Let us turn again to God's Word. The text that we were considering
in the earlier part, this morning's service, is found in Philippians
chapter 4 and verse 19. These words that I am sure are
very familiar with each of us. This great promise of the Gospel,
but my God, shall supply all your needs according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians chapter 4 and verse
19. And earlier we were considering
more particularly the latter part of the verse. Those riches in glory. His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus. We thought then of the glory
of God's riches and observed how the riches of glory are found
of course in God himself, in the very persons of the Godhead,
the great mystery of the being of God. What a glory there is! when we come to a proper understanding
of that doctrine of the Almighty. We considered, as I said this
morning, something of that last Lord's Day, those words that
we find in Colossians 2, at verse 2, where we have all the riches
of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Oh, what a glory
there is when we come to understand the significance of that doctrine
of three persons in one glorious Godhead. And here it is that
we find the source of all that is being promised in this particular
text. The supply is according to his
riches in glory and those riches in glory are said to be by the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's not only the doctrine of
God himself, God who dwells of course in the very heavens, who
is there in the heaven of heavens and it is God's presence that
makes heaven all that it is. But there is that that God has
purposed from all eternity. There is that great covenant
of redemption, the eternal covenant. There is the mystery of God's
will as the apostle speaks of it in Ephesians chapter 1, having
made known unto us the mystery of his will. That that he has purposed in
himself. It's all according to his own
good will and pleasure. But how that will of God is revealed
is unfolded, of course, in the covenant with the coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is that one who is the mediator
of the new covenant, that one whom God has given to be the
commander and the leader of his people. one God and one mediator
between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. All that glory
that belongs to God, be it in His very being, albeit in His
eternal covenant. All of this is made known to
us, revealed to us with the coming of the Lord Jesus. We witness
it there in His person and in His work. This is what it says,
My God shall supply all your need. It's according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. Well, I want us now to consider
more particularly the former part of the verse, that supply
for every need. A supply for every need. Previously, we've seen where
the source of it is, what the basis of it is. in God himself,
the one who is in heaven. Now we come to consider the way
in which God, from that glorious fullness, supplies all the needs
of his people. And I want us to consider some
three headings. First of all, there is a temporal
and a physical provision that God makes for his people, then
there is that saving and spiritual provision that is made for sinners. And then thirdly, we will see
that there is that, that is the eternal and the heavenly provision,
following then that simple threefold division. First of all, God is
the one who supplies the temporal and the physical needs of his
people. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
one who now reigns in his mediatorial kingdom, and as such, he has
been exalted over all things. Observe again the language that
we have here at the end of our verse, all the supply is said
to be by Christ Jesus. And we're reminded, are we not,
in that opening chapter of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, how
God has raised Christ and set him now in those heavenly places. There at the end of Ephesians
1 verse 20, He raised him from the dead, and set him at his
own right hand in the heavenly places, it says, far above all
principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which
is to come. And hath put all things under
his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church. which is His body, the fullness
of Him that filleth all in all. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
One who rules and reigns on behalf of His Church, for His people. Again in Hebrews 2 and verse
8, Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all things
in subjection under Him, there is nothing that is not put under
Him. Everything, without exception,
is under the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the
Mediator of the New Covenant, and having accomplished his covenanted
work, has now been exalted and is reigning in his Mediatorial
Kingdom. And so what are we to do? We're
to pray, and we're to plead his name, and he assures us that
when we ask in his name we will receive those things that we
ask of him. Remember the language again of
Christ during the course of his ministry. There in John 16 and
verse 23 he says, Verily, verily, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father
in my name, he will give it you. Neither too have ye asked nothing
in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full." He had not yet accomplished that great
work. He had not yet made that great
sacrifice for sins. He had not completed that that
the Father had given him to do. But he would be obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, we're told. and given him that name which
is above every name. And here he gives his disciples
this assurance. He prefixes what he says with
the double verbal. Amen. Amen. So be it. For this is true. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father
in my name, he will give it you. If the two of you have asked
nothing in my name, ask and ye shall receive. that your joy
may be full." All we are to recognize is that the Lord Jesus Christ
is that One who will make every provision for His people, every
provision we can come to God and ask for in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And look at the language that
Paul is using here in our text tonight. He doesn't simply say
God, shall supply all your needs. He uses the language of appropriation. He speaks out of his own soul's
experience, my God. Oh, this is Paul's own God. Why the language here is so pregnant
with meaning, is it not? My God. shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Presently
we'll sing that lovely hymn of John Ryland. He says, while Christ
is rich, can I be poor? What can I once beside? when all created streams are
dry, thy fullness is the same, may I with this be satisfied,
and glory in thy name." Or the Lord Jesus Christ is that one,
you see, who is able to meet his children at every point of
their needs. Think of those great words that
we have in the book of the Prophet Habakkuk. And there in the closing
verses of that prophetic book of Habakkuk. Although the fig
tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be found in the vines.
The labour of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield
no meat. The flock shall be cut off from
the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet I
will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength.
and he will make my feet like hind feet, and he will make me
to walk upon mine high places, to the chief singer on my string
instrument." It's a great song of praise to God as that one
who is able, in the most dire of circumstances, to make every
provision for his people. He is that one who never fails
his children, and Paul knew it. Paul knew it. What does he say
here in the context? Verse 18, he says, I have all
and abound. I am full. Now, as we remarked
this morning in the context, it's very much speaking of that
temporal provision. Now, Paul had ministered to these
Philippians. He'd ministered to them in spiritual
things. We have the record of his preaching
at Philippi there in Acts 16, and the fruit of that ministry
And now, as a result, there was a church that was established,
and these who are believers, they have a loving concern for
Paul. They want to minister to him.
And he says there at verse 10, At the last, your care of me
has flourished again, wherein you were also careful, but you
lacked opportunity. But then the opportunity arose
and they were able to minister to him. He tells them, verse
15, the Philippians know also that in the beginning of the
gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated
with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For
even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. They'd sent Epaphroditus. and
Epaphroditus had been the person to convey this particular gift,
whatever it was, it was some provision, some physical provision. It was innate, and they were
concerned for him. He says there in verse 18, I
am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable while
pleasing to God." They not only ministered to the apostles, as
we said this morning, they'd also ministered to God. This
was that spiritual sacrifice that was so pleasing and so acceptable
to God. It's interesting, it's a spiritual
sacrifice that they're making to God and yet it was material
things that they were providing for Paul. Now, we have these
remarkable little details sometimes in these epistles. We see how
real Paul's circumstances were. When he writes to Timothy in
2 Timothy 4, he says the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus,
when thou comest, bring with them. And he's inspired by the
Holy Spirit to write those words. He needed his cloak. and he left
it behind and he wants that Timothy should bring it to him. The Lord
Jesus of course in the course of his own ministry is one who
is concerned not only for man's spiritual well-being, he is concerned
for man's physical condition. He is concerned to give sight
to the blind and He is to the death, the tongue to the dumb,
and feet to the lame. How in His miracles we see that
concern, how He will feed the five thousand. Oh, the Lord Jesus,
you see, is that one who is concerned not only for the souls of men,
but also for the bodies of men, and so it should not surprise
us that we have these details in Scripture. God is the one
who will supply every need of his children, not just their
spiritual needs. And we are to bring everything
to him, we are to lay all these matters before the Lord, are
we not? It's interesting what he says here in verse 16, even
in Thessalonica, you sent once and again unto my necessity. Now the word that we have there,
necessity, is the identical word that we have here in our text
where it's rendered need, my God shall supply all your need,
all your necessity. The words are one and the same.
God is ever aware of what the real needs of his people are. And the Thessalonians had been,
these Philippians rather had been instrumental in the hand
of God, of ministering to those very real needs of the Apostle
himself, who administered to them in spiritual things. So they desired to give in return
these temporal gifts unto the Apostle. But God is in all of
these things. God supplies the needs of his
children. The Lord Jesus, in that great
patterned prayer, instructs his disciples that they should pray
concerning their daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. As we have it in the Sermon on
the Mount, but then it's not somewhat different in the other
account where he's teaching them how to pray in Luke 11. It's give us day by day our daily
bread. It's interesting the difference,
there is that provision each day, give us this day, there's
provision for the day and that should be sufficient. Submission
unto the day are the evils thereof, says the Lord in the Sermon on
the Mount. He cares for our particular need
in a particular day, but also it is that day-by-day provision.
We're not to fear that He will also make provision for our tomorrows,
give us day-by-day our daily bread. And how we see it, of
course, in that portion of Scripture that we read, the provision that
the Lord made for the Hebrews when they came out of Egypt,
how He provided them with that manner through all their wanderings
in the wilderness. There in Exodus chapter 16 verse 11, the Lord spoke unto
Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of
Israel. Speak unto them, saying that even ye shall eat flesh,
And in the morning ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall
know that I am the Lord your God. Or do we not have to live
to prove it? We have to know who is the Lord
our God, the one who makes that provision for us in the morning
and in the evening. It came to pass that at evening
the quails came up and covered the camp And in the morning the
dew lay round about the house, and when the dew that lay was
gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a
small round thing, as small as the whole frost on the ground.
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another,
It is manna." Literally, what is this? What is this? It was the Lord's portion, it
was the Lord's provision. It is manna, for they wished
not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This
is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. Oh, the Lord
makes that provision for them. Remarkable is he not? What are
we told in Psalm 78? Man did eat angels' food. Man did eat angels' food. He sent them meat to the full. It was always sufficient as they
gathered day by day. And when He came to the sixth
day, there was that double provision because they must observe the
Sabbath day. There would be no manna on the
Sabbath day. Why God provided for His children,
did He not, through all the wilderness wanderings? Thy raiment waxed
not old upon thee, it says, neither did thy foot swell, Why, thy
shoes shall be iron and brass." As they were throughout all those
40 years in the wilderness living the miracle, the Lord making
the provision for His people. And I remember our late dear
friend Sidney Norton on more than one occasion saying to me,
you know, a minister of the Gospel has to live a miracle. You have
to live a miracle. The Lord has to provide everything.
He has to provide for your material need, your temporal need, as
well as your spiritual need. That's the life of dependence.
That's the life that the children of Israel had to live there in
all their wilderness wanderings. But God made the provision. My
God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory
by Christ Jesus. And remember the testimony of
the Psalmist. In Psalm 37 he says, I have been
young and now I am old. Yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. The Lord provides. What
are we to do? We are to pray to him. We are
to pray to him and we are to come with that simple petition. Give us this day our daily bread. or we will supply our needs. Even in Thessalonica he is sent
once and again says Paul onto my necessity. There is then the provision of
the physical and the temporal needs of his children but then
also in the second place there is that provision of their spiritual
needs. that great need of salvation.
You see, Paul's chief concern, as he's writing this particular
epistle, is not his own temporal needs. That is really quite secondary.
Paul's chief concern here is their spiritual goods. As he
says in verse 17, not because I desire a gift, but I desire
fruit. that may abound to your accounts. He's concerned about them and
their need before God, their fruit. Now what was that fruit
that he wanted to abound to their accounts? Well, as I've already
said, he goes on to speak of their spiritual sacrifice and
what they were doing in their kindness to Paul, their concern
for him, their desire to provide for him, they're not just ministering
to the apostle, they're ministering to God also. As he says at the
end of verse 18, the things which were sent from you, he says,
were an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable while
pleasing to God. Now remember the language that
we find at the end of the epistle to the Hebrews. There in Hebrews chapter 13 Verse 15, he says, By Him, that
is by Christ, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise
to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips,
giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate,
forget not. For with such sacrifices God
is well pleased. They had not forgotten to do
good, to communicate. They communicated to Paul. They
ministered to Paul. And he says, with such sacrifices,
God is, well, please, this was their spiritual sacrifice. Here
is that fruit, here is that evidence, that they had truly tasted, they
had really known the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why, Christ himself says, by
their fruits you shall know them. Here is the evidence. How do
we know that they are true believers? How is Paul assured concerning
their spiritual standing? Why, he has evidence in his own
experience. He sees the fruit of their Christianity
in their loving care and concern of him. Surely these people had
an interest in that salvation that was wrought by the Lord
Jesus Christ. Here is the evidence that they have an interest in
that great sacrifice that Christ himself made for sinners. By
one offering, Paul says, concerning the work of Christ, by one offering,
He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. These are
those who are sanctified, those who have been set apart from
all eternity to have an interest in what Christ accomplished when
he made that one sacrifice for sins forever? How do we know? Because we see
the fruits of their Christianity. Their spiritual sacrifice. is the mark that they have an
interest in Christ, one sacrifice for sins. It's not that their
sacrifice contributes anything to their salvation. All their
salvation is in what the Lord Jesus Christ did when he came
and stood in that very Lord place
of his people. That was what we're told is what
we're told. Is it not concerning his coming
into the world? He is made of a woman He is the
seed of the woman that was promised in Genesis chapter 3. But he
is also made under the law. He stands for his people in their
law place. He will answer concerning all
the demands of God's law with regards to his people. And of
course, when he comes to suffer and bleed and die, what is he
doing? Why, he is their substitute. He is suffering that penalty
of the law that was their desert. They deserved the punishment.
They were the transgressors. He was that holy, harmless, righteous
man that had never sinned. And yet he dies. How he honoured
and magnified the Lord in all those terrible penalties when
he died. But he also, of course, had honoured and magnified that
selfsame law with regards to all its holy precepts in his
life. He had been obedient to every
commandment. All their salvation is in the
person and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the evidence,
I say, that they have an interest in that great work is to be seen
in that spiritual sacrifice, an odour of a sweet smell. A
sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Or they'd minister to
Paul, but God is debtor to no man. They will not be the losers.
My God shall supply all your need according to his riches
in glory. by Christ Jesus. But our Paul, as I say, is so
concerned really for them and for their spiritual well-being. I desire fruit that may abound,
he says, to your account. And he wants them to be those
who are constantly feeding upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Isn't
this what he said before them in this epistle? Has he not spoken
so much of the Lord Jesus Christ, that great second chapter of
the epistle, that tremendous Christology that we find there,
the doctrine of Christ? He speaks of Him being in the
form of God, who sought it not properly to be equal with God,
but made Himself with no reputation, and took upon Him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found
in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also
has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above every
name. that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every
tongue confess of things in heaven and things in earth and things
under the earth. How He has spoken of Christ and
He wants these to be those who have that true knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Why is it not in Christ that
we really see the fulfillment of the manna? that chapter that
we read in Exodus 16, is it not a gospel chapter? Does it not
speak to us of the Lord Jesus Christ in type? Why Christ himself
unfolded, does he not, in that sense, when he teaches there
in John chapter 6? Look at what the Lord says. Verse 32, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my
Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of
God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto
the world. Verse 48, I am that bread of
life. Your fathers did eat manna in
the wilderness, and I did. This is the bread which cometh
down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Again at verse 33, Verily, verily,
except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood,
ye have no life in you. do so eat of my flesh and drink
of my blood at eternal life and I will raise him up at the last
day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eat of my flesh and drink
of my blood dwelleth in me and I in him." Now, we know that
this has nothing to do with the blasphemies of the Romish mass
and the nonsense of the doctrine of transubstantiation. why that
is the most dangerous deceit and the blasphemous fable in
the language of the Church of England prayer book. That's what
it is. It is blasphemy. We're not to
understand John 6 in terms of the Romish doctrines. We're to
understand it in the spiritual sense. How do we feed upon Christ? We feed upon Christ by faith. For here is that provision that
God has made in the person of His only begotten Son, salvation. Here is that that is meat indeed. Here is that that is drink indeed. Why the body and the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ? And Paul knew it, as I've said.
As he writes here, he uses the language of appropriation. He
could have said, but God shall supply all your need. But how
significant is that one little word, my, my God, my God. This God, says the psalmist,
is our God forever and ever. And remember the language of
Joseph Hart, this God is the God we adore. Our faithful, unchangeable
friend, whose love is as great as his power, and knows neither
measure nor end. All thanks be unto God for his
unspeakable gift. God did not withhold his Son,
even his only begotten Son, but delivered him up for sinners. And here is that provision, my
God, Shall I supply all your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus? Do we not have needs in our soul,
real soul needs? If we have any sense of what
we are, any understanding of what sin is, and how sin is such
a grievous thing in the sight of God, He is lies too pure to
behold evil. He cannot look upon iniquity. What can we do as sinners? why
God has laid help upon one that is mighty, Him and His only begotten
Son, who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God
by Him. There is not only temporal provision,
there is also that saving, that spiritual provision, according
to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus whom have I in heaven but
thee says the psalmist there is none upon earth that I desire
besides that can we say that truly say that there's none upon
earth that we desire besides our Lord Jesus Christ there's
no one else he is all our salvation and he's all our desire that
was David's testimony was it not when he came to his dying
bed There is provision in here, there is that physical, that
temporal provision, there's that saving and spiritual provision,
and then finally there is also a heavenly and an eternal provision. It is riches in glory. His riches in glory. What is
the glory? Well, we said this morning we're
to understand the glory here in terms of heaven itself. And
what heaven is that? It's the third heaven. It's the third heaven. That's
beyond the first heaven, beyond the atmosphere around this planet
Earth, beyond the second heaven, beyond stellar space. It's that
that is outside of time, outside of space. It's eternity. It's that place where God is. And these provisions, you see,
are eternal in the heavens. When man was made, God made him
in his own image. God created man in his likeness. Man was clearly, in scripture,
made to know God. man was made to have fellowship
with God remember the first question in
the Westminster Georgia Catechism what is the chief end of man?
man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever
all man is made for the glory of God That must be the chief
end of man, God's glory. And this is what Paul is really
burdened about, is it not? As he says in verse 20, Now unto
God and thy Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. That's to be the chief end of
man, but as man knows that blessed end, the glory of God, so there
is also the enjoyment of God. And what a provision God has
made for His children in heaven. What is the glory of heaven?
Is it not there, the very presence of God, that God is in heaven?
God is in heaven. God is the glory of heaven. In Revelation 21, verse 3, John says, I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with me. And He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with
them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sighing,
neither sorrow, nor crying. Neither shall there be any more
pain, for the former things are passed away. All the glory which
is heaven itself. But before we come to those precious
words in verse 4, look at what has the priority in verse 3.
The tabernacle of God is with men. This was the glory of Israel
in the Old Testament, the tabernacle. And God's there in the midst
of the tabernacle. And God promised that there He
would meet with the children of Israel and be with them. But
now, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell
with them. and He will dwell with them forever
and forever and forever and forever isn't this what heaven is? again
in that last chapter of the Revelation 22 verse 3 there shall be no
more curse but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be
in it and His servants shall serve Him and they shall see
His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads, and there
shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they
shall reign forever and ever." Oh, the Lord God Himself is there
in the midst, and that's what makes it heaven, the Lamb. The
Lamb is all the glory. in Emmanuel's land. This is that provision that God
has made in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's an eternal, heavenly provision,
is it not? My God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I have not seen or heard Neither
hath entered into the hearts of men the things that God hath
prepared for them that love him." We cannot begin to conceive of
these things. How difficult it is to preach
on that blessed theme of heaven. There's that lovely series of
sermons by Jonathan Edwards. Charity and its fruits. And one
of the sermons, I remember reading it some years ago, he preaches
on heaven. And he preaches on heaven in
these terms. He says, heaven is a world of love. Heaven is
a world of love. Why? God is there, and God is
love. And God is love, of course, when we think of him in terms
of the mystery of his being, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
our God is love in Himself without reference to any object outside
of Himself. The love of the Father, the love
of the Son, the love of the Holy Spirit. Oh, Heaven! Beloved now are we the sons of
God, John says. And it does not yet appear what
we shall be. But we know that when He shall appear we shall
be like Him. For we shall see Him. as He is. All the provision that God makes,
He makes every provision. There's all the fullness of provision
for every need of man, be it his physical, his temporal, his
spiritual, his saving, his eternal, his heavenly need, every need.
And all met in and through the Lord Jesus. My God shall supply
all your need according to His riches in glory. by Christ Jesus. Father Lord, bless this truth
to us. Amen.