What Do You Live For? | True Satisfaction

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere. No guide this at our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org if you order some of what you look for in one word what would be so would say is living. Leisure is one of the least things over our cultures is drink and be merry after Greg Laurie points out that every party comes when sometimes never to living for that experience. Living for the living excitement is a really lame way movably. A lot of it was really good. What have you known as the food guide for is also the food you can find from true, and in the bigger picture. That's the way sin is sin versus this is you'll never live that down today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie points out real satisfaction in life. Go to the author of life himself find out what Robert Bible. Philippians chapter 1. Two new series were doing called happiness because that's the theme of the book, the title of our messages.

What do you live for. What do you look for good question.

When we pray father as we open your word now. We believe it's a lie and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, we believe that it has the answer for every question we have in human answers the questions we haven't come up with yet we believe Lord if we believe these words and apply these words that can change our lives, and most importantly is not just the words of the Bible. It's you living then that's that's what being a Christian is its Christ in us the hope of glory.

So Lord help us to grow spiritually. Help us to learn more. Help us to grow in our love and our discernment as we look at your word.

Now we commit this time a Bible study to you in Jesus name we pray.

They met again the title of the message is what do you look for. I saw an advertisement and I believe it was a computer magazine quite a few years ago and it's a picture of a guy shaving in the mayor and that's his question.

Is it an alarm clock or a calling that gets you up in the morning that while that's a good question they were selling some who knows what computer item but I got it was a bigger question, is it an alarm or a calling to get you up in the morning. I mean one makes you check what you get fired up about everybody is passionate about something. What do you get out for in the morning. I know it doesn't hurt if I smoke coffee in the morning, throwing some bacon and eggs in our talk, the smell of bacon in the morning for you vegetarians. The smell of Brussels sprouts, kale, or whatever you enjoy but I'm talking about more than that, I'm talking about would really get you moving in life which gives your life purpose sort a sense of meaning, raising it above the level of mere existence because we don't want our lives to just be some blip on the screen when you want to be just another statistic. We want our lives to matter so my question is, what is your master passion in life if you were to sum up what you look for in one word what would it be.

While some would say for me to live is you know, to just let my to live is to live, you know, their philosophy would be taken one day at a time. They just sort of exist almost in an animallike state just kind of following impulses and desires and so forth that they just sort of live for the moment. They live for the next paycheck. They live for the next weekend. All Paul talks about people like this.

He says there God is their belly and some people's gods are bigger than other people's. God's right, but nobody said belly. He did neither actual stomach unit their appetites. In other words, there God is our appetite. They just live for satisfying the appetites that they have in life and that is just a really lame way to live.

Number two. There are some that would say well for me limits pleasure. You know it's it's just living for living for that experience. Living for that rush living for that buzz living for that excitement. They might seek it through drinking them either.

Not happy till you know they get that buzz right or some they're not happy till they're passed out. I suppose because they do it every night, or they want that drug hi or they they want that adrenaline rush or whatever it is they live for pleasure. One person said, living for pleasure is one of the least pleasurable things a person can do they think that's really true. The Bible even says she that lives for pleasure is dead while she's living. By the way, this is not new to our times, going back 2000 years. Popular philosophers of the day were called the Epicureans and the teaching of Epicureans or founder was the chief purpose of life is pleasure, so they were living for that as well and in fact Caesar Nero was in power at this time. He was the Caesar or the Emperor of Rome and he himself said the live was to be like an unbridled beast and pleasure, passion and party men. Caesar would've fit in with everybody else today or many people today. Maybe our modern equivalent would be what we call the Playboy philosophy. You know, Hugh Hefner would be the patron saint. So if you want to end up as an old guy pajamas Wernick And sat go for it. Pretty sad way to live a life I think chased after pleasure is whole life. But this is the idea that always restrains no absolute. You do whatever you want to do if it feels good do it. That's what some people live for the Bible tells us this is a dead-end street.

Others might say we know it. I live to get even. I don't get mad I get even. Their philosophy is not live and let live there philosophy is live and let die if you get me I'm a get you back in your soul. A lot of these people happen to be driving cars. I think you know like you're at the light and the light turns green.

It's it's not even the second son 1/2 a second.

It's just like a fraction of the lay on the horn behind you the tailgate you will find cut you off these kind of aggravated people that are basically always in a perpetual bad mood. There always at war with someone they always have their nemesis they always like to be in a fight, they love to be in a conflict of this there are people like this and live for these things.

Another white say what I meant. I look for possession, it's to get stuff know when I get that stuff. I want to get more stuff and I want to get that other stuff I need to get rid of this.

So I can make room for new stuff in there. Just always collecting items and objects and it's always that next shiny thing might be a shining car or shiny ringer, shiny computer or whatever it is or chasing after but it's a object or a thing there philosophy would be he that dies of the most toys wins. I would just doubt it� He that dies of the most toys wins� Nothing because Jesus says, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul, as I've often said you've never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer you leave everything here on this side in this life, Ms. Solomon, who lived many years ago was a man known for his wisdom and also had incredible possession and he said this in Ecclesiastes 2 for I try to find meaning of my life by building huge homes for myself and plenty beautiful vineyards in the gardens and parks and I collected great sums of silver and gold. The treasure of kings and prominences. I heard wonderful singers, men and women in a beautiful concubines fight everything a man could desire anything I want. I took that I did not restrain myself from any pleasure and he says one day I looked at all the things that I've accomplished all that I had acquired and it was all meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing Solomon concludes really worthwhile anywhere. Others might appear more noble and say well I live to acquire knowledge you I will learn I will. I want to discover new truth and that's actually a pretty good thing. It's a lot better than just living for pleasure, or living to get even. But in your pursuit of knowledge you leave God out of the equation. You're just going to end up with a well educated fool. I look at a lot of universities today and I'm not so sure of people getting an education or if they're getting an indoctrination you know and usually in a worldview that is contrary to Scripture. I mean really love these colleges you have these safe spaces you know you won't have any conflict or disagreement.

It's pretty amazing to me but this is not new to our time either a philosopher of that day during Paul's day was the neck up. He said the purpose of life is to enjoy oneself in the realm of ideas to think, to learn to master the laws of nature and make the mind, the master of men. But again, if you forget God of your pursuit of knowledge, you will of learned nothing. Solomon also went after the pursuit of knowledge. He was known at one point, is the wisest man whoever lived in he said to increase knowledge only increases sorrow that's in Ecclesiastes 116 but students don't go home and quote that verse to your parents when they tell you to do your homework mom.

The Bible says to increase knowledge only increases sorrow shut up and do your homework okay that's over talk about were talking about pursuing knowledge without God there is an interesting juxtaposition in our tech that will discuss in a moment. Paul talks about joy more than a dozen times yet he's chained up under house arrest. Pastor Greg helped us investigate that in a moment. We love when we hear from our listeners like this woman tweeted a comment to us. I really enjoy your daily devotion whenever I'm still kind of work life and staff your emails. The one thing that connects me back to the Lord, even if it's only five minutes most precious five minutes 19 thank you were grateful to hear how Pastor breaks daily devotionals or touching lives. If you like to send a note to us email Pastor Greg greg@harvest.org do today.

Would you again that's great@harvest.org title of Casterbridge message today is what do you live for. We are evaluating our priorities and learning to make some adjustments. Let's continue now. So what are you driven by what you dream about, what are you passionate about. I think some people are just enduring. There's waiting for the next thing there favorite day of the week is Sunday no Sunday their ship will come in someday their prince will come someday go get that promotion some buildable dead tree mouse or someday the red tire. I read a stat that said 94% of people responded to a survey said they were enduring the present while waiting for something better to happen but the problem is. Life passes by so quickly before you know what a good deal of your life may be behind you instead of before you, and you'll find that you been living for nothing. So we need to think about this because then the after life, so listen to this. Only those who are prepared to die are really ready to live, let me say that again. Only those who are prepared to die are really ready to live now. I've talked about what people look for. Let me tell you what the apostle Paul lived for Olympians.

121 for me to live is Christ and to die is gain by love for me to live is Christ and to die is gain organ explore that a little bit more.

Let's just do a little backdrop of what were looking at here were looking at the book of Philippians and the theme that keeps bubbling up to this great epistle is happiness and joy about this is probably the most poignant happy letter that Paul ever wrote. Not that there is not happiness and joy in other epistles. He wrote, but it just seems that there's a lot in this one in particular at least 19 times in these four chapters of Philippians, Paul mentions joy rejoicing or gladness but yet circumstantially he really had nothing to rejoice about a minute, we read that Paul wrote this book in a kick and backing it on the Mediterranean and joy in life it's that we get it, but he actually wrote this under house arrest.

This wasn't as bad as some of his imprisonment. We might've been like in a dungeon, but this is where he was chained to a Roman guard and he was under the control of this point of Caesar, Nero, and in his case was waiting to go to court and Paulette know I get what was about to happen. He might be acquitted. He might be beheaded, but all he knew was he was a prisoner he cannot walk about freely as he wanted to. And if that wasn't bad enough, some of the believers in the church were against them. Some are even spreading lies about this great apostle, but he knew God was in control. Here's what he wrote Philippians 1 to start in verse 12 and will redound to verse 16. I wanted to know brothers that the things that happened to me and actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. So it is become evident to the whole palace guard do all the rest of my chains are in Christ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident in my chains are more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and strife. Some also from goodwill. The former preach Christ himself is ambition, not sincerely, supposing the added affliction of my chains, but the letter out of love knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

What that only got in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and in this writ, I rejoice. Yes, I will rejoice. So here's Paul chained to a Roman guard writing these words can you imagine being one of those guards. I'm sure they didn't like the job. At first all know I have to be chained of this thinking preacher. All he does is talk about God this is insane but guard by guard. They were coming to Christ and then there were probably standing in line as to who would be the next guy to get to be chained to the apostle Paul for that particular period of time because Paul writes in verse 13.

It's become evident to the whole palace guard over the palace guard these most likely are the praetorian guard the praetorian guard were the cream of the crop of the Roman military. They were 10,000 hand-picked soldiers. They were initially established by Caesar Augustus, by the way was the Caesar to give the decree that all the world should be taxed causing Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem but the praetorian guard very powerful people. In fact they were king makers.

Sometimes they would play a key role in deciding who the next Caesar would be, and these were the ones who were chain to the apostle Paul and that brings me to point number one would you live for Christ. You will accept God's will for your life when you live for Christ which we all should be doing. You will accept God's will for your life seek. Paul went to Rome to preach but he ended up under house arrest.how is that a good idea what he was reaching an elite group of people that would've not been reached otherwise. So Paul understood God had his hand in it. Look at verse 12 that things that happened to me have turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. Did it ever occur to you that you are where you are because God wants you there right now.

Maybe in affect your chained to someone by that I mean maybe your chained to a nonbeliever. Maybe it's an unbelieving husband or a nonbelieving wife for kids that don't believe what you believe our parents that don't believe what you believe are argumentative coworker that you sit next to you in your office space or some guy on your construction site that's always giving you a hard time in your thinking. Why do I have to be here with this person did it ever occur to you that God wants you there to reach that person. So Paul is reaching the praetorian guard quite significant and he says in verse 14. Most of the brethren in the Lord and become confident by my chains and are more bold to speak the word without fear.

You see examples of evangelism spark others to be more of the evangelist so there's a well. Paul chained up in under house arrest and is willing to share the gospel of the praetorian guard.

Certainly we want freedom right now. Mobility we should be doing the same you know if you've ever been around in an evangelistic Christian. It can be quite contagious, and there are some people man there just always fun and opportunities to share their faith and you think how do they do that. They're just tuned in. I think tuned to the Lord tended opportunities looking for opportunities even when you get around a person like then you think will I think I can do that. As you can. As a matter of fact, God is put you where you are for his purposes. Greg Laurie urging us to follow Paul's example and being a light for Christ matter where we are and there's much more to come in Pastor Greg's message study. He's titled what do you live for pastor Greg has a final comment before you go today as well. Yesterday were making available a great book by Dr. Tony Evans and actually all of his kids as well is called divine disruption talking about hope in spite of tragedy in crisis and loss. That's right. Is it fair to say that we are all either going through a crisis or we've gone through a crisis or are about to go through a crisis. Yeah, you know the person or says no crises here.

I need that book that's just foolish. It is given time. You know, as I've often said you're either going into a storm you're pulling out of one they enjoy those in-between times for sure. But you know here's a reality Dave in our times of crisis in the storms of life if you will. We learn things that we don't learn anywhere else. As I've said before, fruit does not grow on mountaintops, a grows in spiritual valleys subsequent to a valley right now a hardship if you've lost a loved one recently or you yourself are suffering. This book is really going to be an encouragement to you because it's written in real time. This is this is a book that is honest, it's heartfelt, it's candid, it's biblical. That's hopeful it's it's encouraging.

So it kind of fires in every cylinder. As you mentioned, written by Tony Evans and members of his family.

In light of the loss of their wonderful mother and Tony's wife Lois Evans but but this is a book that just tells you how to deal with these issues, how to grapple with it because you know when we lose loved ones. As Christians we we mourn and we should more.

In fact, it's very important to mourn the Bible even says there's a time to laugh, and there's a time to mourn, but during that time of morning during those times of sorrow you come closer to the Lord Jesus said blessed or happy are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.

It's almost as though you could translate that happy are the unhappy.

I know that doesn't make sense. But here's what insane it causes you to turn to God and find the strength you need one little quote in the book that I love goes as follows. There is no better summary of a successful life. Lois Evans serve the purposes of God in her generation. And then she fell asleep. You know Dave, this phrase falling asleep is used in the Bible and it is only used of a believer dying never of a nonbeliever. And I think it's just a perfect picture because me think of falling asleep. That is not the worst thing that can happen, that did you get older you start enjoying naps right and I love this part with a right Lois serve the purposes of God in her generation. Look every one of us has a beginning, a middle and an end to our life. Here's the question how we can live that life we have nothing to do with the date of our birth really nothing to do with the data of our death but we have everything to do with that � in the middle. Lois Evans lived her life. Well she serve God's purposes in her generation. Raising amazing children that all love the Lord and are serving the Lord today. Also there alongside Tony. I know he misses her so deeply. But you're going to be blessed by this book. Is this going to help you as you go through your times of difficulty as well. The title of the book is divine disruption. I will send you a copy for your gift of any size whatever you can send in return we will invest in this ministry so we can continue to bring a message of hope to people literally around the world. Yeah, that's right.

When you give to us you're really getting through us. We take your investment and put it to work.

Reaching those who need biblical hope and direction. Those who need to hear the gospel we hear from people every day who've had their lives impacted and changed through this outreach and you can have a part in helping her continue with your donation today. When you make that donation. Be sure to ask for this new book divine disruption.

This is our last opportunity to mention this, so be sure to contact us today.

You can call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and you can call anytime 24 seven or write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org will next time Pastor Gray continues our study of happiness and where to find it. More counsel from his message what you live for next time.

But before we go.

Pastor Greg closes with these insights.

You know, sometimes the people that argue the most are actually closer to coming to the Lord than those that say nothing and a lot of time to think of someone as pleasant and nice and we share the gospel. We think that's a good thing to know when someone's argumentative that's a bad thing, but sometimes it's a very opposite, because it's been said, when you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that barks the loudest as the one that got hit right after church lines and dots will write no don't do it find a pack of cats would see you never find out if cats are very independent creatures, but the ideas that don't support the loudest is the one that got hit. So when you share the gospel of someone in one object in the protest and the scream of the yell might be because are under the conviction of the homes working on their hearts. Don't be discouraged be encouraged new beginning as a podcast, made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God if this show has impacted your life. Share your story leverage you on your favorite podcast and help others find help