Let Enough Be Enough
Let enough be enough
1 Timothy 6:6-10
Niles Grace Brethren Church
10/26/08
1. What is contentment?
Covetousness was our topic two weeks ago
So what is God’s answer to covetousness ?
God’s solution is contentment
1a. Give me neither poverty nor riches
Proverbs 30:8-9 {NKJV} {8} - Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; {9} - Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?
If I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
2a. The definition of contentment
Contentment = satisfaction with God’s sufficient provision
Contentment = a settled sense of God’s adequacy
Hey, Judy, what do you need? --- Nothing
Wouldn’t you like some more? --- No
What do you have? --- I have enough
3a. An important distinction
1b. Godliness deals with WHO I am
I must never be content with who I am
I must never be satisfied with my character development in God
2b. Contentment deals with what I have
I must learn to be satisfied with what I have
That is contentment
2. The winning formula
1a. God’s equation for contentment is absolute
1b. God’s truth is absolute
I could have used some fuzzy math when I was in school
I would have preferred that 2+2=3 or 5
But since math is absolute --- 4 is only correct answer to 2+2=
2+2=4 --- That is the only correct answer
But people today do not want absolute truth
Yet God has created our universe with absolute values
2b. God’s equation for heaven
How many roads lead to God?
There is just one road
John 14:6 {NKJV} {6} - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Acts 4:12 {NKJV} {12} - Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
3b. God’s equation for contentment
How many books has God written to tell us about himself? ONE
How many formulas has God given us to find contentment? ONE
1 Timothy 6:6 {NKJV} {6} - Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Godliness with contentment is great gain
But people who do not believe in absolutes keep looking for alternatives
I want to show you five formulas that do not work
3. Five formulas that will not bring contentment
1a. Godliness + prosperity will not satisfy
If I just had ____ !, I would be content
But I have news for you
Contentment without godliness is impossible
I get really frustrated with the popular ---Gospel of Prosperity
If you aren’t healthy and wealthy you aren’t spiritual enough
But what about Apostle Paul and his thorn in the flesh?
Is Paul not spiritual?
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 {NKJV} {7} - And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. {8} - Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. {9} - And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Godliness + prosperity will not satisfy
2a. Godliness + poverty will not satisfy
Some people realize that prosperity will not bring satisfaction
They conclude that Godliness + Poverty will bring satisfaction
Godliness + poverty will not satisfy
3a. Godliness + power will not satisfy
Some people think that power and influence will bring satisfaction
Ask some of the POWER People if they are satisfied
You will find they are striving for that extra little bit of power
Godliness + power will not satisfy
4a. Godliness + family harmony will not satisfy
Family harmony sounds like a great goal – it is Biblical
But you will never have a perfect family
One of your kids will see to that
Or you will mess it up yourself
Godliness + family harmony will not satisfy
5a. Godliness + ministry success will not satisfy
Here is one I have to struggle with
If attendances reached 100 I would be satisfied
If offerings averaged $2,000 a week I’d be satisfied
But no amount of ministry success will truly satisfy
There is only one formula that will really work
6a. Godliness + contentment = great gain
1 Timothy 6:6 {NKJV} {6} - Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
We are not talking about a little bit of satisfaction
Godliness plus contentment is GREAT gain
So how do I break the habit of coveting?
How do I learn to be content?
4. Three steps that will help us learn to be content
1a. Step one – Look to eternity
1 Timothy 6:6-7 {NKJV} {6} - Now godliness with contentment is great gain. {7} - For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1b. The big question
Sometimes hear this question at funerals
How much did he leave?
Answer – Everything!
We brought nothing into this world
We will carry nothing out when we leave this world
Job 1:21 {NKJV} {21} - And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
2b. Consider Alexander the Great’s request for his death
Carry me out with my hands unwrapped
I want everyone to see that my hands are empty
The hands that ruled the known world went into eternity empty
Hebrews 4:13 {NKJV} {13} - And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
2a. Step Two – Let enough be enough
1 Timothy 6:8 {NKJV} {8} - And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
Bare bones --- Bottom line --- Absolute minimum
The only two things we absolutely need --- Food and Shelter
1b. We need food
We don’t need steak every day
We don’t need three squares a day
God never promised Israelites in wilderness a balance of four food groups
God provided manna and water
That was enough to sustain them
But they wanted melons, cucumbers, and garlic
When we are satisfied with the basics – God often favors us with treats
When we demand all 31 flavors – we forfeit contentment
2b. We need clothing
Literally = Covering
We just need covering
A covering over our heads and threads on our back
Bible says food and covering
If we can have that we can be content
If we desire more we will not experience contentment
Nothing wrong if you have a large home with swimming pool
You don’t have to have it
The pursuit of it leads to covetousness and misery
Contentment = I don’t need any more
Contentment = I have enough
3a. Step Three – Learn by example
1b. A big failure in our make-up
Why do we have to learn everything on our own?
Why can’t we learn from the mistakes of others?
We are not the first to struggle with covetousness or contentment
Why can’t we learn from the examples of others?
2b. Examples of others who have failed to find contentment
John D Rockefeller – I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness
Cornelius Vanderbilt – The care of millions is too great a load. There is no pleasure in it.
John Jacob Astor – I am the most miserable man on earth.
Henry Ford – I was happier as a boy working in a mechanic’s shop, though we had nothing.
Why not take these examples seriously?
These men had everything we could possibly covet
Yet they each concluded that there is no contentment in things
Why not avoid their mistakes
3b. Consider the example of King Solomon
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 {NKJV} {10} - Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. {11} - Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.
He had everything
He should have found contentment
But Solomon likened it to trying to grasp the wind
4a. The warning of God
1 Timothy 6:9 {NKJV} {9} - But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1b. The mental state of these covetous people
1c. This is not a quick, emotional response
Want or Desire = deliberate, calculated decision
Don’t have any food on my mind
But suddenly I see a huge piece of Judy’s strawberry pie
Suddenly I am desperately desirous of a piece of that pie
This is not covetousness
2c. Covetousness is a deliberate desire
I have carefully thought this through
I have determined that this is what I really want
My life is going to be focused on power, money, fame, or whatever
It is a deliberate choice on my part
2b. The end result of their covetousness
1 Timothy 6:9 {NKJV} {9} - But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1c. They will fall into temptation
Fall = to continue to fall, an ongoing process
They fall, they get up, and they fall again and again
Their covetousness keeps driving them to seek more
They are tempted to use dishonesty and unethical shortcuts
They will use whatever they can get away with to achieve their goal
2c. They will fall into a snare
Snare = trap
The desire becomes so strong the person cannot break free
He says he will cut back when he reaches his first million
He says he will cut back when he gets that promotion
But he cannot stop
When he reaches that goal he wants even more
His desire for gain has trapped him
3c. They will fall into harmful lusts which drown men in destruction
1 Timothy 6:9 {NKJV} {9} - But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Eager for money, they wandered from the faith
Picture shipwrecked man trying to stay afloat in the ocean
In his hand is a large sack of gold
To stay afloat he will need to let go of that gold
Hanging on to the gold will drag him down
But the man cannot release his grip on that fortune
4c. They will pierce themselves through with many sorrows
1 Timothy 6:10 {NKJV} {10} - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Paul paints a tragic picture for us in verse 10
What are you doing?
I’m stabbing myself
Why do you keep doing that?
Because I have an insatiable desire for money or things
2b. God has a better solution
1 Timothy 6:6 {NKJV} {6} - Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
We have so many options open to us
We can choose covetousness and never be satisfied
We can choose contentment, satisfied with what God has provided for me
Infant is totally dependent upon mother for nourishment and care
Will a loving mother neglect her infant?
Will a loving God neglect you?
1 Timothy 6:8 {NKJV} {8} - And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
So Jesus doesn’t give you that special thing you want so bad
Has God given you --- Shelter & Clothing
Matthew 6:33 {NKJV} {33} - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
5. Putting it all together
1a. Don’t let your income dictate your lifestyle
Psalm 62:10 {NKJV} {10} - … If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
If you don’t choose your lifestyle – your desires will do it for you
It will be a lifestyle of living beyond your means
Let enough be enough
2a. Three questions to ask yourself
1b. Are you a contented person?
Are you satisfied with what you have?
Are you constantly seeking more, bigger, better, faster?
2b. Are you seeing the blessings of contentment in your life
Contentment brings satisfaction in the simple things of life
Contentment brings a sense of sufficiency
“More” is not the focus of your thinking
3b. Are you moment by moment choosing contentment over covetousness ?
Contentment is a choice
When you choose contentment repeatedly – it becomes a lifestyle
It does not happen instantly
4b. The proof is in the pudding
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:
A desire for something pops into your head
Your response? --- Not necessary! I have enough!
That is contentment
# 358 --- God will take care of you