How Do You Make Your Life Matter?

Hey good morning summer church or good afternoon or whatever time it is right there on here it's evening.

I am in South Africa on the unicycle we cure of this couple months extended mission trip that I take and visit some of our church planters right now with cardiogenic a holiday overlooking the city of Johannesburg where they are a church planning strategist leading the church want to work here is an awesome time and share the gospel to visit with church leaders do all we how the gospel multiply here, here, my family and I keep praying for us. God is answered prayers was endorsed I heard that last weekend Trevor Atwood preached a killer message on fatherlessness and in on what the gospel means for our spiritual adoption for ministry of adoption. This weekend we got a really special guest summit favorites there would break the ex-football player play for the Carolina Panthers Indianapolis Colts before that, I just got brought in the faith in Christ during the career and the other real ministry. I'm sure now, the church down there that is growing like crazy is one of the national leaders in the multiethnic church conversation we want a great deal from them is been very influential on RCM altar book of the high-definition leader which I would highly commend to you because I just for the great conversation so I wish I could be there with you. Think about summer church every day, but I'm very excited to be here with our teams like ergogenic a holiday here just lifting up their hands as they see the multiply throughout the world. Lucky summer church got what you put your hands together much welcome.

Great Heller hey I love come in the summer church so JD and I go back way back like I remember when he didn't have any gray here like it was like back in the day Clayton Kings Cross and we would discuss theology all night and and Lassen is also also signatures you guys are partly responsible for the church that I get the servant was part of planning call transformation church back in 2005 had been a Christian. Not very long, and JD asked me to come and speak to some churches. I will wear his Eagles was at a school. The micro school and so I remember one summer church met in the school and I noticed some of the campuses still are in schools. That's awesome and I just remember preaching and I heard a voice say and I don't know if it was my voice or God's voice but the voice it you can do this in light started church in a school and set else, like the seed of church planning that has mushroom and groaning in six years. We now have several thousand members and campuses in prisons and just all types of stuff, and helping to plant churches wells I want to say thank you for your faithfulness and example. So thank you guys make it a bigger impact. You realize, and I want to welcome all of your campuses particular, your two new campuses on Saturn and Neptune. I remember back in the early 2000's dating site with a plan of thousand churches. Good luck with that and you guys are doing God -sized dream requires God's eyes, power, and you're an example of that. So thank you so much. So we're in a series the whole story. And so when JD and the team asked me a bit part of it in pretrial cycle. Yeah the whole story because the Bible is one big story about one big person and a person's name is Jesus. Just as Jesus says in John chapter 5 and also Luke 24, all of Scripture testifies to Jesus. When you read Genesis. He's a greater Adam, when you read Exodus.

He's a greater Moses. When you read about the flood.

He's the great part that saves us all of Scripture testifies to Jesus that he is the big story is was beautiful.

When you and I and our micro stories get lost in his big story. That's when we truly find who we are to be our story doesn't make sense unless it is located in locked into his story, which is his. We all have a question whether we know it or not, we all have a question whether you are four years older where the few 94 years old are somewhere in between male or female, rich, poor, whatever your ethnicity may be it is hardwired into us and the question is this. Does my life matter and how can I make my life matter, so I'm 45 now, I know you're totally shocked. I say that to make myself the good I got a daughter is 20. She's like she's an adult and now it's amazingly cute for me since I got a son that's 15 he's a rising sophomore and I remember in my 30s just how arrogant I was because I would hear about these people in their 40s and like midlife crisis. In light of the love Jesus's wrong with these people happen to me it's true seriously bad things were cruising good to about 40 to in the last two years of been selectable a surfboard and brother.

Don't swim right so that I feel like I'm on a circle like everything I know he's sovereign is also mother that I have no clue anymore and so you begin like this.

My life really matter. Am I really making a difference is of the book of Ecclesiastes is was written by King Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes is a part of what's called the genre of Jewish wisdom literature. Wisdom for the Jews is the skill to live life and so Solomon writes this book. At the end of his life. About 931 BC.

Now listen, if you're a teenager preteen college student. Are you guys down everybody and to like you're in a conversation with this is for you to listen at the end of someone's life may say something listen to them. That means it's really important in its credibility behind what they say. So Solomon is an end of his life is like. I want to drop some wisdom on you. I want to help you live life in human wisdom also is learning from other people's mistakes and not repeating them before we look at it, let's look at Solomon's twitter bio real, like who was he at first thought he was the king of Jerusalem, it is good to be the king out about you would be cool if I can be king for argument.

Not only was he king, but he was also the son of Israel's greatest king.

King David asked like man you know Michael Jordan son you want on a street man. I remember when your daddy just don't know that dude's face in no can you imagine little Solomon walking on the striatum, how Solomon walk with.

Imagine walking on the she's walking on the street walking and enter like I was there when your daddy jacked up Goliath. By the way that he broke look for that deep in the Texas deep in the texts like I was there when your daddy jacked up Goliath social. He was the son of Israel's greatest king. He was rich beyond measure. He would make Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook and is billions look like pocket change. He was paid. Not only that he had countless servants to do what he wanted when he wanted and not only did have some lives but he also had concubine course God doesn't endorse polygamy. Solomon was living in sin, it was wrong, but I really did have a bunch of wives banana concubine hit like more women that brother had some energy so check this out.

Whatever you imagine Solomon did it whatever you wanted Solomon had in other words, Solomon had the American dream, and in some Solomon also gave into idolatry and I know here to some a church you talk about idolatry. That's not a word we use very often. But idolatry is the worship of a false god and everybody's going to worship the human heart is prewired for worship.

Solomon gave into power, money, and sex.

He was king. He was powerful he had money and then came the sex now let let me let me make a point is power wrong. No, unless you use it to press and suppress people very well is money wrong. No I miss my NFL checks your pastoring does not pay the same amount of money. I'm not as sore on Monday as I used to be the mayor. My pockets are a lot lighter used to be is money wrong. No having money is not wrong. But when money has you. It's very wrong because we do wrong things to get it and keep it, we become stingy sex from no sex is a gift from God. It is a beautiful act of worship between a husband and wife in a marital context. So Solomon writes Ecclesiastes is a book of repentance and regret is like don't make my mistakes don't chase when one of the themes that he says is it's all meaningless pursuing money powered sex. It's all meaningless.

And that's how we try to find meaning.

Think about it when you meet something when you asked them what they do and then we begin to rank them based on what they do. Solomon's like no, there is a better way. There is a way to make your life matter in Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verses 13 and 14. He summarizes it he says this not all has been heard. Here is the conclusion of the matter, fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind as a deposit, or maybe not yet a follower of Christ. Maybe you're new to spiritual things are. Maybe you are a follower of Christ in this language of fearing God is very strange to 21st-century people because who wants to follow God that you fear that gives images like all afraid of God.

Let's stop you may be cranky today.

His coffee wasn't very good writing might yell at. That's not what this means in the ancient Jewish world to to fear God means to re-fear him to honor him to respect him to to be amazed by him to be dazzled by him that all of a sudden, you begin to see all of light in high definition because the light himself not aluminate you. You begin to be in all because you see how he's delivered, you can always open doors that were once close to you what even supposed to be here and you're still here you come from jacked up messed up telephone the flow family yet you're driving yet you're surviving and all of a sudden, you begin to see that there is none greater then God that there is none greater Jesus then no one compares that he is the pearl of great price and matchless in his office and that he is absolutely mind blowing.

An incredible that's what it means to fear God that there is no one more beautiful. There is no one more excellent. There is no one more glorious in your heart went out about what it means the sadly we often project that type of reverence to people who can dunk a basketball or catch up is a little secret. I got a little bit experience in this.

Some of the most jacked up insecure people you will ever meet can dunk basketballs and catch passes. You have no idea how insecure and afraid. I was I could bench press 400 pounds that I could fix a broken insecure heart. He goes on for God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing that is good or evil. So how do we make our lives matter, how do we fear God and keep his commandments. Number one love God because he first loved you love God because he first loved you love God because he he first love you. I got a doctor to teach you that things out God's blessed me to write like four books in the last five years and tons of studying and all that stuff and learned a lot of good stuff. I'm learning some deep stuff but nothing deeper than this, Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so little ones to him belong, for we are weak, and he is strong yes Jesus loves me, that it is deep as I get because there is nothing deeper than the deep love of God, as Paul says, may you be rooted and grounded in love make you know, together with all of God's people, how wide, how long, how hi how is the love of Christ how we make our lives matter. We fit into his story of love because he first loved us. So in the context when Solomon says for God keep his commandments as as a Jewish man, also Jesus like Donald Jesus Jewish or anyone like this British do like real pasty NLP time I see every deed you do, don't make me smell the is a Jewish rabbi, just like Jews today, he would've prayed the Hebrew Shema Shema Israel of the nightly handle will not listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And so when Jesus's question. What's most important. He says this in Mark 1228 through 31, which would correspond with Solomon's word. Which commandment is the most important of all, Jesus answered the most important is here oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is what you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind with all of yours right. The second is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. This is your vision statement here Summit church.

This is the vision statement of transformation church. I think it should be the vision statement of every church. Can you imagine a world where everybody loves God loves themselves and loves their neighbor. It would be due on earth as it is in heaven, but God moves us in draws us to love you. Don't go hungry, and he does something to love so 19/92 semester. My freshman year at BYU as a football player and I met a girl named Vicki she's on the track team. She threw the javelin I seen her in her in the weight room and I really liked her triceps and as a mentor grosses his boss man and so anyway, we've been together ever since we've been married for for for 24 years and so but but I had to win her like I had to woo her. I had to step up my game when they were on campus they were argued by some and I mean thousands of students one got on my knees yell. I started seeing into you loss. That loving feeling 00 that loving feeling. Now it's gone gone gone woo woo woo baby, baby, get down okay this was twisted up man I would let her go for guess what God did get down on one knee and seeing got on the cross and the heating get down on me and saying he got on the cross and blend that if you ever doubt that God loves you look at the cross, please here system that we have to understand about God's love write the greatest need for human beings is not forgiveness. Don't throw any stones at me. Let me work through this okay. The greatest need for human beings is not forgiveness of sins, the greatest need for human beings as we need to be made spiritually alive because were spiritually dead at his forgiveness to a dead person, God makes us alive in Christ we can appreciate the forgiveness he gives us to God and come to make bad people good came to make people a lot that's called the doctrine of regeneration through Christ we are made alive. Matter fact I love God's big butts in the Bible but you cannot live site may try to deny I love got big butts in the Bible.

Ephesians 2 forces this God whose has great love for us great love for us. God, who is rich in mercy, you know what that means. It means that his mercy account is so glorious that we can withdraw on all eternity long in the next day it's new levels don't deplete God, being rich in mercy, means the recession did not affect his mercy account that he's a merciful and glorious and great God we K out sin, his mercy, the long arm of his love and mercy is unending and all pursuing not only is his great love for us in his great mercy makes us alive together with Christ. When Jesus walked out of the tomb supernaturally. He now walks and lives in moves and you that's what it means to be born again. Not only does God make us born again as we exercise faith in them, but he also forgives our sins, he rewrites our story flows review my age member and elementary school was trying to learn how to write in cursive and would make a mistake and the teacher would give us a bottle of wine out your member that those of you know it is just google it is in ancient days and so the wind out you put over your mistake and get all crusty and pacing, and you can write over it right will guess what Jesus sees our mistakes and he doesn't use whiteout. He uses blood out.

He uses blood out and and he rewrites your story with his very own. Not only does he make us alive. Not only does he forgive us, but he also makes us his friends. We are reconciled to God, the heartbeat of God the father is, is he's a good good father. That's who he is and he so good for him to send my son I will make you love not only forgive you but to make you my children to make you my friend, and please understand this, God loves you as you are not, as you should be because none of us are as we should be. That's why we need a Savior, and the more we focus on is unconditional love right where we are, the more that love transforms us. You see, that's what he's done to to win our hearts and so we we love him first because he first loved us. That's how we we find meaning in his love story. Secondly, you love yourself because your United to the Messiah you love yourself because you are uniting to to Messiah the interview guys remember the first day of middle school and trying to find your locker terrifying.

It was our year like walking and you want to go sit down with the cool kids but you're not sure if you can get up or not figured out mentally could be wrong, learn a lot wrong about a lot of things but it seems like we never really get over that. We just learned how to cover it up that the older I get, I realize you know what you're still that sixth-grader in middle school and you need Jesus to help you find your locker. All of us have cracks and crevices and holes in our soul that we try to fill, but only Jesus can fill those cracks in those premises. One of the greatest tools the enemy uses is for you tomorrow.

The image of God that God has tattooed on you in Christ if he can get you to doubt that your love. If he can get you to doubt not your self-esteem but your God is saying please don't have self-esteem because self-esteem is built on what you do.

God esteem is built upon the rock what Jesus has done some not for self-esteem and for god esteem, but he can get you to doubt your god esteem that can affect everything.

Have you walked into a room like no one here likes me. Matter fact, some of you maybe didn't know that now you make a guess, but I don't know if these people like me even met these people yet so we like self sabotage because were projecting how we feel about ourselves. If you want to know how a person feels about themselves. Look at how they treat other people, especially people who hurt them and people who can do nothing for them.

So to love ourselves correctly means this all that's true of Jesus is now true of me and you, the way God the father loves Jesus is the way got a father loves us the way God the father thinks about Jesus is the way God the father thinks about us know about you but that is so on fair by the way, we don't want fair. We want grace to that's what makes us love him and begin the love ourselves because we let realize that our worth and our significance of who we are as people is not built on my accomplishments is not built on my failures. It's built upon the epic work of Jesus. Check this out with the Roman 64 through seven says about us being united to Christ. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into his death, in order that Jesus Christ was raising the dead to the glory. Father, we too may live a new life that new life we live is Jesus's life, for we been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that her old self was crucified with him, so that the body ruled by sin may be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who is died has been set free from sin supernaturally. Somehow, when Jesus died on the cross.

We were with him somehow supernaturally Jesus laid in the tomb. We were with him somehow supernaturally when Jesus got up out of that to got up out with him.

So check this out. I don't know what to you're in right now but go ahead and walk out. I'm not sure the tomb you're in the go-ahead walk out his free. The doors open distrusting. I don't know what fear has your heart afraid. But Jesus is greater. I don't know what situation or circumstance has you in bondage. But Jesus is greater. I don't know what you're going through, but I know that one will get you through.

His name is Jesus. You are united to him. He is your great God. 13 somebody help me up and if somebody needs a good fit for more than a pound.

Love you actually serve a concrete king united to him upon his name out to deliver you delivering God great God is our Messiah. By the way, that was that was for me.

You know people people people. I think at times thinks the preachers don't go through stuff that their kids don't have problems that sickness don't hit them that fear son of God, us about that but encourage me.

So how do we find meaning if you got keep his commandments.

Love your neighbor and I notice your division hear the neighbors were about love your neighbor, but we do that we do that and I look at the text of Scripture because what Jesus did as he took the Hebrew Shema in Deuteronomy 6 verses four through six, love golf. I heart muscle strengthening to Leviticus 19 nine through 18, which is love your neighbor as you love yourself. So in the first century, second Temple Jewish context.

When Jesus said love your neighbor when Solomon said no fear God and keep his commandments need to love your neighbor's work to look at in that context, what it means to love your neighbor and then we can apply it to our context today. So to love your neighbor you do this by being generous financially. You do this by being honest and you do this by being fair.

How do we know let's look at the text.

Jesus quotes Leviticus 19 and love your neighbor as you love yourself. It says this when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.

Do not go over your vineyard a second time to pick up the grapes in the fall and leave them for the poor and the foreigner I am the Lord your God, so I don't know if you farm but you do have a job so so so except Israel was agricultural society and Yahweh. The one true God is look my people. When you clean your heart, your harvest don't go to the edges and would think when when when grapes fall down leave them there because the poor and the foreigner or immigrant is going to come through Israel and be hungry. Can you imagine you walking in the desert. You're hungry, your stomach grumbling, speaking in tongues to you. You don't over and you walk in your like oh my gosh these people in this land the food for people. I need to know about their God. If there this generous. So what is that mean for you and I'd means that you have a job one day you will have a job and means that part of our generosity is in response to God's generous gift of Jesus to us in such generosity to others particular the poor and those in need. The mission and vision of the church and also other Christ centered things becomes an act of worship that the world goes God is this that these people are so generous, lemon curd, some you who been following Jesus for a long time.

Please don't stop it 10% giving well. Lord Jesus gave my 10% rest is my and I'm so glad on the cross, Jesus didn't go well Jan I gave you 10% of blood in the rest is mine. What if your next phrase is not to increase your standard of living, but increase your standard of giving part of loving our neighbors. Generosity to the poor generosity to the mission vision of the church to rescue those in need loving your neighbor is also don't still apply. Don't deceive one another can imagine just for 10 minutes, the whole world was generous didn't steal didn't lie. Didn't see can imagine how beautiful it will be a benefit. Can you imagine how beautiful our homes would be if that were then goes on, don't swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your gut of your God. I am the Lord. So, I must admit I have a pet peeve with this one particular here in the southeast United States of America. Christians will get mad at non-Christians for going GDR Jesus Christ like a plague guys playing golf and Christians would get mad at non-Christians for they hit a bad shot, and the non-Christian would go GDR Jesus Christ and the Christian there. They say that in a moment of glimpse that even though Jesus like that's not what it means to swear falsely, by his name you want to know if you want to know what it means to not swear falsely buys name. Don't deceive one another. Don't lie. Don't still don't be stingy.

That's what it means to dishonor and falsely swear by God's name not saying GD or Jesus Christ.

When you play golf. By the way, the name Jesus. Yes you are.

Is this Joshua door. A lot of people named Joshua and Jesus's day but a lot of people what Messiah parent. I don't know if you do this, but you remember when your mom and them are betting them some some you, your mom and in your data. All yell at the good chance that I'm talking about your mom and him that in him you memo your mom and I only know that in them when you leave the house there be like.

Remember whose last name you represent what it means not swear falsely, by God, God is remember whose last name you have in your business dealings. Remember when you take that exam at the cheat because my name and my glory is on the line. That's what that means, not some foolishness of unbelievers Jesus Christ and GD guys like didn't even know me. You gotta catch the fish before you can clean the fish to love your neighbor means don't defraud or rob your neighbor, so if you sell cars: the car up if you give loans give loans to people with outrageous interest rates because their poor get fired before you do that.

That's what sunk this nation.

Often times I have young people in our church and we need to reach to urban area and I'll be like need to reach Wall Street because pookie and José did not develop subprime loans while we all go to Wall Street, where economies are controlled and see some people come to love Jesus and have generosity and have them just how about that. Maybe the situation for pookie and Tyrone and Mike K power structures are transformed by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

Can I get a nightmare from somebody said that the artist don't hold back the wages of a hard worker overnight pay people fairly don't curse the deaf or puts them to block you from the blind fear God, I'm the Lord we treat people that have special needs. How we treat the families with children with special needs. It's hard do not pervert justice do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly would happen if we treated everybody like Jesus died for rich, poor, black, white, Asian, Latino male female upper-class middle-class all, classes. What if we treated everybody. Jesus tasted death for them is Hebrews 12 are 296. Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

I think if Jesus were writing this today, he would say please watch what you say on Facebook, twitter and Instagram semiauto loss young minds like him like surely Jesus didn't tell you to write this because mean and nasty is deftly not a part of the fruit of the spirit and be careful what you say about professional athletes to they got families that read that stuff, you know, this is what I say to people all the time if they don't like the way their favorite professional athlete plays I don't listen man they got tryouts. Every spring I may like.

Surely you love the way you talk. You must can do it better. So go ahead and try it out with your bad self. See how that works out for you. I been there. It's pretty tough, but the way you talk and in Sweden like Trixie got them twitter fingers this if you got there really actually catch a ball with 250 pound linebacker hit New York real. That's what I thought. Shut up, do not do anything to endanger neighbors life. I am the Lord your God, to not hate your fellow Israelite your heart, rebuke, neighbor, frankly, so do not share your guilt, speak the truth in love. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people. But love your neighbor as your self. I am the Lord. So now we go, what is this look like to love your neighbor looks like being generous. Looks like being honest and looks like being fair. People are attracted to Jesus's people when they do that by God's grace. So Solomon finishes up what Ecclesiastes 1211. He says the words of the wise are like goats there collected sayings like firmly embedded nails in the ancient world when you had a ox or something. It wouldn't go you have these goads that you like that and would make the animal go will God's word is wisdom hits us to make us go deeper into his heart, but notice what Solomon says here firmly embedded nails. One shepherd is a sound familiar. I know shepherd who had firmly embedded nails that hung them on a cross. Jesus says these words in John 1011 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. If Jesus, the good Shepherd with a down his life for you, don't you think you can trust his wisdom.

Not only is Jesus the shepherd.

Not only is Jesus our wisdom but Jesus is also our satisfaction and meaning. Listen, I don't.

I don't propose to know what you're experiencing at the various campuses that I don't know. It's not my place to know and even if I didn't know I'm so limited I can't really do none for you, but I do know one who is unlimited to know one who is limitless and if me giving you a hug would help. Believe me, I would do it.

I do know one who says, I will satisfy you regardless.

Jesus says these words in John chapter 6 verse 35 I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Would you feed on Jesus which consume him by faith. Would you would you drink is well of living water.

Want to find meaning you want to find purpose. You want your life to matter. It's found in Jesus.

He is our wisdom is our satisfaction is not a job is not espoused.

It's not kid is not accomplishing everything Solomon says all those things are meaningless gives meaning here is moist.

Follow him and you know sometimes follow the good Shepherd, like the journeys like the last two years I have not like the journey worries taken like that at all like to become like the process to get there but he loves me enough my family enough to teach us how to trust them so I don't know what faith really is until all you have is your next breath it says Jesus which you save me shepherd what you come again to the rescue. What you call what you trust them to do the impossible.

Here's our soul to the big ideas will be sent transformation church. This make your life better. Don't say I'll wait till next week may not be next week… No way to get done with college that may not happen may not happen.

One thing I know is right now is happening. There is no greater time right now the trust, the great Shepherd followed his name alone is his name and you'll find that is already but I thank you for some a church. I thank you for your words of wisdom empowered by the Holy Spirit.

May we be allies people to love you with all my heart mind soul and strength and love our neighbors as we love ourselves we can't do that you have to do it for us. That's why you make us alive. That's why you inhabit us and indwell us, may we make our lives matter and having a life that matters that mean that were superstar. It is means that we should choose to shine the light on the great MorningStar himself, the Lord Jesus the brightest of the bright right now this moment.

Perhaps you said you know it past the girl in I want to follow Jesus, maybe never take a step to follow Jesus met maybe maybe something to strip the wire strips on the inside you sent. I'm ready to follow Jesus. I'm ready to exchange my old dead life for his new life.

I'm ready receive forgiveness in red and I was immersed in red and was 11 ready to know his purpose for my life and ready for my life to matter if that's you right now the silence of your heart. It is Lord.

I am ready. I believe by faith upon the cross.

He took the place she was disgraced to give me grace I'm forgiven him love and I believe that on the third day you defeated death and now you live your victorious life in me and through me. I am alive. I am free.

I choose this gift of life eternal. In Christ's name.

Amen amen and amen