The Worship of Giving - 24

Today in our preaching section.

So our text for today we will find included the well-known text in Philippians 419, which shows and my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. The question as we look at this text is is this a blanket promise or is it a limited promise.

It's usually quoted as if it's a blanket promise my God shall supply all your need general promise to all of God's children. Indeed, for some people in general promise to all people everywhere save door world not but the question is does the context support that understanding of this text will look at that two answers will look at this. To answer that question as we go along.

The Philippian epistle. As you know, was written by Paul from Roman imprisonment to the first church established on the European continent and the city of Philippi and Macedonia.

It is a short epistle for tractors.

What it contains much helpful doctrine, exhortation and encouragement and concludes in the last section.

As we read of the moment ago with an extended thank you note by the apostle Paul to the church at Philippi for their generous gift which they sent to him in his Roman confinement and that extended thank you note actually contains two famous texts.

The first one we've already looked at in verse 13 and the second one will be looking at today in verse 19 verse 13 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me that Texas certainly been applied announced proclaimed in a prop applied to the way that is not suitable to the context it is not a broad general promise about all things but it is a specific promise in the context that though Paul founded challenging to suffer hunger to suffer poverty to suffer need along with other times of bounty. Nevertheless, by God's help and strength. He says I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I can enjoy times of scarcity with God's help I can be as thankful for those times as I can for the times of plenty I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The question is should I texts are famous text for today in verse 19 be understood in a similar way, and my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Let's take a look at it and will see in verse 18 and and informative report in 19 an encouraging promise and in verse 20 and appropriate praise first and informative report pauses, indeed, following his report that the there gifted come to him. Indeed, I have all ended bound. I am full Kevin received from a pampered I just things sent from you a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable sacrifice will pleasing to God and informative report tells us about the effect of their gift on Paul.

It gives a brief description of their gift that came to him and it concludes by reminding them of the spiritual nature of their gift which they may have thought of only in material and physical terms.

But Paul assures them that it ought to be understood in the realm of things spiritual. But first, the effect of their gift. Indeed, I have all ended bound by am full Paul considered their gift to him to be an honorable gift. In this sense, our translation is as I have all is a translation of the Greek word, some some translations say I have received but it is a word that usually is used of the issuing of a receipt upon reception of funds a payment. In other words, Paul is saying paid in full. I have been paid in full.

I have all I have everything that the question is that what I have everything that you intended to send it all got here safely, that's for sure, but I have everything that could have possibly have been considered an obligation, a debt on your part.

It's all paid in full. The obligation has been satisfied. A debt has been discharged and, therefore, we realize that it's right to consider giving as the satisfying of a debt we don't normally think of it that way.

We normally think of our giving is something that is above and beyond anything that is required. That is expected anything that we owe and normally that is the right way to think of it. However, there is this other aspect that we should not lose sight of.

And that is that we owe God our gifts. We owe God's servants are support. We have a debt we have an obligation to give to God the Old Testament.

This was spelled out in great detail the times and the offerings and exactly how much in how often they were to be rendered. And remember that Paul through the may not Paul but God through the prophet in the book of Malachi accused God's people of robbing God. That is keeping for themselves that which actually belong to him. It was an obligation.

It was a debt which they owed to him that they were failing to discharge and so that would be the Old Testament version of what Paul is saying here. The New Testament does not spell out the same details in our giving, and yet there's still this aspect.

It is not that our giving is totally what should I say totally extra totally something of which we have no responsibility or obligation. But we do it gladly and willingly it is that but there's this underlying understanding we owe our gifts to God. Everything we have.

God gave us everything we have actually belongs to him and needs to be recognized as such. Everything that we have is actually committed to us not in our ownership but as a stewardship that week manage his resources for his glory. According to the instructions that he has given us in his given us a lot of instructions or obligation to financially care for our families, our obligations to care for the poor and the needy and particular details as to the who ought to be considered objects of our giving in that category of responsibility. As I mentioned earlier to support the servants of God who are involved in the work of the kingdom and so forth and this is something that God has given us as an obligation. We are expected to be stewards who manage these resources in all of these areas were God has given us instructions, including in the area of giving and were going to stand before him someday and give an account of whether we have discharged that obligation properly or not, and if we have failed to give than there certainly one part of that obligation that we have not discharged faithfully. So Paul says the effect of your gift was to honorably discharge responsibility pauses.

I haven't asked you for I have nagged you for I would beg you for it.

I would pressured you for it, but I have taught you that those who receive spiritual ministry have a responsibility to support those who have brought the word of God, to them, you can find that scattered throughout Paul's epistles and you've done that in sending this gift you have recognized that you all in debt to me. I dropped the gospel to you your saved to because I was faithful to minister the gospel to you and that calls for some expressions of appreciation and return on your part. I gave you the word you give me of your substance. You've done that I have received. I have been paid in full. It was an honorable gift was a bountiful gift.

He says I have all were. I have received. I I issue this receipt and about Paul already talked earlier in the passage about different stages of financial well-being. I have learned to be hungry. I have learned to be in need. I have learned to suffer in my financial circumstances God has appointed that for part of my life and when that has been my lot I have learned to be content. I have learned that I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. But other times I have bounty I am full I am bound and your gift has moved me into the bountiful category we would assume because Paulist had told him earlier that he really was not in need that their gift did not rescue him from a desperate need, but that his needs had been and were being met in some other way.

We were presumed by others who were giving to him, but the assumption would be that he is circumstances allowed him to be cared for in an adequate fashion. He was able to pay the rent on his rental house in Rome. He was able to buy the food that he needed in order to live.

He was able to purchase the ministry supplies the parchment to pan the other things that he needed for his ministry, but that he probably didn't have a whole lot. Beyond that, but now in the coming of their gift he abounds.

He's full he has more than enough. He has some surplus which means that even though he's in Roman in confinement.

That's gonna be uncomfortable anyway you slice it is nothing that they could do to completely remove the difficulty and discomfort of the situation.

He was under the care of Rome. He was trained to a Roman soldier. He was confined until the day of his trial, they could change diet but they could make sure that is far as possible, in that situation. He wasn't burdened down with worries about how he was going to pay the rent he could enjoy some surplus in their gift made that possible.

It had that effect upon him. It was a bountiful gift in fact uses another word to describe it a satisfying gift.

Not only does he bound but he says I'm full.

Sometimes we eat a meal and weed enough to satisfy our hungry we say I'm satisfied. Sometimes we eat a meal.

I will get into any details, but I heard something like this. Very recently. Sometimes we eat a meal and we probably more than we should add that we are stuffed we are full we know that we have eaten all that we could possibly eat and maybe a little more to and that's a step beyond silk starting out work on hungry God supplies a meal weed enough to satisfy our hunger. We are satisfied we little bit more.

Your full pulses.

Your gift is made before. That's the effect it's had upon me. The effect of their gift. What about a description of their gift will a very brief there's not a lot of detail but he says, having received from a pampered diet is the things sent from you so we know how the gift got there, we know the name of the courier or we might say, the main courier. He is a pampered digest of which we don't know a great deal, but we do know that he was a leader in the church at Philippi and so they said one of their primary leader along no doubt with some others to travel with him. It would've been unthinkable for him to travel alone with any sizable amount of money but they didn't just send it by unknown couriers or little-known couriers. They sent by a pampered diet is a well-known leader in their church because number one they wanted to assure integrity, accountability for the offering and the spiritual leader or an elder in the church would certainly satisfy that need. But they also needed to demonstrate to Paul how much they loved him and honored him so that they were willing to send one of their leaders, which would mean their church was going to have to do without that leader for the time he was gone, probably. Of a few short months and yet so so honored was the apostle Paul in their minds that they were willing to do this and so the courier is a pampered diet is which bestows great greater honor upon the gift than the actual substance itself would be stowed, but there is reference to the substance of the gift but not in any detail. He just says the thing having received from up Aphrodite's verse 18 the things what are those things well from what Elsa said. We know that there had to be money involved had to be a pretty substantial amount of money.

The question is, are there other things as well. Did they send clothing did they send writing materials. Someone said maybe they sent food that doesn't make a lot of sense to me that they would travel all those miles with food if they're going to if they want to supply food better to take some money and buy it. Rome would be fresh, but they may have done that they may have a purchasing food in Rome and brought it to Paul's imprisonment, but the thing's whatever was it was substantial, but we can also consider the message that is sent to him talking about the description of the gift the things sent from you, what is communicated by this gift and communicates. First of all concerned. The things sent with the right things, the things that could really benefit Paul in his circumstance, the things that you sent, but things sent from you and that communicates fellowship and so the message indicates love and concern and fellowship. Now we come thirdly to the spirituality of their gift in the last part of verse 18, the things sent from you.

Now this a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable sacrifice well pleasing to God. There's actually three phrases here that describe the spirituality of their gift. First of all Paul says it is a sweet smelling aroma.

She went back to the book of Leviticus, you would read a number of times of the animal sacrifices of certain categories that God said when you make that sacrifice. It is a sweet smelling aroma. The picture of course is like God smelling the rising smoke from that sacrifice it to him. It's a it's a wonderful smell that would only be metaphorically speaking, God does not have a body, and I doubt that he is talking about smelling the gift but he wants us to have this idea that this is a pleasing smell. We all know the difference between pleasant odors and unpleasant odors and we go by a plant a rosebush and there comes this sweet sweet smell arises from that Bush and that's pleasing to us at the sweet smelling aroma.

We go by a garbage can we get the opposite. We get something that's not a sweet smelling aroma process. This gift is a sweet smelling aroma. Just like these sacrifices in the Old Testament. The God called a sweet smelling aroma. So this gift of your your money and other things sent to me is a sweet smelling aroma to God. Let me quote another text where we find the same language in Ephesians 52 pulses and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.

Christ's sacrifice on the cross was to God, a sweet smelling aroma. Just like the gifts of the Old Testament.

In fact, I'm sure far greater measure than the sweet smelling gifts and sacrifices of the Old Testament and Paul says your gift that you sent to me in Rome falls into that same category. It is a sweet smelling aroma to God. It's a sacrifice of which God is well pleased. That brings us to our second phrase, which is an acceptable sacrifice, a sweet smelling aroma number one and acceptable sacrifice number two not in our New Testament worship we don't commonly think in terms of offering sacrifices. That's Old Testament right but there are a number of times in the New Testament where God talks about acceptable sacrifices to him. One of them is a well-known text in Romans 12 one which many of you could quote boss that I beseech you therefore, brethren, but by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies, what a living sacrifice wholly acceptable under God which is your reasonable service in the New Testament we don't offer animals upon the altar. But if we have been regenerated by the work of God's spirit if we have been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ if we have been made children of God who are worshiping him. Then there are certain offerings that we bring in worship, not animal sacrifices, but we present our bodies a living sacrifice we give our lives to him in service.

What else will. Hebrews 1315 tells us that our praise is a sacrifice to God. Therefore by him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God what is that I'll tell you. Keep reading.

That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Articulating Thanksgiving and praise to God as we do when we sing to him and there are other ways to do that to particularly as we sing to him that is acceptable. New Testament worship that is a God pleasing New Testament sacrifice. That's why it's important we do it we don't stand silently when the congregation around us is singing the praises of God, not as we know the Lord not only been regenerated. What we do we render to him this wonderful offering of our sweet gift to him energetically and with thoughtfulness. The praise that is due unto his name. We proclaim that with our lips. That's a sacrifice will pleasing to God. So there are some sacrifices. The New Testament number one, we present our bodies a living sacrifice number two, we present our praise and acceptable sacrifice. What is number three or offerings are giving our tithes and offerings as we give them to the Lord for giving them the right way with the right heart attitude, then this too is unacceptable. Sacrifice to God will pleasing to God how we know that our text says so. Philippians 418. A sweet aroma. The things you sent a sweet aroma and acceptable sacrifice, God considers it an act of worship and acceptable sacrifice like committing our bodies to him in living service like praising him in song and in verbal testimony.

So are giving is an acceptable sacrifice to him.

All of this, we are told well pleasing to God. That's the third phrase that actually moves us in Hebrews 13 to verse 16, where God says after telling us about the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. He says in verse 16, but do not forget to do good and to share for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The spirituality of their gift.

It is an act of worship.

It is giving sacrificially, which is acceptable to God. And so that's the informative report we move on. Secondly, to an encouraging promise in verse 19 and connection my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Five questions to examine this promise and encouraging promise. Number one, to whom is the promise made by God shall supply all your need.

Writing to the Philippian church the Philippian believers be believers, Philippian believers who were faithful and generous givers as the preceding verses clearly tell us our whom this promise is made now and thinking about this and I thought about it a long time. I got a message saying that this promise necessarily excludes others but I'm saying it does not specifically include others either in the context this promise is made not to all people everywhere saved and lost.

Certainly not not even necessarily to all believers. Though there are other texts in God's word that might offer a similar promise to God's children and their need.

But this promise is made specifically to those who have just sent a generous offering to Paul which turns out to be an offering to God. They gave it to Paul but whether they realize it or not they were giving it to God. This is an act of worship in pulses and on the basis of that on what you have done your sacrificial gift and my God shall supply all your need. So, to whom was a promise made the Philippian believers who gave generously, from whom is the promise received is making this promise pulses my God, my God, that means that the promises made. First of all, by Paul, but is made. Secondly, by God. Paul speaking for God, but my God, we find that language. A time to in the New Testament very personal way of Paul speaking about God, my God, this is my personal testimony.

This is the God that I have come to know personally. This is a God, was faithfully provided for me down through the years, whose loving care and faithful provision. I have personally experienced my God will assume responsibility to reciprocate your generous gift to me which was really given to God. Paul is saying I'm able to thank you but that's all I'm able to do, but my God is able to reward you. And he will my God shall supply all your need God the one and only true and living God, the supreme one God, the God who reveals himself in Scripture for otherwise we wouldn't know very much about him. God the omnipotent God the Creator of the universe was fully able to do whatever he promises, I'm promising on behalf of this God that my God shall supply all your need. Question number three this promise concerns what when he says all your need.

What is at involve. It certainly involves adequate material supply all your need that all your desires and all your need in here in the context your physical needs, but it is certain that this goes beyond that, not simply my God shall supply your need, but my God shall supply all your need. We would actually disappoint put in the plural, all your needs, not just the physical ones but other ones as well.

Your emotional needs are relational needs. Your physical needs. Your health needs. Your spiritual needs. You my one need one you are able to meet because that's the only one who could meet God for his part, will meet all your needs because of what you have done my God shall supply all your needs will and what measure question number four. Does this apply, the potential is great. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. For many have translated that, according to his glorious riches.

God's rich are we agreed about that. God's rich anyway you measure it anyway you slice it.

God's rich and God's riches are glorious because God is glorious but the potential is not simply related to his glorious riches, but the Stormont. We are told is according to his riches and this is a an important finer detail. Paul did not say my God shall supply your need, out of his glorious riches, but according to his glorious riches. What's the difference well not only according to the size of your need, which is the first part of the promise by God shall supply all your need, but according to what he is riches suggest according to what his perspective would be, according to the bounty that he is riches allow and suggest let me illustrate it this way you're raising money for good cause.

You make that known to the people of God. People who are not particularly wealthy.

See the need and they respond by sacrificially writing you a check for thousand dollars you make that need known to a multimillionaire. He pulls out his checkbook with a flourish and write you a check for thousand dollars is a bit disappointing is decoded and so much more.

He didn't respond according to his riches. He responded out of his riches. Just a little drop out of his riches that wasn't much from him. Yes, the thousand dollars is the same value as the thousand dollars came from those who couldn't offer more blood coming from him. That's pretty disappointing that out of all of his millions of dollars he can only spare thousand for this cause but you see he gave out of his riches. But what if he had given. According to his riches. What would that have been, he might've pulled out his checkbook and written a check for hundred thousand were half $1 million because he could afford that that would be according to his riches. According to his circumstances. According to the way the God has blessed him now take that up to the divine level God's riches are so great so vast so infinite there's no way to measure than the one thing is clear. If he gives to us not just out of his riches, but according to his riches in proportion to his riches in in something that that demonstrates his perspective on things and how much she hasn't, she's able to bestow. Why can you imagine what the potential for that is will. That's what Paul says is the promise to those who have sacrificially given to God's work. Those who have sacrificially given to God my God shall supply all your need. Beyond that, because were talking about God were talking about amazing resources. My God shall supply all your need, in accordance with in perspective with a manner that that represents all his glorious riches.

In other words, he will bestow far more than the bare needs he will bestow far more than you gave because the Bible indicates that elsewhere.

Socially that's involved here in this phrase. My God is going to repay you richly and bountifully.

If you're giving has been from a heart that is right giving for the right reasons the right motive. The final question.

How will this be Stoneman be delivered. We might put it that way when he tells us by Christ Jesus my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus is going to do in such a way that Christ is honored, Christ is exalted that the person of Jesus Christ will be exalted in this giving this reward from God that the power of the Lord Jesus Christ will be expended in this bountiful rich giving from God that his people will be enriched also belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are in Christ are going to be richly rewarded by Christ, who is of course God, a member of the triune Godhead. This promise is certainly for those who belong to Christ we can certainly restricted to that and the way I look at it.

Based upon other texts in Scripture. I think I could say that the first part of the text by God shall supply all your need probably applies to all God's people, but according to his riches in glory. I think that applies to those who are giving is an act of worship and sacrifice to God.

God is going to get back to you in accordance with his riches in direct proportion to direct response to the way that you are giving is going to do that in a way that he exalts Christ, which brings us now to number three in appropriate praise. The doxology verse 20 Paul concludes this section by saying now to our God and father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Appropriate praise. This is an extra doxology thrown in a few verses early bulk and weight of the is almost at the end. And sure enough, they'll be on a suitable benediction at the end but this doxology just breaks forth from his heart as he thinks about the glorious promise that he is just made on behalf of God to the children of God, the giving Christians of the church at Philippi appropriate praise comes without delay. Paul could not wait for the huge usual placement of this doxology. At the conclusion will actually in his epistles. You'll find other places where he breaks into his is the teaching to 20 sure, great doxology of praise to God.

This is one of those places with such great promises as Paul has just delivered demand immediate practice. We can't wait. Praise it now praising immediately praising Paul shows us how important it is appropriate. Praise is without delay. Appropriate praise is without distinction now to our God and father be glory forever.

My God of verse 19 becomes our God. In verse 20 God of all God's people, but also the Jesus Christ of verse 19 becomes the God and father of verse 20 according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and father be glory forever. So to praise the father is to praise the sun is to praise the triune Godhead. Three and one. It is without distinction. And finally, it is without reserve, recognize and ascribe to him the glory that is due his name given to him the ultimate honor and exaltation, which she is due. Give him glory with out and start now and never stop now. May we consider a few applications. First of all, concerning our giving, we learn in this text, the right giving is indeed worship. It's part of our worship.

And that's why we have decided that we have delayed we have decided that we are going to return to passing the plate in our worship service as one of the items in our order of worship and this is the reason why, in our corporate worship we do the things that the Bible indicates are elements of of God honoring worship we praise him because the Bible indicates that's part of our worship.

We pray to him and join our hearts together in prayer because the Bible indicates that's part of our worship. We consider a portion of his word. Because God instructs us to include that in our order of worship.

That's part of what we do, we come together and worship, but we need to make sure that we also recognize that our giving is an act of worship. I've been very encouraged and pleased by our covert practice of putting plates out people just putting money in the plates and mailing it in. If they don't get here and we have been so encouraged by that because giving has not suffered God's blood bought people have a delight and desire to give and joy in giving and there to get there to find a way to give in some ways it's very satisfying to just do it like that don't pass the plate but when you do it that way though it doesn't which amazing the ranch giving from worship, but it doesn't focus. Giving is an element of worship in the same way and so were going to return to that and on this announcement. Starting in November, so we can start getting ready for it takes a little change in our thinking the way we do our accounting and all of this is involved, but starting in November will be to return to passing the plate so as were going through the elements of our worship service as we do see in your bulletin. We will praise him in song more secure is no one ever shall worship him in prayer led by one of our men.

We shall listen to the choir, praise him praise the Lord who reigns above, we shall praise him again with our singing what the whole creation cry. I never heard that him before.

Thank you for including that new rendering of Psalm 148 beautiful words are so so important. We will read scripture together because that's part of what got indicates needs to be done when the Saints of God gather together we will pray again, we will sing again, but in that order of worship will also have the time of corporate giving focus upon the worship of giving because this text tells us very clearly that the right kind of giving is worship and furthermore the right kind of giving is rewarding its deeply satisfying to the giver it satisfying to God it's rewarded by God and elsewhere. The Bible teaches us that the more we give, the more God enables us to give. We have a hearts desire to do it. Wonderful promises about giving, but in thinking through the other elements of what is a sacrifice to God in the New Testament we might consider some lessons concerning praise the praise of our lips. The fruit of our lips praising God is an active sacrificial worship which he delights in and so not only is giving worship and praise is worship and not only should giving be glad and joyful and enthusiastic but are praise of our lips out of the glad and joyful, enthusiastic, energetic, or pray should be bountiful are praise deserves our best efforts, not a sleepy hearted distracted paying little attention to what were singing sort of wrote but really entering in with heart and voice in mind as we lift to God are praise with the best we can give you. You see, I don't have much of a singing voice, giving what you got. I don't have a very loud voice giving what you got.

I whatever whatever excuses you can come up with later Maasai worship God in praise. Which brings me third to worshiping God in our service committed services worship present your bodies a living sacrifice to God and like in our giving, and, like in our praising, we honor God in our service by giving him our best not are left over. How can you honor such a great and glorious God by giving him the crimes giving him the leftovers.

You can't giving the firstfruits we given the best we can offer to him. He is deserving of that and far more besides we do that in our service, not will serve him if we have time left over. Not will serve him if we don't have anything else to do not will serve him if he comes last.

On a whole series of other things that we must do, but we will serve him and obviously all the things that he commands us to do our an area of service were serving him from work tending to our families appropriately were serving him were working our job in a God honoring way.

Of course, but we find areas that are specifically part of helping the advancement of Christ's kingdom on earth, and we commit ourselves to that you say, but all my my schedule is tight.

My I can't do that. I've got this love got that I've got sports and recreation. I got the give him the service that indicates your love and devotion, gratitude. It's an act of worship that you give to him. Finally lesson concerning salvation. To be reminded that the wonderful promises that we have looked at here are all mediated through Christ. To qualify, you must be in him, an unbeliever cannot worship God in his giving he may give, but is not worshiping God is giving an unbeliever cannot worship God with his praising my saying but he's not really worshiping God. His lips unbeliever cannot worship God in his areas of of the service. He may be helping his neighbor and doing good things. But if he's not yielded to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If he still unbelieving and un-surrendered to Christ.

He cannot worship God in those things to qualify, we must be in Christ was give ourselves to him first and foremost and then we can start demonstrating our love and devotion and gratitude in the areas which he has prescribed. It also will.

I think this would place him. I think that please see my think this is a way to worship and I think that is a way to worshiping know we get our noses in the book and we find out this is the way to worshiping this is the way he tells us to worship him. He tells us in our text for today. The giving to Paul giving to the Lord's work, giving to God's servants is actually giving to God. There's a there's a another layer, another level on one level were giving to a specific need that anybody can do that you don't even have to be Christian to do that.

You see somebody who is hungry and you give them something so they can eat, but only a Christian can give rising to that higher level I give to my him because that's the way we do it, but what I'm doing that with the right heart attitude I'm giving to God.

I'm worshiping him but to qualify for that kind of worship we must be trusting Christ we must be surrendered to Christ. But the question it's in my mind is if you're outside of Christ today. Why would you not give yourself to someone like this. I know why. Sinful heart spiritual blindness. Why, why, why, why don't you see the beauty of Christ.

Why don't you see the necessity of salvation. Why don't you see the glory of belonging to one like this and living out your life in service to him fulfilling the purpose for which he gave you life. Why