Gospel Contentment

Introduction

Well, good morning! I hope everyone had a great week! I hope you’re getting caught up on all those Christmas movies...filled up on all the Christmas tree cakes your heart desires…and just getting ready for the Christmas season! Amen? There’s nothing better than this time of year…except maybe the cold and all that snow, right?

But anyways, if you have your Bibles and I hope that do, go ahead and open ‘em up with me to Philippians chapter 4 this morning. We have two more weeks in this study through Philippians and then we’ll jump into a mini series looking at the Christmas promise.

But this morning, we’re gonna be looking at one of the most famous verses found in this letter to the church of Philippi…verse 13. It’s one of those verses that we’ve plastered all over walls and plagues…athletes write it on their shoes…it’s all over the place…but the problem is, most people never really read it in context to how it was written. It’s typically taken out of context.

Listen, as Paul kind of brings this letter to a conclusion, he wants to thank these believers for their gift…for caring about him during his time in confinement in Rome. They remembered him, they sent a gift through their messenger, Epaphroditus…but in these verses, as he thanks them for their support, he’s careful to clarity to them that he’s content without it…while he appreciates everything they’ve done…he’s content in the Lord. It’s really a continuation from the passage we looked at last week.

When we’re standing firm together…in our attitude and in our practice…Paul said we receive not only the peace of God…but also the God of peace…God Himself. And in our passage this morning, Paul explains this contentment that all Christians should have…he explains what it is…why we need it. He explains how to find it.

You know, it’s always fascinating when you examine the lives of those who seem to have everything…there’s people who have all the money…they have the fame…success…a beautiful family…everything, right? But yet, oftentimes, those people always share that there’s something missing in their life…there’s always this void…they always need more of something…they never feel complete…and so they work harder…they devote more time or money or love or whatever it is…and yet they never find what they’re after…they’re never content with life…and what they find is they live in this endless loop that never results in joy because they can’t find contentment.

Lucky for us…we know the source of our contentment…we know what it takes to fill the void in our hearts…but yet, like so many of these people that have everything, we find ourselves in this endless loop, never really living in the contentment Paul writes about here.

And so, as we jump into this topic…let’s start with our passage and then we’ll come back and we’ll dig into this together. Let’s stand together as we read what Paul wrote starting in verse 9. He says this, “9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.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.”

Thank you, you can be seated.

Guys, before we really dig into this verses, I wanna ask you some questions…do you really know what contentment is? Like, do you really understand contentment? Do you understand why it’s so important to find contentment in your life? To be content with what you have? Your circumstances? Your things? And finally, do you know how to find contentment? And listen, really think about that question…do you know how to find it?

Listen, before we get started…I wanna answer those first two questions for you and then we’ll use our text and Paul’s words to answer the last question…how to find it?

Answering the question of what contentment is…I love how Gary Thomas puts it in his book Authentic Faith. He says, “Contentment is nothing more than soul rest. It’s satisfaction, peace, assurance, and a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction and peace in Jesus Christ.”

That’s a pretty good definition, right? Soul rest. It was Augustine that said, “Lord, you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Listen, that’s what we’re after this morning. We wanna find our souls at rest in Christ, a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction and peace in Jesus. That’s contentment…finding our souls at rest in Christ.

The Greek word that Paul uses for “content,” it actually expresses the idea of living above need and abundance in such a way as to be self-sufficient…basically needing nothing because you have everything in yourself…but Paul takes this word and he Christianizes it by taking it from self-sufficiency to Christ-sufficiency. The idea that Paul’s expressing here is to live above circumstances, to be independent from circumstances....but doing it in the sufficiency that only comes through Jesus Christ. Of course, the key verse here is verse 13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

And listen, we have to understand that definition because it emphasizes the inward quality of contentment…the gracious quality of it. Contentment, its given to us by the grace of God. It’s given to us by the Spirit of God. It’s this spiritual, this inward work of the Spirit that produces this satisfaction in our lives. It’s a fruit that stems from the Spirit and it manifests itself in His people.

But yet, at the same time, we can say that contentment’s a learned skill, right? It’s a practice for the Christian. I mean, doesn’t Paul say, “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

It’s both of those things…we rely on the Spirit of God…it’s the work of the Spirit…but at the same time, it’s something we have to learn....it’s something we have to grow into. We have to develop this contentment by living through different situations and circumstances, depending on God and His grace. Again, that’s what we’re after here…a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction, peace, contentment that comes through Jesus only.

And so, why’s it matter? Why do we need it? Contentment. Again…going back to the words of Augustine, “Our hearts are restless...”

Guys, ,if we go into any bookstore…we’re gonna find shelves lined with self help books on wellbeing, living our best life now…being the best possible version of us, right? You know what I’m talking about. And the reason for that…that’s just how we’re wired as human beings…we’re wired to find contentment in external things…in outward things. And these things aren’t necessarily bad…they’re just temporary.

Guys, what do you do when the relationship you cling to is no longer there? What do you do when someone you love dies? Or when you lose your job? When you’re diagnosed with cancer? Is there any hope for rest then? Is there any hope for contentment and wellbeing in those circumstances?

We long for satisfaction and wellbeing, but circumstances can’t provide that for us. We all need the grace of contentment…because maybe you haven’t experienced any of those things…but listen to me, they’re people here this morning that will remind you that you will at some point in your life. We need the grace of contentment. If we depend on outward things, external things—riches, material things, relationships, anything else—those things will always let us down.

That’s why Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?” Guys, we need to learn contentment. We need it.

And so, the important question we look to answer this morning is…how do we find it? And listen, lucky for us…Paul says, “I’ve learned the secret.” He says, “I’ve found the secret to contentment. In circumstance, I’ve learned to be content.” And listen, as we dig into this text this morning…he gives us four things that help us understand this secret to contentment.

1.) Comfort in the Lord’s Presence (v. 9)

The first thing we see in our passage is from our verse last week…verse 9. Paul says, “What you have learned and recieved and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Listen, Paul’s talking about God’s presence here. I mean just think about the rest of his letter…all the things he’s already told these Philippian believers…his ambition to know Christ and the power of the resurrection…the fellowship of His sufferings…being made like Him in His death. He’s literally talking about the partnership…the friendship…his communion with Jesus. Even in the midst of pain…in suffering. Paul says, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Guys listen, his confidence in life was that Jesus was with him all the way to the end. He found comfort in the presence of Jesus.

The point Paul’s making here…it really parallels with Hebrews 13. Now, we have no idea who actually wrote Hebrews but it sounds similar to verses 5 and 6. The author says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

Do you see the connection here? The writer says, “Be content with what you have, for He (talking about Jesus) has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” And so, what’s the reason we can be content with what we have? It’s because the promise God made us…that He’ll never leave us or forsake us. Guys, our comfort, it comes from the Lord’s presence in our lives. It’s to know who He is and to know that He’s with us. It’s where our contentment stems from. You understand what Paul’s saying here?

You want peace and contentment?…find the Lord’s presence in your life. Guys, are you truly content with what you have and where you’re at right now? Do you still want for more? Are you struggling to find real satisfaction? Guys, find comfort in the Lord’s presence…You do that through your quiet time…through your Bible reading…your prayer life…you do that by meeting with like minded Christians, growing together in this journey. You’ll never be satisfied until you start doing that.

Listen, I’ll never forget when God first called me into ministry and He started to really grow me in my walk. I was on fire…and all I wanted was to serve Him and the church full-time…I was so ready to stop working in my secular job and I prayed for so long that God would just open up this kind of opportunity for me…But it didn’t happen…I was in bi-vocational ministry for years. And listen to me, until I found comfort in the Lord’s presence first…I was never content…I wasn’t satisfied…and guys, I wasn’t able to see the things He wanted me to see…But when I started finding my contentment in His presence…I started to realize, that was my most fruitful ministry. Guys, I reached more people for the kingdom of God in my secular job than I ever have in my full-time ministry. But I couldn’t see that…I couldn’t find satisfaction in what God was doing because I wasn’t focused on His presence in my life…I wasn’t truly cultivating that relationship…and guys, it caused me to only focus on the things I wanted…and listen, the things I wanted weren’t even necessarily bad…they were just selfish.

Guys, true contentment…the secret to contentment, as Paul says here…it starts with finding comfort in His presence.

John Newton, I think said it best in an old hymn some of us used to sing. The words go like this:

“Content with beholding his face, My all to his pleasure resigned; No changes of season or place Would make any change in my mind. While blest with a sense of his love A palace a toy would appear, And prisons would palaces prove If Jesus would dwell with me there.”

Here’s the idea…if I’m blessed with a sense of Jesus’s love…if Christ is dwelling with me, I could be in a palace…and guess what?…it’s a trifling matter....it’s just a toy. If Jesus is with me, if I have this sense of His love, I could be in prison, and that prison becomes a palace to me because Jesus, He’s with me. I’m in His presence…and that’s all that matters.

And so, that’s the first secret to finding contentment....it’s finding comfort in His presence…it’s seeking that above all other things.

2.) Joy in the Lord’s Providence (vv. 10-11)

And then Paul moves on in verses 10 and 11. He says, “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.”

Here’s what Paul’s saying…the secret to contentment…it’s finding joy in the Lord’s providence. I mean just look at those verses again…He says, “I’m content in any circumstance…it doesn’t matter what situation I find myself in.” And listen, why’s this true? Why’s he able to say that here? Because Paul’s confident that God was the great disposer of those events…Paul knows that everything that’s happened in human history, it was because of God…and now, everything that happens to him, in his own life…God’s orchestrated…He’s in control. It’s the providence of God…God’s sovereign over all things and nothing happens outside of His will or His word. And guys, Paul finds confidence in that truth…And not only confidence…but because God’s orchestrated these things, he’s joyful that God’s allowed him to experience whatever circumstance He’s carefully thought out and allowed to happen.

He says in verse 10, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly...”

Why’d he rejoice in the Lord if it was the Philippians that brought him this gift? Because ultimately it was through the Lord’s providence. He orchestrated it. But also, going back to what he’s been saying, his joy’s rooted in God and not this gift. That’s why he can say, “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Guys, that’s a staggering statement for someone to make that’s in a situation like his. It’s unbelievable for someone like Paul, who’s confined to house arrest, to say, “All my needs are met.”

He found confidence and joy in what the Lord was doing…in His providence. It showed that Paul was a part of God’s plan…and guys, that brought him comfort and joy. Listen, Paul believed, just as the old catechism says, that nothing comes to us except by the fatherly hand of God. He believed that; he trusted in that.

That’s why Paul writes in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Guys, we can’t believe this verse…that God’ll turn all our circumstances…all the things we struggle through…we can’t believe this, that He’ll use them for good, if we don’t hold to God’s providence. Over and over again, Paul writes about this confidence he has in Jesus’s providence…his trust in Him…his confidence in the Lord and what He’s doing…His belief was that Jesus was gonna take care of him and that He was with him no matter the circumstance.

I know I keep referencing a bunch old hymns today, but listen, there’s just so much good theology in those old songs…These words, they always bring me so much comfort when thinking about the providence of God.

“Day by day, and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here. Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what he deems best; Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest.”

And so, where does your confidence come from? Your joy? We’ve been talking about this for weeks now. It comes from trusting the Father’s wise bestowment, as this hymn says…this wise bestowment that He gives to each day its measure of toil as well as peace and rest. Everything comes to us from the hand of Christ…who loves us beyond measure…Paul believed that with every inch of his being and his confidence and joy in God’s providence was one of the sources of his contentment. It’s why he’s able to face his circumstances with so much strength and courage…with so much joy…because it was all rooted in what He knew to be true about God.

Listen, I hate to beat a dead horse…but it’s why I’m so adamant about perseverance of the saints…that once we’ve been changed and made new by the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing can take us from the presence of Christ. Finding this kind of confidence in the providence of God…it’s the secret to contentment. We can’t be content if we don’t believe God’s got this…if He’s not truly in control…if He doesn’t have things figured out…if He’s not truly behind our circumstances. You understand what I’m saying? Understanding the nature of God…understanding who He is…it’s crucial in finding true contentment…it’s essential in finding true satisfaction.

Paul says, “I’ve learned this. I’ve learned contentment in the Lord’s providence.” And guys, what Paul’s learned, its what you and I have to learn. Notice, Paul didn’t learn this sitting at the feet of some rabbi that schooled him in Judaism…he didn’t learn it by receiving one of the greatest educations in that part of the known world. He didn’t learn it as a Pharisee of Pharisees. This was something that he had to learn through his relationship with Christ. It’s was through his experience. Paul learned these things in times of adversity…it wasn’t in his times of prosperity. And we need to learn this…we need to understand this.

And listen, when he says, “I’ve learned to be content,” he’s telling his reader that he’s reached an acceptance of his present lot in life. To be discontent, it would’ve meant that Paul, he wanted to be somewhere else other than where the sovereign hand of God thought it necessary....it would mean that he wanted more than the sovereign hand of God had chosen to give him. Paul’s saying, “I’m content and peaceful with where God’s placed me because He knows best.”

And so guys, do you find comfort in God’s presence…do you find joy and confidence in His providence…in what He’s controlling? Do you believe He’s pulling the strings? Do you believe He’s truly in control? Because if you struggle with that…you’ll always struggle to find contentment. And all this boils down to your quiet time with Him…you have to understand what the Scriptures say about the nature of God and you have to find confidence in that. That’s the purpose of Scripture…God wants you to find confidence in who He is. He wants that!

That’s the first two secrets to contentment.

3.) Satisfaction in the Lord’s Provision (v. 12)

And then real quickly the third secret Paul lays out here is finding satisfaction in the Lord’s provision. Look at verse 12 again. Paul says, “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.”

Listen, Paul’s not neglecting the basic needs we have, but he’s saying that “even in the face of need, I’ve learned how to be content.” It’s a parallel to what he wrote Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” He says, “godliness with contentment is a great gain!”

Listen, do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6? The Sermon on the Mount? Where He tells His disciples to not be anxious about their circumstances? To not give anxious care for tomorrow? What you’re going to eat or drink or to put on? He says, “Look at the birds of the air, look at the flowers of the field; look at how your Father takes care of them, and can’t you trust your Father? ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you.’”

Listen, I’m pretty sure that’s the principle Paul’s getting at here. He not only trusted in where the Lord had placed him but he also trusted in what He chose to give him. You understand? He trusted in the God’s provision. He was able to say in difficult circumstances, “The Lord has given me what I need for faithfulness in this moment.”

Guys, whatever our needs are…whatever it is we want…God’s faithful....and we have trust in His faithfulness. We have to be satisfied in His provision.

And listen, I know more than anyone else how hard this is…Trust me! Brittany and I have been in several situations where we wanted for things…and they weren’t necessarily bad things…but looking back…God was teaching us how to find satisfaction it what He was giving us in those moments. He was teaching us to find contentment in Him. Because as Paul says in 1 Timothy, “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Meaning, if we’re gonna grow…become more and more like Christ…we have to, at some point, learn contentment.

And part of that’s through finding satisfaction in God’s provision. That’s number three.

4.) Strength in the Lord’s Power (v. 13)

And then lastly, we have to find strength in the Lord’s power. Again, verse 13, “13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Listen, because this is probably one of the most misinterpreted verses there is in Scripture. Again, this is why context is everything…it’s why we have to be careful with taking singular verses and trying to use them to find truth without understanding the surrounding passages. Guys, before we dig into this last point here, let me explain what this verse doesn’t mean.

This verse doesn’t mean that God’s gonna empower me to sin. God’s not the author of sin. That comes from the flesh, right? “All things” doesn’t include that which God hates or the things that’s opposed to His very nature.

It also doesn’t mean I can do supernatural physical feats. No matter what I do…no matter how spiritual my walk with Jesus is…I’m not gonna be able to jump across the Atlantic Ocean…I can’t flap my arms and fly to the moon. It doesn’t mean I can perform miracles. “All things” are the simple things of life that believers are called to do.

It doesn’t mean I can do things outside of the will of God. “All things” it means whatever Jesus allows me to do, it’ll always fit within His will. Paul’s saying I can do “all things” I’m called to....things defined by God and laid out in His Word.

Fourthly, this verse doesn’t mean that I can sit back and passively pursue this Christian life. This isn’t removing our responsibility to commit ourselves to the means of grace. If I sit back and do nothing about my walk, I’ll never understand or know this strength Paul’s writing about here. It requires an active pursuit of the means of grace.

But listen, here’s what it does mean…it means I can live my life knowing that the power of God is far greater than whatever difficult circumstance I’m facing. There’s no trial too difficult....there’s no obstacle He’s calls me to too high…There’s no temptation too strong…there’s no opposition too powerful…there’s no persecution too threatening…If we put our faith and trust in God and follow Him obedience, this joy…it’s our joy…this contentment…it’s our contentment....and listen, this confidence, it becomes our confidence.

But it also means, God does this work in the believer at the deepest level of their innermost being. Down in the very depths of your being…this is where God enables you by the strength of Jesus to do what God would have you do…it’s a comprehensive work that He does…It involves your mind…your affections…your will....He changes it all through His power…and we find our strength in the work of God…in the work He’s doing to change us.

You remember how Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 talks about his thorn in the flesh? We don’t know exactly what the thorn was. It could’ve been some kind of health problem; some scholars believe that Paul had some kind of eye disease or eye condition, maybe that was the thorn in the flesh. Maybe it was persecution, maybe it was some kind of suffering. Maybe it was the false apostles who were hurting his ministry there in the Corinthian church.

Whatever it was, do you remember what Paul did? He took it to the Lord. Three times he asked for the Lord to remove the thorn, and do you remember what God said? He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power’s made perfect in weakness.” “My grace is sufficient.” In fact, the word “sufficient” its the same root as the word “content” here. Sufficiency in the Lord. Why? Because his power’s made perfect in our weakness. It’s because God gives us strength in our weakness. I always tell people…you wanna know what God’s calling you to, figure out what you’re weak in. Its in our weaknesses God receives the most glory.

Paul goes on to say, therefore, in 2 Corinthians 12, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Here’s what Paul’s saying…Our strength for contentment, it comes from outside of ourselves. It’s not something we find in ourselves. We have to look to Jesus because only Jesus can give us real power…real strength. His strength, its made perfect in our weakness…in our difficult circumstances…in our suffering.

Closing

Guys, that’s how Paul faced his circumstances…his trials…its how he found contentment. He says, “I can all things through him who strengthens me.” Comfort in the Lord’s presence, joy in the Lord’s providence, satisfaction in the Lord’s provision, strength in the Lord’s power.

Listen, as you think about this secret to contentment…would you bow your heads with me?

Can you say that this morning? Are you content? Listen, this is all possible for you. You can know this person, Jesus…you can know Him in such a real, and personal, and present way that allows you to endure literally anything…nothing’ll shake you…you can go through any storm and know that your foundation isn’t going to crumble. You have a rock under you…because you have Jesus…That’s what we need…it’s to know Him…to trust Him…to love Him....And guys, we do that in that order. We know Him and it leads to us trusting in Him and it leads to us loving Him. You gotta work out your faith…you gotta dig into His Word. You gotta grow in your walk. Find comfort in His presence, joy in His providence, satisfaction in His provision, strength in His power. That’s the secret to contentment.

And listen, if you’re here today and you’ve never turned to Jesus…you’ve never chosen to follow Him…the Bible says that because of our chose to sin and rebel against God…it separated us from His glory…His love. It says that our disobedience to the Creator, brought on our destruction…we deserve punishment. But in God’s mercy and grace and love…He sent His Son, being fully God and fully man, to take on that punishment for you and I. He endured the cross and the death that was meant for us…He paid the penalty of our sins. And listen, the Bible says that He was raised back to life 3 days later…showing us that He was truly God. And when we repent…when we turn from ourselves and turn to Jesus…when we believe…believe that Jesus is the Son of God...that He died for us…we’ll be saved…it says in that moment we humble ourselves, the Spirit of God dwells in us…He gives us a new heart…a new mind…a new spirit. He changes us and He begins restoring us. Guys, this is important…it determines your eternity. One way or another you’re gonna live forever…but where’s it gonna be? In peace…or suffering? Are you gonna go to your grave because of your own selfishness…your stubbornness? Turn to Jesus.

Guys, in just a moment, we’re gonna come together for the Lord’s Supper…and I’m urging you, get right or turn to Jesus…whatever it is. Find the peace and the contentment that only Jesus can give. And so, as our deacons come and as we prepare the elements…this is your time…these steps are open…you take as much time as you need…and if you need me, I’ll be down front. And so, you come and I’ll close us in just a moment.

[Prayer]

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 says, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” [Pray for the bread – eat the bread]

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 11, verses 25 through 26 say, “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” [Pray for the juice – drink juice]