROSITY

The other perspective is Paul’s perspective – CONTENTMENT

Let me first talk about the perspective of the Philippians

Generosity

In his closing remarks Paul commends the Philippian believers for their generosity

They were generous beyond any of the other churches that Paul had worked with

Vs. 15

As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Philippians 4:15 NLT

Vs. 16

Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. Philippians 4:16 NLT

They were not generous because of their financial condition

They were generous in spite of their financial condition

The gift that they sent was not from their excess or their savings account

The gift was from their living expenses – they sacrificed/cut back

Just after Paul began to follow Jesus he traveled to Antioch where he worked under Barnabas.

Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection there was a thriving church in Antioch

During their time in Antioch and their travels in the region they raised funds for the believers in Jerusalem

During these years there was a major famine in Israel and the hardship on the believers in Jerusalem was compounded by the persecution that was occurring in Jerusalem.

Paul was concerned about the believers in Jerusalem.

Paul didn’t ask for personal support as he traveled around planting churches.

He did spend almost 10 years asking for financial support for the churches in and around Jerusalem.

After collecting money in and around Antioch for almost 10 years

Barnabas and Paul traveled to Jerusalem in AD 46 to a deliver a gift of money

Then he visited churches in the Asia Minor region and Macedonia, where Philippi is located, he told them about the situation in Jerusalem and the need and he encouraged the believers to give towards the need.

Paul uses an interesting way of encouraging the churches to give for the needs

He encourages the church in Corinth by talking about the Philippian church

Here’s what they did … NOW what are you going to do?

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

Paul challenges the Corinthian church to be generous

He refers to ‘many troubles’ and that they were ‘very poor.’

But that they were - rich in generosity

He continues with his challenge

I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NLT)

He offers advice

Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 2 Corinthians 8:10-11 (NLT)

The believers in Corinth had been motivated to give but their generosity had lost steam

Paul encourages them to get busy with their giving.

While he was with the believers in Philippi he told them about the generosity/desire to give of the believers in Corinth – used their desire to give to encourage the Philippians to give and to give generously.

I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago.In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. 2 Corinthians 9:1-3 (NLT)

Because of the incredible generosity of the Philippian church - Paul proclaims one of the great promises of the Word of God

This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NLT

It is fairly common for this verse to be quoted and claimed

“God your word says … you will supply all my needs…”

The conditions/circumstances under which Paul proclaimed the quote was the generosity of the Philippians

Their generosity is what makes Paul so convinced that God will supply their needs

They had used their resources to meet the needs of others

God was going to use the resources of heaven to meet their needs.

Paul sees in the Philippian believers – what Jesus saw in the widow in the Temple

One day … Mark 12:41-44

She didn’t give out of her savings but out of her daily living expenses

What about your generosity?

Generosity doesn’t ask – ‘How much do I have to give?’

Generosity asks: ‘How much can I possibly give.’

Are you generous or not generous based on your financial condition?

Do you let others take care of the ‘generosity’ area?

The common reality in America

We spend more on Pets