Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Learning Christmas Contentment (Philippians 4:10-20)
0 Plays2 seconds ago
According to some current projections, holiday spending may decrease in 2025 from the anticipated $1,007 dollars per person back in October to an adjusted budget of $778 for Christmas gifts. Many who completed the survey indicated they plan to reduce spending this year by 55% compared with 2024 expenditures. Of course, we must keep in mind that record high spending was marked in both 2023 and 2024 with spending surpassing $ 950 billion. For comparison, 2008 was $501.5 billion and 2010 was $528.8 billion.
So, I have a question regarding Christmas. My question is are we as a people actually like the description given by historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., who said that he saw in American society an “inextinguishable discontent”? If so, we need to run to the words of Philippians 4:10-20 and learn the secret of contentment.
The letter written by the Apostle Paul from a prison cell as a thank you note has many lessons that contemporary Americans can and should learn, especially during the Christmas holidays. He speaks of a life lesson that he had learned regarding contentment in whatever circumstances he was in. Let’s pull up close to Paul and let his whisper in our ear the secret to contentment.
Rejoice in Christ's Sovereignty, v. 10
Readiness to Study, v. 11
Regardless of the Situation, vs. 11-12
Reflection upon the Sweet Things in Life, vs. 14-18
Riches of His Supply, v. 19
Refocus the Spotlight, v. 20
Recommended
Transcript
Welcome and Introduction
00:00:08
Speaker
Welcome to Growing in Grace with Pastor Victor Morrison. This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas. We are praying that God will bless you as you listen to this message.
00:00:22
Speaker
If you would like additional information on worship times and ministries at FBC Columbus, you can find out more at our website, fbccolumbustx.org. And now, take your copy of God's timeless Word as Pastor Victor gives today's message.
Christmas Greetings
00:00:43
Speaker
Hey, welcome back to Growing in Grace. Merry Christmas. I hope things are going well with all of your holiday shopping and preparations and different, maybe attending Christmas concerts or who knows what all is going on out there that you and your family are enjoying. But I hope it's going well for you.
00:01:03
Speaker
But I wanted to just begin here with our time of looking into God's Word. So I pray that God will bless this time and that He'll speak to you.
Discussion on Christmas Spending and Contentment
00:01:13
Speaker
I want to talk about contentment.
00:01:16
Speaker
According to a Gallup study released December 4th, 2025, American ah adults are projected to spend approximately $778 on Christmas gifts.
00:01:29
Speaker
So think about that. That's what the the ah projected amount is. Maybe under, maybe over. But if you were press the calendar back to October,
00:01:41
Speaker
In October of this year, 2025, it wasn't projected $778, but it was projected at $1,007. So there's about a $200 drop because a lot of people are feeling like these are tough times.
00:01:59
Speaker
And maybe that's the way you're feeling, that it's just a very difficult time in your life, maybe financially. But here's the thing I wanted to point out. you know that nearly every year since 2008, the amount of money that American consumers are spending on holiday gifts has been increasing over the previous year.
00:02:24
Speaker
So if what I want you to do is to compare what I say two thousand and eight total was. In $501 and americans sp five hundred and one dollars and ah five hundred and one billion dollars with total expenditures. But think about the what is registered on 2023 and and both surpassed not billion,
00:02:57
Speaker
nine hundred and fifty billion dollars so just think about how much were spending Well, keep that in mind as we go back to the book of Philippians, chapter four, and look at verses 10 through 20.
Contentment in All Situations
00:03:13
Speaker
In verses 10 through 20 of chapter four, the church in Philippi sent Epaphroditus as its messenger to give the apostle Paul, who is now actually in a prison cell for preaching the gospel, they wanted to give him a gift. It was a little bit of financial assistance.
00:03:32
Speaker
His return to Philippi afforded the apostle an opportunity to thank the church in writing. Do you ever receive any thank you notes? Have you ever write any thank you notes after the Christmas season?
00:03:46
Speaker
Well, that's what this is like. What I'm about to read from Philippians is a lot like a thank you note that Paul wrote to a church in the city of Philippi.
00:03:58
Speaker
And it's amazing how in the middle of his letter, he says this, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
00:04:08
Speaker
Have you learned that lesson? I want to keep learning that lesson. i need to learn that lesson. I want to submit to you that if we will follow the seven clues that Paul left us ah in Philippians 4, 10 through 20, I believe that um being content with what we have is possible.
Seven Clues to Achieving Contentment
00:04:29
Speaker
Let me read these verses for us. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
00:04:43
Speaker
Not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low.
00:04:55
Speaker
and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
00:05:09
Speaker
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving.
00:05:29
Speaker
except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
00:05:44
Speaker
I have received full payment and more I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
00:05:59
Speaker
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for forever and ever. Amen.
00:06:13
Speaker
Aren't those amazing, really good words? I'm just so thankful for God putting that passage of scripture in the word so that we can learn about contentment.
00:06:25
Speaker
So let's see these seven clues on the road to contentment. The first one is we need to learn to rejoice in his sovereignty. Here's what Paul says in verse 10. Remember, he's not in a comfortable situation. He's actually in a prison because he had been boldly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ. And here's what it says.
00:06:47
Speaker
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly. You see, he's rejoicing in the Lord because he knows that his supply comes from the Lord.
00:07:02
Speaker
Paul thanked God for his past blessings, and he also trusted God with his present needs. I believe this gave Paul contentment, and I believe it will build contentment in us as well.
00:07:18
Speaker
So let me just encourage you to
Paul's Trials and the Secret of Contentment
00:07:20
Speaker
remember that God is upon the throne and that you can rejoice and be glad that he is on the throne and not someone else.
00:07:29
Speaker
Let's move to the second clue that the Apostle Paul leaves us on how we can discover contentment in everyday life. The second clue is this. Readiness to study.
00:07:42
Speaker
Readiness to study. You know, when I think of studying, I think of someone who's learning. Are you a lifelong learner? Would you say that one of the things you're learning as you're living your life is you're learning to be content with what you have?
00:07:58
Speaker
Contentment isn't natural. It's learned. That's why Paul says, not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I have learned to be content.
00:08:09
Speaker
You see, we're not born with contentment, nor is contentment a gift given to some and not to others. Rather, it's a spiritual disposition and discipline that must be desired, cultivated, and developed over time.
00:08:29
Speaker
Some, however, are not interested in learning. I remember when I was a youth pastor and I would be telling the youth what time we were gonna meet at the vans. We were at the ski hill, the slopes, and so everybody was excited to get started. And I would say, let's meet back right here at the van at four o'clock.
00:08:48
Speaker
So one teenager would raise his hand. Yes, what's your question? His question was, what time are we supposed to be back? I would say four o'clock, I just said that.
00:08:59
Speaker
Another would raise his hand, yes, what is your question? That teenager would say, where are we supposed to meet? I would say, we're meeting right here at the van at four o'clock.
00:09:10
Speaker
You see, some teenagers who went on those ski trips, those snow ski trips with us, they said, we don't need any skiing lessons, we've got this. You know what, on the way home, they were nursing injuries they had because they wiped out pretty badly on the slopes.
00:09:28
Speaker
What I'm saying is learning takes a decision. It takes a willingness to to be teachable and say, I have some things I need to learn. It will most likely require time.
00:09:40
Speaker
It'll require effort to be trained. So we must learn that discontentment can be agonizing. So wouldn't it be nice to learn to be content with what you have?
00:09:51
Speaker
Also, greed, greed can Greed for just more and more and more and more. You know what that is? That can become a cruel taskmaster. So you definitely don't want to walk in the direction of greed.
00:10:07
Speaker
Someone wrote the following poem about discontentment. As a rule, man's a fool. When it's hot, he wants it cool.
00:10:18
Speaker
And when it's cool, he wants it hot. Always wanting what is not Isn't that true? I heard a story about a rich man who was so disturbed when he noticed a fisherman sitting by his boat doing nothing.
00:10:34
Speaker
So he chided the fisherman and he urged him to go out and catch more fish. The fisherman replied that he had already caught in enough fish for that day.
00:10:46
Speaker
The wealthy man urged him to catch more than he needed. Why? replied the fisherman. What would I do with them? The successful businessman explained, well, you could earn more money, buy stronger nets, have a bigger boat.
00:11:03
Speaker
You could even hire others to work for you. The fisherman looked out at the water quietly and thoughtfully, and then he asked, then what would I do?
00:11:15
Speaker
Then you could sit down and enjoy life, the rich businessman said. The fisherman smiled and answered humbly, what do you think I'm doing now?
00:11:28
Speaker
ah He was already enjoying life after having fished all day. you know, Corrie Ten Boom learned this lesson through suffering. And here's what she wrote.
00:11:39
Speaker
If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be de depressed. But if you look at Christ, you will be at rest.
00:11:52
Speaker
Don't you want that soul rest that is only possible through Christ? Well, let's move to the third clue that Paul gives us in terms of finding out where where contentment is found.
00:12:06
Speaker
The third principle is this, regardless of the situation. That's what Paul wrote. In whatever situation I am to be content, I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.
00:12:20
Speaker
In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
00:12:31
Speaker
You know what our tendency is? To look to the wrong sources for our satisfaction in life. What word would you use to fill in the blank in the following statement?
00:12:43
Speaker
I will be happy when, and let's put a blank right there. You see, many people try to finish this thought with things like, I'll be happy when I have more money.
00:12:56
Speaker
I'll be happy when I finally have physical healing. I'll be happy when I get a promotion at work. Oh, I'll be happy when I have obedient kids.
00:13:06
Speaker
I'll be happy when I have a better spouse. I'll be happy when I have a new car. See, Paul is leaving us a clue that contentment is not linked to external circumstances. As a matter of fact, externally, sometime take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 11 verses 23 through 33. Oh my goodness, it's shocking to see some of the real circumstances that this man went through.
00:13:37
Speaker
He said, well, I've been through imprisonments, countless beatings. I've been near death five times. I received at the hands of the Jews, the 40 lashes less one.
00:13:48
Speaker
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I was adrift at sea. I've been on frequent journeys in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure."
00:14:22
Speaker
Yet this is the man who is saying, I've learned the secret of being content in whatever situation I find myself in. Is that something you've learned or you still learning?
00:14:36
Speaker
I'm still in process. Let's go to the fourth lesson or clue that Paul leaves for us, reliance upon the Savior.
Relying on God for Strength
00:14:45
Speaker
You know, he writes in here, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
00:14:51
Speaker
In a nutshell, contentment is relying upon the Lord for strength, guidance, joy, hope, endurance, whatever you might need, i would say rely upon the Lord.
00:15:04
Speaker
You see, we accept from his hand whatever he sends us in life because we trust in his goodness and his sovereignty. There was a king in Africa who kept by his side a friend with whom he grew up.
00:15:18
Speaker
The friend was always fond of saying about all things, no matter what happened in life, he said the same thing. This is good. It's all good. Well, one day the king was injured and lost his thumb in a hunting accident.
00:15:33
Speaker
His friend said, that's okay. This is good. You know what the king did? He locked his friend up for saying it's good when he lost his thumb. He didn't think it was good. One year later, the king was captured by cannibals who tied him to a stake until they noticed he was missing a thumb.
00:15:53
Speaker
Because they were superstitious, they let the king go free. You know what he did next? He went and let his friend go free. He said, you know what? You're right.
00:16:03
Speaker
It did turn out to be good. Sometimes we don't think it's good. And then years later, we learn. I'm so glad that that took place. Let's move to the fifth principle or truth about contentment.
00:16:16
Speaker
And that is, we need to reflect upon the sweet things that we have already experienced in our life. Maybe you've had a hard life, but haven't there been a few times in that life of yours that you have experienced some good things?
00:16:32
Speaker
Here's what he says, yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. You know, those who struggle with discontentment have a deeper problem.
00:16:43
Speaker
They're so focused on the problems in the present that they have totally forgotten the countless gifts from the past. In 1648, a Puritan named Jeremiah Burroughs wrote a book called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.
00:17:02
Speaker
He wrote in his book, Christian contentment is that sweet inward quiet, that gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.
00:17:21
Speaker
See, he had learned that sweet, quiet spirit because he was content. Paul kept a sweet, inward quiet because he never seemed to forget the nice things that others had done for him in the past. And so that's what he talks about in verses 14 through 16.
00:17:41
Speaker
His words in verse 17, however, look to a future harvest that he anticipates, not to his own credit, but to their credit. You see, Paul was the kind of guy that he actually was genuinely happy when other people had an increase.
00:18:00
Speaker
Paul remained content and full in life because he was so focused on watching others produce fruit for Christ. Of course, he was also appreciative for the gift that Epaphroditus brought in the present in verse 18.
00:18:16
Speaker
The 18th verse of chapter four is loaded with biblical truth and personal gratitude. He uses a couple of metaphors in this verse, one from the business world and the other from the language of the priests in the temple.
00:18:30
Speaker
You see, he says their gift was more than enough to cover the need. He goes even further in this verse to state that his needs were actually still met and were full to the brim.
00:18:44
Speaker
He also employs a metaphor regarding, quote, a fragrant offering, end of quote. This is a reference to three of the five offerings in the Old Testament days. They were considered sweet savor offerings to God because they were voluntary offerings. Leviticus chapters one through five inform us that these three were the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering.
00:19:12
Speaker
These three were sweet offerings offered up just willingly from their hearts. The other two sacrifices were the sin offering and the trespass offering.
00:19:23
Speaker
They were not considered sweet because they were compulsory.
00:19:30
Speaker
You know, I think there's a sixth principle that we need to learn if we're ever going to learn to be content. And that is that it doesn't depend on our supply. It depends on God's supply.
God's Supply vs Material Wealth
00:19:43
Speaker
The riches of His supply is mentioned in verse 19, where He says, "... And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
00:19:59
Speaker
Oh, that's nice, isn't it? You see, Paul enjoyed peace because he depended upon the providence of God to supply his needs. In a consumer-driven society like ours, it is difficult to be grateful for what the Lord has provided for us already in our lives.
00:20:19
Speaker
It is well known that marketing is all about convincing us that we have got to have, we need desperately, their product.
00:20:30
Speaker
Do you know that the average American household debt right now in 2025 is $104,755? $104,755. That's the average household debt. total consumer for America and Americans approaching a whopping $18.6 trillion. one hundred and four thousand seven hundred and fifty five dollars that's the average household debt the total consumer debt for america and americans is approaching a whopping eighteen point six trillion dollars not million, not billion, $18.6 trillion. dollars
00:21:06
Speaker
That's a lot of debt. You see, we're spending way beyond our means. I think we're also spending above what the Lord is providing.
00:21:17
Speaker
It is true that His resources are unlimited but he is not going to provide for our insatiable desire for more material things.
00:21:30
Speaker
It'll never end. He will gladly provide, however, for our genuine needs that are very real. Are we depending upon him or are we depending upon them?
00:21:44
Speaker
By them, I mean credit cards, bank loans, parents, anything but the Lord. Hey, we need to say, God, you've got my back. You'll cover me. When I have a need, you'll be there for me.
00:22:00
Speaker
Have you ever been watching maybe a children's Christmas production of some kind and there's a spotlight, it's all dark in the whole sanctuary, or the auditorium, and suddenly someone bumps the spotlight and it goes off of the main character and it goes off onto some side prop or something. Well, quickly, the man who runs the the spotlight is trying his best to get it adjusted back to where the right person is in the spotlight.
Focusing on Christ's Glory
00:22:28
Speaker
Well, I think maybe that's why we're not content in life. We need to refocus the spotlight. Verse 20 is a very short verse, but what it says is very profound.
00:22:40
Speaker
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. You see, the biblical Christmas narratives clearly record for us where the spotlight, where the attention was directed during the first Christmas season.
00:23:01
Speaker
Luke chapter two and verse 14 reminds us where the heavenly host said the old shepherds were to focus. They were to focus on the glory to God in the highest.
00:23:15
Speaker
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. That's what they said. You know, this morning I read a statistic that seemed to be puzzling when compared to a second statistic. The first statistic was published by Etsy.
00:23:32
Speaker
And on their survey, they found that 71% of U.S. adults say they get stressed about giving the right Christmas gift. 71%?
00:23:43
Speaker
seventy one percent Is that what Christmas is all about? It's a season of stress. It's a season of of people panicking because they don't know exactly what each person in their family would like the best. They don't know what the person at work would like the best. Oh, that's a tough way to spend Christmas is being stressed. And yet 71% of adults are saying they feel stressed.
00:24:12
Speaker
Yet a second statistic tells us another part of the story. 90% of those surveyed admitted that they can't even remember the gifts they received last year.
00:24:30
Speaker
So what you have here, you have 71% of the population saying, I don't know what gift to get them. It's just, it's eating my lunch. I don't know how much I need to spend. And on and on and on they go, 71%.
00:24:44
Speaker
While at the same time, a greater percent, 90% are saying, I can't remember what I even received last year. You see the disconnect there?
00:24:56
Speaker
I wonder if perhaps the reason we struggle with discontentment is because we have a preoccupation with our accumulation rather than a continuation with Christ's exaltation.
00:25:11
Speaker
He's the one we need to be lifting up. Maybe it's time for us, all of us as a nation, and I include myself, I'm not saying I'm perfect here. I definitely need this.
00:25:23
Speaker
Every Christmas, I need to take some time to recalibrate my focus so that I can have a wonderful season of exalting Christ.
00:25:34
Speaker
Why don't we look together to Christ and ask Him to fill our hearts so that we overflow and have more that we can share with our relatives than they could ever buy at a store and more that we could buy, more than we could ever buy for them at a store.
00:25:52
Speaker
So let's go to the Lord in prayer as we close our time, and let's ask Him to help us to find true inner contentment in Christ so that we don't come to Christmas overspending, just trying to prove something or trying to make sure that we fill the gaps that are in other people's hearts that really only Christ can fill.
00:26:14
Speaker
So let's go to the Father in prayer together.
Prayer for Blessings and Contentment
00:26:16
Speaker
Lord, I thank you so much for our friends who are listening to Growing Grace today. I pray you bless them. I pray that they and their family would have a wonderful Christmas season. I do believe that based on these facts and statistics, that one thing that's happening, we're getting off track at Christmastime because we're thinking it's all about the amount of the gifts. It's all about the number of the gifts. And so we're we're going in debt trying to buy gifts rather than giving people those priceless things that we find in Christ that can't be purchased in ah in a shopping center or in a department store.
00:26:57
Speaker
And so please help us, O Lord, to refocus. Help us to live for the glory of God. I believe that, Lord, if we will concentrate on loving you and asking you to fill our hearts with your love, then when we go to that Christmas family reunion,
00:27:17
Speaker
and and there's dysfunctional people that are there, that we will not go um sort of struggling in our attitude toward them, but instead we'll overflow and we'll have that joy of the Lord that's not dependent upon our circumstances.
00:27:34
Speaker
Lord, today we've heard the testimony of a man sitting in a prison cell for doing something that's right. He was trying to tell people that God loves them so much that he sent his son Jesus.
00:27:48
Speaker
And that's why we have Christmas. That's what he was trying to tell the people was about Christ's coming. And yet he was thrown in prison for it. But he didn't become bitter and angry.
00:28:00
Speaker
He actually stayed positive and was writing to the people of Philippi and wanting them to know how truly grateful he was for how they had shared a ah gift with him.
00:28:11
Speaker
May we have that attitude as we enter into this Christmas season. Help our friends to see the joy that we have in Christ, the peace that we have in Christ, the love we have in Christ, the hope that we have in Christ. May we bring to our family reunions and to our families what only you could give.
00:28:33
Speaker
We love you, Lord. Thank you so much for giving up all of those things in heaven and coming down to this broken world just to show us how greatly you love us.
00:28:43
Speaker
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Invitation to Christmas Eve Service
00:28:47
Speaker
Hey, I am so glad that you joined us for Growing in Grace. I hope you'll consider if you don't have a Christmas Eve plan, or even if you have a plan, why don't you consider joining us for our Christmas Eve candlelight service. We'd love to have you at First Baptist Church in Columbus. You come, it's gonna start at six o'clock,
00:29:07
Speaker
Come as you are. You don't have to dress up. Some people wanna dress up. Some people just come dressed down. and so come casual, whatever you would like, but we want you to be there.
00:29:18
Speaker
We want you to hear the good news. We're gonna have a story that's gonna be read to the children. We're gonna sing a lot of Christmas carols. We're gonna even end with Silent Night. It's gonna be fun. But also I'm gonna give a message from the book of Hebrews on the child of Christmas. So why don't you come?
00:29:36
Speaker
Well, you just have a blessed Christmas holidays. Even if you don't join us, I'm not saying come or you can't have a great Christmas. No, you have a great Christmas with your family, but we would love for you to come anytime to our church.
00:29:51
Speaker
All right. Well, God bless you. Thanks again for listening. This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.