Philippians - Be Content

Now today, we'd like to take verses 10 through 19, and here we have three more resources that God has provided for your ministry. This third resource is the providence of God, verse 10, and then verses 14 through 18. 

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me, your thinking of me, your concern for me has flourished again; of which you also were mindful, but you lacked opportunity. Down to verse 14. Notwithstanding you have well done, that you did share with my affliction. Now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me as concerning giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto mine 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, he was their messenger, the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 

The providence of God. Here was Paul in Rome. Paul did not have a telephone, a telegraph; Paul did not have the privilege of contacting his friends over in Philippi by some quick method. He had to pray and say, "Father, You know what my needs are, and I pray now that You'll speak to the hearts of Your people." And a wonderful thing happened. There was a stewardship revival at the Philippian church. Philippians 4:10, "Your care of me, your concern about me has flourished again." The picture there is the picture of a tree in the spring blossoming. All winter long that tree has looked so dead and so dull and so useless, but the roots are still good, and now that tree is blossoming again. 

You know, this needs to happen in our churches. Giving ought to be the result of life that is flowing through the body. He should be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. And then he also compares the giving that they sent in verse 14 to a family sharing. "Notwithstanding you have well done, in that you did share with me." Philippians 4:15, "No church shared with me concerning giving and receiving." Now, we often think about churches giving—giving to missions, home missions, foreign missions, giving to various schools and ministries—but what about receiving? 

Well, here's the third picture that he gives. Not only is giving the flourishing of a tree and a family sharing with one another, but giving is also an investment that pays dividends. He pictures a banking situation. Philippians 4:17, "I desire fruit," dividends, "that may abound to your account." You see, when you give to missions, when you give to the work of the Lord, you receive; give and it shall be given unto you. And when you share with others in the name of the Lord, then God shares with you. 

Then in verse 18, he gives us a beautiful picture of what giving is. Giving is not only a tree blossoming forth, verse 10, and a family sharing, verse 14, and it's not only spiritual investments that involve giving and receiving, dividends, verses 15 through 17, but it's also a sacrifice presented to God. "I have all, I abound, I'm full, having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you." Now, what were those things? We don't know. Food, clothing? We don't know. Money? But when Paul looked at them, he said they are "an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God." 

In other words, when we give to the local church, when we give to the work of the Lord, it's like a priestly offering. We are putting our offering on the altar. Oh, let's be sure we give Him our best. You know, you wouldn't want to bring to the Lord that which has cost you nothing. The prophet Malachi, Malachi 1:1, was criticizing the priests in his day because they were bringing to the Lord sacrifices that were blind and maimed and sick. He makes a sarcastic statement; he says, "Take those things to your governor! Give those to him as a birthday present and see if he'll accept them." So often we spend much more on ourselves and on others. We're unwilling, as God's people, to bring all of that to the Lord. Oh, may the Lord help us to realize what a blessing and a privilege it is to give. 

Now, giving is a part of the providence of God. When the Lord stirs your heart to give, you obey. God may be speaking to you about sharing with some ministry, sharing with your church. God might be speaking to you about helping someone who's in need. Now, you follow what God tells you to do because God's providence is in control. What is providence? Well, it comes from two Latin words: pro, beforehand; video, to see. Providence means to see beforehand. "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last your care of me has flourished again." Now, who was the one who caused that tree to blossom? The Lord. Who was the one that stirred the family to give? It was the Lord. Who was the one who said to the Philippian church, "It's time to invest in the ministry of Paul"? The Lord. Who was the one who said, "Bring your sacrifice, lay it on the altar, give it to Me"? It was the Lord. 

Many times in my ministry, I have seen the providence of God work in amazing ways. We've been through church building programs, church missionary programs. We've wondered sometimes where the next dollar was going to come from. In our own personal lives, we've seen the providence of God work in a remarkable way. Now, my friend, you're worrying today about some circumstance or some need. Just remember, God's providence is at work. All things are working together for good. And you can have joy in your ministry knowing that the providence of God is at work. 

Now, in verses 11 through 13, Paul gives us a fourth resource available. Not only the people of God, and the peace of God, and the providence of God, but the power of God. "Not that I speak in respect of want." Paul said, "I'm not complaining." "I have learned," and that means I've learned by experience. I didn't learn it by listening to a lecture. I didn't go to school. I learned by experience. What kind of experience? Hard experience. You may wonder why you're going through what you're going through now. God's teaching you. What's He teaching you? "I have learned in whatever state I am, in this to be content." 

Now, this word "content" was a philosophical term very popular in Paul's day. It meant to be self-sufficient. You could translate the word "contained." It means that we have an inner ability to handle outward circumstances. Now, how did he learn this? Well, "I know both how to be abased," how to humble myself, "I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed," literally, I've learned the secret, both to abound and to suffer need. Now, what is the secret? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." One translation says, "I have power for all things through Him who puts a dynamo in me." 

Now, if your peace and your contentment and your work depend on outside resources, you are in trouble. "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, in this to be contained," to carry within me the resources that I need. Not to depend upon circumstances around me. Not to depend upon people around me. To depend upon the resources of God made available to me through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

You know, some Christians are thermostats and some Christians are thermometers. A thermometer just registers the change in the temperature. And some Christians are this way: if the people around them are on top and moving and things are going great, they are encouraged. If the people around them are discouraged, if circumstances are difficult, down goes the thermometer. Well, we ought to be not thermometers, but thermostats. The thermostat is on the wall, and you turn that dial, and it controls the circumstances. It controls how hot or how cold the room is. 

Now, you and I as God's people need to learn the secret of contentment, the secret of containment. How to be abounding—some people can't take progress and success and victory; they go to pieces. How to be abased—some people can't stand loss. Paul said, "Here's the secret: I can do all things through Him, through Christ, who strengthens me." I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives in me. I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Now, Christ does not do it instead of you. You're not going to just sit back and say, "I will sit here and do nothing and Jesus will do it all." No. Christ will not do it in spite of you. You say, "Well, regardless of what kind of a life I live, the Lord's going to take care." No. No. If you and I are clean and yielded to Him, if we're trusting Him, if we're filled with His Word, if we know that He is our Savior and our Lord, then as we yield to Him, He does not work in spite of us, He does not work instead of us; He works in us and through us. This is Philippians 2:13, isn't it? "It is God who works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure." 

Well, we have the providence of God and we have the power of God. There is a final resource made available to us, and that is the promise of God. Verse 19: "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." You know, some Christians quote that verse and they have no right to quote it. Paul wrote that to people who had shared with him. Now, not every Christian can claim verse 19. If you are not sharing with others, if you're not obedient in your giving, if you're not a good steward of what God has given you, you can't claim verse 19. 

You see, Paul is saying this: "You Philippians met my need; God is going to meet your need. Now, you just met one need that I had; I needed material supplies. God is going to meet all of your needs. You gave out of your poverty; I know you aren't wealthy people. But God gives according to His riches, not out of His riches, according to His riches. You gave through Epaphroditus; he made that long trip from Philippi to Rome. But God is going to give to you through Jesus Christ. My God shall supply all your need because you allowed God to supply my need through you." 

This is why it's so important for churches to have a missionary program, and to have a program to help people locally who have needs. Every church ought to have a fund that can be used by the leaders of the church to meet the physical needs of God's people. And certainly, we ought to have that missionary fund, reaching out across the world to meet the needs of God's servants. I've found some churches that say, "Well, our job is just to build our church; we're not concerned about churches in the rest of the world." What will you do with the Great Commission? And how will you claim verse 19? If you and I are not faithful in giving to others, then God does not have to be faithful to give to us. 

Well, here we have the resources available, the means available for ministry. Why should we worry? Why should we fret? God says, "I'm going to give you the people of God; pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest field. I'll supply the people. I'm going to give you the peace of God, if you have right praying and right thinking and right living. The providence of God—don't worry, I am at work. You're wondering where that next check is going to come from. You're wondering where that situation is going to lead. Now, don't worry about it; I am in control, and I want you to learn that you can trust Me." I have learned in whatever state I am, in this to be content. The power of God, the power of God. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And finally, the promise of God. "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." 

And so we can accept all things because of God's providence. And we can do all things because of God's power. And we can have all things because of God's promise. And along with that, we have God's peace, so we don't have to worry. And we have God's people; they will help us to labor and get the job done. How thrilled and excited and happy we ought to be as the people of God, because God is meeting every single need. 

[Interview]

Interviewer: Warren, thanks so much for your teaching on Philippians. It seems like you told me a long time ago that this is your favorite book of the Bible. Is that right? 

Warren: Yes, that's right. I've enjoyed Philippians so much. I've written a book on it, and I've taught it, and I've tried to live it. And there's joy in serving Jesus. 

Interviewer: Warren, it seems like you're always encouraging our fellow pastors and church workers. What are some of the key things we need to keep in mind about our pastor and ministry servants? 

Warren: Well, number one, that they are people. They're not angels from heaven. They are not unusually gifted people always. A pastor or a deacon or a Sunday school teacher, number one, needs encouragement. Not criticism, encouragement and prayer. I wonder how many church members pray for the people who work in the nursery? I wonder if they pray for the pastor as he prepares the messages? They make mistakes; forgive them. But love them. 

Interviewer: Warren, you talk about Paul's famous saying, "For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." You know, it seems like the world wants us to say just the opposite: "For I've learned in whatever situation I am to be discontent." What's true contentment, and how in the world do we get there? 

Warren: Well, Philippians tells us how to do it. Contentment is just simply resting peacefully in the will of God. We may not always like the weather; we may not always like the neighbor. But to be content means God gives to us a sweetness down inside that helps us to grow and helps us to be a blessing. You know, when Jesus met the disciples after His resurrection, He said, "Peace I give to you, My peace I give to you." And so peace is based on our relationship to the Lord. So if I'm not getting along with people, I'm not getting along with the Lord. I think that the important thing with ministry is simply: we share with each other, we need each other, and we help each other. 

Interviewer: So where does complaining come in when you talk about being content as Paul talked about it? 

Warren: Well, there's two ways to complain: one is to come with a knife, the other is to come with some medicine. And I prefer the people who come with the medicine. It's wonderful when a church member has stopped me after church and said, "You're worrying about something, aren't you?" Well, something happened in the church that did precipitate some concern, and that person would say, "Well, I'm going to pray for you. Keep me in touch." That means a lot more than, "What were you trying to talk about this morning?" because you do your best with what you've got, and the Holy Spirit, you trust, will take over after that. I think that the greatest need in our churches today is for God's people to love their pastors, their choir directors, their Sunday school teachers, their elders—to love them, pray for them, and give them a word of encouragement. 

Interviewer: Warren, you seem so calm, collected, never worried, always have a great wit about you and a good sense of humor. Have you ever had to fight against worry? 

Warren: Absolutely. I think all of us have. It seems that that's a part of humanity. Jesus never worried. Sometimes in Paul's letters, there are little hints about "I don't know if I'm going to go here or go there," but I hope that Paul was not a worrying person because he wrote Philippians, and that book says you don't have to worry. Yes, I've been through it. When the children have been sick, or when my wife was in the hospital, or when that drunken driver hit me going 80 miles an hour... you start thinking about some things. But for the most part, ministry problems have not kept me awake. It aggravates some people, but when I hit the pillow, I go to sleep. I don't have to toss and turn and worry and wonder; I just, "Thank You, Lord, here I am," and I go to sleep. And I've learned, in whatever state I'm in, to be content. I've been in an airplane that was ditching the gasoline over the Atlantic Ocean. That was fun. But we had peace. We had peace. I've had operations; my wife has had surgery. We've all been through what everybody else has been through. I do not believe these people on radio and television who say, "If you follow Jesus, you'll never have problems." You'll have a whole new set of problems for following Jesus. God is good, and when I wake up in the morning, I have to say, "Thank You, Lord, it's a new day, it's a gift. Help me to use it for Your glory." 

Interviewer: You've been in ministry most of your life. What about financial problems? Has that ever made you sick with worry? 

Warren: Well, fortunately, I married a bookkeeper. And Betty is the perfect person to handle money. I went to buy a new car one day and they wanted to know what my salary was, and I didn't know. I had to call my wife to find out what my salary was. Betty is a marvelous bookkeeper and Christian, and no, we have never really worried about money because I tell you, God has always provided. In ways that you'd never dream of. Now, you've had the same experience, I'm sure. Our missionary friends tell us the same stories. So the Lord has been good to us. I don't deserve it. I certainly don't deserve it. But He has been good to us in the preaching of the Word around the world, and my books are going around the world, and my Study Bible is now in English and Spanish and Portuguese. And I'm happy about that, and every day I say, "Lord, get them out there to those people now because they need to read that." So the Lord has been good, and I just say, "Who am I?" Billy Graham said one day—it was in a private meeting with some of his staff—he said, "When I get to heaven, after thanking Jesus for what He did for me, I'm going to ask: Why me? Why did You choose me?" And that's how we all feel. Right. Why did You choose us? So let's just look forward to that. It's going to be wonderful.