Content Living

Introduction

Food plays an important role in all of our lives. We schedule our days around meal time, plan get-togethers around food, take rest stops on trips where there’s good food, and have holidays like Thanksgiving that primarily exists to raise our blood sugar.

Food is so important that nations are known for their cuisine. England’s main cuisine includes roast beef and fish and chips. Thailand’s primary dish is Pad Thai. Switzerland has Fondue. And America is known for milkshakes, barbecue, cheeseburgers, and apple pie.

For those of us who love to eat, some maybe more than others, good, tasty food becomes very important. Making the perfect dish requires great, high quality ingredients, the right amount of time and heat in the oven, and the ideal combination of spices. All so our taste buds can scream with delight.

I. The Fault of Trusting in Riches (vv. 1-6)

A. Illus. In the 2007 Pixar animated film, Ratatouille, we follow the story of a rat named Remy who brings to life his dream of becoming a chef

1. The motto he embodies is simple and life-altering, “Anyone can cook.”

a. Remi finds himself in Paris, overlooking the restaurant of his favorite chef that has since passed away

b. When peering in at the janitor, Linguini, he sees an atrocity as the imbecile starts messing with the soup, throwing in random spices and items, making it abominable

2. Remy cannot leave the horror he witnessed as is, so, he sets out to fix the mistakes with wistful flourishes of variant spices and ingredients (that actually change the soup from red to white, which is impossible, I know, but it’s animation and it makes the point). The soup then becomes pristine and flavorful

3. In the menu of life we crave the dish of safety and security. The ingredients of character we use and how we implement them into our lives make all the difference.

B. In our pursuit of safety, security, and comfort we often turn to the ingredients of riches (vv. 1-6)

1. This creates a nasty red soup. A life with the pursuit of trust in Riches = Misery. Our ingredients of fine clothes become eaten by moths, our spices of gold and silver turn to rust, our cash disappears, our hording of goods turns us bitter and selfish.

2. Some of these ingredients and spices might smell good and taste good on their own

a. Money seems to be a gateway to power and prestige, to luxury and comfort. Major problems like car break downs and pipes bursting become minor inconveniences because we have the cash to fix it

b. But when we look at the combination of the ingredients of wealth we get a dish that is sour, leaving us in misery and sorrow.

3. Jesus speaks to this in Luke 12:13-21

a. A hyper-focus on money leads to selfishness and covetousness. It’s a never-ending hunger that ruins relationships and enshrouds our beings in greed

b. Jesus made a bold statement, those who build up treasures on earth “are not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

4. Paul also warns Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”. We must tread carefully when it comes to money, it can easily grab your heart and turn you away from what is most important.

C. A love of money turns you greedy (v. 3), selfish (v. 4), entitled (v. 5), and apathetic toward others (v. 6)

1. Each of these ingredients bring no benefit in the grand scheme of eternity:

a. It brings misery because the riches rot and fade away, these last days end with the return of Christ not a bank statement

b. We are held accountable for how much we help the needy, the initial delight of pleasure found in wealth soon dissipates

c. Our intention of feeling safe, secure, comfortable, and content is quickly dashed with insecurity, anxiety, inferiority, and an insatiable desire that never says “enough!”

2. A trust in riches ends in mourning and weeping because we stored up treasure for the wrong catastrophe: financial strain rather than Judgment Day. The ingredients of the world result in a bad, red soup

II. The Confidence of Trusting in the Lord (vv. 7-12)

A. The pure, white, flavorful soup is found with God’s ingredients (vv. 7-12).

1. Perhaps we set out to make a dish of safety and security when, all of a sudden, the base of the soup changes from red to white: from building safety on earth to treasures in heaven.

a. If you want to feel completely at ease and peaceful in this life, where nothing will ever go wrong and you are prepared for everything then you have another thing coming

b. Life in Christ is not about living your best life now, but being transformed so you can live the best life in eternity

2. Notice the emphasis: “it is in the last days you have stored up your treasures” (v. 3), “be patient until the coming of the Lord” (v. 7), “for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (v. 8), “behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (v. 9)

3. Don’t be prepared for a rainy day, be prepared for Judgment day. Make your dish full of the eternal magnitude of Godly character rather than monetary value.

B. There are several key ingredients to make our pure, white soup

1. Ingredients: patience (v. 7), strength or alertness of heart (an established mind) (v. 8), encouragement (v. 9), integrity (v. 12)

2. The secret ingredient to contentment in this life is patience

a. “Patience” is used 4 times in these verses

1. We often want God to fix our problems right now, or at least, to give us the solution right now. Well, maybe Jesus could just come back today, then we wouldn’t have to worry about it

2. God’s timetable is different and better than ours. His coming won’t be without reward. His coming is full of compassion and mercy to those who patiently endure

b. Think of the suffering of the prophets of old. They were constantly rejected, thrown in prison, beaten, whipped, and even stoned. Yet, we have seen God protect them and given them a better home in heaven

c. Or think of Job. He went through immense suffering for reasons he had no idea about. Yet, he never cursed God. He endured, seeking the Lord’s reasons. And after all was said and done, God blessed him twofold what he had originally

d. The cooking process takes a long time, we must endure the process until God makes us into the person He wants us to be (vv. 10-11)

3. A second ingredient is the strength and courage to be patient. It isn’t for the faint of heart (v. 8)

a. Illus. Does anyone here ever get claustrophobic? I don’t have a problem with tight places until I drive through the tunnels carved into mountains

1. There’s nowhere to turn left or right, they want you to stay in your lane and go consistent speed, it’s dark (save the taillights in front of you), the car next to you feel close and the wall on the other side feels even closer. I don’t like driving through tunnels. If a road trip were completely through a tunnel then we would be flying. So, why do I go through the tunnel? I know it’s short and I can see the light on the other end after a moment or two. I know that soon I’ll be free and clear of the enclosed tunnel.

2. We gather strength from the Lord. He has promised that His coming is near, it’s within our grasp. We can make it through whatever we are facing because we know that He is coming soon to make it right. He is the Light at the end of the tunnel of life

b. Keep your mind focused on the Lord and His coming. Perhaps it would help to memorize some verses about this:

1. 1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”

2. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

3. Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

4. Third, Encourage others (that’s a surefire way to be encouraged yourself) (v. 9)

a. Don’t complain about each other or to each other about how difficult things are. Don’t judge others when this life gets hard

b. It serves as a warning that the Judge is standing at the door ready to repay the intensity of our judgment back on us. No, instead, encourage with a thankful heart

c. We need to help each other through the uncertainty of life until Jesus does return

5. The fourth and final ingredient is integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say (v. 12)

a. Again, remember Job. Everything he loved was ripped away from him. Yet, he did not curse God or swear by heaven. Rather, he simply declared trust in the Lord, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return. Blessed be the Name of the Lord”

1. Jesus said it this way, “Matthew 5:33–37 ““Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

2. What’s the point? Instead of trying to make your own words and judgments more substantial or powerful by oaths or swearing or big words, just keep a simple trust in God. Respond with yes or no, having integrity with what you say

b. What an ingredient our words can be. Proverbs 16:24 “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

Conclusion

I don’t know if any of you like to eat as much as I do, but I put a high value on the quality of my meals. Thankfully, I married a good cook. You know what? So, did you. If you’re a Christian then you are married to Christ who changes you from the bad red soup into a pure, white, flavorful soup that is prepared for His return. I know the connection was a bit of a stretch, but work with me here.

There are lots of things to worry and fret over in this life. Money won’t solve all our problems, it just multiplies what’s already inside our hearts. If selfishness then it multiplies to entitlement, if greed then it multiplies into hording, if you have apathy toward others then it multiplies into hatred and jealousy of others. Don’t trust in your riches, it’s bad soup.

Rather, trust in Jesus. He is coming back soon to make everything right. What good will our money be then? The things we were so concerned over will seem so minute in comparison to the mercy and glory of Jesus and eternal life with Him. So, fix your eyes on Jesus and His return, strengthening your mind in patience, encouraging one another through these troublesome times, and let your speech be drenched in honey through a simple declaration of trust in the Lord until He returns.

Isn’t it true that Jesus really fixes our soup? He fundamentally changes us from red to white, transforming us from the inside out. Don’t lose focus, add the right ingredients, and one day you’ll be a meal worthy of heaven. That’s the kind of buffet worth waiting for.