Philippians 4:14-16 The Premise to the Promise Grace 10/18/2009

I am not very good about writing thank you notes but I did write a few of them recently. As I was doing so, I was thinking about the fact that the Book of Philippians is a thank you letter for a gift Paul was given. Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians because they had sent him numerous offerings, and he wanted to say, "I got the gift you sent through Epaphroditus. Thanks."

At the end of Philippians, Paul pens what is one of the great promises in the Bible. It's so all-encompassing that almost any other promise will fit under its umbrella. Philippians 4:19 says, "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

God says he will meet all your needs. So then, why do people have needs? We see a lot of people, including Christians, who have tremendous needs. Why aren't their needs being met? God says he'll meet all your needs, and yet I see needs in this church that aren't being met. What's the problem? Is God a liar?

The answer to that question is that this promise does not apply to every person, not even every Christian, because with every promise there is a premise. God says, "If you do this, then I will do that." Many people want to take the promise of verse 19 and apply it to their lives while avoiding the premise of verse 14-18. But you cannot claim verse 19 unless you're doing what verse 18 talks about.

In this letter, Paul thanks the Philippians for their sacrificial gifts and assures them that because they gave sacrificially, God will take care of their needs.

The premise of the passage is this: We must be generous to others. Proverbs 11:25 reiterates this point: "A generous man will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

The premise of this promise is we must first be generous with others. In fact, we block the flow of God's blessings by being stingy.

Paul gives us three reasons why we should be generous.

First, he says giving is an encouragement to others. In Philippians 4:14-16, Paul says, "It was good of you to share in my troubles. As you Philippians know, in the early days not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you only. For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need."

The Philippian church was not a wealthy church. In fact, it was a poverty stricken church. Yet, they were big-hearted and generous. Paul says "You gave to me when nobody else did, and it encouraged me."

Did you ever receive a gift that encouraged you? Have you ever given a gift you knew encouraged others? I'm sure you have. Giving is encouraging. Both the giver and the receiver are blessed. That's what Paul was saying.

Two things happen when we give. One thing, as Paul writes to the Philippians in ch. 1, "You are partners with me in ministry." Not all of us can go to the mission field. Not all of us can preach. Not all of us can teach. But whenever we support others in ministry, we become partners in ministry.

Thing two, giving makes us like Christ. The most Christ-like thing you can do is give. Jesus was a giver--generous and sacrificial. The Philippians had a reputation for being generous. In 2 Corinthians 8 Paul says the Philippians are an example to the rest of the world, for they gave more than they could afford to give.

Paul’s second reason for being generous is that giving is an investment in the future. In Philippians 4:17 he says, "Though I appreciate your gifts, what makes me happiest is the well-earned reward you will have because of your kindness."

Paul says giving benefits the giver as well as the receiver, and the giver will receive a well-earned reward. The word reward in Greek is a banking term that literally means "accumulated interest." God pays interest. Jesus said a hundredfold will be returned to him who gives for the gospel's sake. A hundredfold is 10,000 percent interest. I don't know a bank in the world that will give you those rates.

First Timothy 6:18-19 says, "Give happily to those in need, and always be ready to share whatever God has given you. By doing this you will be storing up real treasure for yourselves in heaven. It is the only safe investment for eternity." God's bank never goes bankrupt. And you're going to spend more time on that side of eternity than on this side.

Paul goes on to say that giving is a sacrifice to God. That’s reason number three. In Philippians 4:18, Paul writes, "I am amply supplied now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a treasured offering and acceptable sacrifice and pleasing to God."

The most pleasing thing you can do for God is sacrificially give because it is done in faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God.

Jesus Christ was a sacrificial giver. He gave up everything in heaven, came to earth, and died on the cross. When you sacrificially give to others, you are the most like Christ, and it pleases God.

In the Old Testament they would take an offering and lay it on the altar, and they would pour it out and it would create smoke and steam that the whole community could smell. In Philippians 4:18, this is what Paul is alluding to. Paul says that giving is an act of worship, just as important as singing, praying, or teaching.

Notice that Paul says, "The gift you sent to me is a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice to God." He's saying the gift he received was equivalent to a gift from God. When the Philippians sent him money, God accepted it as a sacrifice.

Jesus said it like this: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto me. When you give somebody something to drink, when you cloth the naked, when you feed the hungry, when you visit someone in prison, that's like doing it for God."

Any time you have a spirit of generosity, it is an encouragement to others; it is an investment in eternity; and it is a sacrifice pleasing to God.

That's why Paul says it is so important to become a giver. There are only two kinds of people in the world--givers and takers. And the happiest people are the givers.

Now, that's the premise, which always comes before the promise. You can't claim verse 19 unless you're doing verses 14-18. Jesus said give to others and God will give to you. This is an incredibly important principle.

Philippians 4:19 says, "My God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." I call this verse the believer's insurance policy, for it guarantees God will care for you.

I want to break this into three phrases, very briefly.

First, notice the source of the promise. "My God" He's talking about a personal God not some big impersonal force.

Second, notice that the scope of the promise is huge. God will not merely meet a few of your needs or many of your needs. He will meet all of your needs.

Notice it doesn't say God might meet your needs. It doesn't say God may meet your needs. It says he will meet your needs. It's a guarantee. The Bible does not say, "My God shall supply all your greed." Needs? Yes. Wants? Not part of the promise.

Paul is saying if you are a consistent, generous giver, God will take care of your needs. If you've met the premise, you can count on the promise.

We saw the source and the scope. Now, what's the supply?

The supply is according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Paul says God's bank will never go bankrupt. He has unlimited resources, which is exemplified by many of Jesus' miracles, like 5 loaves and two fish or water to wine. That's the kind of resources he has at his disposal.

My God will meet all your needs according to his riches. It doesn't say out of his riches; it says according to his riches. There's a big difference. Let me explain.

Sam Walton was one of the wealthiest men in America. He was the billionaire who owned WalMart. If Sam Walton, who had abundant 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 according to his riches.

That's what it says here in Philippians 4:19. God will meet your needs according to his riches. That means God gives the faithful believer a blank check that is signed in the name of Jesus Christ. His name is on the dotted line. "My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Signed Jesus Christ. And his check never bounces.

If you let the truth of this passage grasp you, your life will be revolutionized. If I had to summarize this principle--the premise and the promise--it's that generous giving guarantees God's provision.

During the Christmas season, not so far away, we often hear, "Wouldn't it be great if we could maintain the spirit of Christmas all year?" The spirit of Christmas is giving. God gave. The wise men gave. We give. That's the spirit of Christmas: generous, even sacrificial giving.

It is not by accident that the book of Philippians has two major themes--joy and giving. The purpose of the book was to thank the Philippians for their gift. Joy and giving go together. The happiest people are the most generous people. Contrarily, the most miserable people are the people who are stingy. He's saying, "Rejoice." This applies everywhere--to families, businesses, and churches. Let us rejoice in our giving and give so that we may rejoice with others with whom we partner for the Gospel. Amen