Title: “Learning the Lesson of Contentment” Scripture: Phil. 4:10-13
Type: Expository series Where: GNBC 9-3-23
Intro: Listen to the words of the wisest and richest man who ever lived. He literally had “it all”. “These are the words of the Teacher,[a] King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. Everything Is Meaningless 2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless! 3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.” (Eccl. 1:1-8, NLT). Now, I would tell you at the end of that book you find the real conclusion of Solomon’s search. Contentment is not found in stuff, but it’s found in Eccl. 12:13 “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Apostle Paul knew contentment. Lesson he learned.
Prop: In Philippians 4:10-13 the Apostle Outlines 4 Conditions for Learning Contentment.
BG: 1. Dictionary defines “contentment” as a state of happiness and satisfaction.
2. This secret to contentment is hidden in plain sight throughout the Scripture and is available to anyone who is willing to believe it. Here at the end of Phil. Apostle gives us insight into that secret.
Prop: In Phil. 4:10-13 we’ll realize the conditions for learning contentment.
I. Contentment is Demonstrated in Our Daily Experiences. V. 10
A. The Crisis Corroborating Paul’s Contentment.
1. What was Paul’s Crisis that Confirmed His Contentment?
a. If I was to ask most Christians what was Paul’s side gig or occupation, most would correctly state “tent maker”. However, most Christians also forget that Paul had prior to his conversion, undoubtedly had been a wealthy man. How so? Well, Saul of Tarsus was born a Roman Citizen. He had also been given the best of educations at the feet of Gamaliel, the leading Rabbi of the day. Receiving the best theological education of the day was as expensive then as it is today. Don’t forget that Paul was a leading teacher in the nation of Israel which would have resulted in great financial reward to him personally. IN Gal. 1:14, he even says that he had “profited in the Jew’s religion above many of my equals in my own nation.” The result was that as a young man, he was not accustomed to want or need.
b. Now, knowing this, it puts Phil 3:7-8 into better context. Paul was not only speaking of his religious experience and his position within the nation of Israel, he was also speaking of his financial situation. When Paul came to Christ he turned his back on his position of , power, prominence and personal profit.
2. Daily, Each One of Us Face Events and Opportunities that will either Corroborate of Contradict our Contentment.
a. Life offers each one of us an opportunity to demonstrate contentment or discontentment. No one likes change. We find contentment in routine. However, in life, the only constant is change! Economic changes! Health changes! Relationships change!
b. Contentment is not a new longing. It has been desired and written about throughout history. Time and again, Scripture encourages believers to take heart through their circumstances and find contentment in the Lord.
B. The Philippian’s Concern was the Cause for Paul’s Discourse on Contentment.
1. Why does Paul bring up the concept of contentment here at the end of the letter? V. 10 – We are finally at the purpose of Paul’s letter. It was a thank you note for the financial gift the believers at Philippi had given him. For 2 yrs Paul had gone off the Philippian’s radar. It was during this time that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and finally was taken to Rome where he would spend 2 years in confinement. The Philippians wanted to send him a gift of support but didn’t know where he was or how to help.
2. Illust: Back in the late 1990’s I had a former seminary buddy who had become the General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church in Sierre Leone. As some of you can remember, the civil war there was awful with child soldiers and great atrocities being committed. The RUF advanced towards my friend’s home. Family went into the jungle to hide. Ultimately, SD Kanu was captured and tortured by guerrilla forces. For months no word if alive or dead. At that time nothing we could do but PRAY! Pray we did. God saw fit to allow SD to live! PTL!
C. Applic: What experience are you going thru right now causing your anxiety? Keep listening.
II. Contentment is a Lesson to Be Learned. V. 11
A. Paul Makes it Clear that Contentment is a Lesson We Must Learn.
1. Discontentment Comes naturally to Us All.
a. Illust: I am convinced that no one is born content. We had 5 children. Some more fussy. Some were more laid back. However, when any of them got very hungry or tired, each one had the ability to let you know in no uncertain terms! When we were young parents a lot of the child experts were telling moms and dads to do “demand feeding”. You know what demand feeding is? Feed Junior whenever he wants to be fed. You know what demand feed creates? Demanding children who in time become demanding adults.
b. Contentment, however, is a learned lesson. “Not that I speak from want…” Now remember, Paul is writing a thank you letter to the Philippians for their gift. He is being gracious. However, he is also making sure that they know that he was not abandoned by Christ while in Roman confinement. Sure, Paul had learned to live in pleasant circumstances, but he had also been given the grace to live in trying circumstances. God does the same for you and me today.
2. Christians Are Daily Being Schooled with the Opportunity to Learn Contentment.
a. Illust: We talk in our culture today of someone “being schooled” by another. Often in athletics. Usually some upstart who gets the opportunity to learn that he/she is not as great as think. Life does this to us every day. We are sailing along, thinking we are doing pretty well. Think firing on all cylinders spiritually, when whammy! Get the opportunity to learn again.
b. Contentment is an undervalued grace. In the 17th cent, Jeremiah Burroughs wrote his great work on this theme, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. If it could be produced by programmed means (“Five steps to contentment in a month”), it would be commonplace and a best seller. Instead, Christians must discover contentment the old-fashioned way: we must learn it. Thus, we cannot “do” contentment. It is taught by God. We need to be schooled in it. It is part of the process of being transformed through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). It is commanded of us, but, paradoxically, it is created in us, not done by us. It is not the product of a series of actions, but of a renewed and transformed character. It involves the growth of a good tree that produces good fruit.
B. Contentment Requires Rejecting Covetousness.
1. To be Content, the Christian must actively Battle Covetousness.
a. Contentment rejects the allurements of greed, materialism, and worldly pursuits.
b. Illust: Air and water are two different elements. We all know that. It is impossible to have a vessel filled 100% with air and water at the same time. One that is filled with air must first have that air displaced in order for it to be filled with water. Similarly, if a man or woman’s life is completely given over to worldly or material pursuits that life cannot be filled with the contentment that is spiritual and found in Christ.
2. Contentment Pushes Back Against a Culture
a. The reason material things can never make a man ultimately content is that they were never designed for that purpose. A man is never able to get enough of whatever it is that he or she is desiring in order to satisfy.
b. Illust: Pastor Richard has often said that much of what this world has to offer is like cotton candy. This year we met up with Joseph and Cassidy and Josie at the Johnson County Fair. I told my wife one of the distinct pleasures of being a grandparent is getting to spoil your grandchildren. So, with her parents’ permission, I wanted to introduce my granddaughter to the great fair food: Cotton Candy! Now, when I first tried to feed some to Josie, she resisted. Doesn’t look like food! Looks like cotton. I lived in the South long enough to know you don’t eat cotton! But put a little dab on Josie’s lips! Eyes lighted up! Closed eye opened! “Yeah!” Began to eat. “More!” “More!” But you know what? Cotton candy doesn’t last. It doesn’t fill you up and if you eat too much it leaves you with a headache and an upset stomach. I’ve seen a lot of people pursue the pleasures of the world at the expense of their physical, emotional, relational health for something with about as much content as cotton candy.
c. C. Applic: So what does contentment mean? It is an inner sense of rest or peace that comes from being right with God and knowing that He is in control of all that happens to us. It means having our focus on the kingdom of God and serving Him, not on the love of money and things. If God grants us material comforts, we can thankfully enjoy them, knowing that it all comes from His loving hand. But, also, we seek to use it for His purpose by being generous. If He takes our riches, our joy remains steady, because we are fixed on Him (see 1 Tim. 6:6-10, 17-19). Contentment also means not being battered around by difficult circumstances or people, and not being wrongly seduced by prosperity, because our life is centered on a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. Contentment is Not Based on Circumstances. v. 12
A. Paul States that His Contentment was Not Based on his Circumstances.
1. Paul States that He Was Able to Be Content Regardless of his condition.
a. Illust: As many of you know I lived a fair portion of my younger years in SC. I went to seminary in SC. While in seminary, and studying the letter to Philippians we had a little debate. Many of my friends said Paul had to be a Southerner. In fact, many even said they could pick the exact state the Apostle was from: Texas. Why Texas? Phil. 3:7 – “But whatever these things were of gain to me, I reckon as loss…” But you see, I was in the minority position, I said there is no way Paul could be from Texas. One of my friends asked me, “Chris, why are you so confident Paul was not a Texan? IN the NKJV v.11 Paul says: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content…” I said see that! I’ve never known a Texan who could be content to live in any other state! (Credit Texan J. Vernon McGee)
b. Now, that’s a funny, and mostly untrue story. However, what Paul says here is very important. The world goes about the quest for contentment in all the wrong ways, so we must studiously avoid its ways. Paul’s words show ...The secret for contentment in every situation is to focus on the Lord--as Sovereign, as Savior, and as the Sufficient One. He is the Sovereign One to whom I must submit; He is the Savior whom I must serve; He is the Sufficient One whom I must trust. If I know Him in these ways as Paul did, I will know contentment.
2. Paul wants us to Learn an Important Lesson that neither Poverty Nor Wealth Guarantee Neither a Positive nor a Negative Spiritual Condition.
a. Having plenty is not a guarantee of sin and experiencing need is no guarantee of sanctification. V. 12 NASB “get along with humble means” – one word in the Greek. Means “to be brought low”. He also says that he knows what it means to “abound” or have plenty. The circumstance or condition one finds oneself is not necessarily moral or immoral. However, each equally give us the opportunity to learn contentment.
b. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, “Yeah Chris, I’ve been schooled in that “being brought low.”, how about setting me up in a class of “abound”.
B. Pursue Contentment Regardless of Your and My Circumstances.
1. Again, Paul says he learned to be content. It didn’t come naturally to him, and it wasn’t an instantaneous transformation. I am convinced that contentment is part of a process we can learn over time by walking with the Lord. The key to this process is understanding that everything, major and minor, is under God’s control . He uses all our circumstances to train us in godliness if we submit to Him and trust Him. Our attitude in trials and our deliberate submission to His sovereignty in the trial is crucial.
2. This isn’t just in times of limitation but also in times of abundance. Illust: Back in 1960’s Dr. Harry Ironsides was asked to speak at a Mission in Grand Rapids. Mel Trotter ran the mission and invited the famous pastor/author to come and speak to the people it served. Trotter gave Ironsides the address of the hotel where he was to be put up. Shocked to find it was biggest and newest hotel in the city. Flabbergasted to be led up to the Presidential Suite!! Ironsides’ conscience was pricked. Must be a mistake. A Christian teacher should never be put up in such luxury. Called Mr. Trotter to inform about the apparent mix up. “Now listen here, Harry. The man that owns that hotel was a drunk. He was destroying his life, his health, his wealth, and his family. He stumbled into my mission one day and got saved! He got delivered from addiction and family is together. In gratitude, he told me if I ever wanted to use the Presidential Suite for God’s servants I could. In pastoral ministry you’ve already learned the lesson of want, for this week, learn the lesson of having abundance.” (J. Vernon McGee)
C. Applic: If you are walking with God and you find yourself in a desperate situation, you can know that you are not there by chance. The sovereign God has put you there for your training in faith, that you might share His holiness. It may be a small crisis or a major, life-threatening crisis. Submit to and trust the Sovereign God and you will know the contentment that comes from Him
IV. Contentment is Found in Christ’s Strength. V. 13
A. Paul Clearly States the Cause for Contentment.
1. Contentment is Not Found in our Possessions but Rather in a Person!.
a. “The word content (4:11) comes from a Greek word that means self-sufficient or independent. The Stoics elevated this word, the ability to be free from all want or needs, as the chief of all virtues. This clearly is not the sense in which Paul meant the word, since in 4:10 he shows that he rejoiced in the Lord greatly when he received the gift, not because of the money, but because it showed the Philippians’ heartfelt love and concern for him. Paul was not detached from people nor from his feelings. And, 4:13 clearly shows that Paul did not mean the word in the pagan sense of self-sufficiency, since he affirms that his sufficiency is in Christ.” (Steven Cole, Lesson 27)
b. So, as Christians, the secret to contentment is NOT “self-sufficiency” but rather, “SAVIOR SUFFICIENCY”. Friend, can I lovingly tell you something? You are going thru a broken relationship. You are not sufficient. You are going thru a health crisis. You are not sufficient. You’ve been hit with a major financial set back. You have an addiction…You are not sufficient! HOWEVER, the SAVIOR is more than sufficient and His strength is perfect in your weakness! Turn to Christ in your weakness and brokenness! He will restore you!
B. Christ Promises To Meet Our Needs So We Can Be Content.
1. Please take note that God promises to supply our needs, not our greeds! Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). “All these things” refers to what you shall eat, what you shall drink, what you shall wear (6:25). Jesus was teaching that if we’ll focus on serving and growing in Him, God will take care of our basic needs. In the context He is talking about how to be free from anxiety, or how to be content in our soul. If our focus is on our Savior and on doing what He has called us to do for His kingdom, which includes growing in holiness, we’ll be content in what He provides.
2. V. 13 – “I can do all things through Him who continually infuses me with strength.” Notice the balance between God’s part and our part. Some Christians put too much emphasis on “I can do all things,” on the human responsibility. You end up burning out, because I cannot do all things in my own strength. Others put too much emphasis on “through Him who strengthens me.” These folks sit around passively not doing anything, because they don’t want to be accused of acting in the flesh. The correct biblical balance is that I do it, but I do it by constant dependence on the power of Christ who indwells me.
C. Applic: Two old friends met each other on the street one day. One looked sad and almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has happened to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me $45k.” “That’s a lot of money,” said his friend. “But you see,” the sad man continued, “two weeks ago, a cousin I never knew died, and left me $85k, free and clear.” The friend replied, “That sounds like you have been very blessed.” “You don’t understand!” the sad fellow interrupted. “Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited $250k.” The friend was really confused and said, “Then, why are you so sad?” “Today’s Friday, and so far this week I haven’t gotten a dime!” (Story from Sermon Central Illust.) (This week, let’s practice gratefulness and contentment.)
