Whatever Happens, Remember How Rich You Are!
Philippians 4:14-20
A name popped up in the news the other day that I didn’t know. He is now reportedly the richest single person on the entire planet. He’s a Frenchman. His name is Bernard Arnault, and he’s a fashion industry executive who oversees the likes of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Tiffany’s, Marc Jacobs, and Sephora and much more. I wondered where such a person lives, so I searched online and found some pictures of his expansive chateaux in France. But there’s also a Penthouse in Paris, a vacation home in San Tropez, another vacation home in the Alps, an entire island in the Bahamas, five mansions in Los Angeles, and a very expensive home in the Hamptons. I don’t think I ever found a complete listing of his residences, but he also has jets and yachts. I expect he doesn’t try to live in all those places; they’re part of his investment portfolio. But overall, he is said to be worth $211 billion.
But…
But for all of that, he is not as rich as the humblest child of God, and I’m not just speaking metaphorically. Let’s look at the passages we’re coming to today in Philippians 4, beginning with verse 14:
Scripture
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
There remains just the sign-off in verses 21-23: “Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
Background
As we saw earlier in this book, the church in Philippi is the New Testament premier model of church stewardship. In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul gave an extended talk about this. Here at the end of Philippians, he is circling back to thanking them again for the financial support they had sent him while he was under house arrest in Rome. As we say, Epaphroditus had been commissioned to travel the 800 or so miles and take their gift to Paul in Rome, an extraordinary thing for a church to do.
Dr. Matthew Harmon says the distance traveled could range from 700 to 1200 miles depending on the route taken, and that was partially determined by the time of year. He said that the best estimates for the length of the trip by foot would be six weeks. But in less favorable circumstances, it would take three months. As we saw, Epaphroditus became deathly sick after he arrived in Rome, and Paul nursed him back to health. Then the apostle wrote this letter to the Philippians as a thank you letter, gave it to Epaphroditus, and sent him home. So now, here near the end, Paul has said most of what he wanted to say, and he brings the letter to its conclusion by thanking them and talking about the gift they had sent.
The Final Paragraph In Philippians
Verse 14 says: It was good of you to share in my troubles. In other words, you partnered with me during this difficult time as a prisoner in Rome, and I appreciate it. It was very good of you.
Verses 15 and 16 say: Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.
Here Paul was thinking back over the years to the way the Philippians had sent him financial support. I can’t imagine what this means to a missionary. Throughout my life, I’ve been fortunate to receive a paycheck for services rendered, first at places like J.C. Penney and Sears, and then at the churches I’ve pastored. But I’ve never had to raise my own support the way many missionaries must do. After watching this process for many decades, I can tell you it is harder for some missionaries than others. But I’ve grown in my conviction that a church should as much as possible sponsor and support the missionaries it sends out. This is what the Philippians did for Paul. They became, in effect, his primary supporting church.
So here at the end of the letter, he was officially expressing his deepest gratitude. He went on to say in verse 17: Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.
Paul may have been thinking of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in a steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
In some sense, our financial support for the Lord’s work on earth is credited to our account in Heaven. Paul went on to use several other phrases to describe their gift. Look at verse 18:
18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
And now we come to the glorious closing note of the book in verses 19-20: And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The Final Promise in Philippians
Apart from the Bible, my primary source for this study of Philippians has been Dr. Gordon Fee, whose commentary on Philippians is top rated. What Dr. Fee said about this verse is so good I want to quote it to you.
This sentence is a master stroke. Although (Paul) cannot reciprocate in kind, since their gift had the effect of being a sweet-smelling sacrifice, pleasing to God, Paul assures them that God, Whom he deliberately designates as “my God,” will assume responsibility for reciprocity. Thus, picking up the language of “my need” from verse 16 and “fill to the full” from verse 18, he promises them that “my God will fill up every need of yours.”
…”every need of yours,” especially their material needs…, but also every other kind of needs…. One cannot imagine a more fitting way for this letter to conclude, in terms of Paul’s final word to them personally in the midst of their “poverty,” God will richly supply their material needs. [Going back to the main themes of the letter, he is also saying that in] their present suffering in the face of opposition, God will richly supply what is needed (steadfastness, joy, encouragement). In their need to advance in the faith in one mindset, God will richly supply the grace and humility necessary for it. In the place of both “grumbling” and “anxiety,” God will be present with them as the “God” of peace. “My God,” Paul says, will act for me on your behalf by “filling to the full all your needs.”
And God will do so, Paul says, “in keeping with His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. The Philippians’ generosity toward Paul, expressed lavishly at the beginning of verse 18, is exceeded beyond all imagination by the lavish wealth of the eternal God, who dwells “in glory” full of “riches” made available to His [children] “in Christ Jesus.”
This verse is simply a continuation of a theme we find throughout the Bible. When we put the Lord first in our lives, our habits, our priorities, our giving, our living, He will make sure all our needs are met, whether those needs are financial, emotional, spiritual, relational, or whatever.
Psalm 23:1 says, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.”
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.”
John 1:16 says, “From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another.”
Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His glory in Christ Jesus.”
Former president Dr. Mark Smith (of my alma mater Columbia International University) told of a time when he and his wife Debbie were newly married, trying to graduate from college, and living on a shoestring. Tax season came, and they owed $278 in taxes. That doesn’t seem like a lot to most of us now, but it was a whopping amount to that couple. They were so distressed that for thirty days they committed to fast from certain meals and to pray fervently for that money–$278.
Dr. Smith later said, “We claimed Philippians 4:19 as a promise that applied to our situation…. Paul wrote this promise to a church that had been giving sacrificially to his own ministry. And our finances were tight because we had followed God’s guidance to attend Bible college.”
Meanwhile, the youth group back at Mark’s home church decided to take up an offering for them, and it amounted to $153. Mark’s grandmother decided to send them a check for $100, and when her husband heard about it he added another $25.
Mark and Debbie received in the mail $278, down to the penny. It was a lesson they never forgot.
The Final Word in This Series of Messages
I said earlier that the humblest child of God is richer than the richest man or woman on earth, and that I wasn’t speaking metaphorically. I want to end our studies of Philippians by sharing 25 Bible verses with you to prove the point:
Genesis 27:28 – May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s rich ness— an abundance of grain and new wine.Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the rich es of God’s grace.Ephesians 2:7 – …in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable rich es of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.2 Corinthians 8:9 – For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich , yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich .In the parable of the rich man in Luke 12:21, Jesus said – “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”1 Timothy 6:18 – Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.James 2:5 – Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?Ruth 2:12 – May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be rich ly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.Psalm 119:14 – I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great rich es.Psalm 145:8 – The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.Proverbs 22:1 – A good name is more desirable than great rich es; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.Proverbs 22:4 – Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are rich es and honor and life.Proverbs 28:20 – A faithful person will be rich ly blessed….Ephesians 2:4 – God… is rich in mercy…Isaiah 33:6 – He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.Romans 10:12 – There is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and rich ly blesses all who call on him.Ephesians 1:18 – I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the rich es of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.Ephesians 3:8 – Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless rich es of Christ.Ephesians 3:16 – I pray that out of his glorious rich es he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,Colossians 1:27 – To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious rich es of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.Colossians 2:2 – My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they will have the full rich es…Colossians 3:16 – Let the message of Christ dwell among you rich ly…2 Peter 1:11 – …and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Romans 11:33 – Oh, the depth of the rich es of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!Philippians 4:19: And my God will meet all your needs according to the rich es of His glory in Christ Jesus.How Rich I Am
Since Jesus came my way
Redeemed my soul
and turned my night to day
How very rich
How very rich I am…
All things have changed
My eyes once blind can see
The whole wide world
is now my symphony
And with all this
Heaven is my destiny
How rich I am!
(John W. Peterson)
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