WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.419 So, what determines the impact that hardship has on our soul, on our faith? 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:12.660 And the first question that this psalm would have us ask is, 00:00:13.200 --> 00:00:15.320 Is God primary in your heart? 00:00:16.080 --> 00:00:18.519 Is God primary in your heart? 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:21.359 Is He the first thing? Is He the main thing? 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:25.120 Does He take priority over everything else in your heart? 00:00:25.500 --> 00:00:28.219 Over the last few months, I've actually learned a lot about myself 00:00:28.219 --> 00:00:31.359 and how I respond in the face of challenge and hardship. 00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:35.740 For instance, when COVID first hit back in March, 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:40.119 when we began to realize how big this thing was and how life-altering it was going to be, 00:00:40.539 --> 00:00:45.239 the first thing I did, my knee-jerk response, was to dive into the news, 00:00:45.500 --> 00:00:46.560 to dive into the internet. 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:50.659 And I just started voraciously reading everything I could get my hands on. 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:53.140 And it was only after the fact, weeks later, 00:00:53.379 --> 00:00:57.939 that I realized that my first response was not to go to my knees in prayer. 00:00:58.219 --> 00:01:00.519 My first response was to dive into the internet 00:01:00.519 --> 00:01:03.179 and to try to read as much as I possibly could. 00:01:03.740 --> 00:01:07.420 And as I've reflected about that in the subsequent weeks, 00:01:07.459 --> 00:01:10.719 I've realized that I think one of the things that I was trying to do there 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:13.700 and one of my patterns is that when I face hardship, 00:01:14.259 --> 00:01:15.799 it makes me feel out of control. 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:19.239 And so my knee-jerk reaction is to want to try to regain 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:21.280 as much of a sense of control as possible. 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:25.500 And for me, that often looks like trying to learn as much as I can 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:31.299 and get my mind around something so that I can then feel that I'm in control again. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.439 And so another way of saying this is what I've learned about myself is 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:38.740 when I face hardship, my tendency is to run to the God of control, 00:01:39.420 --> 00:01:41.700 to go to the altar of control, 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:47.280 and to put my hope in and to make that need for control primary in my life. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:49.200 And that's where I go for comfort. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.640 And so just realizing that about my own heart has been tremendously helpful. 00:01:54.620 --> 00:01:57.879 And so as we talk about idols, 00:01:58.460 --> 00:02:02.460 idols are anything that we run to for that sense of comfort, right? 00:02:02.939 --> 00:02:07.780 Idols are the things that we go to as a knee-jerk reaction when we face hardship. 00:02:07.780 --> 00:02:13.599 And so an idol is anything that we look to as a replacement for God. 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:19.139 Anything that we look to to give us things that only God can give us. 00:02:19.500 --> 00:02:22.800 And in Scripture, we see three ways that we can do this, 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.860 three sort of categories of idolatry. 00:02:26.580 --> 00:02:31.180 First, the first category is people can take anything, 00:02:31.620 --> 00:02:33.180 any ordinary thing out of life, 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:36.500 whether it's a thing or a person or a relationship or an idea, 00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:41.139 we can take ordinary things and turn them into idols that we worship. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:44.020 So we can do this with control. 00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:45.639 We can do this with money. 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:47.740 We can do this with politics. 00:02:48.300 --> 00:02:49.819 We can do this with success. 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:51.819 We can do this with our kids. 00:02:52.300 --> 00:02:57.599 We can take any ordinary thing and begin treating it like a God, 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:00.000 making it primary in our hearts. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:04.300 But there's a second category that this psalm draws our attention to 00:03:04.300 --> 00:03:07.120 that merits a little bit of reflection on our parts. 00:03:07.659 --> 00:03:14.620 In some cases, idols can actually have a real spiritual force behind them. 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:17.379 It's not just a cognitive thing. 00:03:17.780 --> 00:03:21.520 Idols can actually have a spiritual force behind them. 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:23.099 David says in verse 1, 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:25.840 Before the gods I sing your praise. 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:27.180 He says before the gods. 00:03:27.259 --> 00:03:28.460 Now what's he talking about there? 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:31.120 Well, there's various explanations for what he's talking about. 00:03:31.219 --> 00:03:34.180 But what we realize, if we take into account all of Scripture, 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:36.879 is that there are several places in the Bible 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:39.379 where Scripture seems to suggest 00:03:39.379 --> 00:03:42.900 that there are numerous supernatural beings 00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:45.759 that exist beyond our perception. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:47.859 That it's not just God and God alone. 00:03:47.860 --> 00:03:51.160 There are in fact all kinds of spiritual beings that exist, 00:03:51.480 --> 00:03:53.360 even though we can't perceive them. 00:03:53.480 --> 00:03:59.120 So for instance, Psalm 82 talks about God taking his place in the divine council. 00:03:59.580 --> 00:04:01.300 That's a very mysterious reference. 00:04:01.760 --> 00:04:04.100 Job makes a similar reference as well. 00:04:04.200 --> 00:04:05.480 And then when we look in the New Testament, 00:04:06.500 --> 00:04:08.980 Paul, a very well-known passage in Ephesians, 00:04:09.480 --> 00:04:13.000 Paul says there that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:17.800 but against the spiritual rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:20.759 So all of these would lead us to believe 00:04:20.759 --> 00:04:23.660 that there are actually spiritual beings, 00:04:23.840 --> 00:04:26.720 entities that exist and that impact human lives 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:29.220 and impact the world in various ways. 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:32.500 And so we need to recognize that some of our idols 00:04:32.500 --> 00:04:35.480 actually have a spiritual force behind them. 00:04:35.500 --> 00:04:38.720 In some cases, a malevolent spiritual force behind them. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:42.800 I think that there's a way in which things like anger, 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:44.600 rage and resentment, 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:46.460 things like fear, 00:04:46.459 --> 00:04:48.079 things like lust, 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:51.419 that these things can gain such a power over us. 00:04:51.479 --> 00:04:53.919 They can come to dominate us so much 00:04:53.919 --> 00:04:58.120 that we recognize that there's a spiritual force driving them. 00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:01.979 So this is another thing that we need to understand about idolatry. 00:05:02.359 --> 00:05:04.120 And then the third thing that we need to recognize, 00:05:04.179 --> 00:05:05.599 or a third form of idolatry, 00:05:06.039 --> 00:05:10.799 is this happens when we think that we are worshiping the true God of Scripture. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:17.699 And yet, in fact, what we've done is we have refashioned that idea that we have of God 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:20.259 into the kind of God that we would prefer to believe in, 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:21.579 that we would prefer to worship. 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:24.800 And so we've actually lost sight of the true God, 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:27.580 and we're worshiping a God of our own imagination. 00:05:28.280 --> 00:05:31.000 One of the things that we need to ask ourselves from time to time is, 00:05:31.180 --> 00:05:32.960 as I think about the God I believe in, 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:39.279 does that God just happen to agree with me on every major issue? 00:05:39.939 --> 00:05:41.899 So if you think about the God that you worship, 00:05:42.039 --> 00:05:46.459 does that God just happen to agree with you on every major issue? 00:05:46.539 --> 00:05:48.899 Do they share all of your social stances? 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:50.719 Do they share your political views? 00:05:51.159 --> 00:05:54.659 Does that God just happen to kind of align with you in all of those ways? 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:56.699 And then I would say, if that's the case, 00:05:56.939 --> 00:05:58.719 don't you think that's an odd coincidence? 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:03.640 That the infinite God of the universe who created the cosmos 00:06:03.640 --> 00:06:06.880 just happens to line up with you on every major issue? 00:06:07.380 --> 00:06:08.620 And if that's the case, 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:14.160 we need to recognize that we have probably recast God in our own image 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.880 rather than worshiping the God of Scripture. 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:19.660 And the thing that we need to recognize about idols is, 00:06:19.700 --> 00:06:20.600 the problem is, 00:06:21.260 --> 00:06:23.360 idols don't often look like idols. 00:06:24.200 --> 00:06:27.560 The problem with idols is they look exactly like God, 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:30.459 just without the parts that we don't like. 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:34.240 And so we need to be very discerning in, 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:36.680 when we worship God, 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:38.500 what God are we worshiping? 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:40.540 Are we worshiping the true God of Scripture? 00:06:40.980 --> 00:06:43.280 And if we want a strong soul, 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:45.980 if we want that kind of resilience in our faith, 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.560 the first thing that we need to make sure of 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.540 is that we're worshiping the true God 00:06:50.540 --> 00:06:52.199 rather than an idol, 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:53.699 something that we've turned into a God 00:06:53.699 --> 00:06:57.659 or some way that we have reimagined God 00:06:57.659 --> 00:06:59.019 to fit our liking. 00:06:59.579 --> 00:07:01.759 And so as David says in verse 2, 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:06.839 God has exalted His name and His word above all things. 00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:08.639 And so one of the places that we go to make sure 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:11.159 we're worshiping the God of the Bible is Scripture. 00:07:11.579 --> 00:07:14.240 And we want to compare our idea of God 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:16.620 with the way God has revealed His name 00:07:16.620 --> 00:07:19.339 and revealed His nature through His word. 00:07:19.339 --> 00:07:22.679 So this is the first thing that we see in this psalm 00:07:22.679 --> 00:07:24.239 and in David's life. 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:26.039 God was always primary. 00:07:26.239 --> 00:07:28.000 And any time that David fell into sin 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:29.579 or rebelled against God, 00:07:29.699 --> 00:07:31.459 it was always connected to the fact 00:07:31.459 --> 00:07:33.799 that God had ceased to be primary in his heart. 00:07:34.419 --> 00:07:36.339 The second thing that we see in this psalm, 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:37.879 the second question that we might ask is, 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.879 are God's purposes the aim of your life? 00:07:42.620 --> 00:07:45.439 Are God's purposes the aim of your life? 00:07:45.539 --> 00:07:46.639 David says in verse 8, 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.639 The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. 00:07:50.099 --> 00:07:53.839 Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:55.500 And I love this. 00:07:55.979 --> 00:07:57.379 No matter what David faced, 00:07:57.839 --> 00:07:59.459 whether it was in a time of flourishing 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:01.180 or a time of suffering, 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:03.039 in good times and hard times, 00:08:03.419 --> 00:08:06.259 David's starting place for making sense of his life 00:08:06.259 --> 00:08:08.899 was the assumption that no matter what, 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:12.419 God's purposes were unfolding in his life. 00:08:13.099 --> 00:08:15.300 No matter what the circumstances may be, 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:17.639 he knew God loves me, 00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:19.120 His steadfast love is with me, 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:22.920 and God's purposes are unfolding in my life. 00:08:23.300 --> 00:08:24.819 And that was the foundation 00:08:24.819 --> 00:08:26.620 of how he made sense of everything else. 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:27.840 And what's amazing is, 00:08:27.960 --> 00:08:29.300 that was David's assumption, 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:32.159 but David had no idea how God might use him. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.299 But we see much later in Scripture, 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:36.220 in Acts chapter 13, 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:38.340 Paul is preaching a sermon, 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:40.240 and he's recounting all of the ways 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:42.399 that God has worked throughout history. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:43.939 He's recounting the story of Israel. 00:08:44.659 --> 00:08:46.159 And at one point in this sermon, 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:47.179 in Acts chapter 13, 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:47.759 he says, 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:48.980 for David, 00:08:49.459 --> 00:08:51.860 after he had served the purpose of God 00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:53.159 in his own generation, 00:08:53.620 --> 00:08:56.100 fell asleep and was laid with his fathers. 00:08:57.659 --> 00:08:58.779 Isn't that fantastic? 00:09:00.319 --> 00:09:01.019 I love, 00:09:01.079 --> 00:09:02.879 it's one of my favorite places in Acts. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:05.699 He summarizes David's entire life 00:09:05.699 --> 00:09:06.899 with these words. 00:09:06.899 --> 00:09:09.240 He served God's purposes 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:10.939 in his own generation. 00:09:12.059 --> 00:09:13.860 It reminds me of people like Esther, 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:15.480 if you know the story of Esther. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:16.000 You know, 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:16.299 Esther, 00:09:16.579 --> 00:09:17.199 whom God, 00:09:17.259 --> 00:09:18.659 the most unlikely person, 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:20.360 whom God positioned 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:21.819 in the halls of power 00:09:21.819 --> 00:09:23.819 for such a time as this, 00:09:23.939 --> 00:09:25.120 so that she was able 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:26.340 to be used by God 00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:29.139 to save thousands of people 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:30.960 from being annihilated. 00:09:31.179 --> 00:09:33.120 She served God's purposes 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:34.779 in her own generation, 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:36.620 and then she was laid to rest. 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:38.519 And I gotta be honest, 00:09:38.580 --> 00:09:39.639 as I've thought about that 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:40.700 over the years, 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:42.120 man, 00:09:42.179 --> 00:09:43.419 I hope somebody says that 00:09:43.419 --> 00:09:44.399 about me when I die. 00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:47.799 I hope that after I am gone 00:09:47.799 --> 00:09:49.360 that people say, 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:49.840 you know, 00:09:49.899 --> 00:09:51.480 he served God's purposes 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:52.799 in his own generation, 00:09:53.060 --> 00:09:54.440 and then he was laid to rest 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:55.080 with his fathers. 00:09:55.240 --> 00:09:57.519 I hope people say that about me. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:09:58.860 I hope they don't say 00:09:58.860 --> 00:09:59.679 he spent all of his time 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:00.139 on his iPhone. 00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:02.360 I hope they say 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:04.200 he served God's purposes. 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:05.879 I can't imagine anything better 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:07.240 for somebody to say about you 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:08.700 after you pass away. 00:10:09.139 --> 00:10:09.740 And so the question 00:10:09.740 --> 00:10:11.019 that I want you to think about is, 00:10:11.220 --> 00:10:12.480 what do you hope 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:13.659 that people say about you? 00:10:15.299 --> 00:10:16.179 After you're gone, 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:18.320 after you're laid to rest, 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:20.460 how would you want somebody 00:10:20.460 --> 00:10:21.620 to summarize your life? 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:24.019 What would you want them 00:10:24.019 --> 00:10:24.860 to say about you? 00:10:25.220 --> 00:10:25.860 And so in other words, 00:10:25.939 --> 00:10:27.179 what is the aim of your life? 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:29.580 What are you focused on? 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:31.879 Another way of thinking about this, 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:32.840 or asking the question, 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:33.399 would be to say, 00:10:33.620 --> 00:10:35.040 how do you define success 00:10:35.040 --> 00:10:35.639 in your life? 00:10:36.500 --> 00:10:37.580 What's your definition 00:10:37.580 --> 00:10:38.980 of a life well lived? 00:10:39.180 --> 00:10:39.720 This is something 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:41.100 really worth thinking about. 00:10:41.220 --> 00:10:41.960 Because it's easy 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:42.879 to start going down 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:43.840 a path in life, 00:10:45.019 --> 00:10:45.840 aiming at the things 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:46.540 that we think 00:10:46.540 --> 00:10:47.660 that we should be aiming at, 00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:48.980 but never really taking 00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:50.139 the time to ask ourselves 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:50.920 and to ask the Lord, 00:10:51.240 --> 00:10:53.320 what does a life well lived 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:54.680 actually look like? 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:56.620 What am I actually aiming at? 00:10:56.680 --> 00:10:58.100 What does success mean? 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:00.019 Is a successful life, 00:11:00.560 --> 00:11:01.040 does that mean 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.099 being financially stable? 00:11:02.779 --> 00:11:03.439 And if so, 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:04.659 what does that mean? 00:11:04.719 --> 00:11:06.099 How much do you need 00:11:06.099 --> 00:11:06.659 in the bank 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:07.939 to feel financially stable? 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:09.779 Is a successful life, 00:11:09.839 --> 00:11:10.360 does that mean 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:11.019 that you get married? 00:11:11.779 --> 00:11:12.259 Does it mean 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:13.039 that you have kids? 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:13.639 Does it mean 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:14.240 that your kids 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:15.120 turn out well 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:16.799 and don't hate you too much 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:18.559 when they grow up? 00:11:19.439 --> 00:11:20.219 Does it mean 00:11:20.219 --> 00:11:21.299 that you get a PhD 00:11:21.299 --> 00:11:23.039 and then you've arrived? 00:11:23.439 --> 00:11:24.079 Does it mean 00:11:24.079 --> 00:11:25.379 that you make a difference 00:11:25.379 --> 00:11:26.539 and have a lasting impact 00:11:26.539 --> 00:11:26.959 in the world, 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:27.819 a kind of legacy? 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:30.580 What does a successful life 00:11:30.580 --> 00:11:31.320 actually mean? 00:11:31.379 --> 00:11:32.500 Is it just to be healthy, 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:34.020 free from suffering, 00:11:34.640 --> 00:11:35.920 happy, content? 00:11:36.520 --> 00:11:37.400 If you had to sit down 00:11:37.400 --> 00:11:37.940 and write it out 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:38.640 on a piece of paper, 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:39.980 how would you answer 00:11:39.980 --> 00:11:40.660 this question? 00:11:41.020 --> 00:11:41.760 Because the thing is, 00:11:41.820 --> 00:11:42.660 all of those things 00:11:42.660 --> 00:11:43.379 that I've just described, 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:44.360 they're all goals 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:45.100 that are good, 00:11:45.160 --> 00:11:46.060 that people aim at, 00:11:46.060 --> 00:11:47.660 that we hope we have, 00:11:47.920 --> 00:11:48.879 but none of those things 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:49.379 is guaranteed. 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:51.480 None of the things 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:52.000 on that list 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:52.840 are guaranteed. 00:11:53.280 --> 00:11:54.260 You might have money, 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:54.940 you might not. 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:56.280 You might be destitute. 00:11:56.560 --> 00:11:57.140 You might do all 00:11:57.140 --> 00:11:57.880 the right things 00:11:57.880 --> 00:11:59.400 and still be destitute. 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:01.640 You might be healthy, 00:12:02.680 --> 00:12:03.360 you might not. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:05.580 You might end up 00:12:05.580 --> 00:12:06.860 struggling with chronic pain 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:08.520 that you never thought 00:12:08.520 --> 00:12:09.300 that you would have 00:12:09.300 --> 00:12:09.860 to deal with. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:11.560 You might run every day 00:12:11.560 --> 00:12:12.320 and be super healthy 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:13.200 and eat all the right foods 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:13.920 and get cancer. 00:12:14.880 --> 00:12:15.920 None of these things 00:12:15.920 --> 00:12:17.020 are guaranteed. 00:12:17.260 --> 00:12:18.100 None of these things 00:12:18.100 --> 00:12:19.720 can we count on. 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:21.440 There's only one thing, 00:12:22.060 --> 00:12:22.620 in fact, 00:12:22.680 --> 00:12:23.360 as we think about 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.540 what is the aim of my life, 00:12:24.539 --> 00:12:25.919 there's only one real thing 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:26.799 that we can aim at 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:27.839 that is guaranteed. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:29.740 And that is, 00:12:29.819 --> 00:12:31.179 if the aim of your life 00:12:31.179 --> 00:12:33.259 is to serve God's purposes, 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:35.779 that is absolutely guaranteed. 00:12:36.339 --> 00:12:37.399 It will happen. 00:12:37.819 --> 00:12:39.439 If you want to give yourself 00:12:39.439 --> 00:12:39.879 to God 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:40.339 and you want to say, 00:12:40.419 --> 00:12:41.679 I want my life to be about 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:42.879 serving your purposes, 00:12:43.379 --> 00:12:46.099 God can and will use you. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.319 And it's a completely different way 00:12:48.319 --> 00:12:49.699 of thinking about life 00:12:49.699 --> 00:12:51.099 and it's a completely different way 00:12:51.099 --> 00:12:52.620 of defining success. 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:54.240 If you give your life to God, 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:55.259 just like David, 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:56.060 just like Esther, 00:12:56.180 --> 00:12:56.820 just like Moses, 00:12:56.940 --> 00:12:57.919 just like all of these people 00:12:57.919 --> 00:12:58.899 we read about in Scripture, 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.299 God can and will use you 00:13:01.299 --> 00:13:02.519 for His purposes. 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:04.720 And if that is your metric 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:05.560 for success, 00:13:05.680 --> 00:13:07.399 it makes all of the difference. 00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:08.960 Because whether you're rich 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:10.080 or poor, 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:11.299 whether you're single 00:13:11.299 --> 00:13:12.480 or married, 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:13.680 whether you have kids 00:13:13.680 --> 00:13:14.560 or don't have kids, 00:13:14.620 --> 00:13:15.340 whether you have a job 00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:16.100 that you love 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:17.500 or a job that you just tolerate, 00:13:17.899 --> 00:13:18.940 whether you're healthy 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:20.379 or you struggle with health issues 00:13:20.379 --> 00:13:21.159 all of your life, 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:22.860 no matter what your life looks like, 00:13:22.860 --> 00:13:24.460 the one thing that you can count on, 00:13:24.779 --> 00:13:26.279 the one thing that you know for sure 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.460 is that God is using 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:29.940 everything in your life 00:13:29.940 --> 00:13:31.139 to serve His purposes. 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:33.080 God doesn't waste any of it. 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:35.800 It all gets wrapped into, 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:37.340 woven into, 00:13:37.340 --> 00:13:39.399 this great unfolding tapestry 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:40.340 of history 00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:42.840 that is God's sovereign will. 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:44.620 And so here's the thing 00:13:44.620 --> 00:13:46.419 that we need to wrestle with. 00:13:46.419 --> 00:13:47.799 It could be 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:48.939 that the greatest 00:13:48.939 --> 00:13:50.120 you ever achieve 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:50.779 in your life 00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:51.679 is middle management. 00:13:53.059 --> 00:13:53.759 It could be 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:55.019 that that's as far as you get. 00:13:56.599 --> 00:13:56.799 You know, 00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:57.579 for those of us 00:13:57.579 --> 00:13:58.179 who are entering 00:13:58.179 --> 00:14:01.019 the kind of middle years of life, 00:14:01.059 --> 00:14:02.479 I think one of the biggest fears 00:14:02.479 --> 00:14:03.819 that many of us have, 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:05.360 the fear is not so much 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:06.240 a fear of failure. 00:14:06.699 --> 00:14:07.699 The fear is a fear 00:14:07.699 --> 00:14:08.419 of mediocrity. 00:14:09.779 --> 00:14:10.480 It's a fear 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:11.240 of only ever 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.419 being okay 00:14:12.419 --> 00:14:14.839 but never really 00:14:14.839 --> 00:14:16.219 being the best 00:14:16.219 --> 00:14:17.279 at anything. 00:14:17.699 --> 00:14:18.479 It's a fear 00:14:18.479 --> 00:14:19.559 of achieving 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:21.139 mediocrity 00:14:21.139 --> 00:14:22.219 and recognizing 00:14:22.219 --> 00:14:23.139 that's all I was able 00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:23.979 to do in my life. 00:14:24.979 --> 00:14:25.979 And maybe 00:14:25.979 --> 00:14:27.259 that's how the world 00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:27.779 sees you. 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:28.459 Maybe according 00:14:28.459 --> 00:14:29.799 to the world's economy 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:31.179 and the world's metrics 00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:31.899 for success, 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:33.360 that's how you get labeled. 00:14:34.319 --> 00:14:35.539 But let me tell you this. 00:14:36.459 --> 00:14:37.599 If you are the kind 00:14:37.599 --> 00:14:37.980 of person 00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:38.599 who has given 00:14:38.599 --> 00:14:39.599 your life to God 00:14:39.599 --> 00:14:41.399 and aimed your life 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:42.179 at God's purposes, 00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:44.059 when you pass away, 00:14:44.199 --> 00:14:45.699 when you are laid to rest 00:14:45.699 --> 00:14:46.659 as Scripture says, 00:14:47.339 --> 00:14:48.620 all of the hosts 00:14:48.620 --> 00:14:49.199 of heaven 00:14:49.199 --> 00:14:50.099 will sing out 00:14:50.099 --> 00:14:51.079 in praise to God 00:14:51.079 --> 00:14:52.599 as they welcome you home 00:14:52.599 --> 00:14:53.539 and they will cry out, 00:14:53.899 --> 00:14:54.699 there is one 00:14:54.699 --> 00:14:56.159 who served God's purposes 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:57.659 in their generation. 00:14:59.299 --> 00:15:00.479 All of the heavenly hosts 00:15:00.479 --> 00:15:01.019 will celebrate 00:15:01.019 --> 00:15:02.779 as you come home. 00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:05.019 They'll drown out 00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:06.079 the voices of the world. 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:07.939 And of course, 00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:08.980 the greatest example 00:15:08.980 --> 00:15:09.679 of this 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:11.620 is the cross itself. 00:15:11.620 --> 00:15:12.259 You know, 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:13.159 when Jesus Christ 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:13.899 allowed himself 00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:14.700 to be executed, 00:15:14.860 --> 00:15:15.440 there weren't people 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:16.440 standing around saying, 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:17.600 look at this example 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:18.100 of greatness. 00:15:18.340 --> 00:15:19.060 Look at this example 00:15:19.060 --> 00:15:19.560 of success. 00:15:19.700 --> 00:15:20.560 Look at how amazing 00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:21.519 this man is. 00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:22.720 Look at what he's willing 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:23.560 to do for the people 00:15:23.560 --> 00:15:24.019 he loves. 00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:25.700 No, nobody said that. 00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:27.440 No, he died 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.379 a common death 00:15:29.379 --> 00:15:31.200 of a common criminal 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:32.779 executed like a traitor 00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:33.379 to the empire. 00:15:33.899 --> 00:15:34.820 And that was it. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:36.259 And then everybody 00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:36.960 went home 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:38.500 and nobody celebrated. 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:40.320 And yet, 00:15:40.400 --> 00:15:41.580 in the eyes of heaven, 00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:43.580 as that happened 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:44.360 on the cross, 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:45.360 there were shouts 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:46.840 of joy and triumph 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:48.180 because finally, 00:15:48.540 --> 00:15:49.759 victory over sin 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:50.320 and death 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:51.180 had been won. 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:54.620 So we need to ask ourselves, 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:55.800 whose metrics 00:15:55.800 --> 00:15:57.680 define success for us? 00:15:57.820 --> 00:15:59.120 What are we aiming at? 00:15:59.160 --> 00:15:59.740 What is our life 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:00.440 really about? 00:16:00.580 --> 00:16:01.320 What voices 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:02.680 am I going to listen to? 00:16:02.780 --> 00:16:04.320 What are my priorities? 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:05.379 And you know, 00:16:05.460 --> 00:16:06.480 I know that there is 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:07.940 great hardship right now. 00:16:08.060 --> 00:16:08.780 I know that there's 00:16:08.780 --> 00:16:09.920 tremendous unrest. 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:11.640 I know that COVID-19 00:16:11.640 --> 00:16:12.379 has disrupted 00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:13.780 virtually every aspect 00:16:13.780 --> 00:16:14.379 of life. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:15.520 I know that there's 00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:16.500 political turmoil. 00:16:16.820 --> 00:16:17.480 I know that there's 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:19.140 deep social animosity 00:16:19.140 --> 00:16:20.040 and division. 00:16:20.160 --> 00:16:20.920 I know all of these 00:16:20.920 --> 00:16:21.540 things are true. 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:23.120 But there is also 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:24.360 an opportunity here 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:25.980 for us to completely 00:16:25.980 --> 00:16:27.100 re-examine 00:16:27.100 --> 00:16:28.220 what we are aiming 00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:28.980 at in life. 00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:31.660 What matters? 00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:33.840 And if you want 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:35.800 strength in your soul 00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:37.440 to be resilient 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:39.639 and to be the kind 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:40.240 of person that 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:41.600 when you face hardship 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.100 your trust grows, 00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:44.660 your faith grows. 00:16:44.800 --> 00:16:45.220 If you want to be 00:16:45.220 --> 00:16:46.100 that kind of person, 00:16:46.540 --> 00:16:47.540 first make sure 00:16:47.540 --> 00:16:49.000 that God is primary 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:49.800 in your heart 00:16:49.800 --> 00:16:51.800 and not some substitute 00:16:51.800 --> 00:16:53.580 God in His place. 00:16:54.300 --> 00:16:55.120 Put your faith 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:56.080 and your trust in Jesus. 00:16:57.220 --> 00:16:58.460 Exalt God's Word 00:16:58.460 --> 00:16:59.360 in your own life 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:00.340 the way God does. 00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:02.580 And then make 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:03.639 God's purpose 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:05.039 the aim of your life 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:06.519 so that no matter 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:07.400 what circumstances 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:08.460 you find yourself in 00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:09.000 you know 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:10.779 He is using me 00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:11.559 even now. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.960 If you do these things 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:15.000 no matter what may come 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:16.319 God will fulfill 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:17.220 His purposes 00:17:17.220 --> 00:17:18.120 in your life. 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:18.819 And one day 00:17:18.819 --> 00:17:19.740 when you have been 00:17:19.740 --> 00:17:20.880 laid to rest 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:22.319 until Jesus comes again 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:23.519 people will say of you 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:24.759 there is someone 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:26.000 who served God's purposes 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.279 in their own generation. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:29.240 Let's pray. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.440 Lord we thank you 00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:32.819 and 00:17:32.819 --> 00:17:36.200 we pray that 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:37.099 even as we 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:38.579 reflect on 00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:40.700 these words 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:41.420 and on 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:42.579 your people 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:43.839 whom we read about 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:44.339 in Scripture 00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:45.559 we pray that this 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:46.139 would give us 00:17:46.139 --> 00:17:47.000 the courage 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:47.799 to re-examine 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:48.619 our own lives 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:49.440 and our own hearts. 00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:51.359 That we would 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:51.859 have 00:17:51.859 --> 00:17:52.899 a vision 00:17:52.899 --> 00:17:53.700 of life 00:17:53.700 --> 00:17:55.019 that reflects 00:17:55.019 --> 00:17:56.379 your glory 00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:57.060 and reflects 00:17:57.060 --> 00:17:58.060 your purposes 00:17:58.060 --> 00:17:59.560 and that the voices 00:17:59.560 --> 00:18:00.100 of the world 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:00.680 and the metrics 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:01.280 of the world 00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:03.260 would be distant 00:18:03.260 --> 00:18:04.380 and that they would 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:06.220 fade in the light 00:18:06.220 --> 00:18:06.940 of your glory 00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:08.860 and your unfolding 00:18:08.860 --> 00:18:09.840 sovereign plan 00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:10.260 in the world. 00:18:10.420 --> 00:18:10.900 Lord we want 00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.080 nothing more 00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:12.980 than to be part of that 00:18:12.980 --> 00:18:14.180 and we pray this 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:14.680 in your Son's 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:15.260 holy name. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:15.640 Amen.