CAPITAL BIBLE CHURCH September 5, 2010 SERMON NOTES PASTOR BILL HAKEN Series: Becoming Joy- Full pt. 9 Secrets of Contentment Phil. 4:10-13 Intro. Start with video clip after I intro the title and the clip: Parody of Beatle's Yesterday (Hair Today) Phil Callaway http://connect.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=68fa089e292fcec29989 Every person lives in one of two tents: contentment or discontent. In 1965 the rock band, The Rolling Stones, released a song (I Can t Get No) Satisfaction. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It became the Rolling Stones first number one hit in the United Sates. In this world there are many people that seem to get no satisfaction out of life. They seem to be unhappy, unfulfilled and unsatisfied. They walk around in a season of discontent. They lack fulfillment in their lives. Like this little poem says: As a rule, Man s a fool When it s hot, He wants it cool. And when it s cool, He wants it hot, Always wanting What is not. Now isn t that so true? When we have the hot summer weather we complain about how dreadfully hot it is. When it gets cold, we gripe because it s too cold. Gee, if only it were a little warmer, or a little cooler. There s the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. Why aren t you out there fishing? he asked. Because I ve caught enough fish for today, said the fisherman.
Why don t you catch more fish than you need? the rich man asked. What would I do with them? You could earn more money, came the impatient reply, and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me. The fisherman asked, Then what would I do? You could sit down and enjoy life, said the industrialist. What do you think I m doing now? the fisherman replied as he looked placidly out to sea. What is the secret of a satisfying life? Paul writes Contentment: 1. Is a learned behavior Philippians 4:11,12a I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content Paul said he had learned, he d learned through circumstances, and the Holy Spirit had illuminated those circumstances, to the point that Paul was able to see them as from the hand of God, for his benefit, so he could learn contentment. If Paul could learn, we can learn. Note, too, that Paul repeats the phrase I know, and I ve learned twice each in the space of three verses. That says to me that Paul is indicating that the years He has known God have given him ample opportunities, in many different circumstances, both good and bad, to learn contentment. Paul s voice is the voice of experience. Paul says that he s learned from these experiences not only how to cope with both good and bad in life, but how to triumph, how to live with the mindset that Jesus is Lord over our circumstances, He rules and reigns in our lives, and we can rest content in that, and rest victorious in the knowledge that Christ has already won the victory. Paul said, I have learned to be content in all situations. He did not say, I have been given the gift of being content in all situations. He didn t imply that it had come suddenly or immediately. He said I have learned to be content.
Learning is a process. It is often a painful one. It is often a long one. And it is always incomplete in that you can always learn more. For example. There was a time when I thought I wanted to change the oil in my car myself. So, someone showed me how to change it.. The first time I did it, I made a mess with the drive way got oil all over the place. The second time, I did better. The third time it came a little easier. Now, decades later I know exactly how to change the oil in a car. You get in the driver s seat and drive to Jiffy Lube!! OK, maybe that s not a good example but the point is that anything we do well in life, we do because we went through a learning process. Learning takes time. It takes practice. And when Paul said, I have learned to be content he was telling us that it had been a long process. The great reformer, Martin Luther, humbly asserted: Next to faith this is the highest art to be content with the calling in which God has placed you. I have not learned it yet. 2. Is not based on how much stuff I have. Philippians 4:11 I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Actor Alan Alda has been quoted as saying, "It isn t necessary to be rich and famous to be happy. It s only necessary to be rich." Contrary to Alan Alda - The secret to contentment is NOT getting everything you want! Fact is, the amount of money you have doesn t seem to have a lot to do with the level of contentment people experience. Consider this ILLUS: About 10 years ago, there was a story in U.S. News and World Report. Some of the information in this story is probably just as relevant today, ten years later, as it was then. The story was about the so-called American Dream. I guess that would include owning your own home, and having all your needs met for sure, but also having enough to do all the things you really wanted to do, and have all the things you really wanted to have. The story said that for Americans with household incomes of under $25,000, polls showed these people believed it would take $54,000 to fulfill the American dream in
their lives. The same survey also showed that for those who make $100,000, they d like to make about $192,000 for their version of the American dream. In other words, the American Dream usually lies nearly twice the distance away, at least financially. Think of people you know, of maybe you fit into this category, who are sometimes, or maybe often, looking to the circumstances of their lives and saying if only. If only I were older. If only I were younger. If only I were taller. If only I were better looking. If only I had a boyfriend. If only I had a girlfriend, If only I had a husband, If only I had a wife. If only I made more money. If only I had a bigger house. If only I had such and such a car. If only they d do this at church. If only my parents did that. If only my kids did this. If only I had a different job. We could go on and on with examples, but you get the idea. We think, if only this or that, Then, I d be content. Then, I d be at peace. Then, I d be happy. No, the secret to being content is not in amassing personal wealth or getting everything you want most of you know the song "Soak up the sun" from Sheryl Crow. One line sticks out for me every time I hear the song, It s not having what you want but wanting what you got 3. Is possible through the power of Christ. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. One thing you need to know about this verse is that Paul meant it, without reservation. That phrase is actually only one word in Greek. But Paul wrote it twice. In the language of the Bible that means it is something Paul wanted his readers to really notice. He s saying, "I can do all things, I really can!" But, even if he tripled it, that doesn t mean we should misunderstand it. It doesn t mean we can do what we want -- it means Christ will empower us to do anything HE expects us to do. Some people want to point to this verse and use it as a "blank check" for their own selfish agenda. What they ll get is a surprise. To live dependently on Christ means our agenda gets put away. A more literal translation of this would be: I have strength for all things. And how? Through Christ! He s our source of power to be content! He s our source of power for anything in life!
By virtue of our relationship with Him, because of our living union with Jesus, and our identification with Him, we have the power to do something we wouldn t otherwise be able to do. We can be content when things are bad. We can be content when things are good. The good, the bad and the ugly are all under His authority. We can rest in Him, because He pours into us the power to do it. Think of the power of Christ. "He alone can speak peace to the human heart, strengthen the weak, and give life to those who are spiritually dead." Now that s not a bad formula for understanding the power of Christ in our lives, peace where it counts, strength where it s needed, and spiritual life for eternity. John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 4. Does not depend upon other people. Sometimes, our greatest obstacle to contentment is people. Or, more accurately, OUR attitude and relationship to them! Family. Co-workers. Supervisors. Supervisees. Teachers. Those in authority. People who are different. People who have or know something we don't. People we just don't get along with because of personality, quarks, and pet peeves. Illustration: Once upon a time there was a man who lived with his wife, two small children, and his elderly parents in a tiny hut. (picture this) He tried to be patient and gracious, but the noise and crowded conditions wore him down. In desperation, he consulted the village wise man. Do you have a rooster? asked the wise man. Yes, he replied. Keep the rooster in the hut with your family, and come see me again next week. The next week, the man returned and told the wise elder that living conditions were worse than ever, with the rooster crowing and making a mess of the hut. Do you have a cow? asked the wise elder. The man nodded fearfully. Take your cow into the hut as well, and come see me in a week. Over the next several weeks, the man on the advice of the wise elder made room for a goat, two dogs, and his brother's children. Finally, he could take no more, and in a fit of anger, kicked out all the animals and guests, leaving only his wife, children, and his parents. The home suddenly became spacious and quiet, and everyone lived happily ever after. At the end of the day, friends, contentment is a personal decision. Only I am responsible for my own contentment and only you are responsible for yours. If I am not generally
content, it is my own fault, my own distorted perspective. Others may provide and provoke me with plenty of reasons to feel otherwise. But, only I choose how I react to them! And while I m talking about other people and being content, a sure way to put yourself in the other tent the discontent state, is to compare yourself to others. Here s why. When you compare yourself to others two things can happen: (1). You become prideful because you see yourself better than others. (2). You become jealous because you don t have what others have. Comparing yourself to others always leads to discontent. If you want to learn to be content you have to avoid comparisons. There will always be people that make more money than you. There will always be people who are smarter than you. There will always be people who are better looking than you. So what? These comparisons have no bearing at all on your own personal happiness unless you allow them to. Folks, you will never find happiness by looking around at what others have or don t have. The only way you will find happiness is by looking up to God. Here are three misconceptions about happiness: 1. I must have what others have to be happy. This is a myth. It is not fads or fashion that provides happiness. 2. I must be liked by everyone in order to be happy. All of us want to be liked by others but the truth is not everyone is going to like you. Even Jesus couldn t please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what Jesus couldn t do. You cannot go through life without some disapproval. If you do anything somebody is not going to like it. You know why? Cause if you re moving, getting things done, movement causes friction! 3. Having more will make me happy. Howard Hughes was asked, "How much money does it take to make a man happy?" He said, "Just a little more." Folks here is what I have learned as your income goes up, so does your expenses. 1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. After all, we didn t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die.
8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and harmful things that ruin and destroy people. 10The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the faith, because they wanted to get more money, but they have caused themselves much sorrow. The fact of the matter is that all possessions are temporary. Who you are as a person is more important than what you have. Hebrews 13:5-6 Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 5. Lets me trust God for the provision of all my needs. Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. The Greek word he used for content makes it clear that it includes any and every circumstance. The word here means independent of external circumstances, and applies both to material and non-material things. Here s one commentary s explanation of this word for content: the Greek literally expresses independent of others, and having sufficiency in one s self. It s a word that the Stoics used, but Christianity has raised the term above the haughty self-sufficiency of the heathen Stoic, to the contentment of the Christian, whose sufficiency is not in self, but in God. My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 Folks that is a statement of trust it is a statement of faith. If you are a child of God He has made promise after promise that He will take care of you. Did you know that there are over 6000 promises in the Bible which you can claim? Let me just give you one example. Follow along with me as I read out of Matthew 6: Don t ever worry and say, What are we going to eat? or What are we going to drink? or What are we going to wear? Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you. Matthew 6:31-33
In this passage God gives a promise. If I put His kingdom first He will take care of my daily needs. Put Him at the center and everything else will be taken care of. My problem is sometimes I don t trust Him as I should. Sometimes I try to take control and try to be successful on my own effort. Sometimes I push God out of the way and try to do things my way. Usually when that happens I fail. The reason that people are unhappy, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled is because Jesus Christ is not the center of their lives. They are looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. They have not learned to trust in God. You were made for a purpose and that is to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. You were made with a God shaped vacuum in your life that only God can fill. When you try to find satisfaction in life through people, popularity, possessions, or prestige you will never be content you will never be satisfied. Jesus said: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV) Abundant life comes from having a relationship with God and learning to trust Him. Will you trust Him today? For most of her life Fannie Crosby was blind, and yet, at the tender age of eight, Fannie wrote: Oh! What a happy soul am I. Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world, contented I will be. How many blessings I enjoy that other people don t. To weep and sigh because I m blind, I cannot and I won t. Close with video clip. Video: The Fine Art of Contentment by Ed Price (based on words of Pastor Maltbie D. Babcock) http://connect.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=d84115ba12e26d79ecc3