All right, everyone. Good morning. So, we're continuing our series on Christian contentment described. Last week was an overview that Ron provided. It was very good. And this week we are diving into Chapter 1 of the book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs. The doctrinal conclusion of Christian contentment that is basically the thesis for this entire book is to be well skilled in the mystery of contentment. Christian contentment is the duty, glory, and excellence of a Christian. Today, we're going into chapter one, which is titled The Nature of This Christian Contentment. Next week will be The Art and Mystery of It. And the other two chapters of the book are what lessons must be learned to bring the heart to contentment and wherein the glorious excellence of this grace chiefly consists. So that's basically the thesis of Christian contentment. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to hold them till next week where Jesse will be glad to answer them all for you. No, I'm just joking. If you have any questions or comments, Feel free to speak up at any point. We have plenty of time to go through this first chapter. So, the nature of Christian contentment. Jeremiah borrows the definition of Christian contentment and the focus of this chapter is, Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. He breaks it up into nine different categories, and we'll be going through each one, all explaining what contentment is. So contentment is a sweet inward heart thing, the quiet of the heart. an inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, a gracious frame opposed to natural quietness, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal, freely submitting to God's disposal, taking pleasure in God's disposal, combining six and seven, submitting and taking pleasure in God's disposal, and lastly, submission in every condition. Jeremiah Burroughs goes on to say, this description of Christian contentment is a box of precious ointment and a very comforting and useful thing for troubled hearts in troubled times and conditions. Moving on, the first thing out of the nine is contentment. It's a sweet, inward heart thing. And to illustrate that, some verses from Psalm 62. For God alone, my soul waits in silence. From Him comes my salvation. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence. For my hope is from Him. Many people may appear to be content outwardly, but inwardly they are bursting with discontentment. I know for me that's the case. A lot of times I look perfectly content and satisfied, but inwardly I'm anxious about something or my heart is discontent about something. And this shows a complicated disorder and a great perversity of the heart when such cases like that happen. The analogy that Burroughs uses is a shoe may be smooth and neat outside, while inside it pinches the flesh. And if you're starting to feel like me, you're starting to feel like we're only on point one right now, and I already know that I can't meet these expectations that God has before us, but just know that the grace of Jesus Christ can overcome any sin that you have in discontentment, and that It's not that that saves us, but rather Jesus's contentment on the cross that is our ultimate fulfillment of this. So moving on to the next point. Contentment is the quiet of the heart. And I'll split this up into two different sections in reference to the quiet of the heart. and that'll be what contentment is not opposed to and what contentment is opposed to. So what contentment is not opposed to first is the due sense of affliction. It's okay to be reasonable and rational in respect to our sufferings. Christ didn't say, do not count as a cross what is a cross. Rather, he says, take up your cross daily. So it is appropriate to recognize our afflictions as afflictions and not just pretend that they don't exist. That's not contentment. Additionally, what contentment is not opposed to is sharing our ordinary struggles with God and to others. That is something we're expected to do, so contentment isn't just keeping it all to yourself. And thirdly, contentment is not opposed to seeking help in different circumstances, using moral means. It's okay to seek deliverance from our afflictions. It's a good thing to pray for deliverance from our afflictions, all while submitting to God's timing and will in it. Now, continuing in contentment is in the quiet of the heart section. What contentment is opposed to? Firstly, grumbling at the hand of God. Being discontent, like the Israelites often were, towards God's will. That's one thing contentment is opposed to. Further, excessive worrying and fretting, and that's basically just a degree beyond just grumbling. Thirdly, commotion and confusion of the spirit. This is when thoughts run distractingly and work in a confused manner so that the affections are like the unruly multitude in Acts who didn't know the purpose they had gathered together. The Lord expects you to be silent under his rod Fourthly, contentment is opposed to an unsettled and unstable spirit. We can't let our hearts be distracted from the things God requires of us in our relationships with others and with Him. Fifth, contentment is opposed to distracting, heart-consuming cares. A heart that is truly born of the Holy Spirit is in union with Christ, so it highly regards that union with Christ, that it will not willingly suffer from anything coming in to choke or deaden it. We can't let fear and evil thoughts take hold in our souls to cause division there. Sixth, contentment is opposed to sinking discouragements. We are to depend on God through all of our situations, even when we don't know how it will be resolved. Contentment is opposed to simply attempting to obtain relief and help. If your mindset is, I don't care how I'm delivered, if only I may be free from it, then your heart is far from being quiet. And lastly, contentment is opposed to desperate rising of the heart against God. This is the worst one on the list. In this state, one's affections towards God move into rebellion against God. I've heard many people in their testimonies and just casual conversation express anger towards God and different afflictions that they may face and then suffering. Why is God doing this to me? I'm angry at God for doing this. And I don't think a lot of people realize that that is a sinful mindset and that is rebellion against God and something that needs to be repented of when that comes about. Next, contentment is an inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit. And this is broken up into three different parts. First, contentment is a grace that spreads itself through the entire soul. Some people have partial contentment, not the entire soul, but only part of the soul is content. You may think rationally, I have a good reason to be content. So you're showing that you have sound judgment in it. but your heart isn't fully satisfied. Sometimes our judgments aren't enough to rule our thoughts and affections. Contentment is an inward frame of spirit of the whole soul, so judgments, thoughts, our will, and our affections, all satisfied and quiet together. The second point for contentment is an inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit is spiritual contentment comes from the frame of the soul, not external means. If someone is disturbed and you bring them flowers or something to please them, perhaps it will quiet them and they'll be contented, but it was the thing that you gave them that quieted them and not the disposition of their own spirit. The analogy that Burroughs uses is to be content because of some external thing is like the warming It's like warming a man's clothes by the fire. But to be content through an inward disposition of the soul is like the warmth that a man's clothes have from the natural heat of the body. And the third thing is it is the frame of spirit that shows the habitual character of this grace of contentment. So contentment isn't a one-time action. It's not just a flash of a good mood. Contentment is to be a consistent state of your spirit, to be holy and gracious under affliction. Moving on to the next point of what contentment is, is contentment is a gracious frame opposed to natural quietness. The gracious frame of spirit is in opposition to these three things. First, a natural quietness. Some people are naturally more still and quiet, while others are more violent and hot-tempered in nature. So a spiritual quietness is not just a natural quietness, and I'll explain a little bit more of what the differences are and the implications of that. But also, a gracious frame of spirit is in opposition to a sturdy resolution. So some people try to work up a gracious frame of spirit, with their own wills, and that's also opposed to a spiritual quietness frame of spirit. And thirdly, strength of reason. Some people may quiet their heart through incorrect or sinful reasoning about the situation, like reasoning incorrectly but it makes you feel better and content even though it's not truly what the situation is about, basically trying to trick yourself. But the difference between these natural quietness and a quietness from the Spirit is this is basically apathetic towards all situations, including situations where you shouldn't be content. When God is dishonored, obviously you shouldn't be content in that. And Jeremiah Burroughs says in this quote, Those who are content in a natural way when outward afflictions befall them are just as content when they commit sin against God. When they have outward crosses or when God is dishonored, it is all one to them whether they themselves are cross or whether God is cross. But a gracious heart that is contented with its own afflictions will rise up strongly when God is dishonored. So moving to the next point is contentment is freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal. And that's split up into three points as well. The heart is eagerly brought into a content state. So when someone does something freely, he does not need a lot of motivation to do it. It's very difficult for some people to be brought into that content state when affliction is way heavy upon them. But it should be immediate. If you've learned this art of contentment, As soon as you come to see God's hand in your suffering, your heart should act immediately and close from discontentment. So the first point being the heart is eagerly brought into a state of contentment. Second, it is free and not forced. Free acts are rational in nature. It is not an act of ignorance. Contentment comes through rational judgment. Freedom is when you, in your judgment, see what is to be done, understand that thing, and your judgment agrees with what you understand. So, freely taking pleasure in God's disposal is free and it's not something that's forced upon you. Thirdly, this freedom is opposed to mere stupidity. Someone may be content due to lack of sense. This is not any more free than a man who is paralyzed and does not feel when you pinch him, is patient freely. But if someone is pinched and it hurts them and they control themselves freely, then that is another matter. Next is contentment is freely submitting to God's disposal. Google's definition of submit is to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person. And I thought that was a good definition in this context. Burroughs says in his definition, Is the hand of God bringing in affliction, yet my heart is troubled and discontent? What, it says, will you be above God? Is this not God's hand and must be your will be regard more than God's? O under, under, get you under, O soul. Keep under the authority of God, the power that God has over you. The soul can submit to God at the time when it can send itself under the power, authority, sovereignty, and dominion that God has over it. So that's contentment. It's freely submitting to God's disposal. Now, contentment is also taking pleasure in God's disposal. Two texts that illustrate this. First is Psalm 119, verse 71. I'll start in 65. You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge. For I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good. Teach me your statutes. The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts. The heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. It is good for me that I have suffered, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth, it's better to me than a thousand of gold and silver pieces. It's not enough to just acknowledge that it is just that you're afflicted. You can recognize that God is dealing with you justly, but still not be truly content. You must also say in your heart, good is the hand of God. And Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6, through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise, we are treated as imposters and yet are true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold, we live. as punished and yet not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing everything. Why is Paul able to say these things? He's a man that was under tremendous suffering, had a thorn in his flesh, and didn't have much worldly possessions or anything really from the world standards to be content about, but he says he possesses everything. I think it's because the presence of God and the blessings of God are upon him, and that's where true treasure lies. Now putting the last two points together of submitting and taking pleasure is contentment is submitting and taking pleasure in God's disposal. And this is from Burroughs, he says, A contented heart looks to and submits to God's disposal, that is, he sees the wisdom of God in everything. In his submission, he sees his sovereignty for what makes him take pleasure in God's wisdom. It is this, the Lord knows how to order things better than I. I only see things at present, but the Lord sees a great while from now. And how do I know, but that had it not been for this affliction, I should have than undone. I know that the love of God may as well stand with an afflicted condition as with a prosperous condition." And one thing that came to mind when I was reading the section on taking pleasure in submitting in God's disposal was the freedom of the will and how the Puritan Jonathan Edwards describes it. He talks about how in any given choice, you will always choose the choice that is most pleasurable to you. So for an example, if you have homework to do, you're a child in school, but you really want to not do it and you want to go out and play with your friends, you look to that situation and you see Well, I'll have immediate pleasure if I go out and play with my friends. But then if you look at the other choice that you have to do your homework, you will realize, well, I'll do well in class. I won't get in trouble. And then you kind of weigh in your mind what's most pleasurable to you, the immediate pleasure or the long-term pleasure. And every choice that we make ultimately is the choice that's most pleasurable to us. So when we're afflicted, if we choose to submit and God's disposal of that, we are ultimately taking pleasure in God's sovereignty in that situation, if you look at it from the standpoint of how Edwards describes the will. And the last point in what is contentment is submission must be in every condition. First is the type of affliction. If we went around the room and asked, would you submit to God in whatever condition He might place on you, most of us would probably be like Peter, before us multiple denials of Christ and pledge our submissions no matter what. General statements like that can be pretty deceptive. When you've been placed in severe affliction, perhaps in a situation that hurts you most, then it's easy for our posture to switch from I'll be content in anything to anything but that. Further, we are more apt to think that any condition is better than the condition in which God has currently placed us in. Maybe God has afflicted you through your children, and you think, oh, anything but this. I could be content if the suffering was financial, but this is my child. Or if you're suffering in your marriage for contentment, and you think, oh, anything but this. I would rather be afflicted in my health than the painful state of my marriage. Or if you get cancer or afflicted in your health and think, oh, if I only had my health, I would be content, even if my business suffered or I was fired from my job. We must not think that we get control over the types of afflictions that we face, and we must be content in whatever type of affliction God places on us. The second point, and submission must be in every condition, is the time and continuance of it. Someone might say, I've been submissive and content for years with this affliction. I've suffered for so long. I don't know if I can continue. My patience is worn and broken. We must not be our own disposers for the time of deliverance from our affliction any more than for the type and way of deliverance from our affliction. Thirdly, we must be submissive in the variety of our condition. We must be content in all the circumstances that surround the affliction, which sometimes can be worse than the actual affliction itself, and for whatever variety of afflictions that may pile up. God may place on us one affliction after another, or multiple afflictions at once. When we are afflicted, there are many cases that the consequences of what we're going through result in further suffering. So in all sorts of conditions, type of affliction, how long the affliction lasts on us, and the variety of afflictions that we're facing, we must be submissive in all those conditions. So to recap, to sum up, the doctrinal conclusion, the thesis of this entire series will be, to be well skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment is the duty, glory, and excellence of a Christian. And today we cover what contentment is, namely under the definition that Burroughs has of Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. And we went through the the nine different points he has to describe that with a sweet inward heart thing, the quiet of the heart, an inward quiet gracious frame of spirit, a gracious frame opposed to a natural quietness, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal, freely submitting to God's disposal, taking pleasure in God's disposal, submitting and taking pleasure in God's disposal, and submission in every condition. And lastly, I want to end with Burroughs when he said, oh, if any, if it could be said of many Christians that even though under their affliction that no one would see a change in them, for they are the same. Did you see what a gracious, sweet, and holy personality they had before they were afflicted? They are gracious, sweet, and holy still. We are called to submit to the disposal of God in every condition. Does anybody have any questions or comments? We go back to what you said, because I really, really liked it when you were using the example of doing homework with kids outside, and playing with friends and stuff doing homework. And you said that, essentially, contentment could be likened to the idea of, over the course of a Christian life, and I'll do the words in your mouth, but I really like the train of thought. It's as if we find greater Yes, that's where I was going with explaining the will of our choices, basically our choice to be content or not, is ultimately going to be dependent on what pleasures us the most, whether it's an immediate something external that will help us or an inward quietness of the soul from the Spirit that is there to contend. that the long view is that God is ultimately working all things together for His glory and our good, and there will be greater joy for me than the passion for the return of Christ. So, it just seems like what you were saying fits well with this, that we keep looking forward, and that helps to shape our contentment, because we know that God's plan is greater than our immediate plan. The last question I have, and I don't know if I can answer it, Possibly I felt pretty much going through this whole thing is like this is impossible to me Basically, it's an art form that you can get better at someone or like a spiritual discipline But it's also our duties to be pursuing this and to be being sanctified through learning this art of contentment. Yeah. I think Paul is an excellent example of that. He showed contentment, saying how he had everything. through Christ where he was afflicted for his entire life. We don't get to control the timeline of our afflictions. So that's one thing that we have to submit to God, and not only the type of affliction that we face, but also the timeline of it. Yeah, God's plan is definitely a Larger picture than what we can perceive. So I think that's the perspective that that we have to be looking at when we are submitting and being content is that all things do work for good ultimately for those who love Christ, even if at the time you're in a lot of pain and suffering. There are a lot of issues here in the U.S. really being stumped about the naturalness of your response. You're talking about race was part of it. And now we want more of this to happen, and it's gone. I mean, it's really, it's less children's about it, at least the one we've been talking about. So I think that's a big problem, but I absolutely buy across my own part of that. I'm happy about the response. I'm happy about it. Yeah, several times throughout this chapter, Burroughs talks about afflictions as being God's rod. So a lot of our afflictions are just results of the fall, but God is using it for good. And also other times, God is also disciplining us. So anytime you're afflicted, I mean, it's probably unhealthy to be like, what did I do to deserve this? But at the same time, it's a good time to evaluate and reflect upon your sins and seek repentance. I think about the loss of a child. Yeah, it's still right to feel pain. you can still feel pain, and that's not opposed to being content. I mean, Christ suffered in his humanity on the cross, and it wasn't that he wasn't content. And so, I mean, it's right to feel pain. I mean, contentment isn't just, like what Ryan was saying, a happy emotion in whatever situation you're in. It's mostly a right understanding and your heart in the right place. I think the opposite is true, too, so that on my end, I don't want to go under the illusion that, well, I should be happy no matter what if I said this. I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian. It's true that there's a false notion of emotionality. You need to equally go the other way and say, well, true Christian condemnation, no matter what happens, will never be the same. I think we're in contentment all the while. Yeah. But I think properly taken, if you go through the walkings of life and see how God acts All right. I kind of have a good, I think it's a little bit more than I struggle with. I kind of have a good mark when it comes to like, well, I can see God's over here. So I would say, is it impossible? No more impossible than you being conformed to the likeness of Christ in any other aspect of your life. That's true. But I think the focus of what I'm going to do, so at least what I'm going to do now, that's not going to be off the hook. My caution is not to associate contentment with this scholicism or an apathy. Yeah, and that's part of it being something that has to be free in us. Like, it's not something that can be forced upon us. Like, you can't go to someone and be, you must be content in this situation or you're sinning. It's got to be, I desire it in me to be content and for God's grace in that. but really I'm just pulling a trick from what you said, is the lack of contentment in my personal life of not sinning against God. If my purpose in life is to desire healing, desire healing, and to recognize that He is sovereign, when I find myself in a state of discontentment, I think it is a category of sin as what Burroughs is describing. Of course, I mean, there's levels of contentment and discontentment, but we're called to be content in our entirety of our soul. I think just meditating on the truths and the scriptures that point to contentment to get in your mind just biblically what it's like, and then try to conform your heart to fit what the truths are. I would say that's kind of how you would start, and of course with a lot of prayer, because ultimately it's a grace that comes from God. You know, I think about the trials that Joseph went through, and where your trials turned to pain. Yeah, and that's that's something that contentment is opposed to is Becoming angry at God for the situation that you're in the sign that you're not content I It's something that it's supposed to be consistent It's not something that you do like one time or it's a good mood but it is He kind of described it as something that you are sanctified in and you learn it through experience and through going through trials and practicing the art of contentment. I don't know if that answers your question. Yeah. That's part of the mystery. But I think the way that it will unfold is some of our questions about how we deal with these different programs are going to kind of flesh out because some of these chapters are literally okay. Because of this definition, one whole chapter at least, is how do we specifically embrace it? So I would encourage everybody So at least consider skimming over the abridged version each week and, quite frankly, feel free to read it or grab the full book and read it. I think it will be rich for you. But if you don't have that e-mail or you don't have the printed copy, let us know. We'll get that to you so that you can read it. And these brothers are going to try to prepare like Billy had in a way that if you haven't read it, the material is there for you. But that doesn't mean we won't encourage you to really dig into the material. I think a lot more of the practical application of it will come later in chapter 3 and 4, so I haven't gotten there yet either. This is more just a definition of wrapping around what is Christian contentment, biblically. I have a big question about how you define, the biggest thing you talked about with the Asian clientele, there's one word that's significant about your work, what's the word that comes to mind? And I think that's going to be a theme around this, not just here. And then from that, catching the click with this chapter, a big word that I'm going to need this spring in thinking about brain submission and posture and what a brain means and thinking about picture frame and what's contained in that. you know, everything within that frame, so the mind, the structure, the frame, the frame of the laws, the frame of the law, all the scripture, and how do you have a human, a human thinking on a campus that's on that platform? Yeah, that's a good point. Well, if there's any other questions, I'll close this in prayer. Get ready for worship. Dear Lord, I thank you for this time that we can come together and to study what your word says about contentment. And I pray that the series will be edifying to us in the body and that we will learn this art form more deeply. And I pray as we transition into corporate worship that you open our hearts and our minds to receive the ordinary means of grace that you have provided for us today, and that we'll be engaged in both the reading, hearing of the Word, and singing of the Word. And I pray that this Lord's Day would just be a refreshing time for our souls. And I pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.