Hecho de Manera Diferente | Estaré Satisfecho | Pastor Kyle Rodgers

Hello City First in all of our locations in Spring Creek, Cape Coral, Janesville. God behind the bars. Let's give a praise to Jesus. He is worth it. He is. And well, if we haven't met, my name is Kyle and it's really exciting to be with you. And well, we are in this series called Construido Diferente, where today it's called Voy a estar contento, voy a estar tranquilo. So turn to the person, no, turn to the other person and say, I'm going to be calm, right? Say, well, I'm going to be content, more than anything, I'm going to be content. And well, we're going to apply different principles that are different to the culture. And the word conforming, we're going to talk about this today. When we say conforming, we don't say, okay, we're going to stay calm. But it's called simply being content, right? With our life, right? Without necessarily feeling tied to that. Well, we're in a, let's read this chapter, it says in Filipino, it says, I really, let's read Philippians 4, 10, 11. It says the following, chapter 4, verse 1, 10 to 13. It says, in this Philippians, it says, well, when I praise the Lord that you have returned to worry about me, when I praise the Lord that you have returned to worry about me, I know that you have always worried about me, but I did not have the opportunity to help you. It says, it's not that I've ever been in need, because I have learned to be content with what I have, with the circumstances that I live in, with almost nothing, or with everything necessary. I have learned the secret of living in any situation, whether it's with an empty stomach, or with a lot, or with little. Well, I can do all of that through Christ, who gives me the strength.

So, well, he gives me the strength. The last part of this, this portion of scripture that we just read in Philippians 4, I think it's one of the most familiar scriptures for several. I've seen it, before his day of, when they go to their hot yoga session, or a session in the gym. And, well, he says, I can. I can do everything. Through whom? Through Christ, who gives me the strength. The reality is that it's one of the things, one of the scriptures that sometimes people take out of context. The context of Philippians 4, I can do through Christ, who gives me the strength. It doesn't have to do with motivation, or trying to make it more difficult. It has to do with everything, with the beginning of verse 10 and 11, where we start to read. The writer here is called Paul, and he's talking, he's writing from a Roman prison. And he says, well, it's like a, it's like a thank you for those followers who have given gifts to help Paul while he's in prison, in a Roman prison. To be able to survive, to be in prison, you would need people to send gifts, food, medicine,

anything you could give to help you survive. And Paul feels that people were very, very generous with him, and he wanted to thank them. But this group of followers, they were one of the favorites. I know that pastors don't have to have favorites, but Paul says, I do. And well, I want to tell you that as a pastor, I do have this favorite. I like Philippians. I don't know about you, but when I'm with my favorite people, I speak in a different and more personal way than when I speak to anyone I meet on the road. Let's see, I think you don't understand me. I'm going to better go this way, right? Well, in Philippians, you know that Paul is taking time to be more personable, to be more personal. And he communicates and says, hey, I've learned a secret in life. I've learned, and the secret I've learned is how, how to be happy, content. But the content, when people used to say content, or in my Afro-American mind, I'd hear it through, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm content. Yeah, yeah, I'm okay with the mediocre. I'm not comfortable. Pablo here, no, he changes things. And he says, no, I've learned the secret to being happy. It's learning how to be happy in any and every situation. Look, when he mentions this,

if you go back to Pablo's life in Corinthians, you're going to find that he talks about everything that he's been through, and Pablo's going to tell you that he's been a mess day and night. He's been, he's even been thrown rocks by the same people he knew. He's been threatened several times in his life. Pablo's telling us that everything in his life hasn't been good. Can anyone testify that his life hasn't been very good? Let's see, Pastor, come, come, I'm a pastor. Let's lean in and go. Pablo says, it's not all good in my life, but we're going to go back to the church like it was in my dad's church. But God is good. That's what we said in the church. God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good. There's a moment to realize, to be conformed. But when we use this word in this context, the word doesn't mean that it doesn't matter what is going on around you, you're still anchored to Christ who lives in me. And if we're honest in this room, in all of our locations, none of us are signing up for our circumstances. He says, he guides us to realize that the most important thing in the curriculum is to be happy, is the circumstances.

And if we're honest in this place and in all of the locations, none of you want to have adverse circumstances. We don't want to have difficult situations, but we agree that our biggest season of progress is always, always on the other side of the adverse circumstances. I went to the gym the other day and I got mad because someone was using the device that I wanted to use and I got mad. It wasn't that they were there, but they did a set and then they spoke on the phone when they were on the machine for 15 minutes. It's bad English, but it's good praise, don't you think? I said, well, damn. I said, no, no, no, you don't know about this life. Why don't you get strong? And look at it. What the resistance creates for the one who creates and the followers is this curriculum, right? That tells you, if you allow it, it helps you. If you allow it, it brings you closer to your creator, right? If you do this schedule. And you can go back to the other service. It says, he creates. What he does is he creates a win-win scenario, right? That everyone wins. There are days that you feel like you're losing. There are days that you feel like you're winning. But what Pablo does is that when you learn the secret of life,

which is to be happy in all and all circumstances, he says, are you learning or are you winning? Look at it that way. Are you victorious or are you in the process? Are you making progress or are you getting stronger for the next step? In any way, you're in a win-win situation. Everyone wins. In a win-win scenario. He writes this letter from the Philippians. He says, the goal of wanting to live for God no matter what you find yourself going through has to be a priority. I can be the same person when I'm good and also when I'm bad. That's why in Philippians it's important. It's something important about these scriptures because it's not, I can do everything through Christ because I'm super strong in all circumstances. No, it's, I can do everything through Christ because I've already done everything through Christ. You're with me. You understand me? What Paul says is that there has to be something deeper, that it refreshes consistently, that it goes beyond the adversity that circumstances can't provide. The Old Testament says this. There was a king, Hezekiah, and he knew that there was going to be a war.

an army of enemies of the people of God who were going to attack them. At that time, the biblical historians tell us that, well, that people left the comfort of being able to go and bring water and bring it back to the city. But Hezekiah, well, he left the city vulnerable to attack. So Hezekiah convened a group of excavators to make a tunnel that carried water from where it came out to the city, which was protected behind the fence, you could say, of the gate. And he knew that if the refreshment was that they needed to be protected, it didn't matter what was going on outside, because they were going to be fine if there was refreshment inside these doors or gates. And that's what it's about, being happy. Life gives us life. Everything goes very well one day and everything falls the next day. You get up, you did your devotions, you had your coffee, then you told your sons, I'm going to pray for everything, right? I'm the only one. You're fine. But you know what? You got in the car, your tires were punctured, nails in the tires. Let's see, who understands me? We go to my dad's house and he says, there's always going to be something. I think they're at home and they understand. But being happy, right? As it is, no matter what I'm going through, I know who I'm connected to and I'm not going to be changed. Pablo, nothing is going to move me. Nothing is going to take me out of my boxes. And look, he's saying, David teaches us how to be happy, calm during a delay. And you're going to realize that David was marked by God, right?

He was anointed to be the next king of Israel. But in this, there was a process of waiting for more than a decade. David had to go from the time he was anointed to the time he was appointed. And we find two examples in 1 Samuel 24 and 26, when David had a time to eliminate, to take out his predecessor, right? The life of Saul. But David decided to be happy, even in the midst of what looked like a delay. And well, he was able to, I want to tell you, to stop in that moment, that you are in a moment in your life where God wants you to be. In the moment that he wants you to be, in that moment with the resources that you know you can have. You are not late, you are not early, you are right where God wants you to be. Despite the dysfunction in your life, with all your failures, with all your things, with your attitudes. Let's see, someone is giving me attitude right now, it doesn't matter. Look, you are in the right place, in the right time. And you don't need to rush God. Oh, sometimes I see God, and I feel like we treat him like Amazon Prime. I pray, and I want to get there between 4 and 7 in the afternoon. So I want my prayer answered. But God doesn't work like that. And here are the challenges. Are we going to love our time, or are we going to be happy with his time? David gives us an example of how it looks

to have a heart that is set in the time of God and to be happy with that moment. He says the following in Psalms. He says, I don't occupy my time with very big things, or beautiful things for me. He says, my heart is not proud. My eyes are not high. I'm not interested in too big or impressive things that I can't assimilate. I don't worry. I got a wife I'm in love with, and someone said, hey, you're a pastor. What do you think about this? And I said, no, I haven't even talked about my work schedule yet. I don't think. He said, you don't know what's going on? Of course I know what's going on. What do you think about that? And I said, I don't think. He said, no, tell me what you think. Look, I have a wife that I love. I want to teach her how to serve well. I have two kids. One has baseball. One has volleyball. And I haven't talked about my work schedule. What are you saying, Kyle? Sometimes you have to be so busy with the things that God gave you that you don't have time for the things that have nothing to do with you. David said, I'm not worried about what you have there

because I'm tired of being a good master of what God gave me to do at this time. I'm not going to occupy my time with things. I don't care. It's not good for me. And David says, you know what? I'm going to be happy as I am right now. The book of John is the disciple, the disciple John. And he captures moments that happen in the ministry and in the life of Jesus that we can learn. And in John chapter 3, we're going to read a portion of the Scripture. In John 3, you're going to realize that when Jesus begins to grow, when his ministry begins to grow, approximately three and a half years, when the ascent of his ministry begins and he begins to realize, the crowd begins to believe in him for healing. He's liberating. He's baptizing. He's doing everything that his public ministry is going to require of him. But for his ministry to ascend, it means that John the Baptist's ministry begins to get a little cold. In John chapter 3, we're going to read, we're going to start a conversation. We're going to read the following in this Scripture. And it says, There was a debate between the disciples of John and a certain Jew about the ceremonial purification. So the disciples of John went to tell him, Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, whom you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people and they all go to him. John answered, No one can receive anything unless God conceals it from heaven. You know that I clearly said to them, I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.

He says, to prepare the way for him. He is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom's friend is simply glad to be next to the bridegroom and hear his vows. So to hear that he's successful fills you with joy. He must be more and more important. And I, less. This joy is complete. He must add, to go up. And I have to be less. Long enough to know that he's more important than I am. Notice here, John the Baptist I like having control. I like living a happy life. I hate being out of control. I have so many different things that I can get my hands on, that I can't. I've been on this planet for 41 years. I know I'm not under control. I like having control. He says, look fellas, I'm just going to translate it for you. I don't like being out of control. I like the things that I can control. When people look at us, and I've been rolling around for 14 years, and I realize there's a trail to be a forerunner for the world to come. I'm going to translate it in the way I understand it. He says, look fellas,

everything was fine when people were coming to us, and I was baptizing them. My responsibility was to start something new for the one who was going to come. To open the earth, right? It was his cousin, so to speak. But John, the Baptist, baptizes him. He opens the way. And when he starts going up to the ministry of Jesus, but the one of John the Baptist is going down. His disciples, not John, his disciples, are nervous. Because it seems as if his star is no longer shining so much. And you have to be careful who you keep around you in different seasons of your life. And then you have to be careful of the disposition of your soul with the people around you. And you know, it's not going to be bad, but you would understand what he finds. John says, hey, think about this, like when you marry someone, when the husband or the wife, the boyfriend comes, what is he looking for?

His girlfriend. How stupid would it be if the man said no? Wouldn't he be excited when the husband finds the bride? I think someone would slap him. He would slap him if he wasn't excited to get married. Of course, he's going to celebrate. And he's going to be ready full of joy because the task has been completed. And one of the most humble verses let's be honest, some business leaders and some community leaders, some will even go through or have gone through succession. That's one of the most humble verses. He has to increase and I have to decrease. Juan El Bautista models what this is about. He diminishes his title, so to speak. Some are leaders, some are community leaders. Some have gone through, others haven't. But you know what? Sometimes when you have to give leadership to the next person, whether you retire or change a career or transition, it's hard because you know you're losing control. That's the hard part of a transition. But what if the task is not that you are in control but simply to take the next correct step and then let go of your hands? Parents, listen to me.

My wife and I, Danielle, we have a 10-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. I don't know why, but they feel they have the authority to give me their opinion constantly. So I say, I appreciate your opinion, but here's my instruction. You can't tell a 36-year-old, Amen. But in 10 years, my instruction is going to be less in 10 years because I'm going to have a diminished title. It doesn't mean I'm less. It means you can't tell a 36-year-old, how to live life. It's because we're not recognizing the timing of the Lord in relationships. Kareem, how does humility look? It's from a point of view of being happy, comfort. And you know what? Sometimes the challenges that we're navigating is because we were never recognized because we were just playing God's time. Paul says, I will be content. David says, I will be content. John the Baptist says, I will be content. I use the personal character. But we're not the main person. We're not helping the one in control. Paul says, I will be content. John the Baptist says, I will be content. I'm content, right?

Honestly, being content is hard for me or content in those situations. Come here. The number one enemy is my competitive nature. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm a little dysfunctional. Maybe that's why I'm in therapy. I hate losing. I hate losing more than I enjoy winning. Let's see. Kyle, why? Because winning is incredible. But the next day you're ready to win again. But why do I hate losing? Because when you lose, you're stuck with the, how about this? How about that? How about losing? What if I had done this? What if I had done that? What if I had lost? If I didn't know about that time, I would have done that. I could have done something else. Does anyone else understand what I'm feeling? It hurts. It hurts to fight, to fight for being happy or content in a culture that tells you you're never, you're never good enough.

You can never be good enough. There's always more. And the second thing, give me neither poverty, nor riches. Give me all of it. Proverbs, chapter 30, in verse 7, it says, two things I ask you, Lord, it says in Proverbs, it says, keep the lies away from me, right? It says, I beg you two favors, grant me before I die. Help me not to lie. Second, do not deprive me of poverty or wealth. Give me only what is sufficient to satisfy my needs. Because if I become rich, I could deny you and say, who is this man? And if I am very poor, I could steal and thus offend the holy name of my God. What here the prayer says, God, I am asking you that you do not give me a great wealth, but do not make me poor. Give me only what is sufficient. Honestly, in the American culture that we live in, when was the last time we stopped and said, God, I don't want more, I want enough. But if we are honest, here and in all the places, it can be one of the biggest tensions in our hearts, because we don't like to talk about this. We live in a culture that says,

come on, work hard, don't sleep. And I don't come for your dreams, your vision book, your vision picture. No, be a good mayor of your time. But all those things have to have limits at some point. Like every promotion is not your promotion. Let's see, the 47% increase in money. Well, how much do you have? How much money do you have? How much time do you not have with your wife and children? Because now you earn more, but you don't have time for them. That is an example. Maybe the prayer that we need to pray, we need to pray in an ambitious society, in an ambitious America, is not a prayer for more. It is a prayer for enough. I know friends who have enough money for you and me, four people, to spend all our lives and not need a dollar more. But nevertheless, we feel satisfied or happy. You know what? It is not enough for them. Maybe the prayer is not always asking for more, but it is enough. Do you hear the language that is used here? Eat the bread every day. Remember the first time this happens in Exodus, when God brings the fresh manna to feed the people, and he makes it clear,

don't keep it. Don't keep it, because I am going to bring it fresh every day. And if you keep it, it is going to get sour and you are not going to be able to eat it. He is the one who provides for us. He is enough. And then Jesus comes and repeats the same thing. He says, give us this day our daily bread, because we are not the resource. We are not the one who does it. He is enough. Attention. Do we need more? Or are we with enough? When I think about this, I think about the relationship I have with my son. Three years ago, I took him to his first football game. I am from Florida, and the only team from Florida is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The only good ones. They have won twice. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The first game, the first professional game he has played in all his life. This is the picture we took there. He is there with them. Look at him. Look at all that confidence. I am from here, here, here. I am from here. They are in the field.

All the games we have been together. He turned to me and said, Dad, are we going to go down to the field? I turned to him and said, Son, it took me 37 years to go down to the field. This is your first time. What can I tell you? You have already won the game. You outdid yourself. He's 3 years old now, 6 years old, but at 3 and 6, and maybe at 12, there are those thoughts of, because it happened once, it has to happen all the time. I want more. We always want more. But every time I look at this picture, knowing what I hear in my heart is enough. That moment was enough. And what they teach us here is that in this culture, where we pray for more, he teaches us how to pray for enough. Because we are going to be honest. Sometimes, because we are so anxious about life, about what is happening in our life, not because of the circumstances, but because of how we handle the circumstances. Sometimes our anxiety goes up to 527% because we are trying to fix things that only God can fix. Sometimes the chaos in our mind is because we have a double mentality. Scripture says, when you think double, you are unstable. Maybe the opposite of these things that we navigate in life, it's not that they have to be fixed with something, with the supernatural hand of God, but what has to happen is that we have to submit them to his will

and say, I'm going to be happy if I have it or not. I'm going to be satisfied if I'm up, if I'm down, if I'm happy or if I'm in pain or hurt. I'm going to be happy and satisfied because it's not based on what happens around me, but who lives inside of me. I'm going to struggle with what to pray. I'm going to be in a place of contentment. If you're like me, sometimes you can't pray. You don't know what to pray when you don't know if you're in a place of contentment with what God has given you. You know what, I'm going to give you this prayer so you can take it with you. And in 15 seconds, we're going to read this together today so that you can hear how you declare the truth of God about your life. On the count of three, we're going to read it together. One, two, three. God, quiet my soul like a child resting on your lap. You are my portion. So I'm not following anyone else's portion. Bless me with what you know I can do so that I don't fall short of you. I decide to choose what's best for me. And I decide to be happy and content with my task. Comparing myself is a trap. I don't want time to be in traps. You are enough for me. And I am here because I trust you in my life. I trust that you have my life in your hands. In the name of Jesus, amen. That prayer takes about 45 seconds,

but it can change the day when you pray it daily. Put your plan in his hands and let him guide you every step of your life. With my head down and my eyes closed, I don't want to leave a moment without giving the opportunity to someone who says, Kyle, I want this conformity, but this is only in Christ. Or I want to make the decision to trust that my life is in the hands of God and receive what he can give me. We know that in many other places, people have already made the decision. This is the best decision. City First, I ask you to pray this with me so that no one feels alone. Wherever you are, say, Jesus, I need you. I tried on my own and I failed. But today, I hand over my sin. I receive your forgiveness. I receive your life. I receive your leadership. I will be the Lord of my life and the king of my contentment every day to come. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, amen. Let's give God a big round of applause.