Financial Giving Yields Fruit That Increases to Your Credit
I want your money! Yes, you heard it right! I want your money. Not a little but a lot of it! More precisely, I want you to give your money for a common cause, towards the mission of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I do not raise funds for a living, I am an engineer by trade. Asking people to give their money is not something that comes naturally to me. In fact, I do not like it at all. There are so many infamous examples of leaders manipulating people to give their money towards a goal, while behind the scenes they are really filling their own wallets. I get fearful at the idea of being associated with one of them. So then, why in the world am I asking you to give your money?
At the beginning of the year, I was part of one of our Sunday morning classes where we were studying the book of Philippians. Towards the end of this letter, Paul thanks the Philippians for their partnership in the gospel tangibly expressed by sending him financial gifts to support him. And this is what Paul tells them in chapter 4, verse 17: “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit”.
And then it dawned on me. As a pastor, I could avoid the topic of financial giving for fear of being misunderstood and mischaracterized, but in doing so, I may be unintentionally keeping you from “the fruit that increases to your credit”.
The passage in Philippians that we will study today, and more generally the Bible as a whole, teaches us that giving is an act of worship. It communicates that you treasure God above material riches. It expresses your confidence in God as your provider. It yields fruit that increases to your credit.
So yes, I want your money, a lot of it. I want you to give financial gifts, not because I seek the gifts themselves, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit, to your benefit, to your good, as you seek to glorify God with your finances.
So please open your bibles. We will read Philippians 4:10-20
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 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. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 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. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Let’s pray
We start the passage learning that Paul greatly rejoices in the fact that the Philippians cared about him and expressed that care by sending him financial gifts to help with his needs. That’s what we read in verse 10
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.
“You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity”, he tells them. Apparently, it had been a while since Paul had received something from them. But he reassures them that he knows they cared about him, they just haven’t had the opportunity to show it.
But now, he is very happy they have sent him financial gifts with a man called Epaphroditus. That is what we read in verse 18: “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent”
But Paul does not primarily rejoice because the gifts will cover his needs. That is not his focus, as we read in verse 11: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content”. He is not primarily seeking to communicate his needs because he has learned to be happy even in need.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Wow! Paul is teaching us something profound. Our joy, our happiness, our contentment do not need to be tied to how much money we have. We can learn to be content in prosperity or in need, when you have plenty or when you have so little that you feel hungry.
Have you ever experienced hunger? Not only momentarily, but for days. Have you gone through seasons where you did not have enough money to the point that you felt physically hungry? Sadly, I often complain, or even get angry when I do not have dinner on time. Can you imagine feeling hungry because you do not have enough money to buy food and yet still be content, grateful, happy despite your circumstances?
How can Paul do that? From what he is saying here, contentment is something you can learn. You may be by nature a grumpy person, who complains in plenty or little, in abundance or need, but you can learn contentment. He repeats that twice. In verse 11: “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” and in verse 12: “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger”
Oh Paul, please enroll me in that school! I want to learn to be content in every circumstance, whether I have little or much, when I experience need or abundance, when I feel hungry or full. Tell me, what is the secret to being content in every situation?
The answer is in verse 13
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
There you go! It is not in my own strength that I can do that, it is in the strength that only God can provide! It is through him who strengthens me. Through God, I can be content in all circumstances, whether I have little or much. God is the one who equips me, who strengthens me, who sustains me, who makes me grateful, happy and content no matter what!
Ok great. So far, we have seen that we can learn contentment and that God is the one who gives us the power to do it.
Now we will learn from the Philippians a few things about giving financially.
The first thing is to notice what was the aim or purpose of their giving. They were giving for the mission of the gospel. Read verse 15
15 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.
You see. From the beginning, as soon as the Philippians knew that Paul was involved in the proclamation of the Gospel, they entered into partnership with him. They wanted to participate. They were compelled by the mission, they had a sense of excitement and privilege as they sought to participate in this mission of cosmic proportions. There was no other church like them.
A few weeks ago I went to a college football game at the University of Maryland. It is so fun to be among all those people rooting together for the same team. There is the band that plays music, fireworks when the team scores, clapping and cheering and excitement. Once in a while they project videos about the university on a big screen that everyone in the stadium can see and powerful speakers that fill the place. One of them was showing the players studying, practicing, and working hard. There was uplifting music in the background and the inspiring tone of the announcer who with a deep voice said something like: “We are together for one mission, one goal, one team” and people were thinking: “yes, we are all together with one mission, one goal, one team”. It was exciting and inspiring.
That is the way we can feel about the mission of the gospel. We all have one mission, one goal, and we are one team. We want others to hear and know about Jesus, how he came to rescue and save people. We want them to acknowledge him as Savior, King and God. We want them to join us in singing, and cheering and worshiping him. And that is why we give, we give to the cause of the Gospel, we partner together in giving to fund the proclamation of the Gospel and the expansion of the Kingdom of Christ, we are one team with one mission and one goal. We give as partners in the mission of the gospel
The second thing I would like you to notice is that giving does not happen just one time, or sporadically. It is something that is constant, that is repeated over and over.
16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.
They sent help for his needs once and again. They did not get an initial emotional response and then forget about the partnership. They gave continually, repeatedly, persistently.
Giving is not occasional, it is constant. It defines a regular, joint partnership in the gospel
Also, giving produces fruit that increases to your credit. Read with me verse 17
17 Not that I seek the gift [says Paul], but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
Paul is not primarily trying to show the Philippians that he is in need, and therefore their financial gifts are categorically necessary. In fact, he just said that he is content with whatever provision God has ordained for him, whether much or little. Paul is not pushing hard to remind the Philippians that they must contribute money or the mission will come to a halt. He is not trying to manipulate them or seeking his own gain.
However, he is passionately expressing the importance of their giving. He is not seeking primarily their money, but he is persuading them that their giving will yield a fruit that increases for their credit.
People that know about money will tell you that investing wisely in the stock market can produce great results in the long term. But you have to be patient, you have to wait. You may not become wealthy overnight, but if you invest in the right companies, stock has proved to be historically one of the types of investment that produces remarkable returns over time.
But you need to be disciplined, persistent and invest in the right place. Here Paul is saying, hey Philippians, I am not seeking your money, I am seeking the fruit that increases to your own credit! This type of investment is not going to disappoint you. You are putting your assets in the heavenly market, and the return is going to pay off big time. You will see your return increasing more and more. Giving for this cause is going to multiply your riches. The interest is compound and is going to increase your wealth significantly.
That is exactly right! We may not see it now, we may not understand completely. Our vision may be cloudy. Our knowledge of investment may be insufficient, but we can trust what the word of God is saying. Put your money in this mission and you will become rich for sure. The benefits are guaranteed. The returns are certain. The fruit is going to increase and increase and increase to your credit!
There is no better investment than this. There is no better mission than this. What a privilege to invest in the expansion of the gospel, so others may know about Jesus. What a partnership, what a calling, what a commission, what a goal. You will be rich if you put your hopes and efforts and wealth into this endeavor.
If you joyfully give much, you will reap much. If you are stingy, careless or selfish, you will miss the blessings and the returns. Giving will produce returns.
Giving is an act of worship
18 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.
Ok, check this out! Although Paul is the earthly recipient of the financial contributions from the people in Philippi, their giving is actually an act of worship, it is a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to whom? To Paul? No! To God himself.
Paul here uses sacrificial imagery from the Old Testament. You may recall that the Israelites had to present offerings and sacrifices to God as an expression of their worship of and fear of God.
Now, wait a minute! If Jesus is the perfect and final sacrifice, why do we need to present our finances as offerings and sacrifices? Aren’t we fully, completely and eternally accepted based on the work of Jesus? Yes we are! So we do not give our gifts to placate God’s wrath or to gain God’s acceptance and favor. We are already accepted and justified through Jesus. We present our gifts in awe for what he has done. We do it in gratitude for his grace. We present them to honor him, to declare that he is worthy. It is a tangible way to say no to the gods of materialism that dominate our world and yes to the awesome, gracious and all-powerful God.
Yes, in some cases giving will imply sacrifice, and saying no to things that we may want, but it is worth it. For the King and his mission are worth it. There is no better way to give thanks and respond in gratitude than contributing to the proclamation and expansion of the Gospel, so the nations may hear about the excellencies of him who is able to redeem us out of the slavery of materialism and darkness into his marvelous, splendorous light.
As you think about contributing, know that your giving is a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God, an act of worship towards him. Giving is an act of worship
Giving is also an act of faith
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Here’s the promise that dispels the fear of not having enough for my needs if I give. You may be thinking, I am barely making it at the end of the month. How can I even think about giving?
This is an interesting lesson of the economy of heaven. This math sometimes does not make initial sense. But that is what we are promised here. That God will supply for all my needs, each one of them.
When I hold on tight to the scarce resources that I have, and I am not willing to let them go, because I am afraid of the future, I may be falling into the trap of thinking that the source of my income is the result of my hard work apart from God. When in reality, even what I have today is already coming from his hand.
So giving becomes an acknowledgment of God’s already gracious provision. It is a humble recognition that what I have comes from God’s hand. It is a declaration that my possessions belong to him. Giving is a loud expression of my gratitude for his past provision and my confidence in his future provision. I proclaim that he has been good to me and my family, and in faith I trust that he will supply for every need in the future.
Also note that the verse says: “according to his riches”. Whose riches? God’s riches! There are human beings that have a huge amount of money, billions of dollars. They can spend it on luxurious vacations, homes and cars. But altogether, they are not as rich as God. Even when they have so much more than the average person, their resources are limited. God’s riches are unlimited.
Let’s say my neighbor promises me that he will provide for all my needs. If he is extremely generous, he may be able to do so for a limited period of time, but after a while, I am probably on my own. Now, if Elon Musk says that he will provide for my needs, at least I know he has more financial power to do it. Although I am not sure if he will keep his word. But if God promises me that he will provide for my needs, then I can rest assured that he will keep his word. His riches are unlimited, his power is boundless, his promises are unbreakable. Not only for today, or tomorrow, but forever!
This does not necessarily mean I will not have financial needs. In fact, Paul said that sometimes he had much, and sometimes he had little, he even said that sometimes he experienced hunger. So when Paul says that God will supply for all my needs, he does not necessarily mean that he will supply materially for my needs, but it means that even if I suffer poverty, I will be rich! According to his riches in glory. I will lack nothing. I will have what I need. By his power, I will be able to be content in every situation. Isn’t this great?!
And read the end of the verse: “according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”
That is the ultimate proof and the guarantee that God will keep his word of supplying for our needs: Christ Jesus. All of God’s riches are ultimately and supremely focused on Christ Jesus!
If God the Father did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? We have been purchased, ransomed, redeemed from our futile ways, not with perishable things such as silver or gold or dollars or stock, but with the infinitely precious and priceless blood of Christ! If God gave his Son to rescue us from death, will he not also supply for our needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus?
Yes he will! So in light of that, we can freely offer our finances with gratitude and joy. We can give continually, worshipfully, sacrificially, confidently knowing that God will supply for all our needs, while our giving produces fruit that increases to our credit.
20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.