The Matter of Giving and Receiving (Philippians 4:15-23)
The Matter of Giving and Receiving
Philippians 4:15-23
February 9, 2014
Well tonight we bring our letter of Philippians to a close. I sincerely hope God has used it to continue His process of sanctification in your life.
Certainly the truths about
• The attitude,
• Not grumbling,
• Pursuing Jesus,
• And contentment
Are truths that we need to be reminded of continually.
Well tonight Paul gives us another gem of information
As he reveals to us the truths about giving.
As I told you last week, the Philippians had sent a gift to Paul
As he sat in jail in Rome.
Much of the motivation for this letter came as a result of that gift.
Now as we saw last week, Paul was not a discontented person, moping in his jail cell, just wishing for things to comfort him.
Instead, Paul was content
Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Paul was a contented person.
He had learned that regardless of his circumstances,
There was supernatural strength from God to allow him to handle it.
• And so Paul’s focus was no longer on obtaining the things of the world
that would make him comfortable.
• Paul’s focus was now on being like Christ and he was content with
everything else.
And so we saw the blessed reality of contentment.
However, just because contentment is required,
That is no excuse for us to stop helping people.
A true Biblical perspective would be:
• If I am in need, I must be content.
• If you are in need, I must meet it.
And so tonight we see the necessary second part of that reality.
Paul was content, but their generous giving was still the right thing to do.
We even saw last week:
Philippians 4:14 “Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.”
Giving and meeting the needs of others is the right thing to do.
And tonight I want to show you the truth about giving.
And through this I honestly hope to encourage everyone here to participate in it.
There are five things we see in the text tonight:
#1 THE PICTURE OF GIVING
Philippians 4:15-16
As we look at these two verses we find here a wonderful picture
Of what giving is supposed to look like.
Now, you should keep in the back of your mind that the Philippians make a wonderful example because the Philippians were poor.
2 Corinthians 8:1-4 “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,”
And you need to understand that so to break any misconceptions
That giving is just for the rich.
Generosity is not an economic issue.
Generosity is a heart issue.
Now obviously you can’t give what you don’t have,
But you can give what you do have, even if it seems insignificant.
And the Philippians make a tremendous example
Because they gave out of their deep poverty.
Now, as you look at these first two verses
A couple of other realities jump out at you.
(15) “You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;”
Paul said after I left Macedonia, at “the first preaching” you were the only ones to help me.
It certainly speaks of the eagerness of the Philippians.
They didn’t wait for Paul to call…
They were givers from the beginning.
It was in their heart.
Paul says as soon as I left Macedonia, you were there to support me.
And incidentally, their giving to Paul was what allowed him to serve in other places, like Corinth.
In Acts 18 we find Paul fresh out of Athens, and he comes to Corinth, but he has to work with Aquila and Priscilla making tents.
But Acts 18:5 says:
Acts 18:5 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”
Paul quit working because the Macedonians had sent an offering to Paul
Which allowed him to focus solely on ministry.
That is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 11:7-9 “Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you; and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.”
That support for Paul’s ministry came from the Philippians.
They were the first after he left Macedonia.
In fact, they supported him before he ever even left Macedonia.
(16) “for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.”
That is what you call eagerness. That is what you call priority.
The Philippians were givers.
They wanted to.
You also see a picture of giving in their REPETITION.
Paul says, “more than once” you sent a gift.
They were not just trying to sooth their conscience.
This wasn’t just giving to say they gave.
This was a people who were concerned about a need,
And continually supported it as long as it existed.
My point?
• They wanted to give.
• It was a desire of the heart.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
And that was the Philippians.
They were cheerful givers.
And if you’ll look down to verse 18 I’ll show you how much they gave.
(18a) “But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent;”
Now if you aren’t careful you can read this as though
Paul is just being content.
Maybe they didn’t send that much, but because he is so content and so polite, he writes, “you’ve sent plenty”
But that is not the language used.
“But I have received everything in full”
“received…in full” translates APECHO
It literally means “to hold back” or “to keep away”
In this context, it is Paul actually retreating from what they have given,
Because he can’t hold anymore.
“and have an abundance”
“abundance” translates PERISSEUO
It actually refers to having something left over.
Matthew 15:37 “And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full.”
So Paul says, “I have leftovers”
“I am amply supplied”
“amply supplied” translates PLEROO
It literally means “full”
And it is used of a total saturating full.
John 12:3 “Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
John 16:6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.”
So put all three of those together, and here is what Paul is saying.
I am absolutely stuffed, I’m pushing away from the table,
And I’ve got a ton of leftovers.
Now that is what you call giving.
• They gave instantly
• They gave willingly
• They gave sufficiently (and then some)
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.”
That is how the Philippians gave, and incidentally,
That is what giving looks like.
• It comes from a cheerful heart
• It meets the need
• It doesn’t delay
So when the Bible speaks of giving, it isn’t talking about
A little gift here and there to sooth the conscience.
It is talking about a heart desire to make a difference
In the life or ministry of someone else.
And the Philippians did it so well that Paul was
“stuffed and eating leftovers”
The Picture of Giving
#2 THE PROFIT OF GIVING
Philippians 4:17
Now I hope you noticed the title of the sermon and the statement Paul made in verse 15.
“no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;”
• Now we saw the “giving” side.
• But what is this “receiving” side Paul is talking about?
That is what he mentions here.
Again pointing out that he is content,
Paul reveals what it is that he does want.
“Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek the profit which increases to your account.”
“profit” translates KARPOS
It literally means “fruit”
I want you to receive the fruit.
Romans 1:13 “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.”
What is this fruit? What is this profit?
It is your eternal treasure.
Paul said, “I seek the profit which increases to your account”
Did you realize that you have a heavenly bank account?
You do, and Scripture says that is the one you really ought to be concerned about, namely because you’ll be using it longer than your earthly one.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.”
Paul told it to Timothy like this:
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
Paul even wanted those with big accounts here
To make sure they transfer some of that wealth to their other account.
And the reality is this.
Giving here increases your account there.
A very accurate way to see giving is
Like you are making an investment in God’s business.
• God has a business, it is a kingdom business.
• He is in the business of saving sinners.
• And when you give, you are becoming an investor in God’s business.
In fact:
Proverbs 19:17 “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.”
Giving is lending to God, and God’s businesses never fail.
In other words, giving is profitable.
The Picture of Giving, The Profit of Giving
#3 THE PRINCIPLE OF GIVING
Philippians 4:18-29
And here is something you need to understand about giving,
It comes with a divine principle from God.
Now first you recognize all that the Philippians gave.
We talked about how Paul was stuffed, pushing away from the table, and he had leftovers.
But then he goes on to describe what their gift was to God.
He says their gift was “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.”
I hope that terminology sparked some familiarity in you.
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
In other words, what the Philippians did for Paul
Was in reality pure worship of God.
Have you ever viewed your giving as worship?
• When you write a Lottie Moon check, do you view that as worship?
• When you help a family with their electric bill, do you view that as worship?
• When you give to the Gideon’s like this morning, do see the worship?
When you do it with the right heart, God does.
Many times in our routine religion
We just see worship as when we sing songs to God.
Certainly that is part of it. Praise is a fitting part of worship,
But worship is much bigger than that.
Giving is also worship.
Hebrews 13:15-16 “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
And let me show you the PRINCIPLE that comes with that worship.
(19) “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Now this is another verse that is often quoted out of its context.
People quote this verse to any and every one.
But this verse is not for any and every one.
This verse is for those who worship God through giving.
If you don’t give, you have no right to claim this verse.
If you are concerning yourself with your own “needs”,
Why should you expect God to concern Himself with them too?
But if you are doing what Jesus said:
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
If you seek His business, He will seek yours.
That is the divine principle here.
So when you give, He puts treasure in heavenly account,
And He promises to meet your earthly needs.
Now, the prosperity gospel messes this principle up.
They have devised this “seed faith” concept where you give a little on earth and God makes you rich on earth.
No, you give out of a heart for worship, and God will meet your needs here
Your treasure is waiting in heaven.
And the reason God puts your treasure in heaven and not on earth,
Is because in heaven your treasure is secure.
(Thieves don’t steal it, moths don’t eat it, rust doesn’t destroy it)
But God promises to meet the needs of givers.
WHY?
Because if God locates a giver,
He’s going to make sure they are always able to give.
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.”
A very important statement.
“Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing (not spending) and increase the harvest of your righteousness (not wealth).”
Do you see that?
If you are giver, God is going to make sure you have plenty to give.
It’s like when a child delights in putting money in the offering plate.
They don’t have their own, so they ask you for some.
And when they give, it’s not their money, it’s yours.
Well that is exactly how it is when you give.
If you give, God will supply.
And He promises to take care of your needs.
In fact, “My God will supply all your needs”
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
God is not cheap
God is also generous, that is why He loves it
when His children reflect His generosity.
Deuteronomy 15:10 “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”
That is the principle of giving.
God supplies what the giver needs.
If you don’t give, you supply it yourself.
The Picture of Giving, The Profit of Giving, The Principle of Giving
#4 THE PURPOSE OF GIVING
Philippians 4:20
“Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever.”
• The prosperity gospel thinks that we give so we can get from God.
• The social gospel thinks we give to ease the suffering of humanity.
• The false gospel thinks we give to make ourselves look good.
But the true gospel says we give because it brings glory to God!
2 Corinthians 9:12-13 “For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,”
• When the poor man finally gets a meal, he glorifies God
• When the missionary finally gets support, he glorifies God
And that is why we give.
• Is it good for us? Yes
• Is it good for others? Yes
But we mostly do it because it is good for God.
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
And that is also why giving the right way matters so much.
• We can’t give with a stingy heart…
• We can’t give under compulsion…
We have to give with the right motives, otherwise it doesn’t glorify God.
Matthew 6:2-4 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
These men gave, but it certainly didn’t glorify God – it glorified them,
And that is not the purpose for giving.
And as strange as it may sound,
We don’t even give primarily because of the poor.
• Yes we want to help
• Yes we are moved with compassion
• Yes it is beneficial
But we are never going to solve the problem of poverty.
Jesus said, “You’ll always have the poor with you”
We give because God is glorified.
That is the PURPOSE; that is the end result of our giving.
The Picture of Giving, The Profit of Giving, The Principle of Giving, The Purpose of Giving
#5 THE PRODUCT OF GIVING
Philippians 4:21-23
Now certainly this is Paul’s salutation to the letter.
He is ending what he has to say.
But what I want you to notice here is
THE OBVIOUS FELLOWSHIP THAT IS PRESENT.
• You have Paul greeting “every saint” in Philippi
• You have the brethren with Paul also greeting them.
• You have the saints from “Caesar’s household” greeting them.
In other words, it isn’t just Paul who is grateful
And desires to great the Philippians.
Paul’s ministry co-workers want to say thank you
And the saints that Paul has witnessed to want to say thank you
WHY?
Because their lives are blessed by Paul.
And the Philippians are making ministry easier on him.
It is the old song you’ve all heard before.
“Thank you for giving to the Lord”
I’ve shared it with you many times (and I will continue to do so since it was such a blessing in our lives) about the SHOR retreat Carrie and I went on.
Charles and Suzanne Grigsby were the couple who hosted it.
They fed us, they prayed with us, they encouraged us, and we were very grateful.
But do you know who else we wanted to thank?
The people who give every month to make their ministry possible.
We know behind every ministry there are those who financially support it.
Fellowship is a product of giving.
I want to thank those who give to help me.
2 Corinthians 9:13-14 “Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.”
Did you catch that?
They pray for you and they “yearn for you”
There is a desire and fellowship that takes place.
There is a gratitude that is built.
They are blessed and they share a bond from this day on.
That is what giving looks like.
• It gives willingly
• It gives abundantly
• It is profitable with heavenly treasure
• It is dependable as God meets the giver’s needs
• It glorifies God
• It produces fellowship
When giving is done correctly,
It is one of the most powerful tools the church has.
That is why Paul closed 2 Corinthians 9 (a chapter we’ve been quoting from a lot about giving) with this strange verse.
2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Paul says that the ability to give is a gift from God.
He doesn’t say thank God for your gift.
He says thank God for His gift.
Imagine if we were not permitted to invest in the lives of one another.
• We’d lose the ability to store up treasure in heaven
• We’d lose the promise that God will meet our needs
• We’d lose a major way in which we glorify God
• We’d lose one of the tightest bonds of fellowship we know
The church would be so much weaker without the ability to give.
Giving is a gift from God.
And the Philippian church is an example of that.
So tonight I encourage you to be a giver.
Give
(and I don’t even have a specific need in mind)
• I don’t care if it’s Lottie Moon
• I don’t care if it’s benevolence
• I don’t care if it’s Gideons
• I don’t care if it’s to a ministry outside of this church
• I don’t care if it’s just a poor man you see on the streets
I’m not telling you to give so I can get more.
Contentment is my calling.
But in regard to others we must give, and it is a blessing to do so.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
