We're back to Philippians chapter
4. Philippians chapter 4. I told Vicki the other day that
it was a lot easier preaching on the radio. I've got 13 minutes. Nobody's looking at me. And when
I mess up, I can erase it and start all over again. It's so
much easier to do that. But I can't do that here. The title of the message is true
contentment. True contentment. Is there such
a thing? Is there truly such a thing to be had in this life? Where is it to be found? Where
is this true contentment to be found? Now this message is not
just about Contentment. People can be content on their
way to hell. It's being content in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
where it's found. True contentment is found in
a person. That's where it's found. It's
finding in Christ all I need. All thy need. It's being totally
satisfied with Him. absolutely satisfied with Him. It's trusting His wisdom. It's
trusting His leadership. And it's trusting His providential
dealings with me. Trusting Him. In the dictionary, if you look
it up, Content means to be satisfied. It means to be adequately happy. Are you adequately happy in him?
It means this also. Tranquil happiness. Tranquil happiness. You don't
see much of that, do you? I've met a few people in life
that I believe have obtained it. But that's what it is. Contentment is not something
that we are born with, naturally. No, we are not born with this.
Watch children, how quickly they get bored. And as they get to
be teenagers, one of their famous phrases is, I'm bored. I'm bored. We live in a bored world because
it's a very discontent world. Contentment is something we learn,
and we'll see this as we go along. Now we who have Christ ought
to be content. We ought to be fully satisfied. We ought to be adequately happy. We should be. Seeing that in
Christ we are complete, all our spiritual needs are met,
we lack nothing to stand before God. We have the forgiveness of sins
through His blood. We are made righteous in the
Lord Jesus Christ. We stand justified in God's sight
through Christ. And in Christ, and through Him,
we're going to inherit that new heaven and new earth. That ought
to make us content. It should. What more could a
believer want than what God has provided for him or her in Christ? Now, what promotes this contentment? What promotes it? Well, first
of all, it starts with regeneration. It starts with regeneration.
This must happen first. It must happen. There must be
a new heart given in order for us to be content, especially
to be content in Christ. It begins as a work of God in
the inner man. That's how this begins. When
the Holy Spirit teaches a man what he is by nature and shows
him the evil of this world, it makes that man willing. It makes
him willing to leave these things and count them as loss, like
Paul did. Paul said, I count all things
as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
That's the only thing that will enable you to count these things
as loss. is if you see Christ. I mean
truly see Him. See the glory of God in the face
of His Son. What promotes this contentment?
God's Word. God's Word. He said in His Word
in Hebrews 13. Look over there in Hebrews 13.
Hebrews 13.5. Listen to what the Word of God
says. Let your conversation, your behavior,
be without covetousness, and be content with such things as
you have. For He has said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee. You'll always have me. You will
always have me. Here's something else that promotes
it. His promises. His promises to us in Christ.
All the promises of God in Christ are what? Yes, not maybe, not
if you do certain things and keep certain commandments. No,
all the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen, so be it. That settles it. It's settled. God will do exactly as he said
he would, and that ought to make us content. We ought to find
real contentment in that. Here's another thing that promotes
it. Grace in the heart. Grace in the heart. It teaches
us that God has not dealt with us
after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
If he did, we'd be in hell right now. Grace in the heart teaches us
this. This ought to make us content with the state that He's put
us in, in Christ. Here's something else. A gospel
knowledge of God in Christ and His purpose for us in Christ.
That ought to make us content. We learn through the gospel who
God is. We learn through the gospel who
Jesus Christ is. Messiah, the Savior. And this
knowledge This knowledge of God, this knowledge of Christ promotes
contentment. It promotes contentment. Are you content with who God
is? Is there anything about God you would change? There's a whole
lot about me I'd like for Him to change. Nothing about Him
I'd change. Content with who He is. When
you think that such a God would choose me, Look at the billions
that have been passed by. He'll choose me. Would such a
person as Jesus Christ suffer and die for a wretch like me? That should promote contentment.
That should promote contentment. And if we have this, if we find
this true contentment in Christ, what does it promote in the heart?
If it's present, what does it promote in the heart. Here's
what it will promote. Real, genuine happiness. I've not met many happy people
either, have you? There's some people who've had
some joys and some pleasures, but to truly be happy, whether
it's raining outside or whether the sun is shining outside. Truly
be happy. That's what it promotes. Here's
something else it promotes. Quietness. Quietness. A calmness. When all else is
going, so to speak, haywire, it promotes a real, genuine quietness
in the heart. Because you know, you know your
God's in control. You know that the Lord Jesus
Christ, our Master, our King, our Savior, is seated on the
throne. ruling and reigning over all.
It promotes quietness. To be able to see the things
of this world, listen, and not covet them. Not covet them. To really be
able to say, to truly be able to say, I have enough. I have enough. Jacob said to Esau, I have enough. Abraham said to Lot, he said,
you choose whatever you want. You take whatever land that you
want and I'll just take what's left. I'll take what's left. And what did Lot do? He took
the well-watered plains of Jordan and left Abraham with the hillside.
But God said to Abraham, all of it's yours. All things are
yours in Christ. All things. We just don't realize
it yet. We ought to. There's no reason
not to. But we don't. I know we don't. I know this, and I've learned
this from living almost 52 years. The more we have of these things,
the more trouble or sorrow they bring. The more they bring. Because
they are tied to this world They usually come with great pain,
and they usually go with great pain. They come with much effort,
much trouble, and they usually go the same way. But I tell you this, to be content
in Christ, that's the gift of God. That's the gift of God. But here's something else it
promotes, this true contentment in the heart. It promotes giving. It promotes giving. People who
don't give, it's usually because they're afraid they won't have
enough for themselves. If I give this, I won't have enough. There
won't be enough left for me. Wasn't that woman that said that
to Elijah when he asked for that? He's going to sell the oil. And she said, well, this is all
we've got. He goes, you just go ahead and bake the cake and
you go ahead and sell it and bake the cake You know, that
thing never ran dry. It never ran dry. But a person, a person who is
content, truly content in Christ, you'll find that person to be
a giver. Content with his person, content with his blood, content
with his righteousness. He's willing to give. He's willing
to give what he has because he knows that all that he has, God's
given to him. What do you have that you have
not received? It wasn't given to you. If God
were to stop giving, we'd be goners, wouldn't we? We would
be absolute goners. When Jesus Christ is enough, you'll have no problem giving.
No one will. And then it promotes thankfulness.
It promotes thankfulness. David said this, and he said
this from the heart. Who am I and what is my house? Who am I and what is my house
that you should bless me so? Who am I? Mephibosheth said, I'm just a
dead dog. Now what does it take to bring
about such contentment? What does it take? Well, I already
mentioned this earlier. It takes the work of the Holy
Spirit. This is the work of God. This is the work of God. It says
in Philippians 1, it is God who worketh in you both the will
and do of his good pleasure. It's the work of God. And then
it's a lifelong process. It's a life of suffering. It's
a life of everyday living, ups and downs. As we go through life,
we learn by the teaching of the Holy Spirit that this world is
not our home. It's not our home. When you're
young, you have a young family, you're trying to make a home.
And as you get older you realize, and if you're believers now,
as a believer you realize, this is not home. This is not home. And the grass, you learned this,
the grass is not greener on the other side. And if it is, if it is greener,
that just means you have to mow it more often. Greener grass
means you have to mow it more often. You have to give more
care to it. You have to give more time to
it. That's what you have to do. And we learn that the more free
we are of these things, the more free we are to worship the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now that doesn't mean you can't
possess homes, and you know that. They don't possess you. That's
the key. That's the crutch of it. Don't let them possess you. Now Paul says this, and here's
the part that I say we learn. Paul says, I have learned. I have learned. This is an older, experienced man here now. This
is a man writing from losses and crosses. Weeping. being in fears and tears and
danger. We go through acts. You know
the life of Paul. I have learned through trials
and heartaches, through ups and downs, I have learned that God
will provide in every situation. Paul said, I've learned this. I've learned that God will never
forsake me. In one place, Paul said, they
all forsook me, but the Lord stood with me. Let's look what he learned. Paul
learned how to be abased. He learned how to let things
go. That's probably one of the hardest
things to learn is how to let it go. Job said, the Lord giveth
and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
And his wife said, why don't you curse God and die? But Job
learned how to let it go. He learned how to let it go. He learned. He learned how not to complain
when the comforts of life were taken away. Paul learned this. He learned
how not to murmur against God when the comforts of life are
taken away. I thought about, when I was sitting
here looking over these notes, I thought this would be good
for the bulletin. What Paul learned. He learned how to praise God
from prison as well as from the palace. Neither place made a
difference. He learned how to do this. He learned how to be poor and
not be ashamed. I would find it to be a shame
to be poor because I think so much of myself. Basically why?
But he learned how to be poor and not be ashamed of his poor
companion. He learned how to do that. It
did not trouble him or make him ashamed to be associated with
the poor brethren. Not at all. It's one thing to be poor. It's another thing to learn how
to be poor. To learn how to be poor. And to be poor graciously. If the Lord put me in that position,
What brings me to that place is to learn how to be poor graciously,
without cursing God, and without being envious of those who God
blesses. This is where true contentment
now, in Christ, this is where it comes in at. It's when I can
be content where I am and not be envious of those who God blessed. I say, well, I'm glad the Lord
blessed you. Give Him thanks, the Lord bless you. Bless you instead of me. That
takes the work of God. That takes the work of God. He
learned how not to be jealous. That comes with contentment with
what God's given you and what He's done for you in Christ.
Looking on things of others and being envious. is being discontent
with God's wise dealing with me. God has wisely given me all that
I can handle. If I could handle more, he'd
give it to me. He's given all of us all that we can wisely
handle. And we ought to be content with
that. And then he says here, now here
comes an even more tougher I think this is even a little tougher.
I know how to abound. Here's the opposite end and the
most dangerous end of this experience. Paul said, I know how to abound.
We all want to be rich. We all want to be rich. I'm probably
at the head of the line. We all want to be that way. Not
considering the eternal consequence of such a thing. Has anyone here Has anyone here ever asked God,
don't make me rich? Has anyone said that? Has anyone
prayed that? Lord, don't make me rich. Well,
there was one wise man did in Proverbs 30. Look over there.
In Proverbs 30, there was a wise man that asked God this. The
words of Agur. I'm not going to try to pronounce
those other names. But he goes on down here, and he says in
verse 7, 2 things have I required of thee, I have asked of thee.
Deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and
lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Lord, don't make
me poor, but don't make me rich. Feed me with food convenient. Give me, Lord, what I can wisely
handle. It was a wise prayer, isn't it? This man is concerned for his
soul, he's concerned for the glory of God, or he wouldn't
pray such a way. Feed me with food convenient
for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? I don't need Him. Who is He? Or lest I be poor and steal and
take the name of my God in vain. There's one man who asked God
not to make him rich. The Scriptures give us many warnings
about this. Look over in 1 Timothy. Over
here in 1 Timothy chapter 6. Look in verse 5. Well, let me see here. Let me
just start at verse 1. Let as many servants as are under
the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the
name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that
have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they
are brethren, but rather do them service, because they are faithful
and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and
exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the
doctrine which is according to godliness, He is proud, knowing
nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof
cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings
of men, of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing
that gain is godliness. From such withdraw thyself, but
godliness with contentment That's great gain. Oh, he said that's
great gain. But supposing there, he says,
that gain is godliness. Sometimes God allows riches.
You know, sometimes He gives some of His sheep these things,
and they use them properly. But sometimes He allows riches
to come along to prove our hearts toward Him. He did that to Israel. In one of the places, He left
some of the things in the land, He said, to prove your love to
Me. Proof. He gave Israel at one time flesh
to eat. But you know what happened after
that? He said he sent leanness into their soul. Riches are said
to be deceitful. That's what the Scripture teaches.
It promotes this. It promotes a false hope. It
promotes a false rest. It promotes self-reliance. I'll
tell you this, like an octopus, it gets its tentacles around
you. And boy, when it does, it's got you. You can't let go. People start to brag on you,
and you actually start to believe it. Beware of the man who keeps slapping
you on the back. He's headed for your wallet.
He's probably going to lift it as soon as he can. You think
you have many friends, but you don't. Scripture says the rich
have many friends, but the poor are the spies of his neighbor.
What you have is many people who want what you have. Friends
are who you have when you have nothing. Those are the ones that are left
are your friends. And then it brings great responsibility.
It brings great responsibility. We are responsible for every
penny that goes through our hands. You know that? Truly we are.
And the more pennies you have, the more responsible. Here's another deceitfulness
of riches. You think if you had more, you'd give more. Or you'd
help more. If you don't do it when you have
less, you won't do it when you have more. Here's what you need. More grace. I don't need more riches, I need
more grace. Then you can handle more riches. If God sends them
our way. Riches do not promote contentment.
Not at all. Look over in Ecclesiastes chapter
5. Ecclesiastes. Chapter 5, look in verse 12. The sleep of a laboring man is
sweet, whether he eat little or much, but the abundance of
the rich will not suffer him to sleep. It will take his sleep
away from him. Worried about how to keep it.
It does not promote You know, there's something.
Let me read you something over here in Luke chapter 12. Luke chapter 12. Let me see. Luke 12. Verse 15. And He said unto them, Take heed
and beware of covetousness. For a man's life consists not
in the abundance of the things which he possesses. And he spake
a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich
man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself,
saying, What shall I do? Because I have no room where
to bestow my fruits. He didn't call them gods. He called them his. And he said,
This will I do. I will pull down my barns, and
will build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and
my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul,
thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease,
eat, drink, and be merry. But God said, here's one who
has the last say-so, God said, God said unto him, Thou fool,
This night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose
shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that
layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God, for
the deceitfulness of riches. So thou hast much good." You
have no good if you don't have Christ. You're poor. You're poor. Here is great gain. In verse
6. Godliness with contentment is
great gain. That's what Paul said. It's great
gain. How's that so? How's that so? Well, it's great gain because
it came from God. If God gave it to you, is that
not great and is that not gain? If God gave it to you. Then it's great because it sets
us free from these things. Or to be free, to truly be free
from the covetousness and the desire and the craving of these
things. Wouldn't you like to be able to just watch them go
by like a log going down a river? Just floating along. Just let
it go. And then it's great because it's
the one thing that will go with us and grow. This contentment
starts here. And we learn it here because
we're perfected when we stand in glory. You talk about tranquil
happiness and quietness. We'll have it then. Paul said there in 1 Timothy
6 again there in verse 8, he said, Therefore, having food
and clothing. God has provided these things
for you. He says, be content. Be content with such things.
God gave it to you. Be content. Now back to Philippians 6. He
says in verse 12, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need. God has instructed us to
be content in all these stages of life. that we're going to
go through. Because He said He'll provide. He'll provide. And as Paul said in verse 13,
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can do
all things. It will take the power of the
Lord Jesus Christ to enable me to be content and not give in
to this flesh. It will take His power. We look
to Christ for the strength to be abased or to abound and how
to handle it. How to handle it when it comes
along. And we will go through many changes. We'll go through
many changes. But Christ, our strength, never
changes. Therefore, we'll be content.
Always look into Christ. And I'll tell you this. If you always look to Christ,
your contentment will be steady and it'll grow. If we truly look
to Him, it'll be steady and it'll grow. A man will be content when
Jesus Christ is enough, when He is enough. Godliness with
contentment is nothing more and spiritually ripe fruit. That's
what it is. It's ripe fruit.