•I Corinthians 7:17-24
•Finding Contentment
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
(I Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV)
•Main Point
• These verses provide of the cross and contentment
• With the cross we have been bought with a price
• One must be faithful to what God has called you to in the moment
• We find our contentment in giving all the more glory to Christ
Application Points
• Finding Contentment
• We look behind and look ahead
• We can look at our personal histories
• We can make plans in order to get where we want to go
• We can think on the past and think, “If only…”
• Perhaps considering going to a different school…career…love
• This can lead to losing contentment in where you are now
• Remembering the times of our youth
• Leading to a belief that you will never experience such joys again
Application Points
• Finding Contentment (2)
• The future is similar
• What am I going to end up doing?
• Perhaps goals and desires ahead of you
• This can become all there is, the next dream to chase
• It can be our relationship with God that can be hindered because of such things
• It could also be that we think we aren’t the ones who have been called
• They steal from us
• We can be so overly fixated on the past or future that we forget we are called here and now
Application Points
• Finding Contentment (3)
• Too many times we believe we can only honor God if things had been different
• Too many times we believe we can only honor God if we are in a better situation
• This is the kind of deception that leads us away from the contentment God has called us to
• We can be content because no matter our current circumstances we belong to Christ
• It doesn’t matter if you are the pastor or the layman, in the end, you can glorify God by being faithful to Christ
• It puts it into perspective
• From the past we learn from good and bad choices
• There is nothing wrong with desiring to better oneself if it leads to being freer to honor Christ
Application Points
• Finding Contentment (4)
• I can’t help but notice what Paul says about the slave
• The reason one tries to obtain freedom is because it allows one to serve God more
• By taking on student debt it has caused me to be a divided person
• Opportunities to honor God I can’t do because the money I could give, the time I could give, are given to something else
• This is a choice I made in the past…to become a bondservant to man
• I do not sit still and blame the world
• I seek to be better here and now
• I seek to glorify God in my work
• I can still do the best I can here and now, and avail myself of my bondservant status day by day with other opportunities God has given
Application Points
• Finding Contentment (5)
• It does not matter what ones occupation is
• No matter where you find yourself…you belon gto Christ
• He is the reason and purpose
• We find our contentment here and now because we seek to honor Christ here and now
• It means that our choices in the past do not need to hinder us
• God will redeem even these things
“10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
(Philippians 4:10-13, ESV)
Application Points
• Finding Contentment (6)
• We, too, can know how to be brought low and how to abound
• The answer is Christ
• We do not remain embittered, but we lay it all at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Know the answer of contentment
• Do not be deceived by the world
• It will seek to make you a slave
• Learn to be content here and now, and know the wisdom of Christ which says you have been bought with a great price
• In Him we find our greatest contentment in every season we are in
Application Points
• The Gospel of Christ
• Origins
• Fall
• Redemption
• Glorification
