Self Sufficient or Christ Sufficiency?

I recently gave this word in our Church service, its something that God has been speaking to me about recently, something that I am learning to walk out.

This is something that right now I feel is a vital message to the church at large.

You see, no matter what you are facing, good bad or otherwise, you have before you a set of circumstances. And while seeking God about a situation in my life He led me to Philippians 4, where Paul is talking about this very thing.

I want to set a little background for you, in case you are unfamiliar with the history of books of the bible. Phillipians is a letter Paul wrote to the first church that he had planted in Europe. Philippi was a Roman colony in Macedonia. At the time that Paul is writing this letter to them, they were a strong and healthy congragation. Doing well and Paul is writing to them as an encouragement - A letter to say - keep going, your doing well, stay strong and vigilent, follow Christ and the examples of the Godly men set in your midst, such as Timothy.

As you read towards the end of the letter, specifically Philippians 4:10-20 - you find that Paul is explaining his contentment.

Philippians 4:10-11 

Paul makes mention of two aspects that bring about this contentment.

The first is about generosity - something that is a whole message in itself and one that I may look at in a later blog. But the sencond aspect Paul refers to is about attitude, more importantly attitude towards circumstances.

As I have already stated, no matter what you are facing in your life right now, it is a set of circumstances. Sometimes they are good circumstances and we hope that they last a long time, othertimes they are not good, and we hope they change quickly. SOmetimes we pray for those to change.

I once heard someone teach that, when you pray for your circumstances to change and they do, what are you left with? - Another set of circumstances.

So in all our lives we have two choices.

1) You can complain about things
2) You can choose to discipline yourself to be content in all things, reckoning that we have enough, no matter what.

Now thing is not something that comes overnight, not something that just happens - its something that we have to work on in our lives.

Philippians4:12

Its a practise that we need to go through, Paul tells us. As he himself went through degrees of progressive detachment from the things of this world, its comforts and discomforts alike.

Detachment being the release from desire and consequently from suffering.

Paul tells us that he has 'finally' come to maturity in this. He says 'I have learned the secret'

By Pauls example, we know that contentment doesnt come easily - its purchased at the price of discipline.

There are two main keys that Paul gives within this chapter that unlock the secret that Paul talks about

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me - Philippians 4:13

This is a well known verse, often quoted for any number of things, but consider it this way - Paul is telling us that he has come to understand that no circumstance could ever arise that was bigger than His God.

This is a truth that we need to grasp hold of in the church today - one I feel we cant afford to miss out on.

One commentary I was reading put it this way

'the real source of our contentment will never run dry, no matter the circumstance'

The second key then is: - 

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19 

As well as never being overwhelmed by our circumstances, as He is bigger than anything that we could ever face - God gives us a promise in this verse, He will meet/provide for our every need in full.

Now understand that I am not saying that God will provide everything that you ever want, thats not the promise here at all.

The Rolling Stones songs tells it well - 'You cant always get what you want, but i you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need'

But the promise here goes further than just providing, its tells us its a provision according to His riches in glory.

God is not limited by your circumstance or by the size of your needs, but ONLY by His rihes in glory - thats unlimited - The promise is in proportion to His infinate resources. and the good news is taht this is not a promise of what God intends to do for His children when they reach heaven, but of what He will do for them here on earth.

Contentment - Aristotle says is 'possessing all things and needing nothing'

but for the Christian we need to see it so differently.

The vital backbone for these two keys Paul gives us, the FUNDERMENTAL, FOUNDATIONAL key to the whole thing

IN HIM/IN CHRIST JESUS

It means literally joined with Christ.
The Isrealites at Passover, when they had spread the sacrificed lambs blood around the door frame would have been known to be 'in the lamb' this is what it is talking about

David in the psalms talks about this very thing over nd over again - you find it all through the psalms examples are psalms 17, 61, 91 - Hiding in the shadow of His wings, my strong tower, my place of refuge.

Its means you have to turn and run to Jesus, seek Him, surround yourself with Him, His word, His presence in everything, every aspect of your daily life.

The backbone of it all is relationship with Jesus.

For the person who possesses Christ posseses all.
however a relation can only be enjoyed by consiously attending it, you have to choose to give it your time and your effort and give your eneergy to it.

You see other religions believe Christ existed, JW's do, muslims believe Jesus to be a prophet second only to mohammed, buddists see him as a friend of Budda. Even history books can provide more documentation to prove the existance of Jesus, than they can produce to prove the existance of the ceasers of Rome.

But it only the Christian that gets to experience a truth far greater than existance - Jesus is alive - he wants us to have, and we can have relationship with Him.

Personal, intimate relationship.

I finished my message in church this past sunday with a bit of a chalenge to the congregation, one that I would like to repeat here  -

Take a look at your life, whatever you are facing, whatever circumstances that you are going through - Do you consiously attend your relationship with Christ?

The amplified bible for Philippians 4:13 has Paul telling us 'I am self sufficient in Christ sufficiency'

Your see our goal in this walk with God is not self sufficiency, but rather an utter dependance on God.