I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content (Philippians

In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Sometimes, we look at people and think, “It must be nice to be them. They are so content. I wish I were like that. Sadly, God made me a miserable, discontent person.” However, contentment is not something fortunate people are born with, while others are not. Instead, content must be learned.

Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/i-have-...

View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/48LqRpT

Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/

For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christi...

#expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons

00:00 I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content
09:27 Lesson One: Contentment is (Part One) learned.
15:20 Lesson One: Contentment is (Part Two) a choice versus a feeling.
22:29 Lesson Two: Contentment is not (Part One) the absence of trials.
26:23 Lesson Two: Contentment is not (Part Two) the same as happiness.
29:53 Lesson Three: We must learn to be content when prospering.
35:18 Lesson Four: Christ’s strength (Part One) allows us to “do all things” He wants us to do.
46:16 Lesson Four: Christ’s strength (Part Two) is the “secret” to contentment.

When you have been stripped, severely beaten, thrown in prison, and chained up, you know you are “in need and brought low,” as Philippians 4:12 describes. We would expect to read that they were sobbing and praying for help, but instead, they “were praying and singing hymns to God.” People who suffer this much but respond this way have learned how to be content. Excluding Christ Himself, Paul was the master of contentment. Here are four things we can learn from him about what contentment is and is not.

First, Contentment Is Learned

Sometimes, we look at people and think, “It must be nice to be them. They are so content. I wish I were like that. Sadly, God made me a miserable, discontent person.” However, contentment is not something fortunate people are born with, while others are not. Instead, contentment must be learned. Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content…I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Philippians 4:11-12). Two verses earlier, Paul wrote, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). We are to follow Paul’s example and practice what he did.

Second, Contentment Is a Choice Versus a Feeling

The world tempts us to look at certain words un-biblically. For example, the world thinks being patient means being good at waiting. If people are patient, they don’t mind sitting at red lights or standing in line at the store. Because they are patient, when the cashier apologizes for the long wait, they smile and say, “No problem at all. It just gave me time to recite Scripture and pray for different people.”

Biblically, patience is synonymous with endurance, perseverance, and longsuffering, which is how the Greek word for patience, hypomonē, is often translated. In the NKJV, James 1:3 reads, “The testing of your faith produces patience (hypomonē), but the NIV reads, “produces perseverance (hypomonē),” the NASB reads, “produces endurance (hypomonē),” and the ESV reads, “produces steadfastness (hypomonē).” Being patient means handling trials and mistreatment without getting upset or becoming offended. Ephesians 4:2 says, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” Being patient means graciously putting up with people.

Similarly, the world wants us to believe love is a feeling we have no control over. Cupid comes to mind. He shoots people with arrows, and they fall in love, which is why they can also supposedly fall out of love. People walk along, they trip, and the next thing they know, they unexpectedly and unwillingly lose feelings for their spouse and develop feelings for someone else. A man could tell his wife he didn’t mean to develop feelings for his coworker: “I didn’t mean any of this. We kept running into each other in the hallway and the break room, and before I knew it, I fell in love with her. I no longer love you.” But the Bible teaches love is a choice over which we have complete control.

We choose whether to love people by our actions, which is why we can love our enemies, as Matthew 5:44 commands...

Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/i-have-...