November Passage: Philippians 4:10-20
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs again and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)
If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.
Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text. Today we will discuss...
Resourcing the Mission
As we wind down our walk through the letter to the Philippians, Paul broaches a subject that most Christians don’t talk about very much. But it is something the Bible talks about all the time. Money.
We often talk about the Mission: Go and make disciples who make disciples with a love and trust in Jesus and a love for others.
We often talk about Methods for the Mission: Teaching Styles; Music choices; When and where and how to fellowship, serve the community and reach out to the not-yet-believers.
We often talk about the Messengers who are on Mission: Our Character and Theology matter since we are speaking on behalf of our King Jesus.
We also need to talk about Money and Resourcing the Mission.
In the Scriptures we see that Jesus came to preach the Good News of the Kingdom. He was fully God throughout His time on Earth. He was also fully man and had human needs for food and sustenance like any other man.
Luke 8:1-3 tells us that The Father provided for these needs through the means of women who had followed along with Jesus:
Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. (Luke 8:1-3 ESV)
In Acts, a woman named Lydia responded to the Gospel and immediately made provision for the missionaries to Philippi:
And after she (Lydia) was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16:15 ESV)
Further, Jesus tells His Disciples to expect to be provided for by others when they are on mission:
Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. (Matthew 10:9-10 ESV)
And Paul instructs the church to provide for their leaders:
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” (1 Timothy 5:17-18 ESV)
Finally, we see that, God’s messengers have sometimes had to take time off of the mission in order to tend to the physical needs of themselves and their families when God’s people did not come through and resource the mission:
I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. (Nehemiah 13:10 ESV)
The Philippians are praised at the end of Paul’s letter because of their ever present desire to Help him in the mission. That’s why Paul REJOICED (Again).
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
When Paul says the Philippians “revived” their concern, he doesn’t mean that they remembered all of a sudden, “Oh! We are supposed to be helping Paul!”
He means that they were concerned but were limited in their ability to get their help to him. Once Epaphroditus was able to serve as a deliverer, they were able to revive their help to Paul.
Today, we do not have the same obstacles to giving that the Philippians had. When it comes to support of the local church, and support of Church Planters throughout North America, and support of Missionaries across the globe, and support of Church Equippers, and support of Para-church Ministries - We have opportunities to give in person each week, or to give online anytime. (see links below for links to support the local church, church planters, global missionaries, church equippers and Para-church ministries)
Also, Paul doesn’t mean that the Philippians finally had some extra funds and other resources to give. In another letter, Paul talks up the Philippians and other Macedonian Christians, because of their willingness to give sacrificially, despite their poverty (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).
Unfortunately, many ministries and ministers go unfunded today, even though we live (in America) in one of the richest places on earth and even though most (American) Christians are more wealthy than people have been throughout history.
Paul doesn’t mean any disrespect to those who haven’t helped, but he is quick to show gratitude to those who did without, so that others could hear the Good News.
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs again and again.
If you are a Christian reading this portion of Philippians, a few things should be noted:
1) You are not saved by giving to the church. You are saved by what Jesus has given. His life - lived for you. His blood - shed for you.
2) God doesn’t love his children based on how many dollars they have given. You are loved. End of story. God showed His love for us while we were still truly impoverished in Spiritual Poverty. He Gives His Love without expecting to be paid back (How could we pay Him back?!)
3) When we give - which we should - it is not because God needs our money. He spoke the universe into existence, He can complete His purposes in spite of our greed or our fear, which stop us from giving.
We don’t give to benefit God. Giving is His gift to us. Our giving is for our own benefit. Or as Paul says:
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
The Apostle is pointing us back to what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)
Our giving is for our future benefit. In some way, we are storing up treasures for ourselves in Heaven. One way that Paul talks about people who have come to faith through his ministry is to call those people his “crown.” It is possible that the “fruit that continues to our credit” and our “treasures in Heaven” are the joy we will have in the future. Joy experienced as we encircle the throne with those who came to faith because of the monetary and physical support we gave to the mission.
Our giving is for our right-now benefit. Many of us have been blessed when we have been able to hear how ministries we’ve supported have been harvested for the Glory of God and His Kingdom. In our own church, we have seen the fruit of faith and repentance, the harvest of people rescued from Hell. And it happened - in part - because of the monetary support from God’s people. It is a fruit that increases to your credit.
Thank you for what you have done and what you continue to do to support God’s work.
Click on any category to give financial support online to:
