Faith Baptist Church
11-28-21 Worship Service
- My Jesus Fair
- Joy To The World
- Good Christian Men, Rejoice
- Lo! How a Rose E’er Blooming
- What do you find satisfaction from in life?New car? Scratching the VibeHobbies? Deer mount (but that was two years ago)Eating at your favorite restaurant? (but I am hungry for breakfast just hours later)What does really satisfaction look like? What does it mean to be truly content?Contentment means you are able to rejoiceContent: pertaining to being happy or content with what one has, to be happy with the circumstances in which one exists.“When what you have and what you need are the same thing.”
Philippians 4:10 ESV 10 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.Paul ends his letter by thanking the Philippians for their gift of money that helped support him while he was in prison in Rome.Concern: to have an opinion with regard to someth., think, form/hold an opinion, judge. To think of someone in the sense be concerned about him.What do we learn about missions from this verse? Not just about giving money! Not enough to merely support a missionary financially. We must have a concern for them. We must think of them often enough to cause concern about them.Do you ever have concern for our missionaries? Do you read their prayer letters? Do you pray for their needs? This comes first, and then out of that concern comes our monetary support for their needs.Philippians 4:11 ESV 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.Need: the condition of lacking that which is essential, poverty (c.f. Mk 12:44)Mark 12:44 ESV 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”Paul is making a clarification in v. 11. He wants to make sure the Philippians understand that his “rejoicing in the Lord greatly” in v. 10 is not sourced in their gift of money, rather his joy is sourced in his ability to be content.It is not that Paul was miserable before they sent their gift, but now that he has money he can greatly rejoice. He wants them to know that his joy was intact before they sent him their gift. He wants them to understand that his joy is a result of his ability to be content.No matter what his situation Paul was content and thus no matter the situation Paul was joyful.Contentment is not dependent upon your circumstancesPhilippians 4:12 ESV 12 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 and hunger, abundance and need.Paul’s situation in prison- he is dependent on the generosity of other for his daily needs. There may have been days that he did not have much to eat.His contentment his joy was not contingent upon his circumstances.12οἶδα καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι, οἶδα καὶ περισσεύειν·I know both how to be brought low / to be humbled / to have a little, and I know how to have an abundance / to abound / to have a lot;ἐν παντὶ καὶ ἐν πᾶσινin any and in every circumstanceμεμύημαι,I have learned the secret / the mystery (of being content)καὶ χορτάζεσθαι καὶ πεινᾶν καὶ περισσεύειν καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι·whether well fed (satisfied) or hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need;In any and in every circumstance Paul was able to be content:Whether healthy or sick, rich or poor, single or married, young or old, free or persecuted, respected or ridiculed . . .Refutation: Paul does not mean that we should be indifferent to our circumstances. He does not mean that you should never seek to improve your circumstances. He is saying that our happiness or our joy in life should not be slave to our circumstances.The ability to be content is not dependent upon our circumstances.Why is that so important?Illustration: Have you ever just finished eating a big meal and your kids come to you and ask, “Daddy what’s for supper?” If you contentment was dependent upon your food how long would your joy last?What if your contentment was based on your vehicle? How long would your joy last?What if your contentment was based on your spouse? How long would your joy last?What if your contentment was based on your hobbies? How long would your joy last?Contentment must be learned through gracePhilippians 4:11 ESV 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.Philippians 4:12 ESV 12 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 and hunger, abundance and need.I know (2 x’s)- perfect verb-I have learned- perfect passiveSecret- to learn a mystery v. — to learn special information that was formerly only privy to a deity and those to whom he had revealed it. We never would have learned this on our own if God had not revealed this mystery to us by his grace!Important Pauline uses of this word group2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.Sufficiency / contentment- Here Paul applies the idea of contentment to our giving. He also connects the idea of contentment with the grace of God. God makes His grace over-abound to you, which causes you to be content, it causes you to consider your situation in life as sufficient. And the purpose is to enable you to abound in every good work.So many people have this attitude toward giving: “I would love to give more, but right I can’t give towards gospel ministry because I need such and such a thing in my life.” What God’s grace does is to mature your thinking in Christlikeness so that you need less and less of the temporal earthly things of this world, so that you can give more and more toward eternal things for the furtherance of the gospel.Illustration: Raven crossbow / or I could be satisfied with a cheaper model and use the rest of that money for redemptive purposes.Refutation: There must be a balance. We are not to live like monks with nothing but rags to our name. But, neither are we to use all of the resources that God has given us for ourselves. We must have a redemptive focus towards our finances. This comes as one grows in Christ, this is made possible by the grace of God.Also the order of this text is important. First God’s grace works in our hearts and produces sufficiency / contentment- and then out of the spiritual work of grace in our hearts we are enabled to abound in every good work. You will do damage to yourself and to others if you reverse this process.1 Timothy 6:6 ESV 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,You need both godliness combined with contentment- then it is great gain.If you bypass the work of God’s grace in someone’s life changing them to be content, if you do not allow change to take place in their heart so that they become sufficient with less and less of the things of this life- you will cause them to miss out on “Great Gain.”New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Volumes 1–5 ἀρκέωFor Paul, contentment springs from complete readiness to accept whatever God gives (Phil 4:11). He makes no distinction between the necessary and the superfluous, but simply gives thanks for everything. He can accept both abundance and want as part of his life, and he gives thanks that he has received both as a gift together with God’s gracious forgiveness and quickening power.
This attitude of contentment is the opposite of the way we were before salvation!Philippians 3:18–19 ESV 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.Before Christ, before salvation- this is the way were were. We were driven by our bellies / our lusts. Everything was about me, about what makes me happy. We only gloried in the things that brought us shame. Our minds were set on earthly things alone! Thus our contentment was rooted in our lusts, the only thing that made us happy were things that brought about shame, and we had no thought whatsoever to eternal redemptive things.But, after Christ, we have been taught, by God’s grace- God made his grace abound to us so that we actually became sufficient or content in all things! For what purpose? So that we might about in every good work!Contentment is a gracious work of spiritual growth in our lives. It must be learned through practical experience. It should increase the more you become like Jesus!You will become less and less earthly minded / driven, you will become more spiritually minded / heavenly motivated!Contentment is sourced in ChristPhilippians 4:13 ESV 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.13πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με.I am able to do all things in the one who strengthens me.IN CHRIST- the reason Paul can be content and rejoice in any circumstance is he has learned that the true source of joy is in Christ alone!Psalm 16:11 ESV 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.Jeremiah 2:13 ESV 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.Philippians 1:20–21 ESV 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.Are you content in your life?Is the normal pattern of your life that of rejoicing?Does your joy fluctuate with your circumstances?Are you learning to be more and more content? Are you growing in the grace of Christ in this area of your life?Is the source of your contentment found in Christ alone? Philippians 4:10ESV
Philippians 4:11ESV
Philippians 4:12ESV
Philippians 4:11ESV
Philippians 4:12ESV
2 Corinthians 9:8ESV
Philippians 3:18–19ESV
Philippians 4:13ESV
Psalm 16:11ESV
Jeremiah 2:13ESV
Philippians 1:20–21ESV
- It Is Well With My Soul
