Watch “Made For More: Contentment” Jentezen Franklin, host of Kingdom Connection & Pastor of Free Chapel.
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if you have your Bibles I’d like for you
to open them with me to the book of
Exodus I want to go to Exodus chapter 20
and verse 17 I really wrestled with this
message a little bit but the more that I
kept thinking on our theme and and being
made for more I couldn’t get away from
this thought I couldn’t get away from
what I’m going to teach you today from
God’s Word and if you want to open your
Bible to Exodus 20 verse 17 you shall
not covet your neighbor’s house you
shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or
is male servant or female servant nor
his ox nor his donkey nor is BMW nor is
Mercedes or anything that is your
neighbors I want to talk to you today
about being content and not being made
for materialism but made for such
greater things than just what things the
world can offer the biggest room in the
world is the room for improvement people
live in one of two tents number one
content or discontent no matter how long
you agonize over the dessert menu the
moment the person besides you gets their
dessert you’re gonna realize you made
the wrong decision because no matter how
good it is what you have it’s always
possible to wish you had what somebody
else has we’re made that way the average
family goal is to make as much money as
they are spending but our yearnings will
always out spend our our earnings the
word budget someone said I like this is
a mathematical confirmation of our
suspicions just when you think you’re
gonna make ends meet somebody moves the
ends I see it I want it I’ve got to have
it and that’s how most people live their
lives I see it I want it I’ve got to
have it and so we end up buying
things we don’t need with money that we
don’t have to impress people we don’t
like we are we are impulsive shoppers
look at what I bought it was on sale and
look how much money I saved by buying it
on sale 52 easy payments there’s no such
thing as easy payments if it’s so easy
pay cash and you won’t have to worry
about it but it’s not easy it’s not easy
there are three groups of people the
haves the have-nots and the haves but
have not paid for what they have how
many of you in that last group wave at
me a little bit we need to treat debt
and credit with extreme caution when it
comes to thinking about buying something
new you need to take inventory of what
you’ve already got and here’s a good
formula to live by use it up wear it out
make it do or do without alright you’re
gonna repeat after me ready let’s go use
it up wear it out make it do or do
without if you’re married turn to your
wife and say use it up wear it out make
it do or do without turn to your husband
and say come on one more time I know you
got more in you use it up wear it out
make it do or do without some of us need
to have plastic surgery and we need to
cut up our plastic credit cards the 10th
commandment there’s just 10 out of all
of the things God could have put on his
top 10 list he said do not covet your
neighbor’s house or anything else your
neighbor owns the word covet means to
desire with intent to own something that
you could never rightfully say is yours
another word for covet is materialism
materialism and being obsessed with
things can cause problems greatly in our
we were made for more than material
things number one materialism can cause
worry listen to what the Bible says
don’t be greedy for what you don’t have
life is not measured by how much we own
when we focus on things we worry about
them we worry about keeping what we have
and we worry about getting what we want
money is the greatest worry of most
people when family was having a family
portrait and the teenage son was
standing by the dad and the photographer
made a suggestion and said I think it
would be nice to the teenage son if you
would put your arm up on your dad’s
shoulder and the dad spoke up and said
it would be more appropriate if he put
his hand in my pocket because that’s
what he does all the time as he just
takes my money
materialism can cause you weariness
listen to the scripture don’t worry
yourself trying to make yourself rich
why waste your time some people are
chasing money and they are and they have
pierced themselves through with many
sorrows if you cannot have everything
you need to learn to make the best of
everything you have the Bible doesn’t
condemn wealth or possessions the Bible
doesn’t say that money is evil but it
does say the love of money is the root
of all evil God is not opposed to wealth
he’s opposed to the worship of wealth
and we were made for more than
accumulation of things Jesus taught a
lot about money in 16 out of 38 parables
Jesus taught that we are more than our
money and our possessions as a matter of
fact Jesus perhaps most famous teaching
on money is when he said it’s harder for
rich man to go to heaven than for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle
I’m hope I’m holding a sewing needle and
it has the little slit in the middle
that you would put the thread through
and Jesus himself taught this lesson
about material things he said it’s
harder for a wealthy person to go to
heaven than it is for a
camel to go through the eye of the
needle once you’d imagine in your mind a
big fat hairy camel like that and then I
want you to imagine somehow trying to
get that big fat hairy camel through the
eye of this needle in other words Jesus
was saying it’s difficult to say the
least
so I have a great imagination so in my
mind I said well you know Lord I could
take a big blender and if I put that big
fat hairy camel in a blender I could
liquidate him and if I liquidated him
enough I might could get him through but
then the hair would still clog up the
eye of the needle let me tell you what
Jesus was saying it’s like the Yuppie
that gets a brand-new Porsche and he
goes downtown to a big fancy hotel that
has a revolving door and he rams that
Porsche into the revolving door trying
to go inside of the hotel the point is
this he can’t go in the hotel with that
Porsche what he has to do is get out of
it and then he can go through the door
and when Jesus said that is that it’s
harder for rich man to go to heaven than
it is to get a camel through the eye of
the needle his point was simply this
it’s not that wealthy people can’t go to
heaven they can’t take any of the stuff
with them you only the ground is level
there and you only get in through one
entrance and his name is Jesus not how
much possessions you own coveting is the
mother of all sins we lie we cheat we
steal because we want more it’s like
drinking seawater the more you drink the
more you won’t and we’re never satisfied
so the opposite of coveting is the
principle of being content the first
thing that I want to say to you is when
you receive the contentment of the Lord
here’s how you get it you need to be
more grateful for what you already have
the way you conquer this covetous
of wanting so much that other people
have is you become grateful for what I
already have I want you to help me speak
today so everybody open your mouth and
say I need to be more grateful for what
I already have listen to what the
scripture says true religion with
contentment is great wealth after all we
don’t have it we don’t bring anything
with us when we come into the world and
we can’t take anything with us when we
die so if we have enough food and
clothing let us be content the best way
to be content is to count your blessings
not your cash and you may not have tons
of cash but you have lots of blessings
because you’re sitting in this room and
not in an intensive care today so you
need to count your blessings and I need
to be grateful for what I already have
beware of this win and then thinking
when I get the promotion then I’ll be
happy when I get the another zero on the
end of my salary then I’ll be happy when
I get the car then I’ll be happy when I
get the house then I’ll be satisfied
then I’ll be content then I’ll give
myself permission to enjoy my life when
and then thinking will rob you of a
joyful life a precious life and
relationships that are all around you be
content while having aspirations and
dreams and goals be happy where you are
a farmer lived on a farm all of his life
it was a beautiful farm with the passing
of life the farmer began to tire and get
weary of the hard work and he longed in
his heart for a change he wanted
something new so he called a real-estate
agent and he said I want to sell
everything and they developed an ad and
it was amazing and beautiful ad it read
ideal location acres of fertile ground
beautiful livestock barns a gorgeous
home place streams ponds rivers and
finally the man spoke up and interrupted
the real estate agent and said hold
everything
I’m not gonna sail I’ve been looking for
a place like that all my life if you’ve
got food clothes and a roof over your
head you’re richer than 75% of the
people in the world today if you have
savings of money in the bank you are in
the top 8% of the world’s wealthy today
if you woke up this morning with your
health you’re more blessed than 1
million people who will not survive this
week if you have not experienced the
agony of torture or the pains of
starvation you are more fortunate than
500 million people in the world today do
you have an attitude of gratitude I need
to be more thankful for what I have
right now everybody take a praise break
and be thankful unto Him and bless his
name not win and then but right now
thank him that you are blessed that you
are healthy that you are strong that you
are saved come on if you didn’t get
another blessing you have eternal life
let’s be grateful for what we already
have number two you need to recognize
the limitations of wealth if you’re
going to be content one way to teach
your children the value of money is to
borrow from them money can buy medicine
but it cannot buy health money can buy a
house but it cannot buy a home money can
buy companionship but it cannot buy
friendship money can buy entertainment
but it cannot buy happiness money can
buy food but it cannot buy an appetite
money can buy a bed but it cannot buy
sleep money can buy a crucifix but it
cannot buy a Savior he’s not for sale
and he says come unto me all of you who
are weary and I’ll give you rest come on
he prays in just a minute I I tell you
I’m getting happy we need to quit saying
one day when I get this or that I’m
gonna rejoice this is a good day to be
joyful enjoy your life enjoy your family
enjoy the goodness of the Lord because
one day you’ll look back and these will
be the good old days come only rejoice
come on we’re gonna have a praise party
in here this morning we’ve got so much
to be thankful for
get your eyes off what you don’t have
there’s a story of a king who was
suffering from anxiety and depression he
was advised that he would be cured if he
could find the shirt of a contented man
and it was brought to him so after a
long search they did find a man who was
totally content but he didn’t own a
shirt Ecclesiastes said those who love
money will never have enough how absurd
to think wealth brings true happiness
things satisfy for a while and then they
lose their thrill the Bible says the
rich think of their wealth as an
impregnable defense a high wall of
safety and God doesn’t want us trusting
in things the truth is your money is not
a high wall of defense I don’t care how
much you accumulate your one little vein
in your brain collapsing from having an
aneurysm and B not even able to make a
decision or know who you are or where
you are your safety is not in your money
in your house in the accumulation of
things our safety is in the fact that he
will never leave me and he will never
forsake me and he will supply all my
needs according oh I’m so blessed today
I know I’ve been I’ve been young and now
I’m old and I’ve never seen the
righteous forsaken or his seed begging
for bread that’s a law of safety
security and happiness cannot be bought
as one philosopher put it Mick Jagger I
can’t get no satisfaction because I
tried and I tried and I tried and I
tried but I can’t get no satisfaction
because you were made for more than
things and stuff and lovers and parties
and this and that there is something
missing and it’s Jesus and only Jesus
can
– file your soul if you are witness of
that give him appraised and I’ll keep
preaching Jesus satisfies our soul a man
asks God one time God how long is a
million years to you and God said son a
million years to me is like one second
of your time the man asks God a second
question God what is a million dollars
like to you God said son a million
dollars to me is like one penny to you
the man looked up and said God could I
have one of your pennies and God smiled
and replied certainly just a second
true contentment is not found in having
everything we want but in not wanting
everything that we see true contentment
is not found in having everything we
want but in not wanting to have
everything the third principle of being
content is I need to focus on people not
possessions we can covet so much that
things become more important to us than
people possessions cannot compensate for
successful relationships listen to me
possessions cannot compensate for second
for successful relationships people
bring happiness not things people bring
happiness not things people bring
happiness not things a man’s life does
not consist of the abundance of things
Jesus said he possesses the Bible says a
greedy person brings trouble to their
family striving for riches can cost you
a marriage it can cost you children and
a distant relationship the best thing
that you can ever give your children is
time not treasure its presents not
presents love people and use things
don’t use people and love things focus
on people not possessions the last thing
I want to say to you is you need to look
beyond what’s temporal if you’re gonna
be content life is a blip on the eternal
screen live life in the light of
eternity what does it profit a man if he
gains the whole world and he loses his
soul if you just live for here and now
you’re gonna be a miserable person look
at the news look at the people who have
had great success and it’s not let the
bible’s against success and it’s not
against dreams and goals and achieving
God loves that he cheers us own in our
aspirations and dreams but once you
begin to allow material things to take
the place of what we were singing about
a moment ago there’s no one higher than
you there’s no one greater than you
there’s no one like you Lord nothing in
this life compares to you I’m telling
you that’s where contentment is that’s
where meaning is that’s where a
purposeful life is it’s in Jesus when
Alexander the Great who had conquered
the then-known world knew he was going
to die gave instructions to his officers
that he’d be buried in a coffin where
his hands were outside the coffin
visible so that all of the people who
watched his funeral would see his hands
outside his coffin empty because even
though he had conquered the world he
could take none of it with him into the
afterlife it doesn’t matter the titles
the achievements the possessions the
wealth the fame the fortune that you
assembled the point is if you go to the
gate of heaven and you knock on the
doors and say let me in because I have
this I have that I’ve earned this I’ve
done this I’ve achieved this they’ll say
we do not know you but if you say I am a
sinful mortal man and I need a Savior
then only upon that condition are we
accepted and that’s the profound lesson
that I’m wanting you to get today that
things are here and they’re gone and
what does it profit a man if he gains
the whole world because you’re gonna
leave here empty-handed someone said to
me did your father leave you much when
he died yes he left me everything and so
will yours you can take nothing with you
some of you are ruining your lives and
ruining your families and ruining your
marriages and ruining relationships and
you’re stressed out and you’re not even
enjoying your life because you’re in the
relentless pursuit of things and you
were made for more and when you get it
it won’t satisfy and when you achieve
the next thing and you get a million or
two million or five million or ten
billion it still will not satisfy
because you were made for more and I
close with this but I’ve used this
illustration but I want to I want you to
see it a little different the United
States Treasury the one who created this
says that it has $20 value it’s a new
crisp $20 bill and we live in a nation
and in a world that says your value is
how much you own and how much you
possess if you have a lot of this then
you’re worth a lot is the hidden
subliminal message that the more of this
you have the more important you are the
more of this you have the more valued
you are the more of this you have the
more your worth is and nothing could be
further from the truth according to your
Creator because I can take this new $20
bill and I can crunch it up and I can
throw it on the floor and I can this
floors got some dust on it and I can get
dirt on it and I can crumble it up but
guess how much it’s still worth it’s
still worth $20 according to its creator
and God says I don’t care what you’ve
done I don’t care how dirty you are I
don’t care where you’ve been your value
has not changed to me I’m your Creator
and I love you and I gave my life for
you and I gave my son for you so that
you could be valued and your life does
not consist of the abundance of things
that you possess
praise God men that ought to set us free
none of us all to leave here today
discouraged and depressed and worried we
ought to leave here are different people
saying you know my life is not in just
my stuff my life is in my possessions my
family my loved ones and most of all my
god I have meaning I have value I have
purpose and God has a plan for my life
does anybody hear what I’m saying some
of you are so stressed out today God
wants that stress to come off of you and
enjoy your life the Bible said a
preached on it Wednesday and I enjoy
your wife in her youth and in joy or
through the seasons enjoy one and that
sounds like God wants us to enjoy life
not be stressed out of what we don’t
have some of you some of you are gonna
waste years of your life because Jesus
isn’t the center stuff is successes
things and I’m telling you here’s the
amazing thing if you seek first the
kingdom he just adds the stuff it gets a
whole lot easier with the stuff when he
is Lord of your life you were made from
born that’s why it doesn’t satisfy only
Jesus can satisfy your heart
you
at party more laughs more live more more
have you ever had that feeling there
must be more to life you might be
enjoying all of the blessings that God
has provided but still know something is
missing God has a perfect plan and
purpose for your life you are made for
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