BETTER is...One Handfull Living (2)

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Who doesn’t desire a BETTER life?

Series — “When life hands you choices, choose BETTER.”

While there are some things we can’t control in life, BETTER living largely depends on us—In the choices we make.

Choosing BETTER is...Letting of the GOOD (temporal), to grab hold of the BETTER (eternal)

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Last week — BETTER is…a day with God

Psalm 84:10 “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

Living with an ongoing AWARENESS of God with us

Choosing better is...Constant COMMUNION — Instant OBEDIENCE — A daily DESPERATION for God

There is GOOD and there is BETTER

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Ecclesiastes 4:6 (NIV)

Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

BETTER is…having LESS of what matters little, and MORE of what matters most!

Why is it better? — Three reasons

(S4) — Having less of what matters little and more of what matters most...

1. It PLEASES God!

2 Corinthians 5:9 whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.

Pleasing God makes God smile—It’s not doing things to get God to love us more...

Parent/child relationaship

When children act in ways that are pleasing, it make a parent smile? And yet love in the relationship is not based on what they do, but who we are as our children.

Romans 8:16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

To please God, means to act well — God smiles when we choose BETTER.

God’s smile at Isaiah...

Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”

God smiled at Jesus — His baptism…when Jesus’ glory was revealed...

"You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.

If God smiles because we too are his own, can’t we then concluded, that God smiles when we choose BETTER, in our everyday lives?

Solomon has learned that BETTER is…choosing ONE handful over two. Better is making MORE room in your life for God

Ecclesiastes (wisdom)—Solomon (David’s son), looks back on his life, some of which he lived apart from God.” In all his rise to the throne and gained wealth, he learned a most valuable life lesson

(S5) — MORE is not always BETTER!

More labor, did not satisfy his hunger to do more—More wealth, did not make him less wanting of more—More power only increased his pride—More wisdom did not keep him from falling away from God

For us too, more is not always better

Work is good but MORE can ruin families —Wealth is good, but it won’t keep us from wanting MORE—Influence/power can be good, but with MORE, comes a prideful heart—Wisdom is good, but MORE knowledge can make us arrogant.

More is NOT better, when its cost is broken relationships, especially ours with God— more is not always better

Applying chemicals — Homeowner/worst abusers

25 minutes of preaching can be a good ~ 45-minutes may not be better—Exercise is good, but MORE can be harmful.

(S6) — Listen to Solomon’s words

"It’s BETTER to have ONE handful with quietness (peace), than TWO handfuls with hard work (a life of strife) and chasing the wind (worthless endeavors)

Sometimes we learn this the hard way: feeling regret/remorse—I wish I would have___________ (last dying words). Others never learn it, then it’s too late —One chance at life!

Adam and Eve in God’s perfect garden. They had all they needed to please God—Blessed beyond belief, yet they saw MORE as better.

3:6 Eve saw the fruit of the tree as good and pleasing to the eye…

The crafty serpent/Satan— Causing them to doubt God; "Did God really say…?”

(Lie#1) Get more and be like God

ONE-handful living is BETTER because it PLEASES God...

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2. It leaves more room for God’s PURPOSE

4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Towards the end of his reign, Solomon got lost in his own endeavors...which led him away from God’s purpose—why he made him king

Ephesians 3:8-11

Lie#2 — What you DON’T have is what you NEED

This lie sends you off in a different direction—away from what is BETTER—living into God’s purpose for your life

Sometimes like Solomon not choosing BETTER is unhealthy...

(S8)

Ask Augustus Gloop from Wily Wonka….if more is better?

More is our own plans—Better is living into God’s purpose for you life

Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

The corrupted heart without being redeemed Jesus, will always lead us away from God’s intended purpose.

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

If Satan can convince us that two handfuls of the same is better, than it would be reasonable to believe he would try to convince us that what you don’t have is what you need.

5 Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves.

This literally means to embrace self-accomplishment—toil, work or pursue, only to gain what pleases self instead of what pleases God.

Better is one handful with God’s purpose than two handfuls with our own.

ONE-handful living PLEASES God—leaves more room for God’s PURPOSE...

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3. It brings you PEACE

What I admire most about my step-father—He had an inner peace in his life.

He lived his life with only one handful (depression)— burnt toast—He was always thankful for the one handful which came from God—

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Proverbs 17:1

Better is a home where there is LESS of what doesn’t matter and MORE of what does.

In looking back King Solomon discovered that in two-handful-living he lacked peace—There is a time for everything under the sun

Ecclesiastes 3:8-10 “a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.”

Sin—Set out from the Garden—Work the ground

(S10)

Ecclesiastes 4:8 “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!”

Better is one handful with God’s PEACE than two handfuls with our chasing after the wind

ONE-handful living PLEASES God—leaves more room for God’s PURPOSE—brings us PEACE

How do I choose better and live a one handful life? (practical steps in two parts)

(S11)

1. Let GO of what matters little!

Hebrews 12:1 “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Let go of what doesn't please God—is not God’s purpose for your life—What doesn’t bring us peace—Let go of what gets in the way of or limits us in growing closer to God in Christ?

Three areas of choosing better one-handful living

a. Cut BACK

Remember the lie? What you DON’T have is what you NEED— We’ve all been tempted to buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people that don’t really care.

Cutting back on spending—Busy schedules or what matters little…pleases God.

What can cut you back, leaving room for more of what matters?

b. Throw OUT

Anyone have too much clutter in your home? Get rid of the clutter in your life that keeps you from God’s purpose

What do you need to thro out so you have more room for God?

c. Turn OFF

Turn off what has become an idol in your life? Social Media — Families in restaurants

What needs to be turned off that is hindering your relationships? With those that matter? With God?

How do I choose better and live a one handful life? Let go of what matters little—Cut back, throw out, and turn off!

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2. FIGHT for what matters most!

Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Nehemiah 4:14

Some hearing this today, need to fight for your marriage—a relationship that is broken, for your kids, so they will grow up knowing Jesus.

Fight for the poor, the underdog, the least of these—the underdog—Fight for those you care about who don’t know Jesus—Fight for God’s church, the truth of the God’s transforming grace found only Jesus. Fight for the lost...

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Don’t believe satan’s lies—Get more and be like God—What you don’t have is what you need—That peace is found in what we accomplish or do or in the accumulation of things…

(S13)

No matter where we look how full our hands are…if our hearts are not for Jesus there is no true peace.

There is no true peace without Jesus

Fight for what matters most—Not only that the church would be a place of God’s love, but that it would be a vessel to lead people to a sanctifying, transforming and growing relationship with Jesus.

What does matter most?

You have 30 days to live!—Define what matters most

1.____________________ 2. ___________________

3. ___________________

What was not on the list? How much money in your bank account? The new leather sofa, our new TV, the car, the type of phone you have. What is on the list?

One handful living is letting go of what doesn’t matter and fighting for what does —Why is it BETTER?

(S14) — It PLEASES God—More room for God’s PURPOSE—Brings us PEACE

What does one handful-living look like?

Our hands are an extension of what’s important in our life—With one hand empty

— Needs a hand up~ I am free to Help them up

— Hurting; I can PRAY with them

— Needs encouragement ~ give them a HUG

— Financial distress, I can GIVE more!

— Troubled—search God’s word for strength when I need it.

One-handed living, frees us in our relationship with God, and frees us for more opportunity to reveal his BETTER to others.

But when our pursuit is two-hand full living, when we have too much of what doesn’t matter and too little of what does…

— we are unable to give someone a hand up

— unable to p/u phone or pray with someone who is hurting

— Someone needs encouragement, I can’t hug them….

— Someone is facing financial hardship, I unable offer them relief.

Jesus said, This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God. They will die with more, but have nothing.

For Solomon two-fisted living…left no room for anything of eternal value in his life…a lesson he learned after it was too late...

(S15)

God doesn’t care about what we have, as much as he cares about what has us!

BETTER is…having LESS of what matters little, and MORE of what matters most!

Our hands are an extension of what’s important in our life, and so is our relationship with God.