The first sermon I ever preached was from Exodus 16. I was only 16 years old when I came back from camp and informed my father, who was a pastor, that God was calling me into the ministry. His response was to put me in the pulpit the following Sunday evening. With no training in sermon preparation, I began searching the Scriptures desperately trying to find something that had meaning to me personally. Growing up in a pastor’s home, I felt I related with the subject matter of murmuring people. Many were the nights that I saw my father hurt by members of his church who refused to get right with God. The account of the children of Israel murmuring against Moses seemed to resonate with me. I concluded that it was my job to straighten out the church and inform them of God’s impending judgment if they continued in their current path of complaints and criticisms.After the sermon, my father sat me down in his office to critique my message. I can remember much of our conversation that night, but what stands out most is my father’s lack of appreciation. I was shocked. I had let those people have it! I had made the message clear. I had pointed toward the back of the auditorium and said, “If you don’t like it . . . there’s the back door.” I had preached on murmuring from the perspective of the preacher and perhaps not from God’s perspective. Recently, the Lord allowed me to return to this passage, and this time I saw the beam and not the moat.
Over the past few years, I have noticed my own lack of contentment in the ministry that God has given me. I have been convicted, and I have repented. I now wish to share my journey and the wonderful truth of being content with God.
Exodus 16 opens as the children of Israel are leaving the beauty and 70 palm trees of Elim and entering into the desolate wilderness of Sin. It appears that Israel only brought with them a month’s supply of food. They had left Egypt on the 15th day of the first month and now they are one month into their journey, afraid and without food.
“And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 16:1
This is what prompted the outpouring of criticism from the children of Israel towards the Lord’s leadership team. They cried out with discontentment about their present situation; and wished for death and slavery rather than to be starved to death in the wilderness. The most obvious problem with the attitude of the nation of Israel at this moment is that they have completely forgotten the fact that God will always provide where He chooses to guide.
“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:2-3
God’s mercy is ever evident throughout the Old Testament. Having full right to execute judgment upon the faithlessness of these rebellious children, God instead provides an incredible miracle of provision.
“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” Exodus 16:4
But there was a catch. The Lord allowed this miracle to test the nation. He desired to see if they would be obedient to His commands, or if they would rebel and choose to ignore God’s warnings.
Discontentment is a disease. Like a cancer, it can begin in the deepest parts of man and remain hidden quite nicely for some time. Yet discontentment will grow. The children of Israel had developed an attitude of discontentment over the past four hundred years while in bonds in the land of Egypt, consistently crying out to God to send a deliverer and save their nation from the horrors of slavery. God had freed them from that terrible fate and had delivered them by the hand of Moses. They were now free to follow God and trust His care. They failed. The cancer of discontentment had entered their hearts, and they began to see this amazing opportunity of freedom as a burden they must carry.
I imagine that as the food supply was getting low, the people of Israel began to wonder what God was going to do. I suppose that as a mother fed the last meal to her children she was anxious about the future of her family. Only thirty days into the journey the children of Israel lost all faith in God who performed the ten plagues of Egypt. A promise was not enough to slake the thirst for physical security, so they grew discontented and begged God that they might return to Egypt.
When I read about the Israelites murmuring against Moses, I no longer see angry church members bucking the authority of the pastor. Instead, I think about a pastor who is no longer satisfied merely serving God where God has called him. Forgetful is the minister that cannot recall with delight the calling of God in his life, the overwhelming joy (that drowned out criticism) to know that God was choosing him to serve in His kingdom.
I can remember studying for the ministry and dreaming of leading others to Christ, baptizing them, and pastoring them faithfully. More than anything, I can remember having a willingness to be used in any way God wanted to use me. If He wanted me to wash dishes in a Christian camp for the rest of my life, I would. If He wanted me to serve in a Christian college and help train others for the front lines, I was willing. If He wanted me to spend my life in the foreign fields of Africa, coming home to a thatched-roofed hut, and eating monkey brains for dinner, I was up to the task. Because at that point, ministry was not about me, it was not even about others, it was about God.
When the Lord called us to plant a church in Las Vegas, Heather and I were delighted. Yet, early on in the church plant, I began to fight one the greatest battles I have yet to face in ministry: the battle with discontentment. This is a battle I believe every church planter will face and is a battle that I still fight every single day of my life. Let me explain. When we would have 100 people in our church services on Sunday morning I would wonder why we didn’t have 120 like I was expecting. When we began running 150 people every Sunday, I would go home disappointed that there were not 175 as I had hoped. I began to convince myself that this discouragement was actually a healthy thing. “You should never be content with just a few that are saved; that’s what’s wrong with pastors today,” I used to tell myself. I can remember the day we had 174 people in church and thinking what a thrill it was to hit that number. I was happy for one week. When we had 200 in a service, I would spend the next few months begging God for 225. At 225, I prayed earnestly for 250. We are now averaging over 300 people every Sunday, and I wish I could say that at some magical number I became satisfied and contented with my service.
Recently, I heard the story of John D. Rockefeller’s interview for a national newspaper. The reporter said, “Mr. Rockefeller you are a multi-millionaire several times over, yet you continue to pursue wealth. When will you be satisfied with your riches; how much money is enough?” John Rockefeller simply replied, “One more dollar.” This is the story of a discontented man. If someone were to ask Tiger Woods, “Tiger, you had a beautiful wife at home, why did you end up giving your honor to these other women?” I believe he would say, “I was not happy, I was not content.” The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” I have learned a great lesson from the children of Israel: I must learn contentment. The alternative is to murmur against God!
The LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. Exodus 16:8
I had convinced myself that my weakness was my strength, that my sin was my sanctified gift. Never grow complacent and content was my motto. But looking back on the many Sunday evenings after church that I was edging ever closer to depression, I have come to realize that I was simply discontent. I do not want to become the minister that reaches 1,000 in attendance and is still looking to greener pastures. I refuse to be the leader of a mega church that has not learned to be satisfied with God but instead pines after a bigger auditorium. I fear that God may answer my pleadings of a larger church with many more in attendance, but that I will miss out on God’s perfect plan for me.
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. Psalm 106:13-15
The children of Israel cried out for water, and they got what they asked for. They cried out for food, and the Lord graciously sent them manna. They complained about the manna and begged for meat, and the Lord sent them quail. The Lord gave them their request every time they complained, but the Bible says He sent leanness to their soul. While I was training for the ministry, I heard pastor Jim Schettler say, “It is not what you accomplish in ministry that God is chiefly concerned with, but who you become that really makes a difference.” Too many times, we focus on our accomplishments and not upon our Saviour. Too many times our minds dwell upon our goals and not our God. Much too often our attitude is determined by our own perception of success rather than our walk with God.
It is not truthful for me to say that I have arrived at the end of my journey and now feel completely content with the ministry in which God has placed me. I still struggle daily with contentment. However, going forward I have made a decision that I will be satisfied with God’s provision, at peace with God’s plan, and content with God.
Article by: Joshua Teis
Senior Pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church
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