Affluenza! - It's Cure - Part B

You can always tell a citizen of a country because that citizen likes to tell you about his country can't wait to go back to his country and you can tell the difference between a citizen and a tourist right you know what you can also tell of spiritual spiritual versus so tied to the earth not really that excited about Jesus coming back need to come back for a long time because they're so here we all need a single line. That's how we practice that's where I'm going. That's what I focused on. That's how I make my decisions. The Bible were still the most printed publication are well you know what second the IKEA cattle. This year's edition was printed 70 line which is distributed 28 different conflicts shopping that updated our homes will probably never go out of style with the love of the IKEA catalog may illustrate something we all struggle with the some degree will talk about the war here adjustable first look inside the clip we Skip resource Center fake news used to be restricted to tabloids at the grocery store checkout used to be so obvious. Chimpanzee had put on human body, but now there are entire websites dedicated to helping us figure out a story, speech or statistic is true or not your Skip Heitzig with important question. Is there such a thing as absolute truth. I want to think about that question we would help you get started in answering that question with two brand-new book with my pastor Skip why truth matters God suicide see the Bible makes truth claim and some of those claims are well pretty absolute, but how can you know it's really true. These resources will help you better understand the nature of true you can pursue God's truth in your life and there are way to thank you for your gift of $35 or more today to help expand this Bible teaching out your copies when you get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 892 1888. Every disease needs a queue and affluenza is no different. Exodus chapter 20 and Philippians chapter 4 so if you're taking notes you want to be sure to mark that is we began your Skip Heitzig with more having food and clothing with these we shall be content, but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and 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 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.

And Jesus said this, if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness all the stuff that you need all these things will be added unto you. So I put it this way your contentment in life is directly proportional to your seeking first the kingdom of God, i.e., godliness, the godly are you become, the more content you will become.

I've seen it over and over again in life after life after life godliness and contentment go hand in hand. Which means you can have to actively battle stuff. I was on television today and I noticed a couple of commercials that are just so crazy and outlandish of how you will be a fulfilled individual. If you buy that beer or if you buy that product and maybe it's time you and your family when you see these commercials put on pause and collectively look at the TV and out loud, say that's a lie reprogram yourself.

Don't let them program you like.

You need that tell it.

That's all I so contentment is related to godliness. The second thing we learn here about contentment is that contentment is rooted in eternity look at what Paul says for we brought nothing into this world and it's certain that we carry nothing out. Contentment is rooted not here, but in eternity.

Jesus said lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. It's interesting, Egyptians are known for putting their treasures in the caskets of their kings. The idea was we have to give them stuff so their afterlife will be comfortable as if you really could take it with you.

The Bible says you came into the world empty-handed and you can leave empty-handed as many people have said in times past, have you ever seen her's pulling a U-Haul never you can take it with you.

You see, when I go to the airport.

I'm not worried that I can decorate the bathroom. You know what I mean by that I'm there for 30 minutes an hour. I don't think I got to spend some time fixing that up. I don't like the colors I'm going somewhere else. It's very transitory, so it is with this life. It's very transient and can't be rooted here it has to be rooted elsewhere. So contentment is related to godliness. Contentment is rooted in eternity. Here's 1/3 contentment rejoices in essentials, it rejoices in essentials.

Paul writes, having food and clothing with these we will be content. In other words that's all you need and if God puts that in your container in your fence for you to be godly and say that's all that I need your miles ahead of most everybody on earth know most of us are not part of the jet set. Some of you may be most of us are part of the debt set people of said will, money talks usually toss it says but I write we we can all relate to those words or these Proverbs 23 will you set your eyes on that which is not riches certainly make themselves wings, they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Yeah I see it all the time affords thing to see here in contentment. Contentment is ruined by craving more contentment is ruined by craving more notice what he says. For those who desire verse nine to be rich fall into temptation and a snare. This is something we just touched on last week when we read this and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition is ruined by craving for more. Did you know that a 36 month old toddler can recognize hundred brand-name logos at that age they done tests 36 month old toddler can recognize hundred brand logos and if so if you wonder why our logo shape certain ways and certain colors given to them.

They're done. For this reason so that children at young ages can recognize those brand-name logos and say God I have them later on when they learn to talk. Now notice something in that verse that we just looked at Paul is not addressing the wealthy. He is addressing those who want it. Those who desire to be rich.

I heard of the cemetery in England with the Greystone over a woman's grave that said she died for want of thing next to her was her husband's gravestone, which read he died trying to give them to her craving will rob you of contentment and joy that's wake is called a snare here a snare. Once upon a time there was a pocket watch that lived in the pocket of an English gentleman. The pocket watch was very discontented being a pocket watch, especially when that gentleman walked by the parliament building in London every day. Big Ben was right up there.

The most impressive clock in the world and that little watches he would come out of the pocket, he would look up and say I want to be up there. I want everybody to see me I could serve a lot of people instead of just one person.

One day he got his wish and he was hoisted on a stream, way, way up in the air, but because the watch was so small and it was so far up nobody could see it, it's elevation was its annihilation it wanted to be seen wanted to be prominent and it was but nobody can see it because it was so small, so this is how I want to bring this to a close. All of that is good stuff. But how do you stop a desire how do you stop these desire. How do you control feelings that you have that brings us to the third and final point, the cure must be practiced and go back to Exodus chapter 20 and just look at that list one more time since is the last night will spend a look at the list house wife servants, donkey, ox, and then anything. So again we have three categories as we brought up last week things people and status. All of these in the list could be put in one of those three categories things people status now these things are the things God has given to a neighbor not to you, they belong.

According to this verse to somebody else. God didn't give those things to you. He didn't put them in your container.

So if there in his container or her container and that your container your little fence your aquarium and if were trying to learn the contentment we want to be self-contained. What can I do and I close with these three things, the practice contentment.

All of us need a single lie, a loose grip and an open heart. Once again a single lie, a loose grip and an open heart and I want to go one by one before we close a single lie. This what it means is you go to this life as you hear the commercials as people of more stuff for less stuff.

You remember Justin airport.

Don't worry about decorating the bathroom worry about where you're going single. I am going to have an eternity. If you ever heard people say we are so heavenly minded you're no earthly good.

That's nuts. The best way to be earthly good and not tied to the earth is to be heavenly minded as Paul said he put it this way. Colossians 3 if you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. So yeah, I know were walking in this world are cedar firmly set on terra firma, the earth, we have responsibilities. We all need homes and cars etc. etc. but it's passing and that influences how we interact with those things and are real focus is on our future home. It needs to be.

Paul said our citizenship is in heaven. You can always tell a citizen of the country because that citizen likes to tell you about his country and can't wait to go back to his country. You can tell the difference between the citizen and a tourist right. We know what you can also tell us spiritual tourist nor spiritual tourist is so tied to the earth.

They're not really that excited about Jesus coming back at any moment. He did need to come back for long time. Truth be told, because they're so rooted here. We all need a single lie. That's how we practice it.

That's where I'm going.

That's what I'm focused on. That's how I make my decisions. Second, a loose grip a loose grip you see what Paul said, you enter the world empty.

How did you come into the world with two hands was anything in them was a BMW key in one hand, know you came in empty handed your hands may have been open and maybe a little fists like babies do. But there was nothing inside. That's how we can believe Job noted that he said naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked, I shall return to. There's two ways to live your life. There's two ways to hold something, grab it hands closed or hands open with an open hand. My dad used to love to tell the story about his pet raccoon that he had one growing up and up used to talk about the old way they would catch raccoons is what they would do they put a piece of tinfoil and box a cage with bars that was staked to the ground and it was big enough for the raccoon to put some paw through and it would grab the shiny tinfoil because it was attracted to the glitter to glean the shine and now grabbing that little piece of tinfoil change the shape of its hand so he couldn't remove his arm from the cage and here's the weird thing. It would seem the raccoon would never let go. You could approach it, you could threaten it. You could capture it in the raccoon would rather like lose its freedom and its life then let go of that piece of shiny tinfoil so it's better to live like this done like this single lie loose grip and as you find yourself relaxing your grip and your hands are now open. Make sure that the raised a lot toward heaven and you're thinking God what's in your cage in your container that walk around your container when you get home and just posit that finger. God, thank you for that. Thank you for that and then to your wife or husband, Lord, you can look where doing this, Lord. Thank you for for her for him. Thank you for them. Thank you for this container. It's enough Lord, give me a single lie.

Give me an open hand and finally an open heart loose grip and an open heart.

A person with affluenza dreams of getting taking more a person cured of affluenza thinks about getting too many people go through life with catchers mitt on both hands more more more drove my way. A person cured of affluenza doesn't live that way.

There was a very wealthy man is said to his pastor, Pastor Ryan $50,000.

I was pretty happy. Now I have $500,000. My miserable pastor said solutions pretty easy giveaway $450,000. The man said it's not that easy. He said monies like electricity. The more the Jews, the tighter the hold so we need to learn to practice being generous with people that we see around us because materialism can enslave the heart and I know our coins say in God we trust.

But do we.

I think the model of our country in many areas of been in goods we trust. So Hauser contentment level are you living an abundant life, I would be faster if I only had no contentment means containment and independence.

There was a farmer who lived on a farm all his life. He wanted to change you get tired of the same old farm through into real estate broker and said would you put this thing up for sale.

I'm tired of being on a farm. I want to get out.

Real estate broker fixed up the place and put an ad in the paper and want to run it by the farmer before it was run on the next day and he said will let me read it to you before I put it in the paper, ideal location, modern equipment healthy livestock area acres of fertile soil and about that time the farmer said hold everything stop right there. I been looking for a place like that all my life and it was his. So contentment comes from containment.

It's not what we have. It's whom we have whom we have Mother Teresa who gave of every earthly pleasure before she died.

She said you'll never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you've got are you a Christian if you're a Christian tonight then you are owned your own by God. When you became a Christian you gave him the pink slip. The owners certificate to your life.

God, I'm yours. You bought me with the price is not what I own you own me and because God owns you. He's promised to provide everything you need.

You don't have to worry give you the container to put stuff in the container and you'll make it through. Don't look through the fence to the other guys, other gals containers. If you're not a Christian tonight understand this, God created you with a longing if you're wondering why do I feel the way I feel I'm not satisfied in my life. It's because God created every person with the longing and none of us will ever be satisfied or tranquil until we give our lives to him.

That's the truth baby Ruth that's the truth. God longs to have a relationship with you and as you have a relationship with him and seek first his kingdom that godliness with contentment is great gain will be a contented person was pray Lord we we have a lot to learn.

We recognize that and you have a lot to say and you have a lot of patience with us and we have failed in every one of these commandments time and time again and you're always there. You're always there to extend the hand of forgiveness. It's nail pierced hand that says I died for your sin. I love you the way you are but I want to make you different than the way you are. So Lord, all of us need those changes.

All of us need to learn to contentment and I pray father that as our lives are related to godliness, rooted in eternity rejoicing in the essentials. I pray they would not be ruined by craving more but I pray we be able to look around our container. Our aquarium whatever it is to say, I know the Lord. He's providing for my life and live carefree tranquil contented lives. Lord, I will also want to pray for those who are searching for purpose, meaning, depth, just want change in their life. They've been invited by a friend or relative, a neighbor, they've come and quite honestly, they want more out of their lives want to experience more. I believe they thought lately. There's got to be more to life than what I have been presently experiencing what is that I'm missing you brought them here, Lord, not by accident but because you have an appointment. We pray that those who have come who don't yet personally know Christ would come to meet him and enjoy his love and his provision is forgiveness is tranquility.

Jesus shows that forgiveness that love that tranquility is what you're looking for today you pause and receive weevil Place would like to invite you to begin to connectwithskip.com.

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