Words To Live By: Contentment

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Well, thank you.

In your realm we find truth, whether it's country music on the radio or in the Bible or in a book we read somewhere.

Whenever, wherever we find truth, that's your truth.

And so we're gonna plunder the Egyptians and we're gonna take that truth and we're gonna use it to magnify you.

It causes people to think about you in ways maybe they haven't thought about you.

It's the Holy Spirit.

Illuminate the scriptures today.

It's more than words on a page, it never has been, nor will it ever be a book written by men.

Men recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

And so we have the breathed-out words of God on paper today.

And so, Lord, don't let it stay on the page, let it get in our head and in our heart and find expression in our hands.

This is our prayer, God.

Make it our experience, we pray in Jesus' name.

And everyone said, Amen.

Amen.

If you got a Bible, I invite you to take and open up to Philippians chapter four.

Philippians chapter four.

And if you're our guest, we're kicking off the year in a series.

Usually we're preaching through the book of the Bible, and we'll start that probably next month.

We're gonna go through the book of Acts.

Uh, but anyway, we're doing starting the year off with a series called Words to Live By.

And each Sunday we pick a different word that we say, hey, we're gonna try to incorporate this word, uh, the truths that are represented and captured by this word into our lives this year.

And today our word is contentment.

Contentment.

And I want to begin with a definition of what I'm going to endeavor to talk about this morning.

So here's my definition of contentment.

It's by a guy named Gary Thomas.

He said this contentment is nothing more than soul rest.

It is satisfaction, peace, assurance, and a sense of well-being cultivated by pursuing the right things.

Hear that again.

Contentment is nothing more than soul rest.

It is satisfaction, peace, assurance, and a sense of well-being cultivated by pursuing the right things.

Now, if you want to know what contentment looks like, most of you are not listening to me right now.

You're looking at that picture on the screen behind me, aren't you?

Yeah, I see y'all looking right over my head like there's not a clock back there.

This is what contentment looks like.

Now, this is the picture taken in Llano, Texas, in 2018.

I was on a walk right at dusk, and I pulled out my iPhone and I just stopped on a bridge overlooking this little spillway because there were some people I ran into.

I was preaching somewhere, and a young lady on the worship team said, Hey, my family's wealthy.

And I just started laughing.

I said, That's so refreshingly honest.

And she said, Well, you didn't say we're blessed.

God's been good to us.

She said, My family's wealthy, and we have this little thing called a line shack.

And the line shack was old railroad company with the line shack.

That's where the linemen would stay in overnight.

They took it, refurbed it, renovated it.

I mean, Chip and Joanna couldn't, games couldn't touch this thing.

It is incredible.

It's hip.

She goes, There's not a TV, but my family loves music.

And I said, Oh, speak mine language there.

Now, Jesus on the main line, tell them what you want.

And she said, There's not a TV there, but we have a record player, and my dad has a collection of classic vinyl.

Shut your filthy mouth.

And she said, We like to make it available to artists.

And I think you're an artist and creatives, so if you ever want to go, it's free.

And so I went.

And it's incredible.

I was just kind of like, oh, this is why some people have money, they know what to do with it, okay?

And they just it's just a blessing.

So I pull up and she said, By the way, the rock bakery is like 200 yards away.

You need to find it.

And I was like, What?

And so I asked somebody, oh, yeah, that little building right there.

Little rock building, the little Hispanic lady about that tall.

When I hugged her, her head hit about my chest right here.

And the reason I hugged her was I went in and I said, Now, do you have breakfast?

I stopped in.

I got there in the afternoon.

I said, she goes, Yeah, we we closed at two, but we opened in the morning at six.

And I said, Well, like if what do I have to eat here if I'm dying like in four days?

What do I eat?

And she goes, Well, we have this thing where I take sausage and I put cheese and jalapenos in it, and I make it into like a hamburger patty and I wrap it in pondulce.

And I'm like, uh, uh gringo, no hablo, español.

And she said, Pondulce is sweet bread.

I said, Oh, so you've got something to say, wrapped in sweet bread.

And she said, Yeah.

She goes, You're not from here, are you?

And I said, No, ma'am.

I said, How do you know?

She goes, You've not been in here.

And she goes, Where are you from?

I told her, I told her what I was doing.

She goes, Oh, you're a pastor.

She goes, I'll do you up really nice in the morning because my mommy, my mom always said, my mother said, always be good to the preacher.

May your mother's tribe increase, lady.

So every day I would get up, I'd walk to the rock bakery, I'd get one of those little pondulce things, and I was like, This is like in the Ark of the Covenant, and a cup of coffee, go for a walk.

I'd go back, sit down, read, write, study, pray for about six, seven hours, and then I would go for a walk at sunset, and I'm walking across the thing.

So this is on my phone.

I pull it out every once in a while and I meditate on this picture.

And I pray for that lady, that little Hispanic lady, uh, and I pray that the bakery never closes until at least until I get back.

Amen.

Uh and so this is what a picture of what contentment looks like.

Now, if you if you're not careful, uh you you'll realize that the problem, you'll get to be about, you'll work frenetically your whole life, and you'll get to be about 65 to 68 years old, and you'll finally start thinking about what it means to be content and what contentment might look like.

And I I want to talk to you today about this simple fact that you and I are called to live in contentment every day.

That inwardly this should be the picture of your soul.

And it we're called to that, it's possible, and so how do we do that?

Well, the Bible tells us right here in four simple verses, Philippians chapter 4, verse 10, Paul says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

Philippians 4:10

You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.

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 and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Now, the short things in the Bible that kind of help, if you understand these, they will help you become a more contented person.

Let me say this contentment is the byproduct, it's not the goal.

It is the byproduct, it is not the goal.

If you try to get contentment apart from these other realities, you're just trying to add some virtues to your list of behaviors, and you will never be a content person.

Contentment is the byproduct.

I just want to lay that out there.

Four things that help us experience contentment.

Number one is you practice a Godward orientation, or as I say, stay vertical.

It's right there in verse 10.

He says, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, but now at length you have revived your concern for me.

Now, Paul is what he's saying to these people in Philippi is they revived their concern for him.

What do you mean?

They took up an offering, a collection, and they sent it to him and said, Hey, we want to help fund your ministry.

But this is what happens people are good to him, and he rejoices in the Lord greatly.

One of the things you'll see about Paul is that whatever happened, he practiced this godward orientation.

So good things happened, he he was he rejoiced in the Lord.

Bad things happened, he rejoiced in the Lord that, hey, you're gonna give me the strength to endure this.

I mean, Paul was like a tether ball.

If I when I say tether ball, if you know what I'm talking about, say amen.

It's just like a pole with a big rubber ball on a rope, and you sit there trying to get it, knock it out.

And and Paul was we got however hard life hit him, he was always oriented around God and the gospel.

One three different occasions, he was beaten with 39 lashes, okay?

Three different times, just for preaching the gospel by the religious police, by the Taliban of his day.

And they said, Don't do it anymore.

And he's like, dude, this is the truth.

I cannot stop talking about the truth.

And so, whatever happened to him, he practices this Godward orientation.

You say, What do you mean?

Uh ask yourself the simple question: Do good things move you closer to God or farther away?

You say, Well, that feels like a trick question, not a trick question at all.

For a lot of people, good is the worst thing that could happen to you because uh you you can't survive goodness because you relate to God out of need.

So when things are going good, you no longer need God, and so you begin to kind of drift away.

And you're like the horse and the mule.

The Bible talks about them in the 32nd Psalm.

It says, Be not like the horse or mule without understanding, which must be curved with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near to you.

Again, if you're a person that relates to God out of your need, the worst thing that could happen is for something good to happen to you because you forget about God.

You're like, I got it, I got it, I don't need God.

Thank you, God.

This over here is working for me.

If this stops working, I'll come back to God.

But in the meantime, I'm going to do this.

Some of you, you have a relationship with addiction like that.

Addiction so meets the need in your life, quote unquote, that you don't need God.

And so that's good for you as long as you get to experience your addiction.

All right, good for you, takes many forms.

But you have to be careful because if you relate to God on the basis of need, then good is the worst thing that could happen to you because it makes God obsolete in the way you think and relate to God.

And so, Paul, what you see in Paul is just this Godward orientation.

If good happened, he rejoices in God.

If they beat the snot out of him, he's like, Well, thank you, God, you let me survive that.

Let's keep going.

Here's the second thing that that that helps breed contentment in us.

Don't speak fluent need.

Don't speak fluent need.

It's verse 11.

Look at it.

He said, Not that I'm speaking of being in need.

Just let that just land on you.

And think about the culture that we live in, where the government gives out free money because they want your vote and everyone's got a go fund me campaign.

I mean, people have a flat tire, they start a go fund me campaign.

I'm like, full of love.

Now, my friends, now by the way, when you're really in need, there's nothing wrong with with reaching out and asking for assistance.

But do not let, don't, don't become so needy that you always speak about being in need, okay?

And there's a couple of reasons.

Now my friends know that I'm like, go fund me.

I don't trust that.

Like just the other day, some lady got sentenced and I was clapping in front of my TV.

Good, go to prison.

Her and her boyfriend got a homeless guy with a big beard.

Remember about four or five years ago?

And then this guy gave me his last$20 for gas.

It's a sham.

Raised hundreds of thousands of dollars because people feel guilty and we need a good sentimental story.

All a sham just to separate the non-discerning from their money.

My friends will send me links like, oh, look here, here's this 23 and 25-year-old young couple, and they said, Hey, we can't afford to go on vacation, and we really need a break from life.

Would you all give us money so we could go on vacation?

It's like, for the love of Pete, your vacation is not my responsibility.

Okay, maybe you need a better job, not a vacation.

Maybe you should have paid attention in algebra and got an education so you could get a better job and pay for your own vacation.

I know, what a jerk, right?

Hey, hey, look at me.

Your desires are not the world's responsibility.

And Paul says, not that I speak of being in need.

Here's why you should not speak fluent need.

Two reasons.

Number one, because of what it does to you.

Number two, because of what it does to everyone around you.

What it does to you, what do you mean?

It reinforces the badness of your situation or your circumstance, it orients you around your needs and it makes you unable to rejoice at those that rejoice.

When you speak fluent need, when you're always talking about your needs and how needy you are, you cannot rejoice with people.

One of your friends gets a new car, your first thought is, What about me?

Don't you see me over here driving this 72 Nova?

If you were a friend, would you really get a new car?

Hey, hey, listen again.

When you come to the point where you realize that your life is not everybody else's responsibility, it will be a great day in your life.

It's called personal responsibility.

Say it after me, church.

Personal responsibility.

It's empowering.

I wish y'all could see your faces.

Y'all are like, so what see, here's the other thing.

Because of what it, first of all, what it does to you.

Secondly, because of what it does to everyone around you.

And here's the thing it teaches them to pity you, it teaches them to feel sorry for you.

And so you don't have to exercise some muscles that you should exercise in life, and you rarely, if ever, see God come through because you are addicted to people.

And so your first step is towards people.

And if people fail you, then you'll go to God.

Well, you're violating that commandment that says, You shall have no other gods before me, because people become God in that equation.

Does that make sense to anybody but me?

I guess not.

Anyway, we'll keep going.

Uh here's the thing when someone learns contentment, when you're around somebody that's really content, you don't know if they're truly in need or not.

They have no idea.

Here's why they're so they're they're they're so content with being in need because their trust is in God to provide, and and and and and that their trust and faith in God is unwavering because they've seen God come through over and over and over.

So if God doesn't provide it, in Paul's mind, he's like, I don't need it, okay?

Because God's gonna give me strength.

So you can be around Paul at his deepest time of need.

I mean, he could be in a deep crisis and you would never know.

You would think he was the richest person in the world.

Now, years ago, this happened probably seven, eight years ago.

I have a friend that's very wealthy.

He does really well.

Uh, and we were together and he kept saying, You need anything, you need anything, you need anything.

And I was like, No, my wife's like, Why didn't you tell him?

Because we needed some things.

Uh and I said, if he really wanted to meet my need, he would ask God.

He wants to be relieved of his responsibility, so he asked me.

And he really wanted to meet, hey, you just pray, do whatever God tells you to do.

Paul says, I don't speak of being in need.

Uh I I I'm not, I don't want time, I don't have time to go into this, but there's a guy.

I'll send you an article later today uh about a guy named George Mueller.

George Mueller, if you want a good read, there's a read the autobiography of George Mueller.

It will slay your neediness because George Mueller ran orphanages in England with hundreds of thousands of orphans, and he had two rules.

He never asked anyone for money, and he never borrowed money from any bank or lending institution.

And he fed housed, fed and clothed thousands of orphans.

And it it there's a real simple article that I just send to you, and it's just like uh, and my desire in sending it to you is so it would provoke your faith, not intended to make you feel bad at all about anything, but but when you talk about not speaking fluent need, George Mueller comes to my mind because he was a person that practiced this better than most people I've ever known.

He would just pray.

He would like one time he asked for eggs for breakfast for his orphans, it didn't come through, and they said, What are you gonna do?

He said, God wants us to have something besides eggs.

That's just the that's just the and people like, oh, you have the gift of faith.

He goes, No, I don't have the gift of faith, I have faith.

And that's what really got personal right there.

Because people want to put him up on a pedestal and say, Oh, you have the gift to believe God.

And he would say, No, we have the responsibility to believe God.

And so, George Mueller article coming your way.

Here's a third thing that helps you and I become experience contentment.

Learn some things.

Learn some things.

After he says, not that I speak of being in need, for I've learned in whatever situation I am in to be content.

Look at me.

It is not determination that makes you content, it's learning.

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.

In every circumstance, I've learned the secret of facing plenty.

If you got a pen, underline that little word facing, facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

When I say learn some things, there's four dominant learning styles.

If you're in education, you probably heard about the VARC model, V-A-R-K.

It stands for visual, auditory, read and write, and kinesthetic.

Four learning styles.

Visual is hey, they want to see it.

Sensory is good.

They need they like graphics, they like, you know, uh like a bar graph and a pie chart, they like visual.

That's the way they learn.

Uh, secondly, is auditory.

Let me hear it.

And in an auditory or oral learner, when you're talking, you're talking straight to them.

They learn the best.

These are the podcast junkies.

These are people who just always listen to a podcast because that's how they learn.

The third style is read and write.

You like workbooks, you like doing homework.

This happened years ago.

Uh on a Tuesday morning, a lady was walking out of a women's Bible study, and she's like, I got a lot of work to do.

And I said, You're in Christy Golson's Bible study, aren't you?

And she said, How'd you know that?

And I said, Christy Golson is a woman that teaches here at our church, very gifted teacher, very in-depth, very intense, plunges, has homework.

And I never had the conversation with her, but I guarantee you, she's a read and write uh learner.

That's what that that that her she comes alive in that, and so she processes and teaches that way.

Uh, the last one is kinesthetic.

This is my learning style.

They learn learning that involves physical activity.

Like years ago, like in 1960, I was a youth pastor, and I said to the women and men in my church that were over the age of 65, if you ever need anything, don't hire people.

Ask me first, because I've got like 70 knucklehead kids and about 90 college students beyond them, and we'll do labor for free.

Lady came up to me about a month later and she said, Pastor, I've got, you know, I have some land.

I'm like, yeah, you're probably the richest person in this little town.

But anyway, go ahead.

She goes, I've got this little on my land, I've got this shed.

It's kind of leaning.

And I asked somebody to give me a bed, and they said a thousand dollars to tear it down and haul it off.

And I said, Can I burn it to the ground and then pick up the steel that's left?

And she goes, I don't care what you do, I just want to, I want it gone.

And so I stood before my youth group the next Wednesday night and I said, Hey, who wants to burn some stuff this weekend?

And hands are just going up all the guys and girls.

And I was like, afterwards, the guy came up to me and said, Hey, uh, can I bring a jam box and play Rock of Ages?

And I'm like, I'm thinking, Rock of Ages.

No.

No.

You church people are thinking that you're wrong.

So we get out there, and I she said, What are you gonna do?

I said, I'm gonna get a couple gallons of gas, maybe five, and I'm gonna soak the thing, set it on fire, and then we're gonna go over here and work on your property.

We'll keep an eye on it.

There's not grass or anything around.

We'll keep an eye on it, and when it's done, we'll make sure it's all out and we'll pick up the steel or anything, haul it off, rake it over, smooth it out.

She goes, That is great.

We let that bad boy on fire.

And by the way, when you put gas on something and then you put a match to it or some newspaper, it goes, whoosh.

I mean, it gets on fire real quick.

And all of a sudden I hear geet and gotting goat and gleet and then I rise up, gather round, we're gonna rock this plate.

And I'm like, that's not Rock of Ages.

Yes, it's Rock of Ages by a band called Def Leopard.

This kid's got the fingerless gloves, and he's giving it this right here.

I'm like, we got a problem right here.

So I get to I get to church the next day, and my pastor's like, uh, heard we had like a rock and roll bonfire.

The dude said Rock of Ages.

I thought maybe it's grandma's favorite hymn.

No, no.

And here's the scary part.

All the kids start singing it.

They knew it.

And I was just like, hmm, maybe you want to have a little episode of backward masking or something going on.

But they work like dogs, we got it done.

Why'd I tell you all that?

Kinesthetic learning with their body.

They come up to me after, like, hey man, if you got anything like that, I said, Yeah, there's a lady in our church that she powered, she heats her house with a wood stove.

What does that mean?

We're gonna cut wood.

Let me know.

So all my kinestec learners, they would come out for things like that.

The oral auditory people, they're like, I don't like to do that.

Have you got something I can listen to?

No, why do I tell you this?

I tell you, one's not better than the other, they're just different.

But if you're an oral learner, you don't like that.

If you're a kinestec learner, you're like, we're gonna sit around and just talk about God and Jesus for the next 45 minutes.

Give me a break.

No, here's the beauty: the Bible involves all these types of learning.

You hear it and you're responsible for it.

It's gotta come out of you, it could get in your head and your heart, but eventually it's got to come out in your hands.

Paul says, I learned some things.

Learning, not effort, is what produces contentment.

Our best learning comes to us through our experiences, which is why when I read there in the latter part of verse 11, for I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content, my mind popped and said, How'd you learn these things?

So I just went back, it's only four chapters.

I went back and started reading in chapter one of Philippians, and I just started making a list of all the things that he learned.

And I brought the list for you today.

Let me just tick them off.

Things that Paul learned, okay?

Again, learning is the byproduct of understanding.

These are some things that Paul came to understand.

Number one, my life is a medium for the gospel.

My life.

It's like it's a it's it's a megaphone for the gospel.

Uh, my suffering has a purpose.

Our lives are intended to demonstrate the worth of the gospel.

As a Christian, I will suffer on occasion.

One of the things you see in the life of the Apostle Paul, he's never surprised by hardship.

Never.

Humility makes me capable of what I by nature am not.

What I do externally reflects what God is doing inwardly.

My ministry is not in vain.

You put no confidence in your flesh.

Righteousness comes by faith and it continues to depend on faith.

I haven't arrived.

The peace of God calibrates my emotions.

How I live will always matter.

Now, this is this takes us right up to that's chapter 4, verse 9.

That brings us right up to where we start in verse 10.

Because you see, contentment, if you try to experience contentment apart from all these other things, it's just another thing that you're trying hard to do and will probably fail at.

That's why I say contentment is the byproduct, it's not the goal.

Look at verse 12.

I want you to see something.

After he says, I've learned this stuff, he says, in any and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need.

Now, I want you to I ask you to underline the word facing because look at me.

The word picture behind that is I'm squaring off, I'm going mono emano with what.

What?

Plenty.

Plenty.

Now, some of you'd like, I'd like to have an opportunity to go off to square off of that.

Why does the Bible use the word, this graphic word to describe what it's like to have more than you ever need?

I tell you why.

Because there's one person in Maine right now who understands why the Bible uses the word faced in relation to plenty.

Does anybody know who I'm talking about?

Say amen.

Yes, yes, yes.

That's my lottery players in here.

Now, now, somebody in Maine won the Mega Millions jackpot, uh, and they won$723.5 million.

Now, I was just flipping channels yesterday between football games, uh, and my favorite was some show, they were talking about one person won$723.5 million dollars, and the other guy goes, that's before taxes.

After taxes, it's much less than that.

Oh, yeah, it's like$350 million.

On like a$1 ticket or something.

How much are they?

$2.

Yeah, I'm not falling for that.

They're$2, somebody said.

And so basically, a person spends$2 and then goes home with, let's just say,$350 million.

They're having to face plenty.

Plenty of cousins you never had, plenty of best friends that you forgot about, plenty of ex-wives.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's just, you got to face plenty.

The Bible says, hey, I've learned the secret.

Whether I'm facing plenty or I'm going hungry.

Now, why is that such a big deal?

Because we tend to glorify people and be envious of people who have more than we do.

Uh, and I just want to say, there's more pride in poverty than there will ever be in wealth.

There just is.

You pride yourself on what you do without.

He says, I've learned.

I've learned to be content.

I can face plenty.

You should ask yourself, which one of those is easier for you?

Having plenty or not having enough?

Being hungry, which is easier, being hungry or just crushing it?

Because if some of you aren't careful, you get calibrated to this over here, and when plenty comes, it overwhelms you.

That's why people can win lottery or mega million or whatever, and 18 months later they're broke.

They couldn't face plenty.

You should ask yourself, ask God today, God, could I face plenty?

Or have I just calibrated my whole life to lack and hunger?

Or could I face lack and hunger?

Or have I just calibrated myself to plenty?

Here's the fourth thing the Bible tells us: expect all things.

If you want to experience contentment, you've got to expect all things.

Look at verse 13.

He says, I can do all things after he says, I've learned the secret of being facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Now, the problem with this verse is that we pick the things that we want to apply this truth to, and in reality, God picks the things he wants to apply us to.

Hear it again.

Big difference.

The problem, this is probably the most misused verse in the entire Bible.

I see high school football teams that they put this on their eye black, Philippians 4.13.

What's this got to do with the high school football game?

Nothing.

I'm sorry, God may want the other team to win.

How about that?

Act like God's on our side.

He's our magic genie in the bottle.

I'm sure last night at halftime the San Diego Chargers thought God was on their side.

And then that golden raven-haired beauty leads the Jacksonville Jaguars.

I'm like, wow, come on, man.

You see, here's the thing.

We take it out of context and we apply it to everything.

Ah, I can, I'm trying out for cheerleader.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It's got nothing to do with cheerleading.

Hope you make it, but you might not.

God's still sovereign.

God's still good.

Again, the problem with this verse is we pick the things we want to apply this to.

Reality, what the Bible's saying is that God picks the things He wants to apply us to.

So we can expect to experience the range of all things.

I can do all things.

Experience the range of all things.

And when we experience them, we also experience the sufficiency of God for them all.

This is what the Bible's talking about.

He said, I don't know what you mean.

When writing this, Paul is sitting in a Roman prison.

He's not some late-night TV preacher, promise you prosperity if you send them money.

He is chained to another man.

24-7.

And out of that context, he says, I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

What am I saying?

I'm saying when we take it out of context, that's a we cherry pick a Bible verse out of context, that's a terrible hermeneutic.

Hermeneutics is the principles of biblical interpretation and application.

Big word, you're you're welcome.

But when you take it out of context, especially this one, it makes it about your ability instead of God's sufficiency.

It becomes about your effort instead of your understanding.

And so what Paul is saying is that God has so worked in me and so been good to me, I've been crushing it, okay?

And I've been scraping by.

But God has been so faithful and He's going to continue to be faithful that I can be a content person regardless of my circumstances.

So what that means, students, is that your boyfriend breaks up with you and you don't lose your mind and become some psychotic stalker on social media.

And your friends text you and say, Hey, I heard you guys broke up.

How are you doing?

I'm good.

My heart hurts a little bit, but God is sovereign and I'm gonna be fine.

I really, really had deep feelings for this guy.

I thought this was going somewhere.

It didn't.

So whoever God brings into my life is gonna be even better than that.

That's contentment when you're 17.

Or when you're 27, you thought to be married by now, and you got about 14 bridesmaids' dresses in your closet.

And the person that you really don't like, but you're friends with texts you and said, He asked me to marry him, and I said, Yes, will you be in my wedding?

You're like, oh Jesus, come back.

I can't do this.

Yeah.

You can go to the wedding, you can be in the wedding, you can go to the reception when they go, So, are you in a relationship?

You don't go, I gotta go to the bar.

You go, no, no, I'm waiting.

I'm a little lonely, but I'm waiting because God is sufficient and I'm gonna be content.

You don't pull out, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Because that makes everybody around you want to go to the bar.

So here's the question.

And we're done today.

Look at me.

Are you a content person?

Or do you speak fluent need?

You get around people you think could help you and you work your needs into the conversation?

Oh, yeah, well, my truck making this noise the other day.

I don't know what that is, how much it's gonna cost.

You've made an idle out of people, and you've oriented yourself around your need instead of God's sufficiency.

And what if, what if you just learn to say to God, hey, whatever situation I'm in, I'm gonna be content.

You're so faithful, you're so good, you're so incredible.

Marcia and I were having dinner with some friends.

Uh, I'm in a D group with a couple of wayward sinners.

Uh, I'm trying my best, but pray for me, okay?

Uh and so we said, hey, let's get together our wives at the new year and have dinner.

So we did.

Got to go to one of them's house, it was great.

Uh, we had Rudy's catered because you ain't gotta cook, let's just get something.

Uh and then the the the the wife brings out dessert, and it is just incredible.

The crust is Oreo cookies, and it's got ice cream, and then it's got like red skin peanuts covered on top of it.

And so when she cut the peanuts set in front of me, something weird happened in me.

I was like, why am I sad and joyful all at the same time?

And then somebody said, it's like a dilly bar from the Dairy Queen.

And I was like, that doesn't sound right.

That was Friday night.

Yesterday, at about 2:30, is that about right?

2:30 at my house.

I'm sitting at my breakfast table looking over my notes, making sure that still makes sense.

And I read this part in the Bible where he says, I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low, I know how to abound.

And I burst into tears.

And I'm like, what is happening to me?

And I sat there for probably 15 minutes where I went in the bedroom and shocked to my wife, and she's like, babe.

And I was like, Yeah, I just got emotional moment.

I need a hot shower and a cigarette.

Give me a minute here.

And here's what happened: it just came out of nowhere because I grew up and it was lack, okay?

Now I don't tell you this because I want your pity.

I don't need your pity.

My life was hard.

Look at me.

It was hard as a kid, it ain't hard no more.

Because God has been good to me.

And I'm not gonna misrepresent the goodness of God by trolling for your pity.

It was terribly hard, and I had a mean stepmother.

We would go to the Dairy Queen, not very often, but on occasion, and she would make me and my brother share a hamburger, french fries, and a small Coke.

And my older brother, he got his own, and her two kids that were my stepsisters, they got their own.

And so I was just, and we would look at the thing, and there was a thing on the menu.

It looked like someone put ice cream in a cup and froze it and had layers of peanuts covered in chocolate, and it was called a buster bar, not a dilly bar.

And so I was just, and I got tears streaming down, and I went, it was a buster bar.

And the Holy Spirit's like, that's right, it was a buster bar.

Uh because I mean, in a nanosecond, out of nowhere.

I'm sitting there, I ate it, I didn't think anything about it until yesterday, about 2:30.

And I read this, and it was like, because I used to look at that.

I remember one time my stepmom caught me looking at me.

I mean, it was probably 45 cents, okay?

I had deep thoughts as a little kid.

One of them was like, she slapped me on the back, we can't afford that.

Don't even look.

And I remember thinking, why can't we afford whiskey and cigarettes?

We can't afford 45 cents for a buster bar.

Who's running this show up in here?

And so, clear as the bell of the Holy Spirit yesterday, about 2:30, my breakfast table said, Hey, the other night, that was a little buster bar cake.

And she said, the lady said, the hostess said, Hey, would you like another piece?

I'm like, My big self don't need no more.

And the Holy Spirit's like, See, you've come a long way, and I've been there every step of the way.

And the injustice you experience as a kid, you experience abundance now as an adult.

And I'm just like, and about five more minutes trying to get together.

I don't want to scare my wife, going so I kind of got it together, walked in there, and she's like, babe, are you okay?

Had a moment out there, and she's like, Oh, tell me about it.

Let me live, let me live in your emotions.

Got a little overwhelmed.

Men, if you want to get off the hook for not having a conversation for the next 90 days, just cry and then talk about it.

She'll be filled up.

She'll be like, Oh, and he was vulnerable and emotive.

And my wife, not helping me, she said, he's been good to us for a long time.

Like, blee, shut it.

I don't want to hear it.

But I did resolve.

The Holy Spirit also said, by the way, there's a Derek Queen up here on Highway 90.

So, yeah, see, look at me.

This is not pity, this is perspective.

You should always have some mile markers along the way to remind you how far God's brought you and how good he's been along the way.

Otherwise, you're gonna be tempted to go back.

See, I can't go back, that doesn't fit me anymore.

That doesn't represent me, and most importantly, it doesn't represent who God's been to me.

Not at all.

So I'll be going this week to the Dairy Queen.

I don't care how much, I don't care if they say it's a hundred dollars.

I want a buster bar.

And I'm gonna eat that before I eat, I'm gonna hold it up and say, wherever my stepmother is in the world today, this is for you.

I got me a buster bar, and you ain't got none because you own the welfare, and your daddy an alcoholic.

Yeah.

Hey, look at me.

You have to fight fire with fire.

Otherwise, look at me, stop laughing, you're in church.

You have to fight fire with fire, otherwise, you will be in a prison of self-pity the rest of your life.

You just will.

So again, Paul says this, not that I speak of being in need, for I've learned in whatever situation I am in to be content.

For I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Why?

Because I can be hungry, I can I can do hunger because through him who strengthens me.

I can abound through him who strengthens me.

I can be content through him who strengthens me.

I can have abundance through him who strengthens me.

I can be in need through him who strengthens me because he's sufficient and present in it all.

This is what makes me content.

Let's pray together.

If you're a guest, just relax.

We like to teach the Bible and then give you some soul space to think about it.

So I'll voice a prayer, some questions come up on the screen just for you to think about.

That's what we'll talk about tonight in our community groups.

It's not like a Jesus pop quiz where we say who knows the most.

No, it's where we get together, we help each other.

Keep running the race.

Let me pray.

God, thanks for the truth of the Bible.

It's thought-provoking, it's helpful, it's comforting and convicting all at the same time.

So, Lord, deliver us from an addiction to people and open us up to a dependence on you to see you come through, to see you know our heart and provide.

And that provision comes through people.

Oh Lord, that's better than a buster bar.

Give us reminders, even in the next, even this week.

Give everybody in this room a reminder.

Hey, you know what?

You're so much better off than you used to be.

God, that's our prayer.

Give us grace to trust you more.

We don't we don't want to be like the horse or the mule that we require hardship to make us trust you more.

Give us grace to trust you more.

Let us taste of your goodness in the land we're living in, God.

And let that inspire and encourage trust in you, in us.

That's our prayer, God.

We prayed in Christ's name, and everyone said, Amen.

Amen.

One of the things I want you just to practice this week is just perspective.

Look for things that remind you of how good God's been to you and for how long He's been good to you.

Like I have a friend, Walt Falgan, he's in heaven right now.

Walt, when he first started coming to this church, I said, Hey, I want to just buy you lots, get to know you.

And I said, Tell me about you.

And and he said, I'm a Trojan.

And I was like, Okay, where's the gear?

Uh and then he told me a story.

He said, I was all right, I rode the bus to school as a kid, and I was a little nerdy little middle school kid, and the coolest guy in my school rode the bus.

And he went to high school, and the logo, their mascot was the Trojans.

It had the helmet with the feathers and everything, had the name of the school, and he'd gone there with a duffel back.

And every day I just looked at it and just thought, God, I want to be a Trojan one day, like that guy right there.

He's popular, he's good looking, he's athletic.

I think he was in the seventh, eighth grade.

Fast forward years later, he's a sophomore at the University of Southern California.

And their mascot is the Trojans.

And he's standing there at the statue of Tommy Trojan, it's got all these virtues.

And he said, I was just standing, he said, I wasn't thinking anything, and out of the blue, it hit me like a bolt of lightning near.

God said, You're a Trojan, Walt.

He said, I just burst into tears.

We're in a restaurant, he's crying, I'm crying.

Our wakes are yellow okay.

And I said, He's a Trojan.

And she's like, Okay, I'm gonna leave the check.

Y'all let me know if anything else.

That's what I mean by perspective.

Train your eye to see the goodness of God.

Okay?

If you're our guest today, I want to say thanks for being here.

You're always welcome here.

If you have any questions about anything you saw or heard, some of our pastors will be available down front.

We'd love to process with you, help you take your next step.

If it's your first or second time to visit our church, come up and introduce yourself.

That's all we just want to put a name with a face, all right?

We got some things going on in life our church want you to know about.

So give your attention, if you would, to our screens for our video announcements.

Thank you for joining us today.

Here's a few things we want you to know.

If you're new, text welcome to 281-626-5707.

This way we can know you're here and get you connected with the church.

Community groups begin tonight.

These are gatherings around our city where we have spiritual dialogue and fellowship together.

To find your group, head to Grandparkway.org.

One of our core values is blessing.

We are hosting a Super Bowl Sunday, January 22nd, and we will be collecting cans of soup for a local food bank which serves the under-resourced in our city.

The next time you're at the store, grab a few cans of a good soup and drop them off at the mission center located in the lobby.

Collection will continue through February 12th.

Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience centered on God's love for people with special needs, ages 14 and older.

We would love to have you join us as a volunteer.

Register at Grandparkway.org.

The table is happening next Sunday, January 22nd.

Our special guest, Kelly Needham, is a Bible teacher and speaker who hopes to convince as many people as possible that nothing compares to knowing Jesus.

She's married to singer-songwriter Jimmy Needham and is the author of multiple books.

Ladies, all are welcome to join us for a night of worship through word and song.

Childcare is available by registration.

If you have any questions or want someone to pray for you, find one of our pastors at the front of the stage at the conclusion of our service.

Ladies, let me just encourage you, you do not want to miss Kelly Needham next week.

Incredible, authentic woman down to earth.

We have child care available, but ladies, if you have a husband, you don't need child care.

Because your husband is glad to spend time with his kids.

Because when you hang out with your kids, you're not babysitting, you're being a responsible father, okay?

So no cookie for you and no trophy for you.

You're welcome.

Talking about, well, I can't watch these kids, they're yours too.

Okay?

Uh second thing, the Super Bowl.

We're starting to collect soup next Sunday.

We'll collect it for the next four Sundays until Super Bowl Sunday on February the 12th.

You drop it off the mission center, which is right out of here, this big TV right here.

And now when I say soup, I mean something that a single mom would feel good about opening up for her kids after a long day's work.

If all you can afford is Campbell's tomato soup, that's great.

But some of you need to be breaking off some of that progresso chicken noodle and some chunky soup, okay?

Don't be some stingy Baptist rolling in here like I got some beef bullion cubes and some hot water.

No, no.

And so uh if some of you are rich like me, you have a membership to Costco and or Sam's, they sell cases of soup.

I'm being serious.

Because I called the people out here in North Richmond this week and I said, hey, and she said, Oh, I explained, I explained to her, she said, Oh my gosh, I said, What?

And she said, one of our volunteers just told me the other day we're out of soup.

I'm your Huckaberry.

And she said, What's that?

I said, You've never seen tombstone?

No, what is tombstone?

I'm gonna be there, how long are you gonna be there?

I don't know why, because I'm gonna drive out there and punch you in the throat, lady.

Are you really the pastor?

No, my name's Wade Burgess, I'm the executive pastor.

So we're gonna bless those people.

She said, sir, if you get a lot, uh, we'll send a truck to pick it up.

I said, I want the great wall of China made out of soup cans.

I will give uh my little friend uh Trenton Bement money to stack it all up.

He's a Minecraft master.

You can just stack it up like a big wall.

I don't care.

Uh but here's the thing things like this washes the pity off of you because it reminds you no one's bringing you soup.

That's why you should do it.

I want your kids to do it.

I want the the second graders over to do it.

Last thing, these are our devotionals that we uh that we give away.

They're free.

This is a great way to train your eye to see the goodness of God.

Each one's just a little half page.

This is for the month of uh December, January, and February.

So you still got almost two months.

These are free.

They'll be available in the lobby if you don't have one.

Just a little reading, kind of get your mind oriented in the right direction.

Okay?

We'd like to conclude our service with a spoken blessing, so stand on your feet.

Hold your hands out.

Your God is by nature, not just greatness, but he's goodness as well.

And he longs to pour that out on you and all the nooks and crannies of your life and wash off the jaded cynicism that so easily attaches itself to you.

Depart now into the contentment that is available only in God, from God, for the people of God.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Bless you.