9.10 - Finding Joy in Each Other, Part 2

Join us as we wrap up this Letter of Joy with Paul's gratitude for the provision God had provided in every circumstance.

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Paul and Noah both preach and teach with the Cedar Park church of Christ in Cedar Park, TX. You can visit our site at: https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/

Transcript

Paul: 0:30

Welcome back in the studio. Today we are in season nine, the book of Philippians. We're trying to find joy, just like the Apostle Paul had found joy in one of the church in Philippi. Also to find great joy. We've gone through finding joy in the gospel. Noah, in chapter one, finding joy through service in chapter two, finding joy through Christ in chapter three. And that sounds like we, that, you know, we've got it all figured out, man. These, this is a rich letter. There's a lot in these three chapters. We, we went into chapter four last week finding joy in each other. And we, I remember us talking about that. We, we were trying to figure out what do we do?'cause there's so much in chapter four under the heading, well that doesn't really get it fully accomplished in finding joy in each other. But he starts with each other mm-hmm. In chapter four. And he mentions two ladies by name and he says, be of the same mind. And we talked about, you know, the anxiety and the worry that's connected to God's peace that comes through our prayer, that guards our hearts and minds and how we think affects how we live. And Paul is very, very practical there with how we, how we live, practice, do these things. If you want the God of peace to we with you. And we kind of just kind of cut it off at the end of verse nine. Yeah. So to those who are, to those who are joining us today, we're in Philippians four. We're gonna pick up at a vast verse 10. Noah, glad you're here in the studio today.

Noah: 1:54

Yeah. I'm glad that we're getting to record this final episode of, of season nine with the with Philippians four. Like, like Paul said last time sometimes it can be challenging to get all the way through a chapter. In the time that we have, we are going to do, we're determined to do it. And I I wanna point out that where we're going today, there's a lot of each other as well. That's why we ended up landing on the title that we did. We could jump to the very end, you know, where, where Paul says things like, greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. There's a lot of this comradery and, and family language, brother and sister, that kind of thing that we see early on in the letter as well. But right here in verse 10, where we left off last time after the the think on these things passage, in verse 10, 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 in 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 and hunger, abundance, and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yeah, we'll pause there. But it's interesting'cause Paul probably the most famous part of this section is I know how to, you know, I know how to be brought low, how to abound. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. But really, this is Paul. This is an aside because he starts in verse 10, rejoicing in the fact. That the Philippians had a concern for him, that there was this relationship. And he's gonna pick that back up in verse 14, and that's where he's gonna go for the rest of of the letter essentially. And this really famous section is really just Paul saying, I'm, I'm glad that you were, are worried for me, but you don't have to be worried for me. That's kind of what he's saying in this section. So, we see a lot of good example in here of, of what it looks like to find joy in each other. In this case, Paul found joy in their concern for him, even though in Christ he had found sufficiency in any situation. And that in and of itself is a lesson being confident in Christ. And finding sufficiency in Christ does not lessen the value of our relationships with one another in Christ. Notice that just because Paul was confident in Christ and, and the way that Christ would provide for him didn't make him any less thankful. No. For what the Philippians had done.

Paul: 4:39

No, what a great lesson. Now, Paul's contentment, he says. Was learned.

Noah: 4:49

Yes.

Paul: 4:50

And that's, that's a beautiful thing. Paul did not elevate himself as a, Hey, I am this super, super Christian. I have learned contentment. I'm a content person. He said I had to learn it.

Noah: 5:05

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 5:06

Paul knew what it was like to have a lot and to have very little,

Noah: 5:10

if

Paul: 5:10

nothing. And he said in both cases. I was content. He's commending this church. He, he said, you know, your, your fellowship, your, your partnership with me, your, your financial help is, has flourished. Again, it, it stopped, but not because they stopped caring.

Noah: 5:30

Right.

Paul: 5:31

They just weren't able.

Noah: 5:32

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 5:33

He said, but now you, you are able, and I just, I'm thankful that even when you were not. When you weren't able, Christ has always been able, right? When, when you were not sufficient to help me financially, the Lord was still with me.

Noah: 5:49

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 5:49

And ultimately I'm able to do all that I need to do in service to him and in the proclamation of the gospel.'cause he's my strength.

Noah: 5:58

Right. And, and so he was acknowledging that the Philippians had been in a very real way. Part of God's provision for him in the past, and now in the present, it appears again and in between. The important part on the Philippians part was they hadn't stopped being part of provision, God's provision because they wanted to. It was out of necessity. So what we see in there is the constant is two things. One God provides and two God's people want to provide. Mm-hmm. Yes. And all the only, the only change was. In what way was God providing for Paul? I think Paul's picture of contentment here is so powerful, especially when we live in such a prosperous time. And in such like we live such prosperous lives. I don't think we can fully wrap our minds around the, the depths of. Of need that Paul would've found himself in at different points in his ministry. Mm-hmm. And yet he was able to say that he had learned this, which, by the way, I think that that point that you made just a moment ago was very, very important I think of this. This is kind of a side note, but this is the stage of life that I'm in. I think of this from a parenting standpoint. I can look back and recognize. I can, I can identify things that my parents did to help me as a child, learn contentment, train content, a content spirit. But here's the thing, contentment is not only a learned thing. It is a discipline in and of itself. So as an adult, what I have realized is that if I do not continue to discipline myself in contentment, I will become discontent. So now I think of it from the parenting standpoint. Not only do I want to tr. Train my children to be content. I want to give them the tools that they can as they get older. Discipline themselves for contentment. Man, that's challenging.

Paul: 8:09

Yeah. Getting older, Noah helps. It just does. If, if, if you've been trained by mentored, by shielded and protected by good, godly people who have raised you. In the word and, and in prayer, you begin to realize as you get older, some of the things that are harder and harder to accept. The discipline, the, the, the learning of contentment at an early age is most beneficial and helpful. Now, Paul mentions here at the end of this letter, and because again, he's, he's tailoring this for the Philippian Church, and he knew them very, very well and loved them. He, he said, I have you in my heart.

Noah: 8:52

Yeah,

Paul: 8:53

what he'll say to Timothy? As a young preacher, he tailors it to Timothy. He doesn't just say to Timothy, learn contentment. Contentment matters. He says, godliness with contentment

Noah: 9:07

is

Paul: 9:07

great. Gain. Those two things sometimes I think are essential. Now, Paul didn't use that language to the Philippians. But he had been talking about the, the concepts of what produces in us true, genuine godliness.

Noah: 9:22

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 9:23

That, that, that reverence and respect for God, the, the, the piety that says, I've got this, well, here's a godward attitude, let's call it that.

Noah: 9:33

Mm-hmm. Okay.

Paul: 9:34

But the godward attitude Paul had already been addressing here in this letter. And now he brings up the contentment.

Noah: 9:41

Mm-hmm. And

Paul: 9:41

he connects the contentment to Christ, the sufficiency to Christ, teaching people godliness with contentment. That is the great gain. I think the church at Philippi understood the godliness. Now, Paul says, don't forget the contentment.

Noah: 9:55

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's a good point. I, and I, I hadn't thought about the reference over to what Paul wrote to Timothy, but I think that's a valuable passage to, to bring into this discussion. To see how Paul taught the same principle to two different audiences. And, and whichever one we find ourselves may be more in more need of. That's the one we need to we need to spend time contemplating more. But what we see ultimately is Paul's ability to be content even in abundance. Content in abundance, which is also a, a concept that's so foreign to our modern way of living in so many ways. He found that in Christ, he said it was Christ. Well in him. Verse 13. But the implication being Christ who strengthens me. It is, it is Christ who has brought Paul to this point. It is Christ who continues to sustain Paul in this point. Mm-hmm. And then he finishes his, his aside here, and he goes back to speaking to the Philippians about how they had shared in his trouble. And he kind of gives some context. This is one of those things that when I'm reading this I'm really thankful for little tidbits like this that help us understand more than just the, the teaching that Paul is sharing with Philipp, with the Philippians here. Mm-hmm. But shows us some of the relationship that he had with the Philippians. And then here we also have. You know, his, some, it talks about his ministry in Macedonia and his interactions with other churches. I don't know, for lack of a better term, this just adds color. If nothing, if nothing else, this adds color to what would otherwise be a black and white world. Right. It just gives us a picture into the early church that's really really remarkable.

Paul: 11:43

Yeah. Now. Did Paul appreciate the money or the monies they sent? Yes, he did. Yes. Yes. Yeah. He talks about that. But notice verse 17. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Yes. Oh man. That's rich.

Noah: 12:03

Yes, that's rich. You know, again, I'm thinking about this from, a parenting standpoint because my stage of life when, when my kids help around the house with the dishes or cleaning up a room or anything else like that, well, am I glad for the help? Well, honestly, at this age, sometimes it's not help. Mm-hmm. Sometimes it's not helpful. But I am thankful because of what it is developing in them. What? It's what's being created and refined in them and in their character, right. And as they get older, that's not gonna go away. Their help will become more genuine. Like they will help and it will be helpful. Much like the Philippians here truly did help Paul, but Paul makes it clear his main concern was not that he received the money. But the fruit that was being produced to their account, what it said about them, what it formed in them, and refined in them.

Paul: 13:04

Yeah. I love that. You know, he says, you shared, he says, you shared verse 14, in my distress, he said, no shirt, no church shared with me, but you did. Verse 15 the, the share, there's fellowship.

Noah: 13:19

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 13:20

Fellowship now money or monies. Were exchanged. Paul had legitimate needs. They were meeting, he says, my necessities,

Noah: 13:30

right?

Paul: 13:31

So they were happy to, to partner with Paul and to share and have fellowship with Paul through the exchange of their monies. But Paul said, I, I seek you. See, we, we don't need, we shouldn't miss the, the partnership, the fellowship, the participation with the person or the people. Mm-hmm. When the money or the monies are being exchanged. Fellowship is not just giving somebody your money.

Noah: 14:01

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 14:02

And. I'm thankful and grateful for those that do that with me. Mm-hmm. For those that partner with me, for a church here that is very generous in sharing their money or monies, there's a partnership and fellowship there, but that's only part of the partnership.

Noah: 14:18

Right.

Paul: 14:19

And what gr, what brings great joy or what did to Paul was the communication they cared. We're thinking about you, Paul, and that, that, that's important. So I, I try to encourage people, don't overlook what you might think to be a small thing. It is not, yes, you're helping this man have food to eat and clothes to wear, and the ba basic necessities and, and for us, to be honest, above the necessities,

Noah: 14:50

right?

Paul: 14:50

We're treated very, I'm treated very well.

Noah: 14:52

Yeah.

Paul: 14:53

But it's knowing that people care. It's knowing that people want to know what the work is about and what you're doing, and I pray for you and I, and I I seek you not just the money that's being exchanged, that that's an important thing.

Noah: 15:09

Yeah. And I, I think that that is something that we can learn from as well in the sense that that's something we can pursue. When we are generous and when we give is, let me put it this way here in just a, in just a verse or two later, in verse 18, he mentions that he had received from a paphitis the gifts that were sent, and he talks about those gifts being ultimately an offering to God. Mm-hmm. But he talks about a paphitis, well, we read about a paphitis. In chapter three, and how did he feel about Epaphroditus? The first thing that he talks about when, in regards to Paphitis in chapter three is not the gifts that he brought, but the service that he, that he wow, my vocabulary's gone, but the service that he gave to, to Paul. So here's, here's my point. In a world where it is incredibly easy to tap a button and send some money, by all means send the money, right? The money's helpful. But like what you're saying, don't divorce the money from the relationship. In a world where we are increasingly isolated in many ways, the fellowship, the real interaction between brothers, like what Paul talks about him in a paphitis in chapter three, that is very important and it is a part of. The gift that we can give one another.

Paul: 16:37

Yeah. I mean, when, when, when Paul would talk about money being exchanged and, and, and that particular aspect and blessing, he, he, he wanted people to appreciate you can't buy your way into heaven. You, you can't give enough money away and God say, Hey, enter in. Mm-hmm. You've, you've bought your way in. Hopefully we don't think that way.

Noah: 17:00

Right.

Paul: 17:01

But when we are generous. In the sharing of our resources with others, and we do so from genuine motives. God takes notice of that. Mm-hmm. Fruit to your account. Yeah. And then verse 19, what a wonderful way for Paul to start wrapping this up. And my God, he could have said, our God. Mm-hmm. My God shall supply all your need. According to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Just because certain passages and principles, Noah, in the New Testament are perverted by the health wealth, right? Kind of pro proclaimers and preachers, we, we don't need to miss what's there.

Noah: 17:46

Yeah.

Paul: 17:47

And it's there. God, we ought to give thanks to God who can do what we cannot do and sees what we cannot see and is always at work. I can do all because of God, because of Christ.

Noah: 18:04

Yeah. I, I think especially on the tail end of everything that Paul has expressed here, this is a particularly powerful sentiment. Paul has been provided for by the Philippians and by other Christians. And Paul has made it clear that God has given him everything he has needed. Mm-hmm. And what he's saying is. You also, just as surely as God has provided for me, God will provide for you. And yes, we can, we can twist that passage if we want. Yeah. Don't take it outside the context of verses, you know, 12 and 13.'cause it won't work. Yeah. But, but what a promise. As surely as God provided for the Apostle Paul, God will provide for his children. I

Paul: 18:59

love

Noah: 19:00

it.

Paul: 19:00

I mean, you know when somebody's praying Noah and the at the end they say, amen. What do you think? I know what I think the prayer's over

Noah: 19:09

so,

Paul: 19:11

so in verse 20, now to our God and Father, be glory forever and ever. Amen. He ain't done, not quite sorry, English teachers and, and then he says at the end, verse 23, the grace of our Lord Jesus Crosby with you all. Amen. Now he's done. Somebody, a friend of mine that, that preaches, man, I didn't, I didn't like it when he did it. And then after I started doing it, I was like, man, that's pretty good. He said, go go to the letters of Paul and just look at the end.

Noah: 19:43

Yeah.

Paul: 19:44

Because sometimes at the end we're like, okay. It's like the good stuff was over and we just stopped about three or four verses before Paul ended the letter. Right. And you realize there's some rich stuff at the end.

Noah: 19:55

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 19:56

And notice what he says. So I imagine if an apostle today, we don't have modern day apostles, but okay, let's have Paul today write the Cedar Park Church a letter.

Noah: 20:06

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 20:06

So one of us, Noah, you or I are gonna get up. Next Sunday and say, we got a letter from the apostle Paul and Noah. You're gonna read it. Hopefully people would hang on every word.

Noah: 20:18

Right?

Paul: 20:19

You got to the end of that letter and you're reading it and it says, greet every saint at Cedar Park would, would people really pay attention? He says, greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

Noah: 20:35

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 20:35

Greet every saint. Yeah. There's nothing wrong with having our favorites as long as we don't let that move to a point. And a place where I, where we become cliquish and we are in a local church and think that's only this people, this person, this group, this family matters to the body. Right. The local church, you greet every saint.

Noah: 20:56

Mm-hmm.

Paul: 20:56

And then he says, Hey, I want you to know people are greeting you, but pe especially those from the house of Caesar. Mm-hmm. Sin Greek, especially those from the House of Caesar.

Noah: 21:06

Yeah.

Paul: 21:07

There were people that got converted and saved by the gospel because Paul was in prison and some of the un most unlikely of people. Paul wanted to make sure that Philippi Church understood. They got so much joy. Mm-hmm. They, they wanted to make sure I told you, sent to you. Greetings. Yeah.

Noah: 21:27

Yeah. And then of course the last verse, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit. I've, I've made this observation that when Paul says, you know, you can read that as an empty, like a rote way of signing off. Like that's just sincerely, Paul, you know? Yeah. And, and certainly there were conventions of the time, just like we have letter writing conventions now, but don't miss what he decides to end on. The grace of our Lord be with your spirit. The grace that we have in Christ will strengthen our spirit. It will sustain our spirit. It is, it is the hope that keeps us going and motivates us. The grace of Christ.

Paul: 22:11

Hmm. What a way to end. Well, are we, are we completely done with season nine?

Noah: 22:16

Actually no. So here Paul was saying Paul Paul set it up with the, he says, amen, but he's not done. If you've made it this far, you might be going, yeah, this is about where Paul and Noah normally wrap up and then it'll you know, they always end with the word stand strong and, okay, skip forward 30 seconds or whatever. Don't skip yet. The all that you need to know right now is that this is the end of Philippians. But after some discussion, Paul and I have decided we're gonna do one bonus episode here at the end of season nine. Because we're coming in next week. Will be what is, you know what we have traditionally in, in this nation celebrated as the day of Thanksgiving.

Paul: 23:04

Oh, one of my favorite times of the year.

Noah: 23:06

Same, especially when the air gets crisp and the leaves start to, oh, no wait. That doesn't happen here. It's going to, it's

Paul: 23:14

coming.

Noah: 23:15

It just happens. It's coming. It just happens about. 40 days later than what it should. But anyway, laying all that aside, Paul and I have decided to do one bonus episode next week regarding the topic of Thanksgiving, and we thought that this was an appropriate. Letter to use as kind of a springboard into the discussion surrounding Thanksgiving because one of the earliest sentiments in this letter, and one of the ways that we see it wrapped up at the end is Paul being thankful. Mm-hmm. Extremely thankful because of the joy that he's been brought in Christ, the joy that he's been brought. Through the gospel, but also the joy that he's been brought by his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he's thankful for that. And so we thought it would be appropriate considering the time of year and the letter that we just finished studying, that we would spend some time next week on the topic of Thanksgiving. So hopefully. As you have family come into town and you prepare for the holidays that are coming up, you'll be able to take just a little bit of time to join us again next week as we study that. In the meantime, our prayer, like the prayer of Paul, is that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will be with your spirit, and we know that in that fact, we can all stand strong.