Untitled Sermon (5)

Northside Christian Church 8/30/2020

Phil 4:10-23 Jamey Mills

NORTHSIDE… OH MAN, it’s so good to be with you guys tonight and I am so excited to share with you…

Congratulations everyone… We are here… at the end of our 8 sermon series on the book of Philippians… I enjoyed it and hope you did too, but even more than that, I hope you found it challenging, and encouraging… my hope is that every time we gather, our intent is to do than listen when we gather to hear God’s Word… but that we allow it to shape our hearts, minds, thoughts, attitudes… our lives… because I really do believe that real life… life the way it’s intended to be… Free and full… is found in the wisdom… in the God that inspired them.

So… to that end… because you all endured… I think you all deserve ice cream… so lets bring it out.

Pass out ICE CREAM SAMICHES

The book of Philippians… man it is such a timely message. The fact that you can still visit the ruins of the city reminds me that this was a real letter, written to real people by the Apostle Paul… This young church was struggling and suffering… as a new church in a very secular and idol driven society in the richest and most powerful empire of that time… as a Roman colony even their leader was seen as a god.

When the Apostle Paul, who planted this Church showed up and started talking about the real King… Jesus… and talking about an even greater citizenship… he was more than poking the bear… he actually ended up in prison…

As part of this final message… I wanted to review what it is that Paul… as a church planter who loved them deeply shared with them… how he encouraged them… in the face of oppression and persecution…

Week 1...God is not finished with you… He is still working on you, in you, and through you… Paul is saying take Joy in knowing the best is yet to come. He says experience the fruit… or the result of your salvation which is your relationship with Jesus.

Matt taught… and pointed out this great truth… Paul says… ABOVE ALL… do you remember what Matt said that actually means… we MUST live as citizens of heaven. Paul talks about this high priority that we should have on God’s truth… more than any other agenda or cause… because all of that will sort itself out in the lens of God’s truth.

Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Basically Paul is saying that if we are really citizens of heaven… live like it. Paul tells us to hold on tho these important things in the midst of it…

Encouragement in Christ… we aren’t alone.

Comfort from His love… knowing and believing we are dearly loved.

Partnership with the HS… He is more than with us… He is working in us.

Knowing and celebrating God’s mercy and grace in our lives.

Paul talks about how growing in our faith… involves our own investment. God causes it… but in part, it has to do with us being faithful with those resources that a sovereign God has left us to know Him… and follow Him well.

Paul challenges us to know and live for what really matters. He had spent all of his life up until Jesus… trying to earn it… trying to be good enough… and said what he found is… that even those good things are crap without knowing Jesus. SO MANY PEOPLE… make being a good person their god… and we need to know that this is not what God teaches. We aren’t transformed by doing but by knowing and investing in Jesus.

Paul talks about striving… and how if we are not growing and moving forward in faith, we are actually giving ground… Striving means leaving it all out there and not giving back ground in those areas God has allowed growth. Don’t be held back by the past, Focus on the goal which is Jesus, and live intentionally for Christ.

Last week we talked about this wisdom God gives us to battle worry… Pray about everything, be thankful… radically thankful, for all that God has done, and replace those anxious thoughts… by fixing our minds on heavenly things… and i challenged you to write down 10 things a day this week… that your thankful for without repeating one… and I hope you did… i really do think it can and will change your life…

All of these are strong and powerful truths intended to encourage, support and guide us in all of life…

And that leads us to our passage today… Paul is signing off and saying goodbye… and leaving them with an important parting thought.

Let's check it.

Philippians 4:10–23 (NLT)

10 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. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 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. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

15 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. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

18 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. 19 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.

20 Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

21 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. 22 And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.

23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

So in the face of all the opposition… the struggle and suffering… Paul’s parting words are one of contentment.

Contentment is such an interesting word in our day isn’t it?

Basically, I feel like he is saying,

Don’t allow the circumstances, the situation, or the struggle rob you of the joy that is yours in Christ.

That is yours in Christ and untouchable by anyone or anything. It cannot be taken from you.

What does Paul mean by content here?

A picture (SLIDE) of contentment… it sort of reminds me of this… this lighthouse that stands secure and strong… regardless of what the sea is doing. On calm days… or when the seas or raging… it is secure… steady… unrattled… shining the light… strong and sure… leading the way home…

The word content in a sense is the antonym of worry.

What does contentment mean?

It is to have a quiet mind. Not bogged down by life or life's circumstances,a deep inner and almost untouchable peace. It has the idea of being “held” secure by God.

Discontentment is worry… it’s being unsettled, it’s instability… it's allowing situations to be the fuse for actions and emotions that aren’t healthy for us or others. And that’s not to say that content people don’t feel emotion… they do. I think the major difference is that they are not hijacked by their emotions into unhealthy actions or thought processes.

Many people struggle to be content.

Human nature tends toward discontentment.

Are you… content? Do you want it? If you feel like what’s going on in the world is causing you to be discontent… if you feel weary… and unsettled by what’s happening in our culture… you have something in common with the real people… brothers and sisters in Christ that struggled to find their way in the very real but ancient Roman city of Philippi.

AND...Paul says he learned it… he didn't always have it.. He failed… he got it wrong… he didn't always know it...but he says he learned the secret of being content… of living a full and free life… that is largely untouched even by prison from which he wrote this very letter. A man in prison… who found contentment that transcends the craziness of our times… He’s learned to be content… when he has nothing or everything, when he is brought low or is doing well, when he is hungry or full… Paul's says in EVERY circumstance… he’s learned to be content…

Do you want to know what it is? Who wouldn’t right… Paul says he has learned it but the hard thing is that we have actually lost it in translation a bit.

Philippians 4:13 is one of THE most quoted scriptures in the Bible… in fact, there was a quarterback not all that long ago that was brave enough and bold enough… to put PHil 4:13 on his eye black… and it picked up some local press… as his team eventually won the national Championship that year… and he won the heisman trophy… which means he was the best college player that year…

People started yelling it back to him… hey timmy Phil 4:13 man… but had no idea what it meant… he said one dude named Phil actually came up and asked… Did you write that for me? During that time, Phil 4:13 became one of the largest internet searches of all time…

It says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me....

And while it’s the one of the most quoted verses of all time, it's also one of the most misquoted verses of all time…. But it's complicated…

Far too many of us question the presence and power of God in our lives

far to few are willing to embrace the reality that God has done the miraculous through His creation of which you are a part. The truth is God CAN and does do great things through us…

And while so many take this passage as saying things like… if I try hard enough, If I act good enough… there is nothing God won’t help me achieve. He will help me beat up Mike Tyson, Help me get a promotion, help me reach my goals… that all my wildest dreams will come true… after all… I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength….

The element of truth is, God does enable us to do what it is he calls us to do… right. David did beat up the Mike Tyson of his day… but we need to be clear… that's not the point of what Paul is trying to say.

I don’t want to burst any bubbles… God can and does do amazing things… but this passage has little to do with my wildest dreams… and it's not a “bail out” passage where we don’t prepare… because God does great things… and it's not a “God, you owe me passage”

Paul is saying that He has learned it… this idea of commitment… this inner peace that is held firm and is untouchable by circumstance… by the craziness of our culture…

In a lot of ways this passage is a lot less about beating up Mike Tyson because Christ gives us strength…

This passage is a lot more about enduring… not just enduring… but living out this idea of being joy filled citizens of heaven even when the world seems against you.

The secret is… what Paul learned is… real contentment… this idea of being stable, sufficient, and secure in unstable times… is found in the God who gives him strength.

Contentment was not based on him, his goals, his desires, or his effort…

Paul's hope, his strength, his purpose, his life or death, was so firmly planted in Jesus that the situations of the day… were literally secondary… It’s not that they didn’t matter it’s that they mattered less than this great truth…

That the God who sent His son to die, is for you and not against you… and knowing that… helps us to see the mountains and circumstances of life for what they are… smaller than HIM.

It looks a lot like strength, courage, security, joy… but it's called contentment.

Contentment… are you content? It doesn’t mean we stop striving… or that we never fight for change…

In a lot of ways… Tim Tebow’s life is a great example… the highest of collegiate success, his NFL career was short and often backhanded by his peers. It would have been easy for many to become discontent… angry… bitter… to wonder why God would let this happen…

Instead… he wrote books to help young men and started a prom… a special night for those with special needs. Doing more good for the world then he may have even been able to do throwing a football.

Tim went on to clarify PHilippians 4:13 in an interview… when he was pressed about what it really means, he said it's less about my doing… and more about the ability God gives me to handle whatever comes my way. It’s about putting weight into the promise that He is with me and won't forsake me. And so far… so good.

Contentment helps us face the day with His strength and confidence…

Paul learned that...

Christ is the only true source of contentment; any other version of contentment is sure to come up short.

It’s not found in money or a lack of it, in food or a lack of it, in good times or in hard times… It’s found in Jesus.

The secret to contentment is the strength that can only come from God.

And I believe contentment requires the constant reminding that's found in being in His word… the constant reminding of being around His people, the constant handing over of our worries to Him, the constant confession of our sin to Him, and the constant accepting of His forgiveness over you… contentment comes when we actually believe the promises of God.

Contentment should not be measured by whether we have all of our personal preferences met or whether or not we have everything we desire…

True contentment doesn’t rise or fall with “me” or my circumstances or the temporal things around me. Being able to stand firm, free, consistent… regardless of the waves or the crazy culture around us comes from being anchored in… held in… believing in... being at peace in Christ.

Are you content? A deep sense of peace that is greater the craziness of our day? Have you come to this place of resting in HIM… His promises… His truth… His way?

Paul says… he tried it every other way… and got it wrong. But he learned that real contentment… this stabilizing faith and hope… is only found in the strength that comes from standing firmly in the promises of God. Are you? Are you content? Are you believing in His promises in such a way that it reminds you that He is bigger than anything and everything you might face today…

I wanted to take a moment to invite you to participate in communion, something we do every week here at Northside. Thousands of years ago… Jesus Himself sat down with the disciples and gave the cup and the bread… and said… do this… as often as you get together to remember where contentment comes from… the life, death and resurrection of Jesus that truly brings life.