Philippians 4:10-20
This is Philippians chapter 4, 4 verses 10 through 13, as Paul kind of begins to wrap up his letter to the Philippian church. And here’s what he writes, I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.
Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I’m not saying this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
I’ve learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Well, we are going to wrap up the book of Philippians. I don’t know how long we’ve been looking at Philippians, but I’m going to guess about maybe four months. And this morning, Paul begins to bring this letter to the Philippian believers to a close, and you remember the background. It’s really a thank you note. Paul is under house arrest in Rome.
He’s awaiting trial. He doesn’t know if he’s going to live or die. And the church at Philippi, where he was the founding pastor, sent a love gift through a man by the name of Epaphroditus, traveled 800 miles, brought that gift to Paul.
Got very sick, by the way, and almost died, Paul mentioned. And now Paul’s sending this letter back to them, and it’s really a thank you letter for the gift, as well as many other truths that are in there. And the whole theme of Philippians is rejoice.
That Paul, even though he’s under house arrest, even though he’s in prison, Paul chooses joy. And the word joy, rejoicing, 16 times in these four chapters. This morning, we’re going to look at lessons learned from a prison cell, and as I began to look at the last few verses of chapter 4, began to see some lessons that Paul has for the Philippian church and for you and me.
Now there’s an interesting verse in Psalm 119, verse 67, it says, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey your word. Most of the time in our human nature that we have to live and learn. Sometimes we have to go through the school of hard knocks to learn something.
But the Bible wants us, what, to learn and to live, and to avoid some of those difficulties in life. Well, Paul’s writing some lessons from a prison cell, and we actually are going to look at six of them very quickly this morning before we serve and celebrate the Lord’s table and what Christ has done for us on the cross. As I knew this sermon was coming up about 10 days ago, I was thinking about my friend Steve that I’ve talked about many times in the past, my friend Steve that I’ve been a pen pal with for 30 years, my friend Steve who’s in Jackson Prison, been there for 31 years, not just in Jackson, but he’s been moved around, now he’s back in Jackson Prison.
And Steve whose life was transformed after he was sentenced to a life sentence in prison. And when I knew, I was going to do this sermon on lessons from prison cell, I dashed off a quick note to Steve, and I said, hey, I’m going to preach a sermon on lessons learned from prison, and if you can do a quick turnaround, I’d like for you to share with me and with our church some lessons that you’ve learned in the 31 years you’ve been behind bars. So, I didn’t know if it would come in time for Sunday, but when I went out to get the mail on Thursday, here is a letter from Steve.
And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Steve also has six lessons in his letter. And some of them parallel what the Apostle Paul writes, what we’re going to study, so I thought I’d just take a couple minutes and share, six things from my friend Steve, this is what he’s learned in 31 years behind bars, and I’ll try to read through this quickly. So, he addresses me and he addresses the congregation.
Lessons learned. Number one, the reality of the Holy Spirit. I had been a miserable, empty man, and no amount of material goods could satisfy me While in jail, I cried out to Jesus, and a feeling of warmth began in my heart, spread through my body, the emptiness was gone, and I was at peace, which has never left me.
So, he’s describing his conversion experience, the reality of the Holy Spirit in his life. Second lesson he talks about is obedience. First Samuel 15:22, Samuel said, to obey is better than sacrifice.
Prison is full of rules. Do this, don’t do that. Most are common sense, so it is relatively easy to do time.
But there are prisoners who think they can break a rule and get away with it. I did that on a couple of occasions, thinking it was for a good cause, but I was caught and had to pay the consequences, so I’ve learned to obey. Number three, generosity.
Acts 20:35, quoting Jesus, it is more blessed to give than to receive. On more than one occasion, Jesus taught that we will be held accountable for what we do with our resources. So, I donate to, in his meager income that he gets working in the prison, Community Bible Church, I knew that because he sends us a quarterly check, but I didn’t know the rest of this, Family Life Radio, our daily bread.
He’s supporting three ministries from behind the prison walls of Jackson Prison. He says, they also give hygiene to those in the housing unit, and it seems the more I give, the more I receive. Lesson of prayer.
All through the Old and New Testament, prayers are being offered. Jesus often went into a solitary place to pray, and he encouraged prayer, and he quotes some scripture, John 14:14, you may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. And then he talks about John 17.
Number five, the lesson of praise and worship, what we’re hopefully doing this morning. Music is an important part of our relationship with God. Even in prison, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to him.
I am blessed to currently lead a praise and worship team of music here at the Cotton Facility in Jackson. It’s good for the soul to both praise and worship God. And then number six, I’ve learned to be content through surrender, Philippians 4:11, in all circumstances.
Well, there are six lessons that Steve’s learned behind bars, and this morning we’re going to look at verses 10 through 20, and Paul’s going to give us six lessons that he’s learned, and hopefully this is going to help encourage our lives as we look at these.
1. contentment is a learned character trait
Lesson number one is that contentment is a learned character trait. Notice in verses 10 and 11, I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need. Here it is, for I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances.
Paul says, I’ve learned contentment. It doesn’t come to us naturally, does it? We’re taught that we need more and more and more. Jesus warned us against greed, but Paul says, I’ve learned to be content.
Is it Rockefeller when he’s asked the question, how much money does it take to satisfy someone? And Rockefeller said, just one more dollar. Well, Paul says contentment is something that I’ve learned. Ecclesiastes 5:20, Solomon writes, whoever loves money never has enough.
Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. So, the apostle Paul says, this is something that I’ve learned in my life. I’ve learned contentment.
That’s important for us as well, isn’t it? Oftentimes we say, well, I’ll be content when I finally finish school and graduate from high school or I’ll be content when I get that degree. No, I’ll be content when I get married. I’ll be content when I have a family, when I get a new job, when I get a new car, a new house.
I’ll be content, fill in the blank. I’ll be content when? Paul says, no, you need to learn contentment.
Jesus said, life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions. And I’ll tell you what, when you begin to go down the road of comparing yourselves, your situation with other people, that is a quick road to discontent. I’ve shared this story many times and I’ll bore you with it again.
At our first ministry assignment, fresh out of seminary, we were young, had one child. We were living in the upstairs of a duplex in Strongsville, Ohio, and just had one bedroom. When our second child came along, I think we put him in a cupboard drawer or something.
We didn’t have any room for him. But we were happy and we were content. We were in ministry.
And then I made the mistake of suggesting to Diane that we go to the Parade of Homes. This was in Strongsville, Ohio. Strongsville was a wealthy suburb of Cleveland.
A lot of the Cleveland Browns had homes in Strongsville, Ohio because their practice facility was in Berea, which was the next town over. And then we went to the Parade of Homes and all of a sudden, we weren’t very content anymore because we began to compare. Contentment, something that we need to learn and hold on to.
2. Contentment is not found in our circumstances but in Christ
Secondly, here’s the second lesson from Paul. Contentment is not found in our circumstances, but in Christ. 12 and 13, I know what it is to be in need.
I know what it is to have plenty. I know what it is to be well fed. Paul was a Pharisee, lived a good life.
I know what it is to be hungry. Paul was in prison. Whether living in plenty or want, what’s he say? I can do all things, what? Through Christ who gives me strength.
And so don’t look for contentment in your circumstances. Don’t look for contentment in the contents of your possessions. Contentment is found in Christ.
There’s a little chorus that we’re going to hopefully learn and sing at the end of our service this morning, but it’s entitled, Christ is all I need. Here’s the words, Christ is all I need, all I need. He’s all I need.
He was crucified for me. He died on Calvary. That is why I know he loved me so.
Christ is all I need. What’s the gospel of Mark says? What does it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? And so, contentment is not found in our circumstances, but it’s found in Christ. This is what David wrote in Psalm 23 one.
The Lord is my shepherd. It’s always confused me growing up as a young child in the church and the King James version, I shall not want. I’m like, well, why don’t I want him? The word literally means lack.
If Jesus is your shepherd, you lack nothing. You have everything you need. My wife, Diane, tells me growing up, like maybe any young child as they begin to kind of look at their circumstances and where they’re living and their neighborhood and everything.
And Diane would ask her mom, mom, are we rich? Are we rich? She says, no, dear, we’re not rich, but we’re rich in blessings in Jesus. Maybe not what she wanted to hear, but that’s true. Go to Ephesians chapter one and see all that you have when you are in Christ.
Contentment is not found in our circumstances, but it’s found in Christ. Many of you are probably familiar with Fannie Crosby and her story. I’ll share it with you again this morning because it fits right in here.
Probably the most well-known hymn writer other than maybe John and Charles Wesley, Fannie Crosby wrote 8,000 hymns in her lifetime. Here’s her amazing story. Fannie Crosby was born a healthy baby girl in 1820, but six weeks after her birth, she got an infection in her eyes and a botched treatment left Fannie Crosby blind for life.
Shortly after that, her father passed away. Her mother found employment as a maid and Fannie spent most of her days with her grandmother who exposed her to great literature and poetry, but mostly read to Fannie from the Bible. By the time Fannie was 11 years old, she could quote the entire Pentateuch.
That’s the first five books in the Old Testament, the four Gospels, many of the Psalms. Having her mind so saturated with God’s Word resulted in a phenomenal perspective on her young life. And so, at the age of eight, Fannie Crosby wrote her first poem.
Here it is. Oh, what a happy soul I am. Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t. To weep and sigh because I am blind, I cannot, nor I will. Contentment’s not found in our circumstances, but in Christ.
I’ll tell you this morning that if my friend Steve can find contentment behind bars for 31 years, Fannie Crosby can find contentment even though God allowed her to be blind for her entire life, I think whatever we’re facing, whatever our circumstances, we can choose contentment if we know Christ as our Savior.
3. Being a part of God’s family involves sharing in the troubles of others
Well, here’s the third one, third lesson found in verse 14. Paul says, it was good of you to share in my troubles. Paul writes, in other words, thank you for sharing in my difficulties and my troubles. And they sent this gift to the apostle Paul. What did Jesus tell us in John 16, 33? In this world, you will have trouble.
James says, don’t be surprised when trials come. Part of life, isn’t it? In a fallen world. But then Jesus said, take heart, I’ve overcome the world.
And so, Paul says, it was good for you to share with me in my troubles. That word share is this Greek word koinonia, it’s talking about fellowship, it’s talking about sharing things together. And when we think of fellowship, we think of a lot of times like, well, sharing a meal together with somebody, or good conversation, or some refreshments after a service, or sharing in God’s Word, and that’s all true.
But there’s another kind of fellowship that we’re called to, and it’s sharing in the troubles of other people’s lives. Paul writes; I want you to weep with those that weep. I want you to rejoice with those that rejoice.
And so, it’s entering into the lives of others. And that means spending time with people, and that means listening to them, and that means looking for opportunities, what, to encourage those that are going through difficult times. I’d be praying with someone.
I had the opportunity Thursday night over at Gary and Carla Keith’s house, spent about 90 minutes with them, and then about 8:30, and they had some family over there, and had Gary sitting down in the kitchen table chair, and we just kind of gathered around him. And we prayed for Gary. And I think that greatly encouraged him, and just letting him know, hey, you’ve got a church family that’s going to pray you through this surgery.
It might be a listening ear. It might be a meal. It might be helping hand with a work project.
It might be our benevolent fund. We get a little offering plate in the back here, and we don’t talk about this much, but we have a very rather active benevolent fund. In other words, if we find out that there’s somebody associated with our church that has a need, a legitimate need, we’re going to respond to that need.
What’s 1 John say? We’re supposed to love God, but if we see another brother and sister in need, and we just pat them on the back and say, oh, praying for you, brother, be warm and filled and don’t do anything, how does the love of God dwell in you? And so, it’s love in action. And so, Paul reminds us that being a part of God’s family means sharing in the troubles and needs of others. Three more here, and we’ll run through these rather quickly here.
4. Investing our time, talent and treasure in God’s kingdom results in eternal dividends
Number four is this, investing our time, talent, and treasure in God’s kingdom results in eternal dividends. That when we invest our time, our talent, and our treasure in God’s kingdom, it results in eternal dividends. In other words, God’s keeping a ledger.
He’s keeping track of our stewardship of what time, talent, and treasure. And so, Paul writes in verse 15, moreover, as you know, Philippians, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out for Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you only. You were the only ones that supported me.
For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts, what I desire is that more be credited to your account. Oh, there’s something called like the bank of heaven, and God’s keeping track of our generosity and how we use our time, talent, and treasure.
And so, Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, don’t worry about food. Don’t worry about clothing. Don’t worry about housing.
Look at the birds. I take care of them. You’re far more valuable than they, but seek first God’s kingdom, and then all these things are going to be added to you.
Mark chapter 10, the disciples are kind of feeling sorry for themselves because they’ve left everything to follow Jesus. And Peter asks Jesus a question, or he makes a statement. He says, Jesus, we’ve left everything to follow you.
I’m like, what’s in this for us? Jesus said in Mark 10, 29, truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brother or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me in the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age, homes, brothers, sisters, mother, children, and fields, along with persecutions, he adds in, and in the age to come, eternal life. And so, he says, you know, God’s going to reward you. You’re going to…if you’ve left your family because of Jesus and they’ve kind of kicked you out, guess what? There’s God’s forever family that’s going to welcome you with open arms.
It’s going to be a hundredfold, and you’re going to have some dividends in heaven. So, investing our time, talent, and treasure, Paul’s reminding the Philippian believers, hey, I’m not looking for another gift. What I’m looking for is something that will be credited to your account when you get to heaven someday.
5. Investing in God’s kingdom is an act of worship.
Number five, lesson number five, Paul tells us that investing in God’s kingdom, our time, talent, and treasure is an act of worship. And investing in God’s kingdom, our time, talent, and treasure is an act of worship. So, verse 18, I’ve received full payment.
I’m amply supplied. Now that I’ve received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, thank you for sending the gifts. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God.
Those gifts that you gave, they’re an offering to God. He says they’re a fragrant offering. It’s a reference to the incense offering that was given to Israel in the Old Testament.
We won’t take time to look at the passages, but the high priest Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight every day as a regular offering to the Lord. God gave the recipe for making the incense and stipulated that no other incense ever be burned on the altar. And so, in the morning, in the evening, in the Old Testament, they had the altar and they offered a sacrifice to God, an incense sacrifice.
And here’s Paul’s playing on that analogy and he says, your gift, your sacrifice of your time, talent, and treasure is like it’s an offering to God and it’s an act of worship. So, Hebrews chapter 13, the author of Hebrews writes these words in Hebrews chapter 13, verses 15 and 16, through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that openly profess His name and do not forget to do good and to share with others or with such sacrifices God is well pleased. So sometimes when we think of investing in God’s kingdom, we simply think of putting money in the offering plate, investing financially in God’s kingdom, but there’s more than that.
It’s offering praise to God, the fruit of our lips when we sing, it’s an act of worship. And it’s easy to not think about the words, and I’ll confess that myself, but if you listen to those words, in that hymn, And Can It Be, oh my word, those are tremendous words. It ends up with there’s no condemnation to those of us there in Jesus Christ, Romans 8.1. Our singing is an act of worship, our doing good and sharing with others that are in need is an act of worship.
And so sometimes we think about, you know, Sunday, and on Sundays while we’re enjoying the worship service, we have to realize that there are others that are teaching a junior church class, there are some in the nursery, and there are others that are doing some duties and missing the official worship service. But what we need to realize is that as they serve, or as you serve, whether it’s a nursery or cookies or junior church or whatever, that is an act of worship. And so sometimes if you’re in the nursery, you say, well, I missed the worship service.
Well, you might have missed the official service, but you worshiped. By the way, we have a TV down there so you can watch and listen as well. But investing in God’s kingdom is an act of worship.
6. As we give generously to meet the needs of others, God promises to meet our needs
Paul reminds the Philippian believers of that. Lastly, number six, and then we’re done and then have some time to sing and observe the Lord’s table. But lesson number six, Philippians 4, Paul says, as we give generously to meet the needs of others, God promises to meet our needs.
As we give generously to meet the needs of others, God promises to meet our needs. That’s Philippians 4:19. How does Paul close this letter? My God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus, to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. I’ve known that verse and studied Philippians for a long time. And I’ve kind of vacillated back and forth, and I’ll tell you where my vacillation is due to the fact that I’m asking myself a question, and it’s important when you study a promise in the Bible, to ask the question, is this a conditional promise? In other words, is there something I have to do for me to receive the promise that’s in Scripture? Or is this an unconditional promise? So, a conditional promise would be Philippians, let me see what the verse is, Philippians chapter 4, you should know this, we just looked at it a couple weeks ago, 6 and 7, and it’s a promise for the peace of God, but it’s conditional. And so verse 6 says, stop worrying, but by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, so you have to do something, you have to stop worrying, realize God’s sovereign in control, and then you have to take your request to God and pray and give it to Him with thanksgiving, and then here’s the promise, the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts, that’s your emotions, your minds in Christ Jesus. Well, that’s a conditional promise.
What’s an unconditional promise? Well, Hebrews 13:5 and 6, Jesus said, never will I leave you nor forsake you. There’s nothing we can do, that Jesus will never leave us, and so my question is, is Philippians 4:19 a conditional promise or an unconditional promise? And what I want to be very clear here is that my viewpoint is that Philippians 4:19 is a conditional promise. In other words, Paul’s writing a thank you and said, as you’ve been generous, as you’ve sent to meet my needs, God’s going to meet your needs.
And so, they were giving sacrificially and God then promises to meet the needs. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. A person that maybe is a believer and goes out and spends his money foolishly and maybe is addicted to gambling and doesn’t have money and he’s going to pray and say, okay God, will you now supply all my needs? No.
But someone who honors God with their finances and is generous, God says, as you’ve been generous, I will be generous to you and meet all of your needs. Now that’s my speculation. That’s where I’ve kind of landed and I’d be open to your thoughts on that.
But as we give generously, Paul writes, God will meet all your needs. There’s one area in all the Bible where God says, test me, test me. And it’s found in the Old Testament and it’s found in Malachi chapter 3, verse 10, verse 8. Let me start in verse 8. Malachi 3:8. Will a mere mortal rob God? You rob me.
But you ask, how are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will be not enough room to store it.
That was Steve’s testimony. The more I give, the more I’m blessed. And so that says, test me.
Application questions
It’s all through the Old Testament and the New Testament as well. Give to God first, the first fruits principle, and what? He will pour out his blessings on you and meet your needs. Well, just a few application questions as we wrap this up.
1. Have I discovered that true contentment is not found in my circumstances but in Christ?
Here’s the first one from these six lessons. Have I discovered that true contentment is not found in my circumstances or my contents, my possessions, but in Christ? Have I discovered the secret of true contentment that is found in him and all that we have in him?
2. do I share in the troubles and burdens of others within God’s family?
Secondly, do I share in the troubles and burdens of others within God’s family? This is Philippians 4:14. Paul says, it was good for you to share in my troubles. Here’s what Romans 12 instructs us to do.
Never be lacking in zeal. Keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope.
Be patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Rejoice with those that rejoice. Mourn with those that mourn. Do I share in the troubles and burdens of others? In order to do that, that takes time.
It takes a listening ear. It takes getting involved in other people’s lives. Quite frankly, the opposite is easier. Easier just to care about yourself, but that’s not what God’s called us to do. We need to enter into the troubles and the burdens and bear one another’s burdens, as Galatians tells us.
3. am I investing my time, talent, and treasure in God’s kingdom?
And then lastly, am I investing my time, talent, and treasure in God’s kingdom? What’s your heavenly bank account look like? Are you making some deposits of your time, your talents and abilities, and your treasure into God’s kingdom? And someday you will be rewarded for everything you’ve done in the name of Jesus.
Well, those are six lessons that Paul’s learned. I don’t know which one you need most this morning, but they’re all applicable, and I trust that you will find contentment in him, that you’ll be involved in God’s kingdom, that you’ll be involved in meeting the needs of those that God brings across your pathway.