Above and Beyond III
Above and Beyond III; Holy in Love; nv 8/20/06 am
OS: 1 I’ll never forget the camping/canoeing trip that I took with my older brother and best friend – Things got a bit out of hand – It’s amazing what can come over a fellow when he’s out in the woods. We never come to actual blows, just pushing and shoving a bit. At one point I thought we would have to break into 3 different camps. All over a loaf of bread. But it was good bread. Suddenly it wasn’t like we would go home the following evening, it was like this is the last loaf of bread on the planet, and I’m going to starve if I don’t get it – This demon of selfishness just came in a took over our camp. We counted the slices with hands that spent the day fishing. We almost lost control when someone brought up a question about the end pieces – I think we settled on counting them as a slice and a half. We hardly slept that night for watching that loaf of bread. We could have made a commercial for Sunbeam and made a lot of money. Then morning came and eventually we were taking out of the river, loading up the gear, and there was that loaf of bread only half eaten. How could we have been so selfish? Yes, we were just born selfish…and it’s hard to grow out of.
(Babies) :Some years ago the MINNESOTA CRIME COMMISSION released this statement: ‘Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish, and self-centered. He wants what he wants when he wants it – his bottle, his mother’s attention, his playmate’s toys, his uncles’ watch. Deny him these once, and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness, which would be murderous were he not so helpless. He is, in fact, dirty. He has no moral, no knowledge, no skills. This means that all children – not just certain children – are born delinquent. If permitted to continue in the self-centered world of his infancy, given free reign to his impulsive actions, to satisfy his wants, every child would grow up a criminal – a thief, a killer, or a rapist.’
SOMEONE HAS TO GROW UP “We’re all selfish. Selfish to the core. God sometimes chooses to deal with our selfishness by giving us someone to care for who is infinitely more selfish than you. Babies are not only the cutest creatures on the face of the earth, they are by far the most selfish. Farrar goes on to write: “The way God deals with my own selfishness is to give me someone to serve who has zero interest in serving me. You can’t tell me that God doesn’t have a sense of humor. Not too many people in the world could out-selfish me one-on-one. But every time we’ve had a baby, I’ve met my match. Each of my kids resembled me. I don’t mean they looked like me, I mean they were as selfish as me. That meant that somebody in the family was going to have to grow up. Guess who was nominated?" Momma (just kidding)
I. 2 Becoming self-less is what growing up and maturing is all about.
A. God helps us with this by giving us children.
1. Why else would you be sitting in the bathroom at 2 in the morning with the shower running – while you hold your child who’s struggling to breath. (or refrigerator/ or outside / or in tub for a bath / etc.)
B. Just because we age doesn’t mean we don’t struggle with self.
1. It’s okay – don’t leave down and out today – it is normal.
2. Leave with a renewed sense of effort towards selfless ness.
C. Dear God, So far today I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, I haven’t lost my temper, I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or over-indulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot of help. Amen
II. Here’s the catch – overcoming self is foundational for living to please God, for living above and beyond, for living a better life.
A. You can strive to be selfless for selfish reasons…almost. (Golden Rule)
B. A fascinating study on the principle of the Golden Rule was conducted by Bernard Rimland, director of the Institute for Child Behavior Research. Rimland found that 3 "The happiest people are those who help others."
Each person involved in the study was asked to list ten people he knew best and to label them as happy or not happy. Then they were to go through the list again and label each one as selfish or unselfish, using the following definition of selfishness: a stable tendency to devote one’s time and resources to one’s own interests and welfare--an unwillingness to inconvenience one’s self for others."
In categorizing the results, Rimland found that all of the people labeled happy were also labeled unselfish. He wrote that those "whose activities are devoted to bringing themselves happiness...are far less likely to be happy than those whose efforts are devoted to making others happy" Rimland concluded: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
C. So, if you’re having problems coping with life what we talk about today, if practiced could change your life drastically for the better.
1. How much is enough? How much is too much?
2. How do we really know our motives?
3. Isn’t there something to living pleasing to God for selfish desires to go to heaven?
III. 4 Series - #3 Above and Beyond – Paul is sharing the basic fundamental foundations of living the Christian life for a very young church.
A. Faith, hope and love – Last week we took a different approach and considered Paul’s methods for ministry – God #1, Share life,
B. Today we skip down to the instruction part of this letter
1. Timothy has visited - Paul has established his connection with them in chapters 1 -3 - Now he gives them some instruction.
2. 3:11-13 (transition – here is what we will talk about now – holiness, love, and the coming of Jesus.)
TS] TEXT – 5 6 7 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
US] Live to please God by growing more and more in the practice of…
I. 8 Holy Living
A. Here Paul deals with just one aspect of holiness – evidently Timothy had told him some things that needed to be taught.
1. Sexual relations in any form outside of marriage are not pleasing to God.
2. Remember what Jesus said, (above and beyond) :Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
3. Our culture doesn’t believe in one woman for one man, but remember last week? – Who are we trying to please?
4. As far as we may think our culture has come we still havn’t steped as low in this area as the Greek culture of Thessalonica in Paul’s day.
B. Holy – “set-apart” (sexual relations with only your mate) Holiness involves more than sexual sin mentioned in our text.
1. A good definition of living holy is : Selflessness.
2. The root of all my struggle and sin is self.
a. 9 James 1:13-15, When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
b. Ephesians 4:22, You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
c. Romans 6:6, For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
d. Colossians 3:9, Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
C. 10 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 “...Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Basics of what it means to be holy…
1. We are made holy by God.
2. We do not earn holiness, but live as holy.
3. We affect our standing with God through our actions. (2 Cor. 5:10)
4. To rest content and self-satisfied with an unholy life is to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Cor. 6:1-2)
5. Holiness is an ongoing process of spiritual growth. (“perfecting) Phil 3 – Paul – I’m not there yet… but I press on…
a. Initially – get rid of groups of unholy previous old self stuff
b. Then – one at a time.
c. Eventually – “Lord, show me what is amiss in my life”
d. Illustrate – An agitator in a washing machine is there to separate dirt from clothes – Holy Spirit is the agitator of our heart.
TS] Please God? – Holy Living
II. 11 Love Living
A. A good definition of love is Selflessness.
1. Love is acted out through selflessness.
2. Every problem in every marriage and family is somehow tied to selfishness.
3. Love is when we take joy in doing what is best for another even though we have to sacrifice.
B. Notice, “do so more and more.”
1. Northview is a loving church, do so more and more.
2. Comments -visitors, -people at the hospital & hospice.
TS] To live to please God, above and beyond, live holy / love God and others. All hinges on selflessness.
III. 12 Here is what I want you to leave with this morning.
A. The entire scope of Christian living is wrapped up in the dieing to self.
1. 13 John 12:24-26, I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
B. Jesus set the example (Death, Burial, Ressurection)
1. Jesus in the Garden – “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
2. 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
C. Our journey is like His:
1. Begin (Death, Burial, Resurrection)
2. Romans 6:3-7, Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
a. Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
D. Problems? Selfishness is the cause.
1. Hard to swallow - It is difficult to know ourselves.
2. A preacher stopped in the local barber shop for a shave and haircut to find the barber hung over from a heavy weekend. He endured the shaking hand but when the shave was over decided a brief sermon was in order. "Look at this cut on my throat!" he exclaimed. "And this one by the ear, and this other one on my upper lip, it might have cost me my nose. And all due to whiskey!" The barber replied, "You're right, Preacher, drinking does make the skin very tender."
3. 14 God has a better life in store for you…the catch? You’ve got to be willing to give it up.
4. That’s what it means to live holy, and live a life of love – God knows that’s a whole lot better way to live.
If Jesus were to come back right now are you sure beyond a shadow of a doubt you’d go live with Him for eternity?
Baptized into Christ?
Given up the battle – not perfection, but an ongoing state of perfecting.