Everyone has trade secrets in their profession.
Illus: A married couple shared some marriage secrets about why they had a happy marriage.
• They said, “One reason we have a happy marriage is that we go two times a week to a nice restaurant, she goes Tuesday's, I go Friday's.”
• Another couple said, “We have a happy marriage because we sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Florida and mine is in Ohio.”
• Another couple shared the secret of their happy marriage. He said, “We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.”
• One man said, “We have a happy marriage because I buy her everything she wants. She has an electric blender, electric toaster, and electric bread maker. Then she said, ‘There are too many gadgets, and no place to sit down!’ So I bought her an electric chair.”
• One man said, “We have a happy marriage because my wife went on a diet. All she eats is coconuts and bananas. She hasn't lost weight, but BOY, can she climb trees now.”
• One man said, “We have a happy marriage because my wife got a mud pack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off!”
We all have our little trade secrets, and Paul had his and he is sharing with the Philippian church how he was able to be in a jail facing death and be content at the same time.
This book is essentially a thank you letter.
The Philippian church had sent Paul some financial support through Epaphroditus while he was in jail. Now he wants to thank them and encourage them.
During this study in Philippians we have reflected on:
• Paul's personal notes to this church.
• How Paul delights, prays for, and encourages these friends in northern Greece.
Now at the end of this letter, he addresses the main point of the letter.
It is in this last part that he actually thanks them for their help, and he does it in an unusual manner.
For a fellow in prison facing the death sentence, Paul has a very upbeat outlook.
The thing that stands out in this passage is that Paul said in verse 11, “…For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Paul said this was something he had learned, but to be honest with you I have not learned that lesson yet.
• I have no problem being content when I am feeling good
• I have no problem being content when my car is running well and the gas prices are as cheap as water
• I have no problem being content when my investments are shooting through the roof
• I have no problem being content when the politicians tell me they are going to lower my taxes
• I have no problem being content when everything is going well for my family
• I have no problem being content when everything in the church is going well
My problem is that when the CIRCUMSTANCES are NOT GOOD IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BE CONTENT.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
I have an idea that everyone here this evening has that same problem. (Humor: Now if you say you have learned this lesson, I am going to ask someone that lives with you if your answer is correct.)
None of us have a problem exhibiting CONTENTMENT when all the problems in our life have been eliminated.
But Paul had a contentment that was not free of the storms of life, but a contentment in the midst of the storms of life.
If we are going to have this same CONTENTMENT, we are going to have to learn how to deal with being DISCONTENT in order to enjoy CONTENTMENT.
Illus: A wise old gentleman retired and purchased a modest home near a junior high school. He spent the first few weeks of his retirement in peace and contentment.
Then a new school year began. The very next afternoon, three young boys, full of youthful, after-school enthusiasm, came down his street, beating merrily on every trash can they encountered. The crashing percussion continued day after day, until finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some action.
The next afternoon, he walked out to meet the young percussionists as they banged their way down the street. Stopping them, he said, "You kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you express your exuberance like that. In fact, I used to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I'll give you each a dollar if you'll promise to come around every day and do your thing." The kids were elated and continued to do a bang-up job on the trash cans.
After a few days, the old-timer greeted the kids again, but this time he had a sad smile on his face.
"This recession's really putting a big dent in my income," he told them. "From now on, I'll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans."
The noisemakers were obviously displeased, but they did accept his offer and continued their afternoon ruckus.
A few days later, the wily retiree approached them again as they drummed their way down the street. "Look," he said, "I haven't received my Social Security check yet, so I'm not going to be able to give you more than 25 cents. Will that be okay?"
"A lousy quarter?" the drum leader exclaimed. "If you think we're going to waste our time, beating these cans around for a quarter, you're nuts! No way, mister. We quit!"
We have to learn how to deal with being DISCONTENT before we can start enjoying CONTENTMENT.
We find the apostle Paul in the most TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES, he was in jail and he was saying, “…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
He was not only saying he had learned to be content, he was also saying he had learned how to live in such a way that circumstance did not affect him in the slightest.
Look at verse 12, we read “I KNOW BOTH HOW to be abased, and I know how to be 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.”
It is the very difficult times in life that separate the SPIRITUAL GIANTS from the SPIRITUAL MIDGETS!
Let’s look at some of the things we find in this passage of scripture to see how we can become a spiritual giant.
I. HE LIVED A LIFE OF GRATITUDE
Look at verse 10, we read, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.”
But look also at, Philippians 4:14-18, we read, “Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”
In these verses, Paul is saying that regardless of the circumstances, in prosperity or poverty he learned to be content.
At one time the Philippian church had supported Paul financially. But something happened and they cut off their support for some reason that the Bible does not explain. But they decided to start the financial support again. They sent Epaphroditus to him while he was in prison to encourage him with a love offering.
When they started their financial support back again, Paul said again in verse 10, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again.”
Paul was indeed grateful for the financial support that they gave him.
Illus: Sir John Templeton, the billionaire investor, was once asked what the secret of wealth was. He said, "Gratitude. If you're not grateful, you're not rich--no matter how much you have."
The flip side of that is, "If you're grateful, you are rich--no matter how little you have."
You see, the reason today that many are living a life of DISCONTENT is that they feel they deserve more in life, and the fact is, they are not GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THEY NOW HAVE!
People that have the most difficult time in life with DISCOURAGEMENT are people who are not GRATEFUL for the blessings of God that He has blessed them with.
They see it as a QUANTITY PROBLEM, but it is not!
If God gave them five times more then they have, they would still be DISCONTENT because they feel they deserve more.
Paul could have sat in prison and thought of all the people who had wronged him, but instead he is thinking about all the people who loved him and wanted to help him, like these Philippian Christians.
Illus: A lot of pastors have become discouraged and resigned their churches because 2 or 3 percent of the people were giving them a hard time. Maybe 95 to 97 percent were for them, but the only thing they could focus in on was the 2 or 3 percent that were giving them a hard time.
Contentment comes when we can SEE THE GOOD IN PEOPLE, not when we can only see the BAD IN PEOPLE who want to make life difficult for us.
Illus: Too often, the depth of our gratitude is determined and motivated by physical things.
• We are thankful for our jobs, homes, cars, bank accounts, health, etc.
• We may look around our modern society and be thankful that we live by a higher standard of living than anyone else on the face of the earth.
Suppose I could remove you from this situation and place you in the poorest country on earth, let's say Afghanistan, living with the refugees.
WOULD YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR?
When Paul wrote the Philippian letter, I am sure that he had much less than what any one person in our family took on vacation.
Paul knew what it was to be physically in need. He wrote to Timothy making a request. In 2 Timothy 4:11-13, we read, “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.”
I gather from Paul's writings that this was a cloak that he needed to keep warm; it wasn't one he left behind because of the hustle and bustle of trying to get to the airport on time.
Probably everything that Paul owned was on his back. He had very little of what this world had to offer, yet he was upbeat.
We live in a world today where we are taught to believe that if we want CONTENTMENT in this life, we must seek to have everything we CAN afford and CAN NOT afford to purchase.
Paul’s life proves otherwise. He had very little of what this world had to offer but he said he had learned to be CONTENT!
HOW DID HE DO THIS?
HE LIVED A LIFE OF GRATITUDE
Paul wrote to the Colossians, in chapter 3:15-17, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
We see something else in this passage that tells us how Paul could face all kinds of bad circumstances and still find contentment, that is-
II. HE LIVED A LIFE OF FAITH
Look at Philippians 4:13, we read, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtehneth me.”
Paul is now telling us how he can sit in a jail facing a death sentence, and be strong enough to have CONTENTMENT in a situation like this.
Notice this powerful little verse of scripture:
• I can do all things…not some, but all things.
• Through Christ…not through myself but through Him who strengtheneth me.
We all know what it is like to be weak and run down. But most of us all know what it is like to eat some nutritious food and take some vitamins that provide us with the energy we need.
Spiritually speaking, Paul was saying that regardless of the circumstances, GOD GAVE HIM THE STRENGTH HE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION.
Conclusion:
Paul had learned how to deal with CIRCUMSTANCES in his life.
I. HE LIVED A LIFE OF GRATITUDE
II. HE LIVED A LIFE OF FAITH
