We experience biblical contentment primarily through our relationships with Christ. Secondarily, it comes from simple things like eating, drinking, and finding joy in our labor. But biblical contentment does not come from riches and possessions. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn how to develop biblical contentment.

https://youtu.be/qh8iveH2m1o

Table of contentsHoarding Is a Threat to ContentmentThe Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With UsLearning from Malcolm Forbes and No FearGodliness with ContentmentHow Can We Experience Biblical Contentment?Biblical Contentment Does not Come from Wealth and PossessionsBiblical Contentment Does Come from Simple ThingsFootnotes

I covered Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 in Being Content from a Missionary Trip to Malawi, Africa. I'm picking up at verse 13.

Hoarding Is a Threat to Contentment

Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners.

If I had to write down a list of grievous evils, I’d probably say murder, adultery, hurting children, stealing from the less fortunate. But hoarding probably wouldn’t even make the list. But that’s the grievous evil Solomon had in mind.

Hoarding is so devastating that a reality show fittingly called Hoarders depicts people suffering from a “compulsive hoarding disorder.” The show is a record of people whose lives are ruined by their possessions.

Even if we aren’t hoarders, our possessions can still cause problems because of the time they consume and the choices they create. We have to figure out what to buy, where to get it, how to make the trip to get it, where to store it, where to put the old stuff that the new stuff replaces, and how to use it when we buy it. We bought it; we will make sure we use it to feel like we got our money’s worth.

These choices can consume us, so our possessions start possessing us. We become consumers consumed by our consumption.

They don’t have these problems in Malawi. Most people’s homes don’t have furniture. The floors are dirt. There’s no electricity; say nothing about televisions or the Internet. In Third World countries, the problem is not having enough. But in First World countries like ours, the problem is having too much. Mark Twain once defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” 46

Self-storage is one of our biggest industries. An article titled “The Hottest Industry Right Now Is Storing All Your Stuff” reads:

“A day hardly passes without the U.S. retail industry sustaining fresh wounds as malls and outlets shut their doors. Americans are still shopping, though online, in their pajamas and physics dictates that their new stuff, and old stuff, go somewhere. Welcome to the renaissance of self-storage.”

Another article, “Self-storage: How Warehouses for Personal Junk Became a $38 Billion Industry,” reads:

“Despite recessions and demographic shifts, few building types have boomed like self-storage lockers. The self-storage industry made $32.7 billion in 2016, nearly three times Hollywood’s box office gross. Self-storage has seen 7.7 percent annual growth since 2012, and now employs 144,000 nationwide. One in eleven Americans pays an average of $91.14 monthly to use self-storage. The United States has over fifty thousand facilities and roughly 2.31 billion square feet of rentable space. To give that perspective, the volume of self-storage units in the country could “fill the Hoover Dam twenty-six times with old clothing, skis, and keepsakes.”

Our lives are filled to overflowing with possessions. When I drive down the road and pass storage facilities, I wonder, “What’s in the units people don’t need and can’t easily access but still pay money to keep? How many owners are still paying off the credit cards that bought the stuff in the first place?”

The Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With Us

Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.

Wealth can disappear! Even though he’s a hardworking father, he has nothing to give to his son because he lost everything. People lose wealth through bad business decisions or other misfortunes, such as accidents, fires, or medical bills.

Even if we don’t lose riches in this life, we lose them when we die, which is Solomon’s next point:

Ecclesiastes 5:15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?

My dad, John LaPierre, passed away in 2021. He choked on some food. My associate pastor and I took turns administering CPR until the paramedics arrived, and then they worked on him for over an hour. So, it was hard to know when he passed. The paramedics might say it was when he stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating, or his brain stopped functioning. But the Bible tells us it was when his spirit left his body:

Matthew 27:50 Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and YIELDED UP HIS SPIRIT.Acts 7:59 They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT.”James 2:26 The body WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD.

The spirit is immaterial or nonphysical, and the body is material or physical. When the spirit leaves the body, it takes nothing material or physical with it.

The moment that communicated the finality of Dad’s passing wasn’t when the police officer told me he passed. Instead, it was when the paramedics handed me his possessions, including his watch and hearing aids. It was like they were saying he wouldn’t need them any longer where he was going, and they were right. We come into the world with nothing and leave the same way.

Job 1:21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and NAKED SHALL I RETURN.Psalm 49:10 Wise men die; likewise, the fool and the senseless person perish, and LEAVE THEIR WEALTH TO OTHERS…17 When he dies, HE SHALL CARRY NOTHING AWAY; his glory shall not descend after him.

In Luke 12:20, God asked the rich fool, “The things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The answer is not his! Whatever we accumulate is left to others: friends, family, neighbors, the church, or – worst of all – the government. We don’t know where our wealth will go, but we know it will not go with us.

Earlier Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 2:18 I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I MUST LEAVE IT TO THE MAN WHO WILL COME AFTER ME.

Solomon knew he wasn’t taking anything with him.

When a wealthy man dies, people ask, “How much did he leave behind?” The answer is “All of it!” You never see U-Hauls behind hearses because we aren’t taking anything with us.

Proverbs 23:5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Riches tend to fly away when we least expect it, and the one time they really fly away is when we die. John Piper said, “At the greatest crisis of your life [when you die], when you need contentment, and hope, and security more than any other time, your money and all your possessions take wings and fly away. They let you down. They are fair-weather friends at best. And you enter eternity with nothing but the measure of contentment that you had in God.

Learning from Malcolm Forbes and No Fear

Malcolm Forbes was an American entrepreneur best known as the publisher of Forbes magazine. He’s also remembered for several sayings, one of which is, “He who has the most toys wins.” As you would expect from someone who said this, he lived an extravagant, flamboyant lifestyle. He spent millions (or perhaps billions) on parties, traveling, and his collection of yachts, aircraft, art, motorcycles, castles, hot-air balloons, and Fabergé eggs, some of which cost over one million dollars each.

Growing up, there was a popular clothing line called No Fear. One shirt corrected Malcolm’s quote: “He who dies with the most toys still dies.” The people working for the secular clothing company were considerably more biblical than Mr. Forbes. The clothing company recognized that we couldn’t take any of our toys or possessions with us because if we could, the one who died with the most toys would be the winner.

Remembering we’re not taking any physical stuff with us is one of the best ways to be content!

Godliness with Contentment

This is one of the most famous verses in the Bible about contentment:

1 Timothy 6:6 godliness with contentment is great gain.

These are the ideal combination. It is wonderful to have them together. Imagine God saying, “If you want a full life, pursue these. When you have them together, you will be blessed.”

Godliness means being like God or having God’s character. What are the distinguishing traits of godly people? In other words, what makes people godly? Is it humility, service, prayerfulness, faithfulness, or joyfulness? These are wonderful qualities, but contentment also belongs on the list because it reveals a spiritually peaceful life. Contentment is evidence of a heart that finds Christ sufficient and rests in Him.

The truly godly person is not interested in becoming rich. He possesses inner resources which furnish riches far beyond that which earth can offer.

William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, Baker Book House, 1957, page 198.

It almost looks like Paul is saying we can have godliness without contentment, as though godliness WITHOUT contentment is LITTLE gain, but godliness WITH contentment is GREAT gain.

But it’s impossible to have godliness without contentment because a godly person whose discontent looks ungodly. Picture people who are discontent. They are miserable, always be complaining, murmuring,

When I was in Malawi, Africa, I spent one week teaching at a Bible college and the following week at a pastor's conference. I was exposed to the common false teaching among the students and pastors. We see much of this false teaching in the church today, including in the United States, versus only in Africa.

https://youtu.be/ptozRMIOQRE

Table of contents1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the PrescriptiveWhat If People Don't Hear Audibly from God?2. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because of Belief in Modern-Day Apostles and Prophets3. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Wealth Is Considered a Sign of GodlinessThe False Prophet, Bushiri4. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because People Are Elevated Above ScriptureTeaching Under the New Covenant5. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Theatrics Are Elevated Above UnderstandingEzra Wanted the People to UnderstandOur Accountability Is High in the United States

In Malawi, Africa, I kept notes about things I felt burdened to share with the congregation when I returned. Many of my notes were about the false teaching I observed. I attended a Bible college the first week and a pastor’s conference the second week, which gave me insight into church leaders' beliefs. The title is “Five Reaons for False Teaching in the Church Today” rather than “Five Reaons for False Teaching in Malawi,” because much of the false teaching is prevalent in our country, too. So, I’ve chosen reasons that apply anywhere.

1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the Prescriptive

Malawi is a very charismatic country. There’s a strong belief in the supernatural, but not in a good way. I don’t mean believing the supernatural events in Scripture. I mean believing the same supernatural events are happening today.

One of the most common mistakes people make when reading Scripture is turning a descriptive passage (or one that merely describes what happened) into a prescriptive passage (or one that prescribes). In Malawi, this is a huge problem! For example:

Acts 5:12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that AS PETER CAME BY AT LEAST HIS SHADOW MIGHT FALL ON SOME OF THEM.

Do you see the problem with making descriptive language prescriptive? You could be led to believe that you can healed by a false teacher’s shadow falling on you.

Acts 8:26 Now AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO PHILIP, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And THE SPIRIT SAID TO PHILIP, “Go over and join this chariot.”

Should we expect the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit to speak audibly to us? No. That wasn’t my point with these verses last week. My point was that we step out in faith – like Philip – and walk in obedience, and God’s plan tends to unfold. Usually, we don’t get to see the second step until we take the first step. That’s part of the application of these verses. But if we looked at this account and thought that the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit would speak audibly because He did with Philip, we would be in trouble.

What If People Don't Hear Audibly from God?

When we don’t hear audibly from God, there will be four possible outcomes, and all are bad:

We’ll doubt our salvation because God isn’t speaking to us like He supposedly speaks to others

Or we’ll doubt God loves us because He doesn’t speak to us like He supposedly speaks to others

Or we’ll conclude we’re not spiritual enough

Or we’ll conclude the Bible is untrue

Consider this account:

Acts 19:11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

If you take this account prescriptively rather than descriptively, you will believe false teachers who claim that their handkerchiefs and aprons can heal the sick. I know that’s the case in Malawi because this account was mentioned to me to defend people being healed this way.

One of the other big problems with taking descriptive accounts and making them prescriptive is that you believe the teaching of the people who claim to be able to perform miracles. If you believe their teaching, then you believe them when they tell you to give them money. This is how false teachers get rich in one of the world’s poorest countries.

2. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because of Belief in Modern-Day Apostles and Prophets

One of the main reasons these false teachers are believed is they claim to be apostles and prophets. The first coming of Christ and the subsequent apostolic age were the most unique seasons in human history. We can’t make what happened then normative for the church age.

Luke 9:1 [Jesus] called THE TWELVE together AND GAVE THEM power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2…and to heal.

Who is the “them”? The Twelve Apostles! Jesus didn’t give supernatural power and authority to everyone. He gave it to the apostles, who used it in the Gospels and Acts.

The false teachers in Malawi claim to be apostles, and the truth is that if they are, they should have this supernatural power and authority. So, let’s deal with whether there are modern-day apostles and prophets:

Ephesians 2:19 the household of God [was] 20 built on the FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

The church is being compared to a building, and the apostles and prophets laid the foundation. This could also be why the apostles’ names are on the foundation of the New Jerusalem. I’m not in construction, but I know two things about foundations: you only lay a foundation once, and the foundation doesn’t go up to the third and fourth floors. The apostles’ ministry came to a close after the foundation was laid.

That’s why the New Testament doesn’t emphasize apostles and prophets. Instead, it emphasizes elders and deacons:

Acts 14:23 When [Paul and Barnabas] HAD APPOINTED ELDERS IN EVERY CHURCH, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Paul and Barnabas planted churches and appointed elders, but never apostles or prophets.

Titus 1:5 Paul said, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and APPOINT ELDERS IN EVERY TOWN as I directed you.”

Again, appointing elders, with no mention of appointing apostles or prophets.

1 Timothy 5:17 LET THE ELDERS WHO RULE well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

If apostles and prophets were continuing offices, we could be sure they would be considered worthy of double honor. Instead, it discusses elders.

James 5:17 Is anyone among you sick? LET HIM CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

If there were apostles in the church today with the supernatural power to heal that Jesus gave the Twelve Apostles, who would seek when sick? An apostle! But it doesn’t say to call the apostles because there are no apostles in the church today.

3. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Wealth Is Considered a Sign of Godliness

False teachers love money. The most famous verse in Scripture about loving money, one even the unbelieving world recognizes, is:

1 Timothy 6:10 The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

The context of this verse is false teachers; they’re the ones who love money. Some of the most popular false teachers in the United States are Benny Himm, Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Paula White, Joyce Meyer, and Kenneth Copeland. Something we immediately notice about them is how wealthy they are, and this is how Jesus told us to identify false teachers and false prophets:

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits.

These verses are not worded the way I would expect. I would expect Jesus to say to recognize false prophets by their false teaching. Instead, He says to recognize them by their fruits or what’s produced from their lives. Look at how they live, and often they live very extravagantly.

Now, we can understand why this would be a big problem in the United States, where there’s a lot of wealth, but we probably wouldn’t expect this to be the case in Malawi because of its poverty. But that’s why I titled this sermon “False Teaching in the Church Today,” because it is the same whether you are in the United States or Malawi.

The False Prophet, Bushiri

Bushiri is one of Malawi’s most popular false prophets. When we were preparing for the trip to Malawi, Andy Langdon, who led the trip, told us about the problems with false teaching, and this is the man he mentioned. Here's the false prophet Bushiri’s famous video of supposedly walking on air:

https://youtu.be/PLD_e4OGHUA

I told the Bible college students that this miracle was false.

On a recent mission trip to Malawi, Africa, I learned three lessons about God’s plan for our lives. Things didn’t go how I expected at times, but God’s agenda was better than mine. I hope these lessons encourage you when God’s plan seems different than yours.

https://youtu.be/EG7D-ivgWLY

On a recent mission trip to Malawi, Africa, I learned three lessons about God’s plan for our lives. God’s agenda was better than mine.

Table of contentsGod’s Plan for Our Lives Is Better than OursGod’s Plan Often Involves Wondering What’s NextOur Tuesday Night GroupStepping Out in Faith Isn't License to Be FoolishSharing the Gospel with Another SchoolGod’s Plan Requires Staying MarriedDave and Naida's Gomes's TestimonyAndy and Lisa Langdon's Testimony

When we took the trip to Malawi, there were two teams. I was on the teaching team that spoke at the Sola Scriptura Bible College the first week and the pastor's conference the second week. One particular day began very frustratingly. I am not one to blame everything on spiritual warfare or see the devil or a demon behind everything bad that happens. Sometimes, things happen simply because we live in a fallen world. But one morning, it seemed like we had difficulty getting to the Bible college on time. I joked with the teaching team that maybe we had a few Billy Grahams in the Bible college class that the devil didn’t want us to reach. First, we got pulled over:

https://youtu.be/Kqj3cgEIxx4

Then we got pulled over again:

https://youtu.be/56pqTpsupRU

Then we got a flat tire:

https://youtu.be/aKqBCTOYPSc

We broke down on the side of the road and had to wait for someone from the nursery to bring us tools to change the tire. Because we went to the Bible college each day from early morning until late evening, I hadn’t seen much of Malawi, so I decided to walk around. There were some buildings nearby, and I went to check them out.

God’s Plan for Our Lives Is Better than Ours

It turned out to be a school, but all the classes were canceled because it was a holiday. I was walking past the classrooms, expecting them to be empty, but one teacher, Mr. Moya, who you will meet in a moment, decided to have a class that day. I have no idea why he wanted to have class on a holiday, and I have no idea how he got his students to come to class on a holiday, but that’s what happened.

When I walked past his classroom, the students were excited because they saw a white person. I kept walking because I didn’t want to interrupt his class, but then I decided to walk back and see what would happen. The teacher, Mr. Moya, seemed like a serious man who wasn’t easy to read. So, I couldn’t tell how he felt about me at first, but I did get him to smile, which made me happy:

https://youtu.be/GgF2ujFyS9Y

I wanted to stay longer with the class, but I didn’t know if they had the tire changed, and I didn’t want them to wait for me. So, I returned to the truck, but they still didn’t have the tools. So I asked Eddie if he wanted to return to the classroom with me, and he was glad to do so:

https://youtu.be/qwOXPME6MyA

Now, there’s more to the story, but I can only show you so many videos, so let me briefly tell you what happened. Eddie told the class we would return the next day and bring them gospel tracts. When we returned the next day, Andrew and Andrey came with us because they wanted to spend one day at the Bible college. The school was in session, so we had to check in at the principal’s office. When we went to the principal’s office, she seemed glad that we were there and told us we could preach the gospel to other classrooms:

https://youtu.be/Epg7omXz-lc

I couldn’t help thinking that day about how much better God’s plan for our lives is than ours. God orchestrated many things for us. For example, if we didn’t have the flat tire:

I wouldn’t have visited the school.

Eddie wouldn’t have shared the gospel with the class

We wouldn’t have returned the following day to share the gospel again

I wouldn’t have had the idea to visit another school the following week because it went so well the first time. I'll share more about this in a moment.

And, of course, I have no idea why one teacher happened to be having class on a holiday.

God’s plan for our lives was much better than ours!

God’s Plan Often Involves Wondering What’s Next

When Eddie and I returned to the school, I liked how he said, “If the Lord provides an opportunity, let’s do it.” This summarizes what ministry often feels like: we don’t know what will happen next. We simply step out in faith and hope that God will provide an opportunity. It reminds me of Jonathan attacking the Philistines with his armor bearer. Listen to what he said:

1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. IT MAY BE THAT THE LORD WILL WORK FOR US, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

This is a great example of what we say in ministry: maybe the Lord will work for us. It also made me think of the situation with Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch:

Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Heading to a desert probably wasn’t attractive, but Philip was willing to do it. He was given step one, but he didn’t know step two. He didn’t know what he was doing or what he was looking for. This is what it means to walk by faith. If we could see the second step, we wouldn’t need faith because faith is what we don’t see:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

After taking the first step, Philip gets to the second step:

Acts 8:29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

You probably know the rest of the account. Philip preached the gospel to the Ethiopians so he could take it back to Ethiopia. I feel that this is often how ministry works. We don’t know what will happen. We move in a specific direction, and then, hopefully, things open up so we can determine whether to continue in that direction.

Our Tuesday Night Group

A simple example from our lives recently is our Tuesday night group. We said we would do it for a few weeks to see how it would go, but when people kept coming each week, including two or three new people most weeks, we decided to keep it going.

Stepping Out in Faith Isn't License to Be Foolish

But stepping out in faith isn’t a license to be foolish. We should combine faith and wisdom. I think it was unwise for me to go to a place with some drunk guys playing pool:

https://youtu.be/6fcMsZsqB2g

So here’s what happened: he did not want to take a photo with me. He wanted me to take a photo of him. After taking the photo, he told me I had to pay him money. I would have given him money to avoid a problem, but I didn’t have any money. Then the guy sitting on the bench and the other guy in the wife beater walked up and told me to give them money.

Fortunately, I was walking around with a nice man serving as my guide, and he grabbed me and yanked me out of there. Here’s his explanation of what happened:

https://youtu.be/g704DSzv7fA

So here’s my point: step out in faith, but be wise. Share the gospel, but only go in pool halls with drunk people if you’re super convinced God wants you to do that.

Sharing the Gospel with Another School

The following week, there was a day that I didn’t have to go to the pastor's conference. Because sharing at the school before went well, we decided to visit another school. So Johnny, Elsie, and I went out to see if the Lord would work on our behalf. Turns out He would:

https://youtu.be/nu_VlrxUOrs

The administration was thrilled to have us. I thought the principal would let us visit one or two classrooms. But every time we walked out of the classroom, she kept bringing us to the next classroom until we visited every single one.

https://youtu.be/7sRw83pzIII

Here's my son, Johnny, sharing the gospel with a class, which made Katie and me proud:

https://youtu.be/w2izsinq1AY

Another reason I said God’s plan for our lives is better than ours is that the teaching team was only supposed to minister to two groups: about fifty students at the Bible college and fifty pastors at the pastor's conference. We ministered to those two groups, but Mark, Andy and Lisa’s pastor, observed that we also shared the gospel with over 1,000 students.

The wonderful thing about this is it wasn’t our plan to share the gospel with any students, let alone 1,000. But it seemed like God’s plan for our lives because he opened the door for us and gave us the favor to do so.

God’s Plan Requires Staying Married

Marriage was on my mind in Africa for many reasons.

I had to be away from my wife for two and a half weeks, which made me thankful that I rarely have to be away from her.

I was invited to preach at a church on Sunday. I preached on marriage and then had a marriage Q&A at the end of the sermon.

I taught at the pastor's conference, and Andy asked me to teach about marriage because marriages are hurting in Malawi. At the end of those messages, I received many marriage questions.

Nothing showed the weakness of marriages more than these questions. Here are three examples:

First, a pastor asked,

From April 26, 2024, to May 11, 2024, I went to Malawi, Africa, to teach at a Bible college and preach at a pastor's conference. On the mission trip, God burdened me with a sermon about being content, which I preached when I arrived home.

Table of contentsThinking About Those with Less Should Help Us Being ContentComplaining in the Book of NumbersWealth in the United StatesWealth Doesn’t Produce ContentmentBeing Content Isn't Easier in a Large, Fancy HouseDiscouraged for the People in MalawiSolomon: A Rich Man with CredibilityWe Often Think We Need MorePossessions Can Cause ProblemsBeing Content Through ChristBeing Content Because the Lord Said, "I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You"Footnotes

https://youtu.be/IQ0xjm91z5k

God burdened me with a sermon about being content during a mission trip to Malawi to speak at a Bible college and pastor's conference.

This video will give you an idea of the poverty in Africa:

https://youtu.be/cG5PgCh-yiI

The poverty driving in Malawi, Africa

Mike is our Malawian driver who works at the nursery. Andy asked him if the mouse on a stick was in season. That’s one of the common things people eat during certain times of the year.

A little background: There were two teams when we took the trip to Africa. I was on the teaching team with Andy Langdon, Andy’s Pastor, Mark Hoeffner, and Eddie Brzezinski, who had accompanied them on many trips before. Andrew shared in Sunday school about the other team traveling during the day to evangelize and visit people’s houses.

For my team, we spent the first week, Monday through Friday, teaching at the Sola Scriptura Bible College, about an hour away. I spoke two hours away the second week at a pastor's conference. Here is a video of the Bible college:

https://youtu.be/aHuBqx9YMPg

Sola Scriptura Bible College in Malawi, Africa

Thinking About Those with Less Should Help Us Being Content

The morning Johnny and I left for Africa, the kids cooked on the stove. One left a can of Pam cooking spray on a hot burner. The can exploded. The bottom shot out and destroyed the burner, and the can shot up into the microwave and destroyed it, too.

Shards of glass and metal flew out as far as the dining area, so we did two things. First, we prayed and thanked God that nobody was injured. Second, we had a physics lesson about gases expanding when they heat up.

I began a claim and left for the airport. When I got to Malawi, I started getting messages from my insurance company that they couldn’t reach me. I would email them back in the evening, but they said they needed to talk to me on the phone. I couldn’t get the claim moving, so Katie couldn’t get a new microwave or stove. I apologized to Katie because I knew this was inconvenient. I sent lots of photos to Katie, and here’s one of them:

These wonderful women volunteered to cook our lunch at the Bible college each day. When I apologized to Katie that she had to cook without a microwave and stove, she wrote back, “I won’t be complaining after seeing those women cooking over an open fire.” I hope that’s what these sermons do.

I will be transparent with you about something that has happened to me. When I first came back from Malawi, guess how I felt? I was super content. I was super grateful for our house, stores, water, Wi-Fi, electricity, and roads that don’t make me feel like I’m throwing out my back while driving on them. But then, over time, I’m no longer grateful. It is human nature to gradually forget our blessings and take things for granted gradually.

Complaining in the Book of Numbers

Think about the location of the Book of Numbers. Numbers was originally called “The Book of Murmurings,” you know why if you’ve ever read it. It is about the Israelites complaining in the wilderness. The location of this book is so shocking because it is one month after Israel was delivered from Egypt, when you think they would be super thankful for all God had done for them. Instead, they constantly complained.

Wealth in the United States

We have probably all heard before about how wealthy the United States is compared to the rest of the world. Let me provide some statistics that make this clear. Disposable income is the amount of money households have for spending and saving after income taxes have been accounted for. Visualizing Countries with the Highest Household Wealth reveals:

Russia’s disposable income is less than $17,000.

France's disposable income is $60,000.

The United Kingdom’s disposable income is $83,000.

Canada’s disposable income is $86,000.

The nation in second place is Switzerland, with $128,000.

The United States is in first place with a disposable income of $176,00, which is almost 40% more than the nation in second place.

There are 7.5 billion people in the world. China is the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4 billion people, or 18.6%, and 10.5% of the world’s wealth. The United States has 327 million people, or a little more than 4% of the world’s population, but we have 41.6% of the world’s wealth.

In the US, the poverty threshold for a family of five is $30,500, meaning if a family of five makes less than this, they’re considered living in poverty. The official poverty rate in the United States is 12.3%, 39.7 million people. The average global income for a family of five is about $10,500, which means people in poverty in the US still make about three times more than the average for the rest of the world. Even our “poor” people are still three times wealthier than the average person in the rest of the world.

Things are more expensive in the United States, but even after adjusting for cost-of-living differences, a typical American still earns an income ten times higher than the income received by the average person in the rest of the world. An annual income of $32,400 in the United States doesn’t seem very high, but a salary puts people among the top 1% of earners worldwide.

Wealth Doesn’t Produce Contentment

Because Americans are so rich, we would expect to be the happiest and most content people, not just in the world but in all of history. No people who have ever lived should have an easier time being content than Americans because of our wealth. But this is far from the case.

Since Americans are so rich, you’d expect us to be the happiest—or most content—nation in the world and throughout history. No people who have ever lived should have an easier time being content than Americans because of our wealth. Although, this is far from the case.

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology concluded that since the late 2000s, the mental health of teens and young adults has declined dramatically. Between 2009 and 2017, rates of depression, attempted suicides, and “serious psychological distress” among ages twelve to twenty-one have increased by 51%. More than one in eight Americans ages twelve to twenty-five experienced a major episode of depression. The CDC reports that between 2007 and 2016, rates of suicide jumped 56%. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among people ages ten to thirty-four. We’re rich…and depressed! Wealth doesn’t make people content!

Social media is a big part of the problem. Nobody puts up terrible pictures. We see everyone else’s perfect lives, marriages, families, and children. We are flooded with everyone’s expensive stuff, including homes, cars, and vacations. Suddenly, our stuff doesn’t look as good. We were content with our home, car, job, spouse, friends, and vacation, but then we saw our neighbor’s better one, and ours no longer looked good. We are filled with covetousness, and our contentment is gone.

The richest country in the world can also afford the most advertisements. Television, radio, Internet, billboards when driving down the road, and fliers in our mailboxes surround us with ads. This also works against our contentment! My undergraduate degree is in business. Marketing 101: “Cause people to feel miserable without whatever you sell. Make them discontent. They will want to buy whatever you are advertising so they can be happy.”

Being Content Isn't Easier in a Large, Fancy House

After my dad passed away, Mom was lonely, so I asked Katie if she wanted to invite my mom to live with us. We needed a rental to live in while we shopped for a new house that would fit the twelve of us and waited for my mom’s house and our house to sell. We found a house we could never afford because it was so big and fancy, but it worked well to rent while looking for our new (and smaller) house to buy.

At first, living in such a fancy house seemed like a dream come true: the well-equipped kitchen, the spacious living room, the comfortable bedrooms, the walk-in closets, the luxurious bathrooms, and the list could go on. But as time passed, the rental began to feel no different than any other house. When we found the house we currently live in, we were eager to buy it even though it was 25% smaller and, say, ordinary.

Discouraged for the People in Malawi

It is probably not surprising to any of you that the thrill of our large house wore off because we all know that newer, bigger, and fancier wear off. Soon, it is no better than older, smaller, and plainer. But I want to share something that happened in Malawi that did surprise me. When I first arrived, I was discouraged by the poverty and sad for the people and how they lived. But two things changed my view.

First, Amy Zumstein and I talked about the trip and what stood out. Amy shared, “Everyone seems so happy and content.” I spent the rest of the trip recognizing that she was right. I had projected how I would feel living in their conditions, which led me to assume they were as discontent as I would be. I could show you many videos of interactions with Malawians, and you’d see their joy and never hear them complain.

When I was in Africa,

James 1:15 says, "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." James 1:15 compares sin with pregnancy, pictured in Proverbs 7:24-27. When the foolish young man sinned with the harlot, the union's most obvious and natural result is pregnancy. The child produced from that pregnancy, or sin, is death!

Table of contentsSin Begins in the HeartEven the Strong and Mighty Must Be on GuardThe Wages of Sin Is DeathSin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It Gives Birth to DeathSin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It Is a ProcessSin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It GrowsBut What About When We Still Sin?

https://youtu.be/RM8pfYAUiLs

James 1:15 describes pregnancy: "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

Consider these people who were killed by, of all things, their pets:

Sandra Piovesan had nine half-wolves, half-dogs that she raised, and after they grew, they killed her.

Kelly Ann Walz raised a black bear from when it was a cub. When it reached 350 pounds, it killed her.

Marius Els had a pet hippopotamus, which ended up killing him after it grew.

We know many animals are deadly. There are lots of stories of people being killed by animals. These stories stand out because the people kept the animals as pets.

All these people had one thing in common: they thought the animals didn’t threaten them. They thought the animals could be tamed and controlled. They thought they could have these animals in their lives without problems.

Marius owned the hippopotamus, and the article reads, and I quote, that he was “[warned repeatedly] that it was a wild animal that could never be tamed.” But he said, “There’s a relationship between me and the hippo, and that’s what some people don’t understand. They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats, and domestic animals. But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa.”

This sounds crazy to us. Most of us agree that keeping wolves, bears, and hippopotamuses is a bad idea. These people thought the animals were safe because they got them when they were small and harmless. Over time, the animals grew and became deadly.

This illustrates what can happen with sin. We tend to treat our sin like a pet. It starts small and seemingly harmless, but then it grows into something deadly and kills us as well. This is the main point of James 1:15: "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." And it is illustrated in Proverbs 7:24-27:

Proverbs 7:24 And now, O SONS, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. 25 LET NOT YOUR HEART TURN ASIDE TO HER WAYS; DO NOT STRAY INTO HER PATHS, 26 for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

Don’t you hear the father pleading with his son?

Proverbs 1:8 Hear, MY SON, YOUR FATHER'S INSTRUCTION, and forsake not your mother's teaching…

Proverbs 1:10 MY SON, if sinners entice you, do not consent…

Proverbs 1:15 MY SON, do not walk in the way with them;

Proverbs 2:1 MY SON, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you

Proverbs 3:1 MY SON, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,

Proverbs 4, 5, 6, and 7 begin the same way. The word “son” occurs almost 50 times because Proverbs is written as a father speaking to his son. Proverbs is indeed for everyone. It is the book of wisdom, and we all benefit from gaining wisdom; however, because Proverbs is written as a father talking to his son, young men receive a special benefit.

So, young men can read these verses and hear me pleading to resist the harlot. Young men hear Solomon, the human author of Proverbs, pleading to resist the harlot. But I hope even more that you look past Solomon and me to the even greater Person pleading with you in these verses, and that is God the Father.

We know from the previous verses that the foolish young man was killed by the harlot. So, the Father lovingly reaches out to his sons, trying to prevent them from experiencing the same. He says, “After seeing what happened to the foolish young man, listen to me, pay attention to my words, so you don’t end up like him.”

Sin Begins in the Heart

Proverbs 7:8 [He passed] along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house

Now, I’m not trying to sound overly simple, but the foolish young man physically headed toward her house. Now look at what the Father says in verse 25:

Proverbs 7:25 Let not YOUR HEART TURN ASIDE TO HER WAYS; do not stray into her paths,

So, which is it? Did he turn aside toward the harlot, or did his heart turn aside toward her? Yes!

In verse 25, the words “turn aside” suggest walking somewhere, but obviously, our hearts don’t walk anywhere. So why does it say this? The heart is being personified as someone with the potential to go somewhere.

So here’s something we should learn from this: Before the young man physically turned aside toward the harlot’s house, his heart had already turned aside and gone that way. Before he ever took a physical step in that direction, he had already taken a step in that direction in his heart. This is why we’re told to guard our hearts:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

There’s an emphasis on keeping or protecting our hearts because the rest of us will follow where our hearts go. Our hearts determine the course of our lives. If we let our hearts go where they shouldn’t, we will soon find ourselves going where we shouldn’t. Listen to Jesus’ words that also make this point:

Matthew 15:18 What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Before we say anything, it first comes out of our hearts. Our hearts determine our speech. Jesus makes the same point about our actions in the next verse. Before we ever commit these sins, they first come from our hearts. Our hearts determine what we do and think. So, the real battle with sin occurs in our hearts, so we must keep them from turning aside toward the wrong things.

Even the Strong and Mighty Must Be on Guard

The chapter is about a foolish young man, described in Proverbs 7:7 as simple and lacking sense. So it’s pretty easy to look at him and think, “Sure, he failed. He’s foolish and simple.” We might even say, “He’s weak. We would expect this to happen to him.”

And then, what do we think next? “But this would never happen to me! I’m not that foolish or simple. I wouldn’t have the same problems as him. He was weak, but I’m too strong for this to happen to me!” To prevent us from thinking this, God says:

Proverbs 7:26 for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain ARE A MIGHTY THRONG.

The harlot doesn’t just take down simple, foolish men. She has taken down plenty of mighty, strong men as well. How is she able to do this? Sin deceives us. It lies to us. It appeals to our pride and makes us believe we’re strong enough to handle it.

If there were certain places in the Bible we should remember, this is one of them: remember that sin has taken down many mighty men. Remember this verse when you let your guard down and believe you won’t have any problems. When considering giving in to temptation, you might even turn to these words, read them, and remind yourself of the strong men who have been slain by sin.

The Wages of Sin Is Death

Notice death is the theme in these verses:

In verse 22, an ox to the slaughter and a deer in a trap

In verse 23, an arrow pierced a deer’s liver, a bird in a snare, and the foolish young man didn’t know it would cost him his life

In verse 26, she has slain many strong men

In verse 27, her house leads to Sheol and death.

There are 8 references to death in 4 verses. God wants us to know that sin leads to death!

Sin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It Gives Birth to Death

James 1:15 When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

This verse is filled with the language of pregnancy: "conceived," "gives birth," and "brings forth" are all ways of describing pregnancy. James is talking about sin having a child of its own. He’s saying that if sin is allowed to mature when it is full-grown, it will bring forth – or it will have a child of its own – and that child is death. It may take years for sin to grow to this point, but when it does, it produces death. And this is far from the only place in Scripture to compare sin with pregnancy. Consider these verses:

Job 15:35 They CONCEIVE TROUBLE and GIVE BIRTH TO EVIL, and THEIR WOMB PREPARES DECEIT.

Psalm 7:14 Behold, the wicked man CONCEIVES EVIL and is PREGNANT WITH MISCHIEF and GIVES BIRTH to lies.

Isaiah 59:4 No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they CONCEIVE MISCHIEF and GIVE BIRTH TO INIQUITY.

When we see a theme in scripture such as this, it is an example of God repeating himself, something he does to ensure we don’t miss something. So, we don't want to miss that sin is compared with pregnancy.

James 1:15 compares sin with pregnancy, and that’s pictured in Proverbs 7! When the foolish young man sinned with the harlot, what was one of that union's most obvious and natural results? Pregnancy!

One of the reasons a harlot might have been chosen to personify sin is because when the young man sinned with her, there was the possibility of pregnancy. And the child produced from that pregnancy, or sin is death! Death is described this way in James 1:15, illustrated in Proverbs 7:22-27. Commentators who see it this way:

Albert Barnes said,

What does sin do to us? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies sin. We can see how she acts toward the foolish young man to see what sin does to us.

Table of contentsSin Lies to UsSin Says, “You Won’t Get Caught”God Won't Be MockedWhen It Looked Like David Wouldn't Get CaughtSin Makes Us More Like AnimalsSin Produces a Slow, Painful DeathSin Hunts the FoolishSin Is a Baited HookThe Way Joab Approached Abner and AmasaTurn to God from Sin

https://youtu.be/-JeVOMo2fhY

What does sin do to us? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies sin. We can see how she acts toward the foolish young man to see what sin does to us.

Radio personality Paul Harvey shared about how Eskimos kill wolves:

First, the Eskimo coats a knife blade with seal blood because seals are easy to trap. He allows the blood to freeze and then adds another layer of blood and another until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.When a wolf follows its sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, it licks it, tasting the fresh, frozen blood. The wolf licks the blade more vigorously until the keen edge is bare. But the wolf doesn’t notice the razor-sharp sting of the blade because his tongue is numb from the cold, nor does it recognize that its insatiable thirst is being satisfied by its own warm blood. The wolf’s carnivorous appetite just craves moreuntil the dawn finds it dead in the snow.

The account is grisly but illustrates sin's consuming, self-destructive nature. When we see people engaged in habitual sin, we can share this story with them and tell them to stop licking the knife. I looked at over ten websites to determine if Eskimoes do this because I don’t like when pastors use illustrations that aren’t true (something pastors are famous for doing). I found many websites with this story. But they were pastors’ websites or websites for sermon illustrations, so I’m not sure they can be trusted.

I think an even better illustration of sin’s destructiveness is found in Proverbs 7 with the harlot. We can swap the wolf for the foolish young man. Like the wolf, he is killed because of his desires. If you want to see just how much the foolish young man looks like an animal being hunted, notice the theme of verses 22 and 23: "an ox to the slaughter...a stag caught in a trap...a bird stuck in a snare."

Sin Lies to Us

I will pick up at verse 18 with the harlot speaking to the foolish young man:

Proverbs 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.

In the same sentence, the harlot twice mentioned the word love. This is a lie: she’s known this young man for about five minutes, yet she talks to him about love. She would’ve said the same words to any young man. She is like a prostitute or woman on the Internet who has no concern for the men she entices. But this is what sin does. Take your mind back to the fall. God said:

Genesis 2:17 Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

When the devil tempted Eve:

Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

The devil told Eve the exact opposite of what God said. Sin does the same with us.

Romans 7:11 Sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, DECEIVED ME and through it killed me.

Paul said sin deceived him.

Hebrews 3:13 Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.

We should exhort each other daily so we aren’t deceived by sin. What are some of the ways sin deceives us? What are some of the lies it tells us?

This won’t ruin your family.

This won’t hurt your friends and loved ones.

This won’t become an addiction.

You’ll be able to stop whenever you want.

Sin Says, “You Won’t Get Caught”

There is one lie in particular that sin always tells us, and it’s in verses 19 and 20:

Proverbs 7:19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20 he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.”

Unbelievably, right after talking to the young man about love, she talks to him about her husband, whom she’s supposed to love. All the verses we read up to this point would have led us to believe the harlot was unmarried. But now we see she was some poor man’s wife. When he went out of town, she went out to hunt. The harlot said her husband is gone, but that’s not her point. She’s trying to tell the foolish young man he won’t get caught, which is one of the main lies sin tells us.

If you think about it for a moment, there’s almost always one thing people must be convinced of before they sin, and it’s this lie the harlot was telling the foolish young man: "Nobody will know. You can get away with it." Who would have stolen, committed adultery, lied, or gossiped if they thought they would be caught?

Proverbs 7:9 says he went out “in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.” So when we combine him going out at night with the harlot’s words, we can imagine how confident he was that nobody would know. But someone has been watching him:

Proverbs 7:6 For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, 7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense,

The man represents God. We might be able to hide sin from everyone else, but we can’t hide it from God.

God Won't Be Mocked

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

There are not many verses that tell us not to be deceived. There are only four, by my count. We know we are not supposed to be deceived about anything, so why would a few verses tell us not to be deceived? These verses must deal with a common area of deception. In this case, we are commonly deceived into believing two things: first, God can be mocked, and second, we can sow without reaping. So, let’s make sure we are not deceived about either of these. God won’t be mocked, and we will suffer for sin.

Numbers 32:23 BEHOLD, you have sinned against the Lord, and BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.

We are to behold everything in Scripture. There’s nothing we're supposed to ignore or overlook. But when we see a verse telling us to behold, we know we’re supposed to pay special attention. In this case, we are to behold that our sin will find us out.

So how do we explain that some people sin, but it doesn’t seem like their sin finds them out? They don’t seem to reap what they sow? There are two possibilities. First, God is being merciful and giving them time to repent so that he doesn’t have to discipline them. The other possibility is they aren’t Christians. This isn’t my opinion. Hebrews 12 spells this out for us:

Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 

So, if people can sin without being disciplined, that’s evidence they aren’t God’s child.

When It Looked Like David Wouldn't Get Caught

The foolish young man is tempted to commit adultery with this woman because her husband is away, and he thinks he will not get caught. Similarly, David was tempted to commit adultery with Bathsheba when he learned her husband was away, and he thought he would not get caught.

And it looked like David wasn’t going to be caught. But just like God saw the foolish young man, he saw what David did. David’s adultery and murder is recorded in 2 Samuel 11. There is no mention of God whatsoever, which makes sense because it is an incredibly dark chapter with nothing to do with God. But listen to the very last verse:

2 Samuel 11:27 David sent and brought [Bathsheba] to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

Everything looked good for David. He could hide his sins from everyone, and nobody was the wiser. But then God finally shows up in the account, letting us know how displeased he is. In other words, just like God was looking down on the foolish young man, God was looking down on David. God wasn’t going to be mocked. David’s sin was going to find him out. He was going to reap what he had sown. In the next chapter, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David, and he was severely disciplined.

It is important to remember that even if we think, "My wife won’t find out…My husband won’t find out…My children won’t find out…My parents won’t find out…My friends won’t find out…My boss won’t find out…My church won’t find out…God sees what we do and has no trouble bringing that sin to light.

Sin Makes Us More Like Animals

Because the foolish young man thought he wouldn’t be caught, he gave in:

Proverbs 7:21 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. 22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare;

Throughout the account, it seems like the harlot is hunting for prey. She goes after the foolish young man the way a hunter goes after an animal. But then the account spells it out for us.

I used to teach fifth grade, which is when students learn about similes. Similes compare one thing to another, and I told my students they could recognize them by using the words like or as. These two verses contain three similes comparing the foolish young man with each of these animals:

Proverbs 7:22 AS AN OX to the slaughter…AS A STAG is caught…23a…AS A BIRD rushes into a snare;

God compares the foolish young man to three animals because sin makes us more like animals.

Our Christian marital problems are only symptoms. The actual problem is in our relationship with Christ. This is why all the prayers for marital problems should include praying for a stronger relationship with the Lord. Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to find biblical advice for marriage problems.

Table of ContentsSubmission to Christ Improves MarriagesHandling Christian Marital ProblemsThree EncouragementsWhy We Should Embrace Christian Marital ProblemsAsk Difficult Questions and Expect Painful AnswersGod's Chastening Is Not Punishment, But a Father's Loving DisciplineLearning From Painful Seasons Caused by Christian Marital Problems

Because our relationships with our spouses reflect our relationships with Christ, our marriage “problems” are merely symptoms. The actual problems are in our relationships with Christ. The horizontal relationship with our spouse is suffering because there’s something wrong with the vertical relationship with Christ.

For instance, in my marriage, the problem looked like I did not have enough time for my wife and children. But that was a symptom. The problem was that I would not listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to meet my family’s needs, and I was not trusting Christ enough. Instead, I let anxiety consume me.

Thus, the first step in addressing any symptoms that appear to be problems between the husband and wife is to look at each person’s relationship with the Lord. When I counsel couples, and they share a problem they are experiencing, they become confused when I ask, “What does your time in God’s Word look like? How is your prayer life? Tell me about your involvement in the church.”

A wife might say, “I just told you my husband yells at me. Why are you asking about his time in the Word?” The hope is that as a husband reads God’s Word, he will be convicted of what he is doing wrong, repent, and become a more patient and loving man. I do not have the power to change a husband’s heart, nor does a wife, or there would be no need for counseling. A husband can only become the man he should be by having a good relationship with Christ.

Likewise, a husband might respond, “I just told you about how my wife humiliates me in front of our friends. Why do you ask whether we are part of a small group study?” Because ongoing connections with other believers can provide accountability and require vulnerability and transparency. You can learn from other believers and be challenged by their examples. When you are not actively involved with others in the body of Christ, you will not receive the encouragement and exhortation God wants you to have. You will feel alone, as though you are the only people having these problems. You will not have anyone through whom God can regularly speak to you. We are made to have fellowship with other believers. When that is lacking, it manifests in other areas, including our marriages.

Submission to Christ Improves Marriages

Here are two situations I have witnessed many times. A husband and wife are having Christian marital problems. They submit to Christ, and soon, their marriage improves. Why? Did their difficulties simply disappear? No, those difficulties were symptoms of the real problem—Christ was not supreme in their lives. When they put Christ first, their marriage improved.

Similarly, I have seen a couple plugged into a church. The husband and wife pray and read the Word together. They are doing well spiritually, and their marriage is healthy. Then, for various reasons, they get distracted from the Lord, and their priorities shift. They start wavering in church attendance and spiritual disciplines. They fall out of fellowship. Soon, their marriage suffers.

So remember: Christian marital problems are only symptoms—or negative consequences—of not having Christ as the focal point in the marital relationship. If a couple wants a strong, healthy marriage, they need a strong, healthy relationship with Christ.

Do you want to know how to have a lasting Christ-centered marriage? Ephesians 5:18 tells us to "be filled with the Holy Spirit." Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to learn how the Holy Spirit will help you have a lasting Christ-centered marriage.

Table of ContentsYour Marriage Reflects Your Relationship with ChristJesus Deserves Your ObedienceTrust the Holy Spirit to Help You Have a Christ-Centered MarriageA Holy-Spirit Filled MarriageWe Cannot Just Sit BackWhat Might It Look Like for the Holy Spirit to Help Us?The Encouraging Balance When Striving to Have a Lasting Christ-Centered Marriage

A few years ago, Katie and I faced the biggest crisis of our marriage. I started pastoring Woodland Christian Church when it was small, but within three years, the congregation tripled. Before I became a pastor, I was unaware of how much work is involved in shepherding a church of even a few hundred people. I had been an Army officer, a supervisor at a distribution center for a major retail chain, and an elementary school teacher. But none of those occupations approached the amount of mental and emotional energy and sheer hard work pastoring entails!

Almost all my waking hours were spent studying, teaching, counseling, making phone calls, sending emails, attending meetings, addressing administrative responsibilities, and tending to benevolence issues. When I was at home, where I should have been an engaged father and husband, I did not have much left for my family mentally, emotionally, or physically.

Although I was failing as a husband and father, I was able to convince myself I was still pleasing the Lord. I compartmentalized my life by saying, “I am a Christian first. I am a spouse second. I am a parent third. I am an employee fourth.” Instead, I should have said, “I am a Christian spouse. I am a Christian parent. I am a Christian employee.” The danger of seeing ourselves as Christian servants first and spouses second is that we can believe the lie I bought into: “If I can be a good pastor, I can please God even though I am not the best husband.”

The truth is that I was a poor husband, and I should have recognized that meant I was not pleasing the Lord.

Your Marriage Reflects Your Relationship with Christ

The reason we cannot please the Lord while failing as a husband or wife is that our Christianity is directly related to the way we treat our spouses. Our marriages are outpourings of our relationships with Christ:

In Matthew 7:16, Jesus asked, “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”

In James 3:11-12, the apostle James asked, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?”

The point of these verses is that we reveal our Christianity by the way we live. Jesus clarified: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). And right living—or right fruit—can only be produced through a strong relationship with Christ.

Because our relationships with our spouses are our most important earthly relationships, what we are as spouses reflects what we are as Christians. The two key commands in Scripture that give us God’s standard for marriage:

Ephesians 5:25—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”

Ephesians 5:22—“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

Because these commands are from the Lord, our obedience to them affects our relationship with Christ. Think of it this way: There is no such thing as a spiritually mature man who does not love his wife. Nor a spiritually mature woman who does not submit to her husband:

A husband cannot love Christ without loving his wife.

A wife cannot submit to Christ without submitting to her husband.

A husband loves and cherishes his wife not because she is perfect or treats him the way he wants to be treated.

Paul wrote that “Christ died for our sins [and] was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Old Testament doesn’t just prophesy that Jesus would die and be raised; it also prophesies that he would be raised on the third day. Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day? There are four possibilities.

https://youtu.be/o0HdYqct2pU

Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)? Four possibilities exist.

Table of contentsThe Gospel's Two Essential ElementsFirst, Jesus Died for Our SinsPsalm 22 Prophecies of Jesus' DeathIsaiah 53 Prophecies of Jesus' DeathSecond, Jesus Was Raised from the DeadWhere Is the Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day?The Feast of Firstfruits Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayHosea Contains an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayIsrael as a Type of ChristThe Veil and Jesus’ Body TornJonah Is an Old Testament Prophecy (or Sign) of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayJonah's "Death" and BurialJonah Was "Raised" on the Third DayIsaac Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayDon't Try not to BelieveFootnotes

Growing up we had a handful of movies on VHS tapes. I feel old knowing some of you don’t even know what VHS tapes are. One of the movies we had was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I don’t know how often I watched this movie, but it was a lot. Let me tell you how it ended.

The dying Khan activated a bomb that would blow up his ship and the nearby Starship Enterprise, finally delivering his revenge against Captain Kirk. The Enterprise’s engine was damaged, so it couldn’t enter warp speed and escape the explosion. With the lives of all the crew in jeopardy, Spock entered the nuclear reactor to restore power to the warp drive so the ship could escape. In the process, he was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation.

When Kirk realized Spock was missing, he ran to the engine room, where he saw his friend within minutes of death. Spock used his last words to ask Kirk if the ship was out of danger. Then he said, “The needs of the many outweigh…” Kirk interrupted to say: “the needs of the few,” showing he learned from his logical friend. And then Spock added, “Or the one. I have been and always shall be your friend.” Spock made the Vulcan salute, which Kirk mirrored, uttered, “Live long and prosper,” and then died. Spock died for his friends, and our minds could even go to Jesus’s words:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

You don’t have to worry about Spock, though, because he only stayed dead until the beginning of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Spock rose from the dead, and the filmmakers wanted to make him look so much like Jesus there was even an empty coffin complete with nearby burial clothes paralleling Jesus’ empty tomb and burial clothes.

Resurrections are common in fiction. J.R.R. Tolkien has a clear resurrection in The Lord of the Rings. The wizard, Gandalf the Grey, dies only to return to life as the more powerful Gandalf the White.

Tolkien’s friend and fellow author, C.S. Lewis, has a clear resurrection in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Aslan the Lion, a picture of Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, sacrificed himself to save Edmund. Then, Aslan returned to life and defeated his enemy, the White Witch, I suspect picturing the way Jesus’s death and resurrection defeated the devil.

The Gospel's Two Essential Elements

I might sound like a fan of resurrections in fiction, but I wouldn’t say that’s the case. My biggest problem is that, with only a few exceptions, people are borrowing from Christianity without being Christian. There are allusions to Christ, but there’s no Christ. Nobody will be saved from these portrayals because they lack the essential elements of the gospel.

Paul presents the essential elements in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. If you want to remember different chapters in the Bible, this is the Resurrection Chapter. We’ll focus on verses 3 and 4, but let’s start at verse one for context:

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to youunless you believed in vain. 3a For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

Notice Paul said he delivered the gospel he received. Or you could say he delivered what was delivered to him. Paul did not come up with the gospel. Instead, he is a link in the long chain of people who have been preaching the gospel since its inception back in the Garden of Eden at the fall.52

Also, notice Paul said the gospel is “of first importance.” There are many important things to learn, such as love, forgiveness, service, and giving, but nothing is more important than learning the gospel. So, what is the gospel? Paul tells us the two essential elements in the rest of verse three and then in verse four.

First, Jesus Died for Our Sins

1 Corinthians 15:3b that Christ died for our sins,

God is just, which means he must punish every sin that has ever been committed. If even one sin escaped his punishment, he could be mostly just but not perfectly just. The Gospel allows God to be merciful and just:

He can be merciful because he gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment our sins deserve.

He can be just because our sins are still punished.

We must choose whether to be punished for our sins or repent and believe in Jesus so he takes the punishment for us. Romans 6:23 says, "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Because the wages, or consequences of sin, is death, our sin must result in a death. There must be a death for our sin. Either we die for our sins, or as the verse says, Christ died for our sins.

Psalm 22 Prophecies of Jesus' Death

1 Corinthians 15:3c in accordance with the Scriptures,

Before the New Testament was written, the Old Testament was called the Scriptures. So, Paul is saying the Old Testament prophesied that Jesus would die for our sins. I will share three verses from each of the two passages that most clearly prophesy of Jesus’s death—Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53—but each chapter contains much more than three prophecies. You’ll also see that most of the verses have accompanying New Testament verses identifying them as prophecies.

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

David wrote this at a low point in his life. We know it is a prophecy about Jesus because he said these words on the cross:

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Later in the Psalm, David wrote:

Psalm 22:16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.

Piercing his hands and feet refers to the crucifixion itself. The dogs encompassing Jesus and evildoers encircling him were those at the foot of the cross mocking and ridiculing him:

Luke 23:35 The rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

A few verses later:

Psalm 22:18 They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

They did this with Jesus’s clothing when he was crucified. This verse is quoted in Matthew, Luke, and John, but I’ll read just from John:

John 19:24 [the Roman soldiers] said to one another, “Let us not tear [his garment], but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture (referring to Psalm 22:18) which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”[v]53

Isaiah 53 Prophecies of Jesus' Death

Let me share a few verses from Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:5 He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed…11 he shall bear their iniquities.

This is quoted in:

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

The next verse in Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turnedevery oneto his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

This is quoted in the next verse in 1 Peter 2:

1 Peter 2:25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The next verse in Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

This is also quoted in 1 Peter 2:

1 Peter 2:22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.54

Second, Jesus Was Raised from the Dead

1 Corinthians 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The second essential element of the gospel is Jesus was raised on the third day. First Corinthians 15:3 and 4 conclude with the phrase “in accordance with the Scriptures” because the Old Testament prophesied of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Isaiah 53 is most often associated with Jesus’s death, but there is a prophecy about his resurrection. I’m going to insert Jesus’s name to make the prophecy clearer:

What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.

Table of contentsFoolish People Are Outmatched Against TemptationThe Harlot in Proverbs 7 Personifies TemptationTemptation Is AggressiveTemptation Makes Itself Sound GoodJustifying Giving InTemptation Appeals to Our PrideBalak Appealed to Balam's PrideWhy Would Temptation Want to Appeal to Our Pride?Temptation Appeals to Our SensesTemptation Appeals Most Often to Our SightLook to the Great High Priest

https://youtu.be/p8pRdQz8afA

What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.

We like showdowns. When I say the word, our minds probably go to Westerns with two cowboys staring each other down while they stand on a dirt road in the middle of a small town with a saloon on one side, a bank on the other, and a few other buildings scattered about. A tumbleweed rolls by, and we hear the familiar whistling sound while we wait to see who draws first.

There are many famous showdowns in fiction outside of Westerns. For example, Achilles and Hector’s fight in the Illiad. My favorite showdown is Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog in the Lord of the Rings.

There are also famous showdowns in Scripture. The first few chapters of 2 Samuel record the conflict between the House of Saul and the House of David. Saul’s forces, led by Abner, ran into David’s forces, led by Joab:

2 Samuel 2:12 Abner and the servants of Saul and Joab and the servants of David met by the pool of Gibeon…one on one side…and the other on the other side. Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose…16 And each caught HIS OPPONENT BY THE HEAD AND THRUST HIS SWORD IN HIS OPPONENT'S SIDE, SO THEY FELL DOWN TOGETHER…17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

Some other showdowns in Scripture are David and Goliath, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, and Jesus in the wilderness with the devil. I could go one step further and say Jesus’ earthly ministry was a showdown between the kingdom of God that Jesus rules over and the kingdom of darkness that Satan rules over.

Foolish People Are Outmatched Against Temptation

Proverbs 7 contains another showdown: the foolish young man against the harlot. The foolish young man’s description:

Proverbs 7:7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense

The young man is “Simple” and “Lacking sense,” which are both ways of saying he is foolish and lacking wisdom. The NKJV says he’s "devoid of understanding," the NASB says he’s "naïve," and the Amplified says he’s "gullible." His opponent:

Proverbs 7:10 And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

The showdown is about to begin, but let me make one point about the foolish young man. It says the harlot “meets him.” He had to reach this point. He wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn’t taken all the previous compromising steps: going to her corner, taking the road to her house, and doing this at night when he thought nobody would see.

We can’t help being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted. But we can avoid putting ourselves in tempting situations:

Don’t grab your phone or look at your computer at the wrong time.

Don’t be alone with that person of the opposite sex.

Don’t go to that bar or club.

We saw how the foolish young man is described. The harlot is described as “wily of heart.” The NIV says, “with crafty intent,” the NASB says, “cunning of heart,” and the HCSB says, “having a hidden agenda.”

So, here’s the showdown: a foolish young man lacking sense, wandering around aimlessly and naïve, versus a crafty harlot, who is cunning of heart, aggressive, and on a mission. It isn’t tough to figure out who is going to win. The foolish young man has about as much of a chance as Goliath had against David, the prophets of Baal had against Elijah, and Satan against Jesus

The Harlot in Proverbs 7 Personifies Temptation

James 1:14 Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

“When he is lured” is one word in Greek, exelkō, a metaphor for a harlot’s seduction. In other words, when James wants to describe temptation enticing us, he uses the imagery of a harlot. When we see this harlot tempt the foolish young man, we are witnessing temptation in action:

The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us.

The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation.

Instead, the foolish young man gave in to the harlot like we give in to temptation.

The harlot kills the young man like sin kills us.

We’ve all seen videos of a strong, ferocious lion pursuing an injured animal, and we think, “This animal doesn’t stand a chance.” That’s what I think when I look at the foolish young man against the harlot. And if we’re foolish and lacking wisdom, we will be soundly defeated when we face temptation.

I used the analogy of a lion pursuing its prey. Is that fitting for us? Yes, a lion is pursuing us:

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The devil is looking for weak, foolish people to consume, like the harlot in Proverbs 7:

Proverbs 7:11 She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; 12 now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.

She’s one of the nastiest women in Scripture. She gives Potiphar’s wife a run for her money. All she wants is to find men to conquer. She’s the temptation looking for someone to catch. She’s the woman on the Internet hoping some weak-willed man will visit her site.

We face three enemies: the devil, the world, and the flesh. The harlot looks like each of them:

She’s prowling around like the devil prowls around.

She’s outside, everywhere, like the world surrounding us.

You can’t get away from her like we can’t get away from our flesh.

Studying the harlot, who personifies temptation, helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist.

Temptation Is Aggressive

Proverbs 7:13a She seizes him and kisses him,

This is shocking. She is a harlot, but even harlots don’t go up to men and grab and kiss them. We are dealing with a woman whose actions look outrageous and exaggerated. We’re not talking about a woman struggling with lust. We’re talking about a woman showing a level of aggressiveness that is hard to believe.

But if we understand she represents temptation, it makes perfect sense. Temptation is aggressive. At times, we can almost feel temptation pursuing us, seeking to catch us like the harlot caught the foolish young man.

Genesis 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

When Cain’s offering was rejected, he faced the two choices we face when we sin: be humble, repent, and get the sin out of our hearts, or be prideful and angry and let sin control us. Sadly, he chose the second option. God could see what was happening in Cain’s heart, so he graciously warned him about what sin wanted to do with him:

Genesis 4:6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Talk about aggressive! How does sin sound when God says it is crouching at the door? It sounds like some monster waiting for Cain so it can pounce on him and attack…like the harlot with the foolish young man. God added that sin desired him like the harlot desired the foolish young man.

The Hebrew word for desire means a desire to control. When God spoke to Eve:

Genesis 3:16 Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

This is part of the curse. It is not a blessing. God is not telling Eve, “You will desire your husband in a loving, wonderful way.” He meant she would have flesh now that would tempt her to control her husband versus submit to him. But he had to rule, or remain in authority, over her.

Similarly, God told Cain that sin desired to control him, but he must resist and rule over it instead. The same is true for us: sin is crouching at the door. It desires to control us, but we must resist and rule over it.

Temptation Makes Itself Sound Good

Proverbs 7:13b and with bold face she says to him, 14 “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows;

According to Leviticus 7:16-18, when people fulfilled their vows, they presented a peace offering to the Lord. But with peace offerings, the entire sacrifice wasn’t consumed. Some of it was kept by the worshipper to eat. Because there was no refrigeration, the food had to be eaten quickly. The harlot is saying, “I have this food; it must be eaten soon. Why don’t you join me?” But when harlots eat:

Proverbs 30:20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.”