1. A Tale of Discontent
This is reportedly a true story about George Phillips of Mississippi, who was going to bed when his wife told him that he had left the lights on out in his workshop. George went out to turn off the lights but saw that there were people in there in the process of stealing his tools.
He immediately phoned the police, who asked "Are they inside your house?" George answered, "No, they're out in my workshop." The officer replied that all the patrol cars were busy right now, and that he should simply lock his door and a patrol car would be sent out when one was available.
George said, "Okay," and hung up. However, George was not content with the police response so he counted to 30, and phoned the police again. "Hello, I called you a minute ago because there were burglars in my workshop. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all." Then he hung up.
Within minutes, three squad cars, an armed response unit, and an ambulance showed up. Of course, the police caught the burglars red-handed. But one of the officers said to George: "I thought you told me that you had shot them!"
To which George replied, "I thought YOU told me that there were NO officers available!"
2. Would you say you are a person of contentment?
a. Job
b. Income -- Average MLB Salary 2014 $3.8 Million dollars; some multi-million contracts; some struggle with the minimum $400 K; Average NFL Salary (2014) 2 Million with 430 K minimum; Average NBA Salary (2013-14) 4.9 Million with the Minimum 490K -- would you be content? Are you with your level? We may NEED more, but too often we merely are not content with what we have and WANT more
c. Family situation
d. Relationship with God
e. Sometimes confuse NEEDS with WANTS -- leads to a real battle of trust
3. Philippians 4.11-13; 19
a. Paul learned the secret to Personal Victory -- Contentment in God's promise to take care of us
b. Learning was not classroom knowledge but experience and practice -- University of Hard Knocks
c. The simple fact is, God is enough and promises that if we have him, we have all we need
4. Bottom line -- We either believe God is adequate, sufficient or we do not. -- Psalm 37.25
a. God can meet our needs or not. If we think he only meets some needs or is adequate in certain situations we have problems
b. Get on side of Lordship and surrender and gain contentment or we will continually battle within ourselves and pull down the good things God is providing for us; because we have never totally trusted him.
c. Strengthens me -- Endue with strength as an infusion -- slow, steady introduction of solution in veins -- God slowly infuses me -- daily presence and power to live the life of following Jesus
5. The God we worship reveals a secret to a full life with him
I. God Knows What I Need
A. I Am Not Immune to Challenges in Life -- 2 Corinthians 11.23-27
Floggings
Beatings
Imprisonments
Stoning
Shipwreck
Dangers from rivers; bandits; own countrymen; Gentiles;
False accusations
Hunger and thirst
Sleeplessness
B. God Is Aware of My Needs
1. He Is Sovereign
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6.7-8
"In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that, and therefore know yourself as nothing in comparison, you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." ~ CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
2. He Wants Us to Know He Knows -- Isaiah 53.2-3
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
3. He knows and Identifies with US and Our Needs -- Jesus Was:
a. Ignored
b. Rejected
c. Ridiculed
d. Slandered
e. betrayed
f. Alone
C. Ultimately, God is ALL I Need! (It's the secret)
1. Not God +
2. Illustrated with 3 million Hebrews in the Wilderness -- 4500 tons of manna/day = 10 trains with 30 cars and 15 tons/car
II. What I Need for My Needs:
A. Totally Trust God
1. Peter walking on water]
. . . casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5.7
2. Seek to please Jesus and stop worrying
B. Be Obedient to God -- KEY
1. In God's will God is responsible.
2. Out of God's will I am responsible.
C. Learn Contentment with God
1. Dangerous Discontent
Time magazine reported that a mugger held up a woman at gunpoint & demanded her money. But when she only had $12.50 in her purse he became very angry. Then he saw her checkbook & insisted that she write him a check for $300. The next day he was arrested when he tried to cash that check.
2. Paul's secret:
a. Focus on knowing Christ.
b. Believe everything has a purpose. Romans 8.28
1) Not ALL is good -- If God put us in a bubble; everyone would want it, not Him
2) Trust God in the Storm -- I have been with many of you in hospital rooms; at your side in the loss of a loved one; upon hearing bad news and have seen your faith
c. Rely on God's strength.
D. Demonstrate That Trust in God
1. Worship follows belief
Man born blind: He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. John 9.38
2. Express Concern for Others -- Philippians 4.14
Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
* If you have someone who cares about you, someone who really loves you, someone who prays for you, someone who encourages you, & if you truly treasure that kind of relationship you may soon, like Paul, be able to say, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
1. Real Peace
There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, & he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged & bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell & in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked closely at the waterfall, he saw behind it a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why? "Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things & still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace." From the book: Stories for the Heart (p. 246, Catherine Marshall)
2. We can trust God for peace and contentment in meeting our needs and gain victory!
