Okay, we've got a very important message, I believe, today. They're all important, yeah, yeah, amen, amen. This one I find really relevant for us in the times that we're in and the situations that we can find ourselves in while we're in this world. So open your Bibles, if you would, to Philippians chapter four. Philippians chapter four. We'll continue our study in this wonderful book written by Paul the Apostle to the born again blood washed saints at Philippi, which is a Roman city where he had went and preached the gospel and by the grace and mercy of God the church had been established. Lord's lost sheep were called out of darkness. And so Paul's now in Rome under house arrest and he's writing to the Philippian saints now. So let's read verses 10 to 14 of Philippians chapter four. Now I had intended to do two or three verses, but our verse today will be verse 11. There is a lot packed in here. So let's read verses 10 to 14. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last, your care of me has flourished again. wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. Notwithstanding, you have done well that you did communicate with my affliction. Now, the citizens of Philippi were Roman citizens. And those whom the Lord had saved were all former idol worshipers, all Gentiles in the flesh. And they'd been saved from their sins by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ through his blood and righteousness. They were born again in the Holy Spirit just like we are. And they lived each day Just as we who are the blood-washed saints of God live, they lived each day of their life going through this world and the struggles and the temptations, the battle with sin, just like we do. We sometimes forget that these are just normal believers. Even Paul. Do you know there's no such thing as super-Christians? Sometimes we vault Bible characters up to a position, but they're just sinners saved by grace like we are, who've been granted faith and repentance before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. They may have done extraordinary things for the Lord, As we were talking about each other, that's all the Lord working in us and through us, causing those things to come to pass. And so they lived each day, going through this world of woe, struggling with sin, just like we do. Repenting before our great God and King, And just like we do, they lived their lives praising God for the great things he'd done for them. And Paul here is going to talk to them about a topic called contentment. How can we believers be content in this world When we're raised, before we're saved, with not being content, always wanting more. And we don't need any help from anyone, right? Because the flesh wants that, right? Always wanting more. Not being content with circumstances or with people. Always wanting something different. To being people who are content with right where God's got us. no matter where we find our station in life, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. And so Paul's writing to them because, like them, we all struggle with contentment, don't we? And something the Lord teaches us as we grow in grace and truth and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we start to realize that the circumstances we go through are ordained by God and purposed by God to help us either to flee to Christ, to look to Christ, keep clinging to Christ, Some circumstances are of our own making, right? But ultimately God always knows. He's ordained those things. I can get myself in trouble real fast, can you? But aren't you thankful the Lord's merciful and long-suffering with us? He's wonderful, isn't he? He's wonderful. So, We live in a world where contentment is not really sought after. It's not really sought after. Everybody always wants more. And just like other folks, we still carry this body of flesh around, right? And sometimes we cannot, we can be not content with the situations we're in. Let's read verse 11. So this is instruction for the Philippians. This is daily instruction for them. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned. Paul learned something, didn't he, Brother Brian? He learned something. He learned he's a sinner, needs to be saved through the blood and righteousness of Christ. And then he's learned this too. In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Now see the word content there in verse 11. In the Greek it means to suffice. To suffice. It also means self-sufficient in a good sense. Sufficient and adequate. As it's used in this verse, he means to be content or satisfied with one's own lot in life. To be content wherever the Lord has us. To be content right where the Lord has us at this time. And see the words, not that I speak in respect of want. Well in verse 11 we see here that he's not centering them for the forgetfulness of them, which we looked at last week. Because in our daily lives we get busy, don't we? No. He finds, Paul finds his will and purpose in life in the will and purpose of God. Isn't that amazing? He's looking to the king. And Paul has learned to be content no matter where the Lord has him. no matter what situation he's going through. And see the words, for I have learned. One of the, Weiss brings forth this, the construction of these verses, these words in the Greek, speaks of an entrance into a new condition. Weiss brings it forth, he says, I have come to learn. An entrance into a new condition. See, Paul had not always known contentment. Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees. Paul was an up-and-comer in the Jews' religion. Oh my. And he being reared in the lap of luxury, beloved, he went to the best teacher, sat under the best teacher of his time. That costs a lot of money. He, one commentator said, he'd never really known want as a young man. My. And all of a sudden he finds himself in want. abounded in untold wants. My, how did he learn to be content? Well, the Lord taught him, didn't he? Yeah. My oh my. See the words I in the Greek? It's empathetic as it's I for my part. Whatever others may feel, I have learned to be content. Not mattering what others feel, I've learned this. Because in this world, contentment is not sought after. And I can give you, I'll give you one guess where contentment is found. It's in Christ. It's in Christ, beloved. See the word therewith, it's in italics, so it's not in the original Greek. So it's not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am to be content. To be content. even more emphasis on that, contentment. Again, he had not always known contentment, no. And content is a translation of a Greek word used by the Stokes School of Philosophy, which meant that man could be sufficient to himself for all things. to be, I like this, to be independent of external circumstances. To be independent of external circumstances. We've talked about that, Brother Brian. All the stuff going on. To be independent from all that. Because we know God's in control. And the Stoics used it as to be sufficient for himself, but that's not how Paul used it. Not at all. Paul doesn't find sufficiency in himself, does he? Paul finds sufficiency in Christ. See, so there's even more meaning to this word content. My. Paul looked to Christ, who is his sufficiency. I can do all things through Christ, what? Further down, who strengthens me. The only reason I can preach is because Christ gives me the strength to preach, the desire to preach. to tell others the great things he's done for me and for you who are believers. Isn't that wonderful? It's wonderful. The word content speaks of self-sufficiency. Again, he didn't find his self-sufficiency in himself. He found self-sufficiency in Christ, right? Or sufficiency in Christ, not in himself. And it also speaks of competency. So Paul's self-sufficiency was not of the stoic kind. He didn't find it himself. He found it in Christ. He found it in Christ. It was Christ's sufficiency as Paul's Independence from circumstances, external circumstances, was found in Christ, his will and his purpose. And Paul's dependence was not on himself, his dependence was on Christ, just as it is true of all born-again blood-washed believers. Our dependence is on Christ. We trusted him with our eternal souls. By the grace of God. By the grace of God. Vicki and I were listening to a fellow who passed this week, this morning. And you ever hear people say, well, you just got to let God into your heart. You just got to do this and got to do that. And this fellow said, grace does not ask permission. Grace comes in power. Grace does not ask permission. Aren't we glad grace doesn't ask permission below him? Because we'd never choose him. Isn't that wonderful? Comes in power in Christ. It's wonderful. It's absolutely wonderful. So Paul could be independent of circumstances because he was dependent upon Christ. He saved through Christ's blood and righteousness, and now his whole life he's dependent now on Christ. Now remember where he was. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He was dependent upon himself. So what a change. Now we understand when he says, I've learned. Because this is something he didn't know before. Isn't that amazing? It's just incredible. And have we not learned that, Brother Travis? We learned to be content, right? Where we're at. What we're doing. By the grace of God. Because contentment is not natural for we humans. It's just not. But here's a believer, someone who's born again in the Holy Spirit of God, and he says, I've learned to be content. I've learned to be independent of external circumstances, political circumstances, world circumstances, sudden things that may come up in our lives. May they not rattle our faith. And may we trust in Christ no matter what comes. Just rest in Him. And like Joe Terrell said, that's the hardest thing for us to do, beloved, just to enter into the rest of Christ. And remember this, we can always come to the throne of grace in time of need. And I don't care how small that need is. Or how big that need is. I take the smallest things to my king. Somebody think, why are you talking to the Lord about that? Because. He tells me to come to him in my time of need, no matter how small that need is. Right? And may we give him praise for the little things too. Like when you're driving through the mall and there's a parking spot close up. And you say, thank you, Lord. That's wonderful. You don't have to walk as far as you would normally have to walk. People say, well, that's crazy, Wayne. Well, call me crazy then. I don't care. I don't care. Whatever. Independent of external circumstances, Paul wrote this, and remember this, when people come at us for what we believe, I'll never forget, Big Don used to say this all the time, I love this, this is great. He'd say, I counted a small thing to be judged by you. That's what Paul said. I believe it's in the book of Corinthians. Counted a small thing to be judged by you. My, that's powerful, isn't it? And that wasn't said in arrogance, it was said, hey, whatever. You know, people say, oh, you preach a false gospel, Wayne. I count it as a small thing to be judged by you. Or if I preach like you, man, people can do whatever they want. I count it as a small thing to be judged by you. It's not what we preach, is it? We preach Christ and Him crucified. We preach the only sufficient Savior, don't we, Brother Travis? The only one who can save sinners through His blood and righteousness. Puts man into dust and it raises our king up. Right? My, that's how it should be. That's what the gospel does. Puts us into dust. So the word contentment here speaks of self-sufficiency, but that's not again how Paul felt. Paul felt all his circumstances, all the things that he went through, were ordained by the Lord, and he was content. Here's a translation of this verse by Wiest. I really like this. It is not that I speak as regards want, for so far as I am concerned, I have come to learn. Oh, you've come to learn it. So have we, haven't we? I've come to learn in the circumstances in which I'm placed to be independent of these and self-sufficient. Now, again, the self-sufficiency there is not in Paul himself. It's in Christ. So Paul has learned by the grace and mercy of God, beloved, to be content in all circumstances. You know why? Because Christ is sufficient for all the circumstances in our lives. We, our dependence is upon him. In all situations we find ourselves in, in this life, remember this, it's Christ who sustains us. We would be destroyed by circumstances, wouldn't we, Charlie, if it was us trying to sustain ourselves? But God's grace works in us. Changing us. Because we're new creatures in Christ. He's taking that old stony heart out of us to give us a heart of flesh now, isn't he? Isn't it wonderful? A heart that now hungers and thirsts after righteousness, after Christ. We're not who we were before. And I know you're just like me. We need grace and strength to make it through each day, right? And we're not sufficient for that. But Christ is our sufficiency. He's all we need. And Paul here, he's content, he finds himself, he's learned, he's learned this. Remember? It didn't come natural. He's learned this after he's been born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and it's taken teaching, right? Going through circumstances, right? He now finds himself resting in the absolute sovereignty of God. That's what he's doing. And you know what he's also resting in? The sufficiency of Christ. Because he finds no sufficiency in himself. As for preaching, he said, who's sufficient for these things? We can attest to that, Travis, for teaching and preaching. I don't feel sufficient. My. And if I did, it's time for me to get out of the pulpit. My oh my. Paul had learned that our great God is sovereign and that the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished the salvation of his people. Jesus Christ is fully sufficient. As a matter of fact, he's the only one who's sufficient for all aspects of salvation, the saving of sinners, only Christ and Christ alone. He's sufficient for all aspects of salvation of sinners, and he's sufficient for all aspects of spiritual life for us. He becomes our all in all. Isn't that wonderful, Brian? He wasn't our all-in-all. Now he's our all-in-all. Now he's the one we trust and the one we love. That's wonderful, isn't it, Sister Marsha? What a change God's brought in us. And we've learned now to be content. Right? Meaning, looking to Christ as the all-sufficient Savior. Even when I was in religion, I said I was looking to Christ, but it was all about what I was doing. See, he wasn't sufficient then for me. Now it's like, Lord, it's all you. I'm saved by your grace and mercy, and I'll praise your mighty name. It's wonderful, Sister Dee, isn't it? It's wonderful. What a change God has wrought. My, oh my. Turn if you would to Colossians chapter two. Colossians chapter two. So the Lord Jesus Christ is fully sufficient for all aspects of spiritual life as well as salvation of sinners. And think of this, he alone is the accomplisher of salvation for the elect. He is the accomplisher. We cannot accomplish our own salvation, can we? He's the accomplisher. Isn't that wonderful? He done it all. He's the only sufficient savior of sinners. How? By his perfect sin-atoning death and work on Calvary's cross in the ruined place of his people. And now, what's he doing now? He's making intercession for all of us. Ephesians 1.7 says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. That verse there affirms that redemption and forgiveness are fully accomplished through Christ and him alone. Through his sacrificial life and his sacrificial death, his substitutionary life and his substitutionary death. And then he's raised for our justification, beloved, from the grave three days later. And think of this. He cried, it is finished, right? We're gonna get to Colossians. It is finished. That means there's no need for man to do anything for salvation. There's no additional works to be done by man. It is perfect. That's wonderful, isn't it, Sister Barb? It's perfect. Salvation is perfect in Christ. We just look to Him by God-given faith. It's wonderful. Oh, it fills our hearts with joy, doesn't it? He did it all. We're saved through His blood and righteousness. Wonderful. And we don't need any other mediators, do we? Catholic Church has these priests, and they say, well, they're a mediator between God and man. No, there's only one. And his name is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and man, who gave himself, he gave himself for his people, didn't he? For all of them. Oh, it's wonderful. Look at this in Colossians. The sufficiency of Christ is all through, if you read the book of Colossians, it's all about the preeminence of Christ and the sufficiency of Christ. Because the Gnostics had come in and said, well, there's different levels of angelic, and Christ is just one of those mediators to God. No, he's the mediator. He's the one and only mediator between God and man. And look what Paul pens here. He's warning against false teachings that can lead believers astray. Colossians 2, Colossians chapter two, verses eight to 10. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit. That's a warning for us, isn't it? After the tradition of man. How many folks have fallen in the traditions of man? After the rudiments of the world, the shiny little things of the world. Oh my. And not after Christ. There's the most important thing in the world. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him. Look at that. Which is the head of all principality and power. So in these verses we just read, Paul's emphasizing the importance of remaining steadfast in the faith and not being swayed by false teachers. And to have our faith be totally centered upon Christ and him alone. God-given faith finds its center in Christ. Finds its all in Christ. And Christ is everything for us, for salvation, for spiritual growth, for life. He's everything. That's why Paul said Christ is all. And you know what we need? We need a steady diet of the gospel daily. That's what we need. So don't just listen to me here, listen to other preachers too. Go back and listen to some other sermons. If you want to hear some of mine, go back and listen to some other sermons. Listen to some series. We need a steady diet of the gospel. We do, beloved. Because the gospel will teach us and proclaim salvation is in Christ alone, period. The true gospel. Not the other Jesus, not the other spirit. but the true gospel, not the false gospel, but the true gospel will always point you to Christ and me to Christ. And beloved God, what contentment and comfort for we believers we can glean from this topic of the sufficiency of Christ. Because it's profound, it's a comforting doctrine, it really is. That assures believers that in Christ we have salvation from our sins, sanctification, and eternal life through his perfect, sin-atoning work on Calvary's cross. And his ongoing intercession for us, and his empowering presence, he empowers us to continue through this world, beloved. God works in us. And Christ, therefore, remains the all-sufficient Savior and Lord for his people. He said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. And sinner, friend, and saint, sinner, or sinner, saint, only Jesus Christ is sufficient to save, redeem, and restore us to our right relationship with God the Father, because we fell in Adam. And because Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, he can do what no other man could do. He can reconcile lost sinners to a holy God because he's God in the flesh. He shed his blood on the cross to And that's the only thing that can pay the price for our sins, for the forgiveness of our sins. Listen to this. Blessed be the Lord who daily loaded us down with benefits, even the God of our salvation, Selah. Psalm 68, 19. Christ alone is everything we need for salvation. He's all-sufficient. He's everything we need for spiritual wholeness, for healing, And only Jesus Christ is sufficient to redeem us and bring us into God's presence. He alone is the perfect Savior. Because He's God, incarnated in the flesh. Jesus Christ is completely God. We just read there in Colossians, all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily. He's fully God. He's completely God. Through our spiritual union with him, we are complete because he's the head and we're the body. Isn't that wonderful? It's all grace. Remember, grace didn't ask permission. It came with power, beloved. Power. My. And we're united to Christ because he's the head and we're the body. Remember we saw Paul, why persecutest thou me, Paul? Well, he is persecuting Christians. The Lord Jesus Christ is wisdom itself. You've been reading, listening to the messages, Brother Chris, by Brother Marvin Stallnock about that and how all through Proverbs, Christ is the wisdom of God. He's wisdom. He's wisdom incarnate, beloved. It's he who's made his people right with God. Because we were separated from God by our fall in Adam. And by the shedding of his redeeming blood, he's made us pure and holy, oh my, and freed us from our sins. We're not in bondage to our sins. We still struggle through this life, but the penalty's being paid for. The wrath of God that was due us has been extinguished. Isn't that amazing? by the Lord Jesus Christ. So let we who are the people of God, the redeemed, born-again, blood-washed people of God, be content, no matter what situation we're in, because Christ is sufficient for us, no matter where we find ourselves in this life. Brother Brian, can you close us in prayer?