Contentment The Solution For Our Fears Series

Intro: A man said to his wife just before an important engagement, "I'm so nervous, I've got sweaty palms and a dry mouth." His wife replied, "Then why don't you lick your palms?"

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That is probably not the best advice to deal with our fears. Last week we discovered the way to begin dealing with our fears is to receive a word from God. Do you remember the most important word we can hear from God? Chosen!

Ephesians 1:4 “For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.”

He choose us with a plan and purpose in mind. To be holy and blameless in His sight. If we allow fear to be the rule in our lives then we can frustrate God’s plan of using us to display His faithfulness to the world.

Hebrews is a very important letter for us as we seek to mature in Jesus Christ. Hebrews is called the 5th gospel. While Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are concerned with Jesus earthly ministry, Hebrews is concerned with His heavenly ministry. It reveals Jesus all through this letter as better. Thirteen times the word better is used of Jesus and His ministry as the great High priest. Jesus is better! Jesus is better than Moses, He is better than Joshua, better than Aaron, He brings a better covenant, better temple and better sacrifice.

Here in Hebrews 13 we see another step in our journey of maturing into Christ.

Hebrews 13 tells us to be content with what we have, because He says he will never leave or forsake us we will not fear what man brings against us.

He is superior at everything in our life especially at giving us satisfaction. When we are satisfied in Christ our fears will be frustrated and our faith will be fortified!!

Contentment - a resting or satisfaction of mind without disquiet. It is "internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances." (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

A life that is free from fear grows from a life that is fully satisfied in Christ!

I. We can be free from fear when we are content with what we have – God provides our needs

The command from God here is to be free from the love of money. Which really is a command to be free from materialism or covetousness. So God tells us to be free from covetousness. How do we do this? We learn to be content.

It is so very easy to get what we want and what we need confused.

Adrian Rogers shared a powerful illustration: I heard about two tears who met themselves along the river of life. Said one tear to the other tear, where did you come from? Oh this tear says, "I'm the tear of a girl who loved a man and lost him. And where do you come from?" She said, "I'm the tear who found him and married him."

1 Timothy 6:6 – 8 “But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.”

If you have a relationship with Jesus and are content you are rich beyond measure. Notice very closely that we brought nothing with us into the world and we will carry nothing out.

What on earthy is Paul trying to teach us?

Material things will never satisfy us. Why? God created an appetite within us that cannot be satisfied by the temporary. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts”

God designed a place in our inner man that can only be satisfied by His living presence. If you focus on temporary things to satisfy your appetites and desires it will never ever give you satisfaction.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 “The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.”

When you have material things you will want more because you are not satisfied, or if you don’t have it you will want it.

God has placed an appetite for eternity in our hearts. In the inner man we have whether we realize it or not a hunger for heaven. Contentment is not just accepting you lot in life. It is also realizing there is a lot more prepared for us than temporary things.

Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.”

This doesn’t mean every desire, appetite, craving or longing not matter how fleshly will be fulfilled. No it means all our desires are satisfied in Christ. What you heart has really been seeking and hungering for is Jesus!