Ron Dunn Podcast - The Secret of Contentment - Bellevue

Episode Date: May 15, 2024

Phillipians 4:10-13 is a great teaching from Paul on the secret of contentment. By reading the tone of the letter one would not even realize that Paul was in prison when teaching on the joy he was experiencing. Preached at Bellevue Baptist Church.

Well, I want you to open your Bibles tonight, if you will please, to the book of Philippians chapter 4. The book of Philippians chapter 4, and I want to read beginning with verse 10 through verse 13. Philippians chapter 4, verses 10 through 13. Paul is in prison at Rome, and he is writing to this church at Philippi, a church that he founded and that he pastored. Probably scholars agree that of all the churches that Paul had anything to do with, this was more than likely his favorite church. It's the only letter that Paul wrote that doesn't have the word sin in it. There's not much of a rebuke in it. As a matter of fact, you would never know and never guess that Paul was in prison by the tone of his letter. Most people, after you speak with them for a few

minutes, you can tell what their circumstances are because of the tone of their conversation. But Paul is in prison, falsely in prison and fairly in prison, betrayed by some of his comrades and never knowing from one moment to the next whether or not he's going to live or die, and yet you'd never guess that from the way he talks. Key note perhaps of this entire letter is the word joy or rejoice. As a matter of fact, he's received word and they're concerned about Paul. They know of his plight and they're anxious about him, worried about him. And Paul is writing back and

saying, hey, don't worry about me. I'm doing just fine. I want you folks to perk up over there and rejoice. Get with it, I'm doing just fine. And so he closes this letter with these words. He says, I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. That means they sent him a love offering. Indeed, you have been concerned actually Paul has long since been gone from this church

and they keep sending him love offerings just thought I might mention that you know that that's a biblical thing to do you know he says indeed you have been concerned but you had no opportunity to show it. I'm not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I've learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. I've always been a sucker for the word secret. I remember when I first started in the ministry, I'd buy every book that had the word secret in the title. You know, I'd go to the bookstore and the secret of prayer, the secret of power, the secret of preaching, the secret of building a great church, and I'd buy all those books because I knew that the only reason those men were successful is because they had a little secret, and if I could learn their secret,

then I could do what they do. It's sort of the same philosophy that says if you steal a man's hat, you'll get his brains too. And so I was always buying these books that had the word secret in the title, and I'd like to hear sermons, you know, when the secret of power, the secret of the fullness of the Spirit, and I'd like to hear sermons, you know, when the secret of power, the secret of the fullness of the Spirit,

and I'd go and hear because I knew, I knew that there was just a little secret. That's all that was dividing me from being what I was to being the great Christian that I wanted to be, just a little secret. But, you know, I have to confess that I was nearly always disappointed because when I would buy those books and I began to read them they weren't really saying anything new I'd read that stuff before and

the sermons that had the word secret in the title weren't really unveiling any new truth it was same old stuff I I'd heard before I and I began to suspect that they were using the word secret as a lure to get me just to buy the book. And it's very successful. I'm still strongly tempted. But we do love that word secret, don't we? I mean, don't you love it when somebody says, listen, boy, you can't tell anybody else this,

but I mean, I've got a secret I want to tell you. Now, you know why they don't want you to tell anybody else, don't you? They want to be the first to tell everyone. See, a secret is something you tell everybody one person at a time. But isn't it intriguing? We like to know what's going on behind the doors, you know, in the back rooms. That's why we buy these celebrity exposés. We want to know the secrets, you know.

That's why these magazines at checkout stands in the grocery stores are so popular, you know. The Enquirer and the Globe and the Star. They always have some secret on there. I noticed one not long ago, the secret alien son of Elvis. I noticed one, the beauty Secrets of the Stars. And then there was one, The Secrets that Doctors Don't Tell You. Of course, I wouldn't buy one of those magazines. I wouldn't put down my money for one of those magazines. I do read fast, though, while I'm in the checkout line.

And I have to confess, I have to confess that there have been times when I've been strongly tempted, you know, to take a quick look around, see if there's anybody, and buy one of those things, but I wouldn't buy one. I have a feeling that if I were to buy one because they promised a secret on the outside, that when I got to the inside, I'd be sorely disappointed.

There's no secret at all. Somebody said, amen. How do you know, brother? So that's why I never preach sermons with the word secret in the title, except this one. Because I believe this one is fair. This one is biblical. I'm simply using Paul's own language. When he says, writing to these Philippians, I have learned the secret of being content. The secret of contentment. Now, he's writing this letter, as I said, for two reasons.

Number one, he's writing to alleviate their fears. They're worried about him. They know the situation that he's in and they're concerned. And so Paul is writing to tell them that everything's going to turn out for his salvation and for them not to worry. But he's also writing them to tell them, thank them for the gift that they've just sent. He goes on to say in the later verses

that even long after he had left Philippi, they continued to send him gifts and continued to send him support. But it's been a good while since they've sent him anything. Not because they were unconcerned, but because the opportunity was not there. And so he says, I rejoice greatly at last that your check arrived in the mail.

And then I think he hastily adds verse 11. Don't misunderstand me, as one translation reads. I'm not saying this because I'm in need. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm thanking you and praising God because of the gift you've sent. But don't get me wrong. I don't want you to think that I was worried. I don't want you to think I was out there hovering over the mailbox,

wringing my hands, wondering when the check was going to come. No, the reason I'm rejoicing, as he says later on, is because I know God is going to bless you for being so generous. No, but as for myself, I want to tell you something. I have learned to be content, whatever my circumstances. Man, I thank God for your gift,

but listen, I was doing just fine without it, and I would have been all right if you'd never sent it. For, he says, I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of having everything and of having nothing. So I want to talk to you tonight on the secret of contentment. And this isn't written from a man in an ivory tower, of course.

This isn't written from some professor's chair in an Ivy League university. I like the way he puts it in verse 12. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. What's he doing? He's setting down his credentials. He said, I have a right to say to you what I'm going to say.

You know, some people stood up here tonight and said, hey, I've learned the secret of being content. I wouldn't pay much attention to them because I know they've never been in need and they've never gone through all of the vicissitudes of life. And so Paul says, listen, I know what it is to have plenty. I know what it is to have nothing. I know what it is to have nothing. He's saying, you listen to me now. I'm qualified. I've been there. I'm speaking from experience. And I think you have to be qualified. I never will forget. In 1956, I was 19 years old,

and I was holding a revival meeting in Bowlegs, Oklahoma, First Baptist Church of Bowlegs, Oklahoma. And the man leading the music for me was Johnny Bassagno, who is now in Houston. But we were having a great meeting, and I was 19 years old and single, and I had a sermon on the home that I'd gotten from some evangelist. And so I preached a sermon on the home that night, told the husband and wife how they ought to behave, told them how to raise their children. It's amazing how much you know at 19. I knew it all. But anyway, so when I finished, a visiting pastor came up to me and he said, that was a great sermon.

I said, well, thank you very much. He said, how many children do you have? Well, I said, I don't have any. I'm not even married. He said, young man, when you get married and have kids of your own, you'll throw that sermon away. That was in 1956 in Bolegs, Oklahoma. In 1986, 30 years later, I was in Chickasha, Oklahoma in a meeting, and after the service, a man came down the aisle that I had not seen in 30 years, but I recognized him immediately, and he came up to me and his first words were,

did you throw that sermon away? I said, yes, sir, I did. So I have trouble taking advice from people who've never been there, you know. Paul said, listen, I know what it is to be in want. I know what it is to be in want. I know what it is to be forsaken. And in all of that, I have learned to be content. There is a secret of contentment.

Now, what does it mean? The word content here is a very interesting word. It literally means to be self-contained. It was a word that in the ancient days was used of cities that did not need to import anything into their boundaries in order to exist. They were self-contained. They had their own food supply. They had their own water supply. Now you can see how vital this was for in those days when you laid siege to a city, you would lay what they called a starvation siege around that city. You would encircle the city, cut off all the supply routes.

Well, when the food ran out and the water ran out, they had no choice but to give up, to surrender. But if you were laying siege to a contented city, a self-contained city, a city that had its own water supply and food supply, then you couldn't starve them out, you see. They were invulnerable to that kind of an attack. Some of you may remember years ago that television movie, Masada, where those 700 plus Jews held out so long against the army legions of Rome. The reason they were able

to do that is because Masada was to a certain extent a contented place. It was self-contained. They had their own water. They had their own food. So you can see how very, very important this is. They couldn't be intimidated by threats. If you don't surrender, we'll cut off all the supplies, and you'll get nothing from the outside. They said, that's all right. We have everything we need on the inside. So we are independent of outside circumstances. Cut all the supply routes you want. Cut off all of those reservoirs that you want. We have everything we need within the walls of our own city. Now Paul takes that and applies it to the believer, applies it to himself. He said, I've learned something

being in this situation. I've discovered something. I've discovered that I am self-contained, that there is within the four walls of my being, within the boundaries of my body, there is everything I need in order to live. Thank you for your gift. I appreciate that, and God bless you. Listen, don't get the idea that I was worrying about it. Man, I have learned a secret. I have learned that I am self-contained.

You know what Paul was saying? I've learned to live from the inside out. You know, most of us live from the outside in, don't we? As long as everything is alright on the outside, we feel alright on the inside.

The peace and the calmness on the inside is determined by the, let me say, fragile circumstances of the outside. And you know, to live that kind of life is to live in bondage. Because there's one thing you can't control, folks,

and that's this. You cannot control your circumstances on the outside. Now, you may try, and man has always tried, and man is ever trying, and I watched the Merrill Lynch commercial on TV, take hold of your future. Well, I wish I could. You can't take hold of your future because you cannot control your destiny as far as the daily life is concerned. You cannot control those circumstances. Now, if my joy and my happiness, my peace and my calm on the inside is determined by the circumstances on the outside, then my soul, I'm always going to be on edge.

I'm always going to be afraid. I'm always going to be vulnerable. At any moment, all the world has to say is, I'm going to cut this off and you'll not have any more of it. Or all the world has to say is, I'm going to shut you off from this source. What are you going to do about that? Paul says, that's all right. Cut off all the sources. I've discovered that I have within my own being

everything I need. Paul lived from the inside out. In other words, he allowed what was on the inside to dictate to him how he responded to the circumstances on the outside. You see, instead of our allowing the outside circumstances to dictate to us and rule us, we allow that secret, whatever it is, we're going to come to in a moment, we allow that which is within us to control our lives. Paul says, I refuse to be dictated to by circumstances. I've learned

to live from the inside out. I have everything that I need. I am self contained. My goodness, what a secret. Well, that surely is worth learning. Which brings me to my second point.

Not only is there a secret of contentment, but it is a secret that must be learned. I was afraid of that. I don't know something about the word learn that kind of sounds like discipline. Makes it sound like it's going to take time. Matter of fact, makes it sound like it's going to take time. Matter of fact, makes it sound like it's going to take hard work. You see, there are two different words used for learn.

In verse 11, he's saying, for I've learned to be content whatever the circumstances. In verse 12, he says, I've learned the secret of being content. The word learn there is a word that means actually in its tense, I have learned and I am learning and I'll always be learning. And it's a word that indicates laborious labor and toil. It doesn't come easy and it is never over.

You're always learning it. Now let me say this. There is a secret of contentment, but that secret must be learned. It cannot be taught. It can only be learned. There's no way in the world that I could stand up here tonight and teach you the secret of contentment. It cannot be taught.

It can only be learned. Well, how do you learn this? Well, you have to enroll in school. You have to take some courses. Let's look at one of these courses here. He says in verse 12, I know what it is to be abased. That's the King James. Abasement 101.

No, I don't think I'm going to take that this semester. That next course, boy, that looks good. I know what it is to abound. I like that. I'm sorry, that class is full. You have to pre-register. Now, you can always get in abasement. I mean, you know, that class is always open.

But I want you to notice how Paul goes from one extreme to the other. I know what it is to have nothing. I know what it is to have everything. I know what it is to be well-fed. I know what it is to have nothing. I know what it is to have everything. I know what it is to be well fed. I know what it is to be hungry. Now watch it. You have to go to the extremes of those circumstances to learn the secret. You see, a person who's never had anything but good stuff in his life

will never learn that secret. And a person who's never had anything but bad stuff in his life will never learn that secret. And a person who's never had anything but bad stuff in his life will never learn that secret either because he keeps thinking, my goodness, if I had the good stuff, then I'd be all right. You have to have both, you see. You have to have everything so that you discover that having everything won't take away the heartache. And you have to have nothing so that you discover that having everything won't take away the heartache. And you have to have nothing so that you can

discover that having nothing won't take away the joy. You know, there are some of us tonight, many of us perhaps tonight, who really and truly believe that if I could just accumulate more, I just had more. We're a generation of goods and gadgets. I mean, isn't that amazing? I love them. I mean, I more. I just had more. We're a generation of goods and gadgets.

I mean, isn't that amazing? I love them. I mean, I do. I love them. Goods and gadgets. Listen, I've got so many goods and gadgets in my house, it's pitiful. I mean, you know, you've got your stereo

and your television and your VCR. You've got a fax machine, a copier machine, and I've got a couple of computers. Well, I've got so many things that I had to get one of these extension things to plug in more things, and I don't have enough. I've got a list that I'm working on of things that I need, you know, right now. I mean, I don't have enough. If I had more, I think I'd be happier.

And so I say, Dear Lord, I'd like to learn the secret of being content. Oh Lord, I'd like to be invulnerable to the changes of this world. I'd like to be like the Apostle Paul. Lord, teach me how to be content. And God says, okay, the first thing I notice is you've got too many goods and gadgets. You're plugged into so many sockets you don't even remember which one was hot. And so what we're going to do is unplug a few. Oh, no, no, no, no, Lord. No, I need every one I've got. As a matter of fact, I was going to talk to you about some more that I needed. No, what is needed here is not subtraction but addition. Lord, you know, I'm not making myself clear no I have to have that thing I mean Lord

if you unplug that I'll die Lord don't unplug and he unplugs it well I would have sworn that if he unplugged that I'd be destroyed but okay Lord

I was wrong about that one but I see the one you're looking at now Lord and I know for sure that I can't do without that one. And you know what he does? He unplugs that one. I tell you, folks, it's amazing how much you can do without. And he keeps on unplugging until he gets to the one that's hot.

You see, we've got so much stuff anymore, we don't know what's essential. What is that little song that we sing? Christ is all I need. Christ is all I need. Yes, he is all you need, but you'll never know it until he's all you've got. And when he's all you've got, you'll discover he's all you need. Very simply, God taught Paul the secret of contentment by reducing him to Jesus. That's all he had in that prison cell. It is a secret that must be learned.

Not learned overnight, not learned easily. It is a lesson that goes on throughout your life. It cannot be taught. You can't enroll in a class and just go out and just like that, learn it. No. It can't be taught. It has to be learned. And finally, there is a secret of contentment.

That secret must be learned. And that secret is Christ. That's the secret. Are you disappointed? Yeah, you are. You're just like me. I bought that book looking for some secret. Found out it's Jesus.

Well, I knew all about him. I've already got him. But that's what Paul says. What does he say? Verse 13, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Now, we lift that verse out of its context a lot and use it, and I think that's okay here. I believe this is one of those promises that you can use like that.

You know, if you're getting ready to teach a Sunday school class or you're getting ready to go out and visit, and you say, I want to claim that word. I can do all things through Christ. I think that's all right. But I believe we really miss something when we don't see it in relationship to its context. Listen to what Paul is saying. The word literally means, I am ready for anything.

Now watch it. He says, thank you for your gift. Praise God. I just thank you so much for your gift, but don't get the wrong idea. I'm not speaking out of respect of need. It's not because I was worried about it, for I have learned the secret of being content

whatever my situation I mean listen I know what it is to be well fed and I know what it is to be hungry I know what it is to have everything I know what it has to be to have nothing and in all of this I've discovered something and it's this I've discovered that I'm self contained

that I have within the boundaries of my own being everything I need to live my life and you know what I've discovered it's this self-contained, that I have within the boundaries of my own being everything I need to live my life. And you know what I've discovered? It's this, that I am ready for anything through Christ who strengthens me. The revised English Bible says, I can face anything. Folks, listen to me the secret of contentment

is not that your kids will never break your heart the secret of contentment is not a guarantee that you'll never go broke the secret of contentment is not a guarantee that you'll never get really bad sick the secret of contentment is not a guarantee

that you'll never get really bad sick the secret of contentment is that if those things do happen Christ will give you the strength to face it that's contentment knowing that whatever comes knowing that whatever

life throws my way, I am able to face anything because Christ who lives within me infuses His strength within me. Well, I've got a good friend in Scotland by the name of George Duncan. To me, one of the premier expositors of the word in the whole world. He and I were together a few years ago.

He told me about a man. Dr. Duncan is in his 80s now. But he told me about a man that he knew in Great Britain during the Second World War. Very wealthy man. He had a son, just one son. He was a pilot in the RAF. He was shot down and killed in the battle for Britain. A few years after the war ended, the old man himself died.

His wife had long since died. He had no other children, no other living relatives, no heirs. His only child was that dead son. So he left his estate to be auctioned off and the proceeds given to various charities. A part of this man's vast fortune was a fabulous art collection. Sotheby's in London was contracted to auction it off and on the day of the auction the place was packed because it was rare to get to buy into such a collection as this.

And so buyers and collectors from all over Great Britain and other places had come there for that auction. At the beginning of the auction, the executor of the estate stood up and said, Ladies and gentlemen, the terms of the will stipulate that before any of these other pieces of art can be sold, this piece must be sold first. And they brought out a painting of a young man. It was that old man's son, the son that had died in the war.

And they placed it on an easel and said, this painting must go first. Well, it was of a son that nobody knew, painted by a painter that was of no distinction and so actually it was of little or no value and nobody particularly wanted it. But there happened to be that day in the audience one of the old man's lifelong servants who had known that son

watched him grow up and he thought to himself, I'd like to have that, that'd be nice. Nobody else is bidding on it. It'd be nice to have that as a memento. And so he bid on it and he got it. And then the executor of the estate stood up and said, ladies and gentlemen, the auction is ended. And the people sat there stunned and wondering

what in the world is happening. And the executor said, the terms of the will further stipulate that whoever gets the son gets the whole lot I think that's what Paul is saying whoever gets the son

gets the whole lot that's contentment contentment. Contentment is not guarantees. Contentment is the presence of Christ within our lives

who makes us able to face anything. Would you bow your heads with me now for a moment? Our Lord and our God, we come to you tonight asking that your Holy Spirit would open our eyes and to see the great treasure that we have in these clay pots and minister your word to us tonight

in Jesus' name. Amen.