Paul's Thank-you Note, Part 2

Driving home: Grace and good manners ought never to be separated from each other.

Paul's letter to the Philippians, specifically the latter part, is described as a 'P.S. in the form of a thank you note' for their gift, setting the tone for the sermon's focus on gratitude and good manners.

Now for some who may be hearing this portion read for the first time, just this little introductory word of explanation will no doubt be helpful in sorting out what is being said. Paul was in prison at Rome, the church at Philippi, probably about 800 miles away in terms of the route that Epaphroditus, Epaphroditus, their representative, had to travel, they sent a representative by the name of Epaphroditus with gifts to Paul at Rome. And now at long last, toward the end of the letter, he is giving what we might call a P.S. in the form of a thank you note for their gift.

0:40 - 1:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Grace and good manners ought never to be separated from each other.

Paul's joy is described as a 'reflex response to the easing of his very, very difficult circumstances,' but he qualifies it by saying his joy was not determined by external circumstances, using the metaphor of care 'blossoming forth anew'.

And so in a very wonderful way, we see in this paragraph that beautiful fusion of grace and of good manners. Last Lord's Day, we began our study of the paragraph by examining the first four verses in it, verses 10 through 13, in which we noted two basic units of thought. Paul's tactful declaration of his joy, verse 10, I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length your care for me has blossomed forth anew. And he was very tactful in the expression of his joy, both in the figure which he used with respect to it and the assumption that he makes with respect to the long time that had passed be...

6:32 - 7:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He says, when you sent by the hand of Epaphroditus your gifts, you were doing nothing else than entering into a corporate act of sharing my very affliction.

The physical gifts sent by Epaphroditus (a bag of coins, knapsack of clothes) are contrasted with their true nature as 'fellowshipping with his affliction,' emphasizing the spiritual significance of material aid.

He calls it a, fellowshipping with his affliction. The sending of Epaphroditus with a bag of coins and perhaps a knapsack full of clothes, he says, was nothing less in its true nature than a fellowship, a joint communion in the affliction of the apostle Paul. And he uses the form of the verb for fellowship with a prefix, which means you did this together. It was joint fellowship, notice, not in the mere meeting of some temporal needs that I may have had, but it was a joint fellowship in my afflicted condition. Now here's the apostle in prison at Rome. He has learned contentment, whether he is ...

11:09 - 12:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He says, when you sent by the hand of Epaphroditus your gifts, you were doing nothing else than entering into a corporate act of sharing my very affliction.

The parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 is recounted to illustrate the principle that ministering to Christ's people is equivalent to ministering to Christ himself, explaining why Paul considered their gift a 'noble act'.

You remember the words of our Lord in Matthew 25? In the day of judgment, there will be those who say, after the Lord commends them, I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. I was naked and you clothed me.

13:37 - 13:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He says, when you sent by the hand of Epaphroditus your gifts, you were doing nothing else than entering into a corporate act of sharing my very affliction.

Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, where Jesus asked, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?', illustrates the intimate bond between Christ and His people, reinforcing that touching His people is touching Him.

Inasmuch as you did it unto the least of these, my little ones, you did it unto me. And Paul learned that lesson on the very threshold of the Christian life. For the first words that pierced his ears after he was struck down with a blinding light on the road to Damascus were these, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Well, he had been persecuting the people of Christ.

13:58 - 14:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul reflects on the Philippians' past generosity, noting the circumstances of their giving (early in the gospel, from poverty), the essence of their acts (fellowshipping in…

Martin dismisses the detailed debate among commentators about the precise chronology of the Philippians' past gifts as 'silly and a peripheral issue,' emphasizing that the Philippians themselves knew the facts, which is what truly matters.

Or it could be that what he is saying is the general statement in verse 15 that in the beginning of the gospel around the time when I departed from Macedonia no church had fellowship with me that is you Philippians by sending twice to my need when I was in Thessalonica for it was Thessalonica then Berea and then out of Macedonia and on to Achaia the next verse may be an expansion and an explanation of what he meant in the previous verse. And frankly I really don't care. I don't care which it was. And one reads page after page after page as the commentators debate that which to me is a silly an...

18:34 - 20:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul reflects on the Philippians' past generosity, noting the circumstances of their giving (early in the gospel, from poverty), the essence of their acts (fellowshipping in…

Martin contrasts Paul's gracious memory of past kindness with people who 'hold grudges for ten years who lick the wounds of self-pity for ten years who remember wrongs done to them with a memory that makes an elephant look forgetful,' highlighting Paul's Christ-like character.

Now there are a lot of people who hold grudges for ten years who lick the wounds of self-pity for ten years who remember wrongs done to them with a memory that makes an elephant look forgetful.

25:45 - 25:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul qualifies his gratitude, stating he is not seeking the gift itself but 'the fruit that increases to your account.' Martin explains this means Paul desires their spiritual…

Paul's qualification 'Not that I seek for the gift' is explained as cutting off the possibility that he is 'trying psychologically, emotionally and mentally to condition the Philippians to think about gifts... trying to set them up for an appeal.'

Paul you're writing a thank you note. You've said thank you to these Philippians for the gift recently brought. But now Paul you've gone all the way back 10 to 12 years ago and you've thanked them again for things which were no doubt expressed in thanks way back then. Paul, are you doing this because you're trying psychologically, emotionally and mentally to condition the Philippians to think about gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts gimme, gimme, gimme.

27:31 - 28:01 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are a stranger to the power of the gospel, recognize that you are chained to selfishness and only the gospel can liberate you into selfless love.

Unbelievers are described as an 'island of self-centeredness' or 'manacled and chained to unblast cursed selfishness,' illustrating the pervasive nature of sin and the need for gospel liberation.

and then the apostle goes on to describe what they did as koinonia fellowship he describes it as this joint participation in common concerns in the work of the gospel now I ask you something what is the only thing under heaven that can take people and so transform them to bring about a setting that makes a thank you note like this possible only one thing it is the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation if you sit here this morning a stranger to the power of that gospel you are an island of salvation of salvation of salvation of self-centeredness to change the imagery you are manacled ...

36:46 - 38:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Behold in this passage an instructive illustration of the nature of true Christian fellowship, which is more than just common feelings.

The story of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, the earthquake, and the jailer's conversion is recounted to illustrate how the gospel's power operates at the 'grassroots of individual human hearts' to transform society.

this was no flash in the pan virtue it was a settled commitment of the deepest levels of your spiritual experience I say behold in this passage a vivid illustration of the mighty power of the gospel this did not come about by sociological manipulation mandated in the senate at Rome it didn't come to pass because there was another government edict to adjust the sociological structures it didn't come to pass because Paul went out and just flashed the peace sign everywhere hoping people would catch on to the idea and everything would be well this all got started when he had his back laid open wit...

39:43 - 41:12 Read in full sermon

The point: When we see each other in need, our love must cut a channel appropriate to that need, expressing itself tangibly, not just in words or feelings.

The sending of Epaphroditus with 'a leather bag full of shekels and a knapsack full of clothes' is used to demonstrate that true fellowship involves tangible actions, not just feelings.

you fellowshiped my affliction well how did they do that by writing a letter and saying hey Paul we feel for you furthermore Paul we feel for you we feel with you no no he wrote you fellowshiped my affliction when they sent Epaphroditus with a leather bag full of shekels and a knapsack full of clothes maybe a gunny sack filled with some non-perishables he said that was fellowship when you sent to my need so fellowship is not merely a communion of common feelings though it is that thank God it is that common feelings of love to a common savior and love to one another but according to this passa...

42:39 - 44:07 Read in full sermon

The point: When we see each other in need, our love must cut a channel appropriate to that need, expressing itself tangibly, not just in words or feelings.

Martin describes the cost of having a 'listening ear' and a 'sympathetic heart' for others' problems, emphasizing that true compassion is not cheap talk but involves personal sacrifice.

as a people to continue to operate in the light of this principle when we see each other in need we ought to be able to say to our brothers and sisters I feel for you I feel with you but if that love is genuine and if the fellowship is biblical love will then cut a channel appropriate to any need which we by the grace of God can meet if you see your brother have need and shut up your compassion from him how dwells the love of God in you now that need is not always material sometimes it is that need may be for a listening ear for a sympathetic heart and it's costly to have a listening ear there...

47:05 - 48:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Never give 'conscience money' – tangible gifts without genuine fellowship and empathy for the person in need.

The concept of 'conscience money' is used to illustrate how one can give tangibly without genuine fellowship or empathy, highlighting the importance of heart involvement in giving.

where we say all right love does something I'll do something tangible it's so easy to give away conscience money it's so easy to take something that is external to us and put it in the hands of another without fellowshipping with that person in his affliction having fellowship with that person in the matter of giving and receiving but then I hasten on and you see where it's going very naturally behold in this passage a helpful illustration of some principles of missionary support you see how complete the Bible is in a thank you note in which grace and good manners are joined there's some of th...

48:34 - 50:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek to be biblical in missionary support, fostering intimate involvement of the whole church with missionaries, rather than impersonal agency models.

Lydia's clever invitation to Paul to stay in her house after her conversion is recounted to show the intimate, personal relationship that characterized the Philippian church's fellowship with Paul from its beginning.

she was a good business woman she says if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come into my house and stay a while I mean how are you going to say no

51:33 - 51:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek to be biblical in missionary support, fostering intimate involvement of the whole church with missionaries, rather than impersonal agency models.

Martin critiques the 'traditional evangelical approach to missionary support' that involves sending money to a central agency without personal connection, contrasting it with the biblical model of direct church involvement and relationship.

Paul would be saying if he refused that invitation you're not faithful in the Lord I think you're a fake well he wasn't about to say that so she was clever she made it awfully difficult for him to turn down the invitation and something of that spirit that was there in the beginning days of the Philippian church carried all the way through there was this intimate heart involvement with the great apostle that when they heard of his needs and proper channels were opened up to meet the need it was the heart of the church that went out to Paul and as we saw last week when Epaphroditus came through ...

51:44 - 53:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that missionary support is costly; the church must commit to meeting specific needs as they arise, rather than being limited by a fixed budget.

The specific example of Pastor Ritter needing a $16,000 computer for his book ministry in Sweden is used to illustrate how true missionary support is costly and involves the church committing to specific needs as they arise.

with some facts on it and then we have about a person that we've never known and never met never laughed with and wept with and prayed with dear people we're not just being mavericks we're seeking to be biblical this is missionary support and involvement of the whole church with a man upon whom God's hand rests who goes forth to do the work of God and in that sense missionary support is costly because you can't have a fixed budget and say all right this year 30,000 for missions boom that's all what happens when you hear of a need you're committed you're committed and one of your missionaries s...

53:14 - 54:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate sanctified dreams and holy ambitions for abundant fruitfulness, with pure motives of God's ultimate glory and increased reward of grace.

Martin challenges the congregation to consider the future of Trinity Church if every member were as holy, zealous, and vision-driven as they are, emphasizing that the church's rise depends on its individual members.

do you are there times when you think of your life and involvement in this congregation in your mind's eye you see hundreds of people bowed under the pressure of Holy Ghost conviction sitting solemnly under the preaching of the word and when you see them when those who join this assembly are not the ones and the twos and the fours and the fives but the dozens is it wrong to do that kind of holy dreaming it all depends what your motives are and Paul says I earnestly seek fruit that abounds to your account if the passion is abundant fruitfulness to the ultimate glory of God and to the increase o...

59:07 - 60:35 Read in full sermon