We've been going through Philippians almost a year. We are in chapter four, going through this little letter that Paul wrote to the church there in the city of Philippi, a Roman colony, a church that knew what persecution and affliction and hardship was. They joined into that suffering with the apostle Paul. And Paul is writing to them with love, with a passionate and a very personal pastoral letter. And he is just bringing out and just bleeding forth. Christ throughout the whole letter. It's a Christ centered letter. It is about joy and it's about unity and it's about humility and all of those are themes in the book. But by far, I think the greatest theme of the book is a Christ centered theme that Paul brings out over and over and over again in this little letter. We come tonight to Philippians 4 to a wonderful little paragraph. We're going to look at verses 10 through 14 tonight. Now, just a reminder, next week we will meet at 630 here for our Thanksgiving celebration, and then we'll come together in a couple of weeks and we'll finish the book of Philippians here shortly thereafter. But tonight we're in verses 10 to 14. No doubt you have, you have read this before. Undoubtedly you've, you've wondered about being content and you've wanted to be content. And maybe you've come to these verses and you've read them and studied them and asked for the Lord's help in being a content person. So tonight I want to teach on the secret of being content in any circumstance that you find yourself in. So let's, let's read it. Philippians four, I will read verses 10 through 14. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. We pray again, oh Lord, that you would address us from your word. Oh God, as if it were only us in this room and you almighty God. loving intercessor, sufficient savior, powerful redeemer, as if it were only you addressing us from your lips to our heart. Speak to us from your word. May it be the mouth of a man, but may it be the voice of God that comes forth to address all of our hearts. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. There was a news article not too long ago that had this as the title. It said, we are a nation of discontent. Recently, there was a former president who was interviewed and in that interview, he said this discontent is deepening in America. Or these sketchy words at the beginning of another news article. Ours is an age of rising discontent. Well, that's obvious. We all know that. The world knows that. The secular world knows that. It's everywhere. It's all around us. And it's even within us. It's within us. It's very easy to be discontent. It's very easy to be discontented. And when we talk about being discontent, it refers to being dissatisfied or, or, or being displeased with something or disgruntled by something without contentment. It means to be unhappy with and dissatisfied in one's circumstances. It's easy to be discontent. We don't have to teach sermons on how to be discontent. That comes naturally to us in our sinful nature. But in his great must-read book called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs explained what we ought to say to ourselves whenever we are tempted to be discouraged. And I like that because whenever we are tempted to be discontent. He says, I think we can encourage our own hearts with something. And Jeremiah Burroughs says this, we ought to say to ourselves, I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart through the grace of Christ that is within me. Though I have not outward comforts, and I might not have worldly conveniences to supply my necessities, yet I have a sufficient portion between Christ and my soul that is abundantly to satisfy me in every condition." What's he saying? Here's what he's saying. Here's the secret to contentment. It's this. It's to be so satisfied with Christ that external situations don't shake you up. When we think about contentment, there's a little phrase that we could plaster across our minds. satisfied in Christ, satisfied in Christ. I like, I like this as a definition of contentment in the book by Jeremiah Burroughs. I just think this is so helpful. He says, contentment is the inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal. That is God's workings, His doings in every condition. It's freely submitting to and taking pleasure in whatever God does in every condition of life. Now, here's the thing. There's no immediate shortcut to contentment. There's no steroid for contentment. There's no pill that we can take that immediately brings us to the graduation of being a fully contented person. It doesn't come in a flash. It doesn't come with a supernatural zap. It is a daily duty. And it needs to be a devoted, vigilant discipline in our Christian lives, that we might trust God and that we would rejoice and be happy in God at all times. Now, I want to encourage you with something by asking you this question. child of God. If you're here tonight and you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, this question is for you. If all of your trust is in Christ, if all of your reliance is upon him for the eternal well-being of your soul, that it's not by your merit, it isn't by your effort, that you could be saved from eternal punishment, but only in Christ, here's a question for you. are you increasingly satisfied? Because you have begun to grasp that you have been given everything that you need for life and for godliness. And everything that you need for life and godliness is bound up, it's all realized, it's all given to you in Christ. If we think of it along those lines, the key to contentment is worship. The key to being content is worship. It's, it's only when my heart is satisfied because of what I've been given in Christ. And I am so much more delighted with God and with his glory than in the possibility of possessing maybe another physical thing or another, another promotion or something else that I really, really want and desire when I am fully satisfied with God. Well, then we leave the covetous pursuit. when we find our hope and our confidence and our satisfaction in God alone. In fact, the way that Moses put it in Psalm 90 in Psalm 90 in verse 14, he says this, Oh, satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness so that we might sing for joy and be glad all our days. I want you, God, to satisfy me each day with your love. That's really the key to being content. It's the key to contentment. And Paul's going to model that for us in Philippians four. Paul, Paul models what, what it is to live a content life. It's a very personal, it's a very affectionate section. in the book of Philippians, because in verse 10, Paul is talking to them about their revived concern for him. And then in verse 14, he tells them that they've done well to share in his affliction. So he's kind of bracketing the whole paragraph with very personal remarks to the believers there. In fact, just fly with me through these verses real quick. Let me just highlight a couple of things that we could bring out regarding contentment. Notice how Paul begins in verse 10. We could just say contentment begins with rejoicing in the Lord. I rejoice in the Lord. The contentment begins with rejoicing in the Lord. And then he says that now at last you've revived your concern for me. In other words, he now has a thankfulness for others. So he's rejoicing in God. He's thankful for others. And then he says, I've learned to be content, whatever circumstance I'm in. Whether I'm in prosperity or in lack, whether I have plenty or I'm in want, whatever it is, I've learned to be content. What does that mean? I'm trusting in the Lord. So he is rejoicing in the Lord. He is thankful to others. He is trusting in the Lord. And then he says in verse 13, by the way, I can do all things. through Christ who strengthens me. What does that mean? I live by God's strength. I live by God's strength. That's key for biblical contentment. And then in verse 14, he recounts God's provisions through the other believers. Now I'm just, I'm just flying through this paragraph to give a surface level, quick survey of what does Paul bring out in an attitude of contentment? He is rejoicing in the Lord. He is thankful for others. He is trusting in the Lord. He's living by God's strength and he is recounting what God has provided for him. What is contentment? Quite simply, it's being satisfied in Christ. It's being fully satisfied in Christ. So our loving God gives us some help so that we would be content in any situation we find ourselves in. So what is the secret, Paul? What is the secret, God, for me to be content? Because, boy, we live in a society of great discontent. It's easy to be discontent. It's easy to be dissatisfied. It's easy to complain. It's easy to mumble. But how do we be content? Lord, show us. And I love how verse 11 Paul says, I have learned to be content. We want that to be said of us. I want to learn to be content. I want to learn to be content. So where does contentment come from? What is the secret? What is the path to be content? A couple of ways that we'll walk through this paragraph tonight. Let's begin with the first of four headings. Number one, the first setting in verses 10 to 12, it is God who satisfies. It is God who satisfies. Now here's the golden key. This is the golden key that unlocks the treasure chest of being content. What is it? It's being so satisfied with Christ so that our Christ established joy, it sustains us through any moment in life. I like the way J.R. Miller put it. in the 19th century. He said, the word content means to be satisfied. It implies that Paul had in his own heart, the secret of satisfaction. And he was, now please hear this. He was not dependent for it on any outside circumstance. When we look for contentment with external circumstances, we are, we're setting ourselves up for failure. We're setting ourselves up for discontentment. But Paul has a different path. Look at verse 10. Paul begins by saying, I rejoice in the Lord greatly. This is so ironic. He's writing from jail, from a Roman jail, chained to a Roman guard. Now there are believers that can come and minister to him and serve him, but he's in jail. And he's been talking all through the epistle that he's been afflicted and there has been great hardship and great persecution. And he says in verse 10, I rejoice in the Lord greatly. Well, he rejoices in God. And he has a gratitude for others. Look in the middle of verse 10, that now at last you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. It's like, it's like Paul's like, I'm just marveling at you. Philippians that you care for me. It's a very vivid Greek word that he uses here in verse 10. You have revived. It comes from the botany world. It's a Greek word that has the idea of a flower that births into bloom again. It has the idea of a plant that sprouts afresh. And Paul's like, Philippians, you've revived, you've blossomed your love for me again. He's not bitter at them. He's not discontent that they didn't send more money or they didn't send more people. He didn't find the things to be critical of. He was thankful to God for what they did. And then verses 11 to 12, he continues with this unconditional thankfulness to God for all situations in life. Now, as we look at verses 11 and 12, I want to bring out for just a moment that contentment is a duty. It's a duty. Now, I want to show you in just a couple of minutes that contentment is also a discipline and we'll get there. But first of all, it's a duty. It's important for us. It's something that we are called to do. As I mentioned before, it's easy for us to mumble and it's easy for us to complain and it's easy for us to find the negative and to grumble and to murmur and be ungrateful. But, but Paul gives the example under the inspiration of the spirit of God that we would be content that we would be content. Look at verse 11. He says, not that I speak from want. What does that mean? I'm not writing because I'm, I'm in desperate need. I'm not trying to give you a guilt trip, Philippians. I don't want your money. That's what he's saying. I'm not writing this out of some desperate need here. Verse 11, for I've learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret. I love that. I've learned. The secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. What Paul said is that I have learned to be content, not to fret, not to murmur, not to chafe in the circumstances of life. Here's the duty for us. To be content is to know that God is good. To be content is to know that God is sovereign. To be content is to know that God is wise. To be content is to know that our God is powerful and our God is growing us to be most useful for His glory. Now, contentment is very important. I think of Luke chapter three, when John the Baptist comes on the scene and he is preaching repentance, right? For the forgiveness of sins. And remember, you've got these groups of people that say, well, John, what does that mean for us? And he tells them what repentance is like. Well, what does that mean for us? And he tells them what repentance is like. One of those groups, he tells them that you need to repent and they say, well, what does that mean? Be content with your wages. Be content with your wages. It's a mark of true repentance. That is second Corinthians 12 and verse 10. The apostle Paul says, I am well content with weakness and insult and distress and persecutions and difficulties. How many of us could say when I'm weak and insulted and persecuted that I'm content with that. But the apostle Paul sets forth a pretty marvelous example for us. First Timothy chapter six in verse eight, Paul says, we have food and we have covering with these. We will be content. Hebrews 13 verse five. We must live lives that are free from the love of money, being content with what you have. Oh, and let it just be said, this comes after the section that they joyfully accepted the seizure of their property. by the authorities. They were content with what they had. First Timothy 6, 6, godliness is great gain when accompanied with contentment. And here's something that's so remarkable that D.A. Carson brings out. The secret of contentment isn't normally learned when we only live in great abundance. And the secret to contentment isn't often learned when we only live in great poverty. But sometimes when we are exposed to both God and his great wisdom gives us the good times in life and the difficult times in life. He gives us the times when we're fully supplied and the times when we don't know what's going to happen next. And yet in all of that, here's what God teaches that true contentment is not dependent upon our circumstances. It's focused on God. Now, take your Bible, go back to Jeremiah 31. I got to show you one verse. It's in the context of the new covenant, Jeremiah 31. And here is maybe we could say this is a phrase, this is a verse that deals with what it is for a person of God to be content. Jeremiah 31 verse 14. Jeremiah 31, 14, God says, I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance. Here's what God says. And my people will be satisfied with what more goods, more money, more. No, no, no. With my What does that mean? The more that we are caught up with the goodness of God, we're marveling at God, we're reflecting on God, the more we are satisfied with God. That's what Jeremiah Burroughs again writes. He says spiritual contentment comes from the frame of the soul. The contentment of a man or woman who is rightly content does not come from outward situations. but from the disposition of our own hearts. What does that mean? It's a heart issue. It's a worship issue. It's a satisfied in God issue. Now, contentment is a duty. It's important. We must be content. The Bible speaks to that. But just to encourage you, contentment is a discipline as well. It is a discipline. It doesn't come in a moment. It doesn't come with a flash. It comes with diligent practice. Look at how Paul words it. Look at what he says in verse 11. Not that I speak from what, but I have learned to be content. And then in the middle of earth 12, I have learned the secret of being filled. It's like we go to the school of contentment every day of our lives. Paul had to learn to be content. It's like a marathon runner. You don't just wake up one day and say, I want to be a marathon runner and I'm going to go to the Olympics and do it. You, you have to, you have to work. You have to discipline your body. You've got to train. You've got to work out. You got to work out and watch your diet and train hard. It's a lot of discipline. It's like a bodybuilder. You don't just get strong overnight, usually. It takes discipline. It takes work. And Paul says, I'm going to the school of contentment and I'm learning what it is to be content. It doesn't come easily. It doesn't come naturally, but it must be pursued and it must be studied and it must be learned. And we as believers can be patient and persistent and persevering in this. And you know, as, as needed as being content really is, because when we're discontent, it's showing God, I'm not happy with what you've given me. And I'm not happy with your goodness right now. And I'm not happy with, with your sovereign plan for me in this moment in my life and where you've put me, but all contentment is so vital and it's so distinctive in the world in which we live. It's so Godlike. Contentment is spirit produced. You know, the story is told of, uh, of Hudson Taylor who went to China as a missionary and, and he worked hard for the years that he was in China and he was trusting in the Lord to meet his needs. But, but when he was serving in the early years that he was in China, he would confess. I had very little joy in my ministry. I had very little contentment and very little happiness in God as I served him. One day, there was a letter that came to him that was written by a friend. And in that letter, the friend pointed him to the character of God and to the Word of God. And Taylor would say that God used it to open his eyes to the full adequacy of Christ. That I can be content in Christ wherever I am. So he would go on to say, Hudson Taylor, it is not by trusting in my own faithfulness, but by looking away to the faithful one where I find contentment each day of my life. So what is Paul saying in Philippians 4? We want to be so satisfied with Christ that external situations don't shake us up. So God satisfies, God satisfies Christian. If, if you're, if you are a believer in Christ Christian, you, you know that God is satisfying. You know that he is the one who has the ultimate goodness. He is the one who delights us. God satisfies. Paul brings out another point for us. Number two, God strengthens God. strengthens. Now, this is one of the most common verses. We love verse 13. We've memorized verse 13. We've seen it placard it all over the place. I can, you could quote this in the middle of the night. If I woke you up, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Now here's the key. This is not a verse. that is to be ripped out of its context to teach that we can be like Superman heroes. This is not an unconditional everything. That we can make lots of money because Christ strengthens me. That we can walk on water, that we can do miracles, that we can heal people, that we can command nature, that we can cast out demons. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. That has nothing to do with what Paul is saying here. It's just like anywhere in the Bible, the context defines how we interpret the word. What does the word mean in the context in which we find it? And the context has nothing to do with casting out demons and doing miracles and walking on water and making lots of money. Here's the context. It's this. I can do all things. What does that mean? Whatever situation I find myself in. whether I have plenty or whether I'm in great need. If I have plenty and abundance of things, or if I'm in poverty, I can live in both of those and I can do it with triumphant contentment because it is Christ who lives and strengthens me. Well, verse 13 answers the question, how in the world can I be content? Paul says, I've learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. So tell me, how do I be content? Paul says, okay, verse 13 is how you do it. Verse 13. Now, I love this. If we had a couple of hours and I could do a PowerPoint, we could have so much fun in the original language in this verse. This verse is remarkable. Let me bring out a couple of thoughts. Number one, contentment is possible. Contentment is possible. It might seem a little bit overwhelming. It might be a little bit overwhelming. You're saying, Jeff, I got to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in. That seems like such a lofty duty. But verse 13, I can do it. I can do it. It's possible. You as a believer in Christ, you are able to walk in holiness. You're able to do this. And the Greek verb that Paul uses in verse 13 is this. I am strong enough. That's the verb. I'm strong enough to do it. Now Paul's not being, you know, self-exalting here and self-inflating. That's not the point. It's actually the opposite. Because of Christ, I'm strong enough to do this. Contentment is possible. Number two, contentment is pervasive. I can do all things. What does that mean? In all circumstances, if I lose my job, if I lose my family, if I lose my health, if I lose my life, if I lose my freedoms, whatever it might be, I can do all things. things. Contentment is possible. Contentment is pervasive. But here's the key. Contentment is infused. Now this is fun. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. It's a Greek verb that has the idea of Christ pouring, it's like pouring divine power into us for the need of the moment. That's the image here. It's like, it's like Christ saying, it's like, I pour all of my divine strength into you so that you can be so satisfied with who I am and my strength, and you can be happy in whatever circumstance you're in. He infuses us with that strength. We are so permeated. We are so consumed with Christ. And we can do that because we have a vital union with Christ. I love the way one older commentator put it. He said, Christ is the one who infuses strength into us. It's the same word that Paul used in Philippians 3, verse 10. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. I want to know Christ and I want to know that power. I want to live by that power, Paul says. Here it is again. I can do all things through Christ who pours his divine power into me. He infuses his strength into me to live the Christian life. That's encouraging. Christ satisfies, God strengthens. Paul ends with verse 14, God supplies. And it's just such a personal note here in verse 14. Paul says, nevertheless, Philippians, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. What's Paul saying? He says, God has fully supply what is needed for me. He, Paul praises the Philippians because they have shared with him in his afflictions. And I think that refers to the advancement of the gospel. I think it refers to a financial gift. I think it refers to Christian encouragement. I think Paul's saying in verse 14, you Philippians, you've shared with me and God has used you to supply what is needed for me in my life. Here's a content man. God satisfies me. God strengthens me and God supplies all that I need. That's contentment. That's contentment. We really can be content in any circumstance because Christian, you have a friend, you have a friend, you, you have a loving friend who is always with you at all times. He's invisible though. You've not seen him. You love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory. He is an invisible friend, but he's a loving friend and he's a caring friend. He cares for all of our needs. And not only is he a caring friend, he's a wise friend. Everything that he brings into our life is brought into our life for our good. He's a faithful friend. Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself. We have a compassionate friend. He, he's been tempted. He, he understands what it is to be weak. He understands he's compassionate. He's a close, he's a near, he's an intimate friend. Christian, you, you can be satisfied with Christ. to such a degree that you are so full of the goodness of God that being dissatisfied is not contingent on the things of this world. because we're satisfied that God has revealed himself in the Bible. We're satisfied in who God is, his love and his goodness and his grace and his mercy. We're satisfied in God's full redemption, that he sent his own son to die on the cross for our sin, that all of our sin is reckoned to him, that we are not a little forgiven, but all of our sins have been forgiven. We're satisfied that we can hide in and be clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. We're satisfied that God is progressively sanctifying us. We, we, we are sanctified. We are satisfied in all of these things. May God take us to the school of contentment. May we learn what it is. To be fully satisfied in Christ so that we would be more useful to him, less filled with ourselves, more filled with him. And Christian, hear it again, hear it the right way in the context that I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the the school of contentment that we go to each day. And Lord, sometimes we sin, sometimes we fail. But how faithful you are to us. Grow us, oh God, grow us that we would be more like Paul to say, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry. I've learned what it is. to be content. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you satisfy us. Thank you that you supply all of our needs. Thank you that you are the one who strengthens us by your powerful grace in Jesus name. Amen.