Satisfaction Guaranteed

This morning and turn to 2nd Corinthians Chapter 11.

Second Corinthians Chapter 11. I didn't mention it earlier, but

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

I will mention it now. Tonight we are going to get back

into discovering the stories of the Bible.

And boy, I tell you what, the one that we're going to discuss

tonight is rich, rich, rich with a lot of lessons, a lot of of

types and pictures. And you're not going to want to

miss tonight. So plan to be back here at 6:00

this evening for our evening service.

Of course, we have a regular service.

But then the message tonight I'm really looking forward to.

We're going to jump back into the Old Testament and talk about

one of the stories in the Old Testament, one that you know of,

but maybe re familiarize yourself with it and pull out

some lessons in there that hopefully will be a help to you.

But second Corinthians Chapter 11, this is Paul.

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

He wrote the book of 1st and 2nd Corinthians.

Obviously he wrote many other books in the New Testament as

well. But the apostle Paul is, is here

in, in in this chapter, Chapter 11 is kind of establishing his

apostleship and giving his pedigree, if you will.

And, and he makes it clear more than once that he's not doing it

because he's trying to brag. He's not doing it because he's

trying to talk about how good he is.

But to say this is the authority that I've been given from God?

And he starts, he starts to go through some of the different

things that he suffered as as an apostle.

And so I just want to pick up there in verse #23 actually,

let's go back to verse 21. I speak as concerning reproach

as though we had been a weak. Howbeit wherein so ever any is

bold, I speak foolishly, I'm bold also.

Are they Hebrews? So am I.

Are they Israelites? So am I, Are they the seed of

Abraham? So am I.

Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool.

I am more in laborers, more abundant.

Now what Paul is saying here and he's getting ready to talk about

some of these things that he suffered.

But what he's saying here is if you want to talk about if these

are the things that that make you a Christian, if these are

the things that make you a good Christian, then I'm better than

anybody else. And he's saying I'm, I'm

speaking foolishly here. This is just looking at it

strictly from a from a human perspective, not a spiritual

perspective. But he said, are you a Hebrew?

I'm a Hebrew too. Are you a Pharisee?

I'm a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Have you suffered?

I've suffered more than anybody else.

And if, if that if that's what makes you a a good Christian,

then I'm better than any of you are at those things.

Then he goes to lists and again, he's not bragging.

He's saying if if we want to speak about it in that way, I'm

speaking foolishly, but I'm all of these things too.

I'm more, he says, in laborers, verse 23 more abundant in

stripes above measure, in prisons, more frequent in deaths

OFT of the Jews. Five times received I-40

stripes, save 139 stripes five times.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned.

Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day.

I have been in the deep in journeyings, often in perils of

water waters, and perils of robbers, and perils by my own

countrymen, and perils by the heathen, and perils in the city,

and perils in the wilderness, and perils in the sea.

In perils among false brethren. In weariness and painfulness, in

watchings, often in hunger and thirst, in fastings, often in

cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are

without. That which cometh upon me daily,

the care of all the churches. Who is weak and I am not weak?

Who is offended and I burn not? If I must need glory, I will

glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

They saying If I need something in myself the glory of, I'll

glory in those things. But obviously His glorying was

not in that. He said very plainly that as

glorying was in Jesus Christ. But I, I want to just, I, I, I

only read that this morning as a, as a way to introduce to you

what I want to talk to you about, what I want to preach to

you about for a little bit this morning.

I've got 4 verses. I just want you to listen to

these and. See if you can pick out a common

word in all of these verses. All right, Philippians chapter.

Four and verse. 11 The Bible says this, not that I speak in

respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am

there with to be content. First Timothy chapter 6 and

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

verse 8, and having food and raiment, let us be there with

content. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5.

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content

with such things as you have. For he has said, I will never

leave thee, nor forsake thee. Luke chapter 3 and verse 14 And

Luke 3 · chapter mention

the soldiers likewise demanded of him saying, and what shall we

do? And he said unto them, do

violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely and be

content with your wages. You notice one word that was in

all of those What is it? It's the word content, right?

The word content. And we see that word fairly

often in Scripture. But content means to avail, to

be contented or to be enough. And in, in every sermon, I think

there's maybe keywords that usually a person can determine

what type of message this is. And I think that's pretty easy

for you to do that this morning. And I'm not going to ask you to

do this, but I want you to. I want you to.

Do it in your. Mind, at least, if I were to ask

you to take out a piece of paper and write down the one thing,

the answer to this question, What would it take to make you

happy? What would it take to make you

happy? What would you write on that

page? I know that you maybe would say,

you know that, that you know, I want to go to heaven when I die.

I'm not talking about spiritual things necessarily.

We're talking about a strictly physical thing today.

I want to do more for Christ. I hope that those are all things

that you would write down on that list.

But what I'm talking about is from a physical standpoint when

he talks about being content, what would it take to make you

happy? What do you need to make you

happy? That's.

I'm talking about the the the present, the physical.

Are you happy with your present? Lot in life now, I suppose there

is. There's something in us that

that has a drive that makes us want to go and do more and be

better. But but are you?

Happy. Are you content?

Are you satisfied with your lot in life?

Well, I wish I had more money, or I wish I had more this, or I

wish I had that, or I wish this, I wish that.

If not, then what will it take for you to be satisfied?

When I look. At people in general today, I

see a Society of people who are, who are not happy, they're not

content, they're not satisfied. And these 4 verses that we read

this morning and, and looking into some of them, we, we can

see some reasons why people are not happy just by looking at

those things, The things that the Bible says here in those

four verses that we should be content with.

Most people are not, most people are not content.

All four of those verses speak on contentment and all four of

them talk about being content with our situation as it

currently is. Let's look at it.

Let's go over to Luke chapter, chapter 3.

I want you to examine your life today and then I want you to

conclude by the time we get to the end of the service this

morning, I want to, I want you to conclude if you are satisfied

or not. Would you say, could you say not

everybody, if I were to ask you to raise your hand, are you

satisfied? Everybody would raise their

hand, right? But truly are you satisfied?

Are you content? Luke chapter 3 and verse 14,

Luke 3 · chapter mention

he's talking to the soldiers and they said what what should we

do? And he said do violence to no

man, neither accuse any falsely. And he says this and be content

with your wages. You have some type of income.

Most of us have Social Security benefits.

If you, if you're done working, if you're retired, but most of

you have a regular salary, you get benefits.

You have all kinds of other things.

But even if you make minimum wage, are you content?

No. Again, there is that side of

things that says I need to go do something more with my life.

I mean, I need to make something more out of my life.

And so you keep striving and you keep, you keep trying to move

forward with those things. But is it because you are not

satisfied? You're not content with your

life the way that it is if that's the job that God gave you

and you know that that's the job that God wants you to have.

Listen, there's some people that are going to be millionaires and

there's some people that are going to be thousandaires,

right? I fit in the thousandaire

category. But are you satisfied with that?

Are you content with that? If if that's what God wants for

you, are you content? How about let's look at first

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 6. Go over there.

First Timothy chapter 6 verse #8.

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

Now obviously this is a tremendous passage on money and

not allowing the love of money to corrupt us.

The Bible doesn't say that money is the root of all evil.

A lot of people like to quote it that way.

Oh, money is the root of all evil.

No, the Bible says that the love of money is the root of all

evil. So I'm not a millionaire.

I'm only 1000 there. There's no way that I can be one

of those people who's a money grubber who just can't get

enough right? Because I'm only 1000.

There not a millionaire. Well, no, it depends on whether

you love money or not. Somebody who can be has somebody

who's a millionaire can not have a love for that money and

somebody who's a thousandaire can love money more than

anything else in their life. Doesn't matter how much you

have. It matters what you how you feel

and how you think about what you have.

But the Bible says there in first Timothy chapter 6 and

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

verse 8 and having food and raiment.

Let us be there with content. Be content with food and

raiment. Let's take a poll this morning.

Anyone here that doesn't have clothes on today?

Good. Anybody here that doesn't have

any food in their house anywhere that you can eat, All right,

good, because we'll take care of it if you don't.

But everybody's got food. Everybody has something to put

on. What does First Timothy chapter

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

6 and verse 8 say? And having food and raiment?

Let us be there with content. Turn over to Philippians Chapter

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

4. Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Now I don't think I need to remind you, but maybe I do.

We're pilgrims. This world is not my home.

I'm just passing through. Isn't that what we sing all the

time? I'm just passing through this

world. But I want to settle down and I

want to have a huge house and I want to have fancy cars and I

want to have a great job that Nets me millions of dollars so

that I can retire and live in luxury and have everything that

I want. And if I want this, I can just

go buy it because I've got the money there.

And I don't even want to have to think about it.

I can just go live my life and enjoy everything in my life that

I want. But I'm just a Pilgrim.

I'm just passing through. No, so many people have put down

roots because they're not content with what they have.

They're not content with just food and raiment.

They're not content to just be a servant of Jesus Christ.

They've got to be a Lord in his house.

Philippians chapter 4 and verse 11.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

For I have learned Paul says in whatsoever state I am.

There with to be content that word state has to do with your

circumstances, your position, your occasion, your your

locality. And you might say I'm I'm

miserable, I'm lonely, I'm in. Debt.

I'm sick, I'm depressed. What does this first say?

I've learned that in whatsoever state I am there with to be

content. That means if you if, if you

live in Texas and you and you have all of the freedoms that

you have there be content. If you live in Florida and you

got the freedoms that you have, there be content.

If you live in Virginia and you're losing all your rights,

be content. Right now it's.

Not talking about the state that you live in, it's talking about

the condition that you live in, Right?

Let's go to Hebrews chapter 13. That was the fourth verse that

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

we read Hebrews chapter 13 and verse #5 Let your conversation,

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

that word conversation is your lifestyle.

Let your lifestyle be without covetousness and be content with

such things as you have. For he hath said, I will never

leave you nor forsake you. Be content with what you have.

How many of you have something that you can call yours right?

You don't live in a in a tent somewhere with just a enough

food to eat today and a little sleeping bag and a pill you

have. You have plenty of stuff.

And. When we actually start going

through everything, we find out that most of us have way more

than enough. We have way more than what we

actually need. We don't have any wants.

We just have needs, right? I mean, sorry, we don't.

We don't have any needs. We just have wants, right?

We have everything we need. We just want stuff, right?

And many times it's because we're not content with such

things as we have. And you say, well, I don't have

much, but you do have something. You remember our text in Second

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Corinthians Chapter 11. How many of you have experienced

what Paul is talking about? Maybe, maybe some difficulty

here or some difficulty there, but none of us have been through

everything that Paul describes that he went through.

Probably Paul said, I've learned in whatsoever state I am there

with to be content. Paul is the one that wrote those

words. And you think about the fact

that Paul, are you, are you talking about being content with

Second Corinthians Chapter 11, all of those things that you

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

went through? Yes, he's talking about even

those times. Be content with such.

Things as you have. He's been beaten 195 times and

yet he says I'm happy. I'm content stoned.

How is it Paul? I'm happy.

If something has to take place in your life to finalize your

happiness, then you will never be happy.

Happiness is always going to elude you.

You will never be satisfied, Paul says.

For I have learned in whatsoever state I am there with to be

content. If you need more money to be

happy than when you have that money, you're going to need

more. Doesn't matter who it is, Most

people are seeking more. I doubt if anybody would ever

tell you I don't need any more money.

Very few people. Are in that category.

Most people say you know one of the richest men in the world

they asked him one time how much how much money is enough.

You're a millionaire, you're a billionaire.

How much money is enough? You know what he said just one

more dollar. That's what that's the mindset

that most people have just just one more dollar.

I'll be happy when I have just one more dollar.

I don't know a lot of these guys, but I've heard these names

before. Jason Tatum.

If you follow NBA basketball, then you probably recognize his

name. I don't.

But he signed this year A5 year, $314 million contract to play

basketball, made him the highest player, highest paid player in

the NBA. That doesn't include any of his

endorsements. All the commercials that they

do, it doesn't include any of the products that he sells or

any of the investments that he makes.

That's just playing basketball. So I did some math.

I, I, I thought, you know what? Let me, let me, let me figure

out how much money that really is.

Because you say $314 million, it sounds like a lot of money.

But to think about how much money that actually is, think

about this. If he played every minute of

every game over the next five years in the NBA, there's 82

games in an NBA basketball season, 48 minutes in a

basketball game. That means that he makes $265.92

every second. Multiply that out, he makes

$15,955 every minute on the basketball court, which means

then in a single game he makes $767,760 per game to play a 48

minute game of basketball. He could pay off my entire

mortgage by playing 10 1/2 minutes of one game in just over

2 games. The average American makes $1.7

million in their lifetime. He makes that in just over 2

games playing basketball. If you work the job making

minimum wage, which in Virginia right now is $12.41 an hour and

you work 40 hours a week, it would take you 29.7 years to

make what he makes in one basketball game 48 minutes.

It would take you 30 years to make what he makes in one game

making minimum wage. Get this, if he spent $20,000 a

day, if he spent $20,000 a day, it would take him 15,700 days.

That's 43 years to spend all that money.

If he spent $20,000 a day, that's that's with him making

$314 million / 5 years. Now get this Floyd Mayweather,

he's a boxer. He fought what they called the

fight of the century a few years ago against Conor McGregor.

He made $300 million on one fight, and he's done that twice.

Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Chiefs, signed a $450

million, ten year contract. Shohei Otani, the Dodgers

baseball player, signed a 10 year, $700 million contract.

And the list goes on. But I imagine that all of these

men, when their contracts are up, they're going to want more

because that's the way the mind works, that's the way we work.

I $314 million / 5 years. Well, all right, I'll, I'll make

that for that. But I bet I, I'm going to expect

some more after I'm done playing that five years, right?

That's the way that we are. If you need, if you need an

emotional breakthrough, you're you're going to still be unhappy

when certain things happen. If you're seeking to upgrade

your lifestyle, contentment is never going to come to you.

If you're not happy in your misery, then you cannot attain

contentment. We have too many wants.

It's easy. It's too easy to acquire debt.

I looked into some of this as of this month, 2025, the average

American household debt, which is the revolving debt, it

doesn't count your mortgage. It's much, much higher if you

put the mortgage in there. But the average American has a

debt of $10,037. The average American, 10,037

dollars. Total revolving debt in the

United States is $1.4 trillion. That's how much people owe

today, not counting their mortgage, not counting their car

payments, not counting any of the things like the big ticket

items. That's how much people have on

credit cards today in the US, $1.4 trillion.

Total consumer debt in America, if you count all the mortgages

and the cars and everything else, $18.59 trillion is how

much Americans owe for the things that they have.

Lots of other statistics that we can add here, but Americans are

deep in debt. Why is that?

It's because we can never have enough.

We can't get enough. We cannot be content and it

amounts to the fact that we just think that God cannot supply

your needs. So this morning I want to give

you 2 quick points about satisfaction as it relates to

this idea of contentment. The title of the message this

morning is Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Satisfaction guaranteed because I want to show you this morning

the only place that you can find true happiness.

And I think most of us know the answer to that question already.

But we're going to take a few minutes and look at a few more

verses and give some things that'll hopefully be a help to

us this morning. Let's pray.

Father, again, we thank you so much for your goodness to us.

Thank you for the opportunity that we have to be here this

morning, but that it would be a help to us.

God, may this be an encouragement to us more than

anything. But God, I pray that you'd help

us to be content. I pray that you'd help us to be

satisfied with what you've given us.

Pray that a message would speak to our hearts.

And again, we thank you for all that you do for us in Jesus

name, Amen. Turn over Proverbs chapter 30.

Proverbs 30 · chapter mention

I don't these are not fancy points by any stretch this

morning, just two of them and they're not even alliterated,

believe it or not. But the first point that I want

you to understand is this satisfaction does not come from

feeding the physical. Satisfaction does not come from

feeding the physical. The flesh cannot be satisfied.

How many of you have ever eaten until you were satisfied?

Every hand should go up. You've all eaten till you're

satisfied. You've eaten till you're more

than satisfied, right? We've all been there before.

I think, you know, it's getting ready to happen here soon.

Thanksgivings coming up. And we always eat way more than

enough. And you get up from the table

and you say, man, I'm never eaten again.

I don't think I can fit another thing in here.

And guess what happens a couple hours later?

You're back in the kitchen pulling out the leftovers and

eating the Turkey and the desserts, and you're snacking

and you're doing all this stuff because we're never satisfied,

right? It's the way it goes for most of

us. It doesn't matter what you give

the flesh, it is still going to want.

More. Proverbs chapter 30 makes it

Proverbs 30 · chapter mention

very clear. Verse #15 There are three things

that are never satisfied. Yeah, for things say not it is

enough. There are we, we will never be

satisfied. The flesh is this ever absorbing

sponge that never reaches saturation.

And that's why when you give into the flesh, you'll be giving

it over and over and over and over.

That's how addictions. Work.

When it comes to drugs or alcohol or pornography or money,

you name it, people become addicted because the flesh is

never satisfied. They're always seeking a bigger

high. They're always seeking more

money. They're they're always looking

for more gratification and the flesh never.

Has enough, but our satisfaction is not found in fleshly things

turn over to Matthew chapter 6. This is where so many people get

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

it wrong. That's why they're they're ever

seeking, the Bible says, and never able to come to the

knowledge of the truth. They're looking for answers in

the wrong places. They're seeking fulfillment in

the flesh. They're seeking fulfillment in

earthly things, and they will never find it there.

Matthew chapter 6 and verse 25. The Bible says this.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life what

you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body

what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat

and the body more than raiment? Isn't there more to life than

just eating and putting on clothes?

Verse 30 Wherefore if God so clothed the grass of the field,

which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not

much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Oh, when we, when we put all the emphasis on the physical and we

put all the emphasis on the flesh and all the emphasis on

what we're going to eat and what we're going to drink and what

we're going to wear and what we're going to have, all of

those things. God says, I take care of the

grass. It, it grows up and it dies And,

and I still take care of the grass.

It's, it's here today and it's gone tomorrow.

Don't you think I can take care of you?

O ye of little faith, don't allow the cravings of the flesh

to control your life. And so we say that satisfaction

does not come from feeding the physical.

But I also want you to see this. Turn over to Psalm 37.

You can only be satisfied when you allow God to take over your

desires. Told you these were not fancy

points this morning. You'll never be satisfied with

just the physical. Satisfaction does not come from

feeding the physical, but you can only be satisfied when you

allow God to take over your desire.

Psalm 37 and verse #4 The Bible says this.

Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the

desires of thine heart. I don't I've said this many

times. I don't think that means that

God's going to give you everything your heart desires.

I think that means God's going to change the desires of your

heart to be what He wants your desires to be.

You get your will in line with God's will.

And all the things that you think you want right now, all

the sudden you don't need anymore.

Where before I was so focused on making money and building a

business and and having everything that's going to

satisfy me for the rest of my life.

Now my will is in line with God's will and those things

don't bring me satisfaction anymore because God changed my

desires. I don't need that anymore.

Where it used to be drugs or alcohol or pornography or

whatever it happens to be when I brought my will under God's

will, I don't need those things for satisfaction anymore.

All they can do is satisfy the flesh for a short time, but I

don't need those to truly be satisfied.

My will is now under God's will and God has changed my desires.

I think every problem, every difficulty in the home, every

little disagreement in marriages would be resolved if every

person would just do what I'm saying.

A man who is not submitted to God cannot be satisfied.

Most men think that happiness will come from the next

promotion. They think it'll come with the

next tool or the next machine for the garage or the next, you

know, big, whatever it happens to be the night, the next new

car that comes out of the, the, the, the next house that I get

that's a little bigger than the last one that I have.

Most men think that they'll be totally fulfilled when they're

recognized as being successful. But you cannot be happy until

you are happy with what God has already given you.

Psalm 23 is a popular, or I shouldn't say popular.

I should say a well known verse to all of us.

The Lord is my shepherd. Verse #1 I shall not want.

I don't want when I put Him in the place that he belongs in,

he's going to take care of me. He's going to satisfy the the

deepest longings of my heart. But when he is my shepherd, I

don't need anything. David's saying I'm not

satisfied. I am satisfied in in that the

Lord is my Shepherd, nothing else.

Is needed for that contentment. One more paycheck, one more

piece of furniture, one more emotional high is not going to

bring satisfaction Tomorrow. Those unfulfilled cravings are

going to be back. The same way that you could go

out and spend $150 on a meal and you're going to be hungry again

tomorrow because the flesh is never satisfied.

The same dissatisfaction that followed you, followed you to

bed, is going to be traveling with you all the next day, and

the next, and the next and the next.

You can get no closer to satisfaction than you are right

now without Christ being in control.

So how do you find that satisfaction that comes through

Jesus Christ? Let me give you 4 quick things

this morning and we'll be done. Turn over to John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

Number one, you receive Christ as your Savior.

That's how you find that satisfaction.

You can look for happiness in all the places that the world

tells you. You can find happiness, but

you're never going to find happiness until you come to the

cross. You can never be satisfied in

God if he is not your father. John chapter 1 and verse #12 but

John 1 · chapter mention

as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons

of God, even to them that believe on his name.

The devil is your father if you've not accepted Jesus Christ

as your savior, and he'll lie to.

You in any way that He has to in order to make you believe that

satisfaction will come through anything but Jesus Christ.

He's the one who tells you that you can accept Christ, just do

it later. There will be time.

I understand. You need that fulfillment.

You need that satisfaction. Every one of us has a craving

for God, if you will. But, and you can do that, you

can, you can accept Christ as your Savior.

Just do it later. Go, go do the things that you

want to do with your life first. Go, go fulfill all the desires

you have. There'll be time to accept

Christ. There may not.

But he's the liar that tells you you can find that satisfaction

in the next pill, that you can find that satisfaction in the

next drink, in the next mouse click.

But he knows that it's not going to bring satisfaction.

He knows that hell is his final destination and he's trying to

take. As many people there with him as

he possibly can. And the Bible is made.

God has made the way, and the Bible has made it clear that the

way to heaven is very simple. Romans chapter 3 and verse 23

Romans 3 · chapter mention

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 623 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is

eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord

Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart, that God has raised

him from the dead, thou shalt be safe.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with a

mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Verse 13 For whosoever, whosoever.

Ain't that a wonderful word? It doesn't.

It's not the whosoever that the Bible is talking about.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

That whosoever is everybody. It doesn't say whosoever accept

the murderer, or whosoever accept the person that lived a

wicked lifestyle, or whosoever accept the person that that

that, that that hasn't been faithful to church.

Whosoever accept the person that doesn't give to church, or

whosoever accept this or accept that.

There is no exception to whosoever.

Whosoever includes everybody, we can all come to Jesus Christ

for. Salvation.

And that's the. Only way that you're going to

find true satisfaction, I'm going to give you a couple other

ways, but those other ways are not going to matter one bit.

If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior, True

satisfaction is only found in Him and through him.

But the second way that you can find satisfaction, true

satisfaction, is to rejoice in your salvation.

Turn over to Luke chapter 10. Oh, we have a lot of verses that

Luke 10 · chapter mention

tell us to rejoice. Philippians chapter 4 and verse

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

4. Rejoice in the Lord Alway and

again I say, rejoice First Thessalonians chapter 5 and

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

verse 16. Rejoice evermore.

Simple verse, great truth, rejoice evermore.

But rejoice in your salvation. Luke chapter 10 and verse #20

Luke 10 · chapter mention

Notwithstanding in this, rejoice not that the spirits are subject

unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written

in heaven. This is the same man.

First Thessalonians chapter 4-5, rejoice evermore.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

Philippians chapter 4. Rejoice in the Lord alway.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

And again I say, rejoice. This is the same man that wrote

First Corinthians Chapter 11. All those things that he went

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

through, all he can say is rejoice, rejoice.

It does not matter. Your circumstances don't

determine whether you're going to be happy or not.

Your circumstances don't determine your level of

contentment. Your circumstances don't, don't,

don't give you your satisfaction.

Your satisfaction is found first of all in Jesus Christ, but is

found in the rejoicing in him. First Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

In fact, turn over to first Peter chapter. 4.

First Peter chapter 4, he tells us, and again, This is why I say

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

that if you have not received Christ as your Savior, there's

no way that you can rejoice in these other things.

There's no way that you can have satisfaction in these other

things. You cannot rejoice if you have

no salvation to rejoice in. He says don't rejoice in the

fact that you can cast out devils.

Don't rejoice in the fact that the spirits are subject unto

you. Rejoice in the fact.

That your name is written in heaven.

Your name is written in the Lamb's book of life if you've

accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior.

But first Peter chapter 4 and verse 13.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of.

Christ's sufferings. That when his glory shall be

revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Well, that's a hard thing to rejoice in.

Rejoice in the fact that that I'm.

Suffering. If you're suffering for the

cause of Christ, that's a great thing to suffer for, because one

day, one day you'll stand before God and you'll be rewarded for

the sufferings that you went through for the cause of Jesus

Christ. Are you saved?

And rejoice. Are you going to heaven?

Be satisfied. Let me give you this number 3.

How do you find that satisfaction?

How can you guarantee that satisfaction?

Receive Christ as your Savior. Rejoice in your salvation.

But #3 I want you to think about this.

Return to your first love. Turn it over to Ephesians

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5. Maybe you remember the days

right after you got married. You'd call your new bride on the

phone every few hours at the at the longest, right?

Call on the phone 3. You'd speed speed all the way

home after work because you're so excited to get home.

Every minute of the evening was spent together.

And if she went into another room, you got up and followed

her into that room, right? Why is Matt laughing?

And that's the way you're you're excited because it's it's fresh,

it's new, it's wonderful. Marriage is a wonderful thing

and it and it should be that way all the time.

Even after 20 years of marriage, it should be that way.

Maybe not getting up and following her into every room,

but but but wanting to be together.

There's nobody that I would rather be with in my wife.

If I have an opportunity to go out with my wife or go out with

Brian, I'm going to go out with my wife, right.

But that's an easy choice. But, well, you ought to want to

spend that time together, but sometimes you have to do

something to to get that spark back, right?

Set aside everything that you're doing every single day and just

go spend some time together. Get away from everything and go

spend some time together, right? It's important to do those

things. But what is that doing that's

returning to your first love? It's getting back to what you

had in the very beginning. It's getting back to what you

were when you really were in love with each other, and the

same is true with the Lord. After you were saved, I think

most of us felt like, like like we're walking on air.

What a wonderful thing. I'm saved.

How can everybody not be shouting for joy that knows?

Jesus Christ is their savior. Because it's wonderful thing.

This is a, this is a brand new relationship that I have with

with Jesus Christ. I was on my way to hell just a a

few weeks ago and now I'm on my way to heaven.

How can you not be excited about that?

Father, we get away from that day when it all happened.

Father, we get away from kneeling at the foot of the

cross and having my sins forgiven.

The farther you get away from the the wonderful feeling of of

that burden of sin being lifted off your shoulders, and the more

you get into the grind of daily life and the more you get into

the grind of the Christian life, you get further and further away

from that first love. From the, from the joy that you

experienced when you found Christ.

We as the church are the bride of Christ and we should be

yearning for a real relationship with him.

Ephesians chapter 5 and verse #1 says be therefore followers of

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

God as dear children. The only way that you can be a

follower of God after you're saved is through Bible reading,

through prayer, for through being a witness of the things

that have happened to you. And if you don't stay active in

those things, you're going to be empty and you're going to be

dissatisfied. You may have perfect attendance

in Sunday school. You may not miss a church

service. You may give 20% of your tithe

and in your offerings, and you can sing all the hymns.

But if you do not have that intimate relationship with Jesus

Christ, things are going to be hollow and they're going to be

empty. And you're going to lose that

first love. And it's not going to be

exciting living for the Lord. And you're not going to be

satisfied with your life and you're not going to be content

with the things that you have. There's been many times in my

life, through busy schedules, through neglect, many times just

through plain old laziness, that I've gone a few days without

reading my Bible or praying or sharing the gospel.

And I'll tell you, I was so miserable.

My life was so empty. Something inside of me was

missing. That inner man was crying out

for God and for fellowship with Him.

And that's why the only way you're going to have that true

satisfaction after, you know, Jesus Christ as your Savior is

to get back to that first. Love, something's going to have

to initiate that spark again. Many times it's something that

you just have to make happen. You start moving away from God,

and I don't want to preach a different message this morning,

but you start moving away from God.

It's hard to get it back. You don't feel like reading your

Bible, you don't feel like praying, you don't feel like

witnessing, you don't feel like living for him.

And the further you get away from it and the longer it goes

without doing those things, the easier it is to say no to it the

next time when you realize I need to do that.

So how do you get it back? How do you, how do you, how do

you get that relationship back with God again?

I'll tell you what, you just have to get in God's word.

Just just pick up the Bible and start reading it.

Just get on your knees and pray. Just just tell somebody about

Jesus Christ. There's no other way to make

that happen. There's no other way to get that

relationship back. There's no other way to get that

spark back. You just have to do it.

And what you'll find out is you'll discover who He was at

the beginning, and you'll get that first love back.

And it's a wonderful thing. You will be satisfied in Jesus

Christ. I told you this story not too

long ago, I think, but I think it fits so perfectly here

because it, it, it, it happens with all of us so many times.

But about the man and his wife who were driving down the road

and they were in that old, they were sitting in an old car and

they had that, that long bench seat.

And they, they, they, they were, they were driving down the road

with the windows down and they were just looking out there at

the country. And as they were, as they were

driving through and all the corn fields in the trees and all of

those things, they were passing and the wife was just kind of

looking out the window. And she said, you know, I

remember back in those days when we used to sit so close together

and you used to sit there with your arm around me.

We would drive down the road and you would just kind of play with

my hair and all of those other things that you used to do.

She said, why, what happened? How come?

How come you don't do that anymore?

And that man looked over at his wife and he said, honey, I

haven't moved. And that's exactly the way that

it is in our with our relationship with God.

Oh God, we used to be so close. I used to have this relationship

with you. And my salvation was exciting.

And I used to love living for the Lord.

And I used to love reading the Bible.

And I used to not be able to wait to be able to get down on

my knees and pray. And I used to love telling other

people about Jesus Christ after I got saved and I don't know

what's happened. Something's changed.

What is it that's changed? God looks at us and he says.

How do you get that back? Just got to start sliding over.

Just start. Sliding back over on the.

Sea, you'll get that closeness again, you'll get that.

You'll get that first. Love back, but that's the only

way that you're going to find true satisfaction.

If God doesn't feel as close. Or your relationship doesn't

feel as right as it should be. It's not Him that moved, it's

us. We need to return to our first

love. If I could give you one thing

today, it would be that you'll never find what your flesh

craves because there is no satisfaction in those things.

There's satisfaction only in Jesus Christ.

Turn over to Galatians chapter 6 and I'm going to give you the

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

last point here this morning. How do you find that true

satisfaction? How can you have a guaranteed

satisfaction? How can you be content?

Well, first of all. Receive.

Christ as your Savior. Rejoice in your salvation,

return to your first love, and lastly, reap blessings from

helping others. When was the last time you did

something for somebody? Else, I mean, just plain and

simple, you gave of yourself to help somebody out.

Not because you could get something back for it, not

because you were hoping that they were going to give you

something in return, or hoping that all of these good things

would come back to you. But just just because.

You wanted to help somebody else?

You know, maybe ladies call one of the church families.

And just say hey I'm. Preparing dinner for you

tonight. I'll be over at 6:00.

What a help that would be to somebody.

Well, you say I'm too tired at the end of the day from all the

work that I do and everything else.

Sacrifice your feelings to help somebody else.

I can promise you this. You'll find satisfaction in

that. You'll be surprised by the

blessing that you receive. I'm not talking to.

I am talking about taking your time and your effort and using

it to help somebody else. Time that's valuable to you,

Time that means a lot. Time that you may think that you

don't have time and effort that if you exert.

Towards somebody else, then your own house is.

Going to be ignored. And I'm not just not something

that should you should do all the time, but you want to know

what's wrong with America? Everybody's so focused.

On. Old #1 it's all about me.

How can I? Get ahead and I don't care who I

have to step on to get up to that next step.

I don't care what I have to do to elbow my way in, I'm going to

do it. It's all about me.

When I was in India, I was with. Brother Nitin and.

There's so many people in India. We were standing in line.

I was, I was right in the very front.

We were, we were in a mall, believe it or not, of all

places, and we were getting ready to get into an elevator to

go up to the third floor. And there was a whole crowd of

people behind us. And the elevator dinged the

doors open and it was packed. And there were so many people

pushing out and so many people elbowing to get in.

I was standing in front of the elevator and the doors closed

and it went up without me. And I said all.

Right, I can learn to play this. Game too.

Those doors came, that elevator came down, those doors opened up

and I was the first one in there.

Right, I'm not letting that happen.

Again, I figured out how to play the game, but that's exactly

what most people have done, especially in America.

They've learned how to play the game.

It's about me and me first. If I get in, I don't care who

else doesn't. I'm in.

It's all about me. It's all about old #1 Galatians

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

Chapter 6 and verse #2 bear ye one another's burdens.

And so fulfill the law of Christ.

Turn over to Philippians a couple pages over Chapter 4.

Verse #2 Look, not every man on his own things, but every man

also on the. Things.

Of others now kids, that's not giving you permission to cheat

in school, that is saying. That we shouldn't just be so

concerned. About ourselves, don't just look

at. Everything that you have to deal

with How? About looking at the things that

others are dealing with and go do something to help them out, I

think, I think. I think all of us would agree

with these with. These verses that we just read

bear you in another burden. Look, not every man I can do.

I can do many of those things for myself and some I can't.

But you, you think about the the immensity and the overwhelming

help. It is when somebody comes and

helps you out, even if it's something that you can do for

yourself, but somebody just comes and says, Hey, let me let

me help you out with that. Let me do that for you.

What a blessing that is to you. Now you can be a blessing to

somebody else. In the same way there's Psalm 15

and verse #1 the Bible says, Lord, who shall abide in thy

Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy

hill? Verse #4 says He that sweareth

to his own hurt and changeth not.

That means to do something for others that will cost you

something taking valuable. Time and using.

It for others taking money that you need to live on maybe and

making somebody somebody else's life easier will we?

Many times give. Out of our.

Abundance, but not out of our need.

You won't be happy until you develop that kind of life

attitude. Go ahead and be selfish.

Lay it for yourself, think only of yourself, and one day it's

going to come back and swallow you up, and one day it's not.

Going to count for. Anything, it's all going to be

burned up. You die the second.

You vacate that. Position at work, doesn't matter

how important you think you were, somebody else is going to

fill that position. And then maybe a couple

colleagues that remember you for a little time.

But five years from now, nobody's going to know you even

worked there, that that job that you gave your life to, nobody's

even going to know your name. That house she.

Spent so much time and so much effort building, getting it

exactly the way that you wanted it to be.

It's not burned up in 50 years. It's going to.

Belong to somebody else that didn't even know you lived

there. Your cars, they'll last a few

years, but then they're going to rust and end up in a junkyard

somewhere. And yet those are the.

Things that most people. Spend their entire life chasing

after and those are things that will never bring true

satisfaction. Are you content?

Are you happy? Is there?

Satisfaction in your soul or is there something lacking?

What I've told you today will make you happy.

You can set yourself free from dissatisfaction if you choose.

Maybe it's that you're not. Saved.

Maybe you don't know. Jesus Christ as your Savior, and

you'll never find that satisfaction in anything other

than Jesus Christ. Can you say without reservation

that you know? That you're going to heaven when

you die? Perhaps there's?

A fear. That arises when you think about

death because you don't know where you're going to spend

eternity. Get that settled today.

I read a story about. A little girl in a.

Sunday school class There was. She was.

Three years old and they were. Trying to memorize Psalm 23 and

the first verse, the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want. They all said that together.

And then the teacher said, does anybody think they can say that

verse? That little girl raised their

hand and she said I can say it. She said, all right, go ahead

and say the verse. And she said the Lord is my

shepherd. The second.

Part just wouldn't come to her. She.

Said it again, the Lord is my shepherd and that's enough.

And. Boy, I tell you what, that is

enough for us. We don't need to to go after all

of these things that the world has to offer because the the

truth is, there is no satisfaction in the physical.

There is no satisfaction in what we can hoard to ourselves.

There is no satisfaction in what we can gain in this life.

There's only satisfaction in Jesus Christ and submitting our

will to his will, submitting our desires to his desires.

And how do you find that? How do you find that

satisfaction? Only in Jesus.

Christ, that's the answer. All of these things that we

talked about this morning, it's only in Jesus Christ when you

turn to him and only Him, you can guarantee that you'll.

Have that satisfaction. Most of us like to.

See that little stamp on? A product, when we buy it,

satisfaction guaranteed. There's no, there's no risk in

that if I buy it and I don't. Like it I.

Can take it back. If I buy it and it breaks, I can

take it back, right? How about try this?

Try Christ, tried everything else you've been focusing on all

those other things you've been, you've been trying to satisfy

the flesh. How about turn to Christ?

You'll find out that it's a 100% satisfaction guarantee in Jesus

Christ. Are you content this morning?

Let's pray. Father, again, we thank you so

much. For your goodness thank you for

the time that we can spend together around your word.

God, I pray that you'd help each one of us to truly evaluate our

own lives and to. Truly determine if we are.

Content in you or not truly determine if we're satisfied in

anything other than Jesus Christ, God may may that.

Be where we gain all. Of our satisfaction and we'll

put the other things to the side.

May we stop pursuing the things in this?

Life that we think will make us happy and start pursuing you.

Thank you again for all that you do for us in.

Jesus name Amen if you.