The tension

• Coming out of Black Friday
• Many people are not content - The desire for MORE
  1. Do you need More STUFF - The need for more stuff
     1. 9.5 Billion dollars were spent on Friday online
     2. Only 30 percent of those were planned, and 70 percent impulsive. 
     3. System 1 thinking.
  2. Do you need More STATUS - The need for more status, in the company, in the world
  3. Do you need More SECURITY 
• Several tensions I’ve noticed
  1. What we’re NOT satisfied with
     1. Now is not valuable to us
     2. Health is not factored into our blessings
     3. Time is treated as not having value
     4. Relationships are undervalued
     5. God is not seen as ALL we need
  2. Symptoms of discontentment
     1. Restless
     2. Rushed
     3. Envious
     4. Striving
     5. Complaining 
     6. Disconnected
     7. Negative and unhappy
• The image of contentment 
  1. A baby in a calm state
  2. You sitting in that chair after the last piece of pumpkin pie
  3. A gardener after a long day of work, looking at the garden with satisfaction. 
• Can you live your life HAPPY WITH HERE?

The context

• Paul in Roman jail, writing to a church he loves, telling them Thank You for the support.
• Paul was grateful, joyful, positive, sufficient, and at peace

The text

Philippians 4:2 (NLT) — 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.

Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT) — 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8–9 (NLT) — 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:11–13 (NLT) — 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

To Be Happy with Here:

1. Settle your disagreements
   1. Philippians 4:2 (NLT) — 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.
   2. Thanksgiving with strife - Everybody knows what it’s like to be in a home full of people that are supposed to be getting along and no one is. Nothing will make you discontent like strife.
   3. It’s hard to settle when things aren’t settled
   4. Matthew 5:23–24 (NLT) — 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
   5. If it’s in your power to settle something, do it. 
      
      
2. Pray about everything 
   1. Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT) — 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
   2. The verse:
      1. Don’t worry
      2. Tell God what you need
      3. Thank Him for what all he has done.
      4. Peace will flood your heart! 
   3. Paul consistently tells people to pray without ceasing, pray at all times, pray on every occasion, pray about everything! 
   4. A state of constant communion. 
   5. If you’re carrying your worries, there is reason to be discontent, but you shouldn’t be carrying your worries, you should give them to God
      
      
3. Fix your thoughts
   1. Philippians 4:8–9 (NLT) — 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
   2. Fixing thoughts is difficult in this day of unceasing restlessness. 
   3. Going to Piccadilly and creating your own plate. If you don’t like it, there’s no one to blame but yourself. 
   4. Paul gives us a list: true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, worthy of praise. How do you get all of these things in a list? Think about God! 
      
      
4. Learn Contentment
   1. Philippians 4:11–13 (NLT) — 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
   2. “I have learned how to be content”
      1. You can actually grow in your contentment. 
      2. Some natural tips
         1. Live Grateful
         2. Live Now
         3. Live Simple
         4. Live your Calling
   3. Contentment is sufficiency and independence
   4. The supernatural tip
      1. Philippians 4:13 (NLT) 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
      2. How many times have I heard that verse used as an example of things I can do with Christ which involve striving, competition, and unsettledness? Paul is saying that Christ is giving Him the strength to be content with much or little. 
      3. What he means:
         1. Christ GIVES him power
         2. Christ IS his power

In Christ, we are Happy with Here, we are content. Do you have Christ? 

• The maniac sat in contentment after he met Christ. 
• Paul the raging religious radical sat content in a prison after he met Christ. 
• How about you, are you experiencing the contentment from knowing Christ.