Pursuing Contentment (Hebrews 13:5-6)
This sermon was preached by Lam Lup Meng.
There is a phenomenon in the tech industry called Moore’s law that has been the driving force of the technological advancements of the past sixty years. Back in 1965, Gordon Moore, one of the co-founders of Intel made an observation that the computing power of semiconductor integrated circuits tends to double every two years. His findings were based on empirical evidence he had at that time and he made a bold prediction that the trend that he saw would continue. And continue it has. For the past 60 years, the never ending quest for technological advancement has produced something, which you are holding in the palm of your hand now with 1 million times more computing power than what was needed to send some to the moon back in 1969.
What is driving this advancement? It wasn’t just that scientists and engineers were sitting in their labs and discovering new technology every 2 years. Dr. Moore and his colleagues were among the first to combine technology and business together. Moore’s Law drove competitors forward in a race to be the first company to release the newest technology, resulting in rapid development of computing technology. In a sense it is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that Moore has created, because companies will set their goals and targets based on “Moore’s Law” in the expectations that the demand for these new advanced products will far outstrip the R&D cost of developing it. And it is precisely the demand for new and better things that is driving this. I mean, who in this room has not had a feeling that they need a new phone or the latest gadget? It’s man’s insatiable demand and need for better, faster and more efficient that is driving this. In fact, the economic element of Moore’s law, especially the success of Silicon Valley based companies has made it an attractive standard for every other industry and even for society as a whole. Everywhere we look, there is an expectation of progress that fuels this insatiable demand that has become key to every aspect of life.
The benefits of technology are undeniable. It has enabled us to live more comfortable lives and the economic benefits to the entire world has been nothing short of extraordinary. But I wonder how much of what is driving us today is the insatiable desire for more? As we continue our study of Hebrews we are going to be challenged to pursue something different than advancement, progress, and more. We are going to think about the topic of contentment. What does it look like for you and I to be content?
What our primary motivations are for pursuing the things that we are pursuing in life and how we can align it with what God desires for our lives. As with all good things given by God, we have a tendency to distort it and pursue it for our own selfish desires and therefore sin against God. Take for example, sex, money and power. These topics, by the way, are what the author of Hebrews covers in this very practical last chapter of the book. These 3 things are good things given by God and if used in the way that God has designed for it to be exercised and utilized, then it is a good thing, but if we abuse it, idolize it, then we fall into the trap of sin and its unwanted consequences.
If you are here for the first time, we are coming to the end of our sermon series on the book of Hebrews. We are now in the last chapter, 13. In Hebrews 13:1-4, we read about the duties of love, which included brotherly love, loving the strangers, loving those who are suffering and persecuted, and love in the context of marriage. As mentioned in the sermon, the first 12 chapters can be summarized as these 3 points.
A great salvation
A grueling endurance
A glorious future.
And because of this understanding, how does it apply to the Christian? Hebrews 13:1-4, was covered last week and we will now cover Hebrews 13:5-6. Here’s the big idea of our text today: Contentment is worth pursuing.
And we’re looking at contentment in these 3 points.
Pursue contentment by freeing our lives from the love of money (Heb 13:5a)
Pursue contentment by resting in God’s presence (Heb 13:5b)
Pursue contentment by confessing our confidence in God’s provision and help (Heb 13:6)
So, let us look at the first point.
Pursue contentment by freeing our lives from the love of money (Heb 13:5a)
There are actually two commands over here. One stated in the negative (“keep your life free from the love of money”, or basically, do not love money) and the second command (“be content”) is stated in the positive. These are two very difficult commands right there. I think if we are honest with ourselves, we will find it quite difficult to follow these two commands and also to know whether or not we are following it, because there is no “objective” yardstick by which we can measure this and God forbid that we would want to measure ourselves against anything lest we become like the Pharisees.
Let’s look at the first command “Keep your life free from the love of money”. The Greek translation literally means to let your manner of life be free from the love of silver. The NKJV translates this as “let your conduct, be without covetousness. The NASB translates this as “make sure that your character is free from the love of money”.
So, in other words our lifestyle, our conduct and our character should not show that we love money. But what is “love of money” ? Covetousness is another word that is used for the love of money. Indeed we are reminded of that tenth commandment that “Thou shall not covet …etc.”.
If you have been a Christian long enough, you would know the key difference between the money and the love of money. It is not money per se that is bad, but the love of money that we are called to guard against. Paul warned in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For 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.”
So, in other words, loving money is the source of all kinds of problems. When money is the controlling factor in all our time spent, in all our decision making and in our heart’s desire, that’s when we will be in trouble. Jesus said in Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
There is nothing against money itself, but our relationship with money that is the issue. It can manifest itself in different forms. If you are miserly, like I am, then it could be that you are holding on too tightly to money. Money is your security instead of the Lord. My wife and children are laughing because they know how stingy I can be. To be honest, early in my Christian life, I struggled with tithing because I felt I was barely making ends meet and I needed to save for my future, but the Lord helped me see that whatever I have was given by Him and that the security I had in money can be wiped out easily. I have also learnt that if God blessed us richly, it is for the purpose of blessing others through us. What has helped me is that if I have been blessed by the Lord materially, I try to make it a point to deliberately ask the question of how I can use part of it to bless others and then act on it.
On the other hand, if you are spending your money irresponsibly, it could be that you are pursuing a lot of worldly pleasures and that money is your means of attaining them. It also doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. A person can be poor and still be in love with money that they don’t have just as easily as a rich person to be in love with the money that they do have. Again, it is our relationship with money that is important. The Bible contains many instances of godly people who were rich. Take for instance Abraham and Job in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Joseph of Arimathea, who provided the tomb for Jesus’ burial and many others if you read the book of Acts.
One danger is that we’re unable to love others if we love money. … The concern for material wealth can sidetrack us from loving one another in the body.
So what are the dangers of loving money that the writer of Hebrews is so concerned about? Let me suggest three. Firstly, we’re unable to love others if we love money. In the immediate context of this passage from Hebrews 13:1-4, we looked at the duties of love. It is impossible to do these things, when someone loves money. Those who love money will either be too busy making money or would not be generous with their money and time to love others.
Perhaps it was the hardship that the Jewish audience of this book had endured. Remember in Hebrews 10:34 where they had suffered loss of property and possessions. There could have been a tendency to want to protect and prevent such things from happening again by seeking the security of more material wealth.
Folks, the concern for material wealth can sidetrack us from loving one another in the body. Are we prioritizing loving others over the pursuit of wealth? Perhaps we can actively look out for brothers and sisters in our congregation who need financial help. Ask the elders or the Member Care Ministry if any help is needed financially from anyone in the church. Or ask the missions committee if they know of missions initiatives that need more support or even ad-hoc needs come up when there are emergencies or tragedies that happen beyond our shores, we could find out how we can come alongside the church in providing financial needs.
The second danger of loving money is that we are rejecting God. What do I mean by that? In Job 31: 24-28, we read: “If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendour, and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above.”
The NIV translates the last line as being “unfaithful” to God. This is Job, who had all the riches that God blessed him with and yet when God allowed these riches to be taken away, he realized that these all came from God and if he trusted in gold or his wealth, he has made an idol out of it and thus rejected God and sinned against Him.
We see warnings like this one in Job all through the Scriptures. You may remember Jesus’ parable of the sower and how, like the seed that was sowed among the thorns, one person’s faith in the Word of God is snuffed out by "the deceitfulness of riches." Or remember the rich young ruler in Mark 10, who wanted to follow Jesus but in the end walked away sad because we are told he couldn't let go of his "great possessions."
The danger of loving money more than God is that we will not inherit His Kingdom because we are rejecting Him.
Folks, the danger of loving money more than God is that we will not inherit His Kingdom because we are rejecting Him. The problem is not because he had great possessions, but the problem was that he loved it more than anything else and he was unwilling to give it up. Of course, we’re not saying that all of us should all sell our possessions and give to poor. Jesus was laser focused in His response to this particular rich man because He knew this man’s heart condition. Elsewhere, Jesus did not require the same of Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector and was rich. We read in Luke 19, that Jesus ate at Zacchaeus’ house and declared that salvation has come, because Jesus’ knew his heart.
The third danger of loving money is that it leaves us empty and unsatisfied. Ecclesiastes 5:10 writes, He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” We’ll never be satisfied with more money. In other words, we’ll never be content with money as we will always want more, kind of like Moore’s law. We’ll never be satisfied with that new iPhone or that new car. That’s what’s driving the entire world economy. Man’s insatiable appetite for more.
Craving for more money or more stuff is indeed vanity. There is no ultimate satisfaction when we pursue wealth. It’s all vanity, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says here.
Let’s look at the second command, which says to be content with what we have. What does being content mean? Well at first glance, we might think that it means being satisfied and happy with what we currently have materially. But I think the contentment that the writer is talking about runs much deeper than mere material things and we will see that as we go through further our text today. And that’s why contentment is worth pursuing and it’s our main idea of these 2 verses we are looking at today.
The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Notice here that Paul’s contentment does not depend on how much he has or what circumstance that he was in because he can do all things, he can endure all things through Christ who strengthens him. It helps to remember that Paul was writing this while he was in prison and yet he said he was content. He had nothing at that time, and he was persecuted for the gospel and sent to prison, yet he was satisfied because he has learnt the secret. What’s that secret? He can be content because of Jesus Christ who strengthens him. More on that later.
Note the active verb to “be” content. It is something that needs to be done. In Paul’s case, he said he had to learn to be content, in other words to pursue contentment. Being content is not having a laissez-faire attitude towards life, it’s not being lazy.
But also note the active verb to “be” content. It is something that needs to be done. In Paul’s case, he said he had to learn to be content, in other words to pursue contentment. Being content is not having a laissez-faire attitude towards life, it’s not being lazy. Paul worked hard but he worked hard for the gospel. He was a tent-maker, he was diligent at it and yet he was content because of his laser focused target of the gospel in all that he does. The Bible tells us to work diligently, but it also tells us here to be content and these two things are not incompatible.
So to recap, we have covered these two commands that was given (not loving money and to be content). And, having received this dual commands, and considered these dangers that we face, let’s take stock of our lives. We need to ask God to help us work at applying this. Let’s consider a few points.
Is our time taken up by our work or in maintaining our material possessions, that we neglect to minister to others and be part of a local body of Christ? We all in Singapore lead busy lives. Corporations that we work for are all entrenched in trying to meet the target of Moore’s law, but we do need to take stock sometimes on the use of our time in pursuing the things that have everlasting value. Are we storing up treasures in heaven instead of storing up things that moth and rust will destroy, as Jesus said in Matthew 6:19.
Are we holding on too tightly to our material possessions that we are unable to use it to bless others? Whether it be the use of our homes to meet practical needs or even the use of other material possessions that we have for those who are in need? Folks, let’s think about how we can use the material blessings that God has blessed us with to bless others. It could be as simple as cooking a meal for families who need it during times of emergency. Or maybe even lending your car (if you are so blessed with one) to those who need it for a period of time, is a good way to bless others while at the same time allowing us to really put into the practice the idea of not holding too tightly to our material possessions, given how expensive cars can be in Singapore.
How tightly are we holding on to our money?Are we holding off on tithing until we have achieved a certain level of income? As we have seen in Ecclesiastes 5:10, there will never be an amount that is enough. Of course, there will be seasons in our lives where money is tight, but perhaps it’s time to consider what our relationship with money is like? I like this quote from Augustine regarding this verse (Heb 13:5a): “Put your hand in the purse in such a way that you release your heart from it”.
Pursue contentment by resting in God’s presence (Heb 13:5b)
Friends, this is what God has promised — that He will not leave us nor forsake us. You know, the concept of God’s everlasting presence is such a powerful concept in both the New and Old testaments. It’s not entirely clear where this quotation is from, it may be taken loosely from Deut 31:6, which says “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Joshua 1:5-6 is also a similar passage which the Lord spoke to Joshua assuring him that God will not forsake him and will fulfill all the promises given to Moses, even after Moses’ death.
In the New Testament, Jesus assures us of the same thing at the end of Matthew’s gospel where He says “Behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The original Greek text of Hebrews 13:5b actually has 5 negatives (or nevers) which convey very strongly that God will surely not leave and he will surely be with us always. This doesn’t get translated into the English language that strongly. But suffice to say that Charles Spurgeon, when he was preaching on this very text of Hebrews 13:5, he titled his sermon “Never!, Never!, Never!, Never!, Never!” give times. Spurgeon quoted this hymn that we often sing, which he says translates this verse and its intended meaning quite well:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake.
Friends, I don't know about you, but the idea that God will not leave or forsake us sometimes does not really cause me to think twice. But as I was preparing for this sermon, this really struck me. Do you know that without the presence of God, we will all be dead? If God is not present and in control of everything, the whole universe will not hold together. If the gravitational constant of earth was not 9.81m/s2, if it was just 0.000001% off, we would all not exist.
Our contentment lies in our resting on God’s presence in our lives. In no situation would God leave us and in no situation will He forsake us.
If God had left us to our own devices and forsaken us, we would all be slaves to our sin with no way out. If God had forsaken us, He would not have sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to come and live the life that we should have lived and die the death that we should have died, to quote the late Timothy Keller. Our contentment lies in our resting on God’s presence in our lives. In no situation would God leave us and in no situation will He forsake us. If we rely on anything else to get security and comfort, we will be left sorely disappointed because nothing can satiate our hearts except for His love and presence in our lives. Every time we are tempted to be discontent or not satisfied with how we are doing materially in this world, remind yourselves of where we would be without God? Every time we fear what will happen in our future and start hoarding our resources and money to hedge against these uncertainties, look to God and rest on His unfailing promise. Our God who is faithful has promised us that He never forsakes us and that should be sufficient enough for us.
Moses knew this very well. In Exodus 33, because of the disobedience of the Israelites, God was not going to be present with them when they conquer Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them. God will still fulfill His promise of giving them the land, but He himself will not be with them. What would you do in that situation? If we’re honest, we probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid. If we could conquer the land without God being there and we can live our own lives with all the land flowing with milk and honey, that’s good right?
However, Moses insisted that God’s presence be with them and pleaded with God and of course God relented. You see, even though God had promised that they would still conquer Canaan and get all the material blessings, Moses was not content with that, because he knew the ultimate joy and contentment lies in God alone and the relationship that he has with God.
How do we remember God’s presence and not take Him for granted? We need to cultivate our relationship with Him. Start our day by communing with Him by thanking Him that He is with us this day. End our day by thanking Him for His presence.
Beloved, how do we remember God’s presence and not take Him for granted? We need to cultivate our relationship with Him. Start our day by communing with Him by thanking Him that He is with us this day. End our day by thanking Him for His presence.
Whenever we feel anxious or are tempted to seek contentment elsewhere, pray to Him. Acknowledge the difficulty you are facing to Him and confess that He is a sovereign God who knows all things and is in control of all things, even our current circumstances which is causing our anxiety.
Friends, in our busy Singapore lives, we need to set aside time to rest. Find time to meditate on His Word and reconnect with Him, even through our family time. Don’t waste your leave that you are entitled to. Use it, and use it wisely to rest and meditate on His goodness in Jesus Christ. Remind ourselves of the gospel. We will find contentment in Him. Let me again quote from Augustine, “Oh Lord, thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Indeed, our hearts are restless until they rest on God alone through Jesus Christ.
Pursue contentment by confessing our confidence in God’s provision and help (Heb 13:6)
The author of Hebrews has been teaching us to interpret and meditate on the Psalms and he does it here again in Hebrews 13:6. The writer here is quoting from Psalm 118:6 and is urging his audience to apply this Psalms into their current situation. As we mentioned before, some of the Christians were persecuted and had their property taken away and yet the writer is asking them to be content with what they have. Notice the declarative element in this verse “So we can confidently say….”. By declaring and acknowledging that God is their helper, this Psalm recalls how God had been faithful in the past in answering their prayers during times of distress and how the Lord had given them victory over their enemies. Recalling these things from the past allows them to confidently say that the Lord is indeed their helper and they shall not fear anything, including the fear of man, in the current situation. What can man do to me? That’s a rhetorical question and it almost seems like taunting and boasting. But such is the confidence of the Psalmist in Psalm 118, that the writer of Hebrews wants to instill in his readers. Such confidence is possible in the face of severe persecution and challenges because God has done it before and He can certainly do it this time and so they can be content in whatever situation that the Lord brings upon them.
Notice also the communal aspect of this verse — “So we can confidently say..” There is this sense that the writer is asking them to declare and confess this truth together and reiterate these truths to one another. That’s why the writer commands his audience in Hebrews 10:24-25 to consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds and to continue meeting together.
What does this mean for us? You know how when you are with a different group of people, you are influenced by them? Your thinking and world view can be changed because of that. For me, whenever I am with people who keep talking about the stock market, or investing in the latest property or buying the latest gadget, I always come out of these conversations feeling a little discontent about my lack of investment portfolio and the fear that I will not have enough money for my retirement. I get discontented, I start to focus on my own preparedness for retirement. Do I have enough saved for the rainiest of rainy days?
Hebrews is telling us to surround ourselves with people who will confidently say together that the Lord is our helper and that we shall not fear because our God will not forsake us.
Hebrews is telling us to surround ourselves with people who will confidently say together that the Lord is our helper and that we shall not fear because our God will not forsake us.
What do we do when we meet together? Do we encourage one another, do we remind one another about the truths of God, about God’s faithfulness? Do we encourage one another to think with the right perspectives about this world? Or do we mostly talk about the high COE prices, the high property prices, or if you are my age, retirement planning? Nothing wrong with these, and we should be planning and preparing ourselves for the future. Proverbs 13:16 says every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.
But if that’s all we do, then we are missing out on the confidence and contentment that will arise when we remind ourselves of who we really are and where our true future lies based on what God has promised. I’m certainly guilty of that, even in my own conversations with my family members, let alone members in our church. Let’s all hold each other accountable and remind each other about the confidence and contentment that we can find only in God through Christ alone.
Friends, we have talked about how contentment can be found not in the love of money, but resting in the presence of God and His promises as well as in declaring and confessing our confidence in His help and provisions. But ultimate contentment can only be found in Jesus Christ alone. That’s because God’s promises and presence are all fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone. The peace with God and the presence of God with us is ultimately bought by Jesus’ blood on the cross. Our sins have alienated us from God because He is Holy and we are not. Therefore God’s presence among us is based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and not our own. And so, when God sees us, He sees Jesus Christ, because we have trusted in Him by faith.
If we understand that we deserve nothing and now have everything because of Jesus Christ, contentment is a natural outcome. We can confidently declare that God is our helper and that we fear no man because Christ accomplished for us what we could not do and we do not have to fear because it is not based on our own performance or merit but solely on Christ alone. That’s true contentment.
If you are here for the first time and you’re not yet a believer, let me urge you to consider Jesus Christ. Look no further than Jesus, for the source of your ultimate contentment and joy. As we have seen, nothing in this world will satisfy our deep insatiable need except for Christ who has fulfilled our biggest need and desire. Feel free to come talk to one of our pastors or elders or someone you know in this church, if you have questions. We’d be happy to answer any queries you may have regarding our faith in Jesus Christ and where the true source of contentment comes from.
In the beginning we thought about Moore's Law, the insatiable desire that drives modern people. As believers we honor God by hard work and doing our best for His glory here on earth. But brothers and sisters, let's not forget that we serve our God, who is in heaven, He does whatever he pleases. He is Himself the most content of beings. Through Christ we are children of God. He invites us to rest in him. He commands us to keep our lives free from the love of money, to be content with what we have. He gives us what we need to keep the command, His very presence and the promise that He is our helper, there is nothing that man can do to us. That, friends is the only hope we have. And it is hope enough.