Redeeming Ambition, Part 2

Judy Greer talks about biblical ambition. Christianity is the fatalism, nor is it all depends on you what it is his large freight never given up in your dreams but at the end of the day. Later Jesus speed and say you know what you're in control to trust everything you could find my I'm your host Molly made a batch the word ambition tends to conjure up images of greedy Wall Street executives, ruthless dictators, but is there such a thing as good ambition today on Summit life.

We are discovering what it looks like to have godly ambition and how these aspirations can affect our family life. It's part of our new series that we just started on relationships call the homewrecker's if you missed the beginning of this study yesterday to catch up online@jdgreer.com right out. Let's join Pastor JD in Philippians chapter 4 Bible ambition, his role in sump see there's another kind of ambition that is good and right.

It was ambition that led Solomon to build the temple was ambition that led Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was ambition that led Paul to extreme measures to spread the gospel be as bold as Romans 1526. I have made it by ambition, the Christ reason for the night everybody 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 the treasure that was there was ambition. Ambition for the house of God 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 neglect their 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 be real clear.

The goal of this sermon is that you become more ambitious, not less. So Paul displays the good kind of ambition of the book of Philippians 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 guide to the bad guy, like background, the book of Philippians. All is right in the book of Philippians is imprisoned before telling lies about it. Other people have taken credit for his work, and then trashed his reputation that's happened is bad enough when somebody takes credit for your work, but they trashed you in the process you ever had that happen to you. That's what is happening to Paul, don't want to make you suppose it's a 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 before 11, Paul says I have learned I have learned in what ever situation whatever means in 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 what Paul was showing you about selfish 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 but 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. Paul conveys disappointment with contentment because his ambitions were godly once godly ones because they were rooted in Christ there is a question we need to have your ambitions rooted in Christ and Christ is one of the phrases but be honest 40 something spiritual mumbo-jumbo.

Christ was let me know.

But I minute 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 1. Paul had found his approval in Christ all knelt on his approval in crisis in chapter 3, beginning about verse five Paul for the list of his accomplishments would become like his resume or CV for those you in the academic world, and it's pretty impressive by anybody standard special somebody that they both like talking for the right family. I went to the right school I had the top job in the country but sought the job I was a rising star in the job and I was famous as this verse eight and I tell everything everything that you would drool for everything you work for. I can't. Everything is lost because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord. I count them as rubbish, that I might gain Christ that Pulitzer Prize. The Congressional medal of honor that you hundred thousand dollars a year salary. It's all crap compared to the worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, number two, Paul knew what he deserves this in 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.

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 short today trying to help when you understand that what you what I really deserve is that it changes our attitude everything that we actually have in life.

The Bible never ever tells you to gain contentment by comparing your situation with somebody else's. It tells you to gain contentment by comparing your situation with what you deserve. The fact that I woke up this morning anywhere else but health is God's grace to me. The fact that I have family. The fact that I read in the fact that I'm healthy whatever I have. Wherever you are.

It is grace number three Paul trusted God's control over all things Paul trusted God's control over all things to chapter 4 verse six pulses.

Do not be anxious about anything, anything ladies does anything include your children.

Yes. Does that mean it is wrong for you to be worried about how your kids are going to turn out. Yes it's what it means, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, not complaining, but with thanksgiving, which means that the undergirded everything that you say God is the sense of overwhelmed Thanksgiving at the grace that is given to you with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. They get your Paul Bowles living this verse Paul is concerned about his church.

He loves them. He wants to be with them. Anything that everything the goddess told me the latest speed that includes my church that includes the children includes those I love include my deepest dreams and desires.

I've laid them at Jesus's feet and I am now resting in what he will do with those things bought give it up one apathetically said there prison to submit God when whatever you want to change anything. I'll just give up. I'll just quit caring because now I can do anything that's called Buddhism for fatalism.

It's not Christianity. Paul and he keeps asking boldly. He keeps praying ambitiously for those that he loved it work ambitiously for them and then he would rest in God's loving sovereignty is a Christianity is either fatalism nor is it thinking that it all depends on you what it is is working as hard as you can pray never given up on your dreams but at the end of the day. Later Jesus feet and say you know what you're in control and I could trust everything with you could find to be in your hands. I'll trust your loving sovereignty when you do that Paul says when I do that he says verse seven, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus who passes all understanding. Sometimes you can't figure out how to work out you know what Jesus thinks he's all-knowing and all-powerful places and those will guard your heart and your mind. Since a piece about how will the technology that was for him. He's in prison with two guards and inside to keep danger out and keep me guard to stand on the sides of your heart will keep your order piece and that's when you understand that there is a loving God who is doing exactly what God said the dog would do and that is sovereignly working all things for his glory and for your good.

Some of you have an irrational fear of the death of your spouse you have an irrational fear of your spouse leaving you give an irrational fear about your children give an irrational fear about went bankrupt and in your career falling apart and you're never going to get over the years so you understand that there is a loving God sovereignly holds all things in at the end of the day after you prayed related as is. You can trust that it is sovereignly direct.

13 will get right back to today's teaching in just a moment but first let me tell you about our current resource for our Senate like listeners. This meant here on the program. Our aim is to deliver shareable teaching as well as a resource to help you reach out to others, so we package together a set of 20 greeting cards, inspirational versus on the Frank and Lincoln side reaching use as the holidays approach. Really any time throughout the year.

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Now let's finish up our teaching for the pastor. Jaden called God sometimes ordains her suffering so that we can know and more so that he can be glorified through us. This would be a separate one both described as one how his imprisonment is actually the spread of the gospel people talking about what you all prison before Jesus imprisonment is making the gospel go out it's over 70, some preach Christ a rivalry not sincerely thinking to afflict me in imprisonment is next. Here's what comes next in JD's prayer, God, why don't they imprison a bad heart to be preach of the conference Bellamy in prison pulses well with them, whether in pretense or in truth crisis proclaims that all rejoice. Here's a very serious resolve a question for you to consider what you what is best for the kingdom of God is not best for you personally are you willing for God to do what is not best for you. If it's best for his kingdom.

Can you rejoice in that essay, Christ is glorified in the gospel magnified so I am satisfied. He said he ministry John the Baptist.

There's another got John the Baptist give you because of Jesus that preceded Jesus ministry that his ministry started off with a bang. Notice that got popular like that. Thereby small readers will follow him on Twitter is like a big conference speaker insert holding fast, reliable camel hair thing was he was big and before school evening by just using logos is not big, but he was wild oats and he started all this W with popular is not how his ministry ended this in the Bible ends with him in prison eventually pay them any attention anymore, just beheaded, as he sees how his ministries in the not with the film about with failure seems there's a recess about Johnson free verse 30.

He, Jesus must increase and I must decrease something here. Paul was decreasing but he trusted that God was doing what God said he would do that is constantly magnifies me, even if it wasn't best for Paul's personal ministry ambitions question. Are you willing for that to happen. You once that happened to you biography Charles Simeon over this recently Charles Simeon church history right has a nameless, famous pastor of a while ago, Charles Simeon later in his career. One Super Bowl, but he was getting a little older you get a health issue that they can step down from his pulpit for eight months. During the eight months of your second recuperator was a temporary thing that another younger pastor and associate pastor who preached in his plaything. Tom Thomas Thompson turned out to be an even more effective preacher with his congregation patrol. Simeon had been so Charles Simeon gets better after the eight months and is ready to come back to the pulpit. He's now facing this issue of this bit that this younger guy is so much more effective elitist congregation than I am. What you do in a situation like that to me. What becomes apparent. God has selected somebody else more effectively than I talked to Charles Simeon plays a carpet was about 30 years about this think about blood sweat and tears set out with me to die.

When you have trust in his biography says this and now I see why I was temporarily laid aside, and I bless God for it. He talked about this younger guy. He must increase, even if I must decrease. You will for that to happen with you mightily may not be able to see it. Paul couldn't talk and seal him sit in prison.

It was write a letter would study 2000 years later he did know that he just knew the guy was doing got sick. I would do that is sovereignly directed all things for his glory.

Paul's good.

What if God appointed your failure to bring about his glory will dream about.

Like you are successful outcome on God. You make rich you got your you bring you success and I will give you nobody brings about their failure. Oh God, what I want to do is only a failure for you. I want to just fail and fall off base of the glorified unit say that Paul Paul knew work for success.

There were times I got appointed failure retention because there is a intimacy that I can know of Christ in the midst of suffering that I can't know, and prosperity and there is a power I can know having multiple calls called the resurrection. There's a power that I can know having both of the cross that I could know if I never went through. What if God allows you to suffer one of you allows you to fail sometimes because you want you to know a certain kind of Jesus, and you want you to know a certain power of Jesus that you could know if you can walk that value crucifixion. See there is a God who loves you so much that sometimes ordains the hunger of your body to save your soul. And we need to give up this idea so boxing three we give up this idea to God's plan for everybody is always smooth road big success.

Best life now really better than Jesus really die by crucifixion John the Baptist. He died in prison, beheaded better than Paul. He died in prison, beheaded a day. Hardy says it this way.

Let us not accept the world's definition of success that says, always abounding in increasing and has no room for he must increase, even though I must decrease Jackpot. One of my favorite theologians could have regularly says it this way, the world's idea of world's idea that everyone from childhood up should be able at all times to succeed in measurable ways and that it is a great disgrace not to hangs over the Christian community like a pall of acrid smoke. You know how to glorify God in your prosperity, but the litmus test of a mission is how you face disappointments. Paul could face disappointment because his deepest desires.

His identity is quest for fulfillment and significance had been met in Christ is like was not defined by what he did but by whose he was and he knew that God was sovereignly in control of all things working them out so he could say Philippians 44 rejoice in the Lord always.

He's writing up a prisoner you not say that from a conference is not writing that our private experience is great is your ministry. In his book sales growth chart conference. He's like from a prison. When I turned her back on his ministry for the part he says rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice see your discontentment, your fear, your jealousy, your strife are like muses about that before, or like St. Augustine. This is analogy, there's things like smoke from a fire that will lead you back to the altar of your selfish ambition, discontentment for your strife, jealousy is like smoke from a fire that will lead you back to the altar of your selfish ambition you want to let your discontentment wherever it is right now you want to follow the trail that smoking you want to let it lead it back to you to the places that you have substituted some ambition for Christ. What could happen if God can use that to transform your selfish ambitions to God. Whiskers are rooted in Christ. If you come to the church. You've heard me say before that was a defining moment in my life a few years ago when I was praying for our church and praying that God would do something in our church.

Just be unbelievable that you, God would use us to reach the city that there would be a movement of God in our church like never before. That you guys know me this is our church, yes, but it's my job to just like you want to succeed in your job.

I want the church to succeed because that success. My job right. So Mr. praying that God would do this is one of the sides of the Holy Spirit spoke to me, not audibly but just as clearly the words of the Holy Spirit, whispered in my heart for these okay what if I say yes. What if I caused her to be a movement in the city of Raleigh-Durham that is something like nobody's ever seen.

What if I transform Raleigh-Durham for my glory. What if I from Raleigh-Durham send out church planters all over the world.

Unreached people groups over the world. What if I do everything that you were hoping for. What if I don't use you or your church. In the process. What if it's somebody else are you going to say he must increase, even if I must decrease in my heart I knew that the answer to that was know I wasn't okay with not begin a process for me but still going on through the embodiments of God tearing down this ambition that I have for our church that is selfish ambition and begin to replace that she was ambitions better for you and for the good of God's kingdom even if it doesn't involve me disliking Psalm King Solomon was asking where to live if you grew up in church another social story. You all probably heard this jerk before they got here Solomon beginning of his ministry given his rain and says, what you want what is what is solvent say I want to be wise all impressed with Rich as he asked for wisdom. We don't notice is what he asked me wiser see this little phrase right afterward wise make me wise for the purpose of this great people has to be wise for myself about asking that I be wise thereby don't know that on the wisest finger live I'm asking because his wisdom and insight lead these people as it is. A lot of times I pray for wisdom and insight and vision as a pastor, but it's been about me God make me wise and insightful make me great for my sake, but when I can say no, not for my sake make me wise, give me insight and success. The pastor not for me but because these people need somebody to preach the word of God is not about me you don't use me that's okay because what I want is your ambition, not mine. And if you really increased even if I decrease that's okay because my focus is rubbish because I'm satisfied you. You say God make me a success.give me this, but it's for you not for me and so would you pass me by someone else. That's okay because I found what I have what I need for Christ sake, for the first time in my life and begin to be free for godly ambitions so selfish once that's happened.

I grounded my soul in Christ find in him what I had once founded selfish ambition, you can be free to Start receiving what Christ is offered to you as a gift vibration everything your soul search for Christ. You will round your soul and be free from Earth changing family altering, shifting conditions for Jesus, you submitted your ambitions to Christ to transform into worse for his kingdom. All it takes is to render your listening to Senate life. The Bible teaching ministry of pastor and theologian Jeannie Greer entirely funded by listeners like you were getting really does make a difference in helping more people type into the gospel message every day through the radio and went like to invite you to sign up today to be a monthly gospel partner gospel partners are the lifeblood of this ministry. We also welcome your one-time gift as well. Thanks.

With our box set of 20 inspirational greeting cards that we mentioned earlier, call 866-335-5228 six 635-5220 or you can get online. Jeannie Greer.com dwelling on the website. Don't forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter ministry at information about resources lot three. Great way to stay connected, clear.com hi Molly, that event sure to join us next week we were talking about turning our careers, some portion join us for the next my bike to