This weekend is the fourth week in a four-part teaching series. Week one was the resource: God is the resource. Week two was the responsibility: whatever he places in our hands, it is our responsibility to manage it well as faithful stewards. Week three was the response, specifically what a godly, biblical response looks like regarding stewardship and financial giving to the Lord in a way that honors him. Today we look at the reward, and our passage is Philippians 4:10–20.

Paul writes, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thoughtfulness for me. You were indeed thoughtful, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak because of want, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. However you did well that you shared in my affliction. You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that at the first preaching of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. But I have all things and abound, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Philippians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a group of people he had ministered to, and in it we find incredibly important information about who Jesus Christ is and what he has done for us. At the end of the letter, Paul describes how this group of people has been helpful to him. In verse 10 he says, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly.” A question we need to ask is: why does the Apostle Paul experience enhanced joy? If he has figured out how to have enhanced joy, we should probably find out how.

Do you know something I have never heard? I have never heard anyone tell me that they regret experiencing too much joy in their life. But after working at a church for twenty-two years, I have a pretty long list of things people have told me they regret — and not one time has someone said they regret having too much joy. If Paul has figured out how to rejoice in the Lord greatly, that is probably something we can learn from. He answers the question in the same verse: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thoughtfulness for me.” The answer is the ways the Philippian church supported ministry. So if we want to experience this increasing joy, we need to learn the ways this church supported ministry so we can enter into rejoicing in the Lord greatly as well.

Way number one: they looked for an opportunity to express their concern. In verse 10, “you were indeed thoughtful, but you lacked opportunity.” They had concern, but they did not recognize an opportunity — and they did not quit when there was no opportunity. They pushed past it and found one. They pressed forward until they discovered what the opportunity was.

Think about a water bottle. When I see a water bottle, I don’t recognize an opportunity — I just think about the moment I’ll get thirsty and open it. But there is a man in our church who sees a water bottle as an opportunity. Every day he buys a case of water bottles and hunts down people in our community who are thirsty. His one rule is one water bottle for one person, and he has gotten very good at finding people who are thirsty because now he knows where to look. He has the water bottles, but he goes and finds the people — that is what it means to look for an opportunity. There are people in our church who actively keep their ears and eyes open to needs, ready to show concern when an opportunity arises. There are countless stories of people in small groups who become aware of one another’s concerns and meet each other’s needs as the opportunities arise, because they know each other’s lives.

So a question we all need to ask is: what is my current opportunity to express concern for another person? We can all answer it this way — who is the person, what is the concern, and how can I step into that opportunity?

Before going on, Paul talks about his own experience. In verses 11 through 13 he says he has learned in whatever situation to be content, because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse is extremely famous in our world — mostly because athletes like it. Watch professional sports and you’ll see athletes writing this verse on their gear and equipment. You can even buy a shirt at the sports store that says “I can do all things.” But this verse is not talking about professional athletes. It is talking about a church supporting ministry and a person in ministry who says this. It explains how it’s possible for him to experience contentment through Jesus Christ. Full contentment is available to you in Jesus Christ. He says, “I found the secret. It doesn’t matter what is happening — the secret is Jesus Christ.”

Way number two: they kindly took a share of someone else’s trouble. We tend to have an interesting relationship with trouble — we see it, and then we turn around and walk away from it. But this group of people saw trouble and decided they wanted to share in it. Verse 14: “However you did well that you shared in my affliction.” They didn’t walk away; they moved toward the trouble.

When my wife Sarah and I found ourselves in really significant trouble, it was amazing how God sent people to help share our trouble, because we were in trouble and we needed people. God decided to express his kindness to us, and he sent people. Paul is saying, “It was so kind of you that you saw my trouble and moved toward me and decided to share it with me.” So the question is: how can I kindly share in someone else’s trouble? And I want to challenge you with this — when you see someone in trouble, you might be their answer to prayer, but you will not know that until you share their trouble. When you share their trouble, you will discover you are their answer to prayer.

Way number three: they entered gospel partnership by giving and receiving. Verse 15: no church entered into partnership with Paul in giving and receiving except the Philippians only. Paul’s ministry was defined by church planting — he would go into a community, share the gospel with unbelievers, bring them to faith, disciple them, establish a church and its leadership, and then move on to a new location. He tells them: when this all got started, you were the only church that partnered with me. For eternity, the Philippians will be known as the one church that helped him at the beginning — it is recorded in God’s word forever. Thousands of years later, we are still talking about it. That is incredible to consider.

Partnership is a two-way street — it requires both giving and receiving. So the question is: where can I enter into gospel partnership in both giving and receiving? Gospel partnership is for all of us, which means all of us are engaged in giving and all of us in receiving.

Way number four: they gave again when new needs became known. A common attitude is, “I gave once — check. I fulfilled the commitment. Done.” But that was not the attitude of this group. Verse 16: “even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need.” Paul went to a new area with the gospel, and when the Philippians found out, they wanted to help him again — multiple gifts, a repeated effort to support.

Just about two weeks ago, my wife and I discovered that a young missionary we are supporting this summer is still a little short of the financial need for her mission. We have a special heart for young people who go on mission — we find it incredibly inspiring that a young person would sacrifice and go on a mission for God, like the young people who were on the stage at the beginning of this gathering who are going to Africa. We had already supported her, but it stirred us up to say, “We’ve already given, but we want to give again, because we want to be part of the solution to get this young missionary fully funded.” We’re excited to be part of the solution for her being on mission for God. So the question is: how can I continue to generously give again to meet new needs?

Then Paul shares something very significant in verse 17: “Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.” He is saying, “I’m not gift hunting. I’m not trying to take things from you. I have an interest in your spiritual life — that you would bear spiritual fruit, that your life would be mature.” There is a direct relationship between financial giving in worship to the Lord that supports gospel ministry and spiritual rewards. If you would like help understanding how what we do in this life impacts our spiritual rewards, consider six examples from Matthew 6, where Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount.

In giving (verses 3–4), give in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. In prayer (verse 6), pray to your Father who is in secret, and he will reward you. In fasting (verses 17–18), fast not to be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret, and he will reward you. Regarding treasure (verses 19–21), do not lay up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal, but lay up treasures in heaven — for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Regarding who is our master (verse 24), no one can serve two masters; you cannot serve God and money. And regarding our need for clothing, food, and drink (verses 30–33), if God so clothes the grass of the field, will he not much more clothe you? Do not be anxious about what you will eat or drink or wear; your heavenly Father knows you need these things. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. There is a direct connection between our financial giving in worship to support the gospel ministry and spiritual rewards: “not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.”

Way number five: they gave a sacrifice as an offering in worship to God. In verse 18, Paul writes that having received from Epaphroditus the gifts they sent, they were “a fragrant offering, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.” A helpful question to ask is: what sacrifice am I making to give an offering in worship to God? It is really important that we identify the sacrifice. Ask questions like: What am I willing not to have? What am I willing to go without? What am I willing not to do? What am I willing to release or let go of control of? And I want to be really clear — when my wife Sarah and I discuss sacrifice in our home, it is because we make the sacrifice as an act of worship to God. Practically, we use the online recurring giving feature at valleygrace.org, and our gift comes through the local church, Big Valley Grace Community Church. But make no mistake: when we give, we give in worship to God. It comes through the local church, but the heart that fuels our sacrifice is worship to God.

Verses 19 and 20 should be a great encouragement to all of us. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, new in Christ or old in Christ, or whether today is the best day of your life or the worst day of your life — these verses should encourage you. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Notice it doesn’t say God will supply all of your wants; it says he will supply every need. How can he do that? According to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus — he has all the supply, and that should cause us to worship him. Praise God that he knows what our needs are and that he can supply them. We serve a big God who can do anything he wants and never runs out. Whatever your trouble is, see God as bigger. Whatever your obstacle, whatever mountain you face — see God as bigger.

You might be wondering how to get started. Here is a very simple action plan to become a godly steward in financial giving. Number one: if I have never brought a financial gift to the Lord, my first step is to start — it is that simple. Number two: if I have never decided the amount I will bring as a financial gift to the Lord, my next step is to identify a part of the whole. God has given you whatever he has put in your hands to be responsible for, and you are to identify a part of that whole and bring it as a gift to the Lord. Number three: if I’m desiring to grow as a godly steward in the spiritual act of bringing a financial gift to the Lord, I need to ask God to increase my heart. As God increases my heart, my gift will increase also.

If you need practical help determining a gift for your household, there is a proportionate giving chart we introduced to our church family last weekend, available on our website or at the information counter. It simply shows possibilities of household income, possibilities of a percentage, and what that would look like as a weekly gift. If a tool like that is helpful, take advantage of it.

I want to close with this. Something is happening all over my neighborhood: garage sales. What’s wild about a garage sale is that you can buy things for one percent of their purchase price. An item costs one hundred dollars; someone had it in their home for a while, then at some moment decided to bring it out to the front curb and sell it for one dollar. But that’s not the only thing happening in my neighborhood — there are also estate sales. And you know the difference between a garage sale and an estate sale? At an estate sale, the people aren’t there to sell the stuff.

So let me ask you a question: five minutes after you die, what investment is going to matter? What location of treasure is going to matter — the garage sale, the estate sale, or heaven? Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal, and where there are no garage sales. There is nothing in heaven being brought out from the house and sold at the curb for one percent of the purchase price. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

Father God, thank you for your word. Your word is crystal clear, and I’m thankful that it instructs me how to follow you. I honor you for your word, and though there may be people who dishonor you for it, may your word continue to be the loudest voice in this church. May this church stay committed to preaching and teaching the holy word of God, that you might be exalted and seen as the one who holds truth with a capital T. We worship you, and would you use your word in our lives to change us? We all need change; we all need growth. Thank you for drawing us close to you and helping us enter into things that have eternal value. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, and all of God’s family said, “Amen.”