Satisfaction, Part 4

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. What if you could have deep satisfaction in your heart, even in the hardest circumstances?

What if our joy did not hinge on having what we want and being rid of what we don't want in our lives? 1 Peter 5 10-11 reminds us of the truths that, when we fully embrace them, will bring that kind of joy and satisfaction, the kind that we find only in the person of Jesus. Let's listen in. This is part four of a sermon first preached on March 19, 2023.

It's coming. This is ours in Christ. So now that makes a little more sense about what he says in verse 10, and after you have suffered a little while, because some of us might be sitting here thinking, what's this little while bit?

Remember, contrast the dot with the line, okay? So why is it important that we know this? Because, as Peter said right at the beginning of this book, chapter 1 verse 13, prepare your minds for action. Prepare your minds. He's not telling us all this just to help us relax and feel better. We know this, and we review this, and we remember this to prepare our minds for action, the action to which he has called us.

So here is what I want to leave with you this morning, four things specifically of how we prepare our minds for action to be on mission as we keep the big picture in view. Number one, defer your full satisfaction to God's time frame. Defer your full satisfaction to God's time frame.

Look at chapter 1 verse 13 with me. Preparing your minds for action, being sober, here it is, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you. That is a settled satisfaction.

In other words, stop looking for things to satisfy you. You're sabotaging your walk of faith. I will never forget when we were studying Job, and I've said this before, but I need to say this again because this was so impactful on me. On Wednesday nights when we were studying Job and John Bradley was able to be here, back there by the sound booth, he's hugging his pillow, and he says, Rich, he says, I've resigned myself in saying to the Lord that, Lord, if I have to endure this for 80 years but get you for eternity, I'll take it.

That's 1 Peter. That's living with the end in view. Number two, set your mind on what God has promised.

One thing becomes clear from this text. If you are in Christ, if we are in Christ, God is for us. God is for us.

Who can bring a charge against God's elect? It is Christ who justifies. God is for us. Live with that in view. Live with the end in view. And as Christ, as the writer of Hebrews says, who for the joy set before him endured what?

The cross. You cannot possibly endure any more than what Jesus did on the cross. And I'm not just talking about the physical anguish. Yes, there was that. It was an extremely horrible and painful way to die.

But remember this. Before he gave up his spirit, what did Jesus cry out? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

He did that so you and I wouldn't have to. And for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. And so can we then. For the joy that is set before us, we can endure the cost of doing life, of doing life in Christ, of serving him.

We can endure that. We can persevere with joy because of the joy that is set before us. And when that end is before you, it becomes your focus, your aim, your direction. What you're focused on is what you aim towards. It is the direction of your life. And if you're distracted by stuff and circumstances, then your life moves in that direction.

And you get derailed. But instead in Christ, we can be satisfied and secure. That gives us the freedom to, that gives you the freedom to stick your neck out and take risks. If you're satisfied in Christ, you are free. You are secure in Christ, and you're free to stick your neck out and take risks. We need to abandon our fetish with being safe.

Americans, are you listening to me? We have a fetish with being safe. I'm not saying we need to be stupid. That's not what I'm calling us to. But we have a fetish with being safe. I'm calling you this morning to be dead. I'm calling you this morning to be dangerous for the gospel. Be dangerous for the gospel. When we, listen, when we avoid risk, we often end up avoiding what God is doing. So set your mind on what God has promised because you're safe and secure. Number three, persevere for the joy that is set before you. This is what the writer of Hebrews says, based on the example of Jesus, run the race that is set before you, doing what? Looking to Jesus. He's your aim. He's your focus.

Run the race that is set before you. It is, you know, there was a song long ago that said, you're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good. That is, that song is not true. Okay? Because that's the wrong kind of heavenly mindedness. It's a, it's a self-centered heavenly mindedness. You're just looking for escape.

But those who are truly the most heavenly minded will in fact do the most earthly good. Why? Because you're free and satisfied. You don't need to gratify yourself. You don't need to preserve yourself. You don't even need to affirm yourself.

Why? Because in Christ, all of that is what? Done.

I don't need to do that for me. It's done in Christ. I'm free to live. I'm free to march to the drumbeat of the God of all grace who called me into his eternal glory.

I marched to that drumbeat. And that is how we can extend grace to more and more people so that it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. Persevere for the joy that is set before you. And this is what he says, 1st Peter chapter 5 verse 11, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. That is a beautiful truth. I want to talk here for a minute in the conclusion of today's sermon about great extending grace to more and more people that it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

God gives us tools. Someone in our congregation has been generous enough to donate 100 copies of this book, one for every household in the church. And it's going to be available as you leave today on the kiosks.

It'll be, you'll see a sign there. Please take one per household to give away. We're giving you this book to give away. This unpacks the gospel. It unpacks what God has done to reconcile people to himself. This is good for personal evangelism. This is good for discipleship.

This is good for small groups. Inside you say, what's that piece of paper? There's a piece of paper here that has six recommendations of what you can do with this book.

Okay. Give it to somebody and ask them to read it. And later on follow up with them and ask them what they think about. Or invite somebody to study it with you. Or your small group, your care group, is going to study it. And give it to somebody and say, our group's going to study this book.

We invite you to come study it with us. Or give it to somebody who's in some kind of a legalistic system and invite them to study it so they can discover what it means to live by grace. When you give this to someone, do take this out. Okay.

I just thought I needed to say that. What's in your hand? God asked Moses, what's that in your hand? And that instrument that is in it is just a basic instrument. It was a stick.

But it turned into a powerful instrument to communicate the presence and the power of God. This is being placed in your hand. I invite you to take one. One copy per household. Please listen to me.

Some of you have ambitious kids. Okay. We want to make sure there's enough for every household in the church. And if you're visiting here today, you're welcome to take one also. One per household to give away. Please give it away. Give it away prayerfully.

Give it away purposefully. That it may extend grace to more and more people. That it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. People need to discover the grace of God and to learn what it means to live by grace.

This has been made available to us. Thanks be to God for his gift. Thank you this morning.

Would you stand with me please? Father, we are grateful for your grace, for your love that you have lavished upon us. Remind us of these things Father. May we preach the gospel to ourselves. Rescue us Father from the tendency that we have to forget. But we need to be constantly reminded of these things. May we keep the big picture before us and central to that big picture is Jesus Christ himself.

Who waits for us at the finish line. But until that time Father, thank you that you have given your spirit to indwell us. To transform us.

To empower us. Thank you for your grace Father. Move us out with great joy and confidence and expectation Father. Because we love you and we love you because you first loved us. We pray in Jesus name.

Amen. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.