We're going to look at the topic, learning to be content. First of all, I want to confess that I'm a work in progress in this area. I am too learning to be content. I think we all are. Before we start, I want to show you some two books that I would highly, highly recommend. One is written by Martin Lloyd-Jones. It's called Spiritual Depression. The title may be a little bit confusing here because it's not the depression that we would normally think about. The first word, spiritual, kind of defines it. It's the person who has no joy in their Christian life and he goes through and on topical sermons deals with that whole issue. I have said many times, if there is one book that I would recommend as the book for Christians to read, this is it. Chapter 20 deals with learning to be content. Another book is by a Puritan called Jeremiah Burroughs. put out by Banner of Truth called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. It's 228 pages, and if you have ever read anything by the Puritans, they would go on to sixty-fifthly about a given topic, and this is pretty much that. He takes the text, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content, and that's what the book is all about. Those words 228 pages. I think this will change your life. And then at the end, and by the way, I, being a public school teacher for a number of years, I learned very quickly not to give children papers to read prior to speaking, and adults are even worse than that. So at the end, you'll be given a handout called Arguments for Contentment. They come from this book. There are seven arguments that Martin Lloyd-Jones gives, and you can get them at the end. Being content. We're not that way naturally. That becomes very, very apparent. Jerry Bridges makes this comment. He reminds himself every day of this thought. I am a great sinner. But I have a great savior. Every day. So as believers. We're not just going to be content when you become a Christian. Your personality does not change. The way God created you continues on. But we are called to sanctification or holiness. And in the text that we're going to be looking at, Paul makes a very bold statement. Some of Paul's statements are just mind boggling. Imitate me as I imitate Christ. I don't think I would say, be that bold to be very truthful. Because I know how I am. We are still great sinners then as Christians. Also, every day, if you haven't been tempted today, you will be. to be discontent. And maybe right now you're sitting there as a discontent person. Maybe you're discontent with your spouse, your kids, or even the church here. There's something, there's a burr in your blanket. And you're carrying that around with you. And you're just getting ready to unload it. There are so many things that you're going to hear that are going to pretty much dovetail with the message this morning that Phil has given. We are tempted in three areas, or by three areas, and this is a classic way of describing temptation, by the world, the flesh, and the devil. And really the focus of advertising is to get you to be discontent. There's a new car coming out, coming home, going down Highway 50. You can look at car dealers. Thompson, for one, has the 210 model of some Toyota. They're out there to tempt you to be dissatisfied with the car you're driving and get a new one. or to be dissatisfied with the clothes in your closet to get new ones, or shoes, or anything else. I love pens and pencils. I've had to confess to God that's a sin. Because if you would come home, I have this little thing, it is loaded with pens and pencils not even opened. They're just sitting there waiting for me to open them. And every time I go into OfficeMax, you know where I go? I make my way by the pens and the pencils every single time to check out, is there a new one I don't have? That's just the way we are. Now, let me explain how we're going to approach the topic. We're first of all going to look at the examples of Jesus and Paul. Jesus on the cross. And Peter's going to tell us a little bit about that. And then we're going to look at Paul. Paul wrote the words about being content. You need to understand his background and everything that he went through. There's a portion of scripture that tells us that. Then we're going to examine Philippians 4, 10 through 13, but we're going to do the context also which is 10 through 20. And then we want to answer the question, how did Paul learn to be content? You have to learn it. You have to learn to be content. And then I want to ask you some concluding questions. These questions are designed for myself and for you to kind of take a little check here. How are we doing in this area? How are we doing? So let's look at the examples. We want to look at 1 Peter. And I'm going to be reading several portions of scripture, sometimes quite lengthy, portions of scripture because there's nothing like scripture. First Peter chapter 2 verses 18 through 24. Peter writes servants be subject to your masters with all respect not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten. but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed." The context is servants being submissive to masters, and what Peter wants to emphasize Those masters who are unjust. You see, Peter wanted to let his readers know that they are to suffer for doing good. Suffering for the Christian is not a curse, it's a calling. We're to be that way. And I don't want to minimize the fact that this is just easy. It is not easy. It was not easy for Paul. But that's what scripture teaches. And then Peter uses Jesus as an example. Verse 21 says, Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. So when it comes to a person who suffered unjustly, Look to Christ. It says He didn't retaliate when insulted. That is hard to do. He did not threaten when inflicted with suffering. He did not complain. He kept silent when treated unjustly. So our Lord becomes the model. The example that we look to when we get in situations where we are treated unjustly and we want to complain and moan and groan or whatever. But then Paul tells us about some things that have happened to him in 2 Corinthians 11, 24 through 28. Listen to this. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I was adrift at sea. on frequent journeys, now listen to this, on frequent journeys in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger from false, from in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, He was always in danger, in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And apart from other things, there was the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Now let's just review some of those. When Paul in verse 24 talks about 40 lashes less one. This was administered by the Jews. Your back stripped down. 39 lashes. I was raised on a ramp. I had a bullwhip. You know what a bullwhip is? It can be a thing you use in various ways on a ranch or it can be a weapon. My dad was so good at that, he would ride on a horse and take out his bullwhip. I thought, oh, I'd like to learn how to do that. I can't tell you how many times it came back and whopped me right in the face. Listen. to be given 39 lashes as Paul was by fellow Jews and usually it was administered in the synagogue. He speaks in verse 25, beaten with rods three times. This was by Gentile magistrates. He talks about being stoned. Being stoned was the customary Jewish method of carrying out the death penalty. You can read about it in Acts 14, verse 19 on. He was stoned at Lystra, left for dead. He wasn't, but he was stoned. Shipwrecked three times, he traveled frequently by boat, adrift at sea. And then he goes on with his frequent journeys, constant danger. And then he speaks of the daily pressure of 28. And I really think that this was the one that could engulf him. Paul wrote many letters. He wrote letters to these churches that he founded because he was concerned about them. They were issues that he wanted to deal with. He wanted to commend them at times. Other times he takes them to task. That bothered him greatly. He longed to see those people again. So that was Paul. That's what Paul went through. And now we come to the text that we want to look at, and that is the book of Philippians chapter 4 verses 10 through 20 is the context. I want to read those verses. 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. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 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. I can do all things through Him. who strengthens me. 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 Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. The church at Philippi had been faithful to provide for Paul's needs, unbelievably faithful. They continued to provide for him when he left Philippi and went to Thessalonica. And then when he left Macedonia and went south, now Paul finds himself in prison in Rome. They had sent Epaphroditus to deliver gifts to Paul. And after a time, Paul sent this epistle with Epaphroditus Back to Philippi. One of Paul's huge purposes in the book of Philippians was to express his gratitude to these group of believers to provide for his needs. What is interesting is to read the context of how that gratitude comes. He waits to the end chiefly. Now he does thank them earlier but it's at the end that he really thanks them and he takes 10 verses to do it. Look what he says in verse 10, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly now that at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me. But you had no opportunity. See, Paul does not question their concern. They just have lost track as to what has happened to Paul, where he's at. But they found out. And when they found out, they sent Epaphroditus with gifts to give to Paul. Also, what is apparent here is that Paul is very careful regarding what he says. He was thankful for the gifts, but he doesn't want them to think that he was not trusting God. He doesn't want them to think that he was just sitting there in prison, anxiously and impatiently waiting to hear from the Philippians. Nor does he want them to think that he was ultimately dependent on their gifts. We see that in verse 11. Not that I am speaking of being in need. Not that I seek a gift. Don't we have clever little ways of letting others know what our situation is? We drop a word here or drop a word there. Wanting a little sympathy? Do some of you have the rich uncle? And when you go there, you're treated royally. Tony last week told us about his rich uncle in Florida. So by summarizing just the context right here, Paul wanted to express his gratitude, and yet he was concerned that they know he was not anxiously waiting for the gift. He wanted them to know that he was depending on the all-sufficiency of the Lord. And at no time at all does he express discontentment. Not once. Now we want to look at Paul's statement. We're going to look at three verses. Verse 11, verse 12, and verse 13. Verse 11 gives the general statement. Verse 12 expands on the general statement. And verse 13 will describe how Paul was able to do this. I think this phrase comes from a coach. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Paul never said that. Ever. Because it's a lie. It's a lie. Paul in his own resources was not able to be content. There's a reason why he was content, and he very graphically and specifically puts that in verse 13. So let's look at the general statement. Here it is. I have learned in whatever situation. Now, look at the words here. In whatever situation, I am to be content. Right now, you're in a situation in your life. And if we would go around this room and you would feel comfortable in sharing maybe the situation you're in, we might all be shocked. Situations happen to us and they aren't pleasant. And they weren't pleasant for Paul. Read what we did in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Those were not pleasant situations. I really believe there's no more difficult lesson in life than what Paul is talking about here. To be content. To be content. Now, we're first of all going to look about what contentment is not. Is not. And that's a very good way of approaching a topic like this. It doesn't mean that you cannot better yourself. If you have a clunker for a car and you can get a better car, get it. There is nothing spiritual about driving a clunker. If you need new clothes and you can afford to get them, get it. I come home and often find a shirt laying on my bed. I don't really buy my clothes hardly at all. They just appear. This is one of them right here. Okay, this is the latest. This all of a sudden appeared. There's nothing wrong with that. If you have a lousy job, now we're living in a time right now to where if you have a job, see, but if you can better yourself, do it. When I went to Biola University, I started in 59, That was the first year that they left Hope Street, downtown, Los Angeles, Church of the Open Door, they're on the new campus where they are now, and La Mirada. Everybody worked, everybody, they had an employment office, they had classes in the morning, classes in the evening, but you worked in the afternoon. When I got to Biola, my first job was washing dishes in the cafeteria. Downtown. I didn't like that job very much. I was pretty anxious to get another job. The job I really liked and I eventually got was working at a law firm delivering mail or picking up mail. Oh, Melvin Ian Myers, still there. Have you ever heard of Warren Christopher, Secretary of State? He was a senior law partner when I was there. I like that job. We, every hour, would go around, pick up mail, put it in a big bag to be mailed. We would deliver it downtown Los Angeles. Sometime we'd take a cab ride. Cab ride. I went from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach in a cab. I felt like I was, oh, I couldn't believe this. I got to do that. Here's the best part. When you work. picking up mail, you could study. And there were many, many guys from Biola who work there doing that. I love that job. Here's one of the things I love the best. At Christmas time, every employee got a month's wages for a bonus. When that happened, I couldn't believe it. Here's what it is also not. It is not being indifferent to circumstances. Have you discovered that life is hard? Life is hard. One speaker says this, the trouble with life is it is so daily. I can identify with that. Paul was not a fatalist nor a stoic. Paul did not look around him and see those in need and say, I'll pray for you. If he had the ability to meet the need, he met it. We are to be compassionate towards others in need. And if we can meet that need, we're to meet it. So if you can improve your circumstances by fair and legitimate means, do so. If you can help others in their distress and misery, do it. And now there's something else here we need to address, and that's what some call divine discontentment. Phil shared with us this morning, and we all could just agree with that, of being discontent with his life spiritually. Listen, Paul was that way. Paul did things. Turn back to chapter 3, verse 12 through 14. not that I have already obtained this, he's speaking about his desire to know Christ, not that I have fully, not that I have already attained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul was never content with his spiritual life. Never. It bothered him as it should bother us. Now, what is contentment? You are independent of circumstances, conditions, and surroundings. You are not mastered or controlled by circumstances. You rise above all circumstances. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says it in this way. If you are in a trying and difficult position, do not be mastered by it. Do not let it get you down. Do not let it control you. You do not let it determine your misery or your joy. Then he goes on in verse 12, to amplify the general statement. Notice what 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 of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Now let's notice what Paul does not say. He doesn't say that poverty is a blessing. You'd never find Paul saying that. Nor is being abundance a curse. Paul had been in both situations. Abundance, here's the categories I like to think of, abundance and need. Paul had been in both places. He was content in abundance and need. and content in need. He had not allowed his peace and joy to be dependent on material possessions and physical comforts. Now, Paul would not choose or enjoy hunger and want, or imprisonment and pain, yet in the midst of it, he was content. Now, we're going to look at a portion in the book of Acts, a portion of scripture in the book of Acts. Paul is at Philippi when this happened. So it's very appropriate to look at this. This is a lengthy section, chapter 16 verses 16 through 40. I want to read that to you because it's going to give you the context of what Paul went through here. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation. And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the Spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, these men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice. The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave them orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly, there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, do not harm yourself, for we are all here. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the words of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. And he was baptized at once and he and his family. Then he brought them into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police saying, let those men go. And the jailer reported these words to Paul saying, the magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore, come out now and go in peace. But Paul said to them, they have beaten us publicly. Uncondemned men who are Roman citizens and have thrown us into prison. And do they now throw us out secretly? No. Let them come themselves and take us out. The police reported these words to the magistrates and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them and took them out and asked them to leave the city. So when they went out of the prison and visited Lydia and when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. Did you look at verse 25? What were they doing? Every time I read this, I ask myself the question, okay, it's midnight. What would I have been doing at midnight sitting there in prison in stocks? To be very honest with you, I don't think I would have been praying and singing hymns because I know my heart. But that's what Paul and Silas were doing. and singing hymns. Not letting their circumstances control them, they controlled their circumstances, so to speak. They rose above their circumstance. Now again, this is not when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Get that out of your mind. But Paul did it. That's the whole point of this. He did it. But notice what Paul did when they came to try to secretly get them out of there. Paul didn't button up his lip. Paul was a Roman citizen and what he had, how he had been treated along with Silas was not right. They were uncondemned. There's nothing, nothing they had done deserved them to be beaten and put in prison as a Roman citizen. And Paul takes advantage of his citizenship. Listen, we have government instituted by God to act on our behalf. Use it if you have to. in a given circumstance. That's what it's there for. God has ordained it. And that's what Paul did. Now, Paul does not in other situations, he doesn't do this, but this time he did. And you're going to find him later on appealing to Caesar as a Roman citizen. And that's Paul in prison in Rome. Now let's talk about another situation here. Which is more difficult, to have abundance or to be in need? I don't think you can answer that question because I think both are difficult. We can understand being in need, right? But this abundance thing, I like to have a nice home Money and all that kind of thing. But there are dangers. If you're in need, you can hold a grudge. You can complain. You can become anxious. You can become bitter. But what about being in darkness? You can forget God. Thinking, hey, I can do this. I can do this. You're not dependent on Him. It causes you to think that you can control and manipulate just about everything in your life. And probably you're praying a lot less. That's how I am. Something happens in my life, the rug gets pulled out from underneath me, I start praying a lot more. So either one is a difficult position to be in spiritually. Martin Lowe Jones says this by way of summary here. It may well be that the greatest lesson we need to learn is how to live without allowing circumstances to affect our inner peace and joy. And that's really what it's all about. inner peace and joy. Now what was Paul's source of strength? Verse 13 says, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. That's it. Now that verse is quoted a lot, but you need to come back to the original context. Always look at the original context. I can do all things through Him. Paul was in Christ. It was the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthened him in every circumstance of life. Our Lord provides enabling grace and sustaining grace. When we are in Christ, we are safe. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name, on Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. That was a hymn. That's a hymn, but that's Paul's. The way Paul fought. It's Christ strengthening us. Now, how did Paul learn to be content? He learned in two ways. First of all was experience. Now, I want you to go back to 2 Corinthians, this time chapter 12, verse 7 through 10. Paul has just described some revelations and visions that he has had. And in verse 7 he says this, to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this. that it should leave me, but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul learned that God's grace is sufficient. That's why you look out at a person and when you know what they're going through, you kind of say, how are they doing it? Paul tells us God's grace is sufficient. That's why. There's nothing in them. They're no superhuman. It's God's grace is sufficient. But it wasn't just experiences alone. Paul had to constantly remind himself of truth concerning God. That's our bedrock. That's our foundation. Truth concerning God. And it's here that Martin Lloyd-Jones provides seven arguments for contentment, thinking that Paul did this. Not the same words, maybe, but arguments for contentment. You know what we need to learn how to do? Talk to ourselves. I'm a pretender. I talk to myself all the time. Interesting discussions. I talk to myself all the time. But sometimes I'm not talking about the things I need to be talking about. Listen to what Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, seven arguments for contentment. Number one, conditions are always changing, therefore, I must obviously not be dependent on conditions. Now, remember, you're going to get these when this is over. So just sit there and listen. And I would suggest to you that you get these and put them in your Bible and keep them there and read them over frequently. Because we need to do that if we're to learn to be content. Number two, what matters supremely and vitally is my soul and my relationship to God. That is the first thing. Number three, God is concerned about me as my father. And nothing happens to me apart from God. Even the very hairs of my head are numbered. I must never forget that. Read the book of Job. Nothing happened to Job but what God did not allow to happen. Nothing. God's will Number four, God's will and God's ways are a great mystery. But I know that whatever he wills or permits is of necessity for my good. Now that is really hard at times to come to grips with, I'll tell you. It's for my good. I don't get that sometimes. But that's what God says in his word. So I have to believe it, embrace it. Fifthly, every situation in his life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God's love and goodness. Therefore, my business is to look for this peculiar manifestation of God's goodness and kindness and be prepared for surprises and blessings because his ways are not my ways. neither his thoughts my thoughts. Sixthly, I must regard circumstances and conditions not in and of themselves, therefore, but as part of God's dealings with me in the working of perfecting my soul and bringing me to final perfection. And lastly, Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment, they are only temporary. They are only passing. And they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that awaits me with Christ. The greatest thing about this guy is God is my Savior. I think about that every day. God is my Father. He's perfect as my Father. Everything that happens is for my good. I'm not telling you that I understand all of that and don't wrestle with it, but that's what's true. Now let me ask you some questions. And I ask myself these questions by way of application. What are you dependent on for your inner peace and joy right now? What are you depending on, really? What happens when changes take place in your life? That one is so hard for me because I'm a rut person. I like my rut. And I like to just hone in and stay there. But life is not like that. It doesn't allow that. Is your life characterized by inner peace and joy right now? Are you spreading Discontentment. We need to come to grips with that one. You can spread discontentment within the church, within your family, within your job. Are you learning to be content? And here is the key one. Is your hope fixed on God and His Word. That's what all of this is based on. My hope is built on nothing less. Let's pray.