Gospel Centered Contentment
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Introduction
Introduction
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9; 1 Timothy 6:6; Hebrews 13:5
Greeting
Contentment is a serious issue in our world today
A prime example of the mortgage fallout that happened in 2008
Many Americans were upside down on their homes when the bottom fell out of the market
The desire to have more and bigger homes than they could afford
Every few years we need to upgrade our phones even though our old phones were still working well
Many lives are ruled by the all mighty dollar
Leading to anxiety when the numbers don’t add up
For Paul in prison money was a significant issue
He had no way to make his own
Yet as a prisoner in the Roman Empire he couldn’t count on three square meals a day
Everything he ate, dressed himself with or provided for himself had to come out of his own pocket
Unlike many of his contemporary philosophers, Paul had never sought the financial benefits of being an itinerant pastor
The NIV Application Commentary: Philippians Thanks, Sort of (4:10–20)
they collect tribute, going from house to house, or, as they themselves express it, they ‘shear the sheep’: and they expect many to give, either out of respect for their cloth or for fear of their abusive language
Instead he worked to supply his own needs to set an example for the believers
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.
Even though the passage we are going to look at tonight is Paul’s offering of thanks to the Philippians for a monetary gift
We’re going to see two things
First, that the source of Paul’s joy and contentment is not found in money
Second, that Paul is thankful for more than just the Philippians monetary contribution
Read Philippians 4:10-19
Pray
As I’ve already said contentment is a major problem in our world today
Yet the Bible has much to say on the matter of contentment
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
The writer of Hebrews says
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
Paul is a very content man and we can learn from what he says in these verses about how to experience contentment in our own lives
You’re Okay
You’re Okay
Philippians 4:10; Philippians 1:14; Philippians 2:19; Philippians 4:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-3;
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.
The “but” here (which could also be translated O yes, and) arrests Paul’s train of thought
It’s as if he just remembered that he needs to thank the Philippians for their gift and if he doesn’t do it now he’ll forget
Paul rejoices not in the gift but in the Lord
Paul never even directly thanks the Philippian believers for their gift
He rejoices first in the Lord - acknowledging again His sovereignty over all things concerning Paul’s life.
Repeatedly throughout this letter Paul has appealed to the condition of being “in the Lord”
and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.
His rejoice is not that they sent him money but that they revived their concern for him.
The verb for revive is a figurative word meaning to bloom again
We’re in a time when the world is blooming again -
during the winter the trees go dormant and even though the potential for growth is there
it is kept below the surface until spring comes when it can burst forth blossoming once again
The Philippians had come in to a time when their ability to demonstrate their concern for Paul had again become possible
This would also be a source of rejoicing for the apostle as the church he cared about received some form of respite from the attacks that would plague the early church
At least a decade has passed since Paul first ministered in Philippi
Over that time situations had arisen in the church which prevented the Philippians from demonstrating their concern for Paul
It could be that the disunity that had arisen within the church precluded them from expressing their concern for Paul
Selfishness does not always take the form of greed and is not always ‘grabbing’. There is another type of selfishness, the type which shows itself by its lack of concern about the lot of others. ~ Martin Lloyd Jones
It also could have been the extreme poverty the church found itself in
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord,
Or the persecution that they were facing that Paul talked about in Philippians 1:27-30
It would be very easy to misconstrue Paul’s remarks as a backhanded compliment
Like telling someone that you always feel more intelligent after having spoken with them
But we shouldn’t think that this is Paul’s intent
He has shared a deep personal affection with this church and it would be uncharacteristic of the tone of the letter for him to be sarcastic now
For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
He acknowledges that they didn’t have the opportunity - but as soon as the time came, they were ready and willing to renew their support
There is an important application in this for us that I want to make sure we don’t miss
Even when the Philippians couldn’t send Paul their support - their concern for him never waivered
There may be times in our lives when it isn’t possible to support the church - due to legitimate financial stress, etc.
We shouldn’t feel guilty or badly during these times when the opportunity isn’t available to us
Take care of the debt first as this also impacts your witness to those outside the church
But as soon as the weight is lifted, as soon as we are above water again, we should renew our concern for the church
Paul is now going to shift his focus and qualify his thanks to the Philippians even more
I’m Ok
I’m Ok
Philippians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 9:3-14; 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Not that I speak from want
Paul wants to make sure that everyone understands that he wasn’t dependent of the Philippians gift
To be seen as dependent on the gift would have made Paul a benefactor of the Philippian church
an image he worked very hard to avoid
My defense to those who examine me is this:Do we not have a right to eat and drink?Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things?For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He?Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you?If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share with the altar?So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
Paul never wanted to be indebted to any church or to be seen as taking advantage of the churches because of his preaching the Gospel to them
Paul says that he has learned
As the son of a Pharisee Paul probably would have come from a family that was at least middle class if not well off
He would have been used to having much as a child
All of that would have changed after his conversion
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Philippians VIII. Thanks for Gifts from Partners (4:10–20)
Although the attitude of contentment was not natural nor did it come easily, this quality of contentment eventually became an essential attribute of his character.
His statement is that he has learned
It implies that Paul’s whole experience up to the present, especially as a Christian, has been a schooling whose lessons he has not failed to master.
And this is not a temporary or subjective contentedness - Paul says that he is content in whatever circumstances
Borrowing again from Stoic thought during his time the word Paul uses for content is “autarkes” meaning self-sufficient - yet he has a different meaning in mind
The Stoics believed that self-sufficiency meant that “man should be sufficient unto himself for all things, and able, by the power of his own will, to resist the force of circumstance”
In fact the Stoic saw suicide as the highest form of human freedom, independence, and moral dignity, leading to an escape from slavery
This belief is continued to be practiced today among those who ascribe to the buddhist practice
The buddhist’s have qualified these thoughts into four noble truths - that all of life is suffering; that suffering is caused by wanting or craving (even the craving to continue to exist); that suffering can be overcome and happiness attained when we give up cravings; and finally that there is a path that leads to the overcoming of suffering through eight lifestyle practices
Paul borrows this term (an easily recognized term during his time) to express his freedom from wants and worry, untroubled by events outside of his control
But for Paul the source of his self-sufficiency does not come from the same place as the Stoics or the buddhist’s
His source of sufficiency comes from an external source - his source is Christ.
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation Desires Should Be Satisfied in God
He will never attain to perfection who will not labor to be satisfied with this: that all his natural and spiritual desires should be satisfied in the absence of everything which is not God. This is most necessary for an abiding peace and tranquility of spirit.
Paul was not without trials
To the troubled church in Corinth he would write and answer to those trying to discredit his ministry to them
giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited,but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true;as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
Paul was not without worries
He was given a thorn in his flesh by God
Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me.And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
And yet he expresses his contentment to the church in Philippi
In essence he is telling them that their relationship is not contingent on their support of him
He is reinforcing his affection and love for them
Now he’s going to get even more detailed about the embodiment of true contentment is
The Secret of True Contentment
The Secret of True Contentment
Philippians 4:12
I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Philippians 1. Need and Contentment (4:10–14)
We must keep in mind that this passage is flanked by a reference to the Philippians’ anxiety over their needs (4:6–7) and by a promise that God will supply those needs (4:19). The Philippians needed to hear—and to see exemplified in the apostle—that the enjoyment of material abundance is not the basis for contentment.
Paul had learned through out his life what it was to have little and to have much
The key is the secret that he learned that went along with whatever circumstance he was in
This “secret” speaks of an initiation - of the type that are used to initiate people into cults or secret societies
Think the Masons
Yet it would seem strange for Paul who fought against Gnostic, mystic philosophy impacting the Gospel to draw a direct correlation between Christianity and those sects
What Paul is referencing here is again the process that he had undergone to learn how to be content
It is as if he is saying he has been initiated into the human experience by all the ups and downs that I’ve gone through
So it is in this sense that he can say that he has been initiated
The change for Paul over the course of his life was his deep and abiding relationship and knowledge of Christ
The more he knew of Christ the more he was able to be content because he knew the promises of Christ and the assurances of Christ were real
The secret of true contentment is found in Christ through His Gospel.
Conclusion
Conclusion