Good to Great in God's Eyes - Enjoy Great Moments, Part 1

Do you feel guilty when you relax I made you feel guilty when you just stop to really enjoy something down deep do you believe that you're not supposed to have any fun and you get all of your to do list done well I got shocking wonderful news from God for you is all about enjoying great moments. Now no more than a learn how to do that today. Stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with your finger tips are Bible teacher for this daily discipleship program.

Motivating Christians to live like Christian. I'm really excited for you to hear this message because it's all about fun why it's so important to God that we experience it off before we continue our series.

Good to great in God's eyes. If this is your first time was living on the just want to learn more about what go to LivingontheEdge.org find tons of resources on a wide range of topics, and countless programs to enjoy okay here now is chips message enjoy great moments. If you have a Bible turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 3 from good to great.

Not in man's eyes, but in God's eyes, and I just got a note in the last year and is one I keep at my desk and it was from my college basketball coach and when I played in college. He was, not a believer and you know sometimes you do things you think it's not making any difference any difference any difference what I didn't know is in the last 25 years he become a Christian and that he walked to a bookstore and he saw a book with my name on it and he thought now that can't be the Chip Ingram little skinny guy that I could get out. He picked up the book and part of it told some stories about the college and he got my address and I got little note from him and he talked about Chip. Just remember, you know, as I read this book. I went on the website and I see your your life moving very fast. He said, just remember I can almost hear my in my mind is member. Everything starts with balance defense starts with balance the shot with balance as I see your life moving quickly.

I want you know I'm really proud of you. I want you know that I've come to Christ and I just want to tell you Chip. Keep your balance and I share that because in the last session or two we've talked about some things that really push the edge of the envelope spiritually make a great sacrifice.

I take a great risk. Now I'm going to share something.

This can require very significant balance.

Can you believe that going from good to great is going to require that you enjoy great moments. CS Lewis said joy is the serious business of heaven think of that joy is the serious business of heaven and on ask you just a little question as we get started below question is are you enjoying your life. Are you deeply enjoying and are you satisfied and drinking in rich experiences with people and places and circumstances that God providentially or is putting all around your life, or are you thinking I'm good. Enjoy my life after I retire while I'm good. Enjoy my life when I get this big list of things that I'm good. Enjoy my life after I raise his kids way on I'm supposed to hunt and enjoy my life once I can't get this career on track and enjoy my life after I do most of the great commission all by myself.

Listen to what Scripture says, the wisest man in the world. Solomon wrote there is a time for everything in a season for every activity under the sun was a time so to make a great risk. There's a time to make a great sacrifice. There's a time to pray. Great prayers.

There's a truck time to dream great dreams but notice there's a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. See the balance. He goes on in Ecclesiastes to say verse 11 of chapter 3. He is made everything beautiful in its time. He is also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they can't fathom what God is done from the beginning to the end and then notice this verse you have not known. This is in the Bible. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and to do good while they live that everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil, then notice that this is the gift do we need to make a great sacrifice absolutely do need we need to be focus and discipline absolutely. But in the midst of a fallen world in the midst of pain-and-suffering and disappointment and absolute certainty that Jesus is coming back. We also need to enjoy great moments we need to just just drink deeply from the grace of God and from all the things God is putting in our life as gifts to encourage us to do notice it's a gift from God. He goes on to say in chapter 5. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them to accept his lot and to be happy in his work. This is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

Does that describe you as you find it you are occupied with gladness of heart, you find that you seldom reflect on the days of your life. As in looking back with regret are looking forward with anxiety.

Just because you're filled with gladness of life with a sense that I'm alive today, and God loves me today and look at what I have and look at these opportunities and you know or do you tend to be so focused so busy so driven, so active that you can enjoy life someday. Someway somehow when you get time.

Do you really enjoy life. I can say are you productive.

I didn't say are you spiritual.

I didn't say are you make an impact are those things important absolutely. I ask you, are you deeply enjoying life. If I ask your mate if I ask your best friend if I ask one of your children. For those that have children if I asked them privately and they really know you would.

They tell me all yeah he or she they really enjoy life focused discipline get a lot done, but they're so fun to be around.

They really know how and when to kick back and drink it in and have a great time.

In fact, that they just you that they'll just stop periodically and just get off of the the rat race of life and really just thank God for these rich gifts in these great relationships before they get back on the track. Do we want to do. What if joy is in fact the serious business of heaven know what I like right now is a very perplexing look on your face because you what you're looking at me and you're telling me is I think this is illegal. You know I think Chip took a happiness call pill. I think Chip did the last session and he felt so bad for us about, you know, this call of great sacrifice and great risk.

I think he just got feeling bad and body got a bounce it out if you will notice what I read was from Scripture is Chip's thoughts. This is from the wisest man in the world.

Let me give you five quick reasons why it's so important to enjoy great moments and the sounds kind of crazy but some of you really need permission to start enjoying life.

Some of your best friends, mates and kids would would tell you if they could. Boy, do they really need to learn how to enjoy life and I don't want to dwell on these, but I've given you five reasons I've given you a passage that you can look up and develop because I really want to spend the majority of our time helping you understand why you don't enjoy life more and then I want to get on the solution side and give some very practical ways. I think you said yourself, you know what I think I'm can give. I think I'm can apply this once my life beginning today. It sounds actually fun and legal and spiritual.

I can't believe God says that so let me give you the five important reasons why you must not should not not a luxury why you must enjoy great moments number one. It reminds us of God's goodness. Psalm 8411 the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord gives grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from those who walk up rightly. You see when you enjoy a good thing. It reminds you the good things come from him. If he promises no good thing will he withhold what if he has lots of good things and he wants to give them to you, but he can't get you to stop long enough to enjoy what is giving you pretty soon you focus on all the challenges of life is and you forget God's goodness. The second reason it sustains us in adversity. Nehemiah 810 you might read to the book of Nehemiah. You know, get a cup of coffee or Diet Coke or your favorite drink sweet tea, put up your feet and just read through Nehemiah sometime this week. What you'll find is there's this huge project in the rebuild of all its miraculous thing in the first portion of the book is how they rebuild the physical structure in the second half of the book as they rebuild the people and when they start rebuilding the people, the people are totally messed up and when they hear how messed up they are, they start moaning and wailing inmates. They see here the word of God taught legal all man we are. We are so we so fall short, and Nehemiah. Stop he looks in the passage he says this is the month that were in what were supposed to be doing this time is to have this festival and this is were going to celebrate yes we repent to celebrate for the joy of the Lord is our strength. See Lewis was right.

Joy is the serious business of heaven. Joy is at the core of our strength. It sustains us in adversity. The third reason enjoying great moments is important. It honors God is the source of all of our joy. James 117 every good and perfect gift comes from where the father of lights with whom there is no variation with there's no shifting a shadow every good and perfect gift comes from him.

I think there's some of us that make it you know this is all hypothetical, so don't go piano preaching this one and telling people this is where to find in the Bible. This is a Chip is okay. I think though I think many of us could get to heaven and find like a really big door and have our name on it and we would open the door and inside would be the shelves and their stacked with gifts, beautiful gifts and you know the pretty paper and they got all these bows on him and we'd say well what's all this in the Lord of civil this is all the all the good stuff. But I had for you and you all wow great this is heaven. You understand heaven's way, way better than this. This is all the good stuff I had for you while you are on earth, but I couldn't get you to look up you you are so thinking you had to prove yourself to people and you are so busy, you know, wanting to make an impact, and you were so consumed with with you know that the career move and you were so just filled with you that you never took the time to receive the good gifts I wanted to refresh you. I wanted to bless you. I wanted to encourage you.

I want to love you. You know those people that live next to you that there some of the actually there.

Some of my choice servants. But you know your garage door went up and it went down. You didn't know the live next door.

I had multiple multiple gifts. But I wanted to give them to you but you didn't do it. You see, enjoying great moments remind us that God is the source of all of our joy. Fourth, it connects our hearts to those we love and interesting that when you enjoy a great moment.

Most great moments summer by yourself, but many of them are with other people and other two examples I gave you I think are so great in that Luke 219. Mary had a great moment member. She got to hear these prophetic things about this little baby. You know the Anna who is in the temple and been praying and fasting and she made this pronouncement and Simeon and they said you know this little baby is going to be the rising and the falling of many and and Simeon said I have waited all my life and God promised that I would not die until I saw the Savior of the world and what it says and Mary treasured these things in her heart seat was a great. It was a moment when you have a great moment, there are certain little windows of time and whether it's the birth of a baby or a sunset or or whether it's you know that day that you get married or whether it's seeing you know wanted your kids graduate or whether it's the date you came to Christ. God gives great moments that he wants us to treasure, but if we get so fast and so busy we don't get I think that that great moment sustained Mary for a lot of years. I think when hit. Her son was hanging on the cross. I think she was still pondering and treasuring.

He will be the rising in the falling of many and even Jesus on the very last night. And in Luke 22 member what he said to his disciples, yes he's fully God was fully human. He knew what was ahead, and he said to them, I eagerly awaited to share this feast with you.

He wanted to have a meal they went out and they sang together. They cried together they prayed together they had. He had a moment with the people he felt closest to, and I believe much of his human endurance depending on the father was that great moment with those men that he loved that sustained him who for the joy set before him endured the cross, so my point is great moments are nice, good things, enjoyment and joy is a serious business of heaven because it reminds us of God's goodness, it sustains us in adversity.

It honors God as a source of our joy and then it connects our hearts to those that we love. And finally, are you ready God uses great moments fifth to renew us.

In fact he planned in great moments.

The Sabbath, I don't how you grew up but I didn't grow up in a very good unit background spiritually and all I heard about with the Sabbath and people who religious is all the stuff you can do and then I read the Bible.

Jesus said the Sabbath wasn't about what you can do. It's like all these pagans have seven days. They got work to make a living. You only have to do it. Six and I want one day vacation want you to stop.

I want you to rest. I want you to worship what you kickback what you take a deep breath I want you to enjoy one another. The Sabbath was the idea of rejoicing. It's looking back over all that God has done and gone one last week right isn't God good isn't he wonderful. Let's stop. Let's back off. Let's deeply enjoy what we actually have and so God wants great moments to renew our bodies with rest. He wants us to renew our hearts with laughter. You know people are serious all the time or serious all the time you some of the people that you know will be committed on. I love God uncommitted. I love God I love God, I'm going to do this. I never do this. I always do this. I got some little you know what they're just the kind of Christians that if I was non-Christian. I don't want to be a Christian if that's what it means to be Christian right, we kind of forget. I think Jesus was the easiest person on the planet to be around. I think when he and Peter and James and John walked I think they told jokes. In fact, I know they did some some of the passages mean they're funny you.

Herod that Fox know you with incoherent thoughts on what he meant by that.

He just met.

Hey, you know little hyperbole little joke will jab in the ribs.

You know that sly guy you the camel going to the eye of a needle that I couldn't have to meet. I think Jesus didn't attract people by his outward appearance, but I think there was laughter. I think there was belly laughter and I think he was serious and I think it was pure and I think it was fun to be around him how the world would we ever enjoy fun for me.

The image of God. If God himself doesn't enjoy fun and seaweed, we've got spirituality over here and fun over here like they don't mix that proverb says what a glad heart renews the soul, the best medical research tells us that laughter does what it builds.

The immune system. God wants us to enjoy great moments to renew our bodies, our hearts and our souls mean the Psalms of a whole section of the Psalms is what praise, praise, praise, give thanks, give thanks honey. What about all the songs you play the trumpet, the tambourine get the strings out. Let's dance. Let's have fun. Maybe if you if you get around ever been to a Jewish wedding addicted to get to deduct a tentative right you all the stuff I think they're having fun.

And then I eat food and they laugh and God commanded him to do it five reasons why to enjoy great moments. Let's get down to little analysis here than why don't we enjoy great moments. What keeps normal regular people like you like me who are committed who want to make a great sacrifice who pray great prayers to dream great dreams want to have quality families who want to help fulfill the great commission you want to be God's man you want to be God's woman what is it about how we think, or how we've been trained or how we perceive life that keep us from enjoying great moments on this suggests there may be a lot but there's at least three very specific ways that I think that distorts our ability to enjoy great moments. The first one is a distorted view of God. I think part of this is that we see God through like one of those mirrors at the fun house you held have the mirrors and when you look at it, you can look like this big.

You can look real skinny. I think we look at God we have a distorted picture that you know supporting notes Luke 15 and Luke 15 of the prodigal son. It's a story of the renegade boy rejects his father leaves home asked for his inheritance loses it all, and while living correct finally comes to his senses like feeding the pigs, repents, rehearses a speech have sinned against you, God of sin against my father comes home with his hat in his hand and realizes and I've blown it beliefs the slaves have a place to live and I got food on the table that's better than me and as he comes the father runs breaks multiple cultural norms puts a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet or robe kills the fatted calf basically says in all those things known in the know you can come back as a slave. I forgive you I love you I been looking for you. You are my son and that's the part of the story, and all of us have had our prodigal moments right and that's an awesome story because it gives us a right view of God and it reminds us that regardless of where we've been.

There is a father always looking for us to say turnaround come here senses come home. The problem is we usually stop that story. There is another brothers and their he's the older brother.

The older brother hears music and dancing in fatted calves and a big party in a celebration and he gets outside says on the servants. What in the world is going on what you will brothers home so your dad is really fired up and you know he fit get the fatted calf there's a party, invited all the neighbors all the friends I mean you hear the music you're having a ball. Yet to come in middle rodeos and is it well to what life is not fair.

This stinks what, what, where are you coming from dad.

You know you go in you while living in prostitutes and by the way into the text.

You know, we don't have anything.

The text says that the little brother. So this is all the terrible things I did that older brothers, like a lot of Christians thinking and I got all these rules to keep it all as non-Christians or have all the fun. And then the father comes out sis if come on in know I'm mad. Remember how the story goes how the father says now he can understand he was dead and now he's alive. See the older sons and realize that there's consequences that come to life. There's absolute forgiveness with its consequences. And there's pain in older son, you really don't want new that and then then the older son makes this place and that you know something here's I don't get odd been a good boy. I mean I get up. I'm done. The fields I did what you told me at night, day in day out and you know what you never had a party for me and I member the father member what he says. He says son all that I have is yours 24 seven every day.

Any moment. All that was here is for you and I think if we could sort it elaborate the story. I think the father might say something like you know son, can you tell me the time when you asked if just you know some of your friends could come over would have to be even if that a Catholic, you know, maybe a cow maybe a goat would have the barbecue and I said all know we don't do that here see that the father is saying to him, it was available 24 seven.

But the older son was so performance oriented. He was so focused on not messing up. He was so busy doing what is right.

He was so saying I get prove that I'm okay I'm gonna earn my father's favor. He never realized you already got your father's favor. I love you all that I have is available to you and you have never stopped, never asked to enjoy all that you could have you had a feast once a month if you wanted.

But see, you didn't even grasp it was about a relationship you thought it was about your duty.

You thought it was about keeping the rules. You were the legalist you assumed that I didn't already love you. You spent all your energy and all your time trying to prove yourself to me when some of our cases to our father or to our mother or or to the coach for to the third grade teacher back there are some kid who said you will never amount to anything and you know what we've been wind all all show Marshall. Marshall Marshall instead of having godly drive. We become driven and is a huge difference and I think this is a message for the most committed Christians I know you are very fun to be around.

I don't see a lot of joy in your life. I see a lot of driven this I see a lot of performance. I see a lot of you do things right. I see a lot of subtle self-righteous arrogance. I see of not understanding the father's heart and I wish this all came because I read good books about this, but all my applications here are your looking at a guy that spent years and years as a Christian is the older brother I finally realized the lie that I was believing and I don't how to change other than in a Romans 12 to says don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that your life could prove or demonstrate what the will of God is, that was a good acceptable and perfect. So I try and figure out what lies unbelieving and I write the lie on one side of the card and then I write the word stop, and then either on the bottom or on the back of the card I write the truth and then I don't try and memorize it or anything I just read it over and read it over so that when the lie pops up. I'm training my mind to catch it and then change so here's the lie I believe about this one a distorted view of God. I believe being a godly man. This is a lie. By the way, being a godly man, father, husband, boss, means always giving up my desires, plans and goals to do what others want to do because a servant always puts others first. That's actually some of your thinking what part of that's all I write a servant always puts others first. Why the truth I must be willing to give up my desires, plans and goals in submission to God's direction for my life in serving and loving others, but my desires, my goals and my plans are valid and important as well. I will never give others a chance to love me if others are not given an opportunity to make sacrifices for me as well. Are some of you the kind of people that close friends say hey, how come we can never do anything for you. You're great at giving that you're not very good at receiving see that's me and you know what when you believe that lie I tell you what. There's more to do than you can ever do because you always.

You don't you don't give yourself permission to have fun you give yourself permission to enjoy what God is put all around you, and you know when you don't then you don't experience joy if you don't expense a lot of joy then you don't have the strength of the Lord, as you have the strength of the Lord you and it will end up in a performance trap and so outwardly its work work work godly. Godly.

Godly and inwardly it's wine wine wine you know and God. You know how come I'm not having so much fun and you know what it sets you up for temptation. Ever wonder why people walk with God. Sometimes, 15, 20, 25 years and all of a sudden I mean you are there like we know the real leaders in the church and have raises amazing family and like then you hear this crazy story like you know they separated divorcees got a red sports card. She's run around the guide is 22 years old you go what know why all that didn't happen.

You know the last six months. A lot of that happened because they never enjoyed all the had an elder brother listen to part's message enjoy gratefulness will be right back with his application for this teaching from a series good to great in God's eyes you may be thinking isn't wanting to be great a bad thing in this 10 part series trip assures us that our ambition to be the best Christian we can be isn't a prideful thing at all infected comes from God himself.

Stay with us as we better understand the specific practices that will help ensure our faith and delight the heart of God. If you missed any part of the series. The chipping remap is a great way to catch up anytime one joined in studio know what ship and ship. It's no secret that were coming out of one of the most disruptive seasons in our history and for a lot of people. It's become a real challenge to get plugged back in spiritually know what you recommend for people looking to find that rhythm again. Will Dave, I think most people would say start reading the Bible spend quality time with God. Take may be some passages where you're struggling and memorize a short chapter.

I think all of those would be great places to start.

But most of us are struggling with the lack of community isolation has killed us the enemy. That's his goal to get us isolated to get us discouraged to get us looking inward and the only way to experience the life of the Holy Spirit is to be with people. We need to get in a room with a group of people centered around the word of God and say were going to meet every week or every other week working to do life together you to be [to be honest for you to dig in and apply the scripture to our lives and we can encourage one another. It's been a really really hard last 18 to 24 months. We need each other and so let me encourage you to go to our website and choose the small group study that best meets the needs of your family or a group of men, a group of women or group of couples that we have studies to help you get back in sync get in rhythm get in community because there is life there and God longs for us to experience the very life of Christ, but we can't do it alone. Great word ship well here is Living on the Edge. We have a growing library of small-group resources on a wide range of topics they're so easy to use.

Teacher provides the teaching you'll have time to discuss what you've heard with our helpful study guides. So if you're not in a small group yet or you aren't sure what to study. Next, let me encourage you to check us out and for a limited time. All of our small-group resources are discounted for more info go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or visit LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap special offers chip. I think it's safe to say, today's message really hit a lot of people right between the guys I mean were all busy. We don't stop and appreciate the important moments.

So how can we practically enjoy life the way God wants us to what I think we need to get behind the time issue in the priority issue to the core issue and in the core issue is that if you believe that your identity and your value and your worth is your performance for most Christians, I find if there serious Christians find is like an elective you know if I get some extra time.

I'm really and have some fun, but in the words of CS Lewis and Joy is the serious business of heaven and you know something I meet a lot of Christians and there have a lot of characteristics but joy is not a big one because what what you start to believe is that it all depends on you.

I don't have time to do that joy refreshes your soul.

No words we need to understand that God is gracious and is abundant and is kind and is loving and we want to take time to soak that in and fill our hearts. In fact I would say if you don't plan daily, monthly and yearly times to build in fun into your life. Here's the deal.

You'll never be the person that God wants you to be because you don't enjoy great moments so let me give you a just a quick next step. Many of my fellow workaholics have told me this chip I listen to that whole thing but I underlined almost everything in the book in chapter 8. Enjoy great moments and I put the CD in my car and I've listen to it. 27 times. I mean I'm a workaholic does think that it's legal to have fun with such a countercultural counterintuitive idea for me and I gotta tell you it's revolutionized my life a challenging reminder trip. Thanks. Just before we close. I want to thank each of you was making this program possible through your generous giving 100% of your gifts are going directly to the ministry to help Christians really live like Christians know if you found this teaching helpful, but you're not yet on the team. Would you consider doing that today to send a gift go to LivingontheEdge.org or text the word donate to 741 41. It's that easy text. Donate 27 4141 or visit LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just up donate and let me thank you in advance for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do one selects time for everyone here. This is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this edition of living will be a