Content Even In Adversity

The US had been involved in the second world war for just under one year. At that table, everyone knew someone who had been drafted and shipped thousands of miles away. They had to know that many of those young men would die.

And yet, hard as this must have been, life in the United States in 1942 went on. Thanksgiving comes around every year. It intrudes upon us and demands gratitude and contentment from us. The calendar doesn’t care what’s goihng on in your life. Thanksgiving still comes around.

So here’s my question: How did families celebrate with the knowledge that their sons, grandson, cousins, brothers were fighting a war in which soldiers died by the thousands each day?

How did they manage gratitude? How did they manage contentment?

I think they managed gratitude because they knew the secret of contentment that the apostle Paul describes in this passage.

The title of the sermon today is Content Even In Adversity. May the Lord bless the preaching of His word.

1. You can be content even in hardship (v. 10)

There are good days and there are hard days.

There are days when our spirits are up and motivation is high. Those are good days.

Then there are the days when we don’t want to get out of bed.

There are days when all is right with the world. And there are days when some of us wish we weren’t in this world.

Now, raise your hand if you know it’s easy to be content when things are good.

Give me an amen if you know contentment can fly out the window when things are tough.

The apostle Paul is going through a time when things — at least we would think things weren’t good as we learn about what has happened to him.

Paul writes from prison — nevertheless, Paul has ______!

Paul has been imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He is alone. He is uncertain about the future.

But even though he is alone in prison, Paul has joy!

Read verse 10 with me and tell me if you don’t think Paul sounds as though things are great. Just the first five words: “I rejoiced in the Lord”.

Now joy is not something the think about when it comes to being in prison. I imagine that being locked away in prison produces its own kind of despair and derpression.

And listen, the apostle Paul was not sinless. Paul was a human being like us and so he probably had some degree of concern or worry.

Nevertheless, whatever other emotions or feelings he may have been experiencing, they didn’t win the day. “I rejoiced in the Lord.”

How does Paul have this kind of joy, gratitude and contentment in prison? We can say right off the bat that Paul’s joy is not something he is experiencing on his own. The Lord Jesus Christ is with Paul in that prison, just as He is with us in our prisons. That is a profound reason for his joy which we will get to shortly.

Because the Philippians had sent Paul a _____ of support (see v. 17)

But here’s one reason: the church at Philippi has sent Paul a gift of support.

You might say, Paul has received a care package. You know what a care package is?

My mom and another group of women at her church would pray for the college students and each would contribute to a care package for each student.

It might have chips ahoy cookies, those Lance cheese crackers — by the way I always appreciated the snacks. That’s why the cookies they sent me would usually last about a day or less.

But they would also send maybe an apple, maybe a ten dollar bill, and a hand-written letter.

The church at Phillipi had sent a gift of a similar nature to this to Paul in prison. Along with the gift they sent a man named Epaphroditus.

It made Paul happy, because it showed that they cared for him.

He wants to express his gratitude and contentment. He wants to complement them, to show His appreciateion for htem.

How many of you have ever tried to give someone a complement and it somehow made things worse?

Husbands we know all about this. How about this? “Honey, your hair looks great today”. “…what is that supposed to mean? That it doesn’t usually look good?”

You want to thank someone if they’ve helped you, but there’s a delicate line.

On one hand, you don’t want to make it sound like this person has never helped you in the past.

On the other hand, you also don’t want to thank them in such a way that makes it seem like you’re asking for more. [Steven Runge, High Def Commentary, loc. cit]

So let’s see how Paul expresses his thanks as we go through verses 11-12 and along the way we’ll take notice of a couple of important insights from this text.

He continues in verse 10. Who did He rejoice in? What or who was the source of His contentment and gratitude in prison? “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly” — now notice here that churches are the avenue of God’s help and support for His servants. It was the Lord that ministered to Paul through them. So it is initially the Lord whom He acknowledges.

Because through the gift, the ______ had comforted and sustained Paul

But at this point Paul says something interesting. “that now at length you have revived your concern for me”.

Don’t know why, but it seems that at some point there was a breach between Paul and the church at Philippi [Hawthorne, quoted in CBC loc. cit.] There was no phone or mail or anything like that. Silence could be interpreted any number of ways, like the unreturned text message.

And may or may not have been offended that he hadn’t received support from them. He is human, after all. And as an apostle, he was entitled to the support of the churches and he needed their support.

Now if I were in prison for preaching the word of God, and I hadn’t received a care package from you all, I gotta admit, I might sit in the corner and do some pouting.

But the moment you send me some tangible token of your concern, I am full with rejoicing. I may have been hurt and offended. But not now. And I would be eager to assume the best about you, also because I love you. I would downplay the fact that it took you awhile, because I love you all dearly. By the way, I really do!

At any rate, whatever the silence meant, Epaphroditus has brought the gift and all is well. That’s why he says “At length you have revived your conern for me” (v. 10a, ESV).

Now Paul doesn’t want to give the impression that he is angry with them. Because He isn’t. He has the joy of the Lord in His heart and the love of the Lord in his heart.

Man, Paul was a master of tactfulness. I want you to notice how Paul does this because it might seem as though Paul is accusing them of never having helped him before now.

So look with me at the second half of verse 10. Notice how he assumes the best about them, how he extends mercy to them.

“You were indeed concerned for me” — “you really were concerned about me, I have no doubt” — “but you had no opportunity” (Phil 4:10 ESV).

Paul’s experiencing of being in prison had been made a little harder by the possibility that there was something between him and the church at Philippi.

Now how many of you know someone who hasn’t spoken to you in years because they think you offended them in some way?

Paul doesn’t do that. Whatever the was in the past between him and that church, it’s in the past.

Contentment enabled Paul to overlook offense

Paul knows that more important than his feelings is the mission of the kingdom.

The church at Phillipi is in partnership with the missionary Paul in that mission. True contentment enabled Paul to overlook any offense and get on with that mission, arm-in-arm with the Philippian church.

Let me suggest that the key to being able to respond that way is by having a contentment that comes only from God.

Contentment says: “What God has given me is good, and it’s all I need”

He chooses to hold nothing against them; instead he chooses to defend them, and get on the mission together.

Contentment is easy when things are good. But when things get harder, when adversity comes, what do we then?

2. Contentment in hardship is something we must learn in relationship with Christ

Now we move on to verse 11. Remember, when you’re thanking someone, when you’re expressing someone, most of us want to do so in a way that doesn’t make it seem like we’re asking for more.

For example, suppose I’m sick at home with the flu. And someone brings me a hot bowl of good, hearty soup, some homemade bread, and an apple crips pie (and I would like vanilla ice cream with it, please).

If you do that, I will be so grateful.

But I want to express my gratitude to you in a way that truly expresses how much I appreciate it. I don’t want my thank you to be a passive-aggressive way of manipulating you into bringing me more delicious food.

I want you to know that I am content with what you brought me, and that I appreciate what you did for me whether you ever bring me another boul of soup and applie pie with vanilla ice cream ever again.

That’s what Paul wants to do.

Paul says, verse 11, if you’re looking there with me: “Not that I am speaking of being in need” — I am not desperate for more, what you sent is enough. Paul is satisfied with what he says.

And then Paul explains why he is satisfied with what he has: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have” — what? “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11 ESV).

How can we be content in any and every circumstance?

How can you and I become that kind of person? In whatever situation, content.

This is where we’re tempted to come up with all kinds of self-help measures.

“Just change your attitude.” “Just be positive”. “Just make a list of all your blessings” — do these things and your discontent will melt away. You know, it’s like these TV diets — try this for a month and watch the pounds melt away. Does anyone actually believe that works?

No.

Why? They’re all things we do, in our own strength. They are human-centered methods.

There is no place in these methods for God to come into our hearts and change us from within.

We cannot solve the fundamental problems of our soul on our own.

Ungratitude and discontent are more than negative emotions. They are red flags of unbelief.

Discontent: “I deserve ______ than I have, and I’m not getting it”

Discontent says: “I deserve more than I have, so I need more than I have. I’m entitled to it.” But when you don’t get what you think you deserve....what then?

Contentment is something we must ______ with Christ our Teacher

Contentment is a virtue to be cultivated. Contentment is an art to master. Contentment is a skill to be learned.

Paul said, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11b ESV). “I have learned”. Who was Paul’s teacher?

Contentment is something we must learn with Christ our Teacher

One of the ways He does that is by leading us through adversity.

He teaches us contentment through adversity

Many of you in the room this morning have known by experience what it is to have next to nothing.

And many of you have have known by experience what it is like to go from having next to nothing to have plenty.

You have learned the lesson — or at least I hope you have learned the lesson.

What is the lesson?

The lesson is that life is more than what you have or do not have. And therefore you can have contentment whether you have a lot or a little, whether you’re sick or well.

Discontent says: “I ________ more than I have”

Remember, discontent says: “I deserve more than I have”.

Then what happens when you don’t get it?

It’s so important to understand this that the Bible repeats the word in verse 12. Beginning again in verse 12: “In any and every circumstances, I have” — what? “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”

You can be content even in hardship. That contentment is something you learn in relationship with Christ. Now let’s talk about the secret.

3. The secret to contentment (v. 13)

There is a secret to being content, Paul says. That secret is Christ.

We learn this in verse 13 and let’s read from verse 12 for context because v. 13 is often ripped out of context: “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need”.

And what is that secret? “I can do all thing through him who strengthens me.”

There is a secret to being able to go from having wealth to being poor with no change of attitude.

There is a secret to being able to face plenty of food on the shelves of the grocery store and at home, only to wake up one day and there is no food at the store or in your cabinets.

There is a secret to being able to face these changing circumstances and remain unmoved and steadfast.

“Secret” would have reminded the Philippians of secret religious cults

In Paul’s day there were something called “mystery religions”. The word “secret” would have reminded them of these secret religious cults. They were shadow cults. Only the elite was allowed to enter. And once you entered, you were given what was called the secret. It wasn’t for everyone. It’s was only for those who were initiated into the cult.

This secret is discoverable to all believers!

But this secret is wide open. Any believer in Christ can discover the secret. The secret is Christ. The secret is dwelling and living within you.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Not a promise that you can do anything, but that you can endure anything.

This is not a promise that you can claim for just anything that you want to succeed in. Yes, it says “all things” — “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. But what are the “all things” Paul is referring to?

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need”.

There is nothing you can’t endure, b/c you are in a permanent, life-changing relationsip with Jesus (see Rom 8:35-39)

The promise is that with Christ your Savior within you, you can face all things, there is nothing you cannot endure. Because you are in a permanent, lifelong, life-changing relationsip with Christ.

Romans 8:35–39 ESV

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Church history is filled with stories of martyrs who willingly went to their graves for the sake of Christ. One such story is the story of Polycarp.

Polycarp lived in the first century. He was just one generation removed from the apostles. By the time Polycarp had come along, persecution was a persistent reality for the Christians. Yet Polycarp went on preaching and teaching Christ with steadfastness. Some believers were sheltering Pollycarp in their homes, hiding him from the Roman authorities. But one of them was tortured and he caved and told them where Polycarp was.

When he was arrested the Roman authorities pleaded with him. “Why, what harm is there in saying, ‘Caesar is Lord’ and offering incense and saving yourself? Have respect for your age. Swear by the divinity of Caesar; repent and say ‘Away with the atheists…Take the oath and I will let you go.”

This was Polycarp’s response: “For eighty-six years I have been his servant, and he has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?” [Ruth Tucker, pp31-32]

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