Criteria for Contentment
HYMN---“Showers of Blessings”---#2
†One day a father of a very wealthy family à
took his son on a trip to the country à
his purpose was to showing his son à
how poor people live. /
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†As they drove through the countryside the father said,à
“The purpose for this trip son à
is so you can learn what being poor is all about.”/
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†They spent a couple of days & nights on the farm à
of what would be considered a very poor family. /
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†On their trip home, the father asked his son, à
"How was the trip?" /
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†"It was great, Dad." /
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†"? Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. /
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†"Sure did Dad," said the son. /
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†"? So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" à
asked the father. /
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†The son answered: à
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four. /
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†We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden à
and they have a creek that has no end. /
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†We have imported lanterns in our garden and à
they have the stars at night. /
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†Our patio reaches to the front yard and à
they have the whole horizon. /
†We have a small piece of land to live on and à
they have fields that go beyond our sight. /
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†We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. /
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†We buy our food, but they grow theirs. /
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†We have walls around our property to protect us, à
they have friends to protect them." /
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†The boy’s father was speechless. /
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†Then his son added, à
"Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are." /
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†? Isn’t perspective a wonderful thing? /
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†Makes you wonder what would happen à
if we all gave thanks for everything we have, à
instead of worrying about what we don’t have./
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†Criteria for Contentment./
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†Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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†Let me begin with two old British quotes. /
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†The witty Puritan Thomas Watson once said: à
“Discontent keeps a man from enjoying à
what he doth possess./
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†A drop or two of vinegar will sour a whole glass of wine.” /
†The famous preacher Charles Spurgeon gave us à
the other side of the picture: /
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† “A little sprig of the herb called content à
put into the poorest soup will make it taste à
as rich as the Lord Mayor’s turtle.” /
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†It is not what we have, but what we enjoy à
that makes for a rich life./
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†And the wise person understands that contentment à
is not having everything we want, à
but enjoying everything we have. /
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†Contentment is an elusive commodity in today’s society./
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†Yet it is one of the distinguishing marks of the Christian. /
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†? What determines contentment? /
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†? Does it depend on circumstances, church or country?/
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†Dissatisfaction, discouragement and division à
are often symptoms of discontentment in our souls./
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†Contentment must be equated with confidence à
in the sovereignty of the great I AM over His creation./
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†But as believers there are 3 basic areas to understandingà
We must possess in order to live in contentment./
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†The 1st area of understanding needed à
to possess contentment is The Expectation./
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†The Scriptures mandate contentment. /
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†Luke writes in Luke 3:14 that the Christian à
should be content with his wages./
†Luke 3:14 (NKJV)14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
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†Paul write in Philippians 4:11 the Christian à
should be content in spite of his circumstances./
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†Philippians 4:11 (NKJV)11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
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†Paul also tells un in 1 Timothy 6:8 that the Christian à
should be content, with food and clothing./
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†1 Timothy 6:8 (NKJV)8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
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†And the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 13:5 à
that the Christian should be content with à
the things which he has./
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†Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
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†Now folks I know we are discussing contentment à
but we need to also know one important fact à
with regards to discontentment. /
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†Believer be ware,à
Discontentment is a manifestation of unbelief./
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†So the 1st area of understanding needed à
to possess contentment is The Expectation./
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†And the 2nd area of understanding needed à
to possess contentment is The Essentials./
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†One of the most serene pictures à
of a contented soul is found in Psalm 1 à
where we’re given a very picturesque image of trees à
rising up from the riverbanks, bearing fruit, à
exhibiting strength. /
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†Psalm 1 (NKJV)1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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†The kind of person described here in Psalm 1 is:
Separated from the world./
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†Unless Christians are rightly related to the world, à
they will never have contentment in their souls. /
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†The 1st verse of Psalms 1 describes Biblical separation./
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†Biblical separation means à
rejecting the counsel of the ungodly (verse 1a), à
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly./
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†Biblical separation means àà
rejecting the company of sinners à
Nor stands in the path of sinners./
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†And Biblical separation means à
rejecting the contempt of the scornful. /
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†Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;/
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†Having been saved by the grace of God, à
the Christian no longer associates with nor à
follows sinners to do evil. /
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†The Christian does not stand in the congregation of sinners./
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†And not only is the kind of person described in Psalm 1,à
Separated from the world, àbutà
They are Saturated by the Word./
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†Being saturated by the Word à
characterizes the contented Christian./
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†Look at Psalm 1 verse 2./
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-†Psalm 1:2 (NKJV2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night./
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†His view of life springs from the Word of God. /
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†His delight is in the doctrines of the Bible. /
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†He deliberates on its truths day and night,à
reading and meditating on its words. /
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†It has been wisely said that à
meditation is the practice of à
turning each truth we learn about Godà
into matter for reflection before God, à
leading to prayer & praise to God./
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†You see folks, “Meditation is the activity of à
calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, andà
then applying to oneself, the various things à
that one knows about the works & ways & purposes à&à
promises of God./
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†Meditation is an activity of holy thought, à
consciously performed in the presence of God, à
under the eye of God, by the help of God, à
as a means of communion with God.” /
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†This kind of saturation with the Scriptures à
is the secret to satisfaction in the soul./
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†So the kind of person described in Psalm 1 is,à
Separated from the world, & Saturated by the Word,à
But they are also Situated by the water./
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†Look with me at Psalm 1 verse 3./
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†Psalm 1:3 (NKJV) 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, ///
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†Water for drinking is a picture of the Holy Spirit of God./
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†The Christian is here compared to a tree à
that gets its water from the deep hidden springs à
under the dry sands. /
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†This world is a desert that can never satisfy à
the dedicated believer. /
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†We must send our “spiritual roots” down deep into à
the things of Christ and draw upon the spiritual water of life./
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†So I have told you of 2 areas of understanding needed à
to possess contentment à
The Expectation &The Essentials./
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†But there is one other area of understanding needed à
to possess contentment and that is à
Sufficiency of Life./
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†The word contentment in the Greek à
means self- sufficiency./
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†It was used by Stoic philosophers to describe a person à
who was unflappable & unmoved by external circumstances./
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†Christians are to be satisfied and sufficient, andà
not to seek for more than what God has already given them./
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†God is the source of true contentment./
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†The godly man is rich indeed, because à
he wants nothing in this world but what God has given him,à
and has acquired riches which, à
unlike the riches of this world, he can take away with him./
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†Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6 (NRSV)6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;
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†This statement à
is the key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. /
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†We should honor God and center our desires on him./
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†Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
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†And we should be content à
with what God is doing in our life./
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†Personal contentment in one’s soul à
results in proper perspectives, priorities and progress. /
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†A pastor in California has a little column in the daily paperà
that appears every day under the title “Daily Contentment.”/
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†That folks is a great description for the Christian life,à
“Daily Contentment.” /
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†Perhaps the devil à
has dropped a few drops of vinegar into your lifeà
which the Lord wants to replace with à
a sprig of the herb contentment. /
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†Let us learn to say with Paul à
as he said in Philippians 4:11-13
†For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. /
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†12 I know what it is to be in need, and à
I know what it is to have plenty. /
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†I have learned the secret of being content à
in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, à
whether living in plenty or in want. /
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†13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength./
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HYMN---“Jesus is all the World to Me”---#31