True Satisfaction

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TRUE SATISFACTION

March 9, 2008 Jay Davis Robison 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-12

A typical market in US in 1976 stocked 9,000 items;

today that same market carries 30,000 different items.

Why? Because have obsessive compulsion to possess more & more

In America we have more of everything except SATISFACTION

There is a palatable discontent in US spirit of discontentedness.

Don Jaques As a rule, man’s a fool. When it’s hot, he wants it cool.

And when it’s cool, he wants it hot, Always wanting what is not.

Rodney Buchanan on satisfaction in I AM REALLY CONTENT...

I am really content until I start looking through the Sears catalogue.

I liked my car — until I saw the new ones.

I am satisfied w\my clothes until I stroll through the Mall stores.

I love our home — until I think of what it would be like to own a

log cabin on the shore of some remote lake.

I am satisfied with every area of my life until I start comparing

with someone else’s life.

I feel I have enough of everything until see someone who has more.

True satisfaction is a rare thing in today’s world

Constantly grabbing for more

How do we find it? 1 Timothy 6:6-12 3 suggestions

1. Be a THEMOSTAT not a THERMOMETER

Some people are thermometers and some are thermostats

Thermometers measure temperature, thermostats set temperature

Have you ever asked someone how they were doing and they said

Okay under the circumstances

Believers in Jesus should never live under the circumstances

Should be spiritual reality in us makes us look at life differently

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. Vs 6 NKJV

Paul was in prison when he wrote this without many friends

When the going gets rough

Some become bitter Luke 10:38-42 Martha was bitter

Some become burdened with heavy heart Ps 102:7

Some become selfish Elijah 1 Kings 19:10 Woe is me

I have learned the secret of being content in every situation Phil 4:12

This kind of contentment secret most people never learn

Content= TO BE COMPLETELY SUFFICIENT, FULFILLED,

SATISFIED, COMPLETE

Everyone person strives for contentment.

We all want to be fulfilled, complete, satisfied, self-sufficient.

But when we look around, this is not what we see.

See a society and a world discontented, unfulfilled, incomplete,

dissatisfied, empty, lonely, and restless as they can be.

Why? Because people are thermometers not thermostats

Shakespeare’s Henry the 6th tells of a king wandering the country

Meets 2 men tells them he is a king if you a king where is crow

King said My crown is in my heart & not on my head, Not decked with diamonds & Indian stones Nor to be seen, my crown is called content A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy

Most believe secret of contentment is found in $$ and possessions.

Reason I’m never content is I don’t have a better paying job.

If I had a bigger house… I’d be content.

Look for God’s ACTIVITY IN YOUR LIFE

Remember this God does not have step children

No second choice kids in God’s eyes, something for all of us

Question is are we open to God’s activity in our lives

Takes us opening up to God spending time with God

Remember Paul in prison writing about contentment

Contentment arises in gratitude toward God for blessings

Not being mad at God because don’t have more

Being thankful for what we have

God uses DISCONENTEMENT to bring about GROWTH

Discontentment causes us to grow and change

Step on scale don’t like that, look after weight

Pain in relationship, seek to grow in it or get out of it

2. Settle THE MONEY QUESTION

God knows how important $$ is, why God talks about it often

God also knows our protection of possessions can get extreme

Carjacking was foiled in a Northern Virginia Shopping Mall.

An elderly grandmother was given a gun by her son for protection.

One day after she did her shopping she returned to car where she

found four white males seated inside.

She dropped her shopping bags drew her handgun, & screamed at

top of her lungs I have a gun & know how to use it: get out of car.

The four men hopped out and ran like mad, lady proceeded to load

her shopping bags into back of the car & get into the drivers seat.

She had small problem, her key wouldn’t fit ignition. After looking

realized her car identical & parked 4 or 5 spaces farther down.

She loaded her bags into her car and drove to the police station.

Sergeant to she told the story doubled over in laughter pointed to other end of counter, where four pale white males