Alright, I'm going to go ahead
and get started. Our text is going to be Philippians chapter
4 verses 10 through 23. Philippians 4, verses 10 through
23. These are Paul's closing remarks
to the Philippians, and he takes up the subject of their giving,
their giving to support the gospel. And what we'll see today, that
giving to support the gospel, it's called a sacrifice, which
is acceptable to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And our
title is called, A Sacrifice Acceptable to God. So let's just
go through these verses, 10 through 23, and beginning with verse
10. Paul says, I rejoiced in the
Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished
again, wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Now
if any church was known for supporting Paul. It was actually the Philippian
church. They seemed to be the most abundant
in their giving. And it seems like it was perhaps
a while since they had given or sent him a gift. And he's
rejoicing now in the gift and the supplies that they've sent
to him. And it doesn't mention what they actually sent him,
but we see that Paul's heart is overflowing from the gift
that they gave. If you look down in verse 18,
Philippians 4, 18, he says, but I have all and abound, I am full,
having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing
to God. And so one of the things that
we learn just from looking at the Philippians and the things
that Paul is saying is we ought not to ever think that our doing
some kindness, showing some kindness to a brother or sister in Christ,
or even someone outside, it's never a waste. It's never a waste
of time. It actually works a blessing
to them. Because when you do something
kind, like what the Philippians did to Paul, It lets that person
know that they're loved, that they're thought of, that you
care about them. It sends a message to them. And, you know, for a brother
and sister in Christ, that causes them to also rejoice in the fact
that the Lord is thinking on them. Because we know that the
Lord is the one that works that in the heart of his saints, in
the heart of his people, to even think of them, to pray for them,
to say a kind word to them, to do something nice for them. So
you can see how it's nice what the Lord does in stirring up
the heart of his people to think of the brethren. And so they
feel it. They feel like, wow, the Lord is showing me a token
of kindness. He remembers me. He knows what
I'm going through, and he remembers me as well. And then Paul adds
in verse 11, not that I speak in respect of want. And so what
we see in that is it doesn't mean that the person is in great
need. They don't have to be in some
very difficult and trying circumstance. They don't have to be severely
wanting for you to show them kindness. it doesn't matter whether
they have plenty, it's still a thing to do because we know
from experience that just because we possess things in this life
or an abundance of things in this life, that can never replace
the experience of knowing that you're loved and cared for and
that someone's thinking of you in that sense. Because it says,
it speaks volumes. we love you, we're thinking of
you and I just wanted to do this nice thing or you know just say
something or or reach out. I mean a lot of times pastors
are get that recognition because when you hear that someone is
ill like their wife is ill a lot of those pastors they received
phone calls and there's an inpouring of love that they know and experience
in our region. That, wow, people actually think
about me and care for me. So it definitely sends a message. So Paul says in verse 11, not
that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever
state I am therewith to be content. And so what he's saying is we
learn, we as brethren, as a people, learn contentment in the school
of God's grace for us. He's the one who's teaching us
this contentment so that we learn through the providential things
that we go through. We go through things providentially
and in those experiences he's teaching us contentment. He's
teaching us patience. He's teaching us how to do things
without this sense of having to have things at a certain time,
he's teaching us how to wait on him and to be patient and
content with the things that we have. Our Lord said to the
people, take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's
life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And so because that's a danger, that's a real danger to our flesh,
our flesh is is covetous and lusts for things that it doesn't
need. Because of that, the Lord is
very careful. to cause us to hear the gospel.
Right? Because it's not just by having
a commandment or a law or a rule that says don't be covetous.
That doesn't change our heart. That doesn't help the flesh anything.
But it's rather as he settles us in the gospel, as he teaches
us, so that we hear the truth of the gospel that says don't
be covetous. We see and experience why we
ought not to be covetous and why He's the one who causes us
to open our hand and let go of the things that we're clinging
to, covetousness wise, in this life. So further to that school
of grace, Paul says, I know, in verse 12, I know both how to be abased and I know
how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need. So Paul was keenly aware, he
knew very well that this world isn't going to love you. This
world has no feeling of responsibility for caring for you or providing
for you or taking care of you. It's not going to come from this
world. And so the Lord, he teaches us
a lot about this in the scriptures. He prepares us to know so that
we're not surprised when we come into trouble and difficulty in
this world. If you look over in John 15, John chapter 15 and go down to
verses 18 and 19, This is just a small sample because
he speaks on this a lot. He says, if the world hate you,
verse 18, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. And if
you were of the world, the world will love his own. But because
ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hateth you. All right, hold your place
here in John 15, because we're going to come right back, but
look over in Matthew 5. Matthew 5, verse 10. He says, blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad.
For great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you." So those who stand with Christ, those
who open their mouth in defense of Christ and identify with Christ,
They're basically raising their hand and making it known to the
world, I stand with Christ. And so they're going to incur
that hatred and they're going to, people will begin to persecute
them and trouble them and give them a hard time because of their
hope and faith in Christ. And we know that there are some
who who are raised up of the Lord to do that more frequently,
more boldly, more openly than other parts of the body of Christ. There are pastors. You see, Paul
was a missionary. Not everybody was jailed for
their profession in Christ, but Paul was, and Paul was very bold
and open in it. And what the Lord does is he
works in the hearts of his people so that they share in that burden. They don't necessarily all open
their mouth to the same degree. They'll all confess Christ at
a minimum in baptism and following the Lord there and they'll gather
together with the people, but they'll also share in the burden
of Christ by giving, by supporting those who are suffering because
they're the ones that are most bold and raised up of the Lord
to do that, so they're going to suffer more severely. So the Lord causes his people
to share in that burden by supporting them, by giving to them to meet
some need that they might have. And it's what Paul said, but
we're going to go back to John 15, but Paul said in the beginning
of Philippians, he said, in as much as both in my bonds and
in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers
of my grace. They were all partakers in that
work, in that defense of the gospel, because the Lord had
given them a heart to partake in Paul's suffering and supporting
him. All right, back in John 15, because
of this, we see this, our Lord says in John 15 verse 12, this
is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, than that a man lay down
his life for his friends. All right, he sacrifices himself
for his friends, and he says, ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever
I command you. All right, and we know that Christ
sacrificed the most for his people, for his friends, for the ones
that he loves. And so many do this, many serve
the brethren in the gospel at great risk to themselves and
what they can do in this world otherwise. They give up those
things to further the gospel in this world for his people.
And they trust that Christ will provide for them. They do it
knowing that this world isn't going to provide for me, but
I trust Christ. As Peter said, casting all your
care upon him, for he careth for you. So we can trust that
he's going to take care of those things. And then the Lord tells
us in Matthew 28, 20, lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world. so that he's, we know he's the
one directing our hearts, directing our minds, making us willing
to serve him and partake of this so that we can rest and trust
that he's got it all under control. All right, now, this is, we actually,
if you look over in Psalm 142, Psalm 142, and go to verse five,
and we'll just look at verses five through seven, And here
the psalmist, he writes, Psalm 142, verse five, I cried unto
thee, O Lord, I said, thou art my refuge and my portion in the
land of the living. Verse six, attend unto my cry,
for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may praise thy name. The righteous shall compass me
about, for thou shalt deal bountifully with me. Now, first, this is
speaking of Christ. Christ cried out and trusted
the Father in all things that he would raise him from the dead,
he would raise him from that prison of the grave, and that
the righteous, the ones whom he has made righteous, would
be gathered unto him because the Lord's blessing him. The
Lord's providing for him and all the spiritual blessings we
have flow from Christ. And second, we see how the Lord
does this in giving us life and how the Lord provides for us
who are suffering that the righteous will compass us about and they'll
provide for us. They'll deal bountifully with
us in the Lord, in the grace of the Lord as he's dealt with
them so it'll flow to the brethren who are serving them. So he teaches
us this in the gospel, separating us from the world and that covetousness
which is so rampant in the world because all the world goes after
the things that they lust after. And so he He's separating us
from that and delivering us from that because it's such a real
danger for us. So he teaches us, as Paul wrote
to Timothy, godliness with contentment is great gain. It's great gain. And so he reminds us that we
brought nothing into this world, and it's certain we can carry
nothing out, and having food and raiment let us be there with
content. And the way that we're made content
with the physical things is as he's making us content spiritually. So that now our focus isn't in
anymore, what do I need to do to make myself acceptable to
God? What do I need to do in labors to make myself righteous
with God? That isn't on our minds anymore. We are made righteous. We are
settled with God. All in the Lord Jesus Christ,
he's done that work of salvation. We are his. And so as we hear
that and are settled in the gospel, Then these other earthly things,
these fleshly lusts and covetousness, that's where they get settled.
That's where the Lord teaches us, causing us to hear in the
gospel, you know what, I don't need this. I used to lust for
those things greatly, but he's tamped that down. He's tempered
that and he's brought me to be content with the things that
I do have because I'm able to, you know, I can eat and I can
support the gospel now and I can hear the gospel regularly. So
he grows us in that fashion and in that manner. He's the one
doing it. And so because we're hearing the gospel, then we hear
the more meatier things in the gospel, like what Paul says to
Timothy, flee these things. Flee the pursuit of this world
and seeking after those things that the world is going after,
but follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness, and fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a
good profession before many witnesses." Yeah, he's saying it as an exhortation,
but we keep preaching and lifting up and exalting Christ because
he's the one warming your heart, he's the one strengthening you,
he's the one directing you to see that he, as he's become more
and more precious to you and you're falling in love with him
more and more because of the knowledge and the understanding
he gives you in the gospel of what he's accomplished for you.
So as you experience that more, all those things, it ceases to
be a great burden and a heavy yoke and you see how light of
a yoke it is because he makes you willing. He's the one working
in you this love of the gospel and the love for him. So Paul
is encouraged in Christ and he's encouraging the brethren and
so what he does now, what he does next in verse 13 is he's
taking his crown of glory, this thing, this contentment and this
perseverance that he has and he's casting down his crown at
Christ's feet here. Look at verse 13. He confesses,
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. So he's
giving all the glory, all the praise, all the perseverance
that he can handle now, everything he can go through now, he's saying,
and I can do it through Christ. That's how I'm able to do it.
He's not saying he's omnipotent. He's not saying he can do everything
that Christ can do, but he is saying whatever Christ is pleased
to bring me through providentially, I know that he's going to provide
for me and sustain me in that. He's going to bring me through
providentially. However Christ is pleased to
use me in service to Him, whatever it is, whether it just be setting
up the chairs or breaking them down or preaching the gospel
or providing, whatever it is, I know that Christ is the one
who's going to provide for me. He's going to use me as He sees
fit and in all things He's going to provide for me. It'll be sufficient.
I'll have what I need. and be sustained by Him. And
so we can see other scriptures that confirm this. First of all,
we know Romans 8, 28, which says, and we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are thee
called according to His purpose. Right? So we already know that.
We know that He's controlling all things, directing all things,
so that right there is a peace and a rest and a comfort to our
hearts and our minds. He says in 1 Corinthians, Paul
writes in 1 Corinthians 10 in verses 12 and 13, he says, wherefore,
because the Lord is controlling all things and directing all
things, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall. Right? And so, because the Lord
is controlling all things and doing all things, we have this
comfort, not in ourselves, not in this this boldness in our
flesh that we can do it, but rather our boldness and our confidence
is in Christ. And he says in verse 13, there
hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man.
We're all enduring. difficulties and the trials.
We all suffer various things whether you believe Christ or
not. We have the comfort of knowing that we're the Lord's and the
Lord is directing it all for our good and for our peace and
for his kingdom. We have his help and support.
And he says, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able. He'll keep our hearts and our
minds through the temptation, but will with the temptation
also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it. And
don't think of that as though God's going to give you a choice
that if you choose door number two as opposed to door number
three, everything's going to work out for you. No, it's saying
that God will deliver you. He's the one directing and controlling
all things. He's going to sustain you through
the temptation and he'll be the one that brings you through it
and delivers you from that temptation in his time. we can be at peace
and rest in Him, just keep looking to Christ, keep seeking Him and
putting yourself in the path of the Gospel and begging Him
to bless it and give you an ear and a heart for that Gospel Word. And Paul would tell Timothy,
thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And he's saying, don't lose your
focus. Don't get caught up in this world and what this world
is directing you to do. He says, no man that woreth and
tangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please
him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. All right, so Paul
here has shown how well the Lord cares for his people, right?
He's shown, I have everything I need, the Lord's providing
for me, he's caring for me, but then in verse 14, he realizes,
I don't want to discourage them. I mean, this is great what they've
done. So he says, notwithstanding, ye have well done that ye did
communicate with my affliction. All right, he wants to assure
them that the Lord's in this. Actually, the Lord's the one
who's worked this in your heart. He's the one who's providing
the blessing. And it's an encouragement, right,
to the brethren when you see how the Lord is blessing us and
making us, his people, willing to give and his people willing
to serve. And it doesn't matter, you know,
people, I don't even think people realize it's not even always
in doing a lot. It's just being here. It's just
being present. When the brethren meet together
and come together to hear the gospel, it's a real blessing
and encouragement just when people come. And it's an encouragement
to me. It's an encouragement to the other brethren. Don't
overthink. Nobody cares. People, they do
care. And it really encourages the
brethren Even something that small just your presence is a
good thing and then all those other things of course are helpful
to the giving of the money or the time and the fellowship or
Preaching or something like, you know filling the pulpit.
Those are all good things. So in all cases it these are
profitable things and he says that in Titus 3 8 and when he
says, this is a faithful saying, and these things I will that
thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God
might be careful to maintain good works. These things are
good and profitable unto men. So Paul was very much profited
by their gift. and by the remembrance of him,
and it was a profitable thing. But he just didn't want them
to think he's so desperate that they send even more. He's saying,
I have plenty. It's good what you've sent. And it shows an example of how
the Lord does provide for his people. All right, now look at
verses 15 through 17 in our text. Philippians 4, 15. Now ye 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." And you can see the place where
Paul went right after Philippi was Thessalonica. not because
I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your
account." And so one thing's clear, the Philippians had a
giving spirit. They were very giving and they
communicated with Paul fairly regularly so that Paul was enabled
to do his work. And that's a good thing because
even in Titus, Paul reminds us that Christ gave himself for
us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto
himself a people peculiar, zealous of good works. So he makes that
willingness in our heart to do those good works. And you can
see what Paul writes, if you look over in 1 Corinthians 9,
1 Corinthians 9, Paul said to the Corinthians,
because the Corinthians were a very wealthy church, and yet
they were the most tight-fisted of the churches. They had a lot
of wealth. There was tremendous trade that
went through that city, so they were pretty wealthy merchants,
and yet they were the toughest in giving and supporting Paul.
And he said, 1 Corinthians 9-11, if I have sown unto you spiritual
things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
And then verse 14, he says, even so hath the Lord ordained that
they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. And rather than trying to discourage,
I think Paul is actually overwhelmed at the generosity of the Philippians,
because again, they were the ones who supported him more frequently,
more often than any of the others. He mentions in the beginning
of the Gospel, and then he mentions when I departed Macedonia, when
I left Macedonia where Philippi is, you guys also communicated
with me. So in the beginning of the gospel,
we know that when he went to the river and Lydia there at
Philippi heard the gospel, the Lord opened her heart to hear
and to attend to the things that were said by Paul. She was then
baptized. And it says that she besought
us, Paul and those with him, saying, if ye have judged me
to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there.
And she constrained us. All right? She wanted to show
us hospitality. She made us come there that she
could show us hospitality. And then even the Philippian
jailer, when they came, when the Lord broke down the jail
and Paul and Silas didn't run away, the jailer heard the gospel,
he brought them to his house, and it says that he set meat
before them. And he and all his household rejoiced and believed
the Lord. And then Paul describes a gift
in uh... that when i departed from macedonia
in second corinthians eleven second corinthians eleven verses
eight and nine he says and again this is that wealthy church there
in corinth this is second letter to them and he says i robbed
other churches taking wages of them to do you service it's not
a huge deal when you realize alright well you're supporting
me because i'm your pastor i'm serving you but And they supported,
I'm sure, Paphroditus and those that ministered, but they're
even supporting Paul out there doing this work. And then he
says, and when I, verse 9, when I was present with you and wanted,
I was chargeable to no man for that which was lacking to me,
the brethren which came from Macedonia, the Philippians, they
provided for me. They supplied my needs so that
I didn't have to take from you Corinthians. So you see how these
people really provided for Paul tremendously. And so Paul describes
the gift that they sent as being, as he's recognizing it as a work
of the Spirit. And he says in verse 18, Philippians
4.18, but I have all and abound. I am full, having received of
Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of
a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Now he
calls it an odor, an odor of a sweet smell, and that's pretty
amazing because that's how Christ's sacrifice is described in the
scriptures, right? In Ephesians 5, verses 1 and
2, he says, Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. verse
2, walk in love, that is you sacrificing in love as Christ
also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. So That tells
us that what Paul was saying there to the Philippians, he's
attributing their work as a work of Christ in them. The spirit
of Christ is in them because they're sacrificing, and it's
a sweet-smelling savor, meaning this is of Christ. He's the one
working in your hearts, doing this for his people. And he calls
it an odor, which is also another reference to when the saints
pray, right? It's called an odor. of a sweet
smell that rises up to the Father in heaven who hears their prayers. And Peter, the Apostle Peter
in 1 Peter 2 verse 5, He says it this way, ye also as lively
stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So this giving of theirs is those
spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable of God. And it's not because we're able
in ourselves, it's not because the flesh can do this and do
those things which are pleasing and acceptable to God, but rather
it's Christ's work in us. It's His Spirit in us that gives
us life, that causes us to hear the gospel, that causes us to
want to see the gospel go out successfully and call out His
lost sheep that are still blind and in death and darkness and
to bring them out So it's made acceptable to God because it's
a spiritual work of Christ working in you, causing you to hear his
word. And so if it was just our flesh
doing it, it wouldn't be acceptable to God. He wouldn't receive it.
It wouldn't be pleasing to him. It wouldn't be a sweet-smelling
odor. But to confirm that it's our
communicating in this manner, that it's deemed a sacrifice,
he says in Hebrews 13, verse 16, but to do good and to communicate,
to share in this burden of the gospel, forget not, for with
such sacrifices God is well pleased. So you know it's a work of Christ
that moves us, that gives us that heart and that willingness
to sacrifice in that way. And we saw that, right? Last
week when we were looking in Mark, he was saying, you know,
when Peter said, Lord, we've left all to follow you. We've
forsaken everything. And he says, no man, none of
you who are forsaken these things, these houses and wives and families
and all these other things, you shall receive in this life and
in the life to come a hundredfold. God will provide and show you
the love of his family and they'll provide for you and be a comfort
to you for your sacrifices. So verse 19, he says, but my
God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory
by Christ Jesus. All right, so Paul couldn't repay,
we can all repay everybody for the kindnesses that they show
us, but he's saying God will repay you according to his riches,
out of his riches, which are spiritual riches. There is a
sense in which there riches in the earth, right? It says the
earth is full of thy riches and yet the greater riches, it's
those, but the greater riches are the spiritual blessings which
we receive in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said in Ephesians
1 3, I'll read it, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ. All our spiritual blessings are
in Christ. And then in Ephesians 2.7, that
in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. So that you see that when he
says these blessings, these riches that God pours out upon us, we
see that it's by Christ Jesus, Philippians 4.19. That it's in
Christ Jesus, Ephesians 1-3, and that it's through Christ
Jesus, Ephesians 2-7. So that it's only by and in and
through Christ that we receive these spiritual blessings. And
that's because we're sinners. We're unable to save ourselves.
We're unable to work a good work unto God that's acceptable to
Him by this flesh according to the works of this flesh. So that's
why Christ came. Because we are His people given
to Him in eternity, He came in the flesh. He performed all those
righteous, good works for His people. He's the one who came
in humility as a servant, bearing the sins of the people in His
body, bearing them in His arms. He went to the cross and shed
His precious blood to purge us and wash us of our sins, to make
us righteous and acceptable unto God, to stand before Him, without
fault before his throne and he makes us alive unto the things
of God to know what he's done for us and he gives us his spirit
whereby now by the spirit we walk in the spirit of and do
these works believing Him, trusting Him, that it's all the works
are finished, they're done. And so we rest in Him and trust
in that He's doing and providing everything for us and so now
it's just in joy and in gladness we serve our God and we serve
our brethren and produce and bear this fruit that is acceptable,
well-pleasing, a sweet-smelling odor unto the Lord. So you see
how it's all of His Spirit, He receives all the praise, honor,
and glory for it. As Hebrew writers said, How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself, a sacrifice without spot to God? purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God. So no longer
are we doing this to earn favor with God and to justify ourselves
or to prove to others that we're his people, but rather by the
Spirit in us, He gives us that heart and that willingness to
sacrifice unto the Lord knowing that it is accepted of Him because
it's Christ in us that brings up that joy and that peace and
that willingness. In closing, verse 20, he says,
now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. He's saying remember the grace
and the mercy of God toward you in Christ. And then verse 21,
in light of Christ, because we are Christ's, salute every saint
in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me
greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of
Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen. So that by Christ our sacrifice
is acceptable to God by him. That's a sacrifice acceptable. Christ is that sacrifice acceptable. I pray the Lord will bless that
to our hearts and help us to serve our gracious God and our
brethren. Let's pray. Our gracious Lord,
we thank you, Father, for your great sacrifice in sending your
son, making him an offering, a sweet-smelling savor by whom
we are accepted of you and in Christ we are well-pleasing to
you because of his work and his blood and his righteousness. Lord, help us to grow in Christ,
settle us in him and grow us in him. that we would walk serving
our brethren with joy and with gladness and peace according
to your work. We pray this in Christ's name,
our Lord and Savior. Amen.