September 26, 2004

 

In New York City, there are eight million cats and eleven million dogs.That’s a lot of animals for a city the size of New York!And all these pets present some unique problems to the Big Apple.For example, New York City is basically just concrete and steel.So when your pet dies, you can’t just go out and bury it in the backyard unless you have an air hammer, which I’m sure some New Yorkers might have, but not the majority of them.So NYC authorities decided that for $50, they would dispose of your deceased pet.

One enterprising lady thought she could render a service to her fellow New Yorkers and at the same time, save them money and make a bit for herself.She placed an ad in the newspaper that said, “When your pet dies, I will come and take care of the remains for you for $25.”This lady would go to the Goodwill store and buy the best suitcase she could find for under $5.When someone would call about their pet, she would go to the home and put the deceased pet into the suitcase and collect her $25.Then she would take a ride on the subway.(I guess there are a few thieves on the subway.)So, this lady would set her suitcase in the aisle next to her on the floor of the train, and after a while, she would dose off. Inevitably, a thief would run by and steal her suitcase!Sometimes she would even stand and scream, “Stop! Thief!”But no one would.When the thief finally stopped running long enough to open the suitcase, he would be pretty surprised about what was inside, and a little less than satisfied!

I sometimes spend a good share of my life trying to snatch suitcases of happiness!How about you?Have you been spending a lot of time Chasing After Suitcases of Happiness?Sometimes, when I think I’ve found one and open it up, it is usually less than satisfying!Have you found the same thing?Our Bible text today talks about what happens when we chase after these “suitcases of happiness.”

In the fifth century, a man named Arsenius determined to live a holy life. So, he abandoned the norms of Egyptian society to follow an austere lifestyle in the desert. Yet whenever he visited the great city of Alexandria, he spent time wandering through its bazaars. Asked why, he explained that his heart rejoiced at the sight of all the things he didn’t need. Those of us who live in a society flooded with goods and gadgets need to ponder the example of that desert dweller. A typical supermarket in North America in 1976 stocked 9,000 articles; today it carries 30,000. How many of them are absolutely essential? How many superfluous?

Our text says: “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”So, it’s pretty silly chasing after suitcases of happiness, isn’t it?The world is filled with things we don’t need.We spend time we don’t have chasing after things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.Are you chasing those suitcases?You will have to check them all in at the end of your life.Not one of them will do you any good!Keep them in perspective.

A number of years ago there was a popular program called The Goldbergs. In one episode, Jake Goldberg came home for supper and excitedly told his wife, Molly, about a great idea he had. He wanted to go into business. Molly had some money put away, anticipating just such a thing, and she gave it to him. As they sat at the dinner table, enthusiastically discussing the future, Jake said, “Molly, some day we’ll be eating off of golden plates!” Molly looked at him and replied, “Jake, darling, will it taste any better?” The next verse of our text says: “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”Do you often find yourself thinking that the suitcase in the aisle in front of you must contain something better than what you have now?Don’t we often confuse needs and wants?Do we need golden plates?Do we need the bigger, better, faster, fancier gizmo?Will it really make our life better?

Have you ever seen the movie, The Perfect Storm?It’s a story about what happened to the Andrea Gail, a sword-fishing boat, and her crew, in the “Storm of the Century.” In October of 1991, Hurricane Grace, a storm from the west, and another one from northern Canada all combined to create the worst storm on record in the north Atlantic ocean.The Andrea Gail, a sword-fishing boat, captained by Billy Tyne, left Gloucester, Massachusetts, for the last fishing trip of the season, hoping to improve on their hard luck of late.The crew of six kept moving eastward, not finding any fish in the Grand Banks, and went all the way out to the Flemish Cap, known for its treacherous seas. There, they hit the jackpot, catching as much fish as the boat could hold. Their record catch would “set the market” back home!

They dreamt of the huge payout this would net them, and already began spending it, talking about fancy cars, paying off debts, living well. They heard about the storm to their west, but it wouldn’t be a problem to head east and ride it out – they would be safe. Until the worst thing possible happened:The ice-maker broke.Now, the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fish in their cargo weren’t going to last.So at this point they were faced with the crucial decision, the climax of the movie: Do we play it safe and just float east, realizing that we will lose the fish, but be assured we will return to our families?Or… do we head west, right into the heart of the storm of storms, and risk it all for the hopes of setting the market, and hitting the jackpot with our record catch? You know what they chose, right?Their greed and dreams of getting rich drove them to go right into the heart of the storm!They didn’t make it. A 100-foot wall of water plunged them into ruin and destruction.

Our text says: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.”Getting rich is never going to make you happy or content.The desire to have more and more is a death trap! It’s dangerous!Worse than drowning at sea, it can lead to spiritual harm for you and me!“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”Being rich, having money, in itself, is not evil. Abraham, Job, and Solomon were all very rich, but maintained a godly attitude with their possessions.It is the love of money, and the constant, discontented pursuit of more of it that is dangerous!Are you content with what you have?Or are you always looking for more?Are you going to risk taking that suitcase?Or do you think it just might get you into trouble? Our text continues: “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”Our contentment is not going to come from money or from chasing after things we don’t yet have.It is going to come from something we already have!

A rich businessman was once disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked. “Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman. “Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?’ the rich man asked. “What would I do with them?” “You could earn more money,” came the reply, “and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.” The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?” “You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist. “What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied as he looked placidly out to sea.

Verse 6 says: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”So you and I have been chasing after all these suitcases of happiness, always thinking we can do better, when it is here that we look down and see that we already have a wonderful suitcase right in our hand!Take that suitcase out and open it up!What’s in it?There is righteousness in there – godliness!The perfection of Christ!A gift that is yours!Something that won’t decay or wear out – something that will last forever!God’s love for you!The promise of eternity with Him!A perfection that his Son Jesus lived out for you on this earth!Forgiveness from all your greed and failures!That’s what is in there – God’s approval of you!He sees you as worthwhile and valuable because of the righteousness He gives you!You are important because God made you that way!You have everything you need because it was given to you as a gift through Jesus Christ!So friends, stop chasing other suitcases!Be Content with What You Have!

When you’re content with what you have, when you stop chasing after the things of this world, but actually give them up, you will be truly content.You want to be content?Thank God for the blessings He has given you and Give God What is His!Listen carefully:All is a gift!Everything!Therefore, this is our attitude toward life:God is the owner. I am the ower.King David once prayed, “Yours, Lord is the greatness, the power, the splendor, and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.”(1 Chron.29:14-30).

God owns everything.You and I own nothing.All I think I “own” I really “owe!”(I only “own” the mortgage).The best things about (you and me) are not what I am able to give, but what I have already received!Forgiveness, grace, and eternal love from God!This has been expressed so well in the membership commitment of a church in Washington DC.“I commit myself, regardless of the expenditures of time, energy, and money to becoming an informed, mature Christian. I believe that God is the total owner of my life and resources. I give God the throne in relation to the material aspect of my life.God is the owner. I am the ower. Because God is a lavish giver I too shall be lavish and cheerful in my regular gifts.”

Today, as we officially kick off our Land Fund Drive, and begin “climbing the mountain” to set a God-pleasing goal of establishing a permanent ministry facility here in our neighbourhood, we are going to be calling upon you and challenging you to be content in your lives and to have this kind of giving attitude which understands it’s all God’s anyways!God calls upon us to do this – so we have real contentment in our life. Later in Paul’s letter to Timothy, he says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”(v.17-19). God has so richly provided for us!Our real treasure awaits us in heaven.Let’s use our earthly treasures to “fight the good fight of faith” here and be content with our real life!

You want to have a real suitcase of happiness?Then be content with what you already have, and give God what is His!Look in the suitcase you are holding in your hand right now.Look in there and see what God has given you.What’s in there?(pause)Now – give God what is his!Give some of that back to Him – it’s his anyway!And then – you will be happy!Content!Ready to rest from chasing suitcases!Amen.

 

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