Sermon Tone Analysis

Philippians 4:10-20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2004

Giving -- What You Don't Know

 

A man of great substance was once approached to contribute to a major financial campaign.

The urgent need and compelling case were stated, and the call was made for his support.

The man responded: I understand why you think I can give fifty thousand dollars.

I am a man with my own business and, it is true, I have all the signs of affluence.

But there are some things you don't know.

/Did you know that my mother is in an expensive nursing home?/ *Well, no, we didn't know.*

/Did you know also that my brother died, and left a family of five and had almost no insurance?/

*No, we didn't.*

/Did you know my son is deeply religious, has gone into social work, and makes less than the national poverty level to meet the needs of his family?/

*No, we hadn't realized.

*/Well, then, if I don't give any of them a penny, why do you think I'll give it to you? /

 

Christian giving is a very touchy subject.

Many Christians become offended when we talk about money.

They tend to say, /What has money got to do with Christianity?/

Yet 2350 verses in the Bible speak about money.

How we use money is very important to God.

The theme of chapter 4 has been the secure mind.

Believers who rest in the sufficiency of Jesus Christ have the secure mind.

Paul was content in Christ's sufficiency.

He had learned how to be content with little or much.

He knew that God would meet all of his needs in Christ Jesus.

He could do all things in Christ's strength.

Today we pick up the theme of Christian giving that Paul first touched on in verse 10. /In today's passage Paul discusses*: */*/The Fellowship Of Giving, The Fruit Of Giving.

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*/ /*

1.

The Fellowship Of Giving

 

*Philippians 4:10, 14: */But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.

Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.

/

 

Paul */rejoiced/* *χαίρω* in the Lord and then thanked the Philippians for providing for his needs.

The word */care/* *φρονέω* in verse 10 means */to think about, to consider or to regard.

/*The Philippians had Paul*/ /*on their mind.

/To have the mind of Christ is to consider the needs of others/.

They were genuinely concerned about Paul’s welfare.

They had given much thought to how they might help him.

The word */shared/* that Paul uses in verses 14 and 15 is the same word translated*/ fellowship/* in the first three chapters.

As we have seen the word */fellowship/* *κοινωνέω* means */to have in common, /**συγκοινωνέω**/ to share in company with./*

In verses 14-16 Paul describes their giving this way.

*/A Commendable Ministry, A Committed Ministry /and/ A Consistent Ministry./*

/a.

A Commendable Ministry/

/ /

*Philippians 4:14:* /Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress./

*/ /*

*/Firstly/* the Philippians giving was/ commendable/.

Paul thanked them for their concern that motivated them give.

Verse 10 tells us they were concerned for Paul all along but had lacked the opportunity to help.

The Philippians shared with Paul in his affliction by sending a love gift to meet his needs.

Remember, Paul was under house arrest and therefore unable to work.

*Acts 28:30-31* tells us that He had rented his own house and received all that came to him.

The Philippians gift enabled him to pay for food and rent.

Paul continued to preach Christ during this 2 year imprisonment.

So the Philippians actually assisted him in his Gospel ministry.

In verse 15, Paul said that they had /shared with him in giving and receiving/.

They /shared/ what they had in common with Paul.

They gave to Paul's ministry.

*/But what did they receive from him?/* Spiritual things like the Gospel and God’s Word.

*Galatians 6:6* also teaches the principle of giving and receiving.

/Let him who is taught the word *share* in all good things with him who teaches.

/The word */share/* in *Galatians 6:6* is the same word used in *Philippians 4:15*.

It is commendable to support God's servants because ministers are feeding the Church with God’s Word.

This involves supporting missionaries, pastors and evangelists.

*1 Corinthians 9:14: says*.

/Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel./

/ /

/b.

A Committed Ministry/

/ /

*Phil 4:15:* /Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only./

/ /

*/Secondly/* their giving was/ committed/.

*/Although Paul had taught these things to many believers the Philippians were the only ones who practiced it./*

That is an indictment on the other Churches but a point of praise for the Philippians/.

Even though the other Churches didn't support Paul the Philippians were eager too./

They appreciated his ministry.

They saw his need and assisted him.

*Philippians* *4:18a* *says:* /Indeed I have all and abound.

I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you.

/Paul was richly blessed by their gift.

His own needs had been wonderfully met.

He said he had an excess and was satisfied like an overflowing glass.

/ /

Tithing Surprises

 

The Christian who tithes will be surprised:

(1) At the amount of money he has for the Lord’s work,

(2) At the deepening of his spiritual life in paying the tithe,

(3) At the ease in meeting his own obligation with the nine-tenths,

(4) At the ease in going from one-tenth to a larger percentage,

(5) At the preparation this gives to be a faithful and wise steward over the nine-tenths remaining,

(6) At himself for not adopting the plan sooner!

Ÿ  The wise man does not lay up treasure; the more he gives the more he has./

Chinese proverb/

/Ÿ / If you don't have charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble./

Bob Hope/

/ /

/c.

A Consistent Ministry/

/ /

*Philippians 4:16:* /For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities./

The Philippians gave regularly to God's work.

Paul shared how they sent him 2 gifts while he was serving at Thessalonica.

This enabled Paul to concentrate on evangelism rather than work.

Now that he was a prisoner in Rome they sent a third gift.

You might think that the Philippians were wealthy saints like the Laodiceans.

No, they were a very poor Church.

Yet they gave consistently because it was important to them.

They begged to help the poor in Jerusalem./

/*2 Corinthians 8:1-5:* /Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a *great trial of affliction* the abundance of their joy and their *deep poverty* abounded in the riches of their liberality.