Why We Believe We Should Be Content

(Exodus 20:17; 1 Timothy 6)

I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.

Weve seen,

If are to follow example Jesus gave us

If be kind person that pleases God

And catches His eye

Must love Him with whole heart,

Our lives must be centered on serving Him,

And we must love others as self.


Loving others means

Must honor authority Lord places over us,

Protect the lives of others,

Their purity,

Their possessions,

And their reputation.

B. Preview.

The last way

Lord would have us love neighbor

Is by not coveting/desiring what they have

Not house, wife,

Male or female servant,
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Ox, donkey,

Or anything that belongs to them.


Tonight, lets consider three things:

1. The Lord doesnt want you to desire what others have.

2. How contentment is the cure to covetousness.

3. How contentment is the key to being happy in every situation.


II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord doesnt want you to desire what others have.


Might wonder why cant even want what have.

How does that hurt them?


It does so in a few ways.

Wanting their house

Is mental stealing.

Might not be as bad

To want one like it,

But to want the one they have

Means your neighbor wont have it

That injures him in heart.

Same would be true of

Any of their belongings.


Wanting their wife,
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Violates the 7
th
commandment,

If desire a mans wife

Or if woman,

Desires another womans husband

Is to commit adultery in heart.


To want their looks,

Their gifts,

Their position,

Their honor,

Is not to love them.

Paul clearly says, Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous (1 Cor. 13:4).

Coveting any neighbors possessions

Violates them

In mind and heart,

Causes resentment and jealousy

That can cause you to treat them poorly,

And can even be prelude

To breaking other commandments.

You are not to covet what they have.


But this commandment requires more:

Not only are you not to want what have,

But you are to be happy
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That Lord blesses them.


You are to love neighbor as self.

What want for self?

Good things:

A good house,

A faithful spouse,

Enough money to provide needs

And promote Gods kingdom,

Natural gifts to make a living,

Spiritual gifts to serve God.


If love neighbor as self,

Then thats what want for neighbor.

Cant do that and want

What he or she has at same time.


If they didnt have what needed

Love would move you to help meet that need

Should rejoice that they have them.


And so not only

Are you not to covet what they have,

Or be jealous of them

You are to be happy
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The Lord has blessed them in this way

Because thats what want for self.


B. But there is another principle here:

Not only are you not to covet/desire what they have,

And be happy with what Lord has given them,

You also need to be content with what Hes given you.


Youre only tempted to covet

When youre not satisfied

With what God has given you.

Contentment is the key

To not coveting

And so being able to love neighbor.


Need to be content with what Hes given you.

With how made you

And where Hes placed you

With your looks,

With family born into,

With social and economic status,

With natural gifts,

With spiritual gifts,

With position/calling gives

6
With success He grants.


How can you be content?

Can look at where are

Relative to others:

Less than some,

But more than others.

Like man who complained

He had no shoes,

Until saw the man

Who had no feet;

Or the man who complained

He had no hat,

Until he saw the man

Who had no . . .

Well, you get the idea.


But there is a better way

By having a more Biblical perspective.


If you feel shorted

Because theres something dont have,

Or because of something you might have lost,

Realize, you didnt deserve

To have any of those things in the first place.
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Everything you have is purely of Gods grace.


Some bitterly discontent because lose part of body,

But if do, realize,

Didnt deserve to have feet,

Or legs, arms, or body.


Or if lose sense,

You didnt deserve to have

Sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch.


You didnt deserve

To have an intellect, affections, or will

To be made in the image of God.

You didnt deserve even to exist.


The Lord didnt have to give

Any of these things.

Could have just as easily

Not made you, as made you.

Or could have made you

Without some of these faculties.


And existing,

Didnt deserve any good

8
Because of sin.

Didnt deserve to have air to breathe,

Water to drink,

Food to eat,

Clothing to wear

Or anything to sustain you.


You didnt deserve the abilities

Hes given

That allow you to work

And provide for self and family.


You didnt deserve

The spiritual gifts Hes given

That allow you to be blessing to others.


You certainly didnt deserve

The righteousness of Christ,

His payment for your sins,

His Spirit to change your heart,

An everlasting home in heaven.


What you did deserve

The only thing you and I have earned

Is eternal punishment in hell.

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But God hasnt given that to you.

Hes given you all these good things instead.

You have far more than deserve.

So how can you be angry

He hasnt given you enough?

How can you hate others

Because the Lord decided to give them

The things He has?

Thats entirely up to Him.

Neither you nor they

Deserve any of it.


And so instead of asking,

Why dont I have this or that?

Why did He make me this way or that?

You should ask instead,

Why do I have anything good?

I dont deserve it,

I never have.


Just be thankful

To exist at all,

To be on this earth at all,

To be the kind of creature
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That can know God,

That your needs are met,

That you have some talents to take care of your needs,

That you have some gifts to serve,

That your sins are forgiven

And your future secure through Christ.


If we looked at it this way,

Perhaps do far less coveting

And far more thanking.


C. And this leads to last point:

Because you always have more than deserve

You can be content/even happy in every situation

Paul wrote in meditation, For I have learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also
know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the
secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering
need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:11-13).


How can be unhappy,

When deserve to be in agony,

But not only are you not,

But your sins forgiven,

Have righteousness of Christ,

Have everything provided for you here,

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Will inherit everything

The Father is giving to Jesus,

And will spend eternity with the Father,

With His Son Jesus,

Perfectly filled with His Spirit,

As His sons and daughters?


If have all this,

In light of what deserve,

How can you complain

If all your needs are met,

Even if dont have as much as others?

Lord knows these things arent true riches,

That theyre worthless,

Which why gives to wicked.

The rich man received his good things here,

But suffered after he died,

While Lazarus,

Who suffered on earth,

Was able to enjoy the true blessings

God has stored up for Him

Through His Son.


And if youre content

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With all He has given you,

How can you not love neighbor

And be happy for Him

Because of what Lord gives them?

Only reason youre unhappy

And want what they have,

Is because youre not happy

With what you have.


Why would anyone steal

If he already has what he would take?

If youre already as happy as you can be,

You dont need anything else.


You can instead look at how poor

Your rich neighbor is

Whos spending his inheritance now

But will suffer for all eternity

And reach out to him

That he might gain true riches.


Or can look at Christian neighbor

And be thankful for what Lord

Gives him to enjoy

And use for His glory.
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Contentment is key to happiness,

And cure for covetousness.

So remember how much Lord has given,

Be thankful,

And be content.

This will go long ways

In helping you love your neighbor. Amen.


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