The Secret to Contentment (Philippians 4:10-23)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
Guys this morning my name is Matt if we haven't met yet I'm one of the pastors here you normally see me leading in worship but today I get the opportunity to preach and I'm excited about it we are we got a whoop whoop we got multiple whoops let the record show the room was full of whoops we are uh closing out our Series in the book of Philippians today and this this is really been an encouraging season uh for us as a Church just walking through this letter together almost half of the Year doing that and excited to we're going to be in chapter 4 beginning in.
Verse 10 and we're going to take it all the way to the end of the chapter today so if you don't have a Bible just grab one of those blue and white ones in front of you we're going to be on page 571 and if you don't have a Bible we want you to so take that one with you that's our gift to you we want everyone to have the word of God but excited to hop in today um I grew up in and around the Church uh maybe some of you did too uh how many of you have heard of something called a life verse like a like a.
Let me little maybe a little show a hands okay a life verse okay I I I'm not sure where I first heard it or even where I decided that I need one but somewhere around like the first or second grade I I kind of decided on one for me you know obviously I lived a whole bunch of life up until that point uh but the one that I settled on is smack dab in the middle of the passage that we're looking at.
Today and this is it I can do all things through him who strengthens me or the way I memorized it was this I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength that was it for me that was my life ver so you can imagine little second or you know little relative little second grade Matt taking a math test pick up the pencil I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength okay I'm on the playground I'm about to walk up and talk to a girl I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength I just said it over and over and over again.
Okay well one of the things that I did on my wreck football team was that I was the kicker obviously right with this build stereotypical kicker right here uh but I I can't remember who we were playing but I can close my eyes and remember this one game it was a big game there were lots of people there I had family from out of town there were friends there and it's like okay this is a big game it's a big moment and I.
Remember we had to kick off first so I walked out there I put the ball on the tea I backed up did my did did my Paces what I say I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength guys I ran up and I smoked that ball 15 yards left and out of bounds it was so so embarrassing I I was mortified I like I had friends there people were going to talk about this even more than that I said the words you guys I said it where where was where was my strength you know and here before before you start making a whole lot of fun of me.
For doing this I'm not the only person right I'm not the only one I'm not the only one now you've seen this right you've seen this verse on a Christian poster or on a T-shirt and when you see it you're tempted to think okay anything that I set my mind to I can do through Christ you just think about the things in life it's like well they'll be bigger and better and more amazing if Christ is the one who gives me strength I can do anything with.
God on my side and at face value I don't Flinch at that idea that if God were to give me the strength to do something literally anything I could do it the question we've got to answer this morning is is that what Paul meant when he said it or as he's writing to the Church at Philippi is there more to it that we're missing without the rest of the context given to us in this letter and the answer is when we start really reading into it seeing it in the context of the letter it's actually way better news than acing a test it's way better news than winning a football game.
So that when we get to the Apex of this passage where it says I can do all things through him who strengthens me it's actually way better than we could possibly imagine so let's pray together as we jump in that God would help us see it clearly what was the intention behind that verse let's pray together God we are grateful for for the opportunity that you have given us to open your word together this morning and see a beautiful reality that.
If we will hold on to and cling to it has the ability to sustain us through this life and into the next so help us to discern your word well we need your Holy Spirit to help us do that amen okay so again we're going to be in Chapter 4 verses 10 through the end now we're going to spend the bulk of our time in those first four verses okay we're spent a ton of time there and then we'll use the rest of the letter to kind of explain some of what's going on.
Okay you with me we tracking all right so as I mentioned earlier this is this is a letter we've been studying it together and it's a beautiful letter that Paul is writing to his friends and I want us to see that right out the gate this is correspondence between friends these are people who genuinely love and know and care for one another so before it was a book of the Bible before we read it as a theological Trea Z it was a letter among friends and it's beautiful this letter is Paul celebrating his friends being faithful he's commending them to be continue to be humble servants to to stand firm in the good news of.
The Gospel to be unified to serve as examples this is a letter of joyfield Thanksgiving it's a joyous thank you note that's what this letter is remember how we began this is Philippians 1 3-5 it says I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always and every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now it's a thank you letter he's thanking them for prayer he's thanking them.
For encouragement for partnership but we don't get the bulk of what Paul is thanking them for until we get to the section that we're looking at today so let's hop in okay Philippians 4 4 beginning in verse 10 we're going to take each of these verses kind of Chunk by chunk here verse 10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me you were indeed concerned for me but you had no opportunity he said I rejoiced in the.
Lord greatly he's rejoicing in their concern for him now that word for concern in the original language is referring to the same idea that we've seen throughout the letter that's have the same mind you know we've seen that over and over and over have the same mind it's referring to partnership and what we're going to see a little bit later in the section he's specifically talking about a financial gift that they gave to him that they were concerned for him this was a thing that they had done in the past it's a thing that they were continuing to do.
See Paul was a missionary and there were times where Paul was on one of his missionary Journeys he would come to a city and he would work work as a Tent Maker he would work a job to provide for himself to be able to do Mission work there were other times where Believers in the city would just provide for him in a way that he didn't have to work he had more time to spend building up the Church and sharing the Gospel.
And so when F when Paul first came to this area the Philippian Believers were able to support him they were able to meet his needs and along the way they've continued to do this when he was in another part of the world they sent finances there and here we are again it says they have another opportunity they had no opportunity but they do now Paul's in prison we talked about that it's been a main theme that we've carried through this letter that Paul is in prison in Rome and what these Believers did is they sent one of their best apodus to go be with Paul to strengthen Paul to be an encouragement and to send.
A financial gift Paul's in prison and it's not like our prison system is today where your food's taken care of your clothing all those things are provided for you that's not the case here he was under house arrest and he had to have other people provide for his needs and time and time and time again the Philippian believers who love Paul care for Paul step up and they send gifts they encourage Paul by sending Financial gifts continues on verse 11 see it in context you were indeed concerned.
For me but you had no opportunity not that I'm speaking of being in Need for I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content he says not that I am speaking of being in need it's like what Paul you you are in need you're you're in prison like you have you have literal needs but what he's saying here is that he's learned in whatever situation that he's in how to be content content that's the word that we need to focus in on that's actually what we're talking about.
Today and really is the main point of this passage it's contentment where does it come from how do we have it um the word for content in the Greek has several meanings that I help uh that I think help us understand what Paul's getting at when he says that he was content satisfied sufficient independent and that you hear that it says whatever situation to be content that sounds nice right to be satisfied for all things to be sufficient and across the room we want that nod your head.
If you want that you want to be content in all situations we just have a hard time understanding how and so we actually need Paul to coach us up which is funny again because it's coming from a person who's in need of help that means we're already getting a hint at what Paul's going to talk about here that the root of his contentment isn't in his situation it's not the root of the contentment isn't because he's so happy about the finances it doesn't logically make sense.
If you read it that way there's something more at play continues on to verse 12 he says I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret to facing plenty and hunger abundance and need so what's happening here you can see it Paul's just expanding on that phrase where it says whatever situation he's just expanding that in in this verse he's saying he's saying I know how to abound I know how to face plenty I know how to have abundance.
But then he he also says the opposite as well he says I know how to be brought low I know how to have lack I know how to have hunger and the truth is for Paul that's not just fluff we have so much of Paul's experiences given to us in the New Testament that backs up this claim he's experienced all of this in his life that there were times where Paul had relative ease I think specifically about his time in Corinth.
Okay Corinth was a wealthy City there were a lot of Believers there um he had people he could network with he was a Tent Maker it was a PO like there were so many things that in light of Paul's life that was a relative easy time he would probably look at that and say I there was abundance there for me but on the other side there are parts of Paul's story that are explained in Scripture that are horrifying to us terrifying to think about going uh and living in in fact there's this little picture we get of this in 2 Corinthians 6 it's Paul writing to the Believers.
When he was maybe in abundance or a little bit more of ease here's what he writes in second Corinthians uh 6 this is verse three says we put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no fault may be found with our ministry but as Servants of God we commend ourselves in every way by great endurance in afflictions hardships calamities beatings imprisonments riots labors sleepless nights hunger what what Paul is saying here to the Believers in Philippi is that in whatever situation whether he's in abundance or he's in a season of lack he's figured out how to be content and that sounds great right that no matter what you face you can be content.
But again catch the spectrum that he draws he says I've learned how to be content when I'm brought low when I'm facing hunger when I have lack I think most of us in the room would say we need some help there that when we're facing lack when we're struggling when we're facing trials we wrestle with this idea of being content right we look at that say okay Paul Paul yes coach me up I want to find contentment in the midst of those situations.
But that's not the only thing he describes he also says that he's figured out how to be content when he's abounding that he's learning the secret to facing plenty and abundance even the phrasing feels odd to our ears right like facing plenty like oh no I've got too much stuff and money but here's this is it seems ridiculous right facing plenty but here's where we need to lean in what Paul is saying right here is that abundance does not lead to contentment that.
If contentment were fixed by having having a bunch of money and stuff this sentence would be structured differently the problem is that for most of us in the room we don't actually functionally believe that that's true that if we're honest we would all admit that our life circumstances would be better if we had more money or more stuff or more success Etc like you you name it at least you would admit that you'd have an easier time being more content if you had those things.
See we live in a culture that's hyper fixated on selling us this lie of abundance on proposing solutions to our lack of contentment if you don't have enough money here's a way for you to make make more maybe you should go get a master's degree maybe you should pick up these three side hustles you should invest in this business don't like the way you look here's a diet that you can do here's some pills that will help you should exercise maybe you should take up CrossFit or something or you need to be in a relationship here's how to meet people here's how to maximize your compatibility or maybe the key to your contentment is to.
Dump the person that you're with and find somebody else that meets your needs maybe you need to wear these types of clothes maybe you need to drive this kind of car sure your house is fine but you know what would be more fine a bigger house guys this is literally what Instagram and Facebook and Tik Tock are built off of find out things about you and exploit that to pull you in our culture is constantly screaming at us a million ways to be content and in some ways we've bought the lie and the worst part is we know that it's a lie.
When you finally got the promotion were you making enough money to be satisfied or did you want more when you finally got the new car and then your kids destroyed it it's the worst you you know you have those moments you buy a new car you just walk outside you just look at it make sure it's still there yes here's the thing this is this is the easiest way to show you U that we've bought it okay easiest way ways to show that we've been fooled.
When you daydream about your future what's different when you think about future you or future your family what's different for many of us it's a just a nicer house or more money in the bank or Le honestly just less struggle less struggle to pay our bills maybe it's more vacations it's us we just have more abundance and that we'd be more content and our life experience would tell us that we'll never actually be satisfied we'll never have enough experience enough get enough to be content and I I do want to make this distinction between happiness and enjoyment of something and contentment it's.
Okay to be happy and to enjoy the good gifts that the Lord has given you in relationships and fin it's okay to be happy and to enjoy those but contentment while they're similar they are different contentment is something different it's soul level and what Paul is arguing for here is a contentment that's not circumstantial or to say it another way there is no circumstance that could or should change the type of contentment that we have not lack nor finding contentment in abundance what Paul is saying is that his contentment is secure regardless of what he faces in life.
So you go how what what's what's the secret Paul what's the sec to contentment and then we find ourselves back at verse 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me all things can that mean the ability to Ace a test or to win a football game sure if Christ gives you the strength and the ability to do that yes but that's not what Paul's talking about here when he says all things he's talking about all circumstances all situations that he can endure any and all circumstances through Christ who gives him strength and the way that he can face them is finding his contentment in Christ.
If he's in a season of lack he can find contentment if he's in a season of abundance and plenty his contentment is unchanged the secret to contentment has everything to do with knowing Christ it's not about our circumstances so how how can that actually functionally be true for us how do we find contentment in Jesus like I said at the beginning this is a letter right so this is in context he's actually already given the Philippians he's given us the answer to where we find our contentment he did it back in Chapter 2 I want us to.
Look at it Philippians 2 beginning in verse 5 so if you've got your Bible you can follow along we'll have the words up here it says this have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the the Earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father he's given us the answer right here Paul begins this section by saying uh have the same mind back in verse 5 he says have the same mind this is similar to what we get in our section in chapter four where he's talking about the concern it's the same language Paul says make this your focus make this your aim.
And then he just goes on and he shares the good news of the Gospel Jesus was is and forever will be God of the universe alongside of the father and the Holy Spirit but he left the riches of Heaven to come to Earth to be like us to be with us he came to teach to love to heal to warn yes but he came for verse eight the reason that Jesus came is to die on the cross for our sins.
Because what we believe as Christians is that we are separated from God because of our sin but because of Jesus's perfect life of obedience he could be the sacrifice necessary to pay for our sins but that's not the end he didn't stay dead he rose from the grave defeating sin death hell death no longer has a grip on those who belong to Jesus and then he ascended into heaven and now he sits on the throne rule ring reigning interceding loving waiting.
For the day that he's going to come and bring his Church home to be with him for eternity hear this the ground of our contentment in Christ is the good news of his life death Resurrection Ascension and return that Jesus lived the life that you couldn't live he died the death that you deserved he rose from the grave giving you eternal life in him he has ascended to heaven to prepare for you a place and one day he's coming back to give you what more do you need to be content than that on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand The Rock won't move there is no contentment that the.
World can offer you that is better than the good news of the Gospel and here's the thing what we're saying is our contentment is strung out into eternity it's hooked to it it's Eternal it's unchanging but so often what we do is we Pull the Rope and we try to tie it to something temporary and we do it all the time sometimes we're not even think about it but we take the Eternal and we try to tie it to something temporary um Tim Keller uh he's a pastor that we quote a lot.
Because he's very wise and he has a great way of helping us understand things and explain things here's here's what he says this is a he talks about our culture like this he says if our culture is pushing an idea over and over again imagine it's like a driving rain like a torrential downpour rain blowing in sideways puddles everywhere and if you're a Christian trying to follow Jesus and you've got an umbrella you've got rain gear you've got boots on you're doing everything you can to protect yourself from those things.
If our culture is that kind of storm even with all of our protection on we still somehow end up wet even trying to follow the lord do the things that we're supposed to do we still somehow end up wet the ability to remain content in our culture is unbelievably difficult so even for those of us who are in Christ we forget this truth in the dayto day right we become discouraged we get tough news we stress out about our bills we have a desire.
For more and different stuff and so like we we face this we'll feed look at this we'll feed our discontentment with all manner of things and we'll look to fulfill our contentment with all manner of things we get messed up on both sides of this but because we believe that the Gospel is actually good news for all of life we do have a solution when we realize that we're off where our contentment or lack thereof is being driven by Our Lives what we need to do in those situations is we need to preach the good news of the Gospel to to our situations we need to.
Remember the good news of the Gospel in the midst of our situations let me show you a little bit of what this looks like okay maybe you are discontent because you've been in and out of relationships but all of your friends are happily with significant others they're in good relationships they're married dating's been a joke for you but you have this desire you want to be with someone you want to share life with someone maybe you can't even be in romantic relationships.
Because of your life situation and you're just sad you're frustrated you're jealous and the truth is those are all those are all human relation like those are those are human responses we're going to feel those things the question is what happens when that starts driving deeper into our soul we start thinking it's not fair why can't God let me be happy like everybody else and so you start thinking well if I could just have a partner then I would be content what about what about a job.
Okay maybe you're a teacher right maybe you're a teacher you have a principal who never acknowledges your hard work at all you're on a faculty and staff where people have plastic faces or they'll be nice to you in the breakroom but then they're spreading lies and gossip about you among the other teachers you go into a classroom of 20 ungrateful middle schoolers who can't stop going what's up brother it's like just stop it already what's what's the answer where's contentment found I need a new job I need a new school I need to get out here.
Then I'll finally be content and the truth is we can't talk about examples without talking about what's in this passage he's specifically talking about lack of resources and abundance of resources let's talk about money for a second let's talk about lack let's say you're broke you're working two jobs just to make ends meet maybe you're in a spot where you've deferred your student loans for the third time because you think it's going to sink you that rent is coming up and you think you're going to be evicted meanwhile you.
Look on social media and your friends are living it up every weekend buying the newest everything what's the answer when will you be content well I just need a new job I need to figure it out I got to make more I got to save more I got to keep grinding and figuring out how to make more money then I'll be content what about the person that's got it all what about that person they think to themselves I've finally reached the Pinnacle.
When you finally got the promotion now it means you've got to work some weekends you're away from your family it meant that in your abundance you actually got to buy a beach house but your phone's blowing up because the water heater just broke and your tenants are blowing it up okay even in our abundance There's issues maybe maybe that's too far-fetched for us okay maybe we're over here just being like hey the abundance for me is I can finally just buy groceries on a regular basis.
So you drive to Aldi but you're jealous of all the people who are going to Trader Joe's and Lowe's Foods like we just we just want more if I just work harder if I do more what we can't be content in all of these examples the answer to discontentment or the place for finding contentment is found in circumstances but we know we know deep down we know it won't actually fix it that being in a relationship is that a good thing yes is being able to provide.
For your family financially a good thing yes but these circumstantial things are not strong enough to be the foundation of our contentment they're not Paul says it has to be Christ so we preach the Gospel to our circumstances to the person who wants to be in a relationship what if you remembered that Jesus chose you for himself brought you into a relationship where you're close to him forever that he's offered you a relationship where he promises to meet every need you'll ever have that he won't fail you like some boyfriend or girlfriend not only that he's brought you into forever family where you can have real love and real companion companionship with his people.
And then one day you will grieve that no longer because you'll get to go be with him and with his people forever that's good news and it helps us fix our aim and our contentment on Jesus to the teacher to the person who's frustrated in your job what if you remembered that Christ has saved you and he's called you into an eternal mission where you get to work for him you're not just a teacher you're a Gospel wielding soldier who has the ability to share the Gospel with all kinds of people that.
When your boss speaks negatively about you God speaks truth over you and everyone who's watching gets to see what a Believer looks like when their contentment is in Christ it's a display of the Gospel and that's good news in the midst of what you're facing to the person who's struggling in their finances what if you remembered that in Christ you've been richly provided for with the greatest thing that you will ever need your salvation and that was given to you at the overwhelmingly costly sacrifice of Christ you've been brought into a family where you're a coair with him and he will supply all of your needs he's G he's giv same thing here he's giv.
You a family of people to come alongside you and to help you in your time of need you may be broke but you have everything we need in Christ you can be content and brothers and sisters who have swallowed the lie that more is better that you'll find contentment and satisfaction and having more money more stuff if you think for a second any of the example that just came to your head that I'm offering you some second rate cheap alternative to the good life to the stuff you actually want oh that you might.
See the costly gift of Christ who gave himself so that you might know him and love him and be in relationship with him that you might sing with confidence the words of the hymn How Deep The Father's Love For Us I will not boast in anything no gifts no power no wisdom but I will boast in Jesus Christ his death and Resurrection why should I gain from his reward I cannot give an answer but this I know with all my heart his wounds have paid my Ransom the answer to our discontentment is in Christ.
So we preach the good news of the Gospel in the midst of those situations and circumstances um Augustine was one of the early Church fathers and he said it like this our hearts are restless until they find rest in you until we're resting completely fully in the finished work of Jesus we'll Chase all kinds of other things to find our contentment or to alleviate our discontentment we must fix our eyes on Christ any and all circumstances so what do we do.
When we are discontent we repent and we find our contentment in Jesus it's as simple as that that where we see it where whether we are chasing contentment in something we ought not to or we have found ourselves discontent and sitting in it we just repent we confess it say father I don't want that and we look to find our contentment in Jesus that's the strength he's giving us I can do all things through him who gives me strength Jesus strengthens our ability to find our contentment in him regardless of our circumstances and he's working in it.
Now here's what we're going to do we're going to Pivot and I just want to take us to the end of the letter we're going to move kind of quickly from this point because what I believe is that we get an opportunity to to see what can be a direct implication of a people who find their contentment in Jesus Paul's saying he's found his contentment there and if you look at the Philippians you would argue I I think they're getting a picture of this too I think they're understanding.
So let's look at it verse 14 yet it was kind of you to share my trouble and you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel when I left Macedonia no Church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only even in thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again not that I seek the gift but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit I have received full payment and more I am.
Well supplied having received from a patis the gifts you sent a fragrant offering a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God this is just Paul recounting his partnership with the Philippians when he first showed up they helped meet his needs he went on on to another city they met his needs when he is now in prison they have met his needs they sent aaod dius with yet another gift and what I think we see here one of the downline effects of a people who have found their contentment in Christ is that they are also generous they're also generous that's true of Paul his contentments in Christ he gave his life away he left being a Pharisee.
To follow Jesus to do all these missionary Journeys where he was beaten he was bruised he was all those things happened to he gave himself away for other people he he served as an example for people like the Philippians that they would be able to see his example his contentment in Christ and his generosity and so one of the ways we might would say that is that Christ centered contentment leads to Christ centered generosity those who have found contentment in Jesus whether they are in abundance or in lack will ultimately Express that through being a generous people some might even say that they will live generously and here's how.
If you believe that your contentment isn't based off of your life circumstances if it's not based off of your life circumstances then you can be open-handed with anything and everything that you have and God uses that incredible ways that's what Paul's talking about in verse 17 verse 17 it says not that I seek the gift I seek the fruit that will increase to your credit that God works and does something in a group of people who are generous and that that generosity actually leads to more people being generous it's this downline effect of.
When you find your contentment in Christ you can be open-handed with anything and everything and guys I've I've been the recipient of this I've been the recipient of this there was this time where Katie and I first got married where uh we were we were about to start the last week of the month we didn't have a whole lot of food we we were both working multiple jobs to be able to pay the bills and so we just prayed and said.
Lord would you please provide food for us please provide for us and he did there were four different people in our Church that week who brought us food and guys I'm not talking about like a can of green beans it was just four desserts it was a banana pudding it was a peanut butter pie it's the good stuff you know what I'm saying like provide in our lack but also in our abundance before Katie and I had kids we met had this great plan that we were going to do a 17-day trip to Europe Ireland Germany Italy Live It Up costed us a lot of money we went and had a great time we came.
Home to realize that we had missed a credit card payment we were we were so embarrassed you guys but we we told we told our community group what was going on we asked them to pray and within a couple of days one of our group members showed up to our house with boxes of groceries we had just been in Europe did we deserve that no but people who realize that God's been generous towards them will in turn be generous towards anyone and everyone it's been most recent with our adoption of our son Joseph who uh growing you know a lot uh the amount of clothes that we have been given by people in this Church.
And you've seen it I know stories of people who have just given other people cars who have paid bills for people who have stepped in in incredible ways it it's beautiful when you see it this Church is full of stories and you may even hear that you may be going well that one time I talked to my group they didn't meet my needs I I do want to I'm sorry but remember the the Church is full of a bunch of people who are just trying to find their contentment in Christ.
If you're if you're still kind of feeling some of that just go talk to them just go talk to them have a conversation forgive one another and let's keep being generous we're not going to do this perfectly but we can seek to be a people who are generous in giving and in receiving verse 15 uh Brandon we put 15 back up there it's kind of cool look at this real quick he says the Philippians know that in the beginning of the go El.
When I left Macedonia no Church entered into partnership with me in giving and in receiving generosity goes both ways people who are content can be generous in giving and can be willing to receive it's all about finding our contentment in Jesus and then he finishes with this this is verse 19 and my God Will Supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in what in Christ Jesus that's where contentment is found guys this isn't the Prosperity Gospel this isn't you give $100.
God will give 200 back to you that's not what we're talking about here what we're saying is that the finished work of Christ is everything that you need to be content and he supplies that graciously and then Paul just rolls it up and praise verse 20 to our God and Father be glory forever and ever amen at that point Paul can't can't stop himself it just rolls up in Praise so just a couple of handles for us as we close first one is this be content in Christ like I knew that I knew that before I walked in.
Today thank you be content in Christ but no I'm serious seek it seek after that's what Chad talked about last week think on these things and practice these things that you would do the things that stir your contentment for Christ that you would read your Bible that you would pray that you would be actively involved in your community group and with Church family and you would stop doing the things that cause your contentment like complaining like being jealous like being on social media all the time that we would do these things that are necessary and that we would preach the Gospel to our circumstances.
Second thing is this give your money away it's one of the best ways to grow in your contentment is realizing that you have everything that you need in Christ if you're content in Christ you can be generous that's why we unashamedly call our Church family to give on a regular basis that's why we do our give project every year at Christmas time what you have is not meant to just terminate on you if your contentment is in Christ you can give you can be generous and the last thing is this display the Gospel display the Gospel here's the last couple verses and we'll close um yeah there we go 21 greet every saint in Christ.
Jesus the brothers who are with me greet you all the saints greet you especially those of Caesar's household the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit he finishes with this family this family greeting greet all of those people we receive your grace and your gift and we see that there are people in Caesar's household that are coming to know the Lord that are hearing the Gospel it's it's this picture that we've seen all throughout the letter you guys a group of people who are filled with joy in Christ who are willing to suffer.
For the name of Christ who are willing to be humble servants who want to serve as examples to the world who are willing to do the things that are necessary to find their contentment to be generous he says keep doing these thing these things mil City I see this all across our Church family I hope that this letter has been an encouragement to you let's keep doing these things let's be a people that in this community will suffer for the name of the Gospel let's humbly serve everyone around us let's find our contentment in.
Jesus let's be a generous people so that we might see more and more people in the city come to know the good news of the Gospel let's pray God we need your help we need your help to find our contentment in you because we are so easily distracted we will so easily untie from the Eternal and try to tie our contentment to something temporary help us to see Christ as more valuable Christ as better that we would find our contentment in you it's in the name of.
Jesus we pray amen uh Raz and heart are going to come back up here and we're going to take communion as a Church family communion is a picture of what we just talked about it's Christ's body and blood that were shed to provide for our greatest need it's a generous sacrifice that calls for a response so we go to the table and we take the bread and the juice to remember that everything we need has already been provided for us in Christ.
And then we return to our seats in gratitude to continue to be a people who are content in Jesus and will be generous towards the world and so they're going to play for just a little bit uh Believers in the room whenever you are ready you can go and take communion if you're not a Believer we don't want you to go take communion but we do want you to find your contentment in Christ he's done everything that is needed for you to be content in him confess your need you need a savior come to Christ.
Today but Church family Believers whenever you are ready there's two tables at the front there's two tables at the back you can come get the bread dip it in the juice as a reminder of his broken body and shed blood for you whenever you're ready.