I'm going to be back with you. I enjoyed that reading. Two things
struck me as you read that portion of scripture. The one thing that stood out
to me, again, is the realness of the humanity the Lord Jesus
Christ. We think of him, and rightly
so, as the God-man, and he is, but he is every bit a man, a
man in trouble. That's why we can, that's why
it's written in the scriptures that we have a high priest. I
may have to go to this part of scripture. We have a high priest. that can
be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. We just read
what he went through. And then it struck me how few
words need to be said when God's in it. Just reading that and
the few comments you made, I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to
go home. I can go home. I wanted to say just keep going. Don't stop, just keep going.
Sometimes I think we need to recognize when God's in something. Well, we ought to recognize it
all the time and go with it. But since I'm here now, let's
turn to Philippians chapter 4. I want to give to you tonight something that I want I desire to have this and to
have this now. I think of that commercial, people
hanging out the windows saying, I want my money and I want it
now. This has nothing to do with money. But it has to do with
finding real, genuine contentment in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want
that. I want to have that. Paul says in chapter 4, I'm not
going to read this chapter, but he says in verse 10, he says,
but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care
of me had flourished again, wherein you were also careful, but you
lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of
want, that's not what I'm saying, not what I'm writing to you about.
For I have learned, I've learned this. In whatsoever state I am, what
state was Paul in? when he wrote this epistle. He
was in prison. You wouldn't know it. You wouldn't
know it by, when you read the book of Ephesians, when you read
this epistle here, Philippians, would you know that Paul was
in jail, in prison? Do you hear any complaining and
whining going on? Do you hear a man say, I've lost
everything, and it's just, In fact, in chapter 3, he glories
in the fact that he lost everything for Christ's sake. He said, for
whom I've suffered the loss because of my connection to Christ, my
union to Christ, I've lost everything. And I'm content with that. I'm
happy with that. Christ was everything to him.
He says over in the first chapter, Look over here in the first chapter.
I started to bring three messages from this epistle. I started
to bring from verse 21, for me to live is Christ, to die is
gain. I thought, oh, there's a message.
There's a message. What is it for me to live? What
is it for me to get up in the morning? What is it for me to
go through the day? What is it? Is it Christ? or making money, or whatever
it is. I started to bring a message
there. Paul says, for me to live is Christ. He's my life. And
to die is nothing but gain. It's all gain. And then I had
a message out, studying it. And over in chapter two, he said,
let this mind be in you, which was also Christ Jesus. The title
of that message was, let this mind be in you, the mind of Christ
in you. And then I got settled in on
this one, finding real contentment in Christ. But now you would
not know Paul was in prison from reading this epistle. Well, you
think he's sitting in a comfortable house, but he's in prison. He's in prison. I have learned. in whatsoever
state I am therewith to be content, to be at peace. I know both how
to be abased and I know how to abound. Do I know how to be abased? Do I know how to handle that
graciously in a way that honors the Lord Jesus Christ? Do I know
how to abound? Do I know how to handle prosperity
in a way that glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ? 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. This
is learned. I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me. I can do nothing without Christ. Did he not say that? Did he not say, without me you
can do nothing? But with Christ I can do all
things. Nothing is impossible. When you
look at who created us, who made us, nothing should be impossible. Nothing. My soul, God created
us. God created us. I don't want
this message to be just about finding contentment. People can
be content on their way to hell. I don't want that. But I want
it to be finding in Christ all that I need. All that I really
need. Be brought to the place where
I realize, I recognize, that everything that I need is really
found in Jesus Christ. And everything else really doesn't
matter. Because God said he would add
it to us on our way home. He'll just add it to us on our
way home. It's finding in Christ all that
I need. It is trusting the Lord's wisdom. I need his wisdom to guide me.
direct me. I don't know which way to go.
Do you know what's going to happen the next minute? He does. He knows what's going to happen
next year if it comes. He already knows. He knows because
he purposed it. So I trust him. I trust his wisdom
to guide me along that path that I know not. I haven't seen it
yet, but he knows it. I want to trust his leadership.
I want to trust His providential dealings with me, whether He
gives me something or whether He takes it away, to trust Him. I desire to have this contentment,
this peace, Paul speaks over here in verse 7 of chapter 4,
and the peace of God, peace with God, and peace of God in the
heart. The peace of God, which passes
all understanding, shall keep your hearts. and minds through
Christ Jesus. I want that. I want that. I desire
that. I hunger for that. I desire to have this contentment
that comes through knowing, through knowing and being joined
to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only way that a lasting,
a real lasting contentment can come, is through our relationship
with Him. That's the only way it can be,
is with Him. I want to live, I want you to
get this, I want to live in constant awareness of His presence and
care of me. I want to live in constant awareness
of it. Constant. Now, what is contentment? Well, the dictionary calls it
this. It calls it tranquil happiness. It means to be satisfied. I thought
that's a good word. Satisfied. Satisfied with his
righteousness. I need no other. I need no other. Satisfied with his blood. Satisfied
with his person. Son of God. Son of God. It means to be adequately happy,
willing to live in a satisfied state. Peace. Peace. Now, this is not something we
are born with naturally, and we're not born with it even spiritually. Paul said, I have learned. I have learned. I've learned
this. Through trials, through losses,
you go over there in chapter 3, Paul talks about all of it.
He lost everything, and he counted his loss. Through trials, losses,
and crosses. We learn the real value of our
relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we learn. We learn what's really, really
valuable. Paul had to lose everything to
learn this. To learn this. It's not an easy
lesson. He had suffered the loss of all
things he said for Christ's sake. He learned that what he had lost,
he learned that what he had lost was not that valuable in comparison
to his union, to his connection to the Lord Jesus Christ. What
I have lost, he says, can't even be compared to what I have gained. Can't even be compared to it.
Now this starts with a new birth. A new birth. A heart that can
be content with Christ. A heart that can be content with
His righteousness. A heart that can be content with
His blood. A heart that can be content with
His person. That old heart's never content.
Always restless. There's no way that old heart
could be content. More, more, more. It's like the
leech. Give, give, give. That's what it's like. Now Paul said, I have learned. What did he learn and who were
his teachers? What did Paul learn and who were
his teachers? First of all, Paul learned how
to let things go. Forgetting, that's hard for us
to do, isn't it? Forgetting those things which
are behind. Paul learned how to just let
it go. Job said, when God took everything he had, he said, the
Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of
the Lord. Now let it go. That's not easy. I'm telling you, it's not easy.
That's learned. We have to learn as we grow up
in Christ that when God gives us things to rejoice and when
he takes them, rejoice. The Lord giveth and the Lord
taketh. And we learn how to let it go when he takes it. And then Paul learned how not
to complain when the comforts of life were taken away. When you read this epistle, when
you go home, when you get time, read it. Do you hear any hint
of Paul complaining in prison of all the losses he's endured
and incurred? No, not at all. The scripture says that God makes
rich and God makes poor. God makes rich. He lifts up one
and he brings down another. He may do that to a nation. He
may do that to a man. But God does it. I make poor. I make rich. I do this. God does
this. And then Paul learned how to
be poor and not be ashamed. When our Lord came into this
world, when he took upon him flesh, who did he identify with
first? The poor. Born in a stable. Born to poor
parents. He was a carpenter. He didn't
grow up in a palace, he grew up in a poor home. To be able to identify with a
poor brethren is to be able to identify with Christ. And Paul learned how to be poor
and not be ashamed of his poor brethren. How not to be ashamed of a Gentile
brother. How to accept men of different
races, and hug them up as brothers and
sisters in Christ. He learned this. And then he
learned how not to be jealous. David said, I was envious at
the wicked. Have you ever been there? You ever been envious of somebody? You ever been envious of unbelievers
for the prosperity? They seem to be getting along
so well and you're not? They get promoted, you don't? These are the things we go through
in learning this. God puts us through it. And he
learned how not to be jealous, to rejoice To rejoice when God
blessed a church or a brother, to rejoice in that. Oh, it's
amazing how much flesh is still in us. There's as much sin in
me now as ever. There's as much sin in me now
as the day I was born. And I thank God Christ put it
away. And I thank God that it doesn't
rule in us anymore. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. Well, you're not under the law,
you're under grace. And then Paul learned that all
things are of God, and that was enough for him. Do I, you know,
I'm not saying to you, do I? Because these are things I asked
myself in my study. I said, John, do you believe,
do you believe that all things are of God? Do you really? Then
why are you upset? Why you get upset? Why is it
bothering you so much? If all things are of God, whether
I'm healthy or sick, whether I'm wealthy or poor, all things
are of God. And when we learn this, we can find some real contentment
in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can find some real contentment.
And then Paul learned He said, I've learned. He learned that
all he really needed, God provided for him in Christ. In Him, then
this ought to just, this ought to just bless us so
much. In Him, ye are complete. I lack nothing. I lack absolutely
nothing in the Lord Jesus Christ. I lack nothing. What do I really need? What is
my greatest need? Christ. That leper said, Lord, if you
will, you can make me clean. Blind Bartimaeus, Lord, give
me my sight. My greatest need is Christ. That's
not just a religious statement. That's real. That's real. When Jesus Christ's righteousness
is enough, when His blood is enough, when His care of me is
enough, and I'll begin to find real contentment, real rest. When I can truly say, now listen,
when I can truly say I have enough, even when I don't have much,
I have enough. Paul also learned how to abound.
This is probably the more difficult one. He learned how to be full, and
not crave more. You know, the scripture says
the rich man's riches won't let him sleep. Why, you'd think if
you had a big bank account you'd sleep like a baby, wouldn't you?
But Solomon said the rich man's riches, and he ought to know
he was a rich man. He said they won't let him sleep. Won't let him sleep. He learned how to be full and
not crave more, and how to be thankful when he had plenty,
and how to be thankful when he had nothing. Oh, to be thankful,
to have such a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to be
thankful whether I'm up or down, whether I have plenty or nothing,
but to truly be thankful that I have Him. that I have Him. Paul learned that the Lord will
provide. He learned that the Lord will
provide. And he learned how to use and not be used of things. He learned how to take the things
that God gave him and use them. and not let them get a hold of
him and use him. I had a business for about 21
years. I started out in business, I
was gonna own my own business, and after a few years, my own
business owned me. That's what happens. You think
you own it, and then all of a sudden, one day you turn around, and
it's got you. It's got you. You think, how'd
that happen? Paul learned how not to let it
get a hold of him, how to use those things that God gave, how
to let him go when it's time to let him go. And he learned, he learned that
life is more than what he owned. Listen to this scripture in Luke
12 15. And he said unto them, the Lord
said unto them, take heed now, take heed, because this will
get a hold of you and you won't even, it'll happen to you and
you won't even know it. Take heed and beware of covetousness.
I'd say everybody, all of us in here say, well, I'm not covetous.
You would be shocked. You would be shocked. We would
be shocked. I'd be shocked. What's still
there? Take heed and beware of covetousness,
for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesses. If it did, the rich man would
not have went to hell. He was trying to figure out how
to build a bigger barn, to put all that stuff in, and then did
he die. And it was over with. And all
those riches went to somebody else, and now there he is, forever
and ever and ever. Our Lord said in Matthew, I believe
it's chapter five, there in the Sermon on the Mount, he's talking
about, he said, don't seek after these things. It's what the Gentiles
seek after, what we're gonna eat, what you're gonna wear,
where you're gonna live. And this statement he made, just
rings with me all the time. It rings in my ears. Is not life
more than this? Young people, listen. Is not
life more than what you can get, how much you can make, what you're
going to be? Get an education. Get an education. Wisdom, Solomon says, is better
than folly. But life, it's more than paying
bills. It's more. It's more than making
money and laying up a few dollars. It's more than going to the grocery
store. Life is knowing God. This is
life eternal that they may know the Lord Jesus Christ and God
whom he sent." There in John 17. That's life. Life is to know life. And Christ
is life. That's life. Outside of that, you're not even
better off than an animal. Outside of that. Outside of not
knowing God. Can you imagine to go through
your whole life and never know God? To never worship God, the
one who gives you the lungs to breathe, the air to breathe,
the one who enables you to do what you do, the one who enables
you to think, the one who gives you the intelligence you have,
and to go through life and never acknowledge Him. You ought to
go to hell, and I ought to too, if I do that, if I'm left alone
to do that. To take one so great as Almighty
God. and never acknowledge him for
who he is. We ought to go to hell. Is not life, think about this. Selah, let
me put that, that means pause and think about it. When you
go home, think about this. Is not life more than this? It's to know God. It's to know, I know, I know
this, I'm convinced that I could know God a whole lot more than
I do now. He that seeks me with all his
heart shall find me. What did he learn? And I gave
it to you. Who were his teachers? First
of all, the Holy Spirit. All thy children shall be taught
of God. God, the Holy Spirit, everyone
in here, everyone in this room that's born of God, the Holy Spirit of God, God, dwells in you. Don't think about
God as way off out there somewhere. Whoever Paradise is, He literally,
really is in you. And He's your teacher. Christ
said He'll teach you all things. Telling His disciples, isn't
that nice? He'll bring all things to your remembrance, He'll teach
you. And He teaches, first of all, by God's Word. You're not
going to learn anything apart from God's Word. You're not going
to learn anything of God, Christ, the gospel truth apart from the
word of God. Now, you're not going to just
go out in the woods and have an epiphany or whatever it is. You're not going to do it. You're
going to learn what the Holy Spirit teaches you out of God's
word. And then you're going to learn from his promises. He's
going to bring you into certain situations. where that promise
is going to fit you. Someone said you can only claim
a promise if you fit the person or the character described in
the promise. Come unto me, all you that labor and heavy laden,
I'll give you rest. That's a promise to all those
who are laboring and heavy laden. The rest of you, it's not to
you. You don't fit it. So his teachers is the Holy Spirit,
the Word of God, God's promises, grace in the heart. Believe me,
it takes grace to, it takes the grace of God to bring us to the
point that we can learn something. And trials and disappointments.
I think they, I do think they are our greatest teachers in
the hand of God. Because when Paul said this,
he said, I've learned this. But in chapter 3, he says, I've
lost everything. I count it as a loss. I'm glad to just toss it aside,
but I've lost it. I've lost it. And then here's the lesson, and
I'll close. Here's the lesson. of what Paul
learned. The real value of things compared
to having Christ. You start out young in Christ. You start out as babes in Christ.
What do babes know? You've got to teach them their
name. They don't know anything. And
they grow. And they learn. They are instructed. And then you learn through time
and trials and losses that the only thing that's really, really,
really valuable is Christ, having him, having him. Give you two examples and I'll
close. You remember Abraham and Lot? Their husband were feuding
with each other. And Abraham, being Abraham, a
man of God, he said, Lot, we're not going to have this. We're
not going to have this feuding. We're not going to have fighting
in the family. We've grown big here. We've prospered. The Lord's blessed. He said,
I'll tell you what you do. You pick, you choose wherever
you want to go, and I'll take what's left. I'll go the opposite. I'll go the opposite direction. Abraham, the elder, could have
said, Lot, enough's enough. Get on the side of that rocky
hill. You guys deserve that. But he didn't. He said to Lot,
Lot, whatever you want to take, whatever, take it all, take it. Abraham had Christ. Abraham had
a real relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He believed God. Of course, you
know what happened, don't you? Lot, of course, looked at the
well water plains of Jordan and went down there to Sodom and
Gomorrah. But after Lot left, you know what God did? God said,
he said, Abraham, lift up your eyes, all of it's yours. Does
he not say all things are yours in Christ? Or not all things,
really? It depends on how real Christ
is to you, how real that is. And then we have another example.
You know the story of Mephibosheth and Ziba? Remember what Ziba
did? He tricked and made David think
that Mephibosheth stayed back. And anyway, when David came back,
Mephibosheth hadn't even, it said he hadn't even taken a bath
or trimmed his beard or anything until the king came back. And
he was saying something to the king and the king said, Why didn't
you come with me, Ziba?" And he told him that Ziba, or Mephibosheth
told him Ziba had tricked him. And David said, well, why speakest
thou of this matter anymore? Listen, he said, you and Ziba
divide the land. You just take, you divide it
up. Now here's what real contentment
is in Christ. And Mephibosheth said, after
David said, you and Ziba, I don't want to hear no more of this
matter, you and Ziba, just divide the land. And Mephibosheth said
unto the king, yea, let him take it all. Let him take it all,
let him have all the inheritance. For as much as my lord the king
is come again in peace unto his own house. I got what I want. I got the one I want. Ziba, you
can have all that. You can have all the land. I
don't need that. I don't want it, don't need it. I've got what I want. Christ. Brothers and sisters, you take
all the inheritance. I've got what I want. I've got an inheritance
that fades not away. and it's reserved, and it's kept
in heaven for me. And I'm going to squabble and
fight over a piece of land that I'd have to mow if I got it?
And pay taxes on? Who's the real idiot? Ziba. Ziba. When Jesus Christ is enough,
then what you have and where you are will be enough. It'll be enough and you'll have
peace. When Jesus Christ is very, when
he's real to you and he's enough, he's enough, his blood, his righteousness,
his person, his work, he's enough. That's when you'll have peace.
That's when you'll experience the peace of God which passes
all understanding. Shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. When everything else has fallen
apart, you'll have peace and rest. But you won't have it till
you have Him, who is peace.