“Paul’s Secret of Contentment” # 2 Philippians 4:10-23

TRANSCRIPT

Date: July 27, 2025 Author: Wayne J. Edwards

In the strict sense, the word “contentment” can only be attributed to God, for God alone is “all-sufficient.” He is fully satisfied with Himself alone and needs nothing apart from Himself. However, God is pleased to communicate His fullness to those who will receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and surrender unto Him as their Lord. As a result, they are, by faith alone, content in Christ alone. The Apostle Paul reached that point of contentment in his relationship with God. In 2 Corinthians 3:5, Paul said, speaking of himself, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” Therefore, the secret to Paul’s contentment was to be satisfied with the sovereignty of God, for “though he had nothing, he possessed all things.” When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians he had “nothing” of the worldly pleasures, but, having surrendered his life to the Lordship of Christ, he “possessed every heavenly blessing. “ The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs wrote, “Contentment is not in getting what we want, but in wanting what God gives.” The title of this sermon from Philippians 4:10-23 is: The Epistle of Joy, “Paul’s Secret of Contentment.” This will be part two of the sermon. Thank you for your continued support and for sharing these sermon study guides with those you think might be interested. We are truly encouraged by the response we’ve received from viewers worldwide.

In the strict sense, the word “contentment” can only be attributed to God, for God alone is “all-sufficient.” He is fully satisfied with Himself alone and needs nothing apart from Himself. However, God is pleased to communicate His fullness to those who will receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and surrender unto Him as their Lord. As a result, they are, by faith alone, content in Christ alone.

The Apostle Paul reached that point of contentment in his relationship with God. In 2 Corinthians 3:5, Paul said, speaking of himself, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” Therefore, the secret to Paul’s contentment was to be satisfied with the sovereignty of God, for “though he had nothing, he possessed all things.” When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians he had “nothing” of the worldly pleasures, but, having surrendered his life to the Lordship of Christ, he “possessed every heavenly blessing. “

The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs wrote, “Contentment is not in getting what we want, but in wanting what God gives.”

The title of this sermon from Philippians 4:10-23 is: The Epistle of Joy, “Paul’s Secret of Contentment.” This will be part two of the sermon.

Thank you for your continued support and for sharing these sermon study guides with those you think might be interested. We are truly encouraged by the response we’ve received from viewers worldwide.

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The artist who hand- colored “Grace,” a photo showing a white-bearded man bowed in prayer before a simple meal, was Rhoda Nyberg, the daughter of Eric Enstrom. Rhoda’s father took the photo in his studio in Bovey, Minnesota in 1918. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Old Testament Reading – Habakkuk 3:17-19 New Testament Reading – Colossians 1:9-14

Having reached the end of his letter to the Philippians, we can now see that Paul’s thesis was built around his “contentment” in Jesus Christ.

Paul’s secret to true contentment was to focus on all he had in Christ, rather than what he didn’t have in this world.

Paul’s secret to contentment for the Christian is found in two verses:

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