WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.599 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:20.480 ! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.679 either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:31.519 that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself. 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:37.359 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:42.159 we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:48.799 Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:55.120 what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian, 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:00.320 checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:05.280 questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.759 that you're really struggling with. So God bless. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:13.439 Let's pray. 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:22.879 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:26.799 O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. You may be seated. 00:01:31.199 --> 00:01:37.119 Well, it's good to be here with you this morning. George is the usual preacher. He's away at Messiah 00:01:37.119 --> 00:01:43.439 West in Kanata, so he asked if I would preach, which I'm happy to do. But maybe I should introduce myself 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:48.159 a little bit. I don't know that I've met all of you. My family and I have been going to this church for 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:56.399 about three months. And we moved to Ottawa last November from the north, from the Arctic. We had 00:01:56.399 --> 00:02:03.280 lived in Yellowknife for quite a while and Iqaluit for quite a while. And so my wife, Jen, isn't here. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:08.879 But my son, I won't send her you out, Ben, but he's in this vicinity over here. But we've been going 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:12.639 here a few months and you've been very warm and welcoming to us. So we're grateful for that. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:18.000 What was I, what were we doing in the Arctic? Well, I worked for the Diocese of the Arctic. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.519 I had a couple of different roles. One was I was a Suffragan Bishop. It's not a, not a suffering 00:02:23.519 --> 00:02:29.280 bishop, although there was a bit of that. Suffragan is just, it just means assistant. So in the Arctic, 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:34.719 there's three assistant bishops. I was one of those and a diocesan bishop. And the reason for that, 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:40.800 why so many bishops is, it's a very big, big, big diocese, 1.5 million square miles. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.199 And so lots of travel, sparse population, but lots of travel. And so a couple other things I did. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:53.599 My wife, Jen, and I opened a theological college in Iqaluit. That's still going to train Inuit folks 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:58.960 for ministry in the church. And then I was the pastor of a congregation for a while too. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:06.640 But last year, middle of last year, we began sensing the Lord was releasing us from that 00:03:06.640 --> 00:03:12.400 ministry and calling us to something different. And so that path led to Ottawa and we arrived here. 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:17.520 I'm serving with a ministry called Christian Embassy of Canada that ministers to diplomats and 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:23.040 parliamentarians. And that's been a big learning curve, like all ministry is, but it's been, 00:03:23.040 --> 00:03:28.400 it's been wonderful. So I can see the Lord blessing that. So lots of upheaval for us, 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:33.760 but we're grateful to be here. All right. So we're going to look at the end of Philippians. 00:03:34.480 --> 00:03:38.719 Those of you who've been here have seen that George has been preaching on Philippians each week. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:44.480 This is the last passage from Philippians. So a little summary of Philippians. It's a letter 00:03:44.480 --> 00:03:51.599 that Paul wrote from prison. And it's very, maybe paradoxically, it's very joyful. It's a very joyful 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:57.200 letter from prison. And Paul, in doing this, in writing this letter, is trying to encourage 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:05.119 believers to live together in unity, humbly, and to continually rejoice in Christ, regardless of 00:04:05.119 --> 00:04:10.799 circumstances, and ultimately to keep an eternal perspective, so that you're not distracted by 00:04:10.799 --> 00:04:18.000 what's in front of you. Keep an eternal perspective. And that is how they find their strength and joy and 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:25.920 peace in the Lord. So in the final passage that we're going to look at here, Paul talks about 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:33.120 contentment. Contentment, which is, again, maybe a surprising thing to talk about. It's consistent 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:37.680 with the themes of the letter, but most people who are in prison don't talk about contentment. They 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:44.240 maybe talk about freedom, but Paul wants to talk about contentment. So what is contentment? 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:49.920 Well, I did a Google, I did a deep dive in Google, and here's the best definition I could come up with. 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:57.920 Contentment. A peaceful satisfaction with what you have, apart from your circumstances. 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:05.199 I'll say it again. Contentment. A peaceful satisfaction with what you have, apart from your circumstances. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:11.920 And so the opposite of that is covetousness, where you want something someone else has, 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:20.080 or envy, where you're jealous or you want to be someone else. Underlying all that is this restless 00:05:20.080 --> 00:05:29.840 desire for more and for different. That's the opposite of contentment. It's a lack of peace and a lack of satisfaction. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:37.759 So contentment is a timely topic. I think it's always a timely topic, because it's something that 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:44.240 we all seek. And if we were to scrutinize the decisions we make day by day, and week after week, 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:51.039 and month after month, I think we'd find that a lot of our decisions are driven by this search for contentment. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:58.959 Okay, so before we get into the text, I want us to imagine a scenario together. 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:02.639 So here it is. You're in a bookstore. Take a drink of water. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:10.479 You're in a bookstore. Maybe you're on Amazon, I guess, now scrolling, but let's imagine it's a brick and mortar bookstore. 00:06:11.359 --> 00:06:19.519 And you're in, say, the self-help section. And you find a book. And a title grabs your attention. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.560 Here's the title. It's called, How to be Content in All Circumstances. That's the name of the book. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:31.680 I would grab my attention. So you pull it off the shelf. And the first question I would have, 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:39.519 as I pulled that book off the shelf, is, who's writing this? Who is it that claims to have the 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:44.959 secret of contentment? That's what I'd want to know. And so you flip it around. It's usually a 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:49.680 little bio, but maybe you Google the name and you get more information. And you discover 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:54.799 that this author who wrote this book, How to be Content in All Circumstances, 00:06:55.599 --> 00:07:02.959 he's got a really interesting background. He used to be a religious extremist who had dedicated the 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:09.039 first part of his life to eradicating a rival religious group. And I mean killing them. 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:17.200 And then he had some supernatural encounter that changed his life. And he became then a missionary 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:22.560 devoted to spreading the faith of the group he tried to eradicate. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:29.280 And he travels the world and faces all kinds of obstacles and hardships. He was 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:37.600 flogged and beaten and attacked by mobs and unjustly imprisoned and shipwrecked, 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:43.600 not once, but three times. And lots of stress that comes with organizational leadership, 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:50.800 like betrayals and being undermined and being in conflict and corruption and all those sorts of 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:55.439 things. And he never took a regular salary. He relied on the generosity of people. 00:07:56.960 --> 00:08:05.600 And then his story comes to an end with him being executed by the government. He's killed by the state. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:17.439 Now, I don't know about you, but if I saw that book written by that person, I would think this person 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:23.520 is probably worth listening to. Because this person has a lot of reasons to not be content. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:30.240 And so if he's found the secret of contentment, I want to know what that is. So of course, 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:35.360 I'm describing the apostle Paul, okay? That's what I'm describing, of course. But the point, 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:41.759 the reason I'm doing that is because I want us to realize that quite apart from what you do or do 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:51.279 not believe about the Bible, this man, Paul, is worth listening to. Even if you don't believe the 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:59.679 Bible is inspired by God, I do, but maybe you don't, this is a person you want to listen to. He's earned 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:02.240 the right to speak on contentment. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:09.759 So this gives me a lot of hope because I think, well, Paul, in all that upheaval and stuff we 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:17.039 experience, if Paul knows the secret to contentment, regardless of circumstances, there's hope for me 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:25.759 and you too, who probably live far less tumultuous lives. I don't think anybody here has been shipwrecked, 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:35.039 right? Maybe. No? Me either. All right. So we're going to look at Paul on contentment. Before we get 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:42.080 deep into the text, there are really two paths to contentment. And these are the same paths that were 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:47.919 around in Paul's day. And they're still around today, these two paths. They're false paths. 00:09:49.439 --> 00:09:55.679 They're ways people try to achieve contentment, but they're false because they don't get you there. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:02.399 Neither of these paths are going to get you to contentment. So here's the first false path. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:09.259 And then I promise I'll get it to Paul. First false path is the path of worldly success. 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:18.220 The path of worldly success. So the idea is, if you work hard, if you get the right job, if you get the 00:10:18.220 --> 00:10:23.539 promotion you want, if you get enough money in your bank, if you get the right romantic partner, if you get 00:10:23.539 --> 00:10:28.980 the ideal family, if you get the right opportunities and connections and all that, if it all works out 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:33.339 for you, you're going to need a lot of luck probably. But if it all works out for you in this world, 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:39.799 then you'll be content at the end of that. That's the promise of this path. 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:46.819 But see, what's the problem with this? Immediately you realize that you, if you don't know people 00:10:46.820 --> 00:10:51.540 directly, you know of people who have all this and who are far from content. 00:10:52.740 --> 00:11:01.140 They're anxious. They're tense. They're restless. They're miserable. And they've got all this stuff. 00:11:01.400 --> 00:11:08.840 Externally, they've succeeded. One of the most wealthy Americans of all time, John D. Rockefeller, 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:12.120 he was a billionaire back when nobody was a billionaire, like 100 years ago. 00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:18.799 And he was asked, how much money is enough? And he said, just a little bit more. 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:32.039 You see? The problem is our desires are so restless and bottomless. And you're just not going to find 00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:40.379 satisfaction in this world. Scripture warns about this everywhere. But people still pursue this path. 00:11:40.379 --> 00:11:45.899 And in the end, it ends up being like a bucket that you're frantically trying to fill, but it's leaking 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:53.480 as you're filling it. And so you never get filled. And so this path of worldly success is not going to 00:11:53.480 --> 00:12:02.019 get me or you to anything near contentment. It's not going to get us anywhere near contentment. 00:12:02.019 --> 00:12:07.539 So when people find out that one doesn't work, often they'll switch to this other one. Or sometimes 00:12:07.539 --> 00:12:13.519 people will do this other one first. The second path, so if this path, the worldly success path, 00:12:13.559 --> 00:12:18.480 is about immersing yourself in the world and all the world has to offer, this other path, 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:25.039 which I'm going to call the path of detachment, is the exact opposite. It's about withdrawal 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:32.339 from the world. An emotional, spiritual withdrawal, a detachment from the world. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:39.120 Now, the assumption in this path, this detachment path, is that you're too attached to things. 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:44.299 And if you can just let go of that and look in yourself, you'll find contentment there. 00:12:45.579 --> 00:12:50.939 Now, in Paul's day, Stoic philosophers, you sometimes have come across that phrase or that 00:12:50.940 --> 00:12:54.920 term in the Bible. They would teach something like this. In our day, 00:12:55.520 --> 00:13:00.640 spiritualities that are influenced by Eastern religion would teach something like this. 00:13:01.060 --> 00:13:06.260 Often drugs are part of it because you're trying to disconnect from the world. You're trying to 00:13:06.260 --> 00:13:14.400 detach yourself. And I've got to say, at least at first, there's sort of a... Sounds like there's a 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:23.600 wisdom about this. Because the logic is, if the world hurts you and disappoints you, then stop caring 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:34.000 so much about it. Okay? And stop looking for contentment in the world. Okay. But then you 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:44.159 detach from these things and you go inward. And now what? What do you do now? Once you've detached 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:53.559 from the world and gone inward, you've maybe shut out suffering, but at what cost? Paul would say, 00:13:53.860 --> 00:14:01.179 not would say, does say, we have a lot to learn from suffering. Suffering in the hands of God is a 00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:12.379 teacher. And if you block that, you block the possibility of growth. And so Paul agrees in some 00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:19.360 ways with this. He would say, yes, the world does not satisfy. But then he would say, but don't escape 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:29.000 the world. Engage the world in the name of Christ. So even in this letter, Philippians, Paul calls on 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:39.759 Christians to live together in humble unity, to practice joyful sacrifice, to be a courageous witness, 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:47.580 to enter into generous partnerships for the sake of the gospel. This is all rooted. All these things 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:54.220 are rooted in the love of Christ. But the trouble is, if you're checked out or detached or withdrawn, 00:14:54.220 --> 00:15:00.500 you're not going to do any of that. And so both these paths fail. They failed then and they fail now. 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:04.960 The path of worldly success, the path of detachment, they're both not going to get you where they 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:15.440 promise. Because, because both of them rely on my strength. So the path of success is all about 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:20.639 my external achievements. The path of detachment is about my sense of discipline and control. 00:15:21.500 --> 00:15:28.920 But the point is, any contentment you're going to find has to be either earned or manufactured. 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.699 And that is a crushing, crushing burden. 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:42.539 And neither of these paths, success or detachment, can deal adequately with weakness and suffering. 00:15:44.299 --> 00:15:52.299 It breeds anxiety. It cuts us off from love and growth. These are dead ends. They were dead ends then 00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:53.199 and they're dead ends now. 00:15:56.199 --> 00:16:02.539 And both paths prevent us from living the kind of abundant life our Lord promises us. 00:16:03.179 --> 00:16:07.139 From living the kind of life that Paul sets forward in this letter. 00:16:08.979 --> 00:16:11.659 So, here's Paul's vision. 00:16:13.459 --> 00:16:15.000 It's not worldly success. 00:16:15.539 --> 00:16:16.779 It's not detachment. 00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:21.819 It's contentment centered in Christ. 00:16:22.939 --> 00:16:24.860 I'm going to read this passage again. 00:16:24.959 --> 00:16:28.679 I'm going to read chapter 4, 10 to 13. 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:30.899 You can put that back up there if you want. 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:32.279 But, yeah, there we go. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:34.279 Okay, I'll read 10 to 13 again. 00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:35.980 And just pay attention. 00:16:36.079 --> 00:16:37.799 What is the path Paul's laying out here? 00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:42.240 Verse 10. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:17:01.820 I know how to be brought low. 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:03.700 I know how to abound. 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:10.559 In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:15.539 And in that great verse, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:25.339 I said earlier that if anybody has good reason to not be content, it's Paul. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:29.359 The shipwrecks and the poverty and the sickness and all that kind of stuff. 00:17:29.899 --> 00:17:36.460 But you'll see in here that circumstances don't sway him one way or the other. 00:17:36.460 --> 00:17:38.779 And it's that key verse at the center. 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:42.480 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.880 Now, what's the promise of that verse? 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:50.559 It's not that you're superhuman strength or fortitude or something. 00:17:50.860 --> 00:17:52.740 Or that your faith is bulletproof. 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:54.380 Or that you're spared from hardship. 00:17:55.259 --> 00:17:55.700 No. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:59.720 What Paul's saying is that with Christ at the center of his life, 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.000 he can endure anything. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.200 He can persevere through anything. 00:18:05.880 --> 00:18:09.539 He's given the strength he needs to overcome anything. 00:18:10.700 --> 00:18:14.019 And so rather than wishing circumstances were more favorable, 00:18:15.460 --> 00:18:21.259 Paul keeps his mind on Christ and asks for the strength to be faithful today. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.619 The strength to be faithful today. 00:18:25.180 --> 00:18:28.000 And so that verse, I can do all things through him who strengthens me, 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:29.680 is ultimately about perseverance. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.900 It doesn't mean circumstances are easy. 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:33.460 They're not. 00:18:34.580 --> 00:18:35.600 It's perseverance. 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:38.019 In the name of Christ. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.080 Through it. 00:18:41.460 --> 00:18:44.920 So how does Christ strengthen us for all things? 00:18:45.980 --> 00:18:47.180 Through faith. 00:18:47.820 --> 00:18:49.600 That's how we cling to Christ. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:50.340 Through faith. 00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:54.840 It's not just that we have beliefs about Jesus. 00:18:54.839 --> 00:18:59.500 It's that we have a deep trust in Jesus. 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:00.559 Right? 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:05.179 The object of our faith is not a set of ideas, however nice they are. 00:19:05.699 --> 00:19:12.019 The object of our faith is a person who's died and risen and ascended to the Father. 00:19:12.659 --> 00:19:13.359 It's a person. 00:19:14.099 --> 00:19:15.679 And so we... 00:19:15.679 --> 00:19:22.799 The Christian life is about participating in the life the risen Christ is living right now. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:30.859 The Christian life is about participating in the very life the risen Christ is living right now. 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.680 And that's brought into us through the Holy Spirit. 00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:38.180 You remember in... 00:19:38.180 --> 00:19:43.159 I don't know if you remember in the Gospel of John that when Jesus is telling his disciples that he's going away, 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:44.180 he's going back to the Father, 00:19:44.180 --> 00:19:47.519 the disciples respond like that's bad news. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:50.180 Because they think we're losing him. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:52.140 But Jesus says, 00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:54.759 no, actually me going back to the Father is good news. 00:19:55.360 --> 00:19:57.840 Because what's going to happen is Jesus ascends, 00:19:58.360 --> 00:19:59.940 and what happens next? 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.100 Sends the Holy Spirit 00:20:01.100 --> 00:20:03.940 to live in us and among us. 00:20:03.940 --> 00:20:07.019 And so, for us, 00:20:07.660 --> 00:20:10.200 Christ's presence is more available, 00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:12.940 more dispersed, 00:20:13.360 --> 00:20:16.380 than it was for the first twelve disciples. 00:20:16.500 --> 00:20:17.559 The first twelve disciples, 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:19.580 they met Jesus in the flesh, 00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:20.240 in the body, 00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:21.840 here and now, 00:20:22.080 --> 00:20:24.100 but Jesus could only be at that point, 00:20:24.180 --> 00:20:24.940 in one place, 00:20:25.120 --> 00:20:25.900 at one time. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:28.799 But now that he sent the Holy Spirit, 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:31.640 his presence is now mediated to us 00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:32.980 all the time. 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:36.000 Jesus is available to you right now, 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:37.019 wherever you are, 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:38.839 whatever's going on, 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:39.980 he's available to you. 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:43.579 So the Holy Spirit is this presence 00:20:43.579 --> 00:20:45.779 that mediates Christ to us 00:20:45.779 --> 00:20:47.360 and that strengthens us from within. 00:20:48.420 --> 00:20:49.180 You know, one of the most, 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:50.380 I mentioned being in the north, 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:54.460 one of the most joyful people I've ever met. 00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:56.539 She just died last year, 00:20:57.400 --> 00:20:58.220 a couple years ago, 00:20:58.279 --> 00:21:00.460 maybe at the young age of 103, 00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:01.380 I think she was. 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.740 But she lived in the high Arctic 00:21:03.740 --> 00:21:06.540 and she lived a very simple life, 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:09.140 lived in a little cabin in the high Arctic. 00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:11.740 I didn't even think there was electricity in this cabin, 00:21:11.820 --> 00:21:12.560 actually, to be honest. 00:21:14.260 --> 00:21:15.180 But a deep, 00:21:15.780 --> 00:21:18.200 a Christian lady with deep faith, 00:21:18.340 --> 00:21:19.460 and she talked to people 00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:22.340 about being friends with the Holy Spirit. 00:21:22.339 --> 00:21:24.699 Isn't that beautiful? 00:21:25.639 --> 00:21:25.819 She, 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:27.220 what got her through this, 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.419 these hardships? 00:21:28.639 --> 00:21:29.139 She said, 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.519 friendship with the Holy Spirit 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:32.939 who lives within her and within you. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:34.639 And so, 00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:36.599 intimacy with the Holy Spirit 00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:37.959 is one and the same 00:21:37.959 --> 00:21:39.299 with intimacy with Christ. 00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:42.579 And this, 00:21:42.879 --> 00:21:44.460 the deeper we go into this, 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:47.240 the more our mind and life changes. 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:49.519 New Testament, 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.919 Paul elsewhere talks about 00:21:50.919 --> 00:21:52.200 having a renewed mind. 00:21:52.659 --> 00:21:54.480 As you walk with Christ, 00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:56.480 in step with the Spirit, 00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:59.200 contentment becomes more natural, 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:02.180 becomes more like a habit. 00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:02.299 But, 00:22:03.060 --> 00:22:06.080 as the Spirit does 00:22:06.080 --> 00:22:07.700 His work in you, 00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:10.360 you become a more content person. 00:22:10.600 --> 00:22:10.860 You see? 00:22:14.140 --> 00:22:14.620 This, 00:22:14.740 --> 00:22:15.640 this isn't, 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:16.960 this is a process, 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:17.519 I gotta say. 00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:19.660 Paul does say something important. 00:22:19.860 --> 00:22:20.980 He says a few things that are important, 00:22:21.060 --> 00:22:21.740 but one thing is, 00:22:21.820 --> 00:22:22.519 that we might miss, 00:22:22.620 --> 00:22:23.820 is that Paul says, 00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:24.840 I have learned 00:22:24.840 --> 00:22:26.860 contentment. 00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:27.680 I've learned it. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:29.080 When, 00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:30.380 when Paul had that, 00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:31.980 that life-changing, 00:22:32.180 --> 00:22:33.779 encounter on the road to Damascus, 00:22:33.779 --> 00:22:34.600 where he met Jesus, 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:36.519 his life changed, 00:22:36.620 --> 00:22:38.900 but he didn't become content 00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:39.560 right away, 00:22:39.560 --> 00:22:40.500 like a light switch, 00:22:41.100 --> 00:22:43.060 or like being plugged into a power bar, 00:22:43.060 --> 00:22:43.519 or something. 00:22:45.299 --> 00:22:45.779 Paul, 00:22:45.940 --> 00:22:46.779 like all of us, 00:22:46.820 --> 00:22:48.539 had to be taught by Christ, 00:22:49.779 --> 00:22:51.160 shaped by hardship, 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.039 had to find contentment 00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:54.880 through discipline, 00:22:55.560 --> 00:22:57.400 through daily walking with Christ, 00:22:57.759 --> 00:22:59.000 in step with the Holy Spirit. 00:22:59.500 --> 00:23:01.120 And so that's a lifetime process, 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:03.179 and sometimes it's maybe hard to see, 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:04.299 hard to see progress, 00:23:04.779 --> 00:23:05.859 but there is, 00:23:05.899 --> 00:23:07.379 as long as you stay close to Jesus, 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:09.459 there is transformation happening, 00:23:09.659 --> 00:23:10.899 and there is contentment, 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:12.419 that's solidifying in your life. 00:23:12.479 --> 00:23:12.979 That's happening, 00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:14.899 because God promises it will happen. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:16.839 He promised to complete the work, 00:23:16.959 --> 00:23:18.299 that he's begun in us. 00:23:19.459 --> 00:23:20.579 So we're not passive, 00:23:20.779 --> 00:23:21.419 we're active, 00:23:22.219 --> 00:23:22.439 and it, 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:23.359 and we sometimes, 00:23:23.739 --> 00:23:23.919 I mean, 00:23:23.939 --> 00:23:24.939 this is all God's grace, 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:25.959 it doesn't mean that, 00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:27.199 it doesn't involve effort. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:29.480 God's grace in our life, 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:31.480 is not opposed to effort, 00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:33.880 it is opposed to earning, 00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:35.420 we're not earning anything, 00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:37.200 but there is a sense, 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:38.640 where we have to put effort in, 00:23:38.980 --> 00:23:40.319 to walk with Christ, 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:41.539 in step with the Spirit, 00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:42.900 towards contentment. 00:23:43.299 --> 00:23:44.640 So that's Paul's vision. 00:23:46.340 --> 00:23:47.360 It's quite different, 00:23:47.360 --> 00:23:48.380 from the worldly success, 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:49.480 and the detachment route, 00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:50.799 it's contentment, 00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:51.779 centered in Christ. 00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:54.859 Just before we're done here, 00:23:54.899 --> 00:23:55.720 I want to look at, 00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:57.899 this part about money, 00:23:58.700 --> 00:23:59.019 Paul, 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:00.059 this is sort of like, 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:02.099 a real life test case, 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:02.899 for contentment. 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:04.539 Money. 00:24:04.899 --> 00:24:05.700 So Paul, 00:24:05.940 --> 00:24:07.139 and I'll read this, 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:08.759 chapter 4, 00:24:08.839 --> 00:24:09.680 14 to 20, 00:24:10.180 --> 00:24:11.119 and you can put that up there, 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:12.879 oh you beat me to it, 00:24:12.899 --> 00:24:13.359 check that out. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:15.839 I'll read this section here, 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:17.319 this is Paul shifting to money, 00:24:17.399 --> 00:24:18.399 and we'll talk a little bit about that. 00:24:20.879 --> 00:24:21.680 Verse 14, 00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:22.940 Yet it was kind of you, 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:23.879 to share my trouble. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.099 And you Philippians, 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:26.799 yourselves, 00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:28.519 know that in the beginning of the Gospel, 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.779 when I left Macedonia, 00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:33.839 no church entered into partnership with me, 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:35.539 in giving and receiving, 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:36.519 except you only. 00:24:38.180 --> 00:24:39.519 Even in Thessalonica, 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:41.079 you sent me help for my needs, 00:24:41.139 --> 00:24:41.759 once and again. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:43.980 Not that I seek the gift, 00:24:44.379 --> 00:24:45.579 but I seek the fruit, 00:24:46.379 --> 00:24:47.940 that increases to your credit. 00:24:48.420 --> 00:24:50.039 I have received full payment, 00:24:50.139 --> 00:24:50.639 and more. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:52.080 I am well supplied, 00:24:52.580 --> 00:24:54.400 having received from Epaphroditus, 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:55.440 the gifts you sent. 00:24:55.860 --> 00:24:57.040 A fragrant offering, 00:24:57.960 --> 00:25:00.120 a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:01.000 It's like an act of worship, 00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:01.340 right? 00:25:02.020 --> 00:25:04.259 And my God will supply every need of yours, 00:25:04.340 --> 00:25:05.480 according to his riches, 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:07.500 riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:09.360 To our God and Father, 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:10.540 be glory forever and ever. 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:10.900 Amen. 00:25:10.900 --> 00:25:11.000 Amen. 00:25:12.600 --> 00:25:12.900 So, 00:25:14.100 --> 00:25:18.140 this is like a real-life test case for contentment. 00:25:18.340 --> 00:25:18.560 Paul, 00:25:18.560 --> 00:25:21.259 Paul planted quite a few churches, 00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:22.660 and when he was in prison, 00:25:23.280 --> 00:25:25.400 only one of them sent him support, 00:25:25.540 --> 00:25:26.280 financial support. 00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:26.920 Only one. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:29.200 Now, 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:30.540 that, 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:32.240 he may have been disappointed by that, 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.519 but he wasn't bitter. 00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:34.620 In fact, 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:35.400 he was grateful, 00:25:35.819 --> 00:25:39.500 and recognized that that shows real fruit in this congregation, 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:42.839 that their gift to him is like an offering of worship. 00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:45.120 And Paul is not, 00:25:45.180 --> 00:25:46.880 so he's not trusting in circumstances, 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:48.019 even when he expects, 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:50.480 he probably expected these churches would support him more. 00:25:50.539 --> 00:25:51.059 I'm sure he did. 00:25:51.059 --> 00:25:52.960 But he's not trusting in that. 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:55.720 He looks to Christ for strength. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:58.099 He looks to Christ for strength, 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:01.279 especially when things don't turn out the way he expected. 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:02.779 And he does that with gratitude. 00:26:04.399 --> 00:26:09.339 If you want to banish bitterness from your life and relationships, 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:11.440 gratitude is the way to do that. 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:13.399 And so, 00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:14.919 Paul is grateful. 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:20.240 Embedded in this text is a really, 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:23.079 rich theology of provision, 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:24.079 of God's provision. 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:27.240 And it goes like this. 00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:31.740 God supplies our needs, 00:26:32.120 --> 00:26:34.640 but he does that through one another. 00:26:37.579 --> 00:26:39.380 There's enough in the church 00:26:39.380 --> 00:26:41.640 to meet the needs of the church, 00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:44.680 as long as generosity flows. 00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:47.960 And that generosity 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:51.059 actually fuels the Great Commission. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:55.600 There's enough to go around, 00:26:56.340 --> 00:26:58.360 but generosity needs to flow. 00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:02.100 And so you see how Paul's contentment 00:27:02.100 --> 00:27:04.319 is rooted in this deep confidence 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:06.079 in God and his work 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:08.100 in Christ, 00:27:08.600 --> 00:27:09.519 through the Holy Spirit. 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:15.700 And so he ends where he begins, 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:17.980 with God's grace, 00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:20.379 God's kindness in Christ. 00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:22.920 You could say that's the atmosphere 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:24.059 of the Christian life. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.619 And it's that 00:27:25.619 --> 00:27:27.460 that sustains contentment 00:27:27.460 --> 00:27:29.200 when circumstances do not. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:32.480 So this, 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:33.319 I think, 00:27:33.360 --> 00:27:35.200 forces some questions on us, 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:35.940 this text. 00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:39.740 Where are you, 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:40.799 where am I, 00:27:41.600 --> 00:27:42.600 seeking contentment? 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:45.799 In achievement? 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:48.160 In relationships? 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:51.400 In a certain kind of lifestyle? 00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:52.820 In a certain kind of identity? 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:54.840 In a certain sense of control? 00:27:56.320 --> 00:27:58.340 Have you tried the path 00:27:58.340 --> 00:28:00.900 of striving for success, 00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:04.100 only to feel tired and burnt out? 00:28:05.460 --> 00:28:07.600 Have you tried the path of detachment, 00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:10.060 only to be left feeling hollow? 00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:13.819 But Paul wants to say to us this morning, 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:15.179 don't look inward 00:28:15.179 --> 00:28:17.000 because your strength will fail. 00:28:17.619 --> 00:28:18.639 Don't look outward 00:28:18.639 --> 00:28:20.159 because the world will disappoint. 00:28:20.639 --> 00:28:21.279 Look upward 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:24.000 because Christ is everything you need. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:25.039 He will not fail you. 00:28:25.139 --> 00:28:26.339 He's not failed me yet. 00:28:27.099 --> 00:28:28.119 And I know those of you 00:28:28.119 --> 00:28:29.519 who've been around longer than I have 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:30.139 will say the same. 00:28:30.220 --> 00:28:31.419 He did not fail us. 00:28:32.299 --> 00:28:33.859 Doesn't mean life always feels good. 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:35.279 And it certainly doesn't mean 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:36.519 it goes the way we expect. 00:28:36.659 --> 00:28:37.799 But Christ is with us 00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:38.599 every step of the way, 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:39.460 strengthening us, 00:28:39.460 --> 00:28:40.460 and he will not fail. 00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:43.140 And it's when we get that deep into us, 00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:44.279 we can say with Paul, 00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:47.600 I can do all things, 00:28:48.279 --> 00:28:48.940 all things, 00:28:49.180 --> 00:28:51.160 through Christ who strengthens me. 00:28:51.420 --> 00:28:52.100 All things. 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:53.019 Amen? 00:28:53.019 --> 00:28:53.140 Amen.