Communion for Contentment

Andy Barnes

Communion with God • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

Philippians 4:10–13

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Notes

Transcript

Recap

Pastor Josh introduced this series by making the point that our union with God should be distinguished from communing with God. The glorious truth that Paul states in his epistle to the Roman church bring the fixed state of our union with God into clear view:

Romans 5:1 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have been justified or declared righteous by God, and we therefore have peace with God.

The fixed state of our union with God is also emphasized in the next chapter of Romans:

Romans 6:5–6 ESV

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

United with Christ in His death and in His resurrection.

Our old selves have been crucified with Christ so that sin will no longer reign in us.

These wonderful truths reflect our union with God, and again, this will never change for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.

Communing with God, however is a call to action. Those of us who are united to Christ are called to obedience to Christ, but this obedience is not burdensome. Those who are united to Christ, desire to please God. If you’re still looking at Romans 6, you’ll notice that verse 5 begins with the word for or therefore. This, of course, shoots us back to what Paul said a few verses up:

Romans 6:1–2 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Paul’s argument for this absurd line of thinking is that we should not… do not regard that grace of God as a license to sin because being an object of the grace of God means that, that part of us that desires to sin has been crucified with Christ. We continue to contend with our sin, but it no longer reigns in us. And because sin no longer reigns in those who have been justified by God, we will not be content to seek to justify our desires to sin.

So while a distinction exists between our union with God and communing with God, we should be careful to see that communing with God is impossible without first being unified to God through Jesus Christ.

So that’s the recap, but now I want t introduce another idea, that I think is related to communion with God, and again, because we cannot have communion with God without union with God, this new idea is also connected to union with God.

What we all want

A sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit. I suggest that just about everyone wants this. This is not the language we use to describe this desire, but I venture that all of us here want this and that most people we know, want this. Peace, being OK with the world, not getting on anyone’s nerves and no one getting on our nerves, even keeled. We all want this. Of course, we all know what it is to not have this.... to not be even keeled, to not be OK, to not be at peace.

My initial words to describe this state: a sweet, inward gracious frame of spirit, are not my words. They come from another person’s definition of a word that represents this desired state of being. The person to whom I am referring is Jeremiah Burroughs. Burroughs lived from 1599-1646. He lived during a time when pastors, known as puritans, were seeking the reform of the church in England. Burroughs was labeled as a non-conformist, and like many other pastors of his day, was persecuted to the extent that he was forced into exile. He served the church in Rotterdam, and later returned to England and preached the gospel in the city of London. Burroughs was a contributor to the Westminster Confession and gave himself to the hard work of promoting unity among those who were working for the reform of the church. In his well known work, which is comprised from a series of sermons he preached before he died at the age of 47, he supplies this definition:

that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. (Jeremiah Burrows - “The Rear Jewel of Christian Contentment. p.19)

The word that he defines is contentment. This is what we all want. We want to be content. But we have prerequisites for contentment. We have certain stipulations. We need to be well, the people around us need to be where we want them, our standards of living need to be maintained… then we can have this precious jewel of contentment. That’s the name of Burrough’s book: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

We all want this rare jewel, but what I want to suggest is that for those of us who are in Christ. For those of us who are unified to Christ and can therefore commune with Christ in loving obedience, we can have it. Perhaps you consider your life to be going well at the moment. Not perfect of course, but all in all, things are good. That’s great, but that’s not required to possess contentment. Perhaps you are in a dark period in your life. Hope is illusive, fear seems to always be around the corner, nothing seems settled, you’re telling yourself, this too will pass often but you’re growing weary of saying that again. To you I say, the rare jewel of Christian contentment can be yours, and your possession of it does not depend on your life’s circumstances improving.

So what I want to suggest tonight is this

Main Idea

Union leads to communing which leads to contentment.

That’s the short and pithy way to say it. A fuller, and perhaps more clear way to say it is:

As those who are unified to God, commune with God, they come to possess contentment from God.

Now, where I want to go to see the connection between union with God, communing with God and possessing content from God is the book of Philippians.

Philippians 4:10–13 ESV

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for 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 am 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I aim to show union with God, communion with God and content from God in this text, and it is those 3 gospel treasures that form the outline of this message.

Union (12b)

We’ll begin at the 2nd half of verse 12 where Paul says, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Focus on the phrase, have learned the secret. This is actually one Greek word, and is found only here in Phil. 4:12.

The idea that this word carries is one of initiation. Paul is saying, he has been initiated into the secret or mystery of facing time of want and plenty that life inevitably brings. Possessing this insight is like having inside knowledge. Learning the secret draws a line between those on the outside and those on the inside who know.

Another to understand the idea of this word is it as a reference to information known only to a deity and those to whom he chose to reveal it.

Now, looking at verse 12 again, notice the substance of this secret: facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. The word facing means satiety. It deals with the idea of being satisfied… content! The secret to being satisfied is not circumstantial because this state of satisfaction is possible in plenty, hunger, abundance and want.

From whom did Paul receive this insight? God of course. In verse 10, Paul says that he rejoices in the Lord. In verse 13, he expresses confidence in Christ from whom he receives strength.

Possessing this insight, this secret of being satisfied in all of life’s ups and downs has nothing to do with the events of our lives, but the God to whom we need to be unified.

You see, only those who are unified to God can possess this knowledge. We’re not talking about tolerating or even learning to live with less than desirable circumstances. This is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit that is not swayed or dependent upon circumstances. It is a gift of God to His people. It is a blessing of salvation.

So union leads to

Communing (10)

What I want us to notice in verse 10 is the joy that Paul expresses in response to the support the Philippians provided him. Joy is a significant theme in this epistle.

Notice how Paul expresses his joy: I rejoiced in the Lord...

So while Paul is thankful for the provision of the gift from the Philippians, he is not diverted from the central focus of God as his provider.

One commentator observes this:

The Letter to the Philippians VIII. Thanks for Gifts from Partners (4:10–20)

This central focus on God transforms the transaction of giving and receiving among Christians from a human, horizontal exchange to a divine-human, triangular interaction. God initiates giving, empowers givers, supplies gifts, and meets needs. Participating in the activity of God by giving and receiving leads to rejoicing greatly in the Lord.

So, this is what I want us to consider: the triangular interaction that people within the body of Christ have with God as they assist one another is a reality because of our union with God. That we find joy in the triangular interaction is the product of communing with God.

As Paul seeks to please God, as he accepts and endures the hardships that accompany serving God, as he experiences the power of Christ’s resurrection in this world and anticipates its power to bring him into the next, he presses on to commune with Christ. He expresses this idea in the previous chapter:

Philippians 3:10–12 ESV

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Living this way, that is, serving God even when the serving yields unpleasant consequences, produces joy but it’s not always easy. Paul experienced times of loneliness and discouragement in his ministry. Notice in verse 10 that Paul’s joy came after the Philippians’ commitment to supporting him was renewed. Apparently there was a time of inactivity, or at least a period of time when the Philippians’ concern for Paul was not evident to him.

And while Paul may have struggled with discouragement in the course of his ministry, he did not become bitter towards others. The end of verse 10, he makes clear that he understood the Philippians cared for him, even when they were unable to provide for his needs. So, while Paul rejoiced in the Lord for the financial assistance he received, he did not regard that assistance to be a prerequisite to their partnership in the gospel.

Our communing with God is the overflow of our union with Him. That I may know Him… this is communing with God, and when we pursue this kind of intimacy with God, our relationships with one another strengthen.

So again, union leads to communing which leads to

Contentment (11-12a, 13)

Paul referenced his joy in the Lord that the Philippians expressed their concern for Paul, but he is careful to make clear that he does not consider himself to be in need. Why did Paul not consider himself to be in need? The reality was, he needed financial support to continue his ministry, and God, through the generosity of the Philippian church, provided. Why was he not in need?

He begins to answer this question in v. 11 where he says, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. He has learned this lesson, that’s why he does not consider himself to be in need even when he has needs.

Now the word content means what you think it means. It means satisfied. It means to be satisfied with things as they are. And being satisfied with things as they are is not dependent on things being what we want or prefer them to be.

Look what he says in v. 12: I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. I know how to be satisfied in circumstances that are not desirable and I know how to be satisfied in preferable circumstances.

And remember, he is rejoicing in the Lord (v. 10), and this joy exists in light of the communing he does with God as he obeys Him. So this joy and this state of contentment is the product of communing with God.

Paul has come to a point in his life where he is willing to accept adverse circumstances. And it’s equally important that we understand how to be content in comfortable circumstances.... in circumstances of abundance. People have a natural propensity to covet more than what they have. Paul’s words to Timothy are relevant when he said

1 Timothy 6:10 ESV

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

But the state of contentment is not natural… it is supernatural. It is the result of our union with God and our communing with God. The lesson of contentment can, at times, seem like an impossible one to learn. But we must claim the promise of v. 13:

Philippians 4:13 ESV

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul’s thoughts began and ended with Christ. He rejoices in the Lord in v. 10 and places his confidence in Him in v. 13.

Paul is not claiming some omnipotent victory in life. He knows his limitations. he knows his weaknesses. We need to keep the context of this verse in mind. The state of contentment is hard to maintain. in fact, it cannot be dependent upon our efforts. But through Christ… through our union with Him and our daily communing with Him, we can possess contentment.

Conclusion

Here’s another quote from Burroughs:

Paul’s meaning [in 4:10-20] is that “I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart, through the grace of Christ that is in me. Though I have not outward comforts and worldly conveniences to supply my necessities, yet I have a sufficient portion between Christ and my soul abundantly to satisfy me in every condition.”

sufficiency and satisfaction of heart through the grace of Christ in me. That’s right. Our union with God, which is by the grace of God, is the basis for which we can expect to commune with God which then will yield a satisfied or contented heart.

Christ is enough, and we will come to experience this truth as we commune with Him.

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