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Sunday Night
July 4th 2004
The Book of Hebrews
Subject: “ The Rare Acheivement of Contentment”
Text: Hebrews 13:5
Intro: In the Bible there are so many commands for the child of God that it seems almost impossible to ever acheive them. With that being so, many of them, are not as difficult as we think. This one that is before us tonight is one of those duties and commands of the LORD that we can acheive if we by God’s help make it a determination in our life.
“CONTEMENT IS A LEARNED STATE”
Paul was writing his letter to the Phillipians and in he addresses this matter of learning contentment. So it is a learned state. Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.
Accourding to this verse he has acheived it. The next verse tells as much. Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
What this is telling us, in life there is seasons of want and seasons of prosperity. He found this to be true and so have I. Many of us here tonight if not all of us live in a state of prosperity, we seem to happy in that, would be happy in poverty.
In our text.. Note that he says “let your conversation be without covetousness” this is not talking about speech, it means let your life stand out as a life that is not filled with coveting things that don’t belong or have a place in your life.
I.. “ THE NATURE OF CONTENTMENT”
When we think of contentment
1st. We must believe that it is a heart thing. That it comes from within same place coveting comes from. All intentions start in the heart. David said: Psalm 62:1 To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him [cometh] my salvation.
This does not mean that we cannot make our petition known to GOD, neither does it mean that we cannot have a desire for things, but it does mean that in the present condition that we are in that our hearts should be quite.
Contentment is opposed to:
(1.) It is opposed to murmuring...
Moses told the children of Israel: Exodus 16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what [are] we, that ye murmur against us?
1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
(2.) It is opposed to freting:
Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. This word Fret means not to become angry over your situation.
(3.) It is opposed to heart’s being distracted from our christian duties:
The cares of this life will choke the word of God right out of you. Our Lord said these words to us and we need to start obeying him: Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.
The Apostle Peter said: 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
(4.) It is likewise opposed to discouragement:
The greatest Christian is subject to falling into discouragement, preachers, teachers, parents, all of us tonight at one time or another slip into discouragment. 1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers.
Are you discouraged tonight then you are not content, listen once again to the words of the LORD JESUS CHRIST concerning this very thing. John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
It is those tribulations in life that will work patience in us. I have been put though this so many times in my life and have failed most of the test, but recently in the last few years I have learned to control my emotion some what better.
2nd. WE must believe that it is the grace of God flowing in our souls:
We all like the grace of God when it comes to salvation, but care to much about God’s grace in our learning of how to be content.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
All of here tonight can lay claim to this verse in our lives. We are what God has made us by his grace, we can no more or no less. He credits GOD with everything. His life, his ministry. A prayer that we should pray is GOD help me to claim this verse and then use it in my daily walk with you .
Not his continued statement to the church at Corinth: 2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
It is by his grace and through his grace that we stand: 1 Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
We are still talking about the nature of contentment, so stay with me.
3rd. It is freely submitting ourselves to the Lord:
There is no question that those who posses contentment will no doubt have a soul that is ready to submitt to the LORD. James said: James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
a. Submitting to the Lord takes faith:
b. Submitting to the Lord takes courage:
c. Submitting to the Lord takes prayer:
d.Submitting tot he Lord submitts to the soveringty of the Lord:
The Lord Jesus Christ is the great example as well as other in the Bible. When faced with dying for our sins in his garden seen he prayed three times. “Not my will be done but thine” How do I know if I am submitting to the LORD? When you are content with what is going on in your life. Help me LORD TO DO THIS.
Proverbs 15:6 In the house of the righteous [is] much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
We as Christians, we as a church need not fret, we need not complain about our lot in life or the lot of this church. We are God’s and he has a right to do with us as he pleases, and let me take it a step further he will do as he pleases.
II.. “THERE IS A MYSTERY TO CONTENTMENT”
Jerimiah Burrougs who live over 300 yrs ago said “ one who is contented in a christian way that he is the most contented man in the world; the most unsatified man in the world.
What he meant is that this christian can never be satisfied with the world. How true that is. We have definitley learned that. Paul said: 1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. Note what proceeds contentment, it is a Christ like life.
Philippians 4:7-9 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
He gives us a catolog of things that will enhance our contentment: what are they?
A. The peace of GOD.
B. True things
c. Honets things
d. Just things
e. pure things
f. virtous things
What God demands out of us he provides the necessary thing to sustain us in it and help us with it in our life. One of the things that we must learn, that Christian contement will be had by the earnest Christain not when he adds world things to his or her life but when you subtract the things of this world.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
It is definetly God’s will for us to be content with such things as we have, and not to fret about our life all the time. In one of the Psalms of David he said these words: Psalm 47:4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
If we but believe this we would be happier, and we would be content with such things as we have. Don’t missunderstand this, contentment does not mean that your cannot have things in life, but does mean that they cannot consume youa nd I.
III. “HOW DOES THE LORD TEACH US CONTENTMENT?”
1ST. Chrit teaches us contement by teaching self denial:
Matthew 16:24-25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
When we learn that we are nothing and that Christ is all, then we shall be able to experience this rare jewel of Christian contentment. Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
John the Baptist said: “I am not worthy to bear his shoes”
The Centurion said: “ I am not worthy for you to come into my house”
Just remember that Christ said without me ye can do nothing, does not mean you can do somethings, it means you can do nothing. The worth of a human is less than nothing unless GOD makes him something. If we were to perish it would be no great lose, that is hard to swallow as a human isn’t it. After all GOD needs me, jsut think what would happen if I was not here? Life would go on.
We must have this kind of attitude and we will have it if we are content with the LORD and what he gives us in life. Not to God am I speaking but rather to ourselves. God loves us, keeps us, provides for us, directs us, gives us peace, and many more things.
2nd. Christ teaches us contentment by focuses on spiritual things:
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Paul knew something of this lesson when he said these words: Colossians 3:1-3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
3rd. He teaches us contentment by being willing to die for our sins:
He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem: When he was before Pilate he opened not his mouth. He did not cry or fret, or say you are treating me wrong I have done nothing. He submitted himself to the will of GOD his father.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: