WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading today comes from Philippians chapter 4, starting at verse 10.

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 Please follow along on the screen or in your Bible.

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 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

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 You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

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 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

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 I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.

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 In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

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 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

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 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

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 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia,

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 no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.

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 Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again.

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 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

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 I have received full payment and more.

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 I am well supplied, having received from Epiproditus the gift you sent,

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 a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

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 And my God will supply every need of yours, according to his riches, in glory in Christ Jesus.

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 To our God and Father, be glory forever and ever.

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 Amen.

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 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

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 The brothers who are with me greet you.

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 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.

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 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Great.

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 Thank you so much, Sherman.

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 Welcome again.

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 My name is Chris, if you don't know me.

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 I'm one of the pastors here at Watermark.

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 What I'd love to do as we just get into God's word and before we get into God's word is just

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 to pray for us this morning.

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 So let me pray.

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 Father, I thank you that you're a God of life, that you're a God who wants to bring us abundance

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 of joy and of contentment and of satisfaction in you, which overflows to others, Lord.

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 Lord, I pray even this morning that you would speak to us wherever we're up to, Lord.

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 Whether we're wrestling with decisions, as Kevin shared.

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 Whether we are wrestling with discontentment in our own hearts.

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 Lord, I pray for us, Lord.

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 I pray for those who are teachers and those who are students and those who are parents,

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 Lord, who are going back to school.

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 I did it last week, this week, or the coming week.

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 Lord, I pray that for them that there would be this real sense of you bringing protection,

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 you bringing your blessing, but also you bringing a real deeper sense of joy in you

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 through this process.

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 I pray that you would be at the center of all of that, Lord.

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 I pray for our young people.

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 I pray that they would find joy in you, even as they go back to school, that actually they

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 would see that you are the one who places them in this place for your kingdom and your

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 glory.

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 So I pray for today that you would speak to us through your word in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 Okay, great.

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 So we've been looking at the book of Philippians, and we're coming to the last section of the

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 book today.

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 And we're going to look at something about gospel partnership and what's the source of

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 healthy partnerships and relationships.

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 Partnerships are everywhere, whether it's in marriages, whether it's in community groups,

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 whether it's in businesses.

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 All around, we are involved in relational partnerships with different people.

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 But I think there is actually in society and in the world, there's a couple of different

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 types of partnership and relationships that people enter into.

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 I call them egret partnerships and rhino partnerships.

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 Okay.

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 Now an egret, if you didn't know, is a bird.

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 It is a white bird, which hangs around on the top of elephants.

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 And what it does, it feeds off the parasites and the insects on elephants.

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 And it's really a win-win situation.

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 It's kind of a consumer relationship because the egret gets food for itself and the elephant

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 gets rid of its itch.

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 It's like, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, literally.

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 And so the problem with this kind of relationship, if for some reason the elephant has got no more

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 insects on him, well, the elephant's feeling fine, but the egret begins to then go, hmm,

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 get grumbling, complaining, this elephant ain't good, let me go and find another one.

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 That's egret relationships.

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 They're consumer relationships.

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 We're in it for what we can get out of it.

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 But then there are male rhinos.

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 Now rhinos, they are self-sufficient guys.

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 They can fend for themselves.

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 They don't need other people.

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 They're detached.

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 They're distant.

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 If they need a mate or need something, they'll come in, they'll get it, and then they'll head

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 out and do their own thing again.

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 You know, they're the kind of people who when the going gets tough, the tough get going,

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 and they're going to get going by themselves.

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 You see, these kind of relationships, these partnerships characterize much of Hong Kong.

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 Much of what we think of as love is actually egret-style relationship.

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 You know, you make me feel good.

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 I'll make you feel good.

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 We'll stay together as long as that's still the case.

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 Otherwise, we'll look elsewhere.

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 Or in marriage, you know, after a while, we enter into the kind of rhino style.

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 You do your thing, and I'll do my thing.

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 We'll live under the same roof together, but functionally, we live separate lives unless

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 there's something we need at that moment.

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 But the book of Philippians has been showing us a different way of doing relationships

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 and partnerships.

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 It's Christ-centered partnership.

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 You see, what you've seen, the whole of Philippians, you're seeing this partnership between Paul

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 and the Philippians, which is birthed in Jesus, sustained in Jesus, and whose goal is Jesus.

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 You see, it flows out and is characterized by Christ's sacrificial, generous love.

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 It overflows in the whole of the book.

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 Paul has said, I yearn for you guys with Christ's affection.

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 I long for you.

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 I love you.

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 You're my joy.

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 You're my crown.

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 And he's poured his life and the gospel into this little church in Philippi.

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 And the Philippians, in return, they've sent financial gift after gift.

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 They've sent key leaders like Epaphroditus at huge cost to themselves.

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 And 2 Corinthians 8 tells us that actually they did all of this out of a condition of

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 extreme poverty, not out of a sense of wealth and abundance to encourage and support Paul,

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 even in his darkest moments and in his best times.

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 And right now, he's in prison.

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 It's not a great time.

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 It's not an egret relationship.

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 It's not a rhino relationship.

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 It's a Christ-centered relationship.

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 And it could have been so different because Paul, stuck in this prison cell, lonely, hungry,

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 dark, for a while, he gets no support from the Philippians.

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 And instead of grumpiness, he's rejoicing.

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 He's rejoicing in Jesus.

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 He's so satisfied in Jesus that when Epaphroditus shows up with a financial gift, he doesn't go,

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 oh, it's about time.

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 Where have you guys been?

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 Talk about a relationship.

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 He goes, I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

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 And that word concern is the word that's been used at least 10 times in the book of Philippians for the word mind.

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 And it's a word meaning you're thinking of me.

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 You're caring for me.

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 His rejoicing in Jesus is actually not that just his physical needs were just met right now.

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 But he's rejoicing that when Epaphroditus came to him, it spoke to Paul that actually in Jesus, his grace has come.

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 You're still thinking of me.

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 And so what I want us to look at is how do our relationships, how do our partnerships, how, whether it's in our marriages, our CGs, our friendships, our churches,

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 how can we be characterized by that kind of non-entitled, non-detached, non-grumbling, generous, other-centered love?

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 And Paul is going to give us the secret to this.

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 And I'm going to spend much of today looking at this one word, contentment.

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 So we're going to look at contentment, say how do we get there, and then we're going to look at a few implications and things that flow out, the fruit of contentment.

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 So let's just get going in chapter 4, verse 10 and 11.

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 Paul says,

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 You see, Paul is really keen, as he's writing to the Philippians, that they don't get the wrong idea about his situation.

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 He's got needs, but he doesn't want to manipulate them or guilt trip them into giving more.

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 And particularly when he's talking about money, he's trying to help them see he's not just making a subtle request for more money.

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 Instead, he says, I'm content, guys.

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 And that word content was actually a very popular word used by a group of philosophers at the time called Stoics.

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 And what they thought the word contentment meant was rhino contentment, meant using your willpower, just keep calm, carry on, no matter what the storms of life are, push through by yourself, don't rely on anyone else.

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 You've got to be detached.

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 And Paul is not saying that.

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 He's saying, I'm not just, I have needs, but I'm not just needy.

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 I'm not just self-sufficient.

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 I'm Christ-sufficient.

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 He says, in what a situation I am, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

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 You see, he's saying, even when you can't provide for me, I have one who continually sustains me.

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 And that is Christ.

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 Now, how can Paul find that contentment?

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 Well, he's been telling us he's been pursuing knowing Christ and knowing this God in his life.

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 The God who commands us to praise him is not a needy God.

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 He doesn't need our worship.

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 He doesn't need us at all to kind of stroke his ego.

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 He's all-sufficient.

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 As the creator of the galaxies, he is rich beyond compare.

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 And yet he's not.

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 He's all-sufficient, but he's not self-sufficient in some distant, detached way where he doesn't kind of care about us or need us.

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 Or just care about us in any way.

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 Rather, he's a contented, joyful God.

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 And out of the overflow of his contentment, in fact, Paul says in the book of Timothy, he says,

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 he is the blessed God.

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 He's the happy God.

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 He's the contented God.

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 And out of the overflow of that, he's told us in Philippians 2 that out of joy and contentment in himself,

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 God both created the world, but he also sent Jesus into the world.

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 He came down into that J-curve of humbling himself, sacrificing himself to the point of death on a cross for us,

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 so that we might be restored.

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 But then he raised up again to life, and he's exalted at the highest place above all other names.

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 He's raised in power for us, seated in glory for us.

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 And if he has loved us with that kind of sacrifice, and if he has that kind of power over even death itself,

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 and if he has even that kind of authority over all things to command worship,

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 then Paul in Romans will say,

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 if God has given us Jesus, then how will he not graciously give us all things?

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 We don't have a stingy God.

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 We don't have one who right in our current moment, we've got to wonder whether he's going to provide for us.

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 Paul can say, no, I can trust this God that I know in any situation because I'm his beloved child.

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 I don't have to get grumpy and irritable right now because I rest in him.

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 Sinclair Ferguson, who's a theologian, he said this,

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 Christian contentment is the direct fruit of having no higher ambition than to belong to the Lord

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 and to be totally at his disposal in the place he appoints at the time he chooses

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 with a provision he is pleased to make.

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 What he's saying is this.

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 He's saying contentment is founding knowing whose you are and trusting him with where you are.

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 My son, Etienne, when he was born, came screaming out of the womb into this dizzying world of lights and sounds and smells.

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 It's a scary place for a little kid.

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 But doctors, they recommend that babies have what's called skin-to-skin time.

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 In other words, in a scary and insecure environment, what happens is you bring the baby to the mother,

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 to the one who has given this little baby life,

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 and it's there that that baby will discover the warmth, the safety, the protection, and the provision of his mother.

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 And it's there, at that place, that the crying stops and peace is found.

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 His mother will provide for him.

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 That is Christian contentment.

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 We want Christ more than anything.

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 And Jesus doesn't want an egret relationship with us,

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 where he's died for us, so we've just got to do our bit, pray,

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 do enough things in return to make him happy with us.

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 He doesn't want a rhino relationship with us,

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 where if we just come to him when we've got a problem,

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 and the rest of the time we forget about him, do our own thing.

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 No, Paul knows, he said, I can be content in Christ,

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 because I have a relationship with him as his beloved child,

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 knowing him is our highest ambition.

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 We lay our lives in his hands,

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 because he's a father who loves us,

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 and will supply all of our needs.

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 That's what Christian contentment is.

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 That trusting that even Kevin talked about just now.

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 But how do we get there?

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 How do we get to that place of trusting our Father,

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 and that Christ will supply all that we need?

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 Paul says this.

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 He says,

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 I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

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 I know how to abound.

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 I know how to be brought low.

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 I know how to abound in any and every circumstance.

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 I've learned the secret.

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 I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,

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 abundance and need.

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 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

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 You see, what he's saying is contentment is learnt.

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 Did you notice that?

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 He said, I've learnt it.

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 You don't suddenly wake up one day content.

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 You see, that word, when he says contentment has a secret.

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 He says there's a secret to it.

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 And that word is actually a word that is used by the secret societies of Paul's time

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 for the initiation ceremony that they would come into,

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 into that little community.

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 And what Paul is saying is,

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 if you want to come into the school of contentment,

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 you don't have to have some initiation ceremony.

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 The initiation ceremony is Christ,

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 and the sustaining ceremony is Christ.

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 And when he says,

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 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,

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 that's one of the most misunderstood phrases

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 in all of the New Testament, I think, by Christians.

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 Because we often think,

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 what he means by all things is,

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 I can achieve anything.

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 I can get that promotion.

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 I can fulfill my dream.

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 I can be a success in my life through Christ.

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 That's not what Paul is talking about.

00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:41.200
 Because if you look back to verse 12,

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:43.480
 all things refers to this.

00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:43.839
 He says,

00:17:43.940 --> 00:17:45.200
 I know how to be brought low,

00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:50.839
 and I know how to abound in plenty or hunger.

00:17:51.919 --> 00:17:53.700
 You see, how do we learn contentment?

00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:57.179
 That school of contentment is in the humbling

00:17:57.179 --> 00:18:00.319
 and in the abundance of all of life.

00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:04.740
 You see, it's through classes of being brought low,

00:18:04.879 --> 00:18:06.480
 just like Jesus was humbled.

00:18:07.939 --> 00:18:09.639
 Financially, you lost your job.

00:18:10.399 --> 00:18:11.799
 Spiritually, you have your sin

00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:13.779
 and your failure exposed to you.

00:18:15.179 --> 00:18:17.259
 Socially, you experience criticism,

00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:19.480
 rejection, even for your faith.

00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:22.099
 Physically, Paul was beaten.

00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:22.980
 He was sick.

00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:24.039
 He was stoned.

00:18:24.179 --> 00:18:25.359
 He was shipwrecked.

00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:30.699
 All of this was his school to learn contentment.

00:18:30.919 --> 00:18:32.299
 You know, when Etienne was born,

00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:34.519
 and with that skin-to-skin time,

00:18:34.919 --> 00:18:38.519
 he still didn't actually know how much we really loved him.

00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:44.599
 You see, how is Etienne going to learn how much we love him?

00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:47.399
 Well, if you're parents of older kids,

00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:51.039
 you know that they learn it through all of life.

00:18:51.959 --> 00:18:56.219
 That actually, the sleepless nights where you're comforting your child,

00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:02.319
 the times of taxing your child to every place under the sun,

00:19:03.139 --> 00:19:05.759
 the struggling with homework and helping them come through it,

00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:09.659
 later on, just all the relational issues that children have,

00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:12.519
 or when they have their own family,

00:19:12.779 --> 00:19:16.120
 or when they see other parents and they feel the pain of parenting,

00:19:16.320 --> 00:19:17.600
 then they realize,

00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.160
 I'd never realized just how much my parents loved me

00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:23.640
 and sacrificed for me until this moment.

00:19:25.340 --> 00:19:28.740
 You see, that's the same with God as he takes us through life.

00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:32.620
 He's wanting it through all of the ups and downs of life

00:19:32.620 --> 00:19:35.960
 to show us the depth of his love

00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:40.539
 so that we can only learn that contentment as you go through life

00:19:40.539 --> 00:19:42.640
 in him, trusting him.

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:44.779
 You know, some of us,

00:19:45.100 --> 00:19:48.460
 we think that if I can just get a job,

00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:49.340
 then I'll be happy.

00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:52.559
 Or you think, if I can just get my kids in school,

00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:53.779
 if I can just get a boyfriend,

00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:55.100
 I can just get out of COVID,

00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:56.640
 then everything will be fine.

00:19:56.740 --> 00:19:57.500
 Then I'll be content.

00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.079
 I think Paul would say,

00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:06.139
 don't skip classes in the school of contentment.

00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:09.000
 Don't wish your present away.

00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:12.059
 He's not saying you can't long for something different.

00:20:12.159 --> 00:20:14.919
 He's not saying you can't have a desire that things will change.

00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:16.519
 But no, in this moment,

00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:18.919
 God wants to bring you contentment.

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:19.819
 You see, in Hong Kong,

00:20:19.939 --> 00:20:22.079
 we live in a world of comparison.

00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:24.220
 We're always comparing to everybody else.

00:20:25.220 --> 00:20:27.279
 We always want to be in a different class

00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:28.419
 than we're in right now.

00:20:28.420 --> 00:20:33.480
 But Christians, we didn't enroll in the school of envy.

00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:35.920
 We enrolled in the school of contentment in Jesus.

00:20:37.300 --> 00:20:41.200
 You see, graduates of the envy school

00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:42.860
 have worry and fear.

00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:44.740
 You know, it's a different education system.

00:20:45.539 --> 00:20:47.460
 Worry and fear tell you,

00:20:47.820 --> 00:20:50.279
 look at your problems, you won't have enough.

00:20:51.300 --> 00:20:52.900
 Envy tells you,

00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:55.700
 look at what they have, you don't have enough.

00:20:55.700 --> 00:20:58.860
 The school of contentment says,

00:20:59.080 --> 00:21:00.940
 look at Jesus, he is enough

00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:05.279
 for you, today, right now,

00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:07.140
 whatever you're going through.

00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:14.120
 So I don't know where you're up to.

00:21:15.600 --> 00:21:19.539
 But Paul is not here talking about that holy discontent,

00:21:19.660 --> 00:21:21.500
 you know, where you can actually want to be more like Jesus.

00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:22.660
 That's good.

00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:25.620
 He's not talking about passivity,

00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:27.620
 just kind of hanging back and just saying,

00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:29.340
 oh, God will do it and I don't have to do anything.

00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:30.380
 No, Paul's ambitious.

00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:34.620
 But he's talking about resting in the sovereign God

00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:39.019
 and trusting in his fatherly care for us

00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:43.360
 that whatever circumstances he's brought you into right now,

00:21:43.600 --> 00:21:44.640
 that he'll provide.

00:21:45.779 --> 00:21:47.560
 You see, he says, I know how to be brought low.

00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:49.879
 But he also says,

00:21:50.139 --> 00:21:52.159
 and this is really interesting,

00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:52.980
 he says,

00:21:53.099 --> 00:21:56.559
 I've also learned how to face plenty

00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:58.339
 and how to abound.

00:21:58.759 --> 00:21:59.599
 Did you notice that?

00:22:00.299 --> 00:22:02.139
 I don't know if you would normally think about that,

00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:03.259
 but Paul himself,

00:22:03.399 --> 00:22:05.899
 he has experienced all the different things in life.

00:22:06.099 --> 00:22:08.440
 He's experienced abounding with a full stomach

00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:09.639
 and everything going well,

00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:11.659
 and he's not living with a guilt trip of,

00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:13.139
 oh, I should be suffering at this moment.

00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:14.599
 No, he's rejoicing.

00:22:14.679 --> 00:22:15.859
 I've learned how to face it.

00:22:15.859 --> 00:22:17.859
 Some Christians actually think we should just be

00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:19.879
 living in a mud hut and poor,

00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.240
 and that's the true sense of spirituality.

00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:24.179
 Other people think you've got to be totally rich

00:22:24.179 --> 00:22:25.439
 and blessed and everything,

00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.359
 and that's spirituality.

00:22:26.659 --> 00:22:27.039
 And Paul's saying,

00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:28.519
 I don't believe in either of those things

00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:29.459
 as true spirituality.

00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:34.139
 I can enjoy abundance,

00:22:34.439 --> 00:22:35.819
 but with open hands.

00:22:35.939 --> 00:22:36.199
 He says,

00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:40.219
 I've learned contentment even in abundance.

00:22:41.859 --> 00:22:43.059
 You know, Spurgeon,

00:22:43.059 --> 00:22:45.619
 the English preacher,

00:22:45.819 --> 00:22:46.639
 he said this.

00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:47.539
 He said,

00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:49.519
 it is harder to know

00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:51.099
 how to be full

00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:53.579
 than it is to know how to be hungry.

00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:55.859
 To know how to be hungry

00:22:55.859 --> 00:22:57.179
 is a sharp lesson,

00:22:57.940 --> 00:22:59.539
 but to know how to be full

00:22:59.539 --> 00:23:02.419
 is the harder lesson after all.

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:04.500
 Do you know what he's saying?

00:23:05.299 --> 00:23:05.859
 He's saying,

00:23:05.960 --> 00:23:06.779
 when you're full,

00:23:07.059 --> 00:23:08.279
 when you've got your promotion,

00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:10.159
 when your relationships are going great,

00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:12.759
 everything's swimmingly moving on,

00:23:13.380 --> 00:23:15.519
 you might thank God for that,

00:23:15.620 --> 00:23:18.140
 but secretly we applaud ourselves in that.

00:23:19.860 --> 00:23:22.940
 Your contentment is often more with your comfort

00:23:22.940 --> 00:23:24.200
 or more with your achievement

00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:26.500
 or more of all the other things that you have,

00:23:26.560 --> 00:23:27.600
 but not with Christ.

00:23:28.860 --> 00:23:31.740
 And that self-sufficient,

00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:35.120
 rhino-like attitude towards Jesus

00:23:35.120 --> 00:23:36.100
 is devastating,

00:23:36.420 --> 00:23:38.279
 because when later on in your life

00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:39.680
 you may be brought low,

00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:43.119
 your contentment will just be blown out of the water,

00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:44.879
 because it was just dependent

00:23:44.879 --> 00:23:46.519
 on the things that you had,

00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:47.940
 not on Christ.

00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:50.359
 I think many of us,

00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:51.859
 if I can be honest with us,

00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:53.420
 many of us,

00:23:53.500 --> 00:23:54.759
 we don't know how to be content

00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:55.559
 when we're full.

00:23:56.619 --> 00:23:58.399
 Many of us actually are abounding

00:23:58.399 --> 00:24:00.720
 in a lot of different ways in this city,

00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:03.180
 but we haven't learnt

00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:06.200
 that actually Christ is enough for us

00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:09.380
 and that today is a stay

00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:10.839
 of the school of contentment.

00:24:11.940 --> 00:24:12.380
 You know,

00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:15.120
 how can you be content today?

00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:17.600
 Well, if you realise

00:24:17.600 --> 00:24:20.259
 that you have to run to Jesus

00:24:20.259 --> 00:24:21.799
 whatever your circumstances,

00:24:22.460 --> 00:24:24.180
 if you are abounding,

00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:25.880
 realise your abundance

00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:27.160
 is not earned at all.

00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:30.240
 It is undeserved gift.

00:24:31.080 --> 00:24:32.160
 That's why Paul has said,

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:32.340
 like,

00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:34.060
 think about all the good things,

00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:34.880
 the great things,

00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:36.900
 and see it as grace from God.

00:24:37.820 --> 00:24:38.920
 That's showing you

00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:40.640
 that God's heavenly bank account

00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:42.100
 is far richer

00:24:42.100 --> 00:24:43.620
 than you could possibly imagine.

00:24:43.740 --> 00:24:44.640
 He can provide

00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:46.160
 abundantly more

00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:48.120
 than you can ask or imagine.

00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:50.500
 But hold that

00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:52.180
 with surrendered open hands,

00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:53.420
 because it's all on loan.

00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:55.860
 It's yours to steward,

00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:57.000
 it's not yours to own.

00:24:57.160 --> 00:25:00.000
 And God may bring you

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:01.680
 through times of need

00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.580
 and lack

00:25:02.580 --> 00:25:04.759
 and waiting for things,

00:25:04.980 --> 00:25:05.920
 humbling times.

00:25:06.080 --> 00:25:06.820
 Some of us are going

00:25:06.820 --> 00:25:07.900
 through that right now.

00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:11.220
 But you know,

00:25:11.300 --> 00:25:12.200
 that's the chance

00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:13.320
 to find contentment,

00:25:13.380 --> 00:25:14.759
 because in that suffering,

00:25:15.060 --> 00:25:16.019
 he's showing you,

00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:17.360
 you didn't need

00:25:17.360 --> 00:25:18.279
 all the other things

00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:18.980
 to be content.

00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:21.200
 He is sufficient for you.

00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:24.580
 So that all the other gifts

00:25:24.580 --> 00:25:26.259
 only point you to the giver.

00:25:27.820 --> 00:25:28.920
 This is what Christ

00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:29.620
 is trying to do.

00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:30.580
 And if you're struggling

00:25:30.580 --> 00:25:31.840
 today with contentment,

00:25:32.080 --> 00:25:33.519
 because this is a fight,

00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:34.920
 like we talked about

00:25:34.920 --> 00:25:36.040
 fighting, rejoicing,

00:25:36.200 --> 00:25:37.340
 fighting for joy last week,

00:25:37.620 --> 00:25:39.080
 praying in all circumstances,

00:25:39.460 --> 00:25:40.400
 bringing our requests

00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:40.840
 to God.

00:25:41.080 --> 00:25:42.220
 When we talked about

00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:44.920
 letting our focus

00:25:44.920 --> 00:25:45.800
 be on Christ

00:25:45.800 --> 00:25:46.360
 in everything

00:25:46.360 --> 00:25:47.620
 and doing it together,

00:25:47.800 --> 00:25:48.800
 that's the wrestle

00:25:48.800 --> 00:25:50.160
 that we've got to go through

00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:50.580
 to fight,

00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:52.640
 to find contentment.

00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:55.880
 And if you're struggling,

00:25:56.220 --> 00:25:56.840
 look back on

00:25:56.840 --> 00:25:58.140
 Christ's faithful love

00:25:58.140 --> 00:25:58.780
 in your life

00:25:58.780 --> 00:25:59.740
 and see where he has

00:25:59.740 --> 00:26:01.200
 provided again and again.

00:26:01.320 --> 00:26:02.140
 So if you're in need

00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:02.660
 right now,

00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:04.400
 you can have confidence.

00:26:05.180 --> 00:26:06.120
 Your God will supply

00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:07.080
 all of your needs.

00:26:10.120 --> 00:26:11.440
 That is contentment.

00:26:11.840 --> 00:26:12.480
 Now why

00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:13.860
 and how does that

00:26:13.860 --> 00:26:14.759
 even connect

00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:15.340
 with the idea

00:26:15.340 --> 00:26:16.020
 of partnership

00:26:16.020 --> 00:26:16.860
 and relationship?

00:26:16.859 --> 00:26:17.099
 partnership?

00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:18.859
 Well,

00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:21.439
 why does Paul

00:26:21.439 --> 00:26:22.359
 talk about this?

00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:24.139
 He talks about this

00:26:24.139 --> 00:26:25.539
 because

00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:28.299
 he wants to show us

00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:31.119
 that when you're content

00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:32.139
 in Jesus,

00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:34.399
 when you're content

00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:35.059
 in Jesus,

00:26:35.419 --> 00:26:36.799
 when you're not grasping

00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:37.399
 from others

00:26:37.399 --> 00:26:38.240
 or just detached

00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:38.719
 from others,

00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:40.539
 you can then overflow

00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:43.259
 that on his mission

00:26:43.259 --> 00:26:45.399
 with sacrificial generosity

00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:46.820
 and in gospel

00:26:46.820 --> 00:26:47.940
 partnership with others.

00:26:48.360 --> 00:26:49.519
 So here's two things

00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:50.280
 that it overflows.

00:26:50.360 --> 00:26:51.000
 The first thing,

00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:52.560
 there is an overflow

00:26:52.560 --> 00:26:53.560
 of contentment

00:26:53.560 --> 00:26:54.660
 in humble,

00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:56.280
 generous partnership.

00:26:57.040 --> 00:26:58.560
 Verse 14 to 16.

00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:01.019
 It was kind of you

00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:02.000
 to share,

00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:02.780
 to fellowship,

00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:03.580
 to partner

00:27:03.580 --> 00:27:04.740
 in my trouble.

00:27:05.620 --> 00:27:06.360
 And you

00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:07.960
 Philippians know

00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:09.259
 that in the beginning

00:27:09.259 --> 00:27:10.140
 of the gospel,

00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:11.259
 when I left

00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:12.100
 Macedonia,

00:27:12.320 --> 00:27:13.180
 no church

00:27:13.180 --> 00:27:14.259
 entered into

00:27:14.259 --> 00:27:15.019
 partnership,

00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:16.379
 fellowship with me

00:27:16.379 --> 00:27:18.180
 in giving and receiving

00:27:18.180 --> 00:27:19.779
 except you only.

00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.379
 Even in Thessalonica,

00:27:21.500 --> 00:27:22.319
 you sent me

00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:23.940
 help for my needs

00:27:23.940 --> 00:27:25.519
 once and again.

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:26.980
 You see,

00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:27.359
 Paul,

00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:28.160
 twice there,

00:27:28.440 --> 00:27:29.700
 uses this word

00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:30.440
 for fellowship,

00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:31.180
 for partnership,

00:27:31.339 --> 00:27:31.920
 which is the word

00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:32.720
 koinonia.

00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:34.240
 And it's a word

00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:34.839
 which means

00:27:34.839 --> 00:27:36.359
 to have a common life

00:27:36.359 --> 00:27:36.660
 together,

00:27:36.740 --> 00:27:37.779
 to have a common goal

00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:38.220
 together,

00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:39.319
 to be focused

00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:40.279
 on the same things

00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:40.720
 together.

00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:40.799
 together.

00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:44.180
 And the friendship

00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:45.299
 that these guys

00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:46.980
 had grew out

00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:48.100
 of a gospel

00:27:48.100 --> 00:27:48.980
 contentment that

00:27:48.980 --> 00:27:49.900
 led to partnering

00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.720
 the gospel into

00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.640
 giving and

00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:52.220
 receiving.

00:27:53.660 --> 00:27:54.460
 You see,

00:27:54.920 --> 00:27:56.180
 when Paul brought

00:27:56.180 --> 00:27:57.019
 the gospel to

00:27:57.019 --> 00:27:57.779
 the Philippians

00:27:57.779 --> 00:27:59.079
 and Paul's life

00:27:59.079 --> 00:27:59.600
 into them,

00:27:59.940 --> 00:28:00.720
 the Philippians

00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:01.559
 have responded

00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:02.779
 not out of a

00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:03.079
 kind of,

00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:03.420
 oh,

00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:04.059
 we have to give

00:28:04.059 --> 00:28:04.380
 you back,

00:28:04.460 --> 00:28:05.079
 but out of this,

00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:06.640
 what 2 Corinthians

00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:07.440
 8 says was

00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:08.259
 an abundance

00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:09.259
 of joy

00:28:09.259 --> 00:28:10.500
 and their

00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:11.360
 extreme poverty,

00:28:11.580 --> 00:28:13.080
 they overflowed

00:28:13.080 --> 00:28:13.940
 in a wealth

00:28:13.940 --> 00:28:15.220
 of generosity

00:28:15.220 --> 00:28:16.340
 on their part.

00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:17.780
 Do you get that?

00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:18.740
 They had joy

00:28:18.740 --> 00:28:19.220
 in Jesus'

00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:19.860
 contentment,

00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:20.820
 that overflowed

00:28:20.820 --> 00:28:21.520
 in generosity.

00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:23.440
 Contentment

00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:25.160
 means

00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:26.120
 that even if

00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:26.700
 you feel like

00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:27.500
 your reserves

00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:28.800
 are running low

00:28:28.800 --> 00:28:29.759
 in a relationship,

00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:31.600
 you're not getting

00:28:31.600 --> 00:28:32.460
 back where you want,

00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:33.480
 your tank feels

00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:34.040
 empty,

00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.160
 your spouse

00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:36.920
 isn't responding,

00:28:37.040 --> 00:28:37.620
 your finances

00:28:37.620 --> 00:28:38.120
 are tight,

00:28:38.340 --> 00:28:38.680
 whatever,

00:28:39.100 --> 00:28:40.779
 you can both

00:28:40.779 --> 00:28:42.500
 have the resources

00:28:42.500 --> 00:28:43.200
 in Christ

00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:43.880
 to be able to

00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:45.019
 keep loving

00:28:45.019 --> 00:28:46.000
 and lavishly

00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:46.600
 giving,

00:28:46.740 --> 00:28:47.340
 but also

00:28:47.340 --> 00:28:48.140
 you have the

00:28:48.140 --> 00:28:49.000
 humility to

00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:49.980
 accept help

00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:50.900
 when you do

00:28:50.900 --> 00:28:51.560
 have needs

00:28:51.560 --> 00:28:51.920
 because you're

00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:52.759
 not self-sufficient

00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:53.519
 like a rhino.

00:28:55.500 --> 00:28:55.940
 Now,

00:28:56.019 --> 00:28:56.420
 we could play

00:28:56.420 --> 00:28:57.000
 this out in

00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:57.400
 marriages,

00:28:57.620 --> 00:28:57.940
 we could play

00:28:57.940 --> 00:28:58.259
 it out in

00:28:58.259 --> 00:28:59.060
 community groups,

00:28:59.140 --> 00:28:59.560
 in lots of

00:28:59.560 --> 00:29:00.120
 different places.

00:29:00.220 --> 00:29:00.660
 Let me make

00:29:00.660 --> 00:29:01.340
 this a broader

00:29:01.340 --> 00:29:02.140
 church level.

00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:04.640
 The early

00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:05.320
 church

00:29:05.319 --> 00:29:07.539
 didn't believe

00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:08.559
 in isolated

00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:09.579
 congregations.

00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:10.339
 You see that

00:29:10.339 --> 00:29:11.079
 in Philippians.

00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:11.759
 Like,

00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:12.619
 we don't need

00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:13.220
 help from you,

00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:13.799
 we're just

00:29:13.799 --> 00:29:14.399
 building God's

00:29:14.399 --> 00:29:14.779
 kingdom in

00:29:14.779 --> 00:29:15.099
 our little

00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:15.480
 area.

00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:16.419
 No,

00:29:16.519 --> 00:29:17.200
 they didn't

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:17.799
 think like

00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:18.139
 that.

00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:19.200
 They built

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:20.220
 these connections,

00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:22.179
 these partnerships,

00:29:22.439 --> 00:29:22.859
 they were a

00:29:22.859 --> 00:29:23.480
 network of

00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:24.039
 churches that

00:29:24.039 --> 00:29:25.279
 mutually supported

00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:26.159
 and encouraged

00:29:26.159 --> 00:29:26.779
 one another

00:29:26.779 --> 00:29:28.200
 in the mission

00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:28.899
 of God

00:29:28.899 --> 00:29:30.019
 wherever it

00:29:30.019 --> 00:29:30.419
 led.

00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:32.379
 You know,

00:29:32.380 --> 00:29:34.340
 I think

00:29:34.340 --> 00:29:34.800
 sometimes,

00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:35.300
 even when we

00:29:35.300 --> 00:29:35.700
 think about

00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:36.260
 mission,

00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:37.100
 for example,

00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:38.060
 mission trips,

00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:39.200
 many people,

00:29:39.760 --> 00:29:40.980
 I think we

00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:41.760
 do mission trips

00:29:41.760 --> 00:29:42.760
 like rhino style

00:29:42.760 --> 00:29:43.660
 where we think

00:29:43.660 --> 00:29:44.720
 we're the ones

00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:45.000
 who are going

00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:45.440
 to go and

00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:46.300
 save the poor.

00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:47.320
 We're the ones

00:29:47.320 --> 00:29:47.700
 who are going

00:29:47.700 --> 00:29:48.980
 to rescue the

00:29:48.980 --> 00:29:49.940
 needy in other

00:29:49.940 --> 00:29:50.540
 places.

00:29:51.060 --> 00:29:51.820
 And so we go

00:29:51.820 --> 00:29:52.700
 as the heroes

00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:53.660
 without having

00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:54.220
 the humility

00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:55.080
 to realize that

00:29:55.080 --> 00:29:56.440
 actually partnership

00:29:56.440 --> 00:29:57.740
 is not just one

00:29:57.740 --> 00:29:57.920
 way,

00:29:58.000 --> 00:29:58.600
 it's two way.

00:29:58.920 --> 00:29:59.560
 And we will

00:29:59.560 --> 00:30:00.600
 learn through

00:30:00.599 --> 00:30:00.879
 that.

00:30:01.079 --> 00:30:01.319
 We need

00:30:01.319 --> 00:30:01.959
 humility.

00:30:03.059 --> 00:30:03.959
 But partnership,

00:30:04.299 --> 00:30:05.000
 it's not just

00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:05.799
 us helping

00:30:05.799 --> 00:30:06.039
 others,

00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:06.519
 it's not just

00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:07.279
 others helping

00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:07.639
 us,

00:30:07.959 --> 00:30:09.459
 it's a costly

00:30:09.459 --> 00:30:11.619
 sense of us

00:30:11.619 --> 00:30:13.079
 contending Christ

00:30:13.079 --> 00:30:13.759
 and pouring

00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:14.480
 things out to

00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.240
 people around us

00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:15.779
 as we can

00:30:15.779 --> 00:30:16.359
 and receiving

00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:17.879
 in ways that

00:30:17.879 --> 00:30:18.980
 are appropriate.

00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:19.399
 One of the

00:30:19.399 --> 00:30:19.759
 things in

00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:20.319
 Watermark we

00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:20.759
 want to do

00:30:20.759 --> 00:30:21.379
 is partner

00:30:21.379 --> 00:30:22.659
 with local

00:30:22.659 --> 00:30:23.159
 churches,

00:30:23.399 --> 00:30:23.939
 international

00:30:23.939 --> 00:30:24.500
 churches,

00:30:24.819 --> 00:30:25.519
 churches in

00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:26.019
 Hong Kong

00:30:26.019 --> 00:30:26.879
 and churches

00:30:26.879 --> 00:30:28.000
 around Asia

00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:28.959
 for the cause

00:30:28.959 --> 00:30:29.639
 of the gospel

00:30:29.639 --> 00:30:30.539
 going forth.

00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:31.359
 We cannot

00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:31.919
 do the

00:30:31.919 --> 00:30:32.459
 mission by

00:30:32.459 --> 00:30:33.079
 ourselves.

00:30:34.879 --> 00:30:35.759
 That means

00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.339
 we need to

00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:36.819
 be humble

00:30:36.819 --> 00:30:37.500
 enough to

00:30:37.500 --> 00:30:39.159
 receive people

00:30:39.159 --> 00:30:39.859
 to help us

00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:40.319
 and to walk

00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:40.959
 alongside us.

00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:41.339
 This is one

00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:41.759
 of the reasons

00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:42.919
 why we had

00:30:42.919 --> 00:30:44.039
 Pastor Paul

00:30:44.039 --> 00:30:44.619
 from the local

00:30:44.619 --> 00:30:45.219
 church come

00:30:45.219 --> 00:30:45.759
 and preach to

00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:45.839
 us.

00:30:45.919 --> 00:30:46.139
 We've had

00:30:46.139 --> 00:30:46.740
 Al Gibbs

00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:47.299
 come and

00:30:47.299 --> 00:30:48.000
 we've had

00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:48.439
 other people

00:30:48.439 --> 00:30:48.719
 who just

00:30:48.719 --> 00:30:49.359
 walk alongside

00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:50.099
 different people

00:30:50.099 --> 00:30:50.339
 in the

00:30:50.339 --> 00:30:50.679
 congregation.

00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:51.819
 This is part

00:30:51.819 --> 00:30:52.079
 of what

00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:52.719
 pastoring is.

00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:53.740
 Today Oscar

00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:54.859
 is preaching

00:30:54.859 --> 00:30:55.779
 at Emmanuel

00:30:55.779 --> 00:30:56.839
 English Church.

00:30:57.079 --> 00:30:57.759
 What a great

00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:58.559
 opportunity to

00:30:58.559 --> 00:30:58.919
 pastor.

00:30:59.099 --> 00:30:59.539
 We have our

00:30:59.539 --> 00:31:00.000
 resound

00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:00.579
 church here.

00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:01.419
 network that

00:31:01.419 --> 00:31:01.839
 we're part

00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:02.519
 of with

00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:03.059
 churches in

00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:03.519
 places like

00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:04.240
 India and

00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:05.299
 Australia and

00:31:05.299 --> 00:31:05.599
 Japan.

00:31:06.279 --> 00:31:07.339
 Our prayer is

00:31:07.339 --> 00:31:08.159
 some of us

00:31:08.159 --> 00:31:08.559
 might be able

00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:09.179
 to go over

00:31:09.179 --> 00:31:09.740
 and to

00:31:09.740 --> 00:31:10.259
 support and

00:31:10.259 --> 00:31:10.839
 encourage them

00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:11.299
 just as

00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:12.099
 they came

00:31:12.099 --> 00:31:12.639
 over last

00:31:12.639 --> 00:31:13.279
 year and

00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:13.819
 many of

00:31:13.819 --> 00:31:14.259
 them actually

00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:15.319
 encouraged us.

00:31:16.619 --> 00:31:17.439
 God's vision

00:31:17.439 --> 00:31:19.419
 for kingdom

00:31:19.419 --> 00:31:20.179
 ministry is

00:31:20.179 --> 00:31:21.179
 global.

00:31:21.399 --> 00:31:21.619
 It's not

00:31:21.619 --> 00:31:22.319
 territorial.

00:31:24.639 --> 00:31:25.519
 We want to

00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:26.199
 give away our

00:31:26.199 --> 00:31:26.899
 best people.

00:31:27.500 --> 00:31:27.779
 We want to

00:31:27.779 --> 00:31:28.099
 give away

00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:28.699
 resources.

00:31:28.700 --> 00:31:29.759
 We want to

00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:30.759
 partner with

00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:31.420
 people like

00:31:31.420 --> 00:31:32.480
 Amelia in

00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:33.360
 Taiwan so

00:31:33.360 --> 00:31:33.819
 that we can

00:31:33.819 --> 00:31:34.259
 actually be

00:31:34.259 --> 00:31:34.940
 blessing and

00:31:34.940 --> 00:31:35.779
 encouraging the

00:31:35.779 --> 00:31:36.279
 work that's

00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:36.519
 there.

00:31:36.519 --> 00:31:37.960
 Our prayer is

00:31:37.960 --> 00:31:38.319
 that actually

00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:38.600
 out of

00:31:38.600 --> 00:31:39.779
 watermark more

00:31:39.779 --> 00:31:40.360
 and more people

00:31:40.360 --> 00:31:40.940
 will be able to

00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:41.580
 send to the

00:31:41.580 --> 00:31:42.880
 nations for the

00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:43.319
 gospel.

00:31:46.120 --> 00:31:47.319
 We even had a

00:31:47.319 --> 00:31:48.100
 time last year

00:31:48.100 --> 00:31:48.960
 when our budget

00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:50.120
 was tight and

00:31:50.120 --> 00:31:50.620
 we prayed,

00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:51.160
 should we be

00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:52.200
 giving more to

00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:53.319
 missional justice

00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:53.720
 partners?

00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:54.539
 God's saying

00:31:54.539 --> 00:31:55.579
 yes, I will

00:31:55.579 --> 00:31:56.539
 supply all of

00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:57.900
 your needs and

00:31:57.900 --> 00:31:58.819
 God has

00:31:58.819 --> 00:31:59.620
 abundantly.

00:32:00.360 --> 00:32:01.000
 Whether we are

00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:01.940
 financially tight,

00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:02.700
 whether we're

00:32:02.700 --> 00:32:03.140
 struggling,

00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:04.380
 we always want

00:32:04.380 --> 00:32:05.160
 the generosity

00:32:05.160 --> 00:32:06.160
 of the contentment

00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:06.779
 of God to

00:32:06.779 --> 00:32:07.519
 fill our hearts

00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:08.279
 so that we're

00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:09.299
 not just tight

00:32:09.299 --> 00:32:11.140
 but we want to

00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:12.960
 be lavish and

00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:13.819
 humble to

00:32:13.819 --> 00:32:15.079
 receive as well

00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:16.200
 when we need.

00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:18.019
 See, the

00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:18.539
 overflow of

00:32:18.539 --> 00:32:19.220
 contentment leads

00:32:19.220 --> 00:32:19.799
 to humble,

00:32:20.180 --> 00:32:21.100
 generous partnership

00:32:21.099 --> 00:32:22.319
 but also

00:32:22.319 --> 00:32:23.799
 contentment leads

00:32:23.799 --> 00:32:24.500
 is the final

00:32:24.500 --> 00:32:25.740
 thing, to

00:32:25.740 --> 00:32:27.619
 sacrificial worship.

00:32:29.459 --> 00:32:30.159
 You know, the

00:32:30.159 --> 00:32:31.079
 whole of the

00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:31.379
 book of

00:32:31.379 --> 00:32:33.559
 Philippians is

00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:34.539
 a call to be

00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:35.259
 on mission,

00:32:36.519 --> 00:32:37.219
 making our

00:32:37.219 --> 00:32:38.119
 greatest ambition

00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:39.279
 to know Christ,

00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:41.000
 to follow him

00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:41.699
 together, to

00:32:41.699 --> 00:32:42.699
 become like him

00:32:42.699 --> 00:32:43.759
 and to make him

00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.099
 known.

00:32:45.579 --> 00:32:46.259
 You know, Jesus

00:32:46.259 --> 00:32:47.199
 who's the one

00:32:47.199 --> 00:32:47.899
 who was brought

00:32:47.899 --> 00:32:49.599
 low is also

00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:50.139
 the one who

00:32:50.139 --> 00:32:50.919
 is exalted

00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:52.240
 and everyone

00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:53.160
 in this universe

00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:53.800
 that one day

00:32:53.800 --> 00:32:54.460
 will bow the

00:32:54.460 --> 00:32:55.360
 knee and will

00:32:55.360 --> 00:32:56.180
 confess that

00:32:56.180 --> 00:32:56.880
 Jesus Christ

00:32:56.880 --> 00:32:57.420
 is Lord.

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.820
 That is the

00:32:59.820 --> 00:33:00.220
 heart.

00:33:00.460 --> 00:33:01.640
 It's a call for

00:33:01.640 --> 00:33:02.420
 each one of us

00:33:02.420 --> 00:33:03.300
 because that is

00:33:03.300 --> 00:33:04.660
 true, that we

00:33:04.660 --> 00:33:05.320
 are willing to

00:33:05.320 --> 00:33:06.320
 follow and

00:33:06.320 --> 00:33:07.080
 imitate that

00:33:07.080 --> 00:33:08.279
 J-curve life

00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:09.400
 of suffering

00:33:09.400 --> 00:33:10.140
 which leads to

00:33:10.140 --> 00:33:11.400
 resurrection glory,

00:33:11.880 --> 00:33:12.840
 of humbling

00:33:12.840 --> 00:33:13.700
 which leads to

00:33:13.700 --> 00:33:15.440
 life, of the

00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:16.360
 way down being

00:33:16.360 --> 00:33:17.240
 the way up,

00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:18.400
 and this joy

00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:19.940
 in Christ flows

00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:21.559
 out as worship

00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:22.720
 and praise to

00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:23.559
 him because he

00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:24.279
 alone deserves

00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:24.720
 it.

00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:26.519
 You see, right

00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:27.039
 at the end of

00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:27.580
 this book,

00:33:29.220 --> 00:33:30.380
 Paul says that

00:33:30.380 --> 00:33:31.180
 the Philippians,

00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:32.140
 your love and

00:33:32.140 --> 00:33:32.940
 your generosity

00:33:32.940 --> 00:33:34.660
 was a fragrant

00:33:34.660 --> 00:33:35.500
 gift,

00:33:35.980 --> 00:33:37.500
 acceptable and

00:33:37.500 --> 00:33:38.440
 pleasing to God.

00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:39.320
 That's worship

00:33:39.320 --> 00:33:40.360
 language he's

00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:40.740
 using.

00:33:41.340 --> 00:33:41.900
 And then he

00:33:41.900 --> 00:33:42.980
 said, right at

00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:43.640
 the end,

00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:46.120
 it is all for

00:33:46.120 --> 00:33:47.520
 the glory of

00:33:47.520 --> 00:33:48.160
 God the

00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:50.460
 Father who

00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:51.700
 provides in so

00:33:51.700 --> 00:33:52.320
 many ways.

00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:53.440
 John Piper says

00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:54.000
 God is most

00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:55.200
 glorified in us

00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:56.340
 when we are most

00:33:56.340 --> 00:33:57.660
 satisfied in him.

00:33:58.360 --> 00:33:59.600
 But I also think

00:33:59.600 --> 00:34:00.740
 when we are most

00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:01.940
 satisfied in him,

00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:03.140
 we will also

00:34:03.140 --> 00:34:04.620
 sacrifice the most

00:34:04.620 --> 00:34:05.400
 for him on his

00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:06.840
 mission because we

00:34:06.840 --> 00:34:08.240
 know that he will

00:34:08.240 --> 00:34:10.000
 provide abundantly

00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:10.740
 for us.

00:34:10.739 --> 00:34:13.279
 I had seven

00:34:13.279 --> 00:34:13.899
 friends.

00:34:15.379 --> 00:34:16.159
 Some of them

00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:17.319
 graduated with me

00:34:17.319 --> 00:34:19.159
 in the UK,

00:34:19.619 --> 00:34:20.279
 all single,

00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:21.659
 working men

00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:22.239
 and women.

00:34:23.479 --> 00:34:24.339
 And they felt

00:34:24.339 --> 00:34:25.779
 God calling them

00:34:25.779 --> 00:34:27.079
 to the Shamshay

00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:27.939
 Pole of the

00:34:27.939 --> 00:34:28.439
 city we were

00:34:28.439 --> 00:34:29.019
 living in at the

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:29.299
 time.

00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:30.500
 They were all

00:34:30.500 --> 00:34:31.079
 working in

00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:31.959
 different areas.

00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:32.359
 They weren't

00:34:32.359 --> 00:34:32.899
 working with the

00:34:32.899 --> 00:34:33.259
 church.

00:34:34.279 --> 00:34:35.899
 But they went

00:34:35.899 --> 00:34:36.579
 to this place,

00:34:36.779 --> 00:34:37.659
 this estate,

00:34:37.819 --> 00:34:38.099
 where there was

00:34:38.099 --> 00:34:39.059
 about 30,000 to

00:34:39.059 --> 00:34:40.319
 50,000 people

00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:40.900
 who had no

00:34:40.900 --> 00:34:41.740
 gospel witness.

00:34:44.220 --> 00:34:45.140
 And they moved

00:34:45.140 --> 00:34:45.660
 on to the

00:34:45.660 --> 00:34:46.420
 estate and they

00:34:46.420 --> 00:34:48.559
 took years of

00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:49.360
 just this slow,

00:34:49.580 --> 00:34:50.700
 painful process of

00:34:50.700 --> 00:34:51.160
 getting to know

00:34:51.160 --> 00:34:51.680
 the neighbors,

00:34:51.880 --> 00:34:53.180
 of hosting barbecues,

00:34:53.460 --> 00:34:54.700
 of trying to love

00:34:54.700 --> 00:34:55.140
 the people.

00:34:55.240 --> 00:34:55.860
 They ran pub

00:34:55.860 --> 00:34:56.140
 quizzes.

00:34:56.260 --> 00:34:57.059
 They did anything

00:34:57.059 --> 00:34:59.160
 to reach out to

00:34:59.160 --> 00:34:59.760
 the neighborhood

00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:00.680
 so that people

00:35:00.680 --> 00:35:01.780
 could experience

00:35:01.780 --> 00:35:02.720
 the love of

00:35:02.720 --> 00:35:03.500
 Christ through

00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:04.200
 them and the

00:35:04.200 --> 00:35:04.580
 gospel.

00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:06.200
 But they also

00:35:06.200 --> 00:35:06.700
 made this

00:35:06.700 --> 00:35:07.140
 commitment.

00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:08.880
 They said if

00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:09.580
 anyone actually

00:35:09.579 --> 00:35:10.420
 wants to date

00:35:10.420 --> 00:35:12.199
 us, you've

00:35:12.199 --> 00:35:12.819
 also got to be

00:35:12.819 --> 00:35:13.460
 willing to get

00:35:13.460 --> 00:35:13.980
 on the mission

00:35:13.980 --> 00:35:14.619
 that we're on.

00:35:16.179 --> 00:35:16.739
 And so we

00:35:16.739 --> 00:35:17.659
 want, like,

00:35:17.759 --> 00:35:19.619
 we're willing to

00:35:19.619 --> 00:35:20.539
 sacrifice whatever

00:35:20.539 --> 00:35:21.480
 it takes because

00:35:21.480 --> 00:35:22.099
 God has called

00:35:22.099 --> 00:35:22.460
 us.

00:35:23.219 --> 00:35:23.860
 You know, 15

00:35:23.860 --> 00:35:25.619
 years on, many

00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:26.039
 of them are in

00:35:26.039 --> 00:35:26.420
 their kind of

00:35:26.420 --> 00:35:27.199
 40s now.

00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:27.799
 Some of them

00:35:27.799 --> 00:35:28.219
 are married.

00:35:28.759 --> 00:35:29.199
 Some of them

00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:29.860
 are still single.

00:35:31.259 --> 00:35:32.159
 And people have

00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:32.659
 said to them,

00:35:32.699 --> 00:35:33.460
 listen guys, you

00:35:33.460 --> 00:35:34.539
 are just crazy

00:35:34.539 --> 00:35:35.960
 for giving up

00:35:35.960 --> 00:35:37.679
 those opportunities

00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:38.460
 to have children,

00:35:38.579 --> 00:35:39.219
 to have family

00:35:39.219 --> 00:35:40.019
 because of this

00:35:40.019 --> 00:35:40.299
 mission.

00:35:40.339 --> 00:35:41.119
 That's ridiculous.

00:35:41.819 --> 00:35:42.239
 Others have

00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:42.779
 said, hey, you've

00:35:42.779 --> 00:35:43.619
 sacrificed career

00:35:43.619 --> 00:35:44.159
 opportunities.

00:35:44.319 --> 00:35:45.139
 That's stupid.

00:35:47.779 --> 00:35:48.919
 Just to go on to

00:35:48.919 --> 00:35:50.219
 this rough council

00:35:50.219 --> 00:35:51.639
 estate where you're

00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:52.539
 not getting a ton

00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:53.359
 of great things

00:35:53.359 --> 00:35:54.179
 back from these

00:35:54.179 --> 00:35:54.599
 people.

00:35:57.079 --> 00:35:57.739
 But if you

00:35:57.739 --> 00:35:58.219
 would actually go

00:35:58.219 --> 00:35:59.019
 and talk to them,

00:35:59.980 --> 00:36:00.579
 if you were going

00:36:00.579 --> 00:36:01.099
 to meet them,

00:36:01.139 --> 00:36:01.839
 you wouldn't find

00:36:01.839 --> 00:36:03.819
 bitter, angry,

00:36:04.219 --> 00:36:05.659
 resentful, regretful

00:36:05.659 --> 00:36:07.500
 people, you would

00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:08.599
 find this community

00:36:08.599 --> 00:36:09.940
 that radiates this

00:36:09.940 --> 00:36:11.399
 joy in Jesus.

00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:12.920
 You would find

00:36:12.920 --> 00:36:13.679
 these people who

00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:14.779
 would say, we've

00:36:14.779 --> 00:36:15.940
 walked through life

00:36:15.940 --> 00:36:17.359
 and we've seen

00:36:17.359 --> 00:36:19.619
 by our experience,

00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:20.619
 we've learned that

00:36:20.619 --> 00:36:21.659
 contentment is

00:36:22.579 --> 00:36:23.759
 found not in

00:36:23.759 --> 00:36:24.759
 having the one

00:36:24.759 --> 00:36:25.679
 as your partner,

00:36:25.879 --> 00:36:26.679
 not in finding

00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:27.539
 the greatest

00:36:27.539 --> 00:36:28.879
 career or anything

00:36:28.879 --> 00:36:29.179
 else.

00:36:29.179 --> 00:36:30.719
 It's found in

00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:31.679
 Jesus and being

00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:33.039
 with him on his

00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:34.500
 mission that people

00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:35.259
 might come to

00:36:35.260 --> 00:36:36.120
 praise him who

00:36:36.120 --> 00:36:36.720
 is the Lord of

00:36:36.720 --> 00:36:37.000
 all.

00:36:38.160 --> 00:36:39.040
 Because you see,

00:36:39.200 --> 00:36:40.160
 they're ordinary

00:36:40.160 --> 00:36:41.180
 messy people,

00:36:42.060 --> 00:36:43.980
 but their whole

00:36:43.980 --> 00:36:44.760
 lives are a

00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:46.260
 picture of

00:36:46.260 --> 00:36:48.100
 worship, that

00:36:48.100 --> 00:36:49.040
 Jesus is worth

00:36:49.040 --> 00:36:49.340
 it.

00:36:51.600 --> 00:36:52.680
 So is Jesus

00:36:52.680 --> 00:36:54.140
 enough for us?

00:36:55.220 --> 00:36:55.880
 God may not

00:36:55.880 --> 00:36:56.560
 call you, he

00:36:56.560 --> 00:36:57.260
 may call some

00:36:57.260 --> 00:36:58.040
 of us to that.

00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:01.340
 Right now, there

00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:01.840
 may be some

00:37:01.840 --> 00:37:02.260
 people that

00:37:02.260 --> 00:37:02.840
 actually that's

00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:03.260
 what God is

00:37:03.260 --> 00:37:03.980
 placing on your

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.880
 heart right now.

00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:06.860
 a call for a

00:37:06.860 --> 00:37:08.320
 mission in a

00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:08.720
 way that you're

00:37:08.720 --> 00:37:09.119
 going to have to

00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:10.500
 sacrifice greatly.

00:37:11.740 --> 00:37:12.640
 Some of us, many

00:37:12.640 --> 00:37:13.320
 of us, that's not

00:37:13.320 --> 00:37:13.860
 going to be the

00:37:13.860 --> 00:37:15.079
 call in that kind

00:37:15.079 --> 00:37:15.519
 of way, but

00:37:15.519 --> 00:37:16.220
 actually the call

00:37:16.220 --> 00:37:18.940
 is always that we

00:37:18.940 --> 00:37:19.619
 would find our

00:37:19.619 --> 00:37:20.559
 contentment so much

00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:21.500
 in Christ that we

00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:22.019
 would be these

00:37:22.019 --> 00:37:22.840
 people who are

00:37:22.840 --> 00:37:24.200
 partnering with

00:37:24.200 --> 00:37:25.140
 overflowing,

00:37:25.720 --> 00:37:26.680
 generous,

00:37:27.220 --> 00:37:27.920
 humble,

00:37:29.059 --> 00:37:29.780
 sacrificial

00:37:29.780 --> 00:37:31.260
 worship to the

00:37:31.260 --> 00:37:32.079
 one seated on the

00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:32.360
 throne.

00:37:32.360 --> 00:37:34.460
 let me pray for

00:37:34.460 --> 00:37:34.800
 us.

00:37:41.220 --> 00:37:41.820
 Thank you,

00:37:41.900 --> 00:37:42.420
 Father, that you

00:37:42.420 --> 00:37:46.180
 say that my God

00:37:46.180 --> 00:37:48.420
 will supply all

00:37:48.420 --> 00:37:51.000
 our needs as we

00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:51.780
 walk with you,

00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:54.280
 all of our needs,

00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:55.760
 not just our

00:37:55.760 --> 00:37:58.140
 wants, but

00:37:58.140 --> 00:37:59.720
 everything we need

00:37:59.719 --> 00:38:01.059
 for true contentment.

00:38:01.980 --> 00:38:02.859
 According to your

00:38:02.859 --> 00:38:05.019
 riches, you are

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:06.119
 abundantly wealthy.

00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:08.639
 Father, I pray that

00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:09.439
 we would not be

00:38:09.439 --> 00:38:10.419
 those who live with

00:38:10.419 --> 00:38:11.439
 a poverty mindset,

00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:13.439
 those who live with

00:38:13.439 --> 00:38:16.699
 an egret-like neediness,

00:38:16.959 --> 00:38:18.059
 codependency.

00:38:19.059 --> 00:38:20.099
 Lord, I pray we would

00:38:20.099 --> 00:38:21.000
 not be those who live

00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:22.199
 with a self-sufficiency,

00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:24.399
 but we'd see that

00:38:24.399 --> 00:38:25.179
 wherever we are

00:38:25.179 --> 00:38:26.619
 right now, you are

00:38:26.619 --> 00:38:28.019
 sufficient for us.

00:38:28.859 --> 00:38:30.000
 Give us that rest.

00:38:30.659 --> 00:38:31.639
 Give us that peace.

00:38:31.859 --> 00:38:32.819
 Even in the struggle,

00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:33.939
 even in the challenges,

00:38:34.460 --> 00:38:35.119
 we'd be of a

00:38:35.119 --> 00:38:36.799
 community that is

00:38:36.799 --> 00:38:37.719
 the most content

00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:38.559
 community in the

00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:39.279
 whole of Hong Kong,

00:38:39.379 --> 00:38:39.799
 I pray.

00:38:40.599 --> 00:38:41.719
 In Jesus' name.

00:38:42.939 --> 00:38:43.279
 Amen.