WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church Podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:21.120 My name's Chris. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:26.239 I'm one of the pastors here on staff, and um just honored and excited to bring the word here. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:27.920 We're in a series called Bad Advice. 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:30.160 We took a pause on this series last week. 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:33.200 How many of you were at church and were blessed by the mom premieres last week? 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:33.679 Yeah. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:35.280 Yes, yes. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:43.359 From our partners in Haiti last week gave us an update, a very well-worthy pause on this series. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.719 But we're jumping back in. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:58.719 This has been kind of our our thought with this series is like there's so much opinions about relationships out there, just whether it's dating, marriage opinions, um, friendships, how to how to be a good friend. 00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:09.280 There's so we're inundated with opinions about relationships, but so often we're starved of relational wisdom, of like what it actually means to carry out healthy relationships with one another. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:14.159 And we're not just talking about um significant others or marriages or stuff like that, although we are. 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:16.799 We're also just talking about being friends with one another. 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:29.519 And just our our our thought here is let's inspect some of the advice we've been hearing uh that might be good, uh, might be bad, might sound good at first, but upon further inspection, it's probably just bad advice. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:36.959 So we've actually been taking some phrases that are pretty popular and just going, what does the Bible kind of have to say about this and inspecting this bad advice? 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.079 So we've done stuff like first week, live your truth. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:44.799 Okay, it maybe sounds kind of appealing in this culture and day and age, but what does the Bible have to say about that? 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:47.760 Ryan gave this great message on the truth. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:50.319 And uh, is truth like plural like that? 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:50.719 No. 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:54.959 Um, so is live your truth really a good thing that we should be giving as advice? 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:55.680 Probably not. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:02.640 The other week we talked about you deserve happiness, our relationships primarily in our life to bring about happiness. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:06.879 Um, a good nuanced answer in there uh from Ryan in week two. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:09.599 Today we're gonna talk about this idea of missing out. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:23.680 That at some level we think whether we're in a relationship or not in a relationship or in some kind of relational circumstance, there's this FOMO idea, the fear that we're missing out on something else. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:25.520 And I want to inspect that. 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:37.039 You know, when I got thinking about bad advice, how much I've heard through my life, I think there's four seasons that you are prone, especially prone, to really, really bad advice, and just a lot of advice. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:46.319 One of these four seasons graduating from college, starting to date somebody, marriage or engagement, or having kids. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:51.520 If you've been through one of these four stages, you have received like a torrent of advice. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.560 Some of it good, some of it bad, but it's always unsolicited. 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:56.960 Like you've never asked for it, but there it is. 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:01.360 Somebody launching into their opinion about your life and the changes that you have. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:03.599 And you'll hear phrases through any of those times. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:05.199 I know I've been through all those phases. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:09.199 Graduated from college, dating, engaged, marriage, I now have a son. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:13.039 I've been through those four stages, I've seen all the advice kind of come in. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.680 It varies depending on which stage you're at, right? 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:18.800 But it's like people come up to you, you don't know them. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:24.800 They might be a complete stranger, and they're just like, hear that you're, you know, the first thing they learn about you is like they graduated from college. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:26.400 You're oh, I just graduated from college. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:28.960 Somebody says, prepare for your life to change. 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:31.120 Welcome to adulthood. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:32.319 Did any has anybody heard that? 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:34.479 You know, welcome to adulthood, right? 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:39.199 Or, you know, in other seasons, like you'll never sleep again. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:42.479 I'm just gonna, you can guess which season people are talking about there. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.400 Like, you know, say goodbye to sleep. 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:48.879 Like they they just say this to you and you've never really talked to them before, right? 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:54.960 Um, or just like, you know, vague things like say goodbye to your life or something like that. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:58.960 I mean, they're what you really learn is how many people are unhappy with their life, you know. 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:06.319 That's really what I learned through hearing all that was like, are you really saying that to me, or are you saying that to yourself through saying it to me? 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:06.879 You know? 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:18.720 Um, you just start to realize that, you know, okay, like when I was first getting married, before, when I was engaged, right before I got married, so many people told me, oh man, the first year of marriage sucks. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:20.639 Like it's really hard. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:26.639 And I was like, thanks, you know, like is that is that advice? 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:42.879 Okay, when now that I've become a dad, it's like when you when you're like if you're a couple and you're pregnant or something, like people just launch into monologues about raising children for you, and they really want you to know what they think about it. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:51.439 Um, you know, I remember people telling me, like, Ali was pregnant with Jude, and like I was like, oh yeah, like went to a concert on Friday night. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:55.839 And they're like, enjoy it while you can, you know, enjoy that. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:58.480 Enjoy that, because that's going by soon. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:10.399 That's never gonna it's like, okay, geez, like I know my life's kind of gonna change, but like what's interesting, I don't know if you've gone through this with college or graduating or dating or whatever. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:15.360 All this advice, it's like at some level, it's only half true, like partially true. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:19.839 And it's not even that deep of advice of whatever sort. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:25.680 It's like, okay, I know, yes, my life totally changed when I graduated from college and I had to get a job and I was paying rent. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:29.120 Yes, I entered into adulting, as they say, right? 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:31.439 But like my life wasn't over. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:33.600 In some ways, my life began, you know? 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:35.279 Uh, same with having a kid. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:39.199 Yes, dude, my whole life is different having Jude, okay? 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:42.000 But it's so much richer. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:48.560 Like, we just think when we enter into a new phase of responsibility, it will automatically mean something bad. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:53.759 Because responsibility means limited freedoms, and limited freedoms is really bad. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:06:00.800 And we just assume that in the limitations that we receive from the new phase of responsibility, that it's just going to be bad. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:12.399 But I've actually found in each level of change, as I've gotten more responsibility, I think at some level I've become a little bit more helpful to this world and a little bit more humble and gained a little bit more perspective. 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:17.360 And yes, I have far less freedom than I had when I was 19 living in Northwest Portland. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:19.120 But I think I'm a better person. 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:22.720 Man, I look back at that old Chris and I'm like, peace. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.360 You know, I'm like, glad I'm not you. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:27.439 Uh I don't miss out on those things. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:30.720 However, that's the general consensus. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:37.519 And this FOMO, this like fear of missing out, it bleeds into like every area of our life then. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:44.079 It's like, now we're at our job and we have a really bad Wednesday, and Wednesdays always is really hard, right? 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:46.639 And you're like, okay, it's middle of the week. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:48.079 I had a really bad day at work. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:49.600 Should I be at another job? 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:53.759 Or that recruiter reaches out to you every two months, like, hey, are you interested in this opportunity? 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:58.480 And you're like, maybe I should be interested in that opportunity, you know, that person reaching out to you about that job. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:05.759 Or like you visit a friend in like, you know, another uh city, and they have this friend group, and you're like, my friends aren't this funny and this cool. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.920 Like, what am I doing with my friends back home? 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:16.160 You know, it starts to seep into every area of your life, or maybe you're married and you start to receive like a little bit more attention at work from this person, and you're like, this person gets me. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:17.519 Like, am I missing out on something? 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:19.519 This person I'm married to doesn't even understand me. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:24.959 It's like this missing out thing is like deep in every area of our life. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:29.680 And what it's boiled down to, this lie, like you're missing out, this bad advice. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:32.079 It boils down to contentment. 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:38.399 Like, are we content with where we are and who we are? 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:49.519 And um, like we live, don't don't we live in a culture that's actually kind of designed to make us discontent and fuels itself off discontentment? 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:51.120 I mean, that's kind of capitalism, right? 00:07:51.199 --> 00:08:01.439 It's like if you don't, if you don't make more money or spend more money in this way, uh, you're not gonna receive this kind of life, and you're not gonna receive this these kind of privileges. 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:04.720 And so it constantly gets us looking forward. 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:12.480 Like just scroll through your phone, there's always these like impressions that all of us are not where we should be. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:18.399 And um, I don't know, then the goalposts are always moving, aren't they? 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:21.680 Like everything's always changing about what we should aspire to. 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.720 Like, I just scrolled through my phone and I'm like, wait, I'm confused. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:27.120 How why am I supposed to be discontented today? 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:31.439 Like, just open my phone, like, oh, what am I supposed to be unhappy with in my life today? 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:33.519 What is it that's moved, that's different? 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:38.240 Like, a while ago, I thought everybody was like moving into vans and like having van life. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:39.279 Like, should I go do that? 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:42.559 But then instantly after that, it was like everybody's chipping Joanne and Gaines in their house. 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:47.039 So, should I stay home and redo my house or buy a van and move out into a van? 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:48.240 Like, I I don't know. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:49.759 This is what white people are doing on the internet. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:52.000 And I'm like, sh do I follow? 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:53.039 I don't know. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:58.720 Like, that's what discontentedness looks like in every kind of area. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:02.480 And then it just bleeds into our relationships because then we start to expect from other people. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:07.759 Like, we're like, that they should be doing something to lead us to that contentment. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:15.919 So our spouse is no longer the person we're given to like love, but the person, the means by which we achieve a life we don't have yet. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:20.559 And we want to fight with that person because they're not the kind of person we want them to be. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:22.480 They're not acting in the way we want them to be. 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:27.519 They're not acting like that couple on TV, or they're not acting like that Instagram couple, or whatever, right? 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:31.279 And so we use people or like our even our small group, right? 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:33.840 They're not our the kind of spiritual community we want. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.879 Like we want a better spiritual community, or we want a better thing, right? 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.919 We want a better circumstance and a better situation. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:43.120 Here's the question I'd love to have us answer today. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:46.000 Is like, how do we find relational contentment? 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:52.720 How are we content in our relationships, the people that we know in such a discontent world? 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:56.320 How do we find relational contentment in such a discontent world? 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:58.240 I'm gonna look at a few passages. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.879 I wanna start with one you've probably heard before. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:02.639 Philippians 4 13. 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:03.919 You ever heard this verse? 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.639 I can do all things through him or through Christ who strengthens me. 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:10.480 How many of you guys have heard this verse before? 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:10.879 Okay. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:14.399 Have you heard it when somebody dunks a basketball or like scores a touchdown? 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:16.000 Because that's usually when it's quoted, okay? 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:19.200 I love our kids' pastor, Ashley has this mug that I love. 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:22.240 It says, I can do all things through a verse taken out of context. 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:24.559 Uh that's why she's a pastor, man. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:25.279 It's perfect. 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:26.879 Uh it's great. 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:27.759 Yeah. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:40.480 That verse is often lifted out of context to mean uh I can have various abilities and skills that I do not currently have because Jesus is my homeboy. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:45.360 That's like usually what that verse, like, because I'm a Christian, I can dunk or whatever. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:46.960 I don't know, like score a touchdown. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.519 Now, that's not at all the context of this verse. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:50.320 Look at the context. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:52.559 Philippians 4, starting in verse 10. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:11:00.799 And before I even read this Bible verse, remember this is written by a real human being in the ancient world to other real human beings in the ancient world. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:04.159 This real human being was named Paul of Tarsus. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:11.279 He was an early missionary, he was imprisoned for sharing the gospel, for preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:20.639 He was put in prison, and he's writing a letter to a Christian community far away while he is chained to a wall in a basement. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:31.759 He's thinning, he's hungry, he's not in a good place, he's not in a place of privilege, he's in a place of destitution. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.000 And he says this: I rejoiced in the Lord. 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:37.679 This is kind of just showing you the context of this verse. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:42.960 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:48.240 Uh you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:51.440 Now, this is referring to Philippians as a thank you note. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:52.399 It's a long thank you note. 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:56.720 Paul had received a gift, probably food, clothing, um, various supplies. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:00.159 When you're a prisoner in the ancient world, you didn't get like food rations or anything. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:03.200 You just like whoever gave you food was the food you got, right? 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:10.320 So um they probably sent him some supplies, and he said, you know, you just had the opportunity to give it, so thank you for bringing this gift. 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:13.840 Verse 11, he says, Not that I am speaking of being in need, though. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:14.960 Now look at this. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:21.039 For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:27.279 Whatever situation, I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:34.159 In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:38.320 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:43.600 Now look, that is not a verse about receiving new abilities that help us become a better person. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.080 This is a verse about contentment. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:54.799 Paul says, I can do everything, abundance and need, and everything in between, because of Christ. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:03.279 And he says, look, he says, I have learned in whatever situation to be content later in verse 12, I've learned the secret. 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:10.879 I've learned the secret that wherever I go and whatever I experience, I can be content. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:12.240 What is the secret? 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:13.840 Verse 13. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:15.360 Christ, him. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:24.000 I can do, the reason I can do all things, abundance and need, and everything in between, is because of Jesus Christ. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:25.919 This is to say this. 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:30.480 Jesus Christ makes relational contentment possible. 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:34.879 Now I know that sounds like something a pastor would say. 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:39.120 I am a pastor, I am saying it. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.279 I also really believe it's deeply true. 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:45.519 It's deeply, deeply true. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.639 And I want you to notice, look at that sentence for a little bit. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:52.240 Jesus Christ is what makes relational contentment possible. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:14:07.840 A person, a living divine reality, Jesus Christ, God risen and embodied as a as the Holy Spirit through God the Father, like Jesus knowing God, knowing the person and work of Jesus is what brings relational contentment. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.120 Not a set of advice axioms or healthy habits. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:12.720 Those are great things. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.720 But those are things that are not necessarily going to bring contentment. 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:22.720 As much advice as you might receive, as much healthy habits as you might adopt, Paul's argument is not that. 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:23.759 Those are fine things. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:28.720 You can follow advice columns and follow advice stuff online, do that, whatever. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:29.840 But that's not what Paul is saying. 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:35.600 Paul's argument is not that there is some kind of life you can adopt to become a content person. 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.039 He's saying there's a person you can know to become a content person. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:42.320 There's actually a God revealed in Jesus that will bring you contentment. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:43.440 Paul knew what he was saying. 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:47.919 I told you this was not a statement out of privilege, it was a statement written in prison. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:15:01.039 When Paul writes in verse 11 of Philippians 4, whatever the circumstances he says, or whatever the situation, depending on your translation, that's what verse 11 says, what was Paul's situations and circumstances? 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:13.600 In another letter in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 16 through 33, he's writing to another church in the ancient world, and he just goes on a laundry list of all the things he's endured over the last handful of years. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:18.879 They include, but are not limited to imprisonment, poverty, beatings. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:24.240 Paul was beaten, and sometimes we just glance over that like, oh yeah, he was beat up a little bit. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:39.039 Like this dude was, rocks were thrown at him, he was clubbed, he was beaten, he was struck on the head, he was struck on the body, he was betrayed by close friends, he had near-death experiences like shipwrecks, physical assault. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:40.080 He was robbed. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:42.240 We also believe he had chronic pain. 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:46.480 2 Corinthians 12, he talks about this thorn in his flesh that had bothered him for a long time. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:50.159 We kind of think he had some form of chronic pain over the years. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.879 And anxiety is too numerable to mention. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:56.720 He says at one point, and on top of this, I'm anxious for all the churches. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:03.039 Well, he was a leader, so he had tons of people underneath him that he was constantly worried about, constantly filled with anxiety. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:04.559 This is all to say. 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:09.919 When Paul says, I can do all things through Christ, we should probably listen to him. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:20.320 Because for as much trouble as you and I have been in, and for as much as we are discontent with our circumstances, I would argue that Paul has faced more discontentment than many of us. 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:27.200 So for him to say this provides a weight to his claim that we should at least inspect a little bit more. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:34.240 The Philippians passage is a general contentment passage, abundance and need, poverty and wealth, right? 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:36.159 Like it's kind of about everything in life. 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:39.600 And he says, I can do all things, I can be content with everything. 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:46.480 But in the relational context, he actually writes in another place to another church, 1 Corinthians 5 through 7. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:52.879 He starts talking about um like marriage and singleness and relationships, and he argues with his church. 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:55.919 He's like, don't be quick to like switch up relationships. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:01.840 In the Corinthian church, a lot of people were becoming Christians and they would make rash decisions. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.720 They would quit employment agreements because they're like, now I'm a Christian, so I'm gonna quit this employment agreement. 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:12.000 Or they would um uh leave a spouse because they converted, but their spouse didn't convert, and so they would leave. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:15.759 Or uh they would want to get married because they suddenly became a Christian. 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:24.079 And Paul says to them, in the context of this, you go read 1 Corinthians 5 through 7, three chapters, he says this, 1 Corinthians 7.17. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:33.599 Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:39.839 Now you'll notice a similarity of uh syntax in that that's connected to Philippians. 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:48.640 Whatever situation Paul says, you know, earlier in the passage in Philippians, he says, I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:54.720 First Corinthians 7, he says, in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you, God's called you there. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.279 Be there, be content, find contentment there. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.359 Find contentment in that space. 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:02.000 One of the scholars I read said this: Do not be in a hurry. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.079 He's he'd summarized Paul's teaching this way. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:09.839 Do not be in a hurry to change the external circumstances of your life simply because you're a Christian. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:23.039 As Christians, we should be wary of changing our circumstances immediately, believing that by changing our circumstances, we would become the kind of person we long to be. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:30.000 We should be wary of getting out from the limitations of our circumstances. 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:34.640 See, we believe if we're most free, God would be most free to work in us. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:45.440 And Paul is questioning that, saying, No, I think by finding your contentment in your current circumstance is one way God will shape you, particularly with relationships. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:47.359 Now, we're gonna get to it in a second. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:50.079 Scripture gives many gracious conditions. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:54.240 Some of some people need to leave relationships, and we'll talk about that in one second. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:19:10.880 But for now, I want you to think the Bible is kind of teaching us that the way the reason people are in our lives are as instruments or tools that God can use to form his likeness in us. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:12.319 I'm gonna say that again. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:20.960 The people in our life, like our relationships, are primarily given to us and assigned to us to shape us into the image of Jesus. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.240 We talked about it weeks before weeks before in the you deserve happiness thing. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:25.759 It's not primarily to make us happy. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:28.240 People are not in our life primarily to make us happy. 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:32.880 People in our life are not primarily there to help us achieve future goals. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:39.279 People are in our life so that God might use them to shape us into the image of Jesus Christ. 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:43.839 So I know many of you are in difficult circumstances right now. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:48.960 I want you to consider maybe I'm here and God is too. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:20:03.119 God is doing something and shaping something in me, even though my boss drives me crazy, even though I can't stand this person, or even though this family member is creating difficulty in my life. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.599 And we think if I'd be free of that difficulty, God could work in my life. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:12.640 I think scripture teaches, no, that is God working in your life. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:14.799 He's doing something there. 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:20.720 Like I know some of you might think, if you were in a different small group, life would be better. 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:21.200 Okay? 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:25.119 I know I'm the one of the pastors, you think, how does he know that? 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.480 It's plain, okay? 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:29.759 You think if I just was in a different small group, life would be better. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:32.160 If I had a different leader, whatever, okay? 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:33.759 But consider, okay? 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:39.200 Consider that actually God is using that small group to make you into more of his likeness, okay? 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:42.960 Some of you are not married yet and you think you gotta be married. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:49.680 And you you're like, you think that God is waiting to really work in your life once you get married. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:55.039 But could it be that God is working through your singleness and in your singleness to make him into your likeness? 00:20:55.279 --> 00:21:02.400 Well, on the reverse side, some of y'all are married, and you think if I just wasn't married, God would work in my life. 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:11.279 And God says, No, I'm gonna work in your marriage, in your spouse, in your relationship with your spouse, to create my likeness into you. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:18.319 I'm gonna push my likeness so you become more humble, more helpful, more generous, more kind through this circumstance. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:27.039 I know a sensitive thing I've I've been walking with many couples through this, through my time here at Awakening, is like people longing to have kids. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:30.559 It's it's it's deep pain. 00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:35.759 It's deep pain to want children and to be unable to have them. 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:42.559 But I've watched couples, you guys like a man say these are the circumstances God has given us. 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:55.839 And God shapes them and changes them into his likeness through that difficult circumstance, not by getting out of that circumstance, although we're praying that God would get them out of that circumstance because we would definitely want what they want. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:58.720 But at the end of the day, God is doing something there. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:09.759 On the reverse side, some of us have kids, and we're like, if I didn't have kids, man, my life would be better if these kids weren't ruining my life. 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:15.920 But could it be that God is using those children to work his likeness into you? 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:26.640 Do you see how no matter what situation you're in, you're bound to find discontentment, which means maybe in every circumstance of life you're bound to find contentment somewhere. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.960 If discontentment is that common, shouldn't contentment be just as common? 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:32.319 But it's not. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:40.480 It's not because, see, we need to have the knowledge and the awareness of Christ. 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:44.559 See, because you're missing out, quote unquote, like that bad advice. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:46.880 It actually works both ways, does it not? 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:52.960 You're in that situation, whatever situation you're in, you're thinking, I'm missing out because I'm not there, okay? 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:54.880 Thinking I'm missing out. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:23:00.720 But if you get there, might you be missing out on what God's doing with you here? 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:09.119 That's why Paul's like, don't be so quick to find a new circumstance, because God could be using the circumstance. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:13.839 God could be working something in your life right now, doing something. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:15.039 Be careful. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:16.799 Have pause. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:23.519 Be discerning about leaping to the next thing because you might actually be missing out on what God is doing right here. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:29.359 If you go there because you're missing out, you might then miss out on the work of God. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:31.359 You see, missing out works both ways. 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:33.680 It works both ways. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:38.559 Scripture does give gracious conditions that I want to mention. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:42.480 There's some of you that do need to get out of certain situations. 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.000 Scripture gives many. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:47.759 I'll give you a few that are important for us to mention in this sermon. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:52.640 The first is Christianity gives a gracious condition for divorce. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:59.599 The Bible holds high, high esteem for marriage, but also recognizes the reality that some marriages must end. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:01.680 Some marriages end. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:05.680 Some marriages must end, some marriages end not by our choice. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:09.680 Divorce is a gracious condition that scripture gives. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:14.000 I put some passages that you can go read if you want more on that. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:16.000 Healthy boundaries. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:18.319 Some relationships need limits. 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:22.559 Some relationships need boundaries and healthy limits. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:24.640 Great book by Henry Cloud. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:26.000 It's just called Boundaries. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.920 It's like the seminal book on this subject. 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:30.880 Helps you understand what relational boundaries you might need to have. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:34.240 I would recommend that book to you and these passages of scripture. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:37.279 Scripture does not say to open your life to all people at all times. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:41.599 Some people are not good and need to have limits in your life. 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:47.359 Thirdly, Scripture gives us a gracious condition for staying far from dangerous people. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:49.680 There are people that are not good. 00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:58.240 They're evil, they're toxic, they're damaging to your life, they're abusive, and you need to be far away from them. 00:24:58.400 --> 00:24:59.920 And scripture says it that plainly. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:07.920 In fact, in one of the passages I quote, Paul lists some attributes of people, and he says, right straightly, avoid such people. 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:10.240 Just stay away. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:14.160 There's people that if you're in that circumstance, you should be out. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:14.720 Okay? 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:18.400 Again, these are gracious conditions in Scripture. 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:20.640 Other ones, disagreements. 00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:23.119 We studied this in the book of Acts, these last two. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:24.799 Disagreements that require division. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:31.680 Sometimes people just cannot agree and they need to divide and leave and just be like, we can't agree on this, so we shouldn't work together, or we shouldn't. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:32.880 Um yeah, whatever. 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:35.599 Uh the last one is seasonal changes in life. 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:41.200 In the book of Acts, it talks about like it seemed right to us and to the Holy Spirit that Paul and Barnabas should be sent away. 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:42.880 And that's one of the passages I gave you, or whatever. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:47.119 Okay, there's this acknowledgement that like certain things just pass and things happen in life. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:26:06.559 So, but aside from these gracious conditions, and actually, when you inspect these gracious conditions, you will see that for the most part, scripture is calling us to stay, to find contentment here and to not live there. 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:16.240 Wisely considering these gracious conditions and considering our circumstances will lead us to a path of contentment. 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:21.920 The lie of you're missing out has been phrased this way culturally, like the grass is greener. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:22.960 You've heard that, right? 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:24.319 The grass is greener. 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:31.039 There's this great meme on online that's like, yeah, maybe the grass is greener because there's a lot of manure on the other side. 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:36.559 Umthough the internet doesn't use the word manure, but um, some of you will get that on the drive home. 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:36.960 Okay. 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:41.359 Um the grass is greener, things are better over there. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:47.039 And what we dial into is something I call mental displacement. 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:54.480 Okay, I define mental displacement as living mentally in a place you are not circumstantially. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:59.200 Living mentally in a place you are not in circumstantially. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:07.119 Like social media showing you this life that you don't have, and you thinking, I need to be in that kind of life. 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:17.599 Or like some of us are ambitious and our ambitions about what we want to do in the next three to five years, like we're constantly living in the next three to five years that we ignore right here, right now. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:22.000 We're so future oriented that we don't become much present good. 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:29.279 And we're constantly like damaging our current relationships because we're so focused on getting to the next thing. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:31.759 Or we're living in the past. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:34.160 We're like so focused on past stuff. 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:37.359 Like, I don't know if you guys have time hop or like Facebook memories. 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:40.880 There's times I look back and I'm like, man, that was a cool part of my life. 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:50.000 Then I think a little bit more and I'm like, I was super poor, you know, or like I was, I don't know, I just like, but it can make it seem like my life used to be way better, you know? 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:52.640 It's like, wow, look at me, I was at a concert. 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:54.240 I don't do that anymore, you know? 00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:57.839 And like you can think that, like, oh, that was a better time, right? 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:06.319 In the past or something, or like movies and TV shows show us a culture or a city or a space, that like we think if we were there, we would be good. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:08.799 But we're we we're practicing mental displacement. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:19.519 We're constantly then inundated with these images that are not present, and technology has kind of suspended our limits of time and space that we think that we can just live there all the time. 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:22.480 But then we're not here, we're not there, we're not now. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:32.400 And dreaming about another community or dreaming about another world or another spouse or another situation, it actually leaves you losing on both accounts when you think about it, right? 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:42.640 Because when you're in dreamland thinking about what if, and man, I'm I just feel like life would be better if, that means you're not actually in the present circumstance, right? 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:47.759 Like you're not actually there, but you're also not in the dream. 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:53.039 So you're actually nowhere, and you're not present to anything that's happening. 00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:59.279 And you're constantly thinking while you're out with your friends, like, I wish these people were better, or you're with your spouse going, I wish my spouse was better. 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:06.559 Or like you're, you know, you're just constantly dreaming and thinking about something that is ahead that actually isn't really here. 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:08.480 And so you're nowhere. 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:10.640 You exist nowhere mentally. 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:16.319 And I've learned that mental displacement leads to spiritual discouragement. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:25.279 And that mental displacement also leaves us to be spiritually absent to the circumstances around us. 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:30.160 We are no longer curious about what God could be doing in our midst. 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:31.920 Could God be working? 00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:37.119 Could God be active in this time because we're mentally living somewhere else? 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:39.599 The lie is that the grass is greener. 00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:44.079 The truth, this is the yard that God's given you. 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:53.359 Now I know some of you are like, hey, I kind of made my yard in bad ways. 00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:55.039 And that's true too. 00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:57.519 Some of you have made really bad decisions. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:29:59.119 You've made unwise decisions. 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:01.680 And you're like, I don't know, Chris, I don't think God gave me this yard. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:04.160 I think I've made this bed and I'm sleeping in it. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:05.759 That's true, okay. 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:06.559 That is true. 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:09.599 A lot of us make unwise decisions that lead us down a bad path. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:14.319 It's not like God is this master puppeteer constantly just controlling the robots of the universe. 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:16.640 We have a level of agency. 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:26.960 Um, but just because you made that space and got yourself into that yard does not mean that God isn't present with you in it. 00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:37.279 And not, a little bit deeper theologically here, and not that he couldn't, that he couldn't be able to take that circumstance and rework it into something good. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:39.839 That's what the whole book of Genesis is about, first book of your Bible. 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:46.559 Literally ends with Joseph saying, You, he says this to his family, you intended, they made evil actions to him. 00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:54.400 He says, You intended this for evil, but God intended it for good and for the flourishing of many lives. 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:56.799 Genesis 50, 20, one of my favorite Bible verses ever. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:31:00.400 Because that is just the nature of God, that God takes the yard we've been placed in. 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:13.119 Either he gave it to us or our bad choices got there, however, the mix works out, and he takes it, and in his hands, in his loving care, in his presence in the yard, he's able to create something you could never create. 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:17.680 Which is why Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:23.039 God shapes us, friends, inside our limitations. 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:29.519 He shapes us inside our limitations, not outside of them. 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:34.079 We think God would work if I was just outside of this limitation. 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:37.279 If I was married or if I was not married, wherever you're at. 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:45.759 If I had kids, if I didn't have kids, if I had this job or if I didn't have this job, we think outside of the limitations of our circumstance, that's when God would start working. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:50.960 Friends, God works within the limitations of your circumstances. 00:31:52.640 --> 00:32:00.880 And if we're constantly dreaming, we're gonna constantly think that God's failing us, even though it's really our dream, not really God's. 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:05.519 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he wrote, in my opinion, the best book on community. 00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:12.960 A pastor in the 1940s who was vehemently against Hitler's regime, he was imprisoned and eventually killed. 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:14.799 He wrote this book, Life Together. 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:18.160 Near the beginning of Life Together, Bonhoeffer writes this. 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:30.079 He or she, who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself, becomes a destroyer of the Christian community itself. 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:39.039 Even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial, God hates this kind of visionary dreaming. 00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:41.920 It makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. 00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:48.240 He acts as if he's the creator of the Christian community, as if he his dreams binds men together. 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:52.640 When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. 00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:56.640 He calls the effort a failure. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:07.599 We often think God has failed us because he has not delivered us from the limitations, ignoring the fact that what if God gave you those limitations? 00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:20.799 What if God provided those limitations to invite you to become a more humble and helpful person in this world, to become a more generous person, to become, ah, a little bit more like Jesus Christ Himself? 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:30.000 So long as you're living in mental displacement, living in your dream, you're kind of missing out on God's What does God have for you here? 00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:32.559 It's time to get curious, Christian. 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:33.839 It's time to get curious. 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:35.440 Why does God have me here? 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:37.279 What is God doing here? 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:44.559 Why is God leaving me in this job or in this relationship or has me in this space? 00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:54.960 In a sermon that Paul gives to a bunch of philosophers in the book of Acts, a place called the Areopagus, he gives this beautiful sermon. 00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:56.559 This is what he says in one of his sermons. 00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:58.000 Acts 17, 24. 00:33:58.160 --> 00:34:04.240 The God who made the world and everything in it from the one man, every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:05.039 Look at this. 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:16.079 Having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God in hope that they might feel their way towards him and find him. 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:19.360 Because he's actually not far from each one of us. 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:22.880 That's a beautiful line in a sermon. 00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:29.119 That God determined allotted periods and boundaries of our dwelling place. 00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:29.679 Why? 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:32.079 So that we might feel our way towards him. 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:33.280 We might find him. 00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:38.960 See, God shapes us through people, places, and time. 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:42.159 In other words, he shapes us through limitations. 00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:49.679 Like God creates you to be the kind of person he wants you to be through the limitations of people. 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:51.599 Talks about every nation of mankind. 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:56.639 God gave nations, he made nations, he made ethnicities, he made these things. 00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:59.119 These are types of limitations. 00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:02.880 And still God created them to work through them. 00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:04.559 God shapes us through a place. 00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:08.000 It says that Paul says he gives us the boundaries of our dwelling place. 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:09.119 I've always loved that. 00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:11.760 Like, he knows that you're in San Jose. 00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:13.119 He knows that you're in Palo Alto. 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:16.480 He knows that He knows where you live and why you live there. 00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:18.159 You don't. 00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:22.079 But in relationship with Him, you might find out why. 00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:24.719 And through time, the allotted periods. 00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:26.079 All of us will die. 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:27.760 We all have an expiration date. 00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:31.199 Not all of us will live in the same place for the same amount of time. 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:36.320 Not all of us will have the same number of years married or the same number of years single. 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:43.920 Like the allotted periods of your life and seasons that change, God uses that to shape you into becoming a kind of person. 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:45.280 Let me ask you this question. 00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:50.400 Is providence a consideration in your pursuit for contentment? 00:35:51.679 --> 00:35:57.760 Providence is a theological term that talks about God's interactivity with history and events. 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:01.199 That God is sovereign and providential. 00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:07.199 That actually, for as much as human beings like make the road crooked, God straightens things out. 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:14.559 His providential hand is over history, and he takes evil and he redeems it, and he births good and perfects it. 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:22.639 And I am shocked, you guys, how many Christians do not consider that they were placed where they are. 00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:32.639 That they don't think about God's activity and action, his providence, his work. 00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:40.559 Or even that God is with them in the circumstance, which is a act of providence. 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:49.920 So again, you might have messed up your life or gotten into a bad situation, or you might have no idea why this relationship is going wrong. 00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:58.320 But the question is, could you consider providence that God actually is working something in there? 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:10.480 So yeah, maybe he didn't place you there, but perhaps he's taking you from that spot because of your foolish decision making, he can still pick that up where you've left it off and rework it for his good. 00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:13.679 And I'm shocked how many Christians don't have that imagination. 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:20.960 They don't have that way of thinking that's like curious about like where is God right now here? 00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:21.760 What is he doing? 00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:23.119 What's he trying to teach me here? 00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:29.199 And the ones that do live incredibly satisfying and wait for it, content lives. 00:37:29.599 --> 00:37:31.920 They leave, they lead really content lives. 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:32.639 They look like this. 00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:35.199 Here's what a person content in Christ looks like. 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:39.599 They commit to whatever and whoever God has placed in front of them. 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:42.639 That's like Paul from Philippians 4.13, we started this whole sermon with. 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.280 Paul said, I can do all things. 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:46.639 I can do it. 00:37:47.199 --> 00:37:51.679 Abundance and need and everything in between, I can do it. 00:37:52.079 --> 00:37:56.239 Um, and I'm gonna commit to the abundance or I'll commit to the need. 00:37:56.960 --> 00:38:03.280 But I've witnessed content people, they commit to whatever and whoever God has placed right in front of them. 00:38:03.519 --> 00:38:06.880 There's also a concession that I see content people make. 00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:11.280 There's a level of conceding to the circumstances God has placed them in. 00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:13.920 The all things, the whatever the circumstances. 00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:19.119 Content people go, okay, Lord, this has been brought into my life. 00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:22.880 I'm curious how you're going to make this into my good. 00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:25.280 And they find contentment. 00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:26.559 It doesn't mean they don't cry. 00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:28.000 It doesn't mean there's not pain. 00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:29.760 It doesn't mean that there's not arguments. 00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:36.559 It's just this posture of concession towards the providential hand of God that goes, God, you got me here. 00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:38.320 You're going to get me through this. 00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:43.280 And they're finally the whole time cultivating an interior life with the living God. 00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:48.000 That's why Paul says, through Christ, through him who gives me strength. 00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:54.559 You see, without Jesus, we're just going to be guessing about what makes contentment and what doesn't. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:58.800 With Jesus Christ, contentment is possible. 00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:00.559 It's actually possible. 00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:16.800 Because, you know, that's the difference between the gospel and just every other kind of like world thinking, philosophy, mindfulness, and stuff, is that there's a person with us in this. 00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:20.559 There's a God with you in the yard. 00:39:21.760 --> 00:39:26.960 And God proved that by coming in Christ to the yard. 00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:35.519 By coming to this earth, limiting himself into human flesh, and not just limiting himself into human flesh of having a good long life. 00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:36.480 He died young. 00:39:36.880 --> 00:39:38.320 He was betrayed. 00:39:38.639 --> 00:39:39.760 He was struck. 00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:43.519 He was limited even to the cross, nailed. 00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:49.920 If cr God himself brought himself to those limitations, why? 00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:54.800 To prove to you, I don't know what all things are going on in your life. 00:39:55.039 --> 00:39:59.519 I don't know whatever the situation and circumstance God has you in your life, but I know this. 00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:02.239 God came and met death. 00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:11.199 And if he met death and was victorious and raised in resurrection life from death, he is with you in what you face. 00:40:11.599 --> 00:40:13.360 He's gone to the extremes. 00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:16.800 He's gone to the most needy place. 00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:22.239 So if you are most needy right now, Christ is most present with you right now. 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:27.440 I want you to think, if I could summarize this, to just think about the word presence more. 00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:28.239 Okay? 00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:37.440 I want you to move, I want us as a church to move away from mental displacement to Christian presence. 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:47.119 And I'm using this term Christian presence to separate it from the mindfulness, meditative stuff that's out there. 00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:50.079 It's somewhat valuable, maybe. 00:40:50.239 --> 00:40:50.800 I don't know. 00:40:51.039 --> 00:40:53.199 As a pastor, I have this to give you a value. 00:40:53.440 --> 00:40:55.440 Christian presence knows this. 00:40:56.880 --> 00:41:00.079 God has placed people in my life. 00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:03.679 And God is in my life. 00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:13.519 Christian presence knows for sure that that person we might have married and we were younger and we didn't know much about what we were doing. 00:41:14.079 --> 00:41:16.320 But that person bears the image of God. 00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:22.079 Image of God, very distinct Christian doctrine, that this person has the mark of the creator on them. 00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:27.840 And they are there to help me become more aware of God Almighty. 00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:32.079 And I'm also not alone with this person. 00:41:33.280 --> 00:41:34.880 God is with me. 00:41:35.280 --> 00:41:37.760 The Holy Spirit dwells in me. 00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:40.159 God is active in the world. 00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:48.800 He's in the midst of it. 00:41:49.599 --> 00:41:53.840 And so might we move from mental displacement to Christian presence? 00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:59.280 The keen awareness of the attention and presence of Jesus and the presence of other people. 00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:06.239 I mentioned at the top of this sermon that when I became a dad, I got all that advice and uh I found it to be mostly wrong. 00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:09.760 But it's not to say I haven't struggled through that. 00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:14.960 This idea that my life might be better if I wasn't limited to child caring. 00:42:15.280 --> 00:42:22.559 Um, but you know, I've been learning like how God is shaping me through like becoming a dad, you know. 00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:29.039 When you become a parent, like one thing nobody really tells you is that a lot of your life is gonna be boring. 00:42:29.280 --> 00:42:33.199 Like, you're gonna do a lot of repetitive activities over a long period of time. 00:42:33.280 --> 00:42:35.599 People don't mention the boring nature of it. 00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:45.199 There's like some level to which, dude, you're helping a kid fall asleep for the ninth night in a row, or like Jude wants the same book read 25 times, you know. 00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:47.760 I've got Goodnight Moon memorized more than scripture. 00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:50.320 Like it's crazy, you know? 00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:53.360 But like, I don't know. 00:42:53.519 --> 00:42:58.639 Then when I'm like away from my family, like I went to LA a couple weeks ago, went to go visit my brother, I was totally free. 00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:03.440 What the whole time I was thinking about my family, you know, I'm FaceTiming Jude, I'm like, why? 00:43:03.679 --> 00:43:13.519 Oh, because through the limitations of fatherhood, God is like crafting me to become crazily enough a more loving person. 00:43:15.119 --> 00:43:22.480 Like He's making me to be more like Him than like me through the limitations of fatherhood. 00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:29.119 Same thing when I was like 18 to 22, like I look back on that, I was like, I was so ambitious, I was so thinking about my future all the time. 00:43:29.360 --> 00:43:33.760 I wasn't very aware of the people God had in my life or the situations God had in my life. 00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:35.920 I was just constantly trying to get out of them. 00:43:36.480 --> 00:43:46.159 And I look back, I think, I think I'd be a better person today and a better person then if I had practiced Christian presence in the midst of those years. 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:48.800 Because I was just constantly living in the future. 00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:56.639 Well, friends, communion is our best next step because communion brings us to Christian presence. 00:43:57.119 --> 00:44:06.320 Because on the night Jesus died, uh was betrayed, the night before he died, he gathered his disciples together and he took bread and wine, like limited physical things. 00:44:06.559 --> 00:44:13.039 And he looked at them in the eyes, and he would look at you today and say, Take this, take and eat. 00:44:13.280 --> 00:44:14.400 This is my body. 00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:16.800 He took the bread broken for you. 00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:21.360 And he took the wine and said, This is my blood shed for you. 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:30.800 And in communion, there's a beautiful uh groundedness to it that brings us to where we are in this moment. 00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:34.320 You're at awakening church at the second service, having communion. 00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:36.000 Here's bread and wine, God says. 00:44:36.159 --> 00:44:41.440 And God gives you bread and wine to remind you, his body was broken for you, his blood was shed for you. 00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:47.760 And because of that, when you feel broken and when you feel poured out, you know you're in Christ's company. 00:44:48.880 --> 00:44:50.400 That's where he is. 00:44:50.960 --> 00:45:02.239 And so the best thing we can do is take this bread and take this wine and receive the words of Jesus who says, This is my body, this is my blood, do this in remembrance of me. 00:45:02.480 --> 00:45:03.840 Let me pray for you. 00:45:08.639 --> 00:45:16.800 Almighty God, we ask you, through the power of your Holy Spirit, to reveal your presence to us. 00:45:19.199 --> 00:45:24.079 Help us, God, become aware of your work in our life. 00:45:26.960 --> 00:45:35.519 God, I I prayed this last service, and I'm I I do feel this again, Lord, that um there are people in this room, like I don't know their circumstances. 00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:37.440 I just don't know everybody's circumstances. 00:45:37.599 --> 00:45:42.000 And I I'm I'm just guessing, and maybe it's your Holy Spirit impressing this upon me. 00:45:42.239 --> 00:45:47.840 Um people are in really, really tough places, and they would do want to get out. 00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:53.519 And I wish I could sit down with everybody and and I can't, but you can. 00:45:53.840 --> 00:46:04.960 Through the power of your Holy Spirit, through this act of taking communion, would you meet your people today in the circumstances they're in, and prove to us, Almighty God, what we know to be true. 00:46:05.199 --> 00:46:06.480 You're in our midst. 00:46:08.480 --> 00:46:15.360 And so we receive communion now as an active Christian presence to be aware of you. 00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:17.440 We pray this in Christ's name. 00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:18.239 Amen. 00:46:19.440 --> 00:46:21.679 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:46:21.840 --> 00:46:26.320 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:28.559 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:34.639 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.