Thank you, Mark, for leading us. Good morning to everyone. Snowy morning. Maybe we're coming towards the end. We're getting there. Another month, we can start hoping for spring.

So I had a guy call me from Ironwood. Things are getting crazy in this world. He called at 5 o'clock this morning. Name was Andrew. And he had a plan for beating inflation for eggs. And he wanted to trade me three silver dimes for 18 eggs. So it's getting a little strange. I sold three dozen eggs to a lady yesterday. So I've come this morning to announce my retirement. 

Well, this morning, we come to the end of our study of the book of Philippians. And this has been a very encouraging and convicting study for me. I hope the Lord has also been working through this book in your lives. The main thrust of the book has been joy and unity in the body, humility, having the same mind, the same purpose, working together toward the furtherance of the gospel. 

In this last section, we see Paul commend the believers in Philippi for their willingness to minister to him and meet his needs, to share in his distress and give him what he needs, not only to help him in his ministry, but most of all, to encourage Paul and fill him up in this time of difficulty. We've seen the tremendous relationship that the believers there have with Paul, how much they love one another, and the desire they have to care for one another, to encourage and to seek the fruit that comes from the power and provision of God. 

My brothers and sisters, this is a great picture of what the church should be, what our focus should be, where our passion should lie, and how we should help and encourage one another. Real ministry is about real people. And we see this familiar truth at the end of all of Paul's letters, a special love relationship that believers have, fellowship in Christ, like-mindedness in this difficult world, a purpose given by God, and a desire to glorify him in all that we do. We need one another. 

God has given us each other so that we might encourage and strengthen one another, grow together, and together bear fruit in witness and in holiness for the glory of God. This is what life is really all about. And this is what we see in the end of this wonderful letter to the Philippians.

You look at verse 14 in chapter 4 with me. Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Well, I've given you five points on your outline this morning. First, sharing in distress. Second, seeking fruit. Third, a sweet aroma. Fourth, supplying need. And fifth, saints in Christ. 

In verse 11, Paul says, not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned whatever state I am in to be content. I know how to be abased. I know how to abound everywhere. And in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Paul has just declared his sufficiency, his contentment, his full satisfaction in Christ. He has explained that his circumstances are irrelevant to his ministry and the provision of God in his life to accomplish that ministry. Jesus is all that he needs. However, he wants to be clear that the fellowship and provision from the Philippians is very important and encouraging to him. In fact, I think part of God's provision to him. 

And so he says in verse 14, in the context of full sufficiency in Christ alone, he assures them of his appreciation for their gift. He says, nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. In Galatians 6.2, he wrote, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is love, love for one another is expressed in sharing need and in distress. 

The word translated distress or affliction is slipsus. It speaks of trial, tribulation, literally pressure. When we are struggling, when there is pressure, the pressure of trial, tribulation squeezing us, afflicting us, we need a brother, a sister to come alongside and bear that burden with us. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. 

Paul was not concerned about the gift so much, but he so appreciated, was so encouraged, by the love demonstrated in the gift. And he was thankful for the fruit that abounded to their account through it. So often when we are struggling, when we've come to the end of ourselves, when we don't need someone to fix our problem as much as we need someone to come alongside us and bear up under the weight with us, to encourage us, just to be there with us so we know that they care. 

And the Philippians did care. They cared deeply for Paul. And they were concerned about him and his ministry because of his imprisonment. They wanted to help him. They wanted to encourage him. Paul says, you did well to send me that gift, to encourage me in that way. I so needed that. 

We should be looking for our brothers and sisters in need, getting to know one another, spending time with each other, that we might see the needs and pray and do what we can to come alongside and bear burdens together and encourage each other and meet the needs of others. This is an active choice to love one another, and so to fulfill the law of Christ. And it is fruit. It's fruit that brings glory to God. 

And so the truth is, even in Paul's day, that most believers do not do these things for one another. Think of what Paul had done for all these churches, the lengths to which he went, traveling, suffering, sickness, persecution, hunger, nakedness, peril, and over many miles and great lengths of time. He was faithful and bold to preach the gospel, to give his life to reaching the Gentiles for Christ, bringing them to salvation, founding churches. And then he would stay and teach and disciple.

Turn over to Acts 20 with me. I know you know this passage, but it's such a good passage to see Paul's heart in his ministry. Acts 20 at verse 18, it says, when they had come to him, he said to them, you know from the elders from Ephesus, you know from the first day that I came to Asia in what banner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews, how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And see, now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 

And indeed, now I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God will see my face no more. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 

Also, from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore, watch and remember that for three years, I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." 

This was typical of Paul's ministry. He taught them the word of God night and day with tears, preparing them, building them up, encouraging them, meeting their needs. He held back nothing that was helpful. He gave his life for their spiritual growth, for the fruit that would abound to their account. 

But notice what he says in our text at verse 15. Now, you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 

None of those churches ministered to Paul's needs at the first, gave to him financially or to meet his carnal needs, to encourage him and bring him joy in the fight. And this is so often how it is. Few give financially or of their time, even just to come alongside and bear a burden. Some give very generously, as the Philippians did to Paul. 

But what a statement that Paul says of all the churches that he founded, was working with, that he gave his life to, only the Philippians gave to his need. In fact, we read in Corinth, a place of relative wealth, that Paul had to command them to give so that he could take a financial gift to the poor saints in Jerusalem. 

1 Corinthians 16.1, he says, now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also on the first day of the week, let each one of you lay aside something, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me. 

He didn't have to give such a command in Philippi, for their heart was set on Paul and the gospel from the very beginning. And they were the only ones to give at the first. And we see that this desire had persisted to this very day as they sought diligently to meet the needs of Paul. And this was great encouragement to Paul. 

Notice, not because of the gift itself, although I'm sure it was useful to him, but it was the encouragement he received from knowing that this act would cause fruit to abound to their account. His desire, even in receiving the gift, was for their good. He sought the fruit. What an important lesson for us. 

We're all working together in the gospel. We have a special fellowship with believers in the gospel because of our faith in Christ. And our desire is for fruit, the fruit of converts through our witness, but also the fruit of holiness, encouragement, fellowship, worship, all these things of common purpose, of our one mind in Christ, set on the fruit, growth, obedience, maturity, Christ-likeness, the will of God in our lives, ultimately for his glory. 

Paul saw the manifestation of this attitude, this focus of the Philippians in the gift that they gave in the love that they had for him. And this was the encouragement to him, that they were growing, that they were focused on Christ, that they were faithful. This was the purpose of his ministry. It wasn't the gift he got, it was the love demonstrated that manifested their hearts that encouraged Paul. 

The fruit was not only the gift and encouragement to Paul and working to further his ministry, and the gift was not only fruit added to the account of the Philippian believers, but we see also that it was a sweet-smelling aroma to God. 

Verse 17, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. I am full, he says. 

The Greek word in the perfect tense here means I have been filled full, and at present am well-supplied. Paul had not only his temporal, physical needs met to fullness, but he was also abounding with encouragement, with joy, built up by the gift of his brothers and sisters in Philippi, and so grateful to see the manifestation of their right thinking and attitude, the expression of the heart and desire for Jesus and his gospel. He was overflowing, abounding, as it were, not only in the generosity of the gift, but in thankfulness to God for the fruit. 

This is what a thought, a kind word, a note of encouragement, a gift of money, or carnal resources, a coming alongside and bearing a burden can do. What encouragement we can gain from fellow believers and a refocusing on Christ that can come from such a gesture, an expression of love. And yet, with this power that we have available to us continually to encourage, to build up, how often do we seize it? 

How often do we pray for our fellow believers, seek to know and understand their needs and struggles and make an effort to meet them? This is what Paul was so encouraged by, filled up to overflowing. Think about how he commends the believers in Philippi in chapter 1. It is fellowship in the gospel. It's passion for fruit, holiness, witness, encouragement, thankfulness to God. Look at verse 3 of chapter 1 of Philippians. He starts the letter, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

Just as it is right for me to thank this of you all, because I have you in my heart, and as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you with the affection of Jesus Christ. In this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Jesus Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. 

We see the same thing in 1 Thessalonians verse 2. He says we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, offering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 

And you became followers with us of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. So you became examples to all Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven who He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 

We don't see these kind of commendations and encouragements in books like Corinthians or Galatians because those fellowships had lost their focus and their passion was not the fellowship of the brethren and the furtherance of the gospel. It was not on fruit for God's glory. The Corinthians were seeking their own, their carnal desires and expressions of those desires. 

You know, I often hear believers, preachers, quote 2 Corinthians 13, 5, where he says examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith, test yourselves. We seem to have an inordinate fascination with this verse and its application. We don't see this in Thessalonians or Philippians. We see it several times in the letters to Corinth, perhaps the concept in Galatians and maybe 1 John, although I would argue 1 John is to encourage the believers, not question them. 

My point is this, maybe the Corinthians were living in such a way that they needed to question their faith, but this is not the thrust of the New Testament, particularly for those who were focused on the gospel and encouraging the brethren on bringing glory to God. We see Paul's joy in these fellowships. We see commendation and encouragement and a keep-it-up kind of admonition to abound more and more. 

In 2 Thessalonians 1, 3, he says, we are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. 

My brother, my sister in Christ, seek the fruit. It's a sweet-smelling aroma to God, the life of fruit and praise and thankfulness and care for one another. 

Well, next we see supplying need, verse 19, and my God shall supply all your need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever, amen. I love this promise. Have the mind of Christ. Set your focus on Jesus, on encouraging the brethren, on worshiping, praising God, witnessing to the lost. Have this mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, and my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Now there's a couple things to look at here. First is the context and flow. The health, wealth, and prosperity preachers of our time will take a verse like this and see Cadillacs and mansions and private jets and long, healthy lives. But this is completely foreign to the context in which this verse is set, and it is wholly contrary to biblical revelation and truth for God's people. 

Set your mind and heart on carnal things, seek your own needs and not the needs of others, be selfish, filled with pride and ambition, gauge your happiness and fulfillment by circumstances and earthly ambitions, and you will end up in fellowship in Corinth and experience chastening and misery and fruitlessness. No, the whole flow and context of this verse is a full satisfaction with Christ, contentment in Him, a mind like Christ, set on the things of God, heavenly things, sacrificing, serving others, loving God and men, not concerned with being abased or abounding, but rather learning to be content in whatever state I am and seeking the fruit, holiness, witness, glory for God, encouragement for our brethren, working toward the same goal. 

In this context, Paul gives this promise, and my God shall supply all your needs. What needs? The needs to accomplish His will and purpose in your life. Grace, mercy, encouragement, opportunity, boldness, thankfulness. These needs will be met, faith, passion, desire, purpose, His glory, His person. These are the needs that will be met. 

And the second thing we see in this verse is that these needs will be met according to His riches in glory. What a statement. We've studied this before in Ephesians 3.14. Let's go to that passage and look in the context there, Ephesians 3.14-21. 

This is a second prayer of Paul in the letter to the Ephesians, seeking their spiritual growth, their fruitfulness. He says, for this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, according to His riches in glory, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. This is such an important phrase to ponder, to think on, to understand, God will meet all my needs to do and accomplish His will in my life, fruit for His glory, according to His riches in glory. 

That's the resource we have. You know, we've seen a pretty drastic change in our government over the past few weeks, and one of those changes that excites me personally is that we now have RFK as head of human health and services, and his task is to make America healthy again. This is a subject near and dear to my heart, and I'm convinced that God in His creation, though now marred by sin and the curse, intended to give us abundance. His creation was designed to produce abounding, overwhelming abundance and health and growth. 

Now our modern agricultural systems have taken what God has created and manipulated it as if His creatures were no more than biological machines. A pig is not a creature designed to root and play and cause disturbance in the woodlots and grasslands to interact with the various creatures that live beneath and above the soil in a beautiful symbiotic tapestry of health and growth producing abundance. 

But He's a mere biological machine that we can manipulate, remove His stress gene from His DNA, inject Him with antibiotics and growth hormones and MNRA vaccines, feed processed food, cram into dark buildings and forced to grow bigger, faster, fatter, cheaper, and we think that we can in our hubris abuse, genetically modify, and manipulate God's creation in such a way and not suffer any consequences. We've seen the consequences of such an attitude, and we're reaping what we have sown. 

But I also believe that the land can be healed. We can bring back the grand ecology of microorganisms in the soil that chemical fertilizers have sterilized, and we can grow grass and build topsoil and prevent drought, and we can, as we operate within the beauty and intricacy of God's design and creation, produce great abundance, healthy and vibrant creatures for our consumption. 

It's difficult to grow and to produce more especially in this place we live, with limited resources. But just imagine with me if RFK came to our farm, and he said, we like what you're doing here. We want to see the people of these Northwoods supplied with nutritionally dense, healthy protein sources. And I'm here to tell you today that this is going to take some expansion and other farmers practicing agriculture in this way, and a paradigm shift in thinking of education. 

And what if RFK said, you have the full resources of the federal government behind you to accomplish this task, to produce enough healthy protein to feed the population of this geographic area. Would that make a difference in my attitude, in my planning, in my ability to produce healthy meat for my friends and neighbors and community, to have the full resources of the federal government to produce that food? 

And over time, would that not change the health of the people and their attitude and understanding toward agriculture and how God intends it to be practiced? My brothers and sisters in Christ, God desires abundance of fruit, not only in His creation, but also in His church. We just read in Ephesians 3, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations. 

God desires abundance in your life and in mine in our church, our fellowship, our community. He desires Christlikeness in His people, fervent witnesses in this community, salvation of the lost, praise and worship, glory to Him in all that we do. And to accomplish this spiritual abundance, we have, you have, personally, available to you. You have the spiritual supply, listen now, according to His riches in glory. All that God owns and possesses is yours in Christ for His will and purpose, for His glory in you and in the church. And He fully intends to produce the fruit to make us prosper, grow, become like Christ, have this mind, bring Him glory. 

Isn't that exciting? Isn't that profound and amazing? I can set my hopes on the government to do what's right, to change things, but I will most likely be disappointed. Okay? Probably, definitely be disappointed. But, my friends, in Christ, we have right now the fully sufficient grace of God to supply all our needs to accomplish all of His will in us according to His riches in glory. If we set our mind on Christ, our hope, our peace, our joy, our contentment, if we live in full dependence on Him, abide in Him, we will never be disappointed. 

Now finally, in our text this morning, we see saints of God, and this is a loaded theological term. We see several great truths. Philippians 4.21, greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

The saints greet you, of Caesar's household. I mean, if this is our deal, right? If this is our thing, if this is our passion to see fruit for God's glory, when Paul penned those words, the saints of Caesar's household had to be like, yes! The saints of Caesar's, what a statement, harking back to chapter 1. Even Paul's imprisonment had turned out for the furtherance of the gospel right in Caesar's household. 

What does this word saint mean, anyway? When I was a child in the church I grew up in, a saint was some long-dead super-Christian who'd been canonized by the church. But this is not how the Bible defines this term, for we see in the beginning of all these letters that every believer, every member of the church is a saint. 

The word is hageos, it had the idea of sacred or pure, it speaks of God setting us apart, sanctifying us for His special purpose. So we see that in salvation, God sets us apart for His purpose, for His sacred uses, making us saints. But with this, we see that the saints of God are also recreated; they're made new creations in Christ, and this changes the very essence of who we are. 

Regeneration forms the basis for our new life, our new passions and desires, our new purpose in Christ, as the saints of God. So this term should cause us to remember, to rejoice concerning who we are in Christ. It should remind us of our purpose and the privilege of life here, life on this earth for as long as we have it. And we should understand, as we've been studying, not only the purpose and role that God has for us, why He has left us here, but also the great provision of His grace and power to accomplish this purpose, His will for us. 

And the great lesson of the letter to the Philippians for us is that we, the way to see fruit, the fruit that God intends in our life is by pursuing Christ, by setting our mind on Him, seeking to know Him and His life and power in us, and by learning, learning to be content in Jesus alone. 

In Philippians 3.8, Paul said, yet indeed I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, why? That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, literally out from among the dead. 

Speaking of the way I live now, of who I am now, that I may know Him, and it is by ever seeking to know Him, to know Jesus, that I can experience this life out from among the dead, to live no longer as who I was in Adam, but to now experience the power of the resurrected life out from among the dead. And this is a process, ongoing until glorification. 

Verse 12 says, I know how to be abased, I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It is Christ that is my life. It is Christ that is my strength. 

I can do all things, what things? Spiritual focus, desire, dependence, fruit, holiness, witness, all things, even what I eat and what I drink, all things to the glory of God. I'm learning, my friends. I hope you are learning in all things to find my full satisfaction, my contentment in Jesus Christ. 

Closing prayer. Father, we're so thankful for this letter that you've preserved for us. Thankful that we have this time and freedom to gather and study on these things. Thank you for our minds, that we can meditate, think on these things. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, who causes us to grow. 

Father, help us to learn, to learn in this life to be content with Jesus and to trust Him, abide in Him, and to live for Him, that we might have fruit good for us, that's good for our church, that's good for the lost, that's glorifying to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.