Values Steer the Ship
Notes
Transcript
Values Steer the Ship
Values Steer the Ship
16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
According to Harvard Business Review:
Even though self-awareness—knowing who we are and how we’re seen—is important for job performance, career success, and leadership effectiveness, it’s in remarkably short supply in today’s workplace. Researchers have found that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10 to 15% actually are. Un-self-aware colleagues aren’t just frustrating; they can cut a team’s chances of success in half and lead to increased stress, decreased motivation, and higher turnover.
https://hbr.org/2018/10/working-with-people-who-arent-self-aware
How does this business summary relate to the church?
It describes how we can and will be effective for the kingdom of Christ if our priorities do or do not line up with the Word of God.
So many think they are one way, but when push comes to shove, the true status of the heart becomes obvious. Are you really aware of your priorites? It really affects every avenue of our life. We need to be self-aware of who we are in Christ. We need to make sure every aspect of our life reflects His love and sacrifice; His glory and mercy.
Here is an I-beam between Brandon and myself. It is 25 feet long.
Brandon, would walk across this for beam for $50?
No real danger. It is on the ground. It is pretty safe.
Gabe and Andrew, would you please come up here? Ok, young men, hold up the plank. These young men are over 6 feet tall. Now Brandon, would you be willing to walk across this for $100? You know what, I up it to $300, will you walk across for $300? If you are uncomfortable with that, I will add a safety net but then I only give you $100.
Brandon, I will give you, Shiloh, Chase, and Judah an all expense paid trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. But before you and the family can enjoy some sight seeing I have a job for you at the Petronas twin towers.
The twin towers have 88 floors and are 1483 feet tall. It is taller than the Empire State building by over 200 feet. Part way up the building, at the 41st and 42nd floor is a sky bridge. It is 558 feet from the ground. It is a double decker sky bridge and the tallest of it’s kind. The level at the 41st floor is for visitors and the level at the 42nd floor is for tenants. It has these arch legs which are 167 feet long and are bolted at the 29th floor. The bridge itself is not attached to either towers. It is 190 feet long and can sway as much as 10 inches in or out on either side.
Now the job. Well, the job is we need to attach this I-Beam to the top of the skybridge. We need to set it so it overhangs in the middle to help minimize the amount of rain hitting these windows during the monsoon. Once you get this attached, would you walk across the I-Beam for $500,000? Better yet, I will give you $1,000,000 tax free? Remember, if we stacked the church building on top of itself 10 times, it still would not reach the bridge. The bridge can sway as much as 10 inches on either side. There is no safety net. Will you do it?
Ok, now here comes the part of the Mr. Hyde of Pastor or the alternate personality. I am no longer asking you to walk across this I-Beam, but I am telling you to do it. In fact, if you do not do it, I am presently holding Judah over the side by one arm and I will drop him. He will fall 558 feet. What will you do now?
Brandon has just demonstrated that Judah is worth more to him than $1,000,000. In fact, Judah is worth more to him than his own life. This demonstrates Brandon’s governing values. They are governing his actions and his priorities. What are your governing values?
God demonstrated His governing values numerous times.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
My governing values.
God is number one in my life
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
2. My spouse is #2
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
3. My children are #3
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
4. The church is #4
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
If we are willing and obedient, we will be blessed.
If we refuse and rebel, we will be devoured.
Conclusion:
What are your governing values? What are the most important things to you? Are you realizing that maybe what you thought was a priority, really is not? Maybe you have made something a priority which it should not be. What direction is your ship sailing? Is it headed toward a closer relationship with the Lord, or is off course and needs to be put back on course. Today is your day to get back on course.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.