Paul Reveals the Secret of His Contentment

Alright, let's take our Bible. Let's turn to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 will be back in these verses, verses 10 to 14. I think most of you know that we got started in these verses last week and what I mean by that is that we really only covered a portion of these verses. We're really not going to cover any more verses. We're just going to go a little deeper here and there's quite a bit last week that I left off and I did that on purpose. And last week's message can be seen as a part one in a way although last week's message title and tonight's message title is a little different.

Last week we looked at what I called Paul's thankfulness. He reveals the secret of contentment. And even though these messages are connected, tonight's message title is different. I said that already. Tonight we're going to look at what I'm calling Paul reveals the secret of his contentment. And the word his is a little bit in the emphatic what I mean is we're going to look at Paul in his life quite a bit here. Now in last week's message we covered verse 10 where Paul was expressing his joy and gratitude to the Philippians that they had all reconnected. They had reconnected with him and he had reconnected with them.

And then we got started in verses 11 to 13. In those verses we saw what true Christian contentment is and I compared true Christian contentment to a more natural contentment. What I call good character contentment or a good character trait. And then we looked at the fact that Christian contentment must be learned. It must be developed. It doesn't come to us automatically overnight when we come to faith in Christ. And tonight we're going to dive deeper into verses 11 to 13. And tonight I want us to look at how Paul presented himself as an example of Christian contentment.

We will see that Paul exemplified Christian contentment in his own life for these Philippians to see and for us to see. So I've already given us the title but again Paul reveals the secret of his contentment. And I say he is that way because he is our example. Now before we dive into our verses and into our message I want to make sure that we remember the background the circumstances here all of which have a bearing on all of this teaching. The Philippian church and believers had lost contact with Paul. We've seen that but not out of negligence not for any selfish or sinful reason.

It seems that time and distance had separated Paul from the Philippians and that is natural and normal. But after 10 years had gone by since Paul had first come to Philippi news of Paul's situation in a Roman imprisonment had reached the Philippian believers. So their concern for Paul had been revived or it had flourished again. Like an oak tree goes dormant in the winter and shows no sign of life the relationship between the Philippians and Paul had grown dormant and it showed no sign of life.

But by the grace of God in the providence of God their love and concern for Paul and an opportunity to minister to and with Paul had been revived or it had flourished again. In verse 10 Paul wrote and he said to them "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern from me. You were indeed concerned for me." He could say it like this "you were concerned for me before but you had no opportunity." And through this reconnection they met many of Paul's needs while he was in prison. They sent him money for his personal needs.

They sent him a piperditis to minister to him and with him as he ministered there in prison and they sent their love and their concern really they sent their heart to Paul through a piperditis and their gift. Of course this was all while Paul was in a Roman imprisonment and although he was hopeful that he would be released there was no guarantee that he would be. He knew very well that he could be executed. And again he expressed to them his love and his gratitude for their support in verse 14. Really verse 10 and verse 14 can be bookends here.

Notice what he said in verse 14 "yet it was kind of you to share my trouble." So simply Paul rejoiced in the Lord in all of these circumstances. He was blessed by their kindness and ministry to him while he was in this great time of trouble and he was in this great trial that was before him. And it was in these circumstances that Paul taught them what true Christian contentment was and how he had come to learn contentment. And it was in these verses that Paul exemplified and explained contentment from his own life, from his own circumstances. That's why I put his in the title. Now this is how I'm going to approach the message.

First we will look at how Paul said that he learned Christian contentment. This will be kind of a review of what we looked at last week. If you didn't get last week's message you need to get it because this all does go together. Second we will look at how Paul explained and exemplified what contentment looks like from his own life. So number one, Paul explained that he learned contentment. Paul explained that he learned contentment. Now last week we took the time to ask two questions here. First what is Christian contentment? And second what does it mean that Paul learned contentment?

Now I'm not going to go over all that we learn here but I will revisit much of what we covered because this all goes together and it needs to be kept together. So first what is Christian contentment? And another important question that goes along with it, how is this different than simply a good solid character trait in a person? So let's read verse 11. He says, "Not that I am speaking of being a need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." Now last week we learned the definition of the word contentment from the original language. But we saw that Paul was not talking about the cultural meaning of the word.

This word for contentment in the original, it means sufficient for oneself. It means being strong enough or possessing enough strength to need no help or assistance. And in their day in non-biblical writing and in the common stoic philosophy of the day that had really affected and molded how people thought this word spoke of a person that accepted whatever came their way in life. Situations and circumstances that could not be changed were simply accepted. Fretting about or worrying about those things was simply a waste of time and this philosophy or way of thinking fostered a self-sufficiency in the people.

This promoted a self-sufficiency in which the resources and ability for dealing with the difficulties of life were found from within the person. So basically that was the world's definition and view of contentment in their day. And if we have someone in our day that lives and exemplifies this kind of contentment, we would say that they are a contented person. We would say that they are content and we would see that as good. I know I gave you an example in an illustration from my grandfather last week, but if you think about it, our grandparents, our great grandparents, that World War II generation, weren't they a contented people?

You know many of them grew up poor and they went through lots of tragedy throughout the war and then they ended up having a lot better life economically, opportunities, and you know if you look back some of your nod in your head, you know some of those people you had them in your family, they really were a contented people and a lot of that was a good solid character trait and it was circumstantial. It came from their circumstances and their upbringing and their life experiences, but that might not be what we see here.

Doesn't mean that it's bad, but I want us to see the difference in true Christian contentment and what we would call a good character trait. But last week, I said that this was the opposite of what we see in Paul. His ability to deal with difficulties in trials were not found from within himself. It came from Christ. His coping mechanism, if I can use that term, in trial and difficulties was not found from within himself, but his coping mechanism came from Christ and his personal relationship with Christ. But we will see Paul did not just cope, he flourished. He flourished in his trials. He flourished in his difficulties.

He did not just cope or get through it all, he flourished. I like what Vincent says in his word studies of this word content and of Paul. Vincent says of contentment, "Man should be sufficient to himself for all things able by the power of his own will to resist the shock of circumstance." And to me, Vincent is describing one that has a good strong character. They are content. They are a contented person. He's speaking of the meaning of the word there.

But notice what Vincent says, "Oh Paul, Paul is self-sufficient through the power of the new self, not he but Christ in him." The Bible commentary, Jameson Fawcett Brown says, "The Greek," that would be the definition, "literally expresses independent of others and having sufficiency in oneself. But Christianity has raised the term above the haughty self-sufficiency of the heathen stoic to the contentment of the Christian whose sufficiency is not in self but in God." So simply a person with a strong contented character is a man that is sufficient to himself for all things really by the power of his own will.

That can be good, but it can be prideful. But a person with true Christian contentment is a lot different, much different. One that possesses Christian contentment is a person that is self-sufficient but not self-sufficient in self but through the power of the new self. It is not self but Christ in them. It is not self-sufficiency but a Christ-sufficiency. Now when I was typing out my message and I typed in Christ's sufficiency, it came up as a misspelled word. But I added it to my dictionary. I did because it's not about self-sufficiency but a Christ-sufficiency which is what Paul had. Now second, how was this learned?

Look back at verse 11, "Not that I am speaking of being in need," and we're going to come back to that, "for I have learned that in whatever situation I am to be content." Now we covered this last week, but I want to add a few things here. But think about it, the great Apostle Paul said that he had to learn contentment. And if there was any man who was a super-Christian, it was Paul. But he said that he learned contentment. So that puts Paul on the level with the average normal Christian. Is it wrong for us to see him as some kind of a supernatural Christian? Is it wrong? No. But he was a man. And we need to see that he was a man.

Now this word "learn" in the original, it simply means to learn. It means to increase one's knowledge or to be informed. But this is not simply informational. Contentment is learned by the process of Christian sanctification. Contentment is learned and formed in the believer by walking with God through the many different circumstances and even difficulties of life. Contentment is formed, contentment is gained, contentment is even a struggle to be worked out in the believer. Therefore, it is formed, therefore it is gained. So notice that Christian contentment is not simply learned. It's gained. It's formed. It's even worked out.

It is a process. And notice that we have three things that work here in this learning. I mentioned this last week. I'm going to add some things, change some things up. And if any of these three are removed, to me this ship wrecks this learning of contentment. First, this involves the work of the Holy Spirit in the life. This involves the work of the Holy Spirit in the life. If we don't have the Spirit of God working in us, we are alone in the work and we're hopeless. Second, this involves the providence of God. This simply means that there are no coincidences in the believer's life.

God governs, God ordains, every circumstances of the believer's life. All things that come into the life of the believer are a part of God's providence. Now, I don't know how the mystery of man's responsibility and God's providence all fits together. I don't know how the mystery of people being victimized with God's providence, all that fits together. That's another sermon for another day. But this involves the providence of God. And even those things that are hard to understand. Third, this involves the cooperation of the believer in these things.

Although God governs and God ordains every circumstance in the life of a believer, believers are moral agents. We're not robots. That means the believer can resist the work of God in and through the circumstances of life. Or the believer can submit to God and walk with God in these things. And if the believer resists these things, if the believer is lazy in these things, the work of learning commitment is stunted. This is a politically incorrect word, but it fits. If the believer resists or is lazy, that work is retarded. And it is less than it should be. So, simply the believer learns contentment.

In all of the hills and the valleys of the Christian life, the believer must be submissive to the Spirit of God working in the life, the providence of God that comes their way, and the person of God behind the providence of God, because it's not impersonal. They must personally submit to the person of God in all the hills and the valleys of life. And all these things enable the believer to learn contentment and to grow in their contentment. So, right here we have seen that Paul told the Philippians that he was a normal Christian. He had to learn contentment. But he didn't stop there. He said a lot more in verse 11 and following.

Now, before I move on into how Paul exemplified contentment, I want to put a couple of things out here for us to think about. First, true Christian contentment in its fullest, biggest, and best can't be faked. Let me say that again. True Christian contentment in its fullest, in its biggest, and its best, cannot be faked. To me, true Christian contentment in its fullest, biggest, and best, it has the feel, it has the smell, it has the flavor of victory. Let me say that again. To me, true Christian contentment in its fullest, biggest, and best, it has the feel, the smell, and the flavor of victory.

But to me, there is a true Christian contentment that does not feel, smell, and taste like victory. It feels, smells, and tastes like just getting by. Let me say that again. To me, there is a true Christian contentment that does not feel, smell, and taste like victory. It feels, smells, and tastes like just getting by. Now, as we continue in the message, you tell me if you smell, taste, and feel victory in Paul or just getting by. To me, there are some true Christians that can struggle with contentment in trial and difficulties and they do seem to have this get by or get through it vibe, aura, or energy.

And to me, a person who is not a true born-again Christian can have this same get by or get through it vibe, aura, or energy in the trial. They have to because the non-Christian does have Christ. So they are in all of these things in their strength. But look, the true born-again believer, when they go through trial and when they are working to learn contentment in those hills and valleys of the Christian life, first they can tell you what God is teaching them. Second, other true believers can see Christ and contentment being formed in them.

Third, in time they can tell you how God has formed Christian contentment in them and Christ has been formed in them. The non-believer does not have the same work in those things in them because these things can only come about by and in the new life in Christ. Then second, learning contentment and having contentment formed in us as believers, it is not a one-time-then-it's-done thing. Let me state that again. Learning contentment and having contentment formed in us as believers, it is not a one-time thing then it is done. We are always in the school of learning contentment.

Learning contentment and having contentment formed in us is like climbing a mountain. We are always climbing and we never get to the top. We never get to the top until we leave this life and go to be with Jesus which is the ultimate and final contentment. So if we have this one and done mentality as we think about learning contentment then we must see that we're wrong. And look church, a believer can grow in their contentment for years and then come to a place where they get lazy or mad or they get into some other kind of sin.

When a new decision or new difficulty comes along they don't work in the school of contentment, they don't climb in the school of contentment, so they do not grow in that new area of contentment that they need and they digress. So let's make sure we're in the school of contentment with Christ as our teacher. Let's make sure we are climbing the mountain of contentment with Christ as our God up that mountain. Then next number two, Paul exemplified what contentment was and is from his own life. We'll read the verses here in a minute.

But let's read back over all of the verses not just a portion of them and when we read over the verses see if you can notice how Paul uses himself as an example in all of these things. Let's start with verse 10 and go down to verse 13. He says, "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern from me. You were indeed concerned for me but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need for I have learned in whatever situation I'm in to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need." Verse 13, "And I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Now this is what I want to do here. I want us to see four things that Paul points out about his life and these four things will serve as lessons for us today. And since we've really done the work last week and this week to understand what true Christian contentment is and how true Christian contentment is learned and formed, I don't have to divide all that anymore. This will all flow together. First, Paul was content in God's providence. We already know the background.

We already know what was going on behind all of these things. We've covered that thoroughly. But here Paul was saying that he rejoiced, not in their reconnection and in their concern for him. Notice verse 10 says that Paul rejoiced in the Lord greatly. And understanding that Paul rejoiced in the Lord tells us that Paul first and foremost rejoiced in God and in God's providence in all these things. He understood that by God's providence they have been disconnected and he understood that by God's providence they were reconnected.

So in seeing that Paul rejoiced in the Lord first and foremost that tells us that he trusted in, he lived in, and he was content in God personally and God's providence for his life. But a question, what is God's providence? Kind of a big church term for some. Some of you know this, some of you do not. I defined it earlier but I think we need to ponder over that phrase over the meaning of the providence of God. Listen to how John MacArthur helps us here. He says providence and miracle are the two ways God acts in the world. Let me state that again. MacArthur says providence and miracle are the two ways that God acts in the world.

He goes on to say miracle is God's direct sovereign intervention into the natural world. It is an event so contrary to the normal course of events that there is no scientific or naturalistic explanation for it other than the power of God. Now probably the best example of a miracle will be the parting of the Red Sea when God delivered his people out of Egyptian captivity. But he continues, "On the other hand God's providence is not miraculous in the sense that it interrupts the natural order. Rather, it allows for all the contingencies, events, words, acts, decisions, and elements of normal life.

God supernaturally weaves them all together to fit his purpose exactly." Proverbs 16 9 really captures this well. Proverbs 16 9 says, "The heart of man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps." So Paul rejoiced in the Lord. He rejoiced in the Lord before and after they were reconnected. He rejoiced in the Lord before they gave him money, before they brought him help, before and after. So simply he was content in God and in the providence of God. And look at the lesson here for us.

We either trust in and live comfortably in God and in the providence of God for our lives or we are unhappy, discontented, frustrated, worried, and scared to death. Let me say that again. We either trust in and live comfortably in God and in the providence of God for our lives or we are unhappy, discontented, frustrated, worried, and sometimes really just scared to death. And look church, understanding that God is sovereign and that the Lord establishes our steps should bring us great, great comfort.

And if God is God and he is and if we truly believe and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose, Romans 8 28, then we should trust in God and in his providence for our lives. Otherwise what do you have? Now I want you to think about something. Those who do not really understand the complete sovereignty of God and understand how that works in relation to the providence of God, those are the ones who are scared to death all the time. They're worried. They're worried, scared to death, scared to death in traffic, scared to get on an airplane.

They're scared to death when they watch the news. They're scared to death when they go to the doctor. They're worried. They're unsure. They're scared to death. But if we have a healthy understanding of the sovereignty of God and the providence of God, we rest. We're comfortable. Either Romans 8 28 is true or the whole thing is a shaman a lie. And we know that for those who love God all things, all things, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. So my question for us is this, are we content in the providence of God for our lives or are we unhappy, frustrated, and discontented?

Now this does not make us a lazy people. This does not bring us to a place where we're just lazy. Well you know pastor God's sovereign and God's providence is God's providence. So what can I do? No, that's not what this means. This does not mean that we can't and shouldn't work hard and do better, try to improve our lives, do the best that we can do. And I think if you're into that kind of error you need a little more counseling later. So the lesson for us out of Paul's life right here is this, a believer that has true Christian contentment is confident in God. They are confidently content in God and in the providence of God.

Second, Paul was content with little or a lot. Verse 11, "Not that I am speaking of being in need for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." Now it almost seems like Paul is trying to clarify any misunderstanding here. In verse 10, Paul says that the Philippians had reconnected with him and he with them. And within that verse Paul is obviously saying that they had ministered to his needs. But in verse 11 he is saying that he did not in any way say that he was saying these things because he was in need. In fact it was the opposite.

Actually in verse 11 he was saying that he was not speaking of being in need in verse 10 because he had learned to be content in every situation. Simply before the Philippians reconnected with him and supplied his needs he was content. Why? Because he had learned to be content in every situation. So what Paul was saying here in verse 11 was connected to what he said in verse 10. It was not that he spoke from want or need when he said what he said in verse 10 because he had learned that in what every situation whether he had little or a lot he had learned to be content in any and all circumstances. And the lesson for us here is this.

We must be in the school of contentment climbing the mountain of contentment so that we get to the place where we can say and live that we are content in whatever situation God in this providence brings our way. If certain circumstances come our way and we have little we are content in whatever situation comes our way because it is a part of God's plan. If other circumstances come our way and we have a lot we are content and contented in whatever situation God brings our way. Now one more thing. We must see God's providence is personal before we see that it's a plan. Let me say that again. Some of you need that more than you know.

We must see that God's providence is personal before first and foremost before we ever see that it is a plan. God has a providential plan for our life but it is personal and personal. It is personal in that God is relating to us. It is personal capital P in that it is God relating to us for His will and for His purpose in our life so that providential plan involves us personally and God personally. You see how it's personal? And the misconceptions and mistakes we can make here is thinking that it's impersonal. It's a plan. No it's all personal. It is all personal.

His personal relationship to us capital P and our personal relationship and responsibility to Him little p. But the lesson for us is this. The truly contented person is content in having little as well as when they have a lot. And the test for us is this. Not when we have a lot but when we have a little. But then the tests sometimes come for some when they have a lot. Think about your own life. How have you reacted when you had a little and when you've had a lot? Think about what you've seen in other Christians lives when they had a lot and when they had a little.

Now those of us who've been walking with the Lord for quite a while we have an advantage because we've been in the school of contentment longer than you. We've walked up that mountain a little further. So if you're a new Christian maybe you've only been in Christ for a short amount of time. You haven't been in school very long. You haven't been walking up the mountain very long. But what I'm showing you is this. We're dealing with little and we're dealing with a lot. Some can handle a little better than they can a lot and some can handle a lot better than they can handle a little. Then third Paul was content in any circumstance.

Verse 12 "I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need." Now here Paul just continues with the same train of thought but he adds something to what he was and he is saying confidence. Confidence. Two times he says I know. Look back at verse 12. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. See it? "In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger and abundance and need." Now before we move on notice that we have a lesson here.

When contentment is learned, when it is brought to maturity in the life, there is a great great confidence in that contentment. But this is not a prideful or a self-centered confidence. No. Banish that thought. This confidence comes out of the work that God has done in the believer, in the life, as they relate to contentment. We can say that the confidence is in the contentment, in the work that God has done, and then in God himself. Remember it's all personal.

I like Kyle John MacArthur what he says here and I'm quoting the twice repeated phrase "I know how, I also know how" reveals that he had learned by experience in spiritual maturity to live above his circumstances and not let them affect his contentment. And in my opinion when a person goes through the hills and the valleys of life, when they grow through trials, both positive trials and negative trials, when a work of contentment has been about in those circumstances, there is a great confidence, a great confidence in the life and that confidence is pregnant with humility.

They are very confident in their contentment and the work that God has done in them, but in that confidence they are very very humble. I'll give you an example. Jared and Megan Walters. Many of you know that they moved here to be a part of our church. Many of you know that they were attempting to move sooner, but lo and behold when they were expecting number one JP, they go to the doctor and the doctor says he has lots of heart problems. Y'all know that story?

Now I don't want to steal anybody's thunder by taking their story, but when they went to the doctor and the doctor told him that he had all kind of heart problems, it completely derailed. Let me change that. Rerealed their plans and they went through trial after trial after trial after trial and I watched them embrace that trial, embrace those trials, and they came to a great work of contentment in their life and when you listen to them talk about it, it will be pregnant with confidence and humility. Humility and confidence, because if you don't have the humility, what's behind that confidence is self. Self.

But notice that Paul uses certain terms and words here. He said that he knew what it meant to be brought low and how to abound. He knew how to face having plenty and being hungry and how to face having an abundance. And look at what Paul was speaking of by using this kind of language. All those terms and words speak of material things. Earthly are material things and even earthly and material needs, not necessarily just wants. So Paul said that he knew and he knew well how to be brought low and how to abound. He knew what it was like to be hungry and how to have plenty and even be an abundance.

And in all of these things he learned contentment. And my question for us is this, have we ever come to the place, have we ever come to the place where we are truly hungry? Have we ever come to the place where we can actually say that we have been brought this low? And there is a difference between this hunger and when we come home from work and tell our wives, "I'm starving to death." I believe the answer to that question is no. Unless you face circumstances that I'm not aware of and I don't know your background or your past, I don't think any of us have really understood or experienced what it means to be hungry.

But the lesson for us is this, the truly contented person has learned contentment and that contentment is independent of those circumstances. And when this contentment which is independent of those circumstances and is learned and formed, there is a confidence in all of those things and there is a great humility in the middle of that confidence all at the same time. And again I'll go back to my example. I do believe I watched Jared and Megan grow to a place of contentment and their contentment was a contentment in any circumstance that God brought their way with their son, with sickness, and with their family.

Fourth, Paul's contentment came from the strength of Christ. Verse 13 we'll read here in a minute. Now here Paul showed the Philippians his secret, his secret. No matter how difficult his circumstance or circumstances were or may have been, Paul had a spiritual lifeline. He had spiritual support and that lifeline and that support is what gave him his strength. We see this here in verse 13. We know the verse, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." We see this in another place as well. Paul says in Galatians 2.20, "I have been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." What a question. When Paul said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him, what were the all things? What was Paul referring to when he said all things? I ask rhetorical questions all the time. Now I'm going to ask you to make a rhetorical list. When Paul said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him, what were the all things? What was Paul talking about? This is going to surprise some of you.

To answer that question, we need to look at the original language. In verse 13, Paul says, "I can do, I can do." In the English Standard Version, "I can do," and this phrase comes from a word in the original that means to be strong. It means to be robust. It means to have power, but the strength being robust is in the body. It's physical. So Paul was not speaking of doing all things, meaning spiritual things, but he's speaking of physical things.

So what Paul was saying was this, when he was at his breaking point, when he had limited out on his strength and his ability, and in his case, at times, to the place and the point of death, he was given strength from Christ so as to overcome the impossible circumstances that he was in, and circumstances that were taking him to the very limit of limits in his physical capacities. Now right here, this is another sermon for another day, taking this verse in what Paul says, was, and is saying here, and looking at all his physical sufferings which took him to the brink.

How many sufferings, how many circumstances, how many times was Paul brought to the brink of death? Many. But it was always Christ and Christ's strength that strengthened him. But a question before we move on, was Paul saying all things as in any and all things? Was he saying that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us on a football field or basketball court, in our business, in our hobbies, in any place in life? No, that is an abuse of what Paul is saying here. And so many good night in our distorted American Christianity take this verse and abuse it like that.

I like what William McDonald says here, and I'm quoting him, "When the Apostle Paul said that he could do all things, he meant all things which were God's will for him to do. He had learned that the Lord's commands are the Lord's enablements. He knew that God would never call on him to accomplish some task without giving him the necessary grace." And you can add to that the necessary strength. "All things probably apply us not so much to great feats of daring as to great privations and hungrings." I would say that McDonald was right.

In many ways, when Paul says all things, I believe he is referring to the all things which were a part of, get it, God's providence and God's plan for his life and his ministry. And the lesson here for us is this, if we ever get to the place where we suffer physically in doing God's work, we can and will be strengthened in God's to do God's will. But a question, can we seek God's strength as we seek to do God's will? Say we're seeking to lead our families, men. Say parents, we're seeking to lead our children. Husbands, we're seeking to lead our wives. We're praying for the loss that we minister to. We're teaching small groups.

We're teaching children. We're teaching teenagers. We're working in spiritual matters and physical matters in the church. Can this apply? Well, my question in answering those questions is, are we doing God's will? Are we doing God's will for God's glory? Are we embracing God's providence in our lives as we are approaching the work of the ministry and the work of the church? And if we can answer yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, then I believe we can pray for his strength to do all things. Now a question in closing, how do we close? Really, this is two messages that go together.

Last week Paul's thankfulness, he reveals the secret of contentment, and then tonight Paul reveals the secret of his contentment. I think these verses and this teaching, I think that we need to take all of this and we need to study over it and we need to meditate over it. That's how we close. I think we need to ask our Lord if we are in the school of contentment. That's how we close. I think we need to go to the Lord and ask the Lord, "Lord, are we climbing the mountain top of contentment?" I think that's how we close. And I think we need to go to the Lord and we need to meditate over all these things.

We need to see if we're in the school of contentment and climbing the mountain of contentment with Christ as our teacher and Christ as our God. And look at the four goals that are before us and this is how I'll close. Number one goal, knowing and understanding what Christian contentment is. If we don't know what Christian content, if we don't know what true Christian contentment is, we start off wrong in the beginning. Second goal, working to learn contentment in all of the areas of our lives. Working folks, it's work. That's the second goal.

Third goal, working to be confident in our contentment because we know God has and is working in the work. So the first goal, knowing and understanding what Christian contentment is. The second goal, working to learn contentment in all of the areas of our lives. The third goal, working to be confident in our contentment because we know God has and is working. And then number four, the fourth goal, staying in school. Staying in the school of contentment and always learning to be contentment as we continue in life. Till we finally reach the perfect contentment. The perfect contentment. So tonight Paul reveals the secret of his contentment.

Let's pray and then we'll look at some prayer needs.