Content in Christ

If you have your Bible and I hope that you do, please turn with me to Philippians 4. We are in verses 10-23 and concluding our time in the book of Philippians. On the surface, the end of this letter is a “thank-you note.” But this passage today its actually a masterclass in Christian contentment, gospel partnership, and confident trust in the God who supplies every need in Christ Jesus.

If we’re honest, money and life circumstances determine the position of our hearts more than we care to admit. We feel strong and self-sufficient when our checking account is full, weak and needy when it’s not; optimistic when life is smooth and we’re healthy, anxious when it’s not. Paul writes from prison— he is in chains, hungry, likely in rags—and yet he radiates a steady contentment that most people long for. How? The answer is not “try harder to be content.” The answer is no matter what life has to offer to us: Christ is enough. And when Christ is enough and we find our contentment is in Him then our giving becomes worship and God gets the glory.

Let’s stand together in honor of God’s Word as we read Philippians 4:10-23

Philippians 4:10–23 ESV

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. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Last week, we learned how Paul calls us to stand firm in the Lord, to rejoice always, to let our reasonableness be known, to pray instead of worry, and to dwell on what is true and lovely. Paul taught us that when we fix our minds on Christ and bring our cares to God, the peace of God will guard our hearts. That passage reminds us that peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God Himself.

Now, as Paul concludes his letter, he turns from urging the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord to giving them a living example of what that actually looks like in practice. From the prison cell, Paul demonstrates contentment. This passage is a testimony from Paul of everything he has just been teaching. It is peace in Christ, lived out.

Paul begins with joy. As in Philippians 4:4, he is rejoicing in the Lord. He is thankful for the Philippians, but his ultimate joy is found in what Jesus has done for Him. The Philippians concern and gift for Paul is the prompt for this finale of thanksgiving. And their financial gift is evidence of God’s grace in their lives.

But Paul doesn’t dwell on the gift. In fact, he says “Not that I am speaking of being need.” Paul is not saying, “I’m desperate” or “I’m needy” or that he’s trying to manipulate them into sending more money. You see, Paul’s joy is not based on whether or not he gets money. His joy is rooted much deeper.

He writes, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Listen to what Paul has said about what kind of sufferings the man has endured.

1 Corinthians 4:11–12 ESV

11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

Paul was hungry, thirsty, dressed in rags, homeless. He had hard, calloused hands. He was persecuted.

2 Corinthians 6:4–5 ESV

4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;

So Paul is not getting wealthy here. He’s poor. His needs are being met because of the Philippians but what was the situation before they sent their gift? Likely hunger, thirst, and rags.

But you know what? He was content in “whatever situation” he was in. That’s extraordinary! Contentment does not come to us naturally. None of us are born content. We are born grasping, wanting, desiring. Discontentment is native to our fallen hearts.

Spurgeon put it this way, “Ill weeds grow apace; covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. But contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated.”

Think about that. You don’t have to teach a child to complain, do you? They come out of the womb knowing how. But you do have to teach them to be grateful. Likewise, you don’t have to teach a heart to covet—it’s natural. But you do have to learn, through God’s Spirit, to be content.

And Paul says: “I have learned.” That word “learned” is the Greek word “manthano” which means to learn with moral bearing and responsibility. It’s experiential like being trained by life’s classroom. Have you learned this contentment?

If your circumstances changed tomorrow, a job loss, sickness, unexpected event, would your joy disappear? Paul shows us that true contentment is not found in circumstances but in Christ.

And that’s exactly what the Gospel gives us. Our deepest need—peace with God—has already been met through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. If you have Christ, then no circumstance can threaten your eternal standing before God. That’s why Paul can say, ‘I’ve learned to be content’—because the cross has already secured the one thing he can never lose.

The Secret to Contentment in All Circumstances in Christ

Paul has lived through both extremes. He knows poverty and prosperity, hunger and fullness. And in both, he has discovered the “secret”. What is the secret? It’s not the popular philosophy of the time, stoicism—Paul was not a detached philosopher. It’s not resignation—he wasn’t a fatalist. The secret is Christ-sufficiency.

I’ve known miserable poor people and miserable wealthy people. Some of the wealthiest people I know try to buy their contentment. It’s why it’s so difficult for rich people to get to heaven. But poor people spend much of their time wishing for other circumstances.

Notice Paul’s repetition: “in any and every circumstance.” No exceptions. No matter what life throws at us—whether poverty or plenty, hardship or ease—nothing can shake the believer who has found contentment in Christ. His sufficiency steadies us when circumstances change, because our security rests in Him, not in what we have or lack.

Both poverty and prosperity are dangerous tests. Poverty tempts us to doubt God’s goodness. Prosperity tempts us to forget God altogether. Many of us assume that hardship is the greater test, but Scripture often warns that abundance is more spiritually dangerous.

Proverbs 30:8–9 ESV

8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Spurgeon said, “It is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry. When men have too much of God’s mercies, they often have little of God’s grace.”

Think of a soldier. No one becomes battle-hardened overnight. They endure hardship, training, failure, and victory until they are battle-tested and seasoned. Paul says life’s trials seasoned him. He learned—through shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, betrayals, and also through seasons of comfort—that Christ was enough.

Which situation are you in right now? Maybe you’re in a place of abundance. It could be that God is testing whether you’ll be humble and generous with His gifts, for they’re all His. Maybe you’re in a time of need and God may be testing whether you’ll trust him for your daily bread. Either way, the lesson for you is the same: Christ is enough.

Now we get to possibly the most quoted Scripture aside from John 3:16, Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13 ESV

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

This is the heart of Paul’s secret. Christ strengthens him.

This verse is featured on t-shirts and coffee mugs. It’s on locker room walls, and has been pirated for sports games instead of its intended purpose. Some people treat it as a motivational slogan: “I can do anything I set my mind to”, but in context, Paul is not talking about achieving dreams or goals. He’s not talking about scoring a touchdown or digging deep to make one final push to a finish line. He is talking about enduring through circumstances—whether poverty or prosperity—by abiding in Christ’s strength.

History is full of men who proudly boasted, “I can do all things.” Nebuchadnezzar said, “Is this not the great Babylon I have built?” and God humbled him to graze like an ox. Xerxes tried to lash the sea into submission, but his empire collapsed. Napoleon marched on Russia, thinking himself invincible, and returned in ruin.

Paul’s boast is different. “I can do all things through Christ.” Not self-sufficiency but Christ-sufficiency.

Jeremiah 9:23–24 ESV

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Paul puts it this way in another letter

2 Corinthians 10:17 ESV

17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Christian, you may feel unable to endure your trial. You may say, “I cannot forgive this wrong. I cannot survive this loss. I cannot resist this temptation.” And in yourself, you are right—you can’t. But in, through Christ, you can. He will strengthen you as you abide and continue in Him.

Paul moves into commending the Philippian church for their generosity. He says, “It was kind of you to share my trouble.” That word “share” is koinōneō— which is the same family of words that has filled this letter. They partnered in the gospel (1:5), partook of grace (1:7), shared in the Spirit (2:1), shared Christ’s sufferings (3:10). Now they share financially.

This was extraordinary. Paul says no other church did this. The Philippians alone stood out in generosity.

In the Greco-Roman world, giving was an uncommon thing. In fact, charity is a distinctly Christian thought. Emperor Julian lamented this as he wrote after trying to reestablish emperor worship in Rome and he wrote this “

Church History in Plain Language (Updated 4th Edition) Reasons for the Gospel’s Spread

Atheism [i.e., Christian faith] has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.

In ancient Rome, the giving and receiving often implied strings attached—patronage, control, obligation. But Paul redefines it as friendship. Their giving was not a cold transaction but warm gospel partnership.

Imagine that contrast. In Rome, charity was rare. Gladiatorial games desensitized people to suffering through torment, blood, and sacrifice for sport. The poor were left to starve just outside of the Coliseum. In Philippi, Christians gave sacrificially to support Paul’s ministry. That was countercultural. That was gospel transformation.

When you give, do you give with strings attached, expecting recognition or influence? Or do you give freely as gospel partners?

Paul clarifies in

Philippians 4:17 ESV

17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

Paul wants them to see that their giving is not about his need, but about their fruit. That fruit points us to the reality that every believer will give account for their works—not for salvation, but for reward or loss of reward. Our generosity is credited to our eternal account. We are judged innocent according to our standing in Christ and yet there is a judgment that awaits believers for the fruit that we produce here on earth.

Christian are expected to

Romans 7:4 ESV

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

This fruit is produced by abiding in the vine of Christ according to John 15. This is referred to as our sanctification in Romans 6:22

Romans 6:22 ESV

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

In fact, Paul says this explicitly about believers in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

2 Corinthians 5:9–10 ESV

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Jesus said in Matthew 6: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Paul says, “That’s what you’ve done.” By your sacrificial giving to minister to me, you are laying up treasure. Christian, every dollar given to gospel work is not lost—it’s invested in eternity. Every time you serve, it’s paid back to you a thousand-fold in eternity. Every time you resist temptation, share the Gospel, or minister in the name of Christ, you will be rewarded.

Jesus said Matthew 10:41-42

Matthew 10:41–42 ESV

41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Do you believe this? Do you see your giving as subtraction from your account, or as planting for eternal harvest?

Christians Believe That Their Gift Is Worship

Listen to what Paul says, “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”

Paul piles up terms of fullness—he is overflowing. But then he lifts their eyes: their gift is not ultimately for Paul. It’s an act of worship to God. Paul calls it a fragrant offering—language from the Old Testament for sacrifices pleasing to God. In Ephesians 5:2, Christ’s death is called a fragrant offering. Here, their financial gift is described the same way—not because it atones for sin, but because it reflects sacrificial worship.

The Philippians’ generosity is called a ‘fragrant offering’ because it echoes the ultimate fragrant offering—Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He gave Himself up for us in love, and now our giving, however small, reflects His giving heart. When we give, we display the generosity of the Gospel itself.

Alec Motyer comments: “When Christians take note of Christian needs and generously sacrifice to meet them, it is, for God, the burnt offering all over again, and he delights to accept it.”

What is your attitude of giving? I don’t know who gives or what you give. But God knows. And God knows the heart behind your giving as well. When you give, do you think of it as worship? When you give, whether its in the plate or online, it rises like incense before God and it’s pleasing to Him.

My wife and I we give every week online. When we began faithfully giving around 12 years ago it was really difficult. I remember walking up to an offering box with money that I really needed for bills but I said, “God, I trust You more than this.” Since that time, God has continued to work in my wife and I. We have everything we need. Of course I don’t have all my wants, but God is teaching me contentment.

But Paul also points to God’s supply.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

What a promise! Notice: Paul does not say God will give out of his riches, as if he dips into the bucket. He says God gives according to his riches—measured by the scale of infinite wealth in Christ!

In my prayer time I often pray something like this, “God, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. And I pray that you would sell some of those cattle to meet our needs, if You would.”

I know I’ve mentioned Charles Spurgeon several times in this sermon, but I can’t help it. The guy was amazing and when he founded an orphanage he had this verse carved on his orphanage. It cost 10,000 pounds to run that orphanage every year. That’s the equivalent to over $2 million dollars and yet God supplied it for them every year.

This is not prosperity gospel. God does not promise every want. Some pastors want to buy private jets and wear $2,000 sweaters but God promises His people to supply every need—and He defines needs better than we do. He gives us what is necessary for faithfulness and holiness.

Christian, do you believe this promise or do you live as though God may run out of supplies? I want to encourage you to rest in His sufficiency.

Paul concludes this letter with a final praise and glory to God.

Glory to God

We sang a song earlier called “His Glory and My Good” and the chorus is taken straight from verse 20. Paul bursts into worship and praise because of this teaching. That is the fitting response when God provides for us! It’s the right response when we God’s people living this out. When we see people content in the midst of severe trials or when there’s generosity in their abundance or someone is confident in God’s supply. It leads to worship! This is the ultimate aim of the Christian’s life— to glory in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There’s something interesting to note here: The gospel has reached Caesar’s own household. Imagine that: Paul is in prison, but the gospel is not chained. Even the emperor’s servants are bowing to Christ and following Him!

Paul reminds the Philippians: you are part of a worldwide fellowship. From Philippi to Rome, from dungeon to palace, Jesus Christ binds us together.

Philippians 4:23 ESV

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Paul ends as he began—with grace. Grace saves us by faith, grace sustains us through fire, grace will keep us forever in Christ. The Christian life begins, continues, and ends with grace.

So what do we learn as we wrap all this up?

1. We Need To Learn Contentment In Christ

Contentment is not natural. It must be learned in Christ, through abundance and through need. When God blesses us, it’s not time to buy new toys and make living upgrades. Those gifts become opportunities to do good for God’s Kingdom.

2. We Need To Practice Generosity as Worship

Giving is not a transaction. It is sacrifice, pleasing to God. When we give our financial gifts to God it leads to Him being more glorified because He receives glory in worship.

3. We Need To Trust God’s Provision

“My God will supply every need.” Trust his wisdom. He never fails.

Paul’s chains could not bind his joy. He rejoiced in their partnership, rested in Christ’s strength, trusted God’s provision, and closed with grace. The same Christ who strengthened Paul strengthens us today. So—learn contentment. Give generously. Trust God’s provision. And glorify your Father.

Head- God wants you to know that true contentment is not found in changing circumstances but in the unchanging sufficiency of Christ.

Remember that contentment isn’t in circumstances—it’s in Christ.

Heart- God wants you to believe that God delights in your worshipful generosity and will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.

God delights in your generosity and will supply your every need in Christ

Hand- God wants you to practice contentment and generosity this week—give freely, resist covetousness, and rest in God’s faithful provision.

Benediction:

2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:18 ESV

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.