You can title. /Philippians 4:10-20
About 50 years ago, there was a famous pianist named Paul Wittgenstein in the United States. He lost his right arm while serving in World War I. It was a very desperate situation for him to play the piano. At that time, Ravel, a famous composer of his time, wrote a song called 'Concerto in D major for the left hand' for Wittgenstein who had lost his right arm and sent it to him. He received a letter saying, "I wrote it for you, please practice" and practiced hard. With new hope and courage in life, I put in a lot of blood and sweat. In the end, with only his left hand, he became a pianist who moved many people and led a life that gave people more courage and the joy of art.
We can rise again as long as we do not despair in any circumstance and, in times of adversity, have the idea that I am not alone and that I have someone to help me. Just as there was a label for Paul Wittgenstein, as long as we have someone to share our misfortunes with and encourage us, we can stand up again.
A few weeks ago, Dr. Kwang-soon Lee, who is the dean of the Graduate School of Mission at the Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, came to our church and the words of testimony remain in my heart. It is said that a female deacon wrote two verses of the Bible to her when she was returning from studying in the United States.
It is said that one word was from John 15:5, and the other was from Philippians 4:13.
This is what John 15:5 says.
“I am the vine, and you are the branches; if he in me and I in him, this man bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” These are the words Jesus spoke to his disciples.
Also, Philippians 4:13 says this.
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” These words were spoken by the apostle Paul to the Philippians.
Apart from Jesus, nothing can be done, and all things are possible through Jesus Christ, who “gives me strength.”
In the Old Testament, in Numbers 13-14, the twelve spies sent by Moses returned from spying in the land of Canaan for 40 days and reported in front of Moses and the people. Ten of the twelve, except for Joshua and Caleb, said unanimously, "The land we went through and searched for was a land that devoured its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there were of great stature. were like grasshoppers in their own eyes, so they must have been like them” (Numbers 13:32-33). Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out and wept all night long. They grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "If we had died in the land of Egypt, or we wish we had died in this wilderness, why are you bringing us into that land to be destroyed by the sword? Our wives and wives will be taken captive, so it would be better for us to go back to Egypt. Do you?” (Numbers 14:2-3).
At that time, Joshua and Caleb, who went together on the spies, tore their clothes and told the Israelites, "The land we went through is a very beautiful land. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into it, and he will give it to us... But do not rebel against the LORD. And the people of the land. Fear not, for they are our bread. Their guardian has departed from them, and the LORD is with us" (Numbers 14:7-9).
Joshua and Caleb were saying that if God was with them, they could occupy the land of Canaan.
Caleb's faith did not change after 45 years.
In Joshua 14:10 and below, we can see the words Caleb said to his friend Joshua when he was 85 years old and wrote.
"Today I am eighty-five years old, and I am as strong today as it was the day Moses sent me. My strength is as it was then and now. I am capable of fighting and going in and out, so give me this hill, which the LORD spoke of on that day. You will also be in that day. You have heard that there are Anakites there, and their cities are great and fortified, but if the LORD is with me, I will inevitably drive them out, just as the LORD has spoken."
The text we read today is part of the letter Paul the Apostle sent to the Philippian church. The Apostle Paul, who had faith, said the following things we can do in the Lord.
1. You can rejoice in the Lord.
Verse 10 says, “I rejoice greatly in the Lord.”
The theme of the book of Philippians is joy. It is the joy of being in the Lord. Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice." To rejoice in the Lord is to rejoice in the Lord.
Why should we rejoice in the Lord? What kind of joy is that?
1) It is the joy of receiving the forgiveness of sins.
No one can forgive our sins. Only Jesus can forgive my sins.
“The only blood that washes away my sins is the blood of Jesus.
There is only the blood of Jesus to regenerate.
Jesus' shed blood makes me white
Precious and precious, there is nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Chan 184:1)
2) It is the joy of becoming a child of God.
It is the joy of being forgiven of our sins and now enjoying the privilege of being a child of God.
“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
3) It is the joy of being a servant of God.
Even though the apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome, his sins were forgiven through the blood of Jesus, and he became a child of God as well as a servant of God to preach the gospel.
“I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he has deemed me faithful, and has entrusted me with his ministry. I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a rapist, but on the contrary, I found mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. abounded exceedingly with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptance, that it is said that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Among sinners I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:12-15). )
4) It is the joy of suffering for the Lord.
In 2 Corinthians 7:4, the apostle Paul said, "I am full of comfort and overflowing with joy in all our affliction."
In Acts 5:41, the apostles said, "And they left the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be reproached for his name's sake."
2. You can give thanks in the state.
It is possible in the Lord that we can give thanks in all things while living the life of faith. Moreover, it is possible in Christ that we Christians can be thankful for everything. "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
3. You can be satisfied in the state.
The Apostle Paul said that he was satisfied with whatever circumstances he was in. He said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to be humble and I know how to abound. I have learned the secret to being satisfied in all things, despite hunger, abundance, and want.”
According to 1 Timothy 6:6 below, "But godliness is a great gain when there is contentment. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. If we have food and clothing, we will know that we are content." It is,” he said.
4. You can do anything in the state.
Verse 13 says, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”
The Apostle Paul reveals that the power to overcome all circumstances is through Christ alone.
When we look at Paul's confession that "the one who gives me strength" is "Christ Jesus our Lord who has made me strength," according to 1 Timothy 1:12, we can know that Christ is the one who gives Paul strength. Paul believed that Christ was the One who gave us the power to overcome any circumstance, and this was his thorough confession and strong conviction.
In this way, in a life relationship with Christ, a Christian becomes content with all circumstances and has the strength to overcome. This is the secret of the Christian life, the source of true power. If Jesus Christ gives you the power, you can live in the midst of lowliness or live in abundance, adapting to everything. If Jesus Christ gives you the power, you will be able to endure and adapt to any situation, whether you are hungry or full.
In a really difficult time like today, we believers should be able to profess the same faith as the apostle Paul, saying, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Our nation is a nation that has overcame those difficulties well even in more difficult times than it is now. The God who was with us in the past is with us today. When God is with us, we can do anything.