Truth That Changes Lives

JP Jones: How do we have joy? When we focus on knowing Christ and loving Christ, and when we focus on loving people.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us on Truth That Changes Lives. Pastor JP Jones is the senior pastor of Crossline Community Church in Laguna Hills, California, and a professor in Biblical Studies at Biola University.

Today on Truth That Changes Lives, Pastor JP will be giving us a message from a series entitled Joy. Let's listen in as JP gives us part two of Philippians 4:10-23.

JP Jones: Paul had a certain humility with respect to sharing his needs, his heart, and where he was on the journey so that the Philippians could respond obediently by getting on the same page with him and reviving their concern for him.

Do you know it may be that you are missing this ingredient in your life because you're your own worst enemy? Because you're not letting anybody know what's really going on in your life so that they can get on the same page with you and show concern towards you and therefore cause you to greatly rejoice.

You know what I'm talking about? A lot of us are very guarded about how we're doing personally and spiritually and emotionally and psychologically and financially. Our guardedness is the very obstacle, the very obstacle that's causing people not to show us concern because they don't think we have any needs.

Then as a result, they're not able to meet our needs, and we are lacking in joy. It's a double whammy, because we're not only lacking in joy because we feel like our circumstances aren't what we want them to be, but we're lacking in joy because we're missing out on this great biblical, spiritual ingredient that's designed to give us joy, which is having other people show concern for us.

So here's a simple application. We need to have relationships that are truly authentic with one another. We share the good, the bad, and the ugly so that it gives people the opportunity to get on the same page and show concern for us. So if we have a need and people say, "How are you doing?" saying, "I'm great, I'm fine."

If you do that, don't get bugged if people never reach out to meet your needs. Don't get bugged if nobody ever gives you a phone call. Don't get bugged if nobody ever shares they're praying for you. Don't get bugged if nobody seeks to resource you, because you are the one that's the problem.

We talk about this by the way. We talk about this a lot in the context of the church because we find out oftentimes down the road about some need of somebody in the body, and it breaks my heart because I feel like, "Gosh, if we had only known, we could have prayed for them, we could have visited them, we could have provided some resources for them, we could have networked to get some people to help them." But instead, they went through that all alone. Then after the fact, we find out about it, and sometimes we find out about it and there's even a level of frustration on the person's part that no one cared for them. We didn't even know there was a problem.

That's why we have ministries designed to meet needs. We have a prayer ministry. We have a care ministry. We have a meals ministry. We have a visitation ministry. We have a benevolence fund. We've got ministries to meet the needs of people. We've got people who want to meet the needs of other people.

So whatever your need is this morning, it's okay to have that need. You know what? There's someone here in the body who wants to meet it. Guess what? It'll be a win-win-win. It'll be a win for you because you're going to have your needs met, and you're going to rejoice greatly because somebody is reaching out and showing concern.

It's going to be a win for that person because they're going to be able to share with someone else. It's going to be a win for God because he's going to get glorified out of the whole experience. Paul says, "I rejoice greatly, megalos." Why? Because you're showing concern for me.

Here's a second observation from this text about rejoicing. It's rejoicing in being content. Rejoicing in being content.

Paul says in verse 11 to 13, "I am not saying this," what he just said about, "Hey, I've greatly rejoiced because you've revived your concern for me." "I'm not saying this because I'm in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Paul talks about the secret of being content. The word for content here is the Greek word 'autarkes'. This is the only time that Paul uses it in his letters. He uses a derivative of the term, but this one use here in Philippians 4 is a unique usage. It means sufficient for oneself or not needing any outside aid or support.

This is what Socrates said about this word. This is how this word was used in ancient Greek literature, borrowed from ancient Greek literature, put into the New Testament. Socrates, the philosopher, said this, "The person who is the wealthiest is the one that is content with the least, for 'autarke'," which is the word, "is nature's wealth."

Socrates says, "Being content, that's more, that's more valuable than all the wealth that you can have. The wealthiest person is the person who has contentment." Paul says, "I've learned the secret of being content." That word 'secret' is from the Greek word 'musterion'. It's used very often by Paul in Ephesians and Colossians. There's the mystery of Christ, how Jesus Christ is the unique God-man, fully God and fully man. There's the mystery of the church, how God could take Jew, Gentile, male, female, old and young, and bring us all together in one body in Christ. The word 'musterion' is a word that means something you wouldn't figure out on your own. You only understand it if God made it known and revealed it.

So here contentment is a mystery. It's a secret. But he tells us what it's not based on. It's not based on circumstances. He says, "I'm not saying this because I'm in need for I've learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

So it's not based on circumstances. Now just think for a moment. We think if my life was just like this, I'd be content, right? We all do that. We picture some circumstance. Paul just says, "The secret of being content, it's not based on circumstances because I'm content, I've learned to be content no matter what the circumstances are."

So take that off your mental framework that if I could just have this scenario in my life, then I'd be content. No, you couldn't be. That's not it. Contentment is not based on having all our needs met. He says in verse 12, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I've learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." So, you could have all your needs met and not be content. You could have many of your needs not met and be content. It's not based on having all your needs met.

Contentment is not based on having an abundance. He says, "I know what it is to be in need. I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." You can be well-fed and have plenty and not necessarily be content.

So contentment, it's not based on circumstances, it's not based on having our needs met, it's not based on abundance. Guess what? It's not based on sacrificing everything either for the super spiritual folks out there. He says, "I know what it is to be in need. I know what it is to be hungry. I know what it is to be in want."

I had a conversation the other day, one of those jacuzzi ministry conversations. Lately because of my back injury, I'm blessed working out and more in the jacuzzi. I do these, you know, stretches and core exercises, and I sit in the jacuzzi a long time with the jet right on my back. So there's a guy that I've been talking to at the gym that I've seen for a while. He's an old football player and we, you know, reminisce about all our injuries and the glory days, and we're legends in our own minds, of course, you know.

So I was talking to him the other day and I think he asked me and he goes, "You know, are you a coach?" I thought I was a coach. I said, "No, I'm actually a pastor." And he stopped. It was one of those, up to this point I had a lot of conversations with him about sports and injuries and this and that, but we've never really talked about anything about Christ or spiritual things. So he in his mind had an idea of who I was and what I was all about, so I said, "I'm really a pastor." And he just stood there looking at me with this dumbfounded look like, and he's, you know, I could see his mind ticking away like, "Pastor?" And my face was not next to that definition in the dictionary.

He goes, "Really?" I go, "Yeah." He goes, "What kind of church do you pastor?" And I told him a little bit about our church. And then he just starts opening up all about his life. He's telling me about how he was raised. He was raised in a particular denomination and an upbringing. He found it very restrictive, and he found the ministers very inauthentic, and it really had turned him off. Then I shared my story. I talked to him about how I was, you know, I was raised a pagan. I have no religious background. I kind of told him about how I came to my relationship with Christ.

So we're sharing one another's stories there, and he comes back to this theme of his frustration with his religious upbringing, and he was talking about how in his religious background it was like pictured that to completely separate from the world and to be devoid of any type of normal life was, you know, really seen to be more spiritual. And I in the context of talking to him, I said, "Well, you know that idea is as old as Christianity." He said, "Really?" And I talked to him about the monastic lifestyle, and how in the early period of the church, there were certain people that thought the world was so evil and detrimental that they pulled away and lived in the desert.

There's these stories, amazing stories, of people who sacrificed all this stuff in order to kind of somehow live a more holy life. And I said, "But, you know what? If Christianity doesn't work in the real world, it doesn't work." I go, "My relationship with Jesus, it can't be only practical and functional when I'm living off in the desert, and there's no temptations or distractions or conflicts. It's got to be real in real life."

Paul says, "Hey, contentment, it isn't based on having everything, nor is it based on having nothing." Then he, I think, gives us a glimpse at the answer where contentment is really found because he says in verse 13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Contentment is found when we live out of that center. Contentment is found when we live out of reliance and dependence and trust in Jesus Christ. Contentment is found when at the core of our being, whether we have a lot or have little, whether we have all our needs met, some of our needs, or none of our needs met. Contentment is found when we at the core of our being are trusting, trusting in Christ.

Relying upon Christ, depending upon Christ, finding our life in Christ, being able to say like Paul, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." It's the words that are recorded in the ancient wisdom literature in Proverbs 3, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight."

It's the words of Jesus in John chapter 15, when Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Abide in me. Apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it'll be done for you. By this is my father glorified that you bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples. Abide in Jesus."

It's the words of the psalmist in Psalm 37 when the psalmist says this, "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong. For like the grass, they'll soon wither. Like green plants, they'll soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he'll give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he'll do this. He'll make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him, and don't fret at the success of others. Refrain from anger, turn away from wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evil. The meek will inherit the land and they will enjoy great pasture."

All those times in that Psalm, it's talking about, "Trust in the Lord. Commit your way to the Lord. Be still before the Lord." Paul says, "I've learned the secret of being content. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." So what's our application? Well, we need to ask God to purge our desires and our confidences so that at the very core of our being we are trusting in Christ alone to give us contentment.

Here's one last observation. Rejoicing in mutual giving and receiving for the cause of the Gospel. Rejoicing in mutual giving and receiving for the cause of the Gospel. Paul says this, "It's good for you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the Gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you only. For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent to me again and again when I was in need. Not that I'm looking for the gift, but I'm looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more. I'm amply supplied. Now that I've received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. They are a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and father be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Well, Paul is talking about financial giving and receiving. Paul was a missionary. The church of Philippi had shared in ministry with him and were financially supporting. And the revival of their concern was a financial concern. They were sending financial support so that Paul could continue in his ministry. Paul was receiving that, and he was thanking them for that and acknowledging God's presence in that giving and receiving partnership, and he was promising God's blessing upon them because they were participating in that giving and receiving partnership.

It's what I love about the Bible. It's living in the real world because Paul had just said, "I've learned the secret of being content. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But then he says, "It's good that you share in meeting my needs." Paul didn't just sit back and go, "Oh, God's going to meet all my needs." No, he said, "I have a need. Would you help me out?" And then when they helped him out, praise God that God met his needs. "Well, I thought it was the Philippians who did it."

You know, I have learned something by the way, and you know, this may torque you out. I don't get stressed out about the things in the Bible that seem to be paradoxes or mysteries. I don't, "Hmm, how could it be God who met his needs when it was really the Philippians? Or how could he could ask for the Philippians to meet his needs when he just said he's content when God alone meets his needs?" "Oh, I better figure that one out and write a doctoral dissertation on that." No! I just say, "It's, it's just, it's just both true." Come on. God meets our needs. How does he meet our needs? Through people. And when people meet our needs, we thank the people and we thank God.

Paul says, "This church financially supported him," and he received that financial support and that giving and receiving was a divine pattern and was a source of joy both for the giver and the receiver. Do you know that? Do you experience that? It's really true. When we are in sync with this divine pattern, whether you are a giver or a receiver, there's joy.

There's joy when you're receiving gifts from others so that you can serve Christ. There's joy when you're giving gifts to people so that others can serve Christ. Giving and receiving is a divine pattern. So whether you're a giver or receiver, when you're obedient and participating in it, you get joy, and God gets glory. And people get served and get to hear the Gospel.

Paul says something very profound here in fact, because he says, "I have received from Epaphroditus," he's one of the companions of Paul, one of the early ministers along with the apostles. He says, "The gifts you sent," so he's talking about a financial gift. Paul is out serving Christ, the church at Philippi was praying for him, they put together a financial gift. They gave it to Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus brings it to Paul. Paul says, "I've received the gift you sent. They're fragrant offerings, acceptable sacrifices, pleasing to God." Now, fragrant offering, acceptable sacrifice, that's language of worship. And what's he talking about? Financial gifts.

When we from a pure heart release our finances so that God's ministry could be supplied and served, we're worshiping. That's why when we receive our offering on a regular basis, it's not just to pay the bills. I mean, it does do that. But there's something deeper spiritual. I hope when you give, whether you give a little or you give a lot, you give as a worshiper because God, when you give it as a worshiper, guess how God receives it? As an act of worship.

When we share missionaries here and we talk about what they're doing and where they're going and how we're praying for them and we say, "Out on the patio, we got a mission kiosk, and if you believe in what they're doing, go out and tell them thanks for what they're doing. If you want to support their ministry, you know, you can give it to them whether it's Campus Crusade or whether it's Faith Quest or whether it's one of the other mission organizations that we support." And when you write your check, guess what? You're worshiping.

When you help out Father Sarah's food pantry ministry, local ministry that we support here in the community, to feed and clothe, help people, and you provide for that and you bring food or you donate clothes or you give money for that, you know what you're doing? You're worshiping. And the receiver gets blessed, and the giver gets blessed. Because this principle of giving and receiving is a divine principle, and when we practice it, we get joy.

And something else, because this verse in verse 19 is a great promise, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." How many of you ever heard that verse before? "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Okay, a lot of us. Some of us haven't heard it. I've heard people use this verse and quote this verse and claim this verse because they're facing some kind of a need, and they want God to help them with that, and they say, "Well, the Bible says, 'My God will meet all your needs according to the riches and glories in Christ Jesus.'" And it does say that, but every verse has a context behind it. And a verse out of context is a pretext.

Who did Paul say to, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus"? He said that to the church at Philippi. What did he just say about the church at Philippi? They had given freely to meet his needs. They had worshiped by financially participating in giving and receiving. And because they were obedient worshipers practicing this principle of giving and receiving, God says to them, "And my God shall meet all your needs through his riches and glory in Christ Jesus."

Guess what? If you're not practicing giving and receiving as an obedient worshiper, you can't claim that promise that God's going to meet all your needs through his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. On the other hand, if you are, if you are practicing this principle of giving and receiving, you're going to get joy because it's one of the principles of joy here, and you're going to have the assurance that God is going to meet all your needs through his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. You know what God's into? He's into win-win-win. Win for him, he gets glory. Win for people who have needs, they get their needs met. And win for people who have resources, they get the privilege of giving.

What's the application of this? We need to look for and follow through on opportunities to give. We need to look for and follow through on opportunities to give. See, Paul's been real practical as he closes out this book. It's a practical book. It's how to have joy. And it really comes down to the principles that he started with in chapter one. How do we have joy? When we focus on knowing Christ and loving Christ, and when we focus on loving people. When that's what our life is about, loving Christ and loving people, that's when we can live with the fullness, megalos, of joy.

Guest (Male): What a great message for all of us today. Pastor JP provides us with great insight. That is why we'd like to make it available to you on CD. Just get in touch and mention today's date. We'll send it your way for just $5. Or if you'd like to support this ministry, you can write us at Truth That Changes Lives, 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 92653. Or give us a call at 949-916-0250. That's 949-916-0250. For your gift of $25 or more, we will send you a signed copy of JP's new book, *Facing Goliath*.

Please join us every Sunday at 9 or 11 AM at Crossline Church in Laguna Hills. The address is 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 92653. Or check us out on the web at crosslinechurch.com. We're going to get to the address and phone number again in a moment, but before we do that, Pastor JP, do you have any insight from today's message?

JP Jones: Thanks, Greg. Here in Philippians chapter 4, Paul closes out the book of Philippians and once again hits on this theme of joy. What he says is that joy comes from loving Christ and loving people. You know, it just seems that the whole Bible comes down to that. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 22, when asked what's the greatest commandment, he said it's to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second, which is like unto it, to love your neighbor as you love yourself. It's all about our relationship with God and our relationship with people.

The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4, verses 10 to 23, that he had that kind of relationship, one with God and one with people. He says that from God he experienced the secret of being content, and he understood how to do all things through Christ who strengthened him. His relationship with Christ was firm, it was solid, it was central in his life. Paul had an abiding relationship with Christ. He experienced what Jesus talked about in John chapter 15, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, then you'll bear much fruit." So Paul had an abiding relationship with Christ, out of which he was content, and out of which he had confidence to live his life.

He had a loving relationship with people. It was evident here with the folks from the church at Philippi. Paul was a missionary, and he was supported by the people at Philippi. They prayed for him and they financially supported him. He's thanking them for the gift that they had given to him, the financial gift. He says, "I thank you that you've given me this financial gift, but what I really want is the spiritual blessing to accrue to your account. I want you to experience the fullness of joy that I have as a servant of God."

It's when we have these kind of mutual relationships with people that we express love to people, and they express love back to us, that we can experience the true community that God calls us to as followers of Jesus Christ. This is this is part of the Christian life. The Christian life was never intended to be lived in isolation. God doesn't want us to be lone rangers, people who just talk about our relationship with God, but he wants us to be people who are fully integrated, who have a growing, healthy relationship with him that is expressed in healthy relationships with people.

Paul had both, a love for Christ and a love for people, and as a result, he experienced joy. That's how we can experience joy. We can experience joy when we are constantly growing in our love for Jesus Christ, and we're constantly growing in our love for people. That means we both receive from people their ministry to us and we give back to people our ministry to them.

Are you in those kind of community relationships with people? Are you in a small group? Are you in covenant relationships with other believers where you are receiving from them their love, and you are giving back to them your love? That's a true source of joy in the Christian life. It's an expression of our love for Christ. It is demonstrating authentic Christianity.

Paul says here in Philippians chapter 4 that we grow in our experience of God's joy when we love Christ and we love people. God, thank you so much that you've called us to a relationship with you, and you've called us to have that relationship with other believers. So I pray that you would make us strong in our love for you, strong in experiencing your love for us, and strong in sharing that love with others. God, make us people who have the joy of the Lord as our strength. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Guest (Male): We want to help you in your relationship with Christ. Please get in touch with us at Truth That Changes Lives, 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 92653. Or call us at 949-916-0250. On the internet, you will find us at crosslinechurch.com. We hope to see you at one of our services every Sunday at our new campus in Laguna Hills. For more information and directions, please go to crosslinechurch.com. Please join us next time on Truth That Changes Lives.