Joyce Meyer - Self-Centered (08/19/2019)
Sacrifice is essential for following Christ—deny self, take up your cross daily, and live unselfishly to please God rather than self (Luke 9:23). Self-centeredness leads to misery; sowing love, mercy, and help reaps blessing and joy. God uses us to meet needs—pray "use me" instead of just asking Him to fix things—and rewards obedience, even in small acts, with greater fulfillment and eternal impact.
Understanding Self-Centeredness vs. Balance
We're actually going to use the S word today, sacrifice. We act like it's almost a dirty word these days. Everybody always wants to know what they can get, not what they can give. To be self-centered means to be concerned solely or chiefly with one's own interests, welfare. To be engrossed in yourself, to be selfish, egotistical, independent, self-sufficient, and centered in yourself.
Now, let me repeat what I said on Thursday night. When we talk about not being selfish, we don't mean that you're to never do anything for yourself. You need to do things for yourself. You won't be a healthy you if you don't. It's good to do things you enjoy. It's good to get some things for yourself that you really like. You work hard. You need to take care of yourself. It's good to laugh. It's good to rest. It's good to play. Please take care of yourself. Invest in yourself. Invest in your health. But don't be totally absorbed with yourself, selfish and self-centered.
So like I said, we always want to find the balance. Now, we need to live a life where we're not trying to please ourselves, but we're trying to please God. Let's look at Colossians chapter 1 verse 10. Maybe I should just ask if anybody here ever has a problem with being selfish. About two dozen people. Well, I guess the rest of you are going to be kind of bored today then.
That you may walk, live, and conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, and desiring to please Him in all things. Now, there's nothing wrong with asking God to give you something you want. But if what you want or what I want is not what God wants, then we need to immediately let go of our plan and take hold of His. Even if it's uncomfortable, even if it hurts, even if it means sacrifice, it's a momentary sacrifice that will lead to much greater joy.
Letting Go When God Asks
Is there anyone here that God's really been dealing with you about letting go of something that means a lot to you, but you know God's telling you to let go of it, and you just haven't gotten around to doing it yet? Okay, well, then guess what? This is for you today. Can I just say that God won't change His mind? It's always nice for us to realize that He won't change His mind. No matter how long you put it off, it'll be the same.
Bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition. Fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things. Now, I want to read you a little short story called How To Be Miserable. Just in case anybody's, you know, wanting that, I can tell you how to get it.
Think about yourself constantly. Use I as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually by the opinion of other people. Listen greedily to what people say about you. And if it's not what you want to hear, get angry. Expect to be appreciated by everyone. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive and easily offended. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Insist on consideration and respect at all times. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk and feel sorry for yourself if people are not grateful to you for what you do for them. Never forget how much you've done for other people. Think about it at all times. But always remember what they have failed to do for you. Shirk your duty. Shirk your duty. Seek at all times to entertain yourself. And do as little as you possibly can for other people.
The Root of Misery and Freedom in Christ
Now, the thing that occurred to me while I was reading this, right in the middle of reading it, is this is exactly the way I used to be. I mean, there's probably not one of these things that I wouldn't have been guilty of when I started my journey with God 38 years ago. And I'm just here to tell you today that this is a very important issue. Jesus died so that we might no longer have to live to and for ourselves, but to and for Him. Ephesians 5 15.
He died to forgive our sins. He died so we could go to heaven. He died so we could have a relationship with God. But He died so we would no longer have to live to and for ourselves. The greatest thing that God has set me free from is me. It is quite wonderful to not have to get up every day and do nothing but think about myself all day long.
Self-centered people are self-deceived people. They think the more they do for themselves and the more everybody else does for them, the happier they will be. But the exact opposite is true. Luke 9 23 through 25. And He said, if any person wills to come after me, let him deny himself. Disown himself. Disown himself. Forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests. Refuse and give up himself.
The simplicity of this is He's saying, if you really want to follow me, then you got to get yourself off your mind. And take up your cross daily and follow me. The cross that Christ asked us to carry is not disasters and disease and every kind of misery that you can come up with. You know, sometimes when people are having trouble, they say, well, you know, it's just my cross to bear. Well, that's really not the cross that Jesus asked us to bear.
Yes, we may have to go through things, but He came to give us victory over those things. The cross He's asking us to carry is to make a decision to live unselfishly in a world where people need to see Jesus. And Jesus is love. God is love. It's not just something He does. It's who He is. He pours His love into us so we can receive it, be healed, and then let that love pour out of us to other people.
Praying to Be Used by God
God works through people. We keep asking God to do this, and God do that, and God solve this problem, and God solve that problem. I wonder what would happen if we begin to pray, God, I want to pray for this person that's hurting, and if you want to use me, show me what you want me to do. Actually, I'm going to challenge you today to begin to pray just like that, because you'll be amazed if you stop just praying for God to help people. That don't cost anything. I can even feel quite religious when I do that.
But if I really get down to business and say, now, God, I don't, you know, I don't know if there's anything you'd want me to do or not, but if you do, show me what it is and give me the grace to do it. And sometimes we look at a problem and we don't even consider that God might use us because the problem is too big for us all by ourself. But you know, there's nothing wrong with going around and getting a few other bored, miserable Christians to get on board and help you.
I'm telling you, we come alive when there's a need and we start trying to meet it. The Holy Spirit puts many opportunities in front of us to put others before ourselves if we just will. Let me give you an example. This just happened about three weeks ago. Dave and I took a little trip to Branson, Missouri to just rest and see some of the shows down there. And we went to one show that really just was pretty cheesy and wasn't very good at all.
And so I've already got my plan after about 30 minutes break time, I'm leaving. And so I said to Dave, I said, this is really bad. Let's just, we need to go at the break. And he said, you know, I've been kind of thinking about that too. And he said, I don't feel like God wants us to leave. And I'm, I kind of like already knew that, but I wasn't quite paying all the attention to God, but I needed to.
Because you know, sometimes when you really want to do something, you can just kind of brush God off pretty quick. And so of course, you know, I got a little, well, why do we need to stay? And he said, well, just, he said, I just thought about it. And he said, you know, if that was you and people left, he said, you know how you feel. If somebody gets up and leaves while you're preaching. And he said, just, I just think it would make them feel bad. And so he said, I just think we should stay.
So I knew right away it was right. You know, there's a little thing in the Bible that says, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I started trying to live according to that. And I made a couple hours. Then the next day I'd have to start again. And then the next day I would have to start again. And God keeps bringing that scripture back to me. And I think we're in for a fight. Because I don't think we really even begin to comprehend how much it would change our lives if we actually did that.
Do you know there would be no problems in marriages if people did that?
Asking, Seeking, and the Golden Rule
Let's look at Matthew chapter 7 beginning in verse 7. Keep on asking and it will be given to you. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking reverently and the door will be opened. For everyone who keeps on asking receives and he who keeps on seeking finds. And to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened.
So we see that God is inviting us to bring our needs to him and to even be a reverent pest at times. Now what man is there of you if his son asks him for a loaf of bread will hand him instead of stone? Or if he asks for a fish will hand him a serpent? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven, perfect as he is, give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking him?
So this invitation is clear. Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking. God is good. He wants to help you. If you ask him for something, he's not going to give you something bad. If you can be a blessing to your children, evil as you are, how much more will God bless his children? Amen? God can do so much more.
But now here's the part I want you to see. Verse 12. So then. Now, so then wouldn't be there if what we're getting ready to read didn't have a lot to do with what we just read. So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them. For this sums up the law and the prophets.
So now, it seems to me, if I'm understanding this right, that this doing unto others as we would have them do unto us has something to do with us having this open door in heaven. And see, we would prefer to think that we can just mistreat people and act any way we want to and then when we have a need, go ask God to meet that need and expect him to do it.
And the Bible teaches us very plainly that God, if we're angry and we refuse to forgive people that have hurt us, then God can't even forgive us and answer our prayers. And I don't think we even begin to comprehend how many angry Christians there are. I mean, it's like an epidemic.
I have never taught in any kind of a meeting on anything about unforgiveness, anger, strife, bitterness, and ask at the end, how many of you need prayer in this area? I am not exaggerating. I have never had one meeting ever and done that where I didn't have at least 70%, 70% of the whole crowd on their feet. And I'm going to be honest, it concerns me. Because there's so much to be done in this hour that we're living in. And God needs us fully loaded. Amen?
Sowing and Reaping Principles
We need to be fully loaded, full of the power of God, and not living these little selfish, self-centered, demanding lives where we just have ourselves on our mind all the time. And you know what? You may not be like this at all, and I hope and pray that you're not. But boy, I sure was at one time. And if you don't need this message today, I'll just preach to myself. Because I still need a little refresher course just every now and then. Amen?
So if nothing else, this is just insurance today to help us stay on the right track. Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking. God is good. And He wants to bless you. So then, whatever you would that other people would do for you, start doing that for them. Before they're doing it for you. We can't wait to do what's right after somebody else treats us right. The more mature person is the one who goes first. Amen?
You might have to treat somebody else right a long time before you get a right result. But even if you don't ever get a right result from them, you will get a reward from God. Did you hear me? Let me say it again. You might have to treat somebody else right for a long time before you start getting a right result. And even if they never do what you want them to do, don't feel like your efforts have been wasted because you have a reward coming from God.
God promises us that we will reap according to what we have sown. And when he comes back, his reward and his wages will be with him. Verse 13, enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads the way to destruction. And many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow, contracted by pressure, and the way is straightened and compressed that leads the way to life. And few are those who find it.
Obedience in Small Things and Sacrifice
Now, I'll be honest, it was a little bit hard on my flesh to just keep sitting in that show, even though I knew it was the right thing to do, even though I wanted to be obedient to God and had decided to be. I couldn't wait for it to get over. You know, just because we obey God, that doesn't mean our flesh is going to be clapping and having happy goosies. I mean, this is where, to be honest, to me, suffering for Christ comes in. And that's not a word that we like to use much in the church. People don't seem to like you much if you talk much about suffering.
And you know, there's certainly a certain kind of suffering that Jesus paid for that we don't have to endure. But the Bible says that if we're not willing to suffer in the flesh as Christ suffered, then we can never really walk in the Spirit and be obedient to God. We have to be willing to sacrifice what we want many times because we know it's not the best thing for the kingdom of God or for somebody else.
Now, I could have walked out of there and probably would have if Dave wouldn't have been listening a little more than me. Sometimes I listen better than him. Sometimes he listens better than me. That's why we make a good team. And, you know, sometimes I'll be ready to just really give somebody what they deserve. And Dave will say, well, I think we need to show them mercy. And then other times he'll be like, you know, man, that guy needs to get off the road. He can't even drive at all. I'm like, well, now don't act like that. You know, he probably just didn't see you.
And so it's good to have other people around sometimes that can remind us if we start to get off track just a little bit. Amen? But now here's what happens to us, I believe, a lot of times. Let's just say that maybe I would have went ahead and got up and left. And you know what? If I would have gotten up and left, I would have known in my heart that it wasn't probably the most excellent thing to do. I would have known that.
I wonder how many dozens of times, daily or weekly, that we feel that. And we override that feeling and go on and just do what we feel like doing. I'll give you an example in church services. How many of you know it's really not the coolest thing in the world to come into a service late and interrupt a bunch of other people that are trying to worship God?
How many of you know it's really not... I mean, I find it hard to believe that anybody, during an altar call, when people are being talked to about their salvation, I find it hard to believe that anybody can be really comfortable getting up, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. And you know what? Yes, these are little things, but are they really little things? It's the little foxes that spoil the vine.
And I think if we can learn to be obedient in these little things, then we're not going to really have a difficult time being obedient in the bigger things. A lot of these things are things that are just between us and God. They're not even anything that you go talk to anybody else about. It's just, you just kind of know that God wants you to do this or doesn't want you to do that. And then just because you love Him and you want to please Him, you go do it. And if you're uncomfortable, then so what? You're uncomfortable. You still have a great feeling inside.
So here's what would have happened had I left, kind of sensing it wasn't right. In all probability, that day, maybe into the next, I would have kind of just felt like I'm not quite as happy as normal, like I don't know what's wrong. I wonder how many times we go around thinking, I don't know what's wrong. I'm just kind of in a little funky mood today. And I don't know, you know, I don't know what's causing it.
And then even worse, sometimes we look around and start blaming it on somebody else. Well, you're not this and you're not that and you're not something else. And it's amazing what happens if we'll get honest and start saying to God, God, what's going on here? You know, and literally, I believe that I could have poisoned my own happiness through something as simple as not treating that person the way I would have wanted to have been treated.
You all think that I'm okay? Or are you just like, no, that's too much for me? So, I didn't plan this until this morning, but I thought I'm going to talk to you for a few minutes about sowing and reaping. The Bible says as long as the earth remains, there will be seed, time, and harvest. And there's, let's see, one, two, three, four. I have five quick scriptures here about sowing and reaping.
So, let me just say first, before I say this, that it's a pretty amazing thing. This sowing and reaping thing gives us a lot of power. And to be honest, if I can get something by sowing it into somebody else's life, then that gives me a certain amount of control over my destiny. In other words, if I want people to be friendly with me, all I got to do is start being friendly.
The Bible says if I want God to forgive me, all I need to do is forgive everybody else who mistreats me. If I want mercy when I make mistakes, then all I have to do to get that mercy is just be a merciful person who gives other people mercy. Now, I don't know about you, but I like control and power. And so, this seed sowing thing excites me because that means, oh, if I want people to like me more, all I need to do is start being nicer to them. Hello?
It's really amazing, this whole thing, this privilege that God has given us. Matthew chapter 7, the first two verses. Do not judge and criticize and condemn others so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned. And in accordance with the measure you use to deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.
That can't be much plainer, can it? How many of you don't want other people picking on you for all your faults? How many of you would love other people just to cover some of your mistakes and just zip their lip about it and not say anything? Well, guess what? The best way to get that is to start giving it. Uh-oh.
Well, I might as well just unload both barrels. I'm leaving town. I'll be back next August and you will have forgiven me by then. You know, this self-problem started in the garden. Genesis chapter 3, verses 1 through 8. I'm not going to go there and read all of them, but you know, Adam and Eve were having a happy day as long as they were doing what God asked them to do.
And then the enemy showed Eve something that she didn't have and told her her life would be better if she had it, even though God had already told her, not to have it, not to have that thing. They wanted for themselves what God had not given them, and they put their own will above His. The devil said, well, this fruit is good. You're going to know more. You're going to be more like God.
You know what the result was? They lost their divine covering. All of a sudden, they realized that they were naked. They tried to cover themselves, got into works of the flesh, and they experienced fear for the first time in their life, and they ran and hid. And I believe that's exactly what happens to us when we live with a bunch of junk in our lives that we know is not right.
Now, don't misunderstand me. None of us can be perfect. Thank God we have a Savior. Thank God for forgiveness. I need it 200 times every day. I'm grateful for forgiveness. But what I'm talking about today is just continuing on in things that you know are wrong and not even working with God. I mean, it may take a while to get breakthroughs in things that you have real bondages in, but the condition of our heart is very important.
Maturing in Obedience and Love
God, I don't want to do this. I want to be what you want me to be. I want to behave the way you want me to behave. And then you study, and you hang out in the right atmosphere, and you pray. And I'm going to tell you, I don't think that there's any person in this building or anywhere else that can tell me that you are in bondage, and you have obeyed God for 20 years, and you are still in the same bondage. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that. I can't support that in the Scripture.
I believe that if I am in bondage, and I get in a relationship with God, and not only just get saved so I can get some fire insurance and not have to go to hell, but actually want to live a life with God where I invite the Holy Spirit into my life, deal with me about anything in my life that is not what you want it to be. Come on, I'm calling for some people today to be ready to grow up and mature and be all that God wants us to be. Amen?
And I've got to believe I've got the right group. If you weren't somewhat serious, you wouldn't be out here on a Saturday morning. And I know we've got lots of people from all different walks of life and at all different degrees of spiritual maturity watching my TV, but I'm just telling you that God has got a life for you that is so unbelievably amazing. I mean, you don't want to miss what God has got for you. I mean, the peace, the joy, the righteousness, the hope, the power, the good things that God wants to do for you.
Don't be one of those people that just pushes the limits as far as you can and hope you just barely sneak in the back door of heaven. I don't want to still be in kindergarten when I get there. You know, Lucifer fell from heaven through self-will. Let's look at Isaiah 14, 12 through 15. How have you fallen from heaven, O light bringer and day star, son of the morning? How have you been cast down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations, O blasphemous satanic king of Babylon?
And you who said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the most high. I will, I will, I will, I will, I will. And here was God's response. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol and Hades, to the innermost recesses of the pit, the region of the dead.
So we need to just understand that whether we like it or not, God is in charge. And if we do what he asks us to, we're going to be happy and blessed. And if we don't, we're going to miss something. We're going to miss something. I could have gotten up and walked out of that show. Now, you know, I realize that's a minor thing. But this is where I started with God. I mean, you hear all my little stories about putting my grocery cart back and doing all the little things that God taught me to do.
And that was where I, I didn't get to go to Bible college, but I went to the school of the Holy Ghost. And it's that kind of, listen to me, it's that kind of intimate, personal relationship with God where even when you're grocery shopping or you're talking to people or whatever, and you get a little nudge from God that that's not what he wants you to do, that just for his sake, not to be well thought of by anybody, because most people aren't even going to know you did it, but just for his sake, you'll do what he asks you to do.
And let me tell you something. You start to develop an intimacy with God that is precious in your everyday life. And I know these kind of things happen to you. They happen to me all the time. Let's just talk about hotel rooms. Most of you have stayed in one here probably. Well, did you take care of it like you would have wanted somebody to have taken care of yours? I hope so.
You say, well, what are you talking about? We're paying them to clean it up. I didn't say you needed to clean it up and make the bed and all that, but here's an example. This morning, I dropped a lid off of my coffee and I didn't drop it in a convenient place. It went beside the chair, almost back behind it. And I reached down there and picked up my lid while there had been some water on it that got on the wood floor. And, you know, just momentary, I thought... See, we always have two things going on at once. It's, you know, God's saying one thing in the flesh saying something else.
So it was just that momentary. And then I thought, no. So I went and got a paper towel. Had to hang upside down. Get behind the chair. Wipe the water up. It's those little things. I'm telling you, it's those little things that mean so much to God. I really believe that that's where we grow and mature more than all the things that we... I would rather see somebody make a commitment to do that than make a commitment to leave home and go to Africa and be a missionary.
I would rather see somebody that will make a commitment to do the little things that God asked them to do just for Him, things that nobody's ever going to know about but Him. But you do it just for Him. Amen? Alright now. Luke chapter 18, verse 18. I'm going to read you a story about a man that was a religious man but not God's man. I want you to pay attention to what I just said. We can be a religious man but not God's man.
Luke 18, verse 18. A certain ruler asked him, good teacher, you who are essentially and perfectly morally good, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? That is, what shall I do to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom? Verse 20. You know the commandments. Don't commit adultery. Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't witness falsely. Honor your father and your mother.
And he replied, I have done all of these from my youth. This guy kept the law. He was a good religious man. And when Jesus heard it, He said, well, there's one thing you still lack. Sell everything that you have and give the money to the poor. And you will have rich treasure in heaven. And then come back and follow me and be my disciple. Join my party and accompany me.
But when he heard this, he became distressed and very sorrowful because he was rich, exceedingly so. And Jesus observing him said, how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. It's easier for a camel to enter through the needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
And those who heard it said, well, then who in the world can be saved? And he said, what is impossible with men is possible with God. And listen, and Peter said, I love this. And Peter said, well, see here, we've left our own things, home, family, business, and we have followed you. And he said to them, I say to you, truly, there is no one who's left houses, our wives, our brothers, our parents, our children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive in return many times more in this world and in the age to come, eternal life.
Stories of Sacrifice and Compassion
Now, that's a lot of verses, but let me back this up and tell you what I've learned about this. Here's this guy who followed all the law. Well, you can go to church, you can have your bumper sticker, you can give in the offering, you can usher at the door. We do so many things just because of the guidelines and the rules and they're what we think that we should be doing. And that doesn't even mean that we have bad hearts.
But now Jesus comes along and he said, because, and Jesus didn't, he wasn't trying to take all the guy's money away from him. And when you read people that scripture about giving away all that you have to the poor, it's just like... Jesus really wasn't just trying to take away all of his money. He knew the guy had a problem with his money. And so he asked him for it because he knew that his money was standing between the two of them.
So sometimes God will have to rattle us in an area that means a little bit too much to us. There's a little shaking that goes on to see if we have to give that thing up, would we give it up if we had to for the sake of God? And if the young man would have done it, Jesus told his other disciples who said, well, we've given up this, this, that, and something else. And what about us? And he said, you never give up anything that you don't ultimately get back a lot more in this life and in the world to come.
So I cannot even imagine what this guy would have ended up with if he would have done what God asked him to and said, it's yours, God. If you want it, the money's not as important to me as you are. If you want it, here it is. I mean, that guy would have gotten back so many times more with joy. But as it was, he kept the money he had with no joy. So we can hang on to this thing that tickles our flesh and we can keep it and have no joy and have this heavy feeling inside. Or we can sacrifice and let our flesh hurt and then end up seeing what God can really do for somebody who's willing to give it all. For him.
Now in Luke chapter 10, there's another wonderful story. Actually, Luke is a great, great chapter in the Bible. It's just got so many wonderful things in it. Luke chapter 10, verse 25. And a certain lawyer, now this was an intelligent man. So we just dealt with a religious man who wasn't God's man. And now we're going to deal with an intelligent man who wasn't very wise.
And a certain lawyer arose to try to tempt him, saying, teacher, what am I to do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, well, what's written in the law? And he said, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and all your strength. And you must love your neighbor as you do yourself.
Well, the man wasn't wanting to do it. And so he pressed in a little more and he said, well, who is my neighbor? So then Jesus tells this story about a man who was beat up by robbers and he was thrown over on the side of the road and was bleeding and dying. And a religious man came along and passed by on the other side of the road. Actually, a priest. And then another religious man came by. A Levi, and he also passed by on the other side of the road.
And then just kind of a plain old ordinary guy came by. And he stopped and went to the man, took his own money, took his own time, took care of him, doctored his wounds, took him to an inn, which would now be a hotel, and told the man there, look, I've got some business I need to go do. He went and, but I'm going to, here's money, use this to take care of him. If I owe you anything else, when I come back, I'll pay it.
He didn't even put any limits on what he said he would do. And I love that part. He didn't say, well, I'll spend $22.50, but no more. He said, whatever it takes, I want to help this guy. Man, whatever it takes, I want to help this guy. Whatever it takes, I want to help people. Whatever it takes. Is anybody home in the house? Whatever it takes, I want to help people.
If we want God to take the limits off of our blessings, maybe we need to take the limits off of our giving. I wonder how many people come to something like this, and maybe you give an offering on Thursday night, and so then each of the other offerings, you think, well, I don't need to give again. Well, maybe you don't need to, but you can. I'm giving every time. I don't come in on Friday morning and say, I preached last night, so I just don't think I'll preach again today. You know?
If you go to a restaurant and eat four times, you can't say, I was here two nights ago, I'm not going to pay today. Come on. Thank you. So, I just decided that I was going to make up my own story. I'm kind of proud of this story. I thought this was good. Jesus told a story about two religious men and one compassionate man. I'm going to tell you a story about three church-attending Christians who were confronted with a need and how they responded.
Three church-attending, Bible-reading, song-singing Christians all knew a woman whose husband left her with four children whom he no longer supported. He found another younger woman left and never looked back. The woman was exhausted most of the time from trying to support her family and be both mom and dad to them. She was terribly lonely and very discouraged.
Christian woman number one in considering the lady's plight said, I will pray for her. And that was a good religious response. Christian woman number two said, I wonder what she did that made her husband run off with another woman. It had to be something. Well, all religious woman number two did was offer her opinion, but still no help.
Christian woman number three saw the situation, prayed about how she could help. God gave her the idea to pay the woman's rent for a month and she decided to do so even though it meant she couldn't buy the new outfit she'd been saving money for. He also gave her an idea to start regularly encouraging the woman and to become her friend.
Now, I ask you, which of these three do you believe was walking in love? You see, this is really what it comes down to. And in just the last few minutes that I have here today, I just want to say to you, you have one life to live and you have one life to give. Are you going to give it to yourself? Are you going to give it to God and let Him use it for whatever He wants to use it for?
Are you going to be... And I would like to make a suggestion today. Many of you probably saw the movie The Bucket List and that's become kind of a thing, you know. People ask me all the time, do you have a bucket list? I said, yeah, but it's still empty. You know what? To be honest, even though sometimes I do get tired of working so hard, I can't really think of anything that I'd rather do.
I've tried living to make my own self happy and I mean, I do things I enjoy and, you know, we're... God takes good care of us but it's just like I decided I'm going to have a new bucket. And so I got a suggestion for you today for a new bucket list. Start a bucket and don't fill it with things you want or have to do before you die. but fill it up with things that you want to do for other people before you die. Amen?
I love this. Let's get a new bucket list. Well, Lord, I would like to put a smile on three faces today. I want to be an encourager. Someday I want to buy some woman that hasn't had any new clothes in five years a whole nice new summer wardrobe. Really? Well, that took a while. I guess we better just start this message over.
Why don't you believe God to just be able to carry around a wallet full of $20 bills or $50 bills just so you can bless other people? How about carrying gift certificates for gas, for groceries, for different things like that, and just when you go into church be a Holy Ghost spy? Come on. Just look for that single mom that you know has to be tired because you've heard she's working two jobs and her husband doesn't pay child support and she probably never gets to take her kids out to eat.
So why not just give her a nice gift certificate and say, hey, why don't you just take your kids out to lunch today? I mean, that can be like the difference in somebody giving up or going on. Come on. There's no reason for us to be bored and miserable and lonely and sitting around murmuring and complaining all the times about our lives and I, God, what's your will for me? What's my ministry? What's my call? What do you want me to do?
Just start saying every time you see a need, God, is there something you want me to do? Not God, you fix this, do you want to use me to do something to make a difference in somebody's life? I'm telling you the truth. I've went from being guilty of all those things that I read in the beginning. That was me. If you want to be miserable, here's the way to do it. To actually getting up and purposing to live the way I'm... Now, I'm not there yet. I've not arrived. But I'll tell you what, I think it's the best idea that I've had in a long time. And I believe it will increase your joy. I mean, in a mega way. Amen? Come on, give God a big praise.