Pastor Stan Johnson Flagstaff Christian Fellowship 123 S. Beaver Street Flagstaff, AZ 86001 www.fcfonline.org Contentment: More than Just Enough Philippians 4:10-13 By Stan Johnson July 12, 2015 Stan Johnson, 2015 For access to previous sermons or to subscribe to weekly Sermons via email got to: www.fcfonline.org/sermons Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation
Contentment: More than Just Enough Philippians 4:10-13 When you hear the word contentment, what does it make you think about? If you re like me, you may be thinking, I ve got to learn to live with less and like it, or I need to be satisfied with less in life. Is that what it means? Here are a few quotes I found online that some famous people said about contentment: We tend to forget that happiness doesn t come as a result of getting something we don t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. (Frederick Keonig) The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least. (Arab Proverb) If you don t get everything you want, think of the things you don t get that you don t want. (Oscar Wilde) When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down happy. They told me I didn t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn t understand life. (John Lennon) Prosperity depends more on wanting what you have than having what you want. (Geoffrey F. Abert) Everything we possess that is not necessary for life or happiness becomes a burden, and scarcely a day passes that we do not add to it. (Robert Brault) Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. (Marcus Antoninus) To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. (Bertrand Russell) When we free ourselves of desire, we will know serenity and freedom. (Buddha) 1
Contentment consists not in adding more fuel, but in taking away some fire. (Thomas Fuller) He is rich who is content with the least; for contentment is the wealth of nature. (Socrates) We just read in Philippians 4:11 from Paul, Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. What does Paul mean and to begin with, I. Why should you and I listen to and think on a message about contentment from Phil. 4:10-13? Let me give you 3 reasons: A. We don t understand contentment, especially as Paul uses it in the New Testament. I think many of us would be thinking as I did, that contentment involves having less and still being happy with my life. I don t think that is what Paul is saying here. B. We struggle with many desires and a media that tells us we need all these things. We need a better car. We need this laundry detergent rather than the one I have. We need to watch this show to help our pet dog relax. Advertising feeds and increases our sense of needing so many things. Remember, people who design commercials make a living at making us dissatisfied with life. C. We look for what will satisfy us often in more stuff or better things and they don t satisfy us. We re not made that way. I believe you and I are designed to be satisfied and content with God. **Also, Paul s teaching on learning to be content leads us into one of the most used and misused verses in the whole Bible, Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. II. So, what does Paul mean by I have learned to be content? 2
In this verse, the adjective content means sufficient in oneself, self-sufficient, adequate, needing no assistance, independent of external circumstances. As a noun, this word means contentment, satisfaction with what one has, and is found in I Timothy 6:6. For Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. Also, in 2 Corinthians 9:8, we read And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. Our word for contentment in this verse is translated sufficiency. As a verb, it is used 8 times in the New Testament and primarily means to be sufficient, to be possessed of sufficient strength, to be strong, to be enough for a thing. In the middle voice it means to be satisfied. One use that helps us understand it s definition for us is found in Hebrews 13:5, Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. As I look at the various verses where a form of contentment is used, I get a sense that Paul means he has learned that in Christ he is satisfied and all his needs are met in Christ. Christ is enough for Him. Now, when I use the word enough, we tend to think just enough but that would be an understatement. In John 14:8 we read, Philip said to Him (Christ), Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. That s what we mean by enough. Let me also say that being content does not mean ridding oneself of all desires and ambitions. Paul was very ambitious and 3
driven, but those were all directed toward Christ and serving Him and those ambitions and desires were satisfied in Christ. Paul explains that the contentment he has learned covers any circumstances in life, not just a simple lifestyle. Look at verses 11-13: 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 also 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. Did you notice how Paul s explanation of learning to be content led him right into 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me? That s what this promise is talking about. I can be content and fully satisfied in Christ in any circumstance. If I have only a little or if I have an abundance, my satisfaction is in Christ and I am content. Let me look at 3 more passages to help us understand a little more about a biblical understanding of contentment. 1. I have always like a short prayer found in Proverbs 30:7-9 and identified with the author: Two things I asked of you, I asked of You, do not refuse me before I die: keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion. That I not be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God. So, Lord, keep me right in the middle so I ll be both happy and keep my eyes on you. But Paul s explanation tells us he has learned to be full and not deny God and also be in want and not steal and profane God. In fact he could be either full or in want and be fully satisfied in Christ who strengthens him. 2. 2 Corinthians 9:8 also helps us understand that God s 4
sufficient provision for each of us is more than enough for our own needs. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. In fact, the purpose of God being gracious to us is so that we can be givers to others. Let s look at the verses following verse 8: As it is written, He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgiving to God. 3. Now, let s look at the verses following Philippians 4:10-13. In verses 14-19 we read: Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have send, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, wellpleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. So, we ve seen what Paul means by contentment. III. What does Paul teach us about how he learned contentment? There s probably more than this, but I see 4 ways that Paul learned contentment looking at this whole chapter. 5
A. Paul learned to be content by standing firm in the Lord. This begins by being in the Lord, by having a personal relationship with the Lord. When I was young, I remember being taught that I was a sinner and in need of a savior, that I had made decisions to go my own way. No one needed to convince me that I was pretty self-centered and I did what I wanted. I also came to realize that even though God in His righteousness had to punish sin, in His mercy and love He sent His son to pay for my sin in my place. Isaiah 53:6 says it well: All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Now that I know Christ as my savior I can grow in standing firm in the Lord by starting each day spending some time with God in His word. The idea of standing speaks of where I put myself. I stand where I walk to and plant myself. When I begin my day by walking to a place, open my bible and ask God to show me something about Himself, I am setting myself up to walk with Him and let Him help me stand firm in Him that day. B. A second way Paul learned to be content was by finding his joy in the Lord. Paul speaks several times about rejoicing in the Lord. In Philippians 4:4 he writes, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Then in verse 10 he writes, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you revived your concern for me. How do I rejoice in the Lord? How do I find my joy in the Lord? Let me offer a couple of suggestions. One thing you can do is to look for ways to enjoy your relationship with the Lord. Take a walk and talk to the Lord about anything and everything. I find my best 6
times of prayer and fellowship with the Lord are when I take a walk and talk to God about something on my heart. I mentioned under the first application to start each day in the Bible. Make that an enjoyable time. If you like tea or coffee, have you had a cup of tea or coffee with the Lord. Share the best time of the day with the Lord. Enjoy Him! C. Bring your heart and mind to the Lord. A favorite verse of many is Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. What a great couple of verses to really chew on. Paul tells us here that when we bring everything to God in prayer with thankfulness He gives us a peace that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ. D. Finally, direct your eyes to the Lord. That s what I see Paul referring to in verses 8 and 9. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Direct your attention to the Lord as often as possible. Something that helps me is remembering how my dad showed my brother and I to do almost everything on the farm. My dad first brought my brother and I to work with him when we were 4 and 5 years old. I remember how 7
he would often say, now watch me as he would demonstrate something he wanted us to do. It might be to pick some peaches or grapes. As we got older he told us to watch him as he showed us how to prune grapes and peaches, how to wrap grape vines, how to prop up full branches or how to irrigate. I remember when he showed us how to use a shovel to get the most dirt moved with the least amount of effort. In all these tasks he would say watch me. And of course there were times when we would be distracted and he would say with a little more force and a tone of correction, now watch me! How do I watch the Lord? I watch the Lord as I look to Him and His word in the many decisions I make. I watch the Lord as I pray about everything that comes my way, as I have a running conversation with the Lord. I watch the Lord as I look at Christ s life in the Gospels and see how He treated with compassion those He met. I will grow in the contentment Paul is talking about here as I daily stand firm in the Lord, as I learn to find my joy in the Lord, and I bring everything to God with a thankful heart and thus let God s peace guard my heart and mind, and as I direct my eyes to the Lord. Conclusion One more quote on contentment: A Puritan sat down to his meal and found that he had only a little bread and some water. His response was to exclaim, What? All this and Jesus Christ, too! What does being content mean? It means being satisfied with who God is and what He gives us which is always enough so we can be generous to others. Sometimes that s material, often it s grace and mercy we can give others. 8
And in all this remember I can be content in Christ through Christ who strengthens me. Application Questions: 1. How has your definition of contentment changed after looking at Paul s teaching about contentment? 2. What helps you keep your eyes on Christ? What distracts you from looking to Christ? 3. What are some of the things in your life that are obstructing your view of Christ? How can you clear the view? 4. What has God given you that is more than enough and you can now liberally give to someone else? Identify someone and pass it on. 9