100:00:00,220 –> 00:00:03,260David’s Commentary200:00:03,440 –> 00:00:07,520The world is always saying to us You will be content by addition.300:00:08,280 –> 00:00:11,720When your possessions come up to what you desire, then you’ll be content.400:00:12,160 –> 00:00:14,880But the Christian message is entirely different.500:00:15,440 –> 00:00:20,680It says you will find contentment when your desires come down to the level of your possessions.600:00:21,040 –> 00:00:23,400Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.700:00:23,440 –> 00:00:24,639I’m David Pick.800:00:24,680 –> 00:00:26,120Glad you could join us today900:00:26,420 –> 00:00:32,160Colin, for some of us who struggle with this, we might need to just adjust our mindset perhaps.1000:00:32,660 –> 00:00:33,459Yeah, that’s right.1100:00:33,500 –> 00:00:37,799And I think the place to begin is by realising that this is actually a serious issue.1200:00:37,840 –> 00:00:41,119I’ll never forget the first time that really came home to me.1300:00:41,619 –> 00:00:46,799I was reading a sermon by one of my old Scottish heroes, Thomas Boston.1400:00:46,820 –> 00:00:51,840And its title was The Hellish Sin of Discontent.1500:00:52,119 –> 00:00:53,900And I remember thinking really?1600:00:53,959 –> 00:00:55,279That’s a strong title.1700:00:55,439 –> 00:00:57,340It’s a very strong title.1800:00:57,500 –> 00:01:01,660But from the book of Jude, he really laid out this is something that is1900:01:01,660 –> 00:01:03,779deeply insulting to God.2000:01:04,180 –> 00:01:07,040So, what does it mean to be content?2100:01:07,580 –> 00:01:10,480What does it mean for me to be content when I have less?2200:01:11,019 –> 00:01:14,000And what does it mean for me to be content when I have more?2300:01:14,360 –> 00:01:16,519That’s what we’re going to look at in the scripture today.2400:01:16,660 –> 00:01:21,739It’s a wonderful theme because if we can find contentment in our hearts, we’re going to2500:01:21,779 –> 00:01:25,540know more of the peace of Christ that passes understanding.2600:01:25,760 –> 00:01:30,300We’re not going to be tossed around by changes in circumstances, but we’re going to2700:01:30,300 –> 00:01:35,720be able to have a poise about our lives, a peace about our lives, because2800:01:35,720 –> 00:01:39,220godliness with contentment is great gain.2900:01:39,660 –> 00:01:44,699Let’s see what God says about this, in 1 Timothy, Chapter 6, as we begin a message,3000:01:44,919 –> 00:01:46,180Gospel Lifestyle.3100:01:46,300 –> 00:01:47,360Here is Pastor Colin.3200:01:48,080 –> 00:01:51,559I want you to notice that the message here comes in two parts.3300:01:52,739 –> 00:02:02,300Paul speaks in verse 17 to those who are rich, and he speaks in verse 9 to those3400:02:02,300 –> 00:02:03,540who want to get rich.3500:02:03,599 –> 00:02:06,379So you put these two together that’s covering an awful lot of people.3600:02:06,379 –> 00:02:08,699Those who are rich and those who want to get rich.3700:02:08,740 –> 00:02:10,419Verse 9 and verse 17.3800:02:10,779 –> 00:02:14,820In other words, there is something here in 1 Timothy, Chapter 6, for those who have3900:02:14,820 –> 00:02:19,279less, and there is something here in 1 Timothy, Chapter 6, for those who have4000:02:19,279 –> 00:02:19,779more.4100:02:20,779 –> 00:02:24,820Now the problem with this, of course, is that most of us will instinctively and4200:02:24,820 –> 00:02:26,679immediately decide where we belong.4300:02:27,100 –> 00:02:30,059Do I belong with those who have less, or do I belong with those who have more?4400:02:30,259 –> 00:02:34,020And if we decide where we belong, and we kind of pigeon ourselves that way, pigeon4500:02:34,020 –> 00:02:39,059all ourselves, what will happen is that we will only hear half of what God has to4600:02:39,059 –> 00:02:40,339say to us today.4700:02:41,039 –> 00:02:45,660So I want to remind you that however much you have, there are others who have4800:02:45,699 –> 00:02:46,080more.4900:02:47,059 –> 00:02:52,460And however little you have, there are others who have less.5000:02:53,339 –> 00:02:59,820And however much or little you have, there will be seasons in your life when you5100:02:59,820 –> 00:03:04,300have more and there will be seasons in your life when you have less.5200:03:05,160 –> 00:03:10,320So all of us then need to hear what God has to say to us when we have more and5300:03:10,320 –> 00:03:11,500when we have less.5400:03:11,820 –> 00:03:14,899So I want to ask you to do something with me today.5500:03:15,500 –> 00:03:19,179Will you make with me a self-conscious effort5600:03:19,179 –> 00:03:24,279to place yourself under the Word of God, both to those who have less,5700:03:24,279 –> 00:03:28,820because plenty of people have more than you do, and also to those who have more?5800:03:28,820 –> 00:03:31,500Will you place yourself under the Word of God to those who have more,5900:03:31,500 –> 00:03:37,179because there are millions of people who have much, much less than any of us here6000:03:37,179 –> 00:03:41,080in this sanctuary today, however little we have.6100:03:41,940 –> 00:03:46,860So let’s try and hear the full Word of God today and not simply a half of it.6200:03:46,860 –> 00:03:52,179And we’re going to begin with situations where we have less.6300:03:52,179 –> 00:03:57,220When you have less, what is God’s Word to us when you have less?6400:03:57,220 –> 00:04:04,800Simply this, when you have less, learn the art of contentment.6500:04:04,800 –> 00:04:08,539I want you to notice especially verse 6 and what follows.6600:04:08,559 –> 00:04:15,240Paul says, godliness with contentment is great gain.6700:04:16,519 –> 00:04:18,920Now we’ve already learned a bit about godliness.6800:04:18,920 –> 00:04:23,179Godliness is a God-centered life and you remember we saw from chapter 3 and6900:04:23,179 –> 00:04:27,279verse 16 that it does not come through the pursuit of a process, but7000:04:27,279 –> 00:04:30,420godliness comes through the presence of a person.7100:04:30,420 –> 00:04:35,679Jesus Christ and his life in us, that is the mystery of godliness, and7200:04:35,899 –> 00:04:39,500hope of living the life that God calls us to lead comes through7300:04:39,500 –> 00:04:42,160the presence of Jesus Christ, he being the vine,7400:04:42,160 –> 00:04:45,399we being the branches, and his life truly flowing in us.7500:04:45,399 –> 00:04:48,679That’s what we learned about godliness.7600:04:48,679 –> 00:04:51,380But now Paul adds something else.7700:04:51,380 –> 00:04:56,040He says there’s great gain in godliness with contentment.7800:04:57,339 –> 00:05:00,779So contentment is the new piece here, and7900:05:00,779 –> 00:05:05,320contentment is very simply finding joy in what God has given to you.8000:05:06,320 –> 00:05:08,160It is the opposite of greed.8100:05:08,160 –> 00:05:13,679Luther points out that the problem with greed is that it destroys your capacity8200:05:13,679 –> 00:05:18,619to enjoy what God has given because you’re so concerned with what he has not given.8300:05:18,619 –> 00:05:23,920Contentment is the Christian grace of enjoying what God has given to you.8400:05:23,920 –> 00:05:27,440And it is a grace that grows over time.8500:05:27,440 –> 00:05:30,679Contentment does not come quickly, easily, or8600:05:30,679 –> 00:05:34,600naturally even to a Christian believer.8700:05:34,600 –> 00:05:37,059We know that because the Apostle Paul says in Philippians,8800:05:37,059 –> 00:05:39,619do you remember Philippians four and verse twelve?8900:05:39,619 –> 00:05:47,040He says, I have learned in whatever situation I am, to be content.9000:05:47,040 –> 00:05:53,760In other words even as an Apostle, Paul recognized that this is a mature grace.9100:05:53,760 –> 00:05:57,500It is a fruit of the Spirit that develops over time.9200:05:57,500 –> 00:06:00,799Paul says I had to learn it.9300:06:00,799 –> 00:06:02,260And how did he learn it?9400:06:02,440 –> 00:06:03,440Well, he tells us.9500:06:03,440 –> 00:06:07,779He says I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty and I have9600:06:07,779 –> 00:06:10,920learned the secret of being content.9700:06:10,920 –> 00:06:15,420In other words he is saying, look there have been times in my life when I had plenty but9800:06:15,420 –> 00:06:20,839then there were times when God brought me into a situation where I really was in need,9900:06:20,839 –> 00:06:26,019and it was through that that God taught me something I would not otherwise have learned.10000:06:26,019 –> 00:06:30,399It was right there that I learned what it is to be content.10100:06:31,339 –> 00:06:39,220In other words, God will often use the experience of loss to cultivate this rare and valuable10200:06:39,220 –> 00:06:45,559gift, this fruit of the Spirit that is not often possessed and is not quickly or easily10300:06:45,559 –> 00:06:48,320developed in our lives.10400:06:48,320 –> 00:06:56,559A man by the name of Jeremiah Burroughs, who a long time ago wrote a book on this subject,10500:06:56,839 –> 00:07:00,160described contentment as a rare jewel.10600:07:00,160 –> 00:07:03,359It is a lovely phrase, that.10700:07:03,359 –> 00:07:12,040His book was The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, and he has great Biblical wisdom in how we10800:07:12,040 –> 00:07:17,019can attain this rare jewel when we have less.10900:07:17,019 –> 00:07:19,519How do we cultivate contentment?11000:07:19,519 –> 00:07:22,720Well, this is what he says.11100:07:22,779 –> 00:07:33,040A Christian comes to contentment not so much by way of addition, but by way of subtraction.11200:07:33,040 –> 00:07:34,679He explains.11300:07:34,679 –> 00:07:41,119The world says that you will find contentment when your possessions rise to the level of11400:07:41,119 –> 00:07:43,660your desires.11500:07:43,660 –> 00:07:49,779But the Christian way of contentment, he says, is when your desires come down to the level11600:07:49,779 –> 00:07:51,160of your possessions.11700:07:52,119 –> 00:07:53,940That’s beautiful isn’t it?11800:07:53,940 –> 00:07:58,880The world is always saying to us, you will be content by addition.11900:07:58,880 –> 00:08:02,799When your possessions come up to what you desire then you will be content.12000:08:02,799 –> 00:08:05,799But the Christian message is entirely different.12100:08:05,799 –> 00:08:11,880It says, you will find contentment when your desires come down to the level of your possessions.12200:08:11,880 –> 00:08:15,839The way of Christian contentment is not by addition but by subtraction.12300:08:15,899 –> 00:08:21,179Not by addition to what you have, but by subtraction from what you desire.12400:08:21,179 –> 00:08:27,380Now Paul says here that godliness with this contentment is great gain.12500:08:27,380 –> 00:08:34,260It is a wonderful thing in a season of life where you have less if you can cultivate this12600:08:34,260 –> 00:08:40,940rare jewel, not by living in the desperation of how and when am I going to get my possessions12700:08:40,979 –> 00:08:46,539up to the level of my desires, but bringing my desires down to the level of my possessions.12800:08:46,539 –> 00:08:50,979Paul says godliness with contentment is great gain.12900:08:50,979 –> 00:08:54,960Not just gain, great gain, great gain.13000:08:54,960 –> 00:09:02,659It will be, he says, a huge advantage to you in your life if you can cultivate this rare13100:09:02,659 –> 00:09:07,419jewel, this very precious fruit of Christian contentment.13200:09:07,419 –> 00:09:09,979Now, why is it so important?13300:09:10,619 –> 00:09:11,940Why does he place this emphasis?13400:09:11,940 –> 00:09:15,320Why does he say it’s great gain to have contentment?13500:09:15,320 –> 00:09:21,739Well, very simply because the opposite is so destructive.13600:09:21,739 –> 00:09:29,179Notice what he says here about those who want to get rich, verse 9.13700:09:29,179 –> 00:09:36,219If getting rich is your goal, which is the opposite obviously of contentment, if you13800:09:36,500 –> 00:09:43,500set your heart on accumulating the things that this world offers, here is what is in13900:09:44,080 –> 00:09:45,419store for you.14000:09:45,419 –> 00:09:49,260Paul gives us four reasons not to go this way.14100:09:49,260 –> 00:09:52,780Number one, if getting rich is your goal, you cannot keep what you gain.14200:09:52,780 –> 00:09:54,099That’s verse 7.14300:09:54,099 –> 00:10:02,099We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.14400:10:02,099 –> 00:10:07,000Coming in, nothing out.14500:10:07,000 –> 00:10:16,119You may be able to get rich, but what Paul is saying is you cannot stay rich.14600:10:16,119 –> 00:10:19,099You cannot keep anything that you gain in this world.14700:10:19,099 –> 00:10:25,179It is a good thing for every Christian to go to at least one funeral every year and14800:10:25,179 –> 00:10:27,979to say as you leave one day that will be May.14900:10:28,900 –> 00:10:31,659We have to live in the light of this reality.15000:10:31,659 –> 00:10:38,679Second, if getting rich is your goal, you will encounter powerful temptations.15100:10:38,679 –> 00:10:48,479Verse nine, people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish15200:10:48,479 –> 00:10:55,380and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.15300:10:55,380 –> 00:11:01,260And then he goes on to say, the verse that we know well I think, that the love of money15400:11:01,260 –> 00:11:05,380is a root of all kinds of evil.15500:11:05,380 –> 00:11:07,140So, you see what he’s saying?15600:11:07,140 –> 00:11:13,659If you set your heart on becoming rich, if that really is the trajectory of your life,15700:11:13,659 –> 00:11:19,179you are opening your soul up to dark spiritual forces.15800:11:19,179 –> 00:11:24,159If that’s your goal, there are temptations that will flood in upon you and they are the15900:11:24,260 –> 00:11:29,039kind of temptations that bring other men to destruction so you need to know what you’re16000:11:29,039 –> 00:11:32,960opening yourself up to if you go down this path.16100:11:32,960 –> 00:11:40,219Third, if getting rich is your goal, you may wander from the faith.16200:11:40,219 –> 00:11:45,000Some people, verse 10, eager for money, have wandered from the faith.16300:11:45,000 –> 00:11:49,640Now, he’s making simply the very same point that the Lord Jesus made in the parable of16400:11:49,640 –> 00:11:50,640the sower.16500:11:50,979 –> 00:11:55,200You remember Jesus said, the seed is thrown into the ground, and then He said in some16600:11:55,200 –> 00:11:58,119cases weeds, thorns, thistles, they grow up.16700:11:58,119 –> 00:12:01,479And they choke the life of the seed.16800:12:01,479 –> 00:12:04,080And then He explains, the seed is the Word of God.16900:12:04,080 –> 00:12:05,640And what are the thorns and thistles?17000:12:05,640 –> 00:12:10,780Well, they’re the worries of this life and they’re the deceitfulness of wealth, that’s17100:12:10,780 –> 00:12:12,119what Jesus said.17200:12:12,119 –> 00:12:16,760In other words, either worrying about not having money or what comes with the relentless17300:12:16,960 –> 00:12:23,760pursuit of acquiring it can choke the fruitfulness of the Word of God in a person’s life.17400:12:23,760 –> 00:12:27,500That’s what the Lord Jesus is saying.17500:12:27,500 –> 00:12:31,059And Paul is taking up the very same point here.17600:12:31,059 –> 00:12:37,340He is saying that where people set their hearts on getting rich, it is sometimes the case17700:12:37,340 –> 00:12:43,719that the effect of that is that they end up wandering away from the faith.17800:12:43,960 –> 00:12:49,500he says fourthly, that, if getting rich is your goal, you will experience great sorrow.17900:12:49,500 –> 00:12:51,020Look at verse 10.18000:12:51,020 –> 00:13:00,159He says, some people, eager for money, have pierced themselves with many griefs.18100:13:00,159 –> 00:13:06,520In other words, if you set your heart on the things of this world, you inflict wounds on18200:13:06,520 –> 00:13:07,520yourself.18300:13:07,520 –> 00:13:09,539Look at the word, pierced.18400:13:09,539 –> 00:13:12,479Like driving a nail into your own hand.18500:13:12,500 –> 00:13:14,979That’s what he is saying.18600:13:14,979 –> 00:13:19,239You inflict sorrow on yourself if you go down this path.18700:13:19,239 –> 00:13:26,919And so for these four reasons, the Apostle Paul is saying, do not set your heart on money.18800:13:26,919 –> 00:13:30,080Remember, Christian brothers and sisters,18900:13:30,080 –> 00:13:35,400money is a great servant, but a terrible master.19000:13:35,400 –> 00:13:39,320And if you set your heart on money, money will break your heart.19100:13:39,320 –> 00:13:40,780That is what he is saying here.19200:13:40,780 –> 00:13:44,159It will break your heart because you cannot keep what you gain.19300:13:44,159 –> 00:13:48,460It will break your heart because you will fall into powerful temptations if you set19400:13:48,460 –> 00:13:49,820your heart on this.19500:13:49,820 –> 00:13:54,179It will break your heart because you may well wander from the faith and you will pierce19600:13:54,179 –> 00:13:57,739yourself with all kinds of griefs and sorrows.19700:13:57,739 –> 00:14:06,380So, here is why godliness with contentment, the other path, is going to be great gain19800:14:06,380 –> 00:14:07,380for you.19900:14:07,739 –> 00:14:14,460It’s gonna be a marvellous blessing in your life for if you go down the other road, the20000:14:14,460 –> 00:14:23,619road of getting rich being your goal, you will find unsold sorrows on that path.20100:14:23,619 –> 00:14:28,880You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Gospel Lifestyle.20200:14:28,880 –> 00:14:32,119All about how to be content with less.20300:14:32,119 –> 00:14:35,979It’s part of our series Ten Distinctives of Gospel Centred Church.20400:14:36,500 –> 00:14:40,219If you’ve missed any of the series so far or if you want to go back and listen again,20500:14:40,219 –> 00:14:47,580come to our website, OpentheBible.org.uk, or go to your favourite podcast site and search20600:14:47,580 –> 00:14:49,239for Open the Bible UK.20700:14:49,239 –> 00:14:53,679There you’ll find all the messages which have already been broadcast.20800:14:53,679 –> 00:14:55,020Back to the message now.20900:14:55,020 –> 00:14:57,119Here again is Pastor Colin.21000:14:57,119 –> 00:14:59,580So here is simply the message in the first part.21100:14:59,580 –> 00:15:01,380When you have less.21200:15:01,520 –> 00:15:04,020Some of us have less than a year ago.21300:15:04,020 –> 00:15:05,380Two years ago.21400:15:05,380 –> 00:15:08,080When you have less.21500:15:08,080 –> 00:15:10,460What is God’s word to us?21600:15:10,460 –> 00:15:17,299God’s word to you when you have less is learn the art of contentment.21700:15:17,299 –> 00:15:23,020It’s a rare jewel, and it’s not found when you have more, but it can be cultivated when21800:15:23,020 –> 00:15:24,979you have less.21900:15:24,979 –> 00:15:30,140Bring your desires down to the level of your possessions.22000:15:30,239 –> 00:15:35,059Understand that Christian contentment is not by addition, but by subtraction.22100:15:35,059 –> 00:15:41,739Learn to enjoy what God has given more than you grieve what He has taken away.22200:15:41,739 –> 00:15:45,460And practice the art of Godly contentment.22300:15:45,460 –> 00:15:51,020You will find that it is for you great gain.22400:15:51,020 –> 00:15:57,219It’s biblical wisdom for all of us when we have less.22500:15:58,179 –> 00:16:01,859Now I want us to stand in the second position here for a few moments.22600:16:01,859 –> 00:16:06,539We’ve all listened to God’s Word that comes to us when we have less.22700:16:06,539 –> 00:16:09,380But what about God’s Word to us when we have more?22800:16:09,380 –> 00:16:13,179And again please will you stand with me together under the Word of God.22900:16:13,179 –> 00:16:18,320There are millions and millions of people in this world and you have much more than23000:16:18,320 –> 00:16:19,320them.23100:16:19,320 –> 00:16:20,479We have much more.23200:16:20,479 –> 00:16:25,880And we do have to hear what God has to say to us blessed in so many ways who have so23300:16:26,059 –> 00:16:31,520much more than so many others.23400:16:31,520 –> 00:16:36,299When you have more, what is God’s Word to us when we have more?23500:16:36,299 –> 00:16:38,140Simply this, can I describe it this way?23600:16:38,140 –> 00:16:42,979When you have more learn the art of discontent.23700:16:42,979 –> 00:16:47,340The art of discontent.23800:16:47,340 –> 00:16:57,479The more that God gives you, the more you need to learn a holy discontent with the things23900:16:57,479 –> 00:16:59,380of this world.24000:16:59,380 –> 00:17:02,020It becomes increasingly important as we have more.24100:17:02,020 –> 00:17:06,839Jesus said, a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions but of24200:17:06,839 –> 00:17:11,800course the more that God gives us the more easy it is for us to think that our lives24300:17:11,800 –> 00:17:16,140do consist in the abundance of our possessions.24400:17:16,140 –> 00:17:21,319And when you have more, learn the art of discontent.24500:17:21,319 –> 00:17:28,180Notice how in verse 17 here Paul describes those who put their hope in wealth, and then24600:17:28,180 –> 00:17:31,479he describes those who put their hope in God.24700:17:31,479 –> 00:17:35,959Some people put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain, verse seventeen.24800:17:35,959 –> 00:17:40,400Others put their hope in God who richly provides everything for our enjoyment.24900:17:40,400 –> 00:17:44,619These are two very, very different kinds of hope.25000:17:44,619 –> 00:17:50,920And when God gives you more, here’s what’s so important, not to put your hope, not to25100:17:50,920 –> 00:17:55,859put your joy in the abundance that he has given to you, but rather to put your hope25200:17:55,859 –> 00:18:02,020and to put your joy in God who is the giver and provides all things richly for our enjoyment.25300:18:02,020 –> 00:18:10,199In other words, when God gives you more, develop a holy discontent with all that this world25400:18:10,199 –> 00:18:11,199can give you.25500:18:11,880 –> 00:18:15,020Now again, Jeremiah Burroughs makes this point really well.25600:18:15,020 –> 00:18:18,939Let me just quote to you from him.25700:18:18,939 –> 00:18:27,579He says, it may be said of the one who is contented in a Christian way that he is both25800:18:27,579 –> 00:18:33,780the most contented man in the world, and yet at the same time the most dissatisfied man25900:18:33,780 –> 00:18:36,479in the world.26000:18:36,479 –> 00:18:41,760And he says, to join these two together is a great art, and a great mystery.26100:18:41,760 –> 00:18:47,479Because though he is contended with God in a little, yet those things that would content26200:18:47,479 –> 00:18:51,920other men in the world, will not content him.26300:18:51,920 –> 00:18:57,959And then he describes how in the world, men seek after wealth, and he says, and I’m paraphrasing26400:18:57,959 –> 00:19:06,040him now, he says, a man will say, if I had a hundred a year, I would be content.26500:19:06,099 –> 00:19:11,500Now, that proves to you he was writing in the year 1648 because I don’t hear anybody26600:19:11,520 –> 00:19:14,000saying today, if I had a hundred a year.26700:19:14,000 –> 00:19:18,239But apparently in 1648 if guys said I had a hundred a year, they thought they would26800:19:18,239 –> 00:19:19,800be content.26900:19:19,800 –> 00:19:21,880Just tells me that probably was pounds not dollars.27000:19:21,880 –> 00:19:24,339But that’s another issue.27100:19:24,339 –> 00:19:28,719I’m going back to Jeremiah Burroughs here, okay?27200:19:28,719 –> 00:19:35,880If I had a hundred a year or another man says if I had a thousand a year, then I would be27300:19:35,880 –> 00:19:46,439satisfied, but the godly heart says if I had 10 hundred thousand times as much a year,27400:19:46,439 –> 00:19:48,839it would not satisfy me.27500:19:48,839 –> 00:19:52,560You see his point?27600:19:52,560 –> 00:19:59,380Because the godly heart has learned that nothing or even everything in this world cannot satisfy27700:19:59,380 –> 00:20:02,380the heart that is set on God.27800:20:02,380 –> 00:20:09,000As godliness teaches us this extraordinary mystery not to be satisfied even if we have27900:20:09,000 –> 00:20:16,800all the world as our portion, for a man’s life does not lie in the abundance of his28000:20:16,800 –> 00:20:19,920possessions.28100:20:19,920 –> 00:20:23,739Now this is of course the complete opposite of what you would expect.28200:20:23,739 –> 00:20:30,640The world says you will be discontent when you have less and when you have more then28300:20:30,640 –> 00:20:32,819you will find contentment.28400:20:32,819 –> 00:20:38,199But God says learn to be content when you have less and when you have more, develop28500:20:38,199 –> 00:20:43,839a holy discontent lest you should slide into thinking that your life consists in the abundance28600:20:43,839 –> 00:20:47,000of your possessions.28700:20:47,000 –> 00:20:53,260Do you remember how our Lord Jesus told a powerful story to illustrate this point?28800:20:53,260 –> 00:20:59,880Jesus told a story about a man who made a lot of money, and Jesus said the man stored28900:20:59,880 –> 00:21:02,239it up.29000:21:02,239 –> 00:21:06,400And he said to himself you have plenty of good things laid up for many years so take29100:21:06,400 –> 00:21:10,459life easy, eat, drink and be merry.29200:21:10,459 –> 00:21:13,300Now what was the problem with this man?29300:21:13,300 –> 00:21:16,219What did he do wrong?29400:21:16,219 –> 00:21:23,319Well the answer surely is that the great mistake that this man made was he became comfortable29500:21:23,319 –> 00:21:27,079with the pile of what he had made.29600:21:27,079 –> 00:21:32,040He felt good about sitting on it.29700:21:32,040 –> 00:21:39,900And Jesus said that this man was a … okay, come on say it a little more strongly, lets29800:21:39,900 –> 00:21:41,119agree with the Lord Jesus.29900:21:41,119 –> 00:21:44,000Jesus said that this man was a fool.30000:21:44,020 –> 00:21:45,439Okay, he was a fool.30100:21:45,439 –> 00:21:49,300Very strong word that Jesus used.30200:21:49,300 –> 00:21:51,160Do you remember what Jesus said afterwards?30300:21:51,160 –> 00:22:00,439He said, this is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself and is not30400:22:00,439 –> 00:22:01,880rich towards God.30500:22:01,880 –> 00:22:09,359In other words, Jesus is saying look, anyone who knows that they’re headed for eternity30600:22:09,359 –> 00:22:16,839who feels comfortable about sitting on a pile of what’s been acquired rather than thinking30700:22:16,839 –> 00:22:19,920here’s what I have, how can I be rich towards God?30800:22:19,920 –> 00:22:24,500That’s a path of foolishness that we ought to avoid.30900:22:24,500 –> 00:22:28,459You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and the first part31000:22:28,459 –> 00:22:31,359of a message called Gospel Lifestyle.31100:22:31,359 –> 00:22:34,239We’ll hear the second part in tomorrow’s program.31200:22:34,239 –> 00:22:39,079It’s part of our series Ten Distinctives of a Gospel Centred Church, and if you want31300:22:39,160 –> 00:22:45,260to hear any of the earlier messages in this series, come to our website openthebible.org.uk31400:22:45,260 –> 00:22:51,540Open the Bible is supported by our listeners, it’s people just like you who enable us31500:22:51,540 –> 00:22:53,959to stay on the radio and on the Internet.31600:22:53,959 –> 00:22:58,439We’re extremely grateful for the support we receive from you, so if you already give31700:22:58,439 –> 00:23:01,319to Open The Bible, thank you so much!31800:23:01,319 –> 00:23:05,719If you’re considering beginning to support Open The Bible financially, this month we31900:23:05,719 –> 00:23:07,739have a great offer for you.32000:23:07,859 –> 00:23:13,500If you’re able to begin a direct debit of 5 pounds, per month or more, or a one-off32100:23:13,500 –> 00:23:19,579gift of 60 pounds or more, we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of John32200:23:19,579 –> 00:23:22,660Stott’s book, The Incomparable Christ.32300:23:22,660 –> 00:23:26,579Colin what is the one thing you want people to take away from this book?32400:23:26,579 –> 00:23:33,040Oh, well Jesus once asked his disciples, who do you say that I am?32500:23:33,099 –> 00:23:38,619And that is the most important question I think that any of us could ever answer.32600:23:38,619 –> 00:23:43,739When you settle in your mind and your heart who Jesus is, you’ve really laid a foundation32700:23:43,739 –> 00:23:48,920for your life, and for everything else, you can rest the weight of your life, your death,32800:23:48,920 –> 00:23:51,160and your eternity, on him.32900:23:51,160 –> 00:23:56,160And Peter’s answer to that question, when Jesus said, who do you say that I am, Peter33000:23:56,160 –> 00:23:58,800said, you are the Christ.33100:23:58,979 –> 00:24:04,819This book, The Incomparable Christ, really lifts up who Jesus is.33200:24:04,819 –> 00:24:10,060How he’s presented to us in the New Testament, how he has been understood throughout the33300:24:10,060 –> 00:24:14,979history of the Church, how he’s inspired people through the centuries, and how he will33400:24:14,979 –> 00:24:18,880be when we see him in his power and his glory when he returns.33500:24:18,880 –> 00:24:20,000It’s a marvelous book.33600:24:20,000 –> 00:24:25,339I think it’s the best book you can read about Jesus, The Incomparable Christ.33700:24:25,339 –> 00:24:28,780And I think that people will be greatly blessed by this book.33800:24:28,780 –> 00:24:33,739Well this book by John Stott, The Incomparable Christ, is our gift to you when you begin33900:24:33,739 –> 00:24:39,339a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more,34000:24:39,339 –> 00:24:44,239or a one-off gift of £60 or more this month.34100:24:44,239 –> 00:24:46,599Full terms and conditions are on our website.34200:24:46,599 –> 00:24:51,660That’s at openthebible.org.uk, and you can give online.34300:24:51,660 –> 00:24:57,520Don’t forget to leave your full name and address so we can send you your free gift.34400:24:57,859 –> 00:24:59,640For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,34500:24:59,640 –> 00:25:04,520I’m David Pig and I look forward to you joining us again for our next program.34600:25:12,640 –> 00:25:17,719How can you wean your heart away from the love of money, comfort or self?34700:25:17,719 –> 00:25:22,739Find out why it doesn’t work just to say love money less…34800:25:22,739 –> 00:25:25,540Next time on Open the Bible