Be Content With Your Tent

Turn your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 if you would for a moment here. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Thinking about camp. For those of you who don't know, they talk they refer to the farm out there. And what it is is for many years we did our camp out of Bellows and Dillingham Field and different places. And we never really had a place to go that was we could call home. And a couple of years ago, uh, one of the deacons, uh, from another sister church, uh, works for a management company and the and the the the company liked him and they they thought he might be thinking about leaving. So they asked him, "Well, what's your what's your passion?"

And he said, "My passion is working with young people and I want to start a camp." And so what they did is this company, which was on Save People, went out and bought a $4 million property and put it in a trust and said, "Here's your camp." And uh we've got a wonderful camp out there in the winward side with uh four buildings uh two dormatory type buildings where they can house the kids and then another building with a garage downstairs and upstairs a meeting room and then a building for the the caretaker as well. And just having those facilities there is such a such an amazing blessing. And we're able to go there every year and to provide for that.

And previous camps though we would we would go like to Bellows or some place in in Dillingham Field and the kids would have to camp out in tents. And uh that was a challenge all by itself. And uh in in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and:es 1-9, it says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle uh which another name for tent were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we grown earnestly to desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we are, we that are in this tabernacle do grown, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Now he that hath wrought us the self-same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit. Therefore, we are always uh confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather be absent from the body, be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. Let me ask a question of you. How many of you really, really, really love to go camping? I'm talking about being out in a tent under the stars and all the rest of it.

How many really love to go camping? And how many of you like to go camping? It's okay, but you don't love it, but you do like it. And how many of you uh tolerate going camping for somebody else to say, "God, I'll go if you want to go." And how many of you hate going camping? You just would rather be home in your bed. They were asking me uh every year they ask me, "Pastor, are you going to stay overnight?" Now remember, these are nice accommodations, air conditioned rooms. They got bunk beds in there and and even a double on the bottom and all. And uh most years I just go back home to my own bed cuz that's what I like.

I like to be in my own bed in my own house and uh and not out there at the campgrounds, especially when we're tenting out. Now, I've done my time at camp. I've done probably a total of 40 camps over my career, and that's what I have youth pastors for now. and uh they can do that. But you know uh however you feel about By the way, let me say this. However you feel about camping, one of the things I've learned over the years is families that camp together grow together. Uh you need to have something your family does together. And I've seen families that do go out camping regularly, their families that do grow closer together as well.

And uh it's a good thing to do. But you know, we're doing camping out there in uh in in Bellows and at Dillingham Field. And one of the things about when you go camping is have you ever put your tent in the wrong place? Have you ever put your tent might like maybe in the middle of an antill or where all the centipedes are? Or have you ever put your tent tent tent in the middle of a dry creek bed and then it rains uh and you get this low spot that's all full of water now? Or have you ever put your tent on a rock and when you lay down at night your back's right got that rock sticking right in the middle of your back?

You know, you got to you got to put your tent in the right place. And the Bible here talks about our tabernacle, which is this body. And sometimes we groan in this tabernacle, you know, uh sleeping on the ground after I get up out of that sleeping bag. Man, it's just like, oh man, my back hurts. And you kind of groan getting up there off that ground, not out of that tent in that sleeping bag. And and sometimes this life, we grown also. And and and you've got to make sure that you put your tent in the right place. you put your life in the right place. In Genesis 13:12, it says, "Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelt in the cities of plain and pitched his tent towards Sodom."

And one of the challenges we try to give the young people is that you need to put your tent, your life, your tabernacle in the right place. And Lot, he pitched his tent towards Sodom. And and it didn't start there. You know, first thing he did is the Bible says in Genesis 13:10, "And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan that was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorra, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as thou cameos unto Zor." The first thing that that Lot did is he looked over said, "Man, that looks like a nice place over there."

And he saw that the w it was well watered. And and and I wonder sometimes what are we looking at? Are we looking out at the world saying, "Man, it looks like they're having all the fun." Are we looking at the world and say, "They they've got some nice things out there." In 1 John chapter 2, it talks about uh love not the world, neither things are in the world. And we've got to be careful that we don't look to the world and think, this is one of the challenges for for many of our young people is the challenge of looking at the world and say, "Man, look what they've got over there." And we got to realize that the grass is always greener on the other side.

It just seems like it's better over there than it is where I'm at right now. In Philippians 4 and 11, it says, "Not that I speak in respect of want. For I've learned, but I've learned for what? For I've learned whatsoever state I am, there would to be content." You know, it's to be content where we're at. Now, just because it was well watered, that wasn't a bad thing. uh is not that necessarily was bad over there being well watered, but sometimes we look over and we're looking at what somebody else has or what's somewhere else and think if I could just have that. And that's what Lot did. And and you know, sometimes uh uh the grass also is always greener over the septic tanks.

You know, if you know a septic tank is, that's where they collect all the waste there. And you'll knows where they are because the grass is always greener all around that. And the Bible says in Genesis 13:13, "But the men of Soden were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly." And sometimes we look over there and say that, "Hey, it looks good over there, but it's also a place where the there's a place of the world where things are not so good." And and that greener grass also has to be more mowed more often. Uh I've been working on our yard and trying to water our lawn more more and I'm also having to mow it more.

Uh and and you got to realize that sometimes when things look good, there's a lot more work involved there as well. In Galatians chapter 6 7 and 8 it says be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever man seweth that shall he also reap and for he that sweth to the flesh shall reap uh shall the flesh reap corruption but he sow the spirit shall the spirit reap life everlasting and the challenge we want to give these young people and the challenge we want to have in our own lives as well is not to look over there and say man look how much better it is over there look what the world's got that I don't have and the grass does seem greener but it's not always better and Lot started started it by lifting up his eyes and looking upon the plains of Sodom.

And and and and so we need to learn to be content with your tent. Be content with your tent, with your tabernacle that God has given you, this body. Uh turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 6. Put a marker in 1 Corinthians, but turn to First Timothy chapter 6, and I want you to look at verses 6-8. 1 Timothy chapter 6. Uh we preached on this in the Sunday night study recently in 1 Timothy chapter 6. And beginning with verse number six, the Bible says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world is certain we can take nothing out. And having food and raignment, let us be there with content.

But they that will be rich shall fall in temptation and snare into many foolish and hurtful lust, which which drown men in destruction and predition." You know, we've got to learn to be content with what we have, to be content with where our tent is. In Hebrews 13:5, it says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have, for you said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." You know, Lot had a lot. He Lot had a lot. Uh in Genesis 13:5, it says, "Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. He really had a lot, but he was looking over.

He was discontent and say, I want that. I want what I see over there." And and sometimes in our lives, we forget to be content with our tent. We forget to be content with what God has given us in our lives as well. And and we need to lift up our eyes and we need to look way down the road. See, Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the greener grass, but he didn't see what the results were going to be. Look at second Peter chapter 2. Second Peter chapter 2 and look at verses 6-9. Second Peter chapter 2 beginning with verse number six. It says, "And and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorra into ashes, condemn them with an overthrow, making them example unto those that after should live go ungodly, and deliver just lot vex with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

For that righteous man dwelling among them, and seeing and hearing vexes righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and reserve the um reserve the unjust under the day of judgment to be punished. You know what Sodom didn't do when he look what Lot didn't do is he looked up and saw all the plains of Sodom. They were well well watered. But he didn't look any further than that. You know, no one ever starts out to do bad. Lot did not go to Sodom to lose his wife, to lose his kids, to lose his grandkids. He lost all of it. [clears throat] And when he saw those green grass, that's what he was.

He wasn't looking down the road to what could happen to his family. You know, no one gets married to get divorced. No one starts drinking to become a drunkard. Nobody uh starts dating to commit immorality as far as Christians especially. You see, we oftent times we see that greener grass, but we don't look beyond it to what the results can be in our lives. And we have to learn to be content with what we have. You know it says that just lot in verse number seven delivered just lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. You know vexing is not enough. In Acts chapter 17 and verse number 16 the Bible says now while Paul waited for them at Athens.

His spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to adultery. You know we can get upset with what's going on in the world and we can get vexed like just Lot did. You see, Lot was just in that he was justified. He was saved, but yet and he was bothered by what he saw around him in Sodom, but he did nothing about it. And we live in a world today where we see all the sin of this world and we're bothered by it, but we don't do anything about it. And and we don't look and see what are the results going to be in my life, in my family's life. You know, one of the things we do at camp is we try to get the kids out of the world and get their focus on God.

Because when you're in the world, you see all that greener grass and you you're bothered by some of the things you see, but you don't look way down the road to see what the results of those are going to be. And we need to ask God to deliver us. Now, in second Peter chapter 2 and verse 9, it says, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, reserve the unjust on the day of judgment to be punished." Because of Abraham's prayer, God delivered Lot from Sodom, but his whole family didn't make it and they end up in a lot of trouble afterwards. You can read that story. But the point is this, folks, the time for Lot to separate himself was by not going to Sodom and Gomorrah to begin with.

By the time he got out of there, he got out of there before the destruction came, but he paid a price for it. And so often that's what happens. You know, the Bible says that God had provided a way to escape. and the way to escape. We can God will save us from the judgment, but it's better just to stay out of it completely. And if Lot had just stayed out of Sodom and Gomorrah, his life would have been different. You see what happened is not only looked up and saw that the greener grass was there, but he separated himself in Genesis 13:11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan and Lot journeyed east and he separated himself the one from the other.

You know, when you start separating yourselves from people around you and from the godly influence, you're in trouble. I remember as a boy scout, we hiked through Euseite and uh we had some counselors along. There's one counselor, I don't know why he was there. He hated kids. And u whenever we'd camp at night, he would camp far away from us. We'd all be over here and he'd be way over there. And uh one day that caused some trouble because that that morning, a bear came wandering in and he was on the outside of the camp. So the bear went right up to him and walked up to this guy. He was in his sleeping bag laying out in the open by himself and it bear walked up to him and stood over him and looked right straight into his face and started breathing in his face.

Uh I remember watching that guy wake up. I never knew anybody could run that fast inside a sleeping bag, you know. U but you what happens is when we as Christians, one of the things about camp is these young people get around these other Christian young people and they're encouraged and they're challenged. You heard that in their testimony. But when we get away from that fellowship and we can't be at camp all the time, but we can still be at church. We can still be fellowshipping, not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together. And um and and Lot, he's separated from the wrong people. He's separated from Abraham, which was a godly influence's life, and went over to Sodom, where there was an ungodly influence.

And and we need to understand that now more than ever, the Bible says is that in this day we need to not forsake the assembly of ourselves together as a manner of sins, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching. You see, camp was important when Abby and JJ and these others were young people. It was important when you and I were young people. And every year it gets more important because we're facing more challenges. And that's why we need church and we need to fellowship. And [clears throat] and let me ask you a question. Who's there when you need them? Who's there when you need them?

These young people talked about how the counselors were there and they were there for one another. And um you remember Abraham uh at one point Lot was captured and and taken away as a prisoner. And who went to get him? Abraham. But that's the person he separated from later on. The very person that rescued him is the person he separated himself from. Let me ask you a question. Who's praying for you? When God came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham saw him. I talked about that in the message this morning. He he said, "I want you to come to my tent and eat dinner with me." And and he heard about what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorra.

And he said he said, "If there's 50 righteous people, will you spare the city?" And they said, "Yes." And they said, "If there's 25." And he went down the list until he got to 10 people, figuring, "Well, Lot and his wife and his kids and grandkids, there's at least 10 people there that are righteous and are saved." And and he said, "Ask for that." Abraham was praying for Lot. Let me ask you, who's praying for you in 1st Samuel 12:23? Moreover, for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord and ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way. Let me challenge you.

Pray for our young people. They are facing things that you and I never had to face. And they need to know you're praying for them. When you see them at church, say, "I prayed for you." You ought to make a list. You have, pastor, ask pastor Andrew, "Give me a list of the young people." And so I can pray for one of them every day. And that way you can look at them and say I prayed for you on Monday because they need you to pray for them. You know the Bible talks the about the prayer of a righteous man in James chapter 5 and verses 15-18. And these these need righteous men to pray for you. Now remember in second Peter chapter 2 it said that that Lot was a righteous man.

Now Lot was living in the world. He was a part of that world system. But he was a righteous man not because he did what was right but because he was right with God. In Titus chapter 3 verse 5 it says not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us. And and Lot was a righteous man not because of what he did that was right but because he was right with God through Jesus Christ as his savior. But Bible says he not only looked to the plains of Sodom and and pitched his tent towards Sodom. Abraham Genesis chapter 13:12, it says Abraham Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent towards Sodom.

You know, it's your choice where you're going to put your life. Abraham went to Lot and he said, "This is not good, but you can choose." He said, "You choose where you want to live and I'll take the other." and and and and you know we make choices in life that determine where our life is going to end up in Joshua chapter 24:15 is if it seem evil on you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve and young people you need to choose who you're going to serve in your life you need to choose whether you're going to serve God or serve the world where are you going to pitch your tent and we all need to make those choices in life and it's a progressive thing the Bible tells us in

Genesis 13:12 he pitched his tent towards Sodom in chapter 14:12 he was in Sodom in chapter 19 verse1 now he sat in the gate of Sodom it it was progressively got worse and that's the way the world is 2 Timothy 3:14 but continue now in the things which thou has learned and assured of knowing of whom thou has learned them. We need to stay faithful and when you start making those compromises when you start moving in the wrong direction it it just keeps on going and that's why it's important we make the right choices. We need to move in the right direction. Genesis 13:18. Then Abram removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plains of Mamry, which is in Hebron, and built an altar and altar unto the Lord.

We challenged these young people this past week to make choices. And many of them made an altar to the Lord at camp. They made a decision that I am going to serve God and I'm going to stay faithful to the Lord. And it's important for all of us to make that decision in our lives as well. We need to not only be make sure where we put our tent, but we need to pitch it to stand. In 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Watch ye stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong." We need a good foundation for wherever we're going to pitch our put our life. And and and make sure that foundation is right.

I I remember we had a camp out of Bells one year and some of the teen boys got there early and we had given them told them where they were going to set up their camp. And so they they looked around, they found that spot and they set up their camp. And we always had a competition who could set up the best camp and have pass and all the cleaned up and everything. And they did all this work cuz they wanted to win the contest. And we got there and they had set up their camp in the wrong campsite. They were in campsite E, but not 25E. It was 26E or something like that. They were in the wrong place. They had to take everything down and start over again.

You got to have that foundation of Jesus Christ. I praise God. At least two teenagers got saved during camp. Two, at least two juniors got saved. Others got assurance to salvation because you got to have that foundation. You got to put it in the right place. I remember another year of bellows, we told some kids, don't put your tent there and they did. They didn't listen and end up when the rain came and you know what bellows rain's going to come. Their tent became a little pond and they got washed out. You you know you know what we do? We treat the Bible like it's a weather forecast so we can pick and choose what we want to do.

And we need to make sure we listen to God when he says don't go there. Don't do that. And you got to tie that tent down. Uh one year at Bellows, we had uh one group that didn't do a good job of staking their tent down ended up three campsites further down uh when the wind started to come. And we need to make sure we tie it down. And Isaiah 54:2, "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations. Spare not. Lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes." Folks, you got to put those stakes in deep if you're going to take your stand for the Lord. Ecclesiastes 12:11, the words the wiser goes as nails fastened by the master's assemblies which are given from one shepherd.

So, put your tent in the right place, pitch it to stand, and then keep the bugs out. One year we were at Bellows again and that year we caught 100 centipedes. Every night at the campfire we would have a sacrifice of centipedes to God in the fire. We'd collect them all in a jar and put them in the fire afterwards. We had one counselor. He had a he was a red head like Cole. He had a mustache and one of the centipedes in the night crawled up on his mustache and bit him right in the lip there. Uh his wife said that's what you get for kissing somebody else. And uh you know, you got to you got to get stay away from those bugs.

In in Proverbs 23:32, at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingth like an adder. And we need to realize as we pitch our tent, we got to be careful we don't get where it's going to be. We're going to be stung. Don't put it in a place that's going to that could come back and bite you. And um uh and and and one of the other problems with camp and I'm sure this the same way even at the farm is cockroaches, you know. And we tell the kids, "Don't bring food into your tent." And what did they do? They brought food in their tent. I remember one night we're looking over at one tent and they were on this side of the campfire.

Campfire's behind them. And it looked like they were dancing. And we yelled to them, "You guys need to set quit dancing. Settle down in there." And they said, "We're not dancing. There's cockroaches in here." And they were jumping around for the cockroaches. In 2 Corinthians 10:es 5 and 6 is casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing to obedience every thought to the obedience of Christ and having a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Folks, when the wrong thought comes to your mind, you need to treat it the same way you would a 747 cockroach landing in your hair.

Think about that. When the wrong thought comes in your mind, you need to treat it the same way you would a 747 cockroach laying in your hair. You would be panicking and jumping around say, "Get this out of here." And we need to do the same thing with our thoughts. One of the other problems you have with camp is mosquitoes. In 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." You know, those sins will bite you and they'll sting. And here's the thing, folks. What's worse than a swarm of mosquitoes? Anybody know what's worse than a swarm of mosquitoes?

One mosquito buzzing around inside your tent when you're trying to go to sleep. You're just waiting to that just waiting for it to land and bites you. And yes, we need to get the sins taken care of, but sometimes it's just that one sin that keeps coming back and keeps coming back and we can't seem to find it. And we got to deal with that sin in our lives. In Proverbs chapter 14 and verse number 11, it says, "The house of the wicked shall be overflow overthrown, but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish." Our kids didn't camp tents this year, but Bible talks about the tabernacle of our life.

And someday we're going to be up in heaven in those mansions and get to sleep in our own bed and no more sin and no more world to deal with. No more all the problems we're facing. And you know, camp is kind of a little bit like that. Like our young people talked about, they got to come out of the world and come to a place where they're with godly people that love the Lord in a godly atmosphere hearing the preaching of the word of God. But now you've got to go back in the world. And you're back in that tabernacle, that tent, and you got to learn to be content. And that means you need to be content with what's in your tent, what's in your life.

And you make sure that you put your life where it should be. Don't look at the grain of grass. Don't start moving in the wrong direction. Don't end up where you shouldn't be, but put your life in the place where God can bless you. Let's bow for prayer. I'm so thankful for these testimonies from the young people and I appreciate them sharing with us tonight and what a challenge it is. But what about you? As adults, we don't get to go away to camp anymore. Although if you want to help out next year, talk to Pastor Aner. But we need to take the time to really evaluate my tabernacle, my life, where we're at.

So maybe just take a moment right now to ask God, am I really content with the contents of my life? Am I content with this tent, this tabernacle, or have I been looking too much at the world and the greener grass and thinking, I want that and I want this, and I've been putting my thoughts and my life in the wrong direction. Maybe right now you need to stop and just say, God, help me to get my focus back on you. Help me to put my life, to plant my life in a place where I'm going to be around people are going to encourage me and challenge me and help me to be the godly man, the godly woman that I should be.

Then just take a moment to think about where your life's at right now. And I'm going to be quiet for just a moment. give you a chance just to to pray to the Lord and ask him to help you to be content with your tent and to make sure that your life is where it needs to be in the right place. Just before I close in prayer, do you have a righteous soul? Lot seems like a strange person to talk about being righteous because he did a lot of wrong things. But he was righteous because he was right with God. He had his faith in Jesus Christ as his savior, the coming Messiah. Have you put your faith in him and received the righteousness of Christ? If you haven't, then you can trust him today.