Rev. David Holwick X
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 28, 2013
Philippians 4:10-13
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I. It made the Rolling Stones famous.
A. Yet Mick Jagger didn't want too much of a good thing.
On June 9, 1975, People magazine published an interview with
Mick Jagger who was then 32 years old.
The Rolling Stones had been at the top longer than any other
rock band, but Jagger said:
"I only meant to do it for two years.
I guess the band would just disperse one day and say goodbye.
I would continue to write and sing, but I'd rather be dead
than sing 'Satisfaction' when I'm 45."
It is hard to believe, but this month Mick Jagger turns 70!
And guess what, you'll hear the song on every tour he does.
There is no indication he wants to die yet, either.
B. Dissatisfaction is a big issue in modern life.
1) Many people have high incomes and incredible possessions
but they are miserable.
a) You probably don't put yourself in that category.
b) But I have been to Haiti and seen people who were happy
to get a small plate of beans twice a day.
c) You are certainly richer than they are.
1> But are you more contented?
2) Contentment makes a wonderful goal.
a) King Solomon struggled to find it, as the book of
Ecclesiastes shows.
b) Paul claims he had it, no matter what his current
situation was.
c) Can you say the same thing about yourself today?
II. The world can be a very tough place.
A. Paul had plenty of hard circumstances.
1) He wandered through the Roman Empire making ends meet by
making and repairing tents.
2) Along the way he got beat up, robbed, and abused, sometimes
even by other Christians.
3) He says he knew what starvation and despair was like.
B. Many of us can relate to hard times.
1) This recent recession has been brutal for many.
2) Your homes have lost value, your retirement accounts
have been battered.
a) It might just be on paper but it makes you feel poorer,
more vulnerable.
b) For some people, it makes them come unhinged.
3) You can have plenty of troubles apart from the economy.
a) Your health can fall apart.
1> (I think of the recent ailments to hit my father.)
b) Your family can disintegrate before your eyes.
C. Our material situation matters.
1) Jesus himself says God wants us to have material things
like sufficient food and good health.
2) And note that the context of today's passage mentions
an offering that the Philippian church had just
delivered to Paul. He appreciated it.
3) But even with sufficient material things, you can still
be miserable.
III. Contentment is independent of your circumstances.
A. We think satisfaction comes from having enough.
1) Billionaire John D. Rockefeller was asked once how much
money it took to make a person happy.
His answer was a classic: "JUST A LITTLE MORE."
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2) Researchers have found that a major change in your finances
causes significant stress.
a) It doesn't matter if your finances end up worse off
or better off.
b) Either change will put pressure on you.
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B. Paul was content no matter what his situation was.
1) He mentions being in need (even hungry) and having plenty.
a) In both situations he could be content.
2) What about you?
a) Think about your situation right now, whatever it is.
b) Are you satisfied? Contented?
c) Or are you thinking you will be contented when something
gets "tweaked"?
d) How far is contentment from you?
IV. Paul's secret.
A. Contentment is not determined by genetics or upbringing.
1) Celeste and I have rather different personalities.
a) She calls it "Holwick vs. Triehy."
b) Her family, the Triehys, are warm and people-oriented
and fun to be with. Their glass is always half-full.
c) Then there are the Holwicks.
2) Do you have to be like the Triehys to be contented?
a) That's not the secret.
B. Paul's secret is spiritual.
1) He is contented because he knows Jesus holds his destiny.
a) To Paul, Jesus is not just someone who you have to
believe something about.
b) Jesus is someone you know and can depend upon on a
daily basis.
c) When you know Jesus, you should be able to look at
your circumstances differently.
2) It is not just an attitude, but an ability.
a) The word he uses for strength is "dunamis" which
later was adopted for dynamite.
b) God gives us the strength to put up with the
unbearable, and perhaps even to change it.
c) As Paul puts it, he can do anything.
V. We need an "overcoming" attitude in life.
A. Note that Paul says it is a secret that he had to learn.
1) It is not an automatic possession for every Christian.
2) Some genuine Christians are genuinely miserable.
a) But they don't have to be that way.
B. How can we learn contentment through Jesus?
1) Be determined to rise about your circumstances.
Kurt Warner's story:
Back in 2000, after losing starting their star quarterback,
many suspected the Rams football team's season was over.
However, a backup quarterback named Kurt Warner led the
Rams to a 13-3 season record.
In the end, he led them to their first and only Super Bowl
victory.
He was named the National Football League's "Most Valuable
Player."
That's when the world found out where his confidence came
from.
Mike Tirico from ABC asked him:
"Kurt, first things first - tell me about the final
touchdown pass to Isaac."
Kurt replied:
"Well, first things first, I've got to thank my Lord
and Savior up above - thank you, Jesus!"
Nine years later, upon leading the Cardinals to their
first-ever Super Bowl, Warner said much the same thing.
At the very beginning of his career, Kurt tried out for
the Green Bay Packers.
They cut him before the season even began.
His wife Brenda said at the time, "Circumstances don't shake
who he is, and circumstances haven't shaped who he is."
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2) Keep a balanced perspective on life.
One of Kurt Warner's greatest lessons has come from his
wife's son, whom Kurt adopted when he married her.
Zachary is blind and brain-damaged from a bathtub accident
when he was a baby.
Kurt says of him, "He's the most special child I've ever
met.
Everything is a struggle for him, but he just keeps going
and keeps improving."
Zachary falls down really hard 10 times a day, but he
always gets right back up and exudes pure joy.
He touches my life so much.
For me to throw three interceptions on a football field
and get down on myself would be a joke.
It gives me a humbling sense of what's important in my life."
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3) Trust God to provide what you need. 4:19
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his
glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
4) Get your joy and satisfaction from knowing the Lord.
a) The other stuff, the material stuff, will follow.
b) But you have to put God first in your life.
The Old Testament shares this perspective.
Proverbs 19:23 says:
"The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests
content, untouched by trouble."
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] “I’d Rather Be Dead than Sing Satisfaction When I’m 45,” Garson
O’Toole, ”http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/08/12/jagger-satisfaction/,
August 12, 2012.
# 1495 “Stress Test,” Charles Swindoll, from his book “The Art of
Unselfish Living,” page 182.
# 4389 “Contentment At Last,” Rev. Dale Johnsen, Ahtanum Pioneer Church,
April 29, 1990. [Some versions say it was Nelson Rockefeller
or other millionaires but John D. Rockefeller seems to be
the original.]
#18487 “Perseverance of a Super Bowl Champion,” Nick Lica Collection;
supplemented with material from Wikipedia.org.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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