How a Christian Maintains the Balance between Desires
and Contentment
Joshua 14:6-12
9 Nov, 2014
Pastor
Craig Ledbetter
Bible
Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Heb 10:36)
A.
There is a remarkable balance
in the Christian life that every Christian needs
B.
One that lies between Desire
(what you want), and Contentment (what you already have)
C.
They seem so opposite, and
yet, in Christ, they are perfectly matched
D.
Here is how we normally view
the Christian’s life: Boring, un-ambitious, poor, restrained, limited, no fun –
all in the name of “being content”
E.
Yet, here is how we view the
life of the world: exciting, challenging, striving for success, prosperity,
reaching for the stars – all in the name of “being happy”
F.
Hmmmm. Neither is right by
themselves!
G.
There is another way - a
better way – Caleb is our example!
II.
Review
A.
Contentment is Our First Need (Joshua 14:6-12)
1.
Caleb had to be content to
wait on God for 45 years!
2.
Contentment is a deep, sense
of rest, and satisfaction with yourself and your accomplishments right now
3.
Desire is a deep unrest due to
a need
4.
Believe me, BOTH are normal
feelings of the human heart.
5.
Neither is ever obtained
outside of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ – a walk with Him
6.
So, without this balance, the
world rushes headlong into…
a.
Marrying the wrong person –
thinking it will bring satisfaction
b.
Changing jobs – to seek
satisfaction in doing something different
c.
Buying stuff constantly – a
woman’s delight many times – just leads to immense debt
7.
Contentment HAS to be the
first priority
B.
Contentment IS Possible – in so many areas!
Or else God would never have told us to be content with what
we have!
C.
Contentment is More Important Than Success
(Ps 37:16; 1Tim 6:6)
1.
All the success in the world
will never satisfy – Solomon proved this, and the whole book of Ecclesiastes is
a record of all that he accomplished, and how empty he still felt – “all is
vanity”
2.
To the Christian, the goal is
NOT success, prosperity, or even your happiness
3.
The goal in life is finding
all you need in your walk with Jesus Christ (Col 2:6)
4.
Learning about resting in
Christ, is the first step – most important step to sanity
5.
It’s amazing to bit by bit
discover that all we need has already been supplied by Jesus Christ – not in our
religious acts, or going to religious places – but in the Person of Jesus
Christ!
D.
What a Christian already HAS, “in Christ”
1.
In Christ is Real Life (John
1:3,4) – we Christians WANT to live!
2.
In Christ is Eternal Life –
abundant eternal life (1 John 5:11)
3.
Righteousness (2Cor 5:21)
4.
In Christ is every spiritual
blessing (Eph 1:3)
5.
In Christ is every spiritual
need met (1Cor 1:29,30)
6.
Even the whole Trinity of God
is IN HIM, and we are in Him (Col 2:9)
7.
We are complete, without lack,
in Him (Col 2:10)
8.
All the fullness of everything
there is, is IN HIM (Col 1:16-19)
9.
Not IN anything else!
III.
Message
A.
God’s Contentment – this is our starting point!
1.
God is Content.
a.
At rest! Satisfied. Not ever
panicking, or hasty. Never wondering “What if?”
b.
He has only peace around Him
c.
Col 3:15
“And let
the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
d.
John 14:27 “Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
e.
In God’s presence is PEACE,
rest, contentment!
2.
God is content with you just
AS YOU ARE – that is an amazing truth!
a.
Even when you fail, sin, fall,
quit, He constantly says, “I will take you!” I think you are worth dying for,
and worth KEEPING! There is nothing that will cause Him to give up on you! He
will never trade you or I in for a “better model”
1)
Now, He will have to correct /
chastise you when you do wrong
2)
But he will NOT EVER love you
less, and will never leave you nor forsake you!
b.
Even in your best state, you
are not much to be proud of!
1)
“All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)
2)
“Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine
age is as nothing before thee: verily
every man at his best state is altogether vanity.”
(Psa 39:5)
c.
You can never do anything to
get Him to love you more – even when you are wicked and lost (Rom 5:6,8) He
loved you (Gal 2:20)
d.
He is at rest in His love of
you
1)
He made the decision to love
you, and will keep that decision
2)
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will
save, he will rejoice over thee with joy;
he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
(Zep 3:17)
e.
He is able to start over every
day with you as if nothing happened the day before!
1)
It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because
his compassions fail not. They are
new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lam
3:22,23)
2)
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
(Psa 30:5)
f.
God designed you. “fearfully
and wonderfully made”
1)
Your nose, your face, your
skin colour, your hair. Your twitch, your voice, your mind, you lack of a mind,
your height, your shoe size…
2)
Allowed you to experience
every trial, and heartache – never left you alone.
3)
He has always has been at work
on you, trying to get you to just trust Him!
4)
How could He ever love you
less without admitting HE was a failure?
3.
Even though God is content
with you as you are, He has a plan, A
DESIRE, a design for your life, beyond where you are, and what you are
capable of!
a.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the
LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an expected end. (Jer 29:11)
4.
BOTH His Contentment and
Desire for us are balanced perfectly, in His hands
a.
He keeps to His plan – quite
an ambitious plan too… to repair everything bit of damage that WE have caused
throughout history!
b.
He stays this way, no matter
what we do in response
1)
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that
his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father,
having loved his own which were in the world,
he loved them unto the end.
(John 13:1)
5.
This is the only way to ever
be content – it to accept GOD’S contentment. Otherwise, you will never
experience the peace that passeth understanding!
B.
Next Week, I will show you the other side of the balance –
AMBITION! And how it fits with Contentment!
IV.
Conclusion
A.
What is Our First Need?
Contentment
B.
What does Contentment mean?
A deep, sense of rest, and satisfaction
with yourself and your accomplishments right now
C.
What is the opposite of
Contentment? Desire
D.
What does Desire mean?
A deep unrest due to a need
E.
Who had a desire to conquer a
mountain in the Promised Land? Caleb
F.
What was Caleb Content with?
To wait on God for 45 years!
G.
Is real Contentment Possible?
YES
H.
Contentment is More Important
Than What? Success and Happiness
I.
Name me some things that a
Christian already HAS, “in Christ”…
1.
In Christ is Real Life (John
1:3,4) – we Christians WANT to live!
2.
In Christ is Eternal Life –
abundant eternal life (1 John 5:11)
3.
Righteousness (2Cor 5:21)
4.
In Christ is every spiritual
blessing (Eph 1:3)
5.
In Christ is every spiritual
need met (1Cor 1:29,30)
6.
Even the whole Trinity of God
is IN HIM, and we are in Him (Col 2:9)
7.
We are complete, without lack,
in Him (Col 2:10)
8.
All the fullness of everything
there is, is IN HIM (Col 1:16-19)
9.
Not IN anything else!
J.
WHO is the most content in the
Universe? God
K.
Just how content is God with
YOU? With how you were designed, how you look, how you fail?
L.
Can God ever love you less
than He does right now? NO!
M.
Is there anything you can do
to get Him to love you more? NO!
N.
Even though God is content
with you as you are, What does He still have for you?
A plan, A DESIRE, a design for your life, beyond where you are, and what
you are capable of!
O.
Are you able to be at rest
with other people in your life?
P.
Are you at peace with who you
are? WHERE you are right now?
Q.
Are you content with the will
of God, as it is right now?
1.
What if you had John the
Baptist’s diet?
2.
What if you were spending the
remaining years of your life where you don’t want to be? Like Paul was in prison
for the last 10 years!!!
R.
Are you ready to ask God to
change you into a Content Christian?