Sermon Series
Ten Truths that Show Us How to Love – Part 10
"Learning too be Content"
Pastor Jerry
Philippians 4:6-13 (NLT); Exodus 20:17 (NLT)
------------------------------------- Message Synopsis -------------------------------------
We are going to conclude our sermon series today concerning,
"Truth!"
The past two months we have seen clashes between law enforcement and
protesters; new outbreaks of
the coronavirus; and we have watched the
political fighting during the
presidential party conventions which highlighted our attention on
the dishonesty and the deception being displayed in our culture.
Doesn’t it make you question: “
What is truth?” It certainly is time to be asking,
“What’s wrong?” …or better to ask,
“What’s the Truth?”
Thousands of years ago
God gave ten truths for living; they're called
The Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, at their heart and core, are
all about love. The first and great commandment is to
love God with all our being—which is what the first four commandments teach us. And the second great commandment is: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” what the last six commandments
teach us truth on how to show love to other people.
Truth is more than a mere set of commands.
Truth is a Person. Jesus told his followers,
“I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life….” (John 14:6).
So for the last nine weeks we've been
looking at the Commandments, these ten truths,
and how they can make a difference in your life. Today we're going to conclude this series as we look at the 10th commandment
. The message today is titled, “Learning to be Content.”
-So, here is Truth number 10 in our series! Exodus 20:17
"You shall not covet your neighbor’s [possessions]..."
The Tenth Commandment says
"You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Let me ask you a personal question.
What is coveting?
The desire to acquire in itself is not bad. God put it in you. But anything
uncontrolled is a problem. God says there are some things that are off limits. They are not yours to want. They will harm you.
- THE EFFECT OF ALWAYS WANTING MORE
This morning I want us to look at the
effect of always wanting more. The Bible says there are five very specific effects when I don't control this drive to acquire, this coveting.
- Fatigue.
In our push to get more we overwork and take on second jobs. Proverbs 23 says
"Do not wear yourself out to be rich, have the wisdom to show restraint." In other words, it's dumb to wear yourself out just trying to get more.
- Debt.
Eccl. 5:
"The more money you have, the more money you spend." Coveting destroys budgets. We think the problem is I just don't make enough money. No, it's not that you don't make enough money – it’s that you want too much. It always costs more to have more.
- Worry.
Eccl 5:12
"A working man can get a good night's sleep. But the rich man has so much that he stays awake worrying." When we focus on things, we always inevitably worry. The more you have, the more you have to worry about. You add these first three together --
fatigue, debt, worry and you get the fourth one.
- Conflict.
James 4:1
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from the desires that battle within you?" Conflict comes when we're always wanting more. The number one cause of divorce is financial tension: arguments over money, over possessions.
- Dissatisfaction.
Eccl 5:10
"You will never be satisfied if you long to be rich. You will never get all you want." Things can bring happiness for a while. But the excitement wears off. After a while it's not so great any more. You're bored now with what you’ve got. And coveting is the number one reason for dissatisfaction in our world.
What is the antidote to coveting? C
ontentment. Paul says,
"I've learned the secret of being content whether living in plenty or in want." Contentment is something you have to learn. It doesn’t come natural.
- HOW TO LEARN CONTENTMENT
You learn to be content when you...
- RESIST COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
Comparing always leads to coveting. II Cor. 10;12
"We do not dare classify or compare ourselves. It is not wise." That means it's dumb! If you're comparing yourself -- houses, cars, jobs, looks, clothes -- it's stupid. Why do we compare? We compare because in our society the way we keep score is by possessions. In 1 Tim. 6:9 it says,
"When we long to be rich, we are a prey to temptation. We get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which will eventually plunge us into ruin." Things can control us. People will sacrifice values, morals, integrity, all kinds of things in order to get more.
A second way you learn to be content is when you...
- REJOICE IN WHAT YOU DO HAVE.
Appreciate what you've got and be grateful to God. Open your eyes. Ecc. 5:19
"If God gives a man wealth and property he should be grateful and enjoy what he has. It is a gift from God." God says I want you to enjoy and be grateful for what you've got. It's a gift. We get into a trap I call “
When and Then Thinking.” When and Then Thinking says,
"When I get ___?____ , then I'll be happy." You fill in the blank. (Wrong!) No, you won't.
Happiness is enjoying whatever you have. There are two ways to have enough in life: get more (or better), …want less.
A third way you learn to be content is when you...
- RELEASE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HELP OTHERS.
God doesn't want to just bless you for your own benefit. He wants you to share it, help other people with it. I Tim 6:17-19
"Tell those who are rich, not to be proud and not to trust in their money which will soon be gone. Tell them to use their money to do good to give happily to those in need, always with others whatever God has given them..." First, who's it talking to?
"Tell those who are rich". Who does that involve. If you're an American you're rich. The question is your attitude. You can be poor and greedy or rich and greedy. You can be poor and contented or wealthy and contented. It's an attitude not the amount that God's talking about here. There are four precautions in this verse:
1. Don't become proud of your wealth. 2. Don't put your trust in money. 3. Use your money to do good. 4. Give cheerfully. The Bible says that the more we receive the more we are to give.
The fourth way you learn to be content is when you...
- REFOCUS ON WHAT'S GOING TO LAST.
Give your attention to permanent values. Reorganize your life around eternal priorities. II Cor. 4:18
"We fix our attention, not on the things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever." All possessions are temporary. The only things that really last for eternity are things you can't see --
relationship to God, relationship to others, -- things you can't see. The worse thing about materialism is it clouds our vision of God.
Jesus told a story about it one time. He said there was a guy who was a real successful business man and had these barns full of wheat and stuff and had a bumper crop year. He said as a result the guy said
"I know what I'll do. I'll just build bigger barns." It never occurred to him to share any of it. God said,
"You fool." Thinking all there is to life is just getting more, is so foolish.
Luke 12:15
"A man's true life is not made up of the things he owns no matter how rich he may be." Culture says if I have a little I'm worth a little. That's not true. The cross says, you're worth a lot. I think we need to do a periodic checkup and ask the tough question that says,
"What am I really living for?
Happiness does not come from possessions, it comes from knowing your purpose in life.
Why in the world did God make me and why am I here. What is my purpose?
Let me ask you a personal question:
What are you living for? Just trying to get more?
That's not a good life. I'd suggest you reexamine your priorities and ask yourself some hard questions: What am I living for? What's going to happen when I die?
What did I do with what God gave me here on earth?
Each of us has to make a choice, is my life going to be determined by acquiring things, or by Christ? What's really important? I know the answer, I know the truth: What will make me truly happy is having “
Jesus Christ in my heart as my Lord and as my Savior.”
