Philippians 4:14–23

Bringing the sermon home:

The heart-transformation brought by the gospel should stir a desire within us to be used by God to help others come to know Him as we have come to know Him. With a passion to see God worshipped as He ought to be worshipped, both for the good of the worshipper and for the glory of God, Christians are called to partner together as local churches to minister God’s Word to our neighbors, as well as to partner with missionaries who are taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The call to gospel partnership is a call to sacrificially give of our time, our talents (gifts, abilities), and our treasures (material resources), both in support of local ministries and foreign missions. The Philippians exemplified this well in supporting Paul, not just while he was with them (Acts 16:15, 33-34), but after he had was sent elsewhere (2 Cor 11:9; Phil 4:10-18), such that he describes their gifts as “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” and bringing them “fruit that accrues to [their] account”, most notably, “treasures in heaven” (Matt 6:19-20).

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:28)

(See follow-up article here.)