Affluenza! - It's Cure - Part A

Contentment means containment.

I live in the container God has given me and what He has put in it is enough. Now, here's the rub. You live in a culture that is spending billions of dollars to make you look outside of the fence. The advertising world, market research is working overtime with one goal, to make you discontented. You've got to have more stuff. That's what the commercials are all about.

Their ultimate goal is to impair your self-control to get you to covet, so you go, I've got to have that. Well, thanks for joining us today. This is Connect with Skip Hytech Weekend Edition, and today we'll continue to look at that disease called Afdalenza, part of a dynamic look at the Ten Commandments called God's Top Ten. We'll get to that here in just a bit, but right now, Pastor Skip wants to invite you to connect with him on social media. Hey, Pastor Skip here. If you want to stay up to date on the latest from this ministry, follow at Skip Hytech on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. That's Skip, H-E-I-T-Z-I-G. Thanks, Skip. And now, let's get into our teaching.

Exodus chapter 20 is where you'll find God's Top Ten, so if you have a Bible or a Bible app, I hope you'll turn there as we begin. Here's Skip Hytech with a short anecdote to start off with. Well, there was a man who went to tour a mental institution. He was a little bit surprised when he went by one of the cells that was padded, and there was a gentleman in there calling out a woman's name.

Linda, Linda, Linda, he was saying. How could you? How could you?

How could you? Beating his head against the padded wall. This disturbed the visitor, and he asked his guide, who's that? He said, well, that's a guy who dated a gal named Linda. They were engaged to be married.

She dumped him. It was too much, and he went nuts, and here he is. So they kept walking through the hall, and in the very next cell, there was another man calling out the same name. Linda, Linda, why did this happen?

Why did this happen? He goes, now who's that? The guide said, that's the man who married Linda.

Wouldn't you love to have met Linda? What's all that about? It's the myth of the greener grass, folks. Grass is always greener somewhere else. Whatever happiness is, wherever happiness is, it's not where I am presently. And for me to attain happiness, I have to have something else, some more stuff.

I need another job or another spouse or more status, whatever it might be. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, I'm going to read a short verse. It's very poignant because it says that one of the marks of the last days on earth is this very attitude.

Paul writes to Timothy, in the last days, men will be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud. Last week, the name of our message was Affluenza. It was a takeoff from the word influenza. And as we said that influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory system, so affluenza is a highly contagious social and even spiritual disorder that comes from overabundance. Well, this is part 2 and this is the cure. And we're doing it in part 2 because quite literally, affluenza is affecting our health, and I mean it literally. Being in a fluent nation seems to be affecting our physical well-being.

Listen to this. This comes from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine just last month. Allergy-induced asthma, it says, is more common in affluent countries. The link between atopic sensitization and asthma symptoms in children differs strongly between populations and increases with economic development. Some experts suggest the rise in asthma may be related to more sterile homes and the use of antibiotics. Some believe the human immune system is beginning to respond to harmless substances like animal dander causing allergy and asthma symptoms. In one study, it was reported that kids in affluent countries with allergic sensitizations are four times likely to have asthma. In other words, if I can paraphrase it, in layman's language, our affluence is making us sick, literally, not just physically in this case, but also mentally, it would seem.

Based on World Health Organization data, British psychologist Oliver James has shown that in English-speaking nations, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, they have twice as much mental illness as other nations. In probing to find the answers to why, he states, same scientist, it's because we're placing a high value on money, possessions, appearances, both physical and social, as well as fame. You see, all of these, says this expert and others, are the stuff that build neuroses in human beings, affluenza. Well, that's not to say that riches in themselves are evil. They're certainly not.

Abraham was wealthy, we know Job was wealthy, and God blessed him even more at the end of his life than at the beginning, and there are several examples. And it's not like that car that you want, that new car is satanic, or that bigger paycheck is of the devil. Not at all. There's nothing inherently wrong with it. It's not that, it's what it does to us. And what it does to us is two things. It binds us to the temporal and blinds us from the eternal. It binds us to the temporal, the here and now, and blinds us from the eternal.

Last time we were together, we looked at affluenza, and we noted two things. It's cause, which was covetousness, and we defined that. And then it's curse. And what we said is that it reveals a discontentment with God's provision. It also can ruin relationships with other people, and finally, it can ripen into other forms of sin. So that was the cause, and that was the curse.

Tonight, we want to look at the cure. So I take you back to the 10th commandment, and I'd like you to look at it with me again in verse 17 of Exodus chapter 20, the 10th of the 10 commandments. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's. We've been told in that verse what not to do, what not to want, what not to strongly desire that doesn't belong to us. That's what we should not do.

Tonight, however, I want to look at the very opposite of that. If that's what we're not to do, what are we to do? What are we to be doing? And by the way, that's the reason for next week's final installment on the 10 commandments because all of these commandments, though they say you shall not do this, this, this, and that, it springboards into the other side of the coin things we ought to be doing rather than these things. So what I want you to do now is turn with me to the New Testament book of Philippians.

As I like to say, flip over to Philippians chapter 4. Let's look at the cure. Tonight, I want to show you that the cure must be identified, and it is in Philippians 4. The cure must be learned, and Paul says he has learned that, and then the cure must be practiced. Once you learn something, you've got to do it over and over again to make it your own. So it must be identified, learned, and practiced. Go with me to Philippians chapter 4, beginning in verse 10.

It will paint the picture and give the setting. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last your care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full, to be hungry, to abound, and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well and that you have shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you did send aid once and again for my necessities, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

Now, here's the setting. This church at Philippi had been previously financially supporting Paul as a missionary while he was in Macedonia and when he left. There was a period of time where Paul heard nothing at all from them. And then one day, a guy named Epaphroditus, and we just read about him, came with more financial help for Paul at a very difficult time.

Now Paul says that he's not complaining about that lag, not at all. He's saying my joy is in the Lord, not in the offering. And the key word I want to draw your attention to is in verse 11. Here's the cure, content. It's contentedness. That is the cure that Paul brings and identifies to our attention, contentment. Now I want to tell you what it means. Contentment literally means containment.

Containment. Let me give you the Greek word, autarkes. Autarkes, a fascinating word.

Here's why. It means self-sufficient. It means satisfied. But maybe the best translation is it means contained.

Contained. It's actually a word that the ancient Greek pagan Stoics, have you ever heard of the Stoics? It was a form of philosophy founded by a philosopher named Zeno. And the Stoics believed the ultimate aim in life is to be free from needing anything. They called it their central goal apathos. We get the term apathy from it. Apathos, without deep emotion, without needing anything. In other words, I'm going to take whatever life gives me and I'm going to learn to accept it.

That was their highest goal. Paul uses this word not as a pagan Greek word, but as a Christian would saying whatever God prescribes for me in my life, that's going to be enough by his sovereign will. So the cure for affluenza is in one word contentedness, which means you live a contained life. You learn to take whatever's in your container that God has put in your container and go, that's enough. Whatever's in my container. Now we do this with animals. We put them in containers. We put fish in aquarium. Now I don't know if one fish turns to the other fish and says, let's get out of here.

I know there's an ocean out there somewhere and I do not want this one by two box. Do you? No, no, I don't know if they do that.

Probably not. They learn to adapt in their container. Same with dogs.

They have a yard. Now I have a dog and he loves to find out what's outside of his container. And if he can see through the fence, which he up to this week has been able to, he's very mad at what he doesn't have in the container.

It's out there. And he'll bark and bark. So we put up this coyote fence so he can't see.

It's amazing how it's cured his barking. He now has to live with what he sees in his little container. So contentment means containment.

I live in the container God has given me and what he has put in it is enough. Now, here's the rub. You live in a culture that is spending billions of dollars to make you look outside of the fence. The advertising world, market research is working overtime with one goal, to make you discontented. You've got to have more stuff. That's what the commercials are all about.

Their ultimate goal is to impair your self-control to get you to covet so you go, I've got to have that. Several years ago, in Panama, an American company had a real problem. They were hiring local people, but they couldn't keep people working for them. People would work a while, then they'd quit. And this was happening so often.

And here's why they discovered. Because Panama had been a barter society economically. They'd trade stuff. The American company was paying cash for their wages.

Well, in one week's time, the average Panamanian worker had more cash in hand than he had seen in a lifetime. He was satisfied and he quit. So they couldn't keep workers.

So what was the solution? True story. They got each of their workers a Sears catalog. Nobody quit. They all suddenly wanted all of the things they never knew existed that were in this catalog. Previously undreamed of stuff.

And they kept their jobs. Several years ago, I told you of a cat that I had. And this cat was 25 pounds.

Maybe more. All I remember is that when this cat would walk, the belly would drag across the floor, touching it all the way. Meowing like a siren all day long. Wanting more, wanting more, wanting more. Never satisfied.

That's how this cat went through life. Contentment is containment. And Paul would say, if we go through all of these verses and probe their depth, what Paul would say to us is contentment does not come from what you have, but whom you have. Whom you have.

God. A relationship with God. Knowing that God has given you both the container and the stuff that's in that container. So contentment, which is the cure, means containment.

It also means to be independent. Now look at verse 12 of Philippians chapter 4. I know how to be abased.

I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Here's a guy who is independent of high living and low living. Paul says, honestly, truly, it doesn't matter. Now he uses the word full in the text, which means to feed like my cat.

To feed an animal till it's fat. Now Paul had lived the fat life at one time. He went to private schools. He came from a very well-to-do background, it would seem. He knew what it was like to have it all. But he also says, I know how to be abased. Think just for a moment. He was a prisoner several times.

He was on a grain ship as a slave on the way to Rome. And he seemed in any of those situations, high or low, to be the same person. Now most people get very, very depressed when they lose status or wealth or significance. We know how to abound, but not to abase.

Back in 1929, when the stock market crashed, story after story of executives jumping out of the windows, committing suicide. They just could not handle the idea that they wouldn't have what they had up to that day. Paul said, I'm independent. I'm contained and I'm independent. And that's what it means to be content. So that's the cure. We're not done yet. The cure has to be learned, according to verse 11. Notice that Paul says, not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.

I am so glad that verse is in the Bible. Because I am still learning. And the fact that Paul said I had to go through a process, I'm done, he said, with a process, I've learned it, is encouraging to me that even the great apostle Paul, there was a learning curve. See, contentment isn't just genetic. Contentment isn't just a temperament type. It can be learned over time. Think about it. You learned discontentment in this culture.

We all did, by virtue of the fact of where we grew up. And I don't think one sermon is going to magically fix that, but I think this is a step forward. And I do think that there are certain things we can learn about contentment that will help us learn contentment, to be content.

Now I want to show you what I mean. I know you turned here, but I want you to turn to another passage, to 1 Timothy chapter 6. More on the cure, contentment. 1 Timothy chapter 6. What can we learn about contentment that we might be content? Just a few short verses beginning in 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 6. 1 Timothy 6, 6. Now, godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it's certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing with these, we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. What can we learn in just those few verses about contentment? Number one, contentment is related to godliness.

And if you're taking notes, write that down. Contentment is related to godliness. He says, godliness with contentment is great gain. You see, the problem with being content or discontent truly is not outward.

It's truly an inward problem. You know, as Pastor Skip pointed out, reprogramming our thoughts and habits is a vital part of the treatment for affluenza. We'll have more of that next time here in Connect with Skip Weekend Edition, with part two of this teaching, Affluenza, The Cure. And our teaching today was part of the series God's Top Ten, which focuses on the Ten Commandments, and specifically the Tenth Commandment, Not to Covet. If you'd like to obtain a personal copy of this series, all 17 messages are available as an audio CD package for only $39 plus shipping.

You can learn more and order today from connectwithskip.com. And while you're there, check out this great November resource. A recent study from the Cultural Research Center found that Christians are almost just as likely to reject the idea of absolute moral truth as they are to accept it. For American adults, belief in absolute moral truth is eroding across all age groups and political ideologies, whether they're churched or unchurched. What that means is that over 75% of Christ followers, or those who purport to be Christ followers, are saying that nothing can be known for certain. There is no absolute truth.

What about you? We want to help you understand the nature of truth so you can pursue God's truth and apply it in your life with two brand new booklets by Pastor Skip, Why Truth Matters and God and Suicide. If you fall into that category, what do you do with the claims of Christ? Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. These booklets are our thanks for your gift of $35 or more today to help keep this ministry on the air, connecting more people to God's Word.

To give, call 800-922-1888 or give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer. The treatment for affluenza, it's dramatic, it's difficult, and it's effective. And we'll dive into more of that next time with Pastor Skip on Connect with Skip weekend edition. So plan to join us. Connect with Skip weekend edition, a presentation of Connection Communications. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the cross and cast all burdens on His Word. Make a connection, a connection, a connection. Connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever changing times.