The Scoreboard of Enoughness

Through the last couple weeks we’ve been discussing this idea of generosity. What it truly is and isn’t. How we feel it from God and how we can truly live a life of generosity…changing our mindset from a mindset of need to that of…God can fill every true need we have. And how much our faith in Him…different than our fear of the world around us, plays into that. We looked at God being the most generous one. We looked quickly at the contrast between God’s loving generosity and the things of this world....

And today we’re going to continue in that thought of God’s Generosity towards us…and we’re going to ask the question…why? Why is God generous towards us? Why would He even think of continuing to be good to humanity?

We looked at how Moses said…God…I’m a sinner. All of Israel, everyone, is a sinner. So…please let us know you more. Let us know who you are…Let me see you and all of your goodness.

God granted that request from Moses and God…as Exodus says…caused all of His goodness to pass in front of Moses. Compassion, Care, Kindness, Forbearance, Forgiveness, and Love…all of those things that God is so generous with all of the time.

Why would God be like that…and continue to be like that even to the point of sending His own son to die for us…even knowing that we are sinners.

Why?

Ok…so we’re going to be thinking about something today too. More thinking. Deep thinking.

I’m going to start with the verse that we left off with last week. This is a truth statement passage.

You might say…this is just something really poetic and nice and good for a greeting card or a poster to put on your kitchen wall. Maybe even something to put engrave on a bracelet.

Now…those things might be true…but a truth statement in the Bible is much more. It is stating something that isn’t just nice...

It is stating something that is part of reality. It is true for everyone…everywhere.

James 1:17 CSB

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

In this first chapter James is writing about this contrast between chasing things of the world verses asking God to generously give you, grant you, His best gifts.

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Ok so now, once again we’re going back to Eden. It’s good to do this because we see where things kind of changed…and really not just when things changed…but what changed.

Again…our question is, why is God so generous with goodness towards us? And we’ll add the next question, why do we miss it?

In the beginning humanity had everything it needed to live the best possible life ever. God, His presence…His given glory…their own glory…given from God…designed in them. Worth, praise, purpose.

And then....and we know the “and then” because I reference it nearly every Sunday. On the other end of that “and then” there’s the other truth we mention nearly every Sunday…it’s because of that “and then” that Jesus died for us…even while we were still sinners…undeserving of God’s continued grace.

Why? Why is God so generous with His goodness? Because we need it to live the best life possible. We need Him…and He’s willing to be there for us.

However…We might know that but when it comes down to it…we’re not good at receiving God’s goodness.

Like the subtle lie that Satan whispered to Adam and Eve…I think we hear the same thing. You don’t really need God to live the best day today..or tomorrow…or next week …or the rest of your life. Ok..so maybe here and there....but what you really need is ....and then Satan fills in the blanks or steps back to see if we’ll fill in the blanks…with things that are not of God.

Puzzle (one or two missing pieces)

Deck of cards with one or two missing cards.

Bookshelf that is missing one or two little pieces when you put it together.

Our lives are like those things. We are missing something. And here’s what we might normally do.

Since all of God’s goodness is what we’re lacking, we try to create something to fill the spot…to take the place…to help us become complete.

We chase down life…in our own ways to feel good enough.

We make a scoreboard to show that we are “making it.”

…the right job, the right relationship, the right number in a bank account, the right “feeling,” the right house, the right degree, the right past-time, that other thing, car/appliance/tool set, the right looking yard, the right clothes, the right look, the right health…weight, the right mental outlook, the right motivation, the right, diet, …am I stepping on any toes. I’ll just be honest … that was my list. You can make your own…if you feel the need to steal from my list its ok...

Christians, we can even add our “good christian things” in here too. The right bible reading schedule and the right things to volunteer for the right things to be generous with the right number of minutes each day to pray the right number of Sundays morning to be in attendance the right offering to give the right feeling to create in worship time...

You might say…well Ed some of those things are good things…yes…but the way we use them might not be helpful.

You see we are all missing a few puzzle pieces…and we’re not going anything fit into those spots on our own. Nothing we do or create or finish or start or ....nothing we do will fill those holes.

Only God’s generous goodness and love will fill those holes…will make us complete.

Take the bank account…You all probably have a number that is in your head…some number that helps you to feel secure…when you’re outside of that number…oh no…anxiety…worry…fear…mystery…extra work… and yes, there may be a wise number to have…a balance to have so that you can pay bills and supply needs etc…but will that number fill that hole that showed up when humanity sinned?

No.

How about lets do Bible study times…

Will checking the box for 6 out of 7 days ....Bible study for 30 minutes each day…will doing that fill the hole? No....But Satan will have us believe that simply doing the thing will raise our score. We volunteer 22.4 hours per week…God says that’s awesome (thank you)…Satan says…was that enough? Do you feel good about that? Would 25 hours be better? Scoreboard...

It looks good on our scoreboard of enoughness. But doing it alone doesn’t fill that hole.

This is the simple…God gives life…and Satan’s subtle lie…you need to do life your way.

And so all through life…it’s almost like we fight against God.

Blaise Pascal wrote this…and he was often troubled with this battle in his own mind and heart.

“All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end…the WILL never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every person even those who come to the end and see no way out.”

Let’s think about this church industry…doing good christian things for a second. This is sometimes a difficult thing for many people…many in this room me included.

Spiritual practices: Praying, Reading, Devotional studies (meaning looking into other people’s ideas or stories about their experience with God). Leading in church settings. Teaching. Volunteering....all in Jesus’ name. How can that be bad?

I read this the other day and I laughed…not because it was funny but because I could relate.

Some people come to Jesus…realize they need Him accept Him, jump into a church with the assumption of all the requirements God now has on them…those hidden obligations maybe in the small print that they’ll learn someday…and are immediately frustrated and fearful and exhausted.

Here’s how the one author put it...”The fearthat grace somehow comes with hidden obligations has caused many “believers” to develop a kind of spiritual PTSD at the mere suggestion that God requires…and empowers…his followers to work in response to his generous gift of grace.

It’s the wrong perspective…I can imagine God saying…who told you that?

Just like when Adam and Eve were in the garden and they were shamefully hiding because they were Naked…God said…who told you that?

I can imagine God saying to me over and over again as I’ve chased life…believing that the next thing I do in my own power…will help me be good enough to live a full life....who told you that?

Spiritual disciplines are to help us grow closer to God. Point … finished…drop the mic.

They don’t make us better…the remind us of God’s generous goodness towards us…God’s gives grace so we can be redeemed, changed, forgiven through His son…so we can be with Him…Life everlasting…full abundant life.

If I had my whole life to live over again, I don't think I'd have the strength.

Colossians 1:27 NIV

27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.