Out of This World: Content NOT Rich

It doesn’t take too much to make us feel discontent in life.  We are discontent with our game system, we are discontent with our clothes, we are discontent with our car, we are discontent with our phone, we our discontent with our house, in general we all live in a pretty miserable state of discontent.  Why?  Because we do not possess the latest or greatest of what the world has to offer.  Discontent does not have to characterize us . . .

Writing from a jail cell Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13 that he has, “learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”  But wait, he told us he had learned the secret of contentment, but he didn’t tell us how he had learned it.  Come on Paul, don’t leave us hanging!  Thankfully, Paul wrote another letter to a young disciple named Timothy where he shared a few details about the secret behind his contentment!

READ:  1 Timothy 6:6-10

The pursuit of godliness relieves us of our need for RICHES and allows us to be CONTENT in this world (cf 1 Timothy 4:7-8)!  What are some things we need to learn in order to be content?

We will be content when we understand we can take NOTHING out of this world into ETERNITY (1 Tim. 6:7) – He who dies with the most toys, . . . still dies!  According to Paul, reflecting on the reality of our imminent death is a way to learn contentment.  Sounds a little depressing, but it is true.  No matter how much we accumulate, no matter how valuable something might be to us, whether we live 20 years or 100 years, our net worth and our stuff do not go with us.  Plain and simple, when our lives are over we cannot take “anything” with us out of this world.  That fact should shape our priorities in life and be a constant reminder of what is important and valuable.  Life is so much more than the abundance of our possessions. If we want to be content in life, we need to learn this NOW (Job 1:21; Eccl. 5:13-16; Lk. 12:13-21).

We will be content knowing our BASIC NEEDS have been PROVIDED (1 Tim. 6:8) – “There are children dying in Africa!”  This is a phrase that parents use to get their children to eat food that they are discontent with.  In order to be content, we need to be able to identify the huge difference between what we WANT and what we NEED.  By elevating so many wants in life to the level of need, we forget that our true needs do not go a whole lot further than “food” and “clothing”.  Confusing wants and needs destroys our contentment, whereas being genuinely thankful for our daily bread is a big step toward learning to be content (Mt. 6:11).

We will be content if we avoid the DESIRE to be rich and the LOVE of money (1 Tim. 6:9-10) – We are all guilty of wanting more, and more, and MORE, and MORE!  This is a serious issue, if we are not careful, we are in jeopardy of destroying more than our contentment, but our very faith in God.  Listen very carefully, there is nothing wrong with being rich, but our “desire to be rich” will plunge us into ruin and destruction.  There is nothing wrong with having money (even lots of money), but our “love of money” is the source of all kinds of other evil in our lives.  Our desire for more must be put to death, and when it is, we will be free to be content and enjoy what God has blessed us with (Mt. 6:24; Lk. 18:24-25; Col. 3:5-6).

CONCLUSION
Make no mistake about it, we are rich!  Paul has some final words for us in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “as for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” Paul learned the secret of contentment and it was found in a relationship with God!  Let us find our contentment in Him and Him alone!

Out of This World: Strangers NOT Citizens

One of the strangest experiences I have ever had was in college.  I played basketball and studied most of my free time so I didn’t have an abundant social life.  In an effort to loosen me up a bit, my college roommate and another friend “kidnapped” me, blindfolded me, and drove 45 minutes to a dance club.  I’ll be honest, I felt about as strange and out of place as any moment in my life.  The noise, the atmosphere, the overall everything were not the environment that I would have chosen to participate in.  Nobody likes to feel strange, and yet, sometimes feeling strange and out of place is an appropriate response to our surroundings.

READ:  1 Peter 1:1; 2:11-12

In writing to Christians, Peter tells His brothers and sisters in Christ that being STRANGE is good! According to Peter, we will not feel at home on this earth because we are SOJOURNERS and EXILES in this world!  A SOJOURNER is a person who lives in a land where they have no citizenship.  An EXILE is a person who temporarily lives in a place that is not their normal place of residence.

Being a sojourner and an exile is hard.  If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country you know what it is like to be a stranger.  The COMMUNICATION is strange, the citizens speak a different language.  The CULTURE is strange, the citizens have different values and priorities.  The CONDUCT is strange, the citizens have different behavior and habits.  Living in this world as believers will be strange.  Why do we feel strange and what are we supposed to do as sojourners and exiles in this world?

We have been ELECTED by God to be EXILES in the world (1 Pet. 1:1-3) – As a result of Marianne and I electing to adopt a little girl named Sarah from Guatemala into our family, she is no longer a resident of her home country.  By becoming a member of our family she moved to a “foreign land” and has accepted a different language, different culture, and a different way of living.  In a similar way, our salvation changes our resident status in the world from citizen to stranger.  As God’s “elect” we are no longer citizens of this world, but we are “exiles” who have accepted a completely different way of living!  We are now citizens of God’s kingdom who are living in a foreign and very strange land (Eph. 1:3-6).

As sojourners and exiles in this world, we are to ABSTAIN from sinful behavior (1 Pet. 2:11) – War is a battle waged against an enemy whose goal is to destroy.  As sojourners and exiles in this world, there is an enemy who is waging war against us, but unlike what we might think, it is not an enemy who is outside of us.  We are at war with ourselves!  Our enemy is our own earthly passions, our own desire and attraction to return to our old sinful way of living (James 1:14:15).  How do we defeat this enemy?  God’s battle plan to fight against the “passions of our flesh” is to “abstain”.  The word “abstain” means to, “be a distance away from”.  We can defeat our passions by staying away from those things that entice us back to our old sinful ways of living.  If we don’t, we will be defeated.

As sojourners and exiles in this world, we are to keep our CONDUCT HONORABLE and do GOOD DEEDS (1 Pet. 2:12) – It’s easy to spot someone who stands out in a crowd.  A Chicago Cub’s fan stands out at a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.  What is it that makes a Christian stand out in the crowd of the world?  “Honorable conduct” and “good deeds” are what make our lives’ stand out and captures the attention of an unbelieving world.  We declare our heavenly citizenship by the holy and upright manner in which we conduct our lives.  Such “foreign” behavior is what will give God the attention and glory He deserves (Matthew 5:16).

CONCLUSION
This world is not our home!  We should feel strange and out of place on this earth.  If we don’t, we should ask ourselves, “am I a citizen of the Kingdom of God?”  The good news is that transferring our citizenship from the world to God’s Kingdom is easy, confess your sin and believe in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10)!

Out of This World: Hatred NOT Friendship

Have you ever taken the time to read the comments at the end of a news article or a Facebook status on a controversial issue?  Wow, those comments are full of cruelty and hostility!  I think those comments often represent the hidden hatred that dwells inside the hearts of people.  Leaving an “anonymous” comment is a way for people to express their animosity toward someone or an issue that they feel strongly about.

For example, World Vision’s decision to reverse its decision concerning the hiring of individuals in a same-sex relationship caused an eruption of hateful responses.  These responses unveil some of the thoughts and beliefs people have toward God and those who are genuinely attempting to follow Christ.  What’s behind this hatred?

READ:  John 15:18-25

The world will HATE us as a result of our friendship with God!  Expect it, don’t be surprised by it, don’t try to avoid it, in fact, we are blessed as a result of being hated by the world (Luke 6:22)!  As Christ followers, understanding why the world hates us will help us be more prepared for the hostility directed at us.

The world will hate us because it HATED Jesus FIRST (John 15:18, 20-21, 25) – In other words, we are guilty by association. To be guilty by association means the world attributes guilt to us because of our association with Jesus who the world considers guilty.  Since the world hates Jesus, we who are associated with Him will be hated as well.  Why does the world hate Jesus?  Jesus was "hated" because He claimed to be God, He spent time with sinners, and He claimed the authority to forgive sin.  To the world, Jesus is a divine authority that they do not want to receive or submit to.  So, when we receive and submit to Him the world violently rejects us as well.  Is there enough evidence in our lives that others would say we are associated with Jesus?  If so, expect to be hated; if not, it might be worth considering whether we are truly associated with Him or not!

The world will hate us because God CHOSE to SET US APART from this world (John 15:19) – As long as we speak, behave, and live in a way that is similar to the rest of the world we will be loved.  As long as we “fit right in” the world will welcome and accept us.  The world loves us when we “join the party”.  In contrast, being “chosen” by God means being set apart and living a distinctly different life of holiness.  When God sets us apart and we are no longer “of this world” the world will be personally offended.  Our attempt to live holy lives will be interpreted by the world as treason and therefore we become bigoted and intolerant.

The world will hate us because GOD’s PRESENCE in us reminds them of their SIN (John 15:22-24) – In my previous youth ministry I would go once a week to the public school and visit students during the lunch hour.  There were many times when I would approach a table and I would see the students whispering to one another.  I’m pretty sure the conversation went something like, “hey you guys, this is my youth pastor, let’s clean up the conversation.”   My presence made them feel guilty about their behavior.  God’s holy presence convicts and reminds the world of the “guilt” of their sin (John 16:8-11).  To the lost and dying world, Christ followers are the presence of God, so when we walk in a room, it is God’s presence in us that reminds them of their guilt.  Remember, it is not us they hate, it is the presence of God in us that brings conviction into their life!

CONCLUSION
For some of us we are not in the position of the world hating us, but rather in a position where we are the ones who hate God!  “What!?!” you might ask, “I don’t hate God.”  James 4:4 says, “do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  Our close companionship with the world puts us in opposition to God.  As enemies of God we must repent of our friendship with the world, put our faith in Christ for salvation, and confirm our association with Him.  When we do, we will reverse our status, no longer being enemies of God, but instead friends of God who are hated by the world.