Tuesday Night Service - What Is Christian Contentment And How To Attain It Part 4

·48 min·4 clips

A Cambridge Puritan's 136-page work reveals why true Christian contentment is a rare jewel few attain.

The episode is the fourth and final installment of a series on Jeremiah Burroughs' Puritan treatise 'The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment,' which the host notes spans 136 pages. It opens with a Puritan prayer from 'The Valley of Vision' read by Nick, emphasizing submission to God's will in affliction. The host defines contentment as a 'consistent, deep, joyous security' from complete trust in God, contrasting it with modern church teachings that promote self-esteem. He structures the teaching around three of Burroughs' nine points on how Christ teaches contentment. First, self-denial is presented as foundational, with Burroughs quoted saying that knowing one is 'nothing' enables bearing any affliction, contrary to societal elevation of self. Second, the host discusses the 'one thing necessary' from Luke 10, where Mary choosing to sit at Jesus' feet is prioritized over Martha's busy preparations, warning against fixating on external fixes or others' actions for peace. Third, Burroughs' point on studying one's own heart is explored, with the host stressing that ignorance leads to misdiagnosing problems and discontent, using his past alcohol addiction as an example. The host then transitions to three points from Burroughs' final chapter on attaining contentment. He cites Ephesians 1 to argue that spiritual blessings in Christ far outweigh earthly lacks. Next, he notes Burroughs' reminder that suffering is only in this world, urging an eternal perspective to reduce discontent. Finally, he advocates counting personal blessings, sharing stories of church growth and relationships as evidence of God's goodness. Throughout, the host interweaves critiques of charismatic practices and modern church trends, emphasizing a Puritanical, introspective approach to faith.

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A sermon on contentment that moves from church busyness to the ordinary discipline of gratitude.

Christian contentment comes through as a learned response to circumstance, not a mood believers can expect to arrive by itself. Returning to Philippians 4:11 and Jeremiah Burroughs' The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, the episode frames contentment as a deliberate choice to…

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You want Christian contentment explained through Philippians 4:11, Martha's busy hands, church busyness, and the practice of counting blessings.

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