What's My Motivation?.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Welcome to Village Church. If this is your first time here, my name is Steve. I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church [0:05] and as always I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you that [0:10] Took the first service off because you just didn’t get that hour of sleep last night [0:15] Shame on you [0:17] Go ahead and open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 1 apparently you are too sleepy to laugh

[0:26] Well, this should go swimmingly

[0:30] In Philippians chapter 1 the father [0:34] has [0:34] Told us through the Apostle Paul and he’s began to unpack the relationship between the Apostle Paul and the church at Philippi [0:43] And he’s been unpacking exactly what is the relationship that the Apostle Paul had with them and the gospel? [0:51] Partnership that he shared with them you see most of us we base our relationships [0:55] On things that have nothing to do with Jesus have nothing to do with the gospel

[1:00] Most of us base our relationships on some type of affinity some type of commonality some type of nostalgic [1:07] Memory, you know we grew up together while we went to the same school [1:11] But the gospel drives us to change the agenda of our relationships [1:15] See most of us we think that we are comfortable with you know the gospel is going to have some effects on me [1:22] But then when it actually [1:24] Practically begins to challenge the way that you view the things that you do and the way that you view the

[1:31] Relationships that you may have been building over a long period of time it kind of troubles us [1:36] It kind of builds some discomfort and we kind of resist that type of change [1:41] But that’s exactly what Paul is addressing at the beginning of Philippians [1:46] He’s saying the relationship that he has with the church at Philippi the things that they have in common [1:52] matter [1:53] Because of the gospel and only because of the gospel

[1:57] See if the relationships in your life are not built on the agenda of the gospel [2:01] You cannot hope to have the type of fellowship with people that God has designed you to have [2:08] It is only through the gospel that you can have those relationships [2:11] You see God reconciles us to himself and then he moves us to take the [2:16] Reconciliation that we have with God into our relationships with other people [2:21] So it challenges us to change our relationships

[2:24] But it also challenges even just simply the way that we view our lives [2:28] We talked last week about the Apostle Paul and what he was doing with his life at that moment was kind of it was [2:37] constrained because the Apostle Paul was in prison and he’d been imprisoned specifically because of the gospel of Jesus Christ because [2:44] Of his preaching and he encourages them. He says the purpose for my imprisonment is for the gospel [2:49] So I’ll rejoice in my imprisonment [2:52] What has actually happened to me has served to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ the Apostle Paul says

[2:58] And he says because of what’s happened to me people are getting encouraged to live for the gospel [3:03] He says before the Imperial Guard didn’t have a witness now [3:06] The Imperial Guard has a witness and I am that witness and so God has obviously put me in prison [3:11] So that I could share the gospel and he challenges us to rethink the purpose for our lives if we have faith in Jesus Christ [3:19] He says our purpose [3:21] Determines what we do with our lives and he says we exist to take the gospel forward with our lives

[3:30] But then as he moves into verse 15, he goes back into talking about [3:36] Relationships and Paul now is going to talk about the wrong type of relationships [3:41] He’s going to talk about the wrong way to view people [3:45] The way that people are attempting to actually use the truth of the gospel to afflict Paul and to bring his [3:53] reputation down [3:55] See you think there are people in your life that are going to serve to build you up

[4:01] There are people in your life that are going to serve to actually bring discipleship into your life [4:08] But now he’s talking about a second group of people [4:10] There are also people that are going to come into your life and they are going to serve as [4:15] discouragers in your life [4:17] They are going to seek to discourage you from actually living for the gospel of Jesus Christ [4:23] And they’re going to seek to bring you down

[4:25] They’re going to seek to hurt your reputation and they’re going to seek to actually take something away from you and Paul’s conclusion is [4:33] so odd [4:34] Paul says and in that I rejoice [4:38] Well, all right [4:39] And so what I want to do this morning specifically is I want to see how did Paul’s purpose in the gospel [4:45] Lead him to a place where people were seeking to do his name great harm and his reaction was rejoice

[4:52] Look in verse 15 [4:54] Here’s how the Apostle Paul writes [4:57] He says some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry but others from goodwill [5:03] The latter do it out of love [5:05] Knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel the former proclaimed Christ out of selfish ambition [5:13] Not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment

[5:20] What then I love verse 18 because he basically says and whatever [5:26] Is whatever only that in every way whether it’s in pretense or whether it’s in truth [5:33] Christ is proclaimed and in that I

[5:41] Rejoice [5:42] See in great wisdom the Apostle Paul used his discouragement as a teachable moment [5:48] She said for the disciple at Philippi. He’s saying you [5:54] Can learn how to follow Jesus more closely if you take a look at the people? [5:59] Who are seeking to do me great harm and so what most people would you view as a [6:05] Discouragement from following Jesus the Apostle Paul says look at what God can do even with people who are trying to do me great

[6:12] harm you see Paul wanted to ensure that the [6:15] Motivation of the church at Philippi was for the worship of Jesus and that they didn’t fall into the trap of self-centered envy and jealousy [6:24] You know that when the glory of God is your ultimate goal you can endure trials with confidence [6:31] You can endure [6:34] ridicule with confidence [6:36] How do you do that? Well it starts with number one understanding that why you do what you do matters

[6:42] Why you do what you do matters? [6:46] There’s two types of people in this passage Paul says the first type of person is the person that is encouraged by what has happened [6:52] To Paul and they look at Paul and they say man [6:54] He is suffering so well for the gospel of Jesus Christ even his rights have been taken away [6:59] And he still serves the Lord we want to be like Paul [7:04] We want to imitate him as he is imitating Jesus

[7:08] But see that’s not the big focus of these verses [7:12] See the big focus is on the people that see what is happening to the Apostle Paul and they see an opportunity [7:19] for personal gain [7:22] They say oh Paul’s been put into prison. Oh now there’s a leadership vacuum [7:27] See Paul’s pretty popular in church life at that point Paul’s famous with the early Christians because well quite frankly he had [7:36] reached most of them himself

[7:37] And so many looked at what Paul had and they said man Paul’s got it all he’s got a great reputation [7:43] He’s got fame. He’s got power people actually listen to what he says people go after him [7:50] And they say I wish I could be like Paul [7:54] I want what he has and when Paul was put in prison they say here’s my moment [8:01] I’m gonna take Paul down, and I’m gonna take his place [8:04] I’m gonna put myself in Paul’s seat, and I’m gonna be the new leader. I’m gonna be the influencer

[8:11] I’m gonna be the famous one [8:12] I’m gonna be the one with power and influence and sway over so many churches that he has [8:18] Planted and I’m going to do it by hurting Paul’s reputation

[8:26] See why you do what you do matters [8:29] You see there are a lot of people that do the right thing for all the wrong reasons [8:36] See many of us live with this mentality well as long as everything works out in the end then I guess it was a good [8:41] Thing that’s not where the scripture leads us [8:44] See the ends don’t justify the means just because everybody ends up in the right place doesn’t mean you got there the right way [8:51] See the Apostle Paul is giving us a mentality that why you do what you do is what?

[8:57] Ultimately defines the gain that you get out of it [9:01] That if you hope to benefit from the things that you do your motivation [9:07] For doing those things matters, and what is Paul pointing us to for the proper motivation? [9:13] He’s saying you need to love Jesus this has to be about the gospel of Jesus Christ or your motivation is [9:22] sinful [9:24] See the issue with motive is that it grows you

[9:29] Whatever your motivation is for why you do the things that you do why you react the way that you react [9:36] Why you are the person that you think you are whether it is a good motivation or whether it is a bad motivation [9:41] Understand that both motivations will grow you [9:45] And in this situation it either builds the life of a follower of Jesus or it builds a self-centered ego [9:52] That does not delight in God and the choice is ultimately yours as to which one you’re going to get [9:59] You have to understand you cannot grow in faith if you are self-seeking

[10:04] It’s not the way it works [10:06] You can’t do it Paul uses the terms envy and strife [10:11] And he’s saying the envy is causing the strife

[10:16] He’s saying the envy is causing people to actually seek [10:20] Turmoil with me and where does that envy come from well tells us later it comes from selfish ambition [10:27] And James chapter 3 starting in verse 14 the half-brother of Jesus says this

[10:37] But if you have bitter jealousy and [10:41] Selfish ambition in your hearts do not boast and be false to the truth [10:46] This is not the wisdom that comes down from above but look at this [10:50] He says it is earthly it is unspiritual and then he goes so far as to say it is [10:57] Demonic you see jealousy is the brother of envy

[11:03] But they both come from what Paul says and James says is the same place they both come from a heart of what’s called [11:10] selfish [11:12] Ambition and note what he says about selfish ambition first off. He says it isn’t from God [11:17] He says this isn’t the wisdom that comes from above see James is basically the Proverbs of the New Testament [11:21] It says how do I take Christ and live a wise life? [11:25] He says well if you hope to live a wise life you need wisdom from God so ask God for wisdom

[11:29] But he’s saying you know one way that you know that the wisdom that you have is not from God if you have selfish [11:34] Ambition if you are self-seeking if you are all about building you [11:38] Even at the detriment of other people because if you’re jealous

[11:43] And it’s going to be at the detriment of others he says that’s not from above he goes further. He says that’s earthly [11:48] This is can’t get over this world. It can’t get over the gain that only this world can give you but then he goes further [11:53] He says it is unspiritual [11:55] But then he goes further. He says it is [11:58] From hell

[12:02] You cannot hope to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ so long as you are filled with self-ambition [12:09] Do you realize that it’s the original sin? [12:13] See Lucifer Satan himself. He fell because of self-ambition. He looked to God and he said I want what God has

[12:21] So he sought it [12:23] He fell [12:24] Adam and Eve they fell because of selfish ambition [12:29] They saw what God had again and they said I want that glory

[12:34] They were envious [12:37] So they fell [12:39] They asked the question. Why should God get all the glory? [12:43] Why can’t I be the focus and in Philippians chapter 1 there is a certain group of people or there are certain [12:49] Individuals that are looking at Paul and they’re saying why does Paul get all the glory? [12:54] Why does everybody always look in his way?

[12:56] Why can’t anybody look my way why can’t anybody notice me why can’t I get credit?

[13:06] What that did in them is it created a vicious [13:10] Avalanche that resented Paul and said well, I know how to get what he has. I’m going to run his name down

[13:18] How can God be pleased with Paul Paul’s in prison I [13:23] Mean how’s Paul so great if things aren’t really working out his way [13:27] I mean, do you want that to happen to you? Do you want to be the type of person that’s in Paul’s position? [13:32] Well, if you don’t then you need to follow me instead of Paul

[13:36] You see friends [13:38] Selfish ambition starts a vicious avalanche that then resents others who have the focus and attention that you crave

[13:48] Inside of you you will be thinking I wish I could be in his position [13:52] And very quickly that becomes they don’t deserve their position [13:57] Then you plot and you wait because you want that person to fall friend [14:03] There is no good end to that [14:07] Do you know that’s ultimately why an earthly way Jesus was crucified [14:14] See in Matthew 27 it describes it says that pilot brought Jesus and Barabbas and he wanted to release Jesus

[14:22] But he’s like I can’t have this crowd against me. And so he says do you want Barabbas? [14:26] Who’s this thieving murderer obviously guilty or can I free Jesus and the crowd says Barabbas and it says pilot a [14:34] Pagan said to himself. He knew that it was out of envy that they delivered him up

[14:41] So the Pharisees looked to Jesus and they say oh man Jesus is stealing our thunder [14:47] As long as everybody’s focused on Jesus they won’t focus on us [14:51] So long as Jesus has the crowds favor we won’t have the crowds favor as the Pharisees [14:57] We’ve got to get Jesus out of the picture

[15:01] Envy is that great treason against God that destroys our lives [15:07] Because it attempts to put us in the seat of God and it reveals the deepest sins of our heart [15:16] As to what we actually crave

[15:21] Do you want to kill your relationship with Jesus then let your envy grow

[15:28] See friends Paul didn’t have selfish ambition

[15:32] Paul had gospel ambition [15:34] You see sometimes we look at things like ambition and we begin to think about think through this selfish ambition [15:40] And so what do we turn that into is it? Okay. Well, then ambition is bad avoid ambition [15:44] That’s not the message here at all [15:47] See there are two types of ambitions that play here [15:50] The second ambition is the selfish ambition where they’re seeking to build their own name up

[15:56] Paul had great ambition you read through the book of Acts and you see a man filled with [16:02] Ambition of reaching the potential that God had designed for him to have [16:07] But his ambition came from a healthy place his ambition was rooted in his identity in Christ [16:14] His ambition was rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ [16:19] Ambition can be very good if the motivation is proper [16:25] You see Paul was in it for God and you can see that

[16:30] Through what he was enduring for the gospel [16:34] Do you want to know what your motivation actually is? We’ll think it through

[16:39] Everything at this point has been taken from Paul [16:42] His luxury his leisure his finances

[16:46] His freedom [16:49] Even his good name was now at stake because people were seeking to destroy his reputation [16:56] And Paul’s sitting in a very uncomfortable spot even under Roman house arrest where he’s being guarded and he has no [17:04] Freedom of his own he even in some places in the New Testament. He has to beg people. Please bring me my books [17:11] Bring me something to keep me warm because I’m cold

[17:17] And Paul’s attitude is not I’ve got to regain what I have lost physically no Paul’s attitude was [17:25] Everything that’s happening to me is serving to advance the gospel because his purpose determined his direction

[17:31] See the Apostle Paul was motivated by the gospel to have amazing ambition for the things of God an amazing ambition for his life [17:39] Where is your ambition coming from? What are you motivated by? [17:43] What do we have to take away from you to strip you of all motivation to follow Jesus?

[17:50] What is it that you would have to lose what is it that you would have to be challenged by see because what you are [17:55] Motivated by will determine why you do what you do, but they will determine why you stop when you stop

[18:04] Because if you are motivated by the wrong things whenever that particular thing that motivates you is taken away [18:11] Or it is challenged or you find out that that thing isn’t what you actually wanted [18:17] Well, it will rob you of your joy [18:20] It will rob you of your zeal for the Lord. It will rob you of your purpose [18:26] Because maybe it is that your purpose was never about Jesus at all and your purpose was actually about yourself [18:32] And your game and your name and your kingdom and your fame and your power and your leisure and your luxury

[18:42] What is your motivation?

[18:47] See in this is see something very interesting as well is that the Apostle Paul [18:52] I mean everything that normally motivates a person is ripped out of his life [18:57] And the Apostle Paul has what I would call a very unnatural [19:02] Reaction he has a reaction of rejoicing. How do you have that type of reaction? [19:09] Well, see the way that you have that type of reaction is that you need some thick skin [19:13] And what God actually gave the Apostle Paul in this moment was thick skin

[19:18] It’s a Jesus wants to give you that type of thick skin. Have you ever met anybody? [19:24] That the moment that anyone criticizes them the moment that anyone kind of kind of hurts their reputation or the moment that they’re challenged [19:31] They just kind of shrink back and they become this little flower [19:36] Under pressure and it hurts my feelings

[19:42] I’m just so hurt and so and so you’ll actually try to encourage them and you’ll and you’ll be like, oh, come on [19:48] No, no, no, no, don’t think about it that way [19:50] You know those people I mean they’re awful and you’re wonderful and I love you and it never seems to help because then and then [19:56] They continue to walk around there just this meat little flower

[20:00] Everything everybody says about me is right. I’m no good [20:03] I’m worthless and they’re like why can’t I encourage this person? [20:07] Well, the reason you can’t encourage that person is because they have just as much selfish ambition as the people who criticizing Paul [20:13] It’s just negative attention that they’re feeding off of [20:16] See there’s a way that a person can challenge you and the person can want good attention [20:22] They can want the praise of everything they can say I want the praise of everyone and that is selfish ambition

[20:29] But you know it is also selfish ambition to when you can’t get the proper type of praise that you want and nobody will [20:35] Give it to you. You will actually turn that in your brain and you will say well, even if it’s negative attention [20:40] It’s attention nonetheless. And so you become someone I like to call sensitive Sam

[20:46] And you’re codependent and you always need people catering to your emotional needs [20:53] You always need people surrounding you telling you it’s going to be okay [20:57] And so you will actually begin a cycle of having your feelings perpetually hurt by everything under the Sun [21:05] Just so that you can have those people surrounding you saying it’s gonna be okay [21:12] But [21:13] What you don’t understand is that that type of lifestyle can actually come from just as much selfish ambition as the lifestyle of

[21:21] Trying to reach the type of praise that seems normal where everybody’s like dude [21:25] You’re as awesome as the greatest athlete in the world

[21:31] But you flip it and now it’s negative and so what do you do [21:37] Well, you look at the attention of apostle Paul, I’m not saying nobody’s ever gonna hurt your feelings [21:41] I’m not saying it’s not good to be honest about that. I’m actually saying the opposite that when people hurt you do what Paul did [21:48] These brothers are trying to hurt me [21:50] You admit it you talk about it, but then do what Paul did with it [21:57] Verse 18 is this great pantheon of sarcasm. I love it. People are trying to flick me whatever I

[22:07] Don’t care [22:08] Let them [22:11] Only that and whether it’s in pretense or whether it is for actually good motivation the gospel is moving [22:18] Forward did you know that God wants your faith to give you confidence see some of you think having confidence is bad [22:24] No having confidence is good. It’s just where’s your confidence coming from. See if you have no confidence, that’s bad [22:32] See because you need gospel confidence

[22:33] You need the type of confidence that only faith in Jesus Christ can actually give you you need the type of confidence that God [22:40] Can give you because when God is your focus, I want you to understand something friend [22:45] You can endure more than others who have different motivations. Did you know that?

[22:53] But how do you know if your sensitivity because it’s not sin to be sensitive there’s a lot of people that are sensitive

[23:01] But as you know that your sensitivity can reach a level of sinfulness when it challenges your confidence in the gospel of Jesus Christ

[23:11] See some of you have gone overboard with your sensitivity [23:15] You are sensitive because you have no confidence in Jesus and you need to recover your confidence [23:22] So that you can walk forward in the name of Jesus living the life with gospel [23:29] Ambition that he has given you because you need confidence fact. So I want to ask you a couple questions about your confidence [23:35] Does what people think of you consume your life?

[23:41] Are you always worried about what this person or that person will think [23:46] Do you continuously have a fear of missing out?

[23:52] Are you constantly thinking to yourself? [23:54] You know [23:55] I bet these people are planning this event and they’re not going to invite me to that event in this [23:59] Hypothetical event that might happen on Thursday night that I don’t know if it’s happening and they might not be planning it [24:04] But if they are planning it about they aren’t gonna invite me to the event and if they don’t invite me to the event [24:08] It’s gonna hurt my feelings because I’m gonna be left out and everybody’s having fun

[24:10] And I’m not allowed to have any fun because nobody’s focused on me. I [24:16] Think some of you’ve probably done that the looks on some of your faces that is a familiar scenario. I want you to understand [24:22] That’s a crazy scenario that’s crazy land and you’re heading there and I’m here to say stop heading there

[24:31] See because what’s happening in your life is that you are becoming sinfully sensitive [24:38] See I want you to understand that when God is your focus you can endure

[24:45] ridicule [24:46] You can endure [24:49] Not being a part of everything everyone’s doing all the time [24:52] You can endure not being the central focus of everyone’s attention all the time [25:00] You can endure that [25:02] how

[25:04] First it’s understanding that you need to be honest about it [25:08] See when we look at the specific scenario that the Apostle Paul was going through. It’s not that Paul wasn’t bugged [25:14] I believe Paul was bugged. I don’t think Paul would have mentioned it if he wasn’t bugged by it

[25:20] No one says whatever from a place of neutrality [25:27] You only say that when you’re bugged [25:30] Paul’s what then shows that he is bugged and so he’s going to use it to make a statement out of it [25:36] See people are annoying. I want you to understand that [25:41] There are annoying people [25:43] Everywhere I go to the grocery store and I say I see annoying people

[25:50] I [25:52] It’s not that you’re never annoyed it’s not that you’re never bugged it’s that you know what to do with annoyance [26:00] You know how to respond in a gospel way to being bugged look at what endured the Apostle Paul [26:06] Here’s what he said to the church at Galatia when his reputation was being challenged again [26:11] He says am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? [26:17] Or am I trying to please man you see if I was trying to please man

[26:22] I would not be a servant of Christ Paul makes a very important point here [26:26] He says you cannot seek to please people and please God at the same time [26:33] You do one or you do the other? [26:36] So long as you are making it your life’s mission to please people or to get attention from people [26:43] Or to get focused from people or to get people to look your way to get people to include you to get people to encourage you [26:49] To get people to do everything that it is that you want people to do

[26:56] You’re saying you’re not focused on God, but when you focus on God you learn how to deal with people

[27:06] You learn how to endure ridicule you learn how to endure annoyance [27:12] You learn how to not be the center of everyone’s attention because God has the center of your attention occupied [27:21] You see some of you are people pleasers

[27:24] All that you can think about is other people and what they’re thinking and what they’re doing and how they’re feeling and [27:31] Is there anything that you need to do to make them feel better and to make them like you more and to make them? [27:36] Include you more and to make them do more for you and to make them be there for you more [27:40] See there’s a second type of people pleaser too. I want to call you the anti people pleaser is [27:46] That you aren’t focused on necessarily pleasing people [27:49] But you are always thinking and talking about what this person does or that person does and your negativity about others

[27:57] consumes your motivation for doing things

[28:02] You know, you know I’d do this for the Lord, but I’m sure this person wouldn’t think it’s good enough [28:10] Did you see what they did on Sunday? Oh, yeah, I’m sure that came from a pure heart

[28:17] Are they just doing it because they want to be the center of attention

[28:24] You see if you’re trying to please people with everything you do and you don’t want anybody to be unhappy with you or if [28:30] All that you can think about is how unhappy everyone is making you they both come from the same place [28:36] Selfish ambition the Apostle Paul isn’t trying to get people to approve of him [28:41] His audience is God and that’s all that he was concerned about [28:47] You need to stop fearing people [28:51] This is where all of that comes from is that you fear people more than you fear God in

[28:56] Proverbs chapter 29 verse 25 [28:58] We see this amazing piece of wisdom where it says the fear of man lays a trap or lays a snare [29:05] But whoever trusts in the Lord is safe [29:09] It’s an interesting analogy because he’s saying that if you’re seeking to please people you will never get anywhere [29:16] You will be trapped [29:17] You will never get what it is

[29:20] You are going after because you yourself don’t even know how to fill the void that fills your soul [29:26] He says as long as you are fearing people as long as people matter more than God [29:32] As long as you want to please people more than you want to please God [29:35] So long as you want people to do for you more than you want God to do for you [29:39] You will be trapped and you will never advance in your life, but he says with the Lord

[29:46] the safety

[29:49] And you may be thinking but the Apostle Paul wasn’t safe he’s in prison

[29:54] Apostle Paul was safer in that moment than somebody with selfish ambition was [29:59] Because he was advancing the gospel and when he advanced the gospel [30:02] He was advancing the design of God for his life and when he advanced the design of God for his life [30:07] He advanced his joy [30:09] He was safe [30:12] Even in suffering he was safe even in ridicule

[30:17] You see the key is that when you do or don’t do because of people you will not grow in your faith [30:25] But when you do or don’t do because of who God is for you [30:31] You have the life that you were designed to have [30:37] She because when you fear others you’ve created a false God you’ve committed idolatry [30:43] She because that’s where envy and jealousy come from [30:45] Is that ultimately this is a worship issue?

[30:48] The only way to worship God is to trust God because it gives him the glory [30:53] And when worldly reasoning keeps you from taking the steps that God calls you to take [30:58] Then your confidence in the Lord is gone and you’re seeking to replace it with confidence [31:05] That is on the earth level because you cannot imagine having more than the praise of man [31:11] You cannot imagine having more than the favor of man you cannot imagine [31:17] Having more than the disdain of man you cannot imagine having more than the ridicule

[31:23] Of man and so it is man that you trust in

[31:30] The father says you need to endure all of that and you need to get over all of that and you need to care [31:36] More about what God says than what anyone else says [31:40] first Peter chapter 3 puts it this way starting in verse 13 it says now [31:45] Who is there to harm you if you were zealous for what is good? [31:48] This is in verse 14, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no [31:56] Fear of them do not be troubled

[31:59] So when you have a healthy fear of God it destroys the stupid and meaningless fear of others [32:07] I love the face where he goes even if you should suffer because he’s saying it’s not that [32:13] Things that are uncomfortable aren’t going to happen. It’s not that things that hurt aren’t going to happen [32:17] It’s not that no one’s going to ridicule you it’s not that it’s never going to hurt [32:21] It’s that you’re always going to be able to endure every moment because you know that all that ultimately [32:28] Matters is what God thinks of you

[32:31] And if you have God on your side, what difference does it make what people think?

[32:38] Makes no difference what so ever

[32:46] You see our lives are not meant to be spent fearing people [32:53] Because people aren’t to be feared [32:57] People are to be loved [32:59] And the only real way to love anyone is to have God as your authority and by virtue of his authority [33:05] You follow wherever God calls [33:08] See here’s what I want you to understand where your fear of people is concerned

[33:12] Because a lot of you struggle with this you have this false notion and you believe this lie that people care

[33:23] Now what I mean by that is is that you have this notion that when you enter a room [33:27] And somebody looks your way and their face doesn’t immediately go like this [33:33] And instead they just kind of look your way like [33:36] You think oh, they just gave me a dirty look. Well, I’ll tell you what i’m going to do to get them back [33:40] Sometimes it’s just that they had bad nachos last night [33:45] And that look was oh

[33:50] They don’t care about you

[33:54] You see what you need to understand is that most of the time and I think this is going to be absolutely liberating for some [34:00] of you [34:01] Most of the time [34:03] No one is thinking of you [34:07] No one [34:07] You are not a thought in their mind. I mean especially if they’ve got kids

[34:14] They’ve reached 99.999999 capacity there’s no room for you

[34:21] And so people aren’t sitting around stewing about you [34:25] People aren’t sitting around thinking how can I bring you down people aren’t sitting around thinking I need to hurt them [34:32] People do not remember the last thing you said 30 seconds after you said it [34:38] And so one of the most liberating practices that you could have tonight and tomorrow morning is get up man [34:43] And tomorrow morning you get up out of that bed you walk into the bathroom [34:46] You look yourself square in the mirror and you say no one cares

[34:54] And I hope you took that the right way some of y’all are like yes, yes they do they really don’t

[35:05] People have enough going on in their lives to where you are the least of their concerns

[35:12] There’s amazing liberation that comes when you actually begin to empathize with other people [35:17] This amazing thing happens when you are able through your confidence in the gospel to say [35:22] I’m not going to fear anyone because as soon as I fear people [35:25] It diminishes my view of god because I begin to put people in the place that only god can inhabit in my life [35:32] This amazing thing happens is that you are actually in that moment [35:35] You’re freed to actually love people in a way that you’ve never loved people before

[35:38] Because see some of you are spending most of your life keeping people’s people at arm’s length [35:43] Some of you are spending most of your life not letting people have the opportunity to love you [35:48] And I would say you’re doing that to great detriment to your soul [35:50] See because the thing that i’ve learned over the years in my personal life is that if you give people the opportunity to love you [35:57] 99% of the time those people will love you

[36:01] Most of the time people will not disappoint you most of the time [36:05] If you are both followers of jesus christ and you let people into your life [36:09] They will actually help you learn to love god and learn to love others more and most of you [36:15] Spend all of your time worried about one percent of people [36:20] Because yes, there is always going to be that one raisin that you find in the chocolate chip cookie [36:26] And you’re like how did a raisin get in there?

[36:29] I didn’t even open raisins now if you have children you don’t ask [36:32] You know how the raisin got into that one cookie [36:35] I say you’ve got a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies. There’s one raisin there [36:40] And so wouldn’t it be foolish if because of one raisin and you don’t happen to like raisins some of you would be like [36:45] Oh joy if there’s a raisin in my chocolate chip cookie [36:47] But many of you would be like I don’t really want that cookie

[36:50] How foolish would it be then to say i’m gonna throw all of the cookies in the garbage? [36:54] Because of that one raisin i’ll tell you how foolish you’d be you’re an idiot

[36:59] Because chocolate cookies are delicious mail them to me

[37:04] I will eat most of them and it will be sinful

[37:10] But there’s that one outlier [37:13] That you’re afraid is going to hurt you you’re afraid you’re going to become vulnerable to that person [37:18] And so you hold everyone else back you throw everyone else away because of what this one percent of people [37:25] Might do to you and what I would say is [37:29] Paul is in the position that he is in because he chose to have confidence in the lord and open his life to other people [37:36] And into this way it didn’t work out

[37:40] Because these people were actually seeking to hurt him. But again, how does paul react?

[37:47] He says it’s all served to advance the gospel so in that I will rejoice

[37:53] Friends let people in let them love you because when you close yourself off [37:59] Relationally to other people you are sinning and not reconciling with other people [38:04] But you are also sinning in a secondary way [38:06] And the secondary way that you are sinning is is that you are refusing to allow another person to obey god’s call on [38:13] Their life to love you and you closing yourself off from other people relationally [38:19] Is you saying in this moment with this issue I do not believe the gospel of jesus christ

[38:30] And I don’t think you want to say that I don’t think you mean to say that but friend you will not grow [38:36] So long as you live like that [38:39] And so how can you do that because i’ll tell you that’s a that’s a that’s a tall order [38:44] That’s not easy [38:45] It’s the most difficult thing that you will ever do with your life [38:48] And it’s only through faith in jesus christ that you can do it

[38:51] Here’s how you do it number three rejoice at gospel movement because that’s how paul did it [38:56] I can only go on what the text tells me and I can only go on what paul did [39:00] But what paul did is revolutionary what paul did is life-changing what paul did and how paul reacted [39:07] Will change everything in your life if you will do what paul did in philippians chapter 1 verse 12 [39:14] Which starts this section we talked about it last week [39:17] He looked to the people in philippi and he said I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me

[39:21] Has really served to advance the gospel

[39:26] There’s paul’s motivation you know, that’s the christian motivation and there isn’t another one

[39:33] A lot of people try to redefine and they say, you know, what’s my love language? [39:36] What’s my truth? You know how you know, what does god want me to do and all this stuff? Forget all of that [39:41] All right, there’s one thing that the gospel motivates you to do above all others [39:45] There is one thing that god wants you to do above all others [39:48] That is advance the gospel of jesus christ to more and more people [39:52] That is what defines the christian life

[39:54] That is what all of your discipleship stands to do is that you advance the gospel and when that is your motivation [40:00] You will view people the way that paul viewed people because paul says only the gospel matters [40:06] ultimately [40:07] Take my name [40:09] Take my freedom [40:10] Take my power take my influence take everything away from me. But if the gospel advances

[40:18] In that verse 18 says [40:21] I [40:22] Will rejoice because he goes so far in this he says what then only that in every way

[40:31] Whether it’s in pretense what does he mean by pretense in other words [40:34] Whether it’s from a bad motivation or whether it is from a good motivation [40:38] Whether they are trying to hurt me with it or whether they’re trying to please me with it [40:43] Whether they want to be in my corner or whether or not they want to push me in a corner [40:48] christ is proclaimed and in that [40:53] In that

[40:55] I will rejoice [40:59] That

[41:03] Is the source of motivation that will endure you through life

[41:08] That is a source of motivation that will endure you through any ridicule anyone can ever throw your way [41:14] That is the source of motivation that will endure you through any suffering that you will face in this life [41:19] That is the source of motivation that will take you on to the mountain tops of god’s glory [41:24] But it will also take you through the valleys of suffering in this life [41:29] Because you will know what the glory of god is because your mind will be stayed on pleasing him above all others [41:37] But that is so weird

[41:40] I mean paul says some really tough stuff here paul actually says something that really challenges me and I struggle with this [41:48] Paul he he gets his gospel motivation and it makes that part makes total sense to me [41:53] He says i’ve been put in prison and I need to have my purpose be defined by the gospel and he says [41:59] The imperial guard didn’t have the gospel [42:02] So god put me in prison so they would have the gospel one plus one equals two [42:06] If also paul says rejoice and i’m cool with that

[42:09] But then he gets down to this part where he says there are people that are preaching the gospel from sinful motivation [42:15] And in that I will rejoice and I say no stop that

[42:20] Stop rejoicing paul [42:23] And so what does paul mean by that [42:25] Here’s what he means first you need to understand that paul is saying that people are doing this from a bad motivation [42:32] but [42:32] Factually, they are preaching the truth [42:36] He’s saying this is not heresy. This is not like what was going on in galatia

[42:40] When they were preaching a false gospel, he says they’re actually using my handbook for preaching [42:47] Paul’s like they got a hold of my paul’s how to preach the gospel of jesus christ [42:51] They memorized the book and they’re doing everything that I told them to do in that book [42:57] But they’re doing it in a way to hurt me. They’re doing it in a way where they will never benefit from it [43:03] They’re doing it in a way where they themselves are not [43:07] Worshipping they’re doing it in a way that will never benefit their own souls

[43:12] But god in his sovereignty [43:15] Is able to take what they’re doing from a bad motivation and because they’re speaking truth [43:22] People are still coming to faith in jesus christ and paul says even if I have to suffer ridicule [43:29] From people’s bad motivations so long as people are coming to faith in jesus christ. I will rejoice

[43:39] It’s not that paul didn’t want them to repent [43:42] He didn’t approve of people seeking to inflict him paul’s not a masochist [43:48] Paul’s not telling us hey when people ridicule you high five them [43:52] And say thank you [43:54] Maybe do that in a sarcastic way [43:56] I would

[44:00] But he’s not saying that you need to just love the fact that someone’s hurting you what he’s rejoicing in [44:07] Is the spreading of the gospel? [44:09] Is you know your motivation is what gives you the benefit in the glory of god [44:14] That when you’re motivated by faith [44:17] You actually receive the benefit from the gospel going forward [44:22] So there’s this amazing partnership that god has for us in the gospel

[44:25] He says preach the gospel and when you do it out of affection for me when you do it out of love for god [44:30] When you do it because you believe god is telling you the truth when you do it because god is for you in jesus christ [44:37] He says you will receive joy in this life

[44:41] And so what paul is saying is is that you need to change you need to repent of your selfish ambition [44:48] So that you can receive joy so that the gospel will benefit you [44:51] So that you can actually work out your salvation and prove that your salvation is actually legitimate [44:56] Because if you don’t even if you do all of the right things for the wrong ways

[45:03] You will still die and spend eternity in hell

[45:08] But he’s saying guess what god can’t even get glory out of people who are going to hell

[45:15] And he’s saying so long as god’s getting the glory i’m going to rejoice at it [45:17] But I still need to tell those people to repent [45:20] And so that is what the apostle paul is rejoicing in see it was the joy of paul that validated his faith [45:27] Paul had joy he had unshakable joy. He had christian joy no matter what situation you put him in [45:33] No matter what you accused him of no matter what you tried to inflict him with he had joy [45:38] And his joy wasn’t based on what many of your joys might be based on

[45:44] His joy was in the gospel of jesus [45:46] His joy came from god [45:48] So whether imprisoned or free paul rejoiced [45:52] So long as he saw the gospel advancing he had joy [45:56] Whether being ridiculed [45:59] Or whether gospel partnership

[46:03] Paul rejoiced [46:04] See friend that begs the question where is your joy?

[46:11] Because that can help you find out where your motivations are

[46:15] Is your joy unshakable or does it change as the seasons change

[46:22] Do you rejoice in the gospel and because the gospel moves forward or do you find your joy in so many other things? [46:29] That don’t move the gospel forward [46:32] See for you to be finding your joy in the gospel you need to be living for it [46:36] You need to turn from your fear of man and you need to let jesus define your life [46:42] See because some of you you want the benefits of jesus, but you don’t have them because people rule you [46:48] Your present situation rules you

[46:51] You are angry [46:53] You are hurt [46:56] You are envious [46:58] You are jealous [47:00] You are resentful [47:03] Lay those things down

[47:08] Stop letting them rule your life [47:14] God has not designed a faith for you in which anger resentment envy [47:21] Jealousy and what just he’s rule your life at all. He’s designed a faith for you to walk free from those things [47:28] To just like paul even while paul was in prison. He was experiencing more freedom than many of you are experiencing in your life [47:38] Because you are letting what people think rule over you [47:41] You are letting what people might do or what people might not do rule over you

[47:48] That’s all that you’re consumed of and I would say trust jesus and break free of those chains and walk forward in the gospel [47:56] Building your confidence through your faith

[48:03] Friend turn from your selfish ambition turn from your idolatry

[48:10] And follow jesus [48:13] And finally I want you to understand this [48:17] I want you to understand that you are designed to have joy

[48:23] Because I think some of you don’t think that you are [48:27] I [48:27] Think some of you are convinced that you are condemned to walk the rest of your life with less joy than other people can have [48:34] And that is just simply untrue [48:38] God has designed every person with the potential to have ultimate joy in this life [48:46] But he has sourced that joy with confidence that only faith in jesus christ can give you

[48:51] To have that [48:53] You must empty yourself of your pride [48:56] And you must trust and follow jesus christ [49:01] As the band comes forward [49:04] friend [49:06] Life is not easy and one of the things that i’m so thankful for where the apostle paul is concerned

[49:12] Is that he doesn’t sugarcoat it for us? [49:15] He actually lays it on the line for us and tells us the real things that he is enduring [49:19] And we know the real things that actually happened in his life [49:22] To the point of even the ridicule that the apostle paul endured from people and it hurt [49:29] And he dealt with it. He didn’t deny it. He went through it with confidence in the gospel of jesus christ [49:36] And I want you to know that you can have that same confidence too because there’s one of two types of people in here

[49:41] Maybe you’re in here and you’ve never trusted jesus christ as your savior [49:45] You may know all the facts you may know all of the stories [49:49] You may know all of the things about jesus [49:52] But you’ve never truly placed your faith in jesus christ as your lord and savior [49:56] I want you to understand that yes, he is god [50:00] Yes, he did die for your sins so that you could be forgiven of them

[50:05] But he also died so that he could give you a new life of joy in following him into his kingdom [50:12] And if you will turn from your sin and you will trust in jesus [50:15] He will save you [50:17] And he will keep you [50:19] He’ll never leave you [50:20] He will never forsake you and he will endure you through all of the good moments and all of the hard moments that this life has

[50:25] To offer but you have to trust him. You have to put your faith in him and you have to follow him

[50:31] Some of you in here you’re a follower of jesus christ, but you’re struggling in faith right now [50:36] You’re struggling with anger [50:38] envy [50:39] jealousy [50:41] You’re resentful of people [50:43] And you know that you don’t have the joy right now that the father wants you to have

[50:48] For you in this moment lay it down [50:51] You can do that. You don’t think you can but you can [50:54] Have the faith in jesus christ to lay those things down and walk into this world [50:59] With the joy that god has to give you because you trust what he says more than you trust what anyone else says because that’s what faith does

[51:07] Every week we reflect and we’re confronted [51:11] By the bread and the cup the bread represents his broken body the cup represents his shed blood [51:17] And when we eat and when we drink what that is is a testimony to everyone around us say I believe the gospel of jesus christ [51:25] I believe that I am who he says I am and I can have what he says I can have [51:30] I will follow christ with my life

[51:34] If that’s you I invite you to come eat drink celebrate the repentance that god has given you

[51:47] You