In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the story of a rich farmer who was never satisfied with what he had and always wanted more. The farmer was given an opportunity to have all the land he could walk around in a day for 1000 rubles. However, in his greed, he pushed himself too far and ended up collapsing and dying just minutes before the sun went down. The speaker uses this story to emphasize the importance of contentment and being satisfied with what we have. He also highlights the transient nature of life on earth and the need to prioritize our relationship with God above all else.

Look at this one verse we read from Psalm. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save you. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. So, to have a godly contentment, we are asked to think about this God who made the heavens and the earth. So that means all the silver, all the gold, all the riches, all the resources, everything we can see and we cannot see, everything is made by this almighty God. And when Jesus told us how we must pray, what did he say? What is the first thing? Holy. Our father in heaven. So, it's easier once we can honestly believe this. The question often is this, do we really believe what God tells us? I find it sometimes difficult, especially when I am in difficult situations. But I am asked again and again to acknowledge him and trust him. And we heard the passage from Luke chapter 16 about two people. Remember the names of those people? Lazarus, one name we have, but the other man, the name is not given, the rich man. And something happened for both of them. But the difference was, one man ended up in heaven with Abraham in paradise and the other one, he went to hell. It's not a small thing. And you saw the story. So, in context of our learning, here Jesus talked about two people. The rich man, no matter what he had, he was still getting more. And Lazarus with his poor circumstances, living like a beggar. His friends were dogs. And you see the end result. This is a story written by Tolstoy in 1886, a famous author in Russia. And the story is about a rich person, a farmer, who was never satisfied with what he had. He always wanted more. So this farmer, he was very greedy. He wanted more and more and more. And he was given this opportunity for thousand rubles, that is their money. He could have all the land he could walk around in a day. It's like, for him giving thousand rupees, he can have all the land in the world that he can walk around during the whole day before the sun goes down. So he said, what a great opportunity. So he started running, walking, skipping. And he said to himself, it's getting late, I need to get back. I need to get back to the spot I began before the sun goes down. Then he said, maybe a little more, a little more. But then he realized it's getting late, he turned around, he began to run back. And he was getting tired. He was panting, not able to breathe. Finally, just before a few minutes before the sun goes down, he collapsed and died. And his servants dug a grave and buried him. The title of Tolstoy's story is, How Much Land Does a Man Need? And he concluded saying, six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed. So, being satisfied with what we have, it is a choice you will make. God's desire for you and for me is to live with contentment. Now, what is the meaning of that? Godly contentment. An internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances. An internal satisfaction. There is a sense of peace and confidence. Circumstances will change, like you are in a canoe going somewhere, and there you have waves and storms and all those things, but you know you are secure. So, this will not come without us choosing. And the Greek word that is used there implies it is not the absence of emotion or cutting yourself off from the environment or other people. I don't care about anyone, I just think about myself and this and that. And then, you know, some pseudo-psychology. No, it is not that. It is like Peter in prison and he is sleeping like a baby. Or Daniel and his friends in the den of lions. Or wherever you find these people, God tells about their environment. Like Joseph, 13 years in prison. And it says the Lord was with him. And there is a sense of satisfaction and inner peace. And this is what the Lord wants us to have. It is a sad thing to read sometimes in the newspaper or hear stories about famous movie actors or sports people who gain so much money and fame and all that, ending up committing suicide. And the note they leave behind is, I am unhappy, I have no peace in this world. And whatever they gained, it didn't make them happy. Now, how do you apply that to our life? That is the question. How do you apply it to your situation? Can I use a pen? This happened to me one time. See, he got two pens. Thank you. See, this pen, it is a very nice pen. See, this costs five lakh rupees. Don't worry, it doesn't cost five lakh rupees. And he will not let anyone touch it. He will only use it. But I asked the question, 100 years from now, who is going to use this? See, that is a question we don't ask. Thank you. Our life on earth is but for a very short time. The rich man with his palace and all the luxury, he never thought something beyond his life on earth. And I think the Lord Jesus is actually telling us very strong. And through his invitation that he gives us, he will forsake all and follow me. Unless you love me more than father, mother, son, daughter, your own very life, you cannot be my disciple. And the invitation is, come and follow. But the rich man says, I just can't, I got too much money. And the Lord says, there is no way you can follow me. You have to give that all away. I just want you and nothing with it. And brothers and sisters, I think it is extremely important that we make our decision without somebody forcing us to live a life, if I have God, I have everything. And his promises are true. I don't see my tomorrows but he sees my tomorrows. The Lord is my shepherd and I will not lack anything. Once we have that conviction, which don't happen overnight. You see the story of Abraham and Lord, I mean we talk about it all the time. Somehow Abraham, when God said, you give up all these riches and family, friends and everybody and you go to a place, I will show you. And God didn't even tell him where. That's a strange thing about it. But he somehow got connected on the inside with this God. If he said it, I don't know how to think about it. But then Uddin was his nephew, Lord. As time went by, he began to think about here and now, the riches and security and all these stuff. And he made his choice to leave Abraham. But then you read a statement, God says to Abraham, Abraham, I am your reward. That's all you need. I am your reward. When you think about people like Saint Anthony in AD 285, who under the age of 20, as a youngster, he hears the word preached in the church, forsake all and follow me. And he walks away from everything. For 15 years to be alone in a cave, his purpose, only to know God. And my hope and prayer for all of us, is that knowledge will not be sufficient, but rather we enter into the reality of his life. And Paul was very concerned about it. In Thessalonians, he writes a statement saying, my colleague, my coworker, my brother, he sends you greetings. Just like Timothy. But then six years will go by, he writes in his final letter to Timothy from prison, oh Timothy, I just can't believe this. Demas, my coworker, having loved this present world, he walked away. He left me. It's not just the money that draws people away. A thousand other things can do that. A couple of weeks ago, I had to talk to a young person. And someone that I really knew, his walk with the Lord was very close and very real. But it's been a year since I saw him. And all of a sudden, something on his face, his eyes, everything looked different. And I said, something happened to you. He wouldn't say anything. He said, what do you mean? I said, there's a sense that you, on the inside, you're struggling. Something has gone wrong. Well, in this long drawn out conversation, he will open up and he tells me, it all began with Facebook, which is a good thing in some ways. People keep in touch with people. And then he began to read people that interact with him about spiritual life and this and that, all these different things. And he said, I remember. Then he paused. Then he said, I remember. I walk into the woods with my Bible. And evening comes. I did not know how it happened. And all I had was Jesus and me. And he said, somehow, slowly, bit by bit, I was drawn away. You see, anything we add with Christ, it creates emptiness. So, you can have the whole wide world, but give me Jesus. Your parents will tell you something. Your friends will tell you something. Your own ego will tell you something. And there will be billboards and advertisements and everything under the sun invites you. And as a matter of fact, it is said by godly saints, the worst enemy of godliness and living for God is not the devil and all the demons out there. It can be your best friends. People that are very close to you. But you have to protect your heart before the Lord. And so, the Bible passages we read today, and Paul said, many, many have made a shipwreck of their life by going after things. But then we have examples like King Solomon who had everything under the sun. In the end, he says, vanity, vanity, vanity. It is like chasing the wind. Nothing really matters. So, here is the question I want to ask you. What is the most important thing in your life? What is the thing you talk about most of the time? Who are the heroes, models in your life? Either books you read or people you listen to. Are you happy? Or are you dreaming about something out in the future to make you happy? No. It is all about Jesus. And he is the unchanging one. The one who created everything seen, unseen, and he is your Lord. And he cares. You can trust him. And if that is the case, our study is meaningful. Living with godly contentment. And I can say this to you. Eight years of my early days in Rajasthan and Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and places I have been to and the streets of the slums in Bombay or wherever. Been sick many times and had difficulties of all kinds. But you know, I am still alive. And God of Abraham, David and Jacob and Paul is your God and my God. And in him we find answer to all questions. And in him alone.