Contentment in the Gospel

Heavenly Father, as we have been going through this book of Philippians, we have been struck

again and again by the great bond that the Philippians and Paul shared with you and with

one another, their partnership in the gospel, their common commitment to Christ, their affections

for Christ and for one another in Christ. As we conclude this series, Lord, we are desirous

of that for ourselves. We want to be characterized more and more by that unity, by that affection,

by that generosity, by that Christ dependence. So help us, Lord, to find all our sufficiency

in Christ this evening. Teach us how to live that way. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Philippians chapter 4 verses 10 to 23.

Philippians 4:10–23

I rejoice 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 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. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the

beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in

giving and receiving except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once

and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts

you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every

need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever

and ever. Amen. 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. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your

spirit. This is God's holy and authoritative word. The main point of this passage is really that out of

our sufficiency in Christ, that we should be generous in our gospel partnerships for the glory of God.

And that's going to be the outline that I follow. First, Paul's contentment in verses 10 to 13.

And then secondly, Philippians' generosity in verses 14 to 20. And finally, God's glory and grace in

verses 21 to 23. So let's begin in verse 10 by looking at Paul's contentment. As we've seen over

and over again, Paul rejoices throughout this letter. He rejoiced many times himself and exhorted

the Philippians to rejoice many times throughout the book. And one final time in this letter,

Paul rejoices. And this time it's because of the concern that the Philippian believers have shown

him. And he says in verse 10, 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. So in chapter 3,

verse 1, and chapter 4, verse 4, Paul commanded the Philippian church to rejoice in the Lord always

and exhorted them to imitate people who do. And Paul's now exemplifying that in verse 10.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

When under house arrest in the Roman Empire, the prisoners were not provided for like they are in

modern jails. Instead, they were expected to have their needs met by their family and friends.

And so Paul mentioned in chapter 2, verses 25 to 30, that the Philippian church sent provisions to him

through Epaphroditus, who is described there as their messenger and minister to Paul's need,

chapter 225. And in doing this, Paul said in chapter 230 that Epaphroditus completed what was lacking

in the Philippian service to him. The Philippian church's service to Paul was incomplete because

they were absent and could not provide for his needs. But Epaphroditus, as their representative,

ministered to Paul and completed what was lacking in their service to him. And when Epaphroditus finally

arrived with greetings and provisions from the Philippians, Paul was overjoyed. And he says,

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length, another translation says, or at last you have revived

your concern for me. Paul had longed for this. He was waiting for this, not necessarily for the gift

that the Philippians sent, as we will see later, but for the assurance of their continued joy and

progress in the faith, which Paul said in chapter 125 is what he was concerned about. This is why Paul

says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. He was

rejoicing in the Lord because the Philippians' gift assured him that they were continuing in their

faith in the Lord. Twice in verse 10, Paul uses the word concern, which is the same Greek word that's

often translated mind or think. He used the same word in chapter 2 to tell the Philippians to be of the

same mind and to have the same mind of Christ by looking not only to one's own interests, but also to

the interests of others. So then the concern that the Philippians showed for Paul, the mind that they

showed was evidence of their ongoing Christ-like mindset. And this is what made Paul rejoice greatly

in the Lord. So he says, finally, at last you have revived your concern for me. He had been waiting for

that assurance. But Paul didn't want the Philippians to think that he was being passive-aggressive here,

saying, you know, finally, you sent me a care package. You've delayed long enough. I thought

I'd never get one, you know. Paul doesn't want the Philippians to understand him that way, misunderstand

him that way. And so he adds verse 10. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

They had wanted to provide for Paul all along. Paul knows this. But until Epaphroditus volunteered to

make the 600-mile-plus trek, they didn't have a suitable messenger through whom they could send their

provisions. And so after addressing that possible misunderstanding, Paul addresses yet another

possible misunderstanding in verse 11.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Paul doesn't want the Philippians to think that he was disgruntled and discontent, you know, desperately

and impatiently waiting for the Philippians' gift. His joy was not over having his physical needs met,

but over the token of friendship, over their ongoing fellowship in Christ and partnership in the gospel.

So he tells them that he's not talking about how needy he was.

Not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

And the word content is, at the time of Paul's writing, was a culturally loaded word.

It was a word that captured the ideal of self-sufficiency, being without any need, being totally independent

of one's circumstances that was taught by Stoicism, a popular Greek philosophy.

Stoicism is not the same as Buddhism, but they have striking similarities.

Buddhism teaches people to transcend the sufferings of this world by renouncing or emptying themselves of desire.

Stoicism similarly teaches that people should be independent of their circumstances,

indifferent to both pain and pleasure, finding peace by being sufficient unto oneself.

But there's a significant difference between Christian contentment and Stoic contentment, as we will see.

Paul continues that thought in verse 12,

What's interesting about this verse is that Paul says he has learned the secret of being content,

not only in hunger and need, but also in plenty and abundance.

Well, we might object at this point, well, I know how to be content in plenty and abundance too.

That's no secret.

But it is.

Because contentment, you see, does not come naturally to the rich.

Michael Norton is a Harvard Business School professor who has spent significant time studying the connections

between happiness and wealth.

And he writes that the way people evaluate their level of satisfaction in their lives center around two questions.

Am I doing better than I was before?

Am I doing better than other people?

And if the answer to either of these questions is no, then people are not satisfied.

Since many things in life are hard to quantify, they often turn to money as a metric.

Am I making more money than I was before?

Do I have more money than the people around me?

The problem with this line of thinking is that these questions are comparative,

and for that reason, the goalpost moves.

You might be making a lot more money than you were ten years ago,

but if you're not making more money than you were two years ago, you're discontent.

If you make millions of dollars and move to a posh neighborhood where all your neighbors have that much money,

then you feel a lot less rich than you used to feel in your previous neighborhood.

The goalpost is ever-shifting so that even the top 1% are never truly content.

Contentment is elusive not only for those in need, but also for those in abundance.

C.S. Lewis diagnoses this problem with penetrating insight in his book, Mere Christianity,

where he argues that pride is at the root of discontentment.

He says this,

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.

We say that people are proud of being rich or clever or good-looking, but they are not.

They are proud of being richer or cleverer or better-looking than others.

If everyone else became equally rich or clever or good-looking, there would be nothing to be proud about.

It is the comparison that makes you proud, the pleasure of being above the rest.

Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.

That is why I say that pride is essentially competitive in a way that other vices are not.

Greed may drive men into competition if there is not enough to go around,

but the proud man, even when he has got more than he can possibly want,

will try to get still more just to assert his power.

Nearly all those evils in the world that people put down to greed or selfishness

are really far more the result of pride.

The secret to contentment, then, is humility, being emptied of self and filled with Christ,

making Christ our all in all.

Paul's secret to contentment is not self-sufficiency as the Stoics taught,

but a Christ-sufficiency.

This is why he can say, I know how to be brought low.

That's the same word that he used in chapter 2, verse 8,

to say that Christ humbled himself, or he lowered himself,

by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

Being brought low, humiliation, was something that Stoics could not handle.

Many Stoic philosophers deliberately entered into a life of scarcity

to demonstrate their self-sufficiency or contentment,

but they despised humiliation,

which was often at the top of the list of attitudes that the Stoics were taught to avoid.

Being made poor, they could handle,

because in embracing poverty,

they were elevating themselves above other men

by demonstrating their superior philosophy and self-sufficiency.

But being made low,

being humiliated,

they could not handle.

But for Paul, even that was no issue,

because he was following the footsteps of his Master,

who was humbled to the cross.

And Paul's joy and contentment were not contingent

on his humiliation or exaltation,

poverty or riches,

because he was finding his satisfaction in something entirely different,

in Christ alone.

That's why he says in verse 13,

I can do all things

through him who strengthens me.

According to BibleGateway.com,

I didn't realize they published these,

but every year they publish their kind of top verses that are searched.

And Philippians 4.13 is a perennial contender

for the top prize.

Always in the top five,

among the most searched and most tweeted verses on the website.

This verse is, however, often misused

because it's wrenched out of its context.

Paul is not speaking here

of a superhuman ability

to accomplish anything

with the strength of Christ.

This verse does not promise us

that Christ will help us win NBA championships

or run two-hour marathons

or accomplish our wildest dreams.

It tells us that we can face plenty and hunger,

abundance and need,

that we can be brought low and abound,

that in any and every circumstance

we can find contentment in Christ.

In other words,

this verse does not promise the power

to conquer or change every circumstance,

but rather the power to be content

in every circumstance.

And the person strengthening Paul

is Christ the Lord,

whom Paul rejoiced in early in verse 10.

That's why being a Christian,

finding Christian contentment

is not about being self-satisfied

or self-sufficient,

but Christ-satisfied and Christ-sufficient.

It's what Paul said in chapter 1, verse 21,

For to me to live is Christ

and to die is gain.

Andrew Murray describes it this way

in his book, Humility.

Humility is the path to death

because in death it gives the highest proof

of its perfection.

Humility is the blossom

of which death to self is the perfect fruit.

Jesus humbled himself unto death

and opened the path in which we too must walk.

As there was no way for him to prove

his surrender to God to the very uttermost,

but through death,

so with us too.

True contentment is found

where the self is dethroned

and Christ is enthroned.

In humility,

in surrendering ourselves

to the purposes and priorities of God entirely,

whether in life or death,

riches or poverty,

success or failure,

exaltation or humiliation.

The person who says,

Lord, I am well provided for,

well loved,

but I find my satisfaction

not in the abundance

of my friends or wealth,

but in you, my King.

The person who says,

Lord, I am beaten and worn down,

humiliated and broken,

but I find my satisfaction in you,

my Master.

That is the person

who has learned

the secret of contentment.

What Philippians chapter 4,

Philippians 4:13

verse 13 promises

is in reality

far greater than

what it is frequently,

how it's frequently perceived.

The common misinterpretation

of the verse

reduces Christ to our sidekick,

but the true meaning of it

is that Christ must be

our supreme treasure,

our life's purpose,

our eternal destiny,

our all in all.

That's the secret

of Christian contentment.

And then having qualified

the nature of his need,

Paul resumes his thank you note

to the Philippines

in verses 14 to 20,

speaking of their generosity.

He says in verses 14 to 16,

Yet it was kind of you

to share my trouble,

and you Philippians yourselves

know that in the beginning

of the gospel,

when I left Macedonia,

no church entered

into partnership with me

in giving and receiving,

except you only.

Even in Thessalonica,

you sent me help

for my needs once and again.

Though Paul had learned

to be content

even in the midst

of need and hunger,

it was still kind,

he says,

of the Philippians

to share his trouble.

The word share in verse 14

is derived from the word

translated partnership

in verse 15,

which was used

in various places

throughout this letter

to refer to the Philippian church's

partnership in the gospel,

their partaking

with Paul of God's grace,

their participation

in the Spirit,

and their sharing

in Christ's sufferings.

And so once again,

the Philippians sharing

in Paul's trouble

by providing for his

temporal needs

during his imprisonment

is ongoing evidence

of their sharing

in the grace of God,

sharing in the Spirit of God,

and sharing

in the ministry

of the gospel.

In fact,

this is what the Philippians

had been doing

from the beginning

of the gospel,

Paul says.

Since the very beginning

of their reception

of the gospel,

the Philippian church

had been in a partnership

with Paul

in giving and receiving

in a way

that no other church did.

Paul is very emphatic

about this.

No church entered

into partnership

with me in giving

and receiving

except you only.

Macedonia was

the province

within which cities

of Philippi

and Thessalonica

were both located.

And not only

when Paul was in Philippi,

but also when he had

moved on to Thessalonica,

the Philippians

provided for him.

And not only that,

after Paul left

Macedonia altogether,

he partnered

with no other churches

in this way.

This is corroborated

in 2 Corinthians 11,

7-9,

where Paul says

that he preached

the gospel to the Corinthians

quote,

free of charge,

and that he robbed

other churches

by accepting support

from them

in order to serve them.

And that whenever

he had need,

he did not burden anyone

for the brothers

who came from Macedonia

supplied his need.

So the Philippian church

was at least

in the financial sense,

Paul's sending church,

sponsoring church,

which was a unique honor.

The phrase

in giving and receiving

is literally

in the matter

of giving and receiving.

And the word matter

has a sense of computation

or reckoning.

It's being used here

as a commercial metaphor

to refer to

a formal accounting

of Paul's

and the Philippians' actions.

Between them,

there is a mutual credit

and debit,

a relationship

of giving

and receiving.

an account.

And Paul continues

that metaphor

in verse 17,

not that I seek

the gift,

but I seek the fruit

that increases

to your credit.

The Philippians

give to Paul

a little bit

of a gift.

It's not that Paul

is giving fruit

that increases

to their credit.

It's not that Paul

is keeping count

and saying,

you know,

well,

it's now your turn

to give

because I gave last time.

It's my turn

to receive.

He's not counting

like that,

but he is interested

in the spiritual fruit

that accrues

to their account.

Verses 14 to 17

follow the same pattern

as verses 10 to 13

where Paul mentioned

his rejoicing

at the Philippians'

revival of their concern

for him,

but then quickly

qualified that statement

by saying,

not that I am speaking

of being in need,

for I've learned

in whatever situation

I am to be content.

Similarly,

in verses 14 to 17,

Paul tells the Philippians

that it was kind of them

to share his trouble,

but then once again

quickly qualifies that

by saying,

not that I seek

the gift,

but I seek the fruit

that increases

to your credit.

So you kind of see

a pattern here.

Paul goes to great lengths

to ensure

that there's no

misunderstanding

about his attitude

toward his financial need

and their financial gift.

And the way Paul

walks so gingerly

around this topic

of money

is illuminating.

In Paul's day,

there were many

itinerant philosophers

and even some

Christian preachers

with ulterior motives

who made a career

out of teaching

and used their platforms

to fill their coffers.

In 1 Timothy 6,

1 Timothy 6:5

verse 5,

Paul denounced

such people

who imagined,

quote,

that godliness

is a means of gain.

And this is why

Paul strenuously

distinguished himself

from them.

This is why

he continued

to make and sell tents.

This is why

he refused

financial support

from other churches.

This is why

the Philippian church

was the only church

that partnered

with him financially.

And pastors like me,

whose needs

are furnished

by the church,

as well as anyone

who is compensated

in some form

by their Christian ministry

needs to learn

from Paul's example.

Today,

also,

there are many

who imagine

that godliness

is a means of gain.

There are people

who use their pulpits

to polish their brands,

promote their products,

and enrich themselves.

But as Christians,

we need to be models

not of brash

self-promotion

and extravagance,

but of modesty,

sobriety,

and transparency.

And even though

Paul was appreciative

of the Philippians' gift,

he wanted them to know

that he was not rejoicing

over the gift

in and of itself,

but in the fruit

that increases

to their credit.

Early in verse 10,

when he said,

I rejoiced in the Lord

greatly that now

at length

you have revived

your concern for me.

The word revive

was an agricultural metaphor

that literally means

to bloom again.

Like a seasonal crop

that blooms time and again,

the Philippians

were blooming again

in their partnership

with Paul in the gospel.

And in this way,

they were bearing fruit.

And this was Paul,

this is,

that fruit was what

Paul was really interested in.

And we should also assume

this Christ-centered

and eternity-oriented

attitude

toward financial giving.

Of course,

churches and parachurches

and organizations

and missionaries

all need money

to conduct

their ministries.

But when we give

to them,

what is a debit

in our bank accounts

is actually a credit

in terms of

our spiritual fruit.

So then,

donors are not

merely benefactors,

they are also,

in a more important sense,

beneficiaries.

Because what Jesus said

is really true,

it is more blessed

to give

than to receive.

And this is why

our church leadership

considers giving

to the church

a matter of discipleship.

If a member

of the church

is not giving

financially to the church,

it exposes

disordered priorities

of the heart.

Because Jesus said

in Matthew 6,

Matthew 6:21

verse 21,

where your treasure is,

there your heart

will be also.

If our expenditures

do not reflect

kingdom investments

and spiritual priorities,

they betray the fact

that our hearts

are not actually set

on heavenly things,

but on earthly things.

And I could really

say what Paul

is saying here

to you guys

because we don't

have any lack

in our church.

From the time

of planting our church

since the public launch

four years ago,

we have never,

as a church,

been in financial need.

We have always

been well provided for

because of the generosity

of the members

of this church

and others

who have given.

But for your sake,

for the sake

of the credit

that accrues

to your account,

this is a matter

that is important

for us to learn.

And brothers and sisters,

this is a bargain

we can't pass up.

Think about it.

In the giving

of our earthly money,

we can gain

more credit

in our heavenly account.

That's like

using monopoly money

to get real money.

Who wouldn't do that?

Even in this situation,

Paul is not concerned

for himself

and the meeting

of his personal needs,

but for the spiritual growth

of the Philippian church.

And in expressing

his appreciation

for the Philippians' generosity,

Paul doesn't want them

to think

that he is indirectly

asking them,

indirectly asking them,

for more financial provision.

I'm sure you guys

have all experienced that

or received letters

to such effect.

Whenever I receive

fundraising letters

from organizations

I've given money to,

they always begin

with that thank you.

Thank you

for being a generous

supporter of our ministry.

And then, of course,

there's a pivot

at some point.

Well, maybe you will

want to continue

to support this dire need.

It's their indirect way

of saying,

can you continue

to support us?

And Paul wants

the Philippians

to know that

this is not

what he's trying to do.

He's not thanking them

so that they think,

oh, we should give him more.

That's not what he's after.

So he clarifies

in verses 18 to 19,

I have received

full payment

and more.

I am well supplied,

having received

from Epaphroditus

the gifts you sent,

a fragrant offering,

a sacrifice acceptable

and pleasing to God.

and my God

will supply

every need of yours

according to his riches

and glory in Christ Jesus.

This is a remarkable statement.

Paul compares

the gift

that the Philippians

sent via Epaphroditus

to him

as a fragrant offering,

a sacrifice acceptable

and pleasing to God.

Though Paul

was the human recipient

of the Philippians' gift,

God was the ultimate recipient

of their spiritual

sacrificial offering.

When we give

to God's servants,

when we give

to God's people,

we give to God

himself.

This is what Jesus

had in mind

when he said

to his disciples

in Matthew 10,

40 to 42,

whoever receives you

receives me

and whoever receives me

receives him

who sent me.

The one who receives

a prophet

because he is a prophet

will receive a prophet

reward.

And the one who receives

a righteous person

because he is a righteous

person will receive

a righteous person's reward.

And whoever gives

one of these little ones

even a cup of cold water

because he is a disciple,

truly I say to you,

he will by no means

lose his reward.

in the same way

when Jesus addresses Paul

prior to his conversion

on the Damascus road

in Acts chapter 9,

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Paul was rounding up

Christians and persecuting

them and putting them

in jail.

And Jesus said to Paul

in Acts 9,

for Saul,

Saul,

why are you persecuting

me?

Because that's how

closely God identifies

with his people.

the church is the body

of Christ

and Christ is the head

of the church.

So in the same way here,

Paul says,

what you have given

to meet my needs

is an offering

to God.

And though I can do

nothing to repay you,

I can't visit

to minister to you,

and certainly I can't

reciprocate financially

due to my imprisonment

and poverty,

but my God

will supply

every need of yours

according to his riches

in glory

in Christ Jesus.

What a privilege

that we can give

anything to God.

And this factor

totally upends

human economics.

In the Roman Empire,

as they do

in many cultures

throughout the world today,

people kept

the mental ledger

of what they have given

and what they have received.

And often,

they engage

in a competition

of sorts,

a form of one-upmanship.

Every gift

received

had to be repaid

at some point in time

with an equal

or greater gift

that was the culture

at the time.

Some of you guys

are nodding

because you come

from that culture.

And the person

who didn't

repay the gift

came under

long-term obligation

to the other person,

living with a sense

of debt

like they owe them

something.

But because God

has entered

this equation

between Paul

and the Philippian churches

giving and receiving,

the transaction

is totally transformed.

Neither party

needs to keep

a ledger.

They could give

without expecting

anything in return.

they could give

again and again

even if their

initial gift

has never been

reciprocated

because God

will repay.

And I love

the way Paul

says that.

My God.

Verse 19.

So personal.

I feel Paul's

just deep

gratitude,

astonishment,

joy,

and pride

in the best sense

of that word

when he says,

my God.

I am confined

here in chains

but my God

who has no

spatial limits

will minister

to your needs.

I guarantee it.

I am impoverished

here

but my God

who has all

the riches

of heaven

at his disposal

will provide

for your needs.

And Paul

certainly has

material needs

in view

but perhaps

even more importantly

he has their

spiritual needs

in view

because he says

God's riches

in glory

in Christ Jesus.

God will supply

them from his

infinite wealth

of glory

in Christ Jesus.

Paul probably

has in mind

the privilege

of sharing

in Christ's

resurrection

from the dead

in the future

which is reserved

for those who share

in his suffering

and death

in the present.

Paul spoke

of this

in Philippians

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

using the same

word glory.

Glory as

verses 20 to 21

of chapter 3

but our citizenship

is in heaven

and from it

we await a savior

the Lord Jesus Christ

who will transform

our lowly body

to be like his

glorious body

by the power

that enables him

even to subject

all things to himself.

It's that glory

that is promised

to us

to his saints

who share

in gospel partnership

with one another.

And now that his

thoughts

have come to rest

on God's riches

in glory

Paul can't help

but erupt in praise

to God

in verse 20.

And here he goes

from my God

verse 19

to our God

and thereby

binding together

God

the Philippian church

and himself

in a three way

fellowship.

To our God

and Father

be glory

forever and ever.

Amen.

So be it.

There is nothing

quite so gratifying

like seeing

the person

you love

the most

receiving the credit

he or she deserves.

And so it is

with God.

So it is

with us

in our relation

to God.

God alone

deserves glory.

He deserves

all the glory.

And he is

our great

God and Father

who loved us

from before

the foundation

of the world

and sent his only

son into the world

to save us.

And as the

Westminster Shorter

Catechism puts it

man's chief end

is to glorify God

and to enjoy him

forever.

That is our destiny.

That is the glorious

eternity

that awaits us.

And it is

hope in that

future inheritance

that enables us

in the present

to be generous

toward God

and his saints.

So if the

if Jesus

is the secret

to Christian contentment

he is also

the secret

to Christian

generosity.

And our race

toward God's glory

begins

with God's grace.

That brings us

to verses 21

to 23.

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.

The grace

of the Lord Jesus Christ

be with your spirit.

once again

for Paul

everything hinges

on our union

and identity

with Christ.

So he tells

the church

the Philippian church

to greet each saint

in Christ Jesus.

When we greet

another Christian

there should be

a joyful recognition

that we are

fellow participants

in Christ's death

and resurrection.

that we are

brothers and

sisters

co-heirs

of the family

of God

and fellow

members

of the body

of Christ.

Note the language

that Paul uses here

to refer to other

Christians here.

Twice he calls them

saints

and then he calls them

brothers

includes sisters

as well.

Another member

of the church

is not just

another person

but a saint

consecrated

for God's

special purposes

and a brother

a sister

members

of the same

household of God

born again

by the spirit

of the same

heavenly father.

Let's remember

that when we see

each other

and greet each other.

And remarkably

Paul adds

the unusual note

here that

all the saints

greet you

especially those

of Caesar's

household.

This shows

the wonderful

providence of God.

While Paul

is tied down

under house arrest

by the Roman Empire

the gospel

has infiltrated

the very household

of Caesar.

In 2 Timothy

2 Timothy 2:9

chapter 2

verse 9

Paul says

that he is

suffering

bound with chains

as a criminal

for the gospel

but then he adds

but the word

of God

is not bound.

We see

that reality

here.

We've seen

this reality

in our church

as well.

I've been wanting

to share with you

guys the good news.

We had been

wondering

how in the time

of the pandemic

can we evangelize

share the gospel

with people

when people

are trying

to stay away

from you.

And so we

hosted a virtual

alpha class

for people

who are interested.

Several of you

helped to lead it

and from that

there was a man

named Ben

who recently

came to

profess faith

in Jesus Christ

and got baptized

in a local

church near him.

The word

of God

is not bound.

Even in this

pandemic

even through this

God's sovereignty

prevails.

This should be

a comfort

to us

when we face

inexplicable

sufferings

and setbacks

that the gospels

advance

the churches

march

cannot be stopped

and we will

keep going

from grace

to glory.

And that's

the final

reminder

Paul ends

with in verse 23

the grace

of the Lord

Jesus Christ

be with

your spirit.

The standard

Greek salutation

was an expression

that means

something like

be glad.

It's translated

simply as

greetings

in James 1.1

but Paul

substitutes

that word

greetings

with grace

and Paul

does this

in every

single one

of his

letters

to make

an important

theological

point

that all

that we

are

and all

that we

do

as

Christians

is of

the grace

of God.

God's

grace

is the river

source

the headwaters

from which

every spiritual

blessing

from God

flows

and God's

glory

is the river

mouth

the ocean

of God's

glory

to which

our river

of spiritual

blessings

flows.

That's the

Christian's

life

from grace

to glory

and the

Christian's

life

and Paul

concludes

this letter

the same

way that he

began it

with the

mention

of grace

and here

what's in

view in

particular

is the

grace

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

and what

is this

grace?

Paul

defines it

this way

in 2nd

Corinthians

chapter 8

verse 9

for you

know the

grace

of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

this is

the grace

of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

that

though he

was rich

yet for

your sake

he became

poor

so that

you by

his poverty

might become

rich

that's

the grace

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

that the

Son of

God

who had

the heavenly

splendor

at his

disposal

became a

destitute

son of

man

and died

on the

cross

to pay

for our

debt of

sin

that we

couldn't

repay

that

the

Son of

God

who was

high

highly

exalted

humbled

himself

lowered

himself

became a

man so

that as

man he

might die

in our

place

as a

representative

substitute

in order to

lift us

up with

himself

to

resurrection

glory

that

is the

grace

of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

and it

is this

grace

of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

that

enables

us

to be

content

in all

our

circumstances

and it

is this

same

grace

that

enables

us

to be

generous

in our

gospel

partnerships

let's

pray

together