What is your why?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Congratulations to those who were accepted into the Honor’s society today
Thank you to pastor Cary, Pastor Jon, and Mrs. Finer for allowing me to speak this morning.
I hope this will be a challenging and encouraging talk about Christian Character that you can take and apply to your life today.
I’ve titled my challenge this morning “What is your why?
Why do you do what you do?
Why should you do what you do?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
What is the glory of God though?
God’s glory is all the He is and does.
As Christians, believers in the gospel, we are born for His glory.
So why do you do, what you do?
Why do you strive for the success in school that has lead your involvement in this organization?
Parents, why do you push your children to succeed at such a high level in their academics?
Our answer should be “To glorify God.” But is it?
In 2 Peter we see the Apostle writing to believers about the power of God in their life and the character traits it produces. I believe that these character traits, that each of you desire to posses do not truly manifest in our lives by the sure willpower we can give to making them apart of who we are.
Character comes from the Heart. The Heart is where God does His work.
Listen as I read a few passages from 2 Peter and hear the qualities he speaks about
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray
The divine power that Peter is writing about is from God and only accessible by faith in Jesus. Once we believe in the gospel, the death burial and resurrection of Christ, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit who enables us to live with the power of God to produce the traits you heard.
What are those traits? What do those words really mean?
Virtue - Excellence - Standard of excellence in all you, giving it your best. Striving for perfection, accepting failure and seeking improvement
Knowledge - As you study and go through life with excellence you should be seeking to increase in knowledge. Not just in your academic studies but knowledge of God. Best way to learn is through experience
Temperance- Self Control- Discipline
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit Is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Being here shows you have the disciple to do the school work but how are you spiritually? how is your attitude with your friends and parents? Your school work is important but if you graduate with a 4.5 gpa it is worthless if your heart is experiencing spiritual decay
4. Patience- Ability to endure- Some of you may find it easy to be here. Some of you may have to work hard with late nights and early mornings to get the work done required to be accepted into this organization. No matter which scenario you find yourself in you will face difficulties now or late in life. Faith produces patience, longsuffering, the ability to go through difficulty, the ability to make mistakes and bounce back. As your faith is tried in your pursuit of God’s will for your life it will work patience.
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
5. Godliness- God likeness- original Greek “Worships well”- This is a person that lives above the pettiness of life. Above the drama high school can bring and even into adulthood. You are living for the glory of God by passionately pursuing His will and His glory for your life disregarding the petty issues of the world that could distract you from Him.
6. Brotherly kindness - Philadelphia - Brotherly Love
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Not bullying, not thinking yourself better than another person. Lending a helping hand to those who may need academically and in life.
7. Charity-Love-Agape Love- A sacrifical love like Jesus.
Faith hope and love, the greates of these is love
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
You can be the valedictorian of your class, graduate college with a Doctorate and go on to have a successful career but if you do that without love, Paul says you are like a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal…annoying.
So what’s your why? Why do you do what you do? Why do you push yourself? Why do you strive for greatness in your academics?
I want to congratulate you students on your acceptance into the honor society. It is an achievement to be proud of.
However if your success has been accomplished without faith in Jesus, you have failed.
If your success has been done for your glory and not for His, you have failed.
So my challenge to you is this, If you want to truly succeed in life don’t just focus on your academics, obviously those are important, focus on Jesus. Passionately pursue knowing Him and experiencing a life filled with His power.
the overflow of your relationship with Jesus will produce the character traits Peter wrote about here.
Pray
