Living by Faith: Contentment

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You know, we're naturally bent toward belief in karma, the idea that our actions are the deciding factor for our future well-being. We crave justice and rightness.

It is something to grapple with when we see the evil person prospering. Thankfully, Psalm 37 reminds us of the framework from which we can view life. And when we look at life through the truth of God's Word, it can inform our attitudes and our emotions. Let's listen in to this message from Psalm 37, one through two, titled Living by Faith, Contentment. This is part three of a message first preached on January 20th, 2019 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem.

To hear the whole message, visit www.delightingrace.com. Get out of there. All of this, all of this, all the way down there, and you're fretting over this? Doesn't make sense, does it?

This is what David says. Because you know what's going to happen? Regardless of what you're going through right now, it might be chronic pain. It might be a fatal disease. It might have been just losing a loved one.

It might be, man, I just went bankrupt. And you're down here 10,000 years from now? Let me tell you what you're not going to do if you're in Christ.

You're going to say, man, I'm glad I was really fretting about that back there. You see, it doesn't make sense, does it? David had this in mind. This represents very, in a very limited fashion, it represents the infinite existence of God. And when you and I are in Christ, then the rest of all eternity is ours with Him to enjoy Him. That's why He made us. Keep that in perspective, and don't fret.

Don't fret. Because it's God's universe. And if you're in Christ, you're His, and nothing changes that.

And then I would say, remember what Janet just said, all I have is Christ. That's the blunt reality. And when it says, they will soon fade away and wither, listen, that's not a vindictive aha statement, it's simply saying reality. Life is short, it's transient, it's a vapor.

It's not worth fretting about. That's living by faith. The blunt reality is that life is very temporary. Secondly, the blunt reality, as we will see in the rest of the Psalm, is that there is accountability.

There is accountability. You will stand before God. He is your end. And at one point, as the scriptures say in the Old Testament and the New Testament before Him, every knee will bow. How many knees?

Every knee, no exceptions. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. God is your end.

When you get there, will He say, welcome good and faithful servant, or will He say, depart from me? There's no middle ground. It's not worth fretting. It's reality. It's temporary and there's accountability. So if I'm trusting myself in this temporary, temporal, material world under the sun, if I'm trusting myself, it's like a boat out in the water mooring itself to another boat that's not anchored. If a boat's going to be moored securely, it needs to be moored to something permanent on land.

But when you moor yourself to just another boat, you're both going to drift away. That's prosperity while missing the why of life. But if you're trusting God, it's understanding that God is our end, He is our means, and He is our reward. With Him is fullness of joy at His right hand or pleasures evermore. We will see Him. That's how the Bible ends. They shall see His face. And we will not only see Him, but we will be perfectly like Christ and forever, forever enjoying Him. Don't fret.

It's so not worth it. This is what God has revealed. So this leads us then to the title for today, contentment. Having this understanding, we can have contentment, but of course only if we are in Christ. If we know that we are in Him, that we will be able to be with Him and enjoy Him forever. There is utterly no reason to fret about this life.

That's what David says. So living by faith means that we live in a sense, in a state of contentment, walking in the light. Walking in the light. The faith and trust, the light of the revelation that God has given us. God has shown His light into our darkness. We trust that light. We walk in the light instead of chasing the shadows. We walk in the light and we enjoy the real thing. Four points as we conclude today, how we develop contentment.

Here's how I want to challenge you today. Number one, see things for what they are. See things for what they are. And I'm not just talking about possessions. I'm also talking about positions. Your position does not define you. Your possessions do not define you. God is the one who has given you the power to produce your body.

So you are not defined by your body, although it is very much the American way, isn't it? See things for what they are. What are they? Here they are. I want you to write this down. This is good.

This is almost inspired. Things are a temporary stewardship to employ and enjoy for God's glory. A temporary stewardship to employ and enjoy for God's glory.

I want you to know that. They are not your identification. They are not your definition. They are not your security.

And to the degree they are, you will be fretting over nothing. See things for what they are. Number two, for contentment, see God for who He is. You must be informed by His self-disclosure. Don't worship and follow the God of your imagination. Don't make God in your image. He is not like you.

You need to be informed by His self-disclosure. Know from His word what His character is. Know from His word what His purpose is. Worship and follow that God. See God for who He is. That's why David constantly said, Magnify the Lord with me.

See Him for who He truly is. Number three, rehearse the why of life. Rehearse self-talk. What you say to yourself when you get up in the morning, three o'clock in the afternoon in your cubicle, rehearse the why of life. When struggles come, when you get behind, when sickness comes, when somebody dies, rehearse the why of life. And Paul encapsulated it for us perfectly. All things were created what?

By Him and for Him. You were created to know God and enjoy Him. That's the why of life.

So rehearse that. There is eternity and God created and then corruption came. And in that corruption it says all died in that corruption. But if we are because of the redemption of Christ, we can be alive in Christ. And then comes consummation which means that we will be forever with Him. Rehearse the why of life. This is the gospel. Preach the gospel to yourself. And then lastly, review your status in Christ. Review your status in Christ.

You know where I'm going to go next, don't you? If you're here for Ephesians, you know where I'm going. You need to know Ephesians 1 to 3. You need to know that.

Read it, read it again. Consume it. It is who you are in Christ. It is what God thinks of you. That's your identity. Christian, you want to know your identity, consume Ephesians 1 to 3 on a regular basis.

Know it. Review your status in Christ. Rehearse the why of life. Review your status in Christ. That's how Paul put it in Ephesians 1 to 3. This is how Peter puts it, 1 Peter 1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. You know what he's talking about?

He's talking about this. That's ours. Now, today, it's ours.

And it's so not worth fretting over this. It's exactly what Peter said because Peter was writing to a people who are driven from their homes because of their faith. And then Psalm 73, wonderful Psalm, Psalm 73.

Read this with me. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Behold, those who are far from You shall perish, but for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord mine.

Isn't that beautiful? You should know that. If you are not in Christ, eternity is in the balance and you need to understand that. You do not cease to exist. You will exist for eternity apart from God.

And it will be a desert. You need to be in Christ. You need His righteousness so that you can stand before God and He can say, Well done.

You are mine. Christians, don't fret. There's no need to fret.

None. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. So let's be the church. Let's be the people of hope because we worship and serve and follow the God of all hope. The infinite sovereign creator and redeemer. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in Him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.