Philippians 4:18-23 "A Fragrant Aroma"

The Misery of Sin and the Hope of a New State of Grace

What's this?

Misery is like, like, hurt.

Hurt, okay, yeah, that's good.

That's part of misery.

What do you think?

Sin. Sin, that's part of it.

Alright.

So, what is the misery of that, say, Warrington Manifold? Let's look at the answer to that question. So, all mankind... Alright, I need everyone to help read it with me. Let's read the question to the children.

Here we go.

All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. Okay, so there's a lot there, right?

So, part of the state of misery that we are in because of Adam and Eve's disobedience because of their sin, the first thing, okay, it's all of us, all of mankind. Everybody, you remember back to previous question, everybody through natural generation, okay, everybody that was born and has, right?

You guys all born from your mom like normal, right?

Have a mother and father?

Uh-huh.

Okay, so all mankind, by the fall of Adam, we all fell. We lost communion with God. We lost our relationship with God, okay? We can't just walk with Him in the garden as Adam was doing, okay? Sin separates us, so we don't just have that communion.

We don't have that relationship, okay?

And additionally, not only do we not have a relationship with God, but we are under His wrath and curse.

Does that sound good?

What is wrath?

It's bad.

Who knows what wrath is?

Okay, well, it's related to sin.

What, Lydia?

Not quite.

Okay, so wrath would be the—. Yes, ma 'am?

The anger and wrath.

Yeah.

So God's wrath is God's anger, okay, for sin, for disobedience, right?

It's just wrath.

And part of it is curse, okay? Curse is the punishment. It's also the blessing, okay? So because of sin, we're under God's wrath and curse, and we're also made liable, or we're going to be able to take part in, whether we want to or not, the miseries in this life, okay?

What are miseries?

Those are bad things. So the bad things in this life, even to death itself, okay?

You guys have bad things?

You scraped your knees, right? You've gotten sick, right?

You've gotten sick.

You fell two times with a heart attack. All these things are part of misery, and there's worse things, okay? So misery in this life and to death itself, and after death, to the pains of hell forever, okay?

That's what we have earned. That's what we are now because it's in this fallen state, okay?

So does that sound good?

That doesn't sound good at all.

That's pretty bad, okay? And if we just left that answer to that question, we'd be in a pretty sad state, right? We'd be in a state of sin and misery, okay?

But did God just leave us there?

No.

What did he do?

He saved us.

How did he save us?

Good job, Addy.

How did he save us?

He died on the cross.

He died on the cross. What were you going to say?

He died on the cross.

Yeah, he came and died.

Jesus died on the cross.

Good job.

So we don't have to stay in that state of sin and misery. God came down, right? Took on a body of flesh and bones, okay? And the person of Jesus Christ and lived a perfect life that we could not live.

And he took the wrath of God. He took the curse that we deserve on that cross. He took the hell that we deserve on that cross, okay? And then he rose from the dead, conquering grave, conquering death, conquering hell, okay?

So if we put our trust in Jesus and repent of our sin and put our faith in him, then we don't have to stay in this state, okay? We don't have to be in a state of misery, but God will put us into a new state, a state of grace.

And we'll learn more about that, okay, as we go through these catechism questions. Does that make sense?

So let's pray.

Let's thank God for not leaving us in a state of misery. Dear God, we thank you that even though through Adam's sin and through our own sin that we deserve your wrath, we deserve justice, we deserve help.

But we thank you that you have saved us from that through your son. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for our sins and not staying dead, that you were resurrected, you conquered hell and grave and death, and that you came to give us a new life, to deliver us into a new state, a state of grace, where we can look forward to all the pain, all the misery of this life being wiped away, everything being made new and better, and where we can be with you forever.

So we thank you, pray for these little ones, that they would understand this truth. And for us older ones as well, that we would embrace, that we live every life in reflection of this reality. So we thank you, and in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Introduction to Philippians 4 and the Final Message in the Series

Bulletin right there. My wife had a misprint on one of the bulletins this morning, and she was like, Brayden, you're not doing catechism, so here, you don't need this. And it was the one sitting up here and the one that Rick grabbed over there, so that's fine.

It's a blessing again to see each one of us here today. Let us go ahead and begin with a word of prayer before we even read God's word and his text here for us today. But we're going to be in Philippians 4, verse 18, all the way to the end of the chapter.

And this is the end of the book, so this is our last message in the series of sermons and messages and exhortations that we've had in the book of Philippians. I'm sure we'll come back here in another future date, and I'm sure we'll reference it several times in months to come and years to come.

However, this is going to be the last message in this book for us right now. So let us go ahead and pray before we read these things. Lord God, I thank you for your inspired word, Lord. The confidence that each one of us can take in knowing that this is spoken by you to your church, Lord.

For the edification of the saints, that we can take confidence and know that you have revealed yourself here in this book of Philippians. Lord, this is sufficient for us. Lord, let us today look at these things and draw from the well the spring of life that is in this text for us.

That we might go this week being renewed from your word. Lord God, I would ask that my tongue, Lord, would be bridled to proclaim only the truth that is in here. Lord, let us not go an ounce or a step further than what you have here for us together as a church.

But Lord, let the very words, the very hearing, the very thinking, the very heart, the very receiving of this text glorify you. Lord, may this text glorify you not just today, not just this week, but Lord, let it glorify you until you come again.

Until there is a new song sung by each one of us, Lord. God, I ask this, we ask this, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ who humbled himself and died for us. We say this in his name, amen. Brothers and sisters, I think it would be fitting for today in reading this last verses of the text, let us stand in reverence to God's word as we read over these things.

So please just stand with me as we read verse 18 through 23 from the book of Philippians, verse 18 through 23. But I have received everything in full and have abundance. I have been filled, having received from Ephroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

And my God will fulfill all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and father be the 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. Let us pray over this text before we are seated. Lord, God, as we are standing here now, let us be reminded that we stand upon the cornerstone, the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

And Lord, I would ask today that as we see Paul himself saying that to you be the glory forever and ever, Lord, that we might echo that today, shouting that today to you be the glory forever, Lord, because you are worthy of such.

Lord, let us seek after wanting to give you the glory that you are deserving and repent in all dust and ashes over the ways that we have failed to recognize, the ways that we have failed to proclaim, the ways that we have failed to glorify you.

And knowing that you have covered all those sins and the righteousness of Christ, may you receive glory upon glory. Lord, I would ask this today again in the man of sorrows, name Jesus Christ, amen. Brothers and sisters, please be seated today as we look and examine this wonderful text of Philippians chapter four, verse 18 through 23.

The Humility of Christ and the Theme of Philippians

I want to remind us today of what we have covered in a grand sweep in the many months that we've been here in the book of Philippians. And as we said at the very beginning of this book, it was hard to nail down.

As Paul often does, he has a major theme in addressing a church typically, where he has a major theme of theology that he's trying to get a point across to certain individuals. And when we approach the book of Philippians, we discussed how Philippians is a difficult one to nail down exactly one theological truth that Paul was trying to hammer in.

I think I would assume that as we could see from Philippians chapter two, the humility of Christ and the service theme therein of Jesus saving us, God in flesh, saving those that are undeserving, I think would be a rather good theme that we could maybe say as an overarching theme we can see here in the text.

And I think that we would see that even from the first chapter that for Paul to live is Christ. What is he meaning by that? Was Christ crowned with gold and adorned with jewels when he was here 2 ,000 years ago?

No, he suffered. He did a work for the kingdom of God that is uncomparable to any other work that we could ever do. And he suffered while doing all those things. As Pope Paul is saying, in my humility, in my suffering, in my own persecution, for me to live is to mimic that which Christ has lived, not in a way seeking the punishment of man, but in a way that glorifies God in such a radical way that persecution would come.

But for him to die is gain. And so we see in there, because he did these things in Christ, the surpassing value of knowing Christ, the humility of what Christ has done for us, he is saved, and therefore he was rewarded with a gain that he is undeserving.

Likewise, we are rewarded with a gain that we are undeserving, just as Brother Paul in this text is saying. And what a remarkable thing, as we have seen countless times, and we'll see it in this text again, that Paul regards these churches, these fellow saints, as brothers and sisters in Christ.

And brothers, I would encourage you, beloved Church of Valley Baptist, that you look at one another and you recognize the value and the meaning that it is to be a part of the family of God. And not only this, the looking around this room and seeing one another, but seeing the transcendent truth that you can look through time, and you look to Paul's letter here, and you say, Paul was a brother in Christ.

This is a great reality that we have in the entrance of coming into this new covenant that has been mediated by Jesus Christ, the better mediator, as we've seen in the book of Hebrews over and over again in our Bible studies.

Contentment in Christ in Abundance and in Suffering

But Paul is writing this again at the end of this letter. He's writing it and he's finishing and he's concluding his letter to the Church of Philippi. Last week, we talked about how Paul's final exhortation in this last chapter here has been talking about how he has learned to be content in all things, because his content in life comes from the transcendent being, God, and His incarnation, Jesus Christ.

That he is content in Christ so that when he lives in life, whether it's through abundance or it's through lacking, whether it's through reward or persecution, Paul's found the secret to life, and that is to be content in Christ.

Because he seeks after Christ, His face, and all the glory that lies therein. Paul also last week, and something that we are going to continue on from this week as we look at verse 18, Paul also taught last week to this church and to us as well, because this is inspired from God.

He teaches to us today the acceptable fruit of sanctification from the Church of Philippi, sending to Paul a gift. Them sending this gift to Paul was not to receive a reward, but it was something that Paul saw as God has caused the growth from the planting and the watering that he himself and other disciples and apostles of God have been doing.

He sees that them sending this gift, and we're not told what this gift is explicitly, Paul's saying, I rejoice that you're growing in the Lord. I rejoice that you are bearing the fruit of righteousness.

Because this is telling to me that those labors that I have done, the very prison that I'm in today for Paul has not gone in vain. It is actually something that God is rewarding, God is causing to grow in a marvelous way, and Paul recognizes that and rejoices that they're glorifying and serving Jesus Christ in the sending of a gift to Paul.

And so we come off the back of that here in verse 18. So let us see what verse 18 says. It says, But I have received everything in full and have an abundance. Paul does not, again, reference exactly what he has received from the church, but his abundance, again, is Paul in a great place in this text?

No, he's not. Paul says these things while he himself is in the midst of persecution. He's saying, I received everything in full and abundance. That's a challenging thing for any of us in our persecutions or trials or hardships.

Can any of us say those things as we're going through them? I hope we can. I hope we can get to that point to learn to be content just as Paul is content here in this text to say such a statement. But Paul says it nonetheless.

And the question has to be asked, why is Paul continually doing this here in verse 18? Why is he saying I receive everything in full and have abundance that he has been filled? Again, it's because he isn't taking what if it was food that was given to him.

He's not saying I'm taking the nourishment of the food to find contentment. I'm taking the fact that it's the fruit of yours, the fruit of Christ covering you in his righteousness, that you are a part of that true vine, Jesus Christ, and you're bearing fruit.

And I'm taking the nourishment from knowing that and I'm glorifying God and I have abundance in this way. I am full in this way. Paul's rejoicing again from seeing the very fruit that he himself took part in planting.

The seedlings of the gospel have gone forth in this world. And even beyond that, as we read this text, I find this truly remarkable that Paul in prison is seeing the gift given to him by to him from a church that he helped water, helped plant.

He's rejoicing in those things. And we as a church, 2000 years later, are reading and glorifying God over what Paul has done 2000 years ago. Again, Paul has bore much fruit. And it is brought about a thing that now we bear fruit because we're implanted or grafted into the same vine that Paul himself was engrafted into.

Jesus Christ, us bearing fruit of worship and praise and preaching and teaching all from this inspired letter of God. I think Paul would rejoice today knowing that a letter of his is being used to glorify God.

He would rejoice over this just as he's rejoicing over the gift. Now, this is an important thing for us to talk about, especially in light of doing evangelism here in this week. The truth that sometimes ministry that we do unto the Lord might be met with disappointment.

It might be met with prison or sometimes even worse than those things. When we do things unto the Lord, it can be met with terrible things to us physically, oftentimes, or even numerically. And seeing what it looks like to us, it can be very disappointing to us.

What happens if you desired? Let's just go through an example of something here. If you felt the desire, the calling in your life to go and preach the gospel in a small town of Mexico. Let's say that was something God had put on your heart today to do.

And you come and you say, Braden or church, I wish to go serve a mission in Mexico, live the rest of my days there, preaching the gospel that has saved me in the town of Mexico. Would you still go if I told you that you're going to be burned at the stake?

Next week, I know you will. Would you still desire to go to Mexico and preach the gospel? What happens if I told you that you going to Mexico and preaching the gospel means you're going to be eaten by cannibals?

Besides saying, Braden, you're not a prophet and I would never claim to be so, but let's just say I know for whatever reason that they're eating Christians down there in Mexico and I have a high probability or you have a high probability of falling victim of that kind of persecution.

Would you still wish to go to Mexico? What if I was to tell you in your calling in life to go to Mexico that you would lose your entire family, your friends would hate you and despise you for going? Would you still want to go knowing that you would lose so much that you value in life?

Would you still desire to go serve the Lord in Mexico? What if you were to lose your job, your possessions, or even your home? Would you still go to serve the Lord in Mexico? Brothers and sisters, knowing the persecutions that are laid ahead of you and even those persecutions that come to you, brothers and sisters, count the loss for you have gained Christ.

I want to read to you Acts 9 15 -16. We're going to read a couple of texts here. If you'd like to turn there, you can, but Acts 9 15 -16. After that, you might want to turn to 1 Corinthians 11 23 -29 because that's the larger text that we're going to read, but let's look here at Acts 9 15 -16.

Regarding Paul, regarding the persecution and suffering that he's in in prison, in the text of Philippians, we have this, But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel, for I will show to him how much he must suffer for my namesake.

The Lord, speaking about Paul, a chosen instrument, will suffer for my namesake. Paul, do you know how much suffering you're going to have in life? Paul, do you know the prisons and the cells that you will see in serving Jesus Christ?

Will you still go? I hope you are reminded of chapter 3 of the book of Philippians. I count all things as a loss in the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. I count it all as a loss.

It's okay.

Let me see 20 more prison jail cells. It doesn't matter because I know Jesus Christ. I count it as a loss. The family I had, it's loss because I know Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 11 23 -29. Let's read this together as a church here.

It says here in verse 23, For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed. And I would pause there and remind you that Jesus Christ knows all things, and yet he still walked the very steps he walked, knowing he was going to be betrayed, knowing that he would be crucified.

And that was to save you. That was to glorify God on high. And yet he still walked that same path. Yet he still was crucified upon the cross. He was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body.

I apologize. I am reading a text that I was not meaning to read, but it works in beautifully. I was meaning 2 Corinthians 11 23 -29. Turn that way. But just know again that Jesus Christ walked this way, knowing his persecution.

How sweet is that, that the inspired word of God all works together in this glorious text in Philippians.

It does.

That should only confirm to you. In my error, in my misspeaking, it should only confirm to you that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that he loves his bride. He would do anything for her, to save her, to glorify himself, to glorify the Father.

And here in 2 Corinthians 11 23 -29, let's read this together. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as if insane, I'm more so. This is Paul speaking in here. In far more labors, in far more imprisonments, in beatings without number, in frequent danger of death, five times I received from the Jews 40 lashings, less one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers from the city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers in the sea, dangers amongst false brothers.

I have been in labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in starvation and thirst, often hungry, in cold, and without enough clothing. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me, of concern for all the churches.

Who is weak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble without my burning concern? If you knew the persecutions that awaited you, and the hardships, and the pitfalls, and the bumps, and the potholes on the road, would you still go?

If you today understand, turn back to Philippians chapter 3, verse 7 through 8. But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as a loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.

If there was a shuddering in your voice, or in your mind as you considered, would I go to Mexico knowing I would be eaten by the cannibals? Stop the shuddering and say, yes, I would. Because I know how great Jesus Christ is.

Because of how great he is, no matter what is brought against you, whatever is persecuted to you, whatever thing it is, it is all unto the glory of the mighty Lord that you know. Look here again at Philippians chapter 4, verse 18 here.

It says that Paul, even in this persecution and suffering, he has a full and abundance. Why do you think he has that? Well, consider again that 2 Corinthians, I did it again, 2 Corinthians 11 text. My concern is bearing down on my shoulders over the church.

And here he is in this text receiving something from the church that shows they love God. You can almost imagine that as Paul has been weighed down in prison, his load just was relieved a little bit, knowing that this church is a buttress of truth.

I have been filled having received from Ephroditus, what you have sent. Listen to what Paul references to whatever it says. So it says a fragrant aroma and an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. You shouldn't read this and think that they sent him a scented candle or something along those lines.

That's not what this church sent. It's saying whatever it sent was something that was pleasing to God as a sacrifice. So whatever that looked like, it was pleasing to God as a fragrant aroma. What is Paul referring to?

Exodus 29, 18, you shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a soothing aroma and offering by fire to the Lord. Second Corinthians chapter two, verse 14, it says, but thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifest through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.

Ephesians 5, 2 and walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. This week I found myself smoking a tobacco pipe at work and watching the whiffs of smoke twirl in the wind and finding the scent pleasing to myself.

And I was actually reading this text while doing so and studying for today and thinking about how the service that we do for the Lord is a fragrant aroma. That sweet smell that was produced that day, I found myself in tears sitting and petitioning unto God that I know I am just a vapor of the air.

But the Lord would see the works done by myself, the works done as a church, us together, as a work that was done for his kingdom and that he would see it as something pleasing to himself. Whether it's the preaching of the gospel or being the husband to a wonderful wife or being the father of many children or tending the sheep of God, that all these services, all these efforts, all these ways that are seeking to glorify God would actually be an acceptable means of service to Yahweh.

It would be a fragrant aroma. And as Paul says in here, that it would be an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. Paul's saying, I accept what you have done, church, in these ways and things. And it is pleasing to God.

As an apostle, I have the authority to say such. Brothers and sisters, today, is the service that you do, is the works that you contend for, are they a fragrant aroma to God or are they just the stench of the dung of your sin?

I'm taken back to the glorious picture of what Isaiah paints for us in Isaiah chapter 6 when he sees the temple of Yahweh and the throne of Yahweh, and Yahweh exalted, lifted upon the throne, and he's hearing the worship from the cherubim, and he says in there, there's smoke and it fills the whole temple.

As the church and the bride of Christ today, as the temple that is made without physical walls, the temple that you and I are a part of, are we filling the temple of God, the very church of God, with the smoke and fragrant aroma that is pleasing to Him today?

I hope that you would think about this in your own life, in the context of your walk with Christ, and ask yourself, is it pleasing to Him? Verse 19, And my God will fulfill all your needs according to His riches in the glory in Christ Jesus.

Have our eyes, have your eyes, has this church's eyes, even in this text, been taken away from where they need to stay, and that is the cross of Christ? Have they been detracted to something else, something that is physical, something that is not lasting, something that will depart and be made new in the future?

Is our eyes falling upon the truth, the way, and the life, or is it falling on something that only steals your gaze away from it? My God will fulfill all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

You might think in that, that sounds like if I do X, Y, or Z things, or I say certain prayers, or I do this stuff that I will receive riches, and I will be able to drive around the city of Hagriman with my wonderful Porsche, or whatever the example is, right?

You might think that that's what this is talking about. Oh, how context will crush those thinkings. Paul is in prison proclaiming this truth. God will fulfill all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Did we not just read in Acts chapter 9 that Paul was going to suffer for the namesake of Christ, and here we read in here that your needs will be met according to the riches in glory in Christ Jesus. If our gaze is taken away from the cross, and it is placed in an item that is an idol, or an action, or something along the lines that takes us away from glorifying Christ, those things that we think are needs, which are probably the very thing that we're looking at, will one day depart from us, and you were never full with it.

You sought to fill yourself with it, but it never actually truly filled you. Paul is saying, if you keep your eyes upon Christ, and you seek after Him, and you do the things that are a fragrant aroma that are pleasing to the Lord, while knowing the surpassing value of Christ Jesus, if your eyes are focused there, Christ will meet your very needs.

And what is our needs? I feel like we can go back to the catechism question for the kids today, and see how we are in a state of misery, of sin, deserving the wrath, the eternal wrath of God, in a place of torment forever and ever.

If you know Christ, the need of escape will be met. The ministry that you do, the actions that you seek, whether it is going to prison, whether it is losing family and friends, whether it is losing your job, whether it is being eaten by a cannibal, I promise you, if your eyes are focused upon Christ, your needs will be met.

They will be full. And they will be full, not according to what you think is full, but they will be full according to the glory that is in Christ Jesus. Paul being hungry in prison, Paul being beaten and lashed.

For the sake of the gospel, as we saw there in 2 Corinthians, Paul's needs were full, and the riches in glory in Christ Jesus was seen. It was there, and I promise you that you too will experience this, as long as you keep your eyes, as long as God is drawing your eyes and your attention in that way, they will be met.

I promise you this. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. This is something that I, let's just look at Romans 11, 36. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.

Amen.

Paul continually does this in many of his letters as he directs our attention to want to glorify the only one that is worthy of worship, and that is God himself, our triune God. And so Paul in here again, likewise at the ending of his letter, is doing something that I love.

One of my favorite sayings in life is, it finds itself in, through the Reformation, is sola deo gloria. It's the saying, the Latin saying, meaning to God be the glory alone. And that's the teaching of scripture, that I should not receive glory, but the one who has done something for me, the undeserving one, to him be the glory forever and ever, alone to him be that glory.

Not to the vapors or the fragrant aromas, not to the sacrifices of sinful men, not to those things should there be any praise given, but only to Christ, the creator and the sustainer of all things, is to receive any glory at all.

And so in verse 22 and 23, we would also see in the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit. Again, this is a remarkable saying here in verse 22, especially those of Caesar's household.

What is Paul referring to when he says, the Caesar's household? He's talking about the citizens of Rome, who were under tremendous killings, persecutions.

He's saying,.

These Christians I know about, they greet you as well, Church of Philippi. The ones that are being beheaded every single day, the ones that are being made a public spectacle for the faith they have in Christ, they too greet you in the midst of their hardship and suffering.

Brothers and sisters, I want to say an echo to Valley Baptist in the same way that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, as Paul has exhorted this Church of Philippi, I want to exhort you and tell you that I love you all very dearly and I pray for you all very often.

I would ask today that we would pray right now that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ would be with our own spirits. And may this week be a week that we do service that is acceptable and pleasing unto the Lord.