What’s On Your Mind - Part 1 of 2

Will the fire, this is Mr. Bradley Junior welcoming you to another broadcast the Baptist Bible. Our will and in all will and we he he will be all be no that you've joined us today.

I'm just reading some of the letters from our missionaries greatly encouraged us to how many have expressed the thought that the broadcast is been a special blessing to them during this time of the COBE crisis.

In fact, there are some who said their churches are still not meeting and not being able to go to church but having the opportunity to hear the messages from God's word by way of radio has been a great help and source of encouragement to them and we are thankful for. If the broadcast is a blessing to you. I hope that you will take time to write and let us know. Our address is the Baptist Bible out box 17 old, 37, Cincinnati, OH 45217. Today were going to begin a message entitled, what's on your mind this message was on the Sunday program a few weeks ago, but I believe it's one that's so important for us during these challenging times that I wanted to be sure that you that just listen to the daily broadcast should be able to hear so I hope that it will be help and blessing to the fourth chapter of Philippians reading once again the segment, beginning with the 10th verse last time that there are several subjects in this portion of Scripture that would help with one of the previously we saw here church with a giving spirit. I would read it again, but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again, wherein ye were also careful, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want private learning whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be a base, and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Notwithstanding you have well done that needed communicate with my affliction that he Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel and I departed for Macedonia and the church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but he only, or even in Thessalonica. He said once again under my necessity, not because I desire a gift that I desire fruit that may amount to your account, but I have all and abound I am full, having received of the pampered. I guess the things which were sent from you and over of a sweet smile, sacrifice, acceptable, well pleasing to God but eccentrically look at here is that of contentment. All the subjects that we see in these verses are obviously connected Paul was thankful that the interest in this church was manifest once more.

Not that they never lost interest in it but they had not opportunity to minister to his needs and like a plant that he been dormant for the winter months. It now is flourishing now is blooming that is representative of the care and interests that they had for him. He was particularly thankful that he could see being born and that their sacrifice was one that was acceptable to God supported now.

It takes several verses here to tactfully and carefully express his appreciation to the church for what they've done, but also make the point of the fact that he is not complaining. He is not dependent upon them for inner peace and satisfaction that he has learned to be content to look at now. I say well, Paul keeps bringing up a variety of subjects here that pose a challenge for me for is sent back in the fourth verse of this chapter, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. That was a challenge and in the process of telling us how rejoice he says don't worry is that it gives a think list the things well be thinking about meditating on to have a hard time pulling in my thoughts controlling my meditations now goes on to tell us will be content whatever state we find ourselves there with to be content. Always observe the fact that he says contentment is learned.

I have learned to be content were not born with the contents.

Feminists display that the only life but they frequently are not happy with the way things are going in there vocalizing and living everybody know they are not content in the world in which we live in today. Time of prosperity for many different here in this country you find people in all stations of life expressing discontentment.

Discontentment is not limited to those who are poor. Often the rich are extremely discontented, so contentment is something that must be learned in the way of being contented.

One is a covetous, greedy spirit in our human nature, we tend to be self-seeking. We want always to get little more than what we have sometime and say what would it take to make a millionaire happy. One more minion's answer person is striving to be rich whenever they get a little more that I have something that I don't have never content with what I have received a vivid example of first Kings chapter 21. Here's a man who is the king man of power and prominence. A man of wealth expected, he should find contentment in his position, but King Ahab had a next-door neighbor lame lame off and when Abraham looked out his window and so the boss vineyard he wanted. He was not satisfied with what he had first Kings chapter 21.

Begin with the first verse it says it came to pass after these things that Naboth the gentry light had a vineyard which was in just real hard with the palace of Ahab king of Samaria and Ahab speak on the Naboth saying give me five vineyard that I might have it for a garden of herbs because it is near the house. Kings attitude is it's right here next to my property. Things only right that I should have. I want to add it to my properties, and increasing in wealth to get these guys is willing to pay for it. I will give it leave for a better vineyard than that or if it seems good to the I will give the worth of it in money and said to Ahab, the Lord forbid me that I should give the inheritance of my father's on the Naboth has some attachment to it because you haven't been in the family for a while. I want to give you the inheritance.

My father's knee satisfied with worries living. He liked his vineyard, but the king desires and Ahab came in to his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jesuit light had spoken to him for you and said I will not give the of the inheritance of my father's and he laid him down upon his man and turned away because spaceman would eat no more. The king is not going into a major pack. If I can have my way if I can have Naboth's vineyard. I'm signing off on taking down my intent on not talking to anybody to communicate not only what Jezebel, his wife came to him and said to him, why is thy spirit so sad about it is no bread.

Jezebel is just as wicked as Ahab and she comes in and says now on. They were not put up with this if you want that vineyard you leave it up to me.

Get it for you but I don't have you cast down feeling sorry here around the house. I will strike nothing out.

I will fix it for so she goes out and hire some man to carry the news that Naboth has been disloyal to the king and has blasphemed sizing easily put in her plan is in the people are come back bring the Naboth for closing. No go get his vineyard because he is out of the picture I took care of that women were about me around you tell me how I'm cured for now this is that same wicked woman said she was going to kill Elijah but God spared him and course. He never did. I certainly want to draw from this is that here was a man who was not content. It was a man who saw what somebody else had any could be satisfied unless he got in here was his wicked wife that was willing to plot the murder of this innocent man in order to make her husband happy.

You see, when discontentment reaches its peak. It leads to terrible, sinful, corrupt actions, but only covetous greedy spirit can prevent one from being content but an envious spirit but just design what somebody has desiring their position. Their influence there in a place of prestige or power and somebody else says that's where I will be Proverbs chapter 14 verse 30 a sound heart is the life of the flesh, but in V. The rock in this of the bones in V is as the rottenness of the bones, something that eats away deep inside Italy is described as being as cruel as the way a person just cannot be content because they want what somebody else has what they possess their position. The recognition that they have.

It often leads to terrible sinful actions. Example turning to the master Esther chapter 5 verse nine, then went came in fourth.

They joyful and with a glad heart, but when Haman saw Mordechai in the Kingsgate that he still is not abnormal 4 PM. He was full of indignation against monarchy on everything been going very well for Haman's coming along physically. It's a joy start a glad heart. But there's one thing that interests he finds this to you. We despised and he doesn't give him the proper recognition and it just goes all over the ruins his day last payment refrained himself and when he came home he sent and called for his friends and rash.

His wife and Haman told him of the glory of his riches.

The multitude of his children, and all the things were in the king had promoted him and how he had advanced to him about the princes and the service of the king is reviewing what has happened doing right he's prospered in many ways he has riches. He has a big family.

The king is promoting peace, advanced telephone. Many of the princes in service of the king came and said moreover, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king under the banquet that she had prepared myself and tomorrow. Am I invited him to her. Also with the king. This year all this mean nothing, so long as I see more detail that you sitting at the Kingsgate in spite of the fact that I have been prospered in spite of the fact going my way. This one thing all family as long as this is you is failing to give me the respect that I think I'm entitled to have as long as I'm not able to remove these people, which was his desire and everything that I have means nothing to me then said as he raised his wife and all his friends and became a gallows be made of 50 cubits high and tomorrow speak about under the king that Mordechai maybe hang there all then go about in merrily with the king under the banquet and the thing please, Haman, and he calls the gallows to be made that without getting all the details in the story you know what the conclusion was that Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had made no sometimes an envious spirit can lead to the kind of destruction. A person who is envious, self-seeking will go to great cans to accomplish their purpose. And sometimes they're entangled in their own that other hanged on their own gallows, but in this spirit makes it impossible to be content complaining spirit. We talked a lot about what it means to have a thankful heart to be grateful for the blessings and mercies of God, but a person is inclined to complain tomorrow or the person whose attitude is deserved better than what I deserve more than what I have, not what they do have, but constantly complaining because of the difficult to their circumstances because they just feel like they are entitled to something better. Obviously a personal effects. A person who is not defined as the only what they have will not be content. But in spite of the fact that our human nature may interfere and make it difficult for us to be content that is something that must be learn contentment is Paul is describing his experience here saying that he had learned to be content, but not all of us tonight can say with Paul is not me.

I am not able to learn that lesson know you're commanded to Hebrews chapter 13 verse five. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and being content with such things as you have here is a specific command. Do not give way to a covetous, greedy spirit, be content with such things as you have and it is interesting that in that same verse here is not all promise for he hath said, I will never leave the nor forsake.

We are able to be content with such as we have because if the Lord is with us that all was well.

We have a valid reason for being content to condition ourselves in some positive way of thinking. This is reality, the Lord says, be content with such things as you have I will never leave me nor forsake me, and we turn the book of first Timothy chapter 6 the six verse says, but godliness with contentment is great gain on as being great gain. Having stocks and bonds that are rising in value. Having money in the bank having investments that are secure gaining prestige in the eyes of others, but one of Scripture say godliness, a holy life with contentment is great gain that something of tremendous value and is to be pursued by God's people, so contentment must be learn is learned through the trials that we experience. Paul uses two different words here regarding his experience in coming to the place of contentment. In verse 11. He says I have learned, in whatsoever state I am there with to be content and in verse 12 he says I am instructing both to be full and to be hungry were mistranslated instructed has the thought of learning the secret. There were certain secret religions among the pagans in that time there was an initiation by which the person gain access to the secrets Paul says I have learned the secret. The secret of life. The secret of contentment.

I have learned and therefore I am content in the Lord learned by listening to the book of second printing Chapter 11 verse 24 here is describing his experience, we would expect perhaps that to read about a man of such stature. A man who was you so mightily of God that he would been protected and shielded from any of the things it came his way to my soul. If God had purpose and plan to use him why did he not prevent some of these terrible disasters from touching the apostles life, but it is obviously through his great sufferings that he learned contentment of the Jews five times received 40 stripes 81 just one of those beatings would probably have devastated one of us. We wonder recovered from it suffered a five times price was beaten with rods, once was I sold price I suffered shipwreck on night in a day have I been in the deep into earnings often imperils water and perils of robbers and perils mine own countrymen in Paris with the key that imperils the city and perils in the wilderness and perils of the sea and perils among false weariness and painful listening and watching is often in hunger and thirst. In fact, things often in cold and nakedness beside those things that are without that which cometh upon me daily. The care of all churches and I can sense as I read those words that is difficult, as all of those other sufferings were as painful as the beatings were as uncomfortable it was to be in the storm on the sea to suffer cold in various parish yet there was no burden that he carried any heavier than the care of all the churches. The partial officer had a deep love for each church to which he wrote deeply concerned about their spiritual welfare longing and praying for their growth and grieved when he saw sometimes the weaknesses and departures that disrupted their testimony, and there's a you who is weak and I am not weak was offended and I were not if Imus means glory I will glory in the things which concern my infirmities was on to talk about being let down through a window in a basket, you might escape the hands of those who were seeking his life just one event to the other of this man being persecuted, being sought after continually wanting to take his life and the burden to carry over time. For the churches and if that wasn't enough to know that there were false teachers within the churches that were constantly trying to disrupt his efforts and those who were even challenging the validity of his apostasy. First, we may be surprised that the man suffered so much in the movie for the surprise of the man who suffered all of this but did not develop a complaining spirit.

He was not saying all this because he was seeking self-pity when I'm feeling sorry for himself, not at all.

He is learned through all of this suffering to become detached as far as connection with worldly things are concern and defined his strength in Jesus Christ. Therefore, he's learned contentment in the midst of his sufferings applied to today's message will be a blessing to you will be continuing that message tomorrow so hope that you will join us once again remember our mailing address is the Baptist Bible. Our Box 1737, Cincinnati, OH 45217, or you can go to our website can make a donation. There Baptist Bible our God, or known to be creature. Next time the shuttle share Bradley Junior bidding goodbye and may God bless you and see you and all in all, and all