Pathway to Victory

Speaker 1

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Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast.

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Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 2

Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I'm.

Speaker 3

Glad to study God's Word with you every day.

Speaker 2

This Bible teaching program on today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

Speaker 3

Suddenly, this money you had been trusting in sprouted wings and away it goes, and you're left with nothing.

The Bible says to realize how quickly your situation can change.

Paul said in Philippians 4, "I've learned how to live both in poverty and prosperity. I have learned the secret of being content."

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress.

Benjamin Franklin once observed, "Who is it that is rich? He who is content? And who is that? No one."

Well, today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress turns to Paul's letter to the Philippians for the biblical secret to experiencing that elusive feeling that we all long for. It's called contentment.

Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message: Dr. Jeffress.

Speaker 2

Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Some books in the Bible contain deep and complex theological truths that are mysterious and wonderful to contemplate. Others, like the one we're looking at this month, contain practical life lessons that clearly demonstrate how to conduct our daily lives.

This week, we're in the final stretch of our study of Paul's wonderful letter of joy written to the Philippians. And by now, I hope you've contacted us to request your copy of my hardbound book called *Outrageous Living Above Your Circumstances*. In my book, I show you the four secrets for maintaining joy in spite of what's happening around you. You can request a copy while there's still time when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

Now, in addition to my book, I'll also include the Scripture Encouragement Card. You can display this card in a prominent spot in your home to bring a smile to your day as you consider God's profound promises. Paul's encouraging words were written while he was imprisoned, but even in such terrible circumstances, he wrote familiar verses such as, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me," and many other verses as well.

I'll say more about my book and the Scripture encouragement card later on. But right now, let's get our week started with more encouragement from Paul's letter of joy. We're in the fourth chapter of Philippians, and I titled today's message "When You Can't Get No Satisfaction."

Speaker 3

By most standards, Bill France is doing pretty well. According to a recent Newsweek magazine article, France is 31. He is an electrical engineer for General Motors Corporation in Detroit. He earns a high five-figure income that really goes pretty far. He has two cars, including his beloved Alfa Romeo, and this month he's going scuba diving in Cancun. But something keeps gnawing at Bill France, telling him that everything's not quite right. Some of those things bothering him include a friend who just got a 30% raise to go to California for a tech job with stock options. Another friend just purchased a 30-foot sailboat. People all around him seem to be cashing in. He said in an interview, "If I didn't know any better, I'd be perfectly happy with what I'm doing. But it gets to me when I see my peers, people I relate to, people my same age doing better than I am. It makes you start to feel discontent."

Nothing wars against our feeling of satisfaction any more than the word "more." If only I had more money, if only I had more square footage in my house, if only I had more authority in my company, then I could truly be happy in life. Nothing wars against our sense of contentment any more than the word "more." Unless, of course, it's the word "different." If only I lived in a different city, if only I had a different job, if only I had different children or parents, if only I had a different mate, then I could truly be satisfied in life. What's the answer to this insatiable desire so many of us have for more or for different? In a word, it's contentment. What is contentment? And most importantly, how do I experience it in my everyday life? Paul answers those questions in the passage we're going to look at today. If you have your Bibles, turn to Philippians Chapter four as we discover what to do when you can't get no satisfaction.

Now let me remind you we're winding down our study in Philippians. Remember, Philippians, above all, was a thank you note that Paul sent to the church at Philippi because they had sent him a financial gift. Remember, Paul had founded this church 10 years earlier. And yet for the next 10 years, the church supported Paul in his ministry. Even now, as he was under house arrest in Rome, the church leader Epaphrodites brought the love gift to Paul in Rome. So he wrote a thank you note. Look at what he says in verse 10: "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." That word "revived" in verse 10 is a word that refers to a plant that comes back to life or a tree that is dormant in the wintertime but then buds to new life in the springtime. Apparently, what had happened was these Philippians had interrupted their financial support of Paul. We don't know why. Maybe there was a recession in Philippi. Maybe there was no one to bring the gift to Paul for a period of time. But whatever the reason, Paul says, "I am greatly thankful that the gifts are starting to come in again. And I want to thank you for sending this gift to me."

By the way, have you noticed something about Paul? He was never bashful about asking people for money. Never. He realized that money and ministry go hand in hand. There are a lot of preachers today who are just so scared about mentioning the subject of money to their people. We shouldn't be afraid to do that. The Bible says there are some things God will not do apart from the gifts of his people. And so Paul talked about money. I have a friend who is a college president, and he was talking to me at lunch one time about how he was always, always having to ask people for money to keep his institution going. He said, "It just really kind of bothers me sometimes that I'm always asking for money." But he said, "I've already determined what I'm going to have as the epitaph on my tombstone." He said, "It's going to be Luke 16, verse 22." I thought, Luke 16:22? Luke 16 is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. You know what Luke 16:22 says? It reads, "And the beggar died." Sometimes we feel like we're always begging for money. But Paul wasn't ashamed of doing that. He said, "I'm glad you're giving to me."

But notice in verse 17, one reason Paul wasn't ashamed to ask people for money was not only did it benefit him and his ministry, but it also benefited the people who gave the gift. Look at verse 17: "Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account." That word "account" there refers to an investment that pays rich dividends. He said, "The reason I don't mind asking you for money is I realize when you give it, it not only benefits me, it benefits you as well." Again, sometimes we are so scared that we're going to be confused with those prosperity preachers on television that promise you health and wealth if you'll send your $10 check in. We don't want to be labeled as one of those. So we don't tell people the truth that God really does bless those who give. If you give to God's work, if you invest in God's kingdom's work, God is going to bless you. Now, that blessing may or may not be financial, but there are blessings that accrue to your account. It may be the blessing of a good conscience that you've done what you're supposed to do. It's the blessing of joy and contentment and knowing that you're giving to a cause bigger than yourself. It's the blessing of knowing there are going to be eternal rewards for you in heaven because of your faithfulness. Proverbs 11:25 says, "The generous man shall prosper." So Paul said, "I don't hesitate to ask for money because I'm blessing you by giving you an opportunity to give."

But here's the hinge verse, verse 11: "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am." Paul said, "I'm glad to have gotten your money. But guess what? Even if you had not sent the gift, I would still be content. Because my happiness, my contentment in life doesn't depend upon the balance of my checking account. I've learned how to be content in whatever circumstance I am in." What does it mean to be content? What is contentment? I want us to, first of all, look at a definition of contentment. That word "contentment" is a word that comes from the English word "containment." Containment. And to be content literally means to be contained, to be self-contained. A person who is content doesn't look to external circumstances to derive his sense of well-being. He looks inwardly. Paul said, "I have learned to be satisfied in whatever circumstance I am in." A person who is content, who is satisfied, doesn't look for outward circumstances from which to derive his sense of well-being. He doesn't tie his happiness to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. He doesn't tie it to last Friday night's ball game. He doesn't tie it to how large of a house he's living in or what model car he's driving. He realizes that no matter how much he has, it will never be enough to satisfy him. He's learned to be content in whatever circumstance he is in.

By the way, have you learned that secret? Can you honestly say, "I've learned to be satisfied regardless of what my outward circumstances are?" Let's try a few scenarios here. For example, let's imagine it's summertime and it's the third day of your three-week vacation. You're on the sandy white beaches of Destin, Florida. It's 88 degrees. You feel the gentle breeze blowing. You hear the waves crashing. The only thing you have to worry about or think about that entire day is where you're going to go out to eat dinner that night. Would you be content in that situation? Or let's say, ladies, it's Monday morning and it's your day for the carpool. You get up at 5:30, get the children out of bed. You're busy delivering all the kids in the neighborhood to the right place they're supposed to go. And then you race back home. You've got to fix a casserole for a noon meeting at the church. And once that meeting is over, it's time to pick the kids up from school again, deliver them to soccer practice and piano practice. And once you finish doing that, you've got to race home, change, and get ready to go out with your husband to entertain some out-of-town guests. Are you content in your situation? Or let's imagine you're a small business owner. You've spent 30 years building your business. You've enjoyed some meager success, but you're always having to increase your sales, keep your accounts happy, keep on top of your employees. But then the country's going into an economic downturn, sales are starting to plummet, and you're going to have to lay off three of your employees. Today's the day you have to decide which three you're going to fire. Would you be content in that situation? One more: You were married for 50 years. Your mate passed away two years ago, and you're all alone. You have two grown children that are out of town. You see them at Christmas and Thanksgiving. You have another child in town. He talks to you, calls you once a week. You come to church when you can, you talk on the phone to a few friends. But most of your days are very long and very empty. Are you content?

Paul said, "I've learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." That word "learned" in verse 11 refers to knowledge that comes by experience. You see, Paul didn't just preach and write about contentment. He actually experienced it in his own life. Now I want you to notice here his example that he tells us in verse 12 about. He said, "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." Paul said, "I've learned the secret. I've actually experienced satisfaction in both poverty and in prosperity." Now most of us know about Paul's poverty. He was under house arrest. He experienced poverty on a regular basis. He experienced adverse circumstances as a minister of the Gospel. If you want to get a glimpse of what most of Paul's ministry life was like, listen to the words of 2 Corinthians 11, beginning with verse 24. When Paul describes some of his experiences, he says, "Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes." You know what that means? It was talking about the lashes that came from the Roman cat of nine tails. Forty lashes would kill a person. Paul says, "On five different times I came within an inch of my death. I went 39 lashes five different times." Verse 25: "Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I've spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, from countrymen, from Gentiles, from city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren. I've been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And yet I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am." Paul knew the secret of being content in poverty. But notice also he said in Philippians 4:12, "I've also learned how to live in prosperity." Paul said, "I've learned the secret of being content in prosperous times." Did you know for many people, prosperity is harder to handle than poverty? Many people find it more difficult to stay close to God, to feel content and satisfied in prosperous times. There's Thomas Carlyle, who one time said, "For every 100 people who can handle adversity, only one can handle prosperity." I see that as a pastor all the time. Here's a couple. They get married early in life. They spend the early years of their life together struggling, trying to make ends meet, clipping coupons, maybe trying to build their success in their careers. But then suddenly, prosperity comes. Maybe they sell that business they founded for a gazillion dollars. Maybe they receive an unexpected inheritance. Maybe they have that natural gas well or oil well that comes in that they weren't expecting. But suddenly they are flush with more money than they ever expected. But instead of that money driving them even closer together, fractures start to appear in their relationship, tension, and they begin to move further and further apart. And the marriage ends in divorce. I see that all the time. For every 100 people that can handle adversity, only one can handle prosperity. And Paul said, "If you're going to learn how to be content, don't only learn to be content in times of poverty, learn the secret of prosperity as well."

I want you to hold your place here. This is a little bonus today. I'm not going to charge you anything extra for it, but turn over to 1 Timothy 6. I want you to look at Paul's secrets for how to deal with prosperity. To some of you, you may not be millionaires, but you may be experiencing more prosperity than you ever dreamed of. You never thought you would have the income, you never thought you would have the portfolio. You never thought you would live in the kind of home that you're living in right now. God has a word for you about how to deal with prosperity. Look at what he says in 1 Timothy 6, beginning with verse 17. Paul writes, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." Just jot down three principles from this passage about how to live in prosperity.

First of all, if you're enjoying prosperity, thank God for your situation. Thank God with your situation. You know, a lot of Christians, when they have an economic boon, a windfall in their life, they start to feel guilty about it. They think, "Well, maybe I shouldn't enjoy this. Maybe I need to feel guilty about it." No, Paul says in verse 17, "God supplies us with all things to enjoy." God wants you to enjoy what he's given you. He says, "Enjoy it." Just never forget from whom the blessing is coming. He says in verse 17, "Don't focus your hope on the riches, but on God who has richly supplied you with these things to enjoy." Be sure to thank God for the situation that you're in.

Number two, be sure you invest in God's work. Yes, it's fine to spend some of the money on yourself. It's fine to spend it on other people, but don't forget to invest in God's work. He says in verse 18, "Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation in the future." You see, the fact is, if you invest all of your money in yourself, if you invest your money in cars and homes and other possessions, you're going to leave them all behind one day, and all that matters is going to be what you've invested in God's kingdom's work. The Bible says we're not owners; we're simply managers of what God's given to us. If God's blessed you financially, be sure you're investing some of that in God's work.

And then number three, realize how quickly the situation can change. Realize how quickly your economic situation can change. Yes, you may be having a great prosperous time, but realize that it could change. Verse 17, Paul talks about the uncertainty of riches. I like what Solomon says in Proverbs 11:23, 24: "Cast but a glance at riches and they are gone. They will surely sprout wings and fly away like an eagle." Have you ever experienced that in your life? You know, you had money and you thought, "Gosh, where did all of this come from?" And you were feeling pretty good and pretty secure. And then one day it's gone. Maybe a bad investment, maybe expenditures, an emergency you weren't expecting. Suddenly this money you had been trusting in sprouted wings and away it goes, and you're left with nothing. The Bible says, "Realize how quickly your situation can change." Paul said in Philippians 4, "I've learned how to live both in poverty and prosperity. I have learned the secret of being content." By the way, that phrase "learn the secret" was kind of a gentle jab of Paul's against the Greeks who believed in mystery religion. They believed that to know God, you had to have the secret. You had to know the magic password, the key to know God. And so Paul said, "Well, I've learned the secret." He said, "I've learned the secret of how to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in."

Speaker 2

Our financial standing has nothing to do with our spiritual condition. Whether you live in a mansion or live in a hut, true satisfaction comes when we're connected to our Creator. Well, only a few more days remain in this month-long teaching series called "Living Above Your Circumstances." I hope that you've already contacted Pathway to Victory to receive your copy of my hardbound book that reinforces the biblical teaching in this series.

Finding joy is a daily choice, a deliberate decision, and it's also a telltale sign of your abiding growth in Christ. I want this book to help you in your lifelong journey to find joy, peace, strength, and hope when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. You're invited to request your copy of my book, "Outrageous Living Above Your Circumstances." Let me thank you for your generous gift, which is the fuel that's needed to empower the growth of this ministry.

The stakes are very high in 2025. Many in our country are suffering losses and struggling to find their way. Millions of people, many of them suffering in unimaginable ways, desperately need the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. So please be generous in your giving. God will use your gift today to bring light and joy into the hearts of those who have lost hope.

One last thing: this program has drawn so many people like you into our circle of friends, but we rarely get to meet face to face. In just a couple of months, from May 5th through 16th, I'll be hosting our Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, and I'd love to meet you. This is an exquisite 11-day vacation to some of the most beautiful locations in the world, including the Greek Isles, Ephesus, and Rome. The dates are May 5th to 16th, and you can reserve your spot today by going to PTV.

Speaker 1

David thanks Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we'll say thanks by sending you *Outrageous Joy*, the exclusive book from Dr. Jeffress that dovetails with our current series. As an added bonus, we will also include the *Standing on the Promises of God* Scripture Card.

To request these resources, call 866-999 or go online to ptv.org. When you give $75 or more, you'll not only receive the book and the Scripture card, but we'll also include the audio and video discs for this month's series, *Living Above Your Circumstances*. But time is running out to take advantage of this offer, so call right now at 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. You could also mail your gift to P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. That's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, TX 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again next time when Dr. Jeffress continues his message on what to do when you can't get no satisfaction. That's Wednesday here on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible.

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