But I had a long talk over lunch with Mandy. And we'd been in the book of Proverbs in St. Louis for a little while. And what would have been our text in St. Louis for Proverbs fits perfectly with what Mandy and I were talking about this evening. So you all thought you were going to get away from it, didn't you? No, but all jokes aside, seriously. What Mandy and I talked about and Cecil. I believe that Proverbs chapter 30, verses seven through nine speaks volumes to what we were discussing. And That is what I would like for us to turn to this evening. Proverbs, the 30th chapter, verses 7 through 9. And just so that Selena doesn't have to come and ask me, what was your title for your message? My title this evening will be, what should we want? What should we as the people of God want from our God? Proverbs 30, beginning at verse 7. Two things have I required of thee. Deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be fooled and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and still, and take the name of my God in vain. Let's once again go to the Lord in prayer. Our Father, we are truly thankful this evening for all those that you've been able to come out. I pray, Father, that all glory, all honor, and all praise goes to you. I pray, Father, that we earnestly and truly desire to be in your house this evening, to be able to fellowship with the loving people here at Forrest Hills. But, Father, I ask you, as your word goes forth, as it's been read, may again you be exalted, may your son be magnified, And may we be edified and corrected where correction is needed. These things we ask for Christ's sake. Amen. I want to say first of all, as I look at this verse seven, Edgar is asking a question. He makes a statement. Two things have I required. I will understand why the translators used the word required here. Because the word could very easily have been used desired, asked, or requested. But the text to me does not yield itself very well to require. It's as if this man is demanding from God, I require this from you. And I'm not wanting to labor that point, but humility is something that we as a people of God really need to exercise ourselves in. But he says here, there's two things that I ask of you there are two things that I desire and Lord I ask that you give me these things do not deny me them before I die while I'm still in this flesh while I am still in a position where I can dishonor you When I'm still in a position where I can get into my flesh and I can act and say and do things that are not honoring unto you, do not withhold from me these things while I'm yet alive. Before I die, my God, there are some things I ask of you. that my opportunities to sin are limited. These two things which I petition of you is remove from me vanity and lies. That's number one. Number two Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me. Vanity speaks of emptiness. Vanity speaks of pretentiousness. It speaks of us being self-serving. that when I do things, I do it for my glory, for my honor. I pray long prayers I want to be heard and I want to be seen. I serve tables because I want someone to say, look at him serve. I give alms because I want people to say, Look how devoted he is in giving alms to the poor. That's vanity. Lies. The lies here are just words. Let me not use words that are inappropriate. Let me not allow my tongue to be vicious, to be biting, to be hurtful. Let me not use my tongue and the speech that you give me to hurt one that your son died for. Let me not with the speech you give me again give cause for something blasphemous. May I use the talents, may I use the abilities that you give me to your name's honor and glory. Whatever it is I do, let me do it under the Lord, not unto me, not to my satisfaction or for my gratification. Let it be those things that are honoring and glorifying unto you. Now we can so quickly and so easily get into the idea that I'm really that good at what I'm doing. Or at least I'm not as bad as someone else. Do not make me rich. Do not make me poor. Give me that which is convenient. Give me that which is due according to your desire. And the reason this speaks volumes to me This morning, in our discussion at the table, I noted how there's some people that I've looked at and I've marveled at how God has blessed them and allowed them to do things that are far beyond evidently my ability to accomplish. And as we talked, it seemed I wasn't the only one that tended to look and say, well, why can't I do that? Why did the Lord not bless me with the gift of being able to do this or to do that? Why didn't He? Why did He make me the way that I am? Now, I am sure that, to a great degree, my own shortcomings and my own inabilities are my own flaws. Maybe part of the reason why things are not different for me. But yet, after our conversation, I began to think. Because I had not finished this outline for Wednesday evening in St. Louis yet this morning. But as we talked, One word kept coming to my mind. And that one word was contentment. Contentment. Being content. That's why, as a title, it is, What Should We Want? Should I want what Rain Whit Riddles has? Should I want what Johnny Alls has? Should I want what Paul Riddles has? No. Give me what you want me to have. I've gone to churches and the buildings and I look at them and I say, Lord, I'd like for us to be blessed to have a building like that. That we can host a conference and have men from different parts of the country come and feed us with the Word of God. In fact, in our bulletin, I made a second or third prayer request. After churches They're needing pastors. It is my desire for us to have our own building. As long as it was comfortable and safe, that was my desire unto the Lord. But even then, I've begun to question why. What's wrong with where we are? You know, the New Testament, especially the book of Acts, speaks quite often of churches even in Caesar's house. They went from house to house daily. There is nothing wrong with us using to the best of our ability and faithfulness with what God gives us. There's no place for me as a pastor of a church or a member of another church to want what someone else has. The question is asked, what do we have that we did not receive? What talents does someone have that they did not receive. Contentment. After he makes these requests for what he wants he says feed me with food that is convenient according to your desire because if you give me riches I might say, look what I did. Look what I was able to accomplish. And I say, I don't need the Lord. All I need is a good program. All I need is the right orchestration of music and the appealing of the flesh and I can get people. Who gets the glory there? Who gets the glory when things are going as I want them to go? Don't make me poor, because I might steal, and I might disarm you. Contentment is the watchword of this evening. Take a look at the book of Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul gives us a very good direction when it comes down to wanting. Philippians chapter 4, beginning in verse 11. He says, Now shall I speak in respect of want, where I have learned and whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know both how to abase or to be abased. I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. As if Paul is saying, when I have much, I have nothing. When I have nothing, I have much. Because what I have is God's supply. If I am depending upon God to provide for me what I need, I don't have any need. I'm left with what I want. I've learned in all places whatsoever I am to be content. Don't look at what someone else has and say, I wish I had that. It is very possible for our desire to have more and more will lead us into a situation where if I work a little overtime on Wednesday or if maybe one Sunday a month I work, I can get a little more. But what are you sacrificing to get that little more? You're sacrificing the worship of God and the fellowship of His people. We're told in Hebrews, neglect not the sin of yourself together. And all the more you see the day approaching. We are to uplift one another. We are to encourage one another. We are to pray for one another. We are to sing songs, spiritual songs and hymns together. If we get so bent on having more, in most cases, Well, the first thing that goes is church attendance. So that's the one thing we can do without. I mean, they're going to miss me on Wednesday. I'll be there on Sunday. Maybe one Sunday a month I miss. They can get on without me. But isn't that the church of body? And if that one member is missing, does it not affect the body? So let us learn to be content with what God has given us. 1 Timothy chapter 6, and there are the first 10 verses. In fact, I'm going to cut it down just a little bit for the sake of time. Let's read verse 5, doctrine including verse 10. Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be there with content. But they that will be rich fall into temptations and snares, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some covetous actor they have aired from their face and pierced themselves through with many swords. Because some church member bought them a new car. And the car that I have just doesn't look that good anymore. Or we might even start feeling ashamed of what we have. Well I don't really like that car anymore because I like that one that so and so has bought. Who gave you that car? Who gave you the clothes that you have on your back? The Lord did. Because you came into this world with nothing. You came into this world with no clothes on your back at all. Remember? The Lord has clothed you. He has fed you. And there's some here like me that the Lord has fed and then I wasn't satisfied and I went back for a little more. because I did that this afternoon downstairs just now but after we amass all the things we think we want what's going to happen? we're going to die and we're going to leave it and our children are going to squander it they're going to run through it because it wasn't given to them by the Lord it was given to them because I died Again, we want to miss church, because we want to make a little bit more. We take on a second job or a few more hours. They that will be rich fall into temptations and snares, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, with drowned men in destruction and perdition. Why do we find this so hard? as the people of God, knowing that what we have, the Lord has given to us. Did we really think that the houses we have, the cars we have, the money we have in the bank, do we really think that we did that? I read one thing in the book of Proverbs, It tells one thing for sure. That the Lord makes both the rich and the poor. He gives some people lost and saved the ability to make money. He does. I don't understand that. But I believe it was Jim Baker before he fell from grace. and disgrace. He made a statement. God's people shouldn't have junk. That's kind of a sad statement. Because whatever God's people have is not junk. God does not give his people junk. He gives them what he wants them to have. He gives them what they're able to handle. The Lord knows our hearts better than we do. What did the man say? Don't make me rich because I might forget you, deny you, and give myself the glory. Or I might, if you make me poor, I might steal. You think the Lord didn't know that about him? You think the Lord does not know about us what our hearts are and what our desires are? Remember what Jeremiah says about our heart? It's desperately wicked. It's deceitful. Who can know it? We don't really know our hearts. What we should know about our heart for sure is it's desperately wicked. It's untrustworthy. It's deceptive. It will tell me I need something that I don't need. I want it. And again usually the Lord is the one or the Lord's service is what suffers because we want more or we're dissatisfied with what we have in comparison to someone else on the pew that we're sitting with in the church. That tends to break down the harmony of the assembly. What do we want? Whatever the Lord is satisfied to give us. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Let us begin our reading in verse 20. And we'll read down to including verse 24. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? Care not for it. But if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lord's free man. Likewise, also he that is called being free is Christ's servant. You are brought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man wherein he is called therewith be content. Therewith abide with God. therewith in contentment or with contentment serve the Lord wherever He has put us. Paul speaks of the gifts of the Spirit. Some want tongues, some want this, some want that. The best gift is love. We are so easily dissatisfied. If you notice in verse 23, ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men. What is the price? By what price were you purchased? Well, first of all, who purchased you? God did. And what was the price that He deemed necessary to have you? God set a price on every single one of us. And that price was His only begotten Son. He said, I want Tim Marshall today. I can get Tim Marshall today. Because my son went across the Calvary, paid Tim's sin debt. Come on Tim, you're mine today. You've been mine for eternity. We're his. We belong to him. He is our provider. We say we trust him. Then why can we not be content with what He gives us? When we want more, we may not be able to handle more. We may take what we get and do the wrong thing with it, and our service to God will suffer. Brethren, that every man wherein he is called, therein remain, continue in God. And if we faithfully discharge our duties, the work that God has given us to do, He may give us more to add to it. Remember those fellows they gave talents to? One or two to this one? Five to that one? Ten to that one? Here, I'm about to collect it. One of you got ten? Here, I'll give you twenty. One of you got five? I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll give you ten. One of you got one or two? Here, I'll What kind of service is that? What kind of service is what God gives us, we don't do anything with it? But if we're more concerned with getting what we think we want, instead of getting and providing and serving God to give Him back what He wants. At the end of our life, while we are alive, before we die, ought we, should we not want to do, and to be, and to serve God? That when we stand before Him, He say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. What I gave you, you may full use of. You served me well. The widow's might. She had two cents. She put her two cents in. The rich man put in a hundred dollars. Who gave the Lord more? The widow did. The widow was thankful of what God gave her. She took what little gift she had and said, Lord, this is yours. I'm giving it back to you. Instead of us thinking God has not given us enough, let us say, Lord, what you gave Let me be faithful to you to provide or to use what you've given me to your glory, not mine. So that you have treasure, you have things to give to someone else. What did Malachi say? Bring the tithe into the storehouse so that there will be food, there'll be things to be given to His people. But again, if we're worrying about amassing for ourselves, are we as quick to want to tithe, to give the Lord His portion of what He's given us? Again, all we've got, God gave us. So why should we find this so difficult? to make the best use of what He's given us to His glory and let Him esteem us. Don't be servants of men wanting them to puff you up. Let God magnify you. Let God exalt you. Let God be the one that gets the glory. Those of you that are bought with the price of the blood of Christ Be thankful to God for the greatest gift you could ever get. Because whatever you have in this life, you're going to leave it here. But what the Lord has given you and His purchase of you by the blood of His Son will last for eternity. You will not lose any of it. Because the treasures are all stored up there waiting for you to get them. But if our treasures are here on this ground, on this earth, there'll be nothing there for us. There'll be nothing for us to receive. I do believe there are going to be some people in heaven who don't have anything to give to the Lord because they were more concerned about themselves. These warnings are not there because it's not possible to happen. I believe it is actually possible for a child of God to be more concerned about things, accomplishments, possessions, than serving the God that loved him. Paul said, I am willing to spend and to be spent in God's service. Are we willing, as God's people, to be more concerned with glorifying God with contentment in whatever He has purposed to provide for us and when we do that we'll neither squander nor steal what little He's given us will be enough Why is that so hard? Because we love things more than God.