Unchained – How to be Content – Sermon – Pastor Dave Page

In these concluding verses, there are a number of notable things I would like to emphasize and in some cases revisit. All with the aim of encouraging this one final point for the Philippians – How to be content.

PAUL’S CONTENTMENT

First of all, as expressed by Paul, his expression of thanks was not to hint that he was in great need – Philippians 4:11a

For he was quite content with the “state” or condition he found himself in – Philippians 4:11b

This “contentment” was something he had learned – Philippians 4:11b-12.

An old Chinese Proverb says this…. If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap; if you want happiness for a day – go fishing, if you want happiness for a year, go inherit a fortune; but if you want happiness for a lifetime-go serve someone.

Whatever we call it, joy, gladness, being blessed, happiness or contentment, it is something all of us want.

So, the biggest of the questions I’ll pose to you today is this:

Are you content?? Please take a moment and consider this privately – are you, at this moment, in your life content?

I have used this word content a lot so far, so let’s take a quick moment and talk about its meaning – so we all understand the same thing.

Contentment takes on a specific perspective in the New Testament.  Contentment in the Greek language refers to self-sufficiency.  Content, in this perspective, was highly esteemed and became a favoured doctrine of stoics.

Ok, who were the Stoics?? The Stoics were a sect of Greek philosophers at Athens where they have been called “the Pharisees of Greek paganism.” Basically, they taught their disciples that a person’s happiness consisted in bringing themselves into harmony with the course of the universe. To be content, one detached from outward circumstances and (had) resources in oneself to meet every situation.  Isn’t it interesting that here in Philippians, Paul used this not-so-Christian terminology to illustrate that Christians could be independent of circumstances if trusting in God’s resources.

In many ways contentment is a journey and for many people, they are on that journey for their entire life and never seem to find it. We look at other people and we think …they sure look happy…why do they seem to get all the breaks in life? What are they doing that I am not doing? And sometimes if we really get to a low place we start thinking everybody’s happy, everyone else is content except poor old me ?

There was a man in the scripture named Saul and Saul was on a journey much like some of us are. We look for fulfillment; for happiness but we don’t always look in the right places. Saul was a man who seemed to have it all, a Pharisee who was very intelligent, knew the law inside out, studied the Hebrew scripture under one of the finest teachers in his day, born to Jewish parents who had Roman citizenship. Saul had great power. He was feared and respected by many people. For Saul, he seemed to find his identity through prestige and power and wealth. But like many people he realized, after his encounter with Jesus personally,  he was following a path that would never truly lead to contentment.

As Paul accepted, and as we all to often experience in our own lives, we  commonly look for contentment in the wrong places:

For a large portion of the worlds populace, it’s money/things. For some reason we have been made to believe by every ad we see on TV or on billboards that money and stuff will bring happiness. Because if we have money we can buy products that will make us happier. Coca-Cola’s new updated theme is “when you open a coke you are opening a bottle of happiness. I like Coke… but believe me when you open a bottle of Coke you are opening bottle of sugar water. Those who work in marketing secretly work to create an image that if you use their product you will somehow be happier. Well, that might be in some respect but that is never gonna equal contentment.

• Coca-Cola says open the bottle – You will open happiness.
• Volkswagen says Get in-Get happy.

Drive a certain car. Use a certain product. Use a certain deodorant and your life will certainly improve. Gods Word puts all of this into perspective and we are told that if we put  then all of these other things will fall into place. The answer will never be found in money or  things.

Last year Canada spent approx. $9.7 billion on lottery tickets. More than we spent on sports tickets, books, video games, movies and music-combined. People love the lottery. And the reason is simple. We believe it’s a chance to find real happiness. But it’s just the opposite actually.

Too much money can create some terrible circumstances for many people. There are lots of stories of people winning the lottery and then ending up worse off than when they had not won. One thing is for sure; money will not buy happiness. Nor can it buy things that will make you happy. And here is why. Happiness is temporary. It comes and it goes. We get a new car-we’re happy-then the first payment comes out and then another and another. more payments. Big payments. Suddenly the happiness is gone. Because happiness is based on the moment. It’s a feeling. And it goes away all too quickly.

The apostle Paul knew there was an important difference between happiness and being content .

Happiness is based on circumstances. As long as everything is going well, we’re happy. Things at home. Things that work. Things at church. But the problem is that rarely do all of those things go perfectly. In fact they often do not. So we immediately we lose our happiness.

Happiness is based on feelings. Happiness depends on the actions of other people. so again, happiness is temporary.

Contentment on the other had is based on faith.  Contentment is finding joy no matter the circumstances.

• Happiness is based on things that are external.
• Contentment is based on things that are eternal.

Let’s go back to the apostle Paul. He is living proof that the ways of humans will not bring happiness that will last. He had power, wealth, education, he was well known yet none of these things brought him happiness. But he did learn to find contentment. Listen to what the Scripture says:

Luke 12:15. 15

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

1 Timothy 6:6-10

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Paul knew and counselled others that the greatest enemy of contentment is materialism. We need to here that same message and address the fact that we have somehow bought into the lie that it takes things; an abundance of things, in order to be happy.

We must learn to practice contentment in all circumstances. Now notice I said practice. Contentment is not something that comes to us easily, so we need to practice at it.

• Doctors practice medicine
• lawyers practice law
• Musicians practice an instrument.

In other words, it was learned. It is something that must be continually practiced to perfect it. As Jesus followers we must learn to practice contentment if we were ever going to get it right. And let me tell you, you will be provided with many opportunities.?  Because things are often difficult in the world today, because we find ourselves in situations, in relationships that can be difficult, so we have to learn to practice contentment.

Learn and then practice the secret to true contentment and it will serve you for an earthly lifetime.

Philippians 4:12b-14. Here is the secret. Paul shares it with us.

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.”

I can get through grief, pain, hurt… Even when things do not go the way I want them to or need them to-I can make it because Jesus Christ will give me the strength.

Now, we need to spend a moment here as well because I believe this is one of those vs. of scripture that to often gets taken out of context and used improperly.

WHAT WAS THE “KEY” TO PAUL’S CONTENTMENT?

Simply, as  he expresses in Philippians 4:13, it involves spiritual strength given by the Lord.

Spiritual strength that enables Paul to be content whether full or hungry;

Spiritual strength that enabled him to be content whether abounding or in need

When Paul wrote “I have learned to be content no matter the situation” he was more than qualified to write and teach on this subject.

Remember, Paul was writing from a Roman jail. Roman guards were at his side and death lay immanently before him.

Paul was also writing as one who had grown up as a youth with a silver spoon in his mouth- yet now he knew poverty.

Paul knew what it was like to live under persecution and under peace.

Paul knew what it was to have a roof over his head and the stars over his head at night.

Paul knew what it was to a full stomach and a empty stomach. 

Paul knew what it was to be healthy and he knew what it was to have a thorn in his flesh that God refused to take away.

You see, Paul knew the enormous power of Jesus in his life – He could know contentment in all situations because of JESUS’S POWER – again, ‘in Christ – through Christ’

THERE IS INDEED WONDERFUL POWER AVAILABLE FOR A CHRISTIAN!

I said that too often, this vs. gets taken out of context and used wrongly. It doesn’t mean that You can literally do all things – climb mount Everest or create a fortune from nothing – sometimes that might happen and certainly God can make that happen if it’s His will. But that’s not what Paul is referring to here. What Paul is saying is that this power of Jesus in our lives enables one to do all things necessary in serving the Lord- Philippians 4:13

We have talked to you about this wonderful power before.

It is this power about which Paul wanted them to know – Ephesians 1:18-19

It is power that is in accordance with the power used to raise Jesus from the dead, and to seat Him at the right hand of God! – Ephesians 1:19-21

He prayed that God would strengthen the Ephesians with such power, which is able to accomplish great things – Ephesians 3:16,20-21

In other words, with the Spirit as the instrumental agent, God and Christ enables the Christian to do all that he or she is required to do!

So, what does that mean?

We are not alone in our efforts to “work out our own salvation” – cf. Philippians 2:12-13

And it also means that there is no excuse for not doing what God is calling us to.

Often For Christians are not following God’s calling upon their lives, it is not that they CAN’T do the will of God, but they WON’T!

We must learn to be content and be about following Paul’s excellent example.

We must also note the tone of Paul’s letter to the Philippians and of this passage. It is a letter and passage which bubbles over with joy…. go back to v.10

Paul was not a defeated and crushed Christian rotting away in jail. He was a joyful Christian, filled with the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord that Paul had and that we must have finds its Center in the very person of God and the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthens us. That’s what Paul is demonstrating here.

Jesus and all sufficient strength and all sufficient grace that Jesus provided him was the reason for his joy and contentment in life.

In Psalm 37:4 it says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart”.

Paul had the desires of his heart. He had Christ, the sufficient grace of God, the promises of God, and hope eternal.

Paul was a man consumed by his love for God. Paul’s contentment was with the giver and not the gifts of the giver. But Paul also was a man who had a clear sense of purpose and mission that we often lose as Christians. His clear sense of purpose and mission was what led to his contentment.

Here’s my second question for you:

Do you clearly understand that the secret to contentment and having the joy of the Lord in your life is locked up in the person of Jesus Christ and your being consumed with Him and the mission that He has given you? Church, we must get this – it’s the key to any kind of real and lasting contentment in life….

As we close this study on this wonderful epistle, I leave with one last words: “grace”

“The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” – Philippians 4:23

Church, have you received the wonderful GRACE of our Lord in your life, by leaning into His gospel?

Do you allow the power of Jesus in your life to let you be content?

To many of us answer ‘no’ to this question, I don’t know contentment…The world is too hard, life is so hard….and yes, for a lot of us that’s true…but here’s another truth to consider.  When you allow the trials to be your focus, then that’s what becomes your reality….in fact it can even spiral out of control…it becomes anxiety and fear….

February 2023 data from Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) shows the mental stability of Canadians has flatlined since the summer of 2022. Meaning it has stopped improving.

As vaccinations became available and social distancing measures were eased, the mental health of Canadians showed some improvement, but  recent data shows Canadians’ mental health has plateaued, and in some cases, gotten worse.

The survey found about 1 in 7 Canadians are likely to have moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety, with 1 in 5 likely to have symptoms of severe to moderate depression.

About 24 per cent of participants reported feelings of burnout.

Church, do you truly know contentment in your life??

Our plan for the month of June, after Father’s day, was to do another series on Summer Stories – a lot of you told us how you enjoyed that last summer. But after prayer, a lot of interactions with some of you and watching what we observe around us…. we are going to change that up….because we need to spend some more time around this area of fear and anxiety – the roots of a lack of contentment.

Do you remember way back at the beginning of this message series Marlee shared with you one of my life vs.

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

If you trust Him and His promises, then because the God of Peace is with you – working in your life, you will find that you can do all things and because you can do all things through Christ, you can know contentment, which is the true Peace of God.