Telling the Truth

Announcer: On today's Telling the Truth program, Stuart Briscoe brings us a message he's calling "The Contentment of Godliness." It's all about the contentment you'll find when you live a life of godliness. But before we launch into the program, today's culture is a revolving door of ever-shifting views and beliefs. That's why it's so important to test new ideas against the timeless truth of scripture. It's the best defense against the world's confusion.

We want to help ground you in the foundation of your faith by sending you Stuart Briscoe's six-message series on the book of Second Peter, "Six Things We Must Never Forget." This series will anchor you in six time-tested truths from God's word so you can stand strong in your beliefs as you remember the deep spiritual truths that are foundational to your faith.

"The Six Things We Must Never Forget" series is our thanks for your gift to help keep Telling the Truth going strong, sharing life-giving teaching from Stuart and Jill with more people all over the world. So request your copy when you give today and get help staying grounded in truth in today's shifting culture. Call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now here's Stuart with today's message called "The Contentment of Godliness."

Stuart Briscoe: Today we're going to be looking into Paul's first letter to his young assistant, minister at the church in Ephesus called Timothy. So we'd normally call that the First Epistle to Timothy and chapter six. You'll notice that we have rather an odd title for this series. We're calling it "Cheerful Godliness," and I suppose there's a sense in which we would not usually think of cheerfulness and godliness in the same sentence, let alone in the same phrase.

But the expression comes from one of William Wordsworth's poems in which he bemoans the spiritual and moral climate of Britain around about the time that he was living, the end of the 18th century, and he wishes that Milton could come back. He had a great regard for the old blind Puritan poet, Milton. He said that Milton would make a big difference because he lived in his day with cheerful godliness. I rather like that expression.

We're going to turn to the scriptures and as I said, our reading will come from First Timothy chapter six, where there is a very, very succinct statement that is profoundly important to us and you'll find it in verse six. Listen to what it says: "Godliness with contentment is great gain." Before we're through, you'll have memorized that little expression and I trust you'll be able to take it away with you. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Let's look at this idea that godliness with contentment is great gain, first of all, by reminding ourselves of the significance of contentment. That may not be a prevailing attitude in our culture at the present time. Just being satisfied with what we have. Just feeling that we have enough and just coming to the inner attitude that says, "I am satisfied with what I've got, what I've got is enough, and enough is enough." That's basically what Paul means by this word contentment.

Recently there was a nationwide poll that was conducted. Two basic questions caught my attention. The first question was, "If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?" Well, the majority of the people said their weight. That's what they'd like to change about themselves, their weight. The second thing in the list was I think rather closely related to that, that was their bodies. If they could change one thing about themselves, the majority said their weight, the second group said their bodies, and the third group said their age.

Now it's obvious that people have very noble aspirations, isn't it? They're really interested in the one thing that they could change would either be their weight or their bodies or their age. Now, the second question that was asked was, "If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?" And there was a runaway winner in this one. Do you know what it was? If I could change one thing about my life, it would be I would have more money. If there's one thing I could change about my life, I would have more money.

All right, now if that is the attitude, if that's number one in the thinking of the people who were polled, let's ask how that attitude jibes with this biblical principle that godliness with contentment is great gain. I think immediately you'll see that there is some conflict at this particular point.

Let me take this a step further then. If we accept the idea that contentment is an inner attitude that says that that which is being provided for me is enough and I've decided that enough is enough and I will live contented with that attitude, then the question is, well, what is the synergy between godliness and contentment? What is the connection between the two? I don't necessarily see any connection.

Well, let me remind you of what we're understanding about godliness. The root idea of godliness is a worshipful attitude towards God that is predicated on our understanding that he is awesome and that our worship is an expression of awe to him. That is the root idea of the word godliness, *eusebeia*. Now, when this begins to grip our hearts, we begin to have an attitude of awe-inspired worship to him and that's spelled out in two particular ways.

Number one, because he is so awesome, we fear lest we displease him. Well, that's very negative, but on the positive side, and we long to bring him pleasure. So I put these two things together and I go through my life in a variety of situations and I have these two things in my mind. Because my God is an awesome God and I'm awestruck by him, as I make a decision about this particular thing today, what are the two things that are very much in mind? Number one, will it displease him? Number two, will it bring him delight?

And what that means is that there are some things that will be taken out of my life for no other reason than they displease him. And there'll be other things that become a priority in my life for no other reason than they bring him pleasure. And the result of that kind of a life is called godliness. That is godliness.

Now then, if it is true that I am living in that kind of a relationship with that kind of God, what is going to happen to me? Well, Paul has something else to say about this in Second Corinthians chapter nine and verse eight. Let me read this verse to you. It's a stunning verse. God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Now that is a sentence made up of superlatives. It's the kind of verse that should be underlined so heavily it comes through to the maps or the index depending on which side of the page you find it. Make sure that you do that. I have not done it myself, but I feel constrained to encourage you to do it. God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times having all you need, you will abound in every good work.

Now put that together. I am living in a relationship with this awesome God. My attitude towards him determines the kind of life that I'm living, it is characterized by godliness. And this God is able constantly in all situations at all times, whatever happens, he is able to make abound to me in fullest measure all that I need, in order to get through life by the skin of my teeth. Is that what it says? No. In order that I get through life with an abundance, with an abundance of life. That is what he promises.

Put those two things together and you've got godliness and contentment. For you say to yourself, my life is all about bringing him praise and bringing him glory. His concern for me is giving me sufficiency at all times and that's good enough for me. Enough is enough and I'm contented in my godliness. Now that's what Paul is talking about. And he says that godliness with contentment is great gain.

You say, gee, it would be wonderful if that was my attitude. It must be so neat just to be laid back and just let the world go by. Well, does that sound like the Apostle Paul to you? Does he sound kind of laid back and does he sound as if he's just letting the world go by? No, Paul did not say that. He did not speak Spanish, so we must not think in those terms. We must not assume these things about the Apostle Paul.

Let me give you another passage of scripture. It's Philippians chapter four, verse 11. He's talking to his friends in Philippi who've been helping him and he said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Now, sometimes people take that last statement and they take it right out of its context and they put it in a nice little plaque and stick it on the wall and I don't believe it. I just go in and I see this on the wall: "I can do everything through Christ who is my strength." And I can think of lots of things they can't do. Paul didn't say "I can do everything through Christ who is my strength." What he did say was this: it doesn't matter whether I have an abundance or whether I lack. It doesn't matter whether I'm hungry or I'm well-fed.

It doesn't matter whether I'm being abundantly cared for or I'm running a little bit short. I have learned in whatever state I am therewith to say my God will supply my need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And that's good enough for me and enough is enough and that's what I've learned and through him I can adopt this attitude whatever the circumstance might be. Why? Because he is able to make all grace abound towards you so that you always in all things might have all that you need in order that you might abound unto every good work. He says this didn't come naturally. I learned it. I learned it.

That is why our third point here is what I would call the "School of Contentment." It isn't something that comes naturally, it doesn't drop out of the sky, it is something we learn over time. Because naturally we tend to move in the other direction. We are committed to acquisitiveness. We are committed to getting more. Why is that? Well, part of the reason for it is this: we are material beings as well as spiritual beings and there's an awkward tension there.

Because we are very material and it's obvious to see the material side of things, the spiritual side of things get pushed out of the way and we concentrate on the material things. We are eternal beings and we're temporal beings, but eternity is kind of out there somewhere and temporal time is here. Hours and minutes and days, times and calendars, they are with us every moment. And so what do we tend to concentrate on naturally? That which is temporal and that which is material at the expense of that which is spiritual and that which is eternal. We struggle with this.

In addition to this, we live in a culture that quite frankly, whatever it says to the contrary, is more interested in the material than the spiritual side of life. We live in a nation that is committed to increasing production. The GNP has got to keep going up. In order for that to happen, more things have to be sold. If they're going to be sold, they have to be bought. If people are going to buy more and more, they have to earn more and more. If they're going to earn more and more, then they have to be persuaded to spend more and more.

And so what happens? We are given more and more alluring opportunities. We are told more and more what we need. We're utterly confused between a need and a want. We don't know the difference between a whim and a caprice. We are all the time being pressured, "You owe this to yourself." And because that is the case, we are breathing in this atmosphere all the time. Do you know what begins to dissipate? This fundamental idea that enough is enough. This fundamental idea that it is actually possible to be content. This fundamental idea that godliness with contentment is great gain.

Now, if we're living in that atmosphere, we have to learn contentment. Now the Apostle gives us some help with this. Let's go back to First Timothy chapter six and I will identify for you three basic lessons here that he suggests for us. Lesson number one, you'll find it in verse seven: "We brought nothing into the world." That's lesson number one. I often come across people who say, "Well, I don't believe the Bible, it's not true." And so I take them to a verse like that. All right, we brought nothing into the world. What's wrong with that bit? Well, that's right.

Okay, and now here's the second part of the verse: "and we can take nothing out of it." What's wrong with that part of it? Well, that's all right too. Good, well, we've found one verse in the Bible that's true. I have never, ever found anybody who's been able to rip that one apart. Two fundamental statements: we brought nothing into the world, we take nothing out. Or if you want a different way of looking at it, there are no pockets in shrouds. So lesson number one: we brought nothing into the world. No argument.

Lesson number two: we'll take nothing out of the world. No argument. Lesson number three: if it is true that I brought nothing into the world but I came anyway, and I take nothing out of the world but I will go out into the next world, what's more important? The things that I didn't bring in or the things that I don't take out, or me? The answer is obviously I'm more important than these things.

All right, if I am more important than these things, why is the focus on all these things? Would it not be satisfactory to say what matters is not the accumulation of all these things, what really matters is who I am? If I have all that I need to be all that I am supposed to be, then it's pretty obvious that the important thing to concentrate on is the fundamental necessities that will allow me to be the person I'm supposed to be, rather than all the other things that seem to be captivating my thinking.

Why in the world do I need more of this? Why in the world do I have to have better that? Why does it just have to be bigger this? What has that got to do with who I am? I come to a fundamental lesson, I come to a fundamental conclusion that what I am is what matters, not what I've got. If what I've got mattered, I'd have brought some of it with me. And if what I've got mattered, you can bet your bottom dollar I would have taken it with me when I left. But I brought nothing in, brought nothing out. Therefore, says the Apostle, we will be content with fundamental necessities.

Guest (Male): Stuart, would you share again the two questions that we should ask ourselves to help ensure that we're making godly decisions?

Stuart Briscoe: I'm glad you asked me for a little clarification on the two questions we should ask ourselves to help us determine if we are making godly decisions. What I was trying to explain is this: that sometimes our understanding of God is not as accurate as it might be. I think perhaps that is because frequently we are very much drawn to teaching about the nature and character of God that portrays him as loving and gracious and merciful and kind, rather like a celestial Santa Claus. When in actual fact, that is an only partial view of what God is like.

We need to recognize that he is in the fullest sense of the word awesome, he is in the fullest sense of the word majestic. He is separate from sin. When we recognize that he is the one to whom we will give account, I think there are two things that come very forcibly to mind. One is, am I pleasing him? Am I not doing what displeases him? Those are the two questions I need to be asking. Am I doing that which brings him pleasure? Am I avoiding that which causes him displeasure?

Guest (Male): Why is it important, Stuart, to understand the full context of the verse, "I can do everything through Christ who is my strength"?

Stuart Briscoe: One of the dangers of scripture is that sometimes we can take a text out of its context or sometimes even just quote half a text. Now, I like to explain to people that if you take a text out of its context, you're left with a con, and we certainly don't want to con anybody. A case in point is the oft-quoted statement by believers, well-meaning believers: "I can do everything through Christ who is my strength." Is that true? Well, no.

In actual fact, sometimes I think to myself, oh, it would be wonderful if I didn't have to stand in line to get on this airplane. It would be wonderful if I could just flap my wings and take off and just fly there myself. And then I said to myself, if that's what I want to do, I can do everything through Christ who is my strength. That's nonsense. Of course I can't do everything through Christ who is my strength.

What I can say is this: there are things that God calls me to do that in and of my own ability I'm totally incapable of doing, but if God calls me to do it, he will give me the ability to do it. And therefore, that ability through the indwelling Christ is my strength, and I can do everything he calls me to do through Christ who is my strength.

Announcer: Thanks for listening to Telling the Truth today. We're so glad you've joined us, and we pray this message has helped you experience more of the abundant life Jesus promises. Here's how one listener named Barbara is growing in her faith through the teaching of Telling the Truth. She recently shared, "I am so thankful to rediscover the Briscoes' teaching on one place. I cannot thank you enough for straightforward Bible-based messages and the style of your delivery. May the Lord bless you. Carry on."

Today's culture is a revolving door of ever-shifting views and beliefs. That's why it's so important to test new ideas against the timeless truth of scripture. It's the best defense against the world's confusion. We want to help ground you in the foundation of your faith by sending you Stuart Briscoe's six-message series on the book of Second Peter, "Six Things We Must Never Forget."

The "Six Things We Must Never Forget" series is our thanks for your gift to help keep Telling the Truth going strong, sharing life-giving teaching from Stuart and Jill with more people all over the world. So request your copy when you give today and get help staying grounded in truth in today's shifting culture. Call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org.

Be sure to tune in again next time as Stuart concludes his current series with a message called "The Mystery of Godliness." It's an encouraging word about how you can display godliness within a community of believers and outside a community of believers. Tune in again right here on Telling the Truth with Stuart and Jill Briscoe.