Honoring Christ Through Contentment | Philippians 4:10-20

Scripture

• Philippians 4:10–20

About this sermon

Introduction: True churches — healthy churches — honor Christ. They recognize that Christ is the Head of the church. They recognize Christ is the Chief Shepherd of the church. They are submissively pursuing the will of Christ in the church. BUT HOW DO WE EXPLAIN CHRIST-HONORING CONGREGATIONS? Regeneration is the ultimate explanation, but what are they learning? What are they being taught? As we think about this, I want to zero in on one non-negotiable to that end. There are many ways the Bible would explain a Christ-honoring church. But the reason why I want to zero in on the quality that we emphasize today, is because I think we RARELY MENTION this element of what makes for Christ-honoring churches. AS I SAID, THE BIBLE DESCRIBES WHAT IT MEANS TO HONOR CHRIST IN MULTIPLE WAYS. We can say: No church honors Christ that isn’t growing in its KNOWLEDGE of Christ. No church honors Christ that doesn’t CHERISH Christ — counting Him our greatest treasure. No church honors Christ that doesn’t PRIORITIZE Christ — giving Him first place. No church honors Christ that isn’t SATSIFIED with Christ. YOU CANNOT HONOR CHRIST WHILE YOU ENTERTAIN IDOLS. Colossians 3:5 (LSB) 5 Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. John MacArthur — “greed. Lit. this term means “to have more.” It is the insatiable desire to gain more, especially of things that are forbidden (cf. Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21; Jas 4:2). which amounts to idolatry. When people engage in either greed or the sexual sins Paul has cataloged, they follow their desires rather than God’s, in essence worshiping themselves—which is idolatry (Nu 25:1–3; Eph 5:3–5).” BUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN REALLY BE SUMMED UP IN THE WORD CONTENTMENT. In contrast to the constant desire for something we DO NOT HAVE, and all the things WE SHOULD NOT HAVE, is CONTENTMENT. The Christ honoring church is a church characterized by contentment. CONTENT WITH WHAT GOD GIVES US. CONTENT WITHOUT WHAT GOD HAS CHOSEN NOT TO GIVE US. CONTENT REGARDLESS OF OUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES CONTENT WITH WHAT GOD HAS IDENTIFIED AS SUFFICIENT. CONTENT IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE AND SEASON OF CONGREGATIONAL LIFE. CONTENT WHEN IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE FLOURISHING AND CONTENT WHEN IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE WITHERING. CONTENT KNOWING THAT WE CAN’T DO BETTER THAN TO SIMPLY TRUST AND OBEY WITH CONSISTENT FAITHFULNESS — I MEAN WE ARE TRULY CONVINCED OF THAT. CONTENT WHEN CELEBRATED AND CONTENT WHEN CONDEMENED, BECAUSE IN NEITHER CIRCUMSTANCE IS OUR AIM THE PRAISE OF MEN. Contentment is found wherever you find a church honoring Christ. That kind of church ministry produces fruit. Its fruit is simplicity — free from the clutter of human invention — the clutter of worldly ideologies and strategies that men take hold of in pursuit of things God never designed. Its fruit is peacefulness — at rest in God and His Word and the work He has assigned us. Its fruit is unity — contentment in Christ that frees us from competition with each other. Its fruit is a consistent thankfulness and joy. But, as we will be reminded, CONTENTMENT IS LEARNED — believers struggle to learn it. It is not automatic. It is a matter of sanctification. CONTENTMENT IS EXPERIENCED INDIRECTLY. IT IS LEARNED IN THE FURNACE OF GOD ORDAINED CIRCUMSTANCES THAT SIFT US AND PURIFY US. Our God must teach us the vanity of setting our HOPE on what is NOT OUR HOPE. WE WILL NEVER HONOR CHRIST IN HIS CHURCH IF WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH CHRIST IN HIS CHURCH. AND THIS CHARACTERIZES CHURCHES ONE BELIEVER AT A TIME. If the church is to honor Christ, WE MUST HONOR CHRIST. If contentment is non-negotiable for the church, IT IS NON-NEGOTIABLE FOR ME if I am to live a life that honors Jesus. I. PAUL’S JOY DECLARED (VS.10) Paul is bringing his letter to a close. But before he finishes there is a matter that needs to be attended to. He hinted at the matter in the first chapter: NAS Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. But now he addresses it directly. The Philippians, by the hands of Epaphroditus (vs.18), have delivered material support to Paul. Paul is in a Roman prison, surviving on the most basic kind of provisions, existing in a state of want, facing an impending trial before Roman authorities, and knows that he potentially faces even the possibility of execution. In those circumstances, he meets with an act of friendship and concern on the part of the Philippian church. Epaphroditus had arrived with their gift, and was himself a gift, and now Paul can return his thanks by the hand of this same man in the form of this return letter. His thank you is fascinating. It is rich with instruction.

Topics

• Jesus Christ