["Pomp and Circumstance"]
You
Good morning and welcome to Verity Baptist Church's finder see singer songbooks
Turn to song two hundred and sixty three song number two six three
Verily verily two hundred and sixty three. Let's sing it out on the first
Oh, what a savior that he died for me
From condemnation he had made me free
Me
Two hundred and sixty three on the second
All my indebtedness by him was paid all who believe on in the lord have said
Oh
and message every child of God at everlasting light.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, verily, verily,
message ever new, me that believeth on this sun-tier's
truth at everlasting light.
Sing it out on the last.
Though all are worthy, then I will not doubt,
for in the coming we will not cast out.
Be thou fooled with all the goodness shall,
at everlasting light.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, verily, verily,
message ever new, me that believeth on this sun-tier's
truth at everlasting light.
Amen.
We want to welcome you to Verity Baptist Church this morning.
We're glad you're with us.
Let's go ahead and begin the service with a word of prayer.
Let's bow our heads together.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we do thank you for allowing us
to gather together on a Sunday morning.
We pray that you bless this service,
the singing, the preaching, the fellowship, Lord.
We pray that it would all bring honor and glory to your name.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Turn to Psalm 379.
Psalm 379.
Bringing in the sheaves, 379.
Let's sing it out on the first.
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
sowing in the noontide and the tewy leaf,
waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping,
we shall come rejoicing.
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing.
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing,
bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
clearing neither clouds nor winter's chilly breeze,
by and by the harvest and the labor ended,
we shall come rejoicing.
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing,
bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing,
bringing in the sheaves.
Let's sing it out on the last.
Going forth with weeping, sowing for the master,
though the lost sustain our spirit often breathes,
when our weeping's over, we will give a smile come,
we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Good singing.
Amen. All right. Well, let's go ahead and take our bulletins this morning.
We'll look at some announcements this morning.
If you did not get a bulletin on your way in, just raise your hand
and one of our ushers can get one for you.
If you need a bulletin this morning, just put your hand up
and we will get one for you.
The verse this week, Hebrews 13 five,
let your conversation be without covetousness
and be content with such things as you have,
for he had said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
And that's a good verse there. We like that.
If you open up your bulletin, you'll see our service time,
Sunday morning service 10 30 a.m.
We're glad you're with us on Sunday morning on the Lord's day for church.
We do invite you to be back tonight for the evening service.
The evening service is different than the morning service,
different songs that are sung, different sermon that's preached.
Just one more opportunity to be in God's house
with God's people under the preaching of the word of God.
And then, of course, on Wednesday night,
we invite you to be with us for our Bible study.
And we are going through the Book of Job.
And we are in Chapter 41.
We're almost done with the Book of Job.
And this week we're going to be looking at the chapter dealing with Leviathan.
And we're going to continue the dinosaur talk from last week
and fire breathing dragons and all those things the Bible mentions.
We think you'll find it interesting.
So we encourage you to be with us on Wednesday night for that.
And then, of course, we have our sowing time Saturday morning,
churchwide sowing at 10 a.m..
And then we have additional sowing times on Thursdays and on Sundays at 2 p.m..
We'd love for you to join us for soul winning this afternoon if you are interested.
And, of course, if you're a first time guest, we're glad you're with us.
We have a gift we'd like to give you as you walk out of the church building this morning,
either through the main foyer or through our secondary foyer,
you'll see a little table set up.
And on that table, you'll see these little gift bags.
Please grab one on your way out as a gift from us to you for being our guest this morning.
There are several resources in this bag that we'd like you to have.
But the one I like to highlight is this documentary.
It's called Being Baptist.
It's a documentary that our church made.
It's very well made, very interesting.
We want to give this to you as a gift.
So please make sure you grab one on your way out as a gift from us to you.
And if you are a guest, we'd ask that you please take a moment and fill out the communication card,
which is inserted in your bulletin.
And if you need a pen, just raise your hand.
One of our ushers can bring you by a Verity Baptist Church pen.
We're not going to do anything weird with your info.
We just want a record of your attendance.
We actually want to be a blessing to you, but we need your information to do that.
So if you wouldn't mind filling out the form.
When we're done with the announcement, we're going to sing a song.
When we're done singing, we're going to receive the offering.
And as the offering plate goes by, you can drop this card in the offering plate,
or you can hand it to me at the end of the service.
I'll be standing at the main door greeting people on the way out.
And then, of course, we are a family integrated church.
Children and infants are always welcome in the service.
We don't separate children from their parents for any reason.
We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience.
All of the rooms have comfortable seating.
They have monitors set up so you can watch the service and listen to it.
If you're not sure where the mother-baby rooms are, you can look at the back of the bulletin.
You'll see a layout of the church building.
You'll see where the mother-baby rooms are, where the daddy room is, where all the restrooms are.
So please make sure you use those rooms if you have a child that's been distracting during the service.
So if you need some privacy, we encourage you to use that.
If you're here this morning and you need to be baptized, let us know.
All you have to do is at the end of the service, after the preaching, when we're singing the last song,
if you step out that door, one of our staff guys will meet you there,
and we'll get you situated for baptism this morning.
If you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course, on Sunday mornings,
we're going through a series called Rejoice.
It's a verse-by-verse study through the book of Philippians.
We've got two sermons left, and we'll finish preach verse-by-verse through this entire book on Sunday mornings.
So we're glad you're here for that.
And then we've got some things going on tonight I want you to know about.
First of all, if you could help, after the evening service,
we could use some volunteers to help us assemble family and friend-day mailers for our upcoming church's anniversary.
I think we've got like 8,000 mailers we're sending out,
and we always send out a lot of mailers during big days and things like that,
but especially right now, of course, the smoke affecting our soul and all that,
these mailers are going to be a little more important than usual
as far as being able to reach people or let people know about our big day.
So if you could help us after the evening service in the fellowship hall,
there's going to be an assembly line,
and if you could help us just knock out as many of those as possible, we would appreciate that.
And then also tonight, after the evening service,
we have something special going on for the kids,
and of course my wife wrote a children's book called The Adventures of a Herb Meyer,
and tonight we have these little sticker pages we're going to give out to all of the children from the characters of the book.
So all the kids in the service tonight will get a sticker page,
and then we'll also have the Herb Meyer puppet here tonight
so that the kids can take a picture with Herb if they'd like.
So just be aware of that tonight.
After the service, we have volunteers in the fellowship hall,
and then we'll also have the stickers and the pictures with Herb.
Also, we want you to be aware of next Sunday night,
we're planning on having our Safety is of the Lord service,
and if you remember, we postponed this from several weeks ago,
but on this special evening, we're going to go over some procedures for what to do in case of an emergency.
I'll be preaching a sermon called Safeties of the Lord, not kind of in connection with the training,
and we're also going to have a potluck after the service,
so just make a plan for next Sunday night potluck.
If you can, bring a dish to share, and we would appreciate that.
We'll have a good time with that.
And then, of course, we have our Family and Friend Day stuff coming up.
We've got a soul-winning push the weekend before Family and Friend Day.
If you can help us, three days, Thursday, September 9th at 2 p.m., Friday, September 10th at 6 p.m.,
and Saturday, September 11th at 10 a.m.,
if you can help us with a soul-winning push on those days,
we would appreciate it.
If you can come to one, two, or all of those, that would be great.
Want to just get one last push before our Family and Friend Day,
and then, of course, Family and Friend Day is on Sunday, September 12th at 1030 a.m.
Our church will be celebrating 11 years of ministry,
and we're going to have a special gift for every family in attendance.
We'll be giving out the anniversary mugs that we give out every year.
We'll have candy suckers for all of the children.
We're going to have lunch after the service for you, and the choir will be singing.
We're going to start a brand-new series, so it's going to be a great day.
We encourage you to be with us for Family and Friend Day.
And then, of course, our choir practice, they're practicing tonight,
choir and orchestra for Family and Friend Day at 5 p.m.
Upcoming cleaning crew, if you can check your name, we appreciate your faithfulness there.
Homeschool group, they've got P.E. class on September 2nd.
Please don't forget to turn your cell phones off or place them on silent during the service
so that they're not a distraction to anybody.
If you look at the back of the bulletin, birthdays and anniversaries for the month of August.
We have several birthdays coming up this week.
Tomorrow is Brother Vladi Vukulcik's birthday on August 30th.
And on the 31st, we have Brother Fred Ramirez's birthday,
Brother V.J. Nathan's birthday, and Miss Docma Holiday's birthday, all on the 31st.
So happy birthday to all of those.
Praise Report, Money Matters, all those things are there for you to look at.
I think that's it for all of the announcements.
So let's go ahead and we're going to take the chorus of the week and we're going to sing I Stand Amazed.
I think it's been a while since we've sang this one, so if you don't know it, let's learn it together.
It's the kind of song you have to sing on purpose, all right?
Passionately sing it on the first.
When I examine that old rugged cross, the mighty hope it's fed.
It reaches down to the brains of hell, to heaven's golden stand.
I stand amazed, I stand amazed, of the love that has sought me, saved me and bought me.
I stand amazed.
Good, sing it out on the second.
When I imagine in glory a day, when all of heaven stood still.
As God incarnate, the Savior of heaven died upon Calvary Hill.
I stand amazed, I stand amazed, of the love that has sought me, saved me and bought me.
I stand amazed.
Good singing.
We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time.
And let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we do come to you this morning asking that you bless the offering.
Lord, we thank you for all those who support this ministry financially.
We pray that you bless the gift and the giver.
Lord, we pray that you bless the preaching of your word.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Philippians chapter 4.
The Bible reads,
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for,
my joy and crown,
so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
I beseech you ideas and beseech syncathy
that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
And I entrent thee also, true yoke fellow,
help those women which labored with me in the gospel,
with Clement also,
and with other my fellow laborers
whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men.
The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which path is all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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.
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.
But I rejoice in the Lord greatly,
that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again,
wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in what want,
for I have learned, in whatever state I am,
therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full
and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Notwithstanding ye have well done
that ye did communicate with my affliction.
Now, ye Philippians know also,
that in the beginning of the Gospel,
when I departed from Macedonia,
no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving,
but ye only.
For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
Not because I desire a gift,
but I desire a fruit that may abound to your account.
But I have all, and abound.
I am full, having received the Baphroditus,
the things which were sent from you,
an odor of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable,
well pleasing to God.
But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus.
The brethren which are with me greet you.
All the saints salute you.
Chiefly, they are of the household, of Caesar's household.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Let's pray.
Lord God Almighty, thank you for this day
and for allowing us to gather together.
Please bless the message.
Bless, Pastor.
Let it bring glory to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Amen.
All right, well we find ourselves there in Philippians chapter number four.
And of course, through the summer, we end into going into the fall.
We've been going through the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings,
verse by verse, chapter by chapter, in a series called Rejoice.
And we've been looking at this book and learning about it.
The apostle Paul wrote this book, if you remember, from prison.
And he's been teaching the church at Philippi how to have joy and how to rejoice.
And last week, we looked at this idea of how to rejoice in the Lord
and how to find our joy in the Lord.
This morning, we're going to look at this idea of how to be content.
And this is something that the apostle Paul brings up in this passage.
In fact, Philippians chapter four is well known for this idea of contentment.
If you look at verse 10, the Bible says,
But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me
hath flourished again, when you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity.
Verse 11, Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Contentment is defined as a state of satisfaction.
It is a state in which you are not only in need of anything,
you're not in need of anything, but you're not in want or desire of anything.
When someone is content, when you find yourself content, you are satisfied.
And to have contentment is something that we all want,
whether consciously or subconsciously.
It's something that we all strive for.
It's something that everybody wants in their life is to have contentment, to be satisfied.
However, how to get contentment is something that is a misunderstanding.
We often think by our worldly perspective and in our flesh
that if we can just get the things we want, we will be satisfied, we will be content.
That's a lie of the devil.
The truth is that contentment does not come that way, and the Apostle Paul understands that.
And what he does in this passage, he gives us three steps to find contentment,
how to be content in life.
There's three steps, three ideas that he gives us in this passage,
and I want to give those to you this morning.
I'd encourage you to write these down on the back of the course of the week.
There's a place for you to take some notes.
And of course, the purpose of you taking notes in church is twofold.
One, so that you can review this yourself.
And secondly, so that you can teach it to others, so that you can help other people.
Because I'm here to tell you we live in a world today that is discontented.
There are people you work with.
There are people you live around.
There are people you're surrounded with and you're related to that are not content in life.
They are discontented, and they are seeking for contentment in the wrong way, in the wrong avenue.
And I want to give you three biblical steps for contentment,
and I would definitely encourage you to write these down.
First of all, I want you to notice that in verse number 11, notice what the Apostle Paul says.
He says this,
Not that I speak in respect of want.
The word want means to have a need or to have a desire.
And the Apostle Paul says, there's nothing that I want.
He says, there's nothing that I desire.
There's nothing that I'm lacking.
He says, I want to speak to you on the subject of contentment.
He said, I've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.
And then he gives us the first step there.
And if you're taking notes, I'd encourage you to write this down.
Step number one, to have contentment, we must stop coveting.
We must stop wanting.
We must stop desiring.
Because the truth is this, and here's a statement for you to go with the statement.
You cannot be content while coveting.
And this is why the Apostle Paul, he says, not that I speak in respect of want.
Now keep your place there in Philippians, that's our text for this morning.
And go with me if you would to the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter number 13.
If you're in Philippians, you've got the books of Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews.
Find the book of Hebrews and then do me a favor, put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there.
Because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it.
So I'd like you to be able to get there quickly.
Hebrews chapter 13, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews.
Let me define the word covet or covetousness for you.
The word covet is defined as to have a want or desire.
This is why the Apostle Paul said, not that I speak in respect of want.
He says there's nothing I'm lacking.
The word want means two different things.
It's something that I desire and something that I'm lacking.
Now usually what we desire is a desire that we have because of a perceived lack.
We perceive that we're lacking something, so therefore we want something.
And Paul says, I don't speak in respect of want.
I don't perceive that there's anything that I'm lacking, therefore there is nothing that I desire.
There is nothing that I want.
And the first step to being able to have contentment in your life is for you to stop coveting.
Or you could use the word to stop craving, to stop wanting, to stop desiring.
Why? Because you cannot be content while you are coveting.
You can't be content while you are craving, while you're desiring, while you're wanting something that you don't have.
See, coveting is the opposite of contentment.
You're there in Hebrews chapter 13. Look at verse 5.
Hebrews 13 verse 5. The Bible says this,
The word conversation is a word we saw earlier in the book of Philippians.
It means conduct or behavior. It's a reference to your lifestyle.
Let your conversation, notice these words, be without covetousness.
And again, the word covet means to want, to desire something that you don't have.
He says, look, your lifestyle, your conduct, your way of life ought to be without covetousness.
Then he says this, and be content.
The word content means to be satisfied. It means to not have a desire for anything.
He says, be content with such things as ye have.
He says, look, you need to, here's what the world teaches.
And the idea from the world or from our human nature is there are some things that I desire.
There are some things that I perceive as a lack that I don't have.
Therefore, I want them, and once I have them, then I'll be content.
The problem with that is that you're always going to want more.
There's no end to your want. There's no end to my want.
There's no end to our desire. The Bible says that the eye is never full, the ear is never full.
There's always more we want. There's always more we desire.
There's always something nicer, something shinier, something newer.
And the apostle Paul says, let me let you in on a secret.
You want to know what it means to be content? You want to know how people that are content get there?
They learn to be content. They learn to be satisfied with such things as they have.
He says, they learn to not want. They learn to be happy with what they have.
He says, you must not covet.
Now there are some things that lead us to covetousness.
And if we're going to be covetousness in order to be content, then we must learn these things.
The first is this. Go back to Philippians. Keep your place there in Hebrews if you would.
Go back to Philippians. And Paul already brought this up in Philippians chapter 2.
I want you to notice it. Keep your place in Hebrews. Go back to Philippians chapter 2.
Things that lead to coveting and destroy contentment.
There's really two things that lead us to covet and to not be content.
The first is complaining. Philippians 2, look at verse 14. Notice what the Apostle Paul says.
He says, do all things. Do all things. I want you to notice that word all. That's everything.
All things without murmurings and disputings. The word murmur means to complain.
It's when you're kind of grumbling underneath your breath, you know, and your boss tells you to do something.
Why is the guy telling me to do it? Why can't he tell somebody else to do it?
This idea of murmurings and complaining. Paul says, do all things without murmurings and disputings.
See, the truth is this. You cannot be content until you quit coveting.
And you cannot quit coveting until you quit complaining.
You've got to make it a rule in your life that you'll not complain anymore about whatever it is that you're unhappy with.
Why? Because the Bible says we have to do all things without murmurings.
And the truth of the matter is this. Go back, go to Numbers if you would.
Numbers chapter number 11 towards the Old Testament. Towards the beginning of the Old Testament you have Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers.
Numbers chapter number 11. And let me just show you this verse. Verse number 1.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Numbers chapter number 11 and verse 1.
Here's the truth. All complaining is a complaint against God.
Numbers chapter 11. Look at verse 1.
And when the people complain, now I don't have time to develop the story for you, but if you were to look at the context and if you were to ask the people,
you ask them, what are you complaining about? They would tell you, we are complaining about Moses.
Moses is the leader that brought us here. He's the leader that brought us to the desert.
He's the leader that has failed to give us the things we want.
If you were to ask them, who are you complaining about? They would say, we're complaining about Moses.
They would say, we're complaining about Aaron. They would say, we're complaining about the manna.
They would say, we're complaining about the fact that we lack cucumbers and garlic and all this food that we want and we used to have in Egypt.
And this is what the people would say. And by the way, if we were to ask you, what are you complaining about?
You would say, I'm complaining about my husband. I'm complaining about my wife. I'm complaining about my children.
I'm complaining about my job. I'm complaining about my boss. I'm complaining about where I live.
I'm complaining about what I drive. I'm complaining about the clothes I wear.
But the truth is this, the Bible says in Numbers 11 and 1, and when the people complain, notice, it displeased the Lord.
And the Lord heard it. You say, now why would my complaining displease the Lord?
Why would God be listening to my complaining? And why would it displease him? Notice, and his anger was kindled.
And the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
You say, why would God be offended at my complaining of my situation? And here's why.
Because it is God who has brought you to the place where you are in life.
God's the one that gave you that wife. God's the one that gave you that husband.
God's the one that gave you that job. God's the one that gave you those children.
God's the one that gave you the health you have. God's the one that gave you the material goods you have.
And when we complain about anything, it is a complaint against God.
God is the one who has brought you here.
And the Bible says that if they complained, they would have said, we're complaining about Moses.
We're complaining about manna. And God said, no, you're complaining about me.
And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord.
And the Lord heard it. And here's all I'm telling you. You'll never be content while you complain.
I don't want to be content. Quit complaining. Well, I'm complaining because I'm not content.
No, actually, you're not content because you're complaining.
We must quit complaining in order to be content.
The second thing that kills contentment because it feeds covetousness, not only complaining, but also comparing.
Go back to Philippians chapter 4. While you turn there, I'll just read to you from 2 Corinthians 10.
You go to Philippians 4. 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 12 says this.
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves.
But they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.
You will never be satisfied. You will never be content.
You will always feel like you're lacking, like you're wanting, like you're needing while you are constantly comparing.
Why? Because the Bible says that they that compare themselves among themselves are not wise.
Here's the thing. There is no win to the comparison game.
You can play the comparison game. You say, where's the comparison game played?
On Facebook, on Instagram, all over social media.
People are constantly showing you what they want to show you, what they want to show off.
They don't tell you the real life. They just show you, you know, what's been highly edited.
Highly altered in order to make you think that their life is awesome.
And here's the thing. You do the same thing. They do the same thing.
Everyone's just constantly comparing and no one's content. Why? Because there's no end to the comparison game.
It's not wise to compare. The Bible says that we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with them that commend themselves.
But they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves are not wise.
You will never be, look, here's what I'm saying. You say, I'd like to be content. Great.
You've got to quit coveting. Well, how do I do that? Quit complaining and quit comparing.
You'll never be content while you compare.
There's an author and public speaker who speaks on business and leadership by the name of Simon Sinek.
Actually, Brother Joel Usher is the one that told me about him and I purchased a book recently.
He says in one of his speeches, he gives this story where he was asked to speak at an education summit at both Apple and Microsoft.
Two companies that are competing against each other. He was asked to speak at an education summit for both in just a few months of each other.
He said he noticed as he sat there at these different conventions that he went to.
He went to the Microsoft convention and he would get up to speak and he was going to be the keynote speaker.
But before he spoke, throughout the day they had the different executives and leaders of the business get up and speak.
He said that 70% of the speeches that were given by the executives at this education summit for Microsoft,
70% of the content was directed at their competitor, Apple.
70% of the talk was about how we can beat Apple and Apple has this and we don't have it and Apple has that and we need to get it.
We need to beat Apple. We need to beat Apple and Apple this and Apple that.
Sometime later he went and spoke at the education summit for Apple and he noticed that when the leaders of the organization for Apple got up to speak,
he said 70% of the content was directed towards how Apple can get better and how we need to, we've done this but we can do better in this area.
We've accomplished this but we can do better in this area and we've got to get better here and we've got to get better at that.
The interesting thing is that in the marketplace Apple has consistently beat Microsoft.
When it comes to business success, revenues and any sort of way that you can figure out success in the business world,
Apple is beating Microsoft hands down every time.
The funny thing in the observation that Simon Sienik made is that Microsoft is playing the comparison game.
They're playing this way.
Apple, they're not worried about Microsoft, they're just playing this way.
And let me tell you something, the only way that you will ever win in life, see it's not wise to compare.
The only way that you'll ever win in life, the only way that you'll ever get to the place where you feel satisfied, where you feel content,
where you say we're not perfect, we've got things we've got to work on, right?
The apostle Paul already spoke to us about those things. He said, not that I've already attained, he said,
I know that I'm not already attained. He said, I press toward the mark.
But let me tell you something, in life you've got to play this game.
I'm trying to beat myself, I'm trying to get better, I'm trying to do better, I'm trying to be a better Christian,
I'm trying to be a better husband, I'm trying to be a better wife, I'm trying to be a better employee,
I'm trying to do better with my finances, do better with my health.
As long as you're playing this game, you'll never win.
Simon Sinek says that he was given a gift after the Microsoft event.
They'd given him some gadget that Microsoft had just put out and it was all fancy and all sorts of things,
some sort of a phone that you've probably never heard of because Microsoft isn't winning in the phone game.
And he said he pulled it out when he was in the taxi being driven, taken back to his hotel.
He was sitting with one of the main leaders there of Apple.
He pulled it out and he said, let me show you this thing that Microsoft gave me.
I spoke at their education summit, they gave me this game.
They started pulling it out and playing with it.
He said, it's way better than your iPhone.
And the guy looked over and said, I bet.
And the truth is this, that you will never succeed in life while you're constantly comparing yourself,
comparing yourself to your neighbors, comparing yourself to other church members, comparing yourself to your coworkers,
comparing yourself to whoever.
Look, there's no contentment in the comparison game.
All there is is coveting, complaining, comparing.
So Paul says, you want to be content?
You want to be satisfied?
He said, stop coveting.
And people say, no, no, I'm coveting because I'm not satisfied.
Paul would say, no, you're not satisfied because you're coveting.
You cannot be content while coveting.
And the things that will lead to coveting and destroy contentment is complaining and comparing.
Let me give you a second step.
Go back to Philippians chapter 4, if you would.
I said, number one, step one, stop coveting.
You cannot be content while coveting.
You think, I'll stop coveting when I'm content.
It doesn't work that way.
You'll never stop complaining if you don't make a choice to stop complaining.
You'll never stop comparing if you don't make a choice.
You'll never get to the place.
See, it doesn't matter how successful you get.
There will always be somebody who's better than you.
If you keep looking in that direction at the competition, someone will always be there.
So we have to run the race at a step before us.
We have to worry about us and our relationship with God.
Step one, stop coveting.
You cannot be content while coveting.
Step two, don't wait on your circumstances.
Don't wait on your circumstances.
You want to be content?
Quit waiting on your circumstances.
Here's a statement for you.
You cannot be content based on circumstances.
Contentment is not based off your circumstances.
Notice what the apostle Paul says.
Look at verse 11 again.
Not that I speak in respect of one.
He says, for I have learned.
Notice these words.
In whatsoever state I am.
I always like to make note, even the state of California.
In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Notice he says, I know both how to be abased.
The word abased means to be lowered, to not win, to not be given the prestige.
And I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry.
Both to abound and to suffer need.
He says, I can be content.
Paul says, I can be content everywhere and in all things.
Why?
And remember that Paul is writing from a prison cell.
Paul is under arrest at this point.
Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians and he's telling them,
let me show you how to have joy.
The word joy found multiple times throughout this book.
He said, let me show you how to rejoice.
The word rejoice found ten times in these four short chapters.
He's saying, let me show you how to be content.
Paul is sitting in prison and saying, let me introduce you to the satisfied life.
Say, Paul, how can you be content you're in prison?
And he would say, well, that's what you don't understand.
Contentment is not based off circumstances.
You cannot be content by the way.
When you base your contentment of circumstances.
This is, again, the idea.
The idea that people will say, they'll say, I'll be content when I get.
That's covetous.
I'll be content when this happens.
I'll be content when I get married.
I'll be content when I have children.
I'll be content when I get that job.
I'll be content when I get that raise.
I'll be content when I get that promotion.
I'll be content when I move into that neighborhood.
I'll be content when I drive that vehicle.
I'll be content when I get there, when I get here, when I do this, when I do that.
The problem with that is this, that contentment cannot be based off circumstances.
You cannot allow circumstances to determine your contentment and you say, why?
Here's why, two reasons.
Because your circumstances, go to Proverbs if you would, Proverbs chapter 27, open your
Bible just right in the center, you'll more than likely fall in the book of Psalms, right
after Psalms you have Proverbs.
Why will your circumstances never lead to contentment?
Here's why.
Your circumstances are relative and because you don't have any control over your circumstances.
Why will my circumstances ever bring contentment?
Because circumstances are relative.
You know what that means?
Your circumstances and how good or bad you perceive them to be are all in relativity
to some fixed end goal that is constantly changing.
And what do you mean?
Proverbs 27, look at verse 7, Proverbs 27 and verse 7.
Notice what the Bible says, the full soul, here we have an individual who's full, they're
not hungry, they've ate a lot, they're stuffed, the full soul loatheth in honeycomb.
Now a honeycomb is something that's sweet, that's good, it tastes good, but you grab
a honeycomb and you offer it to a full soul, someone who's stuffed and filled, they say,
ah, I couldn't eat another bite, ah.
The full soul loatheth in honeycomb.
Notice how your circumstances are relative.
But to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
Someone gets hungry enough, they not only think the honeycomb is sweet, any bitter thing
is sweet if you get hungry enough.
See if you're hungry, any bitter thing is sweet.
If you're full, even a honeycomb that is sweet, you loathe it.
What does this Proverb teach us?
It teaches us this, that our circumstances are relative, therefore our circumstances
cannot determine our contentment because our circumstances are relative to where we happen
to be in life because the full soul loatheth in honeycomb.
Every time I read that verse, I think of when I was in the Air Force and I went to boot
camp and you've heard me tell the story before, and let me just give this disclaimer, I went
to the Air Force, I'm not recommending it, okay, sometimes people hear me tell stories
and they go, oh, you think we should go in the Air, no, all right, no, you shouldn't
go in the military, but anyway, I did, and when I, I remember when I went to boot camp,
we flew into San Antonio, Texas, you've heard me tell the story before, and we got there
at 2 a.m. and they put us in this room and we were being processed in and paperwork and
whatever was being done, and they handed us all these sack lunches, just these brown bags
with food in them or whatever, and they've had a little sandwich and a little this and
that, and they had this little bag of cookies, and they were the type of cookies, I can't
remember what they're called or whatever, but I didn't like them, there's something
I didn't like, I remember opening it, I remember thinking to myself, man, it's going to be
a long eight weeks, maybe I should try to eat, you know, just everything just because,
you know, it's going to be a tough time, and I remember opening the cookies, eating one,
and I'm just like, oh, these cookies are nasty, I just ate half of one, just threw, threw
it away, ate half of the sandwich, threw it away, just, you know, if they would have gave
me Oreos, that would have been nice, but, you know, they gave me something else, and
I was like, oh, no, you know, I didn't want it. The funny thing is that we went through
boot camp and for eight weeks, you know, we were there and torture and whatever and all
those things, and the last week before we graduated, we were getting suited for our
dress blues for our graduation, they brought us into the same room, and they fed us the
same sack lunch, eight weeks later. Now, the difference was that now eight weeks had gone
by where I'd been starved, been tortured, been deprived of sleep, and I remember being
handed the exact same sack lunch with the exact same sandwich, the exact same cookies,
the exact same everything, and I devoured the entire thing. Not only did I devour the
entire thing, I was licking, I was licking the bag, you know, with the cookies, and I
was seeing if other people would let me lick their bag, you know. And here's all I'm saying,
all I'm telling you is this, that circumstances are relative. The full soul loaded in honeycomb,
but the hungry soul, to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet. And the truth is this,
that your life could get a lot better or it could get a lot worse, and your circumstances
are really not in your hands. Go to James chapter four if you would. If you kept your
place in Hebrews, remember I asked you to keep your place in Hebrews, right after Hebrews
you have the book of James, James chapter four, your circumstances are relative, so
you cannot allow your contentment to be based on your circumstances because your circumstances
first of all, you could change within your circumstances. I was full, now I'm not, I've
changed, that's relative, but not only that, not only are your circumstances relative,
which is why they cannot be the source of your contentment, you also have no control
or little to no control over your circumstances. James chapter four, look at verse thirteen.
James four and verse thirteen, the Bible says, go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow
we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. Here
we have James talking about someone who has a lot of plans and there's nothing wrong with
having plans as they're preparing, but they've made an assumption that they're going to do
certain things, they're going to go today or tomorrow, we'll go into such a city and
continue there a year and buy and sell and gain. Verse fourteen, whereas, the word whereas
means in contrast to the fact. Here's what James is saying, James is saying, you make
all these plans, you say I'm going to go there, I'm going to start this business, I'm going
to make this money, I'm going to go on this vacation, I'm going to do this, I'm going
to do that, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and
buy and sell and get gain. And then James says, whereas, he says those thoughts are
in contrast to the fact that ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away and James
is not against you planning and preparing and having goals, that's not the point. The
point is this, verse fifteen, for that ye ought to say, he said, the problem is not
that you say today or tomorrow we're going to go into such a city and continue there
a year and buy and sell and get gain. He said, nothing wrong with that, but what you should
add to that is this, for that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do
this or do that. The truth is this, you have very little to no control over your circumstances.
So the year begins and I sit down with the staff and we make all sorts of plans about
what we're going to do, how we're going to do it, the fact that we're going to pass
out ten thousand invitations to family and friend day in the next, in the six weeks leading
up to family and friend day and we're going to run this and we're going to run that program
and we're going to do this and we're going to do that. And then God allows coronavirus
or God allows the delta variant to resurge or God allows, God punishes us with a governor
Gavin Newsom that allows the fires to get out of control and put smoke in the whole
city and we don't go soul winning. You know, the point is this, you don't know what a day
will bring forth. You know not what shall be on tomorrow. You say, if I can just have
this and this and this, I'll be content, but you don't know that you can have this and
that. You don't know what a day will bring forth. Now you should make plans and we ought
to say if the Lord will we shall do this and if the Lord will we shall do that and
if the Lord allows then we will do the other, but our contentment cannot be connected to
our circumstances because I have no control over the circumstances and my circumstances
are relative. Waiting on getting all your ducks in a row, just, I'm not trying to hurt
your feelings, I'm just trying to help you out. It's never going to happen. They say,
people, I'm just going to get all my ducks in a row, I'm going to get all my ducks in
a row and then we're going to start going to church. No you're not. I'm going to get
all my ducks in a row and I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, I'm going to get
right with God, I'm going to go soul winning. Look, we call it getting ducks in a row and
that sounds nice. You know, it's more like herding cats. It's never going to happen.
There's always going to be something missing. There's always going to be a problem. There's
always going to be an issue. There's always going to be something that is not correct.
So Paul says, don't wait on your circumstances. You cannot be content based on your circumstances.
He says, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. He says, I know how to be abased
and I know how to abound everywhere and all things. He said, I'm instructed both to be
full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Why? Because I can be content.
He says, if I'm full, I can be content. If I'm hungry, I can be content. When I abound,
I can be content. If I suffer need, he says, wherein, he says, in all things, everywhere
and in all things, I can be content. Here's why. Because, Paul says, because my contentment
is not connected to my circumstances. Paul, you're sitting in prison. Yeah, but I'm content.
Say why? Well, step one, we must stop coveting. You cannot be content while coveting. Step
two, don't wait on your circumstances. You cannot be content based on your circumstances.
Step three, go back to Philippians chapter four if you would or I'm not sure if you're
there. Look at verse 11 again. Step three, make a choice. Here's the truth. You cannot
be content. Here's a statement for you. You cannot be content without making a choice.
Without making a choice to be content. And this is really probably the key to the entire
sermon. It is this, that contentment can be learned. Contentment can be chosen. Look again
at what Paul says, verse 11. Not that I speak in respect of Juan. Notice these words. For
I have learned. Oh, that must come natural to someone like Paul. No, Paul says, no, I
have to learn this. For I have learned. Now notice, he continues with this idea. For I
have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. What did you learn, Paul? Verse
12. I know. It didn't happen to me. I've learned. I have the knowledge. I know both
how to abase and I know how to abound everywhere and all things. Don't miss it. I am instructed.
Can somebody teach you how to be content? Yeah. Can you learn how to be content? Yeah.
Can you know how to be content? Yes. Why? Because contentment is a choice. You must
make a choice. You can learn to be content. You say, how could I learn to be content?
How can I just make a choice? How can I just decide? Go to the book of Luke if you go to
Luke chapter 12. Towards the beginning of the New Testament, you have Matthew, Mark,
Luke chapter 12. Let me give you a couple of quotes. Here's a quote. Being poor, think
about this. Being poor is not having too little. It's wanting more. People say, oh, I'm poor.
And when people say they're poor, usually what they mean is, I don't have, I don't have
what I think I should have. But here's the reality. Being poor is a state of mind. Being
poor, you say, who decides whether I'm rich or poor? The governor, the president, the
economy, the circumstances? Here's what's interesting. You know who decides whether
you're rich or poor? You do. Because being poor is a mentality. Being poor is a lack
is a desire. Being poor, when someone says, oh, I'm poor, or when they feel poor, or when
they think they're poor, being poor is not having too little, it's wanting more. See,
if you were just content with such things as you have, you wouldn't be poor. Some of
these people look at you and say, they might say, oh, you're poor. And I think to myself,
you know, you're telling something about yourself, because I'm fine. You must look
at you, that person is poor. Well, they might be poor mentally, and you might be poor mentally,
but if they're satisfied with what they have, they're not poor. Being poor, see, here's
another quote, satisfaction or contentment is not about the achieving of pleasure, but
about the lack of desire, the lack of craving. If you can, look, you say, how can I be content?
It's not about fulfilling the craving. What I want, I want this, I want that. If I can
feel it, I'll be content. Again, we've been talking about it. The problem with that is,
as soon as you feel it, as soon as you get it, they'll come out with another version.
They'll come out with something bigger, something better, something shinier, and then you'll
want that. Contentment is not filling the lack, it's getting rid of the lack altogether.
It's saying, not that I speak in respect of want, Paul would say, I'm not lacking anything.
I'm not in need of anything. You say, how can I get that? Well, you can learn contentment
by getting the right perspective. You said, the right perspective? Yes, the proper outlook
on the things that actually matter. See, the proper outlook on something will change, reframe.
The biblical word is renew your mind about what you actually need. See, you should get
a proper outlook about that which is temporal. Luke chapter 12, look at verse 15. Luke 12,
verse 15. Luke 12, 15, and he said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. We've been
talking about that, right? Covetousness? Covetousness is a lack of contentment. He said,
he said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. Notice, for a man's life consisted
not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. You know, there's more to life than
the things you have. There's more to life than the things we own. A man's life consists of not
in the abundance of the things which he possesses. I'm not going to take the time to go through it,
but he goes on and talks about the rich fool and he talks about the fact that he labored and he
he gathered all these things and then he died. And then here's what God says. Here's what Jesus
says. Jesus says, that's how it is to be rich in this world. But he said, you ought to be rich
towards God. Why? Because God, and what God represents is the eternal. When we get the
proper outlook of the temporal, when we get the proper outlook of the temporal, it helps us to
get the right perspective. It helps us to learn to be content. Go to 1 Timothy chapter 6, if you
kept your place in Hebrews, if you kept your place in Hebrews and you go backwards, you have Philemon,
Titus, 2 Timothy, 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy chapter 6. Going backwards from Hebrews, Philemon, Titus,
2 Timothy, 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy chapter 1, look at verse 6. And then do me a favor, just keep your
finger right there in 1 Timothy because we're going to come right back to it. 1 Timothy chapter 6,
verse 7. Here's a good perspective for you. For we brought nothing into this world and it
is certain we can carry nothing out. Here's what Paul is telling Timothy. Because you didn't bring
anything into this world and because you can't take anything with you out of this world, he says,
and having food and raiment, let us be their way of content. You're going to be content. If all you
have, if all you have, and look, God's not against blessings and I'm not against you being blessed
and we, God talks a lot about blessing and hard work and labor and success and all those things,
that's not the point. The point is not that you have more than food and raiment. The point is
this, if all you had was food and raiment, you could still be content. Let us be there with
content. Why? Because all those other things shouldn't matter. Why? Because we brought nothing
into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. Satisfaction or contentment
is not about achieving of pleasure. It's about a lack of desire. It's about a lack of want.
Keep your finger right there in 1 Timothy. Go back to Philippians chapter 4. Several years ago,
I was out soloing on a Thursday. My wife was at the church building with several ladies getting
something together for something, I don't remember, some event or whatever. It was supposed to be
something they were doing at our house but last minute so many ladies got involved. She changed
it and did it at the church building. She was here at the church building with the ladies and
several of the kids. I was soul winning and we got a call. I think it was Miss Cricket called
and said, there's all these cops outside of your house and we started getting all sorts of
reports from different people and I won't go into the story but some demon-possessed naked guy was
attacking our house and talking about he needed to see Pastor Jimenez and they're saying that
there was some gate to the other world or something. I don't know what he thought was in my
kitchen. I just told him it was a refrigerator but I don't know. He's attacking our house and I mean
the guy, I mean he's definitely demon-possessed. It took like three big cops. They had to
tase him. They had to wrestle him down, all this and that. I remember thinking to myself, the first
thing, and I'm not trying to tell you I'm ultra spiritual or whatever, I'm just telling you the truth, the
first thing that popped in my head, this guy's attacking your house, trying to break into your
house, the first thing that I thought in my head was this, everything of value is not in
that house right now because my wife and my kids were somewhere else. I thought if he breaks in the
house and what's he, you know, he's gonna pay my bills? There's nothing I want in that house.
There's nothing I need. The truth is this, that having food and raiment we can't be content. Why?
Because the material things, the material things are temporal. They're temporary. You say, I don't know,
it sounds a little, I mean it sounds real like spiritual and all these things but I don't think
that I can do this. I mean I don't think that I can actually find my contentment in something
other than the things I want. That's why the Apostle Paul, I think he knew that you and I
would think that way. So he adds this at the end of this little talk on contentment, verse 13,
Philippians 4 13, he says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. We like
to quote that verse. We quote that verse for everything and I think it's fine to quote that
verse for anything and everything. It's fine to take it out of its context and use it. I can't,
because the phrase itself can be applied in any direction. I can do all things through Christ
who strengtheneth me. There's nothing that God has asked you to do. There's nothing that God
requires of you that you can't. You say, I can't do that but you can do it through Christ. But I
want you to notice that the actual context of the phrase is about being content. Being content. I
know both how to be a base and I know how to abound everywhere and all things. I'm instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer neat. You say, I can't do that and Paul
says, yes you can because I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Go back
to verse 4 of Philippians 4. Philippians 4, you hear me say this a lot about Philippians. There's
lots of them but one of the most famous verses in Philippians. Rejoice in the Lord always and
again I say rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord is a phrase found throughout this book and I want you
to notice maybe you've missed this little word right in the center. Rejoice in the Lord. You
say, but all my circumstances are messed up. Yeah but you know who's not messed up? The Lord. But
all my ducks aren't in a row. Yeah but you know who has everything in a row? The Lord. In everything,
in all things, I can rejoice. I can be content when I rejoice in the Lord. Isn't this what Job
learned? Isn't this what we've been learning from the book of Job? Go back to 1st Timothy chapter 6.
Isn't that what Job said when Job said, the Lord gaveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name
of the Lord. Isn't that what Job meant when Job told his wife, when his wife said, why don't you
just curse God and die? And he said, so we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not evil? Here's
what he was saying. He said, I have learned both to abound and to be abased. He said, I can be
content because my contentment, Job would say, is found in the Lord. And when your contentment is
found in the Lord, you can, look, when your contentment is found in the Lord, you can find
yourself in a prison cell writing to a bunch of free people, telling them, it's okay, rejoice in
the Lord. Always. And again, I say, rejoice. 1st Timothy 6, look at verse 6, but godliness,
1st Timothy 6 says, but godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into this world.
It is certain we can carry nothing out. Having food and raiment, let us be there with content.
But godliness, he says, those things don't matter. Let me tell you what does matter. But godliness
with contentment is great gain. That's why I love those hymns we sing. When we sing things like,
only one life so soon shall pass, only what's done for Christ shall last. That's why those hymns are
true. When we say, when we sing, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glorious grace. Hebrews 13 5,
you don't have to turn there, I'll just read it for you. We've already seen it. I focused
in on the first part of the verse, but let me focus in on the second part. Let your conversation
be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have. The last part of the verse
says this, for he had said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. The he there is God. You
think, what do those two things have to do with each other? Let your conversation be without
covetousness and be content with such things as you have, for he had said, I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee. But they're connected because this is the truth. When I can find my
contentment in God, when I can rejoice in God, then I can be content with anything I have.
Contentment is not finally getting all that you want. Contentment is being satisfied with all that
you have. Psalm 23 verse one, you have to turn there. You know the verse. The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. When the Lord is your shepherd, the Bible says you can be without want. Remember
Paul said, not that I speak in respect of want. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter seven. We're going to
finish up right here. 1 Corinthians chapter seven, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1
Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter seven. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. One of the most
famous passages in all of the Bible, Psalm 23. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He guides,
he prepares, he protects, he does these things for us. When the Bible says the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. I just want you to understand that. It doesn't mean that because the Lord is
your shepherd, you're not going to have a desire. That requires a choice from you and from me. When
the Bible says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. What that phrase actually means is that
when the Lord is your shepherd, you will not have a need. You will not, you won't be lacking. When
the Lord is your shepherd, he'll give you everything you need. So when you realize that
the Lord is my shepherd, I mean hopefully you're saved this morning. Hopefully you're here in a
church like this because you're actually trying to walk with God and serve God. If you say the
Lord is my shepherd, then you can also say therefore he has given me everything I need.
What I have is what I need. The job I have is the job I need. The spouse I have is the spouse I
need. The children I have are the children I need. The health he's given me, even if he's given you
bad health, that's the health you need. He says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He's
given you what you need. And when you realize, when you have this perspective change and you
realize God has given me everything I need, so therefore I don't need anything else, then you
can say like the Apostle Paul, not that I speak in respect of one. I'm sure there was things Paul
wanted, but he says I don't need. I'm not in need because the Lord is my shepherd. See, if you want
to learn to be content, you must step one, stop coveting. You cannot be content while coveting.
Coveting is the opposite of contentment. And the things that feel coveting and destroy contentment
are complaining and comparing. Step two, don't wait on your circumstances. Your contentment
cannot be based off your circumstances. Why? Because your circumstances are relative and
because you have little to no control over your circumstances. Step three, you're going to be
content, you must make a choice. You cannot be content without making a choice. Contentment can
be learned and it can be learned by getting the proper perspective of that which is temporal,
that which is eternal, the things that actually matter. The truth is this, 1 Corinthians chapter 7,
let me, we'll finish right here. It is possible for you to be happy and content and satisfied
in whatever area you find yourself in. You say pastor, you don't understand. If you knew the guy
I was married to, if you knew the gal I was married to, if you knew the guy that I worked
for, if you knew the pastor that I have, you would understand why I can't be content. 1
Corinthians 7 verse 27. Here's what Paul says. Are thou bound unto a wife? That's called marriage,
by the way. You're bound. Are thou bound unto a wife? Here's what he says. Here's Paul says,
seek not to be loosed. I just need to get away from her. I just need to get away from him. We
just need a divorce. We need to separate. Are thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed.
Are thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. You know, the funny thing is one of the things
I find myself doing mostly in ministry is telling single people they don't need to be married to be
happy and telling married people they don't need to be single to be happy. Single people are,
hey, I'm just so depressed. I'm just so discouraged. If I could just marry her,
if I could just marry him, I'd be so happy. No, you wouldn't. You're not happy now,
and you're not going to be happy no matter who you marry, no matter where you live,
no matter what job you get, because the problem is not your circumstances. It's you. Are thou
bound? If I could just divorce him, if I could just divorce her, find myself a good man, find
myself a good woman, no, you'd still be you, and you're the problem. It's you.
Are thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Are thou loosed? Look, I'm not mad at you singles,
and I'm for you, and I want you to get married, and obviously something's going well because we're
doing like four weddings this fall, so I'm not, you know, same sermon all four, by the way,
just saying. That's what happens when you have four of them. I'm not mad at you, but I'm just
saying this. If you think, if you think, oh, I'm not happy now, but as soon as I marry him,
I'll be happy. You will not. You must learn to find your contentment in God. Are thou bound
unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Are thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. Look at
the context of this passage. Look at verse 18, same chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, 18. Is any man
called being circumcised? Here Paul's being kind of, he's using hyperbole. If you know what
circumcision is, it's not something you can undo. Once it's done, it's done. He says,
is any man called being circumcised? The word called, they're talking about you were called
to God. You got saved being circumcised. You became a follower of Jesus being circumcised.
He says, is any man called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Now you
can't become uncircumcised, but the point that he's saying is this. Don't think that just because
you got saved or you got called in a certain position, you would be happier if you, he says,
no. If you're called being circumcised, let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called
an uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. Here's what he's saying. The grass is always
greener on the other side. There's always something you can look at and say, well,
if I had that, if I had that, you wouldn't be happy. Look at verse 19, circumcision is nothing
and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. Verse 20, let every man
abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? Look, here's what
he's saying. He says, just be happy. Learn to be satisfied wherever you find yourself in life.
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant?
Care not for it. He said, he's talking to slaves. He's talking to servants and he's saying, were
you, you got saved? You became a follower of Jesus while being a slave? He says, care not for it.
Don't worry about it. He said, but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. And here's the point.
He's not saying if you were a slave and you could become free, you know, don't. Obviously,
if you can better yourself, do it. But be careful about thinking that chasing a dream is going to
make you happy. Art thou called being a servant? Care not for it. But if thou mayest be made free,
use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lord's free man.
Here, here's the interesting thing. God is the great equalizer. Notice what he says. He's talking
to people that are slaves, right? And he just told them like, you're a slave and you got saved,
and now you're thinking like, oh, if I could just be free, I could do so, do so much for God. He
says, yeah, care not for it. Then he says this, for he that is called in the Lord being a servant
is the Lord's free man. He said, if you were saved while a slave, he said, you know what? You are
free in the Lord. Then he says this, likewise also, he that is called being free is Christ's
servant. He said, what about the guy that was free and he got saved when he just became the
servant of Christ? Well, I was a servant when I got saved. Well, you just became free in Christ.
Here's the point. God is the great equalizer. God can make all things good. He can make all
things beautiful. Verse 23, ye are bought with a price, be not the servant of men. Verse 24,
here's the, here's the, the, the, the clutch of the whole thing. Brethren, let every man wherein
he is called therein abide with God. Say, I'm single and I want to be married. Praise the Lord.
I hope you get married. But if you never get married, if you never find that person, if you
never find the right guy or the right gal, you just learn to abide with God. If you never get
that job, if you never start that business, you never get that baby. Look, all I'm telling you
is this, that whenever we decide that I must have this, my wife is expecting our seventh child.
Something that people often say, and if you said this to us, I'm not picking on you. I don't even
know that anybody said this to us recently, but people have said this to us through the years.
You're having a boy or a girl, and we're like, oh, we don't know. And people say this, and I
understand what they mean by that. I'm not mad at them, and everybody says it, and if you said it,
I'm not picking on you. But people say, oh, it doesn't matter, as long as it's healthy,
as long as it's healthy. And I understand what they mean by that. What they mean by that is,
it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. We just want the baby to be healthy. I get that.
But whenever somebody says, as long as it's healthy, I always think to myself,
I never say this out loud, but I think to myself, and what if it's not? Because I can learn to be
content, even if it's not healthy. The truth is this, be careful about putting all these
expectations on God. As long as He gives me a baby, as long as I get married, as long as I get
that job, as long as I have a baby, as long as it's healthy. Look, be careful about all that,
and just realize this. Whatever God gives you, that's what you need. God has given me what I
need, and I don't need anything else. I can be content in God. Brethren, let every man wherein
he is called therein abide with God. You know what you need to do at that job? Look, you say,
I don't like that job. Get another job. Look for another job. I'm not saying for you to not get
another job, but I am saying this, while you're waiting on that other job, don't complain about
the job you have. Don't criticize the job you have. God gave you that job. Now, if you can be
free, be free. If you can get another job, get another job, but while you're waiting on that,
or while you're working towards that, don't complain about the job you have, and whatsoever
state you are, therein abide with God. You know, in that job, just abide with God. In your situation,
abide with God. You say, I'm not happy in my marriage. Abide in God, and you'll be happy
anywhere. I'm not happy with the health I have. I'm not happy with the circumstances I'm in. I'm
not happy with the financial situation I find myself in. I'm not happy with this. I'm not happy
with that. You can find your joy in God. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. So
Paul says, not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am their
way to be content. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you,
Lord, for your work. Thank you for the Apostle Paul in this passage of scripture. It's easy to
look down on the children of Israel and see them complaining and complaining over and over in the
wilderness, but the truth of the matter is that we're no better. We complain and we criticize,
and like Job, we will soon find out that the complaints are always against you. The criticism
is always against you because you're the one that put us in that situation. You're the one that gave
us that context, whatever it may be. Lord, I pray you'd help us to learn to be content. I know it's
difficult. It's easy to complain. It's easy to have wants and desires. Help us to learn from the
Apostle Paul to realize that we cannot be content while we're coveting. We cannot stop being
coveting until we quit complaining and quit comparing. Help us to realize that our
contentment cannot be based off our circumstances. Help us to realize that it's just a choice. We
must make a choice to rejoice in you, to abide with God, and we can learn like the Apostle Paul,
in whatsoever state I am, there was to be content. We love you. Help us to be satisfied. Help us to
bring joy to you and to find our joy in you. In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
We're gonna have Brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song. Just want to give you a couple
of reminders. First of all, tonight, don't forget tonight we're gonna have the special Herb Meyer
time for the kids. So all the kids in the service tonight are gonna get a little sticker page with
the stickers for the characters of Herb Meyer, and then we're also gonna have the puppet tonight,
so you can take pictures with Herb if you'd like, and if you can help us with volunteering in the
fellowship hall, we got mailers that need to be assembled if you could help us. Even if you can't
stay for the whole time but you just want to help for a little while, we would really appreciate
that. Then also want to remind you that not tonight, but next Sunday night, we're having our
Safeties of the Lord service, and we're gonna have a potluck after the service. Start brainstorming
of what you could bring. Bring a dish to share. We'll have a great time with that. If there's
anything that we can do for you, please let us know. We're always here for you. Of course, my
wife and I are available to talk with you or pray with you or whatever you need. We'll have Brother
Matt come up and lead us in a final song.
Turn to song 248. Song number 248. 248. Let's sing it out on the first.
Jesus, my Lord, will love me forever. From Him no power of evil can sever. He gave His life to
ransom my soul. Now I belong to Him. Now I belong to Jesus. Jesus belongs to me. Not for the years
of time alone, but for eternity. Once I was lost in sin's degradation. Jesus came down to bring me
salvation, lifting me up from sorrow and shame. Now I belong to Him. Now I belong to Jesus. Jesus
belongs to me. Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity. Sing it on the last. Joy floods
my soul for Jesus has saved me, freed me from sin that longed and enslaved me. His precious blood
we gave to redeem. Now I belong to Him. Now I belong to Jesus. Jesus belongs to me. Not for the
years of time alone, but for eternity. Amen. Good singing. Before we leave here, if anybody has
questions about salvation, church membership, or baptism, the pastor will be at the door. He'd love to talk to you or direct you to someone who's trained to talk to you about that.
I'm going to ask our brother Joe, would you close in prayer?
Amen.