Where to find Contentment (3)

Introduction

The church at Philippi had sent Paul a gift to support him in his missionary work. Epaphroditus delivered the gift, but he got terribly sick in the process. Paul took care of Epaphroditus until he recovered, then sent Epaphroditus back to the Philippian Christians with a letter in which Paul expressed his joy over their gift and his contentment in Christ

In this passage, Paul makes a statement that was uncommon for his time and rare for ours. “I’m content.” He was satisfied both with his surroundings and his

possessions. Would you like to share Paul’s perspective? Then look at where his contentment came from

Contentment comes through experiencing extremes. (v. 10-12)

When the Philippian Christians reconnected with Paul,he was in Rome awaiting his opportunity to appear before Caesar (Acts 25:1-12). He lived there two years under house arrest (28:30).

We know many of the hardships Paul faced (2 Cor. 11:23-28). He lists them, not so that his readers would pity him, but to give evidence of his commitment to Christ and to inform others about what they might face.

The church’s gift turned out to be a remarkable blessing for him, but not because of what the money provided. He rejoiced for another reason. His heart burst with joy because of what the money represented.

It signified the church’s eagerness to care for him. With the gift, he had been blessed with the assurance they were still concerned about him, but hadn’t had any way of demonstrating it until now.

The reality is He knew suffering, but he also knew pleasure. Whether it was during his life before Christ or in those times that his ministry saw its greatest fruitfulness, at some point, Paul enjoyed comfortable living. He knew life at both its poles, and that aided his quest for contentment.

Lame pick up lines.

- The young man survived an accident where a semi-truck hit him off his bike and ran over him.

- Ever since that moment he has seen life differently.

- One statement he made was, if my lifeboat is out at sea, I will swim out to it. I do not have to wait for it to come to me.

- He found contentment in every minute; he is not willing to lose the opportunities that comes his way.

- so tell me what's next as we work through this sermon, we want to ensure that those who are around us understand the contentment that we find through experiences.

- It is the extremes, extremes in our circumstances extremes in or challenges extremes in our successes and extremes in our failures.

Contentment comes through depending on Christ. (v. 13)

As valuable as multiple life experiences are, they alone are not enough to produce contentment. Without Jesus, poverty will make us bitter, and wealth will make us arrogant. It is the presence of Jesus in our lives that enables us to be and do anything of value.

When Jesus and His disciples were walking toward Gethsemane, He reminded them of the importance of being connected to the Vine (John 15). He said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” (v. 5) That statement applies in a variety of situations, and one of those is this area of contentment.

As Christian mothers you understand this quite well. The task given to raise children and raise husband is not an easy one. it takes a dependence on Christ.

GO BACK to vs 12

The situation Paul faced in Rome must have been full of changes. One day he might have everything he needed to pay his living expenses while waiting to appear before Caesar. The next might find him with very little. The changes put him in a position in which he had to adjust.

He couldn’t spend his days wondering how he would tackle the financial and spiritual challenges of his lengthy stay in Rome. Through the ups and downs of his situation over the course of his ministry, he had to gain wisdom on how to adapt to all the changes happening in his life.

It the same thing for us my friends. The Wisdom Paul had is something he learnt from the Holy Spirit.

How can we, either in a world of affluence or great need, be content?

No matter what happened, he counted on Christ to empower him. His sufficiency proved to Paul that he could rest in contentment.

The Lord would make him strong when he was weak (2 Cor. 12:10).

Paul’s contentment clearly came from his reliance on Christ alone.

by relying on Jesus and trusting that whatever our situation, it is by His design, and He is present with us there. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways, acknowledge Him…” Whether your situation is pleasant or painful, trust Him. Know that He is working in your circumstance. Depend on Him through it. And when you move on to the next station, thank Him for what you learned in the previous one

How did Christ help him? Paul affirmed the Lord gave

him the strength he needed to push through adversity.

Jesus also kept him from getting lazy during those times he enjoyed plenty.

Contentment comes through seeing beyond your circumstances. (v. 14-18)

One of the reasons Paul wrote this letter was to thank the church for their financial contribution (vv. 14-16). However, Paul’s greatest gratitude was for the givers, not their gift. His situation was difficult, but he had friends who cared and entered his suffering.

Though the church’s gift surely made life more difficult for them, Paul encouraged them to see it as an investment in the Kingdom (“abound to your account” v. 17).” Paul then says that what they sent, though it benefited him, was also an act of worship toward God (v. 18). Later in history, he makes the same analogy concerning his own death (2 Tim. 4:6).

Paul looked beyond the gift to see the friends that sent it. He challenged the Philippians to consider the dividends their gift would provide. Their sacrifice benefited God. When we refuse to allow our current circumstances to blind us to the good that is outside of those ircumstances, we can be content.

I want to make this point here.

The Philippian church’s partnership with Paul highlights the uniqueness of Christian fellowship. Because believers are spiritual siblings, we share with one another as we serve the Lord.

We walk alongside each other so we can carry out His kingdom tasks effectively. Without each other, we would grow frustrated quickly and be inclined to give up too soon. But with other believers by our side,

we can press on in the full assurance we are not alone. Weneed the certainty of that kind of partnership, especially when we face hardship.

Contentment comes through faith in God to provide. (v. 19-20)

Though it was the Philippians who sent the financial help, Paul knew its true source. God had used this church to minister to Paul’s need, and now, he was encouraging them to trust that God would do the same for them.

Paul wasn’t promising that God would give them everything they thought they needed. Paul begins this section by admitting that there were times he had

gone without (v. 12). What he did promise was that God would always give exactly what we need if we depend on Him. Often, our greatest need is not

material things but the emotional strength to deal redemptively with whatever it is we are facing. Others might provide material help. Only God can calm our hearts and give us the confidence that whatever we have is exactly what we need.

Paul underscored his intimacy with God when he

referred to God in an intensely personal way. He showed

that the Lord wasn’t just God. Rather, Paul declared Him

Conclusion

Adopted from lifeway

1. Choose Contentment. Evaluate your heart for signs of discontentment. Ask yourself: Am I trusting in money more than in Jesus? Do money and possessions bring me more joy than Jesus? Can I really say, “Christ is all I need”?

2. Choose to Trust. Make a daily decision not to allow circumstances determine how content you will be in this life. Memorize Philippians 4:12-13 to remind you to simply trust Christ for all things: “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

3. Choose to Give. Give of your time, talent, or treasures. Sometimes the cure for discontentment isto give to others. Find those with needs and give to them. Let God use you as His answer to their prayers