This week we are continuing our series from the Book of Philippians. We are up to chapter four, which is our final message. The title of my message is “Be content to live in Christ’s strength and provision”.

So far, we have seen…

1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.
5. Have the attitude of Christ – be unified, be interested in others, be humble.
6. Shine brightly for Christ – continue to shine whether Paul is with them or not.
7. Paul commended Timothy – he cared for the Philippians, he cared for Christ’s work, he helped Paul greatly.
8. Paul commended Epaphroditus – a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need.
9. The priceless value in knowing Christ – knowing Christ is far more important and valuable than anything else in this world.
10. Pressing on towards the goal – we need to press in to Christ and our relationship with Him with the discipline and determination of an athlete.
11. We ARE citizens of heaven – we need to live a life worthy of our new home and status.

Today we have four more points to add to this list, but first let us have a look at the text.

Bible Reading – Philippians 4:1-23

Message Points

1. Get on well and work well with each other

In verse 2 Paul appeals to Euodia and Syntyche. “Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement”.

In chapter two Paul spoke about being unified. This time he speaks about a disagreement that had been ongoing between two keys women in the church.

Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, are instructed to bring their attitudes into harmony. Paul does not indicate which one was in the wrong but knows that if the attitude of each would be formed “in the Lord,” the disharmony would vanish. Paul’s method of handling the problem suggests that it was not a doctrinal issue, but a clash of personalities.

Euodia and Syntyche had once worked side by side with Paul in the past. Paul hope they would be able to do so again. This issue is so important to Paul that asks a third person to be involved to helps sort it out. He uses the term “true partner” in the NLT or “loyal yokefellow” in the NIV.

This squabbling reminds me of the issues in 1 Corinthians 1. Where people were arguing over who they follow. Some said they followed Paul, some Peter, some Apollos, some followed Christ. To this Paul said, “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose” (v10).

As I said several weeks ago, if 100 pianos tuned by the same tuning fork, they are automatically tuned to each other. If these two women tuned themselves in to Christ, then the issue might be resolved and they would be able to work together again.

It is so important that we get on well as Christians and co-workers for the Kingdom. Why? Because the world is watching and often they judge our ability or inability to get along as a true test of our faith. In John Jesus said people will know we are His disciples because our love for one another (John 13:35). So, we need to be tuned to Christ and work hard at getting along with each other. It really is that important. Both to Paul and ultimately to Jesus.

2. Don’t worry, pray

Verse 6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done”.

Sometimes I think worry is the default setting for us who live in this world. This is why prayer is so important. I read three short stories about worry this week.

The first was… “For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. “Good evening,” said the man of the house. “I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you.”

The second was…  “Worry is fear’s extravagance. It extracts interest on trouble before it comes due. It constantly drains the energy God gives us to face daily problems and to fulfill our many responsibilities. It is therefore a waste. A woman who had lived long enough to have learned some important truths about life remarked, “I’ve had a lot of trouble — most of which never happened!” She had worried about many things that had never occurred, and had come to see the total futility of her anxieties.”

A better way is to follow Hudson Taylor’s advice… Hudson Taylor, missionary to China and founder of what is today known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, gave this excellent advice: “Let us give up our work, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into [God’s] hand; and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about.”

The last story is more in line with our text today. When we give up our worries, cares and anxieties to God in prayer, we don’t need to worry any more. When we connect with God, we exchange our needs and concerns for His peace. Verse 7 says when we pray, “…you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Isaiah 26:3 also tells us, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”

So, don’t worry, pray and leave it with God.

3. Focus on what is good and put God’s Word into practice

In verse 8 Paul says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”.

Paul encourages us to focus on what is good. He says to “fix our thoughts” on these things. What things did Paul want us to fix our minds on? Things that are true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Verse 9 says, “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me–everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul not only wanted them to focus on good things, he wanted them to follow his example.

One of the commentaries I read this said this about verses 8-9…

4:8 What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, Internet, books, conversations, movies, video games, and magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God’s Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done.

4:9 It’s not enough to hear or read the Word of God or even to know it well. We must also put it into practice. How easy it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said. How easy it is to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently. How easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning. Exposure to God’s Word is not enough. It must lead to obedience.

These two comments capture Paul’s thoughts. For the Philippians to be all they can be for God, they needed to focus on the good things and put Paul’s example and the Word of God into practice.

4. Be content with where God has you

In verses 10-11 he says, “10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”

The text today and the parallel passage from Acts 16 tells us that the church at Philippi had helped Paul on a number of occasions. In fact, they were one of the churches that helped him while in prison and while in Macedonia. Paul really appreciated their help, but says he was content in the times of plenty and the times of trial or lack.

In 2 Corinthians 11:23b-28 he talks about some of his trials. “23 … I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.  24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.  25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.  26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.  27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.  28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.”

Paul had been through a lot. Both good and bad. More than most of us will ever experience for the Gospel. Regardless of this, Paul said in verse 11, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have”. Paul knew Christ was enough. If he had lots, it was enough. If he had nothing, that was enough too.

Two things in today’s passage help us to be content.

The first is found in verse 13. It says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Christ, is all powerful. He can do all things. There is nothing He can’t do. His power is there to sustain us and to empower us to do the work He calls us to.

All the strength we need to do what we need to do today and what we need to do tomorrow is found in Christ.

The second one is found in verse 19. It says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

Not only do we have the strength. God promises to supply our needs in Christ Jesus. Psalms 50:9-11 says, “But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.  10 For all the animals of the forest are Mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.  11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are Mine.”

God owns all the cattle on all the hills. If we need something, He can get it to us.

For us as Christians today, it is important for us to learn to be content with were we are and what God has us doing. He not only gives us strength, but He also supplies all our needs. So, let us be content.

Closing Summary

So today let us remember these four things from Philippians chapter four.

1. Get on well and work well with each other
2. Don’t worry, pray and give it to God
3. Focus on what is good and put God’s Word into practice
4. Be content with where God has you

Amen

Today we are continuing in our series from Philippians and we are looking at chapter three. The title of my message is “The priceless value of knowing Christ”. So far, we have seen…

1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.
5. Have the attitude of Christ – be unified, be interested in others, be humble.
6. Shine brightly for Christ – continue to shine whether Paul is with them or not.
7. Paul commended Timothy – he cared for the Philippians, he cared for Christ’s work, he helped Paul greatly.
8. Paul commended Epaphroditus – a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need.

So already we have seen a lot. We have also got a big glimpse of Paul’s heart and his love for the church at Philippi. Today we will see three more main points.

Bible Reading – Philippians 3:1-21

Message Points

Today I want to share three main points.

1. The priceless value of knowing Christ

My first point today is the “Priceless value of knowing Christ”. It is found in verses 3:1-11.

In the first part of chapter three Paul shares the idea that knowing Christ is everything. This is something he held dear and he taught to others. In verse 1 he says, “I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith”.

Why would he say he wants to safeguard their faith? In verses 2-4 Paul then talks about people wanting to get them to live under the old ways. Things like circumcision and following the Law in their own strength to make them right with God.

It seems in our reading of the New Testament that often when Paul went and planted churches, people would follow his path and try to pervert the truth. Often this meant turning people back to old Jewish customs and ways of living. Some Jewish converts could not just let go of the past. Some deep down wanted to work for their salvation. Some wanted to hold on to power.

Paul knew and understood this way of living. In verses 4-6 he lists his long list of achievements as a Jew and a Pharisee. Paul described himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews. This means both his mother and father all the way back was Jewish. There were no other nations mixed in his heritage. He also says he lived out the Law without fault, he persecuted the early church with a passion and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. The Tribe of Benjamin was the only tribe that stayed faithful to God when the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were divided. This tribe also gave the nation its first king, whom Paul/Saul was named after. So, in his own eyes he really thought he was serving God as good anyone could possibly do.

The Pharisees

The Pharisees were a strict religious sect that numbered about 6000 in total at the time of Christ.  They were lay people who were middle class merchants that devoted themselves to the observance of the Law of Moses (first five books of Old Testament as we know it) and they also paid special attention to laws that were interpreted by the Rabbi’s to protect and apply the law to everyday life. There were laws 613 in total.

In many ways the Pharisees saw themselves as religious purists who were enthusiastically committed to preserving and obeying the law and they were keen to encourage others to do so. To ensure they kept ritually pure the Pharisees had a number of strict rules in regard to washing, eating, tithing, the Sabbath, divorce, oaths and clothing.

Why did the Pharisees think keeping the law was so important? For the Pharisee their religion was not just a profession it was more of a way of life. The strived hard to follow the law and keep ritually pure to be “right” with God. The Pharisees wanted Israel to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. They also believe that once Israel had remained pure for a time then the Messiah would come.

So back to Paul. In light of what a Pharisees is and Paul’s list of “achievements”, if anyone had the right to be proud of his efforts it would be Paul. But as we see in verses 7-8 he had a change of heart and life…

“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”.

Paul realised that knowing Christ and being known by Christ was all that was needed to find salvation. As he says in verse 9, “I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith”.

All the things that Paul thought very priceless and valuable, became like garbage to him. His family line of being a Hebrew of Hebrews – garbage. His belonging to the Tribe of Benjamin – garbage. His standing as a Pharisee – garbage. He discarded them all.

For us as Christians today there is a priceless value in knowing Christ too. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t work for our salvation. It is all accomplished in what Jesus did for us on the cross. He made a way, where there was no other way.

Not only is our salvation priceless, but our lives now are priceless too. We live this life now knowing that we are valuable to God and we are a key part of His continued mission in this world. We have a job to do. We have a part to play. We serve God with our gifts, we love and encourage one another, we reach people with the love and saving message of Christ. We make disciples.

So today let us hold firmly to Christ and put all our faith and hope in Him. He alone makes us righteous and right with the Father. Christ is all we need and there is priceless value in knowing Him.

2. Pressing towards the goal

Me second point comes from verses 12-21 and is “Pressing toward the goal”.

In verses 12-14 Paul says, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us”.

As I was reflecting on this I read the notes in the Life Application Study Bible for verses 12-14. It is interesting and explains this section well…

“3:12-14 Paul said that his goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him. This goal took all of Paul’s energies. This is a helpful example for us. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal—knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. What is holding you back?”

I think the first line says it all – to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him”.

This idea is much deeper than coming to Christ for our salvation and knowing we will go to heaven when we die. It is all about knowing Christ, growing to be like Christ and being disciplined like an athlete to be all you can be for Christ.

In the same way, Paul tells us to be disciplined like an athlete. We need to put time and energy into our relationship with God and our growth in our faith. Spending time alone with God in prayer, reading our Bibles and fellowship are things that Pastors, Elders and guest speakers talk about often. This is because they work. They help us to press on towards the goal of knowing Christ and becoming like Him.

3. We ARE citizens of heaven

This is the second time in this short book Paul has talked about being citizens of heaven. In Philippians 1:27 he said…

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News”.

In verse 20 of today’s text her says, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour.”

In chapter one verse 27 he calls us to live a life worthy of being a citizen of heaven. In this verse he reiterates that we are citizens of heaven.

Again, as I was researching I found the notes in the NLT LASB had some good thoughts. It said this on verse 20…

“Citizens of a Roman colony were expected to promote the interests of Rome and maintain the dignity of the city. In the same way, citizens of heaven ought to promote heaven’s interests on earth and lead lives worthy of heavenly citizenship. Too many Christians have failed to transfer their citizenship to heaven. They still seek earthly pleasures and treasures instead of heavenly ones. Paul told the Philippians to remember that they are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. Have you transferred your citizenship? How are you promoting heaven’s interests?”

Not only should we live lives worthy of our new citizenship, but we need to remember we ARE citizens of heaven. As I have said before, our passports are not stamped with just an entry visa, our passports are brand new heavenly ones issued from the throne room of God.

Closing summary

So, in summary today I just want to summarize Paul’s heart from chapter three.

1. The priceless value in knowing Christ – knowing Christ is far more important and valuable than anything else in this world.
2. Pressing on towards the goal – we need to press in to Christ and our relationship with Him with the discipline and determination of an athlete.
3. We ARE citizens of heaven – we need to live a life worthy of our new home and status.

Amen.