Honoring Christ Through Contentment

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Honoring Christ Through Contentment

Philippians 4:10-20

November 18, 2023 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Philippians 4:10–20

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Introduction:

True churches — healthy churches — honor Christ.

They recognize that Christ is the Head of the church.

They recognize Christ is the Chief Shepherd of the church.

They are submissively pursuing the will of Christ in the church.

BUT HOW DO WE EXPLAIN CHRIST-HONORING CONGREGATIONS?

Regeneration is the ultimate explanation, but what are they learning? What are they being taught?

As we think about this, I want to zero in on one non-negotiable to that end.

There are many ways the Bible would explain a Christ-honoring church.

But the reason why I want to zero in on the quality that we emphasize today, is because I think we RARELY MENTION this element of what makes for Christ-honoring churches.

AS I SAID, THE BIBLE DESCRIBES WHAT IT MEANS TO HONOR CHRIST IN MULTIPLE WAYS.

We can say:

No church honors Christ that isn’t growing in its KNOWLEDGE of Christ.

No church honors Christ that doesn’t CHERISH Christ — counting Him our greatest treasure.

No church honors Christ that doesn’t PRIORITIZE Christ — giving Him first place.

No church honors Christ that isn’t SATSIFIED with Christ.

YOU CANNOT HONOR CHRIST WHILE YOU ENTERTAIN IDOLS.

Colossians 3:5 (LSB)

5 Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.

John MacArthur — “greed. Lit. this term means “to have more.” It is the insatiable desire to gain more, especially of things that are forbidden (cf. Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21; Jas 4:2). which amounts to idolatry. When people engage in either greed or the sexual sins Paul has cataloged, they follow their desires rather than God’s, in essence worshiping themselves—which is idolatry (Nu 25:1–3; Eph 5:3–5).”[1]

BUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN REALLY BE SUMMED UP IN THE WORD CONTENTMENT.

In contrast to the constant desire for something we DO NOT HAVE, and all the things WE SHOULD NOT HAVE, is CONTENTMENT.

The Christ honoring church is a church characterized by contentment.

CONTENT WITH WHAT GOD GIVES US.

CONTENT WITHOUT WHAT GOD HAS CHOSEN NOT TO GIVE US.

CONTENT REGARDLESS OF OUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES

CONTENT WITH WHAT GOD HAS IDENTIFIED AS SUFFICIENT.

CONTENT IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE AND SEASON OF CONGREGATIONAL LIFE.

CONTENT WHEN IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE FLOURISHING AND CONTENT WHEN IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE WITHERING.

CONTENT KNOWING THAT WE CAN’T DO BETTER THAN TO SIMPLY TRUST AND OBEY WITH CONSISTENT FAITHFULNESS — I MEAN WE ARE TRULY CONVINCED OF THAT.

CONTENT WHEN CELEBRATED AND CONTENT WHEN CONDEMENED, BECAUSE IN NEITHER CIRCUMSTANCE IS OUR AIM THE PRAISE OF MEN.

Contentment is found wherever you find a church honoring Christ.

That kind of church ministry produces fruit.

Its fruit is simplicity — free from the clutter of human invention — the clutter of worldly ideologies and strategies that men take hold of in pursuit of things God never designed.

Its fruit is peacefulness — at rest in God and His Word and the work He has assigned us.

Its fruit is unity — contentment in Christ that frees us from competition with each other.

Its fruit is a consistent thankfulness and joy.

But, as we will be reminded, CONTENTMENT IS LEARNED — believers struggle to learn it. It is not automatic. It is a matter of sanctification.

CONTENTMENT IS EXPERIENCED INDIRECTLY.

IT IS LEARNED IN THE FURNACE OF GOD ORDAINED CIRCUMSTANCES THAT SIFT US AND PURIFY US.

Our God must teach us the vanity of setting our HOPE on what is NOT OUR HOPE.

WE WILL NEVER HONOR CHRIST IN HIS CHURCH IF WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH CHRIST IN HIS CHURCH.

AND THIS CHARACTERIZES CHURCHES ONE BELIEVER AT A TIME.

If the church is to honor Christ, WE MUST HONOR CHRIST. If contentment is non-negotiable for the church, IT IS NON-NEGOTIABLE FOR ME if I am to live a life that honors Jesus.

I. PAUL’S JOY DECLARED (VS.10)

Paul is bringing his letter to a close. But before he finishes there is a matter that needs to be attended to. He hinted at the matter in the first chapter:

NAS Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

But now he addresses it directly. The Philippians, by the hands of Epaphroditus (vs.18), have delivered material support to Paul.

Paul is in a Roman prison, surviving on the most basic kind of provisions, existing in a state of want, facing an impending trial before Roman authorities, and knows that he potentially faces even the possibility of execution.

In those circumstances, he meets with an act of friendship and concern on the part of the Philippian church. Epaphroditus had arrived with their gift, and was himself a gift, and now Paul can return his thanks by the hand of this same man in the form of this return letter.

His thank you is fascinating. It is rich with instruction. Paul takes a thank you and turns it into an opportunity to model and to instruct what Christian love and Christian living is all about.

It is a great reminder that Christianity is something supernatural wherever it is real.

It is ETERNAL LIFE. It is fellowship with God and His Son (John 17:3). And in that eternal life IS THE PRESENCE OF REAL FAITH.

AND WHERE THIS LIFE AND THIS FAITH EXIST THERE IS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, A UNIQUE BELIEF THAT ALLOWS FOR UNIQUE ACTS.

And in our text there are three that are apparent.

[1] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Col 3:5.

Love’s Rejoicing

November 17, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Corinthians 13:5

Introduction: Lost man is incurably moralistic. Even when men are immoral, they promote their immorality in the name of morality. Using just one example. When we think about the sexual revolution that our nation has seen over the past few decades —recognize that it has been done in the NAME OF MORALITY. “It is RIGHT,” they would say, “to celebrate sexual diversity, and if anyone disagrees, IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE A BIGOT.” In fact, they are driven by irrational fear. Homophobia. Transphobia. This places the acceptance of all the various sexual sins in the category of virtue. Those who accept such things are more enlightened, more advanced, more educated, more reasonable, or just better people. It places the rightful hatred of these behaviors in the category of bigotry. THOSE WHO ACTUALLY OPPOSE GOD ARE NOW CLAIMED TO BE ON GOD’S SIDE. THOSE WHO ACTUALLY SIDE WITH GOD’S WORD ARE NOW CLAIMED TO BE AGAINST GOD. BUT IT ISN’T JUST A GENERAL MORALITY THAT IS CLAIMED FOR THESE CHOICES — IT IS THE SPECIFIC CLAIM OF LOVE. According to the moral climate of the age: To say that a person’s sexual orientation is sinful or abnormal is UNLOVING. To say that people of the same sex shouldn’t be able to marry is UNLOVING. To refuse to treat such behaviors as normal and acceptable — in the realm of a family, for example — is said to be UNLOVING. This is a tremendous crisis in our time. IT DEMONSTRATES HOW THE MEANING OF LOVE, THE MEASURE OF LOVE, AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT IS LOVELY — HAS BEEN DISTORTED. The quality of love that we consider tonight IS A GREAT REMEDY if we are willing to listen. What we see here challenges common lies and deceptions that exist in the MORAL REALM, the RELATIONAL REALM, the DOCTRINAL REALM, and the REALM OF MINISTRY. What do we see here? We will consider these two statements under THREE headings. I. LOVE’S DISCERNMENT These two statements are to be taken together. Each statement is true on its own, but when taken together we see the fulness of what is being described. What is being described is that fact that LOVE MAKES A CHOICE. Love does not exist in the gray zone of neutrality. LOVE IS NOT ACCEPTING OF EVERYTHING. On one side of the ledger, we are told what is incompatible with love. What love DOES NOT ACCORD WITH what it CANNOT COOPERATE WITH, and what it will not REJOICE IN. On the other side of the ledger, we are told what LOVE AGREES WITH — what it TAKES JOY IN. This means that LOVE MAKES DISTINCTIONS. And it makes distinctions that require discernment. A. LOVE RECOGNIZES UNRIGHTEOUSNESS For true love, godly love, there is such a thing as sin. THE WORD HERE SPEAKS OF INJUSTICE, INIQUITY, WRONGDOING, EVIL, AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. That is, anything that is contrary to the will of God in belief or practice. Anything contrary to God’s will, anything that would grieve the Holy Spirit, anything contrary to the Scriptures, is unrighteousness. 1. UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE REALM OF PHILOSOPHY The general way that men process the world. The realm of ideas, opinions, ambitions, standards, values, pleasures, theories, morals, etc. WHAT CHARACTERIZES SIN IN THIS REALM IS THAT IT IS A TRUTH SUPRESSOR. What is true, according to Scripture, is exchanged for lies. What would make God truly known is substituted for with lies about God.

Love Is Not Resentful

November 10, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Corinthians 13:5

Introduction: We never leave the gospel behind. Our life in Christ began with faith in the gospel, but our spiritual growth continues to be reliant on faith in the gospel. Sanctification is not moving BEYOND the gospel. Sanctification is living OUT OF THE DEPTHS of the gospel. Progressive sanctification is about know the heights and the depths and the lengths and the breadths of the love of God in Christ Jesus. ESV Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. What is love? 1. It is patient. 2. It is kind. 3. It does not envy 4. It does not boast 5. It is not arrogant 6. It is not rude 7. It does not insist on its own way (it is not selfish) 8. It is not irritable Tonight, we see that LOVE IS NOT RESENTFUL. I. THE MEANING OF RESENTMENT It is literally, “does not take account of evil.” He uses logizomai (which means to account something, to reckon something) and kakos (which means evil). The NASB has “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” The NIV rendered it, “it keeps no record of wrongs.” Gordon Fee, commenting on this, said: “Since in Paul this verb often means ‘to put to one’s account’, it seems probable that the nuance suggested by the NIV moves in the right direction.” The idea, then, is that when we are walking in the love of God, in the love taught by the Spirit of God, in the love of Jesus Christ, we will not be a people who take account of the wrongs done to us. Several things we need to consider here. A. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WRONGS We are talking about REAL EVIL. We are talking about things done to us that REALLY ARE WRONG. It would be one thing if what we were being taught is that we should let go of, forgive, IMAGINED WRONGS — if he was teaching that the love of God doesn’t carry a chip around on its shoulder over insignificant things. AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THAT. People carry around hurt feelings, grudges, that don’t even represent REALITY. There are people who are DECEIVED about their mistreatment. IN FACT, PEOPLE CAN BE SO DECEIVED ABOUT INJURIES THAT THE VICTIMIZER FEELS LIKE THE VICTIM. The one who feels like they have been wronged is IN THE WRONG. Example: There have been people fired from their job, who will tell everyone what a bad employer they had, when in truth they were a bad employee who deserved to be fired. I have personally known people who left their families, left their wife or husband, walked away from their children, and had built up in their mind that they WERE JUSTIFIED because somehow, they had been mistreated. But this verse isn’t calling us to simply clear the record of IMAGINARY HURTS. This verse tells us that the love of God doesn’t keep a record even when we have suffered REAL WRONGS. You really ARE mistreated. You really DO suffer wrong. You really ARE the victim of mistreatment. B. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NO RECORDS He is telling us that where love is operating there is no record keeping of these real wrongs. Question: Are you a record keeper? Do you hold onto hurts? Do you hold grudges? Are you someone who says, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget” … which is just another way of saying, “I refuse to clear my record against you.”?

Love Is Not Provoked

November 3, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Corinthians 13:5

Introduction: One of the things that the late Martin Lloyd-Jones would warn about in his preaching was our tendency to read the Scriptures and miss their challenge. He talked about our tendency to assume that we have already experienced what they call for, or what they describe. So that, instead of being called to higher ground. Instead of being challenged to a real surrender of ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. Instead of recognizing our need to live and experience something only made possible by the new birth — only made possible by the indwelling Spirit — we SETTLE for what is natural. We settle for what we can produce. WE SUBSTITUTE what is OUR OWN BEST effort, instead of that which God produces. The quality of love that we consider tonight represents more than just self-control. It is more than self-mastery, self-discipline. It is an internal mildness that belongs to Christlikeness. IT IS A MILDNESS (patience and graciousness) THAT BELONGS TO A RECIPIENT OF THE LOVE AND GRACE OF GOD — A MILDNESS THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN HUMBLE AND PATIENT RESPONSES. It is the graciousness of love. It is the pliability that belongs to love. It is an aspect of the inner PEACE that knows the love of God. IT IS A RESPONSE THAT CAN ONLY BE FOUND WHERE PEOPLE DON’T MAKE TOO MUCH OF THEMSELVES. God’s love — true love — is not easily provoked. I. LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE That statement is simple and straightforward, but we do well to meditate on it for a while, and honestly examine ourselves in light of it. I WOULD REMIND US THAT WHAT WE ARE REALLY EXAMINING IS WHETHER WE ARE WALKING IN LOVE. WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT LOVE IS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, THEN WE ARE EXAMINING WHETHER WE ARE WALKING BY THE SPIRIT. WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT WALKING BY THE SPIRIT IS A LIFE OF SUBMISSION TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST, AND SUBMISSION TO THE WORD OF GOD, THEN WE ARE EXAMINING WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE MORTIFYING SIN AND HONORING JESUS AS LORD AT THE LEVEL OF OUR ATTITUDES AND RESPONSES TO PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES. The word itself means: BDAG — παροξύνω “to cause a state of inward arousal, urge on, stimulate, esp. provoke to wrath, irritate”#_ftn1 In the word is the idea of “sharpness — to sharpen.” Here it is in the passive voice, so it means to be irritated, to become provoked or indignant. It is used one other place in the NT, in Acts 17:16. ESV Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. As always, context is king. That verse (Acts 17:16) demonstrates that this word could be used in a positive way. It was Paul’s zeal for God’s glory, and his compassion for deceived souls, that moved him when he saw Athens full of idols. INDEED, SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN WE ARE NOT PROVOKED BY THINGS THAT SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. So, the teaching in our verses is NOT that true love is never bothered BY ANYTHING. But in 1 Corinthians 13 it is obviously being used in a different sense. I THINK IT IS INSTRUCTIVE THAT IT FOLLOWS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TEACHING THAT LOVE IS NOT SELFISH. HERE, PAUL IS DESCRIBING A KIND OF PROVOCATION, ANGER, SHARPNESS, IRRITABILITY, THAT IS SELF-SEEKING, OR SELF-INTERESTED — SELF-FOCUSED. This kind of agitation, irritability, anger, sharpness, comes because I feel you are infringing upon me. Or you are not being to me (in one or another) what I expect and deserve. Whatever the cause, in this kind of sharpness I am more concerned about myself than I am you. ONE TRANSLATION HAS “IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED.” NET 1 Corinthians 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. #_ftnref1 William Arndt et al., https://ref.ly/logosres/bdag?ref=page.p+780&off=1811&ctx=%3b+mel.%2c+p.+93%2c+699)+~to+cause+a+state+of+ (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 780.