Editor’s Note: Michael Kelshaw is the Head Minister at Trinity at the Marketplace in Albuquerque NM. He is a member of the Albuquerque Chapter of The Gospel Coalition. This post is a summary of Rick Phillips’ message from Friday evening at Clarus, March 14, “Contentment Lost: Sin and Restlessness,” from Genesis 3.

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Pastor Rick Phillips introduced the conference by unpacking the problem that we are really dealing with in an exposition of Genesis 3.

Pastor Phillips began by defining true contentment as being self-satisfied. In this sense contentment is only true of God, who is completely satisfied in himself. In being completely self-satisfied, God may take his contentment and give it to us, and that means that contentment is delighting in God despite all of our circumstances.

In Genesis 3, we see one of Satan’s greatest strategies for his assault on God and God’s creation is to breathe discontentment into Eve (vv. 1-6). Satan wants to lead Eve away from God’s blessing by deceiving her into forgetting the glory and goodness of God. He ultimately wants Adam and Eve to choose the gifts over the Giver. Pastor Phillips explained that “discontentment flourishes where there is confusion about God and ignorance of God.” In other words, discontentment is the questioning of the goodness of God and comes when we want God’s gifts and not God himself.

What makes this so difficult is that sin is deceitful. Satan didn’t come at Eve with a gentlemanly, frontal attack but with a flanking attack of deception. It is the nature of Satan and of sin to deceive. Not only that, but the human heart is deceitful as well, and therefore the source of our discontentment is very often from within. Sin says that it will be better, that it will make me happier, or that it will satisfy me. But these are all lies. Because of the deceitfulness of sin and our hearts, our desires are no longer trustworthy.

When contentment is lost, the results are a loss of communion with God and a loss of communion with others. Adam and Eve hid themselves in shame, blamed others, and were cursed with lives of struggle and pain. Pastor Phillips showed how grasping for satisfaction in a world of sin can never give us the satisfaction that we actually desire because without God man cannot be content.

We were made by God and for God to know God. Therefore, we can only be wholly content when we are in right relationship and communion with him. God has sent his Son to be the victor over Satan and sin. When I surrender all to Jesus, I get everything in him. On the cross Jesus paid the price for my sin and has clothed me in his righteousness. When I surrender myself to him, I have everything in him, and therefore I have everything I need. I have true contentment and am supremely satisfied in him because only he is completely satisfying.

Conference Photography by Benjamin Moore Photography. Contact Ben at ben236@me.com.

Be content with what you have, for he has said,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

– Hebrews 13:5

Today begins the first day of our annual theology conference weekend, called, Clarus, hosted by Desert Springs Church in partnership with TGC Albuquerque.

Our theme is, “Wrestling with Contentment,” based on verses like the one above. As we gather this weekend, we gather in order that we might more faithfully wrestle with contentment together as seek that contentment in Jesus Christ. Click here for a refresh on this year’s theme and an introduction to this year’s speakers, Thabiti Anyabwile and Rick Phillips, then click here for some encouragement for the weekend ahead from several of our area Gospel Coalition pastors.

For a rundown of the conference schedule Click here. And if you have any questions throughout the conference, look for conference staff with Desert Springs Church name badges and let us know how we can help.

In addition to being joined by our speakers, we will also be joined by a number of fine publishers, schools, and ministries in the Books and Resources Room:

Publishers

• Baker Books
• Banner of Truth
• Christian Focus Publications
• Crossway Books
• New Growth Press
• PR Publications
• The Good Book Company

Schools

• Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ministries

• Faith Comes By Hearing
• Training Leaders International
• Scattering Seed

If you haven’t heard, the conference is sold out. If you missed out on the chance to register, look out for blog summaries here at this blog throughout the conference, and for audio and video available in the week or so following at the TGC Albuquerque Media page.

Finally, if you use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, please use the hashtag #clarus14 when posting quotes, comments, or photos. Follow us on Twitter at @TGCAlbuquerque, on Instagram at @TGCABQ, and at our TGC Albuquerque Facebook Page.

Welcome, and enjoy the conference!

The Gospel Coalition recently published two video round table discussions between Ryan Kelly, Rich Phillips, and Bob Doll. You should recognize two of those names. Ryan Kelly is obvious, and Rick Phillips should be obvious by now too. Rick is one of this year’s speakers for Clarus.

When Staff and Lay Elders Collide

When it comes to church leadership, the New Testament pattern is clear: a plurality of elders shepherding a flock entrusted to their care. Some of them, such as the senior pastor, often serve as paid, full-time staff at the church. But many others may not. They have “regular” full-time jobs outside the church. Senior ministers Ryan Kelly and Rick Phillips talked with lay leader Bob Doll about the conflicts that sometimes arise between staff and lay elders.

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Should Every Pastor Get a Sabbatical?

Pastors aren’t the only tired ones out there. Churches teem with people who are working demanding jobs that offer no extended periods of paid leave. Are pastoral sabbaticals necessary, then? Are they even fair?

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Videos like this are a great way to get to know our speakers. Here are a few that include our other Clarus speaker, Thabiti Anyabwile:

• Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?
• Should We Baptize Infants?

If you haven’t registered yet for Clarus, you can do so here.

There’s a song we will sing on Sunday that you know well. We sing it from time to time as a prayer of illumination before the sermon. It’s a song to help us ask God for ears to hear and hears to love what he has said in his Word.

What you might not know is that Drew and some of DSC’s musicians recorded this song and it’s available for download here. Name your price and it’s yours.

Here are the words:

Of course, these are perfect words to sing before the sermon, but they are also words for us to pray and sing every day. Visit the DSC Store and Bandcamp Page for a number of other songs and albums recorded at DSC.