Finding A Life of Meaning

Transcription

1 Finding A Life of Meaning Philippians 4:14-23 Pastor Troy Dobbs Grace Church of Eden Prairie December 6, 2015 Today we finally conclude our series in Philippians and rather than rehash the past 26 weeks, I want to summarize this book into a few thoughts: First - This is Paul s happiest letter. Joy oozes from this book which is ironic because Paul is a prisoner in Rome awaiting news of his impending release or execution. 1

2 Moreover (amazingly) none of his circumstances contribute to or take away from his joy: He wrote from a jail cell, his work was under attack by competitors, and after twenty years or so of hard traveling in the service of Jesus, he was tired and would have welcomed some relief. i Yet having JOY was never in question. You see, Paul s purpose was to bring glory to God whether in LIFE or DEATH. And for our lives to have meaning, we (too) must have an ultimate purpose. ii 2

3 Today - if you ask most people, they might say that their life s purpose is to raise and educate their children and then to enjoy the empty nest and settle comfortably into retirement. Well, let s say that happens: the kids finally leave the dog finally dies and retirement comes. Do you really think (a long-term vision) of walking the beach and collecting sea shells is going to infuse your life with meaning and purpose? And then what are you going to do when your health starts slipping? iii 3

4 You hear stories (all the time) about people who have planned and saved their entire lives to unplug in retirement only to have some physical ailment ruin all their plans. Moreover an even bigger question is what will it all mean one hundred years from now anyway? iv What will it all mean when our bodies have turned to dust and future generations have forgotten that we ever lived? That is why we need a purpose in life that is beyond the fleeting pleasures of the moment. v 4

5 We need a purpose that lasts past death. vi And in our text for today Paul shows us how God s glory must become our priority for life to have ultimate meaning vii You see - if you live for your glory and not God s glory, your life will shrivel up and you will miss the very reason for your existence on planet earth. So how do we make our lives count? How do we find REAL meaning in life? How do we live for God s glory? viii 5

6 How can we do something that will last past our death? Philippians 4:14-23 READ TEXT 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having 6

7 received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. ix Here s a question for you: Based upon what you JUST heard what did the Philippians do THEN that we are still talking about NOW? 7

8 What infused their lives with substance & meaning? Answer: they generously gave to advance the gospel! And so we need to: OUTLINES Generously give to advance the gospel. x Now you need to know that the welfare of Roman prisoners was an issue for family and friends, not the state. So Paul needed supporters to sustain him during his imprisonment. 8

9 Moreover, it is important to know the Philippians gift to him was not the modern day version of a care package with some chocolate chip cookies. Paul was completely dependent upon the generosity of others for sustenance for the basics. Now the irony is that the church at Philippi was not a wealthy church. In fact, it was a poverty stricken church but filled with big-hearted people. Which tells us: 9

10 GENEROSITY IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE HEART NOT THE AMOUNT OF CASH. xi And so Paul commended their generosity / partnership with him in sharing the gospel. He says they were the only ones who stepped up! (v15) How did they step up: they prayed for him they sent Epaphroditus to encourage him and they gave financially to take care of him so he could extend the reach of the gospel. 10

11 Interestingly, in 2 Corinthians 8 Paul said the Philippians (as a part of the Macedonian church network) were an example to the rest of the world because they gave beyond their capability. Now most of us give what we can afford but they gave beyond what they could afford! Think about it: we are still talking about their generosity 2000 years later. xii In addition, check out what Paul said in v 16: 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. xiii 11

12 Now think about this for a moment: Were there churches in Thessalonica YES. But the Philippians still continued to give because apparently those churches DID not STEP UP! So the Philippians gave when others could, but didn t. (They were an incredible missionary supporting church.) Again: here we are 2000 years later talking about their demonstrated generosity to advance the gospel through the Apostle Paul. 12

13 So please hear this: from God s perspective our giving is infused with meaning that gives us meaning. One person grasped that reality when he said: What I spend I ll lose. What I save I ll leave behind. What I gave I still have. xiv Bottom line: Christian giving is an investment in your future. Which is what Paul is saying in v Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit 13

14 Here he uses a banking image that literally means accumulated interest. That s right God pays interest. Jesus said a hundredfold will be returned the one who gives for the gospel s sake. By the way - a hundredfold is 10,000 percent interest. Now I don t know of a bank in the world that will give you those rates, but Jesus says I want you to know you will get a reward for generous giving. So every time you re generous it s recorded and it s rewarded 14

15 Your generosity is an investment! Let me illustrate: Suppose I walk into a bank and ask the teller, How much interest have I accumulated? The teller will ask: Well, how much have you deposited? And if I say, Nothing. His / her response will be, Mr. Dobbs, the rule is NO INVESTMENT NO INTEREST! Right if I don t put anything in the bank I get nothing from the bank! 15

16 Well that is the rule in the Christian life too! No investment here no reward there. Additionally, Paul says one of the things that most pleases God is sacrificial giving! 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. xv Here Paul alludes to the Old Testament sacrificial offering / implying (of course) that our giving is not just a financial transaction it is also an act of worship. 16

17 Listen to the worship language Paul uses here: the gifts you sent a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. So when the Philippians resourced Paul God accepted it as a sacrifice of worship to Him. Additionally, when you generously, sacrificially support the advancement of the gospel God does something for you: (v19) 17

18 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now the scope of this promise is huge. So let me clarify some specifics regarding what this verse does not cover! I. This verse is not an invitation to be lazy. You can t sit around on your hands and assume [My God will provide]. God expects you to work. 18

19 God has not promised to meet the needs of those who sit around and do nothing. The Bible says people who are unwilling to work (not unable) but those unwilling should not be given handouts. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. II. In addition, God does not promise to cover all your wants, whims, desires, and cravings; He promises to supply all your needs. 19

20 There s a big difference between needs and wants. In 1890 a sociological study revealed that Americans believed there were 16 basic things every American NEEDED to survive. The same survey was conducted in the year 2000 and now Americans believe they need 98 things to survive. This study shows that our needs have a way of being exaggerated! Notice (too) we see the source, my God, and the scope, will supply all your needs. Now, what s the supply? 20

21 The supply is according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Paul says God s bank will never go bankrupt. God has unlimited resources, which is exemplified by many of Jesus miracles. Remember how Jesus took five loaves and two fish and fed five thousand plus people with it? Those are the kind of resources He has at His disposal. Notice (too) it doesn t say out of His riches; it says according to His riches. 21

22 There s a big difference. Let me explain: Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest men in the world. If Bill Gates who has glorious riches, wrote you a check for $1,000 and said, Here, this is my gift to you, he would be giving to you out of his riches. But if he gave you a blank check and said, Whatever you need. I ve already signed it. That would be giving according to his riches 22

23 And that is what God has done for us in Jesus Christ There is no one more generous than God. God has: given us His Son given us forgiveness given us a hope and given us a future and given us life now and forever. So If you want your life to count If you want your life to have meaning If you want your life to bring glory to God. 23

24 Then generously give to extend God s Kingdom because when you do people will be forever saved. Notice v22 22 All God s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar s household. xvi Check this out: God used the Philippians generosity to sustain Paul while in prison. And Paul while in prison led many from Caesar s household to faith in Christ. You see 24

25 God used the Philippians generosity and Paul s imprisonment to reroute the gospel straight into the heart of the Roman Empire Caesar s very household. Do you think the Philippians were just a little excited when they heard this from Paul. Do you think it made them MORE GENEROUS and infused their lives with PURPOSE! ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! So we can keep our resources for ourselves or we can use our resources for eternal purposes. 25

26 If we keep them we are going to struggle to find contentment / peace / meaning and happiness ultimately leading us to a place of regret and heartache. But if we use our resources to extend God s Kingdom God will give us: Contentment Meaning Peace Satisfaction JOY He will allow us to be a small part of saving another human life for all of eternity. xvii 26

27 So (yes) the beach is nice And collecting sea shells is ok Relaxing in retirement is good But meaning / purpose come from joining God and helping people make it safely home to heaven! So let s align our lives with the gospel. Let s use our resources to extend the gospel. Let s be known for our passion for Christ s Kingdom and not ours! 27

28 i This is Paul s happiest letter. And the happiness is infectious. Before we ve read a dozen lines, we begin to feel the joy ourselves the dance of words and the exclamations of delight have a way of getting inside us. The irony of his epistle of joy is that Paul was a prisoner in Rome awaiting news of his impending release or execution. Amazingly, none of his circumstances contribute to his joy: He wrote from a jail cell, his work was under attack by competitors, and after twenty years or so of hard traveling in the service of Jesus, he was tired and would have welcomed some relief. ii And for our lives to have meaning, we (too) must have an ultimate purpose. iii And then what are you going to do when your health starts slipping? iv Moreover the even bigger question is what will it all mean one hundred years from now anyway? v That is why we need a purpose in life that is beyond the fleeting pleasures of the moment. vi We need a purpose that lasts past death. vii And our text for today Paul shows us how God s glory must become our priority for life to have ultimate meaning viii So how do we make our lives count? How do we find REAL meaning in life? How do we live for God s glory? How can we do something that will last past our death? ix Philippians 4:14-23 x Generously give to advance the gospel. xi GENEROSITY IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE HEART NOT THE AMOUNT OF CASH. xii I mean we are still talking about their generosity 2000 years later. xiii Philippians 4:16 xiv One person grasped that reality when he said: What I spend I ll lose. What I save I ll leave behind, but What I gave I still have. xv Philippians 4:18 xvi Philippians 4:22 28

29 xvii He will allow us to be a small part of saving another human life for all of eternity. 29