The Road ABF Lesson: Contentment

This Sunday I was asked to sub in our ABF class (aka Sunday School) at church. We have been studying characteristics of Christ and just started, so I had quite a list to choose from. I ended up doing a lesson on contentment. Turns out we talked about this in the sermon too, so we got a double dose! Below is the lesson.

What is your definition of contentment?

• Satisfaction in all things and in all circumstances
  
  • must ultimately come through being imitators of Christ (Eph 5:1)
    
  • and depending upon His strength (Phil 4:13).
    

What it is NOT:

• Simple Gratification
  
  • Gratification is the positive emotional response to a fulfillment of a desire.
    
  • How many times are your desires filled, but you still aren't content?
    
  • Philippians 4:11-13
    
    • You may or may not have your desires fulfilled.
      
    • Paul spoke to living in both fulfilled and unfulfilled desires – neither brought him contentment, but it was a learned way of life.
      
    • Circumstances don't bring fulfillment/contentment. It is through the strength of Christ.
      
• Lack of Ambition
  
  • There is nothing wrong with to succeed, do better, or improve.
    
    • Proverbs 10:4, Ecclesiastes 2:24, Ephesians 4:28
      
  • God instructs us to work hard and be diligent.
    
  • Our problem is when we begin to have a covetous spirit and insatiable desire for more.
    
    • Proverbs 1:19
      
• Lack of Desires
  
  • The Lord instills in us a sense of desire – for him and for the things in which he created you for.
    
    • Psalm 37:4
      
  • Our sinful nature gets too caught up in worldly desires.
    
    • Romans 13:14
      
• Indifference/Inaction
  
  • Contentment is not becoming lazy and neglecting our work/desires – calling it contentment as if there are no desires.
    
  • Laziness and neglect are also sins.
    
    • 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10
      

So what IS contentment?

• Submission
  
  • Submit to God's will for your life – James 4:7-10
    
  • Be realistic about what the Lord has given you. – characteristics of self, personality
    
  • Some things you can't change. – enjoy them.
    
    • Ecclesiastes 1:15, Psalm 139:13-14
      
• Pleasure
  
  • Enjoy the things you have rather than focusing on the things you don't have.
    
  • The wrong perspective/motives leads to envy and jealousy.
    
    • Hebrews 13:5, Ecclesiastes 4:4
      
• Satisfaction
  
  • Recognizing when enough is enough. (German writer Goethe) -- 1 Timothy 6:6-10
    
    • Health enough to make work a pleasure.
      
    • Wealth enough to support your needs.
      
    • Strength enough to battle with difficulties and overcome them.
      
    • Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.
      
    • Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
      
    • Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.
      
    • Love enough to move you to be useful to others.
      
    • Faith enough to make real the things of God.
      
    • Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.
      

VIDEO – Average Joe (http://sermonspice.com/product/16465/am-i-content-3f)

• If we were honest, we could probably all relate to "Joe" at some point in our lives.
  
• Because of our human sin nature, we all have worldly desires that get away from us.
  

Are you really content?

 

How do I become content? Learn it! (Joe said, "It's the journey, not the destination")

• Philippians 4:11 – Paul said he learned it. So can we.
  
• We learn it through the faithful, diligent practice of seeking to be more like Christ.
  
  • Christ didn't possess much (Matthew 8:20)
    
  • Christ understood life isn't really measured by money (Luke 12:15; Matthew 6:19-21,24)
    
  • Christ trusted in the providence of God (Matt 6:33, 1 Timothy 6:17)
    
  • Christ was a giver, not a taker (Acts 20:35)
    
  • Christ had his priorities set: God first, others second. (Matt 22:37-40)
    
• Learn it through persevering in suffering
  
  • Trials build character which is of greater worth than things (1 Peter 1:5-7)
    
  • It also builds faith and inner strength (Romans 5:3-5)
    
• So let all life experiences teach you to be content with what God has given you, is bringing you through, or has done for you.
  
  • We have freedom in Christ (Romans 8:1)
    
  • We have the spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12)
    
  • We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)
    
  • We have access to God (Ephesians 2:18)
    
  • We have fullness in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
    
  • We have eternal life (John 5:24)
    
  • We have EVERYTHING WE NEED.
    

VIDEO – Anything But Jesus (http://sermonspice.com/product/15387/anything-but-jesus)

• Satan's chief end is to distract us from the Cross.
  
• He will throw anything in our face to temp our desires so that we turn our attention from Jesus to other means of fulfillment.
  
• Make sure that you put on the armor of God to guard against such attacks. Be alert.
  
• It come fast and furious and can get overwhelming.
  
• But know that as you imitate God (Eph 5:1) and rely on the strength of Christ (Phil. 4:13).
  
• You can find contentment in life through Christ.
  

What is your commitment today to return your focus from worldly desires back to Christ?

 

Make a commitmen:

• What worldly desires distract me from being content?
  
• How will I refocus on Christ?
  
• Who can keep me accountable?
  
• Who can keep me accountable?