Open with skit - (complete skit is pasted below)
You have to relate to some of the drive of Dorothy, scarecrow, the tin woodsman, and the lion. 4 characters, drawn together by what they have in common: they’re lacking something. In Frank Baum’s classic story, they’re all seeking to improve something about themselves, and Dorothy is seeking to get back home. Their great hope is that the Wizard will help them. The drive to get what they’re after keeps them going – past the forest of mean trees, through the field of poisonous poppies, past the flying monkeys and guards, and even past the difficult gatekeeper of Emerald City.
I wonder if their story isn’t somewhat a description of the way many people are approaching their lives – not satisfied, hopeful, and driven to get something better. Maybe there’s a sense of discontent there. On the other hand, I read a letter, written from prison, by a guy who sounds like he’s pretty OK with where he is in life:
Philippians 4:10-13
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.
Everything, including, being content no matter what my surrounding circumstances are.
I’d love to be able to say that and mean it this morning. Imagine what power there is in being able to say that! I’d love to be able to say I’m content when it looks like we won’t be able to afford a vacation this year, or the car just broke down, or the Dave Ramsey envelope is empty and we can’t go out to eat because of it. I’d love to be able to say that when it looks like I’m about to get hit with a huge medical bill, or a utilities rate increase, or some unexpected emergency. 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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Contentment. The concept is simple – it’s being satisfied with what you have. Contentment is the essence of the 23rd Psalm: I shall not want.
Paul said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Would you like to?
We can learn the secret, because the Scriptures help us to discover it.
How can we achieve contentment? By knowing:
I. This world is temporary (vv6-7)
I Timothy 6:6-7
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
Ill - I was there for the birth of my last son. That was quite an experience. To the best of my recollection, he didn’t bring anything with him. He wasn’t born with an Xbox. My daughter wasn’t born with a cell phone. And if they were to leave this world, they wouldn’t be able to take those things with them. There’s a funeral home in Louisville that provides suits for the dead. It looks good, like a regular suit, only there’s a feature missing – no pockets. Funeral home suits don’t have pockets. Why would you need them?
Paul connects the ability to be content with the fact that material things aren’t a part of who we are. This world isn’t what our lives are all about, and when we remember that, the absence or presence of stuff in this world doesn’t push us around nearly as much. This world is temporary. One day, everything you see here is going to be burned up. I love it! The month before Christmas our dryer broke down. It’s all gonna burn. Yesterday, the wipers on our van messed up. It’s all gonna burn.
No matter how nice your car is, or if it’s an old beater, it’s going to wear out someday. No matter how big or small your house is, no matter how old it is, one day it’s going to be gone. No matter how nice your clothes are or aren’t, they’re going to wear out.
Quote - Joni Eareckson Tada – “We ask less of this life because we know full well that more is coming in the next.”
--
We’ll be more satisfied with what we have when we remember that no matter what we do or don’t have, it’s temporary.
Another key to being content is to understand that …
II. Our needs are simple (v8)
I know this sounds exceedingly basic, maybe exceedingly obvious, but it continues to be one of the greatest roadblocks to contentment facing this generation. It’s the great hazard of prosperity. We have forgotten how to distinguish between what we need and what we want.
What is it, really that we need for life? Paul looked at his situation and said,
I Timothy 6:8
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Shall we read that out loud together? (do it) Now, write that on a post it note and put it on your checkbook, your wallet, your steering wheel. Paul’s point is simple: what we really need to live is quite simple.
Ill - A 3rd generation farmer had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm, but as the years went by, he began to long for a change. He convinced himself he needed something better. Every day, he found another reason to criticize some feature of the place – the barn needed painting. The pond was in the wrong location. The house was too old. Finally, he decided to sell, so he listed the farm with a real estate agent who came over and worked on an ad. The ad emphasized all the positive features of the farm – great location, modern equipment, healthy stock, fertile ground, beautiful countryside. Before he placed the ad in the paper, the agent called the farmer and read it to him for his approval. Before he was finished the farmer stopped him and said, “Hold it! I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to sell. I’ve been looking for a place like that all my life!”
Be conscious of this as you’re inundated with advertizing today. The whole purpose of advertizing is to convince you that you need something that you currently don’t have. The whole purpose of the advertizing industry – the one that pays for the Superbowl – is to take away your contentment and convince you that you’re in need.
I want to suggest that the way to combat that is to remind ourselves and each other our needs are much simpler than Nike and Honda and AT&T are telling us.
You want to make your old car look and run better? Just learn the price of a new one!
Ill – A wealthy man once took his son on a trip to the country to teach him the virtues of wealth. He wanted his son to see the way poor people lived. They spent 2 days and nights on the farm of a family that worked some land they leased. As the boy and his father were driving home, he asked his son what he thought of their trip.
He said, "It was great, Dad."
The dad asked, "Did you see how poor people live?"
The son said, "Oh yeah.”
So he asked him, "Tell me, what did you learn from the trip?"
The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The father was silent as he drove.
Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
I believe that one of the greatest favors we can do for each other, rather than trying to outdo one another with the latest gadgets, the coolest car, or the nicest house, is to remind one another on a regular basis that what we need in life is really very simple.
Another help to contentment is to know that…
III. Discontent is dangerous (vv9-10)
I Timothy 6:9-10
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Understand that what we’re speaking of today isn’t about being content with just yourself so that you’re not motivated to ever improve yourself. We’re talking about being satisfied with what you have – your stuff, your wealth. The danger comes when we look at what we have and decide not to be happy with it.
Ill - A man’s friend was taking him on a tour of a state hospital, visiting the psychiatric ward. They came by a cell where a man was beating his head against the padded wall. He kept saying, "Amanda, how could you do it? Amanda, how could you do it?" The guide explained that the man was in love with Amanda, and when Amanda jilted him, he couldn’t take it. He drifted off into the Twilight Zone. A couple cells down, there was a man doing the same thing and saying, "Amanda, Amanda, how could this happen? Amanda, Amanda."
The visitor said, "What happened to him?"
The guide said, "He’s the man who married Amanda.”
Why do we become convinced that we’ll be happier if we could just have what we don’t have? Why does the grass look greener on the other side? Have you ever seen a cow with its head shoved through a fence, hanging out its tongue to reach the grass growing on the outside? Discontent is a dangerous thing. The Bible has another word for it. It’s called greed.
Ill - All he ever wanted was more --- He wanted more money so he turned inherited wealth into a billion dollars worth of assets. He wanted more fame so he broke into the Hollywood scene and soon became a film producer and star. He wanted more thrills so he designed, built, and piloted the fastest airplane in the world. He wanted more power so he secretly dealt political favors to skillfully influence 2 Presidents. All he ever wanted was more...He was convinced that more would bring him contentment.
History shows otherwise. He died, emaciated, colorless, with a sunken chest, his finger nails grew inches long and curly. His teeth were rotting black and needle marks covered his body from his drug addiction. Howard Hughes walked around nearly naked most of the time with his beard and hair to his waist. He lived in darkness, wore rubber clothes and sterilized everything in his junk filled room. He spent most of his time watching old movies and drinking soup. He was so lonely he talked on the phone for 10-15 hours a day. He died weighing 95 pounds. He died that way because he believed the myth: “If I can just have more, I’ll be content.” He died a billionaire junkie.
Now, if Howard Hughes had pulled off one more deal, earned 1 more million, experienced 1 more thrill, would it have been enough? The way to satisfaction isn’t getting more. It didn’t’ work for Howard Hughes, and it doesn’t work for you.
If you’re saying, “Yeah, that’s those guys. This is me. I’m not an eccentric billionaire recluse or someone committed to a psych ward.” No, you’re not. But you’re an American consumer, which means statistically you’re willing to go into debt for some material thing that’s not a necessity. You’re part of a targeted audience, with a tendency to be convinced that getting more will make you satisfied in life.
Is what Paul wrote true or not? A temptation. A trap. The root of all kinds of evil. Pierced with many griefs. Wandering from the Faith. Sounds like a great time to me!
It’s time we stop accepting discontent as just someone’s motivation to work hard, or someone else’s dreams, and start calling it what it is: it’s a great danger. Let’s remind one another of that!
The last help toward contentment is to remember that…
IV. God won’t let us down
To see this, we look at another place:
Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Pay attention to the reason for contentment here. God isn’t going to leave you or forsake you. In the original language here, the wording is strong – very strong – a quadruple negative. God will not abandon us.
When it seems like all our money has sprouted wings and flown, God is still with us. When we’re tempted to want more, we can remember that the greatest feature of life is God’s presence. When we have people urging us to love money, we can remember the love of God that compels us to love Him above all else.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t give in to the nonsense. Say with confidence “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
This is a matter of faith, and courage. It takes faith to say, “I’m going to trust that putting God first in my life is going to satisfy me.”
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Do you believe Him? Godliness with contentment is great gain. Do you believe it?
Conclusion
I think this is the best point to end with this morning. God isn’t going to let us down.
I know that when we invite people to Jesus, we’re inviting you to major life change – major decisions. We don’t apologize for that. We know that accepting Jesus is part of the only way to be satisfied in life. It was Blaise Pascal who said we all have a God-shaped vacuum inside of us, and nothing fills that void except God. We attempt to fill it with all kinds of other things, but we’ll never be filled until we give our Creator that place inside of us He deserves. That’s what we’re inviting you to do right now.
________________________________________________________________________
Somewhere Over the End of the Rainbow
A skit about contentment – by Sherm Nichols
Characters:
Dorothy (DT) – just wants to get home to KS and her family…or actually, wants to get to the mall there to shop for some new shoes. Becomes nostalgic and corny on her lines about home.
Scarecrow (SC) – just wants a brain…or actually, wants all the new technology gadgets. Definitely a brainless character.
Tin Woodsman (TW) – just wants a heart…or actually, wants to become an oil and steel baron. Cynical and heartless in the way he speaks.
Lion (LN) – just wants courage…or actually, extreme sports machines – speed boat, 4-wheeler, a Harley. Even though he’s big, he’s timid and cowardly.
Synopsis:
the 4 characters are traveling to the Emerald City to see the great Wizard, discovering about each other that they are discontent – only their greater concerns turn out to be over shallow, materialistic things. Their whole journey becomes nothing more than a search for meaning in temporary things.
Time: about 6 minutes
Scene: all 4 companions are walking, skipping along on the “yellow brick road.”
________________________________________
LN – Hold it! Hold it! That woods up ahead looks kind of spooky! Isn’t there some other way to get to the Wizard?
TW – C’mon, you big scaredy-cat! You’re always whimping out on us! If we didn’t have to keep slowing down for your anxiety attacks, we’d be there by now.
DT – Now, TW, don’t start in on him again. You know how much I hate it when we’re all arguing. (sobbing, dramatic, violin music in background) You know how much I miss my Auntie Emm! (to stuffed dog in basket) You miss her too, don’t you, Toto? I just wish I could get home! There’s no place like home! There’s no place like… (remember, if Dorothy had said this and tapped her heels before, she would have been instantly transported back to Kansas)
SC – (interrupting) Yeah, there’s no place like home. Where’s that again?
TW – Great job, Weeds-for-brains, she’s talking about Kansas…again. And, Dorothy, please, why on earth would anyone cry about not being in Kansas? Why can’t you get a grip?
DT – Well, TW, Kansas is where my home is. (violin music again) Kansas is where my family is. Kansas is where my Auntie Emm is! There’s no place like home. There’s no…
LN – (interrupting) I heard Kansas is a scary place. I don’t care how much of my family was there. That’s sure not why I want to see the Wizard.
SC – Me either. No sirree, Bob. Nope. I don’t want to get to Kansas. I want to see the Wizard so that, so I can, so, uh… What was it I wanted again?
(other 3) – A brain!
SC – Oh, yeah, a brain! (all respond with nods). Well, actually guys, I’ve been thinking… (all do a double take and look at him surprised)
TW – You’ve been what?
SC – Yeah, seriously. You know, having a brain would be nice and all. I mean, it might come in handy when I’m trying to put my shoes on the right feet or watching Jeopardy, but I’m not sure that’s all I really want.
DT – You mean, there’s more?
SC – Yeah. Isn’t this guy we’re going to see the “Great Wizard of Oz?” I mean, if he can handle giving me a brain, and you (to TW) a heart, and you (to LN) courage, and get you (to DT) back home, couldn’t he handle getting me a nice laptop computer…and an Ipod, and a cooler cell phone, and a big screen TV?
TW – Uh, Birdman, we’re going to Emerald City, not Circuit City, remember?
SC – Remember? Of course I remember! Well, I would remember if I, if, if I, uh…
(other 3) – Only had a brain!
SC – Yeah, but who wants just a brain? I want a nice laptop computer, an ipod, a cooler cell phone…
DT – You already mentioned all that.
LN – Listen, everyone, as long as Scarecrow is being honest, I may as well be too.
TW – What, you want a bunch of electronic stuff too?
LN – No. I’ve just been thinking. Sure, I hate being scared by my own shadow all the time, and courage would be nice to have. But what’s the point of having courage if I don’t get to use it? I mean, this guy is the great Wizard, right? If he can give me courage, couldn’t he handle a nice Harley too? And while he’s at it, a nice speed boat, a 4-wheeler, a hang glider…
DT – Lion, what would you do with all that stuff?
LN – Well, for one thing, I’d have a lot of fun, and I’d project a certain image – you know, one where people don’t think you’re scared of everything. Not to mention, chicks dig a guy on a Harley.
TW – Sure, chicks dig a nervous hairball riding a motorcycle!
LN – Well they sure would dig it more than a heartless, insulting reject from the recycling center! I can hear it now, “Look, there’s a metal guy who chops down trees! Ooooh!”
TW – (making an aggressive move toward the lion, as the lion recoils away) Why don’t you step over here and I’ll…
DT – Boys! Stop it! If you both keep this up, I’ll never get home to Kansas. (violin music) I won’t get home to Auntie Emm, and the farm, and my old bedroom, and my friends – my home! There’s no place like home! There’s no place…
SC – Dorothy?
DT – (her daze interrupted) Huh?
SC – Since we’re all kind of leveling here, don’t you think it’s time you were honest too?
DT – What do you mean Scarecrow?
TW – I know what he means. He means, no one could possibly care so much about a farm in Kansas that they’d go through all you are to get back to it. Why are you really going to see the Wizard?
DT – (sort of sheepishly and admitting-ly) Well, now, I really do want to get home to Kansas…and to Auntie Emm…and my home. (pause) And the mall!
(other 3) – Huh?
DT – The mall! Do you realize how long it’s been since I was shopping? Do you realize how long I’ve been wearing these stupid shoes? They’re 2nd hand, they clash with everything, and my feet are killing me! “Put on these shoes! They’ll lead you home! Blah Blah Blah!” That’s what the good witch told me. Remember?
LN & TW - Yes.
SC (at the same time; confused) – No.
DT – Well, all these shoes have done for me so far is given me blisters. This dress has probably been out of style for a week now, and I’ve had the same hair color forever! I want to shop! I want to buy some new shoes and a new basket to carry my dog in! I want to keep up with my friends. I want the mall!
TW – Pathetic. (all turn and look at TW)
LN – Hey, wait a minute. I suppose that all along you’ve just wanted a heart and that was it?
TW – OK, Captain Cowardly, I’ll tell you what I want. Who needs a heart? I want a portfolio. I want to be an oil and steel baron! I want to make some cash because money is power, and rich people can do anything they want to. Do you realize how much the price of firewood around here has already dropped this year?
DT – It’s always high in Kansas.
TW – I don’t care. I want to live in the big city! I want to be surrounded by a big office with a big desk and with lots of little people who have to do what I tell them. I want to be rich!
LN – Why am I not surprised? I’m afraid we’re all pretty much after the same thing.
SC – Yep. We are. What are we after?
(other 3) – More Stuff!
(In a sing-song fashion, one right after the other, in the order they’re standing)
LN – a Harley
DT – the mall
SC – a laptop
TW – big bucks
DT – Well, what are we waiting here for? Let’s get going!
TW – OK!
LN – Yeah, let’s get going!
SC – Yeah, let’s go. Where are we going again?
(all 4 join arms and exit as they entered, SC facing the wrong direction)
