This sermon was preached at Ascension Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho on October 18, A.D. 2026.
Philippians 4:10–23
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (NKJV).
Introduction
You live in a world in which many people want you to be discontent.
Perhaps this has always been so, but with the advent of electronic and digital communication—radio, television, internet, smartphones—you are bombarded all day with marketing aimed at creating discontentment in you. All around you, all day—in stores, and on billboards, and in your pockets—you are being prompted with the thought, “If I only had X then I would be satisfied.” Their whole aim is to convince you that you are not happy, but you can be happy like them if only you had… whatever they are selling.
You are being catechized daily in discontentment.
Now, we can’t simply blame companies and corporations for creating such a world – they are simply tapping into something that exists in each and every person. In a sense, they are exploiting a design feature—the feature of desire. You don’t need an ad to feel discontent. Your heart can get there on its own very easily. And all of this is why the Apostle Paul’s example here in our final passage of Philippians is so very relevant. The Christian virtue of contentment is not easily learned. But if you are going to have a fruitful life in the Lord… it is required.
Summary of the Text
The Apostle Paul begins the final section of his letter to the beloved church in Philippi with joy again (v. 10). He says he rejoiced greatly in the Lord that the Philippians’ care for him was renewed. The word translated as “flourished again” is a natural botanical image – the idea that their care for him has blossomed again, like a plant that was dormant for a season. This, in a sense, is the purpose of the whole letter, as Paul began it in Chapter 1 with a note of thanks to God for the Philippians’ fellowship and partnership with him in the gospel.
Paul then clarifies in verses 11–12 that his joy is not because he was discontent with his need, but that he has learned to be content in all things – whether he has been brought low or exalted, whether he is hungry or full. Remember that Paul is writing from under house arrest in Rome, most likely chained to a guard day and night, and completely reliant on his co-laborers and the churches to meet his needs. And we know from his other letters the many hardships he has undergone – the lashings, beatings, stonings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, nakedness and cold… Therefore, he is not speaking about contentment as merely theoretical knowledge, but as one who has truly learned it through experience. And the reason he can be content, even in his weakness, is that the Lord Jesus Christ gives him strength to do all things (v. 13).
Paul then continues his note of thanks, saying it was good that they “shared” in his troubles and that, since the beginning of his ministry among them, they were the only church that had supported him in this way (vv. 14–16). The word there for “shared” in both verses is koinonia, which Paul used in Chapter 1. This term conveys deep fellowship and a common life together, a friendship in which gifts and resources are mutually shared.
But the Apostle Paul wants to be very clear – he does not expect or need the gift from the Philippians – again he has learned to be content in all circumstances – but he is excited about the blessing that will come to them as generous givers, the eternal reward for their sacrifice (v. 17). He continues, writing that having received their gift from Epaphroditus, he now abounds and likens their gift to a sacrifice well-pleasing to God (v. 18). One important lesson from Paul here regarding giving – whether it is to the church, a missionary, or someone in need – is that the recipient is not just the other party (horizontal), but God Himself (vertical).
Paul then confidently states that his God, the One on whom he relies for all things, will also supply their every need according to the riches found in Christ Jesus, prompting him to offer doxological praise to the Father (vv. 19–20). Lastly, in verses 21–22, Paul and his companions greet all those in Christ Jesus, and he especially notes those in Caesar’s household. This does not mean Caesar’s family, but rather those who serve Caesar – from high-ranking officials and advisors down to the thousands of low-ranking servants. Paul says these Christians greet those in the colony of Philippi. He then closes the letter with a blessing upon the church in Philippi in the name of Jesus (v. 23).
Contentment and Discontentment
Let us narrow in on this virtue of contentment that the Apostle Paul extols and exemplifies in our passage this morning.
What exactly is “contentment?” What does the Apostle Paul mean when he says that he has learned, in whatever state he is in, to be “content”?
This is actually a unique word here in the New Testament – it does not appear anywhere else (although other words translated as content do). In some contexts, it can be translated as self-sufficient or independent. But that doesn’t fully get to what Paul is speaking to. Rather than it being self-sufficiency – it is a Christ-sufficiency.
In Christ, the Apostle Paul is satisfied. Knowing Christ, Paul has all that he needs. And that peace that comes from knowing and trusting Christ is independent of anything else going on in his life. That joy, satisfaction, and contentment don’t depend on his circumstances. He knows how to be abased and how to abound—with contentment. He knows how to be hungry and full. He knows how to be in need and to have abundance. No matter what situation he is in—whether it’s suffering in a prison cell or lodging in a wealthy Christian’s home—Paul says he has learned to be content in the Lord.
But like last week when we discussed anxiety, you need to understand again that this is not a call to a kind of unfeeling Stoicism.
It is not a demand that you sear your nerve endings or destroy all passions or desires or wants. That you act as if you have no needs. For in verse 16, the Apostle Paul acknowledges that he has necessities.
Perhaps some of you have seen that “This is Fine” meme.
It’s the cartoon dog wearing a hat, sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee while the house is on fire around him, and saying, “This is fine,” as he stares off into the distance.
That is not biblical contentment. A complete indifference to the world around you. The Apostle Paul had learned to be content in any circumstance – whether abased or abounding. Whether in the rain or in the sun. But if it was pouring rain outside and he had an umbrella, he would use it or seek shelter. If he was hungry and could eat a meal, he would eat. So it’s not a kind of self-denial for the sake of self-denial, but rather a peace in God, in all circumstances.
And so this leads us to a very practical question when it comes to needs and desires, and learning contentment. How do you hold those two things together? Both acknowledging that there are good things in life that you desire to have, but also knowing that you are called to be content in Christ with or without those things.
The first thing I want you to note is that contentment is learned.
The Apostle Paul says in verse 12 that “Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” So this is a virtue that you, as a Christian, must learn and grow in with experience. It’s not merely facts or information to know—but experiential knowledge acquired through practice. Contentment is something you grow in with the Spirit’s help, and something you will always be learning as life’s circumstances change.
And so, understanding that—that this is something that takes learning and effort—what I want you to think about is this. Right now, in this season of life, what tempts you to be discontent? Or, for those of you who are really struggling with something right now, what exactly is leading you into the sin of discontentment?
Some of the things that might come to mind you know are rather vain. I am thinking of sidelong glances and envy. “If only we had a house like theirs.” “If only we could go on vacations like them.” “I wish I was as pretty as her or as strong and successful as him—then I would be finally happy.” I am not downplaying these sorts of discontented thoughts—envy is envy, and it is a sin. But in a sense, it does not take a ton of spiritual discernment to know that you ought not to think that way.
But what about this… what about those things that really hurt? Things in life that you objectively know are a blessing from the Lord, but that you have not been given?
I am thinking of the pain of infertility or repeated miscarriages. Some of you have prayed, “Lord, why won’t you give us a child? Why do you keep taking them away? Why can’t we have this blessing too?”
Or maybe you’re a husband and a father struggling to make ends meet. You have a job, but you’re struggling to make the paychecks stretch. The car is always breaking down. The apartment is crowded. You’re not asking for much, just a little more breathing room and basic comforts. Is it wrong to desire that?
Or perhaps you’re single and rightly long to be married. Everyone around you is married. Children are everywhere. And you just want that normative blessing too.
Maybe you are married, but your spouse isn’t fulfilling their duties. You’re in a season—you hope it’s just a season—where it feels like you receive no respect from your wife or love from your husband. Isn’t it okay to want or expect those things in a Christian marriage?
Or maybe you or a loved one is suffering from a severe illness or disease, like cancer or a heart condition. And you just want all the fear, and the stress, and the worry to go away. You want health.
In situations like these, how do you both grow in true godly contentment while still desiring what you know is objectively and biblically good? Here’s my answer – and it might sound easier said than done – but just remember again that contentment is something you must learn and grow in. When faced with some sort of affliction, or suffering, or discomfort – the call to contentment does not mean that you should just sit there in it, pretending that you don’t care.
Instead, this is what you must do. First, you must thank the Lord for your circumstances and trials. Why? Because the Bible says so. James 1:2, “Count it all joy, brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” Romans 5:3, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance…” So you thank the Lord. You say, “Thank you for this trial.”
Second, you look to Christ and all His benefits. You may not have the good thing you want, or even think you need, on this side of eternity, but you have everything you need for salvation from your sins in Christ. And so you meditate upon Him, and you think about the sufferings He bore on your behalf, and His kindness toward you, and His goodness in your life.
Lastly, you need to ask the Lord for two things at the same time. You must ask the Lord for the strength of Christ to be content. As Paul wrote in verse 13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” So you need the strength of Christ to persevere. And then you ask Him for that good thing you so desire. And you do so sincerely, without shame. But you try to do so from a place of contentment in Christ. So that whether the Lord says, “Yes” or “No,” you are truly resting in Him.
So do you see that? Contentment is not the absence of caring, but the addition of something else—true satisfaction and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Contentment is walking through that trial or disappointment—calling it what it is—with faith in God.
Why You Can Be Content
But now I’d like to go one step further with this question: “Why can you be content in Christ?” What reasons do you have for being content or satisfied or at peace in the Lord, no matter your circumstances?
You know it’s a biblical thing to aspire to—an admirable attitude. But one of the wonderful things about the Lord is that His commands are always good, and always grounded in reason. There is a reason why you can be content “everywhere and in all things,” as the Apostle Paul wrote. Contentment is fundamentally the fruit of faith in God. But specifically, I believe it is faith in two things regarding God.
First, it is faith in God’s sovereignty. That God is absolutely in control over all things that come to pass.
We see this truth throughout all of Scripture.
“Our God is in heaven, He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm. 115:3).
“I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things” (Isa. 45:7).
“Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? It is not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well-being proceed?” (Lam. 3:37–38).
“By [Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Eph. 1:16–17).
And just for one more, maybe the most famous example of a saint submitting to the will of God, we have the words of Job, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21b).
There is nothing going on in your life right now that has caught God by surprise. All that you have experienced and all that you have, and all that you will experience and have, comes from His sovereign hand. You live under the providence of God. He is the One in control, not you, and not anyone else. And so one reason you can be content—in all circumstances—is that you know all things come from your God.
But there is a vital second part to this. There is another related reason that you can be content in all circumstances. This glorious doctrine of God’s sovereignty isn’t simply a—God’s in control—so deal with it sort of thing. What you need to know is that God is sovereign, and that God is kind. God is sovereign, and God is good.
We see this comforting truth also throughout Scripture, perhaps most memorably in Romans 8. There the Apostle Paul writes,
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose… What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:28, 32–33, 35–39).
All things that come to pass are for your good. Nothing that comes to pass can separate you from the love of God in Christ.
If God is in control and works all things for your good. And if He has demonstrated this goodness toward you already in offering up His only Son for you… then you can have the confidence that He will ultimately give you all that is good in Christ. Which means that even your trials are hand-picked by God. They are perfectly prepared and crafted just for you. He knows your name. He knows your frame. He knows your greatest longings and fears. And He knows exactly what you need to be conformed to the image of Christ.
But hear this—it is okay to not see clearly right now what that good might be. Often these things are too high for our understanding. However, you can know this. That one good that comes from various trials and afflictions is the learning of contentment. One good is being taught to rest in Christ as all you truly need—both in this life and in the life to come. One good that comes from waves of affliction—of good desires unmet—of good things not obtained—is that they crash you against the rock of Christ. Some circumstances force you to cling to Christ as your only refuge, and that is a safe place to be.
And so God is sovereign, and God is good. Which means you can trust Him in all circumstances. You can learn to be content, whether He gives or takes away.
What Is Contentment For?
Lastly, I want us to consider what contentment is for. Having learned contentment in all circumstances, having gained some mastery in this virtue and discipline, what are you to do?
I occasionally see a short video of John Piper going around, and he begins with this sober exhortation. He says, “Occasionally, weep deeply over the life that you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Feel the pain. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life that He has given you.”
I share this with you this morning because Piper captures two things I want you to understand regarding contentment.
The first is the feeling part again. I said earlier that biblical contentment is not a call to ignore your feelings. To pretend something does not hurt or cause an ache in your soul. And so it is okay to acknowledge that there are good things—as defined by Scripture—that you so deeply desire in life—and it is okay to grieve their loss or absence.
But then Piper offers the next step. He says wash your face. Trust God—I’d place fight for contentment right there alongside trust God—and embrace the life that He has given you.
And so what I want you to see this morning is this: true contentment and peace in Christ are for faithful living for Him. It is only when you have a true measure of contentment in life—despite all your various circumstances—that you are truly free to serve Christ and those around you in an unhindered way.
As a Christian, you have been called by Christ to love God and to love your neighbor. You are called to look away from self—and upward toward God—and outward to the world around you. But if you are caught in the snare of discontentment, you cannot do that to your full potential. Your heart will be too preoccupied. Left unchecked, discontentment will lead to sins like pride, envy, and anger. Discontentment will stir up anxiety and depression, robbing you of your joy and peace in Christ. This is why it is vital to learn and cultivate contentment—both in the big and little things. You do not want to be controlled by your circumstances, but rather, by Christ in you.
We can see this lesson both in the life of Christ and in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. When Paul writes in our passage today that he knows how to be abased and how to abound, it brings to mind Christ’s example in Philippians 2.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
And what happened next?
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Here we see that our Lord Jesus Christ was content to both leave His exalted position, going low in obedience to the Father and in service of others, and to be exalted again in victory over sin and death. Jesus knew how to be abased and how to abound. Christ had a perfect relationship with His Father in heaven. He was the most content man that has ever lived. And yet He also willingly suffered more greatly than any other man.
We see this contentment in God’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22 reads,
“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
In a very real sense, our Lord Jesus Christ did not desire a bloody death on the cross. And so He spoke that to His Father in heaven, while resigning Himself—in pain as we see here in this passage—but also in joy as Hebrews tells us—to the will of God. Specifically, he submitted to an agonizing death on a Roman cross for the salvation of the world. His contentment in God enabled Him to serve.
The Apostle Paul’s life and ministry imitated Christ in this. Again, in our passage this morning he writes, “…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (vv. 11b–13).
But think about this – why did Paul willingly endure all of these things? Why did he learn to find contentment in suffering? It was all in service to others. It was all done in love. As he wrote in 2 Timothy, “I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Paul relied on the strength of Christ in all things—that he might be a blessing to the church of God. The Apostle Paul was content in all circumstances—so that through Him the Lamb would receive the reward of His sufferings.
And you are called to do the same.
Contentment is not meant to be just some nice quiet thing for you to enjoy by yourself. Contentment gives you the freedom to fight. Contentment allows you to look out for the needs of others, and to sacrifice for their good. True contentment gives you a willingness to go low. We see in the example of Christ that the kingdom of God advances through suffering. The kingdom of God advances through the service and sacrifice of the saints, who are content in their God, believing that He will supply their every need.
Conclusion
To conclude, I want us to recall one of the most repeated words in the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Philippians—joy. Repeatedly he exhorts his readers—he exhorts you—to rejoice in Christ.
True contentment is an unshakeable joy in Christ.
The reason that God creates unmet needs in your life is so that you will find ultimate contentment and peace in Him alone. Your greatest need in life is contentment and joy in Christ.
A day is coming, quicker than you know, when everything will be stripped away from you. Either you will watch them all slip away one by one… your loved ones and your friends and your possessions. Or you will leave them, and find yourself standing before the Lord.
And the question is—is He enough? Is He enough? And the answer for you, Christian, is… He is. He is enough to satisfy your every need—all the way down.
“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again… but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst… The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:13–14).
Are you thirsty? Do you want to be satisfied? Do you want to be at peace, no matter what is going on in your life? Do you want true joy? Then drink of this living water, drink deeply of Christ, and you will find contentment both now and in the age to come.