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Amen. All right, well we find ourselves there in Philippians chapter number four, and of course through the summer we end into, going into the fall, we've been going through the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, in a series called Rejoice, and we've been looking at this book and learning about it. The Apostle Paul wrote this book, if you remember, from prison, and he's been teaching the church at Philippi how to have joy and how to rejoice, and last week we looked at this idea of how to rejoice in the Lord and how to find our joy in the Lord. This morning we're going to look at this idea of how to be content, and this is something that the Apostle Paul brings up in this passage. In fact, Philippians chapter four is well known for this idea of contentment. If you look at verse 10, the Bible says, But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again, when you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity. Verse 11, Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. Contentment is defined as a state of satisfaction. It is a state in which you are not only in need of anything, you're not in need of anything, but you're not in want or desire of anything. When someone is content, when you find yourself content, you are satisfied, and to have contentment is something that we all want, whether consciously or subconsciously. It's something that we all strive for. Something that everybody wants in their life is to have contentment, to be satisfied. However, how to get contentment is something that is a misunderstanding. We often think by our worldly perspective and in our flesh that if we can just get the things we want, we will be satisfied, we will be content. That's a lie of the devil. The truth is that contentment does not come that way, and the Apostle Paul understands that, and what he does in this passage, he gives us three steps to find contentment, how to be content in life. There's three steps, three ideas that he gives us in this passage, and I want to give those to you this morning. I'd encourage you to write these down. On the back of the course of the week, there's a place for you to take some notes, and of course, the purpose of you taking notes in church is twofold. One, so that you can review this yourself, and secondly, so that you can teach it to others, so that you can help other people, because I'm here to tell you we live in a world today that is discontented. There are people you work with. There are people you live around. There are people you're surrounded with and you're related to that are not content in life. They are discontented, and they are seeking for contentment in the wrong way, in the wrong avenue, and I want to give you three biblical steps for contentment, and I would definitely encourage you to write these down. First of all, I want you to notice there in verse 11, notice what the Apostle Paul says. He says this, Not that I speak in respect of want. The word want means to have a need or to have a desire, and the Apostle Paul says there's nothing that I want. He says there's nothing that I desire. There's nothing that I'm lacking. He says I want to speak to you on the subject of contentment. He said I've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content, and then he gives us the first step there, and if you're taking notes, I'd encourage you to write this down. Step number one, to have contentment, we must stop coveting. We must stop wanting. We must stop desiring, because the truth is this, and here's a statement for you to go with the statement. You cannot be content while coveting, and this is why the Apostle Paul, he says, not that I speak in respect of want. Now keep your place there in Philippians, that's our text for this morning, and go with me if you would to the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter number 13. If you're in Philippians, you've got the books of Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews. Find the book of Hebrews, and then do me a favor, put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there, because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it. So I'd like you to be able to get there quickly. Hebrews chapter 13, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews. Let me define the word covet or covetousness for you. The word covet is defined as to have a want or desire. This is why the Apostle Paul said, not that I speak in respect of want. He says there's nothing I'm lacking. The word want means two different things. It's something that I desire and something that I'm lacking. Now usually what we desire is a desire that we have because of a perceived lack. We perceive that we're lacking something, so therefore we want something. And Paul says, I don't speak in respect of want. I don't perceive that there's anything that I'm lacking. Therefore, there is nothing that I desire. There is nothing that I want. And the first step to being able to have contentment in your life is for you to stop coveting or you could use the word to stop craving, to stop wanting, to stop desiring. Why? Because you cannot be content while you are coveting. You can't be content while you are craving, while you're desiring, while you're wanting something that you don't have. See, coveting is the opposite of contentment. You're there in Hebrews chapter 13. Look at verse 5, Hebrews 13 verse 5. The Bible says this, let your conversation, the word conversation is a word we saw earlier in the book of Philippians. It means conduct or behavior. It's a reference to your lifestyle. Let your conversation, notice these words, be without covetousness. And again, the word covet means to want, to desire something that you don't have. He says, look, your lifestyle, your conduct, your way of life ought to be without covetousness. Then he says this, and be content. The word content means to be satisfied. It means to be, to not have a desire for anything. He says, be content with such things as ye have. He says, look, you need to, here's what the world teaches. And the idea from the world or from our human nature is, there are some things that I desire, there are some things that I perceive as a lack, that I don't have, therefore I want them. And once I have them, then I'll be content. The problem with that is that you're always going to want more. There's no end to your want. There's no end to my want. There's no end to our desire. The Bible says that the eye is never full, the ear is never full. There's always more we want. There's always more we desire. There's always something nicer, something shinier, something newer. And the Apostle Paul says, let me let you in on a secret. You want to know what it means to be content? You want to know how people that are content get there? They learn to be content. They learn to be satisfied with such things as they have. He says, they learn to not want. They learn to be happy with what they have. He says, you must not covet. Now there are some things that lead us to covetousness. And if we're going to be covetousness in order to be content, then we must learn these things. The first is this. Go back to Philippians. Keep your place there in Hebrews if you would. Go back to Philippians. And Paul already brought this up in Philippians chapter 2. I want you to notice it. Keep your place in Hebrews. Go back to Philippians chapter 2. Things that lead to coveting and destroy contentment. There's really two things that lead us to covet and to not be content. The first is complaining. Philippians 2, look at verse 14. Notice what the Apostle Paul says. He says, do all things. Do all things. I want you to notice that word all. That's everything. All things without murmurings and disputings. The word murmur means to complain. It's when you're kind of grumbling underneath your breath, you know, and your boss tells you to do something. Why is the guy telling me to do it? Why can't he tell somebody else to do it? This idea of murmurings and complaining. Paul says, do all things without murmurings and disputings. See, the truth is this. You cannot be content until you quit coveting. And you cannot quit coveting until you quit complaining. You've got to make it a rule in your life that you'll not complain anymore about whatever it is that you're unhappy with. Why? Because the Bible says we have to do all things without murmurings. And the truth of the matter is this. Go back, go to Numbers if you would. Numbers chapter number 11 towards the Old Testament, towards the beginning of the Old Testament. You have Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Numbers chapter number 11. And let me just show you this verse. Verse number 1. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Numbers chapter number 11 and verse 1. Here's the truth. All complaining is a complaint against God. Numbers chapter 11, look at verse 1. And when the people complain... Now, I don't have time to develop the story for you, but if you were to look at the context and if you were to ask the people, you ask them, what are you complaining about? They would tell you, we are complaining about Moses. Moses is the leader that brought us here. He's the leader that brought us to the desert. He's the leader that has failed to give us the things we want. If you were to ask them, who are you complaining about? They would say, we're complaining about Moses. They would say, we're complaining about Aaron. They would say, we're complaining about the manna. They would say, we're complaining about the fact that we lack cucumbers and garlic and all this food that we want and we used to have in Egypt. And this is what the people would say. And by the way, if we were to ask you, what are you complaining about? You would say, I'm complaining about my husband. I'm complaining about my wife. I'm complaining about my children. I'm complaining about my job. I'm complaining about my boss. I'm complaining about where I live. I'm complaining about what I drive. I'm complaining about the clothes I wear. But the truth is this, the Bible says in Numbers 11 and 1, and when the people complain, notice, it displeased the Lord. And the Lord heard it. You say, now why would my complaining displease the Lord? Why would God be listening to my complaining? And why would it displease him? Notice, and his anger was kindled. And the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. You say, why would God be offended at my complaining of my situation? And here's why. Because it is God who has brought you to the place where you are in life. God's the one that gave you that wife. God's the one that gave you that husband. God's the one that gave you that job. God's the one that gave you those children. God's the one that gave you the health you have. God's the one that gave you the material goods you have. And when we complain about anything, it is a complaint against God. God is the one who has brought you here. When the Bible says that they complained, they would have said, we're complaining about Moses, we're complaining about Manna, and God said, no, you're complaining about me. And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord. And the Lord heard it. And here's all I'm telling you. You'll never be content while you complain. I don't want to be content. Quit complaining. Well, I'm complaining because I'm not content. No, actually, you're not content because you're complaining. We must quit complaining in order to be content. The second thing that kills contentment because it feeds covetousness, not only complaining, but also comparing. Go back to Philippians chapter 4. While you turn there, I'll just read to you from 2 Corinthians 10. You go to Philippians 4. 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 12 says this. For we do not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves. But they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. You will never be satisfied. You will never be content. You will always feel like you're lacking, like you're wanting, like you're needing while you are constantly comparing. Why? Because the Bible says that they that compare themselves among themselves are not wise. Here's the thing. There is no win to the comparison game. You can play the comparison game. You say, where's the comparison game played? On Facebook, on Instagram, all over social media. People are constantly showing you what they want to show you, what they want to show off. They don't show you the real life. They just show you, you know, what's been highly edited, highly altered in order to make you think that their life is awesome. And here's the thing. You do the same thing. They do the same thing. Everyone's just constantly comparing and no one's content. Why? Because there's no end to the comparison game. It's not wise to compare. The Bible says that we dare not make ourselves with a number or compare ourselves with them that commend themselves. But they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves are not wise. You will never be. Look, here's what I'm saying. You say, I'd like to be content. Great. You've got to quit coveting. Well, how do I do that? Quit complaining and quit comparing. You'll never be content while you compare. There's an author and public speaker who speaks on business and leadership by the name of Simon Sienik. Actually, Brother Joel Usher is the one that told me about him and I purchased a book recently. And he says in one of his speeches, he gives this story where he was asked to speak at an education summit at both Apple and Microsoft, two companies that are competing against each other. He was asked to speak at an education summit for both in just a few months of each other. He said he noticed as he sat there at these different conventions that he went to, he went to the Microsoft convention and he would get up to speak and he was going to be the keynote speaker. But before he spoke, throughout the day, they had the different executives and leaders of the business get up and speak. And he said that 70% of the speeches that were given by the executives at this education summit for Microsoft, 70% of the content was directed at their competitor, Apple. 70% of the talk was about how we can beat Apple and Apple has this and we don't have it and Apple has that and we need to get it and we need to beat Apple. We need to beat Apple and Apple this and Apple that. Sometime later, he went and spoke at the education summit for Apple and he noticed that when the leaders of the organization for Apple got up to speak, he said 70% of the content was directed towards how Apple can get better. And how we need to, we've done this but we can do better in this area and we've accomplished this but we can do better in this area and we've got to get better here and we've got to get better at that. The interesting thing is that in the marketplace, Apple has consistently beat Microsoft when it comes to business success, revenues and any sort of way that you can figure out success in the business world, Apple is beating Microsoft hands down every time. The funny thing and the observation that Simon Sienik made is that Microsoft is playing the comparison game. They're playing this way. Apple, they're not worried about Microsoft, they're just playing this way. And let me tell you something, the only way that you will ever win in life, see it's not wise to compare. The only way that you'll ever win in life, the only way that you'll ever get to the place where you feel satisfied, where you feel content, where you say we're not perfect, we've got things we've got to work on, right? The apostle Paul already spoke to us about those things, he said, not that I've already attained, he said, brother, he said, I know that I've not already attained. He said, I press toward the mark but let me tell you something, in life, you've got to play this game. I'm trying to beat myself, I'm trying to get better, I'm trying to do better, I'm trying to be a better Christian, I'm trying to be a better husband, I'm trying to be a better wife, I'm trying to be a better employee, I'm trying to do better with my finances, do better with my health, as long as you're playing this game, you'll never win. Simon Sinek says that he was given a gift after the Microsoft event, they'd given him some gadget that Microsoft had just put out and it was all fancy and all sorts of things, some sort of a phone that you've probably never heard of because Microsoft isn't winning in the phone game. And he said he pulled it out when he was in the taxi being driven, taken back to his hotel, he was sitting with one of the main leaders there of Apple. He pulled it out and he said, let me show you, you know, this thing that Microsoft gave me, I spoke at their education summit, they gave me this gift, they started pulling it out and playing with it. He said, it's way better than your iPhone. And the guy, he said, the guy looked over and said, I bet. And the truth is this, that you will never succeed in life while you're constantly comparing yourself, comparing yourself to your neighbors, comparing yourself to other church members, comparing yourself to your coworkers, comparing yourself to whoever. Look, there's no contentment in the comparison game. All there is is coveting, complaining, comparing. So Paul says, you want to be content? You want to be satisfied? He said, stop coveting. And people say, no, no, I'm coveting because I'm not satisfied. And Paul would say, no, you're not satisfied because you're coveting. You cannot be content while coveting. And the things that will lead to coveting and destroy contentment is complaining and comparing. Let me give you a second step. Go back to Philippians chapter 4 if you would. I said number one, step one, stop coveting. You cannot be content while coveting. You think, I'll stop coveting when I'm content. It doesn't work that way. You'll never stop complaining if you don't make a choice to stop complaining. You'll never stop comparing if you don't make a choice. You'll never get to the place. See, it doesn't matter how successful you get, there will always be somebody who's better than you. If you keep looking in that direction at the competition, someone will always be there. So we have to run the race at a step before us. We have to worry about us and our relationship with God. Step one, stop coveting. You cannot be content while coveting. Step two, don't wait on your circumstances. Don't wait on your circumstances. You want to be content? Quit waiting on your circumstances. Here's a statement for you. You cannot be content based on circumstances. Contentment is not based off your circumstances. Notice what the apostle Paul says. Look at verse 11 again. Not that I speak in respect of one. He says, for I have learned. Notice these words. In whatsoever state I am. I always like to make note, even the state of California. In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Notice he says, I know both how to be abased. The word abased means to be lowered. To not win. To not be given the prestige. And I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry. Both to abound and to suffer need. He says, I can be content. Paul says, I can be content everywhere and in all things. Why? And remember that Paul is writing from a prison cell. Paul is under arrest at this point. Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians and he's telling them. Let me show you how to have joy. The word joy found multiple times throughout this book. He said, let me show you how to rejoice. The word rejoice found ten times in these four short chapters. He's saying, let me show you how to be content. Paul is sitting in prison and saying, let me introduce you to the satisfied life. Say, Paul, how can you be content you're in prison? And he would say, well, that's what you don't understand. Contentment is not based off circumstances. You cannot be content, by the way, when you base your contentment of circumstances. This is, again, the idea. The idea that people will say, they'll say, I'll be content when I get. That's covetous. I'll be content when this happens. I'll be content when I get married. I'll be content when I have children. I'll be content when I get that job. I'll be content when I get that raise. I'll be content when I get that promotion. I'll be content when I move into that neighborhood. I'll be content when I drive that vehicle. I'll be content when I get there, when I get here, when I do this, when I do that. The problem with that is this, that contentment cannot be based off circumstances. You cannot allow circumstances to determine your contentment. You say, why? Here's why. Two reasons. Because your circumstances, go to Proverbs, if you would. Proverbs, chapter 27, open your Bible, just right in the center. You'll more than likely fall in the book of Psalms. Right after Psalms, you have Proverbs. Why will your circumstances never lead to contentment? Here's why. Because circumstances are relative. And because you don't have any control over your circumstances. You say, why won't my circumstances ever bring contentment? Because circumstances are relative. You know what that means? Your circumstances and how good or bad you perceive them to be are all in relativity to some fixed end goal that is constantly changing. Say, what do you mean? Proverbs 27, look at verse 7. Proverbs 27 and verse 7. Notice what the Bible says, the full soul. Here we have an individual who's full. They're not hungry. They've ate a lot. They're stuffed. The full soul loathes in honeycomb. Now, a honeycomb is something that's sweet, that's good, it tastes good. But you grab a honeycomb and you offer it to a full soul, someone who's stuffed and filled. They say, ah, I couldn't eat another bite. The full soul loathes in honeycomb. Notice how your circumstances are relative. But to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet. Someone gets hungry enough, they not only think the honeycomb is sweet, any bitter thing is sweet if you get hungry enough. See, if you're hungry, any bitter thing is sweet. If you're full, even a honeycomb that is sweet, you loathe it. What does this proverb teach us? It teaches us this, that our circumstances are relative. Therefore, our circumstances cannot determine our contentment because our circumstances are relative to where we happen to be in life because the full soul loathes in honeycomb. Every time I read that verse, I think of when I was in the Air Force and I went to boot camp. You've heard me tell the story before, and let me just give this disclaimer. I went to the Air Force. I'm not recommending it. Sometimes people hear me tell stories and they go, oh, you think we should go in the Air Force? No. No, you shouldn't go in the military. But anyway, I did. And I remember when I went to boot camp, we flew into San Antonio, Texas. You've heard me tell the story before. And we got there at 2 a.m. and they put us in this room and we were being processed in and paperwork and whatever was being done. And they handed us all these sack lunches, just these brown bags with food in them or whatever, and they had a little sandwich and a little this and that. And they had this little bag of cookies. And the type of cookies, I can't remember what they're called or whatever, but I didn't like them. There's something I didn't like. I remember thinking to myself, man, it's going to be a long eight weeks. Maybe I should try to eat just everything just because it's going to be a tough time. And I remember opening the cookies, eating one, and I'm just like, oh, these cookies are nasty. I just ate half of one, just threw it away, ate half of the sandwich, threw it away. If they would have gave me Oreos, that would have been nice, but they gave me something else. And it was like, oh, no, you know, I didn't want it. The funny thing is that we went through boot camp and for eight weeks, you know, we were there and torture and whatever and all those things. The last week before we graduated, we were getting suited for our dress blues for our graduation. They brought us into the same room. And they fed us the same sack lunch eight weeks later. Now, the difference was that now eight weeks had gone by where I'd been starved, been tortured, been deprived of sleep, and I remember being handed the exact same sack lunch with the exact same sandwich, the exact same cookies, the exact same everything, and I devoured the entire thing. Not only did I devour the entire thing, I was licking. I was licking the bag, you know, with the cookies, and I was seeing if other people would let me lick their bag, you know. And here's all I'm saying. All I'm telling you is this, that circumstances are relative. The full soul loathed in honeycomb, but the hungry soul, to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet. And the truth is this, that your life could get a lot better or it could get a lot worse, and your circumstances are really not in your hands. Go to James chapter 4, if you would. If you kept your place in Hebrews, remember I asked you to keep your place in Hebrews. Right after Hebrews, you have the book of James, James chapter 4. Your circumstances are relative, so you cannot allow your contentment to be based on your circumstances, because your circumstances, first of all, you could change within your circumstances. I was full, now I'm not. I've changed. That's relative. But not only that, not only are your circumstances relative, which is why they cannot be the source of your contentment, you also have no control or little to no control over your circumstances. James chapter 4, look at verse 13. James 4 and verse 13. The Bible says, go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. Here we have James talking about someone who has a lot of plans, and there's nothing wrong with having plans. They're preparing, but they've made an assumption that they're going to do certain things. They're going to go today or tomorrow, we'll go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. Verse 14, whereas, the word whereas means in contrast to the fact. Here's what James is saying. James is saying, you make all these plans. You say, I'm going to go there, I'm going to start this business, I'm going to make this money, I'm going to go on this vacation, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. Today or tomorrow, we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. And then James says, whereas, he says, those thoughts are in contrast to the fact that ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. And James is not against you planning and preparing and having goals. That's not the point. The point is this, verse 15, for that ye ought to say, he said, the problem is not that you say today or tomorrow we're going to go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. He said, nothing wrong with that, but what you should add to that is this, for that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or do that. The truth is this, you have very little to no control over your circumstances. So the year begins and I sit down with the staff and we make all sorts of plans about what we're going to do, how we're going to do it. The fact that we're going to pass out 10,000 invitations to Family and Friend Day in the next, in the six weeks leading up to Family and Friend Day and we're going to run this and we're going to run that program, we're going to do this, we're going to do that. And then God allows coronavirus or God allows the Delta variant to resurge or God allows, you know, God punishes us with a Governor Gavin Newsom that allows the fires to get out of control and put smoke in the whole city and we don't go soul winning. You know, the point is this, you don't know what a day will bring forth. You know not what shall be on tomorrow. You say, if I can just have this and this and this, I'll be content but you don't know that you can have this and that. You don't know what a day will bring forth. Now you should make plans and we ought to say if the Lord will, we shall do this and if the Lord will, we shall do that and if the Lord allows, then we will do the other but our contentment cannot be connected to our circumstances because I have no control over the circumstances. And my circumstances are relative. Waiting on getting all your ducks in a row, just, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, I'm just trying to help you out. It's never going to happen. They say, people, I'm just going to get all my ducks in a row, I'm going to get all my ducks in a row and then we're going to start going to church. No you're not. I'm going to get all my ducks in a row and I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, I'm going to get right with God, I'm going to go soul winning. Look, we call it getting ducks in a row and that sounds nice, you know, it's more like hurting cats. It's never going to happen. There's always going to be something missing. There's always going to be a problem, there's always going to be an issue, there's always going to be something that is not correct. So Paul says, don't wait on your circumstances. You cannot be content based on your circumstances. He says, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. He says, I know how to be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. He said, I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Why? Because I can be content. He says, if I'm full, I can be content. If I'm hungry, I can be content. When I abound, I can be content. If I suffer need, he says, wherein, he says, in all things, everywhere and in all things. I can be content. Here's why. Because, Paul says, because my contentment is not connected to my circumstances. Paul, you're sitting in prison. Yep, but I'm content. Say why? Well, step one, we must stop coveting. You cannot be content while coveting. Step two, don't wait on your circumstances. You cannot be content based on your circumstances. Step three, go back to Philippians chapter four if you would or I'm not sure if you're there. Look at verse eleven again. Step three, make a choice. Here's the truth. You cannot be content. Here's a statement for you. You cannot be content without making a choice. Without making a choice to be content. And this is really probably the key to the entire sermon. It is this, that contentment can be learned. Contentment can be chosen. Look again at what Paul says, verse eleven. Not that I speak in respect of Juan. Notice these words. For I have learned. Oh, that must come natural to someone like Paul. Paul says, no, I have to learn this. For I have learned. Now notice, he continues with this idea. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. What did you learn, Paul? Verse twelve. I know. It didn't happen to me. I've learned. I have the knowledge. I know both how to abase and I know how to abound everywhere and all things. Don't miss it. I am instructed. Can somebody teach you how to be content? Yeah. Can you learn how to be content? Yeah. Can you know how to be content? Yes. Why? Because contentment is a choice. You must make a choice. You can learn to be content. How can I learn to be content? How can I just make a choice? How can I just decide? Go to the book of Luke, if you go to Luke chapter twelve. Towards the beginning of the New Testament you have Matthew, Mark, Luke. Luke chapter twelve. Let me give you a couple of quotes. Here's a quote. Being poor. Think about this. Being poor is not having too little. It's wanting more. People say, oh, I'm poor. And when people say they're poor, usually what they mean is, I don't have. I don't have what I think I should have. But here's the reality. Being poor is a state of mind. Being poor, you say, who decides whether I'm rich or poor? The governor? The president? The economy? The circumstances? Here's what's interesting. You know who decides whether you're rich or poor? You do. Because being poor is a mentality. Being poor is a lack, is a desire. Being poor, when someone says, oh, I'm poor. Or when they feel poor, or when they think they're poor. Being poor is not having too little, it's wanting more. See, if you were just content with such things as you have, you wouldn't be poor. Sometimes people look at you and say, they might say, oh, you're poor. And I think to myself, you know, you're telling something about yourself. Because I'm fine. You must look at, that person is poor. Well, they might be poor mentally, and you might be poor mentally. But if they're satisfied with what they have, they're not poor. Being poor, see, here's another quote. Satisfaction or contentment is not about the achieving of pleasure, but about the lack of desire. The lack of craving. If you can, look, you say, how can I be content? It's not about fulfilling the craving. What I want, I want this, I want that. If I can feel it, I'll be content. Again, we've been talking about it. The problem with that is, as soon as you feel it, as soon as you get it, they'll come out with another version. They'll come out with something bigger, something better, something shinier. And then you'll want that. Contentment is not filling the lack, it's getting rid of the lack altogether. It's saying, not that I speak in respect of want, Paul would say. I'm not lacking anything. I'm not in need of anything. You say, how can I get that? Well, you can learn contentment by getting the right perspective. You said the right perspective? Yes. The proper outlook on the things that actually matter. See, the proper outlook on something will change, reframe. The biblical word is renew your mind about what you actually need. So you should get a proper outlook about that which is temporal. Luke chapter 12, look at verse 15. Luke 12, verse 15. Luke 12, 15, and he said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. We've been talking about that, right? Covetousness? Covetousness is a lack of contentment. He said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. Notice, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. You know there's more to life than the things you have? There's more to life than the things we own. A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. I'm not going to take the time to go through it, but he goes on and talks about the rich fool. And he talks about the fact that he labored and he gathered all these things and then he died. And then here's what God says. Here's what Jesus says. Jesus says that's how it is to be rich in this world. But he said you ought to be rich towards God. Why? Because God and what God represents is the eternal. When we get the proper outlook of the temporal, when we get the proper outlook of the temporal, it helps us to get the right perspective. It helps us to learn to be content. Go to 1 Timothy chapter 6 if you would. If you kept your place in Hebrews, if you kept your place in Hebrews and you go backwards, you have Philemon, Titus, 2 Timothy, 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy chapter 6. Going backwards from Hebrews, Philemon, Titus, 2 Timothy, 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy chapter 1. Look at verse 6. And then do me a favor, just keep your finger right there in 1 Timothy because we're going to come right back to it. 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 7. Here's a good perspective for you. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Here's what Paul is telling Timothy. Because you didn't bring anything into this world and because you can't take anything with you out of this world, he says, and having food and raiment, let us be their way of content. You're going to be content. If all you have, if all you have, and look, God's not against blessings and I'm not against you being blessed. God talks a lot about blessing and hard work and labor and success and all those things. That's not the point. The point is not that you have more than food and raiment. The point is this, if all you had was food and raiment, you could still be content. Let us be there with content. Why? Because all those other things shouldn't matter. Why? Because we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. Satisfaction or contentment is not about achieving of pleasure. It's about a lack of desire. It's about a lack of want. Keep your finger right there in 1 Timothy. Go back to Philippians chapter 4. Several years ago, I was out sowing on a Thursday. My wife was at the church building with several ladies getting something together for something, I don't remember, some event or whatever. It was supposed to be something they were doing at our house, but last minute so many ladies got involved. She changed it and did it at the church building. She was here at the church building with the ladies and several of the kids. I was soul winning. We got a call. I think it was Ms. Cricket called and said, There's all these cops outside of your house. We started getting all sorts of reports from different people. I won't go into the story, but some demon possessed guy was attacking our house and talking about he needed to see Pastor Jimenez. They were saying there was some gate to the other world or something. I don't know what he thought was in my kitchen. I just told him it was a refrigerator. He's attacking our house. The guy, he was definitely demon possessed. It took three big cops. They had to tease him. They had to wrestle him down, all this and that. I remember thinking to myself, the first thing, and I'm not trying to tell you I'm ultra spiritual or whatever, I'm just telling you the truth. The first thing that popped in my head, this guy's attacking your house, trying to break into your house. The first thing that I thought in my head was this. Everything of value is not in that house right now. Because my wife and my kids were somewhere else. I thought, if he breaks into the house, he's going to pay my bills? There's nothing I want in that house. There's nothing I need. The truth is this, that having food and raiment, we can't be content. Why? Because the material things, the material things are temporal. They're temporary. You say, I don't know, this sounds a little, I mean, this sounds real like spiritual and all these things, but I don't think that I can do this. I mean, I don't think that I can actually find my contentment in something other than the things I want. That's why the Apostle Paul, I think he knew that you and I would think that way. So he adds this at the end of this little talk on contentment, verse 13, Philippians 4, 13. He says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. We like to quote that verse. We quote that verse for everything. And I think it's fine to quote that verse for anything and everything. It's fine to take it out of its context and use it. I can't, because the phrase itself can be applied in any direction. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. There's nothing that God has asked you to do. There's nothing that God requires of you that you can't. You say, I can't do that, but you can do it through Christ. But I want you to notice that the actual context of the phrase is about being content, being content. I know both how to be a base, and I know how to abound everywhere in all things. I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer neat. And you say, I can't do that. And Paul says, yes, you can, because I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Go back to verse 4 of Philippians 4. Philippians 4, 4, you hear me say this a lot about Philippians. There's lots of them, but one of the most famous verses in Philippians. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord is a phrase found throughout this book. And I want you to notice, maybe you've missed this little word right in the center. Rejoice in the Lord. You say, but all my circumstances aren't messed up. Yeah, but you know who's not messed up? The Lord. But all my ducks aren't in a row. Yeah, but you know who has everything in a row? The Lord. In everything, in all things, I can rejoice, I can be content when I rejoice in the Lord. Isn't this what Job learned? Isn't this what we've been learning from the book of Job? Go back to 1 Timothy chapter 6. Isn't that what Job said? When Job said, the Lord gaveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Isn't that what Job meant when Job told his wife, when his wife said, why don't you just curse God and die? And he said, so we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not evil? Here's what he was saying. He said, I've learned both to abound and to be abased. He said, I can be content because my contentment, Job would say, is found in the Lord. And when your contentment is found in the Lord, you can, look, when your contentment is found in the Lord, you can find yourself in a prison cell, writing to a bunch of free people, telling them. It's okay. Rejoice in the Lord. Always. And again, I say rejoice. 1 Timothy 6, look at verse 6, but godliness, 1 Timothy 6, but godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into this world. It is certain we can carry nothing out. Having food and raiment, let us be there with content. But godliness, he said, those things don't matter. Let me tell you what does matter. But godliness with contentment is great gain. That's why I love those hymns we sing when we sing things like, only one life so soon shall pass, only what's done for Christ shall last. That's why those hymns are true when we sing, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glorious grace. Hebrews 13, 5, you don't have to turn there. I'll just read it for you. We've already seen it. I focused in on the first part of the verse, but let me focus in on the second part. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have. The last part of the verse says this, for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. The he there is God. You think, what do those two things have to do with each other? Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. But they're connected because this is the truth. When I can find my contentment in God, when I can rejoice in God, then I can be content with anything I have. Contentment is not finally getting all that you want. Contentment is being satisfied with all that you have. Psalm 23, verse 1, you don't have to turn there. You know the verse. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. When the Lord is your shepherd, the Bible says you can be without want. Remember Paul said, not that I speak in respect of want. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. We're going to finish up right here. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. One of the most famous passages in all of the Bible, Psalm 23. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He guides, he prepares, he protects, he does these things for us. When the Bible says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, I just want you to understand that. It doesn't mean that because the Lord is your shepherd, you're not going to have a desire. That requires a choice from you and from me. When the Bible says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, what that phrase actually means is that when the Lord is your shepherd, you will not have a need. You will not, you won't be lacking. When the Lord is your shepherd, he'll give you everything you need. So when you realize that the Lord is my shepherd, I mean hopefully you're saved this morning. Hopefully you're here in a church like this because you're actually trying to walk with God and serve God. If you say the Lord is my shepherd, then you can also say, therefore he has given me everything I need. What I have is what I need. The job I have is the job I need. The spouse I have is the spouse I need. The children I have are the children I need. The health he's given me, even if he's given you bad health, that's the health you need. He says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He's given you what you need. And when you realize, when you have this perspective change and you realize, God has given me everything I need. So therefore, I don't need anything else. And you can say it like the Apostle Paul, not that I speak in respect of one. I'm sure there was things Paul wanted, but he says, I don't need. I'm not in need because the Lord is my shepherd. See, if you want to learn to be content, you must step one, stop coveting. You cannot be content while coveting. Coveting is the opposite of contentment. And the things that feel coveting and destroy contentment are complaining and comparing. Step two, don't wait on your circumstances. Your contentment cannot be based on your circumstances. Why? Because your circumstances are relative and because you have little to no control over your circumstances. Step three, you're going to be content, you must make a choice. You cannot be content without making a choice. Contentment can be learned and it can be learned by getting the proper perspective of that which is temporal, that which is eternal, the things that actually matter. The truth is this, 1 Corinthians chapter 7, we'll finish right here. It is possible for you to be happy and content and satisfied in whatever area you find yourself in. You say, Pastor, you don't understand. If you knew the guy I was married to, if you knew the gal I was married to, if you knew the guy that I worked for, if you knew the pastor that I have, you would understand why I can't be content. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 27. Here's what Paul says. Are thou bound unto a wife? That's called marriage, by the way. You're bound. Are thou bound unto a wife? Here's what he says. Here's what Paul says. Seek not to be loosed. I just need to get away from her. I just need to get away from him. We just need a divorce. We need to separate. Are thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Are thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. You know, the funny thing is one of the things I find myself doing mostly in ministry is telling single people they don't need to be married to be happy and telling married people they don't need to be single to be happy. Single people are, I'm just so depressed. I'm just so discouraged. If I could just marry her, if I could just marry him, I'd be so happy. No, you wouldn't. You're not happy now and you're not going to be happy no matter who you marry, no matter where you live, no matter what job you get because the problem is not your circumstances. It's you! Are thou bound? If I could just divorce him, if I could just divorce her, find myself a good man, find myself a good woman, no, you'd still be you and you're the problem. It's you. Are thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Are thou loosed? Look, look, I'm not mad at you singles and I'm for you and I want you to get married and obviously something's going well because we're doing like four weddings this fall. So I'm not, you know, same sermon, all four by the way, just saying. That's what happens when you have four of them. I'm not mad at you but I'm just saying this. If you think, if you think, oh, I'm not happy now but as soon as I marry him, I'll be happy, you will not! You must learn to find your contentment in God. Are thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Are thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. Look at the context of this passage. Look at verse 18, same chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, 18. Is any man called being circumcised? Here Paul's being kind of, he's using hyperbole. If you know what circumcision is, it's not something you can undo. Once it's done, it's done. He says, is any man called being circumcised? The word called, they're talking about you were called to God, you got saved being circumcised, you became a follower of Jesus being circumcised. He says, is any man called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Now you can't become uncircumcised but the point that he's saying is this. Don't think that just because you got saved or you got called in a certain position, you would be happier if you. He says no. If you were called being circumcised, let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called an uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. Here's what he's saying. The grass is always greener on the other side. There's always something you can look at and say, well if I had that, if I had this, you wouldn't be happy. Look at verse 19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. Verse 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Are thou called being a servant? Look, here's what he's saying. He says, just be happy, learn to be satisfied wherever you find yourself in life. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Are thou called being a servant? Care not for it. Care not for it. He's talking to slaves. He's talking to servants and he's saying, were you, you got saved? You became a follower of Jesus while being a slave? He says care not for it. Don't worry about it. He said, but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. And here's the point. He's not saying if you were a slave and you could become free, you know, don't. Obviously, if you can better yourself, do it. But be careful about thinking that chasing a dream is going to make you happy. Are thou called being a servant? Care not for it. But if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lord's free man. Here's the interesting thing. God is the great equalizer. Notice what he says. He's talking to people that are slaves, right? And he just told them like, you're a slave and you got saved. And now you're thinking like, oh, if I could just be free, I could do so much for God. He says, yeah, care not for it. Then he says this, for he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lord's free man. He said, if you were saved while a slave, he said, you know what? You are free in the Lord. Then he says this, likewise also, he that is called being free is Christ's servant. He said, what about the guy that was free and he got saved when he just became the servant of Christ? Well, I was a servant when I got saved. Well, you just became free in Christ. Here's the point. God is the great equalizer. God can make all things good. He can make all things beautiful. Verse 23, ye are bought with a price. Be not the servant of men. Verse 24, here's the clutch of the whole thing. Brethren, let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God. See, I'm single and I want to be married. Praise the Lord. I hope you get married. But if you never get married, if you never find that person, if you never find the right guy or the right gal, you just learn to abide with God. If you never get that job, if you never start that business, you never get that baby. Look, all I'm telling you is this, that whenever we decide that I must have this, my wife is expecting our seventh child. Something that people often say, and if you've said this to us, I'm not picking on you. I don't even know that anybody's said this to us recently, but people have said this to us through the years. You're having a boy or a girl, and we're like, oh, we don't know. And people say this, and I understand what they mean by that. I'm not mad at them, and everybody says it, and if you said it, I'm not picking on you. But people say, oh, it doesn't matter, as long as it's healthy. And I understand what they mean by that. What they mean by that is it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, we just want the baby to be healthy. I get that. But whenever somebody says, as long as it's healthy, I always think to myself, I never say this out loud, but I think to myself, and what if it's not? Because I can learn to be content, even if it's not healthy. The truth is this, be careful about putting all these expectations on God. As long as He gives me a baby, as long as I get married, as long as I get that job, as long as I have a baby, as long as it's healthy. Look, be careful about all that and just realize this, whatever God gives you, that's what you need. If God has given me what I need, then I don't need anything else. I can be content in God. Brethren, let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God. You know what you need to do at that job? Look, you say, I don't like that job. Get another job, look for another job. I'm not saying for you to not get another job, but I am saying this, while you're waiting on that other job, don't complain about the job you have. Don't criticize the job you have. God gave you that job. Now, if you can be free, be free. If you can get another job, get another job. But while you're waiting on that or while you're working towards that, don't complain about the job you have and whatsoever state you are, therein abide with God. You know, in that job, just abide with God. In your situation, abide with God. You say, I'm not happy in my marriage. Abide in God and you'll be happy anywhere. I'm not happy with the health I have. I'm not happy with the circumstances I'm in. I'm not happy with the financial situation I find myself in. I'm not happy with this. I'm not happy with that. You can find your joy in God. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. So Paul says, not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am their way to be content. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for your Word. Thank you for the Apostle Paul and this passage of Scripture. It's easy to look down on the children of Israel and see them complaining and complaining over and over in the wilderness, but the truth of the matter is that we're no better. We complain and we criticize. And like Job, we will soon find out that the complaints are always against you. The criticism is always against you because you're the one that put us in that situation. You're the one that gave us that context, whatever it may be. Lord, I pray you'd help us to learn to be content. I know it's difficult. It's easy to complain. It's easy to have wants and desires. Help us to learn from the Apostle Paul to realize that we cannot be content while we're coveting. We cannot stop being coveting until we quit complaining and quit comparing. Help us to realize that our contentment cannot be based off our circumstances. Help us to realize that it's just a choice. We must make a choice to rejoice in you, to abide with God. And we can learn like the Apostle Paul, in whatsoever state I am, there is to be content. We love you. Help us to be satisfied. Help us to bring joy to you and to find our joy in you. In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.