Philippians chapter 4, beginning at verse 10, the Apostle Paul says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty in hunger, abundance in need, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. This is the word of the Lord. And you may be seated. Well, if you've been with us during Advent and the Christmas season, we strayed from our verse by verse exposition in Philippians to consider Advent from the perspective of certain prominent themes in this letter. And as God's people, we found, of course, that it's our privilege to rejoice in the Lord always and to have our hearts guarded by the peace of God, a peace which we are told surpasses all understanding. So from whence does such peace and joy arise? Well, from Christ who humbled himself, leaving the glories of heaven to become a man that he might reconcile us to God and grant us eternal life in his presence. Christ himself is the fount from which our indomitable joy and inexplicable peace forever flows. As the angels proclaim to the shepherds on the night that Jesus was born, his coming, is indeed great joy and true peace for all those upon whom God bestows his favor. And so, as I said, we were accustomed to hearing the story of Advent from our perspective. accustomed to hearing it from below, if you will, from the perspective of Earth. And of course, it's true that through the womb of the Virgin, the promise was fulfilled. Unto us, a child was born. Unto us, a son was given. But the Christ hymn in Philippians chapter 2, verses 6 through 11, tells us the story of Advent from the son's perspective, from above, if you will, from the vantage point of heaven. And this beautiful song follows the path that our Savior took as he left the realms of glory. It traces his downward trajectory as he came in the likeness of men, descending further still until he had taken the lowly form of a servant. And finally, his humility reaches its lowest point as he dies on the cross for our sins. But then, he rises from the dead, the Father exalts him and restores him to his former glory, only now, not just as God the Son, but as the man Christ Jesus. And that's the greatest wonder of Advent. And we find it right here in the book of Philippians. And of course, we expanded upon this Christ hymn with Hebrews chapter one and John one, where this is considered in greater detail, this condescension tells us so much about the character of our God. And so we find that it's clear in scripture that the word who was made flesh is none other than the eternal God. He's the eternal creator of all that exists. And he has come to us in flesh that he might reveal the father and redeem a people and bring about a new creation. And so the wonder of Advent is that God would stoop so low as to become one of us. He was truly human and yet without sin. He became one of us that He might represent us, that He might be our substitute, that He might be our sacrifice for sin. He became flesh that He might be our righteousness. He became flesh that He might be tempted in every way that we are tempted. And yet, while we so often succumb to such temptation, Jesus never did. In His flesh, He suffered all the ill effects of life in a fallen world, But he remained righteous and faithful to the Father. And so in Christ, we see humanity as it was intended to be. However, the Son, and this is so important, and Philippians tells us this as well, though the Son became a man, he never ceased to be God. He was fully God and fully man. He had to be man to stand in our place and to become the head of a new humanity and to pay for our sin. But he had to be God in order for his sacrifice to be sufficient for all of the elect. And in fact, it was his deity that sustained his humanity on the cross that he might bear the full weight of God's wrath for all of his people of every age. And this is the wonder of Advent that brings us inexpressible joy and a peace beyond comprehension. And so, as I said, we never really left the book of Philippians. We just simply looked at Advent from the wonderful truths that are presented there. In any case, this morning, we're returning to our verse-by-verse exposition in chapter 4. And we need to remind ourselves of the setting. As we've seen, Paul writes this letter while he's chained to a guard. He's been in custody going on some four years now, and he's awaiting his trial before Nero. Now, the saints at Philippi had been very concerned, not only for Paul's ministry, but for his own personal well-being. And so they had sent a care package to Paul by way of Epaphroditus, and this brought joy to his heart and it filled him with gratitude. And so he is writing in response to this loving generosity that he has been given. But this is no ordinary thank you letter. As we've seen, it's a letter reassuring the congregation that despite Paul's circumstances, all is well. Come to find out the gospel can't be bound with chains. His ministry is flourishing in spite of, not in spite of, but because of his confinement. That is a wonder that only God could accomplish. He is advancing the gospel, not hindered at all, not in spite of his chains, but through his chains. And this is not at all what his enemies intended. His ministry is flourishing. Those chains had actually opened a door for the gospel to spread throughout the imperial guard and make its way even into Caesar's own house. And so Paul says to them, don't worry about me. Whether I live or whether I die, I belong to Christ. In fact, he says his personal preference is that he'd rather die and go on to be with Christ. That's the better alternative for him. He would be in the presence of the Savior. Nonetheless, he suspects, he says, he will be around a little bit longer because it's beneficial to the body of Christ. However, the heart of the letter is focused on the Philippian congregation and their growth in grace. So all of these things are in this letter. But Paul wants to write to them words of encouragement and correction and admonition and exhortation. He's concerned about the recent struggles that they had been having within the congregation, and so he reminds them of what they had learned and what they had received. This was a well-taught congregation, and for the most part, they had taken that teaching to heart. But while they hadn't been swayed by false doctrine, while they were still standing fast on the truth, selfish ambition and empty conceit had begun causing division among them. And so Paul reminds them, the gospel isn't merely a set of truth propositions. It's not less than that, but it's not all that there is. The gospel is a way of life. And so the apostle didn't just disseminate information, he discipled. And the aim of discipleship is to live out what you have learned. Paul didn't just proclaim the gospel, he lived it. And these saints had witnessed the gospel lived in front of them through how Paul conducted himself among them, how he treated others, the way he talked, everything about Paul's life was one of discipleship of others. And so he encourages them to follow his example and the example of all who live accordingly. He urges them to practice what they have learned. He urges them to act their age in Christ. He reminds them of who they are and how they're called to live. And he continues to hold himself out as an example for them to follow. And this is no less true whenever he finally gets around to thanking them for this gift. If you recall, the letter began with joyful thanksgiving, but the gratitude wasn't directed to the Philippians, it was directed to God. He was thankful to God for these saints as well as who they had become. He was thankful to God that these precious brothers and sisters in Christ had from the very beginning been consistent and steadfast and faithful partners with him in the gospel. He was thankful to the Lord for their love for him and their growth in the faith. But again, this joyful thanks is offered not to them but to God. He knows this was not their doing. It's God's work in them, a work that he's confident. He says that God will continue in them until it's finally complete when we all see Christ face to face. So that's how the letter begins with an example of proper thanksgiving. God must always be the first to receive our thanks. Now at the close of this letter, he finally gets around to commending the saints themselves for their obedience and the pursuit of godliness. But this is the pattern throughout Paul's epistles. Thankfulness to God always comes first before he ever commends the actions of the saints. Why? Again, because anything good in us must be the result of God's work in us, right? And as he reminded them in chapter two, while we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, we can only do so because God is at work in us, giving us the will and the ability. At the end of the day, all glory belongs to God and God alone. But now, he's actually getting around to thanking the congregation. But he does so, this commendation is given with qualifications. Now, I'm not talking again about the usual qualification we just spoke of. of giving thanks first and foremost to God. I mean, he's made that clear enough. But I want you to listen to the passage again, just a portion of what we read. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly now that at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Do you see the qualifications that are there? It's very unusual. And so indeed, as we consider Paul's commendation, this thanksgiving to these saints, it strikes me as a rather strange way to do it. Paul finally commends these Christians for their generosity, but the commendation isn't simple. It's not straightforward. Now, of course, we always expect Paul's words to reflect his God-centered perspective. Paul rejoices in the Lord. That's where he rejoices. Why? Because God is the one who is ultimately responsible for whatever blessings we receive. Still, he doesn't simply say, I rejoiced in the Lord over your generous gift. Thank you. I was really needing it, and it's greatly appreciated. No, he feels it necessary to qualify his thankfulness with two rather significant clarifications. Why? I think we need to consider Paul's words carefully in light of the overall letter he is writing to them. He doesn't want them to misunderstand. As we've noted before, the first qualification isn't Paul's attempt at sarcasm. He isn't perturbed with these saints for taking so long to send a gift. In other words, he isn't saying, I thought you'd forgotten me. When I received your gift, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because it's clear he had to stir you out of your lethargy. It's been a long time coming, but I'm glad you finally got your act together and you renewed your interest in my ministry and welfare. That's not what Paul is saying. This is not a backhanded way of Paul saying thanks for the gift, but it took you long enough to get it here. And he isn't shaming the congregation, nor is he feeling sorry for himself by playing the victim. That's not what Paul is doing here. Now, the first qualification, he actually tells us, it's all about opportunity. Through the years, the Philippians had supported Paul financially, though it was a great sacrifice for them to do so. For the past several years, Paul had been in custody, and it was hard to keep track of him, to track him down. He was shuffled back and forth, moved from Jerusalem to Caesarea before embarking on a harrowing journey to Rome. But at last, here he is, settled in a Roman jail, awaiting his trial before Caesar. And so they knew now where Paul was and how they could get to him. and they seize the opportunity to demonstrate their concern. And so again, I think Paul is saying something like, I don't want you to think that I was ever feeling neglected because I know your concern for me never waned. I know you were always thinking about me, but you lacked the opportunity to show it. And so I rejoice greatly in the Lord because you finally had the opportunity to make your concern for me bloom again, flourish again, and you took full advantage of it. I think that's the essence of what he's saying. You see, for Paul, it was never about the gift. It was about the Christ-like character exhibited through mutual concern for one another in the body of Christ. Now, the second qualification is even more complex as Paul reflects on his own walk before the Lord. Now, remember, Paul has set himself forth as an example for them to follow. And so this second part, Paul is going to speak of himself. Remember, he has admonished them to follow all godly examples, good examples. But he says, you can follow me as I follow Christ. And so it seems that he's concerned that his comment about great rejoicing might give the wrong impression. Again, it's not as if he was feeling sorry for himself or he was a bit depressed over his lack of provisions. It wasn't as if he was in dire straits and desperate for some relief when Epaphroditus suddenly showed up just in the nick of time. Now, that doesn't seem to be the thought at all. Paul was well acquainted with such circumstances, and he never depended on material provisions ever. Read the list of his experiences in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. I should make you weep for the Apostle Paul for all that he endured for the sake of the gospel. He had been in far greater peril than this many times before. He was frequently thrown into prison. He was no stranger to the jail cell, often thrown into prison for the sake of Christ. He had been severely flogged. He had been beaten with rods on three different occasions. He had been stoned and left for dead. He was shipwrecked on multiple occasions and once even spent a night and a day on driftwood out in the open sea. He had faced dangers from the elements, dangers from bandits, danger from the Jews, danger from the Gentiles, danger from false brethren, he says. Wherever he went, country or city, danger seemed to follow him. And he knew what it was, he says, to be sleep-deprived. He worked often to the point of exhaustion. And there were times when he was without proper apparel. There were times when he was hungry and thirsty, well-acquainted with hunger, well-acquainted with thirst. And yet, not only was the Apostle Paul still alive, he hadn't slowed down. He was still running the race with all of his might, pressing on toward the goal of the high calling of God in Christ. So no, this present distress was nothing new, and Paul isn't greatly rejoicing because he suddenly has some money or some food to eat. No. He's rejoicing greatly, yes, at receiving the gift, but it wasn't the gift. It wasn't because the gift relieved a desperate need. Notice what he says again, not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. You know, this is similar to what Paul learned in 2 Corinthians 12, isn't it? He could endure the thorn in the flesh he had received. He could keep on going because God's grace is always sufficient, right? Now, do you remember what Jesus said about the seed that falls on the stony ground? The seed is his word and it falls sometimes on stony ground. Jesus tells us that represents those fair-weather followers of Christ who are quick to receive the word with apparent joy, but they have no root. And as soon as the hot sun of tribulation or persecution begins to bear down on them, they wither up and dry up and fall away. Well, this wasn't the Apostle Paul. He had deep roots. He was unshakable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And that, I think, is what he's wanting them to see. Having or having not did not matter to him. He wasn't moved by lack or abundance. He wasn't moved by opposition. And so Paul says, my great rejoicing wasn't because I had a need that was supplied. I wasn't rejoicing over the money or the provisions. God is my supply. Now, don't misunderstand me. It's not as if Paul couldn't use the money or he didn't appreciate what they had sent because while he says nothing here in this text about his actual financial situation, he does go on to say, it was kind of you to share in my troubles. I mean, we know he had needs. Roman prisoners had to fend for themselves. You could starve to death in jail if you didn't have any money or somebody to supply you basic necessities. But again, the gift itself isn't the reason for Paul's great rejoicing. In other words, he wasn't discontented before he received the gift. That's the point here. And he would have carried on even if that gift had never arrived. Now, perhaps Paul feels compelled to make this point because there were those in his day who accused him of using the gospel for personal gain. And that's about as ridiculous as the statements we hear coming out of Washington right now. Completely the opposite of what's true, right? Completely the opposite. Nothing could have been further from the truth. And the Apostle Paul himself went to great lengths to make sure that there was nothing to support those accusations. I mean, yes, it's true that at one time Paul had been making the rounds to various churches, collecting a relief offering, but it was for the saints suffering in Jerusalem. But he was so careful to keep that separate from his own material needs. In fact, we're told in scripture that while he was ministering in the wealthy city of Corinth, he refused to accept personal donations. He took a job instead making tents to support himself. Now this is the same apostle who taught the churches to support their pastors and ministers and to support them well. On one occasion, he even admits that he had robbed the Corinthians of the opportunity to give to him as they should. Nonetheless, for Paul, it was never about the money. And so he wasn't losing sleep over what, if anything, he would have to eat tomorrow. He wasn't ridden with anxiety on whether or not he would have sufficient clothes to wear. Paul understood the lesson that Jesus taught to us in Matthew 6, 25 through 34. Do you remember that beautiful passage? Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. Don't worry about your body or what you will wear. Your heavenly father who feeds the birds of the air, your heavenly father who so gloriously clothes the grass of the field with the wildflowers, he knows you have such needs. And so the answer, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Paul knew this well. And while he didn't always have everything we might think he needed, it was always enough. That's what he's telling us. We don't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of our God. So Paul's joy wasn't based upon the relief of his material needs. He had learned a wondrous truth while following Christ. Now notice, This isn't something Paul just knew intuitively or automatically. He says, I have learned. I have learned. The phrase implies a gradual process of learning. Paul was no different in this sense than you and I. He had to learn in his walk with Christ. And so it's something that over time the apostle had come to realize. He had come to learn this truth. Now, Lord willing, next week we'll look more specifically at what Paul says he has learned. But I want to speak this morning, first of all, in broad terms. And so what is Paul saying that he has learned in the broadest sense possible here? He has learned that God truly is in control of all things. That's what he had learned. He had learned that God is directing his steps. And when the Jews, you see, had Paul arrested, they intended evil, but Paul was able to rest in the fact that nothing happens apart from the will of our God. And wonder of wonders, while they intended evil, God intended good. They didn't silence Paul, they just gave him a new audience, right? With some very influential people. His chains, as I said a moment ago, afforded him the opportunity to proclaim the gospel to a whole new segment of society. And you know, this was actually a fulfillment of God's purpose for Paul. It's what God intended all along, as we're told in Acts 9, right after his conversion. that God says, I have chosen Paul to proclaim the gospel not only to Israel, but to the Gentiles and their kings as well. That's what's happening here. And what's more, he's told that this apostle must suffer much in the name of the Lord. So that's what was happening. And he was at peace because God is in control. Paul recognized that this was all the will of God. And none of this moved him. None of this moved him. So Paul has learned, yes, God is sovereign. God is in control. And ultimately, God is the one who supplies whatever it is that I need when I need it. He's learned that God's grace is always sufficient, no matter what particular circumstances we find ourselves in. And from this, he's learned how he ought, therefore, to respond to these situations. Paul, you see, had urged the Philippians, do you remember, to lay aside selfish ambition and empty conceit, such a big issue for Paul as he writes this letter. He's reminded them that we're called to consider others as more important than ourselves and look to their interests as well as our own. Well, this is what they've done for Paul. This is what they had done for him. Though they themselves were impoverished, they considered Paul's needs over their own. They were looking to his interests ahead of their own, and for that they should be commended. But at the same time, Paul is demonstrating the proper attitude of those who are on the receiving end of such blessings. just because others consider you to be more important than themselves doesn't mean you are. I must take the same position that others are more important to me. If you treat me as more important than yourself, I'm supposed to treat you as more important than myself. So this is important for us to get. I have to take that same position and that's what Paul is taking here. Remember, at the heart of Paul's admonition is the example of Jesus Christ himself. So let me ask you, are we more important than our Savior? That's a silly question, isn't it? It's ridiculous. Nonetheless, he who is Lord of all, to whom belongs all glory, humbled himself for our salvation. He made of himself no reputation that he might exalt us through redemption. He put our needs ahead of his own comfort. And this is the way we're to think as well. This is the attitude we're to adopt. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So Paul, you see, is careful to provide them a godly example. He rejoices not over what he receives, but what this gift says about these precious saints. It was never about the money. It was never about the gift. Paul is rejoicing over something far more valuable than the money he was holding in his hand or whatever provisions they had sent to him. He was rejoicing over the godly character that was being exhibited by their compassion and concern for him. In other words, Paul is saying something like, your gift shows that you have learned something of what I have learned. So now I want you to treat your fellow brothers and sisters this way as well, not just me, treat them this way as well. Don't be selfish. Don't be self-absorbed. Don't put yourself first. Serve Christ by serving others. Treat one another with the same concern that you have shown for me. This is the example Paul is setting forth. I'm not speaking with gratitude because you've met a need. Yes, again, it's very kind of you to come alongside me in my time of trouble, but that's not what I'm thanking God for. No, because I would have had enough if this gift had never arrived. This is the example he's setting before them. And so you need to be as compassionate and as concerned for your brother as you have been for me. So as we close this morning, that's the question I want to leave us with. Have we learned? Are we learning? Are we growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Have we learned that God is in control? Have we learned that he is our supply and that whatever we have is enough for where we are right now at this moment in this situation? Have we learned this? Have we learned that his provision is always sufficient? Have we learned? Have we learned that godly character is far more important than the food we eat? or the clothes we wear, or the air we breathe. Have we learned? Are we learning? If we are, our attitude will look more and more like that of the Apostle Paul. It'll look more and more like Christ, for that's the example set before us. If we are learning, we won't be so obsessed with our own material needs. We won't be worrying. about whether we have enough for tomorrow or not. God will supply. We will trust Christ for those things and we'll be far more concerned with loving our Lord by loving his people. Our greatest need is not what we will eat or what we will drink or what we will wear. Now that we have been reconciled unto God, our greatest need is to be more like the one who saved us by his grace. That's my greatest need, and that's yours as well. Everything else is secondary. Everything else will take care of itself if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He is the potter. We're just the clay. And so my prayer for all of us this morning, may he mold us more and more into his righteous image. May we follow the example that Paul set before us, and not speak in terms of need, but in terms of God's supply. Not speak in terms of what we want, but what God has given. To be content with what he has provided, and to say, not my will, your will be done. Have we learned? God will continue to teach us until that moment that he calls us home. Lessons learned as much by our walk as by what we read and what we hear. For God is at work in us, making us willing and able to do so. And may he continue that work in us, molding us more and more every day to his righteous image. and to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.