The Secret of the Satisfied Soul

Key Elements

In Philippians 4:10-19, the Apostle Paul reveals that the secret of the satisfied soul is reaching a place of deep trust in God confident that He will supply all that we need no matter what we are facing in life.

Main Idea: The satisfied soul isn’t dependent on life’s provision or lack, but on a deep relationship with Jesus that trusts in Him and transcends every situation.

I want my audience to learn to trust God no matter what life is supplying or subtracting and get to the place where their souls are satisfied in Jesus because of their deep trust in Him.

Intro

We live in the age of "more." We want more money. We want more comfort. We want more security. We want more experiences. We're told that satisfaction is just one promotion away, one purchase away, one relationship away. And despite unprecedented prosperity, our culture is drowning in dissatisfaction. Anxiety disorders are at an all-time high. Depression affects millions. Restlessness has become our default setting. But what if the problem isn't that we don't have enough? What if the problem is that we've been looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places?

And today, as we continue our sermon series entitled The Satisfied Soul walking through Philippians 4, these are questions that we are going to answer. As we continue to walk through Philippians 4:10-20, we find the Apostle Paul sharing with a us a secret that can transform our lives. It’s a secret that must be discovered. It’s a skill that must be developed. It’s the secret to the satisfied soul.

Message

So, last week Landon did an incredible job kicking off this sermon series by talking about Choosing Joy and Finding Satisfaction. As we walked through Philippians 4:4-7, the Apostle Paul showed us how having a proper understanding of and choosing to live out Biblical joy in any and all circumstances is the direct source of our contentment, fulfillment, and satisfaction in this life. And today, he continues his letter to the Philippian believers by addressing something that is crucial for all of us as Christ followers to understand, that the secret of the satisfied soul is us reaching a place of deep trust in God confident that He will supply all that we need no matter what we are facing in life.

Now, we might think that is easy for Paul to say, but when we look at the context in which this letter was written, it shows us that this was something Paul had lived out in his life. This was something that Paul was able to write about as a result of life experience. As he sits in prison, chained to a Roman guard, his freedom stripped from him and his future uncertain, the Apostle Paul writes expressing a satisfaction that most free people never experience. Because he has learned the secret of the satisfied soul.

And today, God desires to use Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired words to point us to this same kind of life. A life that is based on this secret: The satisfied soul isn’t dependent on life’s provision or lack, but on a deep relationship with Jesus that trusts in Him and transcends every situation.

And today, as we look at these words of truth found in Phil. 4:10-20, we see four truths about the satisfied soul.

1. The satisfied soul finds its foundation in contentment. (vs. 11-12)

So, here’s the ultimate question on all of our minds: How did the Apostle Paul do it? How did he reach this point of contentment from a prison cell? How did he maintain peace no matter the circumstances he was facing in his life? The answer to this question begins in vs. 11, but it might not be the answer that we were expecting. What does he say in vs. 11-12...

Notice what the Apostle Paul doesn’t say: He doesn’t say “this is the way I’ve always been,” or “I was born with contentment naturally in my life.” “Contentment is easy for me because I’m just naturally content.” You see, the truth is, contentment is not where most of us are in our lives. We are not a people who are naturally content. No, we tend to be a people who are swayed by whatever is going on in our lives. And that’s the contentment the culture teaches us to have. That’s the contentment that comes from building our satisfaction on shaky foundations. We base our contentment on financial stability and then, the economy shifts; we base our contentment on relationships and then, somebody cheats on us or lets us down in some way; we base our contentment on career success and then, we lose our job or things go a different direction; we base our contentment on our physical health and then, we get a crazy diagnosis.

Building our contentment on shaky foundations will never get us to the place where the Apostle Paul says he is when it comes to contentment. Because it’s not natural, it doesn’t come easy. It’s exactly what Paul says it is, it’s “learned.” He says, “I have learned to be content.” And this is not the contentment of the culture, this is not a contentment that is shaken by the situations of life, no, this is a contentment that is stable regardless of how life is going. It is a soul that is satisfied no matter the state of our lives at the time. It’s contentment in Jesus Christ and it is the unshakeable foundation that the satisfied soul finds itself built on.

And to get there, to reach this level of contentment in our lives, we have to realize that...

a. Contentment is a process. (vs. 11)

Look again at vs. 11...

Now, when we read the books of the Bible Paul wrote, we have a tendency to think of him or any of the writers of scripture as these super human guys. I mean, we look at Paul and we read what he writes here and we think “of course he can say this, he’s the Apostle Paul.” But then we look at his life, and we read about what he’s faced and we quickly realize the true meaning of what he’s saying here. When Paul says he’s “learned to be content in whatever circumstances he finds himself,” there’s weight to these words. And the word “learned” is key here. It’s the Grk word meaning “to come to understand something by experience and repetition.” You see, all throughout Paul’s life, one experience after another, had taught him contentment. It’s not where he started but it was the point he had arrived at in his life. It’s a process he had been through that had laid a foundation in his life where his soul found satisfaction in Jesus no matter the circumstances.

So, let’s set vs. 11 in context to really get the full meaning of the process that contentment had taken Paul through. Picture in your mind, Paul relaxing at the house of a wealthy woman named Lydia. One of the founding members of the Philippian church that we read about in the book of Acts. Picture Paul casting out demons and healing people because he is so filled with the power of God, enjoying success in ministry and planting churches on his missionary journeys. Now, picture in your mind Paul being beaten so badly that his ribs are broken and the flesh is being ripped from his back. Picture in your mind, him struggling to hold his head above water as the ship he is on sinks into the depths of the ocean below. Picture in your mind, him restlessly trying to sleep while he’s being hunted on the city streets. Try to wrap your mind around him doubled over, his bloody face in the dirt, covering his head and his body while large stones are hurled at him. Now, let’s read vs. 11 again...

Contentment, again, was not something that Paul was naturally drawn to, it’s been a process over time that God has used to mold and shape him into a person who is satisfied in Jesus no matter what comes his way. He had experienced abundance as God had provided for him but he had also experienced times where he didn’t know what life had for him around the next turn and all of it had served to get him to the point where he could write to the believers in Philippi and say “I have learned to be content, my soul is satisfied in Jesus.”

Oh that we would get to this point in our lives as followers of Jesus. That we would learn to be content, to not be swayed by the ups and downs of life but that our faith and our hope would be stable in all situations. And that’s a process that we have to walk through and yield to, realizing that no matter what we go through, as followers of Jesus, it all serves the purpose of getting us to the point where we say, “my soul is satisfied in you, Jesus.”

Contentment is a process and...

b. Contentment is transcendent. (vs. 12)

Contentment is not connected to our circumstances. True contentment in Christ is not in any way related to circumstances; true contentment in Christ finds its foundation in the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. Look at vs. 12…. Paul is revealing to the believers in Philippi the secret to him being able to live this way: his inner peace is independent of his external circumstances. He stresses to them again that his contentment that led to the satisfaction of his soul in Jesus didn’t increase or decrease based on the material provision in his life. He’s been initiated into this mysterious secret of contentment, it’s like he’s discovered this hidden treasure of truth that in spite of prosperity or poverty in his life nothing changes for him. The contentment that he has found through his relationship with Christ transcends any physical circumstance he faces.

You see, the culture says “I’ll be happy when...” (it’s based on conditions); Paul says “I am content now” (no matter the conditions). The culture says “If I just had this, I’d be satisfied” (focus on the external); Paul says “I’ve learned the secret that satisfies in all situations” (focus on Jesus Christ). What Paul is doing here is teaching the Philippian believers and us the hard truth that we all have to learn and that is that contentment in Jesus Christ, the foundation of our soul being satisfied, has absolutely nothing to do with our circumstances, but it transcends our circumstances. It’s found in Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him. Is it easy? No. Is it gradual? Yes. Is it possible? Only with and through Jesus.

So, what circumstance have you convinced yourself is the exception? I would be content if this happened. Are you waiting for your circumstances to change before you find peace or are you learning to find contentment no matter what you’re facing?

Contentment isn’t circumstantial, it’s a process, it’s learned, it’s transcendent, and it is the foundation of the satisfied soul. And it is found only in Jesus Christ, which leads us to our second truth...

2. The satisfied soul finds its source in Christ’s strength. (vs. 13)

The Apostle Paul has shown us that contentment is the foundation and now he reveals where it comes from. Look at vs. 13...

He says in vs. 12, “I have learned the secret of being content” and then he reveals the secret in vs. 13 that contentment for us as followers of Jesus is rooted in our relationship with Christ. Our souls being satisfied finds its source in the strength that only Jesus can give. Contentment is only possible because of our daily connection with our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Remember, Paul is in prison. He’s not saying “I can break these chains, body slam these guards, and free myself-through Christ who strengthens me.” What he’s saying is that he can endure prison and his present circumstances because of the strength that he finds in his relationship with Jesus.

When we got married and we recited our vows, most of us incorporated into our vows the phrases “for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” When those words are said between a husband and a wife, what is being promised is that they commit to stay together in this covenant marriage relationship no matter what comes their way. The thing about it is that when we make those promises to our spouse on our wedding day, we think that “better” is going to be awesome and “worse” will never really be that bad. We probably don’t think we’ll ever be “rich” but we probably don’t think we’ll ever be “poor.” We might not be in perfect health our whole lives, but on that day when we make that promise, we don’t think we’ll ever experience some kind of horrible sickness. The truth is that very few of us ever think the worst will happen to us.

But life isn’t like that. In life there are ups and downs, there are highs and lows, the truth is we go from one extreme to the other most of the time. And if we don’t find our source in the strength of Jesus Christ, then our contentment and the satisfaction of our souls will ebb and flow as well. Paul shows us the reason he is so stable in life and it is because of the strength of Christ in him. He is ready for anything that life will bring his way, not because he can handle it in and of himself, but because of his connection to his Savior and the strength He provides. And, as followers of Jesus, we too have all the power we need to be adequate for the demands of this life because of the strength of Jesus in us as well.

Through the power of Jesus we have...

a. Strength for every situation. (vs. 13)

Paul says “I can do ALL things....” To really get the full meaning of what the Apostle Paul is saying here and not to misinterpret his intentions, we have to connect vs. 13 to vs. 12. The “all things” he’s talking about here isn’t fulfilling his hope and dreams. It isn’t him being able to do whatever he wants to do if he has enough faith. The context here is about contentment. It’s about his soul being satisfied in every moment. What he’s literally saying here is “I can do all these things....” The things mentioned in vs. 12-contentment in being well fed or hungry, in abundance or in need.

In all situations and in every circumstance, because of Jesus Christ who lives inside of him and gives him strength, he can be content. Jesus Christ provides strength for every situation. And when we come to the point in our lives where Paul had gotten to where Christ is enough, where we are preoccupied with Jesus and we are focused on him as the priority of our lives, we too will find the strength that only comes from Him to be content in every situation.

It’s strength for every situation and...

b. Strength that is continuous. (vs. 13)

He says “I am able to do all things THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” This is in the present tense which means it is a continuous action that is taking place in our lives as followers of Jesus. This is not a one time thing that happens but it is a constant supply that comes from being connected to Jesus in relationship with Him. And it is the only way contentment and satisfaction is possible. It’s a moment by moment drawing of strength from Jesus.

It’s the exact thing Jesus teaches His followers and us in John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” We can try and we might get by for a little while. But eventually, we will learn the hard way that without the daily, continuous strength of Jesus in our lives, we can do nothing.

Yesterday’s strength won’t carry today’s burden. Yesterday’s contentment won’t be adequate to meet today’s demands. We need a daily, continuous source of God’s strength and that only comes from staying connected in our relationship with Him. We cannot have Paul’s contentment without Paul’s Christ. We cannot have supernatural strength that only comes from Jesus without supernatural connection with Jesus.

“For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health” through whatever life brings, we are able to face it all with supernatural contentment and satisfaction of soul, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us because He is our source.

The satisfied soul finds its source in Christ’s strength.

And...

3. The satisfied soul finds its expression in Biblical community. (vs. 14-18)

As Christ followers, contentment is our foundation, Christ’s strength is our source. Which leads us not inward but propels us outward into community with other followers of Jesus. It doesn’t isolate us, it connects us with our community of faith. You see, after hearing the Apostle Paul say all of this about contentment and satisfaction, we might expect him to turn inward. “I’ve learned contentment, I am satisfied with Jesus, whatever comes my way.” It’s almost as if he’s saying that he really doesn’t need anyone but Jesus. And while Jesus is his source; and the strength he needs is found in Him alone, what we see from Paul next is, that doesn’t lead him to seek independence but it enables interdependence. It moves him towards partnership with others. Because the satisfied soul naturally expresses itself through Biblical community. And we see this expressed in vs. 14-18...

The church in Philippi had been investing in the ministry of Paul and his team for a long time. In Acts 16-17, we read where the Apostle Paul had preached the Gospel in Philippi and then moved to Thessalonica and Berea. And the believers in Philippi had been so changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ that their giving and partnership with Paul stretched back that far. In fact, when other churches ceased to give, the church at Philippi kept giving and supporting. There was a partnership in the Gospel that existed between Paul and the Philippian church that had resulted from the work God had done in the hearts and lives of the believers there. Paul had invested in them and they, now were investing in him and his ministry. And because of how God had used Paul in the hearts and lives of the believers in Philippi, they were all in. They wanted what they had experienced to be experienced by others and they were willing to give and partner with Paul to see that happen.

And this is how contentment and the satisfied soul of the Christ follower works itself out in real life, by investing in Biblical community. It’s a Gospel partnership between us as followers of Jesus and the local church. Because we have been transformed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because we have been strengthened by the power of Jesus Christ and our soul has been satisfied in Him, that should motivate us not to retreat inward as individual Christ followers or as the church here at Stone Ridge; but to invest in Biblical community so that others experience the same transformation.

So, what does that expression of Biblical community look like? It’s...

a. Community that is consistent. (vs. 14-16)

And it’s consistent because it is based on a commitment to God and not circumstances. Which takes us directly back to the contentment that Paul has been talking about here. You see, the Philippians had never stopped giving. In fact, at one point in time, Paul says they were the only one of his churches that were still supporting him. All the other churches had stopped giving to Paul’s ministry for one reason or another but the church at Philippi never ceased to give. They were consistent in their support as co-laborers with Paul and the Gospel ministry. Paul had ministered to them consistently and now they were supporting him as he took the Gospel beyond Philippi.

And this is the perfect example of how God has called us to live as Christ followers and the church here at Stone Ridge. With contentment as our foundation and Christ as our source, as God blesses us, we bless others. And with contentment in Christ and consistency in our lives, we give and we serve consistently so that the Gospel of Jesus that has transformed us goes beyond the walls of this church and transforms others. You see, God has not just called us to be consumers, always receiving and never giving; He has called us to be co-laborers, giving so that others can receive. And when our soul is satisfied in Jesus, that contentment will fuel our consistency.

It’s community that’s consistent and it’s...

b. Community born out of sacrifice. (vs. 17-18)

Look at vs. 17-18...

After bragging on the Philippian believers for their consistency in giving, he wants them to know that he’s not joyful simply because of the gifts they have given him. That’s not his main point. He wants them to bear fruit in their lives. Notice what He says in vs. 17, “I seek the profit that is increasing to your account.” Meaning, his joy is found in the fact that they are growing in their relationships with God and this is expressed in their sacrificial giving. And then in vs. 18, he backs this up by describing their sacrificial giving as a “fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

This is OT imagery here. What Paul is saying is that just as the sacrifices made by the people of God in the OT were a pleasing aroma to God that would ascend to the heavens, the sacrificial giving of the Philippian believers carries with it the same significance.

That’s what Biblical community is, it is community that is born out of sacrifice: sacrificial serving and sacrificial giving. You see, when our soul is satisfied in Jesus and we are content no matter the situation, we will give even when it costs us something. And the reason we give sacrificially is because the Gospel is worth the sacrifice. And only those content in Christ can give this way because contented giving joys in the sacrifice and expects nothing in return.

This is what Biblical community looks like. It’s consistent and it’s born out of sacrifice. It’s not for the sake of recognition or for the seeking of applause, it is for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’m so convinced of this and I believe this with all of my heart, you will never find full contentment in your life as a follower of Jesus until you find community in the Church of Jesus. Surrounding yourself with other followers of Jesus who are there for you and are constantly bring you and your family before the Lord.

A final truth we see is...

4. The satisfied soul finds its abundance in God’s faithful provision. (vs. 19)

And here’s what makes the satisfied soul sustainable. It’s found in vs. 19...

Paul sums it all up with this incredible promise. The believers in Philippi have “supplied” his needs sufficiently and consistently and now he reassures them that God will supply all their needs out of his infinite resources. And this is really the crux of what it means to live with Godly contentment and a satisfaction of the soul only found in Jesus. It’s the confident trust that as we are obedient to what He asks us to do, He will provide.

I love what Pastor Tony Merida says about this, “We have many fears when it comes to money. We need to fight fear with the promises of God. God loves His children. Believe this. He has taken hold of us; we’re His. Treasure Jesus, and trust the Father. He’s good to His kids. We should go to Scripture and remind ourselves of His promises. We should fix our eyes on the cross in moments of doubt and anxiety, remembering that God has already solved our greatest problem. He gave His own Son for us; He can provide daily bread for us as well(Rom 8:32).”

You see, when we begin to trust in God’s faithful provision, we come to realize it’s a...

a. Provision that is unending. (vs. 19)

He says something that is key in this short but powerful verse, He says “God WILL supply,...” Not “might supply” “will.” That’s absolute certainty in the provision of God; and it’s future tense, meaning that God provides now and will keep on providing. He follows that up and says that He “supplies our needs according to His riches,...” In other words, His provision for us in infinite. Because it is based on His riches. Think about it like this: God’s riches or supply is infinite and our needs are finite. Infinite supply and finite need equals unending provision.

And Paul could proclaim this truth with absolute certainty because he had seen it over and over again. And as followers of Jesus, we can proclaim it as well. Because we have seen it over and over again in our own lives. Trust God’s provision in your life because it is unending.

And, it’s a...

b. Provision that is faithful. (vs. 19)

Look at the last part of vs. 19… “in Christ Jesus.” And this is the key. It’s actually been the common thread that has run throughout all Paul has said here. All of this is possible only for those who are “in Christ Jesus.” All provision flows through our relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son. Apart from Him, we have no access to God’s faithful provision but in Him, we have access to His infinite supply. Now, that doesn’t mean that God will grant every wish, He’s not a genie. It means that He will faithfully provide for our needs because His provision is a reflection of His character. God is a faithful, promise-keeping God and He will be faithful in His provision for us.

So, follow the pattern here: The satisfied soul finds its foundation in contentment in Jesus Christ, it finds its source in strength from Jesus Christ, it finds its expression through Biblical community, and it finds its abundance in God’s provision-all leading back to where we began which is a deeper contentment in Jesus Christ.

May we follow the example set by the Apostle Paul and the Philippian believers, pursuing the satisfied soul finding contentment in Jesus Christ, drawing from His strength, pursuing Biblical community, and trusting in His provision.

Closing

This morning, as we move into a time of worship and commitment, we have two paths before us: The Path of Discontent-Always chasing the next thing, Never satisfied, always restless, Enslaved to circumstances, Anxious about provision, Isolated by self-sufficiency, Exhausted by the pursuit. Or The Path of Contentment in Christ-Learning to rest in Christ's sufficiency, Satisfied in Him regardless of circumstances, Strengthened by His power, Generous in community, Confident in His provision, and Free to live with joy.

So, the first question for all of us to answer today is Which path are you on? Have you learned the secret to the satisfied soul or are you still searching? Today, you can know a contentment and satisfaction like you’ve never known before.