Contentment in Christ

Well, good morning. It's good to see you all here on this beautiful fall day.

I was out raking leaves with my kids yesterday, so my back is sore, but my spirits are good.

So, you know, we've been this fall looking at the book of Philippians and Paul's letter to this church

and I want to begin to, as we wrap up our sermon series this week, I want to remind you a little bit about the context in which the book was written.

Paul was writing, probably later in his ministry, he was writing, if you remember, from Rome.

We see that at the very end of chapter 4. He's writing in a context where he is in prison.

Chapter 1, we are reminded that he is writing in chains and that he is also not only facing that imprisonment,

that persecution for preaching the gospel, but also he was facing opponents who wished that he would continue to suffer

while they preached the gospel for selfish gain. He was suffering and in a difficult place.

And in this context, he's writing to a church that has been his friends and supporters for a long time.

The context of this was actually the church in Philippi had sent Epaphroditus with a gift to bless and to support

and to help provide financially for Paul while he was in prison.

And Paul was using the opportunity of Epaphroditus' return to Philippi to write a letter to them,

to encourage them, to encourage them, and to thank them.

And he's writing to say thank you.

But he spends a lot of time encouraging them to stand fast, to stand firm in the gospel,

as we heard last week as Pastor Nick talked about the beginning of chapter 4.

And here at the end, he focuses again on his relationship with them.

He focuses in on his thanksgiving for them.

But he takes this as an opportunity.

The pastor, one last time, saying to his friends something about contentment,

something about how as gospel citizens,

he wants to share about the contentment that he has experienced in the midst of his trials

and that he hopes they would know as well.

Contentment, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is,

quote,

the quality or state of being characterized by feeling or showing satisfaction

with one's possessions, status, or situation.

Now, I don't know about you,

but it strikes me that our world today is not particularly characterized by contentment.

COVID-19 has disrupted our everyday lives in major and minor ways,

and we chafe under it.

Our political culture is marred by deep division, violent words,

attacking those who we disagree with.

And our social media world, it has been exposed, thanks to Facebook,

as knowingly creating a culture of comparison and competition among teens

that does great damage and produces fundamental insecurity.

Contentment is not in rich supply in our culture today.

But, of course, we can't just look out there

and think about contentment of what other people are going through.

It's in our hearts as well, isn't it?

The struggle for contentment.

We seek fulfillment and meaning in our work,

whether it be in a career or whether it be our work at home,

but we find that even in success, there is an emptiness to it.

We seek connection through friendships,

and yet we find ourselves longing for deeper connection, more intimacy.

Some of us have ample financial and material situations.

Others do not.

But I would say most of us would say,

sure be nice to have just a little bit more.

So discontentment is something that I think we can all agree is a part of our lives.

Now, look, we need to recognize that discontent isn't always bad.

There is a place for Christians to look at the world and to be rightly discontent

because the world is not as it's supposed to be.

The world does not reflect God's goodness and God's plan perfectly.

And so in a fallen world, we see all sorts of things that we can be discontent with

as we see how far short the world falls of God's intended purpose.

And there can be a right longing for the fullness of God's kingdom

and for the making right of wrongs in this world.

So there is a healthy discontent, a godly discontent that we ought to recognize.

That would be a whole other sermon to think about how do we live that out.

That's not what Paul's talking about today.

So we're going to focus on contentment,

but want to recognize that there is a healthy contentment out there.

And yet, often we are mired in an unhealthy discontent,

rooted in our expectations that this world will satisfy us perfectly.

That we ought to and deserve to be pleased by this world.

That our circumstances in this world ought to match our desires

and ought to produce all things that are good.

Did you notice the Webster's Dictionary?

Everything in it is based on circumstances.

We have this experience of joy based on what?

Our status, our situation, and our possessions.

If this is what is going to be the base of our contentment or discontent

in a fallen world, friends,

we are always going to be unhealthily discontent.

And it produces ugly fruit in us, doesn't it?

I don't know about you, but when I feel discontent,

how easy it is for me to become critical in my spirit towards others

and towards my circumstances.

How easy is it for me to grumble at the stove delivery guys

who had this really broken system that had to come two different times

and they didn't take the stuff away.

And it took forever to just get a little appliance delivered.

And I grumbled and complained.

And sometimes it's even more than that.

We become despairing and bitter towards the world we live in.

And sometimes our discontent drives us to be driven people,

seeking to achieve, to obtain, to overcome our lack

in a never-ending pursuit of satisfaction.

This discontent sits and eats at our soul.

We have a never-enough bug.

And even when our longings are good,

they can be the enemy of contentment.

So what does God have to say to us today?

In our proclivity to be discontent,

what does God have to say to us about contentment today?

So turn with me with that introduction to Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

We're going to be looking at verses 10 through 20 this morning.

Philippians chapter 4, 10 through 20.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

That's page 923 if you're in the Pew Bibles.

The Apostle Paul writes this.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly

that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

Not that I am speaking of being in need,

for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low,

and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance,

I have learned the secret of facing plenty in hunger,

abundance in need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

And you Philippians yourselves know that

in the beginning of the gospel,

when I left Macedonia,

no church entered into partnership with me

in giving and receiving except you only.

Even in Thessalonica,

you sent me gifts for my need once and again.

Not that I seek the gift,

but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

I have received full payment and more.

I am well supplied,

having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent,

a fragrant offering,

a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

And my God will supply every need of yours

according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Let's pray.

Lord, we ask you this morning that you would help us.

Lord, as we sit under your word this morning,

we pray that you would help us to receive it.

Lord, we pray for your Holy Spirit,

Lord, to speak to our hearts.

Lord, that you would teach us about your goodness

and your character this morning.

Lord, I pray that you would be my help,

that you would help me to speak words as I ought.

Lord, and that through me, Lord,

we would together sit under your word.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So what does Paul have to teach us

about contentment this morning?

I think this passage breaks down into three different sections.

In verses 10 through 13,

we will see the secret of contentment.

In verses 14 through 17,

we'll see the fruit of contentment.

And verses 18 through 20,

we will see the confidence of contentment.

So with that, let's dive in and take a look at this passage.

First, in verses 10 through 13,

the secret of contentment.

In verse 11, Paul says,

I have learned the secret of being content.

But before he gives us this secret,

he expands on his context,

on his circumstance.

He says,

I know how to do this,

how to be brought low,

and how to abound in every and any circumstance.

I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,

abundance and need.

Friends, that is a striking sentence.

When we think about how it applies to our lives,

we think,

could I say something like that?

We know of what Paul was facing.

Paul was in prison.

Paul was facing persecution and opposition.

It says that he knew what it was like to be brought low,

which if we've been reading the book,

if you'd been reading in the original language,

he would remember this is the same word

used back in chapter 2, verse 8,

for Jesus,

when Jesus humbled himself,

made himself nothing,

taking on the form of a servant

and going to the cross.

Paul says,

I know how hard it's been.

Paul also says,

I've known great provision.

When I arrived at Philippi,

there was this woman, Lydia,

who provided and welcomed me in the house,

who provided all that we needed for ministry.

There was these great,

amazing provisions of God through an earthquake.

There was a jailer who welcomed me into his home

after I was freed from prison.

So Paul has said,

I've seen the extremes of really good and really bad.

Paul says,

this is the context in which I have learned to be content.

Now friends,

isn't it interesting that Paul says,

not just the hard things,

but the good things.

This is a little bit of the passage in Deuteronomy 8

that we learned,

that we read earlier.

Moses warning Israel

as about,

about their,

how they handle their circumstances.

The danger,

as Moses reminded us,

was that they're both in trials and in abundance.

In trials,

we tend to grumble and complain to blame God

and turn away from him.

In abundance,

we become complacent,

ungrateful,

forgetting God's provision.

When circumstances dictate or control our contentment,

we end up being those who grasp for things that we don't have

and the things that we do,

we find to be empty and insufficient to satisfy our souls.

But Paul had found a secret.

This is a verse that is well known.

It's used all over the,

in many,

many different places.

I can do,

verse 13,

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Now,

first,

we need to clear off some of the chaff.

What does this not mean?

It does not mean that you can run faster than a speeding bullet,

that you are more powerful than a locomotive,

or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Some of you may be too young to know what that's about.

Superman.

It's about Superman.

Superman.

All right?

In Christ,

we are not able to do things,

to do all human achievements.

Right?

It also doesn't mean

that I can do all things,

which means that I can't

weep or lament about things that are sad,

that I can't pray to God for changing my circumstances,

that I can't ask help from friends.

It doesn't mean any of those things.

But what it does mean is

all things,

in all my circumstances,

in all of my situations,

whether abundance or want,

I am able to be content in Christ.

Even in prison,

I'm able to be content in Christ.

Why can he say this?

Well, of course,

the translation in the ESV is,

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

The through him

makes it sound like Christ is an empowering help

that comes alongside.

But I think perhaps a better translation be,

I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

Which brings us back to some of the things

we've been looking at in Philippians,

that when we are in Christ,

when we by faith are joined to Christ,

Christ who was humiliated and exalted

in great ways,

this is the one

in whom we find the ability to be content.

Why is that?

Because of who Christ is.

Because Christ,

if you remember at the end of chapter three,

Christ will return.

And when he returns,

he will raise up all who are joined with him by faith

to a new and eternal life.

And the suffering that we experience in this life

is just a blip compared to an eternity

of renewed life with Christ.

Or remember that being in Christ

means that we are joined with him

who in chapter two,

verses 10 and 11,

the one that God has greatly exalted

and given a name that is above every name

so that at the name of Jesus,

every knee will bow

and every tongue will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We are connected to him

who will rule forever in eternity.

So Paul is saying,

in Christ,

we have a greater treasure

than anything that we could have

or want in this world.

So with his eyes set on Jesus,

he says,

what we already have in Christ,

our salvation,

our relationship with God,

becoming a part of the people of God,

the household of God,

the citizenship,

the country of God's kingdom,

this is what we have now

and what we have to come

with this glory of a final resurrection,

the freedom from all suffering,

the triumph over evil

and the glory that he will raise us up

to be a part of.

Paul says,

because I have the life of Christ now

and the triumph of Christ later,

this is why in him,

I can do all things.

That is,

I can be content in all circumstances.

So if in these verses,

Paul tells us about the secret of contentment,

verses 14 through 17 goes on

and we see a little bit of the fruit of contentment

in Paul's life,

in his love for the Philippians.

He returns in verse 14.

It's probably not a good paragraph break.

It probably is all just one thought.

The yet is not a strong adversative.

It's more of a like,

you know,

now returning to this,

I want you to know how thankful I am,

right?

He said in verse,

sorry,

verse 11,

he started off by saying,

hey,

not that I'm talking about need.

This isn't about my need.

So he wanted to come back and say,

but I'm really thankful for you.

I'm thankful for your gift.

I'm thankful for the ways

that God has used you to provide for me.

And he's so thankful for this.

He's thankful not only for their gift,

but for their partnership.

The way that they had entered into the gospel life

and ministry as he had.

The way that they suffered along with him.

Paul is being explicit.

You supported me even right away,

right when I moved from Philippi on to Thessalonica,

which is sort of the next major city

and the next place that Paul went

on his second missionary journey.

You were there and you were supplying.

And then when we left Macedonia altogether,

you continued to supply me for a while.

And then we learned in verse 10,

then there was a season

where there was an opportunity,

but now you've revived that for me.

And Paul says,

I'm so thankful for your gift

and for the way you've been a partner.

And it brings to mind what Paul writes

about the Philippians

in 2 Corinthians 8, 1 through 5.

I'm gonna read a part of that

just to give you a sense of what,

how Paul saw their partnership

and their giving to him.

He describes them,

in a test of severe,

in a severe test of affliction,

their abundance of joy

and their extreme poverty

have overflowed

in a wealth of generosity on their part.

For they gave according to their means,

as I can testify,

and beyond their means of their own accord,

begging us earnestly

for the favor of taking part

in the relief of the saints.

And this, not as we expected,

but they gave themselves first to the Lord

and then by the will of God to us.

This was in the context of Paul

gathering a collection

to go back to the saints in Jerusalem

who were suffering persecution at the time.

He says,

the church in Macedonia did this.

They gave abundantly beyond what they could

and they gave themselves first to the Lord

and then to us.

What a beautiful picture.

And yet Paul's focus here in Philippians

in 4 through 17

is not specifically on the gift,

though he's thankful for it.

He goes on, he says,

not that I'm focused on what you did for me,

but what I'm really focused on is you

and the blessings that you have.

That your gift would be credited to your account.

That your gift would be seen in the courtroom,

in the accounting room of heaven.

And that God would look on this

and be pleased.

And that you would know God's pleasure.

You see, Paul's relationship with the Philippians

was not a transactional one.

I come preach the gospel,

you support me,

and then we're all doing.

His eyes have always had a triangular relationship.

I'm here because of Christ for you.

My desire is for you to mostly know Christ

through me if at all possible.

And as you support me,

what I really want is for you

to know Christ more.

I want you to be pleased with this.

Friends, I wonder how often

we allow our relationships

to become transactional.

Whether it's literal, physical,

or material help.

Whether it's the kind of friendship

that makes us happy or laugh

or it's easy to do.

I wonder how easily

we view our relationships

as what can I get out of this?

And even when we're thankful for people,

it's because they have given us things.

The fruit of contentment,

the fruit of a contented spirit

is that we are freed from grasping

to take from others.

And we are free from complaining

when they don't give it to us.

And we are able to focus instead on them.

To celebrate them,

to rejoice in them,

to invest in them,

to have this deep sense of partnership

as gospel citizens.

This is what the community

of the gospel content in Christ

can be.

And friends, I hope

and I pray regularly

that this would be true

at Trinity.

And as we have an opportunity

to celebrate Thanksgiving this week,

I pray that we would consider

how we are practicing

a kind of thankfulness

that is not self-centered,

but ultimately is God-centered.

Can we be thankful for God's work

in other people?

Can we be thankful

for the way we've seen God

provide for one another

in beautiful ways?

Can we have a radically

Christ-focused approach

to our own needs

even in this season?

And this brings us

to the last part of our passage.

For Paul has shown us

the secret of contentment,

being in Christ,

the fruit of contentment,

a love for one another.

Then finally,

in verses 18 through 20,

Paul exhibits

a confidence

of contentment

that is truly striking.

Let's look at it.

Let's read these verses again.

It's been a few minutes

since we looked at it.

Verse 18.

I have received

full payment

and more.

I am well supplied.

Having received

from Epaphroditus

the gifts you sent,

a fragrant offering,

a sacrifice acceptable

and pleasing to God.

And my God

will supply

every need of yours

according to his riches

and glory

in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father

be glory forever

and ever.

Amen.

See, friends,

it is Paul's confidence

in God's capacity

and his character

that give him contentment.

So he makes

this striking statement

in verse 18.

I have received

full payment

and more.

I am well supplied.

Again, remember,

he's in prison

and yet he's saying,

you know what?

I have all I need.

Your gift

has blessed me

and I have

all that I need.

And he sees

the gifts

as being

not just

given to him

but he sees them

as they truly are

as actually

offerings to God.

He uses language

here of the temple.

Do you see that

in verse 18?

He uses language

of a fragrant offering,

a sacrifice

acceptable

and pleasing to God.

These would be words

that would resound

in a New Testament believer

of the Old Testament

translation

in Greek

that would describe

how people

would bring offerings

to the temple.

An offering

that would be burned

and provide

a fragrant offering

to the Lord.

An acceptable sacrifice

is one that would be

without blemishes.

They're bringing

atoning sacrifices

and sin sacrifices

for all sorts

of different things.

And Paul says,

I have seen

what you have done.

I've been fully supplied

and what you've been doing

is worshiping God.

And then he turns

from his own confidence.

God has provided

everything I need

to try to pass

this confidence

along to them as well.

In verse 19,

my God will supply

all your needs.

Paul personalizes God

at this point.

My God.

He's not doing that

to relativize it like,

well, my God provides for me.

How about your God?

Does your God provide for you?

That's not ways.

He's doing that

to personalize.

I have seen it

and experienced it

in my own life.

I have been

in plenty and want.

As you look through

the rest of the New Testament,

you see what Paul suffered.

persecution,

hardships,

shipwrecks,

hunger,

want,

all sorts of things.

And yet he says,

God has met me

in all of those circumstances.

God has provided

exactly what is needed.

And even as he talked about

in chapter one,

he's now probably facing trial

and he's like,

and I might die.

I might be killed.

But my God

is able to be with me

and provide for me

all that he needs

to give me,

all that I need

from him.

So he says,

this is what I've experienced.

He says,

my God is able

to provide for you

and provide for you

all that you need,

supply all your needs

according to what?

According to all

the riches of Christ.

This word,

riches of crisis,

would be the typical

Roman word for wealth.

And that would be

measured by slaves

and property

and money

and influence

and power.

Paul says,

we know the one

who has all

the riches.

More than anything.

God has so much

more than the riches

of the world.

And his riches

are both spiritual

and practical.

He's not lacking

on any front

in his ability

to give.

Gordon Fee

in his commentary

on Philippians

has a great list.

And I'm just going

to read through this

so that you can see

how even in the book

of Philippians,

we've seen God

providing what is needed.

So in the midst

of their poverty,

he supplied

material needs.

In the midst

of their present suffering

in the face

of opposition,

he supplied

what is needed

to endure it.

That is,

steadfastness,

joy,

and encouragement.

In their need

to advance the faith

with one mindset,

he supplied the grace

and humility

of Christ

for them to live in.

In the place

of grumbling

and anxiety,

God surprised

the reality

of his own presence

with them

as the God

of peace.

And of course,

above all those things,

God has provided

Christ.

And I don't know

if you have seen it,

but as we've walked

through the book

of Philippians,

more and more and more,

Nick and I have talked

every week

as we've prepared

for sermons

on how Philippians 2,

6 through 11,

is the centerpiece

of this book.

It is the theological

high point.

And I want you

to go back

and look at it

to see what it is

that God has given us

in Christ.

Philippians 2,

Philippians 2:6

verse 6,

Christ Jesus,

who,

though he was

in the form of God,

did not count

equality with God

a thing to be grasped,

but made himself

nothing.

Taking the form

of a servant,

being born

in the likeness

of man,

and being found

in human form,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient

to the point of death,

even death

on a cross.

Therefore,

God has highly

exalted him

and bestowed on him

the name

that is above

every name,

so that at the name

of Jesus

every knee should bow

in heaven

and on earth

and under the earth,

and every tongue

confess that Jesus Christ

is Lord

to the glory

of God

the Father.

God has given us

a Savior

who humbled himself,

took on servants,

a form of a servant,

suffered,

and died

for us.

This is

the love

of a Savior

for us.

This is the power

not of a triumphalistic

Savior,

but of one

who is willing

to lay down

his life

in order to be

our Redeemer.

And this is the Savior

who is vindicated

in all that he did

by being raised

to new life

and being exalted

by God

to his right hand

with the knowledge

that one day

the work

of redemption

that he has begun

through his life

and death

and resurrection

will finally be applied

in its fullness

in the day

that is yet to come.

And Paul says,

my God

is that God

and he has done

everything

that you need

and he is able

to supply

all of your needs

according to the riches

that he has

in Christ Jesus.

Christ who is our pattern

for humble living

and serving.

Christ

in whom we find

the power

for steadfastness

in the face

of trials.

Christ

who's coming again

is our hope

and our promise.

and because of Christ

we can be content.

Not because

our circumstances

are good

or not because

our circumstances

are not good

but because

in every circumstance

we are able

to say

our contentment

is fixed

on him.

And so Paul

ends this book

verse 20

with a note

of praise

a note of doxology

a note of thanksgiving

to our God

and Father

be glory

forever and ever

amen.

Do you notice

how my God

in verse 19

became our God

in verse 20?

If we know

this God

the contentment

that we have

overflows

with praise

and worship

and this is

what God

calls us to

this is what

Paul exhorts us to

that

we would learn

the secret

of contentment

by knowing God

as fully

as he did

and by applying

it to the

circumstances

of our lives

so that we

might live

with this

kind of contentment.

Let's pray.

Lord we thank you

for this word

Lord we thank you

for the encouragement

and the challenge

that it is

to our hearts.

We do confess

how often

we are discontent

with our world

with ourselves

those around us

O God

we pray

teach us

the secret

of contentment

teach us

to know

the riches

that we have

in you

teach us

to know

your empowering

presence

with us

teach us

to know

Lord

so that we

might learn

to be content

in all circumstances

with love

for others

and confidence

in you

and Lord

we pray

that this

contentment

Lord

would overflow

in thanksgiving

and praise

that we would

glorify you

we pray

these things

in Jesus name

Amen