The Secret of Contentment: Philippians 4:10-13 (2)

Prayer

Alright, 2nd—5th graders you guys are free to dismiss. And as a reminder, parents you can pick those children up at the Wetlands Building, and if you need any help finding where that is, don’t hesitate to ask someone with a lanyard.

For the rest of you, please turn with me to Philippians 4:10-13

If you’re new with us, my name is Andrew McClure and I’m one of the Pastors here, and today our text brings us to topic that alludes most of us, but is infinitely rewarding to those who find it.

The Secret of Contentment.

So let’s read our text, and then we’ll unpack it together.

Philippians 4:10–13 ESV

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. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

The Secret of Contentment

Introduction

In his book, Contentment, medical doctor Richard Swenson tells the story of a man named Cyprian.

Cyprian was a wealthy, highly educated lawyer, in the 3rd Century A.D., and at the age of 45 he came to faith in Jesus Christ. After finding salvation he wrote a letter to his dear friend Donatus stating,

“This is a cheerful world as I see it from my garden under the shadows of my vines. But if I were to ascend some high mountain and look out over the wide lands, you know very well what I should see: brigands on the highways, pirates on the sea, armies fighting, cities burning, men murdered, selfishness and cruelty and misery and despair under all roofs.

“Its a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world… BUT I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are MASTERS OF THEIR SOULS. THEY HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD, THESE PEOPLE, Donatus, are the Christians--- and I am one of them.”

Cyprian had learned the Secret of Christian Contentment.

In a bad world, he had learned to be a Master of His soul. An overcomer. Content.

Contentment by definition is an “internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances.”

It’s inward state, that is totally independent of circumstances.

You see, so many of us assume that contentment can only be achieved with the absence of problems.

Others assume that contentment can only be achieved with the accumulation of more possessions.

But neither of these assumptions are true.

Our contentment is not dependent on circumstances at all.

Look no further than the fanbase of Georgia Football.

I grew up a diehard UGA fan, and for 40 years all I heard was whining and complaining, and grumbling about the dawgs.

A totally unsatisfied FAN BASE

And then glory struck! TWICE! The dawgs won back to back national titles…

But online you see fans excited about that sure, but frustrated that an 18 year old recruit would choose a different school.

Or a QB transfer off the team.

True Christian contentment is being satisfied, regardless of what’s happening outside of yourselves.

And in this text, Paul is saying, “I’m content. I’m fully satisfied.”

And that is astounding, because where is Paul writing this letter from!?

Prison! And facing a real possibility of death.

And while chained to a roman guard at all times, living in the stocks, having to provide for his own basic necessities he says… “I’m good. I need nothing. I’m fully Content.”

How many of us could say the same this morning?

Probably few if any. I know that personally I can’t honestly say that.

You see, the truth is we are such a discontented people.

We are a dissatisfied people.

Evidenced in things like the 17 Trillion $ consumer debt American’s have racked up this year.

Aware of what we don’t have, and driven by such discontent that we pay for things we can’t afford.

Our discontent is evidenced in the high rate of mobility. Americans rarely stay at the same address for more than 5 years.

Always on the move, looking for a better house, a better job, a better place to raise a family, a better place to retire.

I mean, we’re discontent in our marriages, unsatisfied with our looks, our weight, our friends, our homes, our yards, our kids, our cars, our golf swing, with the things we have, and the things we don’t have.

So could you just imagine for a second what it would feel like to authentically lay your head at night feeling and experiencing total contentment. Fully satisfied?

Probably no!

Discontentment has been such a constant companion to us all, that a statement like this found in Phil 4, just seems unattainable.

But according to our text, contentment isn’t impossible at all.

We just need to learn the Secret of Contentment.

And this morning we will see that the Secret of Contentment is: Learned from Providence and Power.

Learned

providence

Power

Learning

You see twice in this text, Paul said he had learned contentment.

Philippians 4:11 “ for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

Philippians 4:12 “ In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret…

Just as my child is studying the American Revolution, or learning his fractions…

Paul says, he had studied, and learned contentment.

And this should be very encouraging to each of us. Because if Paul could learn it, so could we.

What this means is that there is hope for every single one of us.

Contentment is not a result of Paul’s natural disposition, personality, enneagram #, or anything of the like.

The Scriptures don’t say, Paul was just a contented person! No… it had nothing to do with his disposition.

It also means, that contentment is not the result of some spiritual gift.

Right, God didn’t just ZAPP Contentment into Paul through some supernatural encounter.

Acts 2 doesn’t say that the Holy Spirit fell and all of a sudden they were all content.

No, contentment is learned.

The old fashioned way, over time, with repetition, disciplined application, and consistent focus.

And what Paul tells us in these few short verses, is that he learned contentment from LIFE.

It was the school of life, in which he was enrolled.

Look back at verses 11 & 12.

Philippians 4:11 “for I have learned…” “in whatever situation”

and in verse Philippians 4:12 “ In any and every circumstance,”

He’s saying that every moment of every day, In and out of every season of life, that’s where he learned how to be content.

He learned from his life.

Church, life is the school from which we learn contentment.

But what is so sad, is that although enrolled in the School of Life, we just don’t apply ourselves.

We treat life, like I treated most of my undergrad… an opportunity to do whatever I want to do (namely intramural sports)

And because of it, I wasted a couple of years of learning… the primary purpose I was there!

And so many of us waste our lives, and the learning it seeks to provide.

We drift and coast through life, like a lazy river.

But if you want to learn contentment, you have to start learning from your life.

You’ve got to turn off cruise-control, and start paying attention, listening, and studying your life.

And here’s a huge part of the secret!

As we live our lives, and pay attention to our lives we become more and more aware of God’s Providence in our lives!

Providence

God is a god of Providence.

I’m going to read from the Westminster Confession on the Providence of God…

“God the great creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”

What this mean is that God is in complete control of all things.

Nothing in your life is left up to chance or fate. But all things are governed and controlled by God.

Now, how God’s Divine Providence lives alongside man’s freewill is mysterious, and a sermon for another day.

But if you’re interested in hearing more about that, I’d point you to a sermon we did here on March 3rd, titled “The Church’s Potency.”

There we talked about how God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility work in harmony.

But for today, what it’s important for you to know is that the Bible clearly, and unmistakably teaches the Providence of God!

And, Paul had a deep trust in Providence.

Remember, at the beginning of this letter, Paul is updating the church in Philippi about his current predicament.

He’s in prison, awaiting trial, facing a real likelihood of execution.

What would you do if those were your circumstances?

How would you respond if your lot in life was Paul’s!?

How long would it take you to totally doubt God, shake a fist at Him, and believe he had abandoned you?

“This couldn’t be God’s desire for me.” “No way God wants this for my life.”

You experience your life, and begin to interpret it… “This could never be God’s will for me!”

Be honest now!

How many of you are walking through tough times right now… and run to those responses? And your life isn’t even hanging in the balance!

But Paul, is in a pretty tight spot, but he writes to the Philippian church… “Don’t worry about me! Philippians 1:12–13 “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.”

Paul wanted the church to understand that God was in control!

That every circumstance, and every situation, even his imprisonment was controlled by God, and was actually being used by God for the glory of God.

And as Paul believed God’s Providence, he could be content.

Church, until you learn that all of life is controlled by the Providence of God you will never know contentment.

Instead, you’ll continue to grow anxious, angry or frustrated by your circumstances. And expend all of your limited energy trying to change them, or resist them, or blame God for them.

And the harder you kick against the Providence of God, the more miserable you’ll become, and discontentment will continue to be your constant companion!

Listen, things happen in our lives that we don’t understand. That we have a hard time accepting.

Because we’re limited. We don’t know the beginning from the end. We’re the worlds worst interpreters.

We’re like kids.

You see, our kids observe everything, but I leave them to interpret nothing!

My kids may see Annie and i argue, and immediately interpret divorce because their buddy in school talked about divorce.

They see things, but they can’t properly interpret things. Their perspectives and reasoning is limited.

It’s the same with us! We experience our lives, and immediately seek to interpret them often through our own desires and preferences.

So when we hit situations in life that don’t align with those desires and preferences… we kick and wrestle and resist.

But church… RELAX. Breathe. God is in Control.

There is no waste with Him.

All of our lives, EVERY single CIRCUMSTANCE is governed by God’s Providence.

And let me just add, that not only is God Provident, but he is also LOVE.

which means all of his plans are good.

So a good, and loving God is orchestrating and controlling all of life… what could go wrong!

So rest in the Providence of God.

You will never know a contented heart until you believe God is Good, and is Providential in your life. Never. .

He is in control of everything circumstance, and every situation.

But you object! And say, “Well what about the sin of those around me!? That persons sin has hurt me, and led to this circumstance.”

Oh, let me tell you that SIN, that SIN that always has consequences of pain and turmoil, that sin GRIEVES THE HEART OF GOD.

But even that Sin, will be redeemed and used by the Providence of God, for the Good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Look at Judas— was his sin not used for the Glory of God, and the good of all mankind!?

Look at Peter— was his denial, not ultimately redeemed to make him the Shepherd of the Church!?

Yes… even sin, somehow, and in someway is used by the Providence of God for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

But you object! And say, “Well what about tragedy, and the unjust suffering of so many!”

Tornadoes ripping through neighborhoods, starvation of masses, abortion uncheck…

Oh let me tell you, Tragedy and Suffering Grieves THE HEART OF GOD,

but even tragedy, will be redeemed and used by the Providence of God, for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Look at lazarus— was his death not used for the glory of God?

Look at Paul’s murder of others—- was it not redeemed for the good of others?

Look at his unjust imprisonment—- Paul said, oh God was working in that to advance the Gospel.

Church, in whatever situation, and in any and every circumstance God is Providentially Working.

And LEARNING to trust and rest in the Providence of God is the secret to contentment.

Apply yourself. Reflect. “God, where are you working in this situation?”

Because he is always working, in any and every circumstance, in whatever situation.

But Paul specifically takes a moment to highlight the LOW’s of Life, and the High’s of Life.

Look quickly at verse 12.

In the LOW’s

In verse 12 he says, “I know how to be brought low”

It was in the Lowest of Low’s that Paul had learned the secret of contentment.

He had been beaten often, in prisons frequently. Stoned. 3 times shipwrecked.

In perils of robbers, in perils of the city, in perils of the wilderness, and in perils of the sea.

Often weary, sleepless, hungry and thirsty, and frequently cold and naked…

So when Paul says, “he knows how to be brought low” he means it.

But there in the LOW’s, Paul learned to be content.

What about you?

In what ways are you experiencing the LOW’s of Life?

Is it financial? Struggling to make ends meet.

Is it Material? In need of a new car, can’t afford a house, desperate for a new job?

Is it Circumstantial? Are you suffering right now? Does it just feel like life has it’s thumb on you, and every time you come up for a breath life shoves you right back down!?

Are you experiencing the Low of Low’s?

Now let me ask this… while there, can you say, “I’m content?”

Let me offer a quick warning here.

One of the primary reasons we aren’t content in the Low’s, is because we have given in to the sin of COVETING.

Coveting is to eagerly desire what someone else has.

Listen Coveting is such a thief of contentment.

And often what happens is when we’re in seasons of LOW’s… instead of looking up to find the Providence of God we look around at the Possessions of Others.

We start seeing all the people around us, who have it so much better than us!

He got that promotion, why can’t I ever get that?

Oh, they bought a new car… why can’t I ever have a new car?

Their kids made the baseball team… why won’t God help my kids.

I mean on and on and on.

Often what robs us of contentment in the Low’s is Coveting.

But not for Paul, he knew how to be brought Low, and while down… he learned to be content.

But he goes on to say… I know also how to abound.

He also learned contentment in the High’s of Life.

In the High’s

Paul suffered, but he also enjoyed some good things of life too.

He had been hosted and supported by rich Lydia.

He had had visions and encounters of Christ in the 3rd heaven.

He had performed, and witnessed miracles.

But even his High’s were used to teach him contentment.

Now let me give you a quick warning here as well:

I believe, that contentment in the High’s is often a much harder accomplishment than in seasons of LOWS.

You know this to be true.

Season of Lows have a way of driving us to our knees, forcing us to be dependent upon God because we’ve come to an end of ourselves.

But not so in the High’s.

You see the temptation of the High’s is Pride & Entitlement

Some of you have more money than you know what to do with. When it comes to the vats of your fields, their overflowing. In the High’s.

If there was anything you want, you can get it. Nothing is hindering you from all your desires. In the High’s.

And every turn you tend to take in life seems to bring more and more blessing. In the High’s.

But be careful, because every so slowly but forcefully you take your eyes off the Providence of God, and begin to put them on the Pride of Life.

1 Timothy 6:17–19 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

Where is your hope? Pay attention to your life, especially in the High’s!

Be careful you aren’t allowing the High’s be the source of your satisfaction, but God alone.

This takes so much effort, and intentionality.

I met with someone this week, who is fighting this fight.

They told me that their making more money than they’ve ever made, and that entitlement is continually standing at the door of their lives knocking.

So I asked, How are you resisting it?

He told me that they have to be intentional, so this week they piled the kids up went to Zaxby’s and bought a bunch of food, then drove around as a family and handed it out to the homeless lining the intersections.

And that day, everyone was blessed.

The homeless were fed, the kids were discipled, and the parents were able to push back against the ever creep of ego.

So… where have we been thus far? Let me recap up to this point.

We learn contentment from growing in our awareness of the Providence of God.

That he is ultimately in control of all of life, including the LOWS and the HIGH’s.

And as we rest in his Providence, regardless of the season, we learn to be satisfied.

But there’s one more secret Paul wants to convey.

To learn the Secret of Contentment you need the Power of Christ.

Power

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” .

There’s probably not a verse in the whole Bible that is more misquoted, and yanked from its context than this one.

In fact, I have a favorite coffee mug of mine that reads, “i can do all things through a verse taken out of context.’

You see, as with all of Bible reading and Bible study, Context is King.

When Paul’s saying that he can do all things, he’s not literally saying… I can do everything in the name of Jesus.

he can’t fly, he can’t deadlift 1000lbs, he can’t win the superbowl… just because he has Phil 4:13 tattooed somewhere, or posted in the football locker-room.

The “all things”, must be controlled by the context.

So what he’s saying is that he can do all the things that he just laid out in the context.

He can be content in “whatever situation” or “any and every circumstance”

He can be satisfied in the lowest of lows, and in the highest of highs.

How? Well because he is satisfied in Christ.

An athlete wearing Phil 4:13 on his eyeblack doesn’t mean he now has the power to win the football game.

The opposite is actually true. It means that even if he loses, in the most humiliating fashion, he has the power to be content, because he has Christ.

A business man praying Phil 4:13 before inking anew deal, doesn’t mean that Christ will secure that comission.

The means the exact opposite, that if he loses that deal, and is consequently fired, and his work history is flagged and he goes unemployed for the next 12 months, it means that he has the power to be satisfied, because he has Christ.

And Paul learned that.

Because Paul had Christ, he had all.

He was satisfied, because he possessed Christ.

Have you, like Paul, learned the hope to which he has called you? The riches of his glorious inheritance? The immeasurable greatness of his power?

Because as you endure life, a life organized by the Providence of God, you will have unique opportunities to know more of Christ. Christ who will keep you in the High’s, and Christ who will hold you in the Low’s.

And as you know more of Christ, and as you trust more in Providence—- you like Paul, will be content.

Conclusion

The secret of contentment is learned.

Learned in life, as we grow in our awareness of Providence, and experienced by the Power of Christ.

Today, we are going to conclude our time by remembering the incredible Providence of God, in the provision of Christ by taking Communion.

So for those who are serving communion, please feel free to begin handing out the elements to the church.

Communion is a sacrament of the church, that has been celebrated for thousands of years as a remembrance of the Providence of God in the Provision of Christ.

It is for those who believe in Jesus, and are a part of His Holy Church, so if you’re not a believer this morning I want to kindly ask you to let the elements pass you by.

But as you take the bread, and take the cup I want you to spend a moment reflecting.

Specifically reflecting on your life?

What season would you say you’re in at the moment?

What specifically is driving your high’s or driving your lows?

Are you guilty of coveting? Let the Holy Spirit reveal that this morning.

Are you guilty of Pride? The same goes for you.

Confess those sins unto the Lord, and then take a moment ponder God’s Providence. Specifically int he elements you hold.

How God in his wisdom and foreknowledge sent Jesus to die the death you deserve, so that you may live the life you don’t deserve.

So just reflect. And in a moment I’ll come back up and lead us through the taking of communion.