İ1999 Larry Huntsperger Peninsula Bible Fellowship

7/4/99 Key To Contentment Philippians 4:10-13

7/4/99 Key To Contentment

For the past several months
      we have returned to a study
            of Paul's letter to the Philippians.

It is a study we actually began
      on January 28, 1996,
            more than three years ago.

We've taken breaks from the study along the way,
      one long one to study the book of Revelation,
but we have continued to return
      to this remarkable little book in the New Testament.

We took another short break two weeks ago
      from our Philippians study
            to look at two Biblical principles
                  for finding true financial freedom.

Now this morning we are going to return
      to where we left off in our Philippians study,
            near the end of the last chapter,
                  chapter 4.

Some of you
      have not been involved in our study of Philippians before
            so just a few words of introduction to the book will help.

Philippians is a book written by Paul
      to the Christians at Philippi.

It was written by Paul
      when he was in prison,
            or more accurately
                  when he was under prolonged house arrest at Rome,
      waiting for his trial before Caesar
            on charges of treason against the Roman Government
                  as a result of the turmoil his preaching of the Good News had caused
                        among the Jews in Jerusalem.

He had most likely already been in prison
      for several years
            at the time he wrote this letter.

He was motivated to write it
      because a man named Epaphroditus,
            who was the pastor
                  or one of the church leaders at Philippi,
      had traveled to Rome
            in order to bring Paul gifts and supplies
                  to help him during his imprisonment.

He wrote this letter for Epaphroditus to bring back to the Philippian church
      to thank the Philippians
            and to let them know about his situation in Rome.

In other words,
      on the surface this letter
            that we now know as the New Testament Book of Philippians
                  was really simply Paul's Thank You Note
                        for a gift he had received.

But what a Thank You Note it is!

As we have studied our way through this note
      during the past three years
            we have seen that it is the most remarkable survival guide for hard times
                  a Christian could ever want.

It is rich with concepts
      revealing to us
            the keys that equip us to not only survive,
                  but to actually thrive throughout our own personal imprisonments
                        and winters of our lives.

And even though the section we are now studying
      is his final "thank you" and farewell remarks,
            he continues to give us added treasures in these final verses.

In fact,
      two of the most frequently quoted verses
            in the New Testament Epistles
                  are found in this passage.

The first is
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

The second is
Phil. 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Like so many verses that are yanked out of their context
      and made to exist on their own,
            both of those statements
                  are frequently misused and abused,
being used to defend and justify things
      that Paul never intended.

We're going to take those verses
      and place them back into their proper context
            so that we can understand
                  why Paul said them
                        and what he really meant by them.

We'll look at the first one today
      and the second next week.

And now,
      with that as background
            let me read for us
                  Philippians 4:10-13,
which is actually just the first section
      of the complete passage that runs through verse 20.

Beginning in 4:10 Paul says,
Phil. 4:10 ¶ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.
Phil. 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Phil. 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

OK, now letıs walk our way through this
      a step at a time
            so that we can see what Paul is saying
                  and why he's saying it.

He begins with an outburst of gratitude
      for the gift he has received.
Phil. 4:10 ¶ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

He says simply,
      "What you did for me made me feel really good!"
It helped meet some of his physical needs,
      but even more than that,
            and even more important,
                  it met a need in his spirit.

This was a time when Paul was spending
      day after day after day
            in isolation
                  and aloneness,
not knowing if or when
      he would ever see any of his friends again,
            and even more than that,
                  not knowing if he would ever again
                        be permitted to teach, to reenter the battle.
At the most critical time in history
      for the presentation of the message of Christ,
            Paul was suddenly yanked off the field
                  and dropped onto the sidelines.

I know a little tiny bit
      of how that must have felt.

Those of you who know me
      know that in my early 20's,
            long before I ever set foot on Alaskan soil,
                  I was involved in missions work
                        on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad.

My last extended trip to the Island
      was in 1973.

A missionary couple I knew on the Island
      asked me to come down for a year
            and fill in for them
                  while they were in the U.S. on furlough.

There was a small group of young Christians in the valley they had been working in,
      and they didn't want to leave them
            without some sort of guidance for the year.

It was during that year in Trinidad
      that I first discovered
            that God had equipped me with the gift of teaching.

Actually, what happened was that
      I got onto the Island
            and found a small group of believers
                  who obviously desperately needed sound, strong Bible teaching.

They knew nothing,
      and were desperately in need of truth.

I knew they needed a Bible teacher.
      And, in fact, I remember getting the group together
            and telling them
                  that we needed to pray earnestly
                        that God would send the teacher we needed.

We prayed...and prayed...and prayed...
      and God didn't answer,
            so in desperation,
                  and in view of the fact that God was refusing to answer our prayers,
                        I finally decided I would attempt to teach myself.

And the most amazing thing happened...
      the people actually listened,
            I mean REALLY listened,
                  and they learned,
                        and they grew.

And in the process I discovered
      the joy that comes
            from being useful to my fellow Christians.

Then I returned the States
      and for more than a year
            I had no place to teach.
I can remember during that time of my life
      wondering if I would ever be able to teach again.

And I remember, too, how valuable
      were the letters I received
            from my friends in Trinidad.

It was great to find out
      what was happening in their lives,
but it was also so good
      just to be reminded
            that I was still loved
                  and remembered by the people who meant so much to me.

Phil. 4:10 ¶ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

Paul says, "Thank you so very much
      for remembering,
            and for caring."

But then Paul goes on to say something
      that we Christians in our society
            strongly resist hearing.
He says,
Phil. 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Now I want us to listen carefully
      to what Paul is saying here.

And I have to be careful how I say this
      so that I'm not misunderstood.

But Paul clearly states
      that true contentment for the child of God
            does not come from
                  discovering how to get God to change our circumstances,
      but rather
            from learning how to be content
                  in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

Now look at this!
      Paul knows that God can,
            and in fact earlier in this letter
                  he prays that God will
                        change his circumstances.

He prays that God will deliver him from prison.

But he also knows
      that the circumstances of his life
            are often out of his control.
They are in the hands of his God.

And his contentment
      cannot be dependant
            upon those circumstances.
If they are
      then true contentment would be
            only a brief, fleeting, occasional experience in his life,
      something he finds only
            during those rare periods in his life
                  when his circumstances
                        are the way he thinks they should be.

But that isn't what he says.

In fact, remarkably,
      he says, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Now he goes on to explain
      what he learned
            that makes that a reality in his life,
and we'll look at that next,
      but I want to point out one other thing here
            that I believe is the first major step
                  in living in that contentment.
Did you notice that
      Paul does not offer one word
            of brooding introspection
                  over why his circumstances are
                        the way they are?
Paul does not churn within himself
      over why he is in prison,
            or why God has left him in prison
                  for month
                        after month
                              after month
                                    after endless month.
We do not see Paul reliving the past,
      saying to himself,
"If only I had handled that situation in Jerusalem differently.
      If only I hadn't been so combative,
            if only I hadn't aggravated the situation
                  with my stubborn determination
                        to grind their faces in the truth."

Paul doesn't heap blame
      either on himself
            or on others for his circumstances.

Why?

I think for several reasons.

1. I, think first of all,
      because Paul knows
            that the acceptance of our circumstances
                  is the beginning of our acknowledgment of both the reality
                        and the goodness of God.

HUH?

Let's bring it a little closer to home
      and it may be easier for us to see.

Are you a Christian?
      Are you His child?
            Have you chosen to trust Christ
                  with both your sins
                        and the leadership of your life?
      
If so, then I want to ask you a question -
      how do you feel about your circumstances right now?

How do you feel about where you live?
      How do you feel about where you work?
            Or where you go to school?
                  Or who your boss is?
                        Or who your teachers are?

How do you feel about being married?
      Or being single?

How do you feel about your health?
      How do you feel about your income?

How do you feel about the children God gave you?
      Or about the parents He selected for you?

How do you feel about
      the difficult relationships in your life?

How do you feel about
      the things that are broken
            that you cannot fix?

How do you feel about your future?
      How do you feel about your past?

How do you feel about the circumstances in your life?

The beginning of all true contentment
      is accepting the truth
            that for the child of God
                  the circumstances of your life
                        in their most intricate
                              and minute detail
are not just circumstances,
      but they are the circumstances
            the living Creator God of the universe
                  has personally chosen for you.
I did not say He caused all of them,
      but I am saying He has chosen to allow them to be a part of your life.

And all true practical trust in God
      begins with the acceptance of our circumstances as being
            an expression of God's personal compassionate care for us as His children.

Let me say it a little differently
      and it may make more sense.

Practical trust in God begins
      when we can begin the day by saying to our Lord,
"Father, thank you for the circumstances
      You have carefully selected for me this day.
            Thank you for the places
                  and the ways in which I will discover Your love
                        and your care for me in those circumstances."

And just so that there is no misunderstanding here,
      let me set this truth along side of
            what I believe to be
                  the great lie that I believe
                        robs us of so much of our contentment.

You see,
      we are far more comfortable
            worshiping a God
                  who can and will CHANGE our circumstances.

In fact, so many of our prayers
      carry with them the implied condition
            of what we will and will not accept from Him.

"Thank you, Lord, for what You are going to do.
      Thank you for the way You will powerfully intervene in this situation.
      Thank you for the way in which we will see Your mighty hand
            changing this situation.
And we will be careful to give You the praise and the glory. Amen!"

We even promote such prayers
      as great statements of faith,
            because they look to the future
                  and affirm the work of a living God that we have not yet seen.

We want to worship a God
      who will change our circumstances,
            who will deliver the goods.

But why don't our prayers begin
      by our saying,
"Lord thank You so very much
      for Your kindness,
            and Your love,
                  and Your wisdom that has chosen to place me in these circumstances?
Thank you for understanding me perfectly,
      and for knowing that right now I need this isolation,
            or this boredom,
                  or this pain,
                        or this confusion in my life.
Thank You for the way
      You have carefully designed for me this day
            the circumstances I need this day
                  for Your continued skillful work in me."

You see, Paul understood
      that the beginning of all true trust
            and all true worship
                  and all true praise to God
is the recognition that our circumstances
      are chosen for us by our Lord
            and as such are an expression of His love for us.

Now obviously I didn't get as far as I planed today,
      but we got as far as we need to.
And we'll pick it up right here next week.