I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Philippians
4:10-14
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you
renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no
opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I
have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to
be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of
being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether
living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
-- A mother was showing her young
son how to zip up his coat -- he had tried and tried and just couldn’t get it done
correctly -- so she knelt down, and grabbed the two sides of the jacket and
said, "The secret is to get the left part of the zipper to fit in the
other side before you try to zip it up." -- The boy looked at her and
asked, "Why does it have to be a secret?"
-- that's a good question, and we
can relate it to our topic of discussion today
-- the Apostle Paul was the most
prolific author and speaker in the early church -- out of the 27 books of the
New Testament, Paul wrote thirteen -- almost half of the entire New Testament --
and in his writings he describes the many revelations of God that he was given
-- the mysteries of the church and the inclusion of the Gentiles in the church
of Christ that had previously been kept hidden until the fulfillment of time
-- but out of all those mysteries
and hidden things that Paul was shown, only one time does Paul let us in on a
secret -- only one time does Paul say, “I have learned this secret, and I want
to pass it on to you” -- what is this great secret that Paul learned through a
lifetime of walking with God? -- the secret of being content
-- contentment is a foreign word to
us in America today -- we are not a happy people -- we are not content with our
place or our lot in life -- just look at the outrage and riots following our
last presidential election -- people took to the streets and committed acts of
violence and bombarded social media with hate speech, all because they were
unhappy -- discontent -- with the results of the election
-- we are not content with anything
-- our possessions -- our jobs -- our salaries -- our relationships -- heck,
we’re not even content with the weather -- even though we haven’t had rain in
over 35 days, I heard people complaining because it was supposed to rain last
week
-- we are a discontent people -- never
happy with what we have or where we are or who we are -- we’re constantly
looking over the fence at greener grass in the neighbor’s yard and wishing it
was ours -- John Maxwell said that Americans today suffer from “destination
disease” -- we spend our whole lives wishing we were somewhere else with more
and better stuff -- and so we spend our lives in a quest to find something that
will truly make us happy -- but nothing ever does
-- I ran across a poem that spoke on
this subject this past week and I want to share it with you today -- it’s called
“PRESENT TENSE,” and it was written by Jason Lehman, a 14-year old boy who
speaks with a wisdom on the subject of contentment that is rarely heard today
“It was spring, but it was summer I
wanted, The warm days, and the great outdoors.
It was summer, but it was fall I
wanted, The colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.
It was fall, but it was winter I
wanted, The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.
It was winter, but it was spring I
wanted, The warmth and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child, but it was adulthood
I wanted, The freedom and respect.
I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted, To
be mature, and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I
wanted, The youth and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle-age
I wanted, The presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over, and I never got
what I wanted.”
-- what a telling description of
what so many of us are experiencing in our lives -- no matter where we are,
we’re always wanting something else -- no matter what we have, we always wish
for something different
-- I know that feeling -- I’ve been
there -- for many, many years I lived on the “as soon as I get, then I’ll be
happy” treadmill -- I went through life always looking ahead -- never happy
with where I was or what I had -- but always thinking to myself, “as soon as I
get a new car, then I will be happy” -- “as soon as I get a new job, then I’ll
be happy” -- “as soon as I get a raise, then I will be happy” -- “as soon as I”
mind-speak is the downfall of so many of us and all it does is breed discontent
and unhappiness in our lives
-- so this morning, I wanted us to
spend some time talking about contentment -- what it is -- what it looks like
-- and the secret of Paul to finding contentment once and for all
II. Contentment versus Discontent
-- let’s begin by defining our terms
-- what do we mean by contentment?
-- the dictionary defines it as a
state of happiness or satisfaction -- and that’s pretty much exactly what the
world will tell you -- if you are happy -- if you are satisfied -- with what
you have -- then you are content
-- the world’s definition of
contentment is externally based -- it comes down to the old adage, “He who dies
with the most toys wins” -- and so we see the world going through the motions
of seeking contentment through material possessions and financial gain
-- discontentment is merely the
opposite of contentment -- a feeling of dissatisfaction and unhappiness because
of your external circumstances
-- the biblical definition of
contentment is a little different -- the focus is internal, and not external --
biblical contentment is related to self-sufficiency -- it is “An internal
satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances”3
-- biblical contentment comes from
the inside -- it is an attitude and experience of satisfaction and joy that
comes from who we are in Christ rather than what we own or what we possess
-- the Greek word that Paul uses
here in this passage for contentment was used to describe the peace and
serenity of a city under siege that has everything within it to not only
survive, but to thrive, in the midst of war
-- biblical contentment is like
living in the eye of the hurricane -- while the world around you goes through
chaos and destruction, you live in a place of peace and serenity where all your
needs are met and you are truly happy and blessed
-- unfortunately, this is hardly the
picture of our world today -- it’s hardly the picture of many Christians today --
so what causes our discontent? -- why are we dissatisfied with life in so many
ways?
Sources of Discontent:2
-- Unrealistic Expectations -- the “I want it now” mindset -- we have
developed in this country the idea we should have everything we want and we
should have it now -- a lot of people are getting out of high school and
college and expecting to walk into high paying jobs and have new cars and new
houses -- and when these unrealistic expectations don’t get met, they get upset
-- they demonstrate in the streets and complain in the social media that they
aren’t getting what they want
-- Unfair comparisons -- a lot of people are discontent because they
look at their neighbor and think, “they have more than I do, and that’s not
fair” -- we used to call this the desire to “keep up with the Joneses” -- I
like what Louis C.K. told his daughter on his show one time -- he had poured
cereal into his two daughter’s bowls for breakfast, and one of his daughters
complained that the other got more cereal than she did -- he told her that she
got what she needed, and the only time it was okay to look into someone else’s
bowl was to make sure they had something to eat -- not to see if they had more
than you
-- Unnoticed blessings -- not being thankful for what you do have --
not recognizing the blessings and mercy and grace that God has given you -- not
enjoying the good things that He has already given -- I can’t help but think of
the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt and were headed to the Promised
Land -- here God was raining down manna on them every single day -- literally
pouring food out of the heavens on them -- and they complained because they
weren’t getting meat -- they were discontent in the midst of unnoticed
blessings
-- Uncontrolled ambition -- I have to do more -- I have to have more
-- I have to be more -- it’s okay to try to better yourself -- it’s okay to
strive to have more or to do more, provided you do it in a Godly way -- letting
God direct your path and not desiring things or possessions or people more than
God or trying to obtain these things in an unrighteous way -- God gives us what
we need at the moment -- and He will bless us with more as we are capable of
receiving more
III. Contentment Must Be Learned
-- so how do we move from discontent
to contentment? -- look at verse 10
Philippians
4:10-12
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you
renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no
opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I
have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to
be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of
being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether
living in plenty or in want.
-- the state of being content
doesn’t happen overnight -- you can’t just will yourself to be content -- as
Paul says here, you have to learn what it means to live in a state of
contentment
-- Paul had experienced both the
highs and lows of life -- he had experienced a prosperous life -- he had been
wealthy and had lots of possessions and power and things -- he knew what it
felt like to have excess
-- but then he experienced true need
-- everything that he had was taken from him -- and for the first time in his
life, he experienced hunger and thirst -- poverty and despair -- as time went
on, he was robbed and beaten -- stoned -- shipwrecked -- left for dead -- left
with nothing but his name
-- but these experiences taught him
what was really important in life -- he learned what a person truly needed to
live in this world and in the world beyond -- and in these lessons, he realized
the secret to contentment -- the secret that allowed him to write that he was
content and happy and satisfied wherever he was, even in a Roman prison,
waiting for a hearing before Emperor Nero
IV. The Secret to Contentment
-- contentment can only be realized
after you learn what is truly important in life -- Paul had learned this secret
through his life experiences, but he shares that secret with us so that we
might not have to experience what he did in order to be content in our lives
-- so what was the secret to Paul’s
contentment? -- how could he write that he was content while chained in a Roman
prison?
-- verse 13
Philippians
4:13-14
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
-- the secret of contentment lies
with its source -- Jesus
-- “The world seeks to give us contentment
through more possessions -- God seeks to give us contentment through decreased
desires -- More accurately, God seeks to produce contentment in us by giving us
a singularity of desire—the desire for Him”1
-- “Paul had learned that when he
had everything” -- when he lived in the lap of luxury -- when he had the wealth
and the power and the prestige as a Pharisee leading the charge against the
Christians, “it didn’t add anything to him, because it paled in value when
compared to Jesus”
-- when everything was stripped from
him on the road to Damascus -- when he was humbled and abased in the presence
of the living Christ -- when Paul had nothing but Jesus -- no wealth -- no
power -- no position -- no possessions -- Paul learned he didn’t need those
things, because in Christ he had everything
-- Paul’s example reminds us that
there are really two kinds of Christians -- those who are unsatisfied with
their lot in life -- materially and spiritually -- who constantly demand more from
Jesus -- who aren’t happy with what they have and expect more blessings than
they currently experience
-- but then you have Christians like
Paul, who realize they already possess all they need in Christ -- that He has
given them every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places -- that their
eternity and their salvation have secured them eternal blessings that outshine
anything this world has to offer
-- these are the Christians who go
through life with an attitude of gratitude -- satisfied with all that God has
given -- and thanking Him and using what they have as God intended -- not
constantly looking for more or looking ahead to what they can get here -- but
who begin each day satisfied and content with what God has given and who quit
looking at what they can get, but at what they can give to others
-- you can see this attitude of
contentment starting to take hold in the Philippians here, as Paul commends
them in verses 10 and 14 for sharing in his troubles -- for showing concern to
him and helping meet his needs
-- one of the signs of a contented
Christian is their willingness to share out of their own resources with those
in need -- a desire to help others rather than to seek more for themselves
III. CLOSING
-- let me close by sharing with you this
story that I first read in Tim Ferriss’ book, “The Four Hour Workweek”:
-- An American investment banker was
at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one
fisherman docked. Inside the small boat
were several large yellowfin tuna. The
American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long
it took to catch them.
-- The Mexican replied, “only a
little while.” -- The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and
catch more fish? -- The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s
immediate needs. -- The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest
of your time?”
-- The Mexican fisherman said, “I
sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife
Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar
with my amigos. I have a full and busy
life.”
-- The American scoffed, “I am a
Harvard MBA and could help you. -- You should spend more time fishing and with
the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. -- With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you
could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. --
Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the
processor, eventually opening your own cannery. -- You would control the
product, processing, and distribution. -- You would need to leave this small
coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New
York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
-- The Mexican fisherman asked,
“But, how long will this all take?” -- To which the American replied, “15 – 20
years.” -- “But what then?” Asked the Mexican.
-- The American laughed and said,
“That’s the best part. When the time is
right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and
become very rich, you would make millions!”
-- “Millions,” the Mexican fisherman
exclaimed. “Then what?”
-- The American said, “Then you
would retire. Move to a small coastal
fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids,
take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you
could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”4
-- the world just doesn’t get it -- what
does it mean to be truly content? -- to be truly satisfied with life?
-- it all comes down to a
recognizing the difference between our needs and our wants -- to realizing that
true happiness and contentment come from within, and not from without -- that no
amount of money or possessions or power or prestige will ever make us happy
-- Howard Hughes spent his whole
life chasing those things and never found what he was looking for -- someone
once asked him, “Howard, when will you have enough?” -- and he replied, “I just
need a little more, and then I’ll be happy” -- chasing contentment through
material possessions is foolish -- contentment comes from being satisfied in
the present and enjoying the life and the blessings God has provided
-- true contentment is an attitude
of the heart -- a feeling of gratitude and praise towards God for what we have
and a willingness to share with others truly in need without desiring more than
what God wants to give
-- true contentment comes only
through a relationship with Jesus -- He is our source of life -- He is our
Creator and our Provider -- He is the source of our joy and happiness -- and it
is only in Him and through Him that we can find contentment
-- this is the true meaning of
Christmas -- this is why Jesus came -- to bring us salvation and contentment
through Him -- this is something for us to keep in mind as we continue to
celebrate advent and the coming celebration of the birth of our King and Savior
and as we watch the world around us in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas
season
-- may we be like eyes in the midst
of the hurricane this December and rest in the peace and contentment that comes
through knowing Jesus
-- let us pray
1
“The Secret of Contentment,” by Donnie Martin [http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-secret-of-contentment-donnie-martin-sermon-on-fulfillment-138276.asp?page=0]
2
“Are You Content?” by Melvin Newland [http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/are-you-content-melvin-newland-sermon-on-peace-40949.asp?page=0]
3
Holman Bible Dictionary
4
http://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexican-fisherman/
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