Paul's Thank-you Note, Part 1

In this part of the sermon: This section details Paul's joy upon receiving the gift from Epaphroditus. Martin analyzes the 'cause' of Paul's joy (the 'reviving' or 'blossoming forth' of their care) and the…

Martin vividly describes Paul's prison setting and the arrival of Epaphroditus with gifts, illustrating the tangible cause of Paul's joy and setting the scene for the thank-you note.

three by six, or six by twelve jail cell. It was more like an ordinary home, but he was chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier. And perhaps the apostle was sitting and meditating, or perhaps composing one of his many letters, or perhaps even studying some of the parchments on which he had portions of the word of God. But while he is sitting in his room, chained to a Roman soldier, he hears, he hears the steady trump of the boots of a Roman soldier on the cobblestones of the path that lead, the path that leads to his room.

9:34 - 10:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details Paul's joy upon receiving the gift from Epaphroditus. Martin analyzes the 'cause' of Paul's joy (the 'reviving' or 'blossoming forth' of their care) and the…

The word 'revived' or 'blossoming forth' is illustrated by the annual re-blooming of trees in spring, showing how the Philippians' care, though dormant, was still alive and now manifested.

First of all, notice, in his tactful declaration of his joy, the cause of his joy. The language of our text is, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your thought for me. And here the apostle uses a word found only here in the New Testament that is the word that you would use if you were to describe what is going to happen to those trees, on the other side of the parking lot, God willing, come spring. Trees that are living trees, even today as you look out that window.

12:03 - 12:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul qualifies his joy, clarifying that it was not primarily due to the negation of his destitution. Martin illustrates this by contrasting Paul's joy with the superficial joy…

The superficial, giddy joy of game show winners receiving money is used to contrast with Paul's deeper, Christ-rooted joy, clarifying that Paul's happiness was not merely due to the negation of his destitution.

And as I tried to think how I could illustrate this, the most vivid illustration that came to my mind was the giddy kind of joy that one sees if occasionally, and I don't know how anyone could ever do it, anything more than occasionally, watch a few minutes of some of these silly game shows on television.

28:21 - 28:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In other words, there are times when his classroom was bright and sunny, cheerful walls and lovely pictures on the walls, and a smiling teacher instructing him in the ways of God. And there are other times when his class…

Paul's learning of contentment is described as taking place in a 'classroom' that was sometimes bright and sunny, and other times dark and dingy, illustrating that contentment is learned through both pleasant and difficult experiences.

wasn't sitting somewhere in an ideal situation, looking at a text on a wall. I have learned to be content. It was in the classroom of abasement and abounding, of being filled and being hungry, of abounding and being pressed with destitution and deprivation. In other words, there are times when his classroom was bright and sunny, cheerful walls and lovely pictures on the walls, and a smiling teacher instructing him in the ways of God. And there are other times

37:26 - 38:06 Read in full sermon