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I’m always hoping nobody’s gonna show up when I’m preaching, and then it turns into a big crowd, and I’m like, Yeah, don’t forget your coffee, guys. You might be snoozing during this one. So, anyway, so, good morning, everyone. It’s an honor to be able to bring God’s word to you today. My name is Jay Tuck, and my wife Katie and I call ourselves the First Adults of Red Village Church.
And I’m serving as an elder now, but my family’s not here, so they’re at a baseball tournament. Trey’s Little League team accidentally won the state tournament, so they had to go to the regional. Yeah, they had to go to the regional tournament. So in my daydreams, what are we doing? I’m getting signals.
We’re good. We’re good. My daydreams, somebody’s going to start, like, one of these AAU Space Sports Club teams, and they’re going to be totally awesome. They’re going to go on Saturdays and just kick everybody’s butts, and then they’re just not going to show up on Sundays because they’re good Christian kids. They go to church, they’re going to forfeit.
There’s going to be, like, this cloud lingering over the tournament, knowing that the best team has already left and the best team fears the Lord, and we should not be playing these games on Sundays. But we’ll see if that happens. Don’t worry. They are at church, so we’re good. And I’m also happy to be the caboose for our summer of amateur preaching.
Except our faithful pastoral assistant, Wes, of course. Not an amateur. And I’m glad to say that our amateur preaching has not been amateur. I think it’s been quite good. So it’s been excellent.
And, you know, Lord willing, we could do it again next year and just give Aaron some breathing room for reinvigoration and other projects. So our text for today is at the end of Philippians, Philippians chapter 4, verses 10 through 23. So go ahead and find that. Open your Bibles or go to your app and click the hyperlinks. You know, it’s the Gospels and then Acts, and then Romans and the Corinthians and then Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.
You know, Anybody know that? General Electric Power Company got that. Good Christians here. Okay, I’m going to read our text. Philippians, chapter 4, starting in verse 10.
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now, at length, you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I’m speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. You, Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases.
To your credit. I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. A fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. So please join me and let’s pray. Let’s pray again. Father in heaven, thank you for this word. Thank you for the life of Paul.
Thank you for your servants throughout the generations that have continued to propagate your gospel and make it known. Thank you for all of us here. I pray that this sermon and the rest of our service would honor you and be good for us. In Jesus name, amen. So we were kind of divvying up the text this summer, and this is the one that I requested.
And there were two reasons I wanted to preach it. First of all, it was at the end. So if you’re like me, future me is not a real person. So you don’t realize that future me is going to be you eventually and turned into present me. So I thought, well, I’ll put it off till later.
But the real reason is because I just love verse 14 so much. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. So I don’t know what’s going on with me, but now that I’m firmly into middle age, I found my emotions are getting weirder. I get a little choked up at different things. Like that line, national anthem, Star Spangled Banner.
He says, gave proof. I’m not gonna sing it. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there Like A get a little. I don’t know what’s going on, or Christmas carols. Come all ye faithful Come and adore him Born the king of angels oh, come let us adore him I don’t know, like, every time just kind of gets me choked up.
Or that newer song, in Christ Alone, he says, no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand. One time it was Easter, and we were singing that song, and a friend next to me, you know, they’re right at that line, I’m getting a little klept here. And they say, boy, that drummer is really off.
I’m trying to have a moment here. Okay, I know the drummer’s off. It’s fine, it’s fine. Or again, this text. Philippians 4:14.
It was kind of you to share my trouble. We’re going to see in our text that through Christ’s power, Paul is content even in bad situations, like being stuck in prison. And earlier this summer, during this series, there was a missionary couple in the congregation. And afterwards, he was telling people, you know, we were talking about Paul being in prison here. He’s saying, hey, I’ve got friends in jail right now.
Like, they’re in jail, right? We hope they’re in jail. They might be dead. And it just got me thinking, knowing that this sermon was coming up, like, what am I. What am I doing to share their trouble?
Like, is it enough just to have, like, a sympathetic ear to one of their friends? Probably not. So. All right, so I’m going to start us off with just a quick overview of the letter thus far. So first, he’s in prison.
Next, he considers the people he’s talking to, the Philippian Church, they’re partners. They’re partners in the gospel. They’re not employees. They’re not his slaves. Through their ongoing relationship with him, their support, worshiping the same Christ and promoting the same gospel, they’re participating in the same work that Paul is all about.
Or next, Paul talks about the advancement of the gospel happening because the Roman guards know why he’s there. So Paul’s not. He’s not just in prison, not working like, he’s working. He’s working on the Roman guards. He’s working on whoever’s around him.
Or next, most of the brothers have become confident because of his imprisonment. Not timid like Paul. He’s faithful. He’s doing good work. He gets arrested if it makes the rest of them more bold, not less bold.
We need that. So Paul’s happy even when he knows that there’s scummy preachers out there proclaiming Christ. That’s from chapter one, starting in verse 15. So he’s confident that all things will work for good. He knows, he says with certainty, that he’s going to be delivered from his predicament through the prayers of the Philippians.
So how could you know such thing with certainty? It’s because he knows there’s only a certain number of outcomes that are going to happen here and they’re all good. To live is Christ, to die is gain. So we have a long term sporadic project at our house called the Tuck Family Catechism. And my favorite question is, why shouldn’t Christians fear death and suffering?
Because all things work for our good and to die is gain. And this knowledge, it doesn’t induce passivity. Paul doesn’t exhort these Philippians and say, hey, I’m content in all circumstances. Everything is fine. You guys just chill.
Everything’s going to work out fine for all of us. All things work for the good. Let’s all just relax. The book is full of admonishments to action. So let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ.
Strive side by side. It’s been granted to you for the sake of Christ. You should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. Engage in the same conflict that you saw that I had and now here that I still have. Strive for unity and fellowship through Christ’s example.
Humility. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you. Do all things without grumbling or disputing. Hold fast to the word of life. Receive Christian workers like Timothy and Epaphroditus with joy and honor.
Rejoice in the Lord. Be on guard against enemies of the faith. Press on towards the upward call of God and Christ. Imitate godly examples like Paul. Stand firm.
Set aside personal conflicts like the ladies we heard about last week. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. Set your mind on things that are honorable, just pure, lovely, commendable and worthy. It’s not a passive life.
We’re going to get into that in a bit. So now we’re going to just move on to our text. We’re going to begin with the end and then we’re going to end with the beginning. So if your attention fades in and out of sermons, mine certainly doesn’t do that. I’m just going to summarize where we’re going right now.
So the fullness of God allows you to be Contentedly troubled. Paul’s going to show us how to be content in all circumstances and happily share troubles. And the fuel or the food for the journey is God Himself. Verse 19. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.
The fullness of God allows you to be contentedly troubled. It’s kind of weird. Like usually Katie’s here, so I like sit mine. So if I’m staring at you uncomfortably just because my eyes are looking for somebody to stare at. So, okay, verse 10.
I’d like to get all my neuroses out in public. Verse 10. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length, you have revived your concern for me. You indeed were concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. So the Philippians, they’re helping Paul out here.
They sent this guy Epaphroditus to deliver something. It’s presumably money. That’s from verse 2. 25. I’ve thought it necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier and your messenger to minister to my need.
So presumably money. But who knows? Could have been a blanket to use in prison, could have been salve for his wounds from his chain bites, from his chains or his rat bites, or parchment and pen. But they were doing a good work for him. They were providing in some measure.
But note the stages of their good work. So it starts out they have this seed of concern for him, but apparently it’s kind of waned and is dormant because the seed has to revive. He says, you’ve revived your concern for me. Your concern is like a tree or a plant that’s kind of withering and getting dusky and brown in your front lawn, but with a little water, little sunshine, little fertilizer starts to come back, and then that concern for him actually manifests. That concern for him manifests in actual practical work to help him out.
But it’s like that with all worthy pursuits in our lives. So you’ve got to have this seed of desire to do something good, and then it needs to grow into something to the point where you’re actually going to take action or make some changes. So maybe the Philippians are sitting around and they know Paul’s kind of rotten in some Roman jail and they’re feeling kind of bad, think they ought to do something, try to help him out, but it’s kind of dormant, it’s not manifesting. So they need to to brainstorm and talk it out and organize, then maybe gather some resources and then find A guy to be their delivery man and make sure he’s taken care of while he’s out there. I mean, it’s like this.
Did you guys notice all the decorations here today? You know, like our little vacation Bible school. It’s like, oh, well, we should do something for the kids. And maybe it’s going to be a little outreach, like, all right, well, that’s a good idea. Well, somebody’s actually got to do something.
So it gets organized and then. And then we start working on it and then, like, working on it. Like, I heard there were five ladies here till like 10 on Friday. Yesterday was the prep day. So they were like, they were here for the prep, prep day, the prep of the prep day.
And then. So we’ll do that next week. We’ll see how it goes. And it’s going to be great, I’m sure. Lord willing.
So it’s like this with all good works that you or we might want to do. So it starts with this dormant seed. It’s got to blossom up into actually doing something. And then you got to have the opportunity and you got to execute. So that applies to all good works in our lives.
So Paul’s in trouble. This gang’s going to help him out. But how is Paul thinking about the troubles that he’s having? So moving on to verses 11 through 13, he says, not that I am speaking of being in need, for I’ve learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and how to abound in any and every circumstance.
I’ve learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. So we’ll start at the end here, too. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Or as I heard the famous theologian Kelson Oram say, I can do all things through a verse taken out of context.
So in popular church culture, I don’t hear it as much as I used to. But in popular church culture, this often gets used to encourage people. Like, if you know they’re going to start something great, like, I’m going to start and run a successful business. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. We’re going to win the national championship.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. I’m going to learn how to fly across the Grand Canyon by flapping my arms. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Let’s do you guys know?
We’re good. I love Tim Tebow. By the way, stud quarterback, homeschooler, son of a Presbyterian pastor, catalyst for Tim Tebow laws in states that let homeschoolers play sports for their public school leagues didn’t bat an eye. When he’s at SEC media day and some reporter asks if he’s saving himself for marriage, and he starts giving all the reporters guff because of how clearly uncomfortable they are. I love the guy.
So anyway, but that’s not exactly what Paul’s talking about. Christ should get all the glory for our successes in life. But the real miracle here is the glory that God gets from the godly contentment that happens in our successes and our failures. I’ve learned in whatever situation I am to be content, he says. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
Grounding ourselves in Christ should serve as this ballast so we don’t get too low and despair because we think God’s abandoned us. Nor should we get too high and exalt in ourselves, feel like we don’t need God when things are going well, even if we’d never actually say that out loud, know that this is something Paul had to learn. I have learned these things, he said. This isn’t a natural disposition. He must learn to be content.
It’s not like this kind of sterile stoicism thing, like, oh, whatever will be, will be, and there’s not much I can do about it. So there’s no point in getting bent out of shape. This is grounded in his faith, not an empty generic faith like, oh, you just got to have faith like faith with content. The Christian faith has content. God is in control of all things.
So whatever’s going to happen is going to be God’s will. You’re not at enmity with God. Our sin, our violations of God’s good law in our dispositions, our thoughts, our words, our deeds, they’ve been atoned for in Christ. Christ has died for the punishment that they deserved. Then Christ was raised again by the power of God to show that that atonement was accepted and complete.
And he will welcome all who come to him, who want those benefits, who want those promises. So if you’re not in Christ, it’s a problem on your end, not His. He’s welcoming you to him to enjoy these promises. All things work for our good because God is our Father and does and knows what’s best and when. In our direst straits, we know that to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Because again, what are his possible outcomes? Well, they may kill him to die his gain. They may leave him there longer to rot in jail. He’s got the guards around him. He’s doing work to live as Christ.
I’ve got more work to do on these guards here, or he may get sprung out. All to the glory of God. And good for Paul. No possible bad outcomes, so he’s content. But it’s a learned attitude, contentment out of regard for God.
It doesn’t just spring from nowhere. And I don’t have this, at least not as I ought. So it’s one thing that happens when you’re. I gotta get up and talk to people about God. And I’m gonna have to give an account for what I say, especially about this.
And so you’re forced. When you’re. Whenever you’re doing any sort of teaching or prep work, you’re kind of forced to hone in on things. So, like, I was at work this week, had a horrible week at work. Just terrible.
And I won’t bore you with all the details, but I was. Let’s to say, I was crabbing. See anybody crab at work? Crabbing. Feeling sorry for myself.
And then. But, you know, I know I got this sermon floating out here in my head and I just kind of hear Paul. I’ve learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to abound. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
So I gave myself. I gave myself the Martyn Lloyd Jones treatment. Does anybody know what that is? Joseph knows what it is, for sure. This is from his book on spiritual depression.
He says, have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you’re listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You’ve not originated them, but they start talking to you and they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody’s talking. Who is talking?
Yourself is talking to you. The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand. You have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul, why art thou cast down?
What business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself and say to yourself, hope thou in God. Instead of muttering this depression, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, who God is and what God is and what God has done and what God has pledged himself to do. So I Started preaching to myself, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And it helped. It didn’t make my work disappear. It didn’t help me get home any earlier, but it just kind of lowered the temperature of my spirit, you know, I’m here in this moment for a reason.
The reason I’m here is not because God needs more whiny crab apples. That’s not his intention here. That’s not why I’m here. So try it. So you need to do it, though, because there’s dangers everywhere.
There’s dangers in defeats, there’s dangers in victories. Because usually we think of adversity or trials as something that we need to overcome. At least we used to. But our victories need to become. Our victories need to be overcome too.
Augustine said, all sorts of people indeed can suffer poverty, but to know how to suffer poverty is a mark of greatness. Likewise, who is there who may not abound, but to know how to abound belongs to none but those who are not corrupted by abundance. So it’s even broader than that kind of success failure paradigm. Paul says he’s learned the secret of contentment and in any and every circumstance. And we must learn to abound.
So Paul’s sitting there in prison, and I’m imagining a Roman prison in the first century isn’t the happiest place on Earth. So. But, you know, imagine you’re visiting your buddy Paul. It’s exactly what this guy Epaphroditus was doing in the text. It’s hot, he’s lost weight because he’s underfed.
He doesn’t look good. Most of the guards are jerks. You ask how he’s holding up and he says, great. I’ve learned the art of contentment. I’ve learned the secret of facing hunger and need.
Then he’s quoting the Sermon on the Mount to you. Blessed are those who are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He reminds you of the story of the apostles in Jerusalem when they were arrested for their public teaching. And then they were let go after they were beaten and they left rejoicing that they had been counting, worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. So.
So, all right. Sounds like he’s doing okay. So what’s your response? Do you say, well, oh, well, the gang and I at church had put together a care package for you, but since you’re doing fine, I guess you don’t need it. I’ll just take this stuff and go back to Philippi or how do you think Paul responds?
Does he say, oh, no, thank you, Epaphroditus, I’m good. I don’t need the bedding you brought. I’m snug as a bug in a rug in this moldy hay. I don’t need the meal you brought from the market, this prison gruel, 10 out of 10. And I appreciate the money you spent on the high powered lawyer to get me sprung, but I’m good staying here.
So. Contentment, all things again. It’s just not this sterile stoicism. You’re not supposed to have this absurdist, monkish emotional response to trials like you. Like you whack your thumb with a hammer.
Praise the Lord. This is so sanctifying.
You know, where you lose your job, your wife’s freaking out, your dog dies. How are you doing? Absolutely fantastic. I’ve learned how to be content in all things.
Absolutely not. It’s a really tender response Paul has. Starting in verse 14, he says, yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. You Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving. Except you only.
Even in Thessalonica, you sent help. You sent me help for my needs once and again. So Paul’s got a calling on his life. He’s on a mission from God. He’s learned how to be content in all his trials, but he appreciates the help along the way.
Yet. It was kind of you to share my trouble. Now, a few notes on the way God runs his economy of people. So if we’re going to be good trouble sharers, we need to know the rules. So first rule.
God supplies the needs, God supplies for the needs. And God gets the glory. Starting in verse 19. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.
Amen. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. You’re going to be fine. Every need, God supplies for the needs, God gets the glory. Second rule.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive. So I think most of us could rattle that off, but do you believe it? Do you preach that to yourself? It’s more blessed to give than to receive. Starting in verse 17.
Not that I seek the gift. Not that I’m seeking the gift from you guys that you’re helping me out with. But I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. So when you give for Christ’s sake, you’re the one getting the most benefit. It’s more blessed to give than to receive.
It doesn’t just apply to, like, big things. Like, if we’re passing around the hat, we’re like, hey guys, the Apostle Paul’s in trouble. I think most of us will be like, oh, dude, Paul’s in trouble. You know, dig into your pocket and help out. But it’s not just the big doozies.
It’s our little interactions in life. So here’s a neat quote I found online from a neat Christian lady. She said way too many times I’ve thought if I didn’t do something extravagant, something big, it wasn’t going to make an impact. But guess what? The size of the impact you make isn’t what matters.
It’s about being willing to show up and care for others. And that quote is of course from Demi Lee Thiebaud, Tim Tebow’s wife. So pretty good. Or here’s a churchier quote. This is from John Chrysostom.
He says now as he prepares to send Epaphroditus back carrying this letter. See how he praises them. He shows that this is happening not only for the benefit of the one who receives, but also for the one who gives. He wants those who do well not to fall into thoughtlessness. He urges them to become more zealous in well doing, since they are thereby doing good to themselves.
It’s more blessed to give than to receive. Third rule Gifts for the saints are gifts to God. Verse 18 I’ve received full payment and more. I’m well supplied having received from Epaphroditus that gives you scent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. So their charity to him he considers a sacrifice, a love offering, a thank offering to God.
Here’s Calvin on this text. The similitude of sacrifices that means the comparison to sacrifices. The similitude of sacrifices adds much emphasis by which we are taught that the exercise of love which God enjoins upon us is not merely a benefit conferred upon man, but is also a spiritual and sacred service which is performed to God. Alas for our indolence which appears in this that while God invites us with much kindness to the honor of priesthood, and even puts sacrifices in our hands, we nevertheless do not sacrifice to him. To those things which were set apart for sacred oblations, we not only lay out for profane uses, but squander them wickedly on the most polluted contaminations for the altars on which sacrifices from our resources ought to be Presented are the poor and the servants of Christ.
To the neglect of these, some squander their resources on every kind of luxury, others upon the palate, others upon immodest attire, others upon magnificent dwellings. That was a long quote. Felt like an arrow to me, though, but especially that line. The altars on which the sacrifices or resources ought to be presented are the poor and the servants of Christ. So if that one doesn’t get you up, I got a stronger one.
So remember the words of Jesus regarding the final judgment from Matthew 25. Then the king will say to those on his right, come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. And the righteous will answer him, saying, lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, truly, I say to you, as you did to one of the least of these my brothers, you did to me. And while we’re on the topic of sharing troubles, I just want to make something explicit. So I hope. I hope it’s well understood that you know our pastoral team here.
We are here to help. So if you’re struggling with sin, or you need some wisdom, or you just need somebody to bounce something off, or maybe you just need a friend, we are available. So there’s four elders right now, and if you’ve taken the membership class, you know that elder is just another name for pastor. And the pastors are supposed to help shepherd the flock. So the elders right now are me and Rob Fisher and Will Klick and of course, Aaron.
So take advantage of us. We’re here for you. So. And if you feel like whatever you got going on, it’s too much for us to handle, that’s fine. But maybe we can find some other way to help out.
So if you just look around here, there’s a lot of really godly men and women in our fellowship, and if we can’t help you out, we can probably get you to someone that can. So then more briefly here on the conclusion from verse 21, greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you especially those of Caesar’s household. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
You guys notice anything interesting about that? We got saints in Caesar’s household. Like, I’m assuming these were, like, household servants or something, but, I mean, maybe family members. So we got people all over. We got people in prison, we’ve got people in Caesar’s household.
I mean, what a wonderfully weird and interesting world God has for us. So just remember, wherever you are, be willing to share troubles. The fullness of God allows you to be contentedly troubled. So let’s go out and let’s share in some godly troubles. Let’s pray.
Father in heaven, thank you for this good word here. I pray that you would be working in all our hearts. Pray that you would help because of the grace of God in Christ, that you would help seeds of desire for good and for your glory to blossom forth so that we can keep our eyes out for opportunities and join with others to share trouble. And may Christ receive all the glory in his name. Amen.