Contentment in Christ - December 28th, 2025

Well, good morning, Beacon. Thank you for having me here. As Pastor Peter mentioned, we went on our first date 2018. It's interesting because we don't share common interest in food. But for six years, I just kind of went along because he would pick all the restaurants for us. And then six years later, he found out that I didn't like half of those restaurants. And so that evening he would message me and tell me, I don't even know who you are anymore. And he was very disappointed in me. But you know, besides our lack of interest in food and even baseball team, he's a Dodger fan, and I love the angels, even though they're horrible. I know, I know. Um, but despite all that, we have our common faith in Jesus Christ.

And Pastor Peter is one of a dear brothers of mine, and uh he has actually walked with me in one of the challenging seasons of my life, and uh to this day, he's one brother that I can trust in uh to walk alongside with me. And um, it's such a great privilege and an honor to be here this morning to share the word with you. Uh this morning we're gonna be reading from Philippians chapter 4. I had a little scribal error there. We're gonna read from verse 10 to verse 13. I put verse 8 there, but um, we're gonna read from verse 10 to verse 13. So if you can stand with me for the reading of God's word, I will pick up from verse 10. I'm reading out of the NASB 95, and beginning in verse 10, these are the inspired words of the Lord.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Let me say a word of prayer. Father God, I want to thank you for allowing me to be here to share the word with your dear people here at Beacon. And I pray, God, that as we are getting into your word, that your Holy Spirit will open our hearts to receive your word and give us understanding so that we may not only hear the word, but be doers of the word.

And so, God, I pray that you will speak to every individual here that is listening to your word this morning. And we pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Please be seated. So, the title of my message this morning is Contentment in Christ. And we are going to examine the subject of joy and contentment. And the key verse for our message this morning is verse 11, in which Paul said, Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. And let me preface this by saying that this message is a general overview of Paul's letter to the Philippians. But verse 11 will be our reference verse for the message. Now, Philippians is a prison epistle written by Paul to the believers in Philippi.

But you would not know it when reading this epistle because Paul expresses his joy and contentment throughout, and he encourages the church to be joyful and to be content. And so the question that should be developed in our minds while reading Philippians is this. What was the source of Paul's joy? And what does it mean that he had learned in whatever state that he was in to be content? He was in the worst possible circumstance that you can think of. And yet he wrote to the church, I am content. So how was Paul content in whatever state that he was in when the rest of the world in their pursuit of happiness and pleasure are constantly finding themselves discontent? And that is what we're gonna find out this morning as we examine Paul's epistle to the Philippians.

And let me clarify something before we move on. Just because Paul had learned to be content in whatever state that he was in, doesn't mean that the circumstances that he were in were pleasant for him. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he listed some of the things that he had suffered for the gospel of Jesus Christ. This man was a soldier of Christ. He suffered beatings, he suffered imprisonments, he suffered abandonments, hunger, thirst. But despite all the struggles that Paul had endured, he said, I have learned to be content. And the caution that I want to give to everyone this morning is that you have to be careful not to be indifferent to the sufferings of Paul and say to yourselves, well, Paul was an apostle, right?

So he had to endure those things. I want to caution you not to be apathetic when reading the scripture. You see, indifferences can disengage us from the reality of the suffering of others. And we become disinterested about the life and the experiences of people that are mentioned in the scripture. And if you find it hard to relate this morning, I want to tell you that Paul was a man born with a nature just like us. He had wants and needs just like us. And yes, it did hurt when he took the beatings, when he was flogged. He felt all the emotions of isolation when he was imprisoned. He felt fear when he was shipwrecked out in the ocean. He felt hunger pains and thirsted for water, just like you and I do when we are deprived of these daily necessities.

But regarding need, he said, I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am. And I learned that one of the reasons for Paul's contentment is that he trusted in a sovereign God. It wasn't in the things that he owned or a lack thereof. It was the knowledge of the character of God that taught this man true contentment. Paul was content with whatever he had and whatever he didn't have because he trusted in a sovereign God who said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. His contentment came from knowing that the Lord was his shepherd, and he said, I will not be in one. He had learned in whatever state that he was in to be content because he knew that God was faithful. He believed God will supply all his needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

He trusted that our Heavenly Father knows the things that we have need of before we even ask him. But unfortunately, when you look at our climate today, especially in the church, there's a growing number of Christians who are discontent in our society. And it's not just over material possessions, it's discontentment with their own spouses, it's discontentment with their family, it's discontentment with the way they look or the where their circumstances are falling out in life. And you know, some of us think that a different circumstances will somehow make us content. Living in a different place with a bigger home, having a different job, being surrounded by different people, or having a better environment, having a different partner, maybe even having some children or having freedom from problem will somehow make us content.

But I want to tell you this morning, none of those things in this world will make us content. And discontentment or a lack of satisfaction in the provisions that our God gives to us is a sin. Scripture tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 6, beginning in verse 6, all the way down to verse 8, Paul said, godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. You came into this world with nothing, you're gonna leave this world with nothing. You are not being buried with a U-haw truck full of your property. You will leave this world empty. And so we should be thankful to God for giving us our daily portion.

And in our sanctification, we should be pursuing the things that are righteous and are holy. Because true contentment comes from knowing God and pursuing after him. It is not in the things we own or the people we know or the places that we had visited. It is in knowing God. That is the cause of our contentment. If we are not ultimately satisfied in Christ Jesus, no matter how successful we become, no matter how many zeros we add to our bank accounts, no matter how many toys we amass for ourselves, no matter how many children we have, we will never have authentic contentment and joy. And coming back to Paul's letter to the Philippians, we must answer the question, what? What was the foundation of Paul's authentic joy and contentment?

And after examining the letter to the Philippians, I have narrowed my answer to two things. Two things that I believe was the foundation of Paul's authentic joy and contentment. And these are a Christ-centered gospel and a Christ-centered life. Again, this is a Christ-centered gospel and a Christ-centered life. The foundation for Paul's authentic joy and contentment was a Christ-centered gospel that caused him to live a Christ-centered life. And so the first thing we're going to notice was Paul was content because he had a Christ-centered gospel. And let me explain to you what this means. When you read the letter to the Philippians, you will notice Paul mentioning the word gospel nine times in this letter.

The word gospel in the Greek is Uangalion, and it means good news. And of course, the gospel in the New Testament is always associated with Jesus Christ. For example, it says in chapter 1, verse 27, the gospel of Christ. Or in other words, the good news of Christ. So how was the gospel of Christ foundational to Paul's contentment and joy? Well, let me read you a couple of verses from Philippians to answer that question. Paul wrote in chapter 1, verse 6, if you notice in your scripture, or maybe up there, Paul said in chapter 1, verse 6, he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. So first, Paul knew that the process of salvation begins with God and it ends with God.

And this is very important for us to note this morning. The word of God tells us in Romans chapter 3, verse 10 through 11, that no one seeks after God. That is the depravity of man. No one seeks after God. And this is because an unregenerate person, apart from the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, will not seek after a holy God. Scripture also tells us in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1, that we were once dead in our trespass and sin. We were not drowning in sin. We were not disabled by sin. Scripture says that we were dead in our sin. But the hope of scripture is this. God who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins and trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ.

And let me explain to you why this is important. There are at least two important doctrines that are implied in chapter 1, verse 6. The doctrine of election and the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. First, if you notice, the word began in verse 6 is used in reference to salvation. Paul wrote, He began a good work. God began the good work, and the good work there refers to our salvation. And it is the work that is credited to God. It is never credited to man. We did not earn salvation, we did not merit salvation. It was an act of God.

And then in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8, that we are saved by grace. Therefore, we must understand that God's sovereign election wasn't based on our own righteousness or good behavior, nor did he see our future decisions to save us. He saved us according to his mercy, good pleasure, and grace. And because the Lord initiated this good work in us, we have assurance that he will perfect it. He began it and he will perfect it. And that is the doctrine of perseverance. You see, our perseverance rests in the promise of God to preserve us, preserve us. It is by God's grace that Christians are preserved. God completes what he begins. And that's the meaning of the word in verse 6, epitelios, to complete or to bring to full completion.

And so Paul had this assurance of salvation, knowing that God initiated the work of salvation, and it is God who will perfect it. The doctrine of God's sovereign election and perseverance of the saints was the source of this man's joy and contentment. And let me sum this up with the sub point of a Christ-centered gospel. We read in Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 4, Paul's impressive resume. He wrote, Although I myself might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more.

And this was foundational to Paul's authentic joy and contentment. So if you notice in verse 7, he says, But whatever things were gained to me, being born of the stock of Benjamin, being the Pharisee of the Pharisee, according to the law, being blameless, he said, Whatever things that were gained to me, those things I have counted as lost for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.

You see, Paul had spent his entire young adult life pursuing a righteousness of his own from keeping the law. But when he did that, he kept on getting frustrated. He was frustrated in his attempts because he learned that the law wasn't given to make men righteous. Because Paul said, For by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law was never given to man to justify man, it was to condemn man of their sins. Paul's attempts to be made righteous by the law only held him captive to an unbearable burden. Because Scripture tells us that anyone who seeks to be made right with God by the law or under a curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

And how many of us in this room can say with absolute certainty that we have kept the laws of God? We are all violators of God's law. We are all guilty for violating God's law. We were not saved by works, we were saved by grace. And so for Paul, the law became his taskmaster. It kept on making demands that he could not keep. Even though Paul did his absolute best to keep the law, he kept falling short of the glory and the standard of a holy God. And so Paul realized that the law could never justify men, it only condemns men. And when he saw himself as utterly sinful, that is when he renounced his efforts to be justified by the works of the law. Instead, he accepted the gift of God's grace, which is the righteousness of Christ by faith.

He wrote in verse 9, not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. And it was the Christ-centered gospel that liberated this man from the burden of legalistic self-righteousness to the righteousness of Christ through faith. And when we understand that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, that is when we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. And so Paul had peace with God. He had experienced the joy of salvation, and he was content in the righteousness of his Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. And so here's a question for you this morning. Are you experiencing the joy of salvation today?

Are you content in the righteousness of Christ? Do you believe that God who began a good work in you will complete it or perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ? Or are you to this day pursuing a righteousness apart from God, thinking that you can accomplish what no man has done. Paul was able to rejoice in the Lord always because he had a Christ-centered gospel. He knew that God initiated the work of salvation and that he is the one who will complete it. He did not boast in himself or in his self-religious accomplishments. No, as we had read, he said, I count all those things lost for Christ. And he rejoiced in the righteousness of Christ that was imputed to him by faith. He had a Christ-centered gospel.

Secondly, he had a Christ-centered life. Paul wrote in chapter 1, verse 21, for me to live as Christ and to die is gained. Paul lived for Christ. His pursuit in life was to press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul pursued Christ above all. And that is because he had an eternal perspective. Paul was content because of his Christ-centered gospel. He was confident that God will complete what he has begun, and he knew Christ was the end of the law, therefore the righteousness that he had obtained is the righteousness of Christ that was imputed to him by faith and not because of his works. Paul knew that his salvation was complete in Christ. And because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which was imputed to him by faith, he had a new perspective in life, which was a heavenly perspective.

Back in Colossians chapter 3, beginning in verse 1, we read, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on the things of the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Paul's Christ-centered gospel gave him a heavenly perspective which inspired him to look forward to the day of Jesus Christ. And that phrase there, if you notice, the day of Christ is mentioned three times in the letter to the Philippians. We see it first in chapter 1, verse 6, then in chapter 1, verse 10, and also in chapter 2, verse 16.

And this phrase, the day of Christ, signifies the end. It's the end. This is a day when Christ returns for his own, takes us to be with him in eternity. And so it marks the day when our salvation is perfected. Our sanctification is perfected. And that is why we read in chapter 3, verse 20 and 21, our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory by the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to himself. On a side note, I want to just remind everyone here. We are citizens of the kingdom of God. And as citizens of the kingdom of God, our purpose, not just my purpose, our purpose as Christians is to glorify God.

That was the perspective that Paul had.

That when Christ returns, we will be raised up with him in glory. And so the underlying motivation for Paul's Christ-centered living was the hope of Christ's return. And because Christ is in heaven, Paul was preoccupied with heaven. He was longing for Christ to return as he faithfully labored for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so Paul's hope was anchored in eternity. It was anchored in something that endures, something that is imperishable. And that is why Paul said, I am content. You see, Paul had little interest in the comforts and pleasures of this passing world. He knew that friendship with the world is enmity with God. And this is why for him to truly live was Christ and to die is gay.

But here's another unfortunate fact. You see, many of us can acknowledge this and easily say the words, for me to live as Christ and to die is gay. And maybe, and I can't see your Bibles right now, but some of you might even have that passage highlighted in your Bibles. But is this passage a present reality for you? When the going gets tough and the world is falling apart around you, when persecution arises, because you are a follower of Jesus Christ and you lose everything. How many of you can still say to live is Christ and to die is gain? I could lose my health, my wealth, my own life. But for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. You know it is unfortunate when many professing believers are not eagerly waiting for the glorious appearing of our Lord.

Instead, their essential appetites have become their gods. And they set their minds on earthly things, the wealth, the health, the professional successes, the relationships, and all other things which are, and as we all know, transitory. They're temporary, they're fading away. Rust destroy, moth destroy, thieves come in and steal. And yet we focus on the things that are temporal and we get easily distracted by the temporal things. And so there are professing Christians who do not live for Jesus and the eternal reward. Instead, they live for themselves and for a perishing reward. They live and labor for treasures that are destroyed and susceptible to thieves, earthly treasures that constantly keep us from being content.

You probably felt this way, right? Especially during the holiday. Only if I had that I'll be happy. And then a week later, ah, something else came up. We're like at what iPhone 18 now or 20, I don't even know. I can't keep track. But every year the new phone comes out. I want it. And it shows that we are discontented in our heart. So Paul considered all things lost for the sake of Christ. He had a heavenly perspective, therefore he said, I pressed toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He truly lived for Christ. And so what are you pursuing today? What is worthy of your pursuit? Are you pursuing Christ or are you pursuing the things of this world? Is your treasure in heaven, or is it here on earth where moth and rust destroy?

Now, what is a Christ-centered life and how does it give us joy and contentment? Well, a Christ-centered life is a life committed to Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 2, verse 20, he said, I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live. He considered himself dead. And then he says, But Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. When you read through Philippians and do a word count, you'll find that Jesus appears 20 times. And the title Christ appears 38 times. And the name and title together, Jesus Christ, is mentioned together 19 times. In all of Paul's writings, he mentions Jesus frequently.

And I share this with you because believers who centered our lives on Christ become more like him. And it becomes natural for us to talk about him, think about him, and make plans to spend more time with him. Because that is what we do with the persons that we love. We talk about them. I don't know how many grandparents are here, but when you have grandchildren, what do you do? You can't just contain it. You want to share with everybody. When you have children, you want to share images of your children with everybody. Paul's affection and his heart was for Christ, and he mentions him everywhere. And so because his greatest desire was Christ, he mentions him frequently. And that should be our attitude, right?

Our greatest desire should be Christ. And the more we know him, the more we mature. And when we mature, we become more like him. Paul wrote in chapter 3, verse 10, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death. Can you relate with this? Is this your heart's desire to know the power of Christ's resurrection and to be like him in his suffering? It's easy for us in modern Christianity to accept the Christ that just gives us all our life's pleasures, right? But what about identifying with the Lord in his death? To say to live is Christ and to die is gay. The aim of a Christ-centered life is to know God, to bring glory to God and to bear fruit for his kingdom.

And if bearing fruit means suffering for his sake, we must come to that conclusion to say, Let it be.

So that whether by life or death, Christ will be magnified in him. You see, Paul knew that the will of God for his people was to be a witness for his son Jesus. And when we live in accordance with his will, that is when we find lasting contentment and joy. And Paul circumstances did advance the gospel in the palace. Paul wrote at the close of his letter in chapter 4, verse 22, all the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household.

How he wasn't complaining. How he was he wasn't looking at God and saying, God, have you forsaken me? Something was different about this individual. There was life, there was joy, there was contentment, even though he was chained to a prison guard. And then he share the gospel. And at the end of this letter, he says, all the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. Paul shared the gospel during his imprisonment. People who belong to the household of Caesar were brought to salvation in Christ. And shouldn't that be our greatest joy? To see sinners come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in chapter 2, verse 17 of Philippians, even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, he says, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

What do you notice there? What we notice is that his joy was independent from his circumstance.

That was his joy. Secondly, a Christ-center of life is concern for others. Paul wrote in chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. If you live for yourself, you will never be content. You will never be joyful. Because contentment for you can only happen when your circumstances are exactly as you want them to be.

Rather than what God desires.

But he emptied himself, taking the form of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death on a cross. God himself became man to serve his own creation. I don't know how many of you can relate with that. You can't. If you have children and your children are not in line with you, it frustrates you. But God humbled himself and made himself of no reputation, and he took on the form of a bondservant to come and die on a rugged cross so that you and I can be saved. So that the condemnation that was over our heads is no longer. But that we can have an expected living hope where when Christ returns, we will be with him one day.

That's the example that Christ set for us. Not to live for ourselves, but to live for others. And I want us to consider and meditate on this simple principle of a Christ-centered life. We are called to serve one another. If you profess to be a follower of Christ but have an attitude that seeks to be served rather than to serve, your profession of faith is a fraud. You don't understand Christianity at all. Christianity is not you serve me. Christianity is I want to serve you. Jesus said, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And you know the commandment that our Lord Jesus Christ gave to his followers as he washed his disciples' feet.

And remember, this is the Son of God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. All things were created by him, and all things are sustained through him. And yet, he humbled himself, got on his knees, and washed his disciples' feet. And he said, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. The church is not a place for self-improvement. The church is not about you. We come to church to worship our God together for the grace that has been shown to us by his son. We gather to hear the proclamation of his word and to practically practically to apply the lessons we have learned to serve one another as a testimony to the world that we are indeed followers of Jesus Christ who served us on the cross.

And I challenge you to find a passage in Scripture that promotes individualism. You're not going to find it. You're not going to find passage in the scripture where it says, esteem yourself, love yourself. Because we already do that. We see passages in scripture that tells us humble yourself, love others. So you're not going to find anywhere in scripture where we are instructed to improve ourselves, pray for ourselves, carry our own burdens, and be self-reliant. Instead, you're going to find 59 one another commandments in the New Testament to be at peace with one another, to love one another, to pray for one another, to carry one another's burdens, to be compassionate to one another. But how can we carry out these one another commandments, these imperatives, if we don't have one another.

We are a body and we function at our best when every member of the body is present together. And every member does his share to mature the body of Christ. And third, a Christ-centered life is to trust in the sovereign God who supplies all our needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. One of Hudson Taylor's famous quote is this God's work done in God's way will never let God supply.

That God was always faithful to supply for his own. The Lord takes care of his own people. Just as he actively was involved in our salvation from beginning to end, he is actively involved in supplying our needs from beginning to end. We have a heavenly Father who knows the things that we need of before we even ask him.

And even though Paul was in prison, he learned to be content and he rejoiced in the Lord because he had confidence in God's sovereignty. He did not panic when the circumstances were dire. He did not take matters into his own hands, nor did he abuse his apostolic authority to manipulate people to provide for him and support for him. He simply trusted God to provide for his need in due time. Now, I don't know how long it had been since Paul last heard from the Philippines, but we know from chapter 4, verse 16, that they sent him aid when he was in Thessalonica. And that they had longed to send him more aid, but they lacked opportunity. But Paul rejoiced in the Lord greatly that their care for him has finally flourished.

And that is because he knew that all of life's opportunities are controlled by the sovereign God. You see, when they lacked the opportunity to go and give him more provision, because God said, Hey, I'm taking care of him. And God opened the door of opportunity for them to show more love and grace to him, and that's because he trusted in God's sovereignty. God is the one who works all things after the counsel of his own will, and he trusted that. And so in due time, God arranged the circumstance in a way to meet his needs by the faithful treatment of the Philippians. And so I encourage everyone to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And you know that may sound like a cliche Christian statement because we use it so often, right?

But it's not. It's the truth that is spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ, that you, as a believer in him, should seek his kingdom and his righteousness. And when you seek to accomplish God's will for your life, the promise of scripture is that you will never lack God's supply. He is faithful to supply all our needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. And this is foundational to our enduring contentment and joy. And I'm gonna close with this. So Paul wrote, if you notice there, that he had learned contentment. He had learned contentment. Now the word learn means to gain knowledge or skill by instruction. And in the Greek, the word learned is written in the erroristic active indicative.

So in layman's term, it's a past tense verb. And if I had to paraphrase Paul's word here, I would say, I learned from my experience to be content. And I share this with you in closing because it is not natural for us to be content. It's natural for us to be discontent, but it's not natural for us to be content. We must learn contentment. We must be taught contentment, to be satisfied with things as they are. And the one who will teach us contentment is who? It's the Lord. He also supplies us with the strength to faithfully endure whatever circumstance they may that may arise in our life. And to this day, God continues to teach me lessons in contentment. I never stop learning. Me and my wife Becky, my wife, Becky, not Pastor Peter's Becky, but me and my wife Becky lost our firstborn son Matthew back in November of 2019.

He was diagnosed in utero with a condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta, and he died a few hours after his birth. Losing Matthew was a traumatic experience, and the pain of loss remained with us to this day. And as I mentioned earlier, one of those challenging seasons of my life was that. And Pastor Peter is one of the brothers that walked alongside with me. But then we lost our secondborn son, Amos back in August 29, 2023. And the loss of our second son still hurts to this day because it is still fresh on our minds. Now, there were many things that the Lord has taught me and Becky during those seasons, but one of the most important lessons that the Lord taught us through those painful experiences was contentment.

I remember asking myself during the eight months that my wife was pregnant with our son Maddie. If God allowed the loss of all things in my life, would I still have the confidence to say, to live is Christ and to die is gained? I remember asking myself that question over and over again for those eight months. If God caused the loss of all things, as a Christian who trust in the sovereign work of God in my life, will I be able to say, to live as Christ, to die is gain. And will I be able to say, would Job, naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord. I asked myself that question many times. And I'm being honest with you this morning, if the Lord had left me to myself, I would not have the strength or the courage to say, to live is Christ, I am content.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. But the Lord strengthened me and my wife to faithfully endure one of the most painful experiences in our lives. And we had learned from both of those experiences to be content in Christ Jesus, to know that He is our all in all.

But if I did not know the faithful and loving character of our God, if I did not know that my salvation was complete in Christ Jesus, if I did not know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, if I had no hope in the glorious appearing of Christ Jesus, and if it weren't for the example of Christ who endured the cross to save a sinner like me, you know what I would have done? I would have hung my head low, quit ministry forever, and be bitter and discontent for the remainder of my life. Because, but it was the grace that was shown to me. That through suffering I was able to see God's contentment, God's joy. And so because I have a Christ-centered gospel that causes me to live a Christ-centered life, I will be satisfied in whatever circumstance that the Lord permits me to be in.

And I will be thankful in whatever circumstance I am in. Because I know that the chief end of my life is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. And whatever circumstance the Lord permits me to be in, I know that it will be used for the praise and glory of his holy name. And so I pray that this coming new year, that that will be your heart's desire as well, to glorify God and to enjoy him forever, to be content in whatever circumstance you are in. And at the end of everything, whether it's a season of trial or seasons of victories, you could be able to say, For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Let's say a word of prayer. Father God, I want to thank you for allowing me to come, open your word and share with your people what you had instructed in your scripture.

And God, I pray that you would help us to learn contentment. That in whatever season in our life, whatever we might be going through, we would keep our eyes on you, to turn our eyes upon you, to fix our gaze upon eternity where you are now seated at the right hand of the Father. And I pray, God, that as we are eagerly waiting for your return, that we will live a holy, pure life that is honoring and pleasing to you. And so, Lord, thank you again for just this opportunity to be your ambassador, to share the word with your people. And I pray, God, again, that you would help us to be content and to be thankful. And we pray all this in the name of Christ Jesus, amen.