Last week we looked at contentment from Philippians chapter 4.
!
And then he rung me half an hour later and he said, yes, you gave me that sermon.
And so, I've reworked it a little bit, but some of you might recognize it.
Money.
Money is one of those things, isn't it, that interests us the most and yet we speak about the least.
End of the tax year.
It's last week.
Start of the month.
Payday has just happened, hasn't it?
And as we gather together, I am pretty certain that every single one of us will be fully conscious of what is going on in our private financial world.
And whether this morning you feel you've got enough or not enough, you will know this morning.
Maybe some of you are wondering, how are you going to pay that bill?
How are you going to pull things together to make the holiday happen in the summer?
What is inflation going to do?
And then, of course, it's something, isn't it, that we each individually think about and yet we rarely talk about together.
We abide, don't we, by certain social norms.
No one has ever said to me over coffee after the service, so what are you on?
How much do you earn?
How much did you get with your promotion?
Not that I've ever had promotion.
But people don't ask that, isn't it?
What was your bonus?
And when we bring our deep personal interest in money, but our shared reserve about money to the Bible, we find that God actually only shares one of those attitudes.
God is deeply interested in money.
He's deeply interested in what you do with it.
He is not remotely interested in keeping quiet about money.
And so all over the pages of the Bible, God reveals that money is the very stuff of life.
And money does things.
It's not inanimate.
Money does things.
Money sets you free.
Money makes you a slave.
Money can be what God uses to bring you to the Lord Jesus.
And money can be what keeps you out of his kingdom, too.
It's because of all the things that Jesus talks about in the Gospels, he is not in the least shy about speaking about money.
But here's the thing.
When God speaks about money, he never just says, give.
He never just says, give.
He doesn't just say, give generously.
Because God knows that the money in your pocket and your online bank details on your phone, they are always an x-ray machine of your heart.
Money talks, we say.
And that's true.
The Bible would agree with that.
Money reveals.
Money actually takes the layers off.
And money shows us where our hearts are.
So do you remember what Jesus said?
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
It's really interesting.
Where do you want to find out where your heart is?
Let me tell you where you find it is.
You go to your bank statement.
They're like an x-ray machine.
Our treasures show our hearts like nothing else.
And so this morning, I want to look at contentment.
I want to look at that ability, that spiritual discipline to say, I have enough.
I'm fine.
I'm full.
No more required.
One writer has said, we human beings are very odd.
We buy things we don't need.
With money we don't have.
To please people we don't like.
And I don't know who said that, but it can be very true, can't it?
Things we don't need.
With money we don't have.
And God says to us in his words, stop it.
Stop doing that.
So come with me to Romans 13 and verses 1 to 5.
And I want to see three things about contentment.
That will help us to stop doing that.
Number one, contentment.
Being able to say, no, it's okay.
I've had enough.
I don't need it.
Flows from the worship of God.
So I don't know whether you noticed it as I read it.
There are different commands out there.
They're kind of staccato commands that come to us.
All in quick succession.
So, and verse 1, love each other.
Be hospitable, verse 2.
Remember the suffering, verse 3.
Honor marriage, verse 4.
Flee sexual immorality.
Keep your lives free from the love of money.
Be content.
Verse 7, remember your leaders.
And it goes on and on.
The letters of the Hebrews, we're breaking into it in 13.
Of course, there's 12 chapters come before this.
And it is very deliberately argued.
It's a deliberately argued theological point.
It talks about Jesus' work as the eternal son.
Jesus is like a new Moses, Hebrews tells us.
Jesus is like a leader like the new Joshua.
He is a priest.
He is the great high priest.
And now here at the end,
is it that the writer says, oh yes,
and there's these pile of things that I've forgotten about.
Don't forget the usual.
Love, good works, marriage, all of that.
Are these, as one commentator calls it,
the leftovers?
You've done the heavy duty theology, 1 to 12,
and then the end of it is just kind of the fillers.
Well, the answer is no.
Here's the answer why.
Look at chapter 12, verses 28 and 29.
Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom
that cannot be shaken.
The kingdom of God stands and grows forever.
And so, offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe.
For our God is a consuming fire.
Worship God acceptably.
Worship God reverently.
In other words, don't mess about with this God.
Get worship right.
Because there are certain things God hates,
and certain things God cannot tolerate,
and which the burning purity of his holy love will consume.
So, how do you do that?
How do you worship reverently and full of awe?
Chapter 13.
There's your order of service.
Here's the liturgy.
It's not a random collection of loose ends
tagged onto the end of a letter
because the writer had forgotten it somehow.
No, these are the vital elements of Christian worship.
So much so that if you don't have them,
you are facing a God who is a consuming fire.
And so, for us this morning,
the challenge is, look at verse 5.
Keep your life free from the love of money
and be content with what you have.
For he has said,
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
So, remember this is about worship.
And turn the verse with me
into the opposite of what it says.
Can you see the point that the writer is making?
Let's turn it into the opposite of what it says, verse 5.
Fill your life with the love of money.
Harbour a low burn, constant, unhappy discontent
with what you have.
Do that.
If you do that,
you're not worshipping God.
Keep your life free from all of that.
Free from the love of money
and be content.
If you do all that,
you are not worshipping God.
And when we see that this is all about worship,
it's so strong, isn't it?
Worship is
what we're doing here together this morning.
Praise to the Lord,
the Almighty, the King of creation.
He is the only wise God, isn't he?
He is victorious.
His name we praise.
That is worship, isn't it?
Once again, I think upon your sacrifice.
I'm broken inside.
Is that worship?
Yes, it is.
Partly.
And what it's saying to you and I this morning is this.
You can sing all you want.
You can look for a church with the best worship in the world.
You can seek out the best style of worship that you love.
But where there is Sunday words,
but Monday to Saturday discontent,
you're not worshipping God acceptably.
Monday to Saturday greed,
and Sunday worship is not worship.
And God never pulls his punches, does he?
He loves you too much for that.
His holiness and his glory are too great for that.
And so we live easily with facade,
and pretense, and politeness,
and turning a blind eye,
but God never does that.
And so you go to 1 Peter 3,
and you've got this amazing verse in 1 Peter 3,
where Peter tells husbands,
husbands, you live with your wives considerably.
Considerately.
Treat them respectfully,
and as equal heirs.
And then he gives a reason why husbands are to live with their lives
respectfully,
and considerably,
considerably,
and as equal heirs.
He says this,
so that nothing,
nothing will hinder your prayers.
So he says,
do A,
so that B won't happen.
Can you see that?
Bully your wife at home,
but never miss the prayer meeting.
And Peter says,
God is not listening.
He doesn't care about your prayers.
They hit the roof,
and they go no further.
In the book of Isaiah,
we often use this,
don't we?
That these people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me,
God says.
He says,
stop bringing me your meaningless offerings.
And when you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you,
and I will not listen.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight.
Stop doing wrong.
Learn to do right.
Seek justice.
Encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless.
Plead the cause of the widow.
That is acceptable worship.
Sounds like Hebrews 13 to me.
With one addition.
Learn to be content.
Do you remember last week,
Paul said in Philippians,
I have learned to be content
in whatever circumstances.
So interesting, isn't it?
Do you find contentment hard?
Anyone prepared to be remotely honest,
they will say that they do.
You're not born content.
No one is born content.
It's the very opposite.
We are naturally discontent,
and you have to learn to admit it.
Notice the main verb
in Hebrews 13, verse 5.
Keep your life free from the love of money.
It's like keeping your garden free of weeds.
You're never done to you with the garden.
Again and again and again,
you've got to keep weeding.
And if you're not active in keeping weeding,
what happens?
The weeds grow.
And if you're not active
in keeping the love of money at bay,
the love of money will keep you.
And so how do we learn it?
Well, we begin here.
We start here with worship.
We learn that loving money more than God
is a form of hating God.
Loving money more than others
is a form of hating others.
Loving money more than being content
with what we have is a profound form
of ingratitude.
And so these are rich words, aren't they?
You want more?
Well, look at what God has already given.
Look at what is already in the bank.
Look at what is already in your home
and on the walls.
And learn to spot when a love of more
is taking over your life.
Because here's a second way to learn it.
Contentment treasures the promises of God.
And the passage gives us a reason
for keeping the love of money at bay
and being content.
Look at verse 5.
Keep your life free from the love of money
and be content with what you have.
For he has said,
I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
And what we want most in life
and what you want most
in your life
is relationships.
End of story.
And money goes wrong
when we put money
before relationships.
I think you can see that
on a micro level
and I think you can see that
on a macro level too.
When we put money
before relationships with God
and before we put
and when we put
money before relationships
with others.
One pastor said this.
He said,
I've never yet had a young woman
come into my office
and say,
I'm so messed up
because my dad
used to drop me off to school
in a beat up old Ford
that kept breaking down.
Oh the shame.
I've never recovered.
But he said,
I've met plenty of young women
who are all over the place
because their dad
had enough money
to pay for the whole school
to go on a skiing trip
but never enough time
to spend with them.
And we often use money
to cover our lack
of relationships.
But in fact,
it is relationships
that breed contentment.
when you have someone's attention,
when you have someone's devotion,
when you have someone's love,
contentment grows.
And you and I,
if we have trusted
in the Lord Jesus Christ,
we have the strongest,
most precious,
most long-lasting,
most unbreakable
relationship of all.
It's true, isn't it?
If you live long enough,
you will be forsaken
by those closest to you.
If you live long enough,
you will be forsaken
by those who are closest to you.
Death claims them
and takes them.
Or you will do that to others
and you will forsake them in death.
But you and I have someone
with us now in life
and someone who will be there
with us in death
and someone who will hold us
from life to death
and be with us
on the other side.
The soul that on Jesus
has leaned for repose.
He'll never,
no never forsake to his foes.
That soul,
though all hell,
should endeavor to shake,
I'll never,
no never,
never forsake.
And there's nothing more precious
than that in all the world,
is there?
When Bill Gates dies,
the obituaries will be written
and everyone will want to know,
won't they,
how much did he leave?
How much did he leave?
And there's only one answer,
isn't there?
He left everything.
He will leave everything.
One day,
the richest man in this world,
whoever it is,
his money will leave him.
One day,
the richest person in the world,
their money will forsake them.
And like you and I,
the richest person in the world
and the poorest person in the world
will all face the God of
chapter 12,
verse 29.
And the only thing that counts,
the only thing that matters,
will be having Jesus Christ
at your side or not.
Contentment treasures
the promises of God.
And you are not alone
if you've trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, you don't have X,
whatever it is.
Yes, you'll never have Y.
But you're not alone.
You see, get the promise right.
Notice what it isn't.
Be content with what you have
because I will provide for you.
Well, yes, possibly.
And yet,
those beautiful verses
at the end of Romans 8,
do you remember them?
They teach us
that the life of the Christian
is one of suffering now
and glory later.
But they teach us
that trouble and hardship
and famine
and nakedness
and sword
and cancer
and ill health
and bereavement
may very well
be our lot.
And none of that
can separate us from Him.
Your head
might be separated
from your body,
but you cannot be separated
from Christ.
And I think
constant,
slow,
deliberate
treasuring
the promises of God
will nurture
contentment
in our hearts
and slowly,
bit by bit,
will prise
our fingers
open
around our money
and will leave us
looking at it
with a shrug of the shoulders.
Augustine said this,
He who has Him
to all things belong
has all things.
I've only ever stayed
in the home of somebody
who is fabulously wealthy
maybe for a couple of nights.
because I was
an invited guest,
because I was asked
to stay there,
because I was in a relationship
with them,
all that was theirs
was mine
for that night.
I loved it.
And so Christ
is the King
of the universe
and He is yours.
And what is
His
is yours.
And one day
you will inherit.
What does Jesus say?
You will inherit
the earth.
And so why
be discontent
with what we don't
have of things
that will never last?
I love these words
of John Wesley,
John Wesley,
the founder of Methodism,
the great
18th century preacher.
He says this,
I was in the robe chamber
adjoining
to the house of lords
when the king
put his robes on.
He saw him
getting changed,
he saw him
getting dressed.
His brow,
the king,
was much furrowed
with age
and quite clouded
with care.
I thought,
is this all the world
can give even to a king?
All the grandeur
it can afford.
A blanket of ermine
around his shoulder
so heavy
and cumbersome
he can scarce
move under it.
A huge heap
of borrowed hair
with a few plates
of gold
glittering stone
upon his head.
Alas,
what a bauble
is human greatness.
And even this
will not endure.
Teodrich Bonhoeffer
said,
Christianity
preaches
the infinite
worth
of that
which is
seemingly
worthless
and the
infinite
worthlessness
of that
which is
seemingly
so valued.
Christianity
preaches
the infinite
worth
of that
which is
seemingly
worthless
and the
infinite
worthlessness
of that
which is
seemingly
so valued.
number three contentment thrives among the people of god contentment thrives
among the people of god i don't know whether you noticed it but chapter 13 is all about relationships
it's all about relationships and money itself is described in relational terms notice
we're not told are we keep your life free from money that's that's impossible there's bills to
pay there's mouths to feed there's good things to enjoy and benefit from no keep your life free from
the love of money keep your life free from a certain kind of relationship to money
and here's how you do it you replace it with another kind of love you love something else
more than money and that's what the writer is saying here love the people of god more than money
look at the criss-crossing multi-layered network of relationships
and if you put your life into loving others like this well
the problem isn't going to be not having enough money to spend on yourself
it will be a desire of wanting to give it away to others
and you will find you learn contentment this way that's the straight command in verse one isn't it
look at verse one let brotherly love continue love each other as brothers we are family
i love my human brothers deeply and they know it and they can tell that some of the time
and and god tells me to love you like that
and you should know it and you should feel it from me
and i should know it and feel it from you
i'm not really sure what verse two means are you
do not neglect to show hospitality that's pretty clear
to strangers okay for thereby some have entertained angels unawares
well at the very least it means this if you're interested in the supernatural if you're interested
in the realm of angels it tells you this stop gazing out of the sky
and get out of church get home and open your cupboards
and make someone some beans on toast
get some of the neighbors around who you've never spoken to
or really met what's the worst that could happen
well you might be entertaining angels unawares
what about verse three so beautiful isn't it remember those who are in prison
as though in prison with them
and those who are mistreated since you are also
in the body
we get the weekly prayer emails from barnabas fund like you do
we pray for folks like that now and again
no but what are you actually doing about it
giving to them because you can't actually visit them in prison
as if you were actually in chains with them
taking their suffering into your hearts as you pray for the persecuted
when we read of the church in Ukraine
we don't read it as a distant observer
no you worship God as you remember them
as if you were in prison too
that we are to feel the pain
and enter into their suffering
and the suffering of others
and then the love of money for ourselves
will slowly and surely begin to dissipate
because what is happening there
is as you feel the pain of others
you form an orientation to your life
which is other people centered
and other focused
than from yourself
and I think the danger in verse three
is kind of limiting the application
to thinking right persecuted church
which it is about that
but also it's written isn't it
to a local church family
of those who are struggling
and those who are suffering
it's so striking that verse five
follows right on the heels of verse four
verse four
where for marriage
we're against adultery
but we tolerate greed
no the writer of the Hebrews
is saying to you
and I
it's saying
both are about the love of others
bed hopping is lust not love
and it doesn't put the needs
and hopes and feelings
and dreams of others first
and greed
greed is discontentment
not love
it does not put the needs
of others first
look at verse 16
do not neglect to do good
share what you have
for such sacrifices are pleasing to God
quite simply
love other people
love other people more
and you'll love money less
and so as I finish
Christian people should be
the ad man's nightmare
shouldn't we
I think the Lidl magazine
is one of the most
addictive things
to read each week
isn't it
I love it coming through the door
isn't it
and I do it that you go to Lidl
I quite like going to Lidl
and the middle of Lidl
is sensational
isn't it
I think I've told you before
isn't it
last year I went in
for a red pepper
and came out with
a ear and nose trimmer
for £2.50
I found myself once
looking at a unicycle
thinking I could
I could do with that
I could buy
I could buy a unicycle
and as you read
the Lidl magazine
each week
with the kind of
totally random things
you know
a wetsuit
and an angle grinder
next to each other
and the point
of those magazines
is to get you to buy
isn't it
and you and I
should be a nightmare
for Lidl
you and I
should be an
advertising person's nightmare
the point of advertising
is to sell
how does it work
yes
how does it get you
from A to B
and the ad man
he sells you
discontentment
and so you think
my life is not great
without that
look how clean
and cool
look how neat
and tidy
look how perfect
and polished
and as you look at it
you should smile
and sometimes
it's right to buy
sometimes it's right
to buy
definitely
but here's the test
to never be upset
when we don't
that a love
of our life
is not missing
when we don't
have it
and so
be content
with what you have
and how do you
do that
you do that
by worshipping God
by treasuring
his promises
and loving
his people
do those
and contentment
will grow in your heart
let's pray