Content in Christ – Philippians 4:10-13

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. Unfortunately, the sermon did not get recorded.

“I can’t get no…satisfaction.” The famous song by The Rolling Stones reflects the mindset of most people. No matter how hard they try, there is no such thing as lasting satisfaction.

Instead of “I can’t get no satisfaction,” we might say, “I cannot find contentment.”

If someone says that they are content, it really means that they are satisfied. If we’re honest, contentment is hard to come by.

Consider this:

• Most kids want to get older. Most older people wish they were young again.
• Many single people wish they were married. Many married people wish they were single.
• Many without children desire to have them. Some with children wish they didn’t.
• Most poor people stressed because they don’t have much. Many rich people are stressed because they have too much stuff.

If we’re not careful, even as Christians, the difficulties of life can keep us from contentment. When we are not content, the word for that is discontentment.

Jerry Bridges says, “Discontentment arises from ongoing and unchanging circumstances that we can do nothing about.”^[1]Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 71

There are sources of legitimate discontentment. For example, we should be discontent with our spiritual growth.

Discontentment is something that affects my relationship with God. Lacking contentment results in resentment or bitterness toward God or other people. ^[2]Bridges, Respectable Sins, 73

In our text this morning in Philippians 4, Paul shows us how to put off discontentment and instead how to be content in all circumstances.

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:10-13

BIG IDEA: True contentment is only found when Jesus is your highest treasure.^[3]See Philippians 1:20-23,29; 3:3,7-14, 4:4,11-13.

Background/Setting

As we read Paul’s words, we need to remember his circumstances are anything but good. He is (likely) imprisoned in Rome, chained to the elite Roman soldiers. He is awaiting trial before Caesar, and he could be put to death. He is under house arrest and unable to go anywhere.

He has been in this situation for two years. To make matters worse, there were preachers in Rome who were envious of Paul and smearing his name (Phil 1:15). Paul’s reputation was taking a beating as he awaited potential execution for simply preaching Christ.

Paul was experiencing hard times.

Are you having a hard time right now?

• Do you have an unhappy marriage?
• Are you struggling with infertility?
• Are you having financial trouble?
• Do you have some broken relationships, perhaps with children?
• Have you received a bad diagnosis?
• Do you wish you had a better job?
• Are you single and wish you were married?
• Do you have a physical disability or chronic health problems?

As I said, Paul was in a tough spot. However, as we read Paul’s words, we don’t hear grumbling from a man who was falsely accused and imprisoned. He was not defeated but instead was a joyful man who was writing to encourage others. While in prison, Paul wrote to the Philippians to express his gratitude for their generosity (Phil 4:14-20).

Amazingly, Paul was not being crushed by his circumstances. Rather, he was a man who was truly content. Friends, Paul had suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, but he wasn’t shaken. And in these verses, we will see Paul’s secret to being satisfied; to having true contentment.

I’m going to point out three main things from this text. Then I’ll give some practical applications for finding contentment.

(1) To be content, you must trust in God’s sovereignty (10)

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.

When Paul states, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly,” he is saying that the Lord is His source of joy. He knows that God is causing all things to work together for good— even this imprisonment (Romans 8: 28). Paul knew that though life’s circumstances are always changing, the eternal purposes of God never change. ^[4]Steven J Lawson. Philippians For You (Kindle Locations 2851-2856). The Good Book Company.

Paul was glad that the Philippian church had revived their concern for him. If you remember, about ten years had passed since Paul had planted the Philippian church in Acts 16. After planting the church, the Philippians church initially supported Paul’s missionary endeavors. However, verse 10 makes it clear that it had been a while since they had given. Paul notes that it wasn’t because of a lack of concern, but a lack of opportunity.

Paul could’ve been angry that the Philippians hadn’t given to his ministry in a while. Instead, Paul was confident in God’s timing. He was not in a state of panic, and he was not trying to manipulate anyone. Rather, Paul rested in God’s perfect timing. Paul knew that God would provide for his needs as they came.^[5]MacArthur Jr., John. Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study) (p. 134). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

What about you? Are you confident that God will provide for you as you have a need?

Until we learn that God is in control (or sovereign) and that He cares for those who love Him, we will never be content. The fact is that you can’t control everything. When you start trying to get your life in perfect order, you’ll soon realize that you can’t do it. The sooner you figure that out, the better. I’m not advocating fatalism or an attitude that says, “It doesn’t matter what I do.” We should, like Paul, work hard and trust God for the results (1 Cor 3:6-7).

If we’re to be content, we must be confident in God’s providence (10).

(2) To be content, you must shift your focus away from your circumstances (11-12)

11-12 – 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 and hunger, abundance and need.

Typically, we think of contentment like this: if things (marriage, kids, job, house, health, etc.) are going well, we can be content. We’re happy.

We see in verse 12 that Paul had had some good times. Look at the phrases he uses in v. 12 (“how to abound”, “facing plenty”, “abundance”).

Paul had been on the mountaintop. He had seen many people come to faith in Christ and had planted many churches. However, he had also experienced many trials while advancing the gospel. He had seen people abandon the faith and suffered greatly for Christ.

Look at 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.

2 Cor 11:24-28

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

I would say that most of you reading this are better off materially than Paul was when He wrote Philippians. He had limited resources, physical pain, restricted movement, and limited food.

It’s no secret that difficult circumstances make it hard to be content. When something bad happens, we tend to throw up our hands and wonder what God is doing. However, it is possible for us to be content in any situation in life. Look at what Paul says again:

Through it all, Paul says…“I have learned” (2x)

• 11 – “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
• 12 – “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”

What was it that Paul had learned? What was his secret? Paul’s secret was this:

Don’t focus on your situation. Focus on your Savior!

Paul knew that true contentment is not by fixing your circumstances. Rather, true contentment is found in knowing Jesus.

(3) To be content, you must have a deep relationship with Jesus (13)

13 – I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul had learned that no matter how hard life gets, that every Christian has a source of spiritual strength – the power of Christ that sustains us.

We need to be careful here. All things is not whatever we want to insert. Context still matters. This verse is not about winning a sporting event or performing miracles. We are abusing the author’s intent when we say we can win this game or make a lot of money or overcome this illness or whatever it is we try to make this verse means.

All things refers to what Paul has mentioned in vv. 11-12. All things is about being content despite difficult circumstances, especially material poverty. Paul was saying that when he had come to the end of himself, there was the power of Christ to sustain Him.

Do you know how a pacemaker works? The pacemaker is put into someone whose heart isn’t working like it should. If the heart skips a beat, the pacemaker kicks in.

When you’re at the end of yourself, like a pacemaker, the power of Christ can sustain you. When you are weak, then you are strong.

The unbearable weight of our circumstances forces us to find strength and contentment in Christ alone. The hard truth is that the only way to learn to be content in suffering is to go through suffering.

The hard truth is that the only way to learn to be content in suffering is to go through suffering.

When life seems unbearable, there are two options:

(1) You can grumble and complain and sink into a pit of despair and depression or (2) You can run to God.^[6]Stephen Altrogge, The Greener Grace Conspiracy, p. 82.

When you’ve stood on the brink of death. When you can’t fix your marriage or your kids or can’t get a better job or fight off the disease in your body, then you can learn contentment. You’ll learn contentment when you turn to God for strength to get through the situation. When you are weak, then you are strong.

Before I finish, I want to give you a few practical steps for finding contentment.

Practical Steps

(1) Acknowledge the differences between needs and wants.

Our needs are simple: food, clothing, shelter, and God’s forgiveness.

John MacArthur says that typically the most unhappy people you’ll ever meet are very wealthy people. The reason for this is because they assume that their wants are actually needs.^[7]MacArthur, Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul, p. 136.

(2) Be thankful for the grace of God.

Paul had learned that he deserved nothing from God. Once we realize this, we will no longer be so focused on the things we don’t have. Rather, we’ll be thankful for the gospel of grace.

If you’re here today and you don’t know Christ, then your greatest need is salvation.

We can find joy and contentment in the midst of sorrow and grief by taking joy in the God of our salvation, the God who loves us and purchased us with the blood of Jesus. The cross reminds us that God is on our side (Rom 8:31-32).^[8]Altrogge, The Greener Grace Conspiracy, p. 89.

(3) Live for the mission of God.

The more you focus on the mission of God, the less desire you will have for material things.

As you follow Jesus, you learn what really matters in life. If your focus in life is fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), then you won’t need much to be content. But, if your focus in life is your own pleasure and happiness, then there is no end to what you will want and you will never be content.

(4) Focus on eternal things.

In America, we are thankful on Thanksgiving, but that night or the next day we run to the stores to buy more, more, more!

Every commercial’s message is that you need this product or service to be happy (If you buy this product, your life will be better). But Scripture says that if you have Christ, you have everything (Phil 3:7-11).

Are you discontent because you don’t have something you want? What do you think you need? Is it a new phone? A new vehicle? A new TV? A bigger house?

Listen to Jesus in Luke 12:15: “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus, Luke 12:15

If you always think you need more ask God to remove that desire and to teach you contentment.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Every circumstance you face is temporary. One day, Jesus will wipe away every tear.

(5) Meditate on the Word of God

Find strength in God’s promises. Here are three:

• God doesn’t waste our suffering (Rom 8:28-29).
• God supplies everything we need (Phil 4:19).
• God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5-6).

We live in a fallen world. We all go through difficult circumstances. You’re either going through one or about to head into one.

Through it all, we can have joy and contentment if Jesus is our highest treasure.

BIG IDEA: True contentment is only found when Jesus is your highest treasure.

In Christ, you have all you can ever need, and through Him, you can find the strength you need.

---