Sermon Series: Stop Chasing Waterfalls: Protecting Our Souls from Identity Theft (2)
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SERMON: Stop Going to the Prison of Trying to Be Perfect
SERMON: Stop Going to the Prison of Trying to Be Perfect
ILLUSTRATION
DEFINITION
· as good as it is possible to be
· free from any flaw or defect; faultless:
· to be exactly right:
· perfectionism can be described as allegiance to and occupation with becoming perfect. Included in this definition are a heartfelt commitment and life investment in pursuit of a state of perfection.
·
While it is possible to get a perfect score in Math it is impossible to get a perfect score in life
Yet we live in the tyranny of seeking to be perfect
Although God has called us to freedom, do you find yourself striving for unattainable goals, never reaching them, and, therefore, never ever being fulfilled? I am speaking of your relationship with the Lord.
BUT THE PURSUING OF BEING PERFECT IS BAD BECAUSE BEING PERFECT IS NOT POSSIBLE
· Gives some ideas
· Current social ideas
THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION IS SPIRITUALLY DEBILITATING BECAUSE IT
I. What Does the Prison of Trying to Be Perfect Produce?
I. What Does the Prison of Trying to Be Perfect Produce?
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
A. A SELF-RIGHTEOUS SPIRIT
A. A SELF-RIGHTEOUS SPIRIT
But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
a. AND SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS SPIRITUAL SELF-SABATAGE
B. A CRITICAL SPIRIT
B. A CRITICAL SPIRIT
But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
PERFECTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HINDER GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS
A critical spirit ONLY recognizes the faults of others: unrighteous judgment
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Graves: “People know you are Not perfect but they expect you to be”
C. A VICTIMOLOGY SPIRIT
C. A VICTIMOLOGY SPIRIT
But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
TRANSITION
But in all of this Jesus tells us something seemingly contradictory:
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
II. HOW DO WE DEAL WITH JESUS’ COMMAND TO BE PERFECT
II. HOW DO WE DEAL WITH JESUS’ COMMAND TO BE PERFECT
A WE TRUST IN THE ONE WHO IS PERFECT
A WE TRUST IN THE ONE WHO IS PERFECT
But as a rule, perfectionism nearly always has its roots in our desire for acceptance and fear of rejection.
KNOWING THAT I AM NOT PERFECT IS A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO NO LONGER GUAGE MY LIFE ON ALL OF MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: BUT TOTALLY AND EXCLUSIVELY ON CHRIST.
WHY?
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
ALL THAT I HAVE DONE, ALL THAT I CAN ACCOMPLISH: EVEN AT THE BEST OF MY BEST: IS DUNG; DOO DOO
IN ONE WORD: EMPTY! ALL OF ITS BEAUTY AND ALL OF ITS PRAISE FROM OTHERS, PAUL SAW IT NOW AS EMPTY:
ILLUSTRATION
DRIVING SAW A MAN STRANDED - BEAUTIFUL BMW
AS I WALKED TOWARDS THE MAN I SAID: “THIS IS THE LAST CAR I THOUGTH ID SEE STRANDED.” HE SAID, AND THINK, I JUST GOT IT THIS WEEK. I SAID IT’S A BEAUTIFUL CAR. WHAT HAPPENED? HE SAID: I RAN OUT OF GAS”
THE NAME
THE BRAND
THE COLOR
THE LEATHER SEATS
THE NEWNESS OF THE CAR
NONE OF THAT MATTERED: HE HAD NO GAS AND, THEREFORE COULD NOT MOVE: HE NEEDED HELP
WHEN PAUL SAW JESUS HE PAUL RAN OUT OF GAS
all of his work
all of his achievement
all of it went out of the window: it did not matter becauSe Paul was out of Gas - spiritually and morally.;
HE NEEDED HELP; HE NEEDED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST
SO DO WE IF GOD DEMANDS PERFECTION BUT SINCE
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
PAUL WANTS TO BE FOUND IN HIM! IN CHRIST
B. LIVE AS NEVER ARRIVING BUT ALWAYS STRIVING
B. LIVE AS NEVER ARRIVING BUT ALWAYS STRIVING
Paul says in Phil 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul, in effect is saying: THOUGH I AM NEVER ARRIVING TO PERFECTION IN THIS LIFE, I PRESS ON, I STRIVE TOWARDS THE GOAL, THE MARK - THE PERFECTION OF CHRIST!
WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON CONSISTENCY NOT PERFECTION
WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON CONSISTENCY NOT PERFECTION
Not being perfect drives you to do the best you can not to be mediocre (life, real and with the Lord)
i. ILLUSTRATION: Love golf- can’t be perfect BUT that drove me to dig hard and practice very meticulously until I overcame some challenges.
C. WE JUST TAKE THE NEXT STEP
C. WE JUST TAKE THE NEXT STEP
PERFECTION IS THE ENEMY OF EXECUTION
PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS
the artist who never paints thinking of the perfect portrait
the author who never writes, consumed with the getting it all right
the person who never accepts Christ or confesses to Christ consumed with if they are worthy of acceptance or if their confession is perfect
But what if I told you that, where you are, now and who you are now is not in the equation of being accepted by the Lord.
a. What if I told you that the Lord is not looking for you to do but rather, to admit
b. What if the Lord is near to those – not who simply do but fiercely near to those who admit
i. Admit that they are not enough?
ii. Admit that they are not okay?
iii. Admit that they are not strong?
iv. Admit that they are not PERFECT?
i. We don’t make a move until we can make a perfect move
ii. We don’t read the Bible until we feel ready to ready
iii. We don’t pray until we feel God will hear us
But Don’t worry about the second step
Don’t be concerned about the final step
Don’t be focused on when or if you will get there
JUST TAKE THE NEXT STEP
1. Don’t worry about what life with Christ will look like – Just take the step toward Him
2. Don’t worry if you will read the Bible every day this week – just take the next step to read today
3. Don’t worry if you are praying right or not – just take the next step