The Secret

Opening Story/Illustration: We all like a good secret. Probably about a year ago, Bailey and I started playing this game, where I’ll say, “I’ve got a secret.” And then I’ll whisper something in her ear. She started playing back with me and does the same thing. THere’s something about a secret that everyone wants in on. A friend of mine recently lost a lot of weight, and guess what everyone wants to know? HIS Secret.

Talk to students in middle school, and most of them can’t wait to be in high school.

Talk to the high school student and they can’t wait to be in college.

Talk to the high school student and they can’t wait to graduate and start their career.

Talk to the guy in his career and he can’t wait to retire.

In summer, we can’t wait for winter and in winter we can’t wait for summer. We complain when there is no rain and then we complain when there’s too much rain.

We want to be on vacation, but when we are there we can’t wait to get back home.

We always want to be somewhere else doing something else and want to have something else. We have restless hearts that are full of discontent.

Transition to the text: In the book of Philippians Paul writes to the church at Philippi and as he ends the letter, he pulls them in close and tells them a secret.

The Book of Philippian is a letter written by the apostle Paul

He writes it to a church in the Roman City of Philippi

Paul had planted the Church here - He saw a vision of a man from Macedonia (Philippi is in the province of Macedonia) and came to Philippi. (See )

Acts 16:9–10 NLT

That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

It was here that he and Silas were beaten and jailed and the Lord provided a way of escape via an earthquake.

Paul had gotten to know this church over the years and he was evidently very close with them.

He’s writing to thank them for the gifts they have sent his way, to encourage them through their own sufferings, and to challenge them to continue to walk out their salvation without allowing it to be diluted down by false teachers.

He’s writing from Prison, yet the letter carries with it a sense of Joy and peace.

If anyone should be discontent, it should be Paul, yet he writes this letter with a sense of joy and contentment that is hard to explain.

This is a more subtle theme of the book of Philippians - That God is going to come through and provide everything that is needed.

He’s in prison for something

This is a more subtle theme of the book of Philippians - That God is going to come through and provide everything that is needed.

Paul reminds them that:

God was going to finish the work he started ()

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

God was working - even through his sufferings ()

Philippians 1:12 ESV

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

As Paul closes his letter he reminds them one last time that God was going to provide all that they needed.

In the closing words of this letter, Paul says to us that he’s figured something out - He’s learned a secret. He’s figured out how to be content no matter what he faces. How does he do this?

Something I’ve noticed about human nature is that we are, as a whole, very discontent. We always want to be somewhere else and we always seem to want something more.

Talk to students in middle school, and most of them can’t wait to be in high school.

Talk to the high school student and they can’t wait to be in college.

Talk to the high school student and they can’t wait to graduate and start their career.

Talk to the guy in his career and he can’t wait to retire.

In summer, we can’t wait for winter and in winter we can’t wait for summer. We complain when there is no rain and then we complain when there’s too much rain.

We want to be on vacation, but when we are there we can’t wait to get back home.

We always want to be somewhere else doing something else and want to have something else. We have restless hearts that are full of discontent.

So What is Paul’s secret?

Biblical Text:

Philippians 4:10–23 NLT

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Transition to points: Paul’s reminding us that we can have joy and peace even in the midst of life’s difficulties because God is going to take care of us and he will provide.

Points

Paul can be content because he has chosen to be thankful

At the end of the letter Paul, yet again, returns to a theme of thankfulness and worship.

Here, stuck in prison for Jesus, Paul, once again, chooses to be grateful.

He closes this letter by thanking the Philippians for their gifts and support.

Remember that they had sent Epaphroditus to Help him. They had evidently sent help and support “more than once.”

Here’s a man who has been through imprisonment, beatings, and had been mistreated more times that we can imagine - Yet he chooses to be thankful.

Remember in Acts - Paul and Silas are in Prison in Philippi, yet they choose to praise God! (

Acts 16:16–40 NLT

One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.” But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.

Paul had a track record of learning to look at the positive in life.

This isn’t just mind over matter or positive thinking

He had learned to look at the Big picture.

He says this in

Romans 8:18 NLT

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

He can be thankful because he knows that God is in control and will ultimately work things out.

We must to choose to be thankful

You can praise or pout - You can either gripe or be grateful! The choice is yours to make!

If you get nothing else out of tonight, remember this: Choose to be grateful. Choose to rejoice in the Lord no matter the circumstance.

If you look hard enough, there is always something to complain about! But If you look hard enough, there is always something to be thankful about!

Illustration: There’s a story that you may have heard before, but it illustrates this point so well. There was once a set of twin girls and one of them was forever the optimist and one of them was a terrible pessimist. So the parents decided they were going to take care of this situation. So for Christmas one year, they got the pessimist the most lavishly amazing gift they could find. They got her a brand new doll house. With all the bells and whistles. She opened it up and the parents were convinced she was finally going to be excited about something. But much to their surprise, the little girl opened the package and started complaining right away. It was too small. The color was all wrong. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted. The other little girl opened her package and found in it simply a pile of horse manure. The parents thought, surely she wouldn’t be excited about this, but much to their surprise she digs in and start throwing the manure around the room and screaming excitedly - “Where’s the pony? Where there is this much manure, there’s go to be a pony!”

At every situation in our life, You always have the choice to be thankful! And what you choose, will determine the outcome. Make choosing thankfulness a habit!

Paul can be content because he knows that his strength and provision come from Christ

Paul tells us that he’s learned something

In verse 11 - I have learned how to be content

In verse 12 - I have learned the secret of living in every situation

SO WHAT’S THE SECRET??

This verse (13) often gets misused. It’s not a blanket verse that’s just supposed to encourage you when something gets hard.

Paul here is talking about being content no matter what has happened or what he has.

What he’s saying here is this: I can make it through any circumstance, whether I have plenty or I’m in need - I can do this because Jesus is strengthening me.

He knows that Jesus is his strength and Jesus is his provision

The Philippians have been providing for him - but in verse 19 he says, “The same God who takes care of me..”

Paul knew that ultimately Jesus was the one who was taking care of him.

So what had Paul learned? What is the Secret? JESUS WAS HIS SOURCE AND THAT WAS ALL THAT MATTERED!

It’s not what you have or don’t have that matters - It’s Christ giving you strength and providing for you

Many of us think things would be better if I just had…..

Many of us think things would be better if I just had…..More money I was more talented I had a better familyI lived in a better place What Paul is saying here in this - I can be content no matter what’s going on outside of me. Whether I am rich or broke. Whether I am well fed or hungry. Jesus gives me what I need to make it any situation. So what are you looking to for strength? What are you looking to for provision? If you really want to make it through difficulty you have to have the right source of strength. Jesus must be your strength. Illustration: This last week my father in law came down and hooked up a generator to my house. So that next time there’s a hurricane and we loose power, I have back up. Here’s the thing - my house having power makes a lot of things in life easier. I can keep food fresh, take hot showers, clean my clothes, keep cool, and a whole lot more. But that power has to come from somewhere. There’s a source that provides it.

More money

I was more talented

I had a better familyI

lived in a better place

What Paul is saying here in this - I can be content no matter what’s going on outside of me. Whether I am rich or broke. Whether I am well fed or hungry. Jesus gives me what I need to make it any situation.

So what are you looking to for strength? What are you looking to for provision?

If you really want to make it through difficulty you have to have the right source of strength.

Jesus must be your strength.

Illustration: This last week my father in law came down and hooked up a generator to my house. So that next time there’s a hurricane and we loose power, I have back up. Here’s the thing - my house having power makes a lot of things in life easier. I can keep food fresh, take hot showers, clean my clothes, keep cool, and a whole lot more. But that power has to come from somewhere. There’s a source that provides it. A few weeks ago we had to make some adjustments to that generator. Why? Because the computer on it was telling it to send out too many cycles per second. If the generator sends out the wrong amount, it can damage your electronics.

A few weeks ago we had to make some adjustments to that generator. Why? Because the computer on it was telling it to send out too many cycles per second. If the generator sends out the wrong amount, it can damage your electronics.

Many people are searching for fulfillment and hope in sources that will damage them - Only Jesus knows exactly what we need a how to give it.

This is why we are so discontent with other things - they give us happiness for a moment. They power our life for a moment, but in the end we end up burnt out and fried. Only Jesus gives us what we need.

Illustration: This last week I read a book that was short little story called “A day with a perfect stranger.” The book is about this woman who’s husband has “found religion.” He comes home one day completely changed and he claims to have literally had dinner with Jesus. This wife thinks her husband is crazy and she’s contemplating divorcing him. She goes on a business trip and begins talking to the man in the seat next to her. This man begins to ask her about her contentment and begins to speak to her in ways that cut through to her heart. She realizes as they part ways and their conversation ends - She’s actually been with Jesus.

As Christians it’s so easy to loose our focus - We need a reminder that our real contentment, joy, and peace, aren’t found anywhere but in Jesus!

We can face any circumstance as long as he is with us

We can face any difficulty as long as he is with us

He is our source of strength

He is our source of hope - Christ alone

For the Christian, our source of power and strength come from Jesus!

It’s hard to grow when you are discontent. When you learn to be content, you can start growing and learning right where you are.

Conclusion

Restate the Key Thought: Remember when you’re facing difficult times Remember to be thankful - You can always find something to be thankful for Remember that Jesus is your source and your strength. It doesn’t matter what’s happening around you, If Jesus is in you, you can make it!

So What? This week, when you encounter difficulty, remember where your strength comes from. Remember to be thankful.

Now What? How many of you are facing a difficulty? We want to pray for you tonight.

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