Breaking Through Life's Biggest Barriers - How to Overcome Feelings of Futility, Part 1

Athletes billionaire business owners leaving the society we see them on TV and secretly wish we could have that kind of success right but does the good life really deliver is the lure of big-money fame and power really classic bait and switch operation. You will find out what real life is data stay with you. Look at welcome to this Thursday edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry between the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram today. Chip continues his series breaking through life's biggest barriers and embarks on a two day journey to help us understand the difference between living a successful life versus a significant life balance torture for his message how to overcome agility to talk about today is the difference between success and significance to use an old cliché, there's a very subtle thing that can happen every life here it is.

You can climb a ladder and work and be very, very, very productive, only to find out that the latter that you've climbed his life leaning against the wrong wall turn with me if you will. I put a some study notes together and I think I like to begin by asking and answering the question what's the difference between a life of futility and a life of fruitfulness and then I want together with you to think through out loud what kind of life or you can have what can a lifeline and 1/2 can be one of futility arena. Look back in the rearview mirror of our lives and say I worked I prayed even I thought that once I arrived here. It would be full, but instead it's empty. Webster defines futility as that which he easily pours out. Hence, untrustworthy's interesting thought is that which fails completely undesired and/or incapable of producing any resolve is something trifling or unimportant futility simply means that you give yourself to it but then it comes up empty. Never forget the illustration you guys share with me as a young Christian, just a couple years. I can't remember where I was, but I still have the picture in my mind of the napkin and the guy pulls on a napkin. You know my dream then was not one of the be a star basketball player and then I wanted to be a famous coaching that was in a teaching grad school and then I was to get married and have some great kids and at all name of God, of course, and I think he saw through all that and he pulled out a napkin and the he drew about six different buckets with the picture from a source my life.

Rainbows rainbows going into the six different buckets. He said you know Chip everyone has a dream in their life whether they verbalize it or not, and they're following the rainbow into the pot or the bucket of gold ice and we all believe there certain buckets.

The come through force and he was real, and he pulled on that pan he said you know some people follow the dream. And then he drew the little bucket and he wrote the word fame and say they believe that their ever famous then is some day, some way will be a someone and then he told me the story of James the Jimi Hendrix is that other people is not fame, its popularity or lux and they work real hard and they do everything they can to look a certain way. Some people will like them. And he wrote the word in the bucket with his pen on the napkin popularity/lux and they told me how Marilyn Monroe died and I knew how she looked.

And they made another rainbow and he drew little bucket. He put a $on anything you know some people think if they just enough money and can own enough things and impress enough people then life will come through for many quickly told me the tragic story of Howard Hughes of some of the last words of John Paul Getty that it only takes one million and then he drew another rainbow and he put a bucket and it said success and he told me about the lives of people who were very, very successful, only to come to the end and feel empty and many drew want to surprise me he said family some people and secretly believe that everything's gonna change once I get married. For once I get married, and that doesn't happen when they have kids and then the heart ache and the suffering and the tragedy in many drew two more buckets. He said Jeff we can draw buckets were people follow rainbows in every pocket in life is empty except to there's only two buckets that if you give your life to these will always come through for you and I'll tell you about those later got to pay attention the next 10 minutes, what bucket if someone ask you, are you pouring your life into what it is decided willfully to do it or just unconsciously drifting that direction. What's the rainbow that you're following that you think I ever get there and looked down inside of and be filled with what will satisfy C futility is something which easily pours out, not trustworthy. It will come through has the idea of vein fruitless and effective are useless or not you want to end my life that way. By contrast, notice the word fruitful. Webster's is a Latin root. This really surprised me. The Latin root word is fructose, which means enjoyment did everything when you live a fruitful life.

There's enjoyment is a means of enjoyment means something that's profitable productive producing results or desired ends. If that sense of whatever it's giving your life to something when you look at it matters not what other people think is following the rainbow following the dream, and then looking into the bucket in the mirror in the bucket. Looking back, says you made it. You've done well. You matter your life counted you are significant other reason that these two things are in such contention is there is usually a very high price tag to be significant in a very high price tag to be successful, and the world tells us that we need to be successful and God says you may or may not be successful in the world's eyes, but significance is what will fill your soul.

One young man wrestling with this issue decided to become a missionary and as he was wrestling through the issues we can grab in the price tag of giving up success for significance just seemed overwhelming, and in Jim Elliott's Journal. He was later killed by the elk Indians.

I believe in South America. In his journal as he was wrestling with the situation. He wrote these words, he is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. When that's a perspective giver is looked out the town with me read again he is she is no fool to give up what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose question how in the world can we avoid futility in our lives how they end up finishing your life looking in the mirror, then looking at God and saying you have a lot of ups and downs but I finish well know I'm gonna warn you is is that the answer is very simple. I mean, simple to understand but it is pretty tough to do. Jesus is going to give us a very clear cut answer is what he says. You want to avoid a life of futility resolve to refuse to confuse success with significance. Basically what he thought refuse see that's an act of the will to choice, refuse to confuse success with significance. Luke chapter 9 verses 25 and 26. Jesus is speaking, he says. And what good is it for a man to gain the whole world that success and yet lose or forfeit his very self literally the word in Greek is psyche as the idea of all your mental capabilities. It is used in general reference for your spiritual life for what really matters. What good is it rhetorical question. What good is in a new thing at the popularity Assess success.

You got the money you've got all the condo you can ski you can fly all the body, what good does it do if you gain the world, yet lose and the word for lose.

Here is used in this language for a ship full of precious cargo with a shipment.

That's the picture. What good is it if you have all that and you lose or you ship your life and you lose you. In fact, he pushes it to the next level because he understands it to be successful, you will have to shrink back from your relationship to really be successful in the world by their standards.

You have to shrink back from your relationship with Christ. Notice verse 26 he says, if anyone is ashamed of me. If anyone shrinks back from relationship with me. If anyone shrinks back from identifying with me.

If anyone shrinks back or is a shame with friends and peers and neighbors and in-laws and people that are significant powerful people prestigious people other quote successful people. If anyone is ashamed of me and my words notices words is teaching is truth knows what he says the Son of Man will be ashamed or shrink back of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of the father and the holy angels see what were talking about is a big issue. Big big issue is not politically correct to walk with God to be open about your faith and by the way around here. We know that doesn't mean you have a 7 inch black Bible on your desk to people over the head with it being, you know, narrow, bigoted nor talking about a winsome loving servant gracious relationally open radical Christian who communicates the love and the power of Christ by your words is not ashamed of Jesus is not ashamed of his word openly identifies and understands and will bring flack understands it might mean losing an account understands are some people won't understand. See the price tag of being significant is going through life God's way. Augustine the great theologian in the early church wrote God is always trying to give us good things, but our hands are too full to receive. I just sat down literally put my feet up and begin to pray and I said, Lord, what, what's the real difference to look at your word. What's the difference between success and significance. And there's probably many more, more, but the random thoughts that came to me as I prayed for success is about productivity significance is about satisfaction.

A lot of people were productive not satisfied. Success is about climbing the ladder and I'm to make it significance is about which wall ladder is on success is about what you do, your performance significance is about who you success is about applause what other people think significance is about peace.

Are you using vaguely aware that all these people that looks so good on the outside that we pass in the grocery stores by gourmet coffee like we do in a that have nice stuff gone great vacations that when you walk in Siem arm in arm, they look like such happy couples you are aware that they're desperately hurting that there is major strife that they don't how to be a parent but have dysfunctional relationships and people are abusing alcohol.

There's all kind of curtain is all kind of struggles and they don't relate very well to their parents and analyze what they drive banks own, and they have incredible pressure and are spending about 25% more a month and they bring in, and it's a façade and instead of being attunement intimidated by him.

We need to love and care and move into their life to see we can have peace lot better than plus significant success is about stuff. Significance is about people, success is about taking off me. I'm going to make it significance is about landing. Well, success is about the now I gotta do it now. I can't do it. Now I gotta have it now back if I can't get now charging and if I can't charge it all, refinance, and they say that 20% over a bubble house is working to pay that option. I can start charging the right personnel got the right stuff. Now you move up now and working my future now see all the stuff that you can get right now can bring you a quick short-term success, but most of us are willing to pay the price. The kind of stuff that it takes day after day after day of discipline of commitment of writing out the hard times those things produce something called character endurance and those are the kind of things that make you significant to be significant. There is always short-term pain and loss. In order for long-term gain significance is about forever to give you couple resources number one halftime by guiding Bob Buford the multimillionaire who shifted his focus from the first half is his life of being successful to being significant and attracts his journey. It's excellent material very committed believer is launched and sponsored a number of Christian organizations and issues at strike is very open and honest second book is by a non-Christian author. If you find yourself under pressure you find yourself on the fast track.

Excellent reading. It's called the paradox of success by John R. O'Neill subtitle when winning at work means losing that life he became extremely successful.

He lost his wife, he lost his family. He lost all that mattered and he traces the lies in the midst believe here's a secular guy as far as I know who has incredible insight about how to live a life no matter well I think we diagnose the problem. I know your heart and I know my and I know it's hard okay this is this is one of the sermons where we are the salmon of God seeking to swim upstream and you let the currents coming at us. But in your heart of heart you want to be significant. I want to be significant not only identify the problem final question how can you move and how can I move from a successful orientation to significance. How can we line our thinking and our lives and our priorities in our time and our resources in such a way that we land. Well I did a funeral and I buried a significant woman should have a lot of money shooting when he beauty contest. She is a well known wasn't visible. She came to Christ and his church about four years ago. She was a house mother for abuse kids. Kids that are taken out of their homes because abuse and tragedy and drugs and mean the kind of kids that no one gives a rip at the minute had more problems on the skids of experience more in the first six, eight, 10 years of life than any adult should ever ever experience ever. I heard six-year-olds and eight-year-olds and 10 yard say Donna made me feel special when I didn't think there was any hope in life she cared about me. She left me. Donna was always there. She has more you talk about significance should have a big retirement program. She has written a book.

There are lives that will be marked with the imprint of Donna Meade for all eternity because she took what she had and she focuses on the things that matter most living a wife significance impacting those around even the next generation. Sounds like something only very talented people can do with the truth is you can be a change agent for God.

Trip will be right back. But if you're just joining us, you're listening to living on the roads with Chip Ingram this message is part of trip series called breaking through life's biggest barriers series is available for a limited time at a special on-air discount price to order trip series breaking through life's biggest barriers.

Just dial 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org trip as we talk about the Bible being God's word and that he wants to speak to us. The truth is that even when people try to go sleep you don't hear anything special or discouraged to make just one quick we know that's what happened. So would you talk a little about the new online video course.

You just finished sure I would be glad to. In fact I am super excited about this. It's how to hear God's voice in Scripture. What we know from the research is the average believer in Jesus Christ is not in God's word on a regular basis and so what I wanted to do was I wanted to help ordinary people, people that just want to know, but just don't have the tools of getting into God's word but not like I need to read so many chapters are gotta love me more if I read more, but in a very practical way. It's how I learned to read the Bible in a way to hear God's voice to connect with God. I it's a very simple format. It's it's short that's only five-part the teaching time is only about seven minutes and there's another 10 or 12 minutes to actually practice what I teach. So I think it's really really good to help people and I cannot wait for those who want to learn to get it and those who discipling others to have a tool in their hands that they can share and to help the people that they love really hear God's voice as they get into God's word breaks trip will this online video course how to hear God's voice in Scripture really is a great new resource from living on the judge will matter where you are in reading the Bible what sharpshooters will take your ability to discern God's voice to a whole new level. You can do these five video sessions on your own time at your own pace is your relationship with God deepens your confidence will increase will actually begin to look forward to spending time with them.

Just go online to LivingontheEdge.org and take your next step toward hearing God speak to you through his word without her strip with some final application. When I began the message today talking about empty buckets talk about the empty buckets that we tend to put our hope for role fulfillment and fame, money, sex that the list goes on. Accomplishment children coming out right great home. Great marriage. What you think what was going through your mind, I'd like to take you back to those empty buckets and when I was talking about those empty buckets.

What was going through your mind. Where are you where is your life being invested. Is it for things that last things. It will bring success or is it for things that are really bring significance. The walk-through list here and we said today just right out of the Bible that we can't confuse success with significance. If you do you'll find you can work work work work work, only to discover and I know it's a cliché but it's one that is so true that your latter really is leaning against the wrong wall and so let me go through that difference between success and significance, and I want to do it, just as it is a pastor, I want to just talk through it slowly and I'd like you to ask the Holy Spirit to say Lord we review yourself to me and this week we've help me. I know you want me to be significant.

So this chip goes through these would you show me where I met with you is your life and your mindset characterized more by productivity or satisfaction in our you is at work work work work work is a demand demand demand demand.

Hurry hurry hurry or absurd sense of peace and satisfaction you doing the things will really count is your life all about what you do, was about who you are is our sense that your lot more concerned about growing as a person than pleasing people in accomplishing things and letting everyone know that you're okay. Went down deep, you don't really think you are is your life motivated primarily by the applause of people was motivated by a sense of inner peace that the Lord Jesus gives that you know you put your head on the pill and go to bed you know well done yeah of course you confess the sins and you have your ups and downs, your struggles, but there's a sense of calm and peace that says you're on the right track. Your growing I'm proud of you, good and faithful servant is your life if you were very honest, is it more about stuff was it more about people DDU I mean, let's be honest with one another, just you and me talk and I mean it is. Are you really pushing pushing pushing pushing for stuff and things and money in the 401(k) and the new this in the new that and course you know Christianizing it with the unit will use this to serve people in all those rationalizations we believers use or does your heart really be for people did your heart break for people that are hurting.

Let me ask you, just before God in the words of Augustine is God constantly trying to give you good things but are your hands just so full with so much stuff you can't receive them let's go for significance success simply isn't what it's cracked up to be. Do you wish you could hear Living on the Edge when it fits into your schedule. You can were those of you who want to listen to Living on the Edge whenever and wherever you want. Download the free shipping remap you'll find the chipping remap at Google employee or the app store today will be with us again tomorrow and should continue with our current series. Until then, this is the thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge