It's not acceptable to say to God, I'm sorry, God, I would like to rejoice, but I can't control my feeling. That's a problem. That's a spiritual problem because it says, one, you don't know enough about your God to rejoice in spite of the circumstance. Or there's some sin in your life that's stealing that joy. Or you don't trust God to be who He's revealed Himself to be. Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur.
I'm your host, Phil Johnson. It's been said, if you haven't faced trials, you just haven't lived long enough. Okay, so you know struggles are coming. The question is, how do you prepare for them? Where can you go for strength when you face a family tragedy or a medical emergency or a financial crisis? Find out today as John MacArthur shows you how to be content in good times and hard times. Today's lesson is on the fundamental Christian attitude of contentment. But first, and with contentment in mind, not only are we content, but we are overjoyed with the family of listeners God has given us. We love hearing what you are learning from Grace to You and how you, in turn, share what you learn with others. You have a couple of examples of that, John, so read those letters for our listeners. Yeah, these are wonderful letters. The first one says, My wife and I have listened to Grace to You sermons on a regular basis for quite some time and have benefited significantly. We lead a small group at our church and we recently went through your book on parables. Every one of the couples in our church has grown significantly through that. Thank you so much for your faithful ministry. Signed, Vinny, back in Connecticut.
And here's a second letter. About 12 years ago, a dear brother in Christ began talking to my husband and me about Reformed doctrine. We were stunned at the concepts he gently shared with us. He encouraged us to read and pray. I downloaded your series on the doctrines of grace and we listened to it on a trip, pausing many times to wrestle with what we were hearing. We spent the next several days discussing what we were learning and reading the Bible together. On our trip home, we listened to the series again rejoicing and praising the Lord. We eventually found a Reformed church pastored by a master seminary graduate. We're so thankful and amazed at how the Lord has blessed us with our church. We have been through many difficult trials, mostly health related. And the truths we learned in your doctrines of grace series strengthened us. The Lord has used them to hold us fast. We are fed every week by grace to you through your podcasts, YouTube channel and books. Thank you for your faithfulness.
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Stay with us. John is going to show you the biblical path to contentment, continuing his lesson from yesterday on this fundamental Christian attitude. And here's John with the lesson. We have talked about the spiritual attitudes, faith, love, humility, unity, compassion, forgiveness, joy, thanks. We've talked about how essential to the life of the church those spiritual attitudes are because they carry the church's life. They're the internal organs in the body of Christ through which the life flows and generates ministry.
And one of those essential attitudes is the attitude of contentment...contentment. Philippians chapter 4, turn to it with me...Philippians chapter 4. Now as the Apostle Paul writes this epistle to the Philippians, you need to know a little about his circumstances. At the time he is writing, he is a prisoner.
It is in that environment that we read Philippians 4, 11. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. He has nothing but doesn't need anything. Now that's contentment. That is absolute contentment. To have nothing and need nothing. I've learned, he said, I have learned to be content.
Down in verse 12, he says it again toward the end of the verse, I have learned the secret. There are five principles that you must learn if you would be content...five principles. They are the secrets of contentment and when you learn them, you will move to contentment. Number one, trust in God's providence. Secondly, you need not only to trust in God's providence but to be satisfied with little...to be satisfied with little...the third point.
And this one is related to the second one. It's the third element in the fabric of contentment. You need to be independent from circumstances. Now let's come to the fourth principle. And this is a very important one and a very obvious one. It is brought to bear on this issue in verse 13.
Let's say it this way. If we're going to be contented, we have to trust in God's providence, be satisfied with little, be independent of circumstances and be sustained by divine power...be sustained by divine power. Verse 13, in spite of what my circumstances are...remember, he was a prisoner when he wrote this, chained to a Roman soldier in the worst kind of circumstance. But in verse 13 he says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And I believe what Paul knew here was that nothing was ever too hard for the Lord.
His adequacy came because he was attached to the power source. And what I want to say to you at this particular point is, contentment will only be yours when you are plugged in to that power source if by virtue of sin and if by virtue of iniquity in your life you have begun to walk in the flesh, you're going to disconnect yourself from the resources that sustained you and you're going to forfeit that contentment. It might even be that God will deprive you of the things that you are promised if you're an obedient believer and you will sink into dire circumstances more than you can bear.
And the Lord might even do that to bring you to repentance. Now the Lord is always sufficient for the obedient believer, always sufficient for the trusting and submissive believer, always sufficient. And that's verse 13, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
That strength is available. That's why the Apostle Paul prayed in that wonderful prayer of Ephesians chapter 3, verse 16, that God would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. And the way that you experience that power is to be yielded to the Spirit in the inner man. It is to say, to live a Spirit-controlled life, to walk in the Spirit, to use the language of Galatians, to be filled with the Spirit, to use the language of Ephesians chapter 5. Another way of saying, letting the Word dwell in you richly so that you respond to it in obedience. Atticacy comes, contentment comes from being connected to the power source, to the one who can strengthen you for everything.
And I believe the all things, just to stop and take a look at those two words for a moment, I believe the all things that is in the emphatic position has to do with the issues of verses 11 and 12. And those are issues of material comforts and worldly circumstances, or earthly circumstances. And what he is saying is, I can go without the food that I might want to have, I can go along on a bare subsistence level.
I can go with just a minimal wardrobe, limited to comfort, less warmth than I might desire, less freedom than I might desire, less personal care than I might desire. I can go through that, I can endure the pain, I can endure the threats, I can endure the punishment and the danger because I am infused with strength from the one who strengthens me. He is literally talking about having the ability to overcome the most difficult physical circumstances because of the great mercies of the Lord that were dispensed to him. He was abiding, as it were, in the vine, to borrow the language of John 15, 5, and the Lord's life was being, as it were, pumped right through him. Now you always want to be in a relationship to the Lord like that so that you are infused with the strength to endure any difficulty.
And Paul was. He says in Galatians 2, 20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. He saw Christ alive and at work in him for to me to live is Christ, he said, earlier to the Philippians.
And this was his passion. And he can say here, I have the capability, I am capable of all things through the one who regularly and faithfully infuses his power into me. It may seem like it's a stretch for you to grasp this, but I can tell you this from my own limited experience in life and that is this, I have learned to embrace the joyous product of suffering, pain, misrepresentation, misunderstanding, false accusation.
I have reached a point where that kind of thing actually causes a smile in my heart because I understand its perfecting purposes instead of an attitude of retaliation. And through all of the difficulties, whatever they might be, and sometimes you think you're at the end of your strength. It's amazing how God infuses you with the strength necessary to accomplish that to which He's called you. Well, one last point.
And this is a very basic and a very important one. Without this you will continue to struggle with the matter of contentment. You must have confidence or trust in God's providence, satisfaction with little, independence from your circumstances, sustenance by divine power, and finally, preoccupation with the well-being of others...preoccupation with the well-being of others. Selfish people are never content...never. This is such a basic element of people's contentment, unselfishness, being much more concerned with how others are doing than how you're doing...much more concerned about that. And I'm always thrilled to get into a conversation with somebody who's suffering and have them want to talk about nothing but how I'm doing. That's such a mark of the work of God in the heart, such an evidence of contentment. Let's look at it here in this wonderful passage of Philippians chapter 4, because it unfolds. Verse 14, follow the flow, nevertheless you have done well to share with me in my affliction. I'm really glad you sent me the gifts. I'm glad you shared with me in this time of my affliction. And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone.
You're the only ones. In Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Now here's the issue, not that I seek the gift itself. My concern is not that you sent me a gift for my sake, I love this, he says, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
He says, the reason that I am so glad you sent me a gift is because of what it means to you. What does it mean to you? Very simple. It profits to your account. What does that mean? If they were poor and they gathered together the little they had and sent it to Paul, how did it profit to their account?
Very simple. They were laying up treasure...where?...in heaven and it would bring an eternal reward. That's the issue with Paul. He's saying, I don't have any needs. I'm connected to the power supply and my God is supplying my needs. And I'm able to do everything through His strength. But I'm glad for the gift because of what it means to you. Verse 18, I have received everything in full and I have an abundance.
I am amply supplied. This is pretty grand language for a prisoner. He is in tribulation, pressure and trouble. He says that when he refers to his affliction in verse 14.
The word flips is pressure. The word prophet there is actually fruit. It's actually the Greek word for fruit. It produces fruit to your account. It puts your treasure in heaven for which you will receive an eternal reward. It fulfills, Luke 6 38, give and it shall be given unto you.
Interest is already accruing with God and God will bless you in life and in eternity. He really didn't want them to give because it would satisfy Him. He wanted them to give because it would mean tremendous blessing to them. That is the hard attitude of a contented man. All he can see is benefit to somebody else.
He holds everything very lightly, gives it up very readily, gives it up very easily, gives it up very generously because he is far more concerned about others than he is himself. His needs are not an issue. His needs now are not an issue. His needs in the future are not an issue.
What is an issue is that God be glorified, that spiritual life and growth take place. So he can say in verse 18, I have everything. I have enough. I have more than enough.
I am amply satisfied. He says, I don't need any more because follow it in verse 18, I have received from Epaphroditus who come from their church, what you have sent, it is a fragrant aroma, it is an acceptable sacrifice, it is well pleasing to God. That's why I love your gift. Not because of what it means to me, but because of what it means to you because it was given to honor God. That is sacrificial language, by the way, not accounting language. That is sacrificial language. He transitions out of the agricultural fruit, out of the accounting terminology which is used there, increasing to your account, and he turns to sacrificial language and he sees the gift for what it really is and what it really is is an offering to God. It's an act of holy worship. It's a spiritual act of sacrifice on the part of those Philippians. And he knows that because it is that, it will accrue to their spiritual benefit.
I mean, he is living out here and illustrating what he said earlier to the Philippians. You look back at chapter 2, familiar passage, verse 4, do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. You'll never be content until you do, you'll never have enough, you'll never be satisfied, you'll always be grasping. One of the sad definitions of sin is the desire to get things, to consume them upon your own desires. Paul was grateful not for what the gift meant to him, but for what the gift meant to them. Beloved, I can't stress this enough, contented people are consumed with meeting other people's needs.
That's just basic. And until you are willing to do that and until that is the priority, you will battle the temptations of discontent. And you will feel yourself personally harmed if someone does something to you, takes something from you, cheats you out of something, etc., etc. Or if you don't gain all the things you need to gain, or if you don't have stockpiled all the pile you think you need to hedge against tomorrow, if that's what's consuming you, you will struggle with contentment. But when you recognize that the most important issue is somebody else and the meeting of their needs, you are free from dissatisfaction. He sums up the reason for his joy in verse 19, a great verse, I wish we had time to develop this verse. He says, "'My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.'" How can he say that? How can he say to those Philippians confidently, my God shall supply all your needs? God is going to meet all your needs.
How can he say that? He can say that because there is a principle working and it is the principle of giving that says you sow and you will what? You will reap.
You give and it will be given to you. That is a spiritual principle, Luke 6 38, 2 Corinthians chapter 9, sow sparingly, reap sparingly, sow bountifully, reap bountifully. The issue is what you sow with God, He returns. And God has pledged and promised that you cannot out-give God.
You can go back into the Proverbs and it says you bring to God your first fruits and your barns will be full. That's the principle. And Paul knows that principle and that's why he rejoices because he says your gift to me is clear indication that you have stepped into that principle and God in response to your giving is going to pour out gifts on you. My God is going to supply all your needs. There are conditions for that. That's just not something you can sort of yank out of the context if indeed you are honoring the Lord with what you have, He'll make sure all your needs are met.
That is the issue. And that passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 9 is so important. It says in verses 6 and following, and get the whole context. "'Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.'"
All right? You sow, you reap. How much should you sow?
Whatever you want. You purpose in your heart, you sow it, don't do it grudgingly or under compulsion legalistically, do it cheerfully, give whatever you want, and here comes the response. And God is able to make all grace abound to you that always having all sufficiency in everything you may have an abundance for every good deed.
God will pour out blessing upon you. Scripture says, "'Test me and see if I'll not open the windows of heaven and pour out more blessing than you can even receive.'" He who supplies seed to the sower, it says in verse 10, and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness and you will be enriched in all things for all liberality. You give and you sow and God pours back blessing. That's why He can say, verse 19, is true. That's why He can say to the Philippians, my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus because you have taken the first step in that operative principle and you have given generously and sacrificially and you have sown and you will reap.
That's the principle. When we learn this, we are blessed. Now see, that is why Paul was so greatly encouraged. It wasn't that he was encouraged because he received what he received, but because the Philippians would receive from God the blessing that comes because of their generosity. It's not hard to understand why he was content, is it?
Really not hard. In fact, it's fairly obvious when you go through this text. Here was a man who had absolute confidence in God's sovereign control over everything and he knew that God knew his circumstances and that God was aware of every single issue in his life and was in charge of every contingency and existence in the universe and all of it was working together for God to fulfill His purpose for the Apostle Paul. Secondly, he had learned to be satisfied with very little. Thirdly, he lived independently from his circumstances.
They were really immaterial. Fourthly, he walked in the Spirit and so he stayed plugged into the power source that provided to him the strength for every issue of life. And fifth, he was utterly preoccupied with the well-being of others. Faith, humility, submission, dependence, unselfishness, those are the kinds of virtues that make a contented Christian.
And Paul was that. So much so that he closes this little paragraph in the midst of his dire circumstance as a prisoner by saying in verse 20, now to our God and Father, be the glory forever and ever...Amen. And that's all that mattered to him was that God be glorified. Contentment, a wonderful blessing and a glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we say we belong to Him, we ought to be content with whatever it is that He has called us to endure and with whatever provisions He has made for us. And for those of us to whom He has given much, the challenge is even greater to be content and to be willing to divest ourselves of that for the benefit of others, for the sheer joy of seeing God pour blessing on them.
What a tremendous privilege. Well, let's pray. Father, again we have traversed the Scripture and been reminded of principles that are so foundational in our lives. It's not enough, Lord, not enough at all.
In fact, it is a serious, serious violation of Your will for us to know this and not act upon it. So Lord, I pray that You would lead us by Your Spirit in the days to come. Teach us the lessons that produce contentment. Teach us how to be indifferent to the circumstances around us, how to be satisfied with little, how to trust You for everything. Teach us how to lose ourselves in love for others and be more concerned about their blessings than ours.
Teach us that kind of humility. Teach us that we need to walk in the path of righteousness so that we are always connected to the power source we need in the times of our great need. And we know that if we respond properly, you will meet all our needs. And we, with the apostle and many others, will give you glory. To that end, we pray because you are worthy, amen.
You're listening to Grace to You with John MacArthur, pastor, author, chancellor of the Masters University and Seminary. And on today's lesson, John showed you a simple yet difficult truth to apply. The more you care for others, the more contented you'll be. Now, to review today's lesson on how to cultivate contentment, or to share it with a friend that you think would benefit from hearing it, you can download this message for free at our website. So get in touch today.
Our web address is gty.org. And the title of today's lesson, Fundamental Christian Attitudes, Contentment. Keep in mind, there's a lot of content from that message that we didn't have time to air.
So download it now. And again, it's called Fundamental Christian Attitudes, Contentment. Also along with that sermon, we have over 3,600 other sermons, including any series you hear on the radio, all of them available for free in MP3 and transcript format at our website gty.org. And if you or someone you know is benefiting from John's verse-by-verse teaching, we'd love to hear about it. You can send us an email by writing to letters at gty.org. Once again, that's letters at gty.org. Or if you prefer to use regular mail, you can write to us at Grace2U, P.O.
Box 4000, Panorama City, California 91412. Now for John MacArthur and our entire staff, I'm Phil Johnson with a question. Though an attitude of thankfulness is essential for a solid spiritual life, why is it so easy to neglect, even on the day that bears its name? John answers that tomorrow as he shows you how to give thanks in every circumstance. It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth, one verse at a time, on Grace2U.
