God's Valuation Of Gospel Ministry

God's Valuation of Gospel Ministry

And turn please to Philippians chapter 4, Philippians 4, we will put our attention this morning on verses 14 through 20, as you turn there you will see that the Apostle Paul continues to acknowledge the Philippians generous support of his ministry, and they supported him even during his imprisonment from which he wrote this letter, you will see that he commends their consistency, their generosity in giving without ever actually saying thank you, but what he does say about their support, what he says about their support is actually more than any thanks might have conferred, greater than any thanks might have given as we look at this text, so read along with me Philippians 4 and verses 14 through 20, this is the word of the Lord, 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 and glory in Christ Jesus, to our God and Father be glory forever and ever, Amen.

Let us pray once again, Heavenly Father, now may the words of my lips and the meditations of my heart, as I open this word, as you have revealed it to me, reveal it to us all, Father, may it be made plain, may it be made sensible, Father may you, by your spirit, open our eyes to these wonderful truths and apply them to our hearts, let us pray your blessing upon all this, in Christ's name, Amen.

The Value of Gospel Participation

Do you watch Antiques Roadshow? Do you ever watch a show where people bring their stuff to these experts in various fields of antiques and these experts then tell them what this thing that they brought out of the attic or out of storage or perhaps off a wall where they had a painting, something like that, and they bring them to these experts to find out what?

To find out what the thing is worth. Now I personally have almost zero interest in antiques, I have even less interest in all the background that these experts give before they go and tell the one thing that I'm really interested in, before they tell them what that thing is worth.

And then the next piece of information is even better. Do you ever watch this show? This next thing that they ask them is even better because they always ask, what did you pay for it? Where did you get this thing but what did you pay for it?

It doesn't happen very often but sometimes you get that chance purchase for just a few bucks at some old antique store or flea market or something like that and this little widget or gadget or whatever it turned out to be, turns out to be worth a fortune.

You ever see that? And the look on their face when they find out what this thing was worth and they say had I known that I would have covered the painting or I wouldn't have let the children play with it, I would have taken care of it, I would have insured it, I would have done something with it.

I had no idea what this little thing was worth. Well many of you this morning are quite like that. You have something of greater value, of far greater value than you might possibly even imagine. This morning I want to inform you of what this thing is that you have and I do want to tell you what it's worth.

I will not put a dollar valuation on it and of course Antiques Roadshow is British so it's a pounds valuation but you get the point. I'm not going to tell you in dollars and cents or any kind of number what it's worth.

Unlike the assessors on Roadshow, I won't do that. I cannot do that. Because what you have cannot be sold. What you have need not be insured. You do though, you do need to open the door of that musty old attic.

You need to shake the dust and the cobwebs off of this thing that I'm going to explain to you and you need to put this to use. Because it's a valuable commodity and the value of this commodity to the price of it comes not from a marketplace, not from an antiques expert book of reference.

The value of this thing I want to present to you this morning that I want you to find in your dusty old attic and shake it off and put it to use because of the value of it. The value comes from scripture.

In fact, the very scripture I just read to you from Philippians 4 verses 14 through 20. What am I speaking of? I am speaking of your participation in the ministry. I'm speaking of your donations to the church, your contributions here, your prayers for the ministry, your prayers for the missionaries we support.

I'm speaking of your contributions to what we in this place do Sunday in and Sunday out and Wednesdays and Fridays and our whole body life together and your contributions to it. I speak of your participation in this ministry whether your role is a more public one like Pastor Owens and myself, whether your role is more behind the scenes and helping to bring things to order and set things up for worship, whether your role is marching for life or contributing your resources or singing during worship or praying with us and praying for those ministries we support.

Your participation is a far greater value than you might have ever imagined. I want you to come away with that this morning. I want you to leave this place realizing what the scripture, what God himself says is the value that he, God, places upon what you do, whoever you are.

If you are a Christian, if by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of his indwelling spirit which you have by faith in Jesus Christ, you are a part of this ministry, I would hazard a guess that all of you and all of us, including myself who has studied this passage presented this morning, need to increase how we see this value of what we, of our participation here in the ministry.

See, the Philippians were more involved with Paul than I think they ever imagined or might have thought. They hadn't realized how important and how valuable their support for Paul was in whose eyes. Well, Paul set it aside for himself.

He says, not that I needed the gift. I am well supplied and more. And the verses we spoke about last week speak of his lack of need, that he has learned to be content in whatever circumstance he finds himself.

Even so, their participation in his ministry, your participation in this ministry, far more important than they realized. They hadn't seen how important, how valuable their support of Paul was in God's eyes.

Do you? Have you ever thought of it this way? I want to show you this morning that no matter what you think, oh, I'm just a teeny weeny itsy bitsy little cog in this great big wheel. I make no real difference here.

I want you to see how God, yes, God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he values what you do. Those people on Roadshow would have taken better care of that old clock. The painting would have been covered.

They wouldn't have let their children have little tea parties with those valuable antiques if only they'd known what they're worth. And this morning, you need to leave here knowing what your participation, what your donations, what your active participation in this ministry really means.

Not to me, though I appreciate it. Not to the one next to you, though I would hazard to guess they too appreciate it. To God himself. And God willing, this message will move you to take his valuation of your participation and will make you strive to engage more and more in it.

Verses 14 through 16 show what your participation actually means. Verse 17 will show you the benefit that you derive when you benefit others with your participation. And finally, verses 18 through 20 is where you'll see the value that God places on that participation.

So we'll come to it in this order. I want you to see what your participation actually means, verses 14 through 16, how you derive the benefit you derive from it, verse 17. And then finally and most importantly, verses 18 through 20, how God sees it.

Sharing in the Trouble of Gospel Ministry

See, contributions to the work of the gospel are highly valued by God our Father and too often correspondingly undervalued by you, the giver. Verses 14 through 16 again. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

And you Philippians 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.

You see, by your participation in the ministry, by your sharing of yourself, you share in the entire experience of those whom you support. Have you thought of it this way? This is what the Apostle Paul is saying to the Philippians and the scripture today says to us.

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. That little word yet is pretty important. Yet signifies a break from the previous line of reasoning and goes to emphasize what was really important. So it's something like this.

As important it was for you to understand my independence from your support and my great appreciation for your support, it's even more important for you to understand this, what follows. And this begins with this.

Their support was a sharing in his trouble. Their support was a sharing in his trouble. That word sharing is based on a word that many of you are familiar with, koinoneo. Koinoneo, which means fellowship.

Many churches name their fellowship Paul's that. The koinoneo hall, have you heard that? Or words to that effect? Well, here Paul uses that word, but he strengthens it. He puts a prefix in front of it.

A sub-koinoneo, sub from soon, together with. So it means something like together in fellowship. Or together together again. Or in fellowship, fellowshipping together. It's a very strong word to show how the participation in the ministry really works between the giver and the receiver.

It's a sharing in the trouble. Not just a mere participation. Not just fellowship from afar. It's together fellowshiping with him in his trouble. And you might ask, how could they have shared in his trouble?

I ask that. I mean, they were in Philippi. I believe he was in Rome. There's other theories where he was in prison. But I take one of the majority stances that he was in Rome. So that would mean he was about 800 miles away from them.

800 miles away. And he says, you shared in my trouble. You together shared. You together fellowshiped in my trouble. How could this be? Well, Epaphroditus, you remember that name, he was the messenger from the church in Philippi.

And he's the one who delivered their support. But Epaphroditus did not stay in prison, did he? There's no record that he did. I would assume he did not. He delivered the support. I'm sure he sang hymns with Paul.

I'm sure he prayed with Paul. And went to a hostel that evening. He did not stay in prison. He was not sentenced. Because even if he did stay there to be with him in fellowship, he was not sentenced to prison as Paul was.

Paul's in chains, not the Philippians. Paul heard the gospel being preached by envious rivals. That's back in chapter 1. He's the one who had to hear that, not them. Paul anticipated execution, not the Philippians.

Yet he says, without a hint of irony, without a hint of cynicism, that they shared in my trouble. In fact, he emphasizes this with that strong word that I explained a moment ago. You see, gospel ministry connects you to others more deeply than you might have realized.

Do you realize that when you are part of a ministry, at whatever level, whatever your activity is in this ministry, if it's a faith-based activity, if it's because of your faith in Jesus Christ, in the indwelling spirit, in your obedience to the word, that you contribute freely to this ministry and to all the things we do, well, for good or for ill, you are sharing with those to whom you make this contribution.

You're sharing in their trouble. You're sharing in their joys. Weep with those who weep. Rejoice with those who rejoice, says the apostle Paul. And this was related to it. It is not just a, I understand you're weeping.

I understand, Paul, you had trouble. It's an actual engaging into it that only the spirit of God can bring about. It's an actual participation in the trouble. So where Paul has anxiety daily for the church, as he says to the Corinthians, the Philippians weren't even participating in that.

As Paul wondered if his head would be in his shoulders after the next day, the Philippians participated in that. And so you, when you look at the ministry that we have here and what you do to support it, we have missionaries in dangerous places, and when their goods are confiscated, when people who were converted by the preaching of the gospel, by the missionaries we support, are put in prison, and those small churches, those beginning churches collapse because of it.

You participate in that. You feel that trouble. You feel the angst of the missionary. It's not just from afar that we just send him money. We participate by prayer, and this verse tells us that we share in the trouble, and we share in the joys, and we share in the successes, which is why we take those reports and we pray about them.

We read them, and we pray. And when they have trouble, we weep. And when people are converted by the preaching of the gospel, we rejoice. But it's not just from afar. You are actually, literally, according to the Word of God, by the Spirit of God, sharing in those, as if they happened to you, yourself.

Missionaries is the obvious application here. But you're pastors. You're pastors. It's not just that we depend on your prayers, though we do that, even not knowing the details, because we have to be discreet about almost everything that we do.

You are sharing, actually and literally, by the unifying work of the Holy Spirit, together, fellowshipping with us, in the daily challenges that we meet, in trying to bring about a worship that is honoring to God, and safe for you, in dealing with the issues that come to us as your pastors, and bringing the Word of God to bear on your issues.

And as we lose sleep over it, as we're troubled by it, as we're pleading to God to give us an answer for it, even not knowing exactly what it is, for obvious reasons, it was kind of you to share in my troubles, says the Apostle Paul.

You are sharing in those troubles with us. And God willing, the joy is just as well. 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. This is a very short, a rather important travelogue. Now Acts chapter 16 tells us about Paul when he first went to Macedonia, and then to Philippi with the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Now after Philippi, he goes soon to Thessalonica. That's the beginning of chapter 17, verses 1 -9, tell of his opening of the church there in Thessalonica. It's about 180 miles away. About 180 miles away from Philippi.

And in Acts chapter 17, 1 -9, we read of what happened to Paul there. How mobs assembled, bringing criminal charges against him and other friends of the Gospel there in Thessalonica. Believers' homes being attacked, them being dragged out and brought before magistrates, and charges, serious charges brought against them.

And during all this time, and Acts chapter 17 does not tell us how long it was, but during all this time, the Philippians supported him time and again. This is what Paul says, you supported me time and again.

It's about 180 miles away. Have you ever walked 180 miles? Have you ever walked 100 miles? When I was an avid hiker in the Sierra, I have. More than a few times. The granddaddy of them all was 220 miles on the John Muir Trail, which I can boast a little bit, we did in 19 days.

That's a long ways to walk. These people were used to walking, we can grant that. 180 miles is still a long ways to go. Now think about it for a moment. They sent in help time and again. So let's say that somebody came from Philippi to Thessalonica with him.

Maybe it was Epaphroditus, maybe it was somebody else. This guy walks 180 miles with him. He finds out that Paul's having trouble, Paul needs support. And what does he do? He walks back. Let's give him a week to walk 180 miles, shall we?

He walks back. He tells the Philippians, Paul's in Thessalonica, he's got these troubles. They share in his trouble. Not just, well, let's give him some money and get him out of trouble. They prayed for him, they wept for him.

And then they sent this guy back, whoever it was, probably Epaphroditus. He walks another week and goes back to Thessalonica. This happens time and again. Do you see what it means to really participate in the ministry?

Do you see it's not just, he has trouble, how much money do you need? Where do you need a resource given to you, for what purpose? We'll get it to you, we'll find a way to have it sent. DHL, Amazon, something like that.

No, it is that. But it's so much more. You're actually there. You are there sharing in the trouble. And they did it time and again in supporting him. So here's what we need to see. Here's something I want you to see that's very important here.

Some real connections that the Philippian church has with us here today. The Philippians were not what we would call the sending church. Did you notice that as we went through this? Did anybody think of that?

They were not the sending church. What's the big deal with that? Well, none of the missionaries we support here in this church are we the sending church. We don't have enough members. We don't have the resources to support a single missionary, much less a missionary with a family.

Much less a missionary with a family who's half a world away from us. We can't do that. We are not a sending church of anyone. Well, we get behind sending churches. Who most likely, without small churches like us behind them, couldn't do it either.

But in any case, we're not the sending church of our missionaries any more than the Philippians were. Even so, when we, when you, when we for you, when you through us send our support to them time and again, time and again, you are, and we all are, your full partners.

Remember that strengthened word for together. Remember that strengthened word. That you together with me, you suffered with me. You felt my trouble. It was kind of you to share my trouble. You may not feel this connection.

You may not feel like that about the missionaries that we support. Or even your pastors that you support. But feelings will mislead. Paul's word to the Philippians is a word to us as well. When we take on to support someone in the gospel ministry, when you raise your hand and vote and say, yes, we will get behind this man, this family, whoever it is, and send them and support them, you have entered into a relationship that is so close knit.

The scripture says it's almost organic. If I can't explain what the spiritual connection actually looks like, what it actually feels like, I can tell you that according to the word of God, it's literal.

You really are connected to them that way. And I would argue, any ministry you support, which most closely means your pastors here in this church, and God willing, someday soon when we have deacons, the same support, the same connection, the same together in fellowship with.

Now, Paul doesn't say explicitly how this works, but the whole counsel of God tells us that we are bound together by the spirit of God. Read 1 Corinthians 12 about we being one body together. The spirit of God makes the local assembly a body complete with parts like a natural one.

Paul writes to the Corinthians and he speaks of himself being with them by the spirit of Christ when he's a long ways away from them physically. Do you believe this? I ask you, do you believe this? But if you do not, because if you do not believe this, I would call you to repent of having supported ministry as a mere duty.

That's just a duty. Or perhaps for you, it was a show for you, like the Pharisees who Jesus saw praying on the street corners in order to be seen by men. Or maybe you thought God owes you some kind of special return on investment, an ROI.

Like the workers in Jesus' parable, the ones who were hired at all different times, and the ones who complained because they thought they deserved more. Perhaps you're sending this in and supporting the ministry because you think by doing so you'll be owed something in return.

None of which is true. Scripture says that when we enter into this, when we together support, we are together with them. How connected must you be? How connected are you? I think what Jesus said in Matthew 25, He said, truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to, who?

You did it to me, He says. Not just time and money, it's serving others as they serve Jesus, and we support them in Jesus' name, and He considered that as doing it to Him. And this is the depth, this is the strength of this connection that we need to see from Philippians chapter 4 and verse 10.

Are you getting an idea now of the value and the importance of your gospel participation? Can you join that roadshow people a little bit? Are you starting to be shocked and amazed? Saying, I had no idea the value of this thing, and I'm beginning to see it.

I hope I'm dusting off some of the cobwebs of a long ignored possession. I hope you're beginning to see how greatly you've undervalued it. I hope I've added some trouble to your life. I hope the trouble I've added to your life is their troubles, our missionary's troubles, that you're seeing that they are your troubles.

And you need to feel them in your spirit, in that manner. Their successes are our successes. Not that we did the work, you understand the connection I'm arguing for. The glory is all God's, the credit is all Jesus, the power to do anything at all for God is by His Spirit, who alone keeps you as branches in Jesus who is the true vine.

That's John chapter 15. But when you read or when you hear our missionary's reports, you must hear or read them as your report. As if you were literally there, because the scripture says it's literally your trouble.

And I would extend and say, your success. They're partners in giving and receiving. Giving and receiving, did you hear that? What they gave was support, but what did they receive? Verse 17 says, Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

Spiritual Fruit and Reward in Gospel Giving

So what do you get for entering into all this trouble? What do you get for not running away from all this trouble? And understand that yes, I am connected in that way, that is what the scripture says.

Not that God owes you or me or anybody else anything. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. God gives spiritual returns because of the premium that He places on your gospel participation.

He gives spiritual returns. Not an ROI on the monies that are given, obviously not that. Spiritual returns, growth in the Lord Jesus Christ. Greater strides in holiness and sanctification. The fruit that increases to your credit.

Paul's desire was for this, for spiritual growth. Fruit for his supporters. As he did with the previous word for fellowship, here he uses a strengthened word for that word seek. Not just something he wants, but a heart's desire.

A special strengthening of that word. It's more than just setting your sights on a goal, it's an all-in heartfelt consuming desire for something. Like the Gentiles when Jesus said, Seek after these things.

Like the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 -14, who seek a homeland other than this earthly one. It's you, Christian. Spoken of in Hebrews 13 -14, who seek the city that is to come. Something deeper than just, Yeah, I'd like that.

That's a good thing and I want it. I'll put some effort into it. A strengthened seeking. Fruit is spiritual returns. Jesus, what I alluded to a few moments ago, John chapter 15, I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is who bears much fruit. This is all Paul's talking about. Bearing fruit, but in our immediate context, the Philippians bear fruit by this connection with those you support.

Bear fruit that way. And he goes on, Jesus goes on and says, for apart from me, you can do nothing. Have you ever wondered how this actually happens? This bearing of spirit produced, Christ glorifying God, honoring fruit.

This spiritual progress that brings holiness and sanctification to your person and greater strides into the image of Christ Jesus. Have you ever wondered how this actually happens? The Scriptures promise spiritual growth to you when you enter this way into the gospel ministries that you support.

That you are truly together with, in fellowshipping with those whom you are supporting. Paul didn't need their money. That's verse 10 through 13. We spoke of that last week. He didn't desire their money.

He didn't seek after it in any way. What he did desire was for the Philippians to know Jesus Christ more and more. To trust Jesus Christ more and more. To be more and more like Jesus Christ even while he was bringing Christ to those who didn't know him.

You know, a cynic might look at this and think of somebody like good old Huckleberry Finn. And I love that scene that Mark Twain drew up of him painting that fence. He's being punished for something. Remember, he's whitewashing the fence?

And these boys, these friends come along and they're teasing him because he has to paint the fence. And before you know it, Huck Finn has got them seeing what fun he's having and it looks so attractive to paint the fence that he gets them to give him money, give him trinkets in order to let them have the privilege of painting the fence.

That's not what Paul is doing when he pushes off this reward and says he's not really seeking it. He's not doing anything like that humorous scene in Huck Finn. It does let us ask, why would God reward anyone for anything?

Were not they, the Philippians, like us, just unworthy servants, Luke 17, 10, who have done only their duty, nothing to boast about? Well, Hebrews 6, 10 gives us a resounding answer to a question like that, if that came to your mind.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, and you still do. It's not because he owes it to you or anyone else. It's by his nature that he rewards your work and your love in serving the saints.

A Sacrifice Acceptable and Pleasing to God

What is your participation in the gospel? It's a real connection to those whom you support. It is a real sharing in their trouble. It is a way that God brings spiritual fruit and growth in your life. And finally, your participation in the work of the gospel is a sacrifice to God himself.

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. Now I want you to focus on the end part of verse 18 there. A language that sounded like sacrificial language, like temple or tabernacle kind of priestly sacrificial language.

This kind of language relating to a sacrifice is a bit rare in the Bible. The full payment Paul received is the gifts that Epaphroditus delivered. Now if you have the idea that your support of the ministry of this church is just something that you do out of habit or do out of duty or do out of guilt, you need to rethink this.

You must rethink this. If your support is an act that comes from faith in Christ and praise God, but I still doubt that you value it highly enough. I still doubt you value it highly enough. Now listen again to these words that Paul uses to describe these gifts.

Your support, your support of the ministry. A fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable to God, a sacrifice pleasing to God. The fragrant offering that should remind you of Noah's burnt offering there in Genesis chapter 8.

You remember when he came out of the ark after the floodwaters had receded? God's anger had been completed at men's sin and he offered up a burnt offering. And when the smoke reached God, Genesis 8 .21 says, God smelled a pleasing aroma.

And other English versions, I think, get a little bit better when they say he smelled a soothing aroma or a quieting aroma. Soothing his anger and sin, quieting down his wrath against our iniquities because he had answered it with the flood.

This is the fragrant offering that Paul says that your participation in gospel ministry actually is. This is God's valuation of it. It's an acceptable sacrifice. Your participation is more than just money you give or the help you bring.

It is a sacrifice to God. It's acceptable to him. In the book of Leviticus, you can read how the animal sacrifices were brought in the temple and when everything was done correctly, the worshiper would place his hand on the animal's head and he would confess his sin.

And then the beast would die in his place and then it was what? Accepted by God. It's the language that Paul uses here, that your sacrifice, your donations, your participation in prayer, in money, in time, in resource is a sacrifice acceptable to God.

Scripture says your whole life really is that sacrifice. Romans 12 .1 says, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Valuable to God, like 1 Peter 3 .4, speaking to the wives, says, but let your adorning the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Or 1 Peter 1 .7, the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Your sacrifice, and it is a sacrifice, in the sense that we usually mean that word. A sacrificial offering is seen by God as a sacrifice to Him, to the very person of God. How is it acceptable? A sacrifice had to be perfect.

Your sacrifice had to be unblemished. It had to be without any fault at all to be accepted by God. Which of us can do that? Which of you can do that? Not one of us could ever. How are we accepted? How are your sacrifices acceptable, God?

How can Paul use such language as this? A sacred offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God, well, it's because of Jesus Christ. It's because of your faith in Jesus Christ, because when God looks at you as a person, when He looks at you as a sinner, when He looks upon your sacrificial offerings to the ministry, He sees Jesus.

Because by faith you go to Him in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we boldly enter the throne of grace. How do we do so? By the blood of Christ. By faith in Him, in Jesus Christ. By that will, Hebrews 10 .10, by the will of God, we've been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

We've been sanctified, we've been made holy, we've been made acceptable by Him. Do you know Jesus Christ? Is your faith in Him? Is He the reason that you sacrifice on Sunday morning to come here and to sing the praises with the rest of us?

To pray with us on Wednesday nights? To join the Bible study on Friday nights? This sacrifice that supports this ministry, is it because of Him? Because He's the one who sanctifies us so that we will be acceptable to God.

Ephesians 5 .2 And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. A fragrant offering, that same language, and sacrifice to God. Philippians 2 .17 we handled several weeks ago. Paul says, even if I'm to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, and how do you have faith?

By grace you've been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God. Not of works so that no one can boast. Your faith, the sacrificial offering of your faith that God gave you, Paul says, I am glad and rejoice with you.

Last week we spoke about contentment. And it really does relate here, though I've divided the messages in two, obviously. Do you know this contentment we spoke of last week? Where Paul says he's learned to be content in whatever situation he is?

Well, here is a key. Here is one of the keys, if not the key to that. Knowing that your service in the Lord Jesus Christ is a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God. Does that not give you contentment in whatever situation you are, from which you make this sacrificial offering?

Know that His riches and glory is the standard by which you will be repaid. Something I cannot put a figure to, but I can tell you that God's Word says you will be paid according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

Do you have that contentment? Do you know this level of participation in the ministry? If not, there's only a few possibilities. Perhaps you're not really a Christian. Perhaps you have not closed, as we like to put it, with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Is your faith in Him? Has God truly given you faith to believe in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made, by which your sacrifices are acceptable to Him? Do you believe this Gospel message? That if you call upon the name of the Lord, you will be saved?

Perhaps you are a Christian, and you still have your eyes set on things of earthly value, which is to say that you desire what God in His wisdom says you don't need. My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.