Date: 04-8-01
Title: The Christian Bonus Program
Bible Text: Philip. 4:10-20
Subject:
Complement:
Main Idea:
Intro: Sometimes there is help we could do better without! A man called his neighbor to help him move a couch that had become stuck in the doorway. They pushed and pulled until they were exhausted, but the couch wouldn’t budge. "Forget it," the man finally said. "We’ll never get this in."
The neighbor looked at him quizzically and said, "In?"
Helping others is something that all of us have probably done at one time or another. Today as we look into God’s Word we find that when we help others in the name of Jesus Christ we see blessings for everyone involved! It is the ultimate win win scenario.
Like the situation that a nurse shared which happened at the hospital where she works. One night a young intern came into the hospital ward shaking his head. "There’s an old man out there by the vending machines," he said, "and he’s putting dollar bills into the money changer. Every time he gets his quarters, he yells, ’Jackpot!’ and dances around." She said the other nurses and her chuckled and soon forgot about it.
In a few hours, on their way for a coffee break, they saw a repairman in front of one of the vending machines. They asked him why he was working so late.
"I have to get this money changer fixed," he said. "It’s been giving $1.50 in quarters every time someone puts in a dollar bill."
The same is true about the blessings of God. The more that we do, the more that we help others, the more that we give of our time, our prayers, our finances, in Christ’s name the more blessings will come our way.
Let’s look deeply into God’s Word today and see this truth for ourselves!
PRAY
I. There Are Many Advantages To Assisting Others With Aid. (Vs. 10, 14-16)
A. The recipient is blessed and encouraged in their faith in God!
1. Paul rejoiced greatly to receive a gift from the church in Philippi.
a) But he didn’t just rejoice…he rejoiced in the Lord!
b) There is a difference and that difference is in comprehending God’s role in our rejoicing.
2. I can rejoice in seeing something funny or entertaining.
a) I can rejoice in the purchase of a new toy.
b) I can rejoice in a new promotion at work.
3. But it isn’t rejoicing in the Lord unless I invite Him into that time of rejoicing!
a) It isn’t rejoicing in the Lord until I acknowledge His work in that event that brought about rejoicing!
b) You see, we must acknowledge Him in order to rejoice in the Lord!
4. And that means acknowledging Him in all things!
a) From the littlest to the largest!
b) Everything is from Him!
c) We must acknowledge Him in order to really rejoice in the Lord!
5. The result is that when someone gives us a blessing it is all the more rich and precious because we know and acknowledge God’s hand in it!
a) Suddenly, because someone has prayed and decided to bless us we are doubly blessed!
b) One because we see that this person loves us and God and two, because we know God is ultimately behind it and He loves us too!
Trans: So we see that the recipient of aid is truly blessed. But there is more to this as we can see!
B. The giver of aid is blessed because they can tangibly participate in God’s work. (10 &14)
1. There is nothing more powerful than praying for someone!
a) To partner with them and truly support them in prayer.
b) The problem is that so many people say, “Well, I can’t support your ministry right now financially but I will pray for you!”
c) Which is the most wonderful blessing that anyone could give, but far too often they promise to pray and then don’t pray.
d) As a matter of fact, they have no real intention of praying!
e) They are using prayer as a way to escape having to commit.
ILL. It’s like looking for a new way to get telemarketers out of your hair! Someway to get off the line, to get them to leave you alone… The long distance and credit card ones are easy. The hardest ones are those from the leukemia association or cancer research, or the police and fire Departments. We will tell them just about anything to get them to leave us alone! I found the perfect way to handle telemarketers… I have my kids tell them I’m not available. Even when I answer and they ask for Mr. Olcott I tell them, sorry he’s not available and then I even add, can I take a message? It is honest, because I am not available for telemarketers and it allows me to be polite and avoid wasting their time or mine.
2. If a person truly prays, their prayers are far more valuable than money!
a) The easy gift is to give money!
b) The hardest, yet most valuable gift is to promise to pray and then actually do so!
c) Because if people really pray money will never, never, never, ever be an issue!
3. Paul indicates here that there is a real sense of inner peace and joy that comes when we can take our inner concern for someone and actually do something about it in a tangible way!
a) The problem indicated here was not one of a lack of concern for their church father /planter.
b) It was more an issue of not being able to actually participate in his work right then.
c) Some folks who I have talked with recently know all too well what these Philippians were going through as you have talked with me about why you haven’t yet been able to participate in Faith Lift.
d) Being able to tangibly participate in what God is doing in some person’s life or a church’s life or even some God ordained ministry brings real satisfaction and pleasure as we become “involved” in those people’s lives.
4. Paul knew the value of people being able to actively help others. (vs. 14)
a) Even though Paul was content with all He had he knew how good it was for him and for the church to share in his troubles.
b) It is truly the right thing to do to be involved in helping people, supporting them, encouraging them.
C. Consistency in our support of others is important. (15-16)
1. Paul indicates that it had been awhile since he had heard from the church in Philippi.
a) He says he is rejoicing that “at last” they had renewed their concern for him.
b) This speaks of the fact that when you have people supporting you that you never take them for granted.
c) It rings forth the truth that consistency in your support is so appreciated.
2. It wasn’t that the Philippian church hadn’t been supportive.
a) Over in verse 15 he mentions that a while back the people at this church had been the only ones to support him in a tangible way!
b) In Verse 16 it says that when Paul was in Thessalonica they had sent support again and again!
3. The problem was that either the church had last track of Paul as he moved around or they had hit upon hard times and couldn’t support him.
a) In either case, Paul knew that they were a giving church and this lack of contact had not been as a result of stinginess or greed.
b) This church had a track record of being generous and willing to help Paul in his ministry of the gospel.
4. When we make commitments we need to make sure that our reputation is maintained and that God receives glory because of our faithfulness to helping others.
II. The Secret Of Being Content Is Faith In God. (Vss. 11-13)
A. There is a fine line between needs and contentment.
1. On one hand Paul was obviously in need of some financial aid!
a) This is clearly seen in verse 17.
b) The fact that in verse 10 he is rejoicing greatly helps us understand that he was in need and very thankful for the gift!
2. Many of us who have lived by faith either in church work or missions have known this fine line very well!
a) That dilemma of being content with what God has given us but also being concerned about making ends meet.
b) That sense of having faith in God…But!
c) You know, when we are like the Israelites in the desert and we say, “Okay God, I’m content with all that you have so abundantly blessed me with, but I am getting a little tired of “manna” or in our case, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese!
3. Paul is so concerned about somehow giving the appearance of not being content that he goes out of his way to write here a few lines about just how important contentedness is and how content he is.
B. We can have contentment in any circumstance. (11-12)
1. Why is it that when we speak of being content we are usually thinking of those who are doing without?
a) We usually associate being discontented because we don’t have enough.
b) But the implication here is that sometimes people can be lacking an attitude of contentedness even when they have plenty!
2. Paul says here that he has learned to be content in all circumstances! (11)
a) Whether he has plenty or is in need!
b) God wants us to be content with where we are right now and thank Him for all we have.
ILL. In Our Daily Bread, Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat.
"Why aren’t you out there fishing?" he asked.
"Because I’ve caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman.
"Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?" the rich man asked.
"What would I do with them?"
"You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me."
The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?"
"You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist.
"What do you think I’m doing now?" the fisherman replied.
C. We are content as we realize that God pays for what He orders. (13)
1. When we truly serve a living God who we have placed our hope for the future in, we suddenly can find that we are content.
2. Paul knew that he could do anything through God who gave him his strength.
a) Paul had learned the secret of living by faith in God!
b) He knew that God had called Him and that God would strengthen him to do anything he required of him!
3. Do you understand this truth in your own life?
a) Do you realize that God will provide everything you need to do anything He requires you to do?
b) And if He doesn’t meet that particular need then it wasn’t yours to do!
c) In 2 Cor. 9:8 it says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
4. I have a good pastor friend who always says, “God pays for what He orders!”
a) It doesn’t make sense that God would call us to do something and then not give us all we need to see it accomplished!
b) To be true this would mean that God is some sort of kill-joy who loves setting us up for failure!
c) No, God sets us up to succeed but only according to our faithfulness in Him and not our own effort and gifts.
5. Sometimes God needs to remind us who is doing this work!
a) We get a little big headed and we think were hot stuff and that God would be in big trouble if it wasn’t for our helping Him out!
b) Sometimes we need to be brought all the way down in order to remember that God is the one doing the work!
Trans: So we see that this is all about God and not us! That’s what Paul reminds us here in the last part of our text today.
III. When We Serve God By Blessing Others God Receives All The Glory. (vss. 18-20)
A. When we help others it is a blessing to God! (18)
1. Paul was certainly blessed and says as much here in verse 18.
a) He said he had even more than enough!
b) He was amply supplied!
c) The receiver is blessed when we come along side them and support them!
2. But we also find in this verse the effect that this support the church provided to Paul had on God Himself.
3. They are a fragrant offering!
a) Throughout the OT we find that when the people of Israel offered a sacrifice to God it was a fragrant offering!
ILL. Have you ever been working hard and you’re a bit hungry and you are out there in your back yard, perhaps, and suddenly the neighbor’s grill sends a fragrant offering to your nostrils? That meat just cooking away! Makes you mouth water! That’s the fragrant offering that the OT people are talking about – sending this fragrance from the smell of the sacrificed animal up to God!
b) Our offerings to those in need are like that to God – They are just as pleasurable as the fragrance of your favorite meat cooking on the grill when your hungry!
4. Our gifts to others are pleasing to God!
a) In the OT we find that sometimes the offering made was unacceptable.
b) Usually this was because of the person’s heart and attitude and not because the beef wasn’t grade A USDA approved.
5. God always looks at the heart – the sacrifice is really inconsequential!
a) In Isaiah 1:11 it says, “The multitude of your sacrifices-- what are they to me?" says the Lord. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.”
b) And again in Hosea 6:6 God says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. “
c) God’s Word tells us that God takes great pleasure in our sacrificing our own wants and needs for the benefit of others in the name of Jesus Christ!
Trans: So God is blessed when we bless others in His name. But it doesn’t end there. God’s Word here goes on to teach us that;
B. The result of blessing God as we bless others is that we receive blessing too! (19)
1. This promise is the most amazing promise that we find in Scripture.
a) It tells us that God will provide everything we need to live and serve Him and others.
b) The only catch is found in the context of this verse.
2. Too many times we like to take a verse out of context and pull it out and say, “see God will provide all your needs!”
a) That is true but the Word is saying that this is as a result of our being actively involved in being used by God to bless others.
b) In other words, when we are doing our part, God will do His part!
3. If you are feeling needy today.
a) If you are sensing that you are lacking something in your life in any regard.
b) If you feel that you need more…be it money, relationships, something physical or spiritual… God will meet that need!
4. But He will only meet it as you sacrifice yourself fully to Him and then show that sacrifice in tangible ways as you minister to and help others!
C. In the end God is the one who receives all the praise and Honor.(vs.20)
1. It is way too easy to give credit to the wrong person.
a) Like giving credit to the toll booth attendant for the good condition of the bridge you traveled over!
b) She had nothing to do with the condition of that bridge!
2. Yet, sometimes we want to pat someone on the back and say, “gee thanks for that gift or that prayer.”
a) When the person who is doing so will honestly tell you it wasn’t them!
b) It was God leading them to give or pray, or help in some other way!
3. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t say thank you!
a) That’s what Paul is doing here today in this text!
b) He’s saying thank you to the church in Philippi and at the same time giving credit to God who gave the church the desire to be used by God!
4. We need to be willing and eager to say thank you to those who bless us.
a) But we also need to remember that ultimately it is all from God!
b) Who all the glory belongs to for ever and ever! Amen!
Conclusion: In Run with the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells how he saw a family of birds teaching their young to fly. Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched out over a lake.
"One adult swallow got alongside the chicks and started shoving them out toward the end of the branch---pushing, pushing, pushing. The end one fell off. Somewhere between the branch and the water four feet below, the wings started working, and the fledgling was off on his own. Then the second one."
"The third was not to be bullied. At the last possible moment his grip on the branch loosened just enough so that he swung downward, then tightened again, bulldog tenacious. The parent was without sentiment. He pecked at the desperately clinging talons until it was more painful for the poor chick to hang on than risk the insecurities of flying. The grip was released, and the inexperienced wings began pumping. The mature swallow knew what the chick did not---that it would fly---that there was no danger in making it do what it was perfectly designed to do."
"Birds have feet and can walk. Birds have talons and can grasp a branch securely. They can walk; they can cling. But flying is their characteristic action, and not until they fly are they living at their best, gracefully and beautifully."
"Giving is what we do best. It is the air into which we were born. It is the action that was designed into us before our birth. . .Some of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves, to live for ourselves. We look so disheveled and pathetic doing it, hanging on to the dead branch of a bank account for dear life, afraid to risk ourselves on the untried wings of giving and helping others. We don’t think we can live generously or sacrificially because we have never tried. But the sooner we start, the better, for we are going to have to give up our lives finally, and the longer we wait, the less time we have for the soaring and swooping life of grace."
