Redeeming Ambition

Today on Summit life strategically or talks about the mission, marriage and children that God desires.

But it is licit is how we respond with heart conditions or disappointed that reveals whether they were godly or selfish ones like author and legend Jeannie.

As always, I'm your host Molly bit of edge your joining the very beginning of a teaching series that Pastor JD preached quite a few years ago called homewrecker's in-depth look at ways to avoid many of the dangers and pitfalls that often corrode our relationships and destroy our homes, but don't let the title fool you will be covering so much more than just marital issues selected the ground running and be sure to stick around to the end of today's program and learn more about our latest resource you can check out@jdgreer.com for now let's jump right in and join Pastor Katie as he begins the message in Philippians that he titled deeming ambition start.

What that is for a couple of weeks about how God's Word teaches you that you should think about your work. What's to do that today from the book of Philippians. So you got your Bible open to Philippians out some of you would ask this question, you say well the series is about old records. Why are we going to talk about our jobs. Question is, why because for many of you, especially some of you men your whole life is out of whack because your job life is out of whack right. Everything about a thing about what is the source of most of the stress that you end up bringing into your own work dissatisfied in your job you hate your boss money is tight. You're under a lot of pressure so you take that out on your family and for many of you ever get your job life right a lot of issues at home would just end up resolving themselves. The majority of your adult life is spent at work and I was putting out.

See, I think the church has done a patently bad job at teaching you what it means to follow Jesus in the workplace going on to talk about working for God as if it's like 45 minutes if you volunteer your church on the weekend and hearing.

I want you to volunteer your church on the weekend. It's just that many of you, your primary ministry is not volunteer for 45 minutes or the weekend your primary ministry is happens happening in the place where you spend 50 to 60 hours a week and that is in the workplace often pointed out to you that miracles are the other.

The book of acts 40, 40, 40 miracles of the book of acts happened outside of the workplace. 37 of them. 37 of them so question where is the power of God was want to manifest itself here is it isn't right here through my preaching a little bit, but only about 347 3740 a summit what's to happen through you in the workplace. So we want to see you learn how to take the kingdom of God how to take the power of God out of this place into the workplace and that's what I want to try to teach a little about the next couple weeks.

Specifically, the subject for today and that is the role of ambition in your life.

Ambition is often what drives us in our work now ambition.

On the surface has got a pretty bad rap is when you say that somebody is a really ambitious person that usually has a fairly negative connotation. We should think of Michael Douglas and Wall Street greedy proud cutthroat, overly competitive, so let me be really clear right the Bible in no uncertain terms tell you that selfish ambition is wrong and sent James chapter 3 verse 13 tells you that selfish ambition is the source of all kinds of bad sins in your life.

Bitterness, jealousy, exportation, constant dissatisfaction, and that over competitive nature that some of you live with it just makes you really annoying to be around that I get an amen from some wives out there.

I know that overly competitive nature of these are always competing so Jeremiah 45 five tells you you then see great things for yourself.

Seek them not see there is another kind of ambition that is good and right. It was ambition that led David to expand the borders of Israel.

It was ambition that led Solomon to build the temple. It was ambition that led Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It was ambition that led Paul to extreme measures to spread the gospel to the boys and said there's Romans 1526. I have made it my mission to take Christ. Reason ever been names work harder than anybody works of their job. The gospel writer say about Jesus that he was more ambitious than anybody you ever live John chapter 2 verse 17 says about Jesus zeal for God's house had eaten him up, you can transfer that was it was ambition.

Ambition for the house of God had eaten him up like just selfish ambition has caused greedy executives to exploit the poor and ruin our economy, selfish ambition has driven some dictators to drive nations into war.

Selfish ambition has made some men and women destroy their families and neglected children, but in our reaction to that we don't need to get rid of all ambition. We need to redeem ambition. We need to rescue it. We live in a world that is desperately in need of people who should be ambitious for the right things for the right reasons.

Children real clear. The goal of this sermon is that you become more ambitious, not less. That ambition that some of you have burning in your heart that is made you such what Paul was showing you about himself is pretty remarkable here Paul is genuinely disappointed, but he hasn't grown bitter, and he hasn't given up at his dreams. He is a man that is disappointed in his ambitions that he has not given up on his dreams. He faces disappointment without disillusionment. He is genuinely sad at his losses but he is not in despair, he is hungry for more yet happy with less considerable .7 million people in Raleigh and we want every one of them to have a chance to hear the gospel and to see it up close before they die.

That is ambitious and got us told us to be ambitious for those things. So Paul displays the good kind of ambition of the book of Philippians. The good kind of ambition that I want to show you try to show you what is ambition look like to give you some litmus tests that you can take along the way as we go through this to you can test yourself to see whether not your ambition is a good kind of the bad type white background of the book of Philippians that Libyans things are not going out well for Paul. Paul's career has taken a pretty substantial turn for the worse and not a really good time in his career he sees later on in his career as an apostle in you by this time things really ought to sell about this when you start enjoying the fruits of your labor. All please write the book of Philippians is imprisoned.

People telling lies about it. Other people have taken credit for his work, and then trashed his reputation, that's your credit happened bad enough when somebody takes credit for your work, but there when they trash you in the process. If you ever had that happen to you.

That's what is happening to Paul.

Somebody has taken credit for what he did and it is tearing him down to the people that he spent so much time with him. Philippians is unable now to be with.

There's people that he loves this Philippian church is in a lot of danger because there are people who are trying to correct the doctrine of whole plot and they are literally being persecuted like anybody who has children he wants to be with those that he loves any cameras you shut up in prison or have a situation were somebody you love was in danger you wanted to protect you wanted to provide for them, which for whatever reason ever first year that I was married I was speaking at. You can't gotten in Florida in about 130 in the morning might not. My cell phone rings in my wife euros for we have kids, obviously she's at home by herself and she is convinced someone is in the house does not like I have screwed but I think I hear somebody walking around downstairs. Time two hours from the nearest airport. There's no possible way that I think I can get there. That feeling of hopelessness.

What I want to protect her.

My new wife overprotected, but I that's how Paul feels about this church right now.

His ambitions are good once he wants to protect them. He wants to help them but he just can't, and the dangers of their face or no no is really what my mom my wife thought she was facing.

Turns out was nothing release the person left. I don't know what came of it. But don't want to make you suppose in some pretty discouraging circumstances is ministries not surging is like his ambitions, which he thought were good once are being unfulfilled. That's when most of us were discontented right there when our ambitions are being unfulfilled and a lot of things are not turning out like we hope they would like we expected that they would so you think by now to be in this leadership position by now. My career ought to be here by now I should be making this much money at this age I should of been married at this age I should have kids. I should've traveled here I should accomplish that and listen. Those are not wrong desires, but many others desires show that you're growing spiritually. The desire leadership positions desire success to desire marriage and children. Those are good God-given desires, but it is listen is how we respond when our ambitions are disappointed that reveals whether they were godly or selfish ones will return to teaching in testimony, but I want to take a moment to personally invite you to become a monthly getting Summit life with Jeannie career. The gospel is the welcoming message of the power of God just went always every single day.

God isn't just something that we had into our week like a cherry on top of pretty good life is our life.

God wants to partner with lead and direct us through the power of his gospel message. We take this seriously and invite listeners to partner with us financially with the regular monthly getting worried about money. Don't think I will provide that we want to give you the opportunity to join with us in our mission to use the resources that God is giving you to bring the gospel to your community as well as to the nation. Give us a call at 866-335-5224 Senate to be a monthly gospel partner Jeannie career.com would be Chuck for verse 11 Paul says I have learned what ever situation whatever means prosperity or in prison, in whatever situation I am to be content. Verse 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to balance when you about is when you have a contract when you get the raise swim your dates.

It's when you're pregnant. I brought low is when you face failure you get overlooked for the promotion you're still single and all your friends got married. You still don't have grandkids you're knocking on the door of your dreams and it just won't open your knuckles are bloodied from having knocks for so hard so long and you're looking at heaven's sake. God why why how come the store is open for me. Verse 12.

In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing 20 and hunger abundance and that phrase I have learned the why Paul was like some subsequent different that he was kind of got the stuff from him when he got saved. But he just came out content anything that would be awesome. That's how we fix like discontentment in our lives is email attachment. You just point click apply comes and fixes everything your computer. What does little Microsoft updates I sent out like every other day to fix the bugs in your computer.

Bill Gates made a statement that if the car industry had kept up with the computer industry that we would all be driving cars that went safely hundred and 50 miles an hour.

I got 200 miles a gallon in one of the car.

Executives said yeah but who wants to drive a car crashes every 45 minutes, which I thought was helpful. Awesome. If that's how you fixed the discontentment bug in your life is is the Holy Ghost just dropped off a little update package that update updated your spiritual life and bam your content that will be awesome. That's not how it works. Not for you, not for me to pull posted. I have this alert when he says it was a secret. Not only tells us just to be content in the stills what to do like because it don't scissors a secret to this and then he gives us a verse that is the most misquoted verse older just verse 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me basketball players. This verse was it about Jott. The routine is been a ball backwards?

Should you talk about the house out there.

Paul is talking about the ability to be content in all things scholars say that that word that's translated through through him really ought to be translated in him saying I have found in Christ. But the resources to succeed in the resources to have my dreams disappointed.

What Paul was showing you about himself is pretty remarkable.

Here Paul is disappointed, genuinely disappointed, but he hasn't grown bitter, and he hasn't given up at his dreams. He is a man that is disappointed in his ambitions that he has not given up on his dreams.

He faces disappointment without disillusionment. He is genuinely sad at his losses but he is not in despair, he is hungry for more yet happy with less. He wanted to preach to large audiences, but he was content to sit in prison. He's not sitting there in prison angrily brooding over the question God by now I was supposed to be here. God, what's wrong with me God. What's wrong with you.

He's not doing that Paul is not taking it out on those around him either did not work but we do a lot a lot of us are disappointed at work and so we take it out on our families trying to get them to fill in that gap in our heart that's been left by the disappointment we face in our careers you see in the book of Philippians that the Philippians that they let Paul down in some ways Paul is not writing in from prison going.

Seriously guys seriously after all that I've been there for you. This is how you repay me. This is how you respond is overflowing with grace and forgiveness that is not taking it out on them is how we respond when our ambitions are disappointed that reveals whether they were godly or selfish with how you handle it when you don't make $1 million more that you don't even getting hard to make ends meet. This year, when you're not married. We don't have kids. We didn't get into the program you are spot get mad at God about what you dream you despair about yourself.

You take it out on others.

Paul could face disappointment with contentment because his ambitions were godly once there were godly ones because they were rooted in Christ there is a question we need to have your ambitions rooted in Christ in Christ is one of those phrases, but be honest 40 something spiritual mumbo-jumbo done it Christ was let me know, but I'm in really like you wake up you know it for quite a morning Stroman, Chris Tomlin tunes on the harp you have beside your bed that's in crime. I don't know what it means. I will assure you for things that Paul meant by in Christ from the book of Philippians is not what JD thinks it means to be in Christ. These are what Paul is explaining to you in Philippians what he means by that phrase in Christ.

Okay one. Paul had found his approval in Christ all knelt down his approval in crisis in chapter 3 begin about verse five, Paul starts with the list of his accomplishments become like his resume or CV for those you in the academic world, and it's pretty impressive by anybody standard stressor to somebody that they both like talking for the right family.

I went to the right school I had the top job in the country most sought after job. I was a rising star in the job and I was famous this is. This verse eight and I tell everything everything that you would drool for everything you work for. I Everything is lost because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord. I count them as rubbish, that I might gain Christ rubbish. By the way, scholars tell us, is a really interesting word is the Greek word scuba to scribble Episcopal you discussed the Greek's Google is a word that this is not gratuitous crassness okay, scribble is a word that is very rough and it really ought to be translated something like crap back to public transit or something else, but I do feel comfortable saying that right Paul says those Harvard degrees that Pulitzer Prize. The Congressional medal of honor that $200,000 a year salary national championship. It's all crap compared to the worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord Jesus gives my soul more fulfillment and more significance than I could've found in anything I'm saying some of you men are driven to work at the expense of your family because you're trying to find a satisfaction and approval. Your work so you are working working working chasing chasing chasing and you're trying to prove yourself what you need that satisfaction and I didn't your soul craves is not about achieving achieve a certain position to make a certain salary is given as a gift to Christ.

Number two, Paul knew what he deserved. Paul nobody deserved this in chapter 2 I will summarize their chapter 2 Paul says I know you myself and what is happening to me. I view it through the lens of what I deserve to see another secret of contentment and unfulfilled ambitions is understanding what you deserve, because the heart of discontentment is not getting what we think we deserve. When you complaint when you can blame it for some of you is eight or nine times a day and I found an hour for some of you when you complain what is going on as you were saving your heart I deserve better than I have right now I deserve better than I have right now not. I didn't someone complain about. So you think this is over the top but it's not what does the gospel teach you about what you deserve.

The gospel what you deserve that short of H Montebello health. When you understand that what you and I really deserve is that it changes our attitude everything that we actually have a life of trying to just my kids right now.

I know some you think.but we want them to learn this stuff into my Phibro yesterday.

You could ask my Phibro, Ellie, Allie, you complaining again what does complaining show that you think you deserve out better things that I have Allie what do you really deserve help. So what does what you have now equal grace.

You might think that is over the top but that is exactly how the Bible teaches you to see your life Puritan Thomas Watson said this way if we have not what we desire. Well we have not we should maybe have more than we deserve.

You think you don't have what you deserve. You're right thank God for that. We realize that all the sudden find it remarkably easier to be content about Disney-ish prize version of content soapbox for two biggest passed off a lot of times is the secret of contentment is there the road like it basically goes like this Christian version of to hear you are doing a job and you not satisfied because you get all the cars you friends drive know where were they live in. It is this satisfied you think about how come you give me more, and then you go on a mission trip on this trip when you get overseas, you start to see people really live without anything you're talking to some is little kids and the like while you got food in your cabinet like extra food, you cannot reporter you know you got a little groggy things that grinds out food you eat. Are you serious you got a whole house just for your carport garage really 90 people living in our house to sleep you little leper colonies. The people were in real deprivation you like all my life is not so bad after all. You come back and you're just content with what you have seen how some of the people live right. I guess there is a little truth in that, but here's a problem that always wears golf like that two weeks tops mission trip but many come back in your bid rejection on the horse when you have the Bible never ever tell you again. Your situation, somebody else will tell you again contentment by comparing your situation supplies us with respect to all because of him.

You're listening to JD Greer and Summit life teaching series include some topics that I don't really need to hear that.

I'm looking forward to passing along to other people that I know need it as well tell us about homewrecker's know to do is take a look at the things that corrode our relationships and destroy our homes and sadly Molly.

I'll say this. I know you will know that this is probably tribute to its and our families were sent and selfishness become the clearest term and where we have the capacity to do a lot of damage ironically to the people that we love the most on the Bible offers us hope in this and it shows us how our marriages and our families were there were single or large family that we really can experience the beauty of Christ in our homes or homes can be laboratories that help us love Jesus veteran and help us make the people that we love of Jesus better. So this month we want to equip you to to care well for people in your life it's it's a pack of really encouraging greeting cards in my savings rate time to reach out somebody reconnect somebody and maybe even indicate to them what's going on in your life. Maybe if I can listen to this radio show or podcast. Talk about the other things that have really benefited you so right now you listen you like exactly this is you would love to be a is an honor to be part of your life and help take a look@jdgreer.com. Thank you letter to send you this box set at 20 card donate to support this ministry become monthly cost 3354.

Give online.com I Molly benefit joining right here tomorrow. Today's message Friday night by