Gospel Contentment in Uncertain Times

Alexander hong

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Introduction:

Recap

Paul is quarantine under house arrest awaiting trial. His house imprisonment must have been for two years.

Here is what it looks like for a believer to live above his circumstances, and not under them. Paul is a man who is content despite his circumstances, rather than being crushed by them. Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2843-2844). The Good Book Company.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2843-2844). The Good Book Company.

How can we be content in uncertain times? When times are unfavorable? When times seem miserable?

I. The Secret of Contentment (vv. 10-13)

II. Cultivating Contentment (vv. 14-18)

III.

III. The Source of Contentment (vv. 19-20)

Can you and I greatly rejoice while we are at our homes?

speaks of a calm acceptance of his present lot in life. To be discontent would mean that Paul wants to be somewhere else than where the sovereign hand of God has placed him, and to have more than the sovereign hand of God has chosen to give him. To be content is to have a peaceful acceptance of where God has providentially placed him.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2890-2892). The Good Book Company.

Being calm in adversity and humble in prosperity is difficult.

He can do all things, in whatever cirucmstances, to fulfill God’s will through Christ.

Luke 6:38 ESV

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Notes:

Grimke Sermon and the Spanish Flu “To look inward to our love towards Christ is painfully unsatisfying: to look outward to Christ’s love towards us is peace” Ryle, pg. 322 Sickness helps to remind men of death.Sickness helps to make men think seriously of God.Sickness helps to soften men’s hearts. Sickness helps to level and humble us.Sickness helps to try men’s religion The gospel multiplies in the midst of pain and suffering. Contentment“The brute fact is that Paul is content in both circumstances because his contentment is utterly independent of circumstances. His contentment is focused on all that he enjoys of Christ Jesus. That means he has learned, by hard experience, a relaxed contentment whatever his circumstances.” Pg. 119 CarsonHe can do everything that God assigns him to do, through the one who gives him strength. Let the gospel advance, let God’s will b e done in me and through me, Paul is saying, I am content, for I can trust the one who invariably strengthens me to do what he assigns me. Pg. 119-120 Carson

Paul’s Letter to the . A Call to Christian Piety—And Peace (4:4–7)Peace comes because prayer is an expression of trust, and God’s people do not need to have it all figured out in order to trust him!

Paul’s Letter to the . A Call to “Wisdom”—And the Imitation of Paul (4:8–9)As with “truth,” what is “right” is always defined by God and his character.

The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (3) Exhortation to Joy and Peace (4:4–9)God’s peace especially resides in those who have ordered their lives in accordance with God’s will. This includes proper and disciplined thoughts and good Christian living. Thus the two sets of instructions on peace complement each other. When anxiety appears, the cure is prayer. When the life is disorderly, the cure is mental and practical discipline.

But the epidemic has forced us all to appreciate the vocation of grocery store stockers, warehouse employees, food processors, farmers, truck drivers, utility crews, cleaners, and, in general, those with what Mike Rowe calls “dirty jobs” that the rest of us depend on for our very lives.

"Share" (sungkoinoueo) means to be a partner together with others. The root word (koinoueo) is used elsewhere to mean "have fellowship with, be made a partner." Fellowship means to share something in common with another person in a partnership.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 3012-3013). The Good Book Company.

By their monetary gifts, the Philippians are storing up an eternal profit for themselves in heaven. Jesus had taught the same: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal"

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 3034-3035). The Good Book Company.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2724-2726). The Good Book Company.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2723-2724). The Good Book Company.

"True" (alethes) means that which is reliable and faithful, distinguished from what is false or a lie. That is, their minds need to be fixed upon on whatever is real, genuine, authentic.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2742-2743). The Good Book Company.

"Honorable" (semnos) means that which is noble, dignified, lofty, elevated, venerable, august. It represents that which is of high and lofty morality.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2745-2747). The Good Book Company.

In many ways, the battle of the Christian life is a battle of the mind. And the victory in the battle is the experience of peace. Prayer and purity are the two keys to the life of peace. You will become in practice what fills your mind in thought. Godly thoughts will produce godly living. Holy thinking will lead to holy living. Conversely, base thoughts will lead to base living, so it is critical that we guard our minds from impurity. We must set our minds on the written word of God, dwelling upon Jesus Christ. We must notice and censor those thoughts that are not pure, policing the borders of our lives ruthlessly.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2819-2821). The Good Book Company.

Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2817-2819). The Good Book Company.

We allow our daily concerns to turn into worry and therefore sin when our thoughts

become focused on changing the future instead of doing our best to handle our present circumstances. Such thoughts are unproductive. They end up controlling us—though it should be the other way around—and cause us to neglect other responsibilities and relationships.

MacArthur Jr., John. Anxious for Nothing: God's Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study) (p. 11). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

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