Creflo Dollar - Contentment: The Way Out Of Complacency
Well, if you have your Bibles go with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 1. Proverbs chapter 1, verse 32 in the New Living Translation, and we're gonna continue talking about complacency. We talked about complacency last week, and the issue, the area, that we're gonna deal with today is what's a clear path out of complacency. And so, I call this message today, "Contentment: The Way Out of Complacency" because I believe that we're never going to find our way clear of being complacent until we understand and we learn how to pursue and obtain contentment.
And so, let's review just a little bit on the subject of complacency, and I'm gonna show you how becoming content will be the way out of complacency. Proverbs chapter 1:32 in the NLT. Let's read it out loud together at your homes. He says, "For simpletons turn away from me to death". He said, "Fools are destroyed by their own complacency". Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. Now, I said this last week, and by understanding that contentment is the way out of complacency you'll begin to, hopefully, understand even more why complacency is so dangerous. One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is complacency. Why? Because complacency is directly against your spiritual growth in God. It's so dangerous because it's dangerous not to continue to grow spiritually. It's dangerous not to continue to grow in the things of God. Complacency is a feeling of being satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better.
So, when you go down that path of, "You know, I'm okay just like it is, and I'm not trying to grow anymore. I'm not trying to make things any better," then you're in a place of complacency. It's self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by an unawareness of actual dangers and deficiency that becomes that way. I mean, what happens a lotta times is people are complacent, and they don't even have any idea. They are unaware that they are walking in complacency. I was unaware that as a pastor for so long that I was preparing my plan for complacency. Complacency is deadly. It's a deadly enemy to your Christian growth, and so now I'm adding some more precision there. It's a deadly enemy to your Christian growth.
Now, I again want to visit Paul's warning about complacency in Philippians chapter 3, verses 12 through 21. So, the danger, as a Christian, as a born-again believer, is that complacency is an enemy to your Christian growth, because you get to the point where you're saying, "This is okay. I'm good with where I am, and I'm not gonna do anything else to try to grow". And I'll show you if you're not growing there's no, you're not standing still, either. You're either growing towards the things of God, or you're growing towards, or going down that path of complacency. Now, look again Philippians chapter 3 in this mindset.
Watch this, verse 12. The apostle Paul says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect," or complete. He said, "But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus". Now watch this. "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended", "I hadn't reached it. I hadn't got to that place where I can even afford to stop growing". He said, "But this one thing I do," he says, "I am forgetting those things which are behind," because I don't want those, I don't even want my past successes to keep me behind. I don't wanna find security or thinking that I'm finding power by continuing to look at the things that have happened behind, or neither do I wanna put God in the place where I say, "God did this thing in the past. Then maybe he might do this now," so I'm not even trying to grow or go forward to the greater things that God wants to do.
So, he says, "But this one thing I do, I'm forgetting those things which are behind, and I'm reaching forth unto those things which are before". I can see contentment here. I'm forgetting what's behind. I appreciate those things that are behind. I appreciate the miracles and things that God did in my life, but you know what? I don't wanna become complacent with those things. I wanna go forward. I wanna go forward. I wanna be satisfied, but I wanna go forward. And the whole deal about complacency, it has no desire to go forward. Now go back to the next verse, to the past. He says, "I do". He says, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and I'm reaching forth unto those things which are before," so there's a reaching forth. That's what contentment is about. I'm satisfied, but I continue to reach forth, okay? He says, "I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus".
And so, I told you last week I heard this: press on, or else. Press on, or else. What happens in the life of a person that he's no longer pressing on? He camps at a certain spot, and he says, "Well, this is good enough," and he no longer presses on. And see, when you're talking about being content, you're talking about I'm satisfied where I am for the time, but I'm pressing on, I'm pressing on. But to not press on, that's gonna put you in a place where you're no longer growing spiritually.
"I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus". Verse 15, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have also for an example (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross.)" You know, I think that you gotta be careful not to get a place in complacency where you become an enemy of the cross. "(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross.)"
When you're no longer growing anymore, you're gonna get settled in things that maybe you need to continue to grow in, but if you get satisfied there, man, you might find yourself in a wrong position. "(Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things.)" And verse 20 he says, "For our conversation," or lifestyle, "is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ". And in 21, "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious bodies, according to the working whereby he is able to even subdue all things unto himself".
I gotta take some time and just spend a lotta time on those verses of Scripture, because it is indeed a blessing. So, you are either growing in maturity or growing to some degree of complacency, but you are not standing still, so the problem with complacency is that it causes us to live off of our past victories. And we don't wanna live off of our past victories.
Look at Isaiah 43:18-19. Isaiah 43:18-19. We're in a time and in a place right now, in the middle of all that's going on, the pandemic and all that stuff, where God is getting ready to do some fresh things. He's getting ready to do some new things, and I don't want you to not walk in the new things, trying to hold on to the old things. Maybe God's preparing you for something new, but you're fighting against it, and you're rejecting it because you're holding on to how something happened in the past. You're holding on to past victories. I love this. He says, "Remember you not the former things, neither consider the things of old".
You know, I'm thinking and teaching this at one time. That one of the things he says, "Don't remember, you know, life under the law. Forget about the life under the law. I'm gonna bring you to life under grace". He says, "Remember not the former things. I wanna do a new thing". I believe God's wanting to do a new thing in your life, but he can't do a new thing if you're stuck on the old thing. How can he bring you into the wonders of his grace when you're still stuck on living under the law? He said, "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert". He says, "I'm gonna do a new thing, but if you're stuck with the old thing you won't even recognize that I've done a new thing".
Now, I need you to come away from your past victories, because I want you to at least recognize when God is doing a new thing. God is doing a new thing in your relationships. God is doing a new thing where your family is concerned. God is doing a new thing in you. If you'll examine your heart, your desires, your passion, there are some things that have happened since lockdown. There are some things that have been happening since the pandemic. There are things that have happened since the whole injustice of inequality. Pay attention. Has God done a new thing and you don't even recognize it because you are busy with the past victories of your life?
So, I believe that understanding how to be content is the door to remaining free from complacency, so let's deal with contentment this morning. What does it mean? If this is the key, if this is something that's gonna keep me out of being complacent, is this something that's gonna keep me growing in things of God, I don't wanna get stuck in a place where I'm not growing anymore. There's more, there's more. It's like, well, you know, you got revelation, a good revelation. There's more. You had a wonderful experience with God. There's more. You got supernatural favor. There's more. There's more, so don't stop growing when there is so much more that's available.
So, contentment, let's look at this. Contentment is about being satisfied and at ease while you are improving, while you are getting better, while you are progressing to the next level. While complacency is refusing to work to improve or to grow in Christ, contentment is, yes, I'm satisfied with where I am while I'm getting better and while I'm making progress and while I'm not - I'm going towards that next level. Contentment is about you having a good attitude about where you are while knowing you are on your way to another place and another level.
You know, some of you might be, you know, in a little shack right now, but don't become content in that shack. Fix that shack up by putting a new roof on it. Put new carpet in there. And what is God doing? God's graduating you, man. You're looking for better things to come. You're making progress, and then all of a sudden that shack becomes something that you can flip for a great amount of money to do some other things. That's the picture I want you to get. Don't get complacent in the shack, praise God? Be satisfied there. Be thankful, be thankful. Somebody don't have a shack. Somebody is homeless. You can be thankful, but not to stay there, praise God. "I am in the process of going forward". You be grateful for the $30,000 that you get a year, but, "Amen. I'm making progress to go forward". And my progress, you're gonna find, is not just my self-effort, but it's the progress that I find in my relationship with Jesus Christ.
Look with me in Philippians chapter 4:11-13 in the King James. Philippians 4:11-13. So, I wanna be content, and I think a person who struggles with complacency is also a person that's got to learn contentment. You got to learn how to be grateful and thankful for where you are, but not allowing yourself to refuse to grow and to get to the place where, you know, where you could be. Look what he says in verse 11. He says, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content".
Now, that's powerful. Whatever state I am, I've learned to be content. That's something that is a very powerful thing in the life of a Christian. That, yes, I'm in this particular situation, but I'm learning to be content. The reason why I can be content, my motivation for being content, is I know I'm not gonna be here the whole time. I know I'm not, you know, pitching a tent here and just, you know, planning on staying here. I'm just passing by. Sometimes, when you speak to people, you tell 'em, "Hey, I'm here at this point right here at the time, but I'm just passing by," so I can be okay and not be complaining and murmuring. "I have learned that whatever state that I'm in, therewith to be content". Look at verse 12. Verse 12 says, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me".
Now, that's another thing. It's like if I'm going through hunger, sometimes I'm hungry. Sometime I'm not. Sometime I got a place to stay. Sometimes I don't. He says, "I learned how to be content in all those things". Why? "'Cause I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me". Hopefully, you can see where I'm getting ready to go here. That the reason why I can be content is because of Christ. Reason why I can be content is because of what I know Jesus has already done. The reason I can be content is because of my relationship in him and not just be, you know, confident in what I can do for my self-effort here.
Look at this in the Amplified, Philippians 4:11. Look at Philippians 4:11 in the Amplified. I wanna bring a point. He says, "Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I've learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am". You see here the self-sufficiency that you have through Christ versus self-satisfaction. When you deal with contention, there's a self-sufficiency I have in Christ, whereas in complacency I'm stuck in my own self-satisfaction. And so, it doesn't say satisfied to the point where you don't want to change, but satisfied for now until God brings the change.
Can you be satisfied for now because you know that God's working on something? Can you be satisfied for now because you know that this pandemic is not gonna always be here, that you know that you're not gonna be in the same situation financially that you've always been, that you know? Can you be satisfied now? And what is it that motivates me to be satisfied right now in whatever state that I am in? Because I know God's working on something. I just know God. God is not ever going to allow me to stay stuck in a ditch. Praise God. So, being content with life involves appreciating what you have and where you are in life, rather than parking there with the attitude of, "You know, this is good enough. You know, I don't need to press for more," just wishing things were different. "I don't need to do that". No, no, no, no, no. I'm appreciative and I'm satisfied because of who God is in my life.
Now, remember, just to bring this back up again from last week. Remember, Christian complacency says that no matter what happens you are fully self-satisfied with your current personal effort in pursuing Christ. Christian complacency says, you know, your personal effort in pursuing Christ, I mean, it's enough, or it's good enough. "And I don't need to grow anymore. I'm just satisfied with my relationship with God right now". I've met people who've said that. "I'm just satisfied with my relationship with God right now. I don't need no more revelation. I don't need to, you know, know about grace. I've been this way for the last 40 years, so I'm just gonna stay just right here".
And I'm telling you, man, that's so dangerous because the ultimate of your life and the will of God for your life could be based in the moving forward and the forward progress. And that's what complacency is all about, and that's what we can't afford to do. And I think somehow the churches, you know, they're satisfied. Well, you know, we talk about love and stuff, but we don't wanna talk about racism. Had a guy say to me one time, he says, "Listen, man. You know, Pastor Dollar, the preaching was good, but you shouldn't have taught on racism, 'cause all Christians ought to know that by now".
You know, we can't stay stuck in the same place. We can't stay stuck in the same mindset and in the same mentality, you know? But now, when you talk about Christian contentment, which says no matter what happens you are fully satisfied, listen, I'm satisfied in Jesus. I'm satisfied in Jesus, man. Jesus is gonna take me higher. I'm satisfied in him. He's gonna move me. I don't have a personal complacency about pursuing Christ. I want more of God. I wanna pursue him and pursue him and grow and grow and grow in this relationship with him, but the truth of the matter is that we can only find true fulfillment and we can only find true contentment in Jesus Christ.
I submit to you right now that you will never know true contentment without Jesus, because true contentment is in Jesus Christ. And the complacency doesn't want you to grow to that point, but true contentment is in Jesus Christ. And I think that is so, so vital. True fulfillment is in Jesus Christ. And the world and people of complacency, they're trying to figure out, "I don't know why I feel this way. Why am I going through this? Why is this not happening for me"? Because true contentment can only be found in Jesus Christ.
True fulfillment can only be found in Jesus Christ, so true biblical contentment is a conviction. True biblical contentment is a conviction that Christ's power, Christ's purpose, Christ's provision is sufficient for every circumstance in my life, a conviction that says that no matter what I go through that Jesus is enough. That no matter what I go through, I am convicted, I am convinced of the power of Jesus Christ, of the provision of Jesus Christ. I am convinced of the purpose of Jesus Christ in my life. And when you get there, when you understand that, when you taste and see that God is good, it's gonna be real difficult for you to stay in one place, amen?
So, we are to learn how to walk through all kinds of adversity, and we learn by believing and experiencing the sufficiency of Christ. That all of the things you've gone through in the pandemic and all of the stress and for some of you trauma and the loss of a loved one, we're walking through all these adversities believing in and experiencing the sufficiency of Christ. I don't even wanna pretend to think I know what you have been going through. I don't even wanna pretend to think I understand how painful and how hurtful some of the things that you've been going through. But what I do understand is that Christ is more than enough for anything that you're going through. Christ is sufficient. He is sufficient for anything that you're going through.
Lemme share this Scripture with you and pray that it blesses you. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 9 through 10. I'm sure some of you will agree with me that if it wasn't for the Word of God that's been deposited on the inside of our lives, we'd lost our mind a long time ago. Shelter-at-home would've freaked us out, all kinds of stuff. Some of us have been just on the verge, you know? I've had a couple of hours of attack in my emotions to have to say, "All right, everything is gonna be all right. I determine how I feel today".
Thank God that I know that. Thank God that I've grown to a place where I know how powerful it is to make a confession and take authority over my thoughts, but look at 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 9 through 10. "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee". Wow! I wanna say to you that God's grace is sufficient for you. It's more than enough. It's all you'll ever need. God's grace is sufficient for you. God's grace is sufficient for you.
He says, "For my strength is made perfect in," what? In weakness, wow. God says my strength works perfectly in weakness. He says, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities," why? "That the power of Christ my rest upon me". And look at the next verse, "Therefore I take pleasure," listen to Paul. Paul says, "I take pleasure in infirmities, I take pleasure in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong".
And you wonder why some of your family is tripping out. Because they're thinking, you know, oh, my God, look at what they're going through. They're so weak. And then instead of them seeing weakness, they see strength. At the loss of a loved one, instead of them seeing weakness, they see strength. When you lost your job, instead of them seeing weakness, they see strength. Because you know that God's grace is sufficient for you. You know whatever you lost is gonna come back seven times more than it was before you lost it. You know that God has never left you alone. You know that in the time of famine, God says you will lack no good thing. And you also know that whenever you're weak, he is strong. That the power of God is revealed more on you in the middle of hard times than ever before.
And that's what I believe what's happening right now. In the middle of this pandemic, the devil just doesn't understand that all he's doing is causing the power of God to be revealed like never before. That all he's doing is allowing you to rise up in strength like never before. Some of you are somewhat shocked to look at your life and you're wondering how is it that I'm making it through this? And I say that his grace is sufficient for you. I say that his unmerited favor is sufficient for you. I mean, how is it that you can get promoted and you haven't even been in the office in six months? His grace is sufficient for you.
How is it that you can be diagnosed with COVID and never had a symptom? His grace is sufficient for you. How is it that your relationships which were bad are now better than they have ever been before? His grace is sufficient for you. And you have others who are wondering why is this not happening for me? Because they trust in themselves more than they trust in their God. And I trust in God that when I am weak, that's when I am strong.
Let that encourage you today, amen? We have to choose to rest on God's promises, we do. We are a free moral agency. I gotta choose to rest in God's promises. I can choose, you know, if I'm under attack and I choose not to rest in God's Word, then I become a victim of the wrong choice. There is a way, there's a path that leads to destruction, but some people think it's gonna lead to something else. And so, despite what we may be going through and what may be going on in our lives, we have to choose God's promises. You have to choose God's promises, and that's contentment that will not be complacent in the midst of circumstances.
Now, look at 1 Timothy chapter 6, 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 6 through 8, and I'm gonna show you now how to use contentment to walk in great gain. I am prophesying great gain in your life. Great gain, gain in your relationships, gain on your job, gain in wisdom, gain in your finances, gain in your love walk. Look what he says here, 1 Timothy chapter 6. I'm going to look at 6 through 8, he says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain". Alright, now notice something. He just said if you add godliness with being content, it's going to produce great gain. I don't know about you, but I believe the Word. Godliness plus contentment is equaled great gain.
How many of you want great gain in your life? He says alright, now you learn how to be content, that's cool, but let's add some godliness with that contentment. He says, "For we brought nothing into this world, it's certain that we can carry nothing out," and he says, "And having food and clothes," or raiment, "Let us be therefore content". So, he says so whatever I have, let me be content, you know. I didn't bring anything in this world, so if I have something, let me be satisfied as I prepare to go to the next level. But he says here's how you can get to the next level. Let's be godly, too. Not just be content, but let's just be godly as well, hallelujah, because godliness with contentment brings about great gain. That's a powerful truth, man.
You know, I've come to realize that our world and the world we live in today lives in a constant state of discontentment. Think about it. Listen to the news. Look at people. Go to social media. Our world lives in a constant state of discontentment. I mean, they're just not happy with anything. They're not happy with their wife or with their husband. They're not happy with their children. They're not happy with their leaders. They're not happy with the things that they have. They're not happy with their house. I mean, it's just too small, or it doesn't have this, or that, or they're not happy with their TV because it's outdated. And they're not happy with their cell phone because it doesn't have 5G technology. We live in a world filled with discontentment.
So, how do you find contentment in such a restless world? How do you find contentment amongst a nation of people that are so discontent? Well, I'm gonna tell you the answer. You may not like it, but it is the answer. You yield to Jesus, the only real source of contentment. "Oh, yeah, Brother Dollar, but I don't believe in God". Well, now that ought to give you the reason why things are like they are. You yield to Jesus, the only source of your contentment. The only source of contentment. You can try to, you know, use your self-effort to try to manufacture contentment, but it's not gonna be true contentment without Jesus Christ. And the day you yield to Jesus Christ is the day that you walk away from discontentment. It's a day that you become so grateful and so thankful. It's the day that you have help. Your unseen partner, Jesus Christ, shows up. You yield to Jesus, who is the only real source of contentment.
I'm calling everybody today who doesn't know Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior. I'm telling you, you're never gonna know what I'm talking about today. You're never gonna know what I'm preaching on today, because in order to know this, you need to know Jesus, the real source of your contentment. Many of us are trying to fill a void of some kind in our lives, and unfortunately we try to fill that void with things that can't really satisfy. Man, that's this country right now. Trying to fill a void with things that just can't satisfy. I mean, I've tried that, it just doesn't satisfy.
We look to fill the void with possessions or money, but we only end up wanting more, and more, and more, and it doesn't satisfy. You thought the big house was gonna satisfy. You thought the new nice car was gonna satisfy. You thought expensive clothes was gonna satisfy. You thought, you know, a woman that was so beautiful to everybody else was gonna satisfy. We try to fulfill it with relationships. We try to fulfill it with sex. But we end up feeling even more empty and depressed than when we started. Is that you? Have you been trying to fill that void with relationships, with sex, and even right now you feel more empty and more depressed than when you started the whole process? Wow, we try to fill it with possessions and we end up wanting more. And when those things become the end goals and the reason for our being, we end up being discontent, why? Because those things were never meant to fulfill us in the first place. Only Jesus can do that. They were never meant to fulfill us, only Jesus can do that.
You see, I believe that there's gonna be a great harvest of souls coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they just need somebody to tell 'em. They just need Christian people instead of walking around looking sanctimonious, to be sensitive to the fact that that person needs Jesus. And it's not gonna be hard now, because the Holy Spirit is ready for this to happen, man. And if somebody could just take the time and bear witness to Jesus, people are gonna accept him. There are gonna be atheists that come to the Lord Jesus Christ. There are gonna be people who stopped coming to church years ago coming to Jesus Christ. There are gonna be people who made it plain, "I don't believe in Jesus," then all of a sudden they're ready to believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior.
Let me share some Scripture with you to show this to you in Scripture, because here are some things, based on these Scriptures, that I believe if we do these things, we're gonna find ourselves going towards and down that path of contentment. Look at Romans chapter 12 and 2. Romans chapter 12 and 2. I believe if you do this, you're gonna start down that path of contentment. Let's look at this in the New Living Translation. Romans chapter 12 and 2, he says this, he says, "Don't copy the behavior and the customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think".
Wow, God can transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. God can turn you into a new person by changing the way you think. Isn't that the case with most of our country? You don't think you need to change what you think. You're so inundated with the wrong information, which you think is the right information, and you're so convinced that this godly information is just the wrong kind of information, and look at your life. And he says if you can just change the way you think, you can change your whole life. So, he says don't copy the behavior and the customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, then you will learn to know God's will for you.
If you change the way you think and start thinking in line with the Word of God, then you'll know God's Word and will for your life which is good, and pleasing, and perfect. God's will for your life is good, and pleasing, and perfect. God's will for your life is good, and pleasing, and perfect. But there's just some people who say, "I don't believe that," and that's why I really, really thank God for allowing me to teach more than I preach. We've got to change the way we think. You know, renewing your mind, it's not an event, it's a lifetime process, not an event. It's what I do for life, and I mean, what else has to happen before you realize that your old way of thinking's not working? How many more years do you have to waste and lose in your life before you come to a place and realize I had it wrong?
I've been going down the wrong path. And I know there are people that make fun of me, you know, even if I teach this stuff right here. You have more confidence in your universities as they give you fables and philosophies that are only designed to lead you down a path of destruction. And here is God who says I wanna give you something, so you can prove the perfect will of God, which is good, and pleasing, and perfect. Which is good, and pleasing, and perfect.
I'm not talking about you getting saved and just getting involved in the emotional cartwheels of salvation, I'm talking about changing the way you think. I'm talking about getting in the Word and allowing the Word to change your thinking, and trusting the only one that can bring you to a place of real satisfaction and real contentment. And so, contentment in life starts with renewing your mind and thinking differently from the world's way of thinking. I believe when you renew your mind with God's Word, then I believe you're gonna proceed down that path of contentment.
Look at this Scripture, Proverbs 14:30 in the NLT. Proverbs 14:30 in the NLT. This is what happens when you can't get out of discontentment. And I know people who live a constant life of discontentment. And in verse 30, he says, "A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body". He says, "Jealousy is like cancer in the bones". And I'm telling you, in the name of Jesus, discontentment and stress will rob you of health, but contentment and peace gives life to the body. You cannot allow these issues of jealousy that will come from discontentment, envy, unforgiveness, all these things that come from being discontent, he says it's like cancer in the bones.
And look at your life. Listen, even if you just say to yourself, "I don't believe what you're saying," at least look at your life, something's wrong, something's wrong. You're 20 years old looking like you're 50, what's wrong? A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body, amen. Look at Job, let's go to Job. Job 36:11 in the NIV. Job 36 and 11 in the NIV. I believe as we take the wisdom from these Scriptures and begin to apply them to our lives, we're gonna go to a place where God can do some great things with us. He says, "If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant".
Wow, if they listen and obey God. In other words, a relationship where God can lead you and guide you. A relationship where God is priority in your life. A relationship that has grown to a point where you've become this barefooted priest and you hear God with clarity. A relationship where God has been given honor to begin to speak into your life and that you carry out what he says. He says when you get to that place, he says you'll be blessed with prosperity and success throughout your life, and your years will be pleasant. But you don't take the time to develop a relationship with God. You don't take the time to hear him.
You know, when you get in the Word, the written Word of God helps to tune your ears to be able to hear from God. And during the time of all of the craziness in our world, we need to hear from God. You need to hear from God. You can't play religion. You can't, "This is the way we go to church". You've got to hear from God. What is God saying? There's a new thing that's happening right now. There's a reset that's taking place. There's a recycle, there's a retooling that's taking place. God has been recycling you, and retooling you, and revamping you, and resetting you, now it's time to be able to hear him and to listen to his voice, see what he has to say.
Serving God will allow you years in contentment. Contentment that takes you from one level, to the next level, to the next level. And then, finally in Proverbs chapter 19 verse 23 in the NIV, Proverbs chapter 19 verse 23 in the NIV, he says, "The fear of the Lord leads to life. Then one rests content, untouched by trouble". "The fear of the Lord leads to life". The reverencing of God, the honor of God, the respect of God. He says then you rest content and you're untouched, that's powerful, untouched by trouble.
You can be in the midst of trouble, but you can be untouched by trouble. In the midst of the COVID-19, but untouched by COVID-19. In the mist of hatred, but no hatred in your heart. In the midst of famine, in the midst of wondering where the money's gonna come from, but it shall not come near you. You'll be untouched by that. All these verses confirm that you can find contentment only in Jesus Christ. So, what do we do? Well, we get in the Word. We get in prayer. We fellowship with him. We find contentment in Jesus.
I'm hungry for people that will say God is my priority. God is my priority. That I won't let any other thing in life take this place of priority. I'm so happy that you joined us for this Word this morning. That you made logging on and becoming a part of our services, you made it a priority. You could have did a lot of things, you made it a priority. You might not be home, but you have that device with you. You've made it a priority. I've seen people and been told that there are people in Wal-Mart and other stores, and they have their phones on, several people in the same place making their confessions, but they made it a priority.
What happens when you make Jesus your priority? What happens when he is first place in your life? Don't let it slide down to the last place. Stick with this word. Log on every Sunday. Join us on every Wednesday, every Saturday, every day for confessions. Feed on the Word. Grow from the nourishment from God's Word. And when the church comes back into the buildings, we will show and demonstrate a power that the planet has never seen, and you're doing it even so now. Even so now, in your individual homes, and in your families, you're doing it right now. God is renovating. God is changing. God is preparing.
Some of you are gonna be prepared for immediate mission for the kingdom of God because of what God is doing right now. I don't know, somehow or another, maybe he had to take you and put you in boot camp. I don't know, God knows how to use every crazy thing for his good, but some of you have been preparing for the last six months. You may be preparing for another three months more, but you are not gonna be the same. You cannot be the same. You are not the same. You're no longer complacent, but you are a person of great contentment, and that contentment can only be found in Jesus Christ.