Deep Joy: The Message of Philippians #11: "The Joy of Faithful Stewardship" (Phil 4:10-23) AUDIO

Gratitude for the Philippians’ Partnership

Philippians chapter 4 verses 10 to 23, if you grabbed one of those red Bibles we give away, that should be page 1042. Page 1042, Philippians chapter 4 from verse 10 through to 23. And if you're able, can I invite you to stand one last time in this series as we read from this wonderful letter.

Philippians chapter 4, reading from verse 10 through to verse 23.

God's word says,.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were in fact concerned about me, but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don't say this out of need for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.

I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content. Whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.

Still, I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship. And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.

For even in Thessalonica, you sent gifts for my needs several times. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profits that is increasing to your account. But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance.

I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided. A fragrant offering, an acceptable service, pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. The gospel is a flower phase, but the word of our God will abide forever. Join with me as I pray, ask for the Spirit's help, and then we launch into this final section of this great letter.

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for all that you have taught us as we have marched our way through this letter over the course of the summer. And Father, I ask that as we come to this final section, which deals with the topic that in some ways can be uncomfortable and in some ways can hit home.

Father, I ask that your spirit would do a work in all of our hearts. In my heart, that I would not hold back from anything this text says. And in the hearts of your people, that they would hear that the adversary who works so hard to distract us in the hearing of God's word, that his works and his effects would be held back, that we would fully hear all that you have for us from your word.

Father, I take a moment to pray for all the brothers who will fill the pulpit in my absence in the month of September. Father, we thank you that you are indeed at work raising up men who love you and love your word and love your people.

Men who have given their lives to seeing the body of Christ built up. And so Father, I pray for Tommy and for Lucas and for Fred and for Doug who will fill this pulpit. Lord, may they be every bit a blessing to this body as I know they have been to me personally as friends.

Father, may your word go forth both to comfort and to encourage and to strengthen and to convict and to challenge and to call us higher. And Father, above all, may Christ be seen in all that is said from this pulpit in the month of September.

Father, I pray that for the month ahead and I pray that for the sermon that we're about to hear even now. Asking these things in Jesus name and for his sake. Amen. Please be seated. Well, hopefully you've got the study guide on the way and you'll see from that that the title of this message, this final message, 11 of 11 in this series in Philippians.

I've titled it The Joy of Faithful Stewardship. The Joy of Faithful Stewardship. If there is any subject that makes preachers uncomfortable, including the one standing in front of you. If there is any subject that makes us uncomfortable, I would venture to say that in the top three things for preachers to talk about that make us uncomfortable.

Money is somewhere in that top three. And if you're me, it's the top one. It just makes me so uncomfortable to talk about the subject. And I'm not the only one who feels that discomfort. I told some of my friends, I've got a group of friends that each week we talk about what we're going to be preaching.

And I said, I'm preaching this. One of the guys said, I'll doubly be praying for you. He's like, man, this is why we do Bible exposition, because it makes us deal with subjects we would naturally run from.

And to be fair, I mean, anything can become uncomfortable in the pulpit if you try hard enough. But there seems to be something about this subject that I've noticed with my friends who have the privilege of getting to open up God's word and minister to God's people that there's something about this subject that makes preachers uncomfortable.

I mean, we all recognize that we all work hard for the financial resources we have. And I think there's a part of us that feels as though any sort of talking to people about what they do with their resources kind of grates on people, especially Western folks.

If you know the statistics, I think the numbers are that for we who lived in the West, we are among the richest three percent in the world. In fact, I thought I had to go back and look at this. In almost three years of preaching here at Redeemer, I've only preached on money once.

Longtime folks remember I preached a message from Galatians chapter six way back when, when I preached Galatians, which dealt with the subject of money. I mean, there's that discomfort. But then, of course, lurking in the background is the movement that came around really in the 50s, 60s and 70s, actually known as the prosperity gospel.

Some of you have heard of that, no doubt. That came along with its teaching that, you know, if you give me, basically preachers said, if you give me money, God will bless you. Well, that comes along. And after a while, people start to realize, wait a minute, that's not biblical and that doesn't make sense.

But what it did, unfortunately, in my opinion, is it created this assumption, the assumption being any preacher who talks about money wants to benefit themselves. As one of my friends put it, people think only a pimp preacher talks about money.

Now, when you have that bubbling in the background, even in our circles where we would say we don't believe in that, it still doesn't make that discomfort get any better. And then, of course, as we are prone to do as human beings, an overreaction kicks in.

So people see that, you know, these preachers with their lavish cars and private jets and thousand dollar suits and all of that. We look at that and say, oh, that's ugly. I want no part in that. So, of course, what happens?

The pendulum swings right the other way. And in the last few years, a number of folks have talked about this idea of what's been called a poverty gospel. So we have the prosperity gospel and now we have the poverty gospel.

This idea that essentially says God doesn't like riches. God doesn't like wealth. He doesn't want that for a Christian. And the more spiritual you are, the less money you'll have. Now, on the surface, that might sound good, but here's the problem with that.

It's an overreaction. Actually, the Bible has a lot to say positively about money. In fact, Paul will say in 1 Timothy chapter 6 that God gives us all things freely to enjoy. That includes money. So while I absolutely can't stand the prosperity gospel, and I'll come back to that later on in this message, I can't go down the route of the poverty gospel either, because that doesn't make much sense.

And also, can I just pause and say anytime you have to put a adjective in front of the word gospel, that's always a problem. The Bible is very clear. There is one gospel, one gospel alone. The message of salvation, full and free, found in Jesus and Jesus alone.

That's the gospel message. The minute you start adding other labels to it, that becomes a problem. But I say all of that to say that we can't allow the excesses on either side of the discussion to make us worried to talk about money.

And I say that because as we come to this section, this final set of verses in Philippians chapter 4, we're coming to a thank you note. And it's a thank you note from Paul for financial support from the church at Philippi.

Remember, Paul is on house arrest. He's in Rome. And during this imprisonment, he writes this letter. And as he writes this letter, he's writing it really to say thank you, because they had partnered with him in the gospel.

And he's going to make it very clear that that partnership included finances. But of course, Paul is doing much more than just writing a thank you note, because Paul doesn't just write things for writing things sake.

You see, more than the thank you note, what we're really getting here in these verses is a very summarized but very real theology of stewardship. We're really getting a theology of what God wants us to do with the resources he gives us.

Now, I use the word stewardship on purpose because, beloved, when we look at the Word of God, the Word of God is very clear to us that we are not owners of anything. Think about that. We are not owners of anything.

God is the owner of everything. And we are stewards, managers, caretakers of what God gives. The question is not whether you are a steward or not. That's not the issue. The question is, what kind of steward are you?

Are you a faithful steward or an unfaithful one? Are you a good manager of the resources God has given you or are you a bad manager of those resources? Really, what Paul is going to lay out in these verses is how we can use our resources in the kind of ways that reflect God's values, not the values of the world around us.

I mean, let's think about this for a moment. What are the values of the world around us when it comes to money? For the most part, it's usually get as much as you can, keep as much as you can, and basically make your life as comfortable as possible.

Now, in and of itself, is it wrong to make money? No. In fact, God tells His Old Testament people, if you're taking notes, Deuteronomy 8 .18, that they were to remember Yahweh their God. Why? Because it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, not just money, wealth.

Now, granted, that's Old Testament Israel and that's a very different situation to where we find ourselves, but the principle is generally true. God enables us as we work to get wealth. So, having money is not the problem.

Keeping money is not even a problem. The Proverbs will talk a lot about the value of saving and being wise with the money we have, so that's not a problem. Is it wrong to be comfortable? Not necessarily.

If the Lord provides for you to be able to live comfortably, do so. The problem, I should say, is when that becomes the pursuit, when that becomes the thing you crave more than anything else, when that becomes the governing value for your stewardship, that's what makes a bad steward a bad steward and not a good one.

And what Paul's going to teach us in these verses is essentially how we can use the resources that God gives us in the kind of way that reflect His values and not the values of the world around us. So, I guess the big question for this afternoon is, how does God want us to view the resources He graciously gives us as His children?

How does God want us to steward those resources? If they are His and He gives them to us to steward, to manage, to take care of, well, how does God want us to manage, steward, take care of those resources He graciously gives us as His children?

Well, here's my big idea for this message. My big idea for this message is this. The wise use of our resources ought to deepen our dependence on God, further His mission, and serve others. Let me say that again.

The wise use of our resources ought to deepen our dependence on God, further His mission, and serve others. I'm going to say it one more time for those of you taking notes. The wise use of our resources will deepen our dependence on God, further His mission, and serve others.

That's really the heart of what faithful stewardship is. And I think as we look at this passage and we kind of pull out the principles that Paul gives us in this passage, we're going to learn how to be better stewards, managers, caretakers of that which God has graciously given us.

Now, I want to be transparent. As I was studying this week, very rarely do I like the outlines I read from other people. I tend to like making my own. But as I was studying this week, I could not improve on an outline I saw from Pastor Tony Merida.

He's actually a seminary professor. He teaches preaching. And he wrote a commentary on this letter. It's called Exalting Christ in Philippians. Make sure I get that right. Exalting Christ in Philippians.

It's an excellent commentary. It's been a really faithful guide for me as I've walked through this letter. And so as I read his outline, I thought, hmm, this is good. So I reached out through a friend of a friend who actually goes to his church in North Carolina.

And he graciously said, fine. So the outline is his. The content is 100 mine. But I borrowed his outline and tweaked it a little bit to make it a bit more like me. But I want to share with you for the rest of our time six principles that we can learn from Paul's thank you note.

Six principles. Principles that will help us to be better stewards of God's resources. Six principles. Some of them I will move through quickly. Some I will take some time on depending on the level of importance.

But six principles from Paul's thank you note. Principles that will help us to be better stewards of God's resources. Well, if we are going to be better stewards, managers, caretakers of God's resources, then it has to start with point number one, gratitude.

Gratitude. Point number one, gratitude. Gratitude essentially says I thank God for his provision. Gratitude. I thank God for his provision. So look with me at verse 10. See how this starts. Paul says, I rejoice in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me.

You were in fact concerned about me, but lacked the opportunity to show it. So Paul begins with what will be now his fourth expression of joy in the Lord in this letter. In verses four time he uses language of him rejoicing.

But this time he's rejoicing because of the care and concern of the Philippians. But maybe you caught it when we read it together. Did you catch something as you read verse 10? Did you notice that Paul doesn't actually thank the Philippians?

I mean, look at that passage again. It says, I rejoice in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. Who is he rejoicing in? It's in the Lord. He doesn't say he rejoices because the Philippians renewed their care.

Now, that might seem a little impolite. Like, Paul, typically when someone does something for you, you say thank you. Come on, Paul, you know better than this. Is that what Paul's doing? Is he being impolite?

Is he just not thanking them because he doesn't think they need to be thanked? I'm being a little tongue in cheek because, of course, Paul is not being ungrateful. Of course, he recognizes he should thank them.

But the way in which he does it itself is pretty instructive for us. You see, by directing his thanks not to the Philippians directly, but to the Lord for the Philippians, Paul actually wards off three potential dangers.

You see, there are three dangers that could happen if Paul were to be more direct. For one thing, the three dangers, number one, there's the danger of manipulation. The danger of manipulation, what do you mean?

Well, again, Tony Reader said this, quote, Paul doesn't want his thanksgiving to be interpreted as a request for more money. Sometimes non-profits can come off this way. Thanks for the check, but you haven't sent anything recently.

Do you really hate orphans? Then write us another check. Now, some non-profits, I should say, not all of them are like this. So let me not throw stones at non-profits. They do great work. But he goes on and says the letters don't actually say it like that.

But the message may contain a guilt driven request. Paul doesn't want his thankfulness to be portrayed as a clever way of asking for more. So he avoids manipulation. But secondly, he avoids flattery. He avoids flattery.

This is, in a sense, the danger that comes with compliments. Compliments are good in their place. Please do not hear me saying compliments are a bad thing. But I mean, don't we have a saying in the English language?

Flattery will get you everywhere. Sometimes people's over effusive thanks can be a way of flattery as a means of getting more. So Paul avoids manipulation. He avoids flattery. But he also avoids silence.

One of my good friends, who always has a chance to meet me, lives in Scotland. His name is Stephen Tallis. The very first time we met, I was getting to know him a little bit better. So I asked him what he did for a living.

And he's a graphic designer, a very gifted one. And he said, you know, the majority of what I do, I do for the church. And, you know, church folks don't always pay very well, which sadly is a bad reputation the church has.

And he said, you know, Kofi, you've heard the saying, right? I was like, you haven't told me the saying yet. And he said, you know, Lord, we'll keep him poor. You keep him humble. And sometimes we can do that with gratitude.

You know, if I overly thank this person, they're going to become kind of arrogant. So, you know what? Let me withdraw that. You know, they're supposed to do that anyway. So I'm not going to say thank you for them doing that, because they're supposed to do that.

And so we sin by our silence. But Paul avoids all three of those. He avoids manipulation by reminding them of why he is happy. He's not happy just because they gave him a gift, but he rightly recognizes that the gift they gave was an expression of their care.

So he avoids manipulation that way. He avoids flattery by thanking the Lord. He doesn't pile on or go over the top to the Philippians, but he does thank the one who is the true giver of all good gifts.

And he avoids silence because he thanks the Lord within earshot of the Philippians. Yes, he rejoices in the Lord. But of course, the Philippians are going to read this. And so his joy in the Lord would encourage and further enable the Christians at Philippi.

You see, there's a way to express gratitude that builds others up, that doesn't make them the focus. But if it's rightly done, it will sow the seeds for their continued growth in the Lord. Can I give you a practical way to do this?

The next time a believer does something kind for you, instead of just saying, well, thank you or thanks or whatever you generally say, can I go and you take it up a notch, say something like this. You know what?

Thank you. It's encouraging to see the way the Lord is working in your life in this whatever way is. Yes, express thankfulness, but express thankfulness to the Lord who is at work in that person. And really stewardship begins here.

It begins with gratitude. Whatever we have received, we have indeed received. It's a gift. And for that, we turn thanks and praise to the Lord. And we thank the Lord for the means by which he provides for us.

And the reality is you'll have a much healthier view of your possessions and your resources when you remember the source and then respond with faith fueled gratitude. So if we're going to be good stewards, managers, caretakers of the resources God gives us, it starts with gratitude.

That's the first principle we need to get down. But there's a second principle we need to get down. And here, let me warn you, I'm going to take a little more time. Not only do we need to understand the principle of gratitude, but secondly, point number two, we need to understand the principle of contentment.

The principle of contentment. If gratitude says, I thank the Lord for his position, for his provision. I thank God for his provision. Contentment says I have enough because I have Christ. Contentment says I have enough because I have Christ.

I wouldn't legitimately need eight sermons to unpack the subject of contentment. I don't pull the number eight from nowhere. I say I say eight because actually one of the greatest books ever written on this subject, in my opinion, started life as eight sermons.

So some of you will have heard of a book called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Puritan author Jeremiah Burroughs passed it in my neck of the woods. Stepney Green, East London, preached eight sermons.

He then expanded those eight sermons and that those eight sermons became a book. That book is still in print to this day. If I recommend it in the study guide this week, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

About 10 years ago or so, a pastor out in Pennsylvania basically modernized and simplified the book some. So if you want a simpler read, there's another book called The Secret of Contentment by William Barclay, which essentially takes the best of Burroughs' thought, condenses it and modernizes it.

I actually do recommend both books. What's interesting is that when Jeremiah Burroughs wrote his book, his book started as a series of messages on this passage. These are that verses, verses 11 to 13.

And right at the beginning, like the Puritans were prone to do, he starts with a definition of contentment. And it's such a good definition. I just put it in this week's study guide so you have it in front of you.

How did he define contentment? He said content, Christian contentment. And he's very careful to explain later in the book why he says Christian contentment. He says Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.

Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to God and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. I think that's a great definition of what contentment is, that it's first of all, it is a frame of spirit.

Contentment is not something that, we'll see this in just a moment, comes from the outside. No, contentment is a frame of spirit within. It's a frame of spirit that submits to God's providence. That's that language there of wise and fatherly disposal, that God is providentially ruling over all things that he gives to one and doesn't give to another.

And contentment says I'm willing to submit to that. And contentment says I respect that in every condition. I want to break that down some and point it out from this passage. Can I highlight real quickly three truths about contentment from verses 11 to 13?

By the way, each of these are going to build on each other. Three truths about contentment. First of all, letter A there in your study guide, contentment is not connected to your circumstances. Contentment is not connected to your circumstances.

So look at verses 11 and 12 again. What does he say? I don't say this out of need, but I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. Verse 12, I know how to make do with little and I know how to make do with a lot.

In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content. I'll come back to those phrases again in just a moment. But he goes on and says, whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.

I like that Burroughs used that language of Christian contentment because there is a kind of contentment. I like to call it faux contentment, F-A-U-X, false contentment that the world kind of teaches.

The world's version of contentment is essentially I don't have what I want right now. But if I work really hard, to use the term that's become popular in modern parlance, if I get my hustle on and get to a point where I have achieved enough, then I will be content because I have everything I need.

Now, again, is it wrong to work hard? No. Is it wrong to have goals? No. The Bible commends both of those. But if you're waiting till you get everything you need to be content, think about it. If contentment comes from having exactly what you want, exactly when you want it, exactly how you want it, then the reality is, think about this, you'll never actually be content, will you?

Because what happens? It's like the finish line that just keeps on moving. You'll get close and you'll be like, you know what? I could want a little more. Oh, I could want a little more. And you just keep moving that line.

But true contentment isn't contentment because I have the stuff I want, when I want it, exactly how I want it. No, actually, contentment isn't connected to your circumstances. Contentment isn't contentment just because you have what you want.

Because notice that Paul says here, I've learned how to make do with little. I've learned how to make do with a lot. In fact, he says, in any and all circumstances, any circumstances you can imagine, I have learned the secret of being content.

You see, contentment is contentment because contentment is not connected to circumstances. But there's a second truth we need to build on top of that. So not only is contentment not connected to your circumstances, secondly, contentment is a learned virtue.

Contentment is a learned virtue. Again, we're going to look at verses 11 and 12. You see, contentment isn't natural to the human heart. When you think back to a couple of weeks ago, we were in Exodus 32.

Idolatry, that default setting in all of our hearts, human heart, idol factory, all of that stuff. One of the results of that idolatry of our hearts, one of the results of that continual search for more is it breeds discontentment.

The reality is the human heart is not naturally content. And so if we're going to grow in contentment, it will not start with us. It has to be taught to us. So again, look at verses 11 and 12. Paul says it.

I don't say this out of need, for I have learned how to be content. Verse 12, in any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content. What's interesting is that in these two verses, Paul uses two different ways to describe how we learn contentment.

Two different ways. Firstly, he says contentment is something we must be discipled in. Contentment is something we must be discipled in. Kofi, where did you get that from? Well, in verse 11, where he says, I have learned, the word there that's translated, I have learned, is connected to the word for a disciple.

It's the verb form of disciple. It's where we get our word mathematics from. Paul, you could translate it. I have been discipled in whatever situation I have to be content. But here's the thing. This is not a discipleship that men do.

No, this is a discipleship that only God can grant. Contentment, beloved, contentment is a school to which God alone gives admission and it's a school in only which God gives instruction. There's no sense in which we can say, you know, I'm going to work hard to be more content.

No, that's something that God has to graciously give through the work of his spirit. Yes, personal experience might play a role. The experience and testimonies of God's people might share something that helps us in that pursuit.

Books and resources might explain it, but to live in it. Oh, beloved, that's that's a grace that only God can give. Only God can deliver on that. But this discipleship that the spirit of God does in contentment isn't just theoretical.

Paul uses another term in verse 12. Do you see that in verse 12? Verse 12, he says, I have learned the secret. That's a different word. That whole phrase, I have learned the secret is one word. Because not only is discipleship something we must be discipled in, but Paul presents it as something we must be initiated into.

Something we must be initiated into. It might surprise you that this one word that's translated as a whole phrase in the original language is one word of four letters. I usually don't use Greek words in the pulpit because I try to make my preaching as accessible as possible.

But this is one time I'm going to break my own rule. It's the word mi-e-o. Mi-e-o. M, if you try and translate it in English, it works out something like M-U, but they use kind of a long E. So M-U-E-W.

Mi-e-o. The word was used for somebody in the ancient world. They had these religions. They were called mystery religions. They were kind of like the precursor to our modern Freemason movement. These religions where there was certain knowledge that you only got as you went deeper into the religion.

And so what happened was the person who was joining, who was called the initiate, would start by learning some truth. And when they had learned enough to a point, they could now be initiated into the religion as a devotee.

And when someone joined one of these what they were called mystery religions, we call them cults today. When they joined these groups, they came into possession of something called the mystery. In fact, the word that's used in Greek is where we get our word mystery from.

This word that Paul uses here in Philippians 4 for learning the secret is basically the verb form of coming into the mystery. Really simple way to put this. It's almost though the person receives insider information.

You see, contentment doesn't come naturally to us. God, by his spirit, has to do a work of, as it were, giving us this knowledge that is alien to us and bringing us into the mindset of contentment. But then that begs the question, if this is a mystery that I must be initiated into, if this is a discipleship that only God can give, well, how do I start then?

If this is unnatural to me, if this is a learned virtue, how do I learn this? Well, that's letter C there in your study guide. Yes, contentment is not connected to your circumstances. It's a learned virtue.

But thirdly, contentment flows from our union with Christ. Contentment flows from our union with Christ. So what does Philippians 4 .13 says? It says, I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

I have to admit, for years, Philippians 4 .13 was something of a mystery to me. Because you read it, Paul's talking about how he's content and all the rest of it. And then he kind of has what sounds like this pep talk phrase in the middle of nowhere.

I can do all things through him. Some translations will say through Christ who strengthens me. If you're like me, who is a sports fanatic. How many athletes do we know who have taken this verse and dragged it, kicking and screaming against its will?

When Paul wrote this, was Paul saying, you know, kick returner gets a ball. Instead of calling it a fair ball, he makes a 90-yard kick return. He celebrates. Everyone goes crazy because he just did 90 yards, which is insane.

After the game, he's like, you know, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Is this the verse that you should put on your eye black if you're a quarterback like a rather famous quarterback in this country did at one point?

I don't fault the man. He seems like a wonderful Christian guy. Is that what Paul meant? Did Paul mean you should quote this verse when like you hit a logo three in a basketball game? I had a meme I was going to show you.

I can't. So I apologize. I don't usually show memes in the pulpit, but this one I couldn't help but show. Some of you maybe have seen it. It's a meme of it's supposed to be the Apostle Paul. Yeah, it's supposed to be the Apostle Paul.

And he is, if I remember right, haunting Creflo Dollar in his sleep. Creflo Dollar is a prosperity preacher. And I'm trying my best to describe this thing. Creflo Dollar is asleep and he's awoken by the Apostle Paul.

And the Apostle Paul is like, you used Philippians 4, funny enough. You used Philippians 4, 13 and 19 that we'll look at in a few minutes to preach a prosperity message. You told people that I was a living example of this.

And Creflo's like, the meme's like, what? And then he wakes up. He's like, wait, you weren't living a prosperous life? And then like Paul's meant to be yelling in the final panel, I was in prison. No, what Paul is saying here is this, that whatever happened, whatever the circumstance, he could do all things, do what?

Be both comforted and discomforted. He could be supplied and lacking in supply. He could be full. He could be empty. He could do all of that because of his union with Christ. Through him who strengthens me.

Paul had learned this secret to contentment precisely because he realized his identity wasn't in himself, but it was in Christ. And isn't that the good news of the gospel? Isn't the good news of the gospel that we no longer have an identity that is rooted and grounded in ourselves, but we have an identity that is rooted in one who is greater and bigger and more glorious than us?

That we have been joined to Christ by the Spirit of God, that all that Christ possesses is ours by faith in him. And yes, circumstances happen. And yes, they're not always pleasant. But in an ultimate sense, we're able to look at our circumstances and say, yeah, that's not pleasant, but that's not the ultimate reality.

They don't determine who we are. And that's Paul's point. They don't determine who we are. Christ determines who we are. Ultimately, our contentment doesn't flow from us. It flows from the fact that we have been connected to Christ, who is more than enough.

And sure, there will be moments where contentment is difficult. There will be moments where contentment is tough. There'll be moments where it's easier said than done. But here's the reality. Because of what?

Remember we talked about his language of initiation? Here's the beautiful thing. You know how we get initiated into this secret of contentment? By our union with Christ. Oh, you had nothing to do with your union with Christ.

That was all God's work. And if we're going to use our resources in the kinds of way that will make us to be better stewards, managers, caretakers. It starts with gratitude. It's fueled by contentment.

Partnership in the Gospel

Principle number three, and we'll start moving a little more quickly here. Principle number three, partnership. We'll view our resources in the spirit of partnership. Partnership says I get to share my resources for the gospel's sake.