4:14-20 May God Supply your Every Need

  • God’s heart is to fill you up with blessings from his own rich abundance.
  • Catch hold of Paul’s secret for contentment
  • and bring a fragrant offering to God, simply because you love him.

 

Play Audio:

Video cover image by drraaolldliss pixabay license

  • Series on Philippians – almost at the end

Goal

That we look to God to abundantly supply our needs

  • Recap Parts 1–9
  • Today’s passage: Phil 4:10–20
  • Last week’s conclusion:

How to experience Jesus in us

  1. Understand it’s about Jesus in us
    • not our superpower
  2. Get to know him (read, pray, spend time with him)
  3. Practice dependence
  4. Ask for his strength
    • We said three times together:

I have strength for all things in him [Christ] who strengthens me.

Outline for this week

  1. To get a firm grasp on what it means for God to supply our needs
  2. To catch hold of Paul’s secret (v.12)
  3. To get what “sowing and reaping” really means
    • These actual words are not used here, but it is the same idea
  • So we come to this week’s passage:

Paul’s Dilemma

  • Recognize the value in what they have done and encourage them
  • Be very clear that money is not a big concern to him (He has already said that this is a mark of a false teacher.)
  • Very carefully touch on sowing and reaping, guarding against attention to physical possessions.

Philippians 4:10–20

  1. I have great joy in the Lord because your care for me has blossomed once again.
    (You were always concerned, but lacked opportunity.)
  2. I am not saying this out of need,
    I have learned in whatever circumstances to be content.
  3. So I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
    In everything and all things I have learned the secret
    • of being well fed or hungry, having abundance or shortage.
  4. I have strength for all things in him [Christ] who strengthens me.
  1. Yet you did beautifully to share with me in my hardship.
  2. And you Philippians yourselves know
    that in the beginning times of the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia,
    • no church entered into partnership with me in accounting giving and receiving,
    • except you alone.
  3. and that in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs more than once.
  4. Not that I seek the gift,
    • but I seek the fruit, greatly increasing in your account.
       
  5. I have received full payment, and more.
    • I am filled up, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent,
      • a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
  6. And may my God
    • fill up
      • your every need
      • according to his wealth
    • gloriously
    in Christ Jesus.
     
  7. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

AMF

Outline of passage:

  • Your gift to me has brought me great joy
    • I’m not saying this because I was not content in poverty
  • You have a history of specially providing for me
    • I’m not seeking your gifts, but your blessing as a giver
      • God supplies your needs from his abundant riches

1. To get a firm grasp on what it means for God to supply our needs

Philippians 4:19

Two ways of translating the verse, depending on how you understand the original Greek.

  1. Prophetic promise: God ABSOLUTELY WILL supply your every need
  2. Prayer: May God supply your every need
  • The problem with the prophetic promise is that you end up having to weaken it down or make excuses for God.
  • Christians do live in poverty.
    • Ah, but it says “need” not “want”
  • But when there are famines, Christians are sometimes in desperate hunger
    • Yes but God still keeps them alive

Philippians 4 mis-translations

  1. God ABSOLUTELY WILL supply your every need (only if it is an absolute survival need, not a want)
  2. God ABSOLUTELY WILL supply your every need at some point (you might die of hunger but you’ll be in heaven)
  3. God ABSOLUTELY WILL supply your every need if you have faith (Paul could easily have said this, but no hint of this condition)
  • This text is about God’s generous abundance, and we load so many conditions on it that it’s no encouragement at all!
  • Christians sometimes die for lack of medical assistance or drugs
    • Yes but God will give them abundance in the next life
  • Yes, but you didn’t have faith
    • Nothing to suggest this—you have to import this idea
    • Paul could have so easily said it if that’s what he meant
  • and also there is nothing to suggest they thought they would get something back from giving to Paul
  • Careful examination of the text shows two more issues:
    • This text is not about getting by, but getting abundance (fill up, v.18)
    • It is definitely talking about physical blessings, as well as spiritual (needs v.16)
    • So however we take the verse, we don’t want to end up with squeezing the minimum from a mean God, but rich abundance from God’s generosity!

God supplying our needs:

  • God’s heart is to fill you up with blessings from his own rich abundance.
  • He is not mean, but generous.
  • But we must still give him the freedom to be God and not demand he explain to us his choices, which might include us having unmet needs at times (because his plan is even better).
  • But never let go of trusting his heart of generosity.

2. To catch hold of Paul’s secret (v.12)

  • Psychological tests of happiness
  • Last time we looked at v.13
    • it doesn’t stop him moving forward in the slightest
  • Paul has realized that physical needs will not even slow him down!

3. To get what “sowing and reaping” really means

  • Paul is very careful because he knows he is setting a pattern
  • Lots of accounting language in this passage
    • ἀπέχω apecho paid apecho panta —paid in full
  • Sowing and reaping? Yes and no
    • there is a principle of sowing a reaping, but if we sow out of a motive of desire, it is wrong
    • We sow out of a heart of contentment and enjoy whatever God gives.
      • God will bless, but not necessarily in material, physical ways

Sowing and reaping?

  • We sow out of a heart of contentment
    • not out of a heart that is “give to get”
    • God is not a slot machine
    • Then we enjoy what he brings us
  • The motive is to bring a sweet fragrant offering to God
  • Not to get more physical things
  • And then we enjoy whatever God gives
  • There is so much really bad stuff out there about what they call
    “The law of sowing and reaping” —I hope I have brought a balance
  • Salvation is an exception: It is totally a free gift—we don’t sow faith and get rewarded with salvation.
    We simply ask for the gift and trust God’s promises!

Summary

  1. God’s heart is to fill you up with blessings from his own rich abundance.
    • But give him freedom to be God and not demand he explain how his plans for us are loving
    • He is not mean, but generous.
  2. Catch hold of Paul’s contentment secret
    • Happiness does not come from the things, but from our relationship with God
    • You will never be in a position where God called you to do something you don’t have resources to do.
  3. Bring a fragrant offering to God, simply because you love him (not giving to get)
    • Not only in your offerings, but in your worship
  4. Ask for your needs to be met, holding tight to your trust his heart of generosity.
  • What needs to you have right now?

Let’s bring our needs to God in prayer:

  1. And may my God
    • fill up
      • your every need
      • according to his wealth
    • gloriously
    in Christ Jesus.

Search

Categories

Tags