Our God’s Given to Giving

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“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”

Philippians 4:19

Main Readings: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 & Philippians 1:1-6 & Philippians 4:10-23

Related Readings: Ephesians 2:1-10

This section from verse 10, is titled, ‘Thanks for their gifts.’  The apostle Paul’s in chains - a prisoner in Rome.  And the church in Philippi has sent Paul money.  Paul is writing to say, ‘Thanks.’  A good response. 

And Paul wants to point out their good.  In verse 14, he says ‘It was good of you to share.’  He points out their goodness.  And he points up their goodness.  Cos – here - he links their free giving to something far greater.  The free giving of their God.  He’s highlighting an awesome truth.  Whatever we give – in the Christian life – whether money, time, our emotional resource… or whatever.  We’ll never.  Ever.  Outgive what God has given us - and what he’s still giving us - in Christ Jesus. 

And that’s what this section’s about.  On the face of it, it’s about the Philippians giving.  But it’s more about God’s ongoing giving.  Cos, Christians – we’ve a God who’s given to giving.

And – yes - the Philippians weren’t bad.  As churches go, they’re right up there.  Paul commends them in this letter to them.  And he commends them in other letters - to others.  In 2 Corinthians 8 1-2, Paul mentions these believers to those believers in Corinth.  Cos, he wants them to know.  He says, ‘brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.’

He gives them a collective name – the Macedonian churches.  Philippi was in Macedonia.  It was part of an area where there were evidently several churches.  They shared an earthly location.  And shared also, the same heaven spirit – of sharing generously.  And so shared in Paul’s troubles.  In a way that outdid other Christians.

And we might think – Well them Philippians – they were rich!’  But they weren’t.  Cos Paul highlights that in 2 Corinthians.  In ‘extreme poverty’.  ‘In… a very severe trial.’  In a circumstance that demanded much of them.  With very little.  They still gave.  And Paul gives two reasons.  As to why they gave.  I’ll give reason 2 first.  And then come to the main reason.  Reason 2 - ‘Their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.’  Though their circumstances were underwhelming.  Their ‘joy’ was ‘overflowing’.

A couple of years back, Gala Bingo ran an advertising campaign - with the tagline, ‘A little joy goes a long way.’  I can’t confirm if that’s true at Gala Bingo.  But God’s word confirms - it was true at Philippi.  A little joy goes a long way.  And ‘overflowing joy’ had moved money a really long way - 800 miles from Philippi to Rome.

But what’s reason 1 – the main reason they gave as they did.  Paul calls it ‘grace.’ ‘We want you to know about the grace that God has given’ them.  They were only giving of themselves – and only rightly motivated in their giving - cos God had given them that grace.  How humbling is God’s word?!  And going back to Philippians 4 we see this again.  Amazing things being done.  Cos people are amazing?!  No – cos God’s amazing.  And God is giving. 

Previously we’ve covered the ‘secret’ of Paul’s Christian-contentment, found in verses 10-13.  ‘The secret of being content in any and every situation.’  We might well ask how - given his desperate circumstances?  But he tells us – in verse 13.  It was, ‘through him who gives me strength.’  And we well might ask how we’ll be content given our sometimes-desperate circumstances?  Christian – there’s no other way.  Only as he gives us strength.

It’s easy to think Paul was just a thoroughly self-sufficient man.  He wasn’t.  What James 5 says of Elijah – was as true of Paul – he ‘was as human as we are’ (James 5 17 (NLT)).  Therefore, as weak as water!  How’d he get through?  The strength that flows from Christ.  Which our overflowing God of grace gives.  Not a self-sufficient person.  Just a Christ-supplied one.

‘Him who gives me strength.’  Those four words, ‘him who gives… strength’ are translated from a single New Testament Greek word.  It’s endynamoo – endynamoo is at the root of our English word ‘dynam…ite.’  This is powerful stuff!  As weak as water?  You may be.  But your God’s got power for you.  Facing a life situation where everything seems to have closed-up.  And there’s no way through in your weakness.  Wait on him.  Him.  Who gives you strength.  He can blow life wide open again in a moment.  The God we have - in Christ - he’s dynamite!

A God given to giving.  And a God who’s good.  And his giving of grace made these people give good.  And Paul acknowledges it in verse 14 - ‘It was good of you to share in my troubles.’  Paul depended on God’s grace – his free giving - more than he depended on the Philippians giving.  But he wasn’t ungrateful for their giving.  It was a good thing.  And he calls it like it is.  And there’s more…

Verse 15 – ‘More… over.’  Paul then talks about when they first came to faith – ‘the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel.’  What had they done?  ‘Shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving.’   They grapsed - evidently very quickly – that work for Christ’s kingdom is a partnership.  They realised that Paul could only do his bit.  As they did their bit.  Or Paul could do his bit better.  If they did theirs better.

By God’s free giving – his grace – they gave better.  Paul says, ‘when I set out from Macedonia…’  ‘when I set out’ – you stood out.  ‘Not one church shared’ like they did.  And look at how wide their concern was.  They weren’t just giving so Paul could give it large in their backyard.  Verse 16 – ‘Even when I was’ (elsewhere) you sent me aid.’  They weren’t asking whether this would be value-for-money for them personally.  But would this profit Christ’s kingdom in some way – somewhere?

Paul says, ‘you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.’  More than once.  Why?  Would they give.  And then give.  And then give again.  Cos – in Christ - they had a God who gives.  And then gives.  And then gives again.

Of course, churches have choices.  And churches need wisdom.  Different ones have different financial approaches.  If we went to one church – they’d have one way.  If we went to another - they’d have another way.  And so on.  Hey – some of us – we’ve been on that journey!  But the point is, this church had a financial way.  It differed from other churches.  But the man - whose hands were in chains – only gives theirs the thumbs up.  These churches centred around Philippi, gave in a way that seems particularly centred around God’s free giving in Christ.

Paul does not say that having money is bad.  He doesn’t knock being rich.  He doesn’t knock being poor.  Money is not good, or bad.  But our love of it can be.  And what we do with it can go either way.  You may have heard of the Getty family.  Rich?  Oh Yes!  J Paul Getty was – like - the main character in that rich dynasty.  When he died in 1976, he was reckoned to’ve been the world’s richest.  I’m not sure whether what he did with his money was good or bad.  But something he said about money, was really good!

‘Money is like manure.  If you pile it up, it stinks.  But if you spread it out, stuff grows.’  These Philippians got that.  Even when they weren’t rich, they spread out the little they had.  And in the garden of Christ’s Kingdom, stuff grew.  And grew well.

And so did something else.  And this is what Paul really desired.  And we see it in verse 17.  He says, ‘Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.’  We’re getting to the heart of the matter – ‘desire’!  Desire – that strong feeling of wanting something!  This is not just what Paul would like to happen – if poss!  He goes full-on Spice Girl!  This is what he wants.  What he really, really wants!  ‘More credited to your account.’

By God’s grace, they had freely given to Paul.  Verse 18 tells the difference it’d made – ‘I’ve… more than enough… I’m amply supplied.’  There’s no doubt that what the Philippian believers had done for Paul had served a good purpose.  And served Paul well.  But there was a higher purpose.  And higher person - being served in all this.  Paul’s pleased about what’d they’d done.  But God’s no less pleased.  It’s there at the end of verse 18 – this was ‘pleasing to God.’  Their ‘account’ was ‘credited’.  And ‘pleasing to God’ was stamped on their account.

When I was a lad, I had a building society account.  It was not internet banking.  This was in t’branch banking.  Money to put in?  You went in!  Not with phones in our pockets.  But with passbooks.  Everything I put into my account, was written in that book.  But it wasn’t official until it got stamped.  How pleasing was that sound?!  When the Nationwide staff – sat behind their desks - stamped my book.  I’d look and see it confirmed.  Credit to my account.  More.  But where’d that money come from?   Usually - gifted.  Like at Christmas and birthdays.  How I loved getting my book stamped after those events.  Much credit to my account.  Cos of what I’d been given. 

And that’s what’s here.  It’s like Paul’s sat behind a desk.  Not in t‘Nationwide.  More like Kingdom-wide - God’s Bank of Grace-in-Christ Credit.  Paul’s saying, ‘I’ve got your passbooks.  I’ve seen what God’s gifted you.  God’s seen it too. You’ve put it to good use.  Actually, you’ve given out.  But credit has gone in.  And your books are being stamped with ‘pleasing to God.’

Do we want that?  For the passbooks of our lives for Christ?  God’s stamp of approval.  ‘Pleasing to God.’  How can we have that?  Only as God gives.  And gives and gives again.  There’s no other way.

Paul links (still in v.18) their giving to that system of Old Testament sacrifices.  Your ‘gifts’ – which came through the God of grace’s giving – ‘they are a fragrant offering, an acceptablesacrifice.’  God’s Old Covenant people – the Children of Israel – were commanded to sacrifice.  Mainly animals.  There were rules governing that system.  God’s rules.  They were to take from the best of what they had.  Not that lamb with only 3 legs, and a missing ear!  That they didn’t wanna keep anyway!  But the unblemished one - which they loved – spotless - the best of what they had.

And when they did that.  There was fragrance.  As the sacrifice was roasted on the altar – there was something sensory.  They saw the smoke going heavenwards.  And they smelt something good.  And they were meant to know.  The best of what you have smells good.  Cos it points up the God who gives.  And what he’s promised he’s gunna give of himself.  The God who gives, would – in his time – give the very best of himself.  His one and only Son – Jesus Christ.  The sinless, spotless Lamb of God - sacrificed for sin.  Forever.

That sacrifice of those Old Testament Israelites pointed forwards to Christ.  and it’s like the sacrifice of these New Testament Philippian Christians points back.  To Christ.  By God’s grace, they gave the best of what they had.  Cos by God’s grace they knew that’s what God’d done for them.  Their lives pointed up Christ.  And that is always ‘acceptable.’  Always ‘pleasing to God.’  The Spirit of Christ – working in our lives - always gets his stamp of approval.

But how’m I gunna do that?  I’m not sure my life can.  I guess Paul had times like that.  Cos he ‘was as human as we are.’  But, in verse 13, he’s already said he can.  And he’s said how - ‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength.’  He didn’t do it by what is - left to ourselves - found in here (our heart).  But by what flows from the heart of the God who gives.  And his final reminder – in verse 19 – is to remind believers where they’ll find that strength too.  The source of all you’ll need for all this?  Paul says, ‘My God.’

Verse 19 completes the cycle of grace.  ‘My God will’ keep on giving.  The promise here is staggering.  It is.  But there’s something it isn’t.  God’s not telling Christians that  - if they give of themselves generously, to the needs that surround them - he’s gunna give them more money.  But God is telling Christians, ‘(I) will meet all your needs’ in living this kind of life.

This kinda life, where God’s free giving flows in, and our lives take a bit more of a shape that serves him a bit more?  What’re we gunna need?  We’re gunna need something that keeps on going.  Cos that’s what we struggle with.  We struggle to keep going.  The Christian life is an endurance.  Let’s be honest.  How often do you think, ‘I don’t have what I need to keep going’?  You don’t have what you need to meet your needs.  But he does.  He does – in what Christ has done.  ‘My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.’

God’s promise of supply appears limitless.  And yet as Christians we - so often - just see limit.  God promises to reach into the depths of the need of our lives.  And our question should be, ‘Why me?’  But often that’s not the question I ask.  My question is more, ‘Will he?  Will he really reach me – and my life – when I need him most?’  I don’t give him credit.

Cos I judge him.  Not by the high standard of who he is.  And what he’s said.  And what’s he’s done.  But by what I am.  And do.  And the low standard of my failed promises to others.  And those of wider humankind.  That promise so much.  But deliver so little.

Like HS2!  What’s that?  HS2’s that high-speed rail project.  It was announced with great promise some years back.  Designed to supply… us with what we need.  Plans were drawn up to tap into the great resource in our capital city, London.  And link that to far off – poor  and needy - places.  Like Leeds!  Yeh - it was gunna to reach us!  And work started to reach us.  But then problems.  Years of ongoing issues.  What was originally meant to cost £72.50, now looked like costing billions more!  The money dried up - all too much.  Now, it’s stopped in the Midlands.  It won’t reach us.  Oh doubting heart.  Believe.  Your God’s not HS2!

This fund will not dry up.  Our lives purchased at the cross.  Our lives going forward, funded – and given to - by that cross-reward.

And I love the way Paul ends this section in verse 20.  He sees the good in the Philippians giving.  But they only gave as God gave the grace.  So, who deserves the glory?  ‘To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’  The God who gives, has shared his all with us.  But the glory belongs to him!

And Paul says ‘Amen.’  An expression of heartfelt agreement.  It means like, ‘It is so – so be it – let it be so.’  Let him have the glory.  In our lives.  Let it be so.  And then we have the final greetings, in verses 21 and 22.  Christians in Rome, with Paul, wanting to give – sending their best wishes to the brothers and sisters ‘in Christ Jesus, at Philippi.’

Cos, that’s how this letter started.  Like God’s supply of grace.  This letter’s come full circle.  In chapter 1, verse 1, it was addressed ‘to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi.’  And do you remember it’s opening theme?  The first word of verse 2 – ‘grace.’  ‘Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’

That’s how it began.  That’s how it ends.  The final verse reads, ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.’  This letter is a picture of the Christian life.  The Christian life begins with grace.  Ephesians 2 8 has it – ‘…it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.’ And God’s free giving – in Christ - must flow to and through our Christian lives to maintain them.  And at the end, we’ll need God’s promised supply.  Death may put an end to a life – in our broken world - that’s so often failed us miserably.  But by his grace – our God never will.

Final word is ‘Amen.’  Let it be so.  Full agreement.  God’s holy people in Christ Jesus?  Are we in heartfelt agreement that what this letter’s filled with is what we need to fill up our lives?  Then may we find joy in Jesus.  And learn contentment.  As we live.  And give.  For… his glory.  Supplied by his grace.

God of glory!  For our lives - let it be so!  Amen!