Our Provision For Contentment
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted
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Instead of having spiritual ups and downs as the situation changed, he went right on, steadily doing his work and serving Christ.
His personal references at the close of this letter indicate that he was not the victim of circumstances but the victor over circumstances: I can accept all things (v. 11); "I can do all things" (v. 13); "I have all things" (v.
18). Paul did not have to be pampered to be content; he found his contentment in the spiritual resources abundantly provided by Christ.
Contentment is not complacency, nor is it a false peace based on ignorance. The complacent believer is unconcerned about others, while the contented Christian wants to share his blessings.
Contentment is not escape from the battle, but rather an abiding peace and confidence in the midst of the battle. "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am. therewith to be content" (v. 11). Two words in that verse are vitally important-"learned" and "content."
The verb "learned" means learned by experience." Paul's spiritual contentment was not something he had immediately after he was saved. He had to go through many difficult experiences of life in order to learn how to be content. The word
"content" actually means "contained." It is a description of the man whose resources are within him so that he does not have to depend on substitutes without. The Greek word means "self-suffi-cient" and was a favorite word of the Stoic philosophers. But the Christian is not sufficient in himself; he is sufficient in Christ. Because Christ lives within us, we are adequate for the demands of life.
In this chapter, Paul names three wonderful spiritual resources that make us adequate and give us contentment.
1. Our Lord’s Loving Providence (4:10)
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
God’s power sustaining and guiding Human affairs
In this day of scientific achievement, we hear less and less about the providence of God. We sometimes get the idea that the world is a vast natural machine and that even God Himself cannot interrupt the wheels as they are turning. But the Word of God clearly teaches the providential workings of God in nature and in the lives of His people. The word "providence" comes from two Latin words: pro, meaning "before," and video, meaning "to see." God's providence simply means that God sees to it beforehand. It does not mean that God simply knows beforehand, because providence involves much more. It is the working of God in advance to arrange circumstances and situations for the fulfilling of His purposes.
The familiar story of Joseph and his brothers illustrates the meaning of providence (Gen. 37- 50). Joseph's brothers envied him and sold him as a slave when he was only 17 years old. He was "God did send me before you to preserve life!" said Joseph (Gen. 45:5). "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good" (Gen. 50:20). This is the providence of God:
His hand ruling and overruling in the affairs of life. Paul experienced this divine providence in his life and ministry, and he was able to write, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). God in His providence had caused the church at Philippi to become concerned about Paul's needs, and it
came at the very time Paul needed their love most!
They had been concerned, but they had lacked the opportunity to help. Many Christians today have the opportunities, but they lack the concern!
Life is not a series of accidents; it is a series of appointments. "I will guide thee with Mine eye" (Ps. 32:8). Abraham called God "Jehovah-Jireh." meaning "the Lord will see to it" (Gen. 22:14
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
"And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them" (John 10:4). This is the providence of God, a wonderful source of contentment.
2. Our Lord’s Limitless Power
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Paul is quick to let his friends know that he is not complaining! His happiness does not depend on circumstances or things; his joy comes from something deeper, something apart from either poverty or prosperity. Most of us have learned how to "be abased," because when difficulties come we immediately run to the Lord! But few have learned how "to abound." Prosperity has done more damage to believers than has adversity. "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing"
(Rev. 3:17).
The word "instructed" in verse 12 is not the
same as "learned" in verse 11. "Instructed" means
"initiated into the secret." This word was used by the pagan religions with reference to their "inner secrets." Through trial and testing, Paul was "initiated" into the wonderful secret of contentment in spite of poverty or prosperity: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"
(v. 13). It was the power of Christ within him that gave him spiritual contentment.
Fog had moved into O'Hare Field, the airport that serves Chicago, and my departure had been
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delayed. I was sitting in the terminal reading a book and quietly asking God to work out His plans for the trip. Near me was a gentlemen waiting for the same plane, but he was pacing up and down like a caged lion, and the language he was using to describe the fog was making the atmosphere more dense! I thought to myself, "Here is a man without any inner resources." Later, he asked me how I could be so calm when the planes were all late, and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him.
While flying back to Chicago from upper New York via New York City, we had to stay in our holding pattern over Kennedy Airport for more than an hour. When the stewardess announced that we would be landing an hour late, a man across the aisle shouted,
"Bring out the booze!"
This was his only resource when things were going against him.
All of nature depends on hidden resources. The great trees send their roots down into the earth to draw up water and minerals. Rivers have their sources in the snow-capped mountains. The most important part of a tree is the part you cannot see, the root system, and the most important part of the Christian's life is the part that only God sees.
Unless we draw upon the deep resources of God by faith, we fail against the pressures of life. Paul depended on the power of Christ at work in his life (see 1:6, 21; 2:12-13; 3:10). "I can--through Christ!" was Paul's motto, and it can be our motto too.
I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me," is the way J. B.
Phillips translates verse 13. The Living Bible puts it this way: "I can do everything God asks me to
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with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power." No matter which translation you pre-fer, they all say the same thing: the Christian has all the power within that he needs to be adequate for the demands of life. We need only release this power by faith.
Every Christian ought to read Hudson Taylor's
Spiritual Secret, by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, because it illustrates this principle of inner power in the life of a great missionary to China. For many years, Hudson Taylor worked hard and felt that he was trusting Christ to meet his needs, but somehow he had no joy or liberty in his ministry.
Then a letter from a friend opened his eyes to the adequacy of Christ. "It is not by trusting my own faithfulness, but by looking away to the Faithful One!" he said. This was a turning point in his life.
Moment by moment, he drew upon the power of Christ for every responsibility of the day, and Christ's power carried him through.
lesus teaches this same lesson in the sermon on the vine and branches in John 15. He is the Vine; we are the branches. A branch is good only for bearing fruit; otherwise you may as well burn it. The branch does not bear fruit through its own self-effort, but by drawing upon the life of the Vine. "Without Me, ye can do nothing" (John
15:5). As the believer maintains his communion with Christ, the power of God is there to see him through. "I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency" (Phil. 4:13, AMP).
The overruling providence of God and the unfailing power of God are two spiritual resources upon which we can draw that we might be adequate for the tasks of life. But there is a third
resource.
3. Our Lord’s Lasting Promise
14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul thanks the church at Philippi for their generous gift. He compares their giving to three very familiar things:
(1) A budding tree (u. 10).
The word "flourished* carries the idea of a flower or tree budding or blossoming. Often we go through "winter seasons" spiritually, but then the spring arrives and there is new life and blessing. The tree itself is not picked up and moved; the circumstances are not changed. The difference is the new life within.
(2) An investment (wo. 14-17).
Paul looked upon their missionary gift as an investment that would pay them rich spiritual dividends. The word "communicate" is our familiar word "fellowship." The church entered into an arrangement of "giving and receiving; the church gave materially to Paul, and received spiritually from the Lord. The Lord keeps the books and will never fail to pay one spiritual dividend That church is poor that fails to share materially with others.
(3) A sacrifice (o. 18).
Paul looked upon their gift as a spiritual sacrifice, laid on the altar to the glory of God. There are such things as "spiritual sacrifices" in the Christian life (see 1 Peter 2:5).
We are to yield our bodies as spiritual sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2), as well as the praise of our lips (Heb. 13:15).
Good works are a sacrifice to the Lord (Heb. 13:16),
and so are the lost souls that we are privileged to win to Christ (Rom. 15:16).
Here, Paul sees the Philippian believers as priests, giving their offering as a sacrifice to the Lord. In the light of Malachi 1:6-14
we need to present the very finest that we have to the Lord.
But Paul does not see this gift as simply coming from Philippi. He sees it as the supply of his need from heaven. Paul's trust was in the Lord. There is an interesting contrast between verse 18 and verse 19. We might state it this way if we were to paraphrase Paul: "You met my need, and God is going to meet your need. You met one need that I have, but my God will meet all of your needs.
You gave out of your poverty, but God will supply your needs out of His riches in glory!"
God has not promised to supply all our "greeds."
When the child of God is in the will of God, serving for the glory of God, then he will have every need met. Hudson Taylor often said, "When God's work is done in God's way for God's glory, it will not lack for God's supply.
A young pastor came to a church that had been accustomed to raising its annual budget by means of suppers, bazaars, and the like. He told his officers he could not agree with their program.
"Let's pray and ask God to meet every need," he suggested. "At the end of the month, pay all the bills and leave my salary till the last. If there isn't enough money for my salary, then I'm the one who suffers, and not the church. But I don't think anybody is going to suffer!" The officers were sure that both the pastor and the church would die, but such was not the case. Each month every bill was paid, and at the end of the year there was a surplus in the treasury for the first time in many years.
Contentment comes from adequate resources.
Our resources are the providence of God, the power of God, and the promises of God. These resources made Paul sufficient for every demand of life, and they can make us sufficient, too.