Philippians 4:10-18 The Church That Remembered

 

Throughout the history of Christianity individual churches have been remembered for different things, some good and some bad. In Philippi we have a picture of a church that is remembered because it remembered. It remembered the apostle Paul in his moments of great financial necessity. We remember it for its example of true Christian compassion and stewardship.

When Paul first came to the city of Philippi in Macedonia there were no Christians, for he was the first missionary. It was only as Paul began to preach and teach the Old Testament that a small group of believers gathered around him. These Christians were attached to Paul, because through him God had called them to faith in Jesus Christ and through him God brought great blessing. These Christians loved Paul and wished to help him, and they continued their interest in him even after he had moved on to other cities. For a short time after he had left Philippi, Paul worked in Thessalonica. Since this was near Philippi the Philippians sent a messenger to find out how Paul was doing. Word came back that Paul was in financial need. They took a collection and sent it to him. Later when they had heard that the need continued they did the same thing again (Phil 4:16). In Paul’s mind the gift from the Philippians was a shrub that had flowered, as it were, in spring after a long winter. It was a sacrifice to God for which Paul was thankful.

Paul’s pleasure at the gift that the Philippian Christians had sent was not merely for his own sake, however. He was pleased for their sake also. For he knew, as we should all know, that a gift actually benefits the giver more than it benefits the one who receives it. This is true on the human level, but it is even more true spiritually, for Paul writes that in God’s sight the gift would appear as fruit credited to their personal account (v. 17). We often think of the fruit of Christianity only in terms of character, primarily as the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. But other things are said to be fruit of the Christian life also. Converts are the fruit of our labors for the Lord Jesus Christ. Money given to help another Christian is called fruit. According to this text we may say that our gifts to others are encouraged by God, noticed by God, and much desired by Him.

Perhaps someone is going to ask at this point, “Well, what about tithing? Doesn’t the Bible say that we are only required to give a tenth of all earned income”? The answer to that question is that the Bible does speak about tithing, but that was for Jews under the Old Testament laws. “Well then,” you say, “doesn’t that mean that we are released entirely from the requirement to give”? Yes, is a sense we are, for we are not under law; we are under grace. But if you understand what it means to be under grace the standard does not go down – it goes up! For instance, the Sermon on the Mount is not law as the Ten Commandments are law; it is an ethic to be lived out by God’s grace in the lives of regenerate people. But because it is by grace, the standard goes up. We are not under law as regard to percentages, but we do have a high level of responsibility for the support of other Christians and Christian work. We are responsible for determining God’s will where our own individual stewardship is concerned.

Finally, let me call your attention to another phrase in this section that also deserves to be noticed. It should encourage us in a special form of stewardship. It occurs in verse 15; the last three words say “…except you only.”  You only! Not only were the Philippians distinguished by the fact that they had remembered Paul in his need – that was significant – they had also been the only ones to remember him.

Do you want real joy in this world, real fruit in your Christian ministry? If so, let me suggest this; seek for ways in which you can help someone, particularly in those areas in which only you know the problem. God will show you how. The other person will think that no one understands their need or no one is aware of their problem. Then your gift or your word of encouragement will come. Then they will be overjoyed; and if they are a Christian, they will see it as another way which God uses people as channels of His faithful provision and blessing.

I cannot tell you who the person is whom you could help. I cannot tell you what the circumstances will be of even what you can do. That will vary. You will have to find it out for yourself. It might be a person in your own family with a unique need, perhaps one of your children who desperately need someone to do something special for him or her, or your wife or husband who needs understanding. It might be someone at work who thinks that no one cares about him. It might be someone at church. It might be a stranger. It might be a financial need. It might be a word of encouragement. Whatever it is, God will help you to find it if you ask Him. And He will give you great joy in being the one, like the Philippians, who did not forget, but remembered.

Philippians 4:10-18 Reflection Questions:

Are you always asking and looking for ways God can use you to bless someone else?

Are you a good steward of your money?

What does the word stewardship mean to you?

Who is God putting on your heart now to bless?

Isaiah 28:1-13 The Drunkards of Ephraim

 

We come now to Part 3 (chapters 28-35) in our study of Isaiah’s book. The key issue in these chapters is whether Judah, and in particular its leaders, will rely on Egypt or on the Lord in the face of the growing threat posed by the ever-increasing power of Assyria. This is not a new issue, of course. We have already met it in passing in our studies of chapters 18-20 of Part 2. But it is appropriate that it should surface again here as a central issue because of the position of chapters 28-35, immediately before the account of Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah in chapters 36-37. We will now explore the message of this major unit (Part 3) in more detail by looking at each of its parts in turn.

Ephraim here is the northern kingdom, Israel, at least what was left of it after the severe mauling it received from the Assyrians in 733 BC. Its capital city, Samaria, was ideally situated at the head of a fertile valley (v. 1) which extended westward to the Mediterranean Sea. In its heyday it was a beautiful city, and breathtaking views can still be enjoyed from the hill of Samaria where its ruins remain to this day. The Woe pronounced on it here anticipates its imminent fall, an event which in fact occurred in 722 BC. It is likely, then, that the oracle of verses 1-13 was originally delivered just prior to that date. In its present position in chapter 28 it serves as a preface to the oracle against the leaders of Jerusalem (vv 14-22) who were the real targets of Isaiah’s preaching in the crisis which led up to Sennacherib’s invasion. The warnings given to Samaria’s leaders had been tragically fulfilled.  The word “therefore” (v. 14a), is meant to let their counterparts in Jerusalem take careful note and change their ways while they have the opportunity to do so.

Isaiah’s indictment of Samaria’s rulers moves from the more superficial aspects of their reprehensible behavior to its more profoundly serious and disturbing aspects. Drunkenness, of course, is serious enough in itself, especially when it is indulged in at a time of national crisis by those who should be providing the steadying hand of firm and godly leadership. Particularly disturbing was the involvement of the priests and prophets (v. 7). These men, if any, might have shed the light of divine revelation (visions) on the situation and contributed to the making of the right, if hard, decisions. But they too, had chosen the pathway of irresponsible self-indulgence. Isaiah’s disgust at their behavior knows no bounds (v. 8). What hope is there for a nation when even its spiritual leaders have given themselves over to debauchery?

But now Isaiah presses beyond drunkenness to something even more profoundly disturbing in the behavior of these leaders, namely, the contempt they show for any who dare to speak the truth to them from God. There has already been a hint of this in the almost casual way the word “pride” has been used twice in verses 1 and 3. Now it is unpacked: the proud city has proud, unteachable leaders. Through the prophets He had sent to them, the Lord had offered them rest (v. 12a) – a word which represents the sum total of all that was promised to Abraham and confirmed to Israel at Mount Sinai, but especially a secure and peaceful existence in the land He had given them. But they would not listen (v. 12b). That is the fundamental reason the northern kingdom came to grief – the refusal of its leaders to listen to the word of God which should have been the very foundation of their national life.

Verses 9 and 10 represent their typical response. They are insulted. They consider themselves to be the nation’s teachers ad resent being treated (as they see it) as children (v. 9). The drunken leaders mock the Word of God through the prophet as infantile nonsense, childish prattle. Very well, says Isaiah, since they will not listen to the Lord when He speaks to them through the simple clear message of the prophets, He will speak to them through the “prattle” of foreigners (the invading Assyrians), and the result will be not rest but ruin (vv. 11, 13). They will have what they have chosen. We may put ourselves above the Word of God if we will, but there will be a price to pay; God is not mocked. The tragedy, of course, is that when it is leaders who sin it is the whole community that suffers. Isaiah will have nothing of the currently fashionable separation of public and private morality, neither at a later time would John the Baptist. Jesus too, humanly speaking, sealed His fate by His uncompromising exposure of the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders of His day. Before we move out into the world we would do well to make sure that our own house is in order, for it is the leaders of God’s people that Isaiah calls to account here. How can the church be effective in demanding integrity of secular leaders unless its own leaders take seriously the need for it?

On the whole, the atmosphere in this section is heavy. Light does break through briefly at one point, however. Corrupt leadership will not ultimately ruin God’s people. The day will come when a remnant will recognize that the Lord is Israel’s true crown of glory and her only defense (vv. 5-6). These two verses were probably placed here rather than at the end because they complete the “wealth/crown” theme of verses 1-4.

Isaiah 28:1-13 Reflection Questions:

When you are reading the Bible, daily devotionals or listening to a sermon are you hearing and paying attention to the word of God and more importantly obeying it?

What New Testament Scripture talks about looking at the sin of others verses at ours?

Have you ever experienced the repercussions of not listening to God? Do you keep on doing it?

Are you putting yourself above the Word of God?