Calvary Baptist Church of Holden
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      • The Rapture
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      • Practical Tips for Winning Souls to Christ
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      • Meaning in the Monotony of Life
      • How Can a Believer Be a Good Example?
      • What Will Wake People Up To The Gospel?
      • But Now Bring What You Need
      • Disappointment
      • Occupy Til I Come
      • Enduring Rejection to Win Souls
      • Beware of Dainties
      • Proactive & Reactive Faithfulness
      • The Three Forms of Church Govt
      • True Faith
      • What is Saving Faith?
      • What Mom Wants Most
      • Repent!
      • Hope and Peace for Your Soul
      • Rejection of the King
      • Daily Life During the Millennial Kingdom
      • Government During the Millennial Kingdom
      • The Literal, Future Kingdom of God
      • When To Leave A Church
      • Punishment and Rewards
      • Wisdom for Realities
      • The Futility of Life without God
      • Sometimes Life Costs Too Much
      • Godliness
      • Illusions of Wealth
      • Thanking God
  • Past Livestreams
    • This World Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, Part II (YouTube)
    • This World Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (YouTube)
    • The Rapture of the Church (YouTube)
    • Your Final Living Place
    • Shoot for Eternity (YouTube)
    • What Do We? (YouTube)
    • Behold How He Loved (YouTube)
    • When God Seems Two Days Late and an Answered Prayer Short YouTube
    • Struggling to the Truth YouTube
    • A Flourishing Christian Life YouTube
    • On Deaf Ears Video
    • Accept the Present (YouTube)
    • Why We Need Light Youtube
    • Others' Sin Sparks Reflection Within (YouTube)
    • Convincing the Almost Saved YouTube
    • The Best for Others YouTube
    • Crossing the Line YouTube
    • Spiritual Wisdom Lasts Forever YouTube
    • Let Jesus Onto Your Boat YouTube
    • The Four Principles of Missions
    • How Godly Moms Love their Children
    • Only the Hope God Provides Can Satisfy the Soul (YouTube)
    • Reverence for Jesus Christ (YouTube)
    • The Offer of Eternal Hope (YouTube)
    • The Authority of Jesus Christ YouTube
    • Fiddling While Hell Burns - YouTube
    • Reasons for Believing in Time of War
    • Worship Continues in Time of Crisis
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        • By Faith We Can See
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        • Spiritual Gifts
        • Responding to Suffering
        • Orienting the Family Around the Local Church
        • In the world but not of it.
        • Behaving Like a Genuine Believer
        • Our Minds Need Renovation
        • Let's Get Rid of the Old Man
        • Turning Worry into Rest
        • The Battle For Your Mind
        • Eternal Security
        • The Necessary Name
        • How to Reach This Generation
        • Repent
        • Understanding Today’s Reprobate Minds
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        • Temperament
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Contentment

10/8/2018

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Picture
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11

WE STRUGGLE WITH CONTENTMENT
Contentment is something we all struggle with, even believers.  We’re always seeking something better.  A better place to live, better car, better job, better church, better situation. And it’s not necessarily wrong to desire better circumstances.

But as we reflect back upon our lives, we realize that there was often a feeling that, whatever situation we were in, it was never good enough.  Seldom were we content with raw reality.


IDEALISM IS UNREALISTIC
We live with a sense of idealism, of what life should be like. But what we find is that life doesn’t always go as planned or hoped for. We experience disappointments, trials, and aggravations. It’s easy to feel, at times, that life isn’t fair. We may think, “if only such and such happened then this wouldn’t have happened. Life is full of disappointments.


GOD IS WORKING EVERYTHING OUT FOR GOOD
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

True contentment is a strong confidence that God is working everything out in our lives for good.  Sometimes the situations we experience are, honestly, not good. But God, in His providence, His sovereignty, is working everything out for good. We might see the good a few years later or we might not see the “good” until we’re in heaven. We must cling to God’s truth in His Word that, no matter what the situation is, He is working ALL things together for good to them that love Him.

COVETOUSNESS IS THE OPPOSITE OF CONTENTMENT
The opposite of contentment is covetousness. Covetousness is a feeling that whatever our current situation (trials, troubles, disappointments, or health problems), must be improved.  We tend to always want to be in a better position. God, on the other hand, wants us to be content in whatsoever situation we’re in.

God hates covetousness. He commands us not to covet. This goes all the way back to the Ten Commandments and is reaffirmed in the New Testament;

“For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet.” Romans 13:9

WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD
We have to accept that we live in a fallen world.  It’s sinfully unrealistic to expect life to be a fulfilled dream. Idealism is a tendency to want things as they might be, could be, or should be instead of how they actually are.

For example, when we drive to church on Sunday morning, we may have seen people out fertilizing their lawns, walking their dogs, raking leaves, pushing baby carriages, turning into packed parking lots at the supermarket. "It’s not the way things used to be," we might say quietly to ourselves. "People should be caring about their eternal souls. They should be lining up at the church door hoping there’ll be a seat left for them to come learn truths from the Word of God." Ideally, that's the way it should be. There should be such a thirst in the land for the Biblical explanation of what life is all about. But that’s not the way it is. What the world is like, ideally, is not what it’s like in reality.

The same is true about most aspects of our lives. Everything is not what it should be. We live in a fallen world.  The so-called “dream job” is never as dreamy as we imagined.  The long years of healthy and wealthy retirement often don’t match our expectations.  We live in a fallen world filled with disappointments.

NOT FATALISM
So we shouldn’t get all bent out of shape when life doesn’t go as we expected.  But that doesn’t mean we should be fatalistic about life and say “whatever will be will be.”  There is often something we can do to improve our situations.  We can go to the doctor if we're sick.  We can go to the mechanic when the car breaks. But there are also times when nothing, humanly, can be done.

BEWARE OF ANGER
If we don’t accept that we live in a fallen world then we can easily become angry or bitter.  Anger over our situations can dangerously make us raise our fists in defiance to God.  But that wasn’t Paul’s example.  He learned to be content in every condition.

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    Pastor David S. Rogol
    Calvary Baptist Church
    ​of Holden, MA

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"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Purpose
    • Beliefs
    • Pastor
  • Radio
    • 2020 Sermons >
      • This World Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (Radio)
      • What Do We?
      • Behold How He Loved
      • When God Seems Two Days Late and an Answered Prayer Short
      • Struggling to the Truth
      • How to Live a Flourishing Christian Life
      • On Deaf Ears
      • Accept the Present But be Open to the Future
      • Why We Need Light
      • Others' Sin Sparks Reflection Within
      • Convincing the Almost Saved
      • The Best for Others
      • Crossing the Line
      • Spiritual Wisdom Lasts Forever
      • Let Jesus onto Your Boat
      • Four Principles of Missions
      • Satisfaction for the Soul
      • Mother's Day 2020
      • Reverence for Jesus Christ
      • The Authority of Jesus Christ
      • The Offer of Eternal Hope
      • Fiddling While Hell Burns
      • Reasons for Believing in Time of War (radio)
      • Worship Continues in Time of Crisis
      • The Most Pressing Need in the World
      • Believe or Die
      • Capturing the World's Attention
      • The Unpredictable in Life
      • From Spectator to Believer
      • Being A Saint Who Serves
      • Real Life on the Mission Field Congo Part 2
      • Real Life on the Mission Field Congo Part 1
      • Three Ways People Follow Christ
      • Letters From God
      • Following God
      • Lasting Changes
    • 2019 Sermons >
      • Why We Celebrate Christmas
      • The Meaning of King in our Christmas Carols
      • Time is Son-ey
      • The Thought Life of a Faithful Believer
      • How to Keep Your Church Going Strong
      • The Day of the Lord
      • The Rapture
      • The Temperament of a Church
      • What is Man?
      • Living for Christ
      • The Powerful Word of God
      • Adopt-a-Sinner
      • Practical Tips for Winning Souls to Christ
      • Key Ingredients for the Successful Presentation of the Gospel
      • The Working Mechanisms of a Healthy Church
      • By Faith We Can See
      • Meaning in the Monotony of Life
      • How Can a Believer Be a Good Example?
      • What Will Wake People Up To The Gospel?
      • But Now Bring What You Need
      • Disappointment
      • Occupy Til I Come
      • Enduring Rejection to Win Souls
      • Beware of Dainties
      • Proactive & Reactive Faithfulness
      • The Three Forms of Church Govt
      • True Faith
      • What is Saving Faith?
      • What Mom Wants Most
      • Repent!
      • Hope and Peace for Your Soul
      • Rejection of the King
      • Daily Life During the Millennial Kingdom
      • Government During the Millennial Kingdom
      • The Literal, Future Kingdom of God
      • When To Leave A Church
      • Punishment and Rewards
      • Wisdom for Realities
      • The Futility of Life without God
      • Sometimes Life Costs Too Much
      • Godliness
      • Illusions of Wealth
      • Thanking God
  • Past Livestreams
    • This World Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, Part II (YouTube)
    • This World Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (YouTube)
    • The Rapture of the Church (YouTube)
    • Your Final Living Place
    • Shoot for Eternity (YouTube)
    • What Do We? (YouTube)
    • Behold How He Loved (YouTube)
    • When God Seems Two Days Late and an Answered Prayer Short YouTube
    • Struggling to the Truth YouTube
    • A Flourishing Christian Life YouTube
    • On Deaf Ears Video
    • Accept the Present (YouTube)
    • Why We Need Light Youtube
    • Others' Sin Sparks Reflection Within (YouTube)
    • Convincing the Almost Saved YouTube
    • The Best for Others YouTube
    • Crossing the Line YouTube
    • Spiritual Wisdom Lasts Forever YouTube
    • Let Jesus Onto Your Boat YouTube
    • The Four Principles of Missions
    • How Godly Moms Love their Children
    • Only the Hope God Provides Can Satisfy the Soul (YouTube)
    • Reverence for Jesus Christ (YouTube)
    • The Offer of Eternal Hope (YouTube)
    • The Authority of Jesus Christ YouTube
    • Fiddling While Hell Burns - YouTube
    • Reasons for Believing in Time of War
    • Worship Continues in Time of Crisis
  • COVID-19 Sermons
  • How to Know God
  • Church Bulletin
  • Missions
  • Where We Meet
  • Contact
    • Mailing List
  • TV
    • 1-12 Creation - Cain & Abel
    • 13-24 Flood-Ten Commandments
  • Pastor's Study
    • Older Sermons >
      • 2018 Sermons >
        • When Life Costs Too Much
        • Meaning in the Monotony
        • What Makes a Satisfying Life?
        • Disappointment
        • Persecution
        • By Faith We Can See
        • Worship
        • Spiritual Gifts
        • Responding to Suffering
        • Orienting the Family Around the Local Church
        • In the world but not of it.
        • Behaving Like a Genuine Believer
        • Our Minds Need Renovation
        • Let's Get Rid of the Old Man
        • Turning Worry into Rest
        • The Battle For Your Mind
        • Eternal Security
        • The Necessary Name
        • How to Reach This Generation
        • Repent
        • Understanding Today’s Reprobate Minds
        • Characteristics of Mature Believers
        • Characteristics of a Godly Mother
        • Living With Wisdom
        • Hope-filled Lives Matter
        • Living with Conviction
        • Trapped?
        • God is in Control
        • The Devoted and Emptied Believer
        • Law and Order
        • Power
      • 2017 Sermons >
        • Worship; More than a Word
        • Slump
        • Where's Your Mar's Hill?
        • Trusting God Entirely
        • Thankful Where Caught
        • Evidence of the Holy Spirit Leading
        • Temperament
        • Deeper Questions
        • Preparing For Our Departure
        • Helping New Converts
        • Refusing Honor
        • Longing for Truth
        • Yielding to Holy Spirit
        • Desiring God
        • Sympathy
    • Blog
    • Posts >
      • Final Words
      • Bible Foundations 22
      • Sunday, 11/4/18
      • Newsletter
      • What does Fundamentalist mean?
      • Apostle Paul was a Fundamentalist
      • The Difference between Evangelicals and Fundamentalists
      • Bible Foundations 21
      • Bible Foundations 20
      • Why I Preach 45-Minute Sermons
      • Simple Christianity
      • A Note From the Pastor
      • Lesson 19
      • Bible Foundations 18
      • From Whom Are You Learning?
      • Bible Foundations 17
      • Lesson 16
      • The Thanksgiving Proclamation
      • Bible Foundations 15
      • Lesson 14
      • Lesson 13
      • Video: Holdenites
      • Holdenites Can't be Good Enough
      • Lesson 11
      • Lessons 1-12
      • Trials101
      • Why You Might Like (or Not Like) our Church
      • But I Have Other Things to Do
      • Report of First Public Service
      • Our First Public Service!
      • The Difference Between Reading the Word and Meditating on the Word
      • New Beginnings for Baptist church in Holden
      • Newsletter Signup
  • What is Fundamentalism?