Title: Philippians 04:10-20 All-weather believers
Contents
Text: Philippians 4:10-20
Title: All-Weather Believer
A common characteristic of people of faith is found in Hebrews 11:38. “The world is not worthy of such a man.” They lived a glorious life that the world could not afford. But they did not have unusual beliefs. People of great faith had simple faith in Christ. Their simple faith did not waver under any circumstance, and as a result, the work of God to change the situation appeared. Keep your faith quietly.
Today we meet Paul, the great man of God, a man of faith in the Bible. He was beyond the problems of poverty and wealth. He knew how to deal with everything in his life, so he lived a life of knowing poverty and need. In this detachment, he was leading many people to the work of giving and serving. Everyone who saw his life was touched and there was the glory of life as he carried out the work of relief together.
In today's text, we see Paul's famous confession. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (verse 13). Paul confesses the infinite power of God met by his simple faith. It is a simple, plain, simple confession of truth.
I hope that you will become believers as Paul confesses in the text. In Paul's confession, first, we must become self-sufficient believers. Paul learned to be content (v. 11). The premise of the word self-sufficiency is to say 'to look to God and have no shame'. If you look to God and there is nothing to be ashamed of, I hope that you will accept everything that has been given you with satisfaction. Ordinary believers say, 'God is good.' I believe in this. I believe that if a good God has given me, it has been given appropriately.
Second, Paul knew both how to be humble and how to abound (v. 12). We must become 'Christians who know how to live and enjoy Christians'. You must know how to be content, and you have to know how to enjoy the situation of being content. You must learn to enjoy and enjoy both a poor life and a rich life. James says, 'When there is joy, sing praise; on days of exhortation, pray'. I hope that you will become a Christian who knows how to enjoy, and a Christian who knows how to live.
Third, the apostle Paul was a believer who could do all things (verse 13). The Christian life rises from the stairway of self-sufficiency to the last step of overflowing with enjoyment. The essence of the Christian life is to live for others. There must be something overflowing from me. So, we must live a life that is filled with the Holy Spirit, life, abundant life, and fruit that is abundant to be beneficial. It is faith that determines the area of abundant life. Do you guys have faith?
We have something to admit. We live day by day without faith. Living with faith makes a real difference. Living holding the hand of Jesus, life can be the same as last week. Make your faith a reality. Let God be present in your life. Meet the God of Abraham who takes our hand and leads him from the tent. I hope you will walk in the footsteps of Abraham, where neither the aging of the body, which is surely coming, nor the tedious waiting in the life of a weary traveler could be a hindrance. I can do all things through him who strengthens me