We'll turn back for the last
time in this series to the letter to the Philippians, Philippians
chapter 4 and the last few verses from verse 10 down to the end
of the chapter. Now, last week in the first half
of Philippians chapter 4, we were looking at peaceful living
and it's peace, if you remember, peace that is, you know, there's
a lot of talk about peace in the world, but true peace, true
peace is only that which is based upon salvation accomplished.
This is eternal peace. This is knowing I have peace
with an offended God. God who is holy and I who am
sinful, knowing that I am no longer an enemy of that God,
enmity between fallen flesh and a holy God, but that I have peace
with God because I know the God of peace. I have peace in my
conscience because of what Christ has done for my sins. I have
peace of demeanor because what should disturb me? For Christ
rules everything. There's a new man that the Spirit
of God has put in charge. And He is subduing that flesh,
that wayward flesh that is never anything other than wayward flesh.
And you remember we looked at verse 8 very briefly. Finally
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, the flesh doesn't think on those
things. But the new man does. And the new man is told to shepherd
the thoughts in the flesh, to bring them under control. Don't
let them wander as the flesh will let them wander. Think on
things that are of good report, that are praiseworthy. Think
on these things, virtuous things, true things, right things. It
makes us think about what we read, and what we look at, and
what we watch, and the things that turn us on, and the things
that give us a thrill. it makes us think about those
things. In the flesh, the flesh is so prone to them, but the
Spirit, the new man, that is the mark of the child of God,
for he that is born again of the Spirit of God is the child
of God. And that new man within is told,
shepherd those thoughts into good things. And then we get
into the last part of the chapter from verse 10, where we have
basically closing remarks. We have a comment about the Philippians
giving, because they've given a gift to Paul. We have Paul's
views of his material needs. And then we have Paul's certainty
of contentment before the final salutation. So let's look at
those things. They're a gift, they're a gift.
In verses 10 He says, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now
at the last your care of me hath flourished again, wherein you
were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak
in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I
am therewith to be content. 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. I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me, notwithstanding ye have well done. that ye did
communicate with my affliction. 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, He
sent once and again unto my necessity, not because I desire a gift,
but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 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. but my
God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory
by Christ Jesus." We'll end it there. Their gift. This is fruit
of the indwelling Spirit. their liberal giving, in the
King James Version you hear it talking about communication,
you did communicate with me, he's not talking about send a
text message to them, he's not talking about that kind of communication,
the sort of thing that we do on our smart devices these days,
he's talking about give, materially, money, goods, things for them
to pursue the gospel, preaching the gospel. Paul, although he
was willing to work, he was set aside for the preaching of the
gospel. And they communicated, they met his needs. they met
his needs. And it's right to be generous-spirited
in all of our dealings. It's correct that the people
of God should be generous-spirited, should look for those that have
genuine need and seek by what God has given them, for who has
given us everything? It's God that's given us everything.
What makes the difference is what God has given us, and he
having given us it, we ought to be liberal spirited with it.
We ought to be the same attitude as Paul is commending in these
Philippians for giving to his needs. It's the fruit of the
indwelling spirit that we don't grasp and call everything our
own and hold it tightly to us, but that we're liberal with it.
It says that likens giving to sowing. And what you get back
is the seed of the harvest. You know, we don't do it for
what we'll get back, but God promises that His people will
never be impoverished by their giving out of the right spirit.
He says in 1 Corinthians 16 verse 2, upon the first day of the
week, which presumably was the day that they met together, let
every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him, out of what God's given, so that there is that to meet
the needs where others have needs at times. And you know, it's
difficult in a welfare benefits-driven society like ours today to find
genuine cases genuine and there's so much fraud around but there
are cases there are situations there are churches that benefit
from support when we have an abundance and we know that there's
need in other places it's right and good to give to that this
isn't this isn't legalistic tithing the majority of Orthodox churches
in this country, they very much impose the law, and they impose
a tithing law, that everybody coming must give a tenth of their
income, and they put you under such a burden. This is not about
legalistic tithing. The concept of tithing is not
anywhere in the New Testament. But the concept of giving according
to a seen need is very much in the New Testament. God loves
a cheerful giver, Paul says elsewhere. It's according to evident need. Need. Need. Not law that says
you must give a tenth. If the need is there and we have
enough, according to God's prospering us, we might give a lot more
than a tenth. It's not about tithing. No. Galatians
6 verse 10, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to
all men, wherever we see need and we have opportunity, especially
unto them who are of the household of faith, especially where we
see churches suffering deprivation. And Paul gives these instructions,
and there's lots of instruction concerning giving throughout
the New Testament epistles. It isn't tithing, it isn't to
put One, under a burden, as opposed to others, 2 Corinthians 8-13,
I mean not, says Paul, that other men are eased, that they benefit
from what you've given, and you are burdened, you are put into
poverty by what you... No, no, that's wrong. That's
wrong. There are clear instructions in the New Testament in the epistles
that talks about giving for the support of widows because there
was no welfare state when Paul wrote his epistles. And he talks
about giving for the support of widows, but he gives very,
very strict instructions about making sure that there's a genuine
need there, first of all. And he talks about the responsibility
of the family of the person, first of all. If they have a
family, their responsibility is to support them, not for people
to be burdened out of some spirit of tithing, but nevertheless
he commends them giving. He commends them giving. They
were liberal in their thinking. The Spirit of God was in them,
and the fruit of the Spirit was liberality in giving. They gave
as a sacrificial service. Hebrews 13 verse 16, but to do
good and to communicate, in other words to give out of what you
have, forget not for Listen to what Paul calls them here in
Hebrews 13, with such sacrifices God is well pleased. First Timothy
6, 17 and 18, charge them that are rich in this world there
are those who are believers who are rich in this world, there
are those in the church who are rich in this world, that they
be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, because
you know what Paul says elsewhere, the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil. That they don't trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things
to enjoy. God gives us things to enjoy.
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they
be ready to distribute, that they be willing to communicate.
In other words, willing to give. So Paul commends them for their
gift. And that is a good principle. And we should think on it. And
when we put money aside, and as a group put money aside, that
we be aware of where there is a need to support the work of
the Lord in the gospel of His grace. You know, these things
like free grace radio and other things like that. They don't
happen by magic, there's a cost involved. And so it's right to
give towards it. When we hear of churches really
suffering deprivation, it's right to give towards it. It's right
to do things for the support of the gospel of grace. So for
example, if it turns out as it's been advertised that we're to
host next year's New Focus conference, it's right that we use our funds
to do that, for it's for the purpose of promoting the gospel
of God's grace, and that's the right thing to do. But what was
Paul's attitude to material things? In verses 11 to 13, look at these
verses. Not, he says, he commends them
for giving, but not that I speak in respect of want. For I have
learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know
both how to be abased, that's brought low, and how to abound,
to have plenty. Everywhere and in all things
I am instructed both to be full, when there's plenty to be full
of, and to be hungry, and still be contented. Both to abound
and to suffer need. How do you do it, Paul? I can
do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. It's
contentment with all situations. Now then, stop and think. Stop and think. Me, me, the one
speaking, stop and think. Am I content with all situations? I don't think so. My flesh is
so weak. My flesh is so sinful. Do I believe
this? Do I put it into practice? Have
any of us truly learned to be content in all situations? It's
easy to be content when you've got plenty, isn't it? It's easy
to be content when the sun shines, isn't it? And everything is going
your way. It's easy to be content when
you've got a new job and prosperity. It's easy to be content. But
what about being content when you're abased? When you're brought
low? when every material prop that
you leaned on is taken away from you? What about when you're abased,
to be content? What about when you're full and
the food is flowing and the wine is flowing and you have plenty?
It's easy to be content then. What about being content when
you're hungry? And why are you hungry? You don't
have the money to go and buy the food, or the shelves are
bare. Oh, that will never happen. Oh really? Oh really? There are
some of us in this room who can remember days in the Second World
War when the shelves were empty, when there was nothing to eat.
To know what it is to be hungry. Are we content in those situations? You know, godliness, says Paul
to Timothy, 1 Timothy 6, verse 6, godliness with contentment
is great gain. Oh, if only I would win the lottery,
then I would have great gain. No, godliness with contentment
is great gain, is what the Scriptures say to the children of God. Godliness
with contentment is great gain. If you can learn to be happy
with whatever situation God has put you in, you will be richer
than all of your fellows, than all those around you. You will
be richer, truly richer. Paul said when John Bunyan was
in Bedford jail and deprived of his family and everything
else, that man knew true contentment. You can tell it from his writings,
he knew true contentment. Godliness with contentment is
great gain, but how? How? It's not in the power of
the flesh. The flesh might resolve to try
not to complain when things go wrong, when you hit your thumb
with a hammer or anything like that. The flesh might resolve
to, but the flesh will fail again and again and again. Do you know
how weak your flesh is? Do I know how weak my flesh is?
No. We can't do anything in the strength
of the flesh. How do you do this, Paul? How
do you know to be content in every situation? I can do all
things through Christ, which strengthens me. Through Christ. who he is, what he is to me,
what he has done for me in taking away my sins, in giving me peace
with God, contentment, godliness with contentment, great gain.
What do you need? What do you need above all else?
Yes, you need food. We pray that God will give us
this day our daily bread. We pray that all of these things
to supply our needs for physical health and happiness in this
life will be provided. As the proverb says, give me
neither wealth nor poverty that I don't covet or that I don't
steal. Give me that which I need for
this life. But nevertheless, the highs and
the lows come. The highs and the lows come.
But how do we cope with them? Through Christ, which strengthens
me. Because whether we've got lots
or whether we've got nothing, if we've got Christ, we've got
everything. For we've got currency for eternity. Lay up for yourselves, not treasures
on earth, Don't trust in them. It doesn't mean don't be prudent
with your money. When Jesus said, don't lay up for yourselves treasures
on earth, he's not telling us not to save our money, and not
to be careful with it, and not to be responsible with it, and
not to take our responsibility. What he's saying is don't put
your trust in them. Because they have no eternal
value. Because in this life, moth and rust will corrupt them. that which looks shiny and new
and everything you wanted one day a year later is no good and
is thrown away and replaced with the latest model but he said
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven eternal treasures eternal
treasures that don't rust that the moth can't get at that last
how long? out of time eternity there's
nothing that can get at them And they're all in Christ and
what he has done for his people. No, that's how we get the strength
to have this attitude that Paul had. But nevertheless, he commends
the Philippians for their care and their practical support.
He's not telling them that because he has learned to be hungry and
contented that they should make sure he is hungry just to prove
that he stays contented. No, he's not saying that at all.
He commends the Philippians for their care and practical support. And in verse 19, he assures them
of God's provision. Yes, you've been generous to
me. You might think it's taken something that you could have
used, but my God, he says, shall supply all your need according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. He assures them of God's
provision. He assures them that their material
needs will be met. I'm sure this is what he's saying,
this is in the context of giving for material wants. their material
needs will be met. As Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer,
give us this day our daily bread. It's what we should regard it
as coming from God, in how he orders things, in our lives,
in our ability to earn money, to feed our families. Give us
this day our daily bread. Lord, you rule over everything.
And he will, he promises. God says this to his people,
Psalm 37, 25 and 26. I have been young, and now I am old. Yet I have not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." The children of God don't
go begging bread. They may not be clothed in riches,
but He supplies their needs. He is ever merciful and lendeth,
and his seed is blessed. He gives us, as he causes his
face to shine on all of his creations, springtime and harvest. He's
promised it. He's the living God who giveth
us richly all things to enjoy. As Psalm 104 says, wine that
maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine,
and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. Yes, God gives us
all those things. So that the Philippians are told
in verse 6 of chapter 4, be careful, be anxious, be worried about
nothing. God provides all our needs. He
does all of that. But I think that whilst it is
about, God will, if you give, he's saying to the Philippians,
God will provide your material needs, but I think that there's
a deeper spiritual meaning to verse 19, and that's what I want
to concentrate on in the time that we have left. Because here
we see this, my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Yes, material needs, But I think
there's a much deeper spiritual meaning to these words. Needs
supplied by God through Christ. Paul's confidence in his God. But my God, my God shall supply
all your need. My God shall. God is his people's
God. He says this time and time again,
Jeremiah 30, 22, and ye shall be my people and I will be your
God. And according to my concordance,
there are 16 other Bible references where God says, I will be your
people, you will be my people, and I will be your God. This
is my God, is what Paul is saying. The child of God can call God
my God. God who is a consuming fire to
sinners, God who is a consuming fire to those who are outside
of Christ, God, into whose hands it is a fearful thing to fall
outside of Christ, is my God in him. He is my Father, He is
my Abba Father, He is the God that I know, not just that I
know about, He is the God that I know, and I know that He is
a God of unfailing faithfulness. I have been young, and now I
am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, said the
psalmist. This is the God that I know,
says Paul, my God, who is your God too, for we are His people
together. My God shall supply all your
need, according to his riches in glory. This is unfailing faithfulness. You know, there's that hymn that
we occasionally sing, great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee. No shadow of turning,
he's faithful. And what is Paul's confidence
based upon? It's based upon what? Two things. It's based upon his doctrine.
Paul knows the things of the living God. It's based upon his
doctrine. His doctrine? Sovereign grace,
and particular redemption, accomplished eternally by his son, the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's Paul's doctrine. The grace
of God in saving his people, a people that he chose in Christ
before the foundation of the world, and accomplished eternally,
so that there is nothing more to do would such a God ever leave
his people dying for starvation or in other ways wanting? No,
he knew that because of the God he knew and the doctrine of that
God he knew and the doctrine of salvation he knew that that
God would supply all their needs and his own practical experience.
It's what he knew in his head, but it's what he'd experienced
that God had taken him through. God had taken him through good
times and bad times. God had taken him through comfort
and trials. You can read in 2 Corinthians
how he speaks when he's comparing himself with those that the Corinthians
were thinking were super spiritual people who never had anything
go wrong with them. They were people who equated
great blessing materially as being a sign that the hand of
God was with them. And Paul says, I'll compare myself
with them, these super people that you put so much trust in. He says, this is my testimony,
fleeing from people, being let down from Damascus out of a window
in the wall because I was scared stiff in a basket, being on a
ship and being shipwrecked and being in the deep for several
days, almost drowned. This is my experience. Not, not,
not great material blessing as a sign that God is with me. No,
not at all. But I knew God's presence in
all these things. When I was in prison and they
were beating me with stripes and making my back bleed for
preaching the gospel of grace, He knew that God supplied all
his needs in even those situations. He'd learned to be content. What
contentment when he and Silas were in the Philippian jail.
They'd been put in there and they'd been beaten sorely. They'd
been beaten so that their backs were bleeding. And how did they
show their contentment? They were singing hymns. in the
midnight hour and in the darkness they were singing hymns to the
praise of God because they were contented in that situation with
what they knew. And you can read more modern
accounts. You read the account of William Huntington, the pastor
of Providence. You read the account of that
man. There's a little book he wrote called The Bank of Faith
and how that man was tried materially how he had struggles to feed
his family when he was trying to preach the gospel, and yet
his testimony was again and again and again that God supplied all
his need, all of his needs. At the most critical moment,
you read the testimony of John Warburton in his book The Mercies
of a Covenant God, and you read again and again of how, at the
most critical time when he thought it was all up for him, God would
send somebody to meet exactly the need that he had. John Kershaw,
many others, it's the testimony of God's children. But material
needs are very secondary to spiritual needs. Because you see this,
if God has supplied our spiritual needs surely he will provide
everything else, surely he'll provide our former needs, what
does it say in Romans 8 31, how shall he not, God who's delivered
up his son for us all, for all his people, how shall, he's done
that, he's done, he's met every spiritual need, how shall he
not with him freely give us all the other things that we need.
How shall he not do that? Of course he will. He'll provide
all of our needs. And when we get to the point
of death, how much more relevant spiritual needs will appear compared
with material needs? How utterly irrelevant material
needs appear? In that moment, if you know you've
got a terminal illness, or in that moment when you know that
death is close, how important are all these material things
that we value so highly? Think about it. they're worthless. They have no currency value whatsoever
for eternity. But here are some that do. When
Paul says my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory, he's meaning first of all all your spiritual
need and then obviously as a consequence he takes care of his children.
We don't need to worry materially. Mercy mercy. Is that not a need
of the people of God? Do we not need mercy? Is that
not a distinguishing mark of those who are the children of
God? You know what it is to need mercy. Have you never felt the
need for mercy from God? Only a true child of God knows
the need of mercy. If you know anything of how holy
how just, how pure is the God of the universe, the one who
is revealed in the scriptures, if you know anything of how sinful
and vile and corrupt compared with him we are in the flesh,
if you know anything of the fact that you have nothing with which
to pay to make you right with God, that as that hymn writer
wrote, nothing in my hands I bring. What are you going into God's
presence with? I don't want to go empty-handed. Oh, you better
had. Nothing in my hands I bring. I have only one plea. Only one
plea. As that publican cried at the
wall of the temple when he was praying, the Pharisee stood there
and said, I thank thee God that I'm not like other men, that
I'm good and I do all these things. And that publican stood there
and beat his breast and cried, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Have you ever known anything
of that sensation, that sense. a feeling, a need for the mercy
of God. Well, children of God, Paul tells
us, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. In Exodus 34, 6 and 7, we read
that the Lord passed by before him, that's Moses, and proclaimed,
the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering
and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will be by
no means clear the guilty. There is the promise from God
in His Word of a supply of mercy. My God shall supply all your
need. I have a need of mercy. My God
shall supply your need of mercy. And how does He do it? Does He
give you just You know, one of you said to me, I really do need
some money. I'm in a pretty desperate condition.
And I thought, well, I've got some responsibility towards you.
And I've got £100 in my pocket and I give you five pence. Is
that according to my riches? No, it's not, is it? If I give
you 50 pounds, that's according to my riches. In proportion to. If I give in proportion to. And
this is what he says. According to his riches. It's
according to. It's proportion. Proportionate
to his riches in glory. But how is it possible when we
just read in Exodus that he will by no means clear the guilty?
Are we not all guilty before him? How is it possible that
he will supply my need for mercy when he cannot clear the guilty? He does it by, as it says here,
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. By Christ Jesus
bearing the guilt of the guilty. By Christ Jesus bearing and paying
the sin debt of his people. By Christ Jesus satisfying the
demands of justice on behalf of his people, so that God is
able to be merciful. I have a need of mercy before
God. but my God shall supply all your need according to His
riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Secondly, I need pardon, forgiveness
for my sins. If I'm to stand before God and
be accepted by Him, I need pardon for sin. I need to be cleared.
You know, you see great court cases come up and you see the
end of it when the defendant is either found guilty or is
freed. He's cleared. He's found not
guilty. This is what we want before the
court of God. To be found not guilty, to be
cleared. To be, as that verse says in
Job 33, 24, for it to be pronounced of the guilty sinner, deliver
him from going down to the pit. Why? How can God deliver the
sinner from going down to the pit when he will by no means
clear the guilty? He says, I have found a ransom. Deliver him from going down to
the pit. I have found a ransom. A ransom. pardon for sin. And
as that same hymn says, pardon for sin and as a result a peace
that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer
and to guide. The ransom supplies all our need
of exoneration, of freedom from guilt. Romans 8, 33 and 34. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. If
God's justified, who? Satan and his angels? Who's going
to lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God has justified
them. Who is going to condemn? Christ has died. There is nothing
left to condemn. The condemnation of God for his
people fell on Christ. Yea, rather, that he's risen
again to prove that God's justice is satisfied in him, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. Christ has died for his people. That need that these people have,
my God shall supply all your need, I have a need of the forgiveness
of my sin, pardon for sin, is met by God's supply through Christ's
redemption. He shall supply all your need.
How great a salvation is it? He is able, says Paul to the
Hebrews 7.25, he's able to save to the uttermost those who come
to God by him. How far? To the uttermost. There
is no bit of it that is left undone. He is able to save to
the uttermost. Thirdly, thirdly, I have a need,
I have a need as a sinner, I have a need of righteousness before
God. I have a need of the righteousness
that God alone will accept. If I don't have it, I cannot
see Him. Follow peace with all men, says
Hebrews 12, 14. Follow peace and holiness. Pursue
it. Chase after holiness, righteousness. Without which, if you don't have
it, you shall not see the Lord. No man shall see the Lord unless
you have the righteousness which you must have. Pursue it. I have
a need for it. I can't work for it. I can't
purchase it. But I must have it. You may not
think you need it now, but oh, when you come to your deathbed,
you will need that righteousness before God. It will be your most
pressing need. Show me that I am righteous,
because without that righteousness, I will not see the Lord, I will
not be accepted. I will be told to depart from
Him, for He never knew me, if I don't have that righteousness.
But in our Lord Jesus Christ, we see righteousness provided
for all his people. We read the account of Joshua
the high priest in Zechariah chapter 3. And there he was,
clothed in filthy garments. Is that not us? We're clothed
in filthy garments. And Satan accusing him. And what
happens? He's clothed in clean garments.
And what does that signify? It's the righteousness of Christ
that clothes his people. And how is it possible? He who
knew no sin, our Lord Jesus Christ, the man walking the earth, he
who knew no sin, was made sin for us. He took upon him the
sins of his people. every sin and no other sin, the
sins of his people. He bore its guilt, he bore its
responsibility, and he bore the consequences of it in his own
body, on the tree. He was made sin for us. Why? that we, his people, might be
made the righteousness of God in him. Pursue holiness, follow
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. I have a
need for this, but my God shall supply all your need abundantly,
according to his riches in glory, because he does it by Christ
Jesus, who was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Fourthly, I need wisdom. I need
wisdom. I need true wisdom. You look
at the ignorance, you see it on every side in society all
around us. There is appalling ignorance
of the things of eternity, of the things of God. I need true
wisdom, spiritual wisdom. I need the light of God. James
says this, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that
giveth to all men liberally. It covers everything. Don't be
anxious for anything, but bring your requests to God. And you
know the children of God can pray concerning everything. Everything. Material things, everything.
But especially, this is wisdom concerning salvation. This isn't
just wisdom in material affairs of time and flesh. you know,
show us which house to buy, show us which car to buy, show us,
not those sorts of things, show us which career to follow, no,
it is those things, but, but no, much more than that, this
is spiritual wisdom, I need spiritual wisdom, I need to know God and
in knowing God to have eternal life, and where is it found?
In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If you
would have any of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of salvation
and acceptance with God, you will find them in one place alone,
and that's in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other place.
There is no other way. He is the way, the truth, and
the life, he told his disciples. No man comes to the Father except
by me. It must be in Him. It must be
looking to Him. It must be as we look to Him,
and follow Him, and do His will, and believe Him, and trust in
Him, and all that He has done. In Proverbs 8, Christ is wisdom. Everything that's said about
wisdom is said about the Lord Jesus Christ in Proverbs 8. In
Him, in His face, shines the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. If I have Him, I have
all. My need is supplied abundantly
by Christ. This is why when the true children
of God Visit different churches. Maybe you're on holiday and you
visit a different church and you go and you hear the preaching
and you come out dry and withered and starving and thirsty for
spiritual truth. Why? Because you haven't heard
Christ preached. What was wrong with the sermon?
There was no Christ in it. I can only find acceptance with
God. I can only find my needs met
in Christ, because God supplies all His people's need in His
Son. My need for mercy, my need for
pardon for sin, forgiveness, my need for righteousness, my
need for wisdom concerning eternity, it's all met in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Fifthly, I have a need for strength. Do you know when you know your
need for strength is when physically it's when you reach your limit,
isn't it? You know, if you can pick things up easily, that's
no problem. But you know your need for strength,
you know that you're lacking strength when you sense your
own weakness. You know when you get that jam
jar that you used to be able to open easily and all of a sudden
you just can't grip it hard enough and you just cannot get the lid
off it. Can you? You know? And we all say, you
know, I don't know how old people can cope with getting lids off
these jars and gradually we soon find that we ourselves are getting
old and we are becoming those old people that can't get the
lids off the jars. We know our need of strength
because we've become very conscious of our own weakness. Well so
it is spiritually. We have weakness in the flesh
versus temptation. We know truly what we are in
ourselves. Oh yes you know the children
of Israel again and again Moses said do this and they said everything
that you've said we will do when Joshua said it to them. Everything
you have said we will do and what do we see very very shortly
after? They're doing the very opposite.
Why? Why? Why was the law weak? Why could
the law never save anybody? It was weak through the flesh
because the flesh is fallen and corrupt and cannot ever do the
will of God. The flesh only ever is vile.
You cannot serve God by turning over a new leaf and resolving
to do better. Weakness in the flesh. Oh, I'll
resist temptation. No you won't, in the flesh you'll
give in straight away. Unbelief, I'm going to believe
God for everything and something will arise and in the flesh you'll
disbelieve God and you'll doubt him. You'll doubt his word, you'll
doubt his promise. Willpower to obey God when you
know what is the right way to go. Willpower and the flesh will
give in and not do that which is right. Knowing weakness we
find God's strength made perfect in it. For God said to Paul when
he prayed for the thorn in the flesh to be taken away three
times, and God said to him, my strength is made perfect. You know it perfectly, you experience
it perfectly when you know the true weakness that is in you,
in your flesh. Ephesians 3.16, that he Who is
he talking about? What he calls in the previous
verse, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He would grant
you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might by His Spirit in the inner man. That new man, that
it might be strengthened by the Spirit of God, to trust God,
to believe Him, to walk in His ways, to do His will, to know
Him more, strength to believe, to trust, and follow. My God
shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory." Strength
to believe Him, strength to trust Him, strength to follow Him,
because it's all the things that He does for His people, supplies
for His people, according to His riches in glory, which are
infinite. But it's all by Christ Jesus. What shall we say then to these
things? This is what Romans 8, 31 and 32 says. What shall we
say to the, what's our reaction to these things? If the Spirit
of God has truly spoken to us? It's this. If God be for us,
who can be against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, all his people, How shall he
not with him freely give us all things? Yes, Philippians, you're
commended for your giving. God will supply all your need,
for look what he's done for you. In spiritual things, he supplied
all your need for mercy, for forgiveness, for righteousness,
for wisdom, for strength. What else is he going to withhold
from you that you need? Absolutely nothing. What a sound
basis that is for contented living for the child of God. And then
the epistle closes with its final salutations, with family greetings.
Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are
with me greet you. They didn't see one another's
faces every day, they were separated by distance. But look how united
in the faith of Christ. All the saints salute you. They
say hello to you. They greet you. They regard you
as their brethren. They that are of Caesar's household,
even where he was being kept prisoner, there were those that
were the children of God. They greeted the people at Philippi,
who they'd never seen and might never see in this life, but they
knew they were destined for the same place. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. It's a lovely thing
to know that fellowship, though thousands of miles of ocean separate
us in some cases, to know how united we are in the things of
Christ, in the gospel of his grace.