Pleasure: Life On Empty Part 2

Questions are a wash pleasures.

Having time for everything would go many waste their time in a myriad of ways. The options only keep increasing on this broadcast challenge to all of us to get our priorities straight from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning with Dr. Erwin Sir Jane helps us make it across the finish line.

Master elixir your teaching about was her life on empty. You're not against all pleasure, just the kind that keeps us from God. That's one way to put it but I need to say that there are plenty of pleasures out there that is from God, and even the point that I'm making is that so-called innocent pleasures can keep us from God. The question that we have to ask ourselves is whether or not we find pleasure in God and the Bible tells us we can do that, you know, I've written a book entitled seven snares of the enemy breaking free from the devil's grip. It deals with gambling, alcoholism, greed, sexual sin, etc. I have in my hands a letter from someone who says your book 7 snares of the enemy was eye opening and heart softening and awakening to one's reflection. This book is a must read for anyone serious about breaking free from sexual sin. What were making this book available to you.

It's entitled seven snares of the enemy breaking free from the devil's grip or a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let us open our Bibles as we listen to the pleasures of the world versus the pleasures of God, I want all of you to listen as if you've never heard me speak for the first time because this is so, so critical I don't believe that the devil mind whether it is sports, whether it is even something terrible like the addictions that we've talked about he isn't that concerned as to what it is doesn't care what it is. As long as these things absorb our attention and take ways of God and even the good pleasures in life do that remarkably well they squeeze out God and that's the problem with pleasure the pleasures were talking about is that they seek to become a substitute for God and if you still have not found a substitute forgot what you'll do is you'll crowd your life with his dizziness. Somebody gave me the book this week on putting first things first, we will crown our lives with so much dizziness and the devil doesn't mind that either. It can be busy doing good things. As long as God is not the one who is primarily love and adored and who does not meet the deep desires of our doesn't matter what it is that's in its place. You know when my wife and I were in Eastern Europe one time were told that when some Christians were told that in America you have refrigerators that actually work. You can plug them in the work you can depend on some of those countries you don't have refrigerators that work in the electricity goes off so often that there is an in America you don't have to stand in line for two or three hours to get a loaf of bread as you do, at least when we're in Eastern Europe is something some of the countries that's what you did everybody.

We are told, stood in line for up to 2 to 3 hours a day to get basic necessities to do that in the United States we get upset when there are three people ahead of us in the line of you.

Some of us almost have a fit when we missed the turn of a revolving door and began to explain all the conveniences of America. These Christian said that is so wonderful that must mean that American Christians have so much time to study the Bible to pray and to evangelize.

That's wonderful.

So that's what happening in America.

Note the more conveniences we have, the more places we can go the more money we can spend on ourselves the more options we have out there and we cram our lives with everything except the deceptive you see, that's the snare. It isn't just the bad things out there that we instantly recognize as sinful. There out there and they're terrible but it's the good things that have taken God and not made in the center of our existence and our joys. That's the problem is they will can we enjoy nature. Of course God has given us all things richly to enjoy. We can enjoy the beauty of nature we can enjoy the beauty that he made music beauty of it, but as believers. You see, we enjoy it in relation to God.

All of those things help us to worship to to remind ourselves that this just didn't happen.

This is God's gift to seek God is in the part of devil does not care what we do as long as our joy is not in God. Number one, we learned that there are two lovers in one of the reasons why we should not love the world is because of what it is.

It's antagonistic to God. Secondly, there to promises we been talking about the promise of the world and the promise of God and because of what the world does. We should not love it. Thirdly, because of where the world's leading because of words going an hour in verse 17. You'll notice that the text says very clearly here that the world is passing away, and all of its desires all of its loss but he that does the will of God abides. He lives forever. This was DL Moody's favorite verse by the way that the one who does the will of God abides forever world flustered passing. Now listen to those of you who'd never received Christ as Savior and I'm also speaking to those of you think you have but haven't some carefully. If you are really absorbed by the world. I encourage you to enjoy it with all the enthusiasm you can, no matter how empty it eventually become go for it because this is the best ever going to get is that everything after here is terrible. Everything after death is disaster and separation and condemnation. So if this is the only world for which you are living, you might just as well live it up so actually you are dying it down, go for it. As believers, my friend, this is the worst that it will ever get is not going to get any worse than this. All I know.

We may dive all kinds strange diseases whose names you cannot yet pronounce. We may go through all kinds of problems that we don't even know about yet, but we know that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. It is going to get better a lot better. The devil gets all of his trinkets front serve me and I'll give you this pleasure to serve me and I'll do this for you, but he doesn't tell you how it's going to and the world passes away, and all of its loss. You does the will of God abides forever is an interesting passage in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 word says this of Moses. I want you to just listen.

Moses, when he had grown up refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God.

Everybody awake here.

Rather, to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. What a fool he was humanly speaking, a fool, you talk about the lust of the flesh. All the women that you would want the lust of the eyes. All of the wealth and we did know how wealthy Egypt was until we uncovered Touchstone all the wealth of Egypt.

All of the power of Egypt.

Josephus tells us that he was next in line, apparently to be Pharaoh, and he kisses it all goodbye crazy. Why notice it says rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin.

I love the translation that's is the fleeting pleasures of sin, boom there. Here and there, God, and does it mean that Moses did not choose pleasure. He was really a man who didn't like pleasure. No no no Igor see Joe's pleasure, but he chose the better pleasure. Next verse. If I had read it said he looked forward to the recompense of the reward.

He knew that there was another world coming back world if he served God would be a pleasurable world. That's where he would find his pleasure and his hope in God and think of what he got on this life an opportunity to see the glory of God is recorded in the book of Exodus and despite all the problems in life. God was with him and he could say show me thy glory and showed it to him. Is there anything in Egypt that compares to that you answer anything know my friend. You have to understand that you go for the pleasure, but is there anything that can compare to God. Anything that can compare to a clear conscience.

Anything that can compare to walking with God and its joys are fewer and there is no aftertaste and there's no guilt and there's guessing there's no regret is simply a delight in God. No wonder the Psalm is that I delight in God and he gives me greater joy. He says in one of the Psalms that he then all of the new moons and all of the winds that there are my delight is in God as per pleasures. Robert Burns was right, but pleasures are like poppy spread view sees the flowers bloom the shed or like because snow falls in the river a moment white than Elvis forever. Let me give you some important important guidelines why people wise people go for pleasure.

They go for pleasure take over God's pleasures and if it is true is that Henry subgoal wrote that the excellency I should not take this quickly.

Folks, because this is heavy stuff.

The excellency of the soul is dependent upon the ship. The soul love is the excellency of the soul is dependent upon the object of this that the soul loves what could make a soul more excellent to be a lover of God and instead of loving pleasure to love God more than anything else and you get all the pleasures thrown in. Could there be anything wiser than that.

I don't think so.

I don't think so so wise people go for pleasure. Secondly, wise people go for the long-range point of view. Look at Moses. I spoke about a moment ago, now 35 centuries have taken place since Moses was on earth.

Well, not that many, if you count the Mount of Transfiguration, but will skip that for a moment 35 centuries since he made his decision. What you think he thinks now that he's in heaven. Does he say to himself all alone man I should've really chosen Egypt of course not. 3500 years with God and he still doesn't have enough of them wonderful. You see, I want to tell you you businessmen, especially I'm speaking to you but a lot of others to when you make a decision tomorrow and the next day a business decision regarding your values and your temptations.

Whatever it is, ask yourself this question. Hello how my going to feel about this decision. In 3500 years. Just ask yourself that question.

I'll tell you it'll keep you from a lot of grief, a lot of grief because in 3500 years you'll be able to have an eternal perspective that will look so differently than all the fleeting pleasures of sin and money and all the other things all of us know that because of the Columbine massacre. There was a young lady by the name of Cassie or Noll. I hope I'm pronouncing her name correctly who when asked by a gunman. Do you believe in God said yes and it is widely believed that because she said yes she was shot in the Tribune, nor if it wasn't the Tribune that it wasn't the Tribune was that the sun times, there was an article a an opinion piece written by one of the writers on this topic. Of course nobody knows whether or not if she had said no, her life would have been spared, but let's suppose for a moment. It might have been. This is what the author writes in its worth hearing him out. He says what if Cassie had said no. Would that have made her less of a person. I don't think so, and much more to the point I'd like to believe that God wouldn't think so. If a girl just beginning her adult life had a chance to survive by lying to a twisted psycho pointing a gun at her. If she cannot only win her own future, but spare those who lover the anguish of losing her. Maybe she should take that chance call me blasphemous for saying so." Scripture to me on till you're blue in the face.

But I ask you if it were your son or daughter on the wrong end of that gun and is simple know what made friends. What would you hope your child would say well what do you hope fathers. What do you hope your child would say if a simple denial of Christ would spare the life of your child friends I don't minimize the grief and the hurt that comes to those who lose children so tragically and no one can stand in their shoes. Really, unless they've gone through it, but my dear friend, I hope that with you. You agree with me and that work together on this and we love our children very very dearly. The three precious daughters. God is given to if you really believe in another world. If you believe that there is an eternity coming. If you believe in you look at this from the standpoint of not today but 3500 years, which is a pretty good vantage point, would you not want child to say yes I believe in God and love him, isn't that worth dying for. Had we come to the place in America were absolutely nothing is worth dying for, anymore. Of course if you look at it only narrowly and say I want my life I only go around once in life.

I want all the pleasures that I cannot of life and go ahead and lie you'll do it, not only because you have the barrel of a gun pointed in your face, but you'll do it and all your other relationships to and by that I don't need to say be judging this young lady if she would lie under those circumstances, but I'm simply saying that's the way life is you go around and you just get through and you grab for everything like a kid and I and a candy store who's been told that for the next five minutes you can carry everything out of the store.

You can get the next five minutes each grabbing for everything in the five minute we believe in another world, another world, you know this is a difficult message to preach because I know that there are some of you were absolutely unconvinced for me to try to convince you to give up the pleasures of this world I would rather try to convince Tiger to become a vegetarian and I would give him a lecture on all the niceties of vegetarianism how hard you think I get the reason is this Tiger is going to be a tiger is going to be a tiger until he gets a new heart till he gets a new heart and some of you I speak to you because if you have been converted by God. One of the earliest and surest marks of a child of God is this, that he loves God and he hates to grieve God. He may grieve him, but he loves God so much that he says to himself, God, I want you to be all that I could possibly imagine and all that I could possibly be.

I may not live up to it, but that is my desire. If you don't have that desire today in your Christian I'd say this humbly, but you really do need to repent is you got some serious serious problems and if you're not a believer to come to Christ and ask him to change you. To transform you by the Holy Spirit and he will implant within you a desire to love God were faced with two loves to promises to destinies to destinies. He that does the will of God abides forever. The world passes away, and all of its loss. How many of us can say Jesus thou Joy of loving hearts style fount of life without light of men from the best earth imparts we turn on the field return to the again and again and again and again the raging first is quenched. Let us pray our father help us as a people with all of our worldliness with all of our pleasures with all of our self seeking our unwillingness to sacrifice for you help us father and reveal to us all those areas in which we have compromised, in which we have followed the world and therefore grieve you. We pray that this passage in all of its darkness and in all of its candor might grip us and then father bring us to the point where we find our delight in you do that. Lord, we pray in Jesus name. What a challenge for all of us to make sure that we spend time seeking God and finding in him pleasure.

The pleasures of God at his right hand that's available to all of us, but it takes time. It takes discipline and we need to make some tough decisions.

Are you blessed as a result of the ministry of running to win.

If you are it's because other people have invested in this ministry, as I frequently say this is not a ministry of one man or a church or an organization.

It is your ministry. Thanks in advance for standing with us.

Would you consider becoming an endurance partner endurance partners are those who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com and click on the endurance partner button for information or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 I like to think of our endurance partners as those who actually join the running to win family. They hold our hands, they pray for us and together we are making a difference 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for another chance for you to ask Pastor lutes or a question about the Bible or the Christian life. I'm not sure where today's question is going. Dr. love Sir, but Horst is emailed asking this.

How can I understand the Koran without reading it from cover to cover.

Well Horst you can try to read the Quran from cover to cover and I even encourage you to do that because it will give you an understanding of the Muslim religion, but I need to say that it is very difficult. I've tried to do that the Quran is not systematically organized so you go from topic to topic and then of course there are other topics, and data. They do not follow a coherent pattern, but nonetheless all is not lost. There are some excellent books on Islam that will give you the essence of the Quran, I decided to not list any of these books because the moment I do that there are so many others out there. Let me encourage you Horst go into a bookstore and to spend some time browsing around. I mean, you know, I'm sure that there are five or six or a dozen different books, either of which would be of great help to you to understand the Muslim faith and the Quran, and in doing this, you'll have a better handle on the beliefs of the Muslims, I might say that my own book slandering Jesus deals with just a sliver of the Quran. Just the part that denies that Jesus died on the cross to me.

I think that this is pivotal because the death of Jesus Christ is central to Christianity, but nonetheless become acquainted with the Muslim faith do all that you possibly can, and that there plenty of helps out there that can be of great benefit. Thank you Dr. Luther. Thank you Horst for the question. If you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. Our culture is into the grip of occult phenomena like never before. We see it in books on the Internet on TV and of course in movies and music.

The cult is now underscoring more and more of our culture's values. So what should a Christian do next time I'm running to win breath and scope of occult phenomena. Don't miss a message on occultism, not superstitions, but deception. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin lutes or this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church