Be Content

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org Welcome. It's great to have you here. We're in the series called Be, and last week we talked about being still, to just sit there. Don't do anything, just sit there. And this week, we looked at Psalm 37 last week. This week we're looking at both 1 Timothy 6 and Hebrews 13, and the idea today, the focus is on being content. As I stated last week, you know, the beginning of a new year, we often have kind of New Year's resolutions, things that we're going to try to do this year, things that we're going to try to accomplish that we didn't quite get around to or are struggling with last year. How many of you get, write down to-do lists? Do you have to-do lists? Yeah. How many of you have honey-do lists? You don't know what a honey-do list is? Honey, will you do? Honey-do list. How many of you have a to-be list? Hmm. Yeah, you do. Awesome. And that's what we're kind of focusing on. We're human beings, not human doings. And for most of the time, when you ask, in five years from now, I would like to be, what we really aren't saying is what I'd like to be, we're saying what I'd like to have done, you know, in five years, you know. And so, we're looking at more of the being side of things, because out of our being comes our doing, according to the scriptures. Out of who we are, then turns into what we're able to do. Jesus would say it in the Sermon on the Mountain elsewhere, a good tree produces good fruit. You can staple oranges to a pine tree, but it doesn't make it an orange tree. Do you understand? You can duct tape them. You can do whatever you want. It's not going to change. But out of who we are, out of the fact that we are now new creatures in Christ, we are able to then, because of who we are, we are able to then do things that actually are pleasing to God and serve this world. So today, we're looking at being content. Wow, yeah, you might be at this point going like, yes, one I don't want to hear about. Because we struggle with this. In fact, when I was studying this series, I found out, you know, kind of I sometimes look up quotes on being content. There are thousands of quotes on this subject of contentment. And they go all the way back as far as writing goes, and the struggle human beings have had on contentment. For example, Socrates said, he who is not contented with what he has would not be contented with what he would like to have. But I'll tell you this, this is what I, and we're struggling with today, is you can talk about contentment, you can even understand what it is, but it doesn't make you content. You know, that's the question. If contentment was just a matter of simply choosing contentment, we probably all would get there at some point in life. But do you find contentment by hearing a lecture on contentment, reading a book on contentment, disciplining yourself to be more, or to lecture to yourself about how much you already have, or by meditating and trying to let go and detach yourself from the need for things? How is it that one finds contentment? And Paul said it this way in the letter to the Philippians, I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. So whatever situation he's in, he has learned to be content. Notice Paul had to learn this. It's something that he didn't just naturally do. You don't naturally find contentment. But my question is still, how did Paul learn it? Because I haven't quite mastered that yet, by any means. So today we're going to be reading both 1 Timothy 6, scattered throughout this, because the word contentment comes up there, as well as Hebrews 13. Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. For thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated since you are also in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. For he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me? Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So from this passage and 1 Timothy 6, we're going to explore these three points. How being discontent is a trap, what contentment actually is, and then what contentment actually brings with it. So how being discontent is a trap. Did you notice Hebrews 13.5 says, keep your life free from the love of money. Free? Wait a minute. You mean, I always thought money brought freedom. And Hebrews is saying, no, pursuing money as your goal in life is a trap. In fact, in 1 Timothy 6, he says ...