Philippians 4:10-23
Giving Grace
The Scripture Passage
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Tim’s Sermon Notes
When we began this journey through Philippians just 5 weeks ago, we were introduced to a people who did not know God, but through Paul became Christians. It is in the nature of those who have received to in turn become givers. Or to at least return the favor for leading them to Christ. Paul mentions about their giving and desires to do so even when they could not. They gave what they had when they could, as simple as that. In Matthew’s gospel, I hear these words echoed: “Freely you have received, freely give.” We will examine the Philippians example and Paul’s as well, and we will learn a few things to help us return our giving focus back to Christ.
First, their giving came out of compassion and not under compulsion. They wanted to give and expressed it. When they were able, they held nothing back but freely reached out to meet needs that God had made them aware of.
Second, their giving desire flowed naturally from hearts that were focused on others first and self last. Paul listed that he had been in all kinds of situations just as we have. Sometimes in need and sometimes in the overflow. I must admit I too often pray for the overflow out of a selfish desire rather than the right motive.
Third, their focus started with a compassion for others’ needs and not a focus on their own, not yet met ones. In verse 19, Paul claims that AND my God will meet your needs. To live like that means that even when you want something that you don’t yet have, you give God faith by trusting He will do as He says and meet your needs. There is a sense of rest that comes over the believer who lives in this faith truth. Giving to others no longer gets tripped up with what I don’t have, but rather eagerly waits and expects God to move and enable you to meet others’ needs in His time.
Fourth and Final, the ability to give is a gift from God. It is based on His unlimited resources. Giving is always an act of faith in action. Whether it is giving monetary or material gifts, or even simple acts of giving grace. Grace that is not earned, it is unmertied, just free… just like we received from Jesus when he set us free from sin on the cross, dying for us so that we could be free from what once bound us…Our own sinful nature. Our freedom is not the end but the beginning of a great journey. God wants you to be free from what holds you so that He can give through you to others who need Him in their lives to set them free from their sin.
Are you receiving the gift God is offering you, or do you continue to hold to your self-sufficient ways? You can know and experience His love today if you give Him what binds you so that He can give to you what frees you. I invite you to come.
My Letter on Such Things
Dear Reader,
Little did I know that when I started this journey of recording my father’s sermons, he had a series on Philippians, and here is the final one. In it, he talks about giving grace. This whole sermon is about giving, which seems to be an underrepresented sermon topic by most pastors, whereas for Jesus, it is a very frequent topic that he deliberates on extensively. Throughout scripture, Jesus is constantly refocusing our attention in our giving back to him and back to God.
Money, ultimately, is a tool. This can be a tool for good or for evil, and it’s our choice because each of us has money in some capacity. I will not belabor the point that we should give to God. That we should give to the institutions that hold him above all, and that we should do right with our money, our stored value. With that said, my father touches on a deeper truth in his sermon. The question arises, where does your money, your giving, your everything come from?
It’s from God. The ability to give, and the gift itself, all come from the same source. This is a foundational truth in the Gospel that we find mirrored in the people of God, the Israelites. Two main tenets of the people of God come to mind: Holiness and Purity. The people of Israel wanted to worship their God, so they made it their duty to conduct themselves in a manner ‘set-apart’ from all others, a manner that represented the God they worshipped to honor him with every aspect of their lives. They sought to live holy lives. In this, they understood that money is a tool to exchange value, and it should be revered in a way that is pleasing to the one who has created it and has given it to them. In the same way, God has given money and value to us. He has given us ways to provide for our families, ourselves, and the communities we all share. “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” Now the question is, what do we do with it? The sad fact is that many people do not struggle with answering the next question of what to do with it because, for most, before the paycheck even lands in our bank accounts, it is already accounted for. It already has some intended purpose, bill, credit payment, project, etc…
Okay, so another question could be: how do I honor God with what I have? I find the answer to this question in Exodus. While the people of God circled in the desert, they collected the manna from heaven. “Take only what you need.” In this world, this day, and this age, we live in an abundance. Everything that we could ever need can be ordered online. Most of the things that we want can be at our door in a matter of days. We live in a world of excess, and this is not lost on some people. There are growing trends of minimalism and downsizing because we, as Americans and those of the First world, have too much and probably don’t need half of what we have. Overall, it comes down to what you need versus what we want. The Israelites were instructed to take only what they needed. So what do we do with what’s left over? The answer is to give.
Now, in my father’s sermon, he didn’t specify money because money is one of many things a person has to offer back to God. We have our time, our talents, our money, our expertise, our hearts, and our lives directed back to the one who gave them to us, and the purest way to do all of these things is out of compassion, selflessness, and love. Because it is evident that when someone gives, they no longer hold on to whatever it is for themselves, but give to another in Christ for the building up of that person.
Christ has deeply touched my life. He laid down his life that I might be set free, and if I take a moment. The best response to that act of reaching out to me is to reach out to him by laying my life down in turn. Offering him my time, giving a co-worker grace, living the message of the cross in my everyday life one step at a time, walking with Jesus, and finally dying to myself so that Christ might be raised high and lifted up, seated in Glory.
God has a purpose for everything that takes place in your life. Give back what is received so that we can be everything that God has called us to be together. The question is: What to Give; How to Give; and Where to Give? Keep reading, and look to Him. He will provide.
In his service,
Isaac D Lee