Joy in Scarcity - 11.17.19 Sermon

And father, we gather to celebrate your goodness to us that your power is greater than all things.

Great enough to redeem and reconcile a rebel and a wretch like me like us.

And so we gathered to say thank you for your love.

Thank you for your son, Jesus.

Thank you for coming.

For living the life we couldn't die in the death that we deserved.

I had deserved conquering the enemy.

We couldn't.

And so my prayer this morning is that you would take your word through your spirit, apply it to our hearts.

Father, I ask again that those who are here, who, who don't know you, they don't know what you've done for them through your son.

I pray today would be that day that changes every day.

Would you open the eyes of their heart?

They might see the beauty of Jesus Christ, the one who sets us free.

I pray for those whose marriages are wrecked.

Would today be a day of reconciliation and for your body at large here will today be a day that you use your word to sanctify us, grow us, transform us.

Look more and more like, like you, Jesus.

Since in your name I pray.

Amen.

Welcome as you're being seated.

My name is Dave, so glad you're here.

Quick announcement.

Uh, we've got a packing party tonight.

Six o'clock.

So my, my kids are looking forward to it.

We're going to come, we're going to pack a whole bunch of gifts for a whole bunch of kids around the world.

We're going to send, send gift packages to watch Jesus use, uh, these gift packages to impact kids around the world.

So six o'clock tonight, if you can't make it, man, after the service run down to Walmart, there's stuff on the back that you can buy.

They gave me a new shirt to wear for today.

Total walking advertisement.

And I'll take free swag if you want to give me free swag.

I may not wear it up here, but I'll still wear it.

Uh, so that was a co mental culdesac.

I apologize for the swag part.

Not real.

Uh, but you can give me stuff and I may wear it again.

Mental col-de-sac.

Sorry.

Um, most of the time I'd just pick up your stuff in lost and found, so just you can leave your stuff.

All right, newcomers.

So glad you're here.

Uh, again, my name is Dave.

By God's grace.

I've been sober and clean 16 years.

And so we love gathering together and yeah, and this, if you're new, this is normal, man.

We just celebrate when Jesus sets people free.

That's not about me.

That's about how great Jesus is.

So we don't care what you're struggling with.

We don't care what you're walking through, what Jesus did on the cross, it really is greater than whatever you and I struggle with.

He's, he changes everything.

And so if you're new here, that's our, that's what we believe.

Jesus changes everything and he does it by changing us on the inside.

Then he sends us out to encourage everyone everywhere.

Come follow the one who changes everything.

His name is Jesus Christ.

So, so glad you're here.

This morning we've been walking through the book of Philippians scene where joy is to be found.

This world has a whole bunch of places that look like they'll provide joy, but they provide death.

And so what Paul does in the book of Philippians, it says, no, is really to be found in Christ.

So let me read it for you.

We're going to be uh, in chapter four we'll read verse five six seven, clear down to verse 13, and we'll enjoy it together.

Chapter four, verse five, God says, Paul writes, let your gentle spirit be made known to all men.

You see, the Lord is near be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there's, if there's any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise and dwell on these things, the things that you've learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things in the God of peace will be with you.

But I, I rejoice in the Lord greatly.

That now at last, you've revived your concern for me.

Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity now.

Uh, not that I speak from, from one prayer, have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

I know how to get along with humble means.

And I, I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance.

I've learned the secret of being filled and of going hungry.

Both of having abundance and suffering need, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

So as we jump into this, it's probably the most famous passage in Philippians.

You'll see football players with it written under their eyes and mixed martial arts dudes with it tattooed on them.

Like I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and we're like, yeah, Jesus, he's your red bowl.

He'll give you wings and change everything.

Problem is sometimes both football teams have that written on their eyes.

And then what happened?

Does Jesus love the Broncos more than the Raiders?

You know, you got to ask these questions honestly.

Oh, he does?

Okay.

So we've settled that theological debate.

Well, what I said, does he love the Cowboys more?

I've never seen the Cowboys have any Bible anywhere.

Uh, now I get booed.

All right, whatever.

I knew I was coming.

Listen, here's the, here's the bottom line.

We're going to walk through this most famous of, of passages, um, and we're going to enjoy it together.

I'm going to show you it's, it's not that Jesus is your red bull who gives you wings.

He's gonna teach us that he, we truly can.

In, in through this, he gives us the strength to worry about nothing.

Like he tells us, he gives us the strength to pray about everything he gives us the strength to, to give thanks in all things.

He gives us the strength to think about good things and he gives us the strength to be content with anything.

I just gave you the outline.

I'm trying something new today.

I gave you blanks to fill in.

What do you think about that?

That tell me that there's 18% of you that just need to feel accomplished, like you did something.

And so at the end of this you'll have filled in blanks and I can send you all the eight types.

I'm like, yeah, like I did something.

So you're welcome.

It's my Christmas gift to you.

I just gave you the outline so you can fill in the blanks as we go.

Before we get into there, start out with verse five if you miss verse five you're going to miss all of this.

If you miss verse five you're going to leave feeling guilty about worry.

If you miss verse five you're going to feel guilty about not praying enough and I don't want to send you home guilty.

I want to send you a home surrounded with his grace.

Look at verse five here's my translation from JB Phillips from the grief crim, the new living from the NASB ESV.

Chill out.

Jesus is really, really near and he's powerful.

He created everything, controls everything.

He's going to complete everything you can chill out.

He's Lord.

Thanks Steve.

Steve got it.

Love that cat.

He's with me.

Amen.

Chill out.

Jesus is Lord.

You're facing a culture that will spend one point 2 trillion to get you to freak out this year.

You need to know that they will spend trillions upwards of one point.

I personally, I don't have the data points.

I think it's more than one point 2 trillion.

You just to help you freak out so that they can direct you to buy what they want you to buy.

What Paul says is you can chill out right now.

You can relax because Jesus is Lord.

That means he's in control of everything.

Therefore, your gentle spirit, you can make that known to all men because, and here's the central point.

Jesus is very near to you.

This is my objects in the mirror are closer than they appear principle.

That's true.

Everybody sees this every day.

You look over, if you're driving, you look over to your mirror and it says, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

Jesus is much closer than he appears to many of you.

You think he's far off.

Your view of Jesus will determine how you live your life.

If Jesus is near you won't have any fear.

If Jesus is non-existent, you will freak out and melt down because it's all up to you to make your life work.

If you miss verse five I want you to just in your Bibles to underline it.

The Lord is near.

Every other command is going to flow from this.

If I just got up and said, don't worry about anything and didn't give you verse five go home and be like, but how do I not worry?

My mom was a warrior and my grandma was a worrier.

I'm from a long line of worriers.

Jesus is near.

You can relax.

I'm going to walk you through.

We'll fill in five blanks.

We'll enjoy it together.

It'll be a lot of fun today.

All right, promise you that.

Let's go verse six your first blank to fill in.

It says worry about blank.

Fill in that blank with nothing.

How much wiggle room is there y'all?

None like it's all inclusive but not like a resort.

It's like an all-inclusive command.

Don't worry about anything.

Be anxious for nothing.

Go ahead.

Write it down there.

A type, you got it.

Nothing.

Jesus was huge on this.

Write down.

Also, Matthew chapter six verse 25 26 27 28 29 30 Jesus says, why are you anxious or worried about your life, about your body, about food, about clothing?

Look at the birds.

Look at the flowers.

Are you not worth much more than they?

Truth of the matter is if verse five is true and we believe that it is, that Jesus is near.

If, if Jesus is near, there's no need to fear.

You can write that down.

If Jesus is near, there really is no need to fear.

Now juxtapose to that true statement.

There's many here who aren't Christians and you're struggling with anxiety and worry.

If Jesus isn't near, you really do need to fear.

So I'm not going to try and talk you down off the ledge like if Jesus isn't near.

Fear is the most wise response you can have.

I'm gonna say this again cause you're like, but I came to feel good and you're making me feel bad.

Listen, I call it the astronomy principle.

Even if even if they change everything in public school and take God out of everything, if they still teach astronomy, people are still going to put their faith in Jesus.

Here's why.

It was astronomy class and I was sitting there when the teacher said, did you know that we're currently spending about a thousand miles an hour?

I was like, Whoa, I dunno.

I grew up in Oregon.

Maybe we didn't talk about that a lot in Oregon.

I was in college.

I was like, serious.

Yeah, and the teachers are like, it's all right.

It produces gravity and it's a good thing, but what you need to know is we're also spinning around the sun and that like 67,000 miles an hour.

As I start to feel the anxiety because I'm not in control of any of that.

Right, and you're rocketing around a hydrogen, helium constantly exploding bomb at the same time.

The teacher said, we're flying through space at over 500,000 miles an hour was like, where are we going?

We don't know, but we're getting there really quick, man.

If you don't know Jesus, you need to fear every day.

You should be freaking out.

Who's in control of this mug?

Like where?

Where are we going?

We don't know, but we're going to run into Andromeda in about 4.2 billion years.

It's a, forget about it.

The space dust alone that can end our planet is in the trillions.

It's everywhere.

You need to be freaking out.

If Jesus isn't near, I'm not going to try and talk you down off the ledge.

It's really bad.

This is why I don't mock anybody that's freaking out because the plan is going to end.

It actually is.

It really is going to end.

I just don't think that skipping straws is going to help it end to need any further out.

This mug is going to end.

This is why they're like, Dave, we got to quit doing this and start doing this.

I'm like, no, you're spot on it.

It's going to end and you should be freaking out.

The question is, is Jesus near or is he not near?

Every, every area of science agrees that this planet ends.

You know, I went to school for a long time, took a lot of classes.

Every single area of science agrees this mug ends, and if Jesus isn't near, you really do need to fear.

But if Jesus is near, you need fear.

Nothing.

You see, this is why today, if you're not a Christian, if you don't know Jesus, if you don't know the son of God who lived, died in your place, was buried Rose.

Again.

If you don't know him, I fully encourage you to freak out.

Listen, we're all trying to find a source to plug into somewhere.

All of us are insufficient, all of us, and we're all looking for somewhere to plug into to find life.

The Bible says Jesus will give you that life plug into him.

So number one, worry about nothing.

Okay, I'll say it again cause you guys seem unconvinced, but it's totally all inclusive.

Here is zero wiggle room.

Worry about, okay, you plugged it in.

Good.

Yeah, worry never steals the sorrow from tomorrow.

It only destroys the joy today.

It's doing without doing.

Worry just spins you out.

It never removes the sorrow tomorrow.

It just destroys the joy today.

So he says worry about nothing.

The question that comes from that for a worrier, and listen, I'm preaching this.

You said you preached this last week.

I did.

You know why I'm preaching it again because I'm not good at it, but I am growing in it.

It's been about two years and eight months since my last full fledged panic attack like heart, like I was pretty sure I was having a heart attack problem was I sitting right over there and I had to go up and pre-trade after that and that's a bad, bad day question is okay, but how do I, how do I not worry?

I'm glad you asked because he gives a contrast in conjunction right here.

Worry about nothing.

But here's what you do.

Pray about.

Did we do this last week?

It's like we did.

Huh?

Go ahead and write it down.

Pray about everything.

Typically we get this flipped all about everything and I'll pray about, yeah, you too.

All right.

It's all right.

It's okay.

Here's the reality.

Sin has messed up communication and communication is incredibly difficult.

Amen.

[inaudible].

This is true everywhere in marriage, community country fan communication is difficult and many of us have been abused.

Many of you have been abused.

We have a horrific enemy.

He's a liar.

He's a deceiver.

He's a murderer.

The scriptures describing it as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, and here's what he says.

Do you think God listens to you?

Do you think God cares about you?

Are you going to go pray about the same thing you prayed about this morning?

Are you going to go ask him to forgive you again?

God doesn't want to hear from you.

God doesn't love you.

He's not for you.

You should be embarrassed.

You should be ashamed.

You should run and hide, and most of us do what the scripture says.

No, because Jesus is God and because Jesus drew near Jesus actually does want to hear the veil in the temple was rent.

It was torn from top to bottom, and God says, come, come to me.

I love you.

I'm for you.

Is that the truth is he's given us an all access pass to his presence.

He's given you an all access pass.

You're in his fate of five.

You're part of his family.

He's totally, he's, he's told the into you and he's saying, I'm, I miss you.

I want you, I want you to come.

You see this as this is what it means to be in the family of God.

First John chapter three verse one beloved, behold, what manner of love the father has given unto us that we should be called the children of God.

He calls me his child.

Children have an all access pass.

They do.

My kids have an all access pass to me anytime.

In fact, I, I got up here and I got a message.

I checked to make sure it wasn't from Brooke or one of the kids because if it was you'd be here alone, I would go be with them.

I mean it, I love you, but not as much as I love them.

I made a covenant with Brooke and I'm, I want to protect and care for her.

So if she ever email texts me, needs me, I'm there.

My kids have an all access pass this morning, 2:30 AM my little four year old blonde girl walks into the room, opens the door, slams it.

Well, bam, she got all AXA crawls up into bed.

She can do that.

You do that.

I call the cops on you.

You don't have that passion, not family.

I mean most of you, I'd be like, are you okay?

Because I know you and I love you.

I may not call the cops, but it's still a severe boundary violation, bro.

I mean, admit it.

I might spoon for a little bit, but I'm be like, man, this is,

this is weird too far.

It just happened.

You don't have that pass.

You're not family.

What are you saying is man, don't be anxious.

Go to God, pray cast all of your anxiety.

He says, come, I don't grow sick and tired of you.

He loves to cuddle.

When my little girl comes in the room, I just laugh.

I love it and I'm like, come on, come on.

I don't even know what she's talking about.

Can't even understand that.

I'm like, keep going, keep going.

You've got an all access pass.

Use it.

Go to him.

He misses us and he loves it.

He says, come be with me.

So worry about nothing.

Pray about.

Nailed it and watch this.

Give thanks in all things with Thanksgiving.

Let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Write down cross-reference first testimony ans chapter five verse 16 1718.

Rejoice always pray without ceasing in everything.

Give thanks because this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Uh, the truth is, man, every day that I'm not in hell is a gift of grace.

Like every day I'm not even talking about what I have possessions, relationships.

Every day that I'm not in hell is a profound gift of grace.

I'm a blast femur, a rebel, an addict, and alcoholic.

And I've, I've, I've railed against God.

I've argued, I've, I've told God how much I hated him.

I told God I would rather go to hell than be with you.

And he pursued me and loved me and met me in my addiction and said, Dave, but I love you now.

I want to be with you every day that I'm not in hell is a profound, profound gift of grace.

And then you put on top of that that he has given me a community like you that I love and I get to do life with.

Are you kidding?

He's given me a wife who loves me profoundly beyond what I deserve to be loved.

He's given me kit Matt give thanks.

You see, most of us go through life looking at it as a glass that's half full and we just begin to grumble.

We look at all that we don't have and we just begin to grumble instead of being grateful and saying, God, you've been so good to me.

He says, number one, don't worry about anything.

I've got you.

Number two, pray about everything.

I love you.

I want you with me.

Number three, give things in all things you say, but Dave, there's stuff going on and I know, listen, I've spent time with many of you this week.

I know we've got brokenness in our families.

We've got cancer, we've got death, we've got death from addiction.

So many of my buddies die in their addiction.

I'm like, God, I don't know how to give you things.

When I find out that someone I love has cancer, he says, I'm not asking you to give me things for cancer.

I'm telling you to give thanks in the midst of whatever circumstance because I'm totally going to Bob Ross this junk.

See older folks get it.

How many know Bob Ross?

Oh, many of you do.

He's made it into pop culture.

All right, for the kids, you're going to have to go home and and YouTube it.

Bob rusher, prepare yourselves, prepare your mental palette for the greatest white fro you've ever seen in your life.

I just, I need to prepare you for it cause you'd be like, Oh wow, that's beautiful.

It is.

Here's what Bob Ross does.

There's never a mistake in his art.

Never a mistake.

He'll find something.

He'll find something that we would be like, that's a mistake that's messed up.

He'll be like, Oh, look at that opportunity.

We'll make that into a little bird.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Now it's a bird.

It's a beautiful bird.

No mistakes.

You look it up, Google it.

Now get on your Google machines.

It's on the line.

You look it up, Bob Ross, no mistakes.

He turns it into beauty.

You can give thanks in not for in all circumstances, in all things because here's what I can guarantee you.

God is in the present active process of Bob Rossing this thing.

He is going to Genesis 50 20 he is going to take everything that the enemy intended for evil.

He's going to use it for good.

Amy, don't leave on my account.

I love.

I've tell her I cry.

A baby's means they made it and I love it.

I just say keep going like let him cry, but if he needs to eat, let them eat.

I'm not going to stop that.

Amen.

You got to let a baby.

Now he is going to Genesis 50 20 take everything that the enemy intended for evil and he's going to use it for good.

He is going to Bob Ross, this whole mug, he's going to Romans eight 28 he's going to take everything and and work it together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes.

You watch all eternity when you, when we look at the corridors, when his story finally fills every space of eternity with his goodness and glory, we're going to look back and see little beautiful birds all over the place that God, Bob Ross, he says right now, I need you to trust me and give thanks in all things you see.

That allows my fear to reside.

The opposite of fear for me isn't courage.

Listen, it's been two and a half years since my last panic attack.

It wasn't courage that brought me out of that.

It was faith.

God, you're working in this and even if I die, even if somebody kills me for preaching, I trust your goodness.

I trust that you'll Bob Ross this thing and use it for good.

The opposite of fear isn't, isn't courage.

It's faith.

So he says, give thanks in all things.

You can always find something to give things for Kanji, man, I'm surrounded by about five, 550 things to give things for.

I'm grateful for you, for how God uses you in my life to encourage me, so worry about nothing.

Pray about everything.

Give thanks for all things and here's the promise.

The peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Now watch this.

Not only do we pray about everything, worry about nothing and give thanks in all things.

Here's number four.

Think about good things.

Now this is huge.

Think about good things.

Let me read it to you because the battle in all of this isn't out there.

It's up here.

The battle isn't out there.

The world's been crazy for thousands of years.

Amen.

It just has like I read some history books and it's been a mess like, and it's been even worse than it was now.

You may not believe that, but it's true.

The battle is up here.

What do you think about watch finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on the things.

Stay there, stay right there.

The things that you've, you've learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things in the God of peace will be with you.

Now, there's a lot going on in the world right now and it's amazing because just in my 44 years of existence, pollution in the awareness of pollution has gotten big.

We'll talk about pollution a lot.

There's seven primary means of pollution.

I can walk you through all of them.

We can talk about air pollution.

Air pollution is real.

It's bad, huh?

Now we don't want to breathe that trash.

Water pollution.

There's chemicals in our water, soil pollution, noise pollution from all the cars.

It's like everybody's living together and driving away everywhere, honking at each other, cussing each other, all those Californians coming in because Texans don't do that.

Amen.

Hey, listen, it's a big year for me.

That's a mental cul-de-sac.

This is the year I'll have been in Texas longer than an Oregon.

So I kind of feel like I'm one of you.

So I feel like you know, I can mock and play and you guys won't shoot me cause I know you're all packing, so it's a big year for me.

I'll be like, no, wait, I'm one of you.

Uh, which isn't true because I know if you're not born here, you're never really one of you.

And that's okay.

Ah, that's the mental col-de-sac I got into it and I can't get out.

Doesn't matter.

I'll put a hook on it.

We'll go, okay, here it is.

This world is filled with bad things.

Does this sound at all like television today?

Does this sound at all like news that is pure and good and right and true?

Oh, dentist.

Okay.

It threw me off with that.

It's like, yeah, it's good.

Or I'm here now we talk about pollution a lot.

There's all kinds of pollutions, air light, noise, pollution, soil pollution, water pollution.

We never talk about the one kind of pollution that really matters.

Mind pollution.

It's the most profound pollution we're facing right now.

Upwards of 19% of America has a general anxiety disorder because things aren't working for me.

I know I had, I've had to work through it.

I've got general anxiety disorders because I would watch news and it's all bad.

It's not true.

It's not excellent.

It's not pure.

It's not right.

It's all bad.

It's about who shot?

Who, who killed who, who ran over who, who's impeaching who, who's doing what to.

It's horrible.

It's horrible.

And it's mind pollution.

It's a lot like this.

How many of you take it?

Have you ever taken your screens off your windows and left your windows open in your house?

Why do we have screens on our windows?

Yeah, flies and mosquitoes and bugs.

Listen, when you've got kids, they just leave doors open, which exposes my lack of sanctification cause I'm like close the door.

I do it mostly because the AC is so expensive.

I don't care about bugs cause I've got a bug assault gun.

Have you seen that?

Listen, go on to Amazon will change your life.

I'm not even kidding.

This isn't a moment mental col-de-sac.

I'm going to own this.

Google it.

Look it up.

Amazon bug, assault gun.

It evens the playing field with the flies.

I for the longest time, for years, I felt like I was chasing flies around, unable to kill them.

They were like mocking me, especially the young spry ones who could get away now just pull out.

I feel like the Terminator, I feel like I'm back in control.

My house, this is why we have screens on our windows y'all.

So bugs don't get in because they just fly around and you can't enjoy conversation.

You're always like this slapping bugs.

It's like, Oh, forget it.

We've got bugs flying around in our mind all the time because we ha we let anything in.

It's mind pollution.

It's horrific.

My mind was like a pinball machine, just stuff rattling around and it wasn't pure.

It wasn't good.

It was from really years of looking at porn growing up and all of this chaos in the news and then all of the trauma of all that went on all around the world in my mind rattled.

See I didn't drink because I enjoy drank.

Jack Daniels.

I drank because I was looking for something to steal my mind.

I was looking for something to calm me down.

The problem was spiritual.

The problem was inside.

It was because I was thinking about horrible things and it began to pollute my mind.

Many of us have polluted minds this morning.

We need to come back, choose not to worry about anything but to pray about everything, to give things in all things and by his grace for his glory, begin thinking about good things.

In fact, he says, just camp there, camp on the good things, dwell on these things so you just get by the Holy Spirit's power who indwells you.

You begin to second Corinthians chapter 10 verse five take these thoughts captive and say, that's not good.

2 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

It's not right.

It's not pure.

It's not just, it's not honorable.

It's none of these things.

So Holy spirit, would you help me just bug assault.

Just zap that thing, just kill it.

He will.

By the grace of God, he will and you can start thinking about good things.

Now watch where he ends up here.

35 seconds.

Watch how we land.

This plane is a long one, but I'm going to bring you just to the heart of it.

Gary, you're going to love it.

Watch this.

Verse 10 this is the last blank to fill in.

So for your eight types, you're like, yeah, give it to me.

Not yet.

Wait for it.

It's called a cliff hanger.

Not really.

I made that watch, but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last, you've revived your concern for me.

Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

This isn't like today where they could just follow him on Google maps and know where he was at.

They didn't know where Paul was at, but they loved him and continue to ask, where is he?

What can we send?

How can we love you?

So Paul says, now, here's what I want you to know.

It's not that I speak from want, I have learned or watch this.

I've learned underlying that in your Bible, cause he's gonna use that twice.

I've learned the secret and I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Contentment has nothing to do, nothing to do with what you have.

It has everything to do with who has you.

It's learned.

It's a learned exercise.

I know how to get along with humble means.

I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance.

I've learned the secret of being filled and going hungry.

Both of having abundance and suffering need you really, really, really want to know the peace of God.

Man.

Learn contentment with anything.

Be content with anything that's be content with anything.

You came into this world with nothing, bro, nothing and you deserve nothing.

Everything that you have is a gift of his profound, amazing grace.

Not only that he didn't spare his only son, but freely offered him up for you and if he freely gave up his son, how will he not also along with him give you all things.

He hasn't withheld anything from us.

Paul says, you want to know the peace of God then no contentment with anything.

Give thanks in all things.

Think about good things.

Worry about nothing, pray about everything and you'll know the peace of God that surpasses comprehension.

Now, I wish, I wish this were easy.

This contentment, peace again, you had one point 2 trillion spent convince you that you should be discontent.

It's an that's a juggernaut to juggernaut.

There's all kinds of things that kill this.

There's contentment killers.

If we had more time, I'd walk you through dozens of contentment killers.

You want to know a contentment killer keeping up with the Joneses or the neighbors.

Listen, I got a new phone.

I loved my new phone till I saw Brett.

My neighbor had a better one.

I was like, man, this thing terrible sucks.

I don't want that thing

keeping up with the Joneses.

It's astounding.

We will spend money.

We don't have to buy stuff.

We don't need to impress people.

We don't like truth.

Be known and I know that's not very Christian of me, but it's true.

It's true.

You're like, wow, everybody would be looking at me on Twitter.

You won't know they're not.

They think you're looking at them like we're all that self centered.

It's like, Oh, everybody's looking at how awesome.

No, they're thinking.

You're looking at them.

You spend a whole bunch of money to buy something you didn't need to impress.

Impress people that don't care,

honestly, and it's a contentment killer.

It's a contentment killer.

Th th th the grass is greener on the other side.

Contentment killer.

You look at somebody else's marriage.

Ah, they've got an awesome marriage.

I'd be happy if I had their marriage.

My marriage is an awesome, like their marriage and we think the grass is greener on the other side.

The grass is typically greener on the other side because it's AstroTurf, bro.

Honestly, you come over, you visit any of my neighbors.

You look over the fence.

My, my grass looks perfect.

I wish I would have had a picture.

You'd be like, man, your lawn is awesome.

I'd be like, yeah, I know.

It's fake.

It's AstroTurf.

None of it's real.

No.

My neighbors look at it like, man, your lawns perfect.

I know it's

fake.

It's not real.

I've thought the grass was greener somewhere else.

It was.

It was actually painted concrete.

If somebody, if the grass is greener somewhere else, it's either fake or they put a lot of work into it and you can put a lot of work into it too, and you find contentment in meeting Jesus, in working on your relationship.

The grass is, you want to know about a contentment killer.

I'll end with this one.

Watch this.

Oftentimes, contentment dies because of unrealistic dreams.

I run into this every week, Dave.

I just, Dave, I dreamed of the perfect marriage and then I got married and it, it was a real marriage.

It was messy and now I'm real bitter.

It's like, okay, well there's the marriage.

The problem or is what was your that it would be perfect.

The problem.

Well, I don't know.

Well now you're real bitter because you've got a real marriage.

Well, but see the problem is I dreamed of perfect kids.

There you are.

Then I had kids and then they embarrassed me.

Yeah, you dreamed of perf, perfect kitchen.

You got real kids.

Now you're real bitter towards your kids.

Is a problem your kids or is the problem you?

Well, I dreamed of a perfect house and then I got a real house.

AC goes out.

Now I'm real bitter.

Yeah, again, well, I dreamed of a perfect job and then I got a real job and boss's a real jerk and now I'm real bitter.

Yes.

See, unrealistic dreams.

You're wanting to make this your heaven.

This is God has left this place imperfect to expose where we need him.

The difficulties in this world are a great gift so that we can run to him and experience his goodness and his grace.

When you dream about the perfect marriage and then you get a real marriage and you end up being real bitter and you run away into fantasy land to escape reality, your the issue, it's killing your contentment because you're living a fantasy.

Jesus says he's going to come back and when he comes back he's going to set up his kingdom and it is going to be perfect, but until then we live in this broken world and Paul says, be content with anything because Jesus has given you everything he's given himself to you.

Now you said, Dave, I can't do this.

Actually, that's the whole point of this passage.

Flipping chapter four verse 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me is not Jesus is my red bull.

He's going to give me wings and he's going to close the next deal.

Jesus, Jesus will empower me to win the Olympics.

Maybe, maybe not, but that's not what this verse is about.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me means this.

It means I can worry about nothing because Christ in me is empowering me to worry about nothing.

I can pray about everything because Christ in me, his spirit in me is leading me.

I I can.

I can truly thank God in all things because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can think about good things because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can be content with anything because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

You see, he's asking you to come to him, worry about nothing, pray about everything, give things in all things because your King loves you.

He's for you.

Think about good things and be content with anything because Jesus loves you.

He's for you.

What do you need to throw on him today?

What do you need to cast on him?

What do you need to go to them and say, thank you for today?

Do that.

Do that now as I pray, father God, thank you that you love to so much that you didn't want us to carry any burdens.

See, you opened up heaven and said, come throw those on me.

Yeah.

Father, today burdens are crushing many of us and I pray that you'd give grace to your body, that we might cast those all on you.

Jesus.

Thank you for living the life that we couldn't die in the death that we owed, conquering the enemy, that we could've given us a hope that's eternal.

And so now I pray for your body that you would encourage you at equip, you would strengthen and whatever business that we need to do, we would do that even now that we'd run to you and cast it all on you, that you'd be glorified as your children shine as a light and cast all of that onto you for your glory.

In Jesus name.

Amen.