Standing Tall | EVERGREEN
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Introduction
Introduction
WELCOME LIVE STREAM
Week two of our series Evergreen
Last week we talked about Growing Deep
Forgiven, Free, Forever
This forms the foundation for growing deep.
If we are to remain evergreen, it starts with an understanding that our identity is cultivated in the truth of who God is and what He has done on our behalf.
>>> It is by growing deep that we are able to stand tall.
Too often we want to stand tall, to be someone, to be recognized, without undergoing the process of growing deep. Then, when the winds of life begin to blow our roots aren’t deep enough to keep us grounded. [PICTURE - Tree downed by Hurricane Florence]
You’ve all seen or heard of these individuals. Individuals who soared to the top and, just as quickly, came crashing down because their roots weren’t deep:
Athletes who have gone bankrupt
Celebrities who have committed suicide
Politicians who have failed morally
Executives who have laundered money
Pastors who have sacrificed their character in pursuit of larger attendance
>>> This morning I want to help you learn how to stand tall, even when the gale force winds blow against you.
Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands. Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes, firs will grow in place of nettles; they will be a monument to the Lord, a permanent reminder that will remain.
You were made to be evergreen. To display life in dry spaces. Even so, many of us look at our lives today and would admit that we are a lot things, but evergreen isn’t one of them.
Thorns? Got ‘em.
Nettles? Yup.
Ever..green… ?
Ever..green… ?
Polarized Glasses
-[IMAGE] Greens are greener. Images are sharper. Glares are eliminated.
-It’s amazing how much detail these lenses bring to life.
-Images are sharper
>>> I think many of us look at life through another set of lenses. Like polarized sunglasses, these lenses help shape the way we see the world. How we see our life, our career, our relationships… It what leads us to believe that it’s always greener somewhere else.
“WHAT IF?” LENSES [IMAGE]
“WHAT IF?” LENSES [IMAGE]
These lenses have “What if?” inscribed across the front.
What if I...
Had a marriage like that?
Drove a car like that?
Had the connections they do?
Had the talent he has?
Looked like she does?
Had the kind of money they have?
What if… What if… What if…
Filtering our lives through these lenses leaves us discouraged and discontent.
Always Greener — Elsewhere
Always Greener — Elsewhere
This mindset, that it is always greener elsewhere, has some pretty serious side-effects. They’re not always easy to see and identify, especially within us, because they come so naturally and the consequences usually don’t cause physical harm. Yet, we’re shedding leaves and dying out.
Three Consequences of the Always Green Mindset:
Never leads to joy
As I constantly compare my life to others, I hinder my ability to recognize God’s favor in my life.
I’ll never be content with my car as long as I’m comparing it to Ron or Kyle’s truck.
Makes me the victim
Gives me permission to stop taking responsibility for my life.
I’ll convince myself that they just have better soil and I wasn’t meant to live a life of joy.
Robs us of life
The shadow of greener grass is discontentment
The shadow of greener grass is discontentment
As soon as we see someone else that is happy, we immediately discover something they have that we never knew we needed.
As soon as we see someone else that is happy, we immediately discover something they have that we never knew we needed.
Ladies — Target
Men — Home Depot
Me — Starbucks
The Problem of Discontentment
The Problem of Discontentment
In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, He illustrates four different responses we can have to the Word of God.
Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.
Like us, the disciples that followed Jesus, wanted some clarification. So, after pulling Jesus aside, He explains:
The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
mark 4:
In one word, these individuals were “discontent.”
They were discontent with their lot in life
Not enough talent, etc...
They were consumed with the worries of life
Emails!! Bills, retirement, overloaded schedules, etc.
They were drawn towards what they didn’t have
More money, more stuff. Newer, bigger, faster, better.
Their desires were focused in all the wrong places
It’s exhausting to constantly desire what you cannot have
We miss the blessings right in front of us
Timothy Keeter - “The desires that rule in our hearts are directly linked to our behavior.”
But let’s not forget the main emphasis of Jesus’ teaching. Not only did these actions have an adverse effect on their satisfaction with life, but it also caused the Word of God to be choked out.
Our discontentment will cause us to miss the provision of God in our lives. To miss His leading and directing. It will cause us to be blown about and wither away.
Saul’s Discontentment
Saul’s Discontentment
We just finished up our summer series on Samuel and a large part of our summer was spent following David as he ran from King Saul’s vicious attacks. To illustrate how powerful discontentment is, I want to take you back to the genesis of Saul’s problem with David.
The Israelite army was in battle with the Philistines
On opposite sides of the Valley of Elah, Goliath, the Philistine giant, would come out and taunt the Israelites day after day
The entire nation of Israel, including King Saul, was paralyzed by their fear.
Then David, a young shepherd boy from Bethlehem, shows up to drop off a cheese tray to his brothers and hears Goliath’s taunts.
David quickly had enough with Goliath running his mouth and volunteers to kill the vile giant
Saul says, “Ah, What the heck!?” and off David goes.
Kills the giant with a single blow to the forehead and then cuts off his head
After defeating the fleeing Philistine army, it is time for the men of Israel to return home.
6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. 7 This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” 8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”
6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.”
What on earth is Saul talking about? Who jumps from lyrics in a song to “They’ll make David king”? The lyrics probably just rhymed!
Saul should have been thanking David. “That thing you did back there with the giant, yeah, that was great. Thank you so much.”
Instead, Saul pokes his head up over the fence and says, “Look how much greener it is over there. David has everything! The people like him so much more than they like me. He’s funny, has a great sense of humor, his handy, has a steady job...”
SAUL — YOU’RE THE KING OF ISRAEL!
It is from this moment that Saul begins to his pursuit of David.
Do not sow your desires in another’s garden, but cultivate well your own. Do not desire to be what you are not, but desire to be very well what you are; occupy your thoughts in making that perfect, and in bearing the crosses, little or great, which you will meet. -Francis de Sales
What’s your want?
What’s your want?
Here’s where most of us get stuck...
As soon as I get _____________, then I’ll have what I want.
Fill in the blank. Out of debt, a better job, get married, get unmarried, have kids, get these kids out of the house, etc...
What is underneath your want?
An insatiable appetite for more
An insatiable appetite for more
>>> I believe that every one of us have an upgrade in satisfaction that is available to you that you can experience in this life. An upgrade in relational fulfillment, in joy, in peace, in purpose. But I don't believe that boat is going to help you find it. That job isn't going to help you find it. Getting married/divorced isn't going to help you find it. This upgrade comes from learning to trust your Heavenly Father.
Two Kinds of Contentment (World’s vs God’s)
Two Kinds of Contentment (World’s vs God’s)
World -
Definition: in a state of peaceful happiness.
By very definition, contentment is a state. A state that is dependent on our circumstances.
Aim: My happiness.
Method: Variety of pursuits.
Source: Me, others, created things.
Result: Empty. Unsatisfied.
God -
Aim: God's pleasure.
Aim: God's pleasure.
Method: Knowing and glorying in the person and works of God
Method: Knowing and glorying in the person and works of GodSource: Creator GodResult:
Source: Creator God
Result:
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Learning to be Content
Learning to be Content
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:10-
This is an odd way to say “Thank you.”
Hey guys, thanks for FINALLY being concerned about me again.
I appreciate the help, but I didn’t really need it.
The Apostle Paul says that, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”
This is an odd statement for a guy to make while in prison.
Especially when you take his credentials into account:
4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
Paul’s upbringing was impeccable.
He went to the best schools, wore the best clothes, hung out with cool crowd.
Now listen to this shift...
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
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Now Paul finds himself in prison, he’s been shipwrecked, beaten, jailed, and yet proclaims, “Not that I was ever in need.”
How can Paul say something so outlandish!?
Because he has learned to be content.
There is nothing in hunger, or thirst, or nakedness, or peril, to invite our contentment. If we are content under such circumstances, it must be from higher motives than our condition itself affords. — C. H. Spurgeon
C. H. Spurgeon
He will never attain to perfection who will not labor to be satisfied with this: that all his natural and spiritual desires should be satisfied in the absence of everything which is not God. This is most necessary for an abiding peace and tranquility of spirit. -John of the Cross
He will never attain to perfection who will not labor to be satisfied with this: that all his natural and spiritual desires should be satisfied in the absence of everything which is not God. This is most necessary for an abiding peace and tranquility of spirit. -John of the Cross
It is this confidence that enables Paul to declare, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength!”
Paul then states:
19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
php 4:
I appreciate the gift you Philippians sent over, but wether or not you send your gift, I know who my source is.
I appreciate the gift you Philippians sent over, but wether or not you send your gift,
You see, you can’t the Source confused with the supply.
So whether I have plenty or little, whether I am full or running on empty, I know that my God shall supply ALL of MY needs according to HIS glorious riches.
Discontentment Proves:
But Paul isn’t talking about his need here. He thanks the Philippians for gift and then says, my God shall supply all of YOUR needs.
Fear, a lack of trust, pride, self-reliance
Contentment Proves:
Trust in the will of God, faith in the provision of God, reliance on strength of God
A Psalm of David
A Psalm of David
A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
The truth for those who are in Christ is that it is always greener where God is. He leads us to rest in green meadows. And there He renews our strength. He protects and comforts us. So we have no need to be afraid. We have no reason to turn aside from the presence of God.
The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
Isa 55: