Victory's Secret Series

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)