ENOUGH ALREADY (1)

Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
(S1) —
Sick and tired of all the negativity in the world? Stay positive with so much bad news?
ECONOMY/DIVISION/CRISIS/MENTAL HEALTH/COVID
Then consider what is going on with people personally
FINANCE/MARRIAGE/SICKNESS/DEATH/PERSONAL BROKENNESS/STUDENTS
…easier to feel overwhelmed with all the negativity—anxious emotionally on edge! Get sucked into the social media toilet bowl!
Wanting to scream, ENOUGH of the bad news ALREADY! Ever feel that way?
“Hope is an endangered species. We are more troubled than we’ve been in years. Only 14% of respondents would check the ‘very happy’ box on the survey questionnaire. We are less optimistic about the future than we’ve been in three decades. “Nearly one in four people (1 billion), feels very or fairly lonely.” Happiness is down. Loneliness is up. Optimism has taken a right hook to the chin.” Max Lucado, What Happens Next, pg 3
Its time for followers of Jesus to bring Good News to the forefront again—It starts by Staying Positive
(S2)
SERIES—Grateful/Encouraged/Generous/Enthusiastic/Confident—today…staying OPTIMISTIC in a negative world—ENOUGH ALREADY!
So what I'm doing right now, is really, really asking God to help me to see the GOOD…I'm fighting to keep a perspective of faith that lifts my thoughts and my eyes to Jesus…because of him I have every reason to Stay Positive!
My prayer—To have an attitude of faith, to look for the good the believing that God is still on the throne…He is still working…He is in this with us…and his plan is unfolding towards a glorious future.
The Apostle Paul—great optimist of all time
Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Who could use a little less bad and a lot more good news?
You can discover a whole lot to smile about if you know where to look!
PRAYER
Lord, help us to see the good. To be unshakably optimistic about the present because of the future you have planned for those who love you. Show us the reasons we have to be positive in a negative world. Speak your good news to our hearts not because of what I say, but because of what you have done and are still doing in Jesus Christ who is our Good News!
(S3) —
Staying positive has a lot to do with a person’s general outlook on life. Two words—optimistic/pessimist
OPTIMIST—“One who has a disposition/tendency to look on the favorable side of things, to see/hope/expect a good outcome no matter the circumstances.”
Maybe you know someone like this?
I was asked recently how I keep a smile on my face regardless of what is going on around me. The answer is that I choose to. It is really that simple. It is an exercise of human free will. I will NOT be ruled by feeling or circumstance. I will not live that way. I refuse it! Yes my friends, I choose it until I feel it...and when I do that, I am consistently surprised how quickly my emotions catch up with my face! Rev. Shane Bishop
Fishermen tend to be incurable optimists
A guy asked his neighbor how the fishing was going. “Better,” he said. “Last week I went out for four hours and didn’t catch a thing. Yesterday, I got the same result in only three hours” (Reader’s Digest [8/87], p. 80).
A PESSIMIST on the other hand is…
“One who tends to see the worst outcome…believes that only the bad will happen”
Know someone like this?
(S4)
EEYORE – “The bright side always has a downside”
“Sure is a cheerful color. Guess I’ll have to get used to it.”
“Wish I could say yes, but I can’t.”
“The nicest thing about the rain is that it always stops. Eventually.”
The optimist sees the doughnut—the pessimist sees the hole—One sees the glass half-full/half-empty—Trials of life—hope/despair?
Are you more optimistic/pessimistic? Both?
LIONS going to the Super Bowl?
Truth is, at times I am both! Goal of being more optimistic—STAYING POSITIVE! You can discover a whole lot to smile about, if you know where to look.
Two boys who were twins, one an incurable optimist, one a pessimist. The parents were worried about the extremes of behavior and attitude and finally took the boys in to see a psychologist. He observed them a while and then said that they could be easily helped. He had a room filled with all the toys a boy could want. He put the pessimist in that room and allow him to enjoy life.
They also had another room that they filled with horse manure. They put the optimist in that room. They observed both boys through one way mirrors. The pessimist continued to be a pessimist, stating that he had no one to play with. The optimist; they were astounded to find him digging through the manure. The psychologist ran into the room and asked what on earth the boy was doing. He replied that with all that manure, he was sure there had to be a pony in the room somewhere. Source Unknown.
(S5) —
A negative outlook never leads to a positive life!
A negative outlook never leads to a positive life!
What optimism is not...
—Denial of reality—Its all good, no big deal, rose-colored glasses
— Blind faith—Naive hope, wishful thinking
It is having an unwavering expectation that our loving God is working in every situation for our good
The Apostle Paul, a convicted and convinced follower of Jesus, faced great difficulties.
— Imprisoned multiple times— Given 40 lashes 5x— Beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked…
— Betrayed, beaten, left for dead multiple times
Yet, he had an unwavering expectation, that his loving God was working in his bad situations for His good…having a negative outlook would never lead to a positive life…
He wasn’t always that way…even after his encounter with Jesus…Romans 7/8
He shares his optimism with the believers in Rome
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…
Good news—even with all the negativity, there is hope for us yet…
(S6)
Even a negative situation holds the potential to produce a positive purpose!
Even a negative situation holds the potential to produce a positive purpose!
He is writing to the church about life together—How to stay positive in adverse situations
His optimism/staying Positive’ under the most extreme situation was grounded not on his circumstances, but on the perfect love of God!
9a Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.
Henry Wright (preacher) writing on John Wesley’s theology...
Wesley’s theology is “not only one of love and grace, but also at its heart a theology of hope, a promise of new creation in the midst of this present age” It is this ‘optimism of grace,’ in connection with the goal of perfection in love. ” John Wesley: Optimist of Grace (Henry Knight)
Optimism of grace—the sincere perfect love of God lived out in the people of God (church)
The believers optimism—Even a negative situation holds the potential to produce a positive purpose!
How do we stay POSITIVE/OPTIMISTIC in a world filled with negativity?
Three aspects of a believers optimism—they are focused on what is good—3x (9, 17, 21)
(S7)
9b Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is GOOD (NLT).
Hate (aposygeo)—abhor—truly hate what is wrong with and in the world—anything that destroys human life…attempts to dismantles the goodness of God in humanity and creation.
— To hate in this way, is to deny negativity access to our emotions…and our relationships…
We dismantle evil/wrong/bad…by holding on tightly to what is GOOD!
“The word cleave means to join or fasten together, to attach, to cement or glue together.
Mark 10:7 “7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,”
The reason Mary clung to Jesus after his resurrection…
(S8)
Stay positive by…CLINGING to what is Good!
Stay positive by…CLINGING to what is Good!
What is the good…? What can we embrace/cling to, to stay positive?
DELIGHTin lifting others up (honor, respect)
12:10
— EMPATHETIC LISTENING (rooted in compassion)—Fosters GOOD in relationships
Why God gave us two ears and one mouth
2. Spiritual ENTHUSIAM
12:11-13
— Serving, rejoicing, enduring, praying, helping others
3. BLESS those who hurt, those who have less…
12:14-15
The phrase…”hurt people hurt people— “hurt people still hurt” (Thomas)
An optimism of grace, when we bless others, it brings healing and hope to the hurting.
Malachi 4:2 ““But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.
The believer is to hold tightly, or attach oneself to Gods goodness and detach oneself from negativity
— It means giving up…putting away…doing less of…
Want to stay more positive? DELIGHT in lifting others up…Measure your spiritual ENTHUSIASM…and BLESS…the hurting
— CLING to WHAT is GOOD!
(S9)
16 Think the same thing toward one another; do not think arrogantly, do not be wise in your own sight. 17 Pay back no one evil for evil. Take thought for what is GOOD in the sight of all people
Staying Positive starts with what you THINK about..
Cure for foot and mouth disease (Guys)
What if you were to monitor your thoughts…write them down…?
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he
Think about a pile of poop…you will get…think about a horse…
(S10)
Stay positive by…thinking MORE of what is Good!
Stay positive by…thinking MORE of what is Good!
What consumes your mind, tends to control your life? Whatever you think about tends to direct your life. In other words, the life that you have, is generally a reflection of the thoughts that you think. Proverbs tells us this, that as a man, or as a person thinks in his heart, so he becomes.
“Your life is generally moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts”
If I tend to think the worlds is always in trouble, I can't trust anyone, or I hate my circumstances, I’m probably not gonna get to the end of that day and go, "Wow, this was the best day ever."
If you wake up with a bad attitude and a bad perspective and a bad filter, and you see everything through a pessimistic lens, it will tend to direct your life. Pastor Groeschel
What controls your mind, controls your life.
Ever gotten caught up in a conversation that was going anywhere but good?
Paul is saying, seeking peace in your conversations stats with what you think…do not payback or retribution! God will take care of those who don’t seek his good…
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Thinking more of what is good benefits you, your attitude, and those around you. Want to stay positive? Think MORE of what is good—A whole book full of Good
(S11)
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with GOOD.
Be an OVERCOMER—one who defeats negativity (anything wrong…) with GOOD! It begins by understanding that we are in the fight of our life and for the life's of others! (not talking politics)
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(S12)
Stay positive by…being both HEAVENLY minded, and EARTHLY Good!
Stay positive by…being both HEAVENLY minded, and EARTHLY Good!
“Because of God’s good news a believer going through bad stuff knows that God will do one of two things: either remove the trial or deliver them through the trial. They know they do not have to face any circumstance alone, that no situation is hopeless.”
The believer is the eternal optimist: his hope is in the eternal God.
Sometimes we too easily surrender…to give in…throw up our hands in defeat…
I passed a sand lot yesterday, some kids were playing ball I strolled along the third base line within the fielders call “Say, what's the score?" I asked. He yelled to beat the stuffing, “There's no one out, the bases full, They're winning forty-two to nothing!" “You're getting beat, aren't you my friend?" And then in no time flat He answered, "No, sir, not as yet! Our side hasn't been up to bat!" Source Unknown.
Pessimism is like…Trapped Bee’s in a Jar with no lid—they will not look up
—Jesus and the Pharisees…his parables seemed non-confrontational
—Jesus in the upper room…sounded like surrender to the disciples
—Jesus on the cross…looked like defeat to onlookers
—Jesus at his ascension…seemed hopeless as he left his disciples looking up…
Note what Jesus did. He lifted their eyes and shifted their thoughts. He spoke of His Father’s house, a prepared place and his promised return.” Max Lucado
He was both HEAVENLY-minded and earthly GOOD!
Romans 8:37 “37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Staying positive is a conquest for the goodness of God in the world and for the goodness that awaits; a place prepared in a heavenly home.
How do we stay POSITIVE/OPTIMISTIC in a world filled with negativity?
(S13)—
Starve our fears (negativity) and feed our faith (Good)!
Starve our fears (negativity) and feed our faith (Good)!
Closing
Have you have had ENOUGH of the negativity ALREADY…then get your POSITIVE on! Let the ‘optimism of grace’—the sincere perfect love of God be the GOOD in your life!
— Stay positive by…CLINGING to what is Good!
— Stay positive by…thinking MORE of what is Good!
— Stay positive by…being both HEAVENLY minded, and EARTHLY Good!
It is having an unwavering expectation that our loving God is working in every situation for our good! Like looking for the pony in a pile of manure
You can discover a whole lot to smile about if you know where to look! You only need to put your trust in Jesus—The goodness of God