Struggling?
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I don’t typically preach on things that come up throughout the week, but there seems to be a lot of people who are struggling with difficult times
I have talked with a few people in the church who are struggling with difficult circumstances
Or, how about this lack of rain? Seems like it is affecting everyone at this point.
Or, to be open with you, we are trying to buy a house and it is just not going the way we would like for it to go
So, what difficult things are you facing today?
As I though through what I could preach to help, my mind immediately when to Paul
As he is writing Philippians, he is sitting in a roman prison, it doesn’t get much worse than that
and I though about this passage and how it could provide some comfort for us
1. The importance of brothers and sisters in Christ
1. The importance of brothers and sisters in Christ
Paul begins this passage by expressing his gratitude for the church in Philippi yet again, as He did in:
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
It is apparent here that Paul has been in connections with the Church in Philippi throughout his ministry. And, He is thankful for them!
We learn towards the end of this passage, that he is thankful for receiving a care package from the church in Ephesus through Epaphroditus
At this point, Paul is suffering in a roman prison. Roman prisons were brutal. The food fashions that they would receive were terrible to the point that many would die.
Many prisoners would survive on food given from family or friends
So, Paul is thankful that he recieved a package
But Paul takes an interesting approach here.
Rather than just saying a simple “thank you,” he turns it to rejoicing in the Lord.
This may seem a bit weird at first, but let’s unpack it
So, typically in this particular culture, a thank you would be expressed by sending a gift back
So you would send me a package and I would send you a gift in return as a thank you
If this would not happen, then the person who initially sent the gift would be hurt
Obviously, Paul is in no position to do so as he is sitting in prison
Secondly, Paul is making it clear here that is “thanks” is in the Lord
10 I rejoiced 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.
He rejoices greatly in the Lord!
Rather than being just a relationship between Paul and the church in Philippi, it is a relationship between Paul, the church in Philippi, and God
Philippians: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (1. Rejoicing and Contentment (4:10–13))
Paul and the Philippians are not in a normal two-way relationship of giving and receiving. Theirs is a “three-way bond” (Fee 1995, 428).
As typical of Paul, he points everything back to Christ!
Of course he is thankful for the church in Philippi, but more-so, he recognizes that ultimately this gift comes from the Lord!
There is something special and intimate about friendships in the Lord
One thing that I have found is that people who can have absolutely nothing in common can share commonality in Christ
I have a close friend that I spend a lot of time with is a polar opposite of me
We have very few things in common, except for Christ
I am more sportsy and enjoy physical activity, this person is more techy and prefers technology things
Yet, we have a great relationship and great conversations - simply because we find ourselves talking about Christ
In your relationships with others, I encourage you to pay attention to the conversations that you have
What do you talk about?
Is Christ ever mentioned?
And do you consider this person a close friend?
I have found that the most encouraging and edifying conversations that I have are ones centered around Christ
Charles Spurgeon has a quote that is something like “be careful who you hang out with because they will either be leading you closer to Christ or further away”
So, when we are thinking about difficult or challenging times, who do you spend time with?
Can you truly thank God for who you are around?
And inversely, what kind of friend are you?
Are you someone that people should be around?
Does your presence bring the life of Christ to the lives of those around you?
Should people be thankful to God for you?
So, what happens when we surround ourselves with people that lead us closer to God, the difficult times and situation become a whole lot easier
We live in such an independent society where we think that we can do everything ourselves, but really, we are made for each other!
“It is not good for man to be alone”
2. Learning to be content
2. Learning to be content
I have heard of some good old woman in a cottage, who had nothing but a piece of bread and a little water. Lifting up her hands, she said as a blessing, “What! All this, and Christ too?” - Charles Spurgeon
We live in a culture where we can get whatever we want, whenever we want it
It seems like everything is at our fingertips
I remember the first day that I moved into college
I walked down the hall to some people and they asked if I wanted to go grab some chick-fil-a
I remember asking “you can do that?” just leave whenever you want to?
And so it began.....FREEDOM!
We can get whatever we want, whenever we want
And if we don’t have the money, we can just borrow it
We have Walmart that has everything in one place
Shaquille O’Neal talks about when he went to walmart and made the largest single purchase in walmart history
He had just been traded from the heat to the suns and his apartment had no furniture
So he went to Walmart and spent $70,000
His card was declined and he had to call the CC company to get it opened
We can pretty much get what we want when we want it
So, how can we learn to be content?
Paul says :
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
So the question is how has he learned this?
I think the main thing is that he has constantly kept his focus on God
When you focus on God and His priorities, your priorities seems to start being aligned
Rather than asking the question “what are my priorities,” ask “what are God’s priorities for me?”
You see, Paul has had plenty and little and has learned to be content with both....
This implies that it’s not the amount that matter, but rather the contentment
He has priorities that are beyond things
He has aligned his contentment with what God wants for him
It would do us well to understand what God wants for us by reading scripture and strengthening our relationship with Him!
We have been talking about material possessions, but the same principle applies to other situations
And you see, if you can learn to be content with some things, then it is easier to be content with other things
If I have surrendered my material possessions to God and have seen His provisions in this area, then it will be a bit easier to see His provisions in other areas
If you’re struggling, I encourage you to lean on your relationships with others and learn to be content in all situations
Lastly, understanding that:
3. God will provide
3. God will provide
After Paul received the care package from his friends he says:
18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Paul accepts the gift from his friends and then credits it as a gift pleasing to God
And because of their generosity, he reminds them that God will meet all of their needs
You see, the context of verse 19 is that the Philippians had partnered with Paul in advancing the work of the gospel
Their focus was on the work of God!
And so, I want to encourage you this morning that if you are struggling, find a way to serve other people.
God promises multiple times in scripture that He will take care of our needs!
But a couple questions come up:
What do we truly need?
Is what we think we “need” aligned with God’s will?
The hope is that if we truly need it and it’s aligned with God’s will then He will provide it!
As we wait for God’s provision, let’s ask God if He is willing to teach us something during this time
Maybe it’s time to refocus our priorities
Or, maybe it’s a time to step out and serve others.
Worship Team
As we conclude this morning, I encourage you to think about what you are struggling with this morning.
Is it possible that you need to lean on the relationships of your friends?
Maybe you need to reach out and let them know what is going on.
Maybe you need to learn to be content and ask God to help you
Thank Him for what He has given you and reprioritize what matters to Him and thus, to you
And finally, trust that God will provide what you need!