Worth It

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer joyful sacrifice is when you give up something that you love something that you love even more of what it means to rejoice in the sacrifice I'm giving up something I love that I can be without but it's because of something that I love even more and I have more joy in what I am gaining that I do and what I am losing life with pastor Ginny Summit church in Raleigh, North Carolina. As always, I'm your host Molly bit of edge considered the fact that every day you are most likely experiencing the fruit of the audacious faith of others who came before you. You are the fruit of someone's bold faith now. Then the question becomes, are you following in the footsteps of these people who put their faith first or are you getting Jesus sloppy leftovers, an important distinction as we look to live a life marked by faith in Jesus. Let's get into God's word together enjoying pastor Ginny Greer in Colossians chapter 1+ shovel one last weekend we looked at the chart the profile be different is between the first generation and the second generation in the movement, and I asked you to consider which profile more closely resemble your attitude about what sort of story about a grandfather who was sitting on a's front porch on this country home with his grandson underneath her porch were about 10 dogs that they had out in the about the country there when all of a sudden the dogs got a perks up lets out a single you know staccato kind of yelp bark and then takes out across the field after something.

Well then, all of a sudden, after this one dog does all these other dogs got a job and they all start barking and yapping and tearing out across the field after this dog so the grandfather was a grandson and he says he's a boy. Let me tell you what's about to happen right here he said about 10 minutes.

Every single one of those non-dogs is going to come back with her head hung down with her tongue hanging out with the tail Dragon to resume their position here under the porch and they're going to go back to sleep. He said in about 30 minutes that first dog is going to come back and he's going to have a rabbit in his mouth. He said he didn't get the rabbit because he was in shape better because he was a better a better rabbit, dog, it's because he's the only one that actually Saul rabbit. All the other dogs are just running and barking because they just like to run a bark is other people running the market. He said, but once all the rabbit that gives him the endurance to press on. When the others have faded away. My hope in this series is that more of you will see the rabbit just a handful of us because I told you that in a church like ours. What you end up having is a handful of people who have no service week seeing the rabbit and so they are all in and they're engaged and had a bunch of people are just comments that the audience and barking me out with everybody else because it's fun to be around a group of people that seem to be like you're moving in or going somewhere. I want all of you to see the rabbit that's the goal in this series is for unit two to see that by the way some of you have you really have a and you are you are all in and you are engaged, and I want you to feel very affirmed in this series I don't want you to feel like I'm yelling at you.

I want you to sense that I'm getting other people to try to see what you've seen so that they will do what you are doing. I want all of you to be first generation leaders today in Colossians 1, you really get a peek inside of the heart of a first-generation leader to see what moves and motivates him one of the questions that Paul addresses in this concise little fast-paced letter to the Colossians, one of things he addressed was the Colossians concern about why Paul was suffering. So I Paul you really are. The messenger of God is God's really on your side and why why are you always imprisoned things like God would be taking better care of you and Paul doesn't that discourage you. God let you sit in prison for so long versus 24 to 29 of Colossians 1 is Paul's answer to that question know this is such a rich and credible text.

I really hope you have it memorized to be agreeable to put on your list of memorized, but I just want to walk you through it, phrase by phrase. It is really difficult to put this passage into what type little outline because Paul just starts going out things in kind of a stream of consciousness that that that he that he's given us a move and motivate him to rather than presenting this passage to you in the form of an outline that I just act like reading our Bibles together and I get to be your tour guide but were not one of those big, big Bussey tours where values try to go around the city and the door got stop sitting just points out various things are so real rhyme or reason. Righteous block. You don't want to miss. That's what were going to do, unfortunately I don't have one is a rope so you can bold us to stop the bus on your own numbers, meander away for the passage and then we get to the very end, I give you some reflection questions based on that passage that I believe are really pertinent for us right now in this season.

Okay, ready to go.

Verse 24 now Paul says I rejoice in my sufferings for you. All right stop. I know we just left the station, but this is really really confusing the Colossians, and it should be to you as well Paul, you rejoice in your suffering. Not not just you endure to the sufferings or to make it through but you actually rich choice in the sufferings what's wrong with you Paul was also gonna say this was Paul just so spiritual that he no longer cared about things the rest of us care about like creature comforts and a warm bed of hot food and freedom. I would wait with his friends. I was Paul just so you know, filled with the Holy Spirit that he was oblivious to everything that was happening around him. No, no. Paul loved all those things. Just like the rest of us. And Paul hated to be without them.

But here is the thing lesson joyful sacrifice joyful sacrifice is when you give up something that you love for something that you love even more. That's what it means to rejoice in sacrifices I can have joy in sacrifice when I'm giving up something I love and I to be without but it's because of something that I love even more and I have more joy in what I am gaining that I do and what I am losing Paul loves seeing people come to Christ more than he loved his personal freedoms and more than he loved this creature comforts and he had if he had to give up the ladder in order to get the former he would do that all day every day because he loved that even more you rejoice in suffering when you love what you gain through suffering more than what you're giving up in suffering and I'll tell you if you don't love what you're gaining more than you love what you're giving up and you never endure yet I might be able to move you through a little, you know, like pressure and guilt we gotta do this but it will never last doing way for you to keep pressing on a keyboard is when is when you're driven by something you love resale rejoice in sufferings.

However, this compared sometimes to childbirth before the birth of our first child.

People always told me that I go to childbirth. It's so beautiful and I think I know what they mean now, but they didn't give me any context for that. So I went into that first birth think about is going to be beautiful. What I got in there.

Mike is a beautiful board start because of amulet or the doctors like is this all happening when supposed to happen. It doesn't look right to me. If you insist that you think about that Yahoo will go to that voluntarily would go to that, voluntarily, and who would even call the whole process beautiful in almost every mom in here would enthusiastically say I would. I would, they would give away would just wave away the thought of suffering and say their child. This is what it took to bring you into the world that I rejoice in my sufferings for you because I look at you when I say totally totally worth it. Paul said to the Colossians. This is how I feel about you spiritually. I rejoice in my suffering because of what I know it is producing in you. I'll do whatever it takes I'll pay whatever price I gotta pay for you to know Jesus, joyful, joyful sacrifice is giving up something you love something you love even more so let me just ask you to consider is this how you feel.

Are you rejoicing in sacrifices that you've made because of what you see God doing through the sacrifices and people around you and people miss certain people in our community of people around the world or be honest.

Are you dreading are you dreading even talking about a stock is on board would have to do now. What's God going to say to me now or are you one of those people who were like oh yeah Paul you want to talk about suffering and sacrifice. I came to church today and it was so crowded I do walk like I don't park so far lateral cut 100 yards getting the building and the worship team did not just one but two songs I didn't like in this. After repeated emails of the worship after telling him what songs I do or do not like my campus master had the audacity to ask me to come to a different service to free up seats for somebody else and then asked to serve the kids ministry and I will even have kids and I just have you all the heaviness of gospel ministry coming on I got a new church and I may or may not be putting together a compilation of emails I have received but maybe you're like I hate this series we talk about sacrifice. I just want to come to church and I just want to hear an inspirational message and feel good and I just know my kids have a good time and honesty. Some friends and then I want to know is that too much to ask. When I hear that. Always think about what one of our church planters over central Asia who lives in a very Muslim areas of Galatia told me he said is in our church will how search Muslims of come to faith in Christ. There was about five of us sitting on the room had grown in like six months and that anybody door church.

He said, so I made him bought a piece paper will write down the names of five people in our life. We knew no need Jesus.

He said that I had to go back and circle the wind out of that five that was the least likely to kill them if they told him about Jesus. He said mommy circle about what he said that's what you pray about and that's really go after. That's what Paul is talking about. That's the kind of suffering that is Paul talking about. We are so so spoiled the first generation means you expect personal sacrifice, not personal comfort and you rejoice in that because of what you see being produced through it. I think about the story I heard recently about a couple who were serving on the first impressions theme.

Disengaging the ministry and end there in the first impression said they met a Chinese student who is visiting our church that was being hosted by another Summit family night will they do it next week at lunch. They had the opportunity to lead that student to faith in Christ, along with two others. The students were only in the United States for three weeks and somehow to study things so when the students went back over to it to China.

This couple felt like when we visit them and help them get established over there and make sure there there there walking the face of the go over there on their own dime on this mission trip did so moved by the loss of some of the community that they were part of that.

They came back resign their jobs are in the process now of going over permanently to be full-time missionaries in China and I say I will gladly, I will gladly give to something like that because I'm more excited about what I'm seeing that I am what I would be holding what I think about a couple to call the vision for for using their newfound wealth that they just success in their business to purchase affordable housing purchase affordable housing for whether it was homelessness refugee families so they bought two apartments and civil remedies available. They had so much fun providing these two apartments to refugee families that they bought 32 more so now they own 34 and they are just filling them up with refugee families. One, they told me that has nine kids, many of them women in crisis there. They've asked for a few Summit families to come and live in this apartment complex to be there to help reach and disciple. These communities are often overlooked and I say I want to continue giving to make stories like those possible again.

So Paul says, far from being discouraged by the sufferings. I rejoice in the suffering because of what I see, producing, and you and back minutes first fog and takes it up a level. He says this is is that I'm completing in my flesh. What is lacking in Christ's afflictions for his body.

That is, the church no go on the surface was staggering statement is almost blasphemous right. What could possibly be lacking in Christ's afflictions.

What Jesus's last words, it is finished and now Paul saying something is lacking in Christ's afflictions what what what possibly could he mean when one since. Yes, the work of Christ is complete when Jesus said it is finished, he was serious. There's nothing that you when I need to add to the finished work of Christ, he is purchased our salvation, but in another sense, the work of salvation is not complete until people hear that message and respond. Martin Luther famously said it would not matter if Jesus died a thousand times. If nobody ever heard about it but they have to hear about it and respond. In order for it to be good news. Paul says Christ sufferings are not complete in the fullest sense into you that he died for. Do you hear and respond, and it takes my suffering to bring that to pass, that is the suffering that I will gladly go go through hell of a way that one Romanian pastor explained that he says Christ cross was for propitiation. That's a fancy word that means Jesus paid for said RRs are cross is for propagation Christ suffered to accomplish salvation.

We suffer now to spread salvation. No listen, let me give you a very hard and rather unpopular teaching. Okay, this is not you brought yours right here, but it's the truth. Suffering is the means by which God has ordained, bringing salvation in the world, and an overall winner here is blessing and prosperity is the means by which God has ordained, bringing salvation in the world but it is suffering that God has chosen to bring salvation in the world metal Paul talking about Jesus told his disciples right before he ascended to heaven he says of the father has sent me into the world. This is the same way, I'm sending you into the world. The father sent me into the world to suffer the purchaser of your salvation.

I'm sending you into the world to suffer to bring other people. The news of salvation, but write this down take a notes life in the world comes only through death in the church life in the world comes only through death in the church.

There's a question you got asked yourself is that a price that you're willing to pay.

Let me ask you to consider. What did it cost you what it cost you to receive the free gift of salvation what it cost to nothing. You just received it. Christ paid it all. The question is are you now willing to do what it takes for people all over the world to know to hear and respond to that message. Is that not what we owe to the gospel. If Jesus paid it all and all, to him, we hope, don't we owe it to him and to others that we give our lives to bring the gospel to them, just like Jesus gave his life to bring the gospel to us. I often ask you to consider this. Where would you be without Jesus, where would you be had Jesus chosen not to die for you. Here's a really simple way of thinking about it, you will be exactly the same place that millions of people in the world are without you, because it would not matter. Jesus died a thousand times. Nobody ever heard about it. How can we receive the extravagant grace of the gospel. How can we receive the purchase that Jesus made for our salvation and then not do everything we can do do do nothing to get the gospel to those who have never heard isn't that what we owe to them.

We owe an incredible debt to the world.

So Paul continues for this reason I become it's it's been the church there and the future church I become its servants stop there really quickly is that primarily how you see yourself to the church. You see yourself as a server which you mainly see yourself as a servant of the church or beneficiary of the church, by the way, the ESV translates this word is minister which is not a great translation as you, the minister needed make professional Christian.

This is servant here is just that the better translation Lord is means any but are you a servant of the church are you beneficiary of the church do you come into the church mainly saying how can this church benefit will continue for me and my family are you coming primarily saying what role my spouse play in this surgeon in the ministry going forward.

By the way, but I'm not saying this or should not do things for you and your family. We want to. The question is what you primarily come in as you come in as a servant looking to serve or is a consumer looking to benefit bosses for me on the servant of the church, according to God's co-mission that was given to me for you to make the word of God fully known network commission. There is really important because it means an individual assignment.

Something given specifically to you.

God doesn't just have this great big global mission that he just has a mature sigil figured out, it gives individual assignments to every believer. He's got an assignment for you is got a purpose commission for your time for your talents and for your treasures is the kind of thing where if you don't do that. It won't get done is what given that everybody was given you this week and do it. Servant research I stumbled onto a collection of those you had one job fails row supposed me with sermon research I stumbled on this website. I kid you not. 30 minutes later I'm still giggling and chortling it's working my way through this thing is just awesome.

Somebody had a commission to do one thing and then do one thing and so it and get done. The ESV VSV translates the word commission translates is that stewardship that such a really good translation can stewardship means is given to me, but I don't really own it, it's given to me for you and so I am a steward, not an owner of the time treasures and talent that God has given me and I've got asked myself why did God give me those things. In fact in Scripture. Listen to this. If you do not use your time treasuring talent for the purposes God gave them to you, then God considers it stealing is why Paul Romans 114 would say that I owe the gospel to people who have never heard I am a debtor to them. Paul never met most of those people. So how was he owe something a bunch people he met. He's never met will be answer was, he owed something to Jesus his soul and Jesus had given him a commission to take the gospel to these people and Paul said, I'm no longer a free man. I owe it to you and if I don't bring the gospel to you, but don't fulfill with my life.

My time treasuring talents.

The purposes which got given the me on stealing from them permit and you and God reminds me one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament where the prophet Micah another. Would you should have memorized the prophet Micah discusses same concept. Micah 68 to show you all man or woman what is good what the Lord requires of you not stop there. If you're type A like me. We should work require a Michael require. But I gotta know this is what God wants for me this is what he wants from you is like a summation of the Christian life three things you want to do justice which you love, kindness and mercy and once you walk humbly with God when we quite talk about each of these three to do justice to do justice I told you before, listen that justice for us, typically means that were just being fair or not stealing, but in the Bible. Listen to be just also means that you are using what you have, for the sake of others because you recognize that God gave you whatever prosperity he gave you he gave it to you was a stewardship for others and for you not to use it and leverage it for them to leverage it only for personal benefit is stealing. It is unjust. Don't listen poverty around us, poverty around the world require something of us who are rich. I know I will not rich dateless of this vessel this recently if the population of the world.

What will it means it is less than 5% of the people in the world are American bus and fiber 4.25% of the actual number. Yet we Americans we control, we own 25% of the wealth not to make you feel guilty about that made anything. What that means we produce more than anybody else, okay, but what it means is that you and I are very blessed group. In fact, listen, if you make $34,000 a year in combined household income 34,000 year you were in the top 1% of people worldwide top 1% and you to consider the fact that there were 2.5 billion people who live in substandard housing or without adequate nourishment are consistent access to clean water every single week every week. 100,000 kids die around the world of starvation or preventable hunger related diseases not require something of us was an American Christians have a combined annual income of $5 trillion where the richest faith community that is ever existed in history right, what did God give us that prosperity for that we have – all part of an enormous where you are.

Compare near neighbors were all part of them everything.

For a ninja lightning and transforming the world in the hands of the church. Don't miss the conclusion of this message, titled worth it tomorrow on Senate life with JD Greer if you missed any of today's message. You can listen again by visiting JD Greer.com at any time, our entire teaching library is available free of charge. Thanks to our partners who give so generously JD this month we are featuring a 10 day devotional and a Scripture guide about how our emotions reveal what's really going on in our hearts. How are we helping listeners will use our new devotional in Scripture guide Molly I would like to to believe that everything we teacher a summit life coming from the Bible is relevant to all of us all the time, but there are a particular series like this one that I think are relevant to us in a very unique and, dare I say even intimate way, and that is when in dealing with the emotions that come from our hearts that indicate the state of our hearts rather than try to suppress her emotions are managed and we really got diagnosed and that's the idea of smoke from a fire is that I'm following the trail smoke back down to the fire so I can see the altar that I'm worshiping at what were doing is in addition to the teaching were wanting to give a tool smoke from a fire, a study guide that will help you study some of the same passages and press into what's going on in your own heart is creating these emotions, your faith starts with honesty before God. But it didn't end there. It's got a press into the word of God in this God will help you be honest about yourself before God, but also look at what the Bible has to say about about what's going on in your heart.

We learned making all of these resources available because there helping people around the country deeper into God's word with the life-changing power of the gospel and like you said it all made possible by listeners just like you get today or join a team of monthly supporters, gospel partners and remember to print this up from the fire devotional work. This resource of 10 devotionals and a Scripture guide will help you call to mind the goodness of God realized his plans for you.

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Give us a call at 866335 T-20 one more time fixing 335-5220 20 when you donate online or not, or if it's easier to mail your donation right here ministry here last one 2293 Carolina seven Molly benefits should enjoy it again Friday anywhere series in collapsing on Senate line and 90