Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
We’re in our final sermon on Philippians.
Perhaps next week we’ll do a summary of the letter as a whole in a kind of round-up of the book, but today we’re looking at the closing of the letter, where Paul writes about contentment.
And in such a short number of verses, Paul has touched on something astronomical.
Paul has learned the secret of being content…and this is something that we need to look at for a minute - for more than a minute actually.
This whole sermon is going to be focused on this very thing - what it means to be content.
Many people think that they will be content if their circumstances change - that their contentment is linked to their circumstances.
Many people think that they will be content if they are wealthy.
In fact, I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone has an element of that thinking.
Even I do.
When finances are a daily struggle and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t know if I can afford this Chinese takeaway’ the temptation is to think, ‘If only I had more money.
If only I had enough to be comfortable.’
I don’t want millions of pounds, although that would be lovely - I just want enough to pay the bills and be able to buy a hamburger without feeling guilty that I can’t afford it.
Is there anything wrong with that?
In some ways, no…but in other ways, yes, there IS something wrong with that.
I just said that having millions of pounds would be lovely, but would it be?
How many times have you heard of lottery winners whose lives have spiralled into chaos because they have so much money.
And more often than not, the phrase you hear is, ‘I was happier when I was broke.’
Or, “I was happier before I won the lottery.”
So perhaps having money ISN’T all that great.
Or to put it another way - perhaps having a lot of money WON’T bring us satisfaction or contentment.
Look at many of the celebrities who have fame and fortune and yet they are miserable.
They have all the money they want and could have anything they want - they can DO anything they want… ‘I can do ALL THINGS through the money I have’... and yet they aren’t happy.
And then they go into drugs to escape the reality of this life and that can end up in overdose and tragic death.
So money, success, fame doesn’t lead to contentment.
In fact, it seems that the more we have, the more we want.
And yet a big part of me still says, “I’d like to try it.”
Why is that?
The reason why is because I haven’t fully grasped the secret that Paul had.
Paul gave thanks that the Philippian church were concerned for him and they gave to him…although they didn’t always have the opportunity to give to him.
But they partnered with him in supporting Paul in his ministry.
This is something that all churches should be doing.
I’d even go as far as to say MUST be doing.
We need to partner with missionaries around the world and supporting them financially, prayerfully and practically.
It’s what United Appeal is about.
We need to support other churches who are struggling.
This is a biblical principle and a mandate that we must follow.
But Paul, while he was thankful for their gift, he didn’t need it...
Now, stop here for a second - there are 2 Greek words that have been translated as, ‘need’ in our passage.
There is the word in verse 11 that I’ve just read.
The other word for ‘need’ is at the end of verse 16 and in verse 19, when Paul says...
Now, we need to understand the difference between these two words.
And to help us understand this difference, I want you to imagine you’re putting up a shelf....
You have a load of shelves and a load of brackets, and you’re struggling with the screwdriver.
It’s hard work and you’re exhausted.
And you say to your husband or wife (let’s not be sexist)…You know what I need...I NEED one of those power screwdrivers.
You have a screwdriver that works fine, but you would really like a power screwdriver.
But let’s say you’ve no screwdriver at all.
You would say to your husband or wife, I NEED a screwdriver.
This is a different need.
Without the screwdriver you can’t do the job at all.
You can’t even start the job.
It’s the difference between desired need and required need.
The desired need says, ‘I really would like a power screwdriver.’
The required need says, ‘I can’t do my job without a screwdriver.’
In verse 11 is the desired need.
Paul says, ‘you gave to me, but I wasn’t in need - I had enough to do my job and I wasn’t WANTING more money.’
In verses 16 and 19 is the required need.
Paul says in verse 16, ‘you sent me aid when I was in need.’
And the Greek word there means, ‘I couldn’t have done my job without your aid.’
And in verse 19 Paul says that God will supply all your needs - all that you need to do what God requires of you.
He’s not saying that God will supply the power screwdriver, but he WILL give you a screwdriver in order for you to be able to do what he wants you to do.
Now let’s look at these one by one...desired need and required need.
Something that I would really LIKE to have, but don’t need, and something I really NEED to have…because this helps us understand the secret of contentment.
Pause
Let’s look at the first one...
Desired need
Paul says I had enough to do my job and I wasn’t wanting more money because I have learned to be content in every situation.
He’s been wanting at times and he’s been in plenty - in abundance.
He’s experienced both the poverty and the riches, but he has learned to be content.
He’s learned it.
It hasn’t come to him in a flash - he’s learned it, over time and experience, he’s learned to be content.
And he goes on to say he’s learned the SECRET of being content.
And what is this secret?
The secret is in verse 19… God might not give us our desired needs, but he will supply all our required needs.
And because he does that, Paul can say in verse 13...
That he can do all things through the one who gives him strength - the one being Jesus Christ.
Pause
Let’s go back to basics… We live in a sinful world and we are sinful people.
Let’s not be proud people - we’re sinful, we’re fallen.
And in our fallen state we think that satisfaction comes from our circumstances, like I said earlier...’If only I have more money, I’ll be content and satisfied.’
Let me rephrase it… ‘You know what I need...I NEED more money.
Then I’ll be satisfied’ - desired need - we have enough money, but we think we need more.
Or, ‘if only I have that bigger house, I’ll be satisfied.’
Let me rephrase it… ‘You know what I need...I NEED that bigger house.
Then I’ll be satisfied.’
- desired need.
Our houses are big enough, but we THINK we need a bigger house.
Or the better job, better career…and in society look at all the cosmetic surgery that’s going on across the world - the botox, the implants, the tans.
If we’re honest with ourselves, all this is striving for contentment.
And we’re NOT content until we get there…but even when we GET there there’s something else that we THINK we NEED to change.
Because we determine satisfaction and contentment from our circumstances.
And let’s face it, that’s exhausting.
It’s a constant uphill battle - it’s like running on a treadmill; exhausting yourself trying to change things and ending up going NOWHERE.
Any wonder the celebrities with all the money and resource are the ones who are so unhappy?
It’s because they HAVE the money to make the changes, and they MAKE the changes and they realise that the changes they’ve made are not making them content.
They are the ones who realise that contentment doesn’t come from our circumstances, because they’ve been there - they’ve made the changes and it hasn’t brought them satisfaction.
Sadly, a lot of them aren’t aware of where exactly contentment comes from.
And the reason why is because contentment comes from Jesus Christ.
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