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[Music]
with a message from God’s word here’s
Charles Stanley
there are some lessons in the scripture
I only have to learn one time
for example I only had to learn the
lesson about salvation once once I
trusted Jesus Christ as my savior that
was finished once and for all as far as
being assured of it there may have been
times when I needed a little bit more
Assurance but as far as learning what it
meant to be saved and trusting Jesus
Christ as my savior one time was
sufficient
but most of those practical lessons that
you and I have to live by
somehow we have to learn them over and
over and over again and even when we
think we have it down just right
something will come along and test their
understanding or test their faith or
test
our ability to live out what we know and
one of those principles is what I want
to talk about this evening back again to
Philippians chapter four we’ve been in
that for some time and you’ll recall
that Paul is writing this from prison
and that he made three wonderful very
important affirmations In this passage
when he said
that he had learned to experience
contentment in all circumstances he’d
learned to experience a strength for all
things and he had learned to experience
a supply for every single need so I want
us to look at this passage again this
evening beginning in verse 10. I
remember now that Paul is writing to
thank them for their help in supporting
his ministry and so he begins by saying
but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that
now at last you have revived your
concern for me there was a time when
they couldn’t support him but now they
can
indeed you were concerned before but you
elect opportunity
not that I speak from want for I have
learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am I know how to get
along with humble means and I also know
how to live in prosperity in any and
every circumstance I have learned the
secret of being filled and going hungry
both of having abundance and suffering
need he says because I can do all things
now through Christ who strengthens me
well he said he had learned the secret
and I don’t know that the bible really
makes learning how to live contended a
secret but it is probably to most people
a secret that is they haven’t quite
learned how can I really and truly be
content in these difficult trying
circumstances that I face day after day
year after year no matter what’s going
on
so what we have to ask is what do we
mean by contentment do some people
contentment would mean having what I
need in life or to some of the people uh
contentment would mean that my
relationships are right and so I’m
emotionally satisfied contentment
is freedom from worry and frustration
about unfulfilled Desires in my life
that is contentment is freedom from
worry and frustration about unfulfilled
Desires in my life and so if we are
discontent it means we are frustrated or
worried about something something that
is not being fulfilled some desire that
has not been met and so Paul said during
this time in his life when he was going
through the ministry out preaching the
gospel and going from City to city and
as we mentioned before in the 11th
chapter of second Corinthians he gives
us this long scenario of all the things
he’d been through from shipwrecks to
being beaten and in prison all the rest
he said I’ve learned this tremendous
lesson and he says it twice he said I
have learned to be content I have
learned to experience freedom from worry
and frustration when my desires were not
being fulfilled my plans weren’t working
out and my what I thought were my needs
weren’t being filled at that moment he
says I’ve learned to be free from
frustration and worry about the future
and the things that were going to happen
and I wonder how many of us could say
that
that in difficult trying circumstances
we have learned to be free from worry
and frustration
well I don’t think any of us probably
ever reached the place where we are
never frustrated about anything I’ll
never worry about anything I’m never
concerned in fact if you’re a committed
Christian you’re going to be concerned
about some things genuinely because God
is going to put concern in your heart
but we’re talking about frustration and
anxiety that comes as a result of not
being genuinely content where we are now
if I should ask you
how many of you would like to change at
least one of your circumstances in your
life
what is it about that circumstance that
frustrates you
what is it about it that worries you
what it is about it that gives you
concern that is if God were to say to
you name one thing and I will change one
circumstance in your life I’ll probably
most of us could say yes Lord I’m
sitting already been waiting for you to
tell me that because we wouldn’t even
have to think about what it is
well Paul said listen he says I have
learned I have learned the secret of
being filled and going hungry both of
having abundance and suffering and he
says what I’ve learned is this I’ve
learned the secret of being content in
my ever-changing circumstances about
which and over which I have no control
you see as long as we feel like we’re in
control then we don’t have to worry be
frustrated it is when things are out of
control it is when we can’t change them
it is when we can’t do anything about it
and we don’t feel in control that we
feel frustrated and worried and
concerned and oftentimes angry and all
the things that come along with that so
I want you to notice two or three things
that Paul said In this passage about
contentment that I think are worthy of
us thinking about
registering it in our mind and the next
time we get discontent and Restless to
ask ourselves the question is this true
in my life and so what he’s saying here
in essence is this he says that my
contentment is not to be governed and
cannot be governed my contentment cannot
be governed by my circumstances
if my contentment is governed by my
circumstances then I immediately have a
problem because all of us know that we
face circumstances on your job in your
home among your children situations and
relationships that you have no control
over you can’t change it you can’t flip
a switch and everything be right so if
my contentment listen if my contentment
is dependent upon governed by anything
outside myself I instantly have a
problem
and this is why most people are
discontent they’re not contented they’re
not happy they’re not full of peace and
joy because there’s something they need
to change they want to change something
that’s out of control
and when Paul spoke of it here in
thinking in terms of back over his past
circumstances there were times when his
circumstances were very painful very
uncertain probably almost looking
hopeless and feeling very helpless and
not being able to change it he said I
learned something I learned that no
matter what they were and how much they
made change and had disastrous it may
look he said I learned a wonderful
Secret
that is that my contentment must not and
could not be determined or governed by
my outer circumstances
now most of us look on the outside and
and our joy and our happiness and our
peace is sort of dependent upon if this
one acts this way or if I have enough of
this or if I get this job or if these
things work out and most people most
Christians will have to say that their
contentment is governed by their
environment
their circumstance but Paul knew that
was not the key and he says and I
learned you cannot depend upon your
circumstances to make that true because
here’s what happens when our
circumstances aren’t right how do we
respond how do you respond for example
when your circumstances are totally
out of control and there is pain and
sometimes you would just like to escape
well sometimes we get angry because we
can’t control them sometimes bitterness
is the result sometimes the person says
I just want to walk out I want to walk
away
sometimes
a person gets this overwhelming sense of
hopelessness and helplessness and they
just want to crawl out of life
how do you respond when you feel you
can’t change your circumstance
well Paul said however you respond
remember this your contentment can never
depend upon your circumstances or your
contentment will be up and down off and
on in and out in fact you won’t have any
so notice how he said it he said
I’ve learned to be content so he’s
learned something he says I’ve learned
not to allow
my circumstance is to cause me worry and
frustration but rather a sense of
calmness and peace on the inside that’s
Indescribable and if you’ll notice he
said go back to the fourth to the sixth
verse of the same chapter notice how he
said it he said don’t be anxious about
anything and you say anxiety is the
absolute opposite of contentment he said
don’t be anxious about anything but in
everything by prayer and supplication
with Thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God and the peace of God
which surpasses all comprehension shall
guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus and so he says you know he
learned that when anxiety approached him
exactly how to handle it now let me just
say this right up front I’m not going to
tell you that you can reach any kind of
spiritual stage in your life where you
will never be discontent again there’s
no such thing because life and
circumstances are always changing and
even though we don’t find ourselves in a
time of great discontent there are
moments when we have to wrestle with
what we are confronted with and in those
moments of wrestling we may sense
discontent in those moments our fear or
uncertainty and so it is not a matter
that you never feel it it is a matter of
how do we respond to it so that our
sense of contentment is not stolen and
we’re not cheated of it
well Paul said first of all here he said
your circumstances can’t govern your
contentment
but what is it that governs our
contentment the decisions I make
not my outside circumstances the
decisions I make determine whether I’m
going to be contented or not
my contentment is governed by my inner
self my attitude something that goes on
inside of me that is the only way Paul
could have learned that’s the only way
he could have said this because remember
you go back to 11th chapter of second
Corinthians and all the things that
happened to him and here he is in prison
now in prison saying guess what I have
learned the most amazing lesson I have
learned the secret of being in prison
and being content I’ve learned the
secret of having plenty and being
content not having anything and being
content having many friends around me
being content being isolated in a Roman
prison and being content well I want to
know is Paul what is it you know that I
want to know
and so he says I’ve learned to be
content in listen to this in whatever
circumstance I’m in and then again he
says in all of these things in every
circumstance I have learned the secret
of being content
that is Paul was the man whose spiritual
life was like a roller coaster up and
down off and on in and out but he had
learned to live in such a relationship
to Christ that his life doesn’t mean
that he didn’t have conflicts and
problems and challenges
nor disappointments in life
but his life had moved from up and down
to more of a calm and tranquil
confidence and assurance that nobody
could steal something that he possessed
on the inside that could not be ruffled
by anything anybody said or what they
did to him on the outside
so first of all he said my contentment
is not governed by my outside
circumstances and secondly he says it is
governed by my inner attitude now let’s
look at that for a moment
let’s think about what our attitudes are
and uh how we go about them sometimes
when we think about what are the
attitudes that sort of fight against my
contentment what would be one attitude
that really fights against contentment
what would one of them be
what is that Pride would certainly do
that all right what would be another one
fear all right it’s something difficult
to be fearful experiencing fear
and be content what would be another one
insecurity all right what else
what’s that
jealousy it certainly would be one you
can’t be jealous of someone that is you
can’t have that kind of relationship
going on and be content what would be
another one I’m waiting for somebody to
be honest enough to say well here’s one
for sure
covetousness
covetousness I want it I can’t have it
right now but I want it
and oftentimes people lose their sense
of contentment or discontent because
they want things in life they can’t have
won’t relationships they can’t have I
want to want to buy something they can’t
have and and oftentimes people who have
plenty of discontent you see discontent
isn’t the result of not having enough
there are people who have much much more
than they’ll ever be able to spend and
they’re terribly discontent
and you recall the a parable that Jesus
told about the man who had so many
wonderful crops and everything was so
abundant and so all of his barns were
filled he said what in the world am I
going to do I’m going to tear down these
Barns and build bigger barns so I can
have more and more and more and someone
asked John D Rocky fellow one time how
much is enough
and he said more than a person has
because you see contentment cannot rest
upon relationships it can’t rest upon
money possessions Pride or prominence a
Prestige any of that
it has to do on the inside now what that
does is this it puts every single person
on the same level that is if contentment
is based on something that is on the
inside of a decision that I make then I
have just as much privilege of being
content in my difficult circumstances as
you have to be in your difficult
circumstances and we are on the same
level
it is the matter of the way I think and
you see if you look at Paul’s
circumstances it could not ever have
been based on anything going on on the
outside of him
so what is it let’s look at this passage
now he said
not that I speak from want he says
because they had begun to help him again
he says for I have learned to be content
in whatever circumstances I am I he says
I’ve learned how to get along
with humble means and I also know how to
live in prosperity in any and every
circumstance look at that in any and
every circumstance I have learned the
secret
why did he call it a secret because not
many people knew how I’ve learned the
secret
of being filled and going hungry both of
having abundance and suffering need now
what is this decision I have to make
and the last two three days I’ve talked
to some people who’ve gone through
extremely extremely difficult
circumstances and on the one hand one is
overwhelmed by it
absolutely defeated by it
and here is another one going through
something of a different kind of trauma
a terrible trial and Circumstance but
somehow much more confident
what is the decision
what is the decision a person has to
make that is if contentment
is the result of a decision that I make
and this is what Paul it had to be true
with Paul or he could never have said
what he said
what is the decision here’s the first
decision
the first decision is this if you want
to be able to be contented that is free
from frustration and worry
because of unfulfilled needs or desires
the first thing you have to decide is
God I am going to accept
this situation is coming from you
if you don’t do that you will never
learn contentment because if you don’t
you’re going to decide to blame it on
somebody else or some situation or some
event God I am going to accept this as
coming from you that you either
programmed it into my life you allowed
it in my life you executed in my life
you’re the cause behind it whatever it
is I’m going to accept it is from you
now sometimes you and I know that what’s
happening to us is not something that
God sends you say well isn’t that sort
of being hypocritical no because you see
if God wanted to have stopped that he
could God can change any and every
circumstance that’s going on around us
anytime he chooses so if he doesn’t
choose to change it then I must say God
I choose to see this from you now I want
to tell you that is the most powerful
that is the most powerful aspect of
learning contentment God I see it from
you and many times when I find myself in
those situations I just have to say Lord
I just want to thank you in Jesus name I
I trust you I’m looking to you as the
source of this no matter what I see what
I hear I’m looking to you and thanking
you you’re the one who’s behind this
now if I am willing to make a decision
God I choose to thank you and believe
you I’m receiving this from you then I
know that he is omnipotent he has the
power to change it anytime he chooses
then I don’t feel helpless then I don’t
feel hopeless then I don’t feel like I’m
a victim of what’s going on and I’m not
the victim of my circumstance but I am a
living child of God
watched over by God cared for it by God
Guided by God through a difficult
circumstance that God has seen fit to
allow if I can make that decision I
choose to see this from God friend
that’s the bottom line of all my
contentment when those circumstances are
painful so that is the first thing I
have to decide the second thing I have
to decide is this I have to make a
decision to submit to God in this
circumstance which I see as coming from
him
now if I’m not willing to submit to him
in it then what is my alternative if
it’s not submission what is it
it’s Rebellion that is if I don’t submit
to him in this then I have to rebel
against it I don’t like it God
now let me just say this sometimes when
you don’t like it just tell him don’t
don’t try to fake God out and say well
now Lord I just want to thank you for
this and it’s all just so sweet Jesus no
it’s not it’s painful you don’t like it
just tell him God I don’t like it I see
it from you
and God I choose to submit to you see
living the Christian Life forces me to
be practical
about the things God teaches now I
either believe in Romans 8 28 or I don’t
believe in it now if I believe in it I
first of all must accept make a decision
to accept this is coming from God
secondly I submit because
I know that he has my best interest at
heart and he’s only going to engineer my
circumstances what he knows is good I
didn’t say I had to like it I may not
like it I’d like to run a thousand miles
but if I see it coming from him and I
submit to him in this
then I taken the second most important
step in learning to live in a difficult
circumstances with a sense not of worry
not a frustration doesn’t mean it’ll
always be nice and good and acceptable
but I don’t have to fret
and in those moments I fret I just back
off and say God thank you that you’re
reminding me that this is coming from
you and thank you that you’re
engineering my circumstances and I
submit to you in this and I’m trusting
you which is Step number three and all
of this is wrapped up in faith I’m
trusting you that you know what’s best
for me
and so since it’s coming from you and
I’m submitting to you and I’m trusting
you because I know you know what’s best
for me then what then you see I don’t
have any real basis for being frustrated
now whenever I take my eyes off of him
and I begin to slip at this point I can
get frustrated and thank God what’s
going on and all I have to do and I have
to keep reminding Lord I know what’s
going on you are allowing this
I choose to submit again to you I I
choose to trust you that that I am your
child
and you are working in my life your plan
may not be what I want I’m I’m trusting
you to work in my life your plan and
therefore I can rest and let
if I’m not willing to see it from him it
doesn’t make any difference what else
goes on I’m going to have a difficult
time being submissive to him and asking
him to guide me through it and the
fourth thing is this
not only must I see it from him
and submit to him in it and trust him to
take care of me through all of this but
I must learn to draw from him instantly
now I believe personally it’s one of the
most important lessons that I’ve learned
in my own spiritual walk to learn to
draw instantly quickly Lord you know
what I’m thinking you know how I feel
you know what I like to do Lord I just
draw from you you sit out of my
innermost being shall flow rivers of
living water that is life-giving sources
whatever I need God you promise to be
that and that’s why Paul said I can do
all things through Christ who
strengthens me he learned to draw from
within him
so think about this
if all I have need of is within me
because the presence of Christ and I see
everything that’s going on in my life as
from him and I submit to him knowing
that he knows best and trusts my life
into his hands and draw from him draw
from him out of my innermost being what
I need for that moment
then my friend I’m going to be able to
live contented in the most difficult
trying circumstance now the third thing
Paul said In this passage it’s so
important he said first of all
my contentment can’t be governed by my
circumstance and the second thing he
said is look
your contentment is governed by a
decision that you make on the inside and
the third thing he said about it that I
want you to remember is this he said
contentment is something you learn to
experience not something that’s given to
you now look at this
he said
verse 11 not that I speak from one for I
have learned to be content
I’ve learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am I know how to get
along with humble means I also know how
to live in prosperity and in every
circumstance I have learned the secret
now he says I learned it which means
that God didn’t say Paul
this is the definition of contentment
you got it Apostle now go live it
you know how Paul discovered the secret
of contentment
just like you and I do
being real discontent
that’s the way he learned it by being
discontent upset frustrated worried
can’t figure it out
he said I learned it now a learning when
somebody’s learning something that’s a
process
and how do we learn things we learn
things especially spiritual experiences
how do we learn them most of the way we
learn them is not by reading a book now
you can read books and people can tell
you how and you can listen to sermons
and get suggestions but the only way to
learn contentment is to get so
discontented with your discontent
that you make a decision to find out God
how do I live in this with contentment
and joy and peace and not be frustrated
and been out of shape and bid and
resentful hostile and angry and want to
run God how do I live in contentment in
all this
he says I learned it
when did he learn it how did he learn it
he learned it on the road he learned it
in persecution he learned it in prison
he says I have learned to be content I
have learned to be free
from the worry and the hassle of all the
things that a natural normal a person’s
life who’s going through circumstances
they can’t contain and can’t control and
cannot manipulate
he said I’ve learned the lesson
and in order to learn lessons like that
we have to fail so here’s what I want
you to remember
when you fail don’t have a pity party
when you fail don’t say oh God I know
I’ve disappointed you know you didn’t
you can’t disappoint somebody who knows
everything ahead of time so he knew you
were going to fail he knows when we’re
going to fail don’t have a pity party
over your failure
but rather just say Lord I just want to
thank you that you understand me and I
just want to reaffirm that everything
that comes into my life has to come
ultimately from you because you’re the
Sovereign God of this universe and
you’re the one who allows it or refuses
to allow it into my life and so I submit
to you in this I’m trusting you to care
for me and I’m going to draw from you
what I need out of the innermost being
you said shall flow rivers of living
water that is life-giving sources
whatever I need for life he says it’s
going to flow because Christ is within
us now the only way Paul could say any
of that is this the Apostle Paul
understood what it meant to live in
Christ Jesus and for Christ to be in him
that is he knew what his identity was
that he was a child of God who possessed
the life of God and for the name of
Christ in his life he understood what it
meant to be in Christ Jesus that is he
lived out of him and he lived off of him
and Christ Living on the inside of him
was his source
and so how did he draw he drew by faith
that is so simple but so profound he
drew by faith
now for tomorrow for example let’s say
you face some situation circumstance out
of your control and somebody’s doing it
to you whatever it might be how do you
respond
Lord Jesus I just want to thank you that
because you are my source I draw from
you the capacity to be kind and to be
forgiving I draw from you the love that
I need to express I draw from you the
forgiveness I want to express I draw
from you the kindness and the gentleness
I draw from you
and you see that’s what the Bible is all
about in a practical fashion in
Galatians chapter 5 the fruit of the who
the spirit is learning to draw from
within us
that which God is placed in order that
you and I can live in any single
solitary circumstance that’s what he
said any and every circumstance he says
I’ve learned to be content
I’ve learned to be able to become
quiet
confident and assured even though I may
get ruffled up badly
and for a moment lose my composion or
lose my sense of Tranquility quickly I
come back because I know it’s from him
and I’m committed to him and I’m
trusting him
and all that I need is on the inside
when Believers begin to know in a
practical daily Moment by moment
lifestyle that all that I need is on the
inside my friend life takes on a whole
new perspective
you know what that means you’re not
dependent on anybody
now that doesn’t mean we’re not to be
interdependent as a church and as a
family and as friends because that’s the
way God made us but you’re not dependent
upon anybody to make you happy
you see when
you’re dependent on somebody else to
make you happier somebody else to make
you peaceful or somebody else to give
you contentment or someone else to do
something suppose they disappoint you
suppose they leave you suppose they die
you see we can’t control anything
outside but listen God gave you the
capacity as a Believer through the power
of the Holy Spirit to control your
thinking
and he gave you the faith to Simply
trust him
now I want you to think about the one
circumstance that you’d like to change
tonight if you could
now think about this
think about that circumstance with this
in mind
God
I accept that as coming from you
Lord
I submit to you in this to stay in this
circumstance as long as you see fit
as long as you know I need it to
accomplish whatever you’re accomplishing
in my life to do whatever you want to do
whatever you plan your purpose I submit
Lord I’m trusting you to take care of me
through this because you’re my sovereign
father
and Lord
I’m just going to draw from within the
strength that I need
to see me through this no matter what
my friend your frustration
and anxiety and fear will disappear
here’s what I want to say to you
do I mean that one time in your life
like salvation you can do that and
you’ll be free forever no
I mean every time you and I hit the
winds blowing us off course
we just have to come back to claim and
to affirm and to reaffirm and to trust
and to draw
which means that throughout our lifetime
what happens
we just have to keep learning to trust
him
and keep drawing in order to experience
contentment that’s one of those lessons
you don’t learn once
but you and I learn and keep learning
and keep learning to practice until
finally
we sort of have it down
now they will not ever need it we’ll
keep on knitting it but at least we know
what to do and how to go about it and I
want to challenge you
this coming week the first thing
that steals your contentment
I challenge you with those four steps to
see what God does I know what he’ll do
he’ll quiet in your spirit
give you a sense of confidence you know
what you’ll be doing you’ll say hmm
that works
praise the Lord next thing you’ll be
doing is just praise the Lord and
thanking him and you know why you’ll be
thanking him because you’ll be so
surprised at your own attitude
that somebody can just lay you out on
your job and tell you what they think
and criticize you or whatever it might
be you can just stand there and say
thank you thank you Jesus thank you Lord
hallelujah amen because you know what’s
happening you’re responding from within
not in the flesh you’re drawing your
defense you’re drawing what God how
Christ would respond
and it is a matter of simple Trust
and here’s what happens the more you
practice that remember that Paul said
had to learn it the more you practice
that
that boy becomes a reality
I challenge you
I promise you it’ll work
now the only way you’re going to learn
listen
how did you learn to drive a car
you didn’t read a book
and when you were a teenager you wanted
to learn to drive a car more than
anything in the world well I get my
license
let me ask you this do you want your
contentment license
oh had you just rather say well well I I
just don’t know I can’t handle that let
me just put it this way you’re going to
get frustrated anyway so you might as
well learn to be content
you might as well learn how
because you can’t avoid life
and people and circumstances and
situations so as a believer
learn to be content in Christ Jesus
father we love you and praise you
thank you for all the suffering and all
the hurt that the Apostle Paul went
through in order to share with us this
precious simple truth
that I can be content and the most
difficult of circumstances in Jesus name
amen