Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Philippians 4:10-13

Transcript

Philippians 4:10-13 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
Can I go on in Philippians 4? Just go ahead and turn there, Philippians 4.
0:05
I hope you've enjoyed studying through Philippians. We're pretty much on our way to being done with Philippians.
0:20
It was one of the first books that we talked through about six years ago in Wes's old apartment, I think, something like that.
0:28
So, tonight we're going to pick up in verse 10 of chapter 4.
0:35
And, as always, I definitely feel the weight of life. This is like one of those coffee mug versus t-shirt, Christian t-shirt versus.
0:45
And so, I understand just the weightiness of what I'm about to speak on tonight, and I pray the Lord really works.
0:53
So, verse 10, chapter 4.
0:57
I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your concern for me.
1:04
You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
1:08
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
1:15
I know to be brought low. I know how to abound.
1:20
In any and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
1:28
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
1:34
So, let's pray for me for a minute.
1:35
Lord, I just give you praise for these words.
1:40
And, Lord, I recognize that even for those of us who are born again, who have you in our lives,
1:51
it is a daily fight to believe these words in a way that affects how we live.
1:58
Even up until 15 minutes ago, I was battling, trying to believe these words.
2:05
And, Lord, can just so easily be attacked.
2:09
And so, Father, I pray that you would enable us to truly come around this idea tonight of contentment and joy in you.
2:20
I just give you the praise.
2:22
In Christ's name, amen.
2:23
So, just a little bit of introduction.
2:28
Verse 10, where he says,
2:30
I've rejoiced in the Lord greatly, but now at length you have revived your concern for me.
2:35
You were indeed concerned for me, but had no opportunity.
2:39
And so you know what he's just mentioning here in this first verse.
2:43
Ten years prior to this, Paul had been in Philippi.
2:47
And he had received the generous gift from the Philippians church, a financial gift to kind of support his ministry when he arrived in Thessalonica.
2:57
So they supported him financially.
3:00
And their giving came from an overflow of joy in Christ.
3:04
It wasn't something they did under compulsion or something that they thought they had to do.
3:08
They did it out of the overflow of their hearts in Christ.
3:12
And even as someone who lives on, you know, financial support myself to do ministry,
3:21
I realize that a lot of times some of the most cheerful givers and people that even support me in what I do
3:28
are those who have really been touched by Christ, who really have been satisfied in Christ.
3:35
And in some way have been ministered to by someone at some point who told them the gospel.
3:42
And they know the power of the gospel and they want to support those who are, you know, continually ministering to people.
3:52
So it was out of gratitude they supported Paul financially, but lately they haven't really had an opportunity to support him.
3:59
So he's talking about that and kind of addressing that.
4:02
And so a major theme, the major theme that we're going to talk about tonight is the word contentment.
4:13
And it's what we're going to be unpacking.
4:17
And so, but where it says it right here in verse, let's see.
4:22
Yeah.
4:25
In verse 11, we said, I've learned, you know, whatever situation I'm to be content.
4:31
And that word for content, it just means having enough.
4:36
It actually means even to be self-sufficient.
4:38
It means to be, to be pleased with or to be satisfied with something.
4:43
You're not looking to something else.
4:44
You're not dependent on something else.
4:46
It's contentment.
4:48
It's what really what the word kind of comes from to.
4:51
So to possess contentment is really to possess joy and peace.
4:55
If you have those things kind of, they all kind of connect together.
4:58
Joy, peace, contentment.
5:00
They're all, we use those a lot in the Christian life, kind of almost as just different substitute words for the same thing.
5:08
So contentment is what we're going after tonight.
5:10
And I'm saying that joy, contentment is a fight for even those who have Christ and an impossible fight for those who are without Christ.
5:20
And so I have just three things to focus on tonight out of this.
5:24
But the first one is true contentment is not circumstantial.
5:30
True contentment is not circumstantial.
5:33
And that's seen in verses 11 through 12.
5:36
Now I'm not speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I'm to be content.
5:43
I know how to be brought low and know how to abound.
5:47
In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
5:55
So you see here that he's like in any situation, in any circumstance.
6:00
That's his language he's using.
6:02
And so he's kind of like been all over the spectrum.
6:07
He's had an abundance.
6:10
He's had like wealth.
6:11
He's actually been like in poverty and in great need.
6:14
He's been all over the map with that.
6:16
He hasn't just lived a certain way his entire life.
6:20
And so the point kind of is this teaches us that contentment is something not found in the current situation.
6:29
Because he says, I have contentment.
6:31
I've found it.
6:32
I've learned it.
6:34
And I've learned it in every circumstance.
6:36
And it's not in a particular circumstance that you actually find contentment.
6:40
And that's really a, we're going to kind of go after here.
6:43
It's not circumstantial.
6:46
And so in other words, it's not something that we can attain that's outside of us.
6:49
That's what we constantly tell ourselves.
6:52
Because what we've got to understand is that the problem is internal.
6:58
The problem is something not outside that we need.
7:01
It's something that's like wrong with us.
7:04
Something that is internal.
7:07
So kind of go here with me.
7:09
This will be a question later.
7:10
Many think if only I had or if only I could fill in the blank, I would be content.
7:18
If I had good health, if I had good looks, good grades, millions of dollars, a nice house, you know, a husband or wife or family.
7:28
Then these things, if I had these things, then I would be content.
7:32
I mean, I just came straight from the gym to here.
7:35
And like, I go to the Delano Catholic Center.
7:38
And it's just, it just really breaks my heart.
7:40
I was even thinking about it while I was there.
7:41
Just how, man, so many of those guys particularly just think that, man, if I can just look like I had to rip somebody's head off, like I'll be content.
7:49
And just see them in there just fighting for that.
7:53
And that one thing day after day.
7:56
And spend their lives trying to attain these things.
8:00
All these things that we mentioned, which are not bad things.
8:03
But we spend so much time and energy, whatever the cost, to attain them.
8:09
And so we fail to see that discontentment is a bitter fruit of like an inward condition that we have.
8:17
And that condition is indwelling sin.
8:20
Even for the believer, we have indwelling sin.
8:23
Sin that's a part of us.
8:27
An inward condition.
8:27
And so even as believers, we still have like the fallen flesh that we are kind of cloaked in.
8:34
And this flesh is under the sentence of death.
8:37
Like what you see right here and what you are will eventually die.
8:41
It's not going to live forever.
8:44
It's not what's eternal.
8:46
And so that's why even Paul calls it, Paul, being a believer, he says this body of death.
8:51
And he says, even when I want to do good, evil is like ever present with me.
8:57
Like it's like right there with me.
8:59
Like trying to pull me away and to make me draw to it.
9:06
So the things that are outside of us, you know, we battle.
9:10
It says in Scripture we battle that.
9:11
We battle the devil.
9:13
We battle the world.
9:14
And a lot of times we stop there.
9:17
Like in reality, we think it's the devil who's making me feel this way.
9:20
Or it's just the stuff in the world.
9:23
But to be honest, like those things just kind of encourage you to act according to what's already inside of you.
9:31
Like which is your sinful, your indwelling sin.
9:35
And so it encourages you to sin.
9:36
It doesn't make you sin.
9:38
As a believer, we're talking about.
9:40
And so it kind of draws from us.
9:43
And so turn to, you know, as always, keep your hand in Philippians.
9:47
But turn to Mark 7 real fast.
9:49
And let's just read something that Jesus himself says about this.
9:57
So for the believer, you can't ever say the devil made me do it.
10:02
Or my circumstances were just so terrible that I just had to sin.
10:07
I had to go this way.
10:09
You can't say that.
10:10
Not if you have Christ abiding in you.
10:14
And so look at Mark 7 verse 19.
10:18
And we'll see that it's not what's outside of somebody, but what's in somebody.
10:22
Verse 20.
10:23
He said,
10:23
Wow.
10:48
So our enemy, really, a lot of the time is ourselves.
10:54
We're our own worst problem.
10:57
And so we have so many things that pull us into that state.
11:05
And so we see that, like, contentment and joy are not the things that just naturally flow out of us.
11:13
It's something that, what flows out of us is the natural soil of our flesh is grumbling, covetousness.
11:20
I'm always thinking, if I just had this, this contentment.
11:23
That's what kind of naturally comes.
11:25
We have to battle for contentment.
11:28
And a book that I'm going to refer to quite a bit throughout the night, I do recommend it.
11:37
If you want, like, a reading recommendation, it's called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.
11:44
And it was written by a Puritan back in the day in the 1600s named Jeremiah Burroughs.
11:50
And he, that's the focus of this book.
11:52
He just talks about contentment.
11:53
And it's so good.
11:55
It's a book that Nathan West and I read while we were in school a few years ago.
12:00
So it's so good.
12:03
But something he said was,
12:04
The mystery of contentment consists not in bringing anything from outside to make my condition more comfortable,
12:11
but in purging out something that is within.
12:15
And so it's something that we have to deal with.
12:17
It's inside of us.
12:20
Let's see.
12:22
Turn over to 1 Timothy 6 real fast and go to verse 6.
12:28
1 Timothy 6, verse 6.
12:29
And so we have warnings all throughout Scripture saying,
12:36
Don't look for this outside of, in the world.
12:40
Don't look for, this isn't an external thing that you need.
12:44
The problem is inside of you.
12:46
It's a battle for contentment.
12:48
And so we're warned about that.
12:50
And so look at 1 Timothy 6 and go to verse 6.
12:55
He says,
12:56
Now there is a great gain in godliness with contentment.
13:00
For we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of the world.
13:05
But if we have food and clothing with these, we'll be content.
13:09
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation,
13:12
into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires
13:16
that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
13:19
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
13:22
So it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith
13:29
and have pierced themselves with many pains.
13:32
And so he's saying like a immoderate love for money.
13:40
And money is not a bad thing,
13:43
but he just understands, as Jesus does,
13:45
that money can be used to do great evil or do great good.
13:49
And he's saying that if you love money, if that's your goal to attain,
13:53
then it will bring great harm upon you.
13:57
But he says like godliness, like being like God,
14:01
like pursuing Him, knowing Him, becoming like Him,
14:04
there's great contentment.
14:05
And so there's all these warnings about this.
14:10
So something else, Jeremiah Burroughs says,
14:12
that the Christian, this is one of those little nuggets,
14:15
a Christian comes through contentment,
14:18
not so much by way of addition as by way of subtraction.
14:23
We don't think if I just had this,
14:25
if I just could add this to my life, I would be content.
14:28
And he was saying that true satisfaction in Christ,
14:33
you actually might be able to subtract things from your life.
14:36
Like that's what it really looks like,
14:38
to have something of great value
14:41
to where you don't really need all these other things.
14:44
So if you're saying,
14:47
if I had a little more,
14:48
if I just had a little more of this,
14:49
a little more of that,
14:52
like seriously mistaken,
14:54
and I know I've been in this position so many times.
14:59
So if you're not satisfied with what you have now,
15:01
you won't be satisfied when that portion is doubled or tripled.
15:04
It's like you have to,
15:06
it's something to be possessed now.
15:08
And it's the fruit of indwelling sin.
15:10
Just remember that.
15:11
Like discontentment is the fruit of indwelling sin.
15:15
Even for the believer,
15:16
even at our best,
15:17
sin is always there trying to make us drowsy and lazy
15:21
and tries to prevent us from doing any good thing before God.
15:26
So there's something on this inside.
15:30
So that's the first point.
15:31
True contentment is not circumstantial.
15:33
The second point is true contentment is found only in Christ.
15:41
Go back to Philippians again.
15:45
True contentment is found only in Christ.
15:48
And this is found in verse 13 where he says,
15:52
I can do all things through him,
15:55
Christ.
15:57
Okay.
15:58
And so flip to back one chapter in Philippians to chapter three.
16:03
Something that we covered a few weeks ago.
16:08
But Philippians three and go to verse seven.
16:12
He says,
16:16
but whatever gain I had,
16:18
I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
16:21
Indeed,
16:21
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus,
16:27
my Lord.
16:28
For his sake,
16:29
I've suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I
16:33
might gain Christ.
16:36
So what does that,
16:37
what does that look like?
16:38
Does it sound like he's trying to add stuff for,
16:41
for joy,
16:42
trying to add stuff to his life for contentment?
16:44
He's like,
16:45
no,
16:45
like I've lost everything to possess Christ,
16:50
the one eternal treasure that will satisfy and bring me contentment.
16:54
And he's like,
16:56
that's,
16:56
that's what he said right here.
16:57
The surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus,
17:01
my Lord.
17:02
And the Greek word for knowing right there,
17:06
we've,
17:06
we've mentioned this before.
17:08
It's an experiential personal involvement.
17:10
No,
17:11
it's something that you've actually laid hold of.
17:14
And,
17:14
and to the Greeks,
17:16
this meant like a mystical secret union with a God.
17:20
Like when they use this,
17:21
when they use this phrase,
17:23
like a,
17:23
a secret mystical union with a God.
17:26
And like a,
17:26
a transcendent knowledge that goes beyond just like the mundane,
17:30
everyday things of life.
17:32
And so that's what they were saying.
17:34
And the same word in Hebrew,
17:36
the equivalent of knowing in Hebrew means like an intimate knowledge of
17:40
something,
17:41
a love bond,
17:43
a union,
17:44
the way,
17:44
like a,
17:44
way a husband would know his wife.
17:47
And so this is like a,
17:49
a warming theological concept of like knowing Christ.
17:52
And,
17:53
and so he's not just saying no about Christ.
17:57
I know so many people,
17:59
and even myself,
18:00
when I was a teenager,
18:02
I could tell you like a lot of correct theology about who Jesus was.
18:06
I didn't know him.
18:07
Like I had not like encountered him at all.
18:10
I wasn't really experientially walking with him and knowing him.
18:15
So,
18:15
and then in Hebrews 13,
18:18
I'll just read you this.
18:19
It says,
18:20
verses four and six,
18:21
it says,
18:22
keep your life free from the love of money.
18:26
Be content with what you have.
18:27
For Christ has said,
18:30
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
18:32
So we can confidently say the Lord is my helper.
18:35
I will not fear.
18:37
What can man do to me?
18:38
So he,
18:39
he's saying like,
18:40
I can be content because Christ has told me he'll never leave me or forsake me.
18:46
And like,
18:46
he is my helper.
18:47
He is the one that I need.
18:49
It's not found in what I can attain outside.
18:53
And,
18:53
uh,
18:54
so,
18:55
so,
18:56
um,
18:56
just a warning though,
18:58
about satisfaction in Christ and contentment in Christ.
19:01
Um,
19:03
I've even heard some very dear brothers of mine share the gospel this way before.
19:11
And,
19:12
and I've also seen the devastating effects of sharing the gospel this way.
19:16
So if you're,
19:17
if you're aware that,
19:19
um,
19:19
that you are sharing this way,
19:21
you can just kind of keep that yourself and just ask the Lord,
19:24
uh,
19:25
to help you not share the gospel this way.
19:27
But I'm going to tell you like a tale of two plane passengers.
19:32
Okay.
19:33
And I hope this really alters how you think a little bit,
19:37
but two well-traveled men are on an airplane together and a flight attendant goes up to the first man.
19:45
And he says,
19:47
and offers this man a parachute.
19:49
And he says,
19:49
put this parachute on.
19:51
If you put this parachute on,
19:53
it's going to make your,
19:54
your flight a lot more comfortable,
19:55
a lot more enjoyable.
19:58
um,
19:58
just do this.
19:59
And,
19:59
um,
20:00
she,
20:01
and even she's wearing one,
20:02
the flight attendant is wearing a parachute.
20:04
She's like,
20:04
I promise like it will bring you joy on this flight.
20:08
It'll make your flight a lot better.
20:09
It'll improve it.
20:11
And so he just kind of like,
20:12
okay.
20:13
And that sounds good.
20:14
And so he,
20:15
he tries it on,
20:16
he puts it on.
20:17
And immediately he feels like how heavy it is,
20:20
how cumbersome it is.
20:21
And,
20:22
and like,
20:23
he tries to sit down in his seat and he's just so like thrown off.
20:27
And uncomfortable.
20:28
And he's thinking in his mind,
20:30
this is not what she said,
20:31
but I'm going to give it a chance.
20:33
I just put it on.
20:34
I'm just going to wait it out for a while.
20:37
And he's just sitting there getting hot and his clothes are getting all
20:40
wrinkled.
20:41
And then he hears people across the aisle laughing at him.
20:45
They're like,
20:45
what is that guy doing?
20:47
Look,
20:47
what an idiot.
20:48
And so then like,
20:50
not only is he uncomfortable,
20:51
but he's feeling like humiliation,
20:53
like some kind of like persecution from the people on the plane.
20:57
And so he,
20:59
he said,
21:00
you know,
21:01
he,
21:01
he keeps it on just for a little while longer because the flight attendant did
21:04
promise him,
21:05
this will make your flight more enjoyable.
21:07
But finally he had a,
21:08
and he like took the parachute off and he threw it down the aisle.
21:11
And he's like,
21:11
this is,
21:12
this is stupid.
21:13
What was I thinking?
21:16
And he actually gets angry and bitter at the attendant that told him that.
21:20
so that's the,
21:22
that's the first man.
21:23
The second man is also offered a parachute from a flight attendant.
21:28
Who's wearing a parachute herself,
21:31
very kind lady.
21:33
And she just says,
21:34
put this parachute on because in two minutes,
21:39
the plane's going down.
21:41
Like we're having some serious malfunctioning problems.
21:44
Put this parachute on and it'll save your life.
21:50
And so he quickly traps the parachute on with delight and takes no notice of how
21:58
like uncomfortable it is at all.
22:00
And then when people start laughing at him,
22:02
he really doesn't care.
22:03
Like he's like,
22:03
that's,
22:04
that's all right.
22:05
And he,
22:05
he thinks only about how awful that jump would be without the parachute.
22:11
And actually having that parachute does bring him like some comfort and peace
22:16
while he has it on.
22:17
Cause he knows that he knows what's about to happen.
22:20
So consider like the motive and the result of each,
22:24
each passenger.
22:25
The first man,
22:27
he was offered by the attendant who was well-meaning,
22:29
you know,
22:30
like put this parachute on and it'll bring you comfort and enjoyment.
22:34
It'll improve your flight.
22:36
And the result was anger,
22:39
bitterness,
22:40
and frustration.
22:41
That's like how this guy,
22:42
the first man felt.
22:42
The second man,
22:44
not so much.
22:46
Um,
22:46
he did to escape the danger of jumping out of the plane at 2000 feet.
22:50
And so he feels joy and peace and,
22:53
and delight.
22:54
Um,
22:55
and he's actually very thankful to the attendant that told him that.
22:58
Actually,
22:58
the other guy is embittered and angry with the attendant.
23:01
All right.
23:03
So,
23:03
so here's the deal.
23:05
The gospel message is not come and be joyful and happy in Jesus.
23:13
God loves you and has a great plan for your life.
23:16
That's not,
23:17
it's not the gospel message.
23:18
If you tell anybody that,
23:20
they'd be a fool to be like,
23:22
I don't,
23:23
I don't want that.
23:24
I don't want joy.
23:25
I don't want fulfillment.
23:26
Um,
23:27
they would,
23:28
they'd be like,
23:28
okay,
23:29
sounds good.
23:30
And so they buy that message.
23:32
And then like later on,
23:34
life doesn't get better.
23:35
Like life gets harder.
23:36
People start laughing at them.
23:38
They realize how hard things are.
23:41
They,
23:42
they usually,
23:44
people that I've met that have experienced this,
23:46
like they're,
23:47
they're,
23:48
they're pretty cool for a while.
23:49
They're kind of experiencing a new thing.
23:50
And then like the talk I have with them later is,
23:53
I was a Christian until this.
23:55
This happened.
23:56
Fill in the blank.
23:57
I lost my girlfriend.
23:59
My mom got sick.
24:00
I broke,
24:01
you know,
24:02
something in my body where I can't do this anymore.
24:04
I lost my job.
24:06
And so I just concluded that Christ is just a big hoax.
24:09
And I'm actually angry with the person that told me that Jesus would give me
24:12
fulfillment and happiness.
24:15
So,
24:16
so here's the gospel message.
24:18
The gospel is out of the words of Jesus,
24:21
Mark one,
24:22
repent and believe the gospel.
24:24
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
24:28
And like the gospel is like you are condemned before God and that you're an
24:32
enemy of God.
24:33
Unless you turn from your sin and come to Christ,
24:35
you'll perish.
24:37
And so is it true that Jesus does give us contentment and does give us joy and
24:44
give us satisfaction?
24:46
Yes.
24:46
But that comes only by repentance of sin,
24:51
taking up your cross and following Christ.
24:53
There's no other way.
24:54
Like that's just it.
24:56
And so,
24:56
because your joy is not in the present world,
24:58
but in the life to come and found in Christ.
25:01
So,
25:01
so just,
25:03
just kind of keep that in mind.
25:05
You know,
25:06
like we don't want to,
25:07
like we have Christ and we repent of our sins and those things are the result of
25:13
having Christ.
25:13
And so you got to be careful with the gospel message.
25:17
So,
25:17
uh,
25:18
he says,
25:18
knowing Christ Jesus,
25:20
my Lord,
25:20
Paul says in Philippians,
25:22
knowing Christ,
25:23
that word,
25:23
Christ,
25:24
Messiah,
25:25
savior,
25:26
anointed one.
25:28
Where is he saving you from?
25:29
He's saving you from sin and judgment,
25:30
um,
25:31
and eternal death.
25:33
My Lord,
25:34
he's your sovereign.
25:36
He's your master.
25:36
You will follow him.
25:38
Like you can't like neglect those words.
25:40
And so the peace and joy and contentment are the result of,
25:44
of having Christ truly possessing Christ.
25:48
Um,
25:48
Thomas Brooks,
25:49
another Puritan guy said,
25:51
God has in himself,
25:53
all goodness to supply you,
25:55
all happiness to crown you.
25:57
God is an all satisfying good,
26:00
a good that fills the heart and quiets the soul.
26:02
He says,
26:03
in him,
26:04
in him,
26:05
I have all comforts and all delights,
26:08
all contentments,
26:10
no good below him.
26:12
Who is the greatest good and can only satisfy the soul.
26:15
A good wife,
26:16
a good child,
26:16
a good name,
26:18
a good estate,
26:18
a good friend cannot satisfy the soul.
26:21
These may please,
26:22
but they cannot satisfy.
26:24
It's like what he said.
26:25
And so the secret is having knowing Christ and having Christ dwell in us.
26:30
If you were here last week,
26:33
um,
26:34
you remember the analogy that I gave you from,
26:36
from,
26:37
uh,
26:37
that Burroughs used in his book.
26:39
He was saying that if you're sick,
26:42
like,
26:42
you naturally actually get cold,
26:44
like pretty easy.
26:45
So you get cold anyway.
26:47
Like,
26:48
if you really are sick,
26:49
you have to search from some kind of outside source,
26:51
outside source,
26:52
to make yourself warm.
26:54
A fire,
26:55
a warm coat,
26:56
and like,
26:56
you need those external things to make you warm,
26:59
because your body's sick.
27:00
Like,
27:00
but if your body is healthy,
27:03
like,
27:03
you can actually put cold clothes on,
27:05
and it warms the clothes up,
27:06
right?
27:06
It's like an inside out kind of thing.
27:09
And he's saying that if you really are healthy in Christ,
27:12
like,
27:12
you don't need these external things to make you joyful,
27:16
to make you content.
27:17
It's something that kind of happens from,
27:19
from within.
27:20
And so,
27:21
knowing Christ Jesus,
27:23
only in Christ is our true contentment found.
27:27
Um,
27:27
and even for the believer,
27:28
it's a battle.
27:29
But,
27:30
but we've experienced this.
27:32
So,
27:33
this leads us to the third point,
27:36
which is,
27:38
true contentment is sustained by God's power.
27:42
True contentment is sustained by God's power.
27:46
And then,
27:46
um,
27:47
verse 13,
27:48
back in chapter 4,
27:50
I can do all things through Him,
27:53
through Christ,
27:54
who strengthens me.
27:56
All right?
27:56
And this is that.
27:58
This is the coffee mug.
27:59
verse.
28:00
Um,
28:00
I've actually been to,
28:02
like,
28:02
a baseball game before,
28:03
where I saw,
28:04
like,
28:04
one guy had this verse,
28:06
this verse written,
28:07
like,
28:09
like,
28:09
on his,
28:10
on his,
28:10
you know,
28:11
with the paint they put on.
28:13
And,
28:13
it's just saying,
28:15
like,
28:15
I can win this baseball game
28:16
with the strength that Christ gives me
28:18
to win this baseball game.
28:19
And then,
28:21
I saw another guy on the team
28:22
that had painted,
28:23
like,
28:24
Romans,
28:24
Romans 8,
28:25
forgot the verse,
28:26
Romans 8,
28:28
if God is for me,
28:29
who can be against me?
28:30
Someone's gonna lose.
28:32
Like,
28:32
both can't win.
28:34
So,
28:35
and I've actually been around,
28:37
like,
28:37
seeing in Christian bookstores,
28:38
like,
28:39
the stuff plastered all over,
28:40
sports equipment and everything.
28:41
I'm just saying,
28:43
oh,
28:43
no,
28:44
like,
28:44
this verse is for the single mom
28:47
who works two jobs
28:48
and has three kids at home
28:51
and who feels like she's going to die
28:53
under the weight of what she's going through.
28:56
She can say,
28:57
I can do all things through Christ
28:59
who strengthens me.
29:00
That's for her,
29:01
not for these athletes
29:03
who want to swell their pride up
29:04
like Jesus is a means for me
29:05
to be winning glory in some sport.
29:09
It's not,
29:09
not a means.
29:11
So,
29:12
so,
29:13
um,
29:14
back to the verse.
29:16
That was what the verse doesn't mean.
29:18
Um,
29:19
so,
29:20
strength for lasting joy
29:21
and contentment
29:22
is found only in Christ.
29:24
The strength for lasting joy
29:26
and contentment.
29:27
So,
29:28
this same Greek word
29:29
for,
29:30
for contentment
29:31
is used by,
29:32
like,
29:33
the Greek Stoics,
29:34
the Roman Stoics,
29:35
but the philosophers,
29:36
I don't know if you know
29:36
anything about that,
29:38
but Stoics are people
29:39
who just say,
29:40
come what may,
29:41
no matter what happens,
29:42
I'm undaunted.
29:44
I'm going to continue
29:45
pursuing my whatever.
29:47
Like,
29:48
I'm this way.
29:49
And nothing can alter that.
29:50
It's kind of like a,
29:52
kind of like,
29:53
whatever comes,
29:54
I'm going to be that way.
29:55
And they would say that,
29:56
like,
29:56
I'm content.
29:57
I'm content.
29:58
But,
29:59
Paul is saying,
30:00
like,
30:02
eh,
30:02
not really the same way.
30:03
He's using this term
30:04
completely differently.
30:06
He says,
30:06
I can do all things
30:07
with Christ
30:07
who strengthens me.
30:10
So,
30:10
contentment in Christ
30:11
is going to be the result
30:12
of His strengthening you,
30:14
even as a believer.
30:16
So,
30:16
yeah.
30:18
So,
30:19
he's like,
30:19
I know what it's like
30:20
to be in financial poverty,
30:22
to be in unhealthiness,
30:23
loneliness,
30:24
whatever.
30:25
Christ will strengthen you.
30:26
He'll grant you
30:27
what you need
30:28
to have contentment and joy.
30:30
So,
30:32
let me see.
30:32
Sorry.
30:33
And this is something else
30:34
that Burroughs wrote,
30:36
just follow me.
30:37
He said,
30:37
a Christian finds satisfaction
30:39
in every circumstance
30:41
by getting strength
30:42
from another,
30:44
by going outside
30:45
of himself
30:46
to Christ Jesus.
30:48
By his faith
30:49
and acting upon Christ
30:50
and bringing the strength
30:52
of Christ
30:52
into his soul,
30:54
he is thereby
30:54
enabled to bear
30:56
whatever God lays on him
30:57
by the strength
30:58
that he finds
30:59
from Christ.
31:01
There is strength in Christ,
31:02
not only to sanctify
31:03
and save us,
31:04
but strength to support us
31:06
under all our burdens
31:07
and afflictions.
31:09
And Christ expects
31:10
that when
31:11
we are under any burden,
31:13
we should act
31:13
our faith upon him
31:15
to draw virtue
31:16
and strength.
31:17
Really good.
31:18
Like,
31:19
in Christ,
31:20
acting upon him
31:21
in faith
31:21
results in satisfaction
31:24
and contentment
31:24
no matter what.
31:26
And it comes from him.
31:27
It's something
31:27
that he supplies.
31:30
So,
31:31
application,
31:32
real fast.
31:34
And,
31:34
man,
31:35
there was so much
31:36
to say in this.
31:37
And so,
31:37
I was just trying to,
31:37
like,
31:37
I can't say that,
31:38
I can't say that,
31:38
I don't have time.
31:39
So,
31:40
getting into
31:41
a little bit
31:42
of application,
31:44
look back at the text
31:45
again in Philippians 4,
31:46
and you see Paul
31:47
uses a phrase twice.
31:49
He's like,
31:51
I've learned.
31:52
I've learned.
31:53
And,
31:55
he says that twice.
31:56
I've learned this.
31:58
I've learned to be content.
32:00
And he says,
32:02
learning something
32:04
does not come easy.
32:05
Like,
32:05
learning contentment
32:06
is not something
32:07
you can just read a book on
32:08
and you're squared.
32:09
Like,
32:10
it's something
32:11
that you've got to learn
32:12
through experience
32:13
that these other things
32:15
don't content,
32:15
so by letting down
32:17
by things,
32:18
but also actually
32:19
being able to find
32:20
contentment in Christ.
32:21
So,
32:23
so Paul,
32:24
you know,
32:24
he's not getting contentment
32:25
being in a dungeon cell.
32:27
Like,
32:27
he's not getting all this
32:28
stuff,
32:29
you know?
32:29
Like,
32:29
he,
32:30
he realizes that contentment
32:31
is something that he,
32:33
that has to come from within,
32:34
with Christ inside of him.
32:36
And so,
32:37
learning this is a discipline,
32:38
like learning contentment.
32:40
And,
32:41
so,
32:42
something else that will,
32:44
we'll talk about this
32:44
in the groups,
32:46
but,
32:47
cultivate thankfulness
32:49
in your life.
32:50
Like,
32:51
I mean,
32:51
I can talk for an hour
32:52
on thankfulness.
32:53
Like,
32:53
just cultivate thankfulness
32:55
in your life.
32:57
Charles Spurgeon said,
32:59
very simply,
33:01
he that deserves nothing
33:02
should be content
33:04
with anything.
33:06
It's pretty good.
33:07
And like,
33:08
all of us,
33:10
being like sinners
33:11
and rebels against God,
33:12
we don't deserve
33:13
one good thing.
33:15
Like,
33:16
like that's the weight
33:16
of your sin.
33:17
Like,
33:17
someone asked me,
33:19
one of my best friends,
33:20
actually,
33:20
who doesn't know the Lord.
33:22
He's my oldest friend.
33:24
I literally had pictures of like,
33:25
he and I as like babies together.
33:28
He says,
33:29
how,
33:29
how in the world
33:30
can you still love Christ
33:32
after all the stuff
33:33
that he's allowed
33:34
to happen to you?
33:36
And that's like,
33:36
what his response.
33:37
And this is,
33:38
this was kind of my response.
33:40
Like,
33:40
a true understanding
33:41
of the gospel
33:42
means like,
33:42
you don't deserve anything.
33:43
Not the air you breathe,
33:44
the food you eat,
33:46
the clothes you have,
33:47
nothing.
33:48
And,
33:48
it all is grace.
33:50
Like,
33:51
the unmerited,
33:52
undeserved
33:53
blessing
33:54
and favor of God.
33:56
And so,
33:57
like that's the very
33:58
foundational principle
33:59
of the gospel
33:59
is that you don't deserve anything.
34:02
And grace is getting something
34:04
that you don't deserve.
34:06
So,
34:07
learn to cultivate
34:08
thankfulness.
34:09
I think that
34:09
when we're dealing with
34:11
discontentment,
34:14
I think that often
34:15
is at the heart of it.
34:16
We've forgotten,
34:17
like,
34:18
who God is,
34:19
who we were,
34:21
and how much
34:21
he is like,
34:22
so richly lavished upon us.
34:25
Keep that in your mind.
34:26
Like,
34:26
learn to cultivate
34:27
thankfulness.
34:28
And,
34:29
just a little personal note
34:31
before we
34:31
break up
34:33
in the groups
34:35
that discuss some things.
34:37
So,
34:38
I'm just going to share
34:39
with you a little bit
34:40
about my
34:40
quest,
34:42
my search for
34:43
contentment
34:44
throughout my life.
34:46
And,
34:47
but if you had asked me
34:48
when I was 18,
34:50
what would make you content?
34:52
Like,
34:53
what would make you satisfied?
34:54
Like,
34:55
if only I had,
34:56
right,
34:57
question,
34:59
I would have probably
34:59
put two things in there.
35:00
I would have said,
35:01
good health
35:02
and
35:03
a wife.
35:05
That's probably
35:05
what I would have said.
35:06
Good health
35:07
and a wife,
35:07
a family.
35:09
And,
35:09
so,
35:10
then I'll be satisfied.
35:12
I would have said that
35:12
to you without hesitation.
35:14
So,
35:15
so,
35:15
if you don't know,
35:16
I have a,
35:17
a disease
35:19
called cystic fibrosis.
35:20
It's a,
35:21
a lung disease
35:22
that like,
35:23
produces abnormally thick
35:24
mucus in the lungs.
35:26
And,
35:27
around 30,000 people
35:29
in the U.S.
35:29
are infected with it.
35:30
and it kills
35:31
half of those
35:33
by age 30.
35:35
And so,
35:36
like,
35:37
I lost the ability
35:39
as I got older.
35:39
Like,
35:40
I lost the ability.
35:40
By the time I was
35:41
probably 16,
35:42
I hardly could do,
35:43
like,
35:44
a lot of the big
35:45
physical activities
35:46
that I,
35:46
I once did.
35:47
And,
35:47
but,
35:49
but,
35:50
playing sports,
35:52
lost that ability.
35:55
Like,
35:55
I didn't have the endurance
35:56
to keep playing things.
35:58
Although,
35:58
I was a pretty
35:59
decent,
36:00
maybe a little better
36:01
than average baseball player.
36:02
Like,
36:03
I couldn't,
36:03
like,
36:03
I didn't have the stamina
36:04
to do it.
36:05
Had the skill,
36:06
just not the stamina.
36:08
And,
36:09
I couldn't get out
36:10
and really go,
36:11
like,
36:11
hiking and do the things
36:12
I really enjoy,
36:13
like,
36:13
out in the mountains.
36:14
And so,
36:15
you know,
36:17
you just want to,
36:17
you just want to feel good
36:18
in life so you can,
36:19
so you can do a lot,
36:20
right?
36:21
And so,
36:21
like I really said,
36:22
if I only had good health,
36:24
like,
36:24
I would be content.
36:26
That's something I would,
36:27
I would say at that point.
36:29
And then the other one was,
36:30
you know,
36:31
a wife,
36:31
marriage.
36:32
It was a true desire
36:33
for companionship.
36:35
And I was,
36:36
so,
36:37
it was a real desire.
36:39
Still is,
36:39
but,
36:40
it's like,
36:42
the world told me,
36:44
you have to be married
36:45
to be a man.
36:46
That's like what I kind of
36:47
gathered.
36:48
And then I also learned
36:49
that sometimes,
36:51
you know,
36:52
well-intentioned people,
36:53
even in the church,
36:54
can almost indirectly
36:55
make you feel that way.
36:56
And,
36:57
I kind of grew up
36:58
in my big brother's shadow.
36:59
I have an older brother
37:00
named Lee,
37:01
and he's one of my
37:02
best friends.
37:03
He doesn't know the Lord.
37:06
And,
37:06
he was like the cool
37:09
older brother.
37:10
Like,
37:10
let me do everything
37:11
with him.
37:12
And if I ever had,
37:13
like,
37:13
an older guy
37:14
that was,
37:15
like,
37:15
picking on me,
37:16
I'd always be like,
37:17
bring it on,
37:17
man.
37:18
But,
37:18
like,
37:19
my brother would be like,
37:20
come and knock the guy out
37:21
kind of guy.
37:21
Like,
37:22
let my little brother alone.
37:23
You know,
37:24
he was,
37:25
we were pretty tight.
37:26
We did everything together.
37:28
And,
37:28
you know,
37:30
but my brother was also,
37:31
like,
37:33
a good looking dude.
37:34
He always got,
37:34
like,
37:35
the best looking girls.
37:36
Always was dating somebody.
37:39
He was a star athlete.
37:40
He got Gwinnett County
37:41
Pitcher of the Year
37:42
in baseball.
37:43
That's,
37:43
if you know anything
37:44
about Gwinnett County
37:44
baseball,
37:45
that's a pretty big achievement.
37:48
He got one,
37:49
one offer
37:49
for,
37:51
like,
37:51
minors,
37:52
but just didn't take it.
37:54
He started having
37:55
some throwing problems.
37:57
And,
37:57
and so,
37:57
like,
37:58
I just thought,
37:59
if I could
38:00
just get like that,
38:02
you know,
38:02
like,
38:02
if I could just have
38:03
these things,
38:05
like,
38:05
I'll be a man
38:06
and I'll have contentment.
38:08
And,
38:08
so,
38:11
guess what?
38:14
Since then,
38:15
like,
38:16
God has granted me
38:17
one of those things,
38:19
right?
38:20
He gave me
38:21
a lung transplant
38:22
almost five years ago.
38:24
So,
38:24
although my health
38:25
isn't,
38:26
probably not really
38:27
great compared
38:27
to a lot of you
38:28
in here,
38:28
like,
38:29
it's still,
38:29
like,
38:29
loads better
38:30
than it used to be.
38:31
Like,
38:32
I can do a lot now,
38:34
you know,
38:36
still with difficulty,
38:36
but I can get out
38:37
and do most things.
38:39
And,
38:39
so,
38:40
I have that.
38:41
Guess what?
38:42
I still struggle
38:43
with discontentment.
38:45
Like,
38:46
I'm still not
38:46
satisfied
38:48
with,
38:48
with just being able
38:50
to feel a little better.
38:52
So,
38:52
if that's true,
38:54
why in the world
38:55
would I think
38:55
that a wife
38:56
would bring me
38:57
contentment?
38:58
Like,
38:58
if that's,
38:59
if this is,
38:59
if I'm struggling now,
39:00
like,
39:01
what about this later?
39:02
And those of you
39:02
who are in here
39:03
who are single
39:03
and do desire
39:05
to be married
39:05
and that's like
39:06
you're filling
39:06
the blank thing,
39:08
like,
39:08
discontented single people
39:09
make discontented
39:10
married people.
39:10
Like,
39:11
you drag that,
39:11
like,
39:11
right into
39:12
your marriage.
39:15
So,
39:16
unless we have
39:17
Christ himself,
39:18
we'll remain that way.
39:19
Like,
39:20
he is what we
39:21
must battle
39:23
to be content in.
39:25
And when I say battle,
39:26
because there's all these
39:26
other voices telling you
39:27
that he's not what you need.
39:28
You need this.
39:30
And,
39:30
so,
39:32
it is a battle.
39:34
Jeremiah Burroughs,
39:35
I'm just going to start
39:36
calling him JB.
39:37
JB wrote,
39:38
it is not so much
39:40
the removing
39:41
of the affliction
39:42
that is upon us
39:43
as the changing
39:45
of the affliction,
39:47
okay,
39:47
so you got like
39:47
a present thing
39:48
bothering you,
39:49
it's not so much
39:50
like removing
39:51
that affliction,
39:52
but the metamorphosizing,
39:54
that's a big word for you,
39:57
of that affliction
39:57
so that
39:59
it is turned
40:01
and changed
40:01
into something else.
40:03
So,
40:03
you have some kind
40:04
of issue going on.
40:06
The,
40:06
the key to contentment
40:07
is not to,
40:08
to just remove it.
40:09
We just think,
40:10
if I just could get rid
40:11
of this
40:11
or just get this,
40:14
I'd be content.
40:15
But he's saying that
40:16
what you need to do
40:17
is take that same affliction
40:18
and like change it
40:19
into something else.
40:20
Like,
40:21
allow it to like
40:22
work for you
40:23
and not against you,
40:24
idea,
40:25
that,
40:25
that particular affliction
40:26
you've got.
40:28
And,
40:28
he actually talks about,
40:29
he quotes Martin Luther
40:31
in this book
40:31
and Martin Luther said
40:32
that Christians
40:33
have been given
40:35
an ability
40:37
by God
40:40
to create
40:40
as their,
40:42
their God
40:42
as their creator
40:43
so that,
40:44
now they can create
40:46
like light
40:47
out of darkness,
40:49
healing out of brokenness.
40:50
They can like
40:51
do things
40:51
with what they've been given
40:52
and create something
40:54
out of it.
40:55
So,
40:56
that's what he's saying.
40:58
So,
40:58
I'm not,
40:59
not,
40:59
not perfect at this,
41:01
but,
41:03
but I can honestly
41:04
say before you
41:05
without a lie
41:05
that I feel like
41:06
I've learned
41:06
to be content.
41:08
It's still a battle.
41:09
I still really,
41:10
really suck at it
41:11
sometimes,
41:12
but,
41:12
but I do think
41:13
that it's something
41:13
I've learned.
41:14
I've learned these
41:15
other things,
41:15
don't,
41:15
don't cut it.
41:17
And,
41:17
for instance though,
41:19
just,
41:20
I made a little list here.
41:22
Um,
41:23
in my sickness
41:24
and suffering,
41:25
I'm going to give you
41:25
like a list
41:26
of things I learned
41:27
in that present
41:29
circumstance
41:30
that I had
41:31
in my sickness
41:32
and suffering,
41:33
it made me thankful
41:33
for what help
41:34
I do have.
41:36
Um,
41:37
sickness and suffering,
41:38
um,
41:39
allowed me
41:40
to comfort others
41:43
with the comfort
41:43
that I've received
41:44
from Christ
41:44
in those hard situations.
41:47
And in my sickness
41:48
and suffering,
41:49
God has made me long
41:50
for eternity more
41:51
to be in heaven
41:53
with Him.
41:54
Like,
41:54
I'm sick of,
41:55
like when you're in pain,
41:56
like you're just like,
41:57
just get me out of here.
41:58
Like,
41:58
even when I got my transplant,
41:59
the guys in the back
42:01
can tell you,
42:01
like,
42:02
I remember telling them,
42:03
like,
42:04
death is great
42:05
because it takes us
42:06
to be with Christ,
42:07
but dying sucks.
42:08
That's what I told
42:08
Wes when I was like,
42:10
coming out of a surgery
42:11
and like,
42:13
but I gotta go through
42:14
dying twice now.
42:15
It's not fun.
42:16
So,
42:17
so my sickness
42:18
and suffering
42:18
taught me
42:19
to long more
42:20
for eternity.
42:21
In my sickness
42:22
and suffering also,
42:24
it really allowed me
42:25
to like read
42:26
and study doctrine
42:27
and scripture
42:28
like never before.
42:29
Like,
42:30
what was my seminary?
42:31
Being in the hospital.
42:33
Like,
42:33
when I got feeling better,
42:35
what would I do
42:35
in my time?
42:36
Like,
42:36
I would,
42:36
I would study.
42:37
Like,
42:37
I would read.
42:38
That's,
42:38
that's where I,
42:39
so it was a blessing.
42:40
That's where I had friends
42:40
that had like hardly
42:41
any time for that.
42:42
Like,
42:42
I already have 10 minutes
42:43
to read the word.
42:44
I'm like,
42:44
I had like three hours a day
42:46
to read the word
42:46
while I was in the hospital.
42:48
And so,
42:49
that's where I,
42:51
and there's no better place
42:52
to learn theology
42:53
than when you're suffering
42:53
because it has like
42:54
immediate application.
42:56
You know,
42:57
tell me about God's sovereignty.
42:58
Oh yeah,
42:59
tell me that.
43:00
Bam.
43:00
You know,
43:00
like right there
43:01
in,
43:02
in the heart.
43:03
So also,
43:04
in my sickness and suffering,
43:06
God taught me that
43:08
he's all I need
43:09
when I'm facing death.
43:11
It's real.
43:12
In sickness and suffering,
43:14
also,
43:15
when I lost control of myself
43:16
and I got angry with my friends
43:19
and my parents
43:19
who were trying to like
43:20
help me
43:21
and my weakness,
43:23
like his grace was sufficient
43:24
in those times.
43:28
In my sickness and suffering,
43:30
like,
43:31
I just learned
43:32
all these things.
43:33
So,
43:33
that was what I was dealt with,
43:34
right?
43:35
Like,
43:35
and through Christ in me,
43:37
I was able to like
43:38
create that
43:38
into something else
43:40
and use it for
43:41
something else.
43:43
So,
43:45
now,
43:45
like,
43:46
now,
43:47
talking about,
43:48
like,
43:48
singleness,
43:49
and my singleness
43:50
has taught me
43:51
that Christ
43:52
is the most kind,
43:54
faithful,
43:55
companion,
43:55
and friend
43:55
that anybody could have.
44:00
Let's see.
44:01
Also,
44:02
in singleness,
44:02
this allowed me
44:05
to mature
44:05
and be prepared,
44:08
mature as a man
44:09
in general.
44:10
As were before,
44:11
like,
44:11
I was nowhere near
44:12
ready to be married.
44:13
I almost
44:14
came close
44:15
to being engaged
44:16
to a girl
44:17
when I was 20.
44:19
And,
44:20
like,
44:20
I look back on that now
44:21
and I would have been like,
44:22
that would have been a disaster.
44:23
Like,
44:24
not just because the girl
44:25
was not the,
44:27
not the right girl,
44:28
but,
44:28
but also because
44:30
I had a lot
44:31
of growing up to do.
44:31
Like,
44:32
I had a lot of things
44:32
to learn.
44:33
It's about
44:33
being responsible
44:35
and being a man
44:36
that God has taught me.
44:37
And now,
44:38
if the Lord ever does
44:39
bring a wife,
44:40
I feel like I'm far ready,
44:41
far more ready now
44:42
than ever before.
44:44
Also,
44:44
in my singleness,
44:45
it's allowed me
44:46
to develop myself
44:47
to more study.
44:48
Like,
44:48
it's allowed me to,
44:50
like,
44:50
even the guys in the back
44:51
can tell you the families.
44:52
Like,
44:52
they do study,
44:53
but they have to,
44:53
like,
44:53
really fight for that time
44:55
because they have so many other,
44:57
they have to,
44:57
like,
44:58
honorable duties
44:58
attending their family.
45:01
Also,
45:01
in my singleness,
45:02
it's allowed me
45:04
more and more time
45:04
to minister
45:05
and serve others
45:06
that probably
45:07
I wouldn't have
45:08
if I was married.
45:10
So,
45:11
like,
45:11
until,
45:12
you know,
45:13
there's still a desire
45:14
I have,
45:15
but, like,
45:16
there's still a crisis
45:17
enough.
45:18
Like,
45:19
that's not going to make me
45:19
satisfied and content
45:20
at the end.
45:22
Flip to,
45:23
last place you're going to look,
45:25
flip to Psalm 73
45:27
real fast.
45:27
the bomb-diggity psalm
45:30
on contentment.
45:35
Psalm 73,
45:36
you can go to
45:37
verse 25.
45:43
Excuse me.
45:46
A little context.
45:47
This is not a psalm of David,
45:49
it's a psalm of Asaph,
45:51
one of David's chief musicians,
45:52
and,
45:53
and,
45:55
at the beginning,
45:55
he's like,
45:56
surely God has been good
45:57
to Israel.
45:59
He kind of mentions that.
46:01
So,
46:01
at the outset of the psalm,
46:02
he tells you that
46:03
God is good.
46:05
And then he says that,
46:06
but as for me,
46:06
like,
46:07
my feet had
46:07
nearly slipped,
46:09
I had nearly fallen.
46:10
He kind of tells you,
46:11
like,
46:11
he went through an experience
46:13
where he almost,
46:14
like,
46:15
wasn't able to confess
46:16
that God was good.
46:17
Like,
46:17
he was struggling.
46:18
So then he tells you
46:19
his situation.
46:22
And the situation was,
46:23
basically,
46:24
Lord,
46:25
why do I,
46:26
as a man who loves you
46:27
and has you in his life,
46:29
why does life just suck for me?
46:31
Like,
46:32
I have nothing I want.
46:35
Like,
46:35
I,
46:36
I,
46:36
I'm the one who,
46:37
like,
46:37
deals with all this hardship.
46:38
And then I look around,
46:40
and I see the wicked,
46:41
the people who hate you.
46:42
They're living,
46:43
like,
46:43
high on the hall.
46:44
They have all these things that,
46:45
that I want.
46:47
And,
46:48
what is going on with that?
46:49
Like,
46:50
why aren't you punishing them
46:51
and giving me what I want?
46:54
And so that's kind of his,
46:55
his attitude.
46:56
But then it says,
46:57
this is a little bit before,
46:58
verse 25,
47:00
like,
47:00
he,
47:01
that's what he believed
47:02
until,
47:02
like,
47:03
he went into the house of God,
47:04
until he went to worship the Lord
47:07
and put his mind on the Lord.
47:10
And then he said,
47:11
wow,
47:12
guess what?
47:12
The evil,
47:13
the wicked don't have anything.
47:14
Like,
47:15
they,
47:16
they're going to perish.
47:17
They're going to be judged.
47:18
Like,
47:19
like,
47:20
so they don't really have anything.
47:21
They're enjoying it now,
47:22
but,
47:22
like,
47:22
later on,
47:23
not so much.
47:24
And,
47:25
and don't let this fool you,
47:26
even though,
47:26
like,
47:27
some of your unbelieving friends
47:29
who constantly may even persecute you
47:30
or whatever,
47:32
and they,
47:33
they appear after they're really living
47:34
high on the hog.
47:36
Not really.
47:37
Like,
47:37
deep down,
47:38
they're like,
47:39
they don't,
47:40
they're not happy.
47:40
They're not,
47:41
they're not joyful.
47:42
They're not content.
47:43
They just try to,
47:43
like,
47:44
put on the show
47:44
as if they are
47:45
in those things.
47:47
And,
47:47
so,
47:49
so after he realized
47:50
that the wicked have nothing,
47:52
he realizes on the other side
47:54
that he has everything
47:55
in God.
47:58
And,
47:58
and this is like the overflow
48:00
of that.
48:01
Verse 25,
48:03
it says,
48:03
who am I in heaven
48:05
but you?
48:06
And there is nothing
48:07
on the earth
48:08
that I desire
48:09
besides you.
48:11
My flesh
48:12
and my heart
48:13
may fail.
48:14
So,
48:15
in other words,
48:15
he's going to struggle with this.
48:17
He's still going to be a battle for him.
48:19
But,
48:20
God is the strength
48:21
of my heart
48:22
and my portion
48:23
forever.
48:25
Portion means,
48:26
like,
48:27
what fills you
48:27
completely.
48:28
Not like a,
48:28
a portion of pizza
48:30
or a portion of pie.
48:31
It means,
48:32
like,
48:32
what fills you
48:33
completely,
48:34
your portion
48:34
forever.
48:37
For behold,
48:38
those who are far from you
48:40
shall perish.
48:42
You put an end
48:43
to everyone
48:44
who is unfaithful to you.
48:47
But for me,
48:47
it is good
48:48
to be nearer to God.
48:50
I have made the Lord
48:51
my God,
48:52
my refuge,
48:54
that I may tell
48:54
of all your works.
48:57
So,
48:57
a picture of,
48:58
like,
48:59
contentment there,
48:59
like the Lord
49:00
is my portion.
49:02
I need nothing else.
49:03
And so,
49:04
so God,
49:05
yeah,
49:05
like,
49:05
help us believe
49:06
that Christ is enough.
49:08
He is.
49:09
And,
49:10
and you know,
49:10
like,
49:10
just even look in your life
49:11
and you'll be able to,
49:12
like,
49:12
just trace all the evidence
49:13
that none of this junk
49:14
lines up.
49:15
It's not what satisfies.
49:18
It doesn't bring contentment.
49:19
Only found in Christ alone.
49:23
And so,
49:23
let me pray for us
49:24
and,
49:26
I don't know where Wes is,
49:27
but,
49:27
oh,
49:27
let's get his head down.
49:28
Wes can come up
49:29
and play a song.
49:33
Father,
49:33
we just want to
49:34
come before you
49:36
and confess that
49:37
even as
49:38
people who know you,
49:42
people that you brought
49:43
salvation to,
49:45
we still battle
49:47
with,
49:47
um,
49:48
with being content.
49:50
And,
49:50
we believe the lies
49:52
or we believe
49:54
if we just had
49:55
whatever
49:56
that we'd be content.
49:58
And,
49:59
but that's the lie.
50:01
It's,
50:02
contentment's only found
50:03
in what we've been given
50:05
in Christ,
50:05
in Him.
50:06
Nothing outside
50:07
of Christ.
50:09
Not something that Christ
50:09
even gives us.
50:11
Not even a good thing.
50:12
It's only found in Him.
50:14
One place
50:15
with a capital P
50:16
and it's Jesus.
50:17
And,
50:19
God,
50:19
I pray that we would just
50:20
believe that,
50:22
help us,
50:23
strengthen us
50:24
to believe that
50:24
we can do all things
50:26
through Him
50:26
who gives us strength.
50:28
And,
50:29
so,
50:29
Father,
50:30
may that be true of us
50:32
and may You work
50:34
in our hearts
50:35
and as we respond
50:36
just in singing,
50:37
may it be a way
50:38
just to further
50:40
draw near to You,
50:43
Lord,
50:43
and in our discussion
50:44
groups later.
50:45
I pray all this
50:47
in Christ's name.
50:49
Amen.