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When beliefs change, behaviors change. We need to have a change in beliefs. Stop exchanging
the truth of God for a lie and figure out what we truly have in Christ.
So, for the rest of the time, what I want to do is drive one belief deep into our hearts.
And I pray; I pray with everything in me, that this one belief would stick and dig deep
into your heart and into your soul and that you would be forever different as you embrace
this truth. Let's write it down, one truth. There is a better way to live and here it
is:
True happiness, not the kind that comes with a new toy and it's gone by Wednesday. True
happiness, true significance and true security, the are not found in the things of this world,
but they are found in Christ alone.
TRUE HAPPINESS, TRUE SIGNIFICANCE AND TRUE SECURITY ARE FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE.
Paul said it this way in Philippians 3:7-8, he said:
But whatever was to my profit.....
All of the things I accumulated before, he said:
...I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have
lost all things.
All that stuff, that junk! I consider them rubbish! (The literal translation is dung
or waste).
I consider them rubbish (trash) that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:7-8
I consider all of these things a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.
When belief changes, behavior changes. I will not exchange the truth of God for a lie. The
lie says that my happiness, my significance and my security is in the things of the world.
I'm not going to hold up the mask and lie to you, I'm not going to lie to myself. I'm
going to drop it and tell the truth and that is, money and things will never fulfill me.
Money and things will never fulfill me.
Many of you, you are going to have to say that over and over and over and over and over
and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over
again, because your actions say you do not believe it. When your belief changes your
behavior will change and when you stop wearing this stupid mask that says, Look at me! I'm
important! Look at me! Look at my things! And you start lying to yourself, Oh, more
will make me happy. When you realize on the other side of that mask is this, and the cost
never outweighs the benefit of what this buys, all of a sudden you can step into a better
way to live because money and things will never fulfill me, but Christ and Christ alone
does.
Jesus said it this way very directly, Luke 12:15 he said:
...A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15
Everybody say this with me say, I am not what I have! All of our campuses, I am not what
I have! I am not what I wear! I am not where I live! I am not what I drive! I am who God
says I am! My happiness is in Him, my significance is in Him, my security is in Him. When I drop
the mask, then I can see it, I can live it, I can believe it and my behaviors will change.
There is a better way to live. Look at what Scripture says, Proverbs 15:16, the Bible
says:
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
Proverbs 15:16
Better a little, modern language, better an older and paid for car, when you love God
than a very expensive new one that's got you in bondage and there is turmoil. Better, it's
better! It's better, better, better!
Proverbs 15:17 says:
Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs
15:17
I will say it this way; better vegetable soup on a paid for table, than steak and lobster
with divorce because you fought over money. It's better! It is better! Better to have
less where there is love, than to have more things in this world where there is turmoil!
Better! Scripture says this, Proverbs 12:9:
Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
Proverbs 12:9
Quit pretending, drop the mask, don't believe the lie. They exchange the truth of God for
a lie. They worshiped and served created things. What we have is not as much of a financial
problem as a spiritual problem, because we don't know who we are and what we have in
Christ, or that He is our true security.
That's not bad preaching! Okay, now here's the problem though, I've got to say it. Some
of you, you're checked out, man I can see it, you're like checked out! You are glazed
over, checked out, Stupid, why did I waste my time? I can see it.
Others of you are going; Oh, that's good! Oh, that's hard! Oh, stepping on my toes!
Oh, that's good preaching! And then you are going, Oh yea! And by Thursday of next week,
there will be no evidence you ever heard this, none whatsoever, because the lie is so seductive.
It is so seductive. You've got to fight it and fight it and fight it. There is a better
way to live. Our actions say that we don't believe the truth of who Christ is, we've
exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
Let me close it out this way; Max Lucado is a great Pastor, was a Pastor and well-known
author. In a book he wrote a story about this. I will tell the story, but I will tell it
different than Max would. Max probably wouldn't like the way I'll tell it, but it will be
funnier than the way Max told it.
Max said, If a fish flops out of the ocean onto the beach, is the fish happy or not?
Is the fish happy on the beach? What would you say?
The answer is...no. What if you do this; what if you gave the fish a big *** of cash, the
fish is on the beach doing this (noise of a fish struggling to breath), and then every
now and then (Craig is making flopping motions) flopping; Max would never flop, just for the
record! Give the fish a big *** of cash, is the fish happy? No. What if you build the
fish a nice fish condo? Nice condo on the beach, is the fish happy? Nice one, elaborate,
three story, is he happy? No. What if you give the fish a Corona beer and a Playfish
Magazine? Is he happy? Maybe for a minute, I mean he's not going, It's a Corona beer,
or a Finhouse! Or you know, Look at the tail on that fish, wow! Is he happy? For a minute,
but after a while what do we see? Flop okay. Why is the fish not happy? Because the fish
was not created for the beach, but for the ocean.
Why is it that we are stupid enough to continue to wear this mask, pursuing more and more?
If you don't believe me, unmask everything you can. Go out and do it. Do what Solomon
did in the Old Testament, accumulate to your hearts desire and you will wake up one day
going, I'm still empty. Why? Because you are trying to fill a spiritual void with material
things and it will never, ever work. There is a better way to live. Lower your expectations
of what you get out of this world. Raise your expectations of what you get out of Christ
and then you will not try to find happiness, significance and security in the places that
will never ever deliver.
You are smart people, overcome the seductive lie. They exchange the truth of God for a
lie, and yet this world still puts on the mask, still lives beyond it's means. I'll
tell you what; change your heart, change your behaviors, get out of debt, give generously.
As God blesses your good stewardship, enjoy some nice things, enjoy them! Don't let them
consume you. Nothing wrong with having, don't let the stuff have you. Live within your means,
give generously, aggressively, make a difference all over the world, and do not be seduced
by the lie and worship and serve created things; but instead worship and serve the Creator,
the only One who can deliver, who is to be forever praised.
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