Citizens: A Study on Philippians (Part 18)
October 18, 2020 / Jesus ChurchGive Online: Tithes & Offerings
Citizens: A Study on Philippians
If you have your Bibles… turn to Phil. 4
- Last week we left off in v 9… Paul is still talking about standing firm
- And Paul focuses in on the importance of what we meditate on
- Biblical meditation is not only emptying your mind of the BAD
- It’s just as important to fill your mind with what is GOOD
- Paul says whatever is: True, Noble, Right, Pure, praise worthy…
- These are the things to fill your mind with
- But how many of you know… it’s easy to meditate on the bad
- And in that we completely ignore God’s good in the world
- The way that we stand firm in the Lord is not focusing on negative
- But focus on the positive things that God is doing in the world
- Focus on the truth of God… not the fear of the enemy
This week we pick up where we left off – Verse 10
Phil. 4:10-13
[PRAY]
Story: Ever been in a rough spot in life
Something really hard happened in your life
- Maybe: Lost job, break up, diagnosis… and someone was there 4 u
- And it might not have been much – But meant the world to you
- Groceries on your doorstep
- Visit to the hospital… or call to hospital in our day and age
- Maybe even it was just a text someone is praying for you
- And it might not have been much – But meant the world to you
I was a youth/worship pastor in Colorado Springs
- Michelle was pregnant… just left a well paying job 2 start business
- I had a partner who was doing ministry with me
- As soon as we started the business – He completely left church
- Totally changed his work ethic…
- Constantly playing video games in the back
- Him and brother would have screaming fights in the store
- Eventually we had no money… barely making it
- One night my wife (pregnant) gets stuck on road w/ flat tire
- No clue how we were gonna pay for that
- It definitely wasn’t the greatest of times for us
- Our church ends up paying for tires – And gave us $$$ for groceries
- How do you repay people for generosity like that
- Starters by saying what… THANK YOU!
- How do you repay people for generosity like that
That’s whats going on at end of Philippians
You know the story… Paul is in a Roman Prison (Leave you to die)
- You get no food… no clothes… no water…
- And you only survive if someone provides those for you
- Paul is on the brink of death – and there is little/no hope
- And that the 11th hour… Here comes a guy named Apathroditus
- He is from Philippi and has money and food for Paul
- And Paul is literally saved from death
- And one of the main reasons Paul writes this is to say “Thank you”
- The end of Philippians is sorta a glorified “thank you note”
Phil 4:10
That word REJOICE – Means to celebrate
- Can be translated: I’m having a great celebration in the Lord
- But… where is Paul by the way? Worst Jail you could imagine
- And yet he is having a “great celebration in the Lord”
- And keep in mind what Paul was just talking about
- Keep your focus on all of the good things in the world
- Don’t allow yourself to live in the negativity we see every day
- Paul is calling us to celebrate the goodness of God in ALL CREATION
- In the early light of a sunrise
- In the sounds of the morning birds singing
- In the comfort of a close friend
The world is full of Gods goodness & Paul calls us to open our eyes
- But Paul isn’t telling us to do something he won’t do first
- Because he’s in prison… CELEBRATING in the Lord
- This Word “renew” was a really vivid metaphor used in 1st century
- For the budding of a flower at spring time
- He is saying… when Apathroditus walked to may jail cell
- It was like the end of a long/cold/dark winter in my life
- And the start of a brand new spring
- This is Paul saying “Thank you”
- I’m alive today because of you
- And the Gospel thrives in the heart of the empire
- Because of you and your Christ-like generosity
BUT notice what Paul says next…
Phil. 4:11-12
Meaning: To clarify… thank u but I’m not saying this because I need you
- Which is weird because Paul is totally in need
- He is completely helpless and a dead man without assistance
- Paul… What are you talking about that you aren’t in need???
- Meaning I don’t let my circumstances change my outlook on life
- When I was planting churches…
- Life was good/I was with my family/amazing memories
- And I knew God was on the throne
- But when I was thrown in prison…
- Beaten and broken for my faith
- Not sure if I would live thru that night/Starving/cold/alone
- I just as much knew God was on the throne
- B/C even if my circumstances change… my security never will
- When I was planting churches…
Secret in the Greek is M-wayo
- Word used in ancient eastern religions (Tom Cruise/Scientology)
- In these religions there were initiation rituals
- And when you completed them u attained secret knowledge
Paul talks tongue/cheek… but claims he found the secret 2 contentment
- And that’s a huge statement… b/c contentment is elusive …
- How many can say that I have found the secret to contentment
- I don’t want anything else in life (110% content)
- Not more money… more stuff… more square feet
- Not a better job… better nicer things
- Paul says… I can – I found the secret… and what blows my mind
- Nothing about his circumstances says he should be content
- He isn’t rich (poverty)
- He isn’t liked (more hated and alone)
- He isn’t married (most believe widower or wife left him)
- He isn’t healthy (thorn in the flesh)
- NOTHING about his circumstances says he should be content
- Everything that could be bad IS bad
- And he is having a great celebration in the Lord
- Nothing about his circumstances says he should be content
- That’s the guy you want to learn about contentment from
3 thoughts on contentment from Phil. 4
1st: Contentment is something that you learn
Notice language: I have learned to be content (v.11)… I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty (v.12)… I have learned the secret of being content.
B/C contentment is not natural… not our default setting
- Think of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden
- God says: You can eat from any tree in here… except this one
- And which tree do Adam & Eve eat from
- In a garden full of “YES” they want the one thing that’s a “NO”
- Are we any different – In a world full of “YES”
- We always want the one thing we cannot have
- So much that we made a saying… “the grass is always greener”
- And there will ALWAYS be something just out of your reach
- If only I was married… out of school…
- If only I had a better job… more money
Story: In 4th grade – I was not the undisputed fastest kid in my grade
- My best friend was almost as fast as I was
- We would race during recess… first to run into the chain fence
- But at the end of 4th grade he went to another school
- And it was sad I lost my best friend… but also my only competition
- I remember (dad was my 5th grade teacher) looking at the list
- Trying to see if any of the names in our class sounded fast
- And there was only one new kid… his name was Matt
- He was all I had to worry about
- By H.S. Matt had state record: 100/200/400/long & triple jump
- And he became an Abercrombie model
- And was the nicest guy you could ever meet
Notice the role comparison played in a 4th graders discontentment
- There will always be a “MATT” in your life
- Always someone faster than you… funnier/smarter/eloquent
- And you will never be content until u put to death comparison
- B/C there will always be someone/something just out of reach
- THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO LEARN TO BE CONTENT
- And u have to LEARN… that word isn’t an epiphany or light bulb
- No – it was learning by trial and error
- It was for the thick headed people like me
- Think about learning – It is hard work!
- It takes time… energy… focus… discipline
- Paul says I worked at it… but after a long period of time
- I learned the secret of being content
- And the beauty of that: IF PAUL CAN LEARN… YOU CAN LEARN
- B/C we have the exact same spirit as Paul inside of us
2nd: Contentment not dependent on circumstances
Phil 4:11-12
Whether employed or not / single or not / healthy or not
- To learn the secret in every circumstance… any situation
- And how we think… how our brains process things
- When I get “X”… then I will be content or happy
- And we all know that isn’t true…
- Why – because the moment u get to the goal… the goal moves
- You get somewhere you’ve worked at for years
- And its GLORIOUS… for a half hour
- And then your mind is filled with what’s next
- Highschool > college > job > real job > promotion > married > home
- The American dream is a carrot on a stick
- It’s always right there… but just out of your reach
And the issue is that we think we have options for contentment
- There are no options… there is only way and its Jesus
- That’s why Paul says if you aren’t content with Jesus
- You will never be content… never
- And what discontentment does: It robs you of joy
- Robs ur ability to celebrate the goodness of God in the moment
- Understand contentment not the destination… its a mode of travel
- It’s not like a city that you get to out on the horizon
- More like the rental car… how you move thru time & space
- Because when you are content you can focus on the GOAL
- When ur not content… you focus on the circumstance
- And yes some times are better than others (duh!)
- Some times are easier to be content…
- But as a general rule… not dependent on circumstances
- Here is a guy in prison – Celebrating in the Lord
- It’s not like a city that you get to out on the horizon
3rd: Contentment is a struggle in times of want/plenty
Phil 4:12
- A few translations: I learned to cope with having too much
- What in the world… why does Paul say that
- B/C gets it – knows how we work… more u have > more u want
- When I first got a cell phone… Blue Kyocera brick phone
- No games/camera/text it made phone calls (imagine that)
- Yet I was way more content with that phone than my iphone 10
- Is there any comparison on which I should be more content with
- Yet the more we get… the more we want
- And we get sucked up into what we do not have
- B/C the human desire for more is unquenchable
Rockefeller (modern worth would be 200 billion)
- Asked the question: How much money is enough
- Famous quote – Just a little bit more… b/c its never enough
- That’s why the only of the 10 commandments that is repeated…
- You shall not covet
- In modern writing to emphasize you bold/italicize/underline
- In ancient world you repeated it
- You shall not covet…
- You shall not covet your neighbors wife/house/donkey
- B/C this desire bleeds the soul dry
Paul ends: I found the secret… well what is the secret
Phil 4:13
It turns out the secret has a name… Jesus
- Funny… b/c that verse is quoted all the time by Christians
- Most of the time out of context (not bad… because it true)
- But it’s also not what Paul is saying here
- Not: I can win a football game thru Christ who gives me strength
- “I can start a business… preach a sermon… stand up for myself”
- All of that is true – but in context Paul is saying what???
- I can be content… Which is probably harder than winning anything
- But in context: Reason I am content in the worst & best times
- It’s b/c of him who gives me strength
And all Paul’s language is written in a world full of Greek philosophy
- Main influence was that of something called “Stoicism”
- And to Stoics… contentment was the ultimate goal of life
Socrates (Asked: Who is the richest on the planet)
He is richest who is content with the least for content is the wealth of nature.
- Difference between Christian & Greek goal of contentment
- To the Greek philosophers contentment was self-sufficiency
- So the way you meet that goal: Detach from everything
- Live in self-sufficiency… don’t need anything
- Much like Buddhist beliefs
- If you live detached from world… eliminate suffering
- To the Greek philosophers contentment was self-sufficiency
- What Paul does… picks up the language of Stoicism
- Turns It on its head… Philippians would have caught this
- Saying: Yes contentment is as powerful/good as people say…
But its not found in “Self-sufficiency” but “God-sufficiency”
- Not I don’t need any of this because “I AM ENOUGH ON MY OWN”
- No… it’s only in dependency on the living God
- I need God in order to do anything/everything
- And from Stoicism > Buddhism > Hipster culture of today (crutch)
- I don’t need anything… So let go of desires
- Paul says opposite is true: Don’t let go of desires
- God created you with desires
- But put your desires in Jesus (drive/ambition/passion)
- Put everything into Jesus b/c He is where contentment is found
- Through Christ and Christ alone… in Christ and Christ alone
- Because Jesus is always enough
- You don’t need a relationship… money… promotion…
- Jesus is everything – DO YOU BELIEVE THAT???
You can be content: Right here… Right now
- Just look at Paul’s example – Having a celebration in the Lord
- Not because of where he sleeps at night
- Not because he has someone to wake up to in the morning
- Not because Friday is payday…
- But its not easy “Can do all things thru him who gives me strength”
- He says that because he is tired… weak… weary
- Because everything he does is about Jesus
- Jesus is the point and reason behind every action
- And if we can get to that place with Paul – All about Jesus
- Then He will be enough… and you will be content
- But if u struggle to find peace and contentment in Jesus alone
- Figure out where your contentment is in… and eliminate it!!!
- Because whatever that thing is… its idolatry