======================================================================== (CLIP) YOU CAN LEARN TO BE CONTENT by Geoff Thomas ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon focuses on the theme of contentment, emphasizing that it is a learned behavior rather than an instant blessing. It highlights the misconception that contentment is unattainable and addresses the sinful nature of discontentment. The key lesson is that contentment is achievable for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, by surrendering to God's will and trusting in His plan. Topics: "Contentment", "Surrender to God's Will" Scripture References: Philippians 4:11, Psalm 23:1, Romans 8:28, Matthew 6:10, Hebrews 13:5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon focuses on the theme of contentment, emphasizing that it is a learned behavior rather than an instant blessing. It highlights the misconception that contentment is unattainable and addresses the sinful nature of discontentment. The key lesson is that contentment is achievable for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, by surrendering to God's will and trusting in His plan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Where can contentment be found? And so often, Christians admire contentment and they long for it and they confess their strangers to contentment. They make it so unattainable. They say, oh, if only I had the second blessing, how contented I would be. And they blame their upbringing and they blame their personality. They say my mother was discontented. My grandmother was. I'm discontented too. Oh, and Paul says he learned contentment. He learned it. He learned it. It didn't come to him on the Damascus Road. One moment, driving rabbinically furious. And then the Damascus Road, and then after that, he was just laid back from then on. It wasn't like that. He learned it. He was in a meeting once, a prayer meeting, and an old Christian got up and he said, let's think of Psalm 23. The Lord's my shepherd, and so on. I'll not be in want of the shepherd. Like my Lord, the King of the universe is mine, and I'm not going to be in want. I'm going to trust Him. I'm going to be content. Paul listened. Paul learned like you learn. Coming here Sunday by Sunday, he learned it. And you have to learn it too. What did he learn? He learned one, being discontented is a sin. It's against our whole position that our Lord looks after us and cares for us. All things are working together for our good. And you know, we can parade our discontentedness because I love her, but she doesn't love me, and she won't marry me, and I'm sulking for the rest of my life. We're saying Jesus made a mistake then in closing that door. Being discontented is a sin. Secondly, it's possible to be contented. Those of you who have a very trying upbringing, it's possible for you to learn contentment. Not just a few people who are self-indecorated and intelligent and sensible men and women. Not just them, but you with all the pressures and strains that your life has been under, you can be a contented person. And no circumstance, no set of circumstance can take that contentment from you. That's the Christian life. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. And then thirdly, Paul discovered how. How to be content. Well, I've taken over the Hilton in San Antonio. It's only $100 you have to pay next weekend. I'll be giving lectures on how to learn contentment. Not! Not! I'll tell you without money and without price how to be contented. You go to God and you say to God, Thy will be done. That's it. Thy will be done. I don't want my own will. I want Your will. And that's why so often I'm a discontented person because I don't like God's will. I don't like what God has done with my life. And there's no way I'm going to wear the red jewel of Christian contentment without taking my stand on this. What I want in my life is the will of God. And then when God says, alright, my child, this is My will for you. This is the way I want you to walk. I want you to be brave. I want you on the narrow path. I want you to be looking unto Me every day. And then when I know, well, it's God's will, and I'm not frustrated, and I'm not discontented, I'm not depressed, I'm not plaintive, I'm not self-pitying, because this is my Father's will. And so, I rejoice to do Thy will, O Lord. And Jesus could say that perfectly. And that's my righteousness. But He's left me an example and I walk in His steps. And I want to be content too following the Savior. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/qgZf-GZ19CQ.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/geoff-thomas/clip-you-can-learn-to-be-content/ ========================================================================