Finding True Contentment in Christ

Turn your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 6 or 1 Timothy chapter 6 if you would. We started a series last week called H. And what I want you to think about is many different ways that you could say. Now last week we talked about when something tastes good. We had some candy last week and I've got some chocolatecovered caramel sea salt caramels right here. And uh these are things that I love. I am. M. They're good. They're very good. And if you're nice to me afterwards, maybe I'll share one with you. Probably not, but you can try. All right. But you know, when something is good like that, you just say, and we talked last week about memorizing, meditating, and remembering the word of God.

And I hope you've been memorizing some verses. If you memorize verses, you get some M&M's or some other candies in the back there. And so be sure to stop by and pick that up and be working on your verses as individuals and as a family and challenge one another as well in doing that. But today we're going to talk about it's hard to preach with candy in your mouth. By the way, we're going to talk about a different and we got some folks to demonstrate that different for you right now. being my secret. All right. And that's the of contentment. The when you feel like something is just perfect and content with that.

And um I want you to look at 1 Timothy chapter 6 again verses 6 and 7. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and certain we can carry nothing out. And there's certain things that just bring contentment. There just certain things that when you have them, it's just like you just feel so content and so satisfied. Uh the first one is food. In Jeremiah 15 and verse number 16, it says, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing in mine heart, for I'm called by thy name, oh Lord, God of hosts." You ever had a meal that when you were done with that meal, you just kind of sat back in your chair and just kind of like, [sighs] "Oh."

And you were so content because of that meal. I remember way back when my wife and I were dating, there was a some group of singles in the church. We'd get together every once a while. We went over to the one of the singles house, Mayabbus' house, and she made this amazing meal. I I mean, it was just one of those meals that after you're done with it, you're just you just want to wax eloquent. And I said to her, I said, "Mavis, my eyes, thank you." This meal was a feast to my eyes. I said, "My stomach thanks you. It's just so satisfied." I said, "My taste buds, taste buds, thank you." And then I said, "My lips, thank you."

And my girlfriend at the time, Diane, said, "Your lips better not thank her." But, you know, there's just something about a meal, certain meals that just bring contentment. They just satisfy you. And that's the way the word of God ought to be. There ought to be times you come to church and at the end of the service, it's just like, "That was good." Just you're content. There'll be times when you sit down, open up your Bible, and read it that you just close your Bible with just such a satisfaction and a contentment because it's the word of God that's speaking to your heart. In Psalms 34 and verse number 8, it says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him." And it ought to be that the Lord, the word of God tastes good to you. You know, the word of God is not only good for you, but it can be good to you as well. Turn over to Ezekiel chapter 3 if you would. Ezekiel chapter 3 and look at verses 1 through3. Ezekiel chapter 3 and beginning with verse number one down through verse number three. Moreover, he said unto me, son of man, eat that that thou my pages. Yeah. That thou shall findest eat this roll and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me, son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with all with this roll that I give thee.

Then I did eat it, and it was in my mouth as honey and sweetness. I'm afraid as Christians often we look at the word of God as something that's good for me, but not necessarily good to me. And and God says, "Listen, the word of God is not only something that's good for you, but it can be something that is good to you as well. It is something that can just make you feel better." I remember a year number of years ago, I was uh I traveled to the mainland. When I got back, I was very sick. That quite happens quite often. And I got back to the Hawaii and I was sick and some and and one of the ladies in the church came up to me after the service and saw how sick I was.

And her name was Mrs. Mitchell. She was a Korean lady and she said, "I'm going to bring you something that's going to make you feel better." Now, I have learned over the years that when someone, especially a Korean lady, says that she's going to make bring you something that's going to make you feel better, you are not going to like it. You know, I'm talking about just something about I'm not trying to pick on the Korean ladies, but they especially are true with them. They've got these concoctions and things that supposedly make you better and all the rest of it. And and so I was kind of dreading what she was bringing me.

And that night she brought me some Korean cow bee stew. And this was this was so good it it broke the mouth. I I mean it was absolutely amazing. I decided I was going to get sick again just so she'd bring me some more of that. And I remember at home that night I was by myself. My wife was still on the mainland. I got the soup out and I heated it up and I ate it and when I was done eating it was just like I just could fall back in my chair. It was feeling much better and and that's the way the word of God it ought to be good for us and it's something that can bring contentment. It's something that can bring satisfaction.

Do you desire the word of God? In Job chapter 23 and verse 12 it says neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have steamed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. You see, we ought to want the word of God so much that we're willing to skip breakfast. We're willing to skip lunch. We're willing to skip dinner just to spend time in the word of God. I had a friend that his motto was no breakfast, no Bible. Or no Bible, no breakfast. He said, "If I don't have time to read my Bible, I don't have time to eat breakfast either." Because he esteemed the words of God more important than his necessary food.

And we ought to have a desire for the word of God. It ought to be something that brings contentment into our life. It brings satisfaction to our life. It it brings the peace of God into our lives. In Proverbs chapter 24 and verses 13 and 14 says, "My son, eat thou honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to thy taste. So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul. When thou is founded, then there shall be reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. You see, we ought to come to church with an expectation. We ought to sit down and open our Bibles with an expectation. You see, if somebody were to say to me, "Pastor, we want to treat you to dinner on Saturday night.

We're going to take you to Ruth Chris Steakhouse." I'm going there with expectation. I'm going there expecting to have an amazing steak and an amazing meal. If somebody were to say to me, "Pastor, on Monday night, we're going to take you out to a cheesecake factory and you can order whatever cheesecake you want." I'm going to spend all day Monday expecting. I'm going to spend all day Monday looking forward to that journey out there to going to Cheesecake Factory because I have expectations. Did you come to church this morning with expectations? Did you come expecting to receive a blessing from the word of God?

As you come this morning expecting to be blessed from the word, to be satisfied, to go home content with the word of God in your life, do you open your Bible every day with expectations from God? Psalm 62 and verse 5 says, "My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him." You see, to expect only good from God. You can't always expect to have good every place you go. the the best one of the best steaks I ever had was at IHOP International House of Pancakes. I I went there in the morning. They had a a steak breakfast with a and they had little cutup steaks uh there in that. And I'll tell you what, when I ate those steaks, they literally I'd never had this happen before.

They melted in my mouth. They were so good. It was just amazing. So the next time I went back to IHOP, I ordered the same thing. The steak was tough. uh next time I went back order the same thing. It wasn't good again. It was that one exception instead of the expectation. You see, God wants us to come expecting him to be good. IHOP not always good. Now, Roose Chris House, they've got a reputation of being good, but God has a reputation of being good as well. Go over to Jeremiah chapter 29. The book of Jeremiah chapter 29. Look at verses 11 through13. Jeremiah chapter 29, beginning with verse number 11.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, sayeth the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, you should go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and you shall seek me and find me when you shall search me with all your heart. See, the problem is for a lot of us, we don't expect good things from God. We don't come to church expecting to receive a blessing. We don't pray expecting for God to answer. We don't praise him expecting to see God do something powerful in our lives. And we need to have an expectation from God. We need to come seeking God's blessing.

Expect God to give you a blessing. But if you're going to get a blessing, you got to come hungry. If I'm going to Ruth Chris steakhouse, I'm not stopping by McDonald's on the way there. Matthew chapter 5 and verse number six. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. You see, the only way you're going to be get a blessing is when you come hungry. Did you come hungry to hear the word of God today? Do you open your Bible hungry to see what God has to say to you every day? You see, we have to come with a hunger and a thirst for righteousness. We have to come seeking and expecting a blessing from God.

And not just once in a while, but every day. The Bible says in Psalms chapter 68 verse number 19, "Blessed be the Lord who daily loaded us with benefits, even the God of our salvation is Cila." Yeah, I can't afford to go to Roose Chris House steakhouse very often. The only time I do it is if somebody gives me a gift card. Hint hint. Otherwise, I I can't afford it. I got I can't go there every day, but you know what? I can go to the word of God every day. It's sad. I can go and get a blessing from God every single day. A place of contentment, a place of knowing the blessing of God. And of course, one of the greatest blessings is dessert.

You know, isn't that a blessing when you have that dessert? It's just like one of the one of my favorite phrases when I go out to eat at somebody's house is these words, "Save your forks." Aren't those wonderful words? because that me means the best is yet to come. Save those forks. They're not even under conviction, but you're going to save them because you know there's something good coming for dessert. Especially if you go to Mrs. Fay's house. You know, you you know what you're going to get. You have an expectation. In Psalm chapter 19 and verse number 10, it says, "More to be desired are they than gold, ye than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and a honeycomb."

See, God not only wants to give us what we need, but God wants to give us a what we desire. He wants to give us what we want. And God wants to give us our expectations. You get that one meal and boy, it's so satisfying. But then, you know, something else that brings that kind of response and that's getting some good sleep. You know what I'm talking about? Ain't there a time where you just get down in your bed, you lay down, and just like you lay down to sleep. I I struggle with insomnia, so sleeping's hard for me. So when I finally lay down my head in a pillow and go to sleep, it's just like satisfaction.

It's contentment. In Jeremiah 31 25 and 26 says, "For I have set satiated thy weary soul and I replenish every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awaken to behold my sleep was sweet unto me." You know, sleep is sweet when you're at peace with God and peace with the world around you. Just to know that God is there taking care of everything. That God is watching over you. that there are no worries and you can just trust in the Lord. In Proverbs chapter 3 verse 24, when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yay, thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet. When you can lay your head in the pillow knowing that God is in control, knowing that God is watching over you, knowing that God is taking care of you, when you can lay your head down the pillow and not have to worry about this, that or the other thing.

The Bible says in 1 Peter chapter 5 verse number seven, casting all your care upon him, for he cared for you. You see, we got to learn how to cast our care upon the Lord and and find in him that sweet peace because we don't have to worry because God is already in control. He's already got this taken care of. I can trust in him. You know the little prayer now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. You know, when you know that you're going to heaven, that brings peace and contentment. In Psalms 3 and verse 5, it says, "I laid me down and slept.

I awaken for the Lord sustained me." In Psalms chapter 4 and verse number 8, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou Lord only makes me to dwell in safety. Second Timothy chapter 1 and verse number 12, he says, "But which caused us to suffer these things, nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." You see, I can lay my head down the pillow at night knowing that if I don't wake up here in this earth in the morning, I will wake up in heaven knowing that my sins are forgiven and knowing that I have peace with God.

That is that is contentment to know that you're truly saved. Do you know if you were to die in your sleep tonight that you'd wake up in heaven? In first John chapter 5 and verses 12 and 13, it says, "He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God." You see, there's such peace and contentment in knowing that no matter what happens, I'm going to go to heaven. Knowing if I don't wake up tomorrow, that's okay because I'll wake up and and see Jesus.

I'll wake up and be in paradise with him. To know that I am saved and going to heaven. Do you know that in your life? You see, in that prayer, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And that's what salvation is. Salvation is committing your soul for God's keeping. In Romans chapter 10 and verses 9 and 10, it said that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:13, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And salvation is simply saying,"Lord, I'm going to commit my soul to safekeeping with you. I'm going to trust you to give me eternal life. I'm going to trust you to take away my sins and and and give me a home in heaven." Is putting your faith and trust in him. And if you've not done that, there really is no true contentment in sleep. Because what happens if you don't wake up the next day? You'll die and go to hell without Christ. And so we find contentment in sleep. We find contentment in knowing that I'm going to heaven. Go over to Psalms chapter 127. Psalms 127. Contentment is knowing that I've done everything I can and now the rest of it is up to God.

It's realizing that I don't have to do it my own power. I don't have to do it my own strength. I don't have to do everything. I've got God in my life. In Psalms 127 and beginning with verse number one and verse number two, it says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen wa wketh but in vain. It is vain for you rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep." See, God doesn't want us to lay awake all night worrying about this and worrying about that. He wants us to trust in him.

You know, it's nice when yesterday I worked out in my yard and I worked hard in the yard all day. When I laid down to go to sleep, I was tired. I was worn out because I had worked hard. But, you know, it's it's good to work hard. It's good to do your part. But ultimately is you have to trust in God. You have to depend on the Lord and to lay your head down that pillow at night and just have that contentment of knowing that God is in control and knowing that God is the one that's building the house and and and he is the one that wants to give you that sleep. That's so much peace in that is to find your rest in God.

Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether you eat little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." You know, when you're right with God and you're right with others, it's just so much easier to go to sleep, isn't it? You know, what's the Bible say? Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. You've all heard the marital advice, don't go to sleep angry with each other. I counseledled a couple one time says, "We've taken that advice. We haven't slept in night in 10 nights, but we've taken that advice. Oh, is that news from me?

But you know, when you're right with God and you're right with your family and you're right with others around you, there's peace when you sleep because you known you know you done your part. You know you've done what God wants you to do, done your best. Go over to Genesis chapter 28. Genesis chapter 28 that quickly Genesis chapter 28 and verse number 11. Genesis 28:11 it says and he lighted Jacob lighted upon a certain place and terried there all night because his sun was set. He took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep. Now skip down to verse number 16.

And Jacob awakened out of his sleep and he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place. I knew it not." You remember how Jacob had a dream about the latter and he dream about God and what God was going to do for him and trusting the Lord and and and and folks, it's such a sweet thing to dream and to know that God is in control. To wake like Jacob did and says, "Surely the Lord is in this place." To know that God is in your life taking care of you. One step at a time. God gave Jacob a vision for his future in that dream. And so Proverbs chapter 29 18, it says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law happy is he."

It's so much easier to sleep when you know what your plans are. It's so much easier to sleep when you know where you're going and what you're doing. To have that vision of what God wants to do in your life. To have a vision for your spiritual walk. to have a vision for your career, to have a vision for your marriage, to have a vision for your family. It brings contentment and peace when you get that meal that's just so perfect. It's satisfying to have that sleep and just to lay your head in that pillow and to know that all is right with the world because God is in control. But there's one other time when I feel that contentment.

In Song of Solomon chapter 5 and verse number six, it says, "I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer." And then down in verse 16, she says, "His mouth is most sweet. Yay, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend. Oh daughters of Jerusalem." That contentment that comes when you're with the one you love. I I don't know how those of you in the military do those long deployments. When my wife is gone a week, I'm just a basket case. when for a while there, her parents were not doing well and she would go back to Minnesota for a month at a time.

And I remember when she would fly home and she would get to that airport, all I could think about was seeing her and putting my arms around her. And when I put my arms around her and felt her in my arms, it was like, I'm content because I'm with my beloved. That contentment that comes by being with the one you love at that moment when she's back in my arms. You and I, we need to wrap our arms around the love of God. Turn over to Ephesians chapter 3 to find that contentment in our beloved and God. Ephesians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number 16. Ephesians chapter 3 beginning with verse number 16.

The Bible says that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened the might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may be a comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Not him is able and exceedingly above all that we ask or think according to the power that workketh in us. Unto him be glory in ch in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end.

Amen. To find that total contentment in the love of God. To find that peace in his arms. To know that he loves you. to know his grace and his mercy. That's contentment. Yeah. Do you know that today? Have you felt that with him? To have that longing for the Lord. In Psalm 63:es 1 and 2, it says, "Oh God, thou are my God. Early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee. My flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. to see thy power and thy glory. So as I've seen thee in the sanctuary, you're just to find him and to put your arms around him and feel his arms around you.

Earlier this week, there was a day that I just missed my wife. She was at home. I was at work. And I just kept thinking about her. And when I got home, the first thing I did is I walked in that house and I walked into the kitchen. I looked for her and she wasn't there. Then I went in the bedroom to see if she was there. She wasn't there. I went in her little office, see if she was there. She wasn't there. She was hiding from me. You But I found her. When I found her, I walked up and I put my arms around here and I just felt her melt into my body and I just said, "This is where I want to be." To feel that contentment of being with my beloved.

Have you felt that? Do you desire that? Do you seek that every day? Not just now and then, but it ought to be we seek out that mercy and that grace to seek out that peace and contentment that can only come by being with Christ, being with my beloved. You see, to find our happy place, Isaiah chapter 26:es 3 and 4 says, "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trustth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah's everlasting strength." Find that perfect place of peace and contentment. find that in the Lord. And it starts by realizing that his word is good.

To feast, taste, and see that God is good. Take time every day to open your Bible with anticipation, with expectation that God's going to speak to your heart. When you come to church, come expecting God to do something for you. Take time to open that Bible and seek the Lord and find contentment. To find that contentment in prayer as well, but then to find contentment in knowing you're at peace with God. to be able to lay your head down that pillow at night knowing that I am right with God and the world is right because God is in control. I don't have to lay all awake all night worrying about what's going on at work.

I don't have to lay awake all night worrying about what's happening with my family. I don't have to worry about this thing or that thing or the other thing because God will take care of all the worried. I can trust in him and I can lay my head down in that pillow in peace and the Lord. But you can't do that if you don't know for sure you're going to heaven when you die. The greatest peace comes from knowing your sins are forgiven. From knowing you have eternal life. From knowing there's a place prepared for you in heaven. that brings peace beyond understanding. Find that peace in the Lord. But find peace in your beloved. Seek the Lord and you shall find him. Find that peace and contentment in his grace and his mercy and his love.