Sermon Tone Analysis

CONTENTMENT

 

Sermon Subject:

Sharing God’s blessings; Being content with less.

Scripture:

Philippians 4:10-20 (NIV) \\ \\

 

Introduction:

 

Story:

“A Russian woman lived with her husband and two children in a very small hut.

Her husband’s parents lost their home and she had to take them in.

Unbearable.

In desperation, she went to the village wise man, whom she knew had solved many, many problems.

"What should I do?" she begged.

"Do you have a COW?" asked the wise man.

"Yes," she replied.

Then bring her into the hut too.

And come back and see me in a week," said the wise man.

A week later she was back.

"This is utterly unbearable" she said.

"Do you have any CHICKENS?"

asked wise man.

"Yes," she replied.

"What about them?" ‘Bring them into the hut too, and come back and see me in another week."

"Now you’re utterly out of your mind," she said.

Nevertheless, still awed by his reputation, she did as he asked.

A week later she returned.

"This is absolutely impossible," she said.

"Our home is a mess."

"All right," said the wise man, "take out the chickens."

The next week she reported that without the chickens it was definitely better, but still a miserable situation.

"All right," said the wise man,

"now take out the cow.

That will settle your problem."

And it did.

Without the chickens and cow, the woman, her husband, the children, and his two parents got along quite peacefully.

Everything is relative!

Sometimes we don’t know how well off we really are!” \\ \\

 

*/Thanks for Their Gifts/*

*10 **I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.

Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

*

*14 **Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.

18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.

They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

*

*20 **To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

*

 

I.

DISCONTENTMENT

 

Did you know that there is Discontent in America?

We are a discontented people.

There are things that will rob you of your contentment.

*1.    **MATERIAL THINGS CAN BE A SNARE TO YOU*

*SWING SET*

* *

I heard James Dobson talking on the radio about this swing set that he and his wife, bought for their children.

When he read the assembly instructions they said that every bolt needed to be checked for tightness at least once a month.

That meant that he would have to take an hour out of every month to maintain this swing set or else it would eat his kids.

The more things we own, the more of our time they require of us.

COMMERCIALS:

Have you ever thought about commercials?

Their main reason for being is to create discontent in our life.

We were perfectly happy with our life

until we saw something on TV

and realized that we just had to have it.

Kids and commercials: 

How many kids wanted an *Air Hog* for Christmas?

Or Something from *Tinker Bell or Princess*?

They didn’t even know that these things were available until they saw a commercial about them on TV.

 

*NEW CAR*

Remember the feeling you get when you climb into the drivers seat of that new car in the show room,

And then you go back out and get into your old car that has more miles on it than you can count, and half the features don’t work anymore and there are crumbs on the seat and floor from your stop at Mc Donalds?

This is discontent.

*AIRPLANE MAGAZINES*

I have a friend that used to work in the control tower of an airport in Prescott Arizona.

He told me that he won’t subscribe to the airplane magazines because when he reads them he gets the wants for an airplane so bad that he can’t stand it.

Paul said that God would supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

And sometimes that includes giving us an airplane.

But the key thing here is what is it that we really need.

Many times we want but we don’t really need.

Sometimes what we want will destroy us.

*It is so important that we align our wants with God’s wants.

*

If we want what God wants then we can ask Him for what we want and He will provide it.

*2.

**LIFES ADVERSITIES *

*Other people.*

Just this last week, I was driving to the store to do some Christmas shopping when this pickup came barreling out of an aisle in the parking lot.

The snow was piled so high that he didn’t see me and I didn’t see him until the last minute.

We both slammed on our brakes and stopped before we hit each other.

The driver of the pickup began to shout and shake his finger at me.

I couldn’t hear what he was saying.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t want to hear what he was saying.

I drove away, but I didn’t feel very contented.

Sometimes other people can cause discontentment in you.

*Disease.*

There are people who are facing cancer today,

or some other disease.

I’ve got to believe that this would be hard to handle.

* *

*Money.*