Welcome to Faith Chapel.
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I'm Gordon Kainer
retired Bible teacher
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from Santa Rosa, California.
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The title of my
presentation today
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is I have learnt. I
would ask you to pray
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with me at this time.
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Our father with chart
in heaven, we thank you
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Lord for being a God,
who is with us in every
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circumstance of life
and may we learn to say
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with the apostle
Paul. I have learned and
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whatever state I am
that would be content
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is our prayer
in Jesus name. Amen
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Today, we want to
focus on book of Bible
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that we called
Philippians. And to
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get started I want to ask you
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couple of questions. Who are the
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Philippians
anyway. What do we know
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about the author
of this letter and the
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circumstances in
which it was written.
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Was mostly Philippians
is really not a book,
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it's a letter and a
puzzle written by the
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apostle Paul.
And although he was
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gifted writer, some
people see Paul as a
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straight lace
theologian rather than the
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warm hearted
evangelist. Well that may be
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true for some of
Paul's letters, But
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Philippians is very upbeat and
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encouraging. It is
generally believed that
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this letter was
written around 59 A.D.,
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ten years earlier
Paul and Cyrus had
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traveled to
Philippine a city that got its
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name from Phillip
the second who was
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the father of the
Alexander the Great.
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Paul and Cyrus
were probably the very
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first Christian
missionaries to preach
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the gospel to
this very Pagan city.
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While ministering
to the people Paul
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casted demon out
of slave girl, who had
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brought her
honors a great deal of
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money because of
her powers to divine
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or fortune tell.
Well the wrath of her
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honors was stood
up and they got the
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whole city stood up
resulting in Paul and
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Cyrus being
savagely beaten and thrown
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into a local jail.
At midnight they are
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found praying and
singing. And then an
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earthquake
occurs when the jailer
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supposes that all
the prisoners have
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escaped, he was
ready to you know
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commit suicide.
But Paul reassures him
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that all the
prisoners will still there.
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Now this strange
turn of events has a
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profound impact on
the jailer, indicated
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by the fact that he
goes up to Paul with
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this question.
What must I do to be
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saved. Paul answer
is so concise and so
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beautifully
stated. When he says to the
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jailer believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ
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and you will be
saved. It reminds me of
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Peter's admission
that we should always
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be ready to give a
reason today we have
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to defend our
faith. Well Paul certainly
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was. It resulted
into conversion of the
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jailer and his
entire family. And I believe
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that they were
the charter members of
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the Philippian
church. And no doubt
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where in Paul's
mind as he writes this
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letter. The verse
for which Philippians is
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best known is
chapter 4 and verse 4.
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It reads Rejoice
in the Lord always.
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Again I will say, rejoice!
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This is the 8th
and 9th time that Paul
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tells his readers
to rejoice. Now that
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word is a powerful
word. It means to be
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delighted, to be
jubilant and to celebrate.
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It doesn't mean a
momentary high, but
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rather prolonged
consistent confident
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attitude. Those
who don't know too
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much about Paul
might say well it is for
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him to tell us to
rejoice, he probably
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had a pretty easy
life. He probably didn't
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have a lot of
difficulties during his
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lifetime. Let's
read second Corinthians
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chapter, chapter
11 verses 24 & 27.
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From the Jews
five times I received
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forty stripes
minus one. Three times I
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was beaten with
rods; once I was stoned;
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three times I was shipwrecked;
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a night and a day
I have been in the
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deep; in journeys
often, in perils of
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waters, in perils of
robbers, in perils of
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my own
countrymen, in perils of the
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Gentiles, in perils
in the city, in perils in
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the wilderness, in
perils in the sea, in
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perils among false
brethren; in weariness
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and toil, in
sleeplessness often,
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in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in
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cold and nakedness.
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In addition to this
Paul wrote this letter
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while he was
confined to a damp stingy
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old cold prison
in Rome. He had been
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chained there for
about 3 years. Charge
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for crimes he
had never committed.
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Let me ask you a
question. What kind of
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letter would you
have written had you've
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been in those
kind of circumstances.
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I suppose you and
I would have clamored
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for sympathy
rather than providing hope
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and encouragement
to others. And then
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Paul goes on in
Philippians chapter 4
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verse 6 and 11, where he writes,
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Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by
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prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving,
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let your requests
be made known to God;
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Not that I speak
in regard to need, for
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I have learned in
whatever state I am,
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to be content: So I
have learned, you know
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contentment is not
a natural propensity.
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It doesn't come
naturally, it doesn't
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come easily, it
doesn't come quickly
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in fact Paul
makes the statement when
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he is an old man
just a few years before
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he was beheaded. It
is something that all
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of us have to learn
and it is learned only
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with great effort
and with divine help.
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And I belief for
that reason Paul adds
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this comment in
verse 13 of this same
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chapter when he
writes, I can do all
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things through
Christ who strengthens
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me. Yes, even
being content. As I was
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working on this
sermon, I typed the
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word contentment into my Goggle
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search. To see
what might come up.
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The first
reference that appeared was
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www.contentment.org.
when I click that
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on up came this
message this page
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cannot be found. I
had a laugh at that
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and I thought to
myself I have supposed
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that might be the
message that would
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come up with a lot
of people. But I did
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find numerous bits
of information on the
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internet one of
them was the sermon by
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the great
Charles Spurgeon, where I
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consider one of
the great preachers of
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the 19th century.
The sermon was the
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one that he
delivered in the New York,
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excuse me, New
Park Street Chapel in
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London on
Sabbath evening March 25
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1860. The title
of the sermon was
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contentment based
on the text for I have
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learned in
whatever state I am there we
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have to be
content. Well in this sermon
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recorded in my
internet the Spurgeon
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makes this
insightful observation he says
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to have learn
contentment is a more
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significant and
desirable accomplishment
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then the highest
degree a person can
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possibly attain.
Well the Bible speaks
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the great deal
about expressing thanks
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being grateful, a
being contempt refusing
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to fed and
complain. This in turn brings
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with it joy and
peace and rest to the soul.
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These are the
positive qualities that are
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byproduct of
having successfully endure
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pain and
discontentment and suffering.
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Someone has said
one learns more from
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10 days of agony
then from 10 years of
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his. In fact I don't
think you will have to
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wait 10 days. Let me share the
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experience that I had at last
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Thanksgiving, my wife and I were
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driving through
the mountains that were
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in the border of
California and Oregon.
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It was snowing
heavily and sort of
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became necessary
for me to put on the
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car chains and I
dread at the moment,
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but if I finally
park my car beside the
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road and I had no
more then just parked
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it when a gentlemen
in a smaller car pull
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behind me and we
both get out and said
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you want me to put
the chains on for you
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and I said you are
on how much he said
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$20. Go forward, so
he put the chains on
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the care for me
and we started up again
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and drove to the
other side of the
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mountain and now
the chains have to
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come off. Well, I
thought that this would be
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easy, well I got
one chain off the tire
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rather quickly.
But it was a different
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story with that
second tire. I laid another
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car for over an
hour pulling, tugging
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doing this and
doing that and I just
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couldn't get
that chain off. It was
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extremely windy,
it was cold and I was
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laying another
car these trucks were
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passing by and cars
and it was splashing
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this cold flesh into my face.
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And although I had
gloves on, my hands were
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wet, they were so
cold, I couldn't hardly
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move my fingers
and right then and
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there this text came to my mind.
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Rejoice in the Lord
always. And I thought
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why did this text
come to my mind at this
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time and just as
quickly came the answer.
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I wasn't being asked
to rejoice in the snow
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or in this cold or in the slush.
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I was being asked
to rejoice in the Lord.
00:11:28.23\00:11:30.53
While being
extremely uncomfortable,
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I could take
comfort that God knew my
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circumstances
here, where with I was
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going through and
he would help me in
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his own way and in
his good time. Well
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to make a long story
short, a trucker stop
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came to my rescue
and in one minute he
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had that chain off of that tier.
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I can understand
that for some of you,
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you might say well
big deal that's not really
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such a painful
experience. I realized
00:12:07.26\00:12:10.84
that and most of
this gone through much
00:12:10.87\00:12:12.78
more painful
experiences than that,
00:12:12.81\00:12:14.57
where we have had
horrifying trials and
00:12:14.60\00:12:17.62
difficult moments and shocking
00:12:17.65\00:12:19.40
disappointments,
but this is the point I
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want to make God's
promises fit all sizes
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of problems. This
is brought out I think
00:12:27.99\00:12:31.70
throughout
scripture. For example Elijah
00:12:31.73\00:12:34.73
as in acts had float
just a small piece of
00:12:35.46\00:12:38.53
metal in the river,
but he makes it float
00:12:38.56\00:12:40.79
for this fellow who had lost it.
00:12:40.82\00:12:42.50
At the same time
one angel destroys the
00:12:44.03\00:12:46.68
185,000 Assyrian
soldiers. And in Christ
00:12:46.71\00:12:52.59
life, we find him
for example making
00:12:52.62\00:12:54.76
sure that there
was a coin in a fishes
00:12:54.79\00:12:56.57
mouth at the same
time he feeds 5000
00:12:56.60\00:13:01.45
people and he
resurrects righteous.
00:13:01.48\00:13:03.37
It didn't make any
difference how small,
00:13:03.77\00:13:05.34
how large, God had
the solution. Let me
00:13:05.37\00:13:10.32
suggest four
guidelines that might help
00:13:10.35\00:13:13.66
us to experience contentment.
00:13:13.69\00:13:15.84
First of all when
the Bible tells us
00:13:17.47\00:13:19.20
in everything give
thanks. It doesn't mean
00:13:19.23\00:13:22.36
that when we are
going through hardship
00:13:22.84\00:13:24.42
and suffering we
are going to enjoy the
00:13:24.45\00:13:26.72
experience not at
all this needs to make
00:13:26.75\00:13:30.72
clear because
otherwise you feel like a
00:13:30.75\00:13:33.26
hypocrite. Being
thankful has nothing
00:13:33.29\00:13:36.37
to do about liking
something that's painful,
00:13:36.40\00:13:39.36
but rather it is an
expression of faith in
00:13:40.12\00:13:43.49
God's abiding presence. It is
00:13:43.52\00:13:46.73
acknowledging
that God is faithful
00:13:46.76\00:13:48.54
and that he will not
let us endure anything
00:13:49.14\00:13:51.61
that we cannot
bear. It means that we
00:13:51.64\00:13:57.27
believe that we
are in good hands.
00:13:57.30\00:13:59.68
When we have committed ourselves
00:14:00.55\00:14:01.67
to God and that
there is no reason to fret
00:14:01.70\00:14:05.18
or complain. Let's
read Psalms 37 verses 1-5.
00:14:05.94\00:14:13.60
Do not fret
because of evildoers, Nor
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.87
be envious of the
workers of iniquity.
00:14:18.90\00:14:21.16
For they shall soon
be cut down like the
00:14:22.02\00:14:23.82
grass, And wither
as the green herb.
00:14:23.85\00:14:26.91
Trust in the Lord, and do good,
00:14:28.30\00:14:30.32
Dwell in the
land, and feed on His
00:14:31.60\00:14:33.68
faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in
00:14:33.71\00:14:36.92
the Lord, And He shall give you
00:14:36.95\00:14:39.24
the desires of your heart.
00:14:39.27\00:14:41.02
Commit your way to
the Lord, Trust also
00:14:41.65\00:14:44.38
in Him, And He
shall bring it to pass.
00:14:44.41\00:14:48.14
The length of time
that elapses between
00:14:51.49\00:14:55.60
a painful
experience and an attitude of
00:14:55.63\00:14:59.53
praise reveals the
degree of trust and the
00:14:59.56\00:15:04.58
depth of your
relationship with God.
00:15:04.61\00:15:07.29
You know when life passes out
00:15:09.04\00:15:10.45
it's the end,
difficulties and failure,
00:15:10.48\00:15:14.10
discouragement
and fear, the more
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.22
we trust God the
greater will be our
00:15:18.72\00:15:21.97
ability to
endure. The sooner we will
00:15:22.00\00:15:26.13
recover and then more quickly
00:15:26.16\00:15:28.80
we will discover silver linings
00:15:28.83\00:15:31.37
in that particular experience.
00:15:32.13\00:15:33.93
Remaining positive
leads a person away
00:15:36.51\00:15:40.91
from anger, from
resentment making
00:15:40.94\00:15:46.36
excuses blaming other people.
00:15:46.39\00:15:49.41
If we keep ourselves
under control it will
00:15:52.79\00:15:56.12
allow us to examine
the situation, discover
00:15:56.15\00:16:01.16
what we can learn
from the experience
00:16:01.19\00:16:03.99
that we have just gone through.
00:16:04.58\00:16:05.68
I like someone who
said sorrows are our
00:16:08.31\00:16:11.96
best educators, we
can see Father through
00:16:11.99\00:16:15.57
tear then through a telescope.
00:16:15.60\00:16:18.28
As a bible
teacher, I couldn't discover
00:16:22.13\00:16:24.98
that I shared with
my students some of my
00:16:25.01\00:16:27.37
greatest trials
and painful moments.
00:16:27.40\00:16:30.04
There were
times when my students
00:16:30.80\00:16:33.20
and I would laugh.
Well, I can assure you
00:16:33.23\00:16:36.72
there is a time
I was going through
00:16:36.75\00:16:38.61
those experiences, I
don't think there were
00:16:38.64\00:16:41.11
bit funny, I
didn't enjoy them at all.
00:16:41.14\00:16:43.30
But the passage of
time and God working
00:16:45.55\00:16:50.67
in that time has
way of healing hearts
00:16:50.70\00:16:54.30
and changing our perspective.
00:16:55.28\00:16:57.17
It reminds me of
Abraham and Moses
00:16:59.80\00:17:01.87
excuse me, Abraham and Sarah who
00:17:01.90\00:17:04.38
experience a
lifetime of suffering and
00:17:04.41\00:17:07.75
disappointment
and finally when that
00:17:07.78\00:17:11.04
miracle child was
born they named him
00:17:11.07\00:17:14.19
Isaac, which means laughter.
00:17:14.22\00:17:18.30
Some day God
will reveal to us the
00:17:20.06\00:17:23.91
worth, the
purpose, the timing and even
00:17:23.94\00:17:29.16
the humor in our
trials when I say
00:17:29.19\00:17:33.07
timing, you know,
the Bible is filled
00:17:33.10\00:17:35.48
with expressions
of waiting upon the
00:17:35.51\00:17:37.62
Lord to let him
lead in these difficult
00:17:37.65\00:17:41.17
moments. Now
this time when we will
00:17:41.20\00:17:45.31
discover the
purpose and the meaning of
00:17:45.34\00:17:47.53
everything will occur when they
00:17:47.56\00:17:48.59
redeemed that
given the opportunity to
00:17:48.62\00:17:50.30
see infant
beginning. To seek God's
00:17:50.33\00:17:53.48
wisdom and his
goodness and see his
00:17:53.51\00:17:56.28
love as it becomes
obvious to us, as we
00:17:56.31\00:17:59.84
go back and look
at all these events.
00:17:59.87\00:18:02.05
And what are the results. Well
00:18:03.39\00:18:06.41
we read about it in
Revelation chapter 21 verse 4.
00:18:06.44\00:18:10.11
And God will wipe
away every tear from
00:18:11.68\00:18:13.91
their eyes; there
shall be no more pain,
00:18:13.94\00:18:16.57
nor sorrow, nor
crying. There shall be no
00:18:17.10\00:18:19.95
more pain, for
the former things have
00:18:19.98\00:18:22.77
passed away."
But I ask you my way,
00:18:22.80\00:18:29.71
why not allow God
to wipe away the tears
00:18:31.67\00:18:35.30
from our eyes, so
we can experience right
00:18:35.33\00:18:38.68
right now of the
peace and joy that
00:18:38.71\00:18:40.53
comes from
annoying that all us well
00:18:40.56\00:18:43.62
when we have entrusted ourselves
00:18:43.65\00:18:45.27
into Gods care. I
like the way Ellen White
00:18:45.30\00:18:49.55
pursuit, no doubt
you have heard this
00:18:49.58\00:18:51.96
many times God
never leads his children
00:18:52.57\00:18:55.72
otherwise then
they would choose to be
00:18:55.75\00:18:58.12
led, if they could
see the end from the
00:18:58.15\00:19:01.75
beginning, it's not
a wonderful promise.
00:19:01.78\00:19:03.97
Secondly true joy
is not dependent on
00:19:06.29\00:19:09.18
special
occasions or exhilarating
00:19:09.21\00:19:11.87
experiences. I am
not saying having fun
00:19:11.90\00:19:15.54
and enjoying oneself and being
00:19:15.57\00:19:17.36
entertained to
sinful are wrong, but they
00:19:17.39\00:19:20.20
must be seen for
what they are. They are
00:19:20.23\00:19:22.92
momentary
versions, temporary hives,
00:19:22.95\00:19:25.79
designed to
distract to provide a
00:19:26.48\00:19:28.65
momentary escape
from harsh reality.
00:19:28.68\00:19:31.13
On the other hand,
joy is the state of
00:19:33.25\00:19:35.32
mind that
reflects the way of life
00:19:35.35\00:19:39.18
regardless of the circumstances.
00:19:39.21\00:19:41.75
Someone is
absorbed that when things
00:19:43.08\00:19:44.51
go wrong for the
Christian his eyes turn
00:19:44.54\00:19:46.71
toward the throne
rather than running to
00:19:46.74\00:19:48.61
the phone. I think
there is a lot of truth in
00:19:48.64\00:19:51.05
that statement.
Thirdly, it is essential that
00:19:51.08\00:19:56.10
we learn to enjoy
whatever stage in life
00:19:56.13\00:20:00.66
we find ourselves
in. Many people seem
00:20:00.69\00:20:06.02
to live in a fantasy world.
00:20:06.05\00:20:07.37
Always thinking that
in the later time or in a
00:20:08.59\00:20:10.85
different
situation they would really
00:20:10.88\00:20:13.15
enjoy life. I
remember many of my
00:20:13.18\00:20:16.68
students would
come to me and say
00:20:16.71\00:20:18.25
you know we just
had a different teacher
00:20:19.02\00:20:21.06
or different
teachers or different text
00:20:22.07\00:20:24.59
books or different
classical joke or may be
00:20:24.62\00:20:27.49
be just be in
the different school
00:20:27.52\00:20:28.97
we would enjoy it.
But for many this kind of
00:20:30.30\00:20:33.98
of attitude develops
into an ongoing cycle.
00:20:34.01\00:20:36.84
It's a kind of
like becomes a life long
00:20:38.05\00:20:40.46
experience in thinking that way.
00:20:40.49\00:20:42.31
For example, some
may say if I just live in
00:20:44.29\00:20:47.11
a different place,
I just had a different
00:20:47.14\00:20:50.87
job or a different
boss they just had more
00:20:50.90\00:20:55.47
money, if I just
had married somebody
00:20:55.50\00:20:59.77
else. I saw
recently that someone stated
00:20:59.80\00:21:05.17
the world is full
of people looking for
00:21:06.36\00:21:09.25
spectacular
happiness while snubbing
00:21:09.28\00:21:12.54
contentment. Some
of you might recall
00:21:13.23\00:21:18.55
the Warren Commission. It was
00:21:20.03\00:21:22.91
appointed to
determine whether anyone
00:21:22.94\00:21:25.86
else beside Lee
Harvey Oswald was
00:21:25.89\00:21:28.28
involved in the
death of president
00:21:28.31\00:21:31.24
Kennedy. Now
Oswald's wife was called
00:21:31.27\00:21:35.11
before that
commission called to testify
00:21:35.14\00:21:38.92
regarding her
husband and she made the
00:21:38.95\00:21:41.37
following
statement in faulty English.
00:21:41.40\00:21:43.98
My husband, you know, like the
00:21:45.58\00:21:46.82
United States.
When he go to Russia,
00:21:46.85\00:21:49.55
he no like Russia.
When he come back to
00:21:49.58\00:21:52.84
United States, he
said he like Cuba.
00:21:52.87\00:21:54.70
Then he go to Mexico
to try and get into Cuba
00:21:55.76\00:21:57.60
and he says he
doesn't like Cuba.
00:21:57.63\00:21:59.36
He no like anyone
except he like to live
00:22:00.81\00:22:03.94
on the moon. I thought it was,
00:22:03.97\00:22:06.71
what a person
mistake outlook on life what
00:22:07.43\00:22:12.80
a terrible
perspective. Lastly, there are
00:22:12.83\00:22:17.54
some very part of
the things that we can
00:22:17.57\00:22:19.33
do to encourage
contentment. It's been
00:22:19.36\00:22:22.88
said that
contentment consists not in
00:22:22.91\00:22:25.99
adding more fuel,
but in taking away
00:22:26.02\00:22:28.66
some of the fire.
In my Google search
00:22:28.69\00:22:31.56
that I've mentioned
little earlier, a lady
00:22:32.14\00:22:34.84
who had learned
the hard way to get out
00:22:34.87\00:22:36.81
of a monstrous
death shared these
00:22:36.84\00:22:39.18
thoughts on
contentment. She points out
00:22:39.21\00:22:43.85
that many things
in life are designed
00:22:43.88\00:22:45.89
specifically to
create this contentment.
00:22:47.10\00:22:49.37
And she mentions
mail or the catalogues
00:22:49.78\00:22:51.91
and shopping
malls, television ads and
00:22:51.94\00:22:54.97
shopping channels
these do a good job to
00:22:55.00\00:23:00.48
make you feel
happy with what you
00:23:00.51\00:23:02.60
have, what you
wear, what's in your
00:23:02.63\00:23:06.69
garage, I mean,
what you drive, what
00:23:06.72\00:23:09.86
you look like
that's the purpose to make
00:23:09.89\00:23:14.26
us unhappy. A
lesson that I learned
00:23:14.29\00:23:17.91
rarely in life is
not the test drive a new
00:23:17.94\00:23:21.62
car while your
present car is still doing
00:23:21.65\00:23:23.32
its job. The
aroma of a new car is
00:23:23.35\00:23:26.86
intoxicating, the conveniences,
00:23:26.89\00:23:31.13
the gadgets and
devices have been
00:23:31.16\00:23:33.40
overwhelming
appeal. The scenario can
00:23:33.43\00:23:37.73
be repeated with
nearly everything
00:23:37.76\00:23:40.16
we have, whether
be in the office,
00:23:40.19\00:23:42.43
at home, in the closet or things
00:23:43.34\00:23:46.46
we have in the garage.
00:23:46.49\00:23:49.46
You and I can't
really control what comes
00:23:51.93\00:23:55.93
to us through the
media. But we can determine
00:23:55.96\00:23:59.96
what we allow to
enter and occupy our mind.
00:23:59.99\00:24:03.63
We need to God the
avenues to the soul.
00:24:06.06\00:24:08.43
We can avoid being
enticed by the way the world
00:24:10.35\00:24:14.02
thinks. And
refuse to be addicted by
00:24:14.05\00:24:18.74
what the world has
to offer. I think so
00:24:18.77\00:24:23.28
many times that
in our Hi-Tech world
00:24:23.31\00:24:25.91
we are bomb
bombarded everyday with
00:24:26.88\00:24:28.81
things that we can
have, a things that we
00:24:28.84\00:24:31.70
can do and I
believe that even though the
00:24:31.73\00:24:34.68
Hi-Tech world has
many advantages as
00:24:34.71\00:24:38.87
I've mentioned
earlier the disadvantages
00:24:38.90\00:24:41.30
that it makes us
so aware of what's out
00:24:41.33\00:24:44.65
there, we can go
shopping, we can do all
00:24:44.68\00:24:47.97
those things just by
looking at the screen
00:24:48.00\00:24:51.48
and so we need to
be careful what we
00:24:52.16\00:24:54.97
focus on unless
we began to covered
00:24:55.00\00:24:57.34
unnecessarily.
The first person to be
00:24:57.37\00:25:01.76
discontent was
Lucifer. He was the
00:25:01.79\00:25:06.61
brightest, the most
beautiful, he at the
00:25:06.64\00:25:10.69
highest procession
of all created beings,
00:25:10.72\00:25:14.18
yet he chose to
covet. He wanted more
00:25:15.24\00:25:20.38
power, he wanted
more attention, he
00:25:20.41\00:25:24.88
wanted more
praise, he wanted to be on
00:25:24.91\00:25:27.51
the top, and as
we examine Lucifer
00:25:27.54\00:25:32.86
experience. We
began to see that this
00:25:32.89\00:25:37.52
discontentment
led him to rebel his
00:25:37.55\00:25:41.94
thoughts. Sinful ambition and a
00:25:41.97\00:25:46.79
complaining
attitude. The next example
00:25:46.82\00:25:51.72
of contentment or
discontentment was
00:25:52.65\00:25:56.34
Adam and Eve.
They too had an ideal
00:25:56.37\00:26:00.10
environment, they
had everything one
00:26:00.13\00:26:04.68
could ask for.
And then the Garden of
00:26:05.34\00:26:07.59
Eden was the best
place to start out life,
00:26:07.62\00:26:10.13
but yet they too
wanted more. This kind
00:26:11.80\00:26:17.16
of attitude
resulted in distrusting Gods
00:26:17.19\00:26:21.89
love. They began to suspect Gods
00:26:21.92\00:26:27.11
liberality. And
they began to question,
00:26:27.14\00:26:30.78
Gods goodness.
All because they began
00:26:30.81\00:26:36.23
to become discontent.
00:26:36.26\00:26:37.92
Unnecessary
discontentment led them
00:26:40.31\00:26:42.35
to turn their
back on the one who had
00:26:42.38\00:26:45.90
given them
everything, to listen to
00:26:45.93\00:26:50.06
someone who had
given them nothing.
00:26:50.09\00:26:53.21
I am reminded
again of Paul's wonderful
00:26:56.44\00:26:59.17
advice. Rejoice
always because the
00:26:59.91\00:27:04.15
alternative, the
option is to resent or to
00:27:04.18\00:27:08.26
covet or to began
to be unsatisfied with
00:27:08.29\00:27:11.55
what God has
provided. He tells us that
00:27:11.58\00:27:14.60
we should be of good cheer.
00:27:14.63\00:27:16.24
Right away, right
now because he is a God,
00:27:17.46\00:27:20.94
who not only can determine the
00:27:20.97\00:27:23.28
outcome. He already knows the
00:27:23.31\00:27:27.56
outcome. God
promises to us that he will
00:27:27.59\00:27:33.37
workout everything for our good.
00:27:33.40\00:27:35.27
And I believe that
as we mature in our
00:27:36.52\00:27:39.00
Christian life we
began to see evidence
00:27:39.03\00:27:41.07
of that. So sit
back, take a deep breath,
00:27:41.10\00:27:45.46
and tell God once
again, I have learned
00:27:47.43\00:27:50.91
in whatever state
I am to be content.
00:27:50.94\00:27:54.63