Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Philippians chapter 4, Brother Frank read our passage today, and we're going to continue, obviously, in some promises in the Word of God. This is a very famous one.
And our subject matter, if you want a title, would be this: Through Christ. through Christ. Paul says in this passage that I could do all things Through Christ. which strengtheneth me. Paul uses the word content in verse 11.
I've learned whatsoever state I'm in, therewith to be. Content. We're going to talk about this briefly this morning, and I know you're familiar with it, but I hope that you'll. Um sit here this morning and be open to the Word of God. Be open to the teaching and preaching of it.
We have a new year upon us. This is our Um first Sunday in in um our new year and we're excited about that and But we also have a challenge in front of us. These are challenging times. And we just recently in New Orleans We're reminded that there is great unrest. in this country.
And you can blame whoever you want to, but it's Satan. It is Satan. You can blame whoever. I'm gonna tell you: this man that drove into a crowd and started shooting, he was demon-possessed. And I'm going to tell you something: every time you see mass murders, mass shootings, and all that stuff, you can say, oh, this person, they just are mad at this.
No, it's demon possession. And Satan is at work. In our country and all over this world. You say, how do you know that? I don't know that, but I'm telling you, I'm 99% sure.
Hey, we'll know one day if I'm right or wrong. What does it matter? But I'm telling you, I believe I'm right. And there is demon possession everywhere in America. It's unbelievable.
Now you say, Preacher, am I? I hope not. Number two, if you're saved, you're not. If you're saved, you're just mean, okay? If you're saved, you're just a jerk.
But. If we do not believe a saved person can't be a demon, I better just get on. I don't know how I got on to that. Let's get back to the word content in verse 11. And this word content speaks of being satisfied.
with what one has. Regardless. of what it might be. Does that describe you? Today?
Are you content? With whatever you have? Are you a contented person? You say, well, this is about promises, I know that. This is about God's promises to us.
Are you a contented person? Are you. satisfied with what we would call your lot in life. Are you satisfied with where you're at? Are you satisfied with what you have?
Now, listen, do not think, oh, this is just another preacher getting up to a pulpit, guilt-tripping people for the same thing he struggles with. Oh, listen, I struggle with it too. Please don't think that. I'm just trying to tell the truth here this morning. I am in no way talking down to you.
I'm talking to you. We're looking at this together. Are you contented? Are you content with, you know, I struggle with as a pastor sometimes? I think, man, I've been here 13 years.
I'm glad our church has grown. But I look at things and I think, why haven't we grown more? I look at some of the things that this church offers. And I think, why aren't we double the size that we are? I think why Um why are some people so discontent with What we have here?
Why are some people so unhappy? And listen, I struggle all the time with: am I content with where I'm at? Am I content with what I have? We all struggle with that. We live in a world of discontented people.
Um I um have a A vice, if you want to call it that. My wife makes fun of me for it. I love religious documentaries. Like I said, I could just watch a Jim Jones documentary every night of my life. I don't know why.
It just intrigues me. I can't understand people. I don't understand why it is so hard for them to believe the truth. and why it is so easy for them to believe a lie. And I see some of these cults and some of these things, and I think, you know, why in the world would people be so gullible?
Why would they just, and I'll tell you exactly why. I believe it all stems where somewhere along the way, a person becomes discontent in their life. and they're looking for something to fill it. except for the very thing that should fill it, and that's Jesus Christ. And it begins this whole string of all kinds of unrational.
behavior. We um we complain when children are noisy. Instead of being thankful that they're healthy. and happy. And in their right mind, most of them.
I told you my mom was cleaning up toys one day. when I was just an infant. She used to tell this story. My mom was a wonderful lady speaker. Spoke all over America in ladies' conferences and things, but my mom was the kind of lady she got up, and if there was a man in the crowd, even sound men.
Now, later in her life, she didn't maybe say as much about it because she saw it could be taken as rude. But if my mom was speaking and there was a man in the room, she would ask if they leave. She felt like, listen, it's not, you, as a man, you don't need to hear me teach you. I don't want to usurp the authority in different things. And my mom took that very serious.
But so my mom was a great preacher, probably better than my dad. But. you know, in its context. Um but my mom, I used to sneak in our meetings. We would live out, you know, in a we'd live in a travel trailer and they'd have ladies meetings many times one day of the week and we had revival at night, but I'd sneak in and I'd sit in the back of a door sometimes and listen to my mom teach.
And she never knew it. But I've heard my mom tell story after story and things, and she was talking about one time she was cleaning up toys. And our travel trailer that I was playing with, and she was getting so frustrated. She goes, Oh, I feel like I do. constantly is pick up toys.
And she said, I stopped and I sat down. And I said, God, thank you. Sure. But I have toys to pick up. You know, all of us can become very discontented.
We complain about our car. where millions of people would love to just have a car. We complain about our home when thousands of people have No home. Uh we gripe about our job when Millions of people. are without a job.
Listen, I'm not trying to guilt trip. I'm not trying to just bring up the thing that's easy to bring up to make everybody feel guilty. It's not at all what I'm doing today. I'm just asking you to analyze not your wife, your husband, your neighbor, or the guy sitting in the other section. Boy, he really needs this today.
I want us to look at the promises of God, and I want us to look at it in the context of what God has given us in His Word. And God has given us Himself. Is that enough for you or is it not? And what God has promised, is that enough to make you content? Or is there something that God hasn't provided for you, or that God isn't in your life that you think you need?
That has brought on this discontentment. Benjamin Franklin said this, and I thought this was good: contentment makes poor men rich. Discontentment makes rich men Poor. Isn't that interesting? You say, well, how does the Bible, okay.
Look at Proverbs 13, 7. There is that maketh himself rich. Oh, they got money. yet half Nothing. There is that maketh himself poor.
Yet hath great riches. You know, it's really not things that bring contentment. How many of you can say an amen to that? I sat down in the home of Francis Maguire yesterday and before going to a funeral viewing. Uh for Miss Jenny Alford and You pray for Rodney and pray for the Alford family.
And Miss Frances can go home at any time. Miss Frances and her family used to be members here at Kerwin years ago, in the 70s and 80s, I believe it was. recently was diagnosed with uh cancer and given six months to live and and she extended that some but has been watching our services I guess for a couple years and Reached out to us and went to the house, and she said, I just kind of consider you my pastor. I've been going to Kerwin, although I haven't been going to Kerwin. I never met her.
And so she asked me to do her funeral and just sat and fellowshiped a little bit. And yesterday, she's taking a turn for the worse and not really coherent. I was sitting there talking with her children, Sarah and Tim. And I said, you know, after I watched my mom and my dad go to heaven, it does change your perspective of what you think is really important. all this stuff looking around, it's going to go to somebody else.
Everything you see is temporary. I want to find something interesting here in this passage in Philippians chapter 4. Notice three phrases before we even dig into it, and it'll go quick this morning, but notice these three phrases in verse. In in verse 11, Paul says, I have learned. I have learned.
In whatsoever state I am there with. It's not something that just comes natural. We don't come out of the womb content. If we did, there would never be a crying baby.
Okay? We come out of the womb discontent.
Okay. Paul says I have learned this word means to gain knowledge. It's taken a while, Paul says. I've gone through the gamut of Every little thing discontenting me and living life always upset and always. just wanting something that I don't have and never quite fulfilled.
He says, now that I've gotten to the point, and this, by the way, Paul lived a life where he had gained knowledge, education. I mean, he was big stuff. He was wealthy. He had all these things. And this is a stage in his life, now that he's serving God where he really has nothing.
He's going through torture. He's going through abuse. He's going from house to house. He's hated by just about everybody. And this is the stage where he says, I've learned.
to be content. Notice in verse 12, he says, I know. I know. This word know in the Greek means to understand, to make a discovery. Paul said, I've learned, I've discovered.
That this whole thing of contentment Really doesn't depend on your outward circumstances or your earthly possessions. It depends. Listen to me. Listen to me this morning. Paul is realizing that contentment depends on the promises of God.
You think I'm just doing a this is our ninth, I think, week? Talking about the promises of God or whatever number it is? Do you think I'm just trying to find something to preach a series on? No, I'm here to tell you that this, what I'm gonna speak about today as we begin a new year, is one of the keys to the Christian life, that our contentment in life. Should not stem from what we have, or from what people do, or from what we accomplish, or from what we own.
Our contentment must come from the Word of God. It's the only thing that's eternal. Notice in verse 12 he says, I'm instructed. This word means to be initiated. It's almost like when you go through initiation in a club: oh, you're going to get, oh, you're saved, you're a follower of Christ.
Oh, you think life's going to be easy?
Well, let me initiate you into this club. And boy, was Paul initiated right from the very start on the road to Damascus. Wow. This is about your substance. This is about your situation.
This is about your strength. I gave you a pretty good outline there, but that's not the one we're going to use. Number one, I want you to notice what Paul says. Interesting here. You know, verse, you know, 13.
Gets a lot of playtime, verse 12 gets playtime, 11 gets playtime, you know, and all the way down to verse 19 where we're gonna end. You know, that's the ones people quote. But they don't necessarily start in verse 10. Look at verse 10. Paul says this: but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly.
that now at the last, your care of me.
Now he's talking here to the church at Philippi. Your care of me have flourished again, wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. I'm going to explain that to you in a minute. And then look at verse 12. He says, everywhere.
And in all things I am instructed. I've been initiated. both to be full and to be hungry. both to abound and to suffer need. Number one, here this morning, if we look at this passage, number one, Paul said, there must be gratitude for the sustenance you have.
There must be gratitude for the sustenance you have, not complaining for the things you don't have. There must come to the child of God, if you're going to find contentment, there must be gratitude for what you've been given. Notice in verse 10, Paul says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me. What is going on here?
Well, first, let me give you this principle. First thing is this: God sees your needs. It means Paul had needs here that nobody knew about. that Paul had not even talked to the church of Philippi about. In fact, listen to me this morning.
It had been ten years since there had even been contact with the church at Philippi. It's not like they had sent monthly support to Paul. This had been a while, but what happened was all of a sudden there was a need in Paul's life. Paul was struggling. Paul was going through some valleys.
And the Bible says that the church of Philippi all of a sudden gave to Paul, helped Paul, prayed for Paul, encouraged Paul. And that's what he's talking about here. Look at verse 10. I rejoiced not in you greatly. He said, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly.
Paul is saying, Listen, God met my needs, but he did it through you. And God doesn't meet needs unless he sees the needs. It means this: Paul had learned that although nobody else might know what I need, God sees what I need. And number two, not only does God sees your need, God will meet your needs. You know, you say, how might he do it?
Well, sometimes God meets it directly. I think about 1 Kings 17. We think about Elijah and the ravens. Let me read you this verse not on the screen. I want to read it to you.
In verse 6, and the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning. Mmm, how many would like a. Nice little piece of flesh for breakfast.
Well, many of you had it. It's called bacon, you know, okay? But I don't find that there was, it was fried or had gravy or anything of that nature. What do we know? God directly met Elijah's need.
He brought him, he used ravens, and every day they brought him bread from somewhere. We probably don't want to know where it came from. They're digging in some dumpster somewhere. and found a little breakfast for Elijah. It's better when it shows up that you don't know where it came from.
But every day, God brought bread and he brought flesh, some kind of protein. And then here's Elijah by the brook, and God made the waters of that brook. Look at me, it doesn't say that God brought Elijah a 12-course meal. It might not have been the food that Elijah desired. It might not have been the food that he wanted.
I mean, I'm sure Elijah would have loved to have just a nice, you know, cowboy ribeye and maybe a baked potato loaded and all those. That might have been what he would love to have. And you and I are often obsessed by what we desire and what we want. But what God did was he met his needs. God sees your needs, God meets your needs.
I want you to notice, thirdly, rejoice. when God meets your needs. If I could rewind a little bit, 1 Timothy 6, verse 6 says this. But godliness with contentment. is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world. Here we go. And it is certain. We can carry nothing out. You can try.
And I'm not belittling, man. I think I put some things in my dad's casket. You can put them in there, but it's not going with them. They're already gone. And having food.
and raiment. Let us be there with content. Verse 10, Paul says this. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly.
Now notice what he says. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because your care of me. has flourished. In other words, this. in order to meet Paul's needs.
God laid on the heart of this church. God laid on the heart of these people. Paul has a need. They didn't know necessarily the needs Paul has until God told them. Paul had a need.
Nobody knew. Paul needed something, but he had nobody to fill that need. And here's people over there that there really hadn't been much contact for 10 years. And how do they know that Paul has need? Paul didn't tell them, look at me.
God laid on their heart. God can bring it to you directly. God can bring it to you through someone else. Whatever's going to happen, but God has made a promise that he's going to meet our needs. And you and I need to learn to be contented when God meets our needs instead of spoiled brats because God didn't bring us our 12-course meal.
Can I have an amen on a Sunday morning at Kirwan Baptist Church? Look at me. Many of us sitting here in this building, we have cars nicer than we deserve. We live in houses bigger and nicer than we really absolutely need. Let me tell you something.
I have found out the older I get, I don't need as much. Let me tell you what's an absolute need in my life, a recliner. A remote. Number three.
Something that remote operates. He's like, where's the Bible? It's about number nine or ten. No, I'm just joking. You know what?
I've determined that I'm going to tell you something. The older you get, it. You don't have all the energy and all your dreams. I'm going to go get this, I'm going to go get that. It all becomes a little bit more simple.
We spend our whole life to gain whatever, and most happens when we get older, we downsize, we get in something smaller, we have less, and then all the kids take it. Because they're in the stage where they think they need it. Yeah, I'll get the right one there. And the older we get, we realize you really don't need it. You just wanted it.
Gratitude for the sustenance. That you have notice in in in this verse Verse 10, Paul says, Your care of me has flourished again. It means to bloom again. It means that, and notice carefully, look at verse 10. I want you to see this.
He says, wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. What Paul is saying there, listen, I know you've always cared. You always had care for me. You always loved me. You always cared.
But you didn't necessarily have the opportunity to show it. And why did they all of a sudden show it? Because God laid it on their heart. That's the kind of God we have. It means this: that in your life, God's going to meet your needs.
And it might be that He brings it to you directly, and it might be that He brings it to you through someone else. And what you and I need to make sure of is that we find contentment knowing God sees my needs, God has promised to meet my needs, and I'm going to be grateful, and I'm going to show gratitude when God does meet my needs. And if God shows up laying somebody on my heart, maybe it's my turn to try to help meet their needs. Amen. Listen, I'm not doing this for any other reason.
I got a text this week. We have some missionaries, the Silvas. I'm thinking Guatemala. Maybe I have the right. Where's Kendra?
Do you remember? Huh? Honduras, I'm sorry. And I'm so trying to keep up with our missionaries now, even more, that I get them all confused in my brain with exactly where they're at. They just had a car breakdown.
They just had a refrigerator go out. They just had Plumbing go out. All in a matter of two weeks. They just had a health need.
Now that they don't have money, I couldn't believe everything that happened in a week. They didn't tell me, they didn't let me know. It was a family member that just said, hey, you know, I just... They won't tell, but their supporting churches need to know. Just pray for them right now.
Listen, there's a need. They probably need probably anywhere from $800 to $1,500. They've not asked anybody. God lays that on your heart today? Let me know.
We'll send it to them. We're doing the best we can. All I'm saying is this: I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, if they're doing what God wants them to do, God will meet that need. Maybe it's one of you here. Isn't it great to be part of God's system?
When you're a part of God's system, sometimes you're the one that the ravens bring stuff to. But sometimes in God's system, you're the one that Drops it off. to someone else. Gratitude. For the sustenance you have.
Notice in the passage number two.
Well, let me read you my verses. Don't want to skip it. Hebrews 13, 5. Let your conversation. be without covetousness.
And be content. with such things as ye have.
Well, what do I have? Oh, he he gives it to you right here. Yeah. I'll never leave you. And I'll never forsake you.
Some of you need to hear this morning, you're very discontent about a lot of things right now. And I know I'm preaching to the choir right now. I'm struggling with some things myself. But may I remind you that what we should find ultimate contentment in is that we have Christ. And he is never going to leave us and he's never going to forsake us.
Number two, in the passage, not only is there gratitude for the sustenance you have, but contentment. with the situation you are in. Yeah. Ouch.
Now sometimes we can kind of get victory over maybe what we have. But many times we really struggle with contentment being in the situation, in the circumstances. Look at verse 11. He says, not that I speak in respect of want. For I've learned.
Now, can I remind you where He is at. While he's writing this. Anybody want to take a guess? Prison. He's not sitting at the pool side.
of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Taking a little respite. You don't hear that word enough. I just wanted to use that today. Taking a little respite.
He's sitting in prison. I have learned. In whatsoever state I am. I used to claim this verse in evangelism. I really did.
Because I was in different states all the time. And I literally took it for the word. I'm just whatever state I'm in, this might be a rough week, but I'm going to be content. Paul says, I've learned whatsoever state I am therewith. Not they're on, they're with.
Going to be content with this. Therewith to be content.
Now, let's look at verse 12. I know how to be abased. Means I know how to be really low. I know how to abound. I know what it is to have really rough times.
I know what it is to have really great times. Everywhere. And in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Notice that there's a lot here, and I don't have time to do all of it. It's a whole series just in these verses, but this is part of a bigger series on promises.
But notice here: Paul, a contented man in jail, not fretting, not fuming, not faltering. Faith isn't gone. Here he is in jail. He's in a different difficult situation, but he's content.
Now, what does it mean to be content?
Well, notice number one, it means to be content in times of plenty. I know how to abound. Can I tell you something? It's really easy to be content here. I keep doing this.
I know y'all make fun of me for it. I would quit doing it if There would be no need for this if I know what you're thinking. Be content with it, preacher.
Okay, I'll be content. I'll be content. Just be glad we're here.
Okay, okay. It's easy to be content when everything's abounding. It's great. Boy, that's when we want to stand. Oh, God's so good.
And God is good. But it's not just in times of plenty, second, it's in times of poverty. Paul said, I know how to be abased. The word itself.
Sometimes you're like, what does the word abased mean? You don't have to know what it means just hearing the word. You know what it means. How many of y'all are with me? A base.
It's almost like basting a turkey, you know, and then I think of a basement and Abased, low, brought low. Paul says I know what it's like to have times of plenty. I know what it's like to have times of Poverty. I wanted to mention to you some of the abased things that Paul had to go through. I did it last week, I'm going to do it this week again.
Paul says, of the Jews five times I received four times. 40 stripes whipped. forty times. Save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck.
A night and a day, I've been in the deep. Paul's not the guy when he came up to you and said, How are you doing? He wasn't the guy to start telling how bad you have it. Yeah. Because Paul would say, Oh, really?
Well, let me tell you what's happened to me. He wins. Paul said, in journeyings, often perils of water, perils of robbers, he was robbed. He was in shipwreck, perils by my own countrymen, perils by the heathen, perils in the city. And perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, the city, the wilderness, the sea, wherever he went, there were problems.
And watchings often in hunger and thirst. And fastings and cold and nakedness. Been there, done that. didn't even get the t-shirt. Here's what's interesting.
Notice what the verse says.
Now, please get this. Joy does not lie in our circumstances. Joy is wholly dependent upon God. Our contentment does not come for what we have or where we're at or what we're going through. Our contentment comes from who we have put our trust in, and we know that.
But notice here. How in the world could Paul Or can we do what Paul said? Notice the verse. He says, I'm instructed both to be fool and to be hungry. How can you be hungry and be fool at the same time?
I've tried, it doesn't work. If that worked, I'd be three sizes smaller today. But when I'm hungry, I'm hungry. How can you be hungry but full? Notice what he says here: both to abound and to suffer need.
How can you be abounding but full of need at the time? What Paul is saying here is this, that you can have nothing, but that doesn't have to mean that you feel like you have nothing. I can be hungry, but at the same time, Paul says, Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina.
You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192. or via the web. At Kerwin Baptist Church.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin Broadcast today.
God bless you. Yeah.
