God's Heart #3 - Giving My Best
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Opening
Opening
2 weeks ago began this series we’re calling “God’s Heart” - a search into what brings us into the center of God’s heart.
What is it that makes him look on us with favor?
What is it that truly pleases him?
What is it that moves him to smile on us?
There are many great heroes in the bible, but only one that God called a “man after his own heart”,
But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
“Everything I want him to do”
God’s Heart #3
God’s Heart #3
The key to God’s heart is doing what he wants you to do - the operative word there being DOING.
So much of the church today presents God’s word as what NOT to do. In other words, can I be good enough? Have I stayed away from enough stuff?
And to tell the truth, I have to be careful as your pastor not to fall into that trap myself. Sometimes its far easier to condemn than to lift up. Its our fallen nature.
The “Negative” Trap
The “Negative” Trap
I’ve always had trouble – especially when raising my children – with making them feel inadequate. I know that Brad felt that nothing he did was ever good enough. It was always because I felt that he could do better – and I thought that I was encouraging him to do that. Instead, I was crushing him. I know I’ve done that with some church people as well.
The title of my message today started out to be “God’s Heart #3 - When Good Enough Isn’t Enough”.
How life-giving is that? NOT! What a dreadful thought: my “good enough” might not be good enough for God. Its pretty scary!
But you know what the truth is? My “good enough” just might not be enough! What I decide is “good enough” might fall short of God’s “everything I want him to do”.
So how do I take this “negative” and bring it to you in a positive light? By starting with this premise:
With God, its never about quantity, its always about quality.
God doesn’t evaluate us by HOW MUCH we do - he evaluates us by whether we’ve done our best.
And when we do our best, we find our way into his heart.
The problem arises when offer him our “good enough” instead of our best.
Look at this text:
“Suppose you have a male sheep or goat that does not have any flaws. And you promise to offer it to me. But then you sacrifice an animal that has flaws. When you do that, you cheat me. And anyone who cheats me is under my curse. After all, I am a great king,” says the Lord who rules over all. “The other nations have respect for my name. So why don’t you respect it?
Outline the sacrificial system
In other words, bring me your best. It doesn’t matter whether its a dove, a sheep, a goat or a bull - quantity doesn’t matter. Whether its your best does.
You see:
God doesn’t compare what I do to what others do. He compares what I do to what I could.
God looks at each one of us INDIVIDUALLY – in other words, he doesn’t compare us to others. He doesn’t compare our best to other’s best. Remember the woman who could only give 2 mites?
Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
It wasn’t HOW MUCH they gave. It was what they gave relative to what they COULD. Did they do their best?
The rich people gave far, far more than the widow, yet its obvious that the Lord thought more of her offering than theirs. Why? BECAUSE SHE GAVE HER BEST!
No Hype
No Hype
I know this is a very touchy subject. People get defensive when they are questioned about whether they’ve done their best.
And I know everyone is different - some never think they’ve done their best (I’m one of those), others always do. Others feel like their best isn’t good enough.
And I’ve had a very difficult time coming to grips with how to present this to you.
I don’t want to discourage you. What I want to do is encourage you.
I don’t want you to feel like you can never do enough for God. At the same time, I don’t want you to let him down either.
If your best is ALWAYS good enough for God, just how to you make sure its your best?
Ground Rules
Ground Rules
Look at yourself as God sees you
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t consider your past failures. Don’t think you can’t.
Story of Gideon.
Here’s the next one:
Do what you say you will do
When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow.
Your best is never incomplete. If you tell him that you are going to do something: DO IT!
I’m speaking to myself now. One year bible.
Don’t say no because you think you can’t
I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.
It all comes down to this, folks:
When I give my best to God, he does his best for me.
Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.