Satisfaction in a Dissatisfying World Part 21 Corinthians 4:8-21
When I was in middle school and high school, I felt incomplete without a girlfriend. There was this longing for relationship and a sense of belonging when I had a girlfriend. When a break up would come, there would be devastation in my life, until I found another girl to go out with me that is. Much of this I am sure was a part of those formative years because of my parent’s divorce and my mom choosing a man over her kids when I was in 6th grade. The longing I had was a sense of trying to reconnect with the broken relationship I had with my mom. I was seeking my satisfaction in people and I was constantly being let down. As we stated last week: We seek satisfaction out of people, places or things that can never fully satisfy. Those people, places and things simply cannot bring the satisfaction our hearts and souls are craving and longing for. Nothing this world has can satisfy; not grades, status, jobs, relationships, money or things can satisfy the longing of the heart.
This lack of satisfaction creates a culture of deep longing. This longing leads many down dangerous paths in order to find some sort of satisfaction in life. Many may find it for a time in people, places or things, but it never lasts if they’re seeking it in temporal people, places and things. In the passage this week we see Paul discussing this issue and answering the question even further: How can we live satisfied in a dissatisfying world?
Paul moves right from his previous statement of all being a gift into this long list of what the Corinthians have and the apostles do not have. As he states, it was not done to shame the Corinthians, but to open their eyes to what really is important in life and for them to hear this, the most powerful message on satisfaction:
- Satisfaction is Found in Christ Alone (vs. 8-19)
This Church was in a place of privilege. They had wealth, and everything they could ever want. They were privileged and whining about their plight of not having enough. They wanted more and were unsatisfied with what they had. To me, this sounds exactly like the American church. We live in a spoiled church culture, where we have everything we could want, yet still find things to whine about, similarly to the Corinthian church that Paul addressed. Paul looked at the holistic wealth of this church and said: “Already you have all you want! You’re basically living like kings…and you’re still not satisfied!” Paul then goes on to describe the life of many of the Apostles, who had nothing. He shares the dichotomy of the churches situation with the situation of the apostles. They are completely different, yet the Apostles are finding satisfaction and the Corinthians are not.
As one looks at this passage, it can seem to be out of place and hard to follow, but as I read and study, my thought is Paul is describing this in order to show the Corinthians as well as us this big truth: Everything but Christ will leave us empty. This world is highly dissatisfying. In it’s dysfunction, this world cannot bring all that we need. Christ alone brings satisfaction.
As stated before, those in this world long to be satisfied. There is a deep searching for satisfaction; my story of longing for satisfaction in my book last week and my longing to find it in relationships this week is not unique. Many in this very room have been longing to be fulfilled. Many have been left broken due to the hope of your grades, your job or your relationships to fill the void, only to discover they can’t fulfill it.
Paul loved the Corinthian church, and so he is not seeking to beat them up in order that they feel bad about their dissatisfaction, he his simply trying to point them to seeking the right object of their satisfaction, the one thing that will actually bring about that which they are longing for. Namely Christ. This is why in verse six he states: “I urge you then, be imitators of me.” They are not merely to behave in a decent and upright manner; they are called to active service, as Paul himself was. Their life in Christ is to be lived lovingly for the sake of others, never selfishly. In mission they should live as Paul did, sacrificially offering their very selves to God for the execution of God’s will and work in the world. As the Corinthians become Paul-like, they will be Christ-like; and in turn they will live in a godly fashion as the real people of God present and at work in Corinth[1]
The key ingredient to this equation of satisfaction in Christ alone is surrender. Here we see that all in the Christian life flows from surrender as well. We must surrender to this idea that He is all we need. Paul lived this way. Paul sought to be filled with the Spirit so closely that he could live Christ-like. He was not arrogantly making this statement, he was lovingly challenging the Corinthians to see that Only Christ can satisfy and in order to come to this, we must surrender all. David Benner states: “…the core of surrender is voluntarily giving up our will. Only love can induce us to do this. But even more remarkable, not only can love make it possible, it can make it almost easy.” What’s interesting is that our heart actually desires surrender. Our deepest longing in satisfaction is being able to give our whole self to someone or something. We long to not be alone, we desire to fully trust and lean into another. However, we must learn this fact: Love is the impetus for surrender. Once we are hit with the fullness of God’s love, surrender becomes easy as Benner states. Benner then goes on to say: “Only God deserves absolute surrender, because only God can offer absolutely dependable love.” Paul found this to be true of Christ and so he encouraged the Corinthians and us to seek only to find our satisfaction in Christ and we can do this fully by surrendering everything into His hands. The Father brings perfect satisfaction to our souls because He brings perfect love. Only He can offer this gift, thus only He can satisfy.
This is however not a one and done process, but a continual one. We will get distracted and our hearts will wonder from the heart of God. We will then once again fall into the trap of seeking temporal things to fulfill and eternal longing. Satisfaction is continuously seeking to know God.
Last week, we mentioned the change in perspective of seeing all as a Gift. Then I discussed looking to the Gift Giver. He alone is where we find satisfaction and this is due to the reality of His full Love for you and me.
2. Satisfaction is lived in Power, Not Talk
Paul ends this chapter with an interesting last phrase. He declares to the Corinthian church that when he comes, he is going to test the arrogant boasters in the power they’re displaying, not just their puffed up talk. If they have any power, is it power from Christ or someone else? For, he states: “The Kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power”. That’s a bold claim to make, but it gives us a sort of litmus test for those who are truly surrendered. When surrendered, we will not just live our Christian life through words alone, but we should see God’s power in us, through us and around us! I believe God desires to do incredibly significant things here in this campus. There are so many people walking around depressed and feeling alone and completely dissatisfied with life. God truly is the answer to their and our satisfaction. In Him we truly find satisfaction in a dissatisfying world.
I don’t do this often, but I want to end with you going to listen to a song that has been filling me up for a LONG time titled Only You Satisfy by Housefires.
Leaning everything we have on Jesus is where we get satisfaction in a dissatisfying world. This surrender allows us to see everything as a gift and allows us to see His great love for us. We are no longer trying to make him happy, but realize we simply needed to give in. We allow Him to control us rather than us trying to control Him. Only Christ satisfies. We can try everything else, but I guarantee it will leave you dry. I challenge you to give it all to Him. Surrender it all and seek all of your satisfaction in Christ, not in anything or anyone else.
[1] Soards, M. L. (2011). 1 Corinthians (p. 103). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
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