12 Sunday after Pentecost 8/18/07 Text: Philippians 3 Title: Help for the hurried life. Sermon 3

12 Sunday after Pentecost
8/18/2007
Text: Philippians 3
Title: Help for the hurried life. Sermon 3
Today begins the third week of “Help for the hurried life.” Before I start though I want to quickly review the difference between living a busy life and a hurried life. A busy life is getting up in the morning and doing all the things we do. Living a busy life is external.
A hurried life on the other hand is internal, not external. It is that feeling you get of being overwhelmed, being taken advantage of, being misused, being stressed out, feeling guilty, and hurried.
Jesus and Saint Paul lived very busy but unhurried lives. They knew their goal, their purpose in life and kept focused on it. That is something I believe all of us have problems doing, as we scurry off from place to place trying to pack everything into our day. That does not just apply to adults, but to teenagers and children. It is a way of life and needs to be gotten rid of as soon as possible, for it is destructive. It is not what God wants.
There are thousands of books on how to keep your busy life balanced, which by the way is impossible. The only way to live a balanced life is to keep added things to the other side of the scale until the weight gets too much and it crashes. I am sure, thousands of books written on how to take the guilt, the feelings of being taken advantage of, and the hurriedness out of you life. Few, if any can really help you in the long term.
For only God’s Word as it is given in the Bible can truly help you take the hurriedness out of your life and keep it out. Oh, you might still have a touch of it once in awhile, but when it happens, it will be short-lived for you will know what to do to get rid of it and once again start to live the life God wants you to live, trusting in him.
It is not hard in one sense to get rid of the hurriedness in your life, for God is very clear on the subject, but on the other hand it is hard, because you will be wrestling with not only your own sinful desires, but the sin and desires of the world as they try to get you to take your focus off of God and his desire for you.
That is why we are going through this series titled “Help for the hurried life.” I have had number of people, who are taking an active part in the series, tell me that they have learned a lot about how to live an unhurried life and they are looking forward to their new life in Christ.
Before we get started on chapter 3 of Philippians this morning I want to do a quick review of the first two chapters. In chapter one of Philippians we learned that, just like Paul, we are to rejoice in the fact that as Christians we are slaves to God. I know that sounds weird, but we are to rejoice, for just like Paul we rejoice because as slaves of God we know we can trust him in all parts of our lives.
We know that since he is our master that he has our best interests at heart. We know that he has set a goal for us, the goal of living for eternity with him, which, by the way, we are living in right now. We know that because he has given us our goal, we have a purpose.
In chapter two we discovered that purpose. He tells us that we are to serve others. That we are not to think of ourselves as being better than another. Now that is hard, for that sounds like we would then have low self-esteem, but that way of thinking comes from the world and not from God.
God would never give low self-esteem to those he loves. That is not his work, for when you live your life as he wants you to you have high self-esteem, for you know that you belong to him and him along and you follow his example of serving others.
We are told that he did not consider himself to be equal with God and Jesus certainly never suffered from low self-esteem, for he knew his goal, his purpose, and never took his focus off of it. There was certainly nothing in it for him, only pain and death.
As weird as it might sound you will never suffer from low self-esteem when you think of others as being better than you, for it is then that you are living the life that he wants you to live.
How do we see others as being better than ourselves as Jesus wants us to. We have to put on our Jesus glasses. If we do not we will never see others as being better than ourselves. It just goes against our nature.
He knows that and so he sent us the Holy Spirit so that we can have the vision of Jesus. What I mean by that is that we can never truly see the needs of others until we see all people as being recipients of God’s love and salvation. It is only then that we can serve others and in serving others we know that we are God’s children.
When I said you must see others as being better than yourself did you get a knot in your stomach, or get turned off? If you did then you have not learned the learned what was written for us in chapter 2 of Philippians. You have not learned that when you are doing God’s work, it is not you who is actually doing it.
In chapter 2, verse 13, we read, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” It could not be plainer. Next to knowing and rejoicing in the fact that you are a slave of God, a good thing, the next most important thing to know is that God is working in and through you. He is the one that is even giving you the desire to serve others. That is really good news. The pressure is off. You are now free to do the best you can with the time, talents, and treasures that God has given you.
What could be better? Your goal has been given to you. He has given you your purpose and he is the once that is actually doing the work in and through you. What could be better than that?
Remember those three things and you are well on your way to living an unhurried life, while still living a busy life. Now I am not going to stand here and tell you that life is going unbelievably wonderful from now on, for it will not be. Life is life. It is filled full of potholes and deep valleys. That is just life.
But now as you go through life, the good and bad, you will have a peace that truly passes all understanding. Pretty neat don’t you think?
But what do you do when everyone wants a piece of you, when there is not enough of you to go around? That is what we are going to look at today, and study in the daily devotions and small group Bible studies this week.
Because of the lack of time this morning I am only going to be able to just give you a few golden nuggets that I found in chapter 3. As I said earlier you will have to get the rest of the stuff God wants you to know in this week’s devotions and Bible studies.
The focus of chapter 3 is about keeping the focus on what is important. It is about forgetting the past, as good or as bad as it was, and keeping one’s focus on the future as you strive for the goal that God has given you. It is about what is real and what is not.
You see, what we think, what the world thinks is real, is not. This is what I mean. Paul had it all. He had a good living. He was well respected in the community. We know that he was highly educated. He was doing God’s work, as he understood it, but he tells us in chapter 3 that in knowing Christ as his Lord, all of that stuff isl human excrement. That is what the Greek says.
What about your life? Is all that you have worked for, all the goals you have reached given you happiness, true happiness and satisfaction? Have any of the things you have accumulated or are accumulating assuring you of the real thing, the thing that lasts forever?
No, of course they haven’t. In fact I would say that they have done just the opposite. They have added stress, worry, and hurriedness to your life. They have kept you from spending time with what is important in life.
We need to learn like Paul that all these things we are so proud of are nothing but sewage compared to our having God as our master. In the long run your focus has to be on Jesus. For it is only then that you can focus on what is important in life. Saint Matthew tells us in Matthew 6:33, “Focus first on God’s Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” All of us have heard that verse. The problem is that we turn it upside down. We seek things first and expect God’s Kingdom to be added.
We live in a hurried, and unfocused life as we chase after things and accomplishments. That is not God’s desire, for he knows that when you are not focused on the goal that he has given you, you cannot say no. You cannot say no without feeling guilty because when you are not focused you lose sight of the goal God has given you.
God’s focus is on you, so your focus should be on him. Give up trying to make all people happy. It is not going to happen. It is a lost cause. Focus on only doing what is pleasing to the Lord.
Focus on reaching the goal. Live your life as Paul did, “I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press onto the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Pretty powerful stuff is it not? God has a new heaven and earth in store for all of those that believe. You don’t have to be the most religious person around. You don’t have to know the Bible backwards and forwards. You do not have to worship in a certain way, or do any of the other things that many religious people think that you have to do. All you have to do is believe in the free gift of forgiveness Jesus has won for you.
You say you cannot help but keep looking back at the past. Imagine driving a car that way. Driving forward as you only looked through the rearview mirror. You would not go very far until you would find yourself in a terrible mess.
There is no difference in life, for when you keep your focus on the past you will lose your focus on the goal. When you think about it, the very idea of wanting to focus on the past instead of the future goal means that you are still dealing with the past, whatever it might be.
Maybe it concerns a relationship that went bad. Maybe it is a problem you have with God. Maybe it is wanting to return in the past since you really do not trust God to care for you in a changing world. Maybe there is a word of forgiveness or apology that needs to be said. Unresolved issues rob you of your focus. It could be lots of things, but one thing is for sure, whatever it is it keeps you from focusing on what is important, that is reaching the goal.
Notice that Paul writes, “one thing I do.” Now that is focus. You need to keep your focus on one thing, not twenty things you dabble in. Sometimes the reason a person is exhausted and hurried is that they are trying to do too many things instead of focusing on one thing.
What is your focus for your children? What are you teaching them? Are you trying to make sure they take part in every thing the school and community offers so that that they are well-rounded. And in doing so everyone is so exhausted by the end of the week that the only thing anyone wants to do on Sunday is kickback and rest, forgetting that the family is missing the most important thing of all, studying the Word of God and worshiping together with other Christians.
Is your focus your job? Are you striving so hard to make a name for yourself, to leave a legacy, win the approval of others, or make more money that you have forgotten the purpose of your life, to reach the goal?
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. You must remain focused on God and what he wants you to do. Once that is done he will see that you have what you need. He knows you better than you do. He loves you more than anything else. He wants the best for you, not the things of this world which will not last, but the things that last forever. He knows your every need and he gives you exactly what you need the most; himself. What could be better than that?
Put these things into practice and start to enjoy life as you never have before. Try it, you will like it. Amen

11 Sunday after Pentecost 8/12/07 Text: Philippians 2 Title: Help for the Hurried Life week two

11th Sunday after Pentecost
8/12/07
Week two of four-week sermon series
Text: Philippians 2
Title: “Help for the Hurried Life”

Last week we started the series, “Help for the Hurried Life.” A study that I think we all need. Before I start the second sermon in the series I want to go over one more time the difference between being busy and being hurried. Being busy is external. It is the things of life that we all do while being hurried is internal. It is the attitude we have toward being busy. Being hurried is caused by not having a clear understanding of God’s goal and thus purpose for their life.
That is why we are having this month long study of Philippians. Last week, as we studied the first chapter of Philippians in our daily devotions, small group Bible study and first sermon we found that we are, as Christians, slaves of God.
I would dare say that being a slave to anyone, even God, probably struck many of you as being strange and more than likely made you feel uncomfortable, for it goes against our nature.
Being a slave of God means that we are totally owned by God and we do not want to be owned by anyone. Being a slave of God means that we are to obey him in every way and we don’t like that either.
We might not like it, but if we are Christians we slaves of God and thank goodness for that, for God has a specific goal in mind for his followers and as a follower of Christ you really cannot live your life as a Christian unless you know that goal.
Think about it for a moment. It makes sense, you must know the goal to know how to live your life, whether it is in business, school, or your personal life. If you do not know your goal you will do nothing but run around living a very hurried life full of stress and unhappiness.
Now I know that all of you want to live a better and unhurried life, but the idea of being a slave, even of God, does not sound like a good thing. But who would you rather be owned by, yourself who you really can’t trust to always lead you in the right way, the devil who will lead you in the wrong way, or God who cannot lead you in the wrong way?
The answer is obvious, at least you would think it would be, but how we fight being a slave, as we try to be free, only to find ourselves slaves to the world and all its troubles.
Life moves at an incredible speed, at least it seems to as it leaves us exhausted. Why does life leave you that way, you might be wondering. Well, according to God’s word, as we read it in Philippians chapter two, it is because, and this is going to be hard to take, we are focused on ourselves. You say that cannot be true, for the reason that you are exhausted and hurried, is because you are focusing your attention to self.
What I am saying, is that living a hurried life comes because a person does not understand that God is in charge of everything. We need to change the lenses through which we see the world. You see, when you believe that you are an independent person, free of anyone’s influence you are viewing the world through lenses that are not the same as the lenses that you would see the world through after you have become a slave to God.
When you look through a slave’s lenses your focus changes from yourself to others. Are you looking through those lenses now? Here is an easy test you can take to see what lens you see the world through.
When you see a person in need do you see a problem, a nuisance, someone who is going to cause trouble in your life, or do you see a person who you want to show the love of Christ to?
You really have to be honest with yourself at this point, for you cannot continue on your trip to living an unhurried life until you can come to grips with this question. For you see once you know that you are seeing the world through the lens of self then you can make the change.
God’s Word is very clear about this. We read in verse three of chapter two. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” There is the challenge. We need to look at others and see they are more important than ourselves. You think you can do that on your own? I don’t think so, anymore than I can, at least without God’s help.
Verses 5 through 8 are great verses. (read the passages) We could spend a month or more on just these verses. Did Jesus focus on self? Did he put himself before others, or think that he was worth more than others? Of course he did not, for he humbled himself.
I know, your probably thinking he is God and so he would have the ability to do that, but in thinking that you have forgotten that Jesus lived his life on this earth as one of us. He put his godhood aside to live and die for us. He knew his goal and he willingly obeyed the Father no matter what it took.
If you can’t get past the view that Jesus did not use his godly powers to resist temptation there is another couple of examples in chapter two of people putting others first. In verse 19 through 22 you see Timothy humbling himself to serve others. In verses 25 through 29 you can read of Epaphroditus and how he humbled himself to serve others.
What God is showing us through Paul’s writings is that you have a different attitude toward self and others when you live you life as a slave to God.
How many here today, mumble and grumble as you serve God through the work of the church? How many do not volunteer to help with the work of the church? Why is that? It is simply that they are thinking that they are serving God through their own power.
Even strong Christians too many times think that they are doing God’s work on their own. After all the Bible sometimes gives that impression. We only have to look at verse 12 to see what I mean.
Paul is telling us, “to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Now that sounds like we are to earn, or at least help God in our salvation doesn’t it? We know that is not true, so what does it mean?
To find the answer we need to keep reading. In verse 13 we read, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” What a discovery. You see it is not you that is doing the work. Oh, you are using your muscles, your brain, and whatever other gifts God has given you, but you are not doing it alone, unless God is lying to us. And we know that he cannot lie.
Why do I say that? God tells us in his Word that he is the one doing the work. He has given you your job. He has set the goal, your purpose in life. He has given you your willingness and ability. All you have to do is to serve others. The job is easy because he has already worked it out. You are not to feel overwhelmed, hurried, or any of the other things you feel now.
God will achieve the goal through you. He will, for if God says that is the way he works then that is the way he works. Does that change anything in your life? Maybe you are uncomfortable about letting God have control in your life. I hope not, for if God’s Word is is active in your life letting him have control will give you a feeling of peace, a sense of freedom as you live your busy life. You are no longer hurried or harassed, because you now know you are the flesh and blood, the living proof of God’s love.
Pretty radical isn’t it. It should be, for being a living breathing Christian is about living a radically changed life. It means a busy life of service without grumbling.
Feeling a little bit guilty, maybe big-time guilty? You don’t think you can live that kind of life and continue doing all you have been doing. You are right; you cannot on your own.
You will still have to make choices. You will have to cut some things out. You will have to decide if you want to follow God, yourself, or the world. I am telling you it will not be easy, for you are going to have to change something that is so ingrained in you, you don’t even know that it is the way you are. You are going to have to change your vision of self-centeredness to having a vision of Christ.
Will you be busy, of course you will? Will you get stressed from time to time, of course you will? Will you get worn out? Of course you will. Will you fail? You better believe you will.
But this I will guarantee you. You will not be hurried as long as you stay focused on this one truth; it is God’s work that you do, so you have nothing to be worried about, nothing to complain about, nothing to resent, or regret. Your life is being lived just the way it is suppose to be lived.
You are doing what God created you to do. What could be better than that? When you understand that, you will be seeing others through Jesus eyes, grace filled eyes and you will know what they need, the same thing you need, love and forgiveness, a release from their self-centeredness.
Live your life in peace as you cling to God’s grace. The forgiveness won by Jesus on the cross is the only way to escape a hurried life, a worthless life.
Help for the hurried life is not about finding some magic bullet or reading the latest self-help book, or listening to Ophra, or Dr. Phil, or having shorter to do lists, or even sticking a devotion, as important as that is, in front of your busy schedule.
Help comes only in the grace of Jesus; grace that forgives you forever; grace that reorients your life forever. You have that grace. You have that life. Now get out there and enjoy your life as God want you to live it, as a slave of God knowing that it God who is working in you. He is the one who gives you the will and the ability to live the life you can live. Amen