Paul's Thank-you Note, Part 3

Driving home: Well, in a very real sense, Philippians chapter 4 verses 10 through 20 form an excellent model of a Christian thank-you note.

Martin opens the sermon by asking if the audience has ever struggled to write a thank-you note, desiring sincerity without gush, and wanting to glorify God without artificial piety. This sets up Philippians 4:10-20 as a perfect model for such a note.

Have you ever sat down to compose a thank-you note to a Christian friend for a moment? Or a gift received or a kindness shown, and wondered, how in the world shall I begin this thing? Your heart is full of gratitude for the act of kindness done or for the gift given, but you just don't know how to begin and carry on that expression of gratitude in an appropriate manner. On the one hand, you desire to express your sincere thanks, and yet you fear, anything that would indicate insincere gush or saccharine sentiment.

1:27 - 2:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul describes the effect of the Philippians' gift on him using three verbs: 'I have in full,' 'I am overflowing,' and 'I have been made full and remain so.' Martin explains that…

Paul's use of the verb 'I am overflowing' is illustrated by a child pouring milk into a cup until it spills over, emphasizing that Paul's fullness was beyond mere sufficiency.

And some commentators suggest, that this may well be a commercial term and that Paul may actually be using a little bit of humor, saying, in essence, I hand you the receipt with this letter, saying, paid in full. Anything you owe to me in a debt of love for my service to you has more than been met paid in full. I have in full. Then he uses a second verb and says more than that.

6:56 - 7:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He was in prison, with very modest clothes upon his back, with no retirement fund, with no social security to back him in a pinch, with probably very little money to his name. And yet he says, I'm a wealthy man.

Martin contrasts modern symbols of wealth (Lincoln Continental, backyard pool, trip to Hawaii) with Paul's actual circumstances in prison (modest clothes, no retirement, little money) to highlight that Paul's 'fullness' was spiritual contentment, not material abundance.

He says, I am in full. He remains full. Now, what did that mean in practical terms? Did it mean if you sat where Paul sat writing or dictating this letter, you would have seen a Lincoln Continental outside of his home sitting in the driveway?

8:28 - 8:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine whether you could truly say, like Paul, 'I have in full, I am overflowing, I have been made and remain full,' even in modest circumstances.

A man who sings hallelujahs while starving and vermin-ridden feels like a king when merely given basic necessities. This illustrates that contentment makes modest provisions feel like abundance, emphasizing the relativity of 'fullness'.

I know how to abound. I know how to be abased. And in everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, to abound and to be in want. When you come to a man who sings his hallelujahs, when his stomach is playing a tune on his backbone, and his clothes, they're rotting off his back, and his body is crawling with vermin.

10:06 - 10:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the societal pressure to constantly crave more and recognize that a covetous heart is never satisfied.

Building on Proverbs 30:15-16, Martin adds a 'covetous, discontent heart' to the list of things that never say 'enough,' comparing it to fire continually seeking fuel or parched earth always needing water, to show its insatiable nature.

Sheol, or the grave, and the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that saith not enough. And without being irreverent, may I say I have observed, there are three, yea, four, yea, five things that never say enough. And we could add to this list of the fire that never says enough, but continually seeks fuel to consume in itself, the parched earth that cannot have enough water, we can add to that list a covetous, discontent heart. It never has enough.

12:28 - 13:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the societal pressure to constantly crave more and recognize that a covetous heart is never satisfied.

The 'whole climate of the commercial mentality of American society' is described as programmed to create 'unnecessary longing for things,' constantly bombarding people with suggestions to 'have more,' leading to discontentment even with great wealth.

That everything is programmed in the whole climate of the commercial mentality of American society to create a vacuum of unnecessary longing for things. If the gross national product is to increase, goods and services must be demanded and produced. And where we are already wealthy, all of us, by any standard of wealth, we are continually bombarded with subtle and sometimes blatant, blatant suggestions.

13:39 - 14:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My need was as it were an altar of sacrifice. Your gifts brought by Epaphroditus were the sacrifice laid upon the altar of my need. And when Epaphroditus laid down that knapsack, God smelled something and he smiled and h…

The acrid smell of a burnt roast is contrasted with God smelling Noah's sacrifice as 'sweet savor.' This highlights that God's pleasure was not in the physical smell but in what the sacrifice represented from Noah's heart.

And the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake. Now if you go home today and you find that the roast has been left in the oven too long and when you open the front door billows of smoke greet you, how do you regard that sharp acrid smell of burning beef flesh? You don't say, Woo, isn't that sweet? The roast is burning.

24:42 - 25:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My need was as it were an altar of sacrifice. Your gifts brought by Epaphroditus were the sacrifice laid upon the altar of my need. And when Epaphroditus laid down that knapsack, God smelled something and he smiled and h…

Paul's need is presented as an 'altar of sacrifice,' and the Philippians' gifts as the 'sacrifice laid upon the altar.' This vivid metaphor explains how their material gift was spiritually transformed into an acceptable offering to God.

and it was well pleasing to him, it was acceptable to him. Now Paul says when Epaphroditus came from Philippi and he had his knapsack on his back, when he took it off and opened up that knapsack and took out the clothes that you sent to me and he took out the little leather pouch with the shekels in it, do you know what happened? My need was as it were an altar of sacrifice. Your gifts brought by Epaphroditus were the sacrifice laid upon the altar of my need.

26:53 - 27:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Let the concept of giving as a 'sweet incense' ascending heavenward be present in your mind during weekly offerings, making it a joyous occasion.

An obedient child's joy in pleasing a parent, even through imperfect actions like breaking dishes while trying to help, is used to illustrate God's pleasure in our earnest, though imperfect, acts of giving.

you see this concept ought to be present with us in our very acts of giving you know nothing pleases an obedient son or daughter more than to know that that son or daughter is pleasing his or her father an obedient son or daughter looks for the slightest intimation in the eye the countenance the reaction of a mum or dad when they've done something to please them now they may have done it awkwardly and imperfectly maybe they thought they'd do up the dishes while mum was gone and they broke three in the process and the grease is just rearranged on a few of the plates but you know when a loving p...

36:20 - 37:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul promises the Philippians, 'My God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.' Martin explains that this promise flows from their…

Martin imagines a poor widow struggling to give from her 'pittance' for Paul's needs, yet giving in faith. This illustrates the sacrificial nature of the Philippians' giving and sets up God's promise to supply their needs.

how shall he not with him also freely give us all things imagine how this must have sounded to the Philippians the first day it was read in their hearing some of them perhaps like that widow all they had was a pittance and when the appeal went forth our brother Paul is at Rome he is destitute of some of life's barest necessities brethren though we do not have much and many of you are in a state of crushing poverty we must not be insensitive to the needs of our brother he has sent us no appeal but in the providence of God we have become aware of his need it has been ten years since we have been...

42:56 - 43:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Prove God's faithfulness by continuing to give systematically and proportionally, even when facing financial needs, trusting His promises.

A young couple facing financial needs continued to give proportionally, putting God to the test. God responded by lowering the price of a needed item and meeting their other needs, demonstrating His faithfulness to those who give in faith.

because we don't want to walk by faith we want to walk by sight if God will give me this then I will do that I have one more thing to say when I was in the church my husband had a young couple come to me some months ago the husband came and said pastor before my wife and I were married we gave systematically and proportionally to the work of God after we were married we continued it at this present time they have no little ones both are working out of the home but they said we're facing a problem we've got certain needs that have come upon us and we don't see how in the world as we have given ...

48:01 - 48:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Prove God's faithfulness by continuing to give systematically and proportionally, even when facing financial needs, trusting His promises.

The construction and payment of the Trinity Baptist Church building is presented as a 'monument' to God's faithfulness, built not on human cleverness or cash reserves, but on the principle that God will not be a debtor to those who respond to His needs.

in spite of our failures we proved that to some degree with this phase one some of us can remember when we sat down on looked on paper at the economics of Trinity Church the economics in society and all the rest and said we can never expect to build this building it's built and there's no bank holding the is built in favor nine people question my sanity that I would encourage us to be taking on a project like the Academy when we had no building taking on more missionaries when we have no building and have no mission individual is still a failure you know and you know I find my people pushing a...

50:09 - 50:52 Read in full sermon