"Contentment" Part 3 | Developing Christians for Christ Series | Pastor Carl Henry

[SPEAKER_00]: How appropriate was the prayer?

[SPEAKER_00]: That's stuff we're going to be talking about today.

[SPEAKER_00]: We conclude the subject of contentment.

[SPEAKER_00]: We had to start it out by talking about the opposite of contentment, which is of course coveting.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we talked quite a bit on that subject and coveting is a desire to have something that belongs to somebody else, something that's out there and we are not happy or content with what we have.

[SPEAKER_00]: And God says in Colossians and the places that can actually become an idol to you and I, that our mind is so consumed with that one thing that it actually takes a place of God, takes a place of what He has given and provided for us.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so what we've got to do is look at our lives and to make sure that we have a content part as He describes here, wherever we are at, whatever position we are at, whatever our

[SPEAKER_00]: And we can all say, man, go home right now, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: But we had to talk a little bit more about it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, we got to explain it just a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_00]: So there is a man who was in industrials.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's always looking at how to improve.

[SPEAKER_00]: So he's going by to see and he sees this fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat.

[SPEAKER_00]: And he asks him, why aren't you out there fishing?

[SPEAKER_00]: And the fisherman replied, well, I've caught enough fish for today.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because I've caught enough fish for today, I'm happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: And she says, well, why don't you go out and catch some more fish?

[SPEAKER_00]: And the fishman says, well, why would I go out and catch more fish?

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you could earn more money.

[SPEAKER_00]: He and patiently replied, you can buy a better boat.

[SPEAKER_00]: So you could go deeper and catch more fish.

[SPEAKER_00]: You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, make more money.

[SPEAKER_00]: Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, the fisherman asked, well, then what would I do?

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you could sit down and you could enjoy life then.

[SPEAKER_00]: The industrialists said, and the fisherman said, what do you think I'm doing?

[SPEAKER_00]: As he's looking out at the beautiful sea.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're always told that we'll be happy at the end and you can't be happy where you're at.

[SPEAKER_00]: You're not happy until you have X amount of dollars, X amount of things, and that philosophy he who died with the most toys wins, philosophy.

[SPEAKER_00]: And what's sad is the world actually has come to a place where they believe that.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we're not happy or content in the position that we are in.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I want to ask us this week.

[SPEAKER_00]: Realistically, and yet how many of us really this week found a lot of things to complain about.

[SPEAKER_00]: Or at least in our mind, we're complaining.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's interesting, Webster defines contentment this way.

[SPEAKER_00]: Satisfaction of mind.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm satisfied here.

[SPEAKER_00]: He also uses the word quiet.

[SPEAKER_00]: to describe contentment.

[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, we're not anxious.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a time of peace.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're quiet and all as well.

[SPEAKER_00]: Contentment with any, without any external honor.

[SPEAKER_00]: Meaning we're not looking for some type of an applause of man or something that's going to be coming from out there and then I'm going to have a piece of mine because of what they have said about me has nothing to do with that.

[SPEAKER_00]: Doesn't matter if anybody says thanks recognizes anything it's I'm I'm doing this because this is who I am this is why I'm doing it is for my God and will God has done for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: The world looks at us as being absolutely crazy to say, you're happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: You can't be happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have enough.

[SPEAKER_00]: You don't have enough goals, expectations, drives.

[SPEAKER_00]: So why is it that when we look at our lives and we go through the checklist and we say, okay, bills are paid, check.

[SPEAKER_00]: The house is warm nowadays, check.

[SPEAKER_00]: In some of our course, we want them cold.

[SPEAKER_00]: The wife is happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: Check.

[SPEAKER_00]: The kids are existing.

[SPEAKER_00]: They've not killed each other or anybody else.

[SPEAKER_00]: Check.

[SPEAKER_00]: One man said, it was hilarious.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's talking about the home.

[SPEAKER_00]: He said, he's talking really to dads.

[SPEAKER_00]: He says, listen.

[SPEAKER_00]: If your son's lived until the 21, you've been a good dad.

[SPEAKER_00]: I like that one.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_00]: They made it.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you go through the checklist and we stop and we think, but, you know, what we were thinking about is all those things that we may not have.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then that's what consumes our mind.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we lose the contentment.

[SPEAKER_00]: So what makes you happy?

[SPEAKER_00]: What's supposed to make us happy?

[SPEAKER_00]: What's supposed to allow that peace tranquility no matter what the circumstances are, the disciples had this, I call it a pepper alley and Jesus sent them out and they went out and healed people, you know, all kinds of miracles are taking place and they're come back to Jesus and they're ecstatic about all that they had seen and done.

[SPEAKER_00]: And Jesus took this poop law and paused it.

[SPEAKER_00]: And he said, gentlemen, don't rejoice because the demons are able to cast out you're able to heal blind people and lame people.

[SPEAKER_00]: Don't rejoice about that.

[SPEAKER_00]: He said, but rejoice rather that your names are written in the book of life.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because people getting healed was a temporary.

[SPEAKER_00]: What's eternal is the soul and the spirit of man.

[SPEAKER_00]: The physical is still going to die.

[SPEAKER_00]: All those people are still going to die.

[SPEAKER_00]: You follow me?

[SPEAKER_00]: And he says, stop and think about what is really real.

[SPEAKER_00]: And as a result of that, it gets us off of the physical and back on what we're supposed to be focusing on and that is the spiritual and all of us are guilty of that.

[SPEAKER_00]: There needs to be another word that Webster uses, and I really love it, is to be gratified.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's almost like we become thankful in what position that we are in.

[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about that at the latter part, a little bit more detail.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, contentment.

[SPEAKER_00]: We travel quite a few places through the years.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've been to some areas that, actually, you go to these countries, and they're doing it really well.

[SPEAKER_00]: uh... certain areas of it anyways and and you get to other places and you look around and you think oh my these poor folks how they live this way every years ago i think we send in with they've uh... for somebody but just soccer balls that you guys had a bunch of soccer balls and one of the times we took in we would deflate the best of the soccer balls and things like that and uh... and they would start to uh... we would take them then inflate them once we got there and give them out to the kids

[SPEAKER_00]: You're down.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so when you take them in, you get these soccer balls to these kids.

[SPEAKER_00]: You would have fought, we gave them a brand new car.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because what they had been doing is wrapping together some shirts or whatever, trying to wrap them together a rock or whatever they could, that was their soccer ball.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that's all they knew.

[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, they knew what a real soccer ball looked like.

[SPEAKER_00]: And when you gave them that, and they took that out, and they kicked it, the smiles on their faces were so big.

[SPEAKER_00]: Try this, next Christmas, give your kids a soccer ball, and that's all they get.

[SPEAKER_00]: And watch the reaction.

[SPEAKER_00]: Are you kidding me?

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you notice when they open up clothing?

[SPEAKER_00]: what's real here man what's what's really gonna make me happy you know it's not new socks you know it's not a new pair of jeans that's what we got where kids we got you know boots and we got this heavy heavy thick jeans that would last like forever you and if they you did find a way of cutting them thinking you get a new pair uh-uh you get a patch on uh-uh you had to wear them until you outgrew them and then they were about up the

[SPEAKER_00]: And, of course, that was the younger one, so I got the hand me down too, so, and we laugh out this stuff, but realistically, that's our mindset and our generation.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I was addressing the subject of generations.

[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, we've gone through the generation X.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we understand that philosophy and the things that we're changing and the computer world and all that was going on.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought, you know, nobody's really named this generation coming up through.

[SPEAKER_00]: Gary Bennett came up to me afterwards.

[SPEAKER_00]: He said, I, how are you?

[SPEAKER_00]: Have it named?

[SPEAKER_00]: I said, what do you call this next generation?

[SPEAKER_00]: A past generation X, generation me myself and I.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought, yep, that's pretty well, we're seeing it.

[SPEAKER_00]: What's in it for me, I don't want to give.

[SPEAKER_00]: You give.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to do.

[SPEAKER_00]: You do for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if I do do it, you better pay me really, really well.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it's this mindset.

[SPEAKER_00]: But that has influenced everywhere and Christians.

[SPEAKER_00]: It has affected us.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have allowed the mindset to come in, and you say is it something new, obviously not, because it's all through the scriptures.

[SPEAKER_00]: coveting contentment.

[SPEAKER_00]: We can see scriptures, the Old Testament of David and places where he described.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is like, my God is my all and all.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't need anything else.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Psalms are full of quietness and contentment and happiness.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because he talks, yeah, I'm in a cave and I'm running for my life and yet my God is my shield and he is my buckler.

[SPEAKER_00]: He is my defense.

[SPEAKER_00]: He is there

[SPEAKER_00]: He's all that I need, and that's where we need to get ourselves prepared.

[SPEAKER_00]: If there is one thing, here's where I want to go with this, as well as we go around to the other countries, we see the mode of transportation.

[SPEAKER_00]: We see the styles of services they have, the circumstances that they are in.

[SPEAKER_00]: And as we talked to some of the pastors, we talked to some of the folks that have come to church, you find out that they had to leave about an hour and a half to two hours prior to the service just to get to church.

[SPEAKER_00]: You say, man, they had a wrong ride.

[SPEAKER_00]: No, they had a wrong walk.

[SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine everybody here today, you had to walk to church from your house?

[SPEAKER_00]: I realize the climate's different here, it's hot there, and right now we're dealing with some cold weather.

[SPEAKER_00]: I understand that.

[SPEAKER_00]: So let's go to a summer day.

[SPEAKER_00]: The best day, 71 perfect, un-cumid days, perfect sun, and you have to walk to church.

[SPEAKER_00]: Some of you physically say, I can't do it, neither can they.

[SPEAKER_00]: They wish they could be in church.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they don't have the TVs and everything to have the services come, so they're home, hoping that somebody comes to see them.

[SPEAKER_00]: And yet many have walked with children, single moms, they have nothing.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they bring, if they will, their mics and throw them into the offering plate.

[SPEAKER_00]: How many of you, if you had to walk to church, would be here in that circumstance without complaining?

[SPEAKER_00]: because when they're there, they are so happy to be in church.

[SPEAKER_00]: You'd say I'd never do it.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's my point.

[SPEAKER_00]: How many of us as we came in the service at the outside, you will be taking all of your shoes off and then as you would walk in as they do in India, no shoes at church and they come in, they sit on the floor.

[SPEAKER_00]: There are no chairs.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you will be right now sitting on dirt.

[SPEAKER_00]: not on pews and not even on carpet.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes they would have a mat down, but not everybody can fit on that.

[SPEAKER_00]: To many or any outskirts, and sometimes the route side, setting one, who knows what, and sometimes as we had the one service for the low-cast folks in India, at night, there was no lights outside, and I'm finding out, I felt things chloroine across my feet.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's you, you know, and you go through that.

[SPEAKER_00]: But this is what they're used to.

[SPEAKER_00]: How many of you would come to service?

[SPEAKER_00]: If you said, you mean you have no fuse?

[SPEAKER_00]: I had to sit on the floor.

[SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't be there.

[SPEAKER_00]: Why not?

[SPEAKER_00]: Or our circumstance is so demanding that I would never rise would not allow myself to stoop so low to worship God.

[SPEAKER_00]: Depuse in the perfect temperature and the circumstances allow us to worship or is it taking our minds off of God because we're so comfortable.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know folks, I'm with you and I know it seems like I'm I'm scolding us You but actually I'm doing us because I find myself at times complaining about the most little things

[SPEAKER_00]: And we stop and say, but why?

[SPEAKER_00]: And then if we bring that into his aid and we're talking about in his prayer to God about many who truly suffer for Christ, that's bad enough in of itself.

[SPEAKER_00]: But to hide, to go into underground places, to worship, because it's illegal.

[SPEAKER_00]: And to know that you could possibly lose your job, your family, your everything for Christ.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if you did, lose everything for Christ, would you still smile in jail and be quiet and content?

[SPEAKER_00]: And say, God, I know you're gonna take care of my family and I know you can take care of me and help me to be a blessing here and to serve you here.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not predicting any way, but I do know this, all that live God, the increased Jesus soul,

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think the days as we go longer, longer, I think that the true church is gonna be drawn out as a result of sufferings and persecutions.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then we'll see what happens with the veneer Christians.

[SPEAKER_00]: It seems like it's good on the outside, but you get into the heart and find out where it was going on inside.

[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, we're gonna go church because it's convenient for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a status for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: I get job opportunities, I get this, I get that, has nothing to do with church folks, and nothing to do with church.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is about our God.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you and I coming in expressing our gratitude, humbling ourselves before our God.

[SPEAKER_00]: To me, if we cannot be content, is because we're lifted up with so much pride that we would never stoop down to live like that

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know about you, but, you know, as we raised our children and they're all grown up now, when we look back at our lives, my wife and I off-reflect on this and say, what was in our families life when all six were together, what were the happiest days?

[SPEAKER_00]: And we will say, it probably our first country church, on the top of a mountain, and we look back at pictures of that place.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we didn't even realize how poor we were.

[SPEAKER_00]: My highlight, they bought me a tractor to use to mill.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we lived in a parsnid, you know?

[SPEAKER_00]: And it was an old place, old cook stove, which made the best bacon and eggs in the world, by the way.

[SPEAKER_00]: and we look back at those times and see all of our kids running around and their diapers running around.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're just little sheep all over the place.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, just kids everywhere and every one of those pictures of our kids, they all had smells and their faces.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you know what we had for Christmas?

[SPEAKER_00]: We went to the dollar store at that time period and we buy dollar gifts.

[SPEAKER_00]: and that's what we have for Christmas.

[SPEAKER_00]: They were broken by noon, but they had something open up.

[SPEAKER_00]: They were plastic, they didn't last, but, well, nowadays, the expense of ones don't last either, do they.

[SPEAKER_00]: But you're happy, and it's not because of, but this is the mindset, can we be happy with what we have in a position that we are in?

[SPEAKER_00]: Look with me to the book of Luke in chapter three.

[SPEAKER_00]: While you're turning there, one of our pastors in West Africa has this quote, it's Alex Mama, great man of God.

[SPEAKER_00]: He humbles me every time I'm with him.

[SPEAKER_00]: He says this, where he leads me, I will follow, what he feeds me, I will swallow.

[SPEAKER_00]: This man humbles me, because you always want me

[SPEAKER_00]: And Alex really humbles me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Last time I really felt bad because we took over lobster and I said, no, what we're going to get you the finest here, Alex.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've got this huge meal and laid it out before him and we're all getting done with ours.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm saying, we just gave him a plate.

[SPEAKER_00]: And literally, at the end, he's taking bread and everything, and stopping up everything that is on that place, and eating it all.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I stopped and I realized what I did.

[SPEAKER_00]: What he feeds me, I will swallow.

[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, he would not stop eating like you, and I would more full.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I got humbled right there.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I realized that

[SPEAKER_00]: He's asking God to provide for him every day of his life.

[SPEAKER_00]: And whatever is laid out, he does not want to waste anything because tomorrow he may not have a meal.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I probably hurt him because I gave him so much but it wouldn't stop eating because that's his philosophy in life.

[SPEAKER_00]: And next time it comes in, we'll get him something a little more moderate and not so rich.

[SPEAKER_00]: It can actually make him sick.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's hard for us to have that mindset, isn't it?

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, we're full, we push it away, and it doesn't matter how much is wasted.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's amazing.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's amazing you get out of America to see the difference in the real world.

[SPEAKER_00]: There are some guys that were hanging out on the streets

[SPEAKER_00]: Man came who owned a lot of property and he came to them and said, why are you guys standing around?

[SPEAKER_00]: They're like, well, we don't have a job to go without paying you.

[SPEAKER_00]: Early morning, go, I'll give you a penny.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like, this is so exciting.

[SPEAKER_00]: We got a job for the day.

[SPEAKER_00]: So they got, they start a little later on today about nine o'clock.

[SPEAKER_00]: You see, my little guys, hey, going over and working.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll pay what you're doing, you know, what you're worth and noon time.

[SPEAKER_00]: And even the end of the day, still sunny.

[SPEAKER_00]: We got a couple hours of work.

[SPEAKER_00]: what came time for the end of the day when he all received their payment.

[SPEAKER_00]: And of course he started with those were hired last.

[SPEAKER_00]: And he goes up to them and says, here's your penny.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks guys, goes next group, here's your penny, here's your penny.

[SPEAKER_00]: And those who were hired at the beginning of the day thought, well, they got a penny for working a couple of hours, just think of how much he's going to pay us.

[SPEAKER_00]: And when they when the master came to them,

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, that's not right.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's not fair.

[SPEAKER_00]: Those guys got a penny and they only worked a couple hours.

[SPEAKER_00]: We worked with the heat of the day, all morning.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we only get a penny.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's not right.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know what they forgot?

[SPEAKER_00]: In the morning, they were standing around with no job.

[SPEAKER_00]: What they forgot in the morning was they agreed with a master to be receiving a penny.

[SPEAKER_00]: And what he says there is, isn't it mine?

[SPEAKER_00]: to give.

[SPEAKER_00]: Aren't I the owner?

[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes we look at life and we think, oh, it's not fair that they're going to heaven because I got saved at the wicked age of four and I've done all these things and they get saved on their deathbed and they get to go to heaven and they get to the mansion and they get to go in the streets and what's wrong with this picture?

[SPEAKER_00]: I should get more.

[SPEAKER_00]: No, you get the same thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's called eternal life.

[SPEAKER_00]: contentment, look at Luke 3, and John here is speaking in this text about this, and the publicans come to him, oh, type of people are coming and asking him questions.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll start at verse 12, then came also the publicans, we baptize and he said in him, master, what shall we do?

[SPEAKER_00]: And he said to them, the publicans,

[SPEAKER_00]: Extract, exact, no more than that, which is appointed you.

[SPEAKER_00]: In other words, don't steal from the people.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just take what you're supposed to take and don't get rich off of them.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, the soldiers of verse 14 also demanded of him saying, and what shall we do?

[SPEAKER_00]: And he said to them, do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and here it is.

[SPEAKER_00]: Be content with your wages.

[SPEAKER_00]: I've been in a workforce a lot of years.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I remember what the lunch breaks were all about.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hearing everybody grape and complain about what they're making.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they see the boss, pull him with another new car.

[SPEAKER_00]: Man, that's just wrong.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's getting all this new stuff, putting up this new building.

[SPEAKER_00]: How can they afford to put these new buildings in and put all this equipment and they can't afford to give us a raise?

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, get a new job then.

[SPEAKER_00]: If your boss is that bad and he's so unfair to you because he's doing what he has promised to you to hire you, to pay you x-mounted dollars for this many hours with this insurance and all of the different things, and we still gripe and complain about what we're making.

[SPEAKER_00]: I have one guy who absolutely blew his testimony.

[SPEAKER_00]: He had gone up the corporate ladder.

[SPEAKER_00]: He talked to me about all the bonus checks he was getting.

[SPEAKER_00]: He said, I can't believe how God is just blessing me.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was not a year later that he was coming to me and griping and complaining about the new car that his boss had gotten him and all these things and he was still getting the bonus checks, but it wasn't enough anymore and he quit.

[SPEAKER_00]: and it went out bitterly against a boss that he once praised.

[SPEAKER_00]: An owner that he once praised is now greedy.

[SPEAKER_00]: Isn't it amazing how people can be a great person one week in the next week they're a villain?

[SPEAKER_00]: Think about it, that they did to Jesus.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they'll do it to you.

[SPEAKER_00]: He lost his testimony at that place.

[SPEAKER_00]: And when he called back, I knew they weren't going to hire him back, go out well, be content, realize what you have been offered, you take it, and you smile because you could be out on a street, and you could be begging, and so could I.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have to be content Christians, because if we're griping, complaining Christians at work, when we sit to talk with them about Jesus,

[SPEAKER_00]: With a smile on our face, you really think they're going to listen to us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Contentment shows the world that the Lord is enough.

[SPEAKER_00]: And going through the hardships, God's going to get me through it.

[SPEAKER_00]: and we do need to have the positive mindset about our God instead of the negative, disquieted spirit, the never satisfied mind, never happy with what we have.

[SPEAKER_00]: We want everybody noticing we're not thankful and God says you've blown your testimony to just be content.

[SPEAKER_00]: need to say it's time.

[SPEAKER_00]: First of all, we have food and we have clothing.

[SPEAKER_00]: We are to be there with content.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's a little bit what I talked about earlier.

[SPEAKER_00]: You go to the checklist.

[SPEAKER_00]: One of the greatest things for those in the family that do the physical paying of the bills.

[SPEAKER_00]: When you pay the bills at the end of the month and house payments made, electric still on, every of all the utilities and things that you need are paid and full, guess what we do.

[SPEAKER_00]: We smile.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is like it's a good feeling to know we are indebted to nobody, that the bills are all paid.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're all satisfied.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then we stop and say, guess what?

[SPEAKER_00]: We've got $5 left.

[SPEAKER_00]: What do you want to do with it?

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go get, let's go to Dairy Queen and get us an ice cream coming.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's my mom and dad did.

[SPEAKER_00]: They'd look back, they said, do it.

[SPEAKER_00]: We back at a day, they'd get everything done, and they said they had a dollar left.

[SPEAKER_00]: They'd look at each other's smile.

[SPEAKER_00]: They said, here's our dollar.

[SPEAKER_00]: Or what do you want to do with it?

[SPEAKER_00]: And they went on a nice cream cone, and they smiled about it, because at least everything was paid contentment.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they smiled about it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Years later, they remembered their flat broke, but they were still happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: the necessities of life be happy with it.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Lord tells us in Psalm 23 that the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

[SPEAKER_00]: The word one there means to be bereaved or to lack in anything.

[SPEAKER_00]: God provides for us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Okay?

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you believe that?

[SPEAKER_00]: Many, I remember talking to Dorothy Hamlin, just a sweetie.

[SPEAKER_00]: She called me yesterday and she wished me happy birthday on the phone.

[SPEAKER_00]: She just a sweetie.

[SPEAKER_00]: And, but when you go talk to her, she'll reminisce about all those hard years in how she watched how God gave her jobs when they were needed.

[SPEAKER_00]: And God provided for her to take care of her kids.

[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, just, just sing a mom, just ministering.

[SPEAKER_00]: And she said, it's amazing how God, and here she says,

[SPEAKER_00]: And the needs are all met, and she just smiles about how God provided through all of the years when you just didn't know how you're going to get through it.

[SPEAKER_00]: And she's in her 90s, so she went through a lot, a lot of years.

[SPEAKER_00]: And she'll talk about how she had to pray.

[SPEAKER_00]: And many of us have gone through that as time peers will we had nothing but prayer.

[SPEAKER_00]: That God was going to take care of the necessities.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not always what we are personally desiring, but the needs are met.

[SPEAKER_00]: Our great years of college years and how this little grandma read her, she's in glory now.

[SPEAKER_00]: And she'd walk up to me and she'd say, tap me and she'd say, no, Carl, there's a bag out in the four-year for you to pick up, okay?

[SPEAKER_00]: And you go out and she'd have a bag.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was full of groceries.

[SPEAKER_00]: But it wasn't the stuff we would go on by.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was the Oreo cookies.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was the sweets and all the things that we didn't have, we had meat, we had bread, we had potatoes, you know, things like that, but she gave all the extras that she knew that our kids would like to have and I like to have and she would spoil us with all those things for three years.

[SPEAKER_00]: She would do that and just spoil us.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it was amazing how God will provide for us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, how can I say this, there's nothing wrong with you and I having the credit card and the cash and to be able to go and do things, go out the eat, do whatever we want to do.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I want you to do this sometime, try God, he tells us to do that at times, good.

[SPEAKER_00]: Tell me, try me, just see if I'm not going to do what I have promised.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it's neat, there's times I'll say, Lord, I'm going out and I'm going to trust you for today.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you say, don't you have money I do?

[SPEAKER_00]: If I'm going to watch God today.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you go to a house.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll preacher you hungry, you want to say how much?

[SPEAKER_00]: Can I just smile?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, I would.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then you can pop it on the office and somebody give you a big can of nuts.

[SPEAKER_00]: or a pie, and you dis-smile.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's like, this is so cool, because it's not there the day before.

[SPEAKER_00]: You following me?

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a day where you just saw up and say, God, I want to trust you today.

[SPEAKER_00]: I want to, it's not that I don't believe that you'll do it.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's just Lord, I want to see you at work in my life.

[SPEAKER_00]: And whatever comes my way, I'm going to be content with that.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Lord is my shepherd.

[SPEAKER_00]: He is one that cares.

[SPEAKER_00]: The contentment does stem from a thankful heart.

[SPEAKER_00]: God says, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

[SPEAKER_00]: In everything give thanks, first Thessalonians 518.

[SPEAKER_00]: In everything give thanks.

[SPEAKER_00]: Can you say that with me?

[SPEAKER_00]: In everything give thanks.

[SPEAKER_00]: in everything give thanks.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's emphasize the thanks and everything give that's the emphasis.

[SPEAKER_00]: Always, whatever the circumstances are, we have to be thankful people because we are realizing as the Psalm this said, God is the shepherd providing.

[SPEAKER_00]: So what I do receive, I am thankful.

[SPEAKER_00]: You and I both know and maybe some of you do not know the circumstances of the writing of this book.

[SPEAKER_00]: rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice, Philippians chapter 4, get the mind ready in chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_00]: Get everything in your mind, thinking on the right things that God is doing, the things that are pure, lovely, just, et cetera.

[SPEAKER_00]: All those things, think on those things, don't be anxious and he's writing all these things down by inspiration while he's sitting in jail.

[SPEAKER_00]: In jail, writing these things down.

[SPEAKER_00]: and he's bragging on the Philippians saying listen here I am on the mission field and y'all were taken care of me that's why my God is going to supply all your needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

[SPEAKER_00]: I talked to us as a church.

[SPEAKER_00]: Listen, this ministry is a faith-based ministry for everything that happens here.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have no idea how many of you all are going to come back next week.

[SPEAKER_00]: I could have one message, and 100 of you say, Poof, man, this guy's nuts.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're out of here.

[SPEAKER_00]: Understand that, and yet we are trusting that our God is going to provide everything for us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, you say, just simply, we see how much you all give to missions, you know, you about 30% of everything comes in, one way or another, it's going out somewhere, somehow, very precious seed in the missionaries and Andrea and the list goes on, well, we just don't give it to everybody, just keep it.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's the principle today, folks.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, a lot of churches have chosen not to do that, but what we're choosing to do is believe God, that He's going to provide for us this week.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we're going to give as much as we possibly can away and watch how God is going to provide everything that we need.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we are content.

[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of people wouldn't have been content with a 5000 square foot addition.

[SPEAKER_00]: We are so good.

[SPEAKER_00]: or content with what God's provided for us.

[SPEAKER_00]: If God says I'm gonna give you abundance and you can do some other things, praise the Lord.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if not, praise the Lord.

[SPEAKER_00]: If it comes, it comes, if it doesn't, it doesn't.

[SPEAKER_00]: Praise the Lord.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's not what's driving us.

[SPEAKER_00]: What's driving us is people getting saved.

[SPEAKER_00]: What's driving us is getting the back to street, people getting baptized, people being disciples, people growing in the Lord, homes getting healed, homes getting restored, kids making good decisions and they actually survived the teen years and they get married and the cycle of life happens and it's awesome.

[SPEAKER_00]: Life is not as complicated as we're making in everybody.

[SPEAKER_00]: Life is good.

[SPEAKER_00]: Are you smiling today?

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm 52 years old and I feel like I am 25.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now the body doesn't, but the mind's still doing flip-flops, you know what I mean?

[SPEAKER_00]: In your mind, you're just sharp as can be.

[SPEAKER_00]: Happiness.

[SPEAKER_00]: We got to close.

[SPEAKER_00]: Look at Proverbs with me and we'll find things out.

[SPEAKER_00]: To me, this is what just summarizes our point today.

[SPEAKER_00]: as Paul said there in the text that you're going to Philippians and chapter up to sorry, Proverbs chapter 30 and the concept in Philippians was this, I know how to be a based and I know how to about.

Proverbs 30 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_00]: I know what it's like to pray for bread and I know what it's like to have so much food we don't know what to do with it all.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know what it's like to have money left over at the end of the month and I know what it's like to say Lord, I have no idea how it's gonna we're gonna get through this month.

[SPEAKER_00]: Both extremes, he says either way, I'm happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: Here's how the Proverbs closes down.

[SPEAKER_00]: For a Proverbs chapter 30, and look with me to verses eight and nine.

Proverbs 30 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_00]: He says, remove far from me, vanity or emptiness and these lies that can come out.

[SPEAKER_00]: And this is what he says, give me neither poverty nor riches.

[SPEAKER_00]: Feed me with food, convenient, or that which is best for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: last I before there's the one extreme and I end up denying the and say who is the Lord?

[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's pause right there.

[SPEAKER_00]: God talks a lot about finances and riches and so forth.

[SPEAKER_00]: The old as well as the new.

[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing wrong with having money.

[SPEAKER_00]: You have a big savings account.

[SPEAKER_00]: Praise the Lord.

[SPEAKER_00]: Good for you.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing wrong with that.

[SPEAKER_00]: But what he is saying is sometimes

[SPEAKER_00]: Our prayer life goes, shhh, way down because, like, why don't need anything, so I would need to pray.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we can go in, day in, and day out, and realistically, our prayer life is not humbled the way it maybe could be if we were on our knees begging for the necessities of life.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's like Lord, I don't want you to be so rich that I, I just forget you.

[SPEAKER_00]: and we want to keep our eyes focused on him.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then he says the other extreme, or less I'd be poor in the middle of verse nine, and end up stealing, and then I would take the name of my God in vain.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to be that point where I'm seeing my kids starving and all of a sudden, I'm out there just like, oh, there's some fruit and there's some bread, both that would get us through the day, and it would be a temptation to just slip that into pocket.

[SPEAKER_00]: Or I don't want to be there either.

[SPEAKER_00]: The needs are met, the foods on the table, the bills are paid, I'm happy, I'm quiet, my mind is satisfied, I'm not looking for any outside source to give me honor, Lord, you are enough.

[SPEAKER_00]: And what you have provided for me, I am happy with.

[SPEAKER_00]: Can you find that joy and that happiness?

[SPEAKER_00]: Are you there as a Christian with contentment?

[SPEAKER_00]: If not, we've given you some points.

[SPEAKER_00]: Those of you who may be here in Christianity is very new to you.

[SPEAKER_00]: Go on the church, talking about the Bible and learning from it, maybe very new to you, I've been where you are.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was 19 years old when I really started going to a Bible church that taught me the Bible and I learned about Christ.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I knew as a young man, there was always something out there that I was looking for.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I tried it with a money and the carers and everything else it goes along with the 70s.

[SPEAKER_00]: And there was always a void in the life that I was never content.

[SPEAKER_00]: Christ.

[SPEAKER_00]: filled that spiritual void inside of me and gave me the contentment because I knew my sin was forgiven.

[SPEAKER_00]: I knew heaven was going to be a home for me someday.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a child of God.

[SPEAKER_00]: I can pray to my God and I can know him and he knows me and it brought a sense of security, contentment, quietness inside of me.

[SPEAKER_00]: If I'm not quiet as a Christian, it's because I've done something wrong.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that's why we should be content.

[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe you're here and you've not trust the crisis, you're savior yet.

[SPEAKER_00]: And God's working in your heart about accepting Christ.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to have an invitation here in a moment.

[SPEAKER_00]: Our ordinance will be playing.

[SPEAKER_00]: We'll be standing.

[SPEAKER_00]: And as we do, we'd encourage you to come.

[SPEAKER_00]: and we will take you and show you one-on-one how to know your saved, how to answer any of the questions that you have, and that that way when you walk out of this place, those questions that you have maybe answered, and you can walk out for given that you're a child of God.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's stand here.

[SPEAKER_00]: and stand together.

[SPEAKER_00]: Father, we come to your throne, and what a joy it is to talk to you and do address you as our Father.

[SPEAKER_00]: And as you tell us that my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus, we Lord believe that.

[SPEAKER_00]: I Lord, I pray that you'll work in our hearts as Christians, but also Lord, if there are any here that do not know you a Savior, that you will draw them to yourself this day.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I pray these things