Gratefulness for Gifts from the Church

When we began our study in Philippians nearly 5 months ago, you may recall David and I saying “We want to be your Philippi” as we thought about how we want to be a church that receives the gospel and overflows with joy – a church characterized by thankfulness.

Before we dig into the Word together, let me start with a little thankfulness in an area I see our church being like Philippi and I hope you will see the connections by the time we are done.

Since I came on staff here at Faith, I have been thankful that I am not asked to operate the community center or the church in a manner that places the budget as the top priority but rather puts ministry first, but I have learned a great deal about stewarding the gifts that have been given to the church in opportunities, talent and finances…

When the pandemic hit – we all had to make tough financial decisions in our homes – and here at church as well…I would have never conceptualized the need to close church…

We were all facing a lot of uncertainty…We had to ask what would happen to the finances of the church when all around us, businesses were forced to close, and many jobs were lost. The impact could be far more than just local.

One of the first thoughts was for the missionaries we support in areas hit far harder than Lafayette – How could we just e-mail them and say “Sorry” we’ll get back with you when things get better…

Those and other decisions had to be made – and in the face of the unknowns – I am thankful for the decisions made by trusting God…

Because something unexpected happened, and not just here, but at many churches – even with the doors closed and churches forced into on-line only services – the quiet faithfulness of God’s people did not just allow us to scrape through – God’s work in the church allowed us to fully support our missionaries and even grow in our local ministries during a crisis like none of us would have imagined prior to 2020, but through the power of our Lord he enabled his Church to do amazing things

- that’s why this morning we’re going to conclude our study in the book of Philippians by talking about Gratefulness for Gifts from the Church

- with that in mind, please open your Bible to Philippians chapter 4…page 156 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- our church’s theme this year is Growing in Gospel Gratitude…

As we close out our series in Philippians, let’s recall some of the key truths that we would want to characterize our church as well.

When others look at Faith North, would they describe our lives as being conducted in a manner worthy of the gospel? In other words, are the key truths found in Philippians evident in our lives?

• That we value Christ more than anything else because of what He did for us.

• As a result, do we walk with humility, considering others more important than ourselves…

• Do we find joy even when our lives in the middle of a trial?

• Instead of grumbling or complaining, are our hearts filled with thanksgiving?

• Where our natural feeling would to be anxious, do we go to the Lord in prayer and supplication such that it is the peace of God that guards our hearts?

• Are we content in the fullness of Christ?

Living in these key truths from Philippians is something that we will always need to grow in, but I want to encourage you that we can’t do so in our own strength which is why Paul started his letter by saying

Phil 1:6 I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus

As Paul begins to close his letter to Philippi, his goal is to encourage the church to continue doing the things that they have been doing, to continue pressing on toward the upward prize of God in Christ Jesus

He encourages them by describing his own contentment, the fullness of soul no matter his own circumstance and then he encourages the church by discussing their gift to him, their faithful support to him on his missionary journey and particularly in his imprisonment …while that detail has been alluded to at other points in the book…it’s on full display in our verses this am…

If Paul had stopped after telling the church he had learned to be content in whatever circumstance, filled or hungry, in humble means or prosperity, abundance or suffering…

– the Philippians might have been left asking, does that mean we shouldn’t have sent the financial gifts, and that in the future we shouldn’t send them to Paul or any other missionaries we might have the opportunity to support…

- that misconception would have been a huge blow to the task of world evangelism…and that’s not an overstatement…

- so thankfully we have these final verses to help us understand the significance of grace filled giving… and here we can find 3 reasons to give faithfully to Christ’s church.

- Read Philippians 4:10-23

- So we’re talking about Gratefulness for Gifts from the Church – and let’s look at 3 reasons to give faithfully to Christ’s church…first of all, because…

I. Grace Giving Results in Blessing

A. To the recipients

- part of what’s interesting about what we’re reading here is that this tendency on the part of the Philippians to be so missional and generous in their giving is that it comes up in several other places in the Bible…

- you may remember that the story of Paul planting this church is recorded in Acts 16…

First it was a woman named Lydia, for whom the Lord opened her heart that she would respond to the things spoken by Paul, the church began with her household

As Paul continued go to the place of prayer, he was confronted day after day by a slave-girl possessed with a spirit of divination. It is interesting to see that it was when Paul was annoyed with the spirit in her, that Paul cast out the spirit, but God used it for His glory because

- that event set off such a firestorm that the leaders of the city begged Paul and Silas to leave the city…

- Because the magistrates had thrown Paul and Silas in jail to satisfy the little girl’s owners who were mad that Paul cast a demon out of her because they had been making a profit through some kind of fortune telling…

- that night God sent an earthquake to shake the foundations of the prison while Paul and Silas were literally having a worship service…

- instead of escaping, Paul and Silas stayed and kept the prisoners in place and the jailer was so impressed he asked them to tell him the gospel…

- so he and his family believed and were baptized…and then they had breakfast together

- when they received word that the magistrates were telling the jailer to release them…Paul said No…

- Acts 16:37 - But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.”

- sometimes pastors get a bit sideways with the government…

- Acts 16:38–40 - The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

- well, where did Paul and his team go next?...

- Acts 17:1 - Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews…

- now you might say – wait a minute – we just read about Thessalonica somewhere…that’s right…back in Philippians…

- Philippians 4:15–16 - You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.

- it’s pretty amazing that a brand new church was so impacted by the gospel, and so thankful for the ministry Paul and his team had with them, that they wanted to give sacrificially so people in Thessalonica could hear the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ…

- and they turned out to have a very fruitful, albeit short ministry with what became one of the most delightful churches mentioned in the entire NT…

- See how Paul describes them

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 - We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

- he even went on to say in the next chapter –

1 Thessalonians 2:1–2 - For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.

- so that’s the connection to what we just saw in the book of Acts…but that leads to the question – who was paying for all of this?...and the answer is, in the beginning, it wasn’t the Thessalonians…in fact Paul alludes to that a few verses later…

1 Thessalonians 2:9 - For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

- meaning in this case, Paul was also using his skills as a tentmaker – but from the book of Philippians we learn that didn’t cover all the costs…and it didn’t have to…because of the generous and sacrificial giving of the Philippians…

- the point is – grace giving results in blessing to the recipients…

- your giving enables us to serve community needs at our community Centers, through our Care Team, Car Works, through Community Development, through community counseling as well as supporting missionaries around the globe and providing Biblical Counseling training in every corner of the world and more…

It is so much more than just enabling your pastors to be in full time in ministry and keeping the lights on in the church.

- when Paul was discussing this with the Corinthians, he could even go as far as saying…

2 Corinthians 11:8–9 - I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you; and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

The blessing to the recipients comes as the fruit of the ministry grows long before a ministry can support itself

- when the leaders of Kossuth Street Baptist church scooped off 5 families from their church and sent them to plant Faith church 58 years ago, what were they doing?...they were making a financial investment in us…because those families who used to give to Kossuth were now going to be giving to Faith…and our first pastor was a church planting pastor supported by others…

- the generous giving of all those churches around the state of Indiana and from Kossuth Street was a blessing to Faith…and even today… Faith North is a church plant as well, and we would not be able to sustain ourselves without the faithful giving of the other ministries at Faith.

- I believe anyone who gave to that who is still alive today to see Faith North growing would say – it was a worthwhile investment…and it was a blessing to be part of that…

- We are blessed as the recipient of the grace giving of others.

That was the nature of Paul’s church planting missions to the Gentiles and isn’t it amazing how similar church-planting around the world is today to the model established in the early church?...

- which leads logically to the second blessing…

B. To the observers

- I said that the Philippian’s generosity comes up in multiple places in the NT…

- here’s another example…to the Corinthians…

- there was another offering discussed during Paul’s missionary journeys…

- that’s because in the providence of God, a localized famine had developed around Jerusalem…

- what a perfect opportunity for one of the primary purposes of the church to be achieved…the blessing of all the nations, especially as seen in Jews and Gentiles loving each other and serving together in the same church of Jesus Christ…

- this famine gave the Gentile churches an opportunity to take up a love offering for their Jewish brothers and sisters…[again, it’s amazing how similar the early church was to us]…

- so who do you think was a leader in that?...the Philippians…

- and if you wanted to take a wild guess, based on what you know about the NT churches, who do you think was dragging their feet?...the Corinthians…so here’s what Paul told them in 2 Corinthians 8…

- 2 Corinthians 8:1–5 - Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

- there’s so much about that that is delightful…but time doesn’t allow us to unpack it…but most conservative Bible students believe Paul was talking about the Philippians as at least part of the “churches of Macedonia”…

- but here’s the point – look what Paul was able to do because of their example…

- 2 Corinthians 8:6 - So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.

- in other words – the grace giving of the Philippians became a model and example to many who observed the way they allowed the Lord to work through them…

- When we have the opportunity to speak with other ministry leaders and tour the Northend, or to speak with folks through our biblical counseling conferences, there is a lot of interest in what and how Faith is doing ministry, but we encourage them not to go away and start a sentence with the words, “now, at Faith they…” because I’m fairly certain there are plenty of pastors and elder boards who get tired of hearing about that…

- but the truth is, your generous giving to the various ministries of our church along with missions around the world is the kind of thing that other people see…and seek to emulate…

- and to whatever degree that’s true, to that we would say, to God be the glory, great things He has done (which is going to become a major point in just a few minutes…)

- so grace giving is a blessing to the recipients, and it’s a blessing to the observers…but I would not be doing justice to this text unless I also pointed out that grace giving is a blessing…

C. To the givers

- Paul said

- Philippians 4:17 - Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

- now, Let me pump the brake and speak very clearly, because the last thing we would want to do is to become like some of the health and wealth preachers who suggest that the reason you would ever give anything to the Lord and Christ’s church is an expectation that you would receive something in return…

- however, we would be ignoring huge amounts of Scripture if we did not acknowledge the promises that accompany financial generosity…

- the Philippians would have known that the language being used throughout this passage is accounting language…this is the way the bean-counters talked, so to speak…

- See how Peter Obrien expounds on this when referring to

v. 15 – no church shared with me in the matter of… - “in the matter of” is a technical term which literally means “to the account of” and was used in business transactions (Peter T. O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, New International Greek New Testament Commentary, p. 533).

- v. 15 – “giving and receiving” were monetary terms in accounting. They were the “credit and debit” terms for a ledger (O’Brien)

- he went on to explain - It is unnecessary to chose between a future reward and a present recompense. The picture painted by the accounting metaphor is of compound interest that accumulates all the time until the last day. The apostle has employed this commercial language to show that he has set his heart on an ongoing, permanent gain for the Philippians in the spiritual realm.” (O’Brien, page 539)

- so there’s no question about the fact that Paul is excited that there would be long-term spiritual benefit to the Philippians because of the way they had supported him and others financially…

- and again, not just here, that is emphasized throughout the Bible…here’s just a few examples…

• - Proverbs 11:24–25 - There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.

• - Proverbs 19:17 - One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.

• - Proverbs 22:9 - He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.

• - Proverbs 28:27 - He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.

• - Luke 6:38 - “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

• - 2 Corinthians 9:6 - Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

What Paul was saying to the Philippians was – “what excites me about your generosity is anticipating all of the ways God is going to bless you spiritually in the days ahead…”

When you think about your giving – How do you view it? Is it an obligation to be met – as long as I meet the tithe? Or do we see past the gift to see the blessing that will come from God’s work through the church.

- now, that leads us logically to the second reasons to give faithfully to Christ’s church…

II. Grace Giving Results in Worship

A. Because God’s work is funded

- we saw back in chapter 2 that this gift had been delivered by a man named Epaphroditus…we don’t know for sure who he was other than a trusted member of their church…or they wouldn’t have trusted him to carry this financial gift to Paul…

- Philippians 2:25–30 -

- and he confirms for the Philippians before closing the letter…

- Philippians 4:18 - But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied…

- this word would have brought great relief to the Philippians and a reason to praise the Lord knowing that the gift arrived…almost like the confirmation e-mail you get for giving on-line…and praise as well to know that the gift met the needs for Paul and his team during this time of trial and imprisonment…

- We, your pastors, want you to know that we give thanks for your giving as well. The offering total is reported every week along with the report of attendance so that we can give thanks and praise to God for the faithfulness of His people. We want you to be able to give praise as well which is why it is shared in your bulletin each week.

-But Paul reminds us it is not about the amount of the gift, but about the worthiness of the one to whom we give which is why Paul moves into a doxology…

B. Because God’s name is praised

He described the gift as…

- Philippians 4:18 - …having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

- you may recognize those words as terminology from OT tabernacle and temple worship…

- as New Covenant believers, we are not required to bring offers of bulls and goats because our Savior shed His blood once and for all…

- but we certainly don’t stop worshipping…and one of the ways we do that is through sacrificial and faithful financial offerings to the Lord…just like the Philippians had done…

- the writer of Hebrews said it like this…

Hebrews 13:15–16 - Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

- some of you may have grown up in churches where after the ushers received the offering, the congregation would stand and sign the doxology while the offering plates were brought back up and placed on the communion table…we’re a little less formal around here…but that practice would be very consistent with what we’re reading in this text…

- and I hope each Sunday as we see in our bulletin that our offering has met our financial needs, that we too will pause and worship God for the faithfulness of His people…

Philippians 4:20 - Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

- this is one of many doxologies in the Bible…where the response of God’s people is to praise and adore the God who makes this kind of sacrificial generosity possible…

- Paul also gives them and us a clear promise…

C. Because God’s promises are magnified

- Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

- that tells us that grace giving is fundamentally a matter of trust…we’re saying that we will do what we believe God wants us to do first – of the first fruits that Scripture says…and then we’ll trust God to supply our needs…not according to our riches, but to His…

- this is why Malachi told the people of His day - Malachi 3:10 - “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

- I think that’s what our church family did during the pandemic…none of us had ever experienced anything like that before…it was completely uncharted waters…and the temptation during a time of uncertainty is to hoard…

- that’s not what your brothers and sisters did…

…God and His people passed the test…

- Grace giving resulted in blessing, Grace giving resulted in worship, and also…

III. Grace Giving Results in Fellowship

- The way this book ends is especially sweet when we think of what it means for us because Paul says…

A. Greet every saint

- Philippians 4:21 - Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.

- you may remember – that’s the way the letter began as well…Philippians 1:1 - Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

- and we saw at that time – the word saint isn’t some special designation for a reserved few in the church…no, it simply means “saved one”…a person who has had a definite time in his/her life where they have admitted their sin and trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord…

- and by the way, if you have not yet made that decision, please don’t spend any time thinking about the issue of grace giving this am – focus first on the need and opportunity to become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ

- but the point is – every person in the Philippian church was important – they had accomplished this act of grace giving together…and then Paul connects them with others outside the church.

B. Even those of Caesar’s household

- Philippians 4:22 - All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

- what does that mean?...quite possibly that Paul’s prison ministry is seeing some level of spiritual fruit already…or somehow these in Caesar’s household had become followers of Christ…so their gifts from Philippi had already resulted in the fellowship with brothers and sisters that they would not have expected.

- I am thankful for that right here in our own church, the gift given by our church has brought the fellowship with all of you saints who I might not otherwise have ever met.

- But ultimately, our fellowship is…

C. Because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

- Philippians 4:23 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

- just as he had said at the beginning

-- Philippians 1:2 - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

- we all know that this kind of sacrificial generosity and faithfulness is only possible as the grace of God is working in and through us….

As we close our time today – as we consider the 3 reasons to give faithfully to Christ’s church – please consider the application of these reasons…

1. Consider the reason for giving faithfully

• to be a blessing to others and trusting God for the spiritual blessings from your faithfulness.

• Do you find that giving is a reason for praise of what it achieves? Or just an obligation?

1. Consider the place of your giving

• There are many worthy causes that are asking you to partner with them, but with our identity in Christ, will you make Christ’s Church the place you seek to worship the Lord in your faithfulness.

1. Consider the fellowship in partnering with the Saints.

• Every gift matters, no matter the size, as the Lord will use it for his Kingdom

• No one of us can meet the needs of the ministry – and God desires to be a blessing to all through giving…

• Consider how your giving joins you with the rest of the saints in the work of the kingdom.

As we continue to Grow in Gospel Gratitude…may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.