Text: Philippians 4:14-23
INTRODUCTION:
Our passage today deals with a Missions’ Offering. It is called a sacrificial gift.
Note: “A sacrificial gift” is when you give something you love to someone you love even more: Abraham and Isaac are classic examples of this type of sacrificial giving.
* 3 Missions Offerings:
1. As God has Prospered you: I Corinthians 16:1-3 = This is a required offering (I have given order to).
2. The Sacrificial Offering: “This offering:” It is not a required offering, but there are many wonderful blessings to those who give at this level.
3. The Faith Promise: “When we give what we have, but promise to give back to God what he gives us. A classic example is Hannah and Samuel, and the “Churches of Macedonia”. (II Corinthians 8: 2-5)
I. PAUL COMMENDS THEIR PARTICIPATION (V. 14-16)
* “ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction (14). To communicate means to share in someone’s needs; to share in their burden. They know Paul’s needs and they considered his need their need.
Philippians 1:7
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Three Great Truths About Giving:
1. The Philippians identified Paul’s Need:
2. The Philippians then had interest in Paul’s Need:
3. The Philippians got involved in meeting their Need:
ILLUSTRATION: THE GOOD SAMARITAN: LUKE 10:30-37
The Priest identified the need-Man was half dead and he left him to die
The Levite identified the need but also showed interest. “He came and looked on him.”
The Good Samaritan not only identified and showed interest, he got involved.
* “in the beginning of the gospel” (15-16) = While Paul was planting churches and no other churches helped him. The reference to Thessalonica is very interesting. The church at Thessalonica was a very wealthy church (Johnny Hunt) but they had not experienced the blessing of supporting missions. They had no vision. The church at Philippi had a vision and they helped Paul do the work of missions.
Question: Paul had to revert back to tent making on many occasions because these churches lacked the vision to help him. What might have been achieved if Paul could have given himself full-time to the mission?
* “giving and receiving” (15) = these are book keeping terms. No other church was willing to open an account with Paul.
Acts 20:35 “And remember the words of Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
* “We have built our entire Missions on this principle.”
II. PAUL CELEBRATES THEIR CONSECRATION (V. 17-18)
A. Why? (17)
Truth: Paul’s real joy was not over what the gift did for him, but what the gift did for them. It was “fruit abounding to their account.” It enabled them to get in on God’s program to reach the world.
Fact: No gift that we make to God ever leaves us poorer. God will never be in debt to us. Our giving always produces fruit in others’ lives and in our lives.
Titus 3:14
14 And let our’s also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
* “fruit” = profit…spiritual blessings
* “The gift intended to benefit the receiver became an even greater benefit to the giver.”
B. What? (18)
* Giving and Spirituality are inseparably linked. As we give, our hearts are in greater tune with God. We are closer to God. But the opposite happens when we fail to give.
Matthew 6:21
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Quote: Martin Luther: “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all. But whatever I placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
Note: There is no greater evidence of spiritual maturity than financial generosity. When people graciously and liberally release their treasure to the cause of Christ, it is a sign that they are growing up spiritually.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
1. Giving Brings Blessings to the one who receives the gift. (18) “I have all and abound, I am full.”
2. Giving Brings Blessings to God. (18) “an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.”
* “sweet smell” = The sweet odor was incense burnt before the offering of a sacrifice and it gave God great delight. It smelled good and felt good to give.
* “sacrifice acceptable” = the priest gave their very best to God because giving is a great act of worship.
* “well pleasing to God” = Paul see’s their gift as coming from God, and their giving is out of obedience to His prompting their hearts.
Hebrews 13:15-16
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
3. Giving brings blessing to the one who gives the gift. (17b)
“may abound to your account.”
* God in heaven is keeping good books!
1 Chronicles 29:14, 16
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
16 O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
III. PAUL COMMENTS ON THIS PROMISE’S PERSONALIZATION:
(V. 19-20)
* Paul is saying, “you meet my one need and God will meet all your needs.”
Quote: Hudson Taylor: “When God’s work is done in God’s way, for God’s glory, it will not lack for God’s supply.”
A. Who Can Claim This Promise? (V. 19)
* Alot of Christians quote this verse who have no scriptural right to it. They try to claim this promise without meeting the conditions. The principle of (V. 18) must be acted upon first if the truth of (V. 19) is to be enjoyed. Most of us are ready and willing to accept the blessing but overlook our obligation to fulfill the conditions.
* (V. 18) Those who are presenting offerings to God that are sacrifices “Acceptable” and “well –pleasing” can carry (V. 19) to the bank.
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Truth: This promise is given to encourage those who are sacrificial in their giving to missions, that they will never suffer because they share. No one will ever out give God.
2 Corinthians 9:8
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
* When God prompts our hearts to get involved in helping others; when He is in our acts of generosity; and when He is using our sacrifices to bless other lives, He does not forget us in our time of need.
B. What Does This Promise Claim? (V. 19)
1. It is Personal: “My God”
2. It is Positive: “Shall supply”: to fill up something that is needed; to supply more than needed; to amply supply.
3. It is Pointed: “All you Need”
4. It is Plentiful: “According to His riches in glory.”
Note: God doesn’t give Out of His riches but According to his riches, because there is no limit to God’s riches.
“Out of” = would be limited; exhaustible
“According to” = no limit; non-exhaustible
5. It is Powerful: “in Christ Jesus”
Quote: Johnny Hunt: “Lend your boat for a whole afternoon to Christ so it may be a floating pulpit and He will return it to you laden with fish. Place your upper room at His disposal for a single meal, and he will fill it and the whole house with the Holy Spirit of Pentecost. Place in His Hands your barley leaves and fish, and he will not only satisfy your hunger, but will feed a multitude and then give you 12 baskets full to take home. The Philippians sent three or four presents to a suffering and much needy servant of God, and from that moment, every need of theirs would be supplied. We scratched the surface of the soil and insert a few little seeds, and within a few months the ACREAGE is covered by a prolific harvest in which a hundred-fold is given from every grain which we seemed to throw away. God refuses to be in debt to any man.”
FACT: God’s meeting the needs of others was directly related to their being good stewards of the money God had entrusted to them. There is no license here for being irresponsible in financial affairs and yet thinking that God is obligated to meet a person’s needs just because he is a Christian.
* God’s riches are non-exhaustible:
Psalm 50:10, 12
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
* David had learned of God’s faithfulness:
Psalm 37:25
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
C. Giving Praise To The One Who Gave The Promise (V. 20)
* Paul is so full of emotions here as he speaks of God’s giving nature to the faithful. Let God be praised forever.
IV. PAUL’S CARE FOR HIS TEAM EXPRESSED IN HIS SALUTATIONS:
(V. 21-23)
* Paul greets these groups of People:
1. Saints = Those set apart for God’s service
2. Those with Him:
Timothy, Luke, Epaphroditus, Aristarchus, Tychcius
3. Caesars’ Household: princes, judges, cooks, food-tasters, musicians, custodians, builders, stable men, soldiers, accountants, and couriers. All who worked with in the supervision of the Emperor.
Philippians 1:13
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
* Light in a dark place:
Romans 5:20
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
*The Power of the Word of God when we give it out:
Isaiah 55:11
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
CONCLUSION:
Every one of us are fully aware of the need to get the Word of God into all the world, especially to those who have never had it. So what will you do with the truth you know? God could have financed all mission works without our involvement but thank God He didn’t. He has allowed us to enjoy the blessings. He has allowed us to experience his promises.
Resources used: Reality Living, Jeff Adams, Philippians and Hebrews by John MacArthur, Stress Reduction by Paul Decker, Philippians by Warren Wiersbe, Philippians by Johnny Hunt, Philippians by Guy McGraw, Philippians by Dana Chau, John R. Rice study Bible, Sermon Central Illustrations, Illustration Exchange
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