How to Maintain Its Benefits

A study that is being done by neuro- scientists about the brain and is a summary of it. The study said that there is a joy center in the brain. This is just discovered that and it's in the right orbital prefrontal cortex of your brain to get that if you know the Lord you've got it anyway. The joy center. The scientists said have an executive control over the entire emotional system.

In fact he said when that joy center has sufficiently developed meaning when you come to Jesus. They didn't say that. I'm saying that it regulates emotions and pain control, and the immunity centers. It guides all of our behavior. It releases neutral transmitters like dopamine and the serotonin and it is the only part of the brain that overrides the main impulses center of the brain.

When I read this I said, scientists of finally discovering what the apostle Paul knew 2000 years ago that we have been seeing throughout this series of messages on joy, namely, that the joy of the Lord brings about contentment in all of life.

The joy of the Lord brings about contentment in all of life as you study Philippians for the last passage that we looking at as we conclude this series of messages. Philippians 410 I can tell you someone the most exciting passage in the richest passage of that wonderful epistle, and yet it is the most misunderstood and most quoted passage in the Philippian epistle, Paul said, I have learned the secret of contentment.

I have learned whenever you see the word learned you can be absolutely certain that is an indication that this is not something you're born with. You don't get born contented when you see the word learned you can be absolutely sure that this is not something you gonna get through revelation when you wake up one day is that although I now have contentment.

Now it is not like that at all. The learning of anything takes time. The learning of anything takes a willingness to learn the learning of anything requires a desire to learn the learning of anything requires perseverance in learning. It requires experience and that learning of the secret of contentment cannot be accomplished when a person experiences nothing but prosperity and success in the life is a how come, well if you been given everything and let this be a warning to all young moms and dads. We want to give our kids everything and we make a horrible mistake in the process. But if you and when you are given everything you will never be able to experience contentment is just an impossibility is also the other extreme is important. Learning of that secret cannot be accomplished if a person experiences nothing but deprivation and live all of the time both ways, but the secret that the apostle Paul has learned is when a person is exposed to both of those extremes exposed to success and failure would unlock failure, but you failure can be your teacher not your undertaker failure can be due to another dead-end street when you're exposed both to prosperity and loss when you're exposed both to abundance and lack when you're exposed both to the mountaintop and the Valley.

Both of these elements are your teachers and the school of contentment.

If you grew up with everything and never experienced anything of value being taken away from you if you grow up always getting your way and not learning to yield to anyone. Then the moment you suffer any loss of any kind you going to think it's the end of the world. On the other hand, if you grew up with nothing and you remain that way will be poverty or failure or deprivation, and then you all of a sudden experience success or wealth or whatever it may be.

The question is going to be as of these things going to corrupt you are going to make you live in guilt for having them and people do that. Paul learned the secret of contentment by experiencing both of those extremes. Some days you have lots of food to eat. Other days he could not find enough to even fill his stomach. He had prestige and power and possessions, and then he had to sleep in a miserable dungeon in a prison cell enrollment in Philippi and what the apostle Paul is saying is that I have learned to choke the arrogance that comes from wealth and I have learned to squash the spiritual arrogance that can come from poverty hi, can you do that because he made his contentment to be independent of his circumstances, the apostle Paul learned that contentment is a state of the heart, not state of affairs, and he is saying that if I had plenty praise the Lord are shared with others.

If I have very little or nothing at all. I praise the Lord anyway because I know he's going to meet all of my needs. Hallelujah, either way is a song set.

Now there are some people who see virtue and wealth. There are some people who see virtue in poverty. They both are wrong in the virtual either because unlike the self sufficient still works.

Paul never claimed to be strong in himself. He just said because I all everything to God.

Therefore, I'm content the beloved.

Listen to me when you come to the point in your life when you're totally trusting in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus. When you completed trust in his timing and his ways, God will arrange all of your circumstances to meet all of your needs.

When you have absolute confidence in the sovereign hand of God, you will not panic when you face tough circumstances, you're not gonna try to grab things into your own hands and run your own way. When you come to the point of recognizing that our times and our seasons are in his hand. You will live above the fray. Those who seek to control the life those who seek to manipulate things and manipulate people to their advantage. Those who seek to orchestrate the work circumstances.

Sooner or later they will become frustrated. In fact, there will live the life and frustration deliver no contentment. There will never know the joy that comes from being content to give up right for medical. I pray for miracles all the time. Miracles happen in two ways. There are some medicals that are clearly supernatural intervention of God into the natural realm. I have seen that too many times in my own life and the lives of others. If you have never read my book of God is in control wise my life.

Such a mess you've read the document a lot of stuff there. I have experienced what no scientific and naturalistic explanation other than the hand and the power of God breaking through the natural, but then there are medicals that happen in our life where God basically weaves together events and circumstances and people and words and decisions to fit his purpose and bring about a medical proverb 16 nine said in his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Look at Joseph's life we know now because in hindsight, what was the ultimate purpose of God for Joseph this by giving the dream that is going to be sitting on the throne of Egypt is going be the second highest power in the superpower of the world of that day that was God's purpose for him. How did God do it. The December world wind up with the amount of Canaan into Egypt, and here is fulfillment in his dream.

Now it didn't happen that way at all.

First, he was the object of the envy by his miserable brothers. But listen, God was working this purpose out you can say but that's God was working vendor that the Israelites caravan that bought him from his brothers and took him into Egypt now. If you think that this is equivalent to a sleeper seat on the jetliner you will be mistaken. That was a miserable miserable camel ride for a few weeks in the desert but God was working.

This purpose is out then he was not sold just for anybody I could consult any of the noblemen of Egypt. Now he was sold to the head of the Egyptian FBI Potiphar why God was working this purpose out. Then there was the constant nagging temptation by Mrs. Potiphar army fighting that temptation must have been made his life miserable. But God was working his purposes. You say God is this how you repay me for my faithfulness. I end up in prison.

Joseph didn't leave you but God was working this purpose out being thrown into an Egyptian dungeon is not necessarily the greatest answer to prayer that he was expecting, but God was working what his purpose out meeting the cupbearer in the prison in Egypt was not by accident. God was working this purpose out the cupbearer leaves the prison forgets all about Joseph and I'm convinced my own heart, that every time the door was open so he must've remembered and then for years. He was still not dungeon and that cupbearer had forgotten all about Joseph and that must have been very hurtful people hurtful for Joseph, but God was working this purpose out in his perfect timing, and right on schedule. Joseph sits on the throne of Egypt. God works his way, his timing to fulfill Joseph's dream and Paul is saying that he saw trusted in the sovereign hand of God that he learned to be contented in the ops and then the balance in the abundance and in the lack in the sickness and in the health in the courts of the Kings and in the dungeons and the prisons. Why verse 13 because he believed that he also did everything to God.

And because he ought everything to God. Therefore, he said I can do everything through him who continuously strengthens me now. Lots of people quote this verse I hear a recorded banded about in such a way and I know by sometimes they mean you know can be a Superman or I can walk on water, and I can raise the dead, and I can do all things through Christ yet understand it in context. You understand what he saying here and in context, Paul is saying what the circumstance in which I find myself whether I will be with the rich and powerful. Always the poor and the powerless, or whether be preaching in the Ephesian coliseum with 25,000 people or he is just speaking to the Philippian jailer or whether he is speaking to King Agrippa or a lowly soldier in Rome. I can do all these things that God assigns to me through his power. That's what he meant by, he said I will do God's will in my life regardless of where I am physically I will do God's will in my life regardless where I am materially you have got to learn that it is obedience that God is seeking, and you been hearing me talk about her.

We describe the series of messages because it happened to be the one of the themes of the epistle, but listen to me.

Please listen if you thought that I am teaching you that you can obey God in your own strengths you have misunderstood me and I am sorry that you misunderstood me.

I have never intended to communicate that all but when Paul said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He is saying that I can count on God's power to empower me to obey him.

I can count on God's power to give me the strength to obey him.

I can count on God's power to carry me through whatever I go through.

I can count on God's power to lift me up above my circumstances, no matter how bad they may be. I can count on God's power to make Christ to be my all sufficiency is a how come because contentment belongs to those who trust in God's power, not players. God's power would bring contentment to those who have no strength of their own. Where does this contentment come from, and the apostles Paul's life.

Look at verse 19, my God will meet all your needs, how according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus did me ask you this dear stand in need of salvation.

Only Jesus can meet that need.

Dear stand in need of strength in your difficult and trying circumstances here and he alone can supply that strength. Are you lonely and desperate, he and he alone can come uncomfortable with the balm of Gilead. Are you discouraged and feel God has deserted you here and he alone can supply you with all of his promises that all is working all things out incorporating all things out for your good and his glory. Are you suffering because of action of other people who are evil and wicked he will lift you up above that hurt. He alone can do that. Are you looking for a breakthrough and wondering where God is. Why is God so silent in the middle of your circumstances here and he alone can give you the comfort of assurance and the perseverance to wait all of your needs shall be met by him in his perfect timing.

On this one. When God meets your need.

When he meets my needs.

When the going get on needs. He's not sitting up in heaven scrambling is it all I gotta do something about helpless but is not how God works. He will meet all of your needs in accordance with his glorious riches not just riches, glorious riches he may ask you this.

If any of you think that you can exhaust God's riches. Still others when God just provide a deposit or a beginning of a blessing or beginning of answer to prayer the tech that is at all.

That's enough thank you Lord and they go and forget all about the Lord is 1/2 a loaf better than nothing at all. That's how we think, but can you believe that this is not really unique thinking taught time there are people in the Bible, prayed that way. Abraham and Sarah God said you can have a baby. The two of you but got delayed. I am convinced we went to the mind as you know, maybe God could have done this when were a bit younger, but no really told him this is just too much for God is just too much for us all to settle for second-best. In fact, that's how Abraham prayed.

Let me give your use of translation is the Lord Ishmael will do and God said no you cannot exhaust my riches.

All you need to do is remain faithful why faithfulness is very important in the fulfillment of the promise that my God shall lead all of your needs. Of course we all like I got to meet all of our needs right on the we all do, but according to the text here and I'm not making this stuff up.

It's in the word of God.

Paul here is so confident that God is going to meet all of their needs and needs of the Philippians.

Why because there were faithful they have sacrificially send him a gift to help him in his ministry and Paul was saying because of your faithfulness because of your faithful giving because all of your sacrificial giving God is going to meet all of your needs. Hello people course when I meet God meet the needs but they never take time and examine themselves.

Lord, my faithful to you about being faithful.

My resources have been faithful my time having faithful with my life.

I know sometimes when I challenge you to be faithful to remain faithful and and to give sacrificially for the work of the ministry. I believe what the apostle belief is not because the ministry needs your support.

God will provide for his ministry he has and always will.

I never have a shadow of doubt about that but because I don't want you to miss out on the incredible blessings of God that he wants to give you in response to your faithfulness. Even if he delays is going to keep his word. In fact, that's what God said about Abraham.

Finally when he trusted father when he believed is that Abraham believed in God credited to him and in other words, he he put it in his deposit the side of the ledger. He gave him credit for that faith. We know were not saved by works when not even saved by works of faith. But after we are saved our faith and our faithfulness is credited unto us.

That's what the apostle Paul said, is credited to our ledger there in heaven. And Paul is saying because of your faithfulness because of your sacrificial giving because your trusted God in the tough times God is going to credited to your account.

Send the word and that is why he said I'm so glad you sent that gift, not because of what it does for me, but because was going to do for you, and how it's gonna bless you and how is gonna reward you. And that's how God will see to it that he will supernaturally intervene in your circumstances would he ask you this before we pray there are many varied circumstances as there are people in this place, and others. Hundreds are watching on the Internet you facing difficulties are you facing trying times. Are you feel panicking, you don't know what to do next. God wants you to be faithful to him. God wants you to trust him and he is going to teach you this incredible lesson of contentment. Chopra, Lord, I know the reason many of us harden store away in the sphere and that faith not trusting you. And yet we know that the only cure for complacency is to ruthlessly give away what you have put in our hands. Father, we thank you that are sufficient season you Lord Bell. Many of us are learning and some need to begin learning this lesson of content. I thank you for the apostle Paul, a man who is as powerful as the judges in the Supreme Court of our day and yet many nights are spent in a prison cell and even there in Philippi, he sang praises to your name in the middle of the cell and you send an earthquake you converted the Philippian jailer, your mighty God and are you asking us this faithfulness, not around strength by trying harder but completely trusting in your power to keep us faithful.

We thank you for the comfort we thank you for that assurance and father, whoever. Whatever we are along the school whether someone said, getting ready to graduate or someone still in elementary stage. Father I pray that your Holy Spirit be our teacher. In Jesus name, amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way.

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