Built Different | I Will Be Content | Pastor Kyle Rodgers

Come on, city first in all of our locations. Spring Creek, Cape Coral, Zanesville, God behind bars. Give Jesus one big shout of praise today. He is worthy. Yes, he is. Yes, he is. If we haven't met yet, my name is Kyle, and it's a joy to be with you today. Looking forward to hopping into our next installment in our series, Built Different, where today's message, the title of it is called, I Will Be Content. So here, I want you to look at the person next to you. Say, I, no, wrong neighbor, come on, find somebody else. Say, I will be content. Being a built different believer and follower means that we abide and apply different principles that oftentimes are counter cultural. And the word contentment is something that we're going to wrestle with today. When we say content, we don't mean that we are settling. When we say content, it means that we are settled in our souls about who we believe in and about what takes place through our lives, no matter what's happening around our lives. Amen? Hey, Philippians chapter four, some familiar scriptures to some are new to others. It reads like this. I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.

Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I'm not saying this because I'm in need for I have learned to be what? 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 what? Content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in one. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. The last part of that portion of scripture we just read, Philippians chapter four, verse 13, is probably one of the most familiar scriptures to many. I've heard it quoted right before someone finishes their last rep of deadlifts on leg day. I've heard it quoted right before someone goes in for their session of hot yoga. I've also heard it quoted by teachers getting ready to go back to school and teach your kids. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Reality is it's also one of the most misunderstood and quoted scriptures out of context. The context of Philippians four and 13, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, has nothing to do with motivation, has nothing to do with try harder and work harder. It actually has everything to do with the very beginning of round verse 10, verse 11 here, where we started reading.

The writer here, his name is Paul, and he's writing from a Roman prison. This is important because the book of Philippians itself is like one big thank you card to a group of believers and followers who have given gifts to help Paul while he is imprisoned in a Roman prison cell. Please understand that in order to survive being imprisoned in Rome, in a Roman prison better said, you would need people to send gifts of food, maybe medicine if you needed it, whatever supplies to be able to help you survive. Paul acknowledges that this group of believers and followers, they were so thoughtful about how they approached him and he's saying, thank you. But this group of believers and followers were some of his favorite. And I know pastors aren't supposed to have favorites, but Paul says, I've got a favorite and it's the Philippians and I want them to know. And I don't know about you, but there's sometimes in conversation when I'm hanging out with some of my favorite people that I tend to talk to them on a more personal level than what I just talked to your everyday person about. Okay, y'all judge me. I'm gonna come talk to this side over here. So here in Philippians, you find that Paul is taking time, if you will, to be a little bit more personable, to be a little bit more emotive. And in doing this, he communicates and says,

hey, I've learned a secret in life. I've learned a secret and the secret I've learned is how to be content. Here we go. But content, when I would hear the word content through my African-American mind, I would hear it through the context of, oh, I have settled, I'm good with average, I've gotten comfortable. Paul here flips everything on top of his head and he goes, hey, no, I've learned a secret, here we go, to being content. It's learning how to be content in any and every situation. Now, when he mentions this, if you go back this week and look at the life. of Paul, specifically in Corinthians, you'll find that at one juncture, he gives a little bit of the resume of stuff that he's been through. Paul will tell you that he had been shipwrecked a night and a day in deep water. That Paul had been stoned by his own countrymen. That Paul had been chased and had his life threatened on multiple occasions. So Paul's letting us know here that everything in his life has not been good. Can anybody testify that your life has not always been good? Somebody's like, pastor, I'm there right now. Lean in with me. We're at the right spot. Paul lets us know that everything in his life has not been good. Here we go. But can I go back to old school church? Like we'd say at my dad's church, but God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good.

There's a place of contentment that Paul finds himself. And when we use the word content, here we go, let's lean in and go. The word content means no matter what's happening around me, I'm still anchored to the Christ who lives in me. That's good. Paul guides us to realizing that the curriculum for contentment is circumstances. The curriculum to learning contentment is circumstances. And if we're honest in this room and all of our locations, none of us are signing up for adverse circumstances. But all of us would agree that our greatest seasons of growth and progress always come on the other side of adverse circumstances. I went to the gym the other day and I got mad because somebody was using the apparatus that I wanted to use. And the thing that I got mad about was not that they were on the apparatus. It was that they did one set and then talked on their phone for 15 minutes. It's bad English, but it's good preaching right here. I thought to myself, and maybe mumbled out loud, you ain't about this life. Because you're not going to get stronger without resistance. What resistance creates for the believer and follower is a curriculum that draws you, here we go, if you allow it, closer to your creator and not further from your God. What Paul looks at here in Philippians, and you can go back this week and look at it, he creates what's called a win-win scenario. How many would agree in life, life doesn't always feel like a win-win scenario. Most days you feel like you're losing. Some days you feel like you're winning. But what Paul does, he goes, when you learn the secret of life is being content in any and every situation, I'm either winning or I'm learning. I'm either victorious or I'm in process. I'm either making progress or I'm getting stronger for the next step that needs to be taken.

Either way, I'm in a win-win scenario. Because what Paul points to in this letter, this book that we call Philippians, here we go, the goal of desiring to live for God, no matter the state of being should be priority for the believer and follower. I can be the same person when I'm up as I am when I'm down. This is why Philippians 4 and 13 is the capstone of this almost handful of scriptures because it's not, I can do all things through Christ because I'm tough and outlasted circumstances. It's I can do all things through Christ because I have done all things through Christ. Are you with me today? Paul points to, is there's gotta be something deeper that refreshes you consistently, that outlasts the adversity that circumstances can provide. An Old Testament example of this is there was a king named Hezekiah. Hezekiah knew that there was an Assyrian army, an enemy of God's people that was coming to attack them. Back in that day and time, Bible historians tell us that people would typically leave the comfort and defenses of the city gates to go and get water and then bring it back into the city. city. But Hezekiah said that leaves us vulnerable to attack. So he commissioned a group of excavators to dig a tunnel that led water from its source into the city that was protected behind the gates because he knew lean in because he knew that if the refreshment they needed was protected, it didn't matter what was going on outside, they were going to be good inside. This is the whole point of contentment, that life, can I say it like I'm back home for a moment? Life be lifin'. Come on, everything goes right one day, everything falls apart the next. You woke up, did your devotions, had your coffee, didn't cuss at your kids. Okay, y'all save, y'all pray for the rest of us, all right. Uh-huh. You were on the right track, but then you got in a car, three flat tires, two nails. Come on, somebody. Uh-huh. Growing up in my dad's house, he would always say, there's always going to be something. Sounds like y'all said it in your house too. But contentment says, no matter what the something is, I know who the someone is I'm connected to and I will not be moved. Paul's not the only example of this. King David in the Old Testament, he teaches us what it looks

like to be content during a delay. If you go back and read the story of David this week, you'll find it in First Samuel, and you'll notice that David was earmarked by God, and anointed to be the next King of Israel. But in this, there was a waiting process of over a decade that David had to go through from the time that he was anointed until the time that he was appointed. And we find two different examples, First Samuel 24 and First Samuel 26, when David had a chance to eliminate, eviscerate, get rid of his predecessor, King Saul. But David chose to be content even in the midst of what looked like a delay. At the risk of falling into a preach for a moment, can I stop and just say that you are at the place that God intended you to be at the time that he wanted you to be there. With the resources he knew that you could handle, you are not late, you are not early, you are right where you are, as dysfunctional as you have been with all of your failures and faults and weaknesses, with your attitude. Come on, somebody's looking at me sideways. It's all right, I'm talking to you right now. You are at the right place at the right time, and you don't, here we go, don't need to hurry God. Ooh, sometimes I see God and I think of him like Amazon Prime. Because when I pray, I like getting stuff between four and 7 p.m. God don't work like that. And here's where challenges come for us. Are we going to want our time or are we going to be content with his? David gives us an example of what it looks like to have a heart that is set on God's timing and being content with his process in Psalm 131 and verse one. He says, I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. Can I translate this like I was back home? I don't worry about stuff that's beyond me. There was a news headline that happened recently and somebody walked up and they said, well, you're a pastor, I'd like to know what you think. I said, I don't. They said, well, don't you know what's going on? I said, absolutely I do. Well, what do you think about it? I said, I don't. They said, well, what do you think about it? I said, I got a wife I'm in love with and I'm trying to figure out how to serve her well. I got two kids, one of them's got volleyball and the other one's got football, and I haven't even talked about my work schedule yet. What are you saying, Kyle? Sometimes you got to be so busy about the things you are assigned to that you don't have time for the stuff that ain't got nothing to do with you. David says, I'm not worried about what you got going on over there because I'm concerned about being a good steward for what God has given me to do right here. I will not occupy myself with

stuff that does not concern me. That was good for Paul. Paul says, I will be content. David says, I will be content. The book of John, the writer here is the disciple John. And what John does is that he captures some moments that happen in the ministry and the life of Jesus that we can glean from today. In John chapter three, in just a moment, we're gonna read a portion of scripture. In John three, you'll notice that the rise of Jesus is beginning, where his public ministry, which would span about three and a half years in length, the rise of his ministry is beginning. He's beginning to be noticed by the multitude. People are coming to him. He's healing, he's setting free, he's baptizing, he's going about all of the things that his public ministry would require him to do. But for his ministry to rise, it means that the ministry of John the Baptist begins to cool off. In John chapter three, around verse 25, we step into a discussion, a conversation, if you will. Scripture says, now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is baptizing and all are going to him. John answered, a person cannot receive even one thing

unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I'm not the Christ, I know my role, but I have sent, excuse me, but I have been sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now what? Complete. He must increase, but I must decrease. Here, John the Baptist gives us maybe the central key to living a life of contentment. And that key is humility. I've lived 41 years on this planet, long enough to know that I am not in control. I like having control. I like the feeling of being in control. I hate being out of control. I like as many different things that I can get my hands on that I can control. But you live life at least 14 years on this planet, you realize that there's so much in this life that is outside of your control. John the Baptist, he says, look, fellas, I'm just gonna translate it for you in the way I understood it. He says, look, fellas, it was all good when people were coming to us and I was baptizing them. My role and my responsibility was to blaze a trail

to be a forerunner for the one who was to come. Just happened to be his own cousin, Jesus. John baptizes him, but at the time that Jesus' star is rising, it seems that John's ministry is cooling off and his disciples, listen, his disciples, not John, his disciples are nervous because it seems as if his star isn't as bright anymore. You gotta be careful about who you keep around you in different seasons of your life. Here we go, and then you got to be cautious about the disposition of your soul with the people you keep around you. They might not be bad, but they might not understand what you've come to find. John, he looks at them and says, hey guys, think of it in wedding terms. When the bridegroom shows up, he's looking for his bride. How dumb would it be if the man of honor was not excited when the groom finds his, but how many of them, somebody getting slapped that day. So of course I'm going to celebrate and be full of joy. Here we go, because the assignment has been completed. And then one of the most humble verses you've ever heard from a leader in the Bible. He must increase. I must decrease. It doesn't mean that John thinks less of himself. Here we go. John the Baptist just models what contentment looks like with a diminishing role.

Let's be honest, some are business leaders, some are community leaders, some will even go through or have gone through succession before. And one of the most unsettling parts about handing over leadership to whoever is next, whether you're retiring or making a career transition is the fact that you are no longer in control. But what if the assignment was never for you to be in control, it was just to guide the next right steps. And then get your hands off. Parents, let's lean in. Right now, my wife, Danielle and I, we're raising a 10-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son. For some reason, they feel the need to give me their opinion often. To which I say, I appreciate your opinion, but here is my instruction. And every parent said, amen. But in 10 years from now, my instructions will be less because I will now have a diminishing role. It doesn't mean I am less, it just means you can't tell a 36-year-old how to live life no more. John the Baptist shows us what humility looks like. Here we go, as a point, not of contention, but as a point of contentment. And maybe, just maybe,

some of the challenges that we navigate is because we're not recognizing the timing of the Lord in relationships, careers, you fill in the blank. So we fight with what the kids would call to have main character energy. Instead of realizing that we were never the main character to begin with, we were just playing a supporting role. And so, Paul says, I will be content. David says, I will be content. John the Baptist says, I will be content. Here's the personal part for me, I gotta be honest with you. Contentment is so hard for me. I'll tell you why personally, because the number one enemy to my contentment is typically my competitiveness. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm a little dysfunctional, that's why I'm in therapy. I actually hate losing more than I enjoy winning. Come here. Kyle, why? Because winning is great, but then the next day you're ready to win again. But the reason I hate losing is because when you lose, you are stuck with all of the what ifs that losing provides. What if I had done this? What if I'd tried that? Knowing then what I know now,

I probably would have done this, but then I did that. Is anybody else understanding what I'm feeling? It's painful. Fighting for contentment. Here we go, fighting for contentment in a culture that says that you never have enough. You can never be enough. There's always more. I found this gem of a prayer written by a man named Edgar in Proverbs chapter 30. Starting at verse seven, this is what Edgar prays. He says, two things I ask of you, Lord, do not refuse me before I die. Keep lies, falsehood, far from me. And the second thing, give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only, my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God. What Edgar prays here is he makes a statement. He says, God, I'm asking you, here we go, that you wouldn't give me riches, but also don't give me poverty. Give me just enough. Let's be honest in the American culture in which we live in, when's the last time that you and I personally stopped and just said, God, I don't want more, I just want enough. But if we're honest in this room and all of our locations,

it may be one of the greatest tensions in our hearts that we do not like to talk about at our life groups. We live in a culture that says grind and get it, hashtag team, no sleep. And I'm not coming for your vision board or your dreams, your goals, your aspirations. No, have all of those things. Be a good steward of your time. But all of those things have to meet a boundary at some point. Like every promotion ain't your promotion. Ha ha, get the 47% pay bump that adds to the bottom line of your home. But did you ask the other question, how much more time away from your wife and children? Just one example. Maybe the prayer that needs to be prayed in a consumer society, an ambitious America is not a prayer for more. It's a prayer for enough. I know friends that have enough money for four of us to spend a lifetime and not need another dollar. But yet the thing we found in contentment is the thing that they would swipe all five of their cards to buy. Maybe the prayer is not always for more. Maybe the prayer is just for enough. Did you hear the language he uses? He says, just give me my daily bread. You remember the first time this happens,

this happens in Exodus where God brings fresh manna every day to feed his people. And he makes it very clear, you are not to store it in your pots or in your tents because I'm going to bring it fresh every day. If you do, it will go sour and you will not be able to consume it. He is our provider. He is enough. And then Jesus comes in during the Lord's prayer. And he also repeats this and says, give us this day our daily bread. Why? Because we are not the resource. We are not the source. We are not the one who does it for ourselves. He is our source. He is enough. The tension. Do we need more or are we good with enough? Enough. I, when I think of this, I think of the relationship that I have with my son. Three years ago, he and I went, I took him to his first football game and I'm from Florida. So we root for the only sensible team in the state of Florida is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two time world champion, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At three, his first game he ever attended, his first professional football game he ever went to

in his entire existence. This is the photo that we got a chance to take. He's on the field. Look, look, you look at, look. He, all that confidence. He's like, I belong here. Almost every other game we've ever gone to together, he looks at me and he goes, hey dad, today, are we going down on the field? I looked at him, I said, DK, it took me 37 years to get on the field. You showed up your first time. I'd call you an overachiever. I'm not mad at him. That's when he was three, now he's six. The reality is at three, at six, sometimes even at 12, there's these thoughts that because it happened once, it's supposed to happen all the time. I always won. More, but every time I look at that picture, you know what the one word is I hear in my heart? Enough, that moment was enough. And what Edgar shows us in a culture where we often pray for more, he shows us how to pray for enough. Cause let's just be honest. Sometimes the reason we're so anxious about things that are happening in our life is not because of the circumstances, it's because of our approach to the circumstances.

Sometimes our anxiety goes up by 527% because we're trying to fix stuff that only God can do. Sometimes the chaos in our minds is because we're double-minded and scripture tells us when you're double-minded, you're unstable in all of your ways. Maybe the opposite side of these things that we navigate through in life is not that they're all just supposed to be fixed by the magic supernatural hand of God. Maybe the thing that's supposed to happen is that we submit them to his sovereignty and go, I will be content whether I have or whether I don't. Maybe I will be content whether I'm up or whether I'm down. I will be content whether I'm happy or I'm hurt. I will be content because it's not based on what's going on around me, it's found based upon who lives inside of me. I will be content. Maybe you're like me and sometimes you struggle with what to pray while you're trying to get to a place of contentment. So I took these stories and these scriptures that we looked at today and I just wrote a simple prayer. We're gonna put it on the screen so you can screenshot it or take it with you all week long and in just about 15 seconds, we're gonna read this prayer out loud together today so that you can hear yourself declare the truth of God's word over your own life.

On the count of three, let's read it together. One, two, three. God, quiet my soul today like a child resting on your lap. You are my portion so I'm not chasing anybody else's. Bless me with what you know I can handle without sinning against you. I choose to desire what you know is best so I choose to be content with my assignment. Comparison is a trap. I'm not making time to get lured into it today. You are enough for me and I'm leaning in because I trust you with my life. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen. That prayer takes about 45 seconds but it might set the course of your entire day when you pray it regularly. Putting your hand in his hand and letting him guard and guide every step of the way. With heads bowed, with eyes closed just for a moment. I don't wanna leave a moment like this without giving someone an opportunity to be able to say, Kyle, I want this contentment but I find that this contentment is only found in Christ. And so today I wanna make the decision to trust my life into his hands so that I can receive the contentment that only he brings. Hundreds of us in all of our locations have already made this decision and we know that this is the best.

So city first, I'm gonna ask you, pray this prayer out loud with me so no one feels left out. Just say, Jesus, I need you. I've tried on my own and I failed. But today I hand you my sin, I receive your forgiveness. I hand you my life, I receive your leadership. Be the Lord of my life and the King of my contentment today and every day to come. In Jesus name, amen. Come on, put those hands together and give God praise. What an amazing message from Pastor Kyle, an encouraging message. And I just wanna challenge you this week to put into practice what we learned and then also to share this message with those that are in your life. And we do wanna take a moment and say that if you did pray that prayer to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of your life, we wanna let you know that we are celebrating with you. That is the best decision that you will ever make. And we would love to, as your church family, come alongside you in this journey of following Jesus and help you with a few next steps. First, tell someone about the decision that you made. We are not meant to walk. this life alone. Secondly, we have a free resource just for you called New Beginning. It's a simple 14-day devotional as you start growing in your relationship with Jesus. When you sign up for this resource, you're also going to receive a link to a few videos from our pastors Jeremy and

Jen, and these videos are going to guide you through how to pray, how to read the Bible, how to build relationships that are Christ-centered. And as you start this journey, we just want to make sure you know that you can reach out to us at any point with any questions, or if there's something we can do to help you grow in your faith, just simply jump on the website, send us an email, or you can even DM us on social media. Yeah, then after you walk through that New Beginning resource, a next great step to take is to join Growth Track, which starts the first Sunday of the month. This is a great way to discover your God-given purpose and design. You can attend in person or online, and if you'd like more information or want to sign up, you can visit the app or scan the QR code on your screen. You know, and finally, if you need prayer for anything, jump on the app and you can enter a prayer request at any moment, and we have a team of people that are praying over every single request that comes in, praying consistently. You know, one of the best things that you can do, though, is to come back to church and to bring somebody with you, so we just want to take a moment to say thank you again for gathering today. We hope you have a great week. That's right, guys. We love you, and we're praying for you, and we'll catch you guys next week.